Donate to Japanese victims by Watching Video!!!

So as I perused www.animenewsnetworks.com, I ended up at Shonen Jump Magazine and came across this article; which explains that the creators of Dragon Ball and Mr. Slump have setup a fund that get donations for every-time someone watches the Japanese version of their Youtube video:

So while you are spending all your off-hours and on, (even some of you), your work hours on Facebook and Yahoo/Fox/CNN news... Take about 5 minutes and watch this 35 second video a few times so that donations will be sent to the victims of the Tsunami and Earthquake in Japan!!!

[Excerpt]
"It's real simple. Just watch their special message in English, and then make sure to watch the Japanese version. And that's it!

Every time you watch theJapanese version, a donation will be made to the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Do your part in making this world a better place!

STEP 1: Watch the English version! Or if you understand Japanese, just skip to STEP 2!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5yMq0Nrz1g

STEP 2: Watch the Japanese version!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_tpHFTrxWY

Again, make sure to watch the Japanese version (even if you don't understand Japanese), and a donation will be made on your behalf. Thirty-five seconds of your time is all it takes!"

Even if you don't watch or like Anime, even if you dislike Dragon Ball; this is to help out the Tsunami/Earthquake victims in Japan! And it doesn't even cost you a dime!!

So please take some time out and help out!!

R. William Holzkopf Jr.

Sources:
1) http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-03-23/shonen-jump-posts-quake-delayed-issue-online
2) http://shonenjump.viz.com/content/help-earthquake-victims
3) http://www.facebook.com/pages/BluBoy/177204168978484
4) http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_newsroom/20110311/wl_yblog_newsroom/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-how-to-help
5) http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/13/people-help-japanese-earthquake-recovery/
6) http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/17/cnnheroes.henderson.japan/index.html?iref=allsearch
7) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5yMq0Nrz1g
8) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_tpHFTrxWY

UPDATE #2!!: Crisis Nihon!!! 日本危機!!!

I should have put this up earlier but, between work, everyday life, and local issues. There is sometimes too much information to sift through.

Apologies for those who have come to my blog before and found nothing but regurgitated words.

Google has a web-search function to help aid Japanese and others to find family, friends and relatives, that may have gone missing or are just out of contact for various reasons.

人探し: Google
Go here for (消息情報) 2011日本地震 http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=ja

People Search: Google
Go here for (News and Information) 2011 Japanese Earthquake
http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=en


Also you can search at:
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
日本語:
http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/web/doc/siterfl0.nsf/htmlall/familylinks-japon-jap

English:
http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/eng/familylinks-japan

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/japan.tsunami.2011

http://www.facebook.com/JapanEarthquake

Docomo

http://dengon.docomo.ne.jp/Einoticelist.cgi?es=0

Disaster Message Board

http://dengon.ezweb.ne.jp/service.do

Twitter

Search: Tags such as #japanearthquake, #tsunami, #japan, and #prayforjapan

So far Americans have donated the sum of around $87 Million since the Crisis in Japan, but according to CNN and Philanthropy.com donations are low compared to other crises such as the Asian Tsunami, Sept. 11th 2001, Hurrican Katrina and Haiti Earthquake.

However, Japan has received offers to help from 91 countries so far, but accepted help only from 15. -http://philanthropy.com/blogs/world-view/why-donors-should-wait-before-giving-to-japan/196, and I do not have numbers of money donated from other countries as of yet.

With water and food contamination and more worries from Storage Unit #3 at Fukushima after smoke was seen rising [March 21st, 2011 - 03:21am Central-CBSnews]

I pray for the safety of the Japanese people and those working to get this crisis under control.

R. William Holzkopf Jr.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A day about a man in history who was a slave in Ireland, who then escaped, became a Catholic Priest, Drove snakes out of Irelands and in some lesser accounts fought Magick wielders.

According to http://www.st-patricks-day.com/ "Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig is the Gaelic way of expressing a wish that you have all the blessings of St Patrick's Day and the "luck of the Irish" to go with it."

So why is drinking and feasting a part of this Religious Holiday?

"It became a feast day in the Roman Catholic Church due to the influence of the Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding[1] in the early part of the 17th century, and is a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day

In any case, Have fun, be safe, and be Green! :-)

But even as I may drink my self Irish tonight; I will still raise a glass to the Japanese, in hopes that Good Luck spreads to their land in such troubled times!

Konpai!!!
R. William Holzkopf Jr.

TSA - Radiation - Congress Investigating!

So those Body Scanners the TSA has touted as safe 'till they were blue in the face, are in fact unsafe and unhealthy as first thought.

Radiation levels have been found to be ten times that of what the TSA originally had been stating they were.

he House Government Affairs Committee is now holding hearings this week on the Scanners themselves.

It has already been proven multiple times that they are ineffective at preventing people from smuggling something aboard a plane.

