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.