First Person Shooter...Live Action

So I saw this post over at Gizmodo and decided to click on the story. I like to play first person shooters and have played a fair amount of paintball in my time as well.

Some guys, and you know it had to be couple of guys, made a video of a deathmatch out at "Brandon's House". I dont know how serious this was supposed to be but I thouroughly enjoyed watching and thought it was one of the funniest videoes Ive seen in a while.

They are pretty spot on with the recreation. From their movements to the views, I thought it was a FPS with a jumpy camera. All of the scenes where he was wielding a knife was just precious. I loved how he zooomed in and used the scope to take out the guy in the tree. Best of all was all the third person views from the killcam. They did a great job in adding blood, gunfire, and explosions. Kudos also for the overlays for the HUD(ammo count, map, spawn countdown timer, and) Yes, yes, there was that movie Gamers with Gerard Butler but that sucked so bad! For all those who play FPS, I think you can appreciate this.

Check it out over at YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyCyzB0CedM

A double dose of Focker

Ok, some Im lactose intolerant, somewhat. Liquid milk can sometimes wreak havoc on my internals. But not on every occasion. Sometimes I can get away with a glass and suffer no repercussions. However, thats a landmine or ticking time bomb that I dont want to deal with. Lately, plain coffee will turn my stomach upside down.

So, you would think I would ge a double dose of Focker by having the two of them together. And, you would be wrong. The combination of the two oddly cancels out the negative affects they have on me. A nice hot latte or cold ice coffee, with milk of course, has no ill effects and I can enjoy my coffee and dairy in peace

Arms Race

Nerf products have been around for as long as I can remember. Back when I was in school, my schoolmates and I had hours of fun with the Nerf Football. Fast forward a few years and you realize how much Nerf has become an arms dealer. Probably the largest in the world. I knew nothing of Nerf weaponry in the hallowed days of the Nerf football. Look at some of the monstrosities that available these days

One of their most recent additions to their arms buildup is the Stampede. This extends the number of fully automatic battery operated guns on the market but its their first clip fed. It comes with several 18 round clips as well a smaller one. A blast shield for...who knows really. A bipod to help steady those who are too drunk to stand.
This is the Vulcan. It boasts a 25 round belt feed that can shoot 3 darts per second in full auto mode(batteries required). It has a carry handle so that you can reacreate your own Terminator 2 moment in front of your favorite Hot Wheels cars. The next in the lineup is the Raider. With the largest capacity for darts,35, it can shoot a single or multiple darts. Owing to the accuracy of these weapons, a shotgun type approach may be needed to hit ahything beyond a certain short range
Those looking for extra distance and much more can opt for the Longshot. You can reach out and Nerf someone up to 36 feet away. In addition, there is a modular short range pistol that can be detached if needed and detachable scope

I guess there is a call for arms escalation in the world of toys and Nerf is definitely trying to meeet it. I would imagine Nerf Howitzers and ICBMs not too far off on the horizon. I guess the ultimate Nerf weapons platform would have to be the NerfSat Orbital Wespons Station.

Holiday Illuminations

At this time of year, many places throughout Japan alight with colorful strings of luminence that adorn the landscape. Many urban areas tend to have alot of neon and signs that hang off the building to advertise the occupants. This mess of visual chaos can cause sensory overload to the optics. Much like the Christmas decorations we see in the downtown shopping areas here in the states, the Japanese like to festoon the trees along the streets, buildings are brightened with spotlights that reflect the colors of the season, and walkways are draped with dots of light to create an intimate atmosphere. In rurual areas, small igloos are built and candles are placed within. This gives off a soft inviting glow to the surrounding area. In all, it does make one feel like coming outside and walking in the cold to view these landbased twinkling stars. Couples seem to enjoy this quite a bit as they share the spectacular sight and each others warmth. Kids are giddy with wonder when placed amongst the playland transformed by darkness and light.

These are a few examples from around Tokyo courtesy www.japan-guide.com

Fin. K.L

I have enjoyed some Kpop over the last year and a half. In that time, I have been witness to the explosive growth of girl groups. Girls Generation, Kara, T-ara, 4minute, miss A, Sistar, Rainbow to name a few who have been around a while with a few debutting more recently. One of the previous predecessors to this current wave was Fin. K.L(Fine Killing Liberty). This group came on the scene around the time of some other Kpop girl groups of their time, SES(named after the initials of the trio) and Baby VOX(Baby Voice Of Expression). The quartet consisted of Ock Ju Hyun, Lee Jin, Lee Hori and Sung Yuri. They had a softer sound and image as compared to the faster paced and dancier tunes of their contemporaries. They released their first album in 1998 and their last in 2002.

