GONE!
The blog is now at Wordpress. Let's see how this goes....
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Another week
Yup, they just keep on coming.
Looks like I'm going to can the planned trip to Hong Kong after all. I'll try to get there next year instead - at least it should be easier to catch up with my Hong Kong buddy then.
Instead I'm going to meet another friend in CAMBODIA!!! Yerrrsssss!! After the debacle that was my life last year, it look like I'll finally live out one of my dreams and watch the sun rise at Angkor Wat - at Christmas instead of New Years though.
At the end of last week it was all doom and gloom on the markets, but this morning they're up in Australia after the government guaranteed all bank deposits for the next three years. We'll see how long this lasts. Whatever happens, the lessons from history are hardly soothing...
For Japan, the outlook is not good at all. The yen has soared against most major currencies, meaning bad news for exporters, and therefore everyone who works for them. Already tight belts will tighten even more, spelling problems for businesses that have already cut back as much as they can. Look for the continued growth of part-time and casual work and more hardship.
Things are starting to get a bit heated in the former Yugoslavia.
The great Australian drought isn't over by a long shot.
Dirty tricks are back with a vengeance with less than a month to go in the US election. Voters are being purged illegally in six battlefront states. No guesses as to which party stands to benefit the most...
McCain would do well to push his Wall Street buddies to get the market back on its feet in a hurry if this chart is anything to go by.
Sarah Palin Watch continues. This article looks at how Palin is mirroring (and even outdoing) Bush in her use of sports to mask her faults. That's quite tame compared to how this one compares Palin's politics to that of the Khmer Rouge. It's actually compelling and scary reading.
As much as I don't trust Obama, I'd take him and Biden over McCain and Palin any day of any week.
In Afghanistan, the amount of opium grown has surged in recent years, but global heroin supply (and price) has been constant. The question international investigators are asking is, what's happened to all that excess heroin? The answer could be is that it's being stored close to the fields in case it's needed. Another possibility is that certain countries (Russia, Iran, Khazakstan, etc.) have understated the heroin problems that are in their countries.
In recent weeks in Australia there's been an explosion of public hysteria over teenage sexuality, especially that of young girls. At the centre has been the photography of Bill Henson (you can Google him yourself, and the pix are freely available on the Net) and controversy following his motivations and methodology. With films such as Juno and Towelhead also exploring this topic, now should be a time for carefully considered and calm, realistic discussion of this topic. This article goes into the topic a little and makes some good points; in a world saturated by sexualised images of women, especially young women, and where women admit to strong sexual desires, there is a need for open and honest discussion of young sexuality. My thoughts that once people are comfortable with themselves, and can talk about their feelings in a way that is open and safe, then the chances of repression and dangerous secret acts become less. In a country where 97% of girls and 100% of boys under 15 have seen porn and 1/3 of 13 year-old girls admit to having a sexual experience, the time is most definitely now.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and having two close family members lose their lives due to the disease, I'm always interested and supportive of new research and treatments in this area of medicine. A timely piece of news is about a robot that can detect and destroy breast cancer cells. It kinda bring up images from horror movies - having a robot perform surgery - but if this works, then the precision this new technique could bring could help women worldwide.
It looks like they're going to be tinkering with the teaching of Australian history with the new curriculum. I hope they heed the warning that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Mercury... wow!
Sydney as you've never seen it before. These videos (and this photographic technique) are very, very cool!
Looks like I'm going to can the planned trip to Hong Kong after all. I'll try to get there next year instead - at least it should be easier to catch up with my Hong Kong buddy then.
Instead I'm going to meet another friend in CAMBODIA!!! Yerrrsssss!! After the debacle that was my life last year, it look like I'll finally live out one of my dreams and watch the sun rise at Angkor Wat - at Christmas instead of New Years though.
At the end of last week it was all doom and gloom on the markets, but this morning they're up in Australia after the government guaranteed all bank deposits for the next three years. We'll see how long this lasts. Whatever happens, the lessons from history are hardly soothing...
For Japan, the outlook is not good at all. The yen has soared against most major currencies, meaning bad news for exporters, and therefore everyone who works for them. Already tight belts will tighten even more, spelling problems for businesses that have already cut back as much as they can. Look for the continued growth of part-time and casual work and more hardship.
Things are starting to get a bit heated in the former Yugoslavia.
The great Australian drought isn't over by a long shot.
Dirty tricks are back with a vengeance with less than a month to go in the US election. Voters are being purged illegally in six battlefront states. No guesses as to which party stands to benefit the most...
McCain would do well to push his Wall Street buddies to get the market back on its feet in a hurry if this chart is anything to go by.
Sarah Palin Watch continues. This article looks at how Palin is mirroring (and even outdoing) Bush in her use of sports to mask her faults. That's quite tame compared to how this one compares Palin's politics to that of the Khmer Rouge. It's actually compelling and scary reading.
As much as I don't trust Obama, I'd take him and Biden over McCain and Palin any day of any week.
In Afghanistan, the amount of opium grown has surged in recent years, but global heroin supply (and price) has been constant. The question international investigators are asking is, what's happened to all that excess heroin? The answer could be is that it's being stored close to the fields in case it's needed. Another possibility is that certain countries (Russia, Iran, Khazakstan, etc.) have understated the heroin problems that are in their countries.
In recent weeks in Australia there's been an explosion of public hysteria over teenage sexuality, especially that of young girls. At the centre has been the photography of Bill Henson (you can Google him yourself, and the pix are freely available on the Net) and controversy following his motivations and methodology. With films such as Juno and Towelhead also exploring this topic, now should be a time for carefully considered and calm, realistic discussion of this topic. This article goes into the topic a little and makes some good points; in a world saturated by sexualised images of women, especially young women, and where women admit to strong sexual desires, there is a need for open and honest discussion of young sexuality. My thoughts that once people are comfortable with themselves, and can talk about their feelings in a way that is open and safe, then the chances of repression and dangerous secret acts become less. In a country where 97% of girls and 100% of boys under 15 have seen porn and 1/3 of 13 year-old girls admit to having a sexual experience, the time is most definitely now.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and having two close family members lose their lives due to the disease, I'm always interested and supportive of new research and treatments in this area of medicine. A timely piece of news is about a robot that can detect and destroy breast cancer cells. It kinda bring up images from horror movies - having a robot perform surgery - but if this works, then the precision this new technique could bring could help women worldwide.
It looks like they're going to be tinkering with the teaching of Australian history with the new curriculum. I hope they heed the warning that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Mercury... wow!
Sydney as you've never seen it before. These videos (and this photographic technique) are very, very cool!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Apologies
.. for the little bit of creative writing. We'll get back to the ranting and links for a bit.
A lot happens in a week, especially when the world is teetering on the brink of a global financial mess that we haven't seen the likes of in my or my parents' lifetime. Some things are clear though. There is a fantastic amount of debt involved here: trillions of dollars. US$700 billion is a lot of money, but it isn't going to settle that debt by a long way. The phrase "shuffling the deckchairs on The Titanic" comes to mind. The US economy has been weak for a long time. The growth of the past few years was leveraged on a speculative growth in the value of real estate which could only end. (It all sounds familiar, eh Japan? and things aren't getting any better.) Ireland declared it was in recession, followed by some Eastern European countries. Britain's troubles are getting worse. Iceland's economy is on the brink. The European Community started bailing out and shoring up its banks. The crisis has spread - and it's nothing like others we've had to deal with before.
Australia's strength has also diminished. Relying on the strength of the commodities market is putting a lot of eggs into one basket, and who says that market is immune from the weaknesses in other parts of the economy? As the Reserve Bank looks to lower interest rates, Australia's attractiveness to foreign investors will dip. Then again, with the Aussie dollar weakening, it may be time to send some money home... if I had some.
What is it going to take to sort out this crisis? For a start, it's going to require a lot of government intervention and oversight; the kinds of projects that haven't been seen in the US since the last Great Depression. I can't see John McCain doing that. People need jobs, something that hasn't been happening in the US for quite a while now. A massive public works program would go a long way to solving that problem. It would also shore up US infrastructure; something that the country needs urgently - before another bridge collapses. The government should help those who are struggling to pay their mortgages, not help the bankers who got us into this mess. No, really. Help those who are actually struggling. Maybe foreign governments should just refuse to help the US and let the government lapse into bankruptcy. At least the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would creak to a halt. Of course that would lead to a lot of bad, as well as perhaps some long term good.
One thing that I'm sure of, is that we are all going to suffer - especially women. Things will get worse before they get better.
The Pope blames the pursuit of wealth for the crisis. Hey, Benedict! Then you should sell off all the assets of the Catholic Church (how many billion would that get?) Just melting down and selling off the gold in that staff he's holding would bail out a few mortgages, I'm sure. Yeeesh.
This has to be the best anti Sarah Palin rant I've read so far. It contains gems from start to finish, including, "she's the tawdriest, most half-assed fraud imaginable, 20 floors below the lowest common denominator, a character too dumb even for daytime TV", "rifle-toting, serially pregnant moose killer who thinks God lobbies for oil pipelines", "(i)t was like watching Gidget address the Reichstag", and "(s)he's a puffed-up dimwit with primitive religious beliefs". But perhaps, even better, is a blog, "Things Sarah Palin Can Name". You could always try and interview Sarah Palin yourself, if you dare.... But one thing is certain, John McCain (as well as the rest of us) has a lot to fear from Palin's naked ambition. A Palin presidency would make George W. Bush's reign of ignorance seem like the good old days.
Apparently static electricity caused 1500 votes to mysteriously appear on a voting machine in a recent US election. No word on which party they supported, but you can guess.
Oops.
In Africa, China is succeeding where Britain, Germany, Belgium and Italy could not; creating a colonial system that works, and enslaving the native population. It is an amazing and scary read. I thoroughly recommend it.
Sssssh! The Arctic permafrost has been melting and releasing millions of tons of methane into the atmosphere!
A British school has stopped giving its students lists of words to learn to spell because it "distresses" them. Boo Flippin' Hoo. I hope those same kids will be able to sue the school after they are rejected from jobs because they can't spell on their application letters.
I'd like to go to Okunoshima in Hiroshima Prefecture - a beautiful island with a dark past.
10 people from your past who will haunt you on Facebook. It really more truth than humour...
What happens when you put a McDonald's burger from 12 years ago next to one from yesterday? It's hard to tell the difference between them....
A lot happens in a week, especially when the world is teetering on the brink of a global financial mess that we haven't seen the likes of in my or my parents' lifetime. Some things are clear though. There is a fantastic amount of debt involved here: trillions of dollars. US$700 billion is a lot of money, but it isn't going to settle that debt by a long way. The phrase "shuffling the deckchairs on The Titanic" comes to mind. The US economy has been weak for a long time. The growth of the past few years was leveraged on a speculative growth in the value of real estate which could only end. (It all sounds familiar, eh Japan? and things aren't getting any better.) Ireland declared it was in recession, followed by some Eastern European countries. Britain's troubles are getting worse. Iceland's economy is on the brink. The European Community started bailing out and shoring up its banks. The crisis has spread - and it's nothing like others we've had to deal with before.
