Fredster comments

Posted in: Free speech or illegal threats online? U.S. Supreme Court asked to decide See in context

wtfjapan commented..

wont make any difference...

On the surface you are correct - - except that the USA in the form of the FBI & TSA basically control just who can fly and who cannot...

I for one would not want to see you have to hide behind the suposid impunity of being a foreign national residing in a foreign country when they decide that comments made by you on social media constitutes you being branded as a person that should be placed on a "no-fly" list...

Perhaps this doesn't bother you but it is a contemporary "fact of life" - - easy to get on a "list" and almost impossible to get off one...

Just a thought in advance of you considering yourself invulnerable....

Cheers,

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Posted in: Ordeal over See in context

Why are they looking so shameful? Ladies, the tragedy of two losing their lives apart, you are survivors against great odds.

It's called "Survivor's Guilt" and it is more than common in all cultures - - there can be a terrible shame, especially amongst friends and companions, when one survives and others are lost. They may be happy to have survived but ashamed because they are happy that they did...

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Posted in: Rescued Japan diver says sea spun 'like washing machine' See in context

Also, how did they "open" it ? I haven't had any coconut "milk" in a long time but I seem to remember them being particularly hard to "open".

Diver's knife is the most likely way - I am sure that all or most were carrying one as it is essential gear if you get tangled in kelp or dirft fishing line....

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Posted in: China says Abe not welcome after Yasukuni shrine visit See in context

At the street level all of this bleating by the Chinese government is not having quite the effect on their own people as they might wish...

Here in Sapporo the city's hotels and walkways are plugged full of Chinese tourists - smilling happy tourists enjoying the snow, shopping & food - - nothing but smiles, laughter and happy feelings...

The difference in the past few years is the poliferation of the FAMILY tourist groups - lots of kids & teenagers with parents as well as young couples...

Seems to me that this is nothing but good - when kids get to experience foreign countries at a young age it tends to break down the stereotypes that their culture and families try to instill on them... Young Japanese can & are learning from this as well IMO...

What is happening on the street level gives me a lot more hope for the future of both countries...

13 ( +16 / -3 )

Posted in: Google Glass eyewear lets winking snap pictures See in context

Never gonna fly in Japan as AFAIK current laws dictate that all forms of photography must have a "shutter sound" associated with them when taking a picture...

eg] Keitai's have no shutter but must have the shutter noise to make others aware when they are being used for "privacy" reasons..

It was also suggested that video cameras should also have a red light to show when video is being captured but I have been unable to get a definitive answer on if that is currently required - could see it being implemented for this application...

Can't say what's gonna happen the first time some cutie realizes that that perv on the train is winking at her while wearing his google glass...

How would you feel ?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Fukushima water storage tanks flawed, workers say See in context

All those surprised raise your hands.

All those who think that they could do a better job raise there hands - and then get on the bus for Fukushima where you will find your coveralls and rubber gloves waiting...

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Posted in: Snowden to work for mystery Russian website See in context

So much for Snowden's "visa-enabling condition" to the Russian Government that he would be welcomed only if he stopped leaking classified and potentially damaging intelligence information...

Karma's a bitch me thinks - for the US, for Snowden and also for Russia for enabling this situation to proliferate while they chuckle for the chaos being witnessed...

It will be interesting to see what goes down the next time Russia needs the USA to take sides with them....

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Posted in: Balloon pilot in deadly NZ crash had cannabis in his system See in context

If the substance was "in his system" then he was "under it's influence" no matter the degree of that influence...

I was young once too and could share a few stories... but anyone who would suggest that although it was "just" in his system or he had "just" smoked it 12-24 hours previously that this had no effect are guilty of exercising almost as poor a level of responsibility and judgement as the pilot of this craft did...

Would love it to see how these protagonists would react if they boarded a flight overseas and the pilot came over the loudspeaker and said "Hey dudes... this is Stu your captain speaking - I was smoking a little herb last night at a party at the airport hotel but don't worry yourselves none - it was at least 12 hours ago and I am feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed so just sit back, relax and leave the flying to us..."

Tell me you wouldn't feel that your safety was in question...

Now tell me what you would do & how you would feel if you got in a hot air balloon in NZ or elsewhere in the world and the guy doing the flying said the same thing ? ? ?

