wolfbiscuits comments

Posted in: Tokyo cheerleader pub’s coronavirus countermeasures include full face shields for customers See in context

Is Covid-1984 a new dystopian fetish in Japan? I can't see any value in wearing a visor over a face mask, unless it's some kind of kink or they are desperate to avoid gov't intervention. Anyhow, GL to the owners!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Posted in: UNESCO suspends new programs after U.S. funding cut See in context

Previous Presidents signed laws that basically said "If Palestine is admitted to the U.N., then the U.S. will no longer fund the U.N."

Meanwhile, back in reality...

The move is founded on U.S. laws dating from the 1990s that mandate that Washington avoid financing any UN agency that admits Palestine as a member state before a negotiated peace settlement with Israel.

A follow-on law stated a similar situation would happen if an entity that was not a recognized country was allowed to join the U.N. Both were targeted at the Palestines and were probably instigated by Israel.

Once again...

" Second, by accepting the Palestinians as a member state, UNESCO undermined its legitimacy and organizational viability. Accepting "Palestine" represents a breach of the organization's charter. The charter stipulates that only states can be accepted as members.

Moreover, it represents a repudiation of the goals of UNESCO as laid out in its charter. Those goals involve among other things promoting cooperation in education and advancing the rule of law. As a recent report by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE) showed, PA textbooks remain imbued with Jew-hatred at all education levels.

By enabling this breach of the UNESCO charter, the Europeans made a mockery of UN rules and so weakened not just UNESCO but the UN system as a whole."

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Posted in: Sarkozy tells Obama: Netanyahu is a liar See in context

One politician calling another a liar. Oh, how rich.

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Posted in: Robots help Japan's graying, shrinking population See in context

Sounds interesting. Does anyone have the name?

The movie is Roujin Z (老人Z). It was written by Katsuhiro Otomo (the same creator as Akira). It's an excellent film, and the first thing that came to mind when I saw these devices in the media. I guess it was only a matter of time. What a world!

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Posted in: Japanese viewers tuning out, turning off their TVs See in context

Ivan Coughanoffalot, that was perfect. Thanks for the laugh!

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Posted in: Aspirin slashes cancer rate for those with hereditary risk See in context

Wow, that's great news. I guess all those deaths from internal bleeding that occurred after they first advised everyone to take one aspirin per day took place long enough ago that they've ceased to be relevant. What was that number.... 40,000 deaths in the first year? Then they downgraded the suggested amount yearly until it was around 25% of a standard tablet. IIRC, the 'safe' dose is around 5mg less than what is in a baby aspirin now - 75mg.

Patients with blockage of arteries to the brain are three times more likely to have a stroke if they are taking aspirin. Dyspepsia and gastrointestinal hemorrhage occur in 31% of those taking 300mgs. of aspirin / day Even low doses of aspirin can increase the risk of brain hemorrhage Other side effects can include anemia, bleeding ulcers, confusion and dizziness and numerous other problems.

Good points, Foxie.

There are also natural supplements with blood-thinning properties, such as Fish Oil, Vitamin E, Nattokinase, and Bromelain. Among the spices, Basil and cocoa are known for preventing blood clotting.

A good list there, but I would add serrapeptase beside nattokinase. Indeed, I would reading up on "systemic enzymes" and "fibrinolytic enzymes". Not only are these solid alternatives to the pharmaceutical mainstays, but they have the potential to completely reverse some conditions. Without enzymes and cofactor vitamins, even a great diet will have a negated effect on one's health.

Ultimately, I don't know the specifics of Lynch Syndrome, but I would not be surprised if the mechanism at work via aspirin could be equaled or surpassed with enzyme therapy. Interesting comments, guys.

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Posted in: Pete Townshend brands iTunes a 'digital vampire' See in context

Who’s Pete Townshend?

No, Who's on first.

I am surprised that his opinion draws much public attention after his child porn/sex offender registry scandal. Judging by this, it seems it would be for the best if he were left to the annals of history.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Libyan leader seeks to calm West on Sharia fears See in context

One man's "moderation" is another man's brutal atrocity.

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Posted in: The good, the bad and the desperate: Tokyo's raunchy underground clubs See in context

Same old same old. Self-righteous moral imperialists trying to control the private lives of others. Consenting adults. Fully aware of medical risks. The right to individual human sexuality. Closed doors. Victimless.

I wonder how the unwitting husband fits into this determination.

“Recently I’ve been under a lot of stress at home, so I finally told her, OK, let’s go see what it’s like.”

