Jayven's Nest

Japan earthquake live report

2011-03-21T10:35:00.002Z

East Japan blackout schedules

The earthquake last Friday forced 11 reactors out of action, leaving East Japan with a serious power shortfall. In order to conserve electricity and prevent unforeseen power cuts, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) is enforcing scheduled blackouts across the region. These are being spread across five 'blocks,' each of which can expect power outages of just over 3 1/2 hours a day, though there's been a lot of variation between different areas so far.

The complete list of the areas that fall into each block is only available in Japanese (click here if that's what you're after), but Tepco has made a partial list available in English. The following is a summary of which areas fall into each block, though note that only some parts of particular areas will actually be subject to the blackouts:

Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
Block 4
Block 5

The timing of the blackouts changes rotates each day. See here for the schedule.

There's also a quick way of working out your blackout times available here. All you need is your 6-digit Japanese postcode. Instructions are clear and concise.

BLACKOUT CAUTIONS

If you are living in an apartment block, water tanks will not be refilled once they are empty during the blackouts, so prepare water in your bathtub and keep a bucket filled for flushing the toilet, and use less water.

In case of earthquakes during blackouts, charge your mobile phones beforehand. You may not have access to the internet, so stock up on batteries for the radio.

For people who are handicapped or disabled, or rely on other medical equipment, please check that your equipment has enough power and resources to last you at least three hours.

Electrical appliances, such as irons and hairdryers, etc, should remain unplugged during this time unless essential. To avoid fires, please make sure that such appliances are turned off before you leave the house.

Train lines

The best place to get English updates on train schedules at the moment is at Beerkat's Kanto Train Status page.

Free translation for non-Japanese speakers

A free translation service has been set up for non-Japanese speakers, on 050 5814 7230 and 03 5366 6001. English, Chinese, Korean are available 24 hours a day. Portuguese and Spanish between 9am-8pm. Please note that this isn't an emergency information service.

If you're trying to understand the TV news reports yourself, Harvey at JapanNewbie has compiled a helpful list of Japanese news earthquake vocabulary.

Emergency numbers

Emergency messaging service

If you're stranded and you need to leave someone a message, dial 171, then 1, then your own home phone number, then leave your message. To pick up a message, it's 171, then 2, then your home phone number (the number you think the stranded person would have left).

The numbers to call for Sendai-based foreigners: 022 265 2471 or 022 224 1919.

Ibaraki hotline

Ibaraki International Affairs Division has set up a hotline to provide support for earthquake victims. The service is available from 6am-6pm in English and Chinese: 029 301 2862.

NHK TV messaging service

If you want to send a message to someone in the affected areas where all phone lines are down, NHK will broadcast your message on their TV service. The numbers on which to place your message are 03 5452 8800, or 050 3369 9680.

Tokyo Gas

If you're still having trouble with your gas supply, call Tokyo Gas on 0570 002211 (03 5722 0111 from mobile phones). The company has English-language guides available for download here.

Google people finder

Google has started a Person Finder service, in case you're fearful for loved ones.

Facebook have a quake page for Japan-based foreigners.

Links to responsible coverage of the nuclear reactors situation

We're currently recommending keeping tabs on coverage by the Washington Post, whose layman-friendly updates have been excellent.

Elsewhere, MIT research scientist, Dr Josef Oehmen, is offering informed insight and much-needed peace of mind via this blog.

This Yahoo Q&A on the Japanese nuclear power plant crisis is also enlightening.

In general, we recommend watching sites like these for informed analysis, rather than responding to Twitter feeds, most of which are little more than scaremongering and may even be re-Tweets of formerly valuable information several days old. If in doubt, check the initial time stamp, then check the information against a credible media source.

Earthquake apps

As the aftershocks continue, you can keep keep others notified about your safety using a free iPhone app courtesy of Softbank.
Free drinks and phone charging services

Suntory vending machines have emergency levers beneath a sticker on the upper-right corners. Pull the sticker off, pull the lever firmly and you'll get free drinks.

Elsewhere, Bic Camera is offering a free phone charging service at all their stores.

Click here for: Japan earthquake: live blog from a shaking building

Happy Ostara

2011-03-20T12:51:00.004Z

Spring has finally arrived! March has roared in like a lion, and if we're really lucky, it will roll out like a lamb. Meanwhile, on or around the 21st of the month, we have Ostara to celebrate. It's the time of the vernal equinox of you live in the Northern Hemisphere, and it's a true marker that Spring has come. There are many different ways you can celebrate this Sabbat, depending on your tradition.

Ostara-Many Holidays, Many Names:

The word Ostara is just one of the names applied to the celebration of the spring equinox on March 21. The Venerable Bede said the origin of the word is actually from Eostre, a Germanic goddess of spring. Of course, it's also the same time as the Christian Easter celebration, and in the Jewish faith, Passover takes place as well. For early Pagans in the Germanic countries, this was a time to celebrate planting and the new crop season. Typically, the Celtic peoples did not celebrate Ostara as a holiday, although they were in tune with the changing of the seasons.

Easter gets its name from the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre (the origin of the word "east" comes from various Germanic, Austro-Hungarian words for dawn that share the root for the word "aurora" which means " to shine"). Modern pagans have generally accepted the spelling "Ostara" which honors this goddess as our word for the Vernal Equinox.

A New Day Begins:

A dynasty of Persian kings known as the Achaemenians celebrated the spring equinox with the festival of No Ruz -- which means "new day." It is a celebration of hope and renewal still observed today in many Persian countries, and has its roots in Zoroastrianism. In Iran, a festival called Chahar-Shanbeh Suri takes place right before No Ruz begins, and people purify their homes and leap over fires to welcome the 13-day celebration of No Ruz.

Mad as a March Hare:

Spring equinox is a time for fertility and sowing seeds, and so nature's fertility goes a little crazy. In medieval societies in Europe, the March hare was viewed as a major fertility symbol -- this is a species of rabbit that is nocturnal most of the year, but in March when mating season begins, there are bunnies everywhere all day long. The female of the species is superfecund and can conceive a second litter while still pregnant with a first. As if that wasn't enough, the males tend to get frustrated when rebuffed by their mates, and bounce around erratically when discouraged.

The Legends of Mithras:

The story of the Roman god, Mithras, is similar to the tale of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Born at the winter solstice and resurrected in the spring, Mithras helped his followers ascend to the realm of light after death. In one legend, Mithras, who was popular amongst members of the Roman military, was ordered by the Sun to sacrifice a white bull. He reluctantly obeyed, but at the moment when his knife entered the creature's body, a miracle took place. The bull turned into the moon, and Mithras' cloak became the night sky. Where the bull's blood fell flowers grew, and stalks of grain sprouted from its tail.

Spring Celebrations Around the World:

In ancient Rome, the followers of Cybele believed that their goddess had a consort who was born via a virgin birth. His name was Attis, and he died and was resurrected each year during the time of the vernal equinox on the Julian Calendar (between March 22 and March 25). Around the same time, the Germanic tribes honored a lunar goddess known as Ostara, who mated with a fertility god around this time of year, and then gave birth nine months later – at Yule.

The indigenous Mayan people in Central American have celebrated a spring equinox festival for ten centuries. As the sun sets on the day of the equinox on the great ceremonial pyramid, El Castillo, Mexico, its "western face...is bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. The lengthening shadows appear to run from the top of the pyramid's northern staircase to the bottom, giving the illusion of a diamond-backed snake in descent." This has been called "The Return of the Sun Serpent" since ancient times.

According to the Venerable Bede, Eostre was the Saxon version of the Germanic goddess Ostara. Her feast day was held on the full moon following the vernal equinox -- almost the identical calculation as for the Christian Easter in the west. There is very little documented evidence to prove this, but one popular legend is that Eostre found a bird, wounded, on the ground late in winter. To save its life, she transformed it into a hare. But "the transformation was not a complete one. The bird took the appearance of a hare but retained the ability to lay eggs...the hare would decorate these eggs and leave them as gifts to Eostre."

Modern Celebrations

This is a good time of year to start your seedlings. If you grow a herb garden, start getting the soil ready for late spring plantings. Celebrate the balance of light and dark as the sun begins to tip the scales, and the return of new growth is near.

Many modern Wiccans and Pagans celebrate Ostara as a time of renewal and rebirth. Take some time to celebrate the new life that surrounds you in nature -- walk in park, lay in the grass, hike through a forest. As you do so, observe all the new things beginning around you -- plants, flowers, insects, birds. Meditate upon the ever-moving Wheel of the Year, and celebrate the change of seasons.

MissMisa talks about Cosplay and stuff

2011-03-18T09:41:00.002Z

Okay everyone, as promised I can now bring to you the interview with MissMisa. Cosplayer, gamer and all round cool chick, Brit born Misa has kindly allowed me to bombard her with an endless ammount of questions so I can bring you my first Cosplay segment. So sit back, relax, and let Misa tell you all about life as a Cosplayer, Hello Kitty and Vimto sweets.

Tifa Lockheart (As featured in Neo)

MissMisa, hi and thanks for doing an interview for Joka's Web.

1. So, Cosplay, if you had to describe it to someone that had never heard of it before what would you tell them?

I'd say that cosplay is dressing up as your favourite anime or game character. Some people make their own outfits and others buy them.

2. How long have you been a Cosplayer for?

My first anime convention was November of 2009, so just over a year now.

3. What brought you into the scene?

I had a love of video games since I was a kid, and through that you learn about other forms of Japanese culture. I started studying Japanese at college, and through that I started cosplaying.

Miku Hatsune Magnet Version

4. What character(s) have you Cosplayed as?

Tifa from Final Fantasy, Yuna from Final Fantasy, Miku Hatsune from Vocaloid (standard and Magnet versions), Luka from Vocaloid, Hakufu from Battle Vixens, Ranka Lee from Macross Frontier, Haruhi from the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Lisianthus from Shuffle, and Lucy from Elfen Lied.

5. Why did you choose the character(s) that you played?

I pick characters based on my interests, and I try to pick characters that suit me as well.

6. Any character(s) you're going to play in the future?

I have a huge wishlist, but the one that's currently in progress is Clover from a Nintendo DS game called 999.

7. Do you make your own costumes?

Generally no. To date I've only made one of my own costumes, which was really good fun. I plan to make my Clover cosplay too.

Ranka Lee

8. Has anyone ever made a costume for you?
Yes, I commissioned my Ranka Lee cosplay from a girl called Yuka, she's a very talented cosplayer.

9. Tell me about events and conventions you've been to. Which was the funnest?

I've been to my local convention twice, Thoughtbubble Festival, and also Amecon. I will be going to Kitacon in a couple of weeks. I really love Thoughtbubble because it's always full of the local people I know and everyone is really friendly, I like the fact it's a small con.

10. Have you ever been to Japan to Cosplay, or would you like to?

Not yet, I'm going to Japan on March 31st, though I doubt I'll be cosplaying while I'm there.

Miku Hatsune

11. What do people close to you think about Cosplay?

Most of them think it's odd, I think. Not many of my friends are cosplayers, and the friends who are are friends with me through cosplay anyway. My family doesn't mind it and they think it's quite fun.

12. I see you're a budding idol after your performance as Ranka Lee at the 2010 Amekon Omake. What was that like?

Hah, to be honest it was really scary. When I was up there, I was thinking 'why did I do this again?' The crowd seemed 10 times bigger than it was and I was just really nervous. They were having problems with the microphones for the girl before me, so I was pushed on stage early, which in the end was a good thing otherwise I think I'd have just cried, haha.

13. Would you ever do another live performance at a convention?

To be honest, I doubt it. I just thought it'd be fun and wanted to see what it was like. I've done it now and I'll mark it down as an experience, haha.

Sonsaku Hakufu

14. Do you think Cosplaying will ever be accepted by the majority in Britain?

I just think people think it's odd. I don't think people care overly much about what others are doing, and most people are just interested in what we are doing rather than being negative about it.

15. Where do you mainly draw your inspiration from?

There are a ton of great cosplayers in the UK that I really admire, but really I just do it because it's fun.

Cat Maid

16. Would you say that Cosplay is sexy?

No, not really. I mean, it can be, it depends on the character. I usually do the 'cutesy' type of characters, so that's how it usually is for me.

17. Do you really get into character when you Cosplay?

Hah, in terms of acting, not really. But if someone asks for a photo or I'm in a masquerade then I'll always try my best to reflect the personality of the character, it just looks better in photos if you try and be more dynamic.

18. What advice would you give someone starting out in Cosplay?

I'd say that you should pick a character you love and that suits you. Be prepared for critisism, but be confident in yourself and always have fun with it.

Miku Hatsune Magnet Version

19. Those who photograph players are called Camera Boys. Who takes your photos?

Some of my photos are taken by me or friends, others are by people at conventions, I've had my picture taken by Blasteh (very talented cosplay photographer, please check out his wonderful work http://blasteh.deviantart.com/ and I've also worked with Sam Rennison who is also a great guy, check out his stuff too please! (www.samrennisonphotography.co.uk/) I always appreciate the photographers who take their time to come and check out the cosplay, it's really nice when you get a good photo back. Sam put a lot of effort into the stuff I did with him so it's really appreciated.

20. What do you like most about Cosplay?

Meeting people. It gives you something to talk about and it's really easy to make new friends if they like the series you're cosplaying from.

21. Anyone (Cosplayer or otherwise) that you'd like to give props to?

Well, I really like Yuka's cosplay, who made my Ranka Lee costume. Jesschii always has lovely cosplays, I hope they don't mind me mentioning them! Everyone at Leeds Cosplay Group is amazing. I'd also give props to the kick ass photographers!

22. Anything you'd like to add that hasn't been asked?

Well, I guess I'll mention that I run Bradford Anime Society. We are holding an event to raise money for the Japanese Tsunami Appeal on the 9th April, and I'd also encourage those who can to donate to the appeal. Thanks!

Shia Shuffle Lisinathus

About MissMisa

1. If little girls are made out of "sugar and spice and all things nice", what's a MissMisa made out of?

Haha, Hello Kitty related stuff? I'm a big fan of Hello Kitty. I also like vimto sweets and cake, so yeah, I'm made out of that. Nomnom.

Hello Kitty Lolita

2. I read that you're studying Computer animation at Uni. Are you hoping to get into the games industry in the future?

Yeah definitely. It's one of my big passions. I do usability testing for Team 17 on occasion and games are something I've always been interested in. Even more so than cosplay!

3. Speaking of games, what's your fave game at the moment?

I'm currently addicted to Pokemon Black, but my favourite game of all time is gotta be one of the Zelda games.

4. Being an arty type, would our readers ever see any of your work in the future?

I do have a deviantart with my work on, and a concept art development blog which I'm working on for one of my Uni modules.

http://princesspuke.deviantart.com/

http://sallyblake.posterous.com/

5. Fave music?

I like rock, industrial, jpop, jrock and kpop. Anything goes really.

6. Tea/Coffee or Other?

I like chocolate milkshake! But I always have tea in the morning.

7. What do you love most about Japan?

On the whole, the people. The Japanese people whom I've met have always been lovely and polite. As well as this, I think they have a strong sense of their own culture and a desire to preserve it, which is nice to see.


Miku Hatsune Magnet Version

Ah, so there you have it. I hope you enjoyed and do check back soon for more interviews with people in the know. Thanks also to MissMisa, it was a pleasure.

To find out more about the lovely MissMisa you can check out these sites:

Misa's Cosplay

Cosplay Cure

Amecon 2010 Omake Macross Song and Dance

Donate to Japanese Red Cross Society

2011-03-16T22:27:00.001Z

From Japanese Red Cross:

JAPANESE RED CROSS SOCIETY｜Japan／Earthquake　Donation

We heartily appreciate your kind offer of donation.

If you want to donate money to the affected population of earthquake and tsunami, please contact your national Red Cross/Crescent society, which may have already launched fundraising campaign within your country.

If your national society doesn’t collect donation or you wish to send your donations directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society, please direct your fund to the following bank account. If you need the receipt of your fund, please state so clearly in the comment section of the bank transfer order. All the fund received under this account will be transferred to the Distribution Committee, which is formed around the local government of the disaster-affected prefecture and to be distributed directly among the affected population of earthquake and tsunami,

Name of Bank: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Name of Branch: Ginza
Account No.: 8047670 (Ordinary Account)
SWIFT Code: SMBC JP JT
Payee Name: The Japanese Red Cross Society
Payee Address: 1-1-3 Shiba-Daimon Minato-ku, Tokyo JAPAN

Thank you once again for your generous offer. It is surely the source of encouragement for the affected population in Japan.

First ShelterBoxes arrive in Japan

2011-03-15T18:36:00.001Z

A child cycles on a patch of clear road among the devastation in tsunami hit Minamisanriku. Photograph: Lasse Petersen

The U.K. charity ShelterBox has arrived in Japan with their first consignement of ShelterBoxes. The first ShelterBoxes have arrived in Japan, five days after a huge earthquake and massive tsunami hit the country.

Reports from Japan say upward of half a million people have lost their homes in the disaster and emergency shelters are already overcrowded. It is feared that tens of thousands could have lost their lives.

An initial consignment of ShelterBoxes has arrived in Tokyo after flying from London Heathrow in the UK. Hundreds more are expected to follow in the coming days with thousands more on standby should they be needed.

The north-east coast of Japan’s main island Honshu faced the full impact of Friday’s tsunami and reports from the region say roads, rail, power and ports have all been destroyed. Freezing temperatures and snowfall are also compounding the gravity of the situation.

ShelterBox Head of Operations John Leach expects there to be a significant need for emergency shelter in Japan’s north.

‘We’re still very much in the search and rescue phase and information gathering process of the disaster,’ he said.

‘Damaged infrastructure and a severe lack of fuel are making it extremely difficult for anyone to reach the remote north of Japan where we expect the greatest humanitarian need to be.

‘Our team are dealing with a shortage of fuel, food and water. At this time they are unable to head further north. We continue to assess all options available for our continued response and closely monitor the safety of our team.’

In the last 48 hours, ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) members Mark Pearson (UK) and Lasse Petersen (AU) have been working in and around Sendai, the closest city to the earthquake’s epicentre. While there they visited one of many schools which are being used to shelter people who have been displaced. They say that many of these emergency centres have already become overcrowded and people are having to be turned away from them.

They have now returned to Tokyo to consolidate the current position with fellow team members John Diksa (FR) and David Eby (US) who have been working in the capital to clear logistical pathways. The team has been fully supported by Japan’s Rotary network and in the coming days they will continue to forge partnerships with other organisations heading up the relief effort.

ShelterBox Founder and CEO Tom Henderson added: ‘Our supporters around the globe have been moved to act by the situation unfolding in Japan.

‘Their generosity will ensure we can respond in whatever way required to the need in Japan as well as providing emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies to families across the world who lose everything when disaster strikes.’

Amidst all the destruction...

2011-03-14T21:01:00.001Z

Wolfmom posted this pic showing an SDF soldier with a little tot. A much needed positive image after all the photos of devastation we've seen.

We want to support Japan

2011-03-14T19:41:00.002Z

kouichisan directed me towards a facebook group which I think has some merit. Read on:

A new group has been started on Facebook called We want to support Japan.

Group Founder Yuki Kondo has this to say:

"As you may already know about the huge earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Quite a lot of people have contacted me worring about Japan. How lovely. So we know that many of us want to help the people in Japan.We are the group of international students from japan. Although we are currently away from home, we bilieve that there are something we can do about it.

If you would like to show some donation, the Japanese students in University of Huddersfield would like to collect some donation at our uni. We shall send the money to red cross Japan later on. Time and place are not confirmed yet, but I will let you know as soon as it's set.

International students from Japan! Let's do something for our home countries. If you want to do similar project in your uni, feel free to comunicate on this group.

Any one from any where, it would be great if we can show our support to there even though it would be a little."

You can find the group HERE

How you can help the Japanese people affected by the Earthquakes Destruction

2011-03-14T18:05:00.004Z

I've completely stolen this from kouichisan but It's good work and needs spreading. Thankyou kouichisan for helping the Japanese people!

"As you may have already seen Japan has been hit by a devastating earthquake and 30 ft high tsunami that left people with little chance to escape from the sheer destructive power of nature.

It has already heart-breakingly claimed 1000 lives, an entire city wiped out (Minamisanriku) in the north and half the population of sendai missing and their fate is unknown. Thousands of people have been left displaced, and with limited supply of fresh water and food. They are still experiencing severe aftershocks left by the earthquake (8.9 on the richter scale).

How can you help?

* You can volunteer with Charity organisations,
* Raise awareness using Social Networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook etc.
* Begin Fundraising events in your community/university
* or Donate whatever you can

Our support can help the survivors get through this terrifying ordeal. Some of the charities operating there are...

1. Japan Tsunami Appeal | British Red Cross
2. http://www.icrc.org/eng/
3. Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund - GlobalGiving (UK)
4. Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund - GlobalGiving (US)
5. Tsunami in Japan: List of 10 nonprofits that need your help | Causes Exchange
6. MissionFish - The way to fundraise on eBay (Contribute using MissionFish using popular auction sites)
7. You can donate using the American Red Cross on Facebook: American Red Cross - Causes Link
8. If you are from the US, you can also donate $10 via text message by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999.

These first few days are critical for the Japanese people. Our help will make a difference to them, and possibly save lives.

Additional Recommendations

Please beware of fake websites, stick to the well known charities or call them directly if you're not sure. It is sick that people will cheat donations away from those that really need it.

Refer to the Disasters Emergency Committee (an umbrella of the most effective humanitarian organisations). These are are list of genuine charities.

