Should You Insulate a Basement

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Carl, Is there any advantage to insulating the basement ceiling before drywalling or should I just save the cost?

Thank you.

David

Hi David,

Basement wall insulation is needed if the basement is heated. Basement ceiling insulation is needed if the basement is not heated.

Image Source: energysavers.gov
If your basement is part of your living area, and since you are dry walling it I assume it is, you’ll want to insulate its walls, not the ceiling.

If you want sound proofing, you could add some rigid board insulation, but to insulate the ceiling would be a waste of money, and probably make your floors upstairs colder in the winter and your basement warmer in the summer.

Basement walls insulation can be done from...continued.

Carl Heldmann

How to use throat effectively

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Using throat effectively sounds like very important especially for Japanese to speak English.

I found this method in You tube short movies, which were really interesting to me.  A man, who also write a book for that topic, demonstrates the way he established to speak English as fluently as native speakers can.  The book is literally named "Eigo-nodo" (English throat).  Speaking Japanese clearly requires us to pronounce each sound shortly and lightly, which means we mainly use mouse, not throat.  On the other hand, English, and other western countries language like French, needs to use throat in effective way to pronounce sound naturally, the book said.

I tried some practice of the method, which was available online and that seems good until now.   Most Japanese, including me, train how to use lips and tuns well to speak English fluently, but that method is not one native speakers use, according to the book.  Actually, I cannot make myself understood in English especially when speaking loudly, which means the shape of my mouth and tuns are not very good because I tend to focus on making big sound.  Thus I believe the writer's theory.   I have just ordered the book online, so I will update how that work after I got the book.    

Nationalization of TEPCO

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Japanese government is considering about nationalization of TEPCO, which owns and operates nuclear power plants that were severely damaged by the huge earthquake and Tsunami last March.  This is the second time for nationalization of Japanese companies, which requires more than 1 trillion yen that was raised by Japanese citizen.  It is currently planned for the government to only hold some kind of newly issued preferred stocks in order not to affect the market price of the company's  common stock.  This means more than two-thirds control by the government.  Outside directors will also occupy more than half of the board member so that they can monitor the company's governance effectively.  One of the serious problem is the debt of the company continues going up due to indemnification of damage caused by the power plant accident, which was not that case in the first nationalization of Risona bank 8 years ago.

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A blog I often check our criticized this plan.  It said although they think the result in advance, they should discuss at first what kind of energy policy the government make for future generations.  This means Japan has to decide whether it continue to rely on nuclear power plants in this country that is often hit by massive earthquakes.  I totally agree his opinion.       

Ekiden athletes' transfer of high school

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Due to indirect influence of the catastrophic earthquake last March, 10 Ekiden team members who went to one of prestigious high school in the area severely hit by the quack decided to change their school far away from the prefecture, which school was also famous for its tough ekiden team.    Ekiden is long distance running by several team members.  The original ekiden team won good grade in national ekiden competitions every year, but last year it did not that good due partly to bad physical and mental training condition caused by the quake.  Another reason was reportedly resignation of a good coach too.

On the other hand, the association of high school track and field club in the prefecture to which 10 members transferred has to face with a difficult question.  They have a national rule to ban transferred students from joining competition as a new team member within six months.  The policy of the rule is to prevent schools from correct potential high school athletes unfairly.  However, the the rule was not strictly applied in the case where students evacuated from the area hit by the big earthquake in light of a humane perspective.  The association committee will make a final decision how to apply the rule to this case.

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I used to be into track and field club in my high school and college days.  I feel sympathy to those who evacuated from the area, but I do not think it is good and fair for the school which admitted the students to get too strong due to the contribution by the members.

Reviewing today's Skype conversation

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I have just finished Skype conversation with Filipino teacher.  I would like to refresh the class, of which topic was friends.

(There are two pictures.)
- The first one has a boy sitting in front of the beach with his dog, also sitting.  He is pointing our somewhere with his left hand.
- The second is a funny picture.  There is a mouse sitting on the cat's back, which is sitting on the dog's back.  Those three are typically enemies; mouse dislike cats and cats was chased by dogs.