And if this husband finds out he's been cuckolded by several hundred strangers some time down the road, perhaps we can read about it in the crime section. Closed doors, and all that.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Okinawa noise pollution trial begins with 22,000 plaintiffs See in context

I hear the Chinese have very quiet military aircraft. I'm sure they would be pleased to house them in Okinawa if there is an opportunity.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Posted in: Murakami: Bestselling writer of the Japanese absurd See in context

Agreed, ben4short. I've been a reader of his since his debut in English, and I enjoy his writing for the most part, but it's certainly not Nobel level. I think of his books as commuting fare, since it doesn't matter where you leave it off or how many of the fascinating threads you remember: they weren't going far anyhow. I don't say this is a bad thing, or that he's a bad writer, but I certainly don't think he's a great writer.

His Jerusalem Prize acceptance speech lambasting Israel only proves to me that he has little understanding of larger plots.

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Posted in: 50% of Americans support legalizing marijuana: poll See in context

Marijuana is a gateway drug to harder stuff.

So is kissing.

To those who complained about the smoke or smell, you should know that, unlike tobacco, marijuana is consumed orally as well. Many people who use medical marijuana products are in the midst of chemotherapy, and cannot tolerate smoke either. There's a good 1.5 hour documentary up on YT that gives a decent introductory breakdown about the US public relationship with marijuana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd6oJjx8ze0

Nice timing for this poll, considering that the US just passed a bill that would make it a federal crime for American citizens to use drugs that are illegal in the US while they are overseas, or to even plan or discuss it. I'm not even making this up: H.R. 313, the "Drug Trafficking Safe Harbor Elimination Act of 2011

Lastly, while considering the results of the poll, it might be relevant to remember how many people are currently incarcerated for marijuana-related crimes. Via wiki: In 2004 was approximately 12.7% of state prisoners and 12.4% of Federal prisoners were serving time for a cannabis related offence.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: New study sees little need for vitamins, cites risks See in context

I understand the dangers of taking contraindicated substances. Iron is one that can be of great benefit or great harm. It has been added to baby formula. Some of those parents unknowingly gave their children unpasteurized honey, and some of those babies died. The reason is that honey can contain botulism spores, and the iron-rich environment in the formula-fed babies fed the spores, leading to death. Similarly afflicted babies who were breastfed became ill, but all recovered. It's important that we make an effort to learn who needs a nutrient, who doesn't, and who can be harmed by it.

If vitamins could be properly patented, you can bet they would become of inestimable value to our health, advertised in TV, internet, radio, newspaper and magazine adverts.

@weedkila - this is happening in Canada as we speak, via Bill C-36.

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Posted in: Carpenter attacks neighbor with hatchet over noise See in context

I can appreciate how this guy came to snap. Having been in a similar situation (or so it sounds) with noisy neighbours keeping up enough noise to deprive me of proper sleep for entire work weeks, repeatedly. In my adult life, few things have made me so angry or put more violent fantasies into my head.

I don't doubt the carpenter was failed by the options available to him, and repeatedly. The neighbours I got stuck with, usually college kids, would make all sorts of apologetic and accommodating noises, but when night came and alcohol was added, it was back to the old routine.

I am with you on the bliss of a quiet house, zichi. Bliss, indeed.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Quirky video shows the 'real Japan' See in context

A lot of media attention = 8,000 views ?

The original vimeo link has 491K views.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Megumi Yokota's parents mark her 47th birthday See in context

I watched a documentary about this kidnapping some time ago. It is one of the saddest things I have ever watched.

I have a copy of that documentary - it's quite bizarre, and as you said, very sad. It's impossible to imagine what this must have been like for her family, all these years.

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Posted in: Portable gas heater See in context

I am curious how much those cartridges cost. 3.5 hours is not a significant amount of time for an entire cartridge. This seems like an item for people with disposable income. Another common kerosene heater will run for 8-9+ hours on one refilling.

I am curious if the "radiant heat" described feels much different from other models. The design looks nice and discrete to me.

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Posted in: Obama, Europeans press Palestinians to drop U.N. bid See in context

The whole think about Palestinian "statehood" is nothing but shell game. Muslim countries don´t give a shat about statehood for anybody, least of all Arabs in Palestine. It is all about the destruction of Israel and nothing else.

What an outrageous statement, WiiliB. Or...

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism... - PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein, March 31, 1977, interview with the Dutch newspaper Trouw.

Never mind.

1 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Sony's 'Smurfs,' 'Friends' to be UltraViolet-ready See in context

For now I just hope these big companies realise that average people just want the rights to view what we've bought on the devices we have.

