Two interesting articles in this week’s Nikkei Veritas. (http://veritas.nikkei.co.jp/index.aspx – all in Japanese, and you’ll need to buy a subscription to read the whole edition). First – the feature article spends about four pages talking what Japan might look like for the typical household in 2020. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture – average annual [...]
Monthly Archive for December, 2009
Is there a Santa Claus?
Posted in Life on Dec 27th, 2009
A classic from the Straight Dope: Dear Cecil: Over one hundred years ago, on September 21, 1897, a little girl with great doubts asked the editor of the New York Sun for the answer to a question that had been bothering her. There was no Straight Dope then, so she had to settle. The [...]
Rage against the X Factor machine
Posted in Music, Uncategorized on Dec 20th, 2009
X Factor is a ‘let’s find a new singer star act’ here in the UK – think American Idol (both shows are, in fact, produced and run by Simon Cowell). The show has run for about six years now – and every year, the final show generates massive newsflow and ratings. The last show of [...]
Classical concert at Barbican
Posted in Music on Dec 13th, 2009
The better half and I went to a classical music concert this past Friday György Kurtág …quasi una fantasia… Mozart Piano Concerto No 9 in E flat major, K. 271 Kodály Mátrai Pictures (Matrai Pictures) Bartók The Miraculous Mandarin This was an interesting concert – the only piece that sounded like typical classical music was [...]
Yep, it’s Christmas time, which means it’s time to start making eggnog! I really like this recipe (makes about 3-4 servings): 1 cup whole milk 1 cup single cream 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar 2 egg yolks pinch of whole cloves 1/4 tsp cinnamon dark rum (to taste) Warm the milk, cream, cinammon [...]
Cycling News
Posted in Cycling on Dec 11th, 2009
I loved watching Brad Wiggins last year at the TdF, and now the UK has its first-ever elite-level cycling team, Team Sky. Now Wiggins has left Garmin for Team Sky, which is a great signing for Britain’s fledgling team. Wiggins might find it harder next year since he’ll be a known factor – teams will mark [...]
Christmas!!
Posted in MBH, Pet, Uncategorized on Dec 7th, 2009
Yep, it’s that time of year again! We trimmed our Christmas tree over the weekend – this was the same tree we had in Tokyo. Despite being in a box for two years, and despite the 5,000-km trip by boat over the Big Pond to Ol’ Blighty, the tree and our decorations seemed none the [...]
Blast from the past: Cliff Richard
Posted in Music on Dec 4th, 2009
I remember hearing this the year I graduated from <gulp> high school…I didn’t know until about three minutes ago that this was a remake, and that Cliff Richard actually had a number-one hit with this same song…back in 1959!