It's a prata life

SNGLISH L.A.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:20:00 +0000

"Of all the driveways in all the streets in the world, you had to stumble into mine.." This caused a mild double-take and u-turn while traveling down Rodeo Drive in LA with a colleague..

Blogarhythm: I've got your number - Elbow.

What if? Journalists had to reference sources...

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:17:00 +0000

No matter how they're viewed at home, the BBC remains in my view the international gold standard for news, information, and entertainment. God bless'em. And could you imagine any other "news organisation" (a.k.a. pernicious purveyors of distracting deceits) going so far as to require ".. inline links must go to primary sources only– eg scientific journal article or policy report .. " in their new linking guidelines?

You can find a brilliant argument for why this might be a good idea in Ben Goldacre's book Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks which I've recently read and cannot recommend too highly for anyone with half a brain. And while you are reading, if you find yourself getting pretty angry and muttering curses under your breath, you will probably appreciate a regular media assassination courtesy Curry & Dvorak of the noagenda show.

Blogarhythm: Don't Lie - Black Eyed Peas Update 17-Oct-2011: Ben Goldacre had a good rant about Bad Science at TED this year:

McCheeky

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:07:00 +0000

Blogarhythm: Top Jimmy - Mean Street (covering Van Halen)

Shinjuku Pit Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:10:00 +0000

10th July 2010: Jazz has been huge in Japan since whenever, but unless you go searching, it's easy to miss the fact that Tokyo has a thumping great live scene. Sites like tokyojazzsite.com are great for getting around the language barrier.

So, it's Saturday afternoon and we're looking for a place to chill so we jump on a train to Shinjuku sanchōme and by my very rough guide we manage to find the Shinjuku Pit Inn. As is always the case with food and music, it's a basement venue.

I had no idea who we might get to see, but we were very lucky to catch a 5 piece outfit who played a 3 hour set through the afternoon (sunglasses definitely required when we emerged back onto the street in the early evening).

This was trad jazz at it's most enthusiastic and dedicated best. Who else would be playing in a dingy, smoke-filled basement on a Saturday afternoon instead of out shopping or lazing the weekend away?

And being in the audience is a serious business - the rows of desks are at once a reminder of a stricter scholastic past and yet a wonderful setting to prop up you G&T, smoke if you please, and just get lost in the music.

The ¥2500 cover charge (including drink) is not bad. I only wish I had discovered this place when I was working in Japan. I can't think of a better way of relaxing on a Saturday afternoon.

Blogarhythm: Relax, take it easy - Mika: Live In Cartoon Motion

NB: I am retro-blogging Tokyo which is why this post is a little delayed

Tsukiji Market

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:54:00 +0000

Spoiler alert: not advised reading for those who can't stomach the idea of "real" food!

10th July 2010: Up at 6am to sleepily jump on the train to the Tsukiji Fish Market, only a few stops and a short walk away.

I knew we were going in the right direction because of all the old men with wellington boots and wicker baskets.

Although we didn't arrive in time for the auctions, there was still fearsome activity underfoot, and a seemingly infinite selection of seafood fresh from the boat.

The prize catch is of course the tuna. A fish may have lost it's life, but there's something terrific yet beautiful in the way it it is treated with such reverence.

The true pleasure in visiting the market comes afterwards ... finding a nearby sushi restaurant to enjoy the morning's catch in the best way possible.

The Chutoro was divine as could be expected, but the real surprise was the Kampachi which absolutely knocked my tastebuds out of the ballpark. And even weeks later the thought of the Uni+Ikura sushi immediately makes my mouth water in anticipation of the salty creaminess!

Which leaves me with only one question: is the princely ahi and maguro tuna in ANY way related to the sad excuse for nutritious cardboard that ends up in tins on the supermarket shelves?

Blogarhythm: Fresh - The Lost Fingers

NB: I am retro-blogging Tokyo which is why this post is a little delayed

三鷹の森ジブリ美術館 Ghibli Museum, Mitaka

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:10:00 +0000

9th July 2010: lazy morning before jumping on the train to Mitaka and from there a short walk through the suburban backstreets to the Ghibli Museum - the showcase for the work of Hayao Miyazaki and his スタジオジブリ - STUDIO GHIBLI.

