Need something atmospheric but will deter people from entering your office at the same time? Try Asa Chang & Junray. Tends to scare the bejeebies out of the uninitiated.

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It's a tie!

Fat Skeletor and Fat Gatchaman win my votes for best costumes at San Diego Comic Con costumes

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Back home and totally messed up timezone wise so thought I might as well blog.

Tokyo was fabulous definitely a place to go if you get the opportunity. But probably better to go either in the spring or fall when the temperature is a little better. Didn't get to half the places I wanted to go but was prepared for that. Was disappointed in Lonely Planet's guide though. Because unless Tokyo has suddenly moved whole buildings half a kilometre, found a large number of the directions I needed completely wrong.

Some general observations

• Tokyo's easy to get around but not easy to find addresses or street names off the beaten path.
• Happy sounds that happen when doors open or trains arrive but I've got the happy music from Isetan stuck in my head now.
• Stores and coffee shops in general open later than you'd expect for such a huge city. Flip side is that they're open later.
• Don't worry about the language barrier even though there's not a lot of english outside the hotel. Easy to get things done and lots of things to point at to indicate what you want.
• Yes the kids dress as weird as they're rumoured to but not all them. I sort of resisted taking pictures for the most part because really I was in their world and the reality is that there I'm the oddity and they're normal. Really got to admire a place that you can wear fun-fur on a daily basis though.
• Muji and Tokyo Hands
• Give yourself about 20 minutes to navigate Shinjuku station to find your train. It's a frickin maze that can spit you out at the opposite side of the station if you're not careful. 4 days of navigating it and it only marginally started to get easier at the end. This map makes it look so easy but it's most definitely not. Plus this is only the JR part, there's the Tokyo Metro lines and other minor lines not to mention all the halls that connect it.
• Expected to see a large number of people with the face masks on but was surprised to see a large number of people with eye patches on. Possibly a large volume of lazer eye surgery was happening. or a new fashion trend to go with the goths.
• Shibuya's fun for a short bit and has great stores. After a while it starts looking like Tokyo teens hangin and tourists taking pictures of them hangin. Happy to find the Bathing Ape Store there but still not going to pay $90 for a t-shirt.
• Food is good everywhere. Except maybe that last dinner but that was more the surly old waitress that ruined it. The only surly service I experienced anywhere in the city.
• Totally safe to wander at night at least in the areas I was.
• Japanese know bathrooms

Probably will have more thoughts later. Have a feeling I'll be up for a while

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Being out of synch timezone-wise in Japan isn't that bad. It gives you the opportunity to watch Japanese TV infomercials. How else would you find out about new weightloss and exercise equipement like the Rodeo Boy III. A tool that looks like it's been developed for the sex trade. Wonder what features were added or subtracted from Rodeo Boys I and II. Too bad Stampede is over.

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Today's main adventure was hunting for music and clothes. And I was a little taken aback when I heard the Style Council blaring at the Shibuya HMV. More exiting than seeing JPop band Gift signing autographs in ShinjuKu HMV. Then finding the full catalog plus new deluxe versions in all record stores here. Do I need the Deluxe version of Our Favorite Shop? Already have it on vinyl and CD and the price a little to steep for me. But nice to see this exists again. I also being up this album because of the proximity to Styx. The band that made it impossible for me to say domo arigato to someone here without cringing. Thanks Dennis DeYoung. Thanks for butchering common courtesy in a foreign country.

Also important to notice that they seem to sort artists by first name. So Paul Weller is filed where else but next to Paul Simon. Still have yet to find where to find Asa Chang in any store.

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Been staying the first couple nights in Asakusa and haven'd gone too much further than Ginza. Asakusa is kind of busy in the afternoon but not really a bother. Kind of like most bustling cities as far as crowd control. SO thought I'd do some recon in the afternoon in Shibuya. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation that was catching up to me or the crankiness from being in a packed museum prior to getting on the train. But I have to say I wasn't quite prepared for the volume of Shibuya. Getting off a train, into the main crossing and literally have a sea of youth culture walking straight at you like a tsunami is something a little different. Not that I wasn't expecting it but yah it's different alright.

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If I said you could get sushi 24 hours a day in Calgary, 24 hours of food poisoning recovery might come to mind. 'Cos in Calgary it would probably be from the day old section of the Safeway Deli. But 24 hour sushi in Tokyo is better than even 4 hour sushi in Calgary. Holy crap it's good. Yah I think the sushi chef was making fun of me because I obviously don't speak Japanese and couldn't understand what he was saying. But he can mock me all he wants when he makes sushi like this.

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ArtNet's Career Analysing tool - taking the art out of art

"Based on the idea that the exhibition career predicts the market career Artfacts.Net has developed an artist career analysing tool."

There's something about this statement that seems so wrong. Almost like this tool should be accompanied by a "Find the Painting That Matches Your Couch Analysing Tool". FOR BEHOLD THE METRICS I PROVIDE TO JUDGE WHETHER THE ARTIST THAT CREATED THE PAINTING THAT MATCHES YOUR COUCH PROVIDES A SOUND FINACIAL INVESTMENT IN A BEAR MARKET.

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Two new additions to the vinyl collect courtesy of Mr. Grumpypants.
Oh yeah Cherry, my wainer organ is swinging.

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You had to know i'd post something like this.

see more pwn and owned pictures

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Where are the Juul Haalmeyer Dancers when you need them? Oh they're over here. Man this rivals Sgt Pepper with the Bee Gees in sheer horridness. Also proving that Rolling Stone magazine was lame even in the 70s. Hang in till end because the Kissinger/Nixon bit is totally worth it.

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Regardless of what any of our clients may say, finally getting Cat Party and Dog Party set as ringers on my new phone is the crowning achievement of yesterday. Telus doesn't make it easy to bypass their crappy ringers but was able to finangle a way around them with BitPim. BOOOSH!

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Oooooo I do need a couple new tees

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Giving new meaning to Swedish massage, Swedish Man Convicted Of Bicycle Molestation

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Iceman + Cheap Trick
Where my fascination with the Iceman started, and it had nothing to do with Kiss.

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