An elusive Japanese Hummingbird Moth, aka "エビフライ"
I finally caught one on film card, and he's a color I've never seen before!
Today marks the start of a series of "lasts."
Last e-mails on the work account.
Last time staring at the patterns in the acoustic ceiling tiles.
For Christ's sake, last goddamn morning exercises!
I am walking around the office in a haze. I watch myself shaking hands, saying goodbyes, tying up loose ends from a third person point of view. Six and one-half years is an awful long time to do the same job in a foreign country.
Over the next few weeks, time will accelerate and I will be in a rush to see old friends, catch a few new sights, and feel the rush of old, familiar feelings one last time before I go (oh, and also to move to Thailand). But it all starts here, on the last day of work. My cynical side equates this to escaping from the Yamato - fight bravely, suckers! - and it is undeniably sad to watch friends and colleagues sail off as I find a different way, but it is also the right thing to do, and it is my way.
Today, I graduate from being Salaryman.
//
Did everyone read her Space Blog?
This has to be one of the most inspirational blog posts ever.
After all, tomorrow is my LAST DAY of work.
But that's not the only reason. Let me break off some of this happyhappyjoyjoy for you, too:
Intrigued? Go find out all you want about this little guy here: LINK
BREAKING NEWS ALERT!
Chinese like to gobble a dick all kinds of dick: Beijing's penis emporium
I will admit to having eaten bull penis and testicle soup (respectively, cartilaginous and spongy), poached cod sperm (creamy), and a few other weird things, but I absolutely draw the line at seal penis (I once saw a walrus' penis and it was like a beige fire hydrant) and aborted reindeer foetus.
No?
How about a tasty glass of water from the Yodogawa?
The Osaka municipal government's Water Bureau plans to sell bottles of highly purified tap water from Yodogawa river in an attempt to dispel a long-held belief among residents that the city's water does not taste good.Even though the tap water is now purified at facilities with cutting-edge technology, there are still many locals who say the water smells and is not drinkable.
The municipal government plans to hold a competition to choose a name and design for the bottles that will present a positive image of the city while keeping an eye on sales of bottled tap water in other cities.
I know! How about "Massengill すきやねん！"
Full story here.
I've said this a thousand times before: On the Wheels of Solid Steel is the best CD/DVD combo I've ever seen, period. When I heard about it I had to order from England, but it looks like they sell it on Amazon now. Do yourself a favor and get it, it's one of the few mixed albums I can stand to listen to on it's own (without video), and the bonus DVD is one of the few I've ever found worth watching more than once - hell, I'd have bought it separately if they'd decided to market it that way.
................
The two vids above are really well edited and fun, but I saved the best for last. These are live performances from his 2005 Japan tour:
Whoa Keanu, you gotta check out this experimental video site: http://www.neave.tv
Too cool for words.
Just came back from the last trip to the dentist. That's 7 visits in one month - one root canal, 5 cavities, and today, a lengthy cleaning and some adjustments with a YAG laser.
My dentist turned out to be an okay guy - he treated my wife last year as well and we talked about Thailand a lot in between sessions with the Pick of Pain and the Drill of Evil. He didn't even charge me for the cleaning and lasering sesh today, an unexpected treat.
Counting today, I have three days of work left. After that, I have three weeks to get my affairs in order and move to Thailand.
It's been six and a half years since I was last unemployed. Plus, there's the whole thing about learning a new language and culture... I must admit, I am nervous as I approach this next stage of life.
On the other hand: Freedom! Starting over in a new country! Learning a new language and culture!
When I start thinking about what I'm thinking about too much, I need to force myself to just accept the unknown, accept that I cannot control or even plan for everything. It goes against my nature somehow, but at the same time, it's the only way I know.
I like The Wire a lot (especially the first season), but it's somewhat overrated - I personally think The Shield is a better series.
Likewise, the British series Spooks is pretty good at times, but it's very overrated - and to call it "better than 24," as I've seen on a few boards is just a joke - fuck thee not with the JB, yo.
"Just another day in the LBC CTU"
Almost 50 different covers of Garota de Ipanema in mp3 format.
The original, of course, was written by Ricky Martin and performed by Menudo.
I've always secretly hoped for a cover by Napalm Death.
(thx bree)
Watch all 18 seasons of the Simpsons for free: LINK
I taught a little girl how to fish today and she caught a delicious mebaru.
However, I was disappointed that I did not in the least feel like Jesus.
I took a break from posting about the coup because no real information came forth for some time. However, this column I read over at The Nation (whose offices are apparently being guarded by the military) is just too good not to point out: Sonthi outsmarted Thaksin at the eleventh hour
If it's true that General Sonthi effectively prevented bloodshed by initiating this coup, it's nothing short of heroic, in my mind.
"However, an intelligence report reached General Sonthi's camp stating that there would be bloodshed on Wednesday. The People's Alliance for Democracy had planned to hold a political rally that day at the Royal Plaza in order to force Thaksin out of politics. Had that rally taken place, there would have been clashes between the People's Alliance for Democracy and Thaksin's supporters and blood would have been spilt on Rajdamnoen Avenue. If only Thaksin had promised that he would take a break from politics and allow a period of political reforms to take place, the PAD and other branches of the anti-Thaksin movement would have declared victory. All political confrontations would have subsided. Thaksin could have run for office once the Constitution was amended, and he would have been returned to the premier's post, probably in the latter part of next year."
