gewgaw

My photos from Tokyo and Kyoto are up.

This one is my favorite of the bunch… it’s from the Geisha district in Kyoto. Something about the light on the fences around these mysterious places really felt magical. Appealing in an ageless, dangerous way.

I really enjoyed getting outside of Tokyo. One forgets what the sky looks like, how pretty the greenery can be, and how fresh the air is outside of the city. I also enjoyed the difference in personal style, communication and demeanor that exists between the people of these two areas.

And of course, the beautiful shrines. It is amazing to visit the holy places of any community, as there is so much care and devotion in each detail. I especially enjoyed the gardens and woodworking in the Kyoto shrines we visited – one day was really not enough time to appreciate the vast treasures of this area.

This trip I tried to take photos of almost all of the food I ate. Sadly (or perhaps not?) there were many dishes of ramen and many pastries that failed to stay outside my belly long enough to be pictured. However, I do have some great photos of our fabulous dinner in Shibyua with Keita, as well as another in Kyoto with friends from Tose. Holy crap, how I miss that food!

Looks like I may be in Tokyo again before the year is up. Mmm, I’m hungry already!

Keita sent me this link:

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…

Thanks to all who hosted us for a fantastic and wonderful trip! Photos will be posted later.

In the meantime, you can check out some of the excellent shots from our first night in Tokyo – the Tokyotopia pre-TGS party at Super Deluxe! Special thanks to Greg and co. for organizing such a great event, and Atman for the invites!!!

PS: Best photo posted from the trip so far. Man, too awesome!

Here in SF there is a period of about 2-3 weeks, starting at the end of September, where it is absolutely gorgeous. Especially up on my hill. After a gloomy mid-summer (not what a non-native would expect, but predictably regular), the air gets clear and the sun shines bright. Cooler breezes from the sea give it a special crispness… which gets all my back-to-school neurons firing.

It makes me so happy.

I realized this morning (while watering my plants) that I’ll be away for most of this wonderful period (for TGS and other work stuff). While I’m looking forward to seeing friends in Japan, I will miss my porch… and my office.

That may sound crazy – but for some strange reason my work stars are aligned, and I’ve landed in what is most likely the most beautiful space I will ever enjoy during my time at EARS. My inner buddah tugs when I think about how wonderful it is here… I will suffer when the next move comes (and it will). But for now I’ll soak up the sunshine.

If you’re going to TGS drop me a line! Hope to see you at the show!

Hey – my stroopwaffel delight made it up onto Heidi’s foodblog… and she came up with a better name!

In case you need reminding – it’s easy and fun! Summer ‘06 isn’t *totally* perfect till you’ve tried them!

:)

A big congrats to all the ladies showcased in Next Gen’s list of fantastic women in gaming! From my own GM (Nancy Smith) to friends across the globe (you know who you are)… keep it up! You are an inspiration and source of great pride!!!

Maybe next year we’ll break 200?

:)

Wii Preview Lineup up on the Japan site…

Update: November 19 US for $250 – not too shabby!

Another late departure from the office means one more chance to bask in the glory of KQED. This time it was former President Clinton speaking about his foundation as part of a World Philanthropy Forum keynote. The broadcast, sponsored by The World Affairs Council may show up in the archives, but it’s re-airing tonight for those of you in California, and is worth a listen.

My favorite quote:

“The more I do this – the more I fool around with this stuff, the more I pay attention to systems.”

The gist of the presentation is that quality is job one when it comes to philanthopy. Government organizations (bloated, corrupt, wateful… or just overloaded) spend a lot of money poorly. Money is spent on problems that have a great impact on the world at large – but before there is adequate infrastructure in place… or without proper planning.

Sideline effects are both economic and social: By failing to operate effeciently, wealthier nations are squandering the opportunity to shift the tide against climate change and poverty, epidemic sicknesses and death(especially among children). If we can’t learn to follow examples set by NGO’s over the last few decades – we will continue to spend money unwisely, on the wrong issues, leaving the whole world’s project (survival) in jeapordy.

So – we should get smart about distributed giving, information and data retrieval (statistics, or “keeping score” as he called it) so we can know how each dollar is used and what the return on investment *really* is. Because it’s not about politics – it’s about saving ourselves and future generations, one dollar at a time.

My second favorite quote:

“You have a greater chance to do public good than ever before, and therefore, have a greater responsiblity.”

Clinton is not my favorite politician (Obama in 2012!), but he is clearly a smart, positive and dedicated man. Donate or read more about his recent efforts (good link to the Fortune article on Philanthropy) here.

**For a fantastic talk on the problems of data and world change, see Hans Rosling at Ted. Majora Carter’s talk about greening and economics is also moving and inspiring.

Fantastic!

So after a week of table-ripening, my organic Napa pears made their first public appearance. First, I brought a couple with me to the SF MOMA, where Lulu and I met up with Team HP for some lunch and Matthew Barney action. Juicy and delicious, they passed the test.

