Politics and Cancer

Apparently President Bush is now taking credit for Bill Clinton’s work!

In the news is the fact that cancer-related deaths actually decreased significantly for the second year. Some Republicans are actually trying to take credit for this. However, there is a problem: it wasn’t their idea.

There was a large funding increase to cancer research in 2001 but it came under a previous Democratic initiative. In fact, at their first opportunity, the Republican majority and the Bush administration made sure that cancer research funding would be cut for these last two years. You understand, of course, they need the money to kill Iraqis.

But that’s just business as usual. What I just have trouble understanding is those Republicans that actually believe they represent the vanguard of civilization’s achievement. On the contrary, it the conservatives that stand in the way of better days all the time. I guess it’s easy to believe that you’re right when you steal the ideas of the people who were right to begin with.

-Just a peasant

Photo - of prostate cells staining positive for the cancer-related, membrane receptor protein CX3CR1 (in green) - from Drexel University.

Wet Matches

They’re wet again.
The matches are always wet.
I need a fire tonight.
I know that.

I live in
the shadows of her insecurities;
freezing hollows of despair.
And out here on a barren hill no less.

Sometimes the sun
really shines through these clouds.
Still, it’s so far away
it can’t destroy the chill.

Yeah, I know -
“the other hills.” I see them from here.
But the walk would kill me;
slow and quiet-like.

Did you know
a humming bird flew up here once?
Why would it have come
unless there had been flowers near by?

I’ll try again
but the sticks and grass are pretty damp.
Cursing them is all that
keeps me warm sometimes.

Don’t worry.
Dying in the cold isn’t so bad.
I remember that, after the shivering,
you just get real sleepy.

They’re wet again.
The matches are always wet.
I need a fire tonight.
I know that.

-Just a peasant

Photo from Cajas National Park

Densha Otoko - Kitaa!!

Japan is not actually all about samurai, ninjas, kimonos, and geisha. Japan is also very modern with all the same trials and tribulations faced by people in modern cities in any other country. Yet how you dress is still important though. How you dress says something about the group with which you associate and some groups are better accounted than other groups. Being a part of a group is still very much stressed in Japanese society.

Densha Otoko is a funny television comedy about a young man named Tsuyoshi Yamada who meets a beautiful woman named Saori Aoyama (Misaki Ito - 伊東美咲) on a train. However, Tsuyoshi is an “otaku.” Otaku is a term for people who are obsessed with anime and manga. Kind of like a nerd. It’s a lot like people who are fanatics of Star Trek, Star Wars, or RPGs. But in Japan, as in other places, this can be generally a negative thing and apparently beautiful women just don’t date otaku. As you might imagine, Tsuyoshi is also pretty shy around women and so his journey begins with help from his internet friends. I very much enjoyed it including the supporting characters.

If only people could always be more sweet and gentle.

What does "kitaa” or (kita) mean? It is an exclamation that means something like “It finally arrived!” or “It finally happened!" or "This is it!”

The opening song is by ELO (Electric Light Orchestra).

You can find the episodes (1-11) through MySoju.com in the Japanese drama section or here at Dramacrazy.net. There is also a movie version here and something that says "Deluxe" but I would recommend the TV series.

-Just a peasant

Her professional blog is here (Misaki Ito - 伊東美咲)

Misaki Ito recent update

New Year 2007

Happy New Year from Oregon

- Just a peasant