The Eastern Edge

No word on fatalities, but at least three people were nearly throttled to death in Japan when they trusted their foot massage machines with other parts of their bodies. It seems they didn't realize that it isn't a good idea to stick your neck in the rollers of a machine they routinely step on with their sore, stinky feet.

⇒　The MangaBlog reports that Bakuman, a comic running in Weekly Shonen Jump, has a fan blogging about it. If you are interested in Bakuman, but don't read Japanese or can't get Jump, run over to Shonen Jump's 40th anniversary site JumpLand to check out some English chapters of Bakuman for free on-line before it's too late.
Not big on action, but it's a decent comic with top notch art. Anyone interested in the Japanese comic industry and how it works (with a healthy dose of "willing suspension of disbelief" to keep it fun) I think will like it.
All the free translations in English, French and German, are only up for a limited time and Bakuman is due to be replaced on JumpLand next year (don't ask, just trust me. You only have a couple months left to check out Bakuman for free ).

⇒ Just in time for year-end party season, public tranport in Tokyo is recruiting illustrators who didn't make it in Shonen Jump like the protagonists of Bakuman to draw manner posters to remind everyone that Tokyo is supposed to be polite, but often isn't:

⇒ In other news, everyone's favorite social activist gaijin in Japan, Debito Arudou, is biding his time until Barack Obama takes office by admiring Bush's rear end (Hey, I didn't name the column ).

⇒ The only problem with the above is that, while we love Obama in Japan, no one gives a shit about Bush or his legacy. Like most of the world, we are only happy it's over and can't wait for President Obama to bring even half the change we hope he will. Rarely have I felt it necessary to compliment my former neighbors to the south for anything other than baseball, Coca Cola and a handful of other things, but electing Obama was amazing. I wish them the best, honestly.

⇒ Finally, I began with a foot-related topic and now, thanks to Bush, will now end with one, because there is one thing Bush should be remembered and recognized for:

Reflexes!

[youtube]9uIj0YvDBKE[/youtube]

He barely flinched!
AND, he didn't stay down or run, he stood his ground even after the second shoe! By the way, where the hell was his security? The shoe thrower had time to follow up by running over there and doing a flying bodypress over the podium, for heaven's sake!
Anyway, no matter how much you may hate Bush, you have to admit that was awesome!
Congratulations, George, on accomplishing the first and last cool thing a Bush will ever do in office.

Goodbye and good riddance!!

And that just about clears the cache of everything suitable for mixed company.