207. The shocks I perceive electric assaults became stronger one after another during one of the episodes happened between last night and this morning and other shocks caused fits on one body part after another moving around all over my body in another visit, both of which I will record later, and this I think this shows that the shocks are from outside of my brain and they are not some kind of symptom of some brain disorder.
2011/02/27 Slept about 4:30 hours, waking up around 5:00 a.m. , being disturbed to sleep by the electric shocks , and getting up a little before 7:00 a.m.
2011/02/28 Slept about 3 hours, waking up around 4:30 a.m., being disturbed by either electric shocks or some disturbance in my brain which caused the same shock as electric shocks do. Got up around 5:00 and worked till 8:00 a.m. Tried to sleep again in the loft but again disturbed by the shocks which became stronger one after another. Went down to the floor but again much stronger shocks with ggggggg noise attacked me, which led me to the loft again. Shocks continued but I slept till past 12:00 noon. When I woke up, the sound in my head was loud, though not really wavy, and a car-blast noise that have been bothering me by its Boh! Boh sound was heard. The shocks during one of the sleeps I had in the loft caused fits of my body parts, one shock at one part, moving around one part after another all over me.
2011年2月27日日曜日
Class Supplement (TOEFL Essay, One single object that represents your culture, Essay for ideas and expressions -rewritten-)
Writing Topic: There will be an exhibition in which every country in the world is represented by one single object. What would you choose to send in order to represent your country in the exhibition? Why would you choose that object to send to the exhibition?
Essay for ideas and expressions:
I would choose a katana, Japanese sword, as an object that symbolizes my country. I think katana represents well-known characteristics of Japan: craftsmanship, the samurai culture, and the history of battles.
Katana is said to be the sharpest sword in the world and collectors find aesthetic pleasure in it, which indicates our intense devotion to craftsmanship and beauty. Many people find perfectionism and love of details in things we make from traditional handicrafts to cutting-edge industrial products to Mom’s handmade daily lunch whose colorful, delicately-shaped ingredients are neatly arranged in a little lunch box. Our punctual transportation systems and well-disciplined store clerks also seem to owe their origin in this tendency.
While carrying katana was made illegal long ago, the samurai-warrior culture is still dominant in Japan. Samurai dramas are popular. Business magazines often feature famous Japanese warlords and warriors to learn lessons from their deeds or tactics. Also, many katana-related expressions are alive in our language. To describe a sharp person, we use a more direct expression, “kireru,” cuts well. Crisp beer is “kire ga ii,” or cuts in a nice way. Shin-ken, which is usually used to mean being serious, also means real, not wooden, katana. Lay-off is “kubi-kiri,” cutting heads off and taking a drastic measure is “itto-ryodan,” cutting in half with a long sword. These and many other katana-related expressions are used in our everyday life, by both men and women, young and old. It seems that we are always wielding katana, in metaphor of course.
Katana reminds people of our warlike past. Most of our history is warlords' history. Also, it is a historical fact that Japanese invaded other countries, torturing and killing their civilians. Those who brutally killed women and children with military katana along with guns were not abnormal individuals but average Japanese, who later went home and spent the rest of their lives as gentle workers and family lovers. This fact shows that we can become ice-cold like a katana in certain situations. Although we are not the only people that have committed atrocities, it is more significant that we are one of them.
I do not think all the main features of Japan can be represented by a katana, which is a weapon and therefore has few elements to represent virtues of a people. However, I think our world-famous characteristics, “both militaristic and aesthetic” (Ruth Benedict, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: patterns of Japanese culture), are symbolized by a katana, which is a top-class artwork and relentlessly sharp.
Essay for ideas and expressions:
I would choose a katana, Japanese sword, as an object that symbolizes my country. I think katana represents well-known characteristics of Japan: craftsmanship, the samurai culture, and the history of battles.
Katana is said to be the sharpest sword in the world and collectors find aesthetic pleasure in it, which indicates our intense devotion to craftsmanship and beauty. Many people find perfectionism and love of details in things we make from traditional handicrafts to cutting-edge industrial products to Mom’s handmade daily lunch whose colorful, delicately-shaped ingredients are neatly arranged in a little lunch box. Our punctual transportation systems and well-disciplined store clerks also seem to owe their origin in this tendency.
