A Vast Readership

...is hardly what I would call the few of you who do come here regularly to peruse the garbage that I post. That said, it's not like this site is really geared towards the general masses. But the point is, thanks to an awesome free service provided by Google, Inc., I am now able to track not only how many visitors I get, but all sorts of needlessly irrelevant information about said visitors! Guys, how AWESOME is that?



Check out all of this totally scientific looking data! I don't even know what a "bounce rate" is, but mine is rocking the house! I've also just been informed that this site is the VERY FIRST site that comes up when one googles "tohoku exposure." BOOYAH. And see that snazzy chart labeled "map overlay?" That badboy allows me to check out just where all these dozens (yes, that is plural) of hits are coming from.
Which brings me to my final point: I would like to give a shout-out to the wonderful state of Illinois for dominating the site traffic with over 68%! Now either Rob has a serious Internet addiction or I have some new fans in the Buffalo Grove region. I like to think that it is the latter. All of this leaves me with just one question, though: Who the f do I know Maryland? Hopefully it's this guy:



no way, no way, think you need a new one

Money-C

Do you ever find yourself going through old photos only to be completely shocked and appalled by the younger version of yourself that stares back at you from the image? I'm not talking about self-loathing or anything, but more along the lines of "oh my god, I can't believe I ever dressed like that" or "great Odin's raven, what was going on with my hair?" Well, if you're anything like me then anything that has passed that invisible expiration date which relegates it into the far past of your lives has a solid chance of awakening said feelings, however bittersweet they may be.

Luckily enough, this isn't ALWAYS the case. An old friend recently sent me this gem he ran across while clearing out his hard drive:



Now this photo dates back at least 6 years, to a time when I was known not as Joe-sensei, but simply "Money-C." Although some claim he was born from the fiery pits of junior high basketball courts, the origins of this nickname and the man himself are as cloaked in mystery as the answers to some of the questions this photograph implies: Why is that ceiling so low? Who are these people? Where did I get that rad hat? What happened to all my body hair? What emotion could I possibly be attempting to convey with that facial expression? And lastly, how on Earth was I so AWESOME?!?! These are the questions that keep me up at night.



どうぶネズミみたいに

Animal Wrongs

One thing about Japan that never ceases to amaze me is the fact that it, quite frankly, never ceases to amaze me. What has most recently piqued my interest is the way animals are (mis)treated here on a daily basis. Now I completely aware that this happens all over the world, but just for the sake of posterity allow me to list but a few of the oddities I have witnessed over the past week alone:

- A dog chained up to an abandoned shack in the middle of an abandoned parking lot, with a full bowl of food next to him. I guess it's good that he had food, but I feel his own 50 sq.ft. lot is a bit excessive, not to mention cruel.

- A woman walking a cat. On a leash. A big, leather leash that may have weighed more than the cat itself. With a spiked collar. Seriously.

- A full size fish tank full of not water and fish, but dirt and no less than 10 species of beetle. This one would only be a little strange if it wasn't for the fact that I found it in the housewares section of the hardware store.

Though it really has nothing to do with people and how they take care of their animals, I also feel like I should note that the other day I saw a cat wait patiently at a crosswalk then cross right in front of me when his light turned green. He may have even winked at me, though I cannot swear to this.



The cake'll end up crazy