ONLINE CHATTING: Is It Getting Cheap?

I can't remember the last time I used Yahoo Chat. But I remember how awesome it was. I love talking by any means...I am just fascinated with the power of communication. After chatrooms were introduced,i couldn't be happier.

I am Asian and I currently live in Dubai. The others are quite confused about my nationality because I sound like American. I dont have time to explain them because there are many factors why I sound like this. Though I may say, my hobby of online chatting before when i was a kid is one factor.

Yahoo Chat was one of the greatest inventions man has ever created, i thought. I spent my whole weekend talking to different people about Lord of the Rings, New Rock Songs, guitars, atheism, business, Buddhism and anything under the sun. There were chat rooms about flirting and dating but they were the most ignored ones as far as i remember.

Im not sure if there is still Yahoo chat nowadays. It has been a long time. I am now working for almost 9 years and my work has something to do with communications. Besides we got Facebook now and all other social media sites.I guess everything has just evolved. I still love chatting though, like real chatting over a coffee or a drink.

I just got here in Dubai. My social life isnt as amazing as it was when I was back home. Im obviously bored. There are many precautions and to be honest...i dont really know who to trust well. I thought why not go to the basics? I asked some few people what are the latest online chat applications where i can meet people in Dubai. There...we got skout, badoo, who's here, what's up....blah blah. I was very thrilled...just like the old times.

But I could nt be more disappointed to find out that online chat sites like these has turned out to be an online prostitution marketplace. It is just sad that most females were Asians. Most of the subscribers are men and each time i say hello they all think I am a tramp. I think it is disgusting and insulting at the same time. I hope they know that some Asians are even more educated than them.

I didn't give up though. I thought there should be some people who might be just like me. Then there he was, Mr. Johnny Bravo. He asked few questions to check Im not one of those "online whores" that he was referring to. I thought he was okay and all that. I mean talks about past relationships,sex and adult relationship arent so bad . Not until he asked me to take pictures of my thongs in my drawer. I was like "why". I am starting to get so uncomfortable and I asked him to drop our subject. Lol it turned him off so he stopped chatting.. Oh well.

I was able to talk to some who arent like that though I have to be extra careful because nice words can be very deceiving. I mean doing a bit of background check would be helpful. After all, anybody can just lie in person what more can they say online?

Checking people's social network account for others is considered as stalking. But it isn't really. I mean isnt that the purpose of having it ... for other people to check you out? Anyway my point is when meeting someone online be very very very cautious especially before you see them in person.

I was drugged once by a friend and almost got raped. If the taxi driver didnt come to rescue me i could have ended up in the news paper. You see? Things happen like this even with people you thought you already knew, what more could happen with people you just met online?

A friend told me once "Meeting people online is cheap". Is it? I would say, definitely not. Online prostitution is cheap. Sexual and immoral acts on the internet is cheap. Human trafficking using the internet is cheap.

This is not to criticize the people who promote pornography on the internet. if that's the way they live their lives then so be it. We are all free people. But we need to ensure that in everything we do, we have to be responsible and careful on what we actually contribute to the society and morality.

I uninstalled all dating and chatting apps on my android. Not because I think it is cheap but I guess I'm just a bit in a trauma after the responses i got from other chatters. Social network sites will suffice. Nothing beats chatting with your real friends and meeting people in person.

Internet is a helpful tool but it doesn't have everything. Life is so much better outside and experience the real thing. :)

posted from Bloggeroid

Ztefrock and the Candidates of Bb. Pilipinas 2014

When my Heart Goes Bam Bam Boom

Check out this video I made with Animoto: Me Lately - http://animoto.com/play/BgykLbncaBVIxqCmJ1SD2A

Praying for a safe travel @AntipoloCathedral

Check out this video I made with Animoto: Our lady Of Peace - http://animoto.com/play/LqC416RxP0duoRJlmR9bZg

