Gary J. Wolff's Blog

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Gary J. Wolff's Blog

Gary J. Wolff's blog is my mini-journal about garyjwolff.com. It...

lets you know whenever any new pages are added to garyjwolff.com
allows me to periodically share some interesting stuff about Japanese culture
keeps you up-to-date on any other postings or news regarding garyjwolff.com

Enjoy...

Cheers,
Gary

Recent website updates (at bottom of the page)
Feel free to share your comments below.

Mar. 10, 2014 - Tokyo Joe gets his email read to an international radio audience

I've been an English teacher for way TOO long! Every Sunday night, I like to listen to a radio broadcast on KSFO in San Francisco by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. Last night I heard the Rabbi make a mistake with his English usage, so I commenced to email him to correct his English. In a lighthearted manner, of course! smiley

The Rabbi not only immediately emailed me back with a bunch of ha-ha-ha's, but then he read my email on-air to an international radio audience. I was SO surprised, but how PRESUMPTUOUS of me to lecture a Rabbi! smiley

If you'd like to hear Rabbi Lapin read my email, click here. And if you'd like to listen to the Rabbi's KSFO 3-hour radio show, it starts every Sunday morning at 5 AM, Pacific Daylight Time (9 PM Japan time).

Mar. 3, 2014 - Canada's Top Ten List of America's Stupidity

10) Only in America ... could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a $35,000 a plate campaign fund-raising event.

9) Only in America ... could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when they have a black President, a black Attorney General, and roughly 20% of the federal workforce is black while only 14% of the population is black. 40+% of all federal entitlements go to black Americans, 3X the rate that go to whites & 5X the rate that go to Hispanics!

8) Only in America ... could they have had the two people most responsible for our tax code, Timothy Geithner (the head of the Treasury Department) and Charles Rangel (who once ran the Ways and Means Committee), BOTH turn out to be tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.

7) Only in America ... can they have terrorists kill people in the name of Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be harmed by the backlash.

6) Only in America ... would they make people who want to legally become American citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege, while they discuss letting anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just "magically" become American citizens.

5) Only in America ... could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the country's Constitution be thought of as "extremists."

4) Only in America ... could you need to present a driver's license to cash a check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.

3) Only in America ... could people demand the government investigate whether oil companies are gouging the public, because the price of gas went up, when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. oil company (Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike).

2) Only in America ... could the government collect more tax dollars from the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a trillion dollars more than it has per year - for total spending of $7 Million PER MINUTE, and complain that it doesn't have nearly enough money.

1) Only in America ... could the rich people - who pay 86% of all income taxes - be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't pay any income taxes at all.

Source: American Family Rights

Feb. 27, 2014 - Video from my Feb. 15-22 Cook Islands vacation

It was a magnificent trip and I was blessed to have sampled so much of the amazing Cook Islands culture & beauty. I hope this video helps you catch a quick glimpse of this spectacular South Pacific paradise. Webpage to follow shortly...

(If player above is not visible,
you can view video @ YouTube here.)

0:00 Air New Zealand inflight airshow
2:06 Stepping off the plane @ Rarotonga International Airport
2:34 74-year-old ukulele player Jake Numanga welcomes tourists
3:02 Courtyard outside departure counters @ Rarotonga Airport
3:17 Beautiful blue Cook Islands ocean
3:58 Rarotonga Punanga Nui Sat. morning market
4:31 Making of a tornado potato
4:52 Cook Islands children performing their native dances
10:01 Grilling of kebab sticks
10:13 Making of tropical fruit smoothies
12:42 Cook Islands rooster cock-a-doodle-dooing (TWICE)
13:24 Young boys swimming in Avatiu Harbor
14:51 Sat. night party buses
15:43 Singing @ Avarua Cook Islands Christian Church, Rarotonga
18:28 Ru & the Boys ukulele band (Dad: Ru, Son: Abraham)
25:18 My electric rental bicycle
26:02 Muri Beach, Rarotonga
26:26 Westbound nighttime takeoff @ Rarotonga Airport west end jet blast area
26:59 Rarotonga Cross-Island Track
28:04 Panorama from The Needle (Te Rua Manga)
28:57 Wigmore's Waterfall
29:39 Island Nights dance show @ the Edgewater Resort (5 dances)
48:09 Eastbound takeoff @ Rarotonga Airport east end jet blast area
48:54 Pacific Resort beach, Rarotonga
49:15 New Zealand girls on beachside rope swing @ Koka Lagoon Cruises, Muri Beach
52:06 Eastbound landing @ Rarotonga Airport west end jet blast area
52:55 Westbound takeoff @ Rarotonga Airport east end jet blast area (I was blown to the ground from the jet blast!)
55:09 Taking off from Rarotonga Airport & bidding farewell to the Cook Islands
56:40 Sunrise from my Bangkok to Tokyo flight

