The Ultimate Punctuation Mark

Posted on September 27, 2022 by johnrachel

Language and grammar are dynamic; ever-evolving; adapting to new usage, current trends and fads. There’s no reason to pass judgment on this, as many academics and publishers of dictionaries might presume to do. You can’t set language and punctuation in stone any more than you can declare that the sun will shine every Monday or outlaw oxidation.

Do you remember the interrobang?

While it didn’t really catch on, it did address a gap in our ability to have a final punctuation mark reflect the entire mood and intent of the language that preceded it. It’s a combination of a question mark and an exclamation point, allowing a statement to both act as a query and express awe, amazement, excitement, marvel, wonder, approval, acclaim, shock, and so on.

What in the world is going on with the Catholic Church and organ trafficking?!

Now, I should have been able to put an interrobang at the end of that exclamatory question, but as I said, it didn’t really catch on. At least, I can’t find it on the keyboard of my laptop.

The point is, as useful as something might potentially be for language and grammar, it’s actually impossible to dictate use and guarantee general acceptance.

So now I’m about to attempt the impossible.

Yes, I’ve come up with a new punctuation mark!

And without intending to blow my horn, bring undeserved attention to my genius, or capitalize on your gullibility as a reader of my articles, I’d like to say unequivocally that this innovative punctuation mark, aside from any other merits it might have, completely and thoroughly sums up the current mood — fear? despair? cynicism? resignation? — of a huge segment of the people living on the planet, the ones who have some idea what a horrible mess we as a species are now in.

Here it is . . .

Does it look familiar? It should.

An important question: Will it be useful?

A more important question: How long will it be around?

Maybe the best question we can ask: If my new punctuation mark really does work, really captures the zeitgeist of our troubled times, how long will we be around to use it?

(Sure wish I had that damn interrobang on my computer. I could have used it at the end of that last question.)

Posted in Creativity, Deconstruction, Journalism, Nihilism, Satire, Social Commentary, War and Peace | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ultimate Wedge Issue Test

Posted on September 26, 2022 by johnrachel

One of my recent articles prompted a brief but revealing exchange.

This person accurately pointed out that my proposed electoral strategy required an enormous amount of work.

Why should this come as a surprise? The ruling elite has over five decades contributed millions of dollars, tens of thousands of hours, gone to great lengths to take our democracy apart, skew the laws to maximize their profits, marginalize and silence opposition, reduce the voice of everyday citizens to a pathetic whimper, perhaps worst of all, promoted war and ecological destruction, bringing us face-to-face to possible human extinction. And we should expect to undo all of this with an article here and there, a few comments, and some Twitter and Facebook posts?

I don’t mean to criticize or mock anyone. But I get this all of the time and every time I’m truly astounded that well-meaning, concerned progressives think there’s some quick and easy defense to the wrecking ball taken to the building blocks of our “democracy” and the value system that underpins it, and to repair the colossal damage already done by the oligarchs to our current quality of life and potential for a decent and harmonious future.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen and everything in between, there’s a lot of work to be done. And with some reservations, I’m inspired by the enormous amount of energy and time devoted by the few sane activists among us.

Unfortunately, almost all of that energy and time is completely wasted. It isn’t going anywhere and never will without some serious rethinking and creative strategizing.

Change is impossible without “the people” and the vast majority of people are pretty much left scratching their heads at BLM, woke, cancel culture, Antifa, QAnon, Proud Boys, build back better, and especially the incapacitating, binary weaponizing of everything into left vs. right, Republican vs. Democrat, and all related iterations: liberal vs. conservative, Trump vs. Biden/Sanders/Clinton.

Here’s the main problem as I see it. People vote against their own interests because they’re overwhelmed, confused, misdirected, brainwashed. They step into the voting booth thinking they’re voting for one thing and end up getting the opposite. The science of messing with people’s minds has surpassed quantum physics in sophistication. Soon we’ll all be implanted with neural interfaces and directly turned into clueless, obedient drones. But that’s for another article.

What I try to do is introduce issue-by-issue some genuine clarity. Remove any possible ambiguity or misinterpretation. If you want this, then do that. To the point of this article, if you want to know if the candidate you’re voting for is truly on your side, then perform a simple, straightforward, sensible test. You can and will know. The result will be a clear and unambiguous ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

That in a nutshell is the whole idea behind the electoral strategy I’ve been talking about for ten years. Another topic for yet another piece, as if I hadn’t already written three books and hundreds of such articles already. But for now let me quickly reiterate, the candidate contract electoral strategy represents issue-by-issue clarity and real choice. A candidate is either for the proposed change, or against it. He or she signs on the dotted line making their commitment crystal clear. If they sign, we know where they stand. If they don’t sign we know where they stand. In either case, we as voters know exactly what to do.

