Back in America for a Moment.

The Auto Industry is getting their bailout but I have no idea if it is a good thing. What do you think? I think these articles give some good insights. Please share your thoughts with all of us in a comment. Thanks!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/20/business/20auto.html?_r=1&hp

http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/19/news/companies/auto_crisis/index.htm?cnn=yes

CNN has an interesting interactive map that allows you to see how each state is effected by the auto makers problems.
edition.cnn.com/2008/US/12/12/map.us.auto/index.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aHrcSXzA83iw&refer=home

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/19/usa

Fox news fact sheet:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,470027,00.html

I think we all feel the same about the executives and their bonuses.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/business/18pay.html?em

I am always trying to get telephone lines and cables out of my pictures. Finally accepting there is no escape I decided to simply embrace them. If you want authentic Japanese pictures then you have some cables. Postcards just brush them but hey how real is that?!

Click on the picture and you can see why I love my wide angle lens.

Yes, times are hard in Japan too but the market is up and down.

I have some Brazilian friends that are going back to Brazil because a factory is closing outside Nagoya. I am just lucky that the public schools always need native English Speakers.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=a3FVKzbFZQcE&refer=japan

On A Personal Note

I slept in today. Actually, I slept the day away. My cell phone vibrated against the tatami mat and woke me up. Opening one eye briefly I saw a message which I didn't like. Responding to that message I was perhaps not very nice.

Turns out the message didn't mean what I thought it meant at all. So I felt hurt and shared that hurt and there was no reason for anyone to be hurt at all.

So I didn't have a latte with Tomomi at the Starbucks up in Nagoya Tower. Instead, I looked around and waited for half an hour before she told me the train was taking her home.

You think you understand someone and maybe you do but with language and culture to overcome it is not easy.

All I know for sure is that I hurt someone and we both feel sad.

Welcome back my loyal readers.

If you like humorist Dave Barry you should enjoy his take on how books could be shorter.

http://iheartquotes.com/tags/dave_barry

I love to read and if the story is good a big thick book is wonderful. But tell me, am I the only one that thinks many books could stand to lose the middle hundred pages? Where are the editors that say, "Hey Bob, you know your um story is nice. But what is with that middle section describing everyone within a hundred mile radius of a minor character?" Then Bob says, "Oh yeah I was just waiting for you to call me on that mess!" One can dream I suppose.

Peace,
-Z

I am writing about the scandal in Illinois where our governor tried to sell a senate seat long after he lost his soul. When I manage to get up tomorrow (first day of my vacation) I will finish that blog.

For now just let me say that against all the odds I still hope that the governor whose name no one can pronounce will finally resign. His soul is lost but at this rate he's going to take a lot of people with him. I just want to wake up and find that he left town with no forwarding address. Or is in a box. Oh you bet I am angry! The amount of damage he has done and could still do is terrifying.

You can read up on all the latest gory details at the Chicago Tribune's webpage.

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I believe in Peace & Love still but I'm not feeling it for whatever his name is.

^^^^Z

The currency in Japan is yen and it has two extra zeros from an Americans perspective. So we say 1 dollars and the Japanese say 100 yen. These extra zeros get confusing when you start talking about real money. The general rule is to simply remove two zeros. Thus, 100,000 yen becomes 1,000 dollars. You can use this trick when reading my blog and wonder how much 20,000,000 yen is worth.

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If you want an exact number as of 11:36 a.m. 1 dollars = 90.450 yen. For updated information try this link:

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Cheers,

^^^Z

Good Morning My Loyal Readers!

What do the Japanese have for breakfast? Most people have a Big Mac because there’s nothing like grease and fat to get you going. Oh wait, that’s the American mindset. Sorry about that I am still waking up. At times Japan has little in common with the Western world. But like everywhere on earth a McDonalds is never far away. In Chicago there was a 24 hour McDonald’s two blocks from my apartment. In Nagoya there is a 24 hour McDonald’s two blocks from my apartment. So some Japanese people have an egg McMuffin and bad coffee for breakfast.

