A-Bomb Dome

by Jonas in China

Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound

A visiting choir sang in front of the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims. Very touching.

by colm.mcmullan

I was brought to tears at the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims. For some reason I had this museum to myself though all the other buildings were busy.

The highlight is the Peace Memorial Museum (平和記念資料館 Heiwa Kinen Shiryōkan)

… heart-wrenching … documents the atomic bomb and its aftermath, from scale models of the city “before” and “after” to melted tricycles and other displays and artifacts related to the blast. Some are extremely graphic, evocative, and quite disturbing. The rest of the museum describes the post-war struggles of the hibakusha and an appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons in the world today. Be warned: a visit here, while absolutely worthwhile, will ruin your day. …

wikitravel

But I particularly liked copies of protest letters from the mayor of Hiroshima to the leader of each nation each time they test a nuclear weapon. There were 3 to Obama on display.

Though I wasn’t much in the mood for taking pictures, by luck I captured a couple of good ones. We live for hope.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster has been a tourism & public relations disaster too, of course.

There’s as much confusion as information. Bloomberg cites the highest radiation levels yet, while the Financial Times tells that levels around Greater Tokyo have fallen.

Politicians are driven to publicity stunts like this — drinking a glass of water taken from puddles inside the damaged plant.

Personally I’ve not been worried at all for my safety over 7wks here.

The government is handing over $64 billion to Tokyo Electric Power. Part goes for compensation to 89,000 people.

That company needs to be nationalized, temporarily, at least. Japan needs power.

This is what gives me nightmares.

more photos of Hiroshima on The Big Picture

If you want to worry about something, worry about what will happen when some dictator or terrorist uses a nuclear weapon. It would be highly unlikely that the attacked nation would not retaliate in some way shape or form.

If you had told me when I was age-20 that I’d be visiting Hiroshima at age-54, I’d have laughed out loud. I was convinced that the world would be destroyed by now, by Nuclear war.

… yet somehow the planet has lasted this long.

Hiroshima had been left largely untouched by American bombing campaigns; that was, however, intended to ensure a more accurate measurement of the atomic bomb’s effect.

On Monday, August 6, 1945, “Little Boy” was dropped … directly killing an estimated 80,000 people. By the end of the year, injury and radiation brought total casualties to 90,000–140,000.

For those killed immediately (mostly women and children), it was a fast death. For the rest — horrific.

Three days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Another 80,000 were dead by the end of the year.

details on Wikipedia

… I’ve always wondered whether it was necessary to drop the second bomb so soon after the first. Yet it was another 6 days before Japan surrendered. Emperor Hirohito requested an end to the war personally.

Another big factor in the Japanese surrender was the Soviet Union launching surprise attacks at the same time.

Actually, the USA had a timetable for more bombs. We’re lucky that only two were used.

… Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, had honeymooned in Kyoto and argued to keep it off the list for as long as possible. One small blessing.

I’m not sure even Gandhi could suppress a giggle.

Jonnie Marbles: Why I foam-pied Rupert Murdoch:

… It’s not difficult to find reasons to dislike Rupert Murdoch. His reach is one of the most insidious and toxic forces in global politics today. The phone-hacking scandal, despicable though it is, barely scratches the surface of the damage done by News International. It is a media empire built on deceit and bile, that trades vitriol for debate and thinks nothing of greasing the wheels of power until they turn in its favour. What’s more, no matter what the grievances he wreaks on those he has never met, his power and money keep him forever safely out of their reach. …

read more – Guardian

I love symbolic actions, even mildly violent ones.

The average person doesn’t know Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of News Corporation, the world’s second-largest media conglomerate.

His biographer, Michael Wolff, knows Murdoch – Ad Week – How Bad Is News Corp.?

… He is ranked 13th most powerful person in the world in the 2010 Forbes’ The World’s Most Powerful People list. With a personal net worth of US$7.6 billion, he was ranked 117th wealthiest person in the world in March 2011. …

My most trusted source on media, On The Media, thinks he and his son will be going down for the phone hacking scandal.

