Still sore. Sometimes better, sometimes not. Whoopie.
A 747 splits in half on the runway. Good thing it didn't happen 5 minutes later!
The knives are out for Kevin Rudd - what, already? What a surprise!
With energy and food prices going nuts, some Americans are doing what they do best, buy guns and go country. The current situation is giving us a great opportunity to find ways to live without oil, but no government has the real vision to do anything about it - unless they're in Scandinavia...
On the solar research front, scientists have demonstrated 'the avalanche effect'. That means about the same to you as it does to me. But if it can be made to work, it could increase the efficiency of solar cells from about 15% to 44% - effectively three times the electrical output, making them much, much better!
Following on from the article about John Cusack, here's an interview with him about War Inc.
Burma's junta have done the right thing and focussed all efforts on delivering aid to the victims of the terrible typhoon that razed the country two weeks ago. Actually no. They've focussed their attention on extending the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi instead. Morons.
I always thought the last thing you wanted to hear a doctor say about you was that you were 'very interesting'. Turns out I was wrong.
I remember reading comics when I was young and wondering about those ads that were in every copy ever made. Well, someone ordered the stuff - and of course, it was all crap! Maybe they'll start selling real estate in them soon if the housing slump continues like this.
In Japan, the fallout from the recent sumo tournament continues, with the two Yokozuna (grand champions) getting into hot water over their final bout. It may seem a bit funny when compared to other sports, but in a sport based on such ritual as sumo, getting steamed up and bitch-slapping your opponent after the bout is over is a huge deal! At least it'll get people more interested in the sport...
Aaah, TV. Teacher, mother, secret lover. And changing... We could be going to an internet-based approach if this Japanese research follows through - or have holograms in our living rooms.
Time for all you can eat Italian food - yay!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Stiff
The neck's still giving me jip. Went to a different massage place today and I think they isolated where the problem is: a couple of vertebrae down from the skull. It was really tender and sore around there, as well as behind the shoulder blades, but I grit my teeth and endured the pain as the masseuse did her thing.
Beer is good though.
It looks like Australia's fast becoming a really expensive place to live with inflation spiralling upwards and the dollar approaching parity with the US dollar (ironically keeping petrol prices lower!). But, with the cost of fuel affecting so many things, and life in Australia really revolves around having a car (unless you're my brother), I don't really see how I can come back any time soon. Believe it or not, but living in Japan is fast becoming cheaper than living in Oz! Mind you, that's because in Adelaide I'd have a social life, whereas here.... well..... I'm doing what I can.
I don't know whether to give this kid a high five for being so smart, or a slap on the head just for being smarter than me... but anyone who works out a way to biologically decompose plastic bags using bacteria is a good person as far as I'm concerned.
Climate change is going to cause Jupiter to explode... well maybe not.
Quentin Tarantino is a prat. But he made Reservoir Dogs, which is one of the coolest movies ever, so ...
Just another day in Japan. A man storms a newspaper office with a knife because the workers were rude to him. Never mind that storming a business armed with an offensive weapon while ranting isn't exactly the height of polite behaviour!The last sentence gives it all the justification you need, "He was drunk at the time of the incident, police said," In other news, a man reached through the driver's side window and squeezed a woman's breasts after she stopped to help him . Never mind that her husband was also in the car with her and he pinned the guy down until police arrived! Also a man was arrested after stealing cars hired by his two ex-wives in a scam involving GPS high tech and the women's real IDs with their real addresses on them. But the real scandal is the possible passing of being able to see schoolgirls in skirts. Yup, this was just another day in Japan.
But, Kotooshu won the sumo tournament with a day to spare! Good on ya, son!
There was also this interesting short piece on how the nation's psyche has changed completely since World War II. Mind you, that is just a tiny piece of the puzzle that is the Japanese national psyche!
Time for the annual kangaroo cull in Australia - and time for the freaks to come out.
More good reading about the Iraq situation. Yes, it's still going! (But don't miss the next instalment!)
A really thought-provoking piece about the causes of climate change for your consideration. It's not just about the CO2; everything we do as humans has fundamentally changed the ecosystem and affected the weather too.
Goodbye Hillary. Hello war tax.
Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall sell the arms they confiscated back to the militias they are supposed to be disarming.... Wait, what?
Finally, the tragedy that is Open Mouth Disease.
Beer is good though.
It looks like Australia's fast becoming a really expensive place to live with inflation spiralling upwards and the dollar approaching parity with the US dollar (ironically keeping petrol prices lower!). But, with the cost of fuel affecting so many things, and life in Australia really revolves around having a car (unless you're my brother), I don't really see how I can come back any time soon. Believe it or not, but living in Japan is fast becoming cheaper than living in Oz! Mind you, that's because in Adelaide I'd have a social life, whereas here.... well..... I'm doing what I can.
I don't know whether to give this kid a high five for being so smart, or a slap on the head just for being smarter than me... but anyone who works out a way to biologically decompose plastic bags using bacteria is a good person as far as I'm concerned.
Climate change is going to cause Jupiter to explode... well maybe not.
Quentin Tarantino is a prat. But he made Reservoir Dogs, which is one of the coolest movies ever, so ...
Just another day in Japan. A man storms a newspaper office with a knife because the workers were rude to him. Never mind that storming a business armed with an offensive weapon while ranting isn't exactly the height of polite behaviour!The last sentence gives it all the justification you need, "He was drunk at the time of the incident, police said," In other news, a man reached through the driver's side window and squeezed a woman's breasts after she stopped to help him . Never mind that her husband was also in the car with her and he pinned the guy down until police arrived! Also a man was arrested after stealing cars hired by his two ex-wives in a scam involving GPS high tech and the women's real IDs with their real addresses on them. But the real scandal is the possible passing of being able to see schoolgirls in skirts. Yup, this was just another day in Japan.
But, Kotooshu won the sumo tournament with a day to spare! Good on ya, son!
There was also this interesting short piece on how the nation's psyche has changed completely since World War II. Mind you, that is just a tiny piece of the puzzle that is the Japanese national psyche!
Time for the annual kangaroo cull in Australia - and time for the freaks to come out.
More good reading about the Iraq situation. Yes, it's still going! (But don't miss the next instalment!)
A really thought-provoking piece about the causes of climate change for your consideration. It's not just about the CO2; everything we do as humans has fundamentally changed the ecosystem and affected the weather too.
Goodbye Hillary. Hello war tax.
Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall sell the arms they confiscated back to the militias they are supposed to be disarming.... Wait, what?
Finally, the tragedy that is Open Mouth Disease.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Ouch
My neck is killing me, so I'm off to see if a decent massage can loosen things up. Work was terrible as a result yesterday, so I'm not having a repeat if I can help it.
Looks like high petrol prices are here to stay. In Japan it's nearly 160 yen a litre, putting it on a par with what's happening in Australia. Some say the price of oil may soon go down, but you can bet the prices won't! At least some people are coming up with some practical ways of dealing with it, such as going back to the future.
In Japan, gynaecology is steadily becoming a profession to be avoided, contributing to the declining birthrate. Who wants to have kids if there are no doctors? (The number of paediatricians is also in decline) Another reason is the number of moron husbands that they have to deal with. But hostessing is increasingly being seen as an honorable profession. So Japan will become a nation of hostess bars and old folks homes.... wait.... MORE of a nation of hostess bars and old folks homes.
A good read about a good read.
Kotooshu, the Bulgarian sumo wrestler, is closing in on his first victory at a sumo tournament. If he wins, he will be the first the first European to hold the Emperor's Cup. He seems like a good bloke too.
Condi Rice for VP? AS revolting as the idea sounds, she seems to be interested in it. Time to do some reading up on the lady.
Oooops. Someone let the cat out of the bag.
Glorious coffee. Wonderful spices.
Shotgun!
Looks like high petrol prices are here to stay. In Japan it's nearly 160 yen a litre, putting it on a par with what's happening in Australia. Some say the price of oil may soon go down, but you can bet the prices won't! At least some people are coming up with some practical ways of dealing with it, such as going back to the future.
In Japan, gynaecology is steadily becoming a profession to be avoided, contributing to the declining birthrate. Who wants to have kids if there are no doctors? (The number of paediatricians is also in decline) Another reason is the number of moron husbands that they have to deal with. But hostessing is increasingly being seen as an honorable profession. So Japan will become a nation of hostess bars and old folks homes.... wait.... MORE of a nation of hostess bars and old folks homes.