Australia's strength has also diminished. Relying on the strength of the commodities market is putting a lot of eggs into one basket, and who says that market is immune from the weaknesses in other parts of the economy? As the Reserve Bank looks to lower interest rates, Australia's attractiveness to foreign investors will dip. Then again, with the Aussie dollar weakening, it may be time to send some money home... if I had some.
What is it going to take to sort out this crisis? For a start, it's going to require a lot of government intervention and oversight; the kinds of projects that haven't been seen in the US since the last Great Depression. I can't see John McCain doing that. People need jobs, something that hasn't been happening in the US for quite a while now. A massive public works program would go a long way to solving that problem. It would also shore up US infrastructure; something that the country needs urgently - before another bridge collapses. The government should help those who are struggling to pay their mortgages, not help the bankers who got us into this mess. No, really. Help those who are actually struggling. Maybe foreign governments should just refuse to help the US and let the government lapse into bankruptcy. At least the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would creak to a halt. Of course that would lead to a lot of bad, as well as perhaps some long term good.
One thing that I'm sure of, is that we are all going to suffer - especially women. Things will get worse before they get better.
The Pope blames the pursuit of wealth for the crisis. Hey, Benedict! Then you should sell off all the assets of the Catholic Church (how many billion would that get?) Just melting down and selling off the gold in that staff he's holding would bail out a few mortgages, I'm sure. Yeeesh.
This has to be the best anti Sarah Palin rant I've read so far. It contains gems from start to finish, including, "she's the tawdriest, most half-assed fraud imaginable, 20 floors below the lowest common denominator, a character too dumb even for daytime TV", "rifle-toting, serially pregnant moose killer who thinks God lobbies for oil pipelines", "(i)t was like watching Gidget address the Reichstag", and "(s)he's a puffed-up dimwit with primitive religious beliefs". But perhaps, even better, is a blog, "Things Sarah Palin Can Name". You could always try and interview Sarah Palin yourself, if you dare.... But one thing is certain, John McCain (as well as the rest of us) has a lot to fear from Palin's naked ambition. A Palin presidency would make George W. Bush's reign of ignorance seem like the good old days.
Apparently static electricity caused 1500 votes to mysteriously appear on a voting machine in a recent US election. No word on which party they supported, but you can guess.
Oops.
In Africa, China is succeeding where Britain, Germany, Belgium and Italy could not; creating a colonial system that works, and enslaving the native population. It is an amazing and scary read. I thoroughly recommend it.
Sssssh! The Arctic permafrost has been melting and releasing millions of tons of methane into the atmosphere!
A British school has stopped giving its students lists of words to learn to spell because it "distresses" them. Boo Flippin' Hoo. I hope those same kids will be able to sue the school after they are rejected from jobs because they can't spell on their application letters.
I'd like to go to Okunoshima in Hiroshima Prefecture - a beautiful island with a dark past.
10 people from your past who will haunt you on Facebook. It really more truth than humour...
What happens when you put a McDonald's burger from 12 years ago next to one from yesterday? It's hard to tell the difference between them....
And so it goes...
One of the good things about watching this economic collapse unfold is that it goes to show that Wall Street financial people aren't dummies.
Setting: Main Street on a dry and dusty western town. Music by Ennio Morricone.
Wall Street: Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!
Government: Well, gee. Look at that!
WS: Hey! We gave you all that money! You like money, right?
G: Well... geee.... yeah!
WS: Help us get back up and we can give you money again!
G: But you're mortally wounded, look at those gunshot wounds... Hey, is that a gun in your hand? Did you do that to yoursel..
WS: No! It was... errrmmm... those other guys. The common people!
Common People: What?!? Hey, we have no idea how that guy works, but he promised if we gave him our money, that he would lend to us, we'd get rich! What happened?
WS: I have no idea what you're talking about. Oh, and that big house over there isn't mine either.
G: Well, we'd be happy to help. Common People, we need more money - again.
CP: What!? Don't we pay you enough too?!? If we give you our money then we won't have anything left to go and buy food, hay for the horses, and so on. The shops will all close.
WS: Argh! Help me up!
G: Come on! Let's help!
CP: Well.... OK.... I guess....
Wall Street gets to his feet, shoves the wad of cash into his coat pocket, and falls over again.
WS: Help! I can't get up!
Today's heavy-handed allegory is brought to you by the numbers 9,956 and 10,172 and falling.
Setting: Main Street on a dry and dusty western town. Music by Ennio Morricone.
Wall Street: Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!
Government: Well, gee. Look at that!
WS: Hey! We gave you all that money! You like money, right?
G: Well... geee.... yeah!
WS: Help us get back up and we can give you money again!
G: But you're mortally wounded, look at those gunshot wounds... Hey, is that a gun in your hand? Did you do that to yoursel..
WS: No! It was... errrmmm... those other guys. The common people!
Common People: What?!? Hey, we have no idea how that guy works, but he promised if we gave him our money, that he would lend to us, we'd get rich! What happened?
WS: I have no idea what you're talking about. Oh, and that big house over there isn't mine either.
G: Well, we'd be happy to help. Common People, we need more money - again.
CP: What!? Don't we pay you enough too?!? If we give you our money then we won't have anything left to go and buy food, hay for the horses, and so on. The shops will all close.
WS: Argh! Help me up!
G: Come on! Let's help!
CP: Well.... OK.... I guess....
Wall Street gets to his feet, shoves the wad of cash into his coat pocket, and falls over again.
WS: Help! I can't get up!
Today's heavy-handed allegory is brought to you by the numbers 9,956 and 10,172 and falling.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Oh my...
Like a lump of finely tuned spaghetti bolognaise heaved over the dinner table of a dysfunctional family unit, the economic crisis lurches in a chaotic arc over the world, and how it will impact on it, as well as who will be left to clean up the mess, is anyone's guess at the moment.
What have I learned so far?
The whole thing was set up to collapse. By defaulting on debt, the speculators could make money. It's like opening your house up for theft so you can collect on the insurance, but you also control the payout from the insurance company.... This explains it much better than I can.
There are no investment banks left on Wall Street.
The history of Wall Street and Washington is long, and very cozy.
The people that are responsible for this mess are (mostly - scroll down to read about what the boss of AIG is doing) trying to extract as much of their contracted salaries and bonuses while they still can. These are going to cost billions of dollars. For example, the former chief of Lehman Brothers, Richard Fuld, earned US$17,000 an HOUR to run the firm into the ground. I could do that for half the price - and I look good in a suit. (Any takers?)
The US government is weighing up the bailing out of foreign banks that own US debt. That is, sending US taxpayers' money offshore to pay for the gambling debts of some very rich people.
In their desperation for cash, the US financial system is turning into a fire sale, with banks from other countries such as Japan swooping in to pick up (gamble with?) companies being hawked at rock bottom prices.
It turns out, that without the first huge injection of capital, the markets were as close as 500 trades away from total collapse on Monday.
The US$700 billion requested by Bush could just be delaying the inevitable collapse of the system - at taxpayer expense.
The thing is, what these traders were doing wasn't actually illegal. (It isn't stopping the FBI investigating what happened though) It was does within the regulations of the industry - just pushed to its limits. Now, ask if what they were doing was unethical - you'd get a different answer...
The world is waiting, not necessarily because of the debt problem. Countries like Australia are reasonably well insulated from the defaults, and others such as India have nothing to do with them at all. The problem will come if there's a general economic slowdown as American consumers and businesses tighten their belts, unemployment takes hold and markets dry up. The article makes another good point that the tax system favours those who speculate (they don't just get free money from the government to cover their debts) over those who produce things. In the end, that's what really counts, right? The last time I looked, the 'P' in 'GNP' meant 'Product'... Why not tax those who speculate more? Oh, sorry, I forgot...
This article sums up a lot of things, from Obama's sensible ideas (bail out those who can't pay their mortgages, not those who rorted the system), to some juicy quotes from those in the know, the reactions of government representatives and some nice hysterical arm-waving from those who are responsible.
The more I read about Dr. Martin Luther King, the more I like him. He really could cut to the heart of an issue. This article has a great quote from him at its heart. It also gets me thinking as to why would anyone want to live in a country where the rich earn so much and the poor so little...
I love David Letterman...
Now for the rest of it.
By the way, Burma's still under military rule. At least some of those who have escaped aren't going to let us forget.
If you like to gaze upon a ruined wilderness and possibly contract a horrible disease, then Alberta's for you! (What a shame...)
The more I read about McCain and Palin, the less I like the idea of them winning. Obama isn't much better, but at least his ideas are better, (here too) but not by much. I'm a very long way from becoming an Obama-ite. And it looks like Americans agree with me to some extent at the moment.
While the US economic troubles are unsettling things in Japan, one of the other big problems at the moment is food security. Japan imports a large amount of its food from other countries, mostly China, and with ongoing problems with the food supply there, people in Japan are understandably worried. The thing that gets me is that every day I drive past rice fields that are left fallow. The farmers are paid NOT to grow rice, and they can't grow anything else as a condition of that payment, so why not relax the regulations and let them grow veggies instead? I guess someone high up is making money off the importation of foreign food, eh?
If you wanted an idea of how things are run in Japan, you could do worse than look at what's happening with the switch over to digital broadcasting. Two words: former bureaucrats.
This article looks at the issue of parents who are over-educating their children in Japan. As one who educates children, I am capitalizing on this drive, but there are limits to human endurance. Getting your children to memorize kanji at the age of TWO is a bit much. Nova's program for two year olds was a bit of a joke at best; it was a miracle if any of the kids said anything in English. My current employer starts enrolling children at the age of three, but in our defence, the program is about having fun in English. Our kids don't have to memorize anything and one of my three years olds spends most of his time running around the room laughing and screaming. At least he's having fun and is getting over any potential irrational fears of very large foreign man-monsters, so that will be an important life skill, I'm sure....
Housing crisis solved: shipping container homes!
I think being able to book your holidays over the internet is a great idea, but just be sure you check and double-check before clicking to buy! Just ask this woman who wanted to go to Sydney, Australia, and ended up in Sydney, Canada.
Matt, this one's for you.
The man who started the Free Hugs movement (I've seen them in Sannomiya) is giving away one of his kidneys. Bonus Simpsons quote.
Scientists have discovered an ancient coral reef in the outback of South Australia (Sheree, you could drive there in three days, I reckon!) which they hope will provide clues as to how climate change impacts the environment.
Hammer Films is back in business! For fans of B-grade schlock horror, such as myself, this brings instant salivation - and not just because of the Playboy twins... (work safe)
Those Sex Pistols royalties much be getting low. John Lydon's advertising butter?!?
After my champagne in London, I'll head over to Paris for dinner.
Today's waste of time (life?) is brought to you by a guy who's built an aircraft carrier out of Lego.
Want a real life Pikachu? Yours for only $925 million!? Aaaah, Japan...
Enough already!
What have I learned so far?
The whole thing was set up to collapse. By defaulting on debt, the speculators could make money. It's like opening your house up for theft so you can collect on the insurance, but you also control the payout from the insurance company.... This explains it much better than I can.