I've always wanted to visit, but discovered on past trips that tickets are extremely hard to obtain! There are some international ticket agents, but most of us need to buy at a Lawson's outlet once in Japan. The problem is that unless you are in Japan for some time, the odds being able to get tickets at Lawson's are not good .. and you also need to struggle with a Japanese touch-screen system;-) Luckily, this trip I was able to get my Uncle to buy tickets in advance.

The museum is one of the very best I've ever visited. I absolutely recommend you put it on your itinerary when visiting Japan!

Whether you are a Miyazaki fan or not, this place can't fail to enthrall. The exhibits are fascinating, many using stroboscopic effects to produce live animation. All have clearly been designed, constructed, and maintained with loving care. This is not your typical two-blocks-of-wood-knocked-together-by-a-work-experience-student-and-probably-not-working-today kind of museum.

There are many hours to be enjoyably lost simply browsing the huge collection of paraphernalia from Miyazaki's life and work - sketches, paintings storyboards, models, research folios, books, books and more books.

Although Totoro is perhaps the most widely-known character created by STUDIO GHIBLI, I think Porco Rosso remains my favourite film of all. What's not to like in a movie about a seaplane-flying pig who fight's off air pirates and rediscovers his secret love?

Walking back to catch the train from Kichijōji turned out to be a good choice; found lots of places for a late lunch near the station. I must have had pigs on my mind, since we ended up at Tare-Katsu where they soak the katsu medallions in lovely brown sauce straight after frying. Yum! Note what they stamp on your loyalty card;-)

Blogarhythm for this post: War Pigs(Black Sabbath cover) - Faith No More from the album Real Thing

NB: I am retro-blogging Tokyo which is why this post is a little delayed

Paragraph -節- Live Stage! House of Rocks Yotsuya

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:25:00 +0000

8th July 2010: First night in Tokyo and we took a chance on a random live stage to see what's up. Joe bargained our way in at a small basement stage in Yotsuya (House of Rocks - Outbreak!) but really had no idea what we would discover.

Turned out we stumbled upon the 国吉亜耶子and西川真吾Duo, and one of the most inspiring performances I've seen in a long time.

Ayako is an amazingly talented fruitcake of a piano player with unbelievably strong vocals that waver between haunting classical Japanese and Jagged Little Pill. Somewhere in the middle she evokes Wong Faye 王菲, and would possibly be as depressingly maudlin if it wasn't for Shingo laying down a solid groove on drums. Together they are a treat to see and hear.

The live performance is really LIVE, and they come over well on CD (Paragraph -節- is their latest), even if I do miss the quirkiness and humor of the live set. Like the poetic diatribes inbetween numbers that make you laugh even if you do not understand a word that is being said.

I don't know where you can buy their albums (the CD is mine!) and have no idea how to find them performing ... but look out for them, and if you do manage to catch them live, you won't regret it!

The Freeze by Phrase is a nice ohrwurm to get you started..

NB: I am retro-blogging Tokyo which is why this post is a little delayed

Yokoso Tokyo!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:16:00 +0000

My Nexus One and the Japanese telcos had a 'lost in translation' syndrome over the past week, but I am back home now in Singapore with all the broadband that entails! I think I'll be retro-blogging for weeks to make up for the few fantastic days spent back in Tokyo. Big props to my uncle and his family who were great hosts and helped us make the most of a short trip..

After stumbling off the Airport Express bus and checking in early, what else to do but hunt down the lair of the famed Godzilla (ゴジラ, Gojira) near Ginza (銀座). She's HUGE! (No, that is sarcastic. Artistic camera angles are required)

Blogarythm for this post: Back in Black (Tokyo 1981)

See other posts in the Tokyo series:

iPhone, smiPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:49:00 +0000

Looks like DBS have decided that iPhone is now the official generic name for any kind of smart phone!

Click on their Win an iPhone ad and read the not-so-fine print (it's an HTC HD mini ;-)

iPod has arguably already attained genericized trademark status for any kind of MP3 device (taking the mantle from it's predecessor, the Walkman).

And it seems Main Street has long since given Apple another category winner with iPhone joining the likes of Escalator, Zipper, Butterscotch, and even Heroin(!)

