Sunday, 19 September 2010

Forum discussion

Hello all,

This is an interesting forum discussion (from the Mr V forum). I post it here now (do note that I am "Defiance"), and do add to the discussion if you want to.



Originally Posted by Djöfull View Post
Wellit's one of the most expensive country in Europe along with Norway.. and more expensive since the financial crisis. Food prices have nearly doubled..


Both houses and apartments.. The major city area has been getting denser, but there are some green areas in between.

Yes it's a wise choice. We have used some of the high pressure areas and now there is a debate to use more of them due to the crisis, but it may be too risky financially and there are some delicate, pristine areas in danger.



Bleurgh! Sea Sheperd.. They are hated in the Faroes and Iceland. It's hypocritical to be tolerant of eating cows and sheep and not whales. These whales stranded and were bound for a long painful death. The method of killing is a special knife that rips through the spinal chord ensuring that the animals die instantly(most of the time).
Yeah Iceland was hit really hard by the "financial crisis", especially because of the banks. Basically some guys stole a lot of money, and there was no control whatsoever of the loans. However, since Iceland (Scandinavia in general) are some of the few countries (only ones?) in the world were the people have actual power; the problems with the banking system were quickly corrected, which is, I believe, admirable.

I do agree with the methods that the Sea Shepherd uses, despite it's growing popularity. However, I don't agree with the way food (i.e. cows) is managed in the U.S.

My point is:

1) Iceland, Norway, Japan and related countries should not kill whales because most of them are endangered. It was fine to do it before, but not now when there's such immense human over-population and so few whales.

2) The US has probably the WORST food industry in the world concerning pollution and the destruction of the environment. I suggest watching Food Inc. to see how things are there. To put it short, cows are fed the king of kings, corn, instead of grass. They're kept in small corrals, essentially crapping on each other. In the documentary that I mentioned before you can see the cows living/walking with crap up to their knees.

So both parts are wrong, Iceland shouldn't kill whales, and the US should control their over-population and their food industry.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lefay82 View Post
yes, i've heard you suffered a lot from the crisis. and i knew also that iceland is pretty expensive (i suppose it's also because it's an island and a lot of goods must be imported from the continent) what i really meant to ask is: is this expensiveness rightly compared with salaries or not? i mean, are you able to live with high or low life standars? are salaries enought high to live there or you have to struggle to reach the end of the month?

this is a problem we have here in italy. even if life is less expensive than in other european countries, like scandinavian ones, we have very low salaries, and there's a deep gap between life cost and people's real possibilities.
the euro have destroyed partially our economy, because prices have doubled and salaries have remained the same, only converted in the new money. so...on balance it's like our salaries have been halved.
I really doubt that most Scandinavians have problems "reaching" the end of the month, perhaps Sweden a bit (since it was hit a bit with the financial crisis). Those are truly developed countries, and I'm sure most people have high living standards.

Yeah the Euro destroyed Greece, Italia and España. It was, au fond, a way to exercise political dominion over "less-prepared" countries, such as the ones I mentioned before. It was, fundamentally, a way for Germany and France to conquer Europe (sorry! ). I've been to Italia, and it was the closest to a 3rd-world country that I saw in Europe; España is much better off to be honest (despite having 20% unemployment).
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Old September 17th, 2010, 06:05 AM #2074 (permalink)
Djöfull
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You are regurgitating senseless propaganda.

Most whales are not endangered. Some baleen/mysticeti are and a few odontoceti/tooth whale are. The mink whale that Iceland, Japan and Norway(exclusively) hunt has never been considered endangered and has a population of at least 100.000 in the northeast Atlantic and worldwide.. who knows. The yearly hunt is about 150 in Iceland. The same number goes for the fin whale which has been recently hunted. That is controversial as some consider it endangered. However the population has recovered in recent decades.
The pilot whale that the faroese hunt is in the hundreds of thousands in the northeast Atlantic.


The sea covers 70% of the surface of the earth... and the few countries that do hunt(Iceland, Norway, Japan, Greenland + some indigenous groups in Canada and the US that hunt within an allocated quota from the IWC) do so around the seas of their country. Indonesia is the only country in the Southern Hemisphere with a whaling industry and many species are present in most of the earth's ocean.

What has human overpopulation has to do with whaling? Most countries do neither hunt nor eat whales. The US is a big country, so I can't see why you see an overpopulation there...


I haven't seen Food. Inc. Been meaning to It is built upon the book The omnivores dilemma I read.

Regarding the financial crisis. I haven't heard that Sweden was hit by the crisis more than other countries. And the banking system in Iceland was kind of rebuilt but people are still struggling with loans that are tied to the inflation. Banks changed executives and names.. but people don't trust them entirely.
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Old September 17th, 2010, 07:44 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Djöfull View Post
You are regurgitating senseless propaganda.

Most whales are not endangered. Some baleen/mysticeti are and a few odontoceti/tooth whale are. The mink whale that Iceland, Japan and Norway(exclusively) hunt has never been considered endangered and has a population of at least 100.000 in the northeast Atlantic and worldwide.. who knows. The yearly hunt is about 150 in Iceland. The same number goes for the fin whale which has been recently hunted. That is controversial as some consider it endangered. However the population has recovered in recent decades.
The pilot whale that the faroese hunt is in the hundreds of thousands in the northeast Atlantic.


