Japan today ... Thx Paul C! I spent 17 mos. in Japan ... Good for them!

Good for Japan!

 

 

Subject: Japan- some very interesting facts

 

There may be some lessons to be learned here...particularly the last prrt

  :These practices set a high standard for young people . . . . . 

 

* Japanese children clean their schools every day for a quarter of an hour with teachers. This led to the emergence of a Japanese generation who is modest and keen on cleanliness.   * Any  Japanese citizen who has a dog (rare) must carry special bags to pick up dog droppings. Hygiene and their eagerness to address cleanliness is part of Japanese ethics.   * A hygiene worker in Japan is called "health engineer" and can command salary of USD 5000 to 8000 per month, and a  cleaner is subjected to written and oral tests!!   * Japan does not have any natural resources, and they are exposed to hundreds of earthquakes a year, but this has not prevented its becoming the second largest economy in the  world.   * In just ten years Hiroshima returned to what it was economically vibrant before the fall of the atomic bomb.   * Japan prevents the use of mobile phones in trains, restaurants and indoors.   * For first to sixth primary year Japanese students must learn ethics in dealing with people.   * Even though one of the richest people in the world, the Japanese do not have servants.The parents are responsible for the house and children.   * There is no examination from the first to the third primary level because the goal of education is to instill concepts and character building.   * If  you go to a buffet restaurant in Japan you will notice people only eat  as much as they need without any waste because food must not be wasted.   * The rate of delayed trains in Japan is about 7 seconds per year!! The Japanese appreciate the value of time and are very punctual to minutes and seconds.   * Children in schools brush their teeth (sterile) and clean their teeth after a meal at school, teaching them to maintain their health from an early age.   * Japanese students take half an hour to finish their meals to ensure proper digestion because these students are the future of Japan.   The Japanese focus on maintaining their own culture.  Therefore . . . ..   * No political leader or a prime minister from an Islamic nation has visited Japan - not the Ayatollah of Iran, the King of Saudi Arabia or even a Saudi Prince!!   * Japan is a country keeping Islam at bay by putting strict restrictions on Islam and ALL Muslims.    

   

1) Japan is the only nation that does not give citizenship to Muslims.      

2) In Japan permanent residency is not given  to Muslims.      

3) There is a strong ban on the propagation of Islam in Japan.      

4) In the University of Japan, Arabic or any Islamic language is not taught. (Editorial note: English is required at every school and every level. To "graduate", a competency test must be passed. This is for disciplinary and business reasons.)    

5) One cannot import a 'Koran' published in the Arabic language.      

6) According to data published by the Japanese  government, it has given temporary residency to only 2  lakhs, Muslims, who must follow the            

     Japanese Law of the Land. These  Muslims should speak Japanese and carry their religious rituals in their homes.      

7) Japan is the only country in the world that has a negligible number of embassies in Islamic countries.      

8) Muslims residing in Japan are the employees of foreign companies.      

9) Even today, visas are not granted to Muslim doctors, engineers or managers sent by foreign companies.    

10) In the majority of companies it is stated in their regulations that no Muslims should apply for a job.    

11) The Japanese government is of the opinion that Muslims are fundamentalist, and even in the era of globalization they  are not willing to change

      their Muslim laws.    

12) Muslims cannot even rent a house in Japan.    

13) If anyone comes to know that his neighbor is a Muslim then the whole neighborhood stays alert.    

14) No one can start an Islamic cell or Arabic 'Madrasa' in Japan.    

15) There is no Sharia law in Japan.    

16) If a Japanese woman marries a Muslim, she is considered an outcast  forever.    

17) According to Mr. Kumiko Yagi, Professor of Arab/Islamic Studies at Tokyo University of Foreign  Studies,

         " There is a mind frame in Japan that Islam is a very narrow minded religion and one should stay away from it."

   

The Japanese might have lost the war, but they are in charge of their own country.

There are no bombs going off in crowded business centers, "Honor Killings", nor killing of innocent children or anyone else.    

