Wednesday February 15, 2012

Patto's past comments

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    Patto

    No mention of whether this sake is very dry or has had its flavor "enhanced" in some way. I fear the latter. If so, no good for the kamidana, which is the only place I use sake anyway.

    Posted in: Sugar-free sake

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    Patto

    