Summary.

This book is an outgrowth of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in "Eldred v. Ashcroft", which Lessig lost. Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution says, "The Congress shall have Power... to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." Several times in the past century, congress has extended the copyright law in several ways. One way was to extend the term "on the installment plan". Another was to broaden the scope to include not only copying but creating "derivative works". This latter broadening is so ambiguous that it provides a foundation for massive abuse of power by companies holding large copyright portfolios. For example, the Recording Industry Association of America sued a freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for $10,000,000 for improving a search engine used only inside RPI. Lessig cites another example where Fox demanded $10,000 for the rights to use a 4.5 second video clip with "The Simpsons" playing on a television in a corner of a scene in a documentary. Anyone producing a collage of video clips can potentially be similarly sued on the grounds the collage is a "derivative work" of something copyrighted or that the collage contains a shot that is copyrighted. Lessig argues that this substantially limits the growth of creative arts and culture, in violation of the US Constitution; the Supreme Court ruled that Congress

Themes.

Introduction and Identification of Cultural Shift.

Lessig defines "Free Culture" not as "free" as in "Free Beer", but "free" as in "free speech". A free culture supports and protects its creators and innovators directly and indirectly. It directly supports creators and innovators by granting intellectual property rights. It indirectly supports them by ensuring that follow-on creators and innovators remain as free as possible from the creators of the past by limiting how extensive intellectual property rights are. A "permissions culture" is the opposite of a free culture; in a permissions culture, creators and innovators are only able to create and innovate with the permission of creators of the past – whether they be powerful creators or not.  Lessig presents two examples that

Piracy.

"How free is this culture?" According to Lessig, ours has been but is decreasingly a free culture. Free cultures leave content open for expansion by others. Purportedly, this is not a new practice, but one that is increasingly challenged, mostly for economic reasons by creators and industry. The conflict or "war against piracy" emerges from efforts to regulate creative property in order to delimit the use of creative property without permission. As Lessig sees it, "the law's role is less and less to support creativity, and more and more to protect certain industries against competition."  This new role of law is meant to protect copyright owners from 'pirates' who share their content

Property.

Lessig explains that copyright is a kind of property, but that it is an odd kind of property for which the term can sometimes be misleading—the difference between taking a table and taking a good idea, for example, is hard to see under the term 'property'. As late as 1774, publishers believed a copyright was forever. A copyright at that time was more limited than it is today, only prohibiting others from reprinting a book; it did not cover, as today, other rights over performance, derivative works, etc. Modern technology allows people to copy or cut and paste video clips in creative new ways to produce art, entertainment, and new modes of expression and communication that didn't exist before. The resulting potential for media literacy could help ordinary people not only communicate their concerns better but also make it easier for them to understand when they are being suckered into things not in

Outline.

The following summarizes the different sections of the book.

Preface.

Lessig insists that the future of our society is being threatened by recent changes in US law and administration, including decisions by the US Federal Communications Commission that allow increased Concentration of media ownership. Lessig claims to defend a free culture that is balanced between

Introduction.

Lessig provides two examples that portray the difference between a free culture and a permissions culture — two themes that will develop throughout the book. "(See Introduction and Identification of cultural Shift)"

Chapter 1. Creators.

Lessig devotes the first chapter to defining creators as 'copycats' who borrow and "build upon the creativity that went before and that surrounds them now... partially done without permission and without compensating the original creator." Throughout the chapter Lessig develops on a theme that "all cultures are free to some degree," by expounding on key examples from the American and Japanese cultures, namely Disney and doujinshi comics, respectively.  The first commercial success of Mickey Mouse came with "Steamboat Willie", released in 1928. In part, it parodied the silent film "Steamboat Bill, Jr.", released earlier that year by Buster Keaton. Under current US law, "Steamboat Willie" might be challenged for copyright violation as a "derivative work" of "Steamboat Bill, Jr." However, under copyright laws in 1928, this type of cultural production was unproblematic. This change has had a chilling effect on creativity, serving to reduce

Chapter 2. "Mere Copyists".

Chapter 2 is a discussion about the influence of technology on culture, and the legal environment that impacts its reach. Lessig recounts George Eastman's invention of Kodak as a technology that advanced the invention of photography, and brought about significant social change by giving the average citizen access to what began as an elite form of expression. Lessig traces the simultaneous legal environment that permitted its genius: Given the challenge of deciding whether photographers would need to get permission before taking aim, the legal system decided "in favor of the pirates... Freedom was the default."  Lessig presses to suggest that, had the legal atmosphere

Chapter 3. Catalogs.

In chapter 3, Lessing shares an account of Jesse Jordan, a 2002 freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) who made a significant contribution to the free culture debate through tinkering to develop a search

Chapter 4. "Pirates".

In chapter 4 Lessig advises that "the history of the content industry is a history of piracy. Every important sector of the 'big media' today — film, records, radio, and cable TV — was born of a kind of piracy so defined." This includes the film industry of Hollywood who used piracy in order to escape the controls of Thomas Edison's patents. Similarly, the record industry grew out of piracy due to a loophole in the law permitting composers exclusivity to copies of their music and its public performance, but not over

Chapter 5. "Piracy".

Lessig contextualizes piracy, noting that "even if some piracy is plainly wrong, not all 'piracy' is... Many kinds of 'piracy' are useful and productive... Neither our tradition nor any tradition has ever banned all 'piracy'."  Lessig compares the examples of piracy that were previously treated:  Bringing the discussion to an up-to-date example, Lessig gives an overview of Napster peer-to-peer (p2p) sharing and outlines benefits and harms of this kind of piracy through sharing. He cautions that laws should be tempered according to

"Property".

A copyright is an odd kind of property, because it limits free use of ideas and expression. Chapters 6–9 offer four stories to help illustrate what it means to say that a copyright is property.

Chapter 6. Founders.

In the majority of European countries, copyright law began with the efforts of spiritual and temporal authorities to control the production of printers. This was often done by granting monopolies. "Henry VIII granted a patent to print the bible". In England, the Crown's practice of handing out monopolies became quite unpopular and was one of the issues that motivated the English Civil War of 1642–1651.  As late as 1774, publishers believed a copyright was forever. This was in spite of the fact that "[t]he Statute of Anne [of 1710 tried to limit this by declaring] that all

Chapter 7. Recorders.

A film made by Jon Else in 1990 includes a 4.5 second segment with a television in a corner playing "The Simpsons". Before releasing the film, Else contacted "The Simpsons"'s creator, Matt Groening for copyright permission. Groening agreed but asked Else to contact the producer, Gracie Films. They agreed but asked Else to contact their parent company, Fox. When he contacted Fox,

Chapter 8. Transformers.

In 1993, Starwave, Inc., produced a retrospective on compact disc (CD-ROM) of the career of Clint Eastwood, who had made over 50 films as an actor and director. The retrospective included short excerpts from each of Eastwood's films. Because this was not obviously "fair use", they needed to get clear rights from anyone who might have a copyright claim to those film clips, actors, composers, musicians, etc. CD was a new technology, not mentioned in any of the original contracts with the people involved. The standard rate at that time for that kind of use of less than a minute of film was about $600. A year later, they had collected signatures from everyone they could identify in the clips they had chosen, "and even then we weren't sure whether we were totally in the clear."  Similarly, in "2003,

Chapter 9. Collectors.

Lessig complained, "While much of twentieth-century culture was constructed through television, only a tiny portion of that culture is available for anyone to see today." Lessig suggests that this is a violation of the spirit if the letter of the constitution: Early American copyright law required copyright owners to deposit copies of their work in libraries. "These copies were intended both to facilitate the spread of knowledge and to assure that a copy of the work would be around once the copyright expired".  However,

Chapter 10. "Property".

Chapter 10 examines the relatively recent changes in technology and copyright law have dramatically expanded the impact of copyright in five different dimensions: Duration, Scope, Reach, Control, Concentration.

Puzzles.

Chapter 11. Chimera.

A chimera is an animal (e.g., human) with double the standard DNA formed by the fusion of two embryos. Chimeras were discovered when genetic testing of mothers failed to match the DNA of a child. Further

Chapter 12. Harms.

In this chapter Lessig describes three consequences of what he terms a "war". This war has been launched by the content industry to protect 'property'.  Constraining Creators: This section explores how the current law makes the use of new digital technologies, such as e-mailing a Comedy Central clips, "presumptively illegal". He goes on to describe how it is impossible to determine where the line between legal and illegal lies but that the consequences of crossing the line can be extreme, such in the case of four college students threatened with a $98 billion lawsuit by RIAA. He states "[F]air use in America simply means the right to hire a lawyer..."  Constraining Innovators: In this section Lessig describes how innovators are being constrained

Balances.

