If The World is a Classroom... ( understand the world in five minutes!)

My mom (yes, my mom) sent me a chinese joke. I never get tired of political humour…  XD

The Joke (In Mandarin):

世界是一个班级， 美国是班长 中国就是团支书 狂经典

1、美国 班长，学习好，家里有钱，人高马大，好打架,经常欺负别人。班里没几个人敢惹他。 和副班长关系不好。

2、俄罗斯 副班长，成绩优异，全班最高大，上学期光和班长顶着干。后来家里出事：分家！现在做事很消极，但在班级里有一定的影响力。

3、中国 团支书。幼儿园学习成绩很好。小学时由于体质差常被欺负，没事爱吹牛，由副班长罩着。

4、英国 学习委员，学习成绩好。家里也很富。班长的跟屁虫，做事没主见，啥都听班长的。前些天和班长把伊拉克打了一顿。

5、瑞士 美术课代表，班花。学习成绩好，清高。

6、奥地利 音乐课代表。

7、阿富汗 职务无。不爱学习。身材矮小。上学期被副班长打，班长帮忙付医药费。前几天把班长家的最高的两个家具砸了，被班长揍个半死，现在失忆中、

8、伊拉克 无职务。学习差。但人高马大，上学期排全班第四。嘴硬，上学期欺负同桌被群殴。前些天被班长和学习委员冲进他家揍个稀巴烂。

9、印度 好玩电脑，成了电脑课代表。经常和同桌巴基斯坦为一块课桌吵架。

10、巴基斯坦 职务无。成绩一般。和团支书关系不错，经常和印度吵架。 1

11、德国 班级活跃分子，人高马大，擅长数理化。有野心，由于上学打了2架所以现在暂无职务。但认错态度较好。

12、日本 无职位，成绩不错。思想品德很{巨}差。上学期刚被班长和团支书等人揍。现在还惦记着团支书家的鱼缸。)

13、越南 无职位。人品有问题,瘦弱。上学期被班长揍，幸好有副班长和团支书撑腰。后又挑衅团支书，被狂揍。

14、朝鲜 无职位。有个性。和团支书关系好。近期和班长闹矛盾，班长扬言要揍他。’

15、韩国，无职务，品行比日本还差，喜欢偷团支书东西，偷完了还不知廉耻拿出来炫耀。由班长罩着。

The Joke, translated:

The World is a classroom. United States is the Class president. China is the chairman.

1. United States, President.  Good grades, upperclass.  Most built in the class. Loves to fight, and bullies other students. Not alot of students stands up to him. His relationship with the Vice President is abysmal.

2. Russia, Vice President.  Very high grades. Tallest in the class. Had a fight with the President last semester, but then things at home lead to his family being separated. Right now he’s rather quiet, but he has a certain influence.

3. China, Chairman. Genius in kindergarten, but got bullied a lot because of his small structure.  Likes to brag when he’s bored. The Vice President protects him.

4. United Kingdom, Academics Representative. Good grades, rich upper class family. Class tag-along. Doesn’t really have opinions, listens to the President for everything. Beat up Iraq with the President a few days ago.

5. Switzerland, Visual Arts Representative. Prettiest girl in class. Good grades, high class. Extremely refined.

6. Austria, Music Representative.

7.  Afganistan,  regular student. Hates studying, scrawny. Got beaten up badly by the Vice President last semester, and the President helped to pay for his medical bills. A few days ago he broke two tallest pieces of furniture in the Presidents house. After being beaten up half to death by the President, he is suffering from amnesia.

8. Iraq, regular student. Horrible grades, but is tall and built.  Fourth tallest out of the whole class last semester. Irrationally vocal, last semester he got ganged up on for bullying his desk buddy.  The President and the Academics Representative stormed his house and beat the living crap out of him.

9.  India, Information Technology representative. Loves to play on the computer.  Has frequent squabbles with his desk buddy over desk space.

10. Pakistan, regular student. Average grades, good relations with the Chairman. Squabbles with India over desk space.

11. Germany, regular student. Participates actively in class and is serious about school. Very well built, he is good at scientific/math studies.  He has a wild side. He was on the student council, but was kicked out when he started two riots.  He is good at accepting full responsibility.

12. Japan, regular student. Good grades. Has some (very) questionable thoughts sometimes.  Got beaten up by the Chairman and others last semester. Now he often reminesces about the aquarium in the Chairman’s house.

13. Vietnam, regular student. Has some questionable morals. Very frail. Got into a fight with the President last semester. Lucky for him he had the support of the Chairman and Vice President. Then he went to pick a fight with the Chairman, and got his ass handed to him.

14.  North Korea, regular student. Isolationist. Good relations with the Chairman. The president and him has been butting heads recently, and the President announces he’s going to kick North Korea’s ass…

15. South Korea, regular student. Thoughts even more questionable than Japan’s. Likes to steal from the Chairman’s house, which he then shamelessly shows it off.  Protected by the President.

I had to change a few things here and there for it to make sense. For example, 班长 does not translate into ‘President’, it translates into ‘battalion leader’. The Chinese classroom has an interesting system: there will be a ‘battalion leader’ who will be in charge when the teacher is away, and a ‘vice-batallion leader’ to help out the ‘battalion leader’ when he needs it. Then there’ll be representatives for every subject and they’ll be responsible for everything that happens in that class. There are also some stupid titles such as ‘hygenics representative’ and ‘lunch representative’… more often than not, the class is so big that they have to split them up into even smaller groups, resulting in ‘platoon leaders’ and ’sub-platoon leaders’…

Yeah it’s really communist sounding, isn’t it?

Brave

by Nao

isa-mashii, yū

Isa-mashii is an adjective meaning brave and courageous. Yūkan and yūsō also mean brave and heroic. The kan of yūkan often becomes part of compounds that stress that you venture to do something or dare to do something.

The lower part of this character is chikara (power).

1. Draw the hook on the top.
2. Draw the dot.
3. Draw the left side of the rectangle.
4. Draw the upper and right side of the rectangle.
5. Draw the horizontal stroke in the rectangle.
6. Draw the vertical stroke in the rectangle, making a cross.
7. Draw the lower side of the rectangle.
8. Draw the hook of the power.
9. Draw the sweeping stroke from the center to the lower left.

Japan Jobless Rate Falls for Second Month to 5.3%

Japan’s jobless rate unexpectedly dropped for a second month in September, adding to signs that a recovery in the world’s second-largest economy is spreading to consumers.

The unemployment rate declined to 5.3 percent from 5.5 percent in August, the statistics bureau said today in Tokyo. The median estimate of 29 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for the rate to increase to 5.6 percent.

A global recovery fueled by more than $2 trillion in stimulus measures is bolstering business at companies from Honda Motor Co. to Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Consumers are also more confident that the worst is over — household sentiment rose to a 23-month high in September and retail sales fell at the slowest pace in 10 months.

Anyway, it’s too early to confirm a rebound of the economy. Many economists still forecast a record 6% unemployment rate for next year.

 

Mots clés Technorati : Japanese Economy,Employment,fvtaiwan

Big Bang's new song 'Let Me Hear Your Voice’ Out!

The song sounds nicer than I expected very nice beat, and nice voices. It’s very catchy and I actually love it, the beats blend in so well, it’s hard to explain, but all I know is that I love it! & their voices are sounding great ! G-Dragon’s english rap = PERFECT! What do you guys think of it? Remember it’s supposed to be the opening theme for a Japanese drama, not a club song. Thanks to Mel for the tip~ ^^

"L" is for Love

Ok we all know Kenichi is the “official” L, since he interprets him in the movies, and I LOVE HIM! Soooo cuuuuuute! But what if other people had taken that character?

