Longtime Gentle Readers (all three of ya) know that I have an affinity for Japan, what with having spent nearly five years of my life there... arguably the best parts of what passes for a life, too. Said affinity makes it incredibly difficult and painful for me to watch the horrendous images and stories of the earthquake/tsunami unfold on my teevee, yet I can't look away. I was pretty much glued to the tube for the whole weekend, or at least until that point in time when CNN began to repeat themselves, as they invariably had to do. I still can't seem to get my head around the sheer magnitude of the devastation: entire TOWNS erased from the face of the earth; a 30-foot wall of sea water racing three miles inland; thousands dead. It's nearly incomprehensible.
On a personal note... The Second Mrs. Pennington advises me that our/her friend Junko and her family (who are in Tokyo) are all OK. Life in Tokyo is pretty much day-to-day, except for the 300 planned rolling blackouts. Which brings up the possibility of melt-downs at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant but I don't wanna go there.
Let's go here, instead... a couple of pics from Former Happy Days... in Tokyo, 1991:
TSMP and her best friend Junko
YrHmblScrb at bedtime
SO glad your friends are safe Buck.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know what you mean; you want to stop looking and reading and watching and yet - you just can't. As if by watching it you can help them in some way. And I wonder - how do you help them when there are 3 nuclear reactors all going into meltdown.
It is beyond anything we can dream up in our worst nightmares. With another major quake and tsunami being forecast for this week.
I've always wanted to visit Japan; I've heard that the country and people are lovely. I have no idea; I hope I'm not being insolent. You know more of Japan than probably the rest of your readers.
ReplyDeleteEither way, what happened is horrific. If this had been a tv movie-of-the-week, we would have said "Ridiculous, no way would so many events have happened like this."
Sympathy and words aren't enough.
Like the Hamster says, "Sympathy and words..."
ReplyDeleteI have been in Japan, but many years ago. It was an icy blur, and I remember the crowds.
Tough times.
And I wonder - how do you help them when there are 3 nuclear reactors all going into meltdown.
ReplyDeleteHope and prayer, Kris. Thanks for the kind words about our friends.
I've heard that the country and people are lovely.
You've heard correctly for the most part, Red. I won't play Pollyanna about Japan; it's like every other place on earth: there's both good and bad. My view is I enjoyed my time there and I have immense respect for the Japanese... but I wouldn't live anywhere other than where I am. Well, mebbe London for six months out o' the year... ;-)
Darryl: Tough times, indeed.
I work with the Air Bases in Misawa and Yokota. Heard from the Yokota folks today, who are all good, if busy. Still haven't heard from Misawa, but I'm sure they're busy as hell, too. Our Service Members have a lot of work to do over there right now. And, as usual, I'm sure they'll do it brilliantly.
ReplyDeleteBuck, I'm glad to hear that your friends are okay.
ReplyDelete"Which brings up the possibility of melt-downs at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant but I don't wanna go there." -Our Humble Scribe
"And I wonder - how do you help them when there are 3 nuclear reactors all going into meltdown." -Kris
Ms. Kris took you there. Let me join you.
The reactors are a mess. They were expensive AND valuable. The lack of electrical power from them are part of the the real disaster, not that they have or are melted/melting down, if I gather what Kris' nightmare is. Those plants are of a design which includes "defense in depth," arguably more than is needed. They are ruined but neither they nor the small planned-for emissions of some of their products will harm anyone directly. They can be replaced. Misplaced fear and lack of power will cause the harm, as happened in Pennsylvania in 1979.
The thousands dead, many more seriously injured, the destruction of so much infrastructure constitute an infinitely worse nightmare. I'm disgusted by the press accounts concentrating on the reactors. May I recommend Rod Adams' Atomic Insights for perspective? Depleted Cranium, NEI Nuclear Notes, the American Nuclear Society also.
I'll just put one link so that I don't anger a filter:
http://atomicinsights.blogspot.com/2011/03/sowing-calm-in-face-of-focused-campaign.html
Having been to Japan and knowing people there probably makes you even more sympathetic and concerned than the usual sorts. And us usual sorts are sympathetic and horrified by the accounts coming from Japan.
ReplyDeleteS-Andy: Yup, those guys ARE busy.
ReplyDeleteBob: Did you expect a different sort of reaction from our media about the nukes? Those asshats are nothing if not predictable.
Lou: I suppose you're right about being sensitive to the horror. I can't imagine anyone NOT being horrified at the images from Japan, tho.
The pictures of the devastation are the things that I cannot turn away from, but its the stories of lost loved ones that make me cry and avoid the news.
ReplyDeleteLou: Apropos of reunions... didja see that LAME bit on CNN last night with the 25-year old "English" teacher, reunited via video with his parents? Some stuff just should NOT be shown on live teevee without vetting the subjects first. I cringed. I don't want to belittle the sentiment and it was a good thing the parents knew their son was safe. But NOT on live teevee with a cretin who couldn't string five words together without using the Gen Y crutch: "like." I mean, like, it was really painful and stuff, like. Good LORD.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your friends are safe. Ditto our side with aquiantances and colleagues there.
ReplyDelete