Not All Nightmares Are Bad

When I was a kid I was afraid to sleep because i always had terrrible nightmares. There were vivid dreams I can still remember until now. It started when I was 6 and lasted until I reached my adolescence. Every night I was dreaming about horrible images, death and vampires most of the time. The weirdest thing was, I always wake up at 3 am (witching hour). It took a while before I learned to handle these nightmares. It even came to a point that i felt like I would go mad because I had them each night. (If people only knew the trouble with Little Miss Mount Carmel LOL. They think she was so adorable. She was a freak haha)

I tried to tell my parents but I decided to be tough about it and tried to deal it on my own. After a few weeks of continuous sleeping problems, I started to have Lucid Dreams. A lucid dream is a dream in which you know you are dreaming. Typically this happens when the dreamer experiences something strange, and when they stop to question their reality, they realize they are in a dream. In other words, I was able to learn how to play abit in the horror movies running in my head when I sleep. Those dreams somewhat stopped when I turned 13. I was still dreaming but not as often as before. I still dreamed about vampires...Sometimes I dreamed about running around the streets naked. I dreamed about crying too. It's kinda weird in the morning that you cannot open your eyes because the tears had crusted between your lids. Right now dreaming for me is a blessing. It is an indication that I am still sane. I am no psychologist but I love to do small researches like this. One of the latest dreams I had was so clear that I was able to write it down in complete details.. After then, I decided to study further what dreams are all about. There was an employee from my previous job who got a family history of schcizoprenia. I offered to help her because I often see her isolated and crying all by herself. her boss seemed to be giving up on her. i found out that her sleeps were dreamless since she had her problems at work. Luckily, after some few sessions, she reported to me that she finally had a dream. I guess she is still sane and I was so happy to see her following my advises. Dreaming is healthy. There are many theories that will support that statement. A contemporary model of dreaming combines some elements of various theories about dreaming. The activation of the brain creates loose conn ections between thoughts and ideas, which are then guided by the emotions of the dreamer .Dreams can function as a form of psychotherapy. In this theory, the dreamer is able to make connections between different thoughts and emotions in a safe environment. Dreams also serve to 'clean up' clutter from the mind, refreshing the mind to prepare for the next day. One example is what they call “yoga dreams” because you tend to have them after doing intensive meditation practices. Based on experience this is incredibly true. The dreams I am having recently are vivid, filled with strong emotions, and with concepts and issues that had surfaced from deep in my subconscious mind.

According to scientists, J. Allan Hobson and Robert McClarley in 1977, with their famous "Activation- Synthesis Model of Dreaming theory" that dreams are the result of internally generated signals. However, Hobson does not believe that dreams are meaningless. Instead, he suggests that dreaming is "…our most creative conscious state, one in which the chaotic, spontaneous recombination of cognitive elements produces novel configurations of information: new ideas. While many or even most of these ideas may be nonsensical, if even a few of its fanciful products are truly useful, our dream time will not have been wasted." And ofcouse, I have to mention my favorite Sigmund Freud. He suggested that dreams are the result of our Unconcious psyche. Going back to my childhood stories. On the stage wherein I was having nightmares, a lot of changes occured in my environment, new house, school, and family problems. Prior to those consecutive nightmares, I used to have this impression that we have a perfect family. Those dreams may be the product of intense disappointment as a kid. Although, I would really want to have an exact interpretation of my "Vampire-Lycan" dream I had recently. Here's what I have found out so far: Vampires To see a vampire in your dream symbolizes an aspect of your personality that is parasitic or selfishly feeds off others. A person or situation that drains you of time, energy, or resources. Either your own selfish need to use others or your projection of other people that are feeding off of you. It could represent either material or emotional parasitism. http://www.dreambible.com/search.php?q=Vampires Yeah, I guess this is right. I dreamed about this after I had this huge problem with one person....Interesting.. Dreams can also be the result of our brains trying to interpret external stimuli during sleep. One good example "Have you ever dreamed about peeing endlessly?" Scientifically, here are the theories about dreams though, there are still things about it that science cannot explain. There is one episode in "Imbestigador" about the mother who dreamed about her dead son who was pointing at his head . Later, they found out the funeral services has stolen the corpse's brain and stuffed rags in his skull to fill it in. argh spooky! I know there were stories of dead relatives visiting the living ones whenever they forget things. Have you experienced this? I believe that dreams can somehow connect us to spiritual world, though there are no scientific basis about it. I dont want to talk about astral projection...that's way too far (after watching Insidious 1 and 2... NO WAY!) Well, I guess that's all I can share for those who are so curious about their dreams .Just because you've dreamed about your ex, it doesn't mean he wants you back. C'mon you know it is all in your mind LOL. The most important thing to know is how you will handle reality.We encounter traumatic experiences in life, and they may reflect in our dreams. We should find ways to keep ourselves positive and of course keep our faith with God.

