Light and Dark

The morning read is always a mixed bag for me. At least on my day off I can go at a slightly more leisurely pace and actually not just skim articles for information. That and a large mug of Vietnamese coffee goes a looooong way to help soothe the nerves after a busy week at the office.


Light.

Caffeine (and exercise) are good for you. Just ask these mice.

Wolves in Yellowstone National Park are helping trees grow.

The World's Worst Poet? (they haven't read mine yet... and they never will!!)


Dark.

Australia will continue to turn into the US under a future Liberal government. Just ask these Americans how it is to live on minimum wage.

Ethanol really really sucks. I know I've said it before, but we really need something better. This article sums up a lot of what's happening very neatly.

Japan's legion of internet cafe refugees continues to grow. The world's second largest economy is also home to a growing army of underemployed and underpaid temp workers. They can't afford a place to live, and so camp out on the floors of 24-hour internet cafes. The future looks bleak.

Here comes another one!

Looks like we're in for some more stormy weather. Shame, since the weather is SOOOOOO nice right now!

Apparently there's a saying in Japan that the 10 days after the end of rainy season are the best weather for the year. It took one typhoon to end rainy season this year - and it looks like another's going to kill the good weather we've been having ever since!

We'll see....

Of course I'm paranoid

Everybody says so!

And for all you wacko apocalypse-obsessed, end-of-the-world die-hard survivalists, here is the definitive shopping list rated from 1-100 in terms of what will go first! Duct tape at #53?? I think not!!

Also, for you fascist watchdogs out there, here is a very good article about how [gasp! not Bush/Cheney!] Putin is taking more than a leaf out of Hitler's book on how to grab power and hold onto it, thanks to the newly minted Putinjugend...

The image of another sign of the impending apocalypse was brought to you by this site... SCARY!!!!

Stuff and nonsense

Today was Unagi Day in Japan! Unagi, for those not in the know, is eel which has been roasted over an open fire while being basted in this awesome soy-based sauce. It is heavenly! Never having had eel before I came to Japan, I sit here a very satisfied convert. Tonight's dinner was the unagi-don you see above. Sumptuous, creamy, savoury, oooohhh I'm getting hungry again just thinking about it!

Good news abounds today!

Firstly, Paris Hilton has lost her $60 million inheritance! Family patriarch, Barron Hilton would get a big shake of the hand from this peasant.

[Update: Or maybe not...]

Secondly, here's a list of 'food hell', kitchen creations that have only served to lessen our culinary pleasure through the ages. While Japan has two entries, I'm glad to note that Australia has exactly none! (Don't tell them about the Pie Floater!)

But with the good, there's the not so good...

I have had a soft spot for flight attendants ever since I read 'Air Babylon', but this article explains in fair detail the hardship that many flight attendants are going through in the US. Think before you give them a hard time in the air next time eh.

Also, this is my life...

Oh yes!

Pussy Galore!

Just read what has to be the best and funniest review of a James Bond movie ever! Say hello to the newly rereleased 'Goldfinger'!

Summary? James Bond is a doofus.



Image courtesy of this site.

Next travel idea

Note to self: Drive to Mongolia in an ice cream van....

Nice.

Gotta love Tom Engelhardt

A rare writer who can simultaneously bring a wry smile to the face and outrage to the heart.

Take this for example, from ZNet...

It's all true

This piece successfully articulates what I and several of my closest buddies have known for years: Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of the greatest movies ever.

That's Ever!

No, really

And now, in the latest chapter of 'How Bio-fuels Destroyed The World', the United Nations can't afford to keep up its program of helping the hungry and poor around the world due to a 50% rise in costs.

“We are no longer in a surplus world.”

Yay bio-fuels!


In other news, I really won't be coming home for a while...

And here's a good piece about the only Japanese pop singer I really like; UA.

Two stories...

One.

Due to the overwhelming terrorist threat in London, the government is cutting down 60 year-old trees in Whitehall and replacing them with concrete ballards. That's sure to drive up land value.

That comes after the new prime minister vowed to work on environmental issues. I guess he didn't say *how* he was going to work on them...


Two.

A woman in the U.S. is living in a house that measures 84 square feet - that's roughly the size of a parking lot. She built it herself out of salvaged materials. Is she saving a lot of money? You betcha!

"Two steps through the kitchen and you're in my living room. Two steps into the living room, you bang into the wall."

Mind you, she ought to see what some Japanese people are living in!

Quote of the Day

"I'm not interested in money. I've got a job; I can buy tucker; I can go fishing and hunting. That's all that matters to me."

- Jeffrey Lee, sole survivor of the Djok clan whose land sits on $5 billion worth of uranium, which he refuses to allow mining companies to develop.

First typhoon of the season!

Here it comes!

As you can see, it's raining now - and the wind is just starting to pick up.

Should be here tomorrow - just in time for the weekend as well as what was supposed to be a drinking night on Saturday.... ah well.


Update: It was a fizzer. The thing blew itself out south of Shikoku. Very disappointing here in Himeji although we got quite a lot of rain and it was a bit breezy...



Image courtesy of the Japan Meteorological Agency

Enough is enough

Enjoy the view

First the Mexicans can't afford tortillas or tequila

Then the Germans have to pay more for beer

Now the Italians won't be able to buy cheap pasta

What's next? Japanese can't buy rice? Russians can't get vodka?

Kill bio-fuels, dang!

Image courtesy of ilovepasta.org/

GOOD NEWS!

Floating wind turbines in the North Sea!

Bad News!

Not until 2012. At least there'll be more ocean around by then!

In other news, soft drinks contain mammoth amounts of caffeine, the rich continue to steal government money at the expense of helping the poor, water is wet and the sky is blue.

Is that all!?!?


Apparently only 96% of Japanese High School students have a mobile phone....

Yup...

That drought is really difficult to deal with....

One of my more elderly students was saying that when he was young Rainy Season in Japan used to last both June and July but recently it's more likely to last a month. The forecasters must still adhere to the old system since the news always reports the official 'start' of the Rainy Season for each part of Japan, but it usually doesn't actually rain for ages!!

The forecast for Himeji is for rain for the next week or so. I don't mind since it means it'll actually be slightly cooler as well. Wait for August - phew!


In other news, I got my PC back and it's running fine, except the dolts in the shop didn't connect up my DVD burner to the new power supply. After a few mnutes wrestling with cables I fixed it back up so NOW everything's working!

We've had some more Sayonara parties... We bade farewell to Sarah which means we're officially down to seven instructors at my school. We've never had so few since I started here. We're getting at least one more this month.

Unfortunately the same night there was another in Akashi, which I've seen some pix from and it looked like it was quite the Night of Drunken Debauchery. Looked like fun. Ours was fun too but it was more like a Night of Oriental Gastronomy - Indian to be more precise! It must say something if I'm more likely to choose good food over beer and karaoke! It was fun meeting Sarah's friends too - some interesting characters there!