1) yAY! kENICHI lol

2) woot Mizushima Hiro XD he’s already dress-up! XD

3) this is hyde in a pv… im not sure which one, someone gave me this screencap. Anyway, i do remember that hyde made an L cosplay for HYDEIST but i can’t find  it T_T

Anyway, that’s it for now. If anyone finds some pics… why dont u share with me XD lol

A Beautiful Mind: Stephen Wiltshire Draws New York City from Memory

A Beautiful Mind: Stephen Wiltshire Draws New York City from Memory

Steven Wiltshire (born 1974) is an accomplished architectural artist who has been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder.  Wiltshire’s work has been the subject of many television documentaries; neurologist Oliver Sacks praised his artistic work in the chapter Prodigies in his book An Anthropologist on Mars.  Stephen Wiltshire’s many published art books have included Cities (1989), Floating Cities (1991) and Stephen Wiltshire’s American Dream (1993).

Wiltshire is presently working to complete his last drawing in a series of city panoramas, this time of his spiritual home, New York City.  Wiltshire’s collection of  already completed works depicting some of the world’s most iconic cities already includes London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Rome, Madrid, Frankfurt, Dubai, and Jerusalem.  A 20-minute fly-over Manhattan this past weekend provided the memory for a 20-foot panorama of the city that he’s drawing throughout this week at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute.  Viewers can watch his progress on a live web cam or visit the Institute while he works from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday, Oct. 26 to Friday, Oct. 30, 2009.

A Beautiful Mind: Stephen Wiltshire Draws New York City from Memory

Slide Show: A Beautiful Mind/Stephen Wiltshire Draws New York City from Memory

(Please Click on Image to View Slide Show)

Viewers can watch his progress on a live web cam while he works from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday, Oct. 26 to Friday, Oct. 30, here.

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Film Director Offers Profits to Dolphin Hunters

The director of an eco-documentary about dolphins has offered to donate the Japanese profits of the project to the same people he exposed in the film – but only if they stop hunting the marine mammals. Filmmaker and activist Louie Psihoyos hopes that this will help encourage the hunters to abandon their now infamous dolphin trade, Associated Press reports.

Psihoyos teamed up with other activists, filmmakers, explorers, divers and adrenalin junkies to create a covert feature-length documentary about an annual hunting event in the town of Taiji. The film, called The Cove, exposes the cruel and unsustainable hunting practices of the local fishermen as they capture thousands of dolphins using drive-fishing methods and a natural cove along their coast.

The director was back in Japan for the screening of the movie at the Tokyo Film Festival amid strong opposition from Taiji locals. The last minute decision to show the documentary came after intense international pressure from conservationists and filmmakers, the Guardian reports.

Despite reservations from the organisers, the film sold out and became a highlight of the festival. According to Associated Press, however, coverage from the local media remains restrained due to concerns of a backlash.

The Japanese government has been quick to defend the dolphin hunt as part of their unique culture. “People in different countries eat all kinds of things, depending on their culture. I’d like people to understand that cultures are diverse,” says Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada.

A spokesman from the Japanese foreign ministry also added: “Please remember that only a very small number of Japanese people catch and eat dolphins.”

Psihoyos believes that most people in Japan will oppose dolphin hunting if the issue became more prominent in the social consciousness. “This is not an animal rights film. This is a people’s rights film for the Japanese people. Once the Japanese people see this film, I think they will shut down the cove,” he explains.

He also added:  “If we can get the film out to the Japanese people, I think it will be a huge victory for the Japanese people.”

The film has already been released in countries like Australia, Germany, Singapore and the UK. It has also been shown in various international film festivals in Ireland, Italy, and the US. Producers are still awaiting a decision regarding a general release in Japan.

Psihoyos, a respected photographer and co-founder of the Ocean Conservation Society, was inspired into action by a dolphin trainer-turned-activist Ric O’Barry, who used to work for the popular TV series Flipper.

O’Barry had a change of heart when one of the five dolphins he trained for the show committed a form of suicide in his arms. He has been campaigning to save dolphins ever since.

Dolphins are sociable and intelligent creatures. They have a long history of showing compassion for humans, often saving lives in times of maritime trouble.

Despite an international whaling ban, thousands of dolphins are still caught in Japan for the purposes of food and entertainment. Hunting these gentle mammals remains legal in the country because they are too small to be considered as ‘whale’.

Approximately 23,000 dolphins are killed each year in Japan, and over fifty percent of those chosen for entertainment also die within two years of captivity. The annual hunt in Taiji alone attracts an estimated 2,000 dolphins every season.

Psihoyos hopes that his film raise international awareness and ultimately stop dolphin hunting in the twenty-first century. He concludes: “I think it’s going to be a huge win for the dolphins. Those are my real clients.”

Written for EMMA Interactive
by Patrick Camara Ropeta
October 2009

Brand in Japan: Why is brand strategy different here? Part 3

Brand on the Inside

External focus on the corporate brand image is also mirrored inside the Japanese corporation.

According to Tokyo marketing veteran, Mineo Kamiyama, most companies think “product brands should only be managed by people who know the product”. This is somewhat different from Western practices where Brand and Marketing managers are often marketing professionals first, and product experts second (with the exception of many B2B marketing and sales organizations, which would espouse the Japanese way). For better or worse, this means that the average Japanese Brand Manager, despite their usual lack of marketing savvy, is often left to his own devices when it comes to marketing strategy and tactics. Furthermore, the energy behind those strategies are often directed at new product development, line extensions and packages redesigns, things that Japanese managers see as getting quick, quantifiable results. In other words, new, different, whiz, boom, bam! Unfortunately, brand strategy and brand building tactics don’t have the same immediate effect, and are therefore ignored.

To make the corporate situation even worse, most Product/Brand Managers don’t remain as such throughout their careers. In Japanese companies it is common to implement internal company-wide staff rotations so as to develop generalists. Senior Account Directors become Research Professionals, Creative Resource Managers become Media Planners and a Regional Sales Director replaces a 3 or 5-year veteran to becomes your brand’s next Brand Manager. Lucky you.

To complete the picture, on-the-job training and personal, spoken-only role handoffs are very common. And written brand guidelines or manuals typically don’t exist or are summarily dismissed. According to Kamiyama, that means that a product’s “brand strategy essentially changes at the same time the product (or brand) manager changes.”

In the end, this all happens because top management sees their product brands as a pale shadow compared to their corporate brand. Time is certainly spent on brand image, but the majority of it is for the corporate brand only. That’s where top management sees value, so that’s where they put their energies and their best marketing people.

Change is coming…sort of.

Some would say there is no need for change; that this is the Japanese way. It’s different yes, but why mess with it. For the most part, at least in terms of how brands are managed, I agree. (However, I would disagree with HR practices, i.e. building the generalist and sacrificing the expert, on-the-job training and the misc. politics that circumvent better marketing practices. But that’s another blog, for another day.)

I don’t think the whole system should change, but I do think that Japanese companies can easily inject more product focus, better brand continuity and more brand consistency into their product marketing efforts. This may also help Japanese companies to be bigger players internationally. For the last several years the top 100 worldwide brands have only contained 6-8 Japanese companies—surprisingly low for the world’s second largest economy.

A Western-style brand strategy has worked on a few occasions in Japan for both companies and product brands. For instance, both Softbank, the telecommunications giant, and Uniqlo, Japan’s version of The Gap, started, gained notoriety and became successful without a large corporate parent company. Pocari Sweat, a sports drink and Healthya, a wildly popular green tea drink in Japan also succeed by branding their names over their respective parents Otsuka and Kao Corp. These last two companies went out on a limb, but unfortunately, are of the minority who are trying product marketing and/or the House of Brands model over the traditional model. You can barely find the Otsuka or Kao names on the Pocari Sweat and Healthya bottle and many Japanese people don’t know who makes these drinks. Yet, both brands were product marketed to wild success. And there are several more examples like this (though, not a great deal more).

