Glenn's space

A New blog started

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:29:10 GMT

Feb 19. 2008

It's been nearly a year since I've done any serious blogging....getting used to my new life in Japan.

I started a new blog.......http://www.pappadragon.spaces.live.com/

For anyone intersested in the " Paranormal" and contrversial events.

I'm hoping I can now keep this blog updated............we'll see!

Life is interesting here and I have new photos to upload soon............

Anna Dragon Slayer

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 05:05:26 GMT

Well the weather here in Japan has been rainy, though we did manage a nice trip to the zoo and lunch at the Grand Chism Hotel. I ate too much deep fried pumkin and got a bit sick but it was nice. We got some pics but I need to change my camera settings, they are a tad out of focus.

Some of the holiday festivities at the navel base I'm afraid have been a wash out due to storms.

Anyways.......I am making great progress with the Anna Dragon Slayer video game ! It's a good 1 year behind schedule, but I have tried many platforms to launch the game and characters as well as " terrain " building. It's all very tedious and time consuming and the frustration is often !

Buut...in the end...rewards come to those who are persistant ! I've considered tearing down my Paranormal blog site and doing a blog site devoted to building this game and similar large scale adventure / RPG type games. Of course only those interested in game design and graphics and programming would understand much of it.

Enjoy the screenshots as Anna makes her way through the evil forrest en route to Akurra battling giant trolls and monsters.

Chapter 1 is nearly finished and terrain detailing has already begun for chapter 2.

Have a good 4th of July ! For us here...we are a day ahead and Misae's Curry is on the menu.

It's quite good....Curry is the one food that many good chefs just screw up!

Touch Down in Japan !

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 03:46:35 GMT

Wow!!!

Finally here !! It was a long 8 months of separation from my wife !

The flight was exhausting and painful. I sacrificed much to come here.

The new domestic terminal for United Airlines shared with ANA ( All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines ) is a really nice feature for Tokyo Narita International Airport. I enjoyed that very much !

Narita, Tokyo is as big as Chicago, Ohara Field and keeps growing !

I found Ohara to be far less friendly as usual....the security Paranoia and prices of airport vendors is a totally stupid thing......America the Beautiful ?? ( Yeah still beautiful but more like America the Greedy and moronic ! )

My first arrival is almost a blur. Certainly it was cold and rainy...my stomach was nearly sick and i wanted hot soup badly. We found it near Sasebo station late at night at a Chinese restaurant. They make Fabulous soup!! Oh Yeah !!!! That was a hit for me !! I refuse All airline food....it has Never been Safe for anyone.

Enjoy the photos from the Around Home Album...........

Yeah this is a neat place.............certainly I Love it !!

PappaUshi Euro Burger

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 02:51:03 GMT

A late entry for grilled burgers....but worth noting.

The Pappa Ushi Euro Burger.

A real sweetheart !

A single patty of 100% beef.

Cheddar and Swiss Cheese

Chopped red onions

Chopped tomatoes and fine chopped lettuce ( just a little of both )

Onion Bun

Sauce is : Ketchup and Mayo ( very simple )

Some Secrets :

1. Paint the grill with liquid smoke before you start.

2. Serve with chips and German Potato Salad or Deviled Egg Potato Salad

3. A mug or 2 of Cold Suds is Never a Bad Thing !!!

The Pappa Ushi Euro Burger is simple with underlying smoky grilled flavor.

Do grill the veggies lightly....

This burger is light but full of flavors !

P.S. Try a [ Whisper of sweet relish ! I mean a whisper ! ]

pappa Ushi 3+2

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 18:18:24 GMT

Ahh Yes !!

Why 3+2 ? This burger rocks! 3 types of cheese and 2 hunks of pure 100%

beef......( come on girls...keep your mind clean ! )

The Pappa Ushi 3+2 does not use lettuce,pickles,tomato or any other condiment

other than 3 basic elements.

1. Beef...pure beef patties ( no soy meal garbage ). Sorry Ronald...take your orange

mop and clown suit down the road...This burger is meant for real eating!

2. Cheese...this burger is a cheese lovers delight....Swiss,American,and Montery Jack.

Sorry Velveeta lovers, but Velveeta ain't Real Cheese !! I will agree it tastes pretty good.

3. Onions..Use 1 or 2 hearty slices...Red onion for flavor Yellow for heat.

However, red onions after a light grilling display a nice warmth and retain

lots of flavor. What about white onions ? Well those are best for stewing or

if you are grilling out slice white onions and let them smoke on your coals.

This onion smoke is really good on ribs and loins !

