Month: September 2008

Randy Pausch

I was in Kinokuniya the other day and I was surprised to see Randy Pausch’s book in Japanese:

randypausch randy pausch

The book is based in Randy Paush’s last lecture that became a huge internet phenomenon thanks to Youtube-GoogleVideo.

Randy Pausch was a charismatic and well known computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon. But two years ago he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the doctors told him that we has going to die for sure. Randy decided to continue doing a totally normal life, he even bought a new house. He also did his last lecture at university, this last lecture was recorded and uploaded to Youtube, Google Video becoming one of the top 10 most viewed videos on the net during the last year.

Randy Pausch died two months ago, when he was already an Internet hero. And now the book about his last lecture is on sale even in Japanese!

You haven’t watched The Last Lecture yet?

Photography

Nikon D90

Last week I tried the new Nikon D90 that will be available in Japan from the 19th. After my experience, more than positive with my Nikon D40, my next camera will be a Nikon D90. I think it is the natural evolution from a D40 user who needs to go to the next level. I learned a lot with my D40, but I need more like for example being able to auto focus with old lenses. I’ve been thinking for a while to get a D300, but the D90’s release two weeks ago was like a blessing. I don’t have excuses any more, is cheaper and basically the same camera.

Nikon D90

I usually sell my used cameras in Softmap, but I think I’ll keep my D40. I love it so much, it is little, versatile, and perfect for traveling! If you want to take a look at my D40’s pictures this is my flickr account.

Advertising Cinema

Tommy Lee Jones in Japan

A canned coffee brand called Boss is using Tommy Lee Jones as their image since two years ago. Canned coffee can be found almost everywhere in Japan, in convenience stores, in supermarkets and also in vending machines, where the user can select whether to have it hot or cold directly from the vending machine. Boss is the most popular brand of these canned coffees, and therefore Tommy Lee Jones boring face can be found everywhere! is like a nightmare!

Tommy

I don’t really know how has the most boring face Tommy Lee Jones in these ads or Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. So yes!, what happens in Lost in Translation happens in the real world, there are many Hollywood actor and actresses who come to Japan just to be the image of some Japanese brand. In fact there are so many of them that there is a word to designate them, they are called japanders. And there is a very interesting website called Japander.com where you can find almost all japanders, browsing this site found out that Sean Connery did some whiskey commercials ala Lost in Translation a while a go.

My friend Ignacio was shooting some random pictures in Nara, and then when checking the pictures in the LCD screen…

Picture by Ignacio Izquierdo

Yes, he is Tommy Lee Jones feeding some deers in Nara. As you can see he looks like much happier in the real world than in those Boss canned coffee ads, and he is also fatter!