freeWill comments

Prudes are trying to get the upper-hand, what this initiative exactly wants to achieve is based on dubious assumptions.

Hold on and be strong, Paris!

My entire family's thoughts and sympathies are with you.

Football is easily the best sport humanity has ever invented --- chasms created by wealth and power are nothing to the game's players and legion of fans the world over.

Even the lowliest ( in terms of GDP ) of nations still could produce teams worthy of respect during competitions and has a respectable share of best talents in different leagues playing in various climes.

Such is football's allure that rooting for another team besides his own local brand is not uncommon, thus as a football fan myself, I could not resist to point out that the game has a new hero: Loretta Lynch, the American AG responsible for bringing out corruption indictments against FIFA's band of tulisanes hence the arrests.

Being personally involved in car parts export business originating from Japan for at least a decade now, I honestly feel there is something very strange with some airbag models.

Not actually true that the problem only occurs in high humidity areas; in Hokkaido, in Tohoku and in Hokuriko, areas that hardly fits the description of being high humid, the issue of excessive force emanating from these airbags exists too as elsewhere in Japan.

When a car in on its end-of-life stage, Japanese recycling law stipulates that airbags must be made to explode and be rendered useless except as recyclable waste, and that it must be handled by a certified professional.

Witnessed these explosions on regular basis and occasionally force is such that car windshields breaks needlessly into shards. Now, if this force of magnitude could hit those behind the steering wheels, or possibly even the passenger beside it, an airbag, supposedly a security tool component during accidents could become inadvertently a fatal instrument of death instead.

I am trying still to formulate an objective conclusion based on first-hand experiences and interviews.

Merkel's best and most honest comment in ages.

Japan Inc., really knows how to create and mint money.

Could be the next hot export item after Sanrio cutesy dolls.

The video might be funny, but the message is Not. It should be taken seriously, as I've been a victim myself twice in the icy streets of Iwamizawa City and outskirts of Kyoto.

i happen to believe the guy. he must be a budding poet, intoxicated that time.

A prudent tactical move by the US Govt. to cool down simmering moods and rhetorics by Beijing and Tokyo : advise commercial carriers to inform Chinese authorities.

Without this announcement, Beijing will be forced to up the ante if only to satisfy its own ultra-nationalists, and chaos of immeasurable proportions could ensue within the leadership placing the status quo in the world of the unknowns and, which if it happens, will prove detrimental to all parties concerned including the US.

Beijing, by most recent reckoning, is the single biggest sovereign buyer and holder of US Treasury bonds for years now, and if there is a change within the power structure where ultra-nationalists and their military cohorts reign supreme, they may put the world economy hostage by demanding unilaterally that US redeem them back pronto.

The announcement should also satisfy, if only grudgingly, the hawkish attitudes within the the US military and political establishment since the military flights are still given the free reign to conduct its business in the area.

Strategically, the only real solution to peace is by diplomatic efforts, Beijing and Tokyo resume its talks immediately to be assisted by the free world, hopefully Tokyo concedes that the islands in question Senkakus/Diaoyu is considered disputed and allow UN, to render its voice to the issue.

My bad. The Italics and should have read "...prime reason for existence of the Police Force..." I inadvertently hit the submit button prematurely without intending to.

Condolences to the bereaved.

I read the forewarning by Control Freak, all right, but this does not settle an issue which is:

What is the most important thing, and prime reason for existence of the Police force,

is it to catch criminals or prevent a crime?

@ philly1

i did not miss the context. heh.

If and when US of A defaults on its financial obligations; the distinction between Democrats and Republicans is hardly of any consequence anymore to its creditors, as an unprecedented vacuum will be created not narrowly limited to financial markets alone but would ripple through as well, and create a new international political world order where America will be left sidelined.

Economists, sophisticated politicians, military leaders of any stripes and nationalities perfectly understand this phenomenon.

Unbeknownst to Tea Party operatives, politicians and believers, they unwittingly will find themselves hailed as heroes among America's greatest enemies, in and outside their own country.

America's hegemony and superpower status lies primary on its grip and role as gatekeeper to the world of finance, and her military paws serves to protect. The gatekeeper cannot unilaterally defaults itself, unless she wants to etch her own vacuum, solitary world.

Mr. Morsi ascent to being president of Egypt is considered generally fair by all international observer teams, including media contingents deployed during the elections. He won fair and square, albeit with a slim margin.

The huge demos in the capital against his rule is part of the democratic process as citizens want to flex and test its muscles in an era of newly found freedoms after decades of military rule. Nobody begrudges that until the military leaders hijacked the legit assemblies and took power unilaterally for themselves effectively pulling straight back their country into the abyss of dreaded military junta days.

I do not like my President either, and did not vote for him, but I shudder at the thought of unelected military leaders abrogating power to themselves.

