tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31985258381371778582024-03-06T15:23:16.477+09:00Peruse Bruce's NewsSalient Stories, Fantastic Photos, and Noteworthy NewsBrucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-82656996614929022932010-08-20T16:30:00.001+09:002010-08-20T16:32:13.372+09:00Hitchhiking to Tokyo and Back<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/TG4oa0DziYI/AAAAAAAACCU/QvRL5NWrRvg/s1600/04_IMG_3160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/TG4oa0DziYI/AAAAAAAACCU/QvRL5NWrRvg/s320/04_IMG_3160.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce, Andrew and Erica</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
I had a week-long summer holiday this month, so I took Andrew out of his school for a week-- he'd already had a week off, all they get at his intensive Japanese learning program-- and we headed for Tokyo to visit Andrew's mom and sisters. We took our preferred method, hitchhiking, to not only save a bit on transportation, but so we meet people and talk. On trains and buses, people are usually very polite-- meaning silent, but our hitchhiking hosts always want to talk. We posted earlier (<a href="http://brucejapan.blogspot.com/2007/08/well-were-back.html">here</a>) how it works.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NUHW0EPUJjz31Gj0lTnOxThknr_PKHe-uKEsARg_uPlFmIiRf_SD0cTvwTlWCHiZG8lFieGmMVBsquCGXv2nVv9hZB4YyjXIqcjhiHXUOVPvOzf3PphVAjuI0QKg4lHA-Uwjxz1ix1Q/s1600/01_100808hitching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NUHW0EPUJjz31Gj0lTnOxThknr_PKHe-uKEsARg_uPlFmIiRf_SD0cTvwTlWCHiZG8lFieGmMVBsquCGXv2nVv9hZB4YyjXIqcjhiHXUOVPvOzf3PphVAjuI0QKg4lHA-Uwjxz1ix1Q/s320/01_100808hitching.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><br />
Both directions, we weren't disappointed. We got one ride straight to Tokyo from a kind couple that we met at a highway rest area near our home. They live in Tokyo, but he's from Hokkaido and she's from Hong Kong.<br />
<br />
We had a lively conversation about Hong Kong-- I lived near there and visited Hong Kong often-- and about the cultural differences between China and Japan, mixed marriages in Japan, and more.<br />
<br />
On the way back, an engineer picked us up who's traveled extensively worldwide as part of his work manufacturing solar panels.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEW-KEGq2s6mp6ltKoeD1yASdUvuwVn2tfJsVd_CycGf8BiKjXmt3Rld97htNJMt37HKoBpp72z_jerdjdHD94EEA7cnHe6gpe7SEN7XrvuqtE2xJ2VPGU1zFQTumf8R4iZp85fF8A7K4/s1600/02_10-08-08_17-47b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEW-KEGq2s6mp6ltKoeD1yASdUvuwVn2tfJsVd_CycGf8BiKjXmt3Rld97htNJMt37HKoBpp72z_jerdjdHD94EEA7cnHe6gpe7SEN7XrvuqtE2xJ2VPGU1zFQTumf8R4iZp85fF8A7K4/s320/02_10-08-08_17-47b.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Our arrival in Tokyo was in an area we'd never been to before, and at a sight we'd never seen-- the now 400 meters high Tokyo '<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=346504">Sky Tree'</a><br />
<br />
<br />
It will be 634 meters when completed by the end of this year-- nearly twice as tall as <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Tower">the present Tokyo Tower at 333 meters</a>. Like the The CN Tower in Toronto (553 m.), the main purpose is for TV broadcasts-- but it sure makes an impressive landmark.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CKZQjT6Tzc7x11xF3kUsTulVhwQV2FzLeK4PGGk9NVEFO-KJnzqyEgFdYlmkCu_CroQKvIoOavaBSD-e5kZ0hTN0ZFX3EA7XoYgP-5O1th7IEiSlpgQpWpIEkkF6mXIV_L4mSOs2uRw/s1600/03_10-08-12_18-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CKZQjT6Tzc7x11xF3kUsTulVhwQV2FzLeK4PGGk9NVEFO-KJnzqyEgFdYlmkCu_CroQKvIoOavaBSD-e5kZ0hTN0ZFX3EA7XoYgP-5O1th7IEiSlpgQpWpIEkkF6mXIV_L4mSOs2uRw/s320/03_10-08-12_18-26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h1 class="firstHeading" id="firstHeading"><span style="font-size: small;">Sōka, Saitama</span></h1></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
This month as been exceptionally hot and humid, but we got some relief for most of our week in Tokyo due to a typhoon passing west and north of us-- making for some beautiful skies.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
However, the highlight of our trip was visiting family, of course.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw88cgNXpOyg-Mlv_UpFxbvuXhT7ifcInesxmXgWT3ro3bfkb5BnKKORa5659IiYm3ccSlC_rk6h8GIORpA54MwZE2YOtmAqHi8huOxEFy2UwSLyFZB3kk0TLfk0T8sqEsaZFkeJlr3g0/s1600/06_10-08-12_21-39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw88cgNXpOyg-Mlv_UpFxbvuXhT7ifcInesxmXgWT3ro3bfkb5BnKKORa5659IiYm3ccSlC_rk6h8GIORpA54MwZE2YOtmAqHi8huOxEFy2UwSLyFZB3kk0TLfk0T8sqEsaZFkeJlr3g0/s320/06_10-08-12_21-39.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew shopping with his mom and Naomi, his sister</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-51799455064214527482010-08-02T17:00:00.003+09:002010-08-02T17:55:14.033+09:00Back to Street Performing-- That is, Festival Performing: Shimizu Harbor Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/TFZdkuOtX9I/AAAAAAAACBs/GGhRx9hqGuM/s1600/10-08-01_09-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/TFZdkuOtX9I/AAAAAAAACBs/GGhRx9hqGuM/s320/10-08-01_09-28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Shimizu is one of the three wards of the city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shizuoka,_Shizuoka">Shizuoka</a>. It has a large port, including a terminal for ferries going to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izu_Peninsula">Izu Peninsula</a>. Next to the terminal is a yacht harbor and a shopping, restaurant and theater center-- which, on August first, hosted the Shimizu Harbor Festival.<br />
<br />
There were performances all day, special events, acts, lots of food stalls and evening fireworks. I was invited to bring my wandering <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mime_artist">mime</a> and balloon art act for the middle of the day-- for about four hours.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Since I hadn't performed for about two months, I wasn't sure I could go the full time-- and for Andrew too-- my partner on this very hot and humid, but thankfully over-cast, day-- but we did manage to keep cool.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/TFZmvBQCXQI/AAAAAAAACB4/oOvfxV6HoIQ/s1600/IMG_3138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/TFZmvBQCXQI/AAAAAAAACB4/oOvfxV6HoIQ/s320/IMG_3138.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
After each loop through the area-- about double the size of the area shown in the top photo-- we cooled down inside of the air-conned shopping center. <br />
<br />
The kind food stall folks also keep us supplied with cold drinks and even some yummy Turkish kabobs (left photo) brought all the way from near Tokyo.-- Teşekkürler!<br />
<br />
As always, the audience was great and enjoyed getting pulled into my performance. People are used to street acts, since the biggest cultural event of the year in Shizuoka is the annual <a href="http://www.daidogei.com/report09/index.php?c=3">Daidogei World Cup</a>-- a buskers festival that brings top international acts for four days every November.<br />
<br />
The organizers, Shizuoka Junior Chamber International, did a great job making us feel welcome and setting up a nice area for us-- Thanks Koji-san! I hope we can go again next year!Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-27544290172198083822010-07-30T23:25:00.001+09:002010-07-30T23:33:48.822+09:00I'm back! --Well, most of me.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHR_NPo2SfGmgV3ju7m4ruC7ghKyGxSmhtHAP3C_KML_kfHqiPEKCf8wzzpDWn3PpkuBQjm5AfuxDPgXiADUuU59u_Zn7IgHBrF-_1746OKX7YcLlocEbREmY4ceMW-QsAfknQUA6wKHw/s1600/P6091017b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHR_NPo2SfGmgV3ju7m4ruC7ghKyGxSmhtHAP3C_KML_kfHqiPEKCf8wzzpDWn3PpkuBQjm5AfuxDPgXiADUuU59u_Zn7IgHBrF-_1746OKX7YcLlocEbREmY4ceMW-QsAfknQUA6wKHw/s200/P6091017b.JPG" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I survived, hat didn't</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A month ago today I was a battered, bumped, bruised, bewildered mess with no idea what had happened when I crashed my bike on my way home the previous evening.<br />
<br />
Today still have a funny bump on my separated shoulder (which I'm told will not disappear), and a body still not 100%-- as in range of motion and energy-- but most of the pain and bruises, and all of the bandages and slings, are gone. I'm told that it'll be eight or ten more weeks for the shoulder to heal, but for the past week I've at least been free from the pain and headaches and in the last few days returned to my normal schedule-- thank God.<br />
