Firefox

I changed my default browser again. I used to use Internet Explorer and Opera, but recently I downloaded Firefox 1.5.0.6 Japanese version and started to use it. It is better for me than Opera because Opera doen't support some functions of Google's Blogers or Gmail. Tab function or others are almost same as Opera, I suppose. It will be a matter of preference to use Opera or Firefox. IE is out of the question.

Yoro Valley Hot Springs Resort

I went to Yoro Valley Hot Springs Resort in Chiba from Friday to Saturday with my family. It takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes from my home to the resort by car. We stayed in Hotel Iwaburo, which was 50 years old hotel and had an experience of Japanese imperial family's staying. However, this hotel was too old and completely behind the modernization. Hot spring of the hotel was good, not large but chocolate coloured water seemed to work for my body. I went to 4 hot springs in total for these two days. To be honest, Takimi En is best place to stay here (of course one of the most expensive hotel in the valley).

Bubba Gump Shrimp

I went to Bubba Gump Shrimp, Tokyo to have a dinner with my friends last evening. I also have been to Bubba Gump Shrimp in Monterey, California before. Foods and atmosphere are good, almost same as in United States , but one thing I have to comment for Tokyo is "beer". Tokyo has only Budweiser and Japanese beer. It should serve local beers in United States because Tokyo intends to have same concept as United States.

All my friends yesterday were those who had been in Silicon Valley, California at the same time in or around 2000-2002. We get together a few times a year for golf or drink. I like these guys very much. Friends who I met overseas will be very good friends known each other very long time for me.

Finished reading "Foundation's Edge" by Isaac Asimov

I finished to read Isaac Isimov's "Foundation's Edge" (1982). For last few months I have been reading Isaac Isimov only for novels. The Publisher describes "At last, the costly and bitter war between the two Foundations had come to an end. The scientists of the First Foundation had proved victorious; and now they return to Hari Seldon's long-established plan to build a new Empire that the Second Foundation is not destroyed after all-and that its still-defiant survivors are preparing their revenge. Now the two exiled citizens of the Foundation-a renegade Councilman and the doddering historian-set out in search of the mythical planet Earth. . .and proof that the Second Foundation still exists. Meanwhile someone-or something-outside of both Foundations sees to be orchestrating events to suit its own ominous purpose. Soon representatives of both the First and Second Foundations will find themselves racing toward a mysterious world called Gaia and a final shocking destiny at the very end of the universe!" This is written 30 years after the "Foundation Trilogy" of the author. I really enjoyed this book and go into the final, "Foundation and Earth".

Kyo Country Club

I went to Kyo Country Club, Shibayama-cho, Chiba today. Players are my classmates of my university. Very hot today, maybe 34-35 degrees. The course is not long but very tough, because fairways are narrow and rolling, greens are like potatochips. Maybe my score today was more than 100, although I didn't keep scores today as the round is private and we didn't bet. I have to practice hard this weekend because next round will be on Aug 14 and 19. Above pic is 9th hole from green.

Tiger Woods' "Miracle Chip-in Eagle" Plate

This is the picture of Tiger Woods' "Miracle Chip-in Eagle" Plate on the right side rough at 18th hole of Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course, which my friend sent me. I didn't know he took the photo at final hole yesterday.

Today on August 5, I stayed my home almost whole of the day, listening to the music, posting to blog, checking Google Reader, reading a book, now, Isaac Asimov's "Foundation's Edge". Usually on Saturday morning I go to driving range to practice my golf swing, but I couldn't today because I sent my caddy bag by delivery service directly from Gotemba to Kyo Country Club, where I will play tomorrow.

Neil Young with Linda and/or Nicolette(6)Freedom

"Rockin' in the Free World" in Young's 1989 album " Freedom" revived again in 2004 at ending song of Michael Moore's movie "Fahrenheit 9/11". In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine selected "Rockin' in the Free World" as one of the 500 greatest songs of all times. The newspaper USA Today has called the song:"a savage attack on the policies of Ronald Reagan and the first President Bush ... (and) anything but a celebration of democracy." I don't want to go to detail. You can refer thrasher's page here for more detail for this song.

In this album Linda Ronstadt is on back vocal on 4.Hangin' On A Limb and 6.The Ways Of Love. Both are beautiful songs.

"Freedom" by Neil Young

1. Rockin' In The Free World
2. Crime In The City (Sixty To Zero Part I)
3. Don't Cry
4. Hangin' On A Limb
5. Eldorado
6. The Ways Of Love
7. Someday
8. On Broadway
9. Wrecking Ball
10. No More
11. Too Far Gone
12. Rockin' In The Free World

Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course

Today I went to play golf at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course. It takes more than three hours from my home to the course by train and play fee is JPY30,500 (US$265). Wow! This is very expensive and almost same as Spyglass Hill or The Links at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, but this is one of the best courses in Japan. Many Japanese or even foreigners want to play here, because there is Japan Golf Tour tournamnet, the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters in November every year. Also the course has become well known in 2001 EMC World Cup, where the pair of Tiger Woods and David Duval catched up Ernie Els and Retief Goosen after Tiger made chip-in eagle at 18th hole. (At the play-off South African pair won.) There is a plate in the right side rough of 18th green, saying "Tiger Woods, Miracle chip in eagle 2001 EMC World Cup".

This is third time for me to play here and I always made not bad score. Caddy is well-trained, service is excellent and foods are very well. I like this course very much. Anyway, today my score was 45-47 from regular tee. Not bad for me after several rounds of more than 100 in Vietnam. Mount Fuji is beautiful in above pic but today we couldn't see her because she is always in clouds. One of executives of Taiheiyo Club tells me that I can see Mt.Fuji if I play 5-6 times here (but I don't have enough money to buy membership.)

Bemindful

I'm a Bemindful user. Bemaindful is "a free positive affirmations web service. It contains quality articles and hundreds of searchable positive affirmations that are categorized by keywords (tags) Signing up to bmindful allows you to create a list of selected affirmations and add your own personal ones. This list is available online at any time or you can print it out for offline access throughout the day" according to their websaite.

Anyone can post any affirmations. Some affirmations are useless, but it is alright if I can find a few good one which I like.

I'm a Googler

I'm a Googler because I can't live without Google. I wake up in the morning and log on to Gmail. If I have a time I post an article to my blog by Blogger. In the office I often check Google Personalized Homepage, Gmail, Google Calendar and Google News. When I come back to my home, I log on to Gmail again and check Google Calendar, Google News, Google Reader, sometimes use Google Earth to watch something around the world. Before I went to Vietnam in May, I terminated NTT's OCN email account and changed to Gmail. I can read any message from around the world where I can access internet. I also like Google Toolbar, which is very useful when surfing in web, Mouse-over-dictionary, or spell-check function are good, Google Desktop, Picasa 2, digital photo manager are also my favorites.