Good to see folks in Penang doing something concrete for the disaster victims in Japan.
This event is genuine: I am told the organisers had a press conference with the Penang Chief Minister and the Japanese Consulate General today.
Hello friends,
We’re all devastated by the tragedy that is unfolding in Japan now, and 5 days after the event.
This email from a mailing list was forwarded to me and I thought I would share it with you. It provides a unique description of what life is like for quake and tsunami survivors in Japan on the ground now.
When tragedy strikes, it reminds us of what is really important in life and the little things we once felt we had lost, such as community solidarity and the sight of a carpetful of twinkling stars in the night sky.
Life Lessons from Japan
First email sent by Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist Master and founder of Plum Village, France, to friends in Japan. Thich Nhat Hanh is the author of the book “The Miracle of Mindfulness”, and promotes engaged Buddhism.
Now that election season is upon us, we can expect more trolls to crawl out from under the bridge and create mischief in the comments sections of various blogs and websites.
What is an internet troll? According to Wikipedia:
In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.
So this is it. The Sarawak state election is likely to be held in April. And an announcement about the date could be made soon.
One contact in Sarawak told me last week that he heard the election could be held on the 9-10 April weekend. We shall see if he is right. Whatever the dates, these polls will be closely contested.
Hitomi Kamanaka, an indie film-maker, has produced documentaries about local residents’ opposition to nuclear power plants. Only a few weeks ago, clashes erupted between residents and construction workers in Iwai Island as attempts were made to build yet another nuclear power plant.
The mistakes, cover-ups and profit-maximisation/cost-cutting of the past in Japan have come back to haunt us.
A General Electric Co engineer said he resigned 35 years ago over concern about the safety of a nuclear reactor design used in the now crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. Dale Bridenbaugh said the “Mark 1” design had “not yet been designed to withstand the loads” that could be experienced in a large-scale accident. Read the full Reuters report here.
Activists in Japan had warned about the risks posed by the country’s nuclear power plants – and they are now calling for more information on the ground and a larger evacuation zone.
This interview from Democracy Now a couple of days ago:
SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: We go right now to Aileen Mioko Smith. She’s the director of Kyoto-based Green Action. She’s on the board of Greenpeace International. She’s joining us from San Francisco right now, one of Japan’s leading voices challenging nuclear power.
Here is an example of what’s possible when a community feels empowered. They can even build bridges – like this new suspension bridge for an Orang Asli community in Sungai Siput to replace the old rickety one.
There are several things we can learn from this suspension bridge project:
The other day, I was at the ATM when I noticed a middle-aged couple in front of me in the queue. They tried a few times to withdraw funds. As I waited a few minutes, I overheard them saying they were trying to withdraw RM20, but the machine responded “insufficient funds”. They looked stressed and worried.
All is not well among Malaysians. The level of household debt has been rising over the years at the rate of 11.1 per cent annually.