The Child of Domestic Violence

This is a very difficult post to write and it makes me sad that I feel I must...


Someone needs to speak the truth. Because this sickness has struck again and another small child lay dead. I wrote about the child the other day. Now I know what happened. There is a sickness that happens behind closed doors of what seems like everyday, happy, healthy homes. This sickness is truly evil and it is called Domestic Violence.

ELVIS COSTELLO - BOY WITH A PROBLEM

The children of these homes live in suffering and their victim parents live in total fear. Fear for their safety, fear for their sanity, fear for their lives and the lives of their children.


The children of the homes of domestic violence go to school and see friends. They try to forget.


I know. I witnessed it only two or three times when I was a child. But it was ugly and quite frightening when I did. I thought he was going to kill my mother once. I am ashamed to admit that one time, when I was a 5th or 6th grader, my brothers took up baseball bats and threatened him. We said, "We don't want to do this, but if you hit mom, we will hit you back." 


Thank god, he calmed down and backed down.


I never witnessed domestic violence from my father ever again.


I am even more ashamed to admit that, in my first marriage, I repeated the evil. When I was having an affair with another woman, I was so ashamed of myself and so frustrated with my life, and so confused, that I committed domestic violence against my then beautiful wife. This went on for a year or two. I was completely mad, sick and out of my mind.


She didn't deserve that from me. I went blind and hit her. From then on, I committed domestic violence, on and off, of the sometimes physical, but mostly the psychological kind. She became sick and depressed. I pushed her away. She ran to someone else.


We wound up getting a divorce... to my regret.


I went to seek psychological help, for the divorce and many other things. My life was a mess of my own making. With help, I never committed domestic violence ever again. That was nearly two decades ago. It's too bad that, after the cows have already left the barn, we often decide then, when it is already too late, to do something about the broken door.


Please, dear God, forgive me for what I did and help me to be a better person. Please, my daughters, forgive me for the unhappy childhood I gave you. 


Oh, how many other children must suffer for this domestic violence? Why does this domestic violence rear its ugly head and ruin the lives and childhoods of so many seemingly happy and normal children?


If the children survive, in many cases, they grow up to repeat the errors of the parents and the vicious circle of domestic violence continues.


Some children, though, do not survive. 


In Japan, some mothers are pushed to the limits so far that they take their lives and the lives of their children. Of course, the monsters living inside of those committing domestic violence can never imagine that the wives would ever conceive of double suicide, but they can.... And they do.   


Domestic violence. It happens way too often. Husbands beat their wives physically or mentally. They push these women to the limit of their wits.


Then then women break. They come to where they can't take it anymore.


In Japanese society, there's nowhere for these women to turn.


They confide in their closest friends, but that's all. This domestic violence is a shameful thing in Japanese society. But the friends all talk in hushed tones....


When it gets too bad, then the talk turns to divorce... The laws have recently changed... Wives no longer have the trump card for child custody. Nightly, they fear for their lives and the lives of their children.

The husband is the breadwinner. The wife goes into depression. She seeks professional help. The husband, the cause of this malady, whistles along on his merry way acting as if there's nothing the matter. Then, at court, the husband can tout his wife as having "mental problems."


The only people who know the truth are the husband (if he realizes the extent of his evil and his illness), the wife (and a few very close friends) and the children.


Sure, the wife has mental problems. Wouldn't you? Who wouldn't have mental problems if their partner abused them both physically and mentally over and over on and on for an extended period of time?


The abuse continues... It's occurrence is unpredictable... Does he do it because he having and affair? Or is it stress? Or is it a hatred of himself? Or just because he is mentally sick and abusive? Who knows?


The wife has nowhere to turn.


She loses her mind. Sick, is she. There's no doubt.


So sick that, one night, she goes so crazy that she kills her child. She then attempts suicide... She succeeds with the child, fails with herself.


The husband then later proclaims to the world that he "doesn't blame her for this tragic case, she is mentally sick.... Depressed..."


Sure she is sick... Mr. Husband... How much did you help her to become that way?


This poor lovely child, with their entire future ahead of them, dies because of what she did and the result of the way you treated her for so many years. You can act like you were the good husband and didn't harm anyone....


But there are many of us who do know the truth. She told us. 


