Had not felt much like writing, so a random collection of articles. Spring has arrived, much to my dismay, and the dreaded start of Daylight Savings is only 2 weeks away (it is nearly 6 months long now).
“Samurai are the ‘New’ stuff in Japan!”, (via As I See Japan…from L.A.). Many Japanese women are apparently so disillusioned with their politicians that they are idolizing ancient Samurai leaders instead! I can see their attraction – modern politicians are generally a boringly insipid lot!
Japan’s politicians have been trying to drum up election fever this summer, but followers of a growing craze are more excited about strongmen who have been dead for centuries – samurai warriors. A mania over feudal warlords has been sweeping Japan, capturing the imagination of many in a way that grey-suited lawmakers can only dream of as they brave the sweltering dog days ahead of an election on Sunday.
Japan’s medieval knights have become all the rage, battling it out in video games, on cinema screens and in manga comics as sexy sword-wielding hunks. Sales of their biographies have surged, their family coats of arms have been snapped up as lucky charms, and their former castles are being besieged by legions of fans yearning for a brush with Japan’s long-gone martial noblemen.
Samurai are some of my favorite ancient warriors; in fact I tend to like any ancient warriors (medieval and before) as their armor and outfits were more colorful compared to today’s pragmatically-but-boringly-dressed soldiers. Ancient warriors also generally trained in the necessary martial arts from childhood as using swords, bows-and-arrows, etc. requires more skill than using a gun (anyone can point-and-shoot). In my view, a more effective warrior is one who is trained from childhood, rather than the modern method of processing a random bunch of teenaged or adult recruits (who may or may not last the course), but I don’t know of any country that does the former.
“Lost in the headlines are the compassion and hard work seen every day in hospitals”, The Age, 19/9. I thought this writer’s experience a good comparison of the U.S. and Australian health systems – the U.S. system sounds nightmarish, while Australia’s public health care, despite its problems, still gives access to all.
Lost within the gripes and agitations that get the headlines are the astonishing compassion, hard work and split-second decisions that take place every minute of every day in Australia’s public hospitals.
Having been exposed over some years now rather more than anyone might wish to the workings of emergency rooms and the wards, this writer simply wishes to declare admiration for those who labour, largely unsung, within that system.
No receptionists bound by the demand for insurance papers or cash in our emergency rooms, nor the excruciating demand upon such people to avert their eyes from suffering until proof of ability to pay might appear.
“Volcanic eruption in Australia ‘3000 years overdue’ ”, The Age, 21/9. Victoria has lots of extinct – or perhaps dormant – volcanoes; apparently some are overdue to erupt! That would certainly be exciting.
One peculiarity I encounter when reading people’s interests is those who list “girls” or “women” as an interest or hobby – mostly guys, obviously. It just seems funny (I have not seen any women who list “men” as an interest!).
