• 08:33 Feel like shit. Also frustrated that I've not heard back about AwesomeSauce job. #
• 12:10 Didn't get the awesome British Hills job. They said I could apply again when they recruit next, so I'll probably do that. Disappointing tho #
• 14:32 Welppp, looks like I'm staying on as an elementary school teacher in Tochigi, either in Nikko, or some other small town near Utsunomiya. #
• 17:48 @ShaneSakata Do you know anything about Tochigi? Specifically, what living in Tochigi is like? I got a job, but I've never been there! #
• 19:57 ok guys, stupid question: how do I pack? :< #
• 20:17 Another question: How much do 引越 services tend to cost? #
• 21:23 @nikimurata okey dokey, i'll keep that in mind! #
• 21:24 @squampton Toyama->Tochigi. It's not exactly next door! I don't have furniture to move tho, just stuff, so moving service may be overkill. #
• 21:30 @squampton i have my own car, but it's small. i think I could probably fit all my shizzle in a cube van, or a largish familyvan. may do that #
• 21:31 @ShaneSakata I didn't wanna say anything, cuz you were helping me and I didn't want to seem ungrateful :X Thanks for broadcasting, btw! #
• 21:39 @squampton cool, i'll keep that in mind! #
• 22:32 @dancingpuppet yup yup. now come help me pack D: #

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• 12:11 Survived welcome weekend, somehow. Made it down the mountain, to Takaoka, and back home before the hangover kicked in. #
• 12:21 Received a #postcrossing postcard from United Kingdom - bit.ly/yRDfD #
• 12:23 Received a #postcrossing postcard from Finland - bit.ly/6ml7a #
• 20:16 Can't cool down. Hot everywhere. Even aircon on full blast can't make it comfortable. What the fuck. #

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• 11:06 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to Finland #
• 11:06 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to Taiwan #
• 11:44 @todmaffin there is! try this one? www.fivemushrooms.com/ #

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the last two weeks, in reverse order



( Read more... )

• 00:23 meebo's mail notification is unreliable, which is disappointing. #
• 07:36 What the shit, i go to bed, and when I wake up Farrah Fawcett is dead and Michael Jackson is probably dead. What? #
• 08:26 @dj_damien "Michael JAckson, King of Pop, Bilked Britain For Millions Then DIED. THAT UNGRATEFUL, INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLE" ??? #
• 08:45 CNN collapsed the waveform. The King is dead, and Princes Michael I and II are too young to ascend the throne. WHO IS THE REGENT OF POP? #
• 09:14 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to United Kingdom #
• 09:14 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to Germany #
• 11:18 @oh_k whenever i see your tweets, I can't help but read OKAY at the start. "OKay, RIP Michael Jackson, big ups to dead ppl, yeah groovy!!" #
• 14:41 @dj_damien Are you Canada-bound? #
• 14:44 @dj_damien Well, I knew you were SOMETIME, just didn't know if today was the day or not. Have a ham and cheese sammich at Timmy's for me :( #
• 15:03 @dj_damien wait, is that how long a London-Vancouver flight is? I guess it's the same as Japan-Toronto, looking at a map, I guess. #
• 15:30 @dj_damien 4 hours? Draconian anti-freedom bastards! #
• 15:36 @dj_damien Funny how you travel from London, known around the world for rain, to Vancouver, known around the world for rain. #
• 15:37 It's 35C in the staffroom right now. #
• 18:22 Received a #postcrossing postcard from Singapore - bit.ly/xRwt7 #
• 18:24 @dj_damien i fucking lol'd. #
• 18:26 Received a #postcrossing postcard from Finland - bit.ly/d45C5 #
• 18:27 Received a #postcrossing postcard from Finland - bit.ly/yQ7Pp #
• 18:28 Received a #postcrossing postcard from Belarus - bit.ly/JHwv8 #
• 20:21 @fuse2dx hahaha nigeria is trollin' #
• 23:00 @ShaneSakata I see the Marines didn't do so hot tonight :X #

