One of the best ideas I have heard in quite some time!!!!!!!

This only makes sense. America does have a serious problem, and now that problem is being passed on to our children. The rest of the world knows it, but sadly it is us that don't seem to care. Of course, along with this we could tax certain fast foods, foods that contain trans-fats and the like, and as much as I hate to say it....beer.

What say you?

Editor's note: David Paterson, a Democrat, is governor of New York.

New York Gov. David Paterson says taxing soft drinks could help combat obesity.

ALBANY, New York (CNN) -- Like many New Yorkers, I remember a time when nearly everyone smoked. In 1950, Collier's reported that more than three-quarters of adult men smoked. This epidemic had a devastating and long-lasting impact on public health.

Today, we find ourselves in the midst of a new public health epidemic: childhood obesity.

What smoking was to my parents' generation, obesity is to my children's generation. Nearly one out of every four New Yorkers under the age of 18 is obese. In many high-poverty areas, the rate is closer to one out of three.

That is why, in the state budget I presented last Tuesday, I proposed a tax on sugared beverages like soda. Research has demonstrated that soft-drink consumption is one of the main drivers of childhood obesity.

For example, a study by Harvard researchers found that each additional 12-ounce soft drink consumed per day increases the risk of a child becoming obese by 60 percent. For adults, the association is similar.

If we are to succeed in reducing childhood obesity, we must reduce consumption of sugared beverages. That is the purpose of our proposed tax. We estimate that an 18 percent tax will reduce consumption by five percent.

Our tax would apply only to sugared drinks -- including fruit drinks that are less than 70 percent juice -- that are nondiet. The $404 million this tax would raise next year will go toward funding public health programs, including obesity prevention programs, across New York state.

The surgeon general estimates that obesity was associated with 112,000 deaths in the United States every year. Here in New York state, we spend almost $6.1 billion on health care related to adult obesity -- the second-highest level of spending in the nation.

Last year, legitimate concerns about links between consumption of fast food and the prevalence of heart disease prompted New York City to ban the use of trans fats in restaurant food.

No one can deny the urgency of reducing the rate of obesity, including childhood obesity. Obesity causes serious health problems like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It puts children at much greater risk for life-threatening conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

We must never stigmatize children who are overweight or obese. Yet, for the sake of our children's health, we have an obligation to address this crisis. I believe we can ultimately curb the obesity epidemic the same way we curbed smoking: through smart public policy.

In recent decades, anti-smoking campaigns have raised awareness. Smoking bans have been enacted and enforced. And, perhaps most importantly, we have raised the price of cigarettes.

In June, New York state raised the state cigarette tax an additional $1.25. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, this increase alone will prevent more than 243,000 kids from smoking, save more than 37,000 lives and produce more than $5 billion in health care savings.

These taxes may be unpopular, but their benefits are undeniable. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, for the first time in generations, fewer than 20 percent of Americans smoked. Lung cancer rates have finally begun to decline. As a result, we are all healthier.

Just as the cigarette tax has helped reduce the number of smokers and smoking-related deaths, a tax on highly caloric, non-nutritional beverages can help reduce the prevalence of obesity.

To address the obesity crisis, we need more than just a surcharge on soda. We need to take junk food out of our schools. We need to encourage our children to exercise more. And we need to increase the availability of healthy food in underserved communities.

But to make serious progress in this effort, we need to reduce the consumption of high-calorie drinks like nondiet soda among children and adults.

I understand that New Yorkers may not like paying a surcharge for their favorite drinks. But surely it's a small price to pay for our children's health.

Almost There!

Only one week until I come home for Christmas break! I told Michi this morning that I am planning on just mailing it in the rest of the week at school. That took some explaining. I finished three classes at the middle school this morning, and have two more at elementary school to do. After today, only nine classes stand in the way of me and my Christmas Holiday!
Toei is a strange place when it comes to weather. But, I guess Kentucky is just as strange! This morning was bitter cold and now the sun is shining and I am hot sitting here in a light jacket. I’m sure tonight will be frigid. Remember that in Japan, we don’t heat the entire house—just the room that we are in. In my small apartment, that means that my living (and sleeping) room is heated, but my kitchen, shower and bathroom are not. The other night I grabbed some olive oil to use when I was cooking, and found that none would pour because it was so cold in my kitchen that it had turned solid. One teacher told me that this wasn’t uncommon at all, and that at her house it was so cold that when they wanted something NOT to freeze, they put it inside the fridge. I am still trying to figure that one out.
I have been making plans for the break and trying to balance my time between activity and relaxation. It is always good to spend time with friends and family, and I want to maximize that as much a possible. I am really pumped about getting to see my new niece, but I wish she was able to talk and play!
I’m hoping to eat some good Christmas food, and to get to go to my favorite joints to eat. I for sure am making time for some Pazzo’s pizza and a Galvin’s mushroom swiss.
I was amazed to see the story (and video) about a reporter throwing his shoes at Bush. Now I know that in a Muslim society, that is a real insult…but come on. I can only think about Austin Powers and Random Task when Austin gets his with Random’s shoe and he says, “Come on??! A shoe?! Really? I mean honestly who throws a shoe????” I am sure that the reporter meant it as a huge insult, but it was lost on Bush and most Americans. I have got to give Bush credit for some amazingly quick reflexes, and for apparently quipping shortly after, “I think that was a size 10!!”
I guess regardless of what you think about Bush, don’t throw things at him. That’s just a silly thing to do. I know that it will be something that we will all remember for some time, but other than being funny, what does it show? It’s like being at a UK football or basketball game. There have been many times where I have wanted to throw things at a ref or an official (my shoe never crossed my mind, can’t do much damage with that, and it is easy to catch the guy who threw the shoe…unless you just happen to have a spare pair!) but I always restrained. First, throwing things at the ref will usually result in your ejection and maybe a technical on your team, second, throwing things at the ref or official won't get him to change his mind about some stupid decision that he made.
Of course, I still abide by Pole’s rules for dealing with the refs that he so eloquently outlined for a paper in college. I hope you can read that excellent piece of work one day!
The rest of the week I will be getting everything ready to come home for Christmas, and trying not to forget any of the stuff that I bought while I was here. Last weekend we went to see our Japanese potter friend Osan, and we bought some amazing work from him to give as gifts when we go home. I FOR SURE will be carrying them on the flight home, some of them are priceless!
I told my elementary kids today that I am going home for Christmas. You can’t believe their faces when they hear that I will be going so far away! Some of them have never been out of the mountains, much less the prefecture (state) that we live in! America seems as far away to them as Japan does to us at home. They all told me to take pictures and have fun, but to make sure I come back.
I hope you have great weeks and that you are enjoying Christmas in full swing! It won’t be long until I come home!!!

