Virginia Postrel points to an interesting critique of an article in the Washington Post about the "growing trend" of macho Japanese men supposedly getting in touch with their feminine sides. Here are some representative excerpts from the original article:

Gender roles have been undergoing a redefinition in recent years as women enter the workforce as never before and men embrace less confining views of masculinity....

The market for male aesthetics has grown fourfold in the past seven years to $400 million annually, including day spas for slimming treatments, facials, manicures and painful sessions of eyebrow plucking. The largest such chain -- Dandy House -- has doubled in size since 2000, with 60 locations across the country.

Skin treatments have become particularly popular for bridegrooms, while many men are opting for costly electrolysis procedures for permanent removal of unsightly facial hair....

On busy Tokyo subways these days, it is not unusual to see men fishing for packs of Virginia Slims cigarettes in European-style male purses. They have many models to choose from at Isetan Men's -- the successful 10-story department store in chic west Tokyo that opened two years ago and is now the cathedral of masculine vanity....

Perhaps most inexplicably, male thugs in the yakuza -- or Japanese mafia -- are now known to wear pink women's sandals and floral-patterned shirts while prowling the streets late at night....

In an email to Ms. Postrel, I noted that the same article could have been written about American men a couple of years ago (remember "metrosexual"?) In any case, the trend of "feminization" - to the extent it exists - is not unique to Japan.

I think it is a reflection of our post-industrial culture. There are not many jobs left that require men to be stereotypically male all day. Most of us sit at a desk all day reading and typing. As a result, many of us have smooth hands and skin, and carry an extra bit of weight around.

Throw us back 100 years and most of us would be lost. How many of today's typical men could do the heavy manual labor performed by farm and factory workers of the early 20th century? Even a manufacturing worker today is more of a computer operator, pushing buttons to operate the robotic assembly line.

Just some random thoughts. And, on a humorous note, I have found definitive evidence of the feminization of a well-known "man" in Japan (click on the extended entry link):
more...

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Test pilot Marta Bohn-Meyer died last week in a crash of an aerobatic plane in Oklahoma.

Sadly ironic that she would die in a little single-engine prop plane after a career that included flying one of NASA's SR-71s at three times the speed of sound in high altitude tests at Dryden Flight Research Center in California.

RIP.

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Ted points us to some good news on the successful test of some space elevator precursor technology.

More SF coming true.

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Where does the time go? Has it really been four months since we started the Carnival of Music?

Please check out Professor Spiegelberg's poetic entry this week.

I have updated the main carnival page, addressing the questions of just what is a blog carnival and what does one have to do to host. Check it out, and submit your links to musical posts and your offers to host here.

Thanks for your support!

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I just finished watching the original pilot episode of Firefly (entitled "Serenity") on the first DVD (via Netflix).

How gratifying to see a Science Fiction series about which all the superlatives are true.

Much more later...

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A significant number of the "Anglos" that settled in Texas in the early 19th century were, in fact, Teutons and Slavs. And until the current generation, one could readily encounter German dialects being spoken in small towns in the Texas hill country. (In my sophomore year of college, my German class took a field trip to Fredericksburg, where we struggled to understand the dialect of a 70-something museum guide whose German was anything but Hochdeutsch).

In honor of Oktoberfest (excellent Oktoberfest picture here, btw), here's a site with numerous recipes incorporating sauerkraut, including a couple that might work here in Texas: Surprise Chili and Salsa Ole.

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1 Interesting... you wouldn't think that the 2 would go together. I'm trying to go to Oktoberfest this year in a little "Alpine" town hidden away in the North GA Mountains. If not, I know of this Mexican place that has beers as big as the one's in that picture.

Posted by: Jen at September 24, 2005 10:06 PM (LdHyM)

2 Jen, sauerkraut goes really well on a chili dog, so I can see the chili recipe working. I can't vouch for any of the recipes, as I haven't prepared them yet. I'll report on the results if and when I make them. Oh, and thanks for dropping by and even more for commenting! Come back soon. (P.S. I checked out your blog. Like it so far - is this your first foray into the 'sphere?)

