tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41353652011-10-10T22:57:09.120+09:00ALL THE WAY FROM TOKYOelliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.comBlogger3721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-62734673816235494492011-09-02T16:24:00.001+09:002011-09-02T16:27:48.767+09:00

Surreal silence turns to total devastation.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-5364782146777045052011-04-22T11:47:00.002+09:002011-04-22T14:32:39.846+09:00

Heartbreaking: "The sea is taking everything away."

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-13498371807850569702011-04-20T20:15:00.001+09:002011-04-20T20:17:48.120+09:00

Richard Smart lists 10 videos of the tsunami that left him shocked.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-22779416266729736702011-04-18T09:22:00.002+09:002011-04-18T09:30:41.254+09:00

Conveying the sadness in Japan's stocism. Shredded lives. Also, enter thorium: the new green nuke.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-22008452834837894982011-04-03T01:02:00.000+09:002011-04-03T01:03:07.550+09:00

Scary sound.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-44186877257507904412011-03-31T23:44:00.002+09:002011-03-31T23:51:58.140+09:00

Cos I think his live stuff is worth preserving somewhere: Second Chance. Lead Balloon. Better To Be. Going nuts in Berlin.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-1238292658361098772011-03-13T00:18:00.006+09:002011-04-13T23:27:05.701+09:00

Frightening water. Dark water. Destructive water. Darker water. Deep water. Death water.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-16062499209362374912011-02-20T11:27:00.001+09:002011-02-20T11:28:24.440+09:00

Baby trashes bar. Enough said.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-87819147735316973732011-01-11T12:20:00.003+09:002011-01-11T12:40:18.274+09:00

First things first: Sorry to all 12 fans of this site. I've been busy with other things and simply haven't found the time to post things regularly here. I also haven't really seen that much that deserved special attention, but that may just be my own tastes... Anyway, without further ado, here's a few delightful teasers to kick off 2011. But first, the sad news: Denis Dutton, founding editor of

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-70579916402761196902010-05-02T09:54:00.003+09:002010-05-02T10:14:02.727+09:00

Al-Qaeda running short of suicide bombers. Why I hate 3-D. White and guilty. Should poachers be shot? Indians love Facebook. In China, the Party's over. China moves into Africa. Paris syndrome. "Freshly ground black people."

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-34713449003438678702010-02-17T22:56:00.007+09:002010-02-17T23:03:27.825+09:00

The Olympics: Fool's Gold. The Poisoner's Handbook. Korean Electric Grid. How to survive a fall of 33,000-feet.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-73930873990865471002010-01-30T13:16:00.003+09:002010-01-30T13:32:13.593+09:00

The jig. The zero rupee note. Looting. Jihad and frying an egg. Brewing civilisation. Dumb tourist questions. Hypochondriacs.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-39837056290175088792010-01-08T15:07:00.005+09:002010-01-08T15:24:06.319+09:00

Cut this story! The tale of "a quadriplegic wearing facial Tupperware": Tony Judt. Fatwa fear: Rushdie vs Westergaard. Drinking: The British disease? Science is boring. Poverty map.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-36983520321410542852009-11-21T12:43:00.003+09:002009-11-21T12:52:37.214+09:00

Great escapes. Stasi files revisited. Life is a yawn. Sixty hours of terror: Mumbai. The philosophy of journalism.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-8776077839535950472009-11-02T13:46:00.002+09:002009-11-02T13:54:05.730+09:00

Been a while. A few interesting reads as follows... An epidemic of fear: the vaccination debate. Are liberals smarter than conservatives? The revolutions of 1989. Dying languages. Bobby Fischer: genius and idiot. Monsters and the moral imagination. Battle of Agincourt revisited.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-15627521514267705092009-07-27T12:01:00.002+09:002009-07-27T12:03:51.609+09:00

Moa, a mythical magazine that was not eaten by the Maori in New Zealand because it never really existed in the first place.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-67101798847046416712009-07-27T11:43:00.002+09:002009-07-27T11:58:14.631+09:00

The beop has landed. Tokyo vs the crows. Drunk people yoga positions.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-76031898042459990142009-07-07T12:34:00.004+09:002009-07-07T12:44:57.050+09:00

Debito Arudou discusses an invasive new tactic that is being carried out by police in Japan: an "I Pee" check. For a helpful outline of your rights, see his What To Do If column...

