The Taming of the Shrew - (English subtitle)

I made a brief summery of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Music provided by GACKT with the song 'Nine Spiral'. Pictures provided by the web site Acidcow.com.

AFTER SCHOOL - DIVA ( JAPANESE VER. ) Teaser

Firefighters Gave Life to Save Thousands

Heroic citizens face needless danger / Shortage of remotely controlled floodgates imperils volunteer firefighters 

Link 1  Link 2

Tomoki Okamoto and Yuji Kimura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

KAMAISHI, Iwate--Floodgates that can be remotely operated could make the difference between life and death for volunteer firefighters and others involved in rescue operations.

More than 70 firefighters were killed or went missing during the March 11 tsunami, after heading toward the sea to close floodgates. Although volunteer firefighters are classified as temporary local government employees assigned to special government services, they are basically everyday civilians.

"When an earthquake occurs, people head for the mountains [due to tsunami], but firefighters have to head toward the coast," said Yukio Sasa, 58, deputy chief of the No. 6 firefighting division in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture.

The municipal government entrusts the job of closing the city's 187 floodgates in an emergency to the firefighting team, private business operators and neighborhood associations.

In the March 11 tsunami, six firefighters, a man appointed fire marshall at his company, and a board member of a neighborhood association were killed.

When the earthquake hit, Sasa's team headed toward the floodgates on the Kamaishi coast. Two members who successfully closed one floodgate fell victim to the tsunami--they were most likely engulfed while helping residents evacuate or while driving a fire engine away from the floodgate, according to Sasa.

"It's instinct for firefighters. If I'd been in their position, after closing the floodgate I would've been helping residents evacuate," Sasa said.

Even before the disaster, the municipal government had called on the prefectural and central governments to make the floodgates operable via remote control, noting the danger aging firefighters would face if they had to close the floodgates manually in an emergency.

In Miyako in the prefecture, two of the three floodgates with remote control functions failed to function properly on March 11.

As soon as the earthquake hit, Kazunobu Hatakeyama, 47, leader of the city's No. 32 firefighting division, rushed to a firefighters' meeting point about one kilometer from the city's Settai floodgate. Another firefighter pushed a button that was supposed to make the floodgate close, but they could see on a surveillance monitor that it had not moved.

Hatakeyama had no choice but to drive to the floodgate and manually release the brake in its operation room.

He managed to do this and close the floodgate in time, but could see the tsunami bearing down on him. He fled inland in his car, barely escaping. He saw water gush out of the operation room's windows as the tsunami demolished the floodgate.

"I would've died if I'd left the room a little bit later," Hatakeyama said. He stressed the need for a reliable remote control system: "I know there are some things that just have to be done, regardless of the danger. But firefighters are also civilians. We shouldn't be asked to die for no reason."

There are about 570 floodgates under the management of the Miyagi prefectural government, of which 166 are permanently closed. The other floodgates have sliding mechanisms that make them easy to open and close, and the government asks fishery industry workers who need to open the gates to close them afterward.

The Iwate prefectural government plans to replace floodgates destroyed by the tsunami with ones that can be remotely controlled. A prefectural government official said, "We're also considering attaching solar-powered backup systems to the floodgates' electricity supply."

72 lost volunteer firefighters responsible for gate-closing

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper

Of 253 volunteer firefighters who were killed or went missing in three disaster-hit prefectures as a result of the March 11 tsunami, at least 72 were in charge of closing floodgates or seawall gates in coastal areas, it has been learned.

The tragedy occurred amid mounting calls for more floodgates that can be operated remotely, due to the danger of going to the coast to close gates immediately after an earthquake.

Given the large number of casualties, officials said the government will investigate the situation at the time of the tsunami and consider revising the rules for floodgate operations.

There are about 1,450 floodgates in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, including some to prevent the inflow of seawater into rivers and seawall gates to allow people to pass through.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, 119 volunteer firefighters died or went missing in the March 11 disaster in Iwate Prefecture, 107 in Miyagi Prefecture and 27 in Fukushima Prefecture.

Of these, 59 and 13 were in charge of closing gates in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, respectively, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey of the municipalities and firefighting agencies concerned.

Volunteer firefighters are classified as irregular local government officials, and many have regular jobs. Their average annual allowance was 25,475 yen in 2008.

Their allowance per mission amounted to 3,356 yen for the same year. If voluntary firefighters die in the line of duty, the Mutual Aid Fund for Official Casualties and Retirement of Volunteer Firefighters pays benefits to their bereaved families.

There were slightly more than 880,000 volunteer firefighters in 2010, a drop of 67,000 from 2000.

In six municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture where volunteer firefighters were killed, the closing of gates was entrusted to private companies and citizen groups. A local resident of Namiemachi in the prefecture died after he went out to close a floodgate.

