30 November 2010

The eco-points

So, it's the final day of November. Tomorrow is first day of December. I heard there are many customers in electronics retailers in Japan.

Well, I don't have any plan to buy something that are selling in these electronics retailers, then I didn't go to these shops these days... There were many customers in electronics retailers, because the eco-points will be down by half from tomorrow.

The eco-points is the Japanese government's policy to boost the purchase of eco-friendly home electronics goods such as digital TVs and air-conditioners. I think, many people bought these electronics goods and got the eco-points.

Thank you.
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29 November 2010

Ryomaden final

I'm a big fun of Ryomaden (龍馬伝). It's the NHK's period drama for this year. They broadcast the period drama every year and they call it "Taiga drama(大河ドラマ)". NHK started to broadcast the period drama in 1963 and Ryomaden is the 49th period drama. They are treating Japanese history in drama, we can enjoy specified person and incident in their period drama. Usually, the period drama start in January and end in December.

Ryomaden is the story about Ryoma Sakamoto(坂本龍馬) who realised Taiseihoukan(大政奉還) which Tokugawa shogun returned his political power to the emperor. It was the story in end of Edo era(江戸時代), in 1867. I think, he is one of the most famous contributor who made modern Japan.

BTW, I think I watched all of episodes of the Ryomaden (of course, I sometimes recorded when I had another schedule). This is my first time to watch whole story of the period drama. I was not interested in history before, but these days I could change my mind. Now I'm so interested in history especially between end of Edo era and end of World War 2. Then I could enjoy the period drama for this year.

Yesterday, they broadcasted the final episode of Ryomaden. Of course, I watched it on TV. Some people say the breaking news telop that about the election was really annoying, but I think it's all right because there are no choice. They are national public broadcasting organization, and that was their duty, I think.

Anyway, I hope the period drama for next year will be interesting one.

Thank you.
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26 November 2010

AOZORA photo aid exhibition


Last Saturday, I visited Yoyogi park (代々木公園) to see AOZORA photo aid exhibition. I didn't know this event until my friend told me in October. AOZORA photo aid exhibition is out of doors photo exhibition that started in 2006. The photo exhibition hold twice in each year, I heard.

They are selling post card and work, the sales of exhibition is donating to several organizations such as Friendensdorf international. I visited 9th AOZORA photo exhibition. There were many photos and I could meet some photographers there.

I could talk a little with organizer of this photo exhibition. Now, I'm planning to join this event next time. If you interested, please visit their web site from http://www.aozora.us

Thank you.
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25 November 2010

the Tsukuba challenge 2010


Last Thursday and Friday, I joined the Tsukuba challenge 2010. It's the real world robot challenge. Autonomous robots run in the real world and to access the goal.

Well, I didn't join the event as developer of the robot, but I joined the event as supporter. My friend developed the robot and optimized it to this event.

This year's course was 1.1 km long. The robot must run whole course safely. There are many pedestrians in the course, then the robot must steer not to collide these pedestrians. 

On Thursday's challenge, the robot must pass the check point at 240-meters point to join the Friday's challenge. We had 2 challenge to pass the 240-meters point. Our robot could pass the point at the second challenge. That means our robot could join the Friday's challenge.

On Friday, our robot couldn't pass even the 240-meters point that the robot could pass on Thursday. Our robot couldn't run out, but we could enjoy it. There were many robot with humor and great decoration. Also, 7 team could run out finally. I think, they are great!

If you want to apply the challenge next year, the organizer would hold the Tsukuba challenge again I think, so you should check their web site. You can check these information from http://www.ntf.or.jp/challenge/index.html.

Thank you.
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24 November 2010

Too busy to write

Last week, I couldn't post any article except last week's Monday. While I couldn't update my blog, I was in a busy week... I went to Tsukuba on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I will write what did I do in Tsukuba, later. Also, this weekend, I went to AOZORA photo exhibition. Well, I'll write about that later too.

Yesterday, I could take time. Then I changed my blog design. How do you think about that?

Thank you.
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15 November 2010

Crash

Last Thursday, my laboratory's laptop PC have crashed. Well, there are some codes that I didn't save to my flash drive. I need to talk about my research today.

So, I needed to rebuild some code and run them. I spent this weekend to rebuild some codes, run them and gather these data. Mostly I could do that until today's meeting, but I think I needed to gather more data.

Anyway, I've got that I should save some data and codes into external storage as many as possible. Because I cannot access to my codes while I wrote in this two weeks. Also, I should choose 'right' PC. 'Right' PC means not cheap one. I seriously think so now.

Thank you.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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12 November 2010

movie movie movie


I was waiting that the iTunes movie rental will start in Japan. And finally they started their services in Japan too. I've never rental or purchase the movie on iTunes yet. But I will do that soon, I think.

I felt the price is a little expensive than other rental services (not online) such as TSUTAYA (the most famous rental service in Japan). But I think, I will use that because I can watch it anywhere with my iPhone and my MacBook. Maybe, I should buy Apple TV to watch these movies on TV too. lol

I think, I'm swaying by the promotion of Apple. lol

Thank you.
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11 November 2010

11th November

I couldn't send the video on top yesterday. Then I couldn't post well last night. This article is the article for 11th November.

11th November is the day of Pocky and Pretz. Pocky and Pretz are both Glico's snack. They are promoting that 11th November is "day of Pocky and Pretz". Well, my junior fellows started to collect money to buy Pocky and Pretz. According to them, they want to domino topple and need more Pocky and Pretz.

