I am amazed at the Tate Unilock

Bicycle security locks are big business. Even with a gold standard (and expensive) Kryptonite lock, my bicycle got stolen last year in San Francisco, from in front of the Cartoon Art Museum. It sucked, on several different fronts. The kryptonite lock warranty only applies within 1 year of purchase and registration. In addition, you must present a piece of the lock to prove it was compromised. Both reasonable, but both insufficient comfort to assuage that sinking feeling of not finding the bicycle where it was parked.

Good bye, my beloved Trek. You were a part of my life I will never have back. The thieves had taken the bike, lock and all.

So the nicer of a bicycle I get, the more significant of protection I need to keep it safe. The 40$ for a new lock every year to re-up the kryptonite protection would be almost worth it, if it were not for the utter waste of piling up old U-locks. Given that there is no bicycle theft insurance available in California, this is the closest I can think of protecting myself financially against theft. Even if there were bicycle theft insurance, I'd imagine the premiums in the SF area would be higher than the bike's worth in short order. (There apparently is bicycle theft insurance in the UK. One more idea I'd like to have stolen from across the Atlantic.)

The heft and amount of metal that goes into the locks and chains are amazing, as the war between thieves and locks continue to escalate. To the burden of the bicycle owner. Literally so, as 4.6 pounds of hardened steel in the New York Fahgettaboudit, the ultimate of kryptonite's offerings, deters thieves. 2.2lb for the smaller Evolution Mini, with a corresponding drop in sturdiness.

I mention all of this, because it isn't like this everywhere in the world. For instance, the country of Japan. The bicycle thieves there are nonexistent, or not very well armed. With nary a u-lock in sight, the bicycles are "locked" in place by immobilizing the rear wheel. For the more security minded, there are portable locks to secure the bicycle to something. Dear Goodness Me. Understandable, as not everywhere has a handy anchor to secure a bicycle to it. To this end, there is a very cool product.

the Tate (pronounced Tah-Tey) Unilock. The concept is based on a pocket sized instrument of folding steel plates. 330 grams, or 0.7lb. It is compact, and has high carbon tempered steel sheets inside the plastic skin. The steel sheets even have cutouts to reduce the weight. The unit has a slight curve to it, to make it less uncomfortable in a pocket. Portability and convenience has been maximized. It is a completely different concept from the 13mm thick hardened steel shackle of the kryptonite U-lock. It is meant to be reasonably fashionable, to the traditional sense. Whereas a U-lock hanging off the belt, or a heavy duty chain around the waist as a belt combined with a Chrome messenger bag or pack is the fashion of the cyclist in San Francisco, this lock attempts to fit into a normal person's life.

And this lock, which I cannot imagine surviving for more than a few short moments in SF, is something I envy. I really wish I were in a place where 330g of tempered steel can be expected to protect a bicycle. Instead, I'm destined to carry 3 additional pounds of weight wherever I am going, with security cables and ties to hold down my nice seat and wheels.

The cultural expectations, and the role placed onto the bicycle is radically different.

I'm just tempted to spend 30$ on the tate lock, and see how long it will take to destroy it, all while filming it to post on youtube. I bet I could crack that unilock open with a steel pipe! anything, to warn the Japanese; Stay away from these shores full of thieves. You've got it far better where it would be unthinkable to take a bolt cutter out on the streets to steal a bicycle. Perhaps if I had parked my bike in Japan, my old bicycle would still be with me.

乙嫁語り 第一巻

さすがGoogleIME。ニッチ入力に強い。乙嫁語りも一発変換。クラウドの威力ここにあり、と行った感じ。でも今回はそんな事について書くわけじゃない。

森薫作、乙嫁語りは１９世紀初頭のカスピ海近くの中央ユーラシアで１２歳の男の子が年上のお嫁さんを貰う話。「山を超えて遠くの村から馬にのってやってきた花嫁さんは花婿より８歳年上だった」というのが作中の文章。

森薫先生の代表作である「ｴﾏ」は１８９０年辺りのイギリスの社会構造、生活、文化などを適度なフィクションを混じらせて淡々と描いたけど、弟嫁物語もほぼ同じ。違う時代の空気、違う世界の「普通」を感じさせてくれる。それだけに細かく、綿密な絵が何気なく舞台を描き出している。