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-22614568779732479782009-06-18T23:02:00.003+09:002009-06-18T23:13:52.090+09:00

This is amazing: A South Korean artist who takes a painting that has been done by a child and re-creates them in a photo.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-57879976233288013162009-05-19T10:55:00.006+09:002009-05-19T11:08:16.898+09:00

Nakameguro in bloom (via Jean Snow). Jeremy Clarkson puts the boot into Honda's new hybrid Insight, a car so Biblically terrible he considered driving it into a tree on purpose. The world's best illusion, really! What is it really like to be a baby?

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-17654824567984384322009-05-05T10:53:00.003+09:002009-05-05T10:59:48.693+09:00

Alone in Tokyo is a short film by Philip Bloom that manages to successfully capture the ambience of the big smoke without anyone uttering a word.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-6354275195112013132009-05-05T08:16:00.003+09:002009-05-05T08:27:43.783+09:00

Why e-mails are littered with exclamation marks! Most hated font type. Susan Boylemania. Dancing parrots. Attribution lacking. Music as torture condemned. The neuroscience of illusion.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-13200461729509337922009-04-22T19:50:00.002+09:002009-04-22T21:07:52.404+09:00

After a long period of self-imposed exile, I return to Hanoi on Friday for the much-vaunted MAG Music Festival on Saturday. Should be a riot. Not literally, Mr Boy in Green. That's Billy Bragg speak for "life is beautiful." Looking forward to catching up with some older friends over a bia hoi and plate of dau ran. Links of note: Baby brainwashing. Facebook of world leaders.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-37632890865834529772009-04-05T18:53:00.003+09:002009-04-05T19:16:33.510+09:00

Well the cherry blossoms are officially in full bloom, and I've been able to spend a bit of time outdoors over the past two weeks instead of being couped up in front of the computer. Thanks to all those who came down to the THREE G (vol.4) at the end of last month, and especially to DJ Ken Frowning, who came up from Osaka and made the gig all the more worth while. Links of interest: The Facebook

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-10635052667912995782009-03-16T11:37:00.006+09:002009-03-16T12:14:10.641+09:00

After the raging success of the last installment of THREE G in February, Mssrs Smart, Cox, Stubbings and MUC have come up with something a little different this time around -- our very first guest DJ.DJ Ken Frowning (Old Man's Beard Must Go!, London/Osaka) cut his teeth on a dilapidated mixer in Acton Town, London, some time back in the '90s (remember them?) and hasn't looked back since. His

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-85844050235221165222009-03-08T21:16:00.002+09:002009-03-08T21:34:14.846+09:00

Preparing the newspaper obituary. Science mysteries. Cut-and-paste writing. Flower, a video game where you can hang out with, er, flowers. Why doctors go to work sick. Lies and books you've not read. Lost in the archives. How strong is a chimpanzee, really? Small talk in the Stone Age.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-10533522233637858162009-02-17T00:31:00.002+09:002009-02-17T00:32:34.430+09:00

The rumour mill has been going into overdrive today following the release of footage that shows Japanese Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa looking decidedly worse for wear in front of reporters at a G7 press conference over the weekend. Some claim Nakagawa was in fact drunk at the event (and he was seen drinking at least one glass of wine before speaking), but the minister defended his behaviour

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-14644153842997098982009-02-15T11:24:00.003+09:002009-02-15T12:00:26.912+09:00

Is this what hip-hop can do to a man? Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman. Three years earlier.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-47636302036405516702009-02-15T10:52:00.002+09:002009-02-15T11:09:01.911+09:00

How old are you? Why do young male writers love icky, tough guy deadbeats? Cheating death. Missed the train?

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-46195075768266183412009-01-26T19:45:00.002+09:002009-01-26T21:03:17.438+09:00

How NOT to write a novel. How much do you know about Edgar Allan Poe? He smashed the china, soiled the sheets, sunbathed nude and was either drunk or stoned -- Arthur Rimbaud was an impossible house guest. The mind behind procrastination. The day newspapers died.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-43260865333540323592009-01-19T20:47:00.004+09:002009-01-19T21:21:25.589+09:00

Of course Tintin's gay. Ask Snowy. Who checks the spell-checkers? She stole his heart so he gave her his kidney. And now they're getting divorced, he wants it back.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-33179546185901967412009-01-16T07:50:00.003+09:002009-01-16T07:53:23.895+09:00

