Wendy the Wonder Dog

Wendy is our company mascot. The night demons take care of her after everybody goes home at night. She is an actual employee of the company with an employee number, a security badge, and.... a junior CEO position under the president! I am not even making this up. What am I doing wrong!?!?!?!??!?!

Greetings from sunny Okinawa

Misuzu in Okinawa

Stanky Panky

I saw this and it reminded me of that old Project Pat song, Ballers, on his first album, Ghetty Green.

Ballers we be on some twanky twankies. Player haters get found stanky stanky. Chiefing fat blunts of that danky danky. Big diamond rings on our panky panky.

Sex sells.... unless you're foreign

I came across this sign in my part time job's neighborhood. Apparently, back in the 80's Japanese folks thought that you could only get HIV/AIDS from anybody other than a person who is ethnically Japanese and born in Japan. The idea still carries over today. There are loads of brothels and soapland sex shops that cater exclusively to the dirtiest, disease-ridden Japanese salary men, but would never allow a foreigner inside. A blessing in disguise for some idiots; Japan has the fastest rising HIV rate in the industrialized world because they never use condoms. Sometimes the world is really backwards.......

The Black Russian

The Black Russian.

Paul got a haircut and a Russian military hat.

Mushashi Kosugi

Musashi Kosugi from Futako Tamagawa

mid winter 2008

Greeting from sunny New Zealand

Another installment of the "Greetings" series. This a a picture snapped by my old Futako buddy, Yuko of Lake Pukaki, New Zealand.

春一番, Haru Ichiban, Spring First

The Haru Ichiban, 春一番, are the winds that signal winter is coming to a close and spring is around the corner. This year's winds brought thick, choking clouds of red dust and debris to go along with the inconvenience of the crazy winds. I was hacking up crap all this afternoon and digging red & brown dirt out of my eyes, ears, and nose. My apartment smells uniquely earthy now.

Huy are the Champions

A Canadian Vietnamese buddy, Huy (pronuonced 'We'), decided to have his going away party at Club Air in Dainkanyama on Friday night. I met up with the group (Huy, Carmelo Anthony, Dan, Tan and some others) in Shibuya then headed for the club. It was really fun all night except for that one of Huy's Japanese friends got elbowed in the eye by some asshole dancing all crazy-like which opened up a small third eye. The full moon in the morning was priceless as well.

Everything but the Girl

One of my Jumpcut.com buddies, James DiPadua, made this music video. I thought it was pretty cool. Check it out!

The Darkest Light

The Darkest Light.
Lafayette Afro Rock Band.
jimBo rose 2008.

**The player won't seem to embed properly for this video so you can check it out directly on the jumpcut.com website at The Darkest Light.**

V-Day

Happy late Valentine's Day!!

Bar NEST

I caught the last train back from Shinjuku to Futako Tamagawa for the pre-grand opening reception of Bar NEST. It was all Futako Shinchi friends there and Kiyo and I chilled with Kaede for a long time before I stumbled home drunk and tired. It was another really busy day.

Paul Day All Day

After the concert I had to rush to Shinjuku to meet the crew for a 2-hour all you can eat & drink shabu shabu celebration of Paul's 31st birthday. About 20 heads showed up, some of whom I hadn't seen in 6 months. It was a great time that ended abruptly with Bob accidently throwing an ice cream popsicle too far out of the reach of little Melo which hit some prima donna in the head. It was a riot.

Nanasae Aikawa

low quality shot of Marty Friedman & Nanasae Aikawa with Fuzzy Control

Saturday, I headed to Shibuya for Nanasae Aikawa concert. We got in free VIP because Fuzzy Control, Satoko's band, was backing her up. The concert was being broadcast live on radio which was cool enough, but there were some other really famous people there too besides Nanasae Aikawa. Marty Friedman from Megadeth and some other dude whose name I forgot made appearances. It was a good show.

Kiyo Nights

Friday, Kiyo and I headed to Futako Tamagawa relatively early to help with the last minute pre-opening activities at Tetsuya and Futa's new bar, Bar NEST. They quit Potluck back in December and had been finalizing the details on their new place. Anyway, after a few hours of that I headed home for a nap then to Shibuya to met Manu for a coffee, and then Tamaplaza to meet Kotone, then back home and finally back to Futakotamagawa for a pre-opening party mock trial of Bar NEST. I was pretty worn out from the days activites and sick with a cold, but Kiyo, Teppei and Mai convinced me to come to Roppongi with them to vivit Saya on her last day at TGI Friday's before starting at Bar NEST. We took the last train to Roppongi and stayed at TGI Friday's until about 3:30 where Kiyo fell asleep and then hit up Abbott's Choice where Kiyo fell asleep again until first train. It was a busy day, but really eventful. All good.

Greeting from sunny Thailand

My friend, Risa, just got back a short trip to Bangkok, Thailand and these are the two photos that she decided I deserved; dancing chicks who are doubtlfully even chicks at all and some random dude on an elephant. Utterly awe inspiring........

Greetings from sunny Brasil

I got an email today from a friend in Brasil, Laís. She is a cool little friend of Ricky's that I met a few years back in Ricky's home town, Salvador. Seeing all that sun in Salvador makes me hate the snow we have been getting in Tokyo. Anyway, have fun in Brasil, Laís...... It will be summer time in Tokyo soon!!!

