Hope for Japan Benefit in the Tivoli Center, Auraria campus. April 4th, 2011.

Hope for Japan at Tivoli: Marc and Miwa before

Hope for Japan at Tivoli: Marc and Miwa on okedo

Hope for Japan: Marc and Miwa on okedo

Hope for Japan: Marc and Miwa on okedo and byou daikos

Marc on multiple drums

Hope for Japan at Tivoli: Miwa on Okedo

Marc on okedo

Heartbeat for Japan Taiko benefit: Colorado Heights Auditorium. Included Denver Taiko, Mirai Daiko, and Taiko with Toni. About 800 attended, $21,000 raised for Japan Relief. March 26th, 2011.

Heartbeat for Japan: Marc before performance

Taiko with Toni on stage (from stage right)

Heartbeat for Japan: Taiko with Toni ready to start

Taiko with Toni on stage

All Heartbeat for Japan performers from Taiko with Toni, Mirai Daido, and Denver Taiko

CU Soundbite at the University of Colorado UMC. March 7th, 2011.

Toni, Marc, and Miwa at CU Soundbite performance

EZ Flashcards is an easy to use program that uses lists you create to quiz you on information pairs, just like you’d do with 3×5 flashcards. Great for language study.

• Supports unicode
• Adjustable alignment and font settings
• Free!

I was at Barnes and Noble the other day, browsing through some titles I wish were 
available for my REB1200, but aren’t, when I noticed a display table promoting a 
book called “Things that make me happy”. It’s one of those small, 4″ x 6″ books with 
cute, shiny covers selling for five or six bucks that people buy for each other on those 
occasions when a five or six buck gift is called for.

     I picked it up and thumbed through it. Apparently the author had started the habit 
early in life of writing down things that she had seen or heard each day that made her 
happy – this book was a compilation of her notes. Each page contained columns of 
words, one right after the other, like this:

Peanut Butter 
Rainy mornings 
Puppies 
Licorice 
Beefeaters 
Horses

and so on, for about forty pages. 
     Being the eBook partisan that I am, it pains me to write this, but for the sake of 
journalistic honesty I must: This book would never make it as an eBook. Without the 
cute and shiny cover, on the inside of which one can write “Thinking of you”, or “Get 
well soon”, or “Look, you’re not the only one with a thing for Beefeaters”, this book 
has relatively little value for most of us – its actually the note on the inside cover that’s 
the real content. As an eBook without that note, it might as well be titled “My list of 
random nouns”.

     I’m sure there’s a term used in the publishing industry for this genre (send me a note 
if you know it), but whatever that term is, I think this one is better: “Thick Greeting 
Card”, or TGC. The TGC market is a tough one for eBooks – physical tangibility is a 
value that eBook technology cannot reproduce … or can it? We’ll get to that later. 
First, lets look at some other tough issues for eBooks. Another advantage of print 
books is what could be called “trophy” value. Anyone who sits through Moby Dick is 
to be commended – but the person who does it with a pBook gets to put it up on a 
bookshelf, and when people notice it, say “yes, its timeless – every time I read it I 
notice something new”. Meanwhile, eBook guy has to shove his eBook in everyone’s 
face and say “Hey look at my eBook, that’s Moby Dick, I read it. Boy that Ahab is 
something else.” Other person: “Cool! How long do the batteries last?”

     Then there’s the all-important coffee table. It takes a special book to make it on the 
coffee table – and success isn’t only based on content. It needs a big cover that 
matches room décor, lots of pictures, and be appropriately sized for the average lap - 
depending on your appreciation of junk food, this can get pretty big. A PDA sitting on 
a coffee table is likely to end up with a cup of coffee on it.

