tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67009912010-04-03T18:48:32.787+09:00yes, you mayfeitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.comBlogger1077125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-1113747425983708672010-04-01T15:36:00.004+09:002010-04-01T21:18:49.325+09:00

It seems I am experiencing first-hand the downside to living an online life: my residence in Japan is now in jeopardy.As I mentioned on Twitter I spent a good chunk of the last two days gathering forms and applying for a new visa. The "education" work visa I received in 2007 is up this summer and having gotten my money's worth I figured now was the time to finally switch over to a spouse visa.

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-5645247002706387902010-03-10T21:43:00.002+09:002010-03-10T21:50:39.172+09:00

I've run out of excuses to put off writing about Avatar.I feel quite conflicted about Avatar, as if I cannot decide whether or not I approve of it. The visual impact of the film was second to none, but when I saw it a second time I couldn't help but take notice of all the little oddities and nagging problems that I was able to write off the first time.The thing that probably bothers me the most

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-6950406386056863612010-02-17T08:45:00.000+09:002010-02-17T08:45:00.210+09:00

Two recent stories jumped out at me this weekend. Initially unrelated, the more I thought about them the more I realized they touched on the issue of "free speech" and the curious habit of people on the Internet leaping to the support of people/organizations that don’t need (or deserve) any help.First off, Kevin Smith was thrown off a Southwest Airlines flight because he looked too fat, emphasis

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-13480108588176130312010-02-16T20:21:00.003+09:002010-02-16T20:31:51.568+09:00

A great athlete retired last week.Not because he was too old or because he wanted to pursue other interests, but because he made one too many mistakes outside of the ring. His biggest mistake of all might have been dominating a sport that is too short-sighted to recognize that a great champion is a great champion, period. No amount of "controversy" can justify the Sumo Association pressuring

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-16298272178424174152010-02-04T14:06:00.002+09:002010-02-04T20:40:28.959+09:00

Don't know why I put off my first post of the year for so long, so I'm writing this on my phone to get it over with.Fact is, the future of feitclub.com is in doubt. Blogger has decided to end publishing via FTP, and since I use my own domain that's precisely how I put this blog together.I want to continue writing and there are options on the table to migrate this project of mine to a new host or

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-53022978933626420702009-12-31T23:59:00.005+09:002009-12-31T23:59:00.501+09:00

Hey everybody, I just want to drop in here and say a few words before the year is up.First off, the vacation is going great. I was nervous about the baby but it turns out he loves America and everyone in it. Strangers and family alike delight him, he is being spoiled with toys and clothes at every turn, and he is sleeping here like he never sleeps back home. Not necessarily at night, mind you,

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-23802529689153150882009-12-23T14:00:00.000+09:002009-12-23T00:15:54.973+09:00

By the time this post goes live, I'll be on my way to New York with my family in tow. Maybe Go will fall asleep on the plane and maybe he won't. Either way we will be spending the next two weeks in the United States.I am, understandably, nervous about this trip. Even taking the airplanes out of the equation there's going to be a lot of traveling and I have no idea how Go will respond. Will he

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-59058225870141101802009-12-22T08:40:00.004+09:002009-12-22T08:40:00.294+09:00

Next on my list of my favorite things about the 00s is Quentin Tarantino. When the decade began he was MIA, curiously quiet after the lukewarm response to Jackie Brown (1997). Once he got back into the movie-making business, business was good. Very good.His first film back from hiatus was Kill Bill (2003, 2004), an epic kung-fu/revenge picture that was forcibly split into two films by the studio.

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-43729498026603028792009-12-21T22:40:00.003+09:002009-12-21T22:55:38.379+09:00

I wasn't much of a reader as a child, a bad habit that continued well into adulthood. Thankfully I've begun reading a lot more books this decade and at least part of the reason why is my fondness for one particular author: Chuck Palahniuk.Like a lot of people, I first heard of Chuck's work when I saw the movie Fight Club (1999) which was based on his 1996 novel. I didn't actually get around to

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-59914000427475021582009-12-17T22:14:00.003+09:002009-12-17T22:37:17.410+09:00

Can't believe I'll be in New York in less than a week. This trip is either going to be a nightmare or an extremely good time, and a lot of that is up to Go. Will he sleep on the plane? Will he adapt to the time shift? We'll all find out soon enough.I was fortunate enough to be a guest on Alex's podcast The Dofuss Show again, although due to this being my third straight show he jokingly dubbed it

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-19121750170050473902009-12-16T20:25:00.000+09:002009-12-16T21:15:29.928+09:00

No doubt, the last ten years have seen some wonderful movies come and go. You know one thing that all the great movies of the 00s have in common? They sure as hell weren't based on any video games! Yes, today's disappointment of the decade is the state of game-based movies: not only do they suck, they're getting worse.I'm sure it's very, very hard to make a successful film from a critical or

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-13028727576166807102009-12-15T22:37:00.004+09:002009-12-15T22:53:26.286+09:00

Sorry to break the flow of this 00 retrospective, but I figured this would be of interest.I've often communicated my enthusiasm for the PixelJunk brand of games on the PlayStation Network. Every since I bought a PS3 last year, I have found myself drawn towards their distinctive, addictive little games. When they finally released PixelJunk Shooter last week, their first completely original product

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-56208998759269797382009-12-14T22:31:00.004+09:002009-12-14T22:51:11.298+09:00