Feb. 24, 2014 - Pics from my Feb. 15-22 Cook Islands vacation

Here is just a small sample of the 253 pics waiting for you in my Cook Islands album @ Flickr. I hope you enjoy seeing some of the sights I was blessed with in this tropical South Pacific paradise! Video and webpage to follow shortly...

View all 253 Cook Islands pics in my Flickr album here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolffman/sets/72157641539142933/

Feb. 12, 2014 - Air New Zealand unveils sexy safety video starring Sports Illustrated swimsuit models

Air New Zealand today released to the viewing public its latest inflight safety video "Safety in Paradise" featuring famous Sports Illustrated swimsuit models frolicking on the picture-perfect beach shores of Cook Islands, a 15-island nation in the South Pacific.

Instead of using traditional flight attendants, Air New Zealand's latest inflight safety video features four drop-dead, good-looking Sports Illustrated models to point out how to use the airplane's safety features. Cook Islands natives are also featured in the video, garbed in their traditional outfits.

Partnering with Sports Illustrated, Air New Zealand's sexy video also marks the 50th anniversary of the magazine's famous annual swimsuit issue. These are some gorgeous women! Check it out! smiley

Air New Zealand's new sexy safety video
(If player above is not visible,
you can view video @ YouTube here.)

Feb. 9, 2014 - Beatles flashback: 50th anniversary of their 1st appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show

Fifty years ago today on Sun. night, February 9th, 1964, The Beatles invaded America and made their first American television appearance LIVE on The Ed Sullivan Show, setting "Beatlemania" into full motion. I, along with a record setting 73 million other people (most of them screaming girls), tuned in that evening, making it one of the most historic moments in U.S. television history.

I can honestly say that that 1-hr TV show still ranks among the top 5 events in my entire lifetime. Not long after that earth-shaking night, I got an electric guitar, grew out my hair a little long, and became a full-fledged Beatlemaniac. smiley

And in the 5 decades that have now passed, I've never stopped being a big fan of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, & Ringo Starr.

My favorite song of the 5 they performed that Sun. night was the final one, "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which still remains one of my favorite Beatles songs to this day. The video clip below captures the excitement of that night fairly well. Long live The Beatles! FIFTY YEARS! WOW! smiley

The Beatles' first U.S. TV appearance LIVE on
The Ed Sullivan Show, Sun. night, Feb. 9, 1964
(If player above is not visible,
you can view video @ YouTube here.)

"When I was a Beatle, I thought we were the best frigging group in the goddamn world. And believin' in that was what made us what we were. And it was just a matter of time before everyone else caught on."

--John Lennon, in his reflection on the growing popularity of the Fab Four when they first started taking the world by storm--

Feb. 8, 2014 - Tokyo Snow Day! The heaviest snowfall in the nation's capital in 45 years!!

Today will go down as BIG HISTORY in Japan's capital. Snow accumulation reached 27 cm (10.6 in), the heaviest snowfall in Tokyo since January 1969.

After the first heavy snowfall warning for central Tokyo in 13 years, more than 740 flights were cancelled and more than 40,000 households lost power in large areas of central and eastern Japan.

Nationwide, the heavy snow and severe weather resulted in 3,200 accidents caused by vehicles skidding in the icy conditions, leaving 3 dead and more than 500 injured, including 17 seriously.

Additional disruption included the temporary suspension of Shinkansen bullet train service, the closing of some sections of expressways, and several Tokyo universities having to delay the starting times of their entrance examinations for the new academic year starting in April.

