4-Year-Old Contracts Herpes After Used Condom Incident

via cbsatlanta.com

My buddy's 4-year-old nephew contracted oral herpes from a dirty condom that he mistook for a balloon. The condom was found in a hotel room the family had just checked into. Why was the room not cleaned THOROUGHLY before they checked in?
Not sure where the tyke found it in the room-- if it was found under the bed, I could maybe understand a little; usually the staff is given only 20 minutes to completely change a room out between guests-- who'd put something under the bed? why would it get dirty? However every other place should get checked.
My prayers go to the family. He doesn't have the STD version, but this does mean that he won't be kissing anyone.... Does oral herpes go away, or is there a cure? Nope. Just like the other STD version, its always there--he'll just be having breakouts from now on... Yikes. I hope they sue the $#¡† out of the Wyndham Hotel chain.

Posted via email from ...all about starrwulfe...

 

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RANmagazine--Out on delivery

RAN Magazine Hot off the press! Sagawa Delivery to the rescue!

I'm out putting RANmagazine in the usual spots-- Maruzen, Shooters, No 1 travel, etc.

Get yours NOW!

via facebook.com/RANmagazine

Pick up your copy today!

Posted via web from RANdom musings from Nagoya

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Princess Aiko unable to go to school after boys treated her harshly - The Mainichi Daily News

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Princess Aiko, the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, has been reluctant to attend school since Monday after being "treated harshly" by boys in her grade, an official of the Imperial Household Agency said Friday.

But an official of the school denied that the 8-year-old princess was directly subject to rowdy behavior of the boys, after the unusual announcement by Issei Nomura, the top aide to the crown prince and princess, about the princess' absence citing problems in school.

Princess Aiko, a granddaughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko and a second grader at Gakushuin Primary School in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, has been complaining of strong anxiety and stomachache, Nomura, grand master of the crown prince's household, told a regular news conference.

The princess missed school in late February due chiefly to mild fever, and attended school Tuesday but left early and has since been absent, he said, adding there are no prospects for her to return to school.

The school has found that a group of boys had dealt rowdily with several of their school mates, including Princess Aiko, Nomura said, adding that the palace has asked the school to address the matter.

He also said the palace has obtained consent from the school to publicize the princess's situation.

At a hastily arranged separate press conference, Motomasa Higashisono, a senior director of the Gakushuin School Corporation that runs a range of schools from kindergarten to university, said, however, "As far as we know, there was no violent behavior targeted at Princess Aiko."

The princess "got scared Tuesday when she went by a boy who dashed out of a classroom," Higashisono said, adding, "It must have reminded her of the rowdy behavior of several boys in the past...and made her uneasy."

The disorderly behavior of the boys included throwing bags, running fast down hallways and shouting around July last year, but calmed down by about November after the school allocated more teachers to deal with them, he said.

Originally a school for imperial and noble family members, Gakushuin has been attended by most members of the imperial family, including Emperor Akihito and Crown Prince Naruhito.

Princess Aiko entered Gakushuin Primary School in April 2008 after finishing Gakushuin Kindergarten in March that year.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said, "As an individual citizen, I hope she recovers and gets well as quickly as possible."

via mdn.mainichi.jp

And I always thought that the imperial family always had in-house tutors at least during primary school years... Lil' Princess Aiko is just gonna have to get used to those mischievous boys I guess!

Posted via web from ...all about starrwulfe...

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USGS: Chile Earthquake 'Alarming' / Magma

via mag.ma

Wow. First Haiti, now Chilé. 2010 starts with a serious BANG.

I'm wondering if all this is connected somehow. Thoughts?

Posted via web from ...all about starrwulfe...

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7-11 offering city services (via Japan Times)

Seven-Eleven Japan Co. launched a new service Tuesday enabling customers to get residence and personal seal certification at its convenience stores in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture instead of going to city offices.

Municipal service: Seven-Eleven Japan President Ryuichi Isaka (third from left) helps kick off the convenience store chain's issuance of residence and registered seal certificates at an outlet in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, on Tuesday. KYODO PHOTO

The issuance of "juminhyo" (residence certificates) and "inkan toroku shomeisho" (registered seal certificates) marks a first for convenience stores and for now is available only to residents of Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, the suburb of Mitaka, and people living in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture.

The service will be extended to all 12,600 Seven-Eleven outlets in 38 prefectures by May, according to the company, which is under the wing of Seven & I Holdings Co.

Foreigners will not receive residence certificates until the revision of the immigration law and the resident registration law, passed last July, takes effect in July 2012.

