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john reis · Music · MW · News · rftc · rftc reunion · rocket from the crypt · rocket from the crypt reunion · speedo · swami · yo gabba gabba ·

Rocket From The Crypt reunite for Yo Gabba Gabba!

Most of the time, I feel like I’ve been at the right place and the right time. I’ve been lucky enough to partake in the apex of Saturday morning cartoons, the Marvel Age of Comics, the Showtime Lakers, punk rock when it was still scary, so many cool record stores that have vanished, college when it was affordable and easy to get into, the rise of indie punk and riot grrrl, the Golden Age of Hip-Hop and gangsta rap, the Golden Age of Hong Kong Movies, new waves of Japanese and Korean cinema, the indie toy explosion, the evolution of indie art… The list goes on and on. But last Wednesday, I was actually jealous of today’s kids. That’s when my good friend invited me to take my 3-year-old daughter and 4-year-old niece on the set of Yo Gabba Gabba!

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accident · child · china · girl · girl run over · News · tragedy ·

Two Year Old Chinese Girl Gets Runover and Ignored

It’s been on the news and commented on extensively on the net, that a two year old was run over in China and largely ignored until a homeless woman tends to her. Many are seen walking by after looking at a dying child and proceeding to just walk away. Perhaps they thought the child was sleeping, which might be their only defense, but in the street? It’s hard to judge. Yet this kid was only two. What’s the driver thinking? What was the second driver thinking? As much as people stare everywhere, it’s not a Chinese situation, it’s more of a human situation where we observe tragic events and just watch them. This seems extreme, but it happened. The video is hard to watch so we’re not embedding it, but you can click on the link. It’s been reported that the child is still alive. (Youtube – Chinese child)  
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3/11 · debris · earthquake · floating debris · garbage · News · tsunami ·

Japan Tsunami Debris Tracked

So many months later after the 3/11 tsunami earthquake disaster and the stuff that floated away is being tracked and found. The boat below was found and it’s a Fukushima based fishing boat. It’s still a slow ride. Midway island is a two year wait, the main land west coast of America, three years. International Pacific Research Center at University of Hawaii is tracking this junk as it travels and becomes part of the gyre. (Our Amazing Planet – Debris)
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cleaning · ear · ear cleaning · japan · mimi kuso · News · salon. ·

Ear Cleaning in Japan is More Than Just Cleaning

In most places, it’s suggested you don’t put anything in your ears. No Q-Tips or Cones included. You let the wax built up and ignore it until you go to a doctor once every year or less. Perhaps some of the wax falls out naturally, but on the contrary some clean their ears near daily. That happens in Japan. Ear cleaning is a home activity, it’s near routine. Shop in a variety store and you’ll find an ear cleaning section. Peruse that and you’ll see numerous tools that scrape the inside of your ear. It can’t be that bad. There are also salons which popped up years ago. Often advertising with a sandwich board, there are often on second floors and boast ear cleaning. It’s not just that, it’s a Freudian type of situation where a man lays their head onto a female’s lap (echoing the mommy thing), and gets his ear cleaned. It costs about $35 and these salons have flourished. The happy ending isn’t exactly sexual, but you do come out lighter – just less wax. (AFP – Wax) Which one looks like mommy? You can pick your ear cleaning technician and put your head on her lap.
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