¡Lo quiero el pulpo!

Misericordia - original designs all handmade in Lima with locally-grown organic cotton. The clothesmakers are paid 35% more than the minimum wage and have superb benefits (including being able to use leftover material to design and make their own clothes and getting 4 weeks paid vacation). This is no sweatshop.

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If my wages were just 35% higher, I'd be able to afford that octopus Tshirt...

(and to continue the Peruvian theme - click on the album cover of Los Hijos del Sol below left)

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A lovely meal but...

Spinach, yellow peppers and black-bean sprouts swimming in a ginger dressing with loads of lemon, cayenne and sesame seeds. Shockingly spicy, cool and crunchy. Unfortunately, the new $1500 tooth I got yesterday spontaneously split in half just before I tucked in. Thus it took me an hour to gum it all down with the right side of my mouth that's still missing a tooth. Sheesh.

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THen - made a nice cuppa mint tea and went back to the paper I've been working on since 8:00 this morning when, lo and behold, the file was fucked beyond repair!!! Hooray!!! Ten hours and ten pages magically turned into kanji, little squares and gobbledygook...

NO I did not back it up so don't even ask...

Typhoon of stupidity hits Japan!

This was so ridiculous I had to get out of my sick bed (which I've been languishing in for 5 days) to post this blog. Forgive me if it rambles, it's the medication typing...

ANYWAY... a new fad diet has taken Japan's consumers (aka "sukkaz") by storm. It's something like if you eat a banana in the morning, then you can snarf down bags of pork rinds or whatever and yet miraculously lose weight. Absolutely dumbass. But wait - it gets even better. Last week I couldn't buy bananas because of the throng of people grabbing the little yellow buggers (I am totally serious!). This evening in the supermarket I was met with completely empty trays and this sign (below) apologizing for the banana famine placing the blame on the crazed banana dieters! Oh - and by the way - there's still a bloody butter and parmesan shortage going on thankyouverymuch!!!

gaaaaaa!!!!