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Toyota Prius
After lengthy observation, I have come to a conclusion: In Japan, the Toyota Prius is a car marketed for a single demographic, namely, painfully slow drivers. I have never seen…
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Meat Conspiracy
Do you realize how hard it is to keep up with a no-carb diet right now in Japan? There are problems with all four of my food groups! Beef: Australian…
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Finding the One True Way
A recent post about pachinko over at the USS Clueless rubbed me the wrong way. The line that bothered me was: There’s no skill involved and no real way for…
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Bargaining Is a Lost Art
As I have explained in the past, I am a terrible gadget junkie. But I’m frugal, in some ways. The main reason I can hardly ever bear to pay top…
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Hanshin Tigers Tidbit
One of the more interesting stories concerning the Hanshin Tigers victory this year (so far they have won the Central League chamionships and will play for the Japan Series title…
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Blogging on Break
I drove to a Lawson’s (convenience store) today to buy bottled water on my lunch break. It seems I am doing this with increased frequency lately. There is something inherently…
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Ain’t no future in yo frontin’
Strolling around the “America Mura” area of downtown Osaka, I realized how hard it is to find worthy photo subjects when everything around you is screaming for attention in some…
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Jayzus, my comp just scared the hell out of me…
I’m blogging from a slightly worn but surprisingly comfortable lounge chair I happened upon in the foyer of a wedding hall, located in a once-was-ritzyish hotel in Ibaraki, a lackluster…
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Headlight & Horn Etiquette
I must limit the scope of this rant because the full breadth of the topic would require too much thinking. In Japan, drivers use their horns and headlights in ways…
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Ketchup vs. BBQ Sauce
First on my hit list: Ketchup vs. BBQ Sauce (I’ve always thought that “catsup” sounds like what a starving family in Pyongyang does to celebrate Our Great Leader Day. Official…
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Tatoo Blues
I want to relay a story about a bad day I had two Saturdays ago. Actually, I’ll skip over the really bad parts and jump right into the fray (and…