tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54808280969301062912024-03-05T07:22:34.846-05:00Almost Otakualmostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-65304251104193288442011-04-01T08:43:00.003-04:002011-04-01T08:46:16.768-04:00Honyaku Gets A Face LiftI have been using Yahoo's translator for a few years and like any translator it is still more of a guide but definitely a useful tool. Typically a major change like this is more of a frustration, but they got this one right. Automatically detecting the input language is plus. The green is a nice change too. Check it out: <a href="http://honyaku.yahoo.co.jp/">http://honyaku.yahoo.co.jp/</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkmnr_14j8IJI3nHzVgDiSvHKk-Ch3gkoVLplJwVurpIfz6Jmoov8Q-R-S5WX6DoZY87JhtzlfpO4s9b30hCo2GhBqWsCFyIcHwChE7Ct-4umAwRrTq7dio1DBCr6mf9gfQYLjuSVOEY/s1600/honyaku.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkmnr_14j8IJI3nHzVgDiSvHKk-Ch3gkoVLplJwVurpIfz6Jmoov8Q-R-S5WX6DoZY87JhtzlfpO4s9b30hCo2GhBqWsCFyIcHwChE7Ct-4umAwRrTq7dio1DBCr6mf9gfQYLjuSVOEY/s400/honyaku.png" width="500" /></a></div><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=eb311788-83ae-429e-b7bc-2d16c5c69fb5" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a><span class="zem-script more-related pretty-attribution"><script defer="defer" src="http://static.zemanta.com/readside/loader.js" type="text/javascript">
</script></span></div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-47252530590250073612011-01-20T09:30:00.003-05:002011-01-20T09:33:14.255-05:00A Journey Into the World of Class A<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXmJdBsYCF1Er1e_qrjvrKMjsG4vZfgnQKyZdbzQzGhhj5K_QjkdS2gEqEtTpEJ5KY-rCkryylxY78Q0xbkw2zju5UmiO5e6IvfuMw3xp4i73NptJ5R8RngE4PPCtBoquuYaITEOgDkE/s1600/131559_10150375518770626_751890625_16766101_813094_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXmJdBsYCF1Er1e_qrjvrKMjsG4vZfgnQKyZdbzQzGhhj5K_QjkdS2gEqEtTpEJ5KY-rCkryylxY78Q0xbkw2zju5UmiO5e6IvfuMw3xp4i73NptJ5R8RngE4PPCtBoquuYaITEOgDkE/s400/131559_10150375518770626_751890625_16766101_813094_o.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
What is hot, extremely inefficient, but sounds really nice? A Class A amplifier.<br />
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A lot of times associated with tube amplifiers, a class A amp can be just as effective using transistors. Listening to the Leo Laporte podcast at <a href="http://twit.tv/">Twit.tv</a>, lead me to the Home Theater Geeks podcast found on the same site, which in turn, I found myself listening to a podcast featuring Nelson Pass form <a href="http://www.passlabs.com/">Pass Labs</a>. Get inspired by the podcast with Nelson Pass <a href="http://twit.tv/htg42">HERE</a>!<br />
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The above rendering is my concept for the enclosure of my class A amplifier project. If you ever dabbled in, or want to jump into the world of electronics, building a class A amplifier might be the perfect project to get you started. You can find all the info you need to get going at, <a href="http://www.passlabs.com/">Pass Labs</a>, <a href="http://passdiy.com/">Pass DIY</a>, and <a href="http://firstwatt.com/">First Watt</a>. All the help you need can be found at <a href="http://diyaudio.com/">diyAudio</a>. Due to the lower wattages a modest class A will output, you may want to research speakers that are more efficient thatn the typical offering such as the Jordan JX92S at <a href="http://www.jordan-usa.com/drivers.html">Jordan-USA</a>. Alternately, these can make very nice headphone amplifiers.<br />
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Designs can be as simple as some spare parts and light bulbs such as below, or as complex as you like to squeeze out every last drop of distortion as possible and maximize efficiency. So round up some parts and have fun!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMctf07J1dzmrjSpSgsoXovV2p35U1XrbhZiFCbeiP2WnvAoGR59DcRo-QAJIwgMNjxalWHqwsRw8wpjtzMZzmIQdKvpx5USNplcl-jZiQir38RcYUFzra8vUnesaMK_oCNMkIv-s6SQ/s1600/De-Lite.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMctf07J1dzmrjSpSgsoXovV2p35U1XrbhZiFCbeiP2WnvAoGR59DcRo-QAJIwgMNjxalWHqwsRw8wpjtzMZzmIQdKvpx5USNplcl-jZiQir38RcYUFzra8vUnesaMK_oCNMkIv-s6SQ/s400/De-Lite.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This image is from the <a href="http://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_delite.pdf">De-Lite Amplifier PDF</a> by Nelson Pass, taken by Dana Brock.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-35286539075782967442010-08-01T10:33:00.000-04:002010-11-09T09:34:57.824-05:00Get Lamp - The Text Adventure Documentary<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJf102L_wrHr4z8XK1ocnvcqcKYEjzTZ6Yd1cc-szy1YKBH1zc7HH-NJrGQLf0_Q4GR_WZQKdG4W8s4qPHxeGiGbdoNmdqkae4lT-ryQhCT3XKd51kb0sIraRX2Ddn4oYAZUl6ovvQu0/s1600-h/getlamp.