BNlightened comments

Posted in: Rubio, Cruz go after Trump in debate See in context

Guys, guys, you're missing the boat!

Instead of listening to your own Liberal echo chamber about how "bad" Trump is, why don't you take a trip over to that bastion of Liberalism, the "newspaper of record," the New York Times? There, you will find the editorial board, who have recently endorsed Hillary Clinton for President, now, suddenly and surprisingly, turning on Hillary and demanding that she release her transcripts of the three speeches she made....to Goldman Sachs...for $675,000.00.

Check out the normally rabid liberal comments sections, which all,and I mean to a man ALL, agree with and DEMAND that Hillary release those transcripts, right before Super Tuesday no less. I mean, what does she have to hide?? If she's the "progressive" she's been claiming to be on the campaign trail, than surely she will have stood up for "progressive" policies in her over-compensated speeches on Wall Street, right, Democrats?? Right?? (Crickets)

Trump is going to sweep Super Tuesday. Criticize him all you want: who's going to stop him? Cruz? Rubio? Rubio won't win a SINGLE STATE ON SUPER TUESDAY, while Cruz will be lucky to win his home state of Texas and...well? All your talk and criticism is just that: talk and criticism, nothing more!

Mark my words: with the New York Times turning (already!) against Hillary, if she is in fact the Democratic nominee...than please say Hello to the next President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!!!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Posted in: Obama bans U.S. imports of slave-produced goods See in context

Well, that's certainly good to hear.

Child labor is tricky, though, since in a lot of places people are so poor they need all members of the family to contribute income simply for the group to survive.

I certainly understand how children could be exploited, and definitely see the need for some kind of regulation, but when more than a third of all working humans here on this earth still earn $2 a day PPP or less, it's pretty hard not to see how children being employed would still be acceptable, if not essential, to many.

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Posted in: Yoko Ono says she didn't break up The Beatles See in context

I find it interesting that for some reason the Japanese have collectively decided, "All right: any mention of Yoko's name in print will require the use of the foreign-connotating KATAKANA script, not Kanji."

Even though she was born in Japan (and was actually a classmate of Emperor Akihito at Gakushuin) and has a 100% Japanese name (quite a common one at that, too: 小野 洋子), it's like she's lost the privilege of having her Japanese name written in Kanji!"

I wonder why they would do that?

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Posted in: Trump notches 3rd straight win in Nevada caucuses See in context

One more interesting fact about the GOP caucuses in Nevada.

-Donald Trump won Nevada with more votes in 2016...than voted in the entire Nevada GOP caucus in 2012! (Trump in Nevada GOP caucus 2016: 35,531 versus TOTAL participants in 2012 GOP caucus: 32,961)

OK, one more:

-Total attendance in GOP caucus, 2016: 75,216 (or more than 2X the GOP voters in 2012.)

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Posted in: Trump notches 3rd straight win in Nevada caucuses See in context

Man, are the liberals here furious tonight or what? I thought Trump supporters were the ones who were off the rails, but have a read through this thread and see how liberals are for all intent and purposes completely lost it! You should be happier than ever, right? Trump is your DREAM candidate for Hillary to run against, right? (Sorry, guys, but Bernie's Burn and his "Live For Free Or Die" socialist fanaticism has just about run its course.)

Seems like the non-American commenters here are the most sorry and upset. That's only normal, I guess, since "powerless" peoples are usually the most, well, powerless to do anything to actually determine events.

But here's a couple of points you ought to consider, just to get Hillary's "winning" side ready for what she's going to face (for six straight months or longer of head-to-head campaigning against the GOP):

In every election so far, even with Bernie and Hillary running, the Democratic vote count has SHRUNK compared to 2008 (the last competitive race for them for the Presidency.) Meanwhile, in every election so far, with Trump running, the Republican vote count has INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. And when Trump won South Carolina, he won by 32%. But when he won in Nevada, he won by 45%. (Do you see a trend here??)

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Posted in: Rubio, Cruz look to derail Trump's lead in Republican race See in context

Years into telling their "base" that Washington DC is being destroyed by professional politicians who never deliver on their promises, the just desserts presently being flung into the GOP Establishment's face by outsider Trump is...simply DELICIOUS! Looks like their base is, you know, finally taking them at their word...and voting to throw the bums out!

