Random addition

I've got a youtube account going which I'll probably start posting videos to, instead of Picasa. (which cuts away from how much space I have for photos)

I had my camera going going from one of the supermarkets in the area back to the dorms, so that's what's on there right now.

EDIT: Maybe I should link it. http://www.youtube.com/bradleyjx

Someday in the Rain

Yeah, it pretty much has been raining the last couple days, and should be raining tomorrow as well.

There really hasn't been that much going on recently; this Sunday I'm heading down to Nara, and the 16th(ish) I should be going down to Hiroshima for that day.

I've found some new things in Photoshop, and I've been fooling around with panorama and splicing images which I should be adding into the Picasa album sometime soon. I've also got a video of something I wish I really could've gotten when I did: some of the cell phones in this country have the ability to view over-the-air TV. Oh yes.

PS: If you want to get in contact with me quickly, use bradleyjx@softbank.ne.jp now. (it goes right to a cell phone, and unlike in the US the systems are (pretty much) unlimited)

Story of the week

This is second hand, but there seems to be quite a few people around here who don't keep track of what day of the month it is, so many people needed to actually hear that 9/11 was this past week.

A couple people who I talk with around here was telling me about when they were visiting a small shrine around the area where we are staying. While they were around, they saw an old Japanese man coming and were worried that they shouldn't be there. (for some reason or another; not many of use can read signs...) He began talking in Japanese to them, though only one of them knew enough to really be able to converse. The rest understood some of the conversation, but were mostly just listening; they asked after the old man left.

He was apologizing and sending condolences to the Americans for what happened 7 years ago.

When the rest of the people I was with and myself heard this, we were quite surprised; compared to WWII, we were feeling that happened 7 years ago was nothing compared to what Japan lost in the 40s. It's just kind-of the response to everything we have been experienced when it comes to how the people around here are; everyone is so nice around here, but sometimes it's just amazing how compassionate.

On bathrooms...

You walk into the bathroom in the dorms in socks (the shoes are left by the main door) and, if your feet classify as "possibly-Japanese" (< 9), you put your feet into some provided slippers. You've got a half-dozen stalls, each with a high-tech seat.

The seats are pre-heated; in the summer it makes every seat feel like someone was in it 2 minutes ago, but apparently it's good in the winter. You sit down, and you hear a fan start to keep the smells from going out. Then you've got the buttons on the side; two "bidet" buttons, a "stop" button, and a button to fake a flush. You stand up and the fan gets stronger until you flush.

The sinks are motion-activated, but the dryer dries with a high-pressure line of nozzles (like a line of air), and your hands dry in about 10 seconds.

Vending Machines...

There are 2 major "soda" machines around here, then occasionally you'll run into other forms of vending machines.

You've got the "Coke" machines, then the "Boss" machines; the former sells mostly coke products, the latter everything else. I've only found one machine that gives Mt. Dew. (sugar Mt. Dew, so much better than HFCS Dew), and more machines give out no-cal Pepsi than regular Pepsi. (good luck finding diet anything)

You've also got a ton of machines that give out all kinds of drinks in a fountain-drink style for pretty cheap. (16oz @ .70) Then you've got the food, which are the normal candy ones (that dispense things that definitely aren't candy) and then food versions of the fountain-drink style. (i.e. a cup comes down and ramen follows)

I've gotten into this lemonade-like drink called CC Lemon, and there are also a couple melon-flavored drinks that are pretty good.

Incoming...

Catching up (Part 1)

Well, I'm going to be posting some daily writing I've made in the last couple days. The internet is still not working around here on personal computers, despite asking some questions and getting advice. (most of it being "that was given in [document name here]; wait, it isn't?")

San Francisco

It's 10:37 PST and I am in San Fran right now; first flight seemed alright, but I just need to have this over and done with.

I'm going to be done traveling for nearly a day and the clock'll only have advanced 6 hours...

