I finally got around to redesigning the banner for this blog. I used as the central image a picture I took of the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Park last spring. Hopefully the tagline better captures the somewhat grab-bag of topics I write about.
Category: Uncategorized
Happy Fun Smile : Okinawan pop straight outta New York
Cindy and I finally got to see the NY-based Japanese pop band "Happy Fun Smile" at the Sakura Matsuri (cherry blossom) festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens today. They played a fun set of okinawan traditional pop and Japanese chindonya, all of it high energy and highly entertaining for a packed crowd of garden visitors. …
Earthlink hates me
FYI, if you have been trying to reach me through my Earthlink email address and it has been bouncing, I am aware of the problem and calling them now. You can reach me at rik@rikomatic.com. Sorry for the inconvenience. UPDATE 4:30PM: Ok, the tech support folks tell me that it’s resolved. Please email me at…
J. Walter on the accident that made him a jazz musician
I got news that my buddy jazz trombonist J. Walter Hawkes was featured on the NPR show "Studio 360" a couple of days ago, talking about the near fatal accident that transformed him into a jazz musician. Here’s the direct link to the audio stream (or just click on the image). There’s also a much…
This American Life: the TV show!
My favorite radio program "This American Life" has made the transition from radio to television with a new program on Showtime. "Reality Check" the first episode, which has two of my favorite stories, is available for a limited time for free online. It’s great just seeing the nerdy host Ira Glass sitting in a desk,…
“300” : a kick-ass CGI-powered mythic tale
I just saw "300" with some friends at the local IMAX theater. In a nutshell, it’s what a blockbuster film should be: awe-inspiring and richly entertaining. It’s primarily a war movie, and the film delivers action that is relentless, thrilling and hyper-stylized. I found the use of CGI and blue screen in the film nearly…
Cool new scifi novels by David Mack
At the New York Comic Con a couple of weeks ago, I ran into my friend David Alan Mack, who has a job that sounds much cooler than it probably is in real life — he writes Star Trek novels. David was there to promote a couple of his new books, which by no coincidence…
Pictures from the New York Comic Con
I had a beautiful day at the New York Comic Con hanging with my buddy Frank and thousands of other comic lovers. Despite the teeming hordes, I actually ended up running into several people I knew, which was fun, including scifi author David Mack, who had a couple of his books for sale at the…
Off to ComicCon New York!
So I’m off to New York Comic Con in just a few minutes! Zillions of comic, manga, graphic novel, action figure, and gaming exhibitors crammed into the Jacob Javitz Cetner. I’m so excited about all the nerdy goodness! W00T!
Awesome Filipino basketball tees on Ebay!
My sister has managed to obtain several basketball jerseys from the the Philippines, which she is selling on Ebay. Filipinos, despite their diminuitive frames, have a great love for basketball and beer. So it only appropriate that the Philippines Basketball Association’s top team is the San Miguel Beermen. (San Miguel is the Philippines national beer.)…