This burger is just down to business with no whistles and bells lots of

" I Luv U" factor ! Try to stay with the origins for best result.

If you can't find an Onion Bun, then go with poppy seed buns.

This jewel is a handful, but can be eaten with your dignity in tact.

What's next?

Well not sure...I'm packing stuff up for Japan.

I could do my Originall Pappa Ushi Burger, that has bacon and trimmings.

I might show how to made some really good Ramen !!

Don't say "Yuck" just yet...these little jewels can be done up pretty good !

World of Burgers

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 19:30:05 GMT

Well it's about time I wrote something here !

The 60 day count down is getting close !

I decided to write about burgers because of their popularity and I just 'love'

them! They are nearly everywhere today yes even in Japan !! In fact....young school

children are showing evidence of their love for the almighty burger with a good share

of pre-mature obesity !!

The image of those sexy young high school seniors in their their sailor uniforms with mini skirts

might be fading these days !

*******

Many chefs disagree with several issues about the best burger.

Do you serve with raw onion and ( which type ) or cooked onion ?

Is tomato an issue? What about lettuce ? Lettuce really doesn't add flavor.

*****

One thing for sure, cheese and bacon is a hit most anywhere.

But..what about bacon bits? Cool...no cool ?

Let's face it...you can stack tons of junk between 2 buns and call it a burger

if you want to. But....if you can't eat it in dignity, and it has no "I Luv U" factor,

then let's call it by it's real name....." Just Crap!"

*****

Gaining great attention in Japan and the U.S.A. is a burger called the

Sasebo Burger, designed in Sasebo Japan. Most everyone that has had one

gives the Sasebo Burger a 10 rating. It's not just a burger...it's a Sasebo

Burger..cooked very slow with condiments and bacon and a red egg !

The Sasebo burger definately has the " I Luv U" factor !

Many people on a busy schedule simply can't enjoy this burger for a quick lunch.

However, it is certainly worth trying at a more convenient time !

******

If you are on a busy schedule you could do the " King of Slop" The McDonald's

quarter pound of surprise ( scarey ) or the Wendy's Classic Triple which I do

often. The Classic Triple is just grub...no " I luv U" factor at all. In fact it's pretty

junky...but it seems to feel the empty void. If you are looking for self abuse,

go for the Wendy's Black Forrest Ham and Cheese...just do it I dare you !

Mmmm that home made bread....just like aunt Wheezy's plaster cakes !

********

Next blog.....I'll show you a glimpse of my Pappa Ushi 3+2 burger.

It's not my top of the line, but a really beautiful piece of engineering

that you can make yourself with lots of 'I Luv U ' factor.

In the mean time, check out the newest photo album..." World of Burgers"

Oh by the way...Chips or Fries ? What's up with that ??

Dry Itchy Skin

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:37:55 GMT

Feb. is here. To me that usually means a couple of things.

1. Spring is just around the corner.

2. Dry itchy skin.

The air is very dry here in the Midwest, mix that with Kansas wind and you soon are looking

for long handeled tool to reach those areas on your back, under the shoulder blades, or

you could swear that somehow you walked through a pack of chiggers, but it can't be chiggers

because there is snow and ice outside. You scrape your ankles raw.

Here is a very nice little remedy that heals dry skin very well, at least for some of us.

You do 2 things until spring gets here.

1. Drink water...plenty of it.

2. Every morning you get up, don't do the shower thing with your regular deodorant soap.

Instead, do a nice hot soak and use a small amount of Medicated Shampoo in the water.

Don't make a bubble bath with it just use a small amount where there is a bit of suds.

The watre will feel soft. Kick back and realax for 15 or 20 minutes. You can soak your

hair as well. Enjoy a cup of hot green tea while you are soaking.

Get out, dry off and get ready to start your day with some relief from dry itchy skin.

Do this every morning...feels great...and it works well.

As for the brand name...any medicated shampoo should work.

New Japanese Cellphones announced

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 16:40:57 GMT

Oooh some new cellphones announced for 2007 in Japan.

One model features a stylus for drawing on the screen, a sketch or

a simple handwritten message for that personal touch...just e-mail it.

Another model features a touch screen with menu. Very cool !

Presently the United States is about 4 years behind the Japanese in cell

phone technology.

To see more cool Japanese check out the photo album " Creative Products"

on this blog site. :)

Shipping to Japan

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 03:59:15 GMT

There is a myrid of ways to ship household goods to Japan and some will

decieve you if you don't do your research !! No Joke !!

My best way is by United States Post Office. Get rid of your big American furniture.

Yes they sell Redi Post boxes that's fine for just a few things.

