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from PS1.org


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by floorvan via flickr


Saw the James Turrell installation for the first time at PS1. It's definitely an awe inspiring piece. As you enter this square room, you feel the crisp air right away and as you look up you realize there's no ceiling. The beautiful blue sky framed by white walls. That's it. It's an ethereal experience. Hard to articulate the delight. Here's the description from PS1's site:



"One of the highlights of P.S.1, this site-specific installation has been at P.S.1 since the fall of 1986. It was initially part of a series commissioned by Alanna Heiss focusing on light and perception. Meeting is composed of a square room with a rectangular opening cut directly into the ceiling. Carefully calculated artificial lights produce an orange glow on the white walls of the room, permitting the viewer to appreciate the intensity of the sky’s color. As Turrell described it: “There’s this four-square seating that’s inside, seating toward each other, having a space that created some silence, allowing something to develop slowly over time, particularly at sunset. Also, this Meeting has to do with the meeting of space that you’re in with the meeting of the space of the sky.” Meeting is one of Turrell’s series of “skyspaces,” all involving enclosed spaces with rectangular or rounded holes cut into the ceiling exposing the open sky."





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Just finished watching the keynote address at MacWorld where they introduced the iPhone. I will readily admit that I drink the kool aid when it comes to Apple products but this introduction really excited me. As Steve Jobs professed, it's a leap forward that feels just as monumental as the introduction of the Mac and the iPod. I've felt the same delight when I first got hands on those two ground breaking products and I can't wait to get my hands on the iPhone, too.


Here are the innovations (link). I'm especially impressed with the "Multi Touch" technology where hey eliminated all dedicated buttons. This you have to see to believe. I remember watching the Spielberg film "Minority Report" where they had those touch screens that Tom Cruise kept rearranging... I realized that this is that future. Like the mouse or the idea of an mp3 player, Apple did not invent the touch screen technology, but they made it into a "how did I ever live without it?" feature. Genious.


Well enough gushing. I'm probably only the 8329th Apple fan boy who's blogged about his excitement over this brand new toy but hey, it's a good day to be a geek.

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In my haste to be first in line for the just announced Apple TV, I put in a search and these cute TVs appeared (link) Oh well, not what I was expecting but adorable. I wonder if this company (Hannspree?) speed dialing their lawyers?




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The inventor of instant ramen Momofuku Ando died today. For better or worse, he changed the eating habits of millions of people when he launched the Nissin Chicken Ramen in 1958. Here's the article link from Yomiuri Shinbun. I'm sure many otakus and college students are raising their styrofoam bowls in his honor.


A few cool ramen sites: ramen blog, world ramen.net, Instant Ramen Facts, and a nice tribute to the art of ramen on the nytimes.


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Nine Lincolns, Hodgenville, Kentucky (2000) by Greta Pratt

On display at Mass MOCA which quickly became one of my favorite museums today.

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Well, it's that time of the year again. Time to gather around the family table by the tree and share a traditional... bucket of KFC. Yes, if you're in Japan, that's often the case. And if you actually want to make sure you come home with that Colonel Sanders bucket with a Santa hat, you better reserve it weeks in advance.


It's the one story about Christmas in Japan I tell my friends that seem to get the most looks of disbelief so I'll share it here. Apparently this seemingly odd (but perfectly accepted in Japan) phenomenon started in 1974 as KFC started its first Christmas marketing campaign. Back then, the Japanese didn't eat fried chicken the way Americans do nor did they celebrate Christmas as widely either. The newly introduced fast food chain saw an opportunity to create enthusiasm around both after a regional manager took a hint from a foreigner in Tokyo commenting "Since I can't get a turkey in Japan, I'll get some chicken at KFC for Christmas." Imagine a TV commercial of a "typical" American family gathered around a Norman Rockwell Christmas eve, complete with tree, fireplace, stockings, reindeer sweaters and of course, a bucket of KFC on the table. This image resonated on Japanese minds and soon the red and white bucket became a staple in Japanese homes.


Here's the link to the current commercial on air in Japan. (link)


Happy Holidays everyone. Hope you're enjoying your bucket of KFC, where ever you are.




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Wonderful set of COLOR photos before world war II. It's so eye opening to see the world we know so well in black and white now in vivid color. Great collection jonnygunn!.


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Vintage America in Kodachrome Color.: "


Link - via reddit

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(Via Neatorama.)






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Here's a great way to keep track of how much chocolate you're eating (or would you rather not know?) If only potato chips came with such information...