Of course, there's that whole thing about winners being the ones that write history and all that, but there's a lot that makes sense about this story, and it seems to be corroborated by other sources as well. It's too early to link; I want to check into this further.
By all accounts, Bangkok and the rest of the country is chugging along as normal, perhaps with an increased military presence, but that's about it. The economy doesn't seem to be affected too badly, and most people seem to be of the opinion that staging the coup was the right thing to do.
Thailand will be my home for a while, and right now, I am hopeful.
From the desk of Ursula K. Le Guin: A First Response to "Gedo Senki," the Earthsea film made by Goro Miyazaki for Studio Ghibli.
I think I may want to watch this one sometime (as opposed to the steaming pile that the Sci-Fi channel created a couple years ago)
(wow, 2 gandaaalf-ish posts in a row!)
Yo man, this is the kind of shit I mean when I say Oregon is weird.
That's not to say that Cali isn't weird, either, because it is - it's just less... GANDAAALF!!!
You just know they gotta have a community elvinweed/entshroom patch up in there.
Background: Coworker A just came back from an overseas posting last month and is showing the same kind of displeasure about our fabulicious uniforms that we all did last year.
Coworker A: These new uniforms are so gay, my little sister wants mine when I'm done with it.
Coworker B: Why, is your sister a lesbian?
Coworker A: No, asshole, she's a girl.
Coworker B: Oh... Sumimasen.
I have only a week left; my office farewell party is tonight!
Just modify a laptop PC to run off of these USB-rechargeable AA cells:
Of course, with only 1300mA to work with per cell, you will be lugging around a suitcase full of batteries and USB hubs, but I say no price is too steep for your own personal infinity loop, even if it isn't, really.
...............
I'll accept my Nobel money in cash, thank you.
Nico is our Mauritian homie in Bangkok. I like visiting his blog and pretending I can read French every day for a couple minutes, then invariably loading his page through a site like Babelfish in order to see how much I misunderstood (alas, invariably much more than I understood).
Anyway, the title of this post stems from the Babelfish translation of the term, "coup d'etat." Go check it out yourself here.
That's right, blow d'etat! I'm writing the screenplay in my head right now - I'm thinking Austrian accents, chained midgets, and trannie crossdressing ladyboy amputees... "Meesta? Ver are ze royal jew-els?"
This is bound to be a hit.
............
I think the current strategy of translation-providing machines is to generate nonsensical translations of such entertainment value that we humans forgive them for actually sucking at their real purpose. For instance, I think c’est much fuzzier* is the greatest expression I have ever heard! And a stupid machine thought it up!
*fifth paragraph from the bottom of the page I linked to above, linked again here just in case
The fucking phone lines are down.
I can't call Nam.
..........
UPDATE: I got through. Everything is cool but nobody knows what the hell is going on. Nam and her family are watching Fox and CNN because the local channels have all been taken over by the military and are airing looped messages calling for civil stability and respect for the king.
In other news, I feel slightly stupid for having bought my ticket to Bangkok less than four hours ago.
...........
Thaksin Overthrown In Army Coup, Thai Constitution is revoked by military
As of this morning, Nam is saying that nobody has any idea what's going on. Satellite TV channels have been blocked, Internet access is severely congested or blocked, and there is no news yet from her university (the occupying forces declared all schools closed, but didn't specify if it was just in Bangkok or not - Nam's uni is far, far away from the confusion there).
On top of this, all the money I sent to my Bangkok Bank account is now inaccessible. I'm gonna stay home from work all day and see how hard I get fucked when the currencies market opens. But that shit is secondary, of course. Why does this shit happen now? I was weeks away from seeing Nam again - I hope that's still possible.
I will keep this thread updated throughout the day. I have no desire to do anything else today and by now have seen most of the relevant links. I offer the best of those below.
...........
This is the thread to watch:
2Bangkok forum thread on coup
note: I made small spelling corrections to the following post by a well-informed Thai poster there
"Well durign the coup, Channel 11 of PR Dept was seized as usual .... in addition to Thai Com UBC and ITVNow the cavalrymen are guarding Pap Prem at his house in Thewet
Durign the communication between Moh Liab (Prommin Loedsureedej) and Thaksin, Moh Phrommuin is asking Thaksin to go down to Manila at 1 AM of September 20, (Thailand time) instead of BKK
The coup is coming from the following units
1) The 1st Army -> 5 battalions from the 31rd Infantry Regiment (Royal Guard from Lopburi)
2) The 3rd Army -> at least 4 cavalry battalions from the 1st Cavalry Division
3) Special Warfare Unit (the 5th Army - Lopburi)
4) Some of Royal Thai Navy
5) The 2nd Cavalry Division (the 23rd Cavalry battalion and the 24th Cavalry battalion) from Sanam Pao (near channel 5)They come to seize Government House and Donmuang Airforce Base at Midnight of Sept 20 through the disguise as the troop rotation to the South.
The 9th Infantry Division (Fort Surasi Kanchanaburi) has gotten the order to make internal control when violence broke out .. either by the insurgent of Ai Yognyut and the barbarians from Newin ..