Source: Japan Times

Tokyo Snow Day - Feb. 8, 2014
The full 63-photo album is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolffman/sets/72157640703311984/

Feb. 7, 2014 - Menopausal Women at the Mall

Road rage and class war escalate into a demolition derby at the local mall. Way too much testosterone! smiley

View video @ YouTube here. Priceless!! smiley

Feb. 2, 2014 - A TRUE Super Bowl wife !!

A woman sat down at her seat on the 50-yard line for the Super Bowl. A man came along and asked her if anyone was sitting in the seat next to her. "No," she said, "the seat is empty."

"This is incredible," said the man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Super Bowl, the biggest sporting event in the world, and not use it?"

Somberly, the woman says, "Well... the seat belongs to my husband. He and I were to come here together, but he passed away. This is the first Super Bowl we have not been to together since we got married in '57."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. But couldn't you find someone else - a friend or relative or even a neighbor to take the seat?"

The woman shakes her head, "No, they're all at the funeral."

Feb. 1, 2014 - Three decades on, Tokyo bluesman is still rambling: Mississippi native, "Rambling" Steve Gardner, takes roots music and history worldwide, and brings Southern comfort to Fukushima

Maybe, as the saying goes, “you can’t go home again,” but you can take a little bit of home with you wherever you roam. “Rambling” Steve Gardner does; a Mississippi roots and bluesman based in Tokyo, Gardner travels the world making music and giving seminars about musical history.

The irony of the contrast between his small-town Southern background and global perspective doesn’t escape him, but with a good-natured grin, he savors the contradiction.

“Coming to Japan in the 1980s as a foreigner, I felt, early on, that sudden awareness of my own country as an outsider, and I felt a little shameful, growing up in Mississippi and looking at the hard and dark record of race relations my state has,” he says. “You carry with you a genuine stigma, if you are at all aware of things. But my trump card as a musician in Japan was the very fact that I was from Mississippi.”... (read more)

Soul man: "I was able to be a side player, and I liked it," explains "Rambling" Steve Gardner, recalling his days supporting the likes of Ben E. King in Japan. "Those guys on top, they need guys like me to hold them up. . . . I like being one of the tires on the car, as long as there's lots of air in the tires and a good driver behind the wheel."
(Photo credit: Steve Gardner)

Jan. 31, 2014 - Frozen Sweets under the Moon

Ice jewelry that is not available for commercial sale. Ice in the Tokachi River in Hokkaido is broken into blocks that flow to the Pacific Ocean, their corners rounded by the waves. This process produces delicious-looking ice that is tossed up onto the beach.

Photo credit: att.Japan magazine
©Masaaki Aihara

Jan. 29, 2014 - Cultural Presentation Day

Foreign exchange university students in Japan make cultural comparisons between various countries in areas like festivals, food, friendships, keyboard typing methods, and differences in public displays of affection.

Cultural Presentation Day - Jan. 29, 2014
(If player above is not visible,
you can view video @ YouTube here.)

0:00 Comparison of Festivals in China & Japan
9:45 Cultural Comparison of Japan, Germany, Ecuador, Mexico, & Sweden
27:10 Comparison of Keyboard Typing Methods in Taiwan & Japan
40:12 Comparison of Festivals in Thailand, Japan, America, & China

Jan. 21, 2014 - Sexy Japanese Dancers @ the Gold's Gym Shinnenkai (ゴールドジムの新年会)

Gold's Gym dance class members perform at the Tokyo gym's 16th annual New Year's party (第16回新年会) to the tune of Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca." WOW!

(If player above is not visible,
you can view video @ YouTube here.)

Jan. 19, 2014 - Texas-shaped house

Some people take this Texas stuff really, really seriously. Only in Texas... smiley

Jan. 17, 2014 - 19 Mind-Blowing Tricks Every iPhone And iPad User Should Know

You spend, like, half of your life on that thing. Time to figure out what it really does. I think I like Trick 15 best, allowing you to quickly switch back and forth between the alpha and numeric keyboards.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/mind-blowing-tricks-every-iphone-and-ipad-user-should-kno

Jan. 12, 2014 - Let's MOVE!

