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.