嫁ぎ遅れの花嫁さんのアミルと少しずつ打ち解けてゆく花婿のカルルクをゆっくり、優しく見守っている感じ。

正直、憧れるような人が一杯登場していく。馬に乗っての物追い射でウサギを狩るアミルは綺麗で、作者も本当にこういったのが好きなんだなと伝わる。馬に乗る事はできるし、弓も多少は扱う経験もある。それだからこそ駆ける馬の背からウサギに矢を射かける難しさは理解できる。それが普通に生活の一部であるアミル、と同じ時代に住みながらもその技術を必要とせず驚嘆を覚える新しい家族。とりとめのないやりとりが惜しみなく魅力たっぷりに綴られている。

さらにいえば年が行き過ぎた嫁に心配する親戚。他の氏族との関係を保つ為にアミルを返せという実家。１２歳でも「若い大人」として扱われ、お酒を振る舞われるカルルク。生活習慣の違いがファンタジーに匹敵する。本当にありそうな分、非現実的に感じる所もまた面白い。

何にしろ、これはオススメ。乙嫁語り　第一巻。

狼と香辛料XIV 感想

狼と香辛料、いよいよ１４巻。かなり時間をかけて読んだせいか、余韻が残る。

ネタバレ無しで感想を綴るとなると、大きく話を要約しなくてはならない。

「ラストスパート」だろうか。

ホロとロレンスの関係も不安定ながらも落ち着きを見せ始め、見ていてもどかしいと思えたそのやり取りも大きく変容をする。どうにもニヤニヤと嫌な微笑みを拭えない。１４冊の本と４年近くの時間を掛けて歩んで来た二人のキャラクターの旅路は長く、ようやく精算を始めた所。話の中だとまだ半年も過ぎていないのだろう。刈込の秋から雪が降り積もる冬。雪解けの春に近づいている作中でこの二人は波乱万丈な旅を続けている。

先懐かしいキャラも登場して、自分たちの行った事が何を起こしたのか。その効果を目の当たりにし、ロレンスも少しずつ自己の変化を見つめるだけの余裕ができたのか。突拍子もない行動力はやはり、他の作品の主人公とはかなり印象が異なる。

もう話の終わりまでも秒読みに入っている感じがする。そして、その終わりは二人の関係そのものと同じくせつない別れとなる予感だ。こうも作品に思い入れを持つオレ、キモイぜ。

自嘲しながら感想文はこれで終わり。

The relative youth of the Internet culture in Japan.

I have a blog! This is the rambling discussion on the nature of information culture in Japan, and its evolution in comparison to the United States originated elsewhere. It just wasn't relevant enough to keep, but too much to just toss into the trash.

The relationship of internet media and society is being developed even now, in both the United States and Japan. I make particular note of Japan, as the tools, content, and demands placed upon the data communciations is quite different than in the United States. Especially interesting is the differing legal battles that take place regarding the medium, the front lines of defining society's relationship with its information. Privacy, free speech, and the like. These are elements of the internet which are relatively solidified in the United States. There is case history and legal precedents being set regarding the use of the internet. Spamming, wire fraud, gambling, internet bullying, and so forth. In this aspect, the social landscape of the internet in the United States is still better defined, and less volatile than in Japan. This is in comparison to Japan, where certain types of cracking, or malicious code development is not illegal. There are no legal statutes that cover these new crimes. Its relationship is thus still quite young, and yet underexplored. Is it the less litigious nature of Japan? Perhaps.

But one thing is clear, the internet and the technology in Japan is only reaching the youth now. As they explore and utilise the technology in their own methods to connect, they redefine the face and nature of the internet. The leading technology developers pull in one direction, the masses push another. Conflict is there. More pronounced in some ways than in the United States.

