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Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
・・・だってさ。
恋愛で悩まないためのこころのトレーニング！
■潜在意識は全てを知っている
あなたも、今まで訪れたこともない異国の地でなぜだかとても懐かしい気持ちになったり、始めて会ったみず知らずの他人に対して、わけもかわらず、妙に親近感を覚えたりなどという経験を一度や二度はされたことがあるのではないでしょうか？
こういう現象は、一般的にはデジャブと呼ばれていますが、神秘学の世界においては、デジャブは脳の錯覚などではなく、あなたがあなたの潜在意識に貯えられている記憶の一端をたまたま垣間見たことから生じる現象と考えます。
昨今では、人間の幸せの大部分は、脳の機能により左右されるという説がまかり通っているようですが、いくら脳の機能を高めたとしても、例えば、特殊な訓練を通してIQを高めることに成功したとしても、恋愛で幸せを得ることが出来るとは限りません。幸せは、脳のレベルを超えたこころの次元に存在するからです。脳は、高次元の意識を現実生活における客観的精神のレベルへ変換する精巧なハードの役割を担います。
ところで、わたしたちは、誰もがこころの奥底では、幸せになる方法を知っています。それは、わたしたちの潜在意識が、わたしたちの経験を全て記憶しているからです。ですから、潜在意識に上手に働きかけ、幸せな恋愛の記憶だけを引き出すことが出来れば、あなたが恋愛で悩むことはなくなるはずです。
■恋愛は全てを肯定することからはじめましょう
潜在意識から幸せ恋愛の記憶を取り出すために最初に必要なことは、あなたの持つ否定的な思考を全て捨て去ることです。
潜在意識には、あなたの命令に対して、一切疑問を挟まないという性質があります。もし、あなたが、現実における過去の苦い恋愛経験から恋愛に対して否定的な思考を持ってしまっているとすれば、あなたの潜在意識はそれを素直に受け入れ、服従します。
潜在意識に深く刻まれた否定的な記憶は、いずれは、現実世界における習慣へと成長し、あなたにとって、恋愛で否定的な思考を持つことが、当たり前となってしまいます。そうして身についた恋愛否定グセに立ち向かうのは非常に困難です。
■幸せ恋愛トレーニング
それでは、潜在意識に働きかけて、幸せな恋愛を呼びこむための簡単なトレーニングを始めてみましょう。
夜眠る前に、記憶をたどりながら、出来るだけ昔にさかのぼってみましょう。ある出来事(恋愛に関わることでなくても良いです)を思い出したら、その場にしばらくとどまって、自分自身をじっくりと観察します。
その光景が、肯定的で楽しいものである場合には、その時感じた幸せな感情をかみしめてください。反対に、否定的な場面では、その場で犯した過ちを素直に受け入れて、十分に反省したら、その時、本来であれば、自分が取るべきであった正しい言動を思い浮かべてください。
毎晩、たったこれだけのことを習慣的に続けるだけで、あなたの潜在意識は書き換えられ、潜在意識に刻まれた肯定的な記憶とのつながりが確立します。そうすると、恋愛で悩みを抱えた時に、あなたは、静かに自分自身のこころに問いかけるだけで、常にあなたにとって最高の答えを手に入れることが出来るようになり、いずれは恋愛で悩むことすらなくなってしまうはずです。
【恋愛ガイド：永瀬久嗣】
http://news.mixi.jp/view_news.pl?id=1376690&media_id=77
■潜在意識は全てを知っている
あなたも、今まで訪れたこともない異国の地でなぜだかとても懐かしい気持ちになったり、始めて会ったみず知らずの他人に対して、わけもかわらず、妙に親近感を覚えたりなどという経験を一度や二度はされたことがあるのではないでしょうか？
こういう現象は、一般的にはデジャブと呼ばれていますが、神秘学の世界においては、デジャブは脳の錯覚などではなく、あなたがあなたの潜在意識に貯えられている記憶の一端をたまたま垣間見たことから生じる現象と考えます。
昨今では、人間の幸せの大部分は、脳の機能により左右されるという説がまかり通っているようですが、いくら脳の機能を高めたとしても、例えば、特殊な訓練を通してIQを高めることに成功したとしても、恋愛で幸せを得ることが出来るとは限りません。幸せは、脳のレベルを超えたこころの次元に存在するからです。脳は、高次元の意識を現実生活における客観的精神のレベルへ変換する精巧なハードの役割を担います。
ところで、わたしたちは、誰もがこころの奥底では、幸せになる方法を知っています。それは、わたしたちの潜在意識が、わたしたちの経験を全て記憶しているからです。ですから、潜在意識に上手に働きかけ、幸せな恋愛の記憶だけを引き出すことが出来れば、あなたが恋愛で悩むことはなくなるはずです。
■恋愛は全てを肯定することからはじめましょう
潜在意識から幸せ恋愛の記憶を取り出すために最初に必要なことは、あなたの持つ否定的な思考を全て捨て去ることです。
潜在意識には、あなたの命令に対して、一切疑問を挟まないという性質があります。もし、あなたが、現実における過去の苦い恋愛経験から恋愛に対して否定的な思考を持ってしまっているとすれば、あなたの潜在意識はそれを素直に受け入れ、服従します。
潜在意識に深く刻まれた否定的な記憶は、いずれは、現実世界における習慣へと成長し、あなたにとって、恋愛で否定的な思考を持つことが、当たり前となってしまいます。そうして身についた恋愛否定グセに立ち向かうのは非常に困難です。
■幸せ恋愛トレーニング
それでは、潜在意識に働きかけて、幸せな恋愛を呼びこむための簡単なトレーニングを始めてみましょう。
夜眠る前に、記憶をたどりながら、出来るだけ昔にさかのぼってみましょう。ある出来事(恋愛に関わることでなくても良いです)を思い出したら、その場にしばらくとどまって、自分自身をじっくりと観察します。
その光景が、肯定的で楽しいものである場合には、その時感じた幸せな感情をかみしめてください。反対に、否定的な場面では、その場で犯した過ちを素直に受け入れて、十分に反省したら、その時、本来であれば、自分が取るべきであった正しい言動を思い浮かべてください。
毎晩、たったこれだけのことを習慣的に続けるだけで、あなたの潜在意識は書き換えられ、潜在意識に刻まれた肯定的な記憶とのつながりが確立します。そうすると、恋愛で悩みを抱えた時に、あなたは、静かに自分自身のこころに問いかけるだけで、常にあなたにとって最高の答えを手に入れることが出来るようになり、いずれは恋愛で悩むことすらなくなってしまうはずです。
【恋愛ガイド：永瀬久嗣】
http://news.mixi.jp/view_news.pl?id=1376690&media_id=77
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Cashback
Lines from Cashback:
It takes approximately 500 pounds to crush a human skull.
