bunka addict

DBH: 29 October 2006

2006-10-29T14:12:00.000-05:00

Paganism in prison

This is a link to an article about the UK prison system's attempt at religious freedom in prison. In my opinion, the plan has a long way to go. I mean, Muslims are entitled to 26 days off work, but Pagans get a whopping 2 days off out of the 8 recognized holidays!! In what screwed up way does that seem fair?!

DBH: 27 October 2006

2006-10-27T12:32:00.000-04:00

Yes, I lapsed again... Oh well... Not so daily Daily Bunka Hits!!

undersound

It will be interesting to see how long this project lasts. It seems like a cool way to share music and integrate space and sound to affect the human experience.

Tsukiji

I have never had the chance to visit this most famous of fish markets. This story, however, provides a very personal glimpse into it's inner workings. It's almost like your there. Hopefully, someday, I actually will be!

Fatigue Tests

Scary, huh?!

Be heard...

Let Wikipedia know what copyright you think they should buy. You might just get what you want.

So that is why it was so cheap...

Lik-Sang.com was a great place to get cheap stuff from Asia like video games that you can't get easily in the States. It was also fairly inexpensive for importing. Maybe this explains why...

DBH: 06 October 2006

2006-10-06T10:44:00.000-04:00

Incompetency

Yes; this is an old article, but it confirms my worst fears... Wait!! Maybe I'm unaware of my incompetencies...

DBH: 04 October 2006

2006-10-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

Wind vector game

This is pretty a fun and addictive Java game to play with. You can add wind vectors and watch their effect on the particles that are flying through the screen. Yes, I am a geek, but we already knew that...

Men's Fashion

Esquire presents a basic primer on the fundamentals of choosing and wearing men's dress shirts and ties. This is some important information that every man should know. Even if you're not into fashion, dress is important in many cultural arenas.

Global Warming

This article explores a great example of how much damage global warming can do. The article looks at the detrimental effects of global warming on the delicate ecosystem surrounding the process of decomposition of leaf litter on the forest floor.

Tidbits and Sips

2006-10-02T20:06:00.000-04:00

So, the reason that I haven't updated this blog over the weekend is that I have been working on creating a new blog about two of my favorite things in the world - food and drink!! This new blog is called Tidbits and Sips. Check it out!!

DBH: 27 September 2006

2006-09-27T14:03:00.000-04:00

I'm very sorry that I have not updated this blog in over a month. The past month or so has been a very busy time. Hopefully, I will be able to continue updating this blog on a more regular basis.

So, enough about that!! Here are today's (read: not only are these from today but they have also been building up for a month now) DBHits...

Ask.com

Ask.com has really done a lot of work to their site. They have always been a great search engine to use but now it's becoming even better. While I still use Google out of sheer laziness most of the time, Ask.com's searches seem to be more organized and intuitive. They also have a cool emoticon explanation feature; just input almost any emoticon into the search field and you'll get an explanation of the meaning(s) of the emoticon in question. A very fun feature!! They also offer an encyclopedia search feature in conjunction with Wikipedia and a dictionary search feature in conjunction with The American Heritage Dictionary. Both can be very useful tools. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Ask.com's "My Stuff" feature allows you to save, notate and share searches. This a great way to do research on topics and easily find stuff you want to go back to or to share cool sites with your friends!! It also allows you to import bookmarks from IE or Firefox so that you can access them from any computer. I highly recommend giving it a try; you just may become addicted...

GEOS: Graphical Environment Operating System

This is a link to an article that talks about the history and design of the Graphical Environment Operating System (GEOS). GEOS was an OS made to run on the Commodore 64 and was second only in popularity to Mac OS and MS-DOS. I like this article (be forewarned that it's a long one) because it talks about those design features that GEOS introduced that subsequently became standards in the field of Graphical OSs. Yes, I am a geek. If you'd like to give this innovative OS a try to see what it was like, the article includes instructions on how to emulate it.

SafariPod

Support Fair Trade and get a cool iPod stand!!

Citizen Journalism

This article is about the phenomenon of Citizen Journalism (CJ) and its introduction via OhmyNews to Japan. I think that CJ is a great opportunity to combat the commercialization of mainstream journalism despite the exceedingly aggressive backlash it is receiving from many professional journalists. There is a disconcerting lack of genuine investigative journalism being done these days. Too often, the small amount of investigative journalism that is being done is tainted by big business bribery and political censorship. CJ may offer a way to bring back some of the social consciousness, community - be it local or global - awareness and interest in presenting all facets of a story that is important to meaningful journalism. Check out some articles of the articles at OhmyNews International to find out what is all about. You can also sign up to become a contributing member. Maybe I'll try this some day, when I have something news worthy to write about.

