Olympic Stories- Satomi Suzuki Helping Japan in the Pool

When one thinks of swimming, the countries which first come to mind are the United States, Australia and perhaps China. But, Japan has had a really strong showing in the pool at the 2012 London Olympics as well. Though Team Japan did not win a gold medal in swimming, the team has so far garnered nine medals, including two silvers and seven bronze medals.

One of those silver medals came from Satomi Suzuki, 21, who won the medal in the 200-meter breast-stroke. Suzuki also won a bronze medal in the 100-meter breast-stroke.

According to "Japan Daily News," Suzuki finished the 200-meter breast-stroke in 2 minutes, 20.72 seconds, which was more than a full second behind the winner Rebecca Soni of the United States, however she was able to tie a Japanese record with her time.

Yuliya Yefimova of Russia finished third in that race.

So far, Japan has scored 21 medals overall, including two gold medals from Kaori Matsumoto in women's judo and Kohie Uchimara in men's gymnastics.

http://www.joc.or.jp/english/

Olympic Stories- Turkish Female Weightlifter (almost) Medals

Though Chinese women's weightlifter Wang Minigjuan, who turns 27 in October, (pictured below) won the gold medal in the 48-kilogram lightweight division on Saturday at the 2012 London Olympics, Nurdan Karagoz, 25, got considerable media coverage in her native Turkey as she finished fifth.

Karagoz scored a 187, which was the result total of her three combined lifts. Earlier, Karagoz won silver at the European Championships held in Antalya, Turkey, she won that some color medal at the previous European Championships in Russia. Additionally, Karagoz won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships in France.

Weightlifting has been a popular sport in Turkey since the legendary men's weightlifter Naim Suleymanoglu, aka the Pocket Hercules, won a gold medal in the sport at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. 

Despite being a four-time world champion (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2009), Wang Mingjuan had never competed in the Olympics due to injuries. In London, the Chinese lifter pulled 91 kilograms in the snatch and 114 kilograms in the clean and jerk.

Except for Karagoz, each of the top six finishers was from an Asian-Pacific nation. Hiromi Miayke of Japan won silver andd Ryang Chun Hwa of North Korea captured the bronze.

 

The Rabbit Ears Quiz (12 of 12)_ Heidi, Girl of the Alps

Today, we close our series on tv shows which aired from the late '60s to the early '80s, with a segment that is actually dedicated to two Japanese cartoons, which were both based on classic German children's stories (we should point out that Heidi was actually written by Swiss author Johanna Spyris in 1880, but it was first published in German).

We'll start with "Heidi, Girl of the Alps," which was part of the anime "World Masterpiece Theatre" productions, which also included Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. The Heidi cartoon ran for a full year in 1972; I saw in on the TRT (Turkish Radio Television) some five years later.

The legendary film director Hayao Miayazaki, now age 71, who directed the films "Spirited Away" and "Princess Monoke" was responsible for the Heidi cartoon's screen design and layout.

Isao Takahata, now age 76, who directed another acclaimed Japanese animated film "Grave of the Fireflies" (1998) about the horrors of World War 2, directed many episodes of the Heidi cartoon.

Another popular Anime cartoon was "Maya the Bee," which originally ran in Japan from 1975-76. It was based on the German book of the same name, which was written by Waldena Bansels in 1912.

"Maya the Bee" was also very popular in Europe. I saw in on the TRT, circa 1978, when I was eight years old, where it was known as "Ari Maya" (ari is the Turkish word for bee). The cartoon was also trendy in Greece, Israel and Bulgaria, as well as many other countries.

Both "Heidi" and "Maya the Bee" lasted for the exact same number of episodes. Today, we are asking what that number was.

Is the answer?:

A) 36

B) 42

C) 52

D) 60

http://www.animenews.com

http://www.funimation.com

UPDATE (July 5, 2012): The answer is C) 52

Happy Mother's Day from Godzilla

Today, we celebrate Mother's Day, which is reportedly even celebrated in rural Turkmenistan, with a special salute to Godzilla for anyone who might have a domineering mother in their life (eyes rolling).

