Masa Rider

A Case of You - Acoustic Cover

2012-02-01T17:33:00.000+09:00

I don't have very many opportunities to play music these days. Nevertheless, it's one of my first loves and I don't think I'll ever be able to get it out of me. So, I figure, I'll just play in my room and put it up for anyone who cares to listen.

Let the Games Begin

2012-01-29T22:13:00.001+09:00

I've been away from this blog for some time now. I simply lost interest.

Now, I'm interested again.

So. Hello. I am back. Let the games begin.

Photo of the Day: June Painting with Water

2011-05-31T15:36:00.000+09:00

June Painting With Spilled Water on the Sunroom Floor.

Skype is Down - How to Fix

2011-05-26T23:33:00.009+09:00

Skype is currently having problems. A step by step guide on how to get your Skype back up and running.

The Skype Error Message

Twitter and Facebook are becoming flooded with questions like: "Why isn't my Skype working?", "Skype is giving me an error message.", etc.
If you're one of those getting the "Skype has stopped working" error message when trying to open Skype, don't worry... it's not your computer freaking out on you or anything, it's that Skype is temporarily down. Many have reported problems signing in, making calls, or even accessing the Skype website. This is no small thing, as so many people use Skype everyday for business and their work.
Skype's twitter reported around about two hours ago:

"Some of you may have problems signing in to Skype and making calls. We're investigating and hope to have more details to share soon."

Skype's happy little tweet.

How to Get your Skype Up and Running Again:
It seems it's affecting those Skype users who are on a Windows OS. They'll be fixing it shortly, but in the meantime, here's a temporary fix from the Skype people who are scrambling to try and get it all fixed.

WINDOWS:
1. Click Start, type run and press Enter. (On Windows XP: Click Start and then Run.)
2. Type the following and click OK.
%appdata%\skype
3. Locate and delete the file shared.xml.
4. If you cannot find this file:
a. Click Start, type run and press Enter. (On Windows XP: Click Start and then Run.)
b. Type the following and click OK.
control folders
c. In the View tab, ensure that Show hidden files and folders is enabled.
d. Repeat steps 1~3.
5. Restart Skype

MAC:
1. Open Finder and locate the following folder:
~/Library/Application Support/Skype
2. Delete the file shared.xml.
3. Restart Skype

Please note that the ~ sign means your home folder. You can find your home folder by opening Finder and selecting Go > Home from the menu bar or pressing Command (Apple), Shift and H keys at the same time.

(Pasted from Skype's how to.)

The Microsoft Connection:
The most amusing (and worrying) thing about Skype's global crash today is that they were just purchased by Microsoft. With so many of us relying on Skype for daily communications, I'm just praying Microsoft doesn't screw up a perfectly good product.

States Trip - The Food Concierge

2011-05-24T17:44:00.017+09:00

| Matt Ellison putting up The Food Concierge's logo for our video shoot. |

I've just returned from a week long trip to California--working with "The Food Concierge" (A California-based website that brings foodies, chefs, and restaurants together all under one community). While there I got to work closely with graphic designer extraordinaire Matt Ellison and photographer/web developer Dan McNair. It was a real treat to be able to knock heads with creative professionals who have such a passion for excellence.

My main focus while there was designing and creating content for T.F.C.--mainly through video and pictures. I can't give away too much, but in the coming months you'll see some beautiful videos of some of the most amazing restaurants in the L.A. area.

I'm going to go into a little rant here... but creating unique, quality, and informative content is such an important part of building a brand and presence on the web. So many new business shy away from putting time and resources into creating quality content and just hope people will find them; but if companies want to stand out as authorities in their fields, they've gotta share the type of content that proves it. People are just tired of companies plugging themselves and throwing up cheesy adds and self-promoting content... they want real, important, and useful (or entertaining) content.

You'll be seeing some of that kind of material from The Food Concierge soon. You can check out the book (.pdf) explaining what they do.

Here are some behind-the-scene pictures of my time there:

| Filming in Progress sign for The Food Concierge (Designed by Matt Ellison) |

| Dan taking a little chimp break after a long day of shooting. Sunset Beach, California |

| Driving to our next restaurant shoot. Beautiful California weather. |

| Filming at Ciao Italia - a beautiful Italian restaurant that uses all fresh ingredients located in Whittier, CA.|

| Matt and Leo on set for some personal interviews |

| The Food Concierge studio/office |

Photo of the Day: Pasta

2011-05-04T21:49:00.000+09:00

| Delicious pasta prepared by Mac... what a feast it was. |

My Baby Seira

2011-05-03T03:47:00.000+09:00

| Seira, 1 year, 5 months |

Rob Thomas Cover: Now Comes the Night

2011-04-15T04:13:00.000+09:00

Throwing this up as well. Just a simple cover of a song I've always loved.

The Japan Earthquake: Evacuation from Chiba

2011-04-15T04:06:00.000+09:00

I know that my posts are few and far between. But here are some pictures that I took while fleeing the Chiba area with family and friends. We stayed in Yaizu, Shizuoka. A lovely place, with lovely people.

Compiled footage of our trip down. There's a lot of faces in this video, and a lot of good memories to match.

A collaboration between Shelly (my six year old niece) and I -- Traffic Lights on the way to Shizuoka. We left the house at 3 or 4am.

Yaizu Beach. It was a bit cold and windy... but at least we weren't worried about aftershocks and radiation.

Shelly's birthday party.

Dilly, in one of his more quiet, caring moments.

Baby leaning into the car to say her goodbyes. I left for home several days before Seira & Yosh came back down.

The McNairs plus One. Shout out to all of those who went out of they're way to give us a place to stay and a bed to crash on. My parents-in law and Robert & Merry...thank you. So much.

Elaina, June, and Dilly. Some of my most favorite people.

Dan McNair trying his luck at some in-car shooting. I guess... I was too.

Yours truly on the return trip.

The Japan Earthquake: Update 1

2011-03-23T02:18:00.000+09:00

So I'm back home in good old Ichihara. It's dark. It's quiet. And there is no end to the annoying aftershocks that keep shaking us all back to reality.
Anyways, I thought I would post some pictures and footage. Expect more.

| Sitting outside waiting for the earth to stop shaking |

| On the hill outside our house watching the COSMOS factory burn. This is before the first large blast. |

Took this video a couple of hours after the first earthquake. The blasts from the COSMOS factory on fire were more frightening than the initial quake. WARNING: There is some strong language used.

| COSMOS plant in flames. |

Retouching in PS (High Speed)

2011-03-07T13:51:00.000+09:00

   Needed to test out my screen capture program, so I thought I would let it run in the background as I retouched a picture. This is a picture I took way back when I first got the Sigma 30mm 1.4 (about a year and a half ago).
   I'm afraid you're probably not going to learn much from this video, but I figured why not stick it up. There are some pretty funny mistakes in there as well... Like the masking of the lens blur... lol.
   Anyhow, if you want a basic rundown:

Opened the picture in Camera Raw and worked out the Color Balance, Exposure, corrected the barrel distortion, and added a bit of a clarity boost to the subject.
Opened the picture in photoshop and cleaned up little skin problems and dirt on the pillar. Used the Healing Brush.
Worked with Curves and Masks to bring attention to the subject. Cooled down the road and background and warmed up the subject using curves.
Brought some color into the sky and also gave the pillar a little bit more dimension and contrast.
Brought in some mid-tone contrast by adding a desaturated layer on soft light and masking that into the appropriate places.
Contoured the face a bit to have a bit more of a "hard" look.
Lens-Blurred the background and masked it in.
Free Transformed the picture and stretched it to be 2% taller than the original.
Changed the color of the car in the background.

If you have any questions, just shoot them my way.

Japanese Snack Tip: Marumiya Furikake

2011-03-03T18:11:00.001+09:00

Okay, I know that everyone actually knows that Furikake is the best. But when's the last time you actually went out and bought some for yourself? I promise you, it's worth it. So for today, it's my Japanese Snack pick. It's a food force-multiplier--very small amount of effort and money, but huge results tastebud-wise.
There are quite a few different types of Furikake, but to day I'm going with Marumiya's Aji Douraku.

Here are some other types for your viewing pleasure:

| Noritama Furikake (Google Translation: Sometimes Glue) |

| Aji Douraku Furikake (Google Translation: Bag of Flavored Debauchery) |

| Sukiyaki Furikake (Google Translation: I Liked Fried) |

| Tarako Furikake (Google Translation: Cod) |

| Umami Sake Furikake (Google Translation: Sprinkle Salmon Flavor) |

| Hon Katsuo Furikake (Google Translation: Bonito)|

| Iso Kanori Furikake (Google Translation: Iso Kaoru) |

| Yakiniku Furikake (Google Translation: Grilled Meat Sprinkled) |

| Spicy Curry Furikake (Google Translation: Sprinkling Supaishikare) |

My Baby

2011-01-02T19:29:00.000+09:00

Seira (12 months)... still as tiny and squishy as ever.

Download SBJ "Crazed in the Breakdown"

2010-12-30T16:32:00.000+09:00

We're done folks. Have a listen sometime when there's nothing better to do. Click the picture to bounce to our site (made by my beautiful talented wife).

Don't Think Twice

2010-12-26T19:36:00.000+09:00

Always loved this song. Got it stuck in my head today... so here's how I get it out of my head. It's a real rough take... as I never could remember all of the words. Dylan knew: Simple is how to say it best.

