Category Archives: Culture

Kojima @Uniqlo NY

Went to Uniqlo SoHo today, the line was insane. The checkout cashiers told me that people waited as much as 19 hours (overnight basically). While I would expect a big turnout for Kojima, I underestimated a city that has people wait at Apple stores for no reason than to get some publicity for their free time (see iPad launch).

Kojima signing things on the mezzanine

Uniqlo is an affordable Japanese clothing brand that carries everyday basics.

Kojima's surround

A closer shot of Kojima surrounded by press, staff, and security.

The signing event was Noon – 2pm. I was there during the first hour, but I don’t know how long he stayed at Uniqlo. From people in line I spoke to, you had to get in line before 9AM to stand a good chance of having your stuff signed.

Yes, he's in a clothing store

Autograph line on the ground floor

This line continued out the store, around the block (and around a few more blocks?). Uniqlo isn’t even the corner store, FYI

Kojima with a fan

He must be used to signing stuff and his rockstar status among gamers.

Retail display about MGS Peace Walker

There were a variety of MGS shirts on sale for just over $15. I liked the MGS designs, but I don’t necessarily like the “Peace Walker” logo on the backside

MGS T's for sale

Kojima himself was wearing one of the Uniqlo shirts that said “BIG BOSS.” I got one of those for myself, but I don’t know how often I would wear it out

Cardboard boxes don't get any better than this folks!

Gotta love being able to hide from super serious, genetically enhanced guards in a cardboard box

Event postcard

This event had great turnout as expected. Kojima has so many fans, and I’m glad that he was able to come out and promote MGS for the fans

Peter Luger

Peter Luger opened in 1887 Williamsburg. They are known for their Porterhouse steak cooked expertly. The menu is no frills and they are cash only (unless you are ballin’ with the official Peter Luger credit card that is totally unnecessary).

This post is going to be mostly pictures and will provide the goods.

Very simple, pick how many people the steak will feed

Hearty cut of bacon appetizer

The porterhouse tilted so that the juice flows to one end. This was very well cooked as you would expect

The plated meal: porterhouse, creamed spinach, German style potatoes

The ice cream sundae. The chocolate cow is a very nice touch

This is a NY institution that is worth the reservation.

2009-2010 CA High School Rankings

Oh, neat. There’s just updated API data for CA schools earlier this week on 5/13.

I’m finding all the information both pleasant and frustrating. Pleasant that it’s available for all so easily, yet tricky to understand in plain English.

What I looked at is the API data files 2009-2010 (2009 Base API-Data File DBF). Below are the top ten CA High School rankings without looking at special education, alternative models (ASAM), small size, or charter schools.

2009-2010 CA Base API High Schools

Gretchen Whitney High
Oxford Academy
California Academy of Mathematics and Sc
Mission San Jose High
Lowell High
San Marino High
Monta Vista High
Saratoga High
Miramonte High
Troy High

Note that Lynbrook is next at #11 after Troy High.

For comparison, here is the same list based on the Growth API instead of Base.

2009-2010 CA Growth API High Schools

Gretchen Whitney High
Oxford Academy
California Academy of Mathematics and Sc
Lowell High
Mission San Jose High
San Marino High
Monta Vista High
Saratoga High
Miramonte High
Lynbrook High

Troy is #11 in the growth basis.

The list is largely unchanged between the base and the subsequent growth API update.

I think it’s interesting since I attended Monta Vista High and students largely hold a grudge against MV for being so book focused and competitive. Parents, on the other hand, do whatever they can to get into the school so that their children will have a (theoretically) better future.

Disclaimer: I am not familiar with CA school rankings so my analysis may not take into consideration something that another person may view as key.

Housekeeping

As I’m settling into NY, I find that I’m eating out less as a tourist with my DSLR. I’m eating in more by buying groceries to save money. Getting groceries is a very different beast in NY than elsewhere. In this mega-urban setting, it’s popular to order groceries online or pay for delivery service at the store. If I buy something, I have to physically carry it back – as in walk it all the way back to my residence. Contrast this to anywhere else where you simply load up loads of food in your car. This makes getting milk, juice, or enough food to last a week annoying.

There is also a distinct lack of generic supermarkets. As in Safeway, Lucky’s, Costco, etc. Real estate is simply too expensive to find large supermarket chains with even larger parking lots in front. There are Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s scattered around the city, but they have their weaknesses. There are also small mom & pop corner shops, but the selection is not as convenient as a supermarket. Have you ever waited an hour in line at Trader Joe’s? Even Whole Foods can easily have a half hour line zig-zagging throughout the store. The other downside to not having generic supermarkets (such as Safeway) is that you can’t get cheap nationwide brand name staples like cereal, snacks, frozen foods, etc. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods carry their own private labeled food for good or for worse.