Not for the scummy and illegal practices, but for the cover-up.

Glad to hear it. His Fox News is the source of more bias, misinformation and downright lies than any other major media.

He bought the Wall Street Journal in 2007, once a bastion of news excellence. They’ve been slammed for jumping on the anti-Muslim bandwagon as quickly as tabloids.

In reaction to the massacre in Norway by Anders Behring Breivik, a Christian extremist:

… Many news organizations leapt to the conclusion that the bombing and shootings were the work of a jihadist terrorist group. The Wall Street Journal laid the blame in that direction in an editorial and then scrubbed away the evidence after it turned out to be incorrect. Rupert Murdoch’s The Sun went with the headline, “Al Qaeda Massacre: Norway’s 9/11.” …

The WSJ tried to cover-up the error rather than make a correction, standard practice.

If you like bashing Murdoch and Fox as I do, read on – Guardian – Even Rupert Murdoch is afraid of Roger Ailes, the paranoid boss of Fox News.


… apparently Murdoch has nothing to do with Fox News, so long as it keeps bringing in massive profits.

_____

On the bright side, the much maligned NY Times paywall seems to be working. About 250,000 subscribers are paying up to $500/yr. It may yet be a business model that can keep newspapers printed on dead trees.

Now The Onion is testing a paywall. Hmmm …

Prime Minister John Key – after confirming 65 people have died – told ONE News last night: “We may well be witnessing New Zealand’s darkest day,” he said.

“It is just a scene of utter devastation,” he said. “We have to work as fast as we can to get people out of environments where they are trapped.”

Key flew to Christchurch yesterday afternoon and after a quick tour of the city described it as “utterly wrecked”, adding “this is an absolute tragedy for Christchurch”.

TV NZ – Chch quake: 65 dead, rescue efforts continue

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Ad agency Hill Holliday recently conducted an experiment, asking five families to give up cable TV in favor of connected TV devices for a week.

The growing availability of online content and video subscription services, coupled with an exploding market for connected devices, has pushed the idea of cord cutting — or dropping a traditional cable TV subscription package in favor of online video sources — into the mainstream. But how viable is the concept, really?

For its experiment (which the agency stresses was not intended as a scientific research study), Hill Holliday provided each family with a different connected device: the Roku, Apple TV, Xbox 360, Boxee Box and Google TV.

An Experiment In Cord Cutting from Hill Holliday on Vimeo.

Traditional Cable TV is horrid. But the alternatives are still even worse.

When is Apple or Google going to get it right?

(via Mashable)

George Stroumboulopoulos explains the complicated issue calling B.S. on the Internet Service Providers.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’ve already signed the petition at: StopTheMeter.ca

Telcos and ISPs are the least trustworthy corporations today.

Rob Glaser obituary

GLASER , Robert Carl Peter December 5, 1957 – January 15, 2011

Our amazing husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend died while skiing with his brother Mark. They shared a love of life and nature that ended far too soon.

Rob was born December 5, 1957 to Jack and Beppie Glaser. He was raised in Calgary and settled in Bragg Creek. Rob joined the Calgary Fire Department, achieving rank of Captain with twenty-eight years of service. Rob was also greatly respected for his skills and craftsmanship in renovation work.

Rob leaves his wife Judith Cartwright, children Jonathan, Michael and Anna, father Jack and brothers Ed and Carl.

Rob was Jude’s best friend and hero to his children. He was a steadfast and true friend to those lucky enough to know him. Rob and Jude were soul-mates who shared and marveled in even the simplest pleasures in life – a walk up Two Pine, the first snow on Banded Peak, Anna singing in the car, Michael and Jonathan chopping wood at the Ghost.

Rob lived his own book of awesome.

Rob leaves many close friends and family. He made us all believe that anything was possible. Mere words cannot do justice to the role that Rob played in all our lives.

