Armed To The Teeth: Japan Edition

This is what's coming along with me in my man-bag (or murse, if you will):

- Tokyo Metro map
- GoPro w/ stand
- Nikon d90 w/ 18-200mm
- Sunglasses and lightweight gloves
- phone and ear buds
- Money clip/card holder
- Gum and lip balm (chapped lips are no joke in any country)
- Phrasebook (which I will probably never use)

We still haven't really gotten out act together, but the next post will be from Tokyo. Now time to do laundry and pack my suitcase...

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Brother and sister attack Japan...sort of.

Truth be told, it isn't exactly the Lonely Planet when I travel anywhere, which is probably why I don't mind doing tours tours that much. If it weren't for locals or guides I'd probably end up staring at street signs 95% of the time and being mugged the other 5%. The way I see it, if you can find a solid tour/cruise for a cheap price (where you get the low-down from people who actually know what they're talking about and also cover a lot of ground) then it's is a pretty sweet deal.

Everyone travels with different goals though - some people just want to party, some people want to take in the culture - but for me, if I'm flying any sort of great distance, I actually like to sight see while just eating every single thing that I can. For me vacation days have to be spent somewhere else, so I gotta get away whenever I can (thanks Offspring). I also still live with my parents, which gives me a fair bit of financial freedom when it comes to anything, but part of it is also getting away from them (love you Mom & Pops!).

The tour experience definitely isn't for everyone or all traveling situations, but when it comes to foreign countries where it's just you and some other person and nobody speaks English, it can work out better that way. I'm also not that brave.

Honestly, when Kevin and I were touring around Shanghai, at any given point if you were to ask me where we were, my best guess would be "China". If you're the type of person who could probably have their own show on the Travel Channel, please take me with you next time. Serious.

With that said, I still haven't made an itinerary or packed yet...awful. At least the first 3 days of Hotel are booked to get us started, Tokyo here we come.

Now here it a totally unrelated picture from when I ate sushi with the boys earlier this week. The waiter only wanted to give me one but I told him to stop holding me back.

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Honda Civics are still USB magic.

So I made a pretty sweet discovery this morning while driving to work (which accidentally made me get my swurve on like a maniac pimp) and I don't know why I never thought about it before. Other 8th Gen owners are probably still laughing at me right now.

Anyway, back when I was getting my car, I opted out of the ridiculous $358.14 Civic i-Link Kit for your iPod. The fact that I could plug in a USB key and control it through the stereo was a huge step up for me and more than enough anyway. It never crossed my mind to even try and plug an iPod in without the kit. Today, after a bit of a one handed struggle, I ended up plugging it in anyway and almost causing an accident since my phone needed some juice.

To make a short story shorter, if you use your cable to plug your iPod into the USB jack in your center-armrest, then it loads up into your car stereo and you can you can control your music through there. WIN!


FYI, you can cycle through what it actually displays - I just used that to prove I'm not a liar since it's obvious what's going on. In the meanwhile, your iPod displays something about being in connected mode and that it's controlled somewhere else, but you can still use all the other non-music player apps while plugged in. This is the kind of shit stuff that gets me through the week...

And on a totally unrelated note, let's talk about Windows foolishness for a second. THIS stupid setting made me rage all over the office for the past two days. I have no idea how it got activated but imagine how annoying it is when you code and typing in a quotation or apostrophe doesn't work as you would expect. Is it Friday yet?

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Eat Pray Love Vomit

So I could barely get through the Eat portion of this book before it got so ridiculous that I was ready to commit seppuku. Here's a synopsis of the 37% that I read, from a guy who pretty much only reads sci-fi the other 100% of the time.

Oh shit, I should ditch my successful career, condo downtown, house in the Hamptons and loving husband (who just wants to make it all work) for some yoga doing bro-dog because I really just need to concentrate on myself right now. All that and a family who loves me just isn't enough, so I'll use this huge advance from this novel I'm going to write to travel the world, look for attention in other countries, be over dramatic and act all smug. Being rich is great.

Hell, if some publisher wanted to pay me a ton of money to take a 12 month vacation and write about it, then I'd do it too. In my version though it would be called: "Be, Fucking, Awesome," and in it I would spend 4 months traveling across the US doing all the Man vs. Food challenges, 4 months getting ripped in Thailand learning Muay Thai, and then 4 months in Greece loving hot chicks all over the beach. And I wouldn't whine about stuff all the time either. I'm pretty sure people would read that.