There are no investment banks left on Wall Street.
The history of Wall Street and Washington is long, and very cozy.
The people that are responsible for this mess are (mostly - scroll down to read about what the boss of AIG is doing) trying to extract as much of their contracted salaries and bonuses while they still can. These are going to cost billions of dollars. For example, the former chief of Lehman Brothers, Richard Fuld, earned US$17,000 an HOUR to run the firm into the ground. I could do that for half the price - and I look good in a suit. (Any takers?)
The US government is weighing up the bailing out of foreign banks that own US debt. That is, sending US taxpayers' money offshore to pay for the gambling debts of some very rich people.
In their desperation for cash, the US financial system is turning into a fire sale, with banks from other countries such as Japan swooping in to pick up (gamble with?) companies being hawked at rock bottom prices.
It turns out, that without the first huge injection of capital, the markets were as close as 500 trades away from total collapse on Monday.
The US$700 billion requested by Bush could just be delaying the inevitable collapse of the system - at taxpayer expense.
The thing is, what these traders were doing wasn't actually illegal. (It isn't stopping the FBI investigating what happened though) It was does within the regulations of the industry - just pushed to its limits. Now, ask if what they were doing was unethical - you'd get a different answer...
The world is waiting, not necessarily because of the debt problem. Countries like Australia are reasonably well insulated from the defaults, and others such as India have nothing to do with them at all. The problem will come if there's a general economic slowdown as American consumers and businesses tighten their belts, unemployment takes hold and markets dry up. The article makes another good point that the tax system favours those who speculate (they don't just get free money from the government to cover their debts) over those who produce things. In the end, that's what really counts, right? The last time I looked, the 'P' in 'GNP' meant 'Product'... Why not tax those who speculate more? Oh, sorry, I forgot...
This article sums up a lot of things, from Obama's sensible ideas (bail out those who can't pay their mortgages, not those who rorted the system), to some juicy quotes from those in the know, the reactions of government representatives and some nice hysterical arm-waving from those who are responsible.
The more I read about Dr. Martin Luther King, the more I like him. He really could cut to the heart of an issue. This article has a great quote from him at its heart. It also gets me thinking as to why would anyone want to live in a country where the rich earn so much and the poor so little...
I love David Letterman...
Now for the rest of it.
By the way, Burma's still under military rule. At least some of those who have escaped aren't going to let us forget.
If you like to gaze upon a ruined wilderness and possibly contract a horrible disease, then Alberta's for you! (What a shame...)
The more I read about McCain and Palin, the less I like the idea of them winning. Obama isn't much better, but at least his ideas are better, (here too) but not by much. I'm a very long way from becoming an Obama-ite. And it looks like Americans agree with me to some extent at the moment.
While the US economic troubles are unsettling things in Japan, one of the other big problems at the moment is food security. Japan imports a large amount of its food from other countries, mostly China, and with ongoing problems with the food supply there, people in Japan are understandably worried. The thing that gets me is that every day I drive past rice fields that are left fallow. The farmers are paid NOT to grow rice, and they can't grow anything else as a condition of that payment, so why not relax the regulations and let them grow veggies instead? I guess someone high up is making money off the importation of foreign food, eh?
If you wanted an idea of how things are run in Japan, you could do worse than look at what's happening with the switch over to digital broadcasting. Two words: former bureaucrats.
This article looks at the issue of parents who are over-educating their children in Japan. As one who educates children, I am capitalizing on this drive, but there are limits to human endurance. Getting your children to memorize kanji at the age of TWO is a bit much. Nova's program for two year olds was a bit of a joke at best; it was a miracle if any of the kids said anything in English. My current employer starts enrolling children at the age of three, but in our defence, the program is about having fun in English. Our kids don't have to memorize anything and one of my three years olds spends most of his time running around the room laughing and screaming. At least he's having fun and is getting over any potential irrational fears of very large foreign man-monsters, so that will be an important life skill, I'm sure....
Housing crisis solved: shipping container homes!
I think being able to book your holidays over the internet is a great idea, but just be sure you check and double-check before clicking to buy! Just ask this woman who wanted to go to Sydney, Australia, and ended up in Sydney, Canada.
Matt, this one's for you.
The man who started the Free Hugs movement (I've seen them in Sannomiya) is giving away one of his kidneys. Bonus Simpsons quote.
Scientists have discovered an ancient coral reef in the outback of South Australia (Sheree, you could drive there in three days, I reckon!) which they hope will provide clues as to how climate change impacts the environment.
Hammer Films is back in business! For fans of B-grade schlock horror, such as myself, this brings instant salivation - and not just because of the Playboy twins... (work safe)
Those Sex Pistols royalties much be getting low. John Lydon's advertising butter?!?
After my champagne in London, I'll head over to Paris for dinner.
Today's waste of time (life?) is brought to you by a guy who's built an aircraft carrier out of Lego.
Want a real life Pikachu? Yours for only $925 million!? Aaaah, Japan...
Enough already!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Lurching
It's amazing reading about the continuing financial crisis. While based in the US, it's likely to continue to have global effects.
I never studied economics - ever. My mathematics skills extend to some rudimentary mental calculation abilities. I figure if I can add, subtract, multiply, divide and do percentages then that's most of what I'll need for life. Why I wasted so many hours in maths lessons, I'll never really know. If I could go back to the start of high school that is one of the first things I'd change, along with learning the guitar, working out instead of eating myself into oblivion, and trying not to be such a dork all the time.
I'm especially grateful to the writers that are spending their time cutting through the BS and to write articles that can explain in simple English what's going on, what mistakes are being made, and what should happen (and why it won't).
So, I'll simply submit these articles for your perusal. here, here, here, and here.
Another key indicator of the economic situation, the HEGI (or High End Girlfriend Index) is down severely at the moment.
Amongst the rapid nationalisation of some of America's largest financial and insurance corporations (if the bailing out of these companies with public money is NOT nationalisation, then what is it?) also goes the rapid privatisation of the military. The way the military permeates so much of American culture and life is nothing new, but the economic compass will surely switch back over to the fact that chasing after non-existant money will run its course and eventually the money brokers will have to get back into industries that actually produce real things and generate real money; the easiest being the military. Look for more wars and more arms sales soon - maybe not in that order.
One interesting impact of the continuing economic woes in Japan is that membership of the Communist Party has increased significantly. The article contains some very interesting stats on the situation, especially as it relates to part-time workers.
Remember the food crisis? It hasn't gone away yet - not by a long shot.
So the US presidential campaigns are now firmly fixed in the gutter, it's time to work out why they, especially the Republicans are so keen to do so. Every quip is met by an unequal and opposite overreaction. Could it be the Republicans are trying to distract the public from their plan to dismantle many of the systems in place to help the majority of the American people? Could it be they're trying to cover the idea that Palin really stands against many of the feminist ideals that feminism has fought for, while trumpeting her nomination as a triumph for feminism? Maybe she just doesn't want to be asked questions about her double standards over marijuana (not to mention the others). Maybe she wants to avoid questions over why she's using an easily hackable public e-mail account to conduct state business in violation of several regulations. Could it be that Obama is hoping nobody will notice how his policies don't really help those the Democrats are supposed to traditionally represent?
If you want an idea of what it's like to be a heartbeat away from absolute power, maybe we could take a look at North Korea, where (apparently) Kim Jong Il's nurse is signing off on official documents since he's been bedridden after a stroke.
If you want an idea of what a McCain presidency might look like, you could always look to Canada...
I guess if you always wondered why vegetarians were always so uppity about their lifestyle, you can wonder no longer. It turns out that eating vegetables shrinks the brain. It figures since meat (nourishing meat!) contains abundant supplies of the building blocks of our brains. Now we all know the dangers of an exclusive meat-eating diet (Dr. Atkins, represent!) but now the vegos have been discredited as well, we can finally get on with the fact that we are omnivores, make like the Japanese and eat anything that grows.
When scientists find something that puzzles them, then you know it must be interesting. Take this mysterious object found in deep space, or this planet found orbiting a star 500 light years away.
Ever wondered what it's like to be hit by a proton beam? Ask this former Soviet scientist.
In the wake of Hurrican Ike come these amazing photos of a lone house that was built to withstand a category five storm. If you ever wanted an example to show planning commissions and construction standards committees, here it is. I'm also looking at you, Japan.
Enough. Time to go to work.
I never studied economics - ever. My mathematics skills extend to some rudimentary mental calculation abilities. I figure if I can add, subtract, multiply, divide and do percentages then that's most of what I'll need for life. Why I wasted so many hours in maths lessons, I'll never really know. If I could go back to the start of high school that is one of the first things I'd change, along with learning the guitar, working out instead of eating myself into oblivion, and trying not to be such a dork all the time.
I'm especially grateful to the writers that are spending their time cutting through the BS and to write articles that can explain in simple English what's going on, what mistakes are being made, and what should happen (and why it won't).
So, I'll simply submit these articles for your perusal. here, here, here, and here.
Another key indicator of the economic situation, the HEGI (or High End Girlfriend Index) is down severely at the moment.
Amongst the rapid nationalisation of some of America's largest financial and insurance corporations (if the bailing out of these companies with public money is NOT nationalisation, then what is it?) also goes the rapid privatisation of the military. The way the military permeates so much of American culture and life is nothing new, but the economic compass will surely switch back over to the fact that chasing after non-existant money will run its course and eventually the money brokers will have to get back into industries that actually produce real things and generate real money; the easiest being the military. Look for more wars and more arms sales soon - maybe not in that order.
One interesting impact of the continuing economic woes in Japan is that membership of the Communist Party has increased significantly. The article contains some very interesting stats on the situation, especially as it relates to part-time workers.
Remember the food crisis? It hasn't gone away yet - not by a long shot.
So the US presidential campaigns are now firmly fixed in the gutter, it's time to work out why they, especially the Republicans are so keen to do so. Every quip is met by an unequal and opposite overreaction. Could it be the Republicans are trying to distract the public from their plan to dismantle many of the systems in place to help the majority of the American people? Could it be they're trying to cover the idea that Palin really stands against many of the feminist ideals that feminism has fought for, while trumpeting her nomination as a triumph for feminism? Maybe she just doesn't want to be asked questions about her double standards over marijuana (not to mention the others). Maybe she wants to avoid questions over why she's using an easily hackable public e-mail account to conduct state business in violation of several regulations. Could it be that Obama is hoping nobody will notice how his policies don't really help those the Democrats are supposed to traditionally represent?
If you want an idea of what it's like to be a heartbeat away from absolute power, maybe we could take a look at North Korea, where (apparently) Kim Jong Il's nurse is signing off on official documents since he's been bedridden after a stroke.
If you want an idea of what a McCain presidency might look like, you could always look to Canada...
I guess if you always wondered why vegetarians were always so uppity about their lifestyle, you can wonder no longer. It turns out that eating vegetables shrinks the brain. It figures since meat (nourishing meat!) contains abundant supplies of the building blocks of our brains. Now we all know the dangers of an exclusive meat-eating diet (Dr. Atkins, represent!) but now the vegos have been discredited as well, we can finally get on with the fact that we are omnivores, make like the Japanese and eat anything that grows.