In January, the Criterion Collection released a duel disc with both the original Ishiro Honda Japanese version of "Godzilla" (1954) and its American alteration, which most of us saw on tv as kids.

There is also the satirical short cartoon "Bambi Meets Godzilla" (1969) and a Godzilla cartoon series which ran from 1978-81 on NBC in the United States.

Lastly, there is the retro web site Barry's Temple of Godzilla, which first 'came out of the water' in 1996. Though Barry ceased adding new entries in 2005, the web site is still up for those who are Godzilla fans:

http://www.godzillatemple.com

Quote of the Day/Week- Yukio Mishima

Today, we conclude our quotes in honor of National Poetry Month, with a quip from the Japanese poet Yukio Mishima (1925-1970) who died at age 45 after committing ritual suicide in a political protest.

Mishima was unique in that he was a right-wing nationalist who was also a homosexual; he was also a playwright, novelist and actor. Mishima was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize in literature.

Here is his quote:

"Is there not a sort of remorse that precedes sin? Was it remorse at the very fact that I existed?" (taken from his 1949 work "Confessions of a Mask."

SIDEBAR: The answer to our April 17th edition of "The Rabbit Ears Quiz" is A) Missouri.

Quote of the Day/Week-Hiroyuki Tomita

Today, we continue quoting international Olympic athletes who won either gold or silver medals with a quip from Japanese gymnast Hiroyuki Tomita, 31, who won three gold medals over two Olympics (2004 Athens Olympics; 2008 Beijing Olympics).

Tomita helped Japan win its first team gold medal at the 2004 games since the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Here is his quote:

"I aim for the beautiful artistic gymnastics that would remain in people's memories rather than winning a medal."

We are quoting these athletes in honor of the upcoming 2012 London Olympics.

Silly Picture to Fill Space- The Green Pigs of Angry Birds

Since we are heading back to Coco Cay in The Bahamas for a second time this year (that is a joke), we thought we'd leave you with this image of the notorious pigs from Angry Birds, which I'm told is even popular in Turkey, where one might expect that the pigs would cause a problem.

Everyone should be warned that the game is very, very addictive, even more so than Starbucks coffee!

I was surprised to learn that Angry Birds was created in Finland, given the Kamikaze elements of the video game, I thought it was assuredly something Made in Japan.

For those who enjoy eating barbecue who might be in the Richmond, Va., area, Google recommends ExBilly's BarBQ which has a web site (extrabillys.com) and their phone number is (804) 282-3949.

Casulaties of Modern Technology (6 of 12)_ The Calculator

Greetings to all our blog readers in Turku, Finland, and Kobe, Japan, or whereever else you might be today.

By happenstance, I came across the Little Professor* calculator I used in the third grade in 1979; alas, it no longer seems to function.

And, though calculators are still used to a varying degree, it seems safe to assume that they are indeed a Casualty of Modern Technology.

The modern calculators that were used to assist with basic math were first developed in the 1960s. Pocket-sized calculators came about a decade later in the 1970s. And, it was around the disco era, when calculators became both small and affordable for everyone, including elementary school students.

This, in turn, created a debate about whether calculators should be used in the classroom or not. Many math teachers feared that the calculator would diminsh student math skills. But, while the matter became more controversial in Europe, American school teachers gradually seemed to accept the likes of the Little Professor in the classroom.

As they evolved, calculators were also able to perform more advanced technigues, such as trigonometry and stats.

In 1986, according to Wikipedia, the calculator accounted for 41 percent of all general purpose hardware. But, by 2007, calculators accounted for less than 0.005 percent of general purpose hardware.

*-Whoops, we initially incorrectly referred to the Little Professor calculators as Mister Professor calculators!

Quote of the Day/Week- Sidney Poitier

Since we just got back from The Bahamas and today is the start of Black History Month, we thought it would be nifty to quote Sidney Poitier, 84, who won an Oscar for "Lilies of the Field" (1963), the first African-American to win a Best Actor Oscar. More recently, in 2009, Poitier also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama.