Chapter 13. Eldred.

This chapter summarizes Eldred v. Ashcroft. The lead petitioner, Eric Eldred, wanted to make public domain works freely available on the Internet. He was particularly interested in a work that was slated to pass into the public domain in 1998. However, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) meant that this work would not be in the public domain until 2019—and not even then if Congress extended the term again, as it had eleven times since 1962. Further extension seems likely, because it makes good business sense for organizations owning old works that still generate revenue to spend a portion of that money on campaign contributions and lobbying to extend the terms even further. "Copyrights have not expired, and will not expire, so long as Congress is free to be bought to extend them again.  Lead council in Eldred v. Ashcroft

Conclusion.

In conclusion, Lessig uses the disproportionate number of HIV and AIDS victims in Africa and other poor countries to further his argument that the current control of intellectual property—in this case, patents to HIV drugs—defy "common sense." AIDS is no longer a mortal illness for individuals who can afford between $10,000 and $15,000 per year, but few in poor countries can afford this. Lessig cites drug company lobbying in the U.S. to prevent reduced prices for their drugs in Africa but he holds the government and society

Afterword.

In the afterword, Lessig proposes practical solutions to the dispute over intellectual property rights, in hope that common sense and a proclivity toward free culture be revived. His ideas include emulating the structure of the Creative Commons in complement to copyright; invoking more formalities for in the exercise of creativity online (marking copyrighted work, registering copyrights, and renewing claims to copyright); limiting the role of the Copyright Office in developing marking systems; shorter copyright terms (enough to incentivize creativity, but no more) and simpler language; and moving the concerns of copyright out of the purview of expensive lawyers and more into public sphere.  The balance of this book maps out what might be done about the problems described earlier. This is divided into two parts: what anyone can do now and what requires help from lawmakers.  Us, Now: If current trends continue, 'cut and paste' will become 'get permission to

Critical reception.

In a review in "The New York Times", Adam Cohen found "Free Culture" to be a "powerfully argued and important analysis," where Lessig argues persuasively that we are in a crisis of cultural impoverishment. However, he says that "after taking us to this point, 300 pages into his analysis," Lessig "fails to deliver," and his

Derivative works.

A day after the book was released online, blogger AKMA (A. K. Adam) suggested that people pick a chapter and make a voice recording of it, partly because they were allowed to. Users who commented volunteered to narrate certain chapters. Two days later, most of the book had been narrated.  Besides audio production, this book was also translated into Chinese, a project proposed by Isaac Mao and completed as a collaboration involving many bloggers from mainland China and Taiwan. Other translations include Catalan, Czech, French, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and.

Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity (published in paperback as Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity) is a 2004 book by law professor Lawrence Lessig that was released on the Internet under the Creative Commons Attribution/Non-commercial license on March 25, 2004.

《自由文化》("Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity",2004年出版)是法律教授劳伦斯·莱斯格(Lawrence Lessig)在互联网上使用创作共享协议的署名/非商业许可(by-nc 1.0)在2004年3月25日出版的一本著作。此书的纸版是由企鹅出版集团(Penguin Group (USA) Inc)旗下之企鹅出版社(The Penguin Press)在美国纽约出版的。英国书店不销售本书。身在英国的读者需要购买,仍需跨国贸易。


Early life and career.

Rebiya Kadeer was born in the city of Altay in Xinjiang. Along with her mother and siblings, she moved to Wensu County of Aksu to find her elder sister. In April 1962, she married her sister's neighbour, Abdurehim Tohti, who offered them accommodation.

Family history.

According to her autobiography, "Dragon Fighter: One Woman's Epic Struggle for Peace with China", her family were descendants of migrants who moved across the Tianshan Mountains to Gulja, Merket was the hometown of her mother's father and Khotan was the hometown of her father's parents.  According to her autobiography, Rebiya Kadeer's father served with pro-Soviet Uyghur rebels under the Second East Turkestan Republic in the Ili Rebellion (Three Province Rebellion) in 1944–1946, using Soviet assistance and aid to fight the Republic of China government under Chiang Kai-shek. Kadeer and her family were close friends with White Russian exiles living in Xinjiang and Kadeer recalled that many Uyghurs thought Russian culture was "more advanced" than that of the Uyghurs and they "respected" the Russians a lot.

First marriage.

Due to poverty, Rebiya had to enter her first marriage as a housewife and gave birth to 6 children from 1964 to 1976. But at some point she began independently making and selling clothes and other small articles for additional income.  During the Chinese cultural revolution she was suppressed for her efforts, as the Chinese government attempted to break up her family. She claims that the Chinese government told her ex-husband to divorce her. She recounts "They put pressure on him to divorce me because they accused me of secretly doing business. They said that it was wrong for me to do secret business."

Entrepreneurship.

Following her divorce, Kadeer opened a laundry service in 1976. She later remarried in 1981 to Sidik Haji Rouzi, then an associate professor, who is divorced by his ex-wife Mehmusa, a colleague of Rebiya's elder sister, for his activism. They moved to Ürümqi, having 5 children together. In Ürümqi, Kadeer leased a market in the local business district, and converted it into a department store that specialized in Uyghur ethnic costumes. In 1985, Kadeer converted the building into a 14,000 square meter commercial building.  After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kadeer engaged in cross-border trade, accumulating assets which at their peak were worth more than 200 million yuan. She became one of the five richest people in China, and her success earned her the nickname "the millionairess". The trading company she operated had businesses in China, Russia and Kazakhstan. Kadeer founded the Akida Industry and Trade Co, which owns a number of properties in Xinjiang province. These include The Akida Trade Center, the adjacent Kadeer Trade Center and the Tuanjie, or Unity, theatre in Ürümqi.  Kadeer was an active philanthropist within the community, most notably through her foundation, 1,000 Mothers Movement, a charity intended to help Uyghur women start their own local businesses, as well as support underprivileged and orphaned Uyghur children.

As Chinese politician.

Kadeer was not always at odds with the government, and was once welcomed as an appointed delegate to the eighth session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the National People's Congress and was a representative to the UN Fourth World Conference for Women in Beijing in 1995. She was also a Communist Party member until she was expelled. Kadeer has also served as vice chairwoman of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region Federation of Industry and Commerce, and vice chairwoman of the Xinjiang Association of Women Entrepreneurs.

Imprisonment.

In 1996, her husband and Uyghur independence activist Sidiq Rouzi left China for the United States, working as a broadcaster for the US radio stations Radio Free Asia and Voice of America. Kadeer's failure to denounce Rouzi's anti-China activities and repeated polemics against the government's ethnic policies in the national parliament led her not to be reelected to the National People's Consultative Conference in 1998. Although large newspapers such as the "People's Daily" or "Xinjiang Daily" downplay news about separatism or terrorism in Xinjiang, trusted government employees (as Kadeer once was) have access to "neican" ("internal reference reports"), which freely report on issues of concern to national security.  Kadeer funneled Rouzi two years' worth of the "neican" publications "Kashgar Daily", "Xinjiang Legal News", "Yining Daily", and "Yining Evening News", with a focus on separatists' speeches. As Kashgar and Ghulja (Yining) are the two areas where separatist attacks are the most common, and "Xinjiang Legal News" contains extensive police reports on the government's counterterrorist operations, the government prepared to charge her with the offense of "passing on classified information to foreigners". Kadeer was arrested in August 1999 while on her way to meet a US Congressional Research Service, with the additional charge of being in contact with nearly a dozen separatists. She was tried in March 2000 in the Ürümqi Intermediate People's Court and convicted of violating article 111 of China's criminal code governing the leaking of state secrets. Kadeer's imprisonment in the Liudaowan prison in Ürümqi became a cause célèbre in the British and American parliaments. She won the Rafto Prize for human rights while imprisoned and she claims that she was not tortured in prison because of her newfound international reputation. In the same year, her sentence was reduced by a year based on citations of good behavior where she was being held.

Release and later career.

