Have you ever seen mean comments left by irate YouTubers for people who videotapes the television as a show was going on and uploaded the footage of that onto YouTube?
“Hey loser. Why are you taping your own TV and then put that on YouTube?!”
I am a loser so I take pictures of magazines that I read and I post them on the Interweb…
Rarely did I take one look at The Economist and burst out laughing...
The Economist can be raunchy, and it has a sense of humor. Who knew?!
Hey, at least they refrained from using the picture of the now famous "bulge"... The ending of this article titled, The Weiner War, (of course), once again showed The Economist can be raunchy, IF they want to.
"THE earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident that struck Japan three months ago have revealed something important about the country: a seam of strength and composure in the bedrock of society that has surprised even the Japanese themselves."
“THE earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident that struck Japan three months ago have revealed something important about the country: a seam of strength and composure in the bedrock of society that has surprised even the Japanese themselves.”
To me, this picture chosen by The Economist to accompany this article, says so much about what is quintessential and unique about Japan. From the “light-hearted” (as much as one could in this situation) reference to the ubiquitous 7 Eleven, to a quiet, subtle display of the much-vaunted attention to efficiency, adaptability, cleanliness, orderliness, and personal appearances (Notice how the mother looks much more put together than I am on a daily basis, and in such chaos and under such duress…)
And then read these two stories of exemplary spirits:
24-year-old Miki Endo, who used the loudspeaker system in Minamisanriku, a fishing port close to the focus of the 9.0 earthquake, to urge residents to do what they could to escape the incoming tsunami. She drowned at her post. Television footage shows the rising sea approaching, with her haunting voice echoing over the waves…
One fisherman tells of the four days he spent clearing the wreckage of his village, with no knowledge of the whereabouts of his eldest son. When his son eventually appeared, walking down off the mountain after a long cross-country trek to reach his parents, the two wiped tears from their eyes but did not say a word to each other. The son did not wish to disturb his father’s toil.
All the world is watching, holding their breath, especially their neighbors in Asia, because, as some commentators in the news media in China, India and Taiwan have said, If the Japanese people, with all their disciplines, their perseverance, their technological know-hows, their attention to details and rules, cannot pull through, we are all doomed when the same thing happens on our soil.
I love the Obama cover photo…
Agreed about Japan…if anybody can come through this, they can!
Hugs,
Wendy
Dang it. I can’t stop crying over Miki Endo. Now that’s a hero.
Yeah, the Miki Endo story just confirms all suspicions I have about myself and my inability to put the needs of the many in front of the needs of a few. And that makes me incredibly sad for those who have the misfortune of knowing me.
Anyway, this post ran the gamut from the absurd to the uproariously funny to the heartbreaking.
Thank you Lin, for bringing me for the ride!
xo
Did you notice that not one news report was about looting? They were too busy helping eachother. There are other reasons, but that’s what the Japanese are all about. Discipline and unity.
I may have to subscribe to the The Economist. I could use a good laugh now and then.
I don’t even know where to begin. But I totally agree with you about the Japanese.
Is that a brassiere or a rocket launcher?
Who knew that the global economy could be so entertaining?
They really are a resilient country. I mean, who looks that good surrounded by wreckage?!
My partner Sara gets promotional adds from Spirit Airlines. They are having a Weiner sale/promotion–rates beginning at $9–said something about how size really does matter. Maybe it’s on the website. You might enjoy.
Kathy
This post was fascinating. Each part.
I didn’t know the whole Mr. Weiner story.
That truly is an unfortunate last name, isn’t it?
I wish the father and son would have hugged and talked at the end.
So glad they found each other though, even if they remained silent!