Posted by: JohnL at September 24, 2005 10:14 PM (dYzx6)

3 Indeed, dogs were made for Kraut! I've had many a good dog from Spring Ho in Lampasas to the Holland Corn Festival and all points in between. I found your link over at Madfish Willie's and came by to have a look. I see you must be able to track me by the comment on my site. Give me some time and I'll try to come up with some meaningful content. Like your site and will be back.

Posted by: Lag at September 28, 2005 04:50 PM (0mDEy)

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Professor Chris Hall has a funny collection of limericks over at his blog, Spacecraft.

(Think Lewinsky and Kaczynski).

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Absolutely no surprise here:

You are a Social Liberal (73% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (88% permissive) You are best described as a: Libertarian Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

(Via Eric, with whose answers I'm sure I differed only in my reluctance to use "strongly" too much).

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1 After taking that test, I found myself bemused at being surrounded score-wise by the likes of Hillary Clinton, Robert Redford, Bono and Adam Sandler (that *was* him there, right?...)

Posted by: LDH at September 21, 2005 02:36 PM (bqPDz)

2 When I took the test, I got chills thinking that my alter-ego would come out and I'd be in the same spot as Darth Vader... but, nah, I'm up there with you John

Posted by: Jen at September 24, 2005 10:01 PM (LdHyM)

3 Holy mackerel. Were we seperated at birth or something? I'm only off of your scores by a couple of percentage points each.

Posted by: Hucbald at September 26, 2005 02:26 PM (o491y)

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WARNING! Rampant narcissistic self-blogging ahead! Proceed with caution or skip altogether.

The work week can't start soon enough.

I can't even remember what we did yesterday we've been so busy. And that was with one kid out of town with the Boy Scouts.

Today started at 8:00AM with getting the other two kiddoes ready for church. Sunday school at 9:45 and church at 11:00. Second son received his third grade bible from the church. Made it to the neighborhood pool at noon to learn how to clean the pool and operate the pumps. Straight from there to a two-hour soccer practice in the 100 degree heat. Home to mow the lawn, change the air conditioning filter in the attic, and adjust the sprinkler heads. Dinner, then bed for the kids. And now, at 9:38, my first break of the day. But I have to take the dog for a quick walk before the rerun of Friday's Battlestar Galactica comes on at 10:00.

I am beat.

Update: Oops. BSG isn't on until tomorrow. Tonight was South Park.

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My wife and I just finished watching The Aviator.

Very good movie. Excellent cinematography, screenplay, and acting. I'm not sure what my expectations really were going in, but this far exceeded them.

Now I want to go learn more about the real history of Howard Hughes. What a larger-than-life person. Texan, naturally. Many scenes in this movie recalled scenes from Ayn Rand's Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

I loved seeing Hughes put Kate Hepburn (portrayed by the lovely Cate Blanchett) in her place: "you're only a movie star!" Also worth the price of admission just to see Hughes put the senator (Alan Alda) in his place at the committee hearings toward the end. And note that Alec Baldwin did a great job playing the sleazy Pan Am boss.

(Geeky Aside: I remember a few years ago on the Star Wars fan sites there was a nasty rumor that Leonardo diCaprio would be playing Anakin Skywalker. You know what? He would have been excellent in that role. Watching his descent into OCD madness in this movie was a good example of how he could have portrayed the fall of Anakin.)

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Thought I'd put this up while we're on the subject of Neuromancer.

William Gibson's coinage of the word "cyberspace" and his ultra-hip future-pop-culture style led to the description of a lot of fiction in the 80s and 90s as "cyberpunk." There was even a temporary streak of some musical acts that were described as cyberpunk. Most of it noise, which didn't tolerate multiple listenings.

I recently put together a play list of some familiar and not-so-familiar songs, which created a Neuromancer-y vibe for me. I dubbed this playlist "Wintermute" in iTunes. None of these are cyberpunk, though I might call a couple "cybergoth." I think the CD makes for a good walking soundtrack (playing time: almost exactly 1:15).

Presentation Format: Song - Artist - Album (Notes)

• Above - Blue Man Group - The Complex (dulcimer, synthesizer, drums, PVC pipes, and a rock group, layered like a frothy parfait to cleanse the mental palate)


• The Model - Kraftwerk - Man Machine (kinda makes me envision Molly)


• Down in the Park - Foo Fighters - Songs In The Key Of X: Music From And Inspired By The X-Files (awesome cover of the Gary Numan original)


• 3 Libras - A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms (these lyrics are evocative of Molly, too)


• Whip It - Devo - Whip It (Heh. More Molly?)


