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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: didjamatic on Fri, 23 July 2010, 16:56:21

Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: didjamatic on Fri, 23 July 2010, 16:56:21: Ripster is reading up on dip switches while soaking he feet in a fish spa.

(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1387/1132353668_d7949dfd98.jpg)
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: MsKeyboard on Fri, 23 July 2010, 17:34:10: Awesome! Great caption...........
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 23 July 2010, 17:40:01: Quote from: didjamatic;205694
Ripster is reading up on dip switches while soaking he feet in a fish spa.

Show Image
(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1387/1132353668_d7949dfd98.jpg)

Yuck. That's gross. And plus, I never knew Ripster shaved his legs/
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 23 July 2010, 18:20:43: Hey! Chimera is supposed to join Ripster soon. They can go eat some sushi over NIB model M15s. That'd be an expensive dinner!
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: microsoft windows on Fri, 23 July 2010, 18:22:54: I never had much of a liking for raw fish. I'd take a nice, big, juicy hamburger and then talk about IBM keyboards.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: HaaTa on Fri, 23 July 2010, 21:40:47: Is that in southern Honshu ripster? Or just a part of Tokyo I never saw :P
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 23 July 2010, 22:22:04: Quote from: microsoft windows;205733
I never had much of a liking for raw fish. I'd take a nice, big, juicy hamburger and then talk about IBM keyboards.

I prefer pizza. Or some nice home cooked pasta.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: instantkamera on Fri, 23 July 2010, 22:49:51: Quote from: EverythingIBM;205843
I prefer pizza. Or some nice home cooked pasta.

or sushi pizza ... i miss the sushi place across from my apt in montreal that made a great sushi pizza.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: kriminal on Fri, 23 July 2010, 23:17:55: sushi pizza?
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: Infinite north on Fri, 23 July 2010, 23:21:14: So ignoring the direction of this thread, how was the trip? where did you go, what did you do and what was smuggled back.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: chimera15 on Sat, 24 July 2010, 00:41:09: Quote from: HaaTa;205838
Is that in southern Honshu ripster? Or just a part of Tokyo I never saw :P

Looks like Gion Matsuri in Kyoto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gion_Matsuri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gion_Matsuri)
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: HaaTa on Sat, 24 July 2010, 18:03:06: Ooo, yeah, that does look like Kyoto. Takayama is nice, passed through on my bike.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 24 July 2010, 18:07:04: Quote from: ripster;206041
Chimera wins the prize! Gion Matsuri in Kyoto is quite correct. Back in Kyoto after a trip to the mountains of Takayama and the holy site of Ise. Off to a flea market this morning in front of a Kyoto Shinto Shrine called Kitano Tenmangu Shrine.

Unfortunate cafe name for a coffee joint.
Show Image
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4800888775_152c7ccde5_z.jpg)

You sure that ain't a strip club?
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: chimera15 on Sun, 25 July 2010, 04:25:42: One of my favorite video makers on youtube.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: microsoft windows on Sun, 25 July 2010, 09:13:54: I never knew that Japanese people were that weird!
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: washuai on Mon, 26 July 2010, 21:42:05: No lego shaped bento boxes, along with the NIB keyboard collection?
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Tue, 27 July 2010, 01:30:24: Hey Ripster, did you seriously bring any of your keyboards to Japan to show off?
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: itlnstln on Wed, 28 July 2010, 10:15:49: Great pics, rip. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: chimera15 on Wed, 28 July 2010, 13:13:02: Nice pics. Never seen that Torii Gate with boats in the scene before. Those look like some real old classic boats too, like you'd see in Ukiyo-e paintings. lol
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: instantkamera on Wed, 28 July 2010, 14:28:02: Quote from: ripster;207082
I found I could do the whole trip without a SLR by being a bit creative with my Panasonic LX3 ...

Best little camera ever.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Wed, 28 July 2010, 18:49:30: Quote from: ripster;207170
Canon S90 versus Panasonic LX3 is a close call. The Canon is much more intuitive to use and has a longer telephoto that comes in handy where the LX3 ultra-wide angle (24mm) really allows you to add some drama to the typical tourist shot.

