China, India, North Korea, Japan, Missiles

It's just my opinion; I think that North Korea is going for the ears first; creating a racket and driving everyone crazy with paranoia. Then, they'll drive it down the jugular like a pressure hold or a gun pointed to the throat. I don't know where this will leave Japan; or, if N. Korea is the tool of China to push the pressure at Japan and then make them move. China's already made motions to cut off shipments and manufacturing of Japanese goods and food supplies. Most of Japan's food is imported from China, Australia, and other nearby nations.

The North.Korean ships that are being checked are another major concern for weapons and military movement. This is in addition to the checks that the Chinese military have upped on the N. Korean vessels. see article: Australia to ban N. Korean Ships

I understand that the Oil that was found and negotiated a little over 1 year ago is of major value to China; and they really don't want to be giving anything to Japan. And, that includes chopsticks. If the Chinese adopted Japanese chopstick styles, there would be more than enough bamboo to go around.

Additionally, India's close ties with china and their aggressive business presence may compromise any U.S. negotiations with current U.S. public opinion. Many people in the U.S.A. are extremely upset with the number of jobs leaving the U.S. for places like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in the tech sector for outsourcing. Cutting off our ears first, indeed.

Attack on Sri Lanka military convoy kills 92

'Threat to the peace process'
The attack comes as a Japanese envoy held talks with the Sri Lankan president Monday amid intensified diplomatic efforts to strengthen the peace process between the government and rebels ahead of scheduled talks between the two sides later this month in Switzerland.

Website reference: MSN news; http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15285877/

Another quotation from CNN World

The surge in violence comes as Sri Lanka faces increasing international pressure to return to the negotiating table.

Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi was scheduled to hold talks with rebel leaders in the north Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

Website reference: Cnn article "Deadly attack at Sri Lanka port POSTED: 9:27 p.m. EDT, October 18, 2006"

I think that the release of the 24 million USD to Korea is a good move on part of the U.S. In theory, it should take some of the pressure off of the Nuclear threat.The bad part is that the Missiles seemingly exist. And, the money can be used to further fuel their troops. Humanitarian aid is essential to North Korea's survival. North Korea would be smart to invest that money in the Japanese economy. Investment isn't just a gift, it is a lifeline for those who are intelligent enough to make due with what they have. See below...

India, keen to present itself as a responsible nuclear power with a democratic polity, is worried that North Korea's move might scupper a civilian nuclear deal with the United States that was signed last year.

The agreement has been stalled in the U.S. Congress, which has to give its approval before President George W. Bush can sign it into law.

website reference: Reuters: India "India says North Korea test poses threat beyond Asia Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:00 PM IST"

U.S. to Defend Japan

click on title for article
There is some positive news for Condoleezza Rice announcing today that the U.S. is ready to protect Japan from a Nuclear attack/ arms race developing in Asia. That the New Prime Minister Abe is totally advocating for a peaceful Japan, and to develop Japan as a global conference center for commerce.

More on a personal note; I am thankful to hear news like this. The majority of my family is in Japan; and N. JAPAN in particular. Places like Akita-ken where my Grandmother lives are directly across the Sea of Japan from North Korea. Though the Northern part of Japan has less population than the lower southern areas of Japan; if the northern parts become occupied by Koreans or Russians, then there will surely be more of an internal battle. Though, with heavy winter weather...haha... yeah it would be more like a Valley Forge military story. Not trying to make light of the situation; however the Kuril islands are still in dispute. There are old Navy military compounds that are still existing in those areas.

One of my Great Uncle' was a political prisoner in Sibera and told me stories about how they had to survive siberian prison camp. News about North Korea puts me on edge, like an impending huge hurricane or 7.0 earthquake. Once things change, it is very difficult to restore anything to a normal state.

The news about North Korea also bothers me due to the newly found oil territories in the Sea between Japan and China. Last year in July, Koizumi, prevented the onset of a war with China over the oil reserves. If North Korea has any goals to move forward and create an economy for themselves, they will most likey instigate further attacks on Japan. China will be the big sleepy giant in this battle. I would hope that the new P.M. Abe can keep North Korea cooled off

Google Earth images...

My Quick Review of Google Earth...

I just paroozed the planet. And, I discovered that there are mountainous areas that Google Earth does not have building info or high resolution imagery. Those places include; areas of Northern Japan where my Obasan & family lives. The input data did not have prefecture information on several locations. Also, the Ithaca, NY area was quite blurry. Though, Ithaca is where the clouds go to die.

I was impressed to see the University of Montana; but couldn't quite make out the Milltown Dam though, I saw the Marker for BFI where my group did our landfill recyclables study (see photo)and I spoke at my 1st official press conference at 21 years old. And... the M! I was not totally suprised, but happy to see the M again! Much Thanks Google Earth team!!!!

