Incidental Occxie

by cybersensei | August 12, 2023 | Blog, Inspiration

Incidental Occxie

The joy of nicknames with endless possibilities associating someone or something with apt terminology.

Having run across the entire spectrum of humankind, most of them Japanese—it is Japan after all—the opportunity to bestow appropriate names abound.

Depending on personal disposition and status inside the organization or circle, these terms of endearment ran the gamut while nicknaming with a tart tongue and a smattering of love and affection.

Spiked Tongue - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Once upon a time a colleague was tedious as well as clueless, thus she was referred to as—Mud—an accurate reflection to be sure as most interaction with her were as clear as mud.

Clear as mud - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

We have all met them—spiteful, gossipy, and filled to the brim with malice—this foul cretin’s loyalties changed as often as her undergarments—this particular vile beast being deservedly christened as Toad.

Toad - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Rounding out our trio of office-ladies is the ultimate power broker perched upon a petty tyrannical throne, these women control the men, who are still pretending to be in charge—true power lies in pulling strings from behind the scene can only be referred to as one thing—The Dark Queen.

The Dark Queen - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Coming into Japanese culture as an adult, naming conventions of the Japanese held some fascination.

The Japanese frequently use the same kanji for successive generations—case in point—The Big Girl’s family—father, brother, and son share a common kanji in their respective names—俊.

Often Japanese names are given with a purposeful intention, for example a common female name Noriko (典子) reads as dictionary child.

This particular father expressed the intention for his daughter through her name to do well at school—which in fact she did, as a native Japanese graduate of the prestigious McGill university with an accounting degree—with a proud beaming father.

On the other hand, coming from ancestors with long name happening into the Land Of The Rising Son, this given name far too long to be of any practical use when interacting with the Japanese—in particular on the phone when trying to spell it out, the Japanese simply are not familiar with Western names.

Worlds longest name - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Actually, this was not just the case in the land of Japan.

As a 12 year-old visiting a country stampede, the notion was to challenge the bucking bull—the announcer after failing to read the name a couple of time simply refereed to the next contestant as—alphabet.

ALPHABET - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

First: 7 letters—5 katakana

Middle: 4 letters—3 katakana

Last: 11 letters—6 katakana

It is a peculiar feeling to come to this eclectic land as a young man and to have seen the ebb and flow of life—wake up one day after 30+ years—although the colour remains the same, this long name is bound to change as the caterpillar morphs into a butterfly that stings like a bee.

float-like-a-butterfly-sting-like-a-bee-the-hands-can-t-hit-what-the-eyes-can-t-see-muhammad-ali - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Thus, so it will be—a Japanese name to reflect the change, to live life as a caucasian Japanese—herein continues a long and spellbinding story, it will have to suffice, as a matter of course, now considered as—Incidental Occxie—Number None.

War Child

by cybersensei | August 5, 2023 | Blog, Inspiration

War Child

As a child nurtured in a serene alpine mountain atmosphere, image of war and the carnage it brings was conceptually remote.

Having incidentally run across a book about the Vietnam war recounting the American military’s behaviour in Vietnam, along with the details of the destruction of Cambodia and Laos, led to a deep examination of the meaning of war.

American in South-east Asia - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

This chance encounter facilitated an acute awareness of the true nature of war—understand the hidden reasons for the annihilation of civilians, erasing history and cultures of others—creating ceaseless war zones—sabotaging the advancement of humanity.

After arriving in Japan in 1987, the reality of war came into sharp focus when first observing Buddhist family alters gracing Japanese homes.

In Buddhist tradition, pictures of the deceased adorn the alter wall—often people in military uniforms also haunt these hallowed halls.

This is the first time to have personally met anyone related to anyone killed in war, their dead honoured for their sacrifice as Shinto gods residing upon countless alter walls.

家庭仏壇遺詠

ΩNE’s beloved father in-law spent his career working at the Japanese national broadcaster NHK—a 1959 graduate of Waseda University—witty, stoic, with a dark sense of humour—he was 9 years old when the war ended, and he was tasked with the clean up and the rebuilding of his family.

Masatoshi Kodama Family Portrait - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Recorded April 15, 2020, Masatoshi Kodama talks for the first time about his experience as a child of war.

