That's good advice.

Texts From Last Night:

"let me put it this way. im never saying 'join in or get out' again unless i know whos in the room."

Comic Book Win.

Texts From Last Night:

"She helped me organize my comics and then blew me. This is the one."

Perfection.

Payton.

Ali

Will you go to heaven?

Sick Grappling.

Via JackalFights: Jean Silva vs Masakazu Imanari

If you decide to time travel, this is key.

Via Time traveler's cheat sheet Boing Boing

Is Pat Robertson the stupidest fucking human being ever?

Yes. Yes, he might just be.

MFFTTMFW*.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Harry Reid's Racist Comment
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy

*Morgan Freeman for the total motherfucking win.

One reason why we're all so very, very stupid.

The inanity of American textbook choice.

Revisionaries - Mariah Blake:

""The way I evaluate history textbooks is first I see how they cover Christianity and Israel. Then I see how they treat Ronald Reagan—he needs to get credit for saving the world from communism and for the good economy over the last twenty years because he lowered taxes.”

Views like these are relatively common in East Texas, a region that prides itself on being the buckle of the Bible Belt. But McLeroy is no ordinary citizen. The jovial creationist sits on the Texas State Board of Education, where he is one of the leaders of an activist bloc that holds enormous sway over the body’s decisions. As the state goes through the once-in-a-decade process of rewriting the standards for its textbooks, the faction is using its clout to infuse them with ultraconservative ideals. Among other things, they aim to rehabilitate Joseph McCarthy, bring global-warming denial into science class, and downplay the contributions of the civil rights movement.

Battles over textbooks are nothing new, especially in Texas, where bitter skirmishes regularly erupt over everything from sex education to phonics and new math. But never before has the board’s right wing wielded so much power over the writing of the state’s standards. And when it comes to textbooks, what happens in Texas rarely stays in Texas. The reasons for this are economic: Texas is the nation’s second-largest textbook market and one of the few biggies where the state picks what books schools can buy rather than leaving it up to the whims of local districts, which means publishers that get their books approved can count on millions of dollars in sales. As a result, the Lone Star State has outsized influence over the reading material used in classrooms nationwide, since publishers craft their standard textbooks based on the specs of the biggest buyers. As one senior industry executive told me, “Publishers will do whatever it takes to get on the Texas list.”"

TERRORBALL! Plus - Democrats ARE good at black people - an established fact of conventional thought.

Hang in through the first 6m or so for the best ever commentary on understanding the difference between Bush and Obama dealing with national security and the terror threat - when John Oliver comes aboard.

...but the first 4m does help reveal how stupid Rudy Guilliani is. Which is a goodness.

You know why I only really watch The Daily Show for my media based news? Because it's the only show that treats the mainstream media with the respect it deserves. Which is none.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Fright Club
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Japan is...

...too damn cold.

From 2010-01-13

The lack of central heating and insulation is making itself known again this year.

From 2010-01-13

otoh, there's chocolate beer...

From 2010-01-13

...chocolate cocktails...

From 2010-01-13

...and wasabi-beef flavored potato chips. So it's got that going for it.

From 2010-01-13

Philosophically valid.

Texts From Last Night:

"Sex should be hot, sweaty, messy, and a little painful. At no point should it involve tiny rocks"

Probably the coolest thing I've watched in some time.

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Ah religion, is there nothing you can't obfuscate?

Parts two and three.

Google remembers it's not supposed to be evil.

Google will stop filtering Google.cn, after dissident Gmail accounts targeted by China - Boing Boing

The way to prevent terrorism.

You don't hear about terrorists attacking, say, for example - Japan - do you?

The Government Will Do Anything to Keep Us Safe--Except End the Empire - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine:

"...It’s either foreign intervention and retaliatory terrorism or nonintervention and security. There’s no third way....Every empire has reaped a terrorist whirlwind. “Terror” is the tactic that the weak use against the strong...

