Onus

So the family of the Wal-Mart employee who was trampled on Black Friday is suing the store. I knew it was coming. Am I the only person who's bothered by families that start legal proceedings before their loved one is even in the ground? Or more precisely, those who start legal proceedings before the investigation's complete and police have a grasp on what happened? Am I the only person who is bothered that Wal-Mart (a store I'm typically not all that crazy about and loathe defending) and the police department are bearing the brunt of the blame? Isn't there something to be said for personal culpability? How did all those people not realize that they were trampling on another human being? What will it take? Should the stores make us line up and only let us in 20 at a time until we learn to play fair and behave? Is that what it will take before we all learn to act our ages? It seems like someone's getting hurt every year; and you would think that we (the stores and us citizens) would have learned by now. All of that said, he wasn't my loved one, so I can't even begin to speculate as to what I'd do if I were in this family's place.

Pictures from Japan

PDR_0147, originally uploaded by nicolecrawford1975.

First, let me say that I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving, had a safe and happy holiday. As usual, I got bogged down with work (had a week-long trip to Philly) and the holidays, as well as just being a little lazy - so I've been slow to post my pictures from Japan. I figured it would be easier to set up a flickr account to share instead of trying to post them all - just click on the image above.

I was there for 7 days and absolutely loved it. The weather was much like winter weather in the South - chilly but not freezing, often overcast with intermittent rain and wind. None of that stopped Tokyo women from strutting around in mini-skirts, shorts, and knee-high boots with 3 inch heels. I don't understand the high-heels since they immediately became taller than many of the men...but they were stylish.

The food was interesting and intimidating. I did try squid and broccoli, an assortment of dishes with rice and fish, and sake. One of the places we ate at was Gonpachi (see the pics below...they're from my camera phone so excuse the quality); a restaurant in the Roppongi district that has hosted a number of foreign dignitaries (including Pres. Bush) and was the inspiration for the restaurant/fight scene in Kill Bill. I also fell in love with Plum wine...here's one of the bottles I brought back (yes, it has plums floating in the bottle).

I can't say enough about the experience. Even though I didn't get to see some of the touristy sites that I'd wanted to (I was there to work, after all), I felt like I got a nice introduction to the culture. Everyone was super nice (you get greeted everytime you walk into a store - even if you switch from one department in a store to another) and, thanks to the 100 Yen stores (dollar stores), I was able to bring back souvenirs for all my family and friends without going broke.

Had a blast.

I'm back and exhausted. Jetlag is a bi... I'll do a real post and add more pics later. For now, remember I said I wanted a Japanese paper with something Obama on the front page? Well, this is sooooo much better. I had bought the English version of Newsweek (with BO on the cover) at the airport and read it on the flight to Japan. Days later, while wandering the streets around my hotel, I found the Japanese version...which, true to Japanese fashion, reads from back to front. What a keepsake this will be for my future, hypothetical children! Now I just need to find a future, hypothetical husband.

Sayonara...Konichiwa...Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto

Yep, that's the extent of my Japanese. I'm bracing myself for tomorrow's 14-hour flight to Tokyo. I'll be gone for 10 days. Hopefully all will go well and I won't forget anything...like my passport, which was sitting in my drawer 15 minutes ago instead of with the rest of my luggage and things near the door. Fourteen hours. FOURTEEN HOURS. I'm not complaining, but I may just go insane. I've been on West Coast flights that dang near drove me to drink. Anyway, I'll be working A LOT, but I will definitely get in some sightseeing so there are photos to share. I especially want to get a Japanese paper with something Obama related on the front page. Until then, take care all.

A Quick Rant

I couldn't find a newspaper anywhere around Metro Atlanta today. I tried book stores (Borders and Barnes & Noble) in Atlanta, Smyrna, and Decatur. Nothing. I tried grocery stores, gas stations, and a few small news stands/kiosks. Seriously, what were the people who order newspapers for these places thinking? Regardless of which ticket won, it was going to be an historic day today. You would think they would have ordered extra newspapers in preparation - although a few claim they did. I guess it's not their fault that everyone and their mamas were buying them all up. Then again, maybe it was a Republican conspiracy. They bought up all the papers so they could pretend yesterday didn't really happen. Nice try.