When I see you, you'll be able to read it in my eyes, if you have the courage to look.... And the eyes of the others she confided in.


In this case, the child dies. The circle of domestic violence is broken. The child will not grow up seeking help for the illness his father caused nor will he abuse his wife. 


He is dead. The child of domestic violence. 


If this post hits too close to home, please seek help. http://www.helpfordomesticviolence.com/

Meeting the Rich and Famous in Japan? Sure. No Problem. Happens All the Time

There's not a foreigner in this country who won't tell you that Japan is a very weird place. When I say that, I mean it in a good way. The other foreigners you talk to may not.


Japan is just, well... Japan. That's the best explanation I can come up with. Things happen in Japan that just would never happen in a million years in another country. That's just the way it is.


Here's an example of something weird that happened to me. Just one of a very many.... 


But, first, some background; in the late 70's and early 80's, I was in a one-hit wonder punk bank and then ran one of the first punk underground "zines" back in those days. Underground free papers were quite the rarity at that time. But we made one. It was called, "Sixty Miles North." I won't embarrass myself by telling you the name of my band.

June 27, 1984 Sixty Miles North. Yours truly on the cover.

Sixty Miles North was pretty popular at that time and there's even a webpage for it with someone selling back issues fer chrissakes!


Anyway, we used to distribute these magazines at record stores, etc. back in those days. 


One particularly well-known record store chain was owned by a now multi-millionaire guy by the name of Jim Salzer. One day, when I went to his then tiny record store, I took magazines and asked him if he'd put them on the racks and give them away for me. He eagerly agreed and thought the magazine was extremely cool. I was happy. I think that one time was one of the few times I had ever met him in the USA and I had only ever met him when he was at his shop. Keep in mind that this was a suburban area and not a big city.


Fast forward several months. I moved out of the USA and left the magazine for my useless friends to run into bankruptcy, which they did. Soon. I was then living and working in Japan.


My very first job in Japan found me working in Shinjuku in Tokyo. One of the biggest cities and most crowded places in the world. On my very first day of work, my new friend Stephen asked me to go have dinner with him at a KFC near the station. Even though I generally hate KFC, I said "OK" as I didn't know any good places to eat; I had no friends (Stephen was my first) and I had only been in Japan for one week. I also didn't have a clue as to where I was (really) or where to go.


So we go to this KFC at the west exit of Shinjuku station and are standing on the street eating chicken. There's a million and a half people milling around us. A guy walks up to me and says,


"Mike! Mike! There you are!" At first, I didn't recognize him... It was Jim Salzer. Jim Salzer in Japan, no less, and he doesn't seem the least bit surprised to see me. My jaw drops. WTF!? I've never met him randomly on the street in my own hometown and I had lived there for over 15 years. Here I am in Japan for a week and he walks right up to me like it's no big deal. 


Jim realized the shock on my face and said, "Mike! Mike! Don't you recognize me? It's me, Jim!"


I snapped out of it. "Oh? Er, sure! Jim? Jim Salzer! Hi. How are you?"


Jim said, "I'd been wondering where you went to..." He then slapped my back and said, "Say, Mike, I'd love to talk, but I'm late. Where the heck is the train station?" I didn't know either but my friend pointed him in the right direction and off he went as if there wasn't anything the least bit unusual like this sort of chance encounter.


Here I am in one of the most crowded places in the world and, by pure coincidence, I meet an aquaintance from back home that I had never met by chance on the street there (and even at that I had only met him three or four times!)... There's 60 million people in this town and he walks right up to me! And he acts like it's no big deal... Just like meeting a co-worker at the water cooler at the office!


I am still amazed about it. I wish I had a picture to prove it.


Like I said, the weirdest sh*t happens in Japan. My friend George Williams agrees with me, "You can meet people in Japan that you'd never ever meet in a hundred lifetimes in the west. Hell, in the west, you couldn't get within 5000 meters (yards) of these people. But in Japan, you can meet them walking along on the street!" It's true. I've met Eric Clapton twice walking along a street in Harajuku. At first I thought he was some scraggly-looking dumpy foreigner just hanging around looking for a job.... That's probably what everyone else thought too! 


