Ford of the Ox

Am off on holiday to England for a week so I won't blog for a while but lately my blogging has taken on a weekly or fortnightly habit anyway so not a big change.. I promise to tell you all about my adventures though, should there happen anything of interest in Oxford or London, which is where I'm spending my well-deserved annual leave (and to Spain, later on in August).

Team Aiko

I wrote earlier about Japan's delight that Prince Akishino of Japan and his wife are expecting a child, as the child, if it is a boy, would save the blood line of the Japanese monarchy. Without a boy they are left with having to change the order of succession to allow Princess Aiko, daughter of the Japanese Crown Princess and the real heir(ess) to the throne one could say, to become Crown Princess and eventually queen.

While awaiting the birth, Japanese history professors are emphasising the long unbroken male line of emperors (choosing not to mention the fact that in the middle ages eight female emperors reined Japan). The danger with allowing female succession is that a queen has to marry a non-royal person, in effect a commoner. A Japanese prince has a solution to this problem: 1) restore the royal status of the old prince sovereign families; 2) allow the emperor to adopt a male member of one of these families; 3) revive "extinct" sovereign families by letting their rites be performed by someone from the royal family; and 4) reintroduce royal concubines. All this just to avoid a woman to inherit the throne.

Good Hair Day?

Letter to the Economist from Alexander Ferworn, Toronto:

Sir - Thank you for letting us know that Hillary Clinton was "decked out in an orange trouser-suit" during a recent conference (Lexington, June 17th). I am using this information in conjunction with economic policy I have gleaned from various fashion magazines to make up my mind about her candidacy. Perhaps in the future you could report if Al Gore's tie matched his trousers and if George Bush wore shorts on a hot day.

Ferworn highlights a very typical thing - it seems to be very important to add what women are wearing, what hairstyle they have, etc. as if this somehow tells us how good of a politician or a business leader they are or would be, whilst this wouldn't even be considered when it comes to men.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

From the site tjuvlyssnat.se with conversations and encounters overheard, which I wrote about earlier:

(A very hairy man in shorts and sleeveless shirt enters the train on the Stockholm underground)
Boy 5+: "Mum, why does that man have fur?"
The mother: "But schhh!"
Boy 5+ (screams): "But why does he have fur?"
(Everybody on the train start smiling, the man looks angrily at the kid)
Boy 5+ (a little scared): "Mum, the bear is looking at me angrily now!"

More Amazing Talent

An 11-year-old with an amazing voice and a new Whitney Houston. We also have a little girl with attitude!

* Thanks to PJ for the links

The Evolution of Dance

This guy is just amazing! He has his own site too!

Shake that Booty

Another future star to add to the last contestant!