Hideki's Day of Birth

Hideki has been one of the most generous friends I have ever had and a cool drinking partner in Futako Shinchi for the past 2 years. Today was his 38th birthday, so I took him out for yakiniku at a nice place in the neighborhood then we hit up Potluck for some cake and drinks. I only had coke, but another friend, Big Brother, bought him a liter of beer which he promptly downed. What a character! Tanjyobi Omedetou!!!

Cocktails & Dreams Happy Hour 2008

The 3 Muskateers: Jimmy, Pete, and Jiro

Jiro, Pete, and I threw a rager at Club IBEX in Roppongi on Sunday night complete with 2 hours of happy hour, yours truly bartending and sexy pole dancers. The party went off without a hitch and I look forward to hosting another in the near future. Big ups to Romano who hooked it up and the bar staff who showed me the ropes as my bartending cherry was popped. Paul and I headed to Club Pure in Shibuya for our own after party that was hooked up by Jeff.

I just got some pictures from Jiro and got his version of what happened: he didn't remember, and we are going to leave it at that to save any further embarrassment. So there weren't very many pictures taken and most of them turn out to be crap. Here are some good ones.

Yours Truly.... in the dark

one of our talented pole divas

The invitations:

Please join us as we host our 2nd annual Cocktails & Dreams Happy Hour at IBEX in Roppongi.

Behind the bar will be Jiro, Pete, and our special guest Jimmy Gaboardi. ALL DRINKS WILL BE 500 YEN BEFORE 22:00, SO BE SURE TO GET THERE EARLY. NO COVER. What: Cocktails & Dreams Happy Hour 2008When: Sunday, February 10 2008 - 20:00 Where: CLUB IBEX - Roppongi 3-15-24, ARIES BUILDING 4F Cover: NO. Drink Specials: 500円/drink until 22:00 Entertainment: Live DJ - Hip Hop/R&B, sexy pole dancers (seriously), fabulous bartending by your boys Jiro, Pete, & Jimmy

六本木のIBEXで第２回 Cocktails & Dreams Happy Hourを開催します！私とPete、そしてスペシャルゲストと致しましてJimmy Gaboardiがカウンターの向こう側に立って皆さんにおいしいカクテルを作ります。前回以上にお楽しみいただけると思います。皆さん奮ってのご参加をお願いいたします！２２時まではすべてのドリンクが５００円です！皆さんお早めにお越しください。開催日時：２月１０日（日）２０：００スタート場所：ＩＢＥＸ 六本木３－５－２４、ＡＲＩＥＳビル４階費用：無料エンターテイメント：ライブDJ、ヒップホップ、R＆B、セクシーポールダンサーズ（マジマジ！）、すばらしいバーテンダー！六本木交差点からAlmondを右手に外苑東通りを進みます。５分位歩くと、ドン・キホーテがあり、ドン・キホーテを通り越した次の角を左に曲がります。下り坂の１番奥にあるビル四階が会場となります。IBEXという店です。お待ちしています！！

Back in Basketball

It's really good to have the chance to get back into basketball, and this time into a serious league with officials and that stuff. So far, I have to say that I am really impressed with my company; they sponsor all kinds of employee projects and clubs, one being Oracle Japan's basketball team. I went to my first game on Sunday, it was actually the Chiyoda-ku Tournament, and found that they are pretty good and blew out the other company by 30 points. I can't wait to suit up and hit the court after my ankle heals up!!!!

New Train

A new train for the Tōkyū Ōimachi Line (東急大井町線, Tōkyū Ōimachi-sen)

The Brothers Funaki

Kiyo's brother, Kenta, came to Tokyo for the first time from their hometown of Hakodate in southern Hokkaido. He is a spitting, but younger, image of Kiyo; he drinks too much and isn't afraid to let people know he is having fun. Saturday night we went to karaoke with the Futako Shinchi crew in Mizonokuchi at some hole in the wall rat's nest called Ban Ban. It was all great fun and a change of pace from the previous night when I had to care of Kenta after he drank too much in Shibuya, passed out at the bar and puked all over the place when we were leaving. Kiyo, I am your Brother's Keeper.

Alex is back

Two old friends, Alex and Tomo, are back in Japan for a few weeks to celebrate their second wedding ceremony. Alex, who I know through an old friend, AJ, was in one of my favorite local bands, Sunset Drive with Toshi. It was good to see them again. Good luck in Canada!!!

Kanpeki = Perfect

Mid-winter sunset over western Kanagawa

Betty + Francis = Superstars

Classic footage of my old office mate Betty (Chinese Australian girl) and her boyfriend, Francis (Irish dude with the beard), at Francis' house. The TV show wanted to get the opinions of foreigners in a natural "home party" which was completely fabricated.

Slippers are for sneaking

Some people might not get excited about a new pair of badass slippers, but those are the type of people that are never happy with anything. These new office slippers kick ass and I am not afraid to get excited about it. I had to trek all the way to Gotanda with Paul this afternoon in the snow to get my mitts on the dogs at B-Boys Shoes. It was well worth it.

Not so sunny on Superbowl Sunday....

What was forecasted to be a bright, clear winter day turned out to be quite the opposite. About 6 inches of snow fell Sunday from what I could see on top of parked cars. Snow is a fun novelty for the first 30 minutes, then it sucks; especially when you have to take the train at 9am Monday morning. grrrr