Picture of the Day: Tokyo Subway

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This is just a picture of a typical subway in Tokyo. The Tokyo subways are efficient and cheap, however during rush hour they get extremely packed.

Picture of the Day: Japanese Restroom

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Here is what many restrooms in Asia look like. I just love the instruction sign for the occassional foreigner that shows up to use the latrine.

Picture of the Day: Japanese Pepsi

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Things tend to be smaller in Japan when compared to the US and soda cans are no different. This is the typical size of a soda in Japan.

Picture of the Day: Japan’s Shinkansen Train

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There is a lot to love about Japan and the Shinkansen trains are definitely one of them. The typical shinkansen can go at a speed of 186 mph. However, Japan has test run even newer trains that go over 300 mph. The trains are very comfortable and the ideal way to travel in Japan.

Picture of the Day: A Japanese Vending Machine

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In Japan they love their vending machines like the one pictured. You buy just about anything you can think of from a vending machine in Japan.

Picture of the Day: Another Bento Box

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Here is another example of the bento boxes I love to eat when visiting Japan. I have actually found these bento boxes for sale in the US in areas with large Asian populations as well. They make for a nutritious and easy lunch.

South Australian Government Censors Internet With New Election Law

Could this law eventually make its way to America by the 2012 election?:

  • Anonymous comments banned for SA election
  • Michael Atkinson says speech still free
  • Media says censorship is ‘draconian’

SOUTH Australia has become one of the few states in the world to censor the internet.

The new law, which came into force on January 6, requires anyone making an online comment about next month’s state election to publish their real name and postcode.

The law will affect anyone posting a comment on an election story on The Advertiser’s AdelaideNow website, as well as other Australian news sites.

It could also apply to election comment made on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

The law, which was pushed through last year as part of a raft of amendments to the Electoral Act and supported by the Liberal Party, also requires media organisations to keep a person’s real name and full address on file for six months, and they face fines of $5000 if they do not hand over this information to the Electoral Commissioner.  [AdelaideNow]

I want to see how the government plans on censoring Facebook and Twitter?  Apparently the South Australian premier is losing in the polls and is getting bashed on the Internet and in response created this law.  For those that don’t know, think of Adelaide which is the capitol of South Australia as the San Francisco of Australia.  It is a very nice town, but filled with liberals.

Smart Meters Raise Electricity Bills By $300 On Low Income Households

Here is what you can expect to happen in the US if these so called smart meters are ever implemented in the US:

ENERGY bills for low-income households could rise 30 per cent a year through the introduction of smart meters, a system that charges consumers higher prices during peak consumption times.

Backed by the nation’s governments, smart meters are being rolled-out across Victoria and NSW, with other states set to follow.

The system, which allows power companies to set their prices based on peak or off-peak times, aims to help consumers better manage electricity use.

The Victorian roll-out already has been criticised by the state’s auditor-general, who found consumers paid an average of $150 more a year more for power.

A new study by the University of Melbourne shows it will come at an even higher cost to the the nation’s most vulnerable consumers, including pensioners and single parents.

The study, prepared for the Ministerial Council on Energy, found that the time-of-use pricing system increased power bills by up to $300 a year for low-income families.  [AAP]

Remember politicians love gimmicks like this because they can say they never raised your taxes, but are still increasingly fleecing you through your utility bill with these smart meters.  Expect this gimmick to come to the US at some point with the justification of fighting global warming.

Picture of the Day: Japanese Bento Box

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This is your typical Japanese bento box that can be bought in convenience stores in Japan. I live off these things when I am in Japan because they are so cheap to buy. A box like this costs only about $4 to $5 range. Definitely an affordable way to eat in Japan.

Giant Squids Invade California Beaches

If you live in California, here is your chance to reel in a giant squid:

Giant squid weighing up to 60 pounds have invaded the California waters off Newport Beach and are being caught by sport fishermen by the hundreds.

The squid showed up last week and anglers started booking twilight fishing trips over the weekend to catch them.

The animals weigh between 20 and 40 pounds, but a few fishermen have reeled in 60-pound creatures.

The Humboldt squid is also called the jumbo squid or jumbo flying squid and squirts ink to protect itself.

They can grow up to 100 pounds and 6 feet long and follow food sources. The squid have also recently been spotted off San Diego, Oregon and Washington.  [Associated Press]

These Humboldt squids are actually quite dangerous because they are known to attack people with their beaks.