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.