Why don’t current activist demands for real change ever make a difference?

Two reasons . . .

FIRST:  They are directed at the wrong people. They are directed at those in power who are not listening, will not act, will never listen, will never act favorably. We only need to look at the record to know this is true. Very legitimate, extremely popular reforms simply NEVER GET DONE. Do I need to mention a few? 

 • Decent good-paying jobs

 • Fair, equitable, livable wages

 • Health care reform (Medicare4all)

 • Serious attention to climate change

 • Election reform (getting $$s out of politics)

 • Law enforcement and comprehensive prison reform

 • Ending the wars (reversing military expansion)

 • Comprehensive immigration reform

Mind you, there are huge consensuses on these and similar issues. How do we know what these areas of agreements are? There’s no mystery. Poll after poll, year after year, point to pretty much the same things. Without exception, concerns about the economy are at the top of the list. People now more than ever are struggling. The American Dream is fading and prospects for the future are becoming increasingly bleak. 

SECOND:  Many activists are personally committed to a cause, feel enormous passion for that cause, can’t imagine a world without it, can’t imagine any decent, aware human being being opposed to that cause. 

Unfortunately, they’re often wrong and despite their best efforts, nothing changes, nor will it ever change. Either the object of their devotion is unpopular and/or it simply doesn’t even get noticed. There’s not sufficient public awareness, perhaps little enthusiasm, for whatever they’re promoting. Such niche issues are important and can be addressed when we have a Congress and White House listening to and on the side of the people. But until we put in power who actually represent the interests of the vast majority of citizens — NOT those of the ruling elite, Wall Street, the MIC, big banks and big corporations — NOTHING WILL GET DONE for the people. PERIOD!

These two undercurrents are intertwined and synergistic . . . in the worst possible way. Making impassioned pleas to our elected officials when they’re not listening is a non-starter and enormous waste of energy and resources. Focusing on issues which have little popular support ends up discrediting activists and knee-capping more promising activism, all too often turning the majority of citizens off. This not only drives away support, but infects the citizenry with cynicism about anything positive ever getting done. Predictably, resignation and apathy sets in. Just look around. Look at the comments we see on articles like this. Hopelessness is growing. Surrender is the new pandemic.

The system is rigged … AGAINST US, WE THE PEOPLE. 

It’s certainly foolhardy to think that the people who benefit from the rigging are going to unrig it. They will continue to do what they’ve been doing. Serving themselves. Ignoring us. They will thrive. We will suffer.

Maybe naively I believe we can refocus, unite, change things. Maybe foolishly I believe we can rock the boat enough to get the scoundrels on board into the drink, without sinking the ship.

But I don’t think so.

We can fight this but we have to work together.

So what do we do?

First, we apply the Ultimate Wedge Issue Test. What is that? There are certain issues which are crucial to the survival of our nation as a democracy which “promotes the general welfare.” The test determines who is in favor of a nation that works for everyone, not just a privileged elite, and who is too selfish, myopic or misinformed to want what is the foundation of our society … equality, justice, peace, harmony, opportunity.

This is the wedge. Either you’re for working together as a society . . . or you’re for continuing on the road to oligarchy, tyranny, fascism. This applies both to citizen voters and candidates for office.

I sincerely believe that the majority of citizens want a country that works for everybody.

Issue-by-issue we find out what we as citizens think is important, then issue-by-issue we see which candidates are willing to commit to getting the job done.

We only vote for those candidates who are on the side of the vast majority of Americans.

No excuses. No compromise. No exceptions.

While applying the “wedge test”, we always keep in mind, this has nothing to do with party or label or ideology. It’s strictly about where candidates come down on those items which the vast majority of citizens have targeted as essential — in most cases things we’ve needed all along — things across the board that haven’t been getting done.

As I said, we all already know what these issues are. And we know those now in office have not nor will they ever support us in promoting and instituting the necessary reforms, such that WE THE PEOPLE get what’s long overdue . . . a fair stake in the vast wealth, blessings, and opportunities of the allegedly richest country in history.

WE ONLY VOTE FOR CANDIDATES WHO GUARANTEE RESULTS.

Not just talk about it. Not just say pretty words and make empty campaign promises. Not just continue to spew out sound bites and pleasant-sounding word salad so we will again trust them, fall for their shallow rhetoric, and vote these hypocrites back into office.

Enough is enough!

