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Showing posts from June 15, 2008

Honshu and Okinawa

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I am back. I spent 10 days in Japan, 5 days for work on the main island of Honshu and 5 days of solo adventure in Okinawa. Travel is so invigorating dispite the uncomfortableness. Jetlag, anxiety, crowds, and other discomforts aside, it is mind-expanding and rewarding. Work went well. I flew a new airline (Skymark) from Tokyo to Naha. I am always wary of strange discount airlines and all the traps they set. However, I had a great expereince with "Sky". I was actually shocked. Super easy checkin at the airport, no extra fees even with extra luggage. The primary mission in Okinawa was to visit the Peace Park and the suicide cliffs of Okinawa. From what I understand, at the end of WW2 the inhabitants were encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Americans and get tortured and eaten. Besides other types of suicide, they jumped off the cliffs at the Southern end of the main island. If you have seen the original color footage taken at the time, I am sure you ...
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Today I MC'd Carol Thau's retirement luncheon. I have done quite a few of these in the last couple of years. I am particularly in debt to Carol for volunteering as the acting mamager on my behalf when I was in Antarctica. She did a great job. Good Luck Carol.
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In taking a walk around Greene NY during lunch the other day I gathered proof that the community is caught in some kind of time bubble. Check out the gas prices on the sign, the early 60 ford that has not succumb to the tin worms and the stove from yesteryear.
The word miscellaneous is an evil word. This word is a handy excuse to sweep information under the rug, hide information in a desk drawer or otherwise cop-out of organization work. Miscellaneous is a usless word and concept. There is sorted and unsorted. Advice: remove misc. from your thinking. Organized thinking begets organized information and the other way around. The information paradox is pervasive. Break the cycle. Ruthlessly categorize.
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Another weekend over. The scrap in the picture sold for 150 bucks this past Saturday. Amazing how high commodities have got. Hang on. The economy is in for some twists. I was all set to invest in forign currencies and I held off because of fear. Wouldn't you know my fears were warranted. The dollar started gaining some strength back. I lucked out there. I have to remember that. I was bit surprised how easy I got the scrap to the scrap yard. I used the tractor to drag the metal scrap out of the hedgerow (way back on the property), the bobcat to load onto the trailer and the truck and trailer to get it to the scrap yard. I seem to be set up for this stuff. It took less than two hours from end to end. The llama shearer will be here this weekend. I am going to look at a D6 dozer too. The dozer may be helping make some new ponds and what not. The projects on the list are going well this summer. Like always there are steps forward and steps back on the roads of progress. It is ve...