But the human emotion is a much more delicate thing.
What is love anyway?
And is it really that fleeting?
I took the bus with no real place to go.
I watched the landscape slowly change as it clung to the last hours of sunlight,
before leaving me to get another sleepless night.
Time manipulation is not a precise science.
Like any art, it's personal to the individual.
So what is the art in making my shift go so fast?
I imagine the opposite.
That time is frozen.
I imagine the remote control for life has been paused.
I'm able to walk freely within this frozen world, and unnoticed.
Nobody would even know that time had stopped.
And when it started back up again,the invisible join would be seamless except for a slight shudder.
Not unlike the feeling of somebody walking over your grave.
That moment when you see someone walking down the street
who is so beautiful you just can't help but stare...
Well, imagine as I do, that with the world on pause
it becomes very easy to understand the concept of beauty.
To have it frozen in front of you.
Captured.
Unaware.
And I'm bored of saying the same thing, and I'm bored of feeling shit about it.
And most of all I'm bored of being awake 24 hours a day.
I wanted to freeze time.
I wanted to savor that moment.
To live in that moment for a week.
But I couldn't stop it.
Only slow it.
And before I knew it, she was gone.
After the door closed, I felt like the last person on earth.
Crush.
It's funny how the same word for the feeling of attraction
can be used for the feeling of disappointment.
I often wonder what it would be like
to spend the rest of my life with the world on pause.
To live out the rest of my life between two fractions of a second.
To die of old age, and then have time continue.
The young me gone, and a dead old man in my place.
Was I spending too much time in this frozen world?
It felt safe, untouchable.
But how safe is anyone's world?
Knowing what you want is half the battle.
Most people go through their whole lives not knowing what they want.
It's easy to find if you know what you're looking for.
You can speed it up, you can slow it down.
You can even freeze a moment.
But you can't be rewind time.
You can't undo what is done.
Once upon a time, I wanted to know what love was.
Love is there if you want it to be.
You just have to see that it's wrapped in beauty
and hidden away between the seconds of your life.
If you don't stop for a minute,
you might miss it.
It takes approximately 500 pounds to crush a human skull.
But the human emotion is a much more delicate thing.
What is love anyway?
And is it really that fleeting?
I took the bus with no real place to go.
I watched the landscape slowly change as it clung to the last hours of sunlight,
before leaving me to get another sleepless night.
Time manipulation is not a precise science.
Like any art, it's personal to the individual.
So what is the art in making my shift go so fast?
I imagine the opposite.
That time is frozen.
I imagine the remote control for life has been paused.
I'm able to walk freely within this frozen world, and unnoticed.
Nobody would even know that time had stopped.
And when it started back up again,the invisible join would be seamless except for a slight shudder.
Not unlike the feeling of somebody walking over your grave.
That moment when you see someone walking down the street
who is so beautiful you just can't help but stare...
Well, imagine as I do, that with the world on pause
it becomes very easy to understand the concept of beauty.
To have it frozen in front of you.
Captured.
Unaware.
And I'm bored of saying the same thing, and I'm bored of feeling shit about it.
And most of all I'm bored of being awake 24 hours a day.
I wanted to freeze time.
I wanted to savor that moment.
To live in that moment for a week.
But I couldn't stop it.
Only slow it.
And before I knew it, she was gone.
After the door closed, I felt like the last person on earth.
Crush.
It's funny how the same word for the feeling of attraction
can be used for the feeling of disappointment.
I often wonder what it would be like
to spend the rest of my life with the world on pause.
To live out the rest of my life between two fractions of a second.
To die of old age, and then have time continue.
The young me gone, and a dead old man in my place.
Was I spending too much time in this frozen world?
It felt safe, untouchable.
But how safe is anyone's world?
Knowing what you want is half the battle.
Most people go through their whole lives not knowing what they want.
It's easy to find if you know what you're looking for.
You can speed it up, you can slow it down.
You can even freeze a moment.