• Judith - A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms (gothic metal, though the lyrics aren't relevant to Neuromancer)


• Closer - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (Ahem. More Molly?)


• The Current - Blue Man Group - The Complex (the trip into cyberspace/inner space begins)


• Perfect Drug - Nine Inch Nails - Lost Highway Soundtrack (did someone say "trip"?)


• Trip Like I Do - Filter/Crystal Method - Trip Like I Do (Yes. Someone did say "trip.")


• Blue (Remix) - A Perfect Circle - Weak and Powerless CD Single


• I Like To Score - Moby - I Like To Score


• Imagine - A Perfect Circle - eMOTIVe (better than the Lennon original, IMHO)


• We Are All Made of Stars - Moby - We Are All Made of Stars pt. 1 (I love this song. Always reminds me of the excellent star stuff episode of Carl Sagan's Cosmos.


• I Feel Love - Blue Man Group/Venus Hum - The Complex (I actually liked the Donna Summer original, one of the few examples of really good disco. This version kicks it up a notch. And, to restate a theme. . . Molly?)


• Ordinary World - Duran Duran - Duran Duran 2 (The Wedding Album) (a gentle landing from the trip)


• Astradyne - Ultravox - Vienna (one of my very favorite instrumentals of all time, and a traditional album closer for mix CDs of mine)

There are probably hundreds of other combinations of songs that would evoke the cool, grungy, electronic, trippy world of Neuromancer, so let me know what your playlist would be...

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Life imitates art. Or, art anticipates life. Or something like that.

First, a picture:

Next, a [lengthy] quote from the 1984 book, Neuromancer by William Gibson:

"The matrix has its roots in primitive arcade games," said the voice-over, "in early graphics programs and military experimentation with cranial jacks." On the Sony, a two-dimensional space war faded behind a forest of mathematically generated ferns, demonstrating the special possibilities of logarithmic spirals; cold blue military footage burned through, lab animals wired into test systems, helmets feeding into fire control circuits of tanks and war planes. "Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts . . . A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding . . . ."

...

And in the bloodlit dark behind his eyes, silver phosphenes boiling in from the edge of space, hypnagogic images jerking past like film compiled from random frames. Symbols, figures, faces, a blurred, fragmented mandala of visual information.

Please, he prayed, now--

A gray disk, the color of Chiba sky.

Now--

Disk beginning to rotate, faster, becoming a sphere of paler gray. Expanding--

And flowed, flowered for him, fluid neon origami trick, the unfolding of his distanceless home, his country, transparent 3D chessboard extending to infinity. Inner eye opening to the stepped scarlet pyramid of the Eastern Seaboard Fission Authority burning beyond the green cubes of Mitsubishi Bank of America, and high and very far away he saw the spiral arms of military systems, forever beyond his reach.

Finally, the explanation. (Via BoingBoing).

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I found this "polygraph" meme at Robert's place. Funny thing is, I could have almost incorporated all of his answers by reference.

Here are the true/false questions with my answers and commentary:

1. I'm at my best in the early morning. False - At least, not until I've consumed my "breakfast" (see number 2). I believe that the world is run by a vicious and evil conspiracy of morning people. Why should they set the rules, just because they're the first ones out of bed?? What sadist on the Plano school board determined that 7:45 is a good time for kids to start school?

2. I start each day with a healthy breakfast. - False - Rob had a great answer here, though with the recent news about coffee and antioxidants, I would argue that my 3-4 cups of coffee for breakfast are actually good for me. I am a two-meal-a-day person, with a nighttime snack/dessert usually around 11:00.

3. I'm always sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. - False - What Robbo said: "Actually, it's more like five. (See answers to Questions 1 and 7.)" I blog, play piano, or watch movies/cable at night when everyone else in the house has retired.

4. I enjoy my job. -True - Lawyering is sometimes a pain, but my current job as an in-house generalist for a high-tech company has to be a dream gig to beat all dream gigs in the legal field.

5. I get along with most everyone. -True - I am normally an introverted personality type, but I can put on a good mask and pretend to like people. Once I get comfortable with a group, I am usually seen as a nice guy.

