Please Do It At Home: Don't scratch your skin to a bloody pulp on the train...
I felt sorry for the guy at first, with such obviously bad eczema or whatever it was, but this three-minute clip is just part of a 20-minute ride in which he didn't stop raking his skin to pieces, eating bits of it, flicking other shards onto the floor and generally making everyone in the carriage squirm. It was particularly bad when he wiped the blood off his arms with that nasty-looking towel. It's a tough watch, but see if you can stick it out.
I think he forfeits his right to privacy for that one...
PS If you're curious, the 'Please Do It At Home' thing references these Japanese train ads: http://bit.ly/b3QJrL
Magnetic coupling makes for 2.5Gbps wireless memory cards

Cirque du Soleil leaves town
Circus big tops weren't dismantled like this in my day. Cirque du Soleil brings in the cranes in Harajuku.
Audio: 石焼き芋 / Ishi yaki imo / Stone-baked yams - THE sound of winter in Japan
Everyone knows the trucks cruising the streets of an evening selling these things are a ripoff nowadays, but it's still fun to hear the 石焼き芋 song, then rush out on a cold night to buy one anyway.
New 3D cellphone input technique could destroy the standard touchscreen model used in the iPhone and more
This looks like it has immense potential to replace the standard touchscreen phone - imagine if they can make it track multiple fingers to allow proper typing in mid-air.
Meanwhile, the 3D tracking looks like it should already suit CAD applications and lots more.
Hey, Mr Claus: sure you know the way home tonight?
Keio Bus, thanks for having an unusually seasonal sense of humor...
Given the recent fuss about how Japan is represented in Western media, I'd like to ask, "Is this the real Akihabara?"

I had this Akihabara story lying around with no place to go when I saw the Boing Boing piece ( http://www.boingboing.net/2009/12/14/why-weird-japan-sell.html ) about media tropes and their relevance to the real world, so thought it a nice complement worth publishing, albeit with a considerably narrower focus. You can read it all at the DigitalWorldTokyo link below the charming photo of otaku-supreme, Patrick G, above.
While I agree almost 100 percent with Lisa - I've had similarly unsatisfying experiences with some of the same publications I know she's worked for - I can see the point of view of others, such as Jason here: http://twitter.com/jinki1/status/6715717844
Any thoughts, corrections, offers of work and/or frosty cold beverages?
Japanese diner grows its own salad bar in the restaurant...
Kunitachi Farm is a pretty decent place to eat -- in fact, I just had lunch there as I live almost next door -- but there's a slight 'cooler-than-thou' air some might not get off on. Still, tasty tomatoes...





