Today’s guest post on Pearl Harbor Day was written by Mas Hashimoto of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz Japanese American Citizen’s League (JACL). Looking at such a shocking and emotional event from a historical perspective helps younger generations of Americans understand the context of Japan’s plans, and the errors that allowed Pearl Harbor to happen.
On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Navy struck our Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii without warning or a declaration of war.
Why? What was to be gained?
Imperialist Japan’s plan was: (1) to destroy the American Pacific fleet which had been transferred from San Diego to Honolulu; (2) then, without opposition, have a free rein in the Pacific theater of the war, conquering the Philippines and Southeast Asia; (3) fight defensively against the United States; and (4) when Americans tired of the war, Japan would negotiate for a truce, a cease-fire.
The Japanese vastly underestimated the will of the American people. They believed articles which belittled the average American as lazy, selfish, unprincipled, and undisciplined.
At Pearl Harbor, the Japanese sank aging, obsolete battleships and other ships but no aircraft carriers. They –the Lexington, Enterprise, Yorktown, and Hornet– now the heart of the fleet, were elsewhere. The failure to destroy the fuel depots and dry docks (for repairing ships) was also a huge mistake on the part of the Japanese. Pearl Harbor was back in action the next day. The Japanese had no plans to invade and occupy the Hawaiian Islands. The Japanese had no plans to invade the mainland of the United States.
In April of 1942, the Doolittle Raid from the Hornet bombed cities in Japan. It boosted the moral of the American people. In the Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942, the Lexington was sunk and the Japanese believed it had sunk the Yorktown, too. Most important, the Japanese advance in the South Pacific was curtailed.
In May of 1942, the most important early battle—the Battle of Midway—took place. The US military intelligence had broken the Japanese secret code and knew of the Japanese naval battle plans. We lost the Yorktown, but it with the Enterprise and Hornet sank four Japanese aircraft carriers with their best naval pilots. The Japanese were never to recover from their losses. We didn’t know it then, but this battle was the turning point of the War in the Pacific (1941-1945).
Everyone is encouraged to visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor to pay one’s respect to those who lost their lives on that fateful day. Next to it is the USS Battleship Missouri Memorial, upon whose deck the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945.
Now, nearly 75 years later, the commander of the U. S. Pacific Command is Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr. His father served as a US Navy Chief Petty Officer, and his mother is Japanese. He was born in Japan. Today, Japan is our closest and most dependable ally in the Pacific if not the world.
Today’s guest post on Pearl Harbor Day was written by Mas Hashimoto of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz Japanese American Citizen’s League (JACL). Looking at such a shocking and emotional event from a historical perspective helps younger generations of Americans understand the context of Japan’s plans, and the errors that allowed Pearl Harbor to happen.
On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Navy struck our Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii without warning or a declaration of war.
Why? What was to be gained?
Imperialist Japan’s plan was: (1) to destroy the American Pacific fleet which had been transferred from San Diego to Honolulu; (2) then, without opposition, have a free rein in the Pacific theater of the war, conquering the Philippines and Southeast Asia; (3) fight defensively against the United States; and (4) when Americans tired of the war, Japan would negotiate for a truce, a cease-fire.
The Japanese vastly underestimated the will of the American people. They believed articles which belittled the average American as lazy, selfish, unprincipled, and undisciplined.
At Pearl Harbor, the Japanese sank aging, obsolete battleships and other ships but no aircraft carriers. They –the Lexington, Enterprise, Yorktown, and Hornet– now the heart of the fleet, were elsewhere. The failure to destroy the fuel depots and dry docks (for repairing ships) was also a huge mistake on the part of the Japanese. Pearl Harbor was back in action the next day. The Japanese had no plans to invade and occupy the Hawaiian Islands. The Japanese had no plans to invade the mainland of the United States.
In April of 1942, the Doolittle Raid from the Hornet bombed cities in Japan. It boosted the moral of the American people. In the Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942, the Lexington was sunk and the Japanese believed it had sunk the Yorktown, too. Most important, the Japanese advance in the South Pacific was curtailed.
In May of 1942, the most important early battle—the Battle of Midway—took place. The US military intelligence had broken the Japanese secret code and knew of the Japanese naval battle plans. We lost the Yorktown, but it with the Enterprise and Hornet sank four Japanese aircraft carriers with their best naval pilots. The Japanese were never to recover from their losses. We didn’t know it then, but this battle was the turning point of the War in the Pacific (1941-1945).
Everyone is encouraged to visit the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor to pay one’s respect to those who lost their lives on that fateful day. Next to it is the USS Battleship Missouri Memorial, upon whose deck the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945.
Now, nearly 75 years later, the commander of the U. S. Pacific Command is Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr. His father served as a US Navy Chief Petty Officer, and his mother is Japanese. He was born in Japan. Today, Japan is our closest and most dependable ally in the Pacific if not the world.
Back in 1994, I built my first Eco-Xmas tree. Check out my previous post to see why I decided that I couldn’t buy another cut tree or living tree, and buying an artificial tree was just too fake for me.