Something to think about......

Harry Truman - A president's president! ... Thx good friend, Clay V.!

Would that this guy were cloned, Clay.  He is my brother, George's absolute favorite!  In fact if he were running any time I would vote for him.  He was not in the vein of the normal progressive liberal Democrat or Republican today!  A lot of Tea Party people resemble the man, a True man!

We will never see this again.

Thought you'd enjoy this!
It's one you want your Children and Grandchildren to read.

They won't believe this happened, but it DID.

Harry & Bess
(This seems unreal.)

Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.

The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri. His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there.

When he retired from office in 1952 his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.

After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale."

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise."

As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.

Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale (cf. Illinois).

Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!

I say dig him up and clone him!




Enjoy life now -- it has an expiration date!

 

Where do cashews come from? ... Thx Nita E!

Subject: Where Do Cashews Come From?


And where they are grown a drink is made from the fruit. It can't be shipped
Sent from my NOOK

Thx for adding, Sarah R!





 Agriculture 101....

Interesting - I just assumed they were like other nuts (the edible kind, naturally), but now I have the full story behind these unusual fruits. Another day of learning something - happy??






Ever wonder where cashews come from?
You might think they grow inside a shell like any other nut, but there true origins are far more bizarre.
First of all, cashews are not actually nuts, but rather fruits from the cashew tree, a large evergreen tree that thrives in tropical climates. The tree produces red flowers, which in turn produces yellow and red oval structures resembling apples.
These so-called cashew apples are very juicy and pulpy, and their juice is often added to tropical fruit drinks.

Where the Heck Do Cashews Come From?




However, cashew apples are not actually fruits in a scientific sense; the real fruit of the cashew tree is the kidney-shaped formation growing at the end.

These fruits, also called drupes, are harvested and become what we know as a cashew nut.
In their raw form the outter layer of the fruit contains multiple toxins, including anacardic acid, a powerful skin irritant similar to the toxin found in poison ivy, that must be removed prior to eating.

Roasting the cashews destroys the toxins, but roasting must be preformed carefully outdoors because the smoke can irritate the lungs, sometimes to a life-threatening degree.

When they are roasted cashews change from their natural greenish-gray color to the light brown nut sold in stores.
Next time you crack open a tin of cashews, take a moment to appreciate the long journey those little c-shaped nuts took from the tree to your table!  It also explains why they are so expensive!


Now that I think about it, I never wondered why you can't buy cashews in the shell, like other "nuts"!

Oak Ridge 1942 ... Thx Bob M!

I, SamKat, worked at Goodyear Atomic in Piketon Ohio, for six years before attending the University of Kentucky and four years after befpre moving to Westerville in 1967.  Many of my fellow employees tarveled to Oak Ridge on business.  Maybe Ramey "Sonny" Hoskins did.  

America's Secret Atomic City

The city of Oak Ridge, located in eastern Tennessee, was established in 1942 as the production site for the Manhattan Project, the American, British and Canadian operation to develop the atomic bomb. At its height, over 75,000 people lived there, but most of them had no idea that they were producing uranium until the bombs dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

In a fascinating look into this 'secret' town, learn about the residents' daily life and the sacrifices they made for the development of the atomic bomb.

Beginning in October, 1942, the United States Army Corps of Engineers acquired the Oak Ridge area for the construction of the Manhattan Project. The town was chosen by Major General Leslie Groves due its low population and discrete location, all of which would aid in keeping the town a secret.

Billboards across the town reminded the residents of Oak Ridge of their duty, to keep the project a secret and to complete their job. One resident recalls, "If somebody was to ask you, 'What are you making out there in Oak Ridge,' you'd say, '79 cents an hour'."

While the town was open to the public, the non-military section of the town was fenced and guarded to limit who came in and out.

The vehicle inspection stop had no exceptions and everyone was searched, including the highest ranking military officials. This was at the height of the war and the military wanted to make sure no one would leak information on the bomb. If the workers themselves asked too many questions about what they were doing, they would be thrown out of the community immediately.