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• 08:44 RT @cnnbrk: Obama administration rescinding July 4th invitations to Iran diplomats <-- OH, THAT WILL CERTAINLY SHOW THEM! WAY TO BE TOUGH! #
• 12:20 @ghostfreeman Is that code for flying to Argentina for a tryst with your lover? #
• 13:45 oh god, hanshin tigers fans. ceremony at some shrine with the colonel sanders statue recovered from the river in osaka, to purge the curse #
• 15:54 @stephenfry I shot fizzy drinks out of my nose when i read the mein Handy comment, you, you tv presenter you! #
• 16:02 @ShaneSakata I'd never heard of Diddlefinger, but it seems like a superhandy site for tourists and new residents. Gonna tell ppl I know. #
• 17:04 Guys guys, Digsby has pissed me right the fuck off. Suggest another multi-IM client, please. #
• 19:32 Explain to me what, exactly, makes an inconspicuous helix piercing that it takes normal people years to notice "unprofessional". #
• 19:33 Also explain to me what makes a tie, that most useless and annoying of accessories, "professional"? More like "hazardous annoying crap". #
• 19:33 Pro-tip: "That's just how it is" is not an acceptable answer. EVER. #
• 19:34 @RattMice Video drivers, video cooler, power supply. Overheating will cause corruption like that, as will a failing power supply oftentimes #
• 21:28 @dnuchereno I don't... I don't know what that means. But YEAAAAH!!!! #
• 23:09 @ghostfreeman i always have a browser open, so it's cool. only annoyance is that mail notifications only go away if you double click them #
• 23:12 trying meebo, but, of course, no one is online to talk to ._. #
• 23:34 @bain2 what can you not do on your android?! #
• 23:37 @digsby the one where it fucks my sound customizations, and then, when i follow the tips on the forum, DOESN'T PLAY SOUND AT ALL. OH WAIT! #
• 23:40 @digsby Way to not understand the point. #
• 23:40 @bain2 :<! #

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• 08:26 @ShaneSakata I've been to #13. It's pretty cool outside. The grounds are nice, and there's lots of little statues. Don't bother climbing it! #
• 10:07 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to Netherlands #
• 10:48 Another reason I can't go back to Ontario. bit.ly/uBdcr #
• 12:02 "We are very sorry that you do not offer you the job this time." I DO NOT THINK YOU ARE SORRY AT ALL! #
• 12:15 @r4v5 I didn't understand anything beyond 'shower'. #
• 14:27 It's nearly fucking July -- when the fuck is someone gonna get the stick out of their ass and tell me about my replacement? #
• 15:05 @bain2 better than being unemployed and having to go the land of no booze, no public drinking, no garbage collection, and buttloads of snow. #
• 15:39 @stephenfry You don't strike me as a speed demon. Am I wrong? I guess we'll see. #
• 15:40 I think I was just offered a job. #
• 16:31 @bain2 i'd rather not go into details until i have a signed contract. I've already said too much -- the universe may smack me for it. #
• 16:37 @ghostfreeman bit.ly/ViMVL
  This is relevant to your interests perhaps. #
• 17:31 time to scan some film #
• 21:32 lmfao, jo brand circa 1992 is a bit dykish #

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I bought a disposable camera (that is, lens-attached film in Japanese) from Muji, but it's not actually Muji, it's just Muji-branded (unbranded? disenbranded?) FujiFilm disposable.  I've been taking pictures with it since uhhh February, and finally finished it up, so I've gotten them processed.  I asked the lab to not do any post-processing on the prints, but they did, and it was horrible, so I scanned the negatives myself.  I then edited some of them, but most of them are exactly as they came out of the camera, other than straightening or cropping.

LET US ENJOYING.

( oooooooo )

Such is how the film camera looks. Rather nice, actually, I shall have to buy another one, and actually try to put thought into my composition. Also, give more thought to the location of my sausage-like fingers (they appeared in several pictures -_-).