ONLY VOTE FOR CANDIDATES WHO GUARANTEE THEY WILL LISTEN TO AND SERVE THE NEEDS OF EVERYDAY CITIZENS.

It’s that simple. I didn’t say easy. No way will this be easy. But it’s certainly simple.

It starts with us no longer being gullible fools. Those in power will continue to lie to us, continue rigging the system in their favor and that of their patrons, the privileged elite, if we let them.

But we can stop this right now. By getting serious about installing a government of the people, by the people, for the people. By electing “people’s candidates” who have proven themselves worthy of our vote.

No negotiation. No compromise. No fear.

It’s our future. It’s up to us.

Posted in Deconstruction, Democracy, Political Analysis, Political Rant | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life In Japan: Where Aging Is Valued

Posted on September 20, 2022 by johnrachel

Yesterday was a national holiday here in Japan.

I didn’t give it much thought. Of course, I was extremely glad that Masumi, my wife, had time off from teaching school, and we could spend the entire day together. Moreover, a major typhoon was heading our way, so we were preoccupied with preparing the house and garden for a combative assault by Mother Nature.

Then the doorbell rang. I answered it and there stood a gentleman from my local village. He handed me the gift package pictured above. Then it hit me . . .

It’s Respect for the Aged Day!

As I’ve explained before, national holidays here in Japan are by Western standards rather unique. Overall they are not nationalistic. They are more cultural. But they’re not like Mother’s Day or Father’s in the West, which are more like National Cat Day or National Talk in An Elevator Day, which aren’t official holidays at all. These national holidays, which celebrate everything from coming of age (turning 20) to mountains and children, are official holidays! The banks, post offices and most businesses are closed.

Now get this! Because yesterday was Respect for the Aged Day, every person in my small city of about 50,000 people who was 75 or over, received a gift package from the city. Let that sink in!

The package consisted of Japanese tea, and various treats. There were a couple cakes that were scrumptious! But I admit that I find some snacks here a little odd. In this package, there were seaweed crackers, pancakes filled with red bean sauce, green tea flavored udon (noodles). What you see on the right is kelp candy. No, that’s not a typo. It’s chewy candy made from kelp, harvested from the sea. It’s like munching on licorice that has no flavor.

As they say, it’s the thought that counts. And the thought here is one of extraordinary generosity and kindness.

By the way, there was a special letter included in the box. It conveyed a charming message of appreciation. Paraphrasing, it said: “You’ve lived many years, faced difficult challenges in your life, struggled against adversity. The people of Tambasasayama want to thank you for your hard work and your dedication and service to others. May you continue in good health and live a long and happy life.”

As ‘racism’ is discrimination based on race, in the West, ‘ageism’ is discrimination based on age. Someone is elderly, thus they are not accorded the same rights and courtesies as someone younger. They are dismissed personally as less able, and socially as less worthy. But here in Japan, ‘ageism’ — if there is such a thing — has the opposite effect. Ageism here accords an elderly person greater respect, preferential treatment, additional courtesies and admiration based on their advanced age.

What a completely different, and for me at 76, awe-inspiring attitude! Getting older may be inevitable. But in Japan, it doesn’t equate to being “disappeared” or forced to live in the margins of someone else’s life. The kids here don’t shuttle mom and dad off to some convalescent home when they get old, then visit them once a month, if they’re not too busy. The kids here make a room for them in their own home and they all live together again as a family.

Let that sink in!

Posted in Altruism, Japan, Social Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Love Connection: Coming in ????

Posted on August 31, 2022 by johnrachel

My latest novel, Love Connection: Romance in the Land of the Rising Sun, was originally supposed to come out in February. Then publication was moved to April. Then July. Now we are targeting November.

The holdup has been . . . well, life on this chaotic planet during these turbulent times.

Let me explain.

Before a novel becomes available to the public, it’s released to a select group of readers. They are given advance reader copies — ARCs — to provide a number of things to us. First, any constructive criticism of the book is welcome, i.e. glaring inconsistencies in characters or plot; typos; mistakes and anomalies the editor may have missed; did the book meet whatever expectations the reader might have had? Second, suggestions for improvements are always helpful. Did the story drag in parts? Is the cover unappealing? Should the book be longer? Shorter? Third, in the hope that the reader found the novel delightful, exciting, moving, eye-opening, life-changing, whatever, positive comments, preferably short and catchy, are much appreciated. These will appear on the inside cover as “blurbs” when the book is finally published. I’m sure you’ve seen them before. Here’s an example of one I already received for Love Connection . . .

