Kiwi in Okinawa comments

Does this class as a Darwin Award? Traumatic for the lady, but thankfully the abuse will finally end for her.

Some people need to chill a tad on the "racist" front, as a foreigner living here I don't find it offensive, and get the intention of it.

As stated they are not mandatory, they are intended to give a visual que that the driver isn't familiar with Japanese roads, and more than likely also can't read the signs (not the obvious speeds ones) (Oh and the confusing stop sign which really does break global standards).

I have rented cars in Okinawa a few times when have family members or friends visiting and need more space , I have booked under my Japanese license and never once was given the sticker, when I added my father as a 2nd driver once, they asked if I would like one for him to use.

I try keep an extra eye out on わ and れ , cars to make sure don't do anything too crazy near me, throw on a learners tick, or this sticker and even more aware of them.

As eluded to above these are really issued for foreign issued drivers licenses, not specifically foreigners, once they see you have a Japan license they don't bother to offer it. But "A person with a foreign country issued driver’s license" doesn’t quite have the same ring to is for the sticker.

The dangers of driverless vehicles.

Actually a rather misleading title, implying an automated driverless car.. Where as it was just a "run away" vehicle.

Does anyone know why the Red Bull and Monster in Japan doesn't contain any taurine? I think it is due to them not being classed as actual suppliments like the Japanese versions, but I'm not 100% sure.

Either way the replacement they use in the red bull and monster, makes my heart race compared to the taurine version.

But then saying that, I think it would be nearly a year since last had any "energy" drinks

Don't be surprised to hear that these billion dollar systems have been HACKED and fed DIS-information / Data, CAUSING this stuff to happen....ridiculous ?, maybe,....just one idea.

Wouldn't these ships also have crew who's role would be to visually scan the horizon for hazards? Just purely so don't 100% rely on automated navigation and hazard systems. Even at night there are running lights to show port and starboard to keep an eye out for.

Surely I'm not the only one to instantly think of GoT and its wall in the north, when I hear Ice wall.. (I know its not made of Ice in GoT, but can't help but think that way)

Maybe I skim read this too fast, but I don't actually see how they are using "robots". But just calling super computers capable of running AI based analitic software "robots". To me a robot would be a moving machine powered by a computer, instead of a powerful processing computer.

I'm sure I read a very similar article saying the same either start of this year, or late last year. But of course the brewers are still crying over dropping sales, but still not chaning their options. Hopefully this is paving the slow path for more micro-breweries to offer better selections.

Alas living in Okinawa the selection of micro-brewery beers is rather limited, but thankfully Orion is learning and offering quite a few limited beer varietys, both seasonal and just random specials. Looking forward to seeing if they redo their white beer.

Any vehicle is susceptible to failures, and those are thankfully far and few between.

However what the article doesn't go into is just the pure noise these things throw out when flying, which is more my complaint of them. Living along an often used flight path, they are exceptionally loud, especially when they do a low fly by landing at 10pm or even later at times. You can feel the rotor thud in the building.

I think there would be less "hate" of them if they weren't operated so late and fly in so low for so long. The noise makes them feel so much closer, which mentally you equate to that could be dangerous as it is so close.

No one has seen the movie "Lars and the Real Girl"?

That was exactly my first thought when read this too.. I still don't know what was funner in that movie, the situation with his doll, or the totally awesome selection of horrible sweaters he wore..

I can see weirdness like in that movie play out for these people too.

Think what would happen tomorrow if every one of these redundant workers were let go. Imagine if the army of old guys explaining the complexities of walking along a sidewalk in front of construction sites were suddenly cut loose. A reckoning is coming. This is simply not sustainable.

There would be gangs of old men with those flashing parking wands roaming the streets randomly redirecting traffic..

I was amazed how low the IT pay has become after returning here last year. Even back in NZ, I could earn at least double the income here. Adding to that living in Okinawa, being one of the lowest income prefectures sure doesn't bode well to spending money back into the economy.

But then the move back here never was income based (Give the kids a chance to properly learn Japanese 1st hand), but it sure wouldn't be an income or career path to work in Japan, even from what I understand expat packages are no longer as sweet as they once were too.