When in Rome…

In the end, one must work within the confines of their discipline’s environment, be it geographic or otherwise. And though I have long since realized this, I also know that organic change happens very slowly—and in Japan, even slower still. So if you work with brands in Japan, it is good to understand what makes them tick here. And though it is also important to practice the when-in-Rome mentality, one must never forget that Rome fell, or maybe only its brand did.

Step

by Nao

aru-ku, ayu-mu, ho, bu, fu, po

Aru-ku is the verb to walk. You can use this to count steps. Counting steps from one to ten goes like ippo (1 po), niho (2 ho), sanpo (3 po), yonho (4 ho), goho (5 ho), roppo (6 po), nanaho (7 ho), happo (8 po), kyūho (9 ho) and jippo (10 po).

Ayu-mu also means to walk. It implies making some progress step by step.

Taking a walk is sanpo of which the san means scattering.

Draw the upper part first.

1. Draw the vertical stroke from the top.
2. Draw the horizontal stroke from the center of the first vertical stroke.
3. Draw the vertical stroke on the left.
4. Draw the longest horizontal line.
5. Draw the vertical stroke with an upward turn from the center of the previous stroke.
6. Draw the sweeping stroke on the left.
7. Draw the dot on the right.
8. Draw the longest sweeping stroke below the previous stroke to the lower left corner.

Harry Potter Has A Lot To Answer For

Pretty!

OMG, it’s more like Little House on the Prairie than Harry Potter inspired, but this latest craze to hit Tokyo, of men wearing skirts and dresses, have raised more than a few chopsticks. OK, they call themselves  “the skirt boys” or “skirt tribe” but let’s face it, it seems more like  a trendy excuse for cross dressing (not that there is anything wrong with that). Hmm, one skirt boy who was asked what was the difference said “Cross-dressers are people who want to be girls. I’m not wearing this because it’s what girls wear, but because I like the line and the texture of the material.”  Hmm? Anywho the skirt boys say the look is inspired by the Harry Potter’s robes and not some dress wearing fetish.

H.W.Y.N.M. Oct 19th - 29th

This post is in the series of the Hottest Women You’ll Never Meet (I’m getting really bad at this. I should set an alarm…). Seeing as how this is a site about fantasy sports, these women will almost certainly be 100% fictional. You may have run across them in various games, shows or what have you, but you’ve never actually met them. And you never will. Just sit back, read up and enjoy

Name: Amara Ten’ou (Sailor Uranus)

First Appearance: Sailor Moon Episode #82 (U.S.)

Age: ~18

Birthplace: Japan

Height: 5′8″

Weight: 132 lbs.

Hobbies or Occupation: Galaxy Protector, racing, playing piano and teasing pretty girls

The Shake: Amara, better known to her closer friends in the Sailor Scouts as “Sailor Uranus,” is one hot mess, but in a good way. You could probably call her a boy’s girl in the sense that she’s a tomboy and likes to do other boyish things. That probably makes her easy to hang out with feeling that “one of the fellas” is around.If you’re not careful, you might find yourself defending your abilities in some sort of athletic pursuit. When she’s not in the Sailor Scout get up, she could probably be mistaken for a small’ish guy. Once she gets ready to save the universe though, she cleans up very nicely and she’s all girl.

Deal Breaker: You’d have to get over yourself and not make too many (or any at all…) jokes about her Sailor name… or not. Oh, and she’s also into other women.

Drs appointment

Had my latest Drs appointment this morning.  Still no internal checks.

Since I never know if he is going to check me or not in the female region, before my appointment I always try to freshen up (in Tokyo I just took a shower when I woke up before my appointment, here my shower is like at 6pm, so 6pm-9am doesn`t always mean that the female parts are going to be nice and clean).  Since I can`t really take a shower, I just use a soapy towel and wash off that way.  When I had my urine test today it was a bit cloudy-like and I was thinking it was because perhaps I didn`t get all the soap cleaned off (not easy when your stomach keeps getting bigger and you have to use a towel) so I wasn`t surprised when the Dr was on the phone with the lab that checks the urine and he was saying something was present but that the baby seemed fine so he wasn`t worried about it.

After the phone call, he tells me that since my due date is Monday he wants me to come again in the morning and he will check to see if I am dilated, if I am then I will be checked in (and I am assuming induced) if I`m not then we will wait.

I can`t say I want to be induced, but MIL told me yesterday that she thinks when the baby is 3 weeks old it would be perfectly fine for me to return to Tokyo, especially if my mother is still here.  If she comes on Monday or around then, then mom and I will have a week in Tokyo before she leaves, if she comes later then mom and I won`t be able to return to Tokyo and I am not sure the ILs will allow me to take the train back by myself (as if I am a small child and not an adult) and I would probably have to wait until Taka can have a weekend off and come down here to get me and take me back.

At this point, I`d rather have a not so nice birth experience than have to stay here too much longer.  I am definitely starting to annoyed at MIL, who while be really nice, can act like a small child sometimes.

Promocao no burguer king do japao

Em comemoracao ao Windows 7, o Burger King esta oferecendo aos 30 primeiros clientes do dia, durante 7 dias, um Whopper com 7 hamburgueres pelo misero preco de 777 yen (aprox 8 dolares)!

Agora responda rapido, quem , em sa consciencia, vai entrar no Burger king de manha cedo para pedir um whooper com 7 hamburgueres ? urgh, passei mal so de pensar em tomar isso de cafe da manha !

Vegan Sashimi at Yasaitei

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Very fresh local ingredients extensively used. Seasonal ingredients only. All-ladies staff.

I’ve been an unconditional fan of Yasatei in Shizuoka City for quite a while.
Some might say I’m attracted to the all-female staff, but they would be sorely mistaken as I take my Missus there from time to time!
The reasons are very simple:

Yasaitei (The Vegetables Inn in Japanese) makes the extra effort(s) to serve whenever possible produce from Shizuoka Prefecture, including sake and shochu! The only place, as far as I know, which offers shochu from three different Shizuoka breweries/distilleries!
Vegan and vegetarian friends have complained to me unaccountable times that they would not be able to survive in Japan. How far the truth they are!
Vegetables, including organic and biologically-grown, are plentiful in this country. I must admit we are blessed with a very special situation here in Shizuoka Prefecture as this is the mildest region in Japan in spite of the snow falling around mount Fuji. Our Prefecture has become a national reference when it comes to vegetable and fruit agricultural research (omnivores will be glad to hear that it is also at the forefront of marine life sustainibility!), notably in natural environment.

The staff at Yasaitei always keep an extra eye and ear open for any new information concerning vegetables. Many a time I have brought them heirloom tomatoes, burdock roots, potimarrons and what else grown by lady farmers up Abe River just for the fun of it. On such occasions some surprised patrons find themselves served with an extra “service morsel” (meaning free of charge)!

Yesterday evening, I needed a “quick fix” in between two work sessions and pedaled to their restaurant only five minutes away.
I just said, “Yasai sashimi no moriawase/Plate of vegetables sashimi, please!”
Written or not on the day’s menu, it will always be prepared with an extra care.
The set I was served consisted of the following (See above pic):
-Cucumber (kyuuri/胡瓜)-the Japanese like them young, narrow and crunchy!
-Japanese long radish (daikon/大根)-Juicy, crunchy, almost sweet (bear in mind that the extremity is astringent!).
-Perilla leaf (shiso/紫蘇) behing the daikon and sitting on a bed of onion (tamanegei/たまねぎ). The onion were thinly sliced and left in cold water for a while to take away the astringency.