How many calories have you eaten?: "

Choco_calorie



From Italian ADF (Agencia per il Disegno & la Funzione) via via Coolfinds via Elmanco.

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(Via swissmiss.)






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Fascinating to see the world's obsession to be the tallest. I thought the race was pretty much over after 9/11 but seems to be a lot more sprouting up to the atmosphere. Check out this article on Wired and the details of the diagram above.




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I have to admit, I'm a sucker for cute puppy and kitten sites. If you are, too, then this blog will delight you twice over. (link) The blog is called "Chiwawa to Tora Neko" (the Chihuahua & the Tabby) Apparently Rin (the dog) and Masamune (the cat) are just such good friends that they can't get enough of each other. I've seen cats and dogs that tolerate each other for the sake of keeping truce, but these guys really seem to like each other. And hats off to blogger, Sayu as she seem to really have a keen sense of capturing the right moment. For those of you who don't read Japanese, the captions on the photos are mostly sound effects (Grrrr, pitter pater, etc) and bumbling thoughts (whaaat? Hmnnnn! Tuna!)


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Check out this cool mash up "Sure Side of Fame" by the immensely talented The Arbiters. An amazing mix of David Bowie, Biggie Smalls, Lou Reed and Tupac. Sounds messy? These guys make it sound elegant. Other mash ups feature M.I.A., Beyonce, Marvin Gaye and many many more. Follow the link on the site to download mp3 versions... they're certainly cranking on my iPod all the time.


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Check out this blog filled with quiet beauty in and around temples in Kyoto (link). These shots below titled "Autumn Rain" gets me in to the mood for the season.

Autumn Rain: "










(Via http://easykyoto.exblog.jp">Spice of Life 京の街角.)



These postcards with worlds filled with idealism and saturated colors makes me wanna jump into a time machine and soak it all in. Check out more photos from the flickr link below.


vintage postcards: "

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(Via swissmiss.)



Click on the link to see golf balls impacting everyday things like a birthday cake, jello and a cantaloupe. I'm not sure if it appeals to the average empty nesting golfer but perhaps they're aiming for a younger crowd. Either way, it's mesmerizing to watch.

Nike Golf: Juice: "

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(Via Random Culture.)



Saw a film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Quite an affecting film. The messages he seem to convey are somewhat heavy handed at times but all the characters were very sympathetic and kept the story alive and interesting. Especially an accomplishment considering that there were so many main characters in the film. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Mohamed Akhzam, Gael García Bernal, Rinko Kikuchi, Kôji Yakusho and they were all commanding performances. Check out this NYT review as well (link)


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Take a look at this thought provoking film about our perceptions of beauty. Being in the business of manipulating images myself, it's definitely a sobering reminder how much we influence people's self esteem. I think it's a smart effort and I hope it gets a lot of buzz. Check out Dove's site (link) with e-cards and mission statements.

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Finally, a new network TV show that I can start loving. Check out the latest episodes here.

Fascinating clip where these smart ravens in Japan has figured out ways to use modern technology to help them eat. Narrated by David Attenborough .

Clever ravens.: "







via Ursi’s Blog


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(Via Neatorama.)






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A vacuum cleaner that kids can ride on. What a great idea. Sure beats the duster slippers for cats.

buster vacuum cleaner for kids: "

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(Via cocolio)



(Via swissmiss.)




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[all photos by Minmin]


If you saw these beautiful bento boxes in a glossy Japanese cook book, professionally made, styled and shot, you might say it looks great but who would actually go through the trouble of making them in real life? Well, would you believe that this Tokyo mom makes (and shoots) these beautiful lunches for her high school daughter? Check out more of these beautiful bentos created by Minmin, artfully displayed on her Fotolog pages (link).


A good bento is a perfect universe of foods all by itself. A little bit of everything that adds up to a delightful experience. Bentos made by moms are especially romantic notions in the Japanese mind. Everyone's got their own tonkatsu sauce scented memory of the perfect packed lunch of their childhood. Nothing says "I love you" more than mom delicately drawing a happy face with ketchup on a mini round omelet. Right? Or is it just me?


But I would imagine it's more an art of the past at this point. I can't imagine many moms getting up hours earlier to make these daily masterpieces, especially in the age of decent 7-Eleven bought bentos and frozen microwavable "pre portioned for bentos" vegetables/meats at supermarkets.


More reasons to keep checking back to Minmin's daily creations.



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