Later that evening, I combined them with apple slices and plums in a dessert I’ve been working on, and served ‘em up over at Heidi’s. Sooo tasty! The contrast between the cool and creamy cheese, crisp and slightly sour fruit and spongy, sweet wafers is delightful:

Fresh Fruit and Mascarpone Honey Wafers

8 oz Mascarpone Cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 – 1 tablespoon sugar
4-6 medium Pears, Dinosaur-Egg Plums, or Apples (feel free to mix/match).
1 package (8) Honey Wafers (also known as Stroopwafles)
Honey to taste

Combine Vanilla, Mascarpone and sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Core and/or pit fruit and slice into 1/4 inch wedges. Dice a few slices of the sweetest, ripest fruit for garnish. Lay out the honey wafers on a serving dish or on individual plates, as desired. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto each one, and layer pear, apple and/or plum slices on top. Sprinkle with garnish fruit and drizzle with honey and serve!

Suggestion: Place waffels onto a cookie sheet and put under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until slightly mushy. Remove from sheet with spatula to serving dish(es), layering on cheese and fruit for a melty version of the recipe.

Mmm… I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. Please let me know if you find any good additions or variations… there are probably wonderful versions to be made with berries, nectarines, and other stone fruits.

—

Another great recipe for fruit is yogurt pancakes. The yogurt gives the batter a stronger consistency (which helps deal with moisture from fruit) and a delicate, sour taste. The end result works well with just a small amount of butter and syrup (or jam). Here’s a recipe for the banana version, with a simple fruit syrup:

Fruit and Yogurt Pancakes

In medium bowl, whisk together:

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

In a separate bowl whisk together:

2 large eggs
1 cup Yogurt (whole fat plain is best but others will do)

Then Add

1-1 ½ cup mashed ripe Banana
¼-½ stick butter, melted

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated (batter will be lumpy). Spoon about 1/3 cup onto medium-hot griddle and cook slowly.

Makes 6-8 pancakes depending on size. Best of all, they will keep in the fridge for a week, and can be zapped and eaten on a whim!

Simple Fruit Syrup

Pit and dice one nectarine, peach or sweet plum. In pot, combine with 1/2 cup orange juice and 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Bring to a soft boil and reduce until syrup-y… 15-20 minutes.

Serve drizzled over pancakes or in a small bowl at the side, for dipping.

Bon App!

I discovered two things over Labor Day weekend.

1) Fresh picked, organic fruit is out of this world!

2) Sharing food and naps with friends is even better!!

The PS3 is a trannie

Oops, guess not.

*sigh*

Today we had a conversation about WOW vs. Cyclists here at the office.

To clarify: are there more people who get excited about leveling up a character in WOW, or more people who are excited about leveling up in cycling (improving speed/lowering heart rate)?

We started debating this after discussing the appeal of WOW. Our feeling is endurance exercises encourage the same kind of stat-focused dedication to progress as games like WOW. If that’s so, which one is more appealing?

In our search for answers, we found this. If there are, on average, roughly 3 million bike commuters in America, then there are probably 1 million or less serious cycling enthusiasts here (people who regularly don Lycra gear, funny sunglasses and a heart rate monitor before clipping into bike pedals). Thus, it’s probably a safe bet that there are in fact more WOW players worldwide (estimated 6 million) than serious cyclists.

Can you find facts that contradict this assummption? Please send them my way!

Other research questions: Is it more expensive to be a cyclist or a WOW player, on average? If you count equipment costs and time spent in total – which one is worse for your wallet? Also – what other things fit into the category of “Less of these than WOW players”? Balloonists, unicyclists and bellydancers are probably not as interesting as say… voter turnout in a big city.

We think this would make an interesting web page.

*hint hint*

An interesting take on gamer market segementation that highlights the hidden complexities beneath “casual vs. hardcore” assumptions:

The study identifies six segments:

• Power gamers represent 11 percent of the gamer market but account for 30 cents of every dollar spent on retail and online games.
• Social gamers enjoy gaming as a way to interact with friends.
• Leisure gamers spend 58 hours per month playing games but mainly on casual titles. Nevertheless they prefer challenging titles and show high interest in new gaming services.
• Dormant gamers love gaming but spend little time because of family, work, or school. They like to play with friends and family and prefer complex and challenging games.
• Incidental gamers lack motivation and play games mainly out of boredom. However, they spend more than 20 hours a month playing online games.
• Occasional gamers play puzzle, word, and board games almost exclusively.

A surprising finding of the study was the importance of social interaction to a wide range of gamers, not just power gamers.

“Social and leisure gamers may play simple, non-competitive games, but they want to play these games with friends and players they meet online,” Cai said. “For this type of gamer, there simply aren’t that many options.”

That sucks!

And so does…. this

*grin*