Though Poitier has lived in the United for a long time, he is a Bahamas-native and maintains dual citizenship. In fact, in 1997, Poitier was the Bahamian ambassador to Japan. We also learned that he is fluent in Russian.

Here is his quote: "History passes final judgment."

SIDEBAR ONE: The underground cult classic "Pretty Poison" (1968) with Tuesday Weld and the late Anthony Perkins, who was best-known for playing Norman Bates in "Psycho" begins a week-long run at the Film Forum in New York starting on Friday. We finally saw the film two years ago. And, for those of you in the Big Apple or even New Jersey, we highly recommend it.

SIDEBAR TWO: We would personally love to see actor Michael C. Hall, who plays Dexter on "Dexter," a Showtime series about a serial killer who kills off people whom he believes have killed people, say: "I am not a serial killer, but I play one on tv." Today, Hall turns 41, the same age as me. He is originally from Raleigh, NC. Happy Birthday, Dexter.

The Rabbit Ears Quiz- (Entry 4 of 12) Godzilla the Cartoon

The Japanes monster Godzilla first started out as well a giant, mean man-eating reptile of gigantic proportions who terrified the citizens of Tokyo. But, since kids thought he was cool that almost 25 years after he first set Japan on fire, he was a more mild-mannered good lizard in his animated form.

The animated cartoon version of "Godzilla" was a joint Japanese and American venture, which aired on Saturday mornings here in the United States, from 1978-1981. The show ran for 26 episodes.

It was produced by Toho, the Japanese company that brought the world Godzilla in film form, and produced many off-shots, featuring other popular characters, such as Mothra.

According to Wikipedia, there were many tech glitches on the cartoon version of "Godzilla," including a variation in his size. To make Godzilla more kid-friendly, there was also the character of Godzuki, Godzilla's slightly mischievous, but friendly son_ kind of a Scrappy Doo in lizard form.

The show also featured a great roar by a tv character actor named Ted Cassidy (1932-1979) who died while "Godzilla" was on the air from complications due to Acromegaly, at age 46. The disease which triggers excessive groth hormones in adults also claimed the life of pro wrestler Andre the Giant, when he was also 46.

Cassidy became a known figure for being on a tv show with a large cult following.

So, today, we are simply asking what that particular show was; is the answer:

A) The Addams Family

B) The Munsters

C) Lost in Space

D) Star Trek

E) The Six Million Dollar Man

Quote of the Week- Bryan Adams

We go from classical music to contemporary pop/rock as we quip Canadian singer Bryan Adams who turned 52 on Nov. 5. I had always assumed that Adams, who I saw in concert threee times in the '80s and '90s when he came to my hometown of Roanoke, Va., was from British Columbia. But, Adams is actually a native of Kingston, Ontario.

This month, we are quoting famous Canadians, and there are many more of them than one might realize! (Frogive me for making fun of our neighbors to the north).

Though he recorded three solid album in the mid-to-late 1980s, Adams will probably be best remembered for singing the ballad ("Everything I Do"), I Do It for You." Like most people of my generation, I have come to despise this tune that was number one for an astonishing seven weeks in 1991, when I was 21.

Here is the quote from Adams, who last released an album (simply called "11") in
2008:

"I only write songs for myself, I don't try to appeal to anyone else."

SIDEBAR: On a more serious note, I wanted to pay my respects and appreciation to Atsushi Miyazaki, a Japanese aid worker, who was killed by the 5.7 aftershock to the devastating Oct. 23rd earthquake in Van, Turkey. The aftershock also occured in Van on Wednesday. Miyazaki was killed when the Bayram Hotel in Van collapsed. 604 people have officially died as a result of the original quake. In addition, to Miyazaki, some ten people were killed on Wednesday. For info on how you can help, go the main Turkish-American web site (www.ataa.org).

The Next 10 Films in Our Netflix Que- Lots of Foreign Films

The dominance of Netflix among the dvd sales market has been subject of NPR pieces on "Market Place" and written articles in "Wired" magazine, which we really need to read some time (subscribing to eight or nine other magazines has its disadvantages!). Though with its own streaming services, amazon.com is projected to be gradually catching up with the online giant soon.

