5 Comments

It's been said Japan may be the first nation to perish of shyness. Fact is, that shyness is inculcated into Japanese boys early by mountains of anime and manga depicting boys being terrified of girls and their female classmates being domineering, shrieking, budding harpies. And those harpies are on the hunt for one thing: signs a boy may be attracted to them so they can denounce him for being a pervert.

Almost uniformly boys are depicted as awkward weaklings so frightened they spontaneously develop embarrassing, spouting nosebleeds if a female classmate so much as speaks to them. Typically there is also a dark, brooding, introverted gal too, but she is perhaps most terrifying of all. And so the Hikikomori retires to a bedroom in his parents' house, safely hid away from girls and women, where he then consumes even more of this media.

My favourite politician of all time remains Tokyo mayoral candidate Koichi Toyama. His platform of "Japan must be destroyed!" does look quite visionary these days. His best quote: "If I win? They will be terrified. If I win? I will be terrified!" He was a true political master with Linh Dinh levels of ability to ingratiate himself with others: "Gentlemen: I despise each and every one of you."

https://youtu.be/df7jOd6HcIY?feature=shared

Expand full comment

Temporarily, good news for us California taxpayers--Gruesome Newsom vetoed the bill that would have given that $150K to the immigrants. As long as he is governor, we may be spared that giveaway until Newsom's presidential prospects either die or come to fruition.

Expand full comment

Hi,I remember another forgotten`leisure philosopher`,as he called himself,Günther Anders.Born Günther Stern in 1902 in Austria,journalist in Berlin,married to Hannah Arendt,fled to the US in 1936,stayed there 20 odd years,returned to Vienna to notice`Foreign land has not become home,but now home has become foreign.`(Mensch ohne Welt)

Anyway,his take on mass media`,The World as Phantom and Matrix`,1956,is to me the soberest description of tv,here is a 6 page summary(automatic download):

https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/world-phantom-matrix/

Expand full comment

The children are so cute. It is delightful to see them.

Expand full comment

It's the next day where you are. I love your photographs of the beautiful children, especially the one with the child that has a perplexing look on their face. Peace. Good night.

Expand full comment