tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-128879882024-03-14T01:55:04.812+09:00Mike's PlaceMike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.comBlogger620125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-24722510372916745852011-04-06T15:59:00.000+09:002011-04-06T15:59:05.856+09:00A New Home?Have been looking for potential income properties, and thinking this might just be a good choice.<br /><a href="http://www.immobel.com/personal/1/listingDetails.do?of=74605514&back1=/personal/1/viewListingSelection.action&la=EN&per=MIBOR">Immobel.com</a>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-69525481642719341552011-01-01T18:19:00.005+09:002011-01-01T18:41:14.449+09:00New Years in Chiang Mai<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TR7x2Cb9vXI/AAAAAAAAC4U/gMsI2K0XHgY/s1600/lanterns.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 299px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TR7x2Cb9vXI/AAAAAAAAC4U/gMsI2K0XHgY/s320/lanterns.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557144900891164018" /></a><br />Now I can imagine that if we were in downtown Chiang Mai last night that this would have been the view, and that does look like the back of my heard. Anyway the view last night was something that I had never seen before. All around the city people were launching these paper lanterns, it was not from just one location, everywhere you looked in the night sky were the lanterns interspersed with fireworks of all variety. We had 11 of them that we set off in the Armstrong's neighborhood earlier in the evening, and so when it hit midnight we were free to to just enjoy the amazing sight.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TR70ZRUyRcI/AAAAAAAAC4c/GIkb2RMjoBg/s1600/SANY0375.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TR70ZRUyRcI/AAAAAAAAC4c/GIkb2RMjoBg/s320/SANY0375.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557147705206261186" /></a><br />This has been a great trip and even though I decided to not take the jaunt into Myanmar. And as I look back I'm glad that I didn't go to Myanmar for at least one reason had i gone I would have missed this great light show last night.Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-56076122068094496472010-09-12T12:37:00.002+09:002010-09-12T18:22:11.617+09:00Angry Whopper<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TIxLCRmUcOI/AAAAAAAAC30/ehWgtmdoGKg/s1600/Image1751-765574.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TIxLCRmUcOI/AAAAAAAAC30/ehWgtmdoGKg/s320/Image1751-765574.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515866146077962466" /></a></p>So on my way home I stopped in at Burger King and was lured to this new menu item, the Angry Whopper. It comes in mild, spicy, and extra hot. I got the spicy version, it had 3 jalapeno marks by it. And it really was spicy, with a sauce that seemed to be basically just tabasco sauce, very good. There was also a sign for a Crazy Whopper which according to the picture had at least an inch of jalapeno peppers on it.Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-74438385924478639072010-08-01T20:30:00.002+09:002010-08-01T20:33:02.240+09:00Boggy CreekThe teachers took and airboat ride at Boggy Creek yesterday and it was really fun. This was the second one that I have taken, but this one was a private tour with just the three of us on board. We saw this alligator and a couple of its babies, a raccoon, many birds and a bald eagle.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pcJlsyV41IY&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pcJlsyV41IY&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-73972327733994621592010-07-18T13:30:00.002+09:002010-07-19T09:10:42.409+09:00rainbow cloud<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TEKDV03o6LI/AAAAAAAACgk/5iIwe-45Zqw/s1600/Image2621-715372.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TEKDV03o6LI/AAAAAAAACgk/5iIwe-45Zqw/s320/Image2621-715372.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495098906337929394" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">And today it is in the <a href="http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/science/news/20100718-OYT1T00541.htm?from=y10">Japanese Yomiuri</a>.</p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-79042917082258003662010-07-13T09:05:00.004+09:002010-07-13T09:15:13.048+09:00Healthy Chicken<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TDut8i9QpPI/AAAAAAAACgU/jLPfgre4FMQ/s1600/kfcnewmenu%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 158px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493175426195956978" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TDut8i9QpPI/AAAAAAAACgU/jLPfgre4FMQ/s320/kfcnewmenu%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a> Kentucy Fried Chicken in Japan is going healthy. Putting on the menu oven grilled chicken. Now why can't America follow suit and give us some healthier options rather than the heart attack waiting to happen, double down sandwich.<br /><br /><div></div></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TDuvPN9gJ8I/AAAAAAAACgc/dYQBFTvOAbo/s1600/doubledown%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493176846488971202" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TDuvPN9gJ8I/AAAAAAAACgc/dYQBFTvOAbo/s320/doubledown%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br />No wonder so many people in the states are overweight. I'm going to have to be really careful this summer, because it is so easy to fall for these so unhealthy food options.Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-30611471297059994202010-07-12T07:58:00.004+09:002010-07-12T11:12:51.296+09:00Sumo Appology?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TDpMtsUeS8I/AAAAAAAACgM/BL95fiNYrkw/s1600/20100710p2a00m0na007000p_size5%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 165px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492787043406597058" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TDpMtsUeS8I/AAAAAAAACgM/BL95fiNYrkw/s320/20100710p2a00m0na007000p_size5%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a> <em>"Following an announcement saying, 'We express our apology to our ancestors and the ring,' some 200 wrestlers, stablemasters and Japan Sumo Association (JSA) officials simultaneously performed deep bows toward the ring as some 1,000 fans looked on."</em><br /><br /><br /><br />How typically Japanese. After deciding not to cancel the Nagoya Sumo tournament after the baseball gambling scandle, this is how the Sumo Association desides to show its remorse. Bowing to the ring and their ancestors. Not sure where this comes from but I know it is an attitude that prevails most sports in Japan. When our tennis team is finished practicing the girls always turn to the court and say thank you. I've sen girls bow to the court before the step on it to play a game. But appologizing to the sumo ring, I don't get it.Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-44516856938725458092010-07-09T14:30:00.002+09:002010-07-09T14:49:15.117+09:00School Cleaning<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TDa0QA0nVdI/AAAAAAAACf0/XZT5MXuWWNA/s1600/02k%5B1%5D.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 205px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491774982816486866" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TDa0QA0nVdI/AAAAAAAACf0/XZT5MXuWWNA/s320/02k%5B1%5D.gif" /></a> If you are at all familiar with the Japanese school system, you will know that the above illustration is a daily sight at every school in Japan. The students do all the cleaning, at least for the most part. It works for them, but I have always thought that the inside of most schools are not kept up. I guess you might say that it goes to show.<br /><br />Well recently at my school there has been a big push from the recruitment commitee to really make sure that the school is clean before they have special school explanation meetings to parents or cram school teachers. Something that seems like it is happening everyweek recently. This means that after the kids have left school they are wanting us to stick around and make sure the school is clean. So the teachers go out in the areas that have already supposedly been cleaned my the students, and clean again. <br /><br />Now the other day the head of that comittee anounced that most parents now find that the schoos are pretty well clean. This cleanliness is a reflection supposedly on how well you are disciplining your students. So you must be doing a good job if your school is clean. But now that it is a norm they are wanting us to make sure that the school is pristine. So we have well behaved students because are school is clean. But the problem it is the teachers that are making it really clean. Isn't this really saying that we aren't doing our job because even though we work with the students and teach them to clean, we still have to do it all over to make the school presentable. In a sense aren't we really lying to the parents?<br /><br />I really think that they just need to hire a janitorial staff to do the work, this way the students could have more study time, and there wouldn't be extra work piled on to the already busy teachers schedules.Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-61977172640787392512010-07-04T06:47:00.000+09:002010-07-04T06:47:54.142+09:00Rakuten to make English official in-house language by end of 2012 › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion<div>This was in the news yesterday and I thought it was very interesting. Just think if more companies started to do this in Japan peoples English might actually improve.</div><a href="http://www.japantoday.com/category/technology/view/rakuten-to-make-english-official-in-house-language-by-end-of-2012">Rakuten to make English official in-house language by end of 2012 › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion</a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Helvetica, Arial, 'sans serif'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; ">Rakuten, which operates the largest Internet mall in Japan, intends to conduct all executive meetings in English and eventually have all internal documents written in the language, it said, adding that the menus in its staff canteen are already available in English.</span></div>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-87859858647715652732010-07-01T12:51:00.001+09:002010-07-01T13:02:43.675+09:00Check out this great MSN Video: Top 10 Bizarre Phobias<a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/top-10-bizarre-phobias/ufaubnma?from=imbot_us_default">Check out this great MSN Video: Top 10 Bizarre Phobias</a><br /><br />Although this least mentions the fear of dance and the fear of flutes as the same thing, it is interesting. My favorite, Consecotalephobia, the fear of chopsticks. Yikes could't live in Japan with that.Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-29158487985217060752010-06-26T19:47:00.002+09:002010-06-27T03:27:15.583+09:00how a Japanese man should dress<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TCXayoJAhXI/AAAAAAAACfs/4C9dgK4SamQ/s1600/Image2531-757924.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TCXayoJAhXI/AAAAAAAACfs/4C9dgK4SamQ/s320/Image2531-757924.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487032284324332914" /></a> </p><p class="mobile-photo">I was surprised when this guy got on the train, it is very rare when you will see a man dressed in full Kimono and he wasn't with anyone. It looked to be made of linen very dapper to say the least he was very put together. I think I could pull the look off it would be nice to wear at weddings, but don't get invited to lots of those.</p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-86804899647315232912010-06-26T07:31:00.002+09:002010-06-26T08:11:07.925+09:00scarry<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TCUuTRC93JI/AAAAAAAACfk/zu_TXaFaA9E/s1600/Image2501-701723.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486842629549055122" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TCUuTRC93JI/AAAAAAAACfk/zu_TXaFaA9E/s320/Image2501-701723.jpg" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">This is the current add campaign for Winston cigarettes in Japan. I'm still looking for the poster with 3 of these guys lined up holding the same pose. I'm trying to figure out who their target audience is.</p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-57794109710443118802010-06-01T19:32:00.002+09:002010-06-02T05:35:18.033+09:00do it againLatest in the Tokyo Metro poster series. Reminding people to be polite, reminding a fellow passenger that they have forgotten their umbrella. <br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TAThuAkJyxI/AAAAAAAACfU/_4sHiOTWXx8/s1600/Image2541-744342.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TAThuAkJyxI/AAAAAAAACfU/_4sHiOTWXx8/s320/Image2541-744342.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477751227331234578" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">I think I have 2 ideas for the series.</p><p class="mobile-photo">One would be along this line, waking the sleeping passenger that is still fast asleep as everyone gets off at the last station. I know that I have seen some people that have not gotten off and ended up riding back, who knows how many times.</p><p class="mobile-photo">The second would be entitled, "Do it in Bed" and it would show someone falling asleep on the shoulder of the perfect stranger sitting next to them, in this case the guy with no pupils. </p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-12885522613823105722010-05-30T07:12:00.002+09:002010-05-30T07:24:30.650+09:00In Perspective: Visualizing the BP Oil DisasterNot much news here about the big oil spill in the gulf, but this is what it would look like over Tokyo.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TAGTS-yIEmI/AAAAAAAACfM/eczPbGTvsWo/s1600/oil+spill.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 278px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/TAGTS-yIEmI/AAAAAAAACfM/eczPbGTvsWo/s320/oil+spill.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476820576159404642" /></a><br />Go <a href="http://www.beowulfe.com/oil/">here</a> to see what it would look like over your city.Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-3468170511574210412010-05-28T20:53:00.002+09:002010-05-28T20:56:51.772+09:00creative usesToday the iPad was released here in Japan today, and you know with creative uses like this I think it could catch on quick.<br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11886557&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11886557&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/11886557">iPad + Velcro</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user478713">Jesse Rosten</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-10140231796429951072010-05-23T15:04:00.002+09:002010-05-23T18:55:52.549+09:00Corn chocolate?Now I think I have seen everything. I know that Japanese love corn on everything, but this takes the cake. Now I know there is not actually corn inside, but I think it must be something to do with the look or the crunch of the product. Go figure.<br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S_jFcWrG_FI/AAAAAAAACe8/FoNEkXpYT5Y/s1600/Image2511-773401.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S_jFcWrG_FI/AAAAAAAACe8/FoNEkXpYT5Y/s320/Image2511-773401.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474342437982239826" /></a></p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-57492604962304867282010-05-17T10:29:00.005+09:002010-05-17T15:41:10.661+09:00Festivals and Involvement<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S_CcOHJWfYI/AAAAAAAACe0/ns8cLj4cMAQ/s1600/P5160204%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S_CcOHJWfYI/AAAAAAAACe0/ns8cLj4cMAQ/s400/P5160204%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472045313505525122" /></a><br />The festival in Japan has always been of intrest to me. People come out in droves to see and participate in these events. I thought it would be a good picture chance so I headed out to fight the crowds, they say over a million people attend this every year. This one started in 1872. And of course the people that are most involved in festivals like this one are men. And I am always amazed that men will come out in droves for these. In doing a little research I found an article by Sarah Elizabeth Freeborn where she said, "They (matsuri or festival) allow community members, both past and present, a time of celebration and fun, and an opportunity to share experiences with one another, maintaining and strengthening bonds of friendship." I have had a friend tell me sort of the same thing that these festivals are really more about the bonding of community more than any religous meaning.