<br />
I'm extremely thankful for my kind friends-- from those who picked me up from the hospital-- and patiently explained to me why I was there, as I had no idea-- and, of course, to those who cared for me here and prayed for me everywhere. Thank you! <br />
<br />
More things to be thankful for:<br />
<br />
That the last student on my first of day teaching was a physiotherapist specializing in broken bones who took me straight to his clinic afterwards.<br />
<br />
For the chiropractor who spent hours convincing my body to behave, ending each session with prayer-- including a thankful one, with which I heartily agreed...<br />
<br />
That I was spared from anything more serious-- and I'm alive!<br />
<br />
Time becomes infinitely more important and valuable when there suddenly becomes dramatically less of it available, so I'm also thankful for this extremely effective opportunity to reevaluate my priorities and to closely examine how I spend my time. <br />
<br />
Most of us arrive at times like these, when we feel the need to reevaluate our life's purpose, direction and effectiveness. My personal 'prompts' have often just seemed so extreme. Probably the downside of the same thing that probably prevented more serious damage in my crash-- considering how hard and the way I landed-- I'm just so thick-headed!<br />
<br />
Over the coming weeks, I'll try not to bother you any more with medical details-- unless I need more prayer, can't do without that! <br />
<br />
Again, thank you dear friends!<br />
<br />
<blockquote>"The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present." --Kung Fu Panda! --Ha!</blockquote>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-17397222478559981332010-04-28T14:08:00.002+09:002010-04-28T14:12:32.777+09:00Peruse Bruce's News and Views and TIPserve.com Upgraded-- Plus New: Whispers and Wonders<style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">This is my first update in several weeks. Sorry-- I've been busy completely overhauling both of my sites with more to come.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_GsqHY4xWFQpo5KnbhyLzm8Bme2bqS5NIq7h6QNoRTYNszeksjggTFmyEJDqpKt1iWKCUtv9HeQBebRTygbIC1LXIQcce1PDfsEtoxb_oY3zWaYNCnLalmaHUaxq-pzyWnPJcL_YEZo/s1600/Set62_01a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_GsqHY4xWFQpo5KnbhyLzm8Bme2bqS5NIq7h6QNoRTYNszeksjggTFmyEJDqpKt1iWKCUtv9HeQBebRTygbIC1LXIQcce1PDfsEtoxb_oY3zWaYNCnLalmaHUaxq-pzyWnPJcL_YEZo/s200/Set62_01a.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"> <style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">James (of<a href="http://jamesjpn.net/"> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Jamesjpn</span>.net</a>) spent an entire day helping me-- mostly answering about an hundred questions that I had stored up, enabling me to make some real progress. The biggest job was FINALLY getting <a href="http://tipserve.com/"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TIPserve</span>.com</a> upgraded after a three year delay.<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"></div>Juz'-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Wait'll</span>-Ya-See-It!<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TIPserve</span>.com is now a full-blown, self-hosted site with an embedded blog (New: Whispers and Wonders) not so different from this one, except that it's infinitely more customizable and is going to be very interesting. It should be full of features and posts in the next week or two, but for now it's quite empty.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">As you will see if you visit now, there is only an intro plus a post from September, 2007-- which shows how long it took me to get it going! I tried Blogger at that time and three years and a hundred posts later I'm ready for my move to bit richer-- and granted, more complicated-- environment. Blogger was easier to learn than <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Wordpress</span>-- a good choice for plain vanilla blogging, and one that I would still recommend.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">At the same time, I've been shutting down many other sites and services I experimented with over the past few years, so I can focus on <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TIPserve</span>.com and Peruse Bruce's News and Views. It will take quite a while to get my backlog of articles finalized and up and all of the photos that I want on line, but I'm learning how better use my time-- another upcoming post.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">This site, Peruse Bruce's News and Views, also got a new look-- including tabs at the top (a new feature on Blogger), my Twitter (<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">tipserve</span>) updates in the side panel (I'm integrating my <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">tipserve</span> Twitter account into the sites so my twittering will become short posts), and photo previews of my latest uploads to Picasa. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">If you have any comments, suggestions for what you would like to see here, or find any mistakes, please let me know. Thanks!</div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> </div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-57023083685854483392010-04-28T13:54:00.003+09:002010-04-28T14:19:26.417+09:00Intensive Japanese Program for Andrew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S9e9j8odlUI/AAAAAAAACAE/0-QUVPgntoc/s1600/IMG_2541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S9e9j8odlUI/AAAAAAAACAE/0-QUVPgntoc/s320/IMG_2541.JPG" width="228" /></a></div><style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Andrew started a special intensive Japanese language program meant to bring his Japanese to the standard for his age in just six months, by October. He's picked up by a van at 8am and dropped off at 5pm-- quite a long day. The school is very small, an NGO-run, government-sponsored effort to help the children of foreign workers-- mostly children of overseas descendants of Japanese here as part of a special work-visa program, from Brazil, Columbia, Peru and The Philippines.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">For Andrew to get up to speed in speaking Japanese seems quite possible, he has already become quite conversant over just the past year, even before he started the school It is the reading and writing that will be a challenge. He'll need to know about a thousand kanji and kana- Chinese based characters and the two Japanese phonetic alphabets.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-78535054654129542062010-03-31T21:01:00.003+09:002010-03-31T21:11:47.224+09:00Jaime Escalante and 'The Other Johnny'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BEOVCd2r1G2X2OKFDmObX6EKL907ERIhZ21mtxoT73_TqMwR08350pl26a1amV4VqumSN_kehRpox7KVHwsQgE9GWfbIuRBDOQWHH0DC0pgK6FKFc64VRNhCW7_j-opdBlOEkX_ZypI/s1600/escalante.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BEOVCd2r1G2X2OKFDmObX6EKL907ERIhZ21mtxoT73_TqMwR08350pl26a1amV4VqumSN_kehRpox7KVHwsQgE9GWfbIuRBDOQWHH0DC0pgK6FKFc64VRNhCW7_j-opdBlOEkX_ZypI/s200/escalante.jpeg" width="132" /></a></div><style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { size: 209.99mm 296.99mm; margin: 20.5mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I read today that the math teacher, Jaime Escalante, died at 79. He became famous when a 1988 movie, Stand and Deliver, depicted the teacher, a Bolivian immigrant, as he transformed students in an inner-city Los Angeles high school into math aces. At one point, the school had more students studying advanced calculus than all but three other state schools in the US.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Amazingly, this week I'd shared with my students this story told by Zig Ziglar.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">The Other Johnny</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Many of you remember the movie "Stand and Deliver," the story of Jaime Escalante, an immigrant from Bolivia who taught at Garfield High School in inner-city Los Angeles. He accomplished remarkable results with students known to be especially difficult to teach.