Patrick McGoohan is dead at 80. Number Six, be seeing you...From The Guardian: "Patrick McGoohan's finest moment, for which he deserves to be remembered as long as people are watching moving images on little boxes, was undoubtedly 'The Prisoner' – the psychedelically experimental late-1960s series whose influence is still tangible, but whose vision was far too radical for its time. Without 'The

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-91161383120098498122009-01-05T12:27:00.011+09:002009-01-05T13:13:05.286+09:00

A few friends of mine throw a house/techno/breaks party at a small club called OVO in Naka-Meguro every couple of months and have been kind enough to allow me to play a few uplifting tunes from Aotearoa at the next installment on January 24 to kick things off from 22:00 before the real beats begin. Entrance is a paltry Y1,500 (with one free drink), so it's not going to blow your New Year budget.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-36054010461743477402009-01-04T11:12:00.002+09:002009-01-04T11:28:28.916+09:00

Burger King perfume (pour hommes, presumably). End of the road for VHS. The man responsible for helping President-elect Barack Obama to write history.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-38909754678350266272008-12-17T01:17:00.003+09:002008-12-17T01:30:45.193+09:00

In Camp No. 14, the North Korean political prison where Shin Dong-hyuk was born and where he says he watched the hanging of his mother, inmates never saw a picture of Kim Jong Il. Why publishers fail. When writers fail. Jezebels with a Cause.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-6719857176721936642008-12-02T01:01:00.006+09:002008-12-02T08:09:23.515+09:00

Think of sex addiction on a par with tennis addiction - except only one of them sells books. The Bad Sex Award. Everything you need to know about Hitler's missing testicle. Britain on top in casual sex league. From ancient Pompeiian baths to modern Swiss spas, there's always been something dirty about getting clean. PLUS: Edible fantasies.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-81284814519473062722008-11-24T00:56:00.003+09:002008-11-24T01:06:46.925+09:00

George Bush's nostrils. Animals speak in colour. The Ubiquitous Child Trap: Over-parenting.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-43601924337678343182008-11-06T19:13:00.003+09:002008-11-07T12:21:19.118+09:00

Oslo sent me an educational link that offers an excellent primer on what to do if you ever encounter a rhino that has escaped from a zoo. I can't guarantee, however, that such tactics would work equally well in a dark alley. For one thing, you're not likely to have a gargantuan tennis court net with you...

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-22860463811685751832008-10-29T12:28:00.003+09:002008-10-29T12:36:18.545+09:00

I called my credit card company today to confirm whether a new card had been mailed to my new postal address. The helpful woman who handled my call wanted to check my personal details to double check I was in fact the person I claimed to be. "Please answer yes or no to the following question," she instructed. "Are you the only signatory on your account or is it an account held by more than one

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-79046237486216140252008-10-23T12:42:00.006+09:002008-10-23T15:59:13.777+09:00

Why humans are so quick to take offense. Economic meltdown flowchart. Leonard Cohen arrived in New York from Canada in 1966 and has been mocked for his misery ever since. Still, anyone who can write turn poetry into such eye-opening singles as Avalanche, Famous Blue Raincoat and One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong at least deserves a carefully compiled playlist. My advice -- Stick to his first four

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-35739580225371313612008-10-20T12:26:00.002+09:002008-10-20T12:43:37.693+09:00

Wolves smarter than dogs. Owners betrayed by their own parrots. Germany remains contaminated with unexploded bombs that are becoming increasingly unstable with age.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-91703833653183485272008-10-10T13:34:00.002+09:002008-10-10T14:05:08.468+09:00

Burning. There's another Youtube link to the track if you want better sound, but this little beastie shows the boys from NZ can really create some sparks on stage...

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-34258329784718075932008-10-10T00:08:00.002+09:002008-10-10T13:38:19.496+09:00

Push on Thru, which features NZ's seminal dub unit in their prime...

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-27288774938160517762008-10-08T19:32:00.003+09:002008-10-10T13:38:55.406+09:00

You Forget -- the classic driving song for a stinking hot summer's day. Air-con not included.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-30451368010504462642008-10-08T18:59:00.003+09:002008-10-08T19:02:41.510+09:00

Verstaeker: It's not the more atmospheric 10-minute version, but it's enough to give you a taste of what Jakob can produce at a pinch...

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-36690840958142613342008-10-08T18:56:00.002+09:002008-10-08T19:01:11.844+09:00

Seed, taken from one of the best debut albums ever released (albeit by a singer/songwriter who started his first band when he was just 16).