I built it using scrap 2” by 4” and a ¾” plywood base. Then I drilled holes in the 2” by 4” for the live pine branches.
At the base, I drilled large holes for thicker branches and gradually made the holes smaller as I progressed upwards.
Here are some photos of the process:
What a cast! This was one of our best theater productions at Merit Academy!
Featuring Nicole D’Arcy, Jaclyn D’Arcy, Adrienne Bateson, Brian Hostetter, Jordan Bateson, Ryan Graumann & Sarah Kajitani.
For all of you seniors – and yes, parents, too! – congratulations on getting your early applications submitted!
You deserve a big sigh of relief now that you’ve submitted the first round of college applications.
Me too! I was up ‘til midnight on Nov. 30th (UC and CSU deadlines) and Dec. 1st (early action for private colleges) supporting kids as they edited their personal statements and completed their applications. Phew!
Most of you are now re-organizing your plans as you start working on the private college applications that are due on Jan. 1st (what cruel person chose New Years Day for the deadline?) and thereafter. You may be able to use some of the essays you’ve written for the UCs but get started on the next batch of applications now! Don’t wait until the last minute, which will also ruin your holiday plans.
For those of you lucky ones who are actually done with all college applications, here are a few tips and bits of info about what happens next:
CSU Campuses
You should receive an email giving you your new Student ID number and a WebPortal address for each college. Your first password will be your 6-digit birthdate. Once you log on, you’ll get your permanent password. Put these important numbers in the back of your planner; you’ll be using them a lot over the next 4-5 months. Each CSU campus will email you to request your SAT/ACT scores and your official transcripts from your high school and your college. You’ll only need to submit your scores and transcripts to one CSU because once they’re in the system, call CSUs can access them. Check your email often to stay informed about what you need to send to the colleges.
UC Campuses
You’ll receive your Student ID number and password via email. Like the CSU colleges, check your email often to see what each college is requesting from you. They will ask you to send your official SAT/ACT scores and transcripts. You’ll only need to send them to one UC; once they receive them, all UCs will be able to access them. The UCs will be sending their acceptance letters through email this year.
All Campuses
- Start filling out the FAFSA now. Even though you don’t yet have your W2s, you can estimate your earnings for this year. The first date that you can send the FAFSA is on January 1st. By sending your FAFSA in on January 1st, you’ll position yourself to get the best financial aid packages. The sooner they calculate your parents’ ability to pay for college, the sooner they’ll send their recommendations (SARs) to the colleges so that the colleges can determine your financial aid packages. The deadline to submit your FAFSA is March 2nd.
- Check with your teachers and high school counselors to make sure that they’ve sent your transcripts and Secondary School Reports to those colleges that require them. Then double check your portal or call the admissions offices to ensure that they’ve received everything required. Then, thank your teachers and counselors for writing your letters of recommendation!
- As soon as you have completed your Fall semester, request that your high school counselor send your GPA Verification information to all of the colleges that require it. The deadline is March 2nd.
Enter these dates in your planner so you don’t forget to do them! Good luck!
Oil and natural gas companies are secretly drilling oil and gas wells using a technique called hydraulic fracturing or fracking. Each well requires approximately one million gallons of water that is mixed with chemicals that are toxic and carcinogenic. There are thousands of these wells in the United States and the oil companies keep drilling more and more.
Fracking threatens our water supply, increases health risks, threatens air quality and exacerbates climate change. Don’t believe their blatant lies about how their well casings prevent these toxic chemicals from leaking into our water supply. They must think we’re idiots to believe that their well casing will never crack or leak.
It infuriates me to think that a few people with the financial resources that the oil companies have can deliberately mislead the entire world population to believe that oil and natural gas are not culprits behind climate change, air and water pollution, cancer, and war. Wake up! It’s time that we as a civilization stand up to the few who control our economy, politics, and more.
What can you do to stop this train wreck?
Get Educated:
Watch Gasland and Gasland 2 to see what is really going on with fracking and how the oil companies are trying to keep us in the dark. Smells a bit like “Erin Brockovich” or “Silkwood” to me… Seriously, spend a few hours and get educated about what’s really happening right here under our noses.
Read Clean Water Action’s website to get real information about fracking: http://www.cleanwateraction.org/fracking-california
I love holidays because they bring people together.
We have made big to-dos about every holiday and Christmas is a big one because it is so festive. The pine scent that permeates our home with a Christmas tree is the centerpiece of our holiday.
However, as an avid environmentalist, cutting a Christmas tree each year just didn’t seem right. I had purchased many “live” Christmas trees over the years only to watch them shrivel up and die after the holidays. Sad!
Frustrated, one night a solution to cutting down Christmas trees came to me in a dream.
I’m serious!
The Santa Cruz Sentinel covered this story in this article:
I’m thankful for so many wonderful Thanksgiving memories.
Here are a few of my favorites from last year – Thanksgiving 2014.