On 14 March 2005, Kadeer was released early on medical grounds, into United States' custody in advance of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the region. The U.S., which had pressured for her release, agreed to drop a resolution against China in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch moderated their criticism somewhat as a consequence. On 17 March, Kadeer flew to the U.S. and joined her family in Washington, D.C. In an interview with Phoenix Television before her departure to the US, she stated that she would remain a citizen of the People's Republic of China, and as a person born in the new China, she would sacrifice her own life for the integrity of China.  In November 2006, she became the president of the separatist World Uyghur Congress, and later also became president of the Uyghur American Association. In April 2007, one of her sons, Ablikim, was sentenced to 9 years in prison and 3 years deprivation of political rights, reportedly after confessing to charges of "instigating and engaging in secessionist activities." In November 2006 Alim, another of her sons, was sentenced to 7 years in prison and fined $62,500. Qahar Abdurehim, yet another of her sons, was fined $12,500 for tax evasion but not jailed. In June 2006, Alim, Ablikim, and Qahar were officially charged with state security and economic crimes.  The Chinese government characterizes Kadeer as "an ironclad separatist colluding with terrorists and Islamic extremists." But Kadeer claimed her belief that all Uyghur organizations fight "peacefully", in spite of the July riot in 2008, and subsequently terrorist attacks in various parts of China. On 5 June 2007, at a conference on democracy and security held in Prague, Kadeer met privately with President George W. Bush, who praised people like her for being "far more valuable than the weapons of their army or oil under the ground." On 17 September 2007, the United States House of Representatives passed by a voice vote House Resolution 497, demanding that the Chinese Government release the imprisoned children of Rebiya Kadeer and Canadian citizen Huseyin Celil, and change its suppressive policy towards the Uyghur people.  Rebiya Kadeer claimed that Turkey is hampered from interfering with Uyghurs because it recognizes that its own Kurdish issue may get interfered with by China in retaliation.  Rebiya Kadeer claimed Urumqi is "Uyghur land". The name Urumqi came from the Dzungar Oirat language. Professor of Chinese and Central Asian History at Georgetown University, James A. Millward wrote that foreigners often mistakenly think that Urumqi was originally a Uyghur city and that the Chinese destroyed its Uyghur character and culture, however, Urumqi was founded as a Chinese city by Han and Hui (Tungans), and it is the Uyghurs who are new to the city.

July 2009 riots.

While the protests that preceded the July 2009 riots were ostensibly a response to the death of two Uighur workers in Guangdong, the Chinese government catapulted Kadeer into the limelight when it claimed the WUC, which she heads, had planned the riots. Taiwan denied a visa to Kadeer in September 2009, alleging she had links to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, classed as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and USA. Kadeer has denied that the riots were organised.  On 3 August, "Xinhua" reported that two of Rebiya Kadeer's children had written letters blaming her for orchestrating the riots. According to "Xinhua", they pleaded: "We want a stable and safe life... Please think about the happiness of us and your grandchildren. Don't destroy our happy life here. Don't follow the provocation from some people in other countries." Germany-based spokesman for the WUC rejected the letters as fakes. A Human Rights Watch researcher remarked their style was "suspiciously close" to the way the Chinese authorities had described rioting in Xinjiang and the aftermath. CCTV broadcast a video of interviews with the family members of Kadeer on 4 August.  "Xinhua" announced in early September 2009 that three properties owned by Kadeer's companies, including the Akida Trade Center, where more than 30 members of Kadeer's family were reportedly living, would be torn down due to "cracks in the walls and sunken footings".

"The 10 Conditions of Love".

In 2009, Jeff Daniels made a documentary film, "The 10 Conditions of Love", about Kadeer. Its premiere was scheduled for the Melbourne International Film Festival, the organizers of which refused a request from the Chinese consulate in Melbourne for the film to be withdrawn and for Kadeer's invitation to the festival to be rescinded. Several Chinese directors pulled out of the event. The festival website was hacked and festival information replaced with the Chinese flag and anti-Kadeer slogans. All film sessions were falsely shown as booked out on the site, and a denial-of-service attack forced it to shut down.  The documentary was scheduled to be shown at the Kaoshiung Film Festival, Taiwan, in October 2009, but was later rescheduled to September, before the festival. Wang Yi of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China opposed the film, saying it "beatifies the ethnic separatists" and sends "the wrong signals about terrorism and violence", while the Chinese government warned the Kaoshiung city government not to "stir up trouble". The website for the festival was also hacked. It was later announced that the film would be shown at the film festival as originally planned, but Kadeer's entry ban from Taiwan was extended by three years "based on security needs".

Position on Chinese Uyghur independence.

Anwar Yusuf Turani set up the "East Turkistan Government in Exile" in 2004. In 2011, Rebiya Kadeer accused the Chinese government of intentionally cultivating multiple Uyghur governments in exile in order to divide the Uyghur people. She believes that independence movements have less support in the international community and the given autonomy by Chinese laws were never implemented. She said "that the Uyghur people were never happy under the Chinese rule."

Appeal to Japan for support.

In May 2012, while in Tokyo for a conference engagement, Kadeer visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which is controversial because some of the dead honoured there are Japanese war criminals. She called on the Japanese government to support Uyghurs financially and politically.

Rebiya Kadeer (, ; born 15 November 1946) is an ethnic Uyghur, businesswoman and political activist. Born in city of Altay of China, Kadeer became a millionaire in the 1980s through her real estate holdings and ownership of a multinational conglomerate. Kadeer held various positions in China's parliament and other political institutions before being arrested in 1999 for, according to Chinese state media, sending confidential internal reference reports to her husband, who worked in the United States as a pro-East Turkistan independence broadcaster. After she fled to the United States in 2005 on compassionate release, Kadeer assumed leadership positions in overseas Uyghur organizations such as the World Uyghur Congress.

热比娅·卡德尔(维吾尔文:,英文:Rebiya Kadeer, 拉丁维文:,1946年-11月15日),原先为一名新疆维吾尔自治区维吾尔族商人,曾经当选第八届全国政协委员,她被中华人民共和国政府以「向境外组织非法提供国家情报」罪名判处入狱,于2005年以保外就医的名义远赴美国。现在为海外异议人士、新疆独立运动领袖,被中华人民共和国政府定义为恐怖分子。热比娅于2006年当选世界维吾尔代表大会第二届主席,于2009年连任。她亦分别于2005、2006、2007、2009、2010年等多次获提名角逐诺贝尔和平奖。


Synopsis.

Every 9th of October is selected as Hangeul Day to spread its originality and excellence in addition to commemorating Sejong the King's achievement. Even till 2020, citizen hoist Korean national flag to honor the day. Hangeul is one of few languages where both the founder and founding date have been revealed. To compensate its significance, Korean government legislated the following amendment below. Language Amendment Section 20(Hangeul Day)  1. Government shall dictate every October 9th as Hangeul Day with commemorative event in order to spread Hangeul's originality and scientific superiority, further enhancing pan-national awareness and affection towards the language.  2. Matters regarding commemorative event above shall abide presidential decree

Etymology.

South Korea.

In South Korea, the holiday is called Hangeul Proclamation Day, or Hangeul Day for short, and is celebrated on October 9 to commemorate the promulgation of the Hunminjeongeum on October 9, 1446.

North Korea.

In North Korea, the holiday is called Chosŏn'gŭl Day and is celebrated on January 15 to commemorate the creation of the Hunminjeongeum on January 15, 1444.

History.

Before the creation of Hangul, people in Korea (known as Joseon at the time) primarily wrote using Classical Chinese alongside native phonetic writing systems that predate Hangul by hundreds of years, including idu, hyangchal, gugyeol, and gakpil. However, due to the fundamental differences between the Korean and Chinese languages, and the large number of characters needed to be learned, there was much difficulty in learning how to write using Chinese characters for the lower classes, who often didn't have the privilege of education. To assuage this problem, King Sejong created the unique alphabet known as Hangul to promote literacy among the common people.  According to the "Sejong Sillok" (세종실록; 世宗實綠), King Sejong proclaimed publication of "Hunmin Jeongeum" (훈민정음; 訓民正音), the document introducing the newly created alphabet which was also originally called by the same name, in the ninth month of the lunar calendar in 1446. In 1926, the Korean Language Society, whose goal was to preserve the Korean language during a time of rapid forced Japanization, celebrated the octo-sexagesimal (480th) anniversary of the declaration of hangeul on the last day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, which is on November 4 of the Gregorian calendar. Members of the Society declared it the first observance of "Gagyanal" (가갸날). The name came from "Gagyageul" (가갸글), an early colloquial name for hangeul, based on a mnemonic recitation beginning "gagya geogyeo" (가갸거겨). The name of the commemorative day was changed to "Hangullal" in 1928, soon after the term "hangul", coined originally in 1913 by Ju Si-gyeong, became widely accepted as the new name for the alphabet. The day was then celebrated according to the lunar calendar.  In 1931, the celebration of the day was switched to October 29 of the Gregorian Calendar, the calendar which is in contemporary use. Three years later, the date was moved to October 28, to coordinate the date with that of the Julian Calendar, which had been in use during the 15th century, when King Sejong had made his proclamation.  The discovery in 1940 of an original copy of the "Hunmin Jeongeum Haerye", a volume of commentary to the "Hunmin Jeongeum" that appeared not long after the document it commented upon, revealed that the "Hunmin Jeongeum" was announced during the first ten days ("sangsun"; 상순; 上旬) of the ninth month. The tenth day of the ninth month of the 1446 lunar calendar was equivalent to October 9 of that same year's Julian calendar. The South Korean government, established in 1945, declared October 9 to be Hangeul Day, a yearly legal holiday which excused government employees from work.  Major employers pressured the South Korean government to increase the country's annual number of work days. In 1991, to balance out the adoption of the United Nations Day, it vacated Hangeul Day's status as a holiday. By law, Hangeul Day remained a national commemoration day, and the Hangeul Society campaigned for the holiday's restoration. On November 1, 2012, the Society won that campaign, when the National Assembly voted 189 to 4 (with 4 abstaining) in favor of a resolution that called for the return of Hangeul Day as a national holiday. This put pressure on the Lee Myung Bak administration, which applied the change in 2013.

