けつよぅびぼくのアパトでそうじをしました。
にじじゅうごふんからろくじさんじゅぅぷんまではたらきました。
西北でいちじゅぎょうをおしえました。
仁川でさんじゅぎょうをおしえました。
キンダとジュニャとシニャをおしえました。
キンダのじゅぎょうさんにんせいといます。
ジュニャのじゅぎょうろくにんせいといます。
シニャのじゅぎょうひとりせいといます。
かようびこうべのミュジアムにいきました。
ミイラのてんじをみました。
さんたいミイラはありました。
いちばンミイラはコンスのそうりょでした。
コンスはイジプトのかみでした。
たくさんきんほぅせきをみました。
ミイラのビヂオをみました。
ミイラのビヂオホ３−Dでした。
ねこのミイラをみました。
ワニおミイラをみました。
てんじのせつめいをよめました、でもてんじのせつめいをわかりませんでした。
すいよびみのおにいきました。
ぼくとカルのクリスがみのおにいきました。
豊中からみのおへ阪急でんしゃでいきました。
みのおでヒキングをしました。
たきをみました。
さるをみました。
さるはみせのたべものをとりました。
みせのひとはおこりました。
みせのひとはさるにぼうをなけあした。
さるはにげました。
Summary for the Japanese impaired:
On Monday I cleaned my room and went to work.
On Tuesday I went to the Mummy exhibit in Kobe.
On Wednesday I went to Mino and saw a monkey get into mischief.
End Post
Writing time: 34 minutes
Time since last post: 5 days
Current media: none
Addendum: New keyboard layouts are tough to learn. Stupid Dvorak.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
An Interesting Idea
In the New York Times on Sunday there was an interesting op-ed piece about marriage and the privileges that go with it. The suggestion it makes would solve much of the current debate about gay marriage. All in all, I think it is a good idea.
The idea is pretty simple. Take all the special privileges a married couple gets (priority in inheritance, shared income for tax purposes, immunity to testifying against, shared liability, etc), and make these available to everyone such that each person could nominate who they would share that privilege with. So to give an example, John Smith could share his income with his girlfriend, have immunity from testifying against and share liability with his business partner, and want his best friend to get his stuff if he dies.
As a practical matter, certain of privileges would have to be used in a mutual manner. Income sharing for tax purposes for example (if A shares with B, B has to share with A. A sharing with B who shares with C wouldn't work). Others would work one way (inheritance priority).
Also, practically, most people who would get married (or enter a marriage like relation) would assign such privileges to their partner. However, getting these privileges would no longer be dependent on being married, and would be more flexible.
The reason that I like this proposal is that it takes the whole idea to a more fundamental level. It takes a lot of things that need not be bundled together and allows them to be used independently. It also removes a major discrimination point in the legal system of many countries. A married couple receives privileges that other pairs of people do not. This idea is fairer and more flexible, which all round is a good thing.
End Post
Writing time: 29
Time since last post: 1 day
Current media: iTunes Shuffle - currently Cowboy by Eve and Fatboy slim
The idea is pretty simple. Take all the special privileges a married couple gets (priority in inheritance, shared income for tax purposes, immunity to testifying against, shared liability, etc), and make these available to everyone such that each person could nominate who they would share that privilege with. So to give an example, John Smith could share his income with his girlfriend, have immunity from testifying against and share liability with his business partner, and want his best friend to get his stuff if he dies.
As a practical matter, certain of privileges would have to be used in a mutual manner. Income sharing for tax purposes for example (if A shares with B, B has to share with A. A sharing with B who shares with C wouldn't work). Others would work one way (inheritance priority).
Also, practically, most people who would get married (or enter a marriage like relation) would assign such privileges to their partner. However, getting these privileges would no longer be dependent on being married, and would be more flexible.
The reason that I like this proposal is that it takes the whole idea to a more fundamental level. It takes a lot of things that need not be bundled together and allows them to be used independently. It also removes a major discrimination point in the legal system of many countries. A married couple receives privileges that other pairs of people do not. This idea is fairer and more flexible, which all round is a good thing.