The Establishment types are down to just one candidate: Amnesty Rubio. He has yet to win anything, but they'll keep pouring money into his campaign until well past Super Tuesday (since his precious home state Florida doesn't vote until after March 1, on March 15th.) So he's staying in the race for now.

Meanwhile, Rafael Canada, I mean Cruz, is winning polls in one state only: his home state, Texas. Texas does vote on March 1st but if Cruz manages to trump Trump in TX, he'll be refreshed with funds and will keep up the fight through March. So he's staying in the race, too.

All of which continues to split the vote counts in favor of....Donald Trump. Ay ya-yai, senor!

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Posted in: Trump wins in South Carolina; Clinton victorious in Nevada See in context

Looks like the Pope's political meddling put a huge dent in Trump's popularity, right? On the contrary, Francis probably boosted Trump's support in South Carolina! Bush's exit, meanwhile, will keep Kasich in the race until after Super Tuesday, thus splitting the vote for Trump until it's too late to stop his nomination.

Bernie "Live FOR Free Or Die" Sanders badly needed to win Nevada...but he lost, convincingly. Hillary actually increased her percentages in the state when compared to 2008. In that year, she won Nevada against Obama with 50.8% of the vote. This year, she won with more than 52%. And the "Democratic" Party is so...er, democratic, that even though Bernie won more than 100,000 votes over Hillary (pre-Nevada), her delegate vote is extinguishing the Bern's fire at 432 versus 16. 16?! Ha-ha-ha!

Feeling Berned by the suddenly "progressive" Hillary Clinton yet, liberals? You most certainly will when Hillary mops the floor with Sanders come South Carolina. The best thing, though, is that Bernie and his $23 dollar donating cuckoo supporters will keep fighting against Clinton all the way to the convention! And then there's the emails...

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Posted in: New halal skincare line released See in context

"Kosher Momo Skin Cream coming next."

Funny how you mention that, since in the US, for example, more than 400,000 products (four hundred thousand products) are certified! and labeled "kashrut" (i.e. certified Kosher)....and absolutely NOBODY makes a stink about it.

Haven't you ever seen those "U" or "K" inside the circle/star on the labels of products? They're everywhere! But when "halal" gets brought up....watch out! It becomes "pandering."

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Posted in: LDP lawmaker under fire for Obama remarks; refuses to resign See in context

Could we also then claim this?: Since the Japanese people originally descended from races in North-East Asia, and only much later emigrated to these "Japanese" islands, wouldn't this idiot lawmaker's "descendants" presently also be rejected as candidates for high office like Prime Minister in modern contemporary Japanese politics? I think they would.

The Japanese would surely refuse the "humiliation" of having an "outsider" Asian lead their glorious country...what with the "unpure" blood this guy's ancestors had running through their veins and all!

I think the analogy does work, (and yes I'm trying to be ludicrous here), though I'm sure this fool would be VERY outraged to hear he comes from an "immigrant family" from "mainland Asia!" And seeing the quite dismal state of history taught in this country, I'm sure he has a crackpot historical text handy that "proves" his pure race descended from some God or Goddess or other such palpable pap!

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Posted in: Japan slips back to deficit as exports tumble 13% See in context

Well...on the bright side...foreign tourists are up more than 50%!

Hey Abe...you think that now might be a good time to unleash that mythical "Third Arrow" of yours? Increased competition and deregulation in other markets have certainly helped make your companies lean and mean in the foreign markets (and in spite of the present slump)....so why not try it here as well?

What's that? Oh really? Oh...I see...you never in fact intended to do anything other than print more money and lead the cheering section, eh? That "Third Arrow" of yours was nothing but a ruse, eh? Got it.

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Posted in: Four cities open campaign to host 2024 Olympics See in context

Europe was covered in 2012. Remember, London? And Greece in 2004? Check.

Next Olympics are in Asia (Tokyo) after previous North Asian venue (2008 Beijing) and Australia (2000.) No Asian finalists this time, so...check.

This year's venue in South America, first time. Well done, Rio...watch out for that Zika Virus!

