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Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
08/15/09
you drive a hard bargain, my friend. but, ok -- i will sell you my original copy of the constitution for $999.99 and not a penny cheaper.
08/15/09
Ethnocentric much ? Considering that these are hand crafted and as others have mentioned are coming from a culture/people that deeply revere their cultural heritage, I have to ask how this is any different than paying a premium price for various baubles and nickknacks simply because a celebrity wrote their freakin' name on them?
Autographed items sell for thousands of dollars all the time all over the world. As do original art pieces made by skilled or famous artists. What's the difference ? I mean it's not like every Aki, Maki, and Hiro are running around Honshu buying these things. It's niche and elite, like any number of snobby items people buy in the US and other wealthy nations...which makes it all the more fitting that people are wrapping their iPhones in them...
People spend $1000+ on suits too. And then proceed to both sweat and rub their @$$ in it all day. Do we regard that with the same level of scorn ?
I mean would anyone bat an eye if these $1000 paintings were simply designed to hang on the wall and basically serve no practical function ? Probably not. But since in addition to being beautiful works of art these also have a practical use they are simply a reminder that "no moment in any nation's history is worth a $1000 friggin' dollars." ???
All IMHO, you know...just sayin'...
(Although I guess it should be noted that the author doesn't say" ONLY Japanese people do." And in the last bit he/she de-emphasizes this as a Japanese phenomena. So I suppose I shouldn't freak out :P)
08/15/09
08/15/09
Thanks for the concern. It's good advice. I was actually remarkably calm when writing it though. And if you'll notice the last part where I acknowledge that the author was NOT aiming their words/diatribe solely at one culture hopefully you can believe that while my comment was long (and when did that become wrong again ?) I didn't take the whole thing really all that seriously. He/she vetted his/her opinion, I vetted mine. Simple as that.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've exceeded 6 lines so I think I need a valium. :P
08/16/09
While I appreciate the sarcasm, it only helps but fuel the point that you take offense too easily my friend.
08/14/09
But a thousand bucks for something made on the cheap plasticky backside of an iPhone? (nothing against the phone, but that back is FUGLY)
Even more in a gadget that will completely evaporate once the next version is out in, let's say, an year tops?
Yeah, can't think of any dumber way of wasting money right now. But I'll wait a feel more posts, I'm shure it'll come.
Wait, I already got it. A $1000 bucks iPhone app which only displays a dumb jewel on the screen called "I am Rich"...
Oh yeah, and I can bet far more people OUTSIDE Japan would be willing to pay for this.
Also: Can we get a "ban recommendation" button to stop the racial slurs on the comments, please? Thanks.
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07/02/09
and destroys copiers. ("Wake up! Roots! The reason for its good taste is this shape!" Whaaa?)
...while wearing Edwin jeans
07/01/09
My only exception is for vending machine companies, and then, only for vending machines that sell used women's panties. If you've been to Osaka in the last 6 months, you've probably seen my ad. It's the one with the tentacle porn and the baseball team of babies.
07/01/09
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03/09/09
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03/09/09
And I don't know what you were watching, but it was definitely Bill Oddie driving that GTR.
03/10/09
03/09/09
We could use the technology from that to move rail transit in general, both cargo and passenger, forward in this country.
03/09/09
That and it would take a significant increase in new routes over what Amtrak currently services.
This coming from someone who lives and dies by the L in Chicago and doesn't even own a car. If we're throwing money at rail in the US, it should be toward smaller local light rail to help commuters, not try to compete with airlines.
03/09/09
Considering you live at a major AmTrak hub you can easily hop a fairly cheap ride to the East Coast. Then again you can take the L out to O'Hare if you want to. Too bad I've seen a few too many electrical fires on tracks to feel very confident in the L and I don't even live there.
There definitely needs to be an increase in metro rail projects.
03/09/09
03/09/09
The TRE is basically sub-licensed local Amtrak commuter service.