The World in Perspective

Back to the basics....

2012-01-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

The focus of this article discusses one approach to solving the so-called technological deficit that most U. S. companies seem to perpetuate when it comes to hiring the U. S. worker. In it, the author notes one high school that seems to be on the right track by preparing students to become software developers at the high school level. Read the article here.

Saturday's List

2011-10-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

Reading for the Week

That Used To Be US by Thomas L. Freidman

News Of Interest

In Australia, Andrew Bolt loses in high profile race case... (Read More)
As the global tech industry looms on, there are more job cuts... (Read More)
Fear about the economy... (Read More)

Saturday's List...

2011-09-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

Reading of the Week

A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow

News Blurbs

South Australia faces negative financial outlook... (Read more)
A discussion between Smiley & West on Obama... (Watch it)
Concern over cyberattacks on Japanese companies elicits stern warning by U. S. to Japanese government... (Read more)
Virginia appealate court requests additional briefs before ruling on full exoneration despite agreementb between all parties... (Read More) Also, look at background information on DNA evidence.

An America without Jobs.....

2011-07-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Readers comments in response to this article from the WSJ seems to suggest that if you have a job you are rich and can erase the unemployed. Others think that the sole response to the jobless plight existing in the U. S. is to point the finger at Democratic ideals. What folly? Only time will tell who is right but, by then most people will have been subjected to the excrutiating realization that in a global environment their importance has been neutralized.

@nbcnightlynews...................

2010-11-22T17:29:00.000-08:00

Did Tom Brokaw err when at the end of his piece he stated that baby boomers were supporting their parents? See the presentation. I would think that each generation bears some responsibility for caring for the generation preceding it especially in the twilight of their years.

Home Sales..........

2010-08-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

All that I have been hearing this morning from the news media is the upbeat talk regarding the housing market. From where I sit, it is apparent that the sale of homes is not going as planned. The government through its efforts to speed financial assistance to prospective home buyers has done all that it can do or is willing to do except buy the homes outright. People just aren't buying. The vast majority of middle America is unemployed and may be harboring fears of losing their employment within the next few months. The message is that this is not the time to speculate in the home sales market unless you happen to have an unlimited source of income. The best advice is, probably, look at other markets because the housing market has seen its day.

On Jobs

2010-07-16T01:02:00.000-07:00

Mr. President,

It occurs to me that, in order to solve the dilemma of jobs in middle America, a radical shift away from allowing businesses to outsource jobs to foreign lands may be needed. Perhaps a modification to our tax laws might help. Other than that, in a global economy, the American people must get their heads around the idea of re-educating themselves to be better prepared to add value to the economy.

Sincerely,

E. Robinson

A call for Financial Reform.......................

2010-04-24T02:03:00.000-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Notable quote...........

2010-01-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

Deep and continuing economic stresses bring out demagogues, xenophobes, racists, and opportunists who channel people’s fears and anxieties into resentments against other people.

Robert Reich's Blog (http://robertreich.org/post/344459321/what-scott-browns-victory-really-means)

My two cents..............

2010-01-19T22:42:00.000-08:00

So, Brown won the Massachusetts senator's seat held by Ted Kennedy for nearly 50 years. And in addition, has vowed to oppose the President's health care bill. Frankly, I don't get it. I just don't understand the public's reluctance to insuring that everyone has decent health care.
To me, the issues are jobs, health care, the war, and the deficit. In short, this is how I see it.

Jobs are not coming back. Why? Because we no longer produce anything in mass supply that the rest of the world with whom we trade with can't produce for themselves.
With health care and a good paying job then most people will be able to afford it. Hence, in this case, health care is just another affordable expense. However, since jobs are scarce, people are unable to afford what they previously took for granted.
The war can be dealt with by bringing back conscription. The benefits derived will be adequate resources to engage the enemy and the whole of America gets to participate. It also provides jobs and a pay check to those currently unemployed and helps to stimulate the economy.
The deficit is not really that important to anyone. In an economy that is producing needed goods for the global populace, spending will align itself to income. Households, in order to build their savings, will quell the urge to overspend.

Now those reading this will poo hoo my rationale and say that my reasoning is too simplistic. Well, that may be possible. But, I would hasten to remind my friends that during the other great depression and prior to the Second World War, some of these ideas were put into place to sustain and enable growth and prosperity in the Americas.

Notoble quote.....................

2010-01-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

I am in the midst of reading Steve Berry's The Paris Vendetta and I ran across this quote. It made such an impression on me that I had to post it here.

There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.

originally by Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Oftentimes, it is through fiction that we are able to embrace reality.

