Higo Blog

Dread Natty Dread

No, this is not the head of a black mop, nor is it the scalp of a Rastafarian. This walking natty dread is technically a dog. This dog reminds me of some of the voodoo demons that the Jamaican babysitter conjures to scare two misbehaving kids in the 80's TV series, Amazing Stories.

I have seen this strange beast wandering around the streets, like some sort of mutant caterpillar. Today it was sitting right in front of a sliding glass door, and wouldn't budge, so pedestrians were forced to step over or walk around him to get in or out of the building.

He must really stink when he gets wet.

Southern Awaji Sunset

Taken at Fukuagehama beach while surf fishing. It was a fine beach, but nothing was biting.

The Next Tarantino Scripts?

I read an interesting comment on my last post on Quentin Tarantino:

The screenplay of Quentin Tarantino's Kung Fu movie has been leaked to the internet. It seems to be some sort of Japanese gangster flick. Link

The linked site contains two scripts:

The working title of the first script, a Japanese gangster/Kung Fu film is GREYHOUND. The second Tarantino script is a teenage crime story called HIGH SCHOOL SKY HIGH.

I think that this was spread by the author of the site, as the name of the author is "Rancor". Does this person really have beef with Q.T., or are the scripts fake? Justin thinks that the scripts might have been put up by an ambitious writer looking to cash in on some publicity through a hoax.

BJ-League

No, it's really not what it sounds like. It is another example of amusing example of English in Japan, but this time with a high-profile and the potential to make the BJ-League the laughing stock of English speaking basketball leagues the world over, even before it gets a crack at establishing itself.

The BJ-League is Japan's new professional basketball league. The announcement of the league comes after Tabuse's debut in the NBA, so Yuta-san has a pretty good fallback plan if he ever stops playing in the States.

The use of strange mutant English used in Japanese media and goods has been widely documented. For things such as Asse chocolate and cream-filled Collon cookies, it is amusing and part of the joy of living in Japan is spotting mistake-riddled English loaded with unintentional political incorrectness, double entendres, and faux paxs. After having taught English for 2 years, I can tell you that English education is in rough shape in Japan, due to the common fear of speaking and practicing conversation. Interestingly, Japanese students are relatively pretty good at reading and writing English. Let's analyze the name BJ-League, keeping this in mind.

I am speculating that they chopped off the "assketball" from the "B" and grafted it on to "J-League", AKA the professional Japanese soccer league. Sounds good in theory abbreviating "Basketball" and "Japan" to "BJ" and attaching "League", but what they got was a good name for an X-rated video. For such a high profile venture as a professional sports league, why not run the proposed name by a panel of English speakers, or even just one dude who knows English, to check for errors and such? Now they're stuck with it, and I can never take the league seriously. Ah, BJ-League... Those crazy, crazy Japanese.

Take a look at the teams on the BJ-League homepage, featuring the Sendai 89ers, the Niigata Albirex (here's the cheerleader's site), the Saitama Broncos, The Tokyo Apache, the Osaka Deinonychus, and the Oita Heat Devils. The Heat Devils' logo really reminds me of Hot Wheels. How exciting can a national league with only 6 teams be? I guess only time will tell.

Thoughts on Two Upcoming Weddings

Some people run away from marriage and the responsibilities of a serious relationship as if it were the act of self-castration. I must admit, that when I first heard that some of my friends were getting married I felt frightened for them, as if they had told me that they were going to a far, unreachable place from which there would be no return. But then I thought about it, and it became clear that they were going to become better than they were before. Yes, after they get married, they will obligated to conduct themselves in ways that may not seem so fun, but will hopefully bring a deeper meaning to them as a family.

