“Barack Obama to unveil 2011 budget plans”

“Barack Obama to unveil 2011 budget plans”



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8490522.stm


In recent article on February 1 in 2010 says that US President Barack Obama is due to unveil a $3.8tn (£2.4tn) budget which includes increased spending for job schemes, but cuts in other areas. This “other areas” include the space vision, and to be specific, Nasa's Moon base project will be scrapped altogether.


I like the idea of spending the budget for job schema. The Obama administration wants to spend more money on things like green technology to create jobs, while on the other it is trying to scale back spending to shrink the deficit. Because it is a world economic depression nowadays, and the U.S. is not an exception for depression, so, it is right that Obama makes jobs top US priority.



On the other hand, when I look at the budget cut of Nasa’s Moon base project, I don’t think that is a right choice. The reason why I don’t disagree with the U.S. budget for the moon is perfectly my personal opinion. The movie which I like most is “Apollo 13”. I had no interest for space or the moon till I watched this movie. After I watched this movie, I really surprised to know that the incident which Apollo 13 showed had really occurred. And also, the moon project that NASA has continued is the great achievements that U.S.A. can be proud of, I think. Therefore, I have an earnest wish that the Moon base project will be continue. However, Nasa’s plans to return astronauts to the moon is dead. This is sad story for me.

“Ministers aim to halve number of people smoking by 2020 ”

“Ministers aim to halve number of people smoking by 2020 ”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8490490.stm



Today’s theme of blog is concerned with smoking in England. The number of smokers in UK has fallen by a quarter in the past decade to 21% and the target of ministers is to lower this number to 10% by 2020. This number (10%) is as the result of the removing branding from packets and banning cigarette vending machines, and this sensible approach to the smoking problem will happen in Scotland in 2011. However, smokers’ lobby group Forest criticized the proposals. Their say is that the removing branding from packets and banning cigarette vending machines will be eroding people’s ability to make lifestyle choices.

On the other hand, Health charity Ash also has opinion to the thing which will happen in Scotland next year. That is, Health charity Ash supported the plans in principle but there was a need for more detail and strong pledge. For me, the complaint that smokers’ lobby group Forest said is ridiculous. Because smoking is not good for body health of smoking people, moreover, the smoke of cigarette have more bad influence to no smoking people. I think they don’t know that the recent current flow of the world of the attitude to smoking obviously faces no smoking. On June 22 in 2009, the president of US, Obama, signed an anti-smoking bill in the Rose Garden.

However, it is also a fact that I don’t feel this recent current flow of anti-smoking in Japan. My friends in college were almost all smokers, and for example, while I attend to the wedding party, the almost all male attendant were smoking. Therefore, it is difficult for me to feel anti-smoking atmosphere in Japan.

I want to appreciate a national commitment for anti-smoking which the government of UK is trying to. The government strategy includes a commitment to try to stop young people taking up smoking by cracking down on illegally imported cheap cigarettes. And also there will be a review of smoking legislation, which could see public bans extended to places such as the entrances of buildings.