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327524164112718338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJf102L_wrHr4z8XK1ocnvcqcKYEjzTZ6Yd1cc-szy1YKBH1zc7HH-NJrGQLf0_Q4GR_WZQKdG4W8s4qPHxeGiGbdoNmdqkae4lT-ryQhCT3XKd51kb0sIraRX2Ddn4oYAZUl6ovvQu0/s400/getlamp.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 269px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<div>If you don't have any fond memories of those classic text games, you missed out. I was lurking the internet for information regarding the implementors (infocom/text adventure designers) of times past. To my pleasant surprise, I found out about an upcoming documentary on the storytellers and history of the genre. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Thanks to Jason Scott, the world will soon get a glimpse of a now seemingly small but very important slice of the gaming industry with his newest documentary <a href="http://www.getlamp.com/">"Get Lamp"</a>. In an email from Jason, he expressed huge progress and an update to his blog this month. For status on the project, to offer support, or if you have anything to contribute, you can contact Jason at jason@textfiles.com</div><div><br />
</div><div>Jason Scott is also the director of "BBS: The Documentary" which can be found at <a href="http://www.bbsdocumentary.com/">bbsdocumentary.com</a>.<br />
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</div></div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-55187333823090118152010-07-01T16:05:00.000-04:002010-11-09T09:37:33.600-05:00Steve Meretzky Does NerdcoreDue to the advent of "Get Lamp", I came across a music video with Steve Meretzky in it. Steve Meretzky is responsible for a few infocom games text in the 80's including, Planetfall, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Zork Zero. You can see his site at <a href="http://boffo.us/">Boffo</a>.<br />
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</div><div>Jason Scott's <a href="http://www.getlamp.com/">documentary</a> seems to have breifly given new life to the interest of this whole genre, albeit a small following still. I've never even heard about Nerdcore until I saw this MC Frontalot video, in which Steve Meretzky makes an appearance towards the end. Regardless of your preference in music, I thought this was an interesting event in the history of this subject.</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4nigRT2KmCE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4nigRT2KmCE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-52846668558545393122010-04-14T16:23:00.006-04:002010-04-14T16:27:23.454-04:00Goovie! 岐阜 × 動画<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJGMvoQCJhyphenhyphen1rW-A14gIvQqezrAJFeIUyL_wP4QX-BzGAVi1qtRfHHhboSJJ4XV-oy4IeC2i52rEt6VVEwHyg8Cnn1RwfnYZyw8lXWRephiE2hIAniFWLT_CuqEGDeKHjTpkM85JCZf0/s1600/Goovie%EF%BC%88%E3%82%B0%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%83%BC%EF%BC%894%E6%9C%88%E4%B8%AD%E6%97%AC%E5%85%AC%E9%96%8B%E4%BA%88%E5%AE%9A%EF%BC%81%E3%80%804%E6%9C%88%E4%B8%AD%E6%97%AC%E3%81%AB%E3%80%81%E3%81%84%E3%82%88%E3%81%84%E3%82%88%E3%80%81%E5%B2%90%E9%98%9C%E7%9C%8C%E3%81%AE%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BF%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A4%E3%83%88%E3%80%8CGoovie+%E5%B2%90%E9%98%9C%C3%97%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB%E3%80%8D%E3%81%8C%E5%85%AC%E9%96%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A0%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%80%81Goovie%E3%83%AA%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%81%8C%E5%B2%90%E9%98%9C%E7%9C%8C%E5%86%85%E3%82%92%E9%A7%86%E3%81%91%E5%B7%A1%E3%82%8A%E3%80%81%E5%90%84%E5%9C%B0%E3%81%AE%E3%82%A4%E3%83%99%E3%83%B3%E3%83%88%E3%82%84%E9%A2%A8%E6%99%AF%E3%81%AA%E3%81%A9%E3%81%AE%E7%B4%A0%E6%95%B5%E3%81%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB%E3%82%92%E6%92%AE%E5%BD%B1%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%80%E9%83%A8%E3%82%92%E5%85%88%E8%A1%8C%E5%85%AC%E9%96%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%EF%BC%81.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJGMvoQCJhyphenhyphen1rW-A14gIvQqezrAJFeIUyL_wP4QX-BzGAVi1qtRfHHhboSJJ4XV-oy4IeC2i52rEt6VVEwHyg8Cnn1RwfnYZyw8lXWRephiE2hIAniFWLT_CuqEGDeKHjTpkM85JCZf0/s640/Goovie%EF%BC%88%E3%82%B0%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%83%BC%EF%BC%894%E6%9C%88%E4%B8%AD%E6%97%AC%E5%85%AC%E9%96%8B%E4%BA%88%E5%AE%9A%EF%BC%81%E3%80%804%E6%9C%88%E4%B8%AD%E6%97%AC%E3%81%AB%E3%80%81%E3%81%84%E3%82%88%E3%81%84%E3%82%88%E3%80%81%E5%B2%90%E9%98%9C%E7%9C%8C%E3%81%AE%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BF%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A4%E3%83%88%E3%80%8CGoovie+%E5%B2%90%E9%98%9C%C3%97%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB%E3%80%8D%E3%81%8C%E5%85%AC%E9%96%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A0%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%80%81Goovie%E3%83%AA%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%81%8C%E5%B2%90%E9%98%9C%E7%9C%8C%E5%86%85%E3%82%92%E9%A7%86%E3%81%91%E5%B7%A1%E3%82%8A%E3%80%81%E5%90%84%E5%9C%B0%E3%81%AE%E3%82%A4%E3%83%99%E3%83%B3%E3%83%88%E3%82%84%E9%A2%A8%E6%99%AF%E3%81%AA%E3%81%A9%E3%81%AE%E7%B4%A0%E6%95%B5%E3%81%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB%E3%82%92%E6%92%AE%E5%BD%B1%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%80%E9%83%A8%E3%82%92%E5%85%88%E8%A1%8C%E5%85%AC%E9%96%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%EF%BC%81.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div><br />
