Echoes of a civilized Jungle

The NRA pro disorder & violence, not logical Australian gun regulation: NRA duty to reduce violence, if ATF can't regulate illegal firearms trade

2013-05-20T18:56:00.001-07:00

The gun control debate will not end without the gun market taking responsibility for its product or the law instilling a duty to control the unlawful use and possession of firearms. Bloomberg favors regulation of gun owners, yet recognizes the NRA argument.

Now the issue is guns or small accurate missiles largely controlled by humans, unlike the drones. Some would fear the Oblivion will be created, so they cling to their arms, as the only means to fight the government. However, a united citizen militia fighting the U.S. Government is as likely to be suicide, unless they have an actual command structure, nuclear weapons, control the air, the sea, and the net. As a couple of high powered rifles and bazookas will only pose a short distraction for the police or military, this argument is largely for the creation of a state militia or a real NRA mirroring the Swiss system or the local U.S military reserves becoming 2nd amendment militias with regional and local power structures. Thus, individual gun ownership will not protect individuals from the state monopoly on force, as it is a romantic idea, not a realistic one.

My meeting with the late NRA president highlighted that she and the NRA respect Australia and Switzerland's gun culture, yet do not follow it. The Swiss train every male for any invasion from European powers, as Switzerland has historically maintained superbly trained fighters since Machiavelli's time in order to protect one of the oldest democratic states. The ammunition and guns were kept at their homes in locked boxes until 2007 legislation, which moved storage to local reserve bases. Any sale of guns requires an electrical registration, and a license to own a gun. Basically, the Swiss have a well regulated (license required, with seller and buyer registered with a gun #) and highly trained and armed general population. The NRA is sad to admit that most US gun owners are under trained, which leads to children using negligent parent's unlocked guns to kill siblings, self or class mates. The issue solved by following the Swiss method is to eliminate negligent owners from hurting themselves, while requiring both a license to own and buy, which limits illegal sales or makes it traceable to theft or corrupt sales at gun shows or individuals. Still, the NRA is clinging to cultural uniqueness without recognizing the ability or success of regulation in maintaining their freedom to bear and use firearms legally.

Australia has made the news Colbert's gun policy skit on Howard's successful policy of buying back guns from 2007. This policy took unlawful & lawful guns off the street by purchasing the guns over market value to destroy them. The policy's success led to a statistically significant reduction in suicide and a steady decline in homicides after a steady increase in school shootings culminating in Tasmania. This policy contradicts the cultural need for guns in these similar gun-philo lawless societies. Still, the NRA refuses to accept any regulation of their faith in guns being good for society, as a slippery slope to gun banning. These societies have not lost their right to guns, merely reduced the ease of homicide and suicide.

Self defense is a good argument for well trained and licensed individuals, as Kleck argues. This would require the NRA to both train its members and take action against for negligent members. The original purpose of the NRA was to maintain and support a citizen militia. While the NRA does train and support its members, it defends its members right to guns, instead of regulating its negligent members. Thus, someone must step in to make the members or the organization responsible for their actions to reduce the violence endangering the general public's life.

Most explosives have strict liability attached to the usage, sale and possession, so there is a high duty to use or possess, as the danger to the public is high compared to the need for sport, hobby, or self defense. Most explosives are limited to less populous areas, which would allow guns to be used for hunting and shooting, while storage in urban settings would require high standards due to the owner's responsibility for anything going wrong. While this would increase ownership costs, it would limit negligent owners not able taking precautions to get free education, train, and get a safe for the gun and ammunition.

Self defense is necessary, yet pepper spray or non lethal weapons provide a deterrent without the end game of killing. Experienced killers will steal guns from under trained and often unprepared owners to kill them. Also the nervous parent will often shoot the kid for entering after curfew thinking it is a robber. The self defense argument is based on fear of a loss of property and robbery, not the ability to kill, rather deter. Simple alarm systems, camera systems, NRA signs, and well trained use of stun guns or pepper spray will leave your son, robber, or prankster alive, not dead with you facing prison or with a guilty conscious. This would hinder many more negligent or panic shootings, while still deterring robbers and trespassers without taking a life unnecessarily.

Illegal Guns are arguably a threat to the general public, as unlawful ownership and unstable/negligent owners keep giving gun owners a bad reputation. The source of guns is manufacturers, who should have a duty to track every gun with the option to shut it off or report it as stolen or lost. If the owner is not registered or the gun is listed as stolen, the manufacturer should lock the gun with its serial number and report it to the police, as a duty to protect society from such dangerous explosives falling into the wrong hands. This technology is not costly, as cell phones include small chips for this purpose. The serial number could also track the gun to a location, so that no criminal will possess and use guns for long. This is merely a deterrent from unlawful possession and dangerous possessors of guns. As an online publisher, the manufacturer would be liable for any shootings after the gun is registered stolen or unregistered, as this would be a manufacturing defect, if properly manufactured with this tracking and blocking device.

The seller should be required to register the gun with # to a register, so that people can check the history of ownership and for defects, as well as limiting their ability to sell on the black market online. Any regulation will increase illegal costs of guns, which could be regulated with tracking systems in order to limit sales to gangs, dictators, or unknown individuals. This allows duty-less owners to obtain guns without the responsibility, which law abiding citizens will have to follow. The duty of a seller to limit this would create a legal repercussion for such sales.

The owner should have a legal duty to keep the gun locked, registered, and report it stolen to limit the unlawful possession of guns. The cell phone tracking info is obtained semi unconstitutionally by the government without warrants with D orders, yet this would be likely used to determine gun's location. This should require a warrant, yet the overall need to know where guns are that are unregistered and stolen should allow such tracking ie a warrant for gun # x would give probable cause for a warrant.

Owner's will likely object to the government having such powers to track their gun and usage, yet the issue is only obtaining the location, if the gun is stolen or not registered to a licensed owner. The power to shut off could be overused by the government. So many would fear their self defense against government tyranny would be eliminated by such tracking and locking of guns. Still, without nuclear weapons or drones the limits of small groups of recreational or even trained survivalists is limited. As many desire high caliber guns, they really need armed drones and technology that only the defense department can furnish.

The NRA is fighting any encroachment on the 2nd amendment, yet the issue facing the nation is how to prevent unlawful ownership by gangs and the mentally unstable. If we had better controls over our firearms, such as tracking of it or registering guns with an online locking app we could eliminate much of the illegal arms sale. 3D printing now provides many with the ability to print a gun without buying, selling, or following such laws. Still, the duty would be imposed on the printer for all three counts, which should limit unlawful use. Meanwhile the US government took down the info and the seller repossessed the printer.

The NRA is pushing for school guards and arming citizens, yet refuses to take responsibility for these armed individual's actions. The NRA took the ATF's powers to regulate or inspect most gun shows and manufactures in the 1980s. The ATF has attempted to use such technology to limit gun runners funding 90% of the Mexican cartel's arms, yet the ATF and congress terminated the investigation and fired the head, Vince Cefalu, for uncovering the scandal. The entire purpose and many possible controls of illegal arms trade and illegal firearms usage have been blocked by the NRA, while the NRA alleges to be concerned about such issues. Basically, the NRA has almost succeeded in making America part of Latin America. Canada, Australia, Switzerland all have had substantially higher gun ownership, yet regulation has not interfered with gun owner's hobbies or usage.

Meanwhile, the US is emulating the situation in Colombia, where most wealthy neighborhoods must have armed guards increasing the cost of a secure life. Also Honduras increasingly requires that everyone with property have guns, as the society slowly falls into disorder. The NRA should recognize that more guns increase the ease of killing, not the safety of a society with life and property rights. While increased disorder foments gun ownership and NRA's funds and power, there is no need to emulate states without a rule of law or in civil war. Instead, the US should not further fall behind the civilized world to retain its historic romanticism for a lawless culture of old America with slavery, the law of the gunslinger, and little resembling developed secure societies without such violence.

The best way to reduce increased gun violence is with not just background checks of individuals, but also background checks of guns. If the NRA wants to replace the government with a law by the gun, it should be responsible for any gun death. If it wants to hamper the ATF and any regulation on the mentally ill from using guns, then the seller, owner, and manufacture must share the duty to protect the public from the mad shooter. Our society values security and freedom, we must choose one. The patriot act shows our leanings with terrorism, yet the more logical danger is local terror by rampant gun ownership. If we want the freedom to own guns, then let the manufacturer or self acclaimed gun owner's union be held responsible for any violence that reasonably could be prevented by registration tracking and locking technology.

The 2nd amendment is about a local militia, not your gun hobby. Regulation is not to limit your freedom to use a gun lawfully, merely to limit the cartel's usage and the market for stolen guns or use by the mad. It is time the NRA visits and explores the Honduran gun culture to run its own experiment on its ideal USA, so they stop arguing for a historic ideal from Cowboys and Indians, not our present modern society ruled by written laws, not by blood and guns.

OSGATA v. Monsanto: property rights or patent rights, legal check to control Monsanto's contagion

2013-03-29T23:10:00.002-07:00

Monsanto writes bills blindly adopted by the congress, has a near monopoly on the staple seeds, and patents on a contagious genes. While the scientists arguably have created many new break throughs in gene manipulation, the bill forbids regulation of any dangerous side effects or contagious spreading of GMOs to non GMO seeds. As Monsanto retains well over 90% of the seed monopoly, this will inhibit legislation and any federal health commission from controlling dangers from future GMO mutations.

Amusingly, monsanto's representative, Roy Blunt, colluded to write a bill for only $88,000 in contributions from last years campaign. Monsanto is only #6 in campaign donations. Monsanto's bill above the law now Hr 933 provides Monsanto with the ability to make the GMO salmon without any FDA testing required. This bill was approved to keep the government paying its bills, yet many congressmen never even read the late addition to protect Monsanto's welfare subsidies and from any regulations.

Monsanto has patents on 90% of all seeds for staples like corn and soybeans, so it can almost dictate prices being an oligopolist. If this invasive genetic virus or patented crop infects your own property or normal plant's seeds, you are liable for patent infringement, if you sell the crop.

Really, what many do not recognize is that Monsanto has patented a natural phenomenon that is invasive, dominant, and illegal to possess. Every time pollen crosses your property line, you could grow and sell not your property, but Monsanto's property for their profit. Disease and food are the best ways to profit unjustly, as in all the disease outbreaks in movies leading to one drug company ruling the world. Food security is essential for most states, which is why we subsidize Monsanto and many farmers. Still, it seems like the legislative regulations are gone, the business monopoly is almost secure, yet Monsanto's legal monopoly is not absolute.

As OSGATA has appealed the alleged infection of organic crops with the GMO virus, the dispute over organic farmer's property rights vs. Monsanto's patent rights may develop outside of property or tort nuisance law. Still, the courts must re-establish the integral right to have ones own seed's uncontaminated nature, and cross pollination on your land produce only your product, not Monsanto's patented product. Basically, this could require patented natural phenomenon to prevent cross pollination or fail to prosecute their negligent inability to control their patented genes, unless the farmer unjustly profits from the patent.

Here is the link to the legal analysis of the latest Monsanto case from USF law, which may shed some light on the ability to restrain the unchecked strangle Monsanto has on farming and the US's food security. The right to integrity of crops depends on the courts following dicta to limit patent infringement to legitimate circumstances.

Circumcision legal? law blog: secular law v sharia law: HR violation v freedom of religion, circumcision v mutilation, right of parent v kid?

2012-11-06T16:49:00.004-08:00

As many can imagine, law school is way more work than expected, yet I wanted to write on something international or non-class related for fun and to spend more time in the library on sunny days. I naturally picked a controversial topic from Germany, as the model city in Honduras has never really been established to discuss its legal parameters. I consider law the last location where religious law still attempts to rear its demonic head, supplanting reason, secular law, and basic human rights. Thus, I took on the issue of sharia law requiring circumcision. German law partially forbids the irreversible mutilation of a boy's bodily integrity as a crime, as it violates his freedom to choose a religion by being forever claimed by his parent's chosen religion.

I will spare you my opinion on the subject. Still, I think the US is most prone to this issue being a separate but equal or discriminatory law issue, as female circumcision is illegal, yet male is not. Thus, females have more rights than males, which is not based off of any hard science, nor reasonable nature, rather based on sex only. The only exception is that parents dominante their children in the US, yet children have gained many rights recently including the right to not be beaten etc.

While the US holds many religious acts to be illegal, I doubt circumcision is a viable legislative issue. Nor will the supreme court supersede any legislation, as the US is firmly a pro cutting society. Interestingly, only Muslim countries and the non-European states of Australia, S. Africa, Korea, Philippines, Canada and USA still have a majority cutting off foreskin.

Now with the push to criminalize female circumcision, legitimized by sharia law, will the male circumcision's religious excuse fail against human rights violations or not? Or will there be enough supporters to maintain the separate but equal discrimination of male circumcision, as a parent can mutilate only their boys? If abortion ever is banned, the right of the mother or parent's right to circumcise would probably follow. Still, the issue is that parents have a right to cut their children, yet how far is this right until it infringes on the child's human rights?

