genkimark comments

When you have kids, especially out of wedlock, you should not be clubbing.

No offense to her, but hasn't her career already been over for some time now?

There are plenty of other street fashions in Tokyo to be offended by. Why pick on DQ?

She's hot, so who cares what she thinks?? Lol...

It's funny, but most Japanese women I talk to can't stand how emasculated J-guys have become. These guys are not just interested in proper grooming, but they end up looking like pre-op Transsexuals. If a woman is going to date a Herbivore, she might as well just go completely lesbian!

Wedding by phone? How about Wedding night by Skype?? Hahaha...

Bravo, Switzerland!

I think Mishima would be shocked by the current state of Japan...where has the martial spirit gone??

The best thing about George W. Bush is that he continues to inspire the fanatical and completely irrational hatred of those on the failed Left wing of politics. It is certainly worth buying his memoirs for that reason alone! :)

Hasn't the NPR set noticed that Obama has largely kept the Bush presidency alive and well on issues like Don't Ask Don't Tell (originally created by President Clinton) or the War in Afghanistan??

"Where JET went wrong, they thought international meant English(American, British, etc) and ignored that english is NOT the lingua franca of the world."

Hmmmmmmm....if English is not the lingua franca of the world, then what is?? Mandarin? Not at the present time.

Love it or hate it, English is by far the most common language for international business, travel and other forms of communication. Even non-native English speakers use English as a global language.

I always think the same, whether the rally is for the Tea Party, Gay Rights, Immigration (pro or con), etc. Get a babysitter and leave the innocent kiddies at home where they belong!

As a former JET who is also a certified teacher with experience in Japan, the US and Mexico, I would offer some quick solutions to help improve foreign language education in Japan:

1) Send prospective JTEs abroad to an English-speaking country as part of their own language/cultural immersion training. All teacher-training programs in Japan should incorporate this into their curricula (i.e., a semester AT LEAST spent abroad in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ, etc.) This is, in my mind, the best idea never actually tried in Japan. It would boost their confidence in spoken English, as well as demonstrate to their students that it is quite possible to function outside Japan using English.

2) Hire ALTs who are actually trained and certified English teachers back home and (better yet) allow them to be more equal partners in all aspects of team-teaching, to include lesson/activity planning, curriculum design, grading, etc. This would help dispel the unfortunate image of ALTs as clueless yahoos who are just here to booze it up on the Japanese taxpayers' tab for a year or more.

Just these 2 ideas, rather than keeping the JET status quo of the last 20+ years, would go a long way in improving BOTH the grassroots internationalization and foreign language instruction in Japan.

I have wondered this very same thing myself...

Why did it take them 7 years to negotiate??!!

"Change!" "Yes We Can!" "Fired Up, Ready To Go!"

Oh, wait, you mean I actually have to govern as President?? It's not just one long popularity contest??

Silly Obama, politics is for grown-ups.

How about hiring Blackwater to provide security on all these merchant ships? End of problem!

Perhaps the fey generation of girly-boys who can be found all over Japan can learn something from this example!!

This is why the general public has no interest in environmental issues, because you have total whack-job egomaniacs passing for "experts" in the field on TV. Good riddance, I say!

Someone should start up a no-child airline...I would fly it exclusively!!

The headline would seem to indicate if he didn't pay for it, it wouldn't be illegal. Is that actually true?? WTH!!??

"The Japanese killed hundreds of thousands of people—we weren’t just defeated, we did terrible things, and what happened to the country was a result of that.”

This is the most coherent and honest statement I have ever heard a Japanese person make about pre-WWII agression in Asia. Critical thinking is indeed refreshing, ne? Bravissima, Terajima san!

I could have sworn that it was a young woman writing this "article"...lighten up, creampuff!!

Eat less, exercise more = Miracle weight-loss formula! ;)

The most obvious difference between General McChrystal and President Obama is that the General is actually fully qualified for his position, based on his experience and aptitude.

President Obama? Not so much...a junior state senator with no executive experience who can give a "great speech" and build a presidential campaign based on nice ambiguities? I'll take General McChrystal's experience and perspectives on leadership any day!

Is that even music??

Hopefully, they consummated the wedding all 6 times, lol...

It seems to me that it would be a perfect relationship...hot J-girl flying all over the world to hang out with you??

Japanese thugs- 1, Free Speech in Japan- Nil.

"In the tedium of talking with hundreds of people, there were a few moments of humor. One young woman wearing a miniskirt in the passenger seat started to climb over to the driver’s seat to turn the key, but then stopped when she realized the move would leave her completely exposed."

OK, that sounds a bit creepy, lol...

He's got what amounts to a perfect life...rich, famous, bright, funny, good-looking and has no doubt shagged countless hot women.