Wednesday February 15, 2012

Betting's past comments

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    Betting

    Judging from what I've read in various world newspapers today, it would appear so. But to be unprepared is also a nice way to invite disaster. Bird flu didn't kill as many people as was feared several years ago, but it would be terrible for people to become overly complacent about these problems.

    Spanish flu killed as many people as WWI did I believe, and it would be terrible to see a repeat performance.

    Posted in: Do you think health authorities around the world have over-reacted to the new flu strain?

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    Betting

    You might well be right Bento, but it is pretty common in Japan. Though I doubt it is about the money, I believe it is more about who should be the prominent person in the relationship.

    Posted in: 16-year feud unresolved after death of actress Keiko Matsuzaka’s father

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    Betting

    How come there is no "Best" in this article, quite silly if you ask me.

    Posted in: Mikase, Kawahara 'as gentle as cotton'

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    Betting

    I'd hate to see the Olympics in Japan. I used to enjoy it once when a long time ago, there used to be more of a real "Olympic spirit". Now it just seems to be advertising, advertising and money, money, money. The cheating and drug scandals in the game make me sick (drug useage in sports has been around probably since the ... invention of ancient Olympic games, but that is not the point). In all honesty, I couldn't care less if the Olympics were never held again.

    Furthermore, could you imagine if a spectator got sick and a Japanese ambulance came to pick them up ... "Okay, we'll find you a hospital ... do you think you will last till some place can take you?". I'm scared to think what might happen.

    Posted in: Would you like to see Tokyo get the 2016 Olympics? If your answer is no, then why not?

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    Betting

    I used to live on Thursay Island, between Australia and Papua New Guinea many years ago and there were crocodile warning signs at the local dump. If you had to throw stuff away you had to be pretty careful. Crocs are extremely dangerous animals.

    Posted in: Crocodile kills swimmer in Australia

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    Betting

    "... the number of Japanese traveling to Western countries is drastically larger than the number of kids coming the other way. For example, in 2007, while 11,217 Japanese went to Australia, only 880 came the other way—a ratio of almost 13:1. For New Zealand, the difference was even higher, with 2,411 Japanese going there versus only 160 Kiwis going the other way, a ratio of 15:1".

    Japan's population is 120 million? And Australia has 21 million? New Zealand is about 3 million? So wouldn't it be obvious that more Japanese head abroad on working holidays? ... or have I missed something here?

    Article Unavailable

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    Betting

    Asia is a very beautiful place, about time they get out and see more of their own region.

    Posted in: Asians to travel more within Asia as downturn hardens

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    Betting

    Such a hard question. I'm both for it and against it at the same time. Granted people should be able to chose their own fate if they have some fatal disease. However, I'm also worried about the potential for the abuse of euthanasia. I can honestly imagine in some cases people knocking off sick relatives, loved ones just to get their hands on their estate, or to get rid of their burdens.

    If I had some fatal affliction, what would I do? I think I wouldn't chose it for myself, but until I'm in that situation I really don't know. I'm hoping I could tough it out till the end.

    Posted in: What's your stance on euthanasia?

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    Betting

    Taxi driver probably wasn't able to pay for gas for his return trip as he didn't have any money haha.

    Posted in: Man arrested after taking taxi from Tokyo to Fukuoka and refusing to pay Y359,230 fare

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    Betting

    I was just thinking that this "must export" attitude is quite bizarre. I'm no expert about economics but when I look at news articles from other countries I often notice that housing/real estate is a big factor. But housing (from what I've seen) doesn't seen to play much of a factor in the Japanese economy, it is just export, export export and let's export some more.

    Posted in: Japan's unemployment up, spending down in February

  • 1

    Betting

    Regardless of whether Japan's mental illness rate is higher than 24% or not, it's good to see that some people are trying to bring the problem out into the open where that is the only place it can be fixed. And this country certainly does need its mental welfare problems to be fixed.

    Posted in: New documentary explores taboo subject of mental illness in Japan

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    Betting

    Maybe off-topic but don't we have enough people already making documentaries about the poverty and AIDS crises in Africa already? I wish we could have more of these wealthy people helping to set up sustainable businesses there that would really help the continent.