One of my favorite places in Japan is Gifu Prefecture (<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gifu_Prefecture" rel="wikipedia nofollow" title="Gifu Prefecture">岐阜県</a>). So, I was pleased to stumble across a website called Goovie (sounds like a combination of Gifu and movie). Primarily it is movies of things going on in Gifu. For someone like me this is the perfect way to see some of the things I miss.<br />
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Go over to <a href="http://www.goovie.jp/">Goovie.jp</a> and check it out , they only have a handful of movies up right now, but please support them and subscribe to their <a href="http://twitter.com/goovie_twit">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ChannelGoovie">Youtube</a>.<br />
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If you are in Vancouver and your hot dog tastes like sushi, you are in the right place.<br />
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I found out about <a href="http://www.japadog.com/">Japadog</a> on The Weather Channel of all places. Located in Vancouver, and with the advent of the Olympics, this is sure to catch on worldwide. From what I saw, there was a 20 minute wait in line at the hot dog stand. More info and history at the <a href="http://www.japadog.com/">Japadog website</a>.almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-88441157279369436472010-01-06T10:48:00.005-05:002010-01-06T10:54:00.183-05:00Cream puffs from Osaka - ビアード パパ<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10px; white-space: pre;"></span></span> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iWQxIzNFBJo&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iWQxIzNFBJo&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">These sounded to good not to post about them. In 1999 Yuji Hirota opened the Beard Papa store in Osaka selling the perfect cream puff.. 11 years later I am just finding out about this. I doubt I will know for sure how perfect they are anytime soon, as most of the locations that sell these in the U.S., are in California, Florida, and Hawaii. For now I will just have to drool on the website. Check out the Beard papa websites in <a href="http://www.muginohousa.com/">ENGLISH</a> and <a href="http://www.beardpapa.jp/">日本語</a>.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dUB8PjZ2ebX7J2DB-qdpmvxDm2EyHuULWW_E0jF8fhxBM64Rp0-gW3xm074Wta6bMQfiptesq51pqqiTyhEBZEn1MJpId77-DCEuMfMyWwxabTUsqbSh-YhN6ESm2rIXWIg-c5Hv4Dg/s1600-h/BPpuff.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dUB8PjZ2ebX7J2DB-qdpmvxDm2EyHuULWW_E0jF8fhxBM64Rp0-gW3xm074Wta6bMQfiptesq51pqqiTyhEBZEn1MJpId77-DCEuMfMyWwxabTUsqbSh-YhN6ESm2rIXWIg-c5Hv4Dg/s1600-h/BPpuff.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dUB8PjZ2ebX7J2DB-qdpmvxDm2EyHuULWW_E0jF8fhxBM64Rp0-gW3xm074Wta6bMQfiptesq51pqqiTyhEBZEn1MJpId77-DCEuMfMyWwxabTUsqbSh-YhN6ESm2rIXWIg-c5Hv4Dg/s400/BPpuff.png" /></a><br />
</div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-17244170525099554352009-12-22T12:22:00.011-05:002009-12-22T12:34:26.378-05:00Merry (nano) Christmas?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhINMRx6nN5zMdXQLIH9NtwP41IE3QU8xrlUrj9utbt0WYCe9sJ2OVGsPEByb9HmMK6AGbPPIdW1aoG4Fayw6VF71LdoaIotUJ7SCVDXSI8a4Pudlneo3BBkLYo4a6H70B1hFG85RyRM/s1600-h/Snowman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhINMRx6nN5zMdXQLIH9NtwP41IE3QU8xrlUrj9utbt0WYCe9sJ2OVGsPEByb9HmMK6AGbPPIdW1aoG4Fayw6VF71LdoaIotUJ7SCVDXSI8a4Pudlneo3BBkLYo4a6H70B1hFG85RyRM/s400/Snowman.png" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo: National Physical Laborator</span><span style="font-size: small;">y</span><br />
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The UK's <a href="http://bit.ly/5VacnA">NPL (National Physical Laboratory)</a>, is celebrating the holidays this season, with the creation of a nano snowman. Constructed of two tin beads, facial features milled with a focused ion beam, and a nose made of ion beam deposited platinum. It is 1/5th the width of a human hair. See how they do it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmK8ec9MruM">HERE</a>.<br />
