Thursday, May 28, 2009

THE FOG OF WAR: THE FIREBOMBING OF JAPAN BEFORE THE ATOMIC BOMB



Recently, I've been involved in several discussions about the motivations for the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and whether or not this was a necessary course of action. In addition, my students are studying this controversial subject in my U.S. History class, but helping students (take on Truman's role) make one of the most difficult decisions in human history is a daunting task. The problem is that our textbook (The Americans, 2001) contains NO information about the 7 month U.S. fire-bombing campaign in Japan that destroyed 67 cities, killed more than 500,000 people and displaced 5 million. The fire-bombing of Tokyo alone claimed the lives of over 100,000 civilians in only one night and remains the highest death toll of a single bombing raid in history (neither Hiroshima nor Nagasaki individually killed as many in their blasts.. death from radiation sickness is another matter however) In order to provide the proper context for students (or anyone) to form an educated opinion on the subject, it is necessary to include this rather important information especially considering the arguments for dropping the bomb rely on the speculation that its use was absolutely necessary and had to be done immediately. Because of the unprecedented amount of civilian death and devastation involved, it might not come as a surprise that our textbooks would avoid any events or ideas that might counter those notions. For a decent account of the two sides of the coin, click here.

Enter Robert McNamara, one of the most heavily discussed figures in modern American history for his role in the Vietnam war as the Secretary of Defense under JFK. In the oscar-winning documentary, The Fog of War (2004), he reveals not only his part in the cold war, but also his role in the fire-bombing of Japan before the atomic bombs were dropped. McNamara regretfully discusses the importance of proportionality in war, the massive destruction that he helped create in Japan and the dropping of the atomic bombing:

"[I]n order to win a war should you kill 100,000 people in one night, by firebombing or any other way. LeMay's answer would be clearly 'Yes' . . . Proportionality should be a guideline in war. Killing 50% to 90% of the people of 67 Japanese cities and then bombing them with two nuclear bombs is not proportional, in the minds of some people, to the objectives we were trying to achieve."

Note: He also says he doesn't fault Truman so McNamara does not present a one-sided argument either.


The film includes a moving montage of the names of the bombed Japanese cities and their U.S. equivalents that flashes ever faster over the images of burnt debris. Here are the cities in an easily digestible format:

Japanese City %Destroyed (Size-Equivalent US City)
Yokohama 58 (Cleveland)
Tokyo 51 (New York)
Toyama 99 (Chattanooga)
Nagoya 40 (Los Angeles)
Osaka 35.1 (Chicago)
Nishinomiya 11.9 (Cambridge)
Siumonoseki 37.6 (San Diego)
Kure 41.9 (Toledo)
Kobe 55.7 (Baltimore)
Omuta 35.8 (Miami)
Wakayama 50 (Salt Lake City)
Kawasaki 36.2 (Portland)
Okayama 68.9 (Long Beach)
Yawata 21.2 (San Antonio)
Kagoshima 63.4 (Richmond)
Amagasaki 18.9 (Jacksonville)
Sasebo 41.4 (Nashville)
Moh 23.3 (Spokane)
Miyakonoio 26.5 (Greensboro)
Nobeoka 25.2 (Augusta)
Miyazaki 26.1 (Davenport)
Hbe 20.7 (Utica)
Saga 44.2 (Waterloo)
Imabari 63.9 (Stockton)
Matsuyama 64 (Duluth)
Fukui 86 (Evansville)
Tokushima 85.2 (Ft. Wayne)
Sakai 48.2 (Forth Worth)
Hachioji 65 (Galveston)
Kumamoto 31.2 (Grand Rapids)
Isezaki 56.7 (Sioux Falls)
Takamatsu 67.5 (Knoxville)
Akashi 50.2 (Lexington)
Fukuyama 80.9 (Macon)
Aomori 30 (Montgomery)
Okazaki 32.2 (Lincoln)
Oita 28.2 (Saint Joseph)
Hiratsuka 48.4 (Battle Creek)
Tokuyama 48.3 (Butte)
Yokkichi 33.6 (Charlotte)
Uhyamada 41.3 (Columbus)
Ogaki 39.5 (Corpus Christi)
Gifu 63.6 (Des Moines)
Shizuoka 66.1 (Oklahoma City)
Himeji 49.4 (Peoria)
Fukuoka 24.1 (Rochester)
Kochi 55.2 (Sacramento)
Shimizu 42 (San Jose)
Omura 33.1 (Sante Fe)
Chiba 41 (Savannah)
Ichinomiya 56.3 (Springfield)
Nara 69.3 (Boston)
Tsu 69.3 (Topeka)
Kuwana 75 (Tucson)
Toyohashi 61.9 (Tulsa)
Numazu 42.3 (Waco)
Chosi 44.2 (Wheeling)
Kofu 78.6 (South Bend)
Utsunomiya 43.7 (Sioux City)
Mito 68.9 (Pontiac)
Sendai 21.9 (Omaha)
Tsuruga 65.1 (Middleton)
Nagaoka 64.9 (Madison)
Hitachi 72 (Little Rock)
Kumagaya 55.1 (Kenosha)
Hamamatsu 60.3 (Hartford)
Maebashi 64.2 (Wheeling)


