|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Sure, sure, sure, Tokyo's all steel, plastic and concrete. They don't let anything get old here; they tear it down and rebuild it all bland and sterile the moment anything approaching "charming patina" encroaches. But, but, but there are nooks and niches where old things persist. Oldie restaurants, for instance.  This is Ajitome in Sangenjaya, for instance. We brought Hisae's fried Satoshi to this fugu restaurant last night because we loved it last time we came... despite the presence of "research whale" on the menu.  Ajitome has classic oldie charm; the two obasantatchi who run the place have a Breughel look and a pleasant scatty informality; they heap used plates up on a messy table, and often come and plonk themselves down to chat with the customers. Their headscarves, neckerchiefs, monogrammed aprons and hairstyles impress me much more than anything I see in Harajuku; somehow they remind me of characters in a Miyazaki animation.  Another scatty-charming oldie patina dive we've loved is a little Chinese-influenced place near the JR line Otsuka stop (it's on the way to Misako and Rosen gallery).  The 84 year-old sole operator of this quiet but fascinating place told us he started the restaurant in 1959. His living quarters are directly behind it, divided from the eating space by a step and a sliding door, with a pair of slip-on shoes waiting on the concrete floor of the restaurant.  All the crockery in the little eatery was marked with the restaurant's phone number, presumably so you could report missing items that turned up elsewhere. But the plates must've been made in the 50s; Tokyo's phone numbers have long since acquired a few extra digits.  The Otsuka proprietor was a bit deaf, but friendly. His hobby wasn't hard to guess; the place was littered with fishing magazines. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sorry for one more post today! I figured this might be of slight interest to the community. I got another response from the Torrid president; regarding the previous threads on their Harajuku article relevant parts are bolded:
Hey I'm afraid to open the link...I might get more letters!! :) Anyway, there are parts of lolita that we love and actually have coming...petticoats, pinafores, maryjane shoes, etc....during spring. We also recognize the influence of the trend on hair accessories, jumpers, etc. The truth is, as you probably know, we are a fashion store...not a lifestyle store. It is a great lesson for us to remember that when we comment on any fashion trend we need to be clear that we are doing it as it relates to our customer....and do it in a respectful way. FYI, we have pulled the interview (actually it was more than a year old...) and I hope our fans will see that as a sign of goodwill and that we are really sorry. Happy Holidays, Vi!
Let this be a lesson that our voice actually gets heard! :) Good job lolitas, and I guess we'll keep our eyes out for their spring lolita inspired items. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/MKuf/~3/SJa3L6WQ8so/carbon-offsets-at-google.html As leaders from around the world meet in Copenhagen to address global climate change this month, we thought it was a good time to reflect on our own carbon footprint. In 2007, we committed to become a carbon neutral company. We know that it isn't possible to write a check and eliminate the environmental impact of our operations. So what does “carbon neutrality” mean to us? First, we aggressively pursue reductions in our energy consumption through energy efficiency, innovative infrastructure design and operations and on-site renewable energy. Our Google designed data centers use half the energy of typical facilities. We're also working to accelerate the development of economic, clean renewable energy at scale through research and development, investment and policy outreach. At this time, however, such efforts don't cover our entire carbon footprint. Therefore, since 2007 we've gone a step further and made a voluntary commitment to buy carbon offsets to cover the portion of our footprint that we cannot yet eliminate — which is what we mean by "carbon neutrality." So what exactly is a carbon offset? The idea behind an offset is that we pay someone to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in a specific, measurable way, thus offseting an equal climate impact on our side. To determine our impact, we calculate our annual carbon footprint, which is then verified by an independent third party. We include direct energy consumption (like natural gas) and electricity use, employee commuting, company vehicle use, business travel and estimates of carbon emissions from building construction and from the manufacturing of servers used in our datacenters. We then buy an equivalent number of carbon offsets. While carbon offsets seem simple in principle, in practice they are surprisingly complicated. In particular, it's often difficult to say whether or not the offset project results in emissions reductions that would have happened anyway. We find ourselves asking whether the project in fact goes beyond "business as usual." In the world of offsets, this concept is referred to as " additionality." Carbon offsets have a mixed reputation because some projects are not additional. Here at Google, we have set a very high bar to ensure that our investment makes an actual difference in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing offsets that are real, verifiable, permanent and additional. To date, we have selected high quality carbon offsets from around the world that reduce greenhouse gas emissions — ranging from landfill gas projects in Caldwell County, NC, and Steuben County, NY, to animal-waste management systems in Mexico and Brazil. Our funding helps make it possible for equipment to be installed that captures and destroys the methane gas produced as the waste decomposes. Methane, the