Ever had an idea and wanted to express it?
Ever feared sounding stupid.
Ever been flamed, ridiculed, or put down because you spoke out publicly?
This is how I felt about blogging. And what’s prevented me from sharing my thoughts and ideas to the world.
I have no problem sharing inane stuff like things I do on trips, reviews of products or services, or just the general banter on current events but when it comes to the sensitive topic of where my passion lies, I shy away. In conversations I have with teachers, they love my ideas, thoughts and feelings on how the system could be improved and how my learning theory differs from the norm. When it comes to putting that down on paper, I hesitate, stop and shut that idea down. Why? Because I don’t consider myself an expert.
This feeling is purely based on the fact that I haven’t been in the front lines of the classroom, dealing with the students, peers, parents, administrators, policy makers, government. Who am I to tell someone how to do something when I haven’t been there before? Sure, I observe, listen, and learn from my friends who are teachers and think, reflect, and strategize on their frustrations, stumbling blocks, and challenges. I am only an outside observer looking into their world and try my best to understand.
Sure I run one of the most advanced software curriculum development companies who have some of the best ways to deploy digital content in an intelligent and sophisticated manner, but I’m still not in their shoes. Maybe the solution is to take a teaching position at night part time? Unfortunately I don’t have time for that because I spend all my energy looking for solutions and building it.
Things are different now? Maybe I gained some bit of courage now that I’ve spoken to the teaching body at ACTE Nationals. Maybe the times I have speaking with authority on CTE education at the conference have dulled that nagging feeling in the back of my mind. The pivotal point was being hit with the fact that I don’t practice what I preach. In preparing for “The World is Connected: the great social networking experiment” at the FENI conference, I read blogs on how teachers have shared what they have found. I’ve been reading blogs for years but I never have contributed to that social spear of knowledge and experience. I realized that I have to do this to grow personally and professionally. I had to put down those fears and just speak my mind no matter how stupid I sound.
Growth comes from trial and error and if I don’t put my silly ideas out for people to read, reflect, and comment on, I can’t shape those ideas into greater ideas and then turn those ideas into movements. I need to do this to make my goals realized. I need to put my neck out on the line, get it chopped off, reattach it and figure out how not to get it chopped off the next time. After trial and error, then I can take that experience and publish it in a real publication.
So, I’ve been mulling over this topic for a week now. And yes, I hope I can only keep up the pace and momentum. Heck I don’t have the time for it but I can’t afford to not keep this up.
I hope that others who have felt this way will try this social medium of expression. It takes a lot for me, a private person to make the jump and so should you.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Never shown video at FENI
Saturday morning, I was suppose to give the audience at FENI a primer on social media for 15 minutes. That morning I created this funny video that was never shown as an example of how something can be created quickly to remain relevant to the time frame. I wanted to post it here so that the half hour I spent on this is not in vain. I hope you get a chuckle out of it!
FENI social media reactions.
FENI social media reactions.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
My 2 hour workshop at FENI
Teaching 60-80 teachers about social networking, I was fearful to how they would react. So many things can go wrong. With wikispaces creating controversies, teachers fired over facebook comments, the online social sphere seems to be hostile. Even thought there are so many factors I must lay their fears to rest.
My first class on social networking, which kicked off this year’s FENI (Food Educators Network International) summit was an overwhelming success. My strategy for this conference was not to just teach teachers about these tools but to create an atmosphere that encourages use of these tools. I’ve been to so many BAD teaching workshops that I felt that I can teach a good one. Putting my theories into practice and having the rubber meet the road, the attendees left the workshop not only knowing more about social networking but I gave them to tools to make it happen and apply to the classroom.
I will detail out the process of the class on another blog post since it can run on and I want to have some time to reflect.
From the reactions I got immediately after, I made an impact, opened their eyes, alleviated their fears, and gave them something concrete to take back home. People are tweeting their experiences and following what people are saying, sharing on facebook and making new friends, editing the FENI wiki and building a document. All these things are being built by the people. As the master architect, I’m proud that so many are embracing this medium and hope that this experience has enriched their conference experience.
I won’t count this as a success yet. If they take these tools and apply it to their students, then I will say that was worth my time and effort. So far so good. I see this as something that will be great for FENI. Best conference ever?
Tonight will be the raffle using KP’s new technological whizbang drawing engine. It will be a fun night and I can’t wait to present the prize, a flip mimeo HD 4 GB 4 hour camcorder. May the best social networker win!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thoughts on Twitter in the classroom.