The traditional Japanese breakfast is rice, miso soup, baked fish and green tea. Really, fish in the morning? I speak the truth. At first I thought it was crazy but now not so much. Many people I’ve spoken to like fish in the morning but don’t have time to indulge. That’s their excuse and I’ve made it my own.

When I have time in the morning I do eat rice but refer Earl Grey tea. Each morning at school there is hot green tea on my desk when I arrive. For a short time in the summer everyone drinks cold green tea. Summers are brutal here and the humidity can easily reach 80 percent.

My vacation starts tomorrow so I can get up at a respectable time like 9:00 and cook fish. Even I can’t have a pastry filled with cream everyday!

In New York City there is an endless sea of aggressive Yellow Cabs. If you find yourself in NYC and unable to see a Yellow Cab then hit the subway or run fast. Some taxi drivers are native English speakers but not so much. If your driver is talking to you instead of on his cell to his family on the other side of the world, consider yourself lucky. They wear what they feel like wearing and shower when they feel like showering. You aren't allowed to smoke anymore but that might cover the other smells you encounter. They do know where everything is and the fastest way to get there. Business is business and they want as many customers as possible.

In Germany the cabs are cream colored Mercedes or Audis carefully maintained. The drivers are middle aged and respectful. They don't drive so fast but like the UPS they are going to find the right address no matter what. If they need to ask a person on the street for directions they are happy to do so. Between the nice car, the well groomed drivers and their desire to help, you feel safe in a German cab like everything will be okay.

An Argentinan taxi is black, cheap (for foreigners) and usually has a middle aged to older taxi driver ready to fly at your command. At red lights and stop signs they often slow down a bit and then hit the accelerator if no one is coming. Ever wanted to go 100 miles an hour in a cab? This is the place for you. Your heart beats too fast but it is about twenty times faster then the bus. Taking a cab in Argentina can feel like a grand adventure into itself. A word of warning, the taxis at the airport in Argentina are known to have less than scrupulous drivers so be careful. See the following link for more information and a video.

http://www.taxisoftheworld.com/argentina-taxi/

In Japan taxis are often black but also a rainbow of other colors. Like in Germany, drivers are usually middle aged and kind. There is no uniform but they dress nicely and normally wear white gloves. In the western world taxi drivers only unlock their doors to let passengers in or out. In Japan drivers often keep the door open until a passenger steps in. When you are seated they push a button and the door closes. The cab is always immaculate and the driver pays attention like you are important. Generally they only speak Japanese so explaining where you want to go can be difficult. If you want to go close to a train station or a major landmark then tell them that. If they don't understand anything anything then try another cab. You are not allowed to smoke and drivers only use their cell phones to help find your destination. Like the Germans they are going to find your address and nothing will stop them from their quest.

On the plus side they don't tip in Japan so the number on the meter is what you pay. On the minus side the cost of a cab rises dramatically at night. A trip during the day that costs 500 yen can easily be up to 1500 yen at night. Yuki, a woman in Tokyo said that after a night of serious drinking she woke up hung over and full of regret about taking a cab home.

Train stations are generally big in Japan (more about that in another blog) and outside you will find a row of taxis ready to whisk you away. So if you can find a train station you will find eager cabs and nice train staff ready to help you. If you speak Japanese you can also call a cab as well.

In most of the world taxi drivers are male although you can of course find female drivers. When you are walking down the street anywhere in the world and hail an empty taix they stop if they feel like it. In Japan the taxis drivers are professional, intelligent, and might even break some traffic laws but they don't always feel like picking up foreigners.

Hi.

I can't live without Google but I do recommend another site for all your searching needs. Metacrawler http://www.metacrawler.com/ searches Google, Ask.com, Yahoo, and MSN Search every time you query it. It also filters offensive adult material and asks if you want to view it before showing you the results. If you want to find this link later it is on my recommended links as well.

So check it out and see what you think. Just don't tell Google that I sent you there, they pretty much own me at this point.

-Z