Celebrations.

In 2009, in celebration of the 563rd anniversary of the invention of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong, the 6.2-meter high, 20-ton bronze statue of King Sejong the Great of Joseon at Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul, was unveiled to the public.

The Korean Alphabet Day, known as Hangeul Day (한글날) in South Korea, and Chosŏn'gŭl Day in North Korea, is a national Korean commemorative day marking the invention and the proclamation of Hangul (한글; 조선글), the alphabet of the Korean language, by the 15th-century Korean monarch Sejong the Great. It is observed on October 9 in South Korea and on January 15 in North Korea. Excluding year 1990 to 2012 where the government maximized business days to expedite industrial growth, Hangul day has been a national holiday in South Korea since 1970.

谚文日(),又称「韩文日」、「朝鲜语字母日」或「韩国语字母日」,是朝鲜民族纪念训民正音发明的纪念日。韩国订于10月9日,称为韩字日(,Hangullal);朝鲜则订于1月15日,称为朝鲜字日(,Chosŭn'gŭllal)。


Astrogliosis.

Reactive astrogliosis is the most common form of gliosis and involves the proliferation of astrocytes, a type of glial cell responsible for maintaining extracellular ion and neurotransmitter concentrations, modulating synapse function, and forming the blood–brain barrier. Like other forms of gliosis, astrogliosis accompanies traumatic brain injury as well as many neuropathologies, ranging from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to fatal familial insomnia. Although the mechanisms which lead to astrogliosis are not fully understood, neuronal injury is well understood to cause astrocyte proliferation, and astrogliosis has long been used as an index for neuronal damage. Traditionally, astrogliosis has been defined as an increase in intermediate filaments and cellular hypertrophy as well as an increase in the proliferation of astrocytes. Although this hypertrophy and proliferation in their extreme form are most closely associated with the formation of a glial scar, astrogliosis is not an all-or-none process in which a glial scar forms. In fact, it is a spectrum of changes that occur based on the type and severity of central nervous system (CNS) injury or disease triggering the event. Changes in astrocyte function or morphology which occur during astrogliosis may range from minor hypertrophy to major hypertrophy, domain overlap, and ultimately, glial scar formation. The severity of astrogliosis is classically determined by the level of expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin, both of which are upregulated with the proliferation of active astrocytes.

Modulation of astrogliosis.

Changes in astrogliosis are regulated in a context-dependent fashion, and the signaling events which dictate these changes may modify both their nature and severity. It is these changes in astrogliosis which allow the process to be complex and multifaceted, involving both a gain or loss of function as well as both beneficial and detrimental effects. Reactive astrocytes are affected by molecular signals released from a variety of CNS cell types including neurons, microglia, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, leukocytes, endothelia, and even other astrocytes. Some of the many signalling molecules used in these pathways include the cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Although many of these specific modulatory relationships are not yet fully understood, it is known that different specific signaling mechanisms result in different morphological and functional changes of astrocytes, allowing astrogliosis to take on a graduated spectrum of severity.

Effects of astrogliosis.

Although astrogliosis has traditionally been viewed as a negative response inhibitory to axonal regeneration, the process is highly conserved, suggesting it has important benefits beyond its detrimental effects. Generally, the effects of astrogliosis vary with the context of the initial CNS insult and also with time after the injury. A few of the most important effects of astrogliosis are listed below.

Microgliosis.

Microglia, another type of glial cell, act as macrophage-like cells in the CNS when activated. Unlike other glial cell types, microglia are extremely sensitive to even small changes in the cellular environment, allowing for a rapid response to inflammatory signals and prompt destruction of infectious agents before sensitive neural tissue can be damaged. Due to their fast response time, microgliosis, or the activation of microglia, is commonly the first observed stage of gliosis.  Microgliosis following a CNS insult most commonly involves the development of an altered cellular morphology, specifically the enlargement of cellular processes. The microglial immunological surface receptor CR3 is also upregulated within 24 hours after the initial injury. Within the first week following the injury, microglia begin to proliferate abnormally and while doing so exhibit several immunophenotypic changes, particularly an increased expression of MHC antigens. The population of activated microglia at the site of a CNS injury includes not only endogenous microglia of the CNS but also exogeneous perivascular cells originating in the bone marrow that migrate to the area and transform into microglia to supplement the microgliosis response.  While in their activated state, microglia may serve a variety of beneficial functions. For example, active microglia are the primary effectors of innate immunity and fulfill this role by phagocyting the proteins of dead neurons, presenting antigens at their surface, and producing a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines and toxic molecules that compromise the survival of surrounding neurons which may be similarly damaged or infected. Active microglia also perform critical homeostatic activity, including the clearing of cell debris through phagocytosis, a function essential to neuron survival. In addition, active microglia release anti-inflammatory factors and other molecules, such as IL-6 and TGF-β, which regulate neurogenesis after injury. However, the over-activation of microglia can also be detrimental by producing several neurotoxic substances including pro-inflammatory factors, such as TNF-α, prostaglandin E2, and interferon-γ, and oxidative stress factors, including nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide. Notably, unlike astrogliosis, microgliosis is a temporary and self-limited event, which generally lasts only one month after injury, even in cases of extreme damage.

Neural modulation of microgliosis.

Microglial activation has been shown to be a reactive process in which microglia respond to signals given off by injured neurons. Because various characteristics of microgliosis occur in different time frames after the initial triggering insult, microgliosis must depend on mechanisms which fluctuate temporally based on injured neuronal signals. Studies have shown that in cases of reversible neuronal injury, such as axotomy, neuron signals cause microglia to produce trophic factors, which promote neuron survival. In cases of irreversible injury, however, microglia are induced to release neurotoxic factors that promote increased degeneration of the neuron and more rapid phagocytosis by the microglia. Such specificity of the process of microgliosis indicates that it primarily serves a beneficial purpose, selectively conserving some neural tissue while eliminating others, based on the specific initial CNS insult.

Microglial regulation of astrogliosis.

Although the molecular triggers of gliosis, including both astrogliosis and microgliosis, are not fully understood, in vitro studies have indicated that activated microglia have an important role in initiating and modulating astrogliosis. One critical piece of evidence supporting this relationship is the widely documented temporal correlation between the onsets of the two processes. Unlike the microglial response, which occurs rapidly, the start of astrogliosis is often delayed. A likely cause of this relationship is the pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines released at elevated levels by microglia upon activation. These include macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP), macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), the interleukins IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8, and TNF-α. Receptors for these molecules have been identified on astrocytes, and the molecules, when exogenously introduced, have been shown to induce, enhance, or accompany astrogliosis. Astrocytes themselves also produce cytokines, which may be used for self-regulation or for the regulation of microglia, which contain similar cytokine receptors. This phenomenon creates a feedback loop, allowing both microglia and astrocytes to regulate one another. In addition, evidence suggests microglial regulation of astrogliosis may also include inhibitory effects. Reduced levels of microgliosis have been associated with reduced astrocyte numbers, which also suggests that microglia are important regulators of the degree of astrocyte activation.

Response of oligodendrocytes.

