Random Thoughts

rie — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:10:42 -0800

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

We are forever being warned in the newsprint and over the airwaves to be careful about revealing your Social Security number and credit card numbers, etc. because there are culprits preying on the unsuspecting public.

Well, it happened to us. Someone got a hold of our credit card number and it turned out that several hundred dollars were charged to us in Oklahoma. We never lost our card, so how someone was able to use it is a mystery.

Random Thoughts

rie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:33:53 -0800

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

The horrific news from a large city in India where hotels and hospitals were laid siege by a group of Muslim terrorists who eventually killed almost 200 people and wounded over 300 had me guessing as to where Mumbai was located.

Then I found out the name of that city was changed from a more familiar one that we had known for many years. The martini drinkers especially would recognize it because it was formerly known as Bombay.

Random Thoughts

rie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:52:46 -0800

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

Recently we had the pleasure of attending a celebratory gathering at the JCCCNC hosted by Amey and Hatsuro Aizawa. This was in recognition of Hatsuro receiving an award from the Japanese government for his many efforts through the years, cementing friendship with the United States and Japanese governments.

He has been involved in many functions in J-Town together with the sister-city relationship of San Francisco and Osaka, Japan.

Random Thoughts

rie — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:43:18 -0800

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

Well, at last the election is all over. We will certainly miss the election literature, pamphlets and propaganda that came through our mail drop almost every day for some weeks.

In some way, I am glad that Barack Obama won the presidency. There were rumors afloat for a while that if he didn’t get elected, there was a possibility of riots taking place.

Random Thoughts

rie — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:40:50 -0700

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

Many years ago, one had to be a person of means to be able to own an automobile. Today it seems like everyone has a car or two, and the trend has reversed — one has to have a few bucks to maintain a horse.

He must have a stable to keep the horse, and that is practically impossible in the city. Thus the horse owner has to find a stable outside of the city limits, or have another home in the country, if he is wealthy enough.

Random Thoughts

rie — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:42:40 -0700

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

Years ago there was a female journalist for an Atlanta newspaper named Peggy Marsh, I believe. One day, unfortunately, she broke her knee bone and was thus unable to perform her news-writing routine.

On top of that, arthritis started to set in on that particular area. So with her limited mobility, she was more or less confined to her home.

Random Thoughts

rie — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:03:10 -0700

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

A couple of years ago our friend Flo Dobashi sent me the cover of a book she had just read that discussed the possible sailing of Chinese ships to the shores of North America over 50 years before Columbus.

The book was written by a former British naval officer who made an intensive investigation and probed ancient sailing ships. He was especially interested in the annals of Chinese sea ships and came to the conclusion that a Chinese armada of huge junks came to our shores.

Random Thoughts

rie — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:33:23 -0700

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

The stock market is still on uncertain grounds, to put it mildly. Last Monday, the Dow Jones index was referred to by one market broadcaster as a bungee jump.

The index at one time went down over 800 points, and finally “recovered” in the upper 300s.
It must be a wild time for the buyers and sellers on the floor of the Stock Exchange. Indigestion and headache pills are probably taken at a fast pace.

The so-called bail-out was to calm the market, but so far it hasn’t reacted the way it was hoped.

* * *

Random Thoughts

rie — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:54:54 -0700

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

In last Monday’s financial disaster on Wall Street, the Dow Jones dropped 777 points. It was the biggest recorded drop in Dow Jones history.

This debacle was created by the fact that Congress could not come up with a solution for a bail-out of financial and insurance companies. At this time of writing (Thursday), we will have to wait and see if the House will reverse its votes to pass the bail-out bill.

Random Thoughts

rie — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:54:23 -0700

by TAKEO "BABE" UTSUMI

Anyone living in this country cannot avoid the discussion going on in the financial world. I am writing this column on Thursday, so there will be no doubt that some kind of decision will be made to rescue some of the large investment and insurance companies that are in desperate financial trouble.