My son has been getting some great pics out of the S90 set on auto.

Handheld shot of Kyoto riverbank from the Shoji-dori bridge.
Show Image
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4810645994_d5e7a0e553_z.jpg)

The ISO is way too high.
And that reminds me of GTA 2...
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Wed, 28 July 2010, 19:10:45: Quote from: ripster;207202
This is why the picture sets I've uploaded to Flickr are kept private for friends and family only.

Geekhack is overrun by Trolls!

Tanuki!
Show Image
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/4837207309_a54b35c534_z.jpg)

Trolls, where?
Ripster, we are your family. There's no denying it.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: instantkamera on Wed, 28 July 2010, 19:12:27: Quote from: ripster;207170
Canon S90 versus Panasonic LX3 is a close call. The Canon is much more intuitive to use and has a longer telephoto that comes in handy where the LX3 ultra-wide angle (24mm) really allows you to add some drama to the typical tourist shot.

My son has been getting some great pics out of the S90 set on auto.

Handheld shot of Kyoto riverbank from the Shoji-dori bridge.
Show Image
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4810645994_d5e7a0e553_z.jpg)

Nice shot.

Yes, I suppose the range on the s90 is a better companion for travelling, but I bought the lx-3 (and sold it a while ago) specifically for:

- 24mm
- f/2-2.8
- 3 "native" aspect ratios

This is a VERY unique camera. Im not a huge fan of long lenses either (longest I have is 85mm f/1.8 Nikkor)

Plus, the lx-3 looks wicked ;) I came across the leica case (http://www.rglewis.co.uk/LEICA/digital/D-Lux4/d-lux4&caseIII.gif) for this sometime after I had sold mine, for very cheap :(
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: instantkamera on Wed, 28 July 2010, 19:13:44: Quote from: EverythingIBM;207190
My anus is clenched way too tight

We know.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Wed, 28 July 2010, 19:29:53: Quote from: instantkamera;207207
We know.

Stop making your fantasies as my quotes.

EDIT: Ripster's right, these silly newcommer trolls ruining his thread.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: ch_123 on Thu, 29 July 2010, 17:52:54: Speaking of BS trolling, I was about to ask if you saw any places that sold second hand stuff... I saw a site for a place in Akihabara that had an all-black Unicomp for sale. Not sure if it was current though.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: D-EJ915 on Thu, 29 July 2010, 23:36:14: cool pics man :)
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: audioave10 on Thu, 29 July 2010, 23:52:59: This is a long vacation...your dog misses you badly.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: HaaTa on Fri, 30 July 2010, 00:01:39: Yeah, definitely maids on just about every corner of Akihabara. A few less when it's pouring rain, just every second corner instead :P.

I looked hard for buckling spring boards when I went (about 6 times), and didn't have any luck. Though it's still possible that I could've missed it...

Hope you're enjoying your trip ripster, and the humidity :P.

The Pasocom Kurinikku sign is new at Cleverly (the green sign). Though I did know that they have a computer repair shop on a 2nd floor somewhere in Akihabara.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: quadibloc on Fri, 30 July 2010, 05:33:12: Quote from: ripster;205706
Uh, not exactly....... Here is the local populace dragging my NIB keyboard collection around.
Accidentally, as the result of a Google search on another topic, I happened across a web site from which I learned who Zooey Deschanel is: the lead singer with a group called "She and Him".
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: quadibloc on Fri, 30 July 2010, 13:24:43: Quote from: ripster;207799
Zooey is Japanese?
No, but you're a big fan of hers, and this is the thread you're participating in.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 30 July 2010, 14:13:29: Quote from: ripster;207799
Zooey is Japanese?