Body scanners are also a violation of an individuals right to privacy, since the image they look at of you is an inverted image, and therefore shows you naked.

To make matters worse, many TSA facilities have been caught storing the images of people, instead of deleting them after the scan.

So if you dislike these instruments of cancer and their privacy violating functions, please show your support and ask Congress to Ban them.

I'd rather deal with a pat down, than have somebody look at naked images of me and be dosed with ten times the normal radiation amounts.

Go here: http://act.demandprogress.org/sign/tsacongress/?akid=372.312940.3A6Cry&rd=1&t=1 to sign the petition.

R. William Holzkopf Jr.

Sources:
1) http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/03/16/tsa-republicans-spar-as-agency-skips-scanners-hearing/?mod=google_news_blog
2) http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/tsa/150053-after-appearance-drama-gop-calls-tsa-scanners-thoroughly-useless?sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4d8118e64b4238ee,0
3) *Images may Offend* http://www.infowars.com/inverted-body-scanner-image-shows-naked-body-in-full-living-color/
4) *Images may Offend* http://www.prisonplanet.com/inverted-body-scanner-image-shows-naked-body-in-full-living-color.html
5) http://www.mahalo.com/full-body-scanner-images/

UPDATE!!: Crisis Nihon!!! 日本危機!!!

Things only seem to be getting worse for our friends over in Japan. With more fires and Hydrogen explosions at Fukushima Plant and Oganawa Plant... Radiation increases and direct danger to Human, Livestock, and Plant life; this may in fact become greater; or worse than the Kanto Plain Quake of 1923, not because of magnitude of Earth Quake, but due to levels of increasing radiation as a result of the Earth Quake.

Accuweather.com runs over the newest updates in this Crisis for Japan in this recent news segment:

http://www.accuweather.com/video/812614239000.:/japans-nuclear-crisis-deepens.asp

What makes things worse, is those that survived the Quake, but are homeless because of it, now have to face Wintry winds and storms. Temperatures in Northern Japan around Sendai, (Fukushima Reactor), are usually in the upper 40's during the day, but fall to the lower 30's at night; similar temps you will find in Chicago between February and March.

This may cause a terrible outcome for those left outside, especially for those that are older, and those that are in fragile health. I can only hope that enough facilities are available and they can get enough warmth to not only the Quake refugees, but those in Japan who will be experiencing the rolling blackouts caused by the lack of energy, normally supplied by their Nuclear Power Plants; two of which are mostly if not fully down.

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/47038/japan-quake-and-tsunami-surviv.asp

Because of the current Wind/Weather Patterns, Eastern and Southern Japan are at risk of higher radiation doses, from the North-Eastern area where the troubled reactors exist, than anywhere else in the world at the moment. Currently most of the radioactivity will blow out to the south Pacific, but doesn't fix the fact that many are dead and even more are still missing.

Here in the U.S. we have no need to worry about radiation from Japan just yet, however if the Reactors continue to leak and the wind changes toward our direction then we may get hit a little.

It'll be more worrisome for those on the West coast of the U.S. and Canada than in other places, however, it all depends on the weather at the time and if the radioactivity stays in the upper atmosphere or is pushed down towards the ground.

At the moment we are safe here in the Mid-West U.S., yet those on the west coasts of North America may want to go an buy a bottle of over the-counter Thyroid supplement at places like GNC. This contains iodine which is supposed to when taken help prevent harmful Radiation from inserting itself into our bodies in any extreme manner as well as a way of protecting your Thyroid from the Radiation as well.

Obviously there are no sure fire ways of protection, even if you have a Radiation Suit, however O-T-C Thyroid supplements are probably the cheapest effective way to protect yourself.

In Japan people are wearing masks; this is a fairly normal occurrence over there, especially if someone is sick, (they wear them in this instance to prevent others around them from getting sick; signs of a respectful and common sense laden society), however many more are now wearing them to prevent radiation from being breathed in.

I personally do not see how a cloth mask will prevent radiation from irradiating your body, since the particles can pass through stone, dirt, clothes, skin, bone, etc. Any one who has taken a science class should have at least that knowledge, yet it may be possible to block heavier particles from entering your lungs directly... but without research into this, it sounds more like a false security blanket being force-fed to the people in Japan and the News Reporters to make everyone feel better or safer.

The only effective means I know of from my EMA experience, is a gas mask rated for radiation exposure.

In any case, my heart goes out to those in Japan, and I hope this incident wraps up sooner than later for their sakes, as well as the rest of the World.

But we can at least do something, even if it is just a little something; if you view my earlier article on this at:

Crisis Nihon!!! 日本危機!!!

I have a list of places in that article that are all working to bring help to the Japanese people, via clothing, food, and other articles necessary for basic Human survival.
Visit the link above to find an organization to use, to send help today!