My friend George even has a cool photo of the time he met Jimmy Page when Jimmy came to Japan in the 1980's! George is standing there next to Jimmy looking like he's standing next to his mom or something. It's pretty cool... I mean, if you like Led Zeppelin... 


Now, let me drop some names.


Since I've been in Japan, I've met many extremely famous people, multi-millionaires and world famous politicians... Just to name a few...


I've met Richard Branson, George H. W. Bush (Daddy Bush), Yoko Ono, Elvis Costello, Siouxsie Sioux (not well known by most, but I am a big fan), at least 7 Japanese Prime Ministers and a bunch of other countries prime ministers - so many - that I can't remember. Along with the some many others that I've met who I can't remember either.


Of course my job makes a big difference, but meeting guys like Richard Branson or these prime ministers and George Bush had nothing to do with my radio & TV work.


In fact, meeting George H. W. Bush had nothing to do with radio but everything to do with... Amway. You can read that true story here.

With Yoko Ono

I'm not in this photo with Siouxsie Sioux (her former hubby, Budgie next to her) but I took the photo. You get to see

how hot my wife was just when we married (though why she married me is anyone's guess). At right, front, is George Williams.

Former prime minister Yoshiro Mori (I think I'm going to 

start a collection of prime ministers I've taken photos with).

George H. W. Bush at an Amway convention. Don't believe me?

Here's the proof. 

Read:  Japan, Amway, George H.W. Bush, and Diana Ross – Your Tax Dollars at Work! to read more bizarre adventures that could only happen in Japan!

White Stripes way before they were famous

Menudo in 1984. I'm wearing the white shirt. See the kid in blue in front second from left? That's 

Ricky Martin at about age 10. No kidding!

Some wankers in a crap band named Linkin Park.

Elvis Costello is a very nice guy.

   
Anyhow, I hope it doesn't seem like I am bragging (well, I am kind of... Now that I look at all these pictures)... The real point is that, in Japan, the weirdest things happen. I have hundreds more photos to prove it too! I have photos with lots of movie-types like Arnie Schwarneggar, but can't be bothered to find them...


Last night I met one of the most famous Korean singers in all of Asia and one of my other blogger friends wrote about his hospital stay and the doctor smoking cigarettes (Hey! Do we have the same doctor? Wow! Small world, eh?) So that inspired me.


Have a good day... Oh, and don't forget to always have a camera! You never know who is going to walk up to you and ask directions.


There's some more pictures here (but not nearly all of them): http://www.myspace.com/goodmorninggarage/photos

Out-of-Control Nuclear Apocalypse in Japan is Here!

One of my all time favorite quotes is this: A religious man goes to church and thinks about fishing whereas a spiritual man goes fishing and thinks about god.

ELVIS COSTELLO - WAITING FOR THE END OF THE WORLD

I've been to church many times in my life. I was brought up in a Baptist household yet went to Catholic school. I've seen fire and brimstone. I been shamed into tithing.


Whenever a priest, pastor or minister screams from the pulpit spewing forth fire and brimstone about "the end," "apolcalypse" or redemption, is it so necessary for you to hear "evidence" of this from that man and his "proof" as written in scriptures? 


No, right? You know where he's coming from.


I have heard all the evidence before many times in my ife... It's always quotes from a 2,000 year old book. Nothing wrong with that. 2,000 years is an excellent run on the top seller list.


These men will go on and quote for you the exact place and chapter where "it is written"... 


The bombast continues... "The scriptures speak of the end of the world! Current events were predicted in the bible!" 


Or my favorite:


"The apocalypse is upon us!"


Like most of you who have heard this stuff, I yawn. I've been hearing this stuff all my life. Humans have heard these claims since the beginning of society. Hell, the end of the world happened just last May.


I'm still here. How about you? 


Whenever I hear people using this type of terminology like "apocalypse" or "the end" or "redemption," I usually question their sanity. Unless, of course, they are behind the pulpit whereby, instead of questioning their sanity, I know exactly what they want; I reach for my wallet. 


People who use these sorts of terms are usually trying to scare you into doing something that you wouldn't normally do or they intend to scare you into paying them money.


Gee, if the end is so near and the apocalypse is upon us, then what do they need money for? If I really knew the world was going to end soon, I certainly wouldn't be going to work and trying to make a living. Would you? I'd be out having fun or stone drunk.


