Elderly Japanese Motorists...

I have witnessed numerous bouts of crazy driving from the elderly of Japan, and for the most part it's the men that are the worst. Today I saw another two examples of dangerous behaviour behind the wheel that almost beggar belief.

Having dropped my wife off at work, I went on to the nearby supermarket to pick up some milk and water. Getting back to my car, I noticed that there was an old couple in the next car but one. They were facing forwards, and I was facing backwards (having parked front end in, as is my wont). Anyway, looking across and noticing that they were ready to leave, I gestured that they could go first. No response. I gestured again, this time mouthing "DOZO" and "ONEGAISHIMASU". Still no response, so I started the engine, and started to edge back. Looking across, they were still there. When I had almost pulled out of the space, the pensioners' car suddenly lurched forwards and swung around me, narrowly missing the rear wing. Was this a premeditated attack? I think so...

The second incident happened on the bypass not 500 metres from the supermarket. As I drove along, a car at the crossroads slowly pulled out in front of me, despite the fact that I was going 50km/h and there was no one behind me. What made it even worse was that the old man behind the wheel was lighting his cigarette at the time AND DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE ROAD TO WHICH HE WAS JOINING. To make things even worse, at the traffic lights a click or so further along, he sat making a cup of coffee in his car (that is, with a coffee jar, a cup, a flask of presumably hot water and milk and sugar). As the lights changed to green (or blue, as they say here in Japan), he gave a quick glance up, and carried on spooning coffee and sugar into the cup, WITH NO HANDS ON THE WHEEL.

I have seen a lot of bad driving, much of it here in Japan, but this really took the biscuit, which the old man no doubt slowly took out of the packet whilst going over a pedestrian crossing...

The biggest beetle I have ever seen!

At work today, Jessica left her kids class yelling something along the lines of "OHMYGODTHEY'VEGOTSOMEKINDAFRIKKIN'BEETLEFROMHELLINHERE!!", so naturally I went to investigate... lo and behold, one of the kids in my subsequent class had a Kabuto Mushi beetle crawling on his arm.

Now, I've seen some big insects (big for England that is), but this was something else... "here, hold him, sensei!" they pleaded. No. Way.

The little devils then tried to smuggle him into the class, but they hadn't reckoned on Super Saki, staff member par excellence, to save the day and insist the little stomper was put back in his glass tank...

Winkie's farewell part 1: at the ramen shop from hell

With fellow co-worker and fellow sometimes-Omuta-commuter Winkie back to Canada next month, time was fast running out on a long held promise - to sample the ramen of the fetid-smelling ramen shop opposite YouMe Town in Omuta.

Having walked past it for months and months, swearing and cursing about the smell that is distinctly "pig's arse", "old man's arse" or "old pig's arse", we made a pact that sometime before August, we'd pay it a visit. There was an abortive attempt (my hangover prevented me eating much of anything, let alone stuff that smelled like a fat nan's pits after a bit of huffy puffy) but we finally bit the bullet and ended up there last Sunday.

Standing outside, Winkie wrinkled her nose and said some not-too positive words about the aroma. Surely it would be better inside? Well, no... if anything it was worse, as we then had a greasy-shop smell to go with the pig's arse. At first sitting behind a giant pillar, we then moved to a normal table.

Ramen times two was the order of the day, and stench of the shop aside it was quite paletable, as Winks' cheerful grin attests... one little boy across the shop spent the whole time staring at us open mouthed, but generally it was a pretty good meal.

Though we did refrain from drinking the broth...

And our clothes and hair stank of pig's arse all the way home on the train...

Insane BT caller abuse!

Via: VideoSift

Muppet attempts zippo tricks!

Amusing newsroom mistakes

This is why I would be useless at reading the news... I would die of laughter..




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Superfly Live!

Here he is, the man, the song, THE year (1973).. the one and only Curtis Mayfield



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World Cup 2006

Well, it's over... a month of intense footy action, late nights here in Japan and groggy days, struggling through the long afternoons and evenings until the next fixtures. It started explosively, but the second phase went a bit Italia 90 and defensive on us all... nonetheless, what the hell are we going to do now that it's gone?.. whilst we ponder that, how about a video montage of some of the best goals, to the tune of Eye of the Tiger? (a song that incidentally used to set a certain high school compatriot by the name of Ben Chilvers into a battle frenzy during games lessons, but that's another story..)



Via: VideoSift

Winks! Why so glum??

Allow me to introduce Winkie, aka Winks, who I sometimes work with... usually a veritable barrel of smiles and vim, she was noticeably grizzly yesterday... but why?

Well, having found a lot of bugs outside, Winks was very perturbed to find...


the shell of a long gone cicada stuck to a leaf! If an expression could speak, what a tale it would tell...

All your base are belong to us.

This whole thing has been done to death for years, but I managed to track down the original and it's a classic... so Japanese. Fantastical desu.

The worst "angle" in pro wrestling history!

On live television... a 400lb man wearing a sparkly stormtrooper helmet and a cape mistimes his entrance, falls headfirst through the paper wall and loses said helmet... but the show must go on! Absolute gold... The Dang, this one is for YOU!

This video especially for James Diamond...

Mr T... and a NINJA!

Mr T's Commandments!

A sublime music video...

Enter the Dragon

Bruce Lee owns Bob Wall

More Riki Oh!

The greatest UK TV ad of all time

Beware the judder man my dear, when the moon is fat!
Sharp of tongue and spindle-limbed he is... and cunning!

How to fold a t-shirt in Japan

Via: VideoSift

Wonderful short clip about the Lyrebird that imitates sounds that it hears...




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Mr T on fashion!

The "stylin'" section of Mr T's seminal "Be Somebody... or be somebody's fool!" is arguably the most cringeworthy part of a uniquely cringeworthy video.. enjoy!



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"I am a real American!"

There is no excuse for this scandalous music video... interesting side points: look at the way the hulkster (aka the biggest one trick pony in the history of the world) spits on the USSR flag and tears up the picture of Gaddhafi.




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Scenes from arguably the worst film ever made... Troll 2!



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The history of video games

I realise that I have posted rather a few video links today, and I don't want this blog to become one of those kinds of sites... but some things deserve to be shared, so I'll be posting cool stuff as and when I find it... for instance, a documentary on the history of video games!



Via: VideoSift

Kewpie Mayonnaise Advert - I LOVE JAPAN!

Cute and a little poignant, with heavy lashings of sentimentality and creepy as hell... Japanese tv adverts are incredible!




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My word! More quality fighting!

This is.... well.. too amazing for words!



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Great Scenes from Riki Oh!

Oh my christ... I nearly choked on my own tongue when I saw this! Great stuff...