Travel Shot: Tsunami Warning Sign

Some Shaking Going On

Just a quick reminder, the beach isn't where you want to be during a tsunami.

Most tsunamis are created  by earthquakes and, Japan has been having a few lately.

A tsunami can create a wave, just inches tall or, reach 100 feet into the air.

So, it's a good idea to know where the ground is at least 30 meters above sea level.

Tsunami warnings are announced over most people's cell phones, in Japan.

Signs, posted along highways and, at public buildings, list elevations and evacuation areas.

Learn more about tsunamis at this nifty site.

Tsunami Warnings and Advisories is another good link.

And, here's a good Earthquake Tracker.

Just in case, you want to see, where all the shaking is going on.

I Got Tired of Flipping the Bird

So I Went and Flipped a Fish

There was so much excitement today, I didn't have much time to prepare a blog.

Shortly after I woke up this morning, an earthquake hit in Mainland Japan.

From the news, I saw on TV, everything seems to be alright.

Next, the wife woke up and came into the kitchen. Usually, I escape before that happens.

We greet each other, just like most people, who are married. Good morning.

Then, she has to grab my smartphone, to look a Facebook stuff.

She still has one of those anique flip-phones and, is learning, to swipe, on mine.

Once she masters the art, I'll let her keep the thing and, buy me an iPhone 7 Plus.

She's getting fairly good at it. Even swipes newspaper and magazine stuff, to enlarge it.

While she's checking everything on Facebook, I have another cup of coffee.

Knowing, the battery of the android, will drop to 40%, I take my time getting ready for work.

Pretty soon the smartphone has 17 apps running in the background and it's overheating.

She hasn't learned how to fix that, yet. That's a good thing. I put the phone in the charger.

By the time, I get showered and ready to leave the house, it's past 9 AM.

Beautiful Blue Sky with White Clouds

After the miserable grey skies and rain, we had yesterday, I was ecstatic.

Taking a photo with the android, I thought it would be a good idea, to post it on Facebook.

That way, everybody, following me, could see Okinawa, wasn't affected by the earthquake.

Some errands, had to be run and, I considered going shooting with the camera.

The best outdoor photography, is usually done before 9 AM and, after 3 PM.

Getting a late start, I decided there was enough office work, to keep me busy.

If, enough was accomplished by early afternoon, I'd do some walking and shooting.

The Office Routine

There are two computers on my desk, a Big Mac and a Sony laptop.

Processing photos (developing and editing) keeps one computer fairly busy.

While images are cooking (batch processing) I play around on the other machine.

Emails, social networks and, various other office chores, get done that way.

When the real important things get caught up, I entertain myself, with Facebook.

People are still riled-up over the elections in the USA.  It's over folks.

Some folks are rioting, protesting, disowning and unfriending, each other over an election !

They should find some good music or, hilarious funny stuff to share.

Office Work Not My Cup of Tea

Being at a desk, staring at monitors for long periods of time probably, isn't good for your health.

So, I take breaks every once in awhile, to go outside, where I smoke and stretch.

Sunshine, gives me vitamin D and recharges my solar battery, I swear I was born with.

Each time, I went out, I wished there wasn't so much administrative stuff to do.

I shake off the office blues by doing some exercises, while soaking up some sun.

Once, I read that elderly people, should lift something over their head, 10 time daily.

It doesn't have to be heavy, just lift anything and, it's good for your circulation.

Well, I found a cement block out back and, that's what I use. Ten repetitions each time.

One thing I learned, is don't try doing it too fast.  It makes bumps on your noggin and, hurts.

Weather Changed in Late Afternoon

Once, I had something to run, down to the printing office and, took my break that way.

Instead of going to the guy on the street corner, near my work, I went for a long walk.

The sun was shining brightly on the way down there and, I was happy.

No sooner than the printing got done, the sky turned grey and, I shuffled on back.

Fooling around all day in this office can dampen a guy's mood.

Customers are waiting for some important photos, from the weekend; I'm trying to get caught up.

When times get rough, it's best to maintain a sense of humor.

