Wednesday February 15, 2012

Himajin's past comments

  • 3

    Himajin

    I have no "ethical core" to my life

    I didn't say that..........my view, which doesn't seem to agree with yours, is that some things are wrong in the absolute. To me, some things (not all certainly) ARE black and white. Dumping your baby's body in the woods and letting it get torn apart by foxes or dogs, and rotting, is unequivocally wrong. You don't think so, you think there can be mitigating circumstances. We'll have to disagree. I apologize for being unnecessarily sarcastic yesterday, it was uncalled for!

    Posted in: Oita woman confesses to lying about daughter's abduction, burying body

  • 3

    Himajin

    Well, I think it's pretty cold to have no sympathy for a desperate person who did a desperate, horrible thing.

    Terrific, you go and be a big enough bleeding heart for both of us, then. I prefer to maintain an ethical core to my life, and not go 'round sympathizing with body dumpers because they must just feel so awful. A crime is a crime, whether committed by a male or female, the father or the mother. Dumping her kids' body in the woods was a horrid thing to do. And a crime. Period.

    Posted in: Oita woman confesses to lying about daughter's abduction, burying body

  • 3

    Himajin

    See, I CAN imagine waking up, finding my little boy dead, and ditching his small body out in the cold, out of fear that I would be blamed for his death, and then lying about it out of this same fear -- it's terrifying how I can easily imagine doing it, in fact.

    And look at all the trouble you'd be in if you'd do that, like this mother is. It really doesn't save you any trouble does it? And is desecrates the corpse of your own child.

    I still think it's pretty narcissistic and cold to react that way. Unnatural.

    Posted in: Oita woman confesses to lying about daughter's abduction, burying body

  • 0

    Himajin

    Bread baked in an electric oven-

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/62021477@N00/sets/72157629213462175/

    Posted in: Bread mix

  • 1

    Himajin

    An electric oven plus microwave bakes, I've used them since I arrived here. How long have you had it, and are you sure it doesn't bake?? I wonder because you say it's big. I include below, a link to several by Sharp.

    I've used nothing but Sharp electric 'oven renji' since I came to Japan. Most houses (unless you build it that way) aren't set up for gas ovens. I attend a cooking school in Kobe, and all the ovens (20 of them) there are these Sharp 'oven-renji' types, and cream puffs, assorted cakes (I can't recall how many of the36 cakes in the course need an oven off the top of my head), 45 kinds of breads, roast meats, and macaron are baked in them. The microwave function is just used to melt butter, or make quick custard.

    They bake and roast just fine, there was no need to take a swat at Cleo, she knows what she is talking about. You push the 'microwave (renji)' button to use the microwave, push 'oven ichi-dan' or 'oven ni-dan' to turn on the oven function and have a temp range from 110C to 250C. Most can be set to proof bread as well (40C). The microwave function is not activated during baking.

    http://www.sharp.co.jp/products/kitchen/oven/prod01/

    Gas might be more common in Europe, but In the US and other countries a large electric oven is the norm. You might take a closer look at yours. I can't see it saying 'oven' and not being one as 'microwave' is 'denshi renji', they aren't called 'ovens'.

    Posted in: Bread mix

  • 1

    Himajin

    I was struck by how sad the child looked in all her pictures.

    Posted in: Oita woman confesses to lying about daughter's abduction, burying body

  • 4

    Himajin

    Himajin, you really lack any feeling for the mother at all?

    Personally, I am tired of the 'something must have made her do it' every time a mother kills her children, kills their mate, or otherwise commits a crime. Even if it wasn't murder, she left her child's body in the woods naked with only a blanket on it, for it to be exposed to the elements, and eaten by wild animals (why do you think the bones are so scattered?). She cared more about saving her own behind than giving her own child a decent burial. She may be crazy, and maybe not....I just happen to really do dislike the excuses I see, be it here, CNN, any board at all, every time a woman does something like this. Rather than 'Oh that poor thing' I always wait to see how it comes out. Remember that case in Akita, where a girl supposedly disappeared? Her mother killed her because she was getting in the way of Mummy's love life. She got loads of sympathy too, at first.

