mynameistim

How to open a padlock

2009-12-14T15:35:00.001+09:00

http://www.markedwardcampos.com/index.php?/design/master-lock/

Want one

2009-12-08T15:40:00.000+09:00

http://gizmodo.com/5305968/alton-brown-would-not-approve-of-the-bandai-gyoza-maker

Yet another reason why I love Japan

2009-11-28T15:36:00.001+09:00

Last night I took a picture of a woman taking her rabbit for a walk near my apartment. No, I'm not kidding with you.

New shoes tonight

2009-11-24T22:04:00.004+09:00

I needed a little "therapy" after work, so I went shoe-shopping. I've had a hard time finding shoes in Japan, but I decided to go to the ABC-Mart in Shibuya and just see everything they had in my size. Obviously they didn't have much (Japanese feet are generally MUCH smaller than American feet), but they did have some. I found this great pair of Nike Terminators with gold features that the attendant told me is a Japan-only model.

I've been so committed to Adidas over the past few years that I was skeptical when he showed me the Terminators, but I decided to try them on. I ended up going a size down, remembering that Nikes tend to fit a bit big on me after several wears, and knowing that they'll stretch a tad with all the walking I do here. I'm really happy with them! The gold laces and tongue-tag really pop. Here are some more pictures:

http://sneaker.1626.com/archives/22300

In addition to the Nikes, I also bought a new pair of Vans checkered slip-ons:

Ever since my Norwegian slip-ons bit the dust, I've only had the one pair of slip-ons, the blue Sperry Top-siders. I really like slip-ons, though, so I wanted a new pair to be able to pull into the rotation. The Vans are a classic that need no explanation.

So much for my desire, by the way, to prune down my shoe collection. *SIGH*

Cool cop

2009-11-24T17:26:00.003+09:00

There is no doubt that this guy was the coolest cop in the history of the planet:

(I'm sure most of you have seen this before, but since I don't do a lot of searching for funny videos on the internet and I don't do email forwards, it was new to me. Thanks to my old buddy Brooks Dame for pointing it out.)

Too late for late-night confessions

2009-11-23T01:16:00.001+09:00

It's too late now,
it's too late now,
it's too late for late night confessions.

(Click the fourth song to listen)

Still taken back by last week's New Yorker cover

2009-11-07T18:32:00.004+09:00

Last week's New Yorker cover has received some really good press on the web since it debuted, and a week later I'm still completely drawn in by it. It's a telling and simple commentary on modern society. I'm reminded of Wall-E and wonder how long before we become so sucked in by our connectivity that we lose our ability to have meaningful relationships with each other. It seems so far-fetched, but every one of us can look around and at ourselves to see how real this is. While I love my gadgets, I long for a simpler life with fewer distractions. Fewer emails, more friendships. More family and less me. How does one recover from this type of lifestyle? Where do we go from here?

Cool

2009-11-05T00:59:00.001+09:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgantown_Personal_Rapid_Transit

What's My Line?

2009-11-03T14:10:00.003+09:00

This is nothing groundbreaking, but I came across some great videos online featuring the old game show What's My Line?. Some of them are quite entertaining and fun -- here are some of my favorites:

Barnes & Noble Nook

2009-10-21T16:52:00.000+09:00

I want one.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/

From Agra to Delhi

2009-10-18T22:03:00.002+09:00

I just posted a project that I've been working on (contemplating more than anything else) for a couple of years:

From Agra to Delhi - Color experiments in a Mahindra Scorpio: December 2007

I decided this summer to start using my timboisvert.com domain as a site for my various projects while transitioning mynameistim.com into a site that will just host my blog and nothing more. As a result I needed a new project to kick off the new timboisvert.com concept. I took these pictures in December of 2007 and I've been waiting for the right moment and medium to share them. Now that I've found it I hope you like it.

I'll slowly begin transitioning all non-blog content off of this site and over to timboisvert.com. That'll take a while, of course.

