James Millward, Associate Professor at the American University of Georgetown has had published a new book Eurasian Crossroads (2007, Columbia University Press) which aims to be the first comprehensive history of the Xinjiang region available in English.

from the  Georgetown University site:

Scholar Explores History of China’s Xinjiang Region

Looking forward to reading that. I wonder if it will pass muster in China though.

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In a story that I find very difficult to believe, it appears that as many as 2000 people in Japan have been conned into buying sheep from Britian and Australia as poodles. Now of course we all know that New Zealand sheep are far preferable both in terms of temperament and pedigree, but above and beyond that, confusing dogs and sheep is pretty far out of left field.

Here is the story that the English paper the Metro ran:

Dog owners ‘fleeced’ in poodle scam

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Is it a lamb? Is it a poodle? Can you spot the difference?

Thousands of people have been ‘fleeced’ into buying neatly coiffured lambs they thought were poodles.

Entire flocks of lambs were shipped over from the UK and Australia to Japan by an internet company and marketed as the latest ‘must have’ accessory.

But the scam was only spotted after a leading Japanese actress said her ‘poodle’ didn’t bark and refused to eat dog food.

Maiko Kawakami, who starred in the Japanese thriller Violent Cop, showed photographs of her pet on a television talk show only to be told it wasn’t a dog – but was in fact a lamb.

The discovery prompted hundreds of women to contact the police with similar problems and the authorities believe as many as 2,000 people have been conned.

‘We launched an investigation after we were made aware that a company was selling sheep as poodles,’ a police spokesman told The Sun.

‘Sadly, we think there is more than one company operating in this way.

‘The sheep are believed to have been imported from overseas – Britain and Australia.’

A lamb

Poodles are famously used by the rich and glamourous on the continent but are extremely rare in Japan, with many people having little idea what they look like.

The company, which translates as Poodles as Pets, sold the ‘poodles’ for £630, about half the cost of a normal poodle but is now understood to have been shut down.

I just feel sorry for the sheep. Shipped halfway round the world to end up the prize possession of luxury 30 square meter apartment dweller. Poor things.

Hope they don’t eat them.

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There is a job ad up on ESL Employment for a TESL Teacher to work in the Xinjiang city of Korla. If the job is what I think it is, then it will be very similar to the job I had in Korla. Certainly a positive experience and a chance to live in a very enthralling environment with a fascinating mix of Chinese and Uighur cultures.

Living in Korla is one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had. Go for it!

Technorati Tags: TESL, jobs, china

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Is it a cow? Is a drunk and chorttling Crusaders supporter?

No. It is Bilk. The all knew brain child of Hokkaido bottle store owner Chitoshi Nakahara, who responding to a milk surplus decided the world would be better off if that milk were turned into black gold. Beer.

And thus Bilk was born 30% milk and 70% beer. Can’t wait to try some. This could liven up Japanese school lunch times no end.

Available only by mail order or from 6 shops in Hokkaido Bilk has been a great success.

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If you thought Google was bad enough colluding with the ruling Chinese Communist Party, then think again. Amazon have taken things one step further and are stocking a magazine riddled with lines such as “Oi Nigger!! Get your fuckin’ hands off that Japanese lady’s ass!!”

The Japanese arm of Amazon’s operations is stocking a magazine called “Gaijin Hanzai Ura File” – Foreigners Crime File. This magazine is also being stocked by companies such as 7-11 and Family Mart. Update: (11:18pm) James from Japanprobe writes that Family Mart have pulled the offending magazines. Good one Family Mart!

Other rascist slogans (via debito.org) include:

Back Page:
日本における外人犯罪件数年間47000件!!
47,000 crimes by foreigners each year!!
There then follows a ‘danger rating’ (危険度) of each country, scattered on a world map surrounded by knives, guns and syringes:
China: 14
Russia: 5
Korea: 9
Brazil: 8
Colombia: 3
Etc.
None for the USA, Canada, Australia or the whole of Europe…

Article about crimes by Iranians:
イラン人を捕まえ！！
Catch the Iranian!!

Article lamenting Tokyo’s demise into lawlessness:
不良外人暴力都市！！
City of Violent Degenerate Foreigners!!

Article about foreigners scamming Japanese for money:
毟られる日本人。『シャチョサン、ATMコッチデス』
Japanese getting conned. “Theesaway to ze ATM, Meester Managing Director”

Feature of foreign guys picking up Japanese women (What this has to do with ‘crime’ is unclear)
YELLOW CAB REAL STREET PHOTO
お前らそんなに外人がイイのかよ！！
You sluts really think foreign guys are so great, huh!!
そりゃあ日本人は小さいけど。。
We know Japanese guys are small, but..

Picture of black guy touching a J.girls ass in Shibuya (obviously consensual too)
おいニガー！！日本婦女子のケツさわってんじゃねえ！！
Oi Nigger!! Get your fuckin’ hands off that Japanese lady’s ass!!
(… yes. It really does say ニガー)

Picture of dark-haired foreigner kissing J.girl in Shibuya (again, obviously consensual)
ここは日本なんだよ！てめえの国に帰ってやりな！
This is Japan! Go back to your own fuckin’ country and do that!

Picture of foreigner with hands down a J.girls knickers in Shibuya (definitely consensual)
チョット、チョットチョット！路上で手マンはやめてくれる？
Woah! Woah! Woah! Would you stop fingering a girls pussy in the street, OK?