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-58556354703740787512008-10-08T18:51:00.002+09:002008-10-08T18:53:06.198+09:00

Don't ask, just watch!

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-11902320756332909102008-10-06T12:31:00.003+09:002008-10-06T12:54:58.483+09:00

The Trashing of the White House. Inside China's Dreaded Propaganda Department. Palin Parody... but is it? In need of a NZ music fix? Tune in to Kiwi Tapes.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-11918488583359739382008-09-29T10:22:00.002+09:002008-09-29T10:37:12.223+09:00

Mathematicians discover new 13-million-digit prime number. He hates perfume. Is stupid making us Google? The new white people are bigoted, but not they way you think -- or they'll admit.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-64203017613306935372008-09-21T12:44:00.001+09:002008-09-21T12:44:52.377+09:00

From the Sacrament of the Sick tour in 2007. (Tankz Thomasina!)

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-3549892581651173662008-09-19T15:56:00.003+09:002008-09-19T16:09:47.018+09:00

Speak like yoda, want to, hmm? Hmm... (with thanks to The Comical Hat). A decade ago, Jakob Nielsen published an essay entitled "How Users Read on the Web." It opened bluntly: "They don't." Why Kenyan women cannot stop eating stones.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-4230136242070241932008-09-16T23:37:00.008+09:002008-09-17T00:10:11.751+09:00

Mighty Ike. What Babar brought. How to cheat at everything. A big hand for the sound of silence.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-42959219554539040892008-09-09T12:28:00.004+09:002008-09-09T13:09:07.345+09:00

English departments don't read celebrated travel writer Paul Theroux; he's too rude about people: "Japan doesn't have suspicion of strangers. They just have an utter lack of interest." Voters in the US are not as deeply informed as some may have us believe: "Political scientists Michael Delli Carpini and Scott Keeter found that just 49 percent of Americans know that the only country ever to use a

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-8288871082203938862008-09-01T11:58:00.001+09:002008-09-01T11:58:24.120+09:00

What not to do if a dead whale washes up on a beach near you...

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-28538395574498691962008-08-31T09:41:00.001+09:002008-08-31T09:42:00.097+09:00

An amusing tale of a wayward whale who becomes beached as in New Zealand and turns down the opportunity to try a chup.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-15159951114407607992008-08-26T12:45:00.002+09:002008-08-26T13:03:25.997+09:00

Sex and the Semicolon. A Teenager Nose Best. PLUS two music sites that are well worth a gander: Electronic Explorations (which offers a blend of knee-twitching dubstep and bass-laden minimal electronica) and Dilated Choonz (which is guaranteed to throw up a surprise or two).

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-52881723292837568672008-08-12T00:13:00.006+09:002008-08-12T01:05:15.940+09:00

View Larger MapGoogle Street View hit Japan earlier this month, allowing you to take in the street surroundings as if you are standing on the side of the road -- literally. Above is a snapshot of my local hangout: the park bench in front of the takeaway coffee van (not visible) in Jiyugaoka. For now, Google Street View covers Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Sendai, Otaru, Sapporo and

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-57746725227644499162008-08-11T13:19:00.002+09:002008-08-11T13:31:54.051+09:00

What the world eats. Desert rat cuisine. PLUS: A walk down memory lane -- Timeless Hanoi by ABD (via The Comical Hat).

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-86250507341602495502008-08-01T12:15:00.003+09:002008-11-13T10:54:05.253+09:00

My Google map reset itself last week, which was a shame because it was just starting to look impressive. There is obviously room for improvement, however, and over the next 12 months I'm going to concentrate on getting hits from Papua New Guinea, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Mongolia and Kazakhstan.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-10308039261766510212008-08-01T11:40:00.004+09:002008-08-01T12:06:06.082+09:00

Is this the end of the semi-colon? Perhaps not, but the English pub has certainly seen better days. And while in England, please remember not to take photographs of anti-social behaviour as evidence of criminal activity; police say it is tantamount to assault. It seems committing suicide by jumping in front of a train is not only a Japanese phenomenon. On a brighter note, here's a list of 10

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-60897103017132219962008-07-22T21:02:00.008+09:002008-07-22T23:34:34.169+09:00

Reporter Volunteers for Waterboarding. He's Proud to be a Lesbian. Meet the "George Clooney of American Journalism."

