Hey, let's build a supercomputer after school
According to the BBC the US Armyis building a second version of Earth on computer to help it prepare for conflicts around the world.
LOOK OUT World Domination Simulator!!!

Hey, gang, let's make our own supercomputer
CNET News.com - 24 feb
... The No. 1 spot on the list is held by the Earth Simulator in Japan,
which can run at more than 35 teraflops, or 35,000 gigaflops. ... raduate course in do-it-yourself supercomputing at the University of San Francisco. On April 3, his students plan to assemble the first "flash mob supercomputer" in the school gym.
... a home-brew computer powerful enough to be added to a list of the world's 500 fastest computers,

Social Security swap agreement signed

Social welfare agreement signed

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: After years of discussion, the Japan and USA have signed an agreement that allows nationals of one country working in the other to gain credits for their social welfare contributions. ...A person working for years in Japan then returning home, would not be able to gain credit for a pension program in either country, despite having paid substantial contributions.
According to the Nikkei, the new program allows US
nationals in Japan and Japanese nationals in the USA to stay out of the host country's social welfare contribution program for 5 years, and instead contribute to their home country program. If they plan to reside in the host country for longer than 5 years, then contributions move to the program in the country of residence, and are also aggregatable once the person returns home.
Via: T E R R I E 'S T A K E -- A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd-- http://www.terrie.com ---General Edition Sunday, 22th February, 2004 Issue No. 267

Odd Princess of Japan

The Royal baby-machine balks not talks

I was watching this on NHK's Morning Show and noticed that Princess Masako wasn't talking and the clock in the upper-right of the screen is removed whenever the royals are shown. Also I've just found out that there are NO unflattering pictures of Princess Masako {雅子 皇太子妃} on the Internet. I'm gonna have to fix that problem, sheesh.

Baby pressure too much for royals
AFP / February 23, 2004
JAPANESE Crown Prince Naruhito has used his 44th birthday to ask for an end to the pressure on his wife to have a second child. The Imperial Household Agency said in December that Crown Princess Masako, a 40-year-old former elite diplomat, would cancel her official duties for a few months to rest up.
Besides the stress of being crown princess, "there has been a lot of pressure on her regarding the issue of our successor", Naruhito told a news conference held prior to his birthday today..
--->Also see the very odd Princess stamps

Japanese "Love by Mail"
Japan?s Internet dating services: The weird and the dangerous
Tokyo Weekender / feb 20
....Men can pay a fee to have access to the mobile phone numbers of schoolgirls. Often, the male callers arrange to meet the girls, who sign up voluntarily and register their phone numbers. The Japan Internet Association (JIA), a non-governmental organization, reports that one in three high school girls own a mobile phone that has Internet functions. ...more than 30,000 Japanese men pay \500 per month for the privilege of sending romantic e-mails to a computer that responds with pre-programmed scripts. It?s called ?Love by Mail.?
The male subscribers get to choose a virtual girlfriend from a diverse lineup of women including bartenders, flight attendants, office workers and teachers. After making their selection, they begin to date these cyber gals via e-mail. When asked to explain his attraction to his virtual girlfriend.....
Another unnamed subscriber proclaims, ?I dated Hiroko (virtual name) for a while, and I have to confess I became very attached to her. It was hard sometimes to remember Hiroko wasn't real. She would argue with me and ignore me the same way as all my other girlfriends.?
See also the BBC Click Online story.

Posted by trek/taro at 10:09 PM JST
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Elvis is alive in Japan

Ladies and gentlemen - elvis pongi! - live from the rabbit hutch

Via f'ed G.com

Cho cute Japanese

Shamlessly ripped off from the grrrreat Nekobaba site.

twisto Toshio

Be sure to click on the PDFs of this twisto artist, Toshio Saeki .
It's art, so don't go whinging about it being NSF, Not Safe for Work. The artsy wallpaper is kool too Download

Have you seen a Lert?
What a farce...the Japanese police haven't clue about terror and won't know what to do if they found a terrorist since their guns are never loaded. Sheesh.

Japan raises security alert against possible terror attack - - Associated Press / Feb 21
Tokyo - Japan ordered riot police to patrol airports and guard nuclear plants and beefed up security at other key facilities nationwide, in a precaution against terror ..the alert sent a shiver through global financial markets, knocking the Japanese yen to a 10-week low against the US dollar on Friday.

Posted by trek/taro at 6:46 PM JST
Updated: Saturday, February 21, 2004 6:50 PM JST
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