Finally, they collected more than 10,000 JPY (about 121 USD). They bought 50 boxes of Pretz and 75 boxes of Pocky. That's crazy! lol

You can check the domino topple with these boxes on top. Well, it's funny and I took and edited the video with my iPhone 4.

Also, you can check the video from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBSF3ZRBZqc.

Thank you.
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10 November 2010

Cocoa vs hot chocolate.

I don't know the difference between cocoa and hot chocolate. I think, it have different taste, but some of my friend think it's same.
Please tell me the difference, if you know.

Thank you.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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09 November 2010

Design Festa vol.32


Yesterday, I couldn't write about "Design Festa Vol.32" because I couldn't take much time to organize my photos that I took at Design Festa Vol.32. Now I'm ready to post about the "Design Festa Vol.32". Then I'll write about that.

It was first time to join such an art event and I could learn a lot of things. Also, I could talk with many talented people there. I'm studying in electronics engineering at the college and I've never studied about design or art seriously. And I didn't have any chance to talk or meet with these people until this weekend.

There were many people. Illustrators, photographers, performers, singers, craft potters and so on. I could enjoy to watch these people's works, and talk with these people.

It was first time to join the event, but I felt it's like high-quality giant school festival. Of course, it's not school festival, but there are some college students. Especially, there were some students of art schools. I was so stimulated from these works and now I'm thinking to start something related to these works. Also, if I have chance, I wanna join such events.

Thank you.
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08 November 2010

Lotte

I joined "Design Festa vol.32" as I wrote on Friday. I could enjoy this weekend's art event "Design Festa vol.32" and I could take many photos there. Also I was stimulated from new and humorous ideas that I met at Design Festa.

Well, I want to write about this, but I couldn't take much time to organize my photos that I took during the event. So, I'm going to write about another thing. "Japan Series".

I wrote about "Japan series" and you can check about that from my last month's article "Nippon Series(http://masaya-09-11.blogspot.com/2010/10/nippon-series.html)". So, if you want to know about that, please check the article.

This weekend game 6 and game 7 were hold in Nagoya dome. Fortunately, both games were broadcasted by Fuji TV. But I couldn't watch both game because I was on the train. I was checking the game on my iPhone while I was waiting for train and while I was riding on the train.

The result was Chiba Lotte Marines won game 7 and became the champion of this year's Japan Series. Well, I'm happy because I was rooting for Chiba Lotte Marines during Japan series. I hope I can watch exciting games next season too!

Thank you.
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05 November 2010

Design Festa

I've got several invitations for photo exhibitions and art events. This weekend, I will join one of these events. Art Event Design Festa. That is the name of the event that I'm going to join this weekend.

The event will be hold in Tokyo Big Sight. And entrance fee is 1,000 JPY (one day pass). If you are in Tokyo and if you have extra time, please visit the event!

More information, please visit Design Festa's official web page from here.

Thank you.
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04 November 2010

Tokyo Big Six Baseball League

Yesterday was the final game of Tokyo Big Six Baseball League. (Waseda University vs Keio University) Tokyo Big Six Baseball League is an intercollegiate baseball league features six universities in Tokyo. University of Tokyo (東京大学), Hosei University (法政大学), Rikkyo University (立教大学), Meiji University (明治大学), Keio University (慶応大学) and Waseda University (早稲田大学). Well, I'm not student in such universities...

The final game was Waseda University vs Keio University and that was the first time in 50 years. They are rival and attract the most attention, we call it Sokei-sen (早慶戦). In Waseda University, there is the famous pitcher Yuki Saito (斎藤佑樹) aka the Handkerchief Prince (ハンカチ王子). So, the game attract more attention than just the Sokei-sen(早慶戦). A sell crowd of some 36,000 packed in Tokyo's Jingu Stadium(神宮球場) to watch the game. I felt the game attract more attention than the game of Nippon series that now holding in Chiba.

Well, the Waseda University won the game and became the champion of this season's Tokyo Big Six Baseball League. Anyway, Yuki Saito will play in Nippon Ham Fighters from next season.

Thank you.
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02 November 2010

Organizing photos


There are many many printed photos that I took in past several years.  Mostly they are photo that I took with my Canon AE-1 old fashioned SLR camera. (of course, it's not digital camera)

When I started to use Nikon's D60 DSLR camera, I became a person who don't print out photos. Because I can check these photos easily with digital devices such as MacBook, iPhone and my camera itself. So, there are not so many printed photos that I took with my DSLR. Then most of printed photos that I have are taken with my SLR camera.

These days, I got some invitations related to art events. (I'll announce one of them on Friday) In such situation, I need to choose photos from my entire photo library. But sometimes, I want to share these printed photos.

There was one big problem that I had.

I didn't organize these printed photos these years... And I felt I need to organize these printed photos. (If I can, I want to digitalize these printed photos, someday)

I believed that I could finish organizing these printed photos soon, but... I started to do that from 21.00, but I'm still working. Well, I need more time to organize all of these photos...

Thank you.
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01 November 2010

College festival under the storm


This weekend was my college's festival. I couldn't join the festival on Saturday due to other event, but I heard the festival was halt at noon because of typhoon attack. I went the festival on Sunday. It was raining temporarily, but all of events were hold on schedule, I think.

It was the 42nd college festival, and I heard it was the first time to halt in the history.

Anyway, I could enjoy the festival. The photo on top is the curry that I ate on Sunday. The left one is normal curry and right one is "challenge" curry. The "challenge" curry was extremely hot. I couldn't eat them all... (My friend ate this.) I don't want to try that again... lol

Thank you.
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