While carrying katana was made illegal long ago, the samurai-warrior culture is still dominant in Japan. Samurai dramas are popular. Business magazines often feature famous Japanese warlords and warriors to learn lessons from their deeds or tactics. Also, many katana-related expressions are alive in our language. To describe a sharp person, we use a more direct expression, “kireru,” cuts well. Crisp beer is “kire ga ii,” or cuts in a nice way. Shin-ken, which is usually used to mean being serious, also means real, not wooden, katana. Lay-off is “kubi-kiri,” cutting heads off and taking a drastic measure is “itto-ryodan,” cutting in half with a long sword. These and many other katana-related expressions are used in our everyday life, by both men and women, young and old. It seems that we are always wielding katana, in metaphor of course.
Katana reminds people of our warlike past. Most of our history is warlords' history. Also, it is a historical fact that Japanese invaded other countries, torturing and killing their civilians. Those who brutally killed women and children with military katana along with guns were not abnormal individuals but average Japanese, who later went home and spent the rest of their lives as gentle workers and family lovers. This fact shows that we can become ice-cold like a katana in certain situations. Although we are not the only people that have committed atrocities, it is more significant that we are one of them.
I do not think all the main features of Japan can be represented by a katana, which is a weapon and therefore has few elements to represent virtues of a people. However, I think our world-famous characteristics, “both militaristic and aesthetic” (Ruth Benedict, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: patterns of Japanese culture), are symbolized by a katana, which is a top-class artwork and relentlessly sharp.
Class Supplement (TOEFL Essay, one single object that represents your country)
Writing Topic: There will be an exhibition in which every country in the world is represented by one single object. What would you choose to send in order to represent your country in the exhibition? Why would you choose that object to send to the exhibition?
Let’s think: For example, tea ceremony is not an object but a cultural activity while a huge teacup used in tea ceremonies is an object. Sushi is rather a food than an object. You cannot place a sushi in a showcase at an exhibition because it is perishable. A sushi replica which is placed in front of a sushi-bar is an object that could represent Japan. A Toyota car or a Nintendo game machine is a single object that probably symbolizes Japan because those machines are the cream of our world-famous high-technology and Japanese culture.
A copy of The Tale of Genji cannot be the answer because its physical aspect, an object made of paper and ink, does not have any Japanese properties even though the content is a famous Japanese story that is considered to be the first novel in the world. Manga or anime is not an object but a form of Japanese pop culture or art.
Now, if carefully put, a copy of manga could be dealt with as an object that represents Japan. It is true that its essence is the content, which is intangible and so is not an object, but still a copy of manga is really Japanese. Its physical characteristics and its existence itself reflect Japanese culture. Its neat appearance－glossy cover and elaborate print－and unique drawings which originate from Ukiyo-e, whose flowing lines exquisitely depict three dimensions on a flat surface are uniquely Japanese. Incidentally, the contents are also not simple superheroes-punishing-homicidal-maniacs stories but those that tell you or share with you something about life, people and small things that count in daily life. Also, putting so much energy into producing just a comic book shows a tendency to be particular about rather trivial or transient things for daily use, as seen in our treatment with other things like cell-phones with many functions and Japanese gardens. Last but not least, the fact that the word manga has become an English word shows that it cannot be replaced with the word comic and that its existence itself reflects some distinctive part of Japanese culture.
Ideas and expressions:
industry: high technology, craftsmanship, car, game machine, high-quality apparel
history and geography: isolated itself until 1868, militaristic/warlike, an island county
culture: extremely aesthetic, perfectionism/love of details, neat/well-organized, polite, punctual, well-disciplined, obsession with cleanliness, group-oriented, sensitive about feelings, the samurai culture, manga/anime, high-school girl fashion, kimono, furoshiki, kotatsu foot-warmer, high-tech toilet
culture: extremely aesthetic, perfectionism/love of details, neat/well-organized, polite, punctual, well-disciplined, obsession with cleanliness, group-oriented, sensitive about feelings, the samurai culture, manga/anime, high-school girl fashion, kimono, furoshiki, kotatsu foot-warmer, high-tech toilet
Let’s think: For example, tea ceremony is not an object but a cultural activity while a huge teacup used in tea ceremonies is an object. Sushi is rather a food than an object. You cannot place a sushi in a showcase at an exhibition because it is perishable. A sushi replica which is placed in front of a sushi-bar is an object that could represent Japan. A Toyota car or a Nintendo game machine is a single object that probably symbolizes Japan because those machines are the cream of our world-famous high-technology and Japanese culture.
