Gary J. Wolff's Blog Archives
July-September, 2014
This page shows archived posts for Gary J. Wolff's blog from
July-September,
2014.
Enjoy...
Cheers,
Gary
Sept.
28, 2014 - Japan's Mt. Ontake volcano erupts for 1st time in 7 yrs. -
31 feared dead
Today about 550 police, firefighters, and Self-Defense Force personnel
have resumed a rescue operation for climbers trapped on a volcano that
erupted yesterday shortly before noon. Mount Ontake, elev. 3067m
(10,062 ft), Japan's 14th highest mountain, straddles Nagano and Gifu
prefectures in central Japan.
About 230 climbers, many on the peak to view the beautiful fall
foliage, & mountain hut workers have made their way down since the
eruption. One female hiker has died, 42 others were injured, and some
40 people are still taking shelter in 4 huts. Seven more people are
still unconscious and 6 remain buried under as much as 50 cm (~20 in.)
of volcanic ash.
Officials at the Japan Meteorological Agency said clouds of debris
flowed more than 3 km down the southern slope and warned that large
volcanic rocks could fall within 4 km from the craters. Eruptions were
continuing as of 5:50 AM on Sunday and entry to the mountain has been
restricted.
Interestingly, as one of Japan's 25 highest peaks and its 2nd highest
volcano, I had the pleasure
of climbing Mt.
Ontake-san 13 years ago under calmer conditions.
In Japan, it's not that uncommon for climbers and tourists to be caught
up in volcanic incidents. In 1979, 3 people died and 11 suffered
injuries in an eruption of Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture,
southwestern Japan, which sent huge rocks into the air.
Two tourists died in 1997 after inhaling volcanic gas near the crater
of
Mount Aso. In that same year, 4 hikers died after breathing in gas on
Mount Adatara in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan.
On June 3, 1991, Mt. Unzen, a volcano on the southern main island of
Kyushu, erupted violently and claimed the lives of 43 scientists and
journalists.
Video of Mt. Ontake eruption - Sept. 27, 2014
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
@ YouTube here.)
[Sept. 29, 2014
update:
BBC is reporting that the bodies of 31 hikers have been found near the
top of Japan's Mt. Ontake a day after the massive volcanic eruption.
Facing poisonous gases and fearing another eruption, rescue workers
were able to transport just 4 of the 31 victims to the foot of the
mountain by Sunday night. The 4 were officially pronounced dead when
they arrived at the bottom of the mountain. The remaining 27 are all
feared to be dead, but officials have not yet formally confirmed the
deaths of any of them, and were listed as having heart and lung
failure, the customary way for Japanese authorities to describe a body
until police doctors can examine it. About 10 of the 31 victims were
found lying too close to the spot where smoke was still billowing out
of the volcano and could not be rescued.]
[Oct. 1, 2014
update:
Search operations had to be suspended yesterday @ 2 pm due to dangerous
concentrations of poisonous hydrogen sulfide gas near the summit and an
increase in volcanic tremors on the mountain. Today more than 1,000
police officers, firefighters, and Self-Defense Forces personnel
resumed the search and were able to recover many more bodies and carry
them down the mountain on stretchers, in spite of the difficulty of
staying on trails covered with 30 cm (~12 in.) of ash. The death toll
now stands @ 47, making this the worst tragedy caused by a volcanic
eruption in Japan since detailed records began after World War II.]
[Oct. 5, 2014
update:
Japanese authorities have confirmed the deaths of 4 more people from
the eruption of Mount Ontake last week, now bringing the number of
deaths to 51. Today's search operation was once again suspended due to
rain in the morning and the approaching Supertyphoon 18 (see Oct. 5
post above). Twelve hikers still remain missing.]
[Oct. 12, 2014
update: Yesterday more than 1,100 rescue workers (the most ever
since the 9/27 eruption) continued their search for 8 people still
missing from Japan's worst volcanic disaster in around 70 years. 2
people were found under rocks near the summit, now raising the death
count to 56. The search operation is being hampered by wet volcanic ash
which, in some places, buried rescuers up to their chests. On Friday,
at least 6 search members had to descend the mountain after they came
down with altitude sickness or hypothermia. The rescuers are in a race
against time to find the missing people as Typhoon 19 (Vongfong), the
2nd powerful typhoon to strike Japan in a week, will reach the Mt.
Ontake area, just 200 km (125 mi) west of Tokyo, early Tues. morning.]
