tonari no shibafu

Kung Fu Kun

Gotta see this movie. A young kung-fu expert comes to Japan and, of course, gets into action packed adventures.

via Japan Probe

花見

Just got back from running errands for our last-minute hanami party. We'll be in Kinuta Park from around 1:30. Drop by if you're in the area.

My other favorite responses

Jon Krasinski

Neil Gaiman

Nicholas Cage (references the classic tactical analysis that the centaur is at a higher elevation and therefore has an advantage).

Ridley Scott

Who would win: A Minotaur with a trident or a Centaur with a crossbow?

Jon Favreau's answer is the one that's tickled me the most so far.

R.I.P. E. Gary Gygax

Dude's on fire

Just watched this guy Lampard score his fourth goal for Chelsea in their 6-1 defeat <Youtube link> of Chelsea Derby. Awesome.

Telegraph article recap of game.

More Wire

Ed Burns on Fresh Air
Burns and Simon on Talk of the Nation
Simon and Pelecanos on Fresh Air
David Simon on Fresh Air

Ed Burns, David Simon, et. al.

The Time Magazine article. Read it.

It'll hurt if I do...

Watched Last Man Standing last night. Best samurai movie adaptation since the spaghetti westerns.

Do you have a favorite first album?

Over the years I've had a number of bands' first albums that I considered 'the best freshman outing ever'. I'm listening to one of them now.

Do you have an all-time favorite first album by some band? Please list it (or them) in the comments.

Mine have been (not necessarily in chronological order).

Van Halen - Van Halen
Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley - Robert Palmer
Dire Straits - Dire Straits
The Chronic - Dr. Dre
Talisman - Theatre Brook
Home - Spearhead
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill
August and Everything After - Counting Crows
First Take - Roberta Flack
Princesses Nubiennes - Les Nubians
True - Trinity Roots

Those who know me know that I love reference materials. My cramped apartment is bulging with atlases, dictionaries, cookbooks, and all kinds of other materials on everything from sewing and tailoring to traditional buddhist/vegetarian cooking. But, now, thanks to the internet yet another informational void has been filled. now I have a place to go to to find out about Stuff White People Like. Of course these things would be much funnier if they didn't list so many of my favorite things.

via NPR

My old roomie Bruce is competing in the Iditarod ... again.

Wild...

The next time you worry about the US falling behind in math and science

you can think back to this. I ordered a pizza from Domino's. the total was ¥3288, I gave the delivery person ¥5508 and she had to take out her cell phone to use the calculator function to figure out my change.

Amy Walker

verbal chameleon.

via the one and only Tony Pierce