Wasp Dinner

I can’t believe that I forget to write about this. I guess that’s a sign that I am getting used to being here, because when I first arrived I would have came home and immediately told everyone that I knew. I guess that’s just what happens when you get used to being somewhere. I was in class for 30 minutes today until I realized that one of the girls had a shirt on that said something about how she was a playboy girl, and it had a big Playboy bunny on it. I think she was probably around 10.
Last Sunday I went for dinner at one of my principal’s houses. He is always very kind to me and invited me over for dinner. Of course, I could not turn him down. Usually in Toei I eat bachelor style, and every chance I get to eat good food, I take it. Anyways, during our excellent meal of Sukiyaki, he asked me if I had ever eaten wasps (bees). I told him that in fact, I had not, but I had heard that the mountain people of Toei like to eat the creatures from time to time. This was not the case with the people in Tahara, but there I had seen sake with Japanese wasps in it to add flavor. It tastes like you would expect—sake mixed with bugs.
After some prodding from the 84-year-old grandfather, I said I would try some, and did. They didn’t taste bad, but didn’t taste that good either. The grandfather mixed his with rice and said that was the best way to eat them, probably because the rice covers up the taste of the wasps. I’m not sure if these were the huge Japanese Hachi, the really dangerous wasps that can kill you if they sting you in the head, because the ones we ate were babies and larvae. I don’t imagine they improve with age.
If I have learned anything from being here, it is that when you are out to dinner, you never know what is going to be served. Also, you never know whom you will find.
Last weekend we were all in a liquor store in Toyohashi because it has the most amazing selection of bourbon that you have ever seen. I would say they have three times as many kinds as Liquor Barn, and some that are much more rare and more expensive. While in the shop, we asked the owner if he had ever been to KY. He said no, but pointed to another guy in the shop and said that he had. We met the other gentleman and found out that he has a bourbon bar in Toyohashi, that he has been to KY 10 times, and that he knows everyone in KY personally who knows anything about bourbon. He asked me where I was from, and then proceeded to tell me about Georgetown. He did the same to Nathan and Owensboro. Small world.
I am already on cruise control to come home. I have one more week of classes to teach after this Friday, and I am ready for them to be over. I have enjoyed being in Toei and back in Japan, but it will be so nice to be home!
I hope that you are going to spend the holidays with family and friends. I can’t imagine not having others to share this time of year with. Christmas is a special time and around the world it just isn’t the same as it is at home.
I hope that you appreciate all that you have this year, and that you don’t take it for granted. When you think that you can’t eat turkey any more or you feel like you don’t want to eat any more sweets…just imagine someone serving you a big plate of pickled wasps…and those leftovers won’t be so hard to stomach after all.

Christmastime!