-Guapara leaves (grapara/グラパラ) in the middle. I will talk about this later!
-Sweet Ameera tomatoes (ameera tomato/アメーラトマト). These tomatoes were originally grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, but are slowly expanding all over Japan. They are so sweet that they almsot taste like strawberries!
-Celery (serori/セロリー). Shizuoka Prefecture grows half of them in Japan! Fresh, juicy and crunchy!
-Myoga ginger sprouts (myouga/茗荷) just behind the celery.

These grapara leaves are gron in Chiba Prefecture, north of Tokyo.
For people who can read Japanes, check their homepage!

Crunchy but with a juicy and tender inside, they are sweet and taste somewhat like pineapple!

Vegans and Vegetarians, do not worry!
Yasaitei does not serve mayonnaise with such beauties.
They will accompany this plate of super fresh vegetables with a small saucer containing sesame oil (goma abura/ゴマ油), dark miso (kuro miso/黒味噌) and natural salt (shio/塩)!

Expect more reports!

YASAITEI
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-Cho, 1-6-2 Green Heights Wamon 1-C
Tel.: 054-2543277
Business hours: 17:30~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Reservations highly recommended
Seating: 6 at counter + 20 at tables
Set Courses: 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 yen
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Japanese Taxi

Panasonic DMC-LX3 at 12.8mm f/2.8 ISO100 1/125 Second

Saw this image while going through some of the older files in my library, and it brought back some memories of my visit to Japan last year. I took this shot of some taxi cabs in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, where we spent the first three nights of our trip visiting friends. Taxi cabs, of course, are different over there than in the States. Don’t try to open that passenger door yourself, your you might have it swing out and hit you! The driver actually controls the opening and closing of the rear door.

But this image also reminded me of a strange incident I had in Shinjuku, a major district in Tokyo. We arrived at the train station in this area after traveling from the south, and upon exiting the station, we realized that we had no idea where our hotel was. Not typically a problem when I have cell phone reception, but we were without connectivity, so we had to find it the old fashioned way. My first instinct was to hail a cab. So I walked up to one in front of the station, and as the door swung open, I asked (in Japanese) “can you take me to this hotel please?” He replied by telling me he had no idea where it was, even though I was showing him the address and saying the hotel’s name over and over.

So I figured, uh oh, if the cabbie doesn’t know where it is, it must me far from here! After walking around for what seemed like forever, we finally found a koban (a small police box assigned to a specific area). I knew the officer would know the hotel if it was close. Sure enough, he gave us simple directions to the place, which we discovered was only about a 3 minute walk from the station where we started!!!!

What was up that cab driver?! Did he really not know where this hotel was? Oh well.

Jeg er glad jeg ikke går på japansk skole.

Før jeg dro til Canada, regnet jeg med at den canadiske skolen var mye vanskeligere enn norsk skole. Mer displinert, mer lekser og strengere lærere. Men så kom jeg hit – og så langt er det mye enklere. Nivået er mye lavere på det vi gjør, men jeg jeg har ingen AP classes, så ja. Eh. Uansett så langt virker det greit, men som jeg sikkert har sagt mange ganger så har jeg ikke matte dette semesteret og det er herlig! Men generelt synes jeg mange av kidsa virker mindre mature og når jeg tenker på nivået på hva vi gjør i timene, synes jeg det er uvirkelig at de stikker av gårde til universiteter neste år. I dag kom nemlig universitetsfolk og snakket til oss, og jeg kan ikke forestille meg selv på universitetet om bare ett år! Så da er det jo greit jeg skal gå tredje klasse først.

Uansett, i dag snakket jeg med en japansk utvekslingsstudent, Kyoko,  som går på skolen min – det er to, og de er de eneste andre utvekslingsstudentene som er, men de drar hjem i desember, siden de kom i januar. Anyroad, jeg spurte hvordan skolen hennes i Japan var, og det var helt sykt; sånn som du leser om, men ingen ordentlige mennesker går der. Skolen hennes var fra 8.30-20.00. Så klart regner man da med at de har ekstra lang pause midt på dagen, som jeg tror de har i Frankrike, men nei, de hadde skole hele dagen. Og så hadde de i tillegg masse lekser. Og siden hun hadde en og en halv times reisevei – så betydde det at hun dro hjemmefra 6.30 og kom hjem 22, for så å måtte gjøre to-tre timer med lekser, før hun la seg i 2-tiden og stod opp 5.30. Dette er da en sånn superskole som gjør at det er lettere å komme inn på de riktige universitete osv. Og en del av det programmet de går sender de avgårde på utveksling (de må) så de kan lære engelsk og være flinke. Vilt. Jeg

Vegan Italian Tofu Salad

The Japanese come with some simple and tasty new ideas for Vegans and Vegetarians!
I just discovered this recipe. It is basically a Cabrese-style salad.
The twist is that the cheese is replaced by tofu!

Vegan Italian Tofu Salad:

INGREDIENTS:

-Tofu (kinu dofu): half/200g
-Tomato: 1 large
-Sweet basil: 10 leaves

-Dressing:
Wine vinegar (white): 1/4 cup
White wine: 1/4 cup
Salt: 1/3 teaspoon
Whole black pepper: 3 grains, crushed
Garlic: 1/2 clove
Fresh red chili: 1/2

Olive oil (EVO): 1．1/4～ tablespoon
Onion: 15 g, grated

RECIPE:

-Cut tofu into 1 cm thick slices.
-After taking out the stem part, cut tomatoes into half moons.
-Leave tofu tomatoes in a bowl full of iced water.
-Crush and mince garlic. Mix it with the wine vinefar, white wine, salt, pepper and chili. Cook in a pan until the lot has reduced to half. Let cool.
-Take tomatoes and tofu out the iced water (drain as much water as possible) and drop them in a large bowl. Add onion and olive oil. Mix well.
-Place tomatoes, tofu and basil alternately as shown in picture on a srving dish. Pour dressing all over.

NOTE:

-For calorie conscious vegetarians, tofu has almost none while chesse has loads of them!

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日本有意放寬中國遊客的簽證限制

日本有意放寬中國遊客的簽證限制，目前中國遊客到日本旅遊，要有入息證明，每年收入要超過二十五萬元人民幣，旅遊回國後，代辦旅行社要向日方報告。日本國土交通相前原誠司，與國家旅遊局局長邵琪偉會面時指，日方希望通過放寬簽證限制，刺激旅遊業增長。邵琪偉表示，中方承諾研究放寛日本企業，在中國開辦旅行社的限制。

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/68)

We are witnessing a very mild, if not hot Autumn in Shizuoka which promises to be long and pleasant.
This also means more access to local vegetables and local food in general!

Acually, the rice part was only part local.
The Missus steamed the rice with chopped konbu/seaweed.
It is certainly more practical than steaming it with a large piece of konbu as the seaweed itself is not only edible but add great taste to the rice.
This time she mixed in canned smoked oysters (this is the “unocal” part).

After keeping two whole oysters for the topping, she vut the rest small enough and add chopped boiled string beans and sesame seeds before mixing the lot together.

The main box was a combination of veg, meat and eggs.

The Missus placed them on a bed of lettuce with cut plum tomato.
The tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette contained cut and fried pimetoes and was seasoned with a little Thai swett and hot sauce.

The meat part was represented by thin pork slices rolled around thin enoki mushrooms fried Japanese style.

Good variety and very tasty, I must admit!

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So-Called Anti-Protectionists: Be Careful What You Wish For

Macro

So-Called Anti-Protectionists: Be Careful What You Wish For

We haven’t heard much from the so called anti-protectionists (i.e. the rhetorical protectionists) in have we? Perhaps they have been pre-occupied with the recession or perhaps there is more to the myth that there is a certain hypocrisy in this scapegoating, given the US itself could be embarking on a structural manipulation of its currency. If you cast your memory back, the defining moment came when China waited for a lull in the bombardment of anti-protectionist sabre-rattling from The West and seemed to politely ask:

“I request the US to maintain its good credit, to honor its promises and to guarantee the safety of China’s assets” [Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao].