End Post
Writing time: 29
Time since last post: 1 day
Current media: iTunes Shuffle - currently Cowboy by Eve and Fatboy slim
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Dubious Morality
A few days ago I righted a wrong that has been standing for a while. Just before I left Australia, I ordered a t-shirt from a website, and when it arrived at my uncles place, there were actually two t-shirts. Since it was a website I liked, I didn't want to rip them off, but at the same time, I had a huge credit card debt and was settling into Japan and living off less than my full wage, and then I was saving up for a computer, and so on. So anyway, since a few days ago was payday, and I'm now hassle free finance wise (other than working out how to send some money back to Oz to finish off paying the credit card off) I contacted the website to let them know of the mistake and rectify it. So, in short order the debt was paid, and life goes on.
I think I'm writing because I expected to feel a bit better about finally resolving the situation. Perhaps I've watched a little to much of My Name is Earl, but the main feeling I've gotten from this is the sense I should have done it sooner. It's not like US$24 is that huge an amount. The most correct thing to do would be to have notified them as soon as possible and pay the money then. However, I put things like buying a computer and eating food fancier than instant noodles ahead of that. I guess the thing I'm concerned about is where does this put me on the morality scales. Is my soul lighter than a feather, or is it tarnished by this and other misplaced priorities?
Maybe people will comment and I'll be able to get a bit of holier than thou righteousness on, or maybe I'll be shown as the scumbag I am.
End Post
Writing time: 15 minutes
Time since last post: 8 days
Current media: None
I think I'm writing because I expected to feel a bit better about finally resolving the situation. Perhaps I've watched a little to much of My Name is Earl, but the main feeling I've gotten from this is the sense I should have done it sooner. It's not like US$24 is that huge an amount. The most correct thing to do would be to have notified them as soon as possible and pay the money then. However, I put things like buying a computer and eating food fancier than instant noodles ahead of that. I guess the thing I'm concerned about is where does this put me on the morality scales. Is my soul lighter than a feather, or is it tarnished by this and other misplaced priorities?
Maybe people will comment and I'll be able to get a bit of holier than thou righteousness on, or maybe I'll be shown as the scumbag I am.
End Post
Writing time: 15 minutes
Time since last post: 8 days
Current media: None
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Failure
Regular readers may recall that at the end of March I put forward a plan for April. You can read it here if you forgot, but the general idea was that I would eat dinner at 30 different restaurants during April, with exceptions for social events being allowed. This was not achieved.
The list of places I went to runs as following for the first half of the month went as follows (I made notes)
So far so good. Then came a bad headache, which caused me to revise the rules. Instead of all new places to dine, I downgraded to no repeats during April. This then allowed
My main plan for May is to keep jogging. I bought some running shoes in late April (jogging in steel caps is just plain stupid). I've been running around the nearby baseball diamond, usually just 3 or 4 laps. It's the only piece of non paved ground that is of a decent size that is publicly accessible and not in front of a shrine. It's also across the road from a convenience store, so I usually grab breakfast from the convenience store. This is a plus as normally on the days I go jogging is are those where I start late or don't work and so have a relatively late or non-existent breakfast.
End Post
Writing time: 21 minutes
Time since last post: 2 days
Current media: The Colbert Report
The list of places I went to runs as following for the first half of the month went as follows (I made notes)
- Crepes & Desert Cafe Aphrodite (now a fixture on my lunch menu)
- Captain Kangaroos (regular Monday night haunt)
- Hankyu Soba across the road from the station
- The Ramen place down the road
So far so good. Then came a bad headache, which caused me to revise the rules. Instead of all new places to dine, I downgraded to no repeats during April. This then allowed
- MacDonalds
- KFC
- The 280 yen Bar (everything is 280 yen, plus tax)
- Karage bought at a stand during a Hanami party
- Captain Kangaroos
- Convenient Food (instant noodles)
- Yoshinoya
- CocoIchiban (a curry restaurant)
- Saizeria
- Mos Burger
My main plan for May is to keep jogging. I bought some running shoes in late April (jogging in steel caps is just plain stupid). I've been running around the nearby baseball diamond, usually just 3 or 4 laps. It's the only piece of non paved ground that is of a decent size that is publicly accessible and not in front of a shrine. It's also across the road from a convenience store, so I usually grab breakfast from the convenience store. This is a plus as normally on the days I go jogging is are those where I start late or don't work and so have a relatively late or non-existent breakfast.