DEC Members - DEC

Do what you can to help. No matter how small it may seem to you, it WILL make a BIG difference to them.

Thank you everyone.

Donate to the Japan Tsunami Appeal.

See Also

Free Sampler from End Records benefits Japan Disaster Fund

Japans Earthquake: How to Help

Japan Earthquake: Useful Info

Japan Earthquake: How you can Help

Japan earthquake: How you can help

2011-03-14T09:43:00.005Z

Give money, give blood, but don't head to the afflicted areas.

I found this courtesy of the JAPANESE SAMURAI GUITARIST Miyavi

MIYAVI_OFFICIAL 雅-MIYAVI-

dear my ppl, there r several ways 2 donate or help us out. thx 4 ur concern. i love u, i love u, i love u, n i love u. http://bit.ly/g3C1Rp

The link leads to this useful info:

"While Tokyo was given a good shake, amazingly it survived largely undamaged. However, one feeling we've all been sharing at the moment is a terrible sense of uselessness. Reports over Twitter suggest that plenty of people have taken it upon themselves to get in a car and head north – perhaps not the most sensible option. So here's a few things you can be doing for the time being.

For those living in Tokyo and Japan at large

Giving blood
While some nationalities may be turned away (there are strict rules concerning the process), it is thought that the need for blood will increase in the coming weeks. Before giving blood, make sure you haven't eaten fatty food, but make sure you have eaten something.

There are currently 11 places to do this in Tokyo (as of March 12), linked in Japanese on this map. The following ones are open:

(A) Shinjuku Station west entrance blood donation room (03 3348 1211); (C) Shinjuku east entrance blood donation room (03 5269 1431; near to Isetan); (D) blood donation room 'Shibu 2' (03 3770 0820); (E) Hachiko-Mae blood donation room (03 3476 2880); (F) Yurakucho blood donation room (03 3213 8666); (G) Akiba blood donation room (03 5298 2811); (H) Akiba-F blood donation room (03 3251 8201); (I) Ikebukuro East blood donation room (03 3988 9000); (J) Blood donation room Buratto (03 5950 3000); (K) Blood donation room Kichijoji Takion (04 2221 9000); (M) Machida blood donation room Comfy (04 2732 8494)

Taking physical action

The official advice is not to move from the area you are currently in. Until things are considered more stable, it is suggested that you stay local to your house, so as not to overcrowd transportation and disaster relief routes. Heading to the afflicted area will only crowd the situation, putting more pressure on the limited resources they currently have. For the time being, money donations are considered to be the best way you can help.

Offering financial support

The Cause Action website has an extensive list of groups accepting donations for disaster relief efforts, ranging from Yahoo! to the Democratic Party of Japan. Some are payable by bank transfer, in case you don't have a credit card, though most of the information is currently only available in Japanese. See the complete list here.

The following international sites are recommended:

American Red Cross
Canpan Fields (Japanese NPO)
Save the Children
Non-Believers Giving Aid (scroll down the page for Japan earthquake relief)
NGO Jen (in English and Japanese)
International Medical Corps
Association of Medical Doctors in Asia
Lawson stores across Japan (other than Ibaraki & Tohoku) are accepting cash donations, March 13-26. Money will be given to Japan Red Cross. If you have a Lawson Ponta Card, you can also donate your points at Loppi shops.

Tokyo-based food bank Second Harvest Japan is taking donations of food and supplies for earthquake victims. Details are available here.

Finally, there's been an unexpected show of support from pop megastar Lady Gaga, who is selling US$5 Lady Gaga Earthquake Relief Wristbands via her online store. She says "Little Monsters, show your support for Japan with this "We Pray For Japan" wristband! Choose your price to add an additional donation with your wristband. All proceeds go directly to Japan relief efforts."

Please note: this item is available for pre-order and will ship on or around March 25, 2011. All items in your order will be held to ship on that date.

Electricity

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, has requested the country to use as little electricity as possible, due to the number of blackouts occurring as far south as Chiba. While there haven't been any blackouts in Tokyo yet, a statement issued by Tepco on Saturday evening said that they might be necessary on Sunday or at some point next week.

Miyavi Official Webpage

Miyavi Twitter

Source: Time Out Tokyo

Also see:

Free Sampler from End Records benefits Japan Disaster Fund

Japans Earthquake: How to Help

Japan Earthquake: Useful Info

Free Sampler from The End Records benefits Japan Disaster Relief

2011-03-13T14:33:00.006Z

Got this from:

DIR EN GREY'S Official Twitter Account

@DIRENGREY_web

The End Records is giving away a FREE sampler to benefit the recent disaster in Japan. Check it out: http://www.facebook.com/theendrecords

"Check it out! All donations from our sampler will go directly to the Red Cross' Japanese Earthquake Relief Fund! Get awesome music while being part of an awesome cause! its a win/win!"

The Sampler is here

The End Records Spring 2011 Sampler

by The End Records

The End Records Spring 2011 Sampler

: by The End Records

	Anvil- Juggernaut Of Justice 00:00/03:40

Digital Album

This FREE Sampler features 12 tracks from our current roster at The End Records, including previously unreleased tracks from Anvil, Goes Cube, Braveyoung, Too Late The Hero, Novembers Doom and Dir En Grey, one of our artists based in Japan. The band, who was luckily unharmed by the recent earthquakes and subsequent tsunami, were in the studio recording new music when the natural disaster unfolded.

The End staff was extremely relieved to learn that their friends Dir En Grey and other colleagues in Japan are safe, but are keeping those less fortunate in their thoughts and prayers.

As result of the recent catastrophe, the label has decided to accept donations on behalf of anyone wishing to download the free sampler. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to victims in Japan via the American Red Cross, and no donation is too small.

Buy Now name your price
Share

1.	Anvil- Juggernaut Of Justice 03:40	download
2.	Helloween - Are You Metal? 03:35	download
3.	Dir En Grey- Hageshisa To, Kono Mune No Naka De Karamitsuita Shakunetsu No Yami (Live) 05:04	download
4.	Danzig- Ju Ju Bone 04:45	download
5.	Goes Cube- The Ban Has Been Lifted 03:25	download
6.	Kvelertak- Ulvetid 03:29	download
7.	Vreid - Wolverine Bastards 04:26	download
8.	Braveyoung - The Light Narrows 10:04	download
9.	Too Late The Hero- Statement Of Purpose 04:03	download
10.	Tarja- Falling Awake 05:16	download
11.	Solefald - Norron Livskunst 04:18	download
12.	Novembers Doom - Of Age And Origin (A Violent Day) 05:01	download

: Enjoy this free sampler and please consider donating some money to the Red Cross to aid in relief efforts for the victims of the earthquake in Japan. Visit www.redcross.org for more information.
: released 01 February 2011
: tags: metal avant-garde rock Brooklyn
: All rights reserved

The End Records

Dir En Grey Official Website

Support Japans economy and the Japanese Earthquake Relief Fund by buying Japanese products! Anime, Manga, Music, Food whatever! All money goes to help Japan during their trying time.

Also see:

Japans Earthquake: How to Help

Japan Earthquake: Useful Info

Japan Earthquake: How you can help

A Nation's Pride

2011-03-12T21:33:00.000Z

Here are tweets from Japan amid the earth quake crisis (translation by @vida_es_bella, otherwise noted).

Here are touching tales of kindness from Japan, showing generosity and compassion on behalf of Japanese Nationals and the like. Even though the country is going through a rough time, the people of Japan should be proud of their conduct and humanity.

* ディズニーランドでの出来事

http://twitter.com/unosuke/status/46376846505426944

ディズニーランドでは、ショップのお菓子なども配給された。ちょっと派手目な女子高生たちが必要以上にたくさんもらってて「何だ？」って一瞬思ったけど、その後その子たちが、避難所の子供たちにお菓子を配っていたところ見て感動。子供連れは動けない状況だったから、本当にありがたい心配りだった

* At Tokyo Disneyland

They distributed sweets that are part of their merchandise. High school girls with heavy makeup took away more candies than they would possibly eat and that raised my eyebrows. Later, I saw those girls giving the candies to kids at evacuation areas. Families with kids had limited mobility and couldn't get to where the candies were distributed. Go girls!

[by http://twitter.com/ocilam/status/46464612069146624]

snacks at shops were offered @ Tokyo Disneyland. High school girls helped distribution to families with kids.

* 国連からのメッセージ

http://twitter.com/akitosk/status/46302222346223616

国連からのコメント「日本は今まで世界中に援助をしてきた援助大国だ。今回は国連が全力で日本を援助する。」に感動した。良い事をしたら戻ってくるのです。これがいい例なのです

* Message from the UN

I was so moved by the statement issued by the UN Secretary General, saying, "Japan is one of the most generous and strongest benefactors, coming to the assistance of those in need the world over. In that spirit, the United Nations stands by the people of Japan and we will do anything and everything we can at this very difficult time." This is a perfect example of doing good to others. They will do the same to you, when you most need their help.

[English by http://twitter.com/hirokishimada/status/46425526247759872]

UN Ban Ki-moon says "Japan is one of the most generous and strongest benefactors coming to the assistance of those in need the world over. In their spirits, the United Nations stands by the people of Japan, we will do anything and everything we can at this very difficult time."

* 渋滞した交差点での出来事

http://twitter.com/micakom/status/46264887281848320

一回の青信号で１台しか前に進めないなんてザラだったけど、誰もが譲り合い穏やかに運転している姿に感動した。複雑な交差点で交通が５分以上完全マヒするシーンもあったけど、１０時間の間お礼以外のクラクションの音を耳にしなかった。恐怖と同時に心温まる時間で、日本がますます好きになった。

* At a jammed crossing

I was driving home after the quakes. Streets were extremely jammed and at many crossings only one car could cross the street per green light. At a spaghetti crossing, all traffic was paralyzed for more than 5 min. All drivers, I encountered, waiting to cross streets were calm, giving way to others. All thru my 10 hr driving, I didn't hear any honking except those showing gratitude to others. Of course this travel was scary but also heart warming. This experience made me like Japan all the more.

[by Ms. Arakawa]

Traffic was hell and It often happened that only one car can proceed forward as a signal light had turned green for each time, but every one was so calm and driving safely and gave way to each other. I'd been driving for like 10 hours and never heard anyone beeped a horn except meaning "thank you".

[by Ms. Ishiwatari]

when only one car could pass in the time the traffic light was blue,

everyone conceded to eachother, and drove safely and happily.

I was really moved by the scenery.

During the worst traffic jam, there weren't a single craction made by anyone, except for the craction meaning "thank you".

It was a terrifing time, but at the same time, very warmful- japan is a great country

* 揺れている最中でも・・・

http://twitter.com/gj_neko26/statuses/46394706481004544

聞いた話でびっくりしたのが、とっさに「入口の確保」と揺れてるにも関わらず、あの状況で歩いて入口を開けた人が居たのが凄いと思った。正直、シャンデリアも証明も何時落ちるか分からないのに、凄く勇敢な人が居た事に感動した。

[by Ms. Arakawa]

Ground had been shaking so hard and it difficult to even walk, but there is a brave person who went to the door and open it to keep our way out. Chandeliers and lights on the ceiling could fall on him anytime.

* バス停で・・・

http://twitter.com/yunico_jp/status/46168394755612672

バスが全然来ない中、@saiso が、バス停の前にある薬局でカイロを買ってきて、並んで待ってる人みんなに配った！

* At a bus stop...

While waiting for a bus almost eternally, @saiso went into a drugstore in front of the bus stop, bought a bunch of hand warmers and handed them to those waiting for a bus!

* ディズニーシーにて

http://twitter.com/kfstudio/status/46390032776437760

ディズニーシーに一泊した娘、無事帰宅しました！キャストのみなさんが寒い中でも笑顔で接してくれて不安を感じることなく過ごせたそうです。防寒のカイロやビニール袋、夜・朝の軽食と飲み物、おやつまで。ディズニーの素晴らしさに感動です。頑張ってくれたキャストさん、ほんとにありがとう！！

[by Ms. Arakawa]

My daughter had stayed in Disney Sea for one night and just came back safe! She said cast had been taking care of her smiling all the time so she was so relieved. Plus they provide her foods, beverage, protections against cold, and even some confectioneries! I was so touched by what they'd done to her. Thank you so much!

* 日本人の良さを再認識

http://twitter.com/VietL/status/46376383592677376

この地震が、きっかけになって、失いかけていた日本人本来の良さが戒間見れた気がする。犯罪はする様子はなく、助け合い、律儀、紳士的。普段日本人は冷たい人が多い…。って個人的に感じてるんだけど、多くの人が今回で「絆」を取り戻しつつあるように見えて、それがなんか感動して、泣けてくる。

[by Ms. Arakawa]

This experience taught us a renewed recognition of what we had and regained its real spirits. I didn't see any crimes but those who helped each other. All were willing to do their duty gentlemanly. I had been felt that Japanese got cold attitude in a way but today I knew that they regain their bond. It made me cry...I was moved.

* タイムラインに感動

http://twitter.com/rabukj8/statuses/46392080842506240

TL見て感動した。みんなが、ひとりひとりが大変な状況にいる人に笑顔を伝えようと、前向きになってくれるような発言がいっぱいで。TLがあたたかい。みんなのコトバを見て笑顔が少しずつでも増えればいいな。被災地の方、頑張れ、応援してくれる人がたくさんいます。

[by Ms. Arakawa]

I was impressed to see the time line on Twitter. There were so many positive phrases to make victims smile. Hope everyone regained their big smile soon. Ppl having a hard time for this disaster, hang on. We all are supporting you guys.

* 段ボールに感動

http://twitter.com/aquarius_rabbit/status/46213254376210432

ホームで待ちくたびれていたら、ホームレスの人達が寒いから敷けって段ボールをくれた。いつも私達は横目で流してるのに。あたたかいです。

* Homeless People

[by http://twitter.com/yas/status/46487642812071936]

While I was tired of waiting at the station, homeless people gave us their cardboards against cold. We're always passing them by, though.

[by Ms. Arakawa]

Transport facilities were dead and I was so tired waiting so long. Then, a homeless guy gave me a cardboard saying "use this, it can warm you up". I used to pass homeless people by even when they were begging... Although what he did to me was such a sweet stuff.

* 外国人から見た日本人

http://twitter.com/kiritansu/status/46335057689980928

外国人から見た地震災害の反応。物が散乱しているスーパーで、落ちているものを律儀に拾い、そして列に黙って並んでお金を払って買い物をする。運転再開した電車で混んでるのに妊婦に席を譲るお年寄り。この光景を見て外国人は絶句したようだ。本当だろう、この話。すごいよ日本。

[by Ms. Arakawa]

I heard that some foreigners were impressed to see these:In the super market Japanese picked up some products which is fallen to the floor and put them back to the display cabinet, or kept in line and purchased neatly. Or.. in crowded train, an old guy gave his seat to pregnant woman and other nice activities what Japanese done. I believed those story and their reaction was true.

* メディアの動きについて

http://twitter.com/V10CENTAURO/statuses/46388641001508864

ツイッターやＵＳＴでの状況共有と、それに連動するマスコミの動きは、阪神淡路大震災の時とは比べ物にならない質の高さを感じる。もちろん過去の辛い経験から得た教訓を、みんな活かそうとしている感動。

* On communication

The communication has been far better than what we experienced after the earthquake in Kobe. We have been sharing and spreading info via Twitter, UST, etc., and the mass media has been in synch with the info sharing on the Internet. I can feel that we are all making our best, conscious efforts, taking into action what we have learned from our regrettable experience in the Kobe disaster.

[by Ms. Yokoyama]

How the mass medias work

The quickness of using Twitter and/or Ustream to share the information of the earthquake this time is just so fast and amazing. And the quality of it is much higher than the time when the Great Hanshin Earthquake happened in 1995. People are trying to put their knowledge that they learned from the painful experience in the past to help other people this time. This is amazing.

* ツイッターに感動

http://twitter.com/masahiro22nd/status/46375377395912704

それにしても、電話もメールも繋がらなかった中でのTwitterの強さには感動した。 171より役に立ったんじゃないだろうか。否定的な意見も多いけど、垂れ流されたRTのほとんどはきっと誰かの心を支えたと俺は思います。必要不必要は選ぶ側で決めればいいだけ。

* So grateful to Twitter

So grateful to the dependability of Twitter when landline and cellphone communications were cut off. Perhaps more helpful than dialing 171, the emergency communication platform offered by NTT telecommunication company. Some people are criticizing irresponsible tweets, but I'm sure lots of people in the affected areas felt supported by RTs. It's up to followers what to believe and what not.

[by Yokoyama-san]

Twitter, the impressive

I could not use phone and text message, but Twitter was just working. I believe it was much more useful than 171 (the specially installed telephone number to contact people). Some people say negative opinion about the Twitter, but I believe many RT supported someone's heart.

* 絵師さん

http://twitter.com/izumi823/statuses/46387948681297920

絵師さんたちがこの地震でみんなに元気付けようと必死に美しい絵や励ましのイラストを描いていることに感動。みんな自分にできることをしたいと思っているんだね。

[by Ms. Yokoyama]

Artists

Many artists are painting and drawing to encourage people this time. Everybody is trying to do something they can do.

* BBCの報道

http://twitter.com/bozzo1985/status/46228470614855681

本当に感動。泣けてくる。⇒BBCめっちゃ誉めてる。地球最悪の地震が世界で一番準備され訓練された国を襲った。その力や政府が試される。犠牲は出たが他の国ではこんなに正しい行動はとれないだろう。日本人は文化的に感情を抑制する力がある。

* 父親の行動

http://twitter.com/s_hayatsuki/status/46386255767937024

1階に下りて中部電力から関東に送電が始まってる話をしたら、普段はTVも暖房も明かりもつけっぱなしの父親が何も言わずに率先してコンセントを抜きに行った。少し感動した。

* My father

I told my father what I saw in the news, that Chubu Electric Power, the company supplying power to the central part of Japan, was now supplying power to the Kanto area, to avoid shortage in Kanto, where Tokyo metropolitan area is. He didn't say a thing. Stood up, walked around the house and pulled out power plugs of appliances we weren't using. Normally, he doesn't care a thing about energy conservation and leaves TVs and lights on even when he's not using them. His silent action touched my heart.

[by Ms. Yokoyama]

My father's action

My father, the man who usually leaves the lights, TV and heatings on, took plugs out in the house when I told him that the electric power company of our area decided to transmit electricity to the other company in the area of the earthquake happened. I am impressed by his action.

* 整列する日本人

http://twitter.com/HASUNA_Natsuko/status/46331839136276480

日本人すごい！！こんな時にも山手線ホームできれいに整列してる …涙。有楽町駅を上から眺む。

* At the station

Look! People are forming lines so orderly, waiting for a train on the Yamanote Line, the ring train circling the center of Tokyo. Proud to be Japanese. Looking down at Yuraku-cho Station (near Tokyo Station). http://twitpic.com/48kn1u

* パン屋

http://twitter.com/ayakishimoto/statuses/46403599743451136

昨日の夜中、大学から徒歩で帰宅する道すがら、とっくに閉店したパン屋のおばちゃんが無料でパン配給していた。こんな喧噪のなかでも自分にできること見つけて実践している人に感動。心温まった。東京も捨てたもんじゃないな。

* Bakery

In the middle of the night, I was walking home from college. A lady at a bakery was giving out bread. She kept her bakery open till late hours and was doing what she could do to help others. I was so touched. Tokyo is still not a bad place to live! Such a heart-warming scene.

* 日本ってすごい

http://twitter.com/tksksks/statuses/46403815397801984

日本って凄い。官僚も民間も、皆で助けようとしてる。トラックの運転手も有志で物資運んでるらしいし、東北の交通整備をヤクザさんがやってるという話も聞いた。最近、日本に対して誇りを持てないことが続いていたけれど、そんなことない。日本は凄い国だ。素直に感動してる。日本国の皆さん頑張ろう！

* Proud of Japan

I feel proud being Japanese. Everyone, either in the public or private sector, is trying to help each other so sincerely. I've heard truck drivers are offering help to transport needed goods to the affected areas. I've even heard yakuza mafias are volunteering to direct the traffic in Tohoku. I had been losing pride in this country recently, but I was wrong. Japan is such a great country with great people. I have been amazed by the goodwill of the Japanese people. Let us keep our spirit high and keep up the good work.

* twitterすごい

http://twitter.com/bobiko009/statuses/46403721046933504

Twitterの方々の情報とかが一致団結しててすごくたすかります。みなさま親切です！！こういうとき、なんか、感動します。最近は近所とつきあいなかったり冷たい世の中だとか思ってたけどそんなことなかったね。

* ドイツ人の友達

http://twitter.com/sikkoku_otsuyu/status/46392832893796352

ドイツ人の友達が地震が起きた時に渋谷に居て、パニックになっていた所を日本人に助けてもらったらしく、その時の毅然とした日本人の態度や足並み乱さずに店の外に出てやるべきことを淡々とこなす姿にひどく感動し、まるでアーミーのようだったと言っていた。

* スーパーでの出来事

http://twitter.com/endless_6/status/46395420523503616

スーパーで無事買物出来ましたヽ(´o｀；でもお客さんのほとんどが他の人の事を考えて必要最低限しか買わない感じだったのが感動しました（涙）

* At a supermarket

I was able to do necessary grocery shopping after the quake. I was moved when I saw most people showed consideration for others by NOT buying more than what they absolutely need for the time being. Their act of conscience brought tears to my eyes.

