freedomski comments

LoL. Smith are you feeling better now getting all these off your chest ?

The conversation in here reminds me how I was about Take That in the 80's or 90's. I ridiculed the band in front of my much younger sisters who were huge fans. Perhaps just because I was more a fan of the well known bands from the 60's and 70's. However in recent years Robby Williams became one of my favorite artists and I even enjoy Take That songs from time to time.

I'm not a Bieber fan nor a connoisseur of all things Bieber but you'll never know how this young guy will develop in the future. I just wish him good luck with the exceptional possibilities he has in life.

Speaking of kids, wouldn't Love Hotels be a perfect reason to start a conversation about the birds and the bees and safe sex whenever kids are ready to be educated ?

Thanks WilliB and others for the tips about how to check them out. It's been already lot's of fun research so far. Next move will be to get the misses on board. I can tell you that in itself will be quite a difficult operation.

In our younger days, whenever I asked her to try one out she always came up with a reason not go. So we never went :( Well after being married for almost 2 decades it's time to spice up our relationship.

Like Imacat mentioned already: can't use the words "love hotel" directly. It was the cause I never been to one.... yet ! But I'm worried I won't get her going unless I blindfold her on the way to one of them.

I've never been to one. Would like to try though :)

So question for the experienced love-hotel visitors. Is there a good or convenient place to check out what certain love-hotels have to offer ? Are there any review sites ?

What a lot of interesting reactions on this topic. Thanks to the people like oberst, zstar, mushroom, globalwatcher, smithinjapan and others giving balance to some of the irrational and emotional reactions above.

All folks posting here prepare yourselves for more fear mongering based on the Chinese economy growth and the supposedly following military threat. Not an expert myself on things economic, politic or military but I learn a lot of the information available on the internet recently.

Someone mentioned Donald Trump. I saw Donald Trump on CNN today in an interview insisting the Chinese are THE ENEMY while doing some handsome China bashing. And my god, he might run for the presidency next year.

sorry, I meant: ... SUCH an argument ..

OssanAmerica, awesome information. But if one goes down the lane of making an argument is there any proof ?

I come from the Netherlands where no school uniforms are required but since my emigration to Japan and see my kids growing up in uniforms is something I had different views on over time.

The shorts during K-preschool seemed cruel to me at first. But nowadays I believe it makes the body stronger. Getting used to the cold in winter wearing shorts helps to develop a stronger blood circulation. As long as they don't get wet by rain it's alright with me. Catching the flue once a year or so isn't so bad either.

My kids in elementary school don't wear uniforms and I'm very happy with that. Just like it was during my own school time in the 70's and 80's.

As for junior high and h.s. I like the pos about uniforms, not so much the supposedly disciplinary effect but more the focus can be more on teaching and it helps to limit the distraction kids can and will get from getting in line with fashion.

Cleo - I'm in favour of a dress code rather than a set uniform, ie kids can wear what they like within reason, the definition of reason to be set by the school board and the PTA and the rule applied reasonably.

Although I enjoy reading and agree with most of your posts on different topics I have to disagree here. A dress-code would costs time and energy by the school staff which would be better spend on teaching and put together a well-balanced lunch menu.

donkusai - For goodness sakes, people, this story is about EGYPT! I'm amazed how pretty much every single post on this site almost instantly turns into a whinge about American politics. Time for some people - left, right or incoherent - to get a life!

Egypt is an American product. Don't know your age but you could know if you were able to read newspapers from the time Saddad was in power.

Mikehuntez - The majority are young secular leftists and liberals, who launched the wave of protests though an Internet campaign, but the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood also has built a prominent role.

Ahhh the power of the left to stamp their feet in a temper tantrum to try to get their way. Very typical. And not representative of the whole of the population.

From your words one could conclude that MB are comparable with the conservatives in the U.S.

WilliB - And the Muslim Brotherhood does not fit the definition of "globalist criminals"?

If one combines what WilliB AND mikehuntez are saying the conservatives are the globalist criminals. Not to far from the truth in my opinion.

What worries me most is why folks posting here seem to know what would be best for Egypts future. Our form and perception of democracy does not necessarily fit their needs.

Sushisake3 - Seems like the conservatives on this thread will hail democracy, and then, whenever they feel the urge, blatantly discourage the entire democratic process. Having no real principles has never been so easy!

If what you say is true, it's very troubling. Germany had like more than 30 parties in its democracy before WWII and people couldn't make up their minds. Then Adolf H. made an end to all the indecisiveness by taking advantage of the situation and turning the country into a dictatorship.

Perhaps modern democracy should be changed a little and let the folks choose their next dictator ?

Or are you arguing that W wasn't even a president worthy of criticism?

You didn't ask me. But I think W wasn't worthy of criticism because he doesn't seem to learn despite all the criticism. Nonetheless I welcome his reappearance on the stage. What would the world be without a clown ?

Moderator: Stay on topic please. The subject is Palin's comments.

GJDailleult, Thanks for the great suggestion to watch "The Centure of the Self".

Just saw the first quarter. This first one hour part has been an real eyeopener in many aspects.

