Headed to The Eng's in the AM to setup his wireless network. I was impressed with his ability to answer the door 2 hours before noon. He is strong when necessary, a fine upstanding gent.
So the wireless was easy, and the Yahoo! DSL seemed fine, then weak, then dropped completely...wtf?!
After much hair-pulling it was decided that the new home alarm system the building owner insisted he have installed was screwing up the phone line. So armed with my trusty screwdriver I proceeded to pry off the cover to the alarm, disconnect the phone line uplink, cut the power, disconnect the backup battery, and restore the phone line to its pristine state.
I also plugged the DSL modem and wireless into the phonejack in the bedroom, and amazingly enough it worked.
After that mad success, The Eng gave me a ride in his 43o Spider to Hiroo Station wherein I encountered a large group of large (ever seen small?) marines obviously confused. They were trying to get to Iidabashi, so I took them halfway and pointed them in the right direction as I continued on to Hongo 3-chome to do some sittin'.
And I sat.
And we had some snacks and bevvies as we usually do after sittin', then I bought a bunch of quality fish and dinner foods at FoodShow in Shibuya before bussin' home.
the bridge from the boat
We rented a boat for a couple of hours to cruise around the bay. The weather was perfect, the water calm, the food warm and the beverages cool.
crash and bored
So, was in a car accident yesterday. Yes, I'm fine and not hurt, driver is fine, too.
Accidents happen, such is life. However, it was a fascinating insight into the machine of Japanese bureaucracy.
First order of business: close the highway, all lanes. For two hours.
I counted: 10 patrol cars, 2 fire trucks, 3 ambulances, at least 40 cops, plus 4 highway vehicles with big blinky signs and a number of old-school wicker brooms to help clean up the debris.
We spent a couple of hours standing around on the highway explaining to 7 different cops at least 7 times what happened. They had big tape measures, different colors of chaulk, digital and film cameras, flares, cones, reflective arrows, and blinky lights.
After a couple of hours on the highway, and having come to an agreement that the accident happened in our lane, with the other driver changing lanes in front of us, our tow truck arrived and we accompanied the car to the police station.
And then we sat on a bench.
For.
Three.
Hours.
20 cops. One laptop computer. A printer that appeared to only be capable of printing one. page. at. a. time.
Then signing lots of paperwork: we have your car. We're returning your car. We're NOT returning your car. This ackowledges that you ackowledge that we have your car, etc.
And then the cops apologized for keeping us so long, said they'd ask us to come back again, and when they call we can decide on a mutually agreeable time and date, then they called a cab for us.
And by 4pm we were back in the office. (The accident was about 8am.)
Accidents happen, such is life. However, it was a fascinating insight into the machine of Japanese bureaucracy.
First order of business: close the highway, all lanes. For two hours.
I counted: 10 patrol cars, 2 fire trucks, 3 ambulances, at least 40 cops, plus 4 highway vehicles with big blinky signs and a number of old-school wicker brooms to help clean up the debris.
We spent a couple of hours standing around on the highway explaining to 7 different cops at least 7 times what happened. They had big tape measures, different colors of chaulk, digital and film cameras, flares, cones, reflective arrows, and blinky lights.
After a couple of hours on the highway, and having come to an agreement that the accident happened in our lane, with the other driver changing lanes in front of us, our tow truck arrived and we accompanied the car to the police station.
And then we sat on a bench.
For.
Three.
Hours.
20 cops. One laptop computer. A printer that appeared to only be capable of printing one. page. at. a. time.
Then signing lots of paperwork: we have your car. We're returning your car. We're NOT returning your car. This ackowledges that you ackowledge that we have your car, etc.
And then the cops apologized for keeping us so long, said they'd ask us to come back again, and when they call we can decide on a mutually agreeable time and date, then they called a cab for us.
And by 4pm we were back in the office. (The accident was about 8am.)
tonchan's sleeper
P is The Best Wife, and soon to be The Best Mom. A few months ago we did the traditional thing and went to the shrine to make sure she got all the proper Shinto Good Birth Magic, and she got a length of gauze cloth to wrap her abdomen in order to the keep the baby cookin' properly. With this bolt, she buckled down in proper home-bound pregnant wife fashion and sewed this awesome babywear.
I asked if she could make one for me, too but she said she doesn't have enough cloth.
dinner w/yoons & smallwoods
We did Akiba in the morning, checking out all the geeky back streets and crazy t-shirt shops, then met Conan's dad and headed to the massive Yodobashi Camera. N3i got a cool digital camera and then we all regrouped at home to check out Conan's new pad, watch some Samurai Jack, and get some excellent dinner.
jew food
Amy and Maya came over with their parentals and we all went down to David's Deli for some right and proper Jew food. Falafel pita sandwhich, matzoh ball soup, annoying Korean waitress...just like in NYC!
