Harry Potter

Ok, ok. I finally broke down and started reading the Harry Potter series. I hate to admit it but they are actually pretty good. I finished the 3rd book today and am going to start the movies tonight. I actually find myself wishing I had the rest of the books here to read. Yes, a little embarrassing. Even the Japanese are Harry Potter Fans.

Tokyo and Kyoto

Let me just say that starting a trip around Japan with a climb of Mt Fuji is not a good idea. Definitely something to save until the end of whatever you are doing. We didn't feel terrible afterwards but definitly fatigued and a little sore. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that some people walked their dogs up the Mountain and a few others ran the entire way up and back down. Yeah, crazy.

So off we go to Tokyo the next day. There is a military hotel located close to Roppongi where we spent most of our time. It makes staying in Tokyo affordable. On our way to Roppongi from the hotel (walking) we turned a corner and I met my first Lamborghini dealership! Hmmm, I wonder if this is a nice part of town?

Our first real stop was at Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. This thing is 54 stories and the top floors are open to the public (for a small price). The top floors contain a 360 degree observation deck, an aquarium, and an art museum. The entire complex also contain residential facilities, an enormous shopping area, a meeting place, and very much more. What started as a brief stop to check it out turned into a long, many hour stay at the tower. Neither of us had any idea how much there was to see when we went in.

From the Observation Deck we were able to see the expanse of Tokyo at night. Even from the 53rd floor, you can not see the boundaries of the city, it seems to go on and on. We took a lot of pictures, but being at night they didn't really show the cities expanse well. Were were able to get a few pictures of the aquarium, but for the most part pictures were banned and security was sweeping down like hawks on those that tried. It quickly became obvious big brother was watching. The aquarium itself was a work of art. Each tank was set to compliment the tank next to it. I wish I could have snagged a few good pictures, but it wasn't worth it.

Down in the courtyard was this giant spider sort of thing, a piece of modern art I suppose. Pretty cool, it definitly stood out as a central item there.

Amy - Here and Gone - Mt Fuji

So Amy came out for a week, though it seems more like it was just for a day. Time moves fast, especially when you have a lot planned! In 6 days we climed Mt. Fuji (Fuji-San), spent 2 days in Tokyo, rode the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Kyoto, spent a couple days there, then back to Yokosuka via Tokyo on the Shinkansen.

Mt. Fuji was tough. Much tougher than either of us expected and much more difficult than advertised. I know I am not in the status of superhero for physical fitness, but damn. Was it worth it? Hmmmm, undecided. I'd say yes, but only because I did it with Ames. We took a lot of pictures and I don't think a single one of them does an accurate job of showing how steep or hard that climb was. There are are stations along the way where you can sop for a break, a drink, and a bite to eat. The climb starts from the 5th station, about 1/2 way up the mountain. In the old days people started from the first station located at sea-level; now stations 1-4 are nothing more than road markers.

We started the climb around 5:30am. They say about 30% of the people that make the climb each year are foreigners, but on the day we went it seemed more like 60%. The weather was questionable, cloudy and a little rain so we dressed out in rain suits... That lasted about 10 minutes before it became apparent we would get wetter sweating in the rain suit than by the rain that was falling. It starts out deceptively easy, paved and semi-paved trail, not much incline and very wide. It does not take long though before things change. The trail gets a little rougher and a little steeper, turns to something like lava rock covered switchbacks, and then changes into something of a rock climb. The trial changes several times and I don't think one is any easier than the other. The lava-rock path is all loose footing and tiring. The rock climb areas are mostly solid, but well, it is climbing.

The 5th station starts below the tree line. When we left it was overcast and misty, but as the climb went on we passed above the tree line and eventually above the cloud line. The middle 1/3 of the climb was clear and beautiful. There were clouds rolling down the mountain side from above and fog rolling up the mountain from below. Ice and snow were still visible on the mountain side, but had melted away from the trail a few weeks ago.

Each station offers a stamp to place on your walking stick. It is called a stamp, but with the exception of one they are brands. This is a pretty cool souvenir, I may try to convince Amy to place them over the fireplace like swords (I doubt she will go for it).

After about 7 hours, we reached the top. Unknown to me, the top is loaded with small places to rest and eat. We had two bowls of Ramon, at a cost of 1600 yen, or about 16 dollars. It was the best Ramon and best spent 16 bucks, ever. Yeah, the mark-up is a little steep, but what are you going to do? That's what free market / supply and demand is all about. If you don't want $8 Ramon, don't climb Mt. Fuji.

This is a picture of us at the gate just below the summit.

Rainy Days

Japan and the rainy summer season. Very little sunshine and lots of drizzly rain. There is a typhoon on the way, I hear Okinawa is already getting hit and shutting down. By the time it makes it here this weekend it should be little more than a tropical storm, but still, lots of rain. Because of the rain, I haven't been out much with the camera, pictures are short here for the posts. I did take a few the other day.

