My new favorite Japanese soccer team

I think the reasons should be obvious.

Abandoned Books and/or Movies #9

Punk Rock Dad - Jim Lindberg

Jim Lindberg is a member of the group Pennywise, and he and his wife have three young daughters. Lindberg wrote this book to tell what it is like to try to be a member of a punk rock band and also a parent. I got pretty far into this book (127 pages to be exact) and was actually enjoying it, but I got distracted and never was able to get restarted.

I did not actually try to read the following two books, but I did get them from the library and skim them. They are both in the same vein as Punk Rock Dad-- books about the punk way to do things.

Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies, & the Truth About Reality - Brad Warner

Brad Warner was also in a punk rock band (Zero Defex) and then later moved to Japan to teach English and then go to work for the studio that produces the popular Ultraman television show (see photo at the bottom). Warner is also a zen monk.

Punk Shui: Home Design for Anarchists - Josh Amatore Hughes

If you are looking for a short guide to decorating your house according to the principles of punk shui, then this is the book for you.

Below: As promised, it's Ultraman

Olympics Update #1

The men's and women's finals of the BMX competitions were rained out yesterday and have been rescheduled for today. The number one male rider in the world is Maris Strombergs, from Latvia. I don't know anything about women's BMX.

In other news, the women's softball gold medal went to Japan in a shocking upset of the seemingly invincible US team. The US team had won 22 straight games going back to 2000, and they had already beaten Japan in these Olympic games. Softball (along with baseball) was recently voted out of the Olympics and can't possibly return until 2016.

The Japanese players celebrate.

The US players left their shoes at home plate.

My favorite athletes from the 2008 Summer Olympics #1

The Summer Olympics in Beijing are only a few days old, but already some athletes have clearly stood out. Here's just a few who have caught our eye:

Ara Abrahamian (above): This Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler refused his bronze medal in protest of what he thought was "corrupt" officiating. Contrary to what the US media has been reporting, he did not throw down his medal, but laid it gently on the ground, as can be seen from this photo. He also has promised to quit the sport. For more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2559292/Swedish-wrestler-Ara-Abrahamian-vows-to-quit-after-throwing-away-Olympic-medal.html

Ejegayehu Dibaba (below left) finished 14th in the women's 10,000 meters. Her sister, Tirunesh (right), finished first. She also has another sister and a cousin who race.






Kayoko Fukushi (below) finished 11th in the women's 10,000 meters. She appeared to be trying very hard. Earlier this year, in the Osaka marathon, she set out on a blistering pace only to completely collapse at the end. For more information on that race, click here: http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/01/sports-news-addition.html
Note: The picture below is not from the Olympics - she didn'y come close to winning a medal.




















Lovieanne Jung plays for the US women's softball team. She won a gold medal in softball at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and her boyfriend, Jon Garland, currently pitches for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.