Oligodendrocytes are another type of glial cell which generate and maintain the formation of myelin around the axons of large neurons in the CNS, allowing for rapid transmission of neural signals. Unlike astrocytes and microglia, oligodendrocytes undergo a much more limited reaction to injury. Rather, in cases of CNS trauma, they are more similar to neurons in their susceptibility to sustaining damage. The degeneration of axons as a result of trauma or pathology invariably results in the degeneration of the myelin sheath. Depending on the mechanism of insult, several different patterns of oligodendrocyte injury and reaction may be observed. In all cases, however, some oligodendrocytes are lost, through necrosis or apoptosis, while others survive and may form part of the glial scar along with myelin debris. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells are also affected by CNS insult and are recruited to demyelinated areas within a week following traumatic injury. Some of these cells may produce new myelin when exposed to signals from activated microglia and astrocytes.

Triggers of gliosis.

In general after any CNS insult, gliosis begins after the blood brain barrier is disrupted, allowing non-CNS molecules, such as blood and serum components, to enter the brain. These components, along with activated macrophages they carry, are known to have a role in beginning the formation of the glial scar by inducing the disconnection of axons, also called secondary axotomy, and the upregulation of fibrous extracellular matrix components which eventually form the scar tissue. The specific molecular triggers responsible for this action, however, remain unknown. One potential trigger is transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). TGF-β2, whose expression is gradually increased as gliosis occurs, has been shown to increase astrocyte production of scar-forming proteoglycans. Experimental reduction of both TGF-β2 and TGF-β1, which is expressed immediately after injury, has resulted in reduced glial scarring. The interleukins are another potential molecular trigger of gliosis. These molecules, notably IL-1, initiate an inflammatory response in various cells including astrocytes that contributes to the gliosis reaction. Finally, interactions between the inflammatory cytokines interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) may also be responsible for the induction of gliosis. In culture, both molecules act as mitogens, prompting the proliferation of astrocytes. Moreover, addition of IFN-γ to brain lesion sites has resulted in an increase in glial scarring.

Gliosis in CNS injury and disease.

Gliosis is the universal response of the CNS to tissue injury and occurs as a result of many acute conditions such as trauma, ischemia, and stroke. Additionally, gliosis is present in a wide variety of CNS pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease, Korsakoff's syndrome, multiple system atrophy, prion disease, multiple sclerosis, AIDS dementia complex, vasculitis, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's disease. In every case, gliosis involves some degree of hypertrophy or proliferation of glial cells, but the extent and nature of the gliosis response vary widely based on the triggering insult. Gliosis in any form entails an alteration in cellular activity that has the potential to create widespread effects on neurons as well as other non-neural cells, causing either a loss of normal functions or a gain of detrimental ones. In this light, gliosis may be seen not only as a characteristic of many neuropathologies but as a potential contributor to, or even cause of, many CNS disease mechanisms. A select group of CNS conditions associated with gliosis are described below.

CNS trauma.

Acute trauma to the brain or spinal cord results in gliosis, most often in its severe form with the development of a glial scar. Different locations around the lesion site may exhibit different severities of gliosis; for example, a glial scar at the location of damaged tissue may be surrounded by areas with less severe astrocyte proliferation or hypertrophy. Diffuse traumatic injury can result in diffuse or more moderate gliosis without scar formation. In such cases, gliosis may also be reversible. In all instances of gliosis resulting from CNS trauma, the long-term clinical outcome is highly dependent on the degree of astrogliosis and scar formation.

Multiple sclerosis and autoimmune inflammatory disorders.

Gliosis is a prominent feature of many autoimmune inflammatory disorders, notably multiple sclerosis, in which demyelinated plaques are surrounded by reactive astrocytes. These astrocytes often exhibit extreme hypertrophy and multiple distinct nuclei, and their production of pro-inflammatory molecules has been implicated in several inflammatory disorders. Cytokines produced by both active astrocytes and microglia in inflammatory conditions may contribute to myelin damage and may alter blood-brain barrier permeability, allowing the migration of lymphocytes into the CNS and heightening the autoimmune attack.

Retinal Gliosis.

In vertebrates, the retina contains Müller cells, a type of glia not found elsewhere in the CNS. Upon retinal injury, gliosis of these cells occurs, functioning to repair damage, but often having harmful consequences in the process, worsening some of the diseases or problems that initially trigger it. Reactive gliosis in the retina can have detrimental effects on vision; in particular, the production of proteases by astrocytes causes widespread death of retinal ganglion cells. A 2011 study compared the effects of two glial toxins, AAA and Neurostatin, on retinal gliosis in mice. AAA did not inhibit the production of protease by astrocytes, and so did not prevent ganglion cell apoptosis. However, Neurostatin successfully inhibited activation of astrocytes, in turn decreasing retinal ganglion cell death significantly. Neurostatin is also effective in the inhibition of other glial cells, and may be an area of interest in the treatment of degenerative diseases such as glaucoma.  Massive retinal gliosis (MRG) is a phenomenon in which the retina is completely replaced by proliferation of glial cells, causing deterioration of vision and even blindness in some cases. Sometimes mistaken for an intraocular tumor, MRG can arise from a neurodegenerative disease, congenital defect, or from trauma to the eyeball, sometimes appearing years after such an incident.

Alzheimer's Disease.

Gliosis has long been known as a characteristic of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), although its exact role in the disease remains unknown. Gliosis and glial scarring occur in areas surrounding the amyloid plaques which are hallmarks of the disease, and postmortem tissues have indicated a correlation between the degree of astrogliosis and cognitive decline. Exposure of reactive astrocytes to β-amyloid (Αβ) peptide, the main component of amyloid plaques, may also induce astroglial dysfunction and neurotoxicity. In addition, the ability of reactive astrocytes to degrade extracellular Αβ deposits may suggest that astrogliosis may affect the progression or severity of AD.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating disease involving the degeneration of motor neurons in the CNS. Reactive astrocytes have been implicated in this condition through either a loss of their neuroprotective ability or through the gain of neurotoxic effects. Late stages of ALS are also characterized by significant astrogliosis and astrocyte proliferation around areas of degeneration.

Potential therapeutic targets in gliosis.

The implications of gliosis in various neuropathologies and injury conditions has led to the investigation of various therapeutic routes which would regulate specific aspects of gliosis in order to improve clinical outcomes for both CNS trauma and a wide range of neurological disorders. Because gliosis is a dynamic process which involves a spectrum of changes depending on the type and severity of the initial insult, to date, no single molecular target has been identified which could improve healing in all injury contexts. Rather, therapeutic strategies for minimizing the contribution of astrogliosis to CNS pathologies must be designed to target specific molecular pathways and responses. One promising therapeutic mechanism is the use of β-lactam antibiotics to enhance the glutamate uptake of astrocytes in order to reduce excitotoxicity and provide neuroprotection in models of stroke and ALS. Other proposed targets related to astrogliosis include manipulating AQP4 channels, diminishing the action of NF-kB, or regulating the STAT3 pathway in order to reduce the inflammatory effects of reactive astrocytes. Astrogliosis may also be attenuated by inhibiting the microgliosis response. One notable microglial activation inhibitor is minocycline, which is a known suppressor of astrogliosis. The cell cycle inhibitor olomoucine also has been shown to suppress both microglial and astroglial proliferation as well as glial scar formation. Future directions for identifying novel therapeutic strategies must carefully account for the complex array of factors and signaling mechanisms driving the gliosis response, particularly in different stages after damage and in different lesion conditions.

Gliosis is a nonspecific reactive change of glial cells in response to damage to the central nervous system (CNS). In most cases, gliosis involves the proliferation or hypertrophy of several different types of glial cells, including astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes. In its most extreme form, the proliferation associated with gliosis leads to the formation of a glial scar.

胶质细胞增生为在中枢神经系统受损处,星形胶质细胞的大量增生。星状细胞为相对较大的一种胶质细胞,具有多种功能,并会在神经元受损处堆积。脑中特定部位的胶质细胞增生及神经元的失去常被发现于各种神经退化性疾病(neurodegenerative disorder),例如科尔萨科夫氏症候群(Korsakoff's syndrome)、多发性硬化症及艾滋病痴呆综合症(AIDS dementia complex)。


Plot.

