Magnitude 7.4 Hits Japan Again

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake just hit Japan again-less than a month after the 9.0 that devastated and crippled more than 1/2 of Japan. Officials said the aftershock hit 25 miles (40 kilometers) under the water and off the coast of Miyagi prefecture. The USGS later downgraded it to 7.1.

Buildings in Tokyo, which was about 205 miles (330 kilometers) from the epicenter, shook violently for about a minute. USGS geophysicist Paul Caruso said the aftershock struck at about the same location and depth as last month’s quake. The USGS said the aftershock struck off the eastern coast 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Sendai and 70 miles (115 kilometers) from Fukushima.

Nuclear Plants: Japan’s nuclear safety agency said power plants along the northeastern coast were under control after backup generators kicked in at three – Rokkasho, Higashidori and Onagawa – that lost power.

The aftershock knocked out two of three power lines at the Onagawa nuclear power plant north of Sendai, which has been shut down since the tsunami. One remaining line was supplying power to the plant and radiation monitoring devices detected no abnormalities. The plant’s spent fuel pools briefly lost cooling capacity but an emergency diesel generator quickly kicked in.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said progress was being made to stabilise the Fukushima Daiichi plant, where workers have been injecting nitrogen into a reactor to prevent a potentially explosive build-up of hydrogen gas.

“The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains very serious,” Denis Flory, head of the IAEA’s nuclear safety department, told reporters.

Within one hour, all supermarkets and convenience stores shelves were wiped clean with water, ice, instant noodles, bread, toilet paper/tissues, rice, batteries and emergency supplies and food. Numerous buildings had broken windows and tiles, with quite a few small electrical fires were reported.

In Ichinoseki, which is also inland, buildings shook violently, knocking items from shelves and toppling furniture, but there also appear to be no major damage there. Hotel workers lit candles so guests could find their way around. In Miyagi prefecture motorways were closed and bullet train services were partially suspended.

In Sendai, hotel guests and diners ran out onto the streets, some clutching torches as they began walking home in near-darkness.

Sirens from emergency vehicles filled the air, but more than three hours later there were no reports of major damage.

Police and the fire service officials said they had received numerous calls about fires and gas leaks. NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, said seven people had been injured, two of them seriously.

The earthquake sent the dollar sliding against the yen and wiped out early gains in European stock markets. European stocks ended down 0.2 percent and the S&P 500 finished down 0.15 percent, while the dollar extended losses against the yen. U.S.-dollar denominated Nikkei futures NKc1 were down 1.6 percent. Japan is the world’s third-largest economy and investors feared the new quake could harm the global recovery.

“It got people thinking that maybe this is not finished yet, and this is of a bigger scale than what we had expected,” said Jack DeGan, CIO @ Harbor Advisory Corp in New Hampshire.

By 1:30 a.m. (1630 GMT) seven people were reported injured, two seriously, a spokesman for the National Police Agency said.

Letter to President Acquino regarding Hostage Massacre

Dear President Acquino,
What occured yesterday was a horrific tragedy for the world to see. Horrific as well to see that the PH police force and miitary is unprepared to tackle a life threatening situation as well as obviously a disaster. President Acquino should have shown up to be the negotiator – the gunman would have complied w the reqest from the President of his country. Where on earth are the politicians? They were all over the place when they were running for office. But clearly the world has seen that when the things start falling into the fan, no one there to turn it off. Where was the city mayor in this situation?

What is done is done. Please make certain that President Acquino will stand up to the chaos that this is causing your country and how it portrays the Philippines as a weak and disorganized country. I love the Philippines. I love the people and I hope that the Philippines economy prospers, with all my heart I wish these things. However, with the amount of corruption rampid in the country, it is a hard endeavor to overcome.

Please President Acquino, your citizens are ashamed for the world to see what happened yesterday. Please make a public announcement of apology and express your sadness that YOU feel for what happened to the tourists as well as your citizens. You are there in office to make change and help your country be strong, successful and be a leader. You are its change!
You need to show this – the world is waiting.

Very sincerely,
Janette Dillerstone
CEO Director Co-Founder
Wakabayashi Fund LLC

Tadaharu Wakabayashi, Wakabayashi Fund LLC

Tokyo Hedge Funds Club
members celebrated in style at
Roppongi Hills

On Wednesday 9 June 2010, three hundred hedge fund managers and investors
celebrated Tokyo Hedge Funds Club’s fifth birthday in style at the Roppongi Hills
Club. Local, regional and global hedge fund managers enjoyed networking with
Japanese institutional investors at the by invitation only cocktail party. The event
also featured some mind-blowing tricks from magician Troy Star.  Tadaharu Wakabayashi, Chairman / Director of Wakabayashi Fund LLC is shown in the photo, left.

