BBQShogun comments

Having worked closely with executives in my risk management role for an international Japanese manufacturing corporation for years (not to mention Jwife a former Takata employee herself) I can confirm that based on my experiences and observations Job One is to keep the JBoys at the top, the Country Club if you will, fully insulated and fully above the law. The arrogance at the top, coupled with the racism, sexism, and parochialism, is astounding. I have been fighting the good fight, as I see it, but oftentimes they just don't get it. Through maintenance of profits and face, their comfortable cocoon is the paramount priority. Safety, employee well-being and morale, CSR, etc., while not completely ignored are all clearly subordinate to their Country Club. The Japanese ability to maintain a seat at the main table in global business is at complete risk without an evolution in their business values and I for one have begun to doubt whether they will be able to right the collective ship. That said, either through evolution or extinction change is unstoppable. Takata is just a current, visible example.

And I have also begun to think like a bit like Tina, albeit from a different tachiba: yes, folding up the tent and taking your brand of business home perhaps is not a bad idea for all concerned.

Certainly there is nothing morally wrong with being single. By the same token, certainly couples can be abject failures and probably should be singles themselves. But this concern with poor singles' mental anguish about seeing too many love-love couples, to paraphrase @jcapan is being "overly sensitive." If you are that tore up about your singleness when you see couples on some invented Valentine's Day in December you are borderline unstable. If it's just a joke by the restaurant, no biggie, but if seeing couples is causing actual despondency for the poor singles that's the makeinu/loser part.

Makeinu ga ooi ne, nihon.

Or, learn some Japanese and go out and explore the exciting and practically limitless world of local izakaya, bars, and cafe. Come all the way to live/work/play in Japan and Roppongi is where you carouse?

Poor display of soccer by both sides. I guess at least the Aussies play up to the level of their nickname, the "Socceroos." (Think of that for a moment. Grown men are willingly called by their fans and themselves too, I suppose, "Socceroos." How cute. I can hear the daughters calling out, "Weeeeeee the socceroos, daddy!" Although at least they don't do some choreographed little dance on the pitch before the game like a bunch of cheerleaders like Kiwis do. Manly.)

Toys just paid off- people are paying attention! Dude just won the emotional lottery!

Ha ha. You mean they can't slide through life indefinitely?

@InControl my exprience is shock at the lack of attention one gets as husband after the children arrive. The dynamic of the family changed to mother & children with father left as almost an outsider whose role is just to finance the family.

After 14 years and 3 kids myself, I could've written the above word for word. Additonally, after trying to address our dying relationship I have experienced the added shock of being told by JWife, angrily, "There is no more husband-wife. It's YOUR responsibility to work and get a salary, it's MY responsibility to take care of the home and children!" (how fast would we be boxed about the head if we preach that to women?!)

This coming from a woman who has traveled extensively around the globe, speaks 3 languages, was not the quiet-mousey-Jgirl-who-serves-man-his-meal-and-waits-for-him-to-start-to-eat (I dated those girls too. yawn.). This is the reality of a marriage I find myself in which has not been troubled by infidelity (to my knowledge), alcoholism/addiction, debt, poverty, or domestic abuse. Lately I have been hearing in my head an old drinking buddy's rude (or so I thought at the time), scowling response to me upon announcing my engagement to JWife those many years ago, "This is isn't the country you get engaged in! This is the country you play in!"

Sucker.