Regruntled.com

And in French:

Reader jde of the Regruntled Tokyo Bureau sends a legend of Jesus’ burial in Aomori Prefecture, Japan.

According to the local legend, Christ first came to Japan, aged 21, during the reign of the 11th emperor, Suinin, and landed at the port of Hashidate on the Japan Sea coast. Apparently, he settled in Etchu province where, under the tutelage of a great master, he studied Japanese language, literature and various other subjects. The Legend of Daitenku Taro Jurai (Daitenku Taro Jurai was the name Christ is said to have later taken) claims that at the end of his 11-year stay, Christ returned to Judea, aged 33, where he taught about the “sacred land” of Japan. But, unfortunately, “Christ’s teachings about Japan were considered too radical,” and he was condemned to death.

The New Testament teaches Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, rose from the dead after three days and later ascended into Heaven. However, according to the legend of Herai, Jesus escaped this fate, and instead his brother Isukiri was nailed to the cross and died. Christ, meanwhile, fled with his disciples and went into hiding, carrying locks of the Virgin Mary’s hair and his brother’s ear. After an arduous journey across Siberia, Christ finally returned to Japan and settled in Herai where he changed his name, married a Japanese woman called Miyuko, fathered three daughters and lived to the age of 106.

It sounds like a tall tale, but no stranger than stories of burning bushes, the parting of the Red Sea and water being turned into wine.

I’ve heard of Jesus spending his Missing Years in India, and there is a competing grave in Srinagar.  There are also stories of Jesus in southern France, some of which are used in The Da Vinci Code.  Jesus in Japan is new to me.  I am reminded of two American phrases: “George Washington slept here” and “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?”

This is Freaking Ridiculous features the BK-47, a life-size, fully automatic assault rifle made out of bacon.  Or maybe covered with bacon.  It fires 7.62mm lard rounds.  Not much stopping power, but if you’re willing to wait for your target to die of heart disease, it’s one shot, one kill.

They say that two of the most popular things on the internet are bacon and cats, hopefully for different reasons.  But maybe there is a connection, a common theme between cholesterol and cuteness.  Here is the K-16 Hello Kitty assault rifle.  (I wanted  to call it an HK-47, which sounds so much better, but the front sight is in the wrong position.)

Pierre Beteille of Toulouse bills himself as a graphiste and a flasheur.  I hope he’s talking about the software.

Série de photos retouchées pour me refamiliariser avec Photoshop que j’avais un peu négligé au cours des dernières années.

I like this one in particular because it doubles up on the map-vs.-territory theme.  The gun and blood spatter are on separate pieces of paper, but are connected through cause and effect.

There is a news story going around with a headline that is some variation of :

Passenger lands plane after pilot dies

Reading further, we learn:

The passenger, whose name has not yet been released, is a licensed pilot with 20 years of experience but had never flown a King Air plane.

He was guided by local air traffic controllers—one of whom called a friend in Connecticut who was familiar with the plane.

The team talked the passenger through the process of disengaging the autopilot and landing safely at the Southwest Florida International Airport.

Well, now:

Experienced pilot guided through landing in unfamiliar plane

Doesn’t sound quite as dramatic, does it?  Experienced carpenter uses new power tool for the first time!  Details at 11.

I saw some interesting origami leis at the memorial for the Ehime Maru. One was disintegrating after a few days in the weather, so I helped myself to a piece or two. I kept telling myself that I wasn’t desecrating a grave, I was picking up litter. Anyway, I figured out how to fold the pieces. As you can see, the units are stackable, and one could make a colorful lei by running some fishing line through the centers.  It’s a bit tedious, though, and after satisfying myself that I understood the concept, I had no desire to do a project.