So that I can give these kind of opinions and have people listen to me. I’m seriously thinking of starting a radio like program on youtube. Would anybody out there watch it? Will my love of the sound of my own voice make me not care?
Two interesting notes in the Japanese press today. First, the rigorous training of the Japanese Olympic team . . . fork and knife training! Yes, it turns out that he Beijing Olympic Village is saving time and dishwashers by serving all meals on paper plates with plastic western serving utensils. I guess all the money is going into their weather control cannons. I wish I’d made that up.
In an understandable panic, the Japanese athletes have been training for this by eating without chopsticks once a week for the last month or so. Also, the dishes served have been straight Chinese. Chinese food in Japan is typically redesigned to cater to the Japanese palette (the same thing happens everywhere else). Not this time, the brave Olympians are eating the same things the Chinese do. The poor dears.
The general conclusion, according to the Reuters story I read, “We need to sneak chopsticks and soy sauce into Beijing.” Therefore it is clear that these people are missing the point of the Olympics by several light years.
The second story is much more serious and relates back to something I reported on a while ago, relations between the US military and the people of Japan. A Japanese court has ordered 146 million yen (about $1.35 million) paid to the people living near Futenma Air Station. Futenma is a Japanese ASDF (Air Self Defense Force) base that is shared with the US. The reason for the citizen’s complaint? The helicopters are noisy and they are scared of accidents.
According to the court:
The Japanese government had "infringed on the rights of residents by sharing the air station [with the Americans]," said presiding Judge Yoshimitsu Kawai, Jiji Press reported.
"The noise hampered conversation, television viewing and sleep. Residents have had increased emotional damage due to fear and insecurity about crashes."
The interesting thing here is that it is the Japanese government that is being asked to pay for this despite the activities of the US personnel being expressly stated as the cause of the problem. My opinion on the issue: these people are complaining about absolutely NOTHING! I lived on or near air bases most of my life before my 3rd year of high school. The noise is noticeable, but hardly disruptive. It’s also useful because you can often set your clocks by it. That said, the Japanese value their peace and quiet so I understand where they are coming from, but 1.35 million dollars is way too much.
Thankfully, the judge struck down both the original demand of 455 million yen and completely threw out the idea of ordering the base not to launch or land aircraft in the early morning/late evening. He also described the idea that the “low frequency sound waves from the helicopters” are causing the people health problems as unproven (that’s Japanese-polite-speak for ridiculous).
In a related story, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (who wishes he had approval ratings as high as George W. Bush) has promised to “reduce the burden” the US troops place on the people of Okinawa. This is the Japanese equivalent of an American politician promising to fund ethanol while campaigning in Iowa.
Hit Count (not the number of people I have been paid to kill)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tips to save money on gas
We’re all paying a lot of money at the pump. Here in Japan, it’s 170 yen a liter. That translates to about $6.80/gal! The general consensus is that this sucks. With that revelation under our belts, please enjoy these methods of squeezing every last drop out of your car.
1. Obey the law. Silly as it may sound, one of the best ways to increase your miles per gallon is to drive at or slightly below the speed limit. The faster a car goes, the harder the engine has to work, and the more fuel is consumed. Driving the speed limit doesn’t really get you anywhere any slower and it will save you money in speeding tickets, so give it a shot.
2. Drive a constant speed. It is the constant acceleration and deceleration that drains a cars tank. That’s why the mpg listed for a vehicle is higher for highway driving than it is for city driving. On the highway, you are driving at a fairly constant speed. Try using that in town. Obviously, you still need to stop at traffic lights and such, but otherwise pick your speed and stick to it as traffic allows.
3. Make the car do the work. There are a few times when you can take your foot off the pedals and let the car do the driving for you.
A. When you have to stop, but have a long distance to do it in. When you see a red light in the distance and there are no cars between you and it, take you foot off the gas (COVER THE BRAKE JUST IN CASE) and let the car coast until you need to stop it. You will slow down gradually due to the laws of physics. If you are lucky, the light will turn green and you can gas on through, eliminating one of those nasty start/stop gas guzzling maneuvers.