Instead though, I'll just have to settle for not being rich, enjoying the weekends and working 49 weeks a year. Oh, and not trying to find a new religion or doing yoga.

I have no idea why girls seem to love this book so much, but that's why I picked it up off my sister's nightstand to find out. I waited like 4 days for the interesting part to kick in, but it never came.



I don't know what else goes on in the book or if it actually gets better but skip it and go watch Jackass 3D (which I saw yesterday (and was awesome!)) instead. Haters gonna hate.

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The flight is booked...

Next stop...



It's Tuesday right now, we leave on Sunday and there's no itinerary as of yet. FYI, that's a one way ticket since we don't even know how long we'll stay. Awesome.

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Looks like I've re-discovered the Fellowship...

The Perry Bible Fellowship that is...and re-read them all. What a blast from the past.

Monday nights *le sigh*, it's gonna be a looong road to vacation-ville.

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So I'm thinking of going on a vacation...

Time to get my act together...

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My take on HAPPY vs. SAD

HAPPY

Jim:	...four years ago, I was just a guy who had a crush on a girl, who had a boyfriend and I had to do the hardest thing that I've ever had to do, which was just to...wait. Don't get me wrong, I flirted with her. Pam, I can now admit in front of friends and family that I do know how to make a photocopy - didn't need your help that many times. And, uh, do you remember how long it took you to teach me how to drive stick?
Pam:	Like a year!
Jim:	I've been driving stick since high school, so...for a really long time that's all I had. Little moments with a girl who saw me as a friend...and...a lot of people told me I was crazy to wait this long for a date with a girl I work with but I think even then I knew that...I was waiting for my wife.

SAD

Two human cancer cells seen just before they divide into four cells, viewed at 100x magnification made by Dr. Paul D. Andrews of the University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland. (Courtesy of Nikon Small World via The Big Picture.



...and that's all I got for Friday...

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GoPro HD Hero - New HD Skeleton Housing

All things considered, the sound quality of the GoPro HD Hero (while in the waterproof housing) is just about what you would expect from any sort of mic enclosed in an air tight plastic box - it gets the job done but leaves something to be desired.

Recently, the company has released a bunch of new accessories including this HD Skeleton Housing, which is basically the standard case with chunks taken out of the side and back. The idea is that in non-extreme situations you can use this case and get access to the ports and enhanced sound recording while still protecting it. I'm no audiologist or anything, but the fact that it has holes all over the place should allow the mic to capture sound better right?

Why did I get it? Well, I'm going on vacation soon and you'd better believe that it's coming with me, win or fail.



If it weren't for the convex lens bulging out from the camera I would use it without any sort of housing, but the idea of scratching it scares the shit out of me.

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KFC Double Down vs. McDonald's McGangbang. Who you got?

In the end, don't we all win? Probably not.



There's been a lot of people trying this lately including me, I thought I'd weigh them in for you/your heart.

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Finally got my free iPhone 4 case: Speck PixelSkin HD

I'm not exactly sure what HD means when it comes to a plastic case, but it's described as having 18 DPI of high-def grip on the box. Sure, what marketing excellence. I'm not exactly up to speed either with the latest in synthetic polymer technology, so I can only describe it as a hard and flexible plastic case that fits well and doesn't pull your pocket inside out.

Anyway, I got it free through the Apple Case Program to fix my non-existent antenna problem, so there's no complaints here (because I love free stuff *wink*wink*gun*gun*). In all seriousness, yeah, the signal can weaken when you death grip the thing but I've never actually dropped a call because of it. But I haven't actually tested this theory yet either because I don't have any friends to talk to.

In any case it's on there for now, but we'll see how long it lasts. Click for the super big image.




Have fun with your low-def grips, suckers.

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Eunuch? That's gross.

You know, Chinese people can make a movie about anything (so long as Andy Lau is in there) and throw Kung Fu in it for good measure. He's not in this one, but when I eventually found out the plot line in Reign of Assassins revolved around some guy body being an eunuch, I think I shit my pants a little. Despite that ridiculous turn of events I'd give it a 6.5/10. It would have been a 7.5 but I had to deduct 1 extra point because mentioning chopping of a guys dick is so not cool.

I probably just spoiled the movie for you, but you'll probably never watch it anyway. Okay, maybe you will because I'm writing about it but...Michelle Yeoh looks great though for her age. Yeah, go with that.

Like any hero or villain, each character has to have their own unique skill - like how mine is to annihilate any conversation mid-sentence and make a situation super awkward - which makes them lady kryptonite a badass.