Hehehohohaha, I think you are arguing about a very GREY area. At the moment of the handover the economic collapse just took place. Remember autumn 2008 ?

Donkusai - An interesting thing about the graph I was looking at, debt was falling consistently from the end of world war 2 to 1980.

Very interesting data. For those who have seen the documentary Money Masters I'm sure you will agree that it makes sense America had to be driven into huge deficits.

I wonder what percentage of the deficit is owed to the federal reserve system.

oops, should have been: criticized

In 2009 Obama ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay and was determined to make an end to the waterboarding. In 2010 an delay in the closing was announced in the media and later in that year followed by messages about the inability to get Guantanamo Bay closed.

I presume the waterboarding is still going on and didn't get much attention anymore because of all the new fuss going on in the world. Such as moving troops from Iraq to Afghanistan, healtcare reforms, recovery from the economic crisis, Wikikleaks, North Korea and the recent the uproar in Tunesia and Egypt.

Obama hasn't been critised the way Bush was simply because Obama didn't initiate the events leading to the current state of the wars and the economy.

Pamelot - What an embarrassment for the United States.

I am more embarrassed by the ignorance and lack of "civility" shown to an ex American President.

GW Bush should get what he deserves and the consequences of his policies and decision making should be taken into account when considering he should be shown respect or not. (If respect is what you mean by lack of "civility").

Personally I would like the former decider go to Swiss and see if he can dodge any of the shoes prepared for him. Though security measures could include that wearing shoes and slippers will be forbidden for everyone attending the speech.

Molenir - So pathetic. Go complain about the article being wrong, that all the intelligence assessments are stupid, and of course insist that China isn't behaving aggressively towards its neighbors. What was Vietnam complaining about again?

In my opinion no one is complaining that the article is being wrong or intelligence assesments are stupid. Though one might question wether they're biased intelligence assesments suiting the agenda of the most influential forces in the world: the dominating BANKING SYSTEMS.

But what was Vietnam complaining about ?

OssanAmerica - Thank you for clearifying where the fear lies. About the spending on military by China my believe is that it's pretty normal. The budget spend on one's armed forces are comparable with insurances. The higher the value of the possesions the more you need to invest in your insurance. Hope you did not miss my point though. China's buying of bonds of several countries including the U.S.A. during the financial crisis is proof that they want a stable world-economy. So, no need to worry about it to that extent. :) Better worry about the influence of the international banking system on the wars of the world in the past and the future.

How remarkable so many people show so much fear and worries about Chinese economic success in recent decades. Wonder what those expressions of insecurity comes from. Would you really think that the Chinese will spend their hard earned money on warfare once they are so loaded and done making money ? As some have pointed out already: bonds can't be recalled just like that. That in itself is an important sign that China is committed to establish a stable world economy. They've been buying bonds in Europe as well (Greece for example) and I don't believe they bought them while thinking of an aggressive attempt for world/regional dominance presumed by may posters here. I am more worried about the most influential banking systems in the world like the Federal Reserve System (or Bank as sometimes interpreted). Check out their history and one might understand that a chance of war with China won't happen as long as China's development fits in their agenda. Some say: Money makes the world go round.

Nigelboy, you are speculating quite a bit. Just carve in the ceremonial stone that it counts for all warciminals from A-Z then that problem is solved by a few chops of a chisel. As Grafton's looks at the issue is more humane, I can sympathize with that. So the next thing I can think of is that the best option for becoming friends with the other asian neigbor's and former opponants from other continents would be to build a proper war memorial in Japan for ALL the pain and sorrow they have caused. (I know it's more than 65 years ago, but everyone knows time didn't heal this yet). It's not that I want to humiliate the Japanese people in anyway, just I feel it's a just thing to do and a good way to come clean with it's own past. And if nothing more is done I think that there will never be peace without fear around here.

Thank you Zenny11. It clears up a bit and it's quite depresssing at the same time. It seems as big a complication as let's say the israel/palestinian problem. If not worse in case things escalate on this issue. I was thinking that the most simple solution is often the best solution. But this is proof that rationality doesn't get you very far nowadays. If I understand it right, the head-priest says you can't do it. Does it mean we have to wait till a new head-priest comes into office that is willing to find a way to remove spirits once enshrined ? Maybe there is a way to seperate them spiritually without moving any physical remains. Do that with a proper ceremony and have it carved into stone and have that stone placed at a prominent place at the shrine would be convincing enough for me that the Yasukuni shrine is not sympathizing with any fans of warcriminals.

Indeed Yasukuni, so the best solution would be to seperate the warcriminals from the rest who died just serving their country. And send the bill to the people who mixed them up. Don't you agree ?

@mojibake and mistwizard. I'm not sure you guys were talking about Anpan-man being related to the Apa group but what worries me is that here in Kyushu a right wing bus drives around playing the themesong of Anpanman and other popular kidssongs at the usual disturbing soundvolume. It's like these rightwingers are recruiting members among kindergarten kids. At times when I pass by the bus at it's usual parking place which happens to be near my favorite fishingspot I fantasise about putting an anpan-muffin into it's exhaust. (Of course I will never do that .... unless I get a real Anpan-man suit so I can fly away if they catch me)