<br />I also ran across something from Michael K. Roemer, in talking about the Gion Festival in Kyoto he states, "participants in this month of rites and festivities gain a sense of belonging and emotional support based on their roles in this historically and culturally significant shrine-related festival. Specifically, highly involved male participants form intimate and exclusive relationships and develop enduring networks that offer feelings of unity and spiritual guidance. With a combination of well-accepted "Western" theories and methods, and an understanding of distinct cultural differences." I guess you could say that these festivals are the ultimate male bonding experience for Japanese men.<br /><br />Which leads me back to the Japanese church, what our the cultural events that will draw people in make them feel involved and give them a sense of beloning, foster deep relationships, and give them a feeling of unity and spiritual guidance? It is a very open ended question, but one that has plagued me for a long time.Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-83749143975034732542010-05-16T15:41:00.002+09:002010-05-17T10:19:57.808+09:00Nature in heart of TokyoHad a drum preformance at Meijijingu kaikan yesterday and on the way back spotted this nice little river flowing through the shrine grounds. Should have pulled out my real camera to get a better shot, but hey.<br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S--To46b5rI/AAAAAAAACes/COemz3S-rxM/s1600/Image2481-799382.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S--To46b5rI/AAAAAAAACes/COemz3S-rxM/s320/Image2481-799382.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471754402959976114" /></a></p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-29951123153526328212010-05-15T16:50:00.002+09:002010-05-15T17:16:02.404+09:00funniest way to ride trainSo I get on the train and am patiently waiting for the train to leave and this young guy gets on and tries to go through to the next car. He grabs the bar to open the sliding door between cars but doesn't realize that he is pulling on the hand rail. The old lady sitting in front of him motions to show him the handle is on the other side. He stops and angrily tries again at the same hand rail. He angrily gives up then walks over to the door right beside me and gets in this position on the floor in front of the door. The old ladies next to me and the guy standing on the other side of the car giggle and shake their heads, I say, "I think he is drunk." Another strange sighting on the train.<br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S-5SWseVpzI/AAAAAAAACek/hjtuXpCuD2s/s1600/Image2471-750023.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S-5SWseVpzI/AAAAAAAACek/hjtuXpCuD2s/s320/Image2471-750023.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471401147150739250" /></a></p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-32760126409404125782010-05-15T15:17:00.002+09:002010-05-15T17:21:30.425+09:00Sky TreeView of Sky Tree from Asakusa, the red bull car in the foreground is just an unexpected surprise.<br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S-48apkl2gI/AAAAAAAACec/HtlrJbYMKxg/s1600/Image2461-733625.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S-48apkl2gI/AAAAAAAACec/HtlrJbYMKxg/s320/Image2461-733625.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471377025835325954" /></a></p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-92011077484164567712010-05-15T14:26:00.002+09:002010-05-15T17:18:43.106+09:00you see all kindsWent into Asakusa today, and just happened upon a festival. Now this guy wasn't part of the festival but he was surely dressed for the occasion. Don't know if you can tell but he had little fish bowls hanging from his hat with gold fish and little crabs in them.<br /><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S-4woClWquI/AAAAAAAACeU/ZVlsrzeAjlg/s1600/Image2421-716232.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S-4woClWquI/AAAAAAAACeU/ZVlsrzeAjlg/s320/Image2421-716232.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471364061748177634" /></a></p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-67592718219315067822010-05-03T14:31:00.001+09:002010-05-03T14:31:39.349+09:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S95fu6bvKoI/AAAAAAAACeM/UXHKfFsc3MQ/s1600/Image2381-799349.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S95fu6bvKoI/AAAAAAAACeM/UXHKfFsc3MQ/s320/Image2381-799349.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466912257238575746" /></a></p>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-8521386038827447382010-05-02T15:37:00.002+09:002010-05-07T06:39:34.436+09:00Random sightings<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S90do4eOHfI/AAAAAAAACeE/SOXgm-x_Cro/s1600/Image2361-742889.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S90do4eOHfI/AAAAAAAACeE/SOXgm-x_Cro/s320/Image2361-742889.