Japanese and foreigners need a certificate of personal seals only when they establish a business, make a big purchase such as a house, or borrow money. Such seals are not required, for example, when signing an apartment rental contract.

Seven-Eleven hopes the new service attracts more customers.

The company has been working with the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry and local authorities since spring 2008 to launch the service.

Customers will be able to insert their resident registry network cards into a new terminal for identification and get a printout of the document they need. The fee will be ¥200 to ¥250 for each copy.

Printouts are forgery-proof to make sure personal data are not falsified, Seven-Eleven said, adding the terminal network has advanced security features to protect personal information.

via search.japantimes.co.jp

Some things that we can take away from this as foreign nationals here in the Chubu region are:

* The immigration law that passed in July 2009 means we WILL have to register and carry a Juuminhyo (住民票) card instead of the Gaikokujin Torokusho (外国人登録書) that we carry now; it will have our gaijin status on it and inside it along with other data

* No doubt this data includes healthcare enrollment status--if you haven't taken care of that, NOW is the time to do so. That part of the law goes into effect in April 2010--less than 2 months away now.

* You can take care of a lot of the more routine matters that take place at city hall/ward offices at convenience stores by the time all this goes into effect for us... Well at least 7-11. I'm willing to bet good beer ¥ though that the other chains will pick up on this by the time we get to do it in 2011...

* Conbinis are the most awesome thing about living in Japan still-- validate your hanko, pay up on your scooter insurance, grab a beer, a sandwich and a spare pair of underwear in the same place!

Posted via web from The Official RANmagazine LifeStream

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Google Apps: Use a newer browser, or get left behind!

Dear Google Apps admin,​

In order to continue to improve our products and deliver more sophisticated features and performance, we are harnessing some of the latest improvements in web browser technology. This includes faster JavaScript processing and new standards like HTML5. As a result, over the course of 2010, we will be phasing out support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 as well as other older browsers that are not supported by their own manufacturers.​

We plan to begin phasing out support of these older browsers on the Google Docs suite and the Google Sites editor on March 1, 2010. After that point, certain functionality within these applications may have higher latency and may not work correctly in these older browsers. Later in 2010, we will start to phase out support for these browsers for Google Mail and Google Calendar.​

Google Apps will continue to support Internet Explorer 7.0 and above, Firefox 3.0 and above, Google Chrome 4.0 and above, and Safari 3.0 and above.​

Starting next week, users on these older browsers will see a message in Google Docs and the Google Sites editor explaining this change and asking them to upgrade their browser. We will also alert you again closer to March 1 to remind you of this change.​

In 2009, the Google Apps team delivered more than 100 improvements to enhance your product experience. We are aiming to beat that in 2010 and continue to deliver the best and most innovative collaboration products for businesses.​

Thank you for your continued support!​

Sincerely,​

The Google Apps team

Thank you GOOGLE!! Everyone else, GET WITH THE PROGRAM!!!

Posted via web from ...all about starrwulfe...

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An #iPhone app helped man survive #Haiti quake

via WTVJ/NBC 6 Miami and news.cnet.com

"Need to survive an apocalyptic disaster? There's an app for that."

And some here tell me I play with my phone too much. Surprised he didn't text someone his GPS coordinates along with "SOS" or "HELP", but he probably didn't have a signal.
Good to know that this piece of tech I call "my second brain" has lifesaving capabilities for the resourceful.

Posted via web from ...all about starrwulfe...

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RAN Lovers Anonymous

Thanx Dani!

If you love RANmagazine, why not send us a shot of you and the mag for our website? And to let us know that there are actual HUMANS reading our crap...

Posted via web from The Official RANmagazine LifeStream

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Haiti is in my heart and on my mind...

I wanna take some time to pray for the people of Haiti today. I have had a close friend from there for years-- we used to date in fact, and she is one of the sweetest people I've ever had in my life. Through her, I found out about my Haitian brothers and sisters-- we are all a part of the African Diaspora you know... They live in one of the most beautiful landscapes on earth, but it is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Think about that for a minute. I have been through two 7.0 and above quakes, both in Los Angeles while I was a teen in the 1990s. The worst thing that happened I remember, is the water heater shook loose and sprung a leak in our garage. We had it replaced the next day. However the same intensity jolt in Haiti causes damage like this--

This is what this place SHOULD look like by the way...

Today, my ♥ is with Haiti and all her sons and daughters.

Posted via email from ...all about starrwulfe...

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Happy 2010! Issue Three is out!

Our year end/year beginning issue is out in all the usual places. Please pick up a copy and read while ringing in the new year.