Listen to this first-hand account of war told from the eyes of a 9 year-old boy.

Around 1944, when the war intensified, all children in the 5th and 6th grades of elementary school who had no relatives in the countryside were evacuated to the countryside under the guidance of a school teacher. I wasn’t even in the fifth grade yet, but my brother was a target, so we evacuated to the Izu peninsula together.

The evacuation destination in Izu was an inn. From the kindergarten across the street, I could see the devastating Tokyo air raids on March 10 that I will never forget. It was visible from Izu, 100 km away, it was a massive air raid.

However, soon after that, Izu was inundated with American war planes carrying out air raids on Tokyo every day, and it was decided that this place was no good either, so we moved to the far away to Morioka. It was a tough trip. But when we got to Morioka station, the B29 dropped any leftover bombs to lighten the plane on its way home. There was smoke from the bombing still visible near the station. Then Morioka was deemed no good, so we took refuge in a temple deep in the mountains of Iwate. After that, my sister also arrived, and we celebrated the end of the war there.

I can a vivid recall a story on the way to the evacuation site. We had rice balls in the lunch box. All the rice balls had become rotten, and everyone wept and threw them out of the train window into the river. I still remember. Many fish seemed to be starving as well, eating the rice floating on the surface of the water.

After the war, all of us students who had been evacuated went to Tokyo together. And when I arrived at Ueno Station, one of the students went missing there. After waiting for a long time and not being found until the end, the teacher gave up and we left there. I heard that the child’s father was a soldier and later died in the war. He was a major or a colonel, and once came to visit us while we were evacuated. At that time, he pulled out his military sword and showed it to us, all of us children were very impressed. In hindsight, it’s silly.

And when I finally arrived at Ebara-machi Station, the nearest town, it was a completely burnt-out field. But luckily my house survived. The house in front of it had been burned down, but the house south of this house had not.

My father was to old and was never drafted into the war. He was working for an insurance company called Katakura Life at the time.

Since then, Japan’s recovery has been rapid. How long has it been since the war? There was a black market, and it was like starting over in a fresh hut, and at no time the downtown area was black.

Letting Go

by cybersensei | July 29, 2023 | Blog, Inspiration

Letting Go

Would you care for a nice basket to put inside your massive case, to hold decades of emotion baggage, which continue to occupy your subconscious mind, consciously playing havoc with your exquisite life today.

The entire spectrum of emotions in the lead-up to, and execution of, Letting Go, can be intense and confusing, leaving those in transition somewhat disoriented, sometimes a little distraught.

mental confusion - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

After the initial internal turmoil of brutal self realization, serenity bestows a peace of mind and mental clarity unlike any other, as the heart starts to move toward Universal Truth, no longer a slave to the Flavour Of Today.

The initial impression when pondering the implication of Letting Go, usually concerns others—this particular assumption must be intelligibly observed through the lens of the Pareto Principle—80% of Letting Go comes from within—the other 20% from the self-directed emancipation from relationships which no longer edify Each Other.

World unity - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Of course you cannot fire your boss; or can you?—send your children to the gulag just because of misbehaviour?—never again not once—the almighty superhuman strength and fortitude of Letting Go kicks in— dealing swiftly with those who seek to stoke, choke, and provoke are lovingly stripped of personal agency, and sent on their merry way—metaphorically or otherwise.

The majority of emotional baggage (80%) swims around in ΩNE’s lizard brain, conjuring up untold nightmare scenarios, which 99.9% will not come to fruition, nor will any of these conjured phantom events be realized at the very end.

dead-end-job-sign - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Herein lies the magic of Stoicism and Samurai philosophy—invoking Mind Over Matter protocol leading to deep wells of fortitude to exert mastery over the sovereign domain within.

Another formidable tenet to invoke during emancipation from a humdrum and mundane existence, and if truly desiring to move into a state of flow—internalize the following, as deep down you already know—what got you here, won’t get you there.

Waking up and realizing by virtue of geography, ΩNE instantaneously became illiterate, the truth faithfully kicking in—what got you here, won’t get you there.

what got you here, won’t get you there - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

This notion, however, is now replete with a clear understanding of what it means to die each day—for it has been said—no person stands in the same river twice.

