tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80227207410179110012024-03-05T19:19:05.719+09:00Accounte of Things Seene & Donne in Faire Miyakojima, JapanAvoiding being eaten by sharksZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-4508017735823888682011-01-20T14:59:00.003+09:002011-01-20T15:05:44.421+09:00英語で笑う! 教室爆笑スキット / Laughing in English! Explosive Laughter Skits for the Classroom / Anti-jokes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; "><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">I originally wrote this on Facebook but am posting it here for your enjoyment.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">I'm at school trying to avoid writing essays and have found this book of English language skits for Japanese elementary and junior high school students. I have a suspicion that these were written by non-native English speakers. Or the Excite.co.jp Japanese translator.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">I hope you like anti-jokes.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'I Like What I Like!' </span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Do you like steak, Toshio?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Toshio: No, I don't. I don't like steak.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Why?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Toshio: Because it isn't good for our health.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: I see. Then how about fruit?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Toshio: I love all of the fruit. Especially I like melons, apples and oranges. Fruit is good for our health.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: How about vegetables?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Toshio: I don't like vegetables.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: But vegetables are also very good for our health. Why don't you like vegetables? Do you have a special reason?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Toshio: No. I have no speacial [sic] reasons. I just like what I like.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Mmmmm...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'In the Classroom'</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Nicchoku: Stand up!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Good morning, class.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Class: Good morning.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Nicchoku: Sit down!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Now I'm going to take attendance. Andou?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Andou: Yes, sir.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Inoue?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Inoue: I'm present.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Okada?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Okada: Here, sir.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Katou?...Katou? Is he absent?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Okada: Yes, he is absent.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: OK...next. Suzuki?...Suzuki? Is she absent, too?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Inoue: No, she isn't...she is sleeping.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Oh, no!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'I Cleaned!'</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Where is Hiroshi?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Shizuko: I don't know. He often escapes.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">- Hiroshi enters -</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Where were you?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: In the toilet.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Why? Today's cleaning is your turn.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: I know.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: You know? So why didn't you clean?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: I did, sir/madam. I cleaned.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: But you were in the toilet.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: Yes. I was in the toilet. But I cleaned.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: You cleaned? What did you clean?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: I often say bad words. So I washed my mouth.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Mmmmm...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">I am continuing my foray into the mind of Japan translated to English translated to child translated to Japanese translated to English.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><br /></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'I Have a Pet!'</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Do you have any pets, Takeshi?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: Yes, I do.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: What do you have?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: I have a dog. It is white. It is very big. And it is very smart.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: How about you, Yoko?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Yoko: I have a cat. It is black. It is small. It is very cute.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: How about you, Yusuke?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Yusuke: My pet is black. And it is very small.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Is your pet a cat, too?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Yusuke: No. My pet is not smart or cute. But I don't have to give food to my pet every day.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: What is your pet?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Yusuke: It's a cockroach!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: You are kidding, aren't you?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Yusuke: No kidding!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'In the Homeroom Meeting'</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: By the way, Hiroshi, can I ask you some questions?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: Sure.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Do you eat breakfast every day?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: Yes, I do.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: That's good. Does your mother cook breakfast?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: No, she doesn't.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Do you cook?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: No, I don't.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: No? Then who cooks?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: My father.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Oh, I see. Your father is a good husband. How about dinner?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: My father cooks.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: How about cleaning the house?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: My father does.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Then, what does your mother do at home?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: Nothing.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Nothing?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiroshi: But she works outside to make money!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Oh, I see!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">-_-</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'I Got Dad's Punch!'</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: A happy new year, class!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Class: A happy new year, sir/madam.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Did you help your family during winter holidays? And did you get anything good as Christmas presents or New Year's presents?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Koiko: I helped my mother on New Year's eve. So I got nice gloves.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Sounds great! How about you, Hideki?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hideki: I cleaned my room every day. So I got a new family computer game.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: That's good. How about you, Tetsuko?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Tetsuko: I studied hard. So I got a new mechanical pencil from my grandmother.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: You are lucky. And Takuro?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takuro: I didn't help my family. I did not clean my room. I did not study, either. I played every day. At last I got Dad's punch!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Teacher: Oh, poor boy!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Oh, poor boy! ;_;</span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">You really have to love how the punchline is usually in the title.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'I Can't Read!'</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Akiko: What's wrong, Takeshi?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: <reading> Nothing.</reading></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Akiko: Who wrote the letter?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: My girlfriend wrote.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Akiko: You look angry. Why are you angry?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: No, I'm not angry. </span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Akiko: The letter has a bad news [sic]?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: No.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Akiko: Please be honest. We are friends. I can help you. I can do anything for you.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: Really? Can you help me?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Akiko: Sure!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: You are very kind! In fact, I...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Akiko: Did you quarrel with your girlfriend?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: No, no. I just can't read several kanji of this letter!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Akiko: Oh, no!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi's antics don't stop there.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'In the Math Class'</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: Ken! Ken! Will you give me some paper?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Ken: Sure. Here you are.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: May I borrow a pencil?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Ken: OK. Here it is.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: Can I borrow your eraser?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Ken: Yeah. Here.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: Hmmm...