The sea covers 70% of the surface of the earth... and the few countries that do hunt(Iceland, Norway, Japan, Greenland + some indigenous groups in Canada and the US that hunt within an allocated quota from the IWC) do so around the seas of their country. Indonesia is the only country in the Southern Hemisphere with a whaling industry and many species are present in most of the earth's ocean.

What has human overpopulation has to do with whaling? Most countries do neither hunt nor eat whales. The US is a big country, so I can't see why you see an overpopulation there...


I haven't seen Food. Inc. Been meaning to It is built upon the book The omnivores dilemma I read.

Regarding the financial crisis. I haven't heard that Sweden was hit by the crisis more than other countries. And the banking system in Iceland was kind of rebuilt but people are still struggling with loans that are tied to the inflation. Banks changed executives and names.. but people don't trust them entirely.
It's not senseless propaganda. Around the seas of their country? Please, Japan has had constant problems with Australia because the Australians have caught Jap boats fishing in Australian waters.

I admit I didn't know much about the types of whales killed in Scandinavia, I'll look up more info on that. Still, a lot of whales are endangered. Not all, but a lot.

Blah, so you're one of those people that think that over-population means that "whether people can fit in a place or not"? That's a very ignorant perception. Remember that it's not really about that, but about the resources that exist in the planet (food, petrol) too keep those people and their living standards alive. Example? I simply wonder how the heck will Iceland survive without petrol. Considering how it was affected by the recent crisis, I can't imagine how you'll survive when there's not a drop left.

On the financial crisis (FC), the thing was that (I think) on the DT forum someone said that Sweden was having a tough time due to the FC, but I don't know whether it was true or not. I'm pretty sure Iceland was hit a lot more, though. Yeah the banks changed a lot, which is good (that wouldn't happen anywhere in the world), but obviously people aren't going to trust them so much anymore.
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Old September 17th, 2010, 05:58 PM
Djöfull
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The japanese violating international law is a valid point. But that does'nt change the fact that they mostly hunt mink whales and a vast area of the ocean is unaffected by whaling. The whaling nations are what 5 and maybe 5 indigenous groups that hunt occasionally.. that is out of 200 nations.
Figures from a few years ago show that 16% of whales are endangered. The numbers hunted are improbable to affect the sustainability of most of the species hunted by the "major" whaling nations.

I didn't realise you were talking about overpopulation in regard to the overconsumption of resources.

Quote:
I simply wonder how the heck will Iceland survive without petrol. Considering how it was affected by the recent crisis, I can't imagine how you'll survive when there's not a drop left.
Well... there are some decades left until that happens.. maybe more. Anyway there has been an experiment here on hydrogen buses. Also electric cars( they have to be charged often compared to petrol). Then there are "twin" cars that alternate between petrol and electricity.
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Last edited by Djöfull : September 17th, 2010 at 06:03 PM.
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Old Yesterday, 02:45 AM
lefay82
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i think it sounds strange to us because we're not used to eat whale's meat but you should keep in mind that this use belongs from a long time to those folk who hunt them, at least they kill them for food....
if you really care about animal than you should not eat also foie gras (which is obtainted by a forced overfeeding that procures illnesses to duck's livers, they are feeded by a tube which is forced into their throats) or you should not use some cometics products tested on animals, or should not wear leathers or furs....people illtreats animals in so many ways nowadays
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Old Yesterday, 03:49 AM
Agah
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For every animal you don't eat, I'm going to eat three. Humans are omnivores, deal with it.
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Old Yesterday, 07:02 AM
Thidrek
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Agah View Post
For every animal you don't eat, I'm going to eat three. Humans are omnivores, deal with it.
Yes, we are. But the meat industry is just disgusting.
I'm not vegetarian, so as a consumer I'm a part of it as well, but I at least try to only buy organic meat. That's a thing I can live with for now.
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Old Yesterday, 08:01 AM
Defiance
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Djöfull View Post
The japanese violating international law is a valid point. But that does'nt change the fact that they mostly hunt mink whales and a vast area of the ocean is unaffected by whaling. The whaling nations are what 5 and maybe 5 indigenous groups that hunt occasionally.. that is out of 200 nations.
Figures from a few years ago show that 16% of whales are endangered. The numbers hunted are improbable to affect the sustainability of most of the species hunted by the "major" whaling nations.

I didn't realise you were talking about overpopulation in regard to the overconsumption of resources.


Well... there are some decades left until that happens.. maybe more. Anyway there has been an experiment here on hydrogen buses. Also electric cars( they have to be charged often compared to petrol). Then there are "twin" cars that alternate between petrol and electricity.
Indeed, of all the whaling countries, Japan is the worst. They use "culture" and related excuses in order to go over-seas and kill endangered whales. 16% is a lot, whales are wonderful mammals and humans suck for killing them.

Well, over-population = over-consumption of resources. Of course, even if there's no over-pop there can still be over-consumption of resources.

