How about freshly cooked crepes and Italian gelato? The sweet aroma of crepe and gelato fill the shop!

[ Shopping & Dining ]

I love the Japanese graphics too. When I read this I can smell the coffee, the gelato, the crepes. Oh yummy!

Note: I just recieved my bilingual map of Tokyo, so excuse the posting that makes me seem like a 12 year old Japanese school girl. Arigato Gozaimashita!

One of the most common types of questions I see in my inbox goes like this. "What is BAR?" or "What is a vibe pump?"

If I had a nickel for each time I got an email asking about vibe pumps...

Terminology exists in all things. Camera guys talk about ISO and f stops. Espresso people talk about BAR, shot times, ristrettos, etc etc, and it gets quite confusing for the newbie. Because of this, we're currently working on the massive Espresso Guide, and a big part of that guide is the Glossary Section.

[ Coffee Geek ]

Seriously, a good Coffee Glossary is indispensable when learning about coffee, or taking your enjoyment to the next level.

Nintendo must be hardcore, they have mild explitives on their website!

Starting Aug. 15, Nintendo's Metroid Prime Bonus Bundle gives consumers a Nintendo GameCube system and not one but two free discs. The first disc contains a complete version of the award-winning Metroid Prime game, while the bonus disc contains a playable demo version of the highly anticipated sequel, Metroid Prime 2 Echoes.

[ Nintendo News ]

Basically if you don't have a GameCube, and you've ever enjoyed playing any video game, and you don't buy one now, you are a hopeless Nintendo-bigot. This deal is sweet, too sweet to pass up. And, yes, my bonus disc is on the way, courtesy of my registration of multiple systems and games in my “My Nintendo” profile.

At least that's my assumption. And he's finally realized that Nintendo is hot. Can anyone say X-Cube? GameBoy X? XBox VR? Ok, not that last one.

Microsoft Corp's founder Bill Gates has expressed his interest in acquiring computer games company Nintendo Co from the Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Yamauchi.

[ Forbes.com ]

After this, Nintendo could reveal the secret labratory of Square Enix, and Gates could “aquire” them as well. Shortly after Naugty Dog and Insomniac would ditch Sony, and the One World Order would be in place.

Of course if Bill wants Nintendo that bad, Amazon sells GCNs...

Props: G$

OK, it's not actually a date, but it's better than nothing:

One of the most highly anticipated sequels to hit Hollywood this year, the T-Mobile Sidekick II will be making its debut at an exclusive, VIP party featuring a performance from The Black Eyed Peas. In conjunction with the beginning of the ESPN X Games X, this star-studded event will feature celebrity Sidekick fans from sports, television and film and musicians from all over.

The public will be able to get its hands on the T-Mobile Sidekick II this fall.

[ Danger ]

It seems that I'm not the only one impressed with Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. G4(tech)TV's G-Phoria has it nominated for Best Handheld Game. On their promo show, it seemed like everyone agreed that Aria of Sorrow brought back the old school look and feel, more so than the other two Castlevania games for GBA, and much more than the attempts to bring Castlevania into the 3rd dimension.

I also see that Konami has announced that Castlevania will be making an appearance on the DS as well. Hopefully in 2D, hopefully with the map on screen at all times. I find that Castlevania games, more-so than any other game I play, require flipping back and forth from the map screen.

Ever want Task Manager to be helpful? Sure it has gotten a tiny bit better over the years, but there is so much information that it could be displaying. Apparently SysInternals once again knows how something should have been done.

Process Explorer v8.41 Find out what files, registry keys and other objects processes have open, which DLLs they have loaded, and more. This uniquely powerful utility will even show you who owns each process.

[ Utilities for Windows NT and Windows 2000 ]

Perhaps not your typical story about the hometown boy, but he's not your typical hometown boy....

In what could be the biggest talent deal in basic-cable history, comedian Dave Chappelle has re-upped with Comedy Central for two more seasons of Chappelle's Show and will get a hefty cut of its DVD sales.

