Japan arrogant, and very unpleasing...

Remember the post about Hilary Clinton's remarks regarding Japanese sex slaves?

      Hilary Clinton has said the term "comfort women" a euphemism for Asian women

      who were forced to serve as prostitutes for the Japanese military during World War

      II, is wrong and that they should be referred to as "enforced sex slaves." Clinton

      was being briefed on the Japanese occupation of Korea and corrected a US State

      Department official who referred to the vicitims as "Comfort Women."

      So far Washington has avoided getting involved in the painful history dividing

      Korea and Japan. Although Clinton made the comments behind closed doors, they

      appear to reflect her view that the Japanese government must change the way it

      handles the issue.

      To this day, Japan refused to apologize for their past of enslaving women into

      forced sex labor even when their statements are proven to be false.

      We hope that Japan has can offer a sincere apology for its imperialist past,

      especially the brutal colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945.

Well, in response to Clinton, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba claimed in the Diet on Tuesday that the term is "incorrect."

Further more, Japan has ordered its diplomats in the U.S. to step up efforts to block the planned construction of monuments there for the victims of Japan's forced sex slavery by Korean-American groups.

It is very unpleasing that Japan shows no sign of self-reflection or apology.
As an economic superpower, and a country often referred a s an advanced nation, we would like to see actions, and foreign policies that reflect their elevated position.

KARA named most popular Korean artist in Japan

Read an article about one of my favorite artists : 

     KARA, one of the most popular Korean pop groups in Japan, was ranked 6th in the "2012 First Half
     Talent Power Ranking" according to Nikkei Entertainment, a Japanese entertainment magazine.
     The five-member girl group proved its popularity, ranking the highest out of hallyu stars in Japan. The    
     result was a pleasant surprise for the group as it ranked after the five members of Arashi, a Japanese 
     boy group, who took the top five spots.
     The survey of teenage girls in Japan placed KARA as the only foreign group in the top ten, beating out 
     popular Japanese girl group AKB48 as well.
     In addition, the girl group set the record of having sold 1,000,000 copies of its album in 23 months,
     the shortest time for a Korean artist.


Source : http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20120713-358836.html

It's good to see that the popularity of K-pop in the world is spreading!
AND that KARA is doing well, and we hope that other K-pop artists will be as successful as KARA, not only in Japan, but else where in the world music market.

Korean Wave 'Sweeps N.Korea'

Korean Wave! Shakes North Korea Up!

 These days, Korea songs, dramas, and movies are flowing into North Korea, and is gaining huge popularity among the North Koreans. These Korean Wave enthusiasts include even the loyal soldiers of North Korea.

Although the electric power shortage problem in North Korea is serious, some soldiers use tank batteries and transformers to watch Korean media contents.

Korean wave is now spreading past the border regions of North Korea and China to the North Korean mainland, ranging its viewers from students, workers, soldiers, and ordinary peoples.

North Korean officials are doing the best they can to prevent foreign information from seeping into their hermit kingdom, but they won't be able to sustain their efforts to suppress their people from freedom, and the desire to change any longer.

Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

I have friends who snore loudly... And it's annoying when you are trying to sleep...
Some times I wish they would get their snoring treated...
So here's some info I found about snoring.
While loud disruptive snoring is at best a social problem that may strain relationships, for many men, women and even children, loud habitual snoring may signal a potentially life threatening disorder: obstructive sleep apnea.



It is important to distinguish between snoring and OSA. Many people snore. It's estimated that approximately 30% to 50% snore at one time or another, some significantly. Everyone has heard stories of men and women whose snoring can be heard rooms away from where they are sleeping.


Snoring of this magnitude can cause several problems, including marital discord, sleep disturbances and waking episodes sometimes caused by one's own snoring. But, snoring does not always equal OSA; sometimes it is only a social inconvenience. Still, even a social inconvenience can require treatment, and there are several options available to chronic snorers.


Some non-medical treatments that may alleviate snoring include:


Weight loss — as little as 10 pounds may be enough to make a difference.


Change of sleeping position — Because you tend to snore more when sleeping on your back, sleeping on your side may be helpful.


Avoid alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals — especially within two hours of bedtime.


Avoid sedatives — which can relax your throat muscles and increase the tendency for airway obstruction related to snoring.


Your doctor has other treatment options, including the following:


Radio Frequency (RF) of the Soft Palate uses radio waves to shrink the tissue in the throat or tongue, thereby increasing the space in the throat and making airway obstruction less likely. Over the course of several treatments the inner tissue shrinks while the outer tissue remains unharmed. Several treatments may be required, but the long-term success of this procedure has not as yet been determined.


Laser-Assisted Uvuloplasty (LAUP) is a surgical procedure that removes the uvula and surrounding tissue to open the airway behind the palate. This procedure is generally used to relieve snoring and can be performed in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon's office with local or general anesthesia.


So don't take it lightly and go get yourself treated at a hospital before it becomes too late.


Source : http://www.aaoms.org/sleep_apnea.php

Researchers make breakthrough with phone-charging t-shirt

Found an interesting article :


     Researchers have come up with another use for T-shirts: They can hold a charge like a capacitor.


     A duo at the University of South Carolina, Professor Xiaodong Li and researcher Lihong Bao, managed 
     to convert a cheap t-shirt bought at a discount store into a wearable power source.
     The t-shirt was soaked in flouride, dried and then baked in an oxygen-free room at a high temperature, 
     which changed the fabric from cellulose to activated carbon, without damaging the flexibility of the      
     material.

     The result is that the fabric could be used as a capacitor, which can store an electrical charge. The 
     outcome was further enhanced by coating the fibres with manganese oxide, resulting in what Li called a 
     “stable, high-performing supercapacitor.”
     The professor said that when these are stacked together they could be used to charge phones and tablet      
     computers, making clothing that little bit more useful than it currently is.
     Of course, the potential downside is the unknown risks of wearing “charged” clothing. Electric shock is 
     one possibility that will need to be addressed, made even more problematic when considering what 
     might happen if the fabric gets wet. If these concerns were addressed, however, we might be plugging 
     into our t-shirts and jeans instead of the wall sockets.


I wonder where the limits to science and technology are... It sometimes scares me...


Link : http://vr-zone.com/articles/researchers-make-breakthrough-with-phone-charging-t-shirt/16625.html#

LG fridge survives tornado

LG Electronics said Tuesday that one of its refrigerators withstood a tornado in Johannesburg, South Africa. 
A local resident, Mark Louw, sent an email to the Korean firm with a picture of his LG-made refrigerator working as usual after a tornado ripped through  Johannesburg.
His refrigerator remained intact among the debris of his roof-less house and damaged car.
Was it pure luck? or does this prove once again LG fridge’s durability and trustworthiness. You be the judge.

North Korea Human Rights International Film Festival

This coming 18th, starting in Washington, the 2nd North Korea Human Rights International Film Festival commences.

The international society will be hosted in Washington on 18th, New York on 19th, and LA on the 24th to notify, and report the gravity of North Korea's human rights violations.

The festival will feature two films, 'North Korea VJ', which shows scenes of real life in North Korea as filmed by undercover reporters in North Korea, and 'Winter Butterfly', a fictional film based on a true story on the difficulties of ordinary life in Hamkyungbuk-do.

This year, there were big issues like protest against repatriation of North Korean refugees, and the Shin Sukja incident.

We hope that this year's event will further raise the profile, and raise awareness of North Korean human rights concerns in the international community.

For more info : http://www.nkhrff.com/resources/north-korean-organizations/