I think that the real petrol crisis will start ca. 2030, but little action is being taken in order to avoid that. Which is good because world population right now is 6 bil., but when we run out of petrol the world, with today's living standards, will be able to sustain only 2 bil. (source: Life without Oil, A Crude Awakening).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Agah View Post
For every animal you don't eat, I'm going to eat three. Humans are omnivores, deal with it.
I'm not saying we're not, I think that being a vegetarian is BS. I believe that humans evolved a lot when they started eating meat (or maybe it was the monolith… ), and meat is necessary in order to survive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thidrek View Post
Yes, we are. But the meat industry is just disgusting.
I'm not vegetarian, so as a consumer I'm a part of it as well, but I at least try to only buy organic meat. That's a thing I can live with for now.
Indeed, it's not about eating cows or not; it's about the industry's standards, how they feed and treat the animals. Again, in the US cows are over-fed with corn (whatever happened to good ol' grass?), living in their own faeces up to their knees. So no, it's not about the cows, it's everything that happens in order for you to have that tasty hamburger in your plate.
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Old Yesterday, 08:50 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Agah View Post
For every animal you don't eat, I'm going to eat three. Humans are omnivores, deal with it.
superficial...

Agreed with Defiance about how to treat animals before eating them. It's all about the industry standards. But also about the consumer! People eat much more meat then they need. Being a capitalistic society the consumer have to decide to eat much less meat, and also organic!
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Old Today, 11:45 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Windvang View Post
superficial...

Agreed with Defiance about how to treat animals before eating them. It's all about the industry standards. But also about the consumer! People eat much more meat then they need. Being a capitalistic society the consumer have to decide to eat much less meat, and also organic!
Indeed! The industry;s standards are basically non-existent; it's amazing how (at least in the US) the meat market is controlled by ca. three different companies! You'll have all these diverse types of packages with beef in them, but in reality most of them come from the same place; they just have a different design.

It's also very true that people should eat much less meat! I used to eat meat twice per day, and that obviously wasn't very healthy. And in that way I was supporting a corrupt industry with no standards whatsoever and polluting the planet a lot more than necessary.

Everyone should really watch King Corn and Food Inc., the latter is especially an eye-opener. Now that I'm going to the US in October, I wonder what the fuck I'll eat because I'm sure scared as hell of eating meat there, and I'm not a vegetarian. I'll guess potatoes will have to do .
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Old Today, 12:44 PM
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Is it hard to get organic meat in the US, Defiance? I do eat meat. But it must be organic. Most of the time I having a hard time to explain organic meat to people. Why is it so difficult to understand for people. It's really like they don't want to know the truth, which is maybe quite understandable. The truth is just to dark and nasty.

Hehe I was wondering if Andreas eat meat. You know, in the Borknagar diary video some of the members are making a barbecue. Mr. V is there too and he looks like me when my friends are having a barbecue, he seems to don't like it
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Old Today, 02:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Windvang View Post
Is it hard to get organic meat in the US, Defiance? I do eat meat. But it must be organic. Most of the time I having a hard time to explain organic meat to people. Why is it so difficult to understand for people. It's really like they don't want to know the truth, which is maybe quite understandable. The truth is just to dark and nasty.

Hehe I was wondering if Andreas eats meat. You know, in the Borknagar video diary some of the members are making a barbecue. Mr. V is there too and he looks like me when my friends are having a barbecue, he doesn't seem to like it.
I've no idea, to be honest. Simply put, Food Inc. really bloody freaked me out; I'm just thinking of those damn E-coli (Escherichia coli) outbreaks.

I only eat organic food, no pesticides and the likes. Yes, truth is horrible, but one must confront it in order to lead healthier/better lives and make this a better world.

Yeah haha, Andreas doesn't look like much of a meat-eater; I wouldn't be surprised if he's veggie.

(Made some corrections to your post. Sorry, couldn't help myself.)
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Sunday, 5 September 2010

Hypocrisy: Fractured Millennium

Fractured Millennium

by Hypocrisy (album: Hypocrisy)

Yeah!
I came from second universe,
my travels far.
Oh, mankind, I'm not pleased.
Is this the way you're supposed to be?
You're free from decay.
Doesn't anyone care anymore?
Killing your own world,
there's nothing to stop you.
Can't you see what you're doing?
It's gotta end
or nothing will be left.

Dying planet.
Mother Nature bleeding,
she will die.
Burning planet.
Burning lives,
indulging will commence

I'm scraping out in soil,
but there's nowhere to grow.
??? people rule
but you won't quit
No!
Ready to strike back
Ready for death
Armageddon waits near
For the rules of this world
You gotta go on 'til you die.
We're plundering and your money and
power is all you believe.
Praying to God who don't exist.
Can't you see what you're doing?
It's gotta end
or nothing will be there.

Dying planet.
Mother Nature bleeding,
she will die.
Burning planet.
Burning lives,
indulging will commence

- - - -

Who would have thought that Hypocrisy had nature-related lyrics? I always had the idea that it was all about aliens and the end of the world —although they do mention the aliens—. But these are some nice lyrics, I like that they are much more aggressive than the ones one is used to reading in Folk Metal bands (not that those lyrics are not good). But the lyrics speak the true, and whilst people keep buying a new iPhone every year; we are slowly drowning in our own filth and destroying everything that is virgin.

Change is happening, without doubt —this blog is an example—. But will it come too late? Even more, what is important to acknowledge is that nature will survive. But we will not, for nature can survive without mankind, but mankind cannot survive without nature.

In the end, we are only killing ourselves.

Friday, 27 August 2010

さよなら、こん さとしーさま。




Yesterday one of my best friends told me the news. Satoshi Kon had died on 24th August, just two days ago. I was so mad at my girl for not telling me. But that didn't matter. I was at a cafeteria, and started yelling (in Spanish) "Shiiiiiiiiiiit, nooooooooooooooooo, that can't be!!!!". I then turned into an "Ocean made of tears" (Cynic).