Here is the link to my blog article on the legal significance of the German court's ruling to partially ban male circumcision to protect the health of the boys. The article is widely liked and actually not bad, despite my being hardly knowledgeable enough on the subject to claim expertise.
http://www.lgjf.org/2012/11/circumcision-in-cologne-protecting-a-boys-freedom-of-religion-and-bodily-integrity/

Travel Wyoming Yellowstone & Teton: best route, stays, hikes, views, where to go in Wyoming

2012-07-27T01:04:00.002-07:00

The entrance to Yellowstone from Cody is usually the eastern one along route 20 to yellowstone lake. This trip has more grizzlies along the river by the grand loop heading north to the grand canyon, the one area we missed.

view from chief Joseph pass

Still, I recommend the north eastern entrance. Chief Joseph of the Nez Pez, one of the last native American tribes in Wyoming, was facing extermination, as the US cavalry was sent to eradicate non-reservation or concentration camp dwelling native Americans. The trail highlights the ineptitude of General Howard and the growing unpopularity of the heavy handed unconstitutional treatment of the non immigrant legal residents. Besides the history of a tribe following the river through the highest mountains in the area, the views are stunning and Beartooth highway was even listed as one of the scenic road trips by travel magazine's June 2012 issue. best scenic entrance to Yellowstone check out the views and route, only accessible during the Summer. The funny thing is that most Cooke city residents go to school in Gardiner, instead of Cody, as the roads are drivable, while 212 is only snowmobile accessible. Their trip is 2 hours snow mobile, 1 hour car.... It's funny to think of snowmobiles getting you to school and sad to drive some hours to school.

The natural place to stop is Cooke city, as it has restaurants, plenty of hotels, motels etc. Still keep going to silver gate, if you want a real rugged feel. The bison literally are grazing in front of your cabin, so make sure to carry a light or watch out for them at night after leaving the camp fire with locals telling of bear stories and deaths from dumb tourists messing with bison. Also all locals carry bear spray, which really made me buy some $45 pricey stuff for some peace of mind. There is a nice trout place near the pine cabins, yet prime rib and other western delights like huckleberry ice cream are to be had at the general store in cooke city. The Lamar valley is less than 30 minutes, depending on stampeding bison, while the park is about a mile. Thus, silver gate is the ideal location to view animals in the morning in Lamar valley, not Gardiner. The gas prices are steepest here, so tank up in Cody, as it just goes up in Montana and yellowstone.

views from hike minutes silver gate

The trout spawning season makes for a great stop and a short hike, yet get there early for parking. There are mountain goats in the very distant mountains, yet the trout are plentiful in the river, while the river otter are impossible to find. The lamar valley has bison everywhere, yet, unlike in the black hills, they are not used to cars driving by them, nor are afraid to gore a honking car, disturbing its warm napping place on the road. These are very dangerous wild animals, more so than grazing grizzlies. The wolf den is right by the entrance of Lamar valley on the hill to the north side of the road with countless wolf watchers, so stop and ask the groups to take a peek at a live wolf. Usually there are plenty of wolves just resting in the grass watching herbivores. The bears tend to be on the way to the grand canyon, so make sure to stop with everyone else. We got lucky with two cubs and a black bear right after the lodge turn off for the canyon.

two cubs by log and moms bear grazing grass

mountains and geyser falls at mammoth springs

The elk and moose are not in lamar valley, instead near mammoth springs or Teton respectively. The yellowstone resort of mammoth springs is lunch/breakfast for the elk, while Gardiner is dinner, as they literally congregate on the meadow by Gardiner in the evening and block traffic in the morning/day at mammoth springs. The geyser springs are impressive, hot, and create an impressive waterfall.

feisty elk, under 5 foot rule behind fence funny show of Im a charge and but u without horns hahaha

The canyon and old faithful are a must, yet lone star, 5 miles further without crowds, is bigger, longer, louder, rarer (every 4 hours) and has a nice walk up along a thermal pristine river. The geyser park has colorful lakes of not so hot water, 35 degrees or around body temperature. They really need to take the purist naturalists from yellowstone and let some health conscious individuals open up a real spa with the healing waters, instead of leaving it natural with planks, buildings, tourists galore, yet no healthy european spa making use of the healing waters. The canyon is beautiful and should be viewed up close, far away, and do not fall in... There was a nice glacier or ice remaining even in June, which was impressive for the heat.

walking is better, yet driving is easy

Yellowstone is named for the yellow geyser filled rivers and lakes, which are visible in the canyon sides, yet are most visible at the lake or largest caldron or crater of a giant volcano. The colors astound, as do the temperatures here. It provides natural ice fishing for otters, and perfect blue cooking pots for your catch, albeit the taste may be a bit too sulfury.

blue pure water, yellow bacteria loves the heat

Teton lake lodge is pricey but so worth it, despite having no tv and old hotel rooms. The view is better than any tv station, as sunset or sunrise makes the price worth it. You must get a room with a view! Really the dinning room is pricey, yet the food is good tiny and for the moose friendly. The moose sometimes graze outside the restaurant, yet are easy to find eating along the lake. They really do not mind spectators and stay at one location for weeks.

rockie and bullwinkle nearby

The view of the marshland, island from Grand view hike is great. The bears moved east toward yellowstone river, so there was hardly a bird in sight, yet the natural splendor of the views was worth it. Jenny lake has a nice stroll with a waterfall and friendly large and small chipmunks, happy to take your apple core from your hand, lap or backpack.

Bear Lake and the fires kept us on the move. The huckleberry ice cream turned to blackberry as we left Wyoming, yet the fires persisted. Bear lake is Utah's Tahoe cold, deep and on a mountainside, yet the huge fires almost caught us before leaving Wyoming for Idaho and clear sailing along the salt flats. In Utah, the land of honey, Logan was a quaint college town with nice inexpensive hotels with logan canyon offering a climbers paradise just miles away. These eerie views leave me wondering how the small town of Auburn, Wyoming survived the fire, as the view from the pass nearby was ominous of sad times ahead, reminding me of the fire of 88 that still leaves most of yellowstone scarred.

Forest fire near pass on route 89

bear lake hardly a beach nor public access, only private

The elk horns decorated the squares of most towns in Wyoming near the national parks. This was the best crossing with elk horns, which out shown Jackson hole's arcs of horns.

The trip was worth every minute driving, despite there being many hours behind the wheel. I would have stopped and camped in logan canyon for some hikes/climbs or even again in Teton, had the fire not been so close. The town names showed the residents backgrounds with paris and montpelier dotting the mormon landscape.
Really I'd have preferred to stay inside the yellowstone park, yet they book out a year in advance usually. Thus, Cooke city is my new favorite small town in Montana with Gardiner close second, as it has more shopping and the funniest montana postcards. check them out at hilarious postcards from Montana Travel Montana and Wyoming before visiting the coasts. Utah and Colorado are amazing, just watch for fires. Still they are a different trip too far south for the summer.

This is long, yet are there any questions or comments? Does anyone have a favorite hike, place to see wildlife, good eats or place to stay in the national parks of Wyoming? Let me know. cya in the state with no income tax and plenty of guns.

samsung nexus android vs iphone 4s: app for multi lingual

2012-07-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

Personally I like android and Samsung products, as they provide 4G, better apps, less weight, less hype, and overall fewer problems. Still, the old samsung is not as good as the iPhone 4s, due to it being competition to the 4G iPhone. I wish I had waited for the newer samsung or at least the newer iPhone. Still, I am happy with my nexus. Amazon has it listed all the way down to $1 or $400. I'd say the 1 is suspect, yet check it out.

rgi

The reasons I am not too happy with my phone is that the word guessing program is slow to learn that I type in Spanish, English, or German texts, so I often just have strange english words popping up confusing myself, the reader, and making it tedious to change the entire language on the phone to text properly. Still I found a decent program that does not guess words often and gives you all different language the keyboards. I'd enjoy the guessing function for more languages, yet I'd probably have to pay for this by buying the full version. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.klye.ime.latin&hl=en

I was very disappointed with my internet connect ability in cities, towns, and the wild west. I assume the Verizon network is to blame, as I set my data plan to only work with verizion's, so as not to have roaming data etc. I assumed that Verizon would have coverage, yet found no signal in Bronx, NY, Newark, De., and countless places along my trip in the Black hills, Montana, Yellowstone etc. I'd love to learn about verizon's gross over simplification of its network, which is much more splotchy than advertised. Basically many houses have no coverage, most cities lack coverage in apartments, no countryside village has coverage, nor any national park. The colors should not be red, rather pokadots.

My family members all have iPhones, which have had problems. They come from either faulty instillation or design. One had a battery that died within 2 hours with little use, despite being under 3 months old. The other had sound problems, which forced the phone to be reset to fix. Another just crashed with the only option to take out the battery to restart or take back to get a new one, which was done due to the warranty issue of opening an iPhone. Basically the headaches are large, while the product does take nice pics, is a overall good product with many options to fail you. Still, I wish I had it, as my battery dies quickly after some 8 hours of heavy usage. I think the normal iPhone has longer battery life, is easier to hold, the pictures rotate, typing may be easier etc.

My nexus has bad battery life, which I knew, so I take my plug with me during the day to plug into cafes, instead of just at home at night. The size makes it a bit bigger length wise and seems fragiler. I think verizon has much to work on, as it does not live up to its claimed coverage! Still, I find the apps for the android fun, yet I do wish the option to delete some programs were not interwoven with the operating system. This is with the iPhone as well, yet I hate the messenger text function, which I try not to use. Google talk or anything else is better. Still, I can't uninstall it or force them all to go through google, as I am not techie enough... Help if you have time and compassion for those less techie!

If anyone can help me set up google voice/talk, and confirm that I can delete programs without hurting my overall system that would be helpful! Anyway I'm just letting u know that verizon needs some work, the nexus is not great, nor the iPhone. Still, try the newest version of both and let me know, which is the best on the market....

The best part of my phone, is that I can now buy it for $1 on amazon, while I bought it for some $50 earlier... Gotta love the way technology is so pricey and then falls due to becoming obsolete, despite really being just a touch slower, older, and less cool.

American road trip Black hills to Yellowstone: western, not coastal USA

2012-07-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

After many trips abroad and anywhere but the fly over states, supposedly real America, I finally went to some beautiful parts of continental USA, not coastal. I must admit that the trip was really one of the most impressive landscape and people wise. First the must see in the northern west is Yellow Stone, Teton, Black Hills (constitutionally Indian territory, unconstitutionally US national park), and Bighorn national forest (lesser known therefore lacking tourists for real serenity, peace and quite of nature).

The black hills have the best bison herd along the wildlife loop, yet you must be lucky to get stuck in bison rush hour 10-12, the only cause of traffic jams there. The loop is a must, while the windy cave park is where you can see some of the lone males and antelope, missing the tourists and big herd. I hear the windy cave is better than the jewel cave, yet I went to the jewel cave, which was not impressive (you need a head light to see anything and the worthless crystals are dull, sorta why it's not a mine).

(buffalo take both lanes without a thought)

Naturally, for nationalisms sake, one must visit Mnt Rushmore, yet I'd personally not park and visit the base ($11 pricey), as the view is well published and the throngs make it feel like six flags. My favorite was the drive along iron mountain road, which let you really be awe struck by the impressive power of industrial thinking. Have a picnic from the hilltop 5 miles away to take in the real pleasure of the monument.

from afar it's ten times better than up close!

The trip through the needles is not that impressive, yet worth the slow traffic and hike around. Still, the most impressive and marriage favorite is Sylvan lake, where locals enjoy the water, hiking, jogging or just strolling after many hours driving, waiting on bison and elk to appear.

kids and adults love the lake at the peak of the black hills

The best places to stay along the trip are definitely Hot Springs and Custer, as they both have a nice feel, unlike big town blah hotel. Hot springs has amazing sandstone architecture, cheaper hotels with spas and healing water fountain for locals to actually bottle their own directly from the spring. Custer is a nice introduction to western living with a town center crossing and great food at buglinbull the best food of Custer , which has great prime rice, good trout, and handlebar mustache wearing real cowboys frequenting the local establishment. While Custer and Hot springs are great for the black hills and western and immigrant German cooking, Cody is the western USA's soul, while Cooke city and Montana the frontier.

Memorial to soldiers with warm real mineral water fountain for locals to fill up

The trip from South Dakota leads by devils tower and through Bighorn forest and eventually to Cody or Thermopolis (claimed world's biggest onsen or natural hot spring) to Yellowstone. We luckily took 14a along a stream filled mountain pass with elk, wildflowers, and hardly a tourist, minus trout fisherman form the area. This is one of the highest passes of 10,000 feet with snow cover even in June. I'd recommend this for any hikes, fishing trips, and just generally great views without tons of people like in the other big parks.

colder than ice, great fishing with views and elk grazing around

ladies racing around buckets

Cody is a fun place to be with its town full of Wild Bill Hickock tourist junk along with real history of the west, yet the life is the rodeo. Sadly the touristic town with tours is opposed to the rough and natural rodeo, so the tours often skip Cody's heart or the real western rodeo. They have locals, imports from Montana, Colorado, Utah etc that compete in everything including wild stallion (not really wild).