According to the municipalities concerned and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, volunteer firefighters were also swept away while guiding the evacuation of residents or while in transit after finishing gate-closing operations.

More firefighters were lost at these times than while closing gates, the agency said.

Of about 600 floodgates and seawall gates under the administration of the Iwate prefectural government, 33 can be remotely operated. However, in some cases, volunteer firefighters rushed to manually close gates because remote controls had been rendered inoperable due to earthquake-triggered power outages.

"Some volunteer firefighters may not have been able to close the seawall gates immediately because many people passed through the gates to fetch things left behind in their boats," an official of the Iwate prefectural government said.

In Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, four volunteer firefighters trying to close gates fled from the oncoming tsunami, but three died or went missing.

According to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, there were 25,463 floodgates and seawall gates at least two meters wide at seaports and elsewhere across the country as of March last year. Of these, just 742 units, or about 3 percent, could be remotely controlled, the ministry said.

The ministry will ask each prefecture to increase the number of remotely controlled floodgates and seawall gates while inspecting how the gates have been used and administered. Based on its findings, the ministry will decide on the order in which gates should be closed after an earthquake, and study a plan to keep shut at ordinary times gates that do not need to remain open.

Another factor that increased the death toll among volunteer firefighters was the fact that many did not possess wireless equipment, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. As a result, they could not obtain frequent updates on the heights of tsunami, it said.

The agency plans to establish a reassessment panel to study countermeasures, an official said.

"We'll consider the necessity of closing floodgates when we're in danger [from the onslaught of tsunami]."

Autism Cure?

I have two boys who are autistic and just recently I received this email from a friend of mine.

Autism Study Halted - Improvements "Too Obvious"    

To Thrilled Parents         

Hi, As much as I would love to say otherwise, the autism epidemic is getting worse.

It has evolved into a disease classification of "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD) which includes the classic Autistic Disorder as well as the similar but milder symptom Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

The official numbers for newly ASD diagnosed kids is now 1 in 110, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). It used to be 1 in 150. And in the 1980s, it was around 1 in 2,500.

The cause of autism

Many theories exist about what causes autism, including:

- mercury in vaccinations

- genetics

- environmental toxins (including heavy metals, pesticides and flame retardants)

- viral or bacterial infections

- disruption of early fetal brain development and

- diet

(I personally know three different people who swear their kids were completely normal in every way up until the day they had their MMR vaccine...and now they are autistic.) Hundreds more have contacted us and told us the same thing about how their kids changed IMMEDIATELY after vaccines.

Although the causes of autism is hotly debated, what happens afterward is not in doubt and is not debated.

Most of them have chronic digestive problems, including leaky gut syndrome and high levels of the bacteria Clostridium tetani in their systems.

This has led to increasing research into the links between autism and intestinal flora.

The link

According to Mark Brudnak, PhD, author of "The Probiotic Solution," a child may have a reaction to a vaccine or an infection that disrupts how certain genes in their body switch on or off. This can cause malfunctioning in the child's immune and digestive systems.

When this occurs, proteins are no longer properly broken down in the GI tract. Additionally, the friendly bacteria and healthy cells in the intestinal walls die off, the harmful bacteria (like Clostridium tetani) flourish, and the gut lining becomes like a sieve (called leaky gut syndrome).

When the gut wall is leaky, incompletely digested proteins like casein (the protein in dairy products) and gluten (the protein in wheat, barley and rye) seep out into the bloodstream.

Then these proteins can travel to the brain and cause it to trigger opiate-like effects (like being on morphine), which is a common symptom of children with autism.

That's why parents of autistic children are frequently told to eliminate both casein and gluten from their child's diet...and they see great results when they do.

The probiotic-autism study that was stopped

Since probiotics are effective in helping to alleviate leaky gut syndrome and achieving a healthy flora balance, many researchers and forward-thinking healthcare professionals now recommend probiotics for children with autism.

And the results have been VERY encouraging.

One medical study in particular has proven so successful that the study technically "failed," according to a New Scientist report on September 9, 2006.

The study, led by Professor Glenn Gibson at Reading University, UK, found that autistic children vastly improved their concentration and behavior when given probiotics.

He studied 40 autistic children, aged 4 to 8. Half were given the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus Plantarum while the other half received a placebo. The parents were asked to record their children's mood and behavior in a diary.

It was supposed to have been a blind study, where the participants were not told who was taking the actual probiotics and who was taking placebos.

But the results were WAY too obvious...

Parents whose autistic children were taking the actual probiotics saw such drastic improvements in their children's behavior that they knew their children were taking the real thing.

This lead to problems at the crossover point of the study, where the two groups were supposed to switch medicines. The parents whose children were taking the real probiotics refused to make the switch because their children had improved so dramatically!