Satoshi Kon was, I believe, one of the best directors ever. He made incredible films like Perfect (my personal favourite) Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, Memories and Paprika. Along with Kazuo Koike, Gozeki Kojima, Toriyama Akira, Go Nagai and Shirow Masamune , he is one of those people in the animé world that stood (and stand) above (waaaaay above) others; beyond fashion, commerce and the all-mighty money.

You will be sorely missed, and as I cry whilst writing this words, I thank you for giving the world so many different feelings through your films.

ありがとう、と さよなら。

Here are his last words, taken from http://www.makikoitoh.com :

26 Aug 2010

Satoshi Kon's last words

Satoshi Kon, the director of anime movies Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, Millenium Actress and Paprika, as well as the TV series Paranoia Agent, died on Tuesday, August 24th at the age of 46. (NY Times obituary.) He left behind a rambling but extraordinary document, which his family has posthumously posted on his blog.

They're the last words of a supremely talented artist who knows he is dying very soon, with work left unfinished. It's been the talk of the Japanese internet, and it struck me deeply.

As far as I know there's no translation of the whole document into English out there, so here's a rough attempt here it is. (Edit: I've cleaned it up quite a bit since I posted it last night. It should now be quite close to the original. It is indeed rather long and rambling - he wrote it like that. I'm sure he didn't sit down to outline it before he wrote it. I have tried to keep the feeling of the original.) It's not authorized in any way, and if I receive objections from interested parties or see a formal translation up somewhere I'll take this down. In the meantime though, here's a chance to read the words of a dying artist, waiting for his flight to come.

Translation notes:

  • I've taken the liberty of translating the name of the film he was working on, Yume Miru Kikai, as Dreaming Machines, since it has no formal English title.
  • He often refers to himself in the third person, as Satoshi or Satoshi Kon. I've left those in there. Otherwise I inserted 'I' 'we' where appropriate. As you may know, Japanese people don't use pronouns much when talking about themselves.
  • Tanabata is an annual event in Japan called the "star festival", normally a day of joy. Tanabata on Wikipedia.
  • Madhouse is the name of the animation studio that produced Satoshi Kon's movies. Official site.
  • The last sentence, his farewell, in Japanese is お先に (o-saki ni). This is something people say when they are leaving a place before other people - if you're going home from the office while people are still working for instance, you might say o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu (excuse me for leaving before you). So, he is essentially saying to the reader, "I have to go now, I'm leaving this world before you."

Added: Further language and cultural notes.

Added: 100 movies chosen by The Dreaming Machine team, one of the last things he posted.

=====================================

Sayonara (Goodbye)

How could I forget, May 18th of this year.

I received the following pronouncement from a cardiovascular doctor at Musashino Red Cross Hospital.

"It's the latter stages of pancreatic cancer. It's metastasized to several bones. You have at the most half a year left to live."

My wife and I listened together. It was a fate so unexpected and untenable, that the two of us together could barely take it.

I used to honestly think that "I can't help it if I die any day." Still, it was so sudden.

To be sure, there were some signs. 2 to 3 months before that I'd had strong pains in several places on my back and in the joints of my legs; I'd lost strength in my right leg and found it hard to walk, and I'd been going to an acupuncturist and a chiropractor, but I wasn't getting any better. So after having been examined in an MRI and a PET-CT and such advanced machinery, came the sudden pronouncement of the time I had left.

It was as if death had positioned itself right behind me before I knew it, and there was nothing I could do.

After the pronouncement, my wife and I researched ways to prolong my life. It was literally a life or death situation. We received the support of staunch frends and strong allies. I rejected anti-cancer medication, and tried to live with a view of the world slightly different from the norm. The fact that I rejected what was "expected (normal)" seemed to me to be very much like me.

I've never really felt that I belonged with the majority. It was the same for medical care, as with anything else. "Why not try to keep living according to my own principles!" However, as is the case when I'm trying to create a work [a film], ones willpower alone didn't do the job. The illness kept progressing day by day.

On the other hand, as a member of society, I do accept at least half of what society in general holds to be right. I do pay taxes. I'm far from being an upstanding citizen, but I am a full member of Japanese society. So, aside from the things I needed to do to prolong my life from my own point of view, I also attempted to do all the things necessary to "be ready to die properly". I don't think I managed to do it properly though. (But) one of the things I did was, with the cooperation of 2 friends that I could trust, set up a company to take care of things like the measly number of copyrights that I hold. Another thing that I did was, to insure that my wife would take over any modest assets that I had smoothly by writing a will. Of course, I didn't think there would be any fighting over my legacy or anything, but I wanted to make sure that my wife, who would remain behind in this world, would have nothing to worry about - and besides, I wanted to remove any anxiety from myself, the one who was going to take a little hop over there, before I had to leave.

The paperwork and research necessary for these tasks, which neither my wife nor I were good at doing, were taken care of speedily by wonderful friends. Later on, when I developed pneumonia and was at death's door, and put my final signature on the will, I thought that if I died right then and there, it couldn't be helped.

"Ah...I can die at last."

After all, I'd been brought by ambulance to the Musashino Red Cross Hospital 2 days before that; then brought back again to the same hospital by ambulance the day after. Even I had to be hospitalized and undergo many examinations. The result of those examinations: pneumonia, water in my chest, and when I asked the doctor [straight out], the answer I received was very businesslike, and I was in a way grateful for that.

"You may last 1 or 2 days...even if you survive this, you probably have until the end of the month."