Hear hear.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Are you game? See in context

My hat is off to Capcom's hiring agent. (*°∀°)=3

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Posted in: Walmart bringing real Japanese food to the United States See in context

I am familiar with all the words used in the above headline, but I never expected to see them arranged in such a way... (T▽T)

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Posted in: Health minister wants to hike tobacco tax so pack of cigarettes costs Y700 See in context

As a Canadian ex-smoker whose govt raised prices and made smoking in restaurants and public indoor spaces illegal, I can say that tax hikes merely took more of my money. All the raised taxes did was to lower my previous standard of living and give the government more spending money. To be quite honest, I don't recall any of the ex-smokers I know quitting for anything but health reasons, and the same was true in my case.

If the government plans to farm addicts for tax revenue, they'd better damned well be able to show how they are going to put at least some of those funds into helping the smokers they are exploiting, otherwise this just, well... stinks.

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Posted in: Book review: A Geek in Japan See in context

I'll have to check this one out. I've not seen the blog before.

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Posted in: 120 Gusto restaurants closed over dysentery outbreak See in context

Two words: Colon blow

That took me back! Well played.

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Posted in: Husband, wife die after falling into pit on Ishikawa beach See in context

This is one of the reasons I fear 'Summer People' each year. People are more and more accustomed to dealing with Reality: As Seen on TV or in video games, but the basic issues of survival outside of a city are beyond them.

That said, I can see someone watching a gag about being trapped in a hole as being something they could pull off, not understanding how dangerous it was, and how heavy even a shallow layer of sand is, but after digging a hole that wide and that deep, you'd think they'd have appreciated the weight and danger involved.

Nobody got the idea to pull their lower bodies (apparently not covered by sand)? Were they just standing there waiting for the couple to suffocate??

Depending on the moisture content, sand can weight from 1600-2000 kg/cu.m. This might be like trying to pull a small tree out of the earth with your bare hands.

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Posted in: A movie date? No thank you See in context

I am with you most of the way on this one, Mike. I mainly only watch movies in the theater about 1% of the time now, and have managed to avoid mixing theaters and dating for the most part. One Japanese girlfriend of mine liked watching schmaltzy dramas, and that was fine: she recommended a program, I'd acquire it and we'd watch it together at home, where it's still possible to interact (on a variety of levels that aren't possible in public - sometimes we would cook for each other, too). I didn't necessarily like the shows to the same degree she did, but I had a good time watching things with her that I would have otherwise never have seen, and vice-versa. Win-win.

As for the quality of Japanese films: I find there is a lot of crud filmed in Japan now, and that saddens me. I would also say the same of Hong Kong and the US: too much focus on mind-numbing visuals with a vacuous formula plots. Part of that is my being old and bitter, no doubt. That said, I have to say that Japan has produced some fantastic directors and world-class cinema, many of my favourites, which makes the truth of its current mediocrity so much more disheartening: "I don't think 'terrible' quite describes the current state of the Japanese film industry. If there was a stronger world I would use it. The studios want huge Hollywood-style hits, but they also want artistic films. The result is a big mediocrity—an industry with no direction." - Takeshi Kitano, 1996

Mike, while everyone seems to want to pile on you for not being open-minded enough about Japan, I really enjoy the fact that you're so honest in your articles. It may not make you popular, but it definitely prompts a lot of readers to respond. Looking forward to the next one!

Seconded. It takes a rather thick skin to put anything personal before the jaded and embittered JT peanut gallery. You're doing fine. Keep it up!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Posted in: Libyan rebels say they are attacking Tripoli See in context

This whole "rebellion" stinks like a piece of stagecraft. I don't know how many of them are actually Libyans or rebels, but they seem just as bad in terms of rape, torture and 'honour killings'. Now I read that Libyan Rebels" are being recruited by Al Qaeda to fight coalition troops in Iraq, and Libyan Rebel weaponry as well, including SAMs.

I would love to be a fly on the wall at NATO's strategy meetings.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Can the coffee: Miso machines are the new black See in context

That should be iodine, not potassium iodide.

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Posted in: Can the coffee: Miso machines are the new black See in context

A very cool idea, indeed. I hope the end-product isn't devoid of live culture. I am pleased to learn people would choose miso over coffee!

Miso is great for blocking radioactive iodine from entering your thyroid

I am guessing the kombu/wakame content will be rather low in this type of concoction. There are excellent seaweed supplements on the market now which contain good amounts of potassium iodide now, though.

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Posted in: Was I a date, a friend or just a potential English teacher? See in context

The medium is the message, rather.

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