When learning how to read and write Japanese, further discoveries concerning the power of Letting Go led to a extensive examination of all preconceived notions, the list of items for release long, yet not insurmountable.

The average lifetime consists of 4,000 weeks—human life is flourishing in abundance and progressing toward Universal Truth—embrace the protocol of Letting Go, drill down to the essence of what it means to be human, scale the highest peaks.

sands of time abstract - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

The future becomes animated, invigorated, by just letting go—establish an enduring peace of mind in a topsy-turvy world, just let it go—understand that ONE is not the sum of the past, but continual incremental improvements awakening you anew to the possibility of daily death and a cycle of rebirth—for sure your Muse will whisper in your ear—“I know you have what it takes to make it through any kind of day.”

Flavour Of Today

by cybersensei | July 22, 2023 | Blog, Civilization

Flavour Of Today

Interesting to be of the generation when the transformation from analogue to digital was observed in real time.

The journey following the Sun started in a small rural town called Salmon Arm, which was nestled on the pristine Shuswap lake, with a mere 5000 residents.

Salmon Arm B.C. historic photo - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

The nascent technology at that time, include television and the subliminal programming that came with it.

Originally developed in the late 1920s, the television sets became common in homes, businesses, and institutions during the 1950s, while becoming the primary medium for colouring public opinion.

The first television set at the domain of my humble Father was a 12 inch Black & White unit—1 channel.

Black & White TV - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Imagine the excitement when good old Dad brought home the first colour TV in 1971—now up to 2 channels.

Remember, the regular scheduled programming started at 06:00 and ended at 23:00—this is where the first memory of white noise imprinted.

white-noise - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Satellites then came on-line, and this is when the Americans invaded the world with their plethora of programming, including tonnes of gaudy B movies, and the air-hair-kitschy-pop-rock of MTV.The more things change the more they stay the same—first television set after arriving in Japan in 1987, certainly had more than 1 channel, nonetheless, unless understanding Japanese, almost all programming was unintelligible.

A serendipitous encounter with a music program left a deep impression as the power of music as universal communication reminded ΩNE—oral speech is merely one elements of successful communication.

One of the most acclaimed songs in the chronicles of Japan is the beloved kawa no nagare no yo ni (As The River Flows), by the formative Misora Hibari.

美空ひばり川の流れのように - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Listening to this Japanese folk song (enka), touch a deep chord within the soul and the tears started to flowed, just like the river to which Misora was singing—her heartfelt rendition successfully drying this lonely boys tears.

Time marches on, and the dawn of the Internet in the early 1990s brought with it pain-relief from two particular points of isolation.

International telecommunications:

Once upon a time, in a distant land, the Japanese government owned the means of international communication—Kokusai Denshin Denwa (KDD)—the charge for 3 minutes to Canada circa 1988—¥1,200.

KDD International Rates Scam - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Here is where the beauty of technology and relief on the pocketbook came into clear focus.

The call back system was created after the deregulation of Ma Bell, and the wild U$A march into unfettered crony capitalism, the following lifeline of communication came.

Ma Bell - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

The capability to originate a dial tone from the United States, enabled proxy calls originating from the States, using the much less expensive American telecommunication standard rates.

After signing up, a dedicated Call Back Number was assigned to access the American communication system via a direct dial out of said KDD international calling system—001 +1 + area code + number.

Classic Black Rotary Phone - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

After one ring, hang up, the phone then calls back originating a dial tone from the U$A—where the object of desire, wherever in the world, can be contacted and communicated with at a much more reasonable rate than the 100% government owned International Telecommunication Network.

English reading material in rural Japan was non-existent and access was problematic as the nearest book stores in Tokyo was 3 hours away, and like most thing back in Japan at the tail-end of the massive speculative bubble, quite expensive.

Then came the largest online book retailer in the world, and the autodidact party kicked into full swing.

autodidactic - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Indeed, seeing the transformation from analogue to digital, and the world it facilitates today, leaves the breath sucked in, and indeed taken away.

