An unremarkable weekend is drawing to a close. I enjoyed my second bonenkai, an "end of the year party," on Friday, having been invited by a local friend for whom I've been doing some gratis web site and other work. These events are standard practice in Japan near the end of the year, and typically offer free food and drink in a nice setting, gifts and prizes, and the invaluable company of one's co-workers. Or someone else's, if you happen to be invited by a friend. Being the sort who is generally satisified with just free dinner and an open bar, the rest is, as they say, icing.

Saturday found me DJing at the Ole and calling it an early night, and Sunday (that's today) was a racous carnival of household chores followed by a trip to the theatre to see Sixth Sense, which, from my cramped seat in the second row, far left, was unexpectedly good when you consider that Bruce Willis had the starring role. And no, I didn't figure It out until the end.

And as if that wasn't enough crazy excitement to grapple with, I've also recently finalized my holiday plans, a Whirlwind Tour of my homeland that will take me to Seattle (twice), Northern California, and the Lone Star state. We here at Denbushi Global Enterprises^TM are collectively hard with excitement, let me tell you. And even though I've toned down my doomsaying on the Y2K thing, I nonetheless take some solace in the knowledge that there will be solar power and well water where I'll be on The Big Day.

Since this is an agenda-free post, I won't be commenting on the WTO protests or any other current events this time around. But I would like send out a big thanks to all those people who sent photos, links, personal narratives and other info to help me keep up with things there. And by the way, what's this all this business I'm hearing about nerve gas?

Anyway, I'm finished for now. If you still want to fuck around on the web I would suggest having a look at something weird or this gem sent to me by web-junkie CA.

Ciao.