A copy of The Tale of Genji cannot be the answer because its physical aspect, an object made of paper and ink, does not have any Japanese properties even though the content is a famous Japanese story that is considered to be the first novel in the world. Manga or anime is not an object but a form of Japanese pop culture or art.
Now, if carefully put, a copy of manga could be dealt with as an object that represents Japan. It is true that its essence is the content, which is intangible and so is not an object, but still a copy of manga is really Japanese. Its physical characteristics and its existence itself reflect Japanese culture. Its neat appearance－glossy cover and elaborate print－and unique drawings which originate from Ukiyo-e, whose flowing lines exquisitely depict three dimensions on a flat surface are uniquely Japanese. Incidentally, the contents are also not simple superheroes-punishing-homicidal-maniacs stories but those that tell you or share with you something about life, people and small things that count in daily life. Also, putting so much energy into producing just a comic book shows a tendency to be particular about rather trivial or transient things for daily use, as seen in our treatment with other things like cell-phones with many functions and Japanese gardens. Last but not least, the fact that the word manga has become an English word shows that it cannot be replaced with the word comic and that its existence itself reflects some distinctive part of Japanese culture.
Ideas and expressions:
industry: high technology, craftsmanship, car, game machine, high-quality apparel
history and geography: isolated itself until 1868, militaristic/warlike, an island county
culture: extremely aesthetic, perfectionism/love of details, neat/well-organized, polite, punctual, well-disciplined, obsession with cleanliness, group-oriented, sensitive about feelings, the samurai culture, manga/anime, high-school girl fashion, kimono, furoshiki, kotatsu foot-warmer, high-tech toilet
culture: extremely aesthetic, perfectionism/love of details, neat/well-organized, polite, punctual, well-disciplined, obsession with cleanliness, group-oriented, sensitive about feelings, the samurai culture, manga/anime, high-school girl fashion, kimono, furoshiki, kotatsu foot-warmer, high-tech toilet
2011年2月26日土曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
206. A follow up episode of the 2011/02/24 record: Since I had had a disturbed sleep of 3-4 hours and realizing my head was not suitable for delicate work, I went swimming. After coming back and eating lunch, I tried to work again but started falling asleep, so I decided to take a nap. Right after I slipped into the futon on the floor, a big electric shock twitched my whole body. Several shocks gave way to my going down to sleep. After two hours I woke up or more precisely I was perhaps woken up by a shock because I kept falling asleep again and again and did not have any refreshed feeling. I went to bed again around 11:00 p.m. in the loft, where weaker but strong enough to disturb sleep came incessantly right after I went into futon.
2011/02/25 Woke up around 6:30 a.m. Have a faint memory of being woken up around 3:00 a.m. but not sure. Remember a low frequency noise, a video-game-like noise kept vibrating under my head.
2011/02/26 Rather strong electric attacks on my head, one of which caused a strong fit of my stomach, came when falling asleep around 12:30 a.m. I woke up or woken up around 3:00 a.m., worked for an hour and tried to sleep again, but kept being disturbed by strong electric shocks. Around 7:00 a.m., I went down to the floor from the loft and tried to sleep. The electric shocks became weaker and I slept until 9:30 a.m. but when I woke up I felt like I had been hit in the head many times and the sounds in my head were loud and wavy. I had a headache in the lower back of my head until around 9:00 a.m.
2011/02/25 Woke up around 6:30 a.m. Have a faint memory of being woken up around 3:00 a.m. but not sure. Remember a low frequency noise, a video-game-like noise kept vibrating under my head.
2011/02/26 Rather strong electric attacks on my head, one of which caused a strong fit of my stomach, came when falling asleep around 12:30 a.m. I woke up or woken up around 3:00 a.m., worked for an hour and tried to sleep again, but kept being disturbed by strong electric shocks. Around 7:00 a.m., I went down to the floor from the loft and tried to sleep. The electric shocks became weaker and I slept until 9:30 a.m. but when I woke up I felt like I had been hit in the head many times and the sounds in my head were loud and wavy. I had a headache in the lower back of my head until around 9:00 a.m.