Spent the day at the Ghibli Museum (Hiyao Miyazaki - Spirited Away, Naussica, Princess Mononoke, etc). Fantastic place.
Show Image
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/4843844378_44a2032ac1_z.jpg)

Earlier in the trip we saw his latest Ghibli production, "Karigurashi no Arietti (http://www.karigurashi.jp/index.html)".

Show Image
(http://blog.80millionmoviesfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/The_Borrower_Arrietty_poster.jpg)

Ripster, hurry, when are you going to take a tour of IBM Japan headquarters?
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: D-EJ915 on Fri, 30 July 2010, 16:42:01: wow...that is quite something

I'm already behind on ghibli movies...now 3 movies behind? sheesh
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 30 July 2010, 17:29:32: Quote from: ripster;207874
EIBM, the biggest Tanuki Troll at Geekhack!
Not quite accurate since Tanukis are funny, unlike EIBM and I'm pretty sure EIBM has no balls.

My son just picked up a custom made hanko (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_%28East_Asia%29) (commonly called "chops") with our family name in Seal Script (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_script) which originated in the Qin dynasty around 200 BC (when EIBM's favorite computers were made). If anyone here can read seal script I will be impressed.

I cannot fain to imagine how a giant wooden bear can generate amusement when it is inanimate. Perhaps said [Ripster] can entail us on this endeavour, yes?

Sure, I can read it:
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/4844304883_9bfd0fc125_z.jpg)
"The Family of Ripmon: father & son exotic plant/keyboard photographer extrodinaires TM."

Ah yes, the father and son duo who love plants and "IBM" keyboards. Yes. I don't think IBM makes plants (they did make chocolate though; not sure if that's a good thing, or bad). Whoever gets the lavender ticket gets to see the PC 300 factory.
Title: Re: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 30 July 2010, 18:00:08: Quote
Quote
I cannot fain to imagine how a giant wooden bear can generate amusement when it is inanimate. Perhaps said [Ripster] can entail us on this endeavour, yes?

Speak Proper English Mother****er.

Awesome. Pure awesome.

That said, I am drunk in a wine bar at the airport waiting for a flight to Chicago that's an hour late, so what the **** do I know?

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 30 July 2010, 18:52:48: Quote from: ripster;207899
Speak Proper English Mother****er.

Actually the script reads:

Show Image
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G8XviVsaUKo/RXrvLOyWafI/AAAAAAAAAAY/DBoLU5axVy8/s400/PulpVincentJules1.jpg)

But you're Canadian.

Oh you mean speak American. American and "English" are two different languages.

Quote from: itlnstln;207901

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

Don't you mean PC 300?

Quote from: ripster;207904
In Japan it's Shochu (a rice/barley distilled liquor) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dch%C5%AB). Boy, the Japanese KNOW how to get drunk.

Great times in Sushi bars ordering one - cracks up the locals.
Show Image
(http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w226/discogroover1/japan/TheGreenShochu.jpg)

not my pic

What's with you guys an alcohol? Why not some nice juice? Alcohol tastes sour and like crap. It's not sweet. I guess you could make it sweet with enough sugar.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: instantkamera on Fri, 30 July 2010, 20:12:20: Quote from: EverythingIBM;207919

What's with you guys an alcohol? Why not some nice juice? Alcohol tastes sour and like crap. It's not sweet. I guess you could make it sweet with enough sugar.

I think you mean "and alcohol". Man, I thought you were an English professor or some ****? This would lend credibility to your claim of "Frenchman in disguise", but your French is infinitely worse. I guess you really are just a "Troll in plain sight".
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 30 July 2010, 23:01:56: Quote from: instantkamera;207928
I think you mean "and alcohol". Man, I thought you were an English professor or some ****? This would lend credibility to your claim of "Frenchman in disguise", but your French is infinitely worse. I guess you really are just a "Troll in plain sight".

Oh I am horrible at french.

