POLITICOMIX

Liar Liar

2012-01-30T12:46:00.000+09:00

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The Moonpranos

2012-01-27T21:14:00.001+09:00

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One of the planks of Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's campaign platform is the establishment of an inhabited American colony on the moon, within eight years of his election. Gingrich is apparently the only person on earth who doesn't think that's an absolutely crazy idea, but 384,000 kilometers above us, a few guys are taking the possibility very, very seriously.

Scorpions for Breakfast

2012-01-27T16:36:00.000+09:00

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Governor Jan Brewer met President Barack Obama when his plane landed in Mesa, Arizona Wednesday, saying she had wanted to hand deliver an invitation to sit down with her to discuss state issues. Brewer was photographed wagging her finger at the president, and later said Obama "was a little disturbed about my book" [Scorpions for Breakfast] and called him "very thin-skinned".

Obama later said, "I think it's always good publicity for a Republican if they're in an argument with me."

It certainly did prove good for book sales.

NEWS FLASH: Mitt Makes Millions

2012-01-23T14:12:00.000+09:00

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The American Way

2012-01-18T10:42:00.002+09:00

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New World Order

2012-01-17T21:22:00.003+09:00

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Nine

2012-01-16T21:00:00.000+09:00

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Based on a true story. [Thanks, Mom!]

Dear God

2012-01-15T13:24:00.000+09:00

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U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials second-place finisher Ryan Hall is the United States's fastest marathon runner, and a religious man. So religious that God is his coach.

According to the New York Times, "Sometimes, God wakes him in the middle of the night and gives him training guidance 'that blows me away'".

The Times report continues: “I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I know how to talk to God, and I know he wants to give me insight and be involved in the process and he loves it when we’re dependent on him.”

The New Yorker's Peter Hessler wrote a good profile of Hall before the 2008 Olympic Games that included this interesting admission by Hall: “I just have a hard time seeing Christ being competitive.”

That's probably something Hall should clear up in his post-race debriefing with God.

God Bless

2012-01-14T21:20:00.000+09:00

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The Skinniest Pirate

2012-01-09T09:36:00.001+09:00

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For those whose knowledge of American gastronomy is woefully incomplete, Twinkies have been "tingling [American] tastes buds for more than 80 years".

And for those whose doctors have warned them that their blood is running a bit too freely through veins and arteries entirely devoid of plaque, Twinkies can be (and are) deep-fried.

Tijuana

2012-01-06T18:46:00.003+09:00

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Rick Santorum was never going to have an easy time of it in New Hampshire, where the thinking is "live free or die", not "let homophobic evangelical Christians tell you whom you can and can't marry or have sex with".

And sure enough, college students at a town hall meeting in Concord Thursday booed Santorum off the stage after he tried to justify his determination to ban gay marriage nationwide.

Asked by a woman in the audience about the idea that all men are created with equal rights to happiness and liberty, Santorum replied, "Are we saying that everyone should have the right to marry?"

Way to read your audience, Rickster. That's exactly what they're saying.

Bye-Bye, Bachmann

2012-01-05T20:04:00.000+09:00

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Not particularly sophisticated, nor even humorous, but ... irresistible.

Love the Bomb

2012-01-02T17:12:00.000+09:00

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Iran has manufactured its first nuclear fuel rod, according to an announcement Sunday by the country's Atomic Energy Organization.

The news makes it worth revisiting the great Peter Sellers on the subject of nuclear armageddon.

Best Laid Schemes ...

2011-12-31T17:42:00.000+09:00

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Wouldn't it be great if he was just kidding? And rose from the dead?

It would be the greatest "gotcha" in world history.

Are Voters Warming Up to Santorum?

2011-12-30T08:06:00.000+09:00

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In the final days before the Iowa caucuses, Rick Santorum has surged into contention as a Republican presidential candidate, moving past last week's sweetheart Newt Gingrich in the latest CNN-Time poll.

Campaigning in Iowa, Santorum stayed on message for conservatives, saying it's the "birthright" of every child to have "a mom and dad". That's opposed to two dads or two moms, for those of you who haven't been following the homophobic rhetoric Santorum has peddled for years.

And if you haven't been following along, just for fun, Google "Santorum" and click on the top result.

AXIS

2011-12-25T12:33:00.000+09:00

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Introducing ... the AIR JORDAN chill factory

2011-12-24T16:00:00.002+09:00

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The big pre-Christmas retail excitement was the launch of a new – retro – pair of Nike Air Jordans, the Air Jordan XI. Shoppers were so excited, in fact, they were literally tearing the doors off their hinges and trampling little kids in order to ... be like Mike.