You can download your Google Earth 4.0 for Beta here

Ariel Snapshot of Tokyo

Click on the image for a larger ariel view of Tokyo.

the Sim Redmond Band is playing at the Duo Music exchange on November Mon, 13 of 2006 Tokyo.
Click here for more Info!

Sounds from My old hometown...

Political Halloween Fun!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6057800.stm

Today... I quickly constructed the below e-card image & caption for Halloween at the CostumeUniverse.com site for Halloween goodies & spectacular costumes. Above is a link on the Scottish Nato drill that they're running... from 10.5hrs ago. Scary stuff!!!!

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Yo Scottie! What happened to our ship?

Addicted to Organizing

Addicted to Organizing

Some people here in the States are so suspicious and dull. I'm not talking about the Washington D.C. crowd. I mean the average Joe or Jane American who goes to work each day, flips on the 30 minute news spot and feels that's enough of the world for them for the day. Some people have an eclectic mix of Entertainment news; so they know how to look, how to act, who to talk about because they wouldn't be able to relate to each other without their entertainment.

I suppose I've had a little too much organizing experience; and I’m addicted to it. Yes, the grassroots organizer style of "talk to everyone and learn from everyone". Who's really doing what, what their ideas are and what's really going on in our local towns and at a National level? And 'Whew!' is it ever time consuming. It's the unpaid information system of how people interact. Let's face it. It's the only independent news flow that goes unimpeded by commercial advertising. My reality is that, when I click on my Yahoo or MSN news and see a photo of a woman bearing body buffers and bling... I just groan. Those photos aren't the reality that makes the world go round' like it used to. Nor is it attractive. There are so many beautiful people in the world. Why doesn't everyone attractive get paid for a commercial photo as an extension of the "seeking a perfect mate online".

So, I'm addicted to organizing; talking to people in towns over the past 4 years... hearing travel stories, hearing about homeland bouts and how it's affected the Dating scene. It is far more interesting in the Big picture. America's gotten to big and people, like kids on Christmas, expect too much for the long haul. Like a golden apple that will never tarnish, the American Ideal is an illusory device that people keep pursuing. Yeah, it drives the economy and gives each of us more options than rubbing a couple of twigs together to tempt our taste buds for a tribe braised meal.
However, what is really going on out there? Does anyone know?

My green party stance that I adopted due to a lack of actual bio-regional behavior in politics makes me applaud the latest terrorist news from our Mr. President... George Bush. News on: Hardcore Interrogation of potential terrorist threat.

Halloween Pumpkins

Acorn Pumpkin (left) & Fairy Tale Pumpkins(right) are 2 different types for the holiday season. Making pastas, pies, and just having beautiful decoration are why these pumpkins are going for $15 to $30.00

Check out Creative Commons!

For all Bloggers; get this!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Untitled

a photo for the Fall season...
By: Oko_ne 2006

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

Windmills in N.E. PA

Photo is from the Highway; Penna Turnpike just above the Pocono Raceway; On A cloudy day.

by Oko_ne

Bee Photo

It's a balmy 70Farenheit outside today. This little bee was making the best of the morning.
Photo by Oko_ne
Photo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

Music to Listen to...

Sean Ono Lennon's new "Friendly Fire"
This is a really appropriate & intriguing piece of work. even with a little Cirque du Soleil style acrobatics in it. I'm enjoying the process that has begun in my mind watching something made by someone who has some type of similarity to me...as I never feel like I connect mentally with anyone around me (if you've read the rest of this blog you'd understand a bit why; I've grown up Halvsie in a really mundane area here called Bucks County). ; that I really didn't think would affect me in anyway.

Check out http://www.seanonolennon.com/

Much Peace,
Oko_ne

A story about New Orleans

Post Katrina New Hope;

I heard a story over 1 month ago; about the Katrina Disaster. The story; goes like this... from a guy with an Oceans 11 style biz. card named Larry Kullmin.
The people who had $300 to 500USD/Day drug habits were being shot by their drug dealers. The drug dealers were shooting their clients because they didn't have anything for them.

Strippers who disappeared never reappeared.

Someone said that maybe they should kidnap me. Though, there was a bust at some Oriental massage parlors who had kidnapped asian women working there. I am not one of them and, I'd love to sue the last school I worked at for Slander.

The end.

FCC Mobile Phone laws

From what I understand; even my neighbors across the street have a scanner to listen in on Mobile/cell & other phone calls; to pick up on the police radio.

And; from what I understand it's now illegal;
see the following sites:

• Police Scanner Laws
  
  
• Scanner Laws FCC
  

unless they have a warrant;
for police to have scanners and listen to mobile/cell phone calls. That; the police stations are required to have new scanners that do not ? pick up on the mobile calls.

For some reason, this sounds a bit off. Does anyone know any further?

