nude highway driving

Radiohead rules: When you’ve had a long-ass day at work, and that day ended with an annoying-ass cross-continental meeting with way too many damn people on a conference call, there are few better ways to unwind and get all pensive in your room than listening to Radiohead, specifically “Pyramid Song” and “Karma Police.” (I’m a late-comer to the whole Radiohead appreciation thing — the song “Creep” was so amazingly awful that I just stopped paying attention to them and missed all their accomplishments until about a month ago when a co-worker let me borrow “Amnesiac” and “OK Computer.” Now I understand the rabidity of my friends who are fans.)

Codeine rocks: And it’s an over-the-counter drug in Japan! I started feeling like crap last Monday and still have a cough that won’t go away unless I’m medicated. A Japanese co-worker took me to a local pharmacy and explained my nagging cough to the little old bald guy behind the counter. He pulled out a box and started telling her what to tell me. He said “Don’t take too much or you will get great ideas.” That sounds awesome! She explained later that he said that because it was cough syrup with codeine. I had heard about codeine’s magical powers, but never experienced it myself. My doses were too small to get any “whoa” feelings, but that stuff kills coughs dead … until it wears off after four or five hours. I was amazed. I like codeine. Codeine is my friend.

I have magical powers: A couple weeks ago was the beginning of rainy season … when we’re subjected to three to four weeks of nothing but resentment-inducing rain here in Tokyo. You think walking through Shibuya or Roppongi is hard on a normal day when you don’t do crowds very well, try doing it during rainy season, when the same amount of people still go out but they’re all carrying lethal weapons at eye level. I was told you see many people with eye patches during this time of year, and it’s often because of umbrella clashes. Wasn’t enjoying the rainy season. But then … last Sunday I emerged from a night of mayhem only to find a clear, sunny day. I declared then that rainy season ended early and would not come back. All my Japanese friends scoffed and laughed at the foolish gaijin. Now it’s the following Sunday and we’ve had eight days in a row of sunshine and blue skies. Don’t ever doubt me!

Rasputin was a straight-up porn star. No wonder other men wanted him dead.