On a whim, I decided I wanted to know what the world’s oldest company was.

“Kongō Gumi Co., Ltd. (株式会社金剛組, Kabushiki Gaisha Kongō Gumi?) was a Japanese construction company established by Korean people and the world’s oldest continuously ongoing company, operating for over 1,400 years. Headquartered in Osaka, the family-owned construction company traced its origins to 578 when Prince Shotoku brought Kongō family members from Baekje to Japan to build the Buddhist Shitennō-ji, a temple that still stands. These temples even endured Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Over the centuries, Kongō Gumi participated in the construction of many famous buildings, including the 16th century Osaka Castle and Hōryū-ji in Nara.

A 10-foot 17th century scroll traces the 40 generations back to the company’s start. As with many distinguished Japanese families, sons-in-law often joined the clan and took the Kongō family name. Thus, through the years, the line has continued through either a son or a daughter.

The company fell on hard times and went into liquidation in January 2006. Its assets were purchased by Takamatsu Corporation.[1] [2] Before its liquidation, it had over 100 employees and annual revenue of ¥7.5 billion ($70 million) in 2005; it had still specialized in building Buddhist temples. The last president was Masakazu Kongō, the 40th Kongō to lead the firm. As of December 2006, Kongō Gumi continues to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Takamatsu. It should be noted that Kongo family still continue to practice as carpenters.”

However, since this company was liquidated in 2006 (man that really sucks):

“Hōshi (法師, Hōshi?) is a ryokan (Japanese traditional inn) in the Awazu Onsen area of Komatsu, in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 717, it is the world’s oldest hotel still in operation according to Guinness World Records [1] and the world’s oldest continuously operating company after the liquidation of Kongō Gumi in 2006.”

According to The Consumerist:

“According to AP, former Judge Roy “Fancy Pants” Pearson is suing to get his old job back and tacking on $1 million in damages. You may remember Pearson as the judge who tried to sue a dry-cleaner for $54 million over a pair of pants. Now, “Fancy Pants” says he was wrongfully dismissed and “vilified in the media.”"

It appears as if he is just out to sue anyone he can as a get rich scheme, and using this judicial background to do so. Why not just work like everyone else, heck you make more money than most people as a judge. Stop wasting peoples time and money.

CNN had a small video on its site this morning about people who are picking their own produce due to the food crisis.

I was actually glad to see this video this morning, because obviously it’s promoting CSA activity and supporting your local farmers. People don’t realize that with sites like LocalHarvest.org let you search your area for organic farms in your area.

One of the things I’d like to do sometime in the near future is harvest my own chicken since we already have our own egg business. I don’t think I could cater to a huge egg request which is why I don’t advertise anywhere. At least not anytime soon. But chicken is a food staple for us right now, especially since I’ve removed 99% of the red meat from my diet, and I’m not at a point where I can eat a mostly vegetarian diet yet.

One thing they mention in the video is that the food is seasonal, so obviously you aren’t going to find oranges in January. But they fail to mention that people should adjust their diets to seasonal eating as well.

Westboro Baptist plans to picket Heath Ledger’s funeral (.pdf).

I can’t imagine the amount of hatred that will be directed at them for that. Why would you ever purposefully put yourself as the center of a majority of America’s (or the world’s) hatred?

I think I was talking about this the other day with someone, about whether these people really believe what they are preaching or whether or not they are just doing it for the publicity. Even so it’s a pretty retarded way to get publicity. To have so many people wish you were dead? I’ll pass thanks.

On the other hand, I find myself not as disturbed by them as most people. Not because I don’t think what they are doing is wrong, I certainly think they are idiots. Maybe it’s because I’m obviously not into the God/Heaven/Hell thing. It’s insulting to be slandered at a funeral of a loved one, and that’s the main thing I have issue with. But 1. I support gay rights, so being called a “fag” isn’t really an insult to me. 2. I don’t believe in the concepts of heaven/hell/god/satan, and 3. It’s possible I’d feel different if it was the funeral of a loved one.

I don’t know, I haven’t really sorted my thoughts out about these people yet.

On Friday December 14th my sweetheart ordered me a 19″ Dell monitor to be delivered to me with next day shipping (we figured Monday the 17th or Tuesday the 18th). He worked with my father on setting up a set of days for my father to stay home and wait for the delivery so he could wrap it before I saw it (because obviously it’s going to say DELL on the box).
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I haven’t done much research on the subject, but if the worst-case scenario is true, you can believe I’ve no interest (not that I had much in the first place) in the Olympics from this day forward.

“..folks are getting kicked off their land so the government can build “olympic objects” (read fancy hotels). This is merely a small step in a Russia’s longterm policy to eradicate Native peoples. Among the local ethnic groups are the Circassians, who were mostly driven out of the Sochi area 150 years ago or so. Here is a report about a new set of laws just passed in the Russian Parliament (Duma).”

A translation of this article: http://top.rbc.ru/society/16/10/2007/122597.shtml

Another nail in the coffin for the Circassians

Duma is clearing the way for a law which allows confiscating land for building olympic objects. The bill “amending laws regarding organizing and holding the olympics in Sochi, etc” stops the possibility of choices for owners of land, regarding money compensation or land exchange. The document examines changes to 9 laws, including sports, advertising, competition, entry into and exit from Russia, the rights of foreigners in Russia, migration status for foreign citizens or people without citizenship, taxes, land and residence laws.

..the amendments apply to special advertising and trade activities during the games, clarifying rules about olympic participants entering and leaving the country. the amnedments will give special “security” powers to the president [oops they’ll have to change that to Prime Minister - tr] during the games, including special controlled areas, limiting who is allowed in, and means of transport, as well as entertainment [publichnikh?] during the games.

..as explained by vice PM Zhukov, there will be a special system of registration for workers involved in building olympic objects. advertising law will completely change regarding illegal use of olympic symbols, government pricing on tickets and hotel rooms during the games the domestic and international olympic committees will be free from paying tax on property, profit and means of transport and VAT.

The bill passed unanimously - 309 representatives.

Naturally, you can learn more: http://olympicgenocide.org/

Last weekend I watched an amazing movie called “The Village” starring Joaquin Phoenix and I believe premiering Ron Howard’s daughter. It was filmed in 2004, but for some reason I never once heard of it until I ran across it accidentally last Sunday. The director was the same one that did Sixth Sense I believe, so you can imagine the surprises.

I thought it was going to be a horror film, but it was more like character analysis with a few scary parts. The premise behind it is basically a small isolated village that has an unspoken treaty with some horrific creatures that inhabit its surrounding woods. They are unable to leave, and thus their society has grown into this Amish/Plains-like community. But then the treaty seems like it’s coming to the end. It also has a semblance of romance, and I fell in love with Joaquin Phoenix’s character immediately. There’s just something about his bravery and chivalry that got to me.

I can’t really give away too many details about the movie, because it has several surprising twists that giving away just one would ruin it. But I definitely feel it was well done. I wish the ending was a little more explicit one what happened, but it’s one of those endings where you get to make up your own mind as to what happens (for some reason I hate those).

Eve and the Firehorse looks like it might be an amusing movie.

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