Takae Post Series｜高江記事シリーズ

In preparations for Sunday's protest, I will be making a series of posts on the situation in Takae, Okinawa. The first is the post below on foreign U.S. military bases. The next will be a post on "efficiency" as a potentially effective political buzzword. Topics of upcoming posts include Takae in context; bases and the environment; bases and nuclear weapons; defense reform; foreign bases in American and Japanese media; the need for dialog with military personnel and veterans; and the roll of civil disobedience in the American military base debates in Okinawa and Japan.

To take action on this issue, join the protest on February 20 at the American Embassy in Tokyo, or send an email to U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos.

Stay tuned!

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日曜日のデモの準備のために、沖縄高江の米軍基地問題について記事のシリーズを始めます。（日本語が下手ですが、頑張ります！間違っている所を教えて下さい。できるだけ日本語で書くようにしています。）下の米軍基地記事は初めです。今度の記事は「効率性」「高江の背景」「基地と環境」「基地と核兵器」「防衛や米軍改革」「アメリカと日本のメディアで米軍基地」「軍人交流の必要性」と「デモや座り込みの役割」。

手伝いたいと思ったら、日曜日のデモに来たり、高江のブログで色々な行動したりすることができます：http://takae.ti-da.net/

よろしくお願い致します！

Today's Media Log

Began by checking gmail, which connected me with the web in a dizzying spin of consciousness - from facebook, to non-profits pleading for funds, to idealist.org, to bank alerts, and messages on my youtube account. Maybe 10% of the emails in my inbox contained substance, and I'm still not done sorting through the past week. I need to remove myself from some mailing lists. With no less than 5 tabs open on Firefox at a time, ardly mindful media navigation!

Proceeded to Skype with Mom and Noelle.

Then headed out for the day with a book and some kanji flashcards to keep me busy on the bus/train.

After a conversation with the hair dresser while getting my hair cut (is conversation media), bummed around Machida, accepting some free promotional tissues, and checking grocery stores for frozen fruit. Does this all count as media consumption?

Met friends for dinner, then saw inception. Total sensory overload, especially since I'm coming down with a cold. It hurt my brain a little, but a thought provoking thriller for sure.

Back home, and after a stop at a convenience store for some more substantial dinner and my favorite hydrating beverage, NPR! Here's my favorite story from today's All Things Considered, part of a series on faith in China:


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128672542

Reflecting on a conversations with family and friends last week, this story leads me to think about the evolving nature of and relationship between the terms religion, spirituality, faith, superstition, culture, and politics, etc. These terms are alternately used to describe the same phenomena, but with different shades of meaning, and the ability to shift the balance of power from a tone of grave reverence for the sacred, to condemnation of the common. If any or all of these terms interest you, check out the story, and consider how these terms are used.