TheNewZen comments

They been doing similar stuff for decades in Italy, etc. Drive by a tourist snag the bag of the shoulder and go on.

I don't think they get themselves arrested for the money.

But from what I heard the legal system in Japan is why many come here and do their criminal activities here rather than at home.

Sentences here tend to be shorter and also there is less violence, etc in Jail. In some of their home-countries they might even face the death sentence for some of their crimes. Also the pickings seem to be richer here.

If they get deported some are back 1　or 2yrs later with a new identity.

Japanese taxpayers are not only paying to feed and house the foreign criminals, but as an added extra, are even paying them wages for the work they perform in prison.

Not quiet sure how it exactly works in Japan. But we got a similar system in my country. An Inmate works and earns(usually making stuff for the goverment), on the release they deduct a certain percentage to help pay for his stay in the nick.

He usually only receives a small monthly allowance during his imprisonment the rest is savings for when he gets released.

Maybe not the best system but it helps reduce costs of housing and feeding them and also helps some to get re-established in society. The money he gets is designed to help him get setup once he is in the outside world.

Maybe they didn't want to open the bag as it would contaminate the evidence. Crime labs get rather upset when people temper with evidence and/or crime-scenes.

Just guessing.

I also think she ahs started to age fast a few years back. IMO, she should start concentrating less on her looks and more on her personality for ad-campaigns, do more family orientated ads, etc.

She is now what 37, still good-looking for her age though.

How about a She/He sex-changes those are very common too. Or are those ok because they get a fruit and veggies?

Many years back I worked out with a guy that went through a sex-change, watched the whole transformation over a 2yr period. She in the end was happy but one thing she regretted that she had to give up her reproductive ability to do it. Same counts for both changes.

Personally I prefer Panini over Filone. Mahlzeit.

I agree I often get food-stuff customised for my son and my wife. Yes, easier at some places than others.

As for starbucks way to pricey for what you get. I like ”Cafe De Crie” they make their sandwiches fresh when you order　(so can ask to have staff replaced or dropped), plus they are tasty and in decent serving sizes.

Many other places have pre-packaged foods delivered.

I think some posters should research "sex-change" and what is involved(like multiple operations, months(often years) of hormone-treamtents, very expensive, etc.

This is NOT your quick nip&tuck in Miami or Cali where everything is done in a 2 week holiday.

If I want fast-food veggie options I go to "Subway", get a bagel or similar.

Quirinus3.

I started as a mod way back in the BBS days, back than the WWW did not even exist. Since than I have owned many forums and never had a major problem as I followed the rules laid down some 40yrs ago.

Yeah, needed to　prune the odd poster, and they never got back online under a new ID.

I agree with sarcasm123.

Goals for preservation are kinda focused, anything that is cute, cuddly gets　protected.

Yet, other species like sharks, etc are not protected and their decline will result in major problems. Everyone gets upset about 1000 whales being killed annually but 400 million sharks(annually) go unnoticed. Which are mostly caught for their fins and thrown back alive (after being mutilated) unable to survive. Check the stats for endangered shark species, etc.

Honestly sick of the guys that say we need to safe species X while A to W are close to extinction.

For me a good teacher is as much a teacher as friend and mentor.

And many of those are found in low-income areas because they care about their students and NOT their bank balance. You will know them when you meet them.

I only attended goverment schools and those teachers earned little, stil friends with many and that is some 20+ years after I left school. Yeah, I covered for their mistakes and they covered for mine.

Like I said they were more friends and mentors than goverment officials. I could go to them with any problem at any time and they would be there to help/assist.

That for me is a good teacher, not someone that stand there gives lectures and than goes home to a fancy home from a big salary.

Example: One of my history teachers was jewish(not uncommon in austria), I helped him compile a demo about the holocaust after hours. I learned more about my countries involvement(mauthausen and things were worse than auschwitz)、than he ever taught in class. He never (as most jews, etc I know) held a grudge but accepted history as it was. My aunt is an orthodox jew.

He was also friends with my folks and we ate supper at his place, etc. He loved to tell jiddish jokes both in class and outside. Most of us viennese can speak jiddish too.

This for me is a good teacher/mentor.

Sad to hear that.

While I like the giant panda I tend to prefer the red/lesser panda.

tclh.

In my school days we had one teacher that NOBODY liked, we did what we wanted in his classes(played cards, etc). All he ever did was stand there and shout at us telling us that we all would fail, etc. Of course him having playboys, etc in his case didn't help him either with us. He didn't last long at the school.

I have seen the good and bad teachers(one gay teacher had a crush on me and failed me because I blew him off). The good teachers had our respect and were liked and we stood up for them as they did for us. Yeah, we also knew which teacher dated which student. ;)

IMHO, if there are problems at school don't just look at the kids but also look at the teachers(talking teen-aged kids here).

Kids are not stupid and know what is going on(from an early age) they also know which buttons to push. And corporal punishment won't work on most kids today, IMO, it will only make things worse.

What will work is getting their respect and understanding and for that a teacher needs to be more than just a teacher.

Examples: We have an annual weekly skiing trip, great fun and lots of mischief. One of our teachers spend one lesson telling us what mischief the teachers got up to on the trip(and it was on the same level as ours). Last night of the trip are the real ongoings with hardly anybody sleeping. Next lesson was double time.

During a dance event a teacher left us alone for 3hrs as he knew we would behave and we did. But it was a mutual respect and thus it worked.

Basically what I am saying there is that there is NO need for corporal　punishment if you got the right teachers.

Hope that makes it clearer.

No-one really cares as the Olympics got turned into a farce and commercial venue.

Cleo.

Like in previous discussions you confuse a healthy smack and beating a child. You are very extreme on many of your views.