I most certainly wouldn't be writing this blog, that's for sure.


In 1977, I fell in love with Punk Rock music. I really liked the nihilistic fatalism idea that many of the kids had back then. I thought it was much more realistic than the "Rah-rah High School!" nonsense that most of the brain dead were spewing.


I don't know if all of us so-called "Punks" believed that nihilism and fatalism (I didn't) but it sure was funny when applied properly.


One of my favorite times was when I was hanging out with some punks and some guy was complaining incessantly about how crappy his job or love life was (I can't remember the details and I think he was combing his hair while doing it), and this girl, instead of saying, "Shut up!" to him snarled, "Why don't you just kill yourself and do us all a favor?"


I laughed so hard. I thought that was hilarious! I still laughed when I think about that. 


I still think about that sometimes whenever I hear too much complaining. I always think that whenever I hear too much preaching... Whether or not that preaching is related to religion or not.


Today I was sent another pile of rubbish written by a nonsense writer (albeit very erudite, I'm sure) named Keith Harmon Snow who writes sensationalism to the extreme.


The article was entitled: Fukushima and the Mass Media Meltdown - The Repercussions of a Pro-Nuclear Corporate Press.


I was asked to read it and give an opinion. First off, I was wondering what Pro-Nuclear Corporate Press he was talking about? 


Was it Nancy Grace?

Or CNN's Anderson Cooper? Who garnered this criticism from a Japanese publication that followed him around.

In a live back-and-forth [from Japan] with a nuclear expert back in the studio in America, Cooper peppered his fellow reporters with questions like “How far are we from Fukushima?” and “Which way is the wind blowing?” Upon hearing that he was more than 100 kilometers distant from the Fukushima reactors, he exclaimed “Then shouldn’t we get out of here?” Whether he was doing this in order to build a sense of drama, or out of sincere apprehension, we don’t know. But what is clear is that he made no attempt to calmly ascertain the facts of the situation, and in so doing needlessly fanned the fears of the audience.'

If Anderson Cooper is not main stream mass media, then I'm colonel Sanders. You can go here, to the JP Quake Wall of Shame and find a litany of nonsense and exaggerration reported by the mainstream media.


Anyway, on the article in question, I couldn't read past the first paragraph. It totally gave this writer away. He is ranting, he is preaching. In his first paragraph, he described the following article as:

"... A sociological and technological discussion -- in the wake of the out-of-control nuclear apocalypse in Japan..."

Stop the presses!!! Did this guy actually write, "nuclear apocalypse in Japan"!? Nuclear apocalypse!? Oh really? 


Immediately I raise my hand and stand waving towards the pulpit. 


"Mr. Preacher, sir. Are you aware of the definition of 'apocalypse'?" 


"Indeed son, I am," says he. He holds the bible to his chest, closes his eyes, raises his hand and begins quoting the scripture from memory for his evidence. 


I, on the other hand, open my iPhone and look up the definition of apocalypse. 


It says:


Apolcalypse. Noun. Bible. The Book of Revelation


a) Any of a number of anonymous Jewish or Christian texts from around the second century B.C. to the second century A.D. containing prophetic or symbolic visions, especially of the imminent destruction of the world and the salvation of the righteous.


b) Great or total devastation; doom: the apocalypse of nuclear war

Gee! Great or total devastation? That sounds pretty bad. Nuclear war? Imminent destruction of the world? Salvation of the righteous? Wow! It's over, my friends. The end of the world!


Surely, Keith Harmon Snow knows something that we all don't.

Wait a minute! In the definition of apocalypse, under a (above), it says, "anonymous Jewish or Christian texts"? Anonymous? You mean, some guys, who wish to remain anonymous write this stuff? Two thousand years ago and they didn't want to put their names on it and we are supposed to fear this?


At least Keith Harmon Snow has the guts to put his name on his panic-stricken excesses. 

Then, in the article in question, after the author's introductory note, in his very first sentence, he writes:

"There is overwhelming evidence that a nuclear power catastrophe in the United States is highly probable."

OK. Well, since Mr. Harmon choose not to present us with that "overwhelming" evidence, I guess we'll just have to take his word for it. I wonder how well this sort of argument would stand up in court?


