Well, I have taken a bit of a break from this blog and spent a week on vacation recuperating from my regular job, so I had time to view a few videos as well as observing what is going on in Japan from the distance of the United States.
The situation in Japan is very sad and they can use all the help that the other countries of the world can give them. They have had earthquakes and tsunamis throughout their history (as can be observed in the early art from their past), but this has been the most devestating in recorded history. The earthquake was bad enough, but with the tsunami that it caused and consequently the failures of the nuclear power plants and expulsion of radioactive material, they really need our assistance. Many countries are rendering this aid, but anyone that is safely in their home countries can donate money to many legitimate charities that will disburse the funds to the Japanese people for food, water or whatever will best serve the needs of the people.
In my leisure time I purchased two DVD's about Hiroshima and the history of the atom bomb that was dropped on them on August 6th, 1945 and the events leading up to that horrible experience.
The first documentary was "White Light, Black Rain" from HBO. The DVD was barely viewable. This wasn't due to the quality of the video or the fact that none of the language of the Japanese people was translated. It was incredibly difficult to watch because of the graphic pictures and videos of the survivors of the attack. It was not for the weak of heart. Perhaps this should be required viewing for High School students so that they realize the horrible seriousness of war and why the world should diminsh the stockpiles of their nuclear arsenals.
The second documentary is undoubtedly the finest film on Hiroshima that I have seen. It is "Hiroshima" from the BBC series on the Second World War. It is a compilation of archived footage, dramatic recreations of real events and detailed interviews (with translations) with people who survived the attack. I cannot recomment this DVD highly enough. I have included a link to Amazon.com on this page if you are intereted in purchasing it. It is that good.
Also on this page I have placed a link for a Kindle book called "Japan: Once In a Lifetime". It is a compilation of my experiences visiting my son and his family in Japan.
One thing I have discovered writing this blog is that while late evening is a great time to write due to everything being peaceful...it isn't necessarily a great time to type or spell...being late in the evening you may be really creative but your typing and spelling is really creative too...So I am going to try to be a little more watchful.
Have a good day!