* 御殿場で

http://twitter.com/Raaaaayuu/statuses/46392890313801728

実際日本すごいよ。昨日信号が一カ所も機能していない御殿場市でもお互いにドライバー同士譲り合ってたし、地元のおじいちゃんおばあちゃんが手信号やってくれてたりで、混乱もなく本当感動した。9時間運転してたけど前車を煽るようなドライバーはもちろんいなかったし、みんな譲り合い精神。

* 「みんな」

http://twitter.com/n_yum/statuses/46388003706380288

タクシー運ちゃんと電車駅員さんとおばさんと話したけど、みんな遅くまで帰れなかったりしてすごく疲れているのに、苛立つ事なく、言葉遣いもふるまいも丁寧で、逆に気遣われてしまった。｢みんな大変だから｣という"みんな"って意識があることに感動するし、私も受け継いで大事にしたい文化。

* 日本の強さ

http://twitter.com/dita_69/status/46309373458382849

サントリーの自販機無料化softbankWi-Fiスポット解放、色んな人達が全力で頑張っててそれに海外が感動・協力してる。海外からの援助受け入れに躊躇したり自衛隊派遣を遅らせたりしてた阪神淡路大震災の頃より日本は確実に強い国になってるんだ。みんな頑張ろう。

* 朝礼

http://twitter.com/kyoheimai/status/46374747755388928

今朝の朝礼で「何があっても決して不安な顔は見せずに売り場に立つ以上はおもてなしをする気持ちを忘れずにお客様を安心させてあげてください」ちょっと感動した。がんばるか。開店です!

* 井上さん

http://twitter.com/frankyonn/status/46401442583552000

井上雄彦さんがものすごい勢いで笑顔のイラストをいっぱいあげてて感動する。励ましとか勇気とかメッセージって、こういうことなんだなーと思う。ＲＴ@inouetake Smile42. http://twitpic.com/48n11d

* 人のぬくもり

http://twitter.com/Ryunosutake/statuses/46389829486919681

昨日、信号が完全に機能していなかった鎌倉で、人力車のお兄さんたちが手信号やってたのと、モータープールで停電のために出られなくなってる車を近所の住民さんたちが車持ち上げるの手伝ったりと、人の温もりにすごく感動した

* 学び

http://twitter.com/chaos_chaotic/statuses/46388646038876160

TLの拡散希望を見て思ったことは、阪神淡路大地震から学んだことがとても多くツイートされていること。当たり前のことなんだけど、やはり人間は、学んで考えることができる生き物なんだと改めて思い、感動した。

* ローマから

http://twitter.com/tsubakianna/statuses/46387133396688896

ローマにいる友達からメール。ローマの人々はニュースを見ながらこのような状況でも冷静に対処する日本人に感動し、尊敬の念を覚えながら、非常に心配しているとのことです。

* 声をかけること

http://twitter.com/RUMI88LoL/statuses/46342599149240320

昨日、裏の家の高１になるお兄ちゃんに感動した。家に１人で居たらしく、地震後すぐ自転車で飛び出し近所をひと回り。【大丈夫ですか―――！？】と道路に逃げてきた人達にひたすら声掛けてた。あの時間には老人や母子しか居なかったから、声掛けてくれただけでもホッとしたよ。ありがとう。

* Showing that you care

This 10th grade boy in my neighbor did a wonderful thing. He was home alone when the earthquake hit. When the shock subsided, he went out on his bike and visited his neighbors asking if they were okay. The quake hit early afternoon on Friday, when most men were at work, away from home and only women and elderly were home. Thanks, kid. Your act of kindness and attention helped me and many others calm down.

* 助け合い

http://twitter.com/sorry_no_user/statuses/46332985133375488

警備員の友人何人かが町田〜相模大野で夜間警備のボランティアをしていたので手伝ってきた。年齢問わずいろんな知らない人同士が助け合っていて心強かった。ちょっと感動してトイレの隅で泣いた。

* バイクでよければ

http://twitter.com/hikaru_star/statuses/46332900928532480

僕は感動しました。バイトの先輩が1人でも救うために寒い中紙に「バイクでよければ送ります」と書き駅前で掲げ鳶職のお兄ちゃんを所沢まで送ったそうです。世の中まだ捨てたもんじゃないなって思いました。本当に尊敬です！！自分もなんか人の役に立ちたいと生まれて初めて思いました。

* If you can bear a motorbike ride...

I was really moved. A senior colleague of mine at my part-time workplace held up a sign saying "If you can bear a motorbike ride, I will give you a ride home," at a train station when train service was suspended. He gave a ride to a steeplejack returning to Tokorozawa, Saitama. I so admire his act of conscience and kindness. First time in my life I so felt strongly that I want to be of service to others.

* 乗り合い

http://twitter.com/pao313/statuses/46332792174411776

浦和美園からタクシー使えると思ったのが甘かった…30分歩いてたら知らない人が車に乗せてくれた（つд；*) 人間の優しさに感動。ありがとうございました。

* Given a ride home

I naively thought I could find a cab from Urawa Misono station back home. No way. I had to walk. After half an hour of walk, this kind, total stranger gave me a ride home. I was so moved to actually experience how kind a person can be, even to a stranger. Thank you so much!!!

* 開放

http://twitter.com/robasuke23/statuses/46326711935172609

昨日、歩いて帰ろうって決めて甲州街道を西へ向かっていて夜の21時くらいなのに、ビルの前で会社をトイレと休憩所として解放してる所があった。社員さんが大声でその旨を歩く人に伝えていた。感動して泣きそうになった。いや、昨日は緊張してて泣けなかったけど、今思い出してないてる。

* Keeping the door open

After all the news about trains suspending service, I was determined to walk home. I was heading west on Koshu Kaido Avenue, one of the major streets in Tokyo. There was an office building along the way, which kept its door open even around 9 at night. Who seemed to be an employee of that company was speaking aloud to those of us who had to walk long distance home, that their office was offering a space to rest and its restrooms were available. I was so moved and almost cried. Actually, I wasn't able to cry last night because I was very tense. But now, recalling their kindness, my eyes fill up with ears.

* コンビニ

http://twitter.com/sugarun/statuses/46323030732967936

停電地区のほとんどの店が店を閉めてる中、あるセブンイレブンが店内陳列棚にいくつもろうそくを置いて、営業をしていた。レジが使えないため在庫確認用のハンディで値段確認し読み上げ、もう1人が電卓で計算、もうひとりが懐中電灯で照らす。その状態でレジ２台稼動させていた。感動した。

* At a convenience store

Most stores were closed during blackout. But one Seven Eleven store remained open. They lit their shelves with candles. Their cash registers weren't working, so one clerk read out the price list and another calculated the total with a calculator. The third clerk was holding a flashlight for the other two. There were two teams of three clerks working like that to keep the operation. I was so grateful to them.

* 避難所

http://twitter.com/msakatan/statuses/46302864980705280

長女いわく、横浜の避難所に向かう時に、知らない人達と声を掛け合い、場所を教え合っていたそうです。普段は冷たいと思っていた他人の優しさに触れ、感動したそうです。日本人のいざという時の団結力を再認識しました。まだまだ日本も捨てたものではないです。

* 呼びかけ

http://twitter.com/akanensm/status/46214540161064960

何時間も歩き続けてたんだけど、至る所でトイレかしますとか、休憩できますとか言うビルや飲食店が沢山あって感動しました。とある企業ビルの人がボランティアで、○○線運転再開ですー！とか、休憩できますー！！って呼びかけてるの見て感動して泣きそうになったマジでw日本も捨てたもんじゃないな

* Offering help

I walked hours from the city to return home. I saw just so many places along the way, whether offices or restaurants, making their spaces and restrooms available to those walking long distances home. Some guys from a corporate building were speaking aloud to the walkers, "The train resumed the service!" "We have space for you to rest!!" They really touched my heart and I almost cried. Seriously. This whole experience renewed my confidence in the Japanese people.

* ホームにて

http://twitter.com/masa_kisshie/statuses/46323838316843008

都営大江戸線の光ヶ丘方面行きは、非常に混雑しています。ホームにも、改札の外にも、電車を待つ溢れんばかりの人。でも、誰一人列を崩さず、通路を開け、係員の誘導に従っている。ロープがあるわけでもないのに、通る人のための通路スペースが。その不自然なほどの快適さに、ただただ感動するばかり。

* On a platform

I'm twittering from the platform of Oedo Line heading for Hikari Gaoka. The platform is overcrowded. Actually, many can't even get onto the platform and waiting outside the ticket gate. But there is order. We are forming perfect lines. There is no partition rope but we leave room for people to walk through. Everyone is following instructions given by station staff. There is absolute order and calmness here, almost surreal in this situation. I am amazed by these people's mental strength.

* 駅員さん

http://twitter.com/tadakatz/status/46274214654787584

終夜運転のメトロの駅員に、大変ですねって声かけたら、笑顔で、こんな時ですから！だって。捨てたもんじゃないね、感動した。

* A station employee

Tokyo Metro suspended its operation after the quake for safety reasons and resumed operation later in the day. The Metro extended its hours of operation and operated throughout the night. I thanked one of the station employees and he replied with a smile saying, "It's our duty and we are proud to serve when our services are most needed!" THANK YOU. YOU TOUCHED MY HEART.

* おっちゃん

http://twitter.com/sumonya/status/46479563412348928

昨日4時間かけて歩いて帰ってきた主人。赤羽で心が折れそうになってた時「お寒い中大変ですね！あったかいコーヒーどうぞ！」って叫びながら無料配布してるおっちゃんに出会った。これがあったから頑張れたそうだ。もう5回もこの話をしてくるので本当に嬉しかったんだと思う。おっちゃんありがとう。

[Japanese version] http://ideapad.jp/d9385fb4/show/

[English version] http://ideapad.jp/68b52135/show/

[French version] http://ideapad.jp/00a50bdc/show/

[German version] http://ideapad.jp/397d5422/show/

[Chinese version] http://bit.ly/hBsjle

[Vietnamese version] http://bit.ly/dXjaUX

[Spanish version] http://bit.ly/gjBugJ

ShelterBox responding to Japanese earthquake and tsunami

2011-03-12T14:17:00.002Z

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) is mobilising after a massive earthquake struck Japan earlier today. The earthquake, measuring 8.9 in magnitude, triggered a tsunami that’s caused extensive damage.

The latest reports coming out of Japan have shown cars, ships and buildings being swept away with waves of up to 10 meters high slamming into the coast. Areas across the Pacific Basin have been put on tsunami alert including Russia, Guam, the Philippines, Taiwan and Hawaii.

SRT members Lasse Petersen (AU), Mark Pearson (UK) and John Diksa (FR) are ready to head to Japan and begin ShelterBox’s international response.

‘The scenes we’re seeing are catastrophic,’ said Lasse. ‘Whole homes are being washed away and our thoughts go out to all the families who are facing this disaster. The epicentre was in Japan so our first team are mobilising to head there but we continue to watch very closely the path of the tsunami. We’re very aware the worst may not be over.’

According to U.S. Geological Survey the earthquake was magnitude 8.9 at a depth of 20 miles with the epicentre 250 miles away from Japan’s capital Tokyo.

The tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre and they say the wave could even reach as far as Chile.

Tom Henderson, ShelterBox Founder and CEO, added: ‘At present the scale of the disaster is difficult to measure. What we do know is that the combination of such a large earthquake followed by the tsunami has the potential to cause significant damage across the Pacific Rim.

‘We have aid pre-positioned locally and a member of the ShelterBox Response Team stationed in the Philippines enabling an immediate response.’

ShelterBox relies entirely on public donations, we rely on you to make our work possible.

Can you be the difference?

ShelterBox's HQ is in Cornwall in the UK. There are 18 international affiliates.

Japan earthquake: Aid request to the UK

2011-03-12T14:09:00.001Z

Japan has requested help from the UK in the aid effort following the massive earthquake and tsunami, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said.

A team of 63 rescue specialists is due to depart from Manchester later with up to 11 tonnes of equipment.

The 8.9-magnitude earthquake triggered a 10-metre tsunami wreaking destruction and claiming hundreds of lives.

There are no confirmed UK casualties so far, but the embassy in Tokyo has a "long list" of people unaccounted for.

Mr Hague said the UK was able to offer assistance in the form of search and rescue teams or victim identification expertise.

He said: "We are discussing that with the Japanese government. They have now asked for some help.

"We're nailing down the details for that and a further announcement of that will be made later today."

The UK has an International Search and Rescue team of volunteer firefighters and medical personnel permanently on stand-by. Their equipment includes cutting tools and search gear.

UK aid for Japan

Louise Hubball BBC News

In a warehouse in a remote corner of Cornwall, aid is being packed to be sent to Japan. There is an air of purpose here - and of gratitude at the mountain of supplies.

First, the blankets go in, then the 10-person tent, then volunteers can do something to help.

They are filling large green plastic boxes with enough survival equipment for 10 people. Each box is first numbered so it can be tracked through its entire journey.

The Shelterbox is then pushed along the ground with staff standing either side, adding items such as ground sheets, then further down the production line pots and pans are added, followed by water purification equipment and even a small wood-burning stove.

It's an impressive operation to watch. They can get 1,000 boxes ready to go in a day.

The Department for International Development says members of the team have recently returned from the earthquake in New Zealand, and they have previously deployed to Haiti and Indonesia.

The UK teams are designed to be entirely self-sufficient, with their own tents and food for up to 10 days.

Among the 63 people flying out from Manchester are seven from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue. They include officers specially trained in searching collapsed buildings or dealing with flood waters.

Two search dogs specially trained to help locate trapped survivors will also be taken.

Search and rescue teams from 45 countries are said to be ready to help. The UN had said the first to arrive in Japan would be from the US, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.

The latest earthquake hit the north-east of Japan at 1446 local time (0546 GMT) on Friday.

The International Red Cross said the extent of the destruction was not yet known, but medical supplies, blankets, food and water were the priorities for those in need.

The UK Government has sent reinforcements to the British embassy in Tokyo, said Mr Hague.

UK embassy and consular staff across the country have been in touch with local authorities to try and make contact with British nationals.

On Saturday, the UK ambassador to Japan, David Warren, said: "Our main activity today is to make contact with British people.

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Watch: William Hague on UK aid request

"We have a long list of people not accounted for, drawn up from a large number of calls to our crisis centre in the UK, from families who are trying to make contact with family members or loved ones here in Japan.

"We are aiming to get through this list and confirm the safety of as many people as as we can."

The vast majority of the 17,000 British people living in Japan are in Tokyo or Osaka, said Mr Warren, but phone lines in some areas outside the major cities were still cut off.

'Building swinging'

The Foreign Office has advised against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and the north-east of the country.

Prime Minister David Cameron and the Queen have sent messages of sympathy to the people of Japan.

A British mother-of-three, Naomi Van Holbutt-Kirk, was collecting her children from school in Tokyo when the quake struck.

Telephone numbers

FCO hotline for British nationals in Japan and their relatives in the UK +(44) 207 008 0000

"The building was swinging like a giant pendulum," she said, but she managed to get her children outside, before another tremor shook them.

"The next quake came, which was very frightening and can only be likened to the feeling of riding a wave on the pavement. Frightened mothers were screaming and crying."

The charity Shelterbox - which assembles boxes containing tents, bedding and other essentials - has sent two officials to Japan to assess the need for its help.

The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Britons in Japan.

The Foreign Office says British nationals and friends and relatives of those in Japan should contact it in the UK on +(44) 207 008 0000.

Meanwhile, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have cancelled flights between London and Tokyo over the weekend.

Japan's earthquake: How to help

2011-03-12T12:27:00.002Z

Several organizations are jumping in to help victims of the Japanese quake. Here's how you can help (and this list will be updated):

Using your cell phone, you can text-message donations of $10 to the Red Cross. Text the letters REDCROSS to 90999 to make the $10 donation, or visit the organization's website.
The International Medical Corps is putting together relief teams, as well as supplies. The organization is in "contact with partners in Japan and other affected countries to assess needs and coordinate our activities,” said Nancy Aossey, IMC president, on its website. You can donate here. Or, you can text MED to 80888 to donate $10 to emergency relief efforts.
Save the Children is accepting donations for its Children's Emergency Fund. "We are extremely concerned for the welfare of children and their families who have been affected by the disaster. We stand ready to meet the needs of children who are always the most vulnerable in a disaster,' said Eiichi Sadamatsu of the organization in a statement. You can also text “JAPAN” or “TSUNAMI” to 20222 to donate $10.
GlobalGiving, based in Washington, D.C., is providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Text JAPAN to 50555 to donate $10.
The Salvation Army, which has had a presence in Japan since 1895, is sending an assessment team from Tokyo to the city of Sendai "to assess damage and will begin providing basic necessities (food, water, etc.) beginning as soon as possible tonight or tomorrow," a spokesperson said. In Tokyo, the Salvation Army "opened its main building to help shelter commuters who were unable to reach home. They served hot drinks and packed meals." You can text JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888 to make a $10 donation to the Salvation Army’s relief efforts.
World Vision, with a staff of 75 in Japan, focuses its relief efforts on children. Visit the website to donate, or call 1-888-56-CHILD (1-888-562-4453). You can text “4JAPAN” or “4TSUNAMI” to 20222 to donate $10.
The mGive Foundation, which helps with mobile donations, said these groups are also accepting text-based donations: Convoy of Hope, text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10; World Relief Corp. of National Association of Evangelicals, text WAVE to 50555 to donate $10. "When prompted, mobile donors should reply with YES to confirm a one-time gift," the foundation says. "The $10 one-time donation will appear on the donor’s next mobile bill. All donations are tax deductible and receipts may be printed" from the mGive site. "Message and data rates may apply."
Facebook has a Disaster Relief page with lots of good information about organizations that are offering aid, and that you can help, in turn.
Portland, Ore.-based Mercy Corps is "accepting donations to help survivors of Japan's earthquake and tsunami through our longstanding partner, Peace Winds Japan." Donations will go to meeting the "immediate and longer-term needs of the survivors," a spokesperson said. You can text “MERCY” to 25283 to donate $10.
Microsoft has a Disaster Response Effort underway. "We are taking a number of steps, including ensuring the safety of our employees and their families and proactively offering customers, partners and local response agencies technical support to help ensure business continuity," the company said. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

Please help if you can.

Death toll may exceed 1000

2011-03-12T12:21:00.003Z

Almost 600 people have been confirmed dead in Friday's earthquake that severely hit wide areas of northeastern Japan.

An additional 400 to 500 bodies found in Miyagi Prefecture are likely to bring the death toll to more than 1,000.

Of the 563 people confirmed dead in the Tohoku region as of 3 PM local time, 221 were in Iwate Prefecture, 190 in Fukushima, 149 in Miyagi, 2 in Aomori and one in Yamagata respectively.

In addition, local police were told that 200 to 300 bodies have been found in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, but they are unable to enter the site to retrieve them.

Another 100 bodies have been transported to a gymnasium in Iwanuma City and a similar number recovered in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture.

More than 190 people remain missing in Iwate, Fukushima, Miyagi and Aomori prefectures.

Fires reported in 206 locations after quake

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency says fires have been reported in 206 locations in 12 prefectures following Friday's massive earthquake.

Miyagi Prefecture is hard-hit by fire in many locations.
In Kesennuma City, fires are continuing in 2 areas facing the bay. The agency says the flames may have been sparked after oil ran out of a tank following a tsunami.

A fire in Sendai, the main city of Miyagi Prefecture, is forcing about 600 people to evacuate on the rooftop of an elementary school building. Separately, 300 people are said to be taking refuge at another elementary school.

In Ishinomaki City, several houses are burning. In Tagajo City, areas near tanks containing thousands of kiloliters of oil are reportedly on the fire.

Source: NHK World

Explosion heard at quake-hit reactor

2011-03-12T12:12:00.003Z

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is trying to confirm a report that an explosion occurred at a nuclear power station in quake-hit Fukushima Prefecture.

The agency said on Saturday that a person at the Fukushima Number One nuclear station reported that an explosion was heard and smoke was seen near one of the reactors at around 4PM.

The power station operator Tokyo Electric Power Company told the agency that 4 people were injured.

Video of the reactor in question shows the outer wall of the building that houses the reactor has disappeared.

Prefectural authorities say the power company informed them that the ceiling of the building collapsed after an explosion.

Tokyo Electric Power had been releasing air from the container of the reactor to lower pressure.

Pressure inside the container had been rising after the reactor's cooling system broke down due to power failure.

Radioactive substances have been detected near the reactor.

Evacuation area expanded to 20km radius

The prefectural government of Fukushima has expanded the evacuation area around Fukushima Number 1 Power Station from an earlier established 10-kilometer radius to a 20-kilometer radius.

The decision was made at the instruction of the prime minister's office shortly before 6:30 PM, local time, at a nuclear disaster task force meeting on Saturday.

The prefectural government is working to determine which towns and villages fall under the new evacuation order.

It is maintaining an evacuation instruction for a 10-kilometer radius around the Number 2 Power Station.

Radioactive emergency team dispatched

The health ministry has sent an emergency medical team to the Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant in northeastern Japan in case people should be exposed to radiation.

The team left the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba City, near Tokyo, on a Self-Defense Force helicopter at 8:10 AM on Saturday.

The group consists of doctors, nurses, and experts on radiation measurement.

The team is now getting ready at a nuclear disaster response center, located about 5 kilometers from the power plant.