A very long way from 1 channel of programming on a Black & White TV, in a small rural community—currently the choice of available programming can be counted using the abstract notion of a number called Infinity.

Infinity - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Truly the significant social and technological advances over the last three decades has brought more options imaginable in the history of humankind—ΩNE could say a double edge sword.

With an infinite universe of choice now at the finger-tips, it is imperative to keep in mind the notion of lost precious time, and the importance of distinguishing between night and day—the transitory nature of all life—slowly bleeding away.

Clarity Over Time - cybersensei - Land Of The Rising Son

Road Less Travelled

by cybersensei | July 15, 2023 | Blog, Inspiration

Road Less Travelled

When starting life’s journey, it is a rare case where a conscious decision is made to lead life in what many would consider to be the hard road.

Coming to Japan in 1987 was an easy choice, as at 23, staying in the security of a government J.O.B. would have only lead to a lifetime trapped inside this all-too-real acronym—Just Over Broke.

Just Over Broke - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei The novelty of an exotic Japan wore off after 8 months, where ΩNE experienced a bout of homesick just once, and where the hard road then came into full view.

Nothing like the stark realization of having become deaf and dumb, as well as illiterate, having moved to a country in which the communication system is vastly more complex than the familiarity of the English alphabet soup.

The Japanese reading quest at first seemed insurmountable, but as life marched on, the radicals (separate components making up complete characters), became uncannily familiar as a matter of casual observation.

Kanji with water radical - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Nothing quite like the subconscious (Lady Muse) guiding the journey in some sort of mystical way to satori (enlightenment)—in this case, via the hard road, which must be peppered with fortitude and perseverance forging ΩNE into the material sludge world.

A Universal Truth to be internalized and called upon when the going gets tough, as it always will—it does not matter how slow you go, so long as you do not stop.

baby sea turtle - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Words to live by when the hard road looks like it may be ending at the beginning of a life precipice, and this is exactly where the hard road leads—ultimately to the optimal state of being—serenity, wisdom, and civility.

A perfect example of the hard road would be a three-day water-fast—resetting the biological batteries of life, mitochondria—where in a mere 72 hours, the human spirit runs a full gamut of emotion, as well as feeling throbbing pangs of hunger, burning in the belly, which is merely an extension of the human mind.

Acts such as these, challenge and improve ΩNE’s own life, sacrificing and persevering, which naturally sets up a definitive field of energy—inevitably leading to a more meaningful life experience—for no one has ever said at the end of the ephemeral life—wish I had spent more time at the company desk filling in someone else’s dream.

Working at 80 - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

By virtue of living in Japan, the hard road has also facilitated encounters with an eclectic cast of characters, and like most things in life, these encounters are ephemeral and mostly forgotten—except for a rare few.

As happenstance would have it, he who is only known as Tesla, came to the Land Of The Rising Son, and joined a business venture for a trio of years.

Quite the critter, after the project he then faded away—that is until—re-entered the atmosphere like a lightning bolt from the pristine clear blue sky.

Lightning flash in clear blue sky - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Always ΩNE who loves giving and getting gifts, there was an unscheduled delivery from a large-scale on-line book retailer, and this curious recipient then proceeded to unpackaged this mystery order.

Delightfully surprised, a serendipitous timely arrival of an important book which actually served as a critical lifeline, during time of uncertainty and doubt.

The Road Less Travelled is a timeless classic, explaining what the hard road entails and how to get from here to there.

The road less travelled - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Life becomes more natural when boundaries are in place, and remaining in your spirit is the almighty notion of tough unconditional love.

Besides boundaries, this seminal example of how to navigate the nooks and crannies of life, unpacks mental illness, something that affects everyone’s life at one point, for certain here in the modern world.

Truly, due to the nature of the evolution of the Japanese, problems are swept away, and dark secrets are to be hidden away under lock and key.

Antique lock with skeleton key - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

As Morgan Scott Peck pointed out at the beginning of this life-guide—the tendency to avoid problems and the emotional suffering inherent in them is the primary basis for all human mental illness.

Known as masters of discipline, perhaps the Japanese can relate to the primary four disciplines as described by a seminal Occxie psychiatry professor, speaking from the grave as he passed away in 2005.