First, I would like to say congratulations to Chris and Brian, and to their respective fiances, Sarah and Rebecca. You women are doing these two a great service, and they know it, I know it, and all of our friends also know it as well. Building 2 story beer bongs, living in I.V. for three years, doing various dangerous things while enibriated (electric pickle, riding bikes, falling off of roofs, blowing shit up, etc...), and playing cruel jokes on each other lends me a special perspective on these two. It is obvious to me that without you, Chris and Brian would still be a bunch of primates, scratching their rears and flinging poo at each other.

Chris. Brian. You guys are also bringing something into the relationship. You will get to be the chief "male role model" of the house, and the corresponding duties. Countless afternoons spent perfecting your chillin' and grillin' techniques will be passed on to the next generation, as well as an encyclopedic knowledge of both micro an macrobrews. Hurricane punch and long island iced tea awaits, although it will never again be served out of a 5 gallon water cooler. Instead, you guys will drink to get a nice buzz, not until you start urinating on cop cars, in front of cops hiding in the bushes, or anywhere in the proximity of an on-duty police officer for that matter. Having a female partner who wants to help you [as opposed to any guy who would] instead of laugh at you really has its advantages sometimes. It also means that you will be called in to kill any insects, rodents, or deal with any dangerous life forms (Update: Rebecca is the one who takes care of the insects).

Although you two are getting married, I hope that we can all still find some time every once in a while to go out and do nostalgic stuff. You know what I'm talking about- like blowing shit up!!! Do you remember how fun that was? Or sharing a nice keg of Sierra Nevada (that would be Rolling Rock for Chris) while enjoying grilled portobellos and thick chunks of meat. Maybe we can even take a trip into Mexico and go fishing sometime (no, not to TJ to see the spray painted donkeys).

Honestly though, I am truly happy for you guys.

Another Update: Congratulations to Joe "the Muppet" and Michiyo who got married (Mark posted some good photos from the ceremony) down in Kumamoto. Michiyo Fingerhut, hmmm... it's going to take a while to get used to saying that. Best of luck in St. Louis, guys.

Through the lense of T. Utsushigawa

Last night I found a picture taken by my maternal great-grandfather of the City Market of Los Angeles, over 96 years ago. I don't know much about T. Utsushigawa, save for what my mom has told me.

City Market of Los Angeles, California, 9th & San Pedro Street, August 8th 1910. Shot by T. Utsushigawa (click on the picture for a larger version).

According to my mom, my great-grandfather established himself as a prominent photographer, but like most Americans of Japanese descent he lost everything when he was interred in the concentration camps of World War II.

This picture has great value to me because it is a tangible piece of heritage, part of his life and occupation. Thanks to the Library of Congress photo archive, I was able to see an America that he lived in. If you look closely, you will notice that the cars in the crowded parking lot are, in fact, covered wagons (or horse drawn carriages if you prefer). It almost looks as if he was there right after the taming of the Wild West.

This is the only picture that I can find, but hopefully more can be uncovered with a more extensive search.

Fragging Biker Punks and Hunting from Home

How are the police going to deal with motorcyclists that cause a nuisance late at night and pose a danger to other motorists?

Cops will also be armed with paintball rifles, nail guns to shoot out tires and can now use unmarked Black Wing motorcycles to keep watch on the roads. (from this article)

Paintball guns I can understand, but nail guns (this is kind of off topic, but here's another interesting story involving a nail gun-Operation Magician)? Someone's been playing a little too much Quake or something. Hmmm, a cop shooting the tires out from under a young punk with a nail gun while riding a motorcycle. What could possibly go wrong? What if the cop mistakenly draws a bead on the motorcyclist's head and only realizes that what he thought was a paintball gun was in fact a nail gun after he squeezes the trigger (Headshot!)? Does anyone else see anything that could possibly go wrong with these measures? I can already envision some fed-up cops freezing their paintballs and jacking up the velocity past recommended levels.