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Ken: What's the matter?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: This is very difficult.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Ken: No. It's easy.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Takeshi: Really? You must have good brains. Can I borrow your brain?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Ken: Oh, no! You can't!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">BRRRRRRAAINS</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">The next one is about cultural differences.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'I Did So-so'</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Mary: How did you do on the math test?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Junko: I did so-so. How about you?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Mary: I did very well. Look at this. <shows> Can I see yours?</shows></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Junko: Well...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Mary: Hey. Come on. <sees> Wow! Yours is better than mine. You're a liar!</sees></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Junko: No, I'm not. That's the way we are.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Mary: Oh, no!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">OK, I was paging through the book and found this one that is...well, I'll put it here.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">'That's Cereal!'</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Mom: Good morning, Hiromi. What do you want to eat for breakfast?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiromi: Anything.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Mom: No. Don't say 'anything.' You should have an opinion. How about bread and milk? This morning we have good roll [sic].</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiromi: Let's see...Silica gel is better.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Mom: What? Silica gel? Are you serious?</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiromi: This is my choice. Don't complain.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Mom: Stupid! If you eat it, you'll die.</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Hiromi: No kidding! Bring it soon. Over there! Over there!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Mom: Oh! That's cereal!</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "> </p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">...</span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Peace.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "></p></div><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "></p></span>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-5495096967244749782010-10-05T11:06:00.003+09:002010-10-05T11:22:05.626+09:00Yet Another Nice Article from The Stone from NYTI thought that <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/hegel-on-wall-street/">this</a> was pretty interesting. Late in my undergraduate philosophy career I found my hard reductionist tendency beginning to soften, and I think that my appreciation of the perspective found in this article is a result of that moderation maturing over the two years since I finished school. I'm digging explanations from all angles, if you will. The article here talks about how clearly understanding both sides of the <i>is-ought distinction </i>is crucial for acting 'for the best' at the practical level. <div><br /></div><div>Please bear with me if I sound particularly unsophisticated right now-- I'm trying to get back into thinking and writing after a rather long hiatus. Cultivating other talents, you know.*</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>*<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Halo: Reach</span></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-1294565395807496642010-07-06T14:00:00.003+09:002010-07-06T14:05:55.032+09:00Getting back on that horseHoly crap, it is hot here. It is like 34C or something. Even the locals are displeased. I'm on door duty here in the shokuinshitsu-- when some asshat leaves the door open I get up and shut it to prevent the conditioned air from being lost.<br /><br />I just took the LSAT in Tokyo last week. Felt good. I'm going to wait on choosing which schools to apply to until after I get my score back. I don't want to have unrealistic expectations. <br /><br />With JLPT2 and the LSAT behind me, I've returned to daily Japanese language study. I hope to maintain my enthusiasm (情熱) for another year on this island in the (hot) sun.ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-8770795302560335712010-04-09T09:10:00.010+09:002010-04-09T10:12:05.738+09:00Hot Item: Panasonic Lumix FT-2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zone-numerique.com/uploads/Appareils/Panasonic/FT2/panasonic_FT2_450.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 450px; height: 333px;" src="http://www.zone-numerique.com/uploads/Appareils/Panasonic/FT2/panasonic_FT2_450.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>I recently purchased this camera on a whim while in Kagoshima, but despite my lack of careful deliberation, doing so turned out to be a smart move. The complete radness of this camera is not limited to the orange finish: as one of the latest 'tough' cameras to come to the market, it is shock resistant to 2m drops, waterproof to 10m, and captures 14MP images. Oh, and it shoots some quality HD video.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiH0RX8Z2OlqKJVw026pHqgnWouqW6ckFkivttd5lt7MUBWMSYwpPc-H_MIATmU4ZlYnWItZSmIR5JVjmCACDnTbWyvSHxDGSkqKyV28vBbjfc45dIbmi7KkdCWEG8QKWHulvBC10AqllV/s320/P1000059.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457927175701635426" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>This is my crew in a sea cave in Miyako. The approach to this cave requires wading through water, so taking my DSLR was out of the question (and I can't afford a waterproof housing). </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLub2jzXhPgNsaKoDs7B_t6F3Cf1ncGX0JkUpyKVUhitwZrYTEdC6kUXIn4MLCVOPHk_f10mbASAsonYmxQ-zJGqvrZHUTAmroEiiluYkS-qwKEgi0ClGW7E-ewAJokc-6AFOW5d63TeY/s1600/P1000065.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLub2jzXhPgNsaKoDs7B_t6F3Cf1ncGX0JkUpyKVUhitwZrYTEdC6kUXIn4MLCVOPHk_f10mbASAsonYmxQ-zJGqvrZHUTAmroEiiluYkS-qwKEgi0ClGW7E-ewAJokc-6AFOW5d63TeY/s320/P1000065.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457928752352033954" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The images are rather outstanding when shot at close range underwater. Shooting at longer ranges naturally subjects your image to more external circumstances like water turbidity and lighting, so image quality <i>seems </i>to drop off rapidly with distance. My longer range underwater shots from this day are pretty unremarkable, so I'm not posting them here. However, I think that the camera is capable of beautiful underwater photos with the right conditions. That is to say that the camera has <i>not</i> been the limiting factor in my photos so far. I look forward to taking it to the limit next time we have a nice dive.</div><div><br /></div><div>The excellent HD video capability is the unexpected best feature of this camera. Overlooking the poor quality of YouTube, check out this video:</div><div><br /><object width="320" height="240"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o1gEK7SJJl0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o1gEK7SJJl0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="240"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't wear a weight belt that day, so I kept floating and colliding with the tunnel overhead. Still, pretty cool. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, having underwater photography (and sweet video) has unlocked a new zone of shareable adventure here in Miyako. Look forward to more stuff.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-35908751189613952082010-03-02T10:08:00.002+09:002010-03-02T10:13:35.067+09:00Brief Thoughts After Mass Effect 2<div>Mass Effect 2 is a great film. The plot is weird, but it is overcome by the excellent writing and mostly-engaging characters. Insofar as it is a game, however, there's so much more that could have been done to make it more than a fairly fun, generic 'press A to take cover' shooter. I'm not here to argue that larger topic, though. Instead I'd like to focus on one particular aspect that I can't stop thinking about: I wish there were some sort of PvP multiplayer that took advantage of the richness of the combat powers.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a lot of unexplored potential in the class-power scheme of the game. While there is nothing aggressively wrong with the AI in ME2, it remains the case that in terms of unpredictability and challenge, nothing can replace a human opponent. The new classes in ME2 are a load of fun, so the absence of a way to pit your carefully configured team against that of another person is pretty painful.</div><div><br /></div><div>This issue comes to my mind whenever I spam the shit out of my enemies with my engineer's combat drone. Gunfights-- while exciting-- are a joke. There are never any 'whoa, almost didn't make it out of that one' moments because nearly every fight is a one-sided blowout where my team plows through the opposition. When it isn't that, it is just the enemy rushing my team and sacking Shepherd as if there is no way for me to affect the match. Circumstances rarely require the use of medi-gels.</div><div><br /></div><div>The AI ALWAYS turns to fight the combat drone, taking the heat off me and giving me the opportunity to shoot at their backs with impunity. In contrast, a human player might not do that, instead choosing to press into my fire and land a killing shot. </div><div><br /></div><div>I did have one fight in-game that could plausibly be called tactical. Fighting the Collectors on the moving platforms inside the dormant ship was tough the first four tries. I forget what they are called, but they've got these bubbled wretch-type things that hang back and hit you with one shockwave after another, destroying your shields and health in two successive glancing hits. The solution for victory turned out to be a simple flanking maneuver where I ran to an unoccupied platform and sniped the shit out of the bubble dude from his left. It was briefly rewarding, and I wonder whether Bioware could have created more situations like that. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then again, maybe they made it this way on purpose; having to sit through the restart/loading screens is aggravating when you're fired up about killing.</div><div><br /></div><div>As it is now, not all of the powers/abilities are suited for multiplayer. Available to the Vanguard class is the shockwave power, the noob tube of any hypothetical ME2 PvP encounter. It is staggeringly powerful. It goes through cover at long range and has an unexpectedly wide area of effect. When hit, it drops one's shields immediately-- a second hit means death. For Mass Effect to go multiplayer, something would have to be done to weaken shockwave.