But you can't be rewind time.
You can't undo what is done.
Once upon a time, I wanted to know what love was.
Love is there if you want it to be.
You just have to see that it's wrapped in beauty
and hidden away between the seconds of your life.
If you don't stop for a minute,
you might miss it.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Cats
I like cats. Girls are like cats. So I like girls, too. I like girls. Girls are like cats. So I like cats, too. Does this make sense at all?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
How to Work When You're Tired
It's random, but just posting this as a reminder to myself.
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2010/01/how-to-work-when-youre-tired.html
We all have days when we just don’t feel with it. Maybe we were up late the night before, maybe we slept badly, or maybe we’re simply tired for no clear reason. But when you’ve got work to do – whether in your day job, on your small business or around the house – then you can’t just go back to bed. You want to stay alert, make the most of your time, and avoid getting distracted or making silly mistakes.
Here’s how to work when you’re tired:
Be Clear About What You Want to Accomplish
It’s always a good idea to have a clear goal in mind, but especially when you’re feeling tired or otherwise sub-par. Sit down and think what you need to get done today. If you’re working on a big project, what exactly are you going to get done? The next chapter? That section with the statistics you need to look up? If you’re spring cleaning, don’t just do whatever catches your eye – make a plan.
It’s very easy to start meandering into lots of unrelated tasks, if you don’t have a clear focus on what you want to accomplish. I’m sure you’ve had days where you’ve looked back and wondered where your time went – well, this is how to make sure you spend your time on something worthwhile!
Get Ruthless About Distractions
Again, this is always good advice – but when you’re tired, it counts double. Stay out of your email, don’t log into Facebook, and don’t keep taking breaks from the task at hand. It’s so easy to get distracted when you’re not focusing well, and it only makes it harder to concentrate.
You know what it’s like to “just check Facebook” and spend the next hour looking at your cousin’s holidays snaps; so every time your attention wanders, direct it straight back to what you’re supposed to be working on.
Drink Plenty of Water
Dehydration saps your concentration – so make sure you’re sipping water regularly if you’re tired. Although caffeine can supply a temporary boost of energy, try to go easy on the coffee: you’ll only crash otherwise. (Ditto for sugary sodas.)
I like to keep a bottle of water on my desk, within easy reach: because it’s next to me, it’s easy to remember to drink from it, and because the bottle has a screw cap, there’s no chance I’ll accidentally tip it into my computer’s keyboard!
Keep Moving Around
If you’re feeling sleepy, the worst thing to do is to sit down somewhere warm and comfy – you’ll almost certainly nod off! Instead, make sure you move around frequently: get up and stretch, go for a brisk walk, get your body temperature up a bit. This is an especially good idea if you get that mid-afternoon slump: walking around will shake it off.
Take a Shower
Getting into a shower will really wake you up when you’re feeling sluggish. If you’re struggling to even get out of bed, head straight for the shower: as soon as you’re under that running water, you’ll feel considerably more alive!
If you work from home, a mid-afternoon shower can be a great pick-me-up when you’re tired. If you’re in an office, splashing your face with cold water can be a good refreshing alternative.
Perform Easier Tasks
If you’re feeling really tired but you still need to get some work done, try doing your more routine tasks: things like replying to emails, filing documents, making minor website updates, and so on. Often, your energy will naturally pick back up while you work.
How do you cope when you’re tired and you need to carry on working?
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2010/01/how-to-work-when-youre-tired.html
We all have days when we just don’t feel with it. Maybe we were up late the night before, maybe we slept badly, or maybe we’re simply tired for no clear reason. But when you’ve got work to do – whether in your day job, on your small business or around the house – then you can’t just go back to bed. You want to stay alert, make the most of your time, and avoid getting distracted or making silly mistakes.
Here’s how to work when you’re tired:
Be Clear About What You Want to Accomplish
It’s always a good idea to have a clear goal in mind, but especially when you’re feeling tired or otherwise sub-par. Sit down and think what you need to get done today. If you’re working on a big project, what exactly are you going to get done? The next chapter? That section with the statistics you need to look up? If you’re spring cleaning, don’t just do whatever catches your eye – make a plan.
It’s very easy to start meandering into lots of unrelated tasks, if you don’t have a clear focus on what you want to accomplish. I’m sure you’ve had days where you’ve looked back and wondered where your time went – well, this is how to make sure you spend your time on something worthwhile!
Get Ruthless About Distractions
Again, this is always good advice – but when you’re tired, it counts double. Stay out of your email, don’t log into Facebook, and don’t keep taking breaks from the task at hand. It’s so easy to get distracted when you’re not focusing well, and it only makes it harder to concentrate.
You know what it’s like to “just check Facebook” and spend the next hour looking at your cousin’s holidays snaps; so every time your attention wanders, direct it straight back to what you’re supposed to be working on.
Drink Plenty of Water
Dehydration saps your concentration – so make sure you’re sipping water regularly if you’re tired. Although caffeine can supply a temporary boost of energy, try to go easy on the coffee: you’ll only crash otherwise. (Ditto for sugary sodas.)
I like to keep a bottle of water on my desk, within easy reach: because it’s next to me, it’s easy to remember to drink from it, and because the bottle has a screw cap, there’s no chance I’ll accidentally tip it into my computer’s keyboard!