As I listened, I thought "It's like he's telling me the weather forecast", but still the situation was dire.

That was July the 7th. It was a rather brutal Tanabata for sure.

So, I decided right there and then.

I wanted to die at home.

I might inconvenience the people around me, but I asked them to see how I could escape and go back home. [I was able to do so] thanks to my wife's efforts, the hospital's cooperation despite their position of having given up on me, the tremendous help of other medical facilities, and the coincidences that were so numerous that they only seemed to be gifts from heaven. I've never seen so many coincidences and events falling into place so neatly in real life, I could barely believe it. This wasn't Tokyo Godfathers after all.

While my wife was running around getting things in place for my escape, I was pleading with doctors "If I can go home for even half a day, there are things I can still do!", then waiting alone in the depressing hospital room for death. I was lonely, but this was what I was thinking.

"Maybe dying won't be so bad."

I didn't have any reasons for it, and perhaps I needed to think like that, but I was surprisingly calm and relaxed.

However, there was just one thought that was gnawing away at me.

"I don't want to die here..."

As I thought that, something moved out from the calendar on the wall and started to spread around the room.

"Oh dear, a line marching out from the calendar. My hallucinations aren't at all original."

I had to smile at the fact at my professional instincts were working even at times like this, but in any case I was probably the nearest to the land of the dead that I'd ever been at that point. I really felt death very close to me. [But] with the help of many people, I miraculously escaped Musashino Red Cross and came back home, wrapped up in the land of the dead and bedsheets.

I should emphasize that I have no criticism of or hatred for Musashino Red Cross Hospital, so don't misconstrue me.

I just wanted to go home to my own house. The house where I live.

I was a little surprised that, when I was being carried into my living room, as a bonus, I experienced that deathbed experience everyone is familiar with of "looking down on your body being carried into the room from a place high above". I was looking down on myself and the scene around me from a position several meters above ground, through a wide-angle-ish lens and flash lighting. The square of the bed in the middle of the room seemed very large and prominent, and my sheet-wrapped body was being lowered into the middle of the square. None too gently it seemed, but I'm not complaining.

So, all I had to do was to wait for death in my own home.

However.

It seems that I was able to overcome the pneumonia.

Eh?

I did think like this, in a way.

"I didn't manage to die! (laugh)"

Afterwards, when I could think of nothing else but death, I thought that I did indeed die once then. In the back of my mind, the world "reborn" wavered several times.

Amazingly, after then my life-force was rejuvenated. From the bottom of my heart, I believe this is due to the people who helped me; first and foremost my wife, and my supportive friends, the doctors and nurses, and the care managers.

Now that my life-force had been restarted, I couldn't waste my time. I told myself that I'd been given an extra life, and that I had to spend it carefully. So I thought that I wanted to erase at least one of the irresponsibilities that I'd left behind in this world.

To be truthful, I'd only told the people closest to me about the cancer. I hadn't even told my parents. In particular, because of various work-related complications, I couldn't say anything (to people) even if I wanted to. I wanted to announce my cancer on the internet and report on my remaining life, but if Satoshi's death was scheduled, there might be some waves made, however small. For these reasons, I acted very irresponsibly to people clear to me. I am so sorry.

There were so many people that I wanted to see before I died, to say even one word of greeting to. Family and relatives, old friends and classmates from elementary and middle and high school, the mates I met in college, the people I met in the manga world, with whom I exchanged so much inspiration, the people in the anime world whose desks I sat next to, went drinking with, with whom I competed on on the same works, the mates with whom I shared good and bad times. The countless people I was able to know because of my position as a film director, the people who call themselves my fans not only in Japan but around the world, the friends I'd made via the web.

There are so many people that I want to see at least once (well there are some I don't want to see too), but if I see them I'm afraid that that the thought that "I can never see this person again" will take me over, and that I wouldn't be able to greet death gracefully. Even if I had recovered, I had very little life force left, and it took a lot of effort to see people. The more people wanted to see me, the harder it was for me to see them. What irony. In addition, my lower body was paralyzed due to the cancer spreading to my bones, and I was prone on my bed, and I didn't want people to see my emaciated body. I wanted most of the people I knew to remember me as the Satoshi that was full of life.

I'd like to use this space to apologize to my relatives, friends and acquaintances, for not telling you about my cancer, for my irresponsibility. Please understand that this was Satoshi's selfish desire. I mean, Satoshi Kon was "that kind of guy". When I envision your faces, I only have good memories and remember (your) great smiles. Everyone, thank you for all the truly great memories. I loved the world I lived in. Just the fact that I can think that makes me happy.

The many people that I met throughout my lifetime, whether they were positive or negative, have helped to shape the human being that is Satoshi Kon, and I am grateful for all of those encounters. Even if the end result is an early death in my mid 40s, I've accepted this as my own unique destiny. I've had so many positive things happen to me after all.

The thing I think about death now. "I can only say, it's too bad." Really.

However, even though I can let go of many of my irresponsible actions [by not telling people], I cannot help regretting two things. About my parents, and about Madhouse [founder] Maruyama-san.

Even though it was rather late, there was no choice but to come clean with the whole truth. I wanted to beg them for forgiveness.

As soon as I saw Maruyama-san's face when he came to see me at home, I couldn't stop the flow of tears or my feeling of shame. "I'm so sorry, for ending up like this..." Maruyama-san said nothing, and just shook his head and gripped both my hands. I was filled with thankfulness. Feelings of gratitude and joy, that I'd been lucky enough to work with this person, came over me like a landslide. It may be selfish, but I felt as though I had been forgiven in that instant.