     Some people buy books for what I’d call the “wallpaper” effect. Sometimes in upscale 
magazines there are advertisements for book sets like “The 100 greatest books of all 
time”. I believe most who buy these sets are genuinely motivated by the thought 
“That’s cool. As a new year’s resolution, I’m going to buy that set and read the entire 
thing next year.” Then the books show up, they go up on the new oak bookshelf in 
the den. The trophies among them (the ones other people have heard of) are 
selected and turned with covers outward, and they all sit there with their leather 
bindings and gilded edges watching from the shelf in disgust as their owner wiles 
away the hours with Madonna’s “Truth or Dare”. Still a bargain compared to 
wallpapering, and the effect says “literature is important to me.” An eBook stuffed to 
the top bit with titles will impress some people … us. But we’re already impressed by 
us, so it doesn’t count. 
     PBooks are more than paper reading devices. They are gifts, they are status 
symbols, and they are works of art. Most predictions on the rate of eBook market 
penetration usually include the sentence “eBooks will never fully replace pBooks” or 
“eBooks and pBooks will exist as complementary products.” Definately true for awhile 
- anyone reading this article was raised on pBooks and its hard to imagine ever 
becoming fully weaned from the “pulp teat” (I’m sorry you had to read that). But, it is 
also impossible to imagine that eBooks will stay dormant for long. At some point, 
eBooks are taking over – we just hope its sooner rather than later. So, maybe we can 
think of some ways to help eBooks acquire the qualities currently assigned 
exclusively to the lovable, tangible pBook. Perhaps there are even some ways to add 
value to eBooks that can’t be duplicated with pBooks. Let’s brainstorm – I’ll start.

I. The best of both worlds? 
EBooks, by definition, are digital. This enables many of the benefits we find in 
eBooks such as ease of acquisition through the internet, carrying several titles on 
one device, etc. It’s also the reason you can’t stack them on your self, or add a note. 
What if, after you downloaded an eBook, you could opt to receive a paper “title 
booklet” by mail. Perhaps sized similarly to a paperback, but only one or two dozen 
pages, some art work on the cover, a few pages on the history of the book, author 
bio, pictures of characters. This would offer note-writing, trophy-gloating, 
wallpapering thrills. Yes, this solution is a step backward from the streamlined 
efficiency of pure digital content, but its still better than the hundreds of pages in a 
regular pBook, and it might help ease the cutting of the fiberous umbilical cord (sorry 
about that one too).

II. Digital added value. 
Imagine visiting an online eBook vendor and selecting a title as a gift for a friend. As 
part of the service, you are prompted to type a customized note, and perhaps upload 
a digital picture. Dynamic server software adds your note and your picture as a 
permanent part of the eBook file, then emails your friend with the link to their gift. At 
their leisure, they download their customized copy of Moby Dick, complete with the 
picture they’d forgotten about of them swallowing a goldfish in college.

III. Added functionality 
Anyone who read my eBookweb article, The Chicken, The Egg, and The Killer App 
knows I’m an eBook purist – I think every last element in a digital reading device 
should be devoted to creating a better reading experience. I will make one small 
exception, but its only because this function is so closely related to an eBook’s 
function anyway. A book-sized eBook device with a color screen would make a great 
photo album. Upload all your vacation or family photos, and bore the hell out of 
people at will.

     There are lots of other possibilities, so send me an email or add a message below 
and give us your ideas. If we all work together, it won’t be long before we can all 
leave the cellulose womb (okay! I’m finished, I swear…)

 An eBook, a laptop, and PDA all walk into a bar …
… ok, I’m still working on the punch line (next month for sure). Fear not, however, this 
story is even more interesting than a drunk electronic reading device – this story is about 
a skirmish at the front lines of the eBook battle. This story is about the inevitability of 
eBook ascension. This story solves the eBook “chicken and egg” conundrum. And yes, 
some of this happened at a bar. 

     Chickens and eggs: No one will buy a dedicated eBook reading device if there is nothing 
to read on it. Conversely, eBook titles won’t become widely available until people own 
eBook devices on which they want to read. This problem could resolve itself as the 
eBook industry and its patrons inch up the ladder – titles slowly becoming more available 
while hardware gets incrementally better, until finally, in a decade or two, we have an 
active eBook market. Most of us hope things will happen more quickly – what’s needed 
is a revolution, not passive acceptance of a perpetual niche market. The best 
revolutions start at the grass-roots, so I decided that if people weren’t coming to eBooks, 
I’d bring eBooks to them.