Also strangely absent from our texts was the advance of the Russian army through Manchuria in preparation for an assault on Japan (this is addressed briefly in the recommended reading above). A few more questions for debate: could the bombings (plural) possibly have been the only way to get the Japanese to surrender? What role would the Russians have played in the political rebuilding of Japan if they had been able to invade Japan themselves?

While I'm not trying to convince you (or my students) that the bombing was not justified or unnecessary (or the opposite either), I am trying to provide information (that typically is left out of the argument) that makes the debate infinitely more interesting and the decision somehow even more difficult. Regardless of your position, we must all recognize the importance of Truman's actions and it's impact on world history forever. I assure you, the Japanese will never forget.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

SLEPT ON SOUNDS: LIGHTNING DUST



While Black Mountain is a stoner-rock colossus, few people have paid their due in proper to Lightning Dust, the side project of BM's Amber Webber and Joshua Wells. Their self-titled debut album came out a few years back to decent reviews but predictably, their priorities were BM and so LD (abbr's r fn) seemingly got the shelf. This August, Jagjaguwar is set to release their second album, Infinite Light and judging from the first single, their comeuppance. Though their earlier work was mainly piano-driven, suitably sad and sparse; Infinite Light already exhibits a thicker, busier, poppier, (slightly) electronic sound that will surely bring recognition to their psych/folk-pop sound and certainly, a greater audience. Download "I Knew" here and count the days until the 8th month.

Added (6/4/09) free stream of "History" which will also be on Infinite Light. Enjoy.
(via pitchfork)

Saturday, May 23, 2009

NEW IN AMERICA: CHOIR OF YOUNG BELIEVERS


If you're like me, you're patiently waiting for Choir of Young Believers (Denmark's Jannis Noya Makrigiannis) to release their albums in the US, (if you've got a Danish iTunes account you've already downloaded them) In the meantime, take a listen to a few free MP3s and keep your head up.

The folkie/orchestral/electronic gem, Action/Reaction (mp3) is the first COYB single to be released by Ghostly International later this month.

Redefining the summer love song, Next Summer (mp3) will someday be available on their US debut called "This Is For the White in Your Eyes". I assume the Ghostly folks will be putting this out as well, but no news as of yet. Big things await Choir of Young Believers, believe that.

Friday, May 22, 2009

WHY WE FIGHT



It's memorial day weekend. As we barbecue, let us remember those who have died in service to the United States, and let us NOT assume that warfare is a necessary part of the American past, present or future. If you haven't seen the 2005 film, take an hour to investigate WHY WE FIGHT.

DANNY ESPINOZA

Danny Espinoza, an upstart artist and photographer has been getting recognition for some of his cleaner creations. I favor his "sloppier", more raw works. They're all good though.