R. William Holzkopf Jr.

Crisis Nihon!!! 日本危機!!!

On Friday March 11th [Central Standard Time], between a 8.9 and 9.1 Magnitude Earth quake struck about 81 miles off the coast of Japan. Near the northern city of Sendai in the region of Tohoku.

5 nuclear reactors were affected by this earthquake, one had been so affected, (Cooling system was compromised on Friday), that they evacuated the surrounding area by the Fukushima Reactor, which subsequently had its reactor cover blown today, (Saturday, but thankfully unlike the Chernobyl incident in Russia many years back, the core was not exposed and the cores container was still intact.)

Radiation levels reached 1000 times normal outside the Fukushima Reactor, the amount one person can receive in 1 year normally.

This is being rated a 4 out of 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale; INES. Chernobyl in Russia was a 7, Three Mile Island in the U.S. was a 4. Although before this is all said and done, could be a 5 depending on how the situation plays out and what the International Atomic Energy Agency ends up reporting.

Over a 1700 Japanese Citizens are missing, with 564 confirmed dead and more presumed. This will probably rank among the worst in Japanese history but not as bad as the one that hit Japan in 1923 in the Kanto Plain, or the one that caused widespread damage to Kobe, Japan in 1995.

The resulting Tsunami damaged a good portion of the North-Eastern Coast of Japan, and even resulted in a U.S. Man being swept out to Sea in California, (Search by U.S. Navy has been called off, Man considered dead), Boats in Oregon were sunk, and flooding damage occurred in Hawaii.

Over 200,000 Japanese Citizens are homeless and living in tents and other places provided by the local Emergency Services. Power will more than likely be spotted for the areas surrounding the affected area, since Fukushima is essentially down, and the other four will be going through repairs. Tokyo Electric Power Company; TEPCO, is calling for Electric blackouts and asking Japanese Citizens to conserve what they can.

Knowing Japanese People; they will handle this like a well oiled machine being run by Swiss clockworks. However, they are still Human and as people like us, will be dealing with pain and suffering, loss, hunger, sadness, grief, and will be clinging to hope.

What we; you my readers and myself must remember is; just because this is a World away, does not mean we are not responsible for helping, or making people aware.

The World came to our rescue during Hurricane Katrina with food supplies and housing. The American people and its companies also helped out in a similar fashion, in fact Chicagoland were I live, we took in the most refugees during that incident, and got people back on their feet.

Remember the Tsunami that affected the whole of the Indian ocean and left Millions homeless and thousands dead? Many Americans took part to help out the victims of that major disaster as well.

So how can we easily help those affected in Japan?

Use these Services already available to us:

- AMERICAN RED CROSS - U.S. mobile phone users can text REDCROSS to 90999 to add $10 automatically to your phone bill. Or visit http://www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

- INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS - Sending relief teams and supplies to the area. Call 1-800-481-4462, or visit http://internationalmedicalcorps.org.

- SAVE THE CHILDREN - The relief effort providing food, medical care and education to children is accepting donations through mobile phones by texting JAPAN to 20222 to donate $10. People can also call 1-800-728-3843 during business hours or visit www.savethechildren.org/japanquake to donate online.

- GLOBAL GIVING - The non-profit which works through grassroots efforts says Americans can text JAPAN to 50555 to give $10 through their phone bill. Or visit http://www.globalgiving.org/.

- INTERACTION - The group is the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations and lists many ways to help on its site, http://www.interaction.org.

- NETWORK FOR GOOD - The aggregator of charities has a list of programs and ways to donate to relief efforts. Visit http://www.networkforgood.org.

- WORLD VISION - The Christian humanitarian organization focuses on children, aiming to lessen the emotional and psychological damage that many children suffer during crises. To donate, visit http://www.worldvision.org.

- GLOBAL GIVING - The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund was launched at GlobalGiving.org to garner funds that will be given to a variety of relief organizations helping victims of the earthquake. It has already raised over $100,000, particularly from concerned Twitter users around the world. The project page explains:

- SALVATION ARMY - personnel are organizing efforts in Tokyo and will soon send a team to help the severely damaged city of Sendai, Japan. To contribute to earthquake relief, text ‘JAPAN’ or ‘QUAKE’ to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.

- Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - is sending two three-person teams to the Iwate and Miyagi prefectures in Japan. To learn more about the organization’s efforts or make a donation, visit Doctorswithoutborders.org.

We are never as alone or helpless as we tend to think we are, so let us prove to those we do not know that they are not alone and helpless either.

Even if it is just $5.00 or some old clothes, do something... just as you would if your own home and area were affected.