Whatever happened to... I havent traced the whereabouts and current doings of all four members. I only know about the current activities of the two Lees, Jin and Hyori. I have mentioned Hyori in a previous post. She has not been seen much on television nor heard on radio since the plagarism controversy surrounding her last album. She has kept busy with endorsements and modeling.

The reason for this post is due to Jin's appearance on Happy Together that I recently saw on KBS World. Here, they did a retrospective of some of Fin. K.L's popular hits as she was requested to do the dance steps from the videoes. Hilariously, she could barely remember the moves while other guests and co-hosts of the show were much more in tne with Jin's past. In listening to this medley, I began to search out some of the songs that appealed to my ear, I Cant Cry, Forever Love, and Now. I particularly loved the video for Now. Something about their moves and flowing outfits were visually entrancing. The videoes of the other songs displayed an innocence and youthful charm of the group. Lee Jin is currently an active participant in one of my favorite Korean variety shows, Heroes.

On The Job-6th St Exit From Interstate 280

On the way to a customer's location, I had to drive north on Interstate 280 and exit at 6th St. This local used to be populated mainly by warehouses and a few office buildings. It has since gone through an improvement with the addition of the ballpark and construction of Mission Bay. Mission Bay is a complex that houses several research labs for UCSF. Mission Bay begins in the forground and extends to the right. You cant really see much from this shot. A great view of the skyline is uninhibited by any taller structures.
At a couple of times during the year, special events will be held in the city as they tour the US. For some events, tents like these get pitched in this open area to accommodate nomadic show. I believe that this if for the Cavalia show. From my estimation, its kind of like Cirque Du Soliel but with horses as the main attraction

This area of the city cannot be talked about without mention the Giants' ballpark. AT&T, as its formally known, plays host to the World Series champion. To the right is McCovery Cove and the SF Bay in the distance

Transportation to this area and access to the ballpark is made easier by the Caltrain terminal located nearby. This is the stopping off point for alot of people who make their way to downtown via the peninsula.

North Vs South

As many people in the states well know, Thanksgiving will be upon us in a mmater of mere hours. Folks will be travelling and getting together with friends and family as this is thee biggest holiday for people to share with one another.

Things are a little different half a world away. A border skirmish has erupted between the Koreas with people hurt and killed on an island situated between the hemispheric opposites. Kim Jung Il really knows how to push the uttons of the global community. Earlier, his regime had put on display facilities for enriching uranium. They claim its for energy but so much of their resources are used for military ambitions that his line is a bit hard to swallow. Since no one has even raised to any of his antics, including the sinking of a South Korean warship, he probably feels like he is unopposed.

I hope things dont escalate and get out of hand. The US is still very involved in the middle east. Plus, I dont want this to ruin my travel plans for early next year(shakes fist at North Korea)

The Coca Cola Store In Las Vegas-Taste Of The World

A few years back when the store originally opened, friends of mine were able to visit it and remarked how you could freely sample the various beverages that the Coca Cola company had to offer in far and distant lands. These friends told of exotic flavors and taste combinations that were unheard of domestically. Sadly, upon my first visit many years past, that feature of the store no longer existed. In its place was a soda fountain that harkens back to the 60's and 70's when diners were the place to hang out.

Recently, I found myself back in Vegas and back at the store. Aside from the usual offerings, a variation on the worldwide samples was on offer for $7. With this, you get 2 trays of 8 sodas to sample. 16 in total and most at least 4 ounces added up to over 64 ounces of global thirst quenchers. Many of these flavors, though they may sound strange, taste very sweet and not unlike alot of soft drink varieties currently available. One drink of particular note was number 7 on the second tray. Mysteriously labeled as Beverly from Italy, this one made itself known right away. It was not sweet like all the others but a brick wall of bitter that coats your tongue. The only way to get the sensation off your tongue was to either sand paper it off or just cut it off for a faster result. Of course, knowing this dastardly tidbit of knowledge, I espied others as they drank ever closer to the beverage from hell. I delighted in their reactions, the same as mine, to have put something so foul into their mouths.

The samples below have sheets that tell you what where its from. Number 1 starts at the top right and works down to number 4 before number 5 starts at the top left. This holds for both trays

After sampling all 16, I was amazed to see that I had hardly even imbibed half the quantity afforded me. Having hit the sugar wall, I gave up without a complaint and returned the remainder to the counter, defeated.