The coup start from 9PM of Sept 19 ... when 3 companies of Special Warfare going into Army HQ and Channel 5 Mobile Unit going out of Army HQ
Initially, the 9th Infantry Division and 2nd cavalry division (both belong to Class 10) seized the control .... but Armed Force Chief REFUSED to make cabinet meeting .... and the real coup has seized control ...
At that time he rushed to go back to Thailand ... about to reach BKK at 5:30 AM of Sept 21 (Thailand time)and the mobs that cheer Thaksin hadnt gone against thaksin make skirmish in Both NY City and BKK ...
Thaksin said he go against the coup by Gen. Sondhi ....
...
"Papa Prem Arriving the Coup by Gen Sondhi
TV Pool Made annoucement of the coup at 11 PM of Sept 19 ... with official announcement by the Veteran Coup Speaker at 11:15 PM
Now, the fences are erected at Sri Ayutthaya road and Ratchadambnoen Nok avenue ... even though many people have taken a photograph of the tanks at Equestrian Plaza
Army has seized the control at Shinnawatra Building, ITV and Chansong Lah palace.
More than 60 soldiers from the 6th Anti Aircraft Battalion in GMC trucks and AA tanks have seized Thai Com Sattelite Station at Kae Rai
Chidchai and Ruengroj are going to make counter coup ... by seizing chaeng watthana road ...
Now, 2 tanks, 6 HUMVEEs and 300 soldiers from the 1st Division (Royal Guard) are seizing Nang Loeng Intersection
10:10 PM 3 tanks from the 4th cavalry battalion (Royal guard) and 20 cavalrymen are guarding Papa prem house at Thewet"
............
Stickman reports that cameras were being confiscated last night... I've had a couple e-mails from people going to take photos, but my personal opinion is that getting photos ain't worth your ass, yo.
............
Another good thread that ended last night, from reddit:
http://reddit.com/info/j30d/comments/cj38o
............
Thailand coup photos on flickr
............
I'm getting a lot of hits to this entry from Bangkok and requests for updates via e-mail. I know this is partly because some of the bigger blogs and especially those in Thailand are being inundated with traffic. I understand your desire to be anonymous and will keep any correspondence confidential:
cosmicbuddha AT gmail.com
D, the video you sent was corrupted and the replies I sent are bouncing.
............
"A coup in Thailand does not mean that everything comes to a stop for an extended period. During Thai coups and even outright paralysis of top Thai governments organs in past decades, the Thai bureaucracy remained in place providing all basic government services through days and weeks of crisis. During this present incident mobile phone and internet connections were never offline (except for when some sites were overwhelmed by heavy traffic). International broadcast media was cut--most likely for fears that the tenacious Thaksin would attempt a speech that would then find its way back to his rural supporters on television.Patriotic images of the King were used in conjunction with announcements from the new regime to show that its activities were not being made at the expense of royalty. Even the junta's name, "Committee for Democratic Reform under the Monarchy as Head of State," emphasizes this. Using royal imagery and the prompt audience with the King at midnight Tuesday is intended to pacify die-hard rural Thaksin supporters who might otherwise oppose the new order...
...The nature of the junta's plans should be known by midday Bangkok time as there is a meeting at 9:00am with university presidents, permanent secretaries of ministries, and other key government bureaucrats for an expected explanation of the military government's plans."
...........
Watching the coverage of the news in Thailand between CNN International, BBC International, and Japanese news stations last night, I noticed the following:
BBC was the quickest with coverage. CNNi had Rachel fucking Ray preparing an organic tofu "stoop" or whatever while the BBC had live footage of tanks running. The Japanese news channels didn't start airing anything for hours. This trend continues with the coverage today. The BBC breaks some news, CNN follows five or ten minutes later, with insipid commentary, then a great while later, the JP news bits recycle translated news feeds or something. I don't particularly like the Beeb or anything, I'm just calling it like I see it. Quite honestly, the blogs and message boards are getting the info out accurately and a lot faster than the big media channels.
............
If you can read Japanese and have a Mixi account, the thread you want to see is here:
http://mixi.jp/view_bbs.pl?page=1&comm_id=3230&id=10547670
It's always good to get the 15 year old Japanese schoolgirl side of things... Just kidding, thanks for sending the link.
.............
Nam says that some of the local news channels in the northeast region have started broadcasting again.
On the broadcasts, they say that everyone is worried that Thaksin will come back to Thailand, which might set off a clash between his loyalists and anti-Thaksin factions. They also report that his wife is in Singapore, but the whereabouts of his son and two daughters is unknown.
Nam's university is on mandatory holiday today, so the closure of banks, government offices, and schools does seem to be nationwide, although she was informed from word of mouth and not directly contacted by the university.
............
Perhaps the most informative article by big media do far is this article over at The Nation
This article, also over at The Nation, provides details about the Thai Rak Thai (Thaksin's political party) officials who have been arrested: LINK
............
The Thai Baht is remaining amazingly stable so far.
............
Updated timeline of the coup at the Nation
.............
There have been no major updates for a couple hours now. Maybe it will stay like this for a while. Word on the streets in Bangkok is that it's quiet.
