My opinion of this week:(351)

A Peaceful New Year 

I am enjoying warm and quiet new year days. Without watching TV, going
out anywhere, I enjoy doing what I usually do everyday life. They are
quite valuable and fruitful indeed.

A lot of attacks by terrorists are going on in Iraq. There was a big 
earthquake in Iran. How are people in those countries spending their 
new year days? I happen to remember the fact and feel some pain in my 
heart. Some people insist that we Japanese are peace-addicted enjoying
peace only by themselves forgetting various unhappiness of other people
in other countries. I feel uneasy about those words, too.  

But some others say in ML what's wrong with peace-addicted. It's 
much better than war-addicted, isn't it? I feel  relieved with that
word.

I know the word: "Never forget disorder while in peace." We must 
prepare for any disasters such as wars, natural disasters and so on
even in peace time. It is necessary to help others who suffers for such
disasters. No question about that. But we should never justify any
sorts of wars without any cause. 

I watched NHK TV drama of Prince Shotoku on Friday night. The story was
about how Prince Shotoku at Asuka Age in 600 created the constitution
first time in history which consists of 17 articles. The first article
of the constitution declares importance of peace and reconciliation 
among human races and regions. 

The Prince was engaged in mortal combat with the then country's de ruler
concerning dispatch of troops to war in Kudara (Korea) upon the request of
the neighbor country. The Prince refused to send troops and that resulted
the assassination of his younger brother and his loyal subject by 
the de ruler. But the Prince finally succeeded to create the constitution
after such desperation. That is, I understand, the start of Japanese
Peace Constitution today.   

The history of Japan after Asuka age is as all of us know. Japan experienced
a number of wars inside and outside of the country. The loss of the Pacific
War and the Peace Constitution given by US occupier was a kind of irony but
the right answer, too. Prosperity of Japan in past fifty years is the result 
of this constitution in a way. 

There was an interesting questionnaire in letter-to-the-editor column of
Asahi Newspaper on January 1. The questionnaire was to what one Chinese
character do you like to select to describe your hope and wish for the
new year. 

The absolute selection for No1 was the character of WA (peace or 
reconciliation).

I would have selected the same character if I had participated in the same
questionnaire, although I would be called peace-addicted.

2004/1/3
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(352):

The First Regular Meeting of MPC

There was the first regular meeting of MPC (Murayama PC Club) on 
January 8. In addition to regular members, about 15 visitors came
to see club activities. So I changed the club schedule prepared for
that day and explained what the club is and  how it is operated 
throughout to visitors. Surprising enough, 11 people joined the club
at the end of the meeting.

I was very surprised to see that. Needless to say, we know the fact
that there are now many aged people who want to learn PC and internet
in any communities in this country. People try to learn PC in many 
ways. For example, they participate PC workshops sponsored by municipal
offices. Many attend PC school by paying rather expensive tuitions. 
But the workshops sponsored by municipal offices are always crowded and
competitive to participate. PC school is too expensive to gain good 
result. Then so many people are looking for better ways to learn PC.

Under such circumstances, more than 20 people called me to ask about
our club activities by finding  only a small notice about MPC which was
put on Municipal newspaper published at the end of last year. 11 people
have newly joined the club at once.

At the beginning of the presentation, I explained the basic nature of the
club. I said it is not a PC school but a club. People cannot expect to
learn PC as in PC schools. All learning must be done by themselves in 
their own studies and by their own methods. But the important point is 
that many good incentives and information and knowledge as what and how 
to learn will be acquired through club activities. 

I explained another aspect of the club. learning PC itself is not the
whole purpose. As far as our clubs are concerned, main purpose of 
learning PC is to utilize PC to learn many more scientific and social
subjects and to help enjoying hobbies of many kinds. The club will 
try to create networks with several PC clubs of same kinds which 
exist in other cities  of the country. E-mail, ML and internet are
now indispensable method and media to materialize such purpose, as I 
stressed in the presentation. 

I have no idea how much those explanation were understood by new comers.
But that will be gradually understood in the coming club activities.
 
I am very glad and satisfied to see that the club can make a very good 
start at the first day of new year.

2004/1/10
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(353):

Murder of comedy touch

On last Sunday, "Shinsengumi", a long-awaited historical drama of NHK 
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation) has finally begun. There were a number
of preview shows by NHK before this day. According to those previews,
the drama "Shinsengumi", which played very important role as mass murder
defense group against royal supporters of the Emperor at the end of
Edo period was characterized in new touch by K.Mitani, scenario writer
of this drama. I watched it from such personal interest. 