You can score a copy at:
Maruzen
Hub Sakae
Freebell
Shooters
Plastic Factory
Bintou Braids
Misfits
Deep Blue

And of course right here on the web!

Posted via email from The Official RANmagazine LifeStream

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Chris Brown Twitter Account Deleted After Rant Against Retailers

As you may know, singer Chris Brown recently released his “comeback” album, the culmination of his ongoing attempt to rebuild his image.

While part of that effort included a song dedicated to Twitter, the singer has just gone in the opposite direction when it comes to the microblogging service: account deletion.

Brown raised some eyebrows over the weekend by using his TwitterTwitter account to claim that retailers were blackballing him and not giving his album proper shelf space in stores. Much of the entertainment press drilled him over it, and now his account is gone.

Of course, while it might be gone from the public eye, the controversial tweets live on in GoogleGoogle’s cache:

Given the delicate nature of Brown’s situation, it’s hard to imagine his actions drawing much sympathy from fans and followers, though the deletion has certainly gotten him plenty of attention, with his name quickly rising to Twitter’s trending topics.

via mashable.com

Wonder if Tiger will be treated the same way... Does Tiger tweet at all? Although like my man Trev said, it's reverse discrimination. In Tiger's case, he got beat by his wife... Even if you're cheating, you shouldn't get your @$$ beat; you should just get cut off or walked out on...

Posted via web by J7

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My thoughts on VEVO, online music video site by YouTube.

VEVO, a video site devoted exclusively to music and powered by YouTube. This new destination hopes to redefine the way people watch and engage with music online, as well as change the way the digital and music industries do business with each other. The partnership blends Google and YouTube's leading technology with material from a broad catalog of top artists from Universal Music Group, Sony Music and EMI. Check it out at VEVO.com and at YouTube.com/vevo, and listen to Rihanna's welcome message:

via youtube-global.blogspot.com

I think this is the future of TV and general media consumption as we know it. In 10 years, people will no longer say "did you see the game on FOX yesterday?" They'll say,"I was on Fox.com and saw the game--Check out my blog to see some highlights if you didn't catch it."

With tools like Boxee and Miro allowing for one to easily aggregate web video and audio, and the price of flat-screen HDTVs down to reasonable levels-- we'll see this trend continue. Those TVs are just larger computer monitors, and all have some sort of connector to just plug a PC's video output into it like a VGA or HDMI port. I predict TVs to have some sort of thin client version of Boxee, Miro, Roku, or Orb in the next 3 years. I even look to Microsoft making a Windows Mediacenter TV running it on WinCE too. Of course this TV will have wifi in it, but it may also have a built in hard drive and of course USB ports to plug in cameras, thumbdrives, etc.

I'm not talking about having a PC in the TV--That's been done (I personally want a 27" iMac for that reason!) I'm talking about some sort of stripped-down OS that just runs audio/video from the net. I know it can be done too-- And this is where a company like Apple can do to TV what it did to the music industry (and also get its nascent Apple TV line in check)

Just as you can run iTunes on both macs and PCs, they should make Apple TV into an app, not just a piece of hardware. Build in Extended iTunes functionality. Build the app in HTML5... Then go to TV makers like LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and more. Get them to put in a stipped down version of OSX (like the iPhone) and run it on that.

Got that? The TV comes with the ability to grab content off the web. A user like me could then just choose to stream the content, or download it locally and watch it later. Also if possible, I could auto-publish an RSS feed of what I'm watching so that my friends could check out that play in the Falcons game I was talking about yesterday.

Of course, I can do all this now (and I do-- with tools like Orb, Miro, and others) but it requires someone to be a tech-nerd (like me) and 3~5 pieces of equipment. This idea will gain traction when someone just has to go to Best Buy and get a new TV, take it home and plug it in, navigate to their bookmarked playlists on their social sites (youtube, facebook) or use the wi-fi to hook into another PC in the house with media and playlists on it-- and watch.

Vevo is just the start of this-- One can already start their broadcast with just a webcam and an internet connection. Look to subscribing to this content the way you turn on CNN when something happens in the world-- Citizen Journalism straight from the source.

By the way-- Vevo, like Hulu only works with US IP addresses; if you're like me and live outside the US, then you'll need to use a proxy to see it. I use Hotspot Shield for the Mac.

