Category: general

Here’s a neat story about how Justin Klein (of Adventures in Kyoto) got himself lost on purpose, and saw some beautiful mountain landscapes as a reward. I love stories like that. That’s the kind of thing I like to do–just go. (And take pictures.)

Someday I’ll be back in Japan–this post makes me wistful for that (as does pretty much everything, lately). But you can explore wherever you are. Certainly there is someplace near you where you haven’t been yet. There’s plenty of stuff for me to see here in the Augusta area, too.

So maybe tomorrow I’ll get lost on purpose, and see what I can find.

North Augusta continues to prove why it’s one of the fastest growing city’s in the CSRA.

And WJBF NewsCHANNEL 6 continues to prove that it needs copy editors.

North Augusta’s population is currently just over 18,000. With the possibility of thousands of people moving in, some long time residents are concerned the city will lose it’s “small town“ feel.

It’s its!!!!

Miss Em links today to an article about procrastination and productivity. It’s pretty interesting. I’ve thought about this sort of thing a lot lately, and I think the key to getting things done while I’m at home is to get into work-mode. Dress to shoes, like FlyLady says…but also change my computer experience, so that I’m less inclined to goof off when I should be doing my work. I think I can accomplish this with separate logins: one for work, one for play. Each login will have its own desktop scheme and Favorites, though they’ll share the My Documents folder, I think. The work login will have a plain backdrop (or maybe text saying “Get Back to Work”), while the play login can be anything I want. (I’m also considering a separate login that is set up completely in Japanese, for when it’s time to study the language.)

Here’s the article’s conclusion. I’m citing it because it echoes my own thoughts and feelings about procrastination, and it actually works well as an introduction to the theme of the article. For more information, go read it in full.

I used to procrastinate all the time. So much so that I thought I must be avoiding work for a reason, but when I did manage to get some work done, I’d find that I was no worse off than if I had procrastinated, in fact I felt better about myself when I got work done.

Then why did I put it off? This question plagued me for years. I felt guilty and I doubted myself – are other people working harder than me? Is something wrong with me?

Now I know that procrastination is a habit, and so is productivity. You can disrupt your negative behaviors, and reinforce your productive ones. It takes some work to implement this system, but by doing so, you’ll learn what to avoid and what to do to be more productive.

I have missed much since I lost cable in 2003.

From the blog of Lord Vader:

I have spent the day touring our facilities on the Sanctuary Moon from which we emit the invisible energy-condom that protects the still incomplete Death Star orbiting above. This world is an explosion of life, every inch teeming with creeping vines and scurrying insects and rustling leaves. Our tour ended up at the stormtrooper garrison where General Veers was hosting a barbecue.

“Have you tried one of these Ewoks, m’lord?” asked Admiral Piett, offering me a crisp kebab. “Delectable!”

Veers himself was surrounded by a cadre of identical troopers holding their helmets in one hand in their drinks in the other. “Lord Vader!” Veers greeted me. “I’m so glad you could join us. Did somebody get you an Ewok?”

I love this thing. It’s timely, it’s well written, and it indulges in all sorts of Star Warrior fantasies. Like barbecued Ewoks.

Yum.

From Man in Japan:

It always seems to be me that these things happen to; no-one else even has a scratch, but I now have a total of five painful finger-slits, three of them on one finger. This wouldn’t be so bad, but it’s on my guitar hand, and means that my housemates won’t be treated to Swallowed or Californication for at least four days. They’re also very upset, as you can imagine.

I don’t know how they’ll survive!

Authorities Blow Up Small Refrigerator

Authorities blew up a suspicious package outside the downtown federal courthouse Wednesday that turned out to contain a small refrigerator. The 3-foot-high cardboard box was discovered by a granite bench outside the John C. Kluczynski federal building and near a U.S. post office, police Sgt. David Villalobos said.

[…]

Authorities temporarily blocked off streets leading to the federal building while a small charge was set off next to the box.

So you see, Sousuke had the right idea! Better safe than sorry!

[Today I decided to look through my Drafts, because I remembered that there was a post in there that I’d never finished. Come to find out, there were four! So here’s the first one, originally written September 11, 2004, at 2:13 pm.]

I’m not really the type who gets nicknames. My friend Mat used to call me “Heathery” (and “fossil”…thanks, Mat). AJ called me “Heath” a few times, and when I was bald he called me “Professor”. But really, for the most part people just call me by my name, and that’s fine with me.

