If you’re like me, you read all of the classic tech blogs, attend tech events and valiantly attempt to keep your finger firmly planted on the pulse of the tech world.  Our good friends at Dealaker Media provided this great list of “on the DL” acquisitions that  in the technology world about which you may have heard nothing.  See below for a few quick summaries of the acquisitions I found interesting.

Somex joins AMEX

You already know what AMEX is.  If not, go check your mailbox and get reminded.  Their acquisition of Somex was a well played.  Somex is an in-game payment and optimization platform that has payment methods available in over 150 countries in formats including: prepaid credit cards, mobile, direct pay and via advertising.  Their site claims that the Somex platform has proven to create a 30% increase in revenue via virtual currency monetization.  I should note that this is an LA-based company backed partially by the folks at Greycroft in Santa Monica.

Strobe joins Facebook

Simply put, the strobe platform helps developers build HTML5-based web apps for touchscreen devices (tablets, smartphones) and desktops.  It enables developers to centrally manage all of them via a simple interface.

DimDim joins Salesforce

Dimdim provides a cost-effective method for scheduling online and remote meetings. Similar to GoToMeeting and other competitors, they include real-time messaging, screen sharing and other services.  This is slated to integrate with Salesforce’s social networking product called Chatter.  Some feel this is a move to get another let-up on Yammer.

Wufoo joins SurveyMonkey

This one is not a stretch.  Wufoo is an online form creation company that has an HTML form builder that automatically builds the database, backend and scripts needed to collect and understand data.  This, in turn, empowers the users to create surveys, contact forms, registrations, etc…without having to write code.  Great purchase, SurveyMonkey.

To learn about some of the other technology acquisitions that “went down” in 2011, take a look at the list below.  Which one is the most interesting to you?  Why?

• BigStage acquired by Image Metrics
• CloudSwitch acquired by Verizon
• DimDim acquired by Salesforce
• EchoSign acquired by Adobe
• Fanvibe acquired by BeRecruited
• FlightCaster acquired by Next Jump
• Kosmix acquired by Walmart
• Magento acquired by eBay
• Nirvanix acquired by IBM
• PhoneGap acquired by Adobe
• Rypple acquired by Salesforce
• SimpleGeo acquired by Urban Airship
• SlideRocket acquired by VMware
• SocialLight acquired by Group Commerce
• SocialMedia.com acquired by Living Social
• Sometrics acquired by AMEX
• Strobe acquired by Facebook
• Transpera acquired by Tremor Media
• TripIt acquired by Concur
• Tungle acquired by RIM
• Versly acquired by Cisco
• Wavemaker acquired by VMware
• Wufoo acquired by SurveyMonkey

Forrester announced their Demand-Side Platform rankings report and the industry is abuzz with chatter.  There were a total of 48 criteria that was evaluated by their researchers.  While some of the results were surprising, it shows that the big dogs have some serious competition.  Here’s how it shook-out…

The overall top 3 DSPs were Media Math, Data Xu and Turn.  Here’s why:

• Expertise in algorithmic optimization
• Audience management skills (depth and strategy)
• Depth and breadth of media access

The report discusses many elements and does not rule-out many of the other well known players in the DSP space.  That said, this report confirms the challenge with concretely defining what constitutes a demand-side platform.  The truth is that the lines are becoming blurry as DSPs refine their individual formulas for adding value to advertisers.  At the risk of sounding dramatic or cliche, the DSP and Ad Exchange industry seem to share characteristics of the wild west.  While there are constraints and expectations from the advertisers, the data providers, ad exchanges, etc. the industry is in flux and growing by leaps and bounds.

Overall monthly impressions were also mentioned in the report.  That data illustrates that the top ranked does not necessarily mean largest foot print in the space.

Monthly Impressions

1. AppNexus: 26 billion monthly impressions
2. Invite Media (Google): 10 billion-plus
3. MediaMath: 10 billion-plus
4. Turn: 10 billion-plus
5. Dataxu: 3 billion
6. LucidMedia Networks: 2.5 billion
7. X+1: 2 billion

A valid point this report brings to light is that nearly all of the DSP companies are privately held.  This accounts for a large part of the “black box” factor associated in this space.  This is creating a mad dash to acquire as much market share as possible.  It’s as if there is a land rush for advertising dollars for this new era of ad spend and targeting.  These are exciting times.  I can’t wait to learn what 2012 is going to bring us.

Ad Trading Summit (ATS) London is an annual event that brings together executives, leaders and experts in the global data-driven display market.  This event is peppered with key players from many of the top global brands associated at all levels of the Display Advertising industry.

The good folks at Exchange Wire posted this video this morning. I’m glad they did. For such a short snippet of the “Wither the Media Plan” panel, it is packed with great discussions about the future of media plans, ad retargeters and ad networks.

One of the more interesting comments came from Marco Bertozzi from Vivaki Nerve Center. When answering a question about the distinction between ad networks and retargeting, he went on to compare the capping of CPCs and forbidding the bidding on certain keywords for affiliate marketers in the Search world to the need to centralize the retargeting so that there are not a glut of retargeting firms targeting the same content and networks.