Patar Beach, Bolinao Pangasinan- The Northern Paradise

I have been to Patar beach twice, and I can say that, it never failed to take my breath away each time I visit. I wouldn't say it is close to Boracay but I am sure it is equally breathtaking. I am not considering it the Boracay of Luzon because the two beaches got different target tourism markets. If you are into night life, experiencing asian culture, classy vacation- then go visit Bora. On the other hand, if you would like to experience nature, authentic Filipino culture, economical tours..... Patar beach is the best place to visit. Patar is 272 km away from Manila which means, if you think that you couldn't stand travelling farther than Bagiuo then, I wouldn't recommend you this place. It would be a shame though. The aesthetic features of the beach is all worth it. I prefer taking public transpos whenever i travel. I find more adventure on it rather than sitting down during the whole trip. Victory Liner and Five Star are the only PUB that have trips to Bolinao, but you have an option to take the Alaminos route and from there, you can take the mini bus or jeepneys going to Bolinao, which will only cost you not more than (50 PhP). From the Bolinao terminal, there are several tricycles that will take you to Patar (250 Php for the tricycle max of 5 pax). The way to Patar is approximately 30 minutes. Here is the breakdown of the one way transportation cost to Bolinao: PUB- 350 PhP (Ordinary Bus MNL-Bolinao or MNL-Alaminos-Bolinao via jeepney) Tricycle 50 PhP (min of 5 pax) Total: 400 PhP

Going to Patar is a piece of cake. You can travel safely alone but it would be more costly because you have to shoulder the tricycle to Patar all by yourself. On your way to the Beach proper, you'll pass along many pathways to Bolinao caves, the famous Patar lighthouse and several resorts. The Patar Beach is at the very end of the road. Take note, there is no entrance fee at the beach and you dont have to worry about staying overnight because the beach has several Nipa huts that you can rent for only 1300-3000 Php. The one for 1300 is good for 7 pax, interesting huh? the good part is, the Nipa huts are just right infront of the beach. Some are air conditioned, some are not. The thing is... it is pretty cold at night, and there are no mosquitos like those in Nagsasa, Zambales, so it is pretty cool and comfy you dont need your hut to be enclosed. You dont even have to worry about bringing utensils. On our trip we just brought our personal belongings. We just borrowed the rest from the cottage owner. As for the food, we bought them all in Alaminos market, all fresh. The Pangasinenses are all good natured folks. They are very helpful and honest. They are very kind and warm. You would truly feel the Filipino Hospitality. They can easily tell if you are from Manila. I felt like a celebrity each time I go there, so believe me when I say, i really enjoyed staying at Patar. The first time I visited there during summer, the children gathered around me. They can talk tagalog but their main language is Ilocano. They are just nice and friendly. The Bolinao locals are truly one of the assets. The only thing you have to be cautious about is when they give you a price, it is fixed and final. They dont bargain. In all fairness to them, their products are at reasonal prices.

If you go to Patar, never miss going to the lighthouse. They say alot of films were taken there. No one is allowed to go inside the lighthouse, so most likely it is still functioning. At the hill, where the lighthouse is located, you can actually have an overhead view of the beach, -utterly breathtaking.

