VOTE 2016! Ted Cruz vs. Grandpa Munster!

VOTE 2016! Hey! Am I the only one that thinks that this Ted Cruz guy looks like Grandpa Munster? (Vote in the comments section!)

Need more proof?

Go Vote Campaign!

You won't believe this. 

I didn't believe it either at first.... 

I was asked by a good friend to do some sort of narration for some organization (I suspect is funded by the LDP - Not sure) to make a commercial narration for people to go out and vote today (Dec. 14, 2014) in the Japan General Election.

I didn't tell them that I was an anarchist and that I do not condone voting.

Why? Well, I thought it was quite jaw-dropping that; 1) I am a foreigner in Japan and, as such, have no right to vote anyway so it's weird that I would be asked and then, telling people to go out and vote (isn't it?) and, 2) Like I said, I am an anarchist so I don't believe that voting changes anything and it is a waste of time.

I saw famous inventor and genius, Dr. Nakamatsu campaigning in front of Futakotamagawa station the other day. I'd vote for him (or some of the hot babes running) any day... 

I mean, if I voted; which I don't.

Like Mark Twain said, "If voting could change anything, it would be illegal."

So, I did the narration anyway, just to be able to say, someday, that "I am one of the few foreigners in Japan who (sort of) helped Shinzo Abe get re-elected."

Regular readers of this blog will know what I think of Shinzo (or any of the rest of them!)

So. I did it. I made the commercial. I write this down now because I don't want any skeletons in my closet. I have no idea where this is being broadcast, but was sent a Youtube link a few hours ago.

Here it is. Please watch on Youtube and give it a "Thumbs Up" if you like it!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaHpm0vqAj0

It was fun recording this, though. The people who are making these announcements are good folks with good intentions.

Dear Mother-of-all-that-is-gravy, please forgive me for what I've done!

It doesn't matter anyway... Abe will get re elected and continue to ruin this country and her currency with his insane "Abenomics.".

US Government Hypocrisy: Rejects Crimea Voter Turnout at 79% - US Presidential Turnout Much Less But OK!

Even though the people of Crimea have turned out in massive numbers and, reportedly, voted overwhelmingly to join Russia tomorrow, the US Mass Media reports in US rejects Crimea vote, says Russian actions 'dangerous':

Washington (AFP) - The United States strongly rejected Crimea's vote Sunday on breaking away from Ukraine, and called Russian actions in the crisis "dangerous and destabilizing."

Voter turnout in Crimea was 79% and 95% of the votes were favorable to joining Russia. AFP reports in: Crimea votes 95.5% to join Russia in referendum: preliminary results

Simferopol — Crimeans voted 95.5 percent in favour of joining Russia in a disputed referendum on Sunday, according to preliminary results with 50 percent of ballots counted, local authorities said. Referendum commission chairman Mykhaylo Malyshev said 3.5 percent had voted to remain in Ukraine with wider autonomous powers and 1.0 percent were "spoiled ballots".

Why is this funny and why is the US government remarks such hypocrisy?

Well, according to Wikipedia: ‪Voter turnout in the United States presidential elections‬, did you know that a 79% turnout is higher than every voter turnout in the United States for US presidential elections in over 114 years? That's right. The turnout in the Crimea for this election surpasses the turnout for every US presidential election since 1900...

What's the excuse for the US government to say that they will not recognize a popular vote that far surpasses the percentage of the people who vote for the US president in presidential elections? 

The US government says they will "not recognize the results" because of "intimidation by the Russian military"?

From AFP:

"This referendum is contrary to Ukraine's constitution, and the international community will not recognize the results of a poll administered under threats of violence and intimidation from a Russian military intervention that violates international law," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

Ha! Ha! Ha! Right... And elections held in Iraq and Afghanistan while under the US military boot and with hundreds of thousands of US troops in their countries is different? 

Oh, yeah. I forgot; people LIKE having US soldiers point guns at them. They DON'T like Russian soldiers doing the same.

The only thing the US government can say about this business of not recognizing the will of the people in a popular vote is that in the USA, it's the same: the will of the people be damned.

Stinking hypocrites.

PS: You'll never hear me telling anyone that they should, "Get out and vote!" 

Sunday Morning Thoughts: Birthdays and Why Vote?