2011年2月25日金曜日
If only Howard Zinn had lived a year longer…
He would be happiest to see this, people united against the current illegitimate powers. And this is happening now in the US. Right after the 2008 Presidential election, he said that to make it possible for Obama to realize change, people should help him by mass movements.
Sources:
Howard Zinn: Vote for Obama but direct action needed (Although this is not the same interview I mentioned in the passage above, what Howard Zinn is saying in this video is the same that I heard.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_M2W5SisPs
US left finds its voice over Wisconsin attack on union rights (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/24/wisconsin-union-rights-protest
"Don’t Punish the Poor" Economist Jeffrey Sachs Slams Obama-GOP Budget Deal (Democracy Now!)
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/11/dont_punish_the_poor_economist_jeffrey
Wisconsin Judge Declares Walker’s Collective Bargaining Bill “Null and Void” By Mary Bottari
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/wisconsin-judge-declares-walkers
Sources:
Howard Zinn: Vote for Obama but direct action needed (Although this is not the same interview I mentioned in the passage above, what Howard Zinn is saying in this video is the same that I heard.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_M2W5SisPs
US left finds its voice over Wisconsin attack on union rights (Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/24/wisconsin-union-rights-protest
"Don’t Punish the Poor" Economist Jeffrey Sachs Slams Obama-GOP Budget Deal (Democracy Now!)
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/11/dont_punish_the_poor_economist_jeffrey
Wisconsin Judge Declares Walker’s Collective Bargaining Bill “Null and Void” By Mary Bottari
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/wisconsin-judge-declares-walkers
2011年2月24日木曜日
Supersonic/Electronic Weapon 不特定多数による長期にわたる原因不明の嫌がらせ（６）
205. 2011/02/17 No electric shocks other than a few when falling asleep. Slept 5.5 hours.
2011/02/18 From underneath hit a strong shock accompanied by flash-like illusion and a gggggggg noise several times a few minutes after I went to bed. I took my futon up to the loft and lay there. One strong shock came from below my head when falling asleep and beam-like electric shocks came several times while I was asleep and when I was waking up. Although wearing earplugs, I was woken up by the video-game/car-blast like noise early in the morning. I slept 5.5 hours.
2011/02/19 I slept in the farthest corner in the loft and experienced almost no shocks. I was woken up by the video-game/car-blast like noise at around 5:00 a.m. and slept again till 9:20. I slept about 7 hours.
2011/02/20 Slept in the same area. Felt some shocks several times when falling asleep and waking up. Slept about 6 hours.
I had not thought of sleeping in the loft partly because this avoidance of the assaults did not work when I tried it at the onset of them, about three and a half years ago. Also, the loft in the apartment is very narrow with walls on both sides when I lie only the length of stretched arms, which made me reluctant to sleep between them since in the old apartment I had not other choice but sleep next to one of the walls and suffered severe assaults.
2011/02/21 Some weak shocks when I was falling asleep. I slept around 6 hours.
2011/02/22 Several weak shocks to my head when I was falling asleep. Woke up at around 3:00 a.m., studied for about 40 minutes and went to sleep again, while car-blast like noise continued. I slept about 6.5 hours.
2011/02/23 Went to bed around 11:30 p.m. and woke up a little before 3:00 a.m.. Studied for an hour and went to bed again at around 4:00. a car-blast like noise could be heard all the time although I was wearing ear plugs. Felt shocks in my head when falling asleep both times and left hand fingers twitched when I was trying to sleep second time with my head close to the outer corner of the building. Woke up around 8:00 a.m..
2011/02/24 Stronger shocks repeatedly came to my head and woke me up when I was trying to sleep again after waking up around 3:30 a.m. It felt like I had hiccup in the head and my body jolted once or twice. After the fourth time of it, I took my futon down to the floor from the loft. For a while, nothing happened, but again a little weaker shocks started coming to my head and repeated every time I was falling asleep till I finally gave up sleeping and got up around 7:00 a.m.
2011/02/18 From underneath hit a strong shock accompanied by flash-like illusion and a gggggggg noise several times a few minutes after I went to bed. I took my futon up to the loft and lay there. One strong shock came from below my head when falling asleep and beam-like electric shocks came several times while I was asleep and when I was waking up. Although wearing earplugs, I was woken up by the video-game/car-blast like noise early in the morning. I slept 5.5 hours.