Anyway, let me introduce you to the Dark Stone Clan who are the bad guys in it...

The Wheel King: sketchy voiced leader of the gang who just happens to train the other members with cruel intentions.


Lei Bin: dude with the mustache I hope to have that fires needles out of every oraface of his body.


Drizzle: hottie with the water shedding sword technique aka fighting with flimsy piece of aluminum.


The Magician: dual sword wielding, technicolor dream coat wearing gangster.


Turquoise: The newest member/femme fatale who can give you the cut eye like nobody's business.


Now go and watch it...or don't.

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Toy Story isn't just for kids...

My Sunday somehow feels broken as I barely got off my back today. I did manage to watch Toy Story 3 though, which was better than I expected. The movie is a real tear jerker. Yeah I said it.



Also watched this - definitely one of the quirkyest/most creative biking videos I've ever seen. I never did any of this on my BMX.



Not looking forward to tomorrow...

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Huge spiders are scary...

If this thing bit me, I'd probably lose a limb.

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Mission: Look pimp tight this ski season = COMPLETE

You'd better check out the Ski, Snowboard and Travel Show at the Ex if you're interested in picking up any sort of gear for this upcoming season. It's also somehow one of the best looking crowds I've ever seen this year, and it's not just because I was there. Let's just say we'll be looking real good this year with the new swag.

Not to mention the travel deals...Let's also just say that the 105mm underfoot powder skis Kevin bought will be put to good use this year as well.



On a different note, I've been watching a lot of mountain biking movies lately. They're apparently highly enjoyable, and the risk of injury seems way higher than in ski videos somehow - which makes them even more intense. Falling on hard compacted dirt and jagged boulders is in no way fun.

The song they used in this trailer is amazing too. Watch it.

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Longboarding...that's different. Maybe I should get into that.

Longboarding seems like something that I might enjoy. I just hope that the damn hipsters don't take it over because (being environmentally friendly) it seems like something they would definitely steal. I already had to give up flannel shirts and my dream of a single speed because of them...

Anyway, check this out - there's some pretty epic footage and the crash reel is pretty brutal interesting. There's quite a build up but the epic starts to kick in at 4:20. Coincidence? Probably not.



Something else to squander my hard earned cash on.

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Hilton Falls is a mediocre ride / probably a good hike

If you like walking your bike and twisting your ankles on jagged rocks then Hilton Falls is for you.



That's actually part of the intermediate trail you're expected to ride. Like seriously, what the hell. By my broad estimation the advanced trail, Rim Bender, is un-ride-able. People actually said to stay away from that so we chickened the shit out wisely avoided it. Our hands were pretty damn full with the blue square trail as it was.

The waterfall (that the place is actually named after) isn't exactly awe inspiring but there were a lot of families out enjoying the camp fire, fresh air and loving the scene. Kids were screaming their heads off and running rampant having a blast.



I can't really think of a nicer way to enjoy the fall colors than blazing down the trail though. Despite the fact that there were only two main bike loops we got lost constantly. The leaves are nice but cover everything up (including stuff you should probably avoid).



When it came to the single track, just pick a direction and go, then turn back if you fall into a creek. Leaves were everywhere but it was so vibrant it was like I was high on LSD. This is fall after all.



There were a couple of pretty long & sketchy bridges - this one took me 5 tries to ride across because of a dip in the middle of the bog.



It wasn't all that bad, but Kelso right across the street is 391 times better (for biking and hiking). Put the $6.25 entrance fee back in your pocket and go there next time.



Is it the weekend yet?

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I'm glad today is a holiday

Things went horribly wrong.

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Bullet For My Valentine @ The Sound Academy, Toronto

It's official I'm sick because of this night right here. Going riding the next day in an attempt to sweat it out didn't work as planned either as I think it just made my body weaker for the sickness to take over.



Anyway, the concert was awesome, the band did like 17 encores and the venue was packed. They pretty much left the stage for like 5 mins each time, then when the cheering got intense enough, came back. Then repeat, repeat, repeat.



I'm pretty sure they turned up the volume a little each time as well since Kevin's ears were still ringing well into the next day.



The mosh pit got pretty disgusting though when more and more people took off their shirts, but good times were had by all (Kevin also got spinning back-fisted in the face, lol).

Turkey, turkey, turkey!

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That's so Raven...I mean Friday.