Christmas time is always a great time to be teaching English in Japan. Today while making Christmas cards, I was informed that some of my students were making cards for me to take home. How nice! After class I looked and I think all in all I got a card with a picture of a half-lion/half-reindeer, a thief-Santa who steals all of your money when he comes down the chimney, a hentai-angel, and a picture of Santa with a skull for a face. Nothing says Christmas spirit like a hentai-angel or a half-lion reindeer.
Vanessa informed me over the weekend that she found out that many Japanese people believe that the story of Jesus and Santa and the real reason for Christmas began when Santa came down the chimney to deliver the baby Jesus to Mary and Joseph. She also informed me that many other Japanese people are surprised to find out that Rudolph does in fact have a name, and it not referred to as simply, “Mr. Reindeer”. It’s a lovely time of year.
We had a great weekend last weekend and celebrated Nate’s birthday in style. We toured the sake factory for which we harvested rice and went to our favorite restaurant Udagawa to eat. At the sake factory we got a behind the scenes tour, actually got to help wash rice, and Nate even got a sample of the special yeast that they use! It’s a secret, don’t tell!
This week is going to be a busy one, but there are only two full weeks of work left before I get to go back to KY for two weeks. Much needed and welcomed vacation! I’ve got a few events scheduled, but am trying to make time for relaxation as well. I usually do a good job of squeezing in both!
Toei is getting colder, but not near as cold as KY. We haven’t had any snow here yet and today is really quite pleasant. I was happy to get invited to a principal’s house for dinner last night where we ate some great sukiyaki, and I got to try another first for me in Japan. I got to eat Japanese bees, which is a local treat that the mountain people of Toei good. The family’s 84 year-old grandfather told me they were very delicious and went well when mixed with rice. I tried a few, simply for the novelty.
I am really happy that I came back to Japan, but I miss home and everyone a lot. I love getting your messages and emails, and I like keeping up with the County news. Here I get to add my personal touch to lessons a lot more, so all of my students know a lot about me and my friends back home. They all know that my sister’s name is Emily and that my friend with the long hair is Ryan. They all think JR’s name is funny because it is the same as the name as the most famous train system in Japan, and I tried to teach about Worm and Ethan, but they don’t understand that my friend’s name is Worm and they can’t say Ethan to save their lives.
Hope you all are enjoying the Christmas season and are taking time to relax and think about Jesus for a bit. It’s easy to get caught up in everything and forget all about that guy. Just wondering…after a conversation I had with Thomas, I am curious about your all’s intention with your kids when (if) you have them. Should we as Christians teach our children about Santa? Is it something that we shouldn’t stress, especially the reality of Santa? Thomas said Robert Smith made the point that if we teach about Santa when the kids are young, and then when they are older we tell him he was fake—then will kids not be tempted to do the same thing with Jesus? Wonder what you all think…
Japan is fun but I can’t wait to get home to see you all…15 days!

Bush for Africa

I was recently sent an article about Bush and his work in Africa, written by a pretty well known guy. It was a good read and I think some great insight on what Bush really is like, and what he isn't. What is so striking about Bush, at least the Bush painted here, is that he is very similar to me or you. An average guy, doesn't know it all, a joker, and a man. He isn't necessarily captivating, but jut an all around nice guy. I've always said that he's the kind of guy that you would love to sit down and have a beer with and watch the game...maybe just not the guy I want holding the nuclear launch codes to enough bombs to erase the planet.
It is important to note and I think was the reason I was sent this article, is that Bush has done a lot for Africa. He takes a lot of flak for saying stupid things and making poor decisions, and his work in Africa has been mostly ignored. It makes the headlines when he tries to go out a lock door or says something funny about someone else, but when he really tries to help out the people in Africa...no one notices. Critics of Bush always mention how he made the case for Iraq based on false information (a founded critique) but never give him credit for any good work done in Africa.
Why is this? Do we just not want to put anything out there good about him? Is the liberal media intent on making him look like an idiot?

I think it has the most to do with the simple fact that it is Africa. Hotel Rwanda (Romeo Dallaire) said it best: No one cares about Africa. People have been fighting and dying in Africa for years, we just don't care. The average American Dream family (white, kids, house, corporate jobs, debt) don't give a rip about much that happens in the rest of the world, and Africa barely makes that list. Every day it is something different. A new war somewhere in Africa. A bunch of people died in Africa. Who cares.

A recent story about 100,000 gorillas being found in Africa made its way to the top of CNN's webpage. The main story was about 100,000 gorillas being found somewhere in the Congo...YEAH! The story was very popular and stayed near the top feed for a few days. The story reapreared a few weeks later when it was discovered that rebels in the Congo had taken over the area where the gorilla preserve was. OH NO!

What's amazing is that all this time there has been serious war going on in Africa, and really the only major story to reach the top of the news was about the danger to some gorillas. Recently there has been more written about the genocides around the world and that this is still continuing in Africa. And we won't care. Gas is cheap again. The economy is down. I am in debt. I don't have time to think about Africa.

I think that Bush takes a beating from the press...and history isn't going to be too kind to him either. A term that started in a time of relative prosperity ends in serious economic trouble. A term that began in "peace" ends with America fighting two wars with no end in sight. What were Bush's contributions to America and our history? Will he be remembered for Africa....??

Does the bad outweigh the good? Do we just hate Bush for no reason?

We remember that Clinton did some good things, but we will always remember Lewinski. He lied. True, he lied about something small that should have never been a public issue or of any importance to the American people but he lied.

Bush lied too. However, when he lied thousands of people died, and trillons of dollars were lost.

And That lie, is a little tougher to swallow.*

*no pun intended

Christmas Shopping and bombings

I’ve been trying to get my Christmas shopping done this year, and last weekend I think I knocked most of it out. Getting older means a lot of things, but it for sure means that I have more people to buy gifts for and that I better make sure I get them something nice. Gone are the days of children when we could wake up on Christmas day and just wonder what other people got us. I remember buying my parents useless stuff from the “store” that they would set up at school. It had a name but I can’t remember what we called it. Someone would bring in a bunch of junk really and then we would go with our class to the store and buy things for mom and dad with the money they gave us. I can’t remember anything specific that I bought but I am sure that they all were stellar gifts.
I was saddened and shocked to hear the news of the death of the Wal-Mart worker in the stampede of people on Black Friday. Have we as a people come to that? What is wrong with us that we wait in lines for hours to buy things for people that they don’t need with money that we don’t have? That is a different argument all together, and right now I am just thinking about what must have been going through the people’s heads when they heard about the injured worker. Some sites are saying that when people were asked to leave they refused and shouted about how they had been waiting in line to go shopping all morning. A man died and we kept shopping.
Normally when we hear about how our shopping practices oppress and enslave others it is usually in the context of buying sweatshop clothes and shoes and things of the like. It usually doesn’t refer to the way we run through doors and crush a man to death just in order to get this year’s hot item.
I don't know what to think about it all really. It is really embarrassing that something like that happened in America, and also that Wal-Mart couldn’t even bear to shut its doors for the entire day. Making money is so important that we just scoop up the dead, take a few pictures, and then brush the incident aside so it won't affect our numbers for the day…the busiest shopping day of the year.
It really just makes you sick. I guess its something for us all to reflect on. And the next time we hear about bombings in the Middle East and killings around the world and we are tempted to say, “You just can’t reason with those people, they have no value for human life!”—we can stop and think about how we trampled a man to death just so we could buy toys.