Which can really piss off pedantic technologists and the people who have to sell the phones - as brilliantly captured in the iPhone vs HTC animations by the guy that Best Buy wants to fire.

Bettye LaVette - The British Rock Songbook

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:52:00 +0000

All I can say is that Bob Lefsetz is right .. this is a great album; in my cart.

Trending Groceries #twiglets

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 02 May 2010 06:06:00 +0000

In Australia, kids are called vegemites in honour of that most delicious of gastronomic inventions - yeast extract. In the UK, children have Marmite. Is it the same? Better? The debate rages.

Bitter & salty - whether you bat for the Vegemite or Marmite team, kids can't get enough of it. Which is really weird when you consider these are the same kids who baulk at a single brussel sprout or any cheese that hasn't had all hint of character resoundly flogged out of it.

In 1929, some clever bastard (M. Rondalin) realized you can't run around all day with a slice of bread in your hand and had the genius idea of baking convenient little breadsticks smothered in yeast extract. Twiglets were born and the rest is history..

The problem is that unless you live in one of those yeast-extract addicted countries, Twiglets are as rare to find as, well, yeast extract.

So when I find them on a supermarket shelf, they are a must buy. I emptied the shelf at a local Cold Storage to get the picture below.

Clip for this post: There ain't 'alf been some clever bastards - Ian Dury & the Blockheads

See also: Trending Groceries #cider

Dear Boss..

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:01:00 +0000

How to Draw Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:36:00 +0000

It's not a cat, it's an echidna!

How To Draw Nothing

View more presentations from betsystreeter.

Joshua Bell and Kristin Chenoweth performing "My Funny Valentine"

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:22:00 +0000

Happenchanced upon this fantastic performance on Channel V the other day. Joshua Bell and Kristin Chenoweth. I'm way impressed by Kristin's vocals, especially the way she manages the transitions. So deliciously smooth when most other singers would break. Perfectly matched by Joshua's playing.

Casuarina Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:14:00 +0000

Google Street View is pretty amazing. Here's my favourite prata place. Local and also one of the best in Singapore;-)

View It's a Prata Map in a larger map

Soundtrack for this post? Eat 'Em and Smile - David Lee Roth

Trending Groceries #cider

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:20:00 +0000

You know when your local supermarkets and shops never stock one of your favourite things?

But you search the shelves on every visit anyway (just in case).

And when you do find it (even though you weren't really expecting to) you just have to buy it.

And you hope that somewhere back in the warehouse an alarm went off, and the clerks are leaping into action..

Smithers, we're spiking on sales of X. Hurry man, there's no time to waste: Reorder! Replenish! We must never go out of stock again.

Rationally, your "consumer activism" is hardly a blip on the radar/grain of sand in the Sahara. But maybe it's more like tweeting to your grocery manager, and hoping you'll kick off a "trending groceries" list to get their attention.

Well, I thought I'd start a list of my own "trending groceries". Today: cider..

#1: #cider

So rare to find in Singapore. For the past few years I've been unconsciously checking on every visit to my local NTUC Fairprice.

And then one fortuitous day I found a Pipsqueak 4-pack sitting on the shelf like a poor orphan. I had to adopt it of course, and have been back every week to save more of of it's brothers and sisters.

Information, Knowledge, Wisdom ..

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:22:00 +0000

Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is the best...

Frank Zappa (Lyrics to the song Packard Goose on the album Joe's Garage: Act III.)

Most consulting firms have a version of the "Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom" point of view, but I've never seen any of them credit Zappa;-)

Customer Satisfaction Poll

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:02:00 +0000

Strangely enough, 100% of respondents to this poll reported 0% satifaction..

Captain's Share

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Last year, I wrote about Ishmael Wang's blossoming career on the ships within Nathan Lowell's wonderfully realised future universe of inter-galactic trading.

We last heard of Ishmael when he'd made it to full share and there's been an excrutiatingly long silence as we wait to hear more of his story. But Nathan was on a promise - it was coming!

I must admit I was wondering whether the latest installment would keep up the high standards that Mr Lowell has set for realistic, humanist, hard sci-fi. But now that I've started reading ("listening") to Captain's Share, I know my worries are for naught.