“One of the most distinctive and enjoyable aspects of Rachel’s novel is his voice, which travels confidently between the serious and humorous. It’s a good balance, and the writing itself is lively from start to finish, which is no easy thing.” – David Joiner

Thanks, David!

But here’s my problem, and what’s been holding up the book.

Over twenty ARCs were sent out in February. Sadly, we’ve only gotten feedback from five folks. We like to have at least 12 to 15, not just for the blurbs, but to get a range of opinion and feedback on the story, writing, presentation. People are simply not available.

I understand. I don’t think it’s the fault of the book. Like I said, it’s life . . . Covid-19, war, inflation, lockdowns, bankruptcies, all of the craziness we’ve been subjected to for over two years now. Who has time to read a novel? Who can concentrate?

Here’s my offer to you, which will hopefully lead to a solution for us. If anyone out there is interested in reading this book, let me know. I can send either a paperback to hold in your hands, or a PDF to read on your computer, tablet, or book reader. I’m shooting for fifteen more folks to dive into my story, take the ride, have fun, and then tell me what they think.

By the way, and this is important . . .

Love Connection, despite the sub-title, IS NOT A ROMANCE. Not in the traditional sense. I don’t want to give too much away, because a major part of the appeal of the story is the suspense. In fact, it’s more of a “true crime” suspense novel than a romance.

Plus there are many changes of scene. Though it mainly takes place in Japan — and you’ll get a healthy dose of what Japanese people are really like and what it’s like to live here — there’s some serious globe trotting: to Germany, France, Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya. Trust me, you won’t be bored. And the ending! I think when you discover where this whole convoluted adventure eventually ends up, you’ll be quite shocked. Amazingly, this aspect of the storyline is based on real events which have taken place here in Japan.

Hey! What have you got to lose? A few hours? I know it’s not easy with all the distractions and turmoil to sit down and read a book. But look at it as an opportunity to get away from all the distractions and turmoil.

If you’re interested, let me know. It’s first come, first serve. Limited at most to 20 more people. Folks who agree with Groucho Marx when he said . . .

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”

Email me at john@jdrachel.com or leave a message with an American Embassy near you.

Posted in Books, Creativity, Japan, Living On The Edge, Social Commentary, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life In Japan: Artistry

Posted on August 30, 2022 by johnrachel
Artists next to Sasayama Castle capturing the beauty of the moat and all that lives in and around it.

I realize that ‘artistry’ is a sloppy choice for a title. It’s a broad stroke which embraces many activities, from musical performance to jewelry making. But here, I’m using it in the narrowest sense, referring to painters, capturing with deft strokes what and how they see their world.

It might silly on the most superficial level to be “celebrating” something as anachronistic as painting. Ages ago, it was the only way to give a permanent visual record of a person’s appearance, a still life, a landscape, a battlefield, a coronation, a vision. But things have dramatically changed.

Now we have smart phones and digital cameras, technologically cranked up to always take perfect photos. We have dash cams, body cams, Go-Pros that capture everything in real time, not as stop-action stills but as streaming visual records of reality, as it happens.

Better yet — from some perspectives — we have software that can take all that imagery and transform it. Take a photo of that basket of fruit on your table. Process it and you end up with a Rembrandt or Van Gogh or Monet. Want a Titian? Import some angels and naked bathers into the photo you took at the dog park. Add Jesus or Mary or the Twelve Apostles. Looking for a Jackson Pollock? Easy. Just do your own digital drip painting while riding the Tilt-A-Whirl at Six Flags.

Congratulations! You’re an artist!

Want celebrity status? Photoshop yourself having dinner with Angelina Jolie or playing poker across from Christopher Walken in Las Vegas.

This creative “flexibility”, of course, applies not just to visual arts but across the board. There are apps for writing stories or entire novels. Apps for composing music. Apps for making up jokes, pick-up lines, compliments on your grandmother’s new hairdo.

What a wonderful world we live in, eh? Everyone is a creative genius, a star, the life of the party, admired by . . .

Uh . . . well, somebody. Anybody?

Is anyone paying attention?

You really have to wonder where this ends up. If everybody is capable of doing everything at the highest level, no one will stand out. No one will be special. No one will be admired for anything. Except maybe the huge variety of apps they have on their Galaxy or iPhone. And if someone gets a jump on you, hey, no problem. Just go to the app store, do a quick search, put in your credit card and voilà . . . you’re the new Beethoven or Hemingway.

Meaning . . . it’s not about what you actually do. It’s about what you can get done.

