DP812 comments

Posted in: Law making it illegal to download pirated music, videos goes into effect See in context

Any advice on how to get UK TV legally? I'd be happy to pay the BBC license fee, if it were valid outside the UK.

Unblock Us also works with the BBC iPlayer. Not sure if that's what you mean here, but it will work with content not only from the US, but elsewhere (http://support.unblock-us.com/customer/portal/articles/291570).

If you ever find your account running out of money, just have someone back home buy you another card and email you the code.

And if you don't have anyone back home who can do this for you, there are tons of sites that offer gift card codes for the US iTunes store. I use it regularly and have not had any problems.

Everyone should be running "peer block" A simple piece of software that blocks known monitoring isp's from connecting your device.

The problem with PeerBlock is that it's only "known" ISPs, if there are other ones or new ones, they won't be included. I know the lists are constantly updated, but if you're going to take the downloading risk, you're much better off using a dedicated VPN that doesn't keep logs.

hmmm, sounds like this law is going to make people into hackers and force many into the cyber criminal world. Yes, JP TV is pretty bad with the occasional great program no matter how rare. There always FTA.

The entertainment industry all over the world is operating on outdated models and they're trying to hold onto those models for as long as they can so they don't have to do more work innovating. I'm fully convinced that if content providers found a way to make it easy for people to watch what they want to watch, when they want to watch, and how they want to watch it, then people would happily pay for those options as opposed to resorting to piracy.

As it stands now, though, most cable packages I had access to when I lived in the States consisted of paying a ridiculous amount of money for what amounted to maybe five shows I actually wanted to watch (I've never even looked at the cable packages in Japan and from everything I've heard, it seems like I made the right decision). I'd rather see if I can catch the show on Hulu Plus or wait until the full season comes onto Netflix -- those two combined with the Unblock Us service costs me around ¥2000 per month.

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Posted in: Law making it illegal to download pirated music, videos goes into effect See in context

Happy to help. I'm with you, I'd prefer to stay legal and I have zero problem paying for the shows and movies I want to watch. This seems like the perfect solution -- I get to watch stuff legally, the content providers get my money, everyone's happy.

Well, maybe except for the price-gougers at Sky, but screw them.

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Posted in: Law making it illegal to download pirated music, videos goes into effect See in context

For people like Homeschooler who are willing to pay for content from the States, there are two other options. The first will cost you a bit of extra cash, and that's investing in a VPN service in order to access streaming sites like Netflix or Hulu Plus (I know Hulu is now available in Japan, but their selection is shit). If you have a media player like PS3 or Apple TV, you can stream stuff through those and onto your TV (or you can just connect your computer to your TV).

The service I use is unblock-us.com. It's $4.99 USD a month, so that comes out to around ¥400 and lets me access Netflix and Hulu Plus (which are also paid and unblock-us provides guides for how to use a non-US credit card to pay for them). FYI, this is not a VPN service meant for torrenting, it only really works with sites unblock-us adds to their list. But if you're looking to stay legal and still have access to TV and movies from back home, I haven't noticed any real slowdown compared to my regular Internet connection. There are occasional slow periods, but for the most part, I can be streaming all day without any trouble.

Netflix is perfect for movies while Hulu is better for TV shows -- lots of shows are updated as new episodes air (and it's introduced me to shows I may not have otherwise thought to seek out on my own). Sometimes you even get episodes in advance -- I saw the series premiere of Revolution a few weeks before it aired on TV. You can also use this for pay-per-view rental services like Vudu, CinemaNow, or Amazon Prime.

The other option doesn't require a VPN and it's iTunes. Yes, there is region blocking on the iTunes store, but it only region-blocks based on where your credit card is from. If you have a US credit card, you have no problem. If you don't, then what you do is go to the iTunes Store and scroll all the way down to the bottom. In the lowest, right-hand corner is a circular flag representing the region you're in, just click on that and you'll be brought to a page to change your region. Select United States and then it'll bring you to the US store and ask you to create an account, but click no. Then go over to the Apps page and click any free app. From here it will ask you to create an account and do so. Once you've done that, cancel the app download and you'll have an account without having to had enter credit card info. You can load up your iTunes account with gift card points, and you can buy the codes for these cards at any number of sites (I use OffGamers.com a lot, for that and PSN points). You can rent movies and buy TV shows, both in HD and SD. With TV shows, you can either buy individual episodes or entire seasons. For shows in progress, you can buy a season pass that basically acts as a pre-order for the entire season and you can download all the episodes that have already been released and future episodes will be automatically downloaded. And if you have an Apple TV, you can stream your iTunes library right to your TV.