If you think it is remotely possible, I'd say that Nathan Lowell has met and exceeded the standards of story-telling that he set with the earlier books in the saga.

If you are not familiar with the Age of the Solar Clipper, I heartily recommend you start way back at the beginning and work through the series - you won't be disappointed! Not only does Nathan deliver intriguing hard science, but the situations into which he places his characters are model studies of human behaviour (and even management science)... not to mention the few culinary tips I've picked up along the way!

Here's the series (so far) in it's entirety:

Quarter Share

Half Share

Full Share

(an interlude [side story] South Coast)

Captain's Share

All of these stories are wonderfully available for free download in audio format from podiobooks.com: read by the author in an utterly engaging way that only the creator could muster.

When I say "so far" I really mean it: Nathan Lowell has created an alternate universe/future so compelling and detailed that I can imagine (and eagerly await) many more stories drawing from the rich canvas he has created. So many more possibilities than even the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises ... and probably more in the league of the Dune and Foundation sagas ...

Ubuntu - Linux for Human Beings (and Bears)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:05:00 +0000

Sunshine is one of our pimped PCs. After replacing a totally stuffed hard disk (seriously, it growled like a bear), time to install a real operating system. Sweet!

TechnoDjango - The Lost Fingers Pump Up The Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:04:00 +0000

NPR Fresh Air made me wish I was at the Montreal Jazz festival this year. The Lost Fingers' take on hits from the 80's are great fun, and great listening.

Just noticed their album is currently available for pre-order on amazon (out 1-Sep-2009).
Pump Up the Jam You Give Love a Bad Name You Shook Me All Night Long Incognito Touch Me Part-Time Lover Fresh Billie Jean Careless Whisper Tainted Love Straight Up Black Velvet

Fail Whale

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:59:00 +0000

too good to pass without note.. (more about showing the whale here)

Rocket Ship Galileo - Apollo 11 40th Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:36:00 +0000

Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed -- 20 July 1969

The 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing has been getting quite a bit of coverage, but the coolest initiative has got to be the addition of the Moon in Google Earth.

Quite coincidentally, I just read Robert A. Heinlein's "Rocket Ship Galileo" (well, actually listened to the audio version brilliantly narrated by Spider Robinson ).

Heinlein packs this atomic moonshot adventure with just about every Boy's Own plot twist possible and tells a rollicking ripping yarn. What's amazing is the detail of the hard science throughout the book - especially given the fact it was written in 1947.

All the shucks, gee willikins is quaintly pre-baby boom, while the embracing of atomic power with such wild abandon is frightening in retrospect. Altogether, it's a great - if dated - story; a true testament to Heinlein's genius and imagination.

On atomics: it is possible the tide of opinion may be swinging back to nuclear. The ABC Science show just featured a story on the safer and cheaper generations of reactors coming online (transcript, audio). Today's generation III reactors, and the generation IV on the horizon offer even cheaper, safer and cleaner power (literally eating the waste products of earlier designs). All well and good, but it would be a concern if "new atomics" became the quick and easy fix that sabotages the head of steam building up behind the true clean, green renewables (like solar nanopillars).

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:20:00 +0000

Heard that the movie Sex & Drugs & Rock & Rollhas just started production. Probably shouldn't hold my breath, but I can't wait to see it.

It's based on the life story of Ian Dury, IMHO the best lyricist/poet who ever got a gig. And Laughter was the best album I ever bought as a teenager. I still have the cassette tape at home, even though the ferrite oxide has long rusted and worn away.

In what could turn out to be a masterful bit of casting, they have Andy Serkis playing Dury in the movie. I can well imagine Serkis doing a great Dury. Having done mega-blockbusters with Peter Jackson, Andy seems to be picking up quite a number of intriguing, not-so-mainstream roles. I guess he can afford to;-)

I also realize there's an obscure connection between Dury and Serkis. Dury is well known for having created and performed a version of the Bus Driver's Prayer, which ends with the line..

For Iver and Iver ... Crouch End

Which is - at least according to wikipedia - where Serkis now lives. So Andy is picking up from where our dear departed Ian Dury (RIP) left off...

OK, so that's a stretch. Time to reminisce over the Blockheads and wait for the movie to come out..