While I find the whole SD Wyoming area amazing. I think one must take the 212 Chief Joseph trail into Yellowstone. The whole trip was a lot of driving over flat and isolated towns with huge schools for towns under 10,000, so drive comfortably. It really showed what trailer parks are for others, while highlighting the poverty and wealth in Wyoming from mining, oil, farming, and industry to the lack of everything but desolate land.

Have you every taken this trip? we used Highway 90 most of the way with the occasional scenic route. Has anyone taken another route? What were your impressions.. any comments on the pics, or opinions are welcome.

Now to Yellowstone and Teton plus a shout out to Logan Utah and Bear lake...

law school decision USF vs American law, debt vs scholarship

2012-06-16T07:16:00.001-07:00

I have submitted and set myself up for my first year of law school, yet I did not get into an ideal law program, as nearly every school charges more than is worth attending. I scored top 20% on my lsat and had a top 20% GPA from a top 50 public university in international relations, yet my peace corps experience and overall multilingual international background did not help that much. I suspect that I needed to be more specific on my legal goals or experience, so do not write about international, public interest, comparative law or social justice etc. There are countless pitfalls in personal statements, including writing one or many personal statements. I wrote basically one, plus the public interest essays, which may have hurt my application, yet saved countless time.

I was admitted to American, yet did not get the full ride public interest scholarship. I was wait listed at Emory and Tulane, while I was offered between 10-20 grand at Catholic, U Santa Clara, and USF. I was rejected by Davis, Berkeley, and UCLA. While I probably would have been a better fit at American with the DC background, diplomatic studies, and mid ranging scores, I found that a degree is not very different between top 100 schools, unless one is really in the top 15. Basically the theory or academic schools are the highest ranking schools, while the practical and hands on tend to be mid to bottom 100 schools.

While I enjoy theory and perhaps some constitutional law or comparative law, I enjoy the practical aspects of law and obtaining a JD without paying 200,000 is paramount. If I perform well enough during my first year, I can study for free or nearly. Meanwhile, if I find that Berkeley or another higher ranked school with ample scholarship money, I can transfer up, while reducing 1st year costs and stress of debt. This all assumes that I do well in the first year, which is every 1st years thought. Basically if I do not score well enough to receive a scholarship, I will just move onto consultancy, finance, NGOs or IOs and save the years of studying and costs by working on the job to gain practical skills, instead of the JD that so many think is necessary.

While I know that I always wanted to study law, I do not know if being a lawyer is worth the debt, 3 years, and effort to just hope for a job. If someone is not willing to pay for my education or subsidize it, the university will not provide me with any necessary skills, instead I will be the client buying a useless tool that I do not need professionally, merely personally. Still, the first year will make me hate law, love it, or just understand enough to move onto my own business or working with some legal background.

I have chosen USF, as Santa Clara is very patent and corporate law focused, instead of NGOs, consultancy, maritime, and having students learn and enjoy the process of becoming a lawyer. The professors like their work, the students are treated well, and overall everyone looks back on the 3 years with pride, a fulfilled attitude, and happy to have gone, graduated and be employed doing what they like. Now let me highlight the change of nature in a year, yet for now I am happy to choose USF and the bay area over DC or New Orleans.

Do you have any questions on law school? What are you basing your decision off of for law school? Do you have any comments on the law school decision...?

Korean temple road trip, independence square, Japanese rape, and strolling through Seoul

2012-06-08T09:05:00.002-07:00

I took a road trip from Seoul, which took me through the small village of Ban Ki-Moon towards a famous temple with the largest turtle and an important historical temple and old fort protecting Seoul from the southern invasions. I was amused to learn of the Japanese invading to quell the domestic fighting in Japan by attacking the fellow Buddhist temple to the north in Korea. It reminds me of the christian churches infighting, yet it is always sadly funny to see how religion is used to destroy itself in the name of man/king/state. Either way the temple had many more stone sculptures with the largest turtle and a large Buddha from ancient times than Kyoto. It was definitely less well kept, as it was destroyed and burnt by the Japanese Samurai from the western provinces. Still it was fun to see everyone out and the kids praying and the different countryside mountains with excellent (health-wise but absolutely not for taste) root drinks and some of the best fresh mushrooms sold by sweet older ladies.

Throw a coin and have it stay on the turtle brings luck, the head is impossible, yet the back easy...

If you want to see traditional Korea, go to independence square, where you can learn of your future from fortune tellers, eat great street food with old retired men for a buck, or play chess with them in the park, or just learn about the fight for independence of Korea from Europe, Japan and western puppet dictatorships up until democracy emerged in Korea some 20 years ago. I wish I could speak Korea to converse with the many people, yet you can really experience traditional Korean society in public at independence square.

How dirty are the suits and who has the sharpest majcha mind..?

have a drink, something to eat, hang out with the retirees because their Korean kids work too much to care about them...

I found the wall paintings of the most famous artist of Korea to be well placed in alleys with some Korean barbecue at the end of the alley. The use of space is great, yet the seller was shy, hiding in the mirror.

These guys below sell some nice royal treats for your friends, yet the jokes are in Japanese, which makes the purchasing and overall experience worthwhile. Their English leaves the jokes and fun out of it, yet they do have a good product. They have honey and nuts plus chocolate, yet the sweetness is for a Japanese taste with low sugar and sweetness.

The only embassy with 100+ police patrolling the entire city block and the 30+ story building empty is not the US embassy, instead the Japanese embassy. It was really shocking to see so much protection and then I noticed this little memorial to the sexual enslavement victims of the Japanese colonial times. Strangely it is not discussed in Japan, nor the world. This issue of Japanese sexual slavery of the Koreans falls behind the occasional US soldier story in most headlines. I wonder why the Wednesday protests do not make the western news, like the ladies in white in Cuba or the pink in Buenos Aries. I guess they forgot to pick a color to have their issue stick or be news worthy.

This is embassy row with a nice temple and mountain view in the background. One can make out the inventions accredited to the intellectual/philosopher king and an Austrian flag from the embassy on the right. This square is worth a stroll, which connects to the shopping streets near the temple in the background.

In all, I was shocked to see all the bee hive like constructions with large tall 60+ floor buildings situated in rural or urban sprawls. Naturally, Seoul had entire old neighborhoods being torn up to build 60 story buildings replacing the old traditional houses from the turn of the 20th century with 21 century buildings. This really makes Seoul look very modern even for Tokyo and very much different than Kyoto with the traditions preserved and the tiny old houses there, regardless of their being dilapidated or being well kept. Still, you can find some districts in Seoul to have the old appeal with large constructions right next door or even an old temple. So you should definitely wander the streets of Seoul, visit a temple/museum/palace, try their street food and experience the metro, their beautifully functioning inexpensive public transportation system.

Do you have any fun atypical travel experiences in Korea or recommendations for the area? I enjoyed comparing the two cultures, yet I am sure those living in Korea would have a more accurate impression. Do you have any comments on my perceptions or criticism?

Seoul, JSA, and Japan vs Korea comparison temples, food, samurai, flowers and respect

2012-06-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

After leaving Japan, I visited Korea for a short visit, so most of my experiences will be comparing two similar but different cultures and experiences. The cost of visiting temples and public sites was very drastic, in the $20-8 Japanese fees to $2 - free Korean fees, while the city, temples, food, people and history showed a different mentality.
Naturally I enjoyed temples in Korea, yet I was shocked to see that most people prayed after work and they had a real faith, unlike the Japanese, where this was limited to the elderly and few. Also the temples were well funded with the original paintings still painstakingly maintained with expensive fruits and flowers offered to the gods in a sort of pagan Buddhist style that seems counter to Buddhas teachings, yet ever present in both Japan and Korea.

Naturally the food was spicy and had many more dishes, while lacking the subtle soy/miso flavoring of Japan. Still the best was the live Octopus, which really was a challenge to eat, in that the suckers could cause you to choke and pinched/tickled your mouth and throat, if you did not chew properly. Literally your dinner would walk off your plate, if you were not quick. The biggest ones got onto the table, as the fire made it too hot... This salad was nice and the pieces small enough to enjoy alive, while their attempts to escape were less successful due to their shorter legs.

Of course everyone needs to visit the longest running war of the UN or the 38 parallel. I went on the anniversary of the late god of North Korea and the failed missile launch, so it was rather fun with some US intelligence on the tour and some surprise north korean or more likely Chinese tourists. A Japanese friend was invited to N korea, yet the Japanese government restricted his travel, so I suspect that many foreigners were invited to visit N korea. All the rules that limit your freedom of expression are instilled by the UN, while the free north can point, wear slogans, bring nationals (south koreans cannot go to the border except as soliders), wave and carry on in a natural state. This made me really wonder how far one can go in restricting liberty in the name of diplomacy.

While I recommend that you only go to the actual border and the last train station before North Korea, I did not find all the other bus stops from the tour worth it. I did not pay for it, so I was happy to see everything. Still, the tour guide kept stopping at tourists shops and places to buy things. The tunnels were interesting, as were the rides along the river with the bunkers and soldiers in the forests behind the large barbwire fence, and the overlook of the north, yet these were not necessary. Still, I enjoyed this sculpture and the land mine infested woods surrounding the many tunnels the north dug south (must have really wanted that sun and fun of the beaches...).

The must sees for Seoul are the palace and the main square with embassies. The palace shows how the city sprung up around the ancient, unlike Kyoto, yet more akin to Osaka or Tokyo. I found the entrance fee reasonable 20 won or $1.6. It had a nice temple, the imperial throne, and a museum.

I have to mention the rules of the park, which are extremely limited to sitting and texting. Here is the pic with graphics to make sure foreigners can't get away with anything.

The city of Seoul is supposed to be very green, yet this is limited to mostly only the river. They also constructed an artificial river or open sewage system, which destroyed the original river for poor washer ladies and squatters. Now it costs the city a billion a month to run everything, which was upsetting to the locals. It is well used, as it runs down the main buildings.

The spring flower of Korea is the yellow lily, not the cherry blossom, yet they have plenty of both. There is really an overkill of flowers in the city, while the Japanese have plenty, yet their artful and more planned nature allows it not to be a forest of cherry blossoms, instead of a grove.

In Korea there were samurais or soldiers of the court, yet they held a lesser role in politics and society. It was the scribe or educated engineer or poet that was honored, while Japan honored their Samurais most, with education and poetry revered to a lesser extent or at least this is this foreigner's perspective.

Here is the most famous emperor of modern Korea, 15th century, who invented much. He was not the warrior to unite, rather the genius to create language, science, and foster a golden age of learning.

The Japanese had plenty of public exercise equipment, yet the Koreans really outdid their smaller neighbors with equipment everywhere to improve the standard of living and fitness. Like in Japan, the equipment was used mostly by the elderly and those living near the instillation in the evening or at a time when the sun was not too hot. The elderly enjoyed a sense of community and health all for nothing, while enjoying the fresh air.

I was overly obvious how much influence modern Japan had on the Koreans, yet the lifestyle was much more advanced and forward looking than the Kyoto I left. I suspect Seoul is like Tokyo, yet with the architecture of this century and the expansive city design of unknown China. The border (expensive), city center, and the public buildings like temples, museums, and gardens are great, as they are free and full of amazing art, scenes, while often lacking people and the masses of tourists in Kyoto with much more lavish buildings and better kept buildings, with gardens cleaner in Japan. I do not see the big pull to Japan, as Korea has everything Japan has plus the active cold/hot war. Still, I recommend that you really see both places in depth to better understand the depth of brothers of old always being compared, yet never appreciating the comparison, regardless of the similarities.

legal equality: with equal funds and asset percentages on the line... a look at a different justice

2012-05-23T18:43:00.002-07:00

Personally I find the legal system slithly unjust, as money and assets buys courts, lawyers, better PR and largely can render court cases against large corporations, socially asset powerful (financial and social coruption) and of course the dangerous monopoly of violence of the police and mob/gangs irrelevant and impossible. The ability to make people responsible to their asset percentage, instead of merely fining on a set numerical value, would increase the governments interest in controlling those above the law, while limiting the overly powerful at inhibiting the ingenious new entrepreneur from challenging old dominant corporations with insiders within government regulation boards and other groups no longer protecting consumers and the commons. Thus, the legal defense would be equal in value with the wealthier legally able to pay more for their defense or prosecution, only if they subsidized the others defense or prosecution to equal that of theirs. Also the possible settlement would be equal to a percentage of the overall assets of each party, which would reduce court cases on trivial matters, while increase the power of the courts by addressing large asset cases.