The main plot of the story focuses on the steadily deteriorating conditions of the Keroro Platoon, a group of five, frog-like alien soldiers from Planet Keron of the Gamma Planetary System. The platoon's mission is to invade and conquer Earth (known to the aliens as “Pekopon”), but fail miserably at each attempt. Platoon leader Sergeant Keroro (or Keroro Gunso), is childish, incompetent, and has little to no interest in conquering the planet, instead spending most of his time indulging in his hobbies which include of making plastic Gundam models, watching tv, or coming up with schemes to make more money to indulge in his new hobbies. Aside from Keroro, there are four other members of the Keroro Platoon: adorable but violent Private Second Class Tamama; bellicose yet tenderhearted Corporal Giroro; intelligent but mischievous Sergeant Major Kururu; and disciplined but traumatized Lance Corporal Dororo.  The largest obstacle in the way of their mission is the Hinata Family, who must take care of the Keroro Platoon due to the Keron Army deserting the latter on Earth. Keroro is kept busy with manual labor and constant abuse, primarily from the family daughter, Natsumi. Each member of the platoon finds himself in the care of a human: Giroro's human is Natsumi Hinata, whom he falls in love with; Keroro's human is Fuyuki Hinata, who considers the Sergeant his only true friend; Kululu's human is Mutsumi Saburo, who discovered him; Dororo's human is Koyuki, a fellow ninja; and Tamama's human is his equal in bipolar insanity, Momoka Nishizawa. All are tied to the Hinatas in some way throughout the events in the anime and manga.

Media.

Manga.

"Sgt. Frog" is published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten, serialized in the magazine "Shōnen Ace", and was published in English by Tokyopop. The manga began its monthly run in the weekly shōnen magazine, "Shōnen Ace". The manga, first aimed at the older audience (teens/adults) from the first to the seventh volume, was toned down after the anime adaption started (since the TV series was a family show). However, the manga still maintains suggestive comedy that only the more mature audiences understand in present volumes. Tokyopop initially held the American rights to the "Sgt. Frog" manga until 2011 when the company ceased operations. By the time their publication ended, they had published 21 volumes. Their release of the manga have censored nipples drawn in some scenes, in order to get away from the OT (Older teen) rating and maintaining its Teen rating. Viz Media relicensed the manga for digital release on December 16, 2014.  To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the series, the November issue of "Shōnen Ace" announced the launching of a new manga titled "Chō Keroro Gunsō UC: Keroro Robo Daikessen" (Super Sgt. Frog Ultra Cool: Keroro Robo's Epic Climactic Battle) on the next issue, on sale October 26, 2018. The manga is created by Yūtarō Shido, while Mine Yoshikizaki being credited as original author.

Anime.

The anime series started airing on TV Tokyo in 2004 and ended in 2011. The anime is produced by Sunrise, NAS, and TV Tokyo and has also been aired on Animax and TXN. Seven seasons have been created during its seven-year run. Unlike the manga which is aimed at older audiences, the anime adaptation has been toned down to a level suitable for family audiences.  The anime ran almost year-round, with each season beginning in the first week of April and ending on the last week of March. The first season aired on Saturdays, but the show was moved to Fridays for the second and third seasons. The show returned to Saturdays for seasons four, five and six, and the final season aired on Sundays.  The first English-language dub of the show to be released was entitled "Sergeant Keroro" and aired on Animax Asia, a pay TV channel received in multiple countries in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. It premiered in 2008.  In the United States, ADV had previously announced they had acquired exclusive rights to an English dub of "Sgt. Frog" (for $408,000). However, on July 4, 2008, it was announced that rights to the English release were transferred to Funimation Entertainment.  ADV Films had originally added a brief teaser page to their website, announcing their licensing of the anime. The site turned to static before playing a short clip of Keroro dancing to "Afro Gunso," then leaving the message "hacked by the frog." This was followed by a press release from ADV on November 20, 2006, stating that they had licensed all Sgt. Frog properties (except the manga, which was already licensed by Tokyopop) for the US. It was once confirmed that the anime dub would be released on DVD in the United States in February 2007. However, ADV Films had never confirmed a release date. ADV announced at Comic-Con International 2007 that the US release date had been delayed because of TV negotiations but would not comment on which networks they were talking to. In a DVD included with the December issue of Newtype USA was an English-language trailer for Sgt. Frog released by ADV, with voices for Keroro (said to be voiced by Vic Mignogna), Natsumi, Fuyuki, Aki, and the narrator. ADV was 90% done on getting a deal with the show, though they created a separate team to work specifically on it that included people from Summit Entertainment (the company that worked with 4Kids Entertainment during the time they had Pokémon). They had dubbed three episodes, but they were dubbed three times because ADV created three different pilot-packages for television to see which one worked the best. They made an otaku/fan pilot, a mass-market pilot, and a kids' pilot. They received positive responses from three different networks. Cartoon Network liked the mass-market pilot, while Nickelodeon liked the kids' pilot. Nickelodeon told them that they would air the show if ADV got the merchandising rights. However, as of July 4, 2008, the English license for the first 51 episodes of the Sgt. Frog anime was transferred to Funimation Entertainment through a deal with Sojitz.  Funimation released a dubbed version of episode 12B as a test on YouTube to be reviewed by the viewers. Many instances of regional name changes were observed; Natsumi is renamed Natalie, and Giroro's cat was renamed "Mr. Furbottom," (despite being female). Additionally, the word Pekopon was changed to Planet Wuss, Pekoponians were referred to as Wussians, and Keron changed to Frogulon. The frogs' names remained the same as the Japanese version, though shortened by one syllable (e.g. Keroro changed to Kero, Tamama to Tama). The test episode had mixed reviews by fans involving the voice acting, jokes, and name changes.  At Otakon 2009, the first five episodes of "Sgt. Frog" were screened, where the original versions of the various names that were changed were used. The voice actor for Sergeant Keroro in the test video, Chris Cason, was swapped out for Sergeant Major Kululu's test actor, Todd Haberkorn. Kululu was changed to Chuck Huber, and the narrator also appears to have been changed. FUNimation stated at their panel that they were going to keep the anime as similar as possible to its Japanese counterpart, and claimed to only change references from Japanese pop culture (save for those Americans were already familiar with) to references from American pop culture. Those present at the showing seemed to enjoy the changes, and the reception of the official dub was very positive. On February 19, 2011, Funimation announced at Katsucon that they had licensed more episodes of Sgt. Frog.  According to Funimation, as of February 2013, the English dub of "Sgt. Frog" is "now on hiatus".  On July 31, 2009, Funimation added the first 4 dubbed episodes of the series to their online video portal. After a considerable delay following between the release of the first dubbed episodes, Funimation began making dubbed episodes other than the first 4 available on the portal. Currently, the first 51 subtitled episodes are available on the Funimation video portal and Hulu. The 51 dubbed episodes later expired, although they were all later placed back on the portal and on Hulu. The show is rated TV-PG on the DVDs and on Hulu. Unlike the other versions released outside Japan, the US version remains uncut.  The episode distribution scheme has been slightly changed from the Japanese Region 2 release. Although the first 51 episodes are known as "Season 1" in Japan, Funimation has divided the episodes into a "Season 1" and a "Season 2". The Season 1 Part 1 DVD set was released September 22, 2009. It contains episodes 1 through 13, Season 1 Part 2 was released on November 24, 2009, and contains episodes 14 through 26. Season 2 Part 1 was released on January 26, 2010, containing episodes 27-39. In addition, Season 2 Part 2 was released on March 30, 2010 containing episodes 40-51. The first two boxsets were re-released into one Season 1 set on March 29, 2011. The complete Season 2 set followed up on April 26, 2011. Season 3 Part 1 was released to DVD by Funimation beginning on July 26, 2011, containing episodes 52-65. Season 3 Part 2 was released to DVD on August 16, 2011 containing episodes 66-78. A complete Season 3 boxset containing episodes 52-78 was released on November 13, 2012. On all of the box sets, it states, "from the creators of the Gundam series". This is relatively incorrect because Sunrise did not create the Gundam series, they produced it, so it should say "from the studio that brought you Gundam". The creator of Gundam is Yoshiyuki Tomino.  All three seasons were available on Netflix streaming as of December 2011; however, the first two seasons, and the first half of the third, were removed without warning in January 2013, before the series was completely removed in April of the same year.  On January 7, 2014 it was announced that a new Flash anime television series entitled "Keroro" would premiere on Animax on March 22 of that year. Haruki Kasugamori is the director of the series at Sunrise and the animation studio Gathering is providing assistance with the animation. The series airs during the programming block, Keroro Hour, which airs both the series and reruns of Sgt. Frog. The series features new character designs and includes the characters, New Keroro, Tomosu Hinohara, and Myō Kaneami, all of which were originally manga-only characters. The opening to the series is "Keroro☆Popstar" (ケロロ☆ポップスター), performed by Mayumi Gojo. The flash anime ended on September 6 of the same year, with a total of 23 episodes.

Films.