Rick Davidson, mgr., for Advanced Extrusions Inc. recently presented me with

the " perfect box for international shipping" of small and medium sized household

goods to Japan. the box is 21"x21"x14". In fact...2 Large Redi Post boxes fit

side by side in this box adding extra protection. The best part is that you can

up your weight limit to 70 lbs max and save a lot of Yen / Dollars !!!!

This almost cut my shipping costs 50% !!!!! The size calculation for boxes is

this.....total circumference of box plus 1 side not to exceed 108" and 70 pounds.

"""""""""""

Circumference in this case would be 21" x 2 + 14"x 2 +14" =84"

PIECE OF CAKE !!!! This meets the Post Office standards.

Economy shippings is 4-6 weeks to destination.

This is just fine...

Bird Flu In Japan !!

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 23:59:42 GMT

Sun. Jan 14, 2007

Just got the report from Medical News Today.........

2,400 chickens die on a farm in the Miyazaki Prefecture in Southwest

Japan. It is confirmed......

BIRD FLU !!!!!!!!!!!! Yikes !!!!!! NOT GOOD !!!!!

The big concern has and will continue to be the mutation of the virus

and it's ability to be transferred to humans. The worst flu in history did

just that.

It was the Spanish flu....which by the way was an avion flu that started in

chickens and other birds.

Bird Flu at this point has only been transferred maybe a hundred times or less.

Very few have survived. It is now being reported in China,Malaysia,Taiwan,

Indonesia,South Korea and now Japan.

It is spreading !!!

If you want to keep up on world medical news....check it out:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

Found Apartment

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:41:04 GMT

Well.....

It looks like the little woman has found an apartment. I can begin shipping all

those boxes and her mother doesn't have to be inconvenienced by it all.

It's very different from the apartments here in America. The apartment appears

to be spacious [ see photos ]. I like the idea of a balcony but not being above

the first story.

As a rule the Japanese hate clutter....Americans worship it...I can attest to that !

While backing more boxes I am amazed at the amount of stuff I'm throwing away !

Mainly because it should have been pitched a long time ago! I'm nervous

about my time line to get there. Shipping is quite expensive and this puts me

at the mercy of airlines at the start of tourist season.....Not good !

I may have to extend my lease here until June which is looking more

practical every day...not liking it....just accepting it.

Kareisyu

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 22:34:43 GMT

What is [ Kareisyu ? ]

That is the Japanese equivilent of....." the smell of old people"

Recently, I dropped into the Dillions supermarket to grab a few things

and to my surprise it was a senior citizens re-union. A large and predominant

group was there wondering about and shopping.

My gag reflex was kicking in hard as the pungent odors filled the shopping

isles and overwhelmed my ability to breath ! It was affecting clerks as well

as I could tell by their expressions. Holey Moley !! Gotta' get out of here!

This lead me to investigate the ponderings of Why do old people smell?

Obviously Not all old people smell, but why do so many...is there a medical reason?

Actually there is not a lot of serious information out there that I could find but a lot of very

humorous articles about this subject. I did find this info, just in case you might have ever wondered about it.

By age 80, must of us have lost most of our ability to detect odors even from our favorite

foods. Why do old women literally bathe in lilac perfume? Because they can't detect the

smell ! Seniors also have a fear of bathing...more accurately a fear of falling.

The bath tub or shower represents a real danger to an elderly man or woman. Falling incidents

account for many elderly fatalities! Sr. citizens are aware of their limited mobility.

Wouldn't you be too if you creaked like Tin Man ? So the really bad oders are quite simply

a lack of bathing and they really can't smell themselves.

So...next time granny gets to perking like an old toilet that hasn't been flushed forever,

help her into the bath tub. If she's too stubborn to go...invite her to lunch and on the way

pull into the car wash and give her creaky old bones the once over with a high pressure

hose. If you can afford the extra quarters, go ahead and give her the deluxe fluff and

buff.

It's the proper thing to do,

Ken Conley Photos

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 21:32:19 GMT

I have recieved permission from ken Conley to display some of his

Japan pix for all those interested. Ken has spent some time traveling from

one end of Japan to the other with a camera. His photos have a unique style

and shouldn't be stereotyped.

Thanks Ken.

You can view more by visiting...

http://kwc.org/blog/archives/2007/2007-01-04.sasebo_world.html

Holiday Wind Down

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 21:26:17 GMT

Whew!! Made it through the holidays..with surprisingly good weather

overall.

I was deeply saddened by the loss of longtime friend and webmaster

Marcia Glick that departed us on the 7th of Dec. at 2:00 AM..

She will be missed by many and my heart goes out to the Glick family.