• 08:35 Demo class today. Drinking party tonight, though. Probably going to be fucking nabe though. Nabe in June?! KY! #
• 09:10 I WISH PEOPLE WHO I HAVE UNFOLLOWED ON TWITTER WOULD STOP APPEARING IN MY FUCKING TIMELINE. #
• 09:18 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to Australia #
• 10:32 time for demo class -_____________- #
• 12:05 RT @wikileaks: Exploit code for China's "Green Dam" Censorship system; permits remote control of any Chinese PC bit.ly/Zjg7f #
• 13:19 Received a #postcrossing postcard from U.S.A. - bit.ly/XCHpw #
• 18:34 surprise deep-fried whale upsets me. warn a brother so he can make an informed decision. - twitpic.com/86dur #
• 20:52 @bain2 it did, but that's not the point. if they had said 'this is whale, try it', i would have. but it was like 'here is deepfried, gogo' #
• 20:55 @bain2 fromunda cheese looks a little like hard boiled egg yolk. #
• 20:55 i has too many pictures to process etc. #
• 21:08 man, The Supersizers is awesome #
• 21:19 @dj_damien do not want! #

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• 12:06 Navi lied. 4hrs to destination? Try 3! Ridiculously early for interview now. #
• 12:10 Taping tape and the taping tapers who tape them. - twitpic.com/82n5q #
• 14:47 interview ended in 15 minutes. shortest of the 3 i was around for. no 'we'll let you know by ____', so prolly failed. #
• 17:50 every fucking michi no eki is closed today, so i can't even buy omiyage. fucking fuckity fuck. : #
• 20:33 home. (shrug) Torrential rain and monkey dodging over for now. #
• 21:54 motherfuckin' Top Gear wooooooooooooooo #

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• 00:28 @qikipedia What about the Japanese fashion of low jeans with button undone, zipper half down, shirt deeply tucked, belt holding it together? #
• 18:52 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to U.S.A. #
• 20:16 friggin' hot, headachy, bleh. interview in nagano tmrw. #
• 22:43 Off to Nagano in the morning. 4h, 6500yen via Niigata on the highway, or 4h, 1600yen directly through the mountains, and one short toll road #

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• 01:18 Aoki Sayaka is on TV tasting water with someone who looks like Mizushima Hiro, but isn't? Anyway, she looks different than she used to. #
• 08:21 breakfast. friggin' Saturday work bullshit. - twitpic.com/7ujqb #
• 08:42 @r4v5 wat #
• 15:52 @ghostfreeman omg what is that i don't even. #
• 17:37 OkCupid! just matched me... with myself. But I'm only a 96% match? What? #
• 19:31 exhausted after a day of silly work. too pooped to go out. tonami smells of boiled taters. #
• 20:45 Watching OLD HIGNFY. John Prescott had a toilet mishap on a toilet in 1990; perhaps it scarred him emotionally. Explains his expenses. #
• 21:29 Received a #postcrossing postcard from Hong Kong - bit.ly/BWNJg #
• 22:33 @ShaneSakata Yokohama Tanmen GETS. #

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I had to work today! D:  But it was to watch the English club cook desserts.

Apparently, it was decided that bananas and chocolate were best for some reason.  Many groups wanted to dip bananas in melted chocolate, decorate them with sprinkles, and then refrigerate them until they got a little hardened. Good idea!  Apparently, though, I was the only one who knew how to melt chocolate.

As soon as I noticed the kids doing it wrong, I was like "nono, do it this way", and they understood what I meant (the teacher did too), but WHAT DOES A FOREIGN GUY KNOW OF COOKING THE GREAT JAPANESE DELICACY, BANANAS DIPPED IN MELTED CHOCOLATE?  Most of the kids realized that they needed a pot of water, and a bowl on top of it with the chocolate inside, but (1) they all used tiny bowls that were smaller than the pot, so the bowls were floating in the water and were hard to control, (2) they're all pussy women (even the guys) who were afraid of touching things that weren't actually hot at all, (let alone the hot things), (2a) there were no potholders in the entire fucking school, (3) they had the water that the bowls with chocolate floating in at a full rolling boil.  (4) because it was 'omg too hot i am afraid', they wouldn't hold on to the bowl to properly stir the chocolate as it melted. they'd just sort of poke it with a ladel or a big ol' fork, and it wouldn't move at all.  This, coupled with the small bowl floating on the boiling water also meant that they had extremely poor control, and several times water tipped over the edge of the bowl.

The end result was that everyone doing that burned their chocolate, or at least broke it.  It still tasted okay, but it was a hard gouachey chunk, instead of the smooth stuff they wanted.  Most groups who did this did all their chocolate at once, so as to save time, and ended up ruining all their chocolate at once.  One group had only done about a quarter of their chocolate.  When they realized it wasn't working, and that maybe I knew what I was talking about, they tried the rest of their chocolate my way (big bowl, holding it, stirring constantly with a spatula, constantly scraping the sides, over a pot of hot, but not boiling, water).  "WOW TIM-SENSEI! IT IS SO SMOOTH AND GREAT! THis IS JUST WHAT WE WANTED!"