Let's transition from the the disappointment of the Dreamcast by highlighting two brilliant movies that predict a less-than rosy future for the human race. These are two of my favorite movies of the past ten years but even though they're both comedies that doesn't mean they don't also carry a message: we're on the wrong track.WALL-E (2008): Pixar has been on a real roll in recent years, but

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-30417433247496321862009-12-12T20:04:00.000+09:002009-12-12T20:56:53.351+09:00

We've had some fun so far in my look back at the 00s, but now it's time to start with the bad news. Leading off my top disappointments of the past decade is the demise of the Sega Dreamcast.I've already written an essay looking back at the Dreamcast with fondness that appeared on Bitmob to celebrate the console's ten year anniversary. Even though it famously launched on 9/9/99, I doubt I played

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-39923823190705538262009-12-10T22:03:00.003+09:002009-12-10T22:33:42.301+09:00

Today my series on the 00s continues with one that's both a favorite and a disappointment, in a way: Chappelle's Show (Comedy Central, 2003-2006). It was easily my most revered show on television at the time and my friends and I watched it together with great joy, but then it suddenly fell apart and its star has all but disappeared from the Earth. Are you out there, Dave? We miss you, please come

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-63382795541524313112009-12-09T22:02:00.006+09:002009-12-10T22:05:15.036+09:00

It's funny that anime helped fuel my interest in Japan and the Japanese language, but now that I live here I hardly follow the field at all. That's not my fault though, that's just a statement on where anime has ended up. To kick off my 00 retrospective, here are four animated works (two Japanese, two American) that I hold near and dear to my heart.Futurama (FOX, 1999-2003, plus four DVD movies):

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-32202575907175836202009-12-07T22:19:00.002+09:002009-12-07T22:42:48.212+09:00

I'm not normally a "count your chickens before they hatch" kind of guy, but I've got this idea that I want to let you know about it even before I really figure out how feasible it might be.It has been brought to my attention that not only is 2009 coming to an end, but the entire decade of the 00s will soon be behind us. I've been reading the various lists over at The Onion AV Club and Insult

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-44500205447494590992009-12-06T21:07:00.002+09:002009-12-06T21:32:39.214+09:00

First things first: I never would have heard of The Road were it not for this engaging Bitmob article by Tyler Miller on connecting games with other media. He compares The Road to Fallout 3 as both are set in a dreary post-apocalyptic United States. It was this recommendation that brought the book to my attention, and just in time too as the film version has been released in theaters.Living in

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-34609693167425128032009-12-03T17:03:00.005+09:002009-12-03T21:24:53.281+09:00

Holy crap, it's December already. If time weren't already flying because I'm getting older AND having so much fun all the time, it's definitely quickening with every diaper I change. Seriously folks, if you want to completely warp your perception of time, have a kid.For example, little Go is just past five months old already. He doesn't look any different, but each time we weigh/measure him the

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-36693129090760253022009-11-26T17:31:00.002+09:002009-11-26T20:27:46.794+09:00

Hey, it's Thanksgiving! Oh hey, I'm in Japan, so Thanksgiving doesn't mean dick! Indeed, this will be my first Thanksgiving in four years without any familial contact. Last year I was in New York on this holiday and the year before that my parents and sister were in town for my wedding. Frankly, even four years ago I was at Kansai Gaidai surrounded by similarly homesick Americans. I guess I can

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-6254243624553268642009-11-24T22:30:00.006+09:002009-11-24T22:55:12.933+09:00

Yikes, sick again. I just had a cold around Halloween, how can I have another one so soon? It's not fair! I keep telling myself that as long as there's no fever, I don't have the flu and I've got no excuse to stay home from work. Am I nuts?Bronchial issues aside, I had a terrific weekend. On Saturday we dropped Go off with Mako's parents (with their blessing!) so the two of us could just spend

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-88863373973098671942009-11-21T22:14:00.000+09:002009-11-21T23:24:17.660+09:00

The Tokyo Game Show is certainly Japan's largest gaming exhibition, but it's not the only event that's open to the public. Here in Osaka, the eighth annual Games Japan Festa took place last weekend. It may have lacked the bombastic spectacle of TGS but it was free and it was not without its charms.To be sure, Games Japan Festa is a much smaller gathering with a much different focus. TGS is a

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-6083177115431361442009-11-19T18:52:00.004+09:002009-11-19T19:58:25.535+09:00

Yesterday was my birthday, and as a present to myself I decided not to spend the last hour or so of the day trying to write something profound about turning 33. Instead, I played Bayonetta* for about an hour and had fun. Honestly, it's been over a week since I played any game simply for the fun of it so I deserved that break. And so far, Bayonetta is lot of fun.Oh yeah, check out the lovely

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-26721826518534240442009-11-15T22:46:00.004+09:002009-11-15T23:36:37.490+09:00

Quite a week, that. Three days of teaching (two in my biggest, unfriendliest school) plus two days attending the JET mid-year seminar. It was a nice break from my usual routine and I did enjoy having a chance to go into the city instead of heading out into the countryside. And hey, free calligraphy lessonThis year's seminar was a little different/scarier because I had to deliver a presentation of

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700991.post-20532386669719514512009-11-09T21:57:00.004+09:002009-11-09T22:27:08.349+09:00

Kind of a special day today. Twenty years ago, the Berlin Wall came down...on my sister's Nth birthday. Is it silly that both of these anniversaries are battling for my thoughts?Yes, it is!I mean, it goes without saying that my sister's birth was the more momentous occasion in my life. I have only vague memories of going to the hospital that day, and I doubt very much that nearly-three-year-old

feitclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858635943881534685noreply@blogger.com3