Gawker Artists

This site has some cool collections from contemporary artists. Some of the artists that I enjoy are Matt Dyck, Markus Hartel, Brian Quinlan and Trey Ratcliffe.

Genographic Project

This is a little bit of the biological anthropologist in me pushing its way to the surface. This is a link to the National Geographic's Genographic Project. The project seeks to understand human evolution and migration through the study of genetics. It is a very interesting project and the site has a lot of resources on genetics, evolution and migration. It would be great resources for primary and secondary school teachers. I'm thinking about participating in the study; we'll see...

Mario Wedding Cake

If I ever have a wedding cake, this might be a fun way to go...

Mrs. Abe

This is an article about the new Japanese Prime Minister's wife. Apparently, she may be able to connect with the Japanese people even better than the PM.

DBH: 24 August 2006

2006-08-24T17:52:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have missed a few days of posting...but here are some goodies for today!!

Digital Wallets

This article is about the use of near-field communication technology in the creation of digital wallet. I have done quite a bit of research into the use of this technology in mobile commerce. The best use of this technology I have seen is, of course, from Japan. NTTDoCoMo's host of services is simply impressive. More information regarding NTTDoCoMo's digital wallet service can be found on their website.

Raising the Floor

This article again talks about many things that I am studying or have studied as part of my current degree program. It shows how some of this theory can be put real world use. Specifically, this article discusses the future of the factory in light of today's process redesign technologies and techniques.

Japanese Umbrella Incident

A crime that would only happen in Japan...

Japanese Supersonic Jet

Could Japan overthrow American and European aviation domination?!

iPods at War

This is an article about the use of commercial entertainment technology by the armed forces. Do you think other countries could get the wrong idea about US ideals and objectives? I think so...

DBH: 21 August 2006

2006-08-21T19:20:00.000-04:00

Japanese Growth

Some good news for the future of Japan's population!!

Writely

Are you a college student who has to work on his paper at whatever computer you can get your hands on - your own computer, your friend's computer, the library computers, the computer lab computers, etc.? Do you have some word processing documents that you want to work on at work but don't want to bother carrying a jump drive or don't want any record of the document on your work computer? This web-based word processor could be the answer for you!! Writely is currently being offered in a beta version by Google. Besides its word processing capabilities and its online storage of documents, Writely allows for collaboration. Why not sign-up and try it today?!

Typical Japanese Comercials

This link brings you to a set of commercials for a Nintendo DS "game" - Shaberu! DS Oryouri Nabi - that has arrived at my home recently. This is not really a game but rather a glorified illustrated Japanese cookbook thing. It is awesome!! If you know Japanese and would like to cook some traditionally Japanese recipes - you should get grab your own copy at lik-sang.com. Even if you don't know Japanese, this is so good that you should get it and learn as you go!! :) Anyway, these commercials are so Japanese that you should check them out even if you aren't interested in the "game".

DBH: 20 August 2006

2006-08-20T17:28:00.000-04:00

For the sake of having something to post on a daily - or an almost daily - basis, even when I don't have something important or interesting to write about extensively, I am going to start posting links to some of the pages that I have looked at and found interesting throughout the day. In line with the culture addiction theme of this blog, I'm going to call these posts "Daily Bunka Hits" (DBH). I hope that these posts will give you something interesting to look at and will give you some insight into the things that shape my world.

Sustainability Institute

The Sustainability Institute is really cool. The SI studies unsustainable behaviors in hopes of trying to find the reasons behind it and thus ways to combat it. The SI tries to create sustainable solutions by applying systems-based thinking to critical issues facing human survival. Check out some of the projects they are working on or have worked on.

Abandon Futuristic Taiwanese Resort

This futuristic, space-age-like seaside resort was built on the Taiwanese coast. It has since been abandoned. I have a great obsession with architecture of all kinds and really love modern and futuristic design. I especially enjoy seeing cool abandoned structures. I find these structures fascinating and can only wonder what they would have looked like when they were new. No matter what they looked like when they were new, they would be a pretty cool thing to see in real life in the state they are in now. You can see more great haunting pictures of these structures in this Flickr photoset.