Yes, perhaps next time you'll trust the cooking advice doled out by the fattie.

Anyway, the one group that had ruined all their chocolate decided to decorate their bananas with sprinkles, put all the chocolate in a bowl, and put a spoon, so it was like... it was like eating chocolate icing. It wasn't what they wanted originally, but they ended up saving it pretty well.



They weren't complete bwned though, because they had the back up of kakigoori (i think it's that). it's just sno-cone/slush puppy, but again, they think this is an ONLY IN JAPAN dessert.


I had a blue one. "What flavour are these?" "Well, red is strawberry, green is melon..... blue is.... um... blue?" "Ah yes, it does taste just like blue tasted when I was a child."

Another group had this great (they thought) idea to mix milk chocolate and white chocolate, melted, and then dip their bananas in that.  Their milk chocolate ended up not so bad, actually, despite their dodgy stirring from a distance as though they were scared of it, using the bottom of a ladle, but when they tried to melt the white chocolate seperately, it just turned all crumbly and weird.  I assume it's because it's not chocolate in the same way milk chocolate is chocolate, but who knows.  They just tossed the crumbly white chocolate into the bowl with the milk chocolate, as well as the bananas and the marshmallows and stirred it up and said that was good, plz eat this.



The group that took my advice with their chocolate had pretty good results. They covered marshmallows, bananas, and ritz crackers with chocolate. when they ran out of chocolate, bu tnot crackers, they spread cheese on the crackers then sprinkled brown sugar on top... which was odd...



Another group decided to go an entirely different path and make steamed brown sugar bread.  The problem they had was that they had never made it before, so they didn't know how to tell when it was done, and also that the double boiler they were using was OMG TOO HOT for them, so whenever they had to take shit out of their double boiler, I had to do it.  They're there with a single oven mitt and towels and there's four of them trying to take stuff out (or even just take the lid off) and they're like KYAAAA IT'S TOO HOT!  I had to go in take stuff out for them, using my barehands, mind you. It wasn't hot at all, really. (shrug).  Though it took about 3 times as long as their recipe said, they ended up making pretty delicious little thingies.



Good times had by all.



After they had cleaned up, I showed them The Railrodder with Buster Keaton, which they decided was "a strange movie", and they couldn't seem to follow it.  "I am so confused!" "Why? It's just a guy riding a cart across Canada." "But... how did he get there?" "He walked under the ocean until he came to Nova Scotia." "But BUt......" and they got too hung up on stuff like that instead of just enjoying it.  

Also, "Why did that sign say that it was 6410km to the PAcific Ocean?" "Because, um, to get to the PAcific Ocean from where he is now, on the Atlantic coast, he has to travel 6410km." "You're making stuff up! If you don't know, you can just say so." "Nono, that's really the case!!"

• 16:28 @dayoldwasabi i gotta work! who knows wtf will happen in the evening. i'll do what i can tho. :) #
• 18:57 @jlist shingo x kimutaku 4eva ._. #
• 21:29 have a date?! #
• 21:59 stood up, as usual. drunk old guy taking header into pillar almost made it worth it. #
• 23:14 home again home again jiggity jig. Fukuragi (under 1kg amberjack/yellowtail) sashimi from Himi Bay and Fujinishiki. Nice pairing! #sake #
• 23:51 @kateatspancakes that's not a bad shirt. i know you're just disappointed it's not CATS. XD #
• 23:52 Pro-tip: Chugging a bottle of sake is never the right idea. #
• 00:08 @squampton hahaha. it was a pretty great end to a pretty dumb week. except i have work in the morning, so it's not the end at all D: #

