Tag: Quora

Deano’s answer to: “How can we get more people to use a bicycle?”

Posted on by Deano in Q & A

I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can get pretty much anywhere in the city, and a lot of the state using dedicated (off-street) bike trails:

(green paths are dedicated, blue are surface streets with bike lanes)

If there were no significant winter snowfall or icing issues, I’m pretty sure it’d be known as one of the most bike-able cities in the US. Nevertheless, the main problem with getting more people biking is that:

  • You can’t carry as much on a bike, so shopping in bulk is a hassle;
  • Shopping for immediate needs only can be challenging on the schedule, since things are pretty spread out, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to find the things you need at the nearest location… Nevermind that it becomes totally impractical for larger families;
  • Despite prevalent and well-maintained bike paths, it’s still too far to go for many types of shopping, which are still concentrated in malls and box warehouses, largely adjacent to highways. Which means… cars.

So, long story short, it’s an urban planning issue, and solutions that don’t focus on changing the minds of the planners will ultimately fail. Plan to make cars more expensive and more hassle to use than bikes and/or public transit, and people will use the latter. But, almost no one is looking into planning this way at the city/county level, because residents are a poor way to grow the tax base, compared to luring in a Costco, which only makes sense for people with lots of cargo space to visit in the first place.

Perhaps the one alternative that might work would be to increase the cost of having a driver’s license. Say, to somewhere on the order of $1K/year. That, and/or a much stricter German-style driver’s test, would make automobile ownership and usage much less “automatic”, and also inadvertently force communities to make sure they could cover all basic shopping needs locally (though I’m sure entrepreneurs could, with mild incentives, largely take care of that angle). But that would be as deep a challenge to the American concept of personal freedoms, that it’s right up there with gun control as far as how easy it would be to do.

The best bet? Wait for the oil to run out. That’ll dramatically increase bicycle usage world-wide more than any other factor.

How can we get more people to use a bicycle?

Deano’s answer to: “What’s the best place to eat in Tokyo?”

Posted on by Deano in Q & A

Given all the sushi and Japanese-cuisine-related answers, a different perspective:

The Japanese are notoriously good at taking American cultural artifacts, and then making them so much better than we do over here, it’s nearly shameful.

To that end, I would say that the best place to eat in Tokyo is at one of Tokyo’s many burger-focused eateries… After you’ve indulged in sushi, and all other “traditionally Japanese” foods, after you’ve tried some interesting spins on French and Italian cuisines/fusions, there’s really nothing like a nice solid “Hamubaaaaaaaagu” to reset the palate, and ready you for further exploration:

Not exactly a traditional American presentation… But after a nice long walk through some temples, nothing quite hits the spot like a couple artery-clogging cheeseburger patties – perfect medium rare, still sizzling on a metal plate. Honestly? It’s really hard to get stuff this good stateside. Japan wins again!

I’d also like to put in a good word for Sekai-no-Yamachan, an izakaya-style restaurant that specializes in really really great tebasaki chicken wings.

(Photo Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kya…)

Ideally, you’d want to visit the headquarters in Nagoya, but the Tokyo wings are nearly as good, and highly addictive. If you consider a rollicking good booze and bar-food-fueled night out with friends a key component of a great meal, Yamachan should definitely go somewhere on your list. For those with cashflow issues, it’s also fairly inexpensive.

What’s the best place to eat in Tokyo?

Deano’s answer to: “During TV and movie credits, what does it mean when an actor has ‘as X’ after their name?”

Posted on by Deano in Q & A

The opening credits on TV shows(*) work very similarly to those in the movies – it’s just that absolutely no one cares who wrote on directed a TV show, pretty much ever. 😉

With notable exceptions, like all-alphabetical listing, the order the stars appear in is negotiated like everything else as part of their contract. The particular placement the querent refers to, however, is special – it’s the equivalent in TV terms of the “marquee spot” – that spot usually reserved before the movie title to mention a particularly well known star, etc.

Pretty much everything about Mark Hughes‘ answer is correct as far as the many many whys of how someone ends up with the spot – for the newcomer who is being pushed as “studio product”, it may be the name recognition angle. For a recurring role played by a big name, it’s the glory of the last spot itself… And many times, it’s just whoever fought for it the hardest.

Ironically, if you read some of the stories about who gets what in both TV and movie credits (dig, dig, dig, they are out there online, but it’s easier to find in actor/show biographies, for sure), you start to dig up some really interesting behind the scenes gossip – many times, taking the “with… as…” spot meant giving up a bit of salary, or some other perk… But oh how glorious it must be, all these years later, to show up like a phantom as the last thing viewers see in the opening sequence… I definitely think whoever gets that spot laughs loudest, longest, and best compared to their on-set nemeses – who may have been better paid, appeared in more episodes, hand more lines, input on stories, etc.