First the ability to outspend the other legal team is not fair, nor is it just, as the law should merely stipulate that each has equal (financing or assets to spend on the case) representation to find the facts and the correct legal findings. Also the fines should be alloted on a percental total asset (fixed and liquid) value. Certain basic assets for median of the community could be expempt, such as personal house/car if the median family owns their house and car for example. The industry side would allow exemption of fixed assets on a median for the community businesses and certain investments in relation to median business operations. Thus a large corporation would not sue an individual worth less than 100,000, as the costs could not be recouped even with a victory, while the corporation would limit its asset value or not be able to expand profitablly unless it was very socially conscious and respectful of laws, the community and the well being of the commons. The greater the wealth bestows greater responsibility to follow the law and not abuse the dominant position of wealth.

This would greatly limit the too big to fail and too big to regulate legal persons, as society and the courts would be able to easily fine a corporation or indivudal abusing their dominant position or breaking a law, as they would be able to cut into a percentage of those malignant societal member. Currently large agriculture, energy, banks, and countless individuals can literally break the law at will, paying fines that do not even make these illegal activities unprofitable, rather condone them with a small numerical fine, instead of a real asset percental fine. Imagine a too big to fail bank or ceo facing an investor law suit, where the prize is 5% of assets of the individual or company. This will really make management and firms interested in the shareholders and running a business for consumers and the commons. The brazilians make their management responsible for any failings or bankruptcy of the company, so that their houses, personal assets etc are all on the line with company assets at the bankruptcy block. This inclusion of management's personal assets to their work leaves them conservative and not interested financial turmoil or the opportunity to cut and run with huge severance packages right before the company goes under.

Naturally, this idea has a big problem, the assetless class of indebted and asset poor, who have a negative asset balance. They could in theory break laws without paying anything, yet the loaners or debt owners ie owners of the indebt would pay the fines, as they vouch for them and provide credit. This would limit the bad credit or make bankers really think before loaning with backround checks from the community. Also this would decrease the time banks keep debt and the length of debt accumulation in general, so that loans and debt are not a life long institution, unless banks want to take responsibility for their clients, rather a simple community based short term allocation of capital for industrious ingenious business ideas. Naturally, the bank can employee these people with salaries and training, so that the banks can recoup their loan, if the debtor has problems.

This would make the wealthy responsible for those lacking assets, which could create a second class of semi indentured servitude. While I think this would be better than our current debt servitude, the banks and wealthy would be liable for their servants, liable to labor laws, and responsible for these servants repaying. Thus responsibility would fall on those that make society, the asseted class, while the assetless class will be trained, taught, and raised to be productive members of society, while the asset class would not overstretch their dominant position for fear of society's laws that can quickly send an asseted individual to poverty, if they break laws.

Another danger is repeat crimes by the assetless class, which would not be punished by jailtime, instead servitude to the public or wealthy or whoever would train, pay, and employee these individuals. This would limit repeat crime, as the criminals will be trained both to work, live and produce in society instead of just sitting behind bars. For violent or societally perverse crimes, the worst punishment would be banishment from the community and state, whereby appeal can be tried by family and friends after the found guilty individual has left or complied with the law. The punishment upon returning is death with a 2 week grace period for family and friends and a final review of the case, as that makes banishment permenant with the ability to take ones leave of loved ones optional. This is by far the best deterent in my opinion, as it cuts off family and leaves one without the history and security of community, which one forfited by violent crimes that endangered the community. Meanwhile the banished one can start anew, which really is the boon for the criminal. A state will accept them for their skills or just because they need people, whereby the person can try to reintegrate into a society and be productive without the history of problems with individuals of old.

In theory, the societally unacceptable individuals will eventually run out of places to go, whereby making pirates and lawless societies a problem. Yet I think that state competition is positive, in that the elite are responsible to maintain a prosperous society, which can result in a lawless society with refugees and in the end those incapable leaders being left to live short gruesome and sad existences. While states and communities may maintain a UN force or a millitary to minimize such societies or viruses, this may be a necessary destructive force, as some literally prefer that society or are unable to respect others and the commons.

The use of citizenship will become irrelevant, as deziens or residents will have rights to vote on banishment, laws, governance etc. This would allow for more mobility of legal persons to their ideal state without restrictions, unless they are banished of course. Citizenship is granted by birth or blood, which punishes and imprisons innocent babies, while banishment would be a result of indivudals actions, so a just reason to bar entry, instead of merely random luck of birth. Once living, paying taxes, and being aknowledged by a percentale of the community, as a good member of society, one can be admitted as a resident with special rights to vote, make policy, establish rules and mantain a prosperous society. These rights would not be permanent, as anyone considered by the community to be a danger to the commons, failing to contribute taxes or societies well being, or having emigrated may loss this residency and ability to actively participate and affect policy. This would limit their rights to participate in civil society, yet expelling or banishing indviduals remains with the courts, not with politics, so laws must be broken and the community must find its existence threatened.

Basically human society must cut out those who hurt the commons and steal from others to amass assets, which are not obtained from ingenious productive actions, instead by abuse of a dominant position. Anyone knows that, like mitocondria, no society can allow cancer cells to grow or hugely subsidized companies without having the actual productive parts cutting those unnecessary viruses out to improve society's effective and just management of resources.
I question the equal representation and equal responsibility of legal (including corporations) persons, as it has been shown that a dominat position limits both the courts from judging, the government from regulating, individuals and smaller businesses from providing the opportunity for justice. Without equality of assets in the legal system one can not have equal representation and without equal responsibility (percental asset) one can not hold each person responsible for their breaking the law. Meanwhile the current laws allow for certain persons to remain above the reach of law, which does not mirror a just society, rather a corrupt society on the verge of having the productive members erradicating the virus or the society collapsing due to the over consumption by unproductive cancerous members of society.

yelp.com in Japan is http://tabelog.com/ best food with reviews and map: Japan's best website for restaurants

2012-04-11T02:56:00.002-07:00

I have written several blogs on good food in Japan, yet wanted to inform people of an all Japanese website with reviews, locations, prices and everything you might need, sorta like yelp. Basically, it highlights the best eats and prices with location and great reviews. My students pointed it out to me some time ago, yet I just got
around to posting it.

So the maps are located here http://r.tabelog.com/map/ and the website is here http://tabelog.com You can really use translator and a little knowledge of Kanji to maneuver through the many tabs. I recommend using this to find the hidden favorites matching a Japanese taste. I personally was impressed by the truly Japanese fare with reasonable lunch prices by an older Geisha and performer here. http://r.tabelog.com/kyoto/A2605/A260501/26000012/

I naturally could list many different restaurants, yet I want to draw you into the plentiful world and sights of Japanese cuisine and Japanese only websites with a treasure trove of inform to use. Really, enjoy the time and food, as the food varies with season, taste, and price. Everything is good, albeit there is always a convenient store near by for those still hungry looking for a onagiri.

I will have to look up my favorite places in Kyoto, yet do you have one? Have you used yelp.com or do you consider yelp to be a good website? I hope tableog.com serves you well in your Japanese cuisine search...

Sakura light ups: Sakura front listed online, google works poorly

2012-04-01T01:23:00.001-07:00

I have struggled with google to find anything in Japan using English to get the times for the light ups in Kyoto and to figure out if the cherry blossoms have bloomed yet. These two websites offer information on the cherry blossom front's development. This one lists all the many light ups with their times, dates, costs, and locations etc. This is essential to understand, so that one can find the best way to spend a night looking at the cherry blossoms with friends, food and drink or hanami.
http://www.digistyle-kyoto.com/event/lightup.html

Naturally, you do not want to enjoy merely buds, rather trees in full bloom. Thus, look at this website to figure out the developments in the cherry blossom front. This also lists countless of the best excursions like the miyako odori or the geisha spring public showing, which costs 2-4 thousand yen for an hour. Also you can check out the development of the cherry blossoms.
http://souda-kyoto.jp/

I hope you can find out the best time and place to enjoy Hanami this spring 2012. If you have any questions or recommendations for hanami in Kyoto, let me know. It starts now in Kyoto and the surrounding area. Enjoy!

Spring arrives! Better cherry or plum blossoms: where to go in Kyoto and why the cherry blossoms

2012-03-28T03:28:00.002-07:00

The spring in Japan starts with plum flowers and gets into full bloom with cherry blossoms. The plum flowers are more popular in China and were in Japan until shortly after Kyoto was made the capital from Nara or in the Heian period. Basically, while I love plums blossoms for their smell and beauty amongst snow and the cold, the modern Japanese preferred to sit under the cherry blossoms in full bloom with the warmth of spring, leaves and less smell. These flowers are much more abundant and leave the ground around them covered in a snowy petal blossom warm bath.

I personally enjoyed the Plum blossoms in early March this year, yet they usually come late February to mid March. Still the weather is a bit cold and the blossoms were late, as are the cherry blossoms, which come at the end of March are coming at the beginning of April.

Naturally the most famous places for flowers are the famous and my favorite expensive temple Kiyomizudera and the Kyoto Botanical Garden, which is right near my house. I recommend this guide for cherry blossoms below, as they have a little about the many places to experience spring. It gives you the highlights on hanami or seeing cherry blossoms usually from a picnic like style.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3951.html

view of tea house through plum blossoms garden 600 yen

waterfall plums at tenmangu

Personally, I find Tenmangu temple and shrine has the most plum blossoms and a great garden with some 30 different types of plums with the same tree having pink and white flowers. The fragrance of the whole event is impressive, as are the countless cameras snapping pictures and ladies in kimonos parading for the public to see their beauty with the flowers.

Tenmangu temple with plum blossoms in full bloom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitano_Tenman-g%C5%AB

Tenmangu filled with plum blossom lovers on holiday

A short distance away from Tenmangu, you can find one of the earliest cherry blossom places to sit under the trees and enjoy a festival like atmosphere. Hirano has flowers throughout the winter and often has the first of the year. They are not the most impressive, yet are worth a visit in the beginning of cherry blossom season. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirano_Shrine

1st cherry blossoms perhaps

Hirano shrine with plum flowers

Maruyama park Yakasaka Gion area is famous for its garden and the oldest cherry tree. The tree itself is not much better than the rest of the waterfall cherry trees at Heian shrine, yet it is historical and carries a great value for the locals. They camp outside regardless of the weather being cold for weeks before the actual flowers come. These are mostly students or travelers, as they live under the trees until the flowers finally arrive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maruyama_Park

old cherry tree with amazing waterfall blossoms

Cherry blossom buds emerging

students below old cherry tree waiting and reading (Occupy the cherry trees!)

By far the most impressive and beautiful area of Kyoto is the philosopher's path, which has countless cherry blossoms and camellias from the winter to make your walk something to remember. The canal that leads down from the Nanzenji temple is also famous for its cherry blossom covered paths and of course the famous http://www.heianjingu.or.jp/ . So stroll down this path of great memories of being, which are best viewed in early April. If you have a bike, you must ride all the way north viewing the countless cherry trees lining the river!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosopher's_Walk

At Arashiyama you can view the hills ablaze with pink and reds welcoming the spring, yet they bloom later than the rest, as they are in the west behind the mountains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arashiyama

Nannaji is great for late blooming cherry blossoms, as they were planted by the emperor for the nobility. It used to be only for nobility until after they fell. The special nature of the largest field of cherry trees is that they are short or less than 2 meters, which make for great sitting and a blanketing of the ground. They bloom late April and basically in May. This is great after a visit to the stone temple, as it is within a 10 minute walk and has an expansive temple grounds with many interesting buildings.
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/theme/sites/shrines/w_heritage/07/

cherry blossoms painting in emperors temple

The Nannaji temple has some of the best paintings on sliding doors and well preserved. The garden and paintings make the entrance fee worth the price, while they are not really necessary.

When you enjoy plum blossoms, you are smelling and walking around a cold but colorful and fragrant garden, which reminds you of the strength of plums and their beauty to withstand cold and be beautiful. Still, this strength is not treasured, instead the cute fragile cherry blossoms mirror the ideal beauty in Japan, short, sweet, delicate and bountiful. The cherry blossoms are much more plentiful, the weather is warm enough to sit and enjoy the flowers with friends over food and drink, while the glistening petals slowly descend to earth to blanket spring with warmth. Basically, cherry blossoms allow the Japanese to eat outside and underneath the tree, so that they can enjoy the first opening to last petal fall, while not worrying about being cold. They only enjoy the beauty and let it got with a bathing of cherry petals.

I hope to live this experience, yet let us see, if the spring comes early enough this year for hanami to begin before I leave. Do you have any fun experiences with cherry blossoms or questions on the best temples etc? I just listed a couple of cherry viewing possibilities, yet there are countless. Do you prefer the plum blossoms or cherry and why?