Abortion vs. war

I'm wondering why we are so much more worried about abortion than war. Why do aborted babies pull at our heart strings and we could care less about dying children around the world? Why do Christians vehemently oppose any candidate who is pro-choice, but pay no mind to his stance on war and international aid? I have heard many people say that Obama scares them because he is "pro-choice." In my experience this is mainly just a cover-up for those who really are scared to have a black president, but why would this scare us more than having a president currently waging two wars, one of which was started under false pretenses?
Last week, Pakistan said that a US Predator drone bombed targets inside Pakistan and wounded many teens, killing some. Of course, our government can't comment. While the subject of the US bombing targets inside other countries is for another day...the question of why was there no US public outcry remains?

Do we as a people really only care about saving the lives of unborn children in America? Are the children of the world already born less important?

It's Cold!!!!

I realized that I hadn’t updated this blog in a few weeks! Wow! I have been pretty busy here in Toei, and I have been busy writing on another blog that Nate and I are working on…I promise I just haven’t been lazy!
I have had a case of the epizoodie this week, and can’t seem to shake the sniffles like I used to. I once told Birdman that I have never been sick, and to this day I am thankful that I have never been really sick or have been a person to get constantly sick. I remember when we were younger Ethan would always get a cold in the fall, but we soon diagnosed that it was not the change of temperatures and viruses that caused his sickness, it was simply that he was allergic to the starting of school.
Toei is really beautiful in the fall, the trees have changed colors and the leaves are starting to fall. That being said, IT IS FREEZING HERE! The wind comes out of the mountains and just chills my little apartment to the bone. I have been trying not to run my heater all night, but I can see that this way of thinking is going to have to go right out the window! I think that in January the temperature inside my apartment could be below freezing!
In other news, my niece arrived! I am sure most of you know that, and my family is pretty excited. I am sad that I won’t get to see her until December, but I think she will forgive me since she won’t remember anything for about three years! She is really cute and I think my mom and dad are relieved that they are finally grandparents, although I don't think that my sister or I are anywhere close to old enough to have kids. I think in my mind I am stuck at about 19. If you ask Michi, she might tell you even younger!
School is going well and I think that the kids at least half way like me. I am sure they think I am a huge nerd and a geek, but oh well—in truth I’m not half as geeky as they are!
Today I have two more classes at elementary school to teach, and then I am off to pay my rent at the Board of Ed. After that I will relax at my apartment and try to get over this bug, since this weekend is our big trip! Weather permitting we are going to drive to Nagano and tour many beer breweries and onsens. It should be great fun and I will be glad to get away for a weekend! We do have a three day weekend, but it is the last until the winter break. I am coming home to KY and will arrive home on the 23rd! I am excited to see the family again and to spend Christmas at home with friends!

About time!

I know it's been a week or two, but I have been busy writing for another blog, traveling and that thing that I have to do called work. I am excited that tonight I am headed to Tahara to see Eriko and Hiroshi, eat some good food and hang with the girls and Nate. Should be a blast! Only two more classes to go today and I am home free! Emily is about to have the baby so that should set this weekend over the top! Hope all is well in KY!

Ain't life grand

This week has been a pretty easy one as far as weeks go. Not too many classes and nothing too out of the ordinary. No special classes to teach or wild kids to wrangle…and as I write this I have two more classes to teach at Tobu elementary. (The school with the best/ wildest kids!!) It has been raining pretty good today, so I caught a ride here with one of the teachers at my school, and I hope I can get one back home. The bus leaves from City Hall to go to the station at 4:23…and I finish work at 4. Not much room for error, as I have to go to my apartment and change clothes first! YIKES! If I don't make that bus it’s not the end of the world, but it does mean that I have to wait two more hours to catch the next one.
Life in Japan is going well, Toei is a nice place and I have made some friends here. This weekend should be fun, as I am headed to Tahara tonight to brew beer with Nate, and tomorrow we have a birthday party for Miyuki’s dad at Udagawa, the great (expensive!) place that her family like to go. Somewhere in there we have to get our Halloween costumes together, which should be a real riot if we can pull off our idea. Group costumes are always the best!
The boys at the apartment and I are still trying to get all of the bugs worked out of the slingbox, but a guy I met online (I know…) is feeling sorry for me and is letting me connect to his slingbox so I can watch the cats. I hope that I have something to watch this weekend though! We have played well in Florida in recent years, but saying that makes me feel like we are about due for a blowout…
The election is getting closer and closer, and here people could care less and less. I never hear anything much about the election from the people here and probably won’t until it is all said and done. That’s crazy to think about, especially since it is dominating everything at home.
I wish that I could tell you that I am getting better and better at Japanese, but I think I am getting worse and worse. I really want to better my speaking ability, but that seems to be the hardest thing for me. It was the same in Bosnian as well, I could always understand more than I could speak. And I won’t even mention French, as I can’t remember how to say anything. I am sure if I did try to speak French, words would come out in a mix of languages that no one would understand. Add to that the fact that the longer you stay here the more English you forget, and I am royally screwed.
I hope everyone at home is getting ready for a great Halloween and Thanksgiving to follow quicker than we all remember. It seems that each year the holidays come quicker and quicker. I guess we are all just getting old. In my mind I think I’m about 22, and plan on staying that age for a few more years.
It’s about time to head to class…I’m sure they too will be over before I know it. I just hope my activities work, or the 45 minutes that is class can feel like 3 hours. There is nothing scarier on the face of the earth than staring at 15 pairs of eyes staring back at you, and you have no idea what you are about to do. Well, I guess the only thing scarier than that is staring at 30 kids…
Have a great weekend in KY. Take some time to do something that you like to do and haven’t done in a while. Look at the stars, call an old friend, eat something bad for you, drink a KY Ale…it’s ok—I said you could. And when you do it, think of me…I’ll be stuffing myself with some expensive steak sushi. Ain’t life grand…

