Toren Smith (1960-2013)

This week, I was aghast to learn (via Anime News Network and James Hudnall) that one of the founding pillar of the manga industry in North America had passed away. Toren Smith was probably the first to go to Japan in order to negotiate publishing rights for manga titles, translate them into English (working with his friend David Lewis, later known as Dana Lewis, whom he met in Japan) and team up with American comics companies (like Viz, Eclipse and Dark Horse) to publish them -- for that purpose he created Studio Proteus and thus kickstarted the manga industry in North America. For this we should all be immensely grateful and indebted to him.

I met Toren for the first time in August 1989 at the San Diego Comic Convention, where my friend Alain Dubreuil and I interviewed him for Protoculture Addicts, and I kept seeing him in several other conventions after that. However, my wife knew him quite well. Married twice (mostly to the artist Tomoko Saito), he led a full and interesting life. He was an enthusiastic and multitalented individual, a shrewd businessman (he didn't talked much about it but a good part of his income came from translating hentai manga, most of them published through Fantagraphics' imprint MangErotica) and a great guy. He brought us so many excellent manga, gave us (with Adam Warren) the Dirty Pair comics and even had a cameo appearance in the anime Gunbuster (at first I thought he had seriously pissed off Gainax people, because when someone put you in their animation only to kill you off it's usually not out of love, but I later learned that it was meant as an expression of great respect and friendship).

Toren Smith died on Monday March 4th 2013 at age 52 (way too young) and the cause of his death has not been made public. My wife and I want to express our most sincere condolences to Toren's family, friends and fans. Requiescat in pace Smith Toren!

Many members of the anime and manga community commented on his passing (Japanator, Right Stuf, The Fandom Post, All Day Comics, Gilles Poitras, The Mike Toole Show and I'm sure you can find more on Google), but if you have to read only one piece about Toren I suggest you check the obituary by Jonathan Clements.

For my part, as a tribute to Toren Smith's life and career, I would like to offer you the interview we made with him and published in Protoculture Addicts #7 (pages 21-24) in the Spring 1990. Read the interview after the jump:

36th Japan Academy Prize Winners

The Japan Academy Prize Association has just announced the Award winners for its 36th edition (for the nomination see our previous blog entry):

• Best Picture of the year: The Kirishima Thing (“Kirishima, Bukatsu Yamerutteyo”, dir.: Daihachi Yoshida)
• Best Director of the year: Daihachi Yoshida (The Kirishima Thing)
• Best Animation of the year: Wolf Children (“Okami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki”, dir.: Mamoru Hosoda)
• Best Actor of the year: Hiroshi Abe (Thermae Romae)
• Best Actress of the year: Kirin Kiki (Chronicle Of My Mother)
• Best Supporting Actor of the year: Hideji Otaki (Dearest)
• Best Supporting Actress of the year: Kimiko Yo (Dearest)
• Best Screenplay of the year: Kenji Uchida (Key Of Life)
• Best Music of the year: Ikuko Kawai (A Chorus of Angels)
• Best Cinematography of the year: Daisaku Kimura (A Chorus of Angels)
• Best Lighting of the year: Takashi Sugimoto (A Chorus of Angels)
• Best Art Direction of the year: Norihiro Isoda & Nariyuki Kondo (The Floating Castle)
• Best Sound of the year: Fumio Hashimoto (Admiral Yamamoto)
• Best Editing of the year: Mototaka Kusakabe (The Kirishima Thing)
• Best Foreign Language Film of the year: The Intouchables (France)

• Most Popular Film of the year: The Kirishima Thing
• Most Popular Actor of the year: Yuko Oshima (a member of AKB48's Team K, for her role in Ushijima the Loan Shark)

Unlike last year, there is no clear winner. However, The Kirishima Thing gets best picture, best director, best editing AND most popular film, while A Chorus of Angels gets three of the “Technical” awards and Dearest gets both supporting role awards. I've already seen Dearest but I'll make sure to add the other two on my list of “to watch” movies.

For more details on the award winners you can check the AsianWiki, Anime News Network and the Japan Academy Prize official site (in Japanese).

[ Traduire ]

La maison en petits cubes

Cette semaine j'ai découvert un superbe album illustré pour enfant qui m'a, par le suite, mener vers de nouvelles révélations. Je vous en fait ici une brève introduction afin que vous puissiez le découvrir à votre tour. Comme vous voyez j'ai des lectures des plus éclectiques...