Along the sidewalks through the main traffic areas, there are these strange yellow things, track like, but not. Here is a picture I took of it:

After asking around a bit, I finally found out what this was all about. Turns out, these are placed for the blind. It makes it easier to follow through busy areas using a a cane. When you come up to an intersection the pattern changes:

So here you can see where the paths cross and it leads over to a bus stop. Not sure why, but I thought this was an incredibly good (but expensive) idea. I am surprised there hasn't been a push for this back home.

On another note, here is a shot of a medium size Moped and bike parking area near the local shopping tower. It was fairly empty the day I took this.
Finally, one last picture because it always makes me laugh when things do not translate exactly the way the should. This was a sign on a pedestrian bridge crossing one of the roadways:










Please do not be a violator of the society of manners :).

More Thoughts on Universal Health Care

More Thoughts on Universal Health Care This is a response I wrote more fully explaining my thoughts on the Universal Health Care issue. It was a direct reply, so take that into consideration as you read.... Interested in hearing others thoughts.

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Regarding Universal Health care and the Current system:

I am by no means saying that the current system is great or that the paperwork is simple, I just argue that it would become much worse under full government direction. I believe that it is as bad as it is now directly because of government regulation and intervention. There was a time when people did not have to turn to the Government for help, they turned to their communities and neighbors. Before the LBJ administration it was common to find community groups like the Elks / Moose lodges, churches, and other independent groups that assisted those who need aid. That ended when the Government stepped in. I do not like the idea of the same people who run FEMA (and bungled New Orleans after Katrina along with most everything they do), I do not want that group to be the same people deciding what is and what is not important in my life.

Speaking of mismanaged agencies, let's use the Social Security Administration for an example. What should be a relatively straightforward job of operating a socialized retirement plan has been horribly mismanaged for decades. It is not a difficult task to forecast population growth and decline, track age groups and predict what funding is required for each generation to maintain the SSA solvent, but only a fool would believe that the SSA will exist when you and I reach retirement. The funds became an enormous and broken piggy bank for the rest of government to reach it's hands into for pet projects. There are little or no restrictions on how the SSA funds are actually used. The funds are not protected. Should I expect anything different in a federally managed health program that is far more complicated than the SSA?

I do have government (military) health care. I have no choice in my provider or the level of care I receive, but I do have care. Saying that, when I was in college I was too old to ride on my parents policies. I also refused to take anything from them so as a low/no income college kid I searched around and found a policy I could afford. In many ways, I had better coverage with that than I do now. Free market pressure makes that possible. I also know people that live in countries with socialized medicine, and it is not as advertised by people like Michael Moore. For example in the UK your priority of care is in large part based on your age and what the Govt. deems to be required, urgent care or something that can wait (until it becomes urgent). If you are 60 and need a heart transplant, well sorry you already lived for 60 years. You might have better luck of you were 30… Additionally, if you look at the tax rates of socialized countries, they typically pay a minimum of 40% and up to 55% in some places.

From a separate stand point, Health Care mandated or run by the federal government is illegal on Constitutional grounds. The Federal Government shall have no powers not expressly given to it, all other powers are reserved for the State. There is no provision in the Constitution for Health Care. The Interstate Commerce clause of the Constitution is generally stretched beyond its bounds to justify whatever the Fed wants, but it is not the correct way to do business. I am sure that some justification can be devised under this clause, but it would be far beyond the original intent. If a Universal Health Care plan were enacted, there would also need to be a Constitutional Convention to ratify an amendment authorizing it to happen. Don't get me wrong, I am not against doing some things, I just believe it should be done correctly (although I am against this one). The Constitution was written to strictly limit the Federal Government and it provided a process for change. If we want the authority of the Federal Government to change, we should follow the process and not simply enact Federal laws that fall outside of Constitutional bounds.

America and the private sector is the source for the majority major medical innovation and pharmaceutical breakthroughs. The world turns to us as the provider for the future. Free market takes us there, the socialized systems do not provide incentive or proper direction to make the gains that we make everyday. Dig around, see where the major producers of new treatments and products are. I'll bet you find most of them are here. That would not be the case if we nationalize.

Lastly, we are a country based on individual freedom and free markets. Any socialized plan, be it health, retirement, welfare, and all the rest, fly in the face of what this country was meant to be. Do I believe a safety net should exist for those that, beyond all circumstance, simply can not provide for themselves. Yes, but that is an extremely narrow and limited group. I also believe that you get what you subsidize, and if you subsidize a poverty economy through social programs, you get more people that live in poverty conditions. Let's face it, Universal Health Care is a great euphemism for Socialized Medicine. Didn't the folks in DC claim that we spent 40 or so years fighting the cold war over Socialism / Communism? If we rename it, that will make it ok, so "Socialism" has become "Universal".