LA. Sunny skies. Open arms. North/South American time zones for live broadcasts to over a billion sports fans. Third time's a charm (1932, 1984, 2024.) Sports Mecca, with a brand new stadium being planned as we speak regardless the outcome of the Olympic vote. And contrary to many claims in other threads here about the Olympics "costing so much money," if you actually look it up, you'd see that the 1984 Olympics cost the least in terms of taxpayer contributions and were also the first to turn a profit since...LA last held the Olympics!~

Criticize LA all you want (we can take it), it's Show Time! LA 2024: Book it!

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Posted in: Trump threatens to sue Cruz unless he apologizes See in context

Some food for thought:

First: Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz was born in Calgary, Canada, to a mother who was an American citizen. His father, a Cuban, didn't become a naturalized American citizen, however, until...2005. (Three years after Ted Cruz's birth, Cruz's father became not an American, but a Canadian citizen.)

Second: Many Canadian legal experts have concluded that Ted Cruz has dual American/Canadian citizenship. "He’s a Canadian,” said Toronto lawyer Stephen Green, past chairman of the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section. "He could legally apply for a Canadian passport if he wanted to."

Third: The Constitution of the United States, Article 2, Section 1, Article 5, states: "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President...."

Fourth: According to Wikipedia references: "The consensus of early 21st-century (US) constitutional scholars, together with relevant case law, is that natural-born citizens include, subject to exceptions, those born in the United States."

Fifth: According to founding father Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers, the Natural Born Citizen clause "was intended to protect the nation from foreign influence." (I'm lookin' at you, Canada!)

Sixth: Every president to date was either a citizen at the adoption of the Constitution in 1789 or born in the actual United States; of those in the latter group, every president except two had two U.S.-citizen parents (the exceptions being Chester Allen Arthur and...Barack Hussein Obama.)

Seventh and Last: "Several lower courts have already ruled that private citizens do not have standing to challenge the eligibility of candidates to appear on a presidential election ballot." (Meaning: Donald Trump in the end has no legal standing to personally challenge Ted Cruz's eligibility to be American President.)

Conclusions: If Trump wants to do it, he should launch a lawsuit. It's good for at least a couple of news cycles (and yet more free publicity.) If Ted Cruz were ever to become the GOP nominee, you can be sure that some Democrats would do the exact same thing as well. And as for the Trump bashers out there, you should be happy since this will actually damage his relations with "American citizens" who weren't born in the US or whose parents weren't citizens at their birth, but still don't want to feel like second-class citizens in their "home country," right?

Still, Point Seven above leads me to believe that even if Trump did it, it would soon be dismissed by a lower court.

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Posted in: 5 Palestinians killed while attacking Israelis See in context

Gee...it's not like the several hundred Palestinian knife attacks are...coordinated by anyone, are they? It's not like the Palestinian leadership is complicit in fanning the flames of such terrorism, right? The smashing of cars into civilians waiting for a public bus, the murder of families and mothers in their homes...no outside encouragment or public glorification for such heinous activities, right?

Wrong. Have a look at this slick and well-produced anime glorifying and encouraging attacks against Israelis with knives and guns. If you die? The terrorist gets to walk through paradise (of flowers) with his head held high. The trend now even has a name (given by the gleeful Palestinians themselves): the "Knife Intifada." Cute, huh?

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/GRAPHIC-VIDEO-Palestinian-clip-depicts-shootings-stabbings-of-Israelis-444924

Let's stop pretending this is all Israel's fault, eh? I challenge you: what would your government do to a people who encourage the murdering of your citizens, and are actually going out and doing it on an almost daily basis? The terrorist who wields the knife DESERVES death by the bullet, end of story.

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Posted in: Russian PM: West is restarting Cold War with NATO moves See in context

Ah, Medvedev, loyal puppy to his Master, Vlad Putin. Such a good doggie, isn't he? Vlad says, "Jump!" and Medvedev says, "How high, sir?"

Anyone who thinks Russia is "outmaneuvering" NATO is nuts. For starters, take a look at a map of countries surrounding Russia. Add in the non-treaty members of NATO-allied movements like the Membership Action Plan, Individual Action Partnership Plan, Mediterranean Dialogue Plan and the US's traditional allies in the Pacific and Middle East and it's Russia who in fact is completely surrounded by Western Allies and Western manpower/materiel (as ever, and thanks largely in part to the brutal Russian occupation these countries endured during the Cold War.)