Earthquake in Japan "Building codes and Japanese ingenuity saves millions of lives"

2011-03-11T21:42:00.003Z

As the title says. Read on:

"While writing this article, another earthquake hit in Niigata and Nagano, at a 6.6 on the Richter scale. Watch the news unfold at NHK tv on Ustream and Fuji TV steam on Nico Nico Live.–

The title is tip o’ the hat to Kevin Cooney, a J-vlogger from YouTube, also a stand up comedian, and reporter and writer for NHK. I share some of his dark humor and cynicism.

As I’m sure most people know, an earthquake measuring 8.8 (that’s the number in the official Japanese reports) hit off the North East coast of Japan at 2:42pm. This is the biggest quake to hit Japan since they started recording seismic activity 140 years ago. Several hours later, there are still aftershocks and tsunami’s bombarding the area. As of this post, there are 300 confirmed dead, but there are countless people missing and unaccounted for as waves have wiped out entire towns, destroyed ships, and landslides, fires, and accidents have undoubtedly killed more.

For up-to-date news from Japan in English, check out NHK World, which also has a live video-cast, which changes languages now and then. I’m sure all global news casts are covering it.

Japan is a strong economic force in this world, but no one is safe from a natural disaster. If you’d like to help, you can do your share by donating to your local Red Cross, or other global humanitarian foundations. Huffington Post has provided some links to foundations dedicated to help. If you have nothing to give, then send out positive vibes and love towards our friends in the far East. ❤

The information after this is in depth information about some of the history around Japan’s natural disaster defense and other interesting facts.

Japan is very seismically active, as it lays on several tectonic plates, which push, pull and grind against each other, causing frequent earthquakes. They experience hundreds of earthquakes per year, and several severely destructive ones every century, which result in equally devastating tsunami’s.

Because of the immense seismic activity, modern Japanese building codes, and technological ingenuity has made the larger living centers nearly earthquake proof. If this earthquake had happened 50 years ago, the death toll would have been in the millions so far. Some of the more rural areas, and centers right on the coast have been lost entirely more due to the tsunami’s literally sweeping them away, which is a horrific sight, and my heart goes to the citizens of Japan, and their friends and family around the world.

The capitol, Tokyo, is more-or-less in-tact at the moment, mostly just shaken up. As the modern center, Tokyo is pretty much earthquake-proof. Some old buildings might not hold up, but most of Tokyo has been renovated to meet modern building codes, which can withstand earthquakes even stronger than this one. Tokyo has been nearly razed twice in the past 100 years, in 1923 during the Great Kanto Earthquake, and in 1944 and 1945 during the Tokyo Bombing during World War II. Each time, they’ve rebuilt the city to the splendor it is today, stronger, better, more resilient than ever. Back in 1923, the main cause of devastation the above ground electrical wires, and oil lamps causing fires, which spread out and burned down nearly the entire city.

In modern Tokyo, most main power lines, gas lines, water lines are all underground, which is far safer during an earthquake, and also keeps them from catching and starting the city on fire. Buildings are built to sway, and wobble, so that they don’t break and crash down. This is why, in Tokyo, there was minimal casualties (most were accidents from items falling off shelves, or from people falling down, and some flood waters around the Tokyo Bay).

There is also another natural occurrence that happens twice a year that has caused problems for Tokyo in the past, and that’s Typhoon season, when the city would flood twice a year. However, Japanese ingenuity has come again. There are huge water run-off areas that they’ve redirected to huge underground cylinders which then empties out to the ocean. They also re-direct flood waters to rice-fields, and to the ocean, which keeps Tokyo streets safe during flood seasons."

Source: Kawaii Kakkoii Sugoi

For Useful Info and aid click HERE

Japan earthquake: Useful Info

2011-03-11T21:30:00.004Z

Emergency line for non-Japanese speakers

An emergency line has been set up for non-Japanese speakers, on 050 5814 7230 and 03 5366 6001. English, Chinese, Korean are available 24 hours a day. Portuguese and Spanish between 9am-8pm.

Train lines reopened (moved reports onto Twitter at 2am)

Odakyu line, Tokyo Metro Ginza line, Marunouchi line, Tozai line (Nakano Station to Takadanobaba Station), Chiyoda line (between Yoyogi-Uehara Station and Omotesando line, and between Ayase Station and Kita Senju Station), Keio line, Keio Dobutsuen line, Keio Shinsen line, Keio Sagamihara line, Keio Keibajo line, Keio Takao line, Tokyu Toyoko line, Tokyo Meguro line, Tokyu Denentoshi line, Tokyu Tamagawa line, Tokyu Ikegami line, Tokyu Setagaya line, Tokyu Oimachi line, Keio Inokashira line, Tokyo Metro Hanzomon line, Oedo line (all stations), Asakusa line (all stations), Mita line (all stations), Toei Shinjuku line (Shinjuku Station to Motoyawata Station).

Train lines that will remain closed (moved reports onto Twitter at 2am)

Hibiya line; Tozai line; Yarakucho line (between Wako Station and Ikebukuro Station); Fukutoshin line; Nanboku line (between Meguro Station and Shikanetakanawa Station); Keihin Kyuko line will not run again tonight; JR lines all closed until further notice. Radio is recommending people to stay where they are - sleep in the office/izakaya/nightclub if necessary.

Emergency numbers

Emergency messaging service
If you're stranded and you need to leave someone a message, dial 171, then 1, then your own home phone number, then leave your message. To pick up a message, it's 171, then 2, then your home phone number (the number you think the stranded person would have left).

NHK TV messaging service
If you want to send a message to someone in the affected areas where all phone lines are down, NHK will broadcast your message on their TV service. The numbers on which to place your message are 03 5452 8800, or 050 3369 9680.

Google people finder

Google has started a Person Finder service, in case you're fearful for loved ones.

Public shelters open to Tokyoites this evening

With public transport entirely disrupted across the city (JR has announced there will be no more services this evening), the following public spaces have been made available to stranded Tokyoites:

In Tokyo:
Unicef House has limited space available (Takanawa); Westin Hotel lobby (Ebisu); Answr & Public/Image.3D(Ikejiri/Mishuku area); Aoyama Oath, Shibuya; Dommune club (50 people max); Eiji Press (Ebisu) is offering toilet, telephone, internet; Yotsuya Sophia University; Hiroo University of the Sacred Heart; Roppongi Butagumi Shabu Ann (the owner is handing out curry and onigiri for free); Sasazuka Bowl; Seikei University (Kichijoji & Mitaka area); Waseda University (Building 8, Waseda Campus, Takadanobaba) Shinjuku Bunka Fukuso Gakuin (NOW FULL); Ueno Tokyo Bunka Kaikan; Takashimaya Times Square Shinjuku (NOW FULL); Tsukiji Honganji; Shinbashi Daiichi Hotel lobby; Ikebukuro Rikkyo University; Shinagawa Prince Hotel lobby; Shibuya & Omotesando Aoyama Gakuin University gymnasium

In Yokohama: Fifth floor of Landmark Plaza building

In Saitama: Saitama Super Arena

Free drinks and phone charging services

Suntory vending machines have emergency levers beneath a sticker on the upper-right corners. Pull the sticker off, pull the lever firmly and you'll get free drinks.

Elsewhere, Bic Camera is offering a free phone charging service at all their stores.

Source: Time out Tokyo

Also see:

Free Sampler from End Records benefits Japan Disaster Fund

Japans Earthquake: How to Help

Japan Earthquake: How you can help

Tsunami and Earthquakes in Japan

2011-03-11T13:13:00.005Z

My heart goes out to those affected by the current natural disasters hitting Japan. I hope the nation as a whole can recover from this and the same to those who have lost loved ones.

Massive quake hits northeastern Japan

A massive earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on Friday has killed at least 95 people. Many people are missing, while authorities are warning Pacific coastal areas to be on the alert for possible tsunami of up to 10 meters high.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says the quake on Friday afternoon had an estimated magnitude of 8.8, making it the most powerful one to hit the country since record-keeping began in the late 19th century.

The quake struck at 2:46 PM local time, off the Pacific coast of Miyagi Prefecture, at an estimated depth of 24 kilometers. Tremors in Miyagi registered an intensity of 7 -- the maximum level on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7. Strong tremors were felt hundreds of kilometers away, including in Tokyo.
Several magtitude-7-class aftershocks continued off the Pacific coast.

The Meteorological Agency has issued major tsunami warnings to broad areas, from Hokkaido in the north, to Tokushima in the west. The agency says these areas could see water levels surge by more than 10 meters.

At 3:50 PM Friday, a tsunami surging higher than 7.3 meters struck Soma Port in Fukushima Prefecture. A 4.2-meter tsunami hit Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture at 4:52 PM, while tsunami more than 4 meters high struck Kamaishi and Miyako in Iwate Prefecture at 3:21 PM.

NHK has learned that at least 95 people have been killed in the quake and tsunami, including 41 in Iwate Prefecture, 11 in Miyagi Prefecture, 26 in Fukushima Prefecture. Many more are missing.

A 6-year-old child was killed in Miyagi, when the ceiling of a supermarket collapsed. The child's mother is reportedly in serious condition.

At least 97 fires have been reported in 9 prefectures -- the largest number of them in Miyagi. In Chiba Prefecture, a massive blaze is raging at a Cosmo Oil refinery. A man in his 30s has reportedly suffered severe burns all over his body.

Narita Airport near Tokyo has partially resumed operations. But several airports remain closed in northeastern Japan, including one in Sendai.

Shinkansen bullet train operations have been called off for the day in central and northeastern Japan, and all train services have been suspended in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Expressways are closed to traffic in northeastern Japan and in central Tokyo.

According to electric power companies, 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan are without power. Nearly 4-million more households are also under a blackout in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

The Meteorological Agency is warning of more possible tsunami and aftershocks. It says people in areas where major tsunami warnings are in effect should evacuate to safer ground.

Danger level remains high

Japan's Meteorological Agency says the tsunami danger level in quake-hit areas remains high.

The agency's chief of tsunami monitoring, Hirofumi Yokoyama, told a news conference on Friday night that tsunamis have continued to hit Pacific coastal regions at intervals of about one an hour since the quake.

He asked people in areas where tsunami warnings have been issued to exercise caution.

He said people should also remain on high alert for strong aftershocks, which could cause landslides or topple more buildings.

Commuters stranded in Tokyo

A large number of homebound travelers are stranded in central Tokyo on Friday night after the quake paralyzed train services in the capital.

Japan Railway's Shinjuku Station was packed with commuters stranded by cancelled train and subway services, which were halted for safety reasons.

Outside the station, people hoping to catch taxis formed queues stretching more than 300 meters.

A woman in her 30s said she had barely seen a taxi despite waiting three hours. She said she had to work on Saturday and was hoping to be home by midnight.

Another woman on her way home with an 18-month-old baby said she had no food or diapers for her child.

Pedestrian zones in the popular Akasaka shopping district were packed with people walking home after learning that the subways had stopped.

But a man in his 40s complained it was not humanly possible to walk home to Yokohama. He said he would look for a hotel room and if none were available, hit a bar to pass the night.

Tsunami washes away vehicles

The Meteorological Agency says a tsunami more than 7.3 meters high hit Soma Port in Fukushima Prefecture at 3:50 PM on Friday.

Thirty minutes earlier, tsunami more than 4 meters high hit the ports of Kamaishi and Miyako in Iwate Prefecture.

Tsunami over 3 meters high were observed at Oarai Port in Ibaraki Prefecture, Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture, and Ofunato Port in Iwate Prefecture.

NHK helicopter footage on live TV has shown a large number of houses being washed away in Miyagi Prefecture and elsewhere.

In Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture, many oceanside houses are under water.

An NHK camera installed at the Hachinohe Port in Aomori Prefecture has shown seawaters flooding parked cars.

The tsunami aftermath was also captured by another NHK camera in Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture, where ships and containers have been swept away from the port, before the wave hit a seaside road.

A large number of buildings and oil facilities can be seen burning in wide areas of the Pacific coast.

Tsunami warnings out for broad Pacific areas

A magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on Friday, generating massive tsunami waves along broad areas of the Pacific coast. A tsunami more than 7 meters high struck a port in Fukushima Prefecture.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says the country's most powerful earthquake on record struck at 2:46 PM, off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture. The quake originated an estimated 24 kilometers below the surface.

At 3:50 PM, a 7.3-meter-high tsunami hit Soma Port in Fukushima Prefecture. Tsunamis more than 4 meters high hit Oharai Port in Ibaraki Prefecture and the ports of Kamaishi and Miyako in Iwate Prefecture.

Tsunamis more than 3 meters high struck many other places in northern Japan along the Pacific coast.
A 1.6-meter-high tsunami was recorded in Yokohama, and a 1.3-meter-high tsunami was observed in Tokyo.

Alerts for waves have been issued for Hokkaido and Tohoku region in the north, Tokushima in the west, and the Izu and Ogasawara islands in the Pacific.

Weather officials warn that tsunamis several times higher than forecast could hit repeatedly in some places.

Residents in coastal areas are advised to move to higher ground and stay there until tsunami warnings are lifted.

Source NHK World

Brother Raven

2009-05-20T21:35:00.003Z

Taken from Shades of Night

Raven as a Totem

Totems are a difficult concept to explain, but you need an understanding of what a totem is before you can understand what it means to follow Raven.

A totem is a spiritual creature, but it is not a god. You do not worship a totem, you follow it. A totem embodies a certain way of life - a representation of a set of ideals. The ideals are usually personified in the form of an animal, but can also be as abstract as the chinook wind, or grandfather thunder.

"You do not choose your totem. Your totem chooses you"

That is one of the most common phrases I've heard or read about totems. It reflects one of the basic principles of totems - You don't control them, and you can't explain them... but something deep inside you responds to the totem's call. When you follow the way of a totem, it just "feels right".

That isn't to say a totem's way is that of least resistance. Following a totem often puts certain demands or restrictions on you, and it isn't always easy. The Way of a totem is something you aspire to - rather like someone who aspires to live according to a code of honor.

The ideal which a totem calls you to pursue is reflected in the totem's nature. A hawk totem teaches watchfulness, patience, and alertness. A rat totem shows resourcefulness, ingenuity, and survival. Followers of Wolf learn honor, courage, and self-sufficency, as well as the importance of working within a pack. Rabbit shows its followers to listen to everything, watch carefully, and to never underestimate the little things. Raven... well, Raven teaches his children many things.

Raven is a very special totem. They're all special, of course, but Raven holds a unique place in many native myths. Raven is a creator - he is mankind's protector and sometimes saviour. He brought light and fire to the early people so they would not die. He gave them salmon so they wouldn't starve. In some stories, he even brough water to break a terrible drought. He is a cultural hero.

He is also a Trickster. Raven steals from man, and from other spirits. He plays jokes on us, and he laughs at mankind's expense. Sometimes his tricks go awry and he ends up the butt of his own joke, but even then, there is humor.

Raven is a juxtaposition of opposites: A provider and a thief. A hero and a fool. He brought light out of darkness, but he is himself cloaked in midnight black. He is a symbol of dark brooding sadness, and of death, yet he brings life, and unrivalled joy. He is credited with creating the earth and all its mysteries, but even the smallest secret attracts his attention. He is a silent spy, and an unstoppable chatterbox. He is many things.... And sometimes he is nothing.

That is Raven.

Raven's children must understand the value of humor. They need to see the joy which pervades all living things, and bring that joy to others. They also need to develop their sense of curiosity. So many fascinating things happen around us all the time - and raven's children want to know about all of them. They also want to bring things into the light. Some people might not want to see what Raven's brood expose to the bright light of day, though... since many people have secrets which they'd prefer to keep hidden. Those who follow Raven aren't always appreciated

for what they do, but they still share a certain satisfaction at a job well done when they make someone stop and reevaluate themselves or the world around them.

Does Raven call to you?

Shaun Ellis

2009-05-20T13:26:00.003Z

I would like to do what Shaun does. It is amazing and phenomenal how has integrated himself into his wolf pack and dedicated his life to the research and education of wolves.

Here's a little about the main man himself.

Shaun Ellis (wolf researcher)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shaun Ellis
Born: England
Occupation: Animal researcher
Years active: 19??-present
Known for: Research of wolves
Partner: Helen Jeffs
Children: 4
Website :http://www.wolfpack-management.com/

Shaun Ellis is an English animal researcher who is notable for living among wolves, and for adopting a pack of abandoned North American timber wolf cubs. He is the founder of Wolf Pack Management and is involved in a number of research projects in Poland and at Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

He has worked with wolves since 1990, and before that he studied the red fox in the UK, and then coyote in Canada.

Background

Brought up on a farm in Norfolk, he began observing wild animals at a young age, learning to use his sense of smell and sound to find his way at night when studying foxes and badgers.

Ellis first trained to be a gamekeeper, but left the job when the Head gamekeeper found out that Ellis planned to re-release culled animals into the wild. He then joined and served with the Royal Marines.

After he left the Marines he met a Native American biologist at a wolf seminar, and from that meeting he was able to spend seven years living with the Nez Perce Native Americans on their reservation in northern Idaho, United States as a volunteer in a project studying wolves at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. They taught him how to observe wolves, and he was able to get in to a pack of wolves and live among them.
He recorded wild wolf howls and gradually learned to identify individual pack members and began to believe that wolves are highly intelligent and instinctive animals that exude trust and balance within the pack's social structure.

He is the founder and head of Wolf Pack Management at Combe Martin Wildlife Park in North Devon where he works with seventeen captive wolves, which include four pups born on 19 May 2008. There were originally six wolves at the park which he rescued from private ownership. He also regularly gives educational talks about wolves.

In 2005 Ellis spent eighteen months living in captivity at Combe Martin Wildlife Park with three abandoned wolf pups - Yana, Tamaska and Matsi, educating them to be wild wolves and becoming the pack's alpha male.

Ellis has spent much of his adult life studying and living with wolves and has learned to communicate with them through scent and sound. He currently lives directly outside the wolf enclosure at Combe Martin Wildlife Park, so that he is in close proximity to the wolves at all times.

The research projects Ellis is involved with in Poland and Yellowstone National Park in the United States have the the goal of developing humane methods to discourage wolves from entering areas of potential conflict with humans.

Ellis has stated that he would like to see wild wolves eventually reintroduced into England, where they last lived in the 17th century when the last wolves were killed. Ellis has said about wolves, "Although many people refer to wolves as savage killers, I’ve come to know and love them as family."

Books

He has written two books about wolves, The Wolf Talk published in 2003 and Spirit of the Wolf published in 2006. In 2004 BBC South West nominated Ellis as a "Local Champion" in South West England, a campaign that aims to highlight the work of people who are not always publicly recognised. He was featured on BBC Radio 4 on 2 May 2005 in a programme A Life with Wolves.

Television appearances

The Wolfman

Ellis was the subject of a documentary, The Wolfman which first aired on Five in the UK as The Wolfman on 18 May 2007, and has also been shown on the National Geographic Channel in the United States, where it was titled A Man Among Wolves. The documentary shows how, by carefully mimicking wolf behaviour, Ellis was able to raise the three wolf cubs to maturity. It also shows how his expertise brought him to the attention of a Polish farmer, whose livestock had suffered wolf attacks. Since wolves are a protected species in Poland the farmer hoped that Ellis might be able to find some non-violent way to deter the marauding pack. Ellis travelled to Poland to study the local pack, bringing with him audio recordings of wolf howls.

Ellis believed that if the local wolves heard howls coming from the farm they would believe another pack had already claimed it as their territory, and keep clear to avoid a conflict. In order for this to work Ellis had to determine the size of the pack and play back recordings of a similar-sized pack. Initial results were encouraging and in the first few weeks after the farmer began playing the recordings the farm suffered no further attacks. The documentary then shows Ellis returning to Devon, where he attempted to reintegrate himself with the three wolves. In his absence the wolves had established a new hierarchy, and though they recognised Ellis and welcomed him back he was now the pack's omega, relegated to a peace-keeping role between the new alpha and beta males.

Martin Clunes: A Man and His Dogs

Ellis featured in the first episode of Martin Clunes: A Man and His Dogs, a two-part documentary that aired on ITV on 24 August 2008 in which Clunes explores the canine world, and visited Ellis at in Devon as part of an attempt to discover what binds wolves with pet dogs, with Ellis revealing that a lot of dog behaviour which is interpreted as human, is inherited from the wolf's hierarchical pack instincts. Filmed in January 2008, Clunes joined Ellis with the pack at Combe Martin.

Living With the Wolfman

Living with the Wolfman is an eight part documentary about Ellis which aired in the United States on Animal Planet in October and November 2008. It is also due to be shown in the UK on Five. The documentary follows Ellis as he lives with the wolf pack at Combe Martin and his relationship with his partner, Helen and their life in Devon. It also shows how Ellis integrated his girlfriend into the pack.

Mr and Mrs Wolf

In February 2009, Five screened a follow-up two part documentary, Mr and Mrs Wolf which focused on his attempts to get partner Helen Jeffs adopted as a member by the wolf pack at Combe Martin, as a new "wolf nanny" for the pregnant alpha female, Cheyenne. The programme aired on 17 and 24 February.

*Note: Incidentally, Cheyenne gave birth to Amick, Motomo, Lapwai & Ayet on Saturday, 14 June 2008

Personal life

Ellis has four children from a previous relationship. He met his current partner, Helen Jeffs in 2005. They live by the wolf enclosure at Combe Martin Wildlife Park.

Bibliography

* The Wolf Talk. Rainbow Publishing. 2003. ISBN 189905703X.
* Spirit of the Wolf Talk. Parragon. 2006. ASIN B000R0HZ1U.

