Friday, December 29, 2006

Brett comes to Japan

(Retrospection)
A while back, I posted some pictures from Brett's visit to Japan and the Harajiri waterfall. Here are some more pictures from that week. Although it was Brett's visit, these pictures tend to be mostly of me because Brett was behind the camera. But I'm a good looking guy so I trust there are no objections.

You can see me sporting my 100 yen ($1) sunglasses in many of these pictures. My West Michigan eyes aren't used to the bright sun of Kyushu, so I always wear sunglasses in the spring and summer, even though the locals never do. Because I tend to be the kind of person who always breaks or accidentally steps on his sunglasses, I started getting all my sunglasses from the 100 yen store. At least until someone told me that not all the cheap sunglasses are UV protected, and therefore actually worse for your eyes because they cause the pupil to open up more without protecting it from UV rays. But these pictures were before I knew that, so you can see me still modelling the stylish 100 yen sunglasses.

All of these pictures were taken in my town in Ajimu. Pretty beautiful place, huh?








I still have no idea how Brett talked me into taking this picture. Especially since at the time I was sure he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to ring the bell once I was inside. Fortunately he only took the picture, and I escaped with my ear drums intact.




















Video playlist HERE:



Useless Wikipedia Fact
McCartney was inspired to write the song "Helter Skelter" after reading a newspaper review of The Who's latest single, most likely "I Can See For Miles". The review described the single as the loudest, wildest song ever recorded, with distorted guitars, reverb, and screaming. McCartney took this as a challenge to write something louder and "Helter Skelter" was the result. Some historians of popular music believe that this song was a key influence on the development of heavy metal.

Link of the Day
Gerald Ford: The Conflicted President on Civil Rights
and
President Gerald Ford Dies at 93; Supported Indonesian Invasion of East Timor that Killed 1/3 of Population
and
Investigative Journalist Robert Parry on Gerald Ford's Legacy and the Bush Administration's Roots in the Ford White House
and
Did Gerald Ford Agree to Nixon Pardon Before Taking Office? The Nation's Victor Navasky on Ford's Memoirs and the Lawsuit that Followed

I should make it clear I don't have a Vendetta against Ford. He wasn't our worst President by far. But I do want to provide a counter-perspective to the love orgasm going on in the Grand Rapids Press this week. The GR Press has yet to mention one word of the Genocide in East Timor that Ford supported.

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