Photo of the Day: Seira

2010-11-30T00:13:00.000+09:00

Seira had her birthday today. I can't believe it's been a whole year. I like her. Yes.

Photo of the Day: Me & the Guitar

2010-11-28T19:12:00.000+09:00

I still find that the most stress-relieving activity is that of playing/listening to music. It's one of the closest things I think there is to channelling... and when it's right, it's right. You don't have to be good to be groovy... you just have to feel it.

Photo of the Day: Chara & Roke

2010-11-26T22:20:00.000+09:00

They love those chips...

Photo of the Day: My Mommy

2010-11-23T17:11:00.000+09:00

Here's a picture of my beautiful Mommy. I always thought it was strange how mom liked instant coffee over real coffee... and how she used powder-creamer instead of milk. To me that sounds simply awful: Instant Coffee With Powder Creamer. Weird.

This is part of a series of old pictures that I've begun to scan and digitalize...that they may live on long after the prints are corroded and discolored.

Photo of the Day: May 4, 2008

2010-11-21T20:20:00.001+09:00

This strange picture is a sketch that some very quiet, mysterious girl drew while watching us perform in Makuhari. Michael wrote our names over our head (I'm not sure why...). I guess he thought Cherish was me cause the name over her head is "Masa Cherish" or "Cherish Masa"... it's all very subjective.

What interests me most is how the artist pulled out the yellow marker only to color in the cajon (the box Gabe is sitting on) and then add a nice big blotch in between Naoto and I. It's not a sun... I know that, 'cause there were buildings behind us... It must be something mystical. I am indeed full of wonder.

Photo of the Day: Sky Bar International

2010-11-21T04:06:00.001+09:00

We recently created a website for an international bar in Funabashi. The picture for today is one of the shots from my quick shoot there.

Photo of the Day: October 22, 2004

2010-11-19T17:29:00.001+09:00

| Steve and I on the way home from camp. Oct. 22, 2004) |

Interesting time for sure...getting into trouble mostly. Steve had only recently started using Sonar, and I was still playing basic chords on the guitar. I bought my first guitar that same year.

Now that it's November

2010-11-18T18:54:00.000+09:00

Howdy folks,

I'm back from my long break from blogging. There wasn't a conscious decision to stop--my mind was just too full of other things to have space up there left to blog with. But I figure it's about time to start posting again.
I'm hoping in the future I'll actually put up some meaningful content, but for now I'm going to ease back into blogging by just posting a picture a day. They'll really be random pictures and random thoughts, I hope you don't mind.

| Baby Sleeping |

This is Steve

2010-10-04T10:36:00.001+09:00

I am a hacker! Damn the evil masa has created here! Damn the system!
With love in Moses,
-Steve, Masa's greatest enemy

Moving to the Country...

2010-09-29T05:54:00.001+09:00

Well folks, I'm travelling back to the wonderful HCS for a week-long SBJ wrap-up. Hopefully, this will be the final recording session for us all. Everyone at the HCS has been so warm and welcoming and it's definitely made the whole process a million times more enjoyable. So a big shout-out and a huge thank you to the wonderful people of Tateyama.

It really seems like we've been laboring at this project for some time now, although...when I count how many days we've actually worked on the project it comes out to something like 16 days in all. That's not half bad for 12 songs.

In this coming week I'm hoping we'll accomplish:

Producing the one last song we haven't gotten around to yet.
Recording Vocals/Backups on all the songs.
Deciding an Album name and Track List.
Figuring out the logistics of the actual album. (Do we want a website? What are we going to do about the cover? etc.)
Band photoshoot of some sort.
Any overdubs on the rest of the songs.
Doing a complete listen through of the album and signing off on it.

So if I'm silent here for a little while, that's why. Take care all.

Being With Yourself

2010-09-25T06:35:00.008+09:00

I don't do many (if any) of these sorts of contemplative posts. But I've been thinking about a specific project for some time now, that directly relates to this subject... so in the midst of scrawling out ideas for the above mentioned project, this came out.

I wish some people could understand that it's okay to be alone. There is so much emphasis put on the importance of friends that sometimes you can forget that the most important person to make friends with is yourself.

If you can learn to enjoy your own company, forgive your mistakes, respect yourself, and be honest with yourself, you'll find that you don't worry so much about what others think. They'll care less too, and love you more.

We worry about these kinds of things more than we really should: "What does he think about me?", "I wonder if I'm invited?", "Are they talking about me behind my back?". What do you think about yourself? Does it really matter if you're invited or not? Why is it that what others say dictates how big or how small you feel?

This all may sound like anti-social sort of talk, but it's really the opposite. The best friends (in my experience) are the ones who you don't need to call… because you know they're okay if you don't. The hardest relationship to be in is with someone who can't be alone. Conversely, when two whole individuals love each other--instead of sucking each other into the black-hole of "needing" ("I need comfort", "I need reassurance that I am loved", "I need your promise...", "I need you to make me feel beautiful", "I need your undivided time, attention, loyalty")--you can build something where the sum becomes greater than the individual parts.

If you don't call me, or write me, or invite me to your party, that's okay. I won't think any less of you, and I definitely won't think any less of me. Because I know you like me; but more importantly: because I know I like myself. And I don't mind spending a day, a week, or a month with me. I'm fun to hang out with.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

2010-09-25T00:49:00.001+09:00

While hanging out with June and my brother the other night, this song came on and I was reminded how genius George really was. So I thought I would do a humble little cover of it. I mess it up regularly throughout... but here you are.

Toxicity & SBJ

2010-09-20T18:17:00.001+09:00

   After more than half a year of total inactivity, I'm back working on that blasted album that Steve, Flo, and I started more than a year and a half ago. I really don't know how I feel about album, there are definitely some good songs in there... but as a complete album.... I just don't know. I guess I'll know when we finish the darn thing.
   But one thing I DO know is that I want to finish what we've started. So for the next month or so I'll be going back and forth to Tateyama to finish up 12 or so songs.
   I'm happy with a lot of songs on there though... some of them kick ass pretty hard.
   It's a bit strange to be working on a album that was commissioned by TFI with songs that have been filtered by a lyric reviewing process. It was the way things were done at that time... for better or (most usually) for worse. But, nevertheless, I am determined to get it done.
   I don't expect any of you out there to actually load the songs on your Ipod and listen to them more than once... we just can't compete with all the pros who's entire life revolves around their music... we don't have the time, talent, and money... But promise me you'll at least give it a little listen when it comes out... just for fun.

   On another note: The video above is what Steve and I do every night after a long day in the studio. It's our exercise for the day. I didn't load the entire song, but you can imagine what four minutes of this would do to you. It honestly kills.

Work With What You've Got

2010-09-20T02:01:00.002+09:00

| My Beautiful Wife |

   I'm going to be buying a SB-600 (Flash unit) real soon... But I was feeling kind of guilty about not really using what gear I had to it's full potential... so I begged/bribed Yosh into letting me take a couple of pictures of her.
   This was taken with my kit lens, and the on-camera flash with no additional lighting. Even the lights in the room were turned off. I just took a piece of white card and bounced my flash against the cream colored wall and experimented until I found the right formula. Obviously there was manipulation in post, but this goes to show that you don't have to wait until you have a bunch of lighting gear before you start pushing out some interesting images... just get creative and work with what you've got.
   I'm not really a huge vision-filled guy when it comes to actual photoshoot sort of stuff. There's huge room for improvement in this frame: a good concept, better composition, better post-processing. But my point is that you can stretch. This could have been done just as easily with any old DSLR and a standard kit lens... no problem.

On a side note: I'm not sure what flickr is doing to this image but it didn't look this over-sharpened when I uploaded... I'm guessing I uploaded it in a size that what too big for flickr so it's resizing it with some kind of sharpening. Sorry about that. I would re-upload it, but the day has been long and I am tired of Photoshop right now, so I'll wait to upload it again properly.

Strange Photos from Today

2010-09-12T03:26:00.001+09:00

Ahoy! I have for you a batch of completely random and somewhat unusual pictures. So here we go.

| Nina |

Nina needed a profile picture for something... so we went out and took one in the yard. I had a little help from a sliver car-window-shade-thing which made for a nice make-shift reflector. Used an old microphone stand to hold the reflector up. This picture is unusual because I rarely find Nina in my camera's viewfinder... and because it's my first time to use a reflector for anything. (I know, I know... I'm a newb.)

| Gecko in a Cup |

Found this Gecko on the genkan door after coming home from work. So I put him in a cup, put that cup on a plane of glass, and put that plane of glass on a lamp. I let him go after I was done... I felt bad for the guy.

| Yosh (only half) |

To be honest, when I look at this picture I'm a little bit afraid. You see, we were in the middle of a "discussion" when I took this picture... and that look that she's giving the camera is no "look of love". Just snapped this in the kitchen by window light.

I've been really contemplating just vlogging instead of posting... but everyone hates those annoying, ranting vloggers of utube. So that's what's stopping me from doing it. I am tempted though, as it would be so much easier than typing out a complete post. I guess I'll keep thinking about it.