"We all try to be busy instead of being alive, busy instead of getting out and breathing, busy sending useless texts instead of walking in the woods with our kids or introducing them to life's joys. We move information instead of simply moving," says Arc'teryx athlete Will Gadd in this ode to action and movement. Acknowledging how hard it is to carve out time for exercise in our daily lives, Gadd's passionate words remind us how important it is to get outside, breathe hard, and create meaning through movement. After all, as Gadd says, "Life's more fun when you move."

(If player above is not visible,
you can view video @ YouTube here.)

Jan. 10, 2014 - Sayonara Venus, our evening 'star'

Sadly, Venus, our brightest planet, has disappeared as our evening 'star.' It is about to pass between us and the sun on January 11, 2014. Venus will reappear in the eastern dawn in the second half of January 2014, when together with Jupiter – our two brightest planets – will appear as bright bookends in the morning sky, with Venus rising as Jupiter sets.

Sayonara disappearing Venus
http://earthsky.org/todays-image/very-thin-crescent-venus

Jan. 9, 2014 - Three Deadly Reasons to Stay off Mt. Fuji in Winter

● Avalanche: Mt. Fuji is the perfect domain for avalanches due to its steep slope and lack of vegetation. When a slab of ice breaks free, hikers are pummeled against snow, ice, and trees and buried as if encased in wet concrete.
● Winds: Strong winds literally blow climbers off the slippery slopes. There have been several cases of tents flying off of the slopes with their occupants onboard.
● Hypothermia: Though not limited to the off-season, hyperthermia is a life-threatening condition that proves fatal if not diagnosed and treated properly. It is the result of a hiker's core body temperature dropping and internal organs succumbing to the cold.

Mt. Fuji is dangerous in winter!
http://www.city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp/div/english/html/winter_climbing.html

Jan. 4, 2014 - Al Gore Forecasted “Ice-Free” Arctic by 2013; Ice Cover Expands 50%

"The planet has a fever."
--Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr.--

"In 2007, 2008, and 2009, Gore publicly and very hysterically warned that the North Pole would be 'ice-free' by around 2013 because of alleged 'man-made global warming.'

Well, 2013 has finished, and contrary to the alarmist 'predictions' by Gore and what critics refer to as his 'doomsday cult,' the latest satellite data show that Arctic ice cover has actually expanded 50 percent over 2012 levels. In fact, during October, sea-ice levels grew at the fastest pace since records began in 1979.

Of course, by now, virtually everyone who has been following news about 'global warming' — now more often referred to as 'climate change' owing to public-relations concerns — also knows that global temperatures have not risen for some 17 years."

Source: The New American

Jan. 1, 2014 - Jacquie Lawson's stunning New Year's animated greeting card

This absolutely amazing animated New Year's greeting card by famed UK graphics design artist Jacquie Lawson was sent to me by a Tokyo friend, and features fireworks celebrations in Sydney, Moscow, Paris, London, & New York City. Click photo or link below to view this beautiful animated New Year's card. Wow....

Jacquie Lawson New Year's greeting card
http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=4572241549241

Jan. 1, 2014 - Hatsuhinode (初日の出) 2014, my first sunrise of the New Year

I'm sure some of my friends will think this is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but after all these years of living in Japan, I still think it's really cool how many Japanese like to kick off the New Year by viewing the first sunrise, a custom known as Hatsuhinode (初日の出): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_New_Year (scroll down to "Firsts of the new year" section)

The video below is of the one I saw @ 6:50 a.m.

The background music, George Harrison's "Here Comes The Sun," is sung by Brooke White, an American indie pop singer-songwriter from Arizona who was the 5th place finalist in the 7th season of American Idol.

Happy New Year, everybody...

(If player above is not visible,
you can view video @ YouTube here.)