When scientists find something that puzzles them, then you know it must be interesting. Take this mysterious object found in deep space, or this planet found orbiting a star 500 light years away.
Ever wondered what it's like to be hit by a proton beam? Ask this former Soviet scientist.
In the wake of Hurrican Ike come these amazing photos of a lone house that was built to withstand a category five storm. If you ever wanted an example to show planning commissions and construction standards committees, here it is. I'm also looking at you, Japan.
Enough. Time to go to work.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
This week in ... stuff!
Ah yes.
From finding out that Skype actually works PC to PC (thanks Sheree!) (username: fnersh, of course) to waiting four hours in a hospital waiting room (now I know) to riding the highs and lows of the internal monologue thanks to various documentaries, it's been quite a week.
Now I have a long weekend with no private students booked, so I'm actually... wait for it... CLEANING MY APARTMENT!! So far one garbag has been filled and I can actually see the top of one table. Another to go plus the floor of the computer room and I can say I have actually achieved something. Hence I am procrastinating!
A couple of relections on September 11.
Yes, I bought an iPod. Yes, it's rather nice. No, I didn't know it was based on technology developed in the 1970s.
Why I often buy books based on their titles alone...
I watched the Panorama special on Scientology which was very informative. I suggest you try to track it down. Scientology has recently engaged in another series of attacks on YouTube to take down videos seen as critical of them. No other 'churches' do this so it makes you wonder what they have to hide. (Aliens! Wooooo!)
Another religious organisation, this time the pentacostalist Hillsong church in Sydney, has been infiltrating state schools under what could be seen to be false pretenses. They stage events which are billed as free barbecues and concerts but evangelise the students who attend, which is in violation of the NSW Education Charter, which says that any religious instruction should take place within designated religious education classes. Either the very large and well organised Hillsong group is ignorant of the laws of the country, or they are being deliberately devious. Naturally, they have denied any wrongdoing. But still, it's not exactly the message they should be wanting to send either way...
More on what could happen if Sarah Palin becomes President of the USA - which is more likely than you think. One focusses on what the environment, especially in Alaska, stands to lose. The other looks at the very real chance of a theocracy taking hold in the US.
This one looks at how Sarah Palin has managed to overcome her previous perceived anti-Semitism (after all, she is a fundamentalist Christian), all in the name of her personal ambition. It's amazing how ones' morals can be happily sacrificed for personal gain... (sarcasm is firmly switched to 'on'.)
The teaching of Creationism to children just won't go away. Equal time for the Flying Spaghetti Monster! Ramen.
Another article in as many days about how students in the UK cannot spell. What's just as sad as these students likely going through life illiterate is the way the educational establishment is being encouraged to tolerate this state of affairs. One boffin actually said that forcing children to memorise irregular spelling of words was holding them back. Holding them back? From what? It certainly didn't 'hold me back'. Being able to spell correctly (in most cases) has enabled me to perform well in hand-written tests, to be able to communicate lucidly and clearly through any text based medium I've needed to be able to utilise. Why? Because I can spell and the people who've read what I've written have been able to read. I shouldn't have to sit and waste my time trying to decipher some precious little snowflake's scratchings just because it might hurt their feelings. I certainly would think that those who hire these students once they end up in the job marketplace would also be of the same opinion; can't spell: no job. My solution? No TV, no PC and only books (comics accepted, providing they spell words correctly) until children are at least 5 years old. And yes, if I ever do have kids, look to the posting of the epic plan of how I plan to hide that technology from my kids and the wonderful adventures I have in keeping them hidden!
The background and story of the Japanese man who was recently kidnapped and murdered in Afghanistan.
Japan has joined the 20th Century in another aspect of life related to women - this time by requesting them to fasten their seat belts while pregnant. Believe it or not but it's a commonly held belief that having a crash while pregnant and wearing a seatbelt causes miscarriages, so many pregnant women don't wear them. Never mind that they could be thrown from the car and onto the road or in front of another vehicle in an accident... Amazing.
Another story on how Japanese households are struggling. (I sure wish I was earning the average wage.) Bear in mind that Japan calculates wages per household and not per person. This figure would very likely include situations where the children are living at home and working. It happens much more in Japan than in Western countries. And they're still 'struggling'...
Another day, another rocket or mortar attack on a US base. Iraq? No, Japan. Wait, what?
Another day, another girl auctioning off her virginity to pay for her university course. The bonus is it's for a master's degree in family and marriage counselling.....
If you thought people would stay away from China during the Olympics, you were right.
Really cool travel guides for Eastern Europe. Share and enjoy!
Before I leave for there though, I'd like to stop off and have a glass of champagne at St. Pancras Station in London.
That Large Hadron Collider experiment that was going to kill us all? Well, for those of you who breathed a sigh of relief, get ready to freak out again. What happened on the 10th was that they turned it on and made sure it was working and calibrated correctly. The big stuff (ie. what you were all worried about) will happen later.
It does lead to a discussion of the end of everything and while predicting the end of the world is an imprecise science at best, it hasn't stopped all manner of people from doing just so, and even more people believing them.
A primer of articles from Mother Jones on the US imperial presence around the world, including an interactive map of where US soldiers and bases are stationed. 761 bases, in fact...
Is Google creating its own navy?
The actor who played Monkey is releasing a new album. Monkey Magic!!
Lastly, an exercise in what goes to make a good piece of descriptive writing, as well as clever use of internet technology. Language students, take note!
From finding out that Skype actually works PC to PC (thanks Sheree!) (username: fnersh, of course) to waiting four hours in a hospital waiting room (now I know) to riding the highs and lows of the internal monologue thanks to various documentaries, it's been quite a week.
Now I have a long weekend with no private students booked, so I'm actually... wait for it... CLEANING MY APARTMENT!! So far one garbag has been filled and I can actually see the top of one table. Another to go plus the floor of the computer room and I can say I have actually achieved something. Hence I am procrastinating!
A couple of relections on September 11.
Yes, I bought an iPod. Yes, it's rather nice. No, I didn't know it was based on technology developed in the 1970s.
Why I often buy books based on their titles alone...
I watched the Panorama special on Scientology which was very informative. I suggest you try to track it down. Scientology has recently engaged in another series of attacks on YouTube to take down videos seen as critical of them. No other 'churches' do this so it makes you wonder what they have to hide. (Aliens! Wooooo!)
Another religious organisation, this time the pentacostalist Hillsong church in Sydney, has been infiltrating state schools under what could be seen to be false pretenses. They stage events which are billed as free barbecues and concerts but evangelise the students who attend, which is in violation of the NSW Education Charter, which says that any religious instruction should take place within designated religious education classes. Either the very large and well organised Hillsong group is ignorant of the laws of the country, or they are being deliberately devious. Naturally, they have denied any wrongdoing. But still, it's not exactly the message they should be wanting to send either way...
More on what could happen if Sarah Palin becomes President of the USA - which is more likely than you think. One focusses on what the environment, especially in Alaska, stands to lose. The other looks at the very real chance of a theocracy taking hold in the US.
This one looks at how Sarah Palin has managed to overcome her previous perceived anti-Semitism (after all, she is a fundamentalist Christian), all in the name of her personal ambition. It's amazing how ones' morals can be happily sacrificed for personal gain... (sarcasm is firmly switched to 'on'.)
The teaching of Creationism to children just won't go away. Equal time for the Flying Spaghetti Monster! Ramen.
Another article in as many days about how students in the UK cannot spell. What's just as sad as these students likely going through life illiterate is the way the educational establishment is being encouraged to tolerate this state of affairs. One boffin actually said that forcing children to memorise irregular spelling of words was holding them back. Holding them back? From what? It certainly didn't 'hold me back'. Being able to spell correctly (in most cases) has enabled me to perform well in hand-written tests, to be able to communicate lucidly and clearly through any text based medium I've needed to be able to utilise. Why? Because I can spell and the people who've read what I've written have been able to read. I shouldn't have to sit and waste my time trying to decipher some precious little snowflake's scratchings just because it might hurt their feelings. I certainly would think that those who hire these students once they end up in the job marketplace would also be of the same opinion; can't spell: no job. My solution? No TV, no PC and only books (comics accepted, providing they spell words correctly) until children are at least 5 years old. And yes, if I ever do have kids, look to the posting of the epic plan of how I plan to hide that technology from my kids and the wonderful adventures I have in keeping them hidden!
The background and story of the Japanese man who was recently kidnapped and murdered in Afghanistan.
Japan has joined the 20th Century in another aspect of life related to women - this time by requesting them to fasten their seat belts while pregnant. Believe it or not but it's a commonly held belief that having a crash while pregnant and wearing a seatbelt causes miscarriages, so many pregnant women don't wear them. Never mind that they could be thrown from the car and onto the road or in front of another vehicle in an accident... Amazing.
Another story on how Japanese households are struggling. (I sure wish I was earning the average wage.) Bear in mind that Japan calculates wages per household and not per person. This figure would very likely include situations where the children are living at home and working. It happens much more in Japan than in Western countries. And they're still 'struggling'...
Another day, another rocket or mortar attack on a US base. Iraq? No, Japan. Wait, what?
Another day, another girl auctioning off her virginity to pay for her university course. The bonus is it's for a master's degree in family and marriage counselling.....
If you thought people would stay away from China during the Olympics, you were right.
Really cool travel guides for Eastern Europe. Share and enjoy!
Before I leave for there though, I'd like to stop off and have a glass of champagne at St. Pancras Station in London.
That Large Hadron Collider experiment that was going to kill us all? Well, for those of you who breathed a sigh of relief, get ready to freak out again. What happened on the 10th was that they turned it on and made sure it was working and calibrated correctly. The big stuff (ie. what you were all worried about) will happen later.
It does lead to a discussion of the end of everything and while predicting the end of the world is an imprecise science at best, it hasn't stopped all manner of people from doing just so, and even more people believing them.
A primer of articles from Mother Jones on the US imperial presence around the world, including an interactive map of where US soldiers and bases are stationed. 761 bases, in fact...
Is Google creating its own navy?
The actor who played Monkey is releasing a new album. Monkey Magic!!
Lastly, an exercise in what goes to make a good piece of descriptive writing, as well as clever use of internet technology. Language students, take note!
Monday, September 08, 2008
And!
More!
A quick note. My friend who is part of Edge Church updated me with some info about Michael Guggleimucci. It turns out he hasn't been a part of this church for 8 years or so so the money he used to fund his porn habit came from other sources, and is apparently being repaid. Still, it's a blight on the church to have been publicly associated with this guy...
I'm really enjoying reading this article by a school principal. In it he outlines what he sees are where our schools are failing in what they should be doing for our children - that is give them the skills they need for life. He really hits the nail on the head with some of his observations and suggestions.
Thailand is perhaps gearing up for a coup - a reluctant one if these comments by a Thai military senior official are anything to go by... I'm so glad I'm not there at the moment! Then again, if there is a coup, the small islands are unlikely to be greatly affected...
