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The COVID-19 numbers have stopped declining in Tokyo (Reuters). It still seems likely that the state of emergency will be lifted on 21 March but I’m concerned that’s going to lead to another wave. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout proceeds at a glacial pace.
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I wrote a new blog post! After being inspired by a YouTube video essay, I went and watched Mission: Impossible – Fallout again to see how it holds up. I still think it’s a massive disappointment but at least now I have a slightly more sophisticated argument about why.
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I maintained my level of Japanese study for another week. Although I’m worried that this level of dedication will end soon, the fact that I’m not at risk of being distracted is helping. I didn’t do any study over the weekend, for example, so watch this space.
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It’s not all self-congratulation, of course. I’m still using things like YouTube and that, as a result, I’m still finding ways to waste time. That said, the signal to noise ratio feels higher with YouTube—is that the first time anyone has ever said that?—and so somehow preferable to the alternative. Speaking of YouTube, it’s only two and a half minutes but I really liked this visual explanation of how the samples on Daft Punk’s Discovery are constructed.
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Eri and I decided to buy Emma a bicycle. She had a spin of a friend’s bike earlier in the week and on Sunday I went out to the nearest cycle shop, FaceTimed Eri and had Emma choose one over the phone (a red/white Hello Kitty model). Emma’s been ill so she hasn’t been able to take it for a spin yet but is eagerly anticipating doing so.
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I also used it as an opportunity to dispose of ‘my’ bicycle. I originally purchased this bike for Eri from Craigslist after not wanting to purchase a new electric-powered one. Of course, it had problems and we very quickly ended up buying a new one. That was more than two years ago and for almost the entire time, it’s sat unused. I still feel silly for having bought it (I had to go all the way to Yokohama to pick it up) but at least it’s finally gone.
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Oh, and on the topic of finally doing things: Eri and I finally finished watching the New Year Special of Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu (Wikipedia). It was pretty good but felt like something that would have benefited from being a slate of ten new episodes rather than a two-hour special.
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I mentioned Daft Punk’s Discovery earlier and I spent a lot of time this weekend programming to the 12” mix of ‘One More Time’ (Apple Music). Is the fact it’s referred to as the ‘12 mix’ on Apple Music a typo? It has to be, right?
