On Change

The same thing is happening on both sides of the Pacific. A new guy comes in touting change, and the media showers him with endless praise, particularly over things that haven't even been done yet or things for which the previous administration would have been criticized.

In Japan, former Prime Minister Aso was heavily bashed by the media for going out to expensive bars in the evening. Hatoyama goes to expensive dinners night after night, and he is treated as a celebrity. Imagine the outrage if Aso had gone to fashion shows, film festivals, thrown the first pitch at a Major League game, gotten drunk and started yelling nonsense out of a window, or said, "screw you America, we're going to be friends with China and Korea now."

In fact, we're such good friends that we're going to remove all reports indicating the Korean cargo ship was at fault in an accident in which said ship collided with a Japanese frigate.

And then we'll give them voting rights, even if they're not citizens. Erm, right...

Cutting greenhouse emissions by 25% compared to 1990 levels sounds great, but it will result in a burden of about $3,000 per household. But they've also said they won't raise taxes.

They have claimed they will make all highways free of tolls, but this has met intense opposition from the public transport lobby. And arguably, Japanese public transport is the best in the world. Not to mention, making highways free would go against cutting emissions by 25%. So it looks like the DPJ may be changing its mind on this one.

An upstanding party/candidate wouldn't put something on their platform and then change its mind when they realize it can't actually be done. Such research should be done before it even gets put on the platform. Again, the media isn't being helpful by not criticizing things like oh, I don't know, lack of funding in a poor economy. The DPJ has all of these wonderful plans for making Japan a socialist wealthy country where everyone is happy and has lots of money, but people didn't seem to question where the funds for distribution would be originating.

In the United States? Well, this article sums it up conveniently. Throw in a Nobel Peace Prize for good measure.

Change for the sake of change is worse than no change at all.

On MSRP

This is probably not a bad watch. The "list price" of $2,500, however, is ludicrous. If everyone is going to sell the watch for just under $400, then it seems like the list price is only there to attempt to add nonexistent value to something. It's not as if you're actually getting a particularly good deal, and you can't turn around and sell it on eBay for anything close to $2,500. In fact you'd end up losing money on it.

For $2,500 I can buy an Omega Seamaster and pretend to be James Bond.

Some Restrictions Apply

A Best Buy Coupon that I found:

10% OFF
ANY SINGLE ITEM
Excludes Bose/audio products; Polk Audio, Power Price items; Sony OLED, XBR7, XBR8, and XBR9 TVs; Home Theater Delivery; Apple iPod; Microsoft Zune MP3 players; laptops and desktop conmputers; monitors; projectors; internal hard drives; computer software; computer subscription software; in-home Geek Squad Services; VoIP; broadband; desktop packages (packages include computer, monitor, and printer); Wacom accessories; Harman Kardon/JBL computer speakers; HP ink; SONY DSLR cameras. lenses, and flashes; unlocked phones; contract cellular phones; Fender and Squier musical instruments; video game hardware; Electrolux major appliances; Magnolia Home Theater products; Bose, Speaker Craft, Vienna Acoustics, MartinLogan, BDI furniture, Magnolia Guaranteed Performance Agreement and special order merchandise, gift cards; taxes; prior purchases; Outlet Center items.

Um, right, so that means you can use it on any single item as long as it's the bottle of Pepsi they sell by the cash registers.

Questionable Questions

People in America really worry me sometimes. It's bad enough that they obviously don't know how to write in English, but their behavior and the fact that they should be asking such questions is disturbing.

"Is it illeagle to shoot someone you dont like ?"
"theres this guy that's really getting on my nerves and i just get so mad is it against the law to pop a cap in his ***"
Even if you have the mentality of a five-year-old, you can still buy a gun in the U.S.

"I got a broken jaw after i was assulted, for telling this couple to break up, can i file criminal charges?"
"I was at the laundrymat and i overheard this couple say there ages, He was 22 and she was 16, I walked upto them, and told them to break up, and he should be beaten for going out with a girl that young, i told them to break up right away, and to never talk to her ever again.I grabbed the guy, and he punched me out, breaking my jaw.He took off, when the police came, and his gf went with him"
Ok, let's get this straight... So you walk up to someone, insinuate that he should be beaten, and then grab him. That can't end well.

"Can someone give me a complete list of laws in canada as well what someone has to do to become a citizen?"
"i want to move to canada or any place where weed is legal but it's not the easiest thing to research any help would be great if you can send me an email with a list thank you for your input"
Talk about being lazy.

