When we talk about
change, here’s a good starting point: This is an inscription on the
tomb of an Anglican Bishop in Westminster Abbey:
"When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits,
I dreamed of changing the world.
As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so
I
shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.
But it too seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt,
I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me.
But alas, they would have none of it.
And now I realize as I lie on my deathbed, if I had only
changed myself
first,
then by example I might have changed my family.
From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able
to better my country,
and who knows, I might have even changed the world."
Dec.
18, 2011 -
The Last Quarter, Moonrise in Tokyo, Sat. Dec. 17, 2011, 11:22 pm
Dec.
17, 2011 -
Slurpees in Japan
This morning for the first time in my 2-decade-long tenure in Japan, I
saw a slurpee machine in a convenience store. WOW. The 4 flavors in
this 7-11 are Coke, Fanta melon soda, Fanta orange, and lemon pop. I
hope this idea catches on and there are still a few around during the
ungodly hot and humid days of August…
Dec. 15,
2011 -
A 2009 Christmas Medley by Santa Mickey
Santa Mickey thrills kids worldwide with Xmas carol karaoke practice.
All 5 videos are in a playlist
and will play continuously, non-stop.
Or click on the playlist icon
above to select the other 4 videos.
(Play the entire playlist in new window here.)
Dec. 4.
2011 -
Mt. Fuji & the Tokyo Sky Tree @ sunset, Dec. 4, 2011, 4:58 pm
Nov.
27, 2011 - Japanese University Students Use Content 2.0 Online Forum to
Share their Views of the World
This video shows one of over 500 presentations, speeches, and workshops
given at the
Nov. 18-21, 2011 JALT international conference at the Yoyogi National
Olympics Memorial Center in Tokyo. More details on this class project
here: What
Japanese University Students Think About...?
If you are unable to view the video above, click here to view it
@ YouTube.
Nov.
26, 2011
- Japanese construction zone flagman
This video shows a Japanese-style electronic flagman in a road
construction work
zone along National Highway Route 298, in Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan. Taken
@ 4:34 pm, Sat. Nov. 26, 2011.
If you are unable to view the video above, click here to view it
@ YouTube.
Nov. 23,
2011 -
Global understanding
A
big high-five to the university students I had the pleasure of helping
coach recently on their 2nd-place finish in the e-presentation video
contest. As a result of their hard work, they have won a 5-day
expense-paid study tour to a partner university in South Korea for
training and exchange. Their video was entitled "M-students' Hot
News."
Congrats to Yuka, Masahiro, and Yuta on a job well done…
Nov. 12, 2011 -
ARE YOU SAILING TOO CLOSE TO SHORE?
"Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love."
My Recommended
Reading List shows some
of the books that are either already in my personal library or
hopefully will be in the near future, and all of which have had a
profound impact or helped shape my life through the years. It'd be
great to hear if you've read any of these same books & what you
thought of them, thanks...
...and even changes the oil &
spark plugs herself.
Read story with video here. Notice
at the very end of the video when
she steps on a little red towel to get into the car so she won't dirty
the running board, then picks it up and puts it in the car so she can
use it when she gets out! Precious lady!!!!
1930 Packard 740
roadster
(photo
courtesy: NY Times)
Four years ago, 22-yr-old Katie Davis was homecoming queen at her high
school in Brentwood, Tennessee. Today, she cares for 13 abandoned girls
at her home in Uganda. And her Amazima Ministries feeds lunch to 1600
displaced children in the Masese slum community every Monday through
Friday & sends 400 orphaned and vulnerable children to school
through an education sponsorship program.
By buying food & supplies in bulk, they have been able to get
the cost of a meal down to only 8 cents, so the average $25 donation
obviously feeds one child for a very long time. Amazima is also
partnering with local Ugandans in implementing self-sustaining
vocational programs like the Ugandan bead necklace program where women
from the Karimojong tribe make Ugandan bead necklaces and sell them in
the United States. Additionally, Amazima has trained and hired young
Ugandans in carpentry skills, building a community playground and a
chapel.
