MoriNoHogosha's past comments

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  MoriNoHogoshaSep. 26, 2011 - 11:04AM JST

  Mmm, yakitori scented incense. Now that would be something else.

  Anyways. The Sensoji temple grounds are very nice. I was lucky enough to get there early one drizzly morning, and it was super quiet with hardly any visitors yet. With the exception of the great temple itself and the 'thunder gates', the gardens and pond area can be very serene, as is the section where Bell of Time hangs. Well... quiet except for the cicadas anyway.

  Posted in: Incensed

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  MoriNoHogoshaSep. 06, 2011 - 01:35AM JST

  Nearly every consumer technology company I can think of has, sometime somewhere, been accused of tech plagiarism. Apple copied XEROX. MicroSoft copied Apple. Yadda yadda yadda. The list goes on.

  However, Samsung did push a few too many touch-screen buttons on this one - figuratively speaking. I can't vouch for any similarities between actual parts in the iPad and the Galaxy, but I wouldn't be surprised if internal design logistics are involved.

  Still, I find it funny that Samsung would counter-sue for wireless tech infringement. If they really had a case, they probably would have filed this months ago, if not years. What's even funnier is that, AFAIK, the iPhone has had more issues with wireless reliability than any Samsung phone. :P

  Posted in: Samsung pulls tablet PC from trade show amid row

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  MoriNoHogoshaSep. 03, 2011 - 01:34AM JST

  When I first came to Japan, I found a lot of them weird, but most of them now seem commonplace. In general, I don't mind the lot of them. Then again, I watch very little TV, and I had relatively few channels.

  Though, I often felt like I was being bombarded with beer commercials. It was rather incessant, even compared to the frequency of beer ads in North America. At least the average length is much shorter, which tends to limit the annoyance factor a bit (of course, repetition is another issue).

  As for all other product ads, some are quick and to the point, and some are just downright perplexing. You can't even tell what on earth they're trying to sell until the very end. Still, I don't think I've ever seen any Japanese commericial as strange and unrelated to the product as those shown in Europe, and that's probably a good thing.

  Posted in: What do you think of Japanese TV commercials?

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  MoriNoHogoshaSep. 01, 2011 - 11:33AM JST

  People do this in many countries, not just Japan, and while it may be that women take pictures of food more often, some men do this frequently as well.

  Now, I've never taken a photo of just food alone when in public, but I see no big difference between having your picture taken with friends at the table and taking a picture of the food itself. Food brings people together just as much as music, dancing, and other cultural factors/events do. What's wrong with creating a little reminder of an ocassion, no matter how simple or commonplace, if it commemorates both good food togetherness? Nothing!

  If the restaurant does not allow photographs, that's understandable for keeping ambience and minimizing distractions. Otherwise, I say feel free to snap a few as long as you're not being obtrusive about it - like standing on chairs or hoisting up candelabras just to get the right angle and lighting.

  Anyways. This is a trend that's not going away, and in any case, it's harmless. Complaining about is pointless. Raising a flag on such an immaterial issue is no different from Hayao Miyazaki's aversion to people using the iPad because he thinks it's suggestive and perverse - stupid and illogical. Making such a big fussy deal of something so benign is asinine and, even more so, tight-@ssed.

  There are more important things to worry about and more intrusive or harmful habits that can be done away with.

  Posted in: Why do so many Japanese women take photos of their food at restaurants and post it on Facebook or their blogs?

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 30, 2011 - 02:01AM JST

  One would think that, as a Finance Minister, Noda has the mentality and experience to take steps towards getting Japan's economy back on track. At least he has Kan's recent budget bill to work with, should he so choose to do so. Only time will tell how well he does, if at all.

  For now, everyone should just wish Noda luck and try not to paint the whole picture before he has revealed his true colors as DPJ Leader and PM. You never know what might happen. For example, a lot of people thought Kan would wreak havoc and make things worse, but in the light of recent events, he didn't do half as bad as some expected - especially in the face of disaster.

  Posted in: It's all yours

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 29, 2011 - 12:02PM JST

  It's easy to say "Yes, this is a great option!" but the article does bring up the matter of conservation. Many of the remote regions can easily sustain both tourism and geothermal ventures, but while onsen proprietors are free to establish (almost) anywhere, it would be tougher for power companies to start drilling into sensitive land and building structures much larger than a two-story luxury ryokan.

  Japan already has a lot of "green" laws, projects, and products, and some of them have been around for more than a decade. Perhaps it's time to relax the hold a little on greenbelt preservation for the sake of lowering the volume of nuclear waste.

  TEPCO might throw a tantrum about the geo movement for a few years, but if they're smart (big IF there), they'll jump on the geothermal bandwagon, purchase the appropriate land rights, contract tech from Mitsubishi or Toshiba, and start letting some steam out (literally) instead of contaminating more fish, cows, and crops.

  Posted in: Quake-prone Japan looks at geothermal energy

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 27, 2011 - 09:30AM JST

  The answer to this headline's question depends on which category of music festivals it is directed.

