Humans Frighten Me

I came across a link the other night, which I found quite fascinating, but very sad. Not only because of the reason for the link, but because of the way it illustrates how frighteningly horrid humans often are.

I don't even recall how I came across this link - likely through some other site that I was wandering through. It is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum site, and there is a ton of excellent information on it. Looking through the site spurred me to search for sites on Nagasaki, but unfortunately so far I have not come across anything as detailed as Peace Museum site. I did find one link that totally appalled me. It had very little in the way of pictures or information on the Nagasaki bombing, but it did have a large section where people had left their comments. I was saddened, horrified, and quite frankly, disgusted at the number of people who said they were still glad that the bombs had been dropped, and they felt the Japanese had asked for it.

Several people stated that the Japanese had committed atrocities, so they didn't feel sorry for them. I damned near choked when reading comments like that. If these people honestly think that other nations - including the US, Canada, and their allies - did not commit atrocities, then they can think again, and they need to start using the brains God gave them. In any war, there are atrocities committed by every side. Of course not all people are involved in them - you can bet your butt that not all the Japanese military personnel were involved, either. But there are a lot of psychotic individuals out there in all countries, and wars are like a giant sandbox to them - a huge playground where they can get away with satisfying their sadistic urges. So I was appalled to read those comments - appalled at the blind stupidity of these people, and at the hate they still carry. Some even mentioned that the Japanese would have used the bombs if they'd had them - well, maybe they would have. Maybe not. No one will know. The point is, the use of the bombs was a huge atrocity in itself, and would have been no matter who used them.

Some people stated that the war would not have ended as soon, and that more people would have died. Perhaps that is so, but two entire cities were demolished, and hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians were killed - some quickly, which was a blessing, but others suffered agonizing deaths. Yet others still suffer to this day from the affects of the radiation. Many people died who could have been saved, had it not been for a publication ban by the invading forces that prevented news of the disaster from reaching the appropriate agencies in Japan. This ban did not just affect the situation for a short period - it was a few years before much-needed assistance was able to be provided. Assistance was provided by other countries, as they heard the news long before people in other parts of Japan did. But while that was wonderful, it was not enough. Yet the people managed to hang on, survive, and rebuild - and forgive. Amazing.

I would like to think that if the people in power at the time had realized the full repercussions of the bombs, they would have chosen not to utilize them. But I'm afraid that I'm simply doing some hopeful dreaming, because I suspect that they still would have gone ahead. It really saddens me - and frightens me - to see what humans do to each other. It's truly disgusting, and more disgusting to me to hear and read about people justifying - and actually approving of - actions like this.

However, in spite of my rant, it is not that site on Nagasaki that I wish to give you the link to. It is the link to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum site that I was impressed with, and I highly recommend it. It has good information, and is done well and respectfully. It is a wonderful tribute to the citizens as a whole, and to several individuals who they have information on - both survivors, and those who did not make it. In spite of the horror of the subject matter, there is a very positive feel to the site. As awful as humans can be, we can also be incredibly resilient, and come together to work wonders. Both Hiroshima and Nagasaki literally rose from the ashes to become thriving, vibrant centres of life - a very positive recovery and an awesome testament to human determination and strength. The Peace Museum not only focuses on the horrors of the bomb, but also on the rebuilding of Hiroshima, the diligent work of the medical and military staff who were aware of what had happened, and the aid and support provided by people in other countries - including the US - as the news of this horrid tragedy became known. So without further babbling, here is one of my all-time favourite links:

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

May all who were affected rest in peace, and may their loved ones find peace as well.

Dine and Dance

I had a different, but fun, afternoon today. I was invited to attend a dance recital that my niece was participating in. There were several groups from her dance school, and they all put on great performances. My niece and her group did very well, and it was fun to watch her. She's been dancing for several years, and is very good. Her group has won several awards for the routine they performed today, so I am very proud of her and the other kids.

There were a couple of groups of wee tots performing, and they were adorable. They would constantly watch each other to see what they were supposed to be doing, they would forget steps, and of course there were a couple that were very shy and took awhile to get going.

There were a couple of ballet routines that were very lovely, several tap routines, some jazz numbers (which is my niece's area) and a couple of rap routines. I am definitely not a fan of rap, but it was entertaining watching the kids dance, regardless.

We were not allowed to use flash photography, and were not supposed to take videos of the performances. As it was quite dark in the theatre, the few pictures I took didn't turn out very well. I can understand them not wanting flashes being used - although there were many people using them anyhow. But I must say that I was not too impressed with them not permitting the parents to take videos of the performances. They announced that videos would be available for purchase later, and I honestly think that's tasteless. The parents already have to pay a fair amount for the classes, the costumes, and the tickets to the performances, so it really irks me that the school charges the parents for videos. Of course, a lot of the parents do their own videos regardless, but it's just the princple of the whole thing that I find distasteful.