There are several caves in Patar. Each has an entrance fee (50-100 PhP). Just a warning though,-never go there by foot and without a guide. Some land owners have huge dogs. One time when we got lost ,(we were riding a tric) we were attacked by 6 dogs because we took the wrong route. That was pretty scary. The sea at the beach is actually part of South China Sea. The water is unpoiled and genuinely salty unlike the one in Boracay (which made me feel like it is a massive swimming pool). Foreigners do scuba diving at the beach (even at night). During summer, the sand is abit creamy like almost close to beige. During mid year, the sand is a little bit pale. You can surf too, preferrably during high tide. Summer:

Late July:

The rock formations are also the must-see things in Patar. The place is just photogenic, perfect for prenups etc.

The beach also has souvenir shops. They sell shirts, dresses, products made from shells and more. What I just noticed is that most of the products (especially in bayan Bolinao) they sell are from Manila. They sell mostly stuff that you can see in Divisoria. I have asked one of the vendors, where did they get the summer dresses. She told me that they create the designs but they are all made in Manila. Bolinao, as compared to other parts of the region, isn't that urbanized yet. with all these observation i made, I would like to make suggestions to the LGU of Bolinao. * Focus on the sustainability of the tourism Industry of Bolinao *Give emphasis on the authentic products of Bolinao. For example, create a huge market where all Bolinao Products can be found * Support for the locals of Patar, Bolinao. Livelihood programs, scholarship for the children etc. * Raise larger funds for the maintenance of Patar beach. Well, this is not to criticise the government of pangasinan. This is merely a suggestion. We dont want Patar to experience what Boracay had few years back in regards to water contamination etc. Besides, one of the best marketing features of Patar is its cultural experience with the locals. I would strongly suggest for the government to provide more support for them. That's all about it. I know this blog is pretty long but I hope this helps. I'll see you next time.

Aggravating the Karakuchi no Onna Disease

I nearly had a breakdown yesterday. I felt like an animal caged in a zoo, roaming around with nothing to do. It was almost 7 pm, I got up from my bean bag and I was like "O dear Lord, I am snapping!" I felt tears flowing on my face and allergies on my shoulders are coming up again. I told myself "this aint good". I went out out of the office with my credit cards and headed to market market without anyone knowing. I mean duh! like they care?
I went to market market and saw this nice red dress. Got myself some pairs of underwear too hehehe. I just love the feeling of shopping when you are offically broke. I was flying like a G6. I got back to the office, past 9pm and logged out from what they so called "work". I saw my officemate's worried face and before she'd say I word I told her "im fine, Im a little unwell. Dont tell a word to our boss".
I ate hotdog sandwich. I went home still hungry, I ate 2 cups of rice and liempo.....still hungry.....ate balut....still hungry.... ate chicharon....still not contented..took 2 bottles of tanduay ice...then... yeah I felt it wooopoosh!
Yep, I didnt go to work today and I dont feel guilty at all. I never felt this unimportant before.
Here's the problem: if you would sit on your station, you got nothing to do, you'd fall asleep. If you go to the pantry stare at ceiling endlessly, people would look at you and talk about you. If you go to the sleeping quarters, people would say that you are slacking off. When you stay at the lobby, they would still talk about you. It is boring and it is driving me crazy!
Come on.... Not doing anything for almost 4 months aint funny anymore! I want to work, become productive before I sleep. What's goin on is I cannot do anything even for myself! People I am texting is none of anyone's business and I dont like rumors about me and Johnny Bravo. That was so yesterday. Can you think of anything new? I have nothing to do with that FGLG nobody. --- And yes I am so single and I am so freakin happy about it... Tell your friends that!!!!
The best thing that happened to me today is, speaking to Nuriko, my japanese student. Ironically I learned a lot from her today. We were discussiong the role of men and women in the society. We talked about separation and divorce. We never spoke about love at all. It came to a part when I asked her, "what if you met a guy who is way better than your husband?" She gave me a very traditional Japanese answer " You must accept your mistakes deal with it because that's what you got and face the consequences". That was a strong answer. It hit me instantly. It wasnt just about relationship. It is about dealing what you already have rather than what you never had. Right then, I understand what kind of coward I have been and am.
I look at myself and I found someone who keeps on fretting about her lost scholarship. An achiever who doesnt like her job. An ambitious person who hopes that someone out there will help her. A woman who thinks that all men are beasts. Guess what? It sounds pathetic but it is damn right! It so easy to say it but it it is hard to accept it.
The truth is. I walked out from school, that is why I lost the scholarship. The truth is, it is done. The truth is, I can still look for another job. Plus, the fact that I enjoy teaching Japanese. The truth is.. no one else will help me. Moe and Ice can only do so much for me. I dont want to burden Dr. Smith. She's gonna be married and I am so freakin happy for her. Moe2 is a decent man. See? not all men are beasts...they just haven't grown up yet :-) They would only hurt me if I let them, so why should I be afraid of men? The truth is.... my plan stands. Save money, save a child and raise him solely because I work better all by myself :_)
Moe is right, I WAS depressed. I dont regret not going to work. I need myself back badly. I should accept that people come and go like they always do. I just have to be steadfast. I can lose anyone else but not myself....... not my sanity........

