Say "I'll Wait" to iPhone

No, I didn't get an iPhone. I just figured I'd jump on the bandwagon and do an iPhone post.

Actually, I'm as enamoured with the iPhone as anyone else. It's just that I've made it rule of thumb to wait out major tech releases as I don't have wads of cash to throw unto the feet of Stevie Jobs and his empire which I have been actively defending since, oh, about 1987 or so.

Shit, for that alone I feel that I should get one for free. Chew on that for a moment: Apple gave each of its Apple Store employees (does this deal extend to ALL Apple employees?) who've been in their positions for over a year a free iPhone, and the 8Gb version at that. Narrow that down a bit: Apple gave free iPhones to people they pay anyway. Maybe they should giving something to those of us who have been paying them for, um, about twenty years!

Anyway, it was just a fleeting thought. Which makes me think of Fleet enemas. Oh, and www.fleet.com takes you to Bank of America. No shit (no pun intended).

So yeah, the iPhone... Xeni Jardin's iPhone release day post at Boing Boing pretty much is the perfect pro and con statement for/against the iPhone, though more for than against. The iPhone aside, there is one glimmering line of prose that seems prophetic while scaring the shit out of me at the same time; When addressing the iPhone touch interface, she belches forth this nugget:

"I wish I could do this on every electronic device I own. I wish Apple would release a tablet with this on it."

It's that last part that sticks. Are we going to see a 30" iMac sans keyboard that you would pull to the edge of your desk and actually type on the screen, "pinch" images in Photoshop to resize them and "fingerpaint" in Illustrator to draw Bézier curves? The thought is terrifying. To my wallet, I mean.

Gaijin Monkeys in Japan

And speaking of Gaijin in Japan, what would happen if gaijin monkeys ended up living in Japan?

Actually, Mike posted the original version of this image in his "About the Author" box, and I couldn't help messing with it. Looks like a couple of crazy drunken village dwarves I saw at the Hounen Matsuri in 2002... They were alot of fun, those guys. I hope they're still around. If anyone sees this and was there this year, let me know if you saw a couple of crazy little guys causing trouble and hitting people up for money to buy Sake One Cups. I'll try to post a photo of them later.

All Hail Gaijin in Japan

Having an impromptu Skype-a-thon with Mike at Gaijin in Japan today while I'm working. More of a soundscape, actually. I don't have my mic here, and he's drinkin' shochu, so I can hear him puttering around his room, rustling papers and drunkily farting now and again.

He hit our webcam and posted a shot of us flying the bird. Now that's multitasking!

The Definition of Handicapped

The small dick spammers are getting more imaginative every day. Just have a look at this high tech approach to advertising. Who'da thunk it that a halfassed cartoon of a schlong in a wheelchair would open the floodgates to insecure men everywhere. We're of weaker intelligence than I initially assessed.



Yeah, I blurred the URL. Whaddya think, I'm gonna give them a link on my dime?

Map, Schmap...

One of my photos of Otafuku in New York City has been included in the new Schmap New York Travel Guide. I've included their widget on this page 'cos you know, I just need more clutter.

We were last there in May 2000, a little over year before the shit hit the fan down on the south end of Manhattan. I guess you could say it was a different time then... Certainly not a more "innocent" time by any means, but just... Different.

Been There, Done That

Here's video from this year's Hounen Matsuri, held every March in Komaki (outside Nagoya), Aichi Prefecture, Japan. We attended the festivities in 2002, and I must say that it was the most unique public festival I've ever seen...

Gaijin in Japan Talkcast

I made the suggestion to Mike over at Gaijin in Japan that he should look into TalkShoe for creating a call-in talkcast, and he immediately set it up to go down this Wednesday June 6 at 11am Japan time (that's Tuesday night at 9pm central DST).

I've been appointed to bring the beer, which is fine with me 'cos that means I get to drink it all, too.