B. When driving down hill and there is nothing in front of you. Take your foot off the gas and let inertia and gravity do the job. Again COVER THE BRAKE JUST IN CASE!!
During these times when the gas pedal is not engaged, there is little to no gasoline being burned. It isn’t much, but every mpg helps.
4. Stop Idling. This has been a major PSA campaign in Japan lately. The idea is that when you stop your car for more than about 30 seconds, switch it off. Modern cars (at least Japanese ones) use less fuel restarting than they do idling for a minute or more. So don’t leave the car running when your spouse dashes into the store for five minutes. Don’t circle the parking lot waiting to pick someone up. This one requires good judgment, but if it is done correctly, it can save up to a gallon per tank (according to the Japanese PSA campaign).
5. Drive less. Yeah, this is the one we don’t want. But sometimes it just makes sense NOT to drive. Use public transportation, park & ride, walk, or use whatever else you can. Failing that, you should at least try planning your route out ahead of time so you can cover the maximum amount of space with the least amount of driving. For that matter, combine trips and do as much as you can in one drive.
Just a few ideas that I've found work for me. The result is that I only need to go to the gas station twice a month even though I drive every day.
1. Obey the law. Silly as it may sound, one of the best ways to increase your miles per gallon is to drive at or slightly below the speed limit. The faster a car goes, the harder the engine has to work, and the more fuel is consumed. Driving the speed limit doesn’t really get you anywhere any slower and it will save you money in speeding tickets, so give it a shot.
2. Drive a constant speed. It is the constant acceleration and deceleration that drains a cars tank. That’s why the mpg listed for a vehicle is higher for highway driving than it is for city driving. On the highway, you are driving at a fairly constant speed. Try using that in town. Obviously, you still need to stop at traffic lights and such, but otherwise pick your speed and stick to it as traffic allows.
3. Make the car do the work. There are a few times when you can take your foot off the pedals and let the car do the driving for you.
A. When you have to stop, but have a long distance to do it in. When you see a red light in the distance and there are no cars between you and it, take you foot off the gas (COVER THE BRAKE JUST IN CASE) and let the car coast until you need to stop it. You will slow down gradually due to the laws of physics. If you are lucky, the light will turn green and you can gas on through, eliminating one of those nasty start/stop gas guzzling maneuvers.
B. When driving down hill and there is nothing in front of you. Take your foot off the gas and let inertia and gravity do the job. Again COVER THE BRAKE JUST IN CASE!!
During these times when the gas pedal is not engaged, there is little to no gasoline being burned. It isn’t much, but every mpg helps.
4. Stop Idling. This has been a major PSA campaign in Japan lately. The idea is that when you stop your car for more than about 30 seconds, switch it off. Modern cars (at least Japanese ones) use less fuel restarting than they do idling for a minute or more. So don’t leave the car running when your spouse dashes into the store for five minutes. Don’t circle the parking lot waiting to pick someone up. This one requires good judgment, but if it is done correctly, it can save up to a gallon per tank (according to the Japanese PSA campaign).
5. Drive less. Yeah, this is the one we don’t want. But sometimes it just makes sense NOT to drive. Use public transportation, park & ride, walk, or use whatever else you can. Failing that, you should at least try planning your route out ahead of time so you can cover the maximum amount of space with the least amount of driving. For that matter, combine trips and do as much as you can in one drive.
Just a few ideas that I've found work for me. The result is that I only need to go to the gas station twice a month even though I drive every day.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Extra!! Extra!! Read all about it!!!
John McCain says something smart! Extra!! Extra!!
The Monday, John McCain announced that he supports the idea of a $300 million prize to anyone, corporation or private citizen, who designs a reliable battery operated car. This is a fantastic idea and one that is a long time in coming. Just to make it clear, we are talking about $300,000,000.00 here!