Out of everything I read about yesterday, the most disturbing bit of news was this:
"8:00PM 191 police receive M16 rifles to prepare for an antiriot assignment."
A riot shield is anti-riot. A fire hose is anti-riot. Even a shotgun is anti-riot. An M16 is kinda Kent State, you know? And in the hands of Thai police? I don't even want to think about that.
............
Over on this thread at the Paknam Web forums, the Managing Director, Richard, says:
"I have just come back from Bangkok. Traffic there was very light. Like early sunday morning. I managed to get right into the center of things to take pictures. Very relaxed atmosphere. People having their pictures taken in front of the tanks and with the soldiers. Elsewhere in Bangkok things are as normal. Shops are open and tourists are walking around. Seems very safe at the moment. I will be posting a report with pictures soon at thai-blogs.com.Thai tv is now back with normal programmes and new information is starting to come out....."
............
Straight from The Nation's timeline:
10:58 am The ARC issues its 11th announcement to appoint members of the council as following:1 Supreme Commander Gen Ruangroj Mahasaranon becomes chief adviser of the ARC.
2 Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin becomes chief of the ARC.
3 Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm Sathiraphan Keyanon becomes first deputy chief of ARC.
4 Air Force Commander-in-Chief ACM Chalit Pookpasuk becomes second deputy chief of ARC.
5 Police Commissioner-General Pol Lt Gen Kowit Wattana becomes third deputy chief of the ARC
6 National Security Council secretary-general Gen Winai Phatthiyakul becomes secretary-general of the ARC.
The ARC = Administrative Reform Council, the interim government until, presumably, elections can be held. It would appear the members are all in a position to keep each other in check.
...........
...........
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) "The army chief leading the coup in Thailand has said there will be a general election in October 2007"Can it all end so happily? I hope so.
............
Best Photo set yet over at Stickman's
Oh, man. It's hard to believe that it's a coup! That's so... Thai, and so cool.
............
Here's an awesome collection of vintage drug advertisements: LINK
Let your co-workers know about their annoying habits: AnnoyingCoworker
Yeah, I know what you're gonna say, "why not just shit in their drawer/key their car/exploit their drug habit," but as an added bonus, perhaps you could donate their work e-mail address to a dedicated spam concern!
I will only remain an annoying coworker until the end of next week. After that I aspire to be an Annoying Operator of the world's first water buffalo power plant (sorry, it sounds better in Japanese, "水牛力発電所").
We beat all odds and experienced the best possible weather for our trip, right when the typhoon should have been beating us up - it was like we somehow squeezed into a good weather belt. Anyway, photos are forthcoming and many thanks to my pal Hirata for setting us up. ありがとう先輩！
This is the funniest video I've seen in ages!
Many thanks to reader Nevin for sending it.
Over at the Beeb website: Bangkok's airport faces nervous start
I, for one, will miss the old airport because I don't fancy the clusterfuck that seems to be taking shape regarding transportation from the new airport. Apparently, the regular taxi terminals are 3 kilometers from the arrival gate! I hope that gets worked out sometime soon.
Since I am leaving on October 20, I will probably be flying into Suvarnabhumi (airport code NBK has been assigned until until all international flights are transferred from Don Muang, the old airport, after which it will assume the code everyone is used to, BKK). The funny thing is, I really can't remember a case of international airports changing when I liked the new one better. Itami to KIX, Kimpo to Incheon, Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi, the trend is basically to fill the new ones with a million expensive trinket and swill shops in order to make everyone forget that they are in the middle of nowhere, and at least an hour away from the city you were supposedly flying into!
I never would have guessed there are so many foreigners running farming operations in Thailand: Farming in Thailand Forum
The above sentence is worded awkwardly because it's apparently illegal for foreigners to do actual work on farms! Actually, that makes a hell of a lot of sense visa-wise because it theoretically deprives a Thai national from performing the same work - it's just that I never thought there were that many foreigners interested in agricultural there.
Well it's not exactly going kayaking into a typhoon, but we are going out to Wakayama and will check the conditions tomorrow morning before deciding whether to set out or not. I just don't have enough time left to reschedule.
Then again, I'm not gonna drown myself by being stupid, either.
Surf's up, dude!
In a bid to crack down on illegal workers, Thailand is limiting the number of consecutive "on-arrival" visas as of October 1, 2006. Details here and here.
This makes sense. I realize that a lot of people depended on these visas for work, but that's kind of the point - Thailand wants them to work legally and pay taxes, or get out, and I can't really fault this line of thinking. I also realize there are people who will suffer who were not working illegally and just don't qualify for any alternative visas, and I feel for them. Overall, though, it only makes sense that the "on-arrival" visa loophole would be closed at some point.
It looks like the marriage visa I will be applying for will also be changed somehow, but I don't understand the process enough yet to really comprehend the details.
I love travelling so much, but visa problems are pretty much universally a huge pain in the ass.
"Please switch off all mobile phones, since they can interfere with the aircraft's navigation systems. At least, that's what you've always been told. The real reason to switch them off is because they interfere with mobile networks on the ground, but somehow that doesn't sound quite so good. On most flights a few mobile phones are left on by mistake, so if they were really dangerous we would not allow them on board at all, if you think about it. We will have to come clean about this next year, when we introduce in-flight calling across the Veritas fleet. At that point the prospect of taking a cut of the sky-high calling charges will miraculously cause our safety concerns about mobile phones to evaporate."