Keep Moving Around
If you’re feeling sleepy, the worst thing to do is to sit down somewhere warm and comfy – you’ll almost certainly nod off! Instead, make sure you move around frequently: get up and stretch, go for a brisk walk, get your body temperature up a bit. This is an especially good idea if you get that mid-afternoon slump: walking around will shake it off.
Take a Shower
Getting into a shower will really wake you up when you’re feeling sluggish. If you’re struggling to even get out of bed, head straight for the shower: as soon as you’re under that running water, you’ll feel considerably more alive!
If you work from home, a mid-afternoon shower can be a great pick-me-up when you’re tired. If you’re in an office, splashing your face with cold water can be a good refreshing alternative.
Perform Easier Tasks
If you’re feeling really tired but you still need to get some work done, try doing your more routine tasks: things like replying to emails, filing documents, making minor website updates, and so on. Often, your energy will naturally pick back up while you work.
How do you cope when you’re tired and you need to carry on working?
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Still, My Dream
Amazing Freefly Skydiving Routine - Watch more Funny Videos
When can we start going upwards like this. It's almost a decade past 2000. Come on, the way I thought the 21st century would turn out to be was way more advanced that the world today.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
No Wonder Why California is Broke
From New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/us/09jackson.html?_r=1
Use of Taxpayer Money for Jackson Service Draws Criticism
Published: July 8, 2009
LOS ANGELES — The talent has exited stage left and the tears have been dried, but the discord over the cost of the memorial service for Michael Jackson held in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday appears to be escalating.
At Jackson Memorial, Music and Mourning (July 8, 2009)
Blowout Ratings for a Farewell, Online and Off (July 9, 2009) On Tuesday, the city attorney, Carmen Trutanich, took the highly unusual step of appearing during the public comment period of a City Council hearing to announce that his office was investigating how Los Angeles taxpayers came to foot a bill for police protection and other city functions at the service, at a time when the city and state are running out of money.
On Wednesday, the city controller, Wendy Greuel, sent a stern letter to the Los Angeles emergency management department demanding to know why it had spent $48,826 on sandwiches from a deli 80 miles from Los Angeles to feed police officers. (Sandwiches from Subway would have cost $17,491.25, she pointed out.)
“Rest assured our office is investigating how this whole phenomenon occurred from the get-go,” Mr. Trutanich said when addressing the council.
Two City Council members have also challenged the expenditure, and on Wednesday the radio airwaves, blogs and Twitter feeds crackled with criticism.
“I admit I shed a tear with Mariah, Queen and Paris,” said Jody Greenblatt, a pharmaceutical executive who lives in Los Angeles. “But I cry more at the thought of teachers’ pink slips, forced furloughed days, unemployment rates sky high and a state bankrupt.”
Sarah Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the city, said the final cost to the city of the memorial at the Staples Center was $1.4 million.
The unusual public outcry in the politically atomized Los Angeles underscores both the dire straits of the city — with its $320 million budget gap and 11.4 percent unemployment rate — and its difficulty in raising money from wealthy entertainment-industry leaders.
The fallout from the memorial could also prove to be an embarrassment for Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who was out of the country during the memorial and whose efforts to stave off costs and criticism amounted to a fund-raising request on his office’s Web site . Ms. Hamilton said $17,000 in donations came in via the city’s Web site, but it has suffered prolonged server crashes.
Last month, the mayor scrambled to line up private donations to pay for a victory parade for the Los Angeles Lakers after a police union official criticized the city’s plans to split the $2 million cost of the parade between the team and taxpayers. Among those who contributed were the usual cast of generous donors to Los Angeles events, like Eli Broad, Casey Wasserman and Jerry Perenchio.
“There is a good, strong culture of philanthropy in L.A.,” said Rich Caruso, a Los Angeles developer who plays host to several public events each year. “But it is a handful of people and usually always the same people.” He added: “I think it’s an outrage that taxpayers paid for that memorial. The Jackson family should pay for it.”
Two council members have also suggested that the Jackson family help defer costs. Jesse Derris, a spokesman for the Jackson family, said the family was unavailable for comment.
The Anschutz Entertainment Group, the owner of Staples Center and the promoter of Mr. Jackson’s planned concert series in London, donated the center for the event, but has also been a focus of requests for help to pay for its related costs. (Tickets were free and distributed via lottery.) Calls to the company were not returned.
A version of this article appeared in print on July 9, 2009, on page A16 of the New York edition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/us/09jackson.html?_r=1
Use of Taxpayer Money for Jackson Service Draws Criticism
Published: July 8, 2009
LOS ANGELES — The talent has exited stage left and the tears have been dried, but the discord over the cost of the memorial service for Michael Jackson held in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday appears to be escalating.
At Jackson Memorial, Music and Mourning (July 8, 2009)
Blowout Ratings for a Farewell, Online and Off (July 9, 2009) On Tuesday, the city attorney, Carmen Trutanich, took the highly unusual step of appearing during the public comment period of a City Council hearing to announce that his office was investigating how Los Angeles taxpayers came to foot a bill for police protection and other city functions at the service, at a time when the city and state are running out of money.
On Wednesday, the city controller, Wendy Greuel, sent a stern letter to the Los Angeles emergency management department demanding to know why it had spent $48,826 on sandwiches from a deli 80 miles from Los Angeles to feed police officers. (Sandwiches from Subway would have cost $17,491.25, she pointed out.)
“Rest assured our office is investigating how this whole phenomenon occurred from the get-go,” Mr. Trutanich said when addressing the council.
