小学唱歌（古いですね）で最も好きな歌はと聞かれれば、「冬の星座」と答えると思う。
「木枯らし途絶えてさゆる空より」で始まる美しい旋律と格調の高い歌詞に魅了される。
歌に誘われて冬空を見上げると、夜7時ころには冬の大三角(the Winter Triangle)が認識できる。オリオンの右肩に位置するペテルギウス、恒星で最も明るいシリウス、プロキオンを認識するのは難しくない。オリオンのベルトにあたる位置にある３連星も美しい。
夜が更け、2時ころには、北の空に北斗七星(the big dipper)がくっきりと現れる。柄杓の淵を5倍に伸ばした位置に北極星（the North Star. Polaris)が存在する、というのを小学校で習った人も多いと思う。
寒さ厳しい夜更けに、北斗七星を見ると、その美しさと力強さに粛然とする。
「風止んで しじまの中に 光増し 我に伴え 北斗七星」
(2020.1.23)
トランプ大統領が取ったイラン革命防衛隊コッズ部隊のソレイマニ司令官殺害という動きについて、いろいろなコメントがなされている。
曰く「彼の思考回路は読めない。何をしでかすかわからない外交の素人。アメリカの理念であった自由と民主主義を維持することを一顧だにしない自国中心主義者」といったコメントが多い。
私は、トランプは事なかれ主義の対極にいる「事あれ主義者」と考えている。そう考えると彼の言動はずっと一貫している。
日本の政策は何事につけて事なかれ主義だ。特に対韓国政策、対中国政策は典型的だ。波風が立たないようにその場しのぎを重ねてきて現状がある。
自衛隊の中東派遣も「調査研究」のために「ホルムズ海峡は外して」艦艇と哨戒機を出すという。諸勢力の反応に配慮した事なかれ主義の典型だ。
さて、事なかれ主義という言葉は英語でふさわしい訳語が見つからない。（WW2直前のイギリスのチェンバレン首相などは今見ると事なかれ主義者に見えるけど、平和主義者と区別が難しいですね）
トランプの考えは、事あれ主義だ。いくつかの政策オプションがある場合には、他人がどう考えようが、最も自分自身の考えがはっきり示されるオプションを取る傾向が強い。今回のソレイマニ司令官の爆殺でも、自分が命令して殺したとはっきり言っていた。やったことも発表の仕方も事あれ主義的だ。
事あれ主義者としてトランプを見てゆくと、直面する諸問題でトランプがどういうアクションを取っていくか予想がつく。
（2020.1.13)
Last night, we had a small hail. (雹、霰)
It’s been raining in Nasu since morning.
Actually, we have sleet (みぞれ）since early afternoon.
Sleet will change to snow in the evening.
Oh, it sounds like YAMASHITA Tatsuro’s “Chrismas Eve,” doesn’t it.
Coming close to the end of 2019, hope you have a peaceful new year!
(DILWY 2019.12.31)
I always watch movies during long flights. On Chirstman holidays, however, I went to a theatre to watch “Sorry We Missed You.”
Please see wikipedia for the plot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorry_We_Missed_You
It’s a story of a poor British family ( Father: Ricky, Mother: Abbie, Son: Seb, Daugher: Liza Jane) which has origin of their debt from 2008 financial crisis. Ricky has been working so hurd to take care of his family, but his effort has been fluitless.
The film is pessimistic, but it gives us three beautiful scenes.
1. One Saturday evening, the family have a supper, take home Indian food, together. They enjoy nice conversations. Sudden call to Abbie makes her to visit one of her clients. The family drive the delivery truch to send her to the client singning songs together.
2. One day, Liza Jane helpd her father to deliver goods. They had a short break at a hil top overlooking the woods to have a sandwich together. The had a conversation on the tips which the daughter got during delivery.
3. After Ricky was injured badly by lobbery, Seb came home abruptry, and asked his father how he is. Ricky was moved by the conversation with Seb.
Those scenes are snapshots of daily life which can be found in any family. It is, however, not so easy to have unless all family members are free from problems and pressure. This fils tell us how invaluable daily ordinally family life is.
At last, injured Ricky tried to depart home by leaving a message on a sheet of non-delivery which says “Sorry We Missed You.”
Now we understand where the title of this film comes from.
Abbie and Seb tried to stop Ricky to go to work, but eventually Ricky started his van.
The last scene implies Ricky may die during his work whie driving his truck.
Or, he would survive the death in living.
Sad story.
(2019.12.27)
“Ignoring problems rarely solves them. You need to deal with them—not just the effects, but the underlying causes, or else they usually get worse. The older you get, the more you know that is true in almost every area of life.”
John is talking about economic policy, function of government and central banks.
I am imressed by the fact that “this is true in almost every area of life.”
One is always sorry after the event, but it can be dealt if one has enough courage to face the problem.
Oh, how dare I, a coward from the day one of our m, can say such a thing!
(2019.12.22)