old tubed televisions like these work through electrons, wherein numerous electrons are stored inside a tube and multiple electron magnets manipulate them in order to create an image. these electrons can also be manipulated by powerful outside magnets, creating these effects.
“Roger’s favourite game is crushing his feed bucket! Roger is our alpha male kangaroo, he is 10 years old, height 6ft 7, weight 200 pounds and 100% muscle. I raised him from a tiny orphan baby kangaroo.”
Chiune Sugihara. This man saved 6000 Jews. He was a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania. When the Nazis began rounding up Jews, Sugihara risked his life to start issuing unlawful travel visas to Jews. He hand-wrote them 18 hrs a day. The day his consulate closed and he had to evacuate, witnesses claim he was STILL writing visas and throwing from the train as he pulled away. He saved 6000 lives. The world didn’t know what he’d done until Israel honored him in 1985, the year before he died.
Why can’t we have a movie about him?
He was often called “Sempo”, an alternative reading of the characters of his first name, as that was easier for Westerners to pronounce.
His wife, Yukiko, was also a part of this; she is often credited with suggesting the plan. The Sugihara family was held in a Soviet POW camp for 18 months until the end of the war; within a year of returning home, Sugihara was asked to resign – officially due to downsizing, but most likely because the government disagreed with his actions.
He didn’t simply grant visas – he granted visas against direct orders, after attempting three times to receive permission from the Japanese Foreign Ministry and being turned down each time. He did not “misread” orders; he was in direct violation of them, with the encouragement and support of his wife.
He was honoured as Righteous Among the Nations in 1985, a year before he died in Kamakura; he and his descendants have also been granted permanent Israeli citizenship. He was also posthumously awarded the Life Saving Cross of Lithuania (1993); Commander’s Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (1996); and the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2007). Though not canonized, some Eastern Orthodox Christians recognize him as a saint.
Sugihara was born in Gifu on the first day of 1900, January 1. He achieved top marks in his schooling; his father wanted him to become a physician, but Sugihara wished to pursue learning English. He deliberately failed the exam by writing only his name and then entered Waseda, where he majored in English. He joined the Foreign Ministry after graduation and worked in the Manchurian Foreign Office in Harbin (where he learned Russian and German; he also converted to the Eastern Orthodox Church during this time). He resigned his post in protest over how the Japanese government treated the local Chinese citizens. He eventually married Yukiko Kikuchi, who would suggest and encourage his acts in Lithuania; they had four sons together. Chiune Sugihara passed away July 31, 1986, at the age of 86. Until her own passing in 2008, Yukiko continued as an ambassador of his legacy.
It is estimated that the Sugiharas saved between 6,000-10,000 Lithuanian and Polish Jewish people.
It’s a tragedy that the Sugiharas aren’t household names. They are among the greatest heroes of WWII. Is it because they were from an Axis Power? Is it because they aren’t European? I don’t know. But I’ve decided to always reblog them when they come across my dash. If I had the money, I would finance a movie about them.
He told an interviewer:
You want to know about my motivation, don’t you? Well. It is the kind of sentiments anyone would have when he actually sees refugees face to face, begging with tears in their eyes. He just cannot help but sympathize with them. Among the refugees were the elderly and women. They were so desperate that they went so far as to kiss my shoes, Yes, I actually witnessed such scenes with my own eyes. Also, I felt at that time, that the Japanese government did not have any uniform opinion in Tokyo. Some Japanese military leaders were just scared because of the pressure from the Nazis; while other officials in the Home Ministry were simply ambivalent.
People in Tokyo were not united. I felt it silly to deal with them. So, I made up my mind not to wait for their reply. I knew that somebody would surely complain about me in the future. But, I myself thought this would be the right thing to do. There is nothing wrong in saving many people’s lives….The spirit of humanity, philanthropy…neighborly friendship…with this spirit, I ventured to do what I did, confronting this most difficult situation—and because of this reason, I went ahead with redoubled courage.
He died in nearly complete obscurity in Japan. His neighbors were shocked when people from all over, including Israeli diplomatic personnel, showed up at quiet little Mr. Sugihara’s funeral.
I will forever reblog this, I wish more people would know about them!
I liked this before when it had way less information. Thank you, history-sharers.
Tucked away in a corner in L.A.’s Little Tokyo is a life-sized statue of Chiune, seated on a bench and smiling gently as he holds out a visa.
The stone next to him bears a quote from the Talmud; “He who saves one life, saves the entire world.”
I had no idea it existed until a few weeks ago, but it’s since become one of my favorite pieces of public art.
Chiune Sugihara. Original antifa.
PBS made a documentary about Chiune Sugihara in 2005. If you’re interested in him, it’s definitely worth checking out. (The PBS link above even has some interactive information to go along with the film.) Ask your local library if they have a copy/can order you one from another library. You won’t be disappointed!
one time i was at this party where everyone was high and i was the only one not smoking and this dude told me “those that are above the influence….. are always the highest of them all” and that will stick with me forever
So apparently, I can’t stop writing about this episode?? These are some random thoughts on each member of the M9, the things they said and did this episode, and the dynamics we’re seeing among them. Spoilers ahead! Beware!!
FJORD
Made some major progress in Trusting the Group when he finally told them about his patron and the probable source of his powers…and then fucked it up by lying to them about the dream.
