Black Ships in the Harbor

This is a detail from an 1854 scroll that was sent around Japan following the arrival of the American Commodore Perry and his fleet of Black Ships (Japanese term). It's satire, poking fun at Perry and the American war ships. Here's a more artsy, realistic version:

Here's an actual picture:

And here's a classy American drawing of ships (steam powered paddle boats, with sails - it was a confusing time in war ships) of the Fleet entering Tokyo harbor:

Perry's visit to Japan was all about whaling - rescuing lost sailors, buying coal and provisions, a little bit of trade with the whalers. Seems like no big deal, right? But aha! Cuz one thing led to another and here we are today:

Modern Japanese culture. Crazy in so many different ways, some good, some not. And it's all thanks to American influence. Japan was an ancient traditional culture pre WW2, and especially before 1854 - the American visit. But like with the rest of the "Western" world since WW2, America infected Japan with 1960's Hippie Power, and nothing's been the same since.

Sorry Japan.

True Love (Crushing Loneliness)

So yeah, Furry sex doll, apparently - not the I knew these things beforehand, O Wicked Internet, what horrors you have shown me - very well constructed, using space age plastics and synthetic skin and all kinds of space age stuff. IE Expensive. But that's what coin is for - to drop. And what else but beer and wood does this bachelor have to buy? So sad.

I surmise with no actual facts or data that we are living in an unparalleled age of loneliness, the likes the world has never dreamed. Millions of men and women walled up somewhere far away from others, even if physically close (ya ever think about apartment walls, and how close someone else's life is like two feet away?). In most of human history you had little choice but to hang out with at least some other people. There were no single apartments for the rabble in 500 BCE, I assure you.

Loneliness breeds lots of things, one of them - weirdness. How could it not? And so for the last 50-100 years we in the "west" have been building a whole new humanity - Virtual. Living physically isolated from others yet hooked in via electronic entertainment. This new humanity is going to be weird.

At-At Boy

What boy or even girl wouldn't want a fully articulate wooden At-At model, made in Japan? I say thee about 27% of the whole. Losers, in other words.


The At-At doesn't seem to be the most practical way of transporting men o' war when you have levitation devices on everything. Why not just float them Troopers in there, rather than the cumbersome legs and plodding?

Cool factor, that's why.

I don't feel Tardy

A real toy, from a more innocent time. Tardy, the Man Pony!

Vaguely creepy, and I doubt good company at a Tea Party.