Thursday, May 21, 2009

CREDIT CARD REFORM: IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME



For years, I (and finally a few members of government) have been railing against the credit card companies/banks and their obviously abusive policies regarding overlimit fees, payment fees and interest rates. Finally, we have a president and Congress willing to act upon the years of blatant disregard for consumer rights. Tuesday, a bill was passed by the senate that will regulate the massive credit industry in the United States. What does this mean to average credit users? (and certainly there are credit abusers as well) Consumer Reports, a trusted source of consumer info for decades, has provided an easy to digest list of reforms that may benefit you. Here is the pilfered list with all credit due to CR:

•Interest rates can’t be raised during the first year of an account
•Customers will be notified 45 days in advance of any change in interest rates
•Bills can be paid online or over the phone without incurring a processing fee
•Customers must be over 60 days late on payments before their interest rate can be raised on balances; if the rate is raised, it will go back to the lower rate if customers make the minimum payment on time for six months in a row.
•Overlimit fees can’t be charged unless cardholders are told that the purchase will put them over their limit and they authorize it to go through anyway
•If your card has more than one interest rate on balances, then payments must be applied to the highest interest rate first
•Gift cards can’t expire for five years, and issuers can’t charge dormancy fees for unused amounts left on the card
•Credit card statements must be mailed out 21 days before they’re due
•Individuals under 21 will need a co-signer on their cards unless they can prove that they have the means to make payments on their own
•Credit card agreements will have to be posted on the internet


Most notable here are the efforts to curb outrageous interest hikes (some for simply making ONE late payment) and the fees charged for overlimits and making payments (yes, charge your customers for paying their bills, that was always a great idea). This means that Master Card debit/credit cards will no longer be allowed to extend your credit by approving purchases that go over your limit without your knowledge/consent AND more perhaps more importantly, you can avoid the $30-$60 overlimit fees. I would have gone further to ban the over limit purchases all together, but that's just me.

Keep in mind, the protection against “retroactive” rate increases do not include cardholders who have made payments that are more than 30 days late in the previous year. This unfortunately includes more than 10 million Americans who may need this legislation the most. (NCLC)

Hopefully, this is the tip of the iceberg in securing consumer rights in a capitalist system that obviously thrives on wasteful spending and then abuses most of those who spend. Consumers must practice restraint and responsibility in spending, but I see increasing difficulty in young people's ability to do so considering the status and prestige assigned to the products/services they are almost required to buy in our society. I still feel that there should be a department of consumer affairs in the president's cabinet to represent the people/consumers instead of the current agencies that seem to only represent the interests of the American business; but that's another story.

Here is a brief list of current consumer protection groups:
Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Watchdog
National Association of Consumer Advocates
National Consumer Law Center
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Adbusters

Also, I'm not impressed with the loaded weapons in national parks rider attached to the bill. Riders (A clause, usually having little relevance to the main issue, that is added to a legislative bill) in general, are a bad deal and a stain on our democracy.
(via Consumer Reports and the pic by Liyin)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

SIMON SCHUBERT FOLDS PAPER


Origami ain't got nothing on Simon Schubert, a German artist who has created beautiful 2-D images by simply folding or creasing paper. This collection is currently on display at Upstairs Berlin until June 27th. In addition, he is also known for his sometimes absurd, yet thought-provoking sculptures previously on display at the Saatchi Gallery. (now in Chelsea)
(via Today and Tomorrow)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

THE DRAWINGS OF CHRISTOPHER DAVISON


Demons, flowers, small reproductive organs, multi-colored bodies, monkeys, severed heads, and beards. Possible mascots for the Republican Party? No, these are the recurring foci in the works of Philadelphia's Christopher Davison. Having recently updated his site, a stroll among Davison's newest pieces is a glorious nightmare of mysteriously dirty portraits and scenes. He showed at Brandeis' Rose Art Museum in Waltham, MA only a few months ago, perhaps his work will reach New England again soon. (via My Love For You Is Like a Stampede of Horses)



Monday, May 18, 2009

SEARCH AND DESTROY 09'



This past weekend, for the third year, I was a part (albeit a very small part) of a growing tradition in New England skateboarding called Search and Destroy. Now, I'm not a fan of skateboard contests, considering the “sport” (I don't consider skateboarding a sport) and lifestyle are based on individuality and have always appealed to those people who don't typically care for team sports and/or rules. Anyway, Search and Destroy is an entirely different type of contest and it goes like this:
1. Get your team together. Ours was/is called Sale Carpet Sale (don't ask) and had 11 members (almost twice the number allowed).

