Oh boy, summer's comin'!!!

A leisurely stroll with Neil around Amagasaki and Kumijima today really brought home the fact that summer is on the way. It wasn't the fact that there were feck all birds about. It wasn't the fact that people are out picnicing everywhere. It's the onset of the humid, heaviness that Osaka has during the summer. It was and is, damn hot. I am presently sitting in my shoebox, with both the window and front door open trying to get a breeze going rather than turn on the air-con. I'm trying to do some editing for a friend of mine and the heat is making it hard-going. I can't concentrate because of the humidity. I am dreading summer...


It is a strange quirky behaviour of man whereby one moans and complains like a bitch all winter about how cold it is and then as soon as it gets warm, one moans and complains like a bitch again because it's too hot. Will the human psyche ever by happy with it's lot?! Somehow I doubt it.

So, I bought a clever little gadget from Apple which allows me to use my iPod as a storage device for my photos if I am on the road and don't want to bring my laptop with me. It's a simple little connector which allows me to connect my camera to the iPod and download the images via the USB cable. It saved me spending a few hundred euro on a portable storage unit. The connector only cost 20yoyos!! Brilliant. The people at Apple are clever folk. Now if they could only come up with a trouble-free iPod, they'd be laughing. After getting my iPod replaced about 3-4 weeks ago due to the fact that it just froze and stopped working, the brand-new replacement is now acting up. It's pausing on it's own accord and freezes aswell. I am going to bring it back during the week and get it replaced again. It's ridiculous. Mr. Job, get on it and make this frustrating glitch go away!! I need the iPod to be faultless for Mishima in 10 days time or I'll be in serious trouble. Make it so...

The weekend was grand. A few pints after work on Friday night, the gym on Saturday morning, coffee with one of the lads in the afternoon, and a couple of pints with PJ in the evening. Out wader hunting with Neil this morning was a total disaster in terms of numbers of birds...there is just nowhere left in Osaka now for them. We went to Amagasaki which is usually brilliant but they are after filling in so much of the habitat that there is hardly anything left. Singing Oriental Reed and Fan-tailed Warblers were nice, summer plumaged Red-necked Stints and Mongolian Plovers were beautiful and fishing Ospreys were majestic. However, the numbers were miserably low. Japan is slowly becoming a concrete block. It is quite sad really. I wonder will there be any part of Japan left untouched by the Concreters in the next 50 years?? Somehow I think there will not.

I have just finished reading "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu (translated by Thomas Cleary), which is considered to be a must-read for all strategists. I'm not saying I'm a stategist, but I was curious about the book. Apparently the likes of George Dubya and Tones Blarewitch have read it...you wouldn't think it when you read the book and then look at their strategy for the invasion of Iraq. Maybe they should read it again. Presenlty, although still reading Robert Fisk's tome at night, I am reading John Banville's "The Sea", which won the Booker this year. I only read him for the first time in the new year when the folks sent over his trilogy "Doctor Copernicus", "Kepler", and "The Newton Letter" to me as a Chrissy present. That was an interesting read. Somehow I feel that the "The Sea" will be a dark affair. At least the man can write.

If anyone would like to recommend a book I should read then feel free to leave a message with me. As most of you will know, and in case of some of you may not, I read pretty much about everything so leave the suggestions (no porn thank you, this is a family show after all...my grandmother reads this; HI GRAN!!). A. Wilson...your suggestions would be welcome too! While you are it folks, some musical recommendations would not go astray. I am totally out of the loop here (not that I was ever in it, but it's even worse here) and haven't a clue what's going on. I bought Gorrillaz' "Demon Days" last week and that is good. Now banging out Kila at full volume for the locals to get a flavour of some alternative Irish music. So, any suggestions would be welcome. By the way, homegrown talent to watch: check out John Daly if he's playing in Cork or elsewhere, he has had his new record just released by a record label in London. An amazing DJ in Cork and is well known in London for his mixing style...the man is a genius if you ask me.

On a familiar note to most of you out there, if you want a good laugh, listen to the TodayFm podcast of Ian Dempsey getting slagged by Jay over his appearance on Podge and Rodge...classic.

Ok, I'm off to scrub the toilet, shower-room, "hallway" (that's about 1 square foot), and hoover my bed platform :) Before I go, I would like you all to take this moment to lament the end of a beautiful journey of one Mr. Jer "Pee Wee" Daly, who shall be returning to grace the shores of our beloved motherland, and walk down Pana for the first time in 2 years after his sojourn around the world. Presently risking life and limb in El Salvador/Guatamala, he shall be home at the beginging of May. Hug him if you see him, although he may not respond due to the shock of being home...

Carmo's Diet: this week I have mostly been eating Lotte 99% cacao polyphenol chocolate. It's good for the prostate according to Men's Health...so I just have to eat it

Carmo's Birds: Mongolian Plover; Red-necked Stint; Oriental Reed Warbler; Fan-tailed Warbler; Green Sandpiper; Whimbrel; Grey-tailed Tattler; Shelduck(!); Turnstone; Swallow

Carmo's Birds for Byrdy: Eva Longoria