Scooter Ivy comments

While the male job-seekers are looking up cheerleaders' skirts the female job-seekers are out applying for jobs. I see it all now -- it's a plot. ;-)

I guess it's fortunate that my exposure to Japanese television serials came through internet sites like MySoju (before it shut down.) When I think of Japanese tv I think of Trick, Galileo, Remote, Himitsu no Hanazono, Gokusen, and Haotaru no Hikari. I really enjoyed all of these even though Gokusen became too formulaic over the seasons. All of these are 5 to 7 years old so maybe "become" is the right word. I haven't seen anything current.

It surprises me that this is newsworthy. I know two people, a friend and a cousin, with their own cleaning business. The clean houses, offices, and churches.

I have nothing invested in who performs but I'd love to see Kaori Kobayashi anywhere.

She looks nice but she would have made a better photo if she'd actually smiled rather than whatever it is she's doing.

Maybe a spider bite?

Miike is hit-or-miss for me, too. I really liked "The Great Yokai War", "Sukiyaki Western Django", "One Missed Call", and "Audition". Others I couldn't watch.

Duh. That should have been "Last Starfighter"

Blade Runner Natural City Starfighter Ultraviolet Spaceballs

I said, "You're looking good today" to a co-worker just this morning.

Nurse or Nursing Assistant?

The "plates" are pouches of some kind. You can see a zipper tab at the top left.

It's not that hard to get used to reading manga from right to left. One series I follow has a page inside the back cover saying, "Stop. You're going the wrong way." Simple. Helpful.

Fine with me. I don't think professional athletes should compete in the Olympics anyway.

What crime d id she abet, the car theft? If she was being threatened with a knife and with being pushed off the roof I wouldn't think she was a willing participant.

Hope she heals soon.

Tom DeMicke - It would do no good. Cats never admit to anything.

I usually like his "Quentin Tarantino Presents" movies better than his own. Whether he makes good movies or not, he has good taste.

I agree with Kairo and for Thai horror, "Shutter" (the original, the American version took all the scarey parts out.) and "The Ghost of Mae Nak".

TokyoHipHop - I've not seen "The Scare" or "White Curse." Thanks. I look them up.

"through", not "threw". Nothing was thrown in the proceedings. sheesh

Unlike jury trials in countries such as the United States and Britain, where judges only determine the sentence, in Japan the sentencing is also done as a group.

This is not entirely true. In the U.S., or at least in Texas, the defendant chooses whether he wants the judge or jury to set the punishment if convicted. I went threw the jury selection process on Monday but was not selected for the trials.