You know what? It would really suck to die on a commercial airliner.
Full article here: Fear of Flying
(thx daisho)
Bad movie! Bad!
This movie was only slightly more entertaining than waiting at the hospital for 7 hours today.
The Moment I Most Wish I Could Unwatch: Wolverine giving the younger X-Men a motivational speech against an orchestral background.
Would it suffice to say that I spent 7 hours today waiting to get treated for a common cold, then got overcharged, and then got written the wrong prescription? Or should I add that they tried to charge me for getting the right prescription after I came back from the pharmacy?
Seven hours! I read the book I took along (Dogs and Demons, a truly appropriate reread for today) one and a half times!
Future residents of Japan, I bequeath the nation's gloooorious health care system unto thee!
(The first rule of Japanese hospitals: You shall not visit without being written a prescription)
I'm really curious as to what happened afterward...
UPDATE: Oh. Duh. Maybe the 100mph bicycle should have tipped me off.
You can find his earlier work on the same site, on this page.
The radical Islamicist problem in southern Thailand is so bad that the authorities are continuing to arm and train school teachers.
"More than 1,700 people have been killed across Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat -- the only Muslim-majority provinces in this otherwise peaceful, tourist-friendly Buddhist country.Among them was a teacher gunned down at his blackboard in July as his 4th graders watched in shock, and a Buddhist art teacher clubbed by a village mob in May until her skull shattered.
Teachers may be targets, officials say, because they are symbols of the central government's authority, or be taken hostage to be traded for captured insurgents, or because the militants want to do away with secular schools, sending the message that only Islamic schools -- which have been spared violence -- are safe."
.................
"While some worry that a teacher's gun could make him or her more of a target, or end up in a student's hands, the crisis is so acute that there is little debate about arming teachers.
Shooting courses started in late 2004 but have taken on new urgency since the shocking murder of the 4th-grade teacher July 24 at the Ban Bue Reng primary school in a Narathiwat village."
Read the full article here: Teachers in Thailand under fire -- and learning to shoot back
What a shitty position to be in - crappy salary, low standard of living in an impoverished region, and surrounded by religious nutjobs who can mob together and tear you limb from limb at any given time. These teachers have my respect, big time. The irony of practicing Buddhists being armed with Austrian firepower is offset only by the seriousness of the situation.
Luckily, Nam and I will be living in the northeast of Thailand, far removed from the current problems - and, I might add, most probable targets for terrorist attacks. With things going the way they are now, it's just a matter of time before something along the lines of the Bali nightclub bombing is repeated in either Phuket or Bangkok. Even so, Nam has friends both on the police force and the army, and we already have dates to start practice on the firing ranges set up - mostly just for fun, but also in case we are lucky enough to get a permit or unofficial waiver to own a firearm. I have a feeling that if things ever really go south over there, we'll want one around.
They are retarded:
Korean Air bans in-flight use of Dell, Apple laptop computers over battery problem
Never mind that only certain models were affected, or that many people have already traded in their recalled batteries... That's a deciding factor when buying tickets, bitches! (and not only because most of your seats don't have an in-seat power supply system) Tasty in-flight bibimbap aside, KAL is now dead to me.
...............
In other news today, Korean Air (NASDAQ: KAL) is buying out a major Korean notebook PC manufacturer...
There comes a time to take a stand and tell people to fuck off: Wikipedia defies China's censors
The fact of the matter is that Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft are either pussies or sellouts (or most likely, both!) with regard to China, and anyone trying to make it sound like they had no choice is obscuring the issue - there was a definite choice. It was between increased profits or morals, and those companies have made it clear which they place more value on. Well, fuck them - they have made their own beds.
Bravo, Wikipedia!
Weather gods, please keep this aberration away from me. Unlucky typhoon number 13. Typhoon SHANSHAN - even your name is gay. No way you are ruining my sea kayak trip this weekend.
That is all.
Oh, Tamade. To think we gave up the thrill of your streets for this retirement commune on Awaji...
Every Osaka lover owes it to him/herself to go visit the police stations around Nishinari/Sumiyoshi. I shit you not, the buildings are barricaded against attack from the outside. The area around the Sumiyoshi police station, especially, is what I imagine Japan looked like right after the war, complete with streets filled with mangy dogs, scary vagrants, and rusty piles of junk. OK, maybe the strays are a bit inauthentic (read: "four-legged protein source," if they had even lasted that long, or even existed in the first place for that matter) for post-war Japan, but you get the picture.
Does Luc Besson read my blog?
A year ago: Luc Besson is a fucking sellout
Today: Luc Besson says he's finished with filmmaking
Wow, that worked out pretty well! Luc will stop churning out turds for money, and I'll stop calling him names! Next up: Lucas. George Lucas.
You will pay for Jar Jar, Georgie! YOU WILL PAY!
That's the awesomest spoiler I've ever seen.
It's uncanny how humanlike their movements are... I swear I know a stoner dude that reacts just like that when he's surprised.