    I can easily put myself in her place,

    Really? I cannot. I cannot fathom waking up to find my child dead (and we'll see about that) and have my first thought be 'How do I cover this up? I know, I'll throw her in the woods and then go to the supermarket and tell everyone she was kidnapped'. Sorry, just don't envision myself doing that at all.

    Posted in: Oita woman confesses to lying about daughter's abduction, burying body

  • 0

    Himajin

    Monk, or maybe Goren (although not a savant, he is quirky)

    The term Savant is never ever used on its own.

    It means 'learned, with detailed knowledge in one field'.

    The word 'idiot' is not used because it is no longer acceptable.

    "According to Treffert, the term idiot savant (French for "learned idiot" or "knowledgeable idiot") was first used to describe the condition in 1887 by John Langdon Down, who is known for his description of Down Syndrome. The term "idiot savant" was later described as a misnomer because not all reported cases fit the definition of idiot, originally used for a person with a very severe mental retardation. The term autistic savant was also used as a diagnosis for this disorder. Like idiot savant, the term autistic savant also became looked at as a misnomer because only one-half of those who were diagnosed at the time with savant syndrome had autism. Upon realization of the need for accuracy of diagnosis and dignity towards the individual, the term savant syndrome became widely accepted terminology."

    Posted in: SMAP singer Nakai to play savant detective

  • 1

    Himajin

    I really feel for that poor, poor mother -- what tortured circumstances led her do the unthinkable?

    No excuses! I have a really bad time feeling sorry for a murderer.

    As far as JT readers 'calling' it, the human mind remembers the hits, and forgets all the misses. This is how astrologists and cold readers succeed.

    Posted in: Oita woman confesses to lying about daughter's abduction, burying body

  • 3

    Himajin

    'Talent' isn't standard English.

    Sakana-kun drives me crazy.I swear he's the devil child of a fugu and Micheal Jackson.

    Posted in: Marine attractions

  • 1

    Himajin

    'Not true across the board. The ongoing catastrophe at Dai-Ichi is NOT over it is continuing to release. Plus, in terms of Strontium-90 into a marine environment Dai-Ichi is the by far the worst polluter ever. Facts hurt in daylight, but facts THEY are.'

    I cited actual sources, do have any?

    Posted in: Chernobyl experts hopeful on Fukushima

  • -2

    Himajin

    No running with beans in your mouth. Simple.

    Posted in: Authorities warn parents of Setsubun choking risks

  • 0

    Himajin

    Samantha, what you wrote about your kids made me tear up. That's exactly how I feel. While I don't regret taking care of DH's parents it has taken it's toll on both of us in many ways. It's a lot of stress. I love my son and daughter-in-law and I don't want that for them. Visit me once in a while, sure! But not feeding me or changing me!

    Posted in: 38-year-old man held for beating father to death while changing diaper

  • -1

    Himajin

    You do all realize that Fukushima was a fraction of Chernobyl? What I wonder is why those of you who constantly insist that Fukushima won't be inhabitable for decades aren't also calling for people to move out of the Ukraine and a good portion of Europe? Austria had a good bit of soil contamination as well. You will see by the map in the link below that the immediate exclusion zone for Chernobyl was 500km, and the cesium 137 counts were measured in Curies per kilometer .... 1 curie is 1 terabecquerel. I have so far not seen figures in the terabecquerel range for soil contamination here.

    Fukushima was (figures differ wildly depending on the news source)57,000- 370,000 tera, Chernobyl was 5.2 million tera.