Dec. 31, 2013 - Japan quakes in the past 100 days

An accident waiting to happen. This map shows all the quakes measuring Intensity 1 or greater (Japanese intensity scale) that have occurred in Dai Nippon just in the past 100 days, from Sept. 22 thru 10 am this morning (Dec. 31). YIKES.

http://bousai.tenki.jp/bousai/earthquake/seismicity_map/?area_type=japan_detail&recent_type=100days

Japan quakes in the past 100 days

Dec. 26, 2013 - Mom's 2013 Xmas gifts

If there was ever any question about how much mom loves her baby boy, smiley

then here's your answer. This pic shows all the wonderful stuff that arrived in my home today, including not only a very cute 3D Santa Claus Xmas card, but 6 bags of her delicious homemade Texas Trash snack mix, 2 calendars, Belgian chocolate, a daily devotional, a "Footprints" magnetic bookmark (I'd never seen one of these before!), a "Someone in Texas loves you!" refrigerator magnet, and even CASH. WOW! smiley

Ho, ho, ho...

Mom's 2013 Xmas gifts

Dec. 25, 2013 - NORAD Tracks Santa over Houston, Texas & Tokyo, Japan

Santa just passed thru Houston, Texas, my hometown, @ 1:44 a.m. Houston time on his way to Austin, San Antonio, and Monterrey, Mexico! Yee hah!! Nearly 6.1 billion gifts delivered so far. Wow, go Santa! smiley

NORAD Tracks Santa over Houston, Texas
http://www.noradsanta.org/

Santa also passed thru Tokyo around 10 pm local time on Xmas Eve, en route to Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Okinawa, and on to Incheon, South Korea. Wow, already over 800 million presents delivered so far at the time...

NORAD Tracks Santa over Tokyo, Japan
http://www.noradsanta.org/

Dec. 24, 2013 - Xmas Eve Candlelight Worship Service, Tokyo Union Church, 6:30 p.m.

The 75 min. service included 3 songs by the Sanctuary Choir (starting with a processional to open the service), a flute/harpsichord duet, a soprano solo, 9 Xmas hymns (the 2nd verse of Silent Night was sung in Japanese), a Xmas concerto by the church's instrumentalist group, lighting of the Advent Christ candle, a sermon, reading of the Xmas Story from Luke Chapter 2, and the sacrament of Holy Communion. NICE!

Xmas Eve Candlelight Worship Service

Dec. 22, 2013 - Save Tokyo’s biggest nature park and bird sanctuary from the 2020 Olympics!

Please sign the petition to save Kasai Rinkai Koen (葛西臨海公園), Tokyo’s biggest nature park and bird sanctuary, from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (2020東京オリンピック)! (http://chn.ge/JfsfWF)

Kasai Rinkai Park is a rare nature haven in the middle of Tokyo. The park and bird sanctuary boast 226 species of birds, 140 insect species, 80 spider species, 91 types of trees, and 132 grasses -- and is even home to a flock of endangered black-faced spoonbills. It was built 25 years ago to preserve natural Tokyo Bay habitat and wildlife. It is the only place in the city where you can regularly spot birds like hawks, thrushes, daurian redstarts, and brown-eared bulbuls.

But this fragile ecosystem and beautiful bird sanctuary faces a grave threat due to Tokyo’s winning bid of the 2020 Olympic Games.

Approximately one third of the park is currently slated as the location for the canoe slalom course for the Olympics which will only be used for five days. It will be replaced with an artificial waterway and stands that will seat 15,000 people. The construction of the facility alone will be highly disruptive. There are also concerns that the large amount of treated water will affect the surrounding marshland and bird sanctuary.

Read more & pls. sign the petition to protect this beautiful park, bird sanctuary, and ecosystem that has taken over 25 years to take root: http://chn.ge/JfsfWF

Save Kasai Rinkai Koen (葛西臨海公園)

Dec. 17, 2013 - My hearty partying Filipina friends

My Filipina friends sure know how to party hearty. This 50th birthday party for Mari (far right) lasted 6 hours & was attended by over 100 people, including dignitaries from the Philippine embassy, a WBC flyweight boxing champion, and professional singers and dancers who performed practically non-stop. The ¥2000 (~$20) admission included delicious all-you-can-eat Philippine food and free karaoke. For obvious reasons, I just LOVE Japan. smiley

Mari's 50th birthday party

Dec. 14, 2013 - Jambo Xmas Party & Charity Bazarr

Ho ho ho! Can you believe it's already Xmas party season? Where has this year GONE? smiley

This party, organized by Jambo International, included a one-coin charity bazarr, proceeds of which will benefit the Philippines Friends of the Earth Typhoon Haiyang relief efforts.