Along with 7
wild & crazy Japanese guys in June 1993, we hiked w/ ski boots
& poles to the summit of Mt. Norikura-dake (乗鞍岳), Japan's 19th
highest mountain, and then skied down.
It was without question one of
the most bizarre, yet incredibly fun, mountain climbing trips I've ever
made.
In Sept. '08 Alex Honnold became the first person to free solo the 2000
ft Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome in Yosemite Valley, California.
2000 ft of climbing. 2 hours and 50 minutes (this route normally takes
a day or 2). No rope. No harness. Or any sort of safety gear.
26-yr-old Alex is from Sacramento, CA and started climbing when he was
11 years old. At age 19 he dropped out of UC Berkeley, where he was an
engineering student, to climb full-time. Referred to as the Michael
Jordan of rock climbing, Alex is also regarded by some as the greatest
free soloist who ever lived.
Oct. 9,
2011 - Japanese
fire drill & disaster training
The fire dept. comes out annually to the larger residential &
office bldgs. in the city to demo emergency safety equipment &
procedures to help keep citizens safe. Fire dept. personnel give up
many of their weekends & receive no extra pay for providing
this service to residents. Ya gotta just LOVE Japan !
(Interestingly, in Japan they still teach the mouth-to-mouth method of
CPR.)
Cue marks:
0:00 Evacuation & assembly in parking area
3:15 Greeting by fire captain
4:15 Fire extinguisher demo
8:50 Fire extinguisher practice
11:20 AED demo
16:45 CPR demo
21:50 CPR practice
33:20 AED practice
36:35 Earthquake Experience Vehicle demo
41:30 Close-up of fire truck
42:30 Veranda emergency ladder demo & practice
44:40 Emergency floodlight demo
Oct.
8, 2011 - "If today were the last day
of my
life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"
"When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: 'If you live
each
day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.' It
made
an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have
looked in
the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day
of my
life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the
answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to
change
something."
--Steve Jobs (1955-2011), Apple co-founder & former CEO--
(2005 Stanford commencement address)
"Washington keeps telling us our border is more secure than ever, but
this detailed military assessment, by two of America's top generals,
offers proof to the contrary. It's time to shed the cloak of denial and
protect our citizens and national security. Would Washington stand by
and allow terrorists from Canada to make daily incursions into New
York? The answer is a resounding, 'No.' We expect and demand that same
level of protection in Texas. It's time for Washington to uphold its
constitutional duty to protect Americans on their home soil."
--Texas
Department of Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples
--
Despite border security constituting the single largest item in the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget, they have failed to
develop a border security strategy that protects American cities and
rural areas from Latin American & Mexican drug, gun, and human
smuggling cartels operating inside our borders.
The 182-page report, "Texas Border Security: A Strategic Military
Assessment," was prepared by retired four-star Army General
Barry R.
McCaffrey, former Director of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy under President Bill Clinton and former Commander of all U.S.
troops in Central and South America; and retired Army Major-General
Robert H. Scales, PhD, the former Commandant of the United States Army
War College.
I love this country dearly, but it's not doing nearly enough about the
growing epidemic of international parental child abductions. Pls.
continue to remember my dear American friend & his children in
your prayers. There is still hope he will someday be reunited w/ his
kidnapped sons. Click here to read his article published
Tues. Oct. 4, 2011 by the Japan Times.
When Richard Cory's 14-year-old daughter, who lives with him, tried to
hand over a birthday card she had made for her 11-year-old brother, who
lives with their mother, police raced to the scene to prevent delivery.
(Photo courtesy: Richard Cory)
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above to select the other 4 videos.
A
big high-five to the university students I had the pleasure of helping
coach recently on their 2nd-place finish in the e-presentation video
contest. As a result of their hard work, they have won a 5-day
expense-paid study tour to a partner university in South Korea for
training and exchange. Their video was entitled "M-students' Hot
News."
Congrats to Yuka, Masahiro, and Yuta on a job well done… 
(photo
courtesy: 
(photo
courtesy: npr.org)
