Compare both National Presidential Elections of the U.S. and Taiwan/Carlos Pueblo

 Compare both National Presidential Elections of the U.S. and Taiwan/Carlos Pueblo

Both Nations are the Presidential Systems, the President has a mighty power to rule the Nation. There are cabinet or the White House in the U.S. secretaries to help the President to manage the government while in Taiwan, there is a Premier appointed by the President to form a cabinet with secretaries to help the President to rule the Nation. Both Presidents are elected every four years when a term ended. The check of balance in the U.S. is much better than in Taiwan because the rule and law system in the U.S. is much more mature than in Taiwan where the system is only 23 years old while in the U.S. is more than 147 years old. It is very interesting that in the U.S., the voters first to vote on the election day and every state decides the party winner in its individual state, the winner takes all electors which is the total numbers of the U.S. Senate and House members of tis state to form the Electoral College to decide the winner of the President. In Taiwan, its a total count of the vote. In the U.S., an individual state is like a nation itself and it's what that meaning of the United States.

Therefore, in the U.S. not every vote count such as my vote is not always be counted in Texas because it is a Republican state while vote Democrat. Trump has never the the total populate votes yet he grasped the electors in 2016 and lost in 2020 both in the populate votes and the electors in the U.S. Of course, he is still denying his loss in 2020 election. He will try again in 2024.

Now, it is getting very interesting for the Presidential Election in Taiwan this year. It doesn't matter if China like it or not, Taiwan is an independent Nation with a National Election  every four years. There are four sets of candidates representing three parties and one independent group to compete early next year on January 13, 2024 while the U.S. election will be in November, 2024. it's almost every day on the international newspaper to report Taiwan National Election. Polls to show more than 60% of voters in Taiwan would like to replace the incumbent, the Democratic Progressive Party while the opposition parties can't form an united front to challenge the DPP incumbent. I don't know the reason why like I don't know why Trump is still very popular in the Republican world in the U.S.

台灣和美國總統選舉之比較2024／莊峻華

 台灣和美國總統選舉之比較2024／莊峻華

明年，台灣和美國都有總統選舉，台灣的蔡英文任期滿，不得連任，全面改選，有四組人馬參選，執政之民進黨候選人賴清德，目前領先群雄，但全球大報社，均報導台灣之選舉有趣，而且競爭劇烈。反而美國總統局，就不若台灣之精彩，拜登年邁，但目前民主黨尚未有人挑戰他，相反的，共和黨的川普雖然官司纏身，但黨內初選，仍舊遙遙領先，甚至最近民調還微幅領先拜登。我長期關注政治，有我個人之意見，而且經常表達。

我認為拜登將繼續擊敗川普，不選川普者眾，而是越來越多，而且是爭先恐嚇的提前投票，2016年總票數川普敗於希拉蕊一百萬餘，2020年總票數川普敗於拜登七百餘萬，像我這種人，過去不投川普，將來也不會投票給川普，川普也不需要我這一票，我們德州漸漸改變，很快有一天我這一票，就可加入決勝負。

台灣總統選舉，票票都算，沒有甚麼選舉人數決，因此，在野的三黨分裂選票，對執政的民進黨賴清德有利，因此中國國民黨想和台灣民眾黨合作，共同戰鬥，但兩黨不同黨性黨員，甚難組合，倒是台灣民眾黨，可以拉到一些民進黨之票，實際上民眾黨已經受到失勢之國民黨人之投靠，雖然尚未能一舉擊敗國，民兩黨，但我們均可拭目以待。

民眾黨的柯文哲主席，是我觀察四位候選人中，最為傑出之一位，他的競選團隊，也是新穎年輕有效率，他個人甚至是品學兼優，深富理想，又有台北市長八年行政經驗，他是唯一可以帶來像明治維新一般之台灣維新機會，台灣需要如此有眼光之領導人，總統。

Second time to visit Kumamoto city in 2023/Carlos Pueblo

 Second time to visit Kumamoto city in 2023/Carlos Pueblo

First time I came to visit the Kumamoto Castle, I noticed that Prime Minster Eisaku Sato was a resident of the city. He is one of the long term Primers in Japanese history and I wish to visit his museum one of these days. Another reason for my admiration of the city is that the city is the birth place of my favorite singer Sayuri Ishikawa. I came from a long railroad ride from Kushiro, Alaska to Kumamoto in one stop at Shin Osaka overnight and still excited to visit the city. Of course, I came for the visit of the Castle and one garden which I had missed in March this year due to lack of time; furthermore, I also like to visit the newly built Taiwan Semiconductor Plant in Kumamoto city.