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Posted in: Does racial bias fuel Obama foes? See in context

I'm always amazed when I see people accuse Obama of being Marxist and of having "far-left principles." Ronald Reagan, who is considered by many conservatives as being the Superman of the Republican Party, had a higher tax rate and more government employees when he was President than Obama. So if Obama is a Marxist, what does that make Reagan? Even if Obama is able to raise taxes, the tax rate will still be lower than what it was under Clinton. And Clinton, if you'll recall, was considered to be a moderate Democrat.

The problem here is that the Republicans keep telling the Democrats to move more towards the middle. And every time the Democrats do, the Republicans move more towards the right. What was once "moderate" in America is now called "far left" and "Marxist" or "socialist" by the conservatives. And it's patently ridiculous.

If you had access to a time machine and pulled Ronald Reagan out of the 80s and dropped him into the recent Republican primary, he'd be considered a left-wing loon or a RINO -- Republican In Name Only.

And even if you're a conservative and legitimately oppose Obama due to his policies, that's fine, I can understand that. But to act as if there's no racism in the Republican campaign shows you are willing keeping your eyes shut. The birther issue for one has a massive racial bias (McCain was actually born in a foreign country -- Panama -- but there was zero stink coming from the Republicans about him being illegitimate). And despite being debunked -- numerous times -- Republicans still stoke that image by passing laws like requiring Presidential candidates to present their birth certificates. What about when Huckabee said Obama grew up in Kenya, deliberately stoking the birther nonsense? How about Sununu saying he "wishes Obama would learn to be an American"? What about the Romney staffer who said that Romney would have a better relationship with the UK than Obama because Romney appreciates the shared Anglo-Saxon heritage? What about when Romney described Obama's policies as "foreign"? And what about all the right-wing crazies who still accuse Obama of being Muslim?

These are code words. They're a way of saying, "he's different, he's OTHER, he's not one of us, he's an outsider." It is absolutely race-baiting and anyone who says otherwise is clearly living in denial.

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Posted in: Romney accepts Republican nomination with support from Clint Eastwood, Olympians See in context

Compare to Obama's plans of unlimited spending, Romney has called for cutting federal government spending to help reduce the national debt. This is a must for the future generations. He has proposed changes such as gradually raising the eligibility ages for Social Security, Medicare, and other entitlement programs benefits. He also favors substantial increases in military spending, and invest more in military weapons programs and to increase the number of active duty military personnel. Also,He would seek income tax law reforms that he says would help lower federal deficits and would stimulate economic growth. The proposal of tax changes by reducing individual income tax rates across the board by 20 percent, maintaining the Bush era tax rate of 15 percent on investment income from dividends and capital gains. Sounds encouraging.

You really don't know what you're talking about, do you? You're saying Romney will reduce the deficit by substantially increasing military spending, increasing the number of military personnel, AND reducing revenue?

I think you need to go back to first grade math.

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Posted in: Republican anger at Obama rages at convention See in context

Yes, I will agree there is a lot mudslinging going on, but it started with Obama.

False. It started with Republicans when they started bushing the Birther nonsense. Then it continued with the Death Panels. As far as this specific campaign goes, Romney started it when he deliberately misquoted Obama.

The very first ad that came out about Obama this campaign season was an ad for Romney. It quoted Obama as saying, "if we keep talking about the economy, we're gonna lose."

But the fact of the matter is that the Romney campaign deliberately edited out the proper context. That quote was from 2008 and the full quote went, "Senator McCain's campaign actually said, and I quote, 'if we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose.'" Obama was QUOTING HIS OPPONENT AND CRITICIZING THAT QUOTE! Yet Romney deliberately lied and portrayed that quote as if it was Obama referring to his campaign in 2012.

