 |
#1 Campaigns against sagging pants
"Raise Your Pants, Raise Your Image!" This is the slogan for
"Stop The Sag" campaign by State Senator Eric Adams. He said
it's not a fashion trend but a degrading and self imposed icon. He is said
to have used $2,000 of his campaign funds to place six billboards across
Brooklyn that say "Stop The Sag" and "We Are Better Than
This" with pictures of men sagging with their underwear showing.
These two boys(in the picture) have gone too far with no sense of fashion;
however, sagging pants are not uncommon among Japanese youth. Conservative
or progressive, underwear is nothing but underwear, which should be "under"
the pants, not above. I don't know why a lawmaker poke his nose into young
fashion. Does he want to divest his community of the negative image of
looking foolish? |
|
#2 Put into Japanese.
( seemingly a cinch, but you could've walked into a trap!)
"Lay judges now help question defendants, decide verdicts, and hand
down sentences in certain criminal proceedings."
The above sentence, with no difficult words and expressions, seems quite
simple to translate, and you might think you've done it well. Yet you'll
have a sense of discomfort - you don't know why.
It is the usage of "help" that you are bothered with. Usually
"help" is followed by noun;however, occasionally by bare infinitive.
Remember this and you've taken a step forward. |
|
＃３ Writing essays in English
I've just written my English journal for a month. I had thought it's not
that tough , but it turned out so. It usually takes half an hour to write,
for I have to find a topic of the day and proofread myself again and again.
I sometimes wonder if this journal is worth writing for me and reading
for visitors. I'm afraid it's just a figment of self-complacency. Writing
a journal almost every day all year around requires active involvement
in daily activities and effort to find something new and challenging. That's
why I've decided to keep a fairly regular journal in English.
I've come to think I have to live more consciously and appreciate things and people around me. Then, I could find some meaning in everything, even such trivial things as small changes of nature. The cherry blossoms are at their best now in Matsuyama and after a while the cherry blossom front will have moved to the north, even up to Hokkaido by May. Isn't it fabulous to see all Japanese enjoy cherry blossom viewing and share the common feeling of appreciation. |
|
＃4 Toyota as Scapegoat for U.S. Government
According to the new release by U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking the maximum civil penalty
of $16.375 million against Toyota Motor Corporation for failing to notify
for at least four months.
It concludes that Toyota Motor Corporation failed to notify the auto safety
agency of the dangerous “sticky pedal” defect despite knowing of the potential
risk to consumers. It is true that some accidents allegedly happened in
America due to the sticky pedal defect, but not a single case reported
in Japan. I just wonder why NHTSA doesn't look into the true source of
the incident. I assume some Americans naively replace the floor mat, which
led malfunction of the pedal. Others are reported to have intentionally
caused accidents to obtain handsome amount of bucks as compensation for
the accident.
I suspect Japan bashing is again looming in this age of depression, which America had sowed all over the world. Japan is being used as a scapegoat for America's sin. |
|
＃５ Tiger came across as humble and chastened
I don't play golf myself and I'm not a great fun of golf. On the contrary, I don't regard it as sport. I feel embarassed to see some professional players smoking on the way.Can you think of any other sport than golf, where smoking is available amid a game. Even I like watching Tiger Woods play golf for he is, I think, an athelete, which I brand him.
It often happens that people suddenly got so stoic about sex and relentless
to those involved in sex scandal, especially to those who had pristine
image. We had better remember Jesus Christ saying to those who threw stones
to a woman who had been caught in adultery.
'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.' |
＃７
Japanese mother astronaut on Board Marking the end of Shuttle
 |
Space shuttle Discovery has completed its
mission to carry equipment and supplies up to ISS, ferry the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. The role
it played is, out of question, something to deserve much applause. I couldn’t
help, however, but remember some setbacks; Colombia and Challenger claimed
the victims of 14 astronauts.
It is said that a winner will be Russia after the shuttles’ retirement. I don’t want Japanese government to be engaged in the race of space development. Partly because Japan is no match for Russia, but mainly because I don’t see any advantage of exploring space investing enormous sum of tax money. What’ the point of space project? To preserve the earth as it is or to find another source of energy in the moon or Mars? Whatever it may be, the fact remains up to now Japanese people have enjoyed no benefit from it.