The burning of Coptic Christians churches were dutifully, religiously being reported by major media outlets, BBC, Spiegel, Al Jazeera, including hosts of US based publications. They were unanimous in reporting that the burning were done as a consequence of the wanton carnage of protestors earlier, and points out apparent complicity of the current Coptic Pope in scheme of Mr. Morsi's downfall via coup d'etat.

Whenever possible, I always put my sympathy on the side of democracy. Whether citizens vote a foolish Islamist, or crazy Islamophobic, let it be, its their choice. There is always a cycle of airing grievances and, yes another elections. It's not a perfect rendition, but in essence that is how democracy works.

Otherwise, the option of coup d'etat and military rule brings us nowhere except mayhem and chaos.

To JT Mods; kindly allow this commentary in toto please?

Below is quote from : Richard Falk is Albert G Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University.

" ...It is unimaginable that the remarkable events of the January 25 Revolution of 2011 have morphed into an Egyptian rendition of Hell on earth after little more than two years. The most appropriate emotion of the moment is sadness and empathy for the people of Egypt caught in this terrible maelstrom of barbaric violence. The military coup of July 3, staged with a supposed "democratic" mandate from an enraged populace in a society teetering on edge of chaos, was stained with blood and vindictive violence from its first hours. It confronted the understandable and predictable resistance of pro-Morsi forces with a brutal show of state terror that seemed designed to instill fear and submission, has gave rise instead to a collective display of resolve-unto-death, tinged with a readiness for martyrdom.

The appointment of 19 generals as the governors of Egypt's provinces, the resignation of Mohamed ElBaradei (the embodiment of liberal secularism), the killing of hundreds more unarmed Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators, as well as the declaration of a state of emergency, makes Western diplomatic call for compromise, inclusion, and mutual restraint irrelevant, and pathetic. The only political act that would have any moral credibility at this moment is an unconditional condemnation of the criminal onslaught that General Al Sisi's has launched against the Egyptian people, made credible by being coupled with a refusal to accept any longer its claims of legitimacy."

I am not too fond of geopolitics, but am sure as hell choked into tears watching videos of Egyptian security forces wantonly mowing down unarmed protestors consequently killing its own people by the hundreds..., by the hundreds in less than a day!

Something is not right, and I deplore brutal display of force by any government, more so when its legitimacy is in question, towards its own people.

If this is not plain and simple barbaric, i don't what is.

I assume the school headmaster has not been in a similar quandary before, thus my take is give him a break.

Headmasters or school principals, and no one else aside, should be given a leeway to render an off-the-shelf punishment to erring kids, and a good smack in the head should be one of them.

Besides in the context of Japanese society, one smack in the head is generally considered as acceptable.

Or put the Principal's fate in the hands of school stakeholders, say parents and teachers, by way of referendum if we want to be politically correct about this.

to those who might wonder how she looks like, HuffPost provides great slide show:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/catarina-migliorini-sells-virginity-780k_n_2010260.html

@edwardstark, while your comment seems nasty to some, methinks there is a whale body of truth on it. sensible too.

Anything and everything useful to the lives of the people, is most welcome and should be promoted in every way.

Energy: from any source--- alternative types and conventional, matters very little. Promoting them to what ends is what matters most; welcoming them for whom thus, should be validated, debated, and scrutinized by all those to be affected---the people.

The current debate on nuclear power centers mostly on whether to continue or discontinue--- a big letdown.

Why can't debaters re-evaluate what energy is: is it a tool to further and enhance the lives of the people, or a tool to serve the accounting balance sheets?

If we can get over this basic philosophy as to whom it should cater to, then the rest of the issues associated with its cons would be easier to handle and solve.

Since I am partial to a view that it must serve the people first and foremost , I suggest that ALL power businesses should be handled ONLY by mechanics, men of responsible science, environmentalists and peaceniks.

Fund managers, accountants and the like should be allowed very little to tinker with it.

Acquire or buy a Sony Ericsson phone for its camera capability. One of the best in the market, with a resolution, color capturing capability better than a similarly pixels rated proprietary camera.

One caveat though, this phone is not for the short-tempered.

My current unit made by the same company, is always ready to drive me nuts with its redundant, poorly written all-over English user's menu.

Definitely, will promptly cut subscription once contract ends.

The beauty of Football at its finest!

Lacking in height and inexperience in handling championship's pressure, Japan team beautifully defied and triumphed over tall and great odds. The ladies showed and awed everyone by its sheer grit of determination and colossal teamwork.

Simply unforgettable how the team slowly crawled its way throughout the Cup, and thundered late into the games beating heavyweights Germans and Swedes, and finally electrifying everyone fans and foes alike after taking on the Americans.

Well done ladies. Simply too beautiful to forget.

An interestingly pleasant turn of twists from this particular thread.

What started as a lousy article on rumor-mongering cum office romance-affair at the start, eventually , looks like going to be continuing education on real-life sexless marriage and options-to-take-situation class.

I doff my cap to all who made it possible. Cheers.