AKIRA

Anime Review 3 by Ztefrock

Summary

Kaneda is a bike gang leader whose best friend, Tetsuo gets involved in a government secret project known as Akira. On his way to rescue Tetsuo, Kaneda runs into a group of anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists powerful military leader and strange 100 year old children. The confrontation sparks off Tetsuo's uncontrolable supernatural power leading to gruesome death, a coup attempt and the final battle in Tokyo Olympiad where Akira's secrets were buried 30 years ago.

REVIEW

Akira is probably one of best animes of all times. I tried to watch it without the subs and it was hopeless so I have to watch it again with the subs on. In other words, If you have't passed JLPT 2 dont dare to watch it without the subs!.

The anime is just dark and so....japanese. The movie had shown how history repeats itself and how humans propel the world's fate. The anime is just peculiar in a good way. The scenes, the dubbing and sound effects are awesome. Some characters are quite forgettable. I didnt see much of Kaneda as the protagonist. It is ok though, because the main subject is the story's content not the characters.

I didn't have much time to do a research but I think this film has its own message which can be associated with japan's social condition during the progression stage. This type of anime is prevalent during the 80's (e.g. VOLTES 5). Akira serves as a reminder to everyone, ESPECIALLY to those who are in power to become cautious about our own desires.

GANTZ

Anime Review by Ztefrock

I have learned about this anime because a colleague’s cousin looks like Kenichi Matsuyama. He kinda reminded me of the actor. I just thought of doing a research about Matsuyama to check if he had his huge bell-like nose done. Don’t get me wrong. I like Matsuyama. The nose made him uniquely handsome. He did a pretty good job as L in Death Note. Of course, Gantz was the result of my research. Everyone in Japan is crazy about the film. Matsuyama was one of the protagonists. Ninomiya of Arashi and some porn star are also part of the casts in the movie.

Haaris Rizvi blabbered a bit of the story. I kinda liked it so I decided to check the anime first.

Gantz is about a dangerous game played by dead people, who are teleported to a nearly empty room at the moment of their death, none the worse for wear, and ordered to go out and kill an alien or two. To help with their mission, they're given sexy skintight black suits and high-tech weapons with unlimited ammunition by a flat black ball that sits in the middle of the room. This ball is known as "Gantz," and also displays their scores after the end of a mission.

First of all, I would like to say that the main protagonist (Kurono) is a pathetic male chauvinist pervert! His character made this anime quite different. I just don’t like the high sexual content of this anime. It is just so unnecessary. I don’t like how women are being represented as dumb sexual toys.

The plot is not too bad. I am extremely amazed with the action packed scenes, musical effects and the dubbing. It was a ninja-assassin-like anime. The scene in the Temple was I think the best. It was gory and dark, absolutely gruesome. Two thumbs up! This is the first anime that made me scream. The Psychology was intense.

Some weren’t satisfied with the story’s open ending. It was not even clear if Kurono survived. I’m not surprised at all with that. I mean, it is based on a manga that is still running. Who would know the ending? I wasn’t even upset about Katou’s death because I know that he will be revived in the manga.