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">One story not depicted in the movie was the one about "the other Johnny." Escalante had two students named Johnny in his class. One was a straight A+ student; the other was an F+ student. The A+ student was easy to get along with, cooperated with teachers, worked hard, and was popular with his peers. The F+ Johnny was sullen, angry, uncooperative, disruptive, and in general was not popular with anyone.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">One evening at a PTA meeting, an excited mother approached Escalante and asked, "How is my Johnny doing?" Escalante figured that the F+ Johnny's mother would not be asking such a question, so he described in glowing terms the A+ Johnny, saying he was a wonderful student, popular with his class, cooperative and a hard worker, and would undoubtedly go far in life. The next morning, Johnny―the F+ one―approached Escalante and said, "I really appreciate what you said to my mother about me, and I just want you to know that I'm going to work real hard to make what you said the truth." By the end of that grade period, he was a C- student, and by the end of the school year, he was on the honor roll.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">If we treat others as if they were "the other Johnny," chances are dramatically better that they will, in fact, improve their performance. Someone rightly said that more people have been encouraged to succeed than have been nagged to succeed. This example makes us wonder what would happen to all the "other Johnnies" of the world if someone said something really nice about them.</div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">I don't usually repost articles here, but I couldn't find this on line and thought it would be a nice way to remember Jaimie Escalante. [News via BBC/ AP; article from <a href="http://www.ziglar.com/">Zig Zigler</a>]<br />
<style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Escalante">Here is a very good Wikipedia article:</a></div> </div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-90370271386180280732010-03-28T12:48:00.001+09:002010-04-04T20:26:53.744+09:00Hanami- Cherry Blossom Viewing Begins This Week.<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzo8j1JDjb7_m-cK5D8MHgC_pmC7cipAA_PQvUQV5CezQG7Vj-DSOKht8_K5K-SowxelPnkhi3CV5W3rM9Wa_CGu2dXFsASS_GlK1O5jR7tAixtfsFPAs6KTmm8kFTbgepcAQx8acZfvA/s320/301_AlpsinBack0033.jpg" width="320" /></div><style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { size: 209.99mm 296.99mm; margin: 20.5mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3198525838137177858" name="DDE_LINK"></a>This is the first weekend of my favorite season in Japan-- the blooming of the cherry trees. Although 'hanami' originally meant simply 'flower viewing', it now means, 'cherry blossom viewing'.<br />
<br />
Plum trees began blooming weeks ago, but for me this was just a promise of spring. When the cherry trees bloom, spring is really here.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">I hope that the photos I've taken over six past seasons are varied enough to portray a portion of hanami's meaning and beauty. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipserve/sets/">You can find them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tipserve/sets/</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Here are some info links if you want to know more:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1063521761"><br />
</a> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><a href="http://gojapan.about.com/cs/cherryblossoms/a/sakurafestival.htm">http://gojapan.about.com/cs/cherryblossoms/a/sakurafestival.htm</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-91601211415023211752010-03-01T17:20:00.001+09:002010-03-01T17:21:46.310+09:00Tiny Tsunami! Did You Say Salami? Andrew Said, 'Baloney'!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsedtmq7br2zsNXPejkTCEQ-UETlDe2WwlmP5lw1lECx40K2xup5IooyP6WuM-sljq3oUGgc75fRUwh-nDuosmgv_4S8TKlnpP3ayrYPbkkqcdkl6Vt5YdotdTSaucgLUtRDamp2FqXRs/s1600-h/IMG_2914.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsedtmq7br2zsNXPejkTCEQ-UETlDe2WwlmP5lw1lECx40K2xup5IooyP6WuM-sljq3oUGgc75fRUwh-nDuosmgv_4S8TKlnpP3ayrYPbkkqcdkl6Vt5YdotdTSaucgLUtRDamp2FqXRs/s320/IMG_2914.JPG" /></a> Yesterday there was a tsunami warning. We were asked to evacuate our seaside home as a precaution.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Instead of going to a community center away from the coast, I decided to instead go to the roof of the science center next to our house. Andrew was a bit bored by the wait, since his friends were at the community center. <br />
<br />
At the appointed time, all we saw were a couple waves-- no bigger than the current sets rolling in, just a different pattern-- so Andrew's reaction wasn't too surprising.<br />
<br />
"If I throw a big rock in, will that qualify as a tsunami?'<br />
<br />
"No, They're from earthquakes." <br />
<br />
"If a meteorite hit the ocean, would the wave it causes be called a tsunami?" <br />
<br />
"Um, I guess." <br />
<br />
"If that little wave was a tsunami, and a meteorite can make a tsunami, then why isn't my ripple a tsunami?"<br />
<br />
(This was an obvious test of the limits of logic and my sanity.) <br />
<br />
"Don't be silly." (I'm told that this is what fathers are supposed to say when they can't think of anything else to say.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmRZd1BrrJlBsvmjlno8LQRLA3-jGodVu-lsPjbL6m2Ytdv9RvplocDJ4-L3Oshz7VL5tIwriCrP34fJ0X_FSI1WMDSWMn2IOEWV2iTxOhGmn1pOUU777DxQatszBpiao5O8zw9S5I4Y/s1600-h/tsunami+salami+baloney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmRZd1BrrJlBsvmjlno8LQRLA3-jGodVu-lsPjbL6m2Ytdv9RvplocDJ4-L3Oshz7VL5tIwriCrP34fJ0X_FSI1WMDSWMn2IOEWV2iTxOhGmn1pOUU777DxQatszBpiao5O8zw9S5I4Y/s200/tsunami+salami+baloney.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>[Photos: Yaizu Discovery Park rooftop view of coast; Salami rolling in-- photo forwarded from Kyle, also the source of many recent quotations-- thanks Kyle.]Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-80856812688498337102010-02-27T02:40:00.000+09:002010-02-27T02:40:22.241+09:00Media Madness-- Our Choice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S4gA4fTAfFI/AAAAAAAAB4M/cD_RYwlqexo/s1600-h/television07.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S4gA4fTAfFI/AAAAAAAAB4M/cD_RYwlqexo/s200/television07.png" width="200" /></a></div> <style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> <br />
<style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> <br />
<br />
<blockquote><i>It's the menace that everyone loves to hate but can't seem to live without. -Paddy Chayevsky</i></blockquote> Kyle Cunningham wrote: <br />
<blockquote><i>"I was just thinking. Do you plan to do a post on OUR part in this?-- That they show us what we want."</i></blockquote>Hmm... Do you think I can be THAT truthful?... <br />
<a name='more'></a>I just watched a forwarded video with a popular news commentator/comedian who mocked America's untenable financial position and unsustainable world view-- people laughed. Between each shocking fact, he extolling America's power and greatness to great applause. Which did people believe?<br />
<br />
I think that it proved that people accept what they want and they won't hear what they don't want to hear. Politicians lie. Governments covers up dirty deeds-- and gets caught. We are bombarded with the false logic of 'bombs for peace' and 'give up your freedoms and take away others' freedom... so we can all be free... er, more secure'-- yet people continue to believe in what they want-- ignoring what they don't. <br />
<br />
There was an exit poll the day George Bush was re-elected. They asked those who'd voted for Bush, if there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. For an entire week, the Bush administration had admitting that there were, in fact, none-- yet the majority of those polled said, yes, there were. <br />
<blockquote><i>Television is an anesthetic for the pain of the modern world. ~Astrid Alauda</i></blockquote>I'm sorry that in earlier posts that I only implied our part. Like the father in "The Stranger", it was his choice. It was his fascination with all the stranger had to offer that got him.<br />
<blockquote><i>If you came and you found a strange man... teaching your kids to punch each other, or trying to sell them all kinds of products, you'd kick him right out of the house, but here you are; you come in and the TV is on, and you don't think twice about it. -Jerome Singer </i></blockquote><blockquote style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.... Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Jesus, in Luke 12:15, 23, 34</i></blockquote>How does the tube get us? It seems to offer just what we want-- to entice us to gobble down the drivel that comes with whatever good it has to offer. <br />