He makes a very valid point. Controls- of some sort- must be in place. Whether that be done via a DSP or a via more transparent reporting of allocation and buying to the trading desks, it can’t not happen. The Search / PPC platform service providers have gone through the same evolution; arguably for the better. That’s not to say that DSPs or ad serving platforms need to fully lift up their proverbial skirts. Rather a dash of transparency and centralization goes a long way in building trust for the longterm.

What are your thoughts about the centralization of display buying? Natural evolution? Dangerous? Moot?

When watching the presentation, you’ll note that all of the other trends, data sets and case studies he provides points back to Google’s declaration about the brand coming to the spot market.  I’d venture to say that this trend goes-without-saying and will continue to prove itself out over the coming quarters in 2012.

Hall presented a slide at the end of his presentation that does a good job of simply, clearly illustrating the structure of the DoubleClick ad exchange.  I am truly fond of clear, concise explanations of systems.  While the illustration below errs on the side of being oversimplified, people new to the ad exchange space will find it helpful.

Another simple graph he discussed illustrated the usage of devices across different times of day.  While the findings aren’t all that surprising, it’s great to see the trends we all experience confirmed.  Those of us in the industry know that the future of a robust display campaign is to be able to effectively target tablets and smart phones in ways and at the appropriate times of usage.  Though the computer still holds the lions share of usage, tablets and smart phones dominate the post-work hours.

One of the key points that Hall wanted to drive home was the expansion of mobile inventory.   He presented a statistic illustrating that the growth of the mobile web (tablet and phone) is an expanding slice of the display pie accounting for 15% of the ad exchange inventory in the USA today.  While that’s a staggering number, it becomes more compelling when that’s compared to the 9% found globally on ad exchanges.

Midway through his presentation, Hall unveils DoubleClick’s ability to deliver in-app mobile ads *and* at newer dimensions of 320 x 50.

]]> http://www.brendondavid.com/2011/11/chip-hall-of-google-discusses-doubleclicks-ad-exchange/feed/ 0 http://www.brendondavid.com/2011/11/george-takei-and-japanese-consul-general-post-assumption-in-los-angeles/ http://www.brendondavid.com/2011/11/george-takei-and-japanese-consul-general-post-assumption-in-los-angeles/#comments Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:57:06 +0000 admin http://www.brendondavid.com/?p=1282

This week I was invited to the Japanese Consul General’s residence to celebrate his new post assumption and the Emperor of Japan’s birthday.  In a section of Los Angeles known for the Playboy Mansion, I was able to meet the most interesting mix of people.  Between spreading the word about the JETAASC and being engulfed in great conversations, the event was a success.

One of the most interesting people with which I was able to spend time was George Takei.  Many of you know George from his role as Sulu on Star Trek.  I’ve never met such a sincere conversationalist before.  He is so happy, present and interesting.  I have to say that I was sucked into his great stories.  How could one not!  He is involved with quite a few Japanese related organizations.  There were a few parallels between some of his organizations and the JET Programme.  As a side note, Russell Iriye (in the photo above) has an interesting family connection with George.  Apparently, Russell’s grandfather used to cut George’s hair in the US Internment Camps during World War II.  Talk about 6 degrees of separation.  Another side note is that my wife and George have the same voice over agent here in Los Angeles.  Who knew?!  We look forward to seeing him again soon at the holiday party.  I can’t wait to hear what he’s got up his sleeve that night.

The drinks continued to flow as the speeches by Consul General gave a speech before the Controller of the State of California gave his.  The speeches were peppered with live shamisen music by a young man from San Diego.  Once the music subsided, the drinks flowed again and local dignitaries were working the event like pros.

After speaking with George we were able to strike up conversations with Cyril (Consul General of South Africa).  He was another engaging person filled with wonderful anecdotes about Rwanda and South Africa.  We learned quite about South Africa’s current situation and people.  Additionally, we realized that we know the same person that works with the South African board of tourism.  Again, a small world.  Between Los Angeles, Tokyo and Cape Town we were able to travel the world yesterday.  I’ll keep you posted about the next time we have the pleasure of chatting with George.

Studying Japanese can be a time consuming process.  Sometimes it even becomes a chore if one is not using it everyday.

I like to view Memrise.com as a game.  I’m always competing against myself and others for a better score.  All the while, I’m learning and retaining the Japanese words and kanji needed to help further my business Japanese.  I can create my own lists or choose from any of the others in the Memrise community.  So far, I’ve found no other lists from other users that will benefit me in my quest to retain and use relevant Japanese.  That said, it’s still a young community.  There will be more and more folks adding lists in any number of languages in the near future.

Like with any other language learning tool, the user needs to be very clear on the goal.  Do you want to learn Japanese to pass the JPLT test?  Do you want to learn Japanese to hit on women?  Do you want to learn Japanese to help further your professional trajectory?  This very simple question is usually the more difficult to ask and answer.  If the language learner identifies the “why”, then Memrise and any other tool will prove to help language learning immensely.