It is disgraceful that the choice between terrorism and security is rarely publicly discussed in terms of the choice between American imperialism and nonintervention. The empire is treated as a given — even by most so-called progressives — as though it were ordained by history. The American people are expected to believe that the very existence of their society depends on the U.S. government’s policing the globe and using whatever violence it deems appropriate...."

I feel strange. And tingly.

Via - Star Wars burlesque show (yes, even Jabba's in here) - Boing Boing

Understanding Intelligent Design.

Really, this makes the most sense. Ha-ha, I say.

That's just funny.

Via Using Google to learn what boyfriends and girlfriends want from each other - Boing Boing

Hand-wringing, nanny-state pants-wetters.

Wait, you mean TV and movies aren't real? There goes my plan to invest extensively in Acme. You know, for the huge coyote/roadrunner market possibilities. Idiots, I swear to god.

I Won't Even Subject You To the Horrors of Our Three Stooges Ward - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine:

"...But a new test screening card from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Hollywood is still not up to government safety code on seat belts, bike helmets and proper boating safety.

Results of a CDC study on how safety is presented in G and PG movies, penned by epidemiologist Jon Eric Tongren, will be published in the February issue of Pediatrics.

...BusinessWeek wheels in a pediatrician to explain how you can raise green-threat-level kids in a yellow-alert culture:

[Dr. Barbara] Gaines said, "If you're watching a movie with your child and there's a major scene where someone didn't buckle up, give your kid a nudge, and say something like, 'Uh-oh, what did that guy forget to do?'""

Um, could the answer to that question be "Shut the fuck up while I'm trying to watch the movie?" Well, it should be.

Understanding Modern Day Christianity.

Just too damn funny.

"So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye..."

7 months... Saying goodbye to the apartment.

From 2010-01-04

From 2010-01-04

Enjoying the last sips of Fanta Grape - Japan style.

From 2010-01-04

Returning to my quiet, quiet apartment alone and the beginning of what can only be described as - at this point - an 8 day binge of junk food, denial, liquor and sadness. Boo.

From 2010-01-04

Day after New Year's shrine visit.

The big shrine in my town - Miyajidake.

From 2010-01-02

From 2010-01-02

From 2010-01-02

From 2010-01-02

The largest shimenawa - ceremonial rope - in Japan.

From 2010-01-02

From 2010-01-02

Sandy wins a prize - huge manju!

From 2010-01-02

Really though, we went for the food.

[Wagyu beef on a stick.]

From 2010-01-02

Choco bananas and pineapples.

From 2010-01-02

Sandy's favorite.

From 2010-01-02

Hot dogs on a stick! Bonus points for the American flag.

From 2010-01-02

From 2010-01-02

Oshogatsu/New Year's Day in Japan.

Traditional Dining...

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

Heading to Odo Park/Shrine.

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

Cute!

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

Daijiro defeats the foreigners.

From 2010-01-01

Sandy on the phone to mom.

From 2010-01-01

The winner of 4 out of 5 games of Uno. Clearly, something had gone wrong in the universe.

From 2010-01-01

Rocking the HS attire.

From 2010-01-01

Cousins and Baachan.

From 2010-01-01

Heading over to Baachan's - Dec 30th/31st.

Kaiten sushi enroute.

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

Chew, then swallow :)

From 2010-01-01

These were awesome.

From 2010-01-01

Enjoying a burger on the last day of Wendy's existence in Japan.

From 2010-01-01

Obscenely/gluttonly delicious.

From 2010-01-01

Mr Donuts!

From 2010-01-01

Downtown Tenjin.

From 2010-01-01

Dinnertime!

From 2010-01-01

Zenzai is delicious. [Till grandma serves it to you the 4th time in one day.]

From 2010-01-01

Snow on New Year's Eve.

From 2010-01-01

Japan's delicious/unique treats.

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

Yumi's stylish pics.

From 2010-01-01

Midori as a cheerleader at her school's sportsday.

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

I dig on the sukiyaki.

From 2010-01-01

From 2010-01-01

My favorite Japanese tradition - fights all night on broadcast TV all New Year's Eve.

From 2010-01-01