AS GOES JAPAN… Squid was sitting on the train the other day, riding into work, sipping Squid’s tall, non-fat latte in a Venti cup with nutmeg sprinkles on top while reading the Times, looking out the window and occasionally noticing the lack of cars on Highway 1…oh, wait, that was Squid’s dream.

So anyway, Squid was sitting in the Squidmobile, stuck in traffic on Highway 1, between Fort Ord and Del Monte Avenue, coffee mug in tentacle, scrolling the news on Squid’s Blackberry because, hey, it’s not like Squid’s moving and/or needs to keep Squid’s eyes on the road, when Squid stumbled upon a news story at Yahoo! News about a new JAPANESE BAN on SUBURBAN SPRAWL.

According to the report, the Japanese parliament banned new large shopping malls in the suburbs in an attempt to preserve urban centers as Japan’s population continues to fall. “Despite opposition by the business community, the upper house of parliament unanimously backed the proposal amid worries that American-style sprawl would be unhealthy as Japanese have fewer children,” it reads.

Imagine that. Promoting city-centered-growth. Discouraging sprawl. Squid wonders if local leaders are paying any attention to Japan. Sadly, Squid doubts it.

FLY BY MEETING… Some people like to say that half of life is showing up. To this, Squid says: BS. Why show up when you can phone in from the beach?

Finally, it looks like Squid’s got a like-minded soul in public office: Cal-Am VP turned Monterey Peninsula Water Management District Director LARRY FOY, although Foy doesn’t phone in from the beach. He phones in from his home in ARIZONA.

Foy represents Carmel and Carmel Valley on the water board. On May 25, for the second time this year, Foy participated in the meeting by phone, from his home in SURPRISE, ARIZ. Squid’s pretty sure that Surprise is outside of the boundaries of the water district…just a hunch.

Yes, Larry and NANCY FOY still own a Hacienda Carmel home, but Squid’s heard they spend most of their time in AZ, and fly back to Monterey for water board meetings, overnighters in tow. Squid thought about staking out the Monterey airport to confirm this. But then, Squid decided Squid really didn’t want to get arrested.

Squid figures it’s only a matter of time before the Foys retire—full-time—to Surprise. Once Cal-Am’s local system is sold, the water-company won’t need a champion on the MPWMD board anymore. Squid would volunteer to throw a retirement party for Foy, but it looks like Squid’s too late.