Lotusblog

The human body is pretty remarkable. I am just recovering from yesterday’s annual Flounder’s Editors Conference (FEC) during which an astonishing amount of liquor was consumed.
My usual method of recovery involves a cola beverage and a bento; usually tonkatsu or karaage with curry. Today was a diet coke and a karaage curry bento. I feel sated. And I actually do feel better. Kinda.

I keep remembering certain things from yesterday. I remember trying to call Matt (I don’t know what time it was, and I think we certainly hadn’t thought of the time difference) but for some reason not being able to get through. Or maybe we were connected, but were just too drunk to actually realise we had someone at the other end of the line.

Anyway, I am finding it rather difficult to concentrate.

The weekend just gone was definitely one of my top 3 weekends of all time. But it passed by so quickly. I was given a glimpse of paradise and then the doors were slammed in my face. But I guess a glimpse is better than no glimpse, right?

Also became a member of this club which is highly recommended. They’re having a party this weekend, and then closing (and moving) the following week. I look forward to the new venue, and my next visit.

Fuck fuck fuck.
I can’t believe it…my Palm has gone all weird again. I powered it up today and all my data was gone. It was back in its factory default state. So I tried to restore from my backup. But then on the Tungsten, I couldn’t do anything because I was “missing localization files”.

Whatever.

I don’t need this at the moment. I am incredibly busy.

The best decision I made today was to have a beer with my breakfast. I am off today, I have to do domestic stuff, but it’s such a lovely day I decided to make an omelette, and enjoy it on my balcony with a white beer and my iBook.

It’s a pity I only had one beer and one omelette.

A long weekend is coming up- usually long weekends mean nothing to me since I am pretty much working all the time. This time, however, I have decided to take the Saturday, Sunday and Monday off. I am not going to do any work stuff. No responses to work emails. This weekend is dedicated to me. Ha! I even have a special out-of-town visitor to entertain. Should be a fun three days.

Hey, it’ll be lunch time soon. I think I ought to buy some beers.

Yesterday was a lot of fun. The Dieci crew came over for dinner and ended up staying until 02:30. Now that’s what I call a dinner party. Sakata played bossanova on my guitar which totally blew me away. I knew that he could play the guitar, I just didn’t know that he could play the guitar. If you know what I mean. It was the first time that such beautiful melodies were produced by my guitar.

I’m on a train, heading back to Osaka from Kyoto. Just finished watching the movie “Minority Report”, and I have to say, I was pretty impressed.

I seem to remember it getting a pretty bad rap when it was released and a lot of my friends gave it a pretty lukewarm reception, but I really liked it considering it was a huge spectacle with lots of famous people in it. The future aspect of it (of course, with it being set in the year 2054, there was a heavy future aspect) was what most excited me. Silent highways, personal propulsion devices, retina scanners all over town, targeted advertising, talking holograms in shops like the Gap welcoming you back and trying to get you buy more tanktops (or whatever it was you bought the last time you were there). That sort of stuff can *only* come true, surely.

Anyway, I am in a bit of a panic. I have to make pizza dough when I get home, prepare a lasagne, clean my apartment (this is a major job… Take a look at the first post of this blog to get an idea of the state it is in now) and do some work-related stuff before 20:00. I also need to go to the supermarket to buy more ingredients too.

I am listening to the latest Strokes album at the moment- and for a first time listen it is pretty good. I guess this also means that something so familiar the first time you hear it becomes tired pretty quickly. I hope not. It would be nice to have this kicking around the heavy rotation playlist for a few months.

What a spectacular storm.
I just witnessed the amazing lightning show I have ever seen. And as quickly as it came, it passed. We’re now back to clear skies.

Ever have that feeling that is akin to complete panic, a sense of helplessness, being lost and feeling guilty; all at the same time? Like when you realise just how much stuff has to be done in the next 18 hours. And while, ever the optimist, you believe it is possible, wonder how on earth it is going to happen, and where you should start?

No?

Oh, well, forget it then.

Maybe I should a draw a bath, and soak on it.

I tried using my compact binoculars as a zoom lens for the Sony Cyber-shot I am borrowing at the moment. You can see the results yourself, below.
An interesting effect, but nowhere near as good as when I look through the binoculars myself.

Interesting that what the camera sees, and what I see, are two totally different things.
There’s a thought to take out for dinner on this lovely Monday afternoon.

The binocular view

Maybe it was because I was up early.
Maybe it was because I sweated profusely (it was another scorcher in Osaka).
Maybe it was because I had to stop at gm on my way home to have a few beers.

I don’t know what the reason was, but I had to eat something salty. French-fried potatoes and a hamburger seemed as though they were just the ticket. So I stopped off at the world’s most ubiquitous fast food chain and ordered me some food. The last time I did that I felt sick after after I had finished (admittedly, I do tend to go a bit crazy and over-order) and I think I said something like “never again”.

Anyway, today was a repeat of the last time. I came home with my plastic bag full of lard and soda, ate while watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and then the guilt hit me. I think it hit me right about the same time as the nausea. Maybe they time that deliberately.

A few hours have passed, but I can still taste it. Still feel it. Only just, but it is still there.

Never again.

On Friday night I was invited to Disco University- an event being held at Kirin Plaza Osaka. Keiichi Tanaami was DJing and the event was hilarious. I was surprised that most of the people there were under 25. Tanaami was active in the 60’s and 70’s (dare I say that was his peak) but it seems that even now he still has quite a cult following.
Tanaami exhibitions are being held at both KPO and graf media gm, so head down there and taste the Tanaami experience.

Disco Unversity flyer