peachy871 comments

FentonFalsitt....LOL...nice one! Went back up and read it again...got a good chuckle. You are absolutely right.

And yes, bikes would burn...the tires are flammable.

That is true, the protests are not about taxes directly, they are about ridiculous hikes in tuition fees. Tax money keeps the tuition costs low (am I explaining that correctly?), hence the comments about students living off the taxpayers as though they were mere freeloaders...however those same students will presumably graduate to become taxpayers themselves whose tax money goes toward education costs (among other things).

You do have a good point. I do also think that TheQuestion makes some good points, but not everyone who wants a higher education can or wants to follow the exact same formula as he did. I think TheQuestion is definitely a great example of someone who is self-made and to be admired for success that comes of hard work and perseverance. However, not everyone can follow the same path he/she did, that is unrealistic...but it does not mean that folks who wish to get their education in the usual 4 years and think that tuition is expensive enough already, are not hard workers.

There is no doubt, tuition likely needs to be raised...all things go up in price over time and with the changing economy; that is inevitable. But to suddenly decide to triple it!?!! That is ridiculous. No one, not even those who think the students should just suck it up, would sit idly by and simply accept something that is important for the quality of your life, suddenly tripling in cost!

But wait a minute...if taxes go toward education, that means the students not only will end up paying for their education but they will also pay for future students' education because, presumably, students become taxpayers themselves upon completion of their education...

TheQuestion...I definitely do not condone the violence at all. I do understand where there frustration comes from. I was part of protests when I was in university when tuition was going to be raised. Did it peacefully, our voices were heard, etc. I do agree with you that busting up someone's car and carrying out violence is to be condemned...and in my opinion, the voices of those who are legitimately trying to carry out protests to the proposed insane hikes, are not being heard because of all those who are causing problems. There are constructive ways to protest.

TheQuestion...have to admit, am glad that I was never a university or college student in the U.S. Shudder at the thought of taking that long to pay off student loans. Don't forget, even with a loan, not everyone can afford university; loans don't usually cover everything, only a portion and even if they cover a large portion, that may not be enough for many people. Thus, instead of getting a good education then the higher paying job, those who cannot afford university get stuck in the lower paying jobs and don't get the opportunities that university educated people have access to.

History...are you saying that China has no poverty? Or that it is eliminating poverty? Have you actually been there?

Granted, Foxie did have a bit of a point there with regard to China being the country the rest of the world turns to as the country that has the power to tell North Korea to heal, sit and stay. And sure, there are lots of good points about China...mainly its people, not necessarily its rulers. After all, the people don't get any say in its policies, who is running the show, etc. Maybe, just maybe if the Chinese people were allowed to have a voice, they wouldn't have so much infanticide or so many substandard buildings that crumble into dust killing everyone inside during an earthquake...and who knows, they might even get human rights too. But then again, China is capable of mass producing lots of products and making lots of money, therefore rising on the world stage, so we shouldn't criticize but should to think everything is sunshine and roses with them. Really?

As for the podiatrist, doesn't sound like he was actually causing much trouble. He was following the protest which seems like he was a supporter of the cause but not an instigator of the violence.

I completely understand the students' frustration and anger. A hike that insane is only going to serve to make education an elitist institution. High fees will definitely make higher education unavailable to too many people and will only serve to sharpen social disparity; keep the richer richer and the poor poorer. "Paying more for less" is definitely not socialist at all.

DarkKnightNine....yes, they might. Friend of mine went through a situation where he stepped in the middle of an altercation, trying to stop another man from beating a woman and he ended up being the one taken to the police station. But in the case of the above story, I don't think either of the men were arrested per say, just taken down to the station to get it all sorted out.

Perhaps the trains should have cell phone cars where folks incapable of "unplugging" for the duration of a commute can yak, gab and chat to their hearts' content and leave the rest to have some peace in the regular cars. Yes, people talk to each other on the trains but there is just something different about people having a face-to-face interaction compared to listening to ringtones and one-sided conversations. Not sure what it is, but there is a difference.

While folks are not supposed to be on their cells at all on the train, it is even worse that they were doing it in the priority seats. Cell phones are not even supposed to be turned on in that zone. And rest assured, there were likely other passengers who needed those seats but were being ignored by the guys on the phones. People who need the priority seats step on the train and suddenly everyone in those seats who shouldn't be there, either fall asleep or pretend they can't see any other people on the train.

tsurubushi...no, that is not wrong at all! It was the first thing I thought when I saw the title, too!