“Dans une ville entièrement immergée, un vieux monsieur résiste encore et toujours à la montée du niveau de la mer. Chaque fois que l’eau atteint son plancher, il est obligé de bâtir une nouvelle maison par-dessus la précédente, si bien qu’au fil du temps son logis a fini par ressembler à une immense pile de petits cubes. Un jour, alors qu’il s’est encore une fois lancé dans la construction d’une nouvelle demeure, ses outils tombent tout au fond de l’eau. Il enfile sa combinaison pour aller les repêcher, et au fur et à mesure qu’il descend à travers ses anciennes maisons, de lointains souvenirs lui reviennent en mémoire…”

“Découvrez le sublime livre créé par les auteurs du film La maison en petits cubes, récompensé dans les festivals du monde entier, notamment par le prestigieux Oscar du meilleur court-métrage d’animation”. [ Texte de la couverture arrière et du site de l'éditeur ]
Continuez après le saut de page >>

36th Japan Academy Prize Nominees

Last January, the nominees for the 36th Japan Academy Prize (aka the Japanese Academy Awards) were announced on the Japan Academy Prize Association website [ in japanese: 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト ] :

The nominees for Best Picture of the year (2013) are:

• Dearest (“Anata e”, dir.: Yasuo Furuhata)
• A Chorus of Angels (“ Kita no Kanariatachi”, dir.: Junji Sakamoto)
• The Kirishima Thing (“ Kirishima, Bukatsu Yamerutteyo”, dir.: Daihachi Yoshida)
• The Floating Castle (“ Nobo no Shiro”, Dir.: Shinji Higuchi & Isshin Inudo)
• Chronicle Of My Mother (“ Waga Haha no Ki”, dir.: Masato Harada)

The nominees for Best Director of the year (2013) are:

• Shinji Higuchi & Isshin Inudo (The Floating Castle)
• Junji Sakamoto (A Chorus of Angels))
• Masato Harada (Chronicle Of My Mother)
• Yasuo Furuhata (Dearest)
• Daihachi Yoshida (The Kirishima Thing)

The nominees for Best Animation of the year (2013) are:

• Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo" (“Evangelion Shin Gekijoban: Kyu”, dir.: Hideaki Anno, Masayuki & Kazuya Tsurumaki)
• Wolf Children (“ Okami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki”, dir.: Mamoru Hosoda)
• A Letter to Momo (“Momo e no tegami”, dir.: Hiroyuki Okiura)
• Friends Naki on Monster Island (“Friends Mononoke-jima no Naki”, dir.: Takashi Yamazaki & Ryuichi Yagi)
• One Piece Film Z (“One Piece Film Z”, dir.: Tatsuya Nagamine)

Here we are listing only the categories that are of interest for our blog, but you'll find more details on ALL the nominees on the AsianWiki. You'll find also some information (mostly about the anime category and the anime- & manga-related nominations) on Anime News Network.

The award winners will be announced on March 8, 2013, so stay tuned!

Update (2013-03-10): Award winners have been highlighted in red. You can find the full result on my entry on the “36th Japan Academy Prize Winners” as well as check the AsianWiki and Anime News Network for more details.

[ Traduire ]

Press Review (2013-02-26)

February is the most depressing month of the year. And that's without counting on the fact that I work in a mad house where absurdity rules, constantly being bullied and insulted by unruly kids and rebelling teenagers, having to attend union meetings that make a mockery of democracy, and that's just the first day of the week. Luckily I can read manga and watch TV to completely forget about my crazy life (incidentally, I'm glad to say that, lately, I've been busy and able to catch up a little more on my blogging with a few comments -- mostly in french -- on Taniguchi's Anthology and Furari, as well as Sakuran manga and live-action movie) or immerse myself in reading the news online. See this week's crop (including more library humour) after the jump:

Sakuran (Movie)

“Tokyo was once a tiny village called Edo. The city owes its rapid expansion to the fact that, in 1603, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu wanted to found the country's capital at a place that was as far away as possible from the imperial seat in Kyoto. Edo soon grew to become a magnificent city. Anyone passing beneath the Great Gate of the new capital entered a glamorous world of pleasure and recreation, with a row of elegant brothels in the Yoshiwara district stretching over a kilometre. The courtesans who worked there were expected to be well-versed in music, dance and parlour games, as well as the art of flower arranging. Sakuran tells the story of one woman living in the lustrous world of Yoshiwara who was determined to stand on her own two feet and live life as she pleased.” (From the 2007 Montreal World Film Festival official programming book)

WARNING: May contains trace of spoilers! People allergic to the discussion of any plot's elements before seeing a movie are strongly advised to take the necessary precautions for their safety and should avoid reading further.

