Here are more photos from Brimfield. It was crazy to see all the dudes on bikes with walkies, collectors only looking for one type of thing, people from all over the world sourcing props for their stores and restaurants. Wildness. Things to note: “Military” is spelled “Militry,” porters wear t-shirts letting people know they are there to carry stuff blazed out of their skulls, Mork, DIY Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble, the vintage Red Sox pendants, the broken instruments, and the food court. Jeez.
These images are from my first day in Osaka during this last trip. Osaka is an amazing town. It’s also where most of the good bands come from. It is also a bicycle city. Everyone, from children to senior citizens, has a bike; and nobody locks them up. It’s incredible. Two days ago, my grandmother passed away here, and Osaka was her hometown. As it is my father’s. This series is dedicated to my grandmother who gave me my first camera and taught me how to ride a bike among other things.
Malls. If you live in Seoul, and you’re not at home or at work, you’re in a mall. Pretty much guaranteed. They have everything. And these aren’t like Southern California malls; these are mega malls of insane proportions. Basically at every major subway station in Seoul, a shopping mall awaits you above ground. I got to spend a lot of time in them just going from one part of town to another. And it’s not so much about the shopping experience, but the hanging experience. Couples just stroll and eat and hang out, go to the movies, the arcade. Oh man, the arcade was bananas. I mean I watched a kid hold court on Tekken 6 for like an hour behind a wall of glass from his opponents as to prevent conflict, and this dude play the drum track of Lithium by Nirvana on expert mode. Also, a long suspicion of mine has been confirmed that the KFC colonel has slightly thinner eyes in Asia. Terrible.
This has been looping in my Tokyo hotel room on CNN. Totally hypnotic.
Transcription of the voice-over:
Be still
So you may hear the dreams of the people below.
Pay no attention to the impossible they whisper- for it does not belong here.
As a road rises, you find the land majestic, calm,
The space, the air, the breeze, the buzz, the thrill and the beckon beyond,
Engaging, refuge, home, inviting but never foreboding.
The beast’s heart will pound beside ours.
As night crackles electric, a million promises are held
Day rewards night with the perfect dawn
And dawn rewards in turn
And nature rewards an inquisitive mind,
In a land where the impossible is defined
and ignored.
I’ve been following this little guy for 8 years now. Honda has been making faster improvements on his, yes his, dexterity, spacial recognition, and motion sensitivity. Asimo also returns to his charging station autonomously. Also, he now recognizes when someone is approaching him, and either yields or steps aside and continues along. He even conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. It’s like watching a child grow.
