On Friday, news broke that a hacker had broken in to the computer systems used by the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia in Britain, obtaining more than 1,000 e-mails and 3,000 documents. The material, which covers a period of more than a decade, has led many to conclude that climate scientists associated with the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and various government agencies have been cooking the books to make the case for man-made global warming. Among the most damaging is one which appears to suggest using a ‘trick’ to massage years of temperature data to ‘hide the decline’. The email suggesting ‘hiding the decline’ is purported to be from Phil Jones, the unit’s director.

Here is a sampling of some of the exchanges.

- From Phil Jones, head of the Climatic Research Unit at East Anglia University, to Ray Bradley, Michael Mann, and Malcolm Hughes, three U.S. scientists who have produced the controversial “hockey-stick graphs” that purport to show rapidly increasing temperatures in recent decades. Nov, 16, 1999.

“I’ve just completed Mike’s Nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (i. e. from 1981 onwards) and from 1961 for Keith’s to hide the decline.”

- From Kevin Trenberth, a lead author with the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to Michael Mann, on Oct 12. 2009. The email, titled “BBC U-turn on climate,” laments a BBC article that reversed its long-held position on man-made global warming.

“The fact is that we can’t account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can’t. … Our observing system is inadequate.”

- From: Michael Mann, Oct 27, 2009

“Perhaps we’ll do a simple update to the Yamal post… As we all know, this isn’t about truth at all, its about plausibly deniable accusations.”

- From: Edward Cook, June 4, 2003

“I got a paper to review (submitted to the Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Sciences), written by a Korean guy and someone from Berkeley, that claims that the method of reconstruction that we use in dendroclimatology (reverse regression) is wrong, biased, lousy, horrible, etc. … If published as is, this paper could really do some damage … It won’t be easy to dismiss out of hand as the math appears to be correct theoretically (…) I am really sorry but I have to nag about that review — Confidentially I now need a hard and if required extensive case for rejecting.”

- From: Tom Wigley, Sep 27, 2009

“So, if we could reduce the ocean blip by, say, 0.15 C, then this would be significant for the global mean — but we’d still have to explain the land blip. I’ve chosen 0.15 here deliberately. This still leaves an ocean blip, and i think one needs to have some form of ocean blip to explain the land blip (via either some common forcing, or ocean forcing land, or vice versa, or all of these).”

- From: Phil Jones, Feb 2, 2005

“The two MMs [Canadian skeptics Steve McIntyre and Ross McKitrick] have been after the CRU station data for years. If they ever hear there is a Freedom of Information Act now in the UK, I think I’ll delete the file rather than send to anyone.”

- From: Phil Jones, May 29, 2008

“Can you delete any emails you may have had with Keith re AR4? Keith will do likewise. He’s not in at the moment -minor family crisis. Can you also email Gene and get him to do the same? I don’t have his new email address. We will be getting Caspar to do likewise.”

- From: Keith Briffa, Sep 22, 1999

“I know there is pressure to present a nice tidy story as regards ‘apparent unprecedented warming in a thousand years or more in the proxy data’ but in reality the situation is not quite so simple. We don’t have a lot of proxies that come right up to date and those that do (at least a significant number of tree proxies ) some unexpected changes in response that do not match the recent warming.”

- From: Michael E. Mann, Mar 11, 2003

“I think we have to stop considering Climate Research as a legitimate peer-reviewed journal. Perhaps we should encourage our colleagues in the climate research community to no longer submit to, or cite papers in, this journal. We would also need to consider what we tell or request of our more reasonable colleagues who currently sit on the editorial board.”

- From: Tom Wigley, Apr24, 2003

“Mike’s idea to get editorial board members to resign will probably not work — must get rid of von Storch too, otherwise holes will eventually fill up with people like Legates, Balling, Lindzen, Michaels, Singer, etc.”

- From: Phil Jones, July 5, 2005

“If anything, I would like to see the climate change happen, so the science could be proved right, regardless of the consequences. This isn’t being political, it is being selfish.”

Climate change skeptics have hailed the material as proof that research data has been skewed and suppressed. “Climategate”,  the hoax of global warming is brought to public light.