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-13552175563574697692008-07-05T11:17:00.004+09:002008-07-05T20:22:22.255+09:00

The Itch.One morning, after she was awakened by her bedside alarm, she sat up and, she recalled, “this fluid came down my face, this greenish liquid.” She pressed a square of gauze to her head and went to see her doctor again. Only in the Emergency Department, after the doctors started swarming, did M. learn what had happened. She had scratched through her skull during the night—and all the way

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-12263307038319052142008-07-03T13:13:00.004+09:002008-07-03T13:35:39.417+09:00

Different Ways to Thread Your Sneakers. Get Out of Your Own Way. Waste Disposal System (something readers in Japan will be all too familiar with).

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-15602370868251125022008-06-19T00:29:00.006+09:002008-06-19T10:21:58.567+09:00

Required Reading: Read at Work (via Oslo Davis). Required Viewing: The (Japanese) Office (via Blizzard Boy). Required Doing: How to Nap. Required Asking: Are men (at dinner parties) boring?

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-21108060130945541682008-06-11T12:25:00.003+09:002008-06-11T12:44:46.274+09:00

A few more interesting reads from perennial favourite Arts & Letters Daily: Red Sky All Day; Wine Bluffing; Return of the Typewriter; Musical Hallucinosis; No Place Like Home; and How to Win the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-46991333074051124832008-06-04T13:12:00.011+09:002008-06-05T11:48:03.038+09:00

Japan Tourism FAQ: Do Japanese people eat sushi every day? Helpful Tips For a Less-troubled Life: Although there is neither legal regulation nor punishment, (standing in a line) is a social rule you should follow to avoid getting involved in unnecessary trouble. And finally, a few words from a homepage entitled Before Being Troubled: September: It is the time which the Japanese who finished the

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-7890774820116597072008-06-03T00:48:00.001+09:002008-06-03T00:48:18.286+09:00

Folk comedy duo Flight of the Conchords have been making waves in the U.S. for the past year or so (maybe more), mixing dead-pan lyrical humour with a straight face. If you like what you hear here, I'd also recommend you have a listen to Jenny, which describes the kinda chance encounter everyone dreads.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-77553837521616371132008-05-28T01:52:00.002+09:002008-05-28T13:57:00.467+09:00

Unidentified Flying Somethings.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-39290354186157145802008-05-27T11:37:00.004+09:002008-05-27T11:53:37.504+09:00

Some peculiar news stories have appeared in local newspapers over the past two days: Man disguised as schoolgirl arrested for trespassing in Ibaraki school (his shoes gave him away); Unsuspecting passenger returns cannabis after botched sniffer dog test at Narita International Airport (customs officer reprimanded); and Man crashes car into police station (suspect immediately arrested).

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-32421602834690069562008-05-19T12:10:00.003+09:002008-05-19T12:35:55.612+09:00

Think you're larger than life? Think again (via Pittstop Works). Coining the agenbite. Linguistic butchery -- OMFG! Confessions of a sweatshop inspector in China.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-45266413821945683962008-05-12T01:23:00.004+09:002008-05-12T01:30:41.297+09:00

The bigot in your brain.There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery—then look around, see somebody white, and feel relieved. Jesse Jackson

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-56864186239378031002008-05-10T20:27:00.002+09:002008-05-10T20:49:06.201+09:00

How to learn a lesson from the death of Burma. How to avert an "inadvertent" nuclear war. How LSD added another layer to culture in the US. How to plan for a child you haven't even had yet. How insulation works in Japan.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-79329016457586236952008-05-04T10:43:00.003+09:002008-05-04T11:06:21.860+09:00

Crazy English. Want to remember everything you've ever learnt? Do NOT take this course! How to load people onto trains (via Blizzardboy).

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-9824738507208227712008-04-28T12:16:00.002+09:002008-04-28T12:20:33.844+09:00

UK dub pioneer Zion Train is playing at Yellow in Tokyo on Tuesday, April 29. You'd be a fool to miss it.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-87065131644018110232008-04-14T13:31:00.002+09:002008-04-14T13:38:14.336+09:00

I stumbled across a couple of interesting travel articles on the IHT this morning. Tis rather sad to read that Luang Prabang in northern Laos is turning into another zoo for well-heeled tourists. The photo at the top of the page says it all really... And I thought living in Hanoi was bad, but Cairo is portrayed as a city in which you can't even hear yourself scream.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-39553343272830123172008-04-11T00:39:00.003+09:002008-04-11T00:48:03.188+09:00