Posted via web by J7

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FamilyMart & Orix Partnership - GreenITers

FamilyMart will enter the car-sharing market next month under a tie-up with Orix Auto Corp., aiming to expand the service to 500 convenience stores in two to three years in Japan.

via greeniters.com

Hmm... Guess we'll finally start seeing some real エコ ideas hitting the streets of Japan real soon--

Back home I use the car sharing service ZipCar (www.zipcar.com) whenever I needed a car bigger than my Scion xB to use. Now that I'm here in Japan where public transport goes everywhere I need to go, the only time I really need to use a car is when I'm delivering magazines, or picking up big items from Nittori or the occasional IKEA run to Osaka. I was just telling a friend here that in America I'd be using ZipCar instead of borrowing my roommate's car for stuff like this... You'd think Japan would be *ahead* of the curve on this one, right?

Better supporting infrastructure: coveience stores in Japan are EVERYWHERE. They sell EVERYTHING. I buy something from one everyday, usually a Coke or something like that. But I've bought concert and movie tickets, motorcycle insurance, bus tickets, pay all my utility, cellphone, and internet bills there, and sent all sorts of packages from the Lawson and 7-ll in my neighborhood. having a carshare program via the "conbini" makes sense in Japan. Also they're ALWAYS near a train/bus station.

Sharing Mentality: Japanese people just plain grow up in a culture that stresses sharing resources and being a member of a group. So if you were the kid that would never share your crayons, here in Japan, you wouldn't have any friends. Also by that same token, most Japanese take care of borrowed items better than their personal items most of the time. Recently I loaned a friend here my other laptop since his was in for warranty repairs... When I received it back 3 weeks later, it came in a new bag and came with a wireless mouse, USB hub and cleaning cloth, as a way of saying thanks. So car shares here would go about the same I think.

Japanese drivers are relatively safer: they tend to take their time and not rush so much when behind the wheel. When I drive in the US, i'm always road-ragin' about something. Here, if a car somehow is in the wrong lane to make a turn, everyone just lets him over into the correct lane. Insurance is actually cheaper as a result.

Nationwide Public Transit that WORKS: Unless you live in the very rural parts of Japan, you can get away with not owning a car, or at the very least, having a motor scooter. In the most urban areas like metro Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and others, owning a car actually costs too much in the long run. Cars here get über taxed--road tax, inspection tax and emissions taxes. Then there's the fact that you can't park overnight on most streets in Japan. Even in the countryside. So unless you have a home with a driveway, you have to pay a parking lot charge per month.

In short, I can't wait to try this out myself when it makes it to the FamilyMart in my part of Nagoya next year.

Posted via web by J7

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Kodak 1080p Zi8 pocket HD camcorder=Camera 2!

So I'm thinking, since i'll be getting the Lumix GH1 as a primary cam, I'll need another camera I can set up to give me wide shots, or to be the B-cam on shoots where I need 2 cameras... A flip-cam is a good deal at $160 a pop.. Shoots 1080p, and Kodak's version has external mic input and SD card slot for expanded memory... Y'all see where my mind is going yet?

Check out this cat from the UK, Adam Westbrook-- He's on my same brain wave here I think.  His video review is below, but also visit his site, adamwestbrook.wordpress.com, where he talked about the capabilities this new class of camera brings.  Folks, this is broadcast quality 1080p HD video in 3.2 ounces, no bigger than your kid's Gameboy.  I remember 12 years ago working at WGNX (now WGCL) in Atlanta and they made a big deal out of buying a few cameras that were $30,000 each to shoot HD.  Even 3 years ago I purchased a camera (well Comcast did for my department anyway) that shot 720p at 60fps and it was about $4000.  Amazing.  Just like musicians and sound engineers have studios that fit in a suitcase, I can actually have an HD ready kit that can shoot and stream LIVE via the internet using tools like Ustream.tv or LiveStream.tv now; forget the ENG trucks and portable switchers, and such. 

Looks like I'll be all set with the plans I have for this coming summer here in Japan... Stay Tuned...

 

Posted via email by J7

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Not Again!! Once again I try to pull a dream into reality...

Sorry for the lack of updates in the last few weeks readers-- I've been busy. Recently while contemplating my own selfish and sometimes foolish reason for being in Japan, I remembered that I am here to first and foremost have a set of experiences that I wouldn't otherwise be able to, or at the most have a hard time experiencing back in my own country for various reasons. For a long long looooooong time I often wondered why it was so hard for me to work in my chosen field, mass communications... I went to school to study it twice even--just in case I missed something the first time... But alas-- it seems whenever I land a job in the fifth estate, I end up getting laid off, pushed into another department, or my contract simply doesn't get renewed. I guess it's me-- I'm a creative type to be sure, but definitely NOT a corporate suit. Hell, I hate wearing neckties to church (the few times a year you actually catch me in a church--that's a whole 'nother conversation...) Basically what I'm saying is, I work hard for what I believe in, and the nanosecond that I feel my hard work isn't being appreciated, or worse, being taken for granted ,or even worse still, being taken advantage of-- I start acting really bitchy and let my feelings be heard, seen and felt. So it's no surprise that I'm not really trying to work in some faceless corporation's PR unit... I just don't fit in.

