Beatles Reunion - Larry King Live (part 3)

History in the making. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr with John's widow, Yoko, and George's widow Olivia, all together.
It was really wonderful seeing this.

Copper Clappers

Jack Webb on Johnny Carson

And Babies Make Four

Looks like three more smaller tomatoes have shown up.

Pull up

This little number pulled up just as I dismounted my bike. I gave him a nod, he did same, (sort of). He did give a long glance at my Cub as he walked by. He's got all sorts of the usual 'chyatchkis' on his. Not my cup of tea. I do like the seat.

Speedo

West Meets East: The Twain Have Met

Shibuya Station 7:45am



Two teenagers waiting for friends on their way to school.
Question of the day: Which one watches MTV?


Now, looking at the close up photo we can see it is interesting on several levels. We have two teen girls, junior or senior high school students approximately 15 or 16 years old, each waiting for their friends at Shibuya Station, Tokyo.

The one on the Left, we'll call Lefty is reading a book, the one on the Right, which we'll call Righty is emailing on her cell phone (or playing a game). Lefty's skirt is normal length, Righty's is, well, very short. Lefty is in proper school attire, white shirt, buttoned to top, school V-neck sweater. Righty is wearing a form-fitting Gap style white top, open at the collar with colored bra underneath visible (difficult to see in photo. Trust me, you can. It's pink. ;) . Righty has an ipod plugged into her brain, Lefty does not. Lefty has her schoolbag on her shoulder. Righty has, along w/ her school bag on the ground between her legs, a shopping bag from a fashionable cosmetics company with logo prominently displayed. Righty is wearing eye makeup. Lefty is not. And finally, Lefty, while reading her book, has a genuine smile on her face, showing quite clearly inquisitive joy. Righty, on the other hand, while using her cell phone, sports a jaded, sour expression. It is either a geniune emotion, or, as more likely, meant to be interpreted by onlookers as 'tough, cool, aloof'.

For those young men out there, we can assume which of these two young ladies you'd like to meet, and we don't blame you one bit. But for those who are concerned about larger issues, culture, society, media and its influences, as you young men will undoubtedly care about when you get older, how would you honestly feel if your daughter was the one on the right?

Or, put this way, which of these two is most likely to be seen on DVD, in an abortion clinic, or worse?

note:
I took this photo at the train station in Shibuya at 7:45am. Shibuya is famous for it being the ultimate of youth hangouts. It is the center of fashionable shopping (so-called), millions of eateries and drinking places, most of which change names/styles on a monthly basis, tons of hair and 'make' salons open 'till 3am, some 24h, and love hotels in every theme imaginable just on every other corner. Plus, one can see "lady clinics" (venereal diseases treated, abortions performed) in abundance, porn business 'scoutmen' every few feet and the usual ineffective, corrupt, and useless police force, proven nightly as scoutmen solicit teen girls for various 'activities' right in front of the Koban police box.

Obi Wan's famous quote in Star Wars comes to mind: "Never before has there been a more wretched hive of scum and villiany"

The Jedi master had obviously never been to Shibuya. It makes Mos Eisley seem like a monastery by comparison.

*The title is a play on the famous quote by Rudyard Kipling, "East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Which illustrated the differences in Eastern and Western cultures and how, Kipling believed, they could never combine or come to full agreement. Oh, how wrong he was. 

Charles Nelson Reilly Hosts Match Game!

The one and only Charles Nelson Reilly passed away last week. This is a very funny clip of the show he was on for many years, Match Game. In this one, he was ordered to be the MC after complaining to MC Gene Rayburn, who admitted he was tired.

"Stinks' his response to a guest star on her answer. haha.

"I am the new MC. Gus Gorgeous" love it.

We'll miss you Charles. TV isn't the same without you.

This show was a real treat with regulars, Brett, Charles Nelson, Richard Dawson, and Betty White often sitting in.

Match Game... Pandemonium!!

A racy answer by the contestant leads to hilarity.

Match Game: School Riot!

3 Reds

Baby Tomato, Baby.

My first tomato! Well, first on this balcony garden. Back home in New Jersey, we have tons of 'em. Ripe, delicious Jersey Tomatoes. Must be the Italian half of me that loves tomatoes so much.

Atlantis is Away

Engines fire up!


We have liftoff!


Climb!


Put the spurs to her, boys!


Getting every bit of thrust out of those engines before...


Single Rocket Booster separation begins.


The rockets fall back to earth. And we thank you for the ride up.


The curvature of the earth is now visible.


As if a new bright star entered the sky. Beautiful!


And what's this? The discovery of a new life form on the outer skin of the shuttle? Well, not quite. Granted, this is not a NASA launch image, but I was following the launch over Saturday breakfast. After all, I can safely say, I'm probably the only person in the world watching Atlantis leave the earth while eating fermented bean "natto".
At least let's hope so.
Godspeed Atlantis.

UPDATE:
click on natto image at your own risk. That stuff is pretty awful up close. If you ask me, NASA should bring a few tubs up next time. It would do nicely as tile glue or for filling in cracks!

First Launch of the Year

NASA is preparing it's final checklist prior to launch countdown for the first shuttle mission this year.



This image makes me wonder about the future launchpads on other worlds we and our grandchildren and their grandchildren will use.

Bella Luna

Super Cub featured in a Moon Custom Cycle Shop ad on the back of Cruisin' magazine. Funny, since the magazine caters to large bikes.

CB2 Child Robot: Mechanicals at your service

I wonder if Ray Bradbury knows about this?

This mechanical toddler robot developed by Japan Science and Technology is loaded w/ sensors that react to physical and visual cues. It can even say "ouch!" (in Japanese).

Super Men

I can't imagine how these guys can do this. I really can't. My knees start to tingle just looking at these photographs.

I mean, the suicidal person, well, he's suffering from mental anguish, and as the story said, was actually, in addition to threating to hurl himself from the bridge, cutting himself with a knife while up on that cable 500 feet above the road.

Talk about depressed!

But those cops, they're just working! They're not driven by a suicidal psychosis which can easily disable fear and reason, not to mention a deathwish. These guys are just putting in overtime!! Hats off to the professionals who risked their lives in such a extraordinary way to save another human being.

Going Postal: Stepping over the line with MD-90s

Interesting pictures here. In the top photo, you'll see what looks like a man melting into the pavement. Nope. He's just wearing the customary garb of the construction worker. You'll see he is right up against the semifore. Braver than him is someone to the right, a hardened figure of daily toil: the housewife. In the bottom photo even braver, or less intelligent, however you want to look at it, is the young mother or college student. Touting the ubiquitous stalk of 'negi' onions, and bicycle basket front up against the semifore guard and the wheel under it, she's ready to enjoy her 0.00036 second advantage over the rest of the pack. I'm convinced that if there were no protective semifores at these railway crossings, many folks, many more than you would believe, eager to race to the next line to stand on, would wait at these danger zones with toes right up against the rails, already leaning into their run as their noses would brush against the passing train. Welcome to Japan.