All this above is my way to say that I haven’t been posting much on this blog. With the weather getting nicer, I should be out more and able to take more pictures. This is a good thing.

Note that I’ve disabled comments for this blog. For the time being, I don’t need hundreds of dead-obvious link spam comments piling up each hour. And to think, this isn’t what I would consider a trafficked blog.

Burgers and Brunch

A place that can take on In-N-Out? Impossible you say?

While In-N-Out will always have their incredible Double Double (with onions), Five Guys has great burgers and better plain fries. In-N-Out’s animal style fries are another story.

Five Guys in Brooklyn Heights

There are various locations throughout the east coast.

Brooklyn Heights

Here is a view out of the front of the restaurant.

Five Guys Decor

The decor inside is somewhat similar to In-N-Out with a retro, red & white tile fast food theme.

Cheeseburger

This cheeseburger had a good heft to it, and the ingredients were noticeably fresh. Between this and In-N-Out, I would say both are good choices. I do cherish the thousand island sauce from In-N-Out as that’s what I’m accustomed to.

French Fries

Portion-wise, you get a lot of fries. One regular order of fries is enough for 2 or more people. Plus, they have free peanuts before you get your food.

Brunch at Alice's Tea Cup

Moving onto Manhattan, this was a nice brunch from a small tea house. The food was prepared well and I think it shows.

Poached eggs on ham & cheese scones with Potato-chicken hash

Martin, how does this compare to your eggs benedict? I’m sure both meals can stand up to a food challenge. What struck me as amazing is that the potato-chicken hash is so homogeneous. The chicken pieces and potato bits looked nearly identical.

Mixed fresh fruit crepes

The crepe had an excellent texture to it, but I would consider this plate more of a snack or light meal. Not exactly your hearty American breakfast.

Collecting Useless

This post is about the human nature to collect/hoard imaginary points that have very little possibility of benefit. For example, there are Xbox achievements, PSN trophies (a copy of said achievements), Foursquare badges, points (from any web 2.0 website), etc. It’s fair to say that no person needs these things.

The are many possible reasons a person chooses to earn a virtual score: 1.) self-esteem, 2.) social signalling, 3.) point redemption, 4.) site loyalty, and so on.

Self-esteem
After investing so much time in an environment (Xbox, Foursquare, etc), a person wants to feel like they have accomplished something. If a person has a high user score or rank to show for it, a person can validate their time spent in an environment with a high standing. See level 80 WoW characters.
Social signalling
Similar to #1 above, a person wants to have a high rank to show off to others. For example in PSN, a person can compare their trophies against their friends. This is a direct 1-to-1 rights to brag feature, where a person can see how many trophies they earned over their friend, and vice-versa. This is known as e-peen on the internet.
Point-redemption
In certain environments, a person can take points that they earn and redeem them for actual goods. This makes earned points more useful. For example in Club Nintendo, a person earns coins that they can use to redeem for Nintendo merchandise. In other environments, a person is able to redeem points for special features like premium avatars or a better title.
Site loyalty
With any point program, a person has a further incentive to keep using the site. They’ve already built up some points, so why would they want to throw that advantage away? By rewarding users for continuing to visit, this drives traffic and revenue (directly or indirectly). Think of Foursquare giving a person points each time they check in at a location. As a Foursquare member who has superuser status, why would that person want to give that all up?

So there are many reasons a person would have to earn points.

Part of human nature is being rational. Being rational entails preparing for the future. So in an effort to be in a better future position, a person may opt to earn points on as many web services as possible. Who knows what is going to be the next Wikipedia or Twitter? If a person was involved early on, they could have been a Wikipedia moderator or gotten many Twitter followers. Yes, most people don’t think like this, but among technology early adopters, this mentality is more prevalent. Finding and using the next cool web service (ala Facebook) before everyone else did is a sure-fire way to increase their e-peen.

In a situation where a person has two choices: 1.) get points or 2.) get no points, a rational person will choose #1 every time. It’s human nature to collect things, store them, and wring some benefit out of it when possible. Even if there is a 0% chance of benefit to having points, it’s likely that a person would want to get points for the sake of it. In video games, earning points and leveling up is addictive for the sake of it.

It makes sense to earn points with credit cards that have conclusive future rewards. It may make sense to earn points in a video game where the only possible future benefit is virtually nil. People simply like getting things in our materialistic society where most people have the basics (food, shelter, clothing, etc.). When a person and their circle of friends don’t have to worry about food, what can help distinguish them from everyone else? Number of Facebook friends? Joining Twitter before Oprah did? Listening to such and such indie rock band before they hit mainstream and sell out?

I write this because I am addicted to PSN trophies, Foursquare badges, and get so focused on this BS aspect. When you play games and are no longer having fun just to earn an achievement, it is BS and you have no one else to blame but yourself.

Blurry Philly

Didn’t have the DSLR out today, and here is where the 3GS’s camera would come in handy.