Notable quote................

2009-12-31T23:46:00.000-08:00

One of the basic assumptions of capitalism is that anyone paid huge sums of money must be very smart.

Robert Reich's Blog (http://robertreich.blogspot.com/)

A Holiday Gift.................

2009-12-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

While scanning my list of news from various sources on Twitter, I noticed the followup to the story concerning Sean Goldman's return to his Dad from those in Brazil who have held him in legal capture for the past 5 years. Upon reading deeper into the article, I noticed the following quoted text.

"U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, had placed a hold on a trade bill that would have benefited Brazil to the tune of $2.75 billion, but he lifted it after the court's ruling, spokesman Caley Gray said."

Could this be the real reason why Brazil has agreed to this child's release after the torture that they have put his father through? See the whole article here. Who says there is no "Santa Claus"? Merry Christmas Mr. Goldman.

Getting "A" Bill.................

2009-12-19T12:57:00.000-08:00

Sir:

"If the bill is passed, it will make health insurance available to millions of people who can’t get it now either because of preexisting conditions, or because they just don’t make enough: community rating and the subsidies — remember, we’re talking about almost $900 billion in aid — will make a huge difference. Yes, there will be some people forced to buy insurance by the individual mandate; everything I’ve seen says that the number of people for whom this will be a real hardship will be far less than the shouting suggests.

We can come back to this. Progressives can push for bigger subsidies; stronger exchanges; a reinstated public option; stronger cost controls. Some of these things can be done through reconciliation. Having this bill in place will make it easier, not harder, to do these things than having passed nothing." Paul Krugman, The Conscience of a Liberal

Previously my comments regarding passage of the health care bill were that if the bill did not contain the public option then the President should veto it and send it back. However, after reflecting and eschewing the views of others, I have since tempered my anger and have come to the realization that perhaps a little something is better than nothing at all.

My concern, now, would be, how soon after the dust settles on this bill would the governing bodies be willing to take on the process of adding additional things to the bill. Would it be a year or two or even after this President leaves office? Presently, my belief is that unless some catastrophic condition presents itself the workings needed to further the health care debate will be forgotten. I hope I am wrong.

Thank you

On Health Care..............

2009-12-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

Sir:

This debacle that is going on in Congress and the Senate over the health reform act is absolute nonsense. Nothing will come out of it and it is unnecessary. It could be resolved by creating a law to make the insurance companies accountable. The law should include requirements that:

No one will or can be denied medical insurance on the bases of a preexisting condition or illness.
No caps on the amount of money paid out by the insurance provider for medical procedures. If the individual is paying for insurance then they are entitled to be served.
There should be controls included that preclude the amount of money that an insurance company can charge for insurance.
Dental and medical insurance should be combined and included under one banner and not presented as separate entities.

The above are items that I would consider to be essential to any bill under review. Anything less or lacking would, in my view, be worthy of the President's use of the veto.

Thank you

The President speaks to America and...............

2009-12-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on the Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Illusions.............

2009-10-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

You think what we've created is illusion? It's nothing compared to the illusions people make for themselves. They all live in a world as false as ours.

The Fox Woman (194,195)

Watching kata.........

2009-09-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

These particular kata forms are familiar. I remember learning the movements over 20 years ago. The movements are some of the most eclectic and applies to very close in fighting. It was said by my instructor that it would take one at least 10 years of practice before one could hope to attain the level of understanding required to perform these movements effectively. Enjoy watching.

Senator Cardin replies.......................

2009-09-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Robinson:

Thank you for contacting me about health care reform.

Earlier this year, several Congressional committees began work on legislation to reduce the overall cost of health care for all Americans and expand coverage to the millions who are uninsured. Our overarching goal is to achieve meaningful reforms that will maintain what works in our health care system and fix what is broken. Although the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare, Medicaid, and the financing of health reform, has not yet reported a bill, it is expected to do so shortly. Please be assured that I have read the bills that have been reported so far, and I will carefully read the Senate Finance Committee's bill before its provisions are debated on the Senate floor.

As the Senate continues deliberation, I hope we can agree that the only option that should not be on the table is the status quo. We cannot allow the current state of our health care system, which is too expensive and too fragmented, to continue. My objective is to make health care more affordable for American families' budgets and for our nation's budget. In order to achieve balanced federal budgets again, we must get health care costs under control, and in doing so, we will be able to make America more competitive in the global economy.