I'm having a hard time telling whether I'm sick or it's just temporary bodily struggles. Either way I'll be checking out this concert tonight, then riding tomorrow in order to maximize this Thanksgiving long weekend. There's not many nice fall days left before I have to turn to the indoors and stare at girl's bums do cycle-cit at the Y, so you gotta enjoy the weather while it lasts...or something like that. Watch the leaves change, pick some apples with the fam and relax with a cold one - this weekend should be nice.

On a somewhat related note, here's pinkbike's VOM for Sept. Look at that dog run!



TGIF

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Chillin out after work...

Finally a day of non-rain. Still a bit wet but the cool air and relatively empty trails are fine by me.

If you can picture this, after this section of the trail it turns into wide double track, then I cut through U of T Mississsauga Camputs to Erindale Park, ride along the river to hit the Challenge Park and then head back via the "hidden" downhill course, over a couple bridges and back home the same way. It's about a 22km ride.



Not bad considering all I have to do is open my front door in the middle of suburbia. iPhone camera FTW.

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Nuit Blanche 2010...still not impressed

All things considered, I put together a pretty pitiful pathetic disgraceful set from Saturday night. I'm not impressed with a single photo that I took, and kind of wish I left the 2 pound camera at home this year. I honestly didn't bother to bust it out too much among the ridiculously gi-normous crowds. Most of the exhibits were pretty crappy too.

The only good parts about this night were sitting next to Toronto Argos Cheerleaders at dinner (BOOYA!) and getting free AMP Energy drink all night (BOOYA!). I still won't go and watch the Argos though.

I think I put more effort into the actual image captions (which are awesome by the way) than I did all night taking pictures.

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Fix your iPhone 4 YouTube experience - 3G vs Wifi

Do yourself a favor and immediately stop using the YouTube app included on your i-whatever.

By my broad analysis the connection detection through that app, where it determines if you're running wifi or 3g to connect to the internet, sucks. If you're running wifi, you can enjoy the mini-HD goodness of YouTube videos, otherwise it thinks you're running edge or something and by default streams something barely watchable. Imagine the following on your handheld.

3G - weak sauce.

Wifi - []D.[].[]V[].[]D.

Instead of it, use the YouTube mobile site through your browser or the Google app (which just opens it there as well). You'll see that you can choose to stream in HD or not, and the interface ain't that bad either.

Your Rogers 3G can handle it, so sit back and enjoy the show.

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LINE TRAVELING CIRCUS SEASON 3 STARTS NOW

Well like 2 days ago but I was AWOL so... If you have no idea who these guys are go ahead and educate yourself.



This just made Monday night more awesome. They need to turn frame blending off though, lol.

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Just in case you didn't think the Red Bull Rampage was intense enough...

The Claw nearly ate it right off the bat and only got 3rd for his efforts.



Serious case of the Mondays going on here...

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Life is exhausting

Nuit Blanche set me up for 100% fail today. I was supposed to go on this boat cruise at 8:30am with the sis and my cos to take in the fall colours, but because of how extreme last night was neither of us were able to get up early make it out. I pretty much spent today being lazy taking in three a few movies and lying around relaxing. My sister literally just left now to go brave the elements and buy us our first real meal of the day...

However, I did manage to watch some of the Red Bull Rampage streaming live on the interweb. I actually downloaded the Red Bull app and watched it through that, and despite the douchebag announcers the app quality was great and I still enjoyed it.

Here's a little of what went down. Imagine the following stretched images in the palm of your awesome hand.

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Send it.

Still playing around with the new phone and I have to say that I'm impressed with the camera and speed but not at all with the battery life and signal strength. Maybe it's because I've been using the thing non-stop or have no idea how much life it burns keeping a 3G signal, but it's weak sauce.




And now for something completely not pedestrian. Go ahead and send it.



Off to Nuit Blanche...

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Nuit Blanche 2010 - Here we come.

Nuit Blanche is tomorrow night and I can probably say that after I go to it this year it has become a tradition.

It's probably one of the busiest pedestrian traffic days in Toronto of the year, but actually it's pretty fun to wander around amongst huge crowds of camera-toting people to check the scene. It's also one of the most difficult times to try and meet up with anyone ever. Seems like we have a 0% success rate meeting up with anyone because we're all idiots everyone is constantly on the move.

Stop for a minute, people watch and take a sip of that mickey that you probably have stashed in your jacket while you wait for me to arrive.

The bars open later, the fall air is crisp and there's lots to see. Bust out your walking shoes and dust of the SLR - it should be an interesting night.

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