so des ne

Another financial bubble (to pop soon)...

global climate change ramping up...

H1N1 ready to launch...

Nukes in the hands of ideological and religious fools...

TEOLAWKI looming from the slow but certain death-twins of religion and overpopulation...

Uneducated and uncritical thinking masses easily distracted...

Most looking for love in the narrow confines of 'the romantic social script'...

Hmmm...

I believe I'll go reload the hummingbird feeders, have another cup of tea, water the garden, and look for others who can see.

Julia Stiles

is the best thing about the Bourne movies.

Matt Damon ...

not Mark Wahlberg

Simple US Health Care Question

Can anyone explain to me exactly why insurance companies should be involved with health care at all?

Recommended

Yes we are indeed doomed and well on the way to Idiocracy thanks to religion, overpopulation, ideological ethnocentrism, general right wing looniness, and probably too much animal fat and corn syrup. See John Stewart interview of Betsy McCaughy here for the latest example: http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/interview

Best single source for clarity on overpopulation:
www.paulchefurka.ca

Another good one on overpopulation:
http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-playing-field/200902/the-five-year-ban-because-a-billion-less-people-is-a-great-place-to-st#new

Words and labels matter:
www.namelab.com

On Japan:
www.japandemic.com

http://adult.engrish.com/

Missing Japan

It's been a couple of years since I was there teaching "technical / business English and cultural awareness" but sometimes I miss Japan very very much. This even though it was one of the toughest times in my life on several levels, and the job was one of those time, energy, and attention vampires that left little time for much of my own "cultural awareness". I miss my students. I miss Misae at Air's Cafe. I miss seeing Japanese schoolgirls in those cliche uniforms running through Ikebukuro station while carrying (sheathed) swords. I even miss the trains. I miss Minatomirai. I miss Kotesashi.

Someday I'll go back, and order a tequila and ginger ale at Air's Cafe, and tell Misae (if she's not still angry at me) "ii soide masen".