The River

2010-09-08T16:36:00.002+09:00

Had a crazy day at the river. We (Mark, Dan, Ken, Sei, June, Yosh, Baby, and I) left Chiba at 4:00 a.m. and spent a whole day out in the sun and wild rapids. I didn't take very many pictures, as I was too busy enjoying myself. It was a day full of million-dollar-moments to be sure.
I hope you all had a beautiful summer.

A special shout-out to Mark who drove long, and drove hard. Achievement points for you..and for your children... and for your children's children. May your days be long and good upon the earth.

My Sweet Family

2010-08-30T22:05:00.004+09:00

--Just some random pictures of my wonderful family.--

Random Pictures from this Month:

2010-08-29T20:45:00.003+09:00

Hello Sweet Blogosphere

2010-08-27T03:53:00.000+09:00

Yosh keeps bugging me to update this blog... so I'm gonna sit down and do it!

I know I haven't posted anything in a long time. I guess it's because I really haven't had that much to say. It's been a time of transition for me and my little family, and it's seen me spending less and less time with this blog...and more and more time with real people. I figure this is a good thing yes?

I guess I'm not one to spill all my guts out on my blog for everyone to read... or do the whole strange and slightly nonsensical metaphor-filled post with the "if you get it you get it" sort of tone. (AGHHH!! Yosh gave me a sip of what I thought was O.J. but it was vodka with a little twist of orange juice...I was not prepared for that). So yes, things have been changing and moving...and the less important things (ie: this blog) have been temporarily been put on hold for the things that really matter and give one some sort of footing in life (ie: family, friends, and lots of comic relief via The Office). I hope you all understand.

Anyhow, Yosh, Baby, and I are currently having a day off in Tateyama. It was quite the spontaneous decision... we just decided out of thin air that we were going and left that same night. So hopefully I'll have some fun pictures when we get back. Maybe I'll just bombard this sad blog with a bunch of random pictures of this and that.

Well, that's it for now. No pictures, or videos, or quality content. Just thought I would let you know what was up. Have a happy summer!

HDR Pictures

2010-08-10T14:02:00.002+09:00

Alisa & Josh and kids plus Steve Schaaf came over to Dad's place the other day... It was like a huge unofficial family reunion. I snapped a couple pictures of this and that. Here are some of the HDR ones I did of Dad's beautiful room, and the view from hid balcony.
I've got other pictures I'd like to post, but I think it'll have to wait until things slow down a bit... as things are pretty full-swing right now. See you soon.

Ghetto Off Camera Flash

2010-08-03T01:05:00.001+09:00

So here's the situation: The sun's already set and it's pretty much dark, so basically the available light is crap. Your sitting there with your DSLR wondering how to capture the wonder of Mark's beautiful beard. You're poor, so even though off-camera flash seems really cool and you'd like to try it... you don't have a flash unit. Of course you have your on-camera flash but you don't want that xerox look. What do you do?

Set your DSLR to manual mode.
Set your ISO at it's optimum setting: 100 or 200 ish.
Set your shutter speed to a 5th of a second or so. (It's gotta be pretty slow for this to work)
Now work your aperture until you get a basically black picture. (In other words, no available/ambient light is making it into your picture.)
Borrow someone's point and shoot, or any camera with a flash on it. (The bigger the flash the better probably)
Now it's just trial and error (and a lot of chimping): Get a friend to hold the camera with the flash so it's hitting your subject in a complementing sort of way. Count down your shot and fire off both cameras, make sure your "flash" is firing just a tad bit after your camera is.
Adjust your exposure by either lowering the power of your flash, or adjusting your aperture.

So darn simple right? I was at a BBQ at Ryan's house yesterday when this grand idea hit me. So Ryan and I worked it out. It took us about 10 mins and 3 or 4 tries before we got the shot. It was a lot simpler than I thought it would be. The hardest part was focusing the camera in near complete darkness. I think we were at ISO100, F11, 1/5 a sec.

We were just hanging out and playing around, so we didn't do this over and over again for the best possible image--I'm sure we would have captured a much better moment if we had...we were just trying to see if it would work. As a disclaimer: I did dodge and burn this picture... but hey, that's part of the process as well no? The image was captured as a JPEG, so we did get it pretty much on exposure-wise.

Anyways, hope this wasn't entirely uninteresting. I will get a flash unit soon... and then this sort of foolishness will cease.

Songs from the 60's

2010-07-22T03:26:00.000+09:00

Got about 2.5 hours of sleep last night due to my mind refusing to shut down during the night, then we rehearsed all day with Steve and John for a gig at Zama Base. All that to say, I'm pretty exhausted.

I got this idea the other day about doing a "Name that Song" thing... cause you can't google a melody, so you can't really cheat. You either know it, or you don't... I'm sure google will have this little inconvenience solved in no time at all. I was bored tonight, so I thought I would just make a little clip...sorry for all the weird mistakes, like I said earlier, it's been a long day.

Anyhow, the 5 songs below are all from the 60's. They're just the first couple I could think of. Listen and let me know how many of them you recognize--Titles and Artists.

The Slump

2010-07-18T05:15:00.000+09:00

| Elaina in the Sunroom |

   I haven't posted much on this blog for a while now; and that's because I'm in a slump. It's not a blogging slump... but just a plain old slump.You feel less creative, less productive, less motivated... just plain old less.  I'm sure everyone can relate. Remember those "Christmas-Pushes" that just so happened to be at the same time as a slump you were having? Bad news... very bad news.
   The cure for the slumps (at least for me) is to get out and be with people. So I've been doing a lot of that recently. (Thanks wife, baby, & friends, thanks for that.) So that's why I've been a bit silent.
   This isn't meant to be a whiny little post, I'm just explaining my absence. I've had some ideas here and there of some fun posts, and hopefully I'll post something other than the odd snapshot soon.

   But I thought I would leave you with this picture. I was bored tonight, so I thought I would go OTT in roughing up a picture. I haven't really been doing too much out-of-the-box sort of experimentation with my pictures, so I thought I would mess around. I know it's nothing spectacular...but it sort of spoke to me the right way... so here it is for you.
   Took this on the day of the epic BBQ.

July 8th BBQ

2010-07-14T16:39:00.001+09:00

Just throwing up some pictures from the epic BBQ held at Elaina's for Shig's birthday. For some reason, that day really hit the spot for me--just the perfect combination of good weather, beautiful people, and delicious food. In the words of the American in Paris: Who could ask for anything more?

Random Baby Stuff:

2010-06-28T23:36:00.001+09:00

I know this isn't the most interesting thing for most people... but hey, I'm a dad, and I'm just a little bit crazy about my baby. So here are a few pictures and video clips of her. Sorry for all the "Crazy Parent" blog posts.

|Seira's first words: I took this a few hours ago|

|Screaming Seira. She does this for a good hour some evenings...funny, but disturbing.|

Photoshop Tip: Non-destructive Dodging and Burning

2010-06-24T01:39:00.003+09:00

This is a real basic trick, but I thought it might be something new for some of you out there. I'm really bad at this tutorial-style stuff...sorry about that. The take-away from the video should really be more the inspiration rather than the application...as I didn't have a good picture to give you an example with.

Speaking of good pictures... I haven't been taking pictures of anything for a while now (except for the odd snapshot of this or that...), sort of missing it right now.

With A Little Help From My Friends

2010-06-20T21:31:00.000+09:00

Watched Japan vs. Netherlands on a 13" Mac set at one end of the dining room table... it may not have been the best set-up ever (or the best game ever), but the great company made me feel like a God-King deep down in my heart. Good times for sure.
Thanks June for having your birthday over here... sorry we sang you the lamest "Happy Birthday" ever. We'll try better next time.

Like Father, Like Daughter

2010-06-19T02:20:00.001+09:00

| She inherited my out-of-hand hair. |

If I Was South African Talent

2010-06-13T22:26:00.001+09:00

If I was a talented South African artist, I would be kinda ticked off about the World Cup's Official Song: "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)". Here I am: looking for a shot at the big time, tired of seeing all famous singers coming from the west, excited and proud that the World Cup is being held in my country, passionate about my roots and the fact that my music is what it is because I am African... and then I find out that Shakira--a Colombian--is singing our World Cup's theme song. I'm not trying to hate on Shakira, but don't you think someone else deserved that spot? What does she have to do with anything?

I know that talent is talent, and FIFA obviously wants to choose the best, most catchy song... but to be honest, her song kinda sucks. And before you get all "Hey, who are you to judge!?"... I write soccer themed songs as a job, so you can bet I've heard my share of good and crappy soccer tunes.

One thing I've always joked about regarding writing soccer songs is that I've got an edge over other songwriters, 'cause I've had to listen to "We have the Victory" themed songs for most my entire childhood. I know all the clichés man! I mean...that's all we had for a while back there... Songs of Victory. Geez. Anyhow, whoever wrote this song was a real "Song of Victory" noob...doesn't know anything about the craft. Here are the verses to the song, check it out:

You're a good soldier, Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up, And dust yourself off
Get back in the saddle

You're on the front line, Everyone's watching
You know it's serious, We are getting closer
This isn't over

The pressure is on, You feel it
But you got it all, Believe it

Listen to your God, This is our motto
Your time to shine, Don't wait in line
Y vamos por todo

People are raising, Their expectations
Go on and feed them, This is your moment
No hesitations

IT HURTS ME!! Doesn't it just sound sooo familiar? I've never been to Africa, so I may be wrong, but I think she failed to really capture Africa in her song. And her music video just seems over-produced and very fake. I don't see Africa in it.