    Posted in: UK charity urges Madonna to rethink Malawi adoption

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    Betting

    Wow Oyaban, is that really an accurate list? I can't believe Australia ranks as high as nine!!! In Australia, how many people would really be interested in the WBC? Baseball is hardly like a major sport over there. From what I've seen on the tv, they can play baseball just by looking at some of the wins they've had over major teams ... but ninth??

    Posted in: 'Samurai Japan' return to heroes' welcome after WBC triumph

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    Betting

    It would have been a lot cheaper and easier to go out to his local izakaya and get plastered on something legal. This guy is stupid on two accounts, 1) couldn't think of a reason, any reason for staying one month overseas (e.g "Oh right ... yeah why didn't I say I went for an extended vacation?") and; 2) if the packets inside his body had burst, it might have given him some serious complications (not sure if anyone has ever died of a cannabis overdose, doubt it, but broken containers might kill you).

    Posted in: Drug suspect, caught at Narita, had 273 packs of cannabis in stomach

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    Betting

    I wouldn't mind betting that it was an outburst resulting from simple frustration. As more and more hospitals close due to various reasons (e.g. lack of funding, lack of people wishing to enter the profession etc.) things are becoming really tight, but it a field that deserves more attention from the government. But Japanese administrations fumble the ball consistently here. Therefore this doctor has just reached his boiling point and blown up, instantly regretting the remark. I don't know the situation, obviously, but I think that is what might have happened.

    Posted in: Doctor apologizes for saying people should smoke themselves to death

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    Betting

    "When I lived in Niigata, the people I met there were generally interested in this issue for obvious reasons, and disgusted that successive governments for many years had virtually ignored the abductee issue".

    I think that is really a key point in the whole issue. Why wasn't something done much earlier? As I see it, Japan has far more problems now than it did in the 70s, 80s and 90s and is using the kidnappings as a tool to deflect attention from other issues in Japan (which are far more important). A complete failure of the Japanese government to protect its own people.

    Posted in: Do you believe some Japanese abductees are still alive in North Korea, and if you do, why do you think North Korea hasn't come clean on the issue?

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    Betting

    "Younger Japanese audiences don’t connect so strongly with Hollywood films recently".

    And is that a bad thing? The speaker seems to imply that it is.

    And why the big sink over Kato making a short speech in rather bad English. Everyone knows the Oscars are very prestigious and the greater majority of movie makers aim for them, but Kato lives in Japan and might or might not have an interest in learning English. Any language is very time intensive if you want to speak it well, and he mightn't want to spend that time learing something he doesn't want/need.

    Posted in: More Japanese shunning the outside world

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    Betting

    If those people are still alive (and I'm not decided on this issue) I think NK could take its pick on the reasons: 1) Pure embarrassment as to what it has done; 2) It still needs those people for some future reason; 3) It wants to hurt or annoy Japan any way it can; 4) Maybe some/all of those kidnapped people mightn't even want to come back; 5) More ammunition to use for bargaining at some point and; 6) NK just doesn't want to give them back.

    Posted in: Do you believe some Japanese abductees are still alive in North Korea, and if you do, why do you think North Korea hasn't come clean on the issue?

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    Betting

    "...will interact with fans".

    So, Tom Cruise is like a computer game? I thought we talk to people, stuff like that, but I guess Tom must be a robot of some kind.

    Posted in: 40 fans chosen for chartered flight with Tom Cruise

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    Betting

    "The basic meaning of "shotgun wedding" is a wedding where one or both people getting married are forced, and a pregnancy does not need to exist for that situation.

    A more compelling question would be: What is better translation of dekichatta kekkon? I suggest pot-belly matrimony".

    A shotgun wedding is a wedding that results from an unplanned pregnancy. You might Wiki of use here, it's only a few taps of your keyboard away.

    Pot-belly matrimony sounds something that could be confused with beer-belly matrimony? And I think that would be absolutely horrible.

    Posted in: What do you think about shotgun weddings?

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