Four days till my big workshop at FENI. Today I write about my findings on using Twitter in the classroom.
Twitter has become such a universally accepted medium of self expression and has been embraced by the entertainment industry as a very good way to reach people who are interested. The key term is interested. Most students are disconnected in the classroom, daydreaming or thinking of things outside of what they are charged to study, maybe even that Twitter feel of Lady Gaga they are following, so how do we motivate them to even embrace this socially accepted tool in education. In the post secondary world, there are countless possibilities to use Twitter and many great ideas have already made its way to the classroom. Used to announce, report, submit, identify and assign, twitter can be used in a variety of ways in college. I had some great ideas but found most of my ideas reinforced and expanded on other blog posts. I will highlight some of the best ones later.
In the high school, things are different. There is a limitation of technology. There are policies in place that prevent that from happening. There is a lack of support from faculty and administration. There are filters that restrict what can be done. Many factors play against using this very useful tool at the high school level, which is a shame. The last thing school should be is to further the digital disconnect in the classroom by removing methods of expression that are commonly found in the real world.
There are a few intrepid teachers in accepting schools who have successfully designed this till into their classroom. Some ideas that come to mind besides the use for communicating to students assignments after school or making announcements are:
Resources I’ve encountered during my research. Most date around 2009.
Twitter has become such a universally accepted medium of self expression and has been embraced by the entertainment industry as a very good way to reach people who are interested. The key term is interested. Most students are disconnected in the classroom, daydreaming or thinking of things outside of what they are charged to study, maybe even that Twitter feel of Lady Gaga they are following, so how do we motivate them to even embrace this socially accepted tool in education. In the post secondary world, there are countless possibilities to use Twitter and many great ideas have already made its way to the classroom. Used to announce, report, submit, identify and assign, twitter can be used in a variety of ways in college. I had some great ideas but found most of my ideas reinforced and expanded on other blog posts. I will highlight some of the best ones later.
In the high school, things are different. There is a limitation of technology. There are policies in place that prevent that from happening. There is a lack of support from faculty and administration. There are filters that restrict what can be done. Many factors play against using this very useful tool at the high school level, which is a shame. The last thing school should be is to further the digital disconnect in the classroom by removing methods of expression that are commonly found in the real world.
There are a few intrepid teachers in accepting schools who have successfully designed this till into their classroom. Some ideas that come to mind besides the use for communicating to students assignments after school or making announcements are:
- Summarize a passage in 144 characters.
- Research on current events.
- Tracking worldwide trends.
- Asking questions (for the shy ones).
- Much more from links below.
Resources I’ve encountered during my research. Most date around 2009.
I hope this is useful.
Twitter in education resources
100 tips, apps and resources for teachers on Twitter
Twtpoll - poling on twitter made easy!
Thoughts on twitter in academia - a blog post with some poignant thoughts on use.
Twitter writing exercises - a blog post of a teacher who tried twitter for an assignment and the results.
Can twitter be used in education - a paper presented in 2008 on microblogging
UT Dallas Twitter experiment - you tube video of an ABC news feature
Twitter for Teachers - Why use twitter in teaching and learning document.
100 tips, apps and resources for teachers on Twitter
Twtpoll - poling on twitter made easy!
Thoughts on twitter in academia - a blog post with some poignant thoughts on use.
Twitter writing exercises - a blog post of a teacher who tried twitter for an assignment and the results.
Can twitter be used in education - a paper presented in 2008 on microblogging
UT Dallas Twitter experiment - you tube video of an ABC news feature
Twitter for Teachers - Why use twitter in teaching and learning document.
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Social Networking Challenge at FENI 2011: Inception
I’ve been actively investigating uses for social networking tools for the past month now so I finally decided to take my own advice and start to blog about it.
I’m a computer guru, an internet junkie, and a gadget freak. I try to use just about every new whizbang tool out there or at the very least become familiar with them. When I started this project six months ago, setting the theme for an education conference called FENI, I thought I knew a lot about social media. What I discovered was only the tip of the iceberg.
The goal this year at FENI (Food Educators Network International) was to not only spend an enriching weekend learning new cooking skills and techniques but to enrich culinary teachers with new technological tools through social networking. I was charged with the task (as a technojunkie) to make that happen. Many teachers are not behind the technological cue ball and only somewhat familiar with the tools but as they become easier to use and widely accepted as the norm, many are getting just their feet wet in this whole new world. Feet wet is not good enough and many are getting lost, with little to no guidance.