<blockquote><i>Every time you think television has hit its lowest ebb, a new type program comes along to make you wonder where you thought the ebb was. ~Art Buchwald</i></blockquote><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We're so much better than others-- deserve better, know better-- just look at the facts: Americans are number... umm... Alright, let's not. Let's put on another docu-drama, news-ertainment or commen-comedy that will tell us what we want to hear... Ah, thank you. That's better. Oh! A funny commercial!</i><br />
<blockquote><i>Aided at it's launch by an heritage of principles, and fueled by freedom and free, or stolen, resources, the nation came to the end of it's 'destiny' to dominate and use others for it's own benefit-- becoming a bankrupt culture living on it's past glory, rolling forward on former impetus.</i></blockquote><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wait.. who put that on? Give me the remote!</i>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-30443371005250190492010-02-23T01:47:00.003+09:002010-02-25T02:28:41.898+09:00Surfing More Media Madness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7YGzBjz3-SJ56hP0Q1PY0OXIXEBvfHgXZZnf-H797WQbsa2UazLeV6-ypAJBtDlBWJ3AkgchxoTzSHSYRmesmtwIRTfFKzHmE3WnB2KOJ222BgtMPZBlVC7ghrB2BuNwO3dNIsF028s/s1600-h/10-02-19_12-50c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7YGzBjz3-SJ56hP0Q1PY0OXIXEBvfHgXZZnf-H797WQbsa2UazLeV6-ypAJBtDlBWJ3AkgchxoTzSHSYRmesmtwIRTfFKzHmE3WnB2KOJ222BgtMPZBlVC7ghrB2BuNwO3dNIsF028s/s200/10-02-19_12-50c.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"> Post Five on Media Madness<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">I know it sounded in my last posts that I'm a bit of a Luddite, but I'm not. I know that television has some beauty and good, but... well I've said enough about TV. I promised that I would talk about the new strangers, the ones who make the old family friend, TV, seem somewhat stodgy and straight-laced in comparison. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">The Internet is the main one, the one that encompasses them all-- What a true analogy surfing is to the Internet experience, with wave after wave washing over our minds from an endless sea of information. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">It's called the Information Age, with success not measured by how much knowledge you retain, but how fast you can find what is accurate and useful, and then use it. There's no 'getting on top of it' and stopping. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Even the newest technical knowledge and the latest website of today will be outmoded within just a few years. I read that half of what university students (I imagine a technical university) learn in their first year, will be obsolete by their third year. Learning and change is the new mode-- like the sea, you can ride it, but you can't tame it.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Some would say, 'don't go near the water!' or 'keep 'em in the roped-off, guarded, safety area!'-- but my advice is, 'head out to the surf!<br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">I think the best advice for parents is mentoring-- going on-line with our mentee/children to show them how it works, to help them find their way and navigate the dangers. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Maybe you don't know as much as they do-- but you can and probably should learn to swim in this ocean as well as them. You should at least learn the basics of search, keeping the computer secure, and the basics of email and other communication and a bit about where the files all go.<br />
<br />
Perhaps where you can help the most, is with what is most uncommon-- on the Internet, as with life-- with common sense. While surfing, wisdom and a critical mind-- meaning a healthy bit of skepticism and good judgment-- is as important as the latest programing language or keyboard shortcut.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Ask questions: 'How do we know if this is true.'; 'Who is this guy?-- What else does he do and what do others say about him?' You can challenge your mentee to discover the other side of any question. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Set goals: 'Where are we going?' Make a plan for learning, improving and, if it's to have fun or relax-- make a road map of where you're going to spend your time. 'Let's do a search on it.' There are lots of site that rate movies, games, other sites, etc. Read the reviews together-- or just ask, 'Could you tell me what the reviews say?' <br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">These are just a few things that I've tried, since I'm in the midst of this very process with my 13 year-old. I'd love to hear your comments, tips, experience or thoughts. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">My hope is that, as we learn to <u>be</u><span style="text-decoration: none;"> good at using this technology, that we will also know how to find </span><u>what</u><span style="text-decoration: none;"> is good, healthy and wise-- to master the use of this tool, and not let it master us.</span><br />
<span style="text-decoration: none;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Happy surfing!<br />
<br />
</div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-88182613838403523382010-02-21T02:06:00.005+09:002010-02-25T02:27:27.643+09:00'The Stranger' Remix and Media Madness<style type="text/css">
<!--
@page { margin: 20mm }
P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm }
-->
</style> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S4ATwkXSiYI/AAAAAAAAB34/6s7prtgWAaA/s1600-h/In+1953+with+The+Stranger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S4ATwkXSiYI/AAAAAAAAB34/6s7prtgWAaA/s320/In+1953+with+The+Stranger.jpg" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">(This is my fourth post on Media Madness)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Around the time of the incident mentioned in my last post, I read 'The Stranger'. I was so impressed that I've kept a copy of it ever since. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">I've included an edited version here, with apologies to its unknown author.</div><div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Stranger</span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm; margin-left: 12.51mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">My dad met an enchanting newcomer to our town, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted, and as I grew up, I never questioned his place in our family. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">While my Mom taught me to love God's Word-- and Dad taught me to obey it-- the stranger was our storyteller. History, science-- he knew it all. He took us to our first major league baseball game, to movies and even introduced us to movie stars. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn't seem to mind, but sometimes Mom would quietly get up. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but this stranger never felt an obligation to honor them. Our longtime visitor used words that made Dad squirm, offered us alcohol, and made smoking look great. The stranger's comments about sex were blatant, suggestive, and embarrassing. I now know how much I was influenced by the stranger. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in. His name? We always called him, TV. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">*******</div><div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Sixty years have passed since television made its début in everyday life. Now there are many new strangers in town that makes the old stranger look downright prudish.... my next post. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Yes, that's me in the photo. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-66587686163798052062010-02-20T01:33:00.005+09:002010-02-25T02:26:31.360+09:00Media Madness Culture Shock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S368vTg3DXI/AAAAAAAAB3w/bMi8IgFgEhc/s1600-h/surprised%21.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S368vTg3DXI/AAAAAAAAB3w/bMi8IgFgEhc/s200/surprised%21.jpeg" width="160" /></a></div><b>Culture Shock-- Post Three on Media Madness</b><br />
<br />