primary component in natural gas, is a significant contributor to global warming. We chose to focus on landfill and agricultural methane reduction projects because methane's impact on warming is very well understood, it's easy to measure how much methane is captured and the capture wouldn't happen without our financing (for the projects we're investing in, they couldn't make enough money selling the gas). We need fundamental changes to global energy and transportation infrastructure to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions over the long term. In the meantime, the projects to which we contribute offer measurable emissions reductions and allow us to take responsibility for our carbon footprint. To that end, we're always looking for good emissions-reduction projects to support. If you have a landfill gas or agricultural methane carbon offset project you think we should consider, please visit this page for more information about how to participate in our latest carbon-offset procurement round. Posted by Alice Ryan, Green Energy Project Manager |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/MKuf/~3/45P6KysnLK8/go-thataway-google-maps-india-learns-to.html Have you ever been lost? Perhaps you missed a turn because a street sign was poorly labeled, hard to see in the dark, or just not where it should have been? These are problems we've all faced, but they're especially complicated in India, where street names are not commonly known and the typical wayfinding strategy is to ask someone on the street. Without road names, it's difficult to produce a set of directions that makes sense. Just take a look at this screenshot of Google Maps directions in India in 2008 and you'll get the picture:  To solve this problem, this week we launched an improvement to Google Maps India that describes routes in terms of easy-to-follow landmarks and businesses that are visible along the way. We gathered feedback from users around the world to spark this improvement to our technology, and we thought we'd give you a glimpse at our thinking behind this launch. We knew from previous studies in several countries that most people rely on landmarks — visual cues along the way — for successful navigation. But we needed to understand how people use those visual cues, and what makes a good landmark, in order to make our instructions more human and improve route descriptions. To get answers to these questions, we ran a user research study that focused specifically on how people give and get directions. We called businesses and asked how to get to their store; we recruited people to keep track of directions they gave or received and later interviewed them about their experiences; we asked people to draw us diagrams of routes to places unfamiliar to us; we even followed people around as they tried to find their way.  We found that using landmarks in directions helps for two simple reasons: they are easier to see than street signs and they are easier to remember than street names. Spotting a pink building on a corner or remembering to turn after a gas station is much easier than trying to recall an unfamiliar street name. Sometimes there are simply too many signs to look at, and the street sign drowns in the visual noise. A good landmark always stands out. We also discovered that there are three situations in which people resort to landmarks. The first is when people need to orient themselves — for instance, they just exited a subway station and are not sure which way to go. Google Maps would say: "Head southeast for 0.2 miles." A person would say: "Start walking away from the McDonald's." The second situation is when people use a landmark to describe a turn: "Turn right after the Starbucks." The third use, however, is the most interesting. We discovered that often people simply want to confirm that they are still on the right track and haven't missed their turn. Giving people this sense of confidence while they explore an unfamiliar territory became one of the goals of our redesign. Over the course of several months, the team brainstormed various ways of presenting the information contained in Google Maps in a way that would be useful for people. We then settled on a design that added some landmarks to describe the turns and confirm the route.  The next step was to put this design to a test with drivers in Bangalore, India. The results were eye-opening. While we were on the right track with introducing landmarks, we still relied on street names too heavily. Drivers wanted more confirmation. They wanted to compare what they saw on Google Maps with what they saw from the driver's seat, every step of the way. We added more landmarks along routes and reduced the visual prominence of street names, and the result was our final design:  Now Google Maps India gives you directions like a local would. Happy wayfinding! Posted by Olga Khroustaleva, User Experience Researcher, Google Maps |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So I'm confused. Fusion Garage has responded to Crunchpad's toys out of the pram lawsuit with a press release, debating some of the points in the lawsuit. It has a little more detail about their defence than typically goes out before the actual court date, but hey, this one will get tried in the court of public opinion long before anything legal happens, so that's not what's puzzling me. It's this section.
Another example of Fusion Garage “doer status” in bringing the joojoo to market is the Company’s now defunct relationship with ODM Pegatron. Fusion Garage established this relationship after Arrington’s promises of hardware development support proved to be hollow. Fusion Garage is now working with another top tier ODM to develop a completely new board and mechanical layout that is the basis for the joojoo. To state, as the lawsuit and accompanying blog post do, that Fusion Garage’s joojoo is based on any Pegatron IP is false.