We then got some bread at the cool French bakery (Japan has the best bakeries, no idea why) and cruised home to await the arrival of Daboo and N3i.
The bus from the airport arrived promptly at 9pm. We taxi'd home and inhaled huge bowls of pasta as jet-lag set in.
We then got some bread at the cool French bakery (Japan has the best bakeries, no idea why) and cruised home to await the arrival of Daboo and N3i.
The bus from the airport arrived promptly at 9pm. We taxi'd home and inhaled huge bowls of pasta as jet-lag set in.
crackberry
Blackberries are finally coming to Japan. I had one for a couple of days for testing. It's pretty cool. Got used to the full but tiny keyboard pretty quickly. The Japanese support is weak -- they just slapped a crappy interface into an English device, but it displays okay so for reading Japanese mails it's fine.
I guess it'll be good for overseas travellers -- your Blackberry will finally work in Japan (as long as it's 3G) and Japanese berries will work overseas as well. Roaming charges will kill you though, and the damn thing is expensive enough to start, as it will only be offered to corporates.
Personally I'm more interested in having push mail and a more robust browser on my cellphone. Much better input prediction for Japanese on cells these days, and with a little more tweaking (slightly bigger screen, more powerful browser that supports more scripting) I'll be set.
The issue is that the market in Japan is entirely driven by consumers, not corporates, so the needs of the business user (data and more PC functionality) are beaten by the needs of the high schooler (MP3 player, digital TV, full-color decorated email.)
I had to go to Yokohama and was on the berry the whole time in the train. Managed to get through alot of mail and I can see how it can be productive, especially for folks with a long commute to work. Then again I can also imagine being a slave to it as mails from NY and London come in all through the night and weekends. No thanks, I'll stick with my laptop and cell for now!
I guess it'll be good for overseas travellers -- your Blackberry will finally work in Japan (as long as it's 3G) and Japanese berries will work overseas as well. Roaming charges will kill you though, and the damn thing is expensive enough to start, as it will only be offered to corporates.
Personally I'm more interested in having push mail and a more robust browser on my cellphone. Much better input prediction for Japanese on cells these days, and with a little more tweaking (slightly bigger screen, more powerful browser that supports more scripting) I'll be set.
The issue is that the market in Japan is entirely driven by consumers, not corporates, so the needs of the business user (data and more PC functionality) are beaten by the needs of the high schooler (MP3 player, digital TV, full-color decorated email.)
I had to go to Yokohama and was on the berry the whole time in the train. Managed to get through alot of mail and I can see how it can be productive, especially for folks with a long commute to work. Then again I can also imagine being a slave to it as mails from NY and London come in all through the night and weekends. No thanks, I'll stick with my laptop and cell for now!
sweat
I-sensei was in fine form again tonight. He set up a circuit for the first half of class. A series of 1-minute routines with 5 second breaks:
I think I lost 2 kilos in sweat alone.
- bench steps (right foot up on the bench, left on the floor. Push off with the right foot on the bench, lifting the whole body up to bench level, switch feet, putting the left foot on the bench and the right on the floor. Repeat.)
- running in place with 1 kilo weights in each hand, knees and elbows high
- straight sit ups
- right side sit ups
- left side sit ups
- straight sit ups
- right side sit ups
- left side sit ups
- left-right punching heavy bag, full speed, from the hips, up on the balls of the feet
- left-right kicking heavy bag, as soon as the kicking foot touches down, kick with the other foot
- sky-divers (lie on your stomach. Lift hands and feet off the ground in sky-diver position, lower and raise without stopping.)
- push ups
I think I lost 2 kilos in sweat alone.
mad ninja skillz ren @ work (by loveTrain)
LoveTrain drew this sweet picture of me. This is what I'm like at work, gettin' my bid'ness on.
bugs and weeds
Typhoon passed with little more than lots of rain, and as the clouds started to clear, I pulled on my long gum boots, long sleeves and pants, and wrapped my head in a towel. Time to pull weeds.
The front "yard" (is there a minimal size for a yard? If so, this is smaller) has been overrun by greenery I don't want, concealing the cool beauty of the moss I have encouraged to grow over the clay-like dirt.
So I pulled me some weeds. And the bugs didn't like it. Or, more accurately, they loved it. Specifically, they loved the one piece of exposed, non-covered skin: my face.
By the time I retreated to the safety of the shower, I had enough bug bites on my face to make me look like a battered husband. This was enough to get some decent husband pity from P, who rewarded my valiant efforts with a huge showing of sesame-dressing pork for dinner.
The front "yard" (is there a minimal size for a yard? If so, this is smaller) has been overrun by greenery I don't want, concealing the cool beauty of the moss I have encouraged to grow over the clay-like dirt.