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• 07:40 @shmack72 the release candidate of 3.5 fixes the problem! #
• 07:42 @dgrande congrats! #
• 07:43 Starting the day with UCC Caffè Latte (Yes, I know the accent is wrong -- I'm reproducing the packaging). Rei and Asuka adorn the bottle. #
• 08:19 Breakfast.Bonus: no gross white chunks. - twitpic.com/7nwuq #
• 08:41 @dj_damien if you view twitter on the website, do the iphone icons you use appear correctly? is it just me that can't see them? :( #
• 08:54 @dj_damien aaaah. perhaps it'd work on a normal jap cell phone... hmm, i try! #
• 08:58 @dj_damien m.twitter.com hates my phone, and i can't log in to see your updates, which are protected so, uh, I dunno. #
• 09:43 @dayoldwasabi i planned ahead for a change, so instead of having to rely on vending machine with it's chunky milk coffee, i had yummy stuff #
• 10:50 @shizuokagourmet Toyama's big on the Hotaruika. Every spring we indulge in firefly squid dishes at work parties. Also boat rides to see them #
• 14:49 Friggin' can't upload any BOINC workunits. SETI@home, MilkyWay@home, World Community Grid, nothing works. Fucking work internet. :/ #
• 17:04 I think I just rocked that interview. Hard to tell though. Will know within a week, either way, they say. Also, 3500th tweet. #
• 19:34 The campaign of terror against me in my neighbourhood has escalated with the brutal torture and murder and disposal on my doorstep of 4 燕. #
• 20:19 I wonder how long it will be before some asshole neighbourhood busybody tries to pin this on me. #
• 22:08 @shizuokagourmet Finally opened the bottle you sent me. Impressions here: mullenkedheim.livejournal.com/498701.html #
• 22:30 @ghostfreeman it's rather nice. I enjoy it. Fixed my pervasive twitter slowdown problem that had confounded me for months. #

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For this month's SakeSwap, I got a bottle from ShizuokaGourmet. A rather delightful bottle, if I do say so myself.



It came in this awesome foam thing to keep it safe in transit.



I thought, perhaps, there was something special about it, when I got a look at it.



A junmai daiginjo (大吟醸) from Fujinishiki Brewery (富士錦) in Shizuoka, at the foot of Mt. Fuji. The "限定品" on the label means "limited edition item", but I'm not sure in what way this is limited edition. (shrug)

Daiginjo means, according to Wikipedia's Sake article (which is hella informative, by the way): "Sake made from rice polished to 50% (of its original weight) or lower". The more it's polished, the less of a grain of rice is left when the fermentation begins. The lower the percentage, the less of a grain of rice, and therefore the less it tastes of rice. At 40%, this Fujinishiki Daiginjo should have a slightly fruity taste.

Additionally, at an SMV (that is, Sake Meter Value) of +3, it should be neither dry nor sweet.

The website says of this sake (and I'm paraphrasing because my translation skills are dodgy): "Of all our Ginjoshu, this is the highest quality daiginjoshu we produce, and we are very proud of it. We use Yamadanishiki (ed.: a variety of rice called "the king of rices ideal for sake making") ground down to 40% of its original weight. It has a sweetness that is mild, smooth, and refreshing. It matches well with sashimi and other seafood."

It was apparently brewed by a fellow by the name of Hatafuku, who is originally from Iwate, if I'm reading the label correctly, which I may not be.



In addition, this particular brew has won the Monde Selection (a prestigious award given by the Belgian Ministry of Economy) in 2008 and 2009, according to the Fujinishiki website.

Right, with that in mind, I'm drinking it chilled on its own as a chaser to dodgy pizza. Probably a shame to do that, but tonight, that's how it goes.

Fragrance: It is powerfully fragrant, as one usually expect from a Daiginjo. Lilac, and a hint of something fruity... nearly pineapple-sweet, but not. Even just opening the bottle, the fragrance wafted to me and began to seep into my nostrils.

Impact: Is as smooth as it says on the bottle. With a fragrance as strong as this has, one's initial expectation is that a mouthful of the sake will burn, spread through your mouth and continue down the throat, inducing a near-grimace on the face of those not expecting it. This, though, goes in, gently spreads off the tongue into the cheeks, and then disappears down the throat. It is sweet, slightly desserty. I can see how it would match well with sashimi.

