John Brown comments

"The military definitely has more important things to spend money on than hundreds of thousands for a single sex reassignment operation."

Can they not allow transgenders to still join, but make it a stipulation that the military will not pay for any operations of that nature?

"So the man who refused to serve is standing in the way of those willing to lay their lives on the line to protect Trump's way of life. Reprehensible."

Amen to that! Can I get a hallelujah! Your name is deceiving. You should change it to "SensibleJoe" ^_^

No surprise here.

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but Disillusioned has a valid point although I am not sure of his motives. This guy could of went to a Japanese embassy in the States or wrote to Japan and got a response back in English or simply sent a photo or two for translation and research.

I am also sure there were other Japanese people living near him or he could have simply taken it to a Japanese language teacher either for a small fee or probably even for free and had it deciphered. Most likely he may of even had a military buddy or someone in the military who could of translated it.

You do not need the internet to get things done. That is the problem with young people these days. "Pen and paper... What's that!?" "The Library!? Is that a restaurant?" "You mean you actually want me to walk a mile to go somewhere!? But it's HOT!!!"

However, he could of easily sold it as others had, so at least in the end the flag got back to where it belonged. But imagine if he had waited a few more years, he or maybe the other two family members may not of been alive to receive it. Then what, this guys kids would take up the task or just do what ever with it?

However I am quite curious how does a flag after several decades still smell of certain scents. I wonder if they were just imagining it or speaking metaphorically.

And Halwick I am sure you are correct. Although not everyone had and not all out of disrespect either.

Daesh will NOT release them. They will drag them all straight to hell just because they can. The other sides will use excessive force and innocents will be lost. You want to help innocents, swarm Daesh with so many boots from all sides they wont have the chance to bounce back.

Continue picking at the Daesh like a scab and it will only continue to grow back. I fear for the civilians, but they will be worse off if simply left with Daesh.

[U.S. officials have said they have tried to find ways to improve Saudi targeting. The Pentagon sent U.S. military lawyers to train Saudi counterparts on how to ensure the legality of air strikes, and software designed to help determine whether certain munitions might cause destruction beyond the target.]

So we trained the 15 Saudis of the 19 hijackers of 9/11 to fly into buildings as well or was it a lack of training that caused it!? And we are still doing billions worth of dealings with them, while accusing others like Iran and Qatar (Both of whom were not involved in 9/11) of terror attacks they have not commited.

And US and Russia bomb all the time and kill innocents by the truck load and we all just shrug our shoulders... How about we all just stop

"I didn't say I love you because you're black, or I love you because you're white," Trump said. "I love all the people of our country."

Except for Mexicans and Muslims right?

"If we have to close down our government, we're building that wall," Trump said."

Does that mean you stop being our president then Mr Trump? Well lets shut er down! We can not be off much worse, especially with a President who does not care about the American people as a whole.

"One vote away. I will not mention any names - very presidential. And nobody wants me to mention your other senator, who's weak on border, weak on crime. Nobody knows who the hell he is! See, I haven't mentioned any names, so now everybody's happy," he said.

Is this his normal state of mind, that of a child? Good grief. Who voted for him!?

If you think you can just say what ever you want, especially in a teacher's position, you are sadly mistaken. These are not your buddies or chums, but those you are trying to educate and mold into society. Of course we know most mean no harm, but you have to take a step back and realise your actions, including your comments, have lasting impressions and consequences.

Even if you were joking, someone else may not and it all has to be treated the same. Just as some people know better to act one way at work, then they would outside with drinking buddies. People get into trouble for saying the wrong thing all the time, especially famous people. Jokingly racist, sexiest, religious comments, etc. are a no go.

"Regarding sleepy drivers, this reminded me of the train accident in Osaka that killed and injured a lot of people. The driver was kept up late with some company partying. He overshot a station and lost time backing up. Trying to make up for the lost time and keep the train schedule, he failed to slow down on a turn and derailed the train into an apartment building."

I saw a documentary on PBS about it or a very simular one. I do not remember the guy being accused of partying the night before, but for what ever reason he was trying to make up for lost time and went too fast at abend and derailed it.

They say the train companies are very strict and even if late by a few seconds you can get it written into a book and I guess be fired over it with repeated lateness. So the young man tried to make up some time since he had been late at the stop previously and that occured. Too much pressure to be perfect.

"Gates are more likely in the city, but they aren't everywhere. I like stations with gates. Doesn't fully stop jumpers like a full partition, and those are rare. However, it does stop kids, drunks, cell phone zombies, and other avoidable accidents. I'm not clumsy or anything, but it can be a little nervy standing or walking around a station without gates, especially with children."

