Blaine's latest... and Japan's big election

The Japanese rejected the Liberal Democratic Party after 54 yrs in power, and replaced it with the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

The new ruling party brings some needed fresh faces and more women into the government. And to encourage child-bearing, the party has promised to make childcare much more widely available and to send monthly $250 checks to families for each child. (Turns out that we're eligible because we're also paying high Japanese taxes, so we won't complain.)

But do Japanese voters really want change? And is dramatic change really possible in this stable - and some might say ossified - society? Stay tuned. Should be interesting.