It's A Four-Letter Word

Now from his pocket quick he flashes
The crayon on the wall he slashes
Deep upon the advertizing
A single word, only comprised
Of four letters...

- Paul Simon, "Poem On the Underground Wall" (1966)

And if it were me, that word would be "GOLF."

Perhaps not wishing to demolish Tokyo's chances in the Buenos Aires vote on the hosting of 2020 Olympics (congratulations to all involved in the winning bid), I did not on Friday post this photo I came across of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo engaged in his favorite, ummmm, sport this summer:



a passion/duty, the Prime Minister's energetic engagement in I have blogged about previously.

In terms of ultraviolet radiation protection, the prime minister's garb (note the rarely seen glasses) seems effective. In terms of mode of dress...the totality transcends even geek fashion. And it sure defeats the best efforts of the photoshoppers and makeup artists have been making at disguising the prime minister's true age.

A full 15 years ago, in the aftermath of the Asian Currency Crisis, about which so much is being written in the current red hot argument over whether or not the raising of the consumption tax from 3% to 5% was the economic growth killer it is in this country's political lore (Link), The Economist offered its own explanation as to why the economies of East Asia keeled over in 1997-98 like too-portly industrialists on the 16th hole at the Koganei Country Club in mid-August. (Link)

To be fair, while GOLF is indeed a four-letter word, so, according to Robert Allen Zimmerman, is LOVE.

Yes, by my tastes I do date myself.