THE HEAT AROUND THE CORNER

In Michael Mann's crime epic Heat (1995), career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) lives by a simple, zen-like philosophy, which he later explains to his nemesis, LAPD Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), during a late-night conversation in a diner/restaurant:

“Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.”

In an earlier Digital Renegade essay, "Godzillaheimer" (December 31, 2003), I wrote about how Japan has disaster preparedness hardwired into its collective psychology due to the ever-present threat of earthquakes. This concept, known as bosai (防災), reflects the Japanese people's hyper-vigilance in anticipating environmental volatility and natural disasters, which has become a key part of their culture.

Considering that the wildfires of January have already taken 25 human lives, destroyed over 12,000 buildings and 40,000 acres across Los Angeles, I wonder how many residents who are able to return or rebuild their properties will be compelled to adopt both Japan’s and McCauley’s preemptive strategies indefinitely.

Perhaps we all should.