Photographs from a small group of islands
Forget all that fancy stuff like sushi and sashimi, or tempura and tofu. If you want a no-nonsense cheap night out, how about a back to basics evening of pork and pints?
Perhaps not eh?
The display’s liberal use of cotton wool is a nice touch though. Unlike my inability to avoid the reflection of those bicycles. Or my legs in the background for that matter.
I’d like to take a bit of time out from the usual inane tittle-tattle to thank everyone who kindly nominated me for the 2005 Bloggies. Sadly I don’t know who you are, but thank you very much all the same.
It was a very nice surprise indeed to hear I’d been nominated, but that was nothing compared to how I felt when informed that Tokyo Times had actually made it as a finalist in the Best Asian Weblog category. Considering the wealth of quality blogs throughout the region, I can only assume that many nominations simply went missing. There doesn’t appear to be any other explanation, and a quick gander at a few of those linked to from this site proves the point perfectly.
But worthy or not, I’m still on the list. And you know what’s coming next don’t you? Yes, if you wouldn’t mind (and providing you think I deserve it) a vote would be much appreciated. Clicking here will take you directly to the site, and even if you aren’t voting it’s worth a peek for the sheer variety of blogs on show.
From students to salary men, the iPod is the current gadget of choice. Those distinctive white ear buds are everywhere, and the queues in Ginza’s Apple Store are reminiscent of those once seen in Russian supermarkets. So with this in mind, who can blame Sega for trying to cadge a lift on the iPod express with its new robotic pet?
Ok, so the idog isn’t a music player (as such), and as the name suggests it’s a dog. But take a look at the picture. It’s white and it starts with a little i.
Like its far more advanced (and expensive) robotic cousin Aibo, the idog responds emotionally when touched. Well, different coloured lights come on dependent upon which sensors you stroke. But the main selling point is its musical ability. The idog contains 720 internal musical phrases, and has the ability to improvise tunes when you wave your hand over the phototransistor on its head. However what kind of tunes and how much ability we are talking here I don’t know. It can dance as well though, so that should make up for any musical deficiencies for at least 5 minutes I would have thought.
And whilst all this is not very iPod-like, little robotic rover has an audio jack for an external player. And I don’t need to tell you which is the player of choice…
In a plan to counter the nation’s ageing population and future pension problems, a governmental advisory panel has hit upon an ingenious solution. Have people work longer, thus delaying their pension claims.
The panel called for Japan to make it possible for people to work until they are 75 by the year 2030. And in a gesture of benevolence, a governmental subcommittee also recommended creating a society in which people can maintain good health until the age of about 80.
Giving future salary men seniors a measly 5 years on average to really enjoy their retirement. That’s big of the government.
Whilst I was aware that eyelid alteration (from a single to a double) is the most common plastic surgery procedure for Asians, thanks to Popgadget I now also know that nasal bridge raising is second in the surgery stakes.
I must say though that it came as something of a surprise, as I always thought that the numerous comments I’ve had about my tall nose (yes, a nose isn’t big, it’s tall) were derogatory. Or at the very least my, ahem, noble nose was an unlimited source of mirth and merriment. And the fact that kids in kindergarten often refer to me as Pinocchio has only helped cement such feelings. Cheeky little bastards!
But enough of my nose related angst. Asians do want bigger noses, and if they didn’t, why would a Japanese professor have come up with a nasal bridge raiser? A gadget that supposedly produces a tall nose without the need for surgery.
The device has a polythene nose piece that vibrates at 7,000 Hz per minute, supposedly creating a gravitational force that excites the growth of the nasal bridge. And its promoters claim that wearing it everyday for 3 minutes or so will produce noticeable differences in just 2 or 3 weeks.
If you find this hard to believe, these thoroughly unconvincing before and after pictures probably won’t change your mind.
For those of you also sporting prominent noses, I’m sorry to say that despite extensive and overly optimistic research, I’ve yet to find out if the device has a reverse switch.