A celebration of Rob’s life will be held on Saturday, January 22 at 1:30 p.m. at Rock Pointe Church, 255024 Lochend Road N.W. (Bearspaw).

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Lake O’Hara Trails Club, P.O. Box 98, Lake Louise, AB T0L 1E0. The family wishes to thank those involved in the search and rescue.

Friends wishing to offer condolences via email are invited to send them to fdccfh@telus.net. Arrangements in care of Lawrence (Larry) Slywka of COCHRANE COUNTRY FUNERAL HOME of Cochrane. Telephone: 403-932-1039.

Calgary Herald:

GLASER, Mark 1956 – 2011 Mark Anthony Warren Glaser, born July 13, 1956 to Jack and Beppie Glaser, passed away on Saturday, January 15, 2011.

Mark is survived by his wife of twenty-eight years Mary-Jane, his son Cody, his daughter Brooklyn, his stepdaughter Trisha, his father Jack and his brothers Ed and Carl.

Mark had many interests and excelled at everything he did, including his career. Mark began working in the Oil & Gas Industry twenty-five years ago on the rigs. He obtained his degree in Petroleum Engineering from the U of A and advanced his career in the industry through a number of positions, including V.P. and C.O.O. of Enco Gas Ltd. and most recently in management at Murphy Oil Co.

Mark loved God, his wife, his kids, his family and his friends. He loved exploring and adventuring in the Rocky Mountains and expressed his love of nature through his incredible water colour paintings and photography.

Mark’s brother Rob shared his love of life and was his companion in many outdoor adventures. They were two of four extraordinary brothers, whose passion and respect for nature was instilled by their proud father Jack. Mark truly did live by the words of his favourite song “”Live Like You Were Dying”" and appreciated all of the adventures life had to offer. Among hiking and skiing at every chance, he recently picked up fly-fishing and kite skiing. Mark loved his annual “”guy”" trips which included hiking, skiing and horseback riding.

Mark made it his priority to protect and provide for his family and was a compassionate teacher and counsellor to his children. He was a proud father, and a loving and supportive husband. He and Mary-Jane looked forward to growing old together in Canmore. Anyone that knew Mark, knew that he was a strong and caring man of integrity, selflessness, generosity and humility. Mark would help anyone…anytime.

Mark Glaser has touched so many lives and will be indescribably missed by the many who love him dearly. A Celebration of Mark’s Life will be held at The Bow Valley Christian Church (5300 – 53 Avenue N.W.) on Friday, January 21, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Calgary Dream Centre (Telephone 403-243-5598). In living memory of Mark Glaser, a tree will be planted at Big Hill Springs Provincial Park, Cochrane, AB by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Park Memorial Chapel, 5008 ELBOW DRIVE S.W. Telephone: 403-243-8200.

Calgary Herald

His brother’s funeral will be the following day at 1:30pm.

The two were killed doing what they loved, adventuring in the outdoors.

Lifelong friends, Rob and Mark Glaser, were killed in an avalanche on Saturday, January 15, 2011 in the area of Burstall Pass, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta.

Here’s the official notice:

The families of Mark and Rob Glaser are in deep shock at the news of their tragic passing. Both were loving husbands and fathers and will be greatly missed by their families and legions of friends. Both were seasoned back country hikers and skiers who shared a deep passion for the outdoors.

Mark lived in Calgary and was in the oil and gas industry for over 25 years including senior management positions in recent years. Rob lived in Bragg Creek and was a captain in the Calgary Fire Department.

The family respectfully requests privacy at this time. Please direct all media contacts through Ed Glaser (brother) at 403-470-3904.

Phone Ed or contact me. I’ll post updates here.

Mark Glaser

On this trip a few years ago Mark and Rob trained me in snow rescue techniques.

Saskatchewan Glacier

Over 30 years (1978–2007), avalanches have been responsible for 329 deaths in Canada, with a recent rate of 14 deaths per year. …

Avalanche accounts for over 90% of outdoor recreation deaths, most of those in Alberta or B.C.

Damn.