From SlickDeals.  Here’s a great deal for Timberland - both brick and mortar and online.  You get 40% off anything with coupon code FF2007, or by printing out this coupon.

I’ve always been a big fan of tims, and the store has some great deals.

I go through a lot of glasses.  I leave them on when I fall asleep and they get all messed up.

I had some nice glasses that cost a lot, but they don’t last.  Eventually the lens falls out and you’re stuck with a taped-up piece of metal.

That’s another reason to love the Internet.  You can get $8 online from Zenni Optical - along with a bunch of other sites.  Just input your prescription, maybe take a couple of measurements with a ruler, and you’re all set.  You get prescription glasses in a few days.

Now, I’m working now at a decent job, so I splurge for the $9.95 glasses, rather then the $8 ones…but to each his own.

Sure, they’re not fancy and they won’t win any design awards - but how can you go wrong at these prices?  If you use glasses - even only at night - check these guys out.

Japs are to little computers like blacks are to fried chicken.  I love these things - especially now that they’re getting a bit more affordable, more powerful, and generally more useful.

Here’s an interesting UMPC (that’s Ultra Mobile PC, Jak) called the WiBrain B1.  Ok, the name sucks but it looks very very sweet.

The device has a 4.8″ touch screen with a 1024 x 600 resolution, split keypad, a 1.2GHz CPU, 60 GD hard drive and 1GB of RAM.  Those specs aren’t bad for a UMPC…they’re actually on par with many laptops nowadays (with the exception of screen size of course).  It even has a little trackpad for navigation.

It’s available at Dynamism now for $700, although the higher end model will run $850.  It’ll be early in late December.  Follow that link for a video of the device in action playing Quake 2.

It was only a matter of time.  With a series of hacks and apps, iPhone users are now able to use their iPhone as a high speed wireless modem for any  laptop.

It involves jailbreaking your iPhone, installing a couple of apps, and some browser tweaking.  Now I haven’t tried this myself - I’m kind of a pussy when it comes to hacking my iPhone.  But according to several sources this method works.

What’s great is your iPhone comes with an unlimited wireless data plan…that means all you can eat EDGE Internet.

The process is a bit lengthy to explain - so I’m just going to link to instructions from Lifehacker here.

I haven’t been following this very closely - mostly because my favorite shows haven’t been affected - but what’s your take on the writer’s strike?

From what I’m understand some of the key sticking points cover royalties for online content and DVD sales.  DVD sales seem pretty reasonable - I mean, these must be huge.  But Internet revenue?  I think this is small, plus studios have to pay so much to control the use of online content to begin with.

Either way, I don’t really know.  What I do know it will start to suck when my faves like The Office run out of episodes.

The funny thing is I’m not sure how much studios will hurt, versus writers.  The Tonight Show is just running reruns…still making money while not having to pay their writers.  And if this continues I imagine the TV scene will be just like summer reruns.  Sure, content will suck - but there will still be viewers as long as content consistently sucks across different channels.

On the other side of the coin you have writers - may of which are struggling - who need the cash.  I’m betting the writers blink first.  I mean, it seems like Hollywood is so competitive to begin with you need to take what you can get - and if this strike continues writers will start to cross the picket line, and shows will start to come back on - strike or no.

More Friends and Family discounts for the holidays.  These give you 30% off of any purchase of $100 or more.

They are good through December 2nd.

Click for the coupons.  They are good in store only, so you’ll have to print them out.

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Australia is leading the way with a Fat Tax - an extra charge for overweight travelers that take up more than their fair share of seat space.  An Australian doctor, among others, is urging the implementation of the tax, which will force overweight travelers to pay for their extra weight.

I think this is such a great idea I’m about to piss myself.  First of all, it makes fiscal sense - it costs more to get fatter people in the air, so they should pay more…just like passengers that have lots of baggage.

More than that, one of my biggest pet peeves ever is sitting next to a fat person that takes up the whole arm rest and still spills over to my seat.  It makes my whole trip uncomfortable, and it’s just not fair…it’s rude and it’s disgusting that people try to get away with it.

The argument against the fat tax is that overweight people should not be singled out just because of their weight problem…and I think this is generally true.  In most situations it’s not fair to single out or discriminate against fat people…it’s their right to be fat and they shouldn’t be discriminated against.

But fat people also need to own up when their right to be fat infringes on the rights of others…like in small airline seats.  I hate seeing fat motherfuckers wedge themselves into the seat next to me, acting like they’re not screwing me over.  Why not just reach into my pocket and pull out a couple of $20s?

