Suzu1 comments

Kennedy was appointed because of her connections in government, however, she is also very well educated in all aspects of being an ambassador.

Kennedy was appointed ambassador to Japan because Michelle Obama wanted her far away from her husband. The feud between the Kennedys and the Obamas has been well-documented.

It seems to me that the United States is just moving towards a policy on illegal immigrants that is more closely in line with those of its allies including Japan, Australia and other developed countries. It is irresponsible for the media to report on efforts to detain "immigrants" when, in fact, the policy is targeting "illegal immigrants". I understand that the Left seeks to instill hysteria for its political aims but it is shameful for the media to uncritically repeat the Left's talking points.

A simple Google query discloses that Sweden has experienced numerous riots by Muslim immigrants and has struggled to move Muslim migrants into productive employment.

At its heart, Facebook is nothing more than a business aimed at monetizing its ability to exploit intimate knowledge of Facebook users for advertising. The talk of civic engagement and social responsibility are just ways to rationalize that exploitation.

Never mind that you support a ban on an entire people but don't see any problems with it.

Good grief. It is not a ban on an entire people. It is a 90-day measure that applies to all citizens of just seven countries, six of which are failed states that cannot provide adequate information for vetting visa applicants and the seventh being a state sponsor of terror. It is not specific to Muslims - Christians and atheists from these countries are affected by the same ban. Furthermore, exceptions for “foreign nationals traveling on diplomatic visas, North Atlantic Treaty Organization visas, C-2 visas for travel to the United Nations, and G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4 visas” are expressly made in the Executive. The Departments of State and Homeland Security can also grant exceptions on a “case-by-case basis,” and “when in the national interest, issue visas or other immigration benefits to nationals of countries for which visas and benefits are otherwise blocked.”

CBC and Toronto Star report that witnesses heard the attackers shout "Allahu Akbar!" before opening fire. The first media reports were quick to suggest an anti-Muslim hate crime. Sounds like it was instead an intra-faith act of barbarity.

Seven of the nine ISIS terrorists who committed the November 2015 attacks in Paris entered Europe pretending to be refugees from Syria. There simply is not a proper vetting process that can be completed in a country enmeshed in a civil war. There is no access to police records, no interviews with co-workers, no real background checks that can be conducted to verify the identity and history of the person claiming the refugee status. ISIS made it clear that it would exploit the refugee process to infiltrate the West. Long ago the plan should have been to set up safe camps within the region for the refugees to go to. Why bring people over to countries where they don't share the same value system. Just sets up trouble.

Love them.

A good example of what Trump wants to do in Chicago is what President Clinton did in 1997 to address similar rampant gun violence in Richmond, Virginia - Project Exile:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Exile

What do you mean the cops are already there..?

The U.S. Attorney's Office prioritizes its prosecutions under direction from the main Justice Department. It is political. Over the last 8 years the aggressive federal prosecution of gang members and other criminals in possession of firearms was not a priority. Sounds like Trump is going to make it a priority.

Long terms without parole isn't the answer, either. That won't make people disarm...

Actually, aggressive federal prosecutions has repeatedly been used to successfully reduce violent crime and deter criminals from carrying firearms, due to the harsh penalties and the reality of being sent to a prison thousands of miles from one's family, friends and fellow gang members. Under Bill Clinton, this was a successful tactic - which made it all the more dismaying when Hillary distanced herself from it in order to pander to the fringe Black Lives Matter crowd.

Enough with the ridiculous Nazi references. By "the Feds" Trump means the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) , www.atf.gov, which is charged with enforcing the Gun Control Act and the National Firearms Act to deal with violent crime. By increasing funding for the U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF in Chicago to allow for more aggressive enforcement of existing federal laws (and, more importantly encouraging them to do so, in contrast to the Obama Administration), ATF agents and federal prosecutors can take on more violent crime cases and send criminals to federal prison for long terms without parole, which does not exist in the federal system. Simple possession of a firearm or even a single round of ammunition can result in a felon getting 10 years in prison, and more if the possession was in connection with committing a violent crime. ATF has done a great job in various cities by targeting and prosecuting high value gang members. Instead of going to local jails or prisons, the convicted get sent to federal prisons around the country, thereby disrupting gang activity.

Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor mounting his third presidential bid, said at a rally in the border city of Ciudad Acuna that he would “stop the hate promoted by propaganda against migrants.”

Mexico needs to first focus on how it treats migrants from Central America. Otherwise it is impossible to take Mexican officials seriously when they criticize the U.S.

It is stupid for the Trump spokesman to get bogged down in a argument over crowd size. Sean Spicer is not going to last long in that position. However, the mass media's treatment of the inauguration was hysterical and, yes, divisive. The false report that Trump had removed the bust of MLK Jr. from the Oval Office was irresponsible and inflammatory. Then there was the widely carried story of all references to climate change being removed from the White House website - leaving out the fact that everything had been taken down from the website as the new webmasters took over. The media spun Trump's speech as gloomy and "dystopian" when, in fact, his description of the current state of the nation was very similar to that laid out by Obama in his 2008 inauguration speech. The most hysterical reaction to Trump's speech came from the CNN reporter who somehow found it "anti-Semitic" despite the fact that it followed the first invocation prayer by an orthodox Jewish rabbi and the presence on the stage of Trump's own Jewish daughter and her Jewish husband. Finally, the crowd size argument left out that violent protestors in DC had shut down entrance points for the inauguration crowd and CNN had run stories predicting mass violence. No wonder people would think twice of attending. The real irony is that the streets of DC had black clad violent extremists breaking windows and attacking people because of their political affiliation in the name of fighting "fascism". They really need to look in the mirror.

Chicago is a great city, but the people have been failed by 85 straight years of Democrat control.

The amount he claimed to have paid for the 7.8 grams ($600) is way too high (no pun intended). You can buy a gram of high quality marijuana at one of the dispensaries in Colorado or Oregon for $12.

It would be more efficient to rely on the major tourist hotels to have this information available for guests.

What's next - the President of the United States dancing on the Ellen DeGeneres show? This is a slippery slope.

Putting out a beer and cookie for Santa, asking for him to sign a receipt, then waking up in the morning to find an empty beer can and cookie crumbles with a note signed by "S. Claus". I was so thrilled with confirmation that he had been to our house.

My feelings on the otoshi vary greatly depending on how tasty (or not) I find the particular selection that night.

There is no way the average salary for 35-49 year olds is just 4M yen. That is way too low. The article is just pointing out that the majority of the folks earning that amount are not happy about it. At my work we bring on new employees at more than that.

The President Elect of the USA can talk to whoever he wants if he thinks it is in the interest of the country. Beijing does not get to dictate who he talks to.

Reducing the road noise in the cabin would be a good start.

Is Japan's pension system a supplement to separate retirement plans that private companies offer the employees? From what I've read online, the average monthly benefit payment amount is extremely low. It seems like a separate company pension or a well-funded 401K-type income source would be needed to live comfortably in retirement.

It is totally ridiculous to call Breitbart News a racist, anti-Semitic organization. Here is one of its most well-know editors - the gay and Jewish Milo Yiannopoulos discussing the reality of the "Alt-Right":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgl53EXInPc

The prize seems a bit stingy.

I love refried beans (pinto beans or black beans) but have learned not to serve it to Japanese, either as a side dish to Mexican food or as an ingredient in a burrito or nacho dish. It is an acquired taste as I know Japanese who have come to love it, but not something to introduce to friends at a party.

If you get into trouble such as this guy did (charge of assault) while not yet a citizen of that country, I would think that would be grounds for getting the boot out of that country. I imagine he would have to confess or have been convicted, even illegals have the right to due process within the immigration system.

A simple assault conviction would not be sufficient to deport a legal permanent resident from the U.S. The only real chance of being deported would be an "aggravated felony" conviction or, to a lesser extent, a crime of "moral turpitude".

At first the press was making this guy out to be a Hispanic man. So now I guess now they will call him a Hispanic of Middle Eastern descent.

Not sure what your point is. The police had to go with initial witness reports of the suspect's description.

Reminds me of the Munich shooting. The image of the shooter that was released by authorities is rather grainy, but good enough that anyone who knows the shooter will recognize him and help law enforcement capture him.

Setting aside the debate on whether the dolphin hunts are right or wrong, the fact remains that the publicity of them has been a net negative for Japan's image.