The theme this year at the 13th annual FENI summit is the world is connected. I’ve been participating at FENI for over five years now. Year after year I meet amazing educators who are dedicated to their profession and craft. I would often ask the question, “how was your class?” The responses varied from exxstatic to meh. I was frustrated because my reach was only a dozen or so teachers so the idea brewed in my head to engage teachers using existing social networking tools to create an online atmosphere of sharing. Simple task, right?
There is an abundance of tools, all taking their own angle to satisfy an audience. A few have emerged as the best of the best and through innovation, these tools are not used by the technoL33T anymore. Networking tools are great for entertainment arenas but in education it’s a trickier beast to adapt. Here at the summit I will try to teach everyone how to twitter updates, edit a group wiki, share photos on facebook, and eventually blog about their experience. I have five days till my two hour workshop, then a 15 minute primer the next day and a three hour master class on the final day.
Excited, very much so, but I’m nervous about how this challenge will be accepted. I guess time will tell.
I’m a computer guru, an internet junkie, and a gadget freak. I try to use just about every new whizbang tool out there or at the very least become familiar with them. When I started this project six months ago, setting the theme for an education conference called FENI, I thought I knew a lot about social media. What I discovered was only the tip of the iceberg.
The goal this year at FENI (Food Educators Network International) was to not only spend an enriching weekend learning new cooking skills and techniques but to enrich culinary teachers with new technological tools through social networking. I was charged with the task (as a technojunkie) to make that happen. Many teachers are not behind the technological cue ball and only somewhat familiar with the tools but as they become easier to use and widely accepted as the norm, many are getting just their feet wet in this whole new world. Feet wet is not good enough and many are getting lost, with little to no guidance.
The theme this year at the 13th annual FENI summit is the world is connected. I’ve been participating at FENI for over five years now. Year after year I meet amazing educators who are dedicated to their profession and craft. I would often ask the question, “how was your class?” The responses varied from exxstatic to meh. I was frustrated because my reach was only a dozen or so teachers so the idea brewed in my head to engage teachers using existing social networking tools to create an online atmosphere of sharing. Simple task, right?
There is an abundance of tools, all taking their own angle to satisfy an audience. A few have emerged as the best of the best and through innovation, these tools are not used by the technoL33T anymore. Networking tools are great for entertainment arenas but in education it’s a trickier beast to adapt. Here at the summit I will try to teach everyone how to twitter updates, edit a group wiki, share photos on facebook, and eventually blog about their experience. I have five days till my two hour workshop, then a 15 minute primer the next day and a three hour master class on the final day.
Excited, very much so, but I’m nervous about how this challenge will be accepted. I guess time will tell.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Day 9.5 Monday 8/16/10 – Japan, a culture of nice: Beach time booze cruise wild goose chase.
Day 9.5 Monday 8/16/10 – Japan, a culture of nice: Beach time booze cruise wild goose chase.
One of the most apparent things you notice once you enter Japan is how the culture cultivates niceness. Traveling all across the country in the United States I get a good sampling on how different regions of people are like. Traveling to the northeast you get a lot of good old fashioned hardnosed colorful attitudes, to the south some classic southern hospitality, to the north a good smattering of friendly faces everywhere but when you enter Japan, as a country, they are all unified in polite pride. Everyone you meet are happily polite and very helpful, especially to foreigners. They all take pride in their work and work hard at what they do. If there were discontent, they hide it very well as we interacted with merchants from large and small venues. Take for example, while we were lost in Odaiba looking for the booze cruise, I asked a young couple who were there visiting from northern Tokyo where the ticket office. He identified he spoke English and then proceeded to take me from place to place trying to find out where we were supposed to be, spending nearly 20 minutes walking with us. I find it very difficult to imagine a similar situation happening in the US, granted there are those rare occasions but that is the exception, not the rule. Other times we were offered help as we consulted our map looking like a lost tourist, all very friendly and helpful. Crime is rare and even in Shinjuku, the capital of seedy behavior; it’s safe to walk the streets going about your business. Japan is founded on a culture of respect and we should take a page from their example and be nice to one another.