</div><div><br /></div><div>I must reiterate that Mass Effect 2 is in no way a bad game-- Bioware accomplished exactly what they set out to do with the middle part of the trilogy. Mass Effect has always been about providing an excellent and pure single-player experience. In addition to dividing the effort of the developers, having a multiplayer component in ME2 would have detracted from the canonical unity of the narrative. <did> Nevertheless, I just can't stop thinking of how excellent it would be to go up against other humans' squads pokemon-style. Matching team composition strategy and rapid tactical decision making would be a lot of fun and is the only way for the excitement of the combat system to reach its potential.</div><div><br /></div><div>Besides, what's the point of having your own customized Commander Sheperd if you're the only person who is going to look at it?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>*Disclaimer: playing on Veteran difficulty</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-75801756991620268232010-01-31T21:30:00.002+09:002010-01-31T21:41:34.211+09:00Waido Marathon<div>Two Sundays ago I completed my first footrace, the 21km component of Miyako's annual Waido Marathon. '<i>Waido</i>' is a Miyako-dialect word that basically means '<i>ganbare</i>,' or 'try hard/go for it', and that's what participants do for the most part.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some work harder than others, though. The main event is a 100km loop around the coasts of Miyako and Ikema that takes the fastest runners about 7.5 hours. The next step down is a 50km marathon-plus that, interestingly enough, attracts few participants. The shortest available distance (and my trial run) was the 21km dash from Higashi Hennazaki (Eastern Cape) to the German culture village in Ueno. It is reasonably popular with us locals. There's something for everyone.</div><div><br /></div><div>My training for the race was half-assed, and I credit this to a depressingly inert combination of ignorance and indolence. That is, the lead up to the race went just as I expected and not as I planned, if you catch my drift. The longest single run I achieved during training was a 10k, and that happened only once. I had a rough cough during the week of the race, but I decided to go for it-- not because I trained, but because I paid money and had received a shirt which would become embarrassingly inapplicable to me if I didn't complete the run.</div><div><br /></div><div>And so I ran.</div><div><br /></div><div>I learned a lot during the first 10km: how to run down hills without crying, that I should have started farther in the front of the starting pack, and that my Under<i>armour</i> shirt was too fucking hot to be wearing that day. I took it off and tied it around my waist, leaving the outer shirt jauntily bunched up around my neck like a wreath. Got to have that airflow.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kilometers 10 to 17 were pleasant, as far as these things go. I was zen-like as I breezed past the sugar cane on one side and the coast on the other.</div><div><br /></div><div>The running reverie came to a crashing halt at kilometer 18 when my legs stiffened like curing cement. As a small guy, normal physical activity has never caused my knees to hurt, but this run caused some serious tension at the area immediately below them. I stretched a bit at the drink stations, downing sports drink and water and avoiding the bananas and brown sugar on offer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I eventually made to the end (no sprinting finish) and inhaled a pile of bananas, anpan, and water from the recovery area. My students from Ueno milled around in sporty blue jackets, handing out medals and refreshments to the runners as they finished. </div><div><br /></div><div> Next up is the Irabu half marathon in February. I'm thinking about getting some Nike Free 5s (I have 7s right now) and developing a different stride. As it is, I run in a fairly conventional manner (landing on the heel after the stride), but lately I've been trying to avoid the heels and stay more bouncy like a barefoot runner. I'll give that style a go and put it to the test at the end of next month, sans Under<i>armour</i>. Out.</div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-85712124284730066992009-12-15T09:27:00.005+09:002009-12-15T11:28:04.118+09:00Cracking the whipCell phones aren't really a problem at most of my schools. The students aren't supposed to have them, and most abide. But, as you might expect, there is a direct relationship between the <span style="font-style: italic;">urbanity </span>of a school's location and the visible prevalence of cell phone possession among students. I'm at my 'city school' this week. This isn't meant to imply that I'm teaching the worldly, urban street youth of Japan; no, these kids are, by any objective measure, parochial at their foundation. But they do like their cell phones.<br /><br />The other ALT who works at this school (we sort of irregularly alternate weeks) has repeatedly found himself in situations where students openly (flauntingly?) operate their keitais during or between classes. Each teacher has her own approach (or lack of an approach) to discipline, and the students <span style="font-style: italic;">do </span>take advantage of gaps in the armor. My friend has sufficient command of Japanese to address their behavior, and he does, but the situation brings up some issues regarding the role of ALTs in classroom discipline. What is the role of the ALT?<br /><br />The responsibilities of an ALT are dictated by his individual situation. In junior high school, I work alongside other teachers. I view myself as support for the Japanese teacher of English, and that informs my level of involvement in classroom discipline. During my first year, I'd try to match the tone of the JTE. This meant that in less disciplined classes, I wouldn't try to single-handedly bring the class in line; I just accepted that that was the way the class was.<br /><br />Chalk one up for cultural sensitivity. Hah. I'm too old for that now. This contract cycle, the Age of Intolerance resumes.<br /><br />Recently I've been taking a more active, assertive role because I feel more knowledgeable and confident about Japanese and the behavior of my students. When I judge that the JTE doesn't have sufficient control of her class, I move about the room and attend to the problematic students while the JTE continues to teach.<br /><br />ALTs in elementary schools often have to shoulder more of the classroom discipline burden as they don't work with JTEs as junior and senior high school ALTs do. A teacher who participates in the ALT's lesson can help to a certain extent, but one doesn't always have those teachers (some totally check out when the ALT takes over the class-- cookies and coffee in the break room). ALTs at the elementary level have to use more Japanese and be more assertive with discipline in order to be effective. Not to make them sound balanced or equivalent, but I actually have a hard time comparing JHS discipline with elementary discipline-- with the former, students are more recalcitrant but the JTE can help; with the latter, it's your own show but the students go nuts for inflatable hammers. Wait-- so do my JHS students...shit.<br /><br />I think I've learned a few things while teaching in both situations. My Japanese isn't very imposing, and neither is my stature, so I rarely use the intimidation route to effect behavioral change. I find that just making the students uncomfortable with a conversation works best. I do this by merely directing my attention to that student (only that student). Most students don't want to be singled out against their will. The best thing about this approach is that it doesn't have to be negative at all; it's exactly <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>a confrontation. You can really just talk to the student about any dumb thing that comes to your mind; instead of saying, "Quit screwing around," I say, "Where's your notebook?" or things like that. Some kind of simple, simple English sentence works; a barrage of the Queen's doesn't. I don't speak Japanese at all in junior high school classes as a rule, and this approach to discipline allows me to be consistent. Anyway, at best, the student changes his behavior so he doesn't have to speak English with the ALT; at worst, he gets some English conversation practice in.<br /><br />Back to the cell phones. Discussing the problem, my friend and I agreed that the teachers should be stricter with the students to show that they are serious about following the rules, but we also acknowledged that the teachers may simply be picking their battles. Still, we wondered about the role of the ALT here. Can you overlook a blatant infraction? In new ALT training, it was pounded into our heads that ALTs are supposed to be super-genki, creative, and fun. Finding students operating their cell phones put my friend in a tough position vis-a-vis the whole 'fun, friendly ALT' thing: he wondered whether he should tell the JTE, making her aware of the situation but likely alienating the students (who would find out that the ALT told her), or take it upon himself to square away the student. He chose the latter, and I think it was the right thing to do because it was the potentially constructive route. It gave the offending student an opportunity to change his behavior. Now, I say 'potentially constructive' because the students were back at it again the next time my friend visited the school, but you know...<br /><br />Anyway, each ALT must communicate with her JTE in order to establish how to handle classroom discipline, and she must find out for herself what sort of approach will work best with her students. For example, my friend who teaches primary school in Cameroon says that students there are beaten daily.ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-32231328392912862922009-12-10T11:15:00.007+09:002009-12-14T09:59:24.627+09:00MW Local MultiplayerCrap, I remember what I wanted to write about in the first place. Again, the proper MW2 review is on another machine and will be up soon. Right now I'm just going to say a bit about <span style="font-style: italic;">how </span>we've (yes, 'we'; I haven't been playing by myself or online very often) been playing Modern Warfare 2. I haven't had this much fun playing a game since we were doing system-link Halo 3 grifball during the last ALT contract cycle. And to think that it is just 2v2 stuff this time...outstanding.<br /><br />MW2 has somehow just worked for us. The last time we tried to play a Call of Duty game (MW1, World at War), people got discouraged because there was a big skill variance between me (who owns both games) and my friends who...gamely gave the games a go. I had sympathy for that feeling, and it wasn't particularly fun for me to play the game without knowledgeable opponents, either. On top of that, there were usually more than four of us wanting to play and we had ready access to system-linked Halo. Shit just wasn't aligned for CoD.