Demonstrating, rioting in the streets and, flipping the bird, don't solve problems.

So, I flipped a fish, for you, instead !


Aquarium Fish Photos from Seaside Ristorante

NOTE for Those Concerned About Family in Okinawa

Okinawa is far away from any disaster area in Mainland Japan

Okinawa Far from Earthquake in Sendai Japan

There was an earthquake tonight off the coast of  Sendai, Japan.

People have already begun asking how we are in Okinawa.

All is well on our island and there is nothing to worry about in the whole Ryukyu Island Chain.

To the best of my knowledge, there were no casualties in the Sendai area.

The quake took place about 6 miles under sea level.

A small tsunami, about a meter high was experienced shortly after 6PM.

Tsunami warnings have been lifted so, all should be well, for now.

Those with friends or family in Okinawa, Japan need not worry.

The map above, courtesy of Worldatlas.com shows how far Okinawa is from Sendai.

The island of Okinawa is in the lower left-hand corner of the map.

Sendai, is well over 1,000 miles to the northeast of this Ryukyu Island.

 If you really need something to worry about, here ya go:

THE MAYAN CALENDAR ENDS DEC 21, 2012

 AHHHHHHHHHH !!!

Flower Lovers and Fans An Iris Field For You ! (Photo)

Here it is April 1st, 2011.  It's April Fool's Day but,  I don't have anything to fool you with so, I'm just going to do a quick post, grab my cameras and get out in the sun to do some more shooting.

This photo was taken on April 5th of 2009 at the Iris Festival in Ogimi Okinawa, Japan using my trusted old friend the Panasonic DMC-FZ50, a Manfrotto 725B Tripod, and a few other tricks I'll share at a later date.

This morning I received an email I'd like to share with everyone.  It came from someone thanking me, and those of you who helped me, through various channels, get relief to the people suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in mainland Japan.  This is real, feel-good news.

FROM:

MASAYA UCHINO,

Dear Michael,


Almost all of my family lives in Japan. So when the earthquake hit, I tried to help in every way I could, including by donating via text message to relief efforts.

But then I learned that text donations like mine could take up to 90 days to get there. I waited for days to learn that my family was safe, now others were waiting months for my donation!

So I launched a petition on Change.org calling on the phone companies to immediately deliver donations to Japan, the same way they did after the earthquake in Haiti.

It worked! Hundreds, then thousands added their voices. My senator, Barbara Boxer, took up the cause. I was interviewed by the major news programs in San Francisco, where I go to law school.

More than 66,000 of us (including you!) spoke out and now AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon have finally agreed to expedite text-message donations to Japan.

Northern Japan has an incredibly difficult path to recovery -- the earthquake and tsunami both physically and financially devastated the affected areas -- and there’s a lot more that each of us can do. But the immediate transfer of donations is going to be of enormous assistance, and my hope is that this victory sets a pattern for how cell phone companies act during future disasters.

This all happened because, at the encouragement of a few friends, I started a petition. If there’s something you want to change, click here to start your own, and I’ll do my best to stand with you the way that you stood with me:

http://www.change.org/petition

Thank you again. And please continue to keep the people of Japan in your thoughts and prayers.

Masaya Uchino, fellow Change.org member


 
Now, I don't know about you but, to me, that feels good, even great!  A reader of this blog got me involved in that petition and a bunch more of you participated, I know.  It made a big difference and it is getting more help, through to the people who desperately need it, quicker.  That's good!

Personally, I don't use a telephone for making donations.  But, for those who do, it is nice to know that your contributions are getting there without any delay, now that this stumbling block has been removed.

To everyone who supported this effort and the BLOG FOR JAPAN relief campaign,  I am grateful. 

This Iris Field is for you!

