The Phoenix and Drum

The Pheonix and Drum, originally uploaded by Jaqaroo.

The Phoenix and Drum sonds like a British pub name. I remember there was a number of pubs that started with The Phoenix and ....something.
I'm not sure if the metal bird on top of the drum is actually a phoenix. This was taken down our High Street at the weekend; some kind of small festival was about to take place.
It's nice to feel like a phoenix sometimes, don't you think? To rise from the perceived ashes of failure, to be born again. Life should be lived forwards.

iPod Nano

galleryimage011, originally uploaded by Jaqaroo.

This is now my number one object of desire. I want one!
My old iPod has been a good and faithful friend for the last couple of years, and continues to be one. Never let me down; always lifted my spirits when the pressures and stresses of the day would have crushed me.
One of the original, first generation, 10 gig iPods, he is getting a little on the heavy side these days. And of course I don't help by insisting on wearing those "Egg" headphones...but the sound man! The sound!
So recently I've been thinking it would be nice to have something really small. Something that would all fit in half a shirt pocket or less, and weigh nothing. There's a lot of them out there. The iPod Shuffle of course...I would like to stay to loyal to Apple. Then there's the new Sony Walkman stick, which looks very nnice, I have to admit: small, long battery time. And then a long list of other really small MP3 players.
But this morning I'm reading on the BBC about Apple's new mobile phone, and they mention in passing that Jobs also annouced the iPod Nano.
How far can these things go? I mean, what is going to be available 10 or even 5 years from now? Perhaps it will be like the mobile phones. In Japan they got smaller and smaller until they became like little toys and almost impractical to use. So then they got bigger again but with new features. So I think future iPods will come with cameras (still and video), video play back, GPS, you name it, plus capacity for a 50,000 songs. It's coming.

Peeandpoo

peeandpoo, originally uploaded by Jaqaroo.

Don't mess around with the Tokyo City Parks Department. They don't mince their words and they don't fudge it when it comes to calling a spade a spade and a trowel a trowel. If there is any peeing or pooing in the park they'll know about it and they will be all over you like...well, like something unplesant that you would rather not have all over you.
The bushes have eyes.
Later there is a sign which say,
"Parents, please do not let your child pee or poo in the park as dogs play and have their lunch on the grass".

Garamasala Chips

Garamasala, originally uploaded by Jaqaroo.

Came across these Garamasala flavoured chips in my local Mini Stop a few days ago. Nice packaging I think. The chips are small, triangular, thin cracker kind of things and have a liberal dusting of garamasala powder on them. I don't think it would be advisable to eat the whole bag (55g) at one sitting, even though at first you may not think the bag contains so many chips.
Life's a bit like that sometimes... don't you think? You think you can handle the spice, and at the time you can, and it all goes down quite nicely, very tasty, but then you can't get the taste out of your mouth, or out of your head for the rest of day. Beware the bright packaging of pop culture!

Last Call for Summer (min min min)

min min, originally uploaded by Jaqaroo.

Hot again today, a real August sorching Sunday. In the park we went to in the morning the cicadas were still calling, but not for much longer I think. The end of August is in sight and I always feel that September is autumn, at least the beginning of autumn, not matter how hot it reaches, and it can still reach pretty bloody high.
The last day of August is your last official day to have a crack at Fuji. I didn't go last week; a combination of doubtful weather and doubtful motivation and committment. The weather turned out fine and now I regret not going. But I have another chance next weekend, the last weekend of the official climbing season, although early September can be very good.
Next week is a regualar working week, which I am very happy about, last week I taught no classes and made no money. It may still be summer time, but without money the living can be far from easy. Let's Go!