California Dreamin'

Is Forbes owned by Yahoo! or something? They seem to have articles on the top page very frequently.

Anyway, an article on the 20 Prettiest Towns in the U.S. and surprisingly, I've been to three of them: Cambria, Monterey, and Crescent City, all on the California coast.

Cambria is... uh... quaint. Downtown Cambria cannot be seen off the main road (CA-1) and it feels like it is stuck in 1880, except for fuel prices which seem to be a prediction of what they would be like elsewhere in 2050. It has more antique stores than people living there and has, for some reason, become the subject of an inside joke where a friend and I yell "CAMBRIA!!!" at the top of our lungs each time we pass through the town. I'm not sure where it originated and it sounds incredibly daft when I write it out like that, but that's how all inside jokes are, I suppose.

Monterey is unarguably a nice place, although I tend to think of it more as a city than a town. A "town" would be like nearby Carmel. There is a shack on Fisherman's Wharf that serves excellent clam chowder.

Crescent City is a surprising inclusion. It is situated at the northern end of California, among the redwoods. I really love the surrounding area and the Battery Point Lighthouse adds an item of interest for photography. Out here, on a clear night, the sky is absolutely staggering. I have some pictures posted on my other blog.

However. Crescent City is by no means what I consider to be a "pretty town." Forbes described it as "quiet," but I think a more fitting description would be "depressing" and "kind of creepy" It's usually dark and very grey, and there are few people to be seen. I've had some odd experiences with the people that were seen, though. There was an SUV that stopped at the Crescent City overlook viewpoint just outside of town while we were there taking pictures at night, and it just pointed its headlights at us for about ten minutes. And then it turned its lights off, which was worse. We scampered off. Several moments later, as we pulled into our motel to check in, a truck blasting very loud music stopped in the middle of the road in front of the parking lot entrance and just sat there for about five minutes before driving off. This prompted the innkeeper to ask if "they were with [us]."

I want to go visit the redwoods again, but I'm not so sure about staying in Crescent City. I've stayed there twice, so maybe somewhere else next time.

19. Don't Read This

I think this article on how to save time is mainly intended for women, but it showed up on the top page on Yahoo! and I read it so I guess I'll comment.

4. Keep scissors in every room so you won't waste time trying to find them if you have to open a package, cut a tag, or wrap a gift.
Uh, okay, while I'm at it, why don't I keep a computer, TV, stereo, printer, refrigerator, utensils, microwave, phone, toilet, and bed in every room so I don't waste time walking over to them? Alternatively, you could have a designated place for your scissors. Maybe they wouldn't get lost if you always kept them in the bathroom or something.

6. When you find a useful number in the phone book, highlight it so it pops out the next time.
People don't use phone books. But if you're 85 and you do, you should keep one in every room so you don't waste time looking for it.

9. Stash lint rollers in lots of places (the laundry room, closets, your car's glove compartment) so you can zap fuzz and pet hair in seconds.
Again, one for every space you occupy.

10. Keep note cards, envelopes, and stamps in a zip-top plastic bag in your purse so you can dash off a thank-you note while standing in line at the supermarket or waiting in the school parking lot.
That doesn't seem very sincere... And believe me, if you write while standing in line at the grocery store, people will look at you funny and the writing will be semi-illegible.

16. Wear a cordless headset when you're on the phone so you can multitask.
By multitask they mean "talk on the phone and look silly at the same time."

Pink was the New Black

Wait, you just noticed?

Having worked in a shopping mall, the amount of pink you see everywhere is quite annoying. I mean, I'm all for supporting research for preventing and curing a disease. However, when I see a product with a pink ribbon on it I know immediately that someone is essentially trying to make some money on someone else's misery. Slap a pink ribbon on a can of tuna, and it sells more. It's a much cheaper solution than an extensive ad campaign or product improvements.

As a result, I won't be spending my money on these products. I might as well just go out and donate my money directly, rather than contribute to some lazy company's bottom line.

The market became oversaturated with pink merchandise, so some companies have switched to (RED) which is supposed to promote awareness for... something. I won't be buying any of that either.

I'm not sure what bothers me more: that companies are taking advantage of disease "awareness" to make money, or that some people seem to view such items as a fashion statement of some sort. They seem to think it's some kind of social status to have pink this and pink that but really, it just makes you look like a fool for doing exactly what these companies were anticipating.

I'm not even sure pink is the right color for promoting awareness about a disease. At this point I am aware of breast cancer, but it seems soft and cuddly because every imagery associated with it is pink.