Ok so back to me being in Japan. Of course I came back here 9 months ago to just ESCAPE my boring-ass, monotonous, monotone, any-other-boring-sounding-adjective-goes-here life. Check the back issues of the blog from last year to see what I mean-- just look on the right side in 2008 and you'll see what I mean. Anyway I came here I guess to recapture some of my good vibes... and see if I could make my one chance to do something seemingly impossible (for me anyway) possible... To be a success somehow doing something I love, in the place that I love. No secret, I love Japan... even with all it's idiosyncrasies, irritations, inconviences, and other words that start with "i", I still gots love for this place. But I want more. I'm selfish that way. In the same manner I like to blog, I want EVERYONE to feel the same feeling at least for 5 seconds, that I do... Yep, I know, I am a tad narcissistic. There, I said it, happy now? So with these self-serving reasons in mind, I've banded together with 4 other like-minded folks here in Nagoya and created a new magazine-- RAN Magazine.


So what exactly is this rag we've slapped together? Well its kind of a conglomeration of all the foreign voices here in this city-- If you live in Nagoya and you're not Japanese, and have been here long enough for the shine to wear thin, then I don't have to explain... But to the others:


We want to expose you to things that exist, even if
they aren't so P.C.. We're not trying to be politically
correct, we're trying to be useful and informative,
even entertaining. Life isn't perfect, neither are we. Not
everything is funny or cute, but some things are. We hope
we can show you some of both. And, we want you to let
us know what you like, what you think, how you feel and
what's on your mind.
We hope RAN will be a truly multicultural piece of work.
We hope it will be a "bulletin board" of ideas, events,
and opinions, expressions and thoughts from a wide
variety of people. The racial boundaries of yesterday are
dissolving before our eyes, but traditions die hard.
RAN hopes to shed light in dark places. We want
to connect people in order to build a society of people
looking forward with hope and optimism—
based on what we've learned, and are still learning—a true
community of open-minded people.
We're into music, food, sports, fashion, politics, humor,
culture, spirituality, relationships, shopping, travel, language,
adventure, friendship, community, and more. We're not
into hate, but if you are a hater, send us your feelings and
comments. We'll talk about them.
RAN is about healing and progress. Let the dead bury
the dead. We're into the future...
It's about the society we're building, not the one that's
falling apart. But we've got to learn about what we've done
wrong to be able to do it better. Society is at stake. It's our
"family" outside of our homes. Everything is connected.

So I invite everyone that is a part of my world-- whether you're in my machi or back in the states, or wherever in the world you've happen to be-- I invite you to follow me on this journey here with this new magazine. As editor-at-large, I am responsible for making sure all the contributors and collaborators are doing their tasks accordingly and also from a technical standpoint, make sure the grammar, written style, and continuity is in check-- I also tend to write 2-3 articles per issue too... I am also in charge of the online presence, so check out www.ranmagazine.com in the next week or so-- we release the magazine in print form bi-monthly, but we want to build an online community, so as articles get done, they'll have their own discussion forums tagged to them--in this manner I hope we can tie our communities together. Also while I am on this subject, I want to make it clear that it's also my intention to make a Japanese companion site in the near future too--It's not fair for the English readers to have the ability to flame our pants off, without the Japanese readers not being able to take part!

Sorry for being long-winded this time ya'll-- but I hope you understand why I've been incommunicado lately.... Love and Peace as always!


BTW-- StreetSide Media is STILL going strong-- I'm using the name as a freelancer for now with websites and multimedia here--stay tuned for some new developments with that, and yeah RAN is a part of the family... www.streetsidemedia.com
Foreword p2 June18
www.streetsidemedia.com | www.ranmagazine.com

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Cram school head grew pot on roof

Some guy who operates a juku here in Nagoya got high on his own supply... Are they hiring?!

NAGOYA--A cram school head was arrested after police discovered cannabis plants growing on the rooftop of his school in Kita-Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.

Kazuomi Fujiwara, 37, who taught English and social studies, admitted growing six cannabis plants inside a plastic wardrobe on the rooftop of the Nodajuku chain's Nishiharu school, police said.

Fujiwara was quoted by police as saying he chose the spot because it was sunny and hidden from view. The juku has about 130 students.

He began smoking pot in high school and had grown cannabis for his personal use at the school since last summer, police said.(IHT/Asahi: June 10,2009)

Read the full story from Asahi Shinbun here.

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