First, take a look at the trailer:


With this movie, you enter the flamboyant “floating world” of 17th Century Japan's Ukiyo-e — as it is reminiscent of that era's woodblock prints and paintings which often represented courtesans and scenes of the pleasure quarters. What makes this film so unique is that most of the people who created Sakuran are women! The creator of the original manga, Moyoco Anno, the director, Mika Ninagawa, the scriptwriter, Yuki Tanada, and most of the cast are all women. Sakuran is a movie about women who need to survive in a harsh environment like the Yoshiwara District of Edo.

Sakuran

“Vendue à une maison close dès son plus jeune âge, Tomeki, est une petite fille rebelle qui n'a qu'un désir : s'enfuir du quartier des plaisirs et surtout ne jamais devenir une prostituée. Mais avec le temps elle finit par se prendre au jeu et va vouloir atteindre le titre d'oiran, le plus haut rang des courtisanes. Elle fait ses débuts dans le métier sous le nom de Kiyoha, et très vite révèle un véritable don pour l'art de l'amour. Un simple regard lui suffit pour que tous les hommes soient à ses pieds...

Sakuran vous fait découvrir la société très codée et hiérarchisée des courtisanes japonaises, trop souvent confondues avec les geishas. Avec ses règles strictes et ses principes ancestraux, le monde des prostituées de l'ère Edo vous dévoile tous ses secrets, des plus élégants aux plus cruels... Cynique et sulfureux à l'instar de son héroïne, ce manga nous dépeint une fois de plus une femme au caractère bien trempé, comme sait si bien les mettre en scène Moyoco Anno. Ce manga a été adapté au cinéma par la réalisatrice Mika Ninagawa.” [ Texte de la couverture arrière ]

Continuez après le saut de page >>

Press Review (2013-02-18)

A lot happened at home in the last couple of weeks (or so). Here's the highlights: at the end of January a pipe broke within a wall while I wasn't home and it went on for hours! I had to break the wall to see where the leak was. Luckily, it was the hot water so I just had to turn off the water from the heating tank to make it stop. No hot water for a few days and the plumber costed my a week's salary (at a hundred dollars per hour I realize that I should have become a plumber instead of an historian)! The next morning another main pipe broke on the street (this time up street; it was the third city water infrastructure failure within a couple of weeks) and the city had to cut water supply for a few hours. The cats caught another mouse in the house. My eighty-three years-old mother had a major surgery to repair an abdominal aortic aneurism, but all went well and she's recovering fine. Ten days ago we got another big snow storm (but only about ten centimetres this time). My cold is dragging on and tends to get worse on week-ends!

Even the news were eventful: they found the King Richard III under a parking lot, the Pope resigned, Obama delivered the State of the Union address, a meteorite crashed in Russia and much more (including some library humour) after the jump:

Petite note syndicale pour les cols blancs de Montréal

Veuillez prendre note que le Syndicat des fonctionnaires municipaux de Montréal (SFMM) a convoqué une assemblée extraordinaire pour tous les membres cols blancs de la Ville de Montréal qui se tiendra le 25 février 2013, à 18 h 30, au Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard (1000, avenue Émile-Journault, près du métro Crémazie). [ Voir l'avis de convocation ]

Pour les membres ayant un horaire atypique (mais si, il y en a), une assemblée se tiendra également le lundi 25 février 2013, à 8 h 30, à la salle Laure-Gaudreault du Centre Saint-Pierre (1212, rue Panet, près du métro Beaudry).

Le but de cette assemblée est la présentation et l'adoption du projet de convention collective élaboré par le syndicat suite à un colloque des représentants et à un sondage auprès des membres. Il est important d'être présent et de voter si vous voulez connaitre les points sur lesquels porteront la négociation pour le renouvellement de la convention collective: augmentations salariales, vacances, sécurité d'emploi, plan de carrière, mobilité de main-d'oeuvre, conciliation vie-travail, etc. Ne laissez pas le syndicat décider pour vous et voyez à vos intérêt en assistant à l'assemblée!

