My opinion of this week(309):

Healthy People

My wife and I go to a sport club once a week. I would like to go there
more often, but Friday is only a day when both of us go together. I
have more opportunities to do some other sports during a week and so
I accompany my wife to let her have a chance to make physical exorcize
once in a week at least.  
　
We swim, stretch, play squash and so forth in accordance with schedules
of Friday at the club. Although it is only once in a week, that makes 
a good contribution to keep our health. 

Most of people whom we meet at the club are aged men and women more
than 60 years old. There are some young people who seem to be
working right now, but major most of those business people attend the
club mostly after five of weekdays or weekends when we do not go
usually.

Those age people seem to be very healthy exercising various sports
very eagerly. They must be enjoying another sort of hobbies with 
those friends at the club.

My wife said those who enjoy such sport club life is rather limited
in number and are very lucky. She means that not many people are rich
enough to keep enjoying because of economic reason. I don't agree with
her. People can enjoy any sorts of sports if they have an intention to
do them. We can find various good walking and jogging courses in our
city. Various kind of sporting opportunities are available provided
by municipal services including swimming. All they need have a mind 
to participate in them.

I have some concern for rather high nursing care insurance fee every 
other months. As a matter of fact, I have a qualification as a recipient.
I have never imagined  to be a recipient myself in the immediate future.
All those people who try hard to keep their health feel the same way.
The more the healthy people, the better stable operation of nursing
care insurance system in total. 

Before worrying about improvement of medical care insurance system
and nursing care insurance system that are facing difficulty these days,
both Central Government and local government should make more effort
to increase healthy people in total. At the same time, people should
make individual effort to keep their health on their side.

2003/3/1
Tadashi HAYASE

My　opinion of this week(310):

Magic sounds of Amadeus

I found the ad for the book titled "Magic sounds of Amadeus - good for
imagery and visualization to activate creativity" in Nikkei Newspaper 
a couple of days ago. This is the second version of the same titled
book "Magic sounds of Amadeus - good for integration of learning." 
The first book with CD have been sold out by 2 million so far. 
The Japanese version of the book is  also recording best seller now
at book shops.

Although I have not bought the book yet, I can imagine the contents of
book through several home pages concerned. I know the fact that there 
are some methods to use music to treat mental diseases.　In addition to
medical treatment, music, especially of classical music is said to be 
very effective to improve memory and learning　process. Such traditional
classics as Bach and Hydon are especially　good for it. 
 
The CD collected  by Don Cambell is said to present a series of phrase 
of music works by Mozart which is summarized as the Mozart Effect  good
for　many areas as follows:

・The use of music and the arts to improve the health of families and 
　communities

・The general use of music to improve memory, awareness, and the integration
　of learning styles

・The innovative and experimental uses of music to improve listening and 
　attention deficit disorders

・The therapeutic uses of music for mental and physical disorders and 
　injuries

・The collective uses of music for imagery and visualization, to activate
　 creativity, and reduce depression and anxiety

　see：　http://www.mozarteffect.com/Learn/read.html

I cannot believe in all that are written by the author, but there must be
some fundamental grounds for them observing such a big support from
millions of readers. 

Among a number of classical music composers, Mozart is one of the most
popular composer of all. Why is this? I cannot explain this myself so
well.  But I like Mozart best by myself as a matter of fact.

I started to learn　to play piano after I became 60 years old. Whenever
I select a new number from series of piano pieces composed by many
musicians, I tend to select a works by Mozart, although they are not
necessarily original ones but arranged one for beginners. 

Whenever I talk about the selection of piano pieces with some of my
friends who also learn piano, I often tell a joke this way. "I like
Mozart and select pieces from Mozart nothing but Mozart." 

When the same topics come back again among piano lovers, I will be puffed
up with pride by pointing out the fact about this CD. I just could not 
explain why I love Mozart so much. But I can do it now.

I have not listened to the CD yet and I look forward to writing again on
this after I listen to it.

2003/3/8
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(311)

Spineless diplomacy 

When I visited a barber several days ago, a master of the shop started
talking to me while cutting my hair. He asked my opinions about abduction
issue which is now serious diplomatic problem between North Korea and Japan.
TV set in front was reporting some news on it. 

TV news was reporting about Mr. Kaoru Hasuike's employment for a clerk
of the city he lives in right now. The master of the shop said:
" I don't understand why they are so kind to those eight people who came
back from North Korea. I basically agree with what the Government and
local cities are doing for them. But isn't it too much that local cities
offer them jobs at their city offices. "

I was at a loss for words for a while. Contrary to the time when they 
came back from North Korea several months ago, the interest of mass media
and people on this isse in this country seems to come down very quickly. 
The very important point of this issue seems to gradually fade away. We 
Japanese tend to be easily-warmed up but just as easily cooled down. 
 
The representative of families of abductees visited to US to appeal
this issue to get international support. They met Deputy Secretary States
Armitage and got his comment that abduction by North Korea is terrorism
by itself. 

They came back to Japan and met Foreign Minister Kawaguchi and conveyed 
this Armitage message to let Foreign Ministry to take stronger action
including economic sanction against North Korea in order to get faster
solution.

Foreign Minster Kawaguchi's reaction against this was very disappointing.
She said : "According to International Law, such abduction cases are not
necessarily defined as terrorism. Any economic sunctions should be handled
carefully."

It was reported that those families got very angry when they heard that
comment by Kawaguchi. I did understand their angry. Such request by
those families itself may endanger the life of their families in North
Korea. But there are no other way now that carry forward for the solution
of this issue. What is Foreign Ministry doing now to solve this issue? It 
seems that they just wait and see what's going on. 

Such action as economic sanctions are to be carefully handled for sure.
But it is sure that such weak attitude by the top leader of Foreign
Ministry will never expedite to solve this serious problem when they
negotiate such a blackguard as North Korea.

2003/3/15
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(312):

War for war

The war started after all. I watched TV news that cruise missile attacks
to city area of Bagdad but had no special shock and emotion. This is
because we had seen the same TV footage of Gulf War 12 years ago. Further
more, the process to the war has been reported every days step by step so
perfectly until this moment.

Once started, many people who were against the war by US, began to accept
the fact and showed some compromise against US's self seeking attitude on
this war. Many might have thought that the war could be avoided if Saddam
Hussein flee from his country. I have the same feeling.

Koizumi's announcement on Japan's　support against the war as an allied
country with US are also accepted as reasonable choice. All ruling 
parties also showed the support to US saying there is no other 
alternatives but this. The voice of accusation against the war by 
opposition parties sounds empty.

The basic skepticism which we had before why US was so much in a hurry
to start the war disappeared into somewhere else. 

The total number of solders and commanders  of this war from US and UK
account almost 200,000 fully equipped  and placed in  all parts of the
country. They have been trained for so many months or even years to 
to win this programmed war. They are all professional people and 
must have some expectation that there will be some chances for them to
show their professional work for the world. 

Why are there exists military forces?  Their job is to protect the life
and property of the people of their own country. They say they won't 
to start any real war as much as possible. But it is obvious that they
expect some chance to show off the achievement what they have done. They
look forward to showing  many of good scenes they experienced.

Even in US, there were so many anti war movement. But just after 
Bush' speech on the war,  the support rate for the war have started
going up again. People are very weak for the fact that many of solders
may loose their lives at the battleground and so they changed into 
supporters rather than  objectors. 
 
Any cause of the war has gone somewhere. It is just a war for a war, 
isn't it?

2003/3/22
Tadashi HAYASE