Many thanks to Aaron and Nathan, my guest bloggers over the past few weeks– they did a great job, and if anything probably raised the tone around here. If you’ve got an academic job opening, and aren’t afraid of those blog-reading types, they’re both looking for permanent positions… Hint, hint. They both posted expressing amazement… Continue reading Thanks, Aaron and Nathan
Author: Chad Orzel
Short Japan Observations
A few general observations from three weeks on vacation in Japan, in no particular order: Thirteen hours is a long goddamn time to spend on a plane. The Japanese can and will pickle damn near anything. The Japanese love paper. This is not an exotic-art-of-origami reference, either: every commercial transaction in the country generates at… Continue reading Short Japan Observations
It’s Good to Be Home
Friday morning, we woke up in Osaka, and from there, the “day” went something like this: 1 hour on the train from Osaka Station to Kansai Airport 2 hours at the airport 12 hours on a plane to Detroit 2 hours in the airport at Detroit 2 hours on a plant to JFK 2 hours… Continue reading It’s Good to Be Home
Sayonara, Yokohama
Worldcon wrapped up Monday morning, with a panel on blogs and LiveJournals in SF, which was recorded for a possible Tor podcast (it’s not up yet, but may turn up in the next few days). If you’d like to hear what I sound like when I find myself moderating a con panel with no real… Continue reading Sayonara, Yokohama
Picture Contest Update
Several days ago, I mentioned that I had taken over 1,000 pictures on the trip thus far. That number has increased somewhat since then, and I offered a prize to the person who comes closest to guessing the final number, without going over. Specifically, I promised something cheap and tacky from Japan. I can now… Continue reading Picture Contest Update
Hugos
If you really care about the winners of the 2007 Hugo Awards, you probably don’t need me to tell you this, but the winners of the 2007 Hugo Awards were announced last night. The ceremony went off pretty well, and clocked in at just over two hours, so it was much better than the Academy… Continue reading Hugos
Daibutsu no Naka
Back in 1998, when I was here for three months working outside of Tokyo, I made a trip down to Kamakura, which was the capital (or at least the seat of power) for a century or so, around 1200. It’s a beautiful town, full of great old temples, but it was a pissy, cold, and… Continue reading Daibutsu no Naka
Awesome Rice Art
One great link, while I’m posting things: rice paddy art in Inagadate: [B]y precisely planting four varieties of rice with differently colored leaves in fields their ancestors have farmed for centuries, the people of Inakadate Village have this year grown remarkable reproductions of famous woodblock prints by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). And this is no cheap… Continue reading Awesome Rice Art
Shashin o Sen-mai Torimashita
(I’m not sure what the right counter word for digital photos would be, but physical photographs would be flat things, so we’ll go with “mai”…) The post title pretty much says it: I have taken 1,000 pictures thus far on this trip. We’re now in Yokohama, staying in an absurd room on the 62nd floor… Continue reading Shashin o Sen-mai Torimashita
Karesansui, Kinkakuji
Saturday, we did a swing through northwest Kyoto, where there are a whole bunch of famous temples with gardens, spanning pretty much the full possible range. They range from the dry rock gardens (karesansui, according to Google) at Ryoanji to the faintly preposterous Golden Pavilion at Kinkakuji, which is, as the name suggests, covered in… Continue reading Karesansui, Kinkakuji