It’s time for more fun with Rice Krispies! I should be getting a commission for promoting their products… This gooey Rice Krispies and marshmallow mixture is the ideal sculpting media!
This was my first attempt at making a turkey, and I already have ideas for next year’s version.
I used the same ingredients that I used for the Rice Krispies Treat Witch.
It’s really simple to make.
Here are the basic instructions:
1. Use a plastic container for the base so you can use less Rice Krispies.
2. Place about 1 inch of the Rice Krispies Treat mixture over the base to form the turkey body.
3. Using a plastic fork, break off the tines, and the wrap it with Rice Krispies Treats to form the turkey head and neck. Press hard so the Rice Krispies Treats don’t fall apart.
4. Place the fork into the turkey body; try to set it perpendicular to the table so it won’t fall over.
5. Place 2 round candies for eyes.
6. To create the turkey feathers, roll Rice Krispies Treats around a wooden chopstick. Make 8 feathers.
7. Place candies into the feather to give it color.
8. Cut fruit roll ups in thin ¼” strips to decorate the feathers.
9. Use toothpicks to hold the feathers together by inserting them through 2 consecutive feathers.
10. Use entire sheets of fruit roll ups behind the turkey feathers to hold them together. Press the fruit roll ups firmly into the Rice Krispies Treats to create a bond.
11. Wrap the turkey in plastic wrap and refrigerate until Thanksgiving dinner!
Have fun decorating the feathers with sprinkles, hard candies and candy corn.
Post photos of your Rice Krispies Treat turkeys to share with us!
As seniors contemplate which colleges to apply to, naturally they talk to their friends, teachers, counselors, and family.
Everyone has an opinion about why you should apply to their alma mater, and you can learn a lot about colleges from their alumni.
During the application process, students often share their horror stories about writing essays, asking for letters of recommendation, and filling out online applications. After all, misery loves company, and this is certainly true at this stressful time.
While it’s important to reach out to others when searching for colleges, that’s where the sharing should end. Thank your friends and family for their advice but DON’T TELL THEM WHICH COLLEGES YOU DECIDE TO APPLY TO! I know this sounds socially awkward, especially since you’ve all confided in one another through the exploration process but here’s why it’s not a good idea to tell everyone your college list.
Every time you get that little envelope or that email declining you admission, you will have to TELL ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT THE COLLEGE DENIED YOUR ADMISSION. Why? Because they will ask you, and then they’ll tell everyone they know. See where I’m going with this? It’s painful enough to be rejected from the college of your dreams or even colleges that you sort of wanted to go to. Nobody likes being denied admission and every senior worries that they may not get into their top colleges on their lists.
At some high schools, every student knows every SAT/ACT scores, GPA, and college admissions and denials of the whole class. Imagine that? One of my clients burst into tears when she told me that she didn’t get into her #1 college. She didn’t want to go to school the next day because she didn’t want to face all of her friends and teachers waiting to hear whether or not she got in. With social media today, news travels fast and the repercussions can be devastating.
So when you’re asked which colleges you applied to, tell them “I applied everywhere and my college advisor made me promise that I wouldn’t tell anyone where I applied!” This way, you can come to terms with rejections and acceptances on your terms. After all, it’s a very private decision. When you receive the decisions from all of the colleges and choose where you will spend the next 4 years, make your announcement with pure joy and excitement – no regrets. Remember, mum’s the word!
With 4 days off from school for the Thanksgiving holiday, you can turn a food frenzy, TV watching, lazy weekend into a catch-up and get ahead gift for your kids.
Don’t get me wrong. They can still gorge themselves on turkey and pumpkin pie, watch football, play video games, and take lots of naps, but with just a little planning ahead, they could also use this 4-day break to get ahead at school.
They’re usually so busy with homework, test preparation, and afterschool sports every weekend that they don’t have time to absorb concepts that they’re learning in class. Oh, I know that they do memorize their vocab and cram for tests and squeak by with acceptable grades, but most kids don’t have the luxury of really getting to know the material like they should to confidently ace tests.
By spending just a few hours each day this Thanksgiving weekend, they could review concepts that they’ve learned since the start of the school year so they really understand them. This will give them a huge advantage when they have finals after the holidays. Seniors applying to colleges this fall can write all of their first drafts when they won’t be overwhelmed with homework and sports.
Here are a few things students can do this Thanksgiving break to improve grades, build a stronger foundation, and get ahead:
- Make flashcards for all vocab introduced in classes to prepare for finals
- Reread chapters to get a better understanding of concepts
- Check Wikipedia to get a different perspective on topics covered
- Watch Khan Academy and do exercises to get more mileage in weak areas (math and science)
- Watch historical fiction movies to enhance history lessons
- Listen to foreign language radio stations or watch foreign language soap operas
- Seniors: print out all college app essay prompts and write outlines/first drafts
The best way to incorporate a plan like this is to block off time each day for the family to get stuff done before heading to Grandma’s house or out for Black Friday shopping. Wishing you a happy and productive Thanksgiving holiday!