This little piggy went to market.....

2009-05-19T15:16:00.004Z

1:23pm UK, Tuesday May 19, 2009

Todays topic: Pigaticians.

Douglas Hogg. Courtesy of Sky News

Take, for example, 3rd Viscount Hailsham, PC, MP, QC and Greedy Douglas Hogg.

A current Conservative MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, Hogg, by designating Kettlethorpe Hall in Lincolnshire his "second home", could claim expenses against it and was paid more than £20,000 a year between 2004 and 2008 in second home allowances. Among the costs itemised were £2,115 for having a moat cleared around his country estate, Kettlethorpe Hall, in Lincolnshire. £646.25 for "general repairs, stable etc" and £40 for piano tuning, according to the Telegraph. The taxpayer helped meet the cost of a full-time housekeeper too.

2009-05-12. According to the sleafordstandard.co.uk "MP Douglas Hogg has denied newspaper reports that he claimed more than £2,000 in expenses to have the moat at his Lincolnshire home cleaned.
...the Sleaford and North Hykeham MP told the Standard:

"I have never claimed for the moat, or for the piano tuning - the allegation that I did is incorrect. I never claimed for these and I never received any money.
"The work to the stables that the Telegraph mentioned was actually for maintenance of security lights which were installed by the Home Office as part of the response to an IRA threat."

He said he had issued, in the interests of full transparency, full lists of all his expenditure on the property but these were never meant to be the record of a claim.
Mr Hogg said it was clear to the fees office that the overall allowable expenses were over the Additional Costs Allowance and that his claim only covered utilities, council tax, building insurance, the alarm system, heating, repairs and maintenance of house and garden and 65 per cent of the cost of a housekeeper to clean and maintain the house and look after it when he and his wife, Baroness Sarah Hogg, were away.

He said: "It was on this basis and with the express agreement of the fees office, in advance and in writing that I was making a monthly claim equal to one-twelfth of the ACA."

Mr Hogg added: "I am amongst the lowest claimers in parliament – specifically 551st out of 645 MPs in 2007/8. There is no doubt that our system has lost public confidence and we as parliamentarians have got to accept that we are responsible for having put the system in place and that it is probably flawed. We got it wrong and need to apologise for that, and I do apologise for it."

Yes, you do, and then some.

He is a Viscount, he obviously (like all MP's) has a bit of cash to spare. He doesn't have to concern himself with real drama like the average U.K. citizen and unless he's a complete arse, I'm sure even he would agree that he is in quite a privileged position and has a comfortable life.

So he was in a position to claim money to further his own extravagant lifestyle, and was happy as a pig in mud to do it. Did he really need to? No. But he did it because he could. If he used his own cash I wouldn't care, but he used tax payers money. How many hospitals are in desperate need of funding and modernisation? How many homeless? How many unemployed? Yet this rich git has it all and wants more.

So long as it doesn't come from his pocket.

Shouldn't this money be going where it is crucially needed? Hogg has paid back the money for the moat cleaning, but would he have done if he hadn't been caught?

No.

Jasper Gerard of the Telegraph investigates the world of moats and how much you'd need for maintainence.

Leeds Castle: "It doesn't require an awful lot of maintenance. You just have to make sure banks are sound and the fish OK."

Hever Castle, near Edenbridge: Clive Manning, today's head of maintenance, chortles: "This moat is in perfect condition, but then it did belong to an MP."

So how expensive are moats to maintain?

Manning shrugs: "I've been here 15 years and we haven't had to dredge it. With fish and ducks it is self-cleaning. Fish aerate while ducks munch weed. This is the Rolls Royce of moats as it is lined, but most moats just have clay bottoms and the last thing you must do is puncture it during dredging. The only substantial cost has been to electrically power the drawbridge."

So far, the answer is no.

Lets move onto the last moater. Michael Wheeler is a well-to-do farmer in the heart of apple-growing country near the village of Collier Street, Paddock Wood. His family farmhouse is no castle but sits, prettily, in a moat. However, while Leeds and Hever look clean enough for bathing, Wheeler admits his moat needs attention.

So why doesn't he clear it? "Nowadays you can't, unless you are a banker, industrialist, MP or someone of that sort," he says dryly. "My father told me it was cleared out in the twenties, and they had to drain it, then they built miniature railway lines into the moat. All the muck was chucked in carriages and pulled out by horses."

He estimates it would now cost £20,000 to clear, but this would just be the start: our photographer walks along a jetty and narrowly avoids falling through ancient boards. Wheeler is puzzled by Hogg's claim for £2,000. Dredging would cost way more, so what was done to his moat? "You don't really maintain a moat, you just do a really big job after a number of years to dredge the silt and dig out weed, algae and bull rushes."

I smell some big porkies.

Liger

2009-05-18T23:51:00.004Z

What happens when you cross a male lion with a female tiger?

A Liger - the largest of all felines.

Well I've never heard of these before. A liger looks like a giant lion with diffused stripes and some male ligers grow sparse manes. These massive creatures are 10 feet long on average, weigh about 700 lb (320kg) and stand around 12 feet tall. Liger love swimming - trait common to tigers but lacking in lions. Ligers have been bred in captivity, deliberately and accidentally, since shortly before World War II. The largest liger alive today is appropriately named Hercules and lives in Jungle Island in Miami.

Hercules

The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion (Panthera leo) and a tigress (Panthera tigris), hence has parents with the same genus but of different species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tigon. It is the largest of all cats and extant felines.

The history of ligers dates to at least the early 19th century in Asia. In 1799, Geoffrey St Hilaire (1772–1844) made a colour plate of the offspring of a lion and a tiger.

In 1825, G.B. Whittaker made an engraving of liger cubs born in 1824. The parents and their three liger offspring are also depicted with their trainer in a 19th Century painting in the naïve style.

Two liger cubs which had been born in 1837 were exhibited to William IV and to his successor Victoria. On 14 December 1900 and on 31 May 1901, Carl Hagenbeck wrote to zoologist James Cossar Ewart with details and photographs of ligers born at the Hagenbeck's Tierpark in Hamburg in 1897.

In Animal Life and the World of Nature (1902–1903), A.H. Bryden described Hagenbeck's "lion-tiger" hybrids:

It has remained for one of the most enterprising collectors and naturalists of our time, Mr Carl Hagenbeck, not only to breed, but to bring successfully to a healthy maturity, specimens of this rare alliance between those two great and formidable felidae, the lion and tiger. The illustrations will indicate sufficiently how fortunate Mr Hagenbeck has been in his efforts to produce these hybrids. The oldest and biggest of the animals shown is a hybrid born on the 11th May, 1897. This fine beast, now more than five years old, equals and even excels in his proportions a well-grown lion, measuring as he does from nose tip to tail 10 ft 2 inches in length, and standing only three inches less than 4 ft at the shoulder. A good big lion will weigh about 400 lb [...] the hybrid in question, weighing as it does no less than 467 lb, is certainly the superior of the most well-grown lions, whether wild-bred or born in a menagerie. This animal shows faint striping and mottling, and, in its characteristics, exhibits strong traces of both its parents. It has a somewhat lion-like head, and the tail is more like that of a lion than of a tiger. On the other hand, it has no trace of mane. It is a huge and very powerful beast.

In 1935, four ligers from two litters were reared in the Zoological Gardens of Bloemfontein, South Africa. Three of them, a male and two females, were still living in 1953. The male weighed 750 lb. and stood a foot and a half taller than a full grown male lion at the shoulder.

Size and growth

Imprinted genes may be a factor contributing to huge liger size. These are genes that may or may not be expressed on the parent they are inherited from, and that occasionally play a role in issues of hybrid growth. For example, in some dog breed crosses, genes that are expressed only when maternally-inherited cause the young to grow larger than is typical for either parent breed. This growth is not seen in the paternal breeds, as such genes are normally "counteracted" by genes inherited from the female of the appropriate breed.

The tiger produces a hormone that sets the fetal liger on a pattern of growth that does not end throughout its life. The hormonal hypothesis is that the cause of the male liger's growth is its sterility — essentially, the male liger remains in the pre-pubertal growth phase. Male ligers also have the same levels of testosterone on average as an adult male lion. In addition, female ligers also attain great size, weighing approximately 700 lb (320 kg) and reaching 10 feet (3.05 m) long on average, and are often fertile. In contrast, pumapards (hybrids between pumas and leopards) tend to exhibit dwarfism.

Hercules the liger and his trainer

Hercules and Sinbad

Jungle Island in Miami is home to a liger named Hercules, the largest non-obese liger, who is recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest cat on Earth, weighing in at 900 lbs. Hercules was also featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper 360, Inside Edition and in a Maxim magazine article in 2005, when he was only 3 years old and already weighed 408.25 kg (900 lb) at the time. Hercules seems completely healthy and is expected to live a long life. The cat's breeding is said to have been a complete accident. Sinbad, another Liger, was shown on the National Geographic Channel. Sinbad was reported to have the exact weight of Hercules. Hercules and Sinbad belong to the T.I.G.E.R.S. family of animal ambassadors, who put on the "Wild Encounters."`

Longevity

Shasta, a ligress (female liger) was born at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City on May 14, 1948 and died in 1972 at age 24. The 1973 Guinness world records reported an 18-year-old, 798-kg (1,756 lb) male liger living at Bloemfontein zoological gardens, South Africa, in 1888. Valley of the Kings animal sanctuary in Wisconsin had a male liger named Nook who weighed around 550 kg (1,210 lb), and died in 2007, at 21 years old.

Fertility

The fertility of hybrid big cat females is well-documented across a number of different hybrids. This is in accordance with Haldane's rule: in hybrids of animals whose sex is determined by sex chromosomes, if one sex is absent, rare or sterile, it is the heterogametic sex (the one with two different sex chromosomes e.g. X and Y).

According to Wild Cats of the World (1975) by C. A. W. Guggisberg, ligers and tigons were long thought to be sterile: In 1943, however, a fifteen-year-old hybrid between a lion and an 'Island' tiger was successfully mated with a lion at the Munich Hellabrunn Zoo. The female cub, although of delicate health, was raised to adulthood.

Colours

Ligers have a tiger-like striping pattern on a lion-like tawny background. In addition they may inherit rosettes from the lion parent (lion cubs are rosetted and some adults retain faint markings). These markings may be black, dark brown or sandy. The background color may be correspondingly tawny, sandy or golden. In common with tigers, their underparts are pale. The actual pattern and color depends on which subspecies the parents were and on the way in which the genes interact in the offspring.

White tigers have been crossed with lions to produce "white" (actually pale golden) ligers. In theory white tigers could be crossed with white lions to produce white, very pale or even stripeless ligers. A black liger does not actually exist. Very few melanistic tigers have ever been recorded, most being due to excessive markings (pseudo-melanism or abundism) rather than true melanism. No reports of black lions have ever been substantiated. The blue or Maltese Tiger is now unlikely to exist, making gray or blue ligers an impossibility. It is not impossible for a liger to be white, but it is very rare.

Zoo policies

Keeping the two species separate has always been standard procedure.However, ligers have occurred and do occur by accident in captivity. Several AZA zoos are reported to have ligers.

In October 2008 a liger attacked its volunteer handler at an animal sanctuary in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The handler subsequently died from his injuries.

In 1995 nineteen lions, tigers and ligers were killed near Lava Hot Springs, Idaho after escaping from a dilapidated game farm where they had been bred. Several additional animals, including three ligers, were captured by Idaho Fish and Game and were transported to other facilities. The game farm, called Ligertown, became the inspiration for Napoleon Dynamite's affinity for the animal in the popular movie which was filmed in nearby Preston, Idaho.

Heartwarming

2009-05-15T02:21:00.007Z

I've just watched an episode of Tribal Wives on Eden and in this episode, an English girl named Sass Willis, a 34-year-old from Oxford, spends time with the Kuna Indians. It was, frankly, a lovely and thought provoking show.

She is taken in by Ana Lida and her husband Diego and they both treat her like she is their daughter in every aspect. With a lack of motherly love in Sass's life, you can easily see why it was such an emotionally charged experience for her.
I've heard people whinge about the show, but your not looking at it as a whole.
I found it interesting how the Kuna combat bad dreams, the sense of family and community spirit and most of all the acceptance of an outsider into their home.

Sass is told to sleep in her hammock facing the mountains, as this will prevent bad dreams. The Kuna believe that bad dreams are dangerous and can even kill you. At first she dreamed that someone was trying to kill her, and then she dreamed of blue and white snakes.

Ana Lida advised her to talk about her dreams as hiding it was allowing the bad spirit to remain with her. By bringing it into the open the spirit would have to go and bother someone else. Before anyone laughs, how often are we told not to bottle up our emotions or that keeping things in can lead to misery later on. I think there is wisdom in what Ana Lida says. Then when she opens up about the snake nightmare to Diego, he tells her it is a portent that she will die and immediately jumps in his canoe to visit the mountains and get stronger herbs.
On his return, he says he has what is need to keep his girl safe. To keep Sass safe. Like Ana is a genuinely concerned Mother, so is Diego as her surrogate Father.
He instructs Sass to wash her eyes with the medicine morning and night and leave it under her hammock and hey hey presto, she sleeps soundly.

I'd rather not take the cynical route on this and just say that it was a placebo effect. Once upon a time, our ancestors would have instructed the same (or similar) it's just now we scoff at it and have forgotten what we once knew.

Who knows how much truth there lies in the ways of the indigenous tribes.
What do these people, their lifestyles in the main unchanged by the passage of time and knowledge passed on, know that we don't?

A lot.

Progress is good, but we must remember not to destroy knowledge in the process or scoff at it just because it doesn't come labelled in a plastic bottle or comes in blister pack form. I use medicine now, obviously, as I don't have the means or know how to go and whip up a remedy for this and that. But if I told an elder of one of these tribes a problem, and they suggested something to help it, then I would try their way too. Whether it's a bad spirit that's causing depression or something else, it would be an enlightened study to try out amongst test subjects and one that would probably shock a lot of the "volunteers".

So. The Kuna. Taken from Thorup.

San Blas Islands

The Kuna Indians are a strongly-knit tribal society living on a chain of islands called San Blas Archipelago, on the Atlantic side of the Republic of Panama. Believed to be descendants of the Caribs, the Kuna Indians still live in much the same manner as their ancestors. The San Blas people have cleverly managed to retain their tribal identity and contentedly lead a moral balanced life, free from the complexities of modern, highly-organized societies.

The Kuna have a matriarchal society in which the line of inheritance passes through the women. A young man, after marriage, must live in his mother-in-law's house and work for several years under apprenticeship to his father-in-law. Divorce is uncommon, although it requires no more than the husband to gather his clothes and move out of the house. The daughters of the Kuna people are prized because they will eventually bring additional manpower into the family.

For some unknown reason, there is a high rate of albinism in the Kuna men. Because of the intensity of the sun in Central America, the albino men are not able to do the work expected of a Kuna man. In order to contribute to their community, they assume duties traditionally assigned to the women, including Mola-making. Although encouraged not to marry, the albino men are accepted in the community and their work is respected by their peers.

There is a traditional division of labor within the families. The husband gathers coconuts, cultivates the food, provides firewood, repairs the house, makes his own and his son's clothes, weaves baskets and carves wooden utensils. The wife prepares the food, collects fresh water from the Mainland Rivers, unloads the boats, sews female garments, washes the clothes and cleans the house.

The Kuna have a custom for every event and happening in their life and these customs are passed on to their children through dances and chants. These events are also documented in their Molas.

Mola

The Kuna language (until recently, unwritten) is spoken throughout the community, however, Spanish is fast becoming the second language. Due to the United States influence since the building of the Panama Canal and with the influx of tourists frequenting the San Blas Archipelago, English is being spoken more and more by the Indians.

The traditional dress of the women in the San Blas is spectacular. The gold nose rings, beaded arm and leg bands, head scarves, blue sarongs and the colorful "Mola" blouses worn in combination are a work of art in itself. The Kuna men have adopted a clothing style more traditional to the men of the western world and appear drab beside the Kuna women.

Speaking of colourful, look at the these Molas.

I'll be back to blab about the Kuna and other indigenous tribes soon.

Cernunnos

2009-05-06T04:49:00.002Z

The Council of Cernunnos by Emily Balivet

Cernunnos

Although Cernunnos is a Gaulish horned god, his worship was widespread in the Celtic era, and he was venerated over the channel in Britain in various similar forms.

In appearance he had stag antlers sprouting from his head, wore a torc around his neck, and was depicted with a ram headed serpent. He may have been seen as lord of the animals, and the spirit of the woods, a powerful archetypal nature spirit and male partner of the earth mother. Later, in Christian times his image was transposed on to that of the Devil, who also appeared with horns.

The archetype is still powerful today and it may be an ancient folk memory of Cernunnos who haunts Windsor Great Park in Berkshire as 'Herne the Hunter'. In Britain he is associated with place names with the prefix Cerne. The similarity between this name and Herne the hunter is unlikely to be coincidence.

Maponos

2009-05-06T03:47:00.004Z

Oak King, God Of Summer, King Of The Waxing Year, God Of Light, Lord Of Trees, Green Man, Mabon

Most easily recognised as the Green Man, Maponos is the Celtic God of Summer. His face is a splash of oak leaves; a personification of the male aspect of nature. Curiously, this image survives even in church carvings and sculptures. Known by several names, Maponos appears in the Arthurian tales as Mabon, and is rescued from a prison by Arthur and his warriors. This symbolises the return of the god from the underworld.

Maponos is the counterpart and double of Cernunnos; different and yet the same. As the Oak King and Holly King, they complete a ritual contest every solstice. Maponos is always victorious at Yule and Cernunnos is always the victor at Litha. The contest ensures the continuation of the Summer / Winter cycle. As the beheading game in the tale of Gawain and the Green Knight reveals, the axe-strokes are symbolic, and the loser always survives to challenge the winner later in the year.

The Mabon sabbat is named after Maponos, and remembers that at this time of year he is retreating from the approaching Winter, but also readying himself for the ritual contest with Cernunnos at Yule. When Maponos first appears after the Yule solstice, he is young and cautious, stepping lightly across the landscape before his confidence grows. The emergence of new life reveals the maturing of Maponos.

At the festival of Beltane, the Goddess and Maponos are young adults, and they become lovers. The conception and creation of life continues the seasonal circle. Although Maponos is destined to lose the beheading contest at the next festival, his creative energy remains visible on the landscape for many months afterwards.

Maponos is the spirit of the Summer landscape. His presence may be seen in the blossom and wildflowers of woodland and hedgerow. Quiet reflection in these natural, wild places will lead us to him.

Tales of Creation

2009-05-06T03:10:00.012Z

I like all these old school tales. I was originally going to post some of the Native American creation stories (Raven steals the sun etc) but first I thought I'd like to go down the Celtic route to begin with instead.

I found the following tale at Druidry.org

Eiocha and the one tree from Deviant art

Once upon a time, there was no time and that was when there also was no gods and no man walked the surface of the land. But there was the sea, and where the sea met the land, a mare was born, white and made of sea-foam. And her name was Eiocha. On the land, near where the land met the sea, a tree grew, a strong and sturdy oak. On the oak, grew a plant whose seeds were formed of the foam tears of the sea. To sustain her, Eiocha ate the seeds, these white berries, and they were transformed within her. Eiocha grew heavy with child and gave birth to the god, Cernunnos.

Cernunnos by Taurina

So great was her pain in childbirth that she ripped bark from the one tree and hurled it into the sea. The bark was transformed by the sea and became the giants of the deep. Cernunnos was lonely and he saw the giants of the deep who were numerous, so he coupled with Eiocha and of their union came the gods, Maponos, Tauranis, and Teutates, and the goddess, Epona.

Eiocha soon tired of the land, being a creature of sea-foam, and she returned the sea, where she was transformed into Tethra, goddess of the deep water, sometimes called Tethys.

The gods and goddess were lonely for they had none to command nor none to worship them. The gods and goddess took wood from the one oak tree and fashioned the first man and the first woman.

Cernunnos also made other animals from the one oak tree, the deer and the hound, the boar and the raven, the hare and the snake. He was god of the animals, and he commanded the oak tree to spread and grow, to be come a forest home for his children.

Epona also made animals, but she made only the horse, mare and stallion alike, in remembrance of Eiocha who was no more.

Teutates took limbs from the one tree, and fashioned a bow, arrows, and a club.

Tauranis took limbs from the one tree, and fashioned thunderbolts made of fire and noise. He would leap to the top of the tallest trees and hurl his weapon at the ground. The ground would shake, the grass would burn, and the animals would run in fear

Maponos also took limbs from the one tree, but he fashioned not a weapon but a harp. He stretched strings of the winds from its limbs and spent his days in Cernunnos' forest. The winds would join in the melodies, and the birds as well. And all Cernunnos' animals would come from near and far to hear Maponos play.

The giants of the deep saw the gods and goddess happy on the land, and the giants were jealous, for they had none to command nor none to worship them. So the giants plotted against the gods; they would overwhelm them with the sea and take the land under the water. But Tethra in the deep sea heard the murmuring of the giants in the waves and she remembered her days as Eiocha and so she warned her sons and daughter. The gods were prepared the day the giants came against them.

The gods took refuge in the one oak tree. Tauranis hurled his thunderbolt and split the land, and the sea overflowed its boundaries. Maponos broke the sky and hurled it at the giants. Teutates' deadly aim with the bow and arrows from the one oak tree cut down many of the giants. The giants of the deep were not without weapons; they had the strength of the waves.