It is a shonen anime that I will definitely hide from my fourteen-year-old brother. If I could only edit the explicit contents …… Anyway I like the Opening and the ending OST (Super shooter and Last Kiss) “kare no kiss wo wasuranai o” – I will never forget his kiss

VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE

Anime Review by Ztefrock



Vision of Escaflowne was shown in GMA 7 years back. I think it was 1999 or 2000.After a decade, I was able to finish the series and I am more than glad to write a review about it.

Plot Summary

Hitomi kanzaki is a High school girl who is also a member of the track team and quite hooked with tarot reading. But her normal life changed when one day she finds herself running from a dragon, and being saved by Van Fanel . Thus she finds herself thrust into a world at war between the powerful empire of Zaibach, with vast fleets of airships and floating castles at its command, and the many kingdoms who oppose the emperor's dark plans. Hitomi's mysterious abilities land her with a group of misfits, including two deposed princes—Allen Shezar, a gallant swordsman, and Van, the headstrong pilot of the mysterious and mighty Escaflowne--in a fight against destiny age.



Review.

What caught my attention were the names of the characters. The name Dilandau is quite strange but it sounds interesting, pleasant and bold. The protagonist’s full name is Van Slanzar de Fanel, a name very suitable for a prince. The name Allen Shezar is a handsome name for a handsome character. When I was a kid I was just fascinated with the names because they were pronounced quite differently with how they were spelled.

Folken- Vulkan

Millerna- Malerna

Van fanel- Von Fenel

Belgus- fergus

Dilandau- Dilandal

I like the character Hitomi. I find most female anime characters annoying with that entire gothic Lolita image (e.g. Miyaka of Fushigi Yuugi, Misa-misa of death note). Hitomi represents a typical talented Asian girl. She wasn’t an encumbrance all throughout the story. I also like the contrast between Van and Allen. It is like choosing between Dao Ming Tsu or Hua Tzi lei of Meteor Garden.

Escaflowne is a metaphysical sci-fi-fantasy with an awesome twisting plotline.

“I have fathered this kid.. Would you still love me, Hitomi?”- Allen Shezar.

In spite of the bravura plot, the ending is not up to scratch . I was watching the last episode on my laptop. I was wondering why the episode was half way through and the story was still on its climax. The last part was obviously rushed and quite disappointing. On the last part Hitomi went back to earth and left Van. Both accepted their fate. If you’d look back on the earlier episode when Hitomi went home, Van ran after because he loves her so much. It doesn’t make any sense at all! Hitomi should have stayed with Van. In the end, after being torn among three men she ended up empty handed.

The Official Sound Track is nice. I had it downloaded in my Mp3.

Yakusoku wa Iranai

Kimi wo kimi wo Aishite, kokoro de mitsumete iru

Kimi wo kimo wo shinjiteru, samui youru mo

In my translation it means.. I love you, My heart is looking after you. I believe you even in the coldest night.

As a whole Vision of Escaflowne is a great bishounen anime. I recommend this to everyone but just a heads up on the last part. There is no point to watch the movie. It has nothing to do with the series .

OUTLINE

There he was

Standing against the light

His figure from afar captivated me intensely

His shadow has blinded me completely

For the first time,

I have seen the beauty of distance

Love for something you can never posses

Bliss not pain

Contentment not regret


ありがとう あめてらす

You have shown his outline

It is a gift you have bestowed

I shall not ask for more

Prospects for Japan's Political reform

The prospects for political reform in Japan has been triggered by some reasons. The first reason would be the entrenched corruption specifically highlighted in the last few decades by several major scandals. These involved both LDP politicians and opposition leaders. Another reason would be the slow pace of economic reform. Japan has recently making large trade with the western countries,especially with the US which some politicians could perceive this as a tremendous threat to Japanese economy.

There were a lot of reformers who had made efforts to restructure Japan’s political system. However almost none of them had made to change the political system. These movement failed to implement their purpose to destabilize LDP and to weaken the bureaucratic power. Koizumi has done efforts to reform the politics specifically the LDP. First, he tried to weaken the factional powerbrokers and the tribal politicians but until this moment, Japan could still see same faces in the government.

