Notices by Minoru Saba (minorusaba@toad.social), page 11

"A wildfire continues to burn on Mt. Ogi straddling Uenohara and Otsuki cities in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo"
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260109/p2g/00m/0na/006000c
🔸TV news reports showed the wildfire was on mountain slopes not far from the Dangozaka Service Area on the Chuo Expressway.
#wildfire #Uenohara #Yamanashi #Japan

Infection status
Released Jan 8, 2026.
- As of period from Dec 22 - Dec 28, 2025 -
Next report: Jan 13, 2026

No. of patients per medical facility (nationwide) 1.32
Change from prev. week +0.08
[Source: Health-Labor-Welfare Ministry weekly report]
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001627612.pdf
🔸End of 13th wave?
Saga at 0.29, Tokyo at 0.73, Akita at 2.44, Hokkaido at 4.89, Okinawa at 0.36

#Influenza (nationwide) at 22.77
Change from prev. week -9.96
#Miyazaki at 62.57
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001628004.pdf
#CovidIsNotOver
#Japan

After sorting out the rolling stock of supplies (for earthquakes, typhoons, meteors, etc.) found the consume-by-date for the last of the Campbell's soup cans had passed, so corn potage and toast for supper.
Can’t justify restocking as weakening yen and inflation has made it too pricey, so it will be consigned to memory like its giant-sized sibling at Hara Museum ARC which we visited a few years ago.
https://www.haramuseum.or.jp/en/arc/exhibition/1091/
#CampbellsSoup #inflation #WeakYen #Japan

@evacide I was just saying this to someone. Humans are very prone to projecting humanity onto... literally anything. Throw in logocentrism, and we're so so easy to fool.

"Northeast Japan may see a rise in bears approaching humans again in 2027, as a good beech nut yield expected in 2026 suggests a poor harvest the following year, according to a research center analyzing links between bear sightings and their primary food source"
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260106/p2g/00m/0na/026000c
🔸Probably only a matter of time that we start getting detailed bear forecasts just like the dreaded cedar pollen ones which predict twice the average for northern Japan for 2026😬
https://tenki.jp/pollen/expectation/

And, final product! Which tastes like coffee, lol. Significantly, my usual cast iron pan roast results in a mixed flavor profile because hand roasting ends up with a range of bean doneness. This is quite different as all the beans are the roast level. Interesting... #coffee

Video! #flir #coffee

"The more [subjects] moved their limbs correlated to a larger volume of detected DNA. Coughing also allowed the scientists to collect particles from areas much farther"
"[Researchers detected] DNA not only on doorknobs and walls but also indoor air conditioner filters"
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16214691

🔸"Gattaca" vibes...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca

An unexpected post new years bargain. 10lbs of mandarin oranges for less than USD7! #japan #NaganoPrefecture #matsushiro

🔸Likewise Britain's stance:
"...to understand why Yvette Cooper studiously avoided saying whether the UK viewed the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro as a breach of international law...on Monday night, a joint statement was expected in [Paris] by the coalition of the willing – and a draft included the US promising binding security guarantees to protect Ukraine..."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/06/yvette-cooper-criticise-trump-venezuela-ukraine
🔸It's like trying to avoid provoking "terrible twos" temper tantrums from the heffalump in the driving seat

Now that y'all know the basics of celestial navigation, how about trying my latest printable slide rule to calculate the Computed Height of a star given your latitude, the star's declination, and the hour angle between your positions? https://trmm.net/navwheel/

"...if USA offers concessions to Russia on Ukraine, it would likely exacerbate anxieties in Tokyo about whether Washington could do something similar to China regarding Taiwan"

"...what implications would it have on Japan's plans if the United States threatens to reduce its current [Indo-Pacific] force posture"

"[What if] Washington begins to call into question Japan's role in the alliance"
https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2025/06/us-japan-ties-perfect-like-before-or-changing-it-all.html
🔸Probably explains Japan's recent stance re Venezuela
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260104/p2g/00m/0na/022000c

@LordWoolamaloo Thanks for the photos of the Edinburgh Zoo Giant Lanterns. They reminded me of the huge floats paraded in the streets of Aomori City during the Nebuta Festival that takes place every year in August.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aomori_Nebuta_Matsuri

Gibt es auch schnell spielende Kinder? 🤣

#Kinder #Spiel #Spielstraße

Last year, got the hang of ordering via the dedicated tablets at a local conveyor-belt sushi restaurant. This ended up being more convenient as it bypassed the hit-or-miss waiting for a desired item to turn up on the conveyor belt.
However, more recently was stumped by an izakaya requiring ordering by smartphone. After reading in the site QR code, miniscule-font menu took ages to load and then item buttons froze😬
So...used "digital dinosaur" card to nab human staff and place order F2F!

THE FRIDAY READ
15 Scenarios That Could Stun the World in 2026
Futurists, political analysts and other forecasters on the possible “Black Swan” events of the new year.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/01/02/black-swan-events-2026-00708074 #2026predictions #NewYear2026 #RiskAnalysis #USPol #AI

My favourite meme of 2025. What's yours? (Please alt text your memes and CW Trump/Epstein stuff. No AI trash please.)

#askfedi #memes

There was a time when I would've spent the rest of the day, and possibly several days, watching developments constantly. Hypervigilance and hyperfocus and moral clarity are not easy to live with.

These days I try to draw a line. I still struggle, though.

La Russie condamne l'attaque militaire américaine contre le Venezuela, estimant que "l'hostilité idéologique" avait prévalu sur la diplomatie. "Ceci est profondément inquiétant et condamnable", dénonce le ministère russe des Affaires étrangères. Mieux vaut en rire tant qu'on le peut encore... Le président Maduro n'a toujours pas donné signe de vie. Il est probable que Trump va l'exhiber devant les caméras s'il a bien été kidnappé.

#Politique #Venezuela #Trump #USA #Guerre #Kidnapping

Spent New Year's Day in Aomori City amidst heavy snow showers. Snow ploughs cleared the main roads in the early hours of Friday which eventually turned out sunny.