George Bush and spending

I can't understand George Bush and his desire to spend money we don't have. He has been running the largest budget deficits we have ever had, yet now says he will spend at least $200 billion more to reconstruct the hurricane ravaged south west, without raising taxes to pay for it. Where does he think this money is going to come from?

We have to pay all this money that we are borrowing back sooner or later. Either that means we as a country spend less money so that we have money left to pay back, or the foreign countries (primarily Japan and China) that have been lending us money will buy more of our properties.

How can people think that Bush is fiscally conservative? He talks about how bad big government is, creates the largest government we have ever had, and gives tax breaks to the rich while borrowing record amounts to pay for all of this. The last time we had large budget deficits was under Reagan (another "fiscally conservative" republican), and at that time the concern was whether Japan was going to buy all of our best properties (there were big complaints when a Japanese real estate developer purchased Rockefeller Center in New York City in 1989). Now the concern will more likely be weather China buys the properties, and we have already seen the start of it with a Chinese company trying to buy Unocal oil company.

The American people need to learn that we can't borrow all this money without somehow paying it off. There is no free money. All this borrowing is giving away our future.

This is actually a problem built in by our government system - one that Bush is just taking advantage of. Because the elected officials are all only in office for a short time, they don't have to worry about long term impacts.

Sorry, just had to rant...

Southwestern News

After 10,000 Waves, I spent a day with my Mom, who lives in Albuquerque. While there, I watched the morning news and the local newscaster was dressed much differently than newscasters do in California. He also was talking abut events at the New Mexico State Fair, which covers many activities you don't hear about in California.

日本語：
10,000 Wavesの旅行の後、アルバカーキに住んでいる母に泊まった。　そこでニュースを見た。天気予報官
は面白い服を着ていた。カリフォルニアの天気予報官はその服をぜんぜん着ていないよ。そしてニューメキシコのステート・フェアで牛のせり市と言った。それもカリフォルニアがない。

10,000 Waves report

This week, I visited 10,000 Waves spa in Sante Fe. I was going with a friend who wanted to meet the owner of 10,000 Waves, who I had met in Japan 3 years ago.

Along with the business aspects, we were also able to take advantage of the spa's amenities. Overall, it was relaxing. All I did was enjoy the natural environment and use the communal hot tub. They also offer many services like massages、aromatherapy, and private tubs. My friend got a massage, and said that it was the best massage she had ever had.

Is 10,000 Waves an onsen? It not really an onsen - they do use natural mineral water, but they have to heat it. Onsen's use naturally heated water.

Nor is it totally Japanese style, but closer than most in America. Japanese style architecture, many Japanese items around, etc., but in a Southwestern nature setting. In Japan, I think the focus would have been on the tubs, where in America the focus is much more on the spa services.

I guess it was reasonably close to Japanese style, because I was relaxing on the deck by the tub after a soak and enjoying the grounds and looking for warped trees, which you see all around Japan. I felt like there should have been some right by the tub's deck.

After enjoying the tubs, we went for sushi dinner with the owner and some others. He had two guests from Japan - one of who was a surprise to me - she was one of my sensei's when I last studying in Japan.

日本語：
今週Sante Feの10,000 Wavesと言うスパーへ行った。会社を手伝う女の人と３年前に岡崎市で会った10,000 Wavesの社長を紹介した。

暇があったから、温泉とスパーをした。とてもリラックスさせた。私は温泉と緑を楽しんだ。
マッサージとかアロマセラピーとかもある。　友達はマッサージをした。　「一番いいマッサージ」と言った。

10,000 Wavesは温泉だろう？　ちょっと違うと思う。ナチュラル・ミネラル・ウォーターだ、でも温めなければならない。

温泉に入ったの後、10,000 Wavesの社長と寿司の晩ご飯を食べた。そこで日本人２人がいっしょに食べた。　私はびっくりした。　３年前に日本で勉強した先生がいたから。　世の中狭いね。

Going to 10,000 Waves

On Wednesday, I am going to Sante Fe, NM to visit 10,000 Waves, a Japanese style onsen. I am going to introduce the manager, who I had met 3 years ago when I was studying in Okazaki, Japan, with a woman who I have been helping start a new business. I love onsens in Japan, and am looking forward to seeing what this one is like.

水曜日10,000 Wavesと言う温泉に行くためにサンタフェに出張する。　会社を手伝う女の人は３年前に岡崎市で会った10,000 Wavesの社長を紹介する。　温泉が大好きだ。10,000 Wavesへ行ってみたい。

http://www.tenthousandwaves.com/

Motorcycle air bag

Honda has added an airbag to the Gold Wing 1800cc motorcycle. Seems like an interesting idea, except:
1) most people I know of who are injured from motorcycle accidents are injured because of falling over, which this would not really protect from.
2) why did they choose to have a supplier of inflatable sex dolls provide the airbags? (at least that is what it looks like)

本田はGold Wing 1800ccのオートバイにエアバッグがある。　面白いアイデアだ、でも：
１）オートバイ事故は音を立てて倒れることでけがをする。そのことをあまり保護しないと思う。
２）どうしてダッチハズバンドの会社でエアバッグを買った？ (そうらしいね)

New Blog for my Japanese Studies

I have created a new Blog for my Japanese studies. I likely won't be writing much, if anything, until I arrive there on September 28.


日本で勉強のために新しいブログがある。 着く時まであまり書きません。

http://peter-japan2005.blogspot.com

Hurricane Satellite Photos on Google Maps

Google Maps now has satellite photos of New Orleans from after the hurricane. They were taken on Wednesday, August 31. Here is the overview.

Here is one of the places where the levee was breached.

If you hit the "Satellite" or "Hybrid" button, it will show you what it looks like pre-Hurricane. Then if you hit the "Katrina" button, it reverts back to what it looks like after Katrina.


日本語：
Google Mapsはハリケーンの後にニューオーリンズの衛星写真がある。　８月３１日（水）だ。 これだ。

これは城壁を破る所だ。

もし"Satellite"のボタンか"Hybrid"のボタを押したら、ハリケーンの前の衛星写真が見える。"Katrina"のボタを押したら、ハリケーンの後の衛星写真がみえる。

Support Our Troops Stickers

英語だけすみません。


It is very common to see ribbon-shaped bumper stickers on cars that say "Support Our Troops". Interesting, I get the feeling that the people who put these stickers on are really saying "support our efforts in Iraq", instead of "support our troops".

To me, support our troops means that we should make sure they are:
1) treated well
2) have the best equipment so they can be as safe as possible in a dangerous job
3) only be used when absolutely necessary and when the people of the US believe in the cause

I do support our troops. But this last point is one I don't think we have been doing, as I don't think starting a war in Iraq was the right thing to do for our country． And based on recent surveys, much of the US population also is beginning to lose support for the war. Our leaders have placed our troops in harms way without a good reason to do so.

I guess the people who support the war don't feel they can come out and say "Let's go to war for oil", "Let's borrow billions more dollars to liberate a country that doesn't seem to want to be liberated", or "Support killing Iraqis". So they put ribbons on saying to support out troops.