Japan: The End of an Era

I hate to say "I told you so!"... Well, no, that's not true. I LOVE saying, "I told you so!" Nearly four months ago, on December 29th, I predicted exactly what was going to happen with a weak yen. Now, this prediction has come to pass. Things are deteriorating quickly. I wrote in:

Here's Why A Weak Yen Will Destroy Japan  

The clowns in the LDP think a weak yen will rescue Japan's faltering economy by making exports cheaper... Sounds good... That is, if there anyone to buy Japanese goods.  I fear that the weaker yen will be the last straw in breaking the Japanese Economy. Here's my reasoning why... 

China and Japan are in a row over islands. Boom! Down goes exports to Japan's biggest trading partner. Please refer to the NY Times article, "Japan Trade Suffers as China Ties Deteriorate":

"Shipments to China, which is Japan's biggest trading partner, tumbled 14.1 per cent as demand dropped for Japan-branded products..."

Also refer to Japanese Car Sales Plunge Amid China Rage.

Europe is in no condition to be big spenders on anything as Euro states are already in deep recession.

The USA isn't in good shape either as it is in recession too and Japanese cars aren't selling well due to Fukushima and other issues.

Gee? So what will a weak yen certainly buy for Japan? Answer: How about a 10% increase across the board on energy imports?

Read more at: Here's Why A Weak Yen Will Destroy Japan 

Now, the numbers are coming in and they confirm what was (easily) predicted.

From: Testosterone Pit

Japan's trade deficit in February jumped to ¥777.5 billion. Exports dropped "unexpectedly" by 2.9% from prior year, despite Abenomics. Imports surged 11.9%. Eighth monthly deficit in a row, worst since 1979. Good news: exports to the US up 5.7%. But to China, they plunged 15.8%, to Hong Kong 14.3% (still iffy commercial relations due to island tiff). To the EU, they skidded 9.6% (tough economy). Not getting better: February 2012 had a surplus of ¥32.9 billion, after what was a record trade deficit in January of ¥1.4 trillion. This year in January, the trade deficit hit a new record of ¥1.63 trillion, and now ¥777 billion.    

Trade deficits aren’t the end of the world for Japan. But they’re the end of an era. Since the mid-1980s, Japan booked large annual trade surpluses, which helped fund budget deficits without having to rely on foreigners. But in 2011, there was a deficit of ¥2.56 trillion. A temporary blip, it was called. In 2012, ¥6.93 trillion ($78 billion). An all-time record. And so far this year, the trend is even worse. (Read more at Testosterone Pit)

And, Zerohedge adds:

Japanese Exports Drop More Than Expected Smashing Adj. Trade Balance To New Record Low 

It appears Abe and his henchmen had better stop doing things and say something as the huge devaluation of the JPY so far is NOT having the effect he had hoped for. Exports dropped 2.9% - more than expected - and while imports rose less than expected, the currency drop still meant an 11.9% surge in imports. All this means is that on a seasonally-adjusted basis, the Japanese Trade Balance just hit a new all-time record low (negative). USDJPY is strengthening on the news... it seems that well-placed non-news headline at 2am Japan time is well worth it now to cover this debacle... We assume the lesson is - just wait, "if we devalue, they will come."

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Also a great "Thank you!" (and I'd like to say that I am humbled by your support) to my readers.

God bless.

Cyprus Confiscation Collapses Because of Cyprian Politicians Fear the KGB?

Well, well, well, look at what we have here. Interesting take on the fiasco in Cyprus:

The government leaders in Cyprus have no ability to protect themselves from the retribution of the former Russian KGB agents, including Putin himself.

The government leaders in Cyprus are trying to back-pedal right now in order to save their lives. Let me say it again, they are trying to save their own lives. Remember, ‘revenge is best served cold.’ This means the revenge never comes at the moment of the miscreant act. But it will come in time.

To take money from the leading economic entities in Russia, is to take money from the former KGB officers, and taking money from them is extremely dangerous. I think the reality has quickly set in for the leaders of Cyprus that they have aided in the confiscation of the most serious and dangerous money you could possibly touch. It has these leaders more afraid for their lives than their bank accounts.

One can only hope it's true.

Read the rest here: http://freedom4um.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=153811&Disp=4

Free Sunday Matinee: Gamera the Invincible (1965) Uncut and Free! No signup!

Need to burn some time yet do not want to spend any money? Yep. I can relate to that. Grab a bag of potato chips and a drink and relax with this B-grade Japanese cinema classic. Uncut, and unedited and in full length. Quality is great too. Acting is fabulously retro! And this movie is action-packed from the get-go!

Here is the American release of Gamera the Invincible from 1965!