The last word is that the most fragrant traffic stopping smelling plant is pictured here. I literally ride by one in the night or during the day to turn around and find this intense sweet honey smelling plant that I can add to the countless flowering plants that arrive at different times, yet continually throughout the year in Japan.

made me stop find it behind the wall near the kamo fork or V

Learning Kanji: my favorite Japanese/Chinese character's funny meanings

2012-03-13T02:25:00.000-07:00

I have tried to understand or learn my first 1000 Kanji, which is not easy for the many variations or compound many line advanced ones that follow less logically than the basics. Still, I am fascinated by the construction and the ease of remembering certain roots and basic pictographs. Whether it is the root for all metals having metal in it with a random confusing addition that you must remember or just woman being a foundation for peace of mind, Kanji illustrates the thoughts of Asia or Chinese Asia. Thus, I have compiled some of my favorite compound kanji and will attempt to write them using a downloaded kanji writing adaption to windows.

So these words are not to help you learn, rather to show you the fun of Kanji and to help me remember and learn to write kanji with a computer. To learn without fun, is to struggle, instead of ecstatically gaining knowledge.

金朱　This means iron and is made up of metal and red or something. Either way the metal symbol is easy to pick out and gold is yellow metal.

母子　haha/ba shi/suko is the Japanese pronunciation possibilities. This means mother and child or principal and interest in financial terms. I may have interpreted it a bit out of context.

I enjoy Teacher or sensei, as it includes the life or to give birth to symbol and the prior or previous. So it means giving life or giving birth from a previously.　先生　previous life or giver of previous birth

Kanji loves opposites to mean everything, so all ages and places uses old, new, east and west. This is just fun to know that they do not look south or north for ages, nor places. 古今東西　

I personally find the use of woman to make words easy, while also conveying the importance of women for meaning and perhaps the basis of the language. Peace of mind or woman under a roof with a heart means peace of mind. Basically, this highlights that peace of mind comes with a kind woman inside your house or something similar. 安心　

Peace in Kanji is merely woman below roof with rule over or pacify the women under the roof. This highlights the importance of woman under a roof to pacify the people. The woman under the roof also can mean cheap or easy to do, which is used with character to buy or sell to mean bargain. There are countless and diverse usages of the woman character.
治安
女少扌支　myoogi: This means a short woman with outstanding skill or merely outstanding skill. The second part is broken down to talent and support, while the first part is litterally woman small or wondrous and strange. 女子 means like or can also mean good will including will or meaning character with sun, heart,

葉　This is just foliage or leaf of a tree, yet its symbol is complicated. It has grass or flower at the top of 30 years or aged or world above of the tree. Basically it means an old tree has grass on top or leaves/foliage. It helps me remember more than just one character, as it builds off the others logically. You can remember countless ones with just the first 500. I only know about 200, unfortunately.

Japan is the land of the origin of the sun or the land of peace. 日本　This is the sun origin or land of the rising sun.
和 This refers to peace and harmony or Japan the country of wa. 　平和会言義　This refers to the Japanese language to heiwakaigi. It means plain or basic peace group speak and loyalty.

国道 This means national highway or nation road. The fun part of nation is that it contains treasure inside a wall. This is often present in country names.

独　This means Germany or alone and is made up of dog and bug. The addition of stand or depart makes it independence. 独立 this is pronounced dokuritsu and Germany doku, which is why the Kanji was chosen, the sound was similar. Basically, the meaning does not match the country, merely the pronunciation. For instance the US is land of rice. 米国　This literally means rice country or Beigoku, which is used in Korean, Japanese and Chinese.

外交　This means diplomacy or become mixed or involved and foreign affairs. It is pronounced gaiko.

Water is always a fun character to recognize. Oil mixes reason or means with water. If you replace water with individual you get freedom or personal reason or personal means. 自由This means individual will and reason or means.　油 This means oil, while it is liquid means or usage. 　

西洋文明　This means western civilization, which is broken down to west and western ocean culture or writing and bright. This shows their respect for the civilization of the western oceans.

化学 This means chemistry or literally change and academic study. Meanwhile change of letters over history literally means cultural history. 文化史　

決意 This means resolve or determination, which is made up of decide and I/mind/will/heart. The last part mixed with see or the mind sees is opinion. ketsui is the pronunciation.

楽天家　This means optimist, which includes music or pleasant with heaven and home or pig under a roof. Thus, a place with music and pigs under the roof is pleasant like heaven and those there are optimists.

I find the pension system to be amusing when one breaks it down. 恩糸合　It is made up of obligation lineage and together or together we have an obligation to our ancestors. This highlights the importance of the pension system in Japan.

電　This means electricity and is a mixture of rain and lightning. It is very visual and easy to recognize in the subway and many signs.

富土山　This is very important to Japanese！It is fujisan or rich earth mountain. The first character is be rich earth and mountain. So now you know plenty of random fun kanji to impress others or just be amused with, as I am grasping the foundation of the northern Asian languages, their pictorial writing.

These are some of the many words that I have learned, yet there are countless ones to learn. Still, I am having fun and hopefully will continue learning Kanji or pictorial Hanjual or traditional Chinese in Taiwan. Simplified Mandrin uses a different group of characters, yet the old and rich are maintaining the old style through studying it and using it. Do you have any favorite combinations of words or symbols? Have you found a way to memorize the right pronunciation in Japanese or in any of the other languages.

It is much simpler to read, yet very hard to pronounce in Chinese or in Japanese. Still, it is by far the easiest to understand and perceive a bit of the culture through writing. Also it is linguistically very interesting, as it is not phonetic, rather pictorial and so well rooted in the cultures here.

Study abroad Japan and live for free Osaka or Kyoto within a Zen Buddhist temples: Nagaokotenji

2012-03-10T03:57:00.000-08:00

As many Japanese students look for housing in Osaka or Kyoto, few know that there is an ancient tradition of living in a zen Buddhist temple while studying at the university. This is perfect for a study abroad or anyone studying for one year in Kyoto, as an exchange student. Basically, you will listen to a weekly lecture, clean the temple grounds and meditate for 30 minutes in the morning and evening before going and returning from the University. The temple is called nagaokotenji and is situated above a lovely lake for walking meditation with a village and the metro station on the other side of the lake and forested hill.

The temple is located 50 minutes from Sanjo on the Hankyu line, which would put you in most universities within an hour plus or 40 minutes into Umeda in Osaka. The housing is absolutely free with the obligation to cook once a week for the monks. You live with up to 10 students of both sexes, which live on different wings of the temple. There is free internet, a public room with a table and kotatzu, heated table for the winter, and a big library. They have western toilets and Japanese squatting ones, as well as baths and showers. The entire building has tateme, while the walls are glass and wood or traditional styled Japanese temples, so you will be cold in the winter, yet cool in the summer. They have heating, yet this is used only in certain rooms for short times.

You will live like a monk with a traditional zen garden out your window, monk clothes, and a lifestyle to keep you along the path to enlightenment. This includes waking up at 5am to shower, clean the garden and meditate and eat breakfast all before 8am, when you go to class. In the evening dinner is eaten and you meditate before going to bed. You will have plenty of time during the day, yet will sleep early like in the classical times. Still, one can go out for the weekend all night and return to shower, clean and meditate and sleep during the day, yet this is only possible during the weekend without much studies or during semester holidays. On the weekend, there will be a lecture on zen Buddhism and there are countless monks sitting and eating with you, if you need advise or to talk about the path or life.

My friend, Marco, is giving English, French and German lessons through myskype English, which is a great way to teach English to Japanese. He is better than the others, as he is fluent in Japanese after one year of studying intensively within the society, so beginners can have grammar explanations and ask questions in Japanese. He is a bit too fun and happy to be very serious, yet enjoys helping you improve your speaking and communication skills. Plus you can have a peak into life in the temple. http://www.myskypenglish.com/teachers/list/page~3

Here are some pictures of the garden and the blooming trees on the temple grounds or your castle of meditation and tranquility. This is a view of the garden with the rooms behind being for the female guests.

This is the wake up call and call to meditation, when they do not ring the normal gong bell. It is well used. This is the meditation room behind the garden and living quarters.

This is the kitchen with a classical set up with plenty of space. The sunny dinning on tatame tables on the ground allows for real classical Japanese living.

The view from the guest house room, which is very sunny. The walkways are great for walking meditation.

This is the entrance to your new home, which resembles a mansion with space, garden and peaceful seclusion from the busy city life. You must yell a greeting when leaving and coming, so that others know, if you are home or left.

The plum or cherry blooms or budding already in early March. These trees dot the walkway to the train station around the lake.

Here is the website, so you can write the monks and reserve your room for next year. They currently only have about half the rooms filled, so you can get a room last minute, if you are willing to give up some freedom over your day. So contact the monks and reserve your room in the zen Buddhist temple to really emerge from university enlightened or just have a study abroad within in traditional zen Japanese culture. If you use google chrome, you can translate the webpage into most languages and write an email to reserve the room or call to ask. They probably do not speak many languages, yet will be happy to have new guests soon.
http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/~zenjuku/

Have you ever wanted to study abroad and live in a zen temple? My friend spent years studying zen and now lives in the temple, while learning Japanese. His experience has allowed him to learn Japanese much quicker (1 year), while also learning the traditions that the Japanese themselves are forgetting. Why not live for free to learn about zen and study at the Uni, as opposed to paying huge amounts for cheap housing for a study abroad without really learning much about Japanese traditions or living like a monk in a temple? They are really friendly and funded by a Japanese company, so you can live well, while studying in Kyoto or Osaka, which are both within 50 minutes travel in the other direction. This is a great opportunity that Japanese and foreigners alike are passing up on, as it is not easy to live simply without the stress of modern life.

Das beste Essen Wien: Restaurants und leckeres Speisen Österreichs, great eats Vienna

2012-03-06T04:05:00.000-08:00

Wenn man in Wien ankommt, speist man kaiserlich oder anders wann gut bürgerlich. Sicher geniest jeder Wienerschnitzel, Palatschinken (süß und salzig), Durum oder Döner, Käsekrainer, Kaffee und Kuchen, und zum naschen. Wien hat eine verbreitete Kultur vom dritten Mann zu den Bällen, aber was ich am meisten genossen habe, war aber die österreichische Küche.

Die meisten Restaurants servieren gutes Essen. Doch meine Empfehlungen als Student der DA sind eben folgende: Jeder weis, dass Figlmueller die besten Wienerschnitzel hat. Doch wenige wissen, dass es doch zwei Restaurants gibt, falls das zweite in der Gasse zu befindenden Restaurant ausgebucht ist, kann man doch zum ersten gegenüber vom Buddahbar, das gut aber teures asiatisches Essen hat, gehen. Hier findet man den Teller unter dem dünnen Fleisch erst nachdem man alles aufisst. Die Bedienung ist meist gestresst und wienerisch, doch das Essen ist das beste in Wien für Fleischfresser. Reservierung sind gefragt aber kurzfristig passt es auch mit Glück. Hier kann man alles übers Restaurant lesen.
figlmueller the best Wienerschnitzel Wiens

Die Deutschen oder Biefkas (so wurde ich genannt) behaupten Palatschinken zu kennen, doch es kommt aus Ungarn und ist Teil des habsburgischen Imperiums. Hier geht es eigentlich um süß und salzige Crêpe, was jeden schmeckt. Kaiserschmarrn kann man dazu bekommen oder am liebsten als Hauptgericht, da es doch sehr ausreichend für jeden ist. Egal was man bestellt, kommt jeder vom Tisch richtig satt, wenn nicht übersättigt, da alles wunderbar schmeckt und jeder alles kosten möchte, was leider jeden einem riesigen Bauch beim Abschied verschenkt. Daher empfehle ich Pfandl zu mindestens zweimal zu genießen, so dass ihr ja alles langsam genießen könnt. Das Restaurant befindet sich in die nächste Gasse Richtung Schwedenplatz auf der anderen Seite vom Figlmueller und links vom Buddabar. Leider ist es versteckt, oder doch glücklicherweise, da du günstiges Essen ohne vielen Reisender bekämst. Hier ist die Website vom Pfandl.  http://www.palatschinkenpfandl.at/

Die Turken kamen nach Wien, wonach Kaffee im Kaiserhof erst genossen wurde. Doch ein Durum oder Döner vom Lala am Schwedenplatz oder am Platz des vom Gestapos ermoderten Opfers ist ein Geheimnis der Stadt. Das Restaurant befindet sich im jüdischen Viertel, wo sich viele nette Lokals ergibt. Das beste Rindfleisch wird mit echten Kohlen langsam und zart gegrillt, so dass man das beste Durum oder Döner der Welt kosten kann. Die Turken meinen das Gleiche, wie die Wiener, ein Durum vom Lala spart die Reise und ist viel besser als in Istanbul. Hier kann man beim Yelp von Lala lesen und auch sicher dir einen Appetit gewinnen. http://www.yelp.at/biz/restaurant-lale-wien

Wurst ist ja was besonders im deutschsprachigen Raum. Doch in Wien kann man eine Käsekrainer und sechzehniger Blech (Ottakringer in der Dose) vor dem Oper oder nachdem oder halt zur Jause zwischen so vielen Museen. Wenn man die Wurst der Stadt Wien kosten möchte, soll man zwischen Cafe Sacher und Albertina und hinter dem Oper nach einem Käsekrainer fragen. Sicher findet man alle Schichten der Menschheit beim Wurstgenuss der Stadt. Ich empfehle natürlich im Brot aber man kann es nach deinem Geschmack kosten. Hier kann man mehr darüber lesen.  http://www.wien.info/en/lifestyle-scene/in-places/hot-dog-stands