Does anyone remember The Jackal (the movie kind of based on The Day of The Jackal, not Carlos the Jackal, which is worth watching for the scene where Willis's character adjusts the aim of the remote controlled .50 cal) with Bruce Willis and Jack Black? Well, some Texan is selling 10 shots from a .22 rigged so that it can be used over the internet. I like the idea, but if I'm going hunting over the internet I want to use a larger caliber rifle with the option to toggle between semi, tri-burst, fully-automatic, and grenade launcher settings to compensate for any lag issues.

Leapfrogging Microcosms

It's crazy what you can find when Googling your name and the name of people that you know. For example, I found out that my high school friends Gary Dote (at Halocrazed) and Daniel Chong (posting at chickennuggets) are also blogging. It's good to hear from old friends, even if just through their posts.

It's interesting to hear stories from people who have read my postings, as I enjoy hearing feedback and exchanging stories and opinions. But my favorite story by far comes from Joe Debiec.

I posted my thoughts about Joe leaving a McDonalds bag full of feces on top of my Civic after going to a cheesy disco party in Miyazaki, thinking that I was just recording a funny (in retrospect, not at that present moment) story for posterity. Well, it turns out that his professor, who has written letters of recommendation for him and whom he still corresponds with, did a search on Google and found this post. The professor then brought the post to his attention, teasingly chastising him for his primitive behavior. Now, that post generated some truly gratifying results and that is part of the joy of posting.

Other thoughts on Google as a social navigation tool:

Ego-googling, and Justin's attempts to boost his page rank under a search for my name, has also made me aware of the existence of another Adam T. Yoshida. I wonder how many people have met or will meet me, only to mistake me for this other Adam T. Yoshida. How many of my former friends and acquaintances were shocked to find out that I wasn't a real American or think that I have transformed into someone who is very vocal about his right wing views.

Many people write insulting things about this prolific Canadian, and though I am not this individual and do not share his political views I can't help but feel disgusted about the lack of good things said about our collective name. I feel defensive of this other Adam T. Yoshida, even though we've never met each other or directly corresponded. It sounds superficial, but that's how I feel. I'm kind of surprised that no Adam T. Yoshida hater has left any comments on this blog, but then again once you read Higo Blog it should be pretty clear that it isn't written by the Canadian Adam T. Yoshida. For now, I am operating under the assumption that I am the only American Adam T. Yoshida in existence.

Yo! Jimbo Blog

Jamie "Slice Bush" Mackay has started up The Republic of Mackistan, chronicling his experiences as a JET in Aso-gun. Here's a little excerpt:

Imagine you have been sent to a new land, virtually unreachable from the home you used to know. Upon arrival in this truly "foreign" country, you are shipped off like a newly acquired zoo animal (Cuddly Dominion) to a ginormous pit in the earth, put on exhibit for all to see. This massive dent in the earth is surrounded by sheer walls of rock 500 meters high, unclimbable except for a breed of animals known as "shogakkusei," which are mysteriously and ritualistically herded up and down these walls every year. Within the natural barriers of earth lies a giant volcano spewing its deadly sulfur breath into the air as a constant reminder that your existence is at NATURE's mercy.

Jamie and I shared in a fair share of good/interesting times last year. We almost got blown away during a hippie music festival on top of Mt. Aso, went hitchhiking through half of Kyushu (come to think of it, this qualifies as part of the hitchhiking experience), and have dazed recollections of past parties and hashes. Keep on eye on his blog to see what life in Aso as an obvious gaijin is all about.

Mr. Sparkle-vision

watch

Searching For Truth in the Sea of Cortez

Ed Ricketts (biography) and John Steinbeck are two names that are synonymous with Monterey's Cannery Row. Looking at the pickled creatures in large bottles of formaldehyde, and the primitive scientific instruments and texts with which they were studied, I get goose bumps and feel my enthusiasm flare up just thinking about going out to a rich sea, capturing specimens, and scrutinizingly recording over every detail later. In the Sea of Cortez, you could make more discoveries, see more mind-blowing creatures with vibrant colors and fascinating behaviors, and participate in the noble quest for expanding our collective knowledge.