Two City Council members have also challenged the expenditure, and on Wednesday the radio airwaves, blogs and Twitter feeds crackled with criticism.
“I admit I shed a tear with Mariah, Queen and Paris,” said Jody Greenblatt, a pharmaceutical executive who lives in Los Angeles. “But I cry more at the thought of teachers’ pink slips, forced furloughed days, unemployment rates sky high and a state bankrupt.”
Sarah Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the city, said the final cost to the city of the memorial at the Staples Center was $1.4 million.
The unusual public outcry in the politically atomized Los Angeles underscores both the dire straits of the city — with its $320 million budget gap and 11.4 percent unemployment rate — and its difficulty in raising money from wealthy entertainment-industry leaders.
The fallout from the memorial could also prove to be an embarrassment for Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who was out of the country during the memorial and whose efforts to stave off costs and criticism amounted to a fund-raising request on his office’s Web site . Ms. Hamilton said $17,000 in donations came in via the city’s Web site, but it has suffered prolonged server crashes.
Last month, the mayor scrambled to line up private donations to pay for a victory parade for the Los Angeles Lakers after a police union official criticized the city’s plans to split the $2 million cost of the parade between the team and taxpayers. Among those who contributed were the usual cast of generous donors to Los Angeles events, like Eli Broad, Casey Wasserman and Jerry Perenchio.
“There is a good, strong culture of philanthropy in L.A.,” said Rich Caruso, a Los Angeles developer who plays host to several public events each year. “But it is a handful of people and usually always the same people.” He added: “I think it’s an outrage that taxpayers paid for that memorial. The Jackson family should pay for it.”
Two council members have also suggested that the Jackson family help defer costs. Jesse Derris, a spokesman for the Jackson family, said the family was unavailable for comment.
The Anschutz Entertainment Group, the owner of Staples Center and the promoter of Mr. Jackson’s planned concert series in London, donated the center for the event, but has also been a focus of requests for help to pay for its related costs. (Tickets were free and distributed via lottery.) Calls to the company were not returned.
A version of this article appeared in print on July 9, 2009, on page A16 of the New York edition.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Food Junkie #6: AK Restaurant + Bar
A famous chef, good vibes and atmosphere... but the food is just... "meh."AK Restaurant just opened its kitchen on Abbot Kinney Blvd. (Venice Beach area) in November, 2008. It has attracted attention of media and top chefs, and it is one of the most talked-about restaurants in the area.
BACKGROUND
No wonder, the owner-chef is a famous former executive chef Conny Andersson of Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel. He has served the last 19 years at Four Seasons with his impeccable "international cuisine," combining his knowledge and experience in middle eastern, mediterranean, south east Asian and European cuisines. He combines all these essences with Scandinavian style(Andersson is from Sweden).
So, I went to AK Restaurant with a couple of friends Wednesday night. I didn't expect that it would be crowded but I made a reservation the day before anyways. The hostess who took my call was very nice and she even called me back Wednesday to confirm the reservation. Anyways, I'm glad I made the reservation. I got there at 7:30pm and the place was packed.
ATMOSPHERE AND SETTINGAs I entered the restaurant, the hostess would greet you and take you to the seat. You will be sitting inside the restaurant, but somehow it gives you a feeling that you are actually sitting in the spacious patio or something. It is probably because the restaurant had a nice high ceiling. They play vibrant yet quiet house music catering to people drinking at the bar. The tables and chairs are of modern style and pretty comfortable. The waiters, waitresses and bartenders are young but professional and they all have a good friendly energy.
The kind of crowds for that night was young-adults from mid-20s to 50s and up, dressing semi-casually and some of them even dressy. Each table had an average of 4-6 people, eating from a clean rectanble-shaped white plates with designer silverware (note: the pictures I posted on this blog are not what I took. I just googled them). Because of the music, you kinda have to speak up when you are talking to a person across the table. I didn't mind it but for some people it could be a bit noisy. You would have the same experience in Chaya on Navy St. in Venice - the atmosphere is decent but music is slightly overpowering. But overall, I liked the semi-casual atmosphere in this restaurant.
Now let's talk about their food...
DRINK
The drink selection was pretty good, they had variety of wines from different parts of the world and some beers from about 10 countries. I noticed there was a Japanese beer called Hitachino Nest White Beer. I'm from Japan but I've never heard of such a brand. Apparently, it's a locally-brewed beer in Ibaraki prefecture, some place that is not well-known for their beer. Maybe it's a good find. So we got curious and ordered that beer. Also, we had Stark Porter from Carnegie & Co., a Swedish beer. Well, Hitachino tasted just like Blue Moon and Stark Porter tasted like mild Guiness black beer. Hmm... meh.
APPETIZERS
Currently, AK has 9 appetizers, from steamed blue mussles to hoedgehog mushroom toast to good ol' onion soup. I wasn't too impressed with the selection so I passed on appetizers. Two of my friends who were with me ordered Young Frisée Salad with Smoked Salmon Loin and Artichoke Three Ways from the appetizer menu. I had a bite of Young Friée Salad and it was not bad at all. But mind you, the portion for each appetizer is barely enough for one person so don't expect to share one appetizer with more than 2 people, unless one tiny bite is enough.
MAIN DISHES
They have some selectoins of beef, pork, chicken, lamb and seafood in the menu (price range is $23 - $34), but they are rather limited selections: only 11 main dishes in total you can choose from.
