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Showing posts from October, 2018

Go Ham for Hamamatsu

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"Hold on, I'll Man-splain" - Ieyasu-kun It's unusual for me to talk about a city and not go straight to talking about the food. I promise I will get to that. First, I want to talk about Hamamatsu, "The City of Music". Having taken my third trip there last year, I noticed more and more, the city has an authentic identity. Home to Yamaha, Roland, and Kawai, Hamamatsu has flourished thanks to these internationally recognized companies, and the city has shown their support in kind. I laughed out loud when someone pointed out that my hotel in the Act Tower, was very literally designed in the shape of a harmonica, down to the elevators lighting up the teeth as they ascend. That is so wonderfully  Hamamatsu! The manhole covers and other promotional materials, depict Hamamatsu's  kawaii,  mascot-version of Tokugawa Ieyasu (pronounced: E.A. Yeah, Sue), the powerful Daimyo who conquered and occupied Hamamatsu in the 1570s. His piano-key pants a nod t

ADULTING 101 - PART 6: VOTING

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Welcome back, class!  Like any good substitute teacher, I'll start off with a video: I really like this, because it rings true! If you get out and attend a rally or a protest, that is great, but nothing sends a louder message to an elected official than your vote. And for the record, I already voted, from the comfort of my living room, and it is STILL not too late for you to do the same. More info on that is available at the bottom of this post. This. This is what democracy looks like. An extremely important election is just two weeks away and young people - historically - never turn out. Whether you are 18 or 34, most young adults today never took an actual civics lesson. Furthermore, voting has never been presented to us in school in the correct context:  A battle for control. I'm not talking about Republicans or Democrats. I mean old people and young people. Like this video suggests, it matters. Most old people do not change with the times. They elect other

Adult Swim Festival

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Two of these cat-decorated projection booths displayed fun images on the brick wall to the left Months ago, I noticed Adult Swim was holding their first-ever music festival. As a diehard Rick and Morty fan, I immediately knew I wanted to be there for the Day 3 lineup, with performances by Chaos Chaos, Run the Jewels, and something called a "Rick and Morty Musical Ricksperience", but with a one-day pass costing over $100 after fees, I resigned myself to sitting this event out, in the name of fiscal responsibility. Then something magic happened: a couple of days before the event, some magical algorithm on Instagram gifted me a discount code! My impulse-buy cost just under $74. It was too late (and costly) to get someone to cover my lunch shift at work, which meant I wouldn't actually get to see Chaos Chaos perform, and not knowing anyone else, I hopped in a Lyft, worried I set myself up for a boring and expensive evening. Once again, fortune smiled upon me: By the

Sake Ain't Easy

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Remember TRON? TRON took the complex, dry world of computer processes and made it theatrical and exciting. That's how I want to talk to you about Sake. In a way no one ever has before. I've started that in series of posts I call, " The Secrets of Sake ". Before I jump into what Sake  is , this post will be to share what I see as  unhelpful.  The national alcohol of Japan, Sake, appears in the occasional newspaper article. These authors recommend this or that, but their selection process is arbitrary at best and explanations still feel snobbish, shrouded in outdated Oriental Mysticism. Here are the pitfalls I recommend avoiding  on your Sake adventure: - Wine Scores : Often referred to as "Rice Wine", Sake is sometimes scored at wine competitions. The intention to measure Sake as a premium beverage with complexity, depth, and value on par with fine wine is well-meaning and deserved. Unfortunately, the scores come from wine experts with barely any more