I just fixed the "Remember personal info?" function of the comments so it actually works now. For the record, the problem I had was fixed with the solution on this page. It happened when I upgraded, and I couldn't figure it out until I had a couple spare hours to research it. So, have at it since you're spared filling out the fields every time now!
The fix also fixed a script error that was appearing on individual entries when viewed with Internet Explorer. I hadn't used IE for so long that the error simply went unnoticed!
I usually don't post on this date, because it means enough to me to want to post on 9/11 related topics. The thing is, my voice is one of many who feel the same way - sadness, anger, regret, patriotism, etc. - and I feel many others express that a whole lot better than I could.
However. Somebody is pissing me off, and today is the day to let it all go.
To the wannabe domain squatter who is trying to sell me the cosmicbuddha.net domain:
Spamming me ten times over the course of two weeks for any reason is lame enough, but asking if I want to buy the cosmicbuddha.net domain is the equivalent of pulling up next to my Lamborghini Murcielago on a donkey and asking if I want to race for pink slips - GET A CLUE, ASSHOLE! (dot com reprazent!)
That is all.
We have a photo book on this war inherited from my grandfather somewhere back home. I used to browse through it a lot when I was little without ever understanding what it was about. The main thing that sticks out in my mind is that there were a lot of photos of Japanese soldiers on bicycles - it seemed that was the major mode of transportation at the time.
"The Russo-Japanese War stands as one of the key events that ushered in the twentieth century. At the time it was widely understood to be a racial conflict and an epochal confrontation between East and West. In terms of the weaponry utilized, the level of casualties, and the political ramifications, the actual conflict itself, lasting from February 1904 until the signing of a peace treaty in early September 1905, was arguably the first modern war.".......
"Through a series of major battles (at, for example, the Yalu River in May, 1904) the Japanese established dominance on land as well as at sea. In August, 1904 the Japanese undertook the siege of Port Arthur, which was heavily fortified and protected by electrified wire, entrenched defensive positions, and even planks filled with protruding nails. The trench warfare and Japanese frontal assaults in the face of heavy artillery fire, machine guns, and grenades—often under the bright glare of spotlights--were extraordinarily costly. Approximately one mile of territory separated the outer defenses from the city itself; 100,000 Russian and Japanese soldiers would be wounded or killed in the next 5 months, as the Japanese inched forward. Russian forces in Port Arthur surrendered on January 2, 1905."
This page contains a "chronologically arranged gallery of cartoons that offers one sort of timeline for the Russo-Japanese War."
The entire gallery is worth taking a look at, and I recommend the following as a soundtrack (if the music starts and stops during playback, try pausing it for a little while before playing to let the file partially pre-load):
Here's my nomination for Best New USB Peripheral, 2006:
USB Atataka Surippa (warmed slippers)
Other great products I found on that site:
- Vaccum tube Amplifier for iPod
- Spydisk SD/MMC Card Reader
- Morse Code Drive (which has nothing to do with morse code; it seems to be just a keypad enabled security system for USB drives)
- USB Ass-cooling cushion
- Foot pedal-type stealth switch (AKA "boss switch" used to quickly change from a game/pr0n/non work-related screen to a spreadsheet, etc. instantly)
A couple people have asked for Wordtank buying advice the past couple months. Here's a handy link I just stumbled upon:
I'm thinking of picking up this one before I go to Thailand. There are certain instances when I'd take a Wordtank instead of a laptop, especially in situations when I didn't have a net connection. Sounds like those situations will increase in frequency in Thailand, since I basically have a broadband implant here in J-land.
up at 4am
fishing expedition planned
raining like a bitch
..................
In other news, FUCK!!! Why you gotta be so stingy with the fishies, Son of God? Now I have nothing to throw at the neighborhood cats.
The disappointment of finding overcooked xx* noodles in a bowl of tasty broth is directly equal to that of an overcooked hamburger with full garnishes.
*where xx = udon, ramen, soba, saimin, sen-yai, gui-teow, etc., etc., etc.
Yeah, so yesterday I called up a great aunt who lives up in Sendai whose existence I only learned about recently, through correspondence with my mom. I was kind of apprehensive at first just cold calling someone and saying, "Hi! Me gaijin! Me from America! We related!," but that's exactly what I did and it turns out she's a totally cool lady. 88 years old, but she doesn't sound like it at all. In fact, I was kind of surprised when she told me that she's too old to travel around much anymore. I told her it's cool, because I want to go visit you with my parents in October, so will you be around?
So that's that. I'm finding more long lost relatives in Japan, and it feels extremely gratifying. Hell, if things work out, I might even be able to meet more in Hokkaido and Kyushu - man, my family is really spread out all over. Since I'm always saying I came to Japan to find my ancestral roots, it's nice to be able to finally meet some of the actual people. I have great relationships with pretty much all the relatives I have met so far, and there are a few cousins around my age who I will really miss hanging around with when I embark on the next leg of this journey called life.
Bullshitr - The Web 2.0 Bullshit Generator
Weeeee gotawinner!