After which, interestingly, the protectionist venting fell silent and the China-bashing seemed to stop… funny that. I have a feeling that “Wen’s Whisper” rang so loud it shook the walls on Capitol Hill and deafened the ears of bandwagon “anti-protectionist protectionists” who thought they might secure electorate brownie points with a bout of good old fashioned scapegoating. But the message was clear to all: while the US is undoubtedly the sole political and economic super-power (and will remain so by a long stretch for a very long time) we can no longer continuously threaten China as though it has little geopolitical influence – those who bark the loudest do not always have the hardest bite.

Never-the-less, the question Premier Wen raised is still a relevant one – how can the US guarantee the safety of Dollar assets? The Greenback is weak and it’s only getting weaker. There are those who say: yes, but the weaker Dollar is just a sign that people are taking risk again and dumping the so-called safe-havens (just like during the crisis a rising dollar was due to a “flight to quality”). So let’s be clear about this:

• There are a number of Central Banks making noises about diversifying out of the Dollar – that’s a structural, secular shift
• There are a number of investors (including the World’s largest, PIMCO) who have not only shifted their portfolios away from $ denominated assets they are openly encouraging others to follow suit (and giving rational reasoning for it).
• There are rumors that the Middle East is not only considering its own common currency but that it will also explore a new currency denomination for oil
• Numerous quarters (including China) have planted the seed for a new global reserve currency or currency mechanism outside the Dollar – bilateral currency agreements outside the dollar have already been in place
• If you price gold in “anti dollars” or in the DXY index then you find (as BCA Research pointed out) that we are nowhere near the highs in gold – implying that the recent highs in gold price is due more to weak demand for the dollar than great demand for gold.
• Deficits. Public Debt to GDP ratio etc, etc etc… The Fed is printing money like it’s going out of fashion… and, actually… ermm, it is…
• Finally while, we did see a flight to the Dollar in the midst of the crisis, it did not hit a ten year high as equities hit a ten year low… in fact it didn’t even come close… in fact here is a graph of the Dollar Index over the past ten years. 

Source: Bloomberg

Incidentally, the caption reads: “fairly clear trend”.

In fact, if the Dollar Index hits 70 it’ll be the lowest level EVER.

If the Yen/Dollar hits 80 it’ll be the lowest level EVER.

So perhaps Geithner is sensible to think twice before insisting that the US is running a “strong dollar policy”, as Paulson did – it is having an affect on credibility.

For those who think I’m off my rocker for suggesting that the US may not be running a “strong dollar policy” have a listen to what Axel Merk said on CNBC last night – it all starts with the phrase: “they don’t try to devalue their currency like the US does…” – very open and direct opining here, I’m impressed, worth listening to the end!

So I may be “nuts” to even suggest that the US may be calculatedly devaluing its own currency, but I’m not the only one to be asking the question – and I suppose that’s my point, really.

China keeps its peg for now, the Yuan has not moved out of its tight range for over a year now. Many signal that this is a sign that China is too cowardly to adopt a more domestically supported economy or that China foolishly assumes that it can continue to rely on the World’s largest consumer (US) to buy its goods indefinitely. But let’s stop to think about this, it’s tempting to think of the USD peg as a blinkered bilateral arrangement – but is it? True; as the Dollar retreats, Chinese exporters do not lose any competitiveness to US consumers due to the peg, but remember they also gain competitiveness to other consumers against relatively stronger Euro, Yen, Aussie Dollar and other currencies important to China. As if by perfect coincidence, at a time when China needs to rotate its export machine to more multi-lateral/balanced/diversified model, a weakening Dollar (and thus a weaker Yuan) is enabling Chinese manufacturers to explore new trading partners and cement new global trading channels away from the US.

It is tempting to think that, when China offered to relax ruling on its currency peg to the Dollar that this was an example of China bowing down to US political pressure. Perhaps, in part, it was, or perhaps they were thinking two steps ahead and not just one. Once China has used a USD-peg and bilateral leverage with the World’s largest consumer to develop its infrastructure to a certain critical mass, it can then rotate the manufacturing sector to sling-shot its exporters to a more mature, dynamic, multi-lateral engine, capable of mixing it up and competing independently toe-to-toe with the World’s most sophisticated manufacturers and engineers in Japan and Germany. Not only is this one step closer to a mature manufacturing industry, it is also one step closer to a floating currency and a mature financial sector. China’s trading relationship with Japan is quite well entrenched (a few millennia old), but look out for more protectionist rhetoric from Merkel and Sarkozy’s respective administrations over the course of the next 12 months.

Also look out for Chinese Whispers in late 2010/early 2011 concerning “rebalancing” its currency peg: giving more weight to currencies with trading partners outside America. The US recovery is highly dependent on real interest rates and thus demand for treasuries across the curve. Not long ago, US officials were lambasting China for not permitting a free-floating currency. Perhaps they should be careful what they wish for.

Macro Data to Watch:

• Industrial Production in the US
• Industrial Production in Russia

 

 

Markets

Well, yesterday I mentioned that if current trends in the British Pound persist, the UK economy was in a bad way… and WHOOOF! A massive rally in the GBP – worth keeping an eye on this to see if it builds momentum. This could be your lifeline, Gordon Brown, a stronger/stable pound is like a painkiller for the average UK consumer and thus the electorate.

A strong rally in the S&P after disappointing start by the banks – the rally continues. Stocks up, $ down. I forgot to mention yesterday that the Dow broke 10,000 – but to be honest I’m not sure the meaning of this we’ve broken 10,000 so many times in the last 10 years it only highlights that it’s a level we cannot seem to get away from and shows that Mauldin’s call for a “muddle through decade” was pretty much spot on.

The VIX hit a new low today 21.5 – we are getting close to the “happy days” level… the pre-Bear Stearns prices. Did I really just say that? Yes… I did. It’s all over – where’s my champagne glass then?

Global Stocks to Watch:

• Huge Spike in UK grocery/retailer Sainsbury on speculation that Qatar’s Sovereign Wealth Fund may acquire more shares – looks like an aggressive short covering rally to me.
• Pfizer stock rallies on good volume after announcing measures to cut costs on research after merging laboratories with Wyeth.
• Earnings:
  • Bank of America
  • Haliburton
  • GE

Bicycle

I hope this picture gives the impression that this bicycle was sitting here, all alone, almost in the middle of the sidewalk. Because that’s what happened. Hm. I seem to have a bit of a monochrome theme going on here.

Camera: Canon EOS Kiss X3

Lens: Sigma 30mm ƒ/1.4 EX DC HSM

Shutter: 1/30

Aperture: ƒ/2.8

Focal Length: 30mm

ISO: 1600

Swine flu spreading rapidly in California, health officials say

The swine flu virus is spreading rapidly throughout California, public health officials said today, citing physician reports of higher-than-normal flu illnesses for this time of year.

More than 5% of patients coming into doctor’s offices are presenting flu-like symptoms, which is much higher than the usual 2%, according to an estimate based on about 50 physicians across California who monitor flu activity for the state.

“We are seeing a continued ramp-up of the virus activity,” Dr. Mark Horton, California’s public health officer, said at a news conference today. “That is very unusual for this time of year.”

Horton said he considered the flu outbreak to be consistent with what is seen during a “moderately severe seasonal flu outbreak.” More than half of local health departments throughout the state are seeing active flu outbreaks, he said.

The H1N1 flu strain is by far the predominant flu strain circulating in California; more than 95% of the flu samples the state has received are testing positive for that strain.

