Time to sex up this Christmas turkey that is Our Man in Abiko. And how better than to bring in a new BLOG OF THE WEEK. Well, not new exactly. Our Man clicked on it by accident a year ago when he was young and in need of guidance on how to do this thing called blogging (now he is older and beyond help). Yep, the winner is Japan Subculture Research Center... "founded in 2007 to expose the hidden side of Japan – its underground economy, its sex trade, and all the other intriguing and seedy aspects that keep the country running." It also does a good line in flogging Jake Whatshisname's Tokyo Vice book. And why not? It is his site after all.
But recently, the posts have started flowing again, thanks in no small part to Sarah Whatshername (who wrote the best piece Our Man's read about The Cove dolphin love-in press conference right here).
Write on, sister - the whole (japano-bloggeramishere) world is watching!
Secret saccharine handshake to D, who noticed the blog was back in black.
(Enough of the tedious linking to the bloggerarti - go do some work yourself - Ed.)
6 comments:
Ms. Whatshername did do a nice job on that.
How about we drop the "e" and make it a benzoic sulfimide handshake?
Sarah Whatshername is an awesome journalist. She deserves most of the credit for turning the website into something worth reading and/or readable.
Thanks for making us blog of the week.
恩に着ます
ジェイク
You're welcome, er Mr Whatsyaname. Wow, OMIA's chuffed to get thanks from a star journo like yourself. You must be chuffed too, first hanging with Jon Stewart, AND now Our Man in Abiko. Dude, you've arrived.
'Dude, you've arrived.'
no no ourmani,jon stewarts arrived.
And from the peanut gallery...
Yes, the write up on the postering and maundering and flatulence at the presser for The Cove was fun to read, but it was not great or helpful or useful (blah blah blah).
(roll the music for when the character starts pontificating)
The great thing about blogs is how they let us, the unwashed mob, find out when our friends in the fourth estate, AKA The Press, are not doing what they must which is inform us. So Sarah showed us amply how full of shite everyone was but the key point was entirely missed.
What separates The Cove from Dances with Wolves was the data on mercury levels by Dr Endo: The meme is whale meat is poison but the Japanese government, in thrall to the whale killing lobby, feeds it to our children. According to Sarah, Dr Endo attended the fart fest and protested at how his data had been misused but because journalists are hopeless at organizing anything other than figuring out how to cheat on their expenses a qualified translator had not been provided and Dr Endo's comments were lost on the mob.
(cut the music)
Well Sarah, you dropped the ball IMHO. Yes, the press are idiots - yawn. We see that every day as we catch up on the latest Tiger Woods stuff. The key point is: What did Dr Endo say?
OK, now after launching this thought into the cyber void we can all get back to our daily dose of reactive cynicism.
hmmm, my word verification task is *feltight* Wow. Kismet.
It's true, we bloggers would have naff all to do if the boys and girls in the press did their job perfectly, other than make funny videos, but who in their right mind would want to see them?
Speaking of right-minded folk, think Our Man's cousins in the press are no better or worse than the rest of us.
Didn't Sarah mention the stuff about the mercury too, though? Think the Japan Times had the straight informative piece that you yearn for, Anon.
If ya don't like it, don't buy it, as the mantra goes. Trouble is, loads of folk do like it - Tiger Woods' is par for the course (geddit?) So, we're all idiots.
If it wasn't for reactive cynicism, Our Man wouldn't have no cynicism at all.
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