Kurobuta Pork Schnitzel caught my attention since kurobuta (black pig) is a Japanese version of Berkshire breed, a rare kind and considered first class. I was curious how it is made. Well, basically they made the meat very flat and stretched out by beating it like 10 million times with a butcher hammer and deep-fried it tonkatsu-style. The taste wasn't bad, but not impressive at all. Without the sauce (which tasted like a bootleg version of Worcestershire sauce), the meat does not taste much. It was tonkatsu-style but was not nearly as crispy as I expected in tonkatsu. It came with brown butter to put on the meat and apple braised red cabbage on the side (tiny, tiny portion). I did not know how to apply or enjoy them. If you go to a tonkatsu restaurant inside Mitsuwa grocery store in Torrance, you can get a much crispier and tastier tonkatsu for less than $10. I'm sorry Mr. Anderssen, I would have to choose Mitsuwa tonkatsu.
My friends had Diver Sea Scallops and some kind of salmon dish I forgot the name of. Both of them came with a very small portion even for a girl with small stomach. These looked more like appetizers. They did not comment on their food so I supposed they were... "meh" or less (I'm only guessing here though).
OVERALL
I like the location and the atmosphere of AK Restaurant. Maybe I just have a different taste or maybe I didn't ordered what I would like. And, maybe my expectation was too high because of the hype. But in my opinion, the taste quality will need a lot of improvement to satisfy the tongue of food lovers. The food presentation was decent, though :)
By the way, I saw Mr. Conny Andersson walking around bringing some food to some customers... in suits. Wait, if he was dealing with his favorite customers, who was cooking all these dishes? Shouldn't he be in the kitchen, hello? lol
OVERALL RATING: 5.7 / 10.0
WHAT'S GOOD: Good vibrant atmosphere. Good dating setting.
WHAT'S BAD: The food is just OK. Small portion for a regular eater.
AK Restaurant + Bar [Cuisine: International Cuisine]
633 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA 90291
Budget per person:
Dinner: $55 (one appetizer, one main dish and one drink)
Brunch: $25
UPDATE INFO:
In mid-2009, AK Restaurant closed its business.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Greatest Discovery of the Day
So I was going through some legal paper work and I bumped into this one question in one of the forms:
Does your business need to file Form 720 (Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return)?
(Note: This is not common.)
Gee, I did not know if I needed this Form 720. So I proceeded to the section where they provided some useful tips. Here's what it says:
Note:Typically, you must file Form 720 and report federal excise taxes if your business sells the following:
- Gas and other fuel;
- Tractors;
- Air or ship transportation services;
- Insurance policies issued by foreign companies;
- Fishing equipment;
- Electric outdoor motors; or
- Bows and arrows
Well I still don't know jack shit about what-the-fuck Form 720 is after reading this help. But everyone, just to add one more to your useless trivia collections, if you sell bows and arrows, you definitely need to file Form 720.
And my answer was simply "No."
I don't need to file the Form 720 because I definitely don't deal with bow and arrows.
That was my best finding of the day.
...what? It's never boring to find something new no matter how useless they seem to be.
By the way... fishing equipment, too? I'm now curious what the Form 720 is for and what is in it. But I'm too tired now so I just leave it there and make it my next quest for finding more useless information.
Good night, all.
Does your business need to file Form 720 (Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return)?
(Note: This is not common.)
Gee, I did not know if I needed this Form 720. So I proceeded to the section where they provided some useful tips. Here's what it says:
Note:Typically, you must file Form 720 and report federal excise taxes if your business sells the following:
- Gas and other fuel;
- Tractors;
- Air or ship transportation services;
- Insurance policies issued by foreign companies;
- Fishing equipment;
- Electric outdoor motors; or
- Bows and arrows
Well I still don't know jack shit about what-the-fuck Form 720 is after reading this help. But everyone, just to add one more to your useless trivia collections, if you sell bows and arrows, you definitely need to file Form 720.
And my answer was simply "No."
I don't need to file the Form 720 because I definitely don't deal with bow and arrows.
That was my best finding of the day.
...what? It's never boring to find something new no matter how useless they seem to be.
By the way... fishing equipment, too? I'm now curious what the Form 720 is for and what is in it. But I'm too tired now so I just leave it there and make it my next quest for finding more useless information.
Good night, all.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Happy belated new year!
Like last year, I slowed down towards the end of the year in 2008. It's been a while, but I'm back. Stay tuned, I have quite a few things I want to share with you. I hope I'll find time to write and keep this blog going.
2009 will be a great year, at least for me. I know so.
Talk to you later.
2009 will be a great year, at least for me. I know so.
Talk to you later.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
SWEEEEEEET!!!!
I must do this some day when I get a chance. I'll make it happen. I made a promise to myself.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Oh My "God"
So my night plan had a slight change and I ended up staying home alone tonight. I'm not going out, and my roommate is not home. And, that's alright. I decided to take this opportunity to watch some educational and entertaining stuff that I sometimes dip myself into to indulge my geeky side. I like quantum physics, astronomy and the fact that human is so small.So, at some point I bumped into this clip (see below). It's just about a clip introducing and explaining the nature of black holes. Some physics and astronomical, some explained but still largely theoretical, "thinking" of one of the many, many, and I mean MANY phenomenon in this infinite universe.
