Aku Aku

j-town, sf

Stopped in japantown to buy a phonecard so Mie can call her parents back in Tokyo. Got some red beans + shaved ice + ice cream combo. Pictured are the Hello Kitty store and a fish in an indoor koi pond. Happy new year all! Probably no pics from tonight as I'm sure the lighting will be too low. I wonder if they'll come out with a low light camera model sometime? It seems like most of the fun things I want to photograph happen in low lighting.

-- Dav via Danger Hiptop [home]

corruption starts early

Somehow I, the 35 year old bachelor, find myself babysitting a 3 and 1 year old. Well actually I'm mostly playing with toys and staring aghast at the consumer-propoganda known as the Barbie "Bank with Me" Savings Bank ATM Machine, while Mie does most of the babysitting. "Thank you. It's lots of fun banking with Barbie!"
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Dav via Danger Hiptop
http://www.danger-island.com/dav/

air courier: israel III

Just got back from Israel a couple of hours ago. Man, what a crazy story this is going to be when I have time to type it up.

Note: this post was originally on blogger.com

green apple books

Stopped by the well regarded Green Apple used book store on Clement Street (The 'real' San Francisco Chinatown) with lovely Mie who got in from Japan yesterday. Managed to escape with only two book purchases, which I can throw in my to-read queue which is already about a dozen deep. As the handwritten sign in the store said: "so many books, so little time."


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Dav via Danger Hiptop
http://http://www.danger-island.com/dav/

hunkabutta gallery

I figured I should do a post exclusively about HunkaButta.com. I stumbled on this guy's site while doing a google image search for a photograph of crowded Tokyo train so I could use it for the banner at Tokyo Tidbits (and he had a lot to choose from). It is a blog about a gaijin's life in Tokyo containing an abundance of photographs, mostly potrait shots. The quality of his images are consistently superb. Take a look at his (self described, I assume) Best of Year One Gallery

politics of consumption

A good article on The New Politics of Consumption, found via hunkabutta.com.

Of course, many Americans retained a critical stance toward our consumer culture. They embody that stance in their daily lives-in the ways they live and raise their kids. But the rejection of consumerism, if you will, has taken place principally at an individual level. It is not associated with a widely accepted intellectual analysis, and an associated critical politics of consumption.

But such a politics has become an urgent need. The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 years ago. Work requires longer hours, jobs are less secure, and pressures to spend more intense. Consumption-induced environmental damage remains pervasive, and we are in the midst of widespread failures of public provision. While the current economic boom has allayed consumers' fears for the moment, many Americans have long-term worries about their ability to meet basic needs, ensure a decent standard of living for their children, and keep up with an ever-escalating consumption norm.

Personally, I've been working 15 hour days for over a week now, and I'll do the same today and probably tomorrow before taking a break for a few days because lovely Mie is coming from Tokyo for a visit.

Merry Consuming!

telegraph avenue street fair

Driving around with my housemate to enjoy what may be the last sunny day for months and stumbled across a street fair near UC Berkeley. Lots of cool crafts for sale.

The colorful bottles are filled with this groovy swirly crystalball-ish liquid that glows in the dark. The guy who makes them has a website: www.swirlees.com

I'm starting to understand how to use this camera. You need lots of light, close-up shots and visually non-busy subject matter. It's a learning process.

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Dav via Danger Hiptop

thai brunch in berkeley

This is the weekly Sunday brunch at the Thai Cultural center near the Ashby BART station in Berkeley, CA. This is center is where local residents of Thai descent have classes and so forth which teach their american-born children and others about Thai culture. The food is authentic, delicious and fairly inexpensive! Occasionaly they put on performances during brunch with traditional costumes and music. It's been a favorite of mine for many years.

-- Dav via Danger Hiptop

technical difficulties

Just a little FYI to the rest of the world, the United States of America is experiencing Technical Difficulties

san francisco cityscape

A break in the storm. El nino must be taking El nap-o... -- Dav via Danger Hiptop