<br /><br />Things are different this time. Since the last contract cycle ended, our gaming crew has dwindled. We lost one dude (and thus his brother's participation as well) to the Okinawan mainland and two returned to the US (one of those two being arguably the best Halo player). Another fellow, while still here in Miyako, appeared to lose interest in playing over the summer. I felt similarly, in truth. While I hated the premise and game mechanics of Halo in the first place, its brilliant feature set won me over for a long time. But eventually, as all things do, it became stale. As for the new guys, only one <span style="font-style: italic;">appeared </span>to have much interest in continuing the Halo Monday tradition.<br /><br />Given this situation, I started to make provisions for more 1- and 4-player gaming, picking up titles like Carcassonne, Worms, and Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising. Due to the difficulties mentioned above, the CoD series games were never on the table.<br /><br />In the middle of November I ordered a copy of the hotly-anticipated Modern Warfare 2. My hot anticipation merely involved intentions of plowing through the campaign, goofing around in online multiplayer (living on an island is like living in a black hole of latency), and getting some real mileage out of 2-player Spec Ops (a buddy and I had been playing Halo ODST to moderate enjoyment, so MW2 co-op was extremely appealing). I didn't expect to get into 4-player local at all.<br /><br />Sure enough, I beat the campaign on my copy's day of arrival, the Sunday after the mid-year JET conference in Okinawa. I played some multiplayer online as well and was pleased by the panoply of new weapons, equipment, and killstreak rewards. That week, Long Beach* and I got into some Spec Ops and had fun. New York* and Eugene* showed up later, and we decided to give 4-player split-screen a go, not thinking that it would be much different than the experience we had on CoD4 or WaW. It was.<br /><br />As far as I can tell, what makes MW2 local 4-player better than that of WaW and CoD4 Number is the local multiplayer experience tracking/weapon unlocks/custom loadouts feature of the former.<br /><br />Bluntly, I had a big leg-up on my crew when it came to skill because I had been playing the game several days before they did. While this was discouraging in CoD4 and WaW (hereafter together referred to as CoD), in MW2 that disappointment is offset by the fact that just about everyone unlocks <span style="font-style: italic;">somethin</span><span style="font-style: italic;">g </span>during each game, be it as significant as leveling up or as cosmetic as getting a new title for your name. Similarly, being able to customize so much-- even without access to all of the weapons from the start-- gives each player a sense of individuality that, however shallow it may be, helps keep him ever in search of the ideal configuration for his strategy or style. The experience/unlocks system maintains their interest in the game even in the face of repeated losses, because no matter what, <span style="font-style: italic;">some </span>progress is being made.<br /><br />My favorite thing about the local multiplayer experience tracking is how, with time, each player develops his own style and branches away from the others. With the exception of Long Beach (who has consistently used launchers and LMGs from the start), everyone focuses on developing a fast UMP loadout at the beginning. I've seen it happen five times, once being myself. I think this had more to do with the nature of the 4-player games we were doing rather than some imbalanced quality of the UMP. In our current 'mature' statuses, we are as follows:<br /><br />Eugene favors the assault rifle class and rarely resorts to a secondary weapon. He's a mover and shooter who hits more headshots than anyone else. Pretty handy with the knife as well. His long-time weapon was the M4 with a heartbeat sensor, but he's recently been using the FAL and continues to improve his long-range game.<br /><br />As mentioned above, Long Beach is invariably seen with a launcher. Our early games usually involved me being grief-ed to tears by his AT-4 rocket, but he's since taken up the standalone grenade launcher to better effect (to Marksman III-- no one else is ever going to get that); it's basically his primary weapon. He's often found prone in corners, working both for and against his advantage. Long Beach definitely gets the Most Sportsmanlike award because he took a lot of beating early on but persevered. He makes a great teammate for a lighter, faster-moving player.<br /><br />New York is skilled and fun to play with because, like me, he prefers CoD-style games over Halo and has an intuitive grasp of the game mechanics. Fortunately, aside from both being aggressive players, we have radically different playing styles. NY is the only player who consistently uses a shotgun (AA12) and an assault rifle grenade launcher attachment. Reflecting on his loadouts right now, I can see that they are really geared toward the gametypes we regularly play, like Sabotage and Headquarters; we don't do a lot of long-range fighting, and his kits and play style indicate that.<br /><br />New Zealand* is the most specialized player. Starting with the universal UMP-fast dude setup and developing it out, he now tears around the map with akimbo SMGs and all of the relevant speed- and hip shooting- related perks. I imagine that it's like playing Doom 1 or something. Meeting him indoors usually turns out badly for the person who isn't him due to the sheer volume of fire his setup provides. Recently he's started using the TAR21 to good effect and is getting better at using the sights. I'd say he is an aggressive player.<br /><br />Melbourne* is our newest player and the one who plays games the least. He's a capable medium-long range shooter (good timing + hard-hitting assault weaponry). Not having the same access to weapons that the others have, his loadout is less than exotic. Nevertheless, while usually getting massacred in FFA deathmatches as a new player, he's quite effective in team games. He's saved the day for me numerous times in games against more experienced pairs.<br /><br />As for me, I watch screens.<br /><br />Anyway, it's a pretty cool scheme. While higher level players have access to a larger absolute arsenal, it is only by the individual player's time and effort that he unlocks the attachments for the weapons. For example, Eugene and I both have the M4, but he (at a lower level than me) has access to attachments for it that I don't have (heartbeat sensor and stuff). The race continues for completion of a weapon's unlocks; I think New Zealand may win it with his near-c0ntinuous use of a UMP-based kit.<br /><br />There are other improvements found in MW2. There are small maps, and the larger ones scale well. 'Shipment' from CoD4 was too small and an obvious throwaway of a map, but 'Rust' from MW2 has the appropriate complexity for 4 players to have a constant firefight. Of all the MW2 maps, perhaps only 'Derail', 'Wasteland', and 'Estate' are problematically large. The new death streaks are also good, but it's not because they help the losing player that I like them. The reason I like having death streaks is that they provide a dumping ground for the more annoying and crappy perks from MW1 like Martyrdom and Last Stand (here called Final Stand). MW2 still has Last Stand as a standard perk, but it's nerfed. You can't draw the handgun as fast as you can in MW1. We went back to play WaW last night for shits and grins, and my use of Martyrdom had my friends howling with indignation. Some stuff just isn't missed.<br /><br />A gaming routine has emerged. Several times a week we meet up at my place to play several rounds, and playing with friends has pretty much become the only gaming I do these days. We're kind of 'on a day, off a day.' It works with everyone's schedule and we don't get too burned out (quite the contrary, in fact; I find myself not wanting to play at all the next day, but then being unable to wait for it the day after that).<br /><br />All of this greatness from MW2 local multiplayer just fills me with <span style="font-style: italic;">that </span>much more sorrow that it doesn't deliver split-screen system link. It would be a real contender for the be-all, end-all game of this console generation if it could run 8 players on two consoles. But I see that split-screen system-linkers like us are a tiny minority of the gaming market for whom development is not profitable. I understand it, but it sucks.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Names changed to hide the guilty.<br /></span>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-611851434800388632009-12-10T09:35:00.004+09:002009-12-10T11:13:09.565+09:00StuffHowdy,<br /><br />I've been here in Miyako for over a year now and the sheer amount of shit my students give each other still staggers me. Today one student approached the blackboard to throw a suction-cup ball at an English vocabulary word (it's part of a game) and the rest of the students in this 17-person class started screaming about how long this kid's legs are (he's comparatively tall). <br />Two things: (1) That this dude is tall is not new to the class. The composition of this group hasn't significantly changed in over 8 years of schooling. (2) The comments were actually neutral-sounding, but that's the way Japanese people tend to take the piss out of anyone who momentarily stands out. Again, it never fails to fascinate me.<br /><br />In other news:<br /><br />I typed up a review of Infinity Ward/Activision's November release, Modern Warfare 2, but it's on my other computer and I haven't posted it yet. In that review I don't go on about how awesome or crappy the game is-- instead I talk about a few of the changes IW made to the MW formula that make the new one more 'casual gamer'-oriented than the last. I'll finalize it and put it up this afternoon when I get back to the big machine.<br /><br />However, I usually bring a laptop with me to schools (this is where I'm writing from right now). It's a Gateway MTxxxx purchased straight off the shelves of Office Depot in 2007 and is currently running Ubuntu Linux. I've been pretty happy with it as far as word processing and web browsing go. Video isn't really a problem, either, but it won't push anything that involves OpenGL or lightly intensive 3D graphics. Originally the machine had Vista, and it would run Aero without a hitch, but I've since moved Vista to the homebuilt machine and replaced it here with Ubuntu. Again, I use this only for wapuro and browsing, so Ubuntu is ideal. It boots up quickly, drivers haven't been a problem, and-- contrary to the daunting image of Linux-- I haven't had to use the command line terminal once since installation. I also like how each release is aesthetically better than the last. I think it's a pretty good deal.ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-36331488736098094682009-11-30T14:32:00.004+09:002010-05-14T09:03:37.457+09:00About Maj. Nidal Malik HasanI wrote this on Facebook a minute ago, but it seemed worth posting here as well.