Bucks County Heroin Deaths

I am a bit upset with the following that I heard today....

That a week ago some local Doylestown kids died from taking Heroin. @ 19years old.
And, that some of the young adult dealers were being let off by the police; despite the fact that they were caught with bags of heroin. And, that it happened several times. Apparently, someone put a fetynal in the mix and it puts people into comas nearly immediately. It's really sad.

Found an article about 5 deaths here since Jan.

Though, I expect that the usual will happen; that the major dealers will get off with a bargain with the judge for a payment in excess of 25,000 USD. The dealers will continue to deal and do their thing. It's so miserable.
People just don't get it; that the dealers and distributors move into a new and "naive" area, and essentially pull the bottom out on the town or locale. Like posing Mortgage brokers to run a scam and purchase property, get people to buy, pull out the equity through purchase of their "goods". The Govt. really doesn't give a ff because they invariably get a cut of it before it's too late. Yuk.

And, in the case of the kids/ YA's- I heard that the doctor's wouldn't accept them for rehab...even with Health insurance. I'm guessing the type of doctors I've heard about who , before taking the oath, they are dealing tons of drugs to pay for their degree ...

What a rotten thing to hear. Aside from the fact that there isn't decent help in the county inside a 100 mile radius. (make that 190 miles).

Bucks County Flood Plain area

Related Articles:
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15652524.htm

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-10052006-723116.html

Many homes in Bucks County are up for sale; and I have heard from some people that they can't get the money that they paid (on the negative side) for their homes .

Additionally; There is a new 1 year old library in Quakertown with an internet cafe. And, there have been renovations performed in Doylestown location in the past week. I wonder how this is due to the Library funding cuts since 9-11 in Philadelphia and surrounding regions.

A diary note

I realize that many of the People who reside in my surrounding community, that is less than 100,000 people, do not accept me. It has gone as far as being my physically being attacked in public, receiving broken items of mine in the mail, my car being broken into numerous times, items that I purchased (not inexpensive - like my glasses) being stolen, being told by other teachers/ collegues that I should become a prostitute; despite my daily professional dress in suits and like professional wear. All of which wouldn't happen if I were to retain a position with a reputable and diverse corporation. I have barely been hanging on financially. And, yes my life has been threatened. My independent charitable work has been squandered by other individuals including non-acceptable reprints in the newspapers where other organizations take credit for all of my work; and I get stiffed with the bill. I realize that the world isn't fair, however, they have decimated my person to no end. Many of the progressive minded people left the area last election because they could not take anymore. I have not made any money here in Bucks county; and, they have reported false incomes for me in several townships where I do not reside, nor have ever. Additionally; Many of the businesses that I have interviewed with or worked for claim their diversity because of their ability to hire Russians and that they retain minimal representatives of ethnic groups. They also slander me because of my name which sounds Celtic though, I am of 1/2 Japanese descent and look more Japanese.

This is what they call; good people, and they do everything in their power and ignorance to harm my life. They think that my Japanese family will send me money; when there are strict rules that they will not due to the further problems the people here will create in my life with more money in it. The same happened with my brother; everytime he made money through his jobs; someone would create a problem for that required funding a local lawyer. And, at one point I had to chip in too. Enough for now; vent over.

My thoughts on the Nation Today

Is it real? The 68.7Billion deficit that the U.S. has chalked up in the World? Not to mention the New defense budget. And then, how much has been sent the other direction out to the World; in addition to the Internal subsidies that the U.S.A. govt. gives to NGO's (non governmental organizations) to create more democracy.

Or is it fact that; as long as the U.S.A. has Trees and a paper supply...money can be printed by the U.S. regardless of what's in the Federal Treasury? and on which country's tab? I hear the cab drivers in Guanzhou, China are giving counterfeit out for change.

Nasa's retired shuttles seem like a new replacement of A.F. 1 so negotiations about the timeliness of Nuclear threats in N. Korea can be made face to face.

• In 1999 people in Fl. were talking of the Infrastructure change plan for the U.S. that was set in place in the 50's and 60's. Yes, such a thing is pricey; and some of the older and top minds were stating, "People were only meant to live within a 15 mile radius; and not travel more than 5 by bike or foot."

? No money no problem; Just keep me alive. An' likewise to you.

Irradiated Spinach Here?

Quakertown, Pa , Bucks County, Race, Reality, Cobalt, Spinach, Halvsie, etc.

Homeland Security Issue; Yes, Definitely

Food is unsafe, and the area is teaming with terrorist representatives.

By Oko_ne

Many people do not understand specifically “Why” the past 3 to 4 years have been an absolute nightmare for me. I shall start with the primary issues of the area; 1. There is an Irradiation plant in Quakertown, PA. 2. The area is heavily racist and KKK/ White Supremacist based ideology is practiced.

