I’ve put my GEISHA e-zine back online. You can get to it by clicking on the icon near the bottom of this page.

It’s been a quiet week. Money is low, so I’m not going out much. I’m also not taking a lot of pictures, which I must remedy quickly. I’m just getting a bit tired of shooting random things, so I think I’m going to start thinking up themes to shoot. Whatever I end up doing, the result will end up here, as well as in my TOKYO BOY picture log at The OPi8 Forum. I also think that it’s about time I get work done on a second issue of my GEISHA e-zine. I took the first issue offline, and I’ll be changing the interface a bit before putting it back up, probably sometime this week. In the meantime, please check out my good friend Jesper Larssen’s TEEZINE, which can be found on his Teefactory website. Go in the Swedish section and you should find it quickly. You can also download a bigger PDF version. You could also try creating a t-shirt for the Teefactory and LOUNGE.72.COM contest.

The following are the records that are on heavy rotation on my iPod:

DJ Shadow - PRIVATE PRESS
The White Stripes - WHITE BLOOD CELLS
Mansfield - MANSFIELD POPP
Sweet Robots Against the Machine - TOWA TEI
Mari Natsuki - LA PAROLE

A new log is up at The OPi8 Forum. A few pics from my neighborhood, plus one leftover pic from China.

Do yourself a favor and check out the brand-spanking new site of the motion-design group MK12. Feel the ninja love.

I just watched a great program on BBC World called LOGO. It takes a look at commercial culture in all its extremes. The show I saw at segments covering subjects such as demonstrator training camps, the Hello Kitty obsession, the way to sell soap, and France versus McDonald’s. Reminds me that I’ve been wanting to read Naomi Klein’s NO LOGO for a while now, and I really should get around to it sometime soon.

Just put up a new log at The OPi8 Forum. The last of the China pics.

Momus, who is presently based in Tokyo, is hard at work on a new album, tentively titled OSKAR TENNIS CHAMPION, and he’s writing a log of the creation process, which should be updated weekly. It definitely makes for interesting reading.

For some really great online comics, do check out e-sheep. All the comics are produced by Patrick Farley.

I just posted the 20th edition of my TOKYO BOY weblog at The OPi8 Forum.

My twice-weekly log I do for The OPi8 Forum gets a mention in today’s edition of Warren Ellis’ new weekly column, BRAINPOWERED, which can be found at the artbomb site. You should be reading Warren’s comics, so if you’re not, get more info at his site. Also check out his recently launched weblog.

A few weeks ago I found a website for an independent DV documentary called TOKYO BELOW. I ordered a copy of the DVD from the director, James R. Petix, and finally got my copy yesterday. The short takes a look at the Tokyo underground rock scene, and we are introduced to a few bands. The documentary itself is nice, and I like how a lot of it is presented in splitscreen, which gives us lots of visuals to look at. It’s a nice little walkthrough of Tokyo. The DVD itself has the documentary (around 24 minutes I think), plus a commentary track, band videos, outakes, which all makes for a nice package. What really impresses me is how all this was done independently, which shows how the DV age is really giving us access to quality video packaging. I’ve also been interested in producing short documentaries, but right now it’s mostly the computer side of things that’s preventing me from editing anything I tape (lack of HD space mostly, but a new iMac with a Superdrive that lets me burn DVDs is what I’m really looking at to replace my iBook as soon as I can afford it).

Check out the site for more info on the video, short clips, and contact info to order it.

Right now I’m watching a performance by Sketch Show on NHK (the Japanese public broadcasting channel). Sketch Show is a new project by two members of the classic Japanese electronica trio YMO, who counted Ryuichi Sakamoto as a member. The sound is a natural progression of the electronics pioneered by YMO over 2 decades ago. It’s visually very interesting as the two members are in a black studio surrounded by video screens of all sizes, with electronic static/patterns being projected in sync with the music. Their album’s name is STRANGE FLOWERS VOL. 1, and it’s out now.

Make your own icon at Icon Maker.

Check out SCOUTT, a new online zine by the designers at DESIGNFORFREEDOM.

Last night I posted a new log at The OPi8 Forum. Pictures of the Great Wall from my trip last August.