Anyhow, that's what my imaginary-South-African-self is disappointed with today.

Seira (6 Months)

2010-06-13T00:01:00.003+09:00

MiA

2010-06-11T02:20:00.001+09:00

MiA Live at Studio WUU

2010-06-08T03:31:00.001+09:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of filming/photographing MiA and Co. at Studio WUU in Kashiwa. It was great to finally see them play. They had a great band backing them up (What do you expect when you get Mac & Mike D together), so it was altogether a very enjoyable evening. Angie and Marie really put on a great show.

It was a little bit hectic trying to film with two video cameras, and also take stills; but I think it turned out okay. I'll get around to posting some pictures of it soon.

Photoshop Tip: Resizing, Bicubic Smoother vs. Sharper

2010-06-03T22:52:00.000+09:00

All of you who don't use photoshop and aren't interested, please browse right past this post! But this is just a little video on resizing your pictures in photoshop. If you've noticed that your pictures aren't as sharp as you'd like... then this could be one step closer to the solution. This simple little tip can really improve the sharpness in your resized pictures. This is my first time making such a video, and I noticed afterwards that I recorded at too high a definition and that you cannot see my cursor. I apologize for both of these mistakes, I'll do better in the future. (If there is a future to do better in...instructional-video-wise). You may need to watch this fullscreen and even make it HD to get all the details. Sorry if you've got a slow internet connection.

The big, huge disclaimer here is: I am no expert and hardly know what I am talking about! So beware! If something works better for you, or you know the proper way to do things PLEASE let me know...I am as hungry as a...really hungry person for new information.

Animal Happenings

2010-06-02T20:11:00.006+09:00

See this? That's our sad, forgotten, disgusting, toad-egg infested pond! Neat huh? It was built long ago, and was once a thing of beauty and pride. The pump for it broke down many years back, and then cracks formed in the bottom of it a few years later. The cracks are especially terrible, because now the pond can neither be full nor empty...all it can be is bad. We don't complain about it, we've all come to accept our pond for what it is.

Now see this? That's our sweet, sweet dog Sonny. WHO DECIDED TO JUMP INSIDE THAT DISGUSTING POND!! He smelt sooo bad... you have no idea. That pond is stagnant and full of decaying rot from thousands years... it took Windy and Gabe hours and hours to wash it all out. (Bless their hearts)

In other animal news, we've found another kitten in our warehouse. He's destined for the pound, unless some kind person wants to adopt him. I don't like cats all that much... but this guy's so darn cute, I'm feeling bad for him right now.

Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder

2010-05-31T22:39:00.005+09:00

| Steven experiencing Tokyo's sights and sounds |

I remembered today why I love taking pictures... when walking to the station, all of a sudden I started to see a beautiful, perfectly composed picture in everything. The detail in the peeling rust on fence post, the hugeness of the sky, the shadows, the textures, the lines...it was a moment man.

I've only started taking pictures from the beginning of this year... and most of the time I've been so obsessed with trying to frame the beauty around me, that I forget to LIVE in the beauty around me. That's why we take pictures, or paint, or anything else...it's to try to capture and frame a little piece of life. But then we get so into the method or medium of communication that we forget what it's all about.

There is no way I could possibly communicate to you how awesome it was today in a picture. No frame is big enough. No picture has that much dynamic range. No picture can wrap itself around your eyeballs so you can look all around in it. No picture lets you smell, touch, taste, and feel it. The only way I could truly communicate it all to you is to grab you by the hand and take you there. (And buy you a cup of coffee... everything seems more beautiful when you have a cup of coffee in your hand.)

Please don't lose your sense of wonder...the world is quite extraordinary you know.

Girls with Soul Short-List

2010-05-29T22:01:00.002+09:00

Okay, so here's the deal: I'm sexist. I'm not sexist in a straight-up "Man > Woman" sorta way; but I do believe that men do outshine women (by leaps and bounds) in many areas--and visa versa. Please, let's all do ourselves a favor and stop pretending that men and woman are equal in all things. I mean, think how many women would make it to the NBA if there was a "Men & Woman's National Basketball Association". Conversely, let's think about how well "The Laker Boys" would do. Actually, they might not do that bad...

Anyhow, one area where I think men definitely are crushing the ladies is in the music world. I'm not talking about pop-ish girls who can sing and dance and get naked, I'm talking about MUSIC. There are a lot of great girl singers, but how many girl players with soul do you know? No, Sheryl Crow does not count...and no, Michelle Branch does not count either. Frankly, from a musical standpoint, they both suck. Norah Jones just barely gets by...nothing really special there either. Don't get me wrong, I think those girls are great; but they're just not outstanding musicians with soul enough to melt your face off. I'm not talking about musical technicality, just good old-fashion soul.

I've put together my short-list of girls that I think have face-melting soul. They are few, but they are awesome. Check it out:

| Diana Krall |

Man, Diana Krall can play with the best of them. She's comfortable, confident, and plays what she feels like playing. I don't get any sort of "I'm trying to impress you right now" sort of vibe off of her. Straight-up soulful and from the heart--just the way jazz lovers like it.

| Tal Wilkenfeld |

Skip to 1:15 to see a girl play some bass, or just watch the entire video and soak up the awesomeness of Jeff Beck & Co. I just love the way she's feeling the music... that's not something you can learn.

| Eva Cassidy |

One of my favorite singers of all times and where I learned how to play guitar. When she sang a song, she didn't just cover it, she made it hers--and that's a talent very few have. I hear people singing her version of popular songs over the original tune time and time again. She passed away before she was ever really discovered... but do yourself a huge favor and take some time out to listen to her. Eva does better than impress you with her music... she makes you listen. That's soul.

| "Su" |

Pure funk man. This girl has won my (and utube's) heart.

| Hiromi Uehara |

Skip to 5:00 to get to the good stuff. Technically amazing but backed up by oh-so-much feeling. Totally the best of both worlds.

Some others are:

| Joni Mitchell |

| Bonnie Raitt |

There are a few others worth mentioning: Alicia Keys, Alanis Morissette, Orianthi, that John Mayer Fan (just search it on youtube).

So, there's my not-so-short short-list of girls who have soul.

Aiki & Mary

2010-05-28T00:33:00.008+09:00

I'm finally posting these pictures (Sorry Aiki & Mary that it took so long). I sort of played a best man/parent-with-baby role at the wedding, so I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked. But I hope you enjoy these:

Quick Update:

2010-05-25T02:31:00.001+09:00

   Very, very soon you will start to see pictures/posts popping up of Aiki & Mary's wedding. Unfortunately, you will be seeing none of that from me for a little while; as the next couple of days will find me out of my house and away from my computer.
   So, I will get around to it someday Aiki and Mary! I promise! Just not today or tomorrow. But a very big CONGRATULATIONS to you both. I love you guys tons, and wish you the best in love & life.
   Also, a big shout-out to Ryan who was in the zone all day long (at the wedding). She 100% shot from the heart; and so for that...she's my blogger of the day.

Why Can't We Be Friends?

2010-05-21T17:05:00.001+09:00

So last night I was holding baby and in "one hand mode". I was sort of bored, so I began to doodle in Photoshop.

(I paint a blue sky and white cloud.)
Me: Hey honey, do you like it?
Yosh: No.
(I keep painting, adding grass and a little more color to the cloud.)
Me: Do you like it now?
Yosh: No...Not really.
(I continue painting, by now I'm determined to try to impress Yosh. I draw a sad looking guy standing on the grass.)
Me: Do you like it NOW?!
Yosh: (Laughs.) No....
(There's only one trick left in my small, sad bag. So I get to work on it..)
Me: WHAT ABOUT NOW???

Yosh: ...okay... I kinda like it.

You think you've got it rough...It took an animation to impress this woman.

Short Video of Seira

2010-05-20T03:16:00.000+09:00

Here's a 30 sec. clip of Seira. From filming to uploading, this probably took about 20 minutes; so there's not a lot of thought and effort put into it. It was mainly to test how Photoshop handles video.

Layla, Mikey, & Sofia

2010-05-19T16:32:00.006+09:00

Gabe & Winnie wanted a couple shots of their kids, so yesterday I spent a little time with each of them at the park and took some shots.

Blog Width

2010-05-18T14:58:00.001+09:00

As you may have noticed, I have changed my blog width. I'm really not committed to this specific width, and I'm not sure if it's even a good idea. But my reasoning is that most people are using screens that are big enough to view this blog, so I'm enhancing the experience for the majority of readers. Hurrah for large monitors!
If my reasoning is totally off, and you're put off by the new wideness, please do let me know. For me personally though, I get a bit bored by narrow websites that leave me with tons of wasted real-estate on both sides of the screen . Also, I'm always wishing the pictures could be bigger. Tell me what you think.

LITTLE TIP: Also, something that's great to do if you have a little screen (or a big screen for that matter) is to press CTRL & scroll with your mouse. This will change the size of website you are viewing in most internet browsers. I've found that to be helpful in a number of situations. (Ie: Want to see the chords to a song but are too hard to read from a distance.) Try it, you just might like it.

Photographing Mirrors, DOF Questions

2010-05-18T00:30:00.008+09:00

Up on the roof of Shimamura, waiting for my darling wife to be done shopping for clothes (clothes stores make my stomach upset.).