Sapporo Snow Festival 2006-Third site

At the ever changing third site, there was much more to offer than previously seen. Along with slides and a maze constructed from the surrounding snow and ice, a hot air balloon gave visitors a chance to overlook the area from upon high. On the previous visit, a short train ride was easy access to the military base. At this iteration, it was a bit more complicated was we had to find one of a number of bus stations with special buses that ferry people to the new site. It lookes like 2011 will also be easily accessible by subway.

Feel like a rat in a maze being put through your paces? The building at the far end on the left is one place people could fuel up on warm liquids and hot foods. To the left were blocks of snow that, I assume, were left for local groups to carve in competition with other groups
It seems they always build a slide for the little kiddies to freeze their butts off on while traversing the length of the amusemement. The structure is different each year and usually free as well. Parents wait at the bottom to either retrieve their tykes or get bowled over by them when they have gained excessive speed on their way down.

An ice bar was erected, to provide those who were inclined, a small breather from the goings on. In the background, local sellers had also come out to offer the specialities of the region to those who would partake.
And, of course, there were plenty of opportunities to keep one well fed and warm through various options setup for the event be it food trucks in the crisp open air or local groups raising funds by selling food inside the large hall. An item that friends had picked up before was a bag of dried corn useful for pouring into soup stock and other applications

Sapporo Snow Festival 2006-Susukino

Susukino is the downtown area of Sapporo thats within a close walking distance to Odori Park. At the entrance to the second of three areas of the festival is a gate made with blocks of ice encasing several types of seafood. I am assuming that these are products of the local area. This stretches for several blocks and is open only to pedestrian foot traffic during the festivals run.

Being the downtown area, there are a number of shops and restaurants. At a few crab restaurants in Japan, they want you to know that they serve crab by placing a huge replica outside their entrance. Some places animate said gigantor crustacean by having the legs and claws move further attracting attention.

Sapporo has a certain style of miso ramen made with the opaque tonkotsu broth. This is a milky white broth made from boing pork and sometimes chicken bones for hours. Then miso is added to enhance the flavors. In this same area, Ramen Alley caters to those wishing for a nice steaming bowl of soup and noodles. And, maybe a side order of gyoza and fried rice as well.

The narrow passageway is further constrict by lines outside of the restaurants that line this pathway between city blocks. Another favorite of the area is the butter corn ramen. Admittedly, it sounded wierd to me at first but we are all accustomed to having butter on an ear of corn. Butter is another specialty of the region as well as other diary products. Back to the butter corn ramen, it is quite tasty and the little pockets of sweetness from the corn cuts the heaviness of the butter.

The main attraction are the creations carved from stacked blocks of ice. Some are small pieces approximately 1 meter(3 ft) wide by 2 meters(6 ft) high. the more impressive displays tend to be longer and somewhat higher, but not higher by much.

During this years event, Baileys had set a up bar where you can purhcase various drinks that contain their Irish creme product. Very comforting is the Bailey's coffee. A steaming cup of coffee augmented by their silky concoction thats more viscous than normal cream. Our stay in 2011 will be at the Toyoko Inn location thats footsteps from here.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame...NOT!!

At 11am today, the San Francisco Giants will be paraded and feted through downtown in celebration of their World Series win in Texas on Monday. They had to take it in game 5 as they had dropped game 3. Game 3 was the home opener for the Rangers. I am happy for the Giants but Im a bit bummed too.

I was gifted a ticket to the 6th game of the series. This would have been the first game back home after the 3-game stand away. I had been to one Giants game during their Candlestick days. I even went to one Giants game at AT&T Park, back when it was called Pac Bell?? or SBC?? Anyway, though I am not a big baseball fan, I was excited at the opportunity to experience the pinnacle the sport had to offer. I had never been to any championship game/series for any sport. My sports of choice are more football and basketball. I was truly thankful and did not wish ill will on the home team but I wanted them to drop enough games so I could see this thing through. The first 2 games past with them taking the early lead. As they headed to Texas, I thought things might change in the Ranger's favor with homefield advantage. Slight joy and glee on my part as a glimmer of hope for game 6 shone as I was 1 game closer. Alas, the orange and black steamrolled the next two games and the rest is history.

