Massive quake hits Japan; Tsunami in Pacific, nations on alert

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by firstdown

So this weekend I'm watching CNN and the home reporter asked the one in Japan about looting. The reporter on the ground said that there was no looting and they didn't expect to see any looting. The home reporter seemed perplexed about no looting and seem sure that there had to be looting going on. The ground reporter said they have done reporting in Japan for 20 some years and said they would be very, very surprised if there was any looting. The home reporter still seem baffled at how they could have this much destruction without any looting. I laughed thinking how they always make excuses for people looting everything they can get their hands on here. I guess reporters don't understand integrity or honor.

Funny I was thinking of the looting as well, how in New Orleans they went crazy looting but in Japan it doesn't seem that way.

[MTK]

To Merry White, an anthropology professor at Boston University who studies Japanese culture , the real question is why looting and disorder exist in American society. She attributes it largely to social alienation and class gaps.

"There IS some alienation and indeed some class gaps in Japan too but violence, and taking what belongs to others, are simply not culturally approved or supported," White said in an e-mail.

Orderly disaster reaction in line with deep cultural roots – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

[mredskins]

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

shows how reactor over heats.

[MTK]

Japan Earthquake 2011: Before/After Satellite Images Show Extent Of Devastation (PHOTOS)

[Chico23231]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I mean, sure she apologized after the fact, but talk about ignorance:

New York Liberty's Cappie Pondexter apologizes for Japan tweets - ESPN New York

Absolutely disgusting. I cant believe people think like this after semi recent disasters here like 9/11 and Katrina.

[firstdown]

Man found floating on his roof 10 miles off shore.

Japan earthquake and tsunami: Man rescued 10 MILES out to sea after 2 days | Mail Online

[hooskins]

This is horrible. I cannot imagine how it felt to be there in the face of all that water.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I mean, sure she apologized after the fact, but talk about ignorance:

New York Liberty's Cappie Pondexter apologizes for Japan tweets - ESPN New York

ugh what a F'ing moron

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

To Merry White, an anthropology professor at Boston University who studies Japanese culture , the real question is why looting and disorder exist in American society. She attributes it largely to social alienation and class gaps.

"There IS some alienation and indeed some class gaps in Japan too but violence, and taking what belongs to others, are simply not culturally approved or supported," White said in an e-mail.

Orderly disaster reaction in line with deep cultural roots – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

Only a professor could think up that stupid shit. They use that excuse for the people looting to make it seem ok. The other part of the story is that in the US you get a slap on the hand and in Japan you can spend 3 yrs in jail for just steeling some candy.

[hooskins]

There is the First that I know.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Japan Earthquake 2011: Before/After Satellite Images Show Extent Of Devastation (PHOTOS)

I don't get all the color change in those pictures. I under stand how everything could now be brown looking but even on top of the mountains they show that brown color. I guess it could be because of winter.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Only a professor could think up that stupid shit. They use that excuse for the people looting to make it seem ok. The other part of the story is that in the US you get a slap on the hand and in Japan you can spend 3 yrs in jail for just steeling some candy.

No. The Japanese are just a truly gentle people in their homeland. They don't avoid crime because of criminal penalties - they just don't even think about committing crimes to begin with. I lived in Japan for two years and was struck by how different, in a good way, many Japanese folks are from many American folks. I'll bet many Japanese folks do not know the penalties for theft simply because they have never thought about the reality of stealing.

This difference from many Americans begs the question of why many Americans behave like barbarians in many situations where many Japanese folks would behave gently.

I disagree with the professor because she overlooks something in her thesis: while the Japanese are gentle and civilized in their homeland, they can become very violent abroad. The Rape of Nanjing is just one example of what I am talking about. Violence which is literally unthinkable to Japanese folks in Japan becomes a reality to the same Japanese folks in foreign contexts. Therefore, to me any explanation of why Japanese and American cultures are so different must take into account the neo-Confucian group-think which is part of everyday Japanese life.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by hooskins

There is the First that I know.

I was thinking more along the lines of this

[MTK]

Originally Posted by Lotus

No. The Japanese are just a truly gentle people in their homeland. They don't avoid crime because of criminal penalties - they just don't even think about committing crimes to begin with. I lived in Japan for two years and was struck by how different, in a good way, many Japanese folks are from many American folks. I'll bet many Japanese folks do not know the penalties for theft simply because they have never thought about the reality of stealing.

This difference from many Americans begs the question of why many Americans behave like barbarians in many situations where many Japanese folks would behave gently.

I disagree with the professor because she overlooks something in her thesis: while the Japanese are gentle and civilized in their homeland, they can become very violent abroad. The Rape of Nanjing is just one example of what I am talking about. Violence which is literally unthinkable to Japanese folks in Japan becomes a reality to the same Japanese folks in foreign contexts. Therefore, to me any explanation of why Japanese and American cultures are so different must take into account the neo-Confucian group-think which is part of everyday Japanese life.

Until all this happened I never realized they have almost daily tremors there... what was that like? Something you just get used to?

And on a totally unrelated note, how's the sushi there?

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Until all this happened I never realized they have almost daily tremors there... what was that like? Something you just get used to?

And on a totally unrelated note, how's the sushi there?

The small tremors are easily overlooked and forgotten. The more midsized tremors are frightening although much less common.

The sushi is so f&^%ing awesome that it is difficult to describe. Totally fresh, full of flavor, melts in your mouth. It is much better than the vast majority of American sushi because most Americans are not the sticklers for freshness that Japanese folks are.

I'll never forget being in a sushi bar with my American girlfriend. I ordered some shrimp. The cook chopped off the head of a live shrimp and placed the rest before me on a plate, body still wiggling. My girlfriend screamed a bit. I relished the totally fresh flavor. Most Japanese sushi is not THAT fresh but the story gives a sense of the emphasis on freshness.