I am more worried about people bumping into each other and the domino affect is triggered and a few go off the platform. In my brief time there I had always thought that was an issue, but I never saw anyone fall thankfully.

You want to build a wall so badly, build it to hold the stinking waste sewage that comes out of Pakistan on a regular basis to it's neighboring countries.

That and grab your nuts Mr President and put some boots down on the other side of that border like Obama did. Let Pakistan feign their ignorance all they want as we destroy the real terrorists.

"I didn't say I love you because you're black, or I love you because you're white," Trump said. "I love all the people of our country."

Except for Muslims and Mexicans right?

"And seeing as we can safely assume that you're going to defend him to the hilt no matter what, there's little point in reading anything else you have to say so let's just ignore you too."

"Sure, please do ignore me. and fairness. and seeing the other side of the story. Just spend your life talking amongst people who agree with you so you dont have to be subjected to another point of view."

There is a difference between discussing a legitmate topic, concern or debate different points of view. But when you have blind allegiance for no other reason then he happens to be from your chosen party, as you have shown to defend him in most if not all of your posts, it is like talking to that wall Trump is trying to make and there is no point in that. Sorry.

I do not recommend a ban to begin with, only simply because someone comes from a Muslim or Middle Eastern country. But if you are going to do it, either do it to everyone equally or at the very least to the true terrorist supporters of the world- Saudi Arabia, who besides supports Daesh, were also fifteen of the nineteen hijackers on 9/11, two were from UAE, one Egyptian and one Lebanese.

Yet mysterioisly none of those are on the ban list and who are also bashing Qatar for not supporting Daesh as well. Some sick joke Trump is playing on the American people.

Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen did not attack the US on 9/11.

"Thank heavens Trump is keeping the US open to travel from nations that have sent terrorist attackers to us, like Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan."

Sad, but true.

I went with my girl to one of these cafes. The girls on the billboards, look nothing like the actual waitresses. The maid outfits were the same, but the maids are not even cuter than normal everyday girls out and about on an average day in Japan, and I thought that quite odd...

In either case, why would a forienger want this like their own country? Maid cafes are distinctly Japanese and at least to me, that is their draw to go. I am not sure I will ever go to one again, especially being so expensive for just two sodas and I think we may of had a cookie, and as I said the girls were not that cute...

"Only 7 1/2 years to go!"

Hopefully only 3 1/2 to go and less than that if he gets impeached! If he gets re-elected again we know for sure there is cheating in the ballot box. Republicans can not even endure him. Like I said before, if you are going to have to vote Republican, do NOT vote Trump!

This, among many other things, just reiterates why he should of never even ran for POTUS, much less was chosen. I don't know if people were playing a joke when they voted, maybe they thought if Ventura and Schwarzenegger were good governors, maybe Trump would be a good governor. But he was not running simply for governorship of a single state, but the presidency of them all and he got it, now look what is going on!

And if you are worried about this latest, and we all know wont be his last tarnish, then you are seriously delusional. There is much bigger fish to fry than whether or not he was a jerk online to someone. We knew what he was before he was chosen president!

Oh wow! The way the title popped up on the screen, partially cut off- "Japanese studying ways to use cruise ships"... I thought it was going to say as weapons, especially after the new Chinese navy ship just set sail...

"you have GOT to be kidding me! Japan you are on the precipice of being the laughing stock of the rest of the world."

Not while Trump is still in office.

"A few years ago, there was a discussion of installing electricity hookups for ships in Tokyo Bay to limit their exhaust/pollution. Maybe that would be a solution here."

That would be nice!

"Like I've always said, this wouldn't be so much of a problem if Olympics were awarded to countries instead of cities. Archery in Kyoto, rowing by Mt Fuji, canoeing in Nagano, beach volleyball in Okinawa etc. What a boost that would be for those areas, and what an advert for Japan."

Sounds like a wonderful idea! Everyone helps and chips in and everyone gains from it, plus tourists can go to see other parts of a country. But then traveling to said destinations might be a nightmare until the games are over...

I like old records. It's nostalgic and something I grew up with. I know a lot of people go through the old and used bins at books and music stores looking for that hard to find classic to keep or to sell..., but I am not sure how many people are going to bother buying them brand new.

Just like old video games, I love retro, but not digital ones. It simply is not the same. There is something to be said to own the originals, whether first hand or second hand. But these "new" vinyls are just that, new vinyls or copies of the classics.