Wenn man von Wien spricht, kann niemand vergessen, das ein Cafe in Wien was besonders ist und eine wichtige Bedeutung der Kultur beinhält. Dazu zählt Cafezentral zum meist besuchten und geliebten Cafe nach Sacher, was wesentlich teuer, hochnäsiger, frecher und nur für die Saudis geeinigt ist. Daher empfehle ich euch Cafe Zentral mit der guten Musik, zahlreichen Zeitungen, dem leckersten Kuchen und Kaffee. Neben den Toilette im ersten Stock hat man einen Blick in die Welt des Reichtums des alten Gebäudes, wo man eine Hochzeit schön feiern könnte oder halt mit deinem kleinen Neffe Kaiser spielen kannst. Das alte Cafe ist eigentlich ein bissle weiter auf der linken Seite der Strasse, was nicht mehr als 50 Meter die Strasse entlang ist. Egal was man macht, wenn man nicht einen Nachmittag im Cafezentral verbringt, vergeht der Besuch außer der höchsten Freude der gemütlichen Wien, einen guten Kaffee mit dem begehrten Genuss der Kaffee und Kuchen Kultur. Hier kann man mehr über Erfahrungen im Cafezentral lesen, wo man doch merkt, dass einige Kellner nicht immer sehr freundlich sein sollen, sondern dir im gemütlichen Genuss allein lassen und dir selten mit Fragen stören. http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-central-wien-2,

Falls man niemals in der Türkei war, kann man den besten Markt des Reiches am Naschmarkt finden. Alle finden den was besonders, das beste Essen von Europa und klein Asien auf einem Markt zu schmecken. Wein & co bietet einen günstigen und ausreichenden Auswahl an guten Wein. Dort soll man aber nichts vom Markt kaufen, da der Anfang am Klimt Gebäude doppel so teuer wie auf der anderen Seite ist. Daher empfehle ich euch bis zum Ende des Marktes zu naschen, bevor man viel kauft. Doch Käseland hat der beste Käse zum kosten und auch kaufen. Der Bediener ist lustig und international, obwohl er ganz schnell dich vergisst, da ihm so oft lustige Witze und persönliche Spitznamen einfällt und diese Gesichten und Witze verschwinden. Hier kann man mehr über die Erfahrungen des Naschmarkts Wien lesen.  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g190454-d191396-Reviews-Naschmarkt-Vienna.html

Das beste Hostel und neuste in Wien liegt am Naschmarkt und heißt Wombat am Naschmarkt, wovon man alles per Fuß erreichen kann. Auch gibt es täglich was gutes vor der Tür zum kaufen oder naschen. Hier kann man die Website anschauen und mehr darüber lesen. http://www.wombats-hostels.com/de/wien/the-naschmarkt/

Wenn man Wien besucht, wird man doch etwas am Glück, Gewicht und Genuss der österreichischen Speisekultur gewinnen. Wien ist begehbar, so dass ich es dir abrate, überhaupt mit der Ubahn zu fahren, weil die kleine Gassen und jede Ecke etwas der Geschichte verbirgt. Alles ist in 10 Minuten erreichbar oder man kann mit dem Tram mehr sehen und ein bissle schneller dein Ziel schaffen. Ich vermisse das Essen und den Genuss vom Speisen in Wien. Daher nutz mal diese Gelegenheit bis zum letzen tropfen der leckeren Soße aus.

Hast du weitere Empfehlung, die ich vergessen habe oder eine lustige Geschichte deines Wienbesuchs? Ich studierte für zwei Jahre in Wien, wobei ich öfters in solchen Orten ass. Daher erinnere ich mich an das gute Essen. Hiermit kann ich alles im Internet für mich speichern, so dass ich beim nächsten Besuch wieder den Genuss Wiens vom alten Selbst empfohlen bekomme.

Letzter Tipp: Wenn man im Sommer dort ankommt, soll man unbedingt von der Brücke und der Ubahn im Fluss Donau springen. Dies ist freilich auf Eigengefahr aber sehr schön für die gestressten Thesezeiten. Man fährt mit der Ubahn Richtung UNO und steigt bei der Donauinselhaltestelle aus. Gleich von der Brück kann man springen, was die alten Opas Kopf erst wie Olympisch Turmspringer schaffen oder halt mit den Fuß nach unten probieren. Dies ist was besonders von der Ubahn auszusteigen und sich gleich ins Wasser von der Hohe zu werfen und danach zu schwimmen im Fluss der Grenze der geteilten Europa.

best Japanese bladesmithing and samurai swords: Kyoto blades and knifes

2012-03-03T00:24:00.001-08:00

Japan is known for its blades, whether merely to cook or to cut human bone and anything in a Samurai's way. I have watched countless black and white samurai movies and used only a few cutting blades, while also holding a wooden practice sword in a shop. Still, I know that many people are fascinated by swords of Japan and the Japanese knifes.

I was at the fish market in Tokyo when I asked about Japanese and European knives in broken Japanese to a knife salesman. Unbeknownst to me, the other gaikogujin was not merely a tourist but filming a documentary on knifes and a blade smithing master. I learned the useful lesson that European quality blades are made to be sturdy and not break, while Japanese blades are made to cut and always cut effortlessly. This can lead to problems of lost fingers and cleaner cuts etc. Still Carter adamantly championed the Japanese blade smithing tradition and had plenty of recommendations for documentaries on the subject and of course his knife set present for a quick demonstration. I suddenly had my general question answered and a flyer to learn to be a smithy or at least take some intensive courses on blade making. I recommend him, as a friendly, knowledgeable and dam impressive blade master with Japanese and American master licensing. Check out his website and his documentaries on Japanese blades here.
http://www.cartercutlery.com/

Naturally Kendo and Samuari swords are a favorite of old and young alike. It seems that the wealthy collect ancient swords that cost as much as expensive cars or cheap houses around $150,000. The shop Tozando even sells the Samurai armor and whole get up of Samurai family. Each family displays the ancient armor in their shrine, which is very prized by the family and those that acquire them. The staff has excellent relations with foreign clients with English speaking staff and owner. It is impressive just to look at the blades, yet only the expensive ones look like art work. So as you walk along the Kamo or through Kyoto, you can think of all those Samurai's dueling and leaving countless historic monuments and bodies cleanly cut by a superb sword. The best option for Samurai swords is Tozando, which has even some reasonable blades for the kitchen and pocket knifes, which cost around $100.
http://tozando.com/international/shopping.html

I recommend these blades, as I use just one sharp and perfect blade. You do have to keep them dry and wash them right away, as they rust. Still, I am impressed with their durability, sharpness, and balanced feel. Now I just need to earn enough to afford some real knives and eventually a samurai sword.

Have you every wanted to buy Japanese knives or a samurai sword? Do you have any experience buying these swords or blades? I am impressed to say the least, yet would love to find something within my price range. Still, you must pay for quality, so enjoy the reward of earning more by buying a Japanese quality blade or samurai sword.

Best Japanese beer and whiskey: travel and drink in Japan, Suntory's Hibiki 12 is amazing, micro brews Nippon style

2012-02-29T00:25:00.000-08:00

Japan has decent beers; yet like in the America, they do not compare to European standards and micro brewers. The Japanese are perfectionists to the extreme, so when they want to make a great beer, they do just that with exact taste and crispness with perfect head. The Japanese truly have a taste for quality, yet many Japanese still drink the standard bland bitter beers, instead of their micro brews. I had some great beers in Tokyo at a micro brewery with mostly American pub food with a Hawaiian flair. The local Japanese beer lovers took me there, yet the best part of it was the magazine and therewith the connection to bad beer is the enemy, a Japanese micro brewer publication and society.

I recommend the website and the magazine, as it highlights the micro breweries and gives nice beer touring travel options. They highlight the brewers passion for good beer and ability to provide superior flavor to their local customers. Japanese support their local brewer, as they know that great beer is worth the price, as to travel all the way to Europe is not cheap, and locals have more fun meeting others, who enjoy good beer. It is in both Japanese and English for the expat beer lovers. Here is the website for those traveling and or living in Japan. Nearly every region is blessed with a brewery, so there is no excuse for drinking the standard expensive "beer", while one can really enjoy each swig of micro brew and savor the best in life, good beer.
http://japanbeertimes.com/

I have enjoyed many spirits in Japan, yet nothing compares to their whiskey. They do the sacrilegious for scotch drinkers, mixing water and ice with 12, 17 and even 21 year whiskey. I personally don't enjoy whiskey mixed unless it is under 12 years and not tasty. Still, it is fun to have "high ball" or a basic grog brought to Japan by the old sailors and made into something posh by the rich at Suntory.

I recommend the trip to the Suntory factory, which is free and fun to learn about the process of distilling whiskey. I personally love hibiki 12, as it has the right amount of cherry, smokey, fresh sea blown taste and bourbon sweetness. I enjoyed one of the winners of world's best scotch from Japan and had some nice highlands and islanders before coming to Japan. Still, the bottle is worth the superb taste, which is 30% more expensive at the brewery than your local liquor shop. While the tour is informative and ends with a couple of free drinks, they are under 12 years and not blended whiskey. Thus, their flavor leaves you wanting to mix it, as it tastes like guaro or bad liquor. So mix it with water or ice and enjoy the chocolate and nuts. The best part of the tour is the bar, which has some nice shots to find your favorite blend or what makes your blend taste like it does. There is always a secret ingredient or a mixture of a couple of aged whiskeys, which you can find and understand to become a real whiskey lover. Check out the website and make a reservation at least a week ahead for large groups, as they fill up quickly. They have a machine guide in most European languages, while the tour guide only speaks Japanese. suntory tour near Kyoto
http://www.suntory.com/factory/yamazaki/index.html

Here I am enjoying the secret in Suntory's whiskey that gives it the grassy, strong and sea breeze flavor. It is stronger and is a key part of the 17 year old whiskey. I really enjoyed the cherry and smokey part of the hibiki 12, so I enjoy expensive but not the most expensive(: Yeah on not spending too much on liquor!

So how have you enjoyed Japanese spirits and beers? I personally find 12 euros for a 6 pack of canned bud way to expensive, as I remember the college days of $5 sam adams and $6-7 imports fondly. The only beers comparing to Japan prices were Dog fish, the best American beer, coming from Delaware. It's steep price of $17 for 6 seems reasonable in Japan, yet its flavor matches only the micro breweries or surpasses them actually. Do you have any fun stories or comments on nice drinks in Japan? If you enjoy whiskey and beer, you must try at least their world renown whiskey, while a visit to a brewery near Fuji-san or on a lake is truly a great experience.

Vienna for drinks: Maerzen and Sturm the best drinks at 7 stern and Sirbu

2012-02-28T04:19:00.001-08:00

Most people do not think of beer, when they to Vienna, as it is filled with wine and more of an italian or French flair. Still, they have Maerzen beer and of course great white wines like Gruener Veltliner or Riesling. The reason to return to Vienna for me is to enjoy the lazy evening overlooking the Danube with a sweet Sturm and some Bergkaese, good bread and sausage, as I watch the sun set behind Lainzertierpark, where one actually can see wild boars up close and personal. I recommend walking along the forest paths, which are left by loggers to see one of the last kings parks with wild game that is frightened, yet not aggressive. I had got within 20 yards of a grown boar that I could have rode without having my feet touch the ground. Just the boar was not that interested in hanging around to be ridden, while it did try a pass before crashing into the engulfing underbrush.

Back to the drinks: Basically, there is great wine and some maerzen, which is a normal lager from March with a sweeter malty and stronger beer. I personally find most beer from the tap in Vienna to be good, yet the micro breweries make the beer that much better.