2. Secure a video camera and transportation. (Red Bull payed for two shiny Toyota vans for the team and Identity Footwear and Apparel provided the camera)

3. Get to Nashua, NH on Saturday by 9am with 25$/person and to pick up the always anticipated S&D trick list. (next year)

4. Travel wherever you need to complete the tricks on the list and videotape them all. It's kind of like a skateboarding scavenger hunt if you will, except you might have to pour a beer down your friends throat while you both bomb a hill and/or find a decent ledge to film a 270 cab to backside lipslide (Tony/Zach and Dylan are the proud owners of those gems).

5. Meet up by 4 pm Sunday to turn in footage and skate/eat/drink with the homies. (you have about 31 hours)

6. Months later, go to video premiere where the hundreds of hours video have been whittled into a great movie (by Mr. Andy Gould) and find out which teams completed the most tricks and got the most points (and win the most money/prizes).

7. Repeat.

A few observations about this past weekend:
Connecticut is simultaneously the richest state in the union and a depressed, boarded-up, shell of a state. While driving through small suburbs of Hartford and New Haven, we witnessed some truly sad examples of areas that are always in a recession. I took a picture of the saddest example: a package store that advertised the beer they sold and their lack of hope for the future. (look closely at the writing below the sign. click on the pics for a larger image)

The new Bristol skate plaza is the business and Academy (Woodbridge, CT) is by far the most accommodating park I've ever skated. Thanks to Patrick for the session (see pic) and the much appreciated roof to sleep under.

An open letter to Connecticut's own Duchess: You make a decent breakfast for a ghetto-rific fastfood place, but why the flatscreen TVs on the menu display? Your appetizing shots of hot breakfast foods on the 30-inch screens looked fantastic but contained no information about your products and only distracted my ADD self from deciding what to order. So I have to ask, can you afford that Duchess? Your name is not fooling me by the way, I see through your lofty ruse to fool rich Connecticut people. (not a bad idea though, nobody ever said money makes one smart) Regardless, your texas french toast was like medicine for a man who passed out on a wooden floor only 5 hours earlier. Also, hash browns are supposed to be cooked, but kudos on the 2 pound serving size.

Dropping into a mini-ramp standing on a log on your board is nearly as impossible as you'd think it would be. (see pic and no, that sure hell ain't me) It didn't help that it rained that morning either, but Justin came pretty damn close to making it.

Thanks to Andy Gould, Red Bull, Identity and of course, Sale Carpet Sale for another great year.






Thursday, May 14, 2009

BEST LOOKING CAFETERIAS AND LUNCHES

It has often been suggested (and clearly ignored until recently) that a healthy lunch and a comfortable, friendly environment will improve student production and behavior. I eat 5 "meals" a week in a high school cafeteria, constantly choosing the lesser of evils in a sea of brown tables and speckled tile floors. Luckily, I don't have to actually eat in the cafeteria, (though arguably, the teacher's room atmosphere isn't much better) but the students who do would clearly benefit from a change of scenery and nutritional content.

Enter the School Food Trust, the British answer to childhood obesity and poor nutritional content/taste in food. Their latest project was the overhaul of the Applemore Tech College (the equivalent of a U.S. high school) cafeteria in Southampton, England. It is, dare I say, the most handsome place to eat a high school has ever seen and the school says it has had a visible, positive effect on its students. The change was extremely inexpensive as well, at a total cost of approximately $85,000. Obviously, not every school in the U.S. will be able to duplicate this type of design in seating (due to student population and space), but the atmosphere (colors, walls, etc) could easily be matched at a minimum cost to the school.