An engineering marvel

2009-10-10T23:19:00.002+09:00

Check out this spaghetti bowl just south of Haneda, one of Tokyo's two airports. Switch over to Map view, then back to Satellite. Three underwater tunnels, one of them going 6 or 7 miles underneath Tokyo Bay, all meeting on a landfilled island. Follow the north-bound one up a mile or so to see where it cuts through the middle of the island Haneda is on. Look at the way the road cuts through the airport -- underwater tunnels on both ends. The whole area is one amazing piece of engineering after another.

Am I alive?

2009-10-02T15:56:00.000+09:00

Yes, I am.

Went to Raleigh for a week. Had a great time. Stopped in Utah on the way. Enjoyed that, too. De-jet-lagged this week. Almost back to normal.

I love this song

2009-09-17T13:12:00.002+09:00

I predict that you'll love it or hate it. This is, like Vampire Weekend, the type of band that I never would've predicted that I'd really like, but Chester French's Love the Future album has a number of rich pop-meets-depth gems on it that I just can't stop spinning.

Other albums that I've been playing constantly lately (some of them classics): Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, Elliott Smith's Roman Candle, Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot , Mojave 3's Excuses For Travelers, Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue, DeYarmond Edison's Silent Signs, and (of course, since I've mentioned it regularly) fun.'s Aim and Ignite (an INSTANT classic!).

Tokyo/Barcelona

2009-09-14T08:27:00.001+09:00

Getting up early for seminary has introduced me to a new classification of local sensation that I hadn't known until now: the smell of Tokyo early in the morning. It smells just like Barcelona in the morning. It's a beautiful, glorious, life-giving smell. For those that know the smell of Barcelona in the morning, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I became convinced on my mission that the smell I speak of is the smell of wet concrete, and years later I still think that's what it is. It's one of my favorite smells.

Sad for Caster Semenya

2009-09-11T15:59:00.004+09:00

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/6170229/Caster-Semenya-is-a-hermaphrodite-tests-show.html

My heart goes out to this poor woman (and as I read someone say elsewhere, I choose to call her a woman because that's how she identifies herself). From articles I read a few weeks ago, this appears to be a case in which her family had no idea this could be possible, and it looks like the tests have confirmed what many people speculated: she's one of the extremely rare percentage of people in the world who have both sexes' genital organs and hormonal makeup.

Whether we like it not, the reality is that the majority of our sporting systems are separated by sex. Whether that's right or not or good or bad isn't something I'm willing to debate at this point; the reality is that there's no facility in our current system for a person with this type of genetic makeup. I only post this to convey my sadness for Ms. Semenya that she will very likely never be able to compete again. She is a champion and has obviously worked tirelessly to get to where she is, as any athlete of this caliber would have to. I hope that something -- anything -- can be done to give this woman the chance she deserves to develop her skill and compete in a way that brings her satisfaction.

OK, just a little bit of my opinion: I think she should be allowed to compete with the women, even though I can't see any of the world's Track & Field or Olympic sport committees agreeing with me.

Friday night = GO BUCK NUTTY CRAZY NIGHT!!!!

2009-09-11T11:51:00.002+09:00

[My compliments to B-Rad Clark for authorizing me years ago to use "buck nutty," which was clearly his intellectual property.]

Two weeks ago I started teaching seminary. We meet at 6 AM Monday-Thursday. Luckily the church is only 200 meters from my apartment, so I don't have to get up until 5:45 AM. It's been a great experience so far. In the meantime, my late-night work meeting schedule continues to be quite vibrant. Tuesdays and Thursdays I generally have 4 meetings; Mondays and Wednesdays I generally have 2 meetings. Friday nights, though... I don't have ANY meetings. And since I'm usually exhausted by Thursday night, I tend to sleep a tad longer on Friday morning.

