Nessie comments

wut

He's a great actor, but he's clearly been off the rails the past few years.

The family of Tom Petty on Wednesday released a previously unheard song by the late rocker as a preview of a box set full of new discoveries.

Lookin' for Petty cash

He died doing what he loved...

...pissing off indigenous people

Fire hazard and blight. This guy is a textbook case of hoarding behavior.

Anything that makes tax rules simpler is a good thing.

Samurai Boo

Nice. Gonna try that. I wonder if just dredging the slices in flour would work.

In my opinion, China should give up Taiwan in return for China getting all the disputed islands.

In my opinion, China should give up its claim on Taiwan in return for Taiwan giving up its claim on mainland China. Everyone wins!

The attack shocked many in Japan as the country has strict gun controls and gun crimes are not common.

They shocked many because most murders in Japan don't involve strangers. The gun aspect is a sideline. Let's hope this doesn't inspire copycats.

ok, i'm in

I think many owners of empty homes would rather they stayed that way, than rent them out to foreigners.

No-one is forcing them to rent them out.

If you ever want to know what new product introductions have failed disastrously, Donki's the place. It's a clearinghouse for unloved products. Of course you can also get deals on ordinary goods.

Wasn't this the second time a large ferry sunk in Lake Toba? The other time was maybe 15 years ago. I remember because I'd taken that ferry.

Global warming is expected to make vegetables significantly scarcer around the world, unless new growing practices and resilient crop varieties are adopted

...which they will be.

If they have a tourist boom, should they already have increased revenue for tourism? (For example, hotels pay taxes according to income, right?) This strikes me as rank opportunism.

I think there's a good chance they'll make it to the World Cup. Go Japan!

Buying your way out of a financial scandal. Oh Japan, never change!

(good catch, Cleo)

Question: How many tourists rent cars in Japan? Enough to cause traffic jams in the countryside?

A fair number here in Hokkaido.

"This mountain is so safe that no one has gone missing. Let's pray that no accidents occur,"

That's a low blow.

Shouldn't it be religious rights, and not women's rights?

It's a religious right that's denied only to women, so it's both.

Irrespective of the particular religion, I support a woman's right to subjugate herself through oppressive religious choices.

You should go to Nagasaki or Hokkaido where whalemeat is a common dish. 

I've lived in Hokkaido for 20+ years and it's not a common dish here, although you'll occasionally see it on a menu or in the supermarket (usually marked down to clear it out).

What was she going to the hospital for? Could be relevant.

Update: Both found dead.

Ageing Japan.... just like ageing societies everywhere, in general they are less tolerant of noise or anything that takes them out of their daily routine.

And not a few lonely oldsters looking for a sympathetic ear, I'd wager. This happens at my supermarket as well. I don't begrudge it there, but it's a menace when it comes to hospitals and police.

The malpractice was carried out 

Fraud + embezzlement, not "malpractice".

How do you "send" someone to a "sector"?

I'm against monarchies in principle, but in countries without stable democratic institutions, there's a chance that a decent monarchy can play a positive role.

A word of advice for athletes (and everyone else): If you have to use the Eichmann Defense, you're doing it wrong.

Hugh Grant finally getting married

Well that's a load off my mind.