So we started the day late again, suffering from travel weariness, going to bed late and general vacation contentedness, we finally got going to our destination, Odaiba at two after a quick lunch. We headed there to see what the tourist island offers and to try to find the booze cruise which was highly recommended to us by our friends. The booze cruise is a two hour cruise that sails Tokyo bay offering unlimited drinks to its patrons. Also in Odaiba was the life sized Gundam statue, a giant robot that has been in the hearts of the Japanese youth for the past 30 years.
We set off for Odaiba by train but first we finally wised up and bought ourselves a Sueca card, a transit card that holds cash on it for transportation purposes. In the past we would look at the transit map, figure out our fares and buy them from the ticket machines. Buying the Sueca card takes care of all the figuring of fares and transfers since it automatically figures it out for you by deducting the proper amount depending on where you go. I wish I had done that a week ago because it would have saved a ton of time and headaches trying to figure out the proper fares. You live and learn and now we know next time to just use our transit cards and let Japan do the thinking for us. Totally worth $5 for the card.
We enter Odaiba from the Tokyo Hamamatsucho Station and are greeted by a modern commercial tourist site. Odaiba is home of many museums, shopping malls, entertainment complexes, and beaches. The Fuji television station is located here as well, a unique building with a piece of it shaped like a ball that moves from one side to the other. It is a popular destination for many Japanese who want to get away, have some fun and go shopping.
We made our way to the shopping mall called the decks and located an information desk. Here we found out that the marine lines were just outside the mall and Michi did some shopping for some incredible sales on clothes. Outside we were greeted with a special event, a hello kitty event sponsored by green Tokyo. They had a water show on the beach and had a makeshift tent full of hello kitty merchandise. Being a hello kitty fanatic Michi took a look at their wares and picked up some items for our friend Erica.
We headed over to the boat dock to look for tickets for the booze cruise only to find out that the dock only serviced water taxis. Being thoroughly lost we headed inside the mall again for a bite to eat and to hopefully find an answer to our mystery. Fortunately we found another information desk where the attendant was more fluent in English and understood our request. She pointed out that the Gundam statue has been moved to the bay side and that the booze cruise is found on the main land at Hamamatsucho Station. She plotted a course for us, using the above ground rail and sent us on our way. On the way out we went to the mall food court where Michi enjoyed a curry dish with chicken and I had a Kyoto style yakisoba dish.
Before heading to the train station we walked up to the Fuji television station where they were having a special event. We looked around the station at all its favorite cartoon icons that came from it and headed out but not before stopping for a quick restroom break.
In the men’s restroom I decided to have a go with the infamous Japanese toilets, you know the one that talks to you and washes your butt. I never had an opportunity to use one just yet and the one they had inside the station was a deluxe one. All I have to say is WOW! My butt and anus have never felt better in my whole life. The Japanese are known for innovations and this definitely tops their list. Why haven't we caught on with this? The Europeans have the bidet but it doesn't even come close to the Japanese toilet. It washes, rinses, dries and keeps your but warm all in one sitting. I have to get myself one of these when I get back to the states!
We took the train to the Hamamatsucho Station, which along the way showed off a marvelous view of the Tokyo skyline from the water and rainbow bridge. By now the sun has set and it was getting close to the departure time for the boat. Upon getting there we didn't know where to go or where to buy tickets and we had less than 45 minutes left. Walking around lost I asked a young Japanese couple where the ticket counter was. We saw the ship but didn't know where to get tickets. Shogo Kato identified that they knew English and was visiting Odaiba for the day since it had been many years since he visited this island. He proceeded to walk me to the train station to ask the attendant where it was but no one was on duty. We walked back and then to the boat finding no information. On a hunch we headed down to the street level where we witness thousands of Japanese men and women in their Yukata and kimonos lining up to get on the boat. He asked one of the line assistants who pointed us to the ticket station. He then walked us to the area, identified which counter we had to be at and then left us in the line. He and his girlfriend we're so helpful we will remember how he went above and beyond the call of duty to help us out.
Unfortunately at the ticket counter we found out that we had to make reservations to be able to attend this festival and apparently in recent years it has become extremely popular among Japanese youth, especially because they had unlimited drinks during the entire three hour cruise. We wanted to see if we could make the trip for tomorrow or the next day before we leave but we found out later that this was the last week before many headed back to school and that the ship was booked for the entire week. The reason they were all wearing outfits was because they received $10 off the $30 ticket if they wore the robes, a significant savings. Saddened but this wild goose chase, we headed back to the train station and called it an early night. Hopefully tomorrow we will get some more accomplished since our time in Japan is quickly drawing to a close.