Links to scanned images:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f40/mrscuzzbucket/img037.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f40/mrscuzzbucket/img036.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f40/mrscuzzbucket/img033-1.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f40/mrscuzzbucket/img034.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f40/mrscuzzbucket/img032.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f40/mrscuzzbucket/img031.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f40/mrscuzzbucket/img030.jpg
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Sad to think that this kind of thing happens in this day and age. And even sadder to see a corporation like Amazon condoning such behaviour.

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Lots of jokes go around about Nova and its fine bunch of hardworking gogetters when you live in Japan. Nova is one of the big four English teaching companies here in Japan a Japanese company that combines TEFOL with a McDonalds management style that has been pretty successful despite some over zealous expansion a few years ago. Which is another story.

According to the Mainichi Newspaper, 7 Nova instructors have been arrested for possession of pot and cocaine. While one imagines it could possibly make their lessons about more on edge, a bit more out there, this is the kind of thing that doesn’t go down well in Japan. Despite hemp having been an important part of the pre-American occupation economy, today the subject is seriously taboo.

Here is a link to the original 7 NOVA teachers arrested for possessing cannabis, cocaine story.

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行った。見た。パンツ脱いだ。

昨日米国のニューヨーク市で面白いイベントががあった。 地下鉄６番線の乗車で200 人以上は一年生植物にズボン加わらなかった!

“私達は私達のズボンを脱ぐことを行っているすべてであり、多くの楽しい時を、” オルガナイザーのチャーリー・トッドさん（２８歳）が言われた。”下着を身に着ける法律はないですね!” 関係者はブルックリン橋都市ホールの場所で集まったり、6 列車、”ノーパン” に乗り、異なった場所で出た。それから彼らは仲間の地下鉄のライダーの衝撃そして娯楽に他の列車を乗りました 。

“私はズボン無しにここに立っている”マンハッタン主審のミリーサ・ ポーラス（31歳）がコメントしました。 彼女は混同した見物人が発育阻害の意味を成すことを試みる間、毛布をかぎ針で編んだらし。”私はすごい。”

よく意味わからないけどすごいですね。

元の記事(英文)はここにある。

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In an extremely barbaric and anachronistic act, four people were executed by hanging in Japan yesterday. Two of the four hung were in their mid to late seventies, one was 64 , and the last to swing was 44. All were convicted murderers.

While I wouldn’t wish to be seen to be condoning such acts, the executions, and the way that they were carried out strike me as being particularly inhumane. I have never seen any evidence that would support the argument that capital punishment is an effective deterrent and I believe that the possibility of mistakenly executing an innocent person make the whole process a no-brainer.

The executions were carried out without warning so that the families of the deceased were unable to visit and say their last goodbyes to their kin.

Capital punishment is a simple answer to a complex problem. An easy solution that allows politicians to appear to be harsh on crime without dealing with any of the underlying issues which may lead to such acts in the first place.

Globally 88 countries, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Turkey and Mexico no longer impose the death penalty. Japan, along with North Korea, Myanmar, the United States of America, Sudan, China, Iran among others continue
this medieval practice – truly an “axis of evil”.

Story source: The Japan Times.

Picture source: Gathering Darkness 

Four sent to the gallows

Death penalty foes slam Christmas Day hangings

By JUN HONGO

The Justice Ministry sent four death row inmates to the gallows Monday, inflaming lawmakers and protesters over the first executions to be carried out in 15 months. [Read more]

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ASHGABAT: Turkmenistan’s President-for-life Saparmurat Niyazov died on Thursday after 21 years of iron rule in which he crushed all dissent and made his Central Asian state one of the world’s most isolated countries.

State television and government sources said Niyazov, 66, whose country has the world’s fifth-biggest reserves of natural gas, died overnight of cardiac arrest.

[Read more]

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Don’t cross your legs like Kenny Everett used to if you are taking the train in Japan.

According to a survey by Nihon Minei Tetsudo Kyokai (The really funky name the Japan Private Railways Association goes by) the way people sit on the train is the biggest seat of annoyance to passengers. The article on mainichi isn’t that specific, but I presume it is referring to people sitting cross-legged, and taking up too much space. Not an issue to any of New Zealand Railways (is that what they are called these days?) 3 passengers – but with packed trains especially during rush hour being considerate and not sprawling everywhere like a hippopotamus in cup of hot tea is an important part of travelling by train in Japan.

Interestingly being stonkingly drunk came in at number 12 on the list of pet peeves – 10 stops behind talking on mobile phones. This is a big one in Japan. I remember when we were in the States, on the underground in Atlanta and all these people were using their cellular phones. It was most unnerving with everyone chattering away – never mind the fact that I could understand the inanity of the conversations so easily. In China they talk on their phones on the bus and the train but one doesn’t notice it so much after the shock of Chinese toilets. In Japan however if you use a mobile phone on a train you will be beaten. Severely. By little old ladies armed to the teeth with floral umbrellas. Well not really. But you get the picture.

On a related note, upstairsforthinking had an interesting post about taking trains in Japan that you may want to check out. He asked if I had any advice. I do. But seeing as most Japanese don’t mind, I think I will go and knock back a couple of liters of sake and ride around the Yamanote Line a few times instead. Should be a blast.

(Mainichi) The way people sit topped the list of most embarrassing things on trains or at railway stations for the third year in a row in a survey announced by a railway association, officials said.

Nihon Minei Tetsudo Kyokai (The Japan private railway organization) announced the results of polls by 16 major private railway operators on 700 passengers.

[Read more]

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