These experiences sound like a great time, even considering that living on a ship entails certain hardships such as lack of privacy, equilibrium imbalance issues, being confined in a very small space with a limited number of people, and having to post watch in the middle of the night to make sure that the boat is safe. Besides, you get to fight epic battles with beautiful, ferocious fish, hopefully resulting in some seafood to supplement the provisions.

I am only on the first pages of the log of the scientific expedition, undertaken by the Sea of Cortez Expedition and Education Project, and I am already hooked. Bill Gilly's (the chief scientist) statement of purpose seems to really resonate with the image that I have of Doc Ricketts- an approach to studying marine biology that blends the passion of one's hobby(using hobby as the Japanese definition of spending all of your free time and money on) with the uncompromising work ethic for one's chosen profession. The sea is our last terrestrial frontier, and holds many more surprises than we know.

M. Curie Onsen

Smoking is legal, so why shouldn't taking a radon bath be? It's probably not a wise decision, but people have the right to give themselves cancer. However, it is a stupid thing to do because there are so many other onsens to choose from that have specialties of a more benign and pleasant nature. Why not go to Aso Farmland and bathe in wine, herbs, and flowers, go to Kurokawa and dunk your body in bitter cold mountain river water after soaking in minerals and heat and absorbing the abundant natural beauty, or get buried in sand after relaxing in a volcanic mud bath in Kagoshima? Going to the onsen allows one the sorely needed time to reflect and to analyze and learn from their stupidity (post hash wound examination and cleaning, nomihodai futsukayoi detox, etc). Developing cancer after routinely going to the radon onsen, one would seriously ask one's self "What the f*** was I thinking?" and then agonize over it. Now wouldn't that be ironic- a place of relaxation being the source of worry and stress.

Countries Visited

Where have you been? So far, I have only traveled North of the equator. Gotta get down south one of these days.

You're Welcome

HK Cinema, Tarantino Style

I am looking forward to Tarantino's future Kung-Fu movie, which is supposedly taking precedence over Inglorious Bastards (currently in production). I predict that the dubbed version (the film will be in Mandarin, with English subtitles on another version) will be most excellent. Will Pai Mei make it into this movie???

Runoff Salad

Round-up, the most widely used herbicide in the world, is nothing but bad news. It is not a long term option for agricultural use, and if you have it you should throw it away, stop being so lazy, and pick those weeds out with some gardening tools or your hands instead. Although the herbicide portion of Round-up has been extensively tested in the labs, the emulsificant that binds it to vegetation has not, and its effects on human health and the environment are yet to be well documented (What happens when it gets carried away as runoff and is absorbed by water, soil, and living organisms?). But lets look at what we do know.

Nature finds a way to overcome challenges whether it be from predation or some other environmental pressure, in this case poison. Most plants sprayed by Round-up will die, but given enough time a plant resistant to Round-up will emerge, crafted to survive and to distribute its code, effectively circumventing this particular poison and thriving in the lack of competition.

Screwing with a crop's genes to make it resistant to the poison gives the crop the unnatural advantage of already having the right traits to survive, but this advantage is finite and will eventually cease to be an advantage when the other plants evolve. It becomes quite clear, that much like any other Green Revolution technology, this is a short-term strategy (Green Revolution agricultural practices are inherently unsustainable because they mostly depend on petrochemicals to develop chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, other poisons, and also to power agricultural machinery. Yes, petroleum is a finite source, unless you don't mind for solar energy to be stored in biomass and then for that to be acted on by geological pressure and other conditions for a very, very long time. When the oil dries up, new solutions or materials must be found in order to continue which will most likely signal the next agricultural revolution, or at least a major innovation).

