Rick Cogley

God, why. - Rick Cogley from Bookmarklet

== Dog For Sale == Free to good home. Excellent guard dog. Owner cannot afford to feed him anymore, as there are no more drug pushers, thieves, murderers, or molesters left in the neighborhood for him to eat. Most of them knew Jethro only by his street name, 'Holy Shit!' - Rick Cogley from email

"The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) hopes that the ambitious plans will help ease the country’s energy problems as well as providing a solution for global warming. A select group of companies and researchers have been given the task of designing and building the Space Solar Power System (SSPS)." - Rick Cogley from Bookmarklet

(The Japanese on the page jokingly says maybe they even have a "bust up" effect [i.e. help to increase size])サンコーレアモノショップ 【USBバストビューディーパッド】もしかしたら、バストアップ効果があるかもしれない「レアモノ」です！ - Rick Cogley from Bookmarklet

TOKYOMANGO - "Hotaru-san (Mr. Firefly) is a fun web program that lets you send short messages to people in a slightly e-cardish way, except it's much more fun. The start screen shows a gymnasium full of people dressed in black full-body tights with giant light bulbs on their bums; they're supposed to be fireflies. When you type a message into the boxes at the top of the screen and press start, the firefly guys will get up, rearrange themselves, and spell out your message with their butt lights. Once you've created a custom message, you can send it to people by email. Cute idea! It's an ad campaign for web provider So-Net." - Rick Cogley from Bookmarklet

AFP: "SANTIAGO — Astronomers in Chile and Japan have for the first time seen part of the "cosmic web" of galaxies that permeates the known universe in a gigantic assembly some seven billion light-years from Earth. Viewed through the world's most powerful telescopes, the discovery "is the first observation of such a prominent galaxy structure in the distant universe, providing further insight into the cosmic web and how it formed," the European Southern Observatory (ESO) said Tuesday in a statement. The assembly of galaxies form filaments "millions of light years long and constitute the skeleton of the universe," it said. "Galaxies gather around them, and immense galaxy clusters form at their intersections, lurking like giant spiders waiting for more matter to digest," it added. The filaments are located about 6.7 billion light-years away and extend over at least 60 million light-years, the scientists said, adding the structure very likely stretches beyond the area they probed,... more... - Rick Cogley from Bookmarklet

The Japan Times Online - "The menu at Les Deux Bleue in Toyosu's LaLaport shopping complex in Koto Ward reads like one from an upscale bistro — chicken-liver pate with a bountiful mix of organic vegetables, grilled beef and okara (soy pulp) hamburgers, apple pie with fresh cream and mint — except that's just for the dogs. "You can try it, but you'll definitely think it has no flavor," laughs manager Tastuaki Matsumura, who explains that the dog-menu ingredients are the same as those used in the dishes for people, but with one notable difference: The dog versions are completely additive-free. "We don't use any preservatives, salt or sugar," says Matsumura. "Everything is fresh and healthy." The cafe also specializes in elaborate doggy birthday cakes made with strawberries, blueberries, eggs and sour cream. Owners can personalize it with a message and request special decorations. These treats aren't exactly cheap — a medium-size cake costs ¥2,000, and a doggy dinner will set you back... more... - Rick Cogley from Bookmarklet

The Mainichi Daily News - "Managers of Hotel Carib in Yokohama's Asahi Ward, Katsunori Nonaka and Naoya Hashimoto, both 38, were arrested under the Law Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses for running a love hotel in a prohibited area. The fixtures at the hotel, which is run under a business hotel license, led police to deem the building a love hotel." - Rick Cogley from Bookmarklet

"SEPANG, Malaysia, Nov. 4 (AP) - (Kyodo)—A Japanese woman facing the death sentence for trafficking drugs into Malaysia claims she was duped by a Middle Eastern man into delivering what she thought were "books" to the country, an investigating officer said Wednesday. Mariko Takeuchi, a 35-year-old former nurse, was arrested last Friday at Kuala Lumpur International Airport upon arrival from Dubai." - Rick Cogley from Bookmarklet

Rick Cogley posted a photo: This is mouthwash and the Japanese product name is Breast. Honey could you take out the garbage? Wait, I need to have some Breast. :-p --Rick Cogley ( rick.cogley.info ) - Rick Cogley

The Japanese says it's "bresuto". :-p - Rick Cogley from email

AMPONTAN - "THERE MAY BE nothing new under the sun, but big fun often results when imaginative people modify and adapt whatever’s at hand to create something semi-new. One such group of people, led by 66-year-old physical education instructor Kita Ryoko in Mima, Tokushima, decided they wanted to invent a new sport that could be played by people of any age. What they came up with was yacurling. It’s similar to curling, but played on a gymnasium floor with a kettle instead of on specially treated ice with a granite stone. Curling has shown up on everyone’s radar in Japan since the better-than-expected performance of the women’s team at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The women’s team also finished fourth at the 2008 World Championships, though they didn’t fare so well this year. (The women from China won instead.) Ms. Kita and her crew started with a five-liter yakan, which is a Japanese-style kettle. (There are different sizes, but they all look the same.) They cut three holes in the bottom... more... - Rick Cogley from Bookmarklet

Indeed, Anika. Curling itself is a rather esoteric game, and this yacurling is so funny, I have to find a place to see it! - Rick Cogley from email