More politics

It's getting closer to March 4th and I am still considering my choice of candicate. The closer it gets to voting time the more nasty the discussions become. I expect that there will be more to come. It's interesting to read what the candidates say to each other during debates and what great charisma Obama has. But unfortunately he doesn't have the experience.

I have not heard how he stands on illegal immigration and what he intends to do about the immense costs these illegals cost American citizens. I am disturbed about both Hillary and Obama voting NOT to make English our national language.

McCain is sounding better and better even if his stand on Iraq mirrors Bushes. I don't think we can leave these people after we started this unending war without trying to keep out the insurgents but I would like to have our boys returned home as soon as possible. Irregardless about what is done, some country in the Middle East will take advantage of Iraq's weakened state and try to take over the country if we leave. The Middle East just doesn't have a democratic state of mind in my opinion.

I would also like to hear what will be done about national health care without the pharma lobbyists putting their two cents (or in their case million of dollars) in. Even for the people who can afford individual healthcare, the costs are amazing.

Fighting crime is another issue I haven't heard anyone mention. In Texas, the crime rate is rising and no one is safe.

I grew up in a time when we could leave our doors unlocked without worrying about someone burlarizing our house, when the children could play outside unminded and just come home at a certain time. I walked to school for 12 years and never worried about being picked up by someone. A generation late when my children were growing up they were free to wander the neighborhood with other children, playing at each other's houses, building forts in the woods and riding their bicycles down the street without supervision.

Will those times ever come back?

I wish I could believe what each of these candidates are promising. Even in the Clinton years (Bill and Hillary instead of Hillary and Bill) we were promised healthcare for everyone and that collapsed.

Anyway we vote we are taking a chance that the person we vote for will do the right thing.

Political campaigns

TV commericals have sprouted up on Texas stations recently in preparation for the March 4th Texas primaries. McCain has his spot so we haven't seen him at all.

It's interesting to watch Hillary and Obama's TV spots. I've noticed that Obama speaks directly to the camera as if he's looking straight into the viewers eyes. He is extremely believable and one feels he has singled you out to hear his words.

Hillary's commercial is quite different. She is speaking into a microphone as if she were speaking to a crowd of people and never looks directly into the camera. This gives me the impression she can't talk and look into your eyes at the same time. That approach makes me believe she is lying because she can't look directly into your face.

I heard tonight that she is in Milwaukee while Obama knows he has to get the Texas vote out and is speaking here. Bill is campaigning here. I think Hillary made a mistake in having Bill campaign for her, he is not well liked in Texas and seems to lose his temper a bit when questioned.

I do intend to vote on March 4th and I'll vote for the person who speaks to me (Obama). His commercial seems so much more sincere that Hillary's.

March 4th will be exciting. I think more people than ever before will be out voting this year. We definitely need a change and I think Obama can bring that about but Texas is traditionally a Republican state.

I've got my fingers crossed.

Vacation Time Again

The weather in Texas is about to become cold and rainy again and it makes me want to get out of here. I wish I were going away somewhere on a nice vacation, somewhere I've never been before. About 3 years ago I went to Japan on a tour with the Modern Museum in Fort Worth and had a wonderful time after I got over the terrible cold. A man that was sitting next to me on the long plane ride kept sneezing and blowing his nose and about two days later I came down with the same thing. We were still in Tokyo at the time. We spent about four days there and I missed a a delicious Italian meal!



I felt well enough to go on the tour of the Grand Palace the next day and later that evening to go to a local pearl shop where I bought the most exquisite South Sea pearls for myself at a very low price.

Since it was an art and architectural tour we visited many reknowned buildings designed by Tadao Ando, the Japanese architect that designed The Modern in Fort Worth. The Temple of Light is considered one of his most extraordinary buildings. It is quite small and in a heavily populated neighborhood but once you are inside, the feeling of being closed in goes away and you feel the 'light'.

Japan nurtures it's children, both intellectually and emotionally with special schools and parks. All of the children we saw were well behaved, some coming from school in their uniforms and some younger children playing in private schools and given free reign to create. We journeyed to the Childlren's Museum and to a private school.

As you can see we couldn't resist playing with the toys. Whoever designed the toys was a genius and certainly had a mind like a child. I wonder if he played with these toys himself. A lot of thought to hand and eye coordination went into the planning and making these toys.




At the culimination of our trip for a little shopping in the antiques area of Kyoto, we turned and saw a Geisha ( in Kyoto they are called Geiko) in training called a maiko or apprentice Geiko, perhaps going for a stroll or visiting friends. We were delighted to snap a picture.

In Tokyo a Geisha is not required to have a long training period and may become a full fledged Geisha right away. In Kyoto, the training period is longer and essentially a Kyoto Geiko has more prestige than a Tokyo Geisha.

I hope to go back someday soon, in the spring time, and visit other parts of Japan. Spring is the best time to go to avoid the monsoon season which is incredibly hot and humid. I bought a Japanese language book to study to learn a few words in order to say hello, goodbye and thank you. I can say them but I cannot read them. If I had to travel alone I would be lost. There are no signs in English and of course why should there be?