A good read about a good read.
Kotooshu, the Bulgarian sumo wrestler, is closing in on his first victory at a sumo tournament. If he wins, he will be the first the first European to hold the Emperor's Cup. He seems like a good bloke too.
Condi Rice for VP? AS revolting as the idea sounds, she seems to be interested in it. Time to do some reading up on the lady.
Oooops. Someone let the cat out of the bag.
Glorious coffee. Wonderful spices.
Shotgun!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Up and down
Gotta love this time of year in Japan. The days are warm enough to wear shorts but the nights are still cool and crisp. The rice paddies have been ploughed and are awaiting being flooded to start the planting of this year's crop. I can see a dozen or more from my study window so I'll be right up to date as things happen! The noise from the frogs and other critters will be ridiculous come the evenings - we'll see who's louder; them or the Shinkansen!
Russia's becoming more and more of a proto-Fascist state, which is nothing new of you've been reading the papers, but this article summarizes recent developments quite well. There was also something interesting about Russia's continuing sphere of influence in the former Soviet states.
'1984' is looking more and more like a documentary, especially if you live in the UK.... But it's not the only scary thing happening in the world (of course); take a look at the routine drugging of illegal immigrants in the US, or the next 'great distraction' for the upcoming US election.
A post-Bush world... what will it look like? Whatever it does, it's going to take a long time to undo the damage, if at all. The numbers don't look good.
The Global Peace Index is out and Iceland has topped the list again with the USA in 97th place (down a spot) and Australia in 27th (down two). Japan is 5th (but I guess old people can't lift those heavy guns...).
You know it may be too late to do anything about climate change when serious scientists start proposing crazy solutions, such as dying the sky purple. Another is to sue the oil companies a la Big Tobacco for screwing up the environment. But it IS possible to go green. One city has cut its electricity use by up to 30% - in a month!
Don't laugh at me as I drive my Mitsubishi rollerskate. These little cars are hot! (The tank is 30 litres and I last filled up after going 450km on one tank!)
Oil is not the only force behind the food crisis. Here's a look at how the World Bank and the IMF are also responsible for what's happening. There's also a bit about how to go against them and save your country's food supply at the same time. Go Malawi!
With the Aussie Dollar continuing its strong run against pretty much everything, the long term effects are starting to be felt, especially in what's left of Australia's manufacturing sector.
But the burning issue of the day is, will Warnie roll one over against the Poms!?
Now we can all scowl at the pregnant women using mobile phones. Do they hate their children that much???
Pervert.
I support this uplifting experience. My cup runneth over. But I should be brief and not (G-)string you along.
I can't decide if this is funny or sad, so I'll go with pathetic.
You've heard of books that have changed the world, but how about books that screwed up the world?
Mugshots are also forever in the Internet Age.
I want one of these - and possibly also one of these (at least I'd have a reason to get a DS!).
Russia's becoming more and more of a proto-Fascist state, which is nothing new of you've been reading the papers, but this article summarizes recent developments quite well. There was also something interesting about Russia's continuing sphere of influence in the former Soviet states.
'1984' is looking more and more like a documentary, especially if you live in the UK.... But it's not the only scary thing happening in the world (of course); take a look at the routine drugging of illegal immigrants in the US, or the next 'great distraction' for the upcoming US election.
A post-Bush world... what will it look like? Whatever it does, it's going to take a long time to undo the damage, if at all. The numbers don't look good.
The Global Peace Index is out and Iceland has topped the list again with the USA in 97th place (down a spot) and Australia in 27th (down two). Japan is 5th (but I guess old people can't lift those heavy guns...).
You know it may be too late to do anything about climate change when serious scientists start proposing crazy solutions, such as dying the sky purple. Another is to sue the oil companies a la Big Tobacco for screwing up the environment. But it IS possible to go green. One city has cut its electricity use by up to 30% - in a month!
Don't laugh at me as I drive my Mitsubishi rollerskate. These little cars are hot! (The tank is 30 litres and I last filled up after going 450km on one tank!)