What have I done?

"We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost.”


A friend recently posted a few blogs about the candidates and of course the Rev. Wright came up. Since the beginning of the controversy with Wright, I have found myself divided on this issue. I admit that I have never heard the man give a full speech, or have I read tons of things that he has said. I have however seen many segments of his sermons and teachings that the media has brought to the attention of a nation.
I am sure that Wright has said things that I will disagree with, but the problem is that I can’t really find anything at the moment. When I first heard the comments that he made, I found myself saying—“Man that guy will be unpopular, and I think he his right.” We all know that if Jesus were to run for president today, he would lose in a landslide. Most “Christians” wouldn’t even vote for him. A guy that wouldn't fight back if we were attacked? A President that would tell the rich to give what they had to the poor? Do you think he would get a lot of votes?
Rev. Wright said what he believed and I applaud him for that. The only bad thing was that it all became popular at a time when Obama couldn’t afford for it to be. When trying to convince the American people to vote for you, one must be very careful about what they say and how they say it.
Do I think that the US is to blame for the attacks of 9/11. Partly. While we didn’t pilot those planes into the Twin Towers ourselves, our reckless actions around the world fostered areas of hatred and created people that hated us so much that they will stop at nothing to hurt us.

"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye," Rev. Wright said in a sermon on Sept. 16, 2001.

Does this mean that we deserved to be attacked? Of course not! The non-violent and forgiving person must believe in forgiveness for others and ourselves. But can we not see how those in the rest of the world could view us? We bombed the Japanese and had a huge parade in New York. We gave money to Osama, Saadam, and Isreal and many Americans went on with dinner like nothing was wrong.

Do we think as Americans that we are entitled to be free and happy more than others around the globe?

The election is drawing close, and I don’t think that the Rev’s comments will be the deciding factor. But they give us something to think about. If Jesus was preaching today…do you think the government would support everything that he said? Or would they want to silence this guy who was turning so many people against them…

Ramblings on a Wednesday afternoon....

Recently I read Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. It was a book that I had been reading for quite some time, I would start it and put it down, only to come back to it from time to time when I made some time for reading in my life. I must say, the day I finished it, I was truly sad. I wanted it to go on and on forever, and I could read stories about Jayber and Burley and Athey and all the guys all day.
I think I love the characters so much in this book because they remind me of my friends at home. I wonder about what life would be like if I we all lived in a small town that was made up of “us”. It would be like Pole’s cul-de-sac idea only times 10, since we would have the whole town. Of course Birdman would be the doctor, Pole would be the lawyer, Pratt would run the general store, Ryan would be the blacksmith/mechanic, JR would be a truck driver, Fenner would be the accountant/handyman, Bobbitt would be the school master, Worm would be the mayor, and so on. Of course we would all be farmers on the side.
I think I Ethan would be the barber. He would make a good barber and is full of good advice. When I read Jayber Crow, I always thought of Jayber as Ethan.
It's no secret that I love gadgets. I am not as bad as some, but I have gadget fever pretty bad. I can sit in Japan and watch the TV in KY thanks to the internet and my Slingbox. (when it is working!) I can sit at school on my nice computer and access information about anything and everything from every corner of the globe. I can use my ipod to connect wirelessly to my computer and send files, see the screen, watch movies, and hundreds of other amazing things that you would have to see to believe.
I wonder if I would be happy if I lost all of my gadgets. Could I learn to survive in a world without cell phones and wireless internet on every corner? Could I make it here if I had to rely on paper letters to tell my friends of my adventures or to hear news from home? What if I couldn't watch movies online and have the opportunity to be entertained at all times in all places?
When I was younger my dad always said that he would be happy to have a small house in the Dave holler near where his grandparents lived in Jackson County. I never really understood what he meant when I was younger, but now I do. Ryan and I talk about building a cabin on granny’s farm and having someplace to escape from the world. We wouldn’t need electricity. We wouldn’t need to build a TV stand, or have wireless in the woods. We would need a porch and some chairs and a wood stove to cook on, and we would be in heaven.
Sometimes I wonder where I will be in 10 years. I have decided that wondering is a waste of time, where I am now is much more interesting than where I thought I would be when I was 17. I have been privileged to have seen so much, and travel to so many places that I never dreamed that I would see.
What are we working towards? Will all of the gadgets ever make our lives easier? The more gadgets I get, the more complicated things become. I buy the slingbox so I can watch my KY TV anywhere in the world. How frustrated I become when it doesn’t work? More stress. I worry about losing my ipod. Stress. My cell phone doesn’t get good reception in my apartment. Stress. I left my computer charger in Tahara. Stress.