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Is it just me? I thought snowmen had three sections.almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-54438287535997551172009-12-15T12:35:00.011-05:002009-12-15T13:07:31.057-05:00Shanadoo - Launch Party!!!2 years after the release of <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/almootak-20/detail/B001D25M34">The Symbol</a>, Shanadoo releases another album, <a href="http://www.avexnet.or.jp/shanadoo/index.html">Launch Party!!!</a>. The latest compilation seems to stray from the heavier Techno/Eurobeat of the previous releases. They have also slowly transitioned from being German produced to Japanese. Don't forget to check out their first album <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/almootak-20/detail/B000KCI7FI">Welcome to Tokyo</a>.<br />
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Off the new CD: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leTvtFlyWkg">Love Space Ship</a> | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O2TrlFiorU">World's End Supernova</a> | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF3PA1-u9b4">Next Life</a><br />
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</span></span></span></span>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-10794343787640291562009-12-09T13:28:00.004-05:002009-12-16T08:07:24.707-05:00Steampunk Keyboards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSMcwsvnw8gogvg7iy8Vh5BxR2cCy5VFf1vVvbw-LuX9qQf_zgwmU7AQy62IJHO8z2MVrKitlS_emBGlOjLqXgfnWX5_3msSqLuQpDGO1BZqf9CCXQ0o5MroI7TLoEQFY79k76ph9ox8/s1600-h/woodenvso1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSMcwsvnw8gogvg7iy8Vh5BxR2cCy5VFf1vVvbw-LuX9qQf_zgwmU7AQy62IJHO8z2MVrKitlS_emBGlOjLqXgfnWX5_3msSqLuQpDGO1BZqf9CCXQ0o5MroI7TLoEQFY79k76ph9ox8/s400/woodenvso1.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saw a G4 episode on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk">Steampunk</a> last night. One of the cooler things I think is the Steampunk keyboard. So, I though I would collect a few pictures and post them here. If you want to make your own Steampunk keyboard, amongst other Steampunk creations, check out <a href="http://steampunkworkshop.com/">The Steampunk Workshop</a>.<br />
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</div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-20609461630191664302009-12-08T13:26:00.037-05:002009-12-09T12:48:38.148-05:00Iwako Erasers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.iwako.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_7k6sl2A6CDRUmXL5OxWjJmuwwDzjk_jd03U_0Rxownl4_u8RFL4txj-ug_CymYtXysbubONuyc__tZIqtSlQVWi1cQ1rrI4jt63xwiYVCEh9di3y6klZ6pM3Y9qEkLSJDpbGj9ACO8/s400/38170F.jpg" /></a><br />
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Iwako erasers seem to have become popular in our area. I just saw these the other day on Amazon, a few days later my wife found and bought some at a local toy store. The detail is quite amazing. Some come with stickers you have to put on yourself for more realism. I'm not sure how practical they are a erasers, as I have not tested them yet, though I am thinking they are not meant to be used for erasing anything. The Japanese website is <a href="http://www.iwako.com/">HERE</a>. The English is <a href="http://www.iwako.com/IWAKO-English/index.htm">HERE</a>.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://almost-otaku.blogspot.com/2009/12/iwako-erasers.html">READ MORE...</a></span><br />
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</div> I guess they couldn't get a license from Glico..<br />
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</div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-49642010475428375102009-12-04T15:50:00.007-05:002009-12-08T08:57:21.445-05:00Redneck or Practical?When I showed this to my wife the first word she said was redneck. All I know is, we get tired of emptying the stock shredder bin every other day. Sure I had to bypass a safety feature, but as long as you are careful, you can shred till the thing overheats. Best of all it goes right in a trash bag.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BEFWthETv5k-lIUliXcwIy_BHral-_BFqWCfpBRb94votpgPwsU0eqifQ3MoICzODGzFbN-SG6JqtdnEAlsLOSXJPiQLurBY_Gl2xsZV4qDhYF0VUIs-jC3xDdsYwpU6vELP5q4AQ0k/s1600-h/DSC_5935+(Large).JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411486421068164594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BEFWthETv5k-lIUliXcwIy_BHral-_BFqWCfpBRb94votpgPwsU0eqifQ3MoICzODGzFbN-SG6JqtdnEAlsLOSXJPiQLurBY_Gl2xsZV4qDhYF0VUIs-jC3xDdsYwpU6vELP5q4AQ0k/s320/DSC_5935+(Large).JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 213px;" /></a><br />
