In Tokyo you can find just about any type of food or cuisine imaginable. You can easily binge on burgers at TGI Fridays, sample Shabu-Shabu, or (if you are brave enough) dine on death causing fungus. A friend took me to cool and non-life threatening restaurant owned by Mark Kagaya in the Shimbashi area of Tokyo. What makes the place so much fun, besides the wonderful food, is that Mark performs outrageously funny skits throughout the meal and often in costume.
This is a short video of Mark introducing the drink menu – and yes that is a monkey hand puppet.
The place seats anywhere between 15-30 people on a given night. Here’s a picture of the tables and food. I also should warn you to be very careful when you pick up your beverage glass for the first time. Who knows what could happen to you.
Sometimes it aint easy being green, but it sure is fun. This clip was taken towards the later part of the evening. Did that frog just say my name?
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If you are ever in Tokyo make sure to visit Mark’s restaurant. Its very “westerner” friendly and the food is very reasonably priced for Tokyo. Don’t worry if you aren’t fluent in Japanese – go anyway because you’ll have a great time.
Mark has a web site at http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/~kagayayy/ with direction and other info.
Directions:
Kagaya: B1F, 2-15-12 Shinbashi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3591-2347. Nearest station: Shinbashi.
You can also check the following maps for Metro and Subway
Ffficial Eidan Subway; Teito Rapid Transit Authority; Tokyo Metro
Could Surface Computing be the future?  I’m not sure, but it looks very cool.
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“Surface computing is a completely intuitive and liberating way to interact with digital content. It blurs the lines between the physical and virtual worlds. By using your hands or placing other unique everyday objects on the surface – such as an item you’re going to purchase at a retail store or a paint brush – you can interact with, share and collaborate like you’ve never done before. Imagine you’re out at a restaurant with friends and you each place your beverage on the table – and all kinds of information appears by your glass, such as wine pairings with a restaurant’s menu. Then, with the flick of your finger, you order dessert and split the bill. We really see this as broadening content opportunities and delivery systems.” – Tom Gibbons:
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More available at the following links:
I braved the subway system and found my way to an area called Gyeongbokgung. Gyeongbokgung is the location of Joseon Dynasty royal palace, built in 1395 by King Taejong. The Gyeongbokgung palace was sacked and burned by the Japanese in 1592 and laid in ruin for nearly 300 years.Â
The palace was restored in 1868 and consists of buildings for the king quaters, government officials, royal family, and garden. Below is a photo of the large front gate of the palace.
There is a changing of the guard ceremony every hour. You can watch this for free and it lasts about 15 minutes and is announced in Korea, English, and Mandarin.  I took the video below with my digital camera .
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You can buy an admission ticket for about $3USD. Make sure to ask about the times for the English guided tour.  I think they are offered on hour intervals at 1/2 past.
If I understood the guide correctly, this is the largest two story outdoor pavillion in Korea.  Its called Gyeonghoeru and was used for royal banquets.
This a small palace named Geoncheonggung within the grounds of Gyeongbokgung palace. It was a meeting place for the king and his court.Â
I highly recommend visiting Gyeongbokgung palace. Its easy to reach by subway, adminision is only $3, includes a guided tour in english, plus entrance to the nearby Korea National Folk Museum is included.   More information is available at http://gbg.cha.go.kr
This is a pretty cool video about a guy who built an an electric hybrid bicycle for about $1500. The electric powered bike is capable of getting up to 35mph on the road and cost about 2 cents per mile. Â
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I listened to a fantastic interview of Benny Golson on NPR this morning on the way to work. Did you know that Golson played with jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey, and wrote music for the TV shows M*A*S*H and Mission Impossible?
  
From NPR,org -Â “Within the span of just a few years, Golson wrote no fewer than eight tunes regarded as jazz standards. They include “Killer Joe,” “Along Came Betty,” “Stablemates,” “Whisper Not,” “Blues March,” “Five Spot After Dark,” “Are You Real?” and “I Remember Clifford.”
The interview is part of a series entitled, “Musicians in Their Own Words“. You can subscribe to the podcast at http://www.npr.org/rss/rss.php?id=4622401
Related stories about Golson on NPR:
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April 10, 2005
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Sep. 13, 2004
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July 7, 2004
There could be one less Hokie in the NFL this year. Marcus Vick, signed last season as a free agent receiver by the Miami, after a troubled career as Virginia Tech’s quarterback, was among three players waived by the Dolphins on Tuesday.
The full story available at http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-dolphins-vickreleased&prov=ap&type=lgns
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Biographies of the Virginia Tech shooting victims are available on the nytimes.com website Â
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The past two days have been the worst in the history of my collegeVirginia Tech. I never imaged that phrases such as “The deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history”, “Massacre at Virginia Tech” or “Campus Columbine” would ever be uttered.
The killer has been identified as Cho Seung-Hui, a 23 year of English Major. Apparently his essays for English class were so distributing a teacher taught him one-on-one and encouraged him to seek counseling. Many students felt threated at the violence used in his writings.
According to CNN.com, “Cho paid $571 for a 9 mm Glock 19 pistol just over a month ago, the owner of Roanoke Firearms told CNN Tuesday. He also used a .22-caliber Walther pistol in the attack, police said. The purchases was described as “low key” by the gunshop owner.
What motivates a person to take the lives of others? According to CNN.com, “Cho left a note in his dorm in which he railed against “rich kids,” “debauchery” and “deceitful charlatans” on the Virginia Tech campus”. Is it something other than hatefulness and complete wickedness?
I’m saddened that Tech, our friends, and families will be forever linked to these horrific events.
“We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on. We are embracing our mourning. We are Virginia Tech … ”
– Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor, poet, activist
Related stories:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/17/vtech.shooting/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
I was fortunate enough to visit Japan for work in Spring 2007. A few of us had time to do some sightseeing before traveling home. The picture below was taken in front of a temple in Kamakura about a 40 minute train ride outside of Tokyo.  
The good Rev. Doctor is now making house calls, between sips of Patrone, from his remote broacast studio. Listen in wonder to his first podcast at http://www.ntsshow.com/wordpress/2007/02/09/february-9-2007-nts-podcast/.Â
Warning – the podcast contains language not suitable for children and beware of flying champagne corks.
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