Some scientists entitled with Nobel prize might say we should judge from
a long-term perspective but they have never given us specific answer of
when and how. It seems to me their arguments get nowhere and they have
fallen into the world of self-complacency. Have I gone too far? |
|
＃８ From acrimonious to win-win
President Obama and President Medvedev signed a nuclear arms control treaty, which is an important milestone for nuclear security and nonproliferation and for the world. With increasing concern on Iran, North Korea, Pakistan and India, who claimed their right to possess nuclear weapons, the international community have been heading for slashing the number of warheads and ballistic missiles.
I'm so much glad to see the two leading countries come to realize the stupidity of having insignificantly huge number of nuclear arsenal in the age of post-cold war. Russia is reported to start to dismantle nuclear submarine and warhead at a huge expense. Isn't it ironic that business depression ailing the world seems to direct people to getting back to normal. Everything looks like going smooth, however, a real enemy for Mr. Obama is waiting back at home, the Senate to ratify the new treaty. |
|
#9 Bamboo Shoot
One of the most popular food we enjoy at the beginning of spring is bamboo
shoot, which we cook with rice and boil with fried tofu.
For most people it is indispensable taste to celebrate the arrival of spring
after a long winter. Yet it won't be warmly welcomed by people if they
have enough of it. I mean, it is troublesome to cook bamboo shoots; strip
their coats, dip in water with rice bran, remove the scum, and then parboil
them. Besides we have to dispose of the garbage of coat. The trouble is
we want it just a little, enough to meet our appetite while we desperately
want it.
#10 Issue at Deadlock
Most people expect to see the settlement on the issue of relocating the
U.S. Marine Corp's Futenma Air Station in Okinawa and not surprisingly
the democratic party seems have given up presenting its alternative site
by the end of May. Prime Minister said he had his own plan in mind. We
could never be convinced just by words until he offered something concrete,
though.
We know it's not that easy to find the alternative site for the current
U.S. basis neither outside nor inside Okinawa. This matter poses a lot
of pain and suffering on those involved . Yet we don't know see why Democratic
party leader once told U.S, president to trust him over the issue with
no feasible solution. Pushing back the matter gets us nowhere or rather
it results in getting things much more perplexing. He should have learned
it from history.
|
|
 |
#11 Earth marathon
Last January he set out on a two-and-half-year long journey and was determined
to keep running all the way. It seemed daunting logistics and few expected
it to turn out successful. I was one of them, too. Yet he is running right
at this moment. What he can do may be nothing but just running and it has
cheered a countless number of helpless and languid people. Running may
well have more power than some policies to revive the economy of the shattered
country. It is because running is a kind of exercise everyone has shared
and known what it is like. I'll keep trying to make my dreams come true.１ |
|
寛平さん
「俺は日本国民として生まれてきて、俺は日本の皆の為に頑張るんじゃー！日本国民盛り上げてやんねん。」
|
#12 Earth Marathon
He said in his blog that Japanese have lost something precious we once had which was passed down from our ancestors. He claims Japan has lagged behind other nations he ran through in almost every respect. He has learned the people he had met was very powerful and working desperately to survive.
He is not just a sort of politicians nor critics who have been complaining
of what Japan is and have done nothing to vitalize this country but is
the very person to revive Japan showing all he can do. He is not apathetic.
You could see him running on the web. |
|
|
#13 Hatoyama portrayed as low profile
I'm quite disappointed to hear Japan's Prime Minister missed an opportunity
to appeal its commitment to nonproliferation of nuclear weaponry at the
nuclear summit. I know his primary concern this time was not something
of nuclear proliferation but the settlement of relocating Futenma Marine
Air Station on Okinawa. Yet Japan should recognize its role to play as
one of the post-war era's strongest anti-nuclear voices on the international
stage.
Japan hasn't expressed its clear stance over the role U.S. nuclear weapons
should play in defending the country; what would the government do if Japan
was threatened? On one hand, the government points out Japan's three nonnuclear
principles were designed to keep its citizens safe from the threat of nuclear
use and Japan has relied on U.S. nuclear weapons on the other.