It is no secret that I think a farmer has more to offer society than an accountant. No offense accountants. I think that a mechanic is a more useful person than a politician or someone with a Masters in International Commerce or someone that can do amazing things with Excel. Today I found a blog that I wrote a long time ago about how we were losing the traditions and skills of our grandparents and replacing them with useless degrees and jobs. I still think that.

I never said what I would be in the town. I think I would just be a farmer, like Burley Coulter. I would love to hunt and fish and cause trouble from time to time, but I would always be there for any of my friends, and they would enjoy when I was around. I would hang out in Ethan’s barbershop and tell stories and laugh at everyone else and tell Bird that he doesn’t know what he is talking about when I went in for a checkup.

We would have a great town.

Camping in Toei!!!!

We had a great weekend in Toei. The girls and Nate came up and we went hiking and camping and swimming and just had a ball. It was the first time for the girls to go camping, and Nate and I were excited about it. It’s funny how now that I am a little older, I get more excited about time spent in the woods with friends than going to a crowded spot in Nagoya.
We did see some great wildlife though! I almost stepped on a Mamushi, which is the Japanese equivalent of the Copperhead. We also saw a Kawakagushi, another poisonous snake that lives around here. When Nate and I were getting ready to go to bed at the end of the night, we heard some monkeys screaming and they had to be close. It was awesome!
We cooked up some campfire chicken and sweet potatoes on the fire and it was delicious. The girls were skeptical at first to say the least, but we wont them over in the end. We had a great time and when we were leaving we were all making plans for the next camping adventure.
I had two classes to teach this morning and now I am finished for the day. The mornings here are filled with fog in the mountains, so I can never tell what the weather will be like in the afternoon. Today the fog burned off and it is sunny as ever. It’s crazy to look out of the window at school and see the mountains in the distance.
This weekend I am headed to Toyohashi for the Toyohashi festival. Fall is festival season in Japan, and every weekend it seems that there is something going on. Miyuki will be dancing in the festival, so for all of you that know her you can imagine how funny that is going to be. Sunday we are going to get up early to go a rice field and harvest some rice for a sake brewery. Sounds like a typical Sunday huh?
Miyuki organized a trip for us that we will be taking in late November. We are going to visit a micro-brewery in Nagano and spend the weekend there enjoying the scenery, good brews, and natural hot springs. I can’t wait!! Nate and I are also in the middle of starting a new blog about our adventures here, so stay tuned for an update!
Hope all is well back home and you all are having fun. My family is super excited because Sadie will come soon, I hope! Send me a note or call and tell me how you all are.
Almost time for school lunch here…the best time of the day!!!

Noah and some stinky animals!

I have two elementary school classes to teach today and then I will be home free for the week. I don’t have any classes tomorrow, and the five I have to teach on Friday should be fairly easy. I will be going to my favorite elementary school in the afternoon on Friday, so it should be a walk through for the kids and me. I think we will play some games for sure, that always makes the time pass!
This weekend is a three dayer thanks to the holiday on Monday and Nathan, Miyuki and Michi are coming to Toei for some outdoors fun. It is warm enough to swim today, but I don't think the weather will hold. We may do some camping in the mountains which should be a blast. If we do that it will probably snow or storm or be 1,000 degrees. Place your bets.
I got my scooter buzzing like a charm. I stopped at the local gas station yesterday and got the guy there to put some air in my tires, and top of my fluids. It is running like a scalded dog now! Of course when I stopped at the gas station the guy already knew who I was, and everything about me thanks to an article that was written about me in the paper. He asked me about Kentucky, and wanted to know if the horses that my family had were thorobreds. You think I am kidding! He also told me what all of my teachers, friends, and dad told me: “Go slow and be careful.” Classic.
I have been thinking a lot this week about Noah and his ark. I know that is a random thing to think about, but sure has been on my mind this week. I have been trying to meditate about it and see what I can find out. I try to think about it from different angles and views and try to ask some challenging questions.
The Bible gives some pretty specific details about Noah and his building of the ark. The type of wood is given, as well as the dimensions for the ship. Beyond that, we are left up to the world of guessing and faith to speculate about the ark.
Theories and questions abound about the ark. I have many myself. There are the obvious blatant questions: Did he actually have all of the animals in the world inside that ark? Any Sunday School student worth his salt will surely tell you yes without batting an eye. But, for the older and wiser (I hope!) among us, this answer doesn’t come so easy. How did the animals get into the ark? Why didn’t the foxes eat the chickens? How did all of the animals fit? Why did the animals come, if in fact they did? How did Noah recreate the specific environments needed to sustain animals from the jungle and from the tundra in the same boat? In other words, were the snow leopards and cheetahs hanging out together? How did animals from the far reaches of the world get to the ark, let alone find their way to the ark across seas, rivers and mountains? What did the animals eat? Did Noah have bamboo for the pandas and Eucalyptus for the koalas? How did two of each animal repopulate the entire earth? Do you know how long that would take? After the flood, what did Noah and his family eat? .................Why didn’t he just wait a little longer for the unicorns?????
These questions are just the beginning. I guess you can try to scientifically answer some of the questions. Depending on your view of the age of the earth and evolution, you could say that when Noah was alive, there were not as many species of animals living…but certainly that would not decrease the thousands of species that are alive today by a siginificant enough number to make a real difference. Even if you consider aircraft carriers, which are HUGE ships and surely bigger than the ark, how could you even fit all the animals from the Louisville zoo? We can try and find the remnants of the art on top of a mountain in that part of the world, but in fact all that it would prove (if found) would be that someone built a large boat a long time ago, and somehow it made it to the top of a mountain. (unless of course, Noah made all of the animals sign a guest book…and that book were to be uncovered along with the remnants of the ark!!!)
I also wonder how the ark did not move to a far off location. For example, I’m sure a huge wooden boat would catch a lot of wind, and in turn be blown far away from where it was built. If you think about a constant five mph wind blowing the ark, and it was floating for 40 days and nights, then it is possible that the ark would have drifted 4,800 miles from its starting point. I’m not that smart, so I am sure that sea currents and swells and other things factored in as well. Maybe the ark was just so damn big that it just sat there in one spot like a giant buoy that smells like animal poop. Who knows.
So I guess what I am saying is that I really have been struggling with if I really believe that the ark was real, and what the Bible says happened, happened. I don't think that believing in the ark will be something that saves or damns me, but it is something to think about. I am not a person that believes that every sentence in the Bible has to be true in order for Jesus to have been real and to have died for me. Surely we believe Jesus is bigger than the book itself! It is just paper and ink you know. I don’t know of anyone who has used the book to cure people or ward off demons or for anything supernatural. It is the words and ideas in the book where the power lies.
Maybe you believe that the ark WAS real and that the answer of, “God made a way!” is enough to extinguish your questions about the ark. I however, like many of you know, am still looking for the nail holes….

