A Night at the Opera

I so rarely see opera in Tokyo because of the expense and months of planning it requires. But I was invited to see a seldom produced opera by a dear friend at the Royal Opera House. The opera was the Tsarina's Slippers by Tchaikovsky. It was light and funny with both ballet and Russian dancing. Think of the Nutcracker told in Russian folktale. Also a nice surprise was the champagne cocktails before the performance and lovely dinner served during intermission in a glorious gilted room near our seats. Truly a stunning night at the opera.

Relaxing in London

In London for two weeks. The weather is cold but sunny today. The streets are full of shoppers and I'm enjoying the city. Two weeks ago we were in shanghai for a short weekend and that was great. The city is a big building site as they prepare for a world expo in 2010.

These photos are the new eurostar station at St Pancras station. And the more familiar Starbucks on Marylebone Hugh street in London .

Tonight is the opera and I rarely go so a nice change.

From London
Greg

Photoshoot for friends

This post should jump from my iPhone to my neglected blog, then land on facebook.
Just taking a photo of a friend's new menu item.

Virtual Murder Leads to Real Arrest

The Associated Press reports the arrest of a Japanese woman who murdered her Virtual Husband. In fact the dead husband reported his murder to the police, who arrested his virtual wife and transported her across the country for arraignment. Actually she wasn't charged with murder, but the police are taking seriously the claims of hacking and invasion of privacy.  The now incarcerated, ex-wife (widow?) of the decreased (still alive) man had never even met her victim in real life.  I guess they won't be getting back together, oh, I forgot he's dead.

Vote Early and Vote Often

My absentee ballot arrived and I will be sending it out by registered mail on Monday. I would send out hundreds a day, but that isn't allowed. So I have to do with One Vote. But amazingly it is the same for every American, rich or poor, white or otherwise, older or newer citizens. I always vote. I think our voices have to be heard. We have both a right and duty to make sure we are heard. 
   

The Choice - From The New Yorker

We cannot expect one man to heal every wound, to solve every major crisis of policy. So much of the Presidency, as they say, is a matter of waking up in the morning and trying to drink from a fire hydrant. In the quiet of the Oval Office, the noise of immediate demands can be deafening. And yet Obama has precisely the temperament to shut out the noise when necessary and concentrate on the essential. The election of Obama—a man of mixed ethnicity, at once comfortable in the world and utterly representative of twenty-first-century America—would, at a stroke, reverse our country’s image abroad and refresh its spirit at home. His ascendance to the Presidency would be a symbolic culmination of the civil- and voting-rights acts of the nineteen-sixties and the century-long struggles for equality that preceded them. It could not help but say something encouraging, even exhilarating, about the country, about its dedication to tolerance and inclusiveness, about its fidelity, after all, to the values it proclaims in its textbooks. At a moment of economic calamity, international perplexity, political failure, and battered morale, America needs both uplift and realism, both change and steadiness. It needs a leader temperamentally, intellectually, and emotionally attuned to the complexities of our troubled globe. That leader’s name is Barack Obama. —The Editors

The New Yorker, October 13, 2008

Polls and more Polls

I Stumbled upon a great site that gives updates on polls and their results. There is more information that you need, but it still is comforting to see the situation. Have a  look and see how Obama is doing.

FiveThirtyEight

Krispy Kreme bacon cheddar cheeseburgers

Krispy Kreme bacon cheddar cheeseburgers, originally uploaded by ccaviness.

So wrong. But I have to have one bite. protect me from what I want.

Bridgeway Motel, Smithville, TN

Bridgeway Motel, Smithville, TN, originally uploaded by Tadson.

The Bridgeway Motel sits adjacent to some land that I own. And beyond that is where my mother and grandmother still live. I don't remember the colors of the sign but come to think of it, it is most likely the biggest neon sign in town. There can't be more than a handful. For decades it was the only motel in the town, although there may have been a few cabins to rent on the lake. I'm not sure if I've even been inside one of the motel rooms. Great photo.

The Third Sex

I love this postcard. Great Copy. " To fool the world...."

Vintage Paperback & Pulp Fuiction Cover Art