I've said for a while now that the only way to get America back on it's feet is for us to start creating again. And the only way to ensure that is a good hard bribe. Why we didn't start doing this years ago is beyond me, but what the heck.
That said, I still believe that McBush would make a horrible president. But every once a decade or so, he apparently comes up with a good idea. And this is one that President Obama should seriously consider implementing.
The Monday, John McCain announced that he supports the idea of a $300 million prize to anyone, corporation or private citizen, who designs a reliable battery operated car. This is a fantastic idea and one that is a long time in coming. Just to make it clear, we are talking about $300,000,000.00 here!
I've said for a while now that the only way to get America back on it's feet is for us to start creating again. And the only way to ensure that is a good hard bribe. Why we didn't start doing this years ago is beyond me, but what the heck.
That said, I still believe that McBush would make a horrible president. But every once a decade or so, he apparently comes up with a good idea. And this is one that President Obama should seriously consider implementing.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Every comment is special
And yes, that title is another Countdown reference. This is a shameless plea to the people who read this blog (both of you) to leave the occasional comment when you visit. It would be nice to know that someone reads this stuff.
Nothing big, just a quick "Hi nice post. You require psychiatric help!" Is all I ask.
Nothing big, just a quick "Hi nice post. You require psychiatric help!" Is all I ask.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Random things. Ex: "socket wrench"
In a sick attempt to get one of these things posted a month, please enjoy some random ramblings about various topics.
Topic 1: The election. For sake of the world, John McCain must never become President of the United States. For the sake of the world, John McCain must never become president of his local golf club. For the sake of the world, John McCain must never become president of his high school alumni association (although that particular one room school house has probably burned down by now).
This man is the worst candidate that I have ever seen. The last several months have been nothing but a continuous deluge of him flip-flopping, exaggerating, or saying things that just aren’t true. Not only does he not know who we are supposed to be fighting in Iraq, defense being his much ballyhooed strong point. He doesn’t even know what he voted for or what he said from one day to the next.
He doesn’t seem to realize that his votes in the Senate are a matter of public record, nor does he seem to know that those little black boxes with the blinking red lights record your words and image and those recordings can be replayed at anytime in the future.
There are four possible explanations for this, none of which are pleasant to think about:
1. John McCain is a habitual liar.
2. John McCain honestly can’t remember what he said or did in the past (whether this is due to his age, chronic injuries, or another factor is immaterial).
3. John McCain is so confident in his smear tactics and media minions that he doesn’t feel he needs to be consistent, coherent, or factual.
4. John McCain is an idiot.
And one possibility that is actually quite pleasant to think about:
5. John McCain is deliberately trying to lose the election because then the GOP can go back to being the poor beaten underdogs that they love to portray themselves as.
Topic 1.5: Cookie Gate round 2. I laughed out loud for about five minutes straight when I found out that John McCain’s wife has AGAIN plagiarized. A few months ago, Mrs. Cindy McCain was caught lifting recipes from the Food Network (Rachel Ray to be exact) and submitting them as “McCain Family Recipes.” Well, here we go again (cue: Benny Hill music). This time she has stolen her entry to the Family Circle Magazine First Lady Bakeoff contest from . . . wait for it . . . the Hershey website!
There are several comments worth making here. First: HERSHEY? You steal from Hershey? Are you kidding me? There are millions of cookbooks out there to swipe from (trust me) and you pick the Hershey website? The least you could have done was swipe from a good chocolate maker. Hershey chocolate tastes like wax.
Secondly, what does this say about the McCain’s? Between the husband and wife we now have a clear pattern of lying and theft in an attempt to get what they want. And they aren’t even very good at it. Beyond that, we see a pattern of trying what didn’t work last time and assuming everyone is too dumb to notice. Considering that Sen. McCain is proposing a continuation of the failed Bush administration, this is not a good idea.