In a revealing aside, let’s look at the world’s glamor stage of wealth. There are a few names which are constantly in the news. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Apple Corporation. Elon Musk is the wealthiest person on the planet. He didn’t design, engineer, or make anything which created his fortune. Jeff Bezos doesn’t make anything either. He sells stuff. Bill Gates didn’t invent the computer or any of the software which runs on the PC. He didn’t even invent the graphic user interface which made him famous. He stole the “windows” GUI, the concept and code. Steve Jobs certainly didn’t invent the telephone. To be fair, he was the driver behind the smartphone revolution. But the technological breakthroughs — the grunt work — the actual design and building, were performed as work for hire by his employees. None of the “big names” actually innovated anything. What they did is create the entrepreneurial conditions for the innovations they are credited with. To be blunt about it, they are heralded as geniuses, on the world stage, for one reason. They each amassed huge piles of money. You have to ask: Is this what achievement looks like now? Is merit no longer related to talent, but purely a function of net worth?

So look at these members of my home town. Is it possible they somehow don’t know about all of the wonderful innovations we have at our fingertips? Are they stuck in some world that’s centuries old?

What’s wrong with these people?

When the weather is nice, this is a common sight around Tambasasayama.

I’ll tell you what’s right with these folks. They understand that it’s what you do, not what you own or can buy, that’s fulfilling. That it’s the journey, not the destination, that sustains the soul and adds value to life.

It took me a long time to figure this out.

But I finally did.

Posted in Art, Creativity, Japan, Social Commentary, Spiritual | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life In Japan: New Kid on the Block

Posted on August 27, 2022 by johnrachel

There’s always a surge of excitement when a new face appears on the scene. My village in Hyogo, Japan is no exception to this universal rule.

Yes, there’s a new kid in town. Her name is Mei, and we affectionately — already she has been accepted and embraced with an easy familiarity and an outpouring of love — call her Mei-chan. I have to say right up front, she’s a real charmer.

The home where she lives is quite close by. The houses here in the country are certainly not on top of one another. But it’s an easy walk from my front door to my neighbor’s home. Here is a photo taken from in front of my house of Mei’s new digs.

It’s a pretty typical Japanese home, traditional elements with lots of modern mixed in. Since my neighbor is a farmer, there are additional structures to house equipment, seeds, hay, tools, etc. That’s his rice field growing right in front of his house, quickly approaching the time for harvest. Farming is, of course, demanding work, to put it mildly. It’s certainly good to have extra hands on deck to help with the chores. I’m sure Mei will do her part to keep things running smoothly.

Now, without further ado, let me introduce you to the new kid on the block.

Mei-chan, a baby goat that speaks better Japanese than I do.

New kid? Get it? Ha ha ha ha! Okay. Not all that funny. But I’ve always been a compulsive kidder. The most repeated question I get is: “Are you serious?” As if I would know.

My neighbor has his hands full at this point. Of course, goats eat everything. Which is what makes them useful for weed control and clearing debris. But their omnivorosity — yes, I made up that word — embraces just about anything that will fit in their mouths, which can result in unintended destruction of everything less rugged than titanium. Right after this next photo was taken, Mei tried to gulp down the flowers in front of the house.

But how can anyone get upset? She’s just so darn cute! I’m reminded of this about twenty hours a day, when Mei declares her joy at just being alive, not that I’m privy to the nuances of goat speak. “Be-he-he-he! Be-he-he-he!” fills the airwaves morning, noon, and night. But she’s far enough away, I don’t find this especially annoying. In fact it’s pleasant in some odd fashion. It sure beats “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” or “Oink oink!”

I wish I had something profound to add here. As you know from reading my other writing, I usually like to close on a cosmic note, concluding with some epic morsel of wisdom.

I guess I’ll just settle for this elocution tip: ‘Mei’ is pronounce like the month of May.

Posted in Japan, Social Commentary, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Life In Japan: ‘Japan Pom Pom’

Posted on August 24, 2022 by johnrachel

They claim proof in this video that age is a state of mind. Well, I’m not quite convinced of that. If a toddler just had a different attitude, he could start using chopsticks or master the Argentine Tango? When your heart stops beating or your kidneys quit functioning, it’s because you’re looking at things wrong? I don’t think so.

At the same time, state of mind is important in achieving a balanced, healthy perspective on age, whatever the number turns out to be. That’s the real message and it’s a good one.

At my advanced age, I love Japan, and Asia in general, because here they don’t demote or disappear people just because they were born a long time ago. The youth culture — should I say ‘youth-worshipping’ culture? — of most Western countries requires that old people be written off as persona non grata, once they get crows feet, or most certainly when they are no longer reproductive-capable. Or as my now deceased friend, British TV character actor David Rayner, liked to say: “We become invisible.”