I mean I never sat down and said to my self, geeze... I wish they would make Beyonce, Prodigy, Metallica or Darius Rucker on vinyl just so I could listen to them. And these have to be more expensive then just CDs due to materials and manufacturing processes.

Also it will be much harder to jog with a large heavy record player and the music will keep skipping...

It's sure is pretty... But the real question is, how well can they defend themselves against a 30,000 ton container ship...

Well someone's military is apparently dropping cluster bombs from an "unidentified jet" in Syria and I doubt it is Syria itself or even Russia. Guess who that leaves... But who knows...

Sad though the civilian death toll by our own forces... Accidents happen in war, but these cluster bombs do not.

Dems are not perfect, but a whole heck of a lot better than the Reps when it comes to helping all or "most" Americans and the World, while Republicans are mainly worried only for the elites, not even the majority of those Reps who support them.

If we came together as was originally intended, with our differences, but for the common good, focusing on helping one another, giving a helping hand instead of always trying to dismantel the other parties intentions and always fighting one another, we would be the greatest nation on earth.

Instead we are viewed as an entity that is diagnosed with Bi-polar Disorder. We help an outside nation or even try to help our selves one moment and then four or eight years later try to reverse everything and make everything worse while "claiming" to "make America great again". How pathetic this once great nation has become... George Washington and all our founding fathers must be turning in their graves...

It is one thing to retract every once in a while for making a simple mistake on close sounding names or mistaking the exact number of casulties, etc. But no news organisation should ever have to retract simply because they purposely lied or ran mostly with just an assumption with only loose facts. 

The first thing people hear or see will most likely stick with them even after the retraction. Fox News knows this very well and uses this tactic all the time. So often in fact, that most people in the world just ignore it for what it is.

But reputable news agencies should be held to a higher standard of honesty, integrity and trust.

"Funny how this coincides with the Senate deliberations over the AHCA. Nice attempt at distraction, Donald. We're still watching YOUR congress fail us all."

America's leaders have done much worse to take the eyes off their failures. Just wait, Trump has only been in office a little while...

When we first tomahawked Syria for supposed chemical weapons I stood up and applauded Trump, my first and only time. But when we did not bother to do an independent inquiry and realizing this was most likely just another "Iraq" waiting to happen, I covered my face with my hands from shame.

"Although the intelligence was not considered conclusive"

I do not agree with Assad's handling of his "own" country or Russia bombing more rebels or even civilians then terrorists for the longest time, (or so we were told) but if all Trump and his ilk is going to do is accuse with out any actual proof, I will not support another Iraq.

"Russia challenged the U.S. intelligence about a possible attack.

"I am not aware of any information about a threat that chemical weapons can be used," Kremlin spokesman""

However I also would not believe this at face value either...

What Obama did was to ensure all Americans would have health insurance, opposed to many going with out. Other countries have done this for it's own people, why not us?

However it was not perfect, but if he did not do what he did at the time, many more would still be with out and Trump certainly (or who ever would of been picked next in office) would not of even bothered to try to make what was the health care quota then any better. Basically he wants Obama care to go away because it was a Democrat who put it in place. But who the hell wants Trump care!?

I tell you right now I do not want to be forced to have health insurance, especially when I still have to pay for it. The only reason why I am even using my Vet insurance is so they wont charge me extra at tax time.

I also do not feel I should have to pay for other people's health care, but I am also not heartless and if this helps all of Americans as a whole I am fine with it. What Trump is proposing and the majority of the Reps is to destroy Obama care and potentially Trump everyone. 

Thankfully some Republicans also realize this. Although I fear Trump care will evetually talk hold, I think it will be much better than what it was originally intended. If it is better then Obama care I am all for it. If just the same then what is the point and only proves Trump just wants to take away what the Dems put in place. If it is even worse then Obama care, it just shows he and the majority of the Republicans truly does not care about America.

"Strange, how just that, has been achieved in quite many other countries."

"How can a country like America, supposedly the richest on the planet, not understand the need of a healthcare system for all of its peoples."

I did not want to quote everything since this is already long, but ditto on everything you said!

I am not much for classic remake consoles. I find them cheaply made, both the hardware and the software and most of the Atari and Sega Genesis games can be found on countless retro cartridges and disks. And the supposed 80 Sega Genesis games half are home brew crap, so really you are only getting 40 Genesis classics.

However Nintendo, as far as I know, has never offered any of those type of retro consoles and hardly any cartridges or disks that have large amounts of collections of their greatest games. At only $80, provided this is not cheap emulation as the other retro consoles use, (sound is off, lag, etc.) this will be an extremely good offer. Considering Super Castlevania IV itself is $50 used, that is more than half the console already paid for. And Earthbound could be much more.

