Okonomibloggy http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com One man's idiosyncratic interests. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:32:09 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ en hourly 1 http://www.gravatar.com/blavatar/ba3e6d45d7cc9156534809a5500c3bf1?s=96&d=http://s.wordpress.com/i/buttonw-com.png Okonomibloggy http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com A close one… http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/a-close-one/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/a-close-one/#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:32:09 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1084 ]]>

Woman falls in front of an oncoming subway train in Boston, which stops just in time.

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/a-close-one/feed/ 0 Tom Why Japanese homes often lack central heat and insulation http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/why-japanese-homes-often-lack-central-heat-and-insulation/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/why-japanese-homes-often-lack-central-heat-and-insulation/#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:22:34 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1082 ]]>

Wide Island View explains, via Japundit.

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/why-japanese-homes-often-lack-central-heat-and-insulation/feed/ 0 Tom State of the Blogosphere 2009 http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/state-of-the-blogosphere-2009/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/state-of-the-blogosphere-2009/#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:06:00 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1080 ]]>

Results of the annual Technorati survey.

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/state-of-the-blogosphere-2009/feed/ 0 Tom There be zombies… http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/there-be-zombies/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/there-be-zombies/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:12:55 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1078 ]]>

A diverting weekend read from Men’s Journal…

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/there-be-zombies/feed/ 0 Tom Interview with Jimmy Wales http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/interview-with-jimmy-wales/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/interview-with-jimmy-wales/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:08:50 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1076 ]]>

Silicon.com talks with the Wikipedia founder about what’s coming next.

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/interview-with-jimmy-wales/feed/ 0 Tom Music that calms monkeys http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/music-that-calms-monkeys/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/music-that-calms-monkeys/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:22:04 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1074 ]]>

According to a study by a professor at the University of Wisconsin, monkeys are calmed by Metallica and by music composed specially for them, reports the Washington City Paper.

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/music-that-calms-monkeys/feed/ 0 Tom Current event Halloween costumes http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/current-event-halloween-costumes/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/current-event-halloween-costumes/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:13:43 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1072 ]]>

Billy Mays, Balloon Boy, Octomom, etc.

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/current-event-halloween-costumes/feed/ 0 Tom JR East Japan using blue lights as suicide prevention measure http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/jr-east-japan-using-blue-lights-as-suicide-prevention-measure/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/jr-east-japan-using-blue-lights-as-suicide-prevention-measure/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:44:45 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1070 ]]>

This report in GlobalPost describes the effort, which involves installing blue LED lights on station platforms. The theory is that the calming effect of the blue light might change the frame of mind of those intending to jump off the platform in front of an oncoming train.

They give a figure of 68 train platform suicides in 2008, though it isn’t clear whether that is nationwide or just on JR East (which includes the Tokyo and the rest of the Kanto region).

Via Japundit.

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/jr-east-japan-using-blue-lights-as-suicide-prevention-measure/feed/ 0 Tom Google making us smarter? http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/google-making-us-smarter/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/google-making-us-smarter/#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:31:09 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1065 ]]>

As explained in this short piece and the embedded video, brain research is uncovering evidence that using tech may increase cognitive functioning.

There has been a debate over whether the Internet is making us stupid, that I blogged about a year or so ago.

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/google-making-us-smarter/feed/ 0 Tom Gaijin Bochi http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/gaijin-bochi/ http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/gaijin-bochi/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:36:41 +0000 Tom Arrison http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/?p=1063 ]]>

Short piece in Japan Today about Yokohama’s Foreigners’ Cemetery (Gaijin Bochi).

]]> http://okonomibloggy.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/gaijin-bochi/feed/ 0 Tom