How To Make A Direct Contribution To Japan's Earthquake/Tsunami Victims Blog4Japan

                                            Map Courtesy of WORLD ATLAS.Com

Today I'm borrowing some words from Todd Wassel. He is a blogger living in Japan, way to the north of where I am in Okinawa and much closer to the disasters. Both Todd and his wife have some experience in these matters and have gone to the trouble of putting together a list of legitimate sites (English language) that you could make contributions to in order to speed-up the recovery efforts for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

In Todd's own words:

"A few weeks ago I posted about my Experience During the Japan Earthquake and made a plea to my readers to spread the word about helping Japan recover. My wife is from Tokyo and we are both professional aid and recovery workers with the United Nations. We have seen the recovery phase of the 2004 Tsunami up close and we know there is a tremendous need to not only raise donations but to make sure those funds are used responsibly and are in the hands of organizations with not only technical expertise but also local knowledge." - End of quote...


This is me, now:

As I suspected, there have been hundreds of scammers taking advantage of the situation in Japan and I've heard complaints from folks making donations to well-established charities who can't seem to get funds to those in need in a timely manner.

I'm no expert on the regulations for the international transfer of charitable donations. There must be some reason why a Red Cross Donation, from a country anywhere in the world gets hung-up and can't be released immediately. Guaranteed, no politician or banker would let their family go without water, a slice of bread, a roof over their head or electricity, not even for one day.

So, here's the deal.  If you'd like to contribute something, directly, to the people on the ground, in Japan visit: TODD'S WANDERINGS and he has all the trusted sites lined up waiting for you.

Please help me spread the word.  I'm heading over to Todd's, right now, to kick in my share.

This post is my contribution to Blog For Japan.  If you are a Tweeterer #Blog4Japan is the way to help spread the word most efficiently.  If you are a blogger, get with Todd and Blog4Japan, too !

UPDATE:

Here's where I went ADRA JAPAN and read their blog, looked at the photos and was sure my hard earned cash would be put to good use, immediately.  If you choose to go to their site where you can make a DONATION using your Visa or Mastercard that gets a little tricky, unless you're smarter than me.

There is a PDF you download and it gives you the translation telling you what goes in which box. Keep it handy and if you have a Google Translation bar, keep that handy, too. There are probably easier sites to donate to but, I liked what I saw these people doing so, I kept plugging away until I was sure they got my money.  I screwed up the forms a few dozen times.  I even have a Japanese wife who could probably have done in ten minutes what took me over an hour.  

Ya see, I'm stubborn as a mule.  I told the wife I'm doing something important; giving the people up in mainland Japan $20 to help them out. Then, I told her get outta here because I can't type on the computer with her and her dog yappin' in the background.  So, she left.

Truth be known, she really doesn't need to know, I have this plastic thing in my wallet that gives you money or she'll want one, too.  And, another thing. Twenty US Dollars is almost nothing in Japan nowadays so, I hit the plastic money thing for enough to make a difference to someone. Hah !

Find an American Girl in Japan (Photo)

This is Taylor Anderson, an American girl from North Carolina.  She teaches in Japan.

She was in the area of the earthquake and tsunami.

Her father and I have email contact with each other.

No one has heard from her or seen her in the past week.

The town of Ishinomaki was hit hard by the disaster but, reports indicate, the area she would have been traveling through as the tsunami hit was relatively unharmed.

I can tell you, having a daughter missing for over a week is pure torture that no parent should ever have to experience.

The Embassies of Japan and the USA are busy with lots of things right now, I know.

Everyone is busy.  I just want to help the Andersons find their daughter.

An American girl in Japan stands out in the crowd.  So, if you can spare five minutes, help me circulate this photo and find Taylor Anderson.

More detailed information is available at MATADOR PULSE and I may be reached through my Facebook page Mike's Ryukyu Gallery. Thank you for your support.

This link, if you scroll down, gives the best updates JAPAN PERSON FINDER with information from friends and coworkers searching, on the ground, for Taylor Anderson. There is still hope!

Captivating: Earthquake, Tsunami, Wildlife (Photos)

This owl is behind bars. His crime?  Maybe being cute, unusual or rare.  Human nature got him behind bars. Wildlife in a cage.  For sure, he got a life sentence.  He's in a zoo, not some rehabilitation facility. Location: Somewhere in Okinawa, Japan. Photos taken MAR 13, 2011.


Here is a pretty Peacock.  This critter has more room to move around.  That's probably because of human nature, too. We want to be able to see all those brilliant colors and designs when the feathers are spread.


