Chinese Thumbs Up for GM Rice

A ten-year research project on Chinese rice farming may have given Chinese authorities the green light to go full steam ahead with using genetically modified (GM) rice. I didn't know why GM crops are not good. But my friend said that GM is recent technology, so we don't know what will affect on our body in the future.

There are many food, which say "this is NOT GM food" when I go to supermarket. But there is no food says "this is a GM food." So, we might eat GM food unknowingly.

Of course, plants that had been modified can be insect resistant and grow faster. But it's unnatural. Natural food is better than GM food. I don't want to eat GM food if it is possible.

The Baby Hatch

I researched about the Baby Hatch in class. In Japan, there is a Baby Hatch in Kumamoto prefecture. I agree with the Baby Hatch because it can save babies' lives. There are many cases of abuse. Some of them, parents killed their children. I think the Baby Hatch can reduce abused, abortioned, and abandoned children.

If parents abandoned their children to outside like street, park, or in front of a orphan's home, they will be punished by the law in Japan because it is a crime. But, children who were put in the Baby Hatch, they are not abandoned children. So, parents don't need to be punished.

For these reasons, I agree with institution of the Baby Hatch and Japanese government should establish it not only Kumamoto prefecture.

Smacking Kids Lowers Their I.Q.

I couldn't believe it when I read this article. New research shows that smacking, or spanking, children can affect their intelligence. However, I think that which is more important I.Q. or morality. Even children are intelligent, they can't be good people without moral education. If my children behaved badly, I will spank them.

In Japan, there are parents who are called "Monster Parents." They raise their children indulgently. So, when something happens in school, the parents rush to school and they complain to teachers. I don't know why they do so. Teachers can't scold students recently. We should scold children if they behaved badly. It makes them people who have morality.

Divorce rate explosion expected in Japan

Independence is important for women in these days, but divorce is selfish. Of course, it depends on the case. For example, domestic violence is unforgiveable. Parents should not divorce if they do not a big problem such as the domestic violence and debt. It can be the reason for the divorce. However, I think divorce is thoughtless behavior. Even though, women want to become independent, they should think about their children.

Especially in Okinawa, the divorce rate is higher than other prefectures. In my opinion, young people get married get faster, and they divorce easily as boyfriend and girlfriend. In Okinawa, the birth rate is higher, too. Consequently, there are a lot of children with on parent in Okinawa. Parents have a responsibility to grow their children. It is related to their children’s life. Children need both their father and mother. When people get married, their life impacts others.

Japanese government should improve of the childcare system, and give women the chance that they can work again after they have a baby. Then we need to understand their family necessities.

Violence in Japan’s Elementary Schools

Japanese elementary schools are becoming ever more increasingly violent. It is the serious educational issue in Japan. I guess there are two reasons of violence by children.

First, when they do not like someone, they tend to hit him/her. They feel a difference between them and they do not admit the difference. We have to teach them importance of personality and thinking for how others feel.
Second, their parents do not scold them if their children did bad behavior. Children tend to think “that’s okay because my mother and father do not scold us” when they do bad things. Actually, when I was in junior high school, my cousin fought students from other school. My uncle, his father was angry with him and he stopped to fight others. So it is important to scold the children.

Japanese children have been more violent than before. Violence may be caused and decreased by education. Japan has to change the educational system and teachers’ consciousness. Violence by children is a big problem.

U.K. Smoking Ban

The British government will soon ban smoking in most public places in an effort to protect public health and cut the number of illness and premature deaths caused by secondhand smoke. The Japanese government also bans smoking in some public places. Japanese cigarette companies do not write warnings about deaths caused by smoke. They only say that “Smoking may harm your health.” On the other hand, foreign countries’ cigarette companies say that “Smoking causes the death.”

Smoking does not have any good things. However, there are a lot of smoking people in Japan. I think this is a strategy of the cigarette companies. Secondhand smoke is a big issue. If smokers have children, their children smoke, too. Even though people do not smoke, they could be damaged by secondhand smoke. Smoking kills many people by various causes. For example, lung cancer and myocardial infarction are caused by smoking.

Smokers have to be concerned about their health and the people around them. People should think about the smoking problem more. Considering these issues, I will never smoke.

A Christmas Carol

I watched the movie, which title is "A Christmas Carol" with Manae on Tuesday. It was wonderful! I was excited with the movie. I like the Disney's movies. They are dreamy movies, which I forget the real life.

The story was about an old man who did not like Christmas. But faries of past, present, and future appeared, and the old man became a person who loves Christmas.

After the movie, I thought I have to be kind to others and do the good things. Life is very short, so I want to be satisfied with my life.

Korean Gamer Dies After 50 Hours Online

I like playing video games. However, I have never played it non-stop for a long time. I can not consider why he became engrossed in the online game.

He took only occasional toilet break and five-minute nap. He kept sitting on the sheet for 50 hours. The video games are interesting, but it is not good to keep playing for a long time.

This is a big issue because children like playing video games. They will keep playing it. They do not study and help their mother.

Their parents should think about these problems very well when they give a computer game to their children.

Japanese Women to Have More Equality

I think Japanese government has to endorse increasing women employment. Japan is a low birthrate coundry. A reason of it, companies do not have a comfortable environment to work there. Japanese women do not want to born their babies. Japan has a stereotype, for example, "men work at company, women work at home."