After five continuous years working in India, I was visiting my relatives. I sat down with my father-in-law to watch the evening news. Some minutes into the broadcast, I looked over to the doorway and saw my five year-old daughter, her eyes round and mouth agape-- in shock; she looked almost faint.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
She wasn't prepared for the flood of violent sights and sounds being presented as news.<br />
<br />
I loved India and was, I believe, amazed by something each and every day I was there-- with no shortage of harsh realities. Along with the good, we also experienced the rioting/massacres that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984, and then were in Bhopal at the time of the Union Carbide gas tragedy that same year. We were often assailed by beggars, some of whom had been intentionally deformed to increase their income, yet we'd done what we could to shield our children.<br />
<br />
I was caught off guard by this unvarnished violence and conflict presented as entertainment from the nicely dressed gentleman in the box. As the evening proceeded and other shows offered up sarcasm or crude humor, perhaps blended with some wit and beauty-- even the older ones turned to me with looks of surprise, questioning, 'Is this okay?<br />
<br />
I honestly didn't-- and don't-- know the answer-- or answers-- not only for them, but for myself as well. Besides television, there were video games, then on-line games, movies, and the media stream kept growing-- Now we have broadband!<br />
<br />
I think the best answer I heard anyone give was to measure our media intake, not by, 'Is it bad for us?', but by, 'Is it good for us?'<br />
<br />
In the next post I will introduce to you, 'The Stranger'.Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-50389811272179026312010-02-18T13:20:00.014+09:002010-02-25T02:25:15.555+09:00Little Pitchers Have Big Ears-- Filtering the Media Madness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLT-0B6s6aB3MbKwzoc5BnJrZzbjygb5t-jtFJZ5KsllupjNIpE39LAIfGhB78JyKYd4IR4Z4z6YE3LxRULM5L3mLh3tvNyv5ojv2bLwQxFrbWX_RiuRZKQ51ZKn3Qr_jY7HqUVoCUGw/s1600-h/267px-Helado.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439438718477888354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLT-0B6s6aB3MbKwzoc5BnJrZzbjygb5t-jtFJZ5KsllupjNIpE39LAIfGhB78JyKYd4IR4Z4z6YE3LxRULM5L3mLh3tvNyv5ojv2bLwQxFrbWX_RiuRZKQ51ZKn3Qr_jY7HqUVoCUGw/s200/267px-Helado.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 89px;" /></a>Part Two on Media Madness-- Little Pitchers Have Big Ears<br />
<br />
<style type="text/css">
<!-- @page { margin: 20mm } P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm } -->
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">'Ice-way <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">eamcra</span>'? My parents might whisper as we approached an ice-cream shop. Since we already knew <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Speak-Pig-Latin">Pig Latin</a>, the secret was out. We were soon chanting, 'I scream. You scream. We all scream for Ice cream!'. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">'<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Eakspa</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">aterla</span>' ('speak later'), they might also say, if one thought their conversation was drifting into inappropriate territory.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">I think that some, if not many, of the complexities and subtle nuances of English might well have come though attempts to shield young minds from unhealthy subjects. We filter or screen what might be harmful, ugly, harsh or easily misunderstood with allusions, puns, double-meanings, euphemisms, or personal coded speech.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Today, however, it seems less common to shoo kids away when there is 'adult talk'. It was once normal to hear someone say , 'Little pitchers have big ears.'-- meaning that their listening ability was full-sized, even if they had pint-sized bodies-- just before asking the young ones to skedaddle.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Perhaps the prevalence of– no, the dominance of-- television has slowly whittled away at our sense of what would have been unimaginable not long ago. I think this was best expressed by 'The Stranger'. (a widely known article you can easily find on-line).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">In every media, and more and more in everyday conversations-- public or private-- very adult subjects and harsh, impolite attitudes flow freely, regardless of who are present. Children often overhear-- in restaurants and other public places-- people's racial, political, sexual and economic opinions-- loud and unfiltered. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Once at a restaurant in Texas, next to several small children, a group of four well-dressed women (I can't say ladies) spoke loud and long about how they were planning to collectively 'rip-off' their husband in their divorces. At other times I've heard children, in their presence, referred to as 'accidents'.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">No, they, I, we -- can't stick our heads in a collective hole and ignore reality. Yes, the world is changing. However I don't have to passively accept anything and everything...</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Most of my life I have lived on the fringe of, or sometimes totally outside of, popular American culture. I didn't plan it, it was just the natural result of often living outside of the USA since I was in my early 20s. Even when I lived in the States, I was either busy raising kids, preparing to leave again, or mildly alienated-- or should I say culture-shocked?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">[next... Culturally shocked by media madness.]</div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-59936241068351199132010-02-17T13:10:00.011+09:002010-02-25T02:24:18.813+09:00Death, Violence, and Other Media Toxins<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S3tugaBvEXI/AAAAAAAAB3g/L07bBeEDows/s1600-h/376px-biohazard_symbol_redsvg.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439062478001475954" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S3tugaBvEXI/AAAAAAAAB3g/L07bBeEDows/s200/376px-biohazard_symbol_redsvg.png" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 189px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-weight: bold;">Getting Used to Death, Violence, and Other Media Toxins<br />
<br />
</span> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Millions watched this week, a video of an accidental death during the Winter Olympics.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Officials said, “It was the young man's fault for making a mistake.”</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
What was unsaid: “We didn't want any ugly padding on the concrete pillars or safety netting that would block the cameras.”</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
I was shocked and saddened-- not just by the excuses, but also by how many people reacted by saying,</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
“Get used to it. It's reality; why wouldn't they show the video”.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Nearly fifty years ago, Americans saw their president assassinated. This was probably the first time a violent death, an actual death in any form, had ever been shown, not depicted, on television. I was there; people wept openly-- people used to watching Superman catching bullets or a TV cowboy's, 'Bang-bang... oh, I've been shot'.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
Today, our tolerance for these kinds of images has evolved to the point that we are shown a 'news' video of the wounding and death of a soldier--- his young life fading before our eyes.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
"Get used to it", they repeat, "It's life."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
This argument has been expressed again and again when I've voiced my concern for our collective intelligence-- societies soul-- especially what I feel about shielding children from violence and more.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
“We can't shield them from life; if they survive, they'll be stronger."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
They're saying, “Stick those seedlings out in the sun, if they survive, they'll be stronger.”</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