In addition, there are more than 46 million Americans who lack health insurance, and that number has grown by 20 percent in the past eight years. In Maryland, 760,000 people are uninsured. Underscoring the need for action is the fact that every day, Americans are filing for personal bankruptcy because they can't pay the health care bills they have incurred. In addition, when the uninsured cannot pay, health care providers shift those costs to those who can. It has been estimated that each American family with health insurance pays an additional $1,100 in premiums each year because of those who are unwilling or unable to get coverage.

I support reform that builds on our current system. I am privileged to represent a state that is home to two great medical centers-Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland--and to the National Institutes of Health. Marylanders are justifiably proud of our state's tradition of high quality medical care. We want to maintain the ability to choose the doctors and hospitals where we receive care. I want Marylanders and all other Americans to be able to choose the health care plan in which they participate. For these reasons, we need to build on our current system.

As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I firmly believe that any reform proposals we enact must be fully paid for, and the budget resolution passed by Congress requires that. I will carefully evaluate all options for financing health reform, keeping in mind the disproportionate effect that some provisions under discussion would have on working families. Health care access is an issue that stretches across all communities and many income levels, and it is not limited to members of one political party.

The President has made health care reform a priority for this Administration, and Congress has been striving to achieve workable solutions that can move our nation forward. I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner for solutions that will truly bring down the cost of health care in this country and expand access to quality care for all.

Again, thank you for letting me know your views on this important issue.

Please visit my website at http://cardin.senate.gov to sign up for my e-newsletter.

President's Speech to Children on Education..........

2009-09-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event

Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.

I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.

Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.

So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.

And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

Sudoku.................

2009-09-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

A novel built around the game of Sudoku?

Another......

2009-07-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

I am about halfway through this book, Tokyo Fiancee by Amelie Nothomb. This is my first time out of the box with this author so, I am eager to put down my thoughts about the book. The setting takes place in Tokyo, Japan (but, then you probably guessed that). A foreigner (gai-jin) is in Japan to learn Japanese. She decides the best way to do it is to teach French to prospective students and in the process master Japanese. What ensues is a relationship with her student that becomes a romantic involvement that she had not planned for. The story takes us through the differences in attitude and outlook that develop between the couple as they clash with the stereotypes of their respective cultures and the problematic situations that the loving couple find themselves in. A short book with simple writing and a style that is unique and different from my normal taste but gives some insight into romantic and cultural relationships in Japan.

The Land Down Under…….

2009-06-12T18:49:00.001-07:00

This brings back memories while living in Australia (1981-1987).

June 6, 1944……..

2009-06-08T14:01:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I watched the President lay wreaths in Normandy in celebration of D-Day, the allied military forces finest hour. At times, I found myself touched, such that, at times I was moved to tears. Of course, for me, I was way to young for that conflict. (In fact, not even born.) My part in military conflict took place in 1967-68 during what has been termed the TET Offensive in Vietnam.

What truly strikes me as weird is how little the American people have learned over the the course of time. History seems to teaching us that every few years we are doomed to find ourselves embroiled in some conflict somewhere in the world.

Like most kids growing up in the sixties, I thought the military was a way to get a jump on life, learn a trade, and get a good job. But the truth, as I found out, was that I was really rolling the dice on whether I could make it in a war zone and get back alive with all of my faculties in tack. I was one of the “lucky ones” to return unscathed or so I thought. I, later, found out that I too was affected by what I had seen and done. I returned to these shores with a drinking problem and had lost that feeling of closeness that I had with my family.

My mother remarked years later before she passed that she had noticed a change in me resulting from my experience in ‘Nam. At the tine I thought very little about it but, now looking back I think she was on to something. For years after my tour of duty I drank. Always socially, at first, but there were times when it became more. The only saving grace, if you could call it that, was I never separated myself from the military.

Unlike so many of my peers who came back and were released from the military, I stayed in long enough to “right-think” myself. It took years but I am happy to say that the benefits paid off. At the end of the ceremonies, I heard one of the World War II vets say to an interviewer to the effect that if everyone had a chance to experience war then there would no more wars. I believe he is right.

Training........

2009-05-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

While on assignment in Australia, I had the opportunity to teach and instruct Karate. I always began each session with calisthenics and stretching to insure that the recipients would be able to perform each technique properly and without amassing undo harm. I find that the gradual approach to training is the best especially when dealing with older more mature students.
Now that its been over twenty years since these photos were taken, I have to begin the hard work that it will take to regain some of what I have lost. It not that I feel any regret at my current position in life but, I think of what could have been had I taken a different path. These things you can never seem to predict at the time so you play the hand that you are dealt.
Peers that I knew back then have moved on to achieve some modicum of notoriety. So now without further ado, I lay out my initial training plan. First, I begin with the following:

calisthenics
stretching
light weight lifting with bar bells
30" on stationary bike
30" jump rope

My goal is to perform these exercises for at least 2 weeks before moving on to other skills training. Progress will be measured weekly and if modifications are necessary then I will do it.