Then remember that NATO now has plans to "maneuver" thousands of new troops, including American ones, mind you, right up to Russia's borders, and with the active support of the vast majority of public in those "former Soviet Republics" once so highhandedly ruled from the Kremlin. "Never again" is the mantra in Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and elsewhere, and the cries are getting only louder and more anti-Russian than ever before. With these countries firmly ensconced in NATO, Russia has actually lost 66% of its previous access to the Baltic Sea! Some "outmaneuvering!"

As per the Washington Post: "NATO is planning to move a significant number of troops to Eastern Europe as a deterrent to Russia. Details won’t be resolved until the summer, but the ramp-up is expected to include U.S. troops: about 3,000 will be deployed to the Baltic States, Bulgaria, Germany and the Netherlands. Britain has also announced it is sending five warships into the North Atlantic, the North Sea, the Mediterranean, and the waters around the Baltics. And NATO officials are trumpeting the expansion in their response forces, as well as plans to increase the number of sites at which they are headquartered in Eastern Europe." Meanwhile, NATO is moving war ships into the eastern Mediterranean as well, ostensibly for "battling illegal immigrants and smuggling operations."

Even Russia's former allies in troubled spots like the Balkans are actively trying to ally themselves with NATO, not Putin. And as for Syria, the US is still hardly involved, while Russia has put its entire reputation on the line. Now with the Saudis making noises that they, too, would like to put ground troops into Syrian territory, here come the AWACS, Stingers and SAM weaponry which, as in Afghanistan, has the potential to make Putin's army re-live...well, another Soviet Afghanistan.

With oil hovering long-term at a price inadequate to keep propping up Putin's rather anemic governmental spending programs and foreign adventures (Russia relied on oil and gas exports for fully 68% of its total exports in 2013, more so now), you're seeing Russia's foreign reserves evaporate, Russia's currency crash, and Russia's economy contracting at one of the fastest rates of any country in the world.

Let's see how long Russians can endure the "glory" Putin's adventures have brought them. If one had to pick sides, it's a no-brainer which side one would choose for one's country. Everybody else save Assad and totalitarian Belarus are already on board. Conclusion: "NATO Outmaneuvered?" Bah!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Posted in: Meryl Streep sparks uproar over 'We're all Africans' remarks See in context

What she's saying is basically the exact same thing former President Bill Clinton just said the other day in Tennessee while campaigning for Hillary:

"Playing off Congressman Steve Cohen’s introduction that claimed Bill Clinton was just a “stand-in for the first black president,” Clinton told an audience in Memphis, “You know what we learned from the human genome? We learned that unless your ancestors — everyone of you — are 100 percent, 100 percent from sub-Saharan Africa, we are all mixed race people.”

So really, Obama wasn't the "first" black President, Clinton is clearly insinuating here (in a political campaign speech for Hillary) since "we're ALL mixed race people," Obama included.

Anyway, everything is all the fault of White People, don't you know? People of Color have nothing to fix, they're perfect as is, naturally: all their problems come from Whites, as evidenced in this "Black History Month" propaganda piece promoting "White Guilt" (and produced to be shown in American elementary classrooms to encourage acceptance of "White Guilt" and Affirmative Action, aka institutionalized discrimination, in education, by the way.)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/anger-after-students-shown-white-guilt-cartoon-for-black-history-month-a6869796.html

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Posted in: Tokyo stocks plunge more than 5% See in context

What's interesting to note is the immediate effects of Abenomic's terrible and cynical decision to force 0.0% interest rates negative, and (right on cue) how the action is actually having the opposite effect from the one they intended it to have.

Abe's central banker thought that by charging large banks for storing their wealth in a "safe haven" they'd be forced to start lending funds out to the market again (since they'd make money doing this and the profit from new loans would offset the charge imposed on them by the central bank.)

But with the markets and economy entering a very uncertain situation now, (and especially now that China, Japan's largest export/import market and source of cheap plant, is definitely slowing down) most banks have decided that it's SAFER to merely swallow the new negative interest charge...and keep their money safely stashed for the time being!