R. William Holzkopf Jr.

Sources:
1) http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/japan-quake-and-tsunami-puts-apple-ipad-in-perspective/16202
2) http://www.japan-guide.com/news/0018.html
3) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110313a1.html
4) http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110313a2.html
5) http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html
6) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42024659/ns/world_news-asiapacific/
7) http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/03/officials-identify-man-killed-in-crescent-city-tsunami.html
8) http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/11/3469143/how-to-help-earthquake-victims.html
9) http://elev8.com/elev8-original/orethawinston/how-you-can-help-the-japans-earthquake-victims/

Don't Do It! Don't embed or link that Youtube Video!

Have you ever embedded or linked a Youtube video on your Facebook, Myspace, Blog, Website or in your E-mail?

I know I have, who wouldn't, the source and or host data is there and unless otherwise specified is perfectly legal to embed or link to.

Current laws of internet usage allow for people to link to or use provided embed code to view or listen to items available on a Host servers, like Youtube, Vevo or whatever.

the DEPT of Immigration; ICE, (and what immigration has to do with copyright infringement is beyond me), arrested and seized owners of a bunch of websites, that did not host any content whatsoever, but linked to other host sites and or used provided Embed code to places like Youtube and the like as a free service to give aggregated content to their viewers.

It is the same thing as me posting a link or provided embed code on my website giving access to another website and its information, so that my viewers know that the content is related to the site itself or to the article of concern.

There is nothing illegal about this in current U.S. Internet Law, and it seems highly suspicious that a U.S. Government Agency; especially that of Immigration would be attacking U.S. Citizens with trumped up charges of aiding and abetting site viewers, as well as hosting content, and also sharing illegally content from other sites, when nothing of the sort is being done.

ICE is stating that direct permission of content holders is required, when it is not, if it is provided free of charge by said content providers, (just like how Youtube has an embed function which can be turned off to prevent embedding, but if it is left on it falls under Creative Common Licenses for free distribution without personal profit and or gain.)

By extension ICE is also implying future implications if this case goes in favor of ICE, that by saving, (Favoriting), a link in your browser. Which is the saving of code to view or review a website and or its content just like a website with a links page giving you access to other websites which offer their own content. Will be illegal, as will be the linking or embedding of content such as hosted videos, music, etc. in your email to other people.

Does this make sense to anyone who reads my articles? Am I right in my confusion over this case and situation, or am I just confused about the situation?

The first thing we need to ask ourselves is:
1) Why is ICE a section of the Department of Immigration which handles... well... Immigration issues. Handling a possible copyright infringement and illegal distribution case?

The second thing we should ask ourselves is:
2) How is freely shared web-content such as videos, music, articles, and otherwise, (except those that require payment, that are illegal such as pirating, or a previously stated disclaimer for copyright claim and owner permissions), constitute aiding and abetting as well as illegal distribution charges when nothing was hosted on the sites in question; just linked or used provided embed code from the host sites?

The third thing we should ask ourselves is:
3) How will this effect Artists, Companies, and people in general who require the free distribution of their material for advertisement and or popularity purposes if no one will be allowed to distribute their content? (i.e. People embedding my music from my Soundcloud account to their Facebook or email or the like; Does that mean I and others will have to suffer because we do not want to be apart of Big Music and pay them 3/4 of our profits just to get our names out there? Or Small businesses that survive on people distributing their name and link across the internet, saving them tons of money in the long run in costly advertisement?)

The last thing we should question is:
4) If this case wins on the side of the Government, how will this effect the Internet, Email, Social Networking as we know it? (In my opinion by what I currently see this will inevitably kill the Internet as we know it.)

So don't embed or link anything otherwise you could be next on the Governments rights infringing hit-list.

Go here if you want more details on this story and also you will have the ability to freely sign a petition against this action by ICE.

Information provided by my friends at DemandProgress [dot] Org

R. William Holzkopf Jr.

Happy New Year!!! It's March 1st! What??

So if you ever looked at the calendar and have seen the months SEPTEMber, NOVEMber, OCTOber, and DECEMber; did you ever wonder why the months where labelled #'s 7-10?

Well I did, and the answer was almost as confusing as the research into it;

In short our last four months use the Latin Number system:
Septem=7
Octo=8
Novem=9
Decem=10 (pronounced Deck-em)

Now I will make it easy for my readers to understand the basics behind December being the 10th month.

This is because before the switch to the Julian Calendar System, prior to the Gregorian System we now use, the Romans started their year in the Month of March, but after the switch to the Julian System, the year beginning was pushed back 2 months- so starting it on Jan, 1st instead of March 1st. Hence making the 7th month the 9th and so on.

Did you know? July & August were also Number named months,(#5 & 6 in Latin), but were subsequently renamed after two Romans, Julius Ceaser, for July and /Julius Ceasar Agustus for August.

So if you are so inclined and you like to party, herer is another excuse to do so!

Party On!

R. William Holzkopf Jr.

Sources:
*Will add shortly*