Here’s how I use Memrise.com:

1. Identify what I specifically want to get out of Memrise
2. Create an account on Memrise.com
3. Create a spreadsheet to compile words and phrases that are relevant to my goal
4. Create 4 columns in the spreadsheet:  Japanese, Furigana, translation, use (business only, casual, guys only, etc)
5. Compile approximately 10 rows at a time on the spreadsheet
6. Login to Memrise.com
7. Add the words and test yourself a few times immediately

I’d love to hear how some of you are utilizing Memrise.com in for your Japanese studies.  Do you have any tips you can share?

A few weeks ago I was in Tokyo for business and had a free Sunday on my hands.  I’m an avid disc golf player and manage to squeeze in a few rounds per week.  I have heard that disc golf has a quite a small, loyal following in Japan.  Additionally, I’ve heard that there are disc golf courses in or near Tokyo.

I was staying in the Ginza area was so excited to learn that there was a disc golf course approximately 4 stops away on the Yurakucho line (subway line).  At the stop called 辰巳 (tatsumi), there is a huge sporting complex that houses a small 9 hole disc golf course.  It’s so close to the belly of Tokyo that you’ll be slapping yourself for not going sooner.

You can bring your own discs, but don’t bother.  It’s a short 9 hole that doesn’t allow for much more than the use of an Aviar putter from Innova.  You can rent a disc at the park office, assuming you go there during business hours.  They’ll be open on weekends too.  They can rent you an Innova Condor.  It’s more like a frisbee and less like a hard core driver or mid range disc.

Here’s how to get there:

1. Identify where you are in Tokyo and then look at a subway map for the Yurakucho line.

2. Take the Yurakucho line East-bound and get off at Tatsumi Station.

3. Exit for the sports park, etc

4. After you exit, you’ll see a pedestrian bridge and a giant dragon head made of rocks.  Walk that bridge.

5. After to walk the bridge you’ll see a giant asphalt cone.  Walk past that and then make a right down the LONG tree lined walking path.

6. Walk approximately .5 miles and you’ll see an opening or exit to the left.  You’ll see a convenience store on the corner.  It’s the only one around.  This is where you’ll purchase your water if it’s a hot day.

7. Walk past the convenience store and past the tall apartment complex

8. Go into park entrance on left.  When you walk down the path, you’ll see a small park office where you can rent very basic discs and frisbees

9. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the first tee for the disc golf course is outside of that building.  Continue walking down the path.  Just as it begins to gently wind to the right, you’ll see the tiny disc golf course on the left.

Below you’ll see the map of the 9 hole disc golf course.  If you want to play like the locals do, you can play in a skip style.  Incorporating a skip style in 9 hole disc golf on short courses requires you to keep your numbers straight.  For example, on the Tatsumi disc golf course in Tokyo, you’d tee off on #1 and aim for the #3 basket.

]]> http://www.brendondavid.com/2011/08/disc-golf-in-tokyo-closer-than-you-may-think/feed/ 0 http://www.brendondavid.com/2011/07/coach-tim-stone-instrumental-in-introduction-and-growth-of-girls-cricket-in-toronto-ontario/ http://www.brendondavid.com/2011/07/coach-tim-stone-instrumental-in-introduction-and-growth-of-girls-cricket-in-toronto-ontario/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:50:58 +0000 admin http://www.brendondavid.com/?p=1228

Tim Stone of Toronto has been instrumental in the introduction and growth of girls cricket in Ontario, Canada.  Until 5 years ago, girls cricket wasn’t an option for girls in the Toronto area.  Since the introduction of girls cricket at Vradenburg Junior Public School, the sport continues to grow in popularity among girl and boy students.

They have found that not only is girls cricket popular at Vradenburg, but it is bringing families and people together.  In this CBC interview with Tim Stone, one learns that cricket brings a wealth of cultural context to the front burner.  Cricket, like most sports, can be a powerful unifier of cultures and their children.  Toronto, known for being one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, is no stranger to cricket and positive impact it can have on a community.

One of the great things mentioned by the student interviewed in the audio clip above, is that she had no idea what cricket was.  She had never played and didn’t know the rules.  That didn’t stop her.  She is a now a lover of the sport.  That seemed to be a common trend.  While many students didn’t know how to play cricket, that didn’t stop them from wanting to play on the Vradenburg team.

Coach Tim Stone, an alumni of the Japan Exchange Teaching Programme (JET), is the sort of upbeat, honest and fun person people don’t forget.  Spend two minutes speaking with him and you know exactly what most people feel when they interact with him.  His engaging and positive personality is no doubt a very valuable asset to the girls cricket squad at Vradenburg and to the ultimate success of girls cricket in Toronto.

Heading to Tokyo or a different part of Japan for a business trip?  Heading there in the summer time?  Get ready for some hot times.  It’s going to be “jungle hot” or “swamp hot”.  Can you say, “humid”?  Actually, you should probably learn how to say that.  It will be a great conversation started with your Japanese counterparts.

