Gender Equality 101: Not Quite Here Yet

 Not Quite Here Yet

Before

After

Dower's Embracing Defeat features a few of the posters used in an educational awareness campaign carried out by the occupational authorities. The top two are actually from the same poster. Presumably about Article 14 - the one that supposedly dismantled the feudal system (or did something like that).

And the second half of her artistry was kind of alluded to the other day.

Take a look.

New Year's Chill

He paid us a visit. 

Think-tank bright brother-in-law, science-smart and rugby tough. 

He's put in plenty of lab time and he still plays. He was actually worthy of a year’s scholarship to do research on the east coast of the US, somewhere in Massachusetts. Rucking is just his hobby, a way to letting off a little steam. 

 "High resolution fractal rendering of water drops and steam or electricity rising"

Now brother-in-law does stuff for 'important' people. Kind of stuff that takes him around to neighboring countries that haven’t made it to the industrialized phase of development. Which isn’t a bad thing. No, not at all.

We had a chance to catch up a little over New Year. And we had one of our first pretty decent discussions at the dinner table while Johnny was distracting the rest of the family. Mainly we talked about kids.

When I was a kid, the future was a place where we would all boldly go instead of something we needed to be able to escape to before time runs out. 

 From Them

We talked about kids because the world is fucked up in a bad way that’s really hard to ignore at the moment.

When ADHD was maybe six, his mom explained to him why we need to learn about the world around us. A lot of things we take for granted won’t always be here in such abundance. 

Ozone might have been the topic that day. Either way, it ended with our non-medicated offspring running to the toilet where he proceeded to vomit. He’s sensitive about these things. Just a little.

Gender Equality 101: Not in Japan

Women Are Not Equal Here

No. Not even close. 

But better than before.

(image to be added in a few days) 

Now, keeping anyone’s attention for more than a paragraph into a lecture or thesis takes a lot of work. Especially for those of us not familiar with or smitten by a certain slice of the past... history, culture, & wutever.

The mind is its own place, 

and in itself can make a heaven of hell, 

a hell of heaven..

 So, we will keep this short for a number of reasons. Let’s get down to it. 

She was twenty-two years old in a room full of men, mostly in their forties. They had no idea how good she was. I didn’t either. Not till just a few days ago (though I'd read about her before). 

Sweet and Sour

Regarding Dr. Mercy

Here was someone who wanted to talk. To say something. Perhaps ‘pass it along’ and let it be known. 

Had I known more about certain issues, maybe I could have asked a few more questions.

But I didn’t. Cause I hadn’t expected it.

(Steps into chamber and logs in)

You got a minute?

“My time is yours. Go ahead.”

Taking Away Pressure

Just today…just recently in fact…this was there…in the background…this sound that is meant to somehow lend ambiance…because I can’t really listen…but I can barrow as I hear it…watching the ones who sway…because now is bad…in a deep way…that takes at least a few minutes in…to get to…going down…yeah…just how far…his body was so light…light as a feather…even in the coffin…that was passed along…light as mist gone up to heaven…not light...weighted sand of a dark soul…fallen…one grain at a time…down below…no wind to scatter…fierce…each too heavy…those little moments…lead-heavy tears…some sad…their streaks go down…pulling...not up…not like smoke…not like clouds.

Yeah, so the world didn’t end today.

No. No, it didn’t end. Not the world. Not the one that everybody else is in.

But mine is. I’m ending this world around me.

“Maybe you need to get away. Maybe you need some time.”

“Maybe we all do. That’s what this gives me. This gives me time. To get lost.” 

Now I close my eyes.

Traps

A hungry beast can get at your flock.

And if the creature has had a taste of blood, it will most certainly return until the last morsel has been devoured.

Traps can be fairly simple devices.

Some are meant to catch the target animal alive, while others are not.

Ash Gray

Credit

Makoto Aida's Ash Color Mountains are really interesting, especially viewed up close for the fine print kind of experience. You'd probably even notice that not all the dead, gray-suited men are Japanese.

See that mountain in the front?

I call it 'Mt. Olympus'. And I'm guessing it's about 40,000 pairs of feet high.

A little confused? You know what he is about, don't you?