End Post
Writing time: 21 minutes
Time since last post: 2 days
Current media: The Colbert Report
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Despairing of Humanity
Sometimes I'll read something in the news that makes me just wonder how fucked up humanity can be. This is one of those things.
End Post
Writing time: 1 minute
Time since last post: about half a day
Current media: none
End Post
Writing time: 1 minute
Time since last post: about half a day
Current media: none
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Extreme Dodginess
In December 2005 the first report that the NSA may be performing warrantless surveillance of persons within the US. Since then numerous news articles have been written, justifications made, lawsuits filed, explanations avoided and other activities.
One of the more recent parts of this whole mess was when it was alleged that several phone companies just gave vast quantities of customer data to the government without requesting any sort of due process from the government (like getting a warrant for the data). One of the big companies, Verizon, is facing a joint suit from customers.
In the last week two worrying developments have occured with regard to this case. The first is a rather interesting defense strategy Verizon are trying to use. Free Speech. Verizon is arguing that they have a right to Free Speech, and this includes telling the government truthful information about its customers. This is malarkey for several reasons. First, it has long been established by the American courts that Freedom of Speech is not absolute, or at least is not freedom from the consequences of your Free Speech. One of the exceptions to Free Speech is commercial speech, speech by a company. Also, I am sure that America, like Australia, has privacy laws that specify when and how a company may disclose customer information to other parties, and that such laws require the government to get a warrant to obtain such information. Such a law is clearly a restriction on commercial speech, and one I'm sure most people are glad to see exist. There is also the whole debate on corporate personhood, and if a company can really claim to have a First Amendment right to Free Speech.
The next worrying event is a bill being proposed by the Bush administration. Buried at section 408 (why are laws always so long and complicated?) is the following:
The problem with laws like this is that they don't need to exist. The only reason to create this section is if you're scared of something. This is very much like the bill that gave senior government officers immunity from prosecution for charges relating to torture. If they weren't torturing anyone, as they claimed, why did they need immunity from prosecution? And if the phone companies aren't doing anything wrong, why do they need a blanket immunity from liability? Retroactive laws should be anathema to any nation claiming to follow the rule of law. If the rules for today can be changed tomorrow, how am I to know what to do? To quote Penn and Teller out of context (although I'm sure they'd agree) it's Bullshit!
End Post
Writing time: 1 hour 12 minutes (includes research and some other activities)
Time since last post: 3 days
Current media: iTunes collection ordered by track number, currently playing the Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim
One of the more recent parts of this whole mess was when it was alleged that several phone companies just gave vast quantities of customer data to the government without requesting any sort of due process from the government (like getting a warrant for the data). One of the big companies, Verizon, is facing a joint suit from customers.
In the last week two worrying developments have occured with regard to this case. The first is a rather interesting defense strategy Verizon are trying to use. Free Speech. Verizon is arguing that they have a right to Free Speech, and this includes telling the government truthful information about its customers. This is malarkey for several reasons. First, it has long been established by the American courts that Freedom of Speech is not absolute, or at least is not freedom from the consequences of your Free Speech. One of the exceptions to Free Speech is commercial speech, speech by a company. Also, I am sure that America, like Australia, has privacy laws that specify when and how a company may disclose customer information to other parties, and that such laws require the government to get a warrant to obtain such information. Such a law is clearly a restriction on commercial speech, and one I'm sure most people are glad to see exist. There is also the whole debate on corporate personhood, and if a company can really claim to have a First Amendment right to Free Speech.
The next worrying event is a bill being proposed by the Bush administration. Buried at section 408 (why are laws always so long and complicated?) is the following:
Notwithstanding any other law, and in addition to the immunities, privileges, and defenses provided by any other source of law, no action shall lie or be maintained in any court, and no penalty, sanction, or other form of remedy or relief shall be imposed by any court or any other body, against any person for the alleged provision to an element of the intelligence community of any information (including records or other information pertaining to a customer), facilities, or any other form of assistance, during the period of time beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on the date that is the effective date of this Act, in connection with any alleged classified communications intelligence activity that the Attorney General or a designee of the Attorney General certifies, in a manner consistent with the protection of State secrets, is, was, would be, or would have been intended to protect the United States from a terrorist attack.What does this mean. Well it means that any company providing the government with assistance in pursuing the "War on Terror" would be immune to liability for its actions, regardless of the legality or illegality of what they did. And, this applies since September the 11th, 2001. This would be really handy for Verizon. the conversation in court would go a little like this
Verizon: Your honor, this action was taken to assist the government in pursuit of the "War on Terror", and so we bear no liability for our actions.No actual discussion of the case, no deciding if the acts were illegal, a violation of privacy, etc, just case dismissed, no questions asked.