By contrast, older folks here are respected, often revered, assigned a special, important place in their communities and families. Where it’s standard protocol in the West to get gramps and grannie into a retirement home or elderly care facility — out-of-sight out-of-mind — as soon as the old codgers agree to live in a pre-death camp, here it is extremely common for the oldest members of the family to live with their sons and daughters and their spouses until they die. I had an English student in his 70s whose parents, both pushing 100, lived with him and his wife until they passed away. This is customary.

Then again, it’s not just about work. Contrary to stereotypes about Japanese people, they do like to have fun. Which brings me to the central topic of this piece . . . Japan Pom Pom!

As you already suspect, this is a cheerleading squad. But what makes it unique is all of the ladies in it are over 55, the average age being 70. Their nickname is ‘The Cheerleading Grannies’.

Japan Pom Pom is the brainchild of Fumi Takino, an 85-year-old resident of Tokyo, who wolfs down pizza, and drinks beer and Coke like a 16-year-old high school exchange student.

Fumi Takino.

At 84.67 years, Japan has the second-highest life expectancy in the world, right behind Hong Kong. This is largely attributed to diet and an excellent health care system. I’m sure “state of mind” plays some role. First, Japanese expect to live a long time. Second, they do not let age hinder them from fully participating in society, at whatever level makes sense. Many refuse to retire and work into their 70s, 80s, 90s. I wrote back in November 2020 about Silver-san, aka Jinzai Centers. Jinzai — 人材 — means human resources. But what makes these work centers special is they only employ people over 65.

The video at the top tells the entire story. I really have nothing to add, except this: If you’re feeling old and thinking about just surrendering to deterioration, convinced that your “old age” has condemned you to hopelessness and inevitable decline, watch the Cheerleading Grannies. If you don’t find it a shot of inspiration or a strong case for unfettered optimism, I’m confident you’ll at least enjoy a smile.

Bonus video: If you’re really in need of a good jaw-dropping, check out this performance by 94-year-old Johanna Quaas, from Germany — the oldest active gymnast in the world!

Age is a state of mind? Only if your state of mind is ageless.

Posted in Japan, Living On The Edge, Social Commentary, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Life In Japan: Rice Art Honoring a Great Champion

Posted on July 23, 2022 by John Rachel

I’ve been meaning to write about “rice art” for quite some time. But an announcement this week gave me the necessary push, so here it is.

Rice is usually planted here by weird-looking but truly ingenious machines. But as my neighbor is doing above, the job is then completed by hand-planting any areas which the machine can’t reach.

One notable exception takes place a few minutes from my house at a local B&B.

Here the entire field is planted by hand. The observation tower is there for good reason. Because when the rice comes in, here’s what it looks like.

It varies from year to year but my take on this piece is that it’s the Tambasasayama City mascot, a highly romanticized wild boar. Trust me, they’re not at all cute. If fact, they’re downright ugly!

In any case, here’s why I mention any of this. Probably the greatest skater in history — at least I think so — Japan’s own Yuzuru Hanyu, just announced that at age 27, he’s retiring from competition. He’ll still be skating, of course, but not in such demanding, high-stress situations as the Olympics and the myriad of clashes for primacy that surround it.

While looking at this story, I discovered a very special tribute to this great athlete, done as only the Japanese do things.

Rice art. What would be the equivalent in the U.S.? Wheat art? Corn art?

I’ll leave that to your imagination.

Posted in Art, Creativity, Food, Japan, Social Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life In Japan: ヤクザ Raccoon Dog Attacks Again!

Posted on July 20, 2022 by John Rachel

I was at the grocery store the other day and spotted some delicious-looking ears of corn. With the current exchange rate, they were about 80 cents each. A real bargain!

But I quickly said, “Nah! We have fresh, organic corn coming up and soon ready to pick in our vegetable garden.” At least six at last count.

I got a photo of our ヤクザ vegetable thief as he passed behind our house.

As you can see from the above photo, we’ve taken some drastic measures in our ongoing battle to protect our veggies from the local raccoon dog. Since everything is growing so well, there’s a lot at stake. Thus everything is surrounded by netting, stretched tight and securely staked to the ground. We — at least I — felt confident we had defeated the furry freeloader regardless of his determination and cunning. To be entirely candid, I though the little fellow was dead. Just last week, a raccoon dog had been hit by a car on a busy street not far from our house. As far as I was concerned, he was long gone from this life here in quiet, rural Tambasasayama.