Xmas was a bit lonely due to Misae being in Japan, but good news is that she found

an apartment for us and now I have a place to begin shipping stacks of Ready Post

boxes.

As new year approaches, I always view it as a time to plan and make resolutions

that are real enough to stick with. Getting hammered with liquor and counting down the

minutes was always a rather childlike activity in my mind....the next morning must

be devastating to many...bottoms up mates !

Talking about Video for Rocky Balboa on MSN Movies

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 21:28:11 GMT

Quote

Video for Rocky Balboa on MSN Movies

Yeah...Rocky only recieved 3 1/2 stars as a movie....but what is it really about.
Does any one remember where Stallone was at in life when he wrote Rocky 1 ?
It has always been about overcoming incredible odds and winning !
Be the best that you can be...don 't give up...keep digging...forget the Holly Wood
Crap! Just keep on keeping on !!
Sure...of course some other Stallone movies are a bit " Hollywood " fluff....
But...Stallone is "good" as a regular guy or as a producer of movies in general.
His message has Always been " Good in Heart"...is a powerful force.
To interpret Stallone, one must look well beyond the " Holly Wood" arena.
Stallone ? Like good pasta....eventually you just gotta' have a bit more...
no matter what your waist line is all about !

Gee a Late Blog!

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 01:03:30 GMT

Gee !!!

We made it through turkey day with beautiful weather.

I attended the annual Synthwerk USA get together at the Nuguyen Mansion.

It was more traditional than last year and a wonderful day. Everyone spent most of the

day outside near the large brick cooking pit where smoked turkey, ham, brisket and

duck was being prepared. We didn't even have a jam session this year !!!! Wow !!!

Life IS changing !!

Annabelle insisted that I attend this year as she had a big surprise for me.

Yeah...it was a surprise alright....she and Christinna drove to Colorado and hijacked

my daughter Susan and brought her to the festivities !! Ha! Ha!

Yeah I was surprised !!!

When I saw her I was like..." what the heck are you doing here????"

She was dressed in hiking boots, white knee socks and a camo mini dress.

Very cute...a bit too sexy...but she is 23 so whatever!

My remark was " Uhhh...are you joining the Army?" duuuhhhhh.........

yeah right.

I had a good weekend. I enjoy hanging out with my daughter whenever I can,

but after a while.....( she annoys me !) but....so does my wife so.........such is life.

Sad week end

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 16:04:23 GMT

It's Oct. 1st already. The last week went fast and I could tell that Misae was having a hard time dealing with it. Japanese people just do not outwardly express emotion very well.

She went back to Japan Fri. the 29 th.

She was shaking as we had coffee in the airport." Nervous?" I asked.

She said that she was cold so I gave her my flannel shirt to wear, as I was wearing it over a

sweat shirt. I could tell that she was nervous...I felt sorry for her.

But she seemed in good spirits when she called me from Japan last night.

Everything went smooth and I was happy. I miss those wonderful smells coming from the kitchen,stir fry sauce and hot sesame oil....mmmm, and I miss her very badly..it's an eerie feeling

of lonliness....But....only for a short time. There is much to do in a short time and I will be joing her....my goal is March.

Scottish Festival

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 15:51:27 GMT

Well we had our annual Scottish festival on the 23rd of Sept.

The weather was perfect, unusual because normally it is very rainy that time of year.

There were lots of clan tents for registering your name if you are Scottish.

There was lots of vender booths also selling music, swords, gifts etc.

I've placed some photos of it in an album, but only a few. A bunch of them didn't turn out good at all...I was fighting the sun angle the shade and cloudy periods all day.

The food vendors were expensive and the food really sucked ! Of course.

A really popular event was the strongmen contests and the pipers.

Another popular event was the dancing. Tradition Scottish folk dancing is really quite boring, it's a bit like the European Minuet. I found it humorous that one of the dancers was a Vietnamese guy in his 60's and wearing a Kilt.....ha ! I still find that funny and out of place.

The Sunflower Stompers attracted a large crowd...they claim to be cloggers....oh please....more acurately....hillbilly stomping! They used country western music and their costumes looked like 50'era square dance kinda' thing. The crowd seemed to like them but I kept asking myself...where is the skill in this ? There isn't any...skill or intelligence in any of it.

Then...( oh thank God!!! ) I though that they would never leave the stage !!! The Cory Irish Dancers appeared in beautiful cotumes. These are very young girls the oldest of them being maybe 15 or 16. Irish dancing is fascinating to watch as the arms are always straight to the side of the body and only the legs are used. I find this interesting and certainly in better taste than some old hillbilly skag trying to give the crowd panty shots as she is flipping around her

goofey square dance petty coat...uuughh...eeek....that was scarey to watch.