Morgan Scot Peck - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

In the topsy-turvy modern world, clarity about how to live life, and the meaning of success is accompanied by a strict set of rules.

1: delay gratification

2: accept responsibility

3: dedication to truth

4: balance

Get-A-Balanced-Life - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

It is through experience and maturation where the capacity to see the world and our place in it, essentially allows us to realistically determine our innate responsibility for ourselves and the greater world.

Such changes do not come without revving up ONE’s mental capacity, and the understanding that clinging to an outmoded view of reality is the foundation for mental illness.

mental-emotional-health - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

This may pose a conundrum for the Japanese, as their culture and society are built up on hone and tatemae—the constructed reality to which everybody pays lip service—and this is a particularly sticky complication the Japanese face.

In the light of the massive looming mental health crisis in Japan—the following is critical to understand—mental health is an ongoing process of dedication to reality at all costs.

Really, who is up for never-ending stringent self-examination, if so, welcome to the meaning of life—the Beginning of Infinity—the hard road.

Tied Up

by cybersensei | July 8, 2023 | Blog, Culture

Tied Up

Learn from the past, live in the present, plan for the future, as the old axiom so goes.

The Past:
The origin of the necktie dates back to the 30 Years’ War (1618-1648), when the French hired mercenaries who wore traditional knotted kerchiefs as part of their uniform.

Thirty_Years'_War - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Towards the end of the war, these soldiers were being reviewed by French King Louis XIV, and during this inspection, the king noticed these kerchiefs, and as capricious children do—became infatuated with them.

From then on Louis began to adorn these kerchiefs himself at just seven years old, when this fickle immature boy made the necktie a mandatory accessory at royal gatherings.

When having a deeper ponder on the meaning of the necktie—remember its origins are due to a mandate of a long dead seven-year old boy—the reach of his influence stifling the spirit of the necktie tribes even now in this modern day.

Boy King with Tie - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Universal Truth:
Western society has been pigeonholed to the notion of pointless fashion kitsch—conjured up by a juvenile boy-king on a sartorial whim—leading to the abject nonsensical notion of the necktie—the strangulation and compression of your airway.

Hint Mint:
The opposite of strangulation is emancipation—here the outcome can only be binary—those who continue to accept strangulation and subjugation will continue to wither and die—those who choose to live as an autonomous sovereign individual will have selected life and what it means to actualise the notion of the free.

corporate-life - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

The Present:
The next question would then have to be:

Would you like a mask of subservience with your necktie of subjugation?

Philosophically, both are meant to oppress (citizens) and strangulate (creativity), clearly the current controversial face-mask is simply a more recent novel form of subjugation in the unprecedented tyrannical tie-up with the omnipresent necktie—never forget, mandated by a long dead seven-year old boy—telling you what to do today.

Many NeckTies - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

The ubiquitous necktie is acutely associated with corporate identification, as we can see the throngs of business people running the modern industrial machine, which is simply a different system of vested-interest tribalism.

This is where the dictum of invisible task masters is carried out by the necktied class, often at the expense of a more practical and humanistic philosophy of a harmonic global society, founded upon social harmony and cohesion, which has already been enshrined in the original constitution—the foundation of Japan and the merging of East and West—evolving into Civilization 3.0.

Modern and ancient Japan all together now - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

Unsolicited Advice:
Social cohesion can be achieved by invoking the innate notion of kaizen (incremental small improvements), while following the foundational protocol of the Japanese Way—Form Order Process.

The Future:
Conceivably the next shift in paradigm would be to annihilate this Gordian knot and emancipate your own clan from the mind numbing effects of stiff collars and tight knots suffocating life force—truly understand what it means to serve an invisible master—colouring the dreams and aspiration of someone else’s life-book.

Colour Your World Your Way Everyday - Land Of The Rising Son

There is but one thing that remains immutable upon Earth today—the constant state of flux, reshuffling, and change—so the time has come now again, to remove the Shackles of the Past—emancipation from the whims of the deceased Frog boy king—enter the next state of ΩNE’s existence, and what this means for clan, community, and you.

Frog King - Land Ωf The Rising SΩN - cybersensei

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