Meanwhile, Abenomic's monetary fiddlings appear to have run their course in their efficacy, and just at the wrong time. Even with rates at under zero, the yen is shooting up in value...making exports (Japan's sole bright spot) more expensive overseas. And with a large majority of Cheerleader-In-Chief Abe's target audience (ie the Japanese public) now definitely ignoring his claims of "recovery" and "a return to a beautiful Japan just right around the corner...any day now...any year now, then...." it will be interesting to see how his next year in office plays out.

Of course, with Abe facing no real political opposition, I expect that the Japanese will, as usual, continue keeping their money under their proverbial futons while shrugging it all off with a fatalistic, "Sho ga nai, ne."

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Posted in: Clinton, Sanders to debate as focus turns to minority voters See in context

@MarkG: Have you ever heard the term "identity politics?" If you haven't, then you just can't understand how the modern American Democratic Party works these days.

If you're a woman, you vote for women first and foremost, because no matter their policies, "They represent you most." That's why Clinton has Madaline Allbright out there screaming her old canard that "There's a special place in Hell for women who don't support women!" (aka Hillary.)

Similarly, if you're gay or from the South, a Hispanic, or African-American, or Asian-American, and you're a Democrat, your party expects you to do the same and vote for "one of your own" more often than not....because supposedly, "They represent you most."

And since Democrats and especially African Americans like Toni Morrison have long labeled Bill Clinton, "The First African American President," (since 1992) and since he comes from the southern state of Arkansas, well, in South Carolina that supposedly makes Hillary under identity politics, "one of our own" and she demands and expects allegiance from "her" identity groups (in this case, over-65 voters, women voters, over 200K a year income voters, Southern voters, and (honorarily) African-American voters) certainly much more than an outsider Northerner like Bernie Sanders should expect from the same system.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Why Bernie Sanders can win the White House See in context

I love how the liberal readers here down vote comments which accurately reflect REALITY, but which they find politically inconvenient! How convenient! ("I don't agree, so I'll close my eyes to what is and keep dreaming what should be...")

Anyone reading the papers post-New Hampshire knows that the Clinton attack squad is now out in force, attacking Bernie for his pro-gun votes and for "not being there" for African Americans. How could one "progressive" be so cruel to another, when all either want to do is to build upon Obama's already wonderful Utopia where the new normal is best summed up in the liberal mantra: "Live (FOR) Free Or Die!?" Well, it's the Clintons we're talking about here.

Here come the "progressive" quotes which will kill Sanders in the end: White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: "I think the president has signaled while still remaining neutral that he supports Secretary Clinton's candidacy and would prefer to see her as the nominee."

From the Congressional Black Caucus: "It’s one thing to endorse (Clinton) and do nothing. It’s another thing to endorse and to go to work,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), chairman of the CBC PAC. The CBC plans to formally endorse Clinton for president, then disperse its African-American lawmakers to states where black voters are crucial, particularly in South Carolina’s Democratic primary on Feb. 27.

Meanwhile, "Hillary Clinton surrogates on Wednesday bashed Bernie Sanders as "absent" from the African-American community as the campaign looks to pivot away from a resounding defeat in New Hampshire. 'It’s good to have new friends but I would prefer to have TRUE friends,' Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told reporters. 'Hillary Clinton has been a TRUE friend to the African-American community for more than 40 years. During that same period of time, Bernie Sanders has been largely 'MISSING IN ACTION.' Jeffries was joined by South Carolina Minority Leader J. Todd Rutherford, who announced his endorsement of Clinton on Wednesday."

How does Sanders respond to the increasingly vitriolic attacks from Kamp Klinton? By ignoring them-a noble if ultimately deadly campaign strategy. Hillary's playing hard ball, and by smashing Sanders in South Carolina and Nevada, she'll steal his thunder before Super Tuesday (which heavily focuses on southern states noted for their support of the Clinton family.) Bernie does has enough money and supporters of the "Live FOR Free or DIE" mantra to go the distance to the convention and be a thorn in her side, but I think we'll see a probable break out of support for Clinton, despite the wishes of all the down-voting Sanders supporters here at JT! Watch....

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Posted in: Christie, Fiorina drop out of Republican presidential race See in context

Brokered convention? Not quite there yet. Trump, by maintaining a solid 30-40% voting bloc in the GOP primaries and caucuses (provided he can do it) will win, win, and win a majority of said elections.