English, I bee verie goode. But everyone makes a typo here and there (especially when being rushed to go to some party when typing on a rubber dome).
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: quadibloc on Sat, 31 July 2010, 10:24:07: Quote from: ripster;207874
If anyone here can read seal script I will be impressed.
Well, I managed to look it up in the dictionary. In regular Chinese characters, the first character is 叒 , the second character is 木 which means "tree" or "wood", and the third character appears to be one no longer in current use, composed of 厂 enclosing 享 - the character is in the old K'ang Hsi dictionary, a modern printing of which I used to look up the modern form of that seal-script character.

I hope to complete the task by finding out the meaning of all three characters, but I suppose that at this stage, anyone who understands Chinese or Japanese will be able to tell you what they mean.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: sandy55 on Sat, 31 July 2010, 11:58:17: Quote from: quadibloc;208020
Well, I managed to look it up in the dictionary. In regular Chinese characters, the first character is 叒 , the second character is 木 which means "tree" or "wood", and the third character appears to be one no longer in current use, composed of 厂 enclosing 享 - the character is in the old K'ang Hsi dictionary, a modern printing of which I used to look up the modern form of that seal-script character.

It seems to me that the third character is simply means Fields which is still in current use.
It should be a sealed script for 原.

The first and second should be combined and means Mulberry, 桑.
If i'm correct, the hanko stands for 桑原、Kuwahara or Kuwabara.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: quadibloc on Sat, 31 July 2010, 13:57:31: Quote from: sandy55;208024
If i'm correct, the hanko stands for 桑原、Kuwahara or Kuwabara.
I'm confident, at least, that you know more about this than I do. While the character I saw was what was given as the brush form of that seal script character, most obsolete characters are alternate forms of characters still in use.

And, as well, in the column of the K'ang Hsi dictionary which had the seal script character at the top, several modern characters were present. The one I chose seemed to most resemble the seal script character, and the seal script character was in the upper position on the margin - the character I picked being the first one - but the one you give is also present in that same column of the dictionary further down.

Of course, mulberries are very important in silk production, and the seal long predates the Beatles, so one can't be too disappointed that it isn't about strawberry fields.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: Rajagra on Sun, 01 August 2010, 06:41:04: Quote from: ripster;207874
My son just picked up a custom made hanko (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_%28East_Asia%29) (commonly called "chops") with our family name in Seal Script (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_script) which originated in the Qin dynasty around 200 BC (when EIBM's favorite computers were made). If anyone here can read seal script I will be impressed.

It says:
Quote
"Congrats on being curious enough to decode this - you are a true geek! Email your GH username and address to ripster to receive a GHSS for free. :) (You pay shipping over $15) Hurry, only1 available."

And I claim my prize.

I'm just guessing, but it's worth a punt.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: quadibloc on Sun, 01 August 2010, 12:31:05: Quote from: instantkamera;207928
I think you mean "and alcohol".
Well, if you already have an alcoholic beverage that isn't sweet, all you need to add is the sugar.

For that matter, sugar is what you make alcohol with.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: spolia optima on Sun, 01 August 2010, 13:23:34: Looks like it was a blast!
Requesting more photos of time-traveling maids and obscure topre 'boards please.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: HaaTa on Sun, 01 August 2010, 13:25:16: The Yebisu white beer (pretty sure that's what it's called) is quite good. Dunno if it was one of those limited time things (got released sometime this year).

Yona Yona Ale, is another good one (won a bunch of awards), but it's more of a local brew in the Nagano region (or somewhere close).

Haha, yeah, Boss, "The boss of them all". Tommy Lee Jones was the most recent face on their vending machines.
Leonardo DiCaprio was a popular face for selling tires of all things...
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: HaaTa on Mon, 02 August 2010, 13:18:09: Hahaha, I saw those too! Didn't have a camera at the time though.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: didjamatic on Tue, 03 August 2010, 15:37:36: I'm thoroughly jealous of anyone who's been able to go to Japan. The only downside I can think of is that it can be more expensive than Hawaii. Tokyo residents probably consider Hawaii prices a real value.