Sweet/Dry: Sweet. Sweeter than the supposedly-neutral +3 SMV would suggest. It could be the lack of acidity which makes it seem so sweet. There is a bite, but it's not a big one. The bottle has been out of the fridge for a while now and is starting to warm up, and as it does, it seems a bit drier, but on the whole, I'd still call it rather sweet. The fact that I keep feeling I have to wipe my lips, because they feel sticky, not unlike the feeling you'd get from drinking pineapple juice, or something equally treacly is a testament to the sweetness of this. Don't get me wrong: it's NOT treacly, but it leaves that sort of mouthfeel.

Acidity: As I've touched upon, it's not very acidic at all, really. The mouthfeel is very subtle.

Presence: I apparently keep getting ahead of myself. Perhaps the sake has gone to my head. It's a very subtle thing, this sake. You can take a mouthful, and barely even notice its there. It's not heavy, it's not rough, it doesn't burn, it doesn't shout from the rooftops I AM IN YOUR MOUTH, NOTICE ME! It just goes about its business before slipping down your throat, completely unassuming.

Earthiness: I would say that the earthiness of this particular sake is low, mild, delicate. It's light, and airy, and doesn't really have the characteristics one would find in a truly earthy beverage.

Tail: Not incredibly long. There is a certain sweetness that stays in the mouth, reminding you of the experience, urging you to have another mouthful, but the tail itself lingers for but a moment in the back of the mouth, and then departs.

All in all, a pleasant experience, and I'm so happy that I've had the chance to taste it. As I have work in the morning, I don't anticipate finishing this bottle tonight, so I may grab some supermarket sashimi tomorrow night to try with it. I suggest you do the same, if you can.

Bottles of Fujinishiki Daiginjo can be purchased from the Fujinishiki website (if you live in Japan). A 720ml bottle will run you 3055yen, and 1.8L will run you 8158yen. This is the premium deal, folks.

Drink too much though, and you may end up drunk and seeing things strangely, like Autopano Pro did when it decided to process this photo on its own with no interaction from me:



-----------------

Do you live in Japan? Are you interested in tasting lots of interesting nihonshu from around the country? Be sure to head over to SakeSwap to sign up for July's swap. Time is running out, so hurry hurry hurry!

Imma copy/pasta from IRC, because I can't be bothered to type it again.

[19:36] <Serge> okay so
[19:36] <Serge> under the eaves of the building next door, there was a swallow's nest
[19:37] <Serge> every morning, i've been looking up and watching the four babies get older and older
[19:37] <Serge> they've gotten quite large the past few days, and i assumed they'd be flying soon
[19:37] <Serge> when I returned to work after lunch today, they were still there, and mommy was feeding them
[19:38] <Serge> when i came home after work today, there were none in the nest, a huge amount of feathers on the ground, and some dodgy elementary school kids playing DS
[19:38] <Serge> i went out to get supper about an hour ago. there were still no swallows in the nest
[19:39] <Serge> when I returned from buying supper, there were two nearly dead baby swallows on the stairs up to my apartment. they'd been completely plucked of all their feathers.
[19:39] <Knifa|mobile> D:
[19:39] <Knifa|mobile> what happen
[19:40] <Serge> someone clearly got the swallows out of their nest somehow, pulled their feathers off there, in broad daylight, and then dropped them on my doorstep
[19:45] <Serge> srsly man, if this happened to you would you not feel a little fucking scared, as though someone were out to get you
[19:46] <Serge> also, would you not consider calling the cops, because today it's swallows, tomorrow it's cats and come the weekend they'll be on to elementary school kids?



I've had a shite week, but seeing them on my way to and from work was a sort of bright point of my day. Additionally, I had a fairly kick ass (I think) phone interview today, so I thought I'd celebrate a bit with pizza and premium 日本酒. Now instead of celebrating, I just want to cry.

For this month's SakeSwap, I sent Tateyama Ginjo-shu to @squampton.

Tateyama, of course, is a sake brewing company in Toyama.  Though we call sake "rice wine" in English, oftentimes, it's not fermented like wine, but rather brewed, like beer.  Anyway, Tateyama is actually headquartered in my city, Tonami.  It was established way back in 1830.  It has become the foremost sake brewing establishment in the Hokuriku region. 

The Ginjo-shu name means, according to Wikipedia, sake that is "made from rice polished to 60% or less of its original weight."  With an SMV of +4.3, this sake is slightly dry.  It's often referred to, on the internet, as "mild", "easy to drink" and "an all round alcohol".