LoveUSA...rhythmic dance has been a sport for a very long time and long been part of the Olympic games as well. Perhaps you have never done it. You have to be quite gymnastic and flexible for it...it is more than just simple dancing around. And if the Olympics were to eliminate sports that are full of corruption and lack objectivity, there wouldn't be much of an Olympics left! :)

WilliB...you are absolutely correct. I totally agree with you. But profiling starts with one's appearance...for example, if one looks Middle Eastern they might get searched. There are some folks out there who believing in martyrdom, etc. who don't necessarily look the part and thus would likely be overlooked for a search if profiling were the procedure in place.

I love this pic! If you look at the trees and the way the light falls on them, you can clearly see that the light does not come from the sky and things look the way they do when lit up at night but then you look up at the sky and it is so bright for that hour...due to the long exposures... and it gives a really cool, surreal effect to it all! Very other worldly!

elbud...tell me you were not being serious when you were saying we should pretend that we are grabbing ourselves or enjoying our favourite fetish while being groped by a complete stranger. Hey, you should probably look for a job as a counsellor for victims of sexual assaults...you seem to have a handle on how to make people feel better about being felt up against their will. Cripes...are you for real???

And before you go saying that man was an idiot for the TSA breaking the seal on his colostomy bag, why don't you actually read the reports and watch the news where it was clearly stated that he told them and asked them to be careful but they didn't want to listen to him?

It is sad to say that this kind of security has been deemed necessary, and I am actually fine with it if it happens to screen out potential disasters (would love to know if it has ever worked or not). The problem is, the TSA agents often seem to act like ignorant power-trippers and make the experience far worse than it needs to be. They could easily do a pat-down without making the passenger feel humiliated or like a criminal. It is called professionalism. I still cannot figure out why security staff at American airports can't seem to get a handle on doing a job, doing it well and not being an a****le about it.

Klein2...agree with you wholeheartedly there. Well put. And yes, we could leave the sexual non-sequiters at home if we didn't have to worry about the unprofessionalism and behaviour of the TSA as pointed out above in what Klein2 wrote...not to mention the vast number other reports out there.

And yes, almost every attempt we have heard of was due to the courage, quick thinking and keen eye of other passengers. I say "almost every" because there must be some case out there somewhere that I am forgetting that was likely in the news regarding would-be attackers being stopped at the security points...there has to be at least one such story with all that expensive equipment. So far, I can only recall stories of disaster being averted due to sharp, untrained, unequipped civilians.

Klein2...you make it sound pretty expensive to go through the airport...$10000 after getting poked up the heiney? If you get poked up the heiney, doesn't that mean that you complied thus won't get fined?

The only problem with going to profiling as an alternative is that those who want to outsmart the security measures need only to recruit someone outside the profiling parameters.

I recently went through a pat-down at a Canadian airport and it was no big deal...mainly because the security staff treated it as just another procedure and didn't talk to me like I was the dirt on the bottom of their shoe. Which is how American security and immigrations staff treat travellers.

A few years ago, in Japan, security went through my bags, asked all kinds of questions, were very business-like, not friendly but not demeaning either...they knew how to do their job cooly and efficiently. I immediately found myself thinking, "Wow, these guys are good. They know what they are looking for, they know what to ask and the do it so quickly you don't have time to think of anything but the answer they are looking for; no time for chitchat and no chance to feel defensive." After it was finished, I got a smile, a tip of the hat and a "Thank you for your cooperation. Have a pleasant journey." Why is that so hard for American security to do their job, do it well and not treat their fellow human being like scum. Not real difficult.

Anytime I have gone through the U.S., I have the impression that during their training, security staff and immigration staff have it drilled into their heads that if they act rude and intimidating, terrorists will just give up: "Ok, you got me, big scary TSA officer."

I will do whatever I can to avoid American airports if my destination is not actually the US. It is not, as someone suggested above, a way to punish the US for its security measures. It is just to ensure that I have a decent journey without being treated like I am considered subhuman.

I have no problem with the security measures. I think that is, unfortunately, the world we live in right now. I do have a huge problem with how the TSA carries out their job. They need better training.

Surely there must be a way to lower the radiation on the full body scanners. I am not too keen on getting the scan but I am not into getting felt up by a stranger when I have done nothing wrong, either. And the idea of small children getting the so-called "pat-down" treatment is just allllll wrong! So is submitting them needlessly to that much radiation. I don't think that the US needs to lower its security standards, but they sure as hell need to find a better option than what they are using now. Surely someone, somewhere has the brains to work out a solution.

I am mad for tuna...can't get enough! But if they were to impose a temporary suspension on bluefin in order for that type of tuna to replenish its numbers, thus ensuring sustainability and bluefin for many more years to come (rather than overfish and cause it to go extinct thereby having no more to eat, ever), I am all for it!