Random Update

I have a brace on my right knee from a dislocated patella last Tuesday, my mouth is almost back to normal from getting my top wisdom teeth out last Friday, and I had a persistent kink in my back Monday and Tuesday this week. So, I'm just ready for the next day to begin 2 days before it comes...

Japan's getting almost there; 2 small things left on the things-to-do list, then it's just clothes shopping.

Reformatted my laptop to set it up for Japan. Those that know my computer know I don't normally run any antivirus or spyblock software, as they just slow down the computer beyond any desire I have to use them. I tried putting Symantec Endpoint on, and it pretty much began a cascade of problems, including disabling automatic updates and preventing me from installing some of my more ... grey ... applications. So, I had to start from scratch again and I'm just leaving the antivirus off for now, at least until I get _everything_ on it. I know I'll lose some of my crackers, (Symantec doesn't like AnyDVD, ophcrack, and netpass, if you know what those are) but I'll live.

Biggest complaint of this reformatting: towards the end of last semester, I started looking around for "stock images" for image work later, as I was getting tired of searching google images every time I wanted something. I eventually became a regular surfer of 4chan, because despite any criticism I've heard of it, it's one hell of a topical image repository. Many of my current wallpapers came from there, as well as now-about 60% of the total library of images I use. I was changing desktop themes and moved to a great artwork wallpaper I found over there, and just thought to myself that I wish we had faster internet at home, just so I could surf 4chan like I could at school.

$japan_cost = $japan_cost - $1500;

Chicago -> Osaka. Under $250. Enough said :)

Weekend notes...

- I'm finally getting a break after 4 days of work + umpiring, and I'm just bored.

- I got a quick question from someone yesterday asking me about how their rating would be affected in a MTG event after a match, his was nearly 2000 and his opponent was (approx.) 1600. I got bored and just built a quickie program to handle something like that, but I answered him using my "in-head" method of guesstimating point swings:
> Take K-value * 50 (or K / 2 * 100 if you want something easier to do in-head). In this case, it was 400 (8 / 2 * 100). If you are ahead by more points than that, you won't gain anything by winning. (conversely, if you're more than 400 under, you won't lose anything by losing)
> If you're both even, then a win/loss will bring your rating up/down by 1/2 the K-value. If you add the above to that, you can just cut the remaining ratings into sections. i.e...
> > You are +100 rating = a win brings you + 3 points
> > You are +200 rating = a win brings you + 2 points

Yeah, it's a little complicated.

- I've been getting questions from family about if I've gotten a Wii yet; I've been looking for one pretty much continuously since last October.

Well, for me the reason was simply because of Smash Bros. Brawl. I always knew that I would love the console, and I still feel that I would. The issue now is that I also knew that I'd eventually also get a PS3 for some games, specifically FFXIII, GTA4, and LittleBigPlanet. Now I've hit a 4th game in a little game called Mirror's Edge. Seriously, watch this trailer.

I don't play FPS games, and I really don't like anything that's a Halo derivative, but I do have some games that I like from branches of the genre. (Portal, enough said) There's something about a game like that that is about technique as much as any combat that just makes me want it. It's like watching the LittleBigPlanet debut again for me, as it just has that "charm" as something different, but just something that seems so fun. I think I'll be describing it as "GTA if instead of running on the ground you needed to jump from rooftops".


- Still nothing on Japan, and I hear enough about it. I've gotten to the point where I start conversations asking if they know that I'm going, just so I can get it out of the way. I'm still not thinking about it that much, as I still have better things to do.

- Random trivia, just because I really am that bored right now. If you've heard of "Caramelldansen" or "the U-U-Uwa-Uwa Dance" (this thing), there's an interesting story as to the origin of that dance. It comes from a Eroge ("dating sim" is the easiest, though mild, way to sum that genre up) video game called "Popotan". It has an anime based on the game that I heard is very good, and I may look at it in the future. From what I've looked at in reviews, it's like Elfen Lied to Americans in that the series is actually pretty good, but because there are things in it unacceptable by american standards, you'd never see it here. If you want to see the origin of the dance, it's here; NSFW warning: It's got a lot of stuff in it against US "standards".