Here's a little quiz for all you out there: Do you still have to worry about depth of field and aperture when photographing a mirror? Or is it wysiwyg? Will you get a totally in-focus plane?

I had to think about it for a little while. I also had to take this pictures to realize that light is light. And it's going reflect the same way it always does. So if I'm 2 meters away from the mirror, I'm going to have to focus for 4 meters out to have me in focus. Aperture obviously would work the way it always does with light, and you would have to worry about your DOF.

If you don't believe me try it. Another thing you can do as a test is focus on the mirror itself, (Draw an X on the mirror and focus on that) and then take a picture--you'll find that your reflection will be out of focus.

I'd have to really think about this further... but following this train of thought... you may actually get less DOF shooting into a mirror, because of the fact that it's doubling the distance of everything. Does that make sense?

Sorry for this post, I do realize that none of you are interested in this. But it's something that I've never thought about before.

Color Clouds

2010-05-16T14:58:00.003+09:00

Seira Pictures

2010-05-15T17:05:00.003+09:00

Here are some pictures of Seira from the last week or so. She's getting fat and naughty.

Busy Is Good

2010-05-14T00:56:00.003+09:00

Things are starting to pick up around here. Rider Creations is seeing a large increase of work. As always: Busy = Good. I'll keep you updated on what projects we're working on... and hopefully will be able to post the completed products. Music videos, websites, photography... All fun stuff.

I guess what that means is that you'll probably see a bit of inactivity on this blog... or at least a lack of long, well thought-out posts. I'll try to post pictures of where I've been, and with whom. Starting with this one:

|My lovely wife. Snapped this on our walk today. (We'll be married for a year in two weeks)|

Anyhow, who needs blogs when the weather is so perfect for being outdoors? Grab your wallet, take a good walk to your local supermarket, and buy an ice-cream. That's what life is for.

Yamaki

2010-05-10T02:07:00.002+09:00

Notable Blog-post: June Kato

2010-05-09T12:24:00.003+09:00

   Thanks June for posting this: click here. Not only was it an interesting read, and a little bit of insight into your psych... it also helped me sort out my body issues. Now I'm not afraid anymore. I'm short, powerful, and happy... OKAY?
   In this post you can read about: Half moons, meat pies, lovebugs, the TIV dance troupe (you've gotta love'm), June's weird toes (she left out her thumb issues... maybe because that's still an ongoing complex? June? Cause I have a picture of your hand that I didn't post.), bulimia, ramen at 3am in the morning (does it GET any better? Or anymore redundant?), and being nice to small children.
   Anyhow, I enjoyed it. So once again, thanks June.

Roll-over Experiment

2010-05-08T20:08:00.004+09:00

Just trying to experiment with before-&-after roll-overs. Not especially fond of this particular B&A, but thought I would get it working for future posts. This is a picture Yosh snapped on the way back from a walk today...needed it for a profile.

BBQ Pictures

2010-05-05T22:21:00.003+09:00

Random pictures from today's BBQ... (minus the one of Gabe cutting trees, that was yesterday).

Walk with Seira

2010-05-03T21:35:00.000+09:00

So my wife and I work it like this: Some days I work and she stays home with the baby and does mom stuff. Other days she works and I stay home and do mom stuff. Recently it's been pretty lopsided, with me being away from home or busy, and her trying to get something done with baby.
Well, I was home today, so got to be with baby a lot. Here are some pictures from our walk-about.

|I'm not so much of a cat-fan, but she/he really wanted his/her photo taken|

|Seira in Stroller|

I have to apologize for this last one: It's my sorry attempt at this... I know it's no good. Just wanted to take a snapshot of this temple... but the dynamic range was way too large to get anything decent. So I tried my best to steady my hand (Tree support) and bracketed.

Golden Week 2010

2010-05-02T23:40:00.000+09:00

We haven't gone busking in a long time, so it felt real good to be out playing music again. Here are some pictures.

Young Mick

2010-04-29T18:26:00.001+09:00

Kando Band is Lost In Translation

2010-04-28T20:22:00.000+09:00

If you want a good laugh take a look at Kando Bando's page translated into English from Japanese: Here -- Something seriously went wrong there.
I've been holding out on posting this link for a long time because I thought Steve & co. wouldn't appreciate it... but Steve thought it was great fun and fine to post, so have a look. Made me laugh.

The Long Day Is Over

2010-04-28T20:04:00.002+09:00

Had a bit of a long day, so all my plans of posting wonderful things are going to have to wait until I feel a little more upbeat. In the meanwhile... I'll post this. It's from my walk to the station on my way to Tateyama. (Yes, ANOTHER trip to Tateyama.)

My Baby

2010-04-24T01:29:00.001+09:00

These may not be tack-sharp or noise-free (how could they be in my terribly-lit room...) but the content's priceless.

Seira at almost 5 months now:

Trains & Tateyama

2010-04-22T16:31:00.001+09:00

Got back home yesterday from another 3 & 1/2 days in Tateyama. I know I should be so grateful that I get to travel and record music (I really am), but after spending 9 plus hours on trains and 5 out of 7 days away from home, I start feeling homesick. It doesn't matter if you're eating out at the nicest places and staying in wonderful hotels... nothing's quite like home.

So I've been sitting in trains with this one song running through my head. So I took some footage from my train rides and put it all together. I think it's the best way to communicate the last couple of days.

|Playing Cards in the Dark|

|In and Out|

|Shun|

|Help me... I'm not sure what this kid's name is... But I'm his biggest fan|

Crazy Heart Review

2010-04-17T00:37:00.002+09:00

"Crazy Heart" Film Review

   Crazy Heart is about an old, washed up, has-been, alcoholic, 4-time divorcee, country singer, and his fight to get his life back together. And of course, this fight is fuelled by his love for a woman.
   Now I know what you're thinking: BORING. And to be honest, I think about 80% of those of you who watch this will probably feel that way. There is no "action", or "danger" or "adventure". The genre this film falls into is: Drama | Music | Romance. Not so exciting.
   The thing that surprised me about "Crazy Heart" is that I actually liked it The acting was spot on, the story was realistic but not depressing, the music was authentic and enjoyable...that is, if you dig Country music. (I just lost 92% of you right there didn't I.)
   Jeff Bridges (Playing "Bad" Blake) did a really good job with this film. He pulls off being a hopeless, selfish drunk...but makes you still sympathise with him and you find yourself hoping that he pulls through. He got an Oscar for it too. I think the weakest role in the entire film was actually Colin Farrell's part as the young country star, who was mentored by Blake. Colin just doesn't do a "singing face" all that well... he looks like he's faking it.
   If you're into involved plots, witty dialogue, action scenes, and hot people... this is not your film. But if you want to watch a good character-study type film that keeps it pretty close to reality and has a good uplifting story then give it a try.
   Maybe I like this film because it touches on songwriting... and I can definitely relate to both feeling like I don't even have to try and the song will just flow out of me, and feeling like I'll never write a good song again.

It gets 7 out of 10 stars.

Pictures from Here and There

2010-04-15T23:31:00.009+09:00

Latest news is that I got myself a part time job video editing. It's a speed editing sort of thing where I have to edit the footage from the wedding ceremony and have it rendered and burned to DVD in time to play it at the end of the reception. So it's a bit of a high stress-level job.

I've been the to main office twice: Once for the sit-down interview, and once for the actual hand-on-the-mouse video editing test. So I've been sort of preoccupied with that lately. The test was actually a lot of fun (although stressful), they timed me while I edited the raw footage from a wedding. Apparently I'm fast. I'll let you know what it's like after I do an actual wedding.

Also, I just got back from recording some music with Steve. (Game software music).

Anyhow, here are some pics from my going to Tokyo and back, and my time in Tateyama.

|Chiba Station|

|Sex Sign|

|Steve in his element|

|There were seven of these in Steve's studio... in different stages of Coffee-rot|

Birdemic - The Best Worst Movie Ever!

2010-04-11T23:16:00.005+09:00

Usually I come to you with tidings of woe about the films I watch. I have to say, I'm pretty picky...and is it just me or are the films just getting worse and worse? I watched "The Sound Of Music" the other day, and the content quality blew me away... what happened to those good old days? Anyhow, my film reviews up until now have been all negative; but that, my friends, is about to change.

I am proud to introduce to you: "Birdemic - Shock and Terror". This is a James Nguyen Picture, with the story & screenplay by James Nguyen, and directed by none other then James Nguyen. This man is a genius--he's created a movie that's so bad, that it's good.

James Nguyen is a software salesman and a Hitchcock fan who wanted to make a film with a $10,000 budget. What he lacked in experience and common sense, he made up for with a driving passion to make a movie with a message. The message is clear: Use solar energy and stop the pollution or else the eagles will eat you because they're hungry due to the lack of food.

All jokes aside, this is a terrible film. The acting is terrible, the graphics are worse, the plot has no continuity, and the script sounds like.... well, it sounds like it was written by a Chinese software salesman. But to be perfectly honest, all of those things work together to make a completely enjoyable film. There isn't a dull moment! There's always something to marvel at, something to laugh at. This film draws you in.

You may not want to watch "Birdemic" alone in your room, because you'll feel like a complete fool laughing at it all by yourself. But get together with your best buddies, pop open a few beers and I promise you a perfectly enjoyable evening.

