Random Japan

Would you like some bug spray with them dumplins’?

A chemical analysis by police of pesticide-tainted gyoza dumplings sold in Chiba and Hyogo prefectures added weight to the speculation that the food was poisoned in China, where it came from, and not in Japan.

On the heels of the nasty gyoza scandal, a deputy commissioner general of the National Police Agency was to visit Chinese public security officials to discuss bilateral cooperation in criminal investigations.

A frozen-food company in Kagawa Prefecture said that pesticide was detected in frozen mackerel imported from China. The fish had been distributed to sushi restaurants throughout Japan.

Obama gets letter from Obama

The Yomiuri Shimbun

FUKUI–The Obama municipal government in Fukui Prefecture has received a letter from U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, the municipal government announced Tuesday.

In the letter, Obama said he appreciated the support he received from the people of Obama and praised the city’s rich culture, deep tradition and natural beauty.

“I am touched by your friendly gesture,” he wrote.

“We share more than a common name; we share a common planet and common responsibilities,” he wrote.

According to the municipal government, the letter, which was typed and dated from Washington D.C., Feb. 21, was sent by airmail to Mayor Toshio Murakami on Monday.

“The letter will help citizens of Obama feel much closer to [Barack] Obama,” Murakami said.

The following are the lengths of time six “wide shows” on four channels in the Tokyo area devoted to certain topics. The programs cover everything from politics to celebrity gossip.

The listing is provided by Reservia Corp.

1. Kazuyoshi Miura, 60, is arrested by police authorities in Saipan for the 1981 fatal shooting of his wife Kazumi in Los Angeles. Miura allegedly received a huge insurance payment after her death. He was cleared by Japan’s Supreme Court in 2003 for the shooting, but served time in prison after being convicted of the attempted murder of his wife in an earlier incident.9 hr, 31 min, 45 sec

2. More revelations surface over Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and the case of an Aegis destroyer sinking a fishing boat. Ishiba admits questioning the chief navigator of the Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Atago. The navigator was allegedly brought by a helicopter to Tokyo without the permission of the Japan Coast Guard.1 hr, 50 min, 33 sec

3. Yokozuna Asashoryu makes waves again after cursing out a paparazzi photographer at the Kansai International Airport. “Shine konoyaro!” (Drop dead, bastard!) Asashoryu is quoted as yelling by the photographer. But the Mongolian sumo wrestler flatly denies the allegation. The Japan Sumo Association bigwigs don’t seem to care what he said, and don’t bother to ask him.1 hr, 40 min

Tokyo teacher reveals the less-obvious benefits of a good screw

The real question is? Just what kind of “screw” is it?

Lies,Damn Lies and Blackmail

What’s a crazed pop star got to do to get some attention?

Bra Justice

Some things just don’t “Fit”.

Funkalicious Friday: Dead Flowers

{Donna Alert!!!}

btw I remember this show! Thus proving Robin Williams partly wrong, more from a great show below…

part one



part two

Crap! No you tube of the Dead doing this one….which severely short circuits the theme! …..bastids! So here is a pale imitation, but the song is so good by itself that it makes up for it, imo.

Quote for Discussion: His Dark Materials

When you choose one way out of many, all the ways you don’t take are snuffed out like candles, as if they’d never existed.  At the moment all Will’s choices existed at once.  But to keep them in existence meant doing nothing.  He had to choose, after all.

~Phillip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass – His Dark Materials Book 3

Reading the His Dark Materials trilogy, the oddest thing about it to me is how as characters learn that Lord Asriel’s plan is to attempt to storm heaven and overthrow God, every character who learns about it finds it natural and is immediately willing to do what they can to help.   I find this shocking, as people in general are quite willing to find most governments to be evil, including their own, but instinctively recoil from any attempt to overthrown not only their own government, but nearly all governments.

This is today’s quote for discussion.  

Friday Night at 8: What Are We Fighting For?

I made a comment in buhdy’s essay, “Repealing the Status Quo – A Race Against Time” about a couple of conversations I had at work today.  After I made the comment, I had yet a third conversation.

I work at a law firm.  During the day, I heard from both a fellow secretary and a senior partner that they simply would not vote for Hillary Clinton.  My co-worker explained she was disgusted at whoever from the Hillary campaign compared Obama to Ken Starr.  The senior partner didn’t explain his reasoning at all.

Then in the afternoon I ran into another fellow secretary.  She said she was worried that because the tone of Hillary’s campaign was getting nasty, Obama would have to go negative and the whole dialogue would get worse and worse.  She didn’t seem angry as much as just plain sad.  I agreed that would be a lousy turn of events.

I’ve written before that I feel the present 2008 Presidential campaign is nothing but a shiny distraction, bread and circuses for the masses so that we don’t pay attention to what is really going on in this country, how the goons and crooks inhabiting the White House are, along with their enablers, continually committing crimes of treason and just plain crimes against humanity.  And I still feel that, and it shapes my view of what is going on with the Presidential election.

