lazy day...

i woke up around 7am this morning, it was raining hard, so i went back to sleep. woke up again at 8, still raining. woke up again at 9, and it was pouring, so i decided to just get up. it's about 1730 now and still raining. was gonna go out tonight, but this typhoon just makes for a lazy day inside.

got some translation work done, took care of some school business, and watched the latest densha otoko special! computer geeks unite, there is hope for us losers. but regardless of how geeky all that tech stuff is, it sure can help make the world a much smaller place. here are a few examples:

1) cell phones. i have no idea how previous generations were able to have any type of social life without cell phones. seriously, it's ridiculous how much we take them for granted nowadays. and here in japan, the cell phones are on steroids. my mitsubishi d902is slider for docomo has a 4.0 megapixel camera with flash on the back. and what's better than one of those, is putting another camera on the front! it also has an english/japanese dictionary, music player, full high-speed web access, etc. if you ever feel like droppin a line, please send a message to initial_dean[at]docomo.ne.jp (but use the real @ sign) i feel all cool when i get emails on my cell phone.

2) voip. i officially endorse skype as the coolest voice over ip solution. my mom was telling me how she would pay $20 for a couple minutes of trans-pacific talk time back in the day, and now it's virtually free! couple skype (and skypein) with a bluetooth headset hooked up to my powerbook, and it's like i'm still the hermit hiding in my room in mountain view.

3) slingbox. this is pure genius. i hooked it up to my dsl at home before i left, and now i can watch mountain view's comcast cable here in tokyo--with no monthly fees--via "placeshifting." the things i do for american sports...

i have no idea how i could survive out here without the internet. but just to show how cool japan is, as well as prove that i've actually been doing stuff, check out these new glasses i got! there's this chain out here called zoff--think of it as lenscrafters meets ross. all of their glasses are marked with a colored sticker, representing three different prices: ¥5000, ¥7000, or ¥9000. i picked up a pair of the cheapest variety, gave them my prescription, and they had new spectacles for me in 45 minutes! with tax and the current conversion rate, that comes out to $44.49 for prescription glasses! what do you think?