Salmbraeu is the most popular with tourists, as it is packed with them and with photos of important UN and presidents or VIPs of late. Their beer is a bit better than the standard, while their assortment leaves something to desire, as they only have standard flavors. The staff fulfills a Vienna upper crust of Schwarzenberg castle manners by being very rude to people without local and or VIP status (Vienna German or someone important). This is a place to go, if you want to notice the Vienna style waiter, albeit with years dealing with tourists. It is over priced and right off Belvedere, the home of the kiss Klimt painting and a couple of blocks from the Opera house and the 1st district. The food is standard Austrian flair with a tourist minded staff and cuisine. http://www.salmbraeu.com/

My favorite for beer is 7 Stern or 7 stars, as it has a greater variety of beer with better flavors and locals. Here one can find something for everyone, as the food is much better with larger portions and fresher ingredients. There is a beer garden out back, yet the pub gives a brewery or pub feel. The location is behind the museum area, literally directly up the stairs heading due west from Musuemquartier, so it is ideal to stroll up the hill from the museums to the hidden but true star of Austrian beer with locals and a peaceful atmosphere. Here is the website, so check them out for a great beer and true Austrian cuisine with a local feel. This is a hidden treasure with a historical Hapsburg or Vienna flair to it that is so enjoyable. http://www.7stern.at/

I truly miss the lazy afternoons underneath the wine grapes watching the Danube flow by, thinking of the time when the Turks enjoyed this Kahnlenberg view with wine and coffee before being run off by the Polish. The best Heuriger is Sirbu for its view and location mostly. The worst part of this winery is that it is for locals and only opens for lunch on holidays and weekends, so anyone traveling will have to plan for the sunset or come on the weekend. The place opens at 3pm and offers only a rustic cuisine, so bread, cheese, pies, and plenty of good fresh wine. The prices are reasonable and the scenery worth the hike. If you are in a large group, it is best to reserve, yet 4 people will usually squeeze in fine. http://members.aon.at/jsirbu/index.htm

I recommend you take Tram D until the end station and walking past the Beethoven statue along the stream until you get to the path leading up to the top of Kahnlenberg. You can usually walk through the fields, yet the farmers have the right to shoot you, if you consume or pick the fruit. Still, I have picked some, yet they still can always pull the trigger, the first one warns. The road leads past a couple of the heurigers, yet Sirbu has the best view, nicest set up and better food and deserts. I suspect there are some shuttles, yet personally I have always walked. You can always take the bus to the top of Kahnlenberg to walk down after taking in the view from the top of the mountain, which is quicker to the drink. Check out the website for opening times, as the walk is nice but so much better with Sturm or Federweisen to top off the evening or a nice wine underneath and among the vineyards. Remember that late August to November is Sturm season, so plan your trip to include this time, which always hits opera season.

I will be back for these drinks, yet I only dream of the Sturm and the sight from Sirbu with the sweet joy of Sturm with its warming joy of a summer evening with friends and a scenic view of wonderland before stumbling down to a dazzling city of wonderful lights beckoning to party until world peace somehow develops.

Do you have any questions or great memories of Vienna and drinks? Sturm is best between September and November, so do not drink after these dates for fear of stomach aches etc. Have you experienced Sturm or have a favorite place to enjoy it? What is your favorite brewery or beer?

gym vs free gym: socialized fat vs athletes: barstarzz amazing, lower back problems and fat gone!

2012-02-22T03:02:00.000-08:00

gyms used to be those playgrounds jungle gyms with athletes using the standing gym in California (now gym for short) to train. Now a gym is where one goes to meet friends and try to loose weight, yet it is situated in a closed air steel and carpet plasma screen filled mirror building. As the fat come and leave disgruntled, the ripped and overly muscled yet pull up weak marvel at their artwork, their bodies, the real muscle men are returning to their roots, the jungle gym.

I joined a gym, yet never found the fees worth the sub-par amenities like weights and machines with expensive drinks and nothing really to benefit from. I used to ponder on ways to harness all this pent up energy that the once physical human labor used, yet currently is wasted using energy to run on a plastic band like a mouse. There is still no way to generate working electricity, minus lance armstrong on a bike, which only keeps a light bulb flickering.

As government and insurance recognize the benefit of exercise, they may want to link gym membership to reduced health care costs, yet this has nothing to do with actual fitness. Naturally fee based gyms want this subsidy, yet doctors deserve it more. Basically, one should have an annual check up, common practice in Japan with the world's cheapest preventative based national health care policy, where one is rated as being fit or not, depending on a standard with large norms to take into account high blood pressure healthy individuals and not health fads.

I used to always hear from my not so healthy gym going friends, who often asked me how I stayed in shape, while they remained well portly or chubby. They always talked about gossip and the new way they will finally get in shape. Yet unfortunately their gym was merely a place to talk at the water fountain, instead of the the break room. They lacked commitment to the core, dedication to well reaching goals, other than chatting with friends at an overly shallow and mirror infested world pushing your not so perfect body image into yet another I must but can't.

I recently became bored, unmotivated and well to put it bluntly, the winter got to me, out of shape and lazy. I started looking for another work out, as my capoeira work-out was boring without a group and the nearest group was a one way hour bike ride. Then I stumbled upon youtube videos with exercises for the lower back and to be practically strong, not bench pressing strong. I found Maxworkouts to highlight the best way to stay in shape with little equipment and most importantly time. The best thing is that you pick the best places and use your body, so everything develops naturally or balanced and loose that lower back pain. Here is the link and I recommend it for basics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIRM4nClzfg&list=UUzsLY7lfGXFDl1wpt1ikAdA&index=10&feature=plcp

From there I stumbled on some random workouts coming from the very well defined and seemingly perfectly developed muscles with the right combination of workouts. These people were motivated and used what was available to get in shape regardless of location or financial means. This movements brought us planking for the not in shape, yet real planking is awesome. I have nothing but respect for the barstarzz and how they brought the gym back into the original gym, as the financially less advantaged are becoming rich in muscles and health. http://www.barstarzz.com/services/personal-training They offer you training lessons for $40 an hour, which is well worth it for those, who are not creative to watch and learn from the videos. These work outs take less than 15 minutes and tire you out, while leaving you with a great body. Just add in a bit of jogging and some stretching, these exercises will through the weights out, your excess weight and replace it with lean hard muscles in places you hardly expect to find them. The best part is that my lower back pain is gone after following their work out, while my neck pain increased, the only problem with it so far.

It is not about the money or paying for everything. Rather I ask you, do you need that membership everywhere or just some food, a phone, and the internet. I wonder what expenses are absolutely necessary in your life. Gym memberships are not necessary, as the park is much nicer and you can chat outside with your friends, if you can hold the position and chat.

Let me know what workouts you use and or what you think of the barstarzz workout. Do you have any recommendation or perhaps a thought on gyms or exercising to relieve back pain or neck pain?

The best of Japan: the cultural differences, delicious food for foreigners ume, goma and life in Japan

2012-02-19T05:50:00.000-08:00

Japan has some unique foods that are not available or common outside of Japan. Also I wanted to highlight the best parts of living in Japan from food, nature to the cultural normalities. Everyone enjoys good food, yet the Japanese are extreme and their food has some good qualities other than just looking like art.

I find umeboshi or red basil and plum pickles to be something everyone would love inside and outside of Japan. The candies should be bought and sold worldwide, while the traditional umeboshi is much better. I would love to try to emulate the flavor, as plums, shiso and basic pickling ingredients are available throughout the world. While we are at it umeshu or sweet plum wine is a great desert wine. I find the sugarcane juice and umeshu the best drink straight, with ice, on cake or ice cream. This stuff is worth the trip, while sake goes from good to nothing special. Ume provides Japan with a truly tasty treat, which should be eaten everywhere.

I also love goma or black sesame, as I love hazelnut cake and nutella, which have a similar flavor. I first tried goma ice cream around lake fuji, which is a scenic and lovely fishing and hiking location, including the famous hike up the mountain. Basically, goma ice cream tastes like hazelnut, yet in my opinion much better, which could be due to the fact that I hardly ever find it enough. The goma honey spread is to die for, as is nutella. I have found the spread in a small but expensive plastic container in most super markets. I also find the candy with goma and sugar cane to be a melt in your mouth treat. I know that I enjoy a nutty sweet flavor, yet this goma is great.

The entrance to the best soy sauce in Kyoto

I find that noodles are tasty in most forms, yet soba or buckwheat noodles make a healthy and tasty addition to any spagettii or japanese style pasta dish. I also enjoy the miso and soy sauce stores with their classical traditions. 35.023181,135.756525 This is the address to type into google earth to find the oldest soy sauce brewer in Kyoto. It is located on shinmachi dori three streets west of the emperor's palace. There is also a miso store a street over towards the palace. Basically, one should try out the traditional 3 to 4x the price of the super market variety produce, yet in the end much less to get the best tasting food. The Japanese pay $10 for good soy sauce, while we pay less for more. I would say it is like heinz over the no-name, yet we have not traditional producers left.

the vats of soy sauce that take some 4 years to become tasty.

I know many foreigners marvel about canned coffee on every street or alley way both in their cold and hot variety. I enjoy them for the $150 prices and the high energy student waker upers. I also enjoy how the customer is thanked profusely for buying anything with bows, having the clerk open the door to bow and run after you almost thanking and bowing. At first I wanted to run, as if the guy would grovel less, yet later I just learned to nick the head and act like he was not venerating me, rather showing me respect and honoring my part in the business world.

I doubt that I will ever understand the biking culture in Kyoto, yet I am very thankful for the drivers being overly aware. They somehow see bikes shooting out of sidewalks, running red, green lights, and the occasional road bike in both directions. I was shocked to have a police officer stop me for riding in the right most lane (they drive on the left) to take a right, while countless bikes road against traffic in the other direction on the shoulder to my left.

Strangely, riding against traffic on the road is considered by police and Japanese safer, rather than riding in the lanes, despite stopped traffic at a red light and bikes usually being faster than cars in city traffic. Either way, biking is safe, albeit a bit strange to see benches built into the biking lanes, as well as bus stops. Without the politeness of Japanese, I would be obliged to just stay in my lane and plow over the white haired disobeying the laws by standing and crossing a bike road without looking. Basically, the rules of no umbrellas, must wear a helmet, riding in bike lanes, not using head phones, having a light, riding one person to a bike, and not texting are largely defacto irrelevant. Albeit, the police may ticket you for some $200, yet I see all these rules broken with your average biker breaking a minimum of 3 with the kids breaking nearly all of them. Bikes are safe, as they are very polite and driving is actually very courteous and civil.

My favorite part of Japan is the nature. You can always see the mountains and find a temple of bit of pristine well kept nature. It is like plants are your furniture and the yard a still painting. They dominate nature, their humanistic errors and differences, so that there is one garden and one standard Japanese. Everything else is considered uncivilized and un-japanese. Basically, the outsider is unkempt and un-liked for not fitting the mold. Besides this perfection, the flowers are beautiful in their own right, as they are not perfect. Rather they are small, delicate, fall quickly, and are not perfected as the standard European varieties. There are also flowers blooming every month with different colors and fragrances. Never have I gone a day without seeing some flower blooming even in Dec Jan or Feb. This is not just the Camilla, which is hardy, small, and well everywhere around the new year. Also there is a fragrant plum and yellow flower shown below, which blooms in February. Perhaps, someone can tell me the name of this flower of the temples.

The best part of Japan is Kyoto, wherein lies the beauty of the traditions, the temples, and the flowers. Of course the food is ever present part of the best of any country, including such a food conscious culture of Japanese cuisine.

What were your favorite experiences from Japan or do you have any favorite food? Do you have experience with kudzu or kuzu, the miracle herb, food, and weed? I would be happy to hear about your experiences in Japan and with the food and culture.

Vienna must see list: hidden churches and long night of the museums

2012-02-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

Vienna is the most beautiful city with the most culture, as well as great food and drinks. The best about this is that it is all reasonably priced with classical style. There is something special for every season, the Christmas markets in December and the ball season with countless opportunities to dance in the halls of history or enjoy the spring jumping from metro into the Danube or the fall return of the young ice wine. Naturally, cakes, coffee, beer, museums, theater, horses, paintings, gardens are year round available. Yet the real Geniesser will make the trip for a specific occasion in Vienna, my weakness is Sturm and late Summer.

No trip to Vienna is complete unless you visit the Museumsquartier, as they have new and old European art for reasonable prices. Also the opera house and house of music have impressive sound and architecture, while they both offer real concerts (instead of the fake operas or classical concerts for tourists) and standing room only at the opera is a nice way to enjoy the opera last minute. The gates of the largest European empire at the Hapsburg castle are impressive to stroll through as are their church, graves, and perhaps even along Stephansdom (the underground tour shows you the impact of the black death and or the fire watchtower in the church tower are both worth the wait and tour) with its shopping and countless alley ways to loose oneself. Unlike the German cuisine, Vienna is known to have a truly tasty variety of German and Eastern cuisine mixed with an Italian flair. This I will devote a blog to, as the restaurants are truly worth the visit.

I personally recommend the Spanish riding school for horse fans, while movie buffs would enjoy the post WWII the 3rd man tour. The politically or architecture fans would enjoy seeing the crystal parliament halls and town hall, as they both have a priceless style of greek and gothic styles with real political significance. Hundertwasser is also worth a look, if you have not seen any of his other artwork of constructions.

The above attractions are everywhere in guide books, yet the recommendations that follow are for the tourist looking for the best of hidden Vienna. Churches make European cities famous, yet the real Stephanskirche is actually underneath your feet, as all those tourists look at her impressive height, the church is directly below a dark tile, which lays out the foundation of the 1st church, whose inside and altar are only visible from the Ubahn. The oldest standing church is in the old jewish area, which is worth a look, as the style comes from over a millennium ago. St Rupert's Church is worth a visit, as is the burning memorial fire to those murdered in WWII at Rupertplatz.