Third, what does this say about America? The article that I read this story from mentioned that the winning recipe in the Family Circle bake off has correctly foreshadowed the winner of the general election the last four straight cycles. Why is it so important that the first lady be able to bake cookies? Hasn’t the whole “equality between the sexes” concept come farther that that? The first family is supposed to be a representative for the nation (part of that whole head of state thing) and the assumption is that the wife of this family has to be able to whip up a batch of great cookies. Am I the only one offended by this? And I’m a guy!
Topic 2: International Travel. I’m planning on returning to the United States this summer to visit my family and I am rather angry about something that came up when I booked my tickets. It turns out that the United States charges a $60 entrance fee to the country. That applies to both visitors and to returning nationals. I am an American Citizen! I should be able to enter my own damn country whenever I please! That’s why I bought a freaking passport in the first place. I know the US is broke, but there have to be better ways of making money.
Topic 3: Web comics. I just noticed that I mentioned these in my initial posting and haven’t said anything about them since. Web comics are comic strips drawn by amateur artists and posted to the internet. Most of these are rubbish, but there are a few that stand out. I tell you my top three now and expand upon that, er, someday.
1. El Goonish Shive. A typical high school drama including aliens, transformation guns, crystal generated clones, and a young mad scientist who falls in love with a squirrel. www.egscomics.com
2. Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire. A sword and sorcery fantasy story that centers on the life of Dominic Deegan, a seer who attracts trouble like a magnet and has a painful sense of humor. The man who draws this is one of the very few who has been able to turn his web comic into a full time job and updates 7 days a week. www.dominic-deegan.com
3. Order of the Stick: A D&D parody that’s drawn in deliberate stick figure style. If you’ve ever enjoyed a medieval quest fantasy from Tolken on down, you’ll like this. You don’t even have to understand the D&D references to get about 85% of the jokes.
www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html
Topic 4: Ice cream. Who doesn’t like ice cream? Hmmmmmm, ice cream.
Topic 5: Trigger phrase—drakengaurd seltzer Jefferson.
Topic 6: What’s good on TV? Not much, but there are some programs on American TV that I recommend. First is Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. This man is the heir apparent to Edward R. Murrow and Tim Russert. Second is American Gladiators. This show is a successful revival of the favorite programs from my youth. Come on, small people being smashed by larger than life characters for our personal amusement. Third, Doctor Who. The newest series sould be on American TV on either BBC America or Sci-Fi by now. It’s fantastic and the dynamic between the Doctor and the new Companion is truly unique. Lastly, I recommend the . . . er . . . OK, that’s all the good stuff on the air right now. But hey, Heroes is going to be coming back soon, right?
And now writing this is becoming tiresome. You may all run along now and return to your little lives. Begone!
(I’m practicing for when I become an Evil Overlord)
RyuSensei
Yeah, I know I need sleep.
Topic 1: The election. For sake of the world, John McCain must never become President of the United States. For the sake of the world, John McCain must never become president of his local golf club. For the sake of the world, John McCain must never become president of his high school alumni association (although that particular one room school house has probably burned down by now).
This man is the worst candidate that I have ever seen. The last several months have been nothing but a continuous deluge of him flip-flopping, exaggerating, or saying things that just aren’t true. Not only does he not know who we are supposed to be fighting in Iraq, defense being his much ballyhooed strong point. He doesn’t even know what he voted for or what he said from one day to the next.
He doesn’t seem to realize that his votes in the Senate are a matter of public record, nor does he seem to know that those little black boxes with the blinking red lights record your words and image and those recordings can be replayed at anytime in the future.
There are four possible explanations for this, none of which are pleasant to think about:
1. John McCain is a habitual liar.
2. John McCain honestly can’t remember what he said or did in the past (whether this is due to his age, chronic injuries, or another factor is immaterial).
3. John McCain is so confident in his smear tactics and media minions that he doesn’t feel he needs to be consistent, coherent, or factual.
4. John McCain is an idiot.
And one possibility that is actually quite pleasant to think about:
5. John McCain is deliberately trying to lose the election because then the GOP can go back to being the poor beaten underdogs that they love to portray themselves as.