It is so rude it makes me sick.  If you want to be a fat fuck, fine, but at least pay your fair share for it.

And sure, it may be embarrassing for fat people to have to purchase an extra seat - but I don’t care.  If you don’t want to be embarrassed, then stop stuffing your fucking face.

I mean, we live in a society now where people allow themselves to become completely overweight and unhealthy and large enough to inconvenience others, and we’re supposed to sit there with the elephant in the room and not say anything because it’s not politically correct…we’re supposed to sit quiet with someone’s fat arm in our ribs because we don’t want to harm the delicate fat psyche.  Waaaaah.

Fuck it.

I think airlines should get people measurers, just like those baggage measurers, and put them next to the jetway.  If someone looks too big, they should have to fit into the measuring device and prove that they’re not going to intrude on anyone else’s seat…and if they don’t fit then they should be forced to buy another ticket.  It’s so simple.

Don’t want to be measured in public?  Then I have another device for you.  It’s called a treadmill.  But I swear to god it’s about time that airlines create some objective method of fairly measuring people to make sure they will fit in their seat.  It’s time for the fat tax.

Macy’s Friends and Family discount is available online with coupon code MACYSFF or you can print out an in-store coupon here, here and here (note they are regional.)

You can also get FREE shipping online with $100+ orders with coupon code GIVEGIFT.

From Lifehacker, CNET.  This is another awesome website.  SeatQuest - still in beta - conveniently shows you available seats at a variety of venues across the U.S.  The site compiles ticket data from several sources and displays available seats on a graphical representation of the venue - very very easy to use and a great way to find cheap seats.

The search functionality is a bit basic at this point, and the site doesn’t show stubhub or ticketmaster tickets, but still, I’ve bought a lot of tickets online and this interface is excellent.

From Lifehacker.  This site, LeftOverChef, has a pretty good idea.  It allows you to input a list of leftover ingredients and spits out a bunch of complete recipes that you can make with what you’ve got.  The recipe database is actually pretty comprehensive, and some look pretty good.

The interface is a bit difficult - it forces you to select ingredients in a small window by using the CTRL key - but other than that it’s a pretty useful site.  check it out!

PayPal is offering a 20% cash back rebate if you use PayPal at certain retailers.  Currently, the offer is available for Barnes and Noble, Eastbay, eBags, Overstock and Toys R Us, among others.

This offer is totally legit.  But there are restrictions.  A maximum of $50 in rebates will be given, and at Overstock you must spend at least $100 for the offer to apply.  The offer started yesterday and will be valid through December 10.

It seems like there is a maximum that PayPal will give in discounts for any given etailer, because the number of etailer’s on PayPal’s list is quickly shrinking.  So far Newegg, Dell and RitzCamera have been removed from the list.

In any case, it’s a great deal - perfect for holiday shopping with no strings attached!

Wireless carriers in the U.S. have an absurd amount of control over customers.  With multi-year contracts, closed networks and subsudized devices, it’s difficult and costly, if not impossible to bring your own devices and applications to a U.S. carrier.

Earlier this month Google announced its Android open source OS for wireless devices, and it seems like Android is already putting pressure on carriers to loosen their grip on phones and subscribers.  Today, Verizon Wireless announced that it will support any apps on any device in 2008.

What does this mean?

Verizon will allow customers to use their own devices on its nationwide network.  Wireless software and applications will also be allowed, even if they are not offered by Verizon.

One catch though - devices will need to be tested and approved by Verizon before they are used.  Once the device passes, subscribers can put any apps they like on the device.

This is a great development for consumers…and it seems like competition in the wireless space is really driving changes like these.  Devices like the iPhone and open platforms like Android are finally forcing wireless carriers to offer subscribers more flexibility.

And hopefully, this will also bring about the end of 2 year contracts with $200 cancellation fees…about time!

Here are a few more pics of various food places in Tokyo.  The city, in my opinion, ranks as one of the top foodie havens in the world.

There’s your standard sushi, of course.  You get a broad selection of fishes in japan, not to mention shell fish. 

There are some very unique dishes as well - like this one - chicken wasabi sushi, which has high quality chicken serve raw with a touch of fresh wasabi.  The quality of the chicken supposedly prevents things like salmonela.  I would say on average a japanese sushi menu has 3 to 4 times the number of items on the typical U.S. sushi place.