Workers were forbidden from saying certain words like helium or the names of the equipment they worked with. This had a negative influence on the morale in the factories and the workers became suspicious. They were told that they were doing a very important job for their country, but could not see the results of their duties.

In order to fix the problem of morale, the government decided to make Oak Ridge into the perfect American town with theatres, roller-skating rinks, sports teams, bowling allies and more. The goal was to keep workers pleased during their free-time so that they would be more motivated at work.

Almost all of the residents of Oak Ridge were young, and although there were schools, many of the couples were discouraged from having children. This was so they could better serve the project and the mission.

The large number of workers in the famous Y-12, K-25 and S-50 uranium plants were recruited by the government, which led them to the conclusion that it would be worthwhile to build an entire town, instead of just a large camp. The town that was created had over 300 miles of road (480 km), 55 miles of railroad tracks (89 km), seven theaters, 17 restaurants and 13 supermarkets.

By 1945, Oak Ridge was home to so many residents that one of the largest bus systems in the entire U.S. was established there. The entire town of 75,000 residents was using more electricity than New York City.

This abandoned cabin was photographed in 1947, only a few years after the U.S. government took over the town. The 56,000 acres on which Oak Ridge was built had previously been farmland where some families were given only two weeks' notice by the government to vacate their farms.

After the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many of the physicists involved in the Manhattan Project founded the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists to begin an educational program on atomic weapons.

Residents celebrated V-J day (Victory over Japan day) just like the rest of America because they had no idea that they were developing the atomic bomb that ended the war.

Two years after World War II ended, the town of Oak Ridge was demilitarized and shifted to civilian control. In 1966, the X-10 graphite reactor was designated a national historic landmark.

Little that remains of the town of Oak Ridge is this old hotel known as the Alexander Inn , or 'The Guest House', which housed the residents' visitors during the time of the project. The hotel finally closed in 1990, and since then has fallen into terrible disrepair. Oak Ridge has largely become a ghost town.

Thanks to the only town photographer, Ed Westcott, we have these haunting photographs of life in Oak Ridge of scenes of everyday life as well as the unbeknownst building of the world's first nuclear bomb.

U.S. Oil ... Thx Paul C!

 

Next time you have to fill up at $3.49/gallon, think of this!!   (Now  $4.00 + in CA)

 

 

OIL -  You better be sitting down when you read this!

 

As you may know, Cruz Construction started a division in North Dakota just 6 months ago.  They send every Kenworth (9 trucks) we had here in Alaska to North Dakota and several drivers.  They just bought two new Kenworth's to add to that fleet; one being a Tri Drive tractor and a new 65 ton lowboy to go with it.  They also bought two new cranes (one crawler & one rubber tired) for that division.

 

Dave Cruz said they have moved more rigs in the last 6 months in ND than Cruz Construction moved in Alaska in the last 6 years.

 

Williston is like a gold rush town; they moved one of our 40 man camps down there since there are no rooms available.  Unemployment in ND is the lowest in the nation at 3.4 percent last I checked.

 

See anything in the national news about how the oil industry is fueling North Dakota's economy?

 

Here's an astonishing read. Important and verifiable information:

 

About 6 months ago, the writer was watching a news program on oil and one of the Forbes Bros. was the guest.

 

The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska's Prudhoe Bay, and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil.  The Energy Information Administration sm(EIA) estimates it at 503 billion barrels.  Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable( 5 billion barrels), at $107 a barrel, we're looking at a resource base worth more than $5.3 trillion.

 

"When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see their jaws hit the floor.  They had no idea.." says Terry Johnson, the Montana Legislature's financial analyst.   However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up the Bakken's massive reserves, and we now have access of up to 500 billion barrels.  And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels will cost Americans just $16   PER BARREL !!!!!!

 

That's enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years straight.

 

And if THAT didn't throw you on the floor, then this next one should - because it's from 2006 !!!!!!