Jambo Xmas party & charity bazarr, Dec. 7, 2013
(photo credit: David Howenstein)

Dec. 6, 2013 - The brightest Venus of 2013 pairs up with the crescent moon

Praise be to the creator of the universe who blesses us with such celestial beauty. Venus, our brightest planet, on its brightest night of the year, courts the 3-day crescent moon in Tokyo, Japan @ 5:10 pm.

http://earthsky.org/tonight/planet-venus-reaches-major-milestone-on-december-6-2013

brightest venus with 3-day crescent moon

Brightest Venus of 2013 with 3-day crescent moon

Dec. 5, 2013 - White coat Fuji-san (白衣富士山)

I just love it when Fuji-san puts on her beautiful white winter coat....

White coat Fuji-san

Dec. 3, 2013 - Gaien Ichou Namiki Dori (外苑いちょう並木通り, Gingko Avenue)

Gaien Ichou Namiki Dori (外苑いちょう並木通り), my favorite place for viewing the stunning, golden ginkgo trees in Tokyo.

The rest of my pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolffman/sets/72157638311258525/
Google map: http://goo.gl/maps/iLBpw
My video from Dec. 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZS7wf896kE&list=UUi7Jxm2NxfM5LCdkpg3Nhxw

Gaien Ichou Namiki Dori
(Full photo album here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolffman/sets/72157638311258525/)

Dec. 1, 2013 - Yoro Keikoku Valley fall colors (養老渓谷の紅葉)

The Yoro Keikoku Valley (養老渓谷) is one of the most spectacular places to view fall colors on the Boso Peninsula in Chiba, Japan. Hiking courses can be accessed via Yoro Keikoku Station on the single-track Kominato Line. More pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolffman/sets/72157638239754853/

This hike was organized by Jambo International: http://en.jambointernational.org/

More Yoro Keikoku details, including maps, trail description, & video are here: http://www.garyjwolff.com/fall-colors-in-yoro-keikoku-valley.html

Yoro Keikoku momiji
(Full photo album here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolffman/sets/72157638239754853/)

Nov. 29, 2013 - Nighttime lightup of fall colors in Rikugien Garden

The 311-year-old Rikugien Garden, a Tokyo metropolitan park and former residence of Mitsubishi founder Yataro Iwasaki, is again holding their annual event to light up the beautiful fall colors at nighttime (六義園　紅葉と大名庭園のライトアップ 11/22～12/8). Although the event is scheduled thru Dec. 8, if you'd like to see this remarkable display, I suggest you go ASAP before the wind & rain blow all the gorgeous leaves away. The rest of my pics are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolffman/sets/72157638161824173/

http://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/announcement/031/detail/4713.html (日本語で - Japanese event notice)
http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/rikugien/

Nighttime fall colors in Rikugien Garden in Tokyo, Japan

Nov. 28, 2013 - The busiest travel day of the year

In America, the day before Thanksgiving Day is generally regarded as the busiest travel day of the whole year. Well, I'd have to say that this screenshot captured on Wed. around 5 pm Pacific Standard Time certainly lends a lot of credibility to that claim. Flightradar24 is a flight tracking service that provides real-time info on thousands of aircraft around the world. (http://www.flightradar24.com/)

Wed. Nov. 27, 2013 air traffic

Nov. 25, 2013 - Christmas Sale on my new "Climbing Mt. Fuji" eBook!

NOW ON SALE @ SMASHWORDS
FOR ONLY $2.99 UNTIL CHRISTMAS DAY !!
(Buy for yourself or give as a Xmas present to that someone special by clicking on "Give as a gift" and entering coupon code TS93M @ checkout.)

eBooks from Smashwords, the world's largest distributor of indie eBooks, are available in 9 different formats, including the html & pdf formats for reading on your PC or for home printing. Or they can be downloaded to e-reading devices such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo, and most other e-reading apps.

