Nice haiku quoted in this Asahi article, from a recently discovered letter by Akutagawa Ryunosuke:
もの言はぬ研ぎ屋の業や梅雨入空
梅雨入空 is read “ついりぞら” here. It seems to be an invention of Akutagawa’s, and the elided reading seems clever but slightly unfair until you try saying it and the “proper” reading back to back a few times and realise that they’re nearly indistinguishable. At which point you are again inclined to think that Akutagawa was, indeed, a clever bastard.
Why Is China Building These Gigantic Structures In the Middle of the Desert?
Targeting grids for orbital weapons? Floor plans for colossal ziggurats?
Gratifying to hear that Amazon seems to have taken the non-evil route, despite initial comments suggesting they would have access to Kindle Fire users’ browsing habits. Let’s hope this is indeed the case.
…and will continue cloning them until he has a coyote army.
“Contaminated cantaloupes from Colorado” is positively Gilbert and Sullivan.
Dan Lyons in inimitable form, on the new iPhone(s).
Slightly disingenuous bit of headline-writing, but a fun article, particularly the last paragraph.
Holiday reading list
『虐殺器官』伊藤計劃
『ハーモニー』伊藤計劃
“The Windup Girl,” Paolo Bacigalupi
“Perdido Street Station,” China Mieville
伊藤計劃さんは僕の3週間前に生まれ、2009年に亡くなっていたことを知って悲しくなった。