The gods overwhelmed the giants, but could not destroy them. The giants of the deep were driven back into the sea, and Tethra bound them in the deep waters. But a few escaped Tethra and fled far from her reach. They called themselves the Fomor, and built a life on the outer edges of the world. But the Fomor dreamed of conquest, and vowed to once again take the land from the gods. Of their later battles, our histories tell us much.

The sea returned to its bed and Maponos repaired the sky. And the gods looked for Epona as she had been absent from the victory. Epona had rescued one man and one woman from the watery and fiery destruction, and the three of them waited deep in Cernunnos' forest. From this man and this woman Epona saved would come our mighty people. The gods and the goddess left the deep of Cernunnos' forest and re- turned to their home near the one tree of oak which still stood strong and sturdy, and the sacred berries where still white as sea-foam.

Where the fiery pieces of the heavens Maponos had torn from the sky had mingled with the waters of the sea, there were born new gods. The god Belenus and his sister Danu sprang from where the heavenly fire had been but little quenched. The god Lir sprang from where the waters of the sea had almost quenched the fire of heaven. From Lir, as the histories tell, there would come the mighty Manannan, the beautiful Branwen, the wise Bran. But from Danu many children would come, the Dagda, Nuadha of the Silver Hand, the wise Dienceght, the smith Goihbhio, the fearsome Morrigan, the gentle Brighid. The Children of Danu and the Children of Lir are the two mighty races our songs tell of, ever opposite.

Submitted by Merri

Animal Totems

2009-05-06T02:05:00.003Z

The Nine Totems

Each person has nine animal essences or totems that walk through life with them, teaching and guiding them and in some cases, protecting them. These nine totems usually remain the same throughout your lifetime; however, major life alterations can cause your totems to change as your totems adapt to your new life style.

Your totems are found in 7 directions around your spirit: East, South, West, North, Above, Below and Within. The last two animals are walking beside you at all times; your Right Side (male) and your Left Side (feminine). While sometimes the living animal is around you, most often they are only the essence of the animal.

At different times in your life, you may also have Special Helpers and/or Special Protectors. These stay with you for a limited period of time, depending on the challenges that you must face. They usually appear in person, in dreams or during meditation.

Children also benefit greatly from having their totems around them. Placing figurines or stuffed versions of their totems in their room is very soothing for a child -- and brings the essence of their totems even closer. Their room becomes a safe haven and your child will be happy there. They grow up instinctively knowing their animal -- even if they've never heard of totems.

CROCODILE & ALLIGATOR

Primal Energies

The Crocodile or Alligator totem
contains the unbridled creative
forces of the world,
the fury and ferocity of Primal Energies.
It is the symbol of creation and destruction

The Crocodile or Alligator is the keeper and protector of all knowledge.
She is the primal mother in whom all knowledge rests and waits to be born.
People with a Crocodile or Alligator totem have the opportunity
to develop new wisdom but they must be careful not to be consumed by this wisdom.
Study each bit of knowledge carefully before going on to the next.

Care of the eyes is important for Crocodile or Alligator people.
Also beneficial are breathing techniques like those practiced in Yoga.

When a Crocodile or Alligator shows up
look for an opportunity to touch very primal energies.
There will be an opportunity for new knowledge and wisdom.

I'll add the rest soon...

Wolf Behaviour

2009-05-04T18:57:00.004Z

Courtesy of wolfsa.org.za

Below are many of the characteristics of the Canis Lupus (Gray wolf):

A pack can consist of 4 to 40 wolves – depending on territory size.
The wolf pack hierarchy is a very strict social order.
- Leaders are known as Alpha (Male and Female).
  The dominance is communicated by posture and vocally.
  (A straight tail – bared teeth – deep growls).
  This show of force rarely leads to serious injuries.
- The Lowest ranking wolf is known as an Omega (Male or Female).
  The Omega wolf serves an important purpose by absorbing the packs
  aggression thereby maintaining balance within the pack.
  This submissive position is displayed by means of body language.
  (Ears back – head down – tail between the legs – or a raised leg to expose the stomach and genitalia).
Wolves in the wild have a lifespan of 5 – 10 years and have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity.
The Alpha male and female pair for life and breeding is usually confined to the Alpha pair only.
- Female wolves become sexually mature during their 2nd year.
- Male wolves become sexually mature during their 3rd year.
- Gestation lasts 63 days but can vary by up to four days.
- The size of each litter is related to the size of the wolf population in the local area, the amount of prey available and other environmental stresses.
- Litters range in size from 3 – 12 young with an average litter size being 6 pups.
- The female usually burrows into a mound to create a “den” when having her pups.
- The Alpha female appoints one of the lesser females to become the “babysitter” when she is not in attendance.
- The “babysitter” will also lactate in order to feed the pups.
- The pups are born blind and their eyes open within the first two weeks.
- Pups can utter their first howls at 4 weeks.
- The pups begin to emerge from the den at 3 – 5 weeks and are lead out of the den by the Alpha male who whimpers and howls.
- Pups are weaned at approximately 5 weeks.
The pack feeds their pups and their aged family members by regurgitating food.
- We feed our wolves every second day – meat only – fortified every couple of weeks with vitamins and bone meal (when necessary).
Wolves have twice the biting power than that of a dog.
Our wolves moult twice a year to adapt to the climate.
Wolves have an extra web between their toes for snow walking. They can travel great distances covering up to 200km in 48 hours.
- Under threat wolves will purge their stomach contents to make their bodies lighter for flight.
- When wolves are put into abnormal situations – small enclosures or when physically abused or threatened, they display aggressive behaviour and often become violent to protect themselves.
Wolves’ eyes have an extra lense for night vision.
Wolves are fond of water and love their daily swim, which also serves to eliminate ticks and fleas.
Wolves communicate in many ways:
- From an early age they establish dominance by growling.
- They are quite vocal as they whimper and whine in hunger, pain or to attract attention.
- They communicate by means of body language – ears, nose, teeth, and tail.
- They howl. Howling is not uniform – each wolf has its own distinctive howl – and often a variation each time it howls.
- Although wolves do not bark as domestic dogs do – they do use a bark as a form of communication – usually signaling alarm or a challenge.
- Howling identifies the packs whereabouts to lost members, serves to avoid aggression between packs and helps demarcate territories.
- Lone male wolves have a deep mournful howl, lasting for hours that can be heard up to 25km away.
Wolf or Dog?
- Dogs hold their tail much lower than wolves and for almost all dog breeds – including crossbreeds – the tail tends to curl up.
- Paw prints are another distinguishing difference.
  In wolves – the toe pads and claw marks point forward.
  In dogs – the toe pads and claw marks are angled to the outside.

Wolf packs do not amalgamate – it is usually only the Omega who leaves the pack or an ousted Alpha – and finds other Omega’s or ousted Alphas in the wild – to form new packs.

Research Courtesy of:
International Wolf Centre Ely, Minnesota
Lopez, Barry H. Of wolves and Men. New York City, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons; 1978
Mech L. David. The wolf: The Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press; 1988.
California Wolf Centre, Julian California.

Wolf Lingo

2009-05-04T18:43:00.004Z

Wolves have a vast communication repertoire including vocalizations, scent marks, visual displays, facial and body postures and rituals. Wolves communicate with each other more by harmony and integration rather than by aggression and submission. They are not vicious bloodthirsty creatures, and will only attack under abnormal circumstances. They are on the endangered animal list and as civilisation encroaches on their territory they are running out of places to go. It's made worse by peoples natural fear of wolves. You see,

Unlike the wolf, prejudice will never die out.

I found the following info at timberwolfinformation.org

A glossary of Wolf speak.

Active Submission: approaching a dominant wolf and licking or nipping its muzzle. Pack members often greet the alpha male in this manner.

Alpha: the dominant member (or pair) of a group such as a pack.

Beta Male: the male wolf second in rank to the alpha male of a pack.

Bond: an attachment that an individual human or animal forms to another. Many animals such as wolves have difficulty forming strong bonds to another individual or species when they are no longer infants.

Canine: a member of a family of animals that includes dogs, wolves, foxes, and coyotes.

Den: an enclosure in which wolf pups are born and where they spend the first four weeks of their lives.

Dispersal: the process in which young wolves leave their families to form new packs.

Dominant: being in charge of, or leading, others. A dominant wolf holds its tail up, pricks its ears, and stands tall around a submissive wolf.

Pack: a group that gathers together to make hunting and other ways of surviving easier.

Predators: animals that hunt and kill other animals.

Raised-leg urination (RLU): urinating with one hind leg raised. The dominant wolves in a pack make scent marks with RLUs.

Rendezvous site: a spot within a wolf pack's territory where pups are left when they are too young to join the pack in hunting.

Scent Marking: using urine or other strong-smelling substances to mark the boundaries of a territory.

Territorial: to consider an area of land as your own and to keep strange members of your species out by using warnings of fighting, it needed. Animals such as deer that are not territorial are said to have home ranges. This means that they have certain areas where they live but they don't defend them.

Wolfers: hunters who were hired to kill wolves in the United States during the last half of the 19th century.

How a Wolf Communicates
through its Tail and Body Posture.

Tail Postures

	This high tail position indicated the wolf is the dominant wolf, most likely an alpha male or female (the ones that lead the pack).

	This horizontal stiffly held tail position indicated the wolf is going to attack or is hunting.

	The wagging of a wolf's tail in this manner indicates that the wolf is relaxed.

	This somewhat drooped tail position indicated the wolf is relatively relaxed.

	This drooped tail position indicated the wolf is even more relaxed.

	This half tail tuck along with a partially arched back indicated that a wolf is humbling itself to a more dominant wolf and is a form of submission.

	This fully tucked tail along with a highly arched back shows that a wolf is extremely in fear of something (a more dominant wolf) and is another form of submission.

Body Postures

	This body position is of a wolf when it is attacking.

	This body position is of a wolf when it is defensive or is feeling threatened.

	This body position is of wolves fighting with the top wolf pinning the other wolf to the ground.

	The body position of the wolf laying down is an example of a wolf being passive submissive.

	This type body position when running indicates that the wolf is playing.

	This type body position when running indicates that the wolf is running in fear.

	The wolf on the left side of this illustration demonstrates the way a wolf looks when it is in active submission.

	This wolf is simply playing.

	This shows how a yearling would submit to a fully dominant wolf.

	This body posture indicates that the wolf is feeling both fear and aggressiveness.

By Karyln Atkinson Berg

Dominant Wolf - A dominant wolf stands stiff legged and tall. Their ears are erect and forward and the hackles bristle slightly. Often the tail is held vertical and curled toward the back. This display shows the wolfs rank to all others in the pack. A dominant wolf may stare penetratingly at a submissive one, pin it to the ground, 'ride up' on its shoulders, or even stand on its hind legs.

Angry Wolf - An angry wolfs ears are erect and its fur bristles. Their lips may curl up or pull back and the incisors are displayed. The wolf may also snarl.

Aggressive Wolf - A aggressive wolf may snarl and crouch backwards ready to pounce. Hairs will also stand erect on its back.

Fearful Wolf - A frightened wolf will try to make its body look small and therefore less conspicuous. Their ears flatten down against the head and the tail may be tucked between the legs, as with a submissive wolf. There may also be whimpering or barks of fear and the wolf may arch its back.

Defensive Wolf - A defensive wolf lays its ears back flat against its head.

Suspicious Wolf - A suspicious wolf will narrow its eyes and pull back its ears. Its tail will be pointed straight outwards parallel to the ground if it suspects danger.

Relaxed Wolf - The tail of a relaxed wolf will hang down relaxed or it may wag. The more its tail hangs down, the more relaxed the wolf is. The wolf may also sit like a sphinx or roll on its side.

Happy Wolf - A happy wolf will wag its tail just like a dog and will have its tongue lolled out.

Playful Wolf - A playful wolf holds its tail high and wags it. The wolf may frolic and dance around, or bow by placing the front of its body down to the ground, while holding their rear high, sometimes wagged. This is reminiscent of the playful behaviour displayed in domestic dogs.

Hunting Wolf - A hunting wolf will be tense and have its tail pointing straight out.

Submissive Wolf (Active) - In active submission, the entire body is lowered and the lips and ears are drawn back. Sometimes active submission is accompanied by muzzle licking, or the rapid thrusting out of the tongue and lowering of the hindquarters. Their tail is placed down, or halfway or fully between the legs and the muzzle often points up to the more dominant animal. Their back may be partially arched as the submissive wolf humbles itself to its superior. (A more arched back and more tucked tail indicate a greater level of submission.)

Submissive Wolf (Passive) - Passive submission is more intense than active submission. The wolf rolls on its back and exposes its vulnerable throat and underside. Their paws are drawn into the body. This is often accompanied by whimpering.

Reading a dog's body language

2009-05-02T14:57:00.004Z

This is a good site, The Dogman.

So in my ongoing pursuit to understand what our dog needs in the way of communication, this is a good article for a head's up on the canid language.

"Pacifying Body Language

It is a very important aspect of dog psychology to be able to convey pacification gestures to dogs, as these gestures play such a crucial role in canine communication. As with wolves' submission, the gestures can be separated into two groups, active and passive (mech, 1965). The gestures used for each can be used in either situation although some gestures are more apt in certain situations.
Let us first consider the basics, and look at how a dog will pacify another, in a case of passive submission.
Passive submission is an innate juvenile behaviour which involves the ritualized lying on the back with the tail sometimes covering the exposed underbelly. Lets look closer and see if there is any signals or gestures we can use for our own good.
We will look at the head. The dog will first turn the head away from the aggressor (although I know he/she/it/whatever may not always be the aggressor, I'm calling it that for ease of terminology, I'll use pacifier to mean the opposite).
The eyes are then half closed, or blinking in an almost nervous expression. The mouth is then left slightly open, with the corners of the mouth often pulled back in a characteristic 'c' shape. the ears are then pulled down against the head. So by taking these gestures we can try to now translate how we can 'break into their social circle' and communicate with them.
Wide opened eyes, characteristic of fear in humans is a very aggressive signal to dogs so to pacify make sure and close your eyes! the eye has a coloured section, the iris, and the area surrounding the schlera, is white to show a contrast.
This contrast allows humans (and canids)to determine both direction of gaze and the intensity of opening of the eye. The dogs eye also has a white schlera surrounding the iris, although the iris is much larger compared to a human. When a dog is very aggressive and wide eyed, the white schlera is visible as the eye opens fully. The muscles that pull the lips up to aggressively bear teeth can actually pop out the eye slightly, making it bulge in it's socket. So to pacify, your eyes must be relaxed, possibly even throw in a blink or two, and don't look directly at the dog.

It is unfortunately this signal that undoubtedly accentuates or may induce an attack by an overly aggressive dog. It is the natural reaction of a human to open their eyes very wide when in a fearful situation, and opening your eyes wider may amplify the aggressive tendencies of the dog. The human being attacked will most often stare directly at the dog, which will also increase the aggression level."

More from WagnTrain.com

Confidence/Fear

Signs of confidence: Erect stance (standing tall), tail up, tail wagging in a slower sweep, ears pricked up or relaxed, direct look; relaxed, smaller pupils.

Signs of fear or concern: Lowered stance, tail down or tucked under, tail wagging in a quick, frantic buzz; looking away or turning head away to look so that whites of eyes show ("whale eye"); dilated pupils. Dogs often bark out of fear, in an attempt to keep a distance between themselves and the Big Scary Thing, especially if they are cornered, fenced in, or on a leash.

Dogs that are aroused: Will often have their hair stand on end, usually the "hackles," the areas over the shoulders and just before the tail. This doesn't necessarily mean aggression, just that they are on high alert. Some dogs get "raised hackles" more easily than others; it's like some people who get red in the face very easily.

The confident pooch. His tail is up; he looks directly at us with no whites showing in his eyes, and his ears are pricked forward.

A relaxed and confident dog, would have her tail curled over her back, her ears relaxed, and comfortably lying down.

The shy pooch. A dog that is fearful and lacking in confidence will have his back arched with his butt and head lowered, legs bent, tail down (though not tucked under his body).

The scared dog. A fearful dog will hide behind your legs. His head and back are lowered, his ears are down, and his pupils are dilated. I would not reach out to this puppy - I would expect him to back away, growl, and maybe even snap at such an invasion of his space. (Instead, I would use Calming Signals such as turning sideways, looking away, yawning, touching the ground in an imitation of dog sniffing, and if the dog seems to relax I might hold my hand out to a neutral space between us for him to sniff).

Dominance/Submission

Dominant body postures: Standing over another dog, standing tall, hooking the dominant dog's chin or paw over another dog's shoulders, calmly accepting other dogs licking at their lips; staring. Some confident, dominant dogs will roll on their backs, exposing their bellies, in an attempt to reassure a more shy or submissive dog, or to get that other dog to play. They will be relaxed when they do that, and usually still look the other dog in the eye. Sometimes mounting ("humping") another dog is a sign of dominance, but not always; this often-misunderstood gesture can also be used by a lower-ranking dog to try to demonstrate his allegiance with a higher-ranking animal.

If another dog were sniffing a confident dog (Standing tall, tail up), this one would definitely be giving signals that he considers himself to be a high-ranking animal.

Submissive body postures: Lowered head and body; allowing other dogs to stand over them or hook their heads over their shoulders; licking at other dogs' lips and mouth corners; looking away from the other dog; rolling on back and craning head away from other dog, while covering tucking their tail.

Note that among dogs, the hierarchies are usually maintained and demonstrated very casually and almost always by more submissive members of the pack. Very high-ranking animals very seldom demonstrate their rank, unless they lack confidence. Most demonstrations and almost all fights that occur over rank are done by the middle-ranking or unconfident members.

"Forcing the dog onto its back is the equivalent of an abusive parent beating a child to force it to say, 'I love you.' Although he or she may have forced the words out of the child's mouth, they cannot force the statement to be true.... Forcing a dog into a submissive position is the Doggish equivalent of this scenario. Even worse, this technique may actually anger the dog enough to provoke it to attack.
"Forcing a dog into an alpha roll, or shaking the dog, both constitute physical aggression. Physical aggression is not communication. If there is good communication, then such confrontations need not occur."
- Stanley Coren, "How to Speak Dog"

Play and Play Invitations

Since dog-dog play is very similar to serious things like fighting, hunting and reproducing, dogs have good ritualistic ways of demonstrating that their intentions are peaceful and fun-loving. Dog play is often initiated by a play invitation like a play bow or pawing the air (especially with puppies), and it seems to say, "None of the biting, stalking, or humping I'm about to do is serious, this is just fun, OK?"

Even when dogs play very roughly, they are usually fairly relaxed; their lips usually cover their teeth (not drawn back in a snarl). Dogs often bark in play; this will usually be higher-pitched than that same dog's fear-bark or warning-bark.

Sometimes dogs will mount each other in play. They are often excited, but not in a sexual way, and it seems to be a way to bond. It is occasionally a show of dominance, but not always. Some dogs appear to mount high-ranking dogs in an attempt to find their place in a group that is much more complicated than a straight-line hierarchy. The classic play bow is the dog's invitation to play. The dog's tail and butt is in the air, and the front legs are lowered. The dog's ears are up and forward, his mouth is open in a "grin", and his eyes are relaxed.

A relaxed dog will have relaxed lips covering their teeth.

Stress and Calming Signals

Dogs can feel stressed in situations of frustration or fear (including during class or learning a new task). Look for clusters of stress signs: Shaking, whining, "submissive" urination, ears back, pupils dilated; rapid panting with corner of mouth pulled back; tail down; body lowered; sweating through paw pads, scratching at self; sudden interest in sniffing; yawning; blinking eyes; licking of lips or nose, or stretching tongue forward; looking away or turning head away; shaking body. Frustrated dogs often bark (this is especially seen in "fence fighting", when two dogs on opposite sides of a fence bark at each other; another easily-observed example is dogs in a shelter watching other dogs walking by; dogs that must pass each other on-leash often bark in frustration).

Hot dog. A stressed dog who is panting, disoriented, avoiding direct looks with a "glassy eye" is probably suffering from too much heat!.

Turid Rugaas, a dog behaviorist from Norway, points out that dogs, as pack animals, have highly-developed ways of avoiding and diffusing conflict and aggression. Dogs therefore use "Calming Signals" to reduce stress for themselves and others they interact with (including humans). Calming signals include: Yawning, looking away, lip-licking, moving slowly, circling, sniffing the ground, becoming "distracted", sitting or lying down. Some of them are also the "appeasement display" behaviors that are developed to turn away aggression and threats of aggression - these are often confused with "the guilty look" that dogs may appear to be giving when scolded for doing something. Note that most of these are the opposite language from the directed attention that would be found in an aggressive interaction. For more information, don't pass by her excellent book, On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals and video, What Your Dog Tells You: Calming Signals (click on the title to purchase either from Dogwise.com).

Nose Lick: Licking his nose, is a sign of stress or a "calming signal" used to assure others of his peaceful intentions.

Head down and sniffing: Shows a sudden interest in smells on the ground, indicating that she is not in any way a threat to other dogs or people.

Speaking dog

2009-05-02T14:25:00.003Z

I love this stuff. I wanna know what our dog is actually thinking, not what I think she's thinking.

Taken from Dogtime.com It's an article all about how to interpret how a dog is feeling or thinking.

"It's news to most humans that the way we act with each other when we're feeling most affectionate--hugging and staring into each other's eyes, to give a couple of examples--doesn't translate well to dogs. In fact, it can be perceived as downright aggressive. Even patting a dog on the head can be taken the wrong way.

