IPA

I am currently brewing / carbonating some IPA with my well used Mr. Beer kit.

That's Biru-san, for you Japan-o-philes, I suppose.

Yummy!

Link'd: Weather Channel Retrospective on the King of Pop

I do enjoy the Borowitz Report.

Link'd: WTF? From TPM

They can't be THAT stupid, can they?

Gay Demons on the Loose in the Northeast!

Oh my!

Better get a copy of this book.

Pizza Time in Japan!

So check these pizza "flavors" and prices in the latest Dominos flyer in my mailbox this morning:

Headlining is the "Sirloin Steak Pizza" which debuts at $28 for medium and $42 for large. That's a Japanese large, by the way, which is NOT American large. For further examples of this large deception, please see T-Shirts, pants, drinks, etc. One of the few true "larges" is the dai-jockey or large draft beer. They do that VERY well over here. But I digress.

Also in today's flyer are the following:

"Iberico Pork with Tomato Sauce": also $28 for M and $42 for L

"Quattro Meat Max": $26 M, $39 L

"BBQ Garlic Chicken" (which is freakin' delicious!): $23 for M, $35.40 for L

"Tropical", which has tomato sauce, ham, pineapple, corn, and onion (corn?): $20 M, $31 L

"American Special", tomato sauce, pepperoni, onion: $15.80 M, $25.20 L

"Chiki-Teri" (Chicken Teriyaki): $25.40 M, $35.20 L

Side order of pasta topped with fish eggs and squid: $10.50

Fried potatos stamped in little smiley face shapes: 10 for $4.80

In case you are unaware, we have many American fast food chains available here. McDonald's is the most prevalent (read: freakin' everywhere on every corner). The Mickey D's in my neighborhood is very clean, has a separate filtered smoking room (death chamber), and has the most polite helpful staff I have ever encountered in any fast food restaurant. Apparently, having McDonald's on your resume looks good here because of their excellent local reputation. Quite contrary to the "Most Disgusting Carl's Jr. in the World", which currently exists to my great dismay near the 15 / 40 split in Barstow, California. Yuck.

Back to Japan. We also have plenty of KFC's. I may have previously mentioned the local habit for getting a bucket of the Colonel's best at Christmas time.

I have also recently discovered a Burger King off base. I had previously heard that the only ones left in Japan were on the military bases, so that was a nice surprise. The U.S. Military and the King seem to have made some sort of unholy alliance years ago because every base I can think of has one. Weird. I heard a rumor that there might be a Taco Bell in downtown Tokyo, but that is unconfirmed at this time.

We have butt loads of Starbucks and Tully's (for you Seattle-tonians, or whatever you call your coffee addicted selves).

Pizza Hut's abound, and one of the local franchises gives you half price take out every month on the 8th through the 10th. This is because here, Pizza Hut is pronounced more like "Pizza Hatto", including pronouncing the "z's" like "z's" rather than as in "Pitsa". The "Hatto" part is where the discount dates link occurs, however. 8 is "Hachi", so that's where you get the "Ha" for "Hatto". 10 is a bit different. 10 is normally "ju", pronounced "jew". But 10 is also "to" pronounced as in "toe", so there is the back end of "Hatto". So, now you have 8 - 10 from "Hatto", thus the dates of the half price discount. Cool language sometimes.

We also have Wendy's, Subway, Denny's, Little Caesar's, Yoshinoya (Duh), the list goes on. Most times the menu is largely the same as in the U.S. with some modifications catering to local preferences, kind of like the way Chinese food is adapted to each region for a more local presentation.

Well, that's all for today folks!

Bon Apetit!

National Health Insurance Minute

Well, I don't know where you stand on the U.S. government's potential for increased involvement in the nation's health insurance. I think it's probably obvious where I am on the issue. I'd like to see a national health insurance system, although I understand we can't get there over night.