This post over at f*ckedgaijin reminded me that I hadn't posted about Guy Gabaldon yet. You really should read that last link, some of his exploits were seriously amazing. My mom sent an e-mail informing us of his passing which I quote below:
"Sometimes, life is seemingly unfair and we don't get what we want. Guy did not get his medal of honor while alive, however we shall see what happens in the near future. I called his family in Florida today and Aiko, his daughter, said that Guy will be cremated and half of his ashes interred in Saipan and the other in Arlington National Cemetary. They asked if I could attend his funeral and of course I said I'd be honored.Steve Rubin, the war and history film maker and producer, said that he got permission from Universal to re-release "Hell to Eternity" so that it can be packaged with the new documentary on Guy's life (amazing footage, including one of Guy lobbing a grenade into a cave on Saipan). When it comes out, I'll be given a copy so that anyone of you may see it, if you're interested."
Of course, all of us kids saw Hell to Eternity several times because our mom was in it (both our mom and dad were in war films, mostly in minor "Japanese" roles), but I never got to meet Guy. I wish I had. And it goes without saying that I think he should have been awarded the MOH. 800 prisoners! How many lives did he save?
A deaf man with no eyes was arrested for driving in Smethwick, England.
His defense is quoted as stating, "the question is not whether his driving was dangerous, but whether being blind makes it dangerous."
Sure it is.
Just like the question is not whether lawyers are crooks, but whether getting paid to rabidly felch each other in courts of law makes them crooks.
...........
In other news, this is funny: The Ultimate Blog Post
I've been compiling a task list at work to hand off my replacement, if they can ever find one (I may be *ahem* hard to replace). The thing is, I've always done a lot more at any job than what I was originally hired for, and it's hard to quantify exactly what I do. Regarding my current job, this is also compounded by the fact that I work on a sensitive project and even as I type this, a post-resignation NDA is waiting to be filled out on my desk (were all the previous NDAs not specific enough, or what?). So for the purposes of describing my duties during the past six years, I always have to be very general about what I do.
Sometime I'm envious of people who can say, I'm a doctor/lawyer/Indian chief, because there's a certain image attached to such professions (respectively: make people better/lie, cheat, and steal/serve on BOD of major casino) that, if not exactly accurate in every case, represent at least a fair guess in the right direction. Many corporate titles, however, tend to serve less purpose when used outside of the specific organization where they are used. What is a Liason? An Officer? Or for that matter, a manager? These are fairly broad terms. Plus, they tend to sound over-important to people who matter.
I need to think about this a bit more. I mean, I'm not going to embellish retroactively or anything, but I need to be able to describe clearly, without sounding like I'm trying to bullshit - I have done the time and I do have marketable skills, but I'm obligated not to describe what they have been used for until now, which is unfortunate. So, for the inevitable question, "So tell me about yourself," I need a strong answer. Some possibilities:
- If you enter
Chuck NorrisJustin Yoshida as your character name in Oregon Trail, you will never die, because cholera is for pussies. Jack BauerJustin Yoshida does not sleep. He waits.- Crop circles are
Vin Diesel'sJustin Yoshida's way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie the fuck down. - When in Justin Yoshida's presence, Chuck Norris urinates sitting down.
Jabber transcript with my little sis, currently doing a gross anatomy course:
sis: you know how when people die, their muscles relax?
me: yeah
sis: that includes their sphincters...
i couldnt figure out what was sticking out of my guys behind at first
it was amazing
I updated MovableType to version 3.32 just now and it seems to be working a lot faster than the 3.31b version we were using before.
Anyway, now I have Widgets and StyleCatcher to play with, so you things might change around a bit; don't be scared off. I might let my feminine side take control of this blog's design for a couple days, but things will probably return to normal after the estrogen levels decrease.
The worst thing about getting a root canal, so far, is the pungent stench of rot that permeates my mouth when the epoxy plug is pulled out of my tooth every week for cleaning, and then replaced again. My dentist's insistence on holding conversations in pseudo-English while my mouth is filled with drills and shit comes a close second, but that momentary putridity is always a kick in the pants. It is disturbing on a basic level to be reminded that cells are constantly dying within one's body...
Today was the last check and antisepsis before getting my crown - that's in two days. I'm assuming it's a painless procedure, so if any of you know differently, please shut the hell up until then.
Also, I just realized this is my first opportunity for bling: Although the crown is going on my rearmost molar, should I go for gold instead of the stainless look? How about a 1-carat diamond? Nothing says pimp like a 1-carat spinning stud on a gold crown, right? Hell, maybe I'll ask my dentist to install some hydraulics and fuzzy dice to match.
This is the Sumoto River. It joins the sea just under the bridge. It is rich in mullet, and not much else, although they used to farm unagi in this area, before the big typhoon.
I've always liked this bridge, ever since I first saw it - when I came here for the job interview six years ago. Ironically, the cops like setting speedtraps right around the spot I took this picture and it's the only place in the world I've gotten a non-parking related ticket.
A loading door on the top floor of the new city gymnasium, near Jusco (aka " Mecca of Awaji").
Besides Greedo shooting first, the most annoying change between the original and Lucas' "new and improved version," in my mind, was the disappearance of the green R2 unit. Green R2 was the shit. Besides, "ronto" sounds more like a glam rock ass-pirate than a pack mule.
"January 11, 2000 - July 31, 2006. 2356 Days. A work in progress."