Some Japanese women do not want to work at company, but other Japanese women want to work. Japanese government has to give them the right to select the job.

Pig Organ Transplants within 5 Years

I disagree with transplantation of pig's organ. Because if I was transplanted organs from animals, I can not be a human beings. I want to be a human. I think I will choose die rather than transplanting from pigs.

Therefore, there is the difference between human being's DNA and pig's DNA. So there is a possibility of occurring hard rejection. Transplantation between people is OK, but from animals is not good.

Probably, if someone were transplanted organs from animals, his/her DNA will be changed. Then if he/she has children, they will have the strange DNA. Their children may not be able to take transblood.

Senegal Health Workers Struggle with Prenatal Care for Rural Women

In rural villages like Kolda, Senegal, many mothers and infants are in danger. Because mothers do not take health care before they giving birth. Most of pregnant women come with anemias or hypertensions. Anemia and high blood pressure make childbirth more risky and contribute to premature and low-birth-weight babies.

Is this a unavoidable problem? I do not think so. If mothers go to health care regularly, possibility of becoming sick will decrease. But they do not have much money especially in rural villages. I am brought up in a favorable environment.

I want Senegalese to take more health care paticularly in the time of pregnancy.

Conference Seeks to Make Early Childhood Development Priority in Africa

Speaking of Africa, we always think about resources such as oil, gold or diamonds. However, the most important resource is people. Africa's education is not improve, because most of people are very poor. So, parents have to make their children work. For that reason, a lot of children can not read, write or arithmetic.

Also, most children suffer from malnutrition. They have a short attention span. Therefore, more than half of all children who complete primary school have not mastered the basis of reading, writing and arithmetic.

If we want to develop Africa's economy, we have to give children the occasion to take education.

Scientists Measure Accelerating Ice Loss on Kilimanjaro

Scientists expect that the ice on Mount Kilimanjaro will be disappeared before 2018. The ice is melting 50% between February 2000 and February 2009. I was shocked that global warming is affecting the environment.

Before I look at those before-after pictures, I did not think about global warming well. However, I have to do something to save the global environment. I can do something even I am in Okinawa.

Tanzanian government worries about decreasing of the tourists. Tourism could be impacted by the Mt. Kilimanjaro.

We have to preserve left of the field of ice in order not to melt more.

Berlin Prepares for Celebrations 20 Years After Fall of Wall

The wall which divided east and west Germany was broken 20 years ago. I do not remember that because I was 1 year old. But I know that it was very big revolution in the world.

It is the 20th anniversary after the fall of the wall in November 9. German government plans to celebrate this anniversary. They will have a concert, special exhibits, and grand fireworks.

I have never been to foreign country, but I want to join this event. It seems so funny!

$100 Laptop for World's Poor Children

I was surprised to read this article. In this article, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology plans to produce a laptop computer for under $100 and they will sell it to poor children in Cambodia.
I think, the cambodian children do not want to have a computer, rather they want something to eat. Of course, they can study by using a computer, but they have to work for their family.

In my oppinion, it is not necessary to use a computer there. They would rather learn how to work and earn much money than use a computer.

Fish Kills Linked to Water Pollutants

I love eating fish. I think most of Japanese people like it, too. I felt sad to read this article. In the US, fish killed by water pollution.

About 50 years ago, there was a disease called "Minamata disease" in Japan. It caused by water pollution. The reason was industrial waste water from factories nearby the river. At first, fish were polluted, then people eat them without knowing that they were contaminated. After that, people became sick because of the fish.

I think water pollution returns to us. We have to think about the environment when we catch fish.

Running Club for Homeless Grows on US East Coast

A running club has become a non-profit organization in Philadelphia. A 27-year-old woman formed the running club. She gave up her high-paying job to focus on the full time job. Her name is Anne Mahlum.

Two years ago, when she was running in the morning, there are a lot of homeless in the park. Then, she smiled and waved to them. At first, they looked at her like she is little bit crazy. But after she kept waving and smiling, they got comfortable with her presence.

I think her activity is great, because she realized me that it is volunteer not only contribute but also giving pleasure to live. I respect her, but it is not need to quite her job.

US Nurse Brings Medicine and Education to Afghan Women

I read an article about Afghan education.
I felt sad because there is a difference between Japan and Afghan.

We can get treatments when we became sick or injured. However, Afghan refugee clinic has a problem of lack of supplies. Occasionally, electricity is gone and volunteers have to use a flashlight. Getting medical care is proper for Japanese people, but for Afghan people is not.

the educational scene is same. Most of Afghan women can not take education at school. Of course, it is good to take education in school, but their family do not send girls to school because of a lot of reasons. As you know, Afghan's public safety is bad. For this reason, people are unwilling to send their girls to school.

I think it is wrong because everyone has a right to take education. We have to support improving the educational environment.

Swine Flu

I read a news about H1N1 Vaccine. I work at juku, and a lot of students were infected by the H1N1 virus. H1N1 virous is not just influenza virus. This influenza is un predictable, and there is not perfect cure for it.

The vaccine has the order of priority in Japan. Young people who do not have a disease, probably cannot be vaccinated.

We have to be careful not to be infected with H1N1. When we go home, we have to wash our hands and gargle every time. Also, it is important to avoid going to the crowded places.