You can't just obliterate the private insurance companies in a relatively short time period, as much as you might want to. Too many jobs are currently tied in there. However, over time there would be replacement jobs. It's pretty clear, particularly in light of the Baby Boomers' retirement, that the need for health care workers and health care administrators and bureaucrats is going to increase in the near future. After the Baby Boom passes on, the nation will go through a natural retraction in that industry. If we still have a mostly private system at that time, companies will go out of business and people will lose jobs accordingly. If we have a primarily government run system, I would speculate that the system would be more capable of retaining employment for most workers despite decreased demand. That's where government entities fit in the economy, into market failures, such as utilities. I'm way out of my league writing on this subject, but I am interested.

Oh, and by way of comparison, my Japanese National Health Insurance bill for a family of two is $75 a month. I think Blue Crud was about $400 - $500 a month.

Nice.

Japanese Driver License Part 4: Veni Vidi Vici

Mission Complete.

Arrived early, submitted all paperwork, answered all gestapoesque questions correctly, filled out application, completed eye exam, sat for photo, recieved Japanese driver license. Four hours of life gone.

I still feel guilty like I got away with something, but I'm fairly certain I followed the letter, if not the intent of the law/treaty, etc.

Feels good. Think I'll celebrate a bit.

Yatta!!!!

Japanese Driver License Part 3: Back for More

So, they say that performing the same activity time and again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. While this may apply to the Chicago Cubs and their fans, I do hope that it does not apply in my case.

I am tasking myself with a return to the Japanese DMV to attempt once again to acquire a Japanese driver license. With my pile of paperwork in hand, I hope to convince them to just give me a license with no test at all. Sounds like pie in the sky? Perhaps. I don't want to set the bar at the same height as last trip. I am raising my expectations.

Actually, since I have recently, and hopefully temporarily, separated from active duty, there appears to be a procedure whereby one can acquire a driver license after proving you are separated. It appears that the logic is that you have been driving on the roads of Japan already with your SOFA license, so why not just give you your Japanese license once you no longer qualify for SOFA status. This sounds too good to be true, however I am a glutton for bureaucratic punishment. Thus armed with a new approach and even more documentation than last time, I will make the trek to the DMV and hope for the best.

Wish me luck.

Link'd: Beer, beer, beer, beer

What's up, My Economist!

Stephen Colbert is in Iraq this week

Even if you don't watch the Colbert Report after the Daily Show on Comedy Central on a regular basis, I'd highly recommend this episode to you.

Stephen is on a USO tour this week, and the first episode's interview finale with Gen. Odierno is priceless, particularly when the Commander In Chief makes a guest video appearance. At least check the third segment of the show for a great laugh.

Link'd: Pro Government Health Insurance Option

Bob Cesca is one of my favorite bloggers on the Huff Post.

I've had Blue (you must go to this one hospital and no other, and we don't care if you found a Japanese speaking doctor for your wife elsewhere, screw you) Cross, and now I'm enjoying Japanese National Health Insurance. And yes, I can see doctors who speak English if I don't mind doing a bit of searching and/or traveling. It's allowed.

Yes We Can.

Good luck America.

Hugo Chavez 1 - Coke 0

Well, I do enjoy an ice cold soda from time to time, particularly with pizza. However, I think it's generally acknowledged that a drink that has no nutritional value due to basically being water with chemicals mixed in is probably not the healthiest drink to choose.

Or, it could be because Coke Zero tastes like ass, and only Venezuela has the cajones to say so.

I report. You decide.

Link'd: Great Article on the Cost of American Health Care

Heard about this article on KCRW's Left, Right and Center podcast.

It's a bit lengthy, but quite insightful no matter what solution you feel may be appropriate to address the ridiculously high cost of health care in the U.S., particularly when compared with other industrialized nations.

New Movie

Just saw an ad on TV.

This movie looks freakin' great!

Ridiculous female Chan-esque action with lots of gratuitous violence and kicking guys in the head.

Watch the trailer for some fun action shots.

Oink!

If you're faced with an enemy employing war elephants, get yourself some piggies.

That's what I did, and I haven't been attacked by war elephants since. So, that proves that what I did prevented the unrealized war elephant attacks from happening, right?

Right?

Still Cheney After All These Years

New York Times

McClatchy