The quality of American school lunches is another matter entirely. Change is coming, but it has been extremely slow. Pizza, ice cream, chips and several high fructose drinks are always available at my school and while I'm not sure it's been proven, lets just say our students' productivity, behavior and health are not what they could be. There are great examples of U.S. schools making the change to healthy, fresh school lunches, but largely, it hasn't happened yet. Schools often argue the costs (both costs of fresh products and loss of sugary sales) of improving the diet of school aged kids would be too high. If this continues, the rising cost of health care, poor scholastic performance and discipline problems/incarcerations will be an unaffordable price to pay for America's future. (Not that I'm suggesting that's the ONLY thing that needs to change).

(cafeteria design via cool hunter)



Tuesday, May 12, 2009

CARTS OF DARKNESS



Canada may not be known for its film making (outside of comedy anyway), but Murray Siple's hour-long documentary may turn that reputation on its head. Carts of Darkness is an insightful story of homeless bottle collectors (Canada's recycling program pays pretty well actually) who bomb hills in their shopping carts. These aren't stupid "jackass" style stunts, but a unique lifestyle choice and a desperate attempt at meaning and happiness. However, as these guys hit 45 mph riding shopping carts down some crazy hills, the visuals get pretty intense. The movie, shown for free on the National Film Board of Canada site, recently won a Leo Award for best documentary film and also includes some fantastic music from Black Mountain, Ladyhawk, Vetiver, Bison, and Alan Boyd. Perhaps Jonathan Orr puts it best:

"Murray Siple's feature-length documentary follows a group of homeless men who have combined bottle picking with the extreme sport of racing shopping carts down the steep hills of North Vancouver. This subculture depicts street life as much more than the stereotypes portrayed in mainstream media. The film takes a deep look into the lives of the men who race carts, the adversity they face and the appeal of cart racing despite the risk. Shot in high-definition and featuring tracks from Black Mountain, Ladyhawk, Vetiver, Bison, and Alan Boyd of Little Sparta."

CARBON FOOTPRINTS: GOOGLE SEARCHES VS. NEWSPAPERS, CARS, YOU

Thinking green is not a new concept, however with pressures on the world (and to a large extent, the United States) to quickly clean up its act, the intensity with which people are evaluating our carbon foot prints has increased just as fast. It's about time people are looking into the impact of even seemingly insignificant tasks performed dozens to hundreds of times by your average American everyday. Google has been feeling this heat recently as Harvard scientists computed how many grams of carbon dioxide were generated by a single search on the leading engine. The massive server farms and technology necessary in the process creates 7 grams of CO2 in each search. Obviously, considering the hundreds of millions of Google searches that occur every day, this does indeed have quite an impact on our environment (or it will in the future anyway), but how does it compare to the other tasks we perform or the products we consume?

To prove how eco-friendly Google really is, their scientists have created a comparison of CO2 emissions by Google searches to those of print newspapers, beef and even orange juice. (see below) Since newspapers are currently transitioning to online websites, I'm not sure it makes a whole lot of difference, but it would take 850 google clicks to equal the 6,000 grams of CO2 they produce per paper.

It's still a bit surprising to see the environmental impact of something as simple as clicking your mouse, but look at how many clicks it takes to equal just ONE cheeseburger (15,000!). It's no secret how incredibly inefficient it is to raise cattle for beef, but to see that EVERY CHEESEBURGER creates more emissions than 5 miles of driving is astounding. As is the 3 MILLION clicks it would take to equal the CO2 created from only one month of electricity in the house of an average American. (via TechCrunch)

Monday, May 11, 2009

I WAS ALWAYS A NERD

I didn't make it all the way through the Transformers movie (the 2 hour live-action General Motors ad, not the cartoon) and chances are I won't sit through even a trailer for the new one either. However, hearing the buzz about the new movies, I remember how excited I once was to see the 1986 animated film and how awesome the original toys were to my 8 to 10 year old self. I kept a few of the ol' transformers for old times sake and one of my favorites even managed to surface in my current apartment decor. (Note: I'm not the kind of adult guy who displays many toys in his dwelling) This particular one is a testament to the creativity (and possible drug-use) of toy designers in the 80s and perhaps more fitting, my life-long dedication to nerdery. That action figure is/was named Perceptor, the autobot doctor who transformed into a microscope. The toy was an actual working microscope and magnified (slightly) various objects from my backyard and scabs. Now, he holds my toothbrush.