Anyways, it’s blurry, delicious food time:

99 Miles to Philly

Near 14 st’s union square.

The Menu

I went with Steak + Whiz + Wit.

Supposedly Cheez Whiz & Wit*Out are the authentic options, but I like my beef with onions.

The combo - Cheesesteak, Waffle Fries, Soda

Pictured here is only 1/2 of the Cheesesteak. I went with Sunkist to mix it up, after usually going with Coca-Cola.

Everything here was good. The cheesesteak was deliciousness in sandwich form. The waffle fries had an excellent texture to it. Some minor detractors: the bread was cold to the touch, and the place has a very strong meat smell (not in a good way) inside.

I definitely recommend this place and hope to come here again (after pausing for my arteries to heal).

Pho & Pizza

This post has some Manhattan Chinatown stuff and food from under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Pho Bang

In the Chinatown district of Manhattan. They serve a variety of Vietnamese dishes, and a lot of the grilled meats over rice or vermicelli looked delicious.

#1 Extra Large

The Pho soup was decent. The meat inside was unadventurous with thinly-sliced beef, tripe, and tendons. In the Bay Area, you get a lot more exotic cuts of meat. I know it’s NY, but size-wise, this wasn’t much either. I still prefer Pho Tau Bay due to their quality, portions, and price – pretty unbeatable.

Banh Mi Saigon

The best banh mi in NY is supposed to be in a jewelry shop. I would guess that they make much more money from the bakery in the back than selling assorted jewelry.

#2 Spicy Chicken

Price-wise, a Banh Mi sandwich at ~$4 seems expensive to me. I’m used to $2, or in extreme cases $3, Banh Mi’s. But this is NY, and I’m willing to pay $4 for Banh Mi Saigon’s.

I’ve tried their #1 Pork and #2 Chicken, both of them spicy. They ask you if you want the sandwich regular or spicy. A single Banh Mi isn’t that filling, but the quality here is excellent and worth the trip to Chinatown.

Large Regular with Sausage and Mushrooms Close Up

This here is well-reviewed pizza. Many places claim Grimaldi’s has the best pizza in NY. It was definitely delicious, but I’m still trying to figure out what this NY pizza thing is about. CA pizza is edible, but Chicago pizza is where my money is at so far.

Large Regular with Sausage and Mushrooms

Would I go here again? Definitely.

They only sell pizza by the whole pie, and there are no preset combinations. At any typical pizza store, you’d find things like “Meat Lover’s” or “Hawaiian.” At Grimaldi’s, you pick Regular or White. The White is the Regular with no sauce and extra cheese. Then you pick as many individual toppings as you want to add. Like I said, there are no preset combo’s.

Food from all over NY

Another day, another post of Manhattan food.

BonChon

BonChon 20 “wings” plate. I’d say they are more like drumettes. Sorry Bay Area, but this is Korean Fried Chicken done right.

I went to the one on East Village and split 20 soy garlic ones with a friend. The sauce and texture are as good as they’re known for. Apparently they have a happy hour from 4-7pm for all you can eat wings…

Absolute Bagels

I thought this was part of Upper West Side (UWS), but apparently it’s so far up North that it’s considered Manhattan Valley on Yelp.

Bagel Spreads

Don’t be surprised – I went for the Bacon & Cheddar cream cheese.

Garlic Bagel with Bacon & Cheddar cream cheese

I decided to try the Garlic instead of Everything. Not so apparent in this picture, but size-wise, Absolute Bagels is a bit smaller than other bagel shops.

This bagel pictured was toasted and was a lot harder (stiffer?) than I would have liked. The cream cheese spread, as you can see, is pretty ridiculous in it’s own right. The giant chunks of cheddar and bacon visually overpower the cream cheese.

Hello Kitty

Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I went back to the halal cart. This would be the 2nd time within a few days. On the way to the cart, I took the scenic route and came across the Lever House. Seeing a large Hello Kitty, I had no choice but to stop for a moment.

Brooklyn White Castle

Coming from the west coast, I had to give White Castle a try. They have all sorts of retro posters, some proclaiming White Castle as part of a balanced diet.

Double Cheeseburgers

OK, so it is fast food after all. Fast food tends to be cheap, fast, and unhealthily tasty. White Castle was none of these for me. I mean, I would expect it to be tasty (by fast food standards) and not much more. I only had two of these sliders, and I can’t imagine “grabbing a sack” of these to eat.

Halal Food Cart

So there is this well reviewed food cart on 53rd and 6th. Does it live up to the hype?

Halal Guys Cart Line

I showed up on Friday around 7:30pm, and there was a 10-15 minute wait. Not bad at all, but it’s a food cart. Food carts normally have a 0-3 minute wait. This place normally has an hour long wait.

Chicken/Lamb Combo over Rice

The combo with their white sauce. Can’t get enough of that white sauce.