This post was going to be a happy one, but I am having trouble uploading pictures, so instead I will talk about something else that has been on my mind; my class Industrial Pollution in Japan.  Right now, we are talking about some of Japan’s past problems, such as the  itai-itai disease, which is what its victims were known for saying (translates roughly as it hurts, it hurts) caused by cadmium contaminated rice and the Minamata disease caused by bioaccumulation and biomagnification of methyl mercury (from waste water from a mine) in the fish that people ate. In both of these cases, the reactions and solutions came so slowly, or so it seems now, at least.  I keep making the mistake of doing the readings for this class right before bed.  But, all of us learning about it will help prevent or solve such cases more quickly in the future, right? Though now would be a good time too, what with the power plant and all…

Sigh. If only these darn temple pictures would upload…