6. I'm looking forward to the new season of tv shows this year. Mostly False - I don't really look forward to much except for the remainder of the new Battlestar Galactica, South Park (which I can finally see now that we have cable) , and the new season of Desperate Housewives (even though I'm sure it will jump the shark within the first couple of episodes of the season).

7. I make sure I take some time for myself every day. True - I try to spend 3 to 4 hours a night to myself, reading, writing, playing Xbox, or watching a movie.

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The Maximum Leader muses on the merits of mass transit.

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I meant to link this hilarious real estate economics lesson from Velociman a few weeks ago.

After winning a small real estate matter in justice court many moons ago, I took out my client representatives (both were apartment managers) for lunch, and they had fun telling me the weird stuff that their tenants did. Nothing quite like V-man's story, though.

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Jolly good, I say. Jolly good. Mind the soccer hooligans as you make your way to this week's cricket-themed Carnival of Music at The Rambler.

I was most moved by Helen's account of her visit to Auschwitz.

We need hosts for future carnivals. I would love to see some new faces here. The carnival has grown nicely, and is a good way to showcase both your blog and other bloggers. If you author or run across a post about music that you would like to see in a future carnival submit it here. Likewise, if you would like to host a future carnival, please volunteer here.

Thanks!

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I've been not-very-motivated to blog recently. A number of factors contribute. Perhaps more later.

But before we get too far past September 11, I wanted to note how I observed the date. Our church choir performed Memorial by Rene Clausen. Our sanctuary choir was accompanied by full orchestra, and I played the Glockenspiel and Chimes via the organ console (using sampled sounds).

If you haven't heard this piece, it is a powerful recreation of that awful day 4 years ago. Modern, but tonal with numerous lush romantic gestures and chillingly visual representations of the attacks. It was a perfect way to mark the occasion.

You can purchase a recording of the piece here.

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Virginia Postrel highlights this website, which helps Hurricane Katrina survivors let their loved ones know they're OK.

As Virginia points out, this is particularly important in cities like mine (in the greater Dallas area), where many evacuees are settling in. If you are local, have time to get to a refugee center, and have a laptop and wireless connectivity, this might be one way to help out the Katrina victims.

On the subject of local relief efforts, our church, like many in the area, has opened its doors to evacuees. We are putting up at least 60 survivors in our fellowship/recreation building. Both of my younger children have also received a couple of new classmates in their public elementary school.

I am proud of the actions of my fellow citizens here in Texas, whose generosity is so incredibly evident in both the quantity and quality of voluntary assistance being given to our neighbors.

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Eric came up with a great Heinlein-themed idea. First, list Heinlein's examples of the accomplishments that distinguish a [generalist] human from a [specialist] insect. Then identify the ones he has actually done. He solicited comments, but I thought this would make a great "meme" game.

First, the original Heinlein:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

I have taken the list, as broken out by Eric, and bolded the items I have actually done (with explanatory notes in most cases).

• Change a diaper
(More than I care to remember.)

• Plan an invasion
(But only if computer strategy games count!)

• Butcher a hog
(Does gutting and cleaning fish count?)

• Conn a ship
(Actually, a ski boat, but who's counting?)

• Design a building
(My kids' play fort at our old house...)

• Write a sonnet
(High school English class assignment.)

• Balance accounts


• Build a wall


• Set a bone


• Comfort the dying


• Take orders
(Not military, just corporate hierarchy).

• Give orders
(Ditto.)

• Cooperate


• Act alone


• Solve equations
(Did great with basic calculus, but foundered upon the rocks of the 8:00AM Differential Equations "weed-out" class at UT-Austin).

• Analyze a new problem
(A typical day in the life of an in-house lawyer).

• Pitch manure


• Program a computer
(BASIC, PROLOG, PASCAL, HTML, CSS)

• Cook a tasty meal


• Fight efficiently
(Not too good at fighting. I tend to talk my way out of things. I am in good shape, and am sure I could be a sheepdog if the time came.)

• Die gallantly
(Not yet!)

I'm gonna tag Robert, The Maximum Leader, Chan, Lynn, and Ted with this one but relieve them of any expectation to pass it along further, unless they want to.

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