Not sure if folks are aware...there are other types of tuna out there too.

Columhcille made a very good point. There are some who might fall under the "overweight" category yet have very healthy bodies. Fair enough though, if weight is a safety issue for aircraft. Just to remind the folks out there who are touting "charge by weight" as the only solution, it is definitely an option. But don't forget, in that case, an extremely obese person could still be sitting next to you, spilling into your seat, but no more worries, as they paid more to do so! lol!

Ha ha! I have photos of this guy too. Saw him in Yokohama with all the same type of gear, except the dress he was wearing was white and he had some sort of plastic boobs underneath that were poking out quite prominently at the time. He seemed pretty darn happy!

Airlines don't have to go overboard with resizing seats. There should only be two sizes: standard and (as someone put it), comfort sizing. But there should be standards in place that stipulate the range of sizes passengers would fall in, which means most people would qualify for standard seating and those who fall in the larger range qualify for comfort seats, which would be priced a little higher.

To me, the idea of comfort seating is not primarily about pandering to the obese, rather it is about pandering to the needs, safety and comfort of the passengers they would otherwise be compromising in standard sized seating because they just don't fit in there.

Of course people come in all shapes and sizes and we could talk about all the different types of seat sizes but just two sizes would probably be sufficient to ease the burden of almost everyone. And once the larger seats are all booked up, that should be it, done. If an extremely obese person can't get a comfort seat, they should have two more options: either book on another flight that still has availability in the comfort seating section, or if really desperate, book 2 standard seats at full price for each seat. Just as we now have the option that if economy or business class is full on a flight, we have the option to either upgrade, downgrade or try to book on another flight.

Sorry, I am just not on a huge hate rant with regard to people who are different sizes. Yes, I see some folks that are so huge that I just cannot understand how they let it get that far. Yes, I think people should take care of themselves and watch their weight and size. But for now, the reality is, there are a huge percentage of folks who are very obese and although it is not fair for me to suffer because the person next to me spills over into my seat, I know that problem is not going to disappear overnight and something has to be done to address it. Various seat sizes and corresponding fares seem like a good idea to me.

Seats of larger sizes need not only be aimed at the obese. There are plenty of other folks who would need larger seats as well and would be happy to pay for them in order to actually experience a comfortable flight. Sure, if they were marketed as "jumbo seats" or some such thing, folks could cry discrimination, but surely the airlines are not that daft. Obese people don't cry discrimination because they have plus-size clothing stores available to them. Present things in the proper manner and they will be seen as an advantage to all who are within the demographic for such a product.

Wait a minute...sf2k if you are going to do the designing, would you like a partner to help out with promoting them? lol

limbo...your argument regarding obese passengers opting for seats that are too small because they are cheaper may hold water in a few rare cases. For the most part, those who take up more room...not just the obese...would be relieved to have the option to have the space they need...and would pay more for it...just like they have to pay more for clothes in their own size. You don't see really obese people walking around wearing jeans that cannot be pulled up past their thighs just because the smaller size was cheaper. Same goes for taller people or folks who are larger yet not overweight (i.e. athletic builds). People are generally happy to buy what fits them.

I am not by any means overweight, but have felt horribly self-concious on commuter flights because my hips were touching the person next to me...or were their hips touching mine? Neither one of us were overweight, yet we were uncomfortable and kept trying to squirm away from each other to keep from touching. I would imagine, for all the space and discomfort an obese person causes the person next to them, they feel just as uncomfortable because obviously they don't fit, plus they have the added stress of folks' hostility toward them.

And how does one gauge when a person is fat out of their own fault? There are probably some obese people out there with valid medical disorders, just as pointed out by limbo. But what about those who are never diagnosed by their doctors and despite proper eating and exercise, are still overweight? Does everyone have to supply their life story to prove whether their size is excusable or not?

Oh and by the way, there are already larger seats available on many flights. It is called business class. Of course, those are far more expensive because it is a higher class. Yet I have observed obese people getting on my flight, wondered how they are going to cope then saw them in the business class seats on my way by to economy. So, yeah, some obese folks are willing to pay top dollar for the comfort of themselves and those around them. If economy class had optional sized seating, I am sure it would work. Be more expensive than a standard seat but less expensive than business class because there are no other perks other than the perk of not being an inconvenience to others.

Yes, I agree folks have to take responsibility for their weight and cannot blame society or genetics for their condition in most cases. However, there are many other people who are in great health but who also have trouble in the standard seats. Some might even weigh more than average but are of average size and would have to pay as much as someone who is considered overweight, if airlines were to impose total weight charges. Perhaps that is fair in light of safety and fuel charges, etc. but again, does not really address the space issue. Simply have two types of seats recommended for folks of one size range and seats for others above that size range. Not that complicated.