The point here is that it is highly unlikely that any of the 10 dead customers were afforded that option and THAT is whats FU'd about this story...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Abe, Inose discuss how to make Tokyo more visitor-friendly See in context

NUMBER 1 way to make Tokyo ( as well as the rest of Japan ) more "visitor" friendly - is to institute a 100% smoking ban in public places including restaurants, bars and other places of mass gathering...

Visitors have come accustom to this in most other Major cities and developed nations and it is one of the primary things that separates Japan from the rest of the world's hospitality industry...

7 years to phase this in makes this completely obtainable - even in Japan where the government is entrenched in the tobacco industry...

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Posted in: Japan voices irritation at Ban's comments See in context

I am afraid that the UN has a lot more to worry about these days than the acknowledgment / lack thereof by a country for war crimes etc., that took place over 7 decades ago...

The SG should be devoting 110% of his attention to those things that are threatening top blow up half the middle-east and subsequently drag half of the rest of the world into it for the sake of a few barrels of crude...

Get with the times SG Ban - there will be PLENTY of time to sling your left over political rhetoric from your stint as SKFM at Japan when you finish solving the problems of the present... GET BACK TO WORK...

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: Angelina Jolie speaks out against rape in war zones See in context

Jolie is just another celeb face who has "earned" tens of millions for doing very little. A single movie with a few hundred hours will pay her more than what the average person would get in 10 lifetimes af full-time work.

Conversely Jolie - using her celebrity and vast sums of her own money - has done more for the awareness and plight of refugees worldwide through the UNHCR than any "regular" person could ever accomplish in those same 10 lifetimes...

The river flows both ways - sure she earns exorbitant amounts of money doing her day job but she also gives back both in her time and her money... So minimal research on your part would find that she is not one of these "cause du jour" celebs from Hollywood that drives a Fisker around town because it appeals to her demographic - she in fact takes time from her busy schedule to become directly involved in trying to help... More than I could say for 99.5% of the people I meet...

Since she has no other real hardship in her life other than maintaining her figure and shopping for clothes which cost at least 4 figures, she has to find something else to whine about.

Wow, you seem to have a terminal case of Sour grapes it seems - jealous much ? People such as yourself are at the root of the problem - too busy thinking and lusting after what other people have vs. being concerned about what others do not have...

Why not show how responsible you are by making a donation to "Japan for UNHCR" or some other charity of your choice....

14 ( +17 / -3 )

Posted in: Abe's ruling bloc wins big in upper house vote See in context

@BertieWooster...

Silence has a different meaning for Japanese people than it has for "wareware gaijin."

You and I agree on this - the first thing I tell foreigners during consult is that "In Japan it is not what is said that is important - it's what is not being said that is the most important thing to listen for and form opinions from..."

This is one of the least easy parts of the culture for the unacquainted to understand and seems nonsensical until you have lived / operated in the environment for a few years ( although some seem to have lived here a lifetime and will never "get it" )

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Posted in: The big heat See in context

Funny yet germane to the conversation....

The tat on her arm says "Woman"..... :-) no, really it does....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Car chased by police crashes into residence killing passenger See in context

Stands to reason that if the driver hasn't pulled over in the first 1/2 km he's not going to. Take the number down and cool the chase off before someone dies !

Awesome - All anybody needs to do is not stop for the first 500 meters and they are scott-free... What a great country yours would be... "Honest officer - I was at home in bed - you sure you got the plate number correct?"

The problem faced by law abiding drivers and pedestrians in this country from drunk and otherwise poor drivers is the lack of enforcement & subsequent consequences for their actions / transgressions...

If there were regular checks for drunk drivers in the form of spot roadside checks & routine / proper traffic law enforcement then people might learn that there are consequences for breaking traffic laws...

There is a wholly lacking enforcement of traffic laws here in Japan - anybody here for any length of time knows this... The average oji / oba simply puts his head down and ploughs on thru with the attitude that "If I didn't see you - how can it be to blame ?"

The problem with the above scenario is not that the J-cops were chasing the drunk - it's that the drunk behind the wheel thought that the police would STOP chasing them after the first 1/2 KM...

9 ( +9 / -1 )

Posted in: Russia says U.S. put it in tough spot over Snowden See in context

Everyone seems at ease except the US because at this point Snowden could literally say ANYTHING he wants and the everyone seems to believe him carte blanche...

There seems to be little doubt that there is a lot of truth to what this guy is saying but I am amazed at the majority of people who seem ready to believe everything that comes out of his mouth - and that is what the US is uneasy about IMO...

