soubriquet

Back home, too soon, sadly. Had the opportunity to check out the condition of the expressway between Yamagata and Chiba. There has been subsidence, particularly on the elevated sections, all the way. The car going thump thump ever time we crossed a bridge. The worst damage was in Fukushima and Ibaraki, not surprisingly, where there are a number of places where the hard shoulder has fallen away. Still managed the return trip in a smidge over 5 hours though, a record. We also noticed a lot of houses with damaged roofs. Some with whole sections of tiles fallen away, but most with damag

Excellent. A gun control dialogue of the deaf bunfight. I fully support the right of Americans to bear arms. The USA is the American's nation and they have the right to run their society the way they want. It is no business whatsoever for outsiders to criticise or judge Americans for making and insisting their choice on guns. Equally, Americans should refrain from imposing their values on others. I like guns but I am very happy to live in a society where they are banned. Maybe we should be looking for the mote in our own eye.

Oh yes. Yes yes yes. Love it here. That's why I call it home.

I can't explain the price other than to offer that it is a competitive market. As long as one lot are making a decent living renting parking at Y500 per day, the others don't really have much option. The second point. On another forum I follow, there were dire warnings of breakdown of law and order, and mass outbreak of disease after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. My response was that was inconceivable. Reason: this is Japan.

Ladies. It's not just you who don't understand this kind of behaviour. Me too. I suspect a combination of narcissism and an armour plated ego come into it. That would be a politician then....

Morning from Bangkok. The Expressway strategy worked. It was nice rolling off the end of the Ken O Expressway, and watching the sign light up Y 1,000. Kaching. The parking is called Narita Airport Parking. Not to be confused with parking at Narita. It is the oldest of the private parking companies (the man said) and the closest to Narita. Also, parking is on-site, not at some satellite, so they don't move your car. Y2,500 for ten days via internet, including tax. Hot and humid in Bangkok, looking forward to the sea breezes of Koh Samui.

Some interesting news here: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/05/2...ict-earthquake/ "Italian Seismologists Charged With Manslaughter for Not Predicting 2009 Quake Italian government officials have accused the country's top seismologist of manslaughter, after failing to predict a natural disaster that struck Italy in 2009, a massive devastating earthquake that killed 308 people. A shocked spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) likened the accusations to a witch hunt. "It has a medieval flavor to it -- like witches are being put on trial," the stunned spokesm

Holy moly. There are a heap of them (parking companies). Her internet porn is the shoppingu. None further than 10 minutes from Narita. You'll have driven past dozens of them on final approach. I will report back tomorrow after sobriety has landed.

Simples. Kirin. Wouldn't mind a pint (or several) of Sam Smith's though. And a pie.

That's not "Narita" per se. There are heaps of parking businesses giving free transfer from somewhere local.

2,700 Yen for 10 days. :-) Life and experience has taught me that the memsahib is a shrewd woman. When shopping is made an Olympic sport, she's a gold medal certainty. (I'm better at re-wiring the factory though nyah nyah).

We are flying out from Narita on Monday afternoon. From here, all we have to do is to clock on to the Expressway before Sunday midnight. The plan is to lie up and kip in the car overnight, then a gentle trip south. Saving, about 7,000Y.

MitchPee That (and this) were taken at Tulamben, in Bali. There are some nice shore dives there, with a wreck and a big drop off. Plenty of fish, too. SCUBA diving is easy if you are confident in open water. You don't have to be a great swimmer, all it takes is a bit of practice and breathing control.

The UK is what is known as "aseismic". Plate tectonics don't affect that part of the world. The only significant activity is associated with the Great Glen Fault, where the NW of Scotland is moving towards Ireland. It's been doing that for the past 500 million years or so, and seems in no hurry to get there. Aseismic doesn't mean "no seismic". The Earth's crust isn't fixed, it is constantly in motion. For example, earth tides, due to the influence of sun and moon are measurable. The whole of the northern and central UK is still rising in response to the removal of the ice sheet at the end

Hydraulic fracturing has been standard practice in the oil industry for about 60 years. The only "controversial" about it is the potential to open up a major new source of inexpensive energy. Thus the reference to "chemicals". In the game, it is known as drilling mud.

Doo wop at its finest. Barbara Lewis, Hello Stranger. She has a great voice, pure soul. http://youtu.be/Q-tKCv_B8jU

This is what I'll be up to next week.

Thank you thank you. Ten days of beach, books and beers. The good lady bought me a 3mill shortie wetsuit for my 59th. I'll be trying that out, but Koh Samui viz is horrible. Meanwhile, back in Narita, the last time I stood in the expat re-entry line, it was the fastest queue of the lot.

We're off to Thailand next Monday. Holidays, hooray hooray. The plan is to set off on the expressway before midnight Sunday and kip in the car to reduce tolls. Make it to Narita in easy time for the Monday flight. I may or may not report from Koh Samui. For the memsahib, it will be her first day off (8-10 hours work per day) since November last year. The joys of running a small business.

Re: mamabear "There must be a number of people from those area's that have lost more people than they can count on all their fingers and toes. Too painful to bear thinking about " There is a continuing series of utterly harrowing stories (and some uplifting) coming from the East Coast. Schools full of children who survived but lost both parents. An alternative is a retired engineer in Iwate, who didn't rate the evacuation procedures in his community. He built a staircase up the cliff behind his home at his own expense. He and over 70 of his neighbours survived.

Originally Posted By: 2pints,mate Hows the situation with aftershocks now? Still rumbling on? I'm not feeling them any more, so they must be small. For about a month after the main one, they were coming hourly or thereabouts.

When it is done to men, it is circumcision. When it is done to women, it is genital mutilation.

Originally Posted By: echineko I found out recently another person from my school days was taken away by tsunami, so now that is 3 people I know. Really sorry about that echineko. Are you from that area?

Correct. The North Sea is freezing. I've done my North Sea time at Cromer. A lot further south than Scotland, but still cold. The Southern Ocean isn't exactly warm though, is it mamabear?

The Orlons Not me. No, not me.