The Great Illuminator

2011-12-24T09:10:00.000+09:00

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The Man Who Ended the War

2011-12-18T18:01:00.000+09:00

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'Tis the season ...

2011-12-13T14:42:00.003+09:00

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Friday Night Freddie

2011-12-09T18:00:00.001+09:00

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and then there were two ...

2011-12-08T15:50:00.001+09:00

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It's a Family Affair

2011-12-02T18:48:00.001+09:00

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Got thinking today, what's it going to take to make Herman Cain quit? He's like one of those inflatable dolls (no, not THAT kind of inflatable doll!) that you punch and it bounces back up again and again.

Today's gem was: "I've got to think about my family first. That is absolutely my No. 1 priority."

That prompted a trip to Google, where it was revealed that he and Gloria have been married since ... 1968. Think they've got a prenup? Not a chance! Think she's gonna get a decent settlement? Hahahaha!!! It may start with 9-9-9, but it will have a lot of zeroes after that.

Bringing us to ... Sly and The Family Stone.

The One Percent

2011-11-29T21:34:00.001+09:00

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At this point, with a majority of American women going on local and national news programs to say they too have had sex with Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, it may be time for the Cain campaign to rethink its strategy.

For starters, the candidate needs a new pair of sunglasses. And a long black leather coat. And a theme song.

Can you dig it?

The Subtlety Business

2011-11-23T08:46:00.001+09:00

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Texas Representative Ted Poe (R) has proposed legislation that would require that 10 percent of military equipment being returned from Iraq be sent to communities along the U.S.-Mexico border for use in border security operations.

The Tucson Sentinel has more detail:

The proposal has drawn criticism from Mayor John Cook of El Paso, who has vigorously disputed assertions that his city, which sits across the border from Ciudad Juárez, is affected by the same violence that has plagued northern Mexico.

“I would invite them to come to El Paso and we can look at the inventory of equipment that’s coming back from Iraq and they can tell me where they’d want to locate this,” Cook said. “To me, it’s just showing a whole lot of ignorance.”

The mayor said moving war zone equipment to the border would send the wrong signal to Mexico and potentially damage the robust symbiotic economic relationship between the two countries.

Bilateral Diplomacy

2011-11-22T22:10:00.001+09:00

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Master Class: Crowd Control

2011-11-21T14:38:00.001+09:00

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A Tale of Two Stiffies

2011-11-16T13:16:00.001+09:00

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The Human Condition

2011-11-11T14:43:00.001+09:00

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In case you're not following along, in Wednesday's presidential debate, Republican candidate Rick Perry forgot the third of three government agencies he had previously said it was absolutely vital to downsize. "Commerce, Education, and what's the third one ... let's see ..." he said. [The third one was Energy.]

Perry later shrugged off the slip, suggesting it might even humanize him in the eyes of voters. The cyborg Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney is undoubtedly jealous.

How Big Is Your 'Large'?

2011-11-08T08:40:00.000+09:00

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Cain's Brain

2011-11-02T14:01:00.000+09:00

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Herman Cain, whom we can presume will not become known as The Foreign Policy President, if he is victorious on November 6, 2012, responded to an interviewer's question about a potential military threat from China by noting that China "is trying to develop nuclear capability."

He did not, however, mention any role that scientists from Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan might be playing in China's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons technology. Perhaps that's classified.

Cain Stain?

2011-11-01T20:47:00.002+09:00

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Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain responded, finally, to accusations that he sexually harassed several women while he headed the National Restaurant Association (the other NRA) in the late 1990s. Cain's response, however, was less than emphatic. He said to reporters, "As I have been beat upon all day on this, I'm trying to think back to, well what could it have been?" He added, "I am unaware of any settlement. I hope it wasn't for much, because I didn't do anything."

Cyber (in)Security

2011-10-31T14:05:00.002+09:00

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TEDx

2011-10-30T16:47:00.002+09:00

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Although I don't doubt there is inspiration to be found there, I'm not a huge fan of the TEDx phenomenon, which I think cheapens the (superb) TED brand.

And so this comic pokes a bit of fun at the latest iteration of TEDx – TEDxTohoku – which purports to develop consciousness of Japan's March 11, 2011 tsunami and earthquake (and nuclear reactor meltdowns), and to help define the role of "the 3.11 generation".

Machiavelli Redux

2011-10-22T20:54:00.000+09:00

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Declaring victory, and ...

