Marry Through Contests!

One of the many punitive reality television shows in Japan had a man subsist wholly through entering contests in magazines.

In America, we are soon reaching that level of potential self-sufficiency. Given that stationer Papyrus is raffling off a wedding ring and tabloid newspaper The New York Post has a contest for a wedding dress (albeit one from Filene's), all you need is to find a contest for a caterer, a clergyman, and a venue and you're set.

Next innovation: baby showers and funerals through contests!

I Thought it was About America's National Pastimes In Japan, But No, It's Ethnography

Sherbs has, knowing that I have some minor interest in Japanese society and culture, sent me an article from the New York times about a guy who came to Japan to preserve their folktales. My interest is piqued, as it seems he took down some ghost stories. I've liked Japanese ghost stories since I started collecting Narumi Kakinouchi comics about embittered little vampire girls.

Of course, I must apologize to Sherbs for initially thinking that she sent me an article about the Matsuzaka beer controversy. Because, as we all know, Sherbs loves both baseball and beer with a passion.