The Dynamic Duo

Let’s talk about me.

I went to the immigration office yesterday, and got my work visa renewed (there was a whole application process before that, you don’t just go pick them up.) so Japan is stuck with me for a while longer anyway.

A few days before that I ordered the new dual 2 Ghz G5 Macintosh computer. Looking at the order details online though it says it won’t ship until October 15th. There was no indication of this delay during the order process, and the person who bought my iMac is waiting patiently before it comes before picking up her beautiful new iMac. It really bugs me that the Japanese site never even made an announcement of when the G5s started shipping. I’m not sure if they aren’t shipping yet or whether I’m on a back ordered waiting list. The whole Japanese Apple site could be better maintained. for example there are links on the site that say see the Mac switch TV commercials, but as far as can tell the TV commercials are not on the site anymore.

As a little background for this next part, campaigning for mayoral elections is currently underway here in Zushi. This means that trucks with loudspeakers are driving through all the streets blasting people with different candidates names, and little else of substance. There is nearly always a woman in the back of the truck (I had thought that these must be volunteers, but after discussing it with both candidates, and people who have done or been offered the job it seems that it is almost always a paid job.) saying thank you and announcing the candidates name. When they have time, the candidates ride in the front seat, and kind of take turns with the girl in the back saying their own name and thanking people for their future patronage. They usually, however, at least try to make their words understandable. Last night though, coming home from picking up my new visa, I was passed by the current mayor who is running for reelection, and rather than tag teaming on the vocal delivery as I believe is standard practice. He and his backseat girl were talking at the same time resulting in an even more annoying brand of noise pollution than is usually produced.

This got me thinking about the mayor’s recent antics, where he threatened to resign over the Japanese government’s agreement to build more U.S. military housing in Ikego. I’m not sure how it worked, but his resignation was refused, and so he remains mayor. In the beginning I saw him taking a stand as a gutsy move that deserved support, but as I thought about it more deeply I changed my mind. The thing is that his resignation would have been nothing more than a political stunt designed to put him in the spotlight, and give him more time to work on his campaign, since the new election was coming right up and he announced that he would run in the next election. Basically he was cutting about a month or so off of his full-time job, right during prime campaigning time to protest something that was bound to get him into the news. Also his stand is one that Japanese people generally either support, or don’t feel strongly about, so his risk was low. I can’t say whether or not he is the best man for the job or not, but I think his attempted resignation was a publicity stunt pure and simple. Like you care.
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Now in my CD Player: The End from the album “The Best of the Doors [1985] (2 of 2)” by The Doors or if you are in Japan, click here