Kiwi in Okinawa comments

Having just got back from 5 days in Dubai, it was great to have access to an app like this as a tourist.. There wasn't any need to know my exact physical location to book a taxi when not in areas they are parked waiting for fares. I didn't need to ensure the taxi took card, or if I had enough local currency. I knew what the fare would be as booking the ride.. Luckily English is a common lanuguage there too, but Uber could also assist by you already having the destination set too, so one less worry.

For a tourist an app like Uber (and there are other similar apps, Dubai had their own one too) is a massive plus, it removes so many worry factors. Given the number of tourists and 2020 around the corner, adding apps and solutions that make it EASIER for tourists is a huge win.

If the taxi federation and the government are that worried about Uber stealing business, then maybe they should develop their own app which gives similar functions as those that would benefit tourists trying to get around..

Amazon and Apple and the like, have very cleaver structures to ensure they pay minimal on profit.. Yes they will collect the consumption tax and pass that onto the government, but magically they will not make any profit from doing so.

More so with Apple, but they can use a practice to sell the item to the divisions so no profits arise. For example (using invented numbers) say you buy a 50,000 (plus tax) yen phone (You'll pay the 8% tax, which is on passed to the government) however that same phone could cost Japan division (where you transact via) 47,000 yen to buy from the supply division, which is based in a low or no profit tax country. So once they add over heads to their Japan purchase price, they all of a sudden make no profit in Japan. But the supply division made the profit of marking up say a 20,000 cost item to 47,000 , and as where they are situated pax no or minimal taxes the system is cheated.

And how the hell did he expect inflicting pain on the poor kid, that would make it stop crying.

Maybe and eye for an eye punishment should show him what it is like.. But instead of soft pellet, freeze a paintball and shoot it under 1M, then deport the idiot.. Sounds like the kid would be better off without that kind of father in his life anyway.

Must be all that Kobe steel, Nissans and Subaru's

@Bungle (And strangerland kind of beat me to respond)

Persuading someone to have sex with you while acting in bad faith may be morally questionable, but it isn't necessarily rape.

There is a big difference between persurading (Which if not freely agreed then really to persuade, would equate into pressuring) and forcing by use of employement of status power would be rape. Look at the Weinstein issue, he abused power to get women who would not have freely done things with him. He may have thought he was persuading them, but really he was if not directly physically forcing himself on them, he was using his power as the same physical force.

We have these around Okinawa too, and also awaiting an accident. I've seen them on Kokusai-dori which might be one of the few roads it could be kind of ok, as its the tourist trap road, and normally you can overtake cars by walking as its always slow moving. (If they want to gamble with taxi drivers driving).

But I have also seen them taken along route 58, which is the main multi-lane road through town, with cars and many large trucks going much quicker. I'm sure a truck wouldn't see these when lane switching, it would only see an open space, something lower than axel height would be a minor speedbump.

OK so probably poor form on NK's side to send him due to the his history with South.

But talk about how to instantly ignite the Korean War if they were to actually execute the guy, while attending as a diplomat. Other than making a lot of noise, do these people suggesting it have any understanding of the fall out from actually doing it.

the left can't even let these people mourn their dead, they just jump up and scream gun control!

Given there has been a basically a fatal shooting for every week of this year already. When exactly is the "left" meant to let people mourn and push for gun control. If they allow a week of mourning, statisically next week another one sadly may have happened, so they should what allow another week (and another shooting) to pass?

Those cheeky slacking off workers, they could be eating into poor poor Jeff Bezos's profit margin..

Just when thought Amazon was evil enough with the terrible pay & work conditions for the delivery people, they now go and ultra micro manage the warehouse staff more..

Smithinjapan..

That made me ponder, thankfully it's "only" 6.. But wow what a scary list when doing some quick search.. Look how horrifyingly long this list is..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States#2010s

I know it's still undeterminded if accidental or planned shooting, but I can already see the pro-gun lobby pushing for more guns in schools to stop other shooters if it was a planned shooting.