How do you think borrowing money from friends?
- I do not think it is good idea because borrowing money may damage friendship.  When I have to borrow money, it is more often that I have already been in trouble.  Borrowing money would make the problem more serious.  Fortunately, I have neither borrow money from nor lend money to my friends.

What a friend should do and should not do?
- What a friend should do is to help or just listen to someone in trouble.  What a friend should not do is to invade his or her privacy too much.

How do you think about a fair-weather friend?
- I think I have some of such kind of friends.  Some of my acquaintance might regard me as a fair-weather friend.  I mean I can say the same as someone.  I think that kind of situation is inevitable more or less because it typically needs long time to make and find best friends and we have limited time, cost, interest and energy in our lives.

I already had 13 classes in this website.  I am feeling a little improvement so far, and am satisfied with those classes basically.  However, I need to spend more time to review and refresh the classes because this is the most meaningful time for me to improve English skill.
  

Good weather in LA

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I have been stayed in Los Angeles for 7 months and experienced very good weather here.  Today, I will compare weather in Los Angeles and in Japan.

LA's weather is wonderful so far.  They have no severe winter, no rainy season, no big storm, no too humidity.  It is always fair and warm here.  We usually feel some comfortable breeze.  They are so relaxing.  Though sunshine is sometimes too strong, that's not a big problem because we can just wear a pair of sunglasses to prevent it, which rather looks fashionable for me.  People often go to beach or poolside to get tuned.  While staying at beach, they might feel as if time goes by slowly.  Trees looks like growing up faster and bigger due to strong sunshine.

Of cause, I have experienced some rainy days here but that is still interesting.  Most people do not bring their umbrella even on a rainy day.  They just wear their hood of parka, but clothes usually get dry soon once people go into buildings.  Car tires usually splashes more than those in Japan.  It is probably because cars here do not need to prepare for slips in rainy days and the design of tires are different.  People here drive so slowly on a rainy day as if we Japanese do on a snowy day, which is also interesting.

It is difficult for me to decide of which weather is better, Japan and Los Angeles, however.  I do not dislike winter in Japan.  Though I'd like to avoid getting a cold, I like eating "nabe"with family or close friends in a warm room.  Nabe contains lots of vegetables, fish and meat in a large pot and shared with many people.  That is delicious and makes us warm and happy.  I feel cold winter makes us feel so happy when spring has come.  We really love beautiful cherry blossoms in Japan.  Though a big typhoon often hit Japan and cause serious damages, we feel excited somehow when it passes by.  We like a fire work festival at a pretty humid night in summer, even though it is overwhelmingly crowded.  

Anyway, my family is really lucky because we have a chance to experience both.    

NY Bar

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After graduating current law school program, I am going to take New York Bar examination.  The period I can focus on studying for the exam is extremely short, two months plus a couple of days.  It would be one of my toughest experience in my life.

Why am I taking the exam?  Actually, the answer is not so clear.  In the past, Japanese corporate lawyers used to study abroad, mainly in US in order to introduce the most advanced legal system in the world to Japan.  After they finished law school program for a year, which is specialized for foreign students, they tried New York Bar examination before they visit local law firm before starting their internship.  I've heard the reason why they choose NY bar was that it is relatively easy for foreign students to pass, partly because the percentage of multiple question is larger than other states.  I understand it is pretty tough for us to compete with native people in writing essay.  However, even after passing the exam, Japanese lawyer usually do not work the cases as a NY state lawyer because the actual regulation is so complicated that it is hardly possible for them to advice the actual case.  Some law firms do not allow its attorneys to disclose their NY license in their website or business card.  Although the experience to challenge the exam gave them basic US law knowledge, I could say that NY bar license is not practically useful for most Japanese lawyers and this understanding is still going nowadays.  However, this is kind of "custom" for Japanese lawyers who study in US and most of them try it, though it is not uncommon that Japanese lawyer, who passed notoriously difficult bar exam,  do not pass NY bar exam.

What will happen if they do not try NY bar?  I do not think there is penalty or suction.  However, I think it is very easy to show coworkers when I return Japan that I studied hard in US.  Without NY bar, I should demonstrate high English skill for that purpose.  Of cause I know that is more practically helpful for my carrier, but it would be pretty hard, almost impossible for me.  That's why I will take the exam.  I have to admit I only have negative motivation for the test.