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BENGAL (Indian Restaurant)

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:49:14 +0900

BENGAL (Indian Restaurant)

Location: NINGYOCHO

Anyone who has ever read about my feelings on food knows that I love Indian cuisine. I try to sample a new place whenever I get a chance.
There aren't many Indian places in the Ningyocho area; we are blessed with a plethora of excellent Japanese restaurants, but not much else.
Anyway, I went to BENGAL for their lunch special (that's when Indian restaurants offer great deals).
For \1000, I got naan, small salad, saffron rice, a small piece of tandoori chicken, two curries (chicken and
vegetable), and choice of drink.
The price is certainly fine, but the taste was not.
Both curries were very watery and lacked any punch whatsoever.
The vegetable curry was especially bad!
The naan was pretty good and the tandoori chicken was passable.
I finished the meal with iced milk tea, which was alright.
I paid my \1000 and walked out the door for the final time.

Night at the Museum

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 06:21:27 +0900

It was a beautiful day yesterday (no jacket required), so I went out for a bit in the afternoon.
After walking around for a bit, I went to the movie theater and saw NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM.
It's a comedy starring BEN STILLER, ROBIN WILLIAMS, and OWEN WILSON.
It's interesting because a lot of humour doesn't translate well into an international language, but this movie
seemed to be just fine.
There were some funny references in the film where the audience didn't laugh at all, but most of the jokes
were recognized.
The movie was a lot of fun - the audience laughed out loud so many times during the film that I can't even
guess how many times it happened.
The story is simple - at night, all the exhibits in the museum come alive.
There are a few other elements to the story, but that is the basic premise.
It was also nice to see a couple of veteran actors like DICK VAN DYKE and MICKEY ROONEY in the movie.
If you feel like laughing and getting release from the usual stress and tension in your life, this is a good
movie for you.

Capote

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:33:08 +0900

IN CLOOD BLOOD has long been one of my favourite novels.
Though I haven't read it for a long time, it's one that I'd read again and again.
It is, of course, a factual novel based on a murder that took place in Kansas in 1959.
The novel was written by TRUMAN CAPOTE.
The movie CAPOTE deals with the years that it took the author to write his masterpiece.
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN won the Academy Award for this portrayal of Capote.
He is simply amazing in the role, and in a year of excellent nominees, he was certainly deserving.
Not limited to HOFFMAN, the film is also lucky to have two other excellent actors in prominent roles: CHRIS COOPER and BRUCE GREENWOOD.
The movie is both humourous and sad, touching and horrifying.
I'm not sure that there was anything in the movie that I didn't know, but that doesn't detract from the film.
Simply put, it's an excellent movie.

Frequent Fliers Beware!!

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:16:06 +0900

I think most of us were already aware of the annoyances of travel between time zones, but here is proof (I guess) that it is more than a nuisance.
Good luck!

Frequent long-haul flights hard on the body

Airplane crew and passengers who frequently fly between several time zones face a number of health
problems including disruptions in a woman's menstrual cycle and even short-term psychiatric disturbances,
researchers from the UK warn in a report published Thursday in The Lancet.
There seems to be no getting use to long-haul flights, according to researchers who report that flight crews who regularly take long journeys are not protected from the effects of jet lag such as poor and interrupted
sleep, mood changes, irritability, stomach problems, and decreased brain power.
Jet lag from crossing several time zones also causes a dip in an athlete's performance, note Jim Waterhouse and two associates from the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores
University.
Jet lag is worse for older travelers, and its severity increases with the number of time zones crossed. "If the journey crosses fewer than about three time zones, then jet lag is unlikely to be a major difficulty for most
people," the authors write.
The direction of travel also matters, Waterhouse and colleagues say, with flights to the east bringing more jet lag than flights to the west.
So how long will it last? Jet lag caused by eastbound flights lasts for several days "roughly equal to
two-thirds of the number of time zones crossed, and about half the number of time zones crossed for
westward flights," Waterhouse and colleagues report.
Currently, there is no cure for jet lag, but there are some things frequent long-haul travelers can do to try to lessen the impact of jet lag upon arrival. For journeys that cross more than three time zones, travelers can
help the body clock adjust by deliberately seeking or avoiding sunlight at the new destination, the
investigators offer.
Trying to maintain alertness during the day at the new destination by exercising and/or drinking caffeinated beverages may also help. The jury is still out on the value of taking the hormone melatonin to curb jet lag,
the authors say. Melatonin is secreted during sleep and has been implicated in jet lag, but Waterhouse and
colleagues don't advise using melatonin until more research is conducted.
What's needed, they conclude, is a "more detailed understanding of the molecular changes associated with
time zone changes...with a view to developing drugs to promote clock adjustment and further assessments of new sleep-promoting and alertness-promoting drugs."

The Zombie Survival Guide

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 09:18:31 +0900

The Zombie Survival Guide

by: Max Brooks

I'm a big fan of zombies. I think I've mentioned before that I'll watch most decent zombie movies that
Hollywood makes.
I realize I'm probably in the minority here, but that's alright; the minority is always more interesting than the majority.
Anyway, I saw this book on the NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST (of all places!), and was immediately
intrigued.
The first thing to note about this "guide" is that it is listed under HUMOUR.
Keep that in mind if you decide to read it.
The contents of the book are exactly as the title describes - surviving a zombie attack.
BROOKS goes into great detail describing myths about zombies, proper weaponry to fight zombies, escaping and destroying zombies, securing a safe haven, and "factual" zombie encounters throughout history
(including a couple from Japan!).
I couldn't put the book down!
I couldn't stop smiling and laughing.
And I couldn't stop telling all my friends about it.
I really enjoyed reading it (it took me just a few days to finish it) and am looking forward to the next story
that BROOKS has written.
I'm sure I'll read the "Zombie Guide" again, but now all of my friends want to borrow it, so it may take some time.
BEWARE OF THE UNDEAD!!!!