Since it has been a depressing week lately for a variety of reasons, including the tsunami in Japan as well as the political unrest Bahrain, Yemen, Syria and Libya, I hope some of these films are a bit uplifting. But, then again, I'm in no mood for "Mary Poppins" which is amazingly enough one of the most favorite films of filmmaker David Fincher ("Zodiac," "The Social Network")!


Here are the next ten films I am scheduled to be recieving from Netflix. In case you were wondering, "Lightning in a Bottle" is a 'rocumentary' about blues musicians like B.B. King.

1. "The Class" (France, 2008).

2. "Yi Yi" (Taiwan, 2000).

3. "The Son's Room" (Italy, 2001).

4. "Not on the Lips" (France, 2003).

5. "Undertow" (2004)

6. "The Mist" (2007)

7. "15" (France, 2003).

8. "Lightning in a Bottle" (doc., 2004).

9. "Rivers and Tides" (doc., 2003)

10. "The Yacoubian Building" (Egypt, 2006).

Quote of the Week- Sun Tzu

Today, we quip the ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu (544-496 BC) who ironically has a statue of himself in Tottori, Japan. We should perhaps dedicate an entry to the tsunami sufferers some time...........hmmm......yeah, that PSA series didn't go over too well (you need to be a long-time reader of this blog to perhaps get the joke and we don't have very many of those).

Tzu's most famous work "Art of War," which Paris Hilton has supposedly read!, was listed by "Mental Floss" magazine as one of the best books once can read on the Washington, DC metro commute between Arlington and the Smithsonian stops (Mental Floss actually said it was one of the best short books to read, we are putting in the DC metro to hopefully 'increase our circulation numbers' in that area which has considerably more people than War, WVa.,* where I am blogging from at the moment**).

Here is the quote from the great Chinese philosopher which will paste here so we can get out of the building in time for Oprah:

"If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril."

*- There is actually a coal-mining town called War, WVa., the far southeastern part of the state.

**- It is not actually where I am blogging from!

Things We Learned on Twitter Today- The President is 'On the Line'

Yes, we love relics that are Casualties of Modern Technology on this blog (we should get a trademark on that term!), and it goes well with today's entry as to what we learned from Twitter today.

There was this tweet from much-respected journalist Nicholas Kristoff:

"Had a chilling conversation with a friend in Libya. He was terrified somebody was listening and praised Qadaffi." ("Newsweek" spelled his name Gadaffi; we are truly confused here!)

While checking out Twitter, we were listening to WXYC-FM (Chapel Hill, NC) which is not only the student-run radio station for the University of North Carolina, but in 1994, it became the first radio station to stream over the Internet.

Tonight, WXYC was playing the music of Japanese avant-garde instrumentalist Toshi Ichiyanagi, who as it turns out was married to Yoko Ono from 1956 to 1963 before she met up with John Lennon. I must profess I had never, ever heard of Toshi or his music, but it definitely helped relive my 'brain freeze' which is apparently becoming a side effect of staying on the Internet way too damn long. (Wow, is it 10:05 p.m. already?!).

Lastly, we saw a white pickup truck in Roanoke, Va., last night that was proclaiming that May 21, 2011, is going to be JUDGMENT DAY (it was in all caps). The web site thinkatheist.com thus posed the following question: "Some Christians believe it will mark the beginning of the Rapture. What will you be doing on May 22?"

The Last Ten CDs I've Listened To- New Wave to Pakistani

For those of you in Greensboro, NC, you should say you want a burger like this the next time you go to Fincastles Diner downtown on Elm Street; the establishment is actually named for the town of Fincastle, Va., a hamlet of about 800 folks near Roanoke. My mom taught middle school there for about 11 years.

We are actually going with this hamburger image because another Greensboro institution, my friend and folk singer Bruce Piephoff's cd "Hamburger Square," which was produced in 2001 but features material recorded prior to that year, is one of the last ten I've listened to.

