US Department of State Assistance

U.S. Department of State assistance

U.S. citizens in Japan are urged to contact family and friends as soon as possible. If web access is available they should use twitter, Facebook or email JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov. U.S. citizens in Japan are also encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) athttps://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ or go to the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulates. Updated information about travel and security in Japan is available at 1-888-407-4747 or 1-202-501-4444. 

For Trending a Topic

From all the information I've been able to gather, none of which I knew before now, for a topic to trend it has to

• Be new. Meaning it can't have been used prior to the day it trends.
• Be original. RT's help a little, but for every new item with a particular #hashtag, the trend gets noticed.
• Be widespread. A topic can trend locally in small areas, but won't show up in the Twitter main trending topics. The more people creating original tweets with the hashtag, the better.
• Be relevant. Complete sentences work best, and not just a tweet of the #Hashtag.
• Be long lived. A topic trends both for being new and for being consistent over a period of time.

This isn't a perfect analysis. If you know more, please feel free to add info in the comments section!

The Most Colorful River In The World | Frank151

The Most Colorful River In The World | Frank151

Vote. It's That Simple.

I'm not usually known for my tact. I have a BS Meter with a five-mile range, and these days, the alarm goes off with alarming regularity.

Tomorrow is a "mid-term election", as if that were an equivalent term for "unimportant". Contrary to popular belief, we don't have a government that works for a few months every few years. There needs to be a body of competent, efficient people in Washington these days, and the staggered elections we hold can help keep anyone from getting stagnant or becoming complacent. Every time there is a voting booth set up, the election is important.

I spend a lot of time reading blogs that are written by self-proclaimed experts. I read a lot of sites that are run by regular, every-day people. I read, almost continuously, the rantings and ravings of political geniuses who know so much, it astounds me that these people haven't taken over the government by now.

However, the list of political blogs I read is constantly diminishing because I find a lot of people who are omnipotent, but yet don't take the time to vote. If that's your style, I won't be checking out your writing style. It's just a shame that the people who seem to know all the answers when it comes to our great republic are otherwise engaged littering the internet, writing graffiti or other erstwhile activities.

I'm going to vote tomorrow, mid-term election or not. Doing so will give me a right. That right is to tell people who don't vote, but whom will be heard regularly screaming "Impeach Obama", to shut up and go away. Voting gives one the right to have a say in the formation and operations of our government, but additionally to be given a voice when it's time to complain.

You know how to fix "fixed elections?" Every single voter hit the polls every single time. The true majority can then rule. Know how to fix a broken government? Vote out the criminals, incompetents, morons, etc and get a government for and by the people.

We'll stand in line for 10 minutes for Starbucks. We'll spend hours watching mindless online videos. People spend more time planning a weekend drinking binge than they will their political future. Sad.

Let's change that. Starting tomorrow.

The Haul

I often read messages from people who say such things as "Thank, I needed that..." "Thank you for the support..." "You'll never know how much I appreciate..."

And since those things seem to be said so often, we don't always realize how true they can be. Over the past year, I've faced more than I ever thought I would. Life is funny that way. Since 1998, I've survived four situations that should have cost me my life, but the most recent twelve months I've been stretched and tested to limits I didn't know I had.

Some people might frown on the idea of "online communities." Let them. The same people probably scorned the idea of online dating, the power of the Internet in the cause of doing good. We don't need to concern ourselves with them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

I can say this for certain: do not ever doubt, for a second, the power of a kind word. Don't ever hold back a vote of confidence, a pat on the back, or a virtual shoulder to cry on. I can speak only for myself, but a simple hello, a word of sympathy, a gentle reassurance can move mountains. For me, the "online community" has meant the difference between giving up and moving forward. I've never received what some might consider profound, life-changing wisdom too often, but that isn't what moves life forward. Rather, I believe it's the taking of time, the giving of a simple moment to reach out to someone who might be struggling, that makes all the difference in the world.

I have lost nearly every vestige of my old life, in terms of material things. But I have my children, and their safety, security and well-being is my do-all, say-all reason for existence. As my fortunes turned, I've lost a lot of people whom I'd considered friends. I'm not bitter, mind you, because every evolution is a process. But at the same time, I've been the recipient of kindness from what are essentially strangers, people who thought it worth their time to lend a kind word or thought, people of all ages, gender and walks of life.

We never really know what's important, do we? The beauty of life is that every day we get a new start, a chance to make things better, a chance to do someone else some good. Never underestimate the power you all have. You make a difference in ways you may never come to understand. But my wish here is that you'll think about what I've written, and go ahead and make the connection that could be the difference.