Why? Because of the stubborn refusal of Cruz, Kasich, Bush and Rubio to leave the race in favor of rallying around a single "establishment" candidate who gets all the money and who can focus his attacks not on other also-rans, but on the big-cheese, Trump. And Cruz, simply by being an anti-establishment Tea Party candidate, is not who the establishment want to rally around. Yet. (Even though he's the only other winner so far.)

The results in NH guarantee that at least three of these four guys will stay in the race until after Super Tuesday in March, where 49% of all GOP delegates will be up for grabs. Remember, majorities of 50% plus are unnecessary to end up with victories in the primaries, as evidenced by 2012 where the eventual winner Romney only secured real majority victories in 3 out of the 10 states up for grabs during that election cycle (the rest being "victories" in Trump's 30-45% range.)

With around 40% of the vote, you can in fact get enough delegates to win an outright nomination, but you do need to come in first place, a lot. Trump will do that, barring some unforeseen catastrophe.

Also, unfortunately for Rubio and Bush, in 2016 Florida doesn't vote early (it comes later on March 14, two weeks after S.T.), so neither have a chance to claim a campaign-revitalizing Florida victory over Trump before Super Tuesday. What's more, neighboring South Carolina looks set to go not to Floridians Rubio/Bush but to Trump, thus stealing any claim to the mantle of "southern vote-getter" on the part of these also-rans.

So If Trump can maintain the above averages (and he seems able to do so), Trump should be able to win big in South Carolina and Nevada first, before going on to "win" a majority of the 13 states involved (many of which are presently polling strong for Trump.) Will Rubio, Bush or Kasich manage to win any state at all? Can Cruz beat Trump in his home state, Texas? And will it matter, or will the split between the other four (even if each wins one or two states each) push things beyond the point of no return, since Trump under this hypothesis would have perhaps 9 to 10 double-digit victories post Super Tuesday??

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Posted in: Fireworks fly as Clinton, Sanders meet in 1st one-on-one debate of campaign See in context

There's a big, big 400 Kg elephant in the room. There's a lot of talk about the Women Vote, or the Youth Vote. But the elephant is....the African-American primary vote which habitually turns out for Democratic primaries.

Hillary has outperformed Sanders markedly in this group in Iowa, and nationally it's about 70/30 in favor of Hillz. Yeah, there are few African-Americans in Iowa, and even fewer in New Hampshire, but even if Bernie takes NH next week, and takes it big time, what comes next? Nevada, where Hillary's ground game is looking good, and then? That's right. South Carolina. Alabama. Arkansas. Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Virginia. Deep South, folks, where the wishy-washy college vote matters far less than rallying registered African Americans. You simply HAVE to win this section of the base in order to win the Democratic nomination: it's as simple as that.

In 2008, Hillary lost South Carolina, and handily, in large part because she was running against Obama. But this year, it's Hillary (and her husband, dubbed by Toni Morrison way back when as "The First African American President.") Put a Clinton, any Clinton, against a 74 year old Jewish American from the second whitest state in the Union, and Hillary looks set to win big. Now, I'm no fan of identity politics, and I'd like to be proven wrong, but believe it or not, such things really do matter a lot to African-American voters, or so they've claimed in decades worth of polls and clearly demonstrated during 2008.

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Posted in: Former baseball star Kiyohara arrested over drug possession See in context

(Please don't ask how I know the following information!)

If the drug which Kiyohara was arrested for was an inhalant form of power "stimulant," then a tenth of a gram (or 0.1) would equal at least one or two significant "lines" of the drug. It's not much, but it certainly isn't "NOTHING," either. Try getting pulled over in Montana or west Texas with a couple of lines of stimulant on your person...tell the nice police officer, "What...this? This is NOTHING!" (Good luck with that! Ha-ha.)

Then, think about how differently Japanese authorities (and people in general) feel about recreational use of illegal substances, and you'll start to see how people could very well find this to be a rather big deal (especially when the perp is a former role model aka sports athlete.)

I bet Kiyohara was under the influence of the drug when they intercepted him...then after a search of his apartment, found the "remainder" 0.1 gram there. Nolo contendere (one "no contest" plea, coming right up!)

