conqueror_of_Uranus comments

tmarie, I meant to say that while we condemn the lazy underachievers who make obviously poor choices, the genuinely unfortunate make us feel rather uncomfortable.

Though people wallow in self-righteous superiority while deriding someone foolish enough to place himself in his current situation, the genuinely unfortunate underprivileged trigger a different reaction.

Guilt and regret for not being able or too selfish to help. Sympathy while feeling relieved that it is not yourself in such an unfortunate situation.

Hopelessness and loss of belief in fairness. The world isn't fair, we know this but rarely admit it unless we feel we are the ones being wronged.

We laugh at and criticize people like the man in this article to feel like we are superior. However, when confronted with the truly hopeless and unfortunate, we don't know how to react.

tmarie, maybe this dude is lazy or just naive, but some people just have no chance, no support, and no hope.

You just never hear of them, because it hits too close to home.

On the same note; I'd like to hear people who say that "life is what you make of it" and other motivational feel-good BS say that to a starving third-world orphan.

Sure, tell him that one day he can be an astronaut, or a politician, a movie star or football ace. I'll make it easier, try telling him that he just might get to eat something tomorrow. The reality is that some people just have no chance. For the have-mores to exist, the have-nots must also.

tmarie, not everyone has a nice farm home out in the countryside to go home to.

Not everyone moved to Tokyo because they got bored of their town out in the sticks. Not everyone has parents that ever loved, or even cared about them. Not everyone even has parents. Some people have parents that are in worse state than themselves.

Many companies (yes, including Mcdonalds) refuse to take on full time employees, as this would burden them with social security and workers insurance, etc, etc, costs. They prefer the disposable "part-timer" who is only entitled to 30 hours of paid employment a week.

I'm sure some people are lazy, some are just not smart when it comes to making choices. Some are are fatalistic underachievers, some are just socially inept, some genuinely have a low IQ....

This however, is not the majority of the "Working Poor".

Doesn't make me wanna go to Mcdonalds anytime soon, however....

There are many countries where recreational marijuana use (by default: possession of less than 5grams of resin, or 8grams of marijuana) is either decriminalized or largely ignored by law enforcement.

Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Most of Scandinavia, West Australia state, Nepal.... There are about the same amount of countries that ignore Marijuana use as there are countries that restrict/prohibit. These countries however, tend to be small African nations and insignificant Baltic states and Central Asian nations.

Although this series of posters are good comical relief and offer a chuckle on a gloomy subway ride, the perpetrators of poor manners are more often than not; salarymen in the 40-60 age range, rather than slovenly youngsters, as this series of PSAs would have us believe.

If criminals plot a crime at a bar, is the bar owner responsible for allowing such conversation to take place?

Would be cool if Ainu decide to claim independence from Japan and start killing ethnic Japanese in their regions.

Why would you want to see innocent civilians being killed?

Old glory? The Kaitens' (not midget subs) use was never documented in combat. Of anything I think these old men are honouring their fallen comrades, or relatives.

Cleo is right, the flag is a memorial banner for the "Kikusui" and "Tagiku" Kaiten squads; from the 3rd submarine fleet.

The girls are not required to shave their head

Maybe the fact that it was named after a resort town in SoCal(La Jolla) jinxed the sub and made the crew complacent.

Fantastic pic! Have you ever tried to get a table at the Yakitori stores?Not very gaijin friendly!

Look at the people overflowing into the street. I reckon it would be hard for the Emperor himself to get a table.

I've never had trouble getting a seat when there are open ones. Sometimes I'll even be invited to sit down with salarymen or ojisans.

It will have the same effect on CO2 emiisions as a fart in a hurricane would.

That said, I think it is more of a cost cutting move by franchisers. Paying the 2 college kids behind the counter 5~10 hours of pay for a few graveyard shift customers just doesn't come up profitable.

Fear, Sex, and Violence sell.

"if Obama becomes president, there will no doubt be assassination attempts"

Heck, there haven't been any assassination attempts against the deeply unpopular Bush - why should there be any assassination attempts against the charismatic Obama?

I reckon it's because the people whom Bush is unpopular with, are not in the demographic that tends to attempt assasinations.

The people who oppose a Black President however.....

<strong>Moderator: Stay on topic please.</strong>

If the Clintons take the Vice-Presidency, does anyone foresee an unfortunate "accident" happening to Obama in near future.

There are already experts saying that if Obama becomes President, there will no doubt be assasination attempts.

I've been hammered to the point where I would have mistaken any one in my bed for my GF.... But would be in no condition for sexual activity, neither would I try to initiate it.

This guy is full of BS.

The kind of people who use buisness/first class are last who would care about a couple hundred more dollars on their airfare.

That Tuna won't make it to Tsukiji, will be sold locally most likely.

Tsukiji is more for frozen tuna that was caught in Europe, Australia, by the locals and than sold to Japan.

Actually, a friend from Aomori told me that the locals hardly ever eat the famous "Ohma Maguro" from the Tusgaru Straits, as it all goes to Tsukiji.

Most import tuna comes to Japan via Narita Airport, and goes straight to distribution. Thus the cargo port at Narita has been nicknamed "Narita Gyokou" (Narita fishing port). Narita Airport is listed a having the largest tuna manifest in the Fishery ministry's log.

Or, I could tell a funny story as to why police and railroad workers in Japan refer to traffic and railroad deaths as "maguro". And other uses for the word.

I wonder if the machine can tell if a child is wearing a mask of Prime Minister Fukuda?

Or if it can tell PM Fukuda from Homer Simpson.

Let's not forget, Bruce Willis pumping Eneos gas in a costume resembling the oil rigger suit from Armageddon.

Kiera Knightly dressed as buchaneer for, some product that escaped my memory.

Almost every sports star in their uniform.

Do most Hollywood stars advertise a product in Japan in their movie persona? That would be like Harrison Ford advertising beer dressed as Indiana Jones.

Funny you'd mention that. I totally recall (pun intended) Ah-nold SchVartzn-eeger doing some beer ads. One in his "Predator" do-up, another as the Terminator.

Some readers seem to have the impression that a single uniformed officer can take down the entire organised crime syndicate.

Thus the, "Don't they have better things to do than stop a gajin on bicycle? Aren't there real criminals like murderers and Yaks!" type comments.

Is there any contry country in the world where a uniformed officer gets up one day and decides, "Heck, I wanna bust me some mobsters today!"?

And yes, Japan does have it's own home-bred vice unit and anti-organised crime task force. They have been so far effective, as Yakuza membership has dropped by 80% since the late 80's.

I just remembered the dandy's name, Crown Duke Archibold, was it?

The faggy dandy in Rob Roy. Prancing around in his thights, wig, and makeup while leashing out brutally cold oppression

I meant lack of creativity and science on the Junta's part.

A fan of Jeffrey Dahmer, no doubt.

Even Myanmar Generals do not want to cremate the dead bodies from cyclone. Their excuse is fuel is so expensive for cremation.

Shows a lack of creativity and knowledge of science. A dead body wrapped several times in cloth will burn like a candle as fats and bodily fluids melt and seep into the cloth, causing a wick-effect.