2011/02/19 I slept in the farthest corner in the loft and experienced almost no shocks. I was woken up by the video-game/car-blast like noise at around 5:00 a.m. and slept again till 9:20. I slept about 7 hours.
2011/02/20 Slept in the same area. Felt some shocks several times when falling asleep and waking up. Slept about 6 hours.
I had not thought of sleeping in the loft partly because this avoidance of the assaults did not work when I tried it at the onset of them, about three and a half years ago. Also, the loft in the apartment is very narrow with walls on both sides when I lie only the length of stretched arms, which made me reluctant to sleep between them since in the old apartment I had not other choice but sleep next to one of the walls and suffered severe assaults.
2011/02/21 Some weak shocks when I was falling asleep. I slept around 6 hours.
2011/02/22 Several weak shocks to my head when I was falling asleep. Woke up at around 3:00 a.m., studied for about 40 minutes and went to sleep again, while car-blast like noise continued. I slept about 6.5 hours.
2011/02/23 Went to bed around 11:30 p.m. and woke up a little before 3:00 a.m.. Studied for an hour and went to bed again at around 4:00. a car-blast like noise could be heard all the time although I was wearing ear plugs. Felt shocks in my head when falling asleep both times and left hand fingers twitched when I was trying to sleep second time with my head close to the outer corner of the building. Woke up around 8:00 a.m..
2011/02/24 Stronger shocks repeatedly came to my head and woke me up when I was trying to sleep again after waking up around 3:30 a.m. It felt like I had hiccup in the head and my body jolted once or twice. After the fourth time of it, I took my futon down to the floor from the loft. For a while, nothing happened, but again a little weaker shocks started coming to my head and repeated every time I was falling asleep till I finally gave up sleeping and got up around 7:00 a.m.
2011年2月20日日曜日
WikiLeaks helps free souls, too.
I found this comment placed for Cat Steven’s Father and Son on YouTube today.
“In Egypt this week, Muslims formed a circle around a group of Christians to protect them as they went to mass, later on the Christians reciprocated to allow the Muslims to pray. That's the true meaning of Humanity, no matter what religon you are”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q29YR5-t3gg&feature=related
I also heard the other day on NPR a young Egyptian woman talking about her good experience of not being sexually harassed by men, which is usually unthinkable, during those days and days of mass protest and hoping it would last.
People with humanity are free people in the real sense. It seems that political freedom restores humanity: people of different religions peacefully coexisting just as in ancient times in many parts of the globe and men treating women just as other human beings that deserve as much respect as men do. WikiLeaks helps people gain more freedom. Therefore, WikiLeaks helps free souls.
Note: Although Julian Assange himself says it is not clear whether WiliLeaks’ revelation has any significant relation to Egypt’s mass demonstration and of course it is the people who liberated Egypt from a dictatorship, it is widely accepted that the revolution was influenced by the Tunisians having ousted their dictator, which was partly triggered by WikiLeaks’ “Cablegate” documents, some of which were reports on how deeply corrupt their leaders were.
“In Egypt this week, Muslims formed a circle around a group of Christians to protect them as they went to mass, later on the Christians reciprocated to allow the Muslims to pray. That's the true meaning of Humanity, no matter what religon you are”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q29YR5-t3gg&feature=related
I also heard the other day on NPR a young Egyptian woman talking about her good experience of not being sexually harassed by men, which is usually unthinkable, during those days and days of mass protest and hoping it would last.
People with humanity are free people in the real sense. It seems that political freedom restores humanity: people of different religions peacefully coexisting just as in ancient times in many parts of the globe and men treating women just as other human beings that deserve as much respect as men do. WikiLeaks helps people gain more freedom. Therefore, WikiLeaks helps free souls.
Note: Although Julian Assange himself says it is not clear whether WiliLeaks’ revelation has any significant relation to Egypt’s mass demonstration and of course it is the people who liberated Egypt from a dictatorship, it is widely accepted that the revolution was influenced by the Tunisians having ousted their dictator, which was partly triggered by WikiLeaks’ “Cablegate” documents, some of which were reports on how deeply corrupt their leaders were.
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