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Obama Cooling Air To Fight Global Warming

I just purchased the new Canon PowerShot G11

Focus Test

And here I am, back to my hut in Nagoya, pleased but really REALLY tired -__- Quite worth it though, if only I can make it to Kinkaku-ji and Tenryuu-ji, then this would be a perftect trip. Oh well, Kyoto isn’t that far from Nagoya anyway, I can go there anytime ^_^

Okay, let’s get started.
In day 1, I went to Toufuku-ji and Fushimi Inari Jinja. Let’s start with Toufuku-ji. Generally, I thought this place is kinda your run-of-the-mill temples, in short, and not-so-extraordinary one. The thing is, some pepole say that this is a good spot to watch 紅葉(kouyou) or red leaves. Most of you might’ve already know about this, but in Autumn/Fall, leaves here turn red, which IS a pretty sight. Okay, here is the photo I took from Toufuku-ji :

Now, for the pics of the temple ^_^

Well, these are all the pictures I have for day 1. Yeah, I’ve said that I went to Fushimi Inari Jinja too, but already too tired to take any pictures there. Fushimi Inari Jinja is a place where countless Torii are lined to create somekind of hallway, a stair hallway to be exact, since it’s, well, stairs going uphill. Climbing thiese stairs proven to be very difficult to me, so I went back down eventhough I haven’t reaached the peak. Ah, if only I could be young again XD XD

Well guys, expect the next update for the 2nd day trip ^_^

I just got home from work and I seriously have to wash these Chucks. They’re starting to stink of fish. That’s what I get for working at a sushi resto.

So… I’m not down in the dumps now like I was before. Eyobe told me that only one of us should stay in the dumps. He told me that I should stop being bad — imagine his shock when I missed class last Friday (I never cut class is why he was shocked).

Which reminds me, my hands are totally in the dumps. It’s got bruises all over it. Nyawrs. I was showing it to people earlier at lunch today. No more playing that hand-slapping game. I really can’t handle it.

Bruised hands and thoughts of dying basically filled my day. I had a grammar quiz and conversation homework due today. But then Kyohei did my conversation homework for me so I didn’t need to do anything. I treated him to ice cream though!

So yeah. Tomorrow, I die — a presentation in Japanese, a quiz, and then a composition in Japanese.

Wish me luck.

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Thema　「Weihnachten, Weihnachtsabend, Santa Claus, Ein Weihnachtsbaum, Ein Weihnachten gegenwärtig」

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Copyright（C）T-KONI . All Rights Reserved.

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Weihnachten, Weihnachtsabend, Santa Claus, Ein Weihnachtsbaum, Ein Weihnachten gegenwärtig

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หลังจากที่ไปปิกนิ้กกับเพื่อนสาวๆมา ก็เม้าเรื่องความสวยความงามกันหลายเรื่องเลยค่ะ ออยเลยส่ง Video สาวญี่ปุ่นที่ออกกำลังกายลดขา จากสาวญี่ปุ่นน่ารักแต่มีปมด้อยที่ขาใหญ่ จดโดนล้อเธอจึงตัดสินใจไดเอต และออกกำลังบริหารต้นขาในแบบของเธอ จากขาใหญ่ๆที่เคยโดนล้อลดลงมาจนสวย หุ่นนางแบบเลยค่ะ ดูแล้ว Amazing มากกกก เลยพลาดไม่ได้ต้องเอามาฝากสาวๆ BeyondJealous กันค่ะ ไปดูกันเลย

เป็นการออกกำลังเฉพาะส่วนขามี 2 ท่า หลังจากทำเป็นประจำทุกวัน น้ำหนักลดลงไป 20 กิโล แถมสูงขึ้นอีก 4 ซ.ม. สุดยอดจริงๆ

ท่าที่ 1

-  ยืนยกขาไปข้างหน้า ยกปลายเท้าขึ้น

- จากนั้นค่อยๆเตะขาไปด้านหลัง ไข้วขาไปอีกข้างหนึ่งและค้างเอาไว้ 20 วินาที แล้วสลับข้าง

ที่ 2ท่า

- เวลานั่ง ไม่ว่าจะเป็นดูทีวี อ่านหนังสือ ก็ให้เอาหนังสือเล่มหนาๆ เช่นสมุดโทรศัพท์ มาหนีบไว้ระหว่างขา