  The short answer with regards to the so-called "festivals" that involve an infestation of western bands and "artists" trying to pass off their noise as music is a resounding YES! There are a few North American names and groups (who play internationally) left that can actually play live and have lyrics worth listening to, but that list gets shorter every year, and even fewer of them get booked in Japan.

  As for real music festivals featuring both local and national indie bands and artists as well as those signed to subsidiary labels in Japan, that answer is HECK NO! For example, the DATE.fm Music Festival in Sendai City was one of the most memorable of 2010, not just for highlighting talented bands just breaking into the industry, but also for its enthusiastic and electric atmosphere - especially when you consider how much smaller the crowds were.

  With regards to crowd control and tenacity for maintaining order, that goes with the territory. There are cases of fights, riots, fires, and even deaths (not counting outdoor stages falling apart) every year in North America due to lax security, as well as poor management of the events, of the crowds, and of the host capacity.

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 23, 2011 - 12:19PM JST

  A nice little bit of history and insight into what's apparently a much larger company than I thought.

  "Chiclets" was one of my favorite gums as a kid ^o^

  Posted in: Nihon Kraft Foods Ltd

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 23, 2011 - 12:12PM JST

  ps. This flux of PM after PM is just as damaging to Japan's political and financial landscape as the incessant battering of a tsunami. Just when there's a chance that progress might actually have been made, it's all washed away in the spittle of a bunch of gabbing geezers who have their hands stuck in the coffers and their minds in the 19th century.

  Posted in: DPJ to pick new PM on Aug 29 if two bills pass this week

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 23, 2011 - 12:07PM JST

  Of all the self-serving, blow-hard geezers in the Japanese government, it's the least of them, the only one who has actually managed to stand against a raging tide of opposition (literally and figuratively), who's being booted off.

  How sad and discouraging.

  Posted in: DPJ to pick new PM on Aug 29 if two bills pass this week

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 22, 2011 - 08:37AM JST

  Does it really matter who wins? The PM's job here has to be one of the most thankless positions in politics anywhere in the world. Whomever gets the position will be chewed up and spit out within 6 months to a year.

  ^ This. Exactly.

  Also, it's sad that it took a cataclysm to force a political party truce (albeit short-lived), as well as make everyone start paying more attention to the decades-old technology being used in nuclear plants whose structures are just as old, if not older.

  At the very least, Kan's energy bill will start the ball rolling on safer, renewable sources for power. If even a mere 5% of electricity production over the next 5 years comes from solar, tidal, geothermal, and aerial -based technology, it's more than enough (for now) to ask of a very dense, tech-savvy, appliance-dependent population.

  Posted in: Noda seen as frontrunner to replace Kan as PM

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 21, 2011 - 08:24AM JST

  The crying is a little much, but some people are just sensitive. Nothing wrong with that.

  In the meantime, expect no better - and much worse - of European soccer fans. (Let's compromise. I'll simply say, "*most *of them".) They leave their IQs, sensitivities, respect, and common sense at the stadium entrance. You can almost hear the toilets flushing right after they open their mouths to say something. Yeah, they're full of it.

  Posted in: Belgian soccer match halted after Fukushima taunts

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 20, 2011 - 09:32AM JST

  :`( I wish her spirit peace and her family comfort.

  Posted in: Body of Japanese woman found below Niagara Falls

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 17, 2011 - 02:16PM JST

  Yep, it's a start. Baby steps. Baby steps.

  Sadly, I still can't read Japanese worth squat. So even the slightest help is welcome. I just hope they turn it into a regular thing and that the practice spreads to other areas. (Though, I never had a problem getting English travel paraphernalia in Taito and Sendai Shi.) I wouldn't get very far without asking for directions or saying, "Eigo no chizu o kudasai" -_-'

  Posted in: Shibuya opens bilingual tourist info facility

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 17, 2011 - 02:07PM JST

  That's a beautiful shot. Looks like a gorgeous place to relax in. Though, if I had to travel that far from the Shitamachi area anyway, I'd probably choose some place like Niigata instead (place I'd definitely love to visit someday).

  And yes, Tokyoites do like their marketplaces, it seems, even if they have to build in on the fringes of a natural haven. I wasn't all that surprised when I found souvenir shops and vending machines at the summit of Mt. Fuji o_O Well, at least this one in Karuizawa is an open-air concept and not a multi-story, air-conditioned, concrete behemoth.

  Article Unavailable

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 17, 2011 - 01:50PM JST

  I have heard the commission reports (albeit condensed versions). I have seen almost every bit of footage - amateur and official - of the events. I have watched several documetaries, neutral and otherwise (except for the crap on Fox, which is always, well, crap). I have also seen and read a number of conspiracy theories, some idiotic and some surprisingly logical.