A lot of you seem to feel that having folks pay according to total weight might have been a good point had you not lost sight of what the real problem is here. The problem with obese passengers, according to the gripes written about in the wrtie-up above, is that they take up more space; two people could weigh a lot but one could be muscular and one could be obese. Or the obese person has really light luggage and a lighter person has heavy luggage. In the end they would each pay the same amount but the obese person is still not going to fit properly in the standard seats...so, the "skinny" person is still paying the same as someone weighing twice as much AND you still have to sit next to someone taking up a portion of your space. So basically, that argument is all about hating folks who are obese, wanting them to pay for their "crime" of weighing more; that argument does nothing to solve the issue of having enough space in the seat you paid for. Not a lot of problem solving going on here.

People are going to come in all shapes and sizes. Airlines should look at seating of different dimensions and rates for said dimensions. As someone else pointed out, we buy clothing, shoes, etc. in different sizes, so why not airplane seats? You could argue that airlines can't always be revamping their planes, but if different sized seating were implemented as the norm, they wouldn't have to revamp all the time, would they? If airlines can install things like beds, showers, bars, etc., surely seats of various sizes with economy class service is not that big of a stretch. If someone needs an extra large seat (and cannot fit into anything smaller) and those seats are all booked up, they would have to look at booking another flight, just as now, when all the "standard" economy seats are full, we have to search for other flights. Not really a difficult issue. Of course, as for really small commuter planes, perhaps various sizes of seats is not realistic, however, a passenger who would normally get an extra large seat on a larger aircraft, could still have the option of paying the rates for an extra large seat and have the two seat in his/her row.

Sure, folks should look at getting healthy but while on the road back to healthiness, there will still be reasons for obese folks to have to travel. It is a reality.

Obesity aside, there are still lots of reason for folks to need different sizes of seats as well. The tall, the well-built (seat me next to him, please!! ha ha!), the short, the "standard", and so on.

Klein2 and Cos have some good ideas there! Perhaps the airlines should actually look at having varied options for seating within economy class...with different pricing for the different options, perhaps?

There are a lot of ignorant comments being posted. Ok, yes, it is not a good thing to have someone else taking up one's seat space but that does not mean all overweight folk are lazy or slobs...perhaps many are, but that is not always so; everybody has a story. Also, how much one weighs does not always make them obese, so having folks pay for total weight is not the best solution when it comes to "handling" obese passengers. There are many large athletes out there who actually work hard at weighing more...and are by no means fat but will definitely weigh in at the higher end of the scale. Plus, you could have shorter folks who are obese but don't weigh as much as someone of "standard" (or taller) height, yet take up lots of space. No, total weight is not a good way to gauge having enough space or allocating seats, etc.

No doubt extremely obese people cannot fit into a standard seat and it causes discomfort to the folks around them, that is true. But some "standard" seats are too small for even the "standard" sized person. My husband is slim but because of being a former rugby player, his shoulders are on the wide side and thus he takes up a bit of my space on flights. No big deal to me, he is my husband so it doesn't bother me too much to be in constant contact like that, but what about when he is seated next to other people? The seats are just too small.

semperfi...you must have some amazing software that sharpens an image to know for sure what this person looks like. When I look at the photo, I find it extremely difficult from the tiny bit of face shown here, to ascertain whether he is Japanese or not. In fact, bundled up like that, it isn't even easy to tell if the perp is male or female. Obviously, the police have more to go on than we do, but with only that pic above, there is not much for us to go on to be able to say one way or another.

american bengoshi...did they actually say that in the news? The part about nearly all crime? I find it hard to believe the news would put that out there.

Poor Yamazaki san. And his family...this will be so hard for them.

Hope they catch the coward and throw the book at him.

hoserfella...he does have a good point though, and they are wise to avoid Roppongi. Trust me, if you were a gal hired to work at Hooters, and there were a Roppongi branch, you would probably wouldn't want to be working at that one. I love Roppongi, I love going out in Roppongi, and that area is no place for a Hooters restaurant. They have very valid reasons to avoid opening there. And yeah, we foreigners are the biggest problem .

Northlondon...I for one am glad to see that the president spun it into what it should be: something to be overjoyed about! It is all about the miners and the rescuers who gave selflessly and in some cases risked their own lives to help and it is about the fact that every one of these people made it out alive. Celebrating and being exuberant over such a thing was the right way to be. President could have easily turned it into something political, promoting himself and his policies with regard to overhauling mine safety, etc. The duration of the rescue was neither the time nor place for that and the president allowed himself to be as swept away by the joy of it all as other people were. May more leaders be like him.