If you're in the mood for a deep, plot-thick film, stay clear of "Birdemic". But if you want something to make you forget about your own problems and ~~feel sorry for~~ laugh at others (mainly the main guy... he's the worst actor I've EVER seen) then watch "Birdemic".

It gets 8.2 out of 10 stars.

I quickly compiled some clips to show you what I mean.

Taiwanese Talent: I Will Always Love You

2010-04-07T22:58:00.006+09:00

Lin Yu Chun from Taiwan is the next Susan Boyle...or Paul Potts. He stunned audiences today with his almost pitch-perfect rendition of "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston. This kid is crazy! Check it out.

I put this together because I was interested in seeing how close he was to the original. Let's pray one of my videos become viral. Heh.

John Mayer's Synesthesia

2010-04-07T15:29:00.002+09:00

John Mayer's Colors: On John Mayer's Music to Color Synesthesia

   As some of you might know, I'm a huge fan of John Mayer's work. I first fell in love with his songwriting when riding to a gig in a friends car. The friend happened to be playing a mix tape with "Comfortable" on it. If you don't know that song, look it up...it's dead honest and beautiful. (I'm pretty sure that's where Taylor Swift got the inspiration to write "The Way I Loved You").
   Later on I fell in love with him as a guitarist when seeing a clip of him playing at the Crossroads Festival. I feel he's well on his way to becoming a guitar legend. In no time we'll be quoting the guitarist lineage with John Mayer's name in there as well: Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, the three Kings: Freddy, Albert, & BB, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, John Mayer.
   If you don't believe me, see for yourself: Here & Here
   John Mayer has a unique condition called Music → color synesthesia (Music to Color Synesthesia). Basically when he hears music, he sees them as colors. I'm sure this plays a big part in how he understands and plays music.
This is actually sort of an "aha" moment for me, as I always wondered "Why does John Mayer always sing about colors?". I've noticed while listening to his albums, that he's always splashing in a color or two.
   Check it out:

"Comfortable"
I loved you
grey sweat pants, no makeup, so perfect

"Quiet"
The volume's down
Blue lights are dancing around
And still, I can't seem to find
The quiet inside my mind

"No Such Thing"
Take a seat
Take your life
Plot it out in black and white
...Faded white hats
Grabbing credits
Maybe transfers

"Neon"
When sky blue gets dark enough
To see the colors of the city lights
A trail of ruby red and diamond white
Hits her like a sunrise

"83"
Oh make me a red cape
I wanna be Superman
...You can paint that house a rainbow of colors
Rip out the floorboards
Replace the shutters but
That's my plastic in the dirt

"3x5"
Todays skies are painted colors of a cowboy cliche'

"Not Myself"
Suppose I said Colors change for no good reason
words will go
From poetry to prose

"St. Patrick's Day"
Your cheeks a shade of pink And the rest of you in powder blue
...You tell me the names of your brothers
And your favorite colors
I'm learning you
...Something in the way that blue lights on a black night
Can make you feel more

"Bigger Than My Body"
This is a call to the color-blind
This is an IOU

"Daughters"
I know a girl
She puts the color inside of my world

"Another Kind Of Green"
And I don't need another kind of green to know
I'm on the right side with you

"Stop This Train"
No I'm not color blind
I know the world is black and white

"Repair"
Maybe when things turn green again
It will be good to say you know me

"Assassin"
Racing the yellow lights
To find the gate is open,
She's waiting in the room
I just step on through

   Quite a few songs, I must say. Something interesting I found out while researching this was that Hendrix also had synesthesia. Which explains "Bold as Love" now doesn't it...and Purple Haze. Well, maybe actually, the drugs explain purple haze.

Edge Of Darkness Review

2010-04-06T23:07:00.003+09:00

Within the first 5 min. of "Edge Of Darkness" you will see:

Floating corpses in water.
Bloody noses and vomit.
A graphic scene of a girl being blasted in the stomach with a shotgun.

Usually I try to make these posts somewhat humorous. You know...to try to keep your attention. But there's not so much "fun" stuff in this movie, so I'll stick to just letting you know what I thought of it.

The basic plot goes something like this: The cop dad loses his MIT graduate daughter to an unfortunate shotgun blast by a masked man. The dad investigates only to find out the she "knew something". Dad works to uncover the mystery surrounding daughter's murder, and bring down the people who did it. Etc. Etc. You get the basic picture.

There are a couple things I felt about this film:

It was extremely predictable. Everyone does everything you expect them to do. You know who the bad guys are and you know who the good guys are. There are no surprises. It's the same plot you've seen in a hundred different films.
The entire film was very one note. If I had to describe to you what note that was... I'd have to say it was like being on "The Edge of Darkness". Somewhat depressing.
There is unappreciated gore in this film. I'm not a squeamish guy... but I don't appreciate gore for the sake of gore alone. You know how in Braveheart, when the creepy guy gets Shish-kebab'd on the fort's wooden spiky-thing, you feel like "Ewww that's gross...But he had it coming to him!". Well you don't feel like that about the gore in this film. They just show it to show it... and it gets sort of predictable and sad. Every time someone gets done-in you just know it's going to show you what the wound-hole looks like.

Besides that, it's your regular mediocre film. I would not watch it again. I would not recommend it to anyone. But if you told me you were going to watch it I wouldn't beg you to change your mind.
It gets 3 out of 10 stars.

Dog Pictures

2010-04-06T20:48:00.001+09:00

I've got about 6 drafts that I'll eventually get to completing. But until then, here are some pictures of today at the park. I actually went outside to a park on my day off! I felt all smug and healthy about myself.

This last one was a throw-away shot that I took on the spur of the moment and then tried to fix up... I know it's nowhere near being perfect... but it was the thought that counts.

Spring Matsuri

2010-04-04T15:12:00.001+09:00

The Yakisoba Guy & Shelly being grumpy about the lack of a Bingo.

Also, here's a video of the strangest thing I've seen in a long time: A Banana Auction. This guy is selling a bunch of bananas for 1500 yen. People are buying them up as if they were about to go extinct.

Seira Laughing

2010-04-03T00:16:00.001+09:00

Seira's been smiling at everything for quite some time now...and she's been doing this no-sound-is-coming-out-of-my-mouth laugh. But tonight she finally started really laughing out loud. Apparently she finds Justin Timberlake extremely amusing.

Funeral For Bread Man

2010-04-02T01:05:00.001+09:00

   Do you know about Bread Man? We've all benefited from him in one way or another. Either you are a cook trying to whip up something fresh and new... or you're a husband, wishing your wife would whip up something fresh and new. Doesn't matter, Bread Man was there to lend a helping hand (I always wondered why he was missing a finger on his right hand....).
   Al, I've enjoyed your blog a lot. I've always said that the best way to show love over the internets is by freely giving help & information to those who are in need. You blog was a shining example of this. Good on you.

   RIP Bread Man.

P.S. Why not take the time to write a little word of thanks on the blog?

New Moon Sucks

2010-03-31T22:48:00.002+09:00

Twilight Saga: New Moon Review

New Moon is the basic monster-complex story. I'll give you the plot in point form:

Girl loves Guy #1 (who is a monster).
Guy #1 runs away from Girl (because he's a monster).
Girl starts to like Guy #2 (who is also a monster).
Guy #2 runs away from Girl (because he's a monster).
Creepy Lady tries to kill Girl (because she's a monster).
Guy #2 tries to kill Creepy Lady (because they are rival monsters)
Guy #1 tries to kill himself (because he's a monster).
Girl saves Guy #1 (but has to promise to become a monster).
Guy #1 and Guy #2 try to kill each other (because they are rival monsters)
Girl steps in the middle and stops them. (because she loves both monsters)

Sounds interesting? It's not. The catch is, the whole plot happens in slow motion. It was so boring that we doubled the playing speed and it was still too slow-moving for us! No joke. Even the action scenes happen very slowly.

I was very disappointed in this film because I was expecting it to be just as awesome as part one of the Twilight Saga. Don't get me wrong, I thought Twilight was terrible, but at least it was so terrible that it was worth watching just to laugh at it. New Moon, had no such "Spider Monkey" moments of joy.

My advice: watching this film is a waste of time. It's just slow and terrible.

I don't usually appreciate people telling me what's not good and then giving me no advice on what is. So, If you're looking for a movie to watch... why not try "Men Who Stare at Goats"? It's great! You get to watch George Clooney dance.

Starbucks = Joy

2010-03-30T15:23:00.001+09:00

   Before the baby was born, it was somewhat of a tradition for the two of us (Yosh & I) to spend our entire day off sitting at Starbucks. We could easily spend 4~5 hours there, no problem. I found that the coffee and couches acted as a sort of "conversational laxative"... 'cause somehow we could sit there for hours talking and not feel the time passing at all.
   Lils posted on her blog: "Masa even managed to bring Yosh and the baby along." The simple secret of how I did this is: I told her I would buy her Starbucks on the way over.
   In the words of the great Philip Johnson: "It works, It works. Thank God it really works." ... but none of you know that song probably.

Questions Regarding the Internets

2010-03-30T03:00:00.002+09:00

   I've bit the bullet and got myself a twitter account. I'm not sure exactly why...It might be something to do with the fact that I'm going to be consulting a relative newbie in the art of social networking online--and that got me thinking that I should at least TRY twitter to see what the hype is about.
   Anyhow, it got me thinking about my relative newness to the whole scene myself. I really know very little about it. So, I have some questions that I was hoping someone out there could answer for me.