    But those in Japan who stay or think of going home are 'fools' 'duped' etc. Judging by the Ukrainian expert's standards, this is a much smaller accident.

    http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0604/feature1/map.html

    Posted in: Chernobyl experts hopeful on Fukushima

  • 3

    Himajin

    I have often spouted, do you want to grow old in Japan, well here is another example to consider, so do you still want to grow old here............... not a nice thing to have to contemplate.

    Start saving....while there may be many more nursing homes in the US, they run upwards of $5,000 a month. If you stay home, you can have visiting nurses if you can afford them, at $45 an hour. Hospice is more reasonable but you have to have a debilitating disease or have less than 3 months to live to use them. For those who need help, but are not yet debilitated, you're kind of stuck with 'helpers' who don't have any medical qualifications and who just drive and clean and things like that ($26 an hour right now). In the US you have the problem that the care workers are paid only about $7 an hour, despite the $26 an hour charge...it all goes to the organization.

    Background checks may or may not be done (depends on agency) but even if done, it does not guarantee that you'll get a worker who won't try to get something out of their clients. My mother has already had to let an aid go in the US, one said she was available for times that would straddle lunch time and then my mother was picking up the lunch tab, plus paying for driving, it was $100 per outing for time + the meal, on a pension,but on the pension she is still better off than some of these workers....you can't live on $7.65 an hour working 10 or 20 hours a week. If more of the hourly rate actually went to the workers you might not have helpers trying to take advantage of clients.

    I think language proficiency is a must. I haven't made up my mind as to whether the kanji qualifications are that important or not, although it would be if these workers are going to help the elderly take their meds etc. if not, spoken ability should be enough. There are no language qualifications in many homes in the US, they need all the help they can get, but accidents have occurred due to language mistakes.

    but what I was saying is that a parent will stay by the child's side no matter what. It doesn't matter if that child is a baby or 50 years old.

    I'm in my 50s and my parents aren't still taking care of me, believe me. If you mean 'see them as family' or 'have affection for' then yes, parents continue to love and be loyal to their children.

    . Children on the other hand will only stay by the parents side until it becomes inconvenient.

    You're supposed to grow up and grow away from your parents, form your own family. That is not equal to abandonment. Unless you've done it, I don't think it's wise for you to tell others how to care for their elderly. It sounds all warm and fuzzy like, and noble, but it isn't always possible.

    My grandmother had Alzheimer's and my mother wouldn't put her in a home. The problem was my grandmother was off the wall. They didn't have Aricept back then (late 80s) nor many other drugs to take the edge off the aggression. My grandmother hid knives in her drawers, began verbally and sometimes physically attacking my mother the minute my father went to work every morning and 'shadowed' her (a stage in AD where the AD patient sticks to you, you literally bump into them every time you turn around). She punched, kicked and tried to bite. She pushed her down the stairs. My grandmother was definitely a candidate for placement, but my mother (although American!) did the 'gaman' thing because placing her would have been 'giving up', a frequent attitude among caregivers. The social stigma of placement was also likely a factor...'throwing away your parent' etc. She endured being hit and sworn at for years.

    FIL got AD in the late 90s. He did really well at home until the delusions set in, he was back in WII. Hearing a car backfire, fireworks, any loud bang would set him off. He patrolled his house from once it got dark till morning carrying a bokuto. Still he was ok at home. Once he lost all sense of place and time and began to leave the house in the middle of the night, we placed him. Until then someone had to stay up all night to keep him from leaving.