Yesterday was my son's ninth birthday. My birthday, on the other hand, was a few days ago. Because of this closeness of dates, we always celebrate the birthdays together. So my two oldest daughters (his two half-sisters) came over for a later lunch. 

It was a fun affair and his two older sisters came over and we enjoyed a delicious meal of New Zealand lamb chops, New Zealand Green Mussells, Scallop Sashimi, Butter friend scallops, crackers and cheese and a delicious salad.

It was a fun time. I can remember when my son was just born. It seems like yesterday. Now he is very tall and is a voracious reader...

Me? I am getting old. I stopped drinking and went back to the raw food diet again because I feel that I need the energy of a 25-year-old again (raw food will do it, I've experienced it!)...

My birthday also gave me a sort of melancholy feeling that I had posted with that cartoon about Life in Japan the other day. If you missed it, let me ask that you watch it here. It is only three minutes long and is guaranteed to make a tear come to your eye.

Anyway, today, give your kids a hug, or, if you can't, call them up (and your parents too) and tell them that you love them! Do it now!

--------- 

This morning I awoke early, as usual, and attended to my chores of reading and writing. Usually, towards the end of this ritual, I make breakfast for my wife and son of raw vegetables, fruits and homemade juices. We eat extremely healthy (you should too! I wrote about that in "The Super Healthy Breakfast! - Raw Food! Live Longer, Younger and Look and Feel Great!")

After I finish breakfast, I usually take a look at Facebook and have been cutting down time on it as it is really a bummer and a waste of time.

What I saw today, really surprised me. It was a Facebook post from a "rocker" guy who is the front for a Ramones type of band and he had mentioned that he was at a Mitt Romney event and wrote "Mitt and Ann 100 ft. in front of me." After that, as expected, he was attacked by some people who like Obama or others who claim that Romney hates gays, etc.

The back and forth went on.

Finally, the rocker wrote, "This is not a political discussion. Vote for whoever you want to vote for!"

I was astounded. What a simplistic response. He implies by saying "Vote for whoever you want." That, by voting, things will change. 

Doesn't he know that the entire system is corrupt and cannot be reformed? Is he so clueless about US history that he doesn't know the truth? 

Maybe, after all, in many cases, musicians aren't the sharpest tools in the shed and they often never read books....

Sad...

I added this comment to his post:

Before Obama, we had a Republican presidency that had Ben Bernanke in charge of the Federal Reserve. Interestingly, Obama upon election, kept Bernanke and continued with the very same policies that Bush put in place of bailing out Wall Street and the big banks on the backs of the taxpayers - excepting that Obama actually expanded them! Timothy Geithner was Fed reserve chairman (and former Goldman Sachs) under Bush; Obama put him in charge of the Treasury!..

Also, Bush bombed 4 Muslim countries and now Obama bombs 6... ... 

The US presidency is like the manager of a donut shop. We see him but we never see the real owners of the donut shop. While the managers (like Obama, Bush, Clinton, etc...) will come in and say, "You need to change! We need to eat healthy! We need to be positive!" The reality is that, when they become donut shop manager, they still need to sell the 48 box of glazed donuts or they'll be out of a job.... Oh sure, they give lip-service to change and eating healthy but to think that these charlatans represent true change to the Leviathan that is the US Imperialist government is to deny 150 years of history... Why in the world don't people wake up to the fact that there isn't any difference between a Democrat and a Republican? 

With one party the welfare state is first to the pigs trough to feed and the warfare state is second. With the other party in power, the warfare state is first and the welfare state is second.... Losers? You and me (the taxpayers).

With that I linked to my favorite article that spawned this brilliant and simple analysis by Lew Rockwell: "The Humanitarian Face of the State With Fangs."

America Doesn't Have Free Elections Anymore - Ron Paul Can't Win as a Republican

Ron Paul came in second in the exit polls for South Carolina. Some say that projected him into a possible second place upset. Nevertheless, in spite of that, he finished fourth for the state in the Republican primary.


I think this is really damaging to the Ron Paul campaign.