(technically, we’re just talking title sequences, as a lot of modern shows and movies either skip opening credits, or just run text credits in-frame while ACT I “starts cold” (which is, in the end, better for the viewer, it means we get that many more minutes of show back from the bean counters who somehow like to think of an hour as consisting of what’re we down to these days, 42 minutes?!?)

During TV and movie credits, what does it mean when an actor has “as X” after their name?

Deano’s answer to: “What is it like to work as a ‘pusher’ in Tokyo’s subway system?”

Posted on by Deano in Q & A

A lot, I suppose, like being a Normal Station Attendant or Train Conductor, 90% of the time. There is no “Dedicated Train Pusher” job title on either the Tokyo metropolitan train or subway systems… At least, not anymore(†)!

Train stuffing is a comparatively rare occurrence that happens only during the confluence of two factors:

  • Too many people in the station waiting for trains and, somewhat paradoxically,
  • Too many trains

Walk with me here a minute, and it’ll make more sense. In a single day, the Yamanote line (most famous for the train stuffing effect, and pictured in the Question above) serves 3.5 million riders at 29 stations – by comparison, the entire NYC subway system serves 5 million a day across 26 lines and 468 stations(*).

(Yamanote Line Map courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/a2c… )

Most days, most lines, and most times of day, the Yamanote runs a varying number of trains, which tend to come every 5 minutes or so, maybe as many as 10-12 minutes apart at extreme off peak hours.

During the rush hours, however, trains run on a VERY tight schedule, coming every 2-3 minutes – That’s 24 trains per hour going in one direction, 48 both ways! (red arrows below indicate 7am and 8am commute hours):

(full table @ http://ekikara.jp/newdata/ekijik…)

“No problem,” you say, “if they come that often, I’ll just wait for the next one when the first gets too full for comfort”.

Well, my friend, you’re not alone. About 10% of all riders feel the same way. Seeing as that means each train is “comfortably full”, and the trains come every 2 minutes, then after 20 minutes you’ve already got an entire train’s worth of excess riders, waiting for the trains to not be full. Expand that out to the entire rush hour period, and you’re talking more like 3-5 extra train-loads of people, just standing around on the platform.

Adding 3 trains an hour to a schedule that has trains stopping into the station EVERY OTHER MINUTE is… Shall we say… a bit unrealistic, and one might even suggest, incredibly unsafe.

Instead, Japan Rail opts for the only other logical solution: train stuffing. People are crushed together, it’s terribly uncomfortable, and even the pervs hate it, because they can’t even be sure they aren’t squeezing man-boobs by mistake. Every ride, you hear about a couple people fainting from the heat/lack of oxygen (yeah, you’re literally pressed up to the point where someone’s coat can suffocate you if you aren’t on the taller side).

Still, you get enough of those 10%ers aboard, and the platform overflow can remain at reasonable levels, which helps prevent:

  • people accidentally bumping fellow passengers onto the tracks,
  • fire hazards and emergency evacuation issues,
  • a fertile hunting ground for pickpockets.

Pictures just don’t cover it, you really need to see these guys in action, to fully understand the issue (video from the Seibu Line shown here depicts ‘suburban’ commuters headed into Tokyo in the morning – the trains don’t run as often as the Yamanote, and as you can see, there is a little more enthusiasm about everyone getting aboard):

These stalwart JR Conductors and Station Attendants do what they must to ensure the safety and security of both their passengers they work for, and the stations they work in. 
And like I said, they do this usually for no more than 60-90 minute bursts, and because of the nature of their job/shift/station rotation, likely have to perform the “pusher” role no more than 2-3 times per week. Given all that, it’s probably fairly easy to just “grin and bear it”, rather than suffering any trauma, stigma, or becoming sadistically addicted to the practice.

(* I’m not this smart, but Wikipedia is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yam…)

(† On further study, it seems that in the past, there was a distinct position, called “Passenger Arrangement Staff”, filled by part timers and students, but that this role has been integrated with general station attendant/conductor duties… More here, from that brainy Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pus…

What is it like to work as a “pusher” in Tokyo’s subway system?

Deano’s answer to: “Was Thor shot in 3D natively, or 3D was added in post?”

Posted on by Deano in Q & A

Thor is a 3D conversion, not an original 3D production.

This is confirmed by multiple sources:

The quality level is said to be vastly superior to Clash of the Titans – but since none of the movie was shot with 3D in mind, the special glasses you wear will do more to take you out of the experience than make you feel like a part of it (“hey look, a FLYING HAMMER that goes… uh… SIDEWAYS, in 3D!”).

If you want to be cynical, you could say that it’s basically a money grab, and the reviews from those who have seen both say that the resolution and colors/blacks onscreen are truer and more vibrant in 2D… But if you enjoy the 3D experience generally, and don’t need excessive screen-popping action, it’s a good way to ensure a less crowded theater when you go to see it.

Was Thor shot in 3D natively, or 3D was added in post?