    MIL got AD in 2003. For the first 5 years I went to her house every day (quit my job) from 9 or 10 until 5, cleaning and cooking for her and taking care of everything (49 and hundred days, hatsu-bon and isshuki) after FILs death. In those five years I saw my friends perhaps 6 times, quit music lessons and basically had no life of my own at all. I did it because she's family, so I'm not complaining , but perhaps you don't realize what a huge sacrifice this can be.....in 2008 we moved her 100 yards from us (she still refused to live with us) and I spent every day at her house, carrying all her meals over on a tray three times a day, and staying until 8pm until I saw her take her sleeping pill and get into bed. Gradually she became more and more violent (now under control) .For about 6 years I got home at 6 and then took care of our laundry and house. DH helped on the weekends. Finally when she got to the point where I had to stand beside her in the bathroom and direct her in every step ('here is soap, it's for your face' 'here is toothpaste,it's for your teeth) to keep her from putting cold cream in her hair and washing her face with toothpaste, it was time to do something. We placed her when she started sneaky behavior like using a whole box of kancho on two visits to the toilet, or eating a whole cake by herself (with diabetes!) and taking three doses of her morning meds at once, it surpassed my capacity to watch her. I couldn't go to the bathroom with the door closed, for fear of what she'd do when I was in there. If I didn't get my shower before DH left for work, tough luck till he got home that night....15 minutes was too long to leave her. She needs watching 24 hours a day and the helpers only came 3 hours a week because the helper guidelines are based on physical abilities, not mental, and she can still walk, dress herself and wash herself with verbal guidance.

    'Inconvenient'? For most caregivers, it goes WAY beyond 'inconvenient' before they place someone. In addition, caregivers have a rate of depression and heart attacks far above that of the general population.

    Here's an excellent blog for those who might like a perspective on this-

    http://www.metaphorcountry.com/dementia_nights/2010/01/index.html

    Posted in: 38-year-old man held for beating father to death while changing diaper

  • 1

    Himajin

    I was wondering how to put it. Yes, tmarie, you are correct. Lifespan has lengthened, but the number of healthy years has not. MIL has high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and diabetes. All her diseases are under control, she has excellent blood exam results, but is now in Stage 6 of AD. She has no idea where she is, knows her family but thinks she's 55 or so. No sense of time or seasons, can't remember she ate 2 minutes after she puts her chopsticks down. We placed her as she needs constant supervision and I just....couldn't....watch her anymore. She became violent, and was a firebug to boot. I gave it my best, but my best wasn't enough to contain a 4'5", 53 kg angry, sarcastic toddler prone to loud destructive tantrums. She was placed permanently 2 years ago. I go 1-2 days a week, she goes to day care 2 days, she's as happy as is possible for someone in her condition. I wonder if it's worth it? She'll go for another 10 years at least getting more and more confused and sad. Not that I want her gone, believe me, but wow, what a way to go.

    I have no illnesses, no diabetes, high blood pressure or anything so far, but I'm thinking that should I, I'll stop treatment while I still have my marbles and go out before I ruin my kids' lives.

    Posted in: 38-year-old man held for beating father to death while changing diaper

  • 0

    Himajin

    Samantha, I think she should contact the local labor board, and find out if that's legal! An emergency is an emergency, I do think she can be penalized for that.

    Posted in: 38-year-old man held for beating father to death while changing diaper

  • 1

    Himajin

    That's okay! It's very common. I'm not upset or anything. :-D

    Posted in: 38-year-old man held for beating father to death while changing diaper

  • 6

    Himajin

    Do it, day in, day out, for years, don't ever complain or lose your temper and then you can criticize and mock 'kizuna'.

    Squidbert, yes, you do reach a level, whether it be of deterioration of cognition, loss of function, an increase in escape behavior, or a tendency towards violent behavior, that goes beyond the level that untrained family can care for. We reached that level two years ago with MIL. She's in a nice hospital and has a routine that keeps her calm, as opposed to our comings and goings, barking dog etc. Her violent behavior has diminished, as well as angry outbursts and lighting things on fire when she's bored (!). If you realize it's necessary, please don't call it 'dumping'. It's one of the hardest decisions for a family to make, and the guilt can be enormous.

    Posted in: 38-year-old man held for beating father to death while changing diaper

  • 0

    Himajin

    Rolled cabbage is good in oden

    You're right, Cleo. The image that popped into my head was cabbage cut like hakusai...

    Posted in: Oden, mixed stew, sukiyaki most favored 'nabe' dishes in winter

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