In Australia, where rain is often followed by someone saying, "What's that stuff falling from the sky?" progress is being made in developing new methods for cloud seeding.
Noticed that the internet is running slow? I have. And it turns out that it's all my fault... Ooops.
So the conventions are over and the dust is settling over the US election battle until the debates start up. The one between Palin and Biden should be a doozy. Some interesting food for thought that has come out of it for you to ponder.
One is the organized campaign of violence against the independent media. As highlighted in this article (Bonus: contains the phrase 'weaponized urine'), the police and security forces deliberately targetted journalists not working for the media corporations. Another article about the same subject is here.
Two is this article written by a woman who has known Sarah Palin since 1992. In it she disects her character, motivations and methods as she's witnessed them over the past 16 years. In short, Sarah Palin is not a nice woman and she's not fit to potentially be the next Republican presidential candidate if McCain fails in his bid this year.
Three, that McCain is probably going to be looking increasingly to his young charge to lead the way as his incoherence over the past few years is not going away. That also raises the spectre of a possible Palin 2012 campaign...
That cure for cancer could be a lot further away since recent research has shown that each cancer has a unique genetic make up...
A recent roundup of climate goings on.
Australia is becoming more expensive, especially for those on aged pensions.
A good list of security pointers for the international traveller. It includes a handy picture of how to stand in the new full body imaging machines. The same posture is handy for law enforcement officers when they detect your guns and explosives...
The best Muppet cake ever!
Tokyo Elvis.
A Bacon Trio to finish: bacon flavoured vodka, bourbon and jelly beans. Yum.
A quick note. My friend who is part of Edge Church updated me with some info about Michael Guggleimucci. It turns out he hasn't been a part of this church for 8 years or so so the money he used to fund his porn habit came from other sources, and is apparently being repaid. Still, it's a blight on the church to have been publicly associated with this guy...
I'm really enjoying reading this article by a school principal. In it he outlines what he sees are where our schools are failing in what they should be doing for our children - that is give them the skills they need for life. He really hits the nail on the head with some of his observations and suggestions.
Thailand is perhaps gearing up for a coup - a reluctant one if these comments by a Thai military senior official are anything to go by... I'm so glad I'm not there at the moment! Then again, if there is a coup, the small islands are unlikely to be greatly affected...
In Australia, where rain is often followed by someone saying, "What's that stuff falling from the sky?" progress is being made in developing new methods for cloud seeding.
Noticed that the internet is running slow? I have. And it turns out that it's all my fault... Ooops.
So the conventions are over and the dust is settling over the US election battle until the debates start up. The one between Palin and Biden should be a doozy. Some interesting food for thought that has come out of it for you to ponder.
One is the organized campaign of violence against the independent media. As highlighted in this article (Bonus: contains the phrase 'weaponized urine'), the police and security forces deliberately targetted journalists not working for the media corporations. Another article about the same subject is here.
Two is this article written by a woman who has known Sarah Palin since 1992. In it she disects her character, motivations and methods as she's witnessed them over the past 16 years. In short, Sarah Palin is not a nice woman and she's not fit to potentially be the next Republican presidential candidate if McCain fails in his bid this year.
Three, that McCain is probably going to be looking increasingly to his young charge to lead the way as his incoherence over the past few years is not going away. That also raises the spectre of a possible Palin 2012 campaign...
That cure for cancer could be a lot further away since recent research has shown that each cancer has a unique genetic make up...
A recent roundup of climate goings on.
Australia is becoming more expensive, especially for those on aged pensions.
A good list of security pointers for the international traveller. It includes a handy picture of how to stand in the new full body imaging machines. The same posture is handy for law enforcement officers when they detect your guns and explosives...
The best Muppet cake ever!
Tokyo Elvis.
A Bacon Trio to finish: bacon flavoured vodka, bourbon and jelly beans. Yum.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
And more
And so continues the previous blog post... there was so much that caught my eye, the poor PC has been having trouble coping with it. Note to self, opening more than 30 tabs in Firefox can crash the PC! Lovely software, shame about the bloated RAM.
This article summarizes nicely one of the strong feelings I have about this world; that we are in the midst of a long, slow decline. So many people are saying that we need to make wdie-scale, drastic changes to the way we live in order to survive the future, but because those in power can't/won't make the changes, we're like the frog in the slowly warming pot, not noticing until the flames make the water boil that we're in big trouble.
This feeling also forms part of the tug-of-war that goes on daily inside me. I love kids. I love teaching the students I have and the promise they hold for the future. I also shudder whenever I think about the kind of world they're going to live in and the kinds of struggles they may have to endure, just to survive.
An interesting rant about Japan based on someone's experience. There's a lot I can relate to, but some things are not so true - take the toilet paper for example. The bog rolls available here are just as luxuriant and soft as you're likely to find anywhere in the world. Rice paper it aint!
I have found a new spiritual home - Stuck In The 80s!
It going to be hard to find anything to eat in Australia before too long, with the Murray-Darling Basin turning into a toxic wasteland and drought continuing throughout the land, we're going to be importing all of our food from Argentina before too long. Oh wait... errrmmm... nevermind.
Better see those fireflies now, before the lights go out forever...
And the sun has been spotless for a month.
Today's religious nuts are brought to you by Joel's Army. Second place is brought to you by Michael Gugliemucci, who faked having cancer for two years to hide an addiction to porn. Third place goes to his wife for forgiving him... I'm amazed that she would stand by someone who lied to her face about having cancer of all things for TWO years! (I guess they're making a lot of money.... dang cynicism rears its ugly head again.) I have friends (who I love) who go to his church and I can only say that I'm sorry that they must have given money to this clown who then spent it on internet porn.
More stupidity but this time resulting in humour; internet obscenity filters.
Looks like the French are finally coming around to the fact that English is the global language.
Queen Mary is behind a surprising number of our beloved nursery rhymes...
One more Olympic post-script; the sports that should be thrown out of the Olympics. I certainly believe that tennis and soccer should be excorcised immediately since they are not the ultimate prizes for anyone who plays them professionally.
Today's "Japan's Wacky Cops" story is brought to you by the boys in blue from Izu and a blow up doll....
Japan isn't the only country with fire-based festivals. Take El Salvador for instance, where residents remember a volcanic eruption by throwing fireballs at each other. Hmmm... Strike that one off my list of things to do...
An interesting article, which I may have mentioned before. It's about an American woman working to save traditional Japanese life and practices in a small town in Nagano.
Do you need to break up with someone, or get your loved one to break up with their lover? Do you just want to be with that person but you're not sure how? In Japan, there's a thriving industry that does just that... it's all a bit sad really.
The man who brought the sushi-roll craze to Australia is shutting up shop. I don't know whether to hate him for introducing it, since you can't walk down the street without being assaulted by the smell of stale seaweed and rice, or to praise him for refusing to sell out and franchise his store.
An interesting article which criticizes the latest economic stimulus package from the Japanese Government. Basically, it's a free for all money grab which will llikely see a significant proportion of the funds end up in the hands of corrupt politicians and the Yakuza.
What do you get when you mix Baileys, chilli, tequila, absinthe, ouzo, vodka, cider and gin? This.
Some travel ideas for Europe. All I need now is money and time. Ooops.
More to come, but first I must go and entertain small children.
This article summarizes nicely one of the strong feelings I have about this world; that we are in the midst of a long, slow decline. So many people are saying that we need to make wdie-scale, drastic changes to the way we live in order to survive the future, but because those in power can't/won't make the changes, we're like the frog in the slowly warming pot, not noticing until the flames make the water boil that we're in big trouble.
This feeling also forms part of the tug-of-war that goes on daily inside me. I love kids. I love teaching the students I have and the promise they hold for the future. I also shudder whenever I think about the kind of world they're going to live in and the kinds of struggles they may have to endure, just to survive.
An interesting rant about Japan based on someone's experience. There's a lot I can relate to, but some things are not so true - take the toilet paper for example. The bog rolls available here are just as luxuriant and soft as you're likely to find anywhere in the world. Rice paper it aint!
I have found a new spiritual home - Stuck In The 80s!
It going to be hard to find anything to eat in Australia before too long, with the Murray-Darling Basin turning into a toxic wasteland and drought continuing throughout the land, we're going to be importing all of our food from Argentina before too long. Oh wait... errrmmm... nevermind.
Better see those fireflies now, before the lights go out forever...
And the sun has been spotless for a month.
Today's religious nuts are brought to you by Joel's Army. Second place is brought to you by Michael Gugliemucci, who faked having cancer for two years to hide an addiction to porn. Third place goes to his wife for forgiving him... I'm amazed that she would stand by someone who lied to her face about having cancer of all things for TWO years! (I guess they're making a lot of money.... dang cynicism rears its ugly head again.) I have friends (who I love) who go to his church and I can only say that I'm sorry that they must have given money to this clown who then spent it on internet porn.
More stupidity but this time resulting in humour; internet obscenity filters.
Looks like the French are finally coming around to the fact that English is the global language.
Queen Mary is behind a surprising number of our beloved nursery rhymes...
One more Olympic post-script; the sports that should be thrown out of the Olympics. I certainly believe that tennis and soccer should be excorcised immediately since they are not the ultimate prizes for anyone who plays them professionally.
Today's "Japan's Wacky Cops" story is brought to you by the boys in blue from Izu and a blow up doll....
Japan isn't the only country with fire-based festivals. Take El Salvador for instance, where residents remember a volcanic eruption by throwing fireballs at each other. Hmmm... Strike that one off my list of things to do...
An interesting article, which I may have mentioned before. It's about an American woman working to save traditional Japanese life and practices in a small town in Nagano.
Do you need to break up with someone, or get your loved one to break up with their lover? Do you just want to be with that person but you're not sure how? In Japan, there's a thriving industry that does just that... it's all a bit sad really.
The man who brought the sushi-roll craze to Australia is shutting up shop. I don't know whether to hate him for introducing it, since you can't walk down the street without being assaulted by the smell of stale seaweed and rice, or to praise him for refusing to sell out and franchise his store.
An interesting article which criticizes the latest economic stimulus package from the Japanese Government. Basically, it's a free for all money grab which will llikely see a significant proportion of the funds end up in the hands of corrupt politicians and the Yakuza.
What do you get when you mix Baileys, chilli, tequila, absinthe, ouzo, vodka, cider and gin? This.
Some travel ideas for Europe. All I need now is money and time. Ooops.
More to come, but first I must go and entertain small children.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Fun fun fun!!!
Wow, you disappear for a couple of weeks and all hell breaks loose.
Thailand was lovely and I had a great time relaxing on the beach and enjoying the beer and food. There were protests going on while I was there, but in recent days things have taken a turn for the nasty as gangs of rival political parties have taken to the streets and there have been reports of shootings amongst the running violence. What this could do for a country that plainly needs foreign tourism and investment hardly bears speculating...
The nominations of Joe Biden and Sarah Palin for the job of Vice-President of the USA have dominated the internets for a while. Time to look at them.
I'll deal with Joe Biden first since he's the one which is the least surprising and the most sensible. He's the more-experienced counterweight to Obama's perceived lack of experience which makes political sense.