But I can also chew gum and walk at the same time!  So I do pay attention, somewhat, to the campaigns.

I’m not going to critique the Republican Presidential campaign.  The Republican Party is bankrupt of ideas and has nothing new to offer.  So I’ll restrict this essay to the Dems.

Hillary’s campaign is so Twentieth Century!  Bleh.  The Democratic machine will decide what is best for the population of the United States of America and will use raw power to grab the nomination.  Nothing new there, been going on for quite some time.

Obama has an innovative ground game and a lot of grassroots support.  But he also is spending tens of millions of dollars, so I doubt he is innocent of being affected by corporate and other powerful special interests.

And the Democratic Party has an outmoded and byzantine structure for choosing our Presidential candidate, so let’s add that into the mix.

This is what we have to work with.

There is one other thing, though.  There’s a massive Democratic voter turnout in the primaries.  Big numbers.  This is a good thing because I feel it shows folks are indeed waking up and speaking out over what is going on in the United States of America.  And that, to me, is completely separate from both Hillary and Obama.  Yes, they are the ones in the running now, but I think this large Democratic voter turnout says something more than just who folks want to have in the White House in January of 2009.

I think we ought to listen to these folks and pay attention to them.

There are people who aren’t insured, or who are underinsured, who are worried about the health of their families and themselves.  There are people who have loved ones in the armed forces and have seen the horrible reality of death and PTSD and horrible wounds that do not heal.  There are people who see their children receiving a bad education.  There are people who are beginning to be aware of the lies and fear-mongering of Mister Bush and his minions.  People all over the country want change and are hoping for change.  I also think people are ready to sacrifice and want to help each other.  I think that willingness to sacrifice was abruptly stifled in September of 2001.

What are we fighting for?  Why are we so outraged over torture, over lies, over the raw greed for power and money that we see all around the highest offices of the land?  What is it that we are looking for that these things prevent us from having?

I read about so many private charities that are helping people around the world, about private charities that are doing far more in New Orleans to rebuild than our federal or state government.  And that’s a good thing.  But I think it does one thing that isn’t so good.

It shuts people out of the process.  It keeps us from feeling we are giving by being citizens of this country.

I think one of the worst feelings in the world is the thought that I have nothing to offer, that I am useless.  That I am not needed.  That everything will be taken care of without my help or input.

This will sound idiotic, but during the Clinton Administration I was happy to pay my taxes.  I was happy to know that my tax dollars would go to help folks.  I didn’t mind that folks were on welfare, I was glad that my little amount went to help them have a roof over their heads and food to eat.  I felt a part of things.  I was happy that my tax dollars would build roads and hospitals and big things that no private fortune could build.  And I’m not either complimenting or putting down the Clinton Administration, this isn’t about that.  It’s about feeling a part of things, that I have something to offer.

But now I see my tax dollars go to help kill people who never attacked us.  My tax dollars go to fill the coffers of evil corporations who profit off the suffering of other human beings.  I’m not a part of anything positive when I pay my taxes these days.  Every program paid for by my tax dollars that helps others, that gives folks a helping hand, is being cut and many have either been entirely killed or horribly distorted into programs that help no one and only further political agendas. Although I don’t agree with paying taxes, it is something that we all have to do. When tax season comes around, it’s important to spend time working out your taxes to make sure there are no mistakes. If there are, it’s likely that the IRS will be in touch. To solve these issues, people normally have to contact companies that can help with resolving tax problems. Before choosing one, make sure to read some tax-resolution-testimonials to see what other people thought. That way, you can be sure that you are working with reliable tax professionals to solve any problems.

What are we fighting for?  Some human dignity, I think, the dignity that comes with being a citizen, whether of a nation or of the world, that each individual does make a difference and is needed, there’s not a person to spare.  That we don’t have to feel ashamed to want to go to the doctor and be treated like a valuable human being, or have a home, or when we are injured in war, we will be taken care of by the efforts of our entire society.

There’s no worse feeling, I think, than being considered superfluous.  To feel unwanted and unneeded.

That, to me, is the terrible part of Hillary’s campaign apparatus.  That others will make the decisions that affect us all, and that our voices will not be respected.  I’m not praising Obama here, either.  I’m still annoyed with his chastisement of the netroots, lol.  Nor am I against Hillary as a person, for this Democratic machine has been around for a long long time.

But times have changed.  I think the massive voter turnouts show that folks know this.  There are many human needs, of course, and I’m not claiming the one I’ve written about is the only one or even the most important.  But I do think it is a need and it is worth fighting for, that each person be valued as a human being and each person should have the opportunity to contribute to the public good and have their voice heard.

    . . . . .     . . . . .     . . . . .     . . . . .   . . . . .

So that’s my screed for this Friday Night at 8.  And here’s some lagniappe.  I think there’s one other thing we are fighting for, and it may seem frivolous and silly in the face of all the real and serious problems we are facing in this world.  But it’s Friday, oh all you Dharmaniacs, so I don’t give a shit.  I made it through the week and I am in wage-slave heaven!

