THE DEEMING DICHOTOMY

For a while at least, all hurricanes of a certain temperament will be called Katrina-like, and Asian hurricanes (typhoons) will be no exception. We here in Japan right now a have a very strong, indeed very Katrina-like typhoon (hurricane) called Nabi approaching us, and we in the office have just been collectively advised to leave for home as soon as “each of you deems it judicious,” to paraphrase the circumlocutory form of Japanese public early warning address in which no specific advice is given as indirectly as possible, thereby prompting dedicated company personnel to hang on by their samurai fingernails till the last minute, but not me. I'm doing the deeming here. (Americans generally do their own deeming wherever they are, which trait sometimes causes problems in Japan, as in other places of individual reticence). As soon as I finish the tasks immediately at hand I’m outta here. No way they’re gonna get me to stay at the Osaka Dome for five days listening to public announcements about deeming.