Ethiopian Curry

Ethopian Curry, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

Available in both chicken and beef flavors.

In Japan, curry has transformed from an exclusively Indian dish into some kind of Ur grue for any kind of non-native spicy dish. Curry stands in for the big, bad, wide, unkown "foreign" world beyond the shores of safe Nippon. Since all gaijin are essentially the same, ie: not Japanese, we all must eat the same things right?

Jawa (Java) and Vermont Curry

Jawa (Java) and Vermont Curry, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

Did you know that the Jawa eat curry? Keeps 'em nice and tiny. Actually, it's the Japanese pronunciation for Java (the island of, not the scripting language).

And on the bottom shelf, the venerable Vermont curry. Serve with some cheddar cheese and maple syrup for that comfy, American home feeling.

Curry Marché

Curry Marché, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

yeah, the French make curry... don't they?

Mexican Curry

Mexican Curry, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

but of course......

OMG!OMG!

liberality Larry Elmore Cover :

"It is 2021, tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of 9/11. America is under oppression by ultra-liberal extremists which have yielded governing authority to the United Nations. It is up to an underground conservative group (known as F.O.I.L.) led by Sean Hannity, G. Gordon Liddy and Oliver North to thwart Ambassador Usama Bin Laden's plans to nuke New York City."

It's a comic book, for real. It's the funniest (re: saddest) thing I've ever seen. The percieved vicitmization of the far right, even as they're putting the boot in, never fails to amaze.

Click through to read a preview.

Wow.

Off the grindstone

Finally...

Just finished up a big job for Popular Science magazine; a report from the World Expo in Aichi, Japan. Regular readers of this blog will remember we went there a little over a month ago. The Expo itself was kinda lame but the robots on display, both the prototypes and the ones working the Expo grounds where pretty cool. I both illustrated and reported the story. My first time writing anything professionally. I think it came out pretty well for a first time effort but you can judge for yourself when it comes out in the November issue. It got pushed back a month... a bit of a drag but not unexpected in the magazine business. Not enough ads sold equals less pages.

But damn, I can't wait until then to trumpet my own horn so here's a couple of previews until the issue comes out.



Can't show ya everything, probably not copacetic, but just a taste should be OK.

Farmer Taro

Farmer Taro, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

Also spotted these in the grocery store today (perhaps you can tell by my excitement that I haven't left the house lately...). The package says "Enoki" which is a kind of mushroom. I like 'em, not my all-time favorite although I am a fan of most fungus.

What I really dug is "Farmer Taro's" mug on the package. What you can't see in the photo is the little 5 o'clock stubble above his upper lip. I'm also pretty sure that's some lipstick he's got applied.

And no, I have no ideas what he's saying. Perhaps something like, "then it puts the lotion in the basket..."

suckers

suckers, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

Hi, so I'm back. I've been hitting that grindstone pretty severly last couple of weeks...big illo job. More on that in a subsequent post.

So I finally got to leave the house today. We made a run to the baby store (not for buying babies, just baby goods...) and I spotted these little gems. I couldn't pick between the lil' vampire fangs or the two buck teeth. My dilemma was quickly ended though when Miyuki veto'ed either with a firm, "no way!".

Dang.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japan racism 'deep and profound'

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Japan racism 'deep and profound'

on the other hand...

while the Japanese might not be prudes they ARE certainly quite racist.

suku suku no okite

Or "Rules for Growing".

A book cover you'll never see in America, Land of the Free, Home of the Prude. I dig the little Day of the Dead fella down in the corner holding the Paul Frank monkey.

And today we found out we're having a girl. Well, we're 90% sure, as far as these things go. Our Aunt Ina will be very pleased... she predicted it months ago. We're psyched.

Foundphotos

Foundphotos

Completely addicitve... consider yourselves warned.

genius chimp vs swedish lolita

genius chimp vs swedish lolita, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

found on the shelves of our local video depot...

who shall win this fiercely pitched battle?

75 Degrees South

75 Degrees South

This is one of my new favorite, occasional diversions- a blog from a research base in Antartica.

Kind of gives you an idea of my state of mind lately..... hell, they're even more "off the grid" than I am (culturally speaking).

Our tiny 4th

Well, the 5th of July actually as the 4th was pretty much a complete wash-out. Been dumping buckets lately, but that's ok, it's tsuyu or the rainy season. It's Japan's 5th season (well, 6th if you count kafunsho).

Yesterday we did burgers, corn, baked beans and beer. Tonight we had out tiny hanabi, or fireworks.


Look at these little cuties. I really dig the decora, or "decorated truck" dingus on the end.



But they all put on a nice lil' show.

Gambling for food

Gambling for food, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

The Japanese enjoy gambling so much they will gladly plunk down 100 yen (a buck), again and again and again, for the chance to win a tiny sausage... or pack of crackers (I know there's a joke in there somewhere).

I believe you can buy the sausages separately for 80 yen.

Classy pachinko

Classy pachinko, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

How's about a little Van Gogh, or perhaps a Botticelli, with your pointless waste of time?

Hanabi Madness

Hanabi Madness, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

Each GIGANTIC pack of fireworks is only 500 yen, basically 5 bucks(!!!!!!).

Joy.

I Heart Dark

I Heart Dark, originally uploaded by mckibillo.

Totally bitchin' Star Wars swag from the Japanese clothing retail chain "Right-On".

The Ministry of Truth

In the latest move by the Ministry of Truth, an 8 minute video that is shown to visitors at the Lincoln Memorial is being re-edited to reflect a more "fair and balanced" viewpoint. As reported in this AP story:

Park Service documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show officials purchased video of President Bush, pro-gun advocates and pro-Iraq war rallies and also considered removing images of Democratic former President Clinton at the memorial.

Apparently some Conservative groups are upset because:

"The video gave the impression that Lincoln would have supported abortion and homosexuality," said the Web site of Rev. Louis Sheldon's Traditional Values Coalition. It cited footage showing events at the memorial staged by abortion and gay rights supporters and war opponents but no similar footage from Christian and conservative interests.

Of course the focus of the video (which, in it's still un-edited form, can be viewed in it's entirety here), and by implication the legacy of Lincoln, is the struggle for civil rights. So even though the insertion of footage representing "traditional values" doesn't really make sense to me, I'm not adamantly opposed to their inclusion. After all, intolerance, war mongering and violence have made America what it is today and for a more honest representation of what the country is, perhaps they should be included.

The thing, well 2 things actually, that really scares me is the proposal of removing Clinton from the video. The first is that this is the kind of photographic trickery that was employed in Stalinist Russia where re-writing history was a State endorsed activity. The second thing, and this is strikes me as really scary, is that the censorship is not even State directed. The Parks Department (which administers the monument) felt it necessary to consider removing Clinton on their own. The agency said no one from the White House ever contacted the Park Service or Interior Department about the video. In the end, the Clinton footage will stay in... removing him would have required a massive re-edit. But the fact that it was even considered, and that the censorship was self-initiated, indicates, to me at least, that Newspeak has really started to work it's way in.

To mix metaphors (and literary reference)... it really is a brave, new world.

And oh yeah, Happy 4th of July. Long may freedom wave.