Alarmingly, the possibility of genetic leakage into the environment has not been sufficiently addressed. To what extent do engineered species' genes spread throughout the native population, and what implications does this have for the environment and us? No one really knows, and the big corporations like Monsanto have no interest in addressing this because it would be an added cost and likely yield results that would advocate a more cautious approach to genetic engineering. Well, it was only a matter of time before such recklessness bit us in the ass. Check out this story about Round-up resistant coca plants. Is this the first clear example of genetic engineering being used by rogue scientists, or is it merely the result of natural selection?

If that got your attention, why not read about the Terminator technology(and here) that Monsanto has developed. Or about stealing the genetic heritage (this is, interestingly an IPR issue) of farmers that don't know any better or don't have the resources to do anything about it(scroll down to no. 4). The bottom line is that Monsanto's products and services are designed and sold in order to maximize profits, as are most successful businesses. I'm not saying that seeking to maximize profits is a bad thing, but when the interests of an elite few compete with health, social, and environmental well-being of everyone else it's time to start paying close attention.

pwn3d Nigerian

Remember the letter I got from Mr. Folorunso of Nigeria? It seems that one of his colleagues fell for the ol' switcheroo, skillfully grifted by "Father Hector"! Classic.

Interesting MP3 Players

Check out these 2 new head-mounted mp3 players:

Finis SwiMP3-
This mp3 player conducts sound through your cheekbone. The player sticks to the back of your head and two cable-attached conductors clip onto your goggles, like Lando Calrisian's Bald Cyborg Cheif of Security on Cloud City. Can you put this on a diving mask and listen while you're out SCUBA diving?How deep can you take this thing before the pressure damages it? And how are you supposed to use these if you go out surfing (like it says in this article), do you need to wear gogs? If so, how do you deal with all of the other surfers pointing and laughing at you? Costs $239.95 and holds 128MB.

Oakley Thump-
MP3 player mounted on to the arms of a pair of Oakleys. The buds branch out on a pair of legs into your ear canals, and the lenses flip up so you can let everyone know just how geeky you really are. How does the Thump handle, oh... say, a faceplant (or more likely, several) after botching a big jump, smacking down hard on compacted snow? One thing is for certain: the Thump will give you a very distinctive, butt ugly raccoon mask after a weekend at Mammoth. Costs $495, holds 256MB, and has polarized lenses. A 128MB, non-polarized version is available, but why the heck would you say no to double the memory and polarized lenses for just another C note?

Of course, for the IPod people there is the U2 IPod Special Edition-
A new color scheme and the signatures of the band members on the back, along with a $50 coupon for U2's soon to be released complete anthology. This MP3 player doesn't really make for a good comparison for the ones listed above, but inevitably serves as the mp3 player to which all others are judged. Really, it's just a regular IPod in new clothing- can't easily mount to your skull, doesn't come with polarized lenses, and is not waterproof, but it has 20GB. Except that its the Boooooooner Special Edition. Buy one and stand out from your fellow IPod people, but not really. 20Gigs, $349, white earphones, and Boner written on the back of your IPod!

Awaji Underground

There is a secret lair, hidden inside of a junk-filled bunker under a seaside hotel/resort in Sumoto City, Awaji Shima. Getting into the cave required some minor climbing and acrobatics, and only when I had gotten inside did it become apparent that someone had been here first, and had claimed it as their own. Someone has obviously spent a lot of time bombing out the joint with conventional painting supplies and the Japanese equivalent of Krylon. Among the layers of detritus left behind by stormy waters and past gatherings were an aluminum boat, a scavenged table with four milk crate seats, a few nasty, funky futons, and other stuff that might have been litter or someone's property. It's always an interesting time when a regular outing unexpectedly turns into a modern-day anthropological/archaeological expedition. I wonder if the masked teenagers who go racing around late at night on their loud motorcycles, leading the local cops on long, dragged out chases are the same guys who chill out here. I think I'll just leave that as an unknown to indulge my imaginations.



*note: the chamber on the corner is separated from the lair by a concrete wall, so if you look in the closest openings, all you can see are the remains of a rusted out septic tank that has been filled with rubble.