Author: Justin

Mayoral Election Signboard

Every year around this time in Japan the streets are filled with the sounds of Old Men Who Want Your Vote (And Mount Large Loudspeakers on Election Vehicles). Unfortunately they cannot have mine, because I cannot vote. Satan won’t let me (er… also because I’m not Japanese, but Satan is pretty goddamn compelling as well). I feel a bit left out, you see.
So I took some pictures instead.
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The election signboard with names and faces of each candidate.
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With a slogan like GENKI UP SUMOTO, how can you lose? (for some reason, this slogan makes me envision Fitty rousing up his sleeping crew with a hearty, “GENKI UP, MOTHERFUCKAS!”)
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This guy’s channeling Mr. T or something. “I’m gonna MESS YOU UP, sucka!”
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The token “former Aum follower/current Scientologist”.
They’re gonna run me out of this city for sure.

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In between RGB-to-CMYK travails for our wedding thank you cards, I watched the last episode of season 2 Battlestar Galactica and the first episode of season 6 Sopranos head-to-head last night. All I can say is, AWESOME!
Battlestar has turned out to be one of the best series of the past couple years, and of course the Sopranos never disappoints – and as it turns out, I’m not even sad that it’s ending. It is time.
Everybody’s making predictions about Tony dying and Paulie taking over the gang and selling the whole biz to the Russians, but that’s just superficial shit. I think the big point here is what happens to Dr. Melfi and Carmela. That’s the shit that will make you cry.
I’ve noticed something interesting the past few years: Television has gotten better than the movies. I’d much rather sit down to a new episode of, say, the Shield or 24 than I would any of the new movies – the chances of watching a good movie are just so slim these days… I mean, I saw Brokeback Mountain on DVD the other night and it had some beautiful shots of sheep and all, but like, I’m not from New Zealand, man! That shit doesn’t count as foreplay in my book. It sure didn’t set up the grunty sausage-fumbling in the middle of the night tent scene for me, so there was a certain sense of disconnect about the whole thing… Maybe television is just making me a simpler bastard.
Sure, I like a well-crafted story and interesting dialog as much as the next guy, but at the end of the day, I want my fix of good ole JB.
Suspect won’t talk? Shoot him, Jack.
Terrorist won’t surrender? Shoot him, Jack.
Old friend betrays the country? SHOOT THAT MOTHERFUCKER, Jack!
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Like I keep saying, Kiefer should legally change his name to Jack Bauer. Also, it pretty much goes without saying that he should quit acting as soon the series ends.

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(click on image to enlarge)
This is, quite simply, the coolest urinal I have ever seen (and I have seen my fair share of urinals, son). This was located at the floating market located a couple hours from Bangkok, Damnoen Saduak, which was incidentally well worth the trip. A lot of people said it was a tourist trap so I was kind of wary at first, but all I can say is: Racing longtail boats down narrow canals! Monitor lizards basking in the sun! Awesome urinals!

Screwy Weather

Two days ago it was like spring had been kickstarted, sunny and warm (so sunny and warm that it created a huge fogbank on the coast, where it met with the cool air – it was like a huge cloud had set on the city).
Yesterday it was cold, winter cold.
Today it is sunny. Well, it was sunny fifteen minutes ago. Now I’m looking at a full-blown snowstorm outside the office windows.
Mother Nature sure can be a fickle bitch.
UPDATE: Now it’s sunny AND snowing. Which is actually kinda cool.