'Japan Today'

My husband loves the Japan Today website, especially because it throws light on unusual items of the news that involve things other than the GOP, Britney and bickering Democrats. Here's some headlines that caught my eye:

Drunk driver parks car on Utsunomiya tracks: The train was able to stop, but only seven meters from her car. Seven meters separating her from a grisly death! She was lucky there was someone alert operating the train.

Woman hospitalized after eating blowfish dies: This has always made me fascinated, the fact that there are special licenses to sell poisonous blowfish (called "fugu"). Because the Japanese, and many others, will still eat it if properly prepared; Wikipedia confirms that because of its potential toxicity, fugu has become a "celebrated" dish. Better if you find a chef who has the license to prepare it than trying it yourself, as this woman failed to do. The poison paralyzes your muscles, making it impossible to breathe, and you are conscious while you basically suffocate to death. How lovely.

Activists use 'stink bombs' to harass Japanese whalers: Hayden Panettiere should have used this instead of a surfboard. No telling what would have happened if the Japanese police made good on their issuance of an warrant for her arrest, though.

Prince lectures at women's college: That's crazy. Prince? The "Purple Rain" Prince? Goes to show you what American pop culture has done to my brain - I forgot there are still real princes on this planet.

16-year-old boy held after extravagant spree at Saitama bar: This shows how distrustful America has become of youths' ability to be active in their upbringing and maturation into society. This kid was able to get into the bar, not get carded, and carry himself in a way that fooled everyone. Do they have bouncers in Japan? Do they even card people? Who knows. It seems to me that, if every time we reported on how a minor was caught getting into a bar, we'd have nothing else to talk about. It happens all the time over here. But, yea, the kid did run up a tab of $4,000...

To top it off, here's two pictures that make me want to travel to Japan just to people watch. Some Japanese youth are so crazy and fun, and they dress the part. And, they know how to wear a pink wig.