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Posted in: Emperor honors Japanese war dead in Philippines See in context

I think it's great that the Japanese Emperor and Empress were able to make the trip. It's wonderful seeing three former foes, Japan, the Philippines (and implicitly, the United States) respectfully set aside the painful past for all involved (including, of course, Australia and any other Allied Powers whose soldiers lives were lost in the PI campaigns) and work towards maintaining peace and strengthening ties in the region.

The Japanese Emperor is no ordinary head of state. These public steps he and his wife have been making are very significant. And as Christopher Glen's article link points out (but the Associated Press' article here fails to do), the comments of the Emperor are quite progressive, right down to the small fact that he lists Japan last in the following comment: "Many Filipinos, Americans and Japanese lost their lives in the Philippines during the war. Especially in the battle in Manila, a tremendously large number of innocent Filipino civilians were victims. Upon making this visit, we need to bear this in mind at all times."

My personal hope: may the Crown Prince and Princess, in turn, someday build upon the positive and peace-loving legacy of the Tennou Heika.

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Posted in: Japan CPI, consumer outlays falter as Abe loses economy czar See in context

As if one needed yet further proof that Abenomics was nothing more than 20% quantitative easing (non-market stimulated) inflationary monetary gimmicks and 80% pure confidence trick...well...here you go.

I thought I read a lot about how growth and inflation were soon to be revised "upward" for 2015? In fact, it's just the opposite which happened. Abe needs inflation to increase 4 times the present anemic rate just to reach his stated goal of 2% per year, but that's not going to happen (outside the planned tax hike, that is.)

In response to Abe's confidence trick (Abenomics), the Japanese people have basically responded with, "Show me the money!" In the back of their heads, they've suspected all along that Abe was merely an inept cheerleader, trying to get everyone to "feel good" about an ever-deteriorating economic and demographic situation, when they should really be very, very worried about the next few years (not to mention the planned sales tax hike coming up.) Less is the new More here in Japan-get used to "gaman"ing while those at the top plunder and game the system through graft!

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Posted in: Answers to U.S. gun violence in communities, not Washington: experts See in context

"Answers to U.S. gun violence in communities, not Washington: experts"

Got it. And in which communities are there the highest amount of recorded gun violence? Answer: the places where there's the strictest gun control laws, that's where. It's a fact.

And which party runs said highest gun crime areas? Invariably, it's politicians from the anti-gun/pro-gun restrictions Democratic Party who are running the show. And way, way up on top of the pile, towering over all others by presiding over the worst multi-year spate of non-stop gun violence in his city's history, is the self-proclaimed "Godfather" of Chicago, Barack Obama's former Chief of Staff and Best Buddy, Mayor "Rahm-bo" Emanual!

You can't handle the truth!

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Posted in: Trump to skip next Republican debate See in context

This is great on multiple levels. We have, first, people opposing Trump who usually scream, "Why doesn't he shut up?" now screaming, "Why doesn't he want to debate?" (By the way, there's been SIX GOP debates thus far, all with Trump, while the Dems are finished after half as many. Who doesn't want to debate again??)

Second, these same screamers now find themselves aligning with Fox News in defense of Megyn Kelly. As someone said earlier, pretty darn ironic, isn't it?

Third, Fox's debate is going to tank in terms of ratings. Who've they got left? Ted Cruz? Jeb (with or without his exclamation point)? Rubio? Talk about a barn-burner! (And guess who is STILL going to dominate the debate, even in his absence?)

Fourth, Trump is again giving the MSM the bird, and there's NOTHING the media can do about it! They'll HAVE to cover Trump's rival rally (the proceeds from which will cleverly be used to support not Fox News, but the Wounded Warrior campaign.) I don't know about you, Laguna, but a million dollar check from Trump And Friends to veterans' groups speaks to his support for the group a heck of a lot louder than all the empty rhetoric coming from Hillary-Without-A-Last Name or Feel-The Bernie Sanders about the same group.

If Trump wins Iowa, the Main Stream Media is going to explode right in front of our eyes, and I can't wait.