Five full-length theatrical movies that were directed by Junichi Sato and produced by Sunrise were released:

Planetarium.

An exclusive feature only available for limited time at specific Planetariums was released after the end of the show.

Video games.

Many of the video games were only released in Japan, but there were others released in Korea.

Reception.

In 2005, the manga received the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga.

Sgt. Frog, known in Japan as, is a manga series by Mine Yoshizaki, launched April 1999 in "Monthly Shōnen Ace". The series was later adapted into an anime television series directed by Junichi Sato. Both the anime and manga are comedies that follow the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders to conquer Earth. Sergeant Keroro, the titular character, is the leader of the platoon, but is at the mercy of a human family of three after he is captured while trying to hide in one of the family member's bedrooms. In both the manga and anime, Keroro is forced to do meaningless chores and errands for the family after his army abandons his platoon on Earth. The platoon has many failed attempts at taking over Earth.

《Keroro军曹》()是日本漫画家吉崎观音所创作的日本漫画作品。于1999年开始连载于《月刊少年Ace》杂志。描述一群青蛙型外星人来到地球后,策划各种侵略地球的计划并引发笑料的故事。


History.

Christopher Columbus sighted Cayman Brac and its sister island, Little Cayman, on 10 May 1503 when his ship was blown off course during a trip between Hispaniola and Panama. He named them "Las Tortugas" because of the many turtles he spotted on the islands. The Cayman Islands were renamed by Sir Francis Drake, who came upon the islands during a voyage in 1586. He used the word "Caymanas", taken from the Carib name for crocodiles after seeing many of the large crocodilians. Many people believe he had only seen the rock iguanas that inhabit the island today.  During the heyday of piracy, pirates would use Cayman Brac as a haven and a place to replenish their supplies as there are a number of fresh water wells on the island and had many sources of food included in the local flora and fauna.

Attractions.

Diving:
  Of interest to scuba divers is a Russian Koni class frigate built in the Soviet Union in 1984 for the Cuban Navy. It is one of only a few sunken Soviet naval vessels in the Western Hemisphere, and the only one that is easily dived. The Koni II class frigate was purchased and sunk by the Cayman Islands government in September 1996. Originally designated "356", the frigate was rechristened the "M/V Captain Keith Tibbetts", after a well-known Cayman Brac politician. The wreck is the only Russian warship that divers can explore in the Western hemisphere. It originally sat upright at a depth of with the deck at, until wave action generated by a winter Norwester storm (December 1998-January 1999) which nearly tore the ship in two. The result was that the fore section tipped to about a 45 degree angle in relation to the remainder of the still-upright aft portion. and the midships became a debris field. The wreck's stern area was essentially unaffected. The frigate is located in a sandy area with generally good visibility, offshore (a fairly long swim) from 'Buccaneer', on the island's north side, near the western tip of the island. There are numerous openings in the upper portion of the ship for non-wreck certified divers. Many more openings are available since the ship broke in half. The site also serves as an artificial reef. Other interesting dive sites are Radar Reef, Cemetery Wall, and the Wilderness Wall, all well covered in corals and with a wide diversity of marine life.  Caves:
 Cayman Brac also appeals to visitors of many persuasions besides divers. Caves are found around the island, offering spelunkers a glimpse of delicate underground formations. Steps and, in some cases, ladders have been constructed to allow visitor access to more remote caves. One cave, Rebecca's Cave, contains the grave of a young girl lost in a struggle against the ravages of the great 1932 Cuba hurricane, and it is a Cayman National Heritage Site.  Rock climbing:
 Rock climbing was developed beginning in 1992 and the island now contains about 100 sport climbs. Trad and multipitch climbs are rare.  Walking and hiking trails:
 Walking and hiking trails have been opened by the Nature Tourism Programme which allow exploration of the island's densely forested karst landscapes. Unique flora and fauna thrive here and can be observed in the wild.  Fishing:
 Cayman Brac's waters are utilized for both recreational fishing and the pursuit of big game fish.

Local economy.

The local economy tends to be concentrated in three areas which are probably typical for many Caribbean locales: tourism, municipal government, and local enterprises. Although on the Brac, the government (including Cayman Airways, the national carrier) is the largest employer. Some of the more economically prominent families in Grand Cayman originate from Cayman Brac, namely the Kirkconnells, Fosters, Waltons, and Scotts. The majority of the tourism sector is concentrated on scuba diving, although this is in recent decline in the hospitality sector, with one of the two local hotels, Divi Resorts, having closed operations in 2006. The island's economy was also adversely affected by significant damage from Category 4 Hurricane Paloma in November 2008.  A local enterprise that is nearly unique to Cayman Brac is its artists who work in a local stone known as caymanite, typically making jewellery or small stone carvings. Two of these artists have been Eddie Scott and Tenson Scott, whose works have won national contests, as well as being the official gift to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during the 1994 state visit. For the 2011 wedding of Prince William, the official Cayman Islands gift was crafted by Horacio Esteban, who grew up on Cayman Brac and is currently living on Grand Cayman.

Current airline service.

Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (formerly known as Gerrard Smith International Airport) serves the island. All scheduled passenger flights are operated by Cayman Airways and subsidiary Cayman Airways Express with service to and from Grand Cayman being flown with Saab 340B regional turboprops and also small Twin Otter turboprop aircraft with limited flights also being operated on this interisland route with Boeing 737-300 jetliners. In addition, Cayman Airways provides limited seasonal 737 jet service between Cayman Brac and Miami either nonstop or via one stop in Grand Cayman and also operates weekly nonstop 737 service to Miami.

Historical airline service.

In 1965, Cayman Brac Airways (CBA), a subsidiary of LACSA Airlines, was operating twice weekly round trip service flown with a Beech Model 18 twin prop aircraft on a routing of Grand Cayman - Little Cayman - Cayman Brac - Montego Bay. According to the airline's May 1, 1965, timetable, connecting service to Miami via Grand Cayman was offered by LACSA, an airline based in Costa Rica, while additional connecting service to Miami as well as to New York City was offered by Pan Am via Montego Bay. In 1968, the government of the Cayman Islands purchased a controlling interest in Cayman Brac Airways from LACSA and then formed Cayman Airways which has served the airport since that time.

Education.

The Cayman Islands Education Department operates two primary schools and one secondary school on the island. These include:

Cayman Brac is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It lies in the Caribbean Sea about north-east of Grand Cayman and east of Little Cayman. It is about long, with an average width of. Its terrain is the most prominent of the three Cayman Islands due to "The Bluff", a limestone outcrop that rises steadily along the length of the island up to above sea level at the eastern end. The island is named after this prominent feature, as "brac" is a Gaelic name for a bluff.

开曼布拉克(英语:Cayman Brac)是开曼群岛中距离大开曼东北方143公里的岛屿,位于加勒比海,约19公里长,平均2公里宽。该岛屿地势壮观,以「断崖(英语:The Bluff)」属开曼群岛之最。开曼布拉克的人口于1999年统计为1,822人。


History.

The first recorded sighting of Little Cayman, along with Cayman Brac, was by Christopher Columbus on May 10, 1503, on his fourth and final voyage, when heavy winds forced his ship off course. At that time, he named the islands "Las Tortugas" for the many sea turtles found abundant in the sea and living there. The islands were later renamed "Las Caimanas" for the rock iguanas (that were thought to be caimans) also found living there.  The first settlement on the island was in the 17th century when settlers or runaways, Indentured servants set up camps that would supply pirate & military ship convoys with fresh meat, as well as freshwater, Turtle, pigs, goats, and other poultry. There are freshwater springs that run underground in cavernous veins. After a raid by a Spanish privateer on April 14th, 1669, the settlements were destroyed and abandoned in 1671 and the island was not resettled until 1833, when Blossom Village was established by a few families, mostly with surname Ebanks, Bodden & Ryan. By the early 20th century, several hundred people lived and worked on Little Cayman and exported phosphate ore, coconuts, and marine rope made from the Silver Thatch palm tree. There were also schooners being built. The most famous settlement and harbor were on the coastline of the Bloody Bay were the famous Bloody Bay wall a few hundred meters out.

Attractions.

Diving.

