Balefire's past comments

  • 1

    Balefire

    I hope it works well. I also hope there are no serious tsunami in the next seven years while it's being built.

    And I hope that it is built to withstand the earthquake that's likely to precede the tsunami.

    Yes, even the "beyond imagination" type that TEPCO still seems to be maintaining didn't damage their NPP before the 3/11 tsunami hit.

    Maybe, just maybe, they'll plan this project for what's possible rather than what they deem plausible.

    And is it only me that finds the cost unusually low?

    Posted in: Retractable tsunami wall being tested off coast of Wakayama

  • 0

    Balefire

    I haven't heard of Latitude Zero; thanks for the reference. There have certainly been some unfortunate remakes made of classic movies, but if done well this could be a worthwhile film, IMHO. I was severely underwhelmed by the '76 remake of King Kong, for example, but I thought Peter Jackson did a great job with his. YMMV, though, I guess...I know that many disagree with me. I'd like to see a good remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

    Posted in: '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' to be shot Down Under

  • -1

    Balefire

    That should have read "...both mental and physical". Sorry.

    Posted in: Woman tries to kill son while husband, 3 kids sleep in same room

  • 1

    Balefire

    There may be twins or triplets involved, but even so that's a lot of kids to have to take care of, especially if--as I imagine because they're not mentioned in the article--there are no grandparents living in the house to help.

    It's not particularly unusual to have such small kids sleeping in the parents' room here, even if the house is sufficiently large to have separate bedroom(s) for the children. It's also not that unusual around Kumagaya--or elsewhere in northern Saitama/southern Gunma--to see families with three or four kids, or even five. All of them that young is unusual, though.

    There's no excuse for the mother's action, of course, but I can easily imagine stress, post-partum or otherwise, leading to it. I'm very glad the kid was saved, for a change. It sounds as if the mother needs help, but mental and physical.

    Posted in: Woman tries to kill son while husband, 3 kids sleep in same room

  • 0

    Balefire

    @cramp That's true about the community, but I've seen the San Mateo County jail/prison, and it's far from a comfortable place to be. It might be more pleasant than a Japanese jail, though, except that he may find that his cellmates are controlled/observed considerably less than would be the case here.

    Even so, it seems a pity that his lawyer was able to make such a favorable deal and that he got such a light sentence.

    I do get the impression that there is probably more to the story of the couple's relationship, if the DA figured that a jury wouldn't give him a harder time over so many other charges (the assault with a deadly weapon sounds easy enough to prove, for example), and thus agreed to a greatly reduced set of charges in his trial.

    There's a little more information here, but not much. It seems as if the various charges may have been for different instances of abuse over time, and that might have led to the deal, for lack of sufficient evidence, maybe: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Wife-abusing-Japanese-envoy-gets-year-in-jail-4364477.php

    Posted in: Japanese diplomat in San Francisco gets year in jail for wife abuse

  • 1

    Balefire

    @smithinjapan My pleasure. I see that the article has been updated to reflect the actual police involvement; good on JT for the updating.

    I agree with you about the passerby(s) whose heroic action probably prevented further harm. He/she/they certainly deserve some sort of official praise/reward, if for no other reason than to encourage others to act in similar situations.

    And before anyone says so, yes, I'm aware that for many running to safety may well be the best action to take. Nevertheless, depending on the situation and the individual, actively helping to protect others against a violent criminal is an admirable thing, risky though it may be.

    Posted in: Stabbing suspect says signals in his body told him to attack people

  • 8

    Balefire

    According to TV news reports, he was in fact restrained by civilian passersby before the police arrived. He was apparently counter-attacked with one of those plastic rods used to hold up street-side advertising banners, and then subdued and held for those "10 police officers". The TV news details paint quite a different picture of the police vs. citizen involvement.

    Posted in: Stabbing suspect says signals in his body told him to attack people

  • 1

    Balefire

    Let's hope they catch the culprit. Nobody wants escalation like that of the kid in Kobe some years back.

    Posted in: Dead cat, bird found on department store escalator in Kashiwa

  • 3

    Balefire

    My sincere condolences to those lost in the disaster and to those still suffering from the aftermath in so many ways. Two years is too long for the relatively little progress that has been made in rebuilding the affected area but more importantly in rebuilding the lives of the victims. It will take much longer, of course, to deal with the--largely avoidable, in hindsight--NPP situation in Fukushima. There is still little excuse for the party politics obstructionism that the LDP contributed to the delay in dealing with recovery and reconstruction in Tohoku.

    Today is a good day for each of us to reflect, and if possible to resolve to do what we can to the extent of each of our abilities, to help the victims of a disaster that is, for them, a continuing one.

    Posted in: Emperor, empress lead tributes on 2nd anniversary of disaster

  • 3

    Balefire

    @slumdog Thanks for the link! That was what I was referring to (or trying) in my third link, but your is much better. My understanding is that most of those are run on an NPO basis, but my information may be obsolete.

    On that website they do mention a caveat to the effect that "private ambulance will not be able to perform medical procedures as well as an ambulance. Please to not hesitate to call 119 in the case of an emergency."