Before I go on, let me just quickly make this little thing clear... I think that the universe we are in is "infinite." In theory, it is currently agreed by many scientists in different domain that the universe is finite. But, to me, this "limit" they talk about is ridiculously and unimaginably astronomical, by the standard of this tiny being like me, human, can be considered infinite. I mean, there might be a limit in everything, but hey why would you even want to call it a limit when such a limit is virtually nonexistent to whoever is determining what is and what is not a limit.
So anyways, by watching this 10-minute clip, I have come to this conclusion of life. My body, my life, my family, friends, all of my past, present, and future, this society, this country, this world, this planet, everything we can possibly know about every thinkable thing, everything and everything, all of this, this world, is one tiny event that happened by mere coincidence of one of the many phenomenon that happens once a while by a series of highly unlikely coincidence. And, by highly unlikely, it may be considered quite often by astronomical standard.
I believe in science. But, this does not mean that I do not believe there is a higher being. That's not true. I do believe that there is something bigger than human. But I think that that higher being isn't Jesus Christ or Brahman or Allah. It is not some imaginary spiritual "thing" I personally made up. I think it could be possible that it is just natural providence of this vast universe. I'm sorry if you feel uncomfortable reading this, if you do believe in some religion. But on this one, I can't back down because this is what I believe.
I mean, think about it. At least what we all know is that the universe is pretty damn big. And, the knowledge we have about them is virtually nonexistent compare to what it actually is. In other words, we don't know jack shit. But then again, we also know that there are hundreds of incredible phenomenon happening somewhere out there, events that is beyond out imagination. Human is so small. Its life is so short. What it has created and passed on and will pass on since the beginning of its existence is atomically small. This entire series of coincidence that made the earth and all living things inside and all the causes that made this happened is just another thing that can happen in the world of universes (Just a quick note: I believe that there are multiple number of universes, so I used the "world of universes").
The planet human and all other living things have lived on has, according to widely accepted theory, 5 billion years of history. That number already throw me out. I mean you can understand the number 5 billion, but can you actually imagine and realize how long it is? If you can, let me know. I think you must be quite unique. But, well. I can't. According to the Big Ban theory (which had been the most agreeable theory but recently challenged by some other refutable theory), this universe we live on has a calculated age of 13 billion years. Uhm, yeah, ok, that sounds fricking long. How big? 10^30 light years long. What the hell does that mean? Again, we can explain it by words and think about it in theory, but do you actually know how fast the light can travel through space, objectively and relatively? And by relatively, by comparing other crazy phenomenon. By theory, there cannot be absolutely any thing that can travel faster than the light. Well, we may just not know about that because we only know so much about everything. We are, after all, thinking with human brain. How can a human be so arrogant to think that we know something about something completely? Do we even know if human can possibly know and understand about something completely? Hehe, that is actually a tricky question. I'm not saying that human is incapable of it. I'm just saying that human can understand only what a human is capable of imagining.
So, back to my belief about science. I mean, who are we to say, with confidence, hey Jesus and God teamed up and created human and environment and they are the ultimate being of everything? There are so many bizarre and spectacular, unimaginable, incredible, unbelievable phenomenons happening out there in the universe, like black holes, warm holes, super nova, "time travel," "space travel," creation and destruction of gazillions of things. Can what made us here today is merely a series of astronomical coincidence and not some gods in different beliefs and shapes but they pretty much teach all the followers the same damn things? Love and peace and some other catchy phrases for their money and war businesses? Can you be absolutely sure that it is not possible?
Hey, what I said here today has come out of my mind. A human mind. So I could be totally wrong because my thoughts do not go beyond my imagination. But, you can't really rule this out completely, can you?
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Making of Cyborg
Sometimes, more often than not, I feel proud of where I came from. This is just one of the shit they came up with. They're looking and shooting for the future while we are nagging about prices of scarce sources.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Energy and Ways to Get It
"Mr. McCain, of Arizona, alienated some environmentalists last week during a speech in Houston when he dropped his opposition to allowing offshore drilling for oil; this week, in a swing through California, he spoke about trying to wean the nation from its dependence on oil. He called for improving the enforcement of fuel economy standards, building more cars that could run on alternative fuels, dropping the tariff on imports of sugar-based ethanol from Brazil and offering big tax credits for nonpolluting cars."
(Cooper, Michael. "McCain Proposes a $300 Million Prize for a Next-Generation Car Battery" The New York Times. June 24, 2008.)
First off, I have to say that I have not studied intensively about energy and related issues so I'm sure what I'm saying here have lots of holes you can pick on.
But, what this guy said above is a good start for a nation that is being left far behind among developed countries if this comes true. Now, if he takes one more step forward and focus on nationally- or locally-organized public transportation, I would consider vote for him. Ethanol fuel has been one of the hot topics of energy issues, that is great. But how about natural gas? Linear motor? Superconductive coil? There are many other possible sources of energy that can be applied to transportation. Natural gas is already put in practical use in public in more than few developed countries and has been proven that it is pretty efficient source of energy, and equally important, eco-friendly.
Battery-operated vehicles sound good. But, what if the cost of generating electricity increases for some reason? Since this type of energy source does not depend on natural scarce materials that can only be found in certain areas in the world, the risk maybe relatively low. But, as long as we rely on single source, the risk is still there. Also, what would be the effect on the environment if we need more and more electricity to keep up with our new life style? Electricity is generated by thermopower, nuclear power, thermonuclear power, waterpower, geothermal, solar power, wind power, cryogenic power and so on... (I don't remember it all damn it). And, they either create hazardous waste such as nuclear waste or rely on natural resources/phenomenon you do not know when they last or lack.