Since this spring, more than 3,000 people in California have been hospitalized with the H1N1 flu strain, and 219 people have died, Horton said. Most of those who had died had underlying medical conditions, such as asthma, chronic lung disease, muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis, but some were otherwise healthy.

Complications of the H1N1 flu include pneumonia and bronchitis, and can worsen preexisting medical problems, like asthma and congestive heart failure. Most people who get the flu can recover in less than two weeks without seeing a doctor or taking antiviral drugs.

California received its first shipment of 400,000 doses of nasal spray swine flu vaccine last week, and this week received 150,000 additional nasal spray doses and 200,000 injectable doses. Last week’s vaccine supply was shipped to private clinicians, and a portion of this week’s shipment is to be delivered to public health departments.

The swine flu doses are being directed initially to those considered at higher risk for the virus, including pregnant women, healthcare workers, adults between ages 25 and 64 who have underlying medical conditions, children older than 6 months and young adults up to age 24. Because infants younger than 6 months cannot get the vaccine, their caregivers and parents are asked to get the inoculation.

The state is continuing to see somewhat larger percentages of illnesses in the younger group, while senior citizens are least likely to be infected.

The public is also being asked to get a separate, regular seasonal flu shot.

The day I went to High school, World War 3 kicked off

This was a major flyby, with the initial jets flying over in a nice Vic formation followed the last four aircraft in a compressed 4-finger formation. Just one thing to note, this was more like logistical movement from A to B as the aircraft were flying within sight of each other. If it were combat, they would be spread over a matter of kilometres, covering as much airspace as possible.

Being an avid plane watcher this was better than Christmas, you couldn’t buy what I’ve seen. Piecing it all together, the aircraft were a powder grey colour, in a clean aircraft configuration. Still, F-15s can fly pretty far without drop tanks. I stood there leaning out the window for at least 10 minutes. My high schoolers, who were waiting for the class to start, managed to leave the room despite of me being just outside the door. I was that enamoured with what was flying overhead.

I can only guess that the -15s were American, or heaven forbid, Japanese. It would be worse for the Koreans than North Korea invading. The Korean air force does own F-15’s but not that many of them. I’d say only two squadrons, but of the fighter-bomber type. That would make them a dark grey instead of a light, powder grey.

Other aircraft were flying (fluttering) around too. A twin rotor helicopter noisily flew by. In the distance two helicopters hovered in the distance. Yesterday, Blackhawk helicopters fluttered by while my teachers and I played volleyball outside. So many aircraft, you would think world war three had kicked off, or, maybe the Korean War had re-started, or even they’ve got war games on, which I think is the most likely choice.

Not the right setting, but it is an idea of what went on (above).

Cause

by Nao

yoshi, yū, yui, yu

This character means cause, reason, and means.

The reading, yoshi, is formal. In writing, you can write like, “shiru yoshi mo nai,” meaning that there is no way of knowing it. Only shi is kanji. Yoshi is today’s character. The other characters are hiragana.

Riyū is reason or cause. Jiyū also means reason, but it is a written word. Both yū are today’s character.

When it is used for personal names, it is often read yu. The current Japanese Prime Minister’s name is Yukio Hatoyama. The first character of his first name is this character.

1. Draw the left side of the rectangle.
2. Start from where you start the previous stroke and draw the right-angled hook.
3. Draw the vertical stroke from top to bottom.
4. Draw the horizontal stroke in the rectangle.
5. Draw the horizontal stroke at the bottom.

Frei Bilder, Coloring Bild 「Käfer, Wunderbare physische Stärke, Roboter, Wald」

Original Abbildung, Bild, Art, Schneiden Sie Kunst
Frei von Gebühr Geschäftsabbildung und Netzmaterial
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Thema　「Käfer, Wunderbare physische Stärke, Roboter, Wald」

Klicken Sie den Daumennagel bitte.　Das laden Sie, Bildschirm öffnet sich.

Coloring Bild
【Umriß】
　
・ Schwarze

・ Dunkel grau

・ Grau

・ Beige

Copyright（C）T-KONI . All Rights Reserved.

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Konami reveals Winning Eleven 2010

Pro Evo fans have another arcade offering to look forward to in the series, as Konami has revealed the development of Winning Eleven 2010 for arcades. The series which is known in Europe under Pro Evolution or Pro Evo has seen a number of titles released on console platforms with just a couple of arcade offerings in that mix. I admit that I am not terribly familiar with other titles in the series but this new one does integrate “improved AI and graphics” and it also includes a touch screen. The game is currently testing in Japan and I would not be surprised to see it reach Europe before too long as well.

[Via Dengeki Online] [Discuss on the Forums]

Get inked in Japan

Como fã de tatuagens e portadora de várias, inclusive grandes tattoos em lugares completamente visíveis, adorei essa matéria do Tokyo Fashion sobre a tatuagem no Japão e os melhores estúdios. Mas lendo percebi que, para os tatuadores e tatuados, o Japão não é um lugar fácil de viver. Muitos tatuados são proibidos de entrar em determinados lugares… além de sofrerem diversas outras retaliações. É claro que ter uma tatuagem grande e visível é naturalmente aceitar o preconceito existente, no Japão, no Brasil, em qualquer lugar do mundo mas a ponto de ser proíbido de entrar em algum lugar me leva a pensar nos EUA contra os negros há algumas décadas atrás. Kind of sad… um país tão evoluído se mostrar tão pouco evoluído… Enfim, se está de viagem ao Japão e afim de fazer uma tattoo, vale a pena conferir a matéria.

Fonte

Japanese facial product transforms you into a heartthrob

Apparently using this face product will turn you into a stud. Check out this commercial by Gatsby, a Japanese brand of skin and hair products for men. The hot guy in the clip is Takuya Kimura, one of the top entertainers in Japan whose claim to fame is from being part of a boyband called SMAP, a band started in 1988. For some reason, boybands don’t really lose their appeal in Japan. SMAP is still as popular, or even more popular, than when they started out. Now if this product turns me into Jessica Alba, I’m going to go buy a huge box of it.

Emily

Japan Probe

Sumo!

I spent a day at the end of September at a sumo tournament. There was a fifteen day sumo tournament in Tokyo (there are six tournaments a year, with three of them in Tokyo), and I went on the second last day. It’s possible to buy “day of” tickets to sumo tournments, but you have to arrive early. When I arrived at 8 am (when the tickets go on sale) there was already a line of over 100 people.

It's possible to get "day of" tickets to a sumo tournament, but you must arrive early!

I’d recommend a sumo tournamet as a nearly perfect tourist activity. It’s not overly expensive (¥2100), it feels authentically Japanese, they are very well equipped to deal with tourists (they have information booklets in English and most of the staff speak very good English), there’s very little commercialization (no Coca-Cola banners hanging from the ceiling), and the rules are very simple (bouts are won when one competitor forces the other to the floor or out of the ring).

The sumo wrestlers really are huge. The match referees sit quite close to the ring, and often have to leap out of the way when one of the wrestlers is thrown out of the ring and off the dohyo. In one match, a wrestler was thrown from the dohyo and injured – it tooks several men to get him back on his feets and help him out of the arena. The day starts with amateur matches, and then in the afternoon the professional bouts begin. In the lower level amateur matches it is always the bigger wrestler that wins, but as the wrestlers become more experienced the bouts become a little more subtle in the display of skills. Right now, the two best sumo wrestlers are Mongolian, which is an embarrassment of sorts for the Japanese, but there is no doubt that they are completely dominant. In the bouts that I saw them in there was never any suggestion that they would lose.