    My brother-in-law is currently setting up an NPO ambulance-like "support taxi" service, primarily aimed at getting people with special needs (wheel chairs, ventilators, etc.) to medical facilities and back, and, I believe, for some limited other activities, but there seem to be restrictions on what they can do (no non-essential shopping trips, for example) which, if I understand it correctly, is related to licensing and the use of insurance for the transportation fees.

    It appears that the private and/or NPO outfits are intended to supplement the government service, by transporting non-emergency cases. I could be mistaken, though. There may be different conditions and mechanisms in more remote rural areas, too, where public emergency services are less available.

    Posted in: Saitama man dies after hospitals reject him 36 times

  • 1

    Balefire

    @Patric Spohn While some private clinics/hospitals may still require/expect cash "gifts", many/most hospitals, particularly large ones, very actively and fiercely prohibit them, as a matter of strictly enforced policy.

    I have stayed in two major Tokyo university hospitals where this was the case, and know from family/friend experience of at least a dozen others, in Tokyo, Saitama, and Kanagawa. Even inexpensive "thank you" gifts of chocolate or flowers to the nursing staff are prohibited in these hospitals.

    Posted in: Saitama man dies after hospitals reject him 36 times

  • 3

    Balefire

    @Nessie The ambulances are not run by companies; they are part of the same emergency service that includes the fire department and related rescue services. They are a municipal government, not a private, operation.

    http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-call.html http://www.tokyo-icc.jp/guide_eng/kinkyu/04.html

    There are also some NPO-operated ambulance-like services available, with some special restrictions/requirements. http://call-center.teate.jp/

    Posted in: Saitama man dies after hospitals reject him 36 times

  • 1

    Balefire

    @ChibaChick No, sorry; I don't find those adorable. Practical,yes. Sensible, yes. Adorable? No. But I can't speak for other men's tastes, whether fellow foreigners or Japanese.

    Posted in: Five things girls do in winter that Japanese men find adorable

  • 3

    Balefire

    De gustibus non est disputandum. Personally, I find the very popular Asahi Super Dry, and other "dry" beers, pretty dreadful, since it seems to me that they sacrifice depth and complexity--and most of their flavor--for the "dry", "thirst-quenching" feel.

    I'd rather drink an ale with some personality, or the occasional stout, or if a mass-produced Japanese beer, Yebisu (their Kohaku is fairly good, too, IMO). Edelpils is interesting, but not easy to find.

    I'll settle for Kirin if that's what's available; it's not terribly distinguished, but it's much better, IMO, than any "dry" beer.

    I can't really consider the various happo-shu pseudo-beers among things I'd drink by choice. I'd sooner drink a chu-hai or a highball, even though they're not high on my list of preferences.

    I've been known to put away a fair bit of Scotch or Irish whisky. straight with a no-ice soda chaser by preference.

    And a good dark rum, straight with champagne for a chaser, is hard to beat.

    Posted in: Japan’s favorite alcohol: Beer outranks Japanese rice wine and shochu

  • 0

    Balefire

    @cierzo98 Thanks for the information. I haven't seen those machines yet, but with so many convenience stores these days that sell alcohol, I haven't bought much from vending machines lately. I bought a couple of beers from a machine in Fukushima a few months ago, and that was probably the first time in well over a year. My understanding is that the Taspo card process is supposed to be a compromise on the privacy issue that scanning a license would present, along with the fact that not every adult has a driving license.

    Posted in: Osaka City official arrested for allegedly punching out register’s LCD display

  • 0

    Balefire

    A particularly generous gesture, since the price of gold has been going up recently.

    Posted in: Mystery donor sends two gold bars to Ishinomaki

  • 1

    Balefire

    @rickyvee, I think they mean that you now need a Taspo card for cigarette vending machines, but the beer machines require nothing (though both are disabled after 23:00, for whatever that's worth).

    Posted in: Osaka City official arrested for allegedly punching out register’s LCD display

  • 0

    Balefire

    Many older people in Fukushima are apparently having trouble finding younger people to clear snow from their roof or elsewhere, because so many of them left with their kids out of anxiety about radiation. That leaves the old folks to deal with the problem themselves in many areas. Clearing streets of snow and ice so that people can go shopping or to the doctor has also become a problem, it seems. This has been a problem in many "graying" communities around Japan, but in parts of Fukushima it has been aggravated by the result of the reactor failures.

    Clear your roof/road and risk death by falling/freezing, or stay inside and risk death by starvation or collapsed roof: tough call.

    There have been several news stories/documentaries about the problem. Nobody seems to have a good solution, though.

    Posted in: 2 elderly people die after falling from roofs while clearing snow

  • 2

    Balefire

    Although it's not practical, perhaps the cause of peace might best be served by turning away from all superstition, whether it's called religion or something else.

    Posted in: Iraq suicide bomb at Shiite mosque kills 42

  • 2

    Balefire

    I tried a Belgian beer a few years ago, that billed itself as chocolate beer; I can't recall the name now. It wasn't bad, with an interesting aroma but too sweet for my taste (as are many of the Belgian and other fruity beers). I like many stouts and porters, but I'm just not a fan of beers/ales that are too sweet. It's a matter of taste, quite literally.

    And @FightingViking, it might have been a Japanese girl, unhappy at the thought of her yearly chocolate making/buying/giving being unappreciated.

    Posted in: Something dark and bittersweet is brewing in Japan for Valentine’s Day — chocolate beer

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