Oh sure, they put up with us. That tolerance is partly why we care for them so much. But wouldn't you rather your dog like the way you love him?

Toward that end, we've put together this highly abbreviated guide to speaking dog. Woof.

Don't pat his head. It bugs him.
This is a threatening gesture to many dogs. Although most family pets have gotten used to it, they don't find a heavy-handed pat-pat-pat very enjoyable. Try it on yourself and you'll see why. A deep scratch behind the ears or on the chest is much more satisfying.

Don't stare into a dog's eyes--you're asking for trouble.
Remember your parents telling you to look people in the eye when you spoke to them? What's good manners in human company is often considered a challenge among canines. This is why experts don't recommend staring contests with an unknown dog.

Defuse tension by looking away.
Just as staring at a dog can fuel aggression, looking away can help defuse a tense situation. It's also a good way to tell a persistent dog to buzz off. An alpha dog who's being pestered for attention by an underling will signal her disinterest by looking to the side, nose in the air like a snob. Remember that when your dog drops the ball in your lap for the 5,000th time while you're on the phone.

Never hug a strange dog.
To us, hugs mean, "I like you." To dogs, a front paw (or arm) over the shoulder means, "I'm higher status than you are." Next time you see someone hugging a dog, watch the dog's face--she's probably tolerating, but not enjoying it. For that reason, never hug an unknown dog; your reward may be a growl, or even a bite.

Approach a dog from the side rather then head on.
Emily Pug's Guide to Canine Etiquette considers walking straight up to a dog in very poor taste. Dogs move in an arc when walking toward other canines. While most socialized dogs are used to the more direct human approach, you can make a very submissive dog more comfortable by angling towards her.

Get on his level. It's friendlier.
You're probably thinking, "Cute little doggy, I'm gonna give you a pat," as you lean over a pooch. But in the dog world, standing over someone is a way of showing your higher status. Tower over an aggressive dog, and you may get a growl warning you to back off--if you're lucky. Stand over a submissive dog, and she may cower, roll over, or even pee to appease you. If you want to say hello to a timid pooch, turn sideways, squat, and let her approach you.

Which breed for you?

2009-05-02T14:13:00.003Z

Okay so I'm in desperate need of a dog. I really want a Japanese Shiba Inu but am willing to keep an open mind as most of all, I just want a dog and can't wait any longer. I did a quiz here and apparently, these breeds are right for us:

Total Dogs Found: 89

Airedale Terrier

Alano Espanol

Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog

American Bandogge Mastiff

American Bulldog

American Cocker Spaniel

American Mastiff

American Mastiff (Panja)

American Pit Bull Terrier

American Staffordshire Terrier

Australian Bulldog

Azawakh

Banter Bulldogge

Ba-Shar

Belgian Shepherd Groenendael

Belgian Shepherd Laekenois

Belgian Shepherd Malinois

Belgian Mastiff

Belgian Shepherd Tervuren

Berger des Picard

Black Russian Terrier

Bogle

Borzoi

Boxador

Boxer

Boxweiler

Briard

Bull-Boxer

Bullboxer

Bulldog

Bullmastiff

Bull Terrier

Canaan Dog

Canadian Eskimo Dog

Cane Corso Italiano

Canis Panther

Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog

Catahoula Bulldog

Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Chinese Chongqing Dog

Chinese Imperial Dog

Corgidor

Doberman Pinscher

Dogo Argentino

Dogue Brasileiro

Dogue de Bordeaux

Doodleman Pinscher

Dorset Olde Tyme Bulldogge

Dutch Shepherd Dog

EngAm Bulldog / Olde Bulldog

English Boston-Bulldog

Golden Boxer

Great Pyrenees

Hovawart

Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Irish Terrier

Jindo

Mastiff

Miniature Bulldog

Neapolitan Mastiff

Olde Boston Bulldogge

Olde English Bulldogge

Olde Victorian Bulldogge

Original English Bulldogge

Ori Pei

Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Plica

Pyrenean Mastiff

Roman Rottweiler

Rottle

Rottweiler

Shar-Pei

Sloughi

Spanish Water Dog

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Standard Schnauzer

St. Weiler

Swedish Vallhund

Thai Ridgeback

Titan Bull-Dogge

Tosa Inu

Valley Bulldog

Victorian Bulldog

I'll save them on here, and look up the breeds.... later.

Justice for Vicente Carton

2009-05-02T00:52:00.004Z

Illegal miners murder Yekuana Indian

27 January 2009

I've just came across this article from Survival International.

Illegal goldminers shot dead a Yekuana leader and injured his son on Wednesday in the Brazilian state of Roraima.

Yekuana man Vicente Carton and his son Ronildo had refused to take the miners up the dangerous rapids of Uraricoera river into the Yanomami indigenous reserve. The miners shot them, and Vicente died immediately while Ronildo escaped by jumping into the river. He hid in the forest and eventually made his way back to his village.

The Yekuana live in Uaicás, a large community in the north of Yanomami territory, and in several communities just outside the reserve. They are expert river navigators, famed for their large wooden canoes.

The Yanomami have been publicly denouncing the presence of illegal miners in their land for at least a year, but the authorities have done nothing to remove them. Ronildo’s brother warns, ‘Miners are dangerous and they are armed’.

The Yanomami and Yekuana are only now recovering from the massive gold rush of the 1980s which decimated their population through violence and disease. After many years of pressure from the Indians and their supporters, the governments of Brazil and Venezuela finally recognized Yanomami land in 1992.
This latest tragic incident is a clear sign that invasions are on the increase and that illegal mining activity is gaining pace once again.

Violence against indigenous people is not limited to the north of Brazil. Valmireide Zoromará, a Paresi leader, was assassinated earlier this month in the state of Mato Grosso. She was shot by ranch hands when fishing with her family. Land conflict is believed to have been the motive for her murder.

CIMI, a Brazilian indigenous rights organization, reports that at least 53 Indians were killed in nine Brazilian states during 2008.

Act now to help the Yanomami

Your support will help the Yanomami keep control of their lands, lives and futures. There are many ways you can help.

Writing a letter to the Brazilian government can make a real difference.
Donate to the Yanomami campaign (and other Survival campaigns).
Write to your MP or MEP (UK) or Senators and members of Congress (US).
Write to your local Brazilian embassy.
If you want to get more involved, contact Survival…

Who are the Yekuana?

Basically the Yekuana are an ancient river people from the Venezuelan area of the Rainforest in the Guiana Highlands, close to the Brazilian border.
Under the canopy of the Amazon Rainforest you can find "forest Indians", "Indians of the forest edge" and the Yekuana, the "river Indians". To a Yekuana, "if you don't know what a paddle is, you're not a Yekuana". They are experts in jungle bushcraft and are fighting to keep their homeland untouched. With civilisation encroaching upon them, their way of life is dying out. Waterfalls help them to stop progress, but not so good when urgent medical attention is required. I'm sure google will provide the rest of the answers :)

Beltaine Boogie

2009-05-01T01:01:00.002Z

From the 30th April to May 1st is the annual fire festival of Beltaine. It's an important event in the Celtic calender and was for our ancestors too. The first part comes from the Celtic God "Bel" and the second part from "teine" from the Gaelic word for fire. Overall meaning is "Bealttain" or "bright fire".

This is the beginning of the light part of the year when the sun sets later in the evenings and the magical hawthorn begins to blossom. To our ancestors Beltane was the coming of summer and fertility. Nature is in bloom and the earth is full of fecundity and life.

The Maiden

The Triple Goddess - worshipped by the Ancient Britons - at Beltane is now in her aspect of the Maiden : The May Queen, May Bride, Goddess of Spring, Flower Bride, Queen of the Fairies - a symbol of purity, growth and renewal.

The Crone turns to stone on Beltane Eve.

Hawthorn

May blossom symbolises female fertility, with its creamy/ white, fragrant flowers. Hawthorn blossom was worn during Beltane celebrations, especially by the May Queen. It is believed to be a potent magical plant and it is considered unlucky to bring the blossom inside the house, apart from on May eve.

Flower Language

Fire festivals

Samhain is one of the four Celtic fire festivals marking the quarter points in the year - feasts were held and bonfires were lit throughout the countryside. Fire was believed to have purifying qualities - it cleansed and rejuvenated both the land and the people.

The ritual welcoming of the sun and the lighting of the fires was also believed to ensure fertility of the land and the people.
Animals were transfered from winter pens to summer pastures, and were driven between the Beltane fires to cleanse them of evil spirits and to bring fertility and a good milk yield. The Celts leapt over Beltane fires - for fertility and purification.

Young men would circle the Beltaine fires holding Rowan branches to bring protection against evil - its bright berries suggested fire - malign powers were considered particularly active at the year's turning-point.

It was considered unlucky to allow anyone to take fire from one's house on May Eve or May Day, as they would gain power over the inhabitants.

A Beltane fire festival is held annually in Edinburgh, at Calton Hill on 30th April - a May Queen and Green Man, representing Beltane fertility and renewal lead the celebrations on the hillside.

May Day - Beltane Traditions

Beltane is a time of partnerships and fertility. New couples proclaim their love for each other on this day. It is also the perfect time to begin new projects.

The maypole - a phallic pole planted deep in the earth representing the potency and fecundity of the God, its unwinding ribbons symbolized the unwinding of the spiral of life and the union of male and female - the Goddess and God. It is usually topped by a ring of flowers to represent the fertile Goddess.
Paganhill, near Shroud has one of the tallest maypoles. The Puritans banned maypoles during the 17th Century.

It was a Celtic tradition to fell a birch tree on May day and to bring it into the community. Crosses of birch and rowan twigs were hung over doors on the May morning, and left until next May day.

Beltane cakes or bannocks - oatcakes coated with a baked on custard made of cream, eggs and butter - were cooked over open fires and anyone who chose a misshapen piece or a piece with a black spot was likely to suffer bad luck in the coming months. They were also offered to the spirits who protect the livestock, by facing the Beltane fire and casting them over their shoulders.

Beltane Celebrations and Rituals

At Sheen do Boaldyne, in the Isle of Man, twigs of Rowan are hung above doorways as protection - the opening of Summer was regarded as a time when fairies and spirits were especially active, as at Samhain and the opening of Winter.

The 'Obby 'Oss, at Padstow, Cornwall - wearing of animal skins was believed to be a relic of a Pagan sacred marriage between earth and sky, and the dance enacts the fertility god sacrificed for the good of his people.

The May Queen - Maid Marion/the Maiden consorts with Robin/ the Green Man in Celtic celebrations of May day.

Going 'A-Maying' meant staying out all night to gather flowering hawthorn, watching the sunrise and making love in the woods - a 'greenwood marriage'.

The dew on the May day morning is believed to have a magical potency - wash your face and body in it and remain fair all year, and guarantee your youth and beauty continues - men who wash their hands in it will be good at tying knots and nets.

Handfasting

This ancient Pagan and Celtic ceremony marked the taking of a partner - this involves a commitment to perform an annual review of relationship. The couple's hands are ritually bound together to symbolize their union. Some people choose to use a ribbon that they have both signed. Between Beltane and the Summer Solstice is the most popular time for handfastings.

Flickr

2009-04-18T20:32:00.001Z

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Britain's oldest...

2009-03-29T23:34:00.001Z

... living man becomes Britain's oldest man ever

Henry Allingham has been officially recognised as the oldest man in British history, at 112 years and 296 days.

Mr Allingham, who is one of just two of the country's surviving World War I veterans, the oldest Royal Navy veteran, the last founder member of the RAF and the sole survivor of the Battle of Jutland, today beat the previous record held by Welshman John Evans, who died in 1990.

Mr Allingham spent a day near Brighton, at St Dunstan's care home for blind ex-service personnel. Tomorrow, Mr Allingham will be made an honorary member of the Royal Naval Association at a low-key presentation at St Dunstan's.

His close friend and founder of the First World War Veterans' Association, Dennis Goodwin, said: "He has achieved another milestone in his long life and is raising the bar of longevity. To be honest the last two years have been littered with milestones but this one is nice for him. The next one will come when he becomes a 'teenager' again when he reaches 113 in June [6th]."

Earlier in the month, French ambassador Maurice Gourdault-Montagne promoted Allingham's current Legion d'Honneur, from the rank of chevalier (knight) to officer.

Story from the BBC

Sad News for Alaska's Wolves - But You Can Help!

2008-10-24T13:09:00.001Z

Dear friend,

Alaska's wolves are facing a difficult battle.

Recently, Alaska voters defeated a ballot initiative that would have ended the state's brutal aerial hunting program.

This news, on top of Alaska Governor and VP candidate Sarah Palin's outspoken support of this brutal aerial hunting program, shows how much we still need to do to protect our wildlife.

Please act now to help Alaska's wolves »

So as we prepare for another bloody aerial hunting season in Alaska, we need the Protect America's Wildlife (PAW) Act more than ever. The PAW Act is legislation that would close a federal loophole and curb Alaska's brutal aerial hunting program.

Urge your Representative to support the PAW Act today »

Alaska is the last place in the U.S. where a few hunters still use aircraft to chase and kill wolves. They shoot these animals from the air or chase them to exhaustion before landing and shooting them point blank.

It's brutal and inhumane. But the good news is that there is bipartisan support for the Protect America's Wildlife (PAW) Act to bring an end to Alaska's aerial hunting program. Now we must ensure that this important bill gets passed.

Please take a moment to urge Congress to pass this important wildlife-saving legislation »

Thanks for taking action!

Natasha
Care2 Campaign Team

Congress passed a law thirty five years ago to put an end to aerial hunting. But Alaska is exploiting a loophole in federal law to resume the practice, not only for wolves, but bears as well. It's time to stop aerial hunting once and for all.

Read the Petition

Urge Congress to ban the Aerial slaughter of Alaska's Wolves today!!!!

Road to Perdition

2008-10-19T14:29:00.004Z

Caught Road to Perdition for the first time the other night and it was fucking cool.
I like contemporary flicks about the old days. I grew up watching Cagney and the films where classic, but, I like the realism that modern directors are bringing to this genre.
The other thing for me was that it wasn't just another Hollywood gun-ho flick.
What caught me was the the relationship between Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) and his son Michael (Tyler Hoechlin). Not so much an action pic but more like a 6 week road-trip where Father and son bond for the very first time. Adding Harlen Maguire, demented psychopath who shoots to kill and then shoots for profit (Jude Law), Legend Paul Newman as John Rooney the religious crime boss torn between fatherly love for Sullivan, his "adopted son" and natural son and lunatic Connor (Daniel Craig), to the mix just makes it a bit more... interesting.

Capone was mentioned but didn't have a prominent part in the film which was good.
It served as a good time reference and that was all that was needed. There where other gangsters around in the 1930's, and Hollywood has flogged that horse to death.

I've read this movie got bad reviews for being soft and Disney like. So what.
I think it was good and well acted out. I immediately "got" what each character was meant to be and as for the Lone-ranger theme, when Michael is reading the comic-book it is relating to the portrayal of guns and violence.
He starts to weep because he saw Connor Rooney murder Finn (Ciarán Hinds) and later on found his Mother and younger Brother shot dead. I think it played in nicely with the scene where he faces Maguire and although I usually think that stuff is hokey, it is necessary to his character and the narrative.
His Father didn't want him to turn out like him and before he died got to see that his son was not a murderer after all.
The ending narrative also has Michael Jr saying about the scene, "That was the only time I held a gun and never did again.

Rating: 5 Bags of popcorn

Stitchin's Star for Bug

2008-10-17T15:19:00.005Z

Stitch did this the other night and I think it's awesome!
A pink beaded star just for Bug and lemme tell ya, she has more patience than me doing it.

She is such a talented crafter. I can see where Bug gets her genes from.

P.S. Stitch also has a Blog Candy competition running. Why not check it out and be in for a chance of winning.

Little bug's wolf :)

2008-10-17T14:41:00.007Z

I Love it!!! This is a pic that Bug did for her Mum recently. She is as sweet as she is talented and that's not just a proud Dad talking, her art is amazing.

I'm going to post some of her Kingdom Hearts 2 fan art soon. She can draw better than a lot of adults (especially artists who charge "silly ammount" just for a red line drawn horizontally onto a white background bollocks).

Our 8th Anniversary

2008-10-14T21:44:00.005Z

Had a nice day filled with home cooking and chilled-ness. Spent the day with my Hunni Stitch and my little bug and everythings good. Bug watched "BIG" with us and now wants the floor piano that Tom Hanks did his jig on. I do too. So much fun.

I really want to take her to Hamley's one day. Or some other big toy store where everythings hands on. She is such a fun loving kid and a trip to Woolies doesn't quite have the same impact :D.

Well it's been a fun and very interesting 8 years. Like everyone, life has imposed it's fair share of shit on us, but to be honest, I wouldn't change any of it. The fact that we are still together now and a strong couple and family, just shows what you can endure.

We can still laugh and smile which is a good thing too.

Stitch wants King Arthur on DVD (I love that she doesn't do chick flicks). I don't think you'll have to bend my arm too hard.....

Now if only she wanted Titanic I'd be in heaven.

JOKING! :D However, lets pitch them against each other and see what each has to offer.

King Arthur VS Titanic

Knights who say Nee!

Burny things

Hagrid

Ray "Daddy" Winston

Beckham...

Clip-clop

more clip-clop

Battles, battles, battles....

and battles, battles, battles....

Anyway.

Titanic

Art class

King Arthur wins!!!! (just)

Cherry? Hmmmm

2008-10-14T21:33:00.003Z

Pick a fruit and forward it on. Do not spoil it...just do it.
Do not forget to send it back to the person that sent it to you
with the fruit you chose on the 'Subject' line.

Which fruit will you pick if you were handed these?

The results will astound you!

1. Orange
2. Apple
3. Banana
4. Coconut
5. Pineapple
6. Papaya
7. Mango
8. Cherry
9. Black Grapes
10. Peach
11. Blueberry
12. Pear

Which did you pick??? (Pick one before you scroll down...do not
CHEAT!!!) Remember, you will be surprised by the results!

YOU HAD BETTER NOT BE CHEATING!! KEEP SCROLLING!!

ORANGE - If orange is your favorite fruit, it speaks of a
person who has enduring patience and willpower.
You like to do things slowly, but very thoroughly and are
completely undaunted by hard work.
You tend to be shy, but are reliable and trustworthy friend.
You have an aesthetic bent of mind.
You select your partner with care and you love with all your heart,
and not in for just a fling. You avoid conflict at all costs.

APPLE - If apple is your favorite fruit, you are an extravagant,
impulsive and outspoken person, often with a bit
of a temper.
While you may not be the best organizer yourself,
you make a good team leader and are good at taking things
forward.
You can take quick action in most situations.
You enjoy travel immensely.
You ooze with charm when you are with your partner.
You have an enthusiasm for life, unmatched by most.

BANANA - You are a softy! Loving, gentle, warm and sympathetic by
nature is the banana lover.
You often lack in self-confidence and are quite timid by nature.
People often take advantage of your sweet temperament,
and sheer vulnerability to a situation.
You adore your partner in every which way, both for their mental and physical
beauty!
Because of the way you are, your relationship is always very much in
harmony!

COCONUT - The coconut lover is a serious, very thoughtful and
contemplative person.
Though you enjoy socializing, you are particular about
the company you keep.
You tend to be stubborn but not necessarily foolhardy.
Shrewd, quick-witted and alert, you ensure that you are right on top of any given
scenario, especially at work.
You need a partner with brains, and while
passion is important, it certainly is not everything for you.

PINEAPPLE - You are quick to decide and even quicker to act.
You are brave in asking career changes, if that is what is to your advantage.
You have exceptional organizing abilities and are undaunted by the size of the task at hand. You tend to be self reliant, sincere and honest in your dealings with others. Though you are not given to making friends very quickly, but
once you do, it is for life. Your partner is often impressed with your
sterling qualities but disappointed in your ability to show affection.

PAPAYA - You are truly fearless and take much that happens in life
in your stride. You give considerable thought to things you do.
You have a sense of humor that, along with your generous nature,
keeps you in most people's good books. You are a go-getter in your
professional life, and have a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
You enjoy meeting new people and seeing new sights whenever you can. Your sense of humor is what attracts members of the opposite sex to you more than anything else does. It is simply charming!

MANGO - A mango lover is a personality to reckon with; quite often,
you are a person who has quite fixed ideas, and influencing you is not an easy
task. You tend to be an extremist with strong likes and dislikes, and at times
even like to control a situation. You enjoy getting involved in something that
presents mental challenge. Strong as you may be, you are like a kitten when you are with your partner.
You accommodate the love of your life, and make up for all the strong
will elsewhere!

CHERRY - If cherry is your favorite fruit, life is not always as
sweet for you. You often face ups and downs, particularly professionally, and
find that you make small sums of $$$, instead of a lump sum. You have a
fertile imagination and are often involved in creative pursuits. You are a very
sincere and loyal partner, but find that expressing your feelings is not
very easy. Your home is your haven, and you love nothing more
than being surrounded by close family and your beloved partner.

BLACK GRAPES - You are a polite person in general, but do have quick
flare-ups of temper that cool down just as quickly. You enjoy beauty
in all forms, including beautiful people.
You are very popular because of your warm, gregarious nature.
You have a zest for life; you enjoy everything you do,
right from the way you dress, to your style and your day-to-day life.
Your partner must share your zeal and zing for life to enjoy all you have to offer!