Cost of living index (http://www.finfacts.ie/costofliving.htm).
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: HaaTa on Tue, 03 August 2010, 16:25:16: Living in Japan isn't that expensive, until you try to find a place to stay...or try to use the bullet trains.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: zerocool on Wed, 04 August 2010, 10:29:19: a load of actors do japanese commericals that are really different and is sumned up with this, lol

Friends - Joeys japanese commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq5SAjJ5YIM)
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: chimera15 on Wed, 04 August 2010, 18:01:53: Quote from: ripster;209060
I highly recommend the Studio Ghibli Museum for Miyazaki fans (Spirited Away, Totoro, etc...), film buffs, and anyone with kids. The ticket is not easy to get even for the Japanese so here is a tip. At least a month before travel contact a US Branch of the big Japan Travel Agency JTB (NYC, LA, Chicago, etc) and buy a ticket from them over the phone. Then you are issued a Gaijin ticket and bring your passport to the museum to get in.

And bring lots of Yen for the museum shop.

Truly a great museum. The building was designed by Miyazaki and is not your typical Universal Studios theme park - you'll see some magical stuff there.
Show Image
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4123/4853631571_46083fb98f_z.jpg)

Ah that's interesting. I didn't know that tickets would be hard to get. How much are they? I have those books already. That's a great robot head model. How much was that?

They need to see if they can get that robot to grow moss. lol Do any birds ever land on it? I'd want that shot. roflol

Cool.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Castle-Sky-Laputa-Metal-Charm-3-Robot-Head-NEW-/170479997747?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b1665333 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Castle-Sky-Laputa-Metal-Charm-3-Robot-Head-NEW-/170479997747?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27b1665333)
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: chimera15 on Wed, 04 August 2010, 18:02:51: Quote from: ripster;208261
NP. People say I look like Tommy Lee Jones.
hl=en_US&fs=1">hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385">[/youtube]

Is that Haruko Momoi? So funny. roflol
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: washuai on Thu, 05 August 2010, 15:19:10: I want to go to Japan so bad. Although, I need like like a minimum of ten grand :frusty: . Good to know it is hard to get tickets, which make things like popjapantravel tours seem like a good deal, even though my local contact would rather just kidnap me for more time.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: D-EJ915 on Sat, 07 August 2010, 20:44:52: lol eubaba
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: quadibloc on Sat, 14 August 2010, 12:46:33: Incidentally, I know from certain discussions on these forums that Ripster is, like myself, a middle-aged man. But when he noted in a post that he would be impressed if someone could read the seal-script on the seal he purchased in Japan, I was motivated to make some effort towards that.

I was about to comment on one possible motivation for this.

But just the other day, I stumbled across a song on YouTube that summed it up too nicely to require any lengthy explanation.

"Do You Want to Date My Avatar".
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: drsauced on Fri, 24 June 2011, 15:45:34: Supposedly February 17, 2012, according to Wiki.

We saw Ponyo on Netflix awhile ago and was pretty blown away. We were also hoping to go back to Japan in August, but the radiation thing is a little too worrying.
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: Lanx on Fri, 24 June 2011, 17:19:39: japan is producing rabbits with no ears!, stay away.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8574000/Japan-rabbit-with-no-ears-born-close-to-Fukushima-nuclear-plant.html
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: vils on Sun, 26 June 2011, 06:37:16: (http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x221/vilsjin/DSC00139.jpg)
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: keyboardlover on Sun, 26 June 2011, 06:52:35: Lady Gaga is in Japan. In her latest interview video it's clear she's fallen victim to radiation poisoning as she appears to be even weirder than usual.

[video=youtube;nsGc4Z0W4D0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsGc4Z0W4D0[/video]
Title: Meanwhile in Japan....
Post by: quadibloc on Sun, 26 June 2011, 08:00:09: Meanwhile, in Tokyo... they're facing 100 degree weather. Without air-conditioning. Because nuclear reactors shut down for checks aren't being restarted, even though they're far from fault lines or the coast, because local communities are objecting.

It's this sort of thing, not Japanese girls dressed as French maids, that leads me to have doubts about their rationality...