I personally found Peter's church interesting for its Opus Dei founder being buried there. The Hapsburg family is essential for European and world history, so a visit to the Augustinian church right past the Albertina is where you can find many of the family treasures, including all their hearts. Not far away at the Neuermarkt, you will find the rest of the family without hearts in the Kaisergruft or emperors tomb. You can see how this small Hapsburg family went from small lord to arguably one of the historically speaking most powerful families.

Naturally, the long night of churches is the best time to visit the churches, which usually is on the 1st of June. This way you can see all the artifacts in the back rooms and be given a tour with some real knowledgeable priests. It also is cheaper, as one ticket gets you into all the churches and there are snacks and treats at each church. You can learn more at the website. http://www.langenachtderkirchen.at/wien/

The long night of the museums is also a great way to see Klimt's kiss in Belvedere, or the famous Albertina, and the most impressive art collection at Kunsthistorische all in one day. This reduces the costs, yet increases the crowds. This buffet of museums happens in October usually and is well worth the crowd and festivities to be part of a museum party. Check out the website for more information. http://www.wien-konkret.at/kultur/museum/lange-nacht/

While one can see the normal lonely planet book's recommendations, I find the churches and Museums in Vienna to be worth the visit, especially during the long night, as it is a party for arts and or church fans. Naturally, the other sights are a great way to spend your time, yet these festivities bring locals and tourists together.

Do you have any favorite church or museum in Vienna? Have I forgotten one of the must sees in Vienna? What do you think are some of the hidden treasures of Vienna or worth a visit?I appreciate comments.

SOPA listening to good music online and paying artists, not middlemen...

2012-02-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

I never have been one to define myself by music, nor to spend exorbitant amounts of money on the next cool band that goes mainstream and looses its flavor of the month appeal to a label. I actually probably have spent under $100 US on music cds in my life, while I spend for concerts and enjoy them very much. I would not bat an eye paying $50 for a good show or even a bit more, yet I find music on cd or on demand to be well overpriced. I always liked the radio and occasionally my itunes, yet find cds and dvds way over priced. This could be from my life in Honduras, where any cd was $1 to $3 for the new releases, which is the basic cost with a profit for marketing and cd case design etc. The patent is not covered of course, which is usually bought and owned nearly 90% by the owner of the music, which is rarely the creative artist.

While I personally never will or have purchased any of the overpriced products, I find online streaming video and music amazing. The service is great, as you can find international and obscure artists with at least some of their songs, while the unknown, unlabeled artists still require actual artist fan purchases. Still, it cuts costs and makes any computer the best party dj and any location your own radio without the hassle to call in or request songs. I suspect that the online sites pay a small fee to play their songs, which is covered by ads and surveys.

I personally use www.grooveshark.com yet knew of www.pandora.com beforehand. Unfortunately, pandora is regulated so that my internet connection is restricted to not hear the songs, as I am not currently residing in the USA. This resembles China in the US's restriction on online content, which has the US protecting patent rights, while China limits freedom of expression. Both are arguably the same thing restricting the internet, which is the next step in private property and patent issues. Still, I am left to enjoy grooveshark as a unrestricted internet radio.

I also enjoy many free videos on youtube, which is probably why the recent Kim from Germany was arrested. Basically, consumers are able to find the cheapest way of accessing a product for free, while others want to restrict a product, arguably not worthy of paying for, as demand speaks, free or keep it. I really enjoy the less known foreign, under marketed diamonds in the rough of www.youtube.com as opposed to the video rental store (Japan has plenty still) with its limited selection and often scratched low grade copies. As copies are just that, one can find everything on the cloud. So is not the copied paid for by the initial purchaser, while those accessing the cloud's copy of consumer X with his copyright paid for merely listening to it from the street or while consumer X enjoys his ability to play and let others play that copy without physically copying it, merely asking him/her to play that hit through the cloud.

I would like to know the ability of the cloud to circumvent this copyright law, as SOPA and the dinosaurs from the music industry face the future of movie rental stores, irrelevance in the museum. I suspect that sopa will resurrect its head in another law, yet I do not see how any service is provided by the music industry, as I certainly do not care for their products, nor their work. I hope they bit the dust, as their "added value" is wasteful in my opinion. Let the consumers access music and movies as demanded. If there are issues between end users and producers, let them deal with it personally online through the cloud, social media or directly at concerts.

What is your opinion of SOPA or the future of the music industry? Will SOPA or a similar bill every pass? Who supports it among the people outside of the music/movie/tv industry? Now Europe is facing a similar law, yet will they become tools or let freedom reign?

Hondura's best movies, train to the north migration, jealousy and love in the time of beans

2012-02-05T04:06:00.000-08:00

I must admit that Honduras is an amazing place with a truly relaxed and simple village and a very violent and ruthless city. While it is hard to have such juxtaposed societies, the two famous movies from Honduras present that society in its humanity, passion, life of individuals in a society touched by crime, simple love and the comical relationship challenges. I personally find Amor and Frijoles to be better in that one laughs, sees a Honduran village life, which I lived for 6 weeks, and treasures the little things in life. Still, Sin Nombre will remain with you, so that you cannot think of migration as anything but a long fought path from fear to freedom and opportunity.

Amor y Frijoles is set in the best village for pottery and arts and crafts than the famous Valley de Angeles. The products are mostly made in the village to be sold in Valle de Angeles for about 3 times the price, so take the ride to Ojojona to experience a quaint village only just touched by crime from Teguz.
The story is about a simple married woman selling the best balleadas or borritos on the side of the road, who suspects her husband of cheating and exposes the societal norms, mores and failings of relationships. In the end everything is laid bare, as it brings to light the issues faced in a very religiously conservative, promiscuous, passionate, and jealous society. I would give it 4/5 stars, so check it out for a relaxing evening with a visit to Honduras.

This is the link to the movie trailer. This movie is hard to come by.

http://www.amoryfrijoles.com/

Sin Nombre is not your easy movie, as you leave it understanding the how migrants take the trip through hell, using coyotes the messenger of the devil and the life of los mareros to fly north. It starts out with a family trying to live the American dream by traveling to be reunited with the family in the USA, while a marero tries to learn to love, take responsibility for his actions, and kill or be killed in the violence of a very dangerous society of mareros. They lead you along the road of death, which is the path the mareros and increasingly Hondurans are forced to take luchando a vivir or fighting to survive. This has a happy ending of sorts but a shocking reality packed roller coaster ride full of life altering, ending and defining moments. This is the reality of what these new gringos endeavor in order to survive and make it al norte.

You can buy the movie on Amazon or on Netflix.

Have you seen either movie? I recommend that you at least watch one, if you want to learn abut Honduras or have not seen any of the up and coming Honduran Spanish movie scene. Sin Nombre will change your perspective on migration forever, while amor y frijoles will highlight what Honduras was before the violence started with all its force.

post nomadic lifestyle: living from a suitcase for 6 to itching to own more than memories!

2012-02-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

After nearly 6 years on the road, I have been accustomed to always think first, if I need something and or how will I transport it on my next move. Naturally, I do not buy many things, nor do I even have any idea of what stocking a flat or arraigning a house with things is like. Along my journeys living from a suitcase or two with my couple of shoes, jackets, and changes of clothes, I have missed the things that I saw others enjoying and those things I used to enjoy using when I lived at a home.

I have bought a bike every year about, yet usually resell them or have them stolen. The overall cost was minuscule on my transportation costs saved and free gym membership fee with 3D changing views and special effects etc. Still, I dream of buying a nice mountain bike or a trekking bike to travel throughout the USA or even around the world with a little boating across the oceans. Do you have any recommendations for a nice mountain bike or a trekking bike? I will buy one in the near future and have found some great reads on trekking across the US, yet most of the best bikes are personally built. I need to learn much about the buying of things and becoming an expert on parts, brands, and building my own bike.

I have practiced many sports, yet I try to limit them to those that require little to no equipment or gear, as I am always moving and not willing to carry things. Thus, I stick to a bike, capoeira, soccer and basketball (only a ball), and swimming/running. I used to want to snowboard, yet find the cold snow nothing like the alive ocean. It is fun flying down powder and having a spill into white beard decorations of snow. Still, the ocean is alive, while the mountain is in a frozen state as you plummet downwards to the warm hut and hot drinks/girls. My desire is to surf and be in the ocean, yet I have only a couple of weeks experience and no gear. Still, I would love to suit up to catch some waves on the weekend, or even use my dive master experience to enter the realm below the ocean's surface. Perhaps, I can even rekindle my golf game or improve my tennis game, which both require memberships in expensive clubs or a partner with a similar skill level.

I have often marveled at people's home theaters, yet never invested in one or thought of all that goes into one. Now I am interested in buying a flat screen TV or projector with a white wall with a great sound system. I only would watch movies or sports on it, as I think I have only watched a year+ of TV, which bores me utterly now. Still, it would be fun to be able to invite people over and have a nice place to relax, instead of having to go to the expensive not so interesting movies at the theater or the pub with expensive drinks and not just your friends.

I have the peace corps disease, as I call it, which means that I start getting angry at everyone shopping wastefully for society and themselves after about an hour of being bombarded with sales blah. I used to make it to 3 hours, yet now I just want to yell at all those selfish people worried about wearing their blah blah flashy stuff. Still, I am tired of wearing the same things from years back and updating my wardrobe with some new additions, which I can put into a closet, not only a suitcase. It is time to buy good quality for a decent price, as people listen to the guy with brand name clothes over that guy without studies prove.

I used to enjoy music, yet currently I devote no time to music, minus the occasional karaoke or harmonica. Still, I used to pass by the violin store on my way to the bank in Vienna, yet the prices kept me from buying one of the most beautiful instruments in the world. Once I feel stable in life, I will try to regain some of those youthful skills on the violin. While I will return to the classics, I always wanted to play gigs, the fiddle, and more modern pieces, which is how I will rekindle my passion for the violin or fiddle.

Strangely I always wanted to have a horse to ride, yet never was able to buy one, have one or even make a friend, who had one to ride for fun. Eventually, I will buy a horse to ride into the wilderness, forests, mountains to explore and discover the beauties of nature at the speed of a trot or gallop, instead of walking or strolling along paths. I really enjoyed exploring with my dog as a youth, yet find the exhilaration of moving as one with a horse over the earth much more invigorating. Naturally, I would enjoy having a dog run alongside to help spook the animals along the way, yet the horse is the dream, the dog the side kick. Now to obtain the means to care for a horse or just keep dreaming.

I have had many good memories of shooting the longbow or even a homemade short bow, yet as I grew older the regulations required a license and a professional bow. I humorously learned to shoot on the left side of the notch, which made my switch to compound bows slightly more complicated, so that my near perfect aim from 25ft turned to the occasional bulls eye or even no points. I never had more than a 30 kilo bow or 30 something, so as I started shooting deer, birds, and bunnies, only the latter were affected. Thus, I lost interest with my inability to make the switch from play to real hunting with compound bows, expensive razor sharp arrows, and the patience needed to nail the buck. I think the stalking and peace and quiet required for bow hunting would be something very enjoyable. Then my rides or hikes would give a reward with a guaranteed story and occasionally something good to eat. This used to be one of my most enjoyable hobbies, yet time and the lack of weapons have limited my ability to return to the hunt. Soon I will be able to rekindle my hobby with the things a stationary and consumerism based lifestyle afford.

I have an itching to buy many things, yet I have a sleeping bag, hiking boots (from 2000), and plenty of clothing, yet I lack a real tent and camping equipment. I will have to invest in some of the best or learn about the positives and negatives of each product, as I slowly start to collect and own tools and equipment.

Currently, I still have an outdated windows dell, which is running out of ram, so that I can hardly store documents on it, as all my music, movies, most of my documents, and pictures are on my external hard drive. Thus, I want to buy one of the mini computers to increase the speed of my computer, ease of transport, and stay up to date on the tech trends. As I leave Japan and their flip phones and have Honduras's light and tiny semi waterproof phone, I am itching to enter the smart phone world. My zune, not a bad mp3 player with radio functions, weighs too much, can't store music not stored on my computer, which has no space to store music. Thus, I can make the switch directly to an iphone or android to have a mp3 player, mini camera, email checking and webpage checking device and something resembling a phone. I just hope that I can understand it and be able to use it without paying an arm and a leg to become a modern technologically advanced individual.

please feel free to recommend and or highlight your favorite products, so I can buy a good one to last, as I am tired of living out of a suitcase and want to enjoy things. I hate shopping for things I do not need, like cute shoes or another pair of jeans. However, I find that these products will allow me to live my passions, hobbies and be a fuller person, not bored with merely the internet to entertain me. The internet and technology allows one all the possibilities to learn, see and do, yet we spend way too much time doing just that through technology, instead of doing it first hand without a screen.

I would love comments, recommendations and anything else you think I should own, which you could not live without. I have spent my life living without, so I could remember what I really enjoyed having or find worthwhile investing in to live fuller. Now I know, yet must find the best product and return to consuming things, owning, instead of traveling and living from a suitcase and everything I can carry on my back.