“mushi atsui desu neh.” – It’s hot and humid, huh?

Here is a short list of things I bring on summertime business trips.

1.  It will be in high 88F most days and feel like 95F due to insane humidity (or hotter, depending on when you go)

2.  Be prepared for potential rain

3.  You’ll have no issues with electrical outlets if traveling from the USA

4.  Enable the international capability on your cell phones or research how to rent cell phones from Narita Airport

5.  Bring a snack that can be shared by teams as a gift.  NO CHOCOLATE or COFFEE (too hot for chocolate and they both have free or heavily subsidized coffee/drink vending machines).  Must be wrapped and inside a nice bag.  Or at least in a nice bag with nice tissue paper.

6.  No neck ties (if you are going to meet with existing clients that have already expressed that you shouldn’t bother with them)

7.  Dress nice on the very 1^st day, since you may meet new team members that you’ve not met in person before.  Then follow their lead for the following days of meetings

8.  On other days, dress in short sleeve button-ups with super nice denim or cotton pants.  (be aware of swamp-ass since you’ll be sitting on hot trains walk quite a bit and the offices may not have much AC)

9.  You can’t purchase deodorant there.

10.  No flip flops

11.  Bring stack of business cards (at least 30)

12.  Bring more cash than you think you need or feel comfortable walking around with in your home country.  Don’t rely on credit cards.  I bring about $700-800 USD for a week’s trip to Japan

Stuff Brendon typically brings:

1.  tiny travel umbrella (or buy one there)

2.  at LEAST 1 undershirt for each work day (M-W) day I’m there.

3.  short sleeve (starched) button up from Ross or Marshalls for work days

4.  at LEAST 1 pair of socks for each day we’re there in Japan

5.  Shoes that can “stand up” to rain travel and slogging from meetings to cabs to restaurants, etc

6.  Very light rain jacket/shell

7.  handkerchief (3-4)

8.  shoulder bag for night time and off days (for camera, passport, umbrella, food, water, trash, etc)

Remember that it get’s really hot in Tokyo during the summer time.  It has what is called the “heat island” effect.  Since there is very little vegetation, the heat simply radiates off of the cement and buildings.

We all know the trauma associated with the Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Disaster (東北関東大震災) that occurred in Fukushima, Japan.  We’ve seen the destruction on television and the Internet.  What many people have not seen is what is referred to as the “Fly-jin” phenomenon.  A spin-off of the term used for foreigners in Japan (Gaijin), this word “Fly-jin” was coined to wrap a name around the mass exodus of white-collar professionals following the tragic natural and nuclear disaster.  Some say that as much as 40% of the foreign white-collar of the workforce have left Tokyo since March.

I came to know this term while having lunch on a hot, steamy day near Shibuya this past week.  Sharing a dish of broiled fish and cold wheat tea, a colleague told of his experience during the disaster.  In part of his story, he mentioned the word “Fly-jin”.  What a genius term.

His experience, like millions of others in the Tokyo and greater Kanto region of Japan during this disaster, was something out of the movies.  It goes a little something like this…

He and his clients, with which he was about to finalize a deal, were at the coat check on the top floor of the Hilton in Shinjuku when it all happened.  The walls began to shimmer and then everybody was thrown to the floor and against the walls.  It was beyond vertigo and feeling queezy.  This was more like being thrown around like a rag doll.  By the time they could get to a side door it had already become jammed.

While the Shinjuku Hilton was a hotel with which he was familiar, that was the only exit he knew on that floor.  They opted to run (as best they could) down the hall past employees cowered on the floor covering their heads and not responding to shouts of “Where are the stairs?!  Where is the exit?!”  Luckily, they were able to find the exit and stumble down the stairs.  With the surrounding buildings still shaking and people in shock in the streets, he ran to the large Chuo Park across the street.

As the aftershocks began to strike, people began to become more terrified.  He took that as his queue to begin his journey to the middle of the park so that he could be away from any potential falling poles or building pieces.  With each aftershock he could hear the sizzle sounding of the sakura tree buds as they shimmered against one another.  This was the icing on the cake for a very real and traumatic situation.

After leaving the Shinjuku area and heading towards Shibuya station, he continued his walk home along the actual rail tracks and sidewalks leading to his family.

He, like so many millions of others, trudged for hours along the somber pathways to their friends, family and loved ones.  This was before anything about the nuclear disaster.  In their minds, the earthquake was bad enough.  It wasn’t until everyone made it home and turned on the TV that that they learned of the true horror of the disaster.

For many of the foreign white-collar professionals, it was time to leave Japan as soon as they could.  Everything from Coca Cola to global financial firms began to see their foreign employees jump on the first out of the country that they could find.  “Fly-jin” had begun.

Now, a few months later, people are still leaving and jobs opportunities are abound.  Nobody knows if we’ll see a reversal of “Fly-jin” and what the true effect will be on the international business community in Tokyo.  Let’s hope that it doesn’t leave too much of a mark.