I recommend watching this video alone in a quiet room, with the lights out, as you count down the days to seeing your beloved wife again after four months apart, and even though the pain from the root canal last week is not quite yet faded, you are chewing on fresh sushi. Then, the music is truly sublime.
Probably the only famous Australian you can immediately conjure to mind has died. Sad, and sad.
UPDATE: So did the sales genius behind Ginsu knives.
UPDATE 2: For the next twenty years, the stingray will be inexorably linked, in the mind of pretty much everyone, to Steve Irwin's death. But that's the coolest thing about Steve: The stingray will be remembered for his death, but not villainized, because everybody knows he never would have blamed the animal. His gift was being able to convey his genuine goodwill to animals without seeming fake or preachy.
It is being reported that the police are in possession of the actual footage of the accident, and that it might have occurred because the animal was caught between Steve and the cameraman and felt threatened.
HERE.
Just in time for my last-minute feeding on all things quintessentially nihon.
Here's to the next million, and the next, and the next...
I've been waiting, patiently, for three years - it's not just the don itself that I desire, it's the ability to stroll into the little shop with the orange sign and cramped seating 24/7 and know that my little mound (read: 並 and only 並) of heavenly stewed beef topped with a raw egg is instantly and inexpensively available for me, and only me, me, me. Okay, that last part is flexible, I'll share with you, because you're speeeecial. Let's gyu.
UPDATE: On the other side of the spectrum lies shit beneath one's contempt. Like a "Trout Burger". That's the most ironic fish-related term since "delicious bass."
Just for the record, this article hit me hard because I am Rainbow Trout Nazi. I hereby proclaim the One True Way regarding preparation of rainbow trout: Lightly breaded and pan fried, drizzled with fresh lemon juice - this is because rainbow trout meat is inherently mushy. Wrapped in basil and watercress? Crispy miso? That sounds like a euphemism for shit-stained BVDs. Hey yo, fuck a trout burger. Seriously.
Check it out: The face of Little Tokyo is changing
$820,000 for a 3-bed 2BR @ 1,226 square feet! That's a stone's throw from skid row, people!
Then again, there is the coming of a new high-speed wireless network, the annual celebration of Nisei Week, and the (pending approval of a liquor license) upscale titty bar, the Penthouse Club, to look forward to. (Joke: How many lapdancers can a city councilman fit on his lap? Answer: Shut up and suck this dick, bitch!)
I'm on lunch break.
My old pal Lenny just ambushed me out of nowhere with a Flaming Fist o' Tuna Roll attack to the shoulder and caused me to spill iced coffee on my pants (in the crotchital region, of course). What made today's attack unique was that he said, "I'm gonna KILL you!," as he stepped in for the blow. (Coffee aside, the shit was pretty funny, because Lenny's eyes get all googly and bulge out when he gets excited.)
A nearby coworker jumped to my aid and exclaimed, "Lenny! NO! BAD BOY! You can't EVER say you're gonna kill someone!," and also added, "right, Justin?"
As I wiped the drops of coffee from my pants, which left brown gonorrheal smears across the fly, I hissed, "Lenny... I'm gonna fucking KILL you!"
And he ran away laughing hysterically.
My time is almost up; the next wave of invaders is already here. I have seen them on the streets and I hear them on the trains. I leave the future colonization of Japan in their able hands.
First, an item that should prove immensely popular overseas:
JAPAN no kaori ("the scent of Japan")
That's right, it's JAPAN branded toilet paper! Embroidered with the characters for "Takeshima" and "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," using it will surely evoke visions of a glorious, chrysanthemum-scented future! Made with 100% sandalwood pulp.
...
Next up is the greatest thing since sliced mochi:
Sour cream in a tube!
Possibly taking their cue from Kewpie Mayonnaise, Nakazawa has replaced their line of tiny 130ml cups of sour cream with tiny 100ml tubes of the same! Brilliant!
(note: On closer inspection, the cup image I linked to is a 1 liter tub that I've never seen in stores, but it looks much the same as its smaller brother. Also, I always thought the mayonnaise-in-tube thing was strictly a Japanese phenomenon, but I encountered the same thing in Europe, albeit in wholly foil tubes, not plastic-covered foil.)
My sister, who works at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, sent along the following press release:
"FOR THE 2ND TIME, MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM PUTS A YOUNG WHITE SHARK IN OUTER BAY EXHIBITEarlier success raised public awareness of threats, generated new funds for white shark research
For the second time, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has placed a young white shark on public exhibit, bringing him to Monterey on Thursday evening (August 31), 14 days after aquarium husbandry collectors caught the shark on hook-and-line gear off Southern California.As in 2004-2005 – when another white shark was on exhibit for a record 198 days before her successful return to the wild – the aquarium hopes to keep him on long-term exhibit as a way to change public attitudes, and promote stronger protection for this magnificent and much-maligned ocean predator.
The young shark, a 5-foot, 8-inch male weighing 104 pounds, was brought north Thursday in a 3,000-gallon mobile life support transport vehicle. Caught several miles offshore in Santa Monica Bay, he had been held since August 17 in a 4-million-gallon ocean pen off Malibu and was observed feeding in the pen before he was brought to Monterey..."
Continue reading New Great White at MBA.