Do I think that American Health care requires reform. Absolutely, but I believe it requires less regulation and better direction, not a national take over. Refocus on the individual rather then group and employer sponsored plans. Reduce the regulatory burden and free resources for actual employment. Reduce the tax burden and allow people to keep the money they earn, so that they can afford coverage on their own.

The Anti-Universal Health Care Club

Keep the Govt out of our Heath Care. Universal Health Care is an unmanageably difficult proposition. Anyone that has ever wasted their day by standing in line at the DMV should agree. If the Govt says it is going to simply something, I refer you to a quick read through the ever so simple Tax Guidelines published by the IRS. Now apply this same process to your medical coverage and care. Government regulation has been a large source of the mess the system is already in. May I refer you to the wonderful job FEMA has done with anything?

Mike Cannon, of the CATO institute, has chartered the Anti-Universal Health Care Club. Check out the page (it is short) and drop Mr. Cannon a line to let him know your thoughts....

1 Week Down

So, it has been a week since I arrived here in Yokosuka. So far, I like it. I was warned that there are places foreigners are not welcome, but so far I have only found 1. Even at that, they are extremely polite about it, and I can't say I blame them (the locals). If I had to live right next to a base with thousands of people that didn't understand my customs and ways, I think I would want a private retreat to escape to now and again. Saying that, as a whole everyone here seems to be as friendly as possible, willing to help in any way they can, and with a little effort on my part they are willing to make great effort. Language can be something of a barrier here. A few people are fluent in English, almost to the point of little or no accent, but most speak very little, or heavily accented. I am starting to learn how to listen to the accent so it makes things a little easier to understand.

I bought a book on Kongi, the symbolic written language, and a book on Japanese gestures and body language. I have no expectation of learning to read or write, but the forms of the characters start to make sense if you understand the basis. The gestures here are different, and some might even be considered insulting to us, as I am sure some of our normal gestures might be insulting to them. The difference is that western culture, TV, Movies are pervasive here and most know western body language.

Habu Saki-- There is a type of Saki, called Habu Saki. It is in a large jar (think 1 gallon pickle jar) and inside the jar is a very large, very dead, Habu Snake that ferments along with the Saki. Sort of like Tequilla w/ the worm, only on steroids. I haven't tried this stuff yet, and I am not sure that I want to, but then what is a trip to Japan without a drink of dead snake saki? I'll try to get a picture of one of the jars.

Day 1 in Japan

So I left Home (CA) this past Sunday for my first trip to Japan. Part work, part vacation, part to find out if I want to come here after I am finished with my tour at Berkeley. From the start things were a little crazy.

I arrive at the airport incredibly early, about 3 hours before my flight boarded, and was amazed to see the line for the United International flights had at least 300 people. It took me just over an hour to get my bags checked, and by the time I did the line had nearly doubled in length. Come on, they sold the tickets, it isn't like it was a surprise to United when all these people were showing up. There had to be 10 stations that were unmanned.

So after getting through security I had about an hour before boarding, what better than some airport food for breakfast, my last authentic mex-american breakfast and at fast food airport chain :)

After the 10 hour flight (3 movies, a few songs and half of the 1st Harry Potter book) I land at the Narita International Airport in Tokyo. There is a bus that runs from NRT to Yokosuka. Today was going to turn into my day of just makes it. There was a problem with the baggage handler, it broke down half way through and took much longer than expected to get the luggage. I caught the bus with literally 3 minutes to spare. Turns out that this time of year tends to be overcast, humid, and rainy. Here are a few pics from the bus ride. The bus takes about 2 hours with light traffic.


So I finally make it to the base, figure out where the housing office is. Manage to check in, put my bags down and wash my face. I call my boss, he arrived the day before, to see if he wanted to get dinner. To my suprise, there was a dinner planned (in 10 minutes) with the outgoing guys we were relieving and our Japanese counterparts! Ok, into the shower to rinse the airplane funk off and out to dinner in Yokuska with a group of people I had never met....

We went to this small restaurant where you cook your own food. Each table has its own small gas grill. You are brought plates of frozen meat, fish, and vegetables and cook it yourself at the table. It is all you can eat with free refills on beer and Saki! The only catch is that they put you on a timer ,you have about an hour and a half before you pay for extra time. The cost, a mere 2900 yen (exchange is about $1.00 = 120yen). Everytime my glass came close to empty someone would refill it, then came the Saki toasts,, and toasted I became. Next up...What else but Karaoke! This wasn't anything like I expected. The karaoke joint ran private lounges you rented for an hour or so at a
time. About a 1000 yen/hour/person, but again all drinks are covered with the rate. All you can drink once again! Yikes! After the Karaoke it was time to call it a night.

You would think after being up for 18 hours or so I would be tired. You would be right. Jet lag is a strange thing though. I said to myself, drink enough beer and Saki, no problems sleeping, right? Well, ummm no. In bed around 12, wide awake (and slightly hung over) at 2:30. Stupid jet lag.