My biggest regret is the film "Dreaming Machine". I'm worried not only about the film itself, but the staff who I was able to work with on the film. After all, there's a strong possiblity that the storyboards that were created by (our) blood, sweat and tears will never be seen. This is because Satoshi Kon put his arms around the original story, the script, the characters and the settings, the sketches, the music...every single image. Of course there are things that I shared with the animation director, the art director and other staff, but basically most of the work can only be understood by Satoshi Kon. It's easy to say that it was my fault for arranging things this way, but from my point of view I made every effort to share my vision with others. However, in my current state I can only feel deep remorse for my inadequacies in these areas. I am really sorry to all of the staff. However, I want them to understand, if only a little bit. Satoshi Kon was "that kind of guy", and, that's why he was able to make rather weird anime that was a bit different. I know this is a selfish excuse, but think of my cancer and please forgive me.

I haven't been idly waiting for death, even now I'm thinking with my weak brain of ways to let the work live even after I am gone. But they are all shallow ideas. When I told Maruyama-san about my concerns about "Dreaming Machine", he just said "Don't worry. We'll figure out something, so don't worry."

I wept.

I wept uncontrollably.

Even with my previous movies, I've been so irresponsible with the productions and the budgets, but I always had Maruyama-san figure it out for me in the end.

This time is no different. I really haven't changed.

I was able to talk to my heart's content with Maruyama-san. Thanks to this, I was able to feel, at least a little, that Satoshi Kon's talents and skills were of some value in our industry.

"I regret losing your talent. I wish that you were able to leave it for us."

If Madhouse's Maruyama-san says that, I can go to the netherworld with a little bit of self-pride after all. And of course, even without anyone else telling me this, I do feel regret that my weird visions and ability to draw things in minute detail will be lost, but that can't be helped. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart that Maruyama-san gave me the opportunity to show the world these things. Thank you, so very much. Satoshi Kon was happy as an animation director.

It was so heartbreaking to tell my parents.

I'd really intended to go up to Sapporo, where my parents live, while I was still able to, but my illness progressed so unexpectedly and annoyingly fast that I ended up calling them on the telephone from the hospital room as I was closest to death.

"I'm in the late stages of cancer and will die soon. I was so happy being born as a child to Father and Mother. Thank you."

They must have been devastated to hear this out of the blue, but I was certain I was going to die right then.

But then I came back home and survived the pneumonia. I made the big decision to see my parents. They wanted to see me too. But it was going to be so hard to see them, and I didn't have the will to. But I wanted to see my parents' faces one last time. I wanted to tell them how grateful I was that they brought me into this world.

I've been a happy person. Even though I must apologize to my wife, my parents and all the people that I love, that lived out my life a bit too faster than most.

My parents followed my selfish wishes, and came the next day from Sapporo to my house. I can never forget the first words out of my mother's mouth when she saw me lying there.

"I'm so sorry, for not bringing you into this world with a stronger body!"

I was completely speechless.

I could only spend a short time with my parents, but that was enough. I had felt that if I saw their faces, that it would be enough, and it really turned out that way.

Thank you, Father, Mother. I am so happy that I was born into this world as the child of the both of you. My heart is full of memories and gratitude. Happiness itself is important, but I am so grateful that you taught me to appreciate happiness. Thank you, so very much .

It's so disrespectful to to die before ones parents, but in the last 10 plus years, I've been able to do what I want as an anime director, achieve my goals, and get some good reviews. I do feel regret that my films didn't make a lot of money, but I think they got what they deserved. In these last 10 plus years in particular I've felt as though I've lived more intensively than other people, and I think that my parents understood what was in my heart.

Because of the visits by Maruyama-san and my parents, I feel as though I've taken a big burden off my shoulders.

Lastly, to my wife, about whom I worry the most, but who has been my support until the end.

Since that time-left pronouncement, we drowned ourselves in tears together so many times. Every day was brutal for both of us, physically and mentally. There are almost no words for it. But the reason why I was able to survive those difficult days was because of the words that you said to me right after we received the news.

"I'll be at your side [run with you] until the end."

True to those words, as though you were leaving my worries in the dust, you skillfully directed the demands and requests that came rushing towards us like a landslide, and quickly learned how to take care of your husband. I was so moved, watching you deal with things so efficiently.

"My wife is awesome."

No need to keep saying that now, you say? No no. You are even more awesome now than you ever were - I truly feel this. Even after I have died, I believe that you will send Satoshi Kon to the next world with grace. Ever since we got married, I was so wrapped up in "Work, work" that I was only able to spend some time at home after the cancer - such a shame.

But you stood close to me, you always understood that I needed to immerse myself in my work, that my talent was there. Thank you.

There are so many things, countless things, that I worry about, but everything needs an end. Lastly, to Doctor H who agreed to see me to the end in my home, even though it's something not done these days, and his wife and nurse, K-san, I would like to express my deep gratitude. Medical care in a private home is very inconvenient, but you patiently dealt with the numerous aches and pains that cancer brings on, and endeavores to make my time until the final goal called death be as comfortable as possible. I can't say how much you helped me. And you didn't just deal with this difficult and arrogant patient as if it were just your jobs, but communicated with me as human beings. I cannot say how much of a support you were to me, and how much you saved me. I was encouraged by your qualities as human beings several times. I am deeply deeply grateful.