Will they?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
Well, it's true that they may 'survive' just about anything we dish out for them-- but in what condition? Some will survive better than others. Tender hearts and sweet souls flower under the most difficult circumstances, and some of the most beautiful blossoms are born in the harshest surroundings.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
But something must be said for the nurseries of the soul, for tender care and patient nurturing of the seedlings. No, not keeping them from the elements, to the point that they grow weak and spindly, but by giving them what they need and at the right time.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
[More on media toxins and children in the next post]</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
</div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-54710429244120837222010-01-31T21:09:00.009+09:002010-02-21T14:53:52.926+09:00Brush, Floss... and Turn Down the Earphones!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S2V0EegAj7I/AAAAAAAAB24/GCUe88lwBQg/s1600-h/519px-Out_ear_earphones.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432876145747988402" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S2V0EegAj7I/AAAAAAAAB24/GCUe88lwBQg/s200/519px-Out_ear_earphones.JPG" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 174px;" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was surprised, some years ago, to read that when researchers asked folks up in their 90s what it was, over the course of their lives, that they regretted most and would do differently if they had the change-- the surprise answer was, 'Take better care of my teeth.'</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-size: small;">While teeth and gum loss is serious, and I whole-heartedly agree with the wisdom of these sages-- wishing to keep my teeth as long as possible, and with as little pain as possible-- I'm going to add to their 'brush and floss' mantra.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The big four, plus one.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The main four proven keys to strength and reserves in fighting stress, illness and aging are: proper food, rest, and exercise-- plus maintaining positive attitudes and relationships.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">That's four. One more?-- Turn down those earphones!</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Have you ever lost your hearing for a short time or had a loud buzzing in your ears after being too close to a loud noise? Now, imagine if the hearing loss or buzzing continued-- forever. Millions are threatened with this kind of damage-- and not just rock musicians.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The biggest culprits are the little earphones buds.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Playing music loud enough to block out traffic noise means tinnitus or permanent hearing loss. A really loud noise for a shorter time or a just a bit too loud noise for a longer time can mean hearing loss, tinnitus or both. </span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I have moderate hearing loss and a constant ringing (tinnitus), in a variety of pitches and tones-- irritating, to say the least. Although I'm not entirely clear how this came about for me-- there are various causese for hearing loss-- it's basically: too loud for too long.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3198525838137177858&postID=5471042924412083722" name="DDE_LINK1"></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">How loud is too loud? </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Listening at 75 decibels or lower for extended periods is considered safe. How to gauge 75 decibels? It's a comfortable level in a quiet room. A washing machine's noise is about 75 decibels, so if your music is drowning out the washing machine, it's too loud.</span></div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Suggestions? Use noise-canceling and/or full, well-fitted earphones to block outside noise-- so you don't have to crank it up.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">Take care!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/virtualexhibit/index.html">Info-link Here</a><br />
</span></div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-35380397253737120712010-01-31T14:24:00.011+09:002010-02-21T14:45:19.511+09:00Teflon Brain Syndrome! Do You Know Where I Put My Glasses? A Medical Mystery Solved!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S2UUQFKsQmI/AAAAAAAAB2w/robQFxq1SIw/s1600-h/HaveYouSeenMyGlasses.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432770791989854818" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S2UUQFKsQmI/AAAAAAAAB2w/robQFxq1SIw/s320/HaveYouSeenMyGlasses.JPG" style="float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 321px;" width="256" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">Teflon Brain Syndrome!<sup><span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">1</span></sup> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">Do You Know Where I Put My Glasses?<sup>2</sup> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">A Medical Mystery Solved!<sup>3</sup></span> <style type="text/css">
<!-- @page { margin: 20mm } P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm } -->
</style> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">A group of teenagers were in the corner whispering and glancing in my direction. I knew I wasn't winning a popularity contest, but it also didn't look too serious. Eventually, the bravest one edged his way across the room. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
“<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">Excuse me, we were kind of wondering if you always forget things because you are, er, just getting old or, um, kind of have Alzheimer's... or what?”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">Funny kids. I smiled (I think I smiled-- did I?) and said, “No, I've always been this way, but I'm afraid It might get worse.” Ha, ha, ha. He didn't laugh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"> </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">Fifteen years passed... It got worse.</span><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">After consulting with a couple friends and looking intensely at the Internet, It suddenly dawned on me that I have Teflon Brain Syndrome (AKA No Stick Neuron Surfaces). I had never heard of anyone with TBS (NSNS), nor could I find it anywhere on the Internet, so I assumed it is extremely rare. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"> </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">Although I suspected that I perhaps had the only known case, I have since been amazed to discover that when I've explained the symptoms to others, a very large percentage believe that they also have this affliction. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"> </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">I'm now considering establishing a foundation to raise money to find a cure for this apparently widespread disease... or I could even start a Facebook fan page.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">But then, would anyone remember to sign up?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">Forgetfully yours,</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"> ... um</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;">Notes:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"> <sup>1</sup> Teflon may be a protected trademark, but I don't remember. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"><sup>2</sup> The photo is a reenactment of an actual incident, but we will not divulge the person's name to protect the guilty. <sup> </sup></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS,sans-serif;"><sup>3</sup> Did I give any medical advice? Well, forget it.</span></div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-19140562619272315282010-01-10T03:32:00.003+09:002010-01-11T03:47:40.995+09:00Happy Birthday Andrew!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S0odh8I-oPI/AAAAAAAAB1s/0ur_jLe4LG8/s1600-h/IMG_2534.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S0odh8I-oPI/AAAAAAAAB1s/0ur_jLe4LG8/s400/IMG_2534.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425181170037858546" border="0" /></a>Andrew is a teen now. January 10, 2010<br /><br />Happy with a never-ending smile<br />Caring without selfishness or guile<br />Willing to go the extra mile.<br />Andrew<br /><br />He wonders how that thing runs<br />While looking to have some fun<br />Or using anything for a drum<br />Andrew<br /><br />He's really full of ways quite smart<br />He finds ways to make you feel a part<br />Cause he's got quite a big heart<br />Andrew<br /><br />We love you Andrew! Happy Birthday!Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-81640292090579135802010-01-05T23:30:00.003+09:002010-02-21T13:17:24.982+09:00Andrew Wowin' 'em at Cheer 'em Up Shows<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/bruce.japan/2009AndrewPerforming#" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423263203996608450" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/S0NNJn2qJ8I/AAAAAAAAB00/21nmxlaif3c/s200/01_IMG_1035.JPG" style="float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 321px;" width="160" /></a><br />
Throughout 2009, but especially the past few months, Andrew stepped in to do what I did last year-- perform in our many shows in hospitals-- especially children's wards-- and in adult-care facilities.<br />
<br />
Andrew is very good at meeting people and making them feel comfortable. With a big smile and his ever-improving balloon-sculpturing he's a big hit. This Christmas, Andrew was 'Santa's long-legged brother's helper reindeer.<br />
<br />
I've posted a few more shots of Andrew here:<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/bruce.japan/2009AndrewPerforming#">http://picasaweb.google.com/bruce.japan/2009AndrewPerforming#</a>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-41816382687033314252010-01-01T16:59:00.006+09:002010-01-01T17:18:20.024+09:00New Year Sunrise, Yaizu, Japan 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/Sz2vrP-vthI/AAAAAAAABzE/yQmTt0V7UFs/s1600-h/01_PreDawnBonfire.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/Sz2vrP-vthI/AAAAAAAABzE/yQmTt0V7UFs/s400/01_PreDawnBonfire.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421682683982886418" border="0" /></a><br />This year I'm visiting Tokyo for the New Year, but last year we were at home and had a very special experience that you can read about by following this link to my Picasa photo albums.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/bruce.japan/NewYearSunrise2009#">http://picasaweb.google.com/bruce.japan/NewYearSunrise2009#<br /></a>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-60808180335039823442010-01-01T14:07:00.009+09:002010-02-21T14:45:56.564+09:00Wishing You a Happy New Year's Day of Understanding, Hope and Faith<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/Sz2Dzq2Hf5I/AAAAAAAABxM/F4f7duTAEns/s1600-h/Look.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421634450121785234" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/Sz2Dzq2Hf5I/AAAAAAAABxM/F4f7duTAEns/s400/Look.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 195px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Looking back with understanding, forward with faith, and around with love<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
</div>*******************<br />
<br />
Old Year's deeds dying embers<br />
<br />
--Glow<br />
<br />
New Year's promise heaped upon<br />
<br />
--Blow<br />
<br />
*******************<br />
<br />
Midnight ball falls<br />
<br />
Millions chant and cheer<br />
<br />
Silently we await<br />
<br />
The dawning New Year<br />
<br />
*******************<br />
<br />
<br />
(Photo: Andrew, New Year 2004)Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-77381735274127968202009-12-26T00:08:00.002+09:002009-12-26T00:25:51.089+09:00Observing Christmas Day in Japan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SzTWO5iE_CI/AAAAAAAABw0/WSNNjcWE9h0/s1600-h/Merry_Christmas_square_chopeh_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SzTWO5iE_CI/AAAAAAAABw0/WSNNjcWE9h0/s200/Merry_Christmas_square_chopeh_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419191803083815970" border="0" /></a> <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 20mm } P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm } --></style>The day after Halloween, Christmas decorations went up. Our commercial center is as decorated as in any western country, and there's a park filled with people admiring the lights and Christmas tree (which will go down today, along with all the little mechanical dancing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Santas</span> along the main street, leaving just the lights, which will now be New Year decorations. <p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">This is also the month of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">bounenkai</span> (forget-the-year-parties) which companies host for their employees. Picture groups staggering out of restaurants discussing where they will go for the 'second (or third) party. Most folks also get bonuses this month, so it's a shopping month too-- many for Christmas presents, even though they might have a difficult time <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">explaining</span> the meaning of Christmas, since perhaps only one percent of Japan is Christian.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">To further mix things up, the twenty-third of December is a national holiday, the emperor's birthday-- but not Christmas day.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">On Christmas Eve, bakeries and supermarkets sell very popular 'Christmas Cakes'. Restaurants benefit also, as they are full of young couples as it's a special 'date night'-- Christmas IS about love, right?</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">I don't mind the fuss, for if there were no commercial “Reason for the Season”, then there would be no reason for Japanese to ask-- even if it's only voicing a nagging question at the back of their minds, “What does all of this really mean?”</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">I go about I sporting a Santa hat and am regaled with “Santa!” <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">wherever</span> I go, while I happily give out printed Christmas messages-- about 300 this year-- that they eagerly take and read, assuming that, since I'm a Westerner, this is the accepted thing to do.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Wherever you are and however you celebrate this Christmas, may you have a wonderful love-filled day.<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">Bruce<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><i>There was a gift to each of us left under the tree of life 2000 years ago by Him whose birthday we celebrate today. The gift was withheld from no man. Some have left the packages unclaimed. Some have accepted the gift and carried it around, but have failed to remove the wrapping and look inside to discover the hidden splendor. The packages are all alike: in each is a scroll on which is written, “All that the Father hath is thine!” Take and live!"</i>―Frank S. Mead</p>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-39174023933830785472009-12-24T01:36:00.010+09:002009-12-24T04:10:23.657+09:00Guided Tour of Christmas Lights by AndrewAndrew was excited and wanted to share a video of the Christmas lights in the large dining and living room shared by the several families living here. I didn't have much to add since the nativity scene we used in China is in Tokyo-- but there was no lack for decorations, since they've been doing this for fourteen years and each year added something new-- this year the blue lights in the beginning of the clip.<br /><br />This is my first attempt at posting a video, so please let me know if you have any problem viewing it-- Thanks!