ในคลิปไม่ได้บอกว่าทำนานเท่าไหร่แต่ทำเป็นประจำทุกๆวันค่ะ ทำทุกครั้งที่นึกออกค่ะ

อยากขาเล็กมากกกกกกกค่ะ จะลองทำดูลองมาพยายามด้วยกันนะคะ ใครลองทำแล้วได้ผลไม่ได้ผลยังไงบอกด้วยนะคะ!!!

xxx,

Niki’s holiday

Credit: Mama Oil, ดอกไม้ในสวนศรี

]]> http://emptysuit.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/michelle-obama-chimp-image-on-google/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:42:24 +0000 emptysuit http://emptysuit.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/michelle-obama-chimp-image-on-google/

If you search on for Michelle Obama in Google Image Search you will see a image a chimpanzee. Google removed the image but not its back. This time, Google bought a search ad explaining why the result is there and why Google cannot remove it:

Explanation:

Sometimes Google search results from the Internet can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries. We assure you that the views expressed by such sites are not in any way endorsed by Google.

Search engines are a reflection of the content and information that is available on the Internet. A site’s ranking in Google’s search results relies heavily on computer algorithms using thousands of factors to calculate a page’s relevance to a given query.

The beliefs and preferences of those who work at Google, as well as the opinions of the general public, do not determine or impact our search results. Individual citizens and public interest groups do periodically urge us to remove particular links or otherwise adjust search results. Although Google reserves the right to address such requests individually, Google views the integrity of our search results as an extremely important priority. Accordingly, we do not remove a page from our search results simply because its content is unpopular or because we receive complaints concerning it. We will, however, remove pages from our results if we believe the page (or its site) violates our Webmaster Guidelines, if we believe we are required to do so by law, or at the request of the webmaster who is responsible for the page.

We apologize if you’ve had an upsetting experience using Google. We hope you understand our position regarding offensive results.

Sincerely,
The Google Team

What do you think about a Chimpanzee representing Michelle Obama on search engines? Don’t bring in your racist opinions George Bush has the same images floating around search engines also. Why do we suppress creative art related to the OBAMAS

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Michelle Obama’s Arms
Michelle Obama’s Short-Shorts
Michelle Obama’s New Hair Style
Michelle Obama Wax figure
Michelle Obama’s Fashion
Michelle Obama Touches Queen Elizabeth
Michelle Obama On The Cover Of Glamour Magazine

image from JuJu's official website

Ready to cry this morning? JuJu is releasing her 11th Single tomorrow, Nov 25th, 2009 entitled “Present”, which is also tied to the movie release of Disney’s A Christmas Carol.  Order it today at yesasia.com

Also check out JuJu’s official website. She also has some video and music up at her Sony Music site.

So where are the tears? Watch the promotional video for “Present” below and have your tissues ready.

Geisha (芸者 “person of the arts”) are traditional Japanese artist-entertainers. Geisha were very common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and still exist today, although their numbers are dwindling. Geisha is the most familiar term to English speakers, and the most commonly used within Japan as well, but in the Kansai region the terms geigi and, for apprentice geisha, “Maiko” have also been used since the Meiji Restoration. The term maiko is only used in Kyoto districts. The English pronunciation or the phrase “geisha girl,” common during the American occupation of Japan, carry connotations of prostitution, as some young women, desperate for money and calling themselves “geisha,” sold themselves to American troops.

The first geisha were all male; as women began to take the role they were known as onna geisha (女芸者), or “woman artist”. Geisha today are exclusively female, aside from the Taikomochi. Taikomochi are exceedingly rare. Only three are currently registered in Japan. They tend to be far more bawdy than geisha. Other public figures who contributed to the creation of the modern geisha were Oiran, or courtesans, and Odoriko, dancing girls. The Odoriko in particular influenced geisha to include dance as part of their artistic repertoire.

Geisha were traditionally trained from young childhood. Geisha houses often bought young girls from poor families, and took responsibility for raising and training them. During their childhood, apprentice geisha worked first as maids, then as assistants to the house’s senior geisha as part of their training and to contribute to the costs of their upkeep and education. This long-held tradition of training still exists in Japan, where a student lives at the home of a master of some art. This training often lasts for many years.

The course of study traditionally starts from a young age and encompasses a wide variety of arts, including Japanese musical instruments (particularly the shamisen) and traditional forms of singing, traditional dance, tea ceremony, flower arranging (ikebana), poetry and literature. By watching and assisting senior geisha, they became skilled in the complex traditions surrounding selecting, matching, and wearing precious kimono, and in various games and the art of conversation, and also in dealing with clients.

Once a woman became an apprentice geisha (a maiko) she would begin to accompany senior geisha to the tea houses, parties and banquets that constitute a geisha’s work environment. To some extent, this traditional method of training persists, though it is of necessity foreshortened. Modern geisha are no longer bought by or brought into geisha houses as children. Becoming a geisha is now entirely voluntary. Most geisha now begin their training in their late teens.

Japan Airlines announces it has secured government approval for a loan that will allow it to continue flying…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: japan prefecture. For a different topic see easy soup recipes. The blog is also related to: tourist japan.

Prps probably needs no introducing. Since a certain Brit star footballer made their jeans his second skin the road to fame and fortune was short for the 2003 established denim brand. Kings of authentic ‘aged and distressed’, Prps was among the first American brands to employ Japanese denim artisans in manufacturing their denim, with every nick, prick and stain made by hand. The wealth of detail is overwhelming when it comes to a pair of Prps, and usually comes from the worlds of military uniform and vintage workwear. Here’s a look at their spring/summer 2010 lookbook.

More images after the jump

(Images via Denimology)

นิทรรศการ : สุก-ดิบ อาทิตย์อุทัย
สถานที่ : หอศิลปวัฒนธรรมแห่งกรุงเทพมหานคร (ตรงข้ามMBK)
ระยะเวลาการจัดงาน : 19 พฤศจิกายน 2552 ถึง 10 มกราคม 2553

นิทรรศการศิลปะร่วมสมัยโดยศิลปินชาวญี่ปุ่นซึ่งผลงานมีอิทธิพลจากวัฒนธรรมสมัยนิยม(Pop Culture) เช่น อนิเมะ มังงะ โดยพูดถึงของอิทธิพลเหล่านี้ที่เกิดขึ้นในชีวิตประจำวันเราของคนเรา โดยถ่ายทอดผ่านสื่อศิลปะที่จัดแสดงในนิทรรศการนี้

Transit police in California are facing questions over use-of-force after another controversial video surfaced. The video does show a Bay Area Rapid Transit ,BART, officer remove Michael Joseph Gibson, 37, from a train and forcefully push him towards a nearby wall. After a crash, glass shatters onto both men in the West Oakland station. The officer has been placed on paid “industrial leave” – meaning he is unable to perform his duties because of injuries. The officer has worked for BART since May. Before that, he was a Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputy for six years. He has not been involved in a use-of-force case during his BART tenure, transit agency officials said. Records show Gibson was booked on suspicion of two felonies, battering a police officer and resisting arrest, as well as a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.

On New Year’s Day, 22-year-old Oscar Grant was fatally shot by an unidentified BART officer. It happened after grant and some buddies got into a scuffle while riding a train. A bystander captured what went down on her cell phone. At 3:03 you hear the gun shot. Grant was in fact cuffed at the time he was shot; he was definitely pressed to the ground by the officer.

Have we lost trust with the Policing System, or Have the Police lost trust in Us?

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Ehrlich.  Mittlerweile denke ich mir echt, die meisten Europäer haben ein grundsätzliches Problem Japan geographisch zuzuordnen. Habe eben die neue Mailingliste für unsere APJ Teams zugeschickt bekommen. Einen Auszug gefällig?

DL IS APJ North: All team members in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea

DL IS APJ South: All team members in Singapore, Australia, India and Japan

India ist ja schon grenzwertig. Aber warum jetzt Japan zu APJ South gehören soll, ist mir echt schleierhaft. Vielleicht hat da jemand Japan mit Neuseeland verwechselt (sehen ja auch so ähnlich aus…).

Das beste war aber mein Erlebnis damals im Trekkinggeschäft, als ich einen Kompass für einen japanischen Freund kaufen wollte.

O-Ton Verkäufer: “Ach, Sie wollen den Kompass in Japan benutzen! Da brauchen Sie ganz andere. Japan liegt ja auf dem Südhalbkugel!”

Because I just realized I used no paragraphs whatsoever in my first post I’m gonna share a funny tidbit in apology. Here in Japan they ‘have’ Christmas but like everything else that they adopt, the modify it to fit the Japanese sensibility. And in the case of Christmas that means christmas cake and Kentucky fried chicken. Pictures will be posted as proof.

昨日、今年の紅白歌合戦の出演者が発表されました！今年は第６０回の還暦の年なんですね。「歌の力 ∞ 無限大」をテーマに「メモリアル紅白」を目指すようです。

初出場は紅組は木村カエラ、水樹奈々の２組、白組はflumpool、レミオロメン、嵐、NYC boys、Funky Monkey Babys、 遊助の６組で計８組です。

大物歌手の井上陽水さん、矢沢永吉さんに出演を断られたようで、ちょっと残念ですが、１６年ぶりの出場の福山雅治さん、初出場のジャニーズの嵐、今年いっぱいでしばらくお休みする絢香 の出演と見所はあるようです。

今年の出演者の中で個人的に嬉しいのは、紅組：木村カエラ、絢香、中島美嘉、いきものがかり、平原綾香、白組：SMAP、flumpool、徳永英明、アリスかなあ。今年流行ったかどうかは別にしてですが＾＾；

それよりもなによりも、なんでSuperflyは出ないのーーー？！！今年はSuperfly、絢香、木村カエラ、JUJUが出るかも、そしたら紅組が勝つかも！！と期待していたのに。。。 flumpoolは出るのになぜSuperflyは出ないのかなあ。あ。あとユニコーンもでないんだ！

私はあまりテレビは見ないので、音楽の情報源はもっぱらラジオのJ-waveのみ。だから、アイドル系の方がどのくらい流行ったのかよく知らないので何ともいえませんが、 今年の出演者の中で本当に流行った方ってほんとうに少数なんじゃないかなあ。出演者が好きか嫌いかではなく、今年流行ったミュージシャンが出てほしいなあ。

昔はその年に本当に流行った人たちだけが出演できたようですが、いつからそうではなくなってしまったのでしょう。はじめはNHKを非難していましたが、出演依頼を断るミュージシャンにも問題があるように思います。断る理由は色々あると思いますが、６０年も続いている日本の年末の代表的なお祭りを、日本のミュージシャンを代表してもっと盛り上げてほしいと思います。

紅白ばなれしてしまった人も多いと聞きますが、年末はやっぱり年越しそばと紅白歌合戦と除夜の鐘がないと 落ち着きませんよね＾＾

でも、、かえすがえすも、、Superflyを紅白で見たかったなあ。。

http://www9.nhk.or.jp/kouhaku/artists/index.html

Mit der Globalisierung der Wirtschaft haben sich auch die Verwaltungsstrukturen der Unternehmen über die Welt verbreitet. Management ist zu einem weltumspannenden Schlagwort geworden und bestimmt die Handlungsweise von Amerika bis Asien.

Organisieren, koordinieren, kommandieren, kontrollieren – die hölzerne, inzwischen weit verbreitete Sprache der Wirtschaftstechnokraten kündet von unfehlbarer Verwaltungseffizienz. Allerorten macht sich der neue Glaubenssatz von Industrialisierung und Verwestlichung breit. Von Stanford bis Tokio, von Madrid bis Dakar, von Athen bis zu den Pariser Vorstädten – überall befindet man sich im “Reich, in dem die Sonne nie untergeht”, im allmächtigen Managementimperium.

„Management“ heißt der kommunikationswirksame Verkaufsschlager der westlichen Industrieländer. Hinter dem Zeitgeist-Konzept verbirgt sich ein uralter, der westlichen Tradition entsprungener Begriff, der sich ursprünglich auf Haus, Familie, Gerätschaften und Haushaltsführung bezog.
Von Ökonomen aufbereitet und mit einer wissenschaftlich-technischen Aura versehen, wurde „Management“ zur Wirtschaftsdoktrin, zu einem Propagandainstrument der neuen Globalisierung eines Marktes ohne Grenzen.

Genau wie die großen religiösen und politischen Imperien ist auch das weltweite Management ein Teil der Geschichte. Wer den Versuch wagt, die Entwicklung der Gesellschaft über einen sehr langen Zeitraum nach dem Muster der Erdgeschichte zu analysieren, wird auf die „geologischen“ Schichten einer Zeitarchitektur stoßen, die den Ist-Zustand der Zivilisationen in sich tragen. Traditionen überlagern sich wie Sedimente, auf deren Oberfläche jeweils eine neue Epoche entsteht, die dessen harrt, was unausweichlich auf den Menschen zukommt.

Jede Form von Modernität ruht daher gewissermaßen auf einer verschütteten Vergangenheit, die sich der Mensch in Mythen oder wissenschaftlichen Deutungen zu erklären versucht. Doch um sich mit der Endlichkeit abzufinden, sie gewissermaßen zu bezähmen, bedarf eine menschliche Gesellschaft der Fähigkeit, die Schattenlinie zu erkennen, die jene Momente markiert, an denen Unumkehrbares geschieht. So gesehen, ist die lange Geschichte einer Zivilisation ein einziges, aus Schriftsedimenten bestehendes Textkompositum, durchzogen von eben dieser Schattenlinie, die eine nie endende Inszenierung der Zeit gestattet, eine Untiefe der Erinnerung, die ihr Spiel mit der Wirklichkeit treibt und dem Unsagbaren huldigt.

Der Film versteht sich als eine Reflexion über den globalisierenden Westen. Er will an der Oberfläche der Sedimentschicht unserer Epoche den Moment entschlüsseln, der eine neue Qualität gegenüber den Brüchen und Übergängen der Vergangenheit darstellt: Wir leben heute in einer Ideenwüste leben, die aus dem Irrglauben geboren wurde, dass die Menschheit – unter der Wirkung der wissenschaftlich-technischen Wirtschaftsallmacht – zu einer dem Glück geweihten und von allen Zwängen befreiten „Post-Menschheit“ mutiert.

Laut diesem neuen Glauben befinden sich die desaktivierten, zu bloßer Folklore verkommenden Zivilisationen auf dem Wege der Selbstvernichtung. Damit erübrigen sich die Analyse des Textkompositums der Gesellschaft und die Suche nach der Schattenlinie, auch ist es nicht mehr nötig, eine Gesellschaft mit ihren unfassbaren Geheimnissen, ihrer Verletzlichkeit begreifen und ihr schöpferisches Potenzial und ihren Umgang mit den ihr eigenen Todestrieben erkennen zu wollen.

Die Arbeitsthese dieses filmischen Essays ist ein Satz, den Jean Paulhan in einer Abhandlung über die kubistische Malerei verwendete: „Entfernt die Bäume, die mir den Blick auf den Wald verstellen.“ Diese Metapher aus dem Pflanzenreich habe ich mir zum Grundsatz gemacht, denn unserer Zeit fehlt es an Erklärungen; ein Defizit, das durch die Fragmentierung und Abschottung des Wissens weiter akzentuiert wird. Doch genau diese Erstarrung hindert uns daran, eine Welt zu begreifen, die aus den Fugen gerät, aber nach wie vor in tief wurzelnden, noch immer wirksamen Traditionen verankert ist. Manche dieser Traditionen sind im Untergang begriffen, andere aber trotzen der Gleichschaltung durch die westlichen Systeme.
In dieser Partie mit unsicherem Ausgang ist das weltweite Management – vom Westen als reines Instrument der Vereinheitlichung mittels wissenschaftlich begründeten Verwaltens konzipiert – ein neuer Einsatz/Trumpf.

Wie bereits frühere Filme des Autors stellt auch „Dominium Mundi – Die Weltherrschaft des Managements“ von Wirtschafts- und Gesellschaftswissenschaftlern, Biologen und anderen zementierte Gewissheiten infrage. Die Methode des Films besteht nicht darin, sein Sujet – die Funktionsweise einer Zivilisation – zu zerpflücken und zu zerstückeln. Vielmehr seziert er es in der Manier des Kubismus: aus allen Perspektiven, von innen und von außen.

Grundansatz und Anliegen des Films ist es, die Fähigkeit zum Widerstand und die Fortdauer des „Materials Mensch“ sowie die immer währenden Widersprüche, die gewaltigen industriellen Umbrüche und die poetischen Rückzugsmöglichkeiten aufzuzeigen, die ein Film greifbar machen kann, wenn er mit der Gründlichkeit einer literarischen Erzählung vorgeht. Formal handelt es sich bei dem Film also nicht um ein Lehrstück, sondern um die Enthüllung miteinander verquickter Fragestellungen, die aus einem ganz einfachen Grunde undurchsichtig und schwer zu umreißen sind: Denn was der Westen vom Westen nicht wahrnimmt, kann auch in unsere Analysen nicht einfließen.

Tonight is my 2nd-last night in Japan. I’m not really sure what to say to this besides “wow.” Not “wow, already,” because the act of returning to Tokyo made it clear to me in advance that the trip was almost over. Also not “wow, finally,” because apart from the odd disappointing destination, things have been pretty good. Anyway, the last two days.

Yesterday I went to Akihabara Electric Town, aptly nicknamed nerdvana by someone I know online. In my last post, I said “I’m under budget, so maybe I can catch up by buying geeky things.” Akihabara had no problem supplying me with enough geeky things, but I restrained myself and didn’t buy some things I saw, for reasons of “I’ll never use/wear this.” If my PS2 could play NTSC-J games, believe me I would have bought the International versions of several Square Enix games. And God Hand. When I get back I’ll probably just buy the NTSC-U/C version.

Also in Akihabara, I found English instructions for the Gundam game I previously mentioned, Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senjō no Kizuna. I forked out some money and played a few rounds, it’s crazy fun 4v4 action in the original Gundam setting. Virtual On’s got nothing on this. I dominated my first couple newbie matches but once I got to players closer to my level I started losing hard. I seem to have always had the high score on my team though. How about that?

I never found any Mega Man figures, but I did get a Mega Man Zero 3 strategy guide, which is written with furigana, so I think I’ll try to translate it in my spare time, develop my language skills. I’ve always learned best by doing. The furigana is important, as trying to decipher kanji I’ve never seen before would be an exercise in inefficiency at best.

On the way back from Akihabara, I stopped at a noodle place within Suidōbashi station for dinner, it was yummy and as often I burned my tongue by trying to eat too fast.

Today I went to check out the Sony building. It wasn’t open when I arrived at Ginza station, so I wandered towards Hibiya Park and the Imperial Palace grounds. Since the Imperial Family resides there, very little of it was accessible to the public but what I saw was all very well kept and pretty. Across the street was a park full of fountains that put on various shows of water, it was nice to sit and watch the waterworks for a while.

Finally I made my way back to the Sony building after a brief arcade stop. It was basically a several floor showroom of Sony products, not really worth the time for me to go since I had no plans to bring a new TV, camera, or PSP back to Canada with me.

So, off to Tokyo Tower. At the base of the tower is a four level building with shops, restaurants, and entertainment. The tower itself has two observatories, both with different and interesting views. It was pretty busy though, and hyperactive kids abounded. Still good times.

For lunch/dinner I had pizza and for dessert, a cool waffle/ice cream combo. Check it out in the photos, it was delicious. I would have gotten another crepe (there was a crepe place nearby) but that waffle bowl just looked too good not to try.

Tomorrow’s my last sightseeing day. What to do?

It is sometimes a hard world for vegans when it comes to find new ideas and recipes, even you love tofu!
Here is a simple way to prepare and enjoy tofu as it was a big piece of cheese!

Vegan Smoked Tofu!

INGREDIENTS: for ? People

-Tofu: a large piece 300~400g or more
-Miso of your liking, as much as you wish
-Soy sauce, not too much (beware the salt)
-Sake or mirin, a little just for the taste
-Spices, if you wish!

RECIPE:

-As the tofu shouldn’t be too soft, choose “momendofu”, or slightly solid.

-Place the tofu on a clean cloth.
-Top it with a clean plate or board.
-Put a heavy weight on top.
-Leave it like this for half a day. The tofu will reduce to half.

-Smear the whole tofu on every face with plenty of a mixture of miso, soy sauce and other ingredients of your choice. The more, the better.

-Wrap it carefully in cellophane paper and leave it in the fridge overnight.

-Take it out of the fridge and take off the cellophane paper.
-Let it dry for 2 hours at room temperature over a piece of kitchen paper.

-Smoke inside a Chinese smoking set for 1 hour.

-Very practical for smoking small quantities!

-Here you are! Enjoy!

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Tokyo Terrace
Maison de Christina
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sake, shochu and sushi

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