Catching up

March is almost at an end and I haven't spent nearly as much time on here as I would have liked, but as a means of touching base and saying hello, here's seven (number selected randomly) things I've been digging this month:

1. Lady GaGa - "Poker Face"
2. J.R.R. Tolkien novels
3. movies that are even better views at 24 than they were at 14 (see Almost Famous and 10 Things I Hate About You)
4. The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds
5. the online trailer for Where The Wild Things Are
6. crazy time travel on LOST
7. bagel sandwiches

More to come after a short getaway to Okinawa later in the week, but in the meantime, if you think you're missing anything, think again.

Great moments in being an Oloizia

From Kyoto...


Brian gets a closer look at Japanese culture


Jeff plays with a new friend


Happy Holidays from the Oloizias

From the hall of cool but superfluous inventions

From cnet news...

Think it's rude to make faces at people? Well, you better start rethinking that stereotype if you intend to use the Mimi Switch.

Forget fingers. Created by Osaka University researcher Kazuhiro Taniguchi, the Mimi Switch (aka Ear Switch) is a set of unassuming earphones containing infrared sensors. This lets the earpiece sense tiny movements inside the ear caused by facial expressions and transmit the readings to an attached micro-computer that then translates them into commands for a music device.

In fact, this gadget isn't limited to just audio pleasure as it can be programmed to control other electronic devices. Hence, sticking out your tongue, winking, or almost any facial expression can be mapped to any particular function.

The first devices are expected to appear in two to three years. But you better start reconsidering that insurance coverage if you plan to use the Mimi Switch in a seedy neighborhood. Unless, of course, you look as cute as the model in the picture.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10191807-1.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

A funny thing happened on the way to disaster

Here's an admission of sorts: somewhere in the middle of the last month, the Charlie musical took a wrong turn. While we had started our work in January enthusiastically, things soon took a turn for the worse as technical restrictions and difficult song and dance treatments yielded not-so-positive results. Attitudes soured, rehearsals became a chore, and an all-too-soon dress rehearsal failed miserably. The ship was sinking, and we were left without even a lighting technician to guide us to the shore. It was, put frankly, a disaster.

And then, quite suddenly, it wasn't.

Saturday night marked our first official performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and things began auspiciously. The first scene ran smoothly, the crowd was appreciative, and moods lifted, however wary of impending failure. Except that failure didn't come, and scene two led to scene three and scene three led to act two, and, well...we soon had a 105 minute musical void of catastrophe. A flawed musical, to be sure, but one that we could be proud of nonetheless.

Still three shows to go after a matinee today, but after a long weekend I can put my worry aside. And now, off to a much needed sleep.