amannin1 comments

lunchbox, lol

I wonder what the bathrooms are like...

Is the word "towel" perhaps a mistranslation? A sheet or something similarly thin yet durable would make more sense. This story is still somewhat confusing, does anything have anymore info about it?

Do mid-day drama shows display acts of suicide at all? I'm not saying that TV is to blame, but I am curious as to how she would learn of a method. Granted, the bully (bullies) could have also been involved -- or even society in general.

I guess I'm just as shocked as most other posters.

About the Author

A computer programmer by profession, Mark Smith has spent 12 years in Japan. His main qualification for writing this book is that most of his friends seem to be Japanese 4 year olds. Despite having a black belt in the martial art of Aikido, he is still bullied by these friends, and also by his wife, and two half-Japanese children, both toddlers. His dream is to divide his time between Tokyo and New Zealand, but he doesn't really like flying.

LOL. I would still like to at least thumb through this book. Might even be fun.

Here's the google translated version of the website:

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=www.enjoy-eco.or.jp%2Feco-tour-index.html&sl=ja&tl=en&act=url

Still didn't find any information about the english tour guides though.

Honestly, as intelligent as dolphins are claimed to be, I'm surprised that they perform or even respond to people after being captured (especially if they were brutally captured -- similar to what was displayed in "The Cove").

A giant float parades during Aomori’s famous Nebuta festival.

So does that mean these giant floats are mobile and or move? How many floats would one expect to see of this caliber during the festival? Looks like a lot of fun.

If you had to choose between only using one dental product, which product would it be? Mouthwash, Tooth Paste / Brush, or Floss.

My answer would be floss. And I can only hope no one chooses mouthwash (despite what it may claim). Mouthwash will never dislodge the decaying food from between your teeth, and brushing can only do so much (can't get everything).

Feel free to support or refute.

The woman in front doesn't seem like she's screaming for joy...

And for anyone who has never white-water rafted before, its the risks that make it fun -- no risk, no fun. Just pick a level you are comfortable with.

Note to self-proclaimed boss from hell, when searching for underlings to do thy bidding, look no further than Kagoshima. If all fails, head to Miyazaki.

Who needs that archaic zodiac nonsense when you have science!

I checked out his website -- very interesting portrayals, I would love to see them in an exhibition sometime -- definitely considering getting his book.

When does it become available on AMAZON.com?

his lyrics don't make any sense: "baby, baby baby baby...I thought you'd always be mine" -- he's only 16.

To be honest, when I first heard it on the radio, and few times thereafter, I thought it was a girl singing...

But even with all that said, I still like it. Kudos to a decent pop song.

it could have always been a the gas throttle cable -- use to cause my old eclipse's gas pedal to stick and suddenly accelerate. But I'm sure something like that wouldn't pass inspection had it actually been looked at. Maybe it was the pedal itself, or the object pressing down on the pedal, who knows...

sounds interesting -- are these also the fish that are attracted to light at night time?

What would happen if a foreigner stood up to one of the gropers? Would people get angry at the foreigner for causing a scene, or silently applaud him or her in their heart?

Also, I wonder if it was surveyed at all how many of them were single? Probably not, but I bet many (at least half) are married or have a partner (of sorts).

Her dress looks so plain and boring when compared to the kimono -- and just how would you pronounce her last name? (Pfefferle -- I get flabbergasted just trying to think of the sound)

kp123 - if you only smoke during work breaks, or the occasional social gathering, then yes, it is likely habit more than addiction, and you could probably quit with relative ease (as compared to heavy smokers).

If only more people were habitual smokers and not addictive smokers (for lack of a better term), I doubt there would be much controversy and certainly less second hand smoke.

newsninja - totally agree about the "Ballads" album -- that's the one I tend to listen to the most.

Very cool -- too bad this will be in Chicago and not near Los Angeles.

I'm certain she dyes her hair, but she certainly doesn't look 78 -- kudos to them for being active and enjoying themselves.

sctaber56 - wow, 30 years eh, then I guess it has more than transcended the novelty phase.

Sounds like a fun tourist attraction for anyone who doesn't know / care about actual ninjutsu. I wonder if the ninja-theme-park will take off at all, or once the novelty wears off (within a year maybe) it will just fade away?

just wanted to point out, those are my FREE (or very close to free) hobbies.

exercise, mediation/breathing, reading (books, not manga/magazines), getting more involved/active in your community (as tkoind2 mentioned).

these are all things anyone in any country country can do for little to no money. all of which (except for that last one, shame on me) I do and find very rewarding.

The model in the front looks rather ominous... I actually find this "fashion" to be kind of interesting, at least in this tightly cropped shot -- though, not sure how they look in full pose from a distance.

I feel sorry for whoever had to place all the crystals on it by hand -- I wonder how many fall off every time that thing gets moved...?

Not that I have any particular interest in Taiji, but I guess now as a Gaijin I won't ever be welcome there. On a side note, there's a scene in the documentary that explains, "...the Taiji dolphin show is the only place where you can watch dolphins perform while eating them at the same time..." I just find that part sooo ironically intriguing that I can't help but remember it every time this place gets mentioned.

I really can't add much more to this conversation, but thank you all for your input and stories -- I've read everyone of them.

Though I will say that making it through hardships with someone (anyone) is a great way for making long lasting friendsships, but even those require nurturing...

Maybe it's just me, but his jacket looks way too big...

I'm surprised there isn't a separate division to handle the lesser emergency calls -- a community "helper" division or something similar... perhaps there should be?

Milk doesn't naturally last that long, so i wonder what the expiration date is on these drinks? Anyone tried it yet? Even though I'm lactose intolerant, I am curious to know what it taste like (as I can't imagine it tasting all that great).