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466558110888762866" /></a></p><br />The front of this shirt said, "How's your boss?"Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-85385423393982071562010-04-21T18:54:00.003+09:002010-04-21T20:18:05.524+09:00Oh for a simpler way.So today I went to get my license renewed, which I thought would be an easy process. On the card they sent me they said I had two options; go to the test center, or go to the ward police station. I decided to go to the police station because it is much closer and I thought would be a much simpler process. I should have know things were not going to go well when I arrived to find that from the first of April they had moved locations. The map to the new station was behind a fence and not very legible. Luckily there was a man nearby that I asked and got directions. One problem down. Got to the new place and went in and asked what I had to do. The lady said that I could apply today but I would have to take an hour lecture also, ok I knew I would have to do that. The only problem was that she said the next lectured would be June 11th. I was like, "What?", and asked wasn't there a different day that I could go on. Well she couldn't answer that question and had to ask another lady. That later eventually came over to another counter, not directly to me and proceeded to say that if I applied today the license wouldn't be done till May 26th. I asked if there was a lecture in May, but she said that since the license wouldn't be processed and back to them I couldn't take the lecture. She also told me they only offer it once a month. So I asked about June. Her answer to that was, well that date is not decided, it will probably be on July 15th but she couldn't say for sure, so I didn't even have the option to ask for that day. No the problem with both the days and the times is that for either one I would have to take off work to do it. Then she said I can go directly to the testing center and get it all done in one day. So now I have to go to the test center and get it done. Well at least she said they are open on Sunday. Still that doesn't make me to thrilled because since they are only open during business hours during the week and closed on Sat. I'm sure the lines will be horrendous. <div><br /></div><div>All this to say, why can't they make the process easier? In this land where everyone is tied up with their work, why not open the test center on Saturdays or in the evenings. Same for the lecture at the police station. Given the amount of people that have to go through this process you think they would offer the lectures more than once a month and not just during the weekdays during the middle of the day. Wish someone would think these things through.</div><div>So any way this is what I have to look forward to, but actually this picture looks fairly uncrowded.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S87UpiId0NI/AAAAAAAACd8/lYc6LW06GBo/s1600/dd903428.JPG.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S87UpiId0NI/AAAAAAAACd8/lYc6LW06GBo/s200/dd903428.JPG.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462537208049029330" /></a><br /><br /></div>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12887988.post-40939020659252534162010-04-20T09:45:00.002+09:002010-04-20T10:07:47.108+09:00Divorce Ceremony?<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S8z-SpyaA4I/AAAAAAAACd0/lDSTnmxwANU/s1600/00ee0c9b%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 184px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462020044501943170" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dWdm0-Yp0oY/S8z-SpyaA4I/AAAAAAAACd0/lDSTnmxwANU/s200/00ee0c9b%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br /><div>As I was watching the news this morning I was surprised to hear that divorce ceremonies are becoming popular in Japan. So when I got to school and tried to find something on it in the the Japanese newspaper I didn't really find anything but I ran across an article from 2008 on CNN.<br /><br /><blockquote>If just discussing divorce in public seemed taboo a few years ago, the growing trend of divorce celebrations is helping lessen the stigma surrounding the end of marriage.<br /><br />"Yes, it's sad and it's painful, but it's not failure," says Christine Gallagher, the owner of Los Angeles event company The Divorce Party Planner and the author of a book by the same name. "It's part of life, and yet it's the only major event for which we have no ritual.<br /><br /></blockquote>Full article <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/03/18/divorce.celebrations/index.html">here.</a><br />Yes it may be the only major event for which we have no ritual, but do we need one? One of the commentators on the news today said basically, if they can get along well enough to throw a party, is there need for a divorce. I think the major difference with the celebrations here was that they may involve both parties. They mentioned a part of the ceremony where they take imitation wedding rings and the couple destroys them with a hammer. I think it might be something that is actually helpful but the most disturbing fact from the article was this, "A celebration communicates that divorce is OK -- life-affirming, even.". I so don't agree with that statement. </div>Mike Wagnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17443097353518859241noreply@blogger.com0