liberal japonicus

by liberal japonicus Here's a little note to put something to get the blog thru the week, Johns Hopkins reports that automatic faucets may be germier than old fashioned ones. It's a bit old (from March), but I thought we needed to put something up. I'd also remind you that, despite appearances, all the posts … Read more

By liberal japonicus When I was looking for this 1998 article about tax law and people renouncing US citizenship that I put in a comment, some other things came up. While the 1998 article focuses on the complex decisions that go into choosing to give up US citizenship, this March 2011 WSJ blog piece on the increasing numbers … Read more

by liberal japonicus I'm neither a fan nor an anti-fan of the Boston Red Sox, but their collapse reminded me of something Hilzoy wrote in 2004. She starts off with an excerpt from Poor Man. I'll just clip the whole thing here "… 6-0 in the top of the third. Wow. They really must want … Read more

Two related articles from the NYTimes. This tells the story of two charter schools, one for underprivileged students, the other one of those high powered ones, and their attempt to teach students 'character' with the title "What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?", while this tells the adventures of Clifford Levy (or more importantly, … Read more

by liberal japonicus The Guardian observes, in a piece about Cheryl Cole concert in Afghanistan, has this: The X Factor is becoming almost like America's NFL, whose relationship with the military has become so weirdly symbiotic that flypasts before each game come as standard, the league's flagship show has been broadcast from a military base, … Read more

by liberal japonicus Hartmut can correct that German, I hope, but this Guardian story about genetically manipulated cats that glow in the dark had me singing 'Shine little glowpuss, glimmer, glimmer', which led me to the wikipedia entry for that song, which is originally from the German operetta Lysistrata by Paul Lincke. 

by liberal japonicus Blindsight is the rare neurological phenomenon where someone experiences enough brain trauma to prevent them from seeing normally. Thus if you ask them to tell you what object you are holding in front of them, they can't answer. But ask them to guess what color the object is, they will say something … Read more

by liberal japonicus Count-me-in posted, via Steve Benen, this link to a former Republican congressional staffer who quit because he was fed up and bob_is_boring, (who I am sure isn't, but that is his handle) wondered why it hadn't been front paged. So here it is. It is an interesting piece, and a few have … Read more

by liberal japonicus I'm in Kyoto for a conference. It was a bit iffy, as Typhoon #12 (Japanese number them rather than name them) was scheduled to park itself over Osaka. I took the shinkansen up, which had no problem, but many of the regular train lines south of the area were stopped because of … Read more

by liberal japonicus If you are like me, you may have assumed that the conching in this title is another bizarre and short-lived stunt like planking or owling. It's not: Attention hipsters and other people seeking hipness: there’s a new fad catching on in Western Australia's Shark Bay, and you won’t want to be the last to … Read more

by liberal japonicus This news from the Electronic Frontier Foundation really has me wondering.  The “first sale” principle is what allows the purchaser of a copy of a book or CD or other copyrighted work to later resell that copy to someone else without infringing the copyright owner’s distribution right. It’s an important free-market limitation … Read more

by liberal japonicus Asynchronous because it's Sunday here. Whoops.  Working at a university means, at least for me, that when there are no classes, I really have no schedule. Lots of things to do, mind you, but not having the comforting rigidity of classes means that I don't pay much attention to what day it … Read more

by liberal japonicus This piece about Ralph Branca prompts that question. When I had phoned Branca and told him that his mother, Kati, was Jewish and that thus, according to traditional Jewish law, he and his 16 siblings were, too, the loud man was quiet. But when I had told him of the murder of his … Read more

It is the most logical explanation. Discuss

My timing is always off, but I now realize that the whole "London Calling" theme for the articles on the riots is based on the fact that the song was chosen for the 2012 Olympics jingle. I can't decide if this was an example of British irony biting the country on the ass a stunning example … Read more

by liberal japonicus I tend to think that one of the best things about talking with lots of people via a blog is the way others can, if you are open to it, remind you of things that you liked as well as put you on to things that when you find them, you wonder … Read more

by liberal japonicus In the post on Michael Irvin and bravery, Slart let slip that he studied a little Mandarin and several other folks popped up. Chinese is a wall I have taken a run at three times and am starting on a 4th and I am starting to feel like Pvt. Pyle, Vincent D'Onofrio … Read more

by liberal japonicus Not sure if this is front page stuff, but Michael Irvin, former member of the Dallas Cowboys and Hall of Fame member, just appeared on the cover of Out Magazine supporting gay marriage and pledging his support to any pro football player who is in the closet and wants to come out.  … Read more

Doc Science mentioned in passing that we need more political content here, and, as I probably know less than anyone of the other front pagers about the current US political zeitgeist, in the best traditions of blogging, it stands to reason that I should be the one to deliver. As I mentioned in the comments, … Read more

Cause we know where you live! Free nachos for the best definition. Offer void where prohibited.

Japan, my students tell me dutifully, is a country with 4 seasons, but I have never figured out which one they take out to make room for the rainy season. Fortunately, I was prepared for the whole concept by these torrential downpours we used to have in Southern Mississippi, but other places in the US … Read more

I'm headed to Kurume for a weekend. While I have been told that Kurume has the highest number of love hotels per capita in Japan, I'm going there for other reasons. What's up with your weekend?