PEACH - Like a peach, you enjoy the juice of life and all its lush
ripeness! You are the friendly sort, and are quite frank
and outspoken, which adds to your charm.
You are quick to forgive and forget; and value your friendships highly.
You have an independent and ambitious streak in you that make you
a real go-getter. You are the ideal lover, fiery and passionate but
sincere and faithful in love.
You do not, however, like to display all that passion in public.

BLUEBERRY- You are a modest and conservative person who can be quite
sensitive at times. You tend to be thoughtful and contemplative,
and therefore are rarely rash in doing things.
You are quite ambitious and are good at anything that requires
much detailing or working with numbers.
You are quick at finding fault with others.
While looking for a partner, you value a person's intellect far above
their looks or good old passion. You are quite shy and not very comfortable
demonstrating affection.

PEAR - If you put your mind to something you can do it
successfully, but by and large, you tend to be fickle and have
trouble completing a task with the enthusiasm you started it
with. You need to know the results of your efforts almost
immediately. You enjoy mental stimulation and love to get into
a good discussion! You tend to be a restless and high-strung
person, and are easily excited. Being happy does not mean
everything's perfect! It means you have decided to see beyond
the imperfections!

FORWARD THIS TO YOUR BLOG BUDDIES, PUT THE FRUIT YOU
PICKED IN THE SUBJECT LINE SO THEY CAN READ YOURS.

REVENGE ON THE TELEMARKETER

2008-10-14T21:20:00.004Z

Three Little Words That Work!!

(1) The three little words: 'Hold On, Please...'
Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off ( instead of
hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much
more time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt.

Then when you eventually hear BT's 'beep-beep-beep' tone, you know
it's time to go back and hang up your handset .... you have efficiently
completed your task.

These three little words could help eliminate telephone soliciting.

(2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the
other end?

This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone
calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone.

This technique is then used to determine the best time of day for a
'real' salesperson to call back and get someone at home.

What you can do after answering: If you notice there is no one there, is
to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times,
as quickly as possible. This confuses the machine that dialled the call
and it kicks your number out of their system.
Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer!!!

3: When you get those 'pre-approved' letters in the mail for everything
from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw
away the return envelope.

Most of these come with postage-prepaid return envelopes, right?

It costs them more than the regular postage 'IF' and when they are
returned. It costs them nothing if you throw them away! In that case,
why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool
little, postage-prepaid return envelopes.

Send an advert for a local chimney sweeper to American Express,
they might need one!
Send a pizza coupon to HSBC ... in case their canteen packs up.
You get the idea.

If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them back their
blank application form ... after all, it is their form!

If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on
anything you return.

You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just
keep them guessing! It still costs them, and it is their envelope after all
... you are just returning it!!!!

The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their
own junk back in the post, but folks .....
we need to OVERWHELM them, in order to stop them.

Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of junk mail,
and best of all they're paying for it ... Twice!

Let's help keep Royal Mail busy. Since the Royal Mail are saying that
e-mail is cutting into their business profits, let's help them so they
will not need to increase postage costs again. You get the idea!

If enough people follow these tips, it will work ---- maybe you'll get
very little junk mail anymore.

For you Stitch xxx

2008-10-14T13:22:00.004Z

Thankyou for a wonderful 8 years. Looking forward to 8 more (well I didn't say you where lol)

Feminism by FireAngelSgr

2008-10-10T20:39:00.003Z

This pic speaks volumes.

Just say AH!

2008-09-30T13:18:00.002Z

Here is a link to one of my favourite artists Adam Hughes, "Justsayah.com", the only official gallery for the comic book artist on the internet.

Blog Candy

2008-09-30T03:17:00.004Z

Thanks to stitchinwitch, I went to Be Creative... via a link on her blog. It's a really cool blog and to thank one lucky member for visiting her new blog, she is giving away goodies! Sweet.

Go to her blog via my link above or on the right (be creative), leave a comment saying you have visited and voila. Done.

Also, do the same with these Blog Candy links:

Vixx-a-Craftin'
My Little Card Blog
Arline's Allsorts
Crafts-International
Crafting up a storm

Do it!

It's worth checking out even if you don't win. :D

2008-08-08T01:34:00.001Z

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/2717043609_979509d0da.jpg?v=0

I've just found this excellent Tarot reader and believe me she is 100% accurate! She told me things only I would know about. I'm going to go back to her again and again because i'm sick of being conned by sheisters. Even if you have no interest in Tarot and the like, she's worth giving a try for like any question you need answering. I was in a pickle but thanks to my reading i was able to change things so that It wasn't so bad. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.

Did I mention she is amazing????? Try her now :D

Happy Birthday Amick, Motomo, Lapwai & Ayet !

2008-06-14T11:34:00.008Z

Amick, Motomo, Lapwai & Ayet where born today so congratulations to Cheyenne!

Who is Cheyenne?

Chayenne with her new pups

Cheyenne is a young Alpha female in the pack made famous by the Wolfman Shaun Ellis. Information provided on his homepage, Wolfpack Management , states:

"Cheyenne, our young alpha female, gave birth to a litter of four pups (3 males and 1 female).

We have now named the pups:

Amick ("little talking brother"); Motomo ("he who goes first"); Lapwai ("he me") and Ayet ("our little sister").

To see these beautiful wolves, and the rest of the pack, you should definitely pay a visit to Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park .

For more information, follow the above links, and should you be interested, I've pasted the following:

Wolf Pack Management can offer the following wolf sponsorships & courses:

Wolf Sponsorship - Sponsor one of our 17 wolves, and receive certificate, newsletter and a wolf encounter Under the supervision of one of our wolf keepers you will meet the wolves at the fence of their enclosure.

Shadow a Keeper (1 day) - Spend the day in the Company of one of our wolf keepers

Awareness Day ( 1 day) (over 16's only) - Introduces you to pack structure, visual, vocal and scent communication obeyed by wolves and our domestic dogs.

Basic Course (2 day) - (Attendance on the Shadow a Keeper or Awareness Day is a prerequistite of this course). Provides beginners with an insight into the language & behaviour used by wolves to communicate and how such communication applies and has been modified in the domestic dog.
On completion of this course you will be eliable to enrol on the Intermediate Course.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Linda on 07709 256103

or email: wolfpackmgt@hotmail.co.uk

Lets hope that Mum and pups thrive and do very well.

Rufford Old Hall

2007-11-13T10:41:00.001Z

RUFFORD OLD HALL :D

Coordinates: 53°38′16″N 2°48′48.1″W

One of Lancashire's finest 16th-century Tudor buildings. Here's a pic I took of one of the boss statues they have.

We've been there twice with the family and LB loves it.

The address:

Rufford Old Hall
200 Liverpool Road,
Rufford, nr Ormskirk,
Lancashire L40 1SG
Telephone: 01704 821254

One of Lancashire's finest 16th-century Tudor buildings

* Spectacular Great Hall with intricately carved wooden screen and hammer-beam roof
* A young Shakespeare is said to have performed in the Great Hall
* Arms and armour collection of national importance
* Variety of topiary displays and garden trails

Maintained by the National Trust

Built in 1530 by Sir Thomas Hesketh in Rufford, Lancashire, England. Only the Great Hall survives from the original building but it clearly indicates the wealth and position of the family.

The Hall

The Great Hall was built to impress with a splendid Hammerbeam roof and a huge carved wooden screen. There is some evidence to suggest that Shakespeare performed in the Great Hall whilst in service to (a later) Sir Thomas Hesketh.

In 1661 a brick wing was built at right angles to the great hall which contrasts with the medieval black and white timbering.

In the 1820s a third wing was constructed, formed out of the medieval domestic offices, and a castellated tower was built to join the Great Hall to the Charles II wing.

Ownership

In 1846 Sir Thomas George Hesketh, 5th Baronet, of Rufford married Lady Anna Maria Arabella Fermor, sister and heiress of George Richard William Fermor, 5th and last Earl of Pomfret. This resulted in the Hesketh family gaining Easton Neston in Northamptonshire.

In 1936 Rufford Old Hall was transferred to the National Trust by Thomas Fermor-Hesketh, 1st Baron Hesketh together with a collection of arms and armour and 17th century oak furniture.

Haunted

The hall is said to be haunted by the Grey Lady (by the main entrance or on the drive). The ghost is reputed to be that of a young woman in a wedding dress awaiting the return of her betrothed, who had been killed in battle, never to return. The hall is reputedly also haunted by a man dressed in Elizabethan clothes (Great Hall) and Queen Elizabeth I (dining room).

Gardens

There are gardens and pasture to the rear and side of the Hall and a car park leading to woodland at the front. A canal runs the length of the site on the east side. A notable feature of the gardens are a pair of squirrel topiaries. The gardens are best seen in the spring when the rhododendrons are in bloom.

HALLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOWEEN

2007-10-20T09:04:00.000Z

iT IS So booooooooosssss

Crazy ebay auctions‏

2007-08-25T19:42:00.000Z

Thanks LW for this one!!!!

Yarrrrrrrrr! It's my Pi-Rat-e Birthday! Yaaaaaaaar!

2007-07-13T14:42:00.000Z

I'm 31 and loving it! Been spoiled rotten by LW and LB and was surprised with a fab POTC birthday cake! Yaaaaaaarrrrr! I've been sent birthday wishes by all my lovely mates and it's just been a perfect day! I'll post pics in a bit, but for now, i'm off to the find the rum! Yo-Ho-Ho!

Harry Potter!!!!! Before him, magic was all about Paul Daniels.......

2007-07-04T19:26:00.001Z

The Wolfman!

2007-07-04T08:39:00.003Z

For some reason, and I don't know what it is, I have always had a fascination with wolves. So when my fellow wolf nut and Wife , LW, told me a programme called

"The Wolfman" was being aired on the National Geographic channel, i was thrilled!. It's basically all about this guy in Devon that has reared abandoned wolf cubs and now lives with them, as one of the pack.

Synopsis.

The Wolfman (Documentary)

"Fearless Shaun Ellis has been living with wolves for years; he feeds, sleeps and even thinks like them. Using behaviour learned from his pack, he now rehabilitates orphaned pups and enables them to live in the wild. But can Shaun's unique knowledge be used to save a group of Polish sheep-poaching wolves from the farmer's wrath?".

Whilst watching it, I was glued to the seat for the whole hour, it was that fascinating!!!.

You can view his personal web page, and that of his pack, here:

wolfpack-management.com They are based at Combe Martin Wildlife Park in Devon. The park is open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm (last entry @ 3pm) and we hold a regular wolf talk @ 1pm. Go and see them!

He hopes to teach his wolves all about how to survive in the wild, and hopes one day that he can release them and live with them as part of the pack. Also, by studying wolves up close and personal, he is hoping that he can use what he learns to help save wolves in the wild, and to help wolf and man live in harmony together. He is a maverick, a genius and a hero.

Here is what the BBC has to say about Shaun.

Shaun with Matsi.

"A Devon man with an extraordinary passion for wolves believes he has mastered their language. Shaun Ellis is one person who's been nominated as a 'Local Champion' in the South West.

Shaun has mastered the language of wolves and communicates with them through posture, facial expression and vocalisation. He lived for nine years with wolves as part of a study with native American Indians in Idaho. Shaun is passionate about wolves and regularly gives educational talks in Devon.

Shaun Ellis, from Plymouth , has spent many years living with and studying the behaviour of wolves. Mr Ellis is an expert in the complicated sight and sound system used by wolves to communicate with each other".

He has spent years integrating himself in a pack of wolves and has dedicated much of the last 12 years to researching the lives of wolves and has written the book The Wolf Talk. His book chronicles some amazing experiences working with wolves across the world and a seven year study in which he lived with the Nez Perce Indians in Idaho. Available from Amazon for £9.71.

"What people think of as a savage creature is in fact very well-balanced and if you are part of their pack they will not cause you serious harm," he explained.

Shaun believes he has mastered the language of wolves and communicates with them through posture, facial expression and vocalisation.

"Back off, don't challenge me!".

"It is a very simple language, as their world is far more complete than ours," he said.

Below are some of Shaun’s observations on this aspect of the wolf’s complex communication system, as noted in his book “Spirit of the Wolf:”

The howl is a long-range method of communicating with pack members who are out of sight. It is also used with rival wolves as a way of avoiding conflict and can be heard several miles away—up to 10 miles in favorable conditions.

Wolves often prefer to howl from an elevated position in order to project the sound farther. They can also be seen standing in a semicircle while howling to project their sound in different directions.

A wolf away from its pack will often call the pack using a rallying or locating howl.

Defensive howls are low in tone in order to be discouraging. Locating howls are higher in tone in order to be encouraging, and are drawn-out in order to urge a response to questioning. Depending upon the reply, a subsequent howl may be either high in pitch as encouragement or lower as a discouragement.

Rallying howls are intended to recall pack members to the location of the family, and will be high in tone but mournful to denote rallying or return. Rallying howls are sometimes misinterpreted as lamenting a death in the pack.

Communication through howling is taught to young wolves at an early age, and they are rewarded with food and praise.

Each wolf has a different sound depending upon its pack status.

The alpha pair’s howl is low in tone, a sign of its high status within the pack. The alphas howl for short periods, and then pause to listen for any response so that they can decide whether the pack as a whole should stop or continue.

Alpha wolves may not initiate howling, but they will assume control of the situation once vocal contact is made, with, for example, a neighboring pack, a lone wolf or a family member that has become lost while hunting. If the alpha wolves determine that the pack needs to prolong its calls, they will offer encouragement to howl by repeating a long deep howl, or, if they want to stop the pack, they repeat a series of two or three cut-off howls in quick succession.

Second in the pack to the alpha pair are the betas. The betas’ howls are moderately low in tone: not as low as the alphas but lower than the remaining pack members. They howl approximately three to four times longer than the alphas, adding strength and continuity to the pack calls.

Mid-ranking wolves create the illusion that there are more wolves in the pack than there actually are. They use a variety of sounds—yips and yaps as well as howls—to make it hard for neighboring packs to identify exactly how many wolves are in the pack.

The omega wolf is responsible for defusing tension within the pack. The omega’s howl is the most tuneful in the pack, reaching both high and low notes. By adding vocal harmony, it can help calm the pack when the pack is on the defensive.

Sources - Wolf Pack Management “Spirit of the Wolf” by Shaun Ellis.

Shaun would like to see his findings used to allow wolf and human to coexist without conflict. Using their own methods of communication, wolves can be encouraged to stay away from areas where they might clash with man. He's now hoping to set up a breeding programme so that some can be released into the wild in Poland. Shaun hopes that if a more controlled wolf population can be introduced in Poland it could help to reduce attacks on livestock as well as protecting wolf packs".

Here is what some people have to say about Shaun and his work:

Superlative and wolf ethologist of the highest order, 17 Aug 2006.

ByDr. N. Miles (Gunnislake, Cornwall United Kingdom).

" Shaun Ellis is a person who only comes along once in a lifetime...and the Earth should be grateful for his generosity, observation, insights and intelligence towards not only his relationship with the most intelligent of the Earth's mammalian canids but his ability to understand these wonderful creatures in "vivo" - more than any other student of wolf biology, ecology and behaviour anywhere across the planet. Shaun's innate understanding of wolves far outstrips any other researcher throughout all institutions and anyone who wishes to understand wolves, I plead should read his book and then visit and talk to him and his colleagues at Wolf Pack Management or Baltic Wildlife Adventures....via his base in North Devon at Combe Martin....included in these should be all politicians, including our MEP's, community leaders, farmers and land users in areas of the globe where Canis lupus still frequents....and then learn and act on his advice for there IS NONE BETTER".

Dr. Nigel Miles. Wildlife Ecologist, Conservationist and Ecological Economist.

Well said Dr Miles, I couldn't agree more.

Here are some pics of my favourite pack member, Tamasca.

(All photos courtesy of Shaun Ellis, see link above)

Here's some pics taken from The National Geographic channel Of Shaun and the pack.

Shaun with cub.

Majestic.

Dinnertime.

Pic: Shaun Ellis snarls at Tamasca who encroaches while he is eating carcass meat with Matsi and Yana. This is to maintain his dominant Alpha position (which he has now lost due to leaving the pack for conservation work, Matsi is now Alpha).

Shaun and Tamasca.

Shaun Ellis demonstrates the howling technique he has learned from his direct study of wolves.

I've also got this from Unreality.tv

The Wolfman: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Shaun Ellis�

May 9th, 2007 by Lisa McGarry.

The Wolfman: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Shaun Ellis.

* Shaun Ellis, or “The Wolfman” as he is otherwise known, has been living as a wolf, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the last two years in a wolf enclosure in North Devon, UK.

* Shaun is a member of a pack of wolves and is regarded as the Alpha male within the pack. The other wolves have accepted him into the pack, however if they wanted to, they could turn on him and rip his human body to pieces. At one point in the film, one of the wolves lunges 5-10ft at Shaun, pins him to the ground and disciplines him by clamping his jaw within its teeth.

* When the wolves are young pups, as their teacher Shaun must feed them chewed up meat from his own mouth. To remain leader of the pack he must eat a diet consisting of mainly high quality meat so that he gives off the correct scent to the other wolves in the pack.

* Shaun has learned to communicate with wolves and defend himself from other packs through scents and howls.

* Shaun is an ex-marine and is was well prepared for the physical exertions necessary to live as a wolf.

* Shaun has sacrificed a lot in his life, but has a recent fiancé, Helen and four older children from another relationship.

* Shaun has reared three wolf brothers, Yana, Tamaska and Matsi from birth, by literally living with them and nurturing them day and night.

* Shaun has studied wolf behaviour first-hand for the last 15 years, and is conducting this study to shed further light on wolf behaviour. It is a fascinating and compelling insight into this world, and the lengths that one man might go to.

* Shaun is constantly covered in bite wounds and scratches from the wolves, and has learned that wolf saliva, rather than stitches given in hospital, is the best healer for his wounds. His stitches are continually ripped out by the wolves and the wounds licked clean.

* Shaun is very articulate about his experiences and is available for interviews.

The Wolfman (Friday 18 May, 8pm on Five) is the unique story of Shaun Ellis, a man who has given up everything to take a dangerous and unorthodox approach to learning about wolves. Behind the secure fences of a Wildlife Park in North Devon, Shaun Ellis has overcome one of man’s greatest fears and joined a pack of wolves. Here he lives and breathes as a wolf; communicating with them in a language of howls , snarls and forceful licks and feeding with them from carcasses of meat.

11 Responses to “The Wolfman: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Shaun Ellis�”

1. Mariantonellina says:
July 2, 2008 at 2:12 am

Shaun Ellis: a marvellous person. God save and protect him and his wolves

2. jeanette smith says:
August 26, 2008 at 2:26 pm

i love this man, he is living my dream of a lifetime. i have loved wolves from a child and still do they are magnificant animals and are so beautiful, i have an alaskan malamute who looks like one of shauns wolves, she is so loveable and soft. I hope to see shaun and his wolves soon. jeanette.

3. dave says:
November 3, 2008 at 6:18 pm

served with shaun,one of the best men i,ve had the honour to meet. 29 regt 1994

4. CHRISTOPHER SMITH says:
November 19, 2008 at 4:18 pm

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I LOVE HIS SHOW AND WHAT HE IS DOING IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE TO DO WHAT HE IS DOING I DEVOTED MY LIFE SENDING DONATIONS TO SAVING WOLVES I RESPECT SHAUN ELLIS AND EVERYTHING HE DOES WHEN I WATCH HIM HE TEACHES ME MORE ABOUT THE WOLF IT WOULD BE MY DREAM TO MEET HIM AND MEET THE PACK I HAVE NO FEAR IN ANY ANIMAL, WOLVES ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL I STUDY WOLVES THE ACTIONS THEY DO AND ACT I HAVE WORKED WITH A FEW WILD ANIMALS RACCOONS DEER I HAVE ALSO SAVED A HURT FOX BUT WHAT HE DOES IS WHAT I HAVE DREAMED ABOUT MY HOLE LIFE I NEVER MISS HIS SHOW KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK SHAUN.

5. May Fleming says:
November 23, 2008 at 7:41 pm

I love wolves with all my heart and soul, I wish I could live with wovles, but *sigh*

6.
Lisa says:
December 6, 2008 at 9:10 am

what a fantastic guy this is and congrats to him and helen, i hope you continue your fabulous work for many, many years.

7. joe says:
December 9, 2008 at 1:47 am

worked with horses a few years and dogs many more. read Monty Roberts, Roger Fauts, Jan Fennell, Temple Grandin, Gary Paulson, Farley Mowat…..

I tested the push/pull theory of predator/prey relations a few times. After trial and error and much sprints, one coyote gave me the time of day. She was a beautiful and frighteningly powerful dog. What I’d give to not have to work the next day. At 2am her body language clearly stated ‘either hunt with me or leave me be. What else do you want with me?’ She was a stronger version of a border collie I had who only gave me a hundred percent after an incident where my verbal commands put her on top of a squirrel. How does Ellis keep from bringin human language of any sort into their vocabulary?

8. Tom Coombe says:
February 17, 2009 at 8:59 pm

I served in 29 Commando and am very proud of him well done mate.

9. debbie and john says:
February 18, 2009 at 12:05 pm

We are honoured to know Shaun Helen and the wolves and the volunteers, there is not another person like Shaun anywhere he is unique

Having met them all makes you realise you have to follow your dream and do what it is you want to do.

Keep up the good work and see you soon x x

10. jools and briggs says:
February 24, 2009 at 8:41 pm

he is a pathalogical character.

11. Kate says:
April 21, 2009 at 1:06 pm

Have you seen this clip of him teaching a wolf pup to howl? - amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T-ZThSE5rQ

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