http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog Allegory and Observation from the Heart of Tokyo Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:52:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Stereotypes are a funny thing. They’re gross oversimplifications that can be malicious or benign; hurtful or just amusing. They crop up in the strangest of places. And often, there’s a certain grain of truth that’s the reason why the stereotype exists. When I first came to Tokyo I became uniquely conscious ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/49.html Nanchan and I were out the other day, not long after some heavy wind and rains and whipped the city. So, naturally, we saw lots of bits of tree branches and various flotsam in the streets. But then we came across a place in the middle of a rather busy ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/broken-umbrellas.html Not long ago, Radiohead got lots of publicity for offering their latest album, "In Rainbows" exclusively online, bypassing the record labels, and allowing fans to pay "whatever they want" for it. I just bought it today. I paid four pounds (about eight bucks.) It's the first Radiohead album I ever purchased. ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/47.html So here it is, my first entry in a long time. So much has happened since the last one I don’t really know where to begin. I quit my last job and have been enjoying the unemployed life for the past two or three months. I’m also looking for other ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/another-update.html A friend of mine put this documentary together. It will conjure up many thoughts in your imagination that you'll find you're very glad you thought about. The focus and effort put into this, and the end result it produced, leaves me inspired, refreshed, and a little bit jealous. Please express ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/pale-blue-dot-the-unauthorized-documentary.html This post contains the full Leeroy Jenkins transcript, taken from Wikipedia. Anyway, readers of my blog may or may not be interested in this. Why am I posting it? Well, it turns out the #1 keyphrase by which people reach my blog is "leeroy jenkins transcript," and for some reason I'm ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/leeroy-jenkins-transcript.html I have a fear of offending a group whose customs I do not understand. I must not be the only one. I don't know if it has a fancy name or not, but it should. If there is a word for "fear of magic, or of being beaten with rods" ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/the-perils-of-trading-meishi-in-the-land-of-hara-kiri.html The following photos are from the Square-Enix Party a couple weeks back in the Makuhari Messe, a massive convention center in Chiba City. (Click for larger versions) I must give credit here to my friend and former boss Phil, without whom this event might have slipped under my radar. So, yeah, this ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/square-enix-party-photos.html So I’m back. Ah, yes- Tokyo! The finely arranged chaos of it all. The sea of black-suited men and well-coifed ladies on the walk to work in the morning, the giggling schoolgirls and dazed tourists in the afternoon. All the ramen shops, yakitori, kaiten zushi and curry houses. The layers ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/tokyo-round-2.html This is my first time visiting the United States. I've lived here, and I've "returned home" here after a trip- but this is the first time I've ever "visited" here. I was thinking there might be some kind of major reverse culture shock, but really the feeling is a bit like ... http://www.sublimeparadigm.com/blog/38.html