Rashomon Gate................

2009-03-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

Completed reading Rashomon Gate by I. J. Parker. This book is part of a mystery series written by the respective author. Roughly less than 400 pages, I found it to be enjoyable and a good read. The story takes place in ancient Japan with the main character, Sugawara Akitada, involved in solving the puzzle of three gruesome murders. Initially, I thought that he might be somehow closely involved with the police in conducting his investigations. After further reading, I later realized that he acted alone with a team of selected assistants in his employ to solve these puzzles. Throughout the book, the author supplied pictures of scenes that helped the reader to visualize situations that was just previously described in prose. This helped to aid the reader in understanding how everything fit together. As a result of the good vibes from this novel, I am looking forward to reading more in this series. Recommend, if you are interested in Japanese Lit. or a pleasant fast reading mystery.

Taste the music

2009-02-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

Listen to Billy Currington

In the Miso Soup.......

2009-02-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

Just finished reading this one. My first time delving into works written by this author, Ryu Murakami, and I must say I found the book quite enjoyable. It did not end the way I would have expected, but I think it was designed to leave one postulating "what if". Some parts of the book were very graphic in detail and may leave some unable to stomach the goriness but I think these parts are necessary to the story and aid in defining the characters. It takes place in Japan and since I lived there for some time, it brought back happy memories. Names of streets and train stations in an around the Tokyo district helped me to visualize the story in my mind. For me, it was good. Would I recommend it to others? Probably, but with caution. I think the person would have to be broad minded enough to delve into Japanese Literature.

February welcomed.........

2009-02-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Picked up a copy of In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami over the weekend. The book was suggested to me through a post on another blog site. Since I lived and studied in Japan some years ago (many years) and hold some kindred spirit to the culture, I felt some need to read it and others as I am led to them. I promise to give my thoughts on this read at a later date.

Reconnecting...............

2009-01-31T07:16:00.000-08:00

Upon waking up this morning, I jumped on the scales to check my weight. It is still reading 208 lbs. Hmmmmm..........not much accomplished this week!! What else? I decided to renew my AOPA subscription. I did this because I have some idea that I may be renewing my flight skills again. That done, I also joined two groups on Yahoo: a mystery book club and a horse training group. I hope to establish connections with like minded folks participating in these aversions. This all might be because I am attempting to relive my youth. God, I hope not!!! As Tim McGraw says in his lyric "In my next 30 years, I'm gonna have some fun."

Starting Over............

2009-01-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

I hate to admit it but, I've been lazy. I've gained weight. I am now 208 lbs. By my calculations, that puts me at 13 lbs. over my desired. How did I get this way? Well, it started when I lost my job in 2003. It went down hill from there. I went through a period of mental stress, lack of confidence, ensuing financial difficulties, and professional disappointments. To stop the downward spiral, I reduced our household vehicles down to one and filed for bankruptcy. Through all of that there was only one thought that came to mind: "Life goes on." My goal is, first, to lose these extra pounds. I will use this blog to document my progress and enter my thoughts along the way. Yesterday, I went through my closet and pulled out my karate gi. It had been relegated to the back of my closet for years gathering dust. I sent it to the washer for a cleaning. I will wear it when I am exercising so as to not cheat and slip back into couch potato status. Stay tuned!!!

The Master Text............

2008-12-29T23:57:00.000-08:00

This text which I acquired in the 1970's has been the basis of my studies for learning the forms of the Shoto-Kai system.

Bloodstone sings...

2008-09-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - finding a judo instructor

2008-08-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Since my arrival in Taiwan, Republic of China, some 39 years ago, foremost in my mind was to learn the art of empty handed self-defense. I had just spent a year in Viet Nam and was not eager to return there. In my mind I had made it through the valley of death unscathed with all of my faculties in check. To me, this assignment was going to be a piece of cake. It was vacation. I was in a far off land, in Asia, where Marco Paulo once stood. These thoughts loomed in my head as I sat on the military bus making its way from Tainan, AB to the military all ranks club located off Tai Tung Liu near the outskirts of Tainan city.

Learning Basics in Taiwan

2008-06-27T00:28:00.000-07:00

It was in Tainan, Taiwan in 1969. That is the place. That was where it all started.

Warm-up Exercises for Karate
Kyokyushin - Mas Oyama