[Oct. 16, 2014
update:
Nagano Prefecture's disaster response task force announced today it has
decided to end its search this year for the 7 missing hikers due to the
growing risk of secondary accidents. With winter approaching, search
conditions on the volcano
have deteriorated due to the season's first 5-cm snowfall yesterday and
sub-freezing temperatures. About 1,900 policemen, firefighters, and
Self-Defense Forces troops (the most ever since the 9/27 eruption) were
mobilized today for the final search, while 5 helicopters flew over
areas inaccessible by foot, with relatives of some of the missing
people aboard one of the helicopters. Search operations will resume
next spring.]
Sept.
28, 2014 - Video of my
Sept. 3-21, 2014 U.S. vacation
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
@ YouTube here.)
0:00 Takeoff from Tokyo Narita Airport
1:15 United Airlines real-time flight tracker map
2:30 Landing at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport
4:35 Houston downtown skyline, from the U.S. 59 freeway
5:47 Harris County Bayland Park senior education programs
6:41 Mom's Bellaire Garden Club meeting & party, Russ Pitman Park
7:40 Squirrel stealing/eating seeds from Mom's backyard bird feeder
8:49 Takeoff from Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport
10:48 Landing at Denver International Airport
12:21 Reconnecting with Tom for 1st time in 29 yrs. @ Denver airport
12:45 Dillon Dam Brewery, Dillon, Colorado
13:04 Tom & Amy chatting on highway to Steamboat Springs, Colorado
13:29 Mountain stream on Meadow Creek Trail, White River Natl. Forest
14:05 Sunrise over Lake Dillon, Colorado
14:36 Sammy the golden retriever gets belly rub from Tom
15:21 Detailed "how to" explanation of Tom's $5500 Santa Cruz Tallboy
mountain bike :-)
17:36 Riding along the Cherry Creek Bike Path, Denver, Colorado
19:40 Washington Park jog & bike road, Denver, Colorado
20:13 Panorama of Smith Lake, Washington Park
20:34 Canada geese, Washington Park
24:18 Flower garden, Washington Park
25:09 Riding Tom's bike around Washington Park
27:09 Panorama of Grasmere Lake, Washington Park
27:40 Landing at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport (from Denver)
29:42 Waving @ Southwest Airlines baggage handlers from inside plane
30:11 Mom's Bellaire Life seniors club ice cream social
30:32 HUGE mansion @ 4528 Oleander St. in Bellaire, TX. This 14,620
square foot (1358 sq. m.) single family home has 7 bedrooms, 8.5
bathrooms, and is valued @ $3.8 million.
30:43 Panorama inside Buc-ee's, a new chain of roadside stores in Texas
30:57 MANY birds feasting in Mom's backyard bird feeders
32:07 JP & Julia chatting on highway to Windlinger Ranch,
Kerrville, Texas
32:44 Friday night party in lakehouse @ the Windlinger Ranch
33:49 Tucker the ranch dog
34:19 Saturday chats in the Windlinger ranch house
35:00 Group hike around the Windlinger Ranch
36:10 JP's amazing Texas BBQ chicken & sausage
37:08 Chowing down on BBQ, potato salad, beans, and pasta salad
37:33 Sun. morning breakfast in the Windlinger ranch house
38:18 Lunch w/ my buddies @ Goode's BBQ on Kirby Dr., Houston, Texas
39:32 Panorama of reflection pool, fountains, lake, and miniature train
in Hermann Park, Houston, Texas
40:55 Houston Metro trains @ Hermann Park/Rice University Station
42:55 Landing @ Chicago O'Hare International Airport (check out all the
skyscrapers along N. Lakeshore Dr.)
44:18 Landing at Tokyo Narita Airport (check out my plane's shadow on
the ground!)
Sept.
27, 2014 - Pics from my Sept. 3-21 U.S. vacation
To describe my 17 days in America as "magical' would be the
understatement of the year. Meeting up with some of my most favorite
people for the first time in nearly 3 decades warmed my heart &
soul.
Besides hanging out mostly in Houston and joining in on a number
of Mom's senior citizen activities, I was able to make a side trip to
Colorado's beautiful Rocky Mountains as well as a return trip to the
stunning, 263-acre Windlinger Ranch in the Texas hill country, both of
whose pics I decided to put in separate photo albums.
I sincerely hope
they will allow you a quick glimpse & appreciation for some of the
amazing scenery that I was blessed to experience. My video is posted
above!
