Gun control or a better way to save lives

There's been some discussion about guns lately.  There's been a cry for stricter gun control laws.   It's hard to say if they actually work. When you make an apples to apple's comparison, the places with the strictest gun control laws actually have higher murder rates. The countries in Europe with the toughest gun laws have murder rates much higher than the European countries with the most lax.

In the United States, It's a constitutional right to own guns.  Of course, every right has It's limits, but trying to define those limits is a neverending back and forth debate. It seems a waste of time to keep tustling back and forth, when we can implement moves to advance the safety of all. 

My first idea, and I believe this should be called the opening act of my ideas is to ban bullets. I'm open to compromise so maybe novelty bullets would be an idea. A bullet that leaves a skull and cross bones imprint on It's victim without actually penetrating flesh would be perfect. This could be a new way to keep score in war. Body counts seem primitive.

I'll admit the bullet idea needs a little thought and tweaking, but this next idea, shall we call it the main event, I believe is flawless.

First, I must point out that my idea operates on the assumption that everyone's overall goal is safety and reducing meaningless deaths.  If this is our goal, we must work to ban all private motor vehicle ownership. Motor vehicles are killing machines to put it bluntly. I do admit that taking away people's vehicles will create a small dent in convenience for some, but the benefits in my proposal far out weigh any slight adjustments that may be needed. There will be far less vehicles on the road, and the ones used to commute the population to and fro will be operated by trained professionals.  This will mean less accidents and less pollution. On the flip side it may encourage a little more physical activity. It's easy for me to envision people walking and bike riding more and more.

Some may point to a loss of automotive jobs, but new buses, trains, cabs, emergency, and public safety vehicles will need to be built and maintained.  If there is a net loss of jobs, it will be minimal.

Yes, there are those that enjoy cars, and they do offer a certain freedom of movement my proposal cannot match, but its benefits far out weigh those minor negatives.

My proposals are not easy.  They will require time to implement, which I am open to both private and government support to make happen. Sacrifices and changes in attitude will be needed, but for the safety of our children. we need to make them happen.

Abbae de Flavignas: I enjoy a sweet trip through history.

In 1592, Abbae de Flavignas candies changed the way they make there candies, switching from cane sugar to sugar beet.  I recently tried three flavors of this "new" recipe a couple weeks ago.

The flavors I ate were anise, orange, and violet.  As far as taste goes, violet a lot better than I thought and my favorite.  The anise hit the hardest and was pretty good. Orange?  No.  All of the candies are rock hard, but fun to roll around on your tongue.

Truth be told, the candy eating part of this candy experience was the least interesting part for me.  Please read that year I mentioned in the first paragraph again "1592.". I discovered that when I checked out a website for the candy. I really encourage everyone to check out the story of this candy. I believe it will bring a smile to your face.

You Against Me (book review)

You Against me opens by opens with a family in chaos. Parents are absent, literally and figuratively. A sister suffers as a victim. The younger sister doesn't understand, and a brother struggles to hold it all together. While trying to comfort the victim, the brother promises revenge on the Boy that hurt her.  The declaration brings comfort to the victim, so the brother sets off to stomp that evil Boy that hurt his sister.
When the brother arrives at the boy's house, the sister of the Boy answers the door. A sister that admires her brother. A sister that doesn't, can't believe her brother is possible of such a horrible crime.  This is where our story really gets going.

The book focused on two characters. The brother of the victim and the sister of the accused.
The boy seemed to be a little bit of a cliche to me written for the book's targeted female readers: Poor, but selfless and thoughtful, a couple of vices to give him an edge, and every girl throwing their bodies at him.  Most of the growth experienced by the character, happened before the opening of the book and told to the reader through exposition. I get the point of this type of character, but I thought it was a bit overdone for this type of book.

The sister shines as a character in this book. Her insecurities make her really endearing. She's a little tough to talk about without hinting at spoilers.

As for the plot, at Its core this book is a love story. The thing is the two lovers are brought together by a horrible event. I mentioned earlier the book deals with some pretty major subjects, and it handles them all very well. There are no easy answers, and even though things get better, no happily ever after.  This being said, I did find the plot pretty predictable. I made some very specific guesses as to how things would go after the first chapter, and I pretty much hit it.  If you dont mind that, this book might be for you. 

Recommend:  Yes if you like contemporary YA novels. 

Age: 16 and up.  There are scences and dialogue of a sexual nature.   

Glass Mask anime (review)

Glass Mask is a shoujo anime based on a long running manga. It's the story of a poor clumsy girl (Maya Kitajima) with a love for acting and the theater.  One day a former diva brilliant actress (Chigusa Tsukikaga) spots Maya play acting. The older lady is enamored by Maya's natural talent and ends up mentoring her.

Maya grows as an actress and a person. A rival rises.  Romance steps in to her life. All the classic troupes of a shoujo anime are here.

Plotwise this anime is pretty great most of the way through. The last couple episodes fall off which left a pretty bitter taste though.

The characters pretty much fit their marks. The man, who plays the male half of the romantic tension in the story, interested me because he also kind of plays a villain. My favorite character is probably the rival (Ayumi Himekawa) For most of the story, she is displayed as an actress with a lot of integrity and strong work ethic. I rooted for her over Maya quite a bit. 

Overall a pretty good show, but the last 2-3 episodes do fall apart. If you find you like this check out the manga it's based on. The Glass Mask manga debuted in 1976 and is still going.

Hard Milk Candy

I tried my first international candy.  I ordered something called hard milk candy from Japan.

I have to admit I was really excited when I saw the parcel. First, I ripped away the box to get to the candy package. When I held it my hand, I studied it all over. The Japanese print made me a little more giddy than it should have, I think. I tore off a label sticker on the back that contained nutritional information in English. To me, it ruined the authenticity of the package.

After marveling at the packaging, I pulled it open, carefully pulled. I did not want to damage it in anyway.

Then I grabbed one of the little candies. They're individually wrapped, so I had another package to study. Being smaller and with less print and having the candy inside, I spent less time looking over this little package.  I tore open the wrapper and took the cream colored candy in my hand. Of course I looked it over. I circled my finger over its disc shape. Then I popped it in my mouth.  First I tasted milk then a subtle sweetness hit.  I think the best comparison is condensed sweetened milk.  I found it to be a pleasant candy that got better the more I kept it in my mouth. It's definitely worth a try.

In the Garden of Beats: Love, Terror, and An American Family in Hitler's Berlin (review)

You can't tell me that's not an amazing title. I'm pretty sure just about any history buff especially one interested in American history, world war 2, European history in this time period will be at least curious about this book.
The story takes place in the early 1930s.  Hitler and the Nazis are in the midst of their climb to power.   America needs an Ambassador to represent them in Germany, but anyone qualified for the job scoffs at it.  This brings in our heros, William Dodd and his family.  Dodd was the man who eventually got the job.  He and family went to Germany and lived.

This book is very informative and gives a good view into the world at this time. However, I did not really enjoy the read. The writing was just too dry to me lacking much emotion. I also thought it focused on things of little interest a lot of the time.  If you just want to learn about this time period and the family's experience, In The Garden of Beasts is perfect for you, but to me it lacks the entertainment enjoyable read factor a good book fiction or non fiction should have. 

International Candies

I've decided to order various snacks from around the world and give them a try. I've been doing a little research and have found a list of things I want to try. My only criteria was to find something not available in the United States. Right now I have twenty different countries or territories represented. I've found candies, cookies, chips, drinks, etc that I want to try. Some seem a little scary, but Im looking forward to the fun