Friday night, though, I want to party. When I say "party," I mean "do anything but work." Tomorrow is Saturday and I'm going golfing with some guys from my ward (I'll be sure to write a review of my experience, since it'll be on an American military base here in Tokyo). Tonight I have two choices: Go out and get dinner, then see a late-night movie, maybe Harry Potter... or go to bed early so I'm refreshed for the golf trip. I'll now discuss both options:

Go to dinner and a late night movie, perhaps Harry Potter
First of all, it's important to note that the movie-going experience is different in Japan. First of all, it costs $18-$25 to see a movie. Second, seating is assigned (at least at the theater I like, the Virgin Toho Roppongi Hills Cinema). Third, the only American movies that come to Japan are the blockbusters. No art films or dramas or anything like that. I'm not mad about it -- that's just the way it is. So my options tonight are Harry Potter, Taking of Pelham 123, Transformers 2, and Wolverine. Not what I'd call "stellar" options, no sir. I've already seen the latter two, so my choices are the first two. With that in mind, Harry Potter is the "best" option.

So I can go out, get dinner, go to the movies, eat some popcorn, enjoy an English-language movie (English with Japanese subtitles), and be in by 1 AM. A perfectly reasonable Friday evening........ if not for the fact that I'm playing golf Saturday morning.

Go to bed early so I can be refreshed for Saturday's golf
This basically means making dinner at home, watching something on the Apple TV, and going to bed by 10 in order to be up and refreshed by 7 AM tomorrow.

Actually, option two sounds terrible. I'm going to the movies!!! Forget about being tired tomorrow!

Contemporary American politics

2009-09-10T23:21:00.003+09:00

President Obama: "The time for bickering is over."
Republicans: "No, we want to bicker some more!"

The end.

Driving like a maniac

2009-09-01T08:52:00.003+09:00

I admit to driving my scooter like a maniac. Is it risky? Absolutely! But I need some kind of action in my life. I love the corporate life, the tension and stress of working on expensive projects, the delicate wordplay, the lightweight politicking, the quest for the perfect email. I like this life, but I still need some visceral action. I need to speed through the streets, weave in and out of lanes, and floor it at the sight of a yellow light. This is how I handle my stress, how I prepare myself for another day of work, how I wind down after work, and how I "deal with it." I love riding my scooter, and the more I ride it, the safer I feel (when in fact the opposite is true -- after a certain comfort level, safety starts to decrease).

Note that this madness, this scooter-based craziness, takes place at a whopping 40 kph. And I wear a helmet. And I'm usually dressed in business casual while I do it. BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER! I'm still a rebel, a virtual Hell's Angel, on that scooter.

Obviously in a previous life I'd just drive a car, which is MUCH more dangerous than a scooter. I've generally been a conservative driver most of the time, but occasionally I'd just hit it and want to fly, and down went the gas pedal. I remember one specific occasion when I was driving the IS300 on Garlock Road with Glenn and Christy in the car. Bloc Party's "Positive Tension" was playing, right at that part about 2/3 of the way in when it starts to speed up a bit. I could feel the music coursing through my veins, and I came up over this hill, that last hill on Garlock before it flattens out, and I noticed that I was casually going 100 mph at the crest of the hill. Something triggered in my brain and I knew I could hit it, and the music was moving me, driving me, pushing me. So I pushed the pedal all the way down and got it up to 142 mph before the thought came to me that if I lost control, we'd die. And who wants to be responsible for something like that? Not I! So I eased off the gas and toned it back down to 100 or so (a normal Garlock Road speed, for those not familiar with California desert roads).

One other time I was by myself on the way from Provo to Ridgecrest and I got it up to 145 mph before the same thought came to my head (the "one twitch and you're going to wreck this machine and kill yourself" thought). This was during that phase of my college years when I was tired of taking I-15 to get to my family home in Ridgecrest, so I'd take US Highway 6 from Delta, Utah to Bishop, California, then cut down the east side of the Sierras. Lots of interesting memories on that highway: cutting down through the White Mountains that one time. Getting my plates taken away in Tonopah. Hitting that badger out in the middle of Nevada. Realizing that I was in love really for the first time (after many infatuations and experiences I thought were love, it was the first time I maturely understood what love was -- mind you, I still later immaturely and regrettably threw that love away, but it was on Highway 6 that I first knew what it was like to feel that kind of love), and that one time going 145 mph.

Many good memories, really rich memories, that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Just like the memories I'm making now: new sights, new sounds, fear, loneliness, happiness, and the feel of a cool breeze in my face as I ride my Suzuki Let's 50cc scooter carelessly through the streets of Tokyo.

