Environment World

We went to a show in Tokyo, Nippon Budokan to be precise, and it was what I hoped for.  The show did not disappoint neither did the crowd.  I mention the crowd because Japanese can coexist with shoving in this crowed place.  My wife is less a rock fan and more a jazz fan but she was dancing in the isle, a strange sight to me but a welcome sight.  Our seats weren’t in the nose bleed heights but neither were they in the eardrum damaging area (but Eric Clapton does not damage that organ).  In the audience seating we go to were they can accommodate wheelchairs, sometime good and sometimes bad.  The crowd was very relaxed and enjoyed the show.  The security was tight but unobtrusive.  The performance was made up of:  Eric, two other guitarist, a bass, drummer, piano, keyboard, backup singer and a audience full of people keeping the beat.  I’ve seen other shows in Tokyo before and the crowds loved who they were watching but this time they were insisting on an encore, Eric did one but no more.  I found better photos of the show so please take a look.  The Japanese crowd does mesh with Mr. Clapton after all he’s been to Japan 17 times.  I hope it’s 17 time more, I’ll be there.

I’ve always thought that the Iraq fiasco would become that, a fiasco. I’ve put it on this blog since the first lie and I will not “flip/flop” on that idea. I always imagined it was bad but not as bad as this report on BBC TV. Take a look and see if you agree with impeachment.

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An interesting and well thought article about the justifications needed to impeach Bush and Cheney (the reason for Cheney too is that like cockroaches is you let one survive they’ll breed)  Daily Kos: Articles of Impeachment against Bush and Cheney I’ve stored a copy of this article in case it should "mysteriosly dissappear".

Approval of Bush policy on Iraq declines - Yahoo News  I hate to be a "told you so" kind of guy but … If you’ll look at this blog I’ve been critical of the Iraq mess the whole time. Time to get off my high horse and offer my support to an idea that I’ve heard. I can’t recall the person that this idea should be credited to but the idea as I remember it is to break apart Iraq into three pieces; one for the Sunnis, one for the Shiite, and one for the Kurds but I’ll go further and say they should stay together but as separate states in one nation of Iraq. They can be autonomous with a democratic central leadership. Not simple considering they want to kill each other but it sounds like a start.  But maybe Bush won’t like it because he didn’t think of it first.

My health recently has forced me to cut way back on work.  It’s great of my wife to let me scale back and great of the company who I’mworking with to make some income but that will change in the next few months.  It has gotten my wife and I in a semi desperate state were the future is very unclear.  I know that I should be thankful of the support she gives me but I’m convinced that having a game will let me keep what sanity I have.  I know not to ask but maybe if she sees this she’ll have Mercy on me.

A Concrete Step Toward Cleaner Air; doesn’t this sort out the worlds problems?  They’re a concrete company in Italy and the solution they found can be used in anything it seems.  Don’t even think of nationalist pride, they found a solution to the worlds problem.  I don’t stay awake at night worrying about the global warming problem or scared that in mid-November I could go out in a t-shirt here in Tokyo.  I should be bundling for warmth but it’s hot outside.  Let’s talk to this company and do research to make sure it doesn’t hurt us while cleaning the mess that we created (I’m using ‘we’ to refer to the U.S.).  I’m still reading doubt the global warming is causing the planet to warm (those people are waiting for their home to submerge).  Read the link and talk to your elected officials (where ever you are) and get the research started.

What the Democrats’ win means for tech; I’m a computer geek maybe my background graduating university with a BS in Computer Engineering gives it away.  I’ve been embarrassed lately being an American while I live and work in Tokyo, Japan.  This last election filled me hope that positive thing we all need to be started soon can be done.  Also my voting record that I vote Democratic but there have been exemptions when I felt the Democrat running for president was a danger (can you say Mondale). Bush is a danger but we have the new Congress to offset his lunacy.  This leads to a thought I’ve had recently that the US’s check and balance system is a great system but that should extend that to the parties in the ruling class ("ruling class" in the US sounds impossible but we’ve had 2 Bushes in the white house, another on the way?).  So I’m going on a limb that I endorse a Republican in ‘08 I endorse John McCain. He’s a vet (like me), a fiscally conservative (unlike Bush), and a funny guy (ever seen him on The Daily Show?).  While I searched the web for an example to link to I found this and that gave me a laugh.  So think of what I said and remember the old days.

Election, Election time to elect the leaders in the free world! NOT!  As you may know, I’m outside the norm living here as an American in Tokyo, you might have seen the HBO special, "Hacking Democracy" and it made think, "why bother.  I have mailed in my vote in the last elections in a state that I voted with the majority".  Didn’t count but my voice was heard (I think).  This special basically says it would’t have mattered anyway.  All of you out there be the boss and tell government you work for you.

I celebrated a birthday recently and my wife got me a perfect gift.  I always carry an iPod when I go out into the scary world (less so now I’m in Tokyo) and have since the 1st gen 5 GB iPod.  I instantly saw the usefulness of carry all my music where I go.  I never did get the 5th Gen video iPod. I have a PSP why bother with the small screen.  Back to my thoughtful gift, she got me a 2nd Gen iPod Shuffle.  It’s so small and even though it only carries 1GB of music (around 240) it sync with iTunes and give me a completely new listing experience each time.  I’m happy, my wallet is happy, and (most importantly) my ears are happy.  Treat yourself and hold your mouse over the graphic below

I’ve decided on my next course of action. I’m in a wheelchair now and finding work in a wheelchair in Tokyo can be trying and I refuse to leave Tokyo (I love this place) so I’ve designed a few bags for my wheelchair and I hope many others will find the designs beneficial. I’ve found a Japanese company that will have my product made in China, it’s been slow going but it has given me time to research the options to maximize the market. I found this link that can help in teaching the in and out of selling to a worldwide audience. Just click here to learn how to sell to a worldwide audience at Culture Briefings to get the details and sign in, I’ll be there.