We got back, had some drinks and decided to give Dominoes Delivery a go and see what pizza was like from an American franchise.
OH BTW, please keep in mind that I composed this entirely on my iPad during the ride on the train back home.
One of the most apparent things you notice once you enter Japan is how the culture cultivates niceness. Traveling all across the country in the United States I get a good sampling on how different regions of people are like. Traveling to the northeast you get a lot of good old fashioned hardnosed colorful attitudes, to the south some classic southern hospitality, to the north a good smattering of friendly faces everywhere but when you enter Japan, as a country, they are all unified in polite pride. Everyone you meet are happily polite and very helpful, especially to foreigners. They all take pride in their work and work hard at what they do. If there were discontent, they hide it very well as we interacted with merchants from large and small venues. Take for example, while we were lost in Odaiba looking for the booze cruise, I asked a young couple who were there visiting from northern Tokyo where the ticket office. He identified he spoke English and then proceeded to take me from place to place trying to find out where we were supposed to be, spending nearly 20 minutes walking with us. I find it very difficult to imagine a similar situation happening in the US, granted there are those rare occasions but that is the exception, not the rule. Other times we were offered help as we consulted our map looking like a lost tourist, all very friendly and helpful. Crime is rare and even in Shinjuku, the capital of seedy behavior; it’s safe to walk the streets going about your business. Japan is founded on a culture of respect and we should take a page from their example and be nice to one another.
So we started the day late again, suffering from travel weariness, going to bed late and general vacation contentedness, we finally got going to our destination, Odaiba at two after a quick lunch. We headed there to see what the tourist island offers and to try to find the booze cruise which was highly recommended to us by our friends. The booze cruise is a two hour cruise that sails Tokyo bay offering unlimited drinks to its patrons. Also in Odaiba was the life sized Gundam statue, a giant robot that has been in the hearts of the Japanese youth for the past 30 years.
We enter Odaiba from the Tokyo Hamamatsucho Station and are greeted by a modern commercial tourist site. Odaiba is home of many museums, shopping malls, entertainment complexes, and beaches. The Fuji television station is located here as well, a unique building with a piece of it shaped like a ball that moves from one side to the other. It is a popular destination for many Japanese who want to get away, have some fun and go shopping.
We made our way to the shopping mall called the decks and located an information desk. Here we found out that the marine lines were just outside the mall and Michi did some shopping for some incredible sales on clothes. Outside we were greeted with a special event, a hello kitty event sponsored by green Tokyo. They had a water show on the beach and had a makeshift tent full of hello kitty merchandise. Being a hello kitty fanatic Michi took a look at their wares and picked up some items for our friend Erica.
We headed over to the boat dock to look for tickets for the booze cruise only to find out that the dock only serviced water taxis. Being thoroughly lost we headed inside the mall again for a bite to eat and to hopefully find an answer to our mystery. Fortunately we found another information desk where the attendant was more fluent in English and understood our request. She pointed out that the Gundam statue has been moved to the bay side and that the booze cruise is found on the main land at Hamamatsucho Station. She plotted a course for us, using the above ground rail and sent us on our way. On the way out we went to the mall food court where Michi enjoyed a curry dish with chicken and I had a Kyoto style yakisoba dish.
Before heading to the train station we walked up to the Fuji television station where they were having a special event. We looked around the station at all its favorite cartoon icons that came from it and headed out but not before stopping for a quick restroom break.
In the men’s restroom I decided to have a go with the infamous Japanese toilets, you know the one that talks to you and washes your butt. I never had an opportunity to use one just yet and the one they had inside the station was a deluxe one. All I have to say is WOW! My butt and anus have never felt better in my whole life. The Japanese are known for innovations and this definitely tops their list. Why haven't we caught on with this? The Europeans have the bidet but it doesn't even come close to the Japanese toilet. It washes, rinses, dries and keeps your but warm all in one sitting. I have to get myself one of these when I get back to the states!
We took the train to the Hamamatsucho Station, which along the way showed off a marvelous view of the Tokyo skyline from the water and rainbow bridge. By now the sun has set and it was getting close to the departure time for the boat. Upon getting there we didn't know where to go or where to buy tickets and we had less than 45 minutes left. Walking around lost I asked a young Japanese couple where the ticket counter was. We saw the ship but didn't know where to get tickets. Shogo Kato identified that they knew English and was visiting Odaiba for the day since it had been many years since he visited this island. He proceeded to walk me to the train station to ask the attendant where it was but no one was on duty. We walked back and then to the boat finding no information. On a hunch we headed down to the street level where we witness thousands of Japanese men and women in their Yukata and kimonos lining up to get on the boat. He asked one of the line assistants who pointed us to the ticket station. He then walked us to the area, identified which counter we had to be at and then left us in the line. He and his girlfriend we're so helpful we will remember how he went above and beyond the call of duty to help us out.
