Driving licence issues for elderly and disabled

In Japan, traffic accident caused by elder drivers is focused.

Japan is already an aged nation. Elder people are dominant in Japan society. On the other hand, the more getting older, the more our cognitive ability becomes worse. It is an inevitable nature.

Therefore, Japan government began to monitor elder driver's ability more strictly than the past. Elder people have to take a cognitive screening when renewing the driving licence. Persons failed to the test have to meet a doctor to prove they have still capacity of driving.

However, it is not easy to judge if a person can drive a car safely. Rather, we psychiatrists have not been trained to evaluate one's driving technique. It is a task of trainers in driving school.

Nonetheless, Japan government established a new scheme to demand psychiatrists to judge if a person, both elderly and mentally disordered, can drive the car. This policy does not make sense.

Recently, I heard some patients with mental disorder were requested repeatedly to submit a doctor's certification while renewal of the driving licence. It looks like a discrimination against disabled people.

In my opinion, giving a driving licence is an issue of the driving center. And if they cause a traffic accident, they should be responsible for the damage regardless of their mental status unless there are some exceptional reasons, since anyone must manage their state for safety driving once take a wheel.

Ceasefire with Taliban

The US and Taliban representatives made a signature to stop the war in Afghanistan. This ceasefire terminated the conflict which was been continuous for a couple of decade.

Aljazeera: Afghanistan's Taliban, US sign agreement aimed at ending war

According to the agreement, the US troop will be withdrawn until this summer.

Afghan war has taken many lives both of natives and the US military. Donald Trump was eager to stop sacrificing US people. It is no doubt that this ceasefire will have an impact to the next Presidential election vote.

On the other hand, there are several phobias for foreign nations in the US citizens. Some aggressive people do not welcome the decision of withdrawal. Also, an attack of Taliban to take US soldiers' life brought hatred of Trump last year. It is not guaranteed that the peace will come soon to Afghan. I hope no more blood will be consumed for the conflict.

Rehav to write blogs

I had been left from this blog for one year for some reasons.

A long-term absent got rid of me some skills, not surprisingly.

I often read English articles both for work and for fun. So, I believe my reading speed has not become slow.

However, I seldom read English newspaper recently because there was no need to collect materials of blog writing. Therefore, I have got unfamiliar to world news in recent days.

Also, English writing skill is another issue. Grammar and knowledge of words are kept as I sometimes write academic articles in English. But, the speed of writing became slow.

As I understand, language skills are similar to physical exercise. Being immobilized for a while reduces your strength. I need some rehabilitation.

Sublingual immunotherapy for hay fever

I am suffering from hay fever for several years as I wrote before.

It is bad that the seriousness of this disease is getting worse by years because my body is exposed to allergen repeatedly. The last year was supposed to have become the worst spring.

Fortunately, however, sublingual immunotherapy saved me.

Sublingual immunotherapy is brand new treatment method for hay fever. The mechanism of this treatment is based on a hypothesis that hay fever emerges because you are exposed to massive pollen in spring all at once. As your immune system identifies pollen as enemy, your body makes sneeze and itching eyes. If your body is exposed to pollen everyday, you will become accustomed to pollen, as "immuno-tolerance."

You have to take medication everyday to induce immuno-tolerance. I have taken a pill including a small degree o the allergen for more than a year. Thanks to this, I have only very slight sneeze this year.

It is doubtful that this state will be continuous when stopping medication. Therefore, I cannot stop medication forever, perhaps. Nonetheless, I choose taking sublingual immnotherapy.

Avengers: Endgame, the end of Captain and Ironman

The last year, we encountered several historic endings of saga.

X-Men series produced by 20th Century Fox was terminated by Dark Phoenix. Also, Star Wars saga was finished by the last episode: The Rise of Skywalker.

But, I have to mention "Avengers: Endgame" first.

It is the last episode of Avengers and the sequence of Marvel Cinematic Universe. To be honest, the MCU series is succeeded to Spiderman: Far from Home. But everyone will identify Endgame is the finale of MCU saga.

This film begins with a decisive defeat of Infinity War. Ironman is left on Titan. Hawkeye loses his wife and daughter due to decimation by Thanos. Furthremore, since Thanos destroyed the Infinity Stones, there is no way to recover the universe. What is an ultimate tragedy!

In this film, some people struggling in the dystopia for the better future are described. And Captain America is encouraging them at the same state of them. In this scene, he is not a superhero but an ordinary man.

On the other hand, Ironman makes a baby with Pots. He tries to forget the painful memory of the last battle to stay peacefully with his family.

Captain and Ironman had never shared their vision. In "Captain America 3: Civil War," they fought with each other. But, in Endgame, they firstly shake hands for the final victory.

In the middle of this movie, some key persons of Captain and Ironman appear with their young figure. Their interactions let me cry with empathy.

Finally, the hero team encounters the archenemy Thanos and his deadly troop again. I believe the final battle scenes will be memorized as one of the greatest action scenes. Captain grabs the Thor's hummer. Doctor Strange stop the tidal wave with his magic power. Wanda strikes her hateful force to Thanos. And Captain Marvel, the most powerful hero, destroys Thanos' space flagship.

I could not see the final scene without tears. Endgame is the end of Avengers, truly.

personal rating: 5 (excellent)

Corona virus fear in Japan

Japan is struck by the fear of lethal pneumonia inducee by newly mutated corona virus.

The virus was identified firstly in China. But it was spreaded rapidly to Japan and some other nations. Now it is likely that all five continents has been contaminated. It is maybe because some carriers without symptoms took the role of a vector unconciously.

if so, it is hardly useful to identify infected patients to seclude them. Instead, a  standard precaution activity is of most important. On the other hand, the fatalty of the disease may be lower than suspected.

Several fragment of information are casted regarding this issue. We have to keep calm and be aware of our own health.

The third trial

About one year has passed since last post.

I have experienced some terrible things for this year. Some of them were tragic but unavoidable for me. Others were truly on my own responsibility. I was confused to live for a while. I regretted my behaviors seriously. But after all, my life will be continuous.

Fortunately, I was supported by some splendid mates. Not only for myself but also for giving thanks for them, as well as all of the readers, I will restart my blog posing from now.

May the God bless everyone.