At any rate, aside from that, I really enjoyed the whole thing. Afterwards we headed out for dinner, and had a pleasant visit. I wasn't thrilled with the food, I must say, but the company was good, and it was a nice way to cap off the afternoon.

I don't really have any other news at the moment, so I'll wander off for now. I hope everyone is having a good weekend, and I shall be back in a day or two with more links!

Pompeii and Pumpkin Pie

Don't faint, but I'm back again. I've been trying to decide how I wanted to deal with this blog. I was obviously not really getting into blogging about little happenings in my life, but I was feeling like I wanted to get back to the blog. So it hit me the other day that it might be nice to share some favourite links - both old and new. For awhile, at least, that's what I'll be doing, with some other odds and ends thrown in.

I had a nice, relaxing evening. I made homemade pumpkin pie - yes, the pastry was homemade too - and watched The Grunge 3. I'll do a bit of a review on that later, but I will say that I have mixed feelings about the movie. I also spent some time surfing for interesting sites to visit. I chose two sites to share with you this evening, and I hope that you enjoy them.

Tonight I wanted to continue along the lines of my previous post, focusing on ancient ruins. I've always been fascinated with Pompeii, and I came across a site that has an enormous amount of pictures of Pompeii. I've just started going through it, and I'm very impressed with how well the site is organized, and with the sheer volume of pictures. I tend to find many sites a bit disappointing as they don't have nearly as many photographs as I'd like to see, so this site was a pleasant surprise. As I view the pictures, I feel both excited and sad. Excited to be able to see the streets and buildings that were so full of life many centuries ago, and sad to think of all those lives cut short. It's chilling to imagine being there at the time - the shock, the panic, the resignation of knowing that death was imminent. It's wonderful, however, that the ruins are so well-preserved, and that we are privileged to be able to see them today.

Pompeii In Pictures

I have another link with pictures of various ancient Egyptian ruins. Ancient Egypt has always been dear to my heart, and there are many sites on the internet with beautiful pictures and a lot of good information. I found this site to be a bit different from the norm, so I thought it would be an interesting one to share. It's one of those that doesn't have nearly enough photographs to suit me, but the ones that are there are interesting. They are all in black and white, with many panoramic views. There were some different treatments than usual - the Avenue of Sphinxes at the Luxor Temple surprised me, as it was certainly not like any of the pictures one would normally see of it.

Journey To the Ruins of Ancient Egypt

As a bit of a companion piece to the Egyptian link, I thought I would do a brief review of a book I read recently. It is titled Ancient Lives - The Story of the Pharoahs' Tombmakers, and is written by John Romer. I found this book quite fascinating, and very well-written. It is an account of the lives of the tombmakers in ancient Egypt, based on various writings and records that have survived through the centuries. The author provides vivid descriptions of the land and the tombmakers' village, and gives a wonderful insight into the lives of several individuals. I was impressed with how well the author brought the time and people to life, without resorting to fictional supposition or flights of fancy. In cases where he was speculating on events, he clearly stated that, and provided reasons for his guesses. This is definitely an intriguing history lesson with a twist, and I highly recommend it.

I hope that you enjoy the links. Oh, and by the way - the pie is delicious!

Underground City

I'm back after a lengthy absence, and I have something quite interesting to share. I've always loved reading about - and occasionally having the good fortune to visit - old houses, archeological sites, antiques, and museum exhibits with old clothing, furniture, dishes, and such. I find it fascinating to view these things and consider the people who lived in the buildings, walked the streets, and used the items.

As a teenager, I was very lucky to have been able to spend some time in France and England, and it was so wonderful to walk through the old buildings - the energies were incredible. In France, we were able to vist some ancient Roman ruins, and a wonderful archeological site that was in the process of being excavated. How intriguing to walk on roads that until recently had not been trodden for centuries, to see silent buildings and courtyards that had once teemed with ancient life. Even in these places, the energies of past inhabitants were strong, echoing through the now-empty streets and walls. I could easily imagine turning a corner and encountering a toga-clad individual, who would have looked far more appropriate in those settings than we did in our modern clothing, with our cameras slung around our necks.

In light of my fascination with all of that, I was quite excited when I came across this link that someone had posted on a message board I belong to. It's an underground city discovered it Turkey, and I found it to be amazing. It was incredible viewing pictures of tunnels, rooms, and stairways that had not been walked for many years. I can just imagine how incredible it must have been for those who discovered it, and have been opening up the various levels. I'd love to be able to pay this place a visit, but since it's a bit too far away for that, I have to be satisfied with the pictures. I thought it might be interesting for others to see as well, so without further babbling, here is the link:

Underground City of Derinkuyu

Enjoy!