If he said tomorrow that he was privy to a cover up over Obama's birth cert. and knew he was actually born in Kenya the world would accept it as gospel - and the Tea drinkers would welcome him home a hero :-)

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Posted in: Have Japan’s anti-smoking laws gone too far? See in context

Well I too could jump on my soapbox about smoking in Japan - suffice to say I encounter smoking "situations" on a daily basis that I find displeasing (understatement)...

However - the thing that absolutely freaks me out the most - is when I see the young mother &/or father take their young child or infant into that "Cancer Ward / Fishbowl Room" ( you know: those glassed in smoking aquariums that you don't even need to light-up in to get a nicotine fix ) at places like Mos Burger because they want to smoke...

My personal opinion is that those parents should be arrested for child endangerment

Smoking around your kids and subjecting them to second hand smoke is bad enough but taking them into those rooms is the equivalent to sticking a needle in your child's arm just because you are a junkie...

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

Posted in: 42 die in fire at refugee camp in Thailand See in context

The problem is that most of these refugees are not of the proper "ethnicity" for the current regime to allow them back... Not dissimilar to the those who are persona-non-grata in UNHCR camps in eastern Nepal...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Schoolboy pitching sensation chooses Ham Fighters over MLB See in context

They will destroy his arm...

Like they destroyed Darvish's arm when he was drafted out of High School ? ?

...and he will make less money.

In the short term perhaps this is true - but if he turns out to be as good as Darvish then in the long run he may very well make much more when & if he goes to the majors...

...wonder who put the squeeze on the kid? Brow beaten into a reversal...

I have to start giving my wife more credit - this is exactly what she suggested would be said...

Otani was vilified and called names when he suggested he would go to MLB - and now that he has changed his mind he has obviously been put under undue pressure and or brow beaten...

Damed if you do or don't...

Personally, I am happy to see that he is coming to Sapporo and I am certain that he will be given all the respect and time that he needs to properly develop his skill-set...

I never believed for a second that his "going to America" was going to be the fairy tale that he thought it was going to be - 160km fastball or not he would have to of spent a number of years in the minors riding busses and learning English & American culture the hard way - 18 year old high school graduates only get to start in the NBA...

Looking forward to seeing him in action...

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Posted in: Apple's downward spiral accelerates See in context

Basroil wrote...

If that were true all the stocks should be down, but Samsung's up 1.75% and Microsoft up 1%, while only Apple was down 6.4%.

The upcoming capital gains increase in the US next year will hit hardest those whole have actually "GAINED" wealth through their investments...

A large percentage of the owners of Apple stock are facing a fair tax burden because of the extreme gains in the price of their stock and are therefore trying to minimize their exposure before the new year and before this "forecasted" sell-off artificially devalues the price...

Regarding Microsoft and Samsung - there is simply no need for owners of either of those stocks to have to even consider having to protect themselves for such a capital gains exposure because they don't have any gains to be taxed...

There will certainly be lots of other reasons, analysis and speculations regarding for this current sell-off and market cap decline but a direct comparison to other stocks yields no meaningful information with consideration of a multitude of other factors... It isn't just as simple as an US vs Them argument...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: UNIQLO and Bic Camera to open new BICQLO store in Shinjuku See in context

I believe from what I have heard that it will be a "shared" retail space - meaning that both "FULL" BIC camera and UNIQLO stores will be located within the same retail building ( currently a BIC camera branch )...

Smart move for Bic - give up a couple of retail floors and get the increase foot-traffic from Uniqlo...

Smart move for Uniqlo - get a new store at a cheaper price than having to have your building and get the additional traffic from BIC...

A similar experiment seems to have worked well here in Sapporo - There has been a new Uniqlo on the 6th or 7th floor of the Bic Camera Sapporo branch for a few years now since Loft shut down - - seems to be a synergy there...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Power and the glory See in context

Of perhaps greater interest.... the man on her shoulders is her Father who was also the "second" coach in her corner...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: China to land first moon probe next year See in context

China to land first moon probe next year...

Followed closely by a claim that the Moon and all it's resources belong to them - because it has been theirs all along anyway......

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Posted in: Getting into the spirit See in context

Just not sure exactly what a ten pin bowling pin has to do with soccer though

About as much as cheese has to do with football....

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Posted in: Do you agree with Warner Bros' decision to cancel red-carpet events, premieres and news conferences for "The Dark Knight Rises" in various capitals around the world, including Tokyo, because of the fa See in context

....as a sign of respect for those who were killed

911 changed forever the way people act when boarding or traveling on a plane - some try to be more situationally aware & some are just paranoid or scared - and this is what is going to happen to MANY people when they consider going back into a movie theatre...

