not in my japanese backyard

the scene in ginowan city, okinawa, on november 8, 2009.

from japan press-weekly:

Over 21,000 people in Okinawa protested on Sunday to demand the removal of the US bases from the prefecture, criticizing the plan to only relocate the Futenma US air base from its current location of Ginowan City to the Henoko district of Nago City, also in Okinawa.

during the protest, "dozens of armed u.s. troops on board rafts landed on the coast off the usmc camp schwab in the henoko district of nago city and deployed into the woods during an attack exercise. ashitomi hiroshi, head of the nago council against the construction of the u.s. on-sea heliport, said angrily, “is this their response to the determination of participants in the 11/8 rally? how arrogantly provocative they are!”

the convention center housing the disney on classic venue is the blue-green roofed building in the background, just right of center.

big in japan

ian simpson, part of this years disney on classic cast traveling japan for two months, time warps back to the 80's with a faux music video.

big band japan

most japanese hotel rooms have a small, wooden console next to the bed (or in between the beds) with push button controls for the room lights, for lights underneath the console that serve as a night light, for a clock and alarm, for air conditioning levels, and then, in a slim row all to themselves, four or five buttons that each provide different types of music, playing from what sounds like my father's first hi-fi.

generally, one button is strictly news, reported in japanese. one is japanese pop music, maybe from the 80's. one is classical or easy listening. and in the hotel meitetsu in hamamamatsu, there's a button that plays only big band jazz music from the 30's and 40's. no commercials, no interruption.

as we were getting ready for bed tonight, listening to benny goodman, or artie shaw, or woody herman, rob said "this music makes me so happy. if you can find me this music, i'd be so happy."

and suddenly, this new york times article couldn't have been timed any better.

quote of the day

"They recently made a porn movie about Sarah Palin, and the same adult actress – Lisa Anne – played me in a porn parody of '30 Rock.' And weirdly, of the three of us, Lisa Anne knows the most about foreign policy."

– tina fey

thinking...thinking...

how many democrats touted as possible presidential / political candidates have their own shows on cnn or msnbc?

the democrats' best friend

sarah palin is good for democrats. really good.

from beginning to end

i've said it before on this blog: i just don't take the time anymore to listen to an album all the way through. what's even more rare is taking the time to listen to a new album all the way through...two times in a row.