This bird, in captivity, needs lots more room than that little owl.  Throw plenty of flourescent lights on the peacock and put windows all around the sides of the cage. Now, humans can run and encircle the captive bird, bang on the windowpanes, press their noses to the glass and gawk at some genuine wildlife.

It dawned on me as I was developing these photos, the disasters in Japan, earthquakes and tsunami are captivating audiences, as well.  It's human nature.  People like to gawk at disasters, too.


        Here are a couple of birds stuck in another cage surrounded by glass for people to gawk through.

                      Imagine one of them saying to the other, "Is he still gawking at us"?

                                 "Maybe if we gawk back at him he'll leave us alone".

The devastation, in Japan, from the earthquakes and tsunami is horrible.  It's hundreds of miles away.

Now that I know friends and family closer to the disaster are alive and safe, I don't want to look anymore.

I don't want to blog about it, either.  I hope the worst is over but, it may not be. There may be more devastation waiting for those poor people.  Readers keep asking me what they can do to help. 

My reply is: Wait and let the emergency response folks sort things out.  You have to wait.


Yesterday I got mail from my trusty friend, Rusty as he was departing Narita Airport in Japan.  He said the departure line at his terminal was 1,000 meters long.

People need to be evacuated from some areas.  Rescue personnel, firefighters, divers, search dogs, doctors, police, nurses and engineers from 50 other countries are trying to get into Japan and offer support.

What Japan doesn't need, I can tell you.  They don't need Uncle Bill cleaning out his yard sale collection to send over as a charitable donation.  They don't need some major pharmaceutical company to write off a big donation of drugs with an expiration date of next month.  And they don't need anymore news reporters, cameramen, travel writers or anybody else going after the big story.

No more gawkers.

We need to let those on the scene do their work without clogging up their transportation and logistical systems.  They will ask for help where and when it is needed.

It is human nature to show sympathy and want to help those in distress, I know.  I want to help, too. 

We just have to be patient if we really want to help.  Wait.

There are always a small percentage of people who rub their hands together with glee when these tragedies happen. The scammers, we'll call them.  Be aware before making any type of donation.

Know, for certain, that any contribution you make, material or money, is actually benefiting those in need.

It's nice to think that charities, churches, governments and individuals all pull together for the common good when Mother Nature does these things. 

Is Mother Nature really a female or a dude in disguise ?

Here is something I dug up as a result of folks asking me where they can make donations. 

I won't recommend any particular organization over another. 

I just think you should be familiar with anyone you decide to send support to.

While you're waiting for the earthquakes and tsunamis to to fade into history, until natural disaster strikes again, there's something you could do for me. 

The next time you visit a zoo ask them if they can figure out a way to make virtual critters for everybody to gawk at.  Then, they could turn all the wildlife loose.

Wildlife, I bet, if you leave them in their natural environment (where they belong), they know more about earthquakes and tsunamis than those Seismology folks. Hah !

RELATED POST: EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI FAR FROM OKINAWA, JAPAN

Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan Far Away From Okinawa

Here's a photo of what Okinawa, Japan looked like after the last earthquake I reported on in February 2010 and this is pretty much what I expect it to look like tomorrow, except, it may not be so sunny.

There's a flood of emails coming in and I appreciate everyone's concern. This is the quickest way for me to reply. Please pass this on to anyone who may be worried.

Okinawa island is hours away, by plane, from where all the damage has been done.

If you hear anything about Taiwan getting hit, I'm closer to that island than I am to mainland Japan.

So far, the worst of the tsunami has passed. It was something like 20 centimeters (8 inches) from what I've gathered. Please don't worry about me. I can handle worse things than that. I'm a married man !

I have found that the  GOOGLE CRISIS RESPONSE  seems to be the best place to go for maps, locations and accurate updates.

The folks up in Sendai are the ones we all need to be concerned about and I hope everyone helps them make a speedy recovery.

You may also like: MY POST CONCERNING HOW YOU CAN HELP


Visit my Homepage for the PHOTO OF THE DAY