Excuses, excuses, excuses...

Excuse No 1
The Japanese reconstruction minister who had to quit his job because of offensive remarks he made to victims of the March earthquake and tsunami blamed his outbursts on his blood type.

"My blood's type B, which means I can be irritable and impetuous," Mr Ryu Matsumoto said.

It seems he was voicing a widespread Japanese belief that blood types correspond to various character traits. Many Japanese believe their blood type can foretell success in romance (oh no, that Bad Romance thingy again) and job match. A directory of Members of Parliament lists blood types, along with home towns and hobbies.

People with type B (Mr Matsumoto's) are believed to be stubborn, impulsive and cold. Embattled prime minister Naoto Kan is a blood type O -- believed to be sociable but flighty, able to easily start projects but then give them up just as fast.

I wonder what's a type A?

Could it be that, in that inscrutable land, type B is the so-called type A highly-strung personality and type A (blood type) is the laidback type B personality?

Excuse No 2
So, COE prices are up again, despite the already crazy levels. Each time that the media carry such reports, someone will provide some excuse. This time the causes are said to be "strong buying sentiments" and the launch of new cars. Yeah, right.

The real reasons are the irrational fears of car-buyers as well as their lack of understanding of how the COE bidding system works, which then leads to their total dependence on dealers to bid for the COEs. Plus, in the case of Category A cars (up to 1600cc), taxis are inexplicably included in this cateogory. In this latest round, COE prices shot up in this cateogory because a taxi company (bidders can see the bid figures in real time) threw in high bids in the closing minutes of the tender.

Which brings me to... You decide if the joke below qualifies as...

Excuse No 3
Two down-and-out non-believers pass a church with a sign that says: "$1,000 to anyone who converts!"

One of them goes inside. Hours pass. He finally emerges.

"I converted," he exclaims.

Did you get the thousand bucks, his friend eagerly asks.

"Is that all you think about?" he replies.