Oil is not the only force behind the food crisis. Here's a look at how the World Bank and the IMF are also responsible for what's happening. There's also a bit about how to go against them and save your country's food supply at the same time. Go Malawi!
With the Aussie Dollar continuing its strong run against pretty much everything, the long term effects are starting to be felt, especially in what's left of Australia's manufacturing sector.
But the burning issue of the day is, will Warnie roll one over against the Poms!?
Now we can all scowl at the pregnant women using mobile phones. Do they hate their children that much???
Pervert.
I support this uplifting experience. My cup runneth over. But I should be brief and not (G-)string you along.
I can't decide if this is funny or sad, so I'll go with pathetic.
You've heard of books that have changed the world, but how about books that screwed up the world?
Mugshots are also forever in the Internet Age.
I want one of these - and possibly also one of these (at least I'd have a reason to get a DS!).
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Aaah yes.
Listening to the most recent Art Of Fighting album is a good way to wind down after playing the bass. Actually I haven't picked up the bass for a good couple of months or so so my fingers will be sore today. Never mind - it's going to suffice for 'exercise' at the moment since my schedule is basically revolving around sleeping and teaching - hence the lack of updates. I have to kick the laziness... perhaps around September or so.
Everything is up in the air at the moment. I can sense change is in the offing but when and how is anyone's guess. I guess since my life changed so drastically in the past twelve months that I'm now up for something new. Maybe 'change' has become the norm and this period of stillness is the 'normality' settling in. Problem is that things have now settled to the point where I could easily cruise through the next several years and nothing could change at least on a personal level. As Ferris Bueller said, "Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
So I stopped. I looked. I found something nice. Can I bring it home with me? Time will tell.
Bad design is the highlight of today's posting.
First comes what could only be described as the perfect mix of bad taste and permanency (so this is the reason why laser surgery was developed?), the Hello Kitty Darth Vader tattoo.
Next, also from Japan, comes a mix of sci-fi and not thinking much about the reality of cost and the environment comes the pyramid built over Tokyo Bay that'll house 750,000 people and contribute vastly to the death toll if there's an earthquake or tsunami. Hey, isn't Tokyo overdue for a major quake? Why, yes, it is!
Seriously, how would you play a guitar with six heads?!? At least you wouldn't have to buy another one. The sixth one is a baritone, apparently, and the fifth is a six string bass a la the Fender VI, which would be my next purchase in itself, if I could afford one. Originals cost about $3000 new! (I saw one for that price in Kobe a few months ago)
One architect's response to a council's red tape over building a simple garden shed on a farm is a model for the witty sarcastic response - the irony being that the council would likely accept such a response as it satisfied all the criteria for the application!
The Legendary Stardust Cowboy has a contender. Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to welcome to the stage, Joey Linello! Mullet would happily support him on his Australian tour.
Not so much bad design, but bad taste: things people do and wear that they think make them look cool, but actually make them look like they're stupid.
We're kind of segwaying into a couple of my usual topics for posting: the limitless depths of human stupidity and the environment. Witness the first stupid move of the Rudd Government (up for debate), the means testing of the solar panel rebate, instantly cutting the revenue for these companies in half. Ummm... show me the working middle and lower classes who are going to put solar cells on the homes? I agree with the commentator who says that cutting CO2 levels is going to take a bold and broad-sweeping move, especially when we read that levels are at the highest for the past 800,000 years and climate change is a global phenomenon. Cutting rebates is not going to do that at all. It's really going to take a global movement to make it happen - and do you think that's going to happen soon? I didn't think so either.
Organised crime has its hands in our waste disposal. Insert witty irony-laced comment here.
The strange quirks of our bodies show the history of evolution. A decent read!
DARPA is 50. Here's a list of its successes, and (more amusingly) its failures. Mechanical elephants indeed!
Speaking more than one language may slow the ageing process in the brain, and the more languages you speak the better according to this study.
The drums for war across the Middle East and even into Asia grow louder, and already the predictions are coming out. Too many too much to go on about here concisely, but sometimes you need to listen to what seems like crazy ramblings. The ones before the Iraq invasion were ignored and now the fallout has extended into food prices going up around the globe and creating a food crisis now starting to spiral out of control towards... what? Already China is eyeing a global land grab to grow food for its population while Australia continues to change into a dust bowl. Japan's government is conducting studies (as they usually do), fiddling while Rome burns. Meanwhile Bush, who should be indicted on war crimes charges, may be gunning for life-long dictatorship in the USA. Read, watch, listen, prepare.