</div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-59465787449831517692009-12-03T13:01:00.014-05:002009-12-09T12:45:02.267-05:00Google launches a Japanese IME converter.<div style="text-align: left;">Google has launched a <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/ja/ime/index.html">Japanese typing converter (IME)</a> for the language bar. Once installed it sits right along side the built in converter from Microsoft, giving you the choice to revert back if you want to. One thing I wish it did, that The Microsoft IME doesn't do either, is let me select Hiragana as my default input for every application. Why it defaults to "direct input" all the time, I do not know. If someone could tell me how to choose an input method, other than "direct input" as my default, please help. Get it <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/ja/ime/index.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: normal;">Google 日本語入力は、変換の煩わしさを感じさせない思いどおりの日本語入力を提供します。</span></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://almost-otaku.blogspot.com/2009/12/google-launches-japanese-ime-converter.html"><b>READ MORE...</b></a><br />
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</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411076763630694178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqS5aFzM6QRSaDtIMtbYqCzL6iUJ-TRPz6rwq99e6EThzSp3Fo67zRhOQFivASNiCmbqqePU58k0qxasEdNrZ5KbkXAqplLKuT6aJHhX-9AKYqOxfapjmTJG08Q00NYTtNBZ_deAry3tg/s400/GoogleIME_1.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 304px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411076766152179026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjfZCZndCfYmXp1H8sLYWOmMLjWv50G13I4M9rKQDhjQhXyflDbUFztmp0cejexGfVlNXaUvLEa_uw7IcCAbS8MzGi9E2AjLa9u_FRaDB_8dhWUlYjStaNXCPn3-RlND4BwyBa5qWH5Y/s400/GoogleIME_2.png" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 210px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411077039877356114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Pfr0F8Iqrfwg3mLxodZ7LpzRbnjqJY_AMpeim9qaOwz9Q8z6qUJ-P4d5vul02cAkA5P3_hPxI0lNVg6XjhnkON7GDc54nuOm8dkw9LSoSNfPietD24Sde0Yfkqj9cvK6PuX3sF_IP7I/s320/GoogleIME_3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 94px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411077045490855442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnBUpBYeSuSCVwnIy7QTfdJ5FEYzvXEof2A8k2VHoXUb8wmv-pw5evQO03tuS85j5duUwlIR8BJiJVghHCpv0oebMa-G2vSUx1h2KMzyJ7OCtPKTHDu4Kv-Ms1osVIlE-8t7Icu-BN40/s320/GoogleIME_4.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 134px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411077048861213074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAp7Z0YzUTefelHylU-P-kuAgWUMd8iXuNTRXmJHqtyPwGVYQH8ctYV95wpS7sUmbD8AVAOtiouY8c9vrYNRDQ6_42dn_FWmku6jcVqpN5tRJ99qBGHqC8bBL2BXJfDEQR5B88dKhDyM/s320/GoogleIME_5.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 96px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
</div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-85212061523750477052009-11-16T09:30:00.008-05:002009-11-16T09:48:58.527-05:00Learning with J-Drama's<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRt26fuNB1a4IAsbXBdTq19Vm8dANFqxJbZZHgLCxwP5rwHkzRsOj-narb6vS0iIxZ1m2ocy1nm6gVh_15IgVbVGLNIbdLjRZq6VuYbJhnu4xu8D7VTYSoz6QgcGARRT9taDlg-pNiMA/s1600/Fugou2_main.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRt26fuNB1a4IAsbXBdTq19Vm8dANFqxJbZZHgLCxwP5rwHkzRsOj-narb6vS0iIxZ1m2ocy1nm6gVh_15IgVbVGLNIbdLjRZq6VuYbJhnu4xu8D7VTYSoz6QgcGARRT9taDlg-pNiMA/s400/Fugou2_main.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404709303523556194" /></a><div>After a short break from J-Dramas and studying Japanese, I am back in the habit again. As always Japanese TV, for me at least, is a great way to retain vocabulary and keep up do date on slang.</div><div><br /></div><div>Started <a href="http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Fugoh_Keiji#Season_2">Fugoh Keiji</a> last week, and have some others waiting to watch. Fugoh Keiji is a funny concept. A super wealthy grandfather tries to make right is sordid past by allowing his police detective granddaughter to try and spend all his money solving cases.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3uo0mgXJzIn5YgnX0HKa-3-QY7Y0ZE_2rq3e2P4WaybVWkYMeJQ4pJv3IXO_XCaMhgkv39m9mq3cCP1q1ba95zvDVc-1uj6Iz-_QKj1ZpOFsg0UuuvdJbI5J0ETDQXV60H9JPp0YzA0/s400/Fugoh_Keiji.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404710598024513202" />almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-16426868653834711552009-11-09T16:23:00.005-05:002009-11-09T16:30:45.031-05:00Japan's rice fields in September<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8bX-Cxkyg2TFppksLAPSHbP9loKrDhIALgUc_n55O2IjJhsiL9O2RojkQ3QkNd9RC2ZEEwUDcDcqbKPgZjHVF1QpGwSP-2hJ-jkYnsrgVnn1FEO4pt3p57R4iGK6_gTU8Ya3cNws_ck/s1600-h/Rice.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 356px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8bX-Cxkyg2TFppksLAPSHbP9loKrDhIALgUc_n55O2IjJhsiL9O2RojkQ3QkNd9RC2ZEEwUDcDcqbKPgZjHVF1QpGwSP-2hJ-jkYnsrgVnn1FEO4pt3p57R4iGK6_gTU8Ya3cNws_ck/s400/Rice.