So I pulled me some weeds. And the bugs didn't like it. Or, more accurately, they loved it. Specifically, they loved the one piece of exposed, non-covered skin: my face.
By the time I retreated to the safety of the shower, I had enough bug bites on my face to make me look like a battered husband. This was enough to get some decent husband pity from P, who rewarded my valiant efforts with a huge showing of sesame-dressing pork for dinner.
neighborhood mikoshi
Three-day weekend + late summer = Neighborhood festival! Various omikoshi being carried by the adults and kids around town. When I went to get my haircut, only mom and daughter were there, as dad had snuck out to help, and was gone all afternoon. Even though it started raining a bit, everyone was having a grand time.
what u lookin at?
After the antique fair we went to Bic Camera and I bought me a super hi-tek electric shaver. Then we went to the big Muji, had some lunch, and bought some maternity clothes for the no-longer working P, and a new cover for our old couch. They changed the couch style a couple years ago; the arms are thinner and it's less comfy to sit on. But luckily they still sell the old-style couch cover.
milk
Went with P to check out the Oedo Antique Fair at Tokyo International Forum. Lots of cool, old stuff, but nothing worth buying. They also had various artistically decorated cows, which reminded me of the first time I saw such bovines, back in the day in Stamford, CT.
long night
To welcome the new folks on the team, we went out for some socializing beverages and eats. Started at the Irish (?) pub in the basement, then when they kicked us out we walked up the street to Apache, from there walked up to Roppongi, stopping by a sketchy S&M club that was (thankfully) closing so we carried on to Geronimo. The drum was bang'd. The drum was head-butt'd. Many shots were...shot'd. By 2am, Dommy-chan's shirt had been ripped off and whiskey was spilled and drinked in equal shares (both excessive) so it was time to leave.
Needless to say, I am rather sleepy today.
Needless to say, I am rather sleepy today.
sword weekend
Spent all day in the dojo on Saturday -- huge cutting session. Special Agent RB joined from the Southland in the PM and showed us how it was done properly. I think we put away nearly 100 mats. Next time I am sticking to the 10 person limit; give everyone more mats and still takes less time.
Sunday I taught a beginner's seminar in the afternoon -- small turnout and it was damn hot -- and then finished up the kumitachi class at honbu. Lots of people dancing pretty with sticks, not enough fear and danger. As Gosoke says "Get clobbered in the head a couple times if you really wanna learn. Besides, if you get hit it's your own fault!"
And in an unrelated note, what exactly the hell is wrong with razors? P went to 3 different drug stores to try and find Gillette blades that would fit my razor. I ended up by Mach2 Sensor blades or something, but every time they add another blade (or lotion strip, or battery vibe or whatever) they change the razor so that new heads don't fit on old razors. I am sick of this scam. I'm going to drop big money on a really good wet/dry electric shaver, and then get a proper barber shop shave, with a straight razor, a couple times a month anyway.
Sunday I taught a beginner's seminar in the afternoon -- small turnout and it was damn hot -- and then finished up the kumitachi class at honbu. Lots of people dancing pretty with sticks, not enough fear and danger. As Gosoke says "Get clobbered in the head a couple times if you really wanna learn. Besides, if you get hit it's your own fault!"
And in an unrelated note, what exactly the hell is wrong with razors? P went to 3 different drug stores to try and find Gillette blades that would fit my razor. I ended up by Mach2 Sensor blades or something, but every time they add another blade (or lotion strip, or battery vibe or whatever) they change the razor so that new heads don't fit on old razors. I am sick of this scam. I'm going to drop big money on a really good wet/dry electric shaver, and then get a proper barber shop shave, with a straight razor, a couple times a month anyway.
tonchan!
The alien lives, and is watching you. Tonchan is now about a kilo, and P is feelin' it! Tonchan is also kicking and groovin' about regularly, making is really difficult for P to get a good night's sleep!
dinner zen
Met some of the Zenner's at Hachiko. We grabbed some dinner at a random local place, then finished up with Traditional Japanese Dessert at TGIF's. Brad showed us some killer old photos of the 80's punk scene in Ohio and we reminisced about the old punk/hardcore days. He's about 8 years older than me, so he's more legit than I was, but then again I caught the beginnings of the hardcore skate-punk scene and the peaking Straight Edge movement.
Good to blather away with a bunch of well grounded folks, and quite an international crew at that.
Some day I will have to get out to see Nishijima-sensei, too.
Good to blather away with a bunch of well grounded folks, and quite an international crew at that.
Some day I will have to get out to see Nishijima-sensei, too.
10 rounds
I-Sensei was in a fine mood today, and had us work on stamina. We did five three-minute rounds of kicking, non-stop, with only 30-second breaks between rounds. Then we did five rounds of punching, again non-stop. Double plus pain. Many sweatings. Much sore.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)