Mt. Fuji in Red

In 1990, the acclaimed Japanese film maker Akira Kurosawa produced a 'magic realism' film called I Saw a Dream Like This, based on his actual dreams during different stages of his life. The film has two nightmare sequences. The second is called:

Mount Fuji in Red (see the youtube video)

In it, a large nuclear power plant near Mount Fuji has begun to melt down, painting the sky a horrendous red and sending  millions of Japanese citizens desperately fleeing into the ocean. Three adults and two children are left behind on land, but they soon realize that the radiation will kill them anyway. 

As you will see, the scene is scarily prescient and poignant. Life and Art criss-crossing. Bigtime..

Japan is so entrenched on my mind at present,  I've  temporarily stopped internally debating whether the UN and/or western nations should intervene against Gadhaffi (and our own oil self-interest) with a no-fly zone (or more). We didn't step in in Rwanda, and look what happened. We did step in in Iraq and Afghanistan and look what's still happening. Stop. I can again worry  about Libyan rebels tomorrow.

It would be presumptuous of me to wax about Japan. What do I know that the rest of the world doesn't? What I can do is encourage us all to help. Prayer and good thoughts won't do it.. My understanding is that the best thing at this stage is to send money. Clothes, blankets and other items are too difficult to ship and distribute appropriately right now. Money.

But beware. The scamsters are already in place, as they were after Hurricane Katrina and the last tsunami. (Who are these people? .Do they look like us, brush their teeth every morning, open doors for people, shop at my Loblaws?). So I'm  recommending we consider the tried and true agencies like the International Red Cross, Care Canada, and an organization I'm involved with and whose work I greatly support, Ve'ahavta.  They're all only one click away.

Once we've made our donations, I suggest we then pray. How nice it would be if the world's collective good energy could anihalate the bad.

If only.