This was the only film in the original Gamera series to be released to American theaters. It was originally presented in America by World Entertainment Corp. and Harris Associates, Inc. who re-named the film Gammera the Invincible. All subsequent entries in the series were released directly to television by American International Productions Television. Gammera the Invincible's American premiere was in New Orleans on December 15, 1966. Gammera the Invincible was heavily re-edited from its original Japanese version. Scenes were moved around and some were deleted completely. New footage featuring American actors was spliced in to create a more international feel and to replace scenes shot in the original cut featuring American extras with poor acting. Theses new scenes featured actors such as Albert Dekker and Brian Donlevy. The film was dubbed by Titan Productions, Inc. It features the voices of Jack Curtis and Peter Fernandez, who are best known as voices on Speed Racer and Ultraman.

The film opens with Gamera's awakening from the accidental detonation of an atomic bomb as a result of an aerial assault by American fighters on Soviet bombers caught crossing into North American airspace. Gamera wastes no time in causing a rampage of destruction, first destroying a Japanese research ship, then making its way to Japan to wreak havoc. In an attempt to stop the giant turtle, Gamera is sedated with a freezing agent on a precipice, and powerful explosives are placed at the base. The explosion knocks the monster on its back, and while it seems as though mankind has scored a victory, this is not the case: Gamera reveals its ability to fly. A second strategy, Plan Z, is devised to stop the monster, this time by baiting it into a rocket bound for Mars. The plan is successful and the Earth is safe from Gamera.

Enjoy the show!

DOUBLE CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SCREEN 

DOUBLE CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SCREEN 

How did Japanese cinema ever come up with these ideas? Well, if you still have time, check out what happened with plants mutating & growing wildly a few weeks after the atomic bombs were dropped at 29:45 in the video at This is Powerful! Alternative Views: Hiroshima & Nagasaki. What People Experienced .

From the Internet Archives

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Keywords: Gamera, Science-fiction, sci-fi, 1965, retro

Petition the IOC to Return Wrestling to the Olympics

A dear friend of mine alerted me to the fact that the IOC has dropped Wrestling, I believe it is called, "Greco-Roman Wrestling" for the upcoming Olympics slate.

Now, my regular readers will know that I am not really a big fan of any organized or professional sport. They might think that this is hypocritical that I would take a stand about an Olympic sport. But, I don't think this is hypocritical at all; what I am standing for here is to allow the opportunity for young people to compete in a sport that they love; that's all.

I don't understand why some bureaucrats, sitting in some office somewhere, arbitrarily decided to end wrestling at the Olympics. "End wrestling at the Olympics?!" Excuse me, but isn't Greco-Roman wrestling the oldest of all Olympic sports? 

But that I don't watch sports on TV, doesn't mean that I should stop other people from doing what they like!

I don't watch TV at all, but I do enjoy actually going to events of all kinds! I think people who enjoy watching it - on TV or live, should be able to freely - and the young kids who aspire to become Olympic athletes - should not have a dream taken away from them from some fat bureaucrats sitting in some office.

I know that if I were the father of some young man on any high school wrestling team anywhere, I'd be up in arms. Why take away these kids dreams? And in one of the world's oldest sports, no less? What!?

Here is a petition to the IOC to restore wrestling to the Olympics. If you support wrestling and want it to continue, won't you print this document out, gather signatures and send it back to the committee?

If you are not the "petitioning type" how about, then, sending them an email that says something like this (or copy and paste this one?) Pls send all signed emails and petitions to : jpnwrestle@yahoo.com

_______________

Dear Sirs,

I find it outrageous that the Olympic committee would cancel wrestling, the world's oldest and most traditional sport, for the upcoming Olympics.

I strongly urge that your restore Olympic wrestling to its rightful place amongst the other Olympic competitions. It just cannot be a true Olympic competition without wrestling. Reinstate! Please!

Signed______________________________________

Address:_____________________________________

Date:_______________________________________

Here is a copy of the petition that you can download and print. Pls send all signed emails and petitions to : jpnwrestle@yahoo.com

Click on petition for full size view

Get a Top-Quality Professional Logo for Yourself or Your Company for $200 (USD)

People who read this blog often (thank you) will know that I am a member of many online communities. I do that because it is a good place to see what people are writing about SNS, Social Media, and Social Media Marketing (SMM). It is also a good place to see what the old school people are doing to try to make themselves look as if they are up on the Internet and the new media.

Guess how much this logo cost? A total of $200 (USD) Incredible? Read on.

It is pretty easy to pick the people out who are still stuck in the old ways at these "Marketing Online Professionals" communities. They write things like,

For this reason , I am convinced that SM works ONLY when being integrated inside a marketing plan, together with media placement, PR, promo, direct marketing and CRM. 