2011-10-22T08:47:00.000+09:00

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President Obama has announced that U.S. troops will leave Iraq by the end of the year.

"After nearly 9 years, America's war in Iraq will be over," he said. The war in Iraq has meant the death of more than 4,400 U.S. troops and come at a cost of more than $700 billion.

Occupy Tucson!

2011-10-17T07:15:00.001+09:00

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As a regular cartoonist for the Tucson Sentinel, I keep an eye on events in that city, and Saturday a local version of the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement was held in downtown Armory Park. Around 500 demonstrators participated, and 53 citations were issued for "Remaining in City Park After Hours" [violation of violation of Tucson City Code 21-3(7)(3)].

Inspiration for this cartoon came courtesy of Representative Michelle Bachmann, whose desperate pledge to "finish the border fence" (a pledge that presumably comes with an "if elected" caveat – I don't imagine she feels strongly enough about the issue that we'll see her out in the desert operating a bulldozer once she's knocked out of the presidential race) reminded me that there are millions who would have been very happy to boost the demonstrator numbers at 'Occupy Tucson'.

Escalator Not in Service

2011-10-16T13:55:00.000+09:00

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In Japan, students can "get on the escalator" to good jobs by winning admission to middle schools or high schools associated with prestigious universities, from which they are relatively certain to be recruited into the ranks of the country's top companies and government ministries.

And a nuclear physics degree, of course, is probably less of a sure thing than it was before March 11, 2011.

Keep on Truckin'!

2011-10-13T08:35:00.000+09:00

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2011-10-12T20:24:00.003+09:00

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The Evolution of Republican Campaign Thought

2011-10-12T09:42:00.000+09:00

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The Eye of the Beholder

2011-10-10T08:50:00.000+09:00

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TV evangelist Robert Jeffress doubled down Sunday on his characterization of Mormonism – the religion practiced by Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman – as a cult. In the past, Jeffress has said that Islam is a false religion and that [non sequitur alert] Oprah Winfrey is doing the work of Satan.

Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-08T07:09:00.000+09:00

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Operación Tormenta del Desierto

2011-10-02T19:22:00.000+09:00

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One can only hope Republican Texas governor Rick Perry drove one of the final nails into the coffin containing his presidential aspirations by suggesting that a U.S. troop presence is desirable in Mexico.

Certainly it's easy to imagine most Mexicans hoping so, as Perry also managed to say, "I think it is very important for us to work with them to keep that country from failing."

Governor Perry clearly hasn't yet been briefed on the national economic situation.

Vladimir & Dmitry: From Russia with Love

2011-10-01T06:27:00.001+09:00

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Vladimir Putin’s plans to run for the presidency in 2012 will return the current Russian prime minister to the post he held from 2000-2008, before handing the reins to handpicked successor Dmitry Medvedev. It is likely Medvedev will return to the prime minister position he held during the second half of Putin's presidential term. The job swap, which most observers think will be approved by Russian voters, likely will see the less-than-dynamic duo of Putin and Medvedev rule Russia from 2000-2024.

The Paradox of Rick Perry (for Republican Voters)

2011-09-30T07:22:00.000+09:00

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On the one hand, Texas Governor Rick Perry has presided over more executions than any governor in U.S. history. Good.

On the other hand, Governor Perry has repeatedly reaffirmed his support for a program that grants an in-state tuition discount to the children of illegal immigrants and for opposing the building of a fence along the U.S border with Mexico. Bad.

Who are you really, Rick Perry? Republican America wants to know.

Russian politics explained

2011-09-26T10:20:00.003+09:00

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Saturday’s announcement of Vladimir Putin’s plans to run for the presidency in 2012 was widely expected and will return the current Russian prime minister to the post he held from 2000-2008, before handing the reins to handpicked successor Dmitry Medvedev. It is likely Medvedev will return to the prime minister position he held during the second half of Putin's presidential term. The job swap, which most observers think will be approved by Russian voters, likely will see the less-than-dynamic duo of Putin and Medvedev rule Russia from 2000-2024.

Russian politics: one from column A and one from column B

2011-09-26T08:26:00.002+09:00

Ve haff vays of making you Amerikan!

2011-09-25T08:47:00.002+09:00

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For nearly a decade, immigrant-friendly Arizona sent officials to classrooms across the state to monitor teachers' ability to speak "proper" English. A federal investigation of possible civil rights violations prompted the state to change its policy, which many felt was a form of discrimination.