 

U. S. Oil Discovery - Largest Reserve in the World

Stansberry Report Online - 4/20/2006

 

Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the largest untapped oil reserve in the world.  It is more than 2 TRILLION barrels.  On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction.  In three and a half years of high oil prices none has been extracted.  With this motherload of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?

 

They reported this stunning news:  We have more oil inside our borders, than all the other proven reserves on earth.  Here are the official estimates:  8 times as much oil as Saudi Arabia

                               18 times as much oil as Iraq

                               21 times as much oil as Kuwait  

                                     22 times as much oil as Iran  

                             500 times as much oil as Yemen and it's all right here in the Western United States !!!!!!  

 

HOW can this BE?  HOW can we NOT BE extracting this?  Because the environmentalists and others have blocked all efforts to help America become independent of foreign oil! Again, we are letting a small group of people dictate our lives and our economy.  WHY?

Jame Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we've got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East, more than 2 TRILLION barrels untapped.  That's more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the world today, reports The Denver Post.

Don't think 'OPEC' will drop its price even with this find?  Think again! It's all about the competitive marketplace, it has to.

 

Think OPEC just might be funding the environmentalists?

 

Got your attention yet?  Now, while you're thinking about it, do this: Pass this along.  If you don't take a little time to do this, then you should stifle yourself the next time you complain about gas prices, by doing NOTHING, you forfeit your right to complain.

 

Now I just wonder what would happen in this country if every one of you sent this to every one in your address book.

 

By the way, this can be verified.  Check it out at the link below !!!!!!

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911> ; Release Date: 03/14/14

To a beautiful Friend ... Thx Marge R and Nanarina!

To a Beautiful Friend~~~~~~~~Please read below the bear and flowers.

 To a beautiful friendPlease do not break this 

 Send it to a minimum of 3 people... But Not before you read below... 

 There comes a point in your life when you  realize:

 

Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
And who always will.

So, don't worry about people from your past,
There's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.

Give these flowers to everyone you don't want to lose in 2014
if that's what is in your heart. 

Rubio propses all citizens access to Thrift Savings Plan ... Thx Marge R!

Rubio Pitches Giving All Americans Access to the TSP

• By Eric Katz
• May 13, 2014
• 86 Comments

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Molly Riley/AP

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All Americans should have access to the same retirement savings plan as federal employees, according to a Republican lawmaker. But a spokeswoman for the plan said opening it to the general public might not be in the best interest of current participants.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Tuesday unveiled a proposal to overhaul the nation’s retirement system, including a provision to give any American without employer-sponsored defined contribution retirement benefits access to the Thrift Savings Plan. The plan is similar to one proposed by President Obama in his most recent State of the Union address, which would give all Americans access to the TSP’s government securities (G) fund.
Rubio called the TSP “one of the most efficient savings plans in America,” because it charges a fraction of the fees its private-sector equivalents charge.
“So the twisted irony is that members of Congress -- who are employees of the citizens of the United States -- have access to a superior savings plan, while many of their employers -- the American people -- are often left with access to no plan at all,” Rubio said during a speech in Washington, D.C., to announce his proposals.
Giving the American people access to the TSP would allow millions of people to maintain a “secure, comfortable and independent retirement,” he added.
The agency that administers the TSP, however, expressed significant concern with the plan.
By granting access to the TSP to non-federal workers, “we would be greatly diluting our focus on our participants,” Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board spokeswoman Kim Weaver told Government Executive. She added getting the necessary data from millions of private employers across the country would “require a completely different set of operational capabilities” than the agency currently possesses.
Weaver said the board is still awaiting the details of Rubio’s proposal.
“The FRTIB's responsibility is to act solely in the interest of our participants and beneficiaries,” she said. “That is the standard by which we will evaluate the proposal put forward by the senator.”
Rubio also suggested eliminating the payroll tax for working Americans older than 65 years, jettisoning the retirement earnings test and raising the retirement age for those currently less than 55 years old. He also advocated for reforming Medicare into a “premium support” system, similar to that advocated by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.