Well, I was wrong on all counts. Because the day after I took a pass on the supermarket corn, our Yakuza [ヤクザ] raccoon dog was back. He dug under the netting, went full infantry on our corn, feasted on it, then devoured some tomatoes, before moving on to holding up a bank or kidnapping some school child. Okay, maybe I’m going overboard. Anyway, this is what no respect for private property and bad table manners looks like . . .

Tragedy in the midst of an otherwise blissful life.

Actually, we have no right to complain. I mean, if you want to look at this objectively, this is his natural habitat. If we humans didn’t have better lawyers, he’d be having us arrested for trespassing. And even more to the point, there’s plenty to go around. Truth is, we can hardly keep up. We’ve gone through the lettuce and now have pepperoncini, tomatoes, scallions, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, butternut squash, potatoes, and I don’t know what else coming out of our ears — lacking ears of corn, of course. Even so, fair play dictates that the coon dog raider could have left, say, two of the ears of corn, so we’d have some idea what they taste like. Obviously, this particular raccoon dog has issues.

In terms of the near future, we’re looking forward to a bumper crop of one of the items that has made Tambasasayama famous. You can read more about it in my other attempts at signaling my agricultural sophistication, or is that horticultural enlightenment? Yes, I’m talking about black beans, aka soybeans. Here we are planting forty-eight seedlings, a tad bit late but not such as to compromise our ultimate success. And by the way, we grew the seedlings ourself, starting with — I know this came as a huge surprise to me — SEEDS!

Bear in mind, I grew up in Detroit area, where the only things that grew in abundance were plumes of automobile exhaust and racial tensions. All of this is new to me, and to be entirely honest, exciting in some completely non-exciting way. The excitement is internal as I see all of this unfold, maybe the way a person who was raised in the tundra by wolves would be awed the first time they saw an iPhone.

The real payoff in real time is that we’ve gotten some truly awesome, homegrown, organic, cultivated-by-our-own hands, nurtured-by-our-own-spectacular-personal-vibes vegetables to show for it.

Capping my little report here on the unfolding drama of life in rural Japan with a hugely vast understatement: I sure don’t miss the exhaust fumes and race riots of my youth, nor do I long for the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, horizon-to-horizon cement, and frenetic frenzy of contemporary big city life at all these days — not at all.

I think I finally found my calling.

Posted in Environment, Food, Japan, Spiritual | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Daddy is a drunk!”

Posted on July 14, 2022 by John Rachel

I’ve spent at least ten years talking about “regime change in Washington DC”, trying to explain exactly what that entails, and why it’s necessary for the survival of our nation.

Here’s my last go at it. Daddy is a drunk! It’s an allegory.

Before I start with this heartwarming story about a dad who’s a drunk, let me just make one qualifier. When I advocate regime change in our nation’s capitol, I’m not suggesting a violent revolution. In fact, the idea is to AVOID that, because if there is a violent overthrow of authorities here in the U.S., I have no doubt it will be the bloodiest, most horrifying one in history. We as a citizenry are armed to the teeth, are obsessed with and glorify violence in our myths about ourselves as people and as a nation. Even those who claim to abhor violence seem inexplicably tolerant, with all sorts of rationalizations for never getting serious about eliminating guns or attempting to refashion a culture which is predicated on less adversity, competition, and confrontation. I’m not here to argue any of that. I’m just stating the obvious. If there’s another civil war, it will be a bloodbath.

Regime change, from my perhaps naive perspective — and I do mean total regime change — can be accomplished peacefully, humanely, and legally. But understand what I mean is truly, in fact, without qualification or compromise: REGIME CHANGE. It is removing every single person now holding public office from power and replacing them with qualified public officials who will actually serve the citizens of the country.

Today’s message is directed to the hugely vast majority of fellow citizens, who to my utter and complete astonishment, don’t see any need to replace ALL OF THEM. They don’t see that there are times in life, when things can’t be repaired. Something is so broken, it simply has to be tossed in the trash and replaced.

On to the most touching story you’ll read in the next several minutes.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Daddy Is A Drunk!

Daddy in his twenties was pretty much like most guys his age. He liked to go out and have a good time with his buddies. Have a few beers. Cheer the home team at a sports bar.

When he married mom, they’d occasionally share wine with the meal at a nice restaurant, or even once or twice a month have cocktails with their friends or other young couples.

Twenty years later, daddy was a different human being. The kids were in high school, he worked very hard and since he’d been very successful at his job, he didn’t “hang out” with his personal buddies anymore, but spent a lot of time socializing with colleagues from the corporation he worked at, and VIPs from the international customer base they serviced. Lots of travel now. High pressure and high stakes. But he got paid very well for it.