Death Row Is Not a Dinner Party

2011-09-23T12:24:00.000+09:00

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Explaining that you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, Mao Zedong said, "A revolution is not a dinner party."

But following the refusal Wednesday by death row prisoner Lawrence Russell Brewer to eat the elaborate "last meal" he had requested, Texas corrections officials have decided to end the practice of granting prisoners last meal requests.

Meaning Texas will no longer be breaking any eggs at the request of inmates scheduled for execution.

That's showin' 'em, Texas.

Typhoon!

2011-09-21T17:08:00.002+09:00

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Who You Gonna Call?

2011-09-19T06:48:00.000+09:00

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Last Friday, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base was "locked down" after reports a gunman was on the loose. Six hours later, "No gunman or weapon was found," said Col. John Cherrey, 355th Fighter Wing commander, in a two-minute live statement to the press that evening.

Following the ridiculous and outrageous detention and strip search a week ago of Shoshana Hebshi and two other dark-skinned travelers who were flying to Detroit, it's easy to imagine Osama bin Laden laughing heartily from his watery grave off the coast of Pakistan.

Let's get a grip, people.

Sunflowers

2011-09-17T10:52:00.001+09:00

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The Firestarter

2011-09-16T17:21:00.001+09:00

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Cool Japan

2011-09-13T18:05:00.000+09:00

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The Japanese government has just unveiled a "Cool Japan" logo. Meaning unknown.

I've done my own version above.

September 11 ... and every other day

2011-09-11T11:06:00.000+09:00

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As a native New Yorker, with family and friends who live in the city, I have steered clear of 9/11 on this blog. I had 9/11 fatigue by around the 10th time I saw the television replays of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center from the safety of my hotel room in Shanghai that day. I couldn't watch any of the 9/11 movies or TV specials, and at this point I think there's not much more to be said.

Except that yesterday I thought about the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and the 2004 attack on a school in Beslan, Russia. And the train bombings in Madrid in 2004. And the nightclub bombing in Bali in 2002. And the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008. And the thousands of attacks that have killed tens of thousands of Iraqis over the past ten years.

Who mourns these deaths, except the friends and families of the victims? Who mourns the many, many thousands who have been wounded and maimed?

9/11 is not just a day for Americans. Nearly 400 people from other countries lost their lives on that day as well, including 66 Britons, 47 Dominicans, 41 Indians, 28 Koreans, 24 Japanese, 24 Canadians and many others, including from Switzerland, Ghana, Jamaica, China, Peru, New Zealand, Mexico, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Portugal, Brazil, France and El Salvador.

And since that day, civilians have been killed by terrorists on every day of the year, year after year.

Thought for the day ...

[A short note: The above image is made from a photograph taken by Michael Yon. I didn't have a chance to ask Michael for permission to use the mage before posting, but an email is in his inbox and I hope he'll give me his blessing. Michael's story of the photograph is here, and I'm very sorry to say that the little girl – Farah – in Major Mark Bieger's arms did not make it. One of the many thousands of victims of global terrorism.]

Perry for President

2011-09-10T19:36:00.000+09:00

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In the Republican presidential candidate debate the other night, Rick Perry was asked about the 234 death row inmates whose executions he'd approved during his tenure as Texas governor ... "more than any other governor in modern times".

Perry was unable to respond immediately due to the huge round of applause the crowd gave to the news that a frontrunner for President of the United States has been such a success at delivering what he termed "the ultimate justice".

Jon Stewart said it best and simplest in the above linked clip: "Holy fuckballs."

Morning Commute

2011-09-10T11:32:00.001+09:00

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An Intelligence-based Approach

2011-09-08T08:21:00.000+09:00

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Supreme Advisers

2011-09-06T09:43:00.000+09:00

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Monday Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda named former prime ministers Yukio Hatoyama, Naoto Kan and Tsutomu Hata 'supreme advisers' to the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. Not an auspicious start to his prime ministership, really.

The Case for Title Case

2011-09-04T08:16:00.000+09:00

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The federal government is demanding that New York City change its 250,900 iconic street signs from the all-caps style used for more than a century to ones that capitalize only the first letters. At $110 per sign, it will cost the state $27.6 million, according to city officials.

Thanks, R!

Women in the Japanese Cabinet: Yoshihiko Noda Edition

2011-09-03T08:38:00.000+09:00

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The Road to the World Cup

2011-09-03T07:45:00.000+09:00

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China and the Dalai Lama

2011-09-01T17:00:00.000+09:00

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“We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”
– the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso

Japan's New Prime Minister Gets To Work

2011-08-31T06:04:00.002+09:00

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On Tuesday, Japan's parliament elected Yoshihiko Noda prime minister, the country's sixth leader in five years.

