Okunoshima

Ōkunoshima is a small island located in the Inland Sea of Japan between Hiroshima and Shikoku. During World War II the island used to be a top-secret military site manufacturing poison gas for chemical warfare. Today, it’s completely overrun with cute, fluffy bunnies who are the island’s main inhabitants.

Between 1929 and 1945, Okunoshima Island was a chemical warfare production site for the Imperial Japanese Army that produced over six kilotons of mustard gas. The island was chosen for its isolation, conducive to security, and because it was far enough from Tokyo and other areas in case of disaster. The program was shrouded in secrecy and during its 16 years of operation, Okunoshima was even erased from maps. Residents and potential employees were not told what the plant was manufacturing and everything was kept secret.

With the end of the war, documents concerning the plant were burned and Allied Occupation Forces disposed of the gas either by dumping, burning, or burying it, and people were told to be silent about the project. 

According to some sources, the rabbits were brought to Okunoshima to test the effects of the poison and released by workers when World War II ended. Others sources claim that a group of schoolchildren were on a field trip, when they released eight rabbits in 1971. Regardless, the original bunnies of Okunoshima and their successive generations of offspring thrived in their predator-free environment.

Today the 700,000 square-meter island is home to more than 300 rabbits that roam freely, earning the nickname of Usagi Shima, or Rabbit Island. Though wild, the rabbits on the island are used to humans and will approach visitors in search of a snack, and hop on to laps. Visitors are allowed to pet and feed the animals, but in an effort to preserve the bunny population, dogs and cats are not allowed on the island. Pellets of rabbit food are sold for ¥100 a cup at the Kyukamura Okunoshima resort hotel located on the island. The hotel has recently seen a steep increase in visitors to the island since knowledge of the island’s furry residents spread on the Internet.

 

Although most visitors to the island come here to see the bunnies, Rabbit Island’s poison gas legacy isn’t over. Okunoshima is also home to the Poison Gas Museum opened in 1988, in order to alert as many people as possible to the dreadful truths about poison gas.

Some argue the island might not be completely safe as there has never been any major decontamination of the whole island. It’s rumoured that there are several sealed locations on the island where workers reportedly buried gas when the war ended.

Curtis Hits Lamestream Media Where It Counts

Drew Curtis, the founder of fark.com has a book out that truthfully exposes why the media reports on stories that continually make us question why it is news.  The over reporting of the 9/11 truthers, the DPRK using racist language about Obama, the continual end of the world reports, and the celebrity quotes that stir controversy.

It's not news, it's FARK, exposes the media refusing to report real news because the media has become too profit driven.  Reporting in 1979 for example that big oil killing the electric car would have meant certain death to the newspapers and TV networks because a huge chunk of the advertising revenue came from big oil.  Even on PBS, Mobil - Exxon sponsored such series as Masterpiece Theatre, NOVA, and Wild Discovery.  BP still sponsors many musical programs on A&E. That advertising revenue is what keeps the media running.

Also Curtis informs of the fact that the media is politically driven today.  MSNBC unapologetically touts itself as the far left media analysis network.  RTE has become by its own admission the source for alternative news which caters to the "fringe".  Fox News has finally admitted to being a "right of center alternative to the progressive American media".  This means the news is filtered so that it will not upset the viewing base and also slants to make the "other guys" look bad.

Some news reported really is crap.  Things like a man who loses his lottery ticket that could have been a winner.  Pushing obvious agendas and items that slight the integrity of people who have no public image and are out of the scope of publicity.  News that serves to stir controversy to create publicity.  Infomercial articles inserted in newspapers and magazines that are not labeled as being advertising.  These are the worst crap Curtis riles against.

Curtis finishes by suggesting we stop paying too much attention to the mainstream media.  Too much political motivation, fluff, entertainment, and division drive the media today, and besides the media no longer informs.  Curtis says blogs are the perfect alternative.  If you want a review for a car then go to the blogs operated by Consumer Reports.  Electronics shoppers can go to Wired and diners can utilize Urban Spoon.  Real news can be found on independent blogs that cover news for the region you are interested in (our suggestion - like the Japan Times Herald).  Where there is no worry about money driving the review or news.

While the book is informative, there are times that repetition becomes annoying.  There were instances I found myself thinking, "I know, I know, money is the reason."  Curtis does give a very welcomed view and a breath of reality as to what the media's goal is.  It's not news, it's FARK, is very much worth reading.  A must read for bloggers as there is vital advice for bloggers.

"Significance of Religious Belief", A Review

A parishoner gave me a copy of Howard Wettstein's new book Significance of Religious Belief.  Having studied Philosophy for many years I perked with interest to read Dr. Wettstein's views on the eternal.  I must say now I was sorely disappointed.

This book speaks about anything but what the title proclaims.  I felt a bit of a bait and switch had been performed by the good doctor.  The tome is no more than the usual complaint that religious belief is the problem with humanity and if we all only compromised our beliefs into some melting pot or buffet of religion then we could all get along and utopia would be ours.

Sadly, also there is little Philosophy done in Wettstein's book.  There are mentions of Wittgenstein, Husserl, Bergstrom, and Sartre, but only mention.  Wettstein does not take anything far enough to conclusion other than "the new atheists have a good point to make.  Religion is poisoning belief and people are tired of being condemned.  When belief is reduced to religion then we all fail." (98)

This is as deep as it gets.  Religion is bad for belief because people do not like to be told they are sinners and the price for sin death.  Well, for Christians, Jews, and Muslims that is the point doctor.  Sorry that folk will not bend to your sanitized hand holding but scripture is what guides religion and thus belief.  Your logic fails as thus:

Religion is poison.

Belief is good.

Therefore do not reduce belief to religion.

This fails for the obvious reason - where is the proof religion is poison as you insist doctor?  Wettstein does as the "New Atheists" do - he simply dives right into his conclusion without doing the hard work of first setting up the syllogism, then using proofs, and finally reaching a conclusion.  I would expect such from Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, et al, but seriously not from a profound philosopher like Wettstein.

In the end what you have is another rant against religions in general - Christians in particular - that is a self serving tome on the pile of no more than the hear, hear of Hitchens' 2007 God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.  Having read Hitchens' work there is no need to waste time on Wettstein unless you wish to reread what has been written since 2007.