You also have a choice between kaiten sushi, i.e. conveyor belt style sushi, and traditional restaurants.  There are even fast food style sushi shops where you just stand and eat - perfect for commuters.

There are also many, many fast food udon, katsu and steak places.  At many of these places, you order from a vending machine and go inside to eat.  It’s a little impersonal, sure…but again it’s perfect for Japan’s fast paced commuter environment.  At Hanamasa Steak, for example, you order by pushing the button for your selection from the vending machine, paying at the machine, then going inside for your food.

Kamameshi, mixed rice dishes, are also popular…and generally done very nicely in Tokyo.  Cooked in a special rice pot, kamameshi combines the flavors of meat and veggies with rice.

  You can also do some cooking of your own, with table-based grills and dishes like shabu shabu - great for the winter.

And beer is served everywhere - from basic drafts to super premium beers like Yebisu, which is made by Sapporo.  Of course sake is abundant as well - you can try a different type of sake every day for years.  Smoking is also allowed at a large portion of restaurants, great for late night dining.

I love it.

In the middle of Ginza there is a Nissan showroom, and guess what was in the center of the showroom floor?  Two Nissan GT-Rs.

The 2009 GT-R is being touted as a corvette…maybe even a Porsche killer.  It has a 473 horsepower V6, with 0-60 of 3.5 seconds.  And at $80,000, the car is actually pretty reasonable given its specs.

I don’t know a lot about cars, but I’m a big fan of Nissan/Infiniti, and the 09 GT-R looks pretty sweet.  The styling is slightly reminiscent of the 350z, particularly the slanted headlights.  The interior is mostly pretty basic, with the exception of a center LCD screen that acts as an entertainment center and instrument panel.

The car will be available in Japan in December, and will come to the U.S. early next year.  I’m looking forward to seeing them on the road.

One of my favorite spots in Tokyo is Akihabara.  Just a few minutes away from the center of the city, Akihabara is Tokyo’s electronics district with a square mile or so full of electronics shops.

The biggest store in the district is a huge Yodobashi Camera store (top).  It’s around 10 stories tall - probably the equivalent of 5 Best Buy stores - and has every type of electronics imaginable.

 The main drag of Akihabara is literally lined with back to back electronics stores, including everything from gaming stores, DVD/CD stores, computer shops…even casinos.  Oh yeah, and porn.  Lots and lots of porn.  And since real estate is so pricey in Tokyo, these shops are usually 7 to 10 stores tall with a very small footprint, so you find yourself climbing up these huge buildings stocked from the floor to the ceiling with electronics.  It’s incredible.

The geeky Japanese culture prevails in Akihabara.  Maid characters are insanely popular, and you see girls dressed like maids everywhere (you would love it, Jak).  There are even cafes and bars staffed by maids.  Frankly, I don’t really get it - when I think of maids I think of fat filipinos.  But believe me, they’re a big thing in Japan.  You’ll also see sailor moon-style characters everywhere - in video games, movies, manga and in person.  It’s like you’re in a whole new country run by geeky japs.

The electronics are really pretty cool as well.  The stuff is very cutting edge.  Japan was actually rather slow to jump onto the whole digital/computing age…it fell behind the Apples, Dells, HPs and others.  But the country has caught up very quickly.

There are a ton of tiny tablet computers (left).  These things literally fit in the palm of your hand, and usually have wireless data Internet access.  The higher end mini-PCs can run Windows Vista, while others run XP.

 Japan has also really gotten on the whole smartphone bandwagon.  There were a ton of really cool Windows Mobile phones that have mobile high speed Internet, media players, full keypads, cameras and more.  We have had smartphones in the U.S. for some time, but the devices now available in Japan are faster - with higher resolution screens and lots of memory.

The great thing about these phones is they give you full telephony, Internet browsing and multimedia features in your pocket.  Kind of like an iPhone, but with a more flexible operating system, a wide range of form factors, and high speed wireless Internet.

Akihabara also has it’s share of eating places as well.  The musubi place pictured to the left has a great selection - with lots of unique ingredients like natto.  There are also a bunch of sushi places and quick katsu and udon shops.

So, that’s Akihabara.  If you’re ever in Japan you have to go there.  This trip I spent a good two days there just checking out all the cool stuff.  The only bummer is that lots of stuff is Japanese only - so you can look, but it probably won’t do you much good to buy.  But I love it…it’s a gadget lover’s paradise.