ENVELOPmental Assistance

HOW MUCH are those dogs in the window?

Even the men in frocks CANbe bought!

The color of life, to them,is the color of money!

No more vows, no more servitude!

Thoughts to Ponder

"People are like stained-glass windows.

They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,

but when the darkness sets in,

their true beauty is revealed only

if there is a light from within."

----Elisabeth Kubler Ross

NEW DAY

Day is here

and night has gone

Clouds still linger,

The sun peeks from behind....

Light seems odd,

mists linger on the horizon,

Sun shines....

::::>>>>

invigorates my soul.

TANABATA FESTIVAL

TANABATA　

......also known as the "star festival　・!

>takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year,

when, according to a Chinese legend,

the two stars Altair and Vega,

which are usually separated from each other by the milky way,

are able to meet.

Because the 7th month of the year roughly coincides with August

rather than July according to the formerly used lunar calendar,

Tanabata is still celebrated on August 7th in some regions of Japan,

while it is celebrated on July 7th in other regions.

One popular Tanabata custom is to write one's wishes on a piece of paper,

and hang that piece of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree,

in the hope that the wishes become true.

Colorful Tanabata festivals are held across Japan

in early July and August.

Among the biggest and most famous ones are the

Tanabata Festivals of Sendai in August and

Hiratsuka near Tokyo in July.

~

Today is TANABATA Day.....

and I wish, I wish.......

SAYANG!

It was a good day yesterday:

I was able to finish all my laundry early and

was preparing for that SHIKOKU trip [cameras and all...]

when Jiji called to sayI can't go with him.

He will go to that small islandwith four Prefectures

[hence the name SHIKOKU]via KOBE

and asked me to go with him.

Para naman makita ko yung isla na yun....

I have been to all of HONSHU and KYUSHU,

but never in HOKKAIDO and SHIKOKU.

It has been raining since last week, and

most of the rains are now concentrated in Southern Japan,

and Shikoku is covered....along with Southern KYUSHU.

Kaya ayun, cancelled na kasama ako.

Mahirap daw na hindi sigurado ang travel time...

Baka magka-problema, mainip lang ako....

Besides, meron akong turo sa Sabado,and

he isn't sure kung makakuwi sa Sabado.

So there!

Sayang!

Not a Joke!

Apparently, this is not the first time that

North Korea launched its missile.....

~

In August of 1998, NoKor

launched its first TAEPODONG

and landed on the Pacific Ocean,

near Miyagi-Ken,

in the Northwest HONSHU,

the biggest and main island of Japan.

~

While the 7 missiles launched today landed in

the Sea of Japan, just several kilometers away from

Mainland China,

the first one reached beyond the

main island of Japan.

~

Overall, North Korea must be

stopped by all means....

Launching eight missiles ,

seven of which, in one day

is no laughing matter.

This is not a joke!

~

NAKAKATAKOT!

Nakakatakot talaga itong aksyon ng North Korea....

Aba'y kaninang umaga,

anim na ang ni-launch na missiles

ng Bansang ito.

Lahat ay bumagsak sa

Sea of Japan, ilang daang kilometro

lamang ang layo sa Bansang Hapon.

Ang isa rito ay TAEPODONG2

na sinasabing may kakayahang

makarating hanggang Amerika.

Nagpalabas pa ng pampitong

missile ang mga NoKor

ilang minuto nakalipas ang tanghali.

Bumagsak din ito sa Sea of Japan.

Ano ba ito?

Show of force ng NoKor laban sa Amerika

at sa mga Bansang kaalyado nito?

Ang nakakatakot, eh,

malapit ang tirahan ko sa

isang Air Force Base ng Japan sa Hamamatsu,

Shizuoka-ken.

Bale, ilang kilometro lamang ang layo.

OO nga at kami ay nasa kabilang ibayo:

----nakaharap kami sa Pacific Ocean----

ngunit nakakakaba rin, hindi ba?

Aba'y kung saka-sakali, [hwag namang ipahintulot ng Panginoon!]

eh, damay ang lahat, lalo na ang mga nasa

aktibong puwersa ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Japan.

Napakawalanghiya nitong

si Kim Jong il:

hindi naman kapaki-pakinabang ang

kanyang rehimen sa kanilang Bansa,

bagkus, diktaduryang walang inisip

kundi magpahirap ng Koreano

at mga Hapon.

Napakarami ng dinukot ng Koreano,

lalo na noong rehimen ng ama nitong

kasalukuyang diktador.

Maraming Hapon at Koreano

ang dinukot at sapilitang pinagturo ng

NoKor para sa kanilang programa sa espionage.

BRAIN STUFF

From Cambridge University

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd

waht I was rdanieg.

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid,

aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy,

deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are,

the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht

the frist and lsat ltteerbe in the rghit pclae.

The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed itwouthit a porbelm.

Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef,

but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh?

........ yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

~~~~

can you raed tihs?

SEVERE MEASURES

must be taken against Kita Chosen.......

and ban that NorthKorean ship MANGYONBON

from docking at Japanese port!

The Japanese government have been treating these people

humanelyand allowed these people

via their ship to buy, load commodities for transport

to that communist country.

Just now, the government has suspended for 6 months

the above ship from entering the shores of Japan.

Buti nga!

BALIW na KITA CHOSEN!

Baliw talaga itong KITA CHOSEN!

Nagpalabas ng missiles,

at pang-anim na

as of Wednesday morning,

July 5, JST.

For those who do not know,

the Japanese refer to the NORTH KOREANS

as KITA CHOSEN.

ALL of the missiles

landed at the Sea of Japan....

the nearest being some kilometers away from HOKKAIDO,

the northernmost island of Japan.

The missiles reached

600 kilometers....

and can be seen

as they drop from the seashores

of Niigata, and other Prefectures

along the Sea of Japan.

This regime of Kim Jong Il

has the nerve!

They can't even feed properly its

citizens, yet,

they spend time and money to

finance nuclear technology!

Washington analysts say that

the move to fire these missiles

on the Fourth of July

is a message to gain leverage against the US

on talks about neclear disarmament.

We condemn these provocative acts of

North Korea!

NAKATA

WAAAAHHH!!!

Magre-retire sa soccer si HIDETOSHI NAKATA?

But he's too young to do that!

He's only 29!

Why oh why?

HIDE!

~~~~~~0000~~~~~~

Tonikaku,

~0000~

BORO-BORO

Came across some 'chronicles of a weird-0

which made me feel the imbalances of nature....

Some can deliver,

but some really stink!

kabig-ng-kabig

daya-ng-daya

hulog ng langit

godly-effect

ang gulo mo,

lualhati

isa ka pa:

bluebird

EWAN!

BEATLEMANIA in Japan.....

....still alive?

O, W0W!

Forty years hence, Japanese fans [those in their 50s-60s]

still reel from the fad that swept the world in the 60s.

I know....Jiji [who was in his 30s then]

watched with awe as documentaries filled the tube this past week.

The old film showed the Beatles from the time they stepped out of the JAL plane

that brought them here, to the time they left.

Even the HAPI coats the Fav 4 wore were on display

at TV programs commemorating their visit.

They were on loan from the John Lennon collection, I believe.

One can see how important these collections are,

by the way they handle these: they use gloves!

OLD film clips of the Budokan Hall show were shown

and how security was done was discussed in detail by

the former Police Chief in-charge of their protection.

"Can't buy me love......"

"Let It Be...."

W00000HHH!

STEAK, for a change!

I was preparing to leave the house to go shopping when out of the blue,

Jiji suggested we eat outside.

He wanted to eat Beef for a change, he said.

I like that!

Siyempre, payag agad ako, noh!

So we took off.

I was on the wheels, and using my car.[Although all cars belong to him, alright!]

He suggested we go to SAWAYAKA,a family resto.

I suggested we buy good KOBE beef,and dine at home, instead.

I explained that restaurants here now use Aussie Beef

and not home-grown beef.

On that line of thought, he agreed.

So off we went to my favorite Supermarket.

We looked for some home-grown beef and found the last two- 250 gms. each.

I took some fresh mushrooms, broccoli,and carrots.

I put in a small bottle of Steak Sauce with DAIKON OROSHI[grated raddish].

Along the way, I saw Jiji get some SHOCHU[alak yan, 'to!]

while I filled my basket with my usual juice and some fresh milk.

Going back home........

I prepared the grills

and, of course, the steak at minasahe ko muna sila,

para maging masarap kuno, [according to Aling Bening, Nanay's long-time Cook].

Jiji was all praises, and gobbled 'em all up.

He likes his Steak medium rare,

while mine was well-done.

I took time savoring the juicy home-grown beef....Hmmmm....

WHO'S GONNA WIN?

TALO ang Brasiliero!....

pati mga INGLES`!

France beats defending Champion Brazil 1-0!

while Portugal beats England 3-1 in shootout....

Who's gonna win?

POWER IS NOT PERMANENT

In fact, nothing is!

Everything is prone to change,

even the heart of some...

who traipse and play!

Funny how some people look at the world on the material plane.

How can such things happen?

I know, I know.....

Something in their youth have made them the way they are now....

Oftentimes, I wonder how greed for power can manipulate and ruin a person....

Some even claim it is mannafrom heaven!

What!?

....and proclaiming that she is God's gift to mankind is unthinkable in polite society!

But, as wise men say,

"Nasa huli ang pagsisisi...."

Isn't it time...... to sit down,

think of things that was, and make amends,

before it is too late?

There is always time to TRULY make amends

and HONESTLY say you're sorry.

Just call it quits, NOW NA!....

OK?