Random Notes of Japan
+ Walking through a train station at Namba today, NOFX's "Don't call me White" began blaring on the speakers....nobody noticed, but I started singing along and smiling...ever so slightly. It occured to me that this would never happen in Canada. Don't Caaaall me white!

+ The news in Japan, domestic and international, is still obsessed with the relief effort on the Indian Ocean. Analysis in some of the papers pointed to a gradual increase in funds from nations because they didn't know how much they were contributed and didn't want to overcontribute at first and didn't know the extent of the damage. I'm sure the Japanese are thinking this is BS, as they quickly donated a half billion USD, a full 0.0014% of GDP...which is double Canada and the US.

+ I found out today that I will be teaching, nay, entertaining some 20 kids for 2 hours next week as part of my job here. Petrified? Yep. I'm bringing my trusty acoustic hoping they can sing the Clash's "Guns of Brixton". Just kidding.

+ My projects here include remixing every one of my favourite songs. "Personal Jesus" is getting yet another remix but with beats by Daft Punk. "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails is getting a speech by Churchill over its beats...a drunk Winston exclaims "We will fight on the beaches...we will fight on the rooftops....We Will Never Surrender!" Good fun.

+ I'm watching the Canadian Blogosphere as usual and there seems to be great lot of fuss over the "Kinsella Affair" thing-Again! We gotta let this stuff go: Let's put down the guns for a bit until we have just cause again, eh? Save the ammo:

When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head?
Or on the trigger of your gun?

You can crush us
You can bruise us
And even shoot us!
But Ooooohhh!
The Guns of Brixton!
--The Clash