Here is my Top 10:

1. camping headlamps are key – because they are tiny and will enable you to find your way in the extreme dark of walking from your hut to dinner or night time hikes in jungle, etc.

2. quick drying footwear- not a must since you’ll be there during the “dry season”, but there will still be a fair bit of water and humidity (rafting, hiking, horseback riding, etc). Sports sandals have material that won’t absorb and retain too much of the stink at all.

Ex: Keen or Teva adventure sandals, etc HERE

3. Dri-fit shirts will be your best friend.

4. A small “dry bag” will give you so much more flexibility and piece-of-mind with your wallet, camera, phone, passport, etc (getting caught in the rain, rafting, going to beach, hiking, humidity) HERE

5. binoculars- you’re going to see some insanely awesome wildlife and so much of it lives in the trees waaaaay above. There have been over 800 species of birds identified in Costa Rica. Not to mention the howler monkeys, spiders, etc

6. Another name for Costa Ricans is “tico” or “ticos”. It’s not derogatory at all.

7. If you have your own car while there (one you’re driving), NEVER leave anything inside at the beaches or for destination hikes. Costa Rica is insanely safe, but theft from tourist rental cars can be high in areas where they know you’ll be at the beach for a while, etc.

8. Bring a bandana. Great for humidity, dampness, nose, etc

9. In Monteverde (the area in which you may be) you can see the world’s largest private collection of insects.

10. 97% of the country is literate.

Again, it doesn’t matter if you’re going to Tamarindo or Limon. Keep the above tips in mind and you’ll have a great time.

You can do all sorts of things at Malibu Creek State Park: hammock camp, tent camp, mountain bike, rock climb, boulder, hike, trail run, paint, bird watch, etc.

The first thing to keep in mind is that this car camping campground is very  tightly compacted.  If you are looking for a campground for car camping that is affords a bit more separation from your fellow nature lovers, then you may want to consider other areas.

The second thing to keep in mind is that Malibu Creek State Park is notorious for ground squirrels and crows.  That means store your food in car or box or cooler.  No kidding, folks.  they open bags and nab all of your stuff.  Plus, by protecting your food you are protecting the wildlife out there.  Cranky-ass crows don’t need Cheese Doodles.  They need beetles and roadkill.

There are a few things that I consider when camping at Malibu Creek State Park:

In high traffic area?
Good for hammocks?
Level ground for tents?
High concentration of other slots?

One of the biggest challenges I find with booking a reservation at Malibu Creek State Park campground is that it is so difficult to guess where the good spots are located.  Choose well; the time of your life.  Choose poorly; you’ll want to dig up John Muir and punch his bearded corpse.

The key is to book in advance.  While the last two times we were able to book last minute [read: the day before], I don’t recommend it unless you are super mellow and easy going.  If you aren’t careful, you could end up in one of the crap slots.

What most people don’t realize is that there is so much to see in Tokyo that does not revolve around the JR Yamanote line.  Next to Shibuya and Meguro, this little gem is where you want to go to feel like you are in an odd hybrid of Japan + Paris.  The area around Setagaya park is where I suggest you go to take a load off and sip a coffee, grab a vegan meal, wash it all down with an organic Japanese beer and go pick-up a fresh loaf of Parisian style bread for the ride home.

Here are some of the great things near the Setagaya Park in Tokyo.  One of them is arguably the coolest and most relaxing Tokyo vegan restaurants.

Olu Olu Cafe (Vegan Cafe)

This is the place you want to go for a great, relaxing vegan meal or snack.  They walls are open-air so on nice days you get the perks of eating outside without the noise of the neighborhood.  They have organic beer and wine.  It’s a casual sort of place.  It feels downright tropical.  Don’t be surprised if you hear some reggae music piped through the speakers.  The proprietors are quite nice and always ready to smile.  Here is the Olu Olu Cafe entry on Tabelog.

Setagaya Park 世田谷公園　 (5 minute bus ride from Shibuya Station)

This park is great.   If you have kids (kids the age that still like playgrounds), do yourself the favor and spend a morning here.  You and your kids will be so happy.  Hey, grab a vegan snack from Olu Olu Cafe and eat at the park.  This park has everything: tons of trees, tennis, baseball, archery, skateboarding, mini-train for young kids, DIY playground.  The playground is the sort of place that everybody wishes they had growing up.  It is all hand made with plywood and lumber.  There is no plastic and no metal.  It’s like a huge fort complex.  It’s completely shaded in dense forest and is flush with Tarzan rope swing, mock food stands, etc.

Nozy Coffee Shop

This is one of the cooler coffee shops I’ve seen in Tokyo.  While it’s not worth a bus ride just for the coffee shop, it is definitely worth the stop while in the area.  It’s minimalist-meets-nordic-meets-Japanese style.  There are a few stools near the window on the upper level.  If it’s too crowded, act like a local and take your coffee to go or to the Setagaya Park.  Here is the Nozy Coffee entry on Tabelog.