Little Cayman is famous for its scuba diving. The most popular dive site areas, Bloody Bay and Jackson's Bight, are both located on the north side of the island, just west of its midpoint. The deeper sites on its south side are generally visited on winter days when the north side is too rough. Little Cayman features dive sites as shallow as 20 feet and its walls are deep enough to be effectively infinite.  Bloody Bay Wall, in particular, is consistently ranked as one of the world's top dive sites. Many dive operations claim the late Philippe Cousteau declared its wall to be one of the three best dives in the world, although this story may be apocryphal. At its shallowest point, the drop-off begins at a depth of 18 feet, allowing divers who plan carefully to achieve maximum depth of over 100 feet but still enjoy exceptionally long dive times. But the wall is so famous primarily because sections of it are so sheer as to be effectively vertical, a rarity. All 3 resorts (Little Cayman Beach Resort, Southern Cross Club & Pirates Point Resort offer scuba diving as well as Little Cayman Divers.  The most vertical section of the wall (the dive site "Great Wall West") was immortalized in 1999 by the Bloody Bay Wall Mural Project. A crew of photographers directed by Jim Hellemn photographed the wall piece by piece and the images were compiled into a single, highly detailed image of the entire wall. The photograph was reproduced in National Geographic magazine in 2001. In 2010, photographers returned to the same section of wall in an effort to create a comparison image showing changes over the intervening decade.  The depth of Little Cayman's dropoffs is often exaggerated by local divemasters claiming depths of or. In truth, the 1000 m contour (3000+ ft) has been charted to be approximately one mile offshore on Little Cayman's Southside, and offshore of Bloody Bay on the island's Northside (Ibid), distances far beyond the areas dived by recreational divers.  Little Cayman's reefs are exceptionally healthy for a regularly dived area and inhabited by a full range of typical Caribbean reef life, from seahorses to sharks, and including a notable population of green sea turtles, Southern & Eagle rays.  In 2010, local dive operators launched a concerted effort to eradicate the invasive, non-indigenous red lionfish ("Pterois volitans"), which appears to be limiting its population around Little Cayman. On Wednesday afternoons, divemasters from the various resorts on Little Cayman embark on lionfish to hunt and cull the species. Since the hunts began, more grey Caribbean reef sharks ("Carcharhinus perezii") are noticeable on dives. The lionfish are then sent to CCMI for research and after the meat will be given out to restaurants to offer as a daily special or offered on the menu. A must try!

Booby Pond and Rookery.

Little Cayman's Booby Pond Nature Reserve supports the largest red-footed booby population in the Caribbean and is a designated Ramsar wetland of international importance. The site encompasses. The Cayman Islands National Trust building on one edge of the pond offers to view decks with telescopes, and the building itself is open for a couple of hours on weekday afternoons. It contains exhibits about Little Cayman's flora and fauna as well as souvenirs. There is NO entrance fee and donations are gladly accepted.

Rock Iguanas and other fauna.

Little Cayman has the only substantial population (estimated at 2,000) of the critically endangered Lesser Caymans iguana. Predation by feral cats encroachment by humans into their habitat and road deaths have reduced their population on Cayman Brac to less than 100. The rock iguanas are easy to spot on Little Cayman and the National Trust unveiled a boardwalk in December 2013 that allows visitors to view one of their nesting areas. There are no Blue Iguanas found on Little Cayman only in East areas on Grand Cayman. There are Iguana warning slow down signs to be cautious in certain areas where they like to sun out on the road. The speed limit on Little Cayman is 25mph and being British dependant colony we drive on the left.  Little Cayman also hosts the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle, and the threatened West Indian whistling duck ("Dendrocygna arborea"), also known as the black-billed whistling duck. The Tarpon Lake, a salt pond near the center of the island, boasts an unusual population of landlocked tarpon, a large silver fish that usually lives only in the ocean.

Owen Island.

Owen's Island is a small islet off the south-western coast of Little Cayman. The only way to reach it on some windy days is by boat, or there is a water-taxi operated by Little C Tours if you are not physically inclined or have young kids. The use of a kayak or standup paddleboard to cross South Hole Sound Lagoon can be rented. The islet features no buildings, homes, or human habitation, making it popular for honeymooners and adventurers. It has a beautiful white shallow sand bar which is great for kids, swimming and snorkeling. Owen's Island is privately owned and they allow the use so please respect the cleanliness when visited and any sea creatures such as Conch, pls place them back where you found them or any starfish do not pick them up or out of the water as they will die..

Point of Sand.

Little Cayman has many rocky beaches suitable for walking or entry points for diving and snorkeling. But the island has only one truly fine swimming beach with an expanse of sand, a clean, sandy bottom, and a protective reef line: Point of Sand. Currents are often very strong, but the shallowest areas are suitable for careful wading even by nonswimmers. Point of Sand is located on the northeastern tip of Little Cayman and boasts a clear view of Cayman Brac five miles away. Indeed, the beach is sufficiently lovely that it attracts visitors from Cayman Brac who come over on boats. Sundays, in particular, find many local families using the beach, which is likely to be deserted on weekdays. The beach has a shelter with picnic tables and a barbecue, but no services of any kind and no water. Getting there requires a rented car or scooter; the determined and physically fit can get there on a bicycle. Fresh Farms Exotic Fruits, Roots, Vegetables, Herbs Stop by and take a tour on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8 am to 6 pm for the purchase of local produce.  218 Gazebo Lane, off Guy Banks Rd

Little Cayman Vacation & Rentals.

When visiting the Little Cayman area, LCV can provide you with extensive Little Cayman information, Flats fishing, Bottom fishing, and Bonefishing, Snorkeling, Owens Island Water Taxi, Land tours & Eco sea tours, Daily apartment rental, Electric bicycle rentals, Car & 7 seater van rental, Scooter rentals, as well as online grocery delivery, Local & Caribbean cooked food and even a Private chef for all snacks & daily meals.

Little Cayman Museum.

A small collection focusing on local history is open for a few hours, usually weekday afternoons. There is no admission fee so donations after are appreciated and there is Tanya who has extensive knowledge of Rock Iguanas and she will happily educate and show you some of there burrows located behind the old museum.

Little Cayman Research Centre.

This 6,600 square foot research center is located on the north side of Little Cayman and is a part of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI). CCMI is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 to protect the future of coral reefs through research, conservation and education. Contact the staff there to schedule a very informative tour of the facility.

Accessibility and Services.

Little Cayman is accessible by air (via Cayman Airways) via daily inter-island flights from both Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman. Its only airport, Edward Bodden Airfield is on the southwest tip of the island. Little Cayman is not an entry point to the country; visitors and residents must land first on Grand Cayman(Owen Roberts International Airport) or Cayman Brac (Charles Kirkconnell International Airport) which are international airports.  Little Cayman has one grocery-and-hardware store(Village Square) one online grocery store(www.littlecaymangrocery.com), one liquor store, one bank(Cayman National Bank) which opens Mondays & Thursdays(9:30 am-2:00 pm and a 24hr ATM machine for Worldwide credit & debit cards (dispenses US$ and CI$ currency) three full-service restaurants (Beach Nuts Bar, Hungry Iguana & Southern Cross club & Pirates Point Resort which has a bar menu) and one local food delivery service for local breakfast, lunch & dinner(Cook Food), two churches (Baptist & Seventh-day Adventist) and 2 car rental operations (Little Cayman car rentals & Island Scooter & Auto rentals) and four small souvenir/resort wear shops (Pirates Point Resort, Southern Cross Club, Little Cayman Beach Resort dive shop & the National Trust). It is served by the tiny Edward Bodden Airfield (the airport), a two-man police force, a five-man fire crew with one truck and rescue boat, a full-time postmaster, a power station operated by Cayman Brac Power and Light, a clinic staffed by a nurse and a one-room school whose enrollment is usually in single digits. Cellular phone service offered by LIME and Digicel has almost completely eliminated reliance on landlines, which many residents maintain primarily to allow them to connect to the Internet, which can only be accessed by ADSL. There are certain areas on the North East side that get no reception.  Little Cayman Education Services is the sole educational provider on the island.

Little Cayman is one of three Islands comprising the Cayman Islands. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 60 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and five miles (8 km) west of Cayman Brac. Little Cayman is by far the least populous, with a permanent population of about 190 and another 40-50 part-time and seasonal residents. The majority of the population are ex-pat workers from Jamaica, Philippines & Honduras and from other Latin American countries as well as Canada, USA, India, South Africa, France, Germany, Scotland, and England. There are a handful of local Caymanians compromising of around 20. It is about 10 miles (16 km) long with an average width of 1 mile (2 km) and most of the island is undeveloped. Almost the entire island is at sea level. The highest elevation is about 40 feet (12 metres).

小开曼(英语:Little Cayman)是开曼群岛的三个岛屿中面积最小、人口最稀少的岛屿,位在加勒比海,距离大开曼岛东北方约87英里、开曼布拉克西方约5英里。