Friday, October 29, 2004
Back To “Normal?”
It's been six days now since a powerful -- and deadly to some -- earthquake hit the Niigata / Chuetsu region of Japan. The floor still quivers under my chair. Although the worst is certainly over, one's body develops a natural "flight / fight" response that's rather exhausting. Some of the lighter tremors are probably phantom ones originating in the fear regions of my own head.
On the surface, Nagaoka appears to have returned to "normal," though many places are closing earlier in the evening, making the town look like it's frozen into a perpetual Sunday.
There are still many people in mass shelters living off of portioned meals and having to endure the lengthily wait to obtain private -- temporary -- housing. Some older people have died simply from their altered circumstance or the stress of events.
In my own fortunate circumstance, my utilities are now even functioning, which means I can indulge in the luxury of a hot shower. It's strange to feel that I've been camping in my own apartment for almost a week now.
The Japanese people are amazing (an opinion I held before the earthquake as well). News reports commonly show people in school gymnasiums recounting tragic events with smiles or resignation on their faces.
This is a great place, regardless of typhoons and earthquakes.
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An interesting book has been out for a while now addressing the phony world of the intelligentsia (there are few -- not enough -- books that deal with this issue). Chris Banescu's Intellectual Morons is a story that definitely needs to be told. An interview with the author conveys the issue well. Another excellent book addressing the same topic is Paul Johnson's, Intellectuals. One of the best and most insightful books I've read on the topic is, unfortunately, out of print now; Eric Hoffer's The Ordeal of Change.
It amazes me that so many who are so wise in issues of the mind can be so utterly clueless regarding the real would outside of their own craniums. It wouldn't be such a problem if their inner vision wasn't something they felt so compelled to impose on the rest of us.
I love a good symphony, oil painting, or well-made film and I can certainly respect the time and energy some academics devote to mastering pursuits of the mind but, I personally trust the local mechanic and convenient store clerk more, when it comes to some things many intellectuals don't have -- common sense and a capacity for self-honesty.
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In past writings, I've perhaps devoted excessive attention to the Che phenomena. It just bothers me to know that so few people really know who this guy was and what he was really about -- Another excellent account of the ruthless, authoritarian ego-maniac whose image adorns the t-shirts of more than a few wanna-be "rebels."
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It's become a recent urban legend that the US -- specifically, the Bush administration -- has somehow done terrible things to the docile and friendly folks of pastry and appeasement. Truth is, the US simply asked for France's support in confronting Saddam Hussein's decade long rejection of UN resolutions. France, of course, didn't just disagree and choose not to assist; they aggressively sought to impede the US effort and added their usual mission statement regarding the importance of reining in the "hyper-power hegemon" (French Intellectual snob lingo for the US). You will recall that at least a third of France's citizens actually hoped Saddam would win in a war against the coalition (that's just plain stupid!).
An interesting insight into the long history of French and American animosity can be found in this interview with John J. Miller, co-author of Our Oldest Enemy: A History of America's Disastrous Relationship with France.
On the surface, Nagaoka appears to have returned to "normal," though many places are closing earlier in the evening, making the town look like it's frozen into a perpetual Sunday.
There are still many people in mass shelters living off of portioned meals and having to endure the lengthily wait to obtain private -- temporary -- housing. Some older people have died simply from their altered circumstance or the stress of events.
In my own fortunate circumstance, my utilities are now even functioning, which means I can indulge in the luxury of a hot shower. It's strange to feel that I've been camping in my own apartment for almost a week now.
The Japanese people are amazing (an opinion I held before the earthquake as well). News reports commonly show people in school gymnasiums recounting tragic events with smiles or resignation on their faces.
This is a great place, regardless of typhoons and earthquakes.
An interesting book has been out for a while now addressing the phony world of the intelligentsia (there are few -- not enough -- books that deal with this issue). Chris Banescu's Intellectual Morons is a story that definitely needs to be told. An interview with the author conveys the issue well. Another excellent book addressing the same topic is Paul Johnson's, Intellectuals. One of the best and most insightful books I've read on the topic is, unfortunately, out of print now; Eric Hoffer's The Ordeal of Change.
It amazes me that so many who are so wise in issues of the mind can be so utterly clueless regarding the real would outside of their own craniums. It wouldn't be such a problem if their inner vision wasn't something they felt so compelled to impose on the rest of us.
I love a good symphony, oil painting, or well-made film and I can certainly respect the time and energy some academics devote to mastering pursuits of the mind but, I personally trust the local mechanic and convenient store clerk more, when it comes to some things many intellectuals don't have -- common sense and a capacity for self-honesty.
In past writings, I've perhaps devoted excessive attention to the Che phenomena. It just bothers me to know that so few people really know who this guy was and what he was really about -- Another excellent account of the ruthless, authoritarian ego-maniac whose image adorns the t-shirts of more than a few wanna-be "rebels."
It's become a recent urban legend that the US -- specifically, the Bush administration -- has somehow done terrible things to the docile and friendly folks of pastry and appeasement. Truth is, the US simply asked for France's support in confronting Saddam Hussein's decade long rejection of UN resolutions. France, of course, didn't just disagree and choose not to assist; they aggressively sought to impede the US effort and added their usual mission statement regarding the importance of reining in the "hyper-power hegemon" (French Intellectual snob lingo for the US). You will recall that at least a third of France's citizens actually hoped Saddam would win in a war against the coalition (that's just plain stupid!).
An interesting insight into the long history of French and American animosity can be found in this interview with John J. Miller, co-author of Our Oldest Enemy: A History of America's Disastrous Relationship with France.