Tibetan Mesh Network

Three of some of my favorite things come together –

Tibet

, technology and community involvement. This is a really promising project that can bring much needed empowerment to the Tibetan people. For more information you can also check out these links: NPR - Hacking the Himalayas and xeni.net/trek.

Promoting Safe Sex

Last but not least, this article talks about efforts to de-stigmatize condoms throughout the world. A great cause to get behind!!

American Food Industry Evilness

2006-08-16T12:22:00.000-04:00

We come across something else that I love, perhaps a little too much - food!! I would say that my love of food, like my love of video games, also borders on addiction. Again, like with video games, I would have to place myself in the category of food fanatic. (Because I love food so much, I think that I might start a food related blog in the near future. If I do, I'll make sure to post the link to it here.) My love of food of all kinds sortof excludes me from the vegetarian and vegan ranks. I don't, however, consume meat all the time, at every single meal, as if it will suddenly be gone tomorrow. For the most part, I have red meat only occasionally as the meat portion of my diet consists mostly of chicken.

Anyway, that is enough about my eating habits for now. What I really wanted to post is a link to The Meatrix 2: Revolting. In this short animated film based on The Matrix, some of the horrors prevalent in American big business dairy factories are exposed. This film is a sequel to The Meatrix, which exposes the evils of factory farming. Both of these videos are great introductions to the evil that is the American food industry. Both pages also provide many links to get started in the fight against big business food. If you are interested in learning more, you should check it out.

Having only been out of college for a couple of years, my budget doesn't always allow me to make the best choices when trying to send a message with my money. The need to eat has taken precedence over my moral judgment. Watching The Meatrix 2 today has reawakened me to the issues at hand and has made me want to take action. Starting today, I'm going to start making smarter, more informed choices. I hope that these videos can do the same for you.

Escapism

2006-08-12T23:21:00.000-04:00

Since the age of 8, when I got my first gaming console - Sega Genesis, video games have been an integral part of my life. Some would say that I’m a video game addict, but I tend to disagree. The simple fact that I can hold a steady job, own a home and go to class on occasion means that I am definitely not spending enough time playing video games to be considered an addict. I like to think of myself as a video game fanatic; video games absorb only chunks of my life at a time, not the entire thing. As a self proclaimed video game fanatic, however, you should expect that this will not be the only post that I make regarding video games.

I think that, for me, video games offer a form of escapism. Like reading, video games provide me with an outlet to play out a fantasy that I otherwise would not be able to experience. No where in the video game industry is this truer than in the RPG genre, my favorite. I enjoy many of the usual RPG culprits including Final Fantasy, MegaTen, Xenosaga, Shining Force, .hack and Suikoden. While other video game genres offer an escape from the ordinary, RPGs offer the most pronounce departure. For the most part, RPGs contain many of the elements that exist in my favorite literary genres – fantasy and science fiction. While I really enjoy reading a good book, video games provide with a heightened sense of escapism that I can’t find in books or even movies for that matter.

For me, it is all about the interactivity of the video game medium. Like video games, movies and books present me with new worlds and worldviews to explore. Unlike video games, movies and books don’t allow me to explore these new worlds in a free flowing manner. RPGs allow you to explore the culture of the video game’s world; this almost participatory observation appeals to the anthropologist inside me. A good RPG can provide you with an incredible story while making you feel as if you are the one that has uncovered it. To me, this is something that neither books nor movies can do. I think that it is this level of engagement that is inherent in all video games that makes them such great tools of escapism. Ultimately, video games are my choice when I want to escape my life for an hour or fifty.

Blog Fever

2006-08-09T18:55:00.000-04:00

The name of my blog really says it all...Bunka Addict! Bunka is the Japanese word for culture. I have an unhealthy obsession, some would say an addiction, with all things cultural. A passion that consumes many of my waking hours, learning about and trying to understand other cultures has always been a part of my life. My upbringing and education has instilled in me a strong belief in cultural exchange and it's power to fight hatred.

This is my first blog and it will most definitely be a work in progress. Blogging is a pop culture phenonmenon that has garnered worldwide appeal. Being the culture addict that I am, I have to get in on the action regardless of how late I am getting on the bandwagon. It is my hope that this blog can become a vehicle for me to share my views on many aspects of culture and the crazy things that people do (myself included) in the pursuit of life. I also hope that i can make some good friends along the way...