This eBook will make a GRRRRRREAT stocking stuffer....besides, it even costs less than a cup of coffee @ Starbucks! smiley

Merry, merry Xmas!!

Nov. 21, 2013 - 生明祭 (Ikumeisai), Ikuta Meiji Festival, Nov. 22-24, 2013

It's university festival season (大学祭のシーズン) in Japan! This cute signboard shows all the action-packed events & performances scheduled for the main stage over the next 3 days, including dance shows, live rock bands, a cappella choir, taekwondo, impersonator contest, faculty IQ quiz, and even freestyle soccer. Japanese university students rock! smiley

Ikumeisai (生明祭) signboard

Nov. 19, 2013 - 11/17 IMA Charity Flea Market

A happy group of music-makers at Kristin's songwriting workshop, which was part of the Sun. 11/17 charity flea market & bake sale to benefit Tohoku victims of the 2011 Japan quake & tsunami. Totally worth coming out early on a Sunday for! Thank you, Kristin! With Louise, Mirai, Amanda, and Yuta.

Photo credit: Louise George Kittaka

Nov. 16, 2013 - Happy Xmas from Tokyo!

I wonder if the heart isn't a subliminal marketing reminder that Valentine's Day is right around the corner. smiley

Valentine's Day is BIG business in Japan, where sales of chocolate alone top $500 million, accounting for 12% of the entire whopping annual chocolate sales of $4.4 billion.

Xmas tree with heart

Nov. 12, 2013 - Busy 2013 Pacific typhoon season

If you think it's been a busy typhoon season in the Northwest Pacific Ocean this year, right you are! Because of an above average number of fall typhoons (aki-taifū, 秋台風), Japan had 28 typhoons thru Oct. and the number is likely to surpass 30 — the first time this will have happened in 19 years. The largest typhoon in a decade and 2 typhoons occurring simultaneously certainly made 2013 "taifū no atari doshi" (台風の当たり年, the year when we hit the jackpot of typhoons).

2013 Pacific typhoons

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/11/03/language/this-is-the-year-of-the-typhoon/
http://sharaku.eorc.jaxa.jp/cgi-bin/typ_db/typ_track.cgi?lang=e&area=WP

Nov. 7, 2013 - The 4-day crescent moon & Venus...

...adorn the streets of Harajuku, Tokyo. Thurs., 5:12 pm.

Crescent moon & Venus in Harajuku, Tokyo

Nov. 5, 2013 - Kibo no Kabe (希望の壁, wall of hope)

A huge 9-meter-high (~30 ft), 78-meter-wide wall (~256 ft), covered with 100 varieties of flowers and greenery including cosmos flowers, has been unveiled in an office district of Osaka, western Japan. Osaka-born architect Tadao Ando, who designed the project, said he wanted to make Osaka more beautiful by adding greenery and hopes the wall makes people cheerful.

(http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/)

Kibo no Kabe (希望の壁, wall of hope)

Nov. 1, 2013 - 3 Up, 5 Down

Let's all save electricity! If you're going up 3 floors or less or going down 5 floors or less, let's give the elevator a breather & take the stairs. Oh, and did we mention we can burn off a few calories in the process? smiley

3 floors up, 5 floors down

Oct. 29, 2013 - Digital Analytics Fundamentals

Woo-hoo. Lifelong learning is where it's at, baby. smiley

This was a 3-week online course to learn the latest analytical tools for tracking website performance, particularly as it relates to ecommerce: https://analyticsacademy.withgoogle.com/course

Oct. 25, 2013 - MAY I HAVE THIS DANCE?

"Tango is not like life, my dear. There are no mistakes in Tango -- if you get tangled up, you just Tango on."

--Al Pacino to Gabrielle Anwar in the '92 flick, "Scent of a Woman"--

(http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/)

Typhoons Francisco (台風27号) & Lekima (台風28号)
approach Japan at the same time

Oct. 22, 2013 - Typhoons 27 & 28 approach Japan together

Nah, just ONE typhoon is not enough. Just go ahead and send us TWO....AT THE SAME TIME!! smiley

(http://www.tbs.co.jp/weather/disaster/typhoon/)

Typhoons 27 & 28 approach Japan together

Oct. 16, 2013 - Post-Typhoon 26 sunset in Tokyo, 4:55 pm

Post-Typhoon 26 sunset in Tokyo, 4:55 pm

Oct. 14, 2013 - Akebono Taro goes for All Japan pro wrestling championship

44-year-old former Japanese sumo yokozuna grand champion Akebono Taro (born Chad Rowan) from Hawaii, and who took up pro wrestling in 2005, will fight for the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) heavyweight triple crown on Oct. 27 in the Ryogoku Sumo Arena vs. current title holder Suwama. During his 13-year sumo wrestling career, Akebono, the first non-Japanese-born wrestler ever to reach yokozuna, sumo's highest rank, compiled a career total of 11 tournament championships, and was runner-up in 13 other tournaments. GO AKEBONO!!

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akebono_Tarō)

Japan pro wrestler Akebono Taro

Oct. 13, 2013 - UN-FRIGGING-BELIEVABLE!!

These are the luckiest Russians (still) alive! Miraculously, everyone (including the dog) walks away from these wrecks captured by dash cams.

(If player above is not visible,
you can view video @ YouTube here.)

Oct. 11, 2013 - EARLY crescent moon !!

Wow, today's 7-day, 47% waxing crescent moon was up EARLY! I first spotted it around 2:30 pm...

Early crescent moon

Oct. 10, 2013 - The most beautiful time-lapse ever?

Norwegian photographer Stian Rekdal combined thousands of photos to create this time-lapse video showcasing Iceland's natural beauty. He spent three weeks—and more than 3,000 miles—on the road and took more than 40,000 photos. He used about 3,500 of these to make the video. Don't miss the stunning aurora borealis, starting at 1:49.

If player above is not visible, you can view video
in separate window @ Vimeo here.

Oct. 8, 2013 - The train hammock gaijin (電車ハンモック外人)

If you're on a crowded Tokyo subway or train and can't find a seat, then just take a cue from Cloudyb Tokyo, my Aussie friend also known as the "train hammock gaijin (電車ハンモック外人)," who just simply hangs up his hammock to make his own seat. I used to sing & dance with this fella in children's English education stage shows (子どもの英語教育のショー) all over Japan and trust me, he's a VERY funny guy... smiley

Cloudy B Tokyo...

...a.k.a. the Train Hammock Gaijin

A priceless video of Cloudy, featuring his famous
vacuum cleaner named Erick, is here.

Oct. 7, 2013 - My barber's new bike

I don't believe I've ever seen tires this HUGE on a bicycle before! Have you? smiley

My barber's new fat tire bike

Oct. 4, 2013 - ATTENTION all Tokyoites,....

...especially if you patronize bars in Roppongi. The following comes courtesy of the Oct. 2013 Newsletter from the U.S. Embassy Tokyo: "The U.S. Embassy continues to receive reliable reports of U.S. citizens having been drugged in area bars. Most reports indicate that the victim unknowingly drinks a beverage that has been secretly mixed with a drug that renders the victim unconscious or stuporous for several hours, during which time large charges are fraudulently billed to the victim, sums of money are charged to the victim’s credit card, or the card is stolen. Victims sometimes regain consciousness in the bar or club, while at other times the victim awakens on the street. Assaults on Americans have also been reported in connection with drink-spiking."

More detailed info on serious crimes in Roppongi, including physical and sexual assaults, drug overdoses, theft of purses, wallets, cash, and credit cards, beatings, and even a murder ("Japan is a SAFE country!"), can be found on the U.S. State Dept.'s country specific page for Japan: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1148.html#crime

Oct. 2, 2013 - Double rainbow!!

After Typhoon 22 (台風22号) passed by this afternoon, I saw what I guess is the most spectacular double rainbow (二重の虹) of my whole life. As soon as I exited my exercise gym around 17:00, a Japanese guy was shouting at the top of his lungs (in ENGLISH!), "Double rainbow! Double rainbow!" So it was kinda hard to miss. But regrettably, I still haven't found the accompanying double pots of gold. smiley

Double rainbow in Tokyo

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