According to one website, "It might go well with Bacon Shiso Cheese, Agedashi Gyoza & Miso Kushikatsu."

So please, if you have the chance, try a bottle of Tateyama Nihonshu, made in my backyard!



When I chose Tateyama as my thingie I'd send, I had thought that Tateyama was regionalish. I knew it was big in Hokuriku, but didn't think it was widely distributed outside.

These two commercials for Tateyama sake, featuring a French-speaking Gackt, however, make me wonder if I wasn't mistaken.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IH4HXcZluE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of93HwGhACQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fa-kDFkavk

I'll try to post my review of the bottle I got from Shizuoka later this evening (you know, once I finally drink it).

• 07:36 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to Finland #
• 07:45 @dj_damien a blow up doll?? #
• 08:42 May have lined up another interview or two. #
• 09:19 Z̢̨̒̿̓ͣͣ҉̫̣̥̥͍͈̹̞̪̯͉̺̤̘͜ͅA̧̡̛̙͍͎̜͙̪͈̙͚̰͎ͨ͂ͬͮ̓̑ͣ̍ͅL̨̫̱̬̖̤̦͛ͪ̄ͨ̔̈͐̑ͭ̄ͧ̍̃̾̑̊̀͋̕͜͝ͅG̢̾̿̿ͫ̍͛̿ͤ̅͋̋̋͝͏̜̪̗̮̳͎̺̲͍̥͙̲̼̥͙͈O͈̟͎̲̰͖͖̰̰͙̲̘̬̠̻̩̜ͯ̃̆͋ͫ͒ͣ͟͝!̏ #
• 12:12 <cyberchondria>I think... I think maybe I have scurvy? </cyberchondria> #
• 14:50 fffffffffffffffff rage #
• 15:38 I'm alarmed to learn the the "stag and doe", a staple of the months leading up to weddings in Canada, is unknown in notCanada. I am shocked! #
• 15:59 @bain2 This is not a stag party. This is not a hen party. This is not a stag party and a hen party haappening on the same night. #
• 16:00 @bain2 This is a single event, not unlike the wedding reception, only it happens a month before the wedding. #
• 20:36 I wonder where on my Tonight Show torrent for June 16 is... #
• 21:51 Having a late dinner of Misato Kisaragi Curry Ramen #evangelion #
• 22:37 @ghostfreeman It wasn't so bad. It started at 167, and the 27 i had to lop off didn't effect the main message, so yeah, I was happy. :) #
• 22:42 @ghostfreeman haha #
• 23:09 The icon in Firefox 3.5 is different than the one in 3.5b99. The colours are... darker? Richer? I dunno, it's hard to explain. #

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• 10:09 goddamn the net at work is shit today. #
• 13:05 Received a #postcrossing postcard from Portugal - bit.ly/5qQs3 #
• 13:09 Received a #postcrossing postcard from Germany - bit.ly/4voqNh #
• 14:33 sleeping poorly these days. go to sleep, don't move AT ALL while I sleep (unusual for me), but wake up completely friggin' exhausted #
• 15:34 Welp, there goes my weekend. Work on Saturday, then I have to drive to Osaka on Sunday, then I have to drive to Nagano on Monday. #
• 15:45 @bain2 yep. I rly hope the Monday one works out. #
• 17:54 @bain2 i don't have an android phone D: my carrier doesn't have any, only the iphone. to get an android, i'd have to switch and wait a week #
• 18:01 I think the news just said that tadpoles (or another type of marine animal) fell from the sky in Iwate this afternoon. 1st in Ishikawa... #
• 18:29 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to Singapore #
• 18:46 Writing a #postcrossing postcard to Czech Republic #
• 19:58 @static6676 there's a twitter application on facebook. It's all I've used, though i forget how to set it up. This is it. bit.ly/e280 #
• 21:07 @fuse2dx it is rather entertaining. #
• 22:39 @hamasakiayumi wait, what? she appeared in shibuya, and cops raided Avex? I... what? #
• 22:42 Mysterious rain of tadpoles hits Shizuoka, Hiroshima. First Ishikawa, then this, and Iwate this afternoon. WEIRD! bit.ly/B1u0o #
• 22:57 @Saradia I approve of this. #

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