Topic 1.5: Cookie Gate round 2. I laughed out loud for about five minutes straight when I found out that John McCain’s wife has AGAIN plagiarized. A few months ago, Mrs. Cindy McCain was caught lifting recipes from the Food Network (Rachel Ray to be exact) and submitting them as “McCain Family Recipes.” Well, here we go again (cue: Benny Hill music). This time she has stolen her entry to the Family Circle Magazine First Lady Bakeoff contest from . . . wait for it . . . the Hershey website!
There are several comments worth making here. First: HERSHEY? You steal from Hershey? Are you kidding me? There are millions of cookbooks out there to swipe from (trust me) and you pick the Hershey website? The least you could have done was swipe from a good chocolate maker. Hershey chocolate tastes like wax.
Secondly, what does this say about the McCain’s? Between the husband and wife we now have a clear pattern of lying and theft in an attempt to get what they want. And they aren’t even very good at it. Beyond that, we see a pattern of trying what didn’t work last time and assuming everyone is too dumb to notice. Considering that Sen. McCain is proposing a continuation of the failed Bush administration, this is not a good idea.
Third, what does this say about America? The article that I read this story from mentioned that the winning recipe in the Family Circle bake off has correctly foreshadowed the winner of the general election the last four straight cycles. Why is it so important that the first lady be able to bake cookies? Hasn’t the whole “equality between the sexes” concept come farther that that? The first family is supposed to be a representative for the nation (part of that whole head of state thing) and the assumption is that the wife of this family has to be able to whip up a batch of great cookies. Am I the only one offended by this? And I’m a guy!
Topic 2: International Travel. I’m planning on returning to the United States this summer to visit my family and I am rather angry about something that came up when I booked my tickets. It turns out that the United States charges a $60 entrance fee to the country. That applies to both visitors and to returning nationals. I am an American Citizen! I should be able to enter my own damn country whenever I please! That’s why I bought a freaking passport in the first place. I know the US is broke, but there have to be better ways of making money.
Topic 3: Web comics. I just noticed that I mentioned these in my initial posting and haven’t said anything about them since. Web comics are comic strips drawn by amateur artists and posted to the internet. Most of these are rubbish, but there are a few that stand out. I tell you my top three now and expand upon that, er, someday.
1. El Goonish Shive. A typical high school drama including aliens, transformation guns, crystal generated clones, and a young mad scientist who falls in love with a squirrel. www.egscomics.com
2. Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire. A sword and sorcery fantasy story that centers on the life of Dominic Deegan, a seer who attracts trouble like a magnet and has a painful sense of humor. The man who draws this is one of the very few who has been able to turn his web comic into a full time job and updates 7 days a week. www.dominic-deegan.com
3. Order of the Stick: A D&D parody that’s drawn in deliberate stick figure style. If you’ve ever enjoyed a medieval quest fantasy from Tolken on down, you’ll like this. You don’t even have to understand the D&D references to get about 85% of the jokes.
www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html
Topic 4: Ice cream. Who doesn’t like ice cream? Hmmmmmm, ice cream.
Topic 5: Trigger phrase—drakengaurd seltzer Jefferson.
Topic 6: What’s good on TV? Not much, but there are some programs on American TV that I recommend. First is Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. This man is the heir apparent to Edward R. Murrow and Tim Russert. Second is American Gladiators. This show is a successful revival of the favorite programs from my youth. Come on, small people being smashed by larger than life characters for our personal amusement. Third, Doctor Who. The newest series sould be on American TV on either BBC America or Sci-Fi by now. It’s fantastic and the dynamic between the Doctor and the new Companion is truly unique. Lastly, I recommend the . . . er . . . OK, that’s all the good stuff on the air right now. But hey, Heroes is going to be coming back soon, right?
And now writing this is becoming tiresome. You may all run along now and return to your little lives. Begone!
(I’m practicing for when I become an Evil Overlord)
RyuSensei
Yeah, I know I need sleep.
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