[ Yahoo! News - Chappelle: Laughing all the way to the bank ]

And no, I don't mean boy like that, you horrible, horrible people.

Way to go Dave! You da man!

I'm spending a day in Tokyo, and expect to have pistachios with me, so I had to find out if Japan allows them to transit.

Most types of nuts (with the exception of walnuts, which are prohibited) may be brought into Japan, particularly if they are salted, dried, or roasted.

[ Consulate General of Japan ]

I'm sure this will come up on Jeopardy in the next week, or be a vital fact that a friend needs to know.

Update: The prohibition of Walnuts is not due to a dislike of Walnuts, or an aversion to Walnuts, but an attempt to keep pests out of Japanese crops.

Cowboy Bebop is the tale of a futuristic maverick, Spike Spiegel, a space cowboy and his band of partners (Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Edward, and lets not forget Ein the dog), as they race across the galaxy on daring adventures. They are Bounty Hunters struggling to survive in a world that is a strange combination of past, present, and future. There are fantastic space crafts and interstellar casinos side by side with droopy sombreros and slow traffic lights. With each new bounty that they go after, new characters are introduced, and new cosmic landscapes are explored.

[ 3,2,1 Lets Jam! Emily's Cowboy Bebop Page ]

I heard it was good. And I resisted. But then, after a night at D&B's with da boys, I needed some wind down time. Low, and behold, on Adult Swim, Cowboy Bebop. And, now, I think I'm stuck. Just added vol 1 to my NetFlix queue, and looking forward to seeing the movie.

This is just one page of them, “mens” on the side brings up many more. I think I have found the ultimate collection of shirts for me.

Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii! This shirt speaks the language of the unique culture of the Hawaiian Islands—a language full of sunshine and warmth. Whether worn on a business casual Friday or a special occasion, this shirt will bring the great Aloha spirit into the day.

[ JadeFashion.com - Shop ]

Casual Friday, bah, casual everyday! And they have a Hawaiian Wedding shirt too, so stylish, but still a bit laid back.

If you love words like I love words, you'll love this monthly column.

The Word Detective on the Web is the online version of The Word Detective, a newspaper column answering readers' questions about words and language. The Word Detective is written by Evan Morris and appears in finer newspapers in the U.S., Mexico and Japan.

[ The Word Detective ]

Apparently this is also “in print” in something called a “newspaper”, but I guess I'll have to be satisfied with the regular Internet version.

Actress Mary-Kate Olsen, left, 18, who is recovering from treatment for an eating-disorder, and her sister Ashley Olsen, 18, touch their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in this April 29, 2004...

[ Yahoo! News - Entertainment Photos - AP ]

What I wonder is if they will become some sort of eating disorder/twins study. Why one twin would have an eating disorder and the other wouldn't. Presumably they have had as similar genetic background and upbringing as any two people can.

Now officially the "Nintendo DS", the style has been tweaked a bit, based on feedback from E3, I expect:

The retooled Nintendo DS features a thinner, black base and an angular platinum flip-top cover. The face buttons and shoulder buttons are larger, and some have been reconfigured for optimum use. The unit includes a new storage slot for the touch screens stylus, and the speakers now broadcast in stereo sound, with or without headphones.

[ News : Article ]

Honestly, I expected it to change a bit more, but the encouraging news is that 120 games are in development for it. If only 1/5th of those are available at launch time (and since it plays GBA games), it could be rather successful. Now the big question is: how much?

I don't know what original story they refer to here, but this looks like the next good platformer/adventure out for the GBA.

Control Yoh in an all-new adventure and use his powers as a Shaman to fight nefarious foes and train to become the Shaman King! Friends Anna and Morty and rivals Len and Rio make appearances along with the rest of the cast from the animated TV series and comic book. Master awesome abilities and attacks like Yoh's Celestial Slash and perfect Spirit Unity on your path to becoming the new Shaman King!

[ Konami Digital Entertainment ]

Perhaps not in time for my trip, so I may need to get Mario v Donkey Kong and Mario Golf Advance, for the long, long plane ride. And then, of course, I might pick up something strange in Akiba...