So. Arrington said he'd find the hardware guys, but FG found their own hardware guys: points to FG. But then they're not using those hardware guys: does that mean FG didn't find good hardware guys? No points to FG. FG is sending out samples and making pre-sales: points to FG. But the new hardware guys are developing a completely new baord and chassis. Either the old board and chassis weren't so hot (I saw Arrington say the Crunchpad could run for 'hours at a time' before crashing; um, that's not good, guys): no points to FG. Or they were good but for some reason FG aren't using them: again, no points to FG. And they're making pre-sales and sending out review units without having the actual product they're going to sell even designed yet? minus several million points to FG for vaporware at this point.
And am I the only person who remembers the Webpad debacle? sheesh...
Tags rant, tablet, technology |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In reference to the last post I made about the Torrid article mentioning lolitas, I received this email in response to my complaint: Hi I think I have already answered you under another email name but in case this is the first time you are hearing from us I wanted to be sure that you know how sorry we are about offending you with our comments about the emerging lolita trend. The article in question was an interview, not an editorial. We don’t censor interviews on torrid.com with very few exceptions. This is a very old feature (more than 8 months old) and we’ll be sure to double check that the access links are disabled as soon as possible. Again, I personally apologize if we have caused offense and we certainly did not intend to offend anyone. Best Regards, Chris Daniel President, Torrid Apparently they actually read the complaints. I know a few other girls sent them emails as well as myself. I sent it to a few different departments because I wasn't sure where to send it. Did anyone else get a response?
---I sent him this reply:
Actually Mr. Daniel, I did not send any more letters under other emails. I sent my letter to multiple departments, because I wasn't sure who this was relevant to, but I know a few other lolitas around the US and the globe wrote letters to Torrid as well. Perhaps I might alert you to this thread with over 150 replies regarding the subject:
http://community.livejournal.com/egl/14696403.html
Moreover, though some may not have voiced their opinion via email, it is obvious from the overwhelming response to this thread that lolitas, both thick and thin, were offended by the article. We know we dress like "freaks" according to many people, we know it's considered unusual, and we know most people probably wouldn't wear our fashion, but we did expect Torrid--what was once a pioneer in plus-size alternative clothing--of all places to respect our subculture from one group of freaks to another. As a sister company to Hot Topic, which by the way has purportedly released "lolita" (I say lolita in quotations because they were called lolita in the descriptions, but did not necessarily adhere very well to general lolita guidelines) clothing in the past, we hope Torrid will be more sensitive to the issue at hand in the future.
Thanks for the kind response and thanks for listening. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wire mesh of chair the lattice of my back, I sit half-akimbo, whisking fluid through each chamber, water a tip's percentage of its weight. No thought required: intention, the mother of coal-unburnt soles, might meddle and cause the works to stall. Thank the autonomic, the parasympathetic. Iron, catalytic, impels the paralyzed to stomp again, to shock into motion. At times, transactions are promises pressed palm to palm, secrets unculled from time: ancient pacts unparalleled, unperishable, until entropy intervenes. The end, inevitable, will curl the cells, divert the honorable air. A tip of the temporal, awaiting blush and flow, will shrink to a lattice of coppered cords, then drink itself. Tags poetry |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lea Salonga (whom you may know from here, here, here and especially here,) appeared at the "Your Songs" concert in Manila on December 12th, (where singers take on a song suggested by the audience.) They asked her to sing Lady Gaga's Poker Face.