Sure, some people have legitimate reasons for promoting awareness. Perhaps they or someone they know was diagnosed with breast cancer. However, their money would be better spent by a direct donation rather than buying a pink box of baking soda, which may just be pink for the sake of being pink. Furthermore, when I see someone clad in pink merchandise, it doesn't exactly make me think, "mmm, I should go buy some of that too." But then maybe it's different for people who buy pink stuff anyway.

And You Thought Obama Hadn't Done Anything Yet

Since the DPJ took over in Japan about six weeks ago, here are some of the things they have done:

-The prime minister went to campaign for bringing the 2016 Olympics to Tokyo, and failed. It should be noted that prior to the election, he was largely oppposed to the idea.

-The prime minister has been to some fashion shows with his wife.

-The prime minister has thrown the first pitch at a Major League game.

-The prime minister has claimed he is an alien.

-The prime minister has announced the country may need to issue debt bonds. Prior to the election, the party had criticized the incumbent LDP for issuing bonds and had claimed there would be no need for that if they just cut excess costs.

-The party has announced it will get rid of the system by which teachers are required to renew their credentials. This is because the party receives a large amount of funding from the Japanese Teachers' Union, which is more interested in making their jobs easier than in educating children.

Here are some of the things that haven't been done:

-Parliament still has not been called into session. In fact the only thing members of Parliament seem to do these days is be accused of money laundering, tax evasion, and spending public money for private purposes. This seems to be coming from both LDP and DPJ representatives, although the DPJ appears to have had more, including the prime minister himself and the secretary general. Investigations are ongoing but curiously slow.

-The prime minister has yet to make an address to the nation, although he has gone to other countries to make preposterous claims.

-A budget proposal is yet to be established.

Right, there's lots of work to be done. So what's next on the agenda? The prime minister will be re-releasing a CD of a song he made some twenty years ago. Why on earth would anyone with half a brain buy that? I don't know whether to be angry that he's not doing anything productive, or embarrassed about my country, so I'll be both.

On Stereotypes

Pepsi has been criticized for creating an iPhone app that some people find to be offensive.

I really don't understand why some people are way too uptight about humor. What good does it bring to be banging on about how the app is offensive anyway? Couldn't that time and effort be spent doing more productive things? I know I can spend my time doing more productive things than writing a blog post about it.

Perhaps it's just me, but I think as long as there is no malicious intent (in this case it's clear there isn't). it's all in good fun. They're generally true to a certain extent, anyway.

I am Japanese. That must mean I eat sushi every day. I am male. That must mean all I ever think about is getting some.

While neither of those is true, it doesn't mean I go up in arms defending myself against those claims when they are brought upon me; you have a good laugh and everyone is jolly.

Likewise, if I actually believed all vegetarians are socialists, I wouldn't be talking to them.

In fact you can get a list of stereotypical references to use the next time you're at the pub by typing "why are [group of people, i.e. men, Americans, Asians, etc.]" in the search box on Google. The auto-complete feature will give you a list of what other people commonly type.

They certainly don't have many nice things to say about Americans, Mexicans, Koreans, men, women... All of us, really.

Typing "why am I" will cause you to believe the world is full of people with low self-esteem. Perhaps they need to stop taking things so seriously and learn to have a laugh.

Door Locks

I'm rather annoyed that the previous owner of the 280Z has cut a large hole through the interior door trim to operate the door lock. Granted, it's very difficult to pull on the lcok without the little knob on the top (basically it looks like a toothpick sticking out and there's nothing to grip) but seriously, there's a hole about 6 inches in diameter on the inside of the door.

A replacement lock pull knob is five dollars. A replacement door panel is at least $100 if I can find one.

The New and the Old

I've just bought the Voigtländer Bessa on the right for the princely sum of five dollars. It has a Skopar 105mm f/3.5 lens. On the left is my Olympus E-P1 with a Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 MC, which is about 70 years newer.

It works (mostly) but even if it didn't I think five dollars is a good price for un objet d'art.

Victims

Another article found on Yahoo! today details how restaurants are cutting costs. Restaurants face rising costs and sagging demand because of the poor economy. This is perfectly normal.

However, the title of the article, "8 Restaurant Ploys to Watch For," makes it seem as if they're doing something deceptive. Okay, so I'm going to watch for these "ploys" and then what? Should I raise a ruckus when I find out that the basket of bread is smaller? Should I accuse them of trying to pull a fast one when they don't put a lemon in my iced tea?