Think! I want to say to the government. Think of more creative ways to "collect" energy. Well, maybe they do but I don't hear it often enough to convince me that they are working hard towards this. Some developed countries like Japan are already testing something new to gather energy. For example, they embedded some kind of pendulum-based motion detection device that generate and store electricity underneath the floor of some of the busiest station ticket gates. They also put a similar device on pivoted doors in busy business buildings. Yes, humans can be a source of energy. This way the energy that need to "run" the nation can actually be generated by its own inhabitants, literally. Well, this is just one example of unconventional way to generate energy, but I heard about them more than 5 years ago. What I wanted to say was that the US should act more proactively on finding ways to refrain from relying on single or few methods of generating energy sources.
This requires people's awareness and understanding of underlying problems and solutions and their economic and environmental effects on the society both nationally and internationally. On the personal level, since I went to one of the most international institutions in the US, I got to speak to people from many different countries, from Asia to Africa to Europe. Unfortunately, among major developed and consumer nations, people from the US seem to be the least educated and knowledgeable about environmental issues. Their attitude was "I don't care if CO2 level goes up, what's that got to do with me anyways, I just want things to be cheaper," "if there's no oil, dig more," and of course the famous "the bigger the better." Of course these do not necessarily represent the voices of majority of people here, but I sense that there are more people agree with this than other developed countries.
Fortunately, I have realized that more people are becoming aware of the damages to ecology and economy that can be led by these approaches. It's not too late to think about this. Actually, this is a good time to think about this issue and act on it.
By the way, I have to mention that I'm one of the bad seeds. I am currently driving one of the most environmentally harmful vehicle Ameirca could produce. It eats up tons of gas and emits incredible amount of CO and CO2. So at least I know what I have to do when I choose my next vehicle, not only for economical reason (better mileage) but also for ecological reason. That's definitely on my to-do list.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
just a quick thought
The company I work at is I guess some kind of a big deal in particular area of entertainment industry or something. It's almost everywhere on the planet where there's a computer with the Internet connection.
Shame, we're not doing so hot in Japan. Japan is considered one of the world's biggest trend setters. If the company really is a big deal, why can't they penetrate the Japanese market? When U.S. pop culture is increasingly becoming obsolete in the world competition, they need to come up with a strategy that's focused on the future. But instead, they are putting their full force on what is selling now. Japan is a perfect market where the company can try out many different things and get feedbacks from the market in rather a short period of time at comparably minimal risk to investors.
For example, one of the primary reasons why they are not big in Japan is because... people in Japan don't use computer to browse the Internet, they got fancy cell phones that can let them call, listen to music, email, short mail, voice mail, take good pictures (last one I saw had 3.5 Megapix and they said that's 2 generations old...), and pretty much what you can do on the Internet with a browser. And, they often search for information that they need in 3 minutes, not in 3 days or 3 months from now. Let's say your meeting lasted longer than planned and you need to rush to the next meeting. One would look up when the next train is coming to a certain station, and when he needs to transfer to another train in how many minutes and stuff like that. They need the information right this minute, and services are right there for the cell phone users. And they are lots of cool and fun stuff you can do on the cell phone that are perfect for killing time.
So, you see, they don't really use or need computers as much as many other people in different countries. They use cell phones.
And, our company sucks at providing cell phone services! OUCH! They can't even test it on a market like Japan because the cell phone contents are horrible. It doesn't even catch my attention because it's close to none-existent. So they pretty much do not have a cutting edge at all.
I just wanted to vent out whatever on my mind right this minute with no conclusions whatsoever and I said it all, so good night.
Shame, we're not doing so hot in Japan. Japan is considered one of the world's biggest trend setters. If the company really is a big deal, why can't they penetrate the Japanese market? When U.S. pop culture is increasingly becoming obsolete in the world competition, they need to come up with a strategy that's focused on the future. But instead, they are putting their full force on what is selling now. Japan is a perfect market where the company can try out many different things and get feedbacks from the market in rather a short period of time at comparably minimal risk to investors.
For example, one of the primary reasons why they are not big in Japan is because... people in Japan don't use computer to browse the Internet, they got fancy cell phones that can let them call, listen to music, email, short mail, voice mail, take good pictures (last one I saw had 3.5 Megapix and they said that's 2 generations old...), and pretty much what you can do on the Internet with a browser. And, they often search for information that they need in 3 minutes, not in 3 days or 3 months from now. Let's say your meeting lasted longer than planned and you need to rush to the next meeting. One would look up when the next train is coming to a certain station, and when he needs to transfer to another train in how many minutes and stuff like that. They need the information right this minute, and services are right there for the cell phone users. And they are lots of cool and fun stuff you can do on the cell phone that are perfect for killing time.
So, you see, they don't really use or need computers as much as many other people in different countries. They use cell phones.
And, our company sucks at providing cell phone services! OUCH! They can't even test it on a market like Japan because the cell phone contents are horrible. It doesn't even catch my attention because it's close to none-existent. So they pretty much do not have a cutting edge at all.
I just wanted to vent out whatever on my mind right this minute with no conclusions whatsoever and I said it all, so good night.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
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