-
M-Bone:
Nothing for boys quite so effete as Moe, but when you look at the most popular mainstream US boy (and manchild) culture – Nolan’s Batman (rich white man violates civil liberties and takes the law into his own hands amid social and moral decay – Batman is now the Tea Party superhero), 300 (Eugenics and killing brown people is cool! Our slaves let us enjoy FREEDOM!), and the shoot an Afghani, Iraqi, Russian, North Korean in the head and fist pump first person shooter genre (while calling people “fag” over a headset), or GTA (where the water cooler conversation becomes about how far you got the hooker’s broken body to catapult off the windshield of your car), and a dose of Moe actually seems quite needed.
-
W. David MARX:
God I hope that we don’t live in a world where moe — a completely reactionary aesthetic that wishes for a dream world where women never grow up, become actual adults with free will, and become vaguely intimidating to men — is the only hope for battling America’s worst fascist, violent instincts.
View of Kowloon (Instagramで撮影)
I went looking for books on Ozu and ended up here (Taken with Instagram at 上智大学 中央図書館)
demons:
Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:
Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph — so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.
As a guy who reads history books for fun, I feel like I’m supposed to have ridiculously strong feelings about pearl harbor, given that it’s Very Important and today was the anniversary. But to be honest, I don’t. Everyone involved in the decision-making of WWII is long dead. Even my grandfathers, both officers in the US army, are dead.
One of my grandfathers fought in the pacific; he was one of the first soldiers in Nagasaki after the bomb. I didn’t discover this until after he died, because he absolutely refused to talk about what he saw in the city (and with good reason). I sometimes wonder how he’d feel about me studying and living in Japan. Would he hate me? Would he worry about me? I don’t know. What I do know is that none of the factors which led him to go to Japan have led me to come here. My Japan is the same Japan as his, and yet it’s completely different. The people, the mentality, that led to Pearl Harbor doesn’t exist here.
Well, as long as one ignores the protestors in front of the Korean embassy…
"
If a growing San Francisco started to rival the power of an old New York, it would help if New York stopped thinking its “turf” extended to the Bay Bridge toll plaza.
If America wants to understand China, it should imagine how it would feel if China had military bases in Mexico, Cuba, and Quebec, and considered itself a key negotiator in any disputes in the Gulf of Mexico. And how it would feel if China had deep sympathy for the idea of an independent Hawaii, Alaska, and Texas.
This relationship is going to be long, complex, and significant. Both parties have much to gain from managing it well, and this cannot happen without honest and comprehensive mutual understanding.
"
Economist.com commenter
- the muppets
- american politics
- aimlessly trolling tumblr
if I can make this work, maybe I can even have time to watch movies or free writing…
hanabi:
#jw #aren’t they cold
on one of the muppet tv shows, there’s a pig character who’s a parody of baywatch-era pamela anderson, which means that she’s basically a pig muppet with huge cleavage. one of the episodes I remember seeing as a kid was a parody of the movie speed, where if the ratings drop too low the building blows up, so they have the cleavage pig dance on stage in a bikini and the ratings go through the roof
“sexy” muppets are, for better or worse, an integral part of the muppet universe. realizing, as an adult, that this part exists, is, well, weird
I abhor military men. I consider them a separate race of humanity because of education. Military men put on ceremonial uniforms for special occasions. Theirs is a childish, simple-minded thinking.
— Hatanaka Shigeo, editor of Chuo Koron, a 1940s-era left-wing newspaper, and “thought criminal” from 1942 until 1945. From Japan at War, pg 227
While we could contact local people, it was rare to reach the point where we could actually trust each other. There were good people of course. One who taught Japanese language was honest and beseeched us, ‘frankly speaking, the Japanese army liberated us, but now they’re pushing horrible things on us.’ I didn’t report that.
— Hata Shoryu, Asahi Shimbun Rangoon office reporter during WW2, Japan at War, pg 209
Something I find so interesting about WW2 is the reaction from European colonies that were “liberated” by the Axis powers, only to turn against them once they experience the brutal policies of their new colonizers. What this reporter describes in Burma was also happening in the Ukraine, when the Nazis pushed out the Soviets much to the delight of Ukrainians, only to enforce genocidal policies which turned the Ukraine against them.
Man, WW2 sucked.