Another aspect to note is the differing method of innovation in Japan. In japan, the internet as we know it (a computer connected to the WWW through a browser) is less prominent in comparison to the ubiquity of mobile phone access. Mobile phone access is rather limited, and most of the use is through apps and sites through the phone browser, accessed through the phone's portal links. What difference does this make? The difference is the ability for US developers to really be free in developing new tools. getting a URL is cheap, and finding an audience (while not easy) is not difficult. The Japanese developers have to work much much harder to find their audience. Getting a sponsored link on a portal site is extremely important. This means that the creativity is more constrained, but far more explosive in the enclosed boundaries. Think haiku. In the severe restrictions and stiff rules blooms a spectacular creativity. It is as much as what one can do within a boxed garden, as it is about the ability to break out of a box. In a way, the Americans build a new mousetrap. The Japanese make the current mousetrap work better, and more elegantly than before.

Wolf and Spice Vol1 (English)

A long awaited English language adaptation of one of my favourite novel series.

I've now purchased several copies of it in English, distributing it to various peoples I imagine would enjoy the book.

The writing is slightly stiff, and certainly shows the reason the book is aimed at an age 15 and up crowd. The vocabulary is limited, and certainly doesn't stretch beyond what most people would know. Some of this is the reason the setting of the story, a pre-Renaissance pseudo-European society, just doesn't come to life. As a historical fiction, the story simply does not provide enough material to bring the time and place forward, much beyond the plain backdrop that it provides. There is no sense that there is much more of the world existing beyond the pages of the book. Good fiction, science, historical, or otherwise - should be able to construct a world with a depth and detail that extends beyond the last page turned.

This is particularly difficult. It does not mean to describe everything in detail, and bog down the narrative. The world should however be a real enough location to bring a believability around the character's drive, ambition, fears and hopes.

Some books can rest on precedent. Books based on movies, TV shows, and video games need not place their heft into constructing a world. The groundwork is already laid out.

As very good stage actors can act on a stage with only the barest of props, the characters and how lively and naturally they act on stage can set the tone.

This book, with the character of a young, inquisitive girl who is out of touch with the life of the merchant, does not deliver. The girl's inquisitive nature should be leveraged to provide insight into the daily life of a merchant, but only does so as an exposition device. The dialog fails to invite the reader to learn more, and gain interest about the girl asking the question. It seems slightly flat. A question is quite telling of the person doing the asking. Why is the question being asked? what is the interest behind it? How does the person react to the answer?

This opportunity is lost, as the novel hurriedly fills in the set pieces. I want more. Much more.

As a history fan, the tectonic shift of a society away from pagan harvest rituals and festivals carried on under the nose of the church to a more modern agriculture is one of the largest interests of this book. And yet, the sense of something changing - several hundreds of years of history being cast aside - simply does not appear. It is of phenomenally good plot construction that places such a historic shift into a personal perspective, and of one guy and one girl.

The multilayered plot, starting from the core relationship of Holo and Lawrence. Wrapped by the plot regarding a specific scheme, and the final realization of the greater plot afoot - one that will shake the kingdom to its (financial) roots. There is the larger, and infinitely historically meaningful conflict, of which only the reader should be aware of.

The intent is not to have either of the main characters be aware, or even have any interest in the "big" picture. The big big picture, this part which extends the stage past the last page of the book, never really seems to coagulate into anything. The stage is set, but half blue-screened. The post-production will fill in the blanks.

It is only because the story is so attractive, that these decidedly minor faults irritate. There should be so much more. But as I read it, it takes several tries to really get the characters to start speaking in their own voice, and imagine them walking through the hard packed roads of this town, surrounded by people who are selling their wares, hurrying to and from the shops, living their lives.

手作りアイスティーを作ってみた。

最近は甘いレモンアイスティーを数日に一回作っている。手作りは既製品よりも美味しいし、その上糖分も控えめな上に手間もかからない。正直な所、既製品に戻れないくらいに美味しい。

用意するもの
茶葉（２Teaspoon)　ティーバッグ二つで代用可
お湯１．９L　計るのが面倒なら２㍑でも可
砂糖１８０ｍL　（３／４　USカップ）
レモンジュース６０ｍL　（１／４USカップ）

先ずは１．９Lのお湯を沸かす。
火からおろしたお湯に茶葉を入れて、一時間蒸らす。
茶漉しに入れてお湯に吊るす方式を自分は使います。

一時間蒸らしたお茶から茶葉を揚げ、１８０ｍLの砂糖を入れる。

最後のレモンジュースはレモンを絞るか、市販の物で。
近所にレモンの木が幾つもあるので、新鮮レモンで作っています。
絞ると中くらいのレモン二つで６０ｍL絞れます。絞ったジュースは一度茶漉しで濾しておくとブツブツが入りません。好きは人はそのままでもいいけど。