I wonder why any thinking person would bother to read anymore of this bombast? Isn't it obvious that this guy is neither neutral nor fair?


Just who is Keith Harmon Snow and what are his qualifications for making any claims concerning nuclear power? Is he any more qualified to make statements about nuclear accidents than, say, some Hollywood actor does about Global Warming?


Here's what SourceWatch says about Keith Harmon Snow:

"is an independent journalist, war correspondent and photographer. He has also worked as a genocide investigator and consultant to the United Nations and other international bodies. He has won three Project Censored awards for his Central Africa reportage, is a member of the Asiana Press Agency (www.Asiana-Press-Agency.com), and he also recently worked in Afghanistan." 

"Keith Harmon Snow has worked in varying capacities in some 16 countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe, and 14 countries in Africa. A human rights investigator [formerly] working with Genocide Watch and Survivor's Rights International, he attended the International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda, and has testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C.

What an excellent record on photography and being a war correspondent... Seems a tad bit light on the nuclear engineer and radiation expert department. But hey, maybe he read, "Nuclear Accidents for Dummies!" and got real good, real fast.

Probably not.

That a supposed reputable independent research publication like Global Research would publish this pablum is a complete embarrassment. This is tabloid sensationalism level "reporting."

Even Harmon himself exposes how credible what these "sources" that he claims are as proof in his first sentence in his "Author's Note." It says:

The following report was written after learning about the pro-nuclear and corporate bias of the Society of Environmental Journalists. The American Thinker has run a good article exposing the Society of Environmental Journalists that I suggest you read. It is entitled Global Warming Propaganda Factory. Here's a quote:

I have often wondered how the media are in such lock step on Global Warming. Well, I wonder no more. Recently, I came across a website for the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ).  http://www.sej.org/  This website is veritable tool box for any budding reporter assigned to the global warming beat. If you're an editor at the Palookaville Post, all you have to do is send your cub reporters to this site and they'll have everything they need to write an article that fits the template and action line perfectly...


(snip)


The site is largely a compendium of links to global warming promoters. Many of the links use adjectives like prestigious, best respected, and reputation unrivaled to burnish their credibility. The so-called deniers on the other hand are described with adjectives like, highly polemical, outright false, and deceptive partisan attack dogs. The description of the Competitive Enterprise Institute is especially derisive, citing the often leveled false accusation that they are the tool of Exxon Mobil. And this is journalism at its finest?

The article in question that was published on Global Research By Mr. Snow is not neutral nor credible reporting. It is hysterical hyperbole. There are no basis in facts in that article. His very first sentence shows that he has abandoned all pretense of objectivity. 


By publishing pablum like this, the Global Research publication is losing relevance quickly and some editors need to be fired and quickly. Since when has Global Research become a sounding board for Global Warming propaganda?

That some writer, who knows nothing about the nuclear industry or the facts on the ground in Japan, would be allowed to write such idiocy is an embarrassment. That Global Research would publish this is a disgrace.

"Nuclear Apolcalypse"? Indeed.

That Keith Harmon Snow would write this stuff just shows what his intentions are: to sell stories so that he can collect money. When a pastor at the pulpit screams out about the end of the world and apocalypse, at least he has a 2,000 year old document. For his sources, Keith Harmon Snow has a bunch of poorly paid drinking buddies at the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Seriously, Keith Harmon Snow, if you really do think this is the apocalypse, then there's no hope. Everything is ruined. We're dead. You might as well give up your job and stop paying your rent. 

For the rest of us, we have lives to lead and a family to feed. We have dreams too.

If Mr. Snow, you stick by these preposterous words, "Nuclear Apocalypse" and really do think this is true, then, as my punk friends would say,

"Why don't you just kill yourself and do us all a favor?" 


Sorry, Snow, we have enough troubles on our own without hearing your nonsense. Unfortunately, just like the minister or pastor, the real reason Keith Harmon Snow writes this crap is because he wants to sell his articles & name for money. Sensationalist sh*t is a pretty easy sale.

I doubt that Keith Harmon Snow believes this nonsense he wrote. That's the difference between him and a minister... At least most of the men of the cloth believe in what they are saying....