It has taken YEARS for the airline and tourism industry to recover from 911 and that is what Hollywood is up against - all this in an environment where online video, pirating, direct to consumer entertainment are already threatening the Hollywood status quo for making billions of $...

SO... believing that what the Studios are doing here is "primarily" out of respect is being naive at best...

While I acknowledge that what they are doing is "respectful"... IMO the primarily reason for this is monitary because they need to do something to convince the world to not only come back to see Batman:DKR BUT ALSO all of the other films that people might stay away from because of the fear factor now associated with this tragic event...

It's all about the box office receipts - for Batman, the next multi-million $ blockbuster and the $ taken at the gate FOR YEARS AND YEARS TO COME...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Posted in: Deportation order issued against Nepali granted retrial in 1997 murder case See in context

Let's just all grab a deep breath and put ourselves in Mainali-san's shoes for a second shall we...

One of two scenarios exist... He is actually guilty or He is actually innocent...

If he is guilty then he knows that the best thing is for him to get out of Japan while the gettins good...

If he is innocent then surely he has no faith in the justice system that wrongfully convicted him the first time around - hence - get out while the gettins good...

Given the 15 years he's had to endure - falsely or not - I am 100% certain that going home is his top priority as opposed to waiting around to see if he gets sent back or get's a pay-out...

At least, if deported, he gets a free ride home doesn't he ?

I am sure that his lawyer here in Japan is not going to forego his % of the payout for his client - so I don't think that he is about to let things drop if found innocent... He will be compensated in time as long as the system reverses the verdict...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Hosono fails to convince Kansai leaders on restart of Oi reactors See in context

smithjapan = always the conspiracy theorist..

By your accounts, all they need to do is dial the grid back 5% or divert the grid to where it is not needed and then simply WAIT...

Then when the temps soar, escalators shut down in the eki, A/C grinds to a halt in public buildings... the populous will SCREAM blue-bloody-murder for their electrical FIX...

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Posted in: Hosono fails to convince Kansai leaders on restart of Oi reactors See in context

Really don't see what all the vitriolic is from the regulars...

Cleo - I do virtually have a NPP in my backyard / kitchen and I say "fire 'er up"... Conversely, if the majority says no then that's no problem either - but then I can RESPECT others' opinions even though I may disagree...

wackness - this isn;t a majority rule situation - it is a politicians whims based on what gets him the most votes & press - - anybody who knows anything about Japanese politics understands what a whiney little bitch with delusions of grandeur Hashimoto is... to him this is just about the headlines...

It's eye-opening to read some of the non-tollerant comments about "being tolerant" that proliferate this site day in and day out = = I FULLY respect the opinion of others to decide their own course by not allowing NPPs to restart - but when it hits 38 this summer and those escalators start to shut down there are consequences to those decisions...

If people want a real "representative" democrative decision on the issue then let's have a national referendum and let the chips fall where they may... That's a least a modicum of democracy isn't it ??

-2 ( +4 / -5 )

Posted in: Hosono fails to convince Kansai leaders on restart of Oi reactors See in context

That's all fine and dandy... I submit that when the shortages start and there's not enough power to go around - Cities & Prefectures that say "NO" to NPP restarts should be the first to have to shoulder the burden...

Only seems fair that if they "don't want it in their backyard" they should be prepared to be the first in the line when shortage mitigation procedures are implemented...

-7 ( +7 / -12 )

Posted in: Group files injunction to stop restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactors See in context

Public opinion turning against Nuclear Power generation is a great step forward - but let's not "Cut off our Noses just to spite our face"

Most of the vocal groups speaking out against Nuclear Power have absolutely no idea what is to replace it when it is gone...

This is a typical case of Speaking out while having No Solution in mind...

It's a great idea to move towards a cleaner and safer way of enjoying our modern day lives - but let's take it 1 step at a time - - producing 37% more ghg because burning coal is "so-much-safer" doesn't seem like a well thought out long term alternative to me - and what we NEED here is LONG TERM ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS -> NOT KNEE-JERK REACTIONS...

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Posted in: Justice Ministry eyes facial recognition, other biometric IDs for immigration control See in context

Aren't fingerprints enough?

Come on man, you must have seen all those Mission Impossible films - fingerprints can easily be faked.... :-)

0 ( +2 / -2 )

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