The only thing better, provided as I said these are not cheap emulations or roms, is that they add a cartridge slot to allow for most SNES games to be played. Maybe not Star Fox because it uses the more advance FX chip, but you could essentially buy other games and play them in the system. Have ports for original controllers. (Eventually these controllers will wear out.) Stuff like that, even if a little more expensive. 

But if they make another retro SNES system, never include the majority of the same games and then only add a few new ones. I hate when companies do that. Also a little sad they did not include Super Street Fighter II in the US version.

"Putting empty cans in and coins come out?"

What a wonderful idea! So long as no one decided to stick nothing other than an empty can in. Maybe not so much to get coins back, but partially pay for a new soda or both. I had seen a few recycling containers around them, would be a nice gesture on both parties to have all vending machines have a recycler. Maybe even have a side view of the can being crushed to amaze kids and teach people the importance of recycling.

"Make the products cheaper. Rarely I find drinks in the vending machine for 80-100yen anymore except for some places in the countryside. Most products are now 140-160yen and you can often buy cheaper in the convenience store."

This is also another good idea. If there is a convenience store near by, those vending machines should be cheaper or at least on par.

Or sell unique sodas only those vending machines can sell. Maybe include little collectables, something that would only cost the vending machine company a few cents to make, but have people coming back again and again to try and collect them all.

I was wowed by the sheer number of vending machines in Japan. It seemed like there was at least one on every street corner, sometimes a few at a time. But I was a little disappointed that they were basically all the same type machines and all sold the same drinks.

I had heard about all these high tech machines that would offer/suggest you a beverage by it recognizing your age and gender. Or those that sold umbrellas. Or ones that in emergencies not only point you in the direction of an emergency shelter, but dispense free waters. Or ones that sold ramen soup and prepared it for you, much like the ones that serve hot coffee or cocoa.

I had even heard of vending machines that sold used panties. Although I did not find what I would call a "vending machine", I did find them in capsule toy machines in front of an adult store... awkward...

[to protect the nation from terrorist activities" committed by citizens of the six countries. All six have been designated as presenting heightened concerns about terrorism and travel to the United States.]

[Trump's ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen]

The hijackers of 9/11 who actually killed Americans on American soil were fifteen Saudis, two UAEs, one Lebanese and one Egyptian.

Funny... None of those countries seem to be on the list any where... How exactly are we protecting Americans again?

And Saudis still continue to teach and fund terrorism... Real world wide terrorism- Daesh.

Although I do not agree to a ban that willy nilly bans muslims in general, if you are not banning those who truly are/supports terrorism to traveling to the US, why bother even doing it?

[has admitted to the charge and quoted him as saying he did it to satisfy his "sexual desire"]

"Throwing fluids is attack not a sex offsense like rape or groping."

If he had a bottle of seltzer water and sprayed her, then no big deal. However what he did was sexual in nature, (As he admitted and still would be considered, even if he denied it.) regardless whether he had a prior cup full or extracted it right then and there, it is still sexual and wrong. Had he thrown just sweat or simply spit on her, they would of said so.

Had this been a grown woman and in public/nonconsenual this still would be wrong on so many levels. But that it happened to a little girl is far more worse and he was in contact with such young people at least five or six days a week.

Why is the country who supports world wide terrorism, Saudi Arabi, not on the ban least? 15 of the 19 hijackers for 9/11 were Saudis. Saudis teaches wahhabism (extremist Islam) and funds Daesh. 

Not only that, why are we doing billions in deals with that country, just so they can do it again!? But yea, lets all ban Iran who was not on any of the hijacked plans, who does not support Daesh or have any real influence or interest outside the Middle East it self.

The travel ban is wrong to begin with. And just plain stupid when you don't ban the people who are/fund the terrorists. Then again, what sense did it make, after Saudi attacked the Twin Towers in the US, to attack Iraq on the straight out lie of them having, making, etc. Weapons of Mass Destruction, when much more deserving places, like Saudi Arabi deserved our wraith!?

"Don't worry daddy, I will get the bad guys for you!"

Ever watch the psychological thriller anime movie Perfect Blue? It shows the life of pop idols and the more negative impacts of stardom, like stalkers, harassment and what not.

"If Alfred Hitchcock partnered with Walt Disney they'd make a picture like this."- was a quote from one reviewer.

As the article states:

"The dead included men, women and children."

Touche! Ratio? Only a handful of children perhaps...