And, this is really the last, but from shortly after I received that pronouncement in mid-May until now, I've been lucky to have the cooperation, help and mental support, both personally and in business, from 2 friends. My friend T, who has been a friend since high school and is a member of KON'Stone Inc, and producer H, I thank you both from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much. It's hard for me with my measly vocabulary to express my gratitude adequately to you both. My wife and I have both received so much from you.

If you two hadn't been there for us, I am sure that I'd be anticipating death while looking at my wife here as she sits by my side with considerably more trepidation and worry. I am really in your debt.

And, if I may ask you for one more thing - could you help my wife send me over to the other side after my death? I'd be able to get on that flight with my mind at rest if you could do that for me. I ask this from my heart.

So, to everyone who stuck with me through this long document, thank you. With my heart full of gratitude for everything good in the world, I'll put down my pen.

Now excuse me, I have to go.

Satoshi Kon

Tuesday, 17 August 2010

Real Time Stats of the World

In this link you can see real time stats of the world. It's very interesting, you can see how much are we polluting the world, how many humans there are, and (hehe) the amount of fraud in the U.S.

Sunday, 8 August 2010

Inuit stop "seismic testing" [to look for petrol] in Canada

Go Inuits!

Inuit win injunction on seismic testing

Judge grants block, citing potential for 'irreparable harm'



An Inuit group in Nunavut has been granted an injunction to stop seismic testing in Lancaster Sound, near the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage.

In a decision handed down Sunday, Judge Susan Cooper issued an order to stop Natural Resources Canada from carrying out seismic tests aimed at mapping the area for potential oil and gas resources.

Residents from five communities in the area — Resolute Bay, Arctic Bay, Grise Fiord, Clyde River and Pond Inlet — were largely opposed to the plan to send sound blasts through the water, saying the sound could adversely affect whales, polar bears and other marine life in Lancaster Sound and change migration patterns. Resolute Bay is one of five Inuit communities in Nunavut where  opposition to the seismic testing plan was widespread.Resolute Bay is one of five Inuit communities in Nunavut where opposition to the seismic testing plan was widespread.

The Nunavut government and the federal government had argued against an injunction, the latter citing a consultant's report that said the testing would have little or no impact on marine mammals.

But Judge Cooper noted "some aspects of the report … cause concern."

She said the fact that the report contains protocols to mitigate the impact of seismic activity on marine wildlife "supports the conclusion that there are impacts," she wrote.

"I am satisfied that Inuit in the five affected communities will suffer irreparable harm if an injunction is not granted," she ruled in granting the injunction.

The Inuit group that sought the injunction said it welcomed the ruling and said it was "unfortunate" that Inuit needed to go to court to have their voices heard. The group had maintained that public hearings in May and June did not amount to the "meaningful consultations" required.

"I look forward to the day when the advice of Inuit and their representative organizations is sought prior to seeking project approval," said Okalik Eegeesiak of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

The tests would have been conducted by the Alfred Wegener Institute of Germany.

The institute's ship Polarstern is sailing toward Lancaster Sound off the north coast of Baffin Island with permits to conduct seismic tests on the sea floor.

Officials at the German institute expressed frustration last week at the apparent miscommunication between the federal and provincial governments and the local Inuit.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/08/08/nunavut-lancaster-injunction.html?ref=rss#ixzz0w52x6aqF


http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/08/08/nunavut-lancaster-injunction.html?ref=rss

- - -

Thank you Inuits!

Tuesday, 3 August 2010

Costa Rica Really Does Hate Nature

Piva, vice-presiden of Costa Rica, said it: "We'll have to pay $1700 mil to the company, but it's obviously very harmful to the environment".

If it damages the environment, why even start the mine? These things should not even be considered!

Even more, nobody knows where the guy got that amount of money.

As a Metalhead who loves nature, I vehemently oppose to this mining project!

Stop Crucitas!!!

The rest of the post is in Español.

EL GOBIERNO SÍ PUEDE DETENER LA MINERÍA EN CRUCITAS

El pasado 27 de julio el Poder Ejecutivo comunicó la supuesta imposibilidad de detener el proyecto
minero de Crucitas argumentando que la Sala IV lo ha dado por válido y aduciendo que el país se
expone a una millonaria demanda por parte de la empresa Industrias Infinito.

Ante esto, organizaciones sociales y ambientales, centros de investigación, especialistas de las
principales universidades, dirigentes de diversos partidos políticos, así como representantes de las
comunidades afectadas por la actividad minera, manifestamos a la opinión pública lo siguiente:

1. La concesión otorgada por el gobierno de Oscar Arias a la empresa Industrias Infinito mediante
resolución No. 217-2008-MINAE del 21 de abril de 2008, es absolutamente nula; por cuanto la moratoria
minera decretada por la Administración Abel Pacheco se mantuvo vigente hasta el 4 de junio del 2008;
es decir casi un mes después de haberse dado la concesión.

2. La empresa minera no puede alegar derechos adquiridos fundamentándose en un acto absolutamente
nulo e ilegal de la Administración anterior. Todas las inversiones realizadas por la empresa han sido
bajo su propio riesgo en tanto hasta la fecha nunca ha existido una resolución en firme que le
autorice a iniciar operaciones.