Sapporo Snow Festival 2006-Odori

It was coincidence at first that our second trip was 5 years after our first. Now, its become a regular schedule as the third trip is in 2011 and a possible fourth trip will occur in 2016. By 2006, my travel equipment has been upgraded to include a laptop and digital camera. Thus, making it much easier to post pictures for all to see and much faster as well. For now, I can upload images at the end of the day to those who like to follow along with me on my adventures. This second outing to this familiar locale has us residing at one of two Toyoko Inn locations in the Susukino area. This one is a bit further out than the one located right in the downtown area. However, it did not pose much of an inconvenience. This was our first stay in this chain of business hotels. We had already planned the trip but unable to secure accommodations in Sapporo. While reading through the travel section of the hometown sunday paper, I espied a letter written by a traveller who recommended this franchise. Since the location was good and there was availability, we booked our rooms. Since we were in the Susukino area, there were a number of restaurants and stores within walking distance. The sculptures carved from blocks of ice were an everyday sight that we would walk past during sightseeing. Being known for their seafood and crab, eating establishements that cater to these needs were many and not very hard to spot. They are also known for their style of ramen which uses miso in their broth. There is an alley nearby where ramen shops line either side of the narrow passage ways. We had a full on crab buffet that cost 5000 yen, around $40 at that time. Along with sushi, soup, and side dishes, it was all you can eat king, snow, and hairy crab.


Crab is readily available during this festive time. At the main drag, Odori Park, crab sellers are hawking their wares at the base of the TV tower that anchors one end of the sttrip. They offer samples of crab broth to entice buyers. The briney smell of crab being boiled to death wafts throughout the one square block they have set up at.

This was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia if my memory serves me right

This is a depiction of a scene from the stop-motion animated feature The WereRabbit starring Wallace and Grommet

Sapporo Snow Festival 2001

I had mentioned the Yuki Matsuri, Snow Festival, before but had not posted any of my pictures. Back in 2001, on the initial trip, I was using a point and shoot film camera to snap images. Back then digital cameras were not as common place as they are today. Because of this, Costco had not begun to offer digital prints derived from film. Fortunately, I had a flat bed scanner that I could use to transfer the prints to the computer. We were staying at the Hotel Raffine. It was a place that our friend had recommended. Off the top of my head, I dont remember where this hotel was located. It was a very nice hotel with ample space in the rooms and a large luxurious bathroom to boot. The displays at Odori and Susukino are located in the same place every year. The third site usually moves around the Sapporo area. In 2001, it was set up at a military base.

With Japan being a food obsessed nation and regional areas beaming with pride with what they produce, its no surprise to find the the specialities of the region on display in most of the festival areas. With its icey cold water around the northern most island, a number of crab varieties are plentiful and easily accessible to Sapporo-ans(?)

Many a night was spent walking around the two main areas amidst the locals visitors alike. After the sun sets, the sculptures and displays are illuminated. Some are doused in colors while most have a white spotlight placed upon them. A few have lights that change color to really make them stand out and provide a show for the many onlookers. Along Odori are the larger sculptures of snow and/or ice

I was amazed by the detail found on this replica of Trevi Fountain. As I found later after many travels to Japan, they have a great attention to detail in many things they do

This is not Trevi at night but a structure of asian origin awash in blue lights. It seemed as if man made structures was the theme this year. However, in subsequent visits, they tend to have at least one bulding of some sort. There were just alot more on this first visit.

In the downtown area of Susukino, you will find primarily ice sculptures set up in the middle of a coordined off area open to pedestrians. The creations carved from ice run small and large. Most are about a few feet wide while some of the larger installations can span several yards. With many restaurants around, you can have a courtside seat to the view while enjoying a nice hot meal. This one depicts goldfish. The horizontal lines are present becuase blocks of ice are stacked upon one another to create the blank canvas for the artiste

Roast Duck Anyone?

Go into any large Chinese community and you will find produce shops, restaurants/delis, etc. Specifically, restaurants/delis will display offerings in the window to all passerbys. The steaming hot table will keep things like sweet and sour pork, fried chicken, fried rice/chow fun, etc. warm. Hanging above will be barbecue pork, steamed chicken, and roast duck. These will all be very familiar sites of once has been to their local chinatown.

As such, while walking around my Chinatown, I spotted this in the window. A somewhat Warhol-esque display using the ubiquitous cooked foul. The first row has a black duck(Oil spill duck), a missing duck(What the duck), a black duck with strings painted on it to resemble a cello(Yo yo Ma duck), and a pink duck with a label over its privates(Garment label duck). The bottom row has the following: a multicolored gradient duck(Ranbow duck), a duck covered in paper money(Money duck), a duck covered in duct tape(Duck tape), and a red duck that mimics the flag of the Republic of China(Peking duck)

Apparently, there are more ducks at the artist's website.

Although the city has only one official Chinatown, there are many areas with large Chinese coomunities that have setup shops and restaurants. Some of the well know areas include blocks of Clement, Irving, and Noriega. Some burgeoning areas include San Bruno Ave in the 94134 zip code.