Just when you thought it was safe to avoid bia hoi on a Saturday night in Hanoi: Old Man's Beard Must Go (a.k.a. four twats and a mixer). I'll leave it to them to describe the gig in their own words... OMBMG -- DJ Ken Frowning, Dub Ella, Bezzercise & Albot -- have been knocking up the party scene in London for the last three years. Funk follows soul & reggae, giving way to disco, electro, and

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-5087706117407706262008-04-09T00:02:00.004+09:002008-04-09T00:13:33.088+09:00

Bonking. The Camp Caped Crusader. Building Beijing. Literary Feud. Our Racist/Sexist Selves.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-87155876425102663772008-04-04T13:10:00.003+09:002008-11-13T10:54:05.389+09:00

If you are in Hanoi, Vietnam, this Saturday (April 5) and don't go to the Hanoi International Music Festival, then you are either an egghead or your head is made of egg. In other news: The real Andy Kaufman, thirty dumb video game titles, and an April Fools' Day gag gone very, very wrong.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-36438345850327548822008-04-04T12:48:00.007+09:002008-11-13T10:54:05.616+09:00

An adjusted work schedule has meant that I've missed much of the cherry blossom action in Tokyo this year, including my friends' annual hanami party in Ueno Park. Still, I was able to get out and about the other day, and snapped a few shots around Naka-meguro (top) and Jiyugaoka to mark the occasion. I used to love seeing the trees explode into life at the end of March, as it reminded me of my

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-4761250636763870322008-03-21T01:19:00.003+09:002008-03-21T01:28:05.698+09:00

Stuff White People Like. White Like Us. Stuff Not White People Like. The Real Reason White People Like Stuff White People Like.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-71441702764058120312008-03-14T01:03:00.003+09:002008-03-14T01:27:34.875+09:00

Awareness test. An obituary: The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Literary sex.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-75104436067178679122008-03-11T23:57:00.005+09:002008-11-13T10:54:05.866+09:00

I feel somewhat obliged to remind the good folks out there that entries for J Select's 35th Anniversary Amazing Prize Giveaway will close at the end of March. To enter, simply fill out a simple questionnaire that can be found by following the link at the top of the home page -- as many times as you like!

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-17615878465947290262008-03-07T00:51:00.004+09:002008-03-07T01:01:59.430+09:00

A Guide to Japanese Folk Monsters. Can't Touch This. Most Stolen Book List. Incredible Hulk Provocations (or Ways to Make David Banner Angry). Ten Great Asian Horror Films. Dune Strikes Back.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-49119493856404593882008-03-03T00:40:00.003+09:002008-03-03T00:47:00.539+09:00

The connection has been reset. Grape expectations. Are our brains wired for maths? Assassination works.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-36178244334578950932008-02-25T00:56:00.006+09:002008-11-13T10:54:06.064+09:00

Now here's something I bet you never thought you'd read on Upstairs for Thinking: Golf in Decline. On the local front, Tokyo turns up its nose. In other news, I recently watched "Control," the 2007 film about Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, and it inspired me to dig out the copy of Unknown Pleasures I purchased from Fox Records in Hanoi way back when. For anyone interested, here's a sample of

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-20637738254912779022008-02-20T08:07:00.003+09:002008-02-22T00:14:50.455+09:00

Pet Peeves. Killing Joke, although not THE Killing Joke (QPNSFW -- Quite Possibly Not Safe For Work). And while on the subject of music videos, I thought I'd also point you to Queen of the Stone Ages' Go With the Flow, which seems to pay homage to David Cronenberg's movie, Crash.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-34507479916718867702008-02-05T00:58:00.000+09:002008-02-05T01:09:53.481+09:00

Letter from Vietnam. The curious case of the forged biography.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-80035947550431332702008-01-30T00:27:00.000+09:002008-11-13T10:54:06.283+09:00

I really shouldn't be doing this because the more people who enter this competition, the less chance I have of winning... BUT: If you live if Japan, you are strongly advised to enter the 35th anniversary competition that is being run by J Select until March 31. Simply click on the link at the top of the page, answer a few questions and, hey presto, you might have won yourself some air tickets to

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-21140152736224795082008-01-29T00:30:00.000+09:002008-01-29T00:39:32.534+09:00