When asked about the deliberate lie, do you know what Romney's response was? "What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander."

So if you've got a problem with anyone misrepresenting Romney, just remember that Romney launched the opening salvo and by Romney's own standards of campaigning, "what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander."

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Posted in: Bill Clinton urges Americans to stick with Obama See in context

So the Republicans call foul and Democrats backpeddle? Christ, after four years of this shit, you'd think the Democrats would have learned that every time you go closer to the center, the Republicans go further to the right. What the Republicans now call "extreme liberalism" used to be "moderate politics" twenty years ago.

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Posted in: Politics - American wives vs Japanese wives See in context

American feminization is identified with lesbian acceptance, abortion tolerance, extra-marital affairs, one parent households, soap opera mentality which inevitably leads to social kayos.

The 1950s called, they want their mentality back.

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Posted in: Romney accepts Republican nomination with support from Clint Eastwood, Olympians See in context

Fact-checkers across the board have given the Romney/Ryan campaign failing grades. They continually distort or outright lie about Obama's policies. And as far as Romney's policies, they amount to lowering taxes on the rich (because that worked so well over the past fourteen years), increasing the tax burden on the middle class, making it harder for people who aren't rich to get a good education (Romney's solution: borrow money from your parents, but that doesn't work if your parents aren't as rich as George Romney), going back to the days of pre-existing conditions barring people from health insurance, and slashing programs which help people who aren't rich. Estimates on the Romney economic plan show that it will add to the deficit -- not cut, add.

You cannot solve the deficit problem by cutting taxes. Even proponents of Reaganomics like Alan Greenspan have said this is a stupid idea.

And let's not forget that despite Romney's claims that he supports abortion in the cases of rape or incest, he's a proponent of a personhood amendment and has said he would like to see it happen. A personhood amendment, for those unaware, would grant full rights of a legal person to a fetus at the moment of conception. This would not only outlaw abortions in cases of rape or incest as murder, but it would also outlaw many forms of hormonal birth control. Romney also wants to reinstate Don't Ask Don't Tell, which would again relegate gay soldiers to second-class citizens, but he also opposes the right of gay couples to marry or even enter into civil unions.

And the "flip flop" thing isn't "liberal propaganda" -- it's a known fact. RomneyCare is pretty much identical to ObamaCare, Romney was fully pro-choice in the past, and Romney said he would be to the left of Ted Kennedy, the famed liberal lion, on gay rights.

Plus, many of Romney's surrogates worked in the Bush administration and are strong proponents of a war with Iran. If the Romney campaign were being honest, their campaign slogan would be, "Dubya 2: Iranian Boogaloo."

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Posted in: Can embracing Japanese culture make you forget your own? See in context

Every time I return back to the States, I get hit with reverse culture shock really bad. Towards the end of one of my recent trips, I said, without even realizing it, "this has been a good vacation, but I'm looking forward to returning home."

And although it has been difficult (I knew no Japanese when I came but through self-study I've learned quite a bit, yet not enough to be considered fluent), I really don't have any desire to live in the States again.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Gun culture thrives in U.S. despite cinema massacre See in context

Nah, just random stabbings and random hit-n-runs, but you're right, no shootings.

Which are still a drop in the bucket in comparison to violent crime in America.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Posted in: Colorado shooting unlikely to spur changes in gun laws See in context

As I wrote in a related post, had some of the moviegoers been armed, the shooter could have been neutralized quickly instead of their literally having been sitting ducks.

A darkened theater jam-packed with people, with gas canisters going off and paranoia and panic running high. If you armed even a fraction of those people, the result would have been a lot of crossfire and I guarantee a lot more deaths. And once the police arrived, they wouldn't know who the actual assailant was.

And given the armor Holmes was wearing, it wouldn't have stopped him anyway.

In what reality is that an acceptable alternative? I just love how everyone thinks they're The Man With No Name in these situations.

America's increased fetishization with guns has reached a fever-pitch and the NRA won't rest until they turn America into the kind of wild west you see in the movies. It's one of many, many reasons why I don't ever want to go back to America. It's increasingly becoming a cesspool.