Pretty conclusive, wouldn't you say?

That's why the study was considered a "failure..."

...because the second half couldn't be completed! But the results spoke for themselves -- the probiotic was a smashing success.

Hundreds of similar studies have been and are currently being conducted that provide hope for people with this devastating condition.

Two super bacteria

Two bacteria that are showing a LOT of promise with autism are Lactobacillus plantarum (used in Dr. Gibson's study above) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

Species of both of these strains are in Super Shield probiotic formula.

In addition to showing promise with helping to alleviate autism symptoms, these powerhouse strains can also help your body in other ways:

- L. plantarum helps reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol levels while boosting your overall immune response and fighting off pathogens like E. coli.

- L. rhamnosus can help shorten diarrhea (and prevent it altogether), relieve constipation, and possibly even prevent lactose intolerance.  It can also help alleviate symptoms of IBD and IBS, helps ease yeast and urinary tract infections and strengthens the gut wall (which is vital for leaky gut syndrome).

Fullmetal Alchemist Halloween message

How Liberals become Conservatives

The following article is of a personnel viewpoint and in no way to be presented as factual data of any kind. All of this was meant in good humor and fun. If reading this article causes any emotional distress then I am sincerely sorry for your misunderstanding and hope that you will get over it.

With the current issues of the day dividing our Nation’s leaders as well as the common people throughout the land, it is rather easy to notice the many similarities and differences  in so many people as their beliefs and practices will eventually reach a final conclusion. The following examples will clearly show, from my viewpoint, on where we stand as a Nation and as an individual.

From the beginning of the birth of a baby, the parents are dealing with a fully fledge Union card carrying liberal. This enfant believe that all of creation revolves around them. Doesn’t matter on the time of day or night, what they want they expect to get. Depending on if they have been properly educated, this lifestyle will continue on for many years even into adulthood. You will see many of these people in stores. They want to be held or walk on their own. They see an item and will act in the most embarrassing way possible in order to obtain said item. Though sear volume of rampant protest, they usually get what they want thereby believing this is the correct way to get things. Imagine the character Veruca Salt from the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

At Christmas time, when parent do their best to keep their kids from entering any kind of store that sell toys is almost near to impossible as every TV channel will broadcast all the new toys and gadgets that Santa will bring this year to them. These kids will write many letters to Santa and drive their parents near crazy in their efforts to obtain these items that they didn’t work for nor do they yet understand the cost of buying them. By the time they reach 10 years old, a glimmer of change begins to appear. Again if a true parent educated them well enough, these kids will have the foundation to really see the importance of give and take or as the saying goes, “you wash my back, and I’ll wash yours”.  Cutting the grass, rack the leaves, cleaning up their room are the beginning points as they learn to earn money and privileges. They learn that the money they honestly earned can be spent on anything they want.

When they enter the teenage years they know that doing chores equals money and that a part time summer job equals more money. They see the amount of taxes taken out of their paycheck and begin to learn what their tax dollars are used for. Also at this time as teenagers start hanging out will from time to time grab a drink and/or something to eat. Those that work will have the money to do this as those that do not will revert to their younger years and begin to chant out multiple reasons why they deserve to be treated to a free handout.

Also during the teenage dating lifestyle, the boy will surly scramble to come up with the money to treat his girlfriend on a date as the girl will need money just in case the guy is a jerk and needs to get home. Basically this is the time in their life when they form within them the meaning of being a Moderate. They still want a free handout but they know that they eventually will have to earn it.

If they go to college or a University it will delay their development into entering a conservative lifestyle. They will be exposed to free thinking beliefs like; “It’s my body and I can do whatever I want too. I can have sex with whomever I want, drink alcohol, get tattoos and smoke marijuana but not cigarettes because it’s bad for you”. Their brain is beginning to understand that the world does not revolve around them but yet they still express what they truly believe but yet they still sound like small kids wearing grownup shoes.

 If they get a job then they quickly wake up to reality. They still live at home and as soon as they get paid, it’s all spent by Monday morning. It’s at this stage to when the parents will begin to enlightening these kids with new house rules that comes with more freedom. Nighttime curfews may be gone but paying rent or more chores could be included in this arrangement.  As they stay focused on their job and household chores, they begin to understand and build upon being a responsible person.

They learn to save money. Looking at the price tag and contemplating if they really need to buy that item. Also they see the friends they hung out with as teenagers as either freeloaders or true friends. This is where people start drifting apart. Mostly due to work but they see their so called friends just like a small kid in a store screaming for a toy. These mooching young adults have yet to grow up to face the real world.  But the ones that have grown up are starting to see and begin to live more responsibly. As they express what they believe in will be met with respect by older adults.