Now THAT's revenge!

2009-08-27T15:57:00.002+09:00

You know I love 20th Century history. Wikipedia is a great tool for high-level, non-academic understanding of historical events. I found this little nugget while reading about the French Resistance in World War II:

When Adolf Hitler received word from the French Government that they wished to negotiate an armistice, Hitler selected Compiègne Forest near Compiègne as the site for the negotiations. As Compiègne was the site of the 1918 Armistice ending the Great War with a humiliating defeat for Germany, Hitler saw using this location as a supreme moment of revenge for Germany over France. Hitler decided to sign the armistice in the same rail carriage where the Germans had signed the first armistice in 1918...

In the very same railway carriage in which the 1918 Armistice was signed (removed from a museum building and placed on the precise spot where it was located in 1918), Hitler sat in the same chair in which Marshal Ferdinand Foch had sat when he faced the defeated German representatives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armistice_with_France_(Second_Compi...

That's some serious vengeance right there!

Heartbreak

2009-08-26T13:11:00.001+09:00

I was way disappointed to discover today that the Japanese version of the Milky Way candy bar is really just a 3 Musketeers bar in disguise. You all don't realize how much you need that thin strip of caramel in your life until it's not available to you. Heartbreaking, indeed.

Pics from my Beijing trip

2009-08-25T09:51:00.000+09:00

What a pleasant surprise!

2009-08-24T21:18:00.002+09:00

I get back from China and find a new ad campaign on the Yamanote Line for Boss Coffee featuring Tommy Lee Jones. When I was here last September they were my favorite billboards, and I'm glad to see Suntory bring TLJ back for another round of ads.

How To Get Good Sushi

2009-08-23T11:03:00.002+09:00

Here are a few tips for enjoying sushi, provided by the internet. Apparently, sushi chefs are a pretty cagey bunch who don't like to give good sushi to ordinary people. They reserve their best sushi for the the sushi snobs/connoisseurs. So, here are the tips provided by the internet:

Eat rolls sparingly. If you order a roll, then the sushi chef will assume that you are a noob and will give you subpar sushi. This is akin to a drug dealer selling bags of oregano to high school kids.
Order something other than Tuna or Salmon. Salmon and Tuna are delicious. They also make you look like an amateur. Ordering octopus or eel will show the chef that you are a discerning customer.
Sit at the bar and talk to the chef. It there is one thing that the chef loves, it's talking shop with customers. Consider this quotation:
In Japanese culture, the sushi chef is not just a guy with a knife - he's your gastronomical navigator in unpredictable waters.
Order omakase. This means that the sushi chef chooses for you. It is EXTREMELY sophisticated to do this. The chef will recognize this and reward you with some of the best sushi from his secret stash.
Use soy sauce sparingly (and call it 'shoyu'). The internet says that, "This is the ultimate faux pas in the eyes of the chef and is a truly unforgivable sin." If you put soy sauce (shoyu) on your sushi, you are blacklisted and will be getting shwag every time you return to the restaurant.
Don't mix wasabi in your shoyu. By adding wasabi, you are telling the sushi chef that you hate him. Avoid this.
Eat the sushi upside down. This way, you taste the fish before the rice. Also, it's sort of a stunt. Dude! Check it out, he totally flipped that diggy before he ate it!
Eat with your hands. It has to do with culture and stuff.

It's a strange business model: give subpar food to the majority of your clients, and save the best for the people who come into your restaurant all the time.

In conclusion, your sushi chef is always judging you.

Disclosure: I tried to load pictures onto this, but it took forever. Tim, I don't know what i'm doing wrong.

Questions for discussion:

Are you ashamed because you like California Rolls?
Would you be willing to eat octopus sushi if it raised your standing with the sushi chef?
Which sort of snob would you like to be? Sushi snob? Music snob? Some other kind of snob?

Great day

2009-08-22T21:51:00.001+09:00

Played tourist this morning, went shopping again this afternoon. Got a bit sunburned -- it's warm and dry today, but the air is much cleaner than yesterday -- and came in for a nap. Then went out for a long walk tonight. Tomorrow I'll see the Great Wall.