Sur un autre sujet, on m'a récemment informé de la décision de la Commission de l'Équité Salariale concernant des “plaintes alléguant que les membres du comité d'équité salariale responsable d'établir le programme distincts d'équité salariale pour les personnes salariées représentées par le Syndicat des fonctionnaires municipaux de Montréal, section locale 429 − SCFP auraient agi de mauvaise foi, de manière discriminatoire ou arbitraire ou auraient fait preuve de négligence grave dans l'exercice de leurs fonctions”. Vingt-trois plaintes auraient été déposées à la Commmission en vertu de l'article 15 de la Loi sur l'Équité salariale, par 18 aides-bibliothécaires, 2 aides en loisir, 1 préposé(e) au secrétariat, 1 bibliotechnicien(ne) et 1 microfilmeur(euse). Après étude et délibérations, la Commission, à l'unanimité, a déterminée que les plaintes étaient non fondées.

Je ne sais pas si c'est la Loi sur l'Équité salariale qui est mal foutue ou si ce sont les membres de la Commission qui manquent de “gros bon sens” mais il semblait évident pour plusieurs que les aides-bibliothécaires auraient dû avoir droit à l'équité. Quelqu'un n'a certainement pas fait son travail quelque part (c'est sûr ça aurait coûté très cher à la ville). Tout ça est très frustrant et injuste (c'est Caliméro qui le disait).

[ Translate ]

Jirô Taniguchi, Une Anthologie

“Proposé dans une édition cartonnée luxueuse déjà utilisée pour Quartier Lointain et Le Journal de mon père du même Jirô Taniguchi, ce volume rassemble deux titres du maître japonais précédemment publiés chez Casterman : Terre de rêves, préalablement paru dans la collection Ecritures en 2005, recueil de cinq récits courts centrés sur la vie quotidienne, et L’Homme de la toundra, initialement paru l’année suivante sous le label Sakka, autre recueil d’histoires courtes d’inspiration plus naturaliste. Deux autres histoires [“La lune finissante” et “Une lignée centenaire”], inédites en français, viennent compléter cette anthologie de 504 pages.”

[ Texte du site de l'éditeur; voir aussi le texte de la couverture arrière ]




Continuez après le saut de page >>

Furari

“Furari pourrait se traduire par «au hasard», «au gré du vent»…

”Tout comme dans L’Homme qui marche, mais avec pour cadre un Japon ancien aujourd’hui disparu, Jirô Taniguchi entraîne son lecteur dans les longues et tranquilles déambulations d’un cinquantenaire dont le nom n’est pas donné mais que tout Japonais devine être Tadataka Inô, célèbre géomètre et cartographe qui, au début du XIXe siècle, établit la première carte du Japon en utilisant des techniques et instruments de mesure modernes. Au hasard de ses intuitions et de son inextinguible curiosité, cet attachant et pittoresque personnage nous initie à la découverte des différents quartiers d’Edo, l’ancien Tôkyô, et de ses mille petits plaisirs. Retiré du monde des affaires mais fidèle à ses réflexes, il arpente, mesure, prend des notes, dessine, tout en laissant libre cours à son goût pour la poésie et à son inépuisable capacité d’émerveillement.

“Jirô Taniguchi, comme il l’a fait dans Au temps de Botchan avec le célèbre écrivain Sôseki, se glisse dans la tête et le coeur d’un personnage historique, nous faisant ainsi appréhender un regard japonais sur le monde qui touche à l’universel.” [ Texte du site de l'éditeur ]

Continuez après le saut de page >>

Utopia

“The Utopia Experiments is a legendary graphic novel shrouded in mystery. But when a small group of previously unconnected people find themselves in possession of an original manuscript, their lives suddenly and brutally implode. Targeted swiftly and relentlessly by a murderous organisation known as “The Network”, the terrified group are left with only one option if they want to survive: they have to run”.