<br /><br /><div class="UIComposer_InputArea_Base UIComposer_InputArea"><div class="UIComposer_InputShadow "><div style="width: 350px;" class="Mentions_Input" id="c4b1326f59b4e17801777b_input" contenteditable="true">I'm no legal scholar, but I do think it would be symbolically valuable for Hasan face treason or treason-related charges (again, strictly speaking, I'm unsure of what options are out there) in addition to the thirteen premeditated murder charges because the fact that he is an officer in our nation's military needs to be highlighted. Assuming he is guilty (...hah...), we've got this instance in which an individual who swore loyalty and allegiance to the United States willingly enabled a new interest to usurp the priority of that commitment.<br /><br />Calling this terrorism is either hysterical or merely for political advantage among certain audiences. It's trendy and sound-bitey without being clear about what the accused is. The more severe charge-- the real crime itself, I think-- is this demonstration of disloyalty through murder. The US military isn't perfect, but it has often been one of the more egalitarian institutions of American society. That's admirable and something to be proud of, and Hasan's alleged actions spit in the face of that achievement. Again, there are failures, but one's race and religion are generally of little concern to the military if one can do the job that is assigned. The grand ideal is that those who serve agree (in the deepest and most formal sense) to act according to duty and loyalty (yes, despite the scintillating leadership of self-interested career politicians). It works when everyone is on the same page regarding what's most important. It can't work if a soldier has another priority, if he is ultimately more concerned about (and acts according to) the interests of Islam, making money, black people, Canada, atheism, poodle enthusiasts, Christianity, Freemasonry, Jedi knights, or anything but the aims of the military. The murders are horrible. That the targets were fellow servicemen is a separate and distinct injury, and I think it should be noted in public, legal terms.<br /><br />This isn't to say that there shouldn't be dissent. Dissent is part of being American; it's part of being human. American society and the American military do allow it to varying degrees. But ultimately, you've got to know where you stand. What Hasan cares about is pretty evident, and it's not the army. He could have refused to be deployed and simply faced the legal ramifications, but he instead allegedly decided to shoot people. It was an attack on the personnel, morale, and overall fighting ability of our forces. The shooter isn't someone who wants the US to succeed, and yet he is a serviceman. It seems particularly grievous.<br /><br />Now, regardless of whether this is to be called terrorism, the military should combat the spread of radical Islam (and everything subversive to the military's mission) within its ranks for the sake of doing its job effectively. Much was made of the institutional efforts to prevent extreme right-wing groups from gaining traction among soldiers a while ago, if I remember correctly, so I guess this is something that military does do. Understanding Hasan's motives does matter-- not for his sake or to sympathize, but to prevent this sort of thing from happening again.<br /><br />Anyway, in short, I see a traitor here rather than a terrorist (whatever 'terrorist' eventually comes to mean). Are we terrorized, or are we appropriately pissed off about someone violently crapping on the concept of duty?<br /><br />*If this 'traitor' angle has been beaten to death in the US media already, I apologize-- I'm somewhat out of the loop.<br /><a href="http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/11/09/terrorism"><br />Interesting article.</a><br /></div></div></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-9811905873737077712009-10-25T15:35:00.003+09:002009-10-25T15:39:54.673+09:00Miyakojima Track and Field CompetitionLast week I had the opportunity to participate in a general track event here in Miyako. This place isn't called 'sports island' for nothing.<div><br /></div><div>I ran in a 4x100m relay, which suited me just fine. Another ALT competed in the 400m and 4x400m relay, while one more of us competed in the long jump and triple jump. </div><div><br /></div><div>We didn't set any records, but we had a pretty good showing (note to self: get track spikes). I'm looking forward to next year's event-- we're going to get some training done in the meantime.</div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-64469825957847125962009-10-10T18:04:00.029+09:002009-11-08T12:32:19.929+09:00A DIY Era, Part 1: Building a PC<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">EDIT: Hey, I'm not sure why the pictures don't open in a separate window when you click on them-- screw it. Also, the formatting, font, and font size seem to vary throughout the document. What I see when I type in the Blogger editor and the actual output are different.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Like the vast majority of modern young men, I enjoyed David Fincher's </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Fight Club </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">because I felt that it spoke to me. I liked it so much that I, like so many others, even went so far as to read the original novel by Palahniuk (no one ever, ever did that). But perhaps it will strike you as strange that my favorite scene, rather than one with vandalismor a monologue or combat, is the one in which the narrator and Tyler drive down a dark, rainy highway with two other Project Mayhem dudes in the backseat.</span></span></span><div><div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001570/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Narrator</span></span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">: [</span></span><i class="fine"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Tyler steers the car into the opposite lane and accelerates</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">] What are you doing?<br /></span></span><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Tyler Durden</span></span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">: Guys, what would you wish you'd done before you died?<br /></span></span><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0047248/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ricky</span></span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">: Paint a self-portrait.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0564697/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The Mechanic</span></span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">: Build a house.<br /></span></span><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Tyler Durden</span></span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">: [</span></span><i class="fine"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">to Narrator</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">] And you?<br /></span></span><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001570/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Narrator</span></span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">: I don't know. Turn the wheel now, come on!<br /></span></span><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Tyler Durden</span></span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">: You have to know the answer to this question! If you died right now, how would you feel about your life?<br /></span></span><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001570/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Narrator</span></span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">: I don't know, I wouldn't feel anything good about my life, is that what you want to hear me say? Fine. Come on!<br /></span></span><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000093/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Tyler Durden</span></span></span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">: Not good enough. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I like this scene because I deliberately bypass the main content of it. I can't enjoy the narrator's whinging ('whinging') has supplanted 'whining' in my vocabulary). No, I like the responses from Ricky and the mechanic. They name tasks that are both substantial and mundane. They make absolutely no claim as to the quality of their work. They're just going to do it. Or would do it if given the chance. Or will do it as soon as possible lest they die soon. I was totally sidetracked by this scene and subsequently missed much of the film due to deep consideration of the question. I thought about the sorts of things I'd like to accomplish myself. One of those things was traveling on the Trans-Siberian railroad. Another is building a computer.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I've finished one of those so far. Russia sure is cold, and there isn't a whole lot to see from the window other than a great expanse of-------<br />Nay, I built a computer.<br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Utterly talked into it by friends (2) and family (1), my goal was to inexpensively construct a desktop PC with fundamental components purchased from an online computer parts store. Here's what I got:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition CPU</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Foxconn A7DA-S 3.0 Motherboard</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">4 GB of DDR3 RAM</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">some DVD drive...some hard disk drive...</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">White case with soothing blue LED on front panel; is otherwise generic and has a 450W PSU<br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzA1zTVXvzTakw6y0h_BYQ2Ra1RjHIriPCwjSfgbHt-nH68i4iuP8GbQz2CpwyVDOOhPKqolMkb10_1i98PG6WyeYoJ2NqcMWzI_PNEu6fO2kDYIz_uGc3g0UcYDI-U9DFk5esDFTDyReD/s200/IMG_4668.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401563387953310994" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">By far the most challenging task was doing the research on parts compatibility and power. I wanted a machine that would function harmoniously and offer good cost/performance. Much was learned about computers before I finally arrived at the above configuration...</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Getting the parts was painless because most businesses in Japan offer cash-on-delivery and shipping is absurdly fast, even when moving things out here to Miyako.