As always, way before the votes are tallied, the results are projected. I wonder how, with only a percent or two counted, they can project winners? The actual projections for these primaries shouldn't be about Ron Paul or who is going to win that state. The actual projections should be for the health of the United States of America for the next 5 years. I project that within five years the US government will be bankrupt and this entire mess will come crumbling down like a house of cards. Within twenty years the entire edifice of the American Dream will have rotted from the vine and there will be tens of millions of Americans who are going to be starving and out of work.

There will be no hope for these people and the government that currently runs that country. The military industrial complex and Wall Street bankers will have sucked the last bits dry. The American worker and the American economy will be wheezing for breath like a heavy cigarette smoker after years of choking, coughing, spitting, spittle, blood marbled phlegm and emphysema.

People who read this blog know I like Ron Paul. I think the readers of this blog do too. But the media and the powers that be will never allow him to win. That today, with South Carolina's black box voting machines that leave no paper trail could still be in use in the United Sates after the fiasco of the 2000 election, shows that the people behind the curtain have no intention of allowing free elections for the American people.

That Ron Paul could be consistently polling at the top or second in all primaries until today, and consistently come in third or forth smells really bad. To think that something fishy isn't going on here is the height of naivety.

With results like this, why even vote? Someday, "they" will even make voting more automated by arranging it so that the people do not even have to vote for the results to be tabulated the way "they" want them to be and the predetermined winner to be chosen. Then they'll call that "progress."

Perhaps Ron Paul will be allowed to use his few delegates at the Republican convention to make a speech or negotiate a point. But it won't matter. It will be merely throwing a bone to the dog... The powers that be are betting that the people will not rise up and fight. Considering the recent past record, they are making a pretty safe bet.

The people after all do not bark. Even if they do, why bark if they've nothing to say?

The powers that be are happy with an Obama or a Romney or Gingrich. They are all the same. The best way to defang Ron Paul is to marginalize him and keep him in the race and pacify him at the Republican convention. After all, what difference does it make to our real masters who is president as long as they follow orders and keep the game going? That's the plan here folks.

Everyone knows that Gingrich is the same as Romney, who is the same as Santorum, who is the same as Obama, who is the same as Bush, who is the same as Clinton (Bill or Hillary). They are all the same.   

Anyone who isn't asleep knows that we aren't getting actual news on the TV or from the big networks. We haven't gotten any real news from the networks since who knows when. Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, all the major newspapers, etc. etc. are all completely biased and they don't even try to hide it anymore.

Why bother hiding it? 90% of America is watching the latest reality TV show.

The major networks are part of the elite who don't care about America or you or me. They only care about profits and their bonuses. And, when they can't get those bonuses anymore from the United States, they will move somewhere else to continue the rape and pillage. 

These people do not care about the country. They certainly do not care about you or me or our children.

But even with total control of the government and the economy and the police state, what is going to get better for them or us? The economy? Our lives? Food? Jobs? Hope? No. Nothing, my friends. Nothing is going to get better for them, you or me, our children or our children's children. 

The way things are going now, and this includes the USA and Japan, the only thing keeping society from collapsing will be McDonald's, Citibank branches, Playstation 3, chronic food shortages, lack of jobs, alcohol, reality TV and professional sports.

And, it's not just here at home where every which way is bad. No matter what they do or which way they turn, Iran can't win. The west, with the USA in the lead, is heading us headlong into a war with that nation that will bring us into total war with China and Russia. This war has nothing to do with Iranian nuclear weapons but has everything to do with controlling the world's oil supply. We are so close to the shooting starting that it's a miracle that it hasn't started already. 

What's stopped the war in Iran? Well, when the shooting starts and oil prices climb to over $250 a barrel, that would get rid of Obama's chances of re-election. It would be, once again, a Ron Paul prophesy coming true. They can't have that! Someday soon this entire facade is going to crumble. The powers that be just don't want that someday to be before election day 2012.  

Murdering John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King did nothing to stop their ideas. Arresting Ghandi and putting him in prison didn't prevent his ideas from capturing the hearts of the entire world. 

The plan is to cheat Ron Paul. He can win, and would, in a free election. But America doesn't have free elections anymore. Ron Paul won't be allowed to win. We will have to witness and endure the 2012 election being stolen right out from under our noses. The only way that this isn't going to happen is if the American people wake up from their slumber. Sure, many have awakened, but there are still far, far too many Americans who are deep into the depths of dreamworld.

