April 22, 2013
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An Entire Herd of Goats Gotten
An Entire Herd of Goats Gotten - And you thought you were having a bad day??
Dragged my bod into school today, and finished up all the classes in the morning and then had a lunch stint in the English Lounge. One junior high student came in to let off some steam about some altercation in her brass band club, I we let her vent and then told her to bring her flute to the lounge to play with, and I showed her how to do vibrato. That may give her something else to think about. (^-^) Then she played "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" for us, and since I happened to have my nose flute in my pocket, her solo turned into a lovely duet. I asked her if she wanted to try the nose flute, but she shook her head. It's funny, but no one ever takes me up on offers to share my nose flute. I even offered to wash it first! Anyway, I was not going to get involved in the band altercation as it involved breaking of a school rule that I don't necessarily agree with, and just told her to take her medicine and get on with life.
Am I stressed out or what?? I went back to the dentist for the appointment that I had to cancel on Friday because I was sick in bed. I had an idea that he might want to try grinding down the part of the tooth that I was probably grinding in my sleep thus irritating the nerve into conniptions and me into agony, and great mind reader that he is, he did exactly that and told me to try out the resurfaced tooth for a bit to see if that calms the poor little thing down. Very nice fellow, my dentist.
Can't walk around outside or ride the trains without getting irritated lately. Too many Japanese girls are dressed like ho's in training. I am soooo sick of seeing Daisy Duke cutoffs and black stockings. Seriously, they consider themselves covered when they are running around in the equivalent of denim undies? And high school girls with their skirts barely there? Leggings are not slacks! Girls, your legs are too short and it is not becoming anyway. Women who dress provocatively are plain stupid and rude, and I don't care what kind of idiots are parading in support of slutwear. You know what really gets my goat? When girls come back to visit their Alma Mater and former teachers in slutwear. Everyone just says, "Oh how nice to see you!" when they should be telling the little airheads that they are displaying their total lack of common sense, propriety or decency. No one has a clue.
And then there is the host of "little angels" screaming everywhere one goes. Parents seem to think that ignoring a child's bad behavior will encourage it to behave well, but does everyone in the vicinity need a forced invitation to participate in the tediously eternal process? I didn't want to hear my own kids whining and carrying on, let alone the progeny of others who unfortunately have reproduced. Maybe that sounds nasty, but I see so many parents who are neglectful, mean and just plain stupid. Yesterday there was a mother dragging a squealing two year old by her little arm harping that they were going to be late for Kindergarten. I mean, the kid was still half a baby for goodness sake. Why toss her into a Kindergarten rather than enjoying her at home? These years will never be back. Maybe dumb mom had something more important to do, like play on her smart phone. And then there are the parents who are blissfully ignorant of that fact that their kids are playing tag in high human traffic areas. I have seen soccer played in airports, pitch and catch in train stations, trikes in supermarkets and general rolling on the floor where ever and NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING. When did ignoring bad behavior and stupidity become a virtue?
Speaking of smart phones, I am noticing an increasing amount of screen addiction in the public at larger. People no longer look where they are going or where they have been, and don't seem to be able to navigate any of it without having their eyeballs glued to a screen. Since they are not watching where they are going, the hoards of screen zombies block the flow of pedestrian traffic. Perhaps there should be slower smart phone lanes in train stations. As Mrs. Compukermann says, "Drive it or park it!" People used to read books in the trains, which gave an impression of brainy self improvement, but now literally half of the passengers are screen zombies flipping endlessly through apps, mail and games.
Stopped in at a convenience store in Masashi-Kosugi's Nanbu Line and on the shelves under the cash register are soft porn magazines, just where little children can get an eye-full of cups overflowing... I mention to the cashiers that this might not be the best place to peddle their smut, but they just grin and smile politely.
So then I get out of the train station at home and decide to take a stroll through the local Treasure Factory recycle shop on the way home, and have to be bombarded from the ceiling by horny, nasty AA males yelling songs peppered with the F-word, the S-word the B-word and what they are all doing in bed with how many harems of women. I have told the Japanese staff on a few other occasions that rap is filthy and suggested that they might like to broadcast some alternative form of muzak over their sound system, and they "hear" me, but nothing changes. I ask if they understand the muzak and they admit they don't, so it doesn't bother them. They think it just sounds cool. I tell them that I do understand it and that it is disgusting enough to make me want to leave the store. I tell them that they really are running a fine business establishment and that oral smut does not quite fit the decor. I tried again today and all three fellers behind the counter said they heard me, but it was again clear that the only thing they intended to do was the grin and smile thing.
Sometimes I worry about the future of this country.
While I am on a roll here, an ugly tennis school has opened up in the neighborhood. At the exit of their parking lot they have written STOP, which would be fine except for the fact that this is Japan. Should not a sign written on the road whose purpose is to save people's lives be written in the language of the country? I mean, this is no time to use English to be stylish when someone could die because of unclear traffic directions. I asked about this at the local police box and was very annoyed by the answer. It seems that TOMARE (STOP) does not actually mean stop. It is merely an invitation to those encased in metal to display good driving manners towards those who are not. If there is a pedestrian on the sidewalk where a car is crossing to get out onto the road, it is good "manners" to stop and wait for the pedestrian to pass. HELLO?? There are now several of these types of exits that cross the sidewalk since so many new buildings have gone up in the neighborhood, and someday someone is going to get hurt or killed there, but before that happens no one will bother to do anything to head off a dangerous situation. I almost ran into a car on my bike because he cut right in front of me while turning in to a parking lot. Ok, I guess we had all best exercise ultimate defensive survival walking/bike riding. Idiots all, the STOP meisters, the drivers and the police.
One last rant: I go into the local convenience store and see a poster for free English lessons given by a Christian teacher. Fine, but I know for a fact that the fellow on the poster is a Mormon, because I have talked to some of his buddies in Tama Center. People here don't know the difference between Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons, or anything else for that matter. I mentioned to the head of the store that the Mormons are considered a cult where I came from, and that he might want to reconsider what he is posting in his store. I mean, it is up to him, but he needs to make an informed decision.
Dotter put up a very nicely composed bunny picture today in which is displayed bunny's lovely artwork, but from the look on his face I think he just wants to have his carrot returned, and as soon as possible!! And here is an unrelated picture of a toy we used to have - a totally lovely Dr. Seuss Zoo. I did not appreciated it back then, and many of the parts broke easily, mostly the pegs that connected the legs to the bodies. I looked for one of these on eBay, but they are just not to be found. The best I can do is the ad below, which is probably all for the best, as it doesn't cost anything in money or space. And why do I have the urge to buy a vintage Cootie game? DH's fancy new $60 worth of speaker cable has arrived... I have seen more copper in lamp cords. Will the music really improve? I think that we have different philosophies of listening.
