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Snooglebum

Japan

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Yeah, nothing new in that. I'm somewhat disappointed that even Esra Thompson, being a dolphin, didn't know any better, though.

Terrible thing. Good thing Japan has high building standards or the damage could have been much much worse.

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you mean fnatic msi are their main sponsor. [/Esports nerd]

Danke. I've only recently started paying attention to HoN again, and haven't followed the competitive scene until recently. Much like SC2, it's almost more fun to watch than it is to play. (At least at my skill level.)

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I just read a Norwegian news article about how there has been almost no looting at all in Japan, and instead people are lining up at super-markets orderly, where the stores are either heavily discounted or giving away supplies for free for those who need it.

This in contrast to disasters like New Orleans or Haiti, where people quickly resorted to id instincts and started plundering.

The anthropologist they talk to say that it's because the Japanese are raised with a different mindset, where they know they are not the center of the universe, so to speak. They know there's always someone worse off than them.

A fascinating detail, that at least has me thinking about the implications of the western, first-world mindset and what would happen if a zombie apocalypse catastrophe happened here.

Edited by Hermie

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A fascinating detail, that at least has me thinking about the implications of the western, first-world mindset and what would happen if a zombie apocalypse catastrophe happened here.

Astounding things. Probably nothing good.

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Please be more wary of drawing obscene blanket conclusions about the character of whole ethnic groups based on hearsay and anecdotal evidence.

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It is an interesting difference though, the lack of looting. Whether that's due to Japanese culture differing from ours or a combination of socio-economic factors (New Orleans was/is full of poor, marginalized minorities, right?), that's not for me to say. But the difference is there.

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I'm not meaning to jump to any conclusions, neither about the Japanese nor the people of New Orleans or Haiti, of course.

I should have mentioned before, while the paper itself can be quite tabloid, the anthropology professor quoted mentioned studying a hunger catastrophe in south-west Japan in the 1730s, so when he said there is a difference in mindset, I believed it.

Here's the article if you want to google translate. I apologize for not elaborating properly earlier.

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I'm not meaning to jump to any conclusions, neither about the Japanese nor the people of New Orleans or Haiti, of course.

I should have mentioned before, while the paper itself can be quite tabloid, the anthropology professor quoted mentioned studying a hunger catastrophe in south-west Japan in the 1730s, so when he said there is a difference in mindset, I believed it.

Here's the article if you want to google translate. I apologize for not elaborating properly earlier.

If anything the cultural differences are due to Plato's respect for Socrates (who lived a life of poverty) where as The eastern world has a large emphasis on honour.

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the ignorance and arrogance of what appears to me to be the majority of americans is absolutely disgusting. judging by those photos those people's parents weren't even alive when pearl harbor was attacked.

i could go on and on but i won't.. what's the use..

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Apparently I live under a rock because I haven't come into contact with anyone saying these awful things, but seriously, I just want to be shocked but instead give a groan because they probably picked that up from some right wing talk show host.

As I said to Snooglebum, people do seem to forget the "payback" America unleashed on Japan with those two little nuclear weapon thingys, but let's just forget about that because REVENGE MOTHERFUCKERS.

Seriously, to still be mad at someone after you've decimated their country in this day and age, decades after, AND to be two generations away from anything having to do with World War II is all madness. Ugh.

I have an old issue of Raw Magazine that has pages and pages of U.S. commercialist rationalization ads and comics from the 40s and 50s for dropping the Atomic Bomb that is fascinating. Seems like it worked to some degree.

If the register article says that no radiation disaster will take place, I'm very relieved, just because that seems an awful way to die or suffer. This still seems like a huge fucking mess though.

Edited by syntheticgerbil

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I really hate all the fear mongering that is going around in the global news in almost every country since last friday.

Where is the investigative journalism? Is copy/paste and baseless rumours really the true way of journalism?

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50 Japanese workers stay behind to fight the meltdown.

This is humanity at its best. I'm in awe at how brave these 50 people are. Just amazing, amazing stuff.

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This is some fucking sick stuff.

A work colleague told me about this, but this ain't making much news around the world even if it should.

At least some US and Australian news agencies have been contacting westerners in Japan to give interviews to tv and tell them that Japan is in worse condition than it is to paint a doom and gloom picture.

If they didn't then the interview was not used on tv.

http://twitter.com/tokyojrock/status/48384180744224768

Want a news story?! News agencies in the US and Oz have asked interviewees to say it is worse than it is! How do I know? I was one! #japan about 17 hours ago via web
This is a good article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-im-not-fleeing-japan/2011/03/16/ABQsdhk_story.html

Edited by Kolzig

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For a couple of months I've been eagerly awaiting a camera that I already put down 1000€ for, and the factory gets hit by an earthquake :( Also, it's less than 100km from the nuclear plant.

Not to trivialize what's happening in Japan, but it's frustrating. Obviously there's a horrid disaster going on.

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The sensationalism is getting annoying indeed. Where are you guys getting proper news? I've been mostly relying on Americans living in Japan, like @Matt_Alt, @cheapyD and @Brian_Ashcraft.

Matt_Alt especially is doing a lot of translation of real news.

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I found an NHK World live stream, plus ABC News 24 down here does a lot of simulcasting of NHK World. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, being a government run network, tends to be extremely factual and straight with it's news. :tup:

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I've been using the BBC's website. It seems quite level-headed.

The BBC news coverage of the Japan incident has been some of the worst I've ever seen on their site. Thankfully they seem to have calmed down a bit now.

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I took the events in Japan as a good moment to practice the Japanese I've been diligently studying since January by sending an e-mail to some Japanese friends of the family who live north of Tokyo. It was a short mail, probably filled with errors and simplistic sentences, but it took some effort and was a fine and fun challenge.

Now I just hope I haven't insulted anyone by accident!

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If I felt inclined to donate a small bit to Japan, where would I do that so it would help the most? Red cross? Médicins Sans Frontières?

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