But, never fear, Ron Paul's ideas are immortal as is the immortal spirit of men. The spirit of man will rise. The stolen elections will not put out the fire, but they will only help to make the fire started burn even brighter in the hearts of men. The dark days are coming, but after that, the dawn.

As Charlie Chaplin said in the film "the Great Dictator":

"The soul of man has been given wings, and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow, into the light of hope, into the future, that glorious future that belongs to you, to me and to all of us. Look up. Look up."

They can steal the election from us. They've done it before... But this cannot, it must not, be a fight between them and sunny day patriots. Like Ron Paul said, "This is the beginning of a long hard slog..."

Are you in it for the long haul? I expect that Ron Paul will keep up the fight in order to attempt to change the Republican platform.


I now hope for one of two things (or both):


1) It may sound like I am contradicting myself, but I am not. I hope Ron Paul keeps fighting for Republican nomination until the last minute then goes third party. If he does, I believe he has a chance to win outright. And why not go third party? The Republican party is dead with a Gingrich or Romney anyway. Like I said, there's no difference between either of them or Obama, so why not take them on?

2) Also, Rand Paul in 2016! 




UPDATE: It seems that I am not the only one bringing this subject up. I wrote this last night and now, this morning, I see others thinking the same thing. This is a MUST READ: There’s something very odd about GOP primary pre-polling and vote: http://www.infowars.com/theres-something-very-odd-about-gop-primary-pre-polling-and-vote/

11 Charts Of 11 Disturbing 11 Year Trends & 11 Years of Stocks Versus Gold

Over at Zerohedge they have eleven very disturbing charts about the economy that I think you'd be wise to take a minute to look at:


My favorite is 11 years of stocks versus 11 years of gold:

Here's another scary one: 11 years of Federal debt. As you can see, Obama has more than doubled the debt created when (that idiot) Bush was president: 

Here's 11 years of Food Stamp participation. Under Obama it's nearly doubled. How's that "Obama standing up for poor people" working out for you?

See more jaw-dropping charts at Zerohedge. 

Vote Ron Paul 2012 See what the International Business Times says about Ron Paul here.

Flyjin and Right to Vote in Japan?

"Flyjin made poor decisions, and in the process shirked responsibilities, upended their lives, cooled relationships, wasted money (however insignificant it may have been to them given their circumstances), contributed to an unnecessary panic, and set themselves up for a well-deserved ribbing." - Flyjin.com


My attention has been drawn to a wonderful blog called "LetsJapan". The subtitle reads: Travel to Japan and discover its people, history, cuisine, scenery, culture & arts.

RAY CHARLES - HIT THE ROAD JACK

I think it is an excellent blog and if filled with insightful commentary complete with photos and videos. In a recent post,  The Flyjin Phenomenon and Some People Not Like Them the blogger writes:


I can’t think of when I’ve posted anything “controversial” on this blog.  I keep politics out and emphasize culture, the arts, food, sights to see, personal reminiscences and the lighter side of things.  For the most part.  This isn’t like those.  The Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami has altered some things.  See more, below the happy photograph of me, back in the day, living the Expat life.


The writer then goes on to explain what the Flyjin word means and the phenomenon as well as his astute observations and opinion: 

I dare say that soon, if not already, many Japanese will certainly be familiar with this term.  But, yes, it’s not a term that Japanese have been using to scold skedaddling foreigners with; it’s a term Gaijin have been using towards and about their fellow countrymen and countrywomen.  I’m not ambivalent about the issue.  As said, I find the Flyjins’ actions somewhere between disgusting and loathsome.

Then there are These People

Of course not every foreigner has fled Japan.  To those who stayed, who remain in Japan here and now, Japan is home and their neighbors are their neighbors and the thought of running out on them is just, well, it’s not even a consideration.  I have many foreign friends and colleagues in the Tokyo area who are not only staying put, but are going about with their lives and work.

+  Example 1: “Uptick in Business.”

The substantive part of an email I received one week ago from a colleague who works in downtown Tokyo (note:  “GW” is Golden Week):

Happy to have people come to Japan, we need the uptick in business.  Mid to late April should be fine for everyone.  I am already getting busy again and things are getting back to normal.  Just need to avoid GW and you will be all set.