Biden's been behind some of the more devious elements of the Bush years, including helping with the spurious notion that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. He supported the invasion of Iraq, which is in direct opposition to Obama's supposed ani-war rhetoric. His foreign policy experience is long, but doubtful in its integrity - just look at his attitude to NATO for starters.
He's also an intelligent, if not long-winded speaker who will bring some measure of wit and depth to the campaign. It would be hard for McCain and Palin to hold their own against him in any serious debate. He's been known to let his mouth get ahead of his mind though, as well as plagarize the speeches of other politicians. It could spell disaster for Obama if he comes across as uninteligible or boring.
Thise are two things that Sarah Palin cannot be accused of - especially with the revelations that are coming out just mere days after her surprise unveiling to the media.
My initial reaction was that she could clinch the election for McCain since she is the cynically perfect choice for a VP to counter McCain's age and perceived softness on traditional Republican core issues such as abortion and guns. Oh and she's a woman - so that'll get the disillusioned Clinton supporters to switch camps. Or maybe not.
And, as much as I hate to say it, the fact that she's a former beauty queen gives her the 'babe' factor which will get the men voting for her based on looks alone. Rush Limbaugh nailed that one on the head. ("Babies, guns, Jesus" - indeed)
She is a religious nut. She states that she believes in creationism. She's a member of a loony Pentacostalist church. She opposes abortion in all cases - including cases of rape and incest. That alone disqualifies her as an ethical and moral human being.
Of course there's the question of her pregnant daughter and her self-confessed 'redneck' boyfriend. Of course they're going to get married and raise the family together, but you have to wonder what kind of life it's going to be when the father (who is currently 18) says that he's didn't want kids and perfers hanging out with his friends. Oh yeah - that's gonna be a GREAT marriage!
There's also the current ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption involving Palin and decisions she's made as govenor of Alaska.
I believe McCain was forced into this as a move of desperation after his preferred choices were knocked back. Let's face it. He nominated her after only meeting her once before and after a quick job interview where she was offered the job on the spot. I can't think of a situation where that's happened to me - even bar and waiting jobs at university.
The McCain camp's reaction to any criticism of Palin? It's sexism. Good one, yeah. Just ask McCain.
You think I'm spending too much time on Palin and not enough on Biden? Well, elections really are a storm in a media teacup. There really isn't much they've had to say about Biden - hence the danger that he could be perceived as 'boring'. Palin's unfolding soap opera will become media fodder for at least the next few months as the baby saga unfolds. Maybe this is something that McCain is hoping for since Obama's charisma dominated the media for so long. Perhaps Obama's indecisiveness is going to be his undoing.
Once again, the election boils down to character issues and things that should not be factors in choosing the next leader of the USA.
Once again, the wrong people are gunning to become president.
Really can we impeach Bush yet? "Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century" Wuh?! I love the questions posed by the fictional reporter in the article. Not to be outdone, McCain said, "In the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations." Nice one John.
Can we at least get Bush before he does this?
Former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, wrote this good piece summing up what the USA has done to screw things up in the past few years.
But Russia is back and is flexing its imperialist muscles, like it or not. As America's power declines, it's shaping up to be an interesting century...
It's been over ten years since the collapse of Yugoslavia, and more and more details are emerging about what really went on. One thing that should be made clear is that it was a religious war between Muslims, Catholic Christians, and Orthodox Christians. The nationalities are just geographical pointers since people were identified and killed by their religion primarily.
By the way, there's a war in Somalia.
Sarah Palin is not the only creationist nut to get an airing today. I'll also nominate Vince Fenech, who would be a harmless creationist nut if he wasn't in charge of the education of children.
The Olympics deserve a mention since they did happen while I was away. London's going to have a hard time following up on this one since they won't have access to thousands of low-paid slave workers. They may also have to spend time proving their ceremonies are legitimate, since the Beijing organisers did such a good job of faking theirs. The ceremonies weren't the only things that were faked however. Take this building for example. Oh, and actually I'm not at all surprised that the pretty girl was miming. From a theatrical point of view it made sense. I'm more disappointed that the children dressed in regional costumes to represent the different ethnicities of China turned out to all be Han Chinese. That was an opportunity for a good gesture on behalf of the organisers and the government but it would have rung hollow amongst those other communities once they found out the truth. It also looks like they may have stolen the arrangements of the national anthems played at the medal ceremonies too. No wonder the government were so keen to crack down on the media as well as the people...
In Japan, the prime minister revealed a massive economic stimulation package, which primarily consisted of cash loans to companies to keep them propped up, then promptly resigned. I guess it was his turn to see the writing on the wall. So we'll have another PM - that's the third in three years. Looks like things are back to normal.
August is an interesting time in Japan. Summer is at its peak and children are enjoying their summer holidays. It's a great time to go travelling and to enjoy the outdoors before the Autumn monsoon and the cooler weather returns. It's also a time to remember the end of the Second World War and some of the events of that period - many of which are being lost in the mists of history.
I think I have found a new hobby - exploring the ruins (haikyo) of Japan's failed modernisation. Ruins of ancient civilizations are cool too, but this really gets me going!
The latest Japanese fetish? DVDs of pretty women cutting and shaving their hair. I wonder how much they were paid...
So it turns out that all that jogging and puffing away on treadmills in the gym is bad for you after all.
When I'm dying I want to be hooked up on this kind of medical program please.
Tesla would be smiling in his grave. Workable wireless power for all.
Jeremy Clarkson needs to be nominated for a kinghthood for his services to the English language. And for an Englishman, his insights into Japanese culture are remarkably perceptive.
Lastly, Muppets and the mystery of what happened to Grover.
Thailand was lovely and I had a great time relaxing on the beach and enjoying the beer and food. There were protests going on while I was there, but in recent days things have taken a turn for the nasty as gangs of rival political parties have taken to the streets and there have been reports of shootings amongst the running violence. What this could do for a country that plainly needs foreign tourism and investment hardly bears speculating...
The nominations of Joe Biden and Sarah Palin for the job of Vice-President of the USA have dominated the internets for a while. Time to look at them.
I'll deal with Joe Biden first since he's the one which is the least surprising and the most sensible. He's the more-experienced counterweight to Obama's perceived lack of experience which makes political sense.
Biden's been behind some of the more devious elements of the Bush years, including helping with the spurious notion that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. He supported the invasion of Iraq, which is in direct opposition to Obama's supposed ani-war rhetoric. His foreign policy experience is long, but doubtful in its integrity - just look at his attitude to NATO for starters.
He's also an intelligent, if not long-winded speaker who will bring some measure of wit and depth to the campaign. It would be hard for McCain and Palin to hold their own against him in any serious debate. He's been known to let his mouth get ahead of his mind though, as well as plagarize the speeches of other politicians. It could spell disaster for Obama if he comes across as uninteligible or boring.
Thise are two things that Sarah Palin cannot be accused of - especially with the revelations that are coming out just mere days after her surprise unveiling to the media.
My initial reaction was that she could clinch the election for McCain since she is the cynically perfect choice for a VP to counter McCain's age and perceived softness on traditional Republican core issues such as abortion and guns. Oh and she's a woman - so that'll get the disillusioned Clinton supporters to switch camps. Or maybe not.
And, as much as I hate to say it, the fact that she's a former beauty queen gives her the 'babe' factor which will get the men voting for her based on looks alone. Rush Limbaugh nailed that one on the head. ("Babies, guns, Jesus" - indeed)
She is a religious nut. She states that she believes in creationism. She's a member of a loony Pentacostalist church. She opposes abortion in all cases - including cases of rape and incest. That alone disqualifies her as an ethical and moral human being.
Of course there's the question of her pregnant daughter and her self-confessed 'redneck' boyfriend. Of course they're going to get married and raise the family together, but you have to wonder what kind of life it's going to be when the father (who is currently 18) says that he's didn't want kids and perfers hanging out with his friends. Oh yeah - that's gonna be a GREAT marriage!
There's also the current ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption involving Palin and decisions she's made as govenor of Alaska.
I believe McCain was forced into this as a move of desperation after his preferred choices were knocked back. Let's face it. He nominated her after only meeting her once before and after a quick job interview where she was offered the job on the spot. I can't think of a situation where that's happened to me - even bar and waiting jobs at university.
The McCain camp's reaction to any criticism of Palin? It's sexism. Good one, yeah. Just ask McCain.
You think I'm spending too much time on Palin and not enough on Biden? Well, elections really are a storm in a media teacup. There really isn't much they've had to say about Biden - hence the danger that he could be perceived as 'boring'. Palin's unfolding soap opera will become media fodder for at least the next few months as the baby saga unfolds. Maybe this is something that McCain is hoping for since Obama's charisma dominated the media for so long. Perhaps Obama's indecisiveness is going to be his undoing.
Once again, the election boils down to character issues and things that should not be factors in choosing the next leader of the USA.
Once again, the wrong people are gunning to become president.
Really can we impeach Bush yet? "Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century" Wuh?! I love the questions posed by the fictional reporter in the article. Not to be outdone, McCain said, "In the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations." Nice one John.
Can we at least get Bush before he does this?
Former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, wrote this good piece summing up what the USA has done to screw things up in the past few years.
But Russia is back and is flexing its imperialist muscles, like it or not. As America's power declines, it's shaping up to be an interesting century...
It's been over ten years since the collapse of Yugoslavia, and more and more details are emerging about what really went on. One thing that should be made clear is that it was a religious war between Muslims, Catholic Christians, and Orthodox Christians. The nationalities are just geographical pointers since people were identified and killed by their religion primarily.
By the way, there's a war in Somalia.
Sarah Palin is not the only creationist nut to get an airing today. I'll also nominate Vince Fenech, who would be a harmless creationist nut if he wasn't in charge of the education of children.
The Olympics deserve a mention since they did happen while I was away. London's going to have a hard time following up on this one since they won't have access to thousands of low-paid slave workers. They may also have to spend time proving their ceremonies are legitimate, since the Beijing organisers did such a good job of faking theirs. The ceremonies weren't the only things that were faked however. Take this building for example. Oh, and actually I'm not at all surprised that the pretty girl was miming. From a theatrical point of view it made sense. I'm more disappointed that the children dressed in regional costumes to represent the different ethnicities of China turned out to all be Han Chinese. That was an opportunity for a good gesture on behalf of the organisers and the government but it would have rung hollow amongst those other communities once they found out the truth. It also looks like they may have stolen the arrangements of the national anthems played at the medal ceremonies too. No wonder the government were so keen to crack down on the media as well as the people...
In Japan, the prime minister revealed a massive economic stimulation package, which primarily consisted of cash loans to companies to keep them propped up, then promptly resigned. I guess it was his turn to see the writing on the wall. So we'll have another PM - that's the third in three years. Looks like things are back to normal.
August is an interesting time in Japan. Summer is at its peak and children are enjoying their summer holidays. It's a great time to go travelling and to enjoy the outdoors before the Autumn monsoon and the cooler weather returns. It's also a time to remember the end of the Second World War and some of the events of that period - many of which are being lost in the mists of history.
