The Alien is very tired, even exhausted, so it's probably good luck that he couldn't find overtime today. You can tell things are coming apart when you start talking about yourself in the third person. My passport came back with some new pages inserted. I'm very excited. I'm also reading a book by Anthony Burgess (wrote Clockwork Orange) about the post WWII period in Malaysia. Very interesting stuff. I think that I'm up to about two fifty in page count on the novel. I think I should take a nap. I'm looking for a new default homepage as I've decided that reading the New York Times everytime I sing on the net is depressing. Oh, by the way, the Alien has gone vegetarian, well, not really, but a little. It's almost impossible to avoid meat in Japan. The other day I bought a piece of bread that was advertised as corn and mayonnaise, but the still managed to conceal some ham in it. You may ask, "why the reduced meat diet?" That's for another entry.

Funny thing going to the American embassy in Tokyo, the security was tighter than a virgin's..., whoa, hold up, my mom reads this thing. Anyway, before I even got within three blocks of the building there was a cop asking me where I was going and why. I told him I wanted to get pages added to my passport. He let me through, but I played the Q&A game twice more before arriving at the gate. Before getting buzzed through the gate I had my bag searched and went through a metal detector. I was, then in the compound, but not in the building. Once in the building there was another metal detector and a Marine behind bullet proof glass buzzing people into the area, where, finally, I could talk to a paper-pusher about my passport pages. I felt damn important, I'll tell you that much. Thing is, after all that serious security, I get to talk to your typical happy go lucky American embassy staffer who can't resist sharing the latest lawyer joke he's heard. Gotta love the States.

In unrelated news, I'm adding a Japan section to my picture pages, so click on the pictures link to see what I've put on recently.

Undoing the chain and turning the lock simultaneously, he opened the door. She walked in holding the tray at chest level. There was no water. This maid looked a bit young, not young and pretty, but young nonetheless. “Where’s the water?” She was headed toward the dresser to set down the tray. “Water?” He asked again. She didn’t seem to understand. There was something about her uniform. Paul blocked her path and lifted the silver food cover. Nothing. Set up. Somkiat was already coming through the door with the shock stick. Paul grabbed the tray and flipped it sending the few utensils on the floor. Holding it like a shield he tried to block the two electric prods on the end of the baton. Somkiat kicked the tray hard. Paul was on the ground. He shit himself. The big Thai had his ankle in one hand and was applying the stun gun to his right thigh with the other. He yelled hoping someone would hear. The skinny Thai was closing the door now. Too late, he already had the metal taste in his mouth again.

Interesting to be in Japan right now. The kidnapping of three Japanese journalists has further polarized public opinion around the Japanese presence in Iraq. The usually opinion-less Japanese are actually expressing some views on this issue, albeit relatively subdued and wavering views.

In other news, I've been a bit stressed out running all over the greater Tokyo area, chasing down overtime on my days off all the while trying to grind out pages of my novel. Tomorrow I'll go into to Tokyo and add some pages to my passport. The good news is that today is payday, which means... I'm getting paid. And it's about time as I don't have any money in the bank. Nothing more relevant to add, sorry.

Our Sprawling, Supersize Utopia: "Just out of reach, just beyond the next ridge, just in the farther-out suburb or with the next entrepreneurial scheme, just with the next diet plan or credit card purchase, the next true love or political hero, the next summer home or all-terrain vehicle, the next meditation technique or motivational seminar; just with the right schools, the right moral revival, the right beer and the right set of buddies; just with the next technology or after the next shopping spree -- there is this spot you can get to where all tensions will melt, all time pressures will be relieved and happiness can be realized"

Not much of note, however our school 'hanami' party was rained out. Hanami is an excuse to get wasted. It means 'viewing cherry blossoms', but really just means sitting under the trees and drinking sake. Unfortunately the season is really short (like a couple of weeks at best), so we've probably missed our only opportunity for a hanami party. Anyway, the cherry blossoms are quite beautiful, even for a jaded bastard like myself. The page count is now 220. Thanks for all those encouraging emails that have been flowing in (sarcastic smile). Later.