On the last dance number the Irish dancers decided to put the stupid hillbily stompers in their rightful place ! A young girl moved front and center of the stage....the celtic style music completely stopped...then she began to stomp hard with her loud tapping shoe....

No music...then all 6 or 8 dancers began a complex clogging routine all in unison...

Wheeeww hooo...very impressive...very loud...very skilled...Now that my friends is CLOGGING !

They got a near standing ovation with hoops and hollers...Just loved it !

Classic Weekend

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 18:32:01 GMT

Well, I accidently deleted a small photo album, but no big deal.

I added an album called Hirado and Sasebo...very nice pix. They were taken on

my trip to Sasebo,Japan May 2005.

Well, this is a classic weekend in Kansas. It's hot and windy...very windy!

I was just over at the Synthwerk USA Studio...yikes! It's being packed up and is nearly gutted !

In a few weeks it will be bare walls....a bit sad in a way...lots of memories !

Misae spent Thur. night yelling at me....have no idea how it started....she's tiny but firey!

At least she managed to yell in English this time. I'm still a bit tired from that fiasco.

She likes to argue whenever possible....quite frankly I'm not interested and that seems to fuel

the fight..."you're a weak man! " " Yeah...yeah..what ever!"....I just don't need the hassle.

She leaves in a couple of weeks......maybe she was having a bit of stress.

The town is a bit quiet today...a big thunder boomer last night...pretty good for this time of year.

Soon the trees will be turning orange and yellow....a beautiful sight to see.

Passing time

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 19:14:08 GMT

Today I added a few more pix. The black swans, several varities of duck and geese

are flocking. They will soon head south for the winter.

The park easily ow has over 200 large birds practicing their manuevers and to see these

large birds take off in a large group and circle aroud and land on the water is an impressive

sight.

We also have a couple of large sand hill cranes....very impressive flyers. They look pre-historic

and are beautifully graceful.

Photo Album: Anna Dragon Slayer

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 04:46:40 GMT

Anna Dragon Slayer

Freak attack

Friendly giant

Giant trolls

Teleporter

Photo Album: At the Zoo

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:26:46 GMT

At the Zoo

Asahi the Lion

Asian elephant

Black bear

Botanical garden

Glenn with cold cider

Misae at the zoo

Some kind of bear

Photo Album: Around home

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 02:27:11 GMT

Around home

frontview2

veranda view

frontdoor view

home office

Mountain brews

storage

Photo Album: Pappa Ushi Euro Burger

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 02:37:10 GMT

Pappa Ushi Euro Burger

Euro Burger

Photo Album: Pappa Ushi 3+2

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 17:52:11 GMT

Pappa Ushi 3+2

1. Red Onions

2. My world famous seasoning

3.The sauce mix

4.Grilling progress

5. Adding the onions

6. Grilling the onion

7.Warming bun

8. The proper cheese

9.Blending sauce

10. Adding the cheese

More Photos...

Photo Album: World of Burgers

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:20:47 GMT

World of Burgers

3+2

albuquerqe_bridge

burgers everywhere

Burgs

ModBurgerFries

ModBurgerOnly

Sasebo burger

sasebo poster

SaseboBoy

SkookumChief

Photo Album: Creative Products

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 16:36:00 GMT

Creative Products

handset-new2

noodle gaurd

roll on butter

new cellphones 07

Photo Album: Japanese Apartment

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:29:55 GMT

Japanese Apartment

Balcony

ClothetandTokonoma

Entrance

Kitchen

LivingRoom

RoomsfromEntrance

ServiceRoom

Tatamiroom

Toilet

Photo Album: Ken Conley Japan Pix

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 21:35:37 GMT

Ken Conley Japan Pix

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58384022_53df4b2946

83276500_44ff1a34eb

83276621_408485dcfe

83276732_cbd127900f

83276755_03e03ffbaf

83276785_1daf83b638

83281957_7523fcf802

83281993_20f51f6fe0

83282136_f7705c1b03

More Photos...

Photo Album: Scottish Festival

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 19:28:50 GMT

Scottish Festival

Classic MG

Miase at festival

Misae 1

Pipers 2

Pipers circle

Sheep herding dogs

Strongman 1

Strongman 2

Photo Album: Hirado and Sasebo

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 18:03:45 GMT

Hirado and Sasebo

Albequerque bridge1

ancient armor

beautiful

BIG DOG 3

BIG DOG1

by the bridge

city view1

french restaurant

Glenn at zoo

glenn1

More Photos...