Tanukisensei comments

Humans have proved time and again they are not capable of safely managing nuclear energy. Yes, nuclear energy is a possible source, but the risk as proven in history far outweighs the practicality. Biodiesel is safe and 100% renewable and non-polluting. Welcome to the 21st century.

I predict someone's gonna get whacked.  (:

Trump's hard line sanctions and "maximum pressure" have accomplished in 1 year what other "leaders" couldn't accomplish in over 60 years.

Given its history of perpetual promises that are broken immediately, I wouldn't believe a word that comes out of the mouth of any NK representative.

Of course it nice to dream about what good might come out of such a meeting, thinking it will actually happen that way is like the person who sticks his head inside the mouth of an alligator and thinks "Maybe he won't bite this time..."

Hey, Mr. Berger -- When Trump tweeted "I try so hard to be his friend..."  -- that was sarcasm, dude, not a "sudden turnaround".

Given the conditions imposed on such a meeting, I personally think the odds are a meeting won't happen.  Trump has already said he wants to see certain results before a meeting takes place, and it's not very realistic to think that's going to happen; certainly not by May.

I don't think Trump is going to play Charlie Brown to Kim's Lucy (football being pulled away analogy for those who remember the strip).

If anything, NK's overture seems to be good evidence that Trump's hard-line sanction stance has accomplished in a year what others couldn't in over 60.

zichiMar. 6 09:35 pm JSTKim Jong Un said North Korea is willing to give up its nuclear program if

its security can be guaranteed.

North Korea will believe its security can be guaranteed only when it devours the world.

Looks like Kim Jong Un is giving them a good head start...  (:

My Uncle fought as a volunteer to free Imperial China -- not Communist China.

Mr. Oakland,

There may have been many things left out of your article -- I can only go by what is there -- but it seems perhaps Yuko was trying to respond to you in a way to demonstrate a closer sense of friendship.

Since her reply was preceded by your suggestion of getting friends together for a more intimate/personal setting, she might have simply been trying to demonstrate in a non-overt way that she wanted to be closer friends too.

My experience with Japanese and non-Japanese friends is that getting into the "inner circle" of Japanese friendships is not trivial. If it's done with success at all, it's with very small steps over what many Western people might regard as a long period of time.

Without knowing any other details, it would seem to me that your response to her was rather harsh. Her brief response to yours could well have been a sign of embarrassment on her part, especially if you reacted in a way she did not expect (you stiff-armed her, in gridiron parleance). And from there, the misunderstanding can grow quickly.

Of course, I don't know the details of your situation and only offer an opinion based on my own assumptions.

But you did ask for that. (:

Whether it's Japanese or English language, culture, or indeed any other language or culture, the best advice is to be honest, kind, open-minded, and don't be a jerk. (: