Still Here

Yes, I know what some of you may be thinking. "Just wait till he grows up so you can indoctrinate him like you did his father.

Let my introduce you to Keta. He is the first son of my friend and his wife. Keta smiles a lot.

I might to if I had a bald man looking at me from way above.

Retrovertigo

Now I'm finding truth is a ruin

Nauseous end that nobody is pursuing

Staring into glassy eyes Mesmerized

There's a vintage thirst returning

But I'm sheltered by my channel-surfing

Every famine virtual

Retrovertigo

Last Christmas

Christmas in Japan is for lovers. December 24 is the time when you supposed to take your "woman of interest out on a romantic date. If not the 24th at least the 25th. No one seems to know why this came about but here it is.
I have also noticed that the song "Last Christmas" by Wham is very popular here. As a matter of fact I have herd at least five different renditions of the song while frolicking in the public.
There is Whams version of the song, then there is the new rendition by the female singer who I no longer remember the name of. Along with this there is a "Boy vocal group" that sings a horrific version of it. Then there is the "muzak" version that you hear in highly sterilised places like the dentist. At one department store I heard a metal guitar version of it that rocked. If there was a video of this version I would pay good money to see it. I'm sure a studded cup or spandex were involved.
I once herd this song in a pub in Australia when I was there is April but that is another story.
My coworker came into work the other day singing this song and could not explain why he was doing so.
Last week I was trying to teach my students how to sing "Up on the house top", which they did OK at. But when I started to sing "Last Christmas" they all joined in with gusto.
It's been a quiet Christmas here in Japan and these are the things that stick out for me.
Happy Christmas

Jon

Just for you...

Yes sometimes folks get it all wrong but it sometime feels so right. Who am I to make corrections to these types of things? This year I get Christmas off because it falls on a Thursday (which is my day off regularly.) The only plans I have is to make some phone calls and express my holiday wishes to people. Watch out, you may be one of these people!

Christmas in Japan is uneventful for the most part. New Years is the important time for the folks here. For me New Years is uneventful but that's not a bad thing for me. Don't get me wrong I like a good party when I can find one. But to me it's no big deal.

My hope, like many others, is that 2009 won't be as weird as 2008. For me it was a odd year for many different reasons. Not much could happen in the next few days or the next year that would surprise me. So what has this taught me?

All these events have led me to the overwhelming conclusion that in the deepest darkest recesses of my ever omnipresent consciousness that "I don't know what is going on." Of this I'm sure of beyond a reasonably doubt. There are folks who make clams that all is fixed in the universe.

That would mean all is static, which does not work well in a dynamic universe. It works well for my Aiwa T.V. that has been broken for that last few months but that's neither hear nor there.

My point is that there is a liberation to the "I don't know" idea. It's OK. I do have a scepticism towards those who say they do.

I once met a man who I had just met and had only said a few words to. Later that night I heard him say to one of my friends that I didn't know shit. Yes, I thought. The truth at last!

The ironic thing was it was his wedding anniversary and I congratulated him on it and it was one of the few things I said to him that night.

Who knew?

Here

Here is a nice picture I took the last time I was in Tokyo. This garden was located smack dab in the city right next to Tokyo Dome. This garden was created (or paid for) by the emperor of Japan a long time ago.(I can't remember the date)

II.

This is where I ended up the last time I went to Yokohama. Good beer but after two I felt like I was going to explode because of the thickness it had. Good thing I didn't eat any sour kraut! The train ride home might have been interesting.

Just finished reading "John Adams" today. Good book! It's amazing how politics hasn't changed that much since his time. What was also interesting was the different views the founding fathers had about how the government should or could be run.

That's all for now.

River

This pic was taken next to a river that is near my apartment. I walked all along this river today until I started to get tired and then I decided to make my way back home. (The long way)

It was a nice walk but not so nice as to take a lot of pictures. Nice view of the hills in the distance though. This city is surrounded by these hills. Kofu sits in between them and at times it feels isolated by them.

Back to the band question:

I think I've found my new look for my new band. The folks at the P.I. may not be into it but I feel that they will come to love it like I have.

This is why I love the 80's

And this is why I don't love the 80's

Today's reading "John Adams" by David McCullough. It is amazing how little we all know about the founding fathers of our country and what they did for us.

I'm glad the election is concluded and also that nothing untoward happened. As most of us feel, I hope that things will get better, but I also realise that the president and/or the government has only so much control over things. But still I hope for the best.

Believe me it's hard to resist commenting on the things that have happened to the U.S. in the last few months and I'm not speaking about the election. No I'm speaking about the housing @#$% up that we are in. Don't get me started! At this juncture I usualy become sarcastic and sinicle in my blog. Well not today. I hope this blog has giving you a laugh or at least a smile.

But be that as it may, don't expect to see me in neon spandex in the near future. On the other hand you may see me in black leather wearing a studded cup and beating a bass drum with the skull of a investment a broker from Wall street. Maybe even one of those poor saps form Leimen Brothers. The name of my new band will be called "They eat there young."

Sorry! Sometimes I just can't help myself.

Peace, love and joy at a .05% interest rate:

Jon