Saturday, May 9, 2009

KEITH SHORE RESPECTS THE BEARD


We've seen Keith Shore's paintings in a variety of places (Dwell, Listen Skateboards, Arkitip, Complex, The Shins' album art, Blood is the New Black) and his work is the business. His best pieces are dedicated to the beard (check the bearded portraits), but I included a few others because non-bearded folks are people too.. sort of. (via Booooooom)





Tuesday, May 5, 2009

MY TOP THREE JUDICIAL ACTIVIST SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

NOTE: WITHOUT JUDICIAL ACTIVISM, AMERICA WOULD BE WITHOUT JUDICIAL REVIEW.


All this talk about Justice Souter's replacement on the Supreme Court has brought the conservative rhetoric machine to life.. sort of. As if Americans know what "activist judge" or "judicial activism" even mean, Republicans have been hitting the talk/news circuit to pre-emptively decry Obama's upcoming choice as an "activist" based on a single word he used to describe a qualified candidate.. empathy. Apparently empathy=activist judge. Even if that was true, why is no one talking about the massive, necessary changes that have occurred in our country thanks to judicial activism? Here's my TOP THREE JUDICIAL ACTIVIST SUPREME COURT DECISIONS:

1. Marbury V. Madison (1803): This radical decision ESTABLISHED THE ABILITY OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICES TO DECLARE LAWS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Otherwise known as Judicial Review.

2. Brown V. Board of Education (1954): SEPERATE IS thankfully NOT EQUAL. This decision marks the beginning of the end of segregation.

3. Roe V. Wade (1973): A controversy-free decision about a practically invisible issue called abortion rights.

Honorable Mention: Engel V. Vitale (1962): Declared official school prayers (the Almighty God kind) unconstitutional. You know, the whole seperation of church and state thing.

In closing, activist judges can be liberal OR conservative (see Dred Scott V. Sandford, Lone Wolf V. Hitchcock, U.S. V. Lopez). The big issue with the upcoming nomination of Justice Souter's replacement is whether or not he/she will uphold Roe V. Wade, i.e. is he/she pro-choice. The details concerning abortion rights can make for a tough conversation, no doubt, but DOES UPHOLDING A SUPREME COURT DECISION FROM 1973 MAKE ONE AN "ACTIVIST"? I don't think so, but more importantly, should we be chastising the decisions that shaped America thanks to this activism?

Monday, May 4, 2009

AMY CASEY PAINTS HOUSES


Amy Casey's latest work is official. Houses on stilts, on strings, hanging over the world's debris and blowing in the wind; all part of Casey's nervous take on the state of the world. As she says, the paintings allow her to "explore the ideas of anxiety and vulnerability, community and the illusion of safety". According to her site, a few of these paintings are still available so put some houses on your walls. (via booooooom)



BLOGS ARE LIKE PAMPHLETS (GIVE OR TAKE A FEW HUNDRED YEARS)


Watch CBS Videos Online

CBS explains the return of the pamphlet and the growing mass movement in indie publishers as they (possibly?) thwart 90+ years of media consolidation. Of course, blogs are instant publishing and people have mountains of info at their fingertips 24/7, so it's not quite a pamphlet world again, but close enough.

Friday, May 1, 2009

FUNNY EXAM ANSWERS


As a high school teacher, I do occasionally see some pretty damn funny/creative responses to homework/project assignments and test questions. Rarely do I get anything as crazy as the work seen on Funny Exam Answers, but I have a small, fairly-entertaining collection piling up in an unused drawer in my desk. The site (no explanation necessary) is good for at least an hour of wasted work time and should give you some confidence in the creative talent of our nation's youth. Not sure how comfortable I'd be sharing my students' work (or lack there of) on line, but I'm glad somebody is. I've included a few gems pictured above; the one about the dissolving bears is dynomite. (click on the image for a larger version)