Houston's Japanese Garden
(View entire 114-pic album here.)
Colorado's Rocky Mountains
(View entire 104-pic album here.)
263-acre Windlinger Ranch, Kerrville, Texas
(View entire 48-pic album here.)
Sept.
1, 2014 - 7 cool photography tricks with your smartphone
In the latest video by the Cooperative of Photography (COOPH) online
magazine, pro photographer Lorenz Holder, famous for his incredible
snowboard pics, demonstrates 7 amazing smartphone photography tips
that'll help you capture some great shots you probably never thought
were possible:
My website is about to celebrate its 5th birthday, and for the past
couple years or so, I've been
toying w/ the idea of adding an "About Me"
page to my website, but always kept procrastinating 'cause it seemed so
self-serving.
But recently I heard from Kim Komando, America's digital goddess, that
having an About Me page is very important to the Big G watchdog of
cyberspace in ranking webpages in its search results. Hmm.
Then I got to thinking that this sort of page could possibly answer the
same kinds of questions that inevitably first come up in conversations
here with students and new friends...like how I ended up in Japan,
what's my
background, interests, hometown, and what's my life in Japan like.
So....believe it or not, I finally got a (round tuit).
Honestly speaking, it's fairly boring reading, but if you were ever
at least a tiny bit curious about these questions I'm sure you've laid
awake at night wondering about...ha-ha...then I hope you'll have
time to read my very LONG story!
I just hope you don't doze off in the process...
Cheers,
Gary
Aug. 27,
2014 - Countries with a Smaller Population than Tokyo
The Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area, with nearly 37 million souls, has
more residents than 136 nations of the world - that’s about 70% of the
world's countries. The amazing graphic below, compiled by Professor
Alasdair Rae of the University of Sheffield, shows the nations (in red)
with fewer people than Tokyo. In Prof. Rae's words, “Yes, it’s a bit
pointless, but it’s also true...”
Countries with a smaller population than Tokyo
(Photo credit: Professor
Alasdair Rae; larger image here, full-size image here.)
Here are some other interesting facts about Japan & the world's
most populous metropolis, which has been my home for the past 23+
years:
Population of Japan:
~127 Million (11th overall)
Population of Tokyo:
36,923,000 (#1), 17 milion more than New York City (#13)
Tokyo Metro Land
Area: 13,500 km² (5,200 mi²), 2nd in size only to the New York
Metro Area at 30,671 km² (11,842 mi²)
Tokyo is NOT a city:
Generally regarded as a city, Tokyo (東京), the capital of Japan, is
actually one of the 47 prefectures, the equivalent of a U.S. state.
Tokyo includes 23 special wards, 26 cities, 5 towns, and 8 villages,
each of which has a local government. Thus, the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government is headed by a governor, not a mayor. Tokyo also has a
string of numerous outlying islands, which extend as far as 1,850 km
(1,150 mi) south from central Tokyo, including the beautiful Ogasawara
Islands. Nicknamed "The Galapagos of the Orient" (due to their
extremely rare flora & fauna), these islands were designated a
natural World Heritage Site in 2011 & include Iwo Jima, site of the
famous World War II battle.
Japan’s Urbanized
Population: 91.3%
Habitable Land Area:
~30% of total, which means Japan’s entire population is squeezed into
an area about 30% the size of the state of California or the nation of
Germany
Just for Fun -
Obesity Rate: 5% (157th overall)
Sources:
Professor Alasdair Rae, senior lecturer at the
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, U.K.
Tokyo: Largest City in the Known Universe (akihabaranews.com) List of metropolitan areas by population
Aug. 21,
2014 - Japan's
Self-Defense Forces play war games at the foot of Mt. Fuji, Japan's
holiest mountain
On Tues. August 19, 2014, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers
began their annual live-fire training exercises at the Higashi-Fuji
training field in Gotemba, near the foot of Mt. Fuji, a World Heritage
site and Japan's holiest & most revered mountain.
A total of 2,300 personnel, 80 tanks and armoured vehicles, 20
aircraft, and 600 vehicles participated in the exercises, just 100 km
southwest of Tokyo.
Fighter jets, attack helicopters and tanks, guided missile systems, and
other artillery fired at targets at the base of Mount Fuji, where
soldiers demonstrated tactics to fight off foreign invaders.
Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers also practiced paratrooper
landing drills, and rappelled down from UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
Defense officials said the exercises, which last until Sunday, are
aimed at showcasing Japan's ability to repel a hypothetical invasion of
far-off Japanese islands.
