BBC NEWS | Technology | Burgers paid for by mobile phone

BBC NEWS | Technology | Burgers paid for by mobile phone

Visitors to fast food outlets in Japan will soon be able to pay for their burgers with their mobile phones.

Wow, I love it! Just in time for my stint with JET, assuming I make the cut! This would be bigger news to me if I ate McD’s more than once or twice every six months. Anyone else get that “bleh” feeling the rest of the day after consuming McDonald’s grease disguised as a burger or fries?

Really, though, this is cool news. It’s cool because mobile phones are becoming more and more woven into the fabric of our social existence. We don’t just talk on them anymore. I never run out of minutes, but I’m constantly charging my phone because I am connected to the internet so often. Mobile Java apps are no longer just games, they interact with our lives. Some people are resistant to this level of connectivity, but I, obviously, am excited by it. This just the tip of what we can accomplish with the internet, with wireless access, with connectivity. As cliche as it sounds, it’s bringing the world together. You can bet the first thing I buy when I get to Japan (No, it’s not going to be a McDonald’s burger!) is a mobile phone.

Honkyoku – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Honkyoku – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Slight diversion from my usual ranting on not-so-intelligent people or the environment. I ran across the term “honkyoku” while browsing on emusic and looked it up on Wikipedia to learn a little more about it. Being a musician and an avid reader of Tao and Zen philosophy I’m more than a little intrigued by the concept playing music as a vehicle for meditiation. I’m a bit surprised that I haven’t come across this particular concept before, but I can’t wait to learn more! The timing is perfect as my wife and I will be travelling to Chicago early next week for our first interviews for the JET Program. This concept is certainly something that I’m interested in learning more about, especially if we are going to be in Japan for a year. Perhaps I can even hear it performed, or better yet, find a teacher!