willynilly comments

Posted in: Wealthy Japanese weigh pros, cons of foreign tax loopholes See in context

@cleo Americans are apparently liable to pay US taxes even if they don't live in the US.

That sure is a sweeping general statement: Fact: Americans are required to file a US tax return even if they don't live in the United States, whether one must PAY US taxes is a very different story. I doubt very few Americans, who are long-term residents of Japan (Europe, China ... ) actually pay US taxes on salaries earned in/from said countries. All, however, must file a US tax return by law.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Woman hit from behind on Tokyo street; attacker gets away See in context

Police confirmed that the man had been captured by CCTV cameras immediately before and after the incident

Interesting! I know police don't always call on CCTV cameras, ... well, if they protect the police, perhaps, but there will also be a blind eye.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Posted in: Saitama policeman scratches cars in drunken rage See in context

cleo@

and living in Saitama

???? Is there a reason for this comment?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Osaka to reintroduce Saturday classes for elementary schools See in context

That's third-rate, and high horse. On the subject of how well do your country's schools teach, I rest my case. :-)

Cleo@ Thanks for the spell check. I stick with my comment about "white horse" but I guess you have given your white horse a name other than "Shirayuki" and I doubt you don a mustache (oops! there goes my third-rate education again: moustache)--perhaps your first-rate education and a google will take you beyond English idioms and let you see the white horse I claim you sit on.BTW, if you're going to begin taking swipes because of a typo, then yes, come down off your "high horse" too. I take it that the italicized "your" before country's schools in your comment also takes a swipe at my education. I've given you a thumbs down on that and I refuse to get my undies bunched because you take swipes at my country's educational system. Hope no one pisses in your Wheaties tomorrow.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Posted in: Osaka to reintroduce Saturday classes for elementary schools See in context

or 4)teach at a third-rate educational establishment

a thrid-rate place. Wow! You need to come down from your white horse, Ms.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Posted in: Does fluency matter? See in context

cleo@

any work I submit should need no checking

so there you have it, we can fire all editors!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: NPA chief admits wrong people arrested over online death threats See in context

Resurf@

I was treated with respect

lucky bast@r+^

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Only 36% of Japanese high school students feel they 'have worth as a person,' survey shows See in context

Wish they'd call granny's two children from Tochiga to raise that %.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: New registration system for foreigners starts in Japan See in context

I'm just another face

It must be soooo disheartening to discover it's not all about you

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: UNU Farmer's Market: Farm-fresh food and lots, lots more See in context

patricia@

why are there not farmer's markets on every blasted corner outside of every station?

sorry that prime real estate belongs to the kobans

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Italy beats England on penalties to reach Euro 2012 semis See in context

athletes@

The old, unfit and under achievers needed to be retired from representing the birth place of ____

fill in the blank

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Bon voyage See in context

sasu@

Would YOU take your wife to Thailand, Cambodia and Laos? ;-)

Yes, have gone with MY wife to Thai, spending 5 wonderful weeks of beach, trekking, rafting, elephant riding, and most importantly supporting locals on Phuket immediately following THEIR deadly tsunami, etc., and, in fact, would travel with MY wife anywhere in this world (except maybe where they lop off heads simply coz of your passport.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: Okinawa marks 67th anniversary of end of battle See in context

Yuri@

The Japanese troops were no good as well

Amen

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Posted in: Comedian apologizes for not helping mother get off welfare See in context

whether the mother continued to receive (claim?) welfare benefits was her problem

why does my tax payment keep sending me signals that this will be a sustained problem/issue here: even family members of a deceased family member -- I believe the bunch (and it's been a bunch) of dead payees discovered so far were well past 100 -- keep socking away govt checks that the deceased could have never spent!! yeah just raise the consumption tax--it's easier than asking govt employees to actually check up on life.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Record high number of AIDS cases reported over past 12 months See in context

globalwatcher@

Solutions 1) everyone to get themselves tested for the HIV virus 2)Use Condom 3)Start educating healty sex proactively.

wow! talk about new ideas--now that's a interesting approach--hope it catches on

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: New Jersey town's monument to Korean sex slaves upsetting Japanese officials See in context

showmethemoney@

any Japanese who has a problem with this plaque should have his head bounced off it until he thanks the maker

a bit violent, eh!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Japanese family's average savings: Y16.64 mil See in context

sure wish the government would follow suit and save, if even only paltry sums initially, like its citizens do.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Ayumi Hamasaki starts national tour See in context

since she divorced her ex-husband

Now this makes me laugh. I always thought you divorced a spouse, but apparently you can divorce an ex as well. Yo Mod, shouldn't it say "after she divorced her husband ..."?

Then again, didn't Liz Taylor remarry an ex only to divorce him again, so indeed it is possible to divorce an ex.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Languages and a switch in my head See in context

So they're bilingual, but illiterate in one of their languages.

Nope still not buying it. I would say indeed they are bilingual (the ones I know who speak quite good Japanese as well) but "only literate in one of the languages" and say "not literate" in the other. In fact I would probably prefer to water that down even more and say they can speak the language well but not read and write it. For me, the word "illiterate" means cannot read and write, period. Note, you had to add "in one of their languages" from your original post which simply calls them "illiterate". I believe labeling a person as "illiterate" is condescending.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Languages and a switch in my head See in context

cleo@

Would you buy 'bilingual but illiterate'?

sure if the person reads no languages, but I would wager the person in question is literate in the first (native) language, so I would hardly "buy" illiterate as an option. I know dozens of non-Japanese here that are not literate in 日本語, but I've read their publications in other languages--hardly illiterate.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Diet passes Y90.3 tril budget, adding to Japan's debt mountain See in context

oops! "no choice"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Diet passes Y90.3 tril budget, adding to Japan's debt mountain See in context

If you were paying all my salary then the government would not need to go into debt.

(tax payers already pay ALL Your salary) I've got choice about taxes. If it were up to me, I wouldn't pay "half your salary" as you say, but instead I would give walking papers to half the government work force, starting with the Diet.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Diet passes Y90.3 tril budget, adding to Japan's debt mountain See in context

I am employed by the government, so I guess my children are going to have to pay my salary.

I certainly hope they pick up the tab coz at the moment I pay your salary.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: U.S. Coast Guard cannons sink tsunami ship after 4 hours See in context

I think the US government sunk it out of meanness

I think the Japanese govt didn't sink it out of meanness!

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Posted in: Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan in U.S. film See in context

those who violate sacred principles are my enemies

"sacred principles", wow what a mouthful.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Cherry blossom centennial See in context

Ironically, the statue of King was carved by a Chinese national

sorry, I don't see the "irony"

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Obama apologizes over Koran burning at U.S. base in Afghanistan See in context

I must've missed the Afghan apology over the destruction of Buddha statues back in 2001. I believe one leader quipped "all we are breaking is stones." Bad behaviour or not, at least an apology was offered in the case above. Destruction ordered Feb 26, 2001 in two days the 11th anniversary @ http://www.rawa.org/statues.htm

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Beach Boys to reunite at Grammys See in context

Talk about needing a cup of jo. I thought the title said Beach Boys to reunite at Granny's

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Ishihara says he is ready to help new political party change Japan See in context

he is eager to join a new political party

I'd hold off at least half a year and see if another seven or eight "new" parties form.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: U.S. military to cut troop numbers, invest in future See in context

music to my ears

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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