Japan's military role is now expanding at home and abroad under the
administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which last month approved
a
reinterpretation of Japan's war-renouncing constitution to allow the
military to defend its allies
abroad....most notably the United States.
Mt. Fuji is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" (三霊山, Sanreizan),
along with Mt. Tate and Mt. Haku. To protect Japan's cultural heritage,
Fuji-san has been designated by the government as both a Special Place
of Scenic Beauty (特別名勝, tokubetsu meishō) and a Special Historic Site
(特別史跡, tokubetsu shiseki), and was added by UNESCO to the World
Heritage List as a Cultural Site on June 22, 2013. The summit has been
thought of as sacred since ancient times and was forbidden to women
until the Meiji Era.
Sources:
- The Telegraph - view full 17-pic photo gallery here)
- Wikipedia
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
@ YouTube here.)
Aug. 20,
2014 - Feeling the Wind
Working as a university professor in Japan is definitely not a get rich
quick scheme, but the beauty of the job is that you get a 2-month
vacation TWICE a year. YAY! Right now I'm in the 3rd week of my summer
vacation and loving it!
Not writing any books this time nor climbing any Japanese high peaks
like I normally do....just hanging out, tweaking my website a bit, and
doing a LOT of cycling up and down the Edogawa riverside on sunny days.
A few years ago while I was out on my mountain bike, I took a breather
at the "Kaze o Kanjite" (風を感じて, "Feel the Wind") statue in Junsai-ike
Park (じゅんさい池公園) in Matsudo, Chiba (千葉県松戸市). In the pic below, I'm in my
usual attire, sporting 4 kg (~9 lbs) wrist weights on each arm.
And for some reason, this month so far I've encountered an above
average number of days with fairly strong headwinds. So I'm hearing the
naked statue lady's message loud and clear, as I'm definitely "feeling
the wind"!
"Kaze o Kanjite" (風を感じて, "Feel the Wind") statue
Junsai-ike Park (じゅんさい池公園), Matsudo, Chiba (千葉県松戸市)
Aug.
13, 2014 - Optimizing
AdSense online course
Habit No. 7 of Stephen R. Covey's The
7 Habits of Highly Effective People is called "Sharpen the Saw." It means
that if we really want to
be as effective as possible, we should continuously search out
opportunities for
self-renewal, self-care, self-respect, and self-improvement in 4 areas
of our lives: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.
I haven't always been that great at this sort of stuff, but so far this
summer vacation, I'm doing the best I can. Life-long learning! Yee
hah!!
Optimizing AdSense online course certificate
Aug.
10, 2014 - Japan gets hammered with torrential rain from Typhoon 11
Right now Typhoon 11 is wreaking havoc on Japan during the beginning of
the Obon holidays, the summer's busiest vacation period, disrupting
travel plans nationwide. Flooding, landslides, nearly a million people
evacuated, and hundreds of flight cancellations are causing many
troubles.
And one of the most shocking stats I just learned is that in the past
24 hours (as of 9:05 am Sun. 8/10), the village of Umaji-mura in Kochi
Prefecture has received an absolutely shocking 859 mm (~34 inches) of
rain. And since Aug. 1st, some parts of Kochi Prefecture have received
over 2 meters (~6 ft. 7 in.) of rain. OMG!
Typhoon 11 Amedas weather radar as of 2 pm, Sat. Aug. 9, 2014
(Photo credit: JMA (Japan
Meteorological Agency))
Aug. 6,
2014 -
Brazilian Students Learn English By Talking To Lonely Chicago Seniors
The video below is without question one of the most touching videos I
think I've
ever seen.
Here are the facts:
- More than a half million young students in Brazil want to practice
English
- Seniors in a Chicago retirement community just want someone to talk
to
- The idea: bring them together
The CNA English School's Speaking Exchange program connects students
and seniors over the Internet, using an exclusive digital tool that
uses video chat technology to bring Brazilian students face to face
with Americans.
It's a great chance for students to practice English and meet people
with lots of stories to tell, as well as an excellent activity for
elderly to feel active and make new friendships. It's a true win-win
situation for all. BEAUTIFUL!
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
@ YouTube here.)
Aug.
3, 2014 - 30th Ichikawa Fireworks Festival (第30回市川市民納涼花火大会), Sat. Aug.
