Greetings and salutations!

It has been, yet again, far too long since my last post and, for that, I do apologize. Please allow me to jump right in with the latest updates:

Of Quick and Unsubstantiated Thoughts:

1. Since the end of the Cold War, the CIA has essentially been a ‘make-work’ program which has resulted in a laundry list of problems for the United States.
2. The house-cleaning that has been taking place with the demise of prominent members of the now defunct Republican administration is, among other things, a final purging of some of the key players behind the Iran-Contra scandal.

Of Other Quick Notes:

1. I noticed recently that my blog’s Google PageRank, which was previously a 4, has plummeted to 0; how frustrating. Does anyone have any thoughts on the matter?
2. I am still alive, still here in Osaka, still planning to relocate to Israel. This process is taking much longer than I had hoped, much to my disappointment. Recent musings on a number of topics could be discussed here, but I think I will leave them for another time.
3. Over the course of the holidays, my paternal grandmother fell and shattered her heel. While Edna is one of the strongest women I know, she is experiencing a great deal of discomfort and may be facing some surgical options which pose a risk due to her age. Please pray for her healing and that her spirits would remain high.
4. You can catch my first YouTube submission, a nice little clip of Karaoke Fun in Osaka.

Of Japan:

I was tremendously pleased to have had my father and uncle visit me in Japan during the month of January. It was great to see both of them but especially to spend time with my dad. The majority of the first 3 weeks of the month was filled with frequent traveling but it was an enriching adventure! I will outline the mains stops we made and you can also view photos from the journey! Ok, here comes the short version:

• Dad and Brock (actually my dad’s distant cousin) arrived at Kansai International on Dec 30th.We spent New Year’s hiking the Monkey Reserve in Mino-o and then enjoying the fabulous onsen (natural hot spring) facility there.
• The next stop was a split day trip between Nara and Kobe. In Nara we enjoyed visiting sites such as Todaiji Temple (the world’s largest wooden building housing Japan’s largest Buddha) and feeding deer in Nara Park. In Kobe we visited the Kobe Earthquake Museum.
• Kyoto followed with visits to Kyoto Studio Park, where Brock got done up as an Edo period Shogun, and the stunning Kinkakuji Zen temple (aka the Golden Pavilion) as well as the local China Town.
• We then returned to Osaka and took another tour of the city, eventually visiting the beautiful Kaiyukan aquarium. After this I took a short break while the old boys headed out to Hiroshima.
• That left only Tokyo, where we spent four days hitting up all the major points of interest. I would say the highlights included visiting Tokyo Tower, the Meiji Shrine, and taking in a Sumo wrestling tournament. We also got to visit some good friends in the city. Following this sojourn, Brock and Dad spent some time in Kyushu.

So, despite the challenges of traveling during the busy holiday season, we managed to keep ourselves quite busy and had a great, if not somewhat exhausting, time. While I always enjoy traveling and the new educational experiences that often accompany doing so, there is nothing like an extensive temple tour to reinforce the ‘once you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all’ paradigm, which is especially true in regard to Japan. That being said, I have seen some breath taking sights here and gathered memories that will always be with me.

Of Things You Must See:

• A very real threat (YouTube)
• A very inspired response to the lines that truly divide us, those drawn through each and every human heart (MSN Video)
• Perhaps the greatest commercial of all time (Bruce Campbell is the man!)
• A spectacular display of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin (WMV-thanks Helen!) Learn more here

Of a More Personal Nature:

As I alluded to earlier, there is a lot going on in my mind these days, but until I get some stuff sorted out I’ll refrain from getting into any of that. While this post is certainly abbreviated (and thus less thrilling, perhaps), keep in mind that I did have to do a lot of photo work, etc. At least I have completed the contract project I have been working on for the last while.

One thing this new free time has afforded me was some catch-up on movies. I finally saw The Prestige! This film was razor sharp and nearly all I had been hoping for! I think the climax was a bit too easy to see coming but masterfully crafted nonetheless. The meta-theatre of overlapping mysteries and rivalries was pure joy to witness; bravo to Christopher Nolan for such asskickery! Luther and Blood Diamond have also been films which have left their strong impression on me of late. I cannot speak so positively of Copying Beethoven which, despite containing some provocative philosophies and beautiful music, not to mention the acting talent of Ed Harris, falls flat on its face as an attempt at a period piece. To director Agnieszka Holland I say – DO try to use at least a hint of accents in a period piece and DON’T make every bloody shot a close-up!

As a last bit of news, I have recently begun teaching an Alpha Course in the church I attend in Namba. Please keep that in your prayers as well!

Now to get back to that whole sorting process...

With Hope,
Joseph

My heart is capable of every form.
A cloister for the monk, a fane for idols,
A pasture for gazelles, the votary’s Kabah
The tables of the Torah, the Koran.
Love is the faith I hold: wherever turn
His camels, still the one true faith is mine.
- Ibn al-Arabi, 1165-1240

Iran-Contra Scandal | Todaiji Temple | Blood Diamond