3. Por lo tanto el Estado costarricense no tendría que indemnizar a la compañía minera con 1.700
millones de dólares como lo afirmara la Casa Presidencial en los medios de comunicación.

4. En el peor de los escenarios, el monto de una eventual indemnización tendría que ser establecido
por las instancias judiciales y arbitrales correspondientes. Pero nunca prefijado de manera
precipitada por el Poder Ejecutivo cuyo deber en primera instancia es proteger los intereses
nacionales.

5. El Vicepresidente Piva ha reconocido que el proyecto minero de Crucitas conllevará serios impactos
ambientales para nuestro país, y doña Laura Chinchilla ha manifestado que su gobierno no promoverá la
minería metálica a cielo abierto [yeah, right.] Por lo tanto no hay razones jurídicas, ni técnicas, ni de
oportunidad política para mantener el decreto que declara este proyecto de “interés público y
conveniencia nacional” emitido por el gobierno anterior y que sustenta la concesión otorgada.

6. La Presidenta Laura Chinchilla debe derogar dicho decreto y dar por nula la concesión otorgada a
la empresa minera; cómo lo ha pedido el gobierno local de San Carlos, máximo ente que representa los
intereses locales del cantón; y junto a este, buscar alternativas reales para las comunidades de la
Zona Norte, en consonancia con el modelo de desarrollo sostenible que pregona nuestro país.

7. El gobierno de doña Laura Chinchilla debe ser consecuente con su política de no promover más
proyectos de minería metálica a cielo abierto, y actuar anteponiendo los intereses nacionales por
encima de los intereses económicos de una empresa de capital canadiense, dedicada a una actividad que
según las últimas encuestas, es repudiada por el 90% de la población nacional.
Nosotros y nosotras abajo firmantes sostenemos que este proyecto no es viable ni ecológica, ni
social, ni económicamente para el país, por la destrucción que conlleva de ecosistemas tropicales
frágiles que requieren restauración y conservación.

El país solo recibirá un 3% del valor del oro de la nación como pago de la empresa por esta
concesión.

500 AÑOS DESPUÉS SEGUIMOS CAMBIANDO EL ORO POR ESPEJITOS Y CUENTAS DE VIDRIO.

COSTA RICA DICE NO A LA MINERÍA METÁLICA A CIELO ABIERTO.


ORGANIZACIONES FIRMANTES:

Asociación Ambiental del Norte de San Rafael de Heredia
Asociación Ambientalista de Protección de Cuencas del Cantón de Siquirres
Asociación Amigos del Pacuare
Asociación Centroamericana para la Economía, la Salud y el Ambiente
Asociación Conservacionista de los Ríos y el Ambiente de Ciruelas de Alajuela
Asociación de Comunidades para el Desarrollo Sostenible del Cantón de Santa Cruz
Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Indígena Bribri
Asociación de Ecología Social
Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos y Privados
Asociación Norte por la Vida
Asociación Preservacionista de Flora y Fauna Silvestre
Asociación Regional Centroamericana para el Agua y el Ambiente
Asociación Voces Nuestras
Centro de Capacitación para el Desarrollo
Centro de Derecho Ambiental y de los Recursos Naturales
Comité Patriótico Zarcero
Comunidades Ecológicas La Ceiba
Diario Digital el País
Federación Costarricense para la Conservación del Ambiente
Fundación Neotrópica
Fundación PROMAR
Movimiento Patriótico Juanito Mora
PRESERVE PLANET
Programa Restauración de Tortugas Marinas
Proyectos Alternativos
Red Centroamericana de Acción del Agua
Red de Coordinación en Biodiversidad
Sindicato de Trabajadores Agrícolas y Plantaciones

DIPUTADOS:
Carmen Granados Fernández
Carmen Muñoz Quesada
Claudio Monge Pereira
Gustavo Arias Navarro
Jeannette Ruiz Delgado
Jorge Gamboa Corrales
José María Villalta Flores-Estrada
Juan Carlos Mendoza García
Manrique Oviedo Guzmán
María Eugenia Venegas Renauld
Víctor Hernández Cerdas
Yolanda Acuña Castro

EX-DIPUTADOS:
José Merino del Río
Maureen Ballestero Vargas
Regidores Municipalidad de San Carlos
Edgardo Vinicio Araya Sibaja
Eli Roque Salas Herrera

OTRAS PERSONALIDADES:
Abel Pacheco de la Espriella. Expresidente de la República
Carlos Manuel Rodríguez. Ex ministro de ambiente
Ottón Solís Fallas. Ex Ministro de Planificación. Ex Diputado
Rolando Araya Monge. Ex Ministro Obras Públicas y Transportes. Ex Diputado.
Rodrigo Alberto Carazo Zeledón. Exdenfensor de los habitantes. Ex Diputado.
Allan Astorga Gatgens. Ex Secretario Secretaría Técnica Nacional Ambiental. SETENA
Yamileth Astorga Espeleta. Directora PROGAI UCR
Luis Bernardo Villalobos Solano. Programa de Investigación en Políticas de Salud. UCR
Jorge Lobo Segura. Universidad de Costa Rica
Anais Villalobos Kong. Economista ambiental
Diniosio Cabal Antillón. Cantautor
Ana Cristina Rossi. Escritora
Jorge Araya Westover
Mariano Figueres Olsen
German Chacón Araya
Fabio Delgado Hernández
Ligia Umaña Ledezma
Carmen Jiménez Contreras
Andrea Aguilar Umaña
Santos Coronado Valdés