Kiwis "fat and ugly". The author's probably got a point there somewhere, and yet if he thinks Christchurch people dress more smartly than other New Zealanders, then he obviously didn't spend much time around Westfield Riccarton.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-61276010512180845012008-01-28T10:52:00.000+09:002008-01-28T10:58:43.115+09:00

The secret to winning at Rock, Paper, Scissors.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-76048425877043721672008-01-09T19:08:00.000+09:002008-01-09T22:33:07.488+09:00

An interesting report on the death of decent sound. I, for one, have always felt uncomfortable with the MP3 format. To be fair, I guess I do tend to listen to genres that demand a Minsk-heavy bass and so it's understandable in some ways that MP3s don't quite hit the right notes in this regard. There is no denying the convenience of MP3s but, when given the choice, only Bob Dylan it seems would

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-14723758085436778312007-12-29T12:01:00.000+09:002007-12-29T12:08:29.896+09:00

In case you're wondering what to do in Tokyo on New Year's Eve, Tokyo Gig Guide has put together an incredibly helpful list: New Year's Eve Guide 2007-2008.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-75217885051941289972007-12-20T00:45:00.000+09:002008-01-07T23:28:57.121+09:00

I thought of posting the Top 10 Films I watched in 2007, but decided I was bound to forget something and so have settled on a list of the top nine instead:9: Murderball 8: Puzzlehead7: It's All Gone Peter Tong6: Fido5: Loud Quiet Loud: A Film About The Pixies4: Match Point3: Hard Candy2: The Prestige1: The FountainI didn't include links to the last three films because they're best viewed without

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-50448974373312396332007-12-17T22:46:00.000+09:002008-11-13T10:54:06.407+09:00

Stop the Press! Comrade Pittstop Works provides a funny link to a photo essay just up on Vietnamnet Today to mark the day when motorcycle helmets were made compulsory in Vietnam (again). If it's any consolation, I spot a far few motorcyclists in Japan who go to the trouble of wearing a helmet and yet also leave the strap undone. The fella pictured here, however, really takes the cake...

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-53160359580714928662007-12-17T22:24:00.000+09:002007-12-17T22:39:37.735+09:00

This photo of a suspicious cat is part of a collection of images that retell a famous detective story. Let me know if you'd like me to forward the links in their entirety. And also, as a special Monday night treat, the following come from links mainstay Arts & Letters Daily, the best source of daily letters and arts: (i) Bad Taste Headline and (ii) When Trash Meets Cash.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-10017551758774325722007-12-11T03:04:00.000+09:002008-11-13T10:54:06.593+09:00

The December issue of J Select features an indepth look at Blue Man Group, a theater/concert experience that has just kicked off an open-ended stint in Tokyo.“It’s not your regular Shakespearian-type role ... You have to be able to catch things in your mouth.”

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-44802807120119168052007-12-11T02:59:00.000+09:002007-12-11T03:03:29.105+09:00

Not one, but two stories about toothpicks:I found the debris-laden contents of the plastic bag to be splintered, partially broken, and of nonuniform color: Toothpicks clearly aren’t what they used to be.

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-58032942932875608072007-11-26T23:51:00.000+09:002008-11-13T10:54:06.736+09:00

I was going to write a lot more about this but time and energy have conspired against me (yet again)... and so I'll leave you with a list of relevant links divided by a single word.Neojaponisme interviews Goodbye Madame Butterfly author Kawakami Sumie after Chin Music Press launch. There. Not strictly accurate but if you wanted accuracy, you'd be reading the Vietnam News..

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-83896818839833132102007-11-14T00:44:00.000+09:002008-11-13T10:54:06.894+09:00

NZ outfit Rhombus returns to Tokyo this weekend to take part in New Zealand Paradise Week, which runs from November 17-25 (although most of the events are scheduled to take place in Roppongi on the 17th and 18th). For those of you who are interested in hearing a more random set from these guys, I'd suggest heading down to the NZ Travel Cafe in Roppongi on Wednesday, November 21, where they will

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4135365.post-49320465616919995552007-11-13T07:34:00.000+09:002007-11-13T07:42:11.052+09:00

Last year you couldn't say Merry Christmas for fear of excluding non-Christians during the holiday season ("Happy Holidays!" was the preferred option), and now it seems Ho-Ho-Ho is facing the chop. I'm all for cutting the glitz and glamour out of Xmas but why not start with something useful... like Christmas lights that go up in early November. Actually, this story reminds me of a time I included

elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06980716674120362632noreply@blogger.com0