It seems that in order to get by in America, one must be a victim. That way you can file a lawsuit against anything that moves.

On Peace

A Time article suggests that a Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to nuclear weapons.

I'm sorry, but anyone advocating the mass-murder of hundreds of thousands should be sacked. Go to Japan, be exposed to some gruesome imagery of the aftermath of a nuclear bomb and see if you feel the same afterwards.

Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama is plainly ridiculous. On the same grounds as him, I should win an Olympic gold medal by announcing that I plan to run 100m in 9 seconds flat.

Suggesting that nuclear weapons deserves an award, however, is atrocious. First off, the author's argument is purely hypothetical, based on "what could have happened" if the nuclear weapons weren't developed. Introducing such hypotheses is dangerous and logically fallacious. It is easy to undermine such arguments by hypothesizing something else. Would the world be more peaceful if Hitler had successfully developed nuclear weapons before the United States?

The author contends that nuclear weapons are responsible for the end of murder on a grand scale. He suggests that on average, 3 million people were killed per year in the 30 years leading to 1945. Now, exactly how many of those people were killed in armed conflict between 1919 and 1938? I'm willing to bet it wasn't many.

Ideologically speaking, if you're involved in an arms race because you fear the Soviets will attack, that is not peace. If I hold a gun up to your head and you hold one up to mine, we are not at peace. This is merely an equilibrium.

So what should be done? The answer is simple. Get rid of the arbitrary award known as the Nobel Peace Prize.

On Financial Success

From a Forbes article:

"Forget everything your guidance counselor told you: You don't have to go to college to be successful. Close to 15% of the self-made American moguls on the Forbes 400 never finished college. Many of the list's drop-outs made their fortunes in tech, including Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Michael Dell (Dell), Larry Ellison (Oracle) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)."

Um, right. Let's consider the number people that didn't finish college that aren't multi-billionaires... Or even those that live under the poverty line.

Actually, statistics show that only 27.2% of the American population aged 25 and above, has attained a bachelor's degree or above. Consider that if 14% of the billionaires in question didn't finish college, that means 86% did finish college. At nearly 60 percentage points higher, this is a significant difference and with a sample size of 274, not within the margin of error.

This, then is another example of statistics being manipulated to create a perception that is different from reality. Those that are unable to see through these will be suckered into deals that are less than desirable and therefore will not be a self-made billionaire.

Snubbed

I've always been opposed to nuclear weapons, I don't have a military, and I don't like war. My "political views" on Facebook have beem "Peace" for a very long time.

Where is my Nobel Peace Prize?

Worst of the Worst

A Yahoo! article on the worst cars of the decade lists the following ten vehicles:

10. Pontiac Aztek
Scares away small children

9. Daewoo Anything
Later rebadged as Chevrolets and touted the slogan, "American Revolution."

8. Isuzu VehiCROSS
Yeah... Just say no.

7. Jaguar X-Type
The Ford Mondeo is a pretty decent car.

6. Pontiac Sunfire
So unremarkable I can't think of anything to say about it.

5. Cadillac Catera
Certainly doesn't look like a Cadillac. Probably because it's an Opel Omega. At least the Jaguar X-Type looked like a Jaguar.

4. Toyota Echo
Zzzzzzz

3. Jeep Compass
The only Jeep one should ever buy is the Wrangler, and only if it will never be used except in off-road situations.

2. Chrysler Sebring
For rental fleet use.

1. Smart ForTwo
Really, the worst car of the decade is the Smart? I mean, it's an ancient design from the mid-'90s and it doesn't handle at all but for all intents and purposes doesn't it do what it's meant to do?

I mean, I can think of plenty of cars that I think are worse. The Dodge Nitro, for instance, was the ugliest car of the decade, if not the ugliest car ever. That is, until Kia came round with the Soul, which is so ugly it is offensive.

Other lackluster cars include the Ford Thunderbird (Motor Trend 2002 Car of the Year), Chrysler PT Cruiser (Motor Trend 2001 Car of the Year), and Lincoln LS (Motor Trend 2000 Car of the Year). I'm not really sure what "trend" Motor Trend is talking about.

While we're on the topic, let's have a look at the list of cars they've chosen over the years. I can't help but notice the number of cars that make me think, "how much do I NOT want that car?"

Chrysler Cirrus? Cirrusly?

AMC/Renault Alliance?

In fact I'm surprised that most of the cars on the list were able to win given that they actually test for performance. I can't imagine that a Lincoln Town Car or a Dodge Caravan doing particularly well.