So, I was raised here in Quakertown, PA. And, I returned here after finally having opportunity to leave a very bad relationship 1 year after completion of a B.A.. I actually had no idea that there was an irradiation plant here in Quakertown until I noticed the “No Cobalt for Food’ bumper stickers on cars here. This is unusual because normally; there are few “progressive minded” bumperstickers around. It was quite different from the Christian right fish or God or Eagles Football Team stickers.

Unfortunately; this irradiation plant has surfaced many very difficult issues in my personal life, including the loss of my brother. While alive, my younger, and only brother had a temporary work assignment at the Irradiation plant and he had told me that they, “Irradiate nearly everything you can think of.” After hearing this I was quite disturbed that he worked there at all since we are both of ½ Japanese descent and our mother battled a terminal cancer by the time I was in 1^st grade. My little brother, then 23, only worked there for 4 days. He said his skull felt like it was vibrating, he felt like his teeth were going to fall out as he worked there, and that he really felt like it embodied an energy that he could only describe as death. He told me of the Homeland Security issues surrounding the place. And, that there is “Klan” here that want to use the Cobalt that is stored under the heavy water to make a bomb to use on Philadelphia. [“BTW; the Cobalt is under the heavy water so that if it blows; there is heavy water above it.”] (that statement did not make me feel safe). It was dismaying to hear the news as a 2^nd cousin on my father’s side of the family who was running H.U.D. in Phila. for appx. $250,000.00/ year. Though I was happy to hear that Phila. Finally did job cuts out of financial needs…And, I really do feel for the people of Phila.; I understand my family quite well and where I rank with them due to my bi-racial genetic makeup. Me, I’m sitting here nearly penniless and unable to secure employment, which is part of why I blog.

The question about the area that I do want to answer is “Are there terrorists?”

The answer is yes, there are many representative known and armed terrorist groups lingering in the area. Here’s a small list of my horrible encounters that is big enough to cause problems for me, as I believe that my brother and I in particular are being used as scapegoats due to our Halvsie background.

· Irish Red Army

· Ku Klux Klan; and divisions thereof hiding behind the local churches; particularly Lutheran, and the Big Cavalry Baptist Church in Souderton.

· Militia from various areas; note just check truck for bumper stickers.

· World Tour/ The Walkabout yacht – the Portland crowd – though apparently bargained a job with the Feds so now they run sonar/ radar from the boat and make trips to Sri Lanka.

· Korean maffia- of unknown origin

· Taliban Supporters with airport security clearance (NJ)

Unfortunately, I was only thinking of the recent spinach disaster at the supermarkets. As, many people who are concerned about their food want to know what is going on. One of my hypothesis (as I’m sure others have their own) is that the Spinach had increased contamination rates due to irradiation. Irradiation of food is known to “speed the growth of bacteria & fungus”. This applies to nearly all spices we use to flavor our food. As my little bro said, ‘They irradiate nearly everything you can think of.” With reference to the Quakertown, PA irradiation plant that has a nearby Logistics/ truck stop as a Hub for distribution. Regardless, you’re not going to find anything good at the Irradiation plant; especially not veggies.

And, I won't get into why this plant and the people around it are an even a bigger issue that has destroyed my life;

Yes, I have Kimono Shoulders

Over many years of having to live in the predominantly Caucasian east coast, I have suffered greatly. One of the things that I must vent is my dismay with the physical therapy department at the college in New York which I attended for my Undergraduate music degree for piano. I was on a 4.5 year track, and one day my teacher told me that my shoulders looked tightened up to him.

Here I must get into my physical construct of being half Northern Japanese particularly. My shoulders slope naturally. I do not have the typically square shoulder construct of my European ancestors. My shoulders to not break into solid horizontal lines at any point in my shoulder line; and my shoulders are shaped much more like a typical wire hanger that one receives from the dry cleaner. My shoulders are what my mother said are "Kimono Shoulders". So, under my professor's instruction I went to the Musicians clinic at the PT department where they tried to break down my natural sloping shoulders to match their own. They claimed, inreference to me ,that "[I] you have overdeveloped traps". It was quite painful. They used to ice my shoulders and then sink their hands into them and then used an ultrasound device on my shoulders. I felt bad all the way around.

My mother taught me that I have kimono shoulders after the humiliating ordeals I went through in Middle school and High school in Pennsylvania; to be fitted for choir dresses that had shoulder pads. There were at least 2 instances where the fitters made a public example of me and called all the women in the choir over to marvel and laugh at my "no shoulders".

I still don't understand why people expect me to look at them in over 31 years of intolerance and ignorance with a smile. I have tried my best. Next blog; Why I started an "animal rights group" and changed some of the food choices at my undergrad college....hint 'I was getting ill on the food they served' and was eating shojin ryori style for nearly a decade prior to college dining hall food.

Much Peace,
Oko_ne