Well I have been thinking about the ark alright. And then…something pops into my head. If I REALLY believe that God had a son that he sent to earth…He was born from Mary who had never had sex…He never did ANYTHING wrong…He died and was put in a tomb for three days only to come back to life….
If I really and truly believe that, then I guess believing that there was a man who built a big boat big enough to house all of the animals on the earth and his family ain’t that big of a deal.

Just call me Thomas.

A little late....

I hope this update finds everyone at home dreaming of a UK win this weekend and in good spirits! I am at my favorite elementary school at the moment “preparing” to teach two classes of English to 3rd and 4th grade combined and 5th and 6th grade combined. It should be good; these students are easy and always enjoy even the simplest of games. We could play “Yell English words you know in a loud annoying voice” and these kids would be champion of the world. They are cute though, and before class the 6th grade girls serenade me with singing and piano playing!
I now know what it must have felt like when all of my teachers growing up had to teach on a Friday. Especially a Friday afternoon. Wow. You have no idea how good it feels to finish that last class on a Friday!
As soon as school is over I am going to rush home and change and try to catch the early train to Toyohashi. Lord willing, by the time you read this, I will be there. Nothing like going to the big city to have a conversation with some other foreigners! It also is good for the soul to ride the train for a bit. I always like to think and people watch while I am on the train. It is very relaxing, as long as you don't miss your stop.
Things in Toei are well, we had the festival last weekend, and now the weather is turning cold. I wish you could see the fog around the mountains every morning when I wake up. It is beautiful…but cold! The nights have turned cold as well, but it is a great time too sleep with the windows open. It reminds me of being in college with the Big Worm and sleeping in our room with the heat off and windows open while it was snowing outside. We would cover up in about 100 blankets and then watch our breath as it escaped from our comforter fortresses. I just laughed out loud when I thought about Bird walking in, or us walking into his and Pole’s room, which was kept just a shade under the surface temperature of the sun. Big Worm and me had some great times, and to this day I don't think he can eat Taco Bell.
Fall is a great time of year and I hope you all are enjoying it. If the Japanese can teach us Americans anything, it would certainly be to take time to enjoy the small things. Don't take a beautiful fall blue sky for granted, or the beautiful leaves that we get to see in KY. Make sure you take them all in, and take a day just to sit around outside and do nothing. Make sure you take a Saturday and devote the entire day to football as well.
I miss all of you and hope you are doing well. Take the time to drop me a note or give me a call. I will have my phone in my apartment soon.

Enjoy today.

What's your opinion on this????

Palin a challenge to So. Baptist view of women

By MIKE BAKER

Associated Press Writer

Related Content

Southern Baptist Convention

RALEIGH, N.C. --

Within the nation's largest Protestant denomination, a woman may not lead a church or a home. But prominent Southern Baptists see nothing wrong with Sarah Palin serving as vice president - or perhaps even commander-in-chief someday.

In other words: A woman can run the White House, just not her own house.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain's selection of the Alaska governor as his running mate - the first female on the party's ticket in history - has thrilled conservative Christians. It also has led Southern Baptist congregations and seminary students to confront their beliefs about the role of women in leadership.

Interpreted from Scripture, the teachings on women are held close in thousands of Southern Baptist Convention churches where millions worship. Among them: "The office of pastor is limited to men," and a wife should "submit herself graciously" to her husband. Earlier this month, more than 100 Lifeway Christian Bookstores - a retail chain affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention - pulled from the shelves a magazine featuring five female pastors on the cover.