<br /><br />Building the thing itself was mostly smooth and uneventful. I had some trouble fitting the motherboard-video card combination into the case (jiggling the boards and whatnot to get them situated was pretty nerve-racking). But anyway, pictures:<br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUfYPCZjvvYmXPJWTy7qY_8H546QUaV7BRSv-xQYG5-h_gpZd8AzHJ5Uoqz6EoRT1rnNtREvwl9PKaDXfW1keluwpLYXaaT9E57A2yjzqyAH6LwJR8oveUwHaiMiEonZ7CTfxhqkZzd5w/s200/IMG_4670.JPG" /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br />The CPU (AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition) uses the Socket AM3-type of motherboard-CPU coupling armature interface (keep your wig on-- as a philosophy major I'm qualified and licensed to make up terms as needed).<br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDy4EM4MKo6-RA9S0cgEGibOUjciM-jbjhZWNHDDDzUxXv3RSb1Wte_ZV51uCvgT5Iga9RGbvLTsM0qZKR9GeqC3zadhmaSMtWDR_CF_xzoD5kWRwxYVKQ1al9JZa-x3jBZgqPSeBA7bx/s200/IMG_4672.JPG" /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br />The Foxconn A7DA-S 3.0 motherboard has the appropriate socket. I believe it also supports Sockets AM2 and AM2+ (is that the same as AM3? I think I saw that somewhere...). It can also rock the DDR3 RAM, a feature of which I took advantage. <-- </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Do we go so far as to risk awkward sentence formulations just to avoid the commonplace but proscribed </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ending of a sentence with a preposition</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">? I do sometimes.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzYdXq85nmUbMzAESKxpunTIIjiyCatEKxjtpJmG9aJd_BwGQLK0Wp2Tg5Ij08tT24YwarfK8rjxZDEgbTad7SLYaUbdcvNY8gbhSKPDNfx9jn21EStbFKAThYjeab1QULxq5z_TfEfPw/s200/IMG_4682.JPG" /></span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The GPU (Sapphire ATI RADEON HD4870 1GB): The card was probably the most difficult thing to decide upon </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>(</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">gah!)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">. I chose this one because it isn't the most powerful card on the market this year</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, but it offers great performance on all games at far higher resolutions than I intend to run. I love high-definition as much as the next guy, but if I can run 60 fps on nearly anything at 1680x1050, I'm more than happy. I intend to keep the adequate-yet-modest LCD I have now for a while yet, and until I change the display, a better card would be overkill. Also, the HD4870 seemed to be where the performance return from getting a higher end card began to drop off sharply while the increase in price did not. In other words, I think the HD 4870 was the sweet spot of value when I made the purchase. Of course, you may notice that I did get the 1 GB version; apparently the memory helps when you're dealing with lots of textures. If it becomes a necessity next year, I'll grab another 4870 (even cheaper by then) and do some Crossfire action.<br /><br />I seated the GPU into the PCI-E slot without incident. This particular card is something of a beast, requiring two connections to the PSU rather than drawing power from the motherboard via the PCI-E connection. There is a hot, masked CG babe on the card as well. My friend says she makes the processors run faster.<br /><br />Installing the CPU was a lot easier than I expected. It's somewhat taxing because you are conscious of how fragile and crucial the CPU is but nevertheless have to secure it in a high-tension retaining device </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">and then </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">install a (possibly) massive heatsink-fan assembly on it. And the pins...</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">so many...</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> Fortunately, the CPU dropped into place effortlessly once the pins were lined up with the socket (motherboard-CPU coupling armature interface). I could feel slight resistance as I pulled the retaining arm down to secure the CPU, but it wasn't particularly concerning. The original AMD heatsink-fan came prepared with a patch of heat transfer paste, and I merely had to remove the plastic film on it before setting the whole thing against the CPU.<br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavB9DsVS8U5HeDkzFysBVKyFb5WE9EpG48XAKg8AyEyzMcURZ_TKJHG9oBHV4giSuAciowOFdckD_HkOxDZU9fIKsPfOjPHQ_Bm7WyFDyUBYTQYBg4woGbp3MzdwpImvWO5MJjeQxMY4V/s200/IMG_4675.JPG" /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br />In a rustily ironic turn of events, one week after finishing the system, I went poking around the inside of the </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">running computer</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> to gather cables so they </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">wouldn't get caught in the fans</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> only to succeed in </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">making a cable leap into the CPU fan,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> thereby chipping a blade</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">and rendering my computer the sonic equivalent of an air compressor.<br /><br />I deserve it. Moving on...<br /><br />The silver lining here is that I ended up buying a replacement heatsink-fan setup for the CPU that works much better than the stock one (CPU temperature now sits at about 34 C instead of 45 C). It's a Cooler Master-- it has a larger fan, massive heat sink, and the four copper pipes running through actually contact the CPU itself by being flush with the base of the assembly. I put some extra heat paste on there to fill in the tiny gaps where the pipes cut through the base. It's been working great so far.<br /><br />Anyway, I connected all of the SATA junk, power cables, and whatnot (but only after first trying to start it without plugging in the CPU power cable-- it didn't run very fast then). Connecting the small connectors from the hard disk activity light, the soft power and reset switches, et al. was sort of </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">mendoukusai</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, but the helpful labeling of everything made sense. I turned it on, heard the test beep, got the BIOS screen, and enjoyed the mellow satisfaction of having built a computer.<br /><br />First I installed Windows 7 RC, but I found out that the version of 7 that I had downloaded in the summer was the 32-bit one (limiting me to 3.3 GB of RAM or whatever) and the drivers that came with my computer parts weren't working perfectly. I had Vista on it shortly thereafter and got everything in order. I think playing Team Fortress 2 was the first thing I did. It ran well. I was pleased.<br /><br />Naturally, I was curious about the limits of the machine. I installed Oblivion and it ran absurdly fast-- it had that strange (to me) look that high FPS motion creates. Awesome. It froze once or twice in the two hours I played, but it seemed to work well when it worked. I downloaded the single player demo for Crysis for the next test. The first run caused the computer to freeze during the opening skydiving sequence (just before the player hits the water). A second try yielded better results-- 45+ FPS. As I mused to myself about how mediocre the shooting was and the in-game dawn broke, the screen suddenly went black. The computer's fans were quiet, and no light came from the mouse, keyboard, or front panel. It was a complete power failure likely caused by the weak-ass Scythe PSU included with the case. I think. I have no proof. Some time afterward I decided to break the CPU fan as described above.<br /><br />Acting on my feeling, I selected a new PSU (</span><a href="http://www.kuroutoshikou.com/modules/display/?iid=1357"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Kurotoshikou 650W)</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> when I ordered the replacement heat sink fan. It rocks; it's got two 12V rails wielding 30A. People who say you shouldn't cut costs by getting a cheap PSU are right.<br /><br />Since the installation of the new PSU and heatsink-fan, I've had absolutely no problems with stability. Oblivion crashes to desktop from time to time, but that's probably more to do with the volatile combination of mods I'm running to make it look and play better rather than the machine itself. I ran Crysis on 1680x1050 at very high settings just to see what would happen. Sure enough, I managed to slow the framerate to 4-player Goldeneye levels (not so low as 4-player Perfect Dark), but only at first. Once the game got moving, it was quite playable. I'll take it. That's one life goal accomplished...<br /><br />TL;DR: I ALWAYS WANTED TO BUILD A COMPUTER. I HAVE NOW DONE IT; IT IS AWESOME.<br /><br />Next time, </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Letters from Novosibirsk</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />OR</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />A DIY Era, Part 2: Painting a Motorcycle</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">...<br /><br />One is slightly more likely than the other.</span><br /></span></span></div></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-4329939645941153052009-09-30T09:04:00.005+09:002009-09-30T14:31:19.966+09:00Battlefield 1943 and Provoked Thoughts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SpnFE4Fg9lh2Yn7R7spiZaYT_rtDEMNPhu86Prd2LxWuUplYJabSWyw_2dYdmAC6csvBi3U0K6_qX5L-EGyFMCLZ-HVYbiI5MN37mkCqxDHzBug_Irr1ZIgzsZNDSnkqRM1ZMrxicBrC/s1600-h/battlefield-1943_1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SpnFE4Fg9lh2Yn7R7spiZaYT_rtDEMNPhu86Prd2LxWuUplYJabSWyw_2dYdmAC6csvBi3U0K6_qX5L-EGyFMCLZ-HVYbiI5MN37mkCqxDHzBug_Irr1ZIgzsZNDSnkqRM1ZMrxicBrC/s200/battlefield-1943_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387052648103553410" /></a>What it do--<div><br /></div><div>I'll save the details for another post, but I've found most of my recent physical disc game purchases have been pretty underwhelming (Red Faction: Guerrilla and Left 4 Dead, I'm looking at you.). And I still hate Halo 3 as much as ever despite it being our (Miyako crew's) community standard.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the other hand, the offerings found on the Xbox Live Arcade shine time and time again. In terms of value/expense, the downloadable games are far superior to the 60 USD releases, and Battlefield 1943 (1200 Microsoft Points, 15 USD) is a prime example. Halo3: ODST is a prime example of the opposite.</div><div><br /></div><div>Battlefield 1943 does little, if anything, that is new. However, it does a lot of small things right, and these small excellencies come together to make a consistently enjoyable experience. In no particularly significant order, I'll mention a few of my favorite aspects.