When they move out on their own for the first time is magical. Even though they work, pay taxes and have more responsibility to deal with compared to a few years earlier, they live like a homeless person. They have to budget rent, phone, power, cable TV and whatever other bills they have and live off the rest. So if someone asked for spare change could mean the difference between having lunch or not. With this, other adults will see the maturity in this person and offer advice on what to expect on life on their own.

Over time this young person living the life of a Republican will have some money set aside for emergencies. They will be careful and budget themselves with a lifestyle that they can afford. But two lifestyles that no one is really prepared for is marriage and parenthood. In marriage you have to give 100% to the relationship while all the troubles, hardships, victories and rewards are shared 50-50. They learn the true meaning of compromise and investing in another person and a different lifestyle that may or may not work out. If successful this leads to the next stage of life of being a parent.

Everything you have done in your life to that point changes as every bit of money that you saved will be gone as with your health and lifestyle. Your development as a person over the years will decide what kind of parent you will be. If done correctly then you’re OK but if you still live as if the world owes you something, just like a kid begging for that new toy, then you’ll have lots of problems. As a true parent, you will have the maturity to not only take care of the newborn child but will also be ready to handle any unforeseen problem that appears. The best advice will always come from people’s testimonies than from books as a true parent will always welcome any advice that will help them through this time of their lives.

And as a true parent who has learned to save money, earn the respect of fellow coworkers, has a lifestyle that is prepared for the baby as well as being prepared for future potential problems is ready for their greatest challenge. This conservative couple must now raise a child who believes that it is the center of the known universe. This enfant believe he/she deserve all the attention and only the best in life even though they have shown no true purpose in life. They want their fair share even though they haven’t earned it. Not yet at least. But this conservative couple will sacrifice everything for the sake of this child. Money, free time, sanity even their lifestyle just to raise this child that starts ever sentence with the words,” I want…”.  And throughout the years as this child grows up following their liberal beliefs, they view their parents as nothing more than conservative kooks with a wallet and keys to the car.

From the beginning of liberalism we grow up and change into a conservative lifestyle. We choose to live as an adult or as a child. Taking responsibility and earning the respect of others or giving up and living off others. Making the world and all things on it a better place as we help others to grow and mature or to demand from the world a lifestyle without earning it at the expense of others. To be remembered as a hero or savior who made the world a better place or as a leech that only takes, never giving anything back to society. 

Food Lion's New Deal

Krispy Kreme Table

Food Lion is a grocery store that over the years has been working hard to clean up its image with one being visible and another one not so visible; until now. The obvious one is the amount of displays up and down the aisles and throughout the store.  Customers’ who operate the shopping cart the same way they drive their car keep hitting and knocking them down as these displays kept getting bigger and bigger. These displays are all gone now. A cleaning program was started to where an employee’s only job is to go around the store all day cleaning. Now it is very easy to shop in these stores.

Also they have a computer system that is doing all the ordering for the stores. It knows what was ordered a year ago and what has been ordered and sold from past orders. Basically, it’s working great in many of these stores but no so good in the ones that use to be a high volume store. One store has five pallets of juice backstock. Hopefully this ordering system will be a great deal better than the one that orders for Wal-Mart.

But there is another side to these new Food Lion programs that many people may have begun to notice. To stay in business one has to sell products people want to buy. Make it cheap but sell it for a greater profit. Even though Food Lion is doing great in sales and has a long future in the grocery business, one thing has become clear as to what sells and what doesn’t. And for Food Lion, their store brands do not sell as well as the name brands. The store brands are cheaper to make with a high profit margin compared to the name brands that has a small profit margin. So what is a company to do?

Well right now, all the Food Lion stores in the Raleigh, North Carolina area are in a ‘Pilot Program’. That means Food Lion executives want to see what would happen if all the vendors’ displays, shelf space and promos were taken out of those stores. And in its place would be their store brand names of; Food Lion, My Essentials and Home Essentials. With that, many vendors saw their position in the stores going from an endcap to a floor stack in frozen foods or to nothing at all. In some of these stores the Krispy Kreme table, which is a common feature in all grocery stores in the area, are collecting dust in a few Food Lion backrooms as their donuts are now located in a small side cubby hole on a back endcap.

And now that a computer is doing all the ordering for these stores, there has been another grocery reset with many more name brand products are condensed or removed from the shelves altogether to make room for more store brand products. Food Lions Pilot Program is basically to see if their products start selling better than the name brand items. If it works to their advantage then all their stores will follow suit. Thereby giving the company greater profits as many of these companies that deal with Food Lion have to cut back their sales and products to the chain store.

The worst case scenario is these companies will eventually have to cut back production of their products eventually including laying off many employees as well if the Food Lion Pilot Program is successful and as other grocery store chains follow suit. If not then this program will quietly disappear along with all the other different ideas over the years.