I had already seen several shots as such in preview. Different from
some historical facts and real images of members of Shinsengumi, there
appears so many young and handsome players in the drama that include
many comedy scene. Is it alright ? It is a fiction any way. But I just
wonder if that kind of approach is quite justified as far as this
history is concerned. 

The drama on Sunday started with the scene of attack by Shinsengumi 
against royal supporters of the Emperor who gathered at an inn in Kyoto.
The Shinsengumi members led by I.Kondo killed almost all of those royal
supporters by this attack. Regardless of any explanation, it is the
mass murder by one group to the other. What is a comedy touch to describe
murder? I just wonder.

For example, just before the attack started, a member of Shinsengumi
practiced drawing back himself very quickly after he chopped his enemy
by sword. He explained his comrade why he had to practice it. He said
he wanted to go for drink without changing his costume which would be
tainted by blood of enemy. It is really a murder game, isn't it?

Just after this attack sceane, the TV drama came back to the scene of 
10 to 15 years back of members profiles. Profiles of young members
are filled with freshness and romantic attraction. They wear nice
looking group clothes and swords. All of such exquisite presentation 
is to get higher audience rate drawing especially from young audience. 

There were so many TV history dramas in the past. Any historical
facts have been described in many ways. That's fine. I have no objection
about it.

But I have some fundamental doubt about TV drama at this time. Is there
a comedy touch for mass murder?  I also have some  concern about the
fact that such TV drama was presented by NHK which is very public in
nature in all sense of the world.

2004/1/17
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(354):

Fabrication of academic carrier
　
Junichirou Koga, a newly elected lawmaker in Fukuoka at the last 
general election of Democratic Party of Japan, is being severely 
criticized at the moment for fabrication of academic carrier. When 
he became a candidate for the general election, he described his 
academic career in election bulletin that he graduated from 
a small college at outskirt of Los Angels, California. But after 
he had been elected for a lawmaker, mass media reported that he
had never graduated the college at all.

Lawmaker Koga tried to make some excuse and flied to California 
visiting the college to investigate the fact. The office director
of the college clearly stated that Koga did not get a degree for 
the lack of units for graduation already before his visit. Nothing 
is more clear than this evidence. Why did he show such performance
of visiting the college and asking a lawyer to handle the case? 
Why did he tell such a lie?  He must know himself that that is 
telling a lie. 

In his academic career description, he wrote further wrote that he
attended some academic sessions at UCLA, a famous University in
US. The fact was also denied by the office of UCLA, which is another
big fabrication of academic career. 

I don't know how such conducts violate laws and rules concerning 
election. But he is surely not qualified to hold the seat just for
that poor conducts.  

Even at such a small college, school management is made very carefully
from entrance and graduation of each students. Compared with Japanese
colleges, entrance itself is rather easy but graduation is more difficult
as far as any US schools are concerned. What did he learn in school
in US?

The situation must have been much better if he had admitted the fact the
he made mistake describing his academic career. But all of his conducts
since the fact was disclosed looked very awful. he is ashamed himself. 
Laws and ethics will not permit him. 

All he has to do now is to resign from his position immediately.

2004/1/24
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(355):

Mass destruction without cause

The head of research team of mass destruction weapons in Iraq
testified at US congress. He stated that there was no 
evidence at all that there existed any mass destruction weapons 
in Iraq. It seems that international world did not show so
much surprise even with such shocking news. There was the fact
before. The research conducted by UN team could not find them. 
They insisted to continue further research.

US and UK started Iraq war based on the assumption that Iraq 
surely kept them in somewhere without waiting further research
by UN. There was a massive objection of international communities
including many of such major countries as France, Russia, 
Germany and so on. But US and UK started it.

No profound remorse or excuse have never been made by Bush 
administration even with this testimony. They just commented
that Hussein administration must have been overthrown any way
and they succeeded doing it by the war.

What a terrible logic it is! 

US, UK and their alliance including Japan participated
in mass destruction in Iraq without any cause. A number of
people and soldiers were killed by this war and the tragedy
still going on. All sort of damages in Iraq and other areas
in the world by terrorists will be magnified providing a 
good cause for attacks.

How can international community stop this vicious cycle?

2004/1/31
Tadashi HAYASE