H Tokyo

This is the hippest handkerchief boutique you’ve never heard of.  Do yourself the favor and go check this place out.  If you go to Tokyo and don’t have a handkerchief, you’ll soon realize that you’ll need one ASAP.  H Tokyo has a great concept.  They use the same textiles that fashion companies use for dress shirts.  That carries a much bigger cool factor in Tokyo where the average young businessman looks like he just stepped off a boat from Paris.  They also have some custom pieces that are like artwork.   Apparently, this place has been receiving a lot of press in the fashion magazines in Japan.  Pricey, but can one really put a price on coolness?  Here is the H Tokyo website.

How to get to the Setagaya Park area:

1. Get to Shibuya Station

2. Take the West Exit (follow the yellow signs)

3. When you exit you you will see a small bus depot

4. Walk across and go to the bus stand for Buses 21, 22 or 23.  They all go the same direction.  Cost: 210 Yen

5.  You’ll be on a main road for approximately 5-10 minutes (depending on traffic)

6.  Get off at “Mishuku” stop (pronounced: Mee-shu-ku).  That’s on the corner of a well known area called Minshuku Crossing

7.  When you get off the bus, you’ll take a right and walk the direction the bus travels after it drops you off.  Walk 2 blocks and you’ll Olu Olu cafe on your left after the police stand on the corner.

TIP: You can tell/ask the bus driver “Mishuku Kosaten” (pronounced:  Mee-shuku Koh-sah-ten).　三宿交差点

Tips:

1. Gather a few words you use in your normal life in English (don’t pick lame book vocab…pick stuff you actually say in your native tongue)
2. This of a scenario recently where you planned “A”, but “B” happened.
3. Write down some simple situations. Ex: “I planned to go to the party, but it was canceled.”
4. Find the Japanese translation

ところが　- Connector phrase for situations when something contradictory happens.  “A” was planned, but “B” happened.

NOTE: it can be a good situation or a bad situation. Must always follow the “ta” form of the verb…regardless of tense.  The tense of the sentence will be dictated by the main clause/point.

Bad Situations

例１：

I went to Ginza Ramen Shop, but it was already closed.

銀座ラメン屋に行ったところが,もう閉まっていた。

例２：

I planned on sending the email to Mr. Kobayashi, but my Internet access crashed.

小林さんにメールを送くるつもりと思っていたところが、インタネット・アクセスがクラッシュしてしまった。

Good Situations

例３：

I wasn’t expecting much, but the food was great.

あまり期待していなかったところが、食べ物は美味しかった。

例４：

Although I was expecting a bad traffic, it only took 10 minutes to get to the restaurant.

光津渋滞を期待して思てったところが、レストランへは10分かかった。

Long Beach, California has got to have the most thriving appreciation for reggae, dub and jah-related.  Last night at the Art Theater, the 11pm show was a screening with the director, Ethan Higbee.

Let’s get this out of the way.  If you are a fan of reggae, dub, drum n bass, electronica or House music, you’ll need to ensure that you see this documentary ASAP.  Even if you are just a fan of music or historical documentaries, you should see this movie.

The wife and I jumped on our bikes and rode to the Art Theater to get in line early.  We knew this movie would draw out many fans of reggae and dub.  Other than in Jamaica or some parts of Tokyo, I’ve never heard of a place that embraces reggae and all of its trappings like Long Beach, CA.  Between the heroin skaters, low rider bmx-ers, ex-cons working out at Bixby Park, fixed gear computer guys ripping up the streets, there is no place as diverse in Southern California.  This diversity is gelled by the love to Jah, weed, reggae, dub and one love.

Ethan and his crew couldn’t have chosen a better place to show this movie in LA.  The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry was an amazing movie.  It has a healthy mix of reggae, ska and dub history.  What’s more, he works-in Scratch Perry as he is today.  It’s a brilliant contrast of then-and-now.

I had no idea that he was so integral to the rise of Bob Marley and the roots reggae invention.  Wow.

Go see this movie.  Here are the areas in which they’ll be screening this movie.

Rock climbing can trace its roots to the Southern California.  The birth place of modern rock climbing is spread across the arid and mountainous areas of Southern California:  Idyllwild with its Taquitz, Sierra Nevada Mountains with its Yosemite National Park, Palm Springs with its Joshua Tree National Park and….wait for it….LA County’s Stoney Point.

Stoney Point is very much a part of rock climbing iconic history, but it bears a much different history and evolution over the last 50 years.  Situated in the northernmost part of Los Angeles in Chatsworth, Stoney Point is the closest cluster of rock formations upon which rock climbers can ply their craft.  It’s also the closest area for gang bangers and trouble makers to spend time late in the evening.

What many people don’t know is that the founders of the global brands Patagonia and The North Face were the forefathers of modern rock climbing.  Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Black Diamond and Patagonia, learned to climb at Stoney Point; as did his rock climbing and merchandising contemporary, Royal Robbins.  Most climbers in LA don’t realize that those two living legends were refining their beginner skills in Los Angeles on a series of rock formations in Chatsworth.  Who knew!?

