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.

The average Joe in the street will probably say, “Why save these huge financial institutions? It’s none of our business.” Actually, a wipe-out of these large Wall Street firms will have a tremendous impact on millions of workers, pension funds, savings, stock-holders, etc. What I hope is that some kind of solution can be made to forestall a complete disaster in the financial world.

I especially hope that its highly paid executives will not go out with the golden parachute-type benefits that yield them millions for not doing a good job.

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I heard a disturbing report from Florida, where they are losing many of the palm trees due to some kind of mysterious disease. What’s Palm Beach without palm trees? I hope that some kind of cure can be found to correct this distressing situation.

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A few weeks ago there was a sort of national mourning related to the 9/11 disaster that happened seven years ago in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and in a farm field in Pennsylvania.

I recall in the aftermath of that tragic event our Buddhist minister mentioned in his sermon that a Japanese lady stopped by on her way back to Japan. She had attended a memorial service in Pennsylvania, where her son was one of the passengers on the ill-fated plane. She requested a short memorial in his behalf before departing for her home.

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We have festivals of all kinds of food, wine and events in our part of the state. We have wine festivals, garlic festivals, mustard festivals, asparagus festivals, pear festivals, etc. But there is the one category I was not aware of.

It’s called the Splash-in Festival, held annually in Lake County. This in an event held in Clear Lake for float planes, and about 40 or so members fly in from various parts of the west. I didn’t realize that the Clear Lake facilities were utilized during World War II in preparing pilots to land on sea or river rescue missions, or whatever else.

I had my first experience on a small float plane when I used to fly up north to British Columbia for salmon fishing. One flies to Vancouver and then to a smaller airport adjacent to the international airport to board the float plane. I have even gone on a jet plane to the end of Vancouver Island, where we boarded a sea plane to go to our fishing camp.

These fishing resorts are on little inlets surrounded by a forest, so the only way to reach them is by float planes. I was impressed by how smooth the landing was on the water. You just didn’t have that bump of the wheels on a hard surface like regular planes.

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North Korea is again talking about restating their nuclear plant. I think that it’s time that the U.S. government should just tell them, “Up yours!” We have been sending shiploads of food, medical supplies and money to that government to placate them from constructing any kind of nuclear facility. But through the years when they are lacking the necessities of life, they go on this nuclear threat.

What we should do is build missile facilities in Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands and have submarines that have nuclear firepower patrolling the North Korean seas. I believe we have had enough of this coercion and blackmailing by this troubled nation.

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There have been reports of the much feared West Nile virus. It is principally brought on by mosquitoes. Seems that the most prevalent happenings are in the east Contra Costa area.
Mosquitoes can breed and lay eggs in small areas of moisture. Homeowners have been warned not to over-water their lawns. In this period of drought, that seems hardly possible.

The real threat comes from vacant and foreclosed homes, which have swimming pools with water still in them. This provides a sure breeding area for these pests.

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Oftentimes I enjoy watching cooking shows on TV, especially if it’s about something that is doable for me. Most of the ladies are attractive and knowledgeable. Some, to put it mildly, look like they eat a lot of their own cooking. However, they are all very fine chefs.

One thing I notice about these ladies is that when they cook they never wear an apron. I think I have an apron on most of the day. Even our seven-year-old niece drew a picture of me with my apron on. I’m sure that’s how she will remember me years from now.

When I watch a Japanese lady cooking on TV, she is very capable and genteel, with an apron on. It seems that she has to have another lady by her side commenting “oh...ah...eh, so desu ka,” etc.

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Last Saturday Helen and I were invited to a gathering of former Proto basketball team players that I coached many years ago. This event took place in the Rose Room of the Palace Hotel.

What took me by surprise is that when I saw some of the fellows I coached, I could not recognize them at first because they had gray hairs, and some thinning a bit.

Still, it was great to see that most of them have done quite well in life. This group eventually became an investment club, and I am sure that they have done well though the years. I met their advisor and stock broker and had a good chat with him. I told him that the group must have done well, or they would not have invited him.

The sumptuous buffet was magnificent in its ample and delicious array of choices. For me, my appetite could could not do justice to a meal such as this. Before I forget, I learned that this gathering was sponsored by one of their teammates, the late Carvin Dowke.

In a way I wish we could have had this gathering in a smaller room with a little privacy so that we could pay tribute to some of the fellows who have passed on, such as Tsutomu Suto, Koji Fukuoka, Carvin Dowke and one of the early coaches, Tad Horita. The blaring music of the jazz trio in the Rose Room made it almost impossible to have any kind of silent tribute paid to these former associates.

During the course of the meal, a question came up as to whether a Japanese corporation had anything to do with the hotel. Later the question was confirmed when I visited the men’s restroom. It was validated that a Japanese must have been involved because the urinals were really low.