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Posted in: New hirees quitting in droves See in context

The man-child needs to grow up. I can sympathize with Mr. C, although not because of the basketball thing, but there is way too much focus in Japan on "your job is your life" and employers are far too willing to transfer their employees across the country, no matter the circumstances. Perhaps one factor in the low population is that people are being worked to death and in some cases, have to live apart from their families?

As far as the first two go, this system of keeping young people in menial positions is ridiculous. Just because you're straight out of college doesn't mean the only thing you're qualified to do is serve tea and count banknotes. There needs to be more focus put on the skills these people have. Japan won't dig itself out of the hole its in if it keeps treating the youth like they don't matter.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Outrage grows over Shiga school's inaction over bullying See in context

Former WBC, Japanese and OPBF flyweight champion Daisuke Naito is pretty outspoken about bullying since he was bullied as a student. So for punishment, I say these teachers, police officers, and bullies should each have to go a few rounds in the ring against Mr. Naito. To start. More punishment should surely follow.

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Posted in: A recent NHK poll showed that 62% liked the idea of Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto fielding candidates from his Ishin no Kai in the next lower house election so that he can have a greater say in national See in context

Very well DP...your suggestion for a politician ( with enough clout ) to try to steer Japan out of its slow decay and decline is exactly who right now then? Please find me one and I,ll be rooting all out for him. Yeah, didn't think so...

What part of "different is not synonymous with good" were you incapable of understanding? Because it seems pretty damn clear to me (but then again, I'm not the sort who supports backwards-thinking nationalists). Your attitude is the exact same one I see in the Tea Partiers in America -- knee-jerk reactionaries who are so incapable of independent thought, they jump behind anyone who promises something different, regardless of what "different" actually entails. Hashimoto is a nationalistic nutjob, and if you think the answer to Japan's problems is turning back the clock to the days of nationalistic policies, then you either have zero knowledge of history or are just a moron.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: A recent NHK poll showed that 62% liked the idea of Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto fielding candidates from his Ishin no Kai in the next lower house election so that he can have a greater say in national See in context

Very well, so just let Japan continue to rot away under the current effective political leadership then.

I believe there were people saying this in Berlin back in the 1930s...

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Posted in: A recent NHK poll showed that 62% liked the idea of Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto fielding candidates from his Ishin no Kai in the next lower house election so that he can have a greater say in national See in context

so i take it you think the current government is doing a good job?

Man, I just love when an idiot can only think in black and white terms. "If you don't support Hashimoto, you must be 100% in favor of the current government."

what's wrong with nationalism?

Is this a serious question or are you being sarcastic?

japan needs fixing and at least they are trying.

Isolationist, nationalistic policies will not fix Japan. I suggest you read a history book.

Hashimoto says some stupid things like the tatoo issue but he is also trying to shake up the establishment and is pro-cutting government waste , pro -reform and anti nuke...you may hate some of the things he says but Japan needs people like him to at least try to reform the corrupt , ineffcient oyaji ruled political system we all have to put up with now. The current crop of Japan`s political " leaders" needs to be thrown out one way or another.

As I recall, there have been a lot of "reform" politicians popping up in the U.S. lately -- people like Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Donald Trump, etc.

"Different" is not synonymous with "good."

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Posted in: A recent NHK poll showed that 62% liked the idea of Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto fielding candidates from his Ishin no Kai in the next lower house election so that he can have a greater say in national See in context

Because blind nationalism worked so well in the past? Hashimoto should be expelled from politics.

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Posted in: 10 things foreign guys do that make Japanese girls fall head over heels See in context

Wow, there are some very, very, very bitter people in the comments section here. Believe it or not, there are guys there who don't mind doing these kinds of things and in fact, even enjoy doing them. I used to be one of those "this is so cheesy" types. Until I met a woman I fell hard for. Over a year into our relationship, I'm still doing these things -- and she returns the favor as well. And it's not something I'm "trying" to do -- it just comes naturally.

And some of these "watch how J-girls will turn into vicious money-grubbers once you slip the ring on" people -- stereotypical much?

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