Is it time to invade Burma?
It's nice to see one superstition supporting another, such as the Catholic Church now saying it's OK to believe in aliens. Does this mean the pope's a Scientologist?
The ten longest novels ever written.
At least someone's had the courage to tell the truth about England, but the English themselves!?
And finally, the complete ACME catalogue.
Everything is up in the air at the moment. I can sense change is in the offing but when and how is anyone's guess. I guess since my life changed so drastically in the past twelve months that I'm now up for something new. Maybe 'change' has become the norm and this period of stillness is the 'normality' settling in. Problem is that things have now settled to the point where I could easily cruise through the next several years and nothing could change at least on a personal level. As Ferris Bueller said, "Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
So I stopped. I looked. I found something nice. Can I bring it home with me? Time will tell.
Bad design is the highlight of today's posting.
First comes what could only be described as the perfect mix of bad taste and permanency (so this is the reason why laser surgery was developed?), the Hello Kitty Darth Vader tattoo.
Next, also from Japan, comes a mix of sci-fi and not thinking much about the reality of cost and the environment comes the pyramid built over Tokyo Bay that'll house 750,000 people and contribute vastly to the death toll if there's an earthquake or tsunami. Hey, isn't Tokyo overdue for a major quake? Why, yes, it is!
Seriously, how would you play a guitar with six heads?!? At least you wouldn't have to buy another one. The sixth one is a baritone, apparently, and the fifth is a six string bass a la the Fender VI, which would be my next purchase in itself, if I could afford one. Originals cost about $3000 new! (I saw one for that price in Kobe a few months ago)
One architect's response to a council's red tape over building a simple garden shed on a farm is a model for the witty sarcastic response - the irony being that the council would likely accept such a response as it satisfied all the criteria for the application!
The Legendary Stardust Cowboy has a contender. Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to welcome to the stage, Joey Linello! Mullet would happily support him on his Australian tour.
Not so much bad design, but bad taste: things people do and wear that they think make them look cool, but actually make them look like they're stupid.
We're kind of segwaying into a couple of my usual topics for posting: the limitless depths of human stupidity and the environment. Witness the first stupid move of the Rudd Government (up for debate), the means testing of the solar panel rebate, instantly cutting the revenue for these companies in half. Ummm... show me the working middle and lower classes who are going to put solar cells on the homes? I agree with the commentator who says that cutting CO2 levels is going to take a bold and broad-sweeping move, especially when we read that levels are at the highest for the past 800,000 years and climate change is a global phenomenon. Cutting rebates is not going to do that at all. It's really going to take a global movement to make it happen - and do you think that's going to happen soon? I didn't think so either.
Organised crime has its hands in our waste disposal. Insert witty irony-laced comment here.
The strange quirks of our bodies show the history of evolution. A decent read!
DARPA is 50. Here's a list of its successes, and (more amusingly) its failures. Mechanical elephants indeed!
Speaking more than one language may slow the ageing process in the brain, and the more languages you speak the better according to this study.
The drums for war across the Middle East and even into Asia grow louder, and already the predictions are coming out. Too many too much to go on about here concisely, but sometimes you need to listen to what seems like crazy ramblings. The ones before the Iraq invasion were ignored and now the fallout has extended into food prices going up around the globe and creating a food crisis now starting to spiral out of control towards... what? Already China is eyeing a global land grab to grow food for its population while Australia continues to change into a dust bowl. Japan's government is conducting studies (as they usually do), fiddling while Rome burns. Meanwhile Bush, who should be indicted on war crimes charges, may be gunning for life-long dictatorship in the USA. Read, watch, listen, prepare.
Is it time to invade Burma?
It's nice to see one superstition supporting another, such as the Catholic Church now saying it's OK to believe in aliens. Does this mean the pope's a Scientologist?
The ten longest novels ever written.
At least someone's had the courage to tell the truth about England, but the English themselves!?
And finally, the complete ACME catalogue.
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