I admit it, I like stuff. I especially like really well-designed stuff. And I especially like really well-designed stuff that eschews modern over-complexity in favored simple, tried, and true interfaces. Knobby analog synths, utilitarian racing cars, and manuals cameras. But at the same time, I like to be very logical. I like stuff, but it's just stuff. I'll take the more suitable tool over the mystical fetish object every time. And so this extensive new yorker article about leica cameras was both sort of pleasing and annoying. I love the leica and would own one if I had the spare $$$ to toss around; but at the same time, I kind of sneer at all the mysticism around them (or for that matter, that whole "lomography" thing). Yes, it's a great tool. But it's not magic. It's not going to make you (or me) into cartier-bresson. But damn I want one.

One of the coolest things that made Heartland in Roppongi look so swank was they had this video running in continuous loop all over the walls, created by Groovisions. I only just now remembered to look them up, and it turns out the video was made as a screen saver for the Nissan Cube (which we kept seeing in Tokyo and all thought looked really cool).