1. What is proper blog-linking etiquette? Or is there any at all? Can I link to any of you out there whom I love and admire? Or should I contact and ask the person first? I find it absurd that someone would put a page online and then be angry that it's being linked to... but that's just me. Let me know what protocol is.

2. This is more of a photo-enthusiast's question but: I know that most photographers resize their pictures when putting them online... but why? Is it so people don't steal your work? Is it so that the general public can't see the finer details/mistakes? Or because it loads faster or takes up less space? Or is it because most people will only be seeing the image small so resizing for a smaller size improves the picture (for viewing at that size)?
   I don't resize... mainly because I'm lazy. But if there's a good reason to be doing so, I would. Any feedback?

   Thought I would throw it out there and see if anyone could help me out.

Car Pictures...

2010-03-27T16:14:00.001+09:00

Here are some "I'm bored in the car" pictures. The last three were taken yesterday on our way to and from a gig in Tokyo:

Takoyaki

2010-03-22T02:48:00.001+09:00

Here's some pics from tonight. Some of us went out and bought a bunch of different ingredients (Tako, Ika, Shrimp...you name it), came back and made Takoyaki... and it was good. We butchered a few of them at first, but got the hang of it soon enough.

| THE MAIN EVENT |

| My sorry attempt at making art in a moving vehicle after dark...we've all done it |

The 27 Crossroads Deal Short-list

2010-03-20T16:09:00.002+09:00

This post is dedicated to my sister Amy and our running dialog concerning that place called "The Crossroads".

   There's an old legend down where the delta blues was born, that if one would wait at the crossroads on a moonless night, then the Devil himself would come at midnight and make a deal with him. In exchange for his soul, the Devil would give fame, talent, money, and a life of ease.
   You hear it being referred to when someone has a major increase in talent and ability in a amazingly short amount of time. ie: "It seemed it was just yesterday he was learning his first chords on the banjo, and now he's playing Bach on it! That boy's been to the crossroads."
   Anyways, this is all common knowledge (to everyone except Amy. Hahaha). But my theory is that the Devil had different deals going on; and his most popular was his 27-Crossroads Deal.
   Here's how it worked: You can be extremely talented, you can be extremely famous...but you had to die at 27. Here are some of people who are part of the famous "Club 27".

ROBERT JOHNSON

The father of the blues, and still considered by many to be one of the best guitarists of all time. He started the whole 27-curse, and was the one to sing:

I went down to the crossroads and fell down on my knees, asked the Lord up above for mercy, save poor Bob if you please." --Cross Road Blues by Robert Johnson

"You may bury my body down by the highway side so my old evil spirit can get a Greyhound bus and ride." --Me And The Devil Blues by Robert Johnson

Cause of death: Unknown. (Some believe it was poisoning)

BRIAN JONES

I actually know very little about Brian, except that he was the one to start the Rolling Stones, and was a gifted musician. With an album titled "Their Satanic Majesties Request" and a hit song titled "Sympathy for the Devil" it's pretty easy to see that they were pretty chummy with their good friend Satan.

Interestingly enough, Jimi Hendrix dedicated one of his songs to him and Jim Morrison wrote a poem entitled "Ode To LA While Thinking Of Brian Jones, Deceased". They're both in Club-27 too.

Cause of death: Drowned in a swimming pool.

JIM MORRISON

Poor Jim, who was an amazing singer/songwriter/poet also died at 27. What's strange is that his girlfriend at the time of his death died three years later... at 27.

Cause of death: No autopsy was performed.

JANIS JOPLIN

Sweet Janis sang like a woman possessed. She had such an amazing voice. She was supposed to sing a song called "Buried Alive in the Blues" but didn't show up to the studio. When they went to her hotel, they found her dead.

Cause of death: Heroin overdose

JIMI HENDRIX

John Mayer said it best: "Who I am as a guitarist is defined by my failure to become Jimi Hendrix. And that's who a lot of people have become. However far you stop on your climb to be like him, that's who you are."

I think most every guitarist can agree. Every single electric guitarist has been influenced directly or indirectly by this guy. He ranks 6th in the Rolling Stones "Greatest Artists of All Time" and #1 for "Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

Cause of death: Asphyxiation (Let's not get into the details)

KURT COBAIN

Did you know that Kurt's middle name was Donald? Haha. Anyhow, he also shared the same fate as the rest.

Cause of death: Suicide (Shotgun)

It was Eric Clapton who first coined the term "Club 27", he also mentioned that he nearly died at 27 from a major drug problem. There are so many more rockstars who have gone at 27, this is just the short-list.
I think most people who go to the Crossroads now are smart enough not to take the 27-deal... and that's why the deaths at 27 have stopped. Let's see what the next best thing is going to be.

Blame it on the Yosh

2010-03-20T14:01:00.001+09:00

So you might have noticed that annoying face up at the top screaming at you. That new banner is all my dear wife's fault. The blame/credit all goes to her. She just decided one day that she wanted to play around with a blogger background, so I was her guinea pig. It does frighten me to see my face up there... it may change eventually, who knows.
I will post this and then start a new blog post about something more interesting.

--Masa

The New Place

2010-03-11T01:58:00.004+09:00

I wanted to share my joy with you, and bump the geeky post off from being the first thing you see. I went over to see Elaina & the kids today... Shelly's just too cute, she get's all emotional about Seira.

| Emo Shelly with Seira & Yosh |

| Shelly telling me something REALLY important |

A "Snap Shots" How To:

2010-03-11T01:06:00.001+09:00

Hey Folks,

Have you ever visited a blog that had this window pop up every single time you rolled over a picture? Sometimes even rolling over a link would cause this little box to pop up.
Did the box look like this?

   That my friends, is called "Snap Shots Link Preview". I'm not sure if that's the official name, but that's what it does. If you like it, then great! But personally I find it somewhat inconvenient (sometimes I find it unbearably annoying... it depends on my mood.). I've talked to many other veteran blog readers who also find this feature bothersome and somewhat void of usefulness. So, I thought I would help fix this problem (if, of course, you don't appreciate this feature as well).

1. DISABLING SNAP SHOTS AS A VIEWER.

   If you wan't to stop seeing this little window pop up every time you click on a link, it's easy. All you've got to do is go here: http://real.snap.com/snapshots_faq.php#3
   FAQ #3 is the one you're looking for. Just turn Snap Shots off.
   In order to make this change take effect you have to clear your Browser Cache. Depending on what browser you are running, you'll have to do something different. Take a look here for instructions specific to your browser: http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser's-Cache
   Now reopen your browser, and your problem should be fixed.

HERE'S THE CATCH:

   It's in your cookies to keep SNAP SHOTS turned off. So the minute that your cookies are deleted or reset... you're going to see those blasted SNAP SHOTS again. Obviously, this is not the best fix in the world.
   And that is why I am also posting:

2. DISABLING SNAP SHOTS AS A BLOGGER.

   I think it's only Wordpress that makes Snap Shots a default setting... so here's how to get rid of it:

"To activate or remove the Snap Preview feature, go to Presentation > Extras and uncheck the Snap Preview feature box to remove it. To turn it back on, check the box. Then click Update."

   Read the whole post if you're interested here: http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/12/29/wordpresscom-please-stop-using-snap-preview/

That's it! I love you.

"Shining" a Light on Rob Thomas

2010-03-08T00:53:00.002+09:00

| Rob trying out for "Prison Break" |

   Being a songwriter myself, I know all about lyrical habits. You're writing a new song and all of a sudden "Oops! I've used that metaphor before." or "Maybe I should stay away from singing about the rain all the time (Hint, hint Taylor Swift)." It's something that you always have to be on the lookout for, and even so... it happens anyway.

   I first heard Matchbox 20 on the radio when I was about 13. I got a copy of "Mad Season" from my older sister (Elaina) a little later; and I've been a fan ever since. I won't get too much into how much their band rocks, or how they are the reason that I think horn sections are the coolest thing ever--but to make a long story very short: Rob Thomas is up there on my list of modern singer-songwriters.
   ANYHOW. I've always said that Rob liked to use the word "shine" in his songs. I guessed that it was his secret "happy place" lyrically. Well, I looked up his lyrics, and this is what I found...It's actually pretty surprising:

Fallin' To Pieces

Then you let it fall behind
And in the back of your mind
You feel my loving shine
You think you might be saved

Little Wonders

Let it slide,
Let your troubles fall behind you
Let it shine
Until you feel it all around you

My, My, My
My, my, my
Let your bright light shine
Let your words live on
Far beyond this life
Beyond this life

Someday

You can run, oh, and when everything is over and done
You could shine a little light on everything around you
Man, it's good to be someone

Streetcorner Symphony

We may never find our reason to shine
But here and now this is our time
And I may never find the meaning of life
But for this moment I am fine

Push

And I don't know why you couldn't just stay with me
You couldn't stand to be near me
When my face don't seem to want to shine
Cuz it's a little bit dirty well

Kody

Kody sat down on the avenue
He tapped his feet, to the humming of the highway
He watched the light shine down on the broken glass and thought
I don't got no reasons,

If You're Gone

I bet you're hard to get over
I bet the room just won't shine
I bet my hands I can stay here
I bet you need - more than you mind

The Burn

Forgot about
Everything and everyone I needed before
Tryin' to get a handle on a reason to shine
Pickin' up the pieces that are falling behind takes time...