レモンジュースを入れて砂糖が溶解するまでかき混ぜる。
砂糖が溶けきったら適当な容器に移して租熱を盗り、室温まで冷めたら冷蔵庫で冷す。

で、完了。

今まで試した茶葉の種類は
■紅茶
EarlGrey　（アールグレイ）
しっかりとした味で市販レモンティーに一番近い。わずかな苦味があってよろしい。

Darjeeling　（ダージリン）
柔らかい味わいがアールグレイより儚げ。砂糖とレモンを気持ち程度控えめにすると美味しい。

■緑茶
静岡産煎茶
緑茶の苦味が殆どない。緑茶に砂糖なんて邪道と思っていたけど、これは普通に美味しい。意外でした。

■中国茶
白茶
安物だけど、普通に美味しい。アイスティーってどんなお茶でも作れるんだ、と実感しました。

などと、普通の煎茶からもアイスティーを作れるんです。なお、砂糖を蜂蜜で代用してみたら蜂蜜の味が強すぎたのでオススメはできません。アクセント程度に抑えるといけるかも。
レモンと適度な糖分が喉にも優しく、一日喋りっぱなしの時には大助かりです。美味しいのでお試しあれ。

手打ち（？）うどんを作ってみた。

今日はお腹が空いたので手づくりうどんを作ってみた。
手回しのパスタメーカーがあるので、それを使っていろいろ遊んでみます。

パスタメーカーはイタリアのMarcato製。ATLAS１５０って機械です。定価６０＄なり。

手打ちうどんに必要な材料は以下の通り。

（５人分　１キログラム）
小麦粉５００ｇ　（今回はオーガニックの小麦粉）
水２５０ｃｃ　
塩２５ｇ　（海塩を使ってみた）

ポリ袋　（代用品として大型シリコンパッドを使用。エコ！）

温いお湯　（暖かい水でも可。どこが境界線なのだろうか）に塩を溶かし、食塩水を作る。
小麦粉５００ｇに食塩水を混ぜ込む。
中心に塊ができて、ボロボロと乾いた粉となるので、適度に乾いた部分を大きな塊の中に取り込みつつこねる。

綺麗に一つの塊になったら、大型シリコンパッドにはさみ、足で踏みます。
１５分ほどテレビを見ながら足踏み。シリコンパッドを使うなら横からはみ出ないように気をつけます。ポリ袋に入れるなら、心配無用で踏みます。１０ポンドのダンベルで運動をしながら踏みつづけ、１５終わったら毛布かなにかに包み、熟成させます。

熟成時間は室内気温が１７Cで一時間前後。グルテン蛋白が中で整列し、生地に弾力を与えるのを待ちます。気温が低ければもうちょっと長く。高ければもうちょっと短く。

熟成したら、もっちりとした感じの生地ができます。自分の目安として「生地と生地がくっ付かない」くらいが好きです。これを手で伸ばし、幅１０ｃｍ程度に切り分け、ATLAS150に通します。

先ずは厚さ１（４ｍｍ）で一回。そこから厚さ３（２ｍｍ）でびろーん、と伸ばします。厚さは好みで調節。うどんとしては分厚いよりはちょっと薄いのが好きなので、２ｍｍで行きます。

薄めに引き伸ばしたら次はカッターで切り分けます。綺麗に切り分けられて、後はゆでるだけ。
生うどんは四分から五分でゆであがります。タピオカスターチを使ったうどんほどのコシは無いですけど、調理時間２０分　（合計時間一時間三十分）で手作りはやはり美味しい。今回はちょっと塩を使いすぎて麺だけと食べるとしょっぱい。次回はちょいと減らします。

最終的に麺は１ｋｇくらいできます（小麦粉５００ｇ、水を吸いますので合計１ｋｇ）
４，５人ほど食べる分に困りません。

つゆは自分で作ってくださいね。

今日もご飯が美味しかった。まる。