I am just blown away by how Japan is handling themselves. A friend, Mizuki, who studied abroad in Cedarburg, WI , from Japan posted on Facebook that she was working in a bakery 12 hours a day making food since there is such a shortage.
I also found it incredibly interesting to learn that there is not even a word for "looting" in the Japanese language. They await patiently in line so everyone gets their fair share of food. No one rushes in to take it all. I know much of this has to do with the collectivist culture, compared to individualistic which is more commonly seen in the United States. I think it is a poor quality. You cannot make it too far at all without the support of others. Yet, we continue widening the gap between the rich and poor by upper class tax breaks.
My godmother, a single doctor in her 60s, was not able to make enough money to be allowed tax breaks. If these people are making THAT much money, it is only fair to take an equal amount of money out of their accounts as the poor.
A man has 10 dollars. He has to send in one for taxes.
Another man has 1,000. He has to send in 100 for taxes. Yes it seems like so much more, but it isn't. Relative to their income and prosperity, they are both giving 10%. There is no reason why the people who are well of and wealthy should be able to have it even more comfortable, when people are scraping to get by.
Again, all it does is widen the gap and make it more challenging to come out of the lower class.
This is something I posted a few months ago regarding Japan. By NO means am I saying "I told you so," but it was somewhat predicted. One is predicted in California in the next 30 years. I hope we jump on that...
I learned today that Tokyo is located where 3 tectonic plates meet: the Phillipine, Eurasian, and Pacific Plates. Every 70 years Tokyo seems to have a major earthquake.
Years of earthquakes:
1633, 1703, 1882, 1853, 1925, ____?
11 of the 12 biggest banks in the world are based out of Tokyo. Tokyo is now 6 times as large as it was during the 1925 earthquake which caused many deaths and destruciton. Scary...
Today I went to a documentary (a genre of movies that is ever growing on me) called America the Beautiful: Buying Health. It is the second in 2 America the Beautifuls. I really want to see the first one... it is about magazines, models, and the emphasis on rare and unrealistic beauty. I want to see it.
www.AmericatheBeautifulDoc.com
The one I did see tonight discussed how weight loss absolutely does not mean healthy. You can be 5'5, 110 pounds, and way less healthy than someone the same height but 250 pounds. A dancer was featured on the video who weighs a whoppin' 290, but she can do the splits, dance for hours a day, and amazing leaps. Doctors assumed immediately that she was type 2 diabetic, etc. She was in better health in a cardiovascular & metabolic sense than most people.
The terms "overweight" and "obese" are simply coined and lacking specifics. The current first lady Michelle Obama is focusing on childhood obesity. I do understand the importance... but it is also important to make sure that young boys and girls do not lack a good self-image or self-confidence in spite of all of this "perfect body type" hype. I personally was probably overweight in 8th grade. I grew out before I grew up. I was in that awkward, chubby stage that many pubescent kids are in. Not thinking it is so good to be pushing body image on kids in that rocky of a stage of life, anyways.
I personally have eaten much differently since college. I suddenly like Sushi, Spinach, Asaragus, Hummus, East Cost Cobber..... my gosh. Even the dreaded cooked carrots. I still stay clear of fish and ribs, but everything else is just divine to me. I have learned to control portions after my freshman 15 was gained, then finally lost completely last summer. My body likes the weight of 130. Just likes to be there. If I am working out tons and eating well, it just likes 130. It may bounce up to 133 if I was a little indulgent, or fall to 126 if I'm not feeling well. But like clockwork it likes 130. So I guess that is it, kids!
Tomorrow I never eat in the dining center for lunch, but they are serving escalloped apples and spanikopita which is some delicious spinach casserole thing.
Joy to food.
Eat to live and be healthy. Do not work yourself into the ground. Food is to fuel your mind and body. I'm good about eating. But now and then, treat your cravings, damnit.
I guess I took nearly a 3 month break from this. That is 1/4 of a year. I feel like a decent amount of personal growth has happened since December 2010.
Happy 2011.
Here is an incredibly amusing and sweet set of pictures. I want to do a similar before and after of a picture of my sister Meg & myself.
http://irinawerning.com/back-to-the-fut/back-to-the-future/