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402217743969306594" /></a>Again, my friend 花火 in Japan has been kind enough to send me an update of the rice fields. I am posting this just now, but this was taken at the end of September. Thank you 花火!almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-58581040350191096082009-11-09T15:57:00.007-05:002009-11-09T16:29:03.172-05:00Selected for Google Earth!<div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFxjFyHs4S4sCeSS-Dh1KLf0_uZjJeSr09mXZj7mdjRZSmOr5QaDXoOIwUXhxaL5wC5C414CdJYEBMe-sZkXy_mWWLsaGc7jq2OnROegqHKthDZOMfZLE60DCUUYpBdDRS_4GvbiSkpM/s1600-h/GE01.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFxjFyHs4S4sCeSS-Dh1KLf0_uZjJeSr09mXZj7mdjRZSmOr5QaDXoOIwUXhxaL5wC5C414CdJYEBMe-sZkXy_mWWLsaGc7jq2OnROegqHKthDZOMfZLE60DCUUYpBdDRS_4GvbiSkpM/s400/GE01.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402211155084155906" /></a><br /><div>I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of <a href="http://www.panoramio.com/user/3154694">my pictures</a> made it into the latest update of Google Earth. </div><div><br /></div><div>The GP-1 GPS unit for my Nikon D90 was well worth the investment. It is especially handy when you have no idea where you were at the time you took a picture. It is fun to go back and see where you were exactly on the map. When planning my trip to Japan I relied on the <a href="http://www.panoramio.com/">Panoramio</a> photos on Google Earth to get feel for different areas I would visit. Since I got back I have been geotagging points of interest around the area I live in for others to explore.</div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-10985309742984119982009-08-21T08:38:00.006-04:002009-08-23T07:59:38.994-04:00McDonalds Japan's Mr. James TV Commercial<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhl1F4WduqltOzi7NLqHTvNT_O-S8CRv8Er2MiB2BhLiT2Dz23UaU3YZ7csyuMvh7rjYFvVu0Yg_GtNzogcShqeNcsMlJ58vOB7jWyS0WYg-oJUEv4-l0HOoh0oQM76zmxbu0jToo1NA/s1600-h/James.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 60px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhl1F4WduqltOzi7NLqHTvNT_O-S8CRv8Er2MiB2BhLiT2Dz23UaU3YZ7csyuMvh7rjYFvVu0Yg_GtNzogcShqeNcsMlJ58vOB7jWyS0WYg-oJUEv4-l0HOoh0oQM76zmxbu0jToo1NA/s400/James.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373127491384444002" /></a>This commercial pokes fun at gaijin in Japan. I don't find it offensive at all really, what do you think? More info on Mr. James and the Nippon All Stars <a href="http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/all_star/">HERE</a>.<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: pre; font-family:Arial;font-size:10px;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jTXbgaqwPdM&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jTXbgaqwPdM&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></span></div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-3495347021939672672009-07-20T10:55:00.010-04:002009-07-29T13:16:34.510-04:00Total solar eclipse in Japan on the 22nd of July<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqERAh6FzTU_O_xsFY9JGsxtQYuaRtoQ1FTA3hAf2NEdS_t5k2dev03X0o_-GvQ0xHtV3Y7UQEaqfew6e2aKhonWKmJExoHMXllMeXTUs9VoA2OadHb1hF-PUAUOpT7veG9j8EpxHspY4/s1600-h/total_solar_eclipse_20061.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqERAh6FzTU_O_xsFY9JGsxtQYuaRtoQ1FTA3hAf2NEdS_t5k2dev03X0o_-GvQ0xHtV3Y7UQEaqfew6e2aKhonWKmJExoHMXllMeXTUs9VoA2OadHb1hF-PUAUOpT7veG9j8EpxHspY4/s400/total_solar_eclipse_20061.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363930652737835602" /></a><p><br /></p><p>日本ではまもなく、皆既日食がみられます。</p><p>今、100年に一度の皆既日食!ということでみんなルンルンです。</p><p>しかし、ウィークデイ。</p><p>みきとしては仕事の真っただ中。。</p><p>しかも高層ビル。。</p><p>一応は高いところでみられるけど。。</p><p>記事の一部↓↓<br />’’2009年7月22日には日食が起こります。日本では、全国で部分日食を観察することができます。また奄美大島北部、トカラ列島、屋久島、種子島南部など、皆既日食帯と呼ばれる細長くのびた地域・海域内では、皆既日食を観察することができます。’’</p><p><br /></p><p>The news article.</p><p>’’Totality in a solar eclipse, partial eclipse of the sun"!</p><p>On July 22nd, a partial eclipse of the sun will occur in various regions in Japan. Also a total solar eclipse will be seen in Amami Oshima north , Tokara, Yakushima island each , Those areas will be considered a "total solar eclipse area".</p><p> </p><p>In Japan, many TV companies will begin a live broadcast of the century event in that day. Now in Japan , I think many foreingner and tourist will visit to see this centry event on each island. Anyway, please don't miss it out! ;)</p><p>Miki.</p><p> </p><p> </p>mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03267188777898946661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-84218766351547712872009-07-17T08:50:00.009-04:002009-09-28T15:08:23.351-04:00Asus Eee Keyboard spotted in Neuromancer artwork!