2, 2014
This
video shows the beginning and ending of the 30th Ichikawa Fireworks
Festival held on Saturday, August 2nd. A total number of 14,000
fireworks were displayed this year and some of them were special
fireworks to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of
Ichikawa City, Chiba.
The fireworks display was held from 7:15 to 8:30pm along the Edogawa
riverside, a 15-minute walk from Ichikawa Station on the JR Sobu line.
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
@ YouTube here.)
Japanese audiences are always SO
polite! I'm always impressed by the cordial applause & appreciation
they show @ the end of these shows.
July 29,
2014 - Sad news from Houston
Mom just lost her best friend in the whole world, the loyal one who's
been by her side thru thick and thin for at least the past decade. Your
prayers for my mom, sister, and the rest of the family will be deeply
appreciated. There's now a big, sad hole in their lives.
Chance Wolff
(Jan. 1, 2000 - July 29, 2014)
Some notable quotes from his memorial post @ Facebook:
"You were so loved, Chance, and you sure gave plenty back to us. We
will miss you so much." --Christy--
"Our furbabies leave permanent paw prints on our hearts. My heart is
heavy with you." --Lori--
"Cutie pie of a big black dog. Take care." --Lissa--
"His life started out rough (we got him from a woman who climbed into a
yard to free him from the chain he was on that had grown into his neck)
but he sure had a wonderful life with your mom! Luckiest dog ever! And
I am so grateful for your mom for, among a million things, taking him
when I was in such a hard situation. Yay Chance and yay Wolffs!
xoxo" --Sarah--
July 26,
2014 - Hundreds of flying silver carp near Illinois' Spoon River
A family went "fishing" down a small drainage
ditch sometime during the summer of 2010 near the flooded Spoon River
in
West Central Illinois, USA.
Upon their return home, they counted 70+ 5-10 lb. silver carp that had
landed in the boat. Now this is MY kind of fishing....no need for a rod
and reel.
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
@ YouTube here.)
July 24,
2014 - The cost of a phone call to heaven
A man in Topeka, Kansas, decided to write a book about churches around
the world, but thought that the place to start, since he was American,
would be the United States. With that in mind, he decided to fly to
New York where he goes into the Cathedral of St. John, the Divine. He
begins taking photographs, etc., when he suddenly spots a golden
telephone on a wall with a sign, which reads "$10,000 a minute."
Intrigued, he seeks out the priest and asks about the phone and sign.
The priest advises him that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct
line to Heaven and, if he wants to use it, he can talk directly to God.
“Thank you very much,” he says and continues on his way.
Continuing through many other states, he finds the same phone, same
sign, and gets the same answer, until finally, he arrives in Texas.
Upon entering Sanctuario Guadalupe Cathedral in Dallas, lo and behold,
he sees the usual golden telephone with a sign. But THIS time, the sign
reads “Calls 25 cents.”
By now fascinated, he gets hold of the Bishop and says to him, “Bishop,
I have been in cities all across the country, and in each church I
found this golden telephone, was told that it was a direct line to
Heaven, and that I could talk to God. But in all the other churches
across the country, it was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads 25 cents a
call. Why?”
The Bishop smiles benignly at him and says “Oh, my son, that’s very
easy to explain. You see, you’re now in Texas and, of course, it’s a
local call from here.”
July 21,
2014 - 71-year-old Japanese man scales Mt. Fuji 1,673 times
71-year-old Yoshinobu Jitsukawa (實川欣伸) has climbed Mt. Fuji a record
1,673rd time! WOW! Jitsukawa, a resident of nearby Numazu in Shizuoka
Prefecture, made his record climb up Mt. Fuji on July 16. He made his
first ascent of Mt. Fuji in the summer of 1985 when he went with his
family at the age of 42.
He thought it would be a one-shot deal, satisfying his desire to climb
the mountain at least once in his lifetime. But several years later he
accompanied a Chinese trainee from his workplace up the mountain, and
then got hooked.
Jitsukawa uses his Mt. Fuji climbs as “training” for his much loftier
goal of scaling each of the highest peaks on all 7 continents. He's
already scaled 6 out of 7, including 5,895-meter Mount Kilimanjaro, the
highest mountain in Africa, which he climbed at age 57.
Having failed at Mt. Everest last spring after his party was forced to
call it off due to a massive avalanche, he'll be giving Everest another
shot next spring. Go Jitsukawa-san! Awesome.
71-year-old Yoshinobu Jitsukawa (實川欣伸), center,
celebrates atop Mt. Fuji after his record 1,673rd climb
(Photo credit: NipponConnection.fr)
July 14,
2014 - SURF'S UP! LET'S HANG 20!