Brooke, however, is an exception. She has called me by some pretty amazing nicknames, and today I feel like recounting as many of them as I can find in my chat logs.

So here they are!

“Hea Hea”, all the time; this was probably the first nickname
“my bosom friend”, all the time; I call her this too, because we are bosom friends (and we both love Anne of Green Gables)
“girl” or “girlie”, all the time; but she does this with all girls
“the devil woman”, March 19, 2004 (did she read Kevin’s mind?)
“my buttercup”, March 19, 2004
“Hever”, April 7, 2004
“my little purple puff-a-lump”, August 13, 2004
“kiddo”, September 7, 2004
“my lil poppet”, September 7, 2004
“sweet pea”, September 7, 2004
“my lil cupcake”, September 8, 2004
“my lil donut hole”, today
“my lil cream puff”, today

Apparently recently, I am her “lil [insert cute or delicious object here]”.

Yesterday afternoon, Brooke and I went for a walk downtown. Ostensibly we do this for exercise, but really it’s just a fun excuse to get together and chat and look at things. Yesterday’s main excuse was so I could see the new James Brown statue and take some pictures of it.

We’d barely accomplished that when it started raining. Undaunted, we walked around some. The rain came in bursts, occasionally coming down hard, but drizzling for the most part. We power-walked from awning to awning, screeching like ninnies whenever huge bolts of lightning crack-powed a little too close for comfort. (Don’t do this at home, kids.) Eventually the weather convinced us that we should probably be inside, so we checked out a new store: Treasures of the World.

The place was run by a guy who was apparently in the military. He said that while traveling in Asia, he and his family had come up with the idea to import quality, hand-made goods from around the world to the US. He now has over a hundred suppliers from 56 nations across all six populated continents, and is still looking to expand. The original store is in Florida; the Augusta store is a new venture. While he didn’t state this, I assume he opened in Augusta because he was transferred to Fort Gordon.

There was a lot of neat stuff in the place, including a huge sculpture of a boat, made entirely out of jade. “What is it, $10,000?” I asked. “Nineteen, actually,” the guy said. When he went to answer the phone, I took a picture of it.

After we left the store, I commented to Brooke that it was interesting how the guy had responded to things I said. For example, he originally stated that he had been traveling in Asia. When I asked him what he’d been there for and how long, he said (it seemed more like he was admitting) that he’d been stationed in Korea. “Ah, that’s what I thought,” I said, rather judgmentally, as if I were ashamed of him for hiding his military background. I honestly hadn’t meant for it to come out that way; I was trying to just say “Oh”, but my disappointment over not having found an industry that could get me overseas seemed to affect what came out of my mouth.

I considered clarifying my position, but then I decided that it didn’t really matter, so I didn’t say anything. I did notice, however, that every time he mentioned his travels thereafter, he would hastily amend the fact that he’d been stationed there, as if he was worried about displeasing me.

As I was explaining this to Brooke, she said, “You really do analyze stuff!” That got me thinking. Maybe part of the reason I have trouble with conversations with strangers is that I am constantly evaluating what’s being said. How am I coming across? What do they think of me? This seems to be an introvert trait; extraverts are better at just doing it, and not worrying about all the details. It’s no wonder I’m exhausted after spending a day talking with people, if I’m using up all my mental energy trying to give them all the proper impression.

For more pictures from the rainy downtown trip, including more James Brown and yet another picture of the Lamar Building, click here.

Asahi.com has an interesting article up today about how the commuter train derailing in Amagasaki says something about Japanese culture.

It has taken an accident that killed 107 people to motivate the company to apply the brakes on its policy of “more and faster trains.”

Perhaps our society’s unceasing quest for greater convenience also needs to be braked.

The kanji for ben means “whipping people into docility to make them serviceable,” according to Shizuka Shirakawa’s Jito etymological dictionary for Chinese characters. Hence the meanings of words we usually use, like benri (convenience) and bengi (facility). Benben means doing obediently as told.

[…]

Sad to say, benben is the epithet that applies to the way many employees of the railway company behaved, including the two drivers who were aboard the derailed train, but went on to work instead of participating in the rescue of injured passengers.