The great possibilty of political reform can be done if the people would start to loose their strong attachment to the status quo. Politics as well as History is being propelled by the culture of the people. It may be difficult to legislate a reform right a way. Now that Japan has been encountering changes specially with the youth, eventually, a great reform will come that will best suit the society.

International Cooperation ; Its Achievements and Drawbacks

International Cooperation is often associated with global economic, scientific, environmental, political and security issues. Whenever cooperation initiatives fail, discourses arise to determine the reasons for the failure by studying the roles of the main actors of cooperation, namely the public and private sectors. Yet, despite numerous discussions, problems not only remain unresolved, they have worsened too and often it is the common people that carry the burden of no resolution. If it is the public that is greatly disadvantaged, then what is the role of the common people in International Cooperation? What areas of International Cooperation are most people worldwide involved in?

The expansion of communication and transportation is one of the main goals of International Cooperation. It stimulates a global approach to the most important problems and builds bridges of cooperation between nations. This has proven highly effective in environmental issues. Environmental problems spread from one country to another. These issues urge every nation’s active participation. For example, Japan is well known for mutagenicity and Australia for the studies of the effects of UV radiation. The synthesis of these studies can prove to be essential in addressing environmental problems in the future.

Most of International Cooperation activities for the environment are successful due to the incentives it offers for all nations involved. These include cost sharing, the emergence of global scale issues, diffusion of scientific competence, and above all, increased awareness of the common people on the necessity of environmental preservation and protection.

However, International Cooperation does not always thrive as expected. National objectives are not identical, opportunity costs differ from country to country, and even government structures are not parallel. For large cooperation projects, addressing the question ‘who benefits more?’ in dividing gains according to individual contribution hinders cooperation. All these obstacles are apparent in the study of US and UK programs for the conversion and downsizing of nuclear weapons in Russia. One of the major problems was lack of coordination among US and UK cooperation programs. On the domestic side, there was a lack of complete Russian political-technical programs for the resolution of nuclear proliferation in closed cities. It seems that less attention is paid to the impact of International negotiations on domestic politics and how it affects the Russian people. As such, the program ended as an excessive emphasis on immediate marketing on technological products rather than minimizing the nuclear weapon in the country.

International cooperation on Politics and Security is a very complex issue for it entails vast awareness and comprehension from local citizens. This case in Russia shows that some International negotiation has a subtle reciprocal effect on domestic decision making in the state that participates.

Unlike the results on the issue in Russia, much of the success of International cooperation in Tourism has presented how each country showed interests in studying each other’s culture. In order to establish cooperation with another country, it is necessary to know more about their culture and their indigenous capacity to obtain sustainable development. One good example is Egypt, which is known for its tourist attraction, has achieved so many successful agreements with different countries. The 'Pyramids of Giza' is considered as a World Heritage Site and more tourists world wide are coming each year to experience and appreciate the Egyptian culture. Egypt has used this opportunity to develop and enhance the Egyptian economic relations with other countries of the world, as well as invest Egypt's international relations so as to serve development targets and merge them with world economy. Egypt has received billions of grants from US China, Japan, Canada and some countries in Middle East and Europe in exchange of scientific and historical researches in their country.

International cooperation in Tourism, just like environmental issues, received greater response because of how it directly affects and benefits the citizens. Tourism gives out employment and economic opportunity to the common folk. It also opens smaller countries to greater prospects to get along with larger countries.

International Cooperation is a very broad global issue. Focusing on the given examples of achievements and drawbacks of International Cooperation, it is important to give emphasis on the welfare of the majority. Just like in a simple group where in the decision of the majority should rule. Therefore,the role of the common people in the cooperation is to become one of the main actors and be the main beneficiaries of the international programs. The government has a huge responsibility in communicating with the rest of the state to comprehend what International Cooperation is all about. This also gives emphasis on the importance of unity. Unity is not about putting all the nations in to one culture but it is about integrating them together by understanding cross cultural diversity and accepting the differences. In bigger projects, it is best to think about what would be the direct impact on the people first, before focusing on the personal gains. It is like giving more efforts on what can be contributed in order to achieve best results. Benefits will always come in the end. International Cooperation entails agreement between countries and this can be achieved with proper communication and understanding on the involved nations’ side.

