I just read an micro-economic analysis which maximize our utilities whether we should have two children or, say, four.

http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2005/01/the_selfish_rea.html

Have the number of children that maximizes average utility over your whole lifespan. When you are 30, you might feel like two children is plenty. But once you are 60, you are more likely to prefer ten sons and daughters to keep you company and keep the grandkids coming.

I was so surprised how different people think about the number of children between in US and in Japan. Writing blog articles in Japanese, I found many people in Japan, especially those who write their blogs, do not like the idea of having children. Some of them want none. It seems having children is a burden both economically and psychologically for young generations in Japan.

While people in the U.S. wonder to have their fourth children, in recent article, there is a discussion if Japanese people would have their second children or not.

http://nv-club.nikkeibp.co.jp/members/COLUMN/20050111/105697/
(in Japanese)

I hope someone explain why.

Today, I am trying to discribe why I dont like THE LORD OF THE RING...

I really love to read some fantasy story from a young age, and I had hope would like to read it long time. so I thought it is a chance when I knew its filmization.

But I watched the movie after, unfortunately I didnt enjoy it profoundly.
In that story, I feel have no place for me. and I felt a doubt to expression of Gollum.
But I know it needs a great prepared to render.
I tryed to read the book too, but I gave up. It is difficult for me same as James Joyce or more.

Anyway, Earthsea stories and Narnia now on picturization! I hope I can understand them and fell cozy...

Earthsea Director, Cast Named
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2004-04/05/16.00.film

THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT WITH WALDEN MEDIA TO PRODUCE "THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE"
http://www.narnia.com/movie/news/movienews_030104.htm

I just made a presentation at our Christmas meeting of "Power-law and Net Credibility Currency Talking Night." My presentation is based on the idea that our thinking process, conversation and social networking process are all similar by "emergence."

• The Moment of AHA! (PowerPoint Slides)

Though I finished writing an article on my Japanese weblog, I found Mr. Joi Ito already wrote this kind of idea and made advance to the future democracy. The paper titled "Emergent Democracy " hit me.

• Joi Ito's Socialtext Workspace

*iAi-jp
http://www.iai-jp.com/

"BOKUNCHI" is a comic of Rieko Saibara, who is a famous comic artist. The word "bokunchi" means "my home" in a little boy's way. Her comic pictures seem so comical that no one expect any serious drama. Overall, most of Saibara's pieces are slap-stick comedies. This "BOKUNCHI" is quite different from her other comics, because it reflects her personal history until 7 or 10 years old...

At the time of "BOKUNCHI", maybe 30 years ago, Japanese people were incredibly poor. Most of Japanese worked as fishermen or as farmers, or as factory workers. Due to their poverty, there were innumerous remedies and violence in all the families. Many children had to do gang like jobs, drags, KYOUHAKU, on streets.

This book is about a history of children where mother had left them alone. The children had to support each other in troublesome life. In these years, I believe such poverty rarely exist in Japan. But still we sympathize such children because we share some experience with them.... Our personal history had some episode like the children in BOKUNCHI.

It is quite strange for me that I can be subjective when I wrote about BOKUNCHI in English. On my Japanese version of critiques of BOKUNCHI, I was quite emotional. I could nor write details of this story. My heart almost physically ached. Now, I see this story quit straight...

http://hidekih.cocolog-nifty.com/hpo/2004/09/bokunchi.html

A friend of mine, Mr. Hiroshi Yamaguchi, began a blog site to introduce Japanese online games ets. He is keen at analysis of online games and its currency system at the same time.

Now, I am picking out the colors of the drapes for new house. Custom-made has many cute patterns, excellent fabrics... but How expensive!! Hus dont accept them, I also understand his advice.
So think again, I importing the color-concept of Fengshui. I checked some issue after, found my original picked is not missed nearly! Great!

And, that is all to find some peaches in ready-made...

I happened to get Sigmarion III, which is a Windows CE technology based Hand-Held PC. Though I tried to utilize my portable keyboard for my cell phone, it just arrived.... I forgot to cancel my order for Amazon. Its keyboard is a little too small for my finger. The display is too narrow that my eyes aches when I type.

http://hidekih.cocolog-nifty.com/hpo/2004/09/_fools_samba.html

http://hideki.blogdrive.com/archive/3.html

Have you hearted of a Personal Handy-Phone (PHS) system in Japan? It is like a cell phone, but uses a small area antenna and consume much less electric power than a cell phone does. The small card of PHS is suitable for Sigmarion III. I am using DDI-pocket's PHS card.

This Manga - a Japanese comic - is by Shirow Masamune, a famous Manga artist for GHOST IN THE SHELL (KOUKAKUKIDOUTAI). Comparing to GHOST IN THE SHELL, this old comic book is more philosophical. I believe the main theme of this volume is where we can live in a utopia, or an Eden where mistakenly a human mother ate apple and she might have left an apple seed...

Long, long time ago, when there is no blogs, neat homepage nor e-bayings, I wrote an article titled "Using Japanese on Internet." At that time, I was at the American University in D.C. from 1993 t0 1995. I only had an email address on IBM host-computer, but I wanted to communicate with my friends in Japan, using Japanese. Therefore, I set up my FTP page and exchanged opinions and techniques.

Recently, I found what I wrote at that time on Google's memory.

-"How to Use Japanese on the Internet with a PC: From Login to WWW" Date: 1995/04/22

There were tremendous problems to transfer Japanese because the original Internet was not designed to handle two-bytes coded languages including Japanese.

What I have done is done. And I truly am feeling so proud of myself I could make this document with so much help of my friends on the net. It is a very good memory of mine that US and Japanese net users could cooperate each other to make the net easier.