Noda, the country's finance minister under outgoing prime minister Naoto Kan, likened himself to a loach, an eel-like, bottom feeding fish, rather than the more prime ministerial goldfish, noting that good looks would not be part of his strategy for pulling the country out of recession and setting tsunami- and radiation-affected regions of the country on a path to recovery.

Libyan Top Gun

2011-08-27T01:22:00.000+09:00

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Libyan Patent 965382

2011-08-25T22:50:00.002+09:00

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The Number One Problem

2011-08-20T15:58:00.002+09:00

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Indian activist Anna Hazare has begun a public hunger strike to protest an anti-corruption bill - currently before Parliament - that he and others say is too weak to solve the country's problems.

Addressing the crowds as he began his two-week hunger strike, Hazare, 74, called his campaign India's "second fight for independence." He said, "We got independence in 1947 and the white (the British rulers) left our country. But there's no end to corruption, crime and looting. This is now our second fight for independence. Whether or not I live, this fight will go on."

The Road to the Kokugikan

2011-08-19T16:16:00.001+09:00

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Who's Rick Perry?

2011-08-18T06:55:00.002+09:00

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Buffett & Blankfein

2011-08-16T14:14:00.003+09:00

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Everyone's favorite billionaire, Warren Buffett is in the news today, urging Congress to "stop coddling the super-rich". Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein was unavailable to Politicomix for comment.

The History of Social Media as a Tool to Incite Violence

2011-08-14T11:53:00.002+09:00

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British Prime Minister David Cameron Thursday said his government is exploring ways in which it might restrict the use of social media, to prevent them from being "used for ill."

China, understandably, was unimpressed. A Xinhua editorial offered, "We may wonder why western leaders, on the one hand, tend to indiscriminately accuse other nations of monitoring, but on the other take for granted their steps to monitor and control the Internet."

David Cameron's Britain

2011-08-13T16:25:00.003+09:00

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David Cameron on multiculturalism here.

Bullet Train Fatalities in East Asia

2011-08-12T11:12:00.002+09:00

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I've recently gotten interested in information graphics, but I'm not very experienced in making them. I thought I'd start with an easy one.

Faster than a Chinese Bullet Train

2011-08-12T08:19:00.002+09:00

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Following the recent bullet train crash in Zhejiang province that killed 40 people, the Chinese government has announced it will slow the trains nationwide while it conducts comprehensive safety checks throughout the high-speed rail network.

London Is Burning

2011-08-09T15:10:00.002+09:00

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Keep the Faith, Baby

2011-08-06T17:05:00.001+09:00

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Grandpa Wen ain't stoopid!

2011-07-28T22:47:00.002+09:00

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The inevitable Chinese bullet train crash comic.

I ♥ Hayden Panettiere

2011-07-28T15:59:00.003+09:00

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Japanese police this week faced mock protesters in a security drill in Taiji, a fishing village in Wakayama prefecture that has gained international notoriety for dolphin hunts portrayed in the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove. American actress Hayden Panettiere was a protester in Taiji in 2007 during the filming of The Cove and is wanted for questioning by Japanese police.

Save the cheerleader. Save the world. And the dolphins.

Johnny Danger

2011-07-22T13:49:00.001+09:00

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CaddySmack

2011-07-21T07:11:00.003+09:00

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Golfer Tiger Woods fired longtime caddy Steve Williams yesterday, ending a 12-year relationship with the man who carried his golf bag during 13 major championship wins.

Shintaro Ishihara ... The Sportsman

2011-07-17T20:38:00.002+09:00

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Yes, Ishihara really said that in 2001.

Japanese Girl Band Science: Copernican Principle

2011-07-17T14:29:00.004+09:00

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More from those science experts at AKB48. Continuation of a series.

Japanese Girl Band Science: Kepler Conjecture

2011-07-17T12:13:00.004+09:00

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I bet some of these AKB48 girls are really, really smart.

Sikh Chic

2011-07-15T20:10:00.002+09:00

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Sikhism requires men to wear turbans and not cut their hair and beards. Unfortunately, turbans don't fit under helmets, so Sikh soldiers (and Sikh motorbike riders) don't wear them. I don't have any statistics on whether or not God protects Sikhs more or less as a result.