There was one problem. Now he drank constantly. Morning to night. He literally started the day with two stiff tumblers of bourbon, either of which would put most people on their tushies. Drinks at lunch. Drinks at happy hour. As soon as he arrived at home, he’d pour large glasses of whiskey, drink through dinner, then cap the night off with a few “sweet dreams” shots of liqueur before collapsing in a sloppy stupor on their king-size bed.

Daddy was a drunk.

But it wasn’t just his problem. It was a problem for every member of the family, for the few friends he and mommy still had, sometimes even for neighbors. Like when he drove his new Porsche onto the lawn of the neighbors next door, and wiped out $3000 of their professionally-landscaped lawn and garden.

Daddy had changed from a affable, well-liked, often funny, always entertaining young man into a ego-maniacal, self-possessed, graceless, humorless prick. Oh yes, he could still pour on the charm, even be funny, and in his own self-aggrandizing way be entertaining, nice, sympathetic, affable, whatever the occasion might call for. But the Mr. Fun Guy act would eventually fall apart, and behind the scenes he’d again become Mr. Hyde. Life at home was unbearable. He ranted. He paced. Appeared angry most of the time. Never took any real joy or satisfaction out of being there with his wife and kids.

It was tearing the family apart. Correction. Since this had been going on for three years — it started right when their oldest boy started high school — it had already torn the family apart. There was nothing left to salvage. The kids hated daddy. The wife hated daddy.

Over the three years, there had been five sessions of marriage counseling. Daddy had even agreed on and off to get psychiatric help. At least six times Daddy had been in and out of Alcoholics Anonymous. He’d even been to a hypnotist. Except for very brief periods off the bottle — only days, not weeks — it was the same story. And getting worse by the day.

Within the family — at least at first — they’d talk to daddy, plead with him, try to reason with him. They said all the right things. They thought what they said was persuasive and would make a difference: Daddy, you’re destroying yourself. Daddy, when you drink, you’re not the same person we know and love . Daddy, we just want to be with you and want what’s best for you. Daddy, you’ll be a much happier person — we’d all be happier — if you stop drinking. Daddy, you’re going to die if you keep this up. Please, daddy!

Through it all, with the rare glimpses of the pain and havoc he was creating in their lives, with a fleeting awareness that he had a serious problem, that he was hurting himself and those he who loved him, daddy would listen and apologize, promise to do better and claim he really appreciated their concern and help. He would do what was best for all of them and quit. Of course, that never happened. After only a few days off the bottle, when he went back, it seemed like he even drank more.

And so the family was — and still is — facing one stark, disheartening, unavoidable reality.

Daddy is a drunk.

Mommy can’t take it anymore. The verbal abuse. No affection. Nothing resembling companionship. No possibility of communication. Nothing could be done to fix things.

It was time for a drastic solution.

Daddy had to go. He had to be removed from the family before he did any more harm.

Mommy filed for and won a divorce. Daddy was gone.

If life is generous, mommy will find another man to love, to love her, and be the father to the kids they deserve.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

What’s the moral of the story? Sometimes things get so bad, there’s so much damage and bad history, you have to start all over.

That’s where we are at with our government, with the elected officials now in office, who time and again, over and over, make it clear they do not and will not serve the people who elected them to do just that. They are beholden to their deep-pocketed patrons, both major parties serve the ruling class. The connection between WE THE PEOPLE and those who are chosen — not by us but by the pay-for-play insiders of the Democratic and Republican parties — for us to vote for on election day, exists as a figment of fantasy, the product of very effective and very deceptive messaging. Regardless of what these puppets say during their money-drenched electoral campaigns, they are not on the side of the people.

We can’t take this anymore. We should be mad as hell!

The abuse of power. No loyalty to the voting public. They sidle up to us when they want our votes, then disappear inside the Washington DC bubble. They talk at us. They don’t listen. The iron grip of the rich and powerful on our current elected officials is absolute. There’s no fixing anything with those now in office.

It’s time for drastic action.

These lapdogs of the rich and powerful need to go. They must be removed before they do anymore damage. Examples: More looting of the Treasury to serve Wall Street and the big investment banks. More stalling on climate change, minimum wage, health care, abortion, criminal justice reform, election reform, infrastructure. None of it will get done. What will get done is privatizing social security, more tax breaks for corporations and the rich . . . MORE WAR!

Throw these bums out! You could randomly go through a telephone directory and select names and come up with a better Congress and White House than this circus of clowns who now pose as our national leaders. No . . . I’m not being funny. I’m dead serious!

And you should be too.

Posted in Corporatism, Deconstruction, Democracy, Political Analysis, Political Rant, War and Peace | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment