badmigraine

I gave up drinking at the end of last summer in Michigan. Unfortunately, that left me with nothing but the self-loathing, so I had to take it up again as a hobby.

Even as a boarder, I cannot long resist the lure of moguls and hot-dog skiing! It's been less than 6 months since my operation, and not only was I bashing the moguls in Fukushima-ken on my new board last weekend, but I still have over 10 Darvocets left. Highly recommended!

I tore my right medial meniscus moguling at Naeba. That was on a snowboard though.

It's fairly sarcastic with a healthy sprinkling of sexual and bathroom-type humor. Some find it funny, others don't like it. Same as any other show. The real issue is the politicizing of the FCC (the government agency that controls broadcasting), and the vagueness/lack of definition in FCC regulations of what is "indecent". As for the politicizing of the FCC, the current chairman is Colin Powell's son. Now how do you think he got THAT job? The current administration has strong ties to the Christian right and Bush is a born-again Christian who speaks to Jesus in the White House. Ther

It is indeed a silly question. There are others on the same form, asking if you're a drug dealer, etc. Nobody expects those intending acts of terrorism to check the "yes" box. Naturally, they check the "no" box. But when later they are found (such determination by the immigration service could occur while the alien is inside or outside the US) to have entered the US intending an act of terrorism (that may not have even actually occurred, for whatever reason), then they are presumptively guilty of visa fraud...because they lied on their application. This has several consequences

Mogs, you might want to talk to the realtor and/or owner right now...unless you have some written record of their acknowledgment of the condition, the vid might not be enough! Easier to handle it now. I don't think you'd want new tatami even if they offered it, right? You might want to keep the old tatami in there, so you don't have to buy new ones on the way out...

Me too, Ocean. All sweetness and light.

I don't think licensing would help. They're required to drive cars, but we still have lots of car accidents. And lots of people violating the traffic laws, speeding, doing rolling stops, playing with radios or driving drunk. There's fake licenses, licensed drivers who are visually or aurally impaired...old drivers, hyper drivers, drivers with guns in the glove box. Drivers falling asleep, drivers racing on canyon roads, drivers eating food or talking on cell phones... The license doesn't protect you against anything. All you have to do is pass a test virtually anybody can

The Skier's Code...what a lark. Its practical effect is no more than well-intentioned playground rules that can be used to pull your ticket if the operator feels so inclined. Many don't know the Code, or knowing it, don't follow it. Many sporadically follow it but forget about it in order to complete a particularly satisfying high-speed maneuver or take advantage of a snow stash or terrain feature. It's natural to blank on certain rules when having exciting experiences. And then there are the drinkers, like Mogski... Look, even if the Court of International Justice in the

THINGS YOU REALLY DON'T WANT YOUR EMPLOYER TO KNOW In an average day at the office, you will spend over 4.5 hours looking at the Internet, 1.5 hours eating and excreting waste products, and only 2.0 hours working.

Could it be me?

Looks like they're possibly going after cable TV and satellite radio next. If you connect the dots in this election year, it seems the Bush re-election strategy is becoming clearer. They appear to have accepted that they will not get many swing votes from Democratic-leaning Republicans, and are now focusing on wooing the religious right and arch-conservative or WASPy constituency. 1. Coming out in the news guns blazing against gay marriage, 2. Co-opting the FCC (lapdog of zillionaire corporations who get a free [OK, not free, they have to make big campaign contributions in

I like the Japanese TV shows and movies where for example they're supposed to be in New York City, they go into a bar, and the bartender is an Aussie or a guy with a German accent. Or a bunch of American street rappers speak as if they are from Kenya, not Compton or Oakland. Or there is a scene set in a "cool, happening" Tokyo dance club, where the camera pans to show some older corporate TV producer's idea of what young people must look/act like in such places. There'll be an impossible mix of reggae, hip-hop, trancer, Harley-Davidson and Uniqlo-style "clubbers" all in the same room, wit

Great call to do this, Plucks. This kind of thing is best done sooner rather than later! Congratulations. Where have you been keeping that Wrangler during your Japan gig? How about a camper van as opposed to an RV? Smaller, better gas mileage, cheaper to buy a used one, and less obtrusive if you want to park/sleep in a grocery store lot in the middle of nowhere. I'm at the end of a 1.5 year "vacation" that began with Tokyo job frustration and missing my country/my family. It was well worth it, and now that I am going back into the "world of work" I have a different perspective

_Cheese, I do also despise American lawyers, but why did you let them off so easy? They're much worse than you describe...

deebs, it this move still an option? Was it pushed back from first quarter? Sounds like a great plan. My dream would be to live in Italy. I wonder how much that costs.

It's all smoke and mirrors, boys, all a big sellout joke of the one and only party in the US - the Business Party. Have you really looked at these candidates as people, and as "policymakers"? Sheesh. Is this the best America can offer? Human corporations who persist thanks to corporate donations and a team of media advisers constantly trying out new spiels on the largely complacent, unsuspecting public? Not that it's ever been much different, in this country or others. It's just this election year hoopla that makes me want to puke. A load of nonsense. What kind of person grows

Which "Office" character am I? Clippy, the MS Word assistant in the shape of a paperclip with eyeballs.

I'm not making any ski trips with an infant in tow!! I'll get a party pass from the wife and head up alone to meet you. Wife doesn't even want to see a ski resort unless she is free to relax there. Changing diapers while hubby skis is a flat out NO from her. Result: I get a party pass to go alone! You should angle for the same!! As much as I like your kid, I don't want him interfering when I borrow his Daddy for skiing!

As for Kanagawa, that sounds nice and we're watching a テレビドラマ right now set near Kamakura. It would be a nice place to live. But I am a sellout. I can easily forgo it for a 10-minute commute and the proximity to the wife's shinkansen service...these are the high points we've set up in this artificial game. We're going to Japan, to buy a house in the US. Yeah. It makes a lot of sense. The phone's off the hook No one knows where we are It's a long time since I drank champagne The ocean is blue As blue as your eyes I'm gonna take it with me when I go " title="" s

Having seen the chaos that reigns in our favorite employer, not to mention my current US employer and the US Immigration Service as well, it is indeed difficult to believe that anyone is going to notice tax debt from some ward 2 years ago. But then, just watch.

db, how well I know THAT feeling. Let sleeping dogs lie. I'm just going to set the rent allowance at the actual rent amount and be done with it. Nice to become a millionaire again, even if it is only in Yen.

Quote: ****ing idiot. *sigh*... I was hoping you wouldn't say that. It's a money thing and a childbirth thing (not me, my wife!). It's not going to be the same as the old bachelor days, that's for sure! At least I had a good run...made it to 40 before getting hitched. Ta for the tax lesson. Must the portion of compensation designated on my pay slip as "housing allowance" all be spent on rent? For example, if I tell the company to set my housing allowance at 200 per month, and that is what shows on my pay slip, but I actually only pay 150 per month in rent, is the u

Mogs, how did you swing this one?! Mileage ticket?

OK, I'm moving back to Tokyo in a month or two. Got another company job. They offered me a salary amount, then said that I can designate a portion of it as housing (rent) allowance. I believe this has tax consequences, but I'm not exactly sure how. Anyone got advice on how to handle this? Could it be that the housing allowance part is not taxed as salary/income?