More than 50 dogs competed Sunday in the 9th annual Petco Surf Dog
Competition in Imperial Beach, California.
"About 5,000 people and their dogs attended the competition, which also
featured a dog wash, an adoption by the San Diego Humane Society, a
giant inflatable slide for kids, and a makeshift dog park. Money
generated from each surfer’s registration fee was donated to the humane
society." (Source: San Diego Union-Tribune)
Imperial Beach is a suburb of San Diego and is the most southern beach
city in Southern California and the West Coast of the United States.
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
@ YouTube here.)
July 12,
2014 - Deadly
mudslide in central Japan captured by surveillance camera
A terrifying mudslide, brought on by torrential rains spawned by Super
Typhoon Neoguri (named "Typhoon 8 (台風8号)" in Japan) which swallowed
houses and killed a 12-year-old boy in the central Japan town of Nagiso
in Nagano Prefecture, was caught on video Wed. July 9. SCARY STUFF!!
Nationwide, Typhoon Neoguri killed 7 and injured scores, forced tens of
thousands to seek emergency shelter, and was one of the strongest
storms to ever strike Japan in July. Fortunately, here in the nation's
capital we didn't
even have strong winds or rain.
(If player above is not visible, you can view video
@ YouTube here.)
July 10,
2014 - Texas adds 1
million new jobs compared to California's 25,000
"Since
December 2007, Texas payrolls have grown by 9.5% and by more than one
million jobs through May 2014, while California employment has
increased only 0.16% and by fewer than 25,000 jobs over that same
period."
Growth in jobs in Texas vs. California since
Dec. 2007
(Photo credit: AEI.org)
What's the difference?
"Texas — is pro-energy (i.e. fossil fuel energy), it’s a right-to-work
state, it has no state income tax, its electricity prices are
significantly lower because it doesn’t have a renewable energy mandate,
and its regulatory burden on businesses is much lighter. In other
words, Texas has created a pro-business and pro-growth environment.
Meanwhile, California has created an increasingly anti-business climate
with some of the highest state tax and regulatory burdens in the
country, which along with sky-high industrial electricity prices (83%
higher than in Texas." Source: AEI.org
Reminds me of a graphic I posted on my Facebook timeline in Feb. of
last year:
This was just after "Business Facilities" magazine had yet again named
Texas its 2012 State of the Year, for having the most dynamic economy
of any state in the nation. "Employers the world over continue to look
to Texas as the epicenter of job creation thanks to the conservative
fiscal principles of low taxes (including no state income tax),
reasonable regulations, fair courts, and promoting a skilled workforce.
The study also noted Texas' growing population and strong
infrastructure as factors in its success."
Source: https://businessintexas.com/
July 6,
2014 - Japanese university English speech contest
What the #*%$@? Yet ANOTHER speech contest?
This university's ESS (English speaking society) holds 2 contests a
year, and the 2nd one held in late June is a recitation contest just
for college freshmen, where they recite from memory a famous speech
from history, like JFK's inaugural address or Martin Luther King Jr.'s
"I have a dream" speech. These kids were AMAZING!!
July 1,
2014 - Mt. Fuji 2014 climbing season opens!
It's official!! Mt. Fuji's main Yoshida Trail is now open. Around 100
Mt. Fuji
climbers greeted the 4:30 am sunrise from the summit this morning.
Climbing season for the main Yoshida Trail on Japan's highest peak and
newest UNESCO World Heritage Site has now officially begun.
Climbers using the most popular trail on Mt. Fuji are expected to be slugged with a doubled fee of 4,000 yen ($26) from next summer as the Yamanashi prefectural government seeks to tackle overcrowding…
Performed December 13 at the "A Christmas Gift 2024" charity Christmas concert in Tokyo, Japan by singer Charito & dancer Ikumi. In its 21st year, the annual charity concert is organized & sponsored b…
BIG CHANCE! Smashwords, the world's largest publisher of indie ebooks (>228,000 participating ebooks from nearly 60,000 authors) is now holding its 8th annual end-of-year sale from now till Wednesday…
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(Urban) Cowboy
Gary
(round tuit). 
is called "Sharpen the Saw." It means
that if we really want to
be as effective as possible, we should continuously search out
opportunities for
self-renewal, self-care, self-respect, and self-improvement in 4 areas
of our lives: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.