It is painfully obvious that the guy who wrote this is an old-school advertising guy posing as an "Internet and Social Media" expert. He laments the fact that his Social Media Marketing (SMM) plans fail consistently. He is trying to convince us - but more likely he is trying to convince himself - that the old way is vital.

In some ways he's right. The old media is vital if my product is targeted to to the 45 ~ 70-year-old crowd or if my product or service is for everyone in the family from the smallest kids to grandpa and grandma (think Disneyland, etc.) But when your product /service is for the under 40 crowd, I think you'd have to consider long and hard about spending a cent on old media... In many cases you would not be doing your client any favors to recommend spending huge budgets on TV or radio. I wrote about that in detail here and here.

Earlier today, I went to a different online professionals community and was so surprised to find people saying things like "First things, first! You must hire a professional to do your company logo!"

Of course a good logo is a must... But coughing up a few thousand dollars to hire a professional? And this advice coming from a community that calls itself, "Online Professionals"? Hmmm... Why would the people who are supposedly sold on online business be pushing the old-school ways?

Perhaps hiring a big-bucks professional will be necessary down the line, but I think us Internet types should try to use our creativity and brains before we just throw money at the problem like people used to do....

As I suspected many times, these online communities are often places where old-school advertising agents try to gain credibility as "Internet" and "online experts"... But they actually don't really do either (always ask any self-proclaimed "Internet" and "Social Media Marketer" for a list of their blog URL's and Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, U-Stream, Mixi (in Japan), etc, accounts. That's an easy way to pick out the frauds).

Click here and read at bottom for tips on how to pick out the poseurs.

I know many a small to medium business owner who has hired a professional and spent a few thousand dollars only to wind up with a handful of designs and they didn't like any of them. Foolish especially considering the fact that new businesses must watch out for every single penny and paper clip!

Well, now my friends, there is a solution! It is a company called Logomyway.

Logomyway is a new service that started in April 2009. At Logomyway you make a logo design contest and get 1,000's of artists to compete for your business... You pay nothing excepting to the winning submission. The cost can be as low as $200 (USD). You decide the winner's prize fee.

My company, "Universal Vision" logo... $200! Excellent!

Hiring a professional designer right off the bat is old school. It is also the easy way to do things for salaried employees who have no problem spending the company money... They wouldn't recommend this is it were out of their pocket. The people people who were so quick to recommend throwing away $1,000 ~ $2,000 were from an online professionals group! I'm surprised that anyone would suggest the old way without investigating the new and exciting things going on online. Try Logomyway.

http://www.logomyway.com/

I have no investment nor business relationship with Logomyway whatsoever but have used it twice  and recommended to three other people who have used it. Everyone has been more than thrilled with the results... One friend was so happy because the professional that he had hired before - and paid well - gave him designs that weren't that good... He was worried that he was going to be out another $1,000 when I introduced him to Logomyway... The result? He spent $200 and got a killer logo.

And, if you don't like any of the logos... You don't pay!

All hail the Internet!!!!

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Keywords:
Logo, Logomyway, SNS, Social Media, SMM, old media, Japan, Mixi, Internet, Facebook, Twitter, blog, online professionals, Marketing Online Professionals, YouTube, Online Marketing, Universal Vision, Mike Rogers, Marketing Japan, U-Stream, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, 

Neighborhood Bonsai Trees Speak Volumes About Japan's Low Crime Rate!

These trees have a story to tell.

Japan has its share of troubles, but one of them isn't vandalism nor is it random criminality like it seems is so frequent in the USA or other European and some Asian nations. Japan is well known for a very low crime rate. It is astounding especially when you consider that in Tokyo, a city of over 65 million people, that crime is so low.

I could run all sorts of statistics about crime in Japan compared to other countries but those are plentiful. Today, I'd like to give you some anecdotal evidence of how safe Japan is by showing you some trees.

There is an old guy who has several dozen Bonsai trees outside of his house and next to a big apartment building just 30 seconds walk from Yoga Station. Yoga is in Setagaya-ku in Tokyo and is about 10 minutes ride from Shibuya station. So we are talking about a big city here folks.

He has all his trees lined up outside where people can walk by and touch them.

Nobody steals them. Nobody knocks them over in a spate of vandalism.

These beautiful trees just sit there and bring some nature into the lives of people crammed into the big city.

It's nice to see these trees. It's nice the old guy takes care of them and allows them to brighten our days.

Their existence outside is a testament to the peacefulness of Japan and low crime rate. I think they speak volumes about what kind of a society Japan is.... Much better than crime statistics ever could.