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yTLFLbh1wSOWQT_uYqWYhZwHVoXVx3BW3NEYBzfRiKzTr5faqv1VVvdg8GtwJgJZKFRD-uZJsSIP0wvjveTBNJSbjOSaUhOtvXlp0eyujUv5JURlH3QIK019K3eUaJdKu9cfLl2uslE/s1600-h/bra+href%3Dhttpi43.tinypic.comnoekp1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yTLFLbh1wSOWQT_uYqWYhZwHVoXVx3BW3NEYBzfRiKzTr5faqv1VVvdg8GtwJgJZKFRD-uZJsSIP0wvjveTBNJSbjOSaUhOtvXlp0eyujUv5JURlH3QIK019K3eUaJdKu9cfLl2uslE/s400/bra+href%3Dhttpi43.tinypic.comnoekp1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359410986427834738" /></a><br /><div>The <a href="http://gizmodo.com/tag/eee-keyboard/">Eee Keyboard</a> by Asus has an uncanny resemblance to the one seen below. The artwork is by <a href="http://www.barclayshaw.com/">Barclay Shaw</a> for the 1986 Phantasia Press edition of the 1984 novel by William Gibson. Looks a little bulkier than the Asus model, but has the same LCD display on the right. Could this have been the inspiration for Asus's new keyboard PC?</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmU7k18Xp-4U_tKu5u5MZV_MGb3tYSW4rmNryPXmha9y9BM8g6aDR3nob5zUhVggATy-T7QuE8Wk-AJRf7aQi7x9nFtCdfYs0eu19nEH9LBXOfMKq7yftYQrFjUctkCdQAqyGOV83SwA/s1600-h/eeekeyboard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 397px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmU7k18Xp-4U_tKu5u5MZV_MGb3tYSW4rmNryPXmha9y9BM8g6aDR3nob5zUhVggATy-T7QuE8Wk-AJRf7aQi7x9nFtCdfYs0eu19nEH9LBXOfMKq7yftYQrFjUctkCdQAqyGOV83SwA/s400/eeekeyboard.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359410983220502674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8znzbCvqTU3wGTsDwLXPoWC-ygsgJHNL5lb6AIslESOAb6tpRDlIGBkUeRqGNFinmf7TyCiTuUwyaMbbJ9fBazSF0qv9xwiZV-b_pBynWgculzrZXCBHiyAH8-rddUYt7rz3HB95bDE/s1600-h/BarclayS_Neuromancer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8znzbCvqTU3wGTsDwLXPoWC-ygsgJHNL5lb6AIslESOAb6tpRDlIGBkUeRqGNFinmf7TyCiTuUwyaMbbJ9fBazSF0qv9xwiZV-b_pBynWgculzrZXCBHiyAH8-rddUYt7rz3HB95bDE/s400/BarclayS_Neuromancer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359410977305920562" /></a><br /></div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-75839143378494085792009-07-10T10:41:00.002-04:002009-07-10T11:10:28.199-04:00The rice fields are growing up.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rpHWI16kBV4btRKhf_v-G6uEtg39t_akcK57RfVymwD34bKs34SJC3uxr2fBvCpCG7LekumBoUQkOL2Ipze0JIuPM3YV_J8Lj4A9voIE5_Pf7vLr2V2hlt6Mq5o6o-Zvdrf7w67JBXg/s1600-h/AO200907101709000.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rpHWI16kBV4btRKhf_v-G6uEtg39t_akcK57RfVymwD34bKs34SJC3uxr2fBvCpCG7LekumBoUQkOL2Ipze0JIuPM3YV_J8Lj4A9voIE5_Pf7vLr2V2hlt6Mq5o6o-Zvdrf7w67JBXg/s400/AO200907101709000.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356841793182604946" /></a>One of my friends in Japan just emailed me this picture this morning. How thankful I was to recieve this. It brought back so many memories. Of course when I was there the fields were full of water with people everywhere planting little rice plants by hand or with little tractors. During my stay I must have passed tens of thousands of these little fields all carefully placed and planned out. I still don't quite understand how the tractors they use to plant the rice don't sink into the flooded rice fields, but they don't.<div><br /></div><div>I wish I were there to walk through the fields in person, but pictures will have to do. Thank you 花火, for bringing back memories of the Japanese countryside and my journey through Japan.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-6008271406978228402009-06-30T14:42:00.011-04:002009-07-02T08:49:32.892-04:00やなな at Gekijo Dori<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MSj4MKyJ-CI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MSj4MKyJ-CI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />やなな at Gekijo Dori. You can see they are in front of Takashimaya Gifu at one point. I didn't know about やなな until I got back from Gifu City. It would have been fun to get a picture with her. Maybe next time. I added this to the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gifu/Gifu-City/211621635531">GIfu City Fanpage</a>.<br /><br />See やなな's blog <a href="http://yanana87.blog49.fc2.com/">HERE</a>.almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-67691726963536887822009-06-28T10:24:00.004-04:002009-06-28T11:34:36.579-04:00かぶと虫が逃げた!Run Trypoxylus to escape in the final of sumo wrestling.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoD4ORHLaEobnJsM-GWnKvhJFv3NXU4HNrsrhWZV2_FDCDnD88YfXNcp4OvjzkiZA3HkACKtRViEJqiN8yXNlGuWjmGW0yO_ix7Y6aDVFhuwBKEudlXpn7AHWRupHPmm94gNxDXfqk_K0/s1600-h/20090628-00000013-maip-soci-thum-000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352384685009834914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 194px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoD4ORHLaEobnJsM-GWnKvhJFv3NXU4HNrsrhWZV2_FDCDnD88YfXNcp4OvjzkiZA3HkACKtRViEJqiN8yXNlGuWjmGW0yO_ix7Y6aDVFhuwBKEudlXpn7AHWRupHPmm94gNxDXfqk_K0/s400/20090628-00000013-maip-soci-thum-000.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In the final, a Trypoxylus sumo wrestler escaped. This final determines which is strongest, but suddenly, one of the players escape from the final match! See this boy's face? It looks so sad... This boy is the owner of the escaped Tryposxylus.