"Make sure your clothing is clean and unwrinkled"

I'm still stuggling with this at 43 years old..

If he wants a shorter scentence I could recommend a 1 meter rope at the top of a 5 meter drop.. I do hope his 26 year is in general population, and all the other prisioners are informed of his crimes, may as well make those 26 years hell.

I'm no warfare expert, but I think hiding in some shrubbery squatting down with your hands on your head won't be protecting you to well if NK were to launch a missile.

Am I the only one to think the main photo looks like a robot dog coffin?

To add, I am kind of disapointed it's a wet day here in Okinawa, I love seeing the "new adult" males with all their pimped out cars and outfits driving around.. I do hope to still see some later tonight..

I have to agree the posting of that first photo sheds negative light on the day straight away. How about showing off how amazing some of the outfits people wear for this one day. It is as important as the wedding outfits used. Often more so for the individuals as they have saved hard as students to afford these, opposed to adults who may earn more for wedding outfits, or have families help pay towards them.

The photo focuses on a tiny tiny handful of the 37,000 mentioned at that one event.

Maybe time to do a contra deal.  Avoid take off and landing paths near schools, and people can avoid using their drones near the bases.

*Disillusioned - Japanese company ignoring safety checks?* "Insert names here and reprint article."

It's ok, a senior offical is going to bow deeply and appologize profusely, all will be better.. (Insert name, repeat process)

After 15 years in isolation, even if she didn't have a mental illness to start with she sure would have by the terrible end. Even in prisons, isolation / solo confinement is controlled, and prisoners are given time out of the room for mental wellbeing.

Had I a choice I'd say give the parents the same room.

The inheritance tax is one of the driving causes of this, its stupidly high.. My wifes parents as they age are already signing over property, if I am correct the family house already belongs to the oldest brother and the parents are just living in it. They are also "assisting" with rent payments where we live, plus money towards kids schooling.. All basically in order to burn it up, and not get taxed away as an inheritance.

Is the real purpose to make sure they ARE working or are NOT working?

I'm sure the person who monitors the overtime drone, will have to work overtime to operate it too..

I wonder if my boxer would be allowed to do this too.. She always loves going for a drive with the head out the window, so why not go for a fly the same way..

Oh and that picture is priceless, it's begs the question, "Caption me!"

And the winner of bad hair of the year goes too....

4 wheels on the ground - Check

1 wheel where driver sits - Check

Inspection Passed, this is a car

Let me guess the publishment will be along the lines of.....

"Don't forgot to bow deeply and look remoresful for the cameras"

I wonder if any of the sanctions you hear threated would extend to money filtering back from the pachinko places.. If really concerned about funds making their way back to the coffers of NK, then maybe plug the flow from the pachinko's. Or would that impact on too many politicians pockets due to dodgy ties.

Psyops: I thought he was use to be active military previously, and then became civilian which aided his SOFA status and made it much easier to get a base related job due to his previous military time. Either way I still hope the military distance themselves as far away from him as possible, otherwise it will also add unneeded fuel to any anti-base feelings come time of trail.

I hope he gets zero support from his SOFA status and left to arrange any of his own defense.

And when sentenced it needs to be done within the Japan penal system, and not have any deal to do time back in US instead.

I hate the nerve of people who commit murder then cry "unfair" where their trail will occur. Unfair (to put it mildly) was him ending someone elses life. I hope its the opposite of fair, and gets the heaviest sentence imposable.

Russia and China support North Korea. Tells you a bit about the character of those two countries. No class, no morals.

Dango Bong: Have you see what two countries share a border with North Korea on its Northern side? While not out right Anti-US, they both don't want to have US topple NK and then setup camp in the "liberated" NK right on their border. This is also about using NK as a buffer zone to their own borders, NK isn't directly threatening either of them, they would be less happy to have US take over NK and setup bases closer to their borders.

And none of us could be naive enough to think if a war broke out and US were to win (Without the other two powers getting involved) then US would setup "peace keeping / defence" forces in NK.