A hotel front desk clerk instructed me to take the city electric car to visit both the Castle and Suizenji Jojuen Garden. I entered the Castle across the moat and passing by a statue of the previous ruler Hosokawa. The Castle is still under the repair after the big earthquake, yet the twin main castles are still open for visitors. I followed a dry moat now a lovely green valley to another part in order to be closer to the twin towers. It is a Shrine site. I took a seat for a long needed rest from two days train ride. It was in the fall and not as busy as in March when cherry flowers blossom. I decided to go back and was attracted by a large crowds in the field by the Castle. People were watching some kinds of horse riding archery shows. I asked a young lady observer standing next to me about what's going on. She explained it to me that the horse riding archery was more than 1000 years old. I went closer to look more closely and took some posters with explanation. There were three riders repeatedly running back and forth to shoot three targets in high speed. It's all belonging to the fall festival sponsored by the City. The riders are in one of two major group of arch

ery, Takeda, which has been established for more than a thousand initiated by the Hosokawa family.

It's in the afternoon already. I hurried up to take the electrical car to Suizenji Garden which I missed in March this year. The garden was less busy that my previous visit in a spring, yet was still very charming. It's well maintained all ponds, hills, buildings, etc. I could barely walk part of the garden before its closing time at 4 pm. I found one of my favorite spot, the monument of the famous writer Soseki Natsume who was a graduate of Tokyo University and came her to teach English at Kumamoto Advanced High. We used to have one of his novel at home, a Japanese friend left all his library collection to my Dad when he returned to Japan after the War. I was unable to read that novel yet I noticed that Natsume's popularity in the world later on. 

再訪熊本市2023／莊峻華

 再訪熊本市2023／莊峻華

今年春初，愛美和我來訪日本賞櫻住博多，我們重訪熊本市，主要是拜訪被地震震跨之熊本城，沒時間重訪水前寺花園，這次我特別趕到水前寺，心滿意足，有一年我們在水前寺前旅店住四夜，對城和寺有深刻印象，最近台灣之台積電在此設廠，熊本市更加熱門。

旅店櫃台教我，就在店前搭市電車到熊本城，而且事後可再搭該車到水前寺，節省時間。我到古城時，從停車站步行入城，已經有許多遊客，過護城河到天守閣入口，拍攝相片留念，然後走向神社方向，以便接近雙城天守閣，最近我在網誌看到一則介紹熊本城興建史，應該是豐臣秀吉一部將，征高麗後，協助大名細川所建，城設計固於防守，西南戰爭時，擋住薩摩叛軍，其中幾位年輕校佐，引起我注意，像兒玉原太朗和乃木希典，兒玉當過台灣總督，乃木是日俄戰爭之主將。我在神社板凳中靜坐休息，旁邊有一小孩，好奇觀看我的德州牛仔帽許久。

然後我走回原道，準備回去，城前廣場已經圍上一大群觀眾，正在觀看一節目，廣場甚大，是一騎射表演，有主事者介紹，然後有三騎士，馳馬奔馳而過，先是模擬射靶，然後實箭射擊，幾陣歡呼，我請教旁邊一位小姐，她說此武術已經有上千年歷史，後來我在大阪城城也遇到類似之秋祭活動，原來我是遇到日本的秋祭假日。

我走近會場，仔細讀說明，原來這是武田流騎射流鏑馬，約是1100前開始流傳之武藝活動，騎士均著古裝，有壯者有姑娘，三位來回表演，騎射不易，水滸傳上的描述，我想有些誇張，有武田流和小笠原流，這次是武田流俱樂部提供表演，我很心儀如此民間活動，對身心健康有所助益。

不知不覺已經是下午，買票進入水前寺花園，聽到幾處台灣話，花園接近關門，我連忙拍照留念，諸侯細川父子銅像，是花園之創始大名，我也拍到夏目漱石紀念碑，夏目是一位作家，東京大學英語系畢業後，前來熊本高等學校任教多年，我幼年時家中先嚴藏書中，有夏目之作品，並非先嚴有錢購買閒書，實在是一位北工校長終戰離台時，掃地出門，無法攜帶回日本，卻無意間播下我對日本之景仰。

Two Opposition Parties in Taiwan National Election/Carlos Pueblo

 Two Opposition Parties in Taiwan National Election/Carlos Pueblo

Recently, there are two opposition parties in Taiwan attempt to merge their Presidential candidates in one ticket to against the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party. The poll shows that 65% of Taiwanese voters wish to replace the incumbent regime. These two opposition parties are the Chinese Nationalist Party, KMT, and the Taiwan People's Party, TPP. KMT used to rule part of China briefly until Mao's Communist Party kicked it out of China in 1949. Chiang Kai-sek, the one who brought KMT to Taiwan, and his KMT party have ruled Taiwan for a long time effectively until 2016 replaced by the current incumbent, DPP. KMT has a strong hold in the local magistrate and city in number. While TPP was founded 4 years ago by a Mayor of the Capital City of Taipei.

There was a meeting for such merge of candidates arrangement last week. They all agree to have a poll immediately before the candidate registration on November 20,2023. However, both parties can't agree on the definition of the yield percentage either 3% or 6%. On the previous agreement KMT asked TPP to yield 3% and TPP agreed; however, the definition of the percentage is debatable. I understand now the difference is the poll sample 1000 or 2000. The poll is in 1000 category; therefore, KMT say  the yield should be 6% not 3%. TPP disagree.

Now, both parties continue to negotiate for another 3 days; however, I believe TPP candidate Dr. Ko announces and promises that he will run by himself until the end. I shall see if my previous prediction is correct that KMT will let its candidate Hou to come down gracefully in order to make KMT and TPP join effort to defeat DPP on 01/13/2024 National Election.

I firmly believe that the talk of yield 3% or 6% from Ko of TPP to Hou of KMT has made KMT loosing face. A more that 100 years old grand old party asks a new four years old party to yield in poll is really shameful and disgraceful. That is what I say loosing face.

台灣總統民調之爭執／莊峻華

 台灣總統民調之爭執／莊峻華

柯文哲主席的台灣民眾黨和朱立倫主席的中國國民黨，為下架執政之民進黨，做了一總統選舉正副搭檔，對抗民進黨賴清德副總統之民調，結果已經出來，但有爭執，朱立倫說柯要讓6％，因為柯同意讓侯3％，正負加上就是6％，柯說3％就是贏3％而已，不是6％，我對數字非常清礎，贏3塊絕對不是贏6塊，據說朱是留美統計學哲學博士，台大統計教授，我聽他的解釋，不如柯之解釋，參選是朱，還是侯友宜？馬英九如何不加入論戰？馬也是堂堂哈佛哲學博士，統計外行？不敢置嘴？

悲哀矣，這堂堂百年中國大黨，曾經叱吒風雲，名義上曾經統治分裂之中國政府八年，如今落魄到台灣，從蔣家兩代高壓極權統治台灣，淪落到今日乞求4年小黨民眾黨讓分之恩惠，你是港澳生？是僑生？習慣要特權加分，進入台灣大學？

國民黨人真是沒志氣，又有中華文化之死要顏面，越鬧越丟臉，侯是否有統治國家之主張和能力？何以都不吭氣？人家柯全國到處演講，發表政見，接受質問，我都清礎他在講甚麼，其他三人，侯，郭，和賴，都是不學無術，沒有柯之辯才無礙，連世界大報社都注意到這次台灣的總統選舉，只有獨裁中國統治下之中國人流口水。

The foliage at Hokkaido University campus/Carlos Pueblo

 The foliage at Hokkaido University campus/Carlos Pueblo

After a long trains ride from Hirosaki, Aomori to Sapporo, Hokkaido, I selected to visit the old Hokkaido Governor red brick office and its garden as well as the University of Hokkaido campus. Both are very beautiful campus with the great history in the background. I compare the Governor's building to the current day Taiwan 's President office building in Taipei in order to see how important of the Emperor to think Taiwan a\in compare to Hokkaido at that time. Secondly, the University was one of the Imperial Universities like Taiwan University back to time period before the World War II. I have visited both places many times in my life.

Unfortunately, the red brick building is under re-innovation with a large color covered in the front of the building. No one can get in to visit the current day museum. The actual governor's offices are behind the old building. You can see many young workers with neat suits and dresses coming in to work. Gardens are on both sides of the path in the middle of a low wall surrounding with tall trees of aged more than  hundred years old. Pounds with the locus and ducks floating on. I was pleased to identify the poplar tree. The gingko and the maple leaves were changing color.

We continue to walk toward the University campus. There were many visitors of the foliage. I believe that is because Hokkaido is the first in Japan to have leaves color changed. We followed the crowds to an avenue to a side gate by the medical school and hospital. Japanese have a fantasy of the avenue which they call Namikimichi with plenty of songs to describ

e them. The scenery has reminded me of my visits of Colorado mountain towns when I was younger than now. The fall color of Sapporo is amazing.