The sad truth is that this place has devolved into the antithesis of what rock climbers promote, seek out and protect.  If you were to go to Stoney Point right now- even if you are not a rock climber- you’d be disgusted.  Unlike its counterparts- Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, San Jacinto Mountians- Stoney Point is the rock equivalent of that friend with which you grew up that took the wrong path in life and wound up in jail.

Stoney Point is littered with millions of glass shards.  They are everywhere.  It doesn’t matter how high one travels on the rocks, glass is everywhere.  Each dirt path or ledge leading to the top of each section of rocks is strewn with multi colored beer bottle shards.  The browns and greens glitter like a path of gems in the early morning light.  It’s depressing.  Of course, there is the obligatory plastic bags, condoms, cigarette butts, cigarette wrappers, etc.

If that is not enough, taggers have littered the rock faces with lame spray paint scrawling.  Just when one thinks they will get high enough and not see any gang or tagger call signs, they are quickly proven wrong.  We actually found a Courvoisier bottle at the highest area.  The cherry on top is that most of the areas where there are deep cracks or holes, a rank stench of urine and body fluids rises up like a cloud of doom welcoming any rock climber hoping to climb and enjoy nature.

The Spooky Cross of 2010 was the best cycling race in which I’ve participated in “all me days”.  This race is a textbook illustration of why cyclocross racing is the life blood of bike racing.  In addition to professional racers showing up, there were a healthy number of triathletes from Triathlon Training Series (TTS Racing) that delivered a solid showing of power, pain and good attitude.  Who knew that triathletes could race cyclocross well?  Awesome.  The the good news of this years race was that Chris Horner of Team Radioshack showed up and won.  Watching a Tour de France and pro peleoton racer like Chris Horner absolutely shred the Irvine course was quite a treat.  I should note that the level of talent here in the SoCal cyclocross scene is insane.  Horner had to work for this win.  Way to go SoCal bike racing scene.

In addition to having Team Radioshack show up at a SoCalCross Prestige Series cyclocross race, two things have come to the surface that have elevated cyclocross to the regal level.  I’d hate myself if I didn’t note these two things with which I, Brendon David, have graced the cyclocross scene:  The Bark and the “Get Some!” anthem.  Not only are these two things zero calorie, but they add another level of animal tendencies and a healthy portion of Thunder Dome.  That means that you’ll need to keep your eyes open and wallets in a safe place.  Because when the sabers begin rattling and the “Get Some!” starts to float through the air like a cloud of old lady perfume, you’ll need to either begin singing “Run to the hiiiiiiiiiiills” or board the Crazy Train.  Get some.

If you’ve raced bikes or triathlon, you know that races can be a bit dull.  They typically are not spectator friendly and people are so serious.  That vibe, however, helps Southern California remain one of the tops regions in the USA for amateur bike racing.  That’s all well and good, but why not have a fun atmosphere and a high level of racing?  I’m here to tell you that they don’t have to be mutually exclusive.  Shocking.  I know.  The intersection of exciting vibe and insane bike skills occurs in the great sport of cyclocross.

Cyclocross is the style of bike racing that happens after the main season of criterium and road racing is complete.  That means that the field of racers are very fit and have a lot of racing under their belts from the previous season.  Now add a dash of screaming fans, racers in crazy socks, beer drinking, barking fans and loud drums/bells.  You’ll be left with cyclocross.  Additionally, this flavor of bike racing is great for fans too.  There are always racers passing and plenty of opportunity to scream “Get Some!”

This a book that you should read if you are a fan of Japan, mob stories, Tokyo, saitama, kabukicho, snack bars, hostess bars or anything related to the yakuza.  Jake Adelstein did a great job of “pulling back the kimono” on the mysteriousness for which Japan is known.  On the surface, it appears to be an autobiography about the yakuza and not much more.  However, if approached the way one would approach Japanese culture then the subtleties that fill in the cracks are what make this book what it is.

The book is divided into 3 main sections:  college grad wants to be a reporter in Japan, young reporter finds himself in the middle of yakuza, reporter grows and understands how the police and yakuza truly work.

Adelstein, like many exchange students living in Japan, wanted to grow his language skills as quickly as possible.  He decided to combine his journalistic skills with his Japanese ability.  He did what no foreigner ever does.  He signed himself up to take the entrance examination for the Japanese media.  The catch was that he was a foreigner and the test was 100% in Japanese.  He passed and was offered a job at the Yomiuri newspaper covering the police beat.  Most, if not all, rookies are placed on the police beat when they begin their journey into the complex and sometimes nonsensical waters of Japanese journalism.

Adelstein goes on to spend most of his time in Saitama and Tokyo.  As he grows as a journalist, he befriends prostitutes, policemen, pimps and all sorts of folks that have dealings with the underworld or what is called the “Water Trade”.  Though Adelstein is never fully sucked into the shady world of the Water Trade, he works with the key players to get more information for ongoing stories.