Unfortunately at the ticket counter we found out that we had to make reservations to be able to attend this festival and apparently in recent years it has become extremely popular among Japanese youth, especially because they had unlimited drinks during the entire three hour cruise. We wanted to see if we could make the trip for tomorrow or the next day before we leave but we found out later that this was the last week before many headed back to school and that the ship was booked for the entire week. The reason they were all wearing outfits was because they received $10 off the $30 ticket if they wore the robes, a significant savings. Saddened but this wild goose chase, we headed back to the train station and called it an early night. Hopefully tomorrow we will get some more accomplished since our time in Japan is quickly drawing to a close.
We got back, had some drinks and decided to give Dominoes Delivery a go and see what pizza was like from an American franchise.
OH BTW, please keep in mind that I composed this entirely on my iPad during the ride on the train back home.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Day 9 Monday, Japan Gave My Best Bathroom Experience in my entire life!
With a title like that, it makes you wonder what it’s all about. I was going to wait and write about it later in my day 9 update but decided to create its own post.
Japan is known for their innovations, taking simple concepts and making it better. In this case I finally got to experience the infamous innovation for your ass. No it’s not a dildo (which are innovations they are very well known for) but it’s their toilet seats. Sure the Europeans haven had bidets for decades, which is a very novel way to clean your rear end but it requires a whole ‘nother bathroom device devoted to one purpose. What if you combine it right into the toilet and make a robotic seat that does the job for you. The Japanese electronic bidet has wowed many, scared others, and baffled the simple minded American folk who love to use abrasive toilet paper to wipe their collective asses. I have to admit, I was intimidated at first with their array of controls but I love all things electronic with buttons to push so I was morbidly curious as to what it’s all about.
I will never be the same again! After spending over a week in Japan my first encounter was at the public restroom at the Fuji TV building. Being one of the biggest broadcasters in Japan, it would be the equivalent to visiting the Time Warner building in NY. They had some of the best of the best bidet inside their upper level restroom. It washed, it dried, it pulsated, it warmed my ass cheeks (not that it needed it in the summer), it did everything except sing to me (which I heard some do). I am absolutely in love with these devices. Why don’t we have them here in the US? What is wrong with our culture where we can’t have robotic toilet seats? It was one of the most memorable bathroom experiences I’ve had in my life! My ass will never be the same!
So why do they and other European countries have them. Primarily it is very sanitary but the secondary reason is that it cuts down on toilet paper usage. In a public restroom, it saves thousands of rolls a TP a month. In the standard home, hundreds of rolls are saved. I’ve read more about them and all agree that once you go electronic bidet, you can’t go back. Now I feel lonely sitting on a normal toilet. It’s just not good enough for me anymore.
Japan is known for their innovations, taking simple concepts and making it better. In this case I finally got to experience the infamous innovation for your ass. No it’s not a dildo (which are innovations they are very well known for) but it’s their toilet seats. Sure the Europeans haven had bidets for decades, which is a very novel way to clean your rear end but it requires a whole ‘nother bathroom device devoted to one purpose. What if you combine it right into the toilet and make a robotic seat that does the job for you. The Japanese electronic bidet has wowed many, scared others, and baffled the simple minded American folk who love to use abrasive toilet paper to wipe their collective asses. I have to admit, I was intimidated at first with their array of controls but I love all things electronic with buttons to push so I was morbidly curious as to what it’s all about.
I will never be the same again! After spending over a week in Japan my first encounter was at the public restroom at the Fuji TV building. Being one of the biggest broadcasters in Japan, it would be the equivalent to visiting the Time Warner building in NY. They had some of the best of the best bidet inside their upper level restroom. It washed, it dried, it pulsated, it warmed my ass cheeks (not that it needed it in the summer), it did everything except sing to me (which I heard some do). I am absolutely in love with these devices. Why don’t we have them here in the US? What is wrong with our culture where we can’t have robotic toilet seats? It was one of the most memorable bathroom experiences I’ve had in my life! My ass will never be the same!
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