“Episode 1: When five strangers from an online comic book forum agree to meet after gaining possession of the original manuscript for the cult graphic novel 'The Utopia Experiments', they find themselves pursued by a shadowy organisation known as “The Network” who are in pursuit of the manuscript — and they are prepared to kill to track it down. While three of the forum members — Ian, Becky and Wilson — meet in the pub, another is confronted and killed by two Network henchmen. The only witness to the murder is 11-year-old Grant — the fifth forum member — and when he flees with the manuscript, the henchmen give chase. Ian and Becky soon find they've been set-up for crimes they haven't committed, while Wilson's hacking skills attract the attention of Network henchmen Arby and Lee. As the trio's lives begin to fracture, the world of civil servant Michael Dugdale is also torn apart as he is blackmailed by The Network. Just as things are looking increasingly desperate for Ian, Becky and Wilson, they come face to face with an enigmatic stranger who claims to offer them a way out...” [Text from the show's website]

Press Review (2013-01-28)

First, the domestic log. Indeed the Operating System of the Mac Mini got corrupt somehow and I had to use Time Machine to restore it. However, even Time Machine had a problem and I had to go back to a week-old backup to successfully restore the whole system and then restore more recent files individually. It took a while to do all that (each unsuccessful restore took several hours). It seems that everything stopped working properly since I also had problems with both my microwave oven and the regular oven (I will have to replace one and repair the latter).

We also had a bunch of medical appointments (dentist and GP). My blood-pressure medication was changed (for a stronger one) and the diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo was confirmed. The most frustrating aspect of it is that I endured vertigo for over a month and a simple Epley maneuver solved the problem in a few minutes! Last year I was too busy to do any of the medical tests that my GP ordered, so this year I'll make damn sure that I do them all.

I've spent the little spare times that I had left doing some clean up in my office (getting rid of a few more boxes, either putting books on shelves or shredding useless paperwork for recycling. We moved nearly two years ago and I still have plenty of boxes laying around). I also got a cold (luckily, so far, it's not the terrible flu that everyone is talking about. Of course, I suffer from it not at work but during my days off!) and a water pipe broke down the street last night and we were nearly ten hours without water. Despite all that (there's no respite for the restless, so now I am trying to catch up on my blogging) I still found many interesting news stories that I would like to share, so please check the links after the jump:

The Rose of Versailles

Yesterday, Viki (the Asian content streaming site) posted an update for their iOS app and this reminded me that they had announced in September that they would stream The Rose of Versailles (See ANN & Wikipedia). I had completely forgotten! So, without losing a moment, I took my iPad out and watched the first episode. I haven't screened a classic anime in a very long time and I felt great. I really miss watching anime daily... (now I just have to find time to watch more episodes. BTW, they are still streaming Oniisama E...). It is really great, so please take the time to watch a few episodes of The Rose of Versailles!

At about the same time (a few days earlier), Right Stuf's Nozomi Entertainment announced the DVD Release of The Rose of Versailles Part 1 Limited Edition. The first set will be available on May 7, 2013 (it will include 4 discs, 480 minutes (20 episodes), Japanese audio with English subtitles and on-screen translations, $49.99 US, suggested for age 13+).

The original manga by Riyoko Ikeda was first serialized in Shueisha's shoujo anthology magazine Margaret in 1972-73 before being collected in 10 volumes. It was so popular that it was adapted in a live-action movie and several stage musicals by the famous Takarazuka Revue troupe. In 1979-80, it was also adapted into a 40-episode anime series by TMS under the direction of Tadao Nagahama and Osamu Dezaki. The Right Stuf's dvd set will be the very first english language release of this series.

Set before the French Revolution, The Rose of Versailles is a tale of romance and political intrigue that centers around Oscar François de Jarjayes, a young woman who was raised (and military trained) by her father as a man. Following a duel, Oscar is appointed Commander of the French Royal Guards in order to protect Marie-Antoinette, the fiancé of the prince and future king, Louis-Auguste. For more details, check rov.rightstuf.com.

The anime and the manga are also available in French at your Montreal's local library.

[ Traduire ]

A Young Doctor's Notebook

As usual I stumbled on this TV mini-series by pure chance (my wife read about it in a magazine and I looked it up on the internet). The prime interest of this British TV series from Sky Arts 1 HD is that the main protagonist is played, in his young age, by Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter's fame) and by John Hamm (from Mad Men), as he is older.