Judge: Case dismissed.
The problem with laws like this is that they don't need to exist. The only reason to create this section is if you're scared of something. This is very much like the bill that gave senior government officers immunity from prosecution for charges relating to torture. If they weren't torturing anyone, as they claimed, why did they need immunity from prosecution? And if the phone companies aren't doing anything wrong, why do they need a blanket immunity from liability? Retroactive laws should be anathema to any nation claiming to follow the rule of law. If the rules for today can be changed tomorrow, how am I to know what to do? To quote Penn and Teller out of context (although I'm sure they'd agree) it's Bullshit!
End Post
Writing time: 1 hour 12 minutes (includes research and some other activities)
Time since last post: 3 days
Current media: iTunes collection ordered by track number, currently playing the Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Joining In
For no particular reason I feel like stating the following:
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
End Post
Writing time: 5 minutes
Time since last post: 1 hour 19 minutes
Current media: Little Miss Sunshine
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
End Post
Writing time: 5 minutes
Time since last post: 1 hour 19 minutes
Current media: Little Miss Sunshine
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Evaluated Again
Today I had my six month mid contract observation. It was a mid level lesson which I was grateful for (too high and it's hard to stick to the standard lesson plan, too low and it's hard to give instructions). The lesson went OK, but the follow up was a bit dodge.
The main thing I didn't like was the way the AT started by saying there was lots of good things about the lesson, but they way he said it made it clear that there was a but coming. It wasn't that I don't think there are things I can work on, it was more just the way he presented it. I got the impression of false sincerity, like the positive comments were just there because that was part of the whole observation review plan (NOVA has plans for pretty much everything).
Anyway, I'll try and incorporate the advice I was given so I do a better job teaching, but am a bit disheartened at the attitude shown by the AT.
End Post
Writing time: 18 minutes
Time since last post: 1 day
Current media: Little Miss Sunshine
The main thing I didn't like was the way the AT started by saying there was lots of good things about the lesson, but they way he said it made it clear that there was a but coming. It wasn't that I don't think there are things I can work on, it was more just the way he presented it. I got the impression of false sincerity, like the positive comments were just there because that was part of the whole observation review plan (NOVA has plans for pretty much everything).
Anyway, I'll try and incorporate the advice I was given so I do a better job teaching, but am a bit disheartened at the attitude shown by the AT.
End Post
Writing time: 18 minutes
Time since last post: 1 day
Current media: Little Miss Sunshine
Friday, May 04, 2007
Long Day
Yesterday was unintentionally a rather long day. A few weeks ago I had agreed to swap my shift today from 10-6 to 1-9 with one of the guys at work since his parents were coming to Japan last night. Now yesterday, I got up nice and early and headed into work at the normal time. As I was getting off the train, I ran into the guy I did the swap with which is when I remembered the swap.
Since my commute is about 50 minutes, there didn't seem much point in going home, since I'd only have about an hour before having to head back in to work. So I hung out around Nishikita. I started out at McDonalds for a leisurely breakfast and a read of the newspaper. After an hour or so, I headed over to Starbucks where I spent the rest of the morning. There I did some Japanese study, played some tetris and read some of War and Peace.
On that, the first 35 pages of War and Peace is really boring. I'm going to give it more time, but I really hope it improves.
End Post
Writing time: 10 minutes
Time since last post: 12 days
Current media: The Colbert Report
Since my commute is about 50 minutes, there didn't seem much point in going home, since I'd only have about an hour before having to head back in to work. So I hung out around Nishikita. I started out at McDonalds for a leisurely breakfast and a read of the newspaper. After an hour or so, I headed over to Starbucks where I spent the rest of the morning. There I did some Japanese study, played some tetris and read some of War and Peace.
On that, the first 35 pages of War and Peace is really boring. I'm going to give it more time, but I really hope it improves.
End Post
Writing time: 10 minutes
Time since last post: 12 days
Current media: The Colbert Report
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