...And I wonder how I never got the burn
And if I'm ever gonna learn
How lonely people make their life
One strain at a time and still shine

REST STOP

Just three miles from the rest stop
And my mouth's too dry to rage
The light was shining from the radio
I could barely see her face

   Interesting huh... Maybe he needs a thesaurus. I'll stop wasting your time now.

Monster Complex Short-list

2010-03-01T23:18:00.002+09:00

Everyone knows about "Monster Complex". It's the whole: "No, get away from me. Look at me, I'm a monster." or "You don't want to love me, I'm dangerous... I'll only hurt you...I'm a monster". Most of the time they're right--they are monsters. Anyhow, you get the basic picture.
Without further ado, here is my short-list of such individuals (or creatures) who have developed "Monster Complex".
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Beast"

Beast loves that Beauty! But oh how his monster complex gets in the way. Just listen to what he says:

"Oh, it's no use. She's so beautiful, and I'm... Well, look at me."

Tsk, tsk, poor guy. He's so obsessed with his monster-body, that he fails to see that maybe Beauty might not like him because he's keeping her prisoner in his castle.

"The Phantom"

Why did Phantom smash all his mirrors? Monster Complex. He's got it big time.

The one thing I don't understand is: Why does he need to have M.C.? His voice is cool, and his mask is cool. Couldn't he have just been a Zorro-like character who kept his mask on because he was "mysterious".

"Remus Lupin"

It doesn't start showing until near the end of the series, but Remus "Werewolf" Lupin does have Monster Complex. He has it so bad that it keeps him and poor Tonks apart for quite some time. Harry finally does talk some sense into him though, and Lupin and Tonks get married.

"The Hulk"

I think this picture speaks for itself. Every time the Hulk gets angry he turns green, all his clothes rip off, and he's left with stretched out underwear. He feels ashamed, he feels misunderstood, he feels... "like a monster".

"Quasimodo"

I never really liked Quasimodo much... not because he's ugly, but he was always a bit too annoying for me. Anyhow, here too... he's got such a monster complex that he even sings about it while walking up towards his bell tower with his master Frollo.

Frollo: You are deformed...
Quasimodo: [singing] I am deformed.
Frollo: [singing] And you are ugly...
Quasimodo: [singing] And I am ugly.
Frollo: [singing] And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity / You do not comprehend...
Quasimodo: [singing] You are my one defender.
Frollo: [singing] Out there they'll revile you as a monster...
Quasimodo: [singing] I am a monster.
Frollo: [singing] Out there they will hate and scorn and jeer...
Quasimodo: [singing] Only a monster.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, there's my Monster Complex shortlist. I'm sure there are many many more. Look out for it next time you're watching a film and you may be able to spot someone with it. Good luck, and let me know if you do.

Wisdom Teeth & Bottles

2010-02-18T01:33:00.001+09:00

Yosh has been needing to remove an evil wisdom tooth since she was pregnant; but couldn't because of the antibiotics and painkillers she would have needed to take. Well, today she went to the dentist and got the blasted tooth pulled.

The good news is the wisdom tooth is gone.

The bad news is that while she's on painkillers and antibiotics, Seira can't breastfeed. To add insult to injury, Seira hasn't got the greatest liking for bottles...and an even lower tolerance level for baby formula.

So far she's been refusing to drink from the bottle so we've been waiting till she falls asleep to feed her. Her instincts kick in and she drinks just fine while asleep, so for now that's working out okay. She's a little bit grumpy and fussy, but nothing too bad just yet. I get this feeling like the worst is yet to come.

I'll post to let you know how it goes.

She's only 10 weeks old, so to go cold turkey is not the nicest thing. So please pray for us and her--that she's not too angry, that we're not to angry, and that she doesn't get totally weaned.

SBJ Recording

2010-02-14T00:45:00.002+09:00

| Steve at Work |

Just finished spending four days with Steve at the HCS producing music... and the process has never been more fun & exciting. Some of the things we've tried while recording this time are:

1. Taping wallets and huge wads of tape to the drums so that the snare and toms sound like lovely pieces of sustain-less cardboard made in the 70's.

2. Plugging headphones into the Mic input and singing into the headphone. (Yes, a headphone plugged into a mic input will turn the speakers into microphones.)

3. Recording an entire drum track for a song without hitting a single cymbal.

4. Vibrating a Microphone back and forth on the strings of an electric guitar.

5. Beating the floor tom with a stick and using it as the main driving force of a song.

6. Recording a piano part by me playing the right hand and Steve playing the left. (Yes, we looked like morons.)

It may not be a good album, but it will be a different album. Fun, Fun!

| Steve in his Trance-Like Producing Mode |

Film Review:

2010-02-12T23:34:00.007+09:00

| "UP IN THE AIR Review" |

I figure that if I'm going to spend two hours watching a film, I might as well spend a couple of minutes to review it so other people can have some help at guessing if they should spend two hours of their lives watching it too.

"Up in the Air" is about a guy (George Clooney) who travels around the country firing people. His company hires him out to other companies to do the dirty work of firing employees. He lives out of a suitcase and spends most of his life in airports or "up in the air". He loves his independence and his island-like existence. He loves nobody and nobody loves him... that's how the film starts, and that's how the film ends.

He believes that to live a life free of relationships of any sort is a life of freedom and bliss. He meets a girl at one point and starts to kinda like her, then he finds out that she's already married, and then the movie ends.

Some movies have good endings and some have bad endings, but this movie didn't have an ending at all as far as I can recall... it just sort of "fades out". All of a sudden you're sitting there watching the credits roll up and everyone in the room is looking around like "Huh? What kind of movie is that?!"

I think what happened is that the producers looked at the script and thought "Well, that's a bit lame... but George Clooney can pull off anything." Poor guy, the entire weight of the film was on his shoulders, and he made a valiant effort; but there was just not enough to work with in the first place.

Anyhow, this film is now part of my "Never Again" list. And I strongly advise you not to waste your time watching it. If you want to watch a movie with airplanes in them, why not try:

1. The Terminal -- The plot is better.

2. Top Gun -- The theme song is better.

3. The Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines -- The action is better.

Sun Bun

2010-02-12T01:43:00.002+09:00

We were about to go busking (we loaded the car and were all getting in) when the weather started to get sour so we decided to cancel.... Sonny was just at the park 20 meters away... so I ran over and took a picture. He's starting to look more like a real dog nowadays.

Masa's Application Short-list

2010-02-06T01:51:00.001+09:00

I know this is a geeky thing to do.. so don't pay attention unless you care.

(This is in no order of importance.)

1. Ccleaner (Formerly know as Crap Cleaner).

The program is free! ("What isn't matey!" laughs TPB) No, this program really is FOR FREE...it's also very light and easy to use! It cleans out your computer of any junk-- Cookies, the Recycle Bin, Temp Files, etc. It cleans out your registry of any junk. And it has a nifty "Start Up" section where you can manually decide what tries to open on start up.

There are a ton of programs that are starting up at boot without you even knowing it... but it slows down the process.. Ie: Google update, Itunes Helper, Quicktime Task, Nero filter check.... these are 4 of the 14 applications that I've stopped from starting up at boot. There's more, but's those are the highlights.
Basically it will keep your computer fast and clean.

2. Rocket Dock

Also For Free. It's very customizable and will improve your workflow by huge amounts. I thought it was going to get in the way when I first started using it; but up at the very top, if made very small, it will stay completely out of your way and before long it will feel like home.

3. Google Chrome

Windows explorer is the pits and everybody knows it. Mozilla is actually really good--it's got tons of add-ons and plugins, etc, and I still use it for a lot of specialized things--but it's just a bit heavy and sluggish for me. Chrome is fast. For all practical purposes, it's your browser of choice. It's also free.

4. Acronis True Image

This program recently saved my life! It's not free, but it's worth the price. (Yes I know it's unethical... I have no excuses and make none). My wonderful, talented, beautiful wife has a knack for finding ways to make our computer explode (ie: installing a 64bit program on our 32bit Windows, clicking "Yes" to a "Would you Like to register this program that has the same serial number as 30,000 other copies"). She can code a website, and understands the inner workings of meta tags and flash...but she doesn't know how to work the task manager.

Anyhow. This program makes a complete back up of your OS and stores it on any hard drive or device you want! So if your OS ever fries, you haven't lost all of your programs, settings, fonts, data, whatever. Seriously, 30min. and you'll have it all back.

It's also really simple to use and doesn't try to get all complicated on you. If you do anything that means anything to you on a computer, this program is worth it.

5. VLC

If you don't use VLC by now you live under a rock. So I'm not really putting it up here as a recommendation, because i'm pretty sure everyone uses it. But if you don't, download it immediately. It's free, and it's the most versatile video player that I know of.

What I love most about VLC is that it tries really hard. It's a real fighter. It'll try to play any file that you throw at it. Windows Media Player will whine about Codecs and this and that... while VLC will just work hard and try to play a file even if it's only 80% downloaded. I think that's a good quality in a video player.

So there you have it. I know it's boring. But maybe one of those programs will help one of you, one day. I love you.