Since I had a chance to see the indie punk Superchunk from Chapel Hill, NC, perform in their backyard at Cat's Cradle last night, I picked up their 1991 recording "No Pocky for Kitty." Superchunk happens to have a loyal following in Japan, and pocky is a popular snack there.

Bluegrass Singer Tim O'Brien's 2008 cd "Chameleon" is also on the list. Right now, O'Brien, a native of West Virginia, is quite far from home as he is performing in New Zealand and then Australia in the next few days, according to his web site.

Closer to home, the folk band Eddie from Ohio (they are actually from Virginia) is going to be performing at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland, from March 18-19. Their 1997 recording "Big Noise" featuring one of my favorite folk songs by someone besides Mr. Piephoff "Juan in the Rear View Mirror" is on that album.

Les Blank, a great documentary filmmaker who I met a few years ago, got me introduced to Lightin' Hopkins (1912-1982) as he made a short film about the blues legend which I saw on Link-TV a few years back.

Most Americans are probably not familiar with the Turkish instrumentalist Okay Temiz, but he is more well-known in Europe. In fact, at one time, he lived in Finland. His 1994 recording "Fish Market" is quite exceptional, and there is no true way to describe his unique sound, so I guess I'll just have to recommend you check out his videos on Youtube.

Anyway, here is the list, I better post this before I wake my mom up as I'm visiting her this weekend:

1. "Night Song" (1995. Nusret Fateh Ali Khan and Michael Brook. World/Inspirational).

2. "No Pocky for Kitty" (1991. Superchunk. Alternative/Punk).

3. "Chameleon" (2008. Tim O'Brien. Bluegrass).

4. "Big Noise" (1997. Eddie from Ohio. Folk).

5. "Hamburger Square" (2001. Bruce Peiphoff. Folk).

6. "Very Best of Lightin' Hopkins" (1999. Compilation of music recorded many, many years ago. Blues).

7. "Drummers of Burundi" (1993. Drummers of Burundi. World).

8. "Fish Market" (1994. Okay Temiz. World. Instrumental/Jazz).

9. "Yuru Anca Gidersin" (2003. Yildiz Tilbe. Turkish pop).

10. "Vacation" (1982. The Go-Gos. New Wave/Pop).

Beers from Around the World (#50 of 50) Sleeman from Canada

Yes, we never thought it would come to an end either, but today, we are featuring our final entry in our Beers Around the World series with a look at Canada's third most popular beer, Sleeman which as it turns out is surprisingly difficult to find here in America.

In total, we have focused on 50 beers from 44 different countries, and only the Chilean beer (we think it was Cristal) gave us some problems.

Sleeman Beer, which some people call Sleeman's, ranks third behind Molson and Labatts, which are both widely available in America, in domstic Canadian sales.

The beer was founded in Guelph, Ontario, in 1834. It actually ceased operations because it was a popular beer that was illegally brought into Detroit during the Prohibition era in the late 1930s. Ironically, Michigan is apparently now one of the few places where Sleeman Beer can be found.

Sleeman Beer was restarted in 1988, and it became so popular in Canada that the Japanese brewery giant Sapporo purcahsed the company for $400 million in 2006.

Sleeman comes in a cream ale as well as in original drafts and original darks.

Since the company has decided, for some reason, not to fool with the American market, one place where one could probably find it would the Shark Bar and Grill in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which might be worth a road trip to get out of Provo, Utah.

In Turkish, It's Called Tembellik

We could've looked up what's the Norwegian word for laziness too, but well we're too lazy!

The cat is in Japan (in the original image; this black cat might be from Mexico), well not my cat Gizmo, who is somewhere near Floyd, Va., but this cat in particular.

One knows laziness is very bad when you don't even want to post a blog entry!

But, for those of you with more stamina, we recommend "Garfield without Garfield," a satiric take on the comic strip with the World's Laziest Cat (and, the world's oldest cat as Garfield has been around for 32 years now!). The web site for that is garfieldwithoutgarfield.net

It's time to take a nap....!