Press Review (2013-01-15)

In the last couple of weeks I've spent much of my free time working on finishing the kitchen/bar-type counter in the back of my office (completing the base, installing the counter itself, the sink, and connecting the plumbing). It now looks pretty good, but it still need some finishing touch (finishing panels and doors). I've also installed a few more softwares in my new iMac and cloned its hard-drive for an extra safety (I use and trust Time Machine but you never know...). However, I am starting to experience problems with the Mac Mini so I might have to reinstall the OS on that one too. I still had time to read some news online and, as usual, you'll find the links after the jump:

Enemigo

“Après avoir connu la dictature et la guerre civile, le Nacencio, État d’Amérique latine, s’engage sur la voie de la modernisation. Afin de transformer la jungle du sud du pays en terres arables, les autorités font appel à la société japonaise de bâtiment Seshimo. Lorsque Yûji Seshimo, son jeune et brillant président, se rend sur place, il est kidnappé par des mercenaires qui demandent l’arrêt immédiat des travaux… Manoeuvre du lobby du blé américain afin de contrer un concurrent potentiel ? Baroud d’honneur des derniers partisans de la dictature ? Opération commando des forces révolutionnaires? Complot des membres du conseil d’administration de Seshimo hostiles au trop jeune patron ?”

“C’est à Ken’ichi, le frère de Yûj, qu’il revient de démêler l’écheveau. Accompagné de Gloria, la secrétaire de son frère, cet ancien du Vietnam, aujourd’hui détective privé aux Etats-Unis, s’enfonce dans la jungle du Nacencio où l’attendent trahisons, courses-poursuites, guet-apens et autres réjouissances !” [ Texte du rabat intérieur de couverture ]

Continuez après le saut de page >>

Garôden

“C’est l’histoire d’une quête d’absolu. D’absolu dans le combat. La quête de Tanba a peut-être commencé pour savoir qui était le plus fort, mais quand le récit de Taniguchi et Yumemakura commence, on est déjà loin de ça.”

“Tanba s’est formé dans les principes du Karaté, mais a découvert – à ses dépens – que les lutteurs professionnels (le catch), n’étaient pas tous des comédiens, que parmi eux se trouvaient de vrais bêtes de combat cheminant comme lui sur la voie du combat à mains nues. Il a donc développé une technique hybride, avec des percussions au poing ou au pied, et des immobilisations.”

“Tanba a perdu un seul combat dans sa vie, contre un jeune catcheur inconnu : Kajiwara. À la suite de quoi il a passé trois ans à comprendre pourquoi il avait perdu et à se perfectionner pour se dépasser. Mais Kajiwara n’est pas resté le même non plus, il est maintenant une star du catch professionnel. Quand il revient au Japon après une carrière internationale, cela fait six ans que Tanba l’attend. Pas pour prendre sa revanche, non, un mot aussi vulgaire n’appartient pas au vocabulaire des affamés d’absolu.” [ Texte du rabat intérieur de couverture ]

Continuez après le saut de page >>

Press Review (2012-12-28)

I didn't do much in the last couple of weeks because I was too busy setting up my new computer (which works great; finally!) and doing some renovation in my office (changing my wobbly table with a brand new kitchen-type counter top and installing a similar counter top in the back of the office as a working area, with a sink). One notable event: One night I was awaken by one of my cats making quite a ruckus and I quickly realized that he had caught a mouse, in the house! Now I have to make sure that such invasion never happens again. Finally, winter came upon us. After a first real snow storm that left just a few centimetres of the white stuff, we had rain on the day of the winter solstice (but the world didn't end, thankfully) and it left enough snow (or ice) to insure a white Christmas. However, yesterday we got a huge snow storm that paralyzed the city. Actually, we've beaten the record of the “storm of the century” for the amount of snow which fell during the same day: nearly 50 centimetres! That left quite a pile of snow in front of the house. Just like in my childhood. With all this I didn't have time to read much news, but I still gathered a few interesting stories. You'll find the links after the jump:

Press Review (2012-12-10)

Nothing changed much in the last couple of weeks. I am still suffering from spells of diziness (it's not severe enough to be a Labyrinthitis so I guess it should be something like BPPV ? Anyway, I should really try to find time to consult on this, because it's been several weeks and is quite annoying (and my wife worries). My iMac finally shipped from China and should be delivered imminently. I'll probably be busy for the next couple of weeks while I set it up properly. The Holidays are approaching quickly and now it really feels like it since we've finally got a real snow storm (although very small, just a few centimeters, and it quickly rained on it). As usual, here some links to the online news stories that I found interesting (after the jump):