<div><br />山形県でカブトムシの相撲大会が開催された模様。<br />でも、決勝戦で、なんと相手方が飛んで逃げたそう。<br />飼い主の少年はとても悲しそうです。<br /><br />みき</div>mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03267188777898946661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-38531901050177208062009-06-23T09:39:00.007-04:002009-06-23T10:04:41.062-04:00Japanese family chronicles 10 years of life.<span class="fullpost"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EPIEdpgblxs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EPIEdpgblxs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></span></div><div><br /></div>If you are a true fan of real life in Japan you should like this video. It is 10 years of ordinary family life in Japan in chronological order.<br /><br /></span><div>I have often thought about trying this. Pretty sure I don't have enough pictures to cover 10 years without large gaps.</div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-9730651745219380902009-06-22T16:14:00.006-04:002009-06-29T15:46:01.406-04:00Yakitori Grill - やきとり!<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1488JOSlhyphenhyphenFH2JpmjbEiPgCm8br9ATcI2SnjZjOhuP5QdMPi200un-rDn0mrRTGaZazkUYqcgYJiFzIH_C-wlIdF4AMKH1NFS8XplQqDwGUGZpKDdkt-pw0A6iM34SKtpjRRn3hD9lE/s400/10-roka-yakitori-large1.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350132265310846722" /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, I am in Japan, and they are cooking all these wonderful things on these stick grills. I should have thought to buy one of these when I was there, but didn't think of it till afterwards. So far the one below is the only one I have found. It is not like the ones the street vendors have, but looks like it would do the job. This one is from <a href="http://www.ginzado.ne.jp/~mitsutani/topmenu.html">Mitsutani Electric Corporation</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm thinking that with my rudimentary welding skills I may be able to create my own, which would use charcoal. You can see my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Japanese-Beef/90151649834?ref=s">Japanese Beef</a> page on Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Japanese-Beef/90151649834?ref=s">here</a>, where I have more pictures and videos.</div><div><br /><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qF2fQuxFL3DTilY5YwFuMQbdFI7C49plUniuSpOVqIL2E1raUOh_5VMBjLVStJOhG1GXsMx4sHf_HNqNjlJtx8Fi6ZOlRpwLgn9Pk_bld13G6twEBbIOYp-l1L68FcPUsuIi6-AUbB0/s400/Stick_Grill.png" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 236px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346537131412433634" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>almostotakuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12291535814465990337noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480828096930106291.post-45969133986149305262009-06-21T03:31:00.009-04:002009-06-21T19:25:31.989-04:00Cherry picking tour in Yamanashi (山梨)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCHyJErFHrOBc0XdiLtsy6L9pjYxdP3PkulZ1qp8Kr_d0ExXOiDxE8zjzxhZyi1YRZezWjzYUj-YKLdzstxzYbW4IFK3rjd34_E56U3aGuzWtZNM3AS-PuFV4Dv4EURGEiLpFA3n3qw8/s1600-h/DSCF2256.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349683241700903634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCHyJErFHrOBc0XdiLtsy6L9pjYxdP3PkulZ1qp8Kr_d0ExXOiDxE8zjzxhZyi1YRZezWjzYUj-YKLdzstxzYbW4IFK3rjd34_E56U3aGuzWtZNM3AS-PuFV4Dv4EURGEiLpFA3n3qw8/s320/DSCF2256.JPG" border="0" /></a><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkM2xRvZTAlT6m_SQmSveq4ko0m_weWa_yIC2aBonn4I2WOJt6ymhP42YnKXePYjxRy1BwTNf0BU1QJr_4EWtlOxv2ZaZmke14sTdOeoaQho3OiCyOqHWOF-IQ6OeH2sTInBeh-Dge3Q/s320/DSCF2257.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349683075141757682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" border="0" /><div style="text-align: left;">チェリー狩りにいきました!</div><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">チェリー、さくらんぼは食べ放題。</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">でもたくさんのさくらんぼはいらないかも。。</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">やはり適量がいいです。</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">みき</span></p><div><br /></div><div><span class="fullpost">Hello! </span><span class="fullpost">This is Miki.</span></div><div><span class="fullpost"></span><span class="fullpost">Long time no posting! </span><br /><p><span class="fullpost">I went on a cherry picking tour last week. I ate alot of cherries in this tour. I could eat as many as I like, but couldn't eat as many as I wanted to. After eating too many cherries I did not feel well, appropriate quantities are always best, but still I like cherries though..</span></p><p>Miki.</p></div></div>mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03267188777898946661noreply@blogger.com0