<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzAahcly_4fZcsi6Law5oPfRSyS2ahiEaJlV93NC41REOY_Wo5CiGnEzzGwvtOJmoya61WEeyE-m8tk-bH7Zw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-41529720614767832442009-12-22T12:06:00.006+09:002009-12-22T12:21:16.866+09:00Christmas Activities Update and What's Coming<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5rR3o9VTJnD4CDYAkMND05FugN8xU5_XH17w4AwrLxN87fB2Md9vEy0yXuneT_ddxAWnWpZ6Yhlp69eZH-UB3MRVGGRWMv6lD5Jm7EYrnV9H8THcYBBoPeEhwk2mCtWmwSahiU4xlew/s1600-h/09-12-13_15-51+SM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5rR3o9VTJnD4CDYAkMND05FugN8xU5_XH17w4AwrLxN87fB2Md9vEy0yXuneT_ddxAWnWpZ6Yhlp69eZH-UB3MRVGGRWMv6lD5Jm7EYrnV9H8THcYBBoPeEhwk2mCtWmwSahiU4xlew/s320/09-12-13_15-51+SM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417893418376663378" border="0" /></a>There has been quite a gap since my last post-- sorry. Last month I was set to launch a second blog as a companion to this one. However, while this is still on the way, I was bushwhacked by a week of sickness and then onset of our busiest season. <p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">I have to redirect the tipserve.com site in the next couple weeks-- before I have to pay for two more years of hosting. It will be a complete website, replacing tipserve.com, and will have several different 'areas' with permanent pages as well as the new blog. </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;">The reindeer in the photo is Andrew. He has been performing with me quite often lately and is doing really well meeting and relating to people. His Japanese has also greatly improved-- mostly just by being with kids his age and joining in their activities. A Japanese family with ten kids-- eight still with them-- came to live with us in July. We also have two young ladies staying with us-- helping, just as I did last year, with our Christmas programs. So we've nearly filled up this former guest house/hotel's ten bedrooms.<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0mm;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SzA5-jnk5AI/AAAAAAAABws/SnBvaPorYqQ/s1600-h/cmastree.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SzA5-jnk5AI/AAAAAAAABws/SnBvaPorYqQ/s200/cmastree.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417894098602615810" border="0" /></a>I'll put up Christmas and New Year posts here soon-- including photos of our team visiting hospitals and old folks homes-- a dozen or more, three open-house events, and street performing... stay tuned!</p><br /> <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 20mm } P { margin-bottom: 2.12mm } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0mm; font-style: italic;">My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?—Bob Hope</p>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-76302461059959108272009-11-07T20:12:00.005+09:002009-11-07T20:17:27.335+09:00Giant Hornet<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SvVWPSJNJtI/AAAAAAAABts/9afKIlKxX2Q/s1600-h/718px-Vespa_mandarinia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 334px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SvVWPSJNJtI/AAAAAAAABts/9afKIlKxX2Q/s400/718px-Vespa_mandarinia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401318148669253330" border="0" /></a>Andrew had a science lesson today...<br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><br />"I was taking down laundry, grabbed my sock and... Ouch! It felt somewhat like an injection or someone poking you with a needle, or a jellyfish sting, or something. I went into the house and told dad that I though that I had been stung, but I hadn't seen it. We went back out and found a wasp still in the sock and smacked it with a shoe, but it didn't smash it-- it's really tough. We held it with a clothes pin, since it was only stunned, and sprayed it with poison.<br /><br />My hand swelled up really big right away. Dad put some medicine on it. Wasps don't leave their stingers, so we didn't have to pull it out, We looked it up on the Internet and found that it's the biggest hornet in the world-- and the most poisonous. More people (in Japan) die from it every year than from any other insect or even poisonous snake."<br /><br />Here is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet">Wikipedia article</a> about it.<a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet"><br /><br /></a><div class="zemanta-pixie"><a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet"><img src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=b9397c41-af52-87a4-b60b-bb8af87830e6" alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" /></a></div></div>Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3198525838137177858.post-23076552015684981032009-11-05T13:19:00.023+09:002009-11-06T14:12:01.965+09:00Shizuoka Street Performers Festival<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGY2_8B05HeVmfPX6e7onOrFNZfyYN-Qm-aoN3OQr_C8772yk6WAiTWobFd6F_T05wtIvDyZE37LLumlY7XS6PZ-5lhauXJKV7jT2ouiXz8PdELJHXknOrWjXXrZ_T7FDQX4QCOEU1dc/s1600-h/09-11-02_20-29+sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGY2_8B05HeVmfPX6e7onOrFNZfyYN-Qm-aoN3OQr_C8772yk6WAiTWobFd6F_T05wtIvDyZE37LLumlY7XS6PZ-5lhauXJKV7jT2ouiXz8PdELJHXknOrWjXXrZ_T7FDQX4QCOEU1dc/s400/09-11-02_20-29+sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400469924199986626" border="0" /></a>I was happy to find, when I first visited here almost a year ago, that street performing was not only accepted but very well known, since for the past seven years Shizuoka has hosted an international street performers festival and competition.<br /><br />This year there were over 90 entries. We couldn't perform officially, since entries closed last January, but Andrew and I strolled about in our costumes and both enjoyed the shows-- we saw about fifteen-- only one-sixth of the total. We also performed ourselves, since we couldn't get far without someone stopping us to ask for a balloon or to take a picture of us.<br /><br />Andrew is pictured here with 'PopEyed', a couple comedic acrobats from Australia. They told us that they love coming every year, as there is nothing in Australia to compare to this event.<br /><br />I also enjoyed seeing others perform. There were so many ideas that I can stea... er... adapt for myself. Maybe we'll be able to participate more actively next year, since there are various levels or groups of performers-- from big stage to small and from street corner areas to to strolling acts-- like ours.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCTCIAGgwtqDyNe7VO22Rwgw3Mpx_r2LSiD7qFvOxx-Z1nTZKPwVR9skk1DcU7pFvKcoohHvieFvukDLlbha_uF9tQ37k-ikciISRu5jTP8mOPKiPYXNaanZTW0cUC0gtSekDXkAfmHc/s1600-h/IMG_2589.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 365px; height: 425px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCTCIAGgwtqDyNe7VO22Rwgw3Mpx_r2LSiD7qFvOxx-Z1nTZKPwVR9skk1DcU7pFvKcoohHvieFvukDLlbha_uF9tQ37k-ikciISRu5jTP8mOPKiPYXNaanZTW0cUC0gtSekDXkAfmHc/s400/IMG_2589.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400655387278635490" border="0" /></a> At the face painting area, we met two talented artists, one from Calgary, Canada and one from Texas-- amadazzle.com<br /><br /><br /><br />The photo of a juggler with his audience perhaps gives you an idea of the set up of the 'intermediate', street level performing areas.<br /><br /><br /><br />The whole event was very well organized and the audiences were fantastic and very appreciative.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SvJgtA4dGpI/AAAAAAAABsc/hsxK3VWmBc4/s1600-h/IMG_2586.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 677px; height: 394px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SvJgtA4dGpI/AAAAAAAABsc/hsxK3VWmBc4/s400/IMG_2586.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400485229617814162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sadly, I missed my favorite-- Pippi, an American who lives in Tokyo, whom I first saw in Fukuoka and who has the most that I like to.. err... emulate. My own show is very similar-- without the make-up or nose and simpler, kind of a scaled-down version.<br /><br />(photo from: <a class="class1" href="mailto:pep@peppizaclown.com?subject=Photo%20CD%20Request" title="mailto:pep@peppizaclown.com?subject=Photo CD Request">peppizaclown.com</a>)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SvJcvVWQxcI/AAAAAAAABsM/QAbQXOvZJWY/s1600-h/ME37756.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 337px; height: 425px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SvJcvVWQxcI/AAAAAAAABsM/QAbQXOvZJWY/s400/ME37756.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400480871424771522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SvL95vE2rBI/AAAAAAAABtM/43BKvRUf7zk/s1600-h/09-11-03_15-27+small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 637px; height: 426px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DyFwr5WSVt4/SvL95vE2rBI/AAAAAAAABtM/43BKvRUf7zk/s400/09-11-03_15-27+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400658071501843474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The view photo was taken on Tuesday, 3 November, the last day of the four-day event. It's looking toward Mount Fuji from where I live, toward the city of Shizuoka, spread out along the coast.Brucehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00786040451403513494noreply@blogger.com0