Lets see corporal punishment in a school might be padeling a child or giving them a hit across the fingers using a switch or even across the buttocks. This usually involves a bamboo-rod(or similar).

Either way those hurt and can draw blood. Whereas a smack of mine will never last beyond a few seconds.

NO one is talking about laying into a child, that is your interpretation of our posts.

What we are talking is a way to get their attention.

Not sure what the big deal is.

I happens globally, yeah sure there are no lolita, teens, school-girls etc fans worldwide. Got me fooled as any search on google will result in links that will make anyone blush. And the sources are worldwide. Could go　into　details/examples but not worth it.

No need　to go beyond barely legal, etc, the under-belly of society is the same globally.

Once you got your own country-men & ladies need to drop their fetishes before you can criticize Japan, etc IMO. Seen how non-US people(if I say White I get censored) are portrayed in porn.

As a side-note seen sites with japanese hentai stuff that stated that they characters are 18+yrs old. How do you verify a drawn characters age? And from　the drawing style those are NON-japanese.

So give it a rest.

Cleo.

Not at all, IMHO. It teaches them that if they exceed their boundaries they will get hurt physically may it be their parents or their peers at the local school/club/disco/etc.

Same way they need to learn that at times the physical method is the only method to stop being bullied, etc.

Not saying that it is the first or acceptable option but at times you need to get tough(as it might be the only way the other party will accept it).

I don't hit/smack my son for any infraction, first he gets the talk, if that don't work I start the count and if that don't work he faces a smack. He KNOWS the escalation procedure and it up to HIM how far he wants to go.

In short he got　warnings and if he refuses to accept them he is in for a tough time. Same for anything in life.

Sorry, life is not all roses, etc and they need to learn it, you need to take responsibility for your actions even if they hurt(physically or not). But they need to know the hurt in order to do so, if not they end up　on Judge Judy as another loser with no clue.

Just my view.

If you have ever read any books about child discipline they all state, "Never hit a child out of anger!"

I 100% agree with this but it don't say don't discipline your kid with a healthy smack. What is says is don't hit your kid in "anger" as this is the road to abuse.

Very big difference in my book(and I studied psychology for 3yrs).

I am all for legal abortion if there is a good reason like rape, or circumstances where nobody can care adequate for the child, health-issues(both mother and child), etc.

But, IMHO, it shouldn't be an option because someone don't like the Pill, was lazy/careless, etc. Not today when there are tons of protection methods available, etc. I am　also against late-term abortions(partial-birth, etc).

If an abortion is happening than BOTH parents should have equal say in the matter, takes TWO to make a baby so both are responsible for the little one.

Personally I would prefer adoption after birth to abortion.

Now to walk into the murky stuff. Myself not religious, but I see the formation of a life when the egg gets impregnated as it starts the cycle to form a new being.

Just my view.

I am against corporal punishment, if any it should come from within the family. Said that "A healthy smack never hurt anyone". Did I get my share, for sure but I always asked for them too.

As for my Dad, 183cm and 120kg(mostly muscle). He was heavily into sports(tennis, shot-put, water-polo, etc) and used to carry 30kg paint-tins(per hand) at his work. Not a guy you want to give a fat-lip too.

If done correctly there is nothing wrong with a "healthy" smack but it shouldn't come from a school-offical, etc. FYI, when my parents were at school they still had corporal punishment in my country.

How do I deal with my son, he knows he can earn smacks from me. But they come after a slow count to 5, once I reach 5 it comes. Most of the times I ask him if I should start counting, which usually ends it.

Works for us, he felt a smack(never given at full strength of course juat enough to sting).

Just my view.

Not sure why the question came up.

Unless it is related to an article about States in the USA that still practice it. Seem to be quiet supported by parents in those states too.

Personally, I think it is an archaeic concept and glad that the majority of　nations got rid of it.

The BBC has a Video of the Birth. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7585607.stm

There are some animal parts that are banned for human consumption in my country yet I ate them during a visit to the USA, yet in my country we eat some animals that no american would touch.

Just different food cultures(neither better nor correct), I don't tell you what to eat or not to it and expect the same courtesy in return.

That is one of the reason why I like to travel to sample different foods and try stuff I can't get back home.

Just my view.

Moderator: Stay on topic please. The subject is hot dogs.

I don't think it will be reopened soon and that is not because of the stabbing either.

As was said in the article the residents want the area cleaned　up, as for less sales I don't think it is due to closing of the road(1 day out of 7). I am sure certain businesses have booming sales, another gripe I hear are the tons of tourists too. Having seen some I can understand some of the complaints.

Example: Me and a friend went to a restaurant, standard one where you need to buy the ticket first. One tourist comes in sits down and calls a waitress over and starts ordering some stuff in english. Waitress seemed to be used to it as she got him the stuff(didn't seem to know much english) and never mentioned the ticket vending machine.

Another point that hurt the area too is the moving of the "Transportation Museum" with that gone and lots of "off-colour" stuff, increased crime-rate, etc many are reluctant to take their wifes and kids there.

And lets face it there is nothing in Akihabara now that you can't get anywhere else.

Won't affect me nor most people I know, who already run ad and popup blockers. Very easy to setup in most browsers/systems.

IMO, too many people mistake acrobatic skill for Martial Arts/fighting skills. Thanks to a steady diet of MA movies over the years most are more athletic/acrobatic than showing the true stuff.

Hence why they are actors.

Forgot I also am a Member of the Guardian Angels here and we patrol those areas.

Cos.

I can't PM you here otherwise I would happily shoot you some pictures I took personally 11yrs ago in Shibuya.

There was a big discussion on the Net too when the magic mushrooms sales were outlawed shortly after.