These connections place his path right in the way of the yakuza.  Over the years, Adelstein holds many meetings and conversations with key mobsters that keep him alive.  Adelstein wins their respect because he understands Japanese culture and because he takes major risks that the average person wouldn’t take with high ranking yakuza.

There are many other tidbits about this book that really make it a wonderful read, but I won’t spoil it here for you.  Grab the audiobook or paperback and you’ll not be disappointed.

Allison day of SushiDay.com and Brendon David of BrendonDavid.com at WordCamp LA 2010. photo by Bryan Villiran

This past weekend, LMU hosted the 2nd annual WordCamp LA.  Like 2009, WordCamp LA 2010 was an undeniable success.  Of the many great sessions I attended, Allison Day’s session was the type of lecture I love to see at events like this.  All too often many perspective attendees opt not to attend due to the intimidation factor.  The truth is, that many felt WordCamp LA was going to be too advanced.  I can think of 3 different associates that decided against attending for those very reasons.

Day’s session was the perfect type of session for a person new to using WordPress:  Web Development for Beginners: Decoding the Code Behind Your WordPress Theme. She did a masterful job of  presenting a topic that scared the crap out of most of us when we first began blogging.  I wish I was able to attend this lecture years ago when I was spinning with confused thoughts of PHP, HTML and CSS.  Sometimes all it takes is a professional or expert to explain things in simple, digestible terms.  Day did *just* that.

WordCamp LA is designed for all folks.  Whether one be a super techie guru or a new blogger that just wants to write about yoga or travels, this event is worth attending.  In addition to all of the great lectures, the attendees are as diverse, interesting and engaging as you’ll find at a computer event.

To all of you that told me you were thinking about attending WordCamp LA 2010 and didn’t, you missed out.  This was the session you should have attended.  If you’re lucky she’ll be presenting at WordCamp 2011.

On a side note, she just returned from a trip to Tokyo, Japan.  Check out her site and see the photos from that Tokyo adventure.  She and Son did a great job of capturing a lot of the subtleties of Japan through fantastic photography.

This is what I like to call the Shibuya Loop.

This a fun way to see the busiest intersection in the world just out side of the Shibuya stn and to walk through the Shibuya Senta Gai (series of narrow walking streets filled with bars, shops, stores and anything else you can imagine.  Not too many foreigners in this area.  Then it you’ll head to Harajuku and see all of that craziness.  You’ll wander around the back streets of Harajuku for a while, then you can work your way back to Omotesando Subway station (purple line station that you transferred to from the green Chiyoda line that will take you back to Akasaka).  Super easy.

This is the ultimate, fastest and most epic way to make use of your vacation time in Tokyo.  The truth is that when most people are visiting Tokyo they don’t realize that they have to plan and stick to that plan because there is so much time and money tied to traveling via subway and train.

SHIBUYA – ( http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2976604 )

• From the Akasaka subway station (which is the forrest green Chiyoda Line) take that a few stops up to the Omotesando station.
• Transfer to the Hanzomon line (purple) and get off at Shibuya station.  Look at the yellow signs above and on the walls to find the “Hachiko Exit”.  Shibuya station is MASSIVE with a zillion different train lines and levels and stuff.  Don’t let that throw you off.  Hachiko is a VERY well known exit.  You’ll find it easily by just saying “Hachiko?” and people can point you in the right direction if you miss all of the signs.
• Once you exit the station, you’ll be facing a massive intersection (busiest in the world) with a huge 2 story Starbucks staring at you from across the street.
• Go that direction and continue past the Starbucks on the left side down the walking streets.
• Just hang out down there and take random turns down alleys and stuff.  Really cool.
• THEN,

• Go back to Shibuya station and get on the Green JR Yamanote line.  This is the above ground line that forms an oval around Tokyo.  
• Take this to the next station called Harajuku.  If you are good with maps and walking you can easily walk there, but if you aren’t so hot with maps, then just jump on the train and you’ll be at Harajuku station within 3 minutes
• When you exit, you have two options:  1)  go see Meiji Shrine  or 2) skip shrine and continue through Harajuku.  I strongly suggest you go to the Meiji Shrine first.  Really major shrine in Tokyo and beautiful.   
• For Meiji Jingu, take a right out of the station and walk just a short way and you’ll see all of the trees surrounding the shrine and you’ll see a lot of kids loitering in front of it.  That’s a main hangout spot for gothic kids.
• After you’re done with Meiji Shrine, walk back towards the JR train station you left from and pass it.  You’ll come to a big walking street on the right with a McDonalds.  Take that right.  (you’ll see on the map it’s like a 3 min walk from the entrance of the Meiji Shrine)
• Walk that way and cruise down this very famous area.  You’re going to see all sorts of young fashion and funny stuff
• Once that ends at the main street, cross to the opposite side of street
• Once you’ve spent enough time rolling back there, go back to the boulevard with the trees.  Go LEFT
• After about 1/2 mile or 1 mile, you’ll see the Omotesando station (purple line) and you’ll be able to jump right back on the forest green Chiyoda Line back to Akasaka