Signaler Simranjit Singh and Lance Corporal Sarvjit Singh guard Queen Elizabeth II and protect the Crown Jewels.

Ahmed Wali Karzai, 1961-2011

2011-07-15T08:47:00.002+09:00

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You know you're unpopular when they not only assassinate you, but also bomb your memorial service.

The Last Shuttle

2011-07-09T10:49:00.002+09:00

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Unfortunately, you don't get to fly space shuttles if you're the kind of guy who buzzes the tower without permission.

[Note to the humorless: yes, I know the space shuttle can't buzz the tower because it's a winged paperweight that gets only one shot at a landing. Must you always be so literal?]

Jiang Zemin and the end of an era

2011-07-07T13:56:00.003+09:00

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Donut Run

2011-07-06T07:38:00.002+09:00

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A personal one for Matthew and Neil. Thanks for the photo, Neil, and thanks for the inspiration, Matt!

The Blood and Guts Reconstruction Minister

2011-07-05T15:49:00.004+09:00

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Background: Japan's Minister for Reconstruction Ryu Matsumoto resigned after just a week in the job, following criticism for making insensitive remarks to the governor of a prefecture badly affected by March's deadly earthquake and tsunami.

Happy Birthday, CCP!

2011-07-02T20:15:00.002+09:00

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Happy birthday to the Communist Party of China. Happy birthday to you.

Transformative Technologies

2011-07-02T13:57:00.002+09:00

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Thanks for the photos go to Dr. Mogens Petersen, whom I met on a flight to Kisangani and who became a friend.

The story is mostly made up. There is a Hotel Kisangani, but as far as I know, Samuel and Roger have never had the opportunity to read Wired, nor, probably, have they ever heard of cloud computing and nanoassembly. I'd bet good money, however, they think every day about gettin' outta there.

Japan Tourism Campaign, Post-Fukushima, Daisan

2011-06-25T18:31:00.001+09:00

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The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is doing its best to try to get tourists to come to Japan in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in the northern Tohoku region, and subsequent nuclear reactor meltdowns in Fukushima, several hundred kilometers northeast of Tokyo.

The JNTO was never very good at convincing tourists to come to Japan in the first place (Japan's tourist numbers were slightly ahead of Singapore's last year), but they've launched a "Hope to see you again in Japan" campaign that will supposedly see outbound Japanese armed with postcards they can hand to likely looking foreigners.

And of course MTV has enlisted Lady Gaga to drink from a "Pray for Japan" teacup.

All of which got me thinking that a more aggressive approach may be needed. How dangerous is a holiday in Japan (one of the world's safest countries) really? Let's put our cards on the table, Japan!

Japan Tourism Campaign, Post-Fukushima, Daini

2011-06-25T18:07:00.001+09:00

Japan Tourism Campaign, Post-Fukushima, Daiichi

2011-06-25T17:20:00.003+09:00

Yet another fenestration cartoon

2011-06-23T15:19:00.004+09:00

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Snapped this house in my neighborhood last night.

Japanese are not in general keen on large windows ... yes, you can see out, but others can also see in, and of course there's the problem of double-glazing, which is a rarity, and resultant heat loss/gain. [If you install small windows, you can lose/gain heat through the uninsulated walls instead!]

In fairness, this is the side of the house, and presumably the owner expects another house to be built alongside – and very possibly owns and plans to develop the adjacent land – but still.

POSTSCRIPT: After posting this, I was reminded by my friend Martin of the "window tax" that was collected in England, Wales, Scotland and France at various points during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Beers for Books

2011-06-23T10:41:00.003+09:00

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Made this comic a couple of years ago for fun after meeting Gary Bremermann, who does incredible work organizing Beers for Books events here in Japan.

If you don't know Beers for Books, the basic idea is that cool bars/restaurants agree to donate $1/¥100 for every drink sold on a specific night, with donations going to fund a high quality local language book for kids via Room to Read.

Since February 2009 B4B has funded more than 110,000 books for kids through beer drinking, and at the moment, Beers for Books events are organized in seven countries. Norm would be proud.

John McCain, firefighter

2011-06-21T09:19:00.003+09:00

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Senator John McCain and other Arizona Republicans are blaming illegal immigrants and drug smugglers for the state's forest fires.

Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires ... by building a multi-billion-dollar border fence, and by arming yourself to the teeth and shooting at anyone with brown skin!

The Fruits of Diplomacy

2011-06-17T19:05:00.002+09:00

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Fukushima Journal: The money's good, but ...

2011-06-15T09:31:00.002+09:00

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