The writer then goes on to list up English teachers who actually live in the earthquake and tsunami hit areas who didn't leave. People who were so dedicated to their lives, jobs and communities that they stayed on.

If any foreigner had an excuse to leave Japan during this crisis, no one would be criticizing those who lived in the worst hit zones... But there they remained. One English teacher remarked:

”It is overwhelming, mentally and physically to stay here but I want to stay,” said Katherine Sheu, 25, from Los Angeles, who has taught English at five elementary and junior high schools in the devastated city of Ishinomaki for the past three years. . .

”I love it here. I have many connections with my students, the teachers and the neighbors. I wouldn’t just leave,” Sheu said.

. . . Sheu had been touched by the way her neighbors in Ishinomaki welcomed her.  At a time when she was sick, they had checked on her and come to her aid.

”Just the way people cared about me and worried about me made me feel good. It changed everything.” Some gave her strawberries and tomatoes from their farms. ”You will never get that in Los Angeles.”

There are many more wonderful examples like the one above at LetsJapan. Please take a moment to look at it. While doing so, compare the leadership and dedication that these people - English teachers (who are often slated for derision by the foreigner community in Japan)! Compare the leadership and dedication show by these young people - who live near the disaster zone - with that of the foreign community - specifically foreign business executives - who ran from Tokyo and even as far away as Nagoya in Kansai while leaving their Japanese staff holding the bag.

The writer then goes on to point out another interesting repercussion that this entire Flyjin episode has probably caused. He writes:

Update.  1 April 2011.  One of many possible upshots.

I paraphrase what one British friend and colleague, living in Tokyo, married to a Japanese woman, related to me by email after he read this.  According to my friend’s wife, a recent topic of conversation that has been circulating among the Japanese involves the prospects of Gaijin getting the vote.  Whereas before the crisis most people appeared broadly in favor of permanent residents getting a vote, many now appear to have completely changed their mind as a result of the widespread exodus of foreigners, arguing (as my friend says, “convincingly, in my book”) that their actions have revealed that the depth of their commitment to society is perhaps not all it should be to warrant full emancipation.

My own wife is a former TV news announcer and is well-connected in those circles as well as being a fairly well-known writer. I asked her last night to investigate this amongst her Japanese friends and let me know what everyone thought. She did that for me last night. Basically, she said,

"Japanese people are quite forgiving and many have a "foreigner complex" whereby we don't expect the foreigners to do simple things like learn the Japanese language. We easily forgive them when they do not understand or fit in so well. It's even because many Japanese people themselves think that Japan has so many customs and rules that it is difficult for even us to know what to do in many cases. But, in our case, when we don't know, as japanese it is common sense that we consult each other and, in Japan, team work is what matters. A Japanese person would never flee when others in their family are in danger. Take, for example the Fukushima 50. That the foreigners fled instantly, before any consultations or warnings from the government, show us that they don't care about the group so they do not intend to be a part of Japanese society...  That's okay. Hence, all the people I talked to were of the opinion that foreigners are just that; We can't expect them to be responsible to anyone except themselves. Most of them certainly do not understand what the responsibility to us (Japanese) means so they shouldn't be allowed to vote. That isn't to say that all foreigners shouldn't be allowed to vote... But how can we separate the responsible ones from the ones we can't depend on?"

I understand. There will be more repercussions coming concerning those who fled. Now, I think, the worst thing they can do is to continue making excuses and attacking the messenger. The smart foreigners who fled unnecessarily will come back and - when in Rome do as the Romans do - quietly apologize to those they hurt; keep their heads down; be extremely humble; and try to remain silent for a long while (meaning that they refrain from boisterous behavior).

Take this advice from a half-Japanese who has lived with Japanese people all his life and lived here continuously since 1984... First coming here over 32 years ago. Call me a know-it-all but this is the way it is. If you wish to return smoothly take my advice and be humble, you'll help greatly in the healing process... The first thing anyone needs to do here in this country when there is a problem - whether they caused it or not - is to humbly apologize profusely and sincerely.

Japanese people will listen to your heart more than your words.

If you want to read more well-written commentary about this subject and just some wonderful things "Japan", I highly recommend "LetsJapan".