The Longevity of LDP and the Role of the People

The longevity of the lliberal democratic party is one of the biggest question in
Japanese politics in spite of the fact that it recently lacks favor from the the Japanese population. Based on Ethan Scheiner's discussion there are several reasons why LDP has remained strong in Japan's politics. LDP has certainly helped Japan build sustainable economics and has somehow continually tries to establish good image with the public by resolving social issues like gender gaps. Scheiner also explained the advantages of LDP representative's over other candidates.

Apart from the explanation made by Scneider, I would like to focus on one of the reasons why the LDP has stayed in power for so long - and this is the Culture of Japan Politics. Based on some studies more Japanese have become more conservative and traditional inn choosing their political leaders. Voters who are attached to their traditional cultural values are more likely to entrust the incumbent government rather than throw the incumbent party out of the government. Japanese citizens still considered LDP as long time running prominent political leaders. This implies that those Japanese who would be more submissive to political authority were more likely to vote for the LDP .

In the documentary by Kazuhiro Soda, it gives emphasis on the “desire of people maintain a ‘pipeline’ as discussed by Scheiner. It is important to obtain a linkage between local and national politicians. A local politicial would serve as a connection for local people to voice out their needs to the government. This idea is what LDP is trying to campaign for.

I therefore conclude that the Japanese people have a huge role for the longevity of LDP to Japanese Politics. The party is aware that their dominance would still be based on the voters, that is why their focus is to connect with them. True that as years pass by, LDP has becoming unpopular but the thought of the fact that LDP is still the pioneer and has made a lot of contributions for the nation, the people continuously supporting them and considering them as a strong foundation of Japanese government.

Failure of the Revision of 1947 Japanese Constitution

The current constitution of Japan was made in 1946 and The Constitution came into effect on May 3, 1947, during the Allied Forces occupation after the World War II. With the adaptation of this constitution a lot of Japanese politicians believed that this will eventually be replaced as soon as the occupation will be over. Many have questioned the resilience of Japan to this issue but inspite of this, the efforts of revising the 1947 constitution was never successful.
Some time between 1948 and 1949, General Douglas McArthur had given Japan an opportunity to amend the constitution just to check the response of the citizens. However the Japanese Governement has only presented very few proposals for minor revisions. At the same time the government did not invite the public to respond through a national referendum. With this response MacArthur determined that Japan would eradicate war as a sovereign right of the nation. War would be relinquished as a way to settle disputes with the other countries especially USA and as a means to preserve security. This signifies that Japanese government and people overlooked the opportunity to amend the constitution when invited to do so, indicates an early level of support that renders the claim of foreign imposition.

After the world War and the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan was devastated with it great defeat and considered as having a status of ground zero. Being under the US after the war is like being in rehabilitation instuitution. Considering that Japan lacks resources and its military has been disabled, it needed a strong foundation.

Looking at the most recent time, Japan still struggles to stand on its own. Changing the constitution would be difficult for the country. One reason is, it is very arduous to proceed with the revision process for it need s to be approved by at least 80% of the members of the National Diet. Japanese politicians are divided themselves with regards with the issue of revising the constitution. Half would like to conserve their traditional laws while the rest are more concerned in maintaining the peace constitution.

Japan is aware that they need America in some aspects. Why keep the constitution that would keep them from focusing on security? With the current status of Japan, they need to keep their eyes more with their economy. Of course, they need to fabricate strong relationship with their neighboring countries which apparently considered as threats as well. With slight revision of the institution, Japan is quite contented with a defense army, AT THE MOMENT. Keeping the constitution is like making a statement that they follow this because they still respect the agreement with U.S.

In finding out the reasons, it is very important to study the behavior of the state. After the War, Japan was cluttered with woes, regret and a sense of great loss. The nation is dealing what is available in the meantime. Of course, Japan has remained true to its national interests in discreet manner but they cannot let go if their foundation isn’t strong enough.