  What I've come to realize is that there are way too questions left unanswered. So many people are content to simply mourn and pay their respects. Meanwhile, others have made it their priority to preach about diligence, tolerance, security measures, strengthening international ties (or in some cases nationalism), and getting the people responsible for these attacks. Yet, there aren't enough people continuing to ask questions and pressure the government for the truth concerning these events and their aftermath. Examining the lives of media personalities, be they direct or indirect witnesses to 9/11, is pointless filler that does nothing but perpetuate human drama. At the same time, most media outlets and networks are content to spew such filler while utterly neglecting the pursuit for answers.

  September 11, 2001 was more of a catalyst for an invasion and a blackout effect with regards to access to some intelligence reports and financial records than it was a reminder that there are people who want to destroy America. People have always wanted to destroy America and there always will be. Hell, some Americans themselves want to destroy America, and that too is nothing new.

  That whole fiasco ten years ago left a lot of loose ends, and it's a guarantee that the wars in the Middle East are a step in the wrong direction to tying them up.

  Posted in: Terrorist attacks a universal television event

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 17, 2011 - 01:17PM JST

  Of course it was an accident, one obviously caused by negligence. There's no point trying to separate the two. Arguing over it it just pointless. Accidents are obviously caused by no other than negligence and/or carelessness. Otherwise, one would have to categorize this an attempt to actually harm the child, and if that were accurate (which I don't think it is) it would just be [well, not rare, but nonetheless] shocking.

  Second, as already said, the most critical of posters likely don't have any children of their own, and even if they do, they don't have all the facts. For all we know, there could have been a rush to get on the train, some pushing or shoving, or the child - being a two year old - could very well have been rambunctious or uncooperative.

  Let it go. Give the parent a virtual smack in the head, wish them more diligence (or discipline), and just be glad the child wasn't badly hurt or worse.

  Posted in: 2-year-old boy falls onto tracks at Nagoya Station

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 17, 2011 - 03:08AM JST

  Tablet PCs were already in the market years prior to the iPad launch. The iPad is more a gimmick that it is anything new - or useful for that matter. Tablets have become faster and more savvy, but as nothing more than an oversized, glorified smart phone, they're not going to replace desktops or laptops anytime soon. While tablets have filled in a gap for mobile users, it has not made as great a dent or shift in the desktop market as this article purports.

  Desktop computer sales were already on a steep decline prior to the emergence of new tablets. Yes, the need for upgrading has plateaued, and the longevity of the machines themselves has also improved. However, the technology itself has stagnated. Engineers have hit a brick wall when it comes to computing hardware innovation. Thus the sudden shift from simply trying to make things more powerful to making them more compact, mobile, and intuitive.

  Take a look at GPUs for instance. Software technology is actually ahead of what current graphic cards can render. It has been this way since at least 1995. The same bottleneck has held true for CPUs for years as well, at least since the birth of generation-2 multiple-core units. The latter, aside from the obvious mass advertising and user-info-siphoning opportunities, is one of the biggest reasons why cloud computing is being pushed as the "next big thing". Cloud computing is not new. Parallel processing through arrayed or networked CPUs has been around since before the WWW became a household concept. I'm sure most people bothering to read this article have heard of SETI.

  One thing the article doesn't mention is gaming consoles. Gamers take up a very large chunk of the PC consumer body. With the massive influx of titles and developer efforts into the console market, the PC gamer is a bit of a dying breed. As well, since fewer titles are being developed for the PC itself (and with developers beating the dead horse in terms of PC-based MMOs with old rendering engines), the need for upgrading is delayed even further.

  The market has not exactly shifted, and it's certainly not due solely to tablets. Manufacturers simply run out of things to sell and people to sell to. This is exactly why they're turning to emerging markets -- ie. growing economies in developing and booming countries.

  Posted in: Rebooting the PC industry: Tablets force a shift

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 16, 2011 - 02:57PM JST

  If you see a parent smacking their child around, you would surely intervene or at least call child services, right?

  Yet, if you see someone doing something potentially deadly like climbing over the guards surrounding a rather large and extremely powerful waterway, you wouldn't do or say anything? What if it was your kid trying to climb over those rails?

  THAT is the real trouble with the world today. They are quick to blame and insult parties involved in any particular incident yet completely ignore the lack of social integrity and responsibility. Yes, people are most certainly responsible for their actions, but that doesn't always mean everyone else off the hook.

  Perhaps someone was close enough to hold her back, perhaps not. It doesn't take self-righteous duty and springing boldly into action like some superhero wannabe to save a life. Sometimes, all it takes is a, "Don't climb over that, or you might kill yourself, you f-ing moron!"

  Posted in: Niagara Falls search for Japanese woman turns up man's body

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  MoriNoHogoshaAug. 16, 2011 - 12:11PM JST

  ^ Aquatic valve controls for either pressure or level are, AFAIK, implemented only in dams or on waterways that require ship locks. I believe the hydro dams are downstream from the tourist spots. The more "scenic" areas of Niagara Falls where tourists converge most often do not have any such facilities built on them (not that I've seen anyway). The water flow on both the American and Canadian sightseeing sides are still natural and uncontrolled.

  So, as far as the area where this student fell is concerned, no, the falls cannot be "turned off".

  Posted in: Niagara Falls search for Japanese woman turns up man's body