I saw her perform in Les Mis several times, and twice in Miss Saigon -- both on Broadway. Incredible range and a beautiful, passionate voice. So I ask.... given the opportunity to ask her to sing virtually anything, what would you have chosen? Personally, I'm not sure what I would have proposed, (a Celine Dion cover, maybe) but it sure wouldn't have been Poker Face.... too monotonous.Added bonus: (not Lea Salonga) A unique cover of the same song by Molly Lewis (via ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) dargie) :
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I wrote an entire poem on MS Word, something I rarely do, because I felt the bite of the poetry bug. It's important that I sense this bite, as it occurs rarely these days. I'd just put on the finishing touches. I copied it to the clipboard, then pressed the window button for Firefox. Both windows minimized, then wouldn't open. Yes, I'm at the library. The desk attendant moved me to an adjacent machine and, after I gave all indications that I didn't want the machine shut down, said they would work on retrieving the document, if possible. This reminds me that I really should stick to my normal manner of producing poems: writing them longhand. Update: The IT folks were able to retrieve the data and print the document. Yay! Still, I think I will take this as a cautionary tale. Tags writing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cracking the Cancer Code: We already know that all cancers are caused by DNA mutations acquired during a person's lifetime. But what mutations actually cause cancer? We may be one step closer to finding out. International research teams led by the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have now mapped the entire genetic code of two of the most common human cancers: lung and skin (malignant melanoma). Their findings have the potential to revolutionize preventative and treatment therapies as well as pave the way for new early detection tests. More. Additional research is now underway to map the mutations of cancerous breast, hepatic, oral, stomach, ovarian, pancreatic and brain cells. Researchers also gained insights into how more than 60 carcinogens associated with cigarette smoke bind to and chemically modify human DNA, ultimately leading to cancer-causing genetic mutations. Full text of the journal articles is on Scribd: 1, and 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I usually don't watch reality hoo-ha or competition crap. I had a mild interest in The Sing Off because it was an a capella singing competition and, singing a capella by myself and in bardic circles, I know how difficult it can be. What these folks do is so far beyond me, I just haven't the words. I saw this last night and was just stunned. Now it's your turn. Current Mood : indescribable Current Music : Mr. Blue Sky Tags elo, jeff_lynne, music, singing, tv |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I wouldn't use the same wording he does, but I do share his sentiment... "Dear Mr. President:
WHO IS GIVING YOU POLITICAL ADVICE?
WHAT EXACTLY IS IMPORTANT TO YOU?
WHEN DO YOU PLAN TO FIGHT FOR IT?
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON ANYTHING?
Where do you draw the line?
WHY DO WE KNOW MORE WHAT THE REPUBLICANS DON'T WANT, THAN WHAT YOU DO WANT?
WILL THE PUBLIC ACCEPT COMPULSORY INSURANCE WITHOUT A PUBLIC OPTION?
Are you going to do ANYTHING about the gutting of real, substantial health-care reform?
Is it wise (historically) to compromise with slaveholders?
Do you remember your core constituency?
Did you learn anything, at all, from pursuing your bipartisan dreams?
Liberals (our base) are livid that Health care has been gutted, under your watch.
Many are even planning to defy the health-care ideas (mandates) being discussed in Washington.
Pharmaceutical Reimportation
Military Escalation
Wall Street Vacillation
Have you learned anything from history, or the Bible? What of it applies to today's situation?
Mr. Obama, if you believe you were elected by astute politics, you are doomed to failure. There are deeper elements that
opened the Red Sea, and allowed you to be where you are. So please ACT accordingly. Your presidency now hangs,
precariously, on the same cliff that the economy hung on, just a few months ago.
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO MR. PRESIDENT, TO WIN RIGHT-WING APPROVAL. Moreover, that is not your mission
or purpose. If it is, you have already failed. Please stand up and fight for your base - now. We have your back. But YOU
must get in there and fight. It doesn't matter if you loose health-care, as much as you FIGHT for it. Let the Supernatural
determine the outcome. STOP TRYING TO CODDLE SLAVEHOLDERS.
We are still very much with you. But we are also, very, very concerned.
Grace."
Keith Benson - MFSB Drummer
http://www.thenewmfsb.com
PS Keep the "AUDACITY" (Faith).
Current Mood : frustrated |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brain is all kinds of off today, really really wish it was Friday. Don't
wanna be here. Nothing is wrong, nothing is bad, just don't wanna be
here. Rather be reading a book or napping or such. Speaking of sleep,
got to work an hour late today thanks to not setting my alarm. Oops. Oh
well, not a big deal either way.
Cookie baking went pretty well last night, several batches of sugar
cookies, gingerbread muffins and some white chocolate fudge were made.
I'll be taking my share of the cookies and muffins to work tomorrow for the
work party.
Not much else, thinking tonight I'll run by the local dollar store to
get wrapping foo, and start with the gift bondage. Tomorrow will be more
gift bondage I think. We'll see how spry I'm feeling tonight/tomorrow.
Just found out I'm helping chraptor and pyrene
move furniture on Sunday. Well, let me rephrase...I knew I was doing it,
and I knew I was doing it soon...just got the official date. So if you're
in the area, maybe have a truck and are bored, come help ;)
Ok, that's enough rambling. *Stares at the clock* Move faster ya
bugger.
Current Mood : tired Current Music : Iced Earth - Damien |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif){kind=small}