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unlimited/recharging ammo is a great feature. It's one less (trivial) thing to worry about, and it doesn't detract from the game. While it may sound like a game-killer to have unlimited rifle grenades, for example, the recharging ammo dynamic actually prevents it from ever becoming a problem (shoot, reload, shoot, wait for recharge). Recharging ammo also helps keep up the pace of the game as players need not take time to seek out supply drops. </div><div><br /></div><div>The same goes for regenerating health. While many people complain about recharging health, I think it makes combat much more interesting (the implementation of medics notwithstanding). Having non-regenerating health typically goes hand in hand with <i>having too much health and being able to take a ridiculous amount of damage </i>(which is utterly reviled among my gaming crew) or being killed by a stubbed toe after a lengthy battle that wore you down slowly. Neither of these are game-breakers, but regenerating health has substantial gameplay advantages. It's not several small amounts of damage that will bring a target down-- you have to think about your attack and make sure you hit hard when you have the chance (whether it's from you maneuvering intelligently or the target making an error). Further, there's no gray area where you're at 40-70% health and are not sure whether to risk an attack or retreat for a health refill. With recharging health, you're either scrapping for cover or ready to go on the offensive. I can see how people would get some gameplay out of quantified health, but I find that recharging health improves the pace of a fight. </div><div><br /></div><div>DICE/EA's single best move may be the Coral Sea Air Superiority game mode. Before its introduction, players who dedicated themselves to flying airplanes would sit at the home base runways and wait for planes to spawn. In short, it was a waste of manpower. With the addition of Coral Sea, the flyboys gained an outlet. I noticed that the intensity (and overall fun) of the ground game concurrently increased. Now planes in Conquest mode are more or less used as a way to rocket over to a capture point and parachute down to glory. They even sit unused in many games.</div><div><br /></div><div>The three classes (Scout/Sniper, Infantry/Antitank, and Rifleman/Rifleman) appear to be used pretty evenly among players. More interesting, however, is how their abilities play out offensively and defensively. While I play as every class, I favor the scout because I like the demolition charges. Choosing a capture point to defend, scattering charges around it, and retiring to a hiding place some distance away to watch over it (with eyes downrange and detonator in hand) is a great role for the solitary player.</div><div><br /></div><div>The HUD system is great for this style of combined arms wargame. The player has a radar on which enemies appear only when spotted (hit) by you/your teammates or when firing themselves. Relevant icons also appear on the field of view, tracking targets through brush. Most impressively, though, is how the marking icons fade from view or gradually fail to track the targets as they move away or pass behind obstructions. It's a great system that I think DICE should retain; the stealthy players get a fair shake while everyone else gets into the action with minimal frustration.</div><div><br /></div><div>While I'd like to see more than 4 maps (3 that I actually play), even more players than 24, and a way to stay on the same team as your friends, BF1943 is probably the best value on Xbox Live. Except for Carcassonne.</div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-51784249441014465592009-09-16T10:46:00.004+09:002009-09-30T14:30:44.555+09:00Motorcycle stuff...<p class="MsoNormal">EDIT: I wrote this in Word and copy-pasted it here. The formatting is schizo and I refuse to change it.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve had motorcycles on the brain for a while now, but never before has the fever burned so insistently.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Bikes are literally all I think about these days.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Providing that my love of motorcycling doesn’t displace my love of guitars, the panoply of my dedicated hobbies will paint me as a <i>totally rad</i> dude.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’d been thinking of replacing the Hornet since I had the experience of riding a 400 in driving school.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I think I finally came to my (financial) senses this week, or at least I’ve been able to convince myself that the Hornet is worth hanging on to.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ve been doing a little reading on the 250 Hornet and the CB400 standard bike.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Apparently (and this is anything but unexpected) <st1:country-region><st1:place>Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> has restrictions on the amount of power middle class <span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language:JAfont-family:";">(<i>chuugata</i>) bikes can have (not just a limitation on displacement), meaning that the difference in displacement between my 250 and a 400 doesn’t actually lead to a large difference in power between the engines.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Admittedly, I’m not knowledgeable on this topic yet and expect that there are severely diminishing returns when you increase an engine’s displacement to increase the power, but I anticipated a greater difference in power between the Hornet and a CB400 than a mere 8-10 hp (citation needed).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Torque is much more kicky on the 400, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m still hunting for more information on this issue…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";">Anyway, I’m currently in the midst of a renaissance with my bike, the Hornet.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was sort of down about it a few months ago when I got around to replacing its fat-ass rear tire (180 on a 250?!).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s just goddamn expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Also, I put slight scrapes on both sides of the tank that detract from its appearance significantly (update: I totally cratered the tank on a curb while racing the other day; no punctures, though).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The wheels and rear sprocket are filthy with road grime, brake dust, and thrown-off chain grease, and the rust damage continues to creep.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s a pain in the ass to work on anything without a center stand, so I’m checking the internets for one right now.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’d love to spend a weekend cleaning the thing…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";">Now I love the green machine.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The current renaissance is a product of my constant reading about bikes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In comparing the Hornet to its potential replacements, I unwittingly learned more news about it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And the news is good.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";">First, I think I’ve got an early Hornet, maybe as early as 1996.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was received extremely positively (<i>citation needed</i>), and it’s cool to be riding an original.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";">Second, as I briefly mentioned before, the engine is pretty rocking for a 250.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The 249 cubic centimeter motor gets over 24 Nm of torque (11,000 rpm) and 40 hp (at 14,000 rpm).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Why did I just name those figures in metric and Imperial units?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I don’t know—it just seemed more tangible to me than using one system or the other.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Anyway, this engine is meant to scream.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It redlines at 16,000 RPM and doesn’t even get busy (and this was news to me) until 10,000 rpm.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>OK, I knew that running higher revs would produce more power generally (thank you), but going over 10,000 had always just seemed excessive to me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I usually kept the machine turning slowly as I went about town thinking that it would save gas and prolong the life of the engine.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>However, my mileage driving that way was about 180km before reserve.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Last week, when I tried running the machine at higher average rpm (and with more playful power), I got 220 km before reserve.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m still trying to sort that out (and repeat the experiment), but I think that this engine is meant to be run faster than I had been running it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In short, the bike has a lot of power that I wasn’t effectively utilizing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Also, while it has a high pitched whine at low (>8000) rpm, the timbre radically changes to an absolute scream when opening the throttle.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s easy to visualize air and exhaust racing through the system.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";">Third, I am now dead certain that the (a?) previous owner did some custom work on the appearance of the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Unlike stock Hornets, my bike doesn’t have the jagged Hornet logo painted on the sides of the tank.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Instead it’s got chrome automotive letters spelling ‘HORNET’ running along the sides.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Also, the green paint is chipping in places, revealing a layer of silver underneath.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Why is this good news?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ve been thinking about painting the Hornet, and I wasn’t certain whether the plastic parts could be easily painted; apparently it’s not a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m considering black and white right now, but I’m going to draw up a few designs.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A new coat of paint would help cover the tank scrapes and give me reason to remove those chrome letters.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They are odious.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";">Anyway, it’s an exciting time for motorcycling.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I recently got riding shoes and gloves, so I’m pretty excited about the next track day when I can show off my latest <i>fashions</i> and subsequently get destroyed on the time trial.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language: JAfont-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-41393295963427915022009-08-26T23:29:00.004+09:002009-09-30T14:30:18.595+09:00Movies and music<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrhvH0JgoX1hS3Y5fI_JHVnryCUWaeqXAGiSVR8cfzNztDa1O40ACm0-_u_TxunoQ6k2W_IjonFhSAWqIjkNo-aq2QVhoa-QSwJ5LsswBCugZqrIvDRLGDJKxCN0xf7BlglZu9IIeaqSA/s1600-h/5329hr2tb9.