Hasami Scarecrow Festival

Swimming in rice

Every year in Hasami, Japan, the area puts together a Scarecrow Festival. They can be about anything from traditional to political. The one of the swimmer has been there several years and is one of my favorites. This year there was a “crow” about swine flu and Michael Jackson. Last year they had an Olympic gymnast and newscasters. Driving up the mountain you are likely to encounter people working-to close to the street for me, then you realize that they are all apart of the displays! So if you are near Hasami during the first part of October be sure to come check out this fun event.

Gantz Live Action

another copy paste post

Ninomiya Kazunari and Matsuyama Kenichi (L in Death Note) will star in Gantz Movie..

Famous manga Gantz will be a movie now, double lead Ninomiya Kazunari and Matsuyama Kenichi, to be in cinemas in 2011!! Producer will be Sato Takahiro (Death Note, Death Note:: The Last Name, Tokyo Tower…)

Nino will be Kei Kurono:: is the main protagonist of the series. Kei is a 10th grader who is summoned by Gantz, along with his old friend Masaru Kato, after being hit by a subway train in an effort to help a hobo who passes out on the tracks. In the beginning, he is a rather selfish character who often ends up being the reluctant hero. However, after Kato dies in the third mission, Kei starts taking care of other people as well, and he starts to avoid casualties amongst Gantz team members…

Matsuyama Kenichi will be Masaru Kato:: is summoned, along with Kurono, by Gantz after they were hit by a subway train while helping an unconscious hobo who fell on the tracks. He is an old friend of Kurono and serves as a secondary protagonist until his death and as the main protagonist in phase 2. At school, he acts as a guardian to the weaker students who often find themselves bullied, getting himself a bit of a reputation for fighting…

For more info about manga characters go here

info taken from Matsubunny Vox

i’m sorry.. i just too lazy to translate or remake the article.. so i just copy paste it *including the picture*

well.. i can’t wait for this movies.. can’t wait for nino and kenichi’s acting.. and the producer is Sato Takahiro.. i could imagine how the movie will be *imagine*.. 2011, ne?? well, i guess all we can do just wait ^^

Takoyaki

Takoyaki, which is often humorously (and unfortunately) translated as “octopus balls,” are dumplings made of batter, picked ginger, and green onion,  with octopus meat in the middle and sauce, aonori, mayonnaise, and bonito flakes sprinkled over the top. Now, as a non-Japanese, and I know that octopus can sound quite unappetizing at first, but these little snacks are so good that you’ll find yourself popping them into your mouth one after another. These can often be found at stalls at festivals and anytime on the streets, in restaurants, and even in people’s homes (you know you are an Osakan if you have a takoyaki cooker in your home). Furthermore, almost anything can be substituted for octopus when you make it on your own, including squid, kimchee, cheese, vegetables, or whatever else you can think of. Along with okonomiyaki, takoyaki is one of the representative foods of Osaka’s food culture, and apparently this incredibly popular dish has even made its way over to a few restaurants in the United States in recent years.

I personally recommend Takoyaki Doraku Wanaka (たこ焼き道楽　わなか　千日前本店), a restaurant opened in 1961 on Sennichimae in Namba (easy to get to from Namba or Nipponbashi station). It is actually right next to NGK, the famous comedians’ theatre, and television and comedy stars are sometimes known to drop in for a bite to eat. It costs 400 yen for 8 dumplings, and it is open from morning until 11:45 pm.

Here’s a video of takoyaki being made at an outdoor food stall in Osaka, in case you want to see a cook in action

Albatrosses Feeding with a Killer Whale

Albatrosses in the South Atlantic with cameras on their backs apparently used killer whales to find food. The cameras were attached to four black-browed albatrosses from Bird Island and their treks for food were monitored. The cameras were set to take pictures every 30 seconds. From these cameras the researchers noticed that the birds used large marine mammals that were feeding to find their own food. The researchers conducting the study were from the British Atlantic Survey or BAS, the National Institute of Polar Research, and Japan’s Hokkaido University. The researchers had to endure thousands of "nothing" pictures from the small cameras on the albatrosses’ backs until they came across a piece of gold. A picture documenting a few birds in front of the one with the camera and a clear picture of a killer whale.

Dr. Richard Phillips, a seabird ecologist from BAS, says the pictures "show us that albatrosses associate with marine mammals in the same way as tropical seabirds often do with tuna or dolphins. In both cases the prey – usually fish – are directed to the surface by the marine mammals and then it’s easy hunting for the birds."

The purpose of the research was not conservation driven, but to learn more about albatrosses every day life and foraging habits. Sadly, due to long-line fishing techniques about 100,000 albatrosses die yearly. Albatrosses feed on fish like the Patagonian toothfish, which is a deeper-water fish. The researchers suspect that whales drive the fish to the surface and the birds take advantage of this because they can only dive up to a few meters.

A report on this research in the Public Library of Science states that "scavenging on such prey fragments may be more energetically advantageous than the pursuit and capture of live prey, as such activities can require frequent take-off, landing, and prey handling which may all be energetically costly."

Having enough energy to feed is very important for mostly seagoing birds. Therefore, energy efficient feeding techniques are very advantageous. The foraging trips lasted between a half day and five and a half days.

Even though this research is not directed towards avian conservation, it shows that many animals act together in the wild. Even more than we may realize. It is all interconnected.

Click here for the full article.

Top picture credit to British Antarctic Survey/PA.

‘Till next time – enjoy!

Sturdy

by Nao

sō

I might have to say this character means young and strong simply but I felt sturdy suits it better. Both youth and strength have characters that are more suitable. And we hardly use this character, sō. Some men have this character in their names.

This character is not used by itself except when used as a name. It always accompanies other characters. For example, sōnen is manhood or the prime of life. The nen of sōnen means years. Sōdai means magnificent and spectacular. Dai is big. Sōzetsu implies not only magnificence but also heroism. Zetsu means absolutely.

The right-hand side of the character represents a man. The lower horizontal stroke is shorter than the upper one.

1. Draw the dot on the upper left.
2. Draw the upward stroke from the lower left.
3. Draw the longer vertical line from the top to the bottom.
4. Draw the horizontal stroke from the center to the right.
5. Draw the vertical stroke crossing the previous stroke.
6. Draw the horizontal stroke at the bottom.

Bad Dubbing

A discussion on a message board I frequent (hi to the Circvs Maximvs peeps!) reminded me of one of the most horrible, awful, just plain bad attempts at voice dubbing for a video game I have ever seen. The guy voicing Musashi sound like he is attempting a Texas drawl through a helium high. The woman voicing Princess Fillet sounds like she is 45 years old and all she is thinking about is the shoe sale at the mall. It just makes me shudder, wth were they thinking?

Average Weight of a Shiba

As we enter fall and the weather gets cooler, everyone’s appetite starts to increase–and that includes Kotaro! This is the season where we have to be careful, because eating to much = getting fat.

Now, at one year and three months old, Kotaro’s weight is stable at around 10-11kg. The Japanese Dog Preservation Association, which sets standards for Japanese dogs, suggests that the standard weight for an adult male Shiba is 9-11kg, so it’s good to know that he’s grown as expected.

Here’s Kotaro back in the days when he looked like a soft toy (two months old):

And here’s the fine canine he’s grown into!

But there are some things that don’t change no matter how big he gets. For example, this interesting way of sleeping!

And the way we sometimes find him squished into the tightest of corners.

And the way he puts his head on his paw… It almost looks like he’s sulking.

(Kotaro: No-one’s playing with me…)

(Kotaro: No-one’s playing with me…)

And he still loves to play tug-of-war!

(Kotaro: This is fun!)

(Kotaro: This is fun!)

Hmm, maybe he hasn’t grown up so much after all.
He’s still our cute little dog.