     I put together an ad hoc focus group of four friends, all technologically competent, all 
lacking in any eBook exposure. The study kicked off in a controlled research lab called 
Brendan’s Pub in downtown Denver – a couple of beers on me, and all I asked for in 
return was some honest feedback on a few reading devices, and to not spill beer on 
them. The kickoff meeting was followed by a week of follow up questions. 
The results were threefold: 1) This article – what it lacks scientific rigor, it makes up for in 
statistical insignificance. 2) the designation of yours truly as an annoying person. 3) 
discovery of a path out of the chicken house, and into eBook nirvana.

     I presented the group with a Compaq iPaq PDA with Microsoft Reader, a Dell Laptop 
with Adobe eBook reader, and a REB 1200 eBook. Despite their eBook virginity, the 
group didn’t need an eReading pitch from me – they get it: carry several books without 
the bulk, search functionality, hypertext, backlit screen, multimedia, save a tree, cheaper 
books. Sure, they’ll all probably buy one – as soon as eBooks become … what? Become 
… what!? “I’m not sure”. And then it got interesting.

     The laptop was immediately eliminated as a desirable reading device. PC based eBook 
reader text, whether sub-pixelly rendered “Clearly” or “Coolly”, didn’t carry any weight 
(and suspicions abounded that though the Reader software renders better text, it also 
somehow promotes the interests of Microsoft, Adobe, and ePublishers over those of 
eBook consumers – far-fetched, I know). My group all use computers in their work - 
while this makes them more open to the idea of eBooks, it also makes them more 
interested in avoiding computers during their leisure time. Today’s PCs will not lead the 
eBook revolution.

     The iPaq fared better. Its versatility assuages the concern that money is going into a 
“gadget” that children will laugh at next year. Unfortunately it has the same display 
problems, and its small – reading on it feels like you’re staring a box of raisins. PDA’s are 
important to eBook industry – millions use them as a convenient eReading tool and 
millions more are exposed to the benefits of eReading. But they are a “bridge”, not a 
destination. Many that use them for reading do so not because it’s their first choice, but 
because demand for eReading is real, and there are few alternatives.

     Maybe a PDA with a display area the size of a paperback? Getting warmer – my group, 
and a couple of other I people I sampled (other bar patrons) would consider buying such 
a device. The problem of course is cost. Good PDA’s center around $500 – increase the 
size, and you’re over a grand. The new Microsoft tablet PCs will probably price well over 
$1000. The expense in this situation is more complicated than just the initial outlay – lots 
of people will rush to buy tablet PCs at whatever their entry price is. But will they really 
use them for serious reading? Maybe at work and other places were they need 
computing power anyway. eBook title venders may well see a bounce in sales. But few 
would take one on vacation or even to the park in place of a paperback – in the context 
of leisure, an expensive, sophisticated device is a liability – one more thing to lose, 
break, or have stolen.

     Which leaves dedicated eReading devices, like the REB. After a full run down of its pros 
and cons, the REB held up – if not fully for what it is, then as a model for what can be. If 
you build it, they will come – the “app” in the eBook killer app stands not for “application” 
but for “appliance”.

     Therefore, I submit that the answer to the “chicken and egg” conundrum for the eBook 
industry is: the killer eBook reading device needs to come first. But wait! No one will buy 
a reading device if this there’s nothing to … blah, blah, blah. 
PDA consumers know, there is plenty to read on eBook devices – not many best selling 
novels yet, but other stuff – our stuff. Stuff friends have written. stuff we’ve written. 
Electronic Book Web and other web stuff. All kinds of stuff. There is ample evidence 
that people will buy dedicated reading devices – books are dedicated reading devices, 
and people buy them over, and over, and over again. And books are as single-function 
as you can get – they do nothing more than wait to be read, and that is enough. 
So, eBook device makers, here are the marching orders from the Brendan’s Pub 
eBookies:

     Build us a great eReading device, on which it is a joy to read: Don’t worry about the lack 
of big name titles – with a strong showing from the hardware team, the software team 
will fall in line. Format wars and digital rights issues will persist only until the realization 
that money is being lost due to the bickering, then the solutions that already exist will be 
implemented.

