kensuf

I was wondering if vb was going to chime in, but he may be busy getting back to things after his week over there last week.. He sent me a note regarding his experience there the last few days and it's really sad.

kensuf

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/s/Ra6Yu...***XpJHJQ.cspx

carpediemracing 

I also think that Japan will pull through. The culture still emphasizes the group over the individual, and that's what you need to get through things like this.

My mom's childhood was totally different from my/our world here in the US. Her biggest memory of WW2 was failing the Emperor. She failed because she tripped while running for the bomb shelter (a daily occurrence, the running for the shelter, so not unusual). She felt acute shame for failing to run properly to the shelter. Her loyalty was with the Emperor above all. Her grandmother told her the Emperor would be okay with her tripping only if she got up and kept running.

Fighting to the death wasn't foreign, Emperor or not. It was simply the way it was done. A tremendous waste, but the way it was done. The same way I/we think it's important to save soldiers' lives now, the Japanese felt it more important to fulfill one's duty.

There's a famous story about 47 samurai. They fail their lord (who gets shamed/killed while meeting with the powers that be). The 200 or so samurai under him meet; the loyal core decide to fulfill their duty. The rest disperse and become ronin (samurai without a lord). The remaining 47 or so decide to carry out their duty - kill the ones that killed their lord. However everyone knew that would be the standard reaction. So the loyal samurai spent a few years disgracing themselves, drinking and womanizing and all the stuff that samurai (with pride) don't do. Then a couple/few years later they go and kill the "bad" lord, who by now have let down some of their guard. Once the 47 samurai fulfill their duty, they had nothing left. Therefore they all committed ritual suicide. More detailed stuff here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_Ronin

This is a heroic story in Japan, like a Custer or Alamo or whatever other inspiring fight. It sets a precedent for, say, WW2.

My mom was a little girl in WW2. She actually trained to fight US soldiers, by charging them with spears with the tips covered in feces. The idea was that the soldiers wouldn't shoot little girls but they wouldn't want contact the spears. Therefore they would back up a bit. The girls were taught to herd the soldiers into certain areas where others would trigger mines/bombs. The girls would probably have been killed with the soldiers.

This was not a problem. It was simply the way to be.

Japanese have an aversion to nuclear power. It's huge, stronger than anything I can think of here. My mom was asked by some people in Japan to talk about nuclear war (of all things) when she was sick. She refused, for reasons I'll explain in the next paragraph. But at the same time they have no natural resources, so nuclear plants would help. The horror of the whole tsunami is the nuclear stuff. To have that hanging over everyone's heads is terrible.

Ironically my mom, after many years in the west, decided that the best thing that ever happened to Japan in WW2 was the atomic bomb. Due to the bombs Japan still exists - if every city and town was preparing to fight to the end (like my mom's city - she lived in Sendai area), there'd have been no one left at the end of WW2.

One of the customers where I work was a POW during WW2 (from the Bataan march forward, so the whole war basically). He told me the Japanese made him start digging shelters 300 or 600 feet down after the first bomb. After the second bomb I think the Japanese (esp the military) realized that at one bomb every few days, Japan would be gone in a couple months. Not knowing there were no bombs left (officially anyway), they surrendered.

So, yes, it's horrible. Yes, there will be a lot of sacrifice and death and hurt. And yes, I firmly believe that Japan will be able to recover. I also think it'll be worse before it gets better.

Enthalpic

I feel like I got the crap beat out of me.

Went to the physiotherapist today for some lower back / calf tightness issues. After a long exam she did intramuscular simulation via dry needling. Basically she prodded around until she found a sensitive place then stuck a thin needle into it until it spasms and releases.

The pain was intense but you get this little endorphin rush right after it stops. Very odd sensation, pain that almost feels good.

Psimet2001 

Careful with that. I hear that can get expensive.

Homebrew01

You don't need an expensive bike to race.

Psimet2001 

I was thinking more along the lines of whips and wax....but....yeah - uh -racing works too.

mollusk

I really hope so. Best wishes to you and your family.

Jancouver

Most people in US dont know Rammstein or they just know them for the PU$$Y song and the dirty video.

"You got a PU$$Y? I have a DICKA! So what is the problem?!"

Uncensored! "PU$$Y" video here: https://www.headbang.tv/rammstein/***...3c9f026e7.html

Enthalpic

Well, she was really hot and it cost me a $100.

SalsaPodio

I felt good today. Why can't every ride feel like this?
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/73277335

mike868y

school this semester is crazy. feels way more intense work wise than last semester. good stuff.

ridethecliche

I know them for ich will, du hast, frei frei,etc.
does belong with the other artists in that list.

ridethecliche

because then no ride would feel good.
keep it up!

ridethecliche

Woke up with the worst stomach ache ever. I just feel like ass now.
Woop-de-do!

TMonk

nausea or pain?

kensuf

I actually have a copy of the mutter cd kicking around somewhere.

ridethecliche

I will forever associate Rammstein with Dragon Ball Z fan videos...

Stomach pain, nausea, and a few runs to the bathroom. It seems to be subsiding now.

In other exciting news, my desktop was delivered at 8:40 am. I'm going home early today (got here at 7), so I'll set it up today. Laptop stopped charging this AM, so that's a good thing. Hopefully I can get in and back some more stuff up before it assplodes.

echappist

RTC, good luck. Hopefully it's not a stomach flu.

ridethecliche

If anything, I think it was food poisoning. Ate pulled pork at a bar late night when I met up with a friend that happened to be in town for a grad school visit.

I'm feeling better now, just a little lethargic and hesitant to eat anything.

wanders

Late night pulled pork at a bar sounds about as appetizing as the hors d' oeuvres table at a strip joint in Greensboro I frequented in the early 90's.

GirlAnachronism

This is how you know you're no longer a bike racer.

wanders

My powertap tells me I never will be.

shovelhd

Then sell your powertap and buy some streamers for your bars.

Flatballer

Mine just ignores me sometimes. It tells me to come back when I can actually make some numbers.