Michael Jackson – The Hype is True

I was never a fan of Michael Jackson until I saw the recently released documentary “This Is It”. The documentary chronicles Michael’s preparations for what he said was his final show performances in London. It is amazing to be able to witness the extraordinary creativity flowing from his very being. The mental agility he possesses is obvious as he is able to seemingly observe every aspect of not only his performance, but that of the dancers, musicians, and even the physical stage.

Michael is able to mold all aspects of the experience through what I can only describe as Direction Through Understanding and Love. In other words, he is able to accomplish what he has set forth in his mind as perfection through the use of Understanding and Love towards the people that work with him. The people that work with him in this documentary clearly exude a positive energy that I can only assume is an extension of Michael’s energy and devotion to them. There is an air of genuine  sincerity in everything he does and it is easy to believe he is not only doing what he loves, but he wants us to know he loves doing it for his fans.

I encourage everyone, fans and non-fans alike, to watch this documentary to see and understand that the “Hype” Michael Jackson receives is entirely deserved and most definitely true.

Michael Jackson ‘This Is It’ Official Movie Trailer

It is important to note that Michael Jackson was also a brilliant songwriter something I think has been largely overlooked. This are a few my favorite songs written by MJ and links to their respective music videos.

My All Time Favorite: Earth Song

Heal The World

Smooth Criminal

Black or White

Bad

Billie Jean

We are the World

Michael Jackson’s Charity Work

Top 10 Science Fiction Shows of All Time

This is my list of the Top 10 Science Fiction Shows of All Time. It is important for you to know that this is my personal list and there are so many to choose from that I am sure you can find substitutes for some of my choices. Feel free to make suggestions!

1. Star Trek (Original) – Even though this only aired from 1966-69 it has a place in every science fiction aficionado’s heart that I have ever met. I particularly love the feeling of the sets and that “old school” look. A lot of people have noted over the years that the acting was not the best it could have been, but I would have to disagree..the acting was part of the whole experience and the sometimes choppy or odd dialog made it seem all the more plausible.

2. Battlestar Galactica – The more recent version of BSG, as it is known, 2004-09 is a must have on any list of sci-fi shows. The actors played their roles very well and left the viewer every single week on the edge of their seats. Their attention to detail, such as the radios and how the static was included in the communications..I mean in other shows the communications are as clear as day..do you really believe out in the vastness of space there would be no static? I will have to say at the end of the series it was beginning to look a lot like a soap opera though.

3. Dr. Who (Original) – This classic sci-fi show lasted from 1963-89, a long time running. The monsters/aliens in Dr. Who were absolutely great, sometimes it was obvious that they wrapped a trashcan in tin foil and put a slinky or two on it’s body to give it a “3-D” look..Hey it was the 60’s, of course they were still using that method in the 80’s, but it made the show special.

4. Star Trek: The Next Generation – Star Trek: TNG ran from 1987-94. I enjoyed the cast of this show as a whole more than any other. They matured over the course of series and meshed so well everything seemed to go seamlessly no matter what situation they were in.

5. Mystery Science Theater 3000 – This show ran from 1988-99. The dialog in this program was a masterpiece. A person has to be very knowledgeable to keep up with everything that is being poked fun at in this series. I had no idea so many terrible science fiction movies there were until I started watching this show..and there are a lot!

6. The Twilight Zone – The Twilight Zone from 1959-64 is a classic that is no doubt on everyone’s list (maybe not Top 10). Rod Sterling’s voice is forever linked to this series. The wide variety of story-lines in this show makes it a must watch even for those not interested in science fiction shows.

7. Children of Dune (New) – Ok, so technically this was a mini-series in 2003, but it was still on TV, so I chose to put it on this list. When it was first rumored and all the way up to it’s airing I thought they would completely butcher this series and I was pleasantly surprised to see they did an excellent job. I would say for anyone that has not seen this mini-series to find a way to watch it. The sound track alone is worth it in some respects.

8. Logan’s Run – This show ran during 1979 and was a actually a scary picture of what our future could possibly turn out to be. Up until you turn 30 on Logan’s Run everything is terrific and then..”that’s all she wrote”, they kill you!

9. The Thunderbirds – This show ran from 1965-66. I actually find this to be the weirdest of them all. The marionettes are kind of creepy to me, but I thought if for nothing else than being unique it should be on my list.

10. Red Dwarf – This is a BBC program that ran from 1988-99. I think this show is as much of a comedy as it is a science fiction show and that is actually one of the reasons I have it listed. It used to come on PBS so if you get a chance check it out.

These are my picks and while some of them may not be strictly science fiction they are at least close, but I will leave that up to you to decide.