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 147px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrhvH0JgoX1hS3Y5fI_JHVnryCUWaeqXAGiSVR8cfzNztDa1O40ACm0-_u_TxunoQ6k2W_IjonFhSAWqIjkNo-aq2QVhoa-QSwJ5LsswBCugZqrIvDRLGDJKxCN0xf7BlglZu9IIeaqSA/s200/5329hr2tb9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374287054354541410" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Yo, I just watched this film, Hotel Venus, and while I'm not writing a review here, I do want to mention that it is pretty interesting in several ways. It's a joint Korean-Japanese production with lots of talent from both countries. In a leading role is SMAP dude and Korea-phile Tsuyoshi Kusanagi as a tap-dancing dude who can't advance his life past a traumatic experience in which-- well, no spoilers (Not because I care, but because I'm lazy.). Anyway, a bunch of troubled, crazy folks with mundanely appropriate nicknames ('Doctor' for the drunk physician, 'Boy' for the young man trying to prove he's tough, etc.) live in this hotel owned by an androgynous old person called 'Venus' (which when pronounced in Korean sounds like 'penis'; my observation was not appreciated by fellow viewers) and generally operated by Kusanagi's character.<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, the monochromatic film is pretty slow at the start, but it does eventually become rather interesting in a hopeless way. Basically, shit pans out for some of the characters, but not all of them (i.e. being unable to change things that are out of their control), and isolation between people is the dominant theme. I don't speak Korean, so I had to awkwardly follow the Japanese subtitles, but my attention was sufficiently captured by the performances of the entire cast. And there was <a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/miki%20nakatani%20hotel%20venus/kwanghwamun/3584miki02_50.jpg?o=1">Miki Nakatan</a>i.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, in other news: We're planning a little live musical performance of sorts for next month, so I have been learning a few new tunes. I mention this now because we encountered a real gem of a song while watching Hotel Venus. It's called "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9i-fGlCc1c">These Days</a>," and it is performed by Love Psychedelico.<br /></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-10808415559792278262009-08-26T17:44:00.003+09:002009-09-30T14:24:54.192+09:00Miyako Victory Lap<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2iXxxn34WHT88BhELPqXNSHJ8xTVejBpIAuoI3DF-dfaGSmOzliZopOEZPUSkzw69jrQdC9kxYNVXidGv74esGtEmYBuBLFiHP8c7cFU-taZX-ABNSu-jYnSfBSW4p48i5yEavBQUpPb/s1600-h/CA3B0122-789753.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2iXxxn34WHT88BhELPqXNSHJ8xTVejBpIAuoI3DF-dfaGSmOzliZopOEZPUSkzw69jrQdC9kxYNVXidGv74esGtEmYBuBLFiHP8c7cFU-taZX-ABNSu-jYnSfBSW4p48i5yEavBQUpPb/s320/CA3B0122-789753.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374279231457406946" /></a><br /><p class="mobile-photo"><br /></p>Guess who's back to terrorize the highways.ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-59712229330033043812009-08-22T14:05:00.005+09:002009-09-30T14:25:25.314+09:00Forcing self to write<div>August has been rough. Due to the sheer glut of things worth writing/lamenting about that have passed, I will not be addressing the gritty details of this month anytime soon. Key words include <b>spending 200,000 yen</b>, <b>not being able to legally drive, girl <i>problems</i>, typhoon-induced rust on my bike, sprained ankle, stripped screws,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> and </span>RROD-ed 360. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>However, I did get this today (which I am pretty happy about):</div><div>The yellow Honda Urban Rain Suit</div><div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7hb75dRb6RoB8akmAeKETyVXYBLDoyruFP8xLOcR3s9dKbJjvoVlUEfFkxULFPxnuIOQ313y7bj8y6Rz7tk3PIEN1YbFsnQDtQmsw82rfvWBtJU-i6JLlElF4OjjVhj1qd8ZQAbEcVyP/s320/090528-arban01.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 193px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372651993209826066" /></div></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-15975116378941516092009-08-20T15:53:00.001+09:002009-08-20T15:54:57.679+09:00I know I haven't written anything in about...forever, but I just got a hot new keyboard and it's going to make typing a lot easier. Back shortly.ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-47053223743498716782009-07-10T09:09:00.003+09:002009-07-10T09:13:58.730+09:00Final Answer?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTLEeZjC2NDg0xlJvNRXHcKd1ITHyTkaP5_jjDxtS5IQFOfYEH7fD_ER_mB8Gl3E1x2haNiPWSQNIHlFy01O5HKSnQbJK9ui9Zn4xTix7Ls1cNmZkNvBxJmfyjhZHU02LAyRVDCYsqXWw/s1600-h/CA3B0104.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTLEeZjC2NDg0xlJvNRXHcKd1ITHyTkaP5_jjDxtS5IQFOfYEH7fD_ER_mB8Gl3E1x2haNiPWSQNIHlFy01O5HKSnQbJK9ui9Zn4xTix7Ls1cNmZkNvBxJmfyjhZHU02LAyRVDCYsqXWw/s200/CA3B0104.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356617157116902834" /></a>Remember the <i><a href="http://ztinmiyako.blogspot.com/2009/04/ahworthless.html">manzai lunch</a></i>?<br /><div><br /></div><div> Here the shougakkou 4th graders perform an impromptu game-show style quiz for everyone's post-lunch entertainment.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-41279975155218509682009-06-16T09:07:00.004+09:002009-06-16T09:11:46.189+09:00Sega Outrun: Miyako<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLK3qsy6FzoU3RITZkrvPU7AMYBfkPxU-dkQziGfAuqz5MZ94ZgmFCCNiyIOIkW_nwm4mgVvX3BFKOk-AFBdwYXfH1A7N3GOgZPgjmdtd4dGJdT_S_ioNm8xLT-6BZeQ736otl4zPBW3PV/s1600-h/ingyaBike.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLK3qsy6FzoU3RITZkrvPU7AMYBfkPxU-dkQziGfAuqz5MZ94ZgmFCCNiyIOIkW_nwm4mgVvX3BFKOk-AFBdwYXfH1A7N3GOgZPgjmdtd4dGJdT_S_ioNm8xLT-6BZeQ736otl4zPBW3PV/s200/ingyaBike.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347710639001072354" /></a><div> Video game box art?</div><div><br /></div><div>Sure, the island is small, but it looks like this. No complaints from this guy.</div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-69117755739843739502009-05-25T15:45:00.003+09:002009-09-30T14:29:20.995+09:00The beginning of April is a big time in for civil employees in Japan. We ALTs got a new supervisor at the board of education, the other office workers got shuffled around, and many teachers at all of the schools were switched around all over the place. And our board of education itself was relocated out of its convenient, reasonable placement at the center of the city to a distant building on the other side of the island. Makes for a nice motorcycle ride, though.<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, the respective office ladies of a few of my schools changed. Introducing myself to one of them one day, I thought it interesting to compare my katakana name (ザック, ZAKKU) to the semi-onomatopoeic Japanese expression for crunchy food texture, さくさく (SAKUSAKU).</div><div><br /></div><div>You don't need to tell me how ill advised that was. The comparison fails to make sense. I know; let's continue.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I basically explained to the office lady that my name is funny because it resembles a snack food expression and that that expression translates to 'crispy' in English. Not amused yet? Yeah. I don't think she was either; she listened too intently, and without the mirth I had hoped for. She now calls me "Crispy" every time I see her. Fun story.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-12965336355421273232009-05-15T21:30:00.001+09:002009-05-15T21:30:56.835+09:00The Era of Irrationality ContinuesI just stormed away in a huff from this band Im watching because the lead guitarist's tone is an undifferentiated mess of delay, flange, and wah. Damn.ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-25558044104158177472009-05-15T19:16:00.003+09:002009-09-30T14:28:55.559+09:00Yo dawg, I heard you like well lit restrooms<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK68vHsxbLLO6x_DO1H5vqunSTdkUptrY3KBMlDASShUvCO161gfBZRdCk9tHkA6kQFXi6nlig7DOFMK-G7KoANugV9Pp3tBh_35-TZ97jWfJIsKUhg9fh-5zXDtLJMbT7EYSxC1exQNs/s1600-h/CA3B0082-767579.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK68vHsxbLLO6x_DO1H5vqunSTdkUptrY3KBMlDASShUvCO161gfBZRdCk9tHkA6kQFXi6nlig7DOFMK-G7KoANugV9Pp3tBh_35-TZ97jWfJIsKUhg9fh-5zXDtLJMbT7EYSxC1exQNs/s320/CA3B0082-767579.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335992495030841874" /></a></p>so we put neons in your toilet so you're backlit while you doo doo.ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-22891714017998301602009-05-06T10:21:00.003+09:002009-09-30T14:28:37.195+09:00New ShirtsWe continue down the slippery slope: <div><br /></div><div>I recently bought a few T-shirts here in Miyako that feature some mean Engrish. Shirts that feature Engrish are a dime-a-dozen in Asia, but I think the ones I found stand out as being extremely poetic or extremely relevant. To me. Thus, the contents of these shirts:</div><div><br /></div><div>(1) PAINT FAME</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Can you hear - footsteps of the future.<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Listen for paradise.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Sound evolves one step further.<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Sound is life.<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I hear nostalgic sounds.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Graphic T's in the States are simple affairs with a setup and a punchline. In Japan we wear cinquains.</div><div><br /></div><div>(2) A NEW TYPE GOOD TASTE</div><div><br /></div><div>Man, can't even argue with that one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, my favorite:</div><div><br /></div><div>(3) LEARNING IS WORK</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE MUST KNOW IS THERE ANYONE WHO DOESN'T <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>KNOW THAT?</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A shirt after my own heart, I suppose.</div><div><br /></div>ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022720741017911001.post-91649991826249994462009-05-05T15:51:00.003+09:002009-09-30T14:28:02.852+09:00Summer may be Here.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VOty_qxcqmPzHscjBneIExc1c9EpRdyhzYybyHMOkn0a_x6WU6CXlw1fN_1gVHwFXFszJunrFpnbNZ_xWbk71yuqWvHaMc917cNWndCZ-6ZoqFX8eW1fxbeGSVwuOp_V-NkRICHRRjYA/s1600-h/CA3B0080-796268.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VOty_qxcqmPzHscjBneIExc1c9EpRdyhzYybyHMOkn0a_x6WU6CXlw1fN_1gVHwFXFszJunrFpnbNZ_xWbk71yuqWvHaMc917cNWndCZ-6ZoqFX8eW1fxbeGSVwuOp_V-NkRICHRRjYA/s200/CA3B0080-796268.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332511327245185426" /></a><br /><p class="mobile-photo"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></p>Maehama beach. Preferred venue for v-ball.ZThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06435366422437668214noreply@blogger.com