I’d like to learn more about Japanese essay-writing, because this piece doesn’t follow any structure I’ve learned for writing essays in English. It was somewhat difficult to read, and it ended with a completely unrelated point instead of a conclusion. When I read the piece, it felt disorganized and improperly supported. It makes me wonder if translators should do some rewriting rather than just literally translating, to fit the standards of the language they are translating the piece into.

In any case, I feel that the main thrust of the piece was a cry to break out of docility-mode. I’m interested to see this opinion coming from a Japanese person, as opposed to from the many foreigners who’ve discussed the issue.

On Saturday, April 2, I went to the Augusta Canal Trail. I rode my bike down to the bridge where the trail goes over the canal, to the section that is apparently under construction. (If anyone knows when it’ll be finished, I’d love to find out.) New Bartram Trail appears there, of course.

I decided to go down into the dirt road and see what I could see. I found that New Bartram Trail extends back away from the road. I chose to go forwards, towards downtown. Staying on the road instead of on the bike path above made little difference, except that I was on the other side of the train tracks.

Both paths come out right at Sibley Mill. When I got there, I rode up past the mill instead of turning right like I did before, and I discovered that Broad Street is right there. I followed Broad until I saw more signs for the Augusta Canal Trail, which I followed to its terminus at Riverwalk. From Riverwalk, I decided to find out where New Bartram Trail went, as it also starts/ends there. So I biked along that path until I got to 13th Street, where I was somewhat stymied by the altogether too confusing signage. Eventually (after much circling) I discovered that the signs are simply there to tell you to cross the street legally, as a pedestrian, to get to the rest of the trail, which is directly across the street. That trail leads down to the Rivers Edge community entrance, and abruptly stops. There are no signs saying where to go, or even that the trail even exists. So when I got to that point, and was stuck there staring at Riverwatch Parkway wondering where I was supposed to go, I was pretty disappointed. I had hoped to find a different path over the canal. Finally I had to turn left and head back to Broad so that I could get over the canal and back on the trail.

There ended up being no way to continue on Bartram Trail past the lock/dam area beyond Rivers Edge, but I enjoyed the long ride nonetheless. While I was out I saw an older man and woman, the woman wearing a blue jean skirt, biking down the path leading to the Savannah Rapids Pavilion. I thought they were very cute, biking together.

This movie sounds very interesting. From Mainichi:

Actress Kyoko Hasegawa charmed fans with a pre-screening appearance of her new movie, “Female,” a compilation of five short films focusing on the eroticism of women of different ages.

“Female” is drawn from five different novels written by five different women writers, with each short being directed by a different auteur.

[…]

Director Suzuki Matsuo recommended “Female” for “[Saki] Takaoka’s bold sex scene,” drawing a blush from the 32-year-old actress.

“How embarrassing. I want to get away from here,” she said.

She went on, however. “A woman’s body, just being a woman in itself, is erotic,” Takaoka said.

I’m very interested to see eroticism explored by Japanese women. I hope female will be subtitled!

Me [looking over Sean’s shoulder at a website]: What’s Lionna?
Sean: The server we’re on in L2. It’s named after a character in the novels. I think she was the one who it was prophesied would be a queen, and she let it go to her head.
Me: I wish I was the queen of something. I’d probably let it go to my head though.
Sean: [laughs]
Me: Am I the queen of your life?
Sean [without hesitation]: Yes, baby.
Me [grinning stupidly]: Okay, I guess I can be satisfied with that.

This safe and clean method of melting the tips of used needles is a great idea. (Via BoingBoing.)

I wonder if this would be helpful to me. I don’t inhale my food, but maybe eating slower would mean I would eat less. Dunno.

So, things in Iraq are looking lovely as usual. It’s a difficult situation to deal with day-to-day, which may be why the Army and the Marine Corps aren’t meeting their recruitment goals. Additionally, there are lots of young people who disagree with the war, and who therefore would never sign up. There are also plenty of people who don’t feel like they owe anyone anything–that they are simply entitled to everything they have. This kind of person might join the military in peacetime, for the benefits, but would never put his life in danger by signing up during a war. (And don’t think I’m just being harsh and judgmental here; I’m not sure that I would sign up, if I was a guy. I feel those emotions too.)

This is whack! And awesome!

Ummm…ouch.

Also, “California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger does not want to destroy the moon.“