A Nice Move

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:35:21 +0900

Sorry I haven't written for a few days. I wish I had a good excuse, but I don't.
I'll be more diligent again.
Anyway, here's a nice article about helping the environment.

San Francisco passes plastic-bag ban

SAN FRANCISCO - City leaders approved a ban on plastic grocery bags after weeks of lobbying on both
sides from environmentalists and a supermarket trade group. San Francisco would be the first U.S. city to
adopt such a rule if Mayor Gavin Newsom signs the ban as expected.
The law, approved 10-1, requires large markets and drug stores to offer customers bags made of paper that can be recycled, plastic that breaks down easily enough to be made into compost, or reusable cloth.
San Francisco supervisors and supporters said that by banning the petroleum-based sacks, blamed for
littering streets and choking marine life, the measure would go a long way toward helping the city earn its
green stripes.
"Hopefully, other cities and states will follow suit," said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, who crafted the ban after trying to get a 15-cent per bag tax passed in 2005.
The 50 grocery stores that would be most affected by the law argued that the ban was not reasonable
because plastic bags made of corn byproducts are a relatively new, expensive and untested product. Some
said they might offer only paper bags at checkout.
"I think what grocers will do now that this has passed is, they will review all their options and decide what
they think works best for them economically," said David Heylen, a spokesman for the California Grocers
Association.
Newsom supported the measure. The switch is scheduled to take effect in six months for grocery stores and in one year for pharmacies.
Craig Noble, a spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said it would be disappointing if
grocers rejected the biodegradable plastic bag option, since more trees would have to be cut down if paper
bag use increases.
The new breed of bags "offers consumers a way out of a false choice, a way out of the paper or plastic
dilemma," Noble said.

Martin Chuzzlewit

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 07:17:14 +0900

I generally read a work by CHARLES DICKENS every couple of months.
In fact, I've now read almost everything that was written by him, which takes some time considering the
length of some of his novels and the fact that he was such a prolific writer.
I've long since read my favourites (A TALE OF TWO CITIES is tops), so I don't read as quickly as I did
before.
MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT comes in at around 800 pages, so it took me quite a while to finish it.
Like all his novels, it's set in London and revolves around the various classes of society.
What's interesting about it is that part of takes place in the United States.
On the whole, I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed with the novel and couldn't wait to finish it.
Simply, it wasn't all that interesting.
Oh well, not everything can be exciting and interesting.
I couldn't wait to finish it, and was happy when I did.

Lyrics to Think About

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:08:35 +0900

I just heard this song on the radio. I really like it, especially the lyrics.
John Mellencamp, like Bruce Springsteen, generally writes about the plight of Americans.
One of Mellencamp's favourite topics is farming and the disappearance of the family farm in the
United States.
This song is JACKIE BROWN. I'm sure you'll be able to draw your own conclusions as to what he is singing about.

Written by John Mellencamp

Is this your life, Jackie Brown?
Poorly educated and forced to live on the poor side of town.
Is this your daughter, Jackie Brown?
This pretty little girl
In the worn out clothes
That have been hand-me down.
Is this your wife, Jackie Brown?
With sad blue eyes, walking on eggshells so you don't see her frown.
Is this your family, Jackie Brown?

Dream of vacationing on a mountain stream
And giving the world more than it gave you.
What ugly truths freedom brings
And it hasn't been very kind to you.
Is this your life, Jackie Brown?

Is this your meal, Jackie Brown?
Barely enough, I've seen people throw away more than this out.
Is this your home, Jackie Brown?
This three room shack
With no running water
And the bathroom out back.
Is this your grave, Jackie Brown?
This little piece of limestone that says another desperate man took himself out.
Is this your dream, Jackie Brown?

Going nowhere and nowhere fast
We shame ourselves to watch people like this live.
But who gives a damn about Jackie Brown?
Just another lazy man who couldn't take what was his.
One helluva life Jackie Brown.
Forevermore, Jackie Brown
Amen and amen - Jackie Brown?

Asakusa

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 06:17:21 +0900

I spent part of the day in the Asakusa area yesterday.
I avoided most of the tourist areas, so it wasn't all that crowded.
I had lunch TUNA STEAK for lunch at some izakaya.
I was disappointed in the taste as it was dry and not tender.
I had expected the tuna to be thicker and grilled on the outside with a red middle, but it was paper-thin and dry throughout...what a disappointment.
I stopped at BASKIN ROBBINS for ice cream and was happy with that!!
Overall, I had a good time walking around, though I'll never go to that izakaya again.

Click

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:00:25 +0900

Here is another ADAM SANDLER film.
It also starts CHRISTOPHER WALKEN and KATE BECKINSALE.
The story is about a busy architect who doesn't have time for his family.
Through a series of mishaps, he ventures out to get a "Universal" remote control for his house.
Little does he know that the "Universal" remote will control everything in his universe.
He is able to rewind, pause, and fast forward his life.
While the movie has its share of funny moments and great 80's music (as always), it does have a serious
ending, and I suppose in its own way, a message.
Dare we think that SANDLER is maturing into something more serious ala JIM CARREY, TOM HANKS, and
ROBIN WILLIAMS before him?
Somehow I can't imagine that as his acting skills seem rather limited.
Anyway, it's a fun movie that I enjoyed.

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