I believe the time has come that Japan should make much more visible and
concrete effort to contain nuclear proliferation, especially because of
the threat from terrorist. |
|
#14 Things ironic
U.S. and Russia agreed to reduce its
nuclear weaponry not just because they wish for the world peace but because
they fear the threat from terrorism. The two countries have refused to throw
away the lethal weapons totally relying on its deterrence. They’ve had their
own way but now can’t afford to assume a self-importance. They found the common
interest to pursue and common enemy to fight against; it is terrorism.
Irregular products are being displayed on
the wagons at supermarkets at low prices, not just because they don’t want to
waste food but because of failure of the crops in consequence of more rain, lower
temperatures and less sunlight than usual. Why not sell irregular products or
rather why not buy them?
People can’t see the right course of action
unless they are pressed by something external factors. They seem to forget to
make a sensible decision on whether it is good for them and our mother nature. We
need to start all over again. We need to learn from the past.
#15 Be Patient
How long have you ever waited for a person or a call? The advent of a cell
phone totally changed our daily habit of waiting or being waited for; we
could text message to let our friends know, say, we’ll be 30 min. late
for a date; however, this is a story when we had no cell phones.
If my memory serves me correctly, in my early twenties I was made to wait
for a girl friend. I had no way to get through with her, you know. I did
nothing but wait in my car. Until then, I thought I had been patient enough
to wait for her at least two hours, but it was proven that I just waited
no more than half an hour. It was the moment when I found myself impatient
or festinate . Some people might find something worth in just waiting,
but I din't like the idea of wasting time doing nothing. No wonder I was
not able to hit it off with her.
#16 Raise Fresh Questions
One of my acquaintances is slated to travel
to Europe on the coming successive holidays. It is, however, at the mercy of
Icelandic volcano. Airspace above the continent would be carved into three
zones; one closest to the volcano where air traffic would be completely
restricted, another zone with partial flight restrictions, and a third zone,
free of ash, where flights could resume completely. The issue has entered on a
new phase and there rises fresh questions. −To fly or not to fly, safe or not safe.− Is there any danger after all to fly through the ash cloud, which
contains high levels of silica, a glasslike dust? Some airlines reported their
test flight saw no damage to their planes.
The chances are that some companies producing coating material will develop
a device which could ward off any glasslike particles, which is the major
culprit of the current problem. There comes a new business chance.
#17 Usage of decide
While reading an article on Icelandic volcano, I found an interesting usage
of the word “decide”.
“Puempel says for now, there is nothing on the charts that would make
him nervous about the coming weekend. Unless one of Iceland's
neighboring volcanoes decides to blow or some other exceptional catastrophic event happens, he says the coming
weekend should be a good one.” (VOA news)
I think the subject following “decide” should be a person or something
that has a will. Volcano is a natural phenomenon, which can’t be a subject
in this context. The writer of this column must have taken volcano for
something of a living creature that has a discretionary power. It seems
to him that volcano could decide when to blow and when to cease spewing
the ash. If this is the right way of the usage of decide, I might as well
use in this way in my essay someday.
#18 Inoue Sato???
What do you think of when you hear "Inoue Sato"? You may well think of two Japanese persons; Mr. Inoue and Mr. Sato. It is, in fact, the name of a Japanese woman in the Lost Symbol, Dan Brown's latest work.
"Director Inoue Sato is a legend in the intelligence community."
So it can be either "井上さと" or" さと井上", for example.
In the novel she is often called Sato. It is often the case with Americans to come to be on a first-name basis even with their boss; however, in some page, she is described as "Director Sato" and in another, "Sato and Anderson said nothing." Judging from these descriptions, Sato is, out of question, a surname and Inoue is a first name, which is bizarre to the Japanese. Imagine a Japanese
woman with the name of 佐藤井上. On top of that, I am appalled by the fact this mistake was not proofread
by any one of his staff. I'm more than a little disappointed in it while
I am much delighted to know a Japanese woman appears in this book and Inoue Sato plays a vital role in settling the terrifying case.
#19 No gain from brain training
"The largest trial to date of 'brain-training' computer games suggests
that people who use the software to boost their mental skills are likely
to be disappointed.", according to the study, a collaboration between
British researchers and the BBC Lab UK website.
It has been widely claimed that 'brain-training" computer games boost
man's performance on tests measuring general cognitive abilities such as
memory, reasoning and learning. It may seem to me a good news for I've
been embarrassed by the result of the game.
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