I like to pay attention to the young generations that come to the Big Apple.  It’s a great scene, fashion, art, fads, hardworking, beautiful as only youth can be, horrible flaws and wonderful virtues … and now it’s almost spring … I see the 20-somethings and 30-somethings doing the age-old mating dance, falling in love.  And that’s happening all over the world, even in the worst war-torn places, young people falling in love.  I want them to have that experience, it’s one of the things I’m fighting for.  For them to have a world where they can fall in love and make crazy unrealistic promises to each other and be miserable over the smallest fight and maybe feel that the older generation has a smile and some love for them.

And as for teenagers!  I’m sure that many parents, teachers and community workers could tell us tales that make West Side Story sound like a tepid romance, lol.

So here’s the great Gene Pitney … he sings this better than I can write about it.  There are better recordings, but I liked this one for some reason.

Friday Night at 8 officially wishes everyone an extremely groovalicious weekend, with gratitude for the fine hepitude of all who visit!  

We’re an Org! (The Environmentalist)

The site I write for, THE ENVIRONMENTALIST, has just been granted international ‘org’ status by the organisation that oversees such things.

Apparently, we’re doing our bit for the public interest across the pond.

*/:-D

If you have a link to the .com site in your blogroll, please change it to:

http://www.the-environmentalis…

(and if you don’t, why?)

Sorry, but I’m feeling quite happy about this.  It’s a bit different than just getting the .org extension.  We’re been recognised as an org, which means we’ll be able to work with international organisations, research libraries, etc.  The bad (but not too bad) news is that we lose all our stats and rankings and have to start over, although we have climbed already from #704 to #83 of top science blogs in the last hour (we were at #3 as a .com for a while).

That should, hopefully, be set to rights rather quickly, as it seems to read live hits.

Which is my way of saying: please visit, if only to push our stats.  And same request as before, regarding our redesign, especially since our links may not be sticky.  Feedback would be grand.

TA!

Free For All: The Media’s Gift To Political Advertisers

In the days leading up to the March 4 primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, millions of residents of those states (and of America) saw a now infamous advertisement from Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

However, the “Red Phone/3 am” ad was mostly seen by viewers of news programs that broadcast the commercial for free. In effect, the media is providing millions of dollars worth of in-kind contributions to candidates in the name of reporting on the content of their ads.

It didn’t begin with Clinton.

Brought to you by…

News Corpse

The Internet’s Chronicle Of Media Decay.

The most famous example of a “free media” bonanza is the Daisy Girl ad for Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 presidential campaign. Today it is one of the most notorious political advertisements in history despite the fact that it actually aired only once in paid media.
During the 2004 Democratic primary, a group called Americans for Jobs, Healthcare and Progressive Values produced an ad showing Osama bin Laden and accusing Howard Dean of not having the experience needed to fight terrorism. They spent only $14,000 to run the ad just 16 times in two small markets. However, it generated four days of attention from national news outlets.
Also in 2004, the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, a front group with funding from Republican partisans, spent less than a half-million dollars to run an ad for one week, in only three states, slandering Democrat John Kerry’s war record. The uproar resulted in more than three weeks of nationally televised rebroadcast and debate.
More recently, Gov. Mike Huckabee orchestrated a press conference where he showed an ad attacking Mitt Romney. He then announced that he had no intention of paying to air the ad. The event was merely a brazen attempt to garner some publicity for a spot without having to actually spend anything on airtime.

These tactics are now a routine part of campaign strategy. Politicians and interest groups know that they can manipulate news providers to do their work for them. Television, in particular, is susceptible due to its ravenous appetite for pre-produced video programming.

So what should be done about it? It would be unwise to implement some sort of legal mandate to regulate how news media cover campaign advertising. It is entirely legitimate to report on the content of political ads, their veracity, and their strategic goals. However, it wouldn’t hurt to apply some journalistic ethics to the editorial judgment. That means assessing the newsworthiness of any piece that includes such ads. Also, there is no need to broadcast them repeatedly to make a point. They know that the campaigns are manipulating them. Why do they let them get away with it?

Here are a couple of other measures editors ought to consider when confronted with this.

  • Don’t bother to report on any ad that has not exceeded a defined threshold of paid impressions. In other words, if the campaign doesn’t make a significant purchase of air time for their own ad, it isn’t news.
  • If the ad is shown it should be confined to a small percentage of the screen with a video watermark over the whole piece labeling it is a campaign ad. This would serve to blunt the promotional value of the airing and focus on the news value.

Implemented voluntarily, this would not infringe on journalistic freedom or civil liberties. Journalists should not allow themselves to be exploited by campaigns or interest groups. They have no obligation to assist in promotional activities. They need only to report what is actually newsworthy. By maintaining a professional detachment they will produce a better product and provide a better service to the public.

FISA: Go F%#k Yourselves