I think I have found a new hobby - exploring the ruins (haikyo) of Japan's failed modernisation. Ruins of ancient civilizations are cool too, but this really gets me going!
The latest Japanese fetish? DVDs of pretty women cutting and shaving their hair. I wonder how much they were paid...
So it turns out that all that jogging and puffing away on treadmills in the gym is bad for you after all.
When I'm dying I want to be hooked up on this kind of medical program please.
Tesla would be smiling in his grave. Workable wireless power for all.
Jeremy Clarkson needs to be nominated for a kinghthood for his services to the English language. And for an Englishman, his insights into Japanese culture are remarkably perceptive.
Lastly, Muppets and the mystery of what happened to Grover.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Goodbye - for a while
For a couple of weeks, in fact.
I'm off to Thailand to soak myself in sun, sea, and beer.
I'm sure everything will be put on hold for that time... errrmmmm..... not.
I'll be tuning into the Olympics when I can - to see the mayhem unfold.
Apart from that, it'll be emergency contact only and I'll sort things out once I get back to Japan.
Remember: people are stupid!
Have fun!
I'm off to Thailand to soak myself in sun, sea, and beer.
I'm sure everything will be put on hold for that time... errrmmmm..... not.
I'll be tuning into the Olympics when I can - to see the mayhem unfold.
Apart from that, it'll be emergency contact only and I'll sort things out once I get back to Japan.
Remember: people are stupid!
Have fun!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Lovely Thunder
Yesterday we had the first thunderstorm of the summer.
Storms in Japan tend to fall into the classic tropical thunderstorm category. Huge black clouds seem to form out of nowhere, accompanied by the deep rumble of distant thunder. Suddenly it all explodes about you; wind, heavy rain, lightning, thunder, the occasional blackout... very exciting stuff! What's quite funny is that a lot of Japanese have an irrational fear of thunderstorms, which I don't share at all. I find them rather comforting actually!!
Yesterday I was doing my English thing at the old folks' daycare centre when it all went down. The lights flickered a few times and the oldies (as well as the nurses) were getting jittery. I was sitting there grinning like an idiot, having the time of my life. I tried to explain the best I could that we were in no danger at all and that it was quite exciting actually. Etsuko, my assistant for these hospital visits (she's a young and energetic nurse from the hospital) translated what she could and I think the others calmed down a bit as a result. Every time another bolt of lightning went off and the accompanying surge of noise hit the room, they would flinch again, but I just laughed it off.
Even as I type now there's that distant sound of thunder coming across from the mountains to the north. Combined with the sounds of cicadas in the trees across the rice field it makes for a truly 'Japanese' moment. One to be savoured, not feared.
Speaking of Japanese things, if you're up in Shibukawa, north of Tokyo, then they have a belly button festival. They dress up and paint their bellies in festive colours, emphasizing the navel, since Shibukawa is known as the 'belly button of Japan'. Shame that it seems only men do this though! All I get is visions of Homer Simpson...
Another day, another random knife attack in Japan.
With the Olympics getting closer, the skies above Beijing show no sign of clearing up, despite the draconian measures being imposed by the Chinese government. They're even considering even stricter measures to ensure the skies will be blue. Better pray for some wind. The thing is, with all these workers being unable to work due to the factories being closed down, and unable to drive due to their cars being impounded, what are they going to do the whole time? Watch the Olympics on TV!? A bored, immobile population is a restless population... could get interesting by the second week, regardless of the threat of terrorist attacks.
Oh, and guess what, they're also building walls to hide the slums. Wow, gee, what a surprise!
They're also charging an arm and a leg for foreign journalists to use the internet.
Only 100 days until we have a new president to complain about. Can we survive? Also the USA is going to a heightened terrorist alert - for the next year. I think I'll avoid that part of the world for a while.
Georgia and Russia are facing off. Looks nasty.
Nothing new but a good look at the priorities in the media, if you're not familiar with them. If you're white, female and good looking they'll give a lot of coverage. If you're poor, Middle Eastern and not good looking, you're barely worth a mention.
Another good analysis of the food crisis situation.
Wanna come to Australia to study? So does everyone else, by the looks of things.
Girls, your self confidence all comes down to how you dress and wear make up, thereby enabling you to look better than other people and find a nice husband. This message is brought to you by the Hillsong Church and the 1950s.
The slow death of Australian journalism continues with Channel Nine axing two of its flagship programs, Nightline and Sunday.
The Rudd Government is looking more and more like a juggernaut, stubbornly following its own ideas of what constitutes sound policy without considering other ideas or proposals or taking criticism of its ideas. Take the current notion of carbon trading. The Rudd Government wants it, and it will get it, despite growing concern over its viability and economic impact. There are other ways to make an impact for the benefit of the environment. The Rudd carbon trading model favours the use of cars and other motor transportation to work. That's hardly a green notion, is it? Formulating policy that targets the growth of rail services, as well as other methods of public transportation such as buses and light rail would be seen as much more responsible to the environment. If the Rudd government did that as well as fix up Australia's antiquated rail network then they could rightly claim to be progressive and environmentally sound, instead of steering one-eyed onto the rocks.
More proof that marriage is, a) all about the women, b) is just a fashion show, c) costs way too much money, and, d) is the leading cause of brain drain in single women. Give me a girl who wants a barbecue at the beach, please!
The forced recruitment of child soldiers is continuing in Africa.
The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is getting bigger.
The newest developing country is the USA?!?
Hey George, Iraq is like Vietnam in another way now; they both cost the same.
I'm re-reading 'Air Babylon' at the moment, and the news is doing it's thing with adding more and more incidents to add to the legend. Take these two drunken female idiots for example, let alone more Qantas planes falling apart... (and getting Adelaide a mention in the international news)
The creator of the electric guitar, Les Paul, is in Australia. He's 93, can only play with two fingers, regularly sells out the clubs where he's playing, and gave rock 'n' roll to you. The guy sweats cool.
Storms in Japan tend to fall into the classic tropical thunderstorm category. Huge black clouds seem to form out of nowhere, accompanied by the deep rumble of distant thunder. Suddenly it all explodes about you; wind, heavy rain, lightning, thunder, the occasional blackout... very exciting stuff! What's quite funny is that a lot of Japanese have an irrational fear of thunderstorms, which I don't share at all. I find them rather comforting actually!!
Yesterday I was doing my English thing at the old folks' daycare centre when it all went down. The lights flickered a few times and the oldies (as well as the nurses) were getting jittery. I was sitting there grinning like an idiot, having the time of my life. I tried to explain the best I could that we were in no danger at all and that it was quite exciting actually. Etsuko, my assistant for these hospital visits (she's a young and energetic nurse from the hospital) translated what she could and I think the others calmed down a bit as a result. Every time another bolt of lightning went off and the accompanying surge of noise hit the room, they would flinch again, but I just laughed it off.
Even as I type now there's that distant sound of thunder coming across from the mountains to the north. Combined with the sounds of cicadas in the trees across the rice field it makes for a truly 'Japanese' moment. One to be savoured, not feared.
Speaking of Japanese things, if you're up in Shibukawa, north of Tokyo, then they have a belly button festival. They dress up and paint their bellies in festive colours, emphasizing the navel, since Shibukawa is known as the 'belly button of Japan'. Shame that it seems only men do this though! All I get is visions of Homer Simpson...
Another day, another random knife attack in Japan.
With the Olympics getting closer, the skies above Beijing show no sign of clearing up, despite the draconian measures being imposed by the Chinese government. They're even considering even stricter measures to ensure the skies will be blue. Better pray for some wind. The thing is, with all these workers being unable to work due to the factories being closed down, and unable to drive due to their cars being impounded, what are they going to do the whole time? Watch the Olympics on TV!? A bored, immobile population is a restless population... could get interesting by the second week, regardless of the threat of terrorist attacks.
Oh, and guess what, they're also building walls to hide the slums. Wow, gee, what a surprise!
They're also charging an arm and a leg for foreign journalists to use the internet.
Only 100 days until we have a new president to complain about. Can we survive? Also the USA is going to a heightened terrorist alert - for the next year. I think I'll avoid that part of the world for a while.
Georgia and Russia are facing off. Looks nasty.
Nothing new but a good look at the priorities in the media, if you're not familiar with them. If you're white, female and good looking they'll give a lot of coverage. If you're poor, Middle Eastern and not good looking, you're barely worth a mention.
Another good analysis of the food crisis situation.
Wanna come to Australia to study? So does everyone else, by the looks of things.
Girls, your self confidence all comes down to how you dress and wear make up, thereby enabling you to look better than other people and find a nice husband. This message is brought to you by the Hillsong Church and the 1950s.
The slow death of Australian journalism continues with Channel Nine axing two of its flagship programs, Nightline and Sunday.
The Rudd Government is looking more and more like a juggernaut, stubbornly following its own ideas of what constitutes sound policy without considering other ideas or proposals or taking criticism of its ideas. Take the current notion of carbon trading. The Rudd Government wants it, and it will get it, despite growing concern over its viability and economic impact. There are other ways to make an impact for the benefit of the environment. The Rudd carbon trading model favours the use of cars and other motor transportation to work. That's hardly a green notion, is it? Formulating policy that targets the growth of rail services, as well as other methods of public transportation such as buses and light rail would be seen as much more responsible to the environment. If the Rudd government did that as well as fix up Australia's antiquated rail network then they could rightly claim to be progressive and environmentally sound, instead of steering one-eyed onto the rocks.
More proof that marriage is, a) all about the women, b) is just a fashion show, c) costs way too much money, and, d) is the leading cause of brain drain in single women. Give me a girl who wants a barbecue at the beach, please!
The forced recruitment of child soldiers is continuing in Africa.
The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is getting bigger.
The newest developing country is the USA?!?
Hey George, Iraq is like Vietnam in another way now; they both cost the same.
I'm re-reading 'Air Babylon' at the moment, and the news is doing it's thing with adding more and more incidents to add to the legend. Take these two drunken female idiots for example, let alone more Qantas planes falling apart... (and getting Adelaide a mention in the international news)
The creator of the electric guitar, Les Paul, is in Australia. He's 93, can only play with two fingers, regularly sells out the clubs where he's playing, and gave rock 'n' roll to you. The guy sweats cool.
Friday, July 25, 2008
9 days
It's been nine days since a blog post and I must confess that nothing much has changed. I'm still working, Bush is still the US president, Obama-mania continues unchecked, the sky is still blue and iced coffee still tastes good.
A few things have caught my eye over the past week or so which I'd like to pour down the memory hole for safe-keeping.
Oh God, no. Top Gun 2?!? You might take that as final proof that God doesn't exist, and if God does, then He hates us.
First they arrested him ,now they let him go. Ex-Nova president Saruhashi is out on 50 million yen bail. No word if they're using that bail money to pay back the students he ripped off.
The latest on McCain, here, and here. (Less in quantity, but good reading nonetheless)
The latest on Obama, here, here, here, here, here, and (sarcastically) here.
Do you really trust machines to count your vote?
Repeat after me, Qantas is still the safest airline in the world, Qantas is still the safest airline in the world, Qantas is still the safest airline in the world.
The low-down on the guy who keeps more geeks entertained than anyone else at the moment.
If you read much about the empires of the world and the reasons why they crumbled, one of the reasons is that they outsourced their militaries. The Romans did it, Alexander did it, the Egyptians did it, and now the USA is doing it. Mind you, when you look at the growing economic inequalities as well as the depreciation in the quality of life (amongst other things), you have to wonder why people are still wanting to go there to live...
More analysis on the oil crisis as well as what's happening with rice (and why Japan isn't doing more).
So what happens when you take a group of South Africans to Israel for a visit? Comments that Apartheid was better shouldn't be on the list.
If you have to holiday in North Korea, be aware that they have guns and will use them. It's still one of the weirdest places in the world to go, and I'd still like to go there.
I have another new destination to add to the list, Super Bear Arcade in Big Bear Lake in the US of A.
When oil billionaires start building wind power stations, maybe it's time to get with the program, especially when their name is T. Boone Pickens. Looks like one town already has.
The Koreans are closer to developing a fusion-based energy source, or a new black hole, whichever is your preference.
A couple of years ago I reported the passing of Peter Norman. Now his son has made a documentary as a homily to his legacy.
Australia, land of the fair go, as long as you were born there.... Discrimination is still a worry... Which is a shame since we need all the people working we can get. Australia's growing and we need need to grow (up) with it. Making life so expensive for students that they can't get decent qualifications is not the best way to go about it either...
It must be summer as the media have posted their annual "And you thought YOUR local swimming pool was crowded, look at those wacky Asians" story.
If you're rescued from being a hostage by someone posing as a Red Cross member, which is a violation of the Geneva Conventions, are you obligated to return?
The Thailand vs. Cambodia standoff continues.
An interesting piece on what a barrel of oil will get you. If you're the United States, you're only worth 400 billion barrels of oil. That's the combined reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran (therefore affordable!) - and also the cheapest you've ever been in history - tramp.
Japanese developers have come up with a new long-life flash memory chip. This could be really something for the development of faster and more powerful tech gadgets! Yay!
Since everyone and their dog is getting a tattoo, one wonders what the rebellious youth of tomorrow will get into. I guess there will always be hard drugs....
The most amazing leopard vs. crocodile pictures you'll see for a while...
The Japanese are starting to use acupuncture on their fish to improve the taste of sushi. I don't know what's more disturbing, that or the article also mentions samba lessons for small dogs.
They are also relying on Aussie wheat to make noodles.
I like a good breakfast - and you should too.
I'm learning too late that you should save... but I'm trying to make up for it now.
From the 'some people really need to get lives' file; Tower Bridge made of matchsticks.
I'm glad these parents are getting dragged through the media. Anyone who names their child 'Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii' deserves to be named and shamed and then thrown into a firey pit. Pity the poor kids with names like ones in the article.
Another sign of the apocalypse; fish walking in the street.
I like this t-shirt.
I like this rant.
Yes Mum, I have travel insurance!!
Feargal Sharkey!?!?
Anyone who laughed at Devo in the 80s must be laughing on the other sides of their faces nowadays. What do you do as prophets of the age of electronic music as well as heralds of the end of civilization?
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you William Shatner.
A few things have caught my eye over the past week or so which I'd like to pour down the memory hole for safe-keeping.
Oh God, no. Top Gun 2?!? You might take that as final proof that God doesn't exist, and if God does, then He hates us.
First they arrested him ,now they let him go. Ex-Nova president Saruhashi is out on 50 million yen bail. No word if they're using that bail money to pay back the students he ripped off.
The latest on McCain, here, and here. (Less in quantity, but good reading nonetheless)
The latest on Obama, here, here, here, here, here, and (sarcastically) here.
Do you really trust machines to count your vote?
Repeat after me, Qantas is still the safest airline in the world, Qantas is still the safest airline in the world, Qantas is still the safest airline in the world.
The low-down on the guy who keeps more geeks entertained than anyone else at the moment.
If you read much about the empires of the world and the reasons why they crumbled, one of the reasons is that they outsourced their militaries. The Romans did it, Alexander did it, the Egyptians did it, and now the USA is doing it. Mind you, when you look at the growing economic inequalities as well as the depreciation in the quality of life (amongst other things), you have to wonder why people are still wanting to go there to live...
More analysis on the oil crisis as well as what's happening with rice (and why Japan isn't doing more).
So what happens when you take a group of South Africans to Israel for a visit? Comments that Apartheid was better shouldn't be on the list.
If you have to holiday in North Korea, be aware that they have guns and will use them. It's still one of the weirdest places in the world to go, and I'd still like to go there.
I have another new destination to add to the list, Super Bear Arcade in Big Bear Lake in the US of A.
When oil billionaires start building wind power stations, maybe it's time to get with the program, especially when their name is T. Boone Pickens. Looks like one town already has.
The Koreans are closer to developing a fusion-based energy source, or a new black hole, whichever is your preference.
A couple of years ago I reported the passing of Peter Norman. Now his son has made a documentary as a homily to his legacy.
Australia, land of the fair go, as long as you were born there.... Discrimination is still a worry... Which is a shame since we need all the people working we can get. Australia's growing and we need need to grow (up) with it. Making life so expensive for students that they can't get decent qualifications is not the best way to go about it either...
It must be summer as the media have posted their annual "And you thought YOUR local swimming pool was crowded, look at those wacky Asians" story.
If you're rescued from being a hostage by someone posing as a Red Cross member, which is a violation of the Geneva Conventions, are you obligated to return?
The Thailand vs. Cambodia standoff continues.
An interesting piece on what a barrel of oil will get you. If you're the United States, you're only worth 400 billion barrels of oil. That's the combined reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran (therefore affordable!) - and also the cheapest you've ever been in history - tramp.
Japanese developers have come up with a new long-life flash memory chip. This could be really something for the development of faster and more powerful tech gadgets! Yay!
Since everyone and their dog is getting a tattoo, one wonders what the rebellious youth of tomorrow will get into. I guess there will always be hard drugs....
The most amazing leopard vs. crocodile pictures you'll see for a while...
The Japanese are starting to use acupuncture on their fish to improve the taste of sushi. I don't know what's more disturbing, that or the article also mentions samba lessons for small dogs.
They are also relying on Aussie wheat to make noodles.
I like a good breakfast - and you should too.
I'm learning too late that you should save... but I'm trying to make up for it now.
From the 'some people really need to get lives' file; Tower Bridge made of matchsticks.
I'm glad these parents are getting dragged through the media. Anyone who names their child 'Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii' deserves to be named and shamed and then thrown into a firey pit. Pity the poor kids with names like ones in the article.
Another sign of the apocalypse; fish walking in the street.
I like this t-shirt.
I like this rant.
Yes Mum, I have travel insurance!!
Feargal Sharkey!?!?
Anyone who laughed at Devo in the 80s must be laughing on the other sides of their faces nowadays. What do you do as prophets of the age of electronic music as well as heralds of the end of civilization?
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you William Shatner.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Ouch
Aaaah yes. Summer. I went down to Shin Maiko with a couple of friends and their young son on the weekend and got my Pre-Thailand Trip Sunburn out of the way. My shoulders haven't seen that much sun probably since the last time I went to Thailand! Anyway, I hope the peeling is over by the time I get on the plane in August.
The news cycle is continuing it's run along the bad economic news front. Apparently they've stopped reporting on Iraq in the American news but let me assure you, it's still going strong.
There's more on the biofuels mess, more on 'what's wrong with Obama', more on 'hyper-miling', melting ice sheets in Antarctica, decent electric cars, cost effective solar, the global economic crisis, Japan's sabre-rattling, ex-Nova president's arrest, the housing crisis and corporations raping the wilderness. My blog memes are getting a workout today - unlike me!
I can actually imagine the rest of the G-8 leaders looking at each other after Bush left the room and saying, "What an asshole," to each other after this scene.
The Iran situation is becoming a 'will they or won't they' scenario. Some think that if Obama wins then Bush will strike, others hope that good sense will win out. Good sense? Bush? Start stocking up, people. This article draws together a lot of threads that seems to make sense. Scary reading.
Go to North Korea, see the sights, get shot.
China is actively involved in the genocide in Sudan.
Thailand and Cambodia are facing off over the ruins of an 11th Century Hindu temple. There goes one thing off my list of places to visit.
Good news. A community based cleanup is changing parts of Bolivia for the better.
Moviegoers, this looks like an interesting doco - a warts and all look at the world of the geisha.
I found a kindred spirit, Andrew Womack, who has excellent musical taste. Witness his reviews of the best albums of 1988 and 1989 for example.
Just wait until he grows out of it... this'll become the 'before' picture.
Committing intellectual suicide, or watching Fox News for 24 hours.
One of India's most eligible bachelors has a private security team consisting of 15 female commandos to protect him from rampaging female fans. Sounds like a Bollywood movie is just around the corner...
How not to weed the garden.
One of the cutting edge issues of the day, why the snooze is set to 9 minutes.
At the end of the day you might just want to say screw it all and get high. Americans seem to enjoy it more than anyone else! In Australia we like beer, a lot! Even the judge had a sense of humour over it.
The news cycle is continuing it's run along the bad economic news front. Apparently they've stopped reporting on Iraq in the American news but let me assure you, it's still going strong.
There's more on the biofuels mess, more on 'what's wrong with Obama', more on 'hyper-miling', melting ice sheets in Antarctica, decent electric cars, cost effective solar, the global economic crisis, Japan's sabre-rattling, ex-Nova president's arrest, the housing crisis and corporations raping the wilderness. My blog memes are getting a workout today - unlike me!
I can actually imagine the rest of the G-8 leaders looking at each other after Bush left the room and saying, "What an asshole," to each other after this scene.
The Iran situation is becoming a 'will they or won't they' scenario. Some think that if Obama wins then Bush will strike, others hope that good sense will win out. Good sense? Bush? Start stocking up, people. This article draws together a lot of threads that seems to make sense. Scary reading.
Go to North Korea, see the sights, get shot.
China is actively involved in the genocide in Sudan.
Thailand and Cambodia are facing off over the ruins of an 11th Century Hindu temple. There goes one thing off my list of places to visit.
Good news. A community based cleanup is changing parts of Bolivia for the better.
Moviegoers, this looks like an interesting doco - a warts and all look at the world of the geisha.
I found a kindred spirit, Andrew Womack, who has excellent musical taste. Witness his reviews of the best albums of 1988 and 1989 for example.
Just wait until he grows out of it... this'll become the 'before' picture.
Committing intellectual suicide, or watching Fox News for 24 hours.
One of India's most eligible bachelors has a private security team consisting of 15 female commandos to protect him from rampaging female fans. Sounds like a Bollywood movie is just around the corner...
How not to weed the garden.
One of the cutting edge issues of the day, why the snooze is set to 9 minutes.
At the end of the day you might just want to say screw it all and get high. Americans seem to enjoy it more than anyone else! In Australia we like beer, a lot! Even the judge had a sense of humour over it.
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