And of course, the Songify version

This is the difference between Japan and everywhere else.

From New York Times

Full article Here.

“TOKYO — One of the most talked-about television commercials in Japan this year advertises an unusual product: contrition.

The ad shows a group of workers and executives from an ice cream company lined up in neat rows in front of their suburban Tokyo factory. As gentle folk music plays, they bow in apology.

The company’s transgression? Adding 10 yen, or about 9 cents, to the price of Garigari-kun, a hugely popular soda-flavor ice cream bar. About 500 million of the bright blue snacks are consumed every year, mostly by children.

Increasing prices are a big deal in Japan. The country’s sluggish economy means that the cost of most things has not risen in 20 years, and almost any increase makes headlines.”

The first price increase for this product in 25 years.

Watch the video.  It is touching.  The text over the video translates as: “We held out for 25 years. 60 → 70

By the way, in this video, the viewer is treated to the phenomena of the Japanese salaryman’s facial expression. Singular.  Is it embarrassment, anger, utter joy you see on their faces? One will never know . . .

Cadie finished a beautiful art book this week.  Complete with a Colorful Lion on the cover!  Yeah!

Rory just finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  652 pages of warlock tales.  He then scored 23/25 on the test.  Congratulations, Rory!

Very cool

Robert got to that part about the tightrope walker in Thus Spake Zarathustra again and then put the book down, again . . .

The Pierces spent Spring Break in lovely Washington DC!  Nice weather, lots of museums and parks.  Plus, Nani and Tata to share a 3 bedroom apartment with!

Like, how does one really pronounce Uranus?  And, why must a scientific theory be falsifiable?

The Pierces like Crash Course and CPG Grey.

Very Good Stuff!  Absolutely true stuff.

Michael Hiltzik, LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-the-scandal-of-engineering-visas-20160226-column.html

Corporate America has been pushing to expand the H-1B program by promoting the notion that the U.S. faces a critical shortage of graduates in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“The vast majority of H-1Bs who are coming in have no more than ordinary IT skills,” Hira testified.

About half of all H-1B visas end up in the hands of outsourcing firms that use them to import workers, mostly from India, to replace Americans in middle-level IT jobs. The firms include Tata and Infosys, both of which helped Southern California Edison in its program to shed 500 domestic IT workers and replace them with foreign labor.