Eri
Editor, Kotaro’s Blog

[Photos: Eri]

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Shampooo – All-in-one checked hoodie

Hello. It’s October, time for aki-matsuri(autumn festival) in Japan. Aki-matsuri, usually related to the rice harvest nearly autumn, reminds us of parade through the streets and carrying mikoshi (portable-shrine). In the midst of cheers, the mikoshi is tossed up and down…. hmmmm it’s autumn in Japan

And it’s time for Shampooo’s harvest, too. Yes, a new release for autumn, all-in-one checked hoodie.
A large-checked hoodie with colors suggestive of autumn will just fit mouton boots. This stuff has a back pocket and includes normal collar and hooded one.

Please come by to check this out

Shampooo
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sylph/5/223/22

Shampooo blog @ wordpress
http://mirumirushampooo.wordpress.com/

Hokkaido

Hokkaido is Japan’s second largest island and is known for its mild summers and snowy winters.  It is also home to the ski area of Niseko.  I actually applied for an accounting position with a large resort operator in the area, however my Japanese ability wasnt high enough to make it to the short list.  Recently, Danny Choo blogged about his recent trip to the island.  Here are some of his pictures:

37 Weeks

Another week has gone by and now the clock is definitely ticking since I am now in what is considered the full term range but since 1)I don`t think the baby has dropped any 2)am still not really all that uncomfortable (besides the random aches and pains in the evening 3)I`m not doing the pregnancy waddle and 4)I`m not having what would be considered any sort of signs (mucus plug, bloody show, etc) I think she will be staying put for awhile longer and so long as I consider feeling the way I am at the moment thats perfectly fine by me.

In other news, there really isn`t anything going on at all.  MIL is now addicted to my Wii fit, in fact we both did an hour on it yesterday (not all at one time though, I can do short 20-30 min sessions but not a whole hour at one time).  Other than that my day consists of me quilting (which I am almost finished with), playing on the computer, watching TV (luckily they have cable here, 1 channel has nothing but foreign movies, another foreign TV show usually in English, and the other foreign Tv shows dubbed in Japanese), and re-reading the baby/labor books I have.

I think FIL wants to take me out for pizza for lunch today which would be awesome since I am kind of tired of eating nothing but Japanese style food.  I would love to make something for dinner but MIL can`t seem to eat chicken (as it makes her feel yucky afterwards) and she doesn`t like cheese (and I kind of wanted to make a lasagna) which definitely limits what I can cook.  I did figure out her oven (first person to ever use the oven function of it) and made a cheesecake on Sat. which the ILs loved (and yes cheesecake=cheese which she was fine with).

Surrendering Sovereignty with the Jawbone of an Ass

Obama fancies himself as a character of Biblical proportions.  The mOssiah darn sure isn’t the Messiah, and he’s not Samson either.  However, like Samson he is using the “jawbone of an ass” to surrender our sovereignty and diminish our nation every time he opens his Marxist mouth.  If he doesn’t shut up, he will give away what’s left of our country to the muslims and other vultures around the world circling to pick at our carcass.

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http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dmorris/2009/dm_1002p.shtml

Surrendering Sovereignty

By Dick Morris
October 2, 2009

While all eyes were on the rantings of Ahmadinejad at the United Nations, the United States — under President Barack Obama — was surrendering its economic sovereignty at the G-20 summit. The result of this conclave, which France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed as “revolutionary,” was that all the nations agreed to coordinate their economic policies and programs and to submit them to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for comment and approval. While the G-20 nations and the IMF are, for now, only going to use “moral suasion” on those nations found not to be in compliance, talk of sanctions looms on the horizon.

(read complete article HERE)

BoA- Bump Bump! feat Verbal from M-flo

image from Boa's facebook

We all know BoA. We all LOVE BoA. You must BUY BoA’s English deluxe Album.

That being said, I didn’t know BoA would be bouncing back to Japan so fast for a new single. This single is HOT!

Everything that Verbal touches is great and I loved “The Love Bug” which was one of BoA’s and M-flo’s previous collaborations.

Boa’s has got the sickest dance moves in this video and a killer new haircut to boot.

Check out BoA’s japanese site at avex. You can see that her single “Bump Bump!” is dropping on October 28th (which is an awesome day as it’s my birthday!)

What else can I say… it is only a matter of time before BoA takes over the world. Check out the new video from avex below:

Welcome to the daily debate. I have star...

Welcome to the daily debate. I have started this blog in an attempt to stimulate interesting and thoughtful conversation about scintillating topics of the day. Too often in our modern world we limit ourselves to talking to, listening to, and reading only people we know we are going to agree with. Too many times we immediately brush off opposing viewpoints as insane or laughable. I hope this blog will become a source for open discussion welcoming all various opinions on as many topics as possible. Thank you and I hope you chime in!

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Abbildung, Weave material 【Die Gesundheit】
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Klicken Sie den Daumennagel bitte.　Das laden Sie, Bildschirm öffnet sich.

Copyright（C）T-KONI . All Rights Reserved.

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Siphon coffee in the mornings

Siphon coffee: what a luxury. When I have enough time, I love making it at home. Usually, as the title of this blog suggests, it happens on the weekends because it’s such a messy, labour-intensive way to make coffee. But it’s also the nicest-looking way that I’ve ever seen coffee made, and it yields such a sweet, delicate drink that it’s totally worth the hassle. It reminds me of Clover coffee, but with a lighter body and more interesting high notes. I love it.

It’s starting to catch on in North America, but I would  be surprised if it ever goes beyond the grass-roots stage. Siphon coffee is too messy and time-consuming for most of the larger coffee shops, although there are some curious exceptions. Here in Japan, it used to be the preferred method and is still quite popular. There’s even a siphon competition at the Japanese Barista Championships.

-jer.

Slow Going on the Linen

When it rains, it pours. How true! These past couple of weeks I did a marathon at work and during that time I had a few work-related stresses. Though I would love to be one of those lucky few who make the “Quit Your Day Job” series by MaryMary on Etsy, I do need to hang on to my job until I make a decent number of sales per month to justify quitting, or cutting down on my days. To do that, I know I know, I need to open a shop. Before that even, I need a product!  And mine is not finished yet.  Nope- not yet.

Besides the work related rain, I have the kitty to worry about too.  Seems like she had a much worse time than me these days.  First the lack of appetite, the dislocated leg, general dirtiness of stray cats, the stay with the dogs at the vet, surgery (at which time the doc found two rocks in her stomach in the x-ray), the stress of being held indoors causing diarrhea and violent ear mites, back to the vet for some meds, and now, I think rock #2 has reached the end of the digestive road and will not come out- and she is straining to get anything past it.  I was in tears yesterday wanting to take her in to the vet again but, its “meiwaku” for the doc.  That means, he’d rather not see a feral kitty every day and we should wait until maybe Sunday.  All this compounded by the fact that IF she recovers, we can’t keep her. And I am starting to want to.

Its been hard to relax and just do my own thing in spite of these situations. Today I have a huge gap between bookings at work, so I am going to bring my pajamas. What I have managed in the way of progress is cutting the applique pieces and preparing them for attachment.  I have already started too. I am using an oval shaped hoop from Hardwicke Manor that I purchased from Hedgehog Handworks (at right). It fits up the leg of the pajamas nicely and allows a big enough space to work on.  I even bound the inner rings of both of my hoops with bias tape. I found a tutorial on that at www.needleandthread.com.  What a great site for people who need a little guidance.

The beginning of the end!

I have a few things to do- I few more design ideas requires some different linen and threads. I asked a coworker to photograph for me in trade, so I have a special design in mind for her that maybe I can recreate if she’ll model it for me.  My husband is asking where his is, so that will be a men’s line.  Ideas are plentiful but time and energy these days are seriously wanting! Well that’s where I am at.  I hope to have better news next week.  For more on the kitty see the previous post with its comments.

Hi ho, hi ho….