There seems to have been a lot of bad news this year. Accidents and bullying incidents that have cut lives off well before their time. I will be holding off on at least one for a while, since it's closer to home than the others - it's similar to the incident that happened at my school in June, but affecting one of my friends on a much deeper level ( Read more... )

One of the headlines on the Japanese Times online today was this: Student dies from archery arrow wound. (Japanese)

My students mentioned this to me at lunchtime, and I was shocked to find that it had really occurred.

The accident occurred on Wednesday in Tokyo's Meguro ward, with the 16-yo student dying in hospital without regaining conciousness. ( Read more... )

...according to the New York Times online, anyway. ( another link on japan_now )

What caught my attention are the final paragraphs, which address the "dire straits of political communication in Japan". Despite the popularity of CHANGE last year, Kimura Takuya's character definitely doesn't resemble any Japanese politicians, particularly when addressing the ( Read more... )

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are a royal couple with one of the most successful marriages ever. And she accredits it to a piece of advice her mother gave to her: "My mother when I married said you must have separate bathrooms and separate bedrooms. That was the only sure way of keeping a marriage alive because it was an invitation as opposed ( Read more... )

by accident of course, but with something like this happening, do you still think that guns are necessary for the ordinary person ( Read more... )

NB: cross-posted. Apologies to the those who see it twice.

On Friday, an European court found the founders of the Bit Torrent tracker and server, Pirate Bay, "guilty of promoting copyright infringement". The four have been sentenced to 1 year in prison each, and have also been order to pay damages of 30 million kronor.

Opponents of the decision are ( Read more... )

Miss Baker's Biology Class

There was an article about this website in the Scientist online. The technology's there, and besides giving them an interesting assignment based in the real world, it's such a useful way to get students started on writing, referencing and online etiquette early. I distinctly remember being unable to reference properly at ( Read more... )

A resident preparing to defend his home took some time out to record this video. There's running commentary throughout most of it, but listen for the roar around 2 minutes in.

I've been going out a lot recently. Each outing, including the trip today, has been very enjoyable. I feel guilty, but it helps me from going crazy - I've even missed studying on a couple of days this past week because I've been taking up virtually all invitations. But since Sunday, one thing's been consistent: I get home and spead at least an hour ( Read more... )

A couple of weeks ago, the Queensland government started taking applications for "The Best Job in the World." Well, what's the deal?

The position of "Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef" is a six-month contract starting on July 1st. Operating from a base on Hamilton island, his or her key responsibilities are to explore the islands ( Read more... )