Yet many in the denomination say the nation's second-highest leadership post is an apple to the pulpit's orange. Palin's potential work in a McCain administration - or even as president in the event of McCain's death - would be separate from her family life with her husband, Todd, and their children.

"There's no disconnect or inconsistency whatsoever," said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. "We don't go beyond where the New Testament goes. Public office is neither a church nor a marriage."

It's a question that's more than theological. The Southern Baptist Convention, with 42,000 churches and 16 million members, is reliably Republican. President Bush has addressed the denomination's annual meeting several times. And during the 2004 race, the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign hosted a reception for Southern Baptist pastors at a hotel across the street from the assembly.

The denomination is guided by The Baptist Faith and Message, a set of beliefs that includes restrictions on the roles of women. No Baptist is required to follow the statement, but it is a central theological document for Southern Baptists, their seminaries and clergy.

A prohibition on pastoral leadership by women, affirmed within the last several years, is based on the Bible verse 1 Timothy 2:12 in which the Apostle Paul says, "I permit no woman to teach or have authority over a man." Regarding family life, Southern Baptists cite Ephesians 5:22, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord."

Land said the Southern Baptists' position allows for a wife to work outside the home, so long as her husband agrees - and Todd Palin has long backed his wife's career in public service.

Yet, Land's view is far from universal in the denomination. Many Southern Baptists believe women and mothers should stay home.

A year ago, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which has its main campus in Fort Worth, Texas, introduced an academic program in homemaking, where women - and only women - are taught how to cook and sew. In a 2004 sermon, the Rev. Daniel L. Akin, president of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Wake Forest, N.C., cited the biblical book of Titus to argue that one of God's assignments to young women is to "be a homemaker."

"She is not lazy or a busybody, nor is she distracted by outside pursuits and responsibilities that eat up her precious time and attention," he said. "This woman is not seduced by the sirens of modernity who tell her she is wasting her time and talent as a homemaker, and that it is the career woman who has purpose and is truly satisfied."

Yet, in a recent interview, Akin said he supports Palin's candidacy, arguing that while the Bible speaks about the role of women in church and the home, it speaks nothing about women in government. Still, he said he would sound warnings to a wife and mother of five children who wanted to take on such a difficult job.

New postings!

I will be posting all of my new writings and updates here, so that Ethan will quit bugging me about having a blog that isn't on myspace. I will post all of my blogs both places since I am still clinging to my youth and want to keep myspace!!!

Thanks to Thomas for the name of the new blog, even if he wasn't trying to give me one!!!

Nice quote and an update!!!!

"As long as the aggressors, because of their financial, political and propaganda powers, not only escape punishment, but even claim righteousness, and as long as wars are started and nations are enslaved in order to win votes in elections, not only will the problems of the global community remain unsolved, but they will be increasingly exacerbated"

I found myself really in tune with this comment and I think I can agree with everything that it says. It's amazing how true this rings today. Not only do those who are in power make the rules, they also don't get in trouble for anything they do that's bad. The real kicker is that these people even claim to be righteous!!! What do you think? Any truth to that comment?


I have been enjoying myself in Japan for the last two weeks. We had a beach party in Tahara and got to hang with some old buddies, I finally went to the American joint in Okazaki, and the weather here has been pretty good. This week has been easy so far, we had a national holiday on Tuesday which really helps to break up the week. The good news of the week is that thanks to Michi's family, I have my scooter in Toei and once I get a license plate, should be able to get around a little better. At least I can get to the train station and back and not have to worry about catching a bus!
We had some kind of fried liver today for the school lunch, one of those things that makes you say, "Only in Japan!" Pretty nice week lined up…sports festival and teacher's party tomorrow, Nathan's coming Friday, hiking and the girls coming on Saturday, local festival Saturday night, Sunday relaxing and maybe some swimming in the creek if the weather is warm enough!
I have been reading a book that my mom gave me before I left. If you know my mom, you know what I am talking about. Sometimes she gives me books about God to read when she thinks I am going to forget about Jesus and start worshipping sticks and rocks. ( I'm sure when I have kids I will understand.) She gives me books that she has read and sometimes I have to admit that I haven't read them. Sometimes I am scared they are going to be books written by Christians that I don't want to be anything like. Sometimes I think they will be by George Bush loving, flag waving, Bill O'Reilly watching 'Christians'. I guess I like to read books written by guys who dislike and are disliked by the government, preach ideals that are contrary to wall street and America, and who generally don't get published by Zondervan or appear on the 700 club or Focus on the Family.
However, I have been reading the book she gave me, "When the game is over, It all goes back in the box." It's pretty good so far I must say…(except for a cheap shot that he takes at the Dali Lama…) It talks a lot about when this life is over, everything that we have will be left here. It really makes a great case for having a retirement, insurance, and manmade creations and the like. (Sarcasm!) I wonder how we as Christians can justify having thousands of dollars in the bank, when Jesus told his disciples not to take anything other than their cloaks when they went out, not to worry about tomorrow, look at the sparrow, give it all to the poor….choose which verse you want to read. A thought to ponder anyways!
The book is ok, the guy writing it is an average dude I think, and he's pretty funny at times. He's not going to blow your mind like Merton or Nouwen or those guys, but he does say some pretty good stuff. Might want to check it out.

Anyways. Hope all of you at home are doing well. Im getting ready to head home from school, ride by bike to the board of Ed, and try to get back before it is pitch black dark. Hope it works! Miss you all, write me soon!