TheHamburgler comments

Um, for the States at least, trains are not a big part of the transportation infrastructure. The only part of the country where inter-city trains can make a profit (and where the distances are not that large) is the Northeast Corrider (Boston to DC). Simply, there isn't enough demand for trains themselves, let alone companies that make trains. We're keeping enough transportation company dinosaurs on life support, no need to add train companies into the mix.

I like how Henry Hilton brought up only the Kennedy's in America. Teddy is the only one left, and he doesn't have much time left anyhow. Funny how he forgot the Bush's (two presidents and a governor of Florida). Methinks he is not only an apologist, but an annoying right-wing one at that.

I can picture it now...the little white Hi-Jet trucks being traded for F-150's, the farmers wearing white Wrangler jeans and t-shirts with American flags that read "These colors don't run". Maybe they can trade their traditional style houses & neighborhoods for a trailer park full of rusting trailers built in the early '70's. I couldn't stand country music & the culture associated with it in the states, and tweaking it for Japanese tastes (as every bit of foreign food/music/language is) would make it downright abominable.

noborito at 03:20 PM JST - 23rd May

It's only taken them 20 years to figure a way to get people to the airport in a reasonable time. Why any major country would create an international airport so far away is insane, or just Japanese. Osaka has much smarter people. must be in the water.

Are you serious? Have you ever been to Kansai airport? They created an island far from the city, and built the airport on that(which started sinking quite soon afterwards). Getting too/from Kansai is just as much of a hassle as it is for Narita.

Donkusai-you're comment about 'happy happy smile' made me crack up. I believe you're dead on about Western consumers being too dour for the typical J-pop song. I don't know why Western music tradition focuses on pain & suffering so much, but that's another topic for another day. I also don't think racism/lack of talent have anything to do with it, more of a language barrier issue. Throwing random Engrish into songs helps for the J-market, but will get you laughed out of the Western market. I don't know many non-English singing rock/pop songs in the states that haven't been viewed as a goofy fad (Hey, Macarena!). La Bamba certainly could be argued as one that cracked the American market pretty well, but other than that, I can't think of any more that stood the test of time.

GM is an aging, dinosaur of a company collapsing under it's own weight. While electric cars are a good start, the dream of energy independence is decades away. GM will have gone the way of Studebaker and DeLorean by then.

cat-It's all about the money. If a player suffers a major injury in the WBC, it puts their season in jeopardy, which puts future contracts in jeopardy. Putting money in front of national pride in unfortunatly a very American trait, if you ask me.

Exciting finish, for sure. I'm an American, and while I naturally wanted the Americans to win, I wasn't holding out hope. Very few of of the American players care about the tournament. The biggest nightmare for them is if they get hurt in the game, and miss out on their fat major league salaries. Not that I can blame them, but you have to admit, teams like Japan, Korea, and Cuba wanted it far more than the Americans did, and, in the end, the teams that deserved to win did just that.

New Hampshire.... where?

Japan today is a Japanese website so if locations are outside of Japan, I think is appropriate that you mention the COUNTRY.

NH is a state in the US, in the New England area. It's also my home state. Granite State Pride!