     Support open standards: Propriety formats may assist in acquiring venture capital and 
market share in the short run, but in the long run the market becomes stunted and 
everyone loses. Open standards also help the market by allowing aspiring writers to add
to the wealth of content – eBook device sales will receive a strong boost when people 
hear about interesting titles they’d like to read, but can’t – without an eBook device. 
Make it easy for us to add our own material to our device, to carry us over while the 
ePublishing issues get worked out.

     Keep it simple: Focus on the human factors of reading, and develop your technology to 
offer a better reading experience. Don’t worry about adding a bunch of “multi-function” 
tools, it will make your device more expensive, heavier, and more difficult to use. 
Besides, often we’re reading to escape our email and calendars. Once you’ve built the 
perfect reading tool, work on making it cheaper. Audio, other digital media, and text-to- 
speech technology can (but not always) enhance the reading experience, especially for 
the reading-impaired – the ultimate purpose of the device should be to present content - 
technology is simply a great means to that end.

     Make your eReading device hardware upgradeable: Convincing people to buy a new 
electronic device (especially an “eBook” in the age when everything that had suddenly 
acquired an “e” just as suddenly disappeared) is a difficult proposition as it is, do 
everything possible to remove fears of obsolescence.

     And with this device, we can finally leave the coop of chickens and eggs and their 
arguments of primacy. Leave the barnyard to wander the fields of fresh eContent 
growing on acres well beyond our range of sight – knowing that we carry the implement 
we need to partake in the bountiful harvest to come. We’ll sit in the shade of an old tree, 
lost in our eStories and pondering the riddles of the universe, like “What would happen 
if an eBook, a laptop, and PDA all walked into a bar?”

The idea is very simple and for many people it seems obvious when they hear it, but I think that’s what makes it powerful. The pieces are:

1. Think of God and Truth as being essentially the same thing, and think of them as a bright light metophorically shining down on us all.
2. Our minds are prisms, so when the light hits us, we each see tend to see a particular color of the light’s full spectrum. Think of that color as akin to a creed or religion.
3. Since each color is a true part of the light, each color is a viable path back to it – to Truth and God, as long as it is really Truth that is being sought.
4. So people of any religion or creed can find enlightenment, but only if they’re looking for the light – not if they’re only trying to prove their color is best. If they are, all they will ever find is their color.
5. The full spectrum of colored lights adds up to the bright light. The full spectrum of colors without light (like paint) adds up to darkness.
6. Therefore: Any person sincerely looking for Truth and God can find them. Any person only looking for their own color will never progress. Any person eschewing (bless you!) Truth will find darkness.

“There is no god higher than truth.” Mahatma Gandhi
“I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth – and truth rewarded me.” Simone de Beauvoir
“…you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
“The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.” James A. Garfield

I’m at that age where medical checkups are a lot more invasive than they once were. Being a gratefully adopted person with an unknown genetic history, the invasions are now full-on assaults usually reserved for men decades older. To counter the onslaught and ‘secure the castle’, I decided to finally try to find out my genetic past. Unfortunately, the search concluded without learning any details on the identities, much less the medical histories, of my birth parents. However I did receive a document with information obtained from my birth mother during a pre-adoption interview. One thing I learned was the “met at a party” sentence which started this letter. So, I’ve got that going for me. Also my birth father was a plumber from Canada. When you’re an adopted kid, you sometimes imagine interesting origins for yourself: dropped off by space aliens, cloned from a famous historical person (Thomas Washington), synthesized in a lab by scientists using DNA from wild animals, lightening, and a whole lotta sugar (smoochies!)  “Your father’s a Canadian plumber” and “Your parents met at a party, and you were conceived” were things kids yelled to make each other cry. Ok … I’m being facetious – it’s all good, of course. I’m thrilled about the party, that my birth mother stuck it out, and that my real parents are the ones who adopted me. And, the details take some pressure off, hey – it’s a bonus life eh? Let’s all party!

In contrast to the goodness, the badness this year was that my Grandma died. Marge Dickens was a headstrong, butt-kicking woman who beat the odds of life in many ways, including longevity (amazing since she smoked and sunbathed for the majority of her 96 years). Her daughters are awesome. We got to visit her just before she left. She couldn’t open her eyes, speak, or even breathe well, but we each got to spend some time with her and say a few words. I didn’t have any idea what to say and the first words that came out were, “Don’t worry Grandma, everything’s going to be Ok.” Given the circumstances, that seemed awkward at first, but then I realized that was how I felt, and was what I wanted to say. I don’t know if she could hear or understand me, but it was comforting to me at least – when all is said and done, yeah, I think everything is going to be Ok. But we’ll miss you Grandma. One of the few positive things that result from something like this is that you get a chance to see family you haven’t seen for awhile. Janet, Tim, Art – I can’t tell you how nice it was to be able to see you even though the circumstances were so sad.

Corporate evolution in free markets: inefficient companies die and are replaced with ever-better ones. Right? Or is it more like this: Caveman crawls, stands erect, walks on two feet, uses hands to gather food, discovers fire to cook food … sets hair on fire, beats head with log to put fire out, trips over monkey, falls into wet mud dousing burning hair …decides mud is good, walking and fire are bad, spends rest of life rolling in cold mud, chasing monkeys. The sad thing is that in this scenario I don’t know which role I play: Monkey? Mud? Perhaps I’m the log. It’s Ok though, I’m in a great group at PB and getting to work with some really cool technology. I was involved with a driving simulator project called “Intellidrive Interactive” (the client was MDOT for all you Michigan folks out there.) It lets you drive around in realistic 3D models of various cities so you can experience pending transportation changes. The dream is to figure out how to make interactive 3D like that work cheaply and efficiently for National Parks. I’m working on it diligently, but in the meantime, this log has hair fires to put out.

The coolest thing in 2010 is that Miwa and I joined taiko drum group! We haven’t played on stage yet, but we’re lined up for some events next year. Taiko drums have been used in Japan for thousands of years for religious ceremonies and festivals, and more recently they’re used by ensembles for a kind of drumming performance art. If you haven’t seen it, usually several players play complementary rhythms with choreographed moves, and it’s really powerful. One famous group is Kodo (http://www.kodo.or.jp) and our group leader runs workshops for them. So it pulls together Japanese culture, music, fitness, teamwork, and Miwa and I get to play together, so it really means a lot to us. Miwa’s great at it of course, and surprisingly, I’m not terrible, so that’s refreshing. Taiko drums are very expensive, so we decided to build one. It was a lot of work and we’re still finding little pieces of cow around the house, but we did it, and it sounds pretty darn good. We named it Hajime which means ‘beginning’ in Japanese. Next year I’ll have more on this topic, and hopefully many tales of exciting, non-terrible performances.

Miwa is still teaching Japanese and playing Koto and Shamisen at various music festivals and other private gigs. In May, Miwa’s Mother celebrated her 35^th anniversary of teaching Shamisen and traditional Japanese vocal arts and Miwa played some solo Koto pieces at the big, important, nerve-wracking ceremony, and she did great. Now that the prospect of performing music on stage is looming in front of me, I have a whole new appreciation for what Miwa does – just thinking about it sends my terror alert level to ‘code brown’, if you know what I mean.

So we’re doing really well, as are our parents, families, and critters. When you think about it, it’s amazing any of us are here, so we hope you’re all enjoying your bonus lives too. And if you’re living with some big challenges, as are many these days, you’ve got our love and support and we greatly appreciate yours. Don’t worry – everything’s going to be Ok.        Love Marc and Miwa