By the way, SuperLib, as for Trump "destroying the GOP," answer me this: When Obama was elected, he had Democratic Majorities in the House and Senate, while more than half of the state legislatures were also Democratic. In just seven years, he's lost both the House and the Senate, while now the GOP have majorities in both Governors of states and in state legislatures (with the Dems in outright control of the fewest legislative chambers since...the Civil War!) So, given these facts, who is destroying which party again??? (Given your handle, I'm not expecting a straight reply, naturally.)

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Posted in: Are you tired of reading or hearing about the World War II sex slave issue? See in context

What I'm tired of is the response..."What sex slave issue" from my Japanese counterparts! The willful ignorance about a very important part of one's country's history (modern history at that) is appalling.

I'm tired of hearing that sex slaves from Korea are "liars," while sex slaves from the Philippines are..."liars," and those from Malaysia, Singapore, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and even from Australia and the Netherlands are..."liars."

Someone's lying here, all right, but it's not these women. Unfortunately, this country's youth is all the more ignorant for the whitewashing history being rammed down their gullible throats by their very own countrymen, aka The Revisionist Right.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Posted in: Dolphin activist detained in Japan says he's 'political prisoner' See in context

So...if a tourist comes here on a tourist visa, then decides to attend or get involved in one of the many, many anti-Nuke, anti-corruption, pro-Article 9 or pro-Peace demonstrations that Japanese citizens freely and legally participate in here...they should expect to be denied future entry to the country? They should expect to be deported for "breaking the law?" And what about long-term foreign guests-I'm sure some of you, like I, have participated in a "march" or "walk" for or against something of a political nature-might we not also be deemed to have "broken the law" for "stirring up trouble" in our chosen "free" country of residency?

If so, I think the world would be very interested to hear about how "free" foreigners are to practice the same rights in Japan that they grant Japanese in the West without fear of reprisals. Famous instigators like Michael Moore and Oliver Stone, who have come to Japan and attended protests against the US military in Okinawa contrary to the government's wishes...should "expect" to be detained or denied entry to the country, huh? I have a feeling that some might not find this kosher, regardless the flimsy excuse being bandied about that it "attacks Japan's culture."

And while hundreds if not thousands of Japanese citizens have already been welcomed to protests in the US, France and elsewhere, free to show their support or opposition in public (in support of hostages taken by terrorists, or the victims of Paris attacks, or against...you guessed it-animal mistreatment abroad, for example) without fear of foreign government reprisals, the same can't be guaranteed for foreigners here in Japan, correct?

Sounds perfectly "free" to me. Uh-huh.

Say what you want for the virtues of "Japanese culture," "reciprocity of rights" between Japanese and the rest of the world certainly isn't one of them.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Posted in: Amari to explain bribery accusations on Thursday See in context

If I were Amari, I'd do like the Prime Minister of Malaysia just did. He was recently found to have received, get this, USD 681,000,000.00 in a single payment cash bribe coming from the Saudis. His excuse? "It wasn't a bribe...it was...a personal gift from the Saudis. And besides, I gave back USD 600,000,000.00, so what's the problem?"

Malaysia is so corrupt...that it worked! (No mention what he did with the remaining 80 million dollars, too: looks like he gets to keep that! Not bad, huh?) Meanwhile, his country gets more and more Salafist everyday (i.e. the very strict and uncompromising form of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia is being expanded in Malaysia by leaps and bounds under this prime minister.)

If it worked in Malaysia, I'd bet Japan is corrupt enough at the top to where Amari might get away with it, too. After all, can you name me the scores of politicians who have been accused of corruption here who actually went to prison for their lawbreaking deeds? No? How about the top 10 most notorious transgressors, then? How about even 1? Oh, well....

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Djokovic beats Nishikori to set up semifinal clash with Federer at Australian Open See in context

Kei didn't just lose, he got crushed, though most of it was due to his own poor play.

The first two sets were particularly bad for Nishikori, while he struggled with his serve in the third. All in all, a pretty boring match. Not Djokovic's best tennis, to say the least, but still there was no point in the match where he ever had to fret about losing.

Better luck next time, Nishikori.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Posted in: Burger chain Shake Shack to open second store in Japan this spring See in context

As for "junk food," where do guys draw the line? Tako-yaki? Tai-yaki and donuts? Ramen? Not junk food? Well then, if so, you're letting your cultural chauvinism get in the way of identifying the true meaning of "junk!"

1 ( +4 / -3 )

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