Why did he lie? Is he just tired of all the weird looks and questions? The poor guy has spent his whole life trying to blend in, after all. But is it more than that? Does his attraction to god-like power (and/or Avantika) go deeper than he let on? Is he afraid the M9 will reject him if they know how deep that rabbit hole goes? And don’t get me started on the dang accent, which, the more I think about it, throws everything about Fjord into question. Did he really grow up in an orphanage? Does he really not know anything about his family? Was he really just a simple sailor, or did he have some ulterior mission? WHO ARE YOU, FJORD? WHO ARE YOU!?!? 😵😵😵
CALEB
The only member of the M9 who’s bothering to seriously question Fjord’s motives and headspace right now…and obviously, it’s blatant hypocrisy on his part, and he admitted as much to Beau (”As a huge liar…I think he’s lying to us”). Caleb’s obviously worried about the threat Fjord’s current storyline is posing to group cohesion and to Caleb’s own goals, but is he worried about Fjord himself?
Nott’s scolding about the tentative way Caleb said “We’re friends” was hilarious (and represented some progress–we’ve gone from “I want to hear you say it” to “Don’t say it like that”), but I am, as always, dying to see one of those glimpses of real empathy from Caleb–especially since the parallels between him and Fjord are growing surprisingly strong. After the Lorenzo debacle, we had that one incredible Caleb/Fjord exchange (”You cannot blame yourself when you are taken advantage of”), and now we have Caleb, of all people, asking Fjord if he really wants “the responsibility of that much power.” It’s not exactly the time or place right now, but it’s feeling more and more important that Caleb break down and share his backstory with the rest of the group–and especially with Fjord, who he actually promised it to a million years ago (along with the mariner’s armor, in exchange for the Glove of Blasting).
BEAU
As typically curt and blunt as she was, I thought Beau was really ethically consistent in this episode. She was right that it’s one thing to know (or suspect) your teammate’s freaky secrets, and another to share that with the rest of the group or press them to do something about it. She’s kept 100% quiet about Caleb’s backstory, not even hinting at it when the subject of Trent or the Soltryce Academy comes up, and she’s extending Fjord the same courtesy while he struggles with his own messy web of truth and lies. Interesting that she belongs to an order whose first goal is to hoard information, and she’s been diligently doing just that, but despite Caleb’s repeated prompting, she hasn’t quite made the leap to the Cobalt Soul’s second goal: using that information to take down corrupt systems.
Also totally fascinating, and kind of hilarious: On separate and unrelated occasions, both Caleb and Fjord have entrusted this young, chaotic mess of a monk with essentially being their ethical bodyguard, watching them for any sign of a slide toward the dark side. And of course, they’re both supposed to do the same for her. This has just become the weirdest and wildest friendship/pact triangle–or quadrangle, if you throw in Caleb and Nott’s promise to help each other accomplish their goals at all costs! More and more, this campaign seems to be shaping into “pacts with gods and shady higher powers vs. pacts with friends who are just as confused and fucked up as you are.” And I know which side I’m on, and I’m rooting for it so hard, even though I have no idea what it will mean for their powers or their epic “destinies.”
NOTT
I very much enjoyed Nott’s fun, chaotic arcane-trickster raid on the Squall-eater’s cargo hold, but what I enjoyed even more was her absolute devotion to helping Fjord accomplish his goals and retaining group unity. Nott was dead serious when she turned that corner after Molly’s death and declared her love for the group. She’ll throw in her lot with her family under any circumstances now, even if it means talking over Caleb’s objections, which is a huge and (I think) a positive step for her. Especially when she’s promising support to Fjord, who I think she’s had less one-on-one bonding with than anyone else in the M9 (even Caduceus!). She really is the loving kleptomaniac mother they all deserve.
JESTER
After some really poignant moments last episode, Jester spent most of this one being adorable and/or hilarious, but that was ok–it was Fjord’s time to shine. I loved her drawing angry pictures of Avantika in the background, and Beau checking up on her and counting the pencils she was breaking. Also, Beau took a leaf out of Nott’s book and called her “Jessie,” and I melted into a speechless puddle of Jello. Other highlights: Jester using “Sapphire” as her pirate name, Avantika calling her “adorable,” and Jester and Caduceus teaming up for the spooky Thaumaturgy whispers.
CADUCEUS
Basically spent this episode being the other half of Team Adorable Clerics, charming Avantika with his cooking skills and color palette, and totally failing to recognize the significance of a gun to his head. But I also loved his calm reassurance, to Fjord and the rest of the group, that they will help Fjord figure out what’s going on and then help him decide how to proceed.
Also, it’s becoming increasingly common for Fjord, Jester, Caduceus, and Yasha to talk about and bond over their different experiences of dreams and visions and deities/patrons, and it’s getting so deeply intriguing. Not only does it highlight the whole ‘complex epic destiny’ vibe that I talked about in my last post, but it really serves to set Beau, Caleb, and Nott apart, since they don’t share in that kind of experience at all. It’s part of what made them so fascinating when they briefly became their own little tag team after Molly’s death: Not only are they the most Neutral-feeling members of the party, but they’re the three without any kind of divine or mystical “higher” compass to follow. They’re always left entirely to their own devices, blundering about and doing the best they can, and that makes the three of them so precious to me in a way I can’t quite define.
YASHA
Much as I loved Yasha getting her ass slapped by Beau and choosing Janet as a pirate alias…her shining moment in this episode was definitely her insight into Molly’s connection to Avantika’s cult and Fjord’s backstory. Ashley’s and Taliesin’s face journeys throughout the episode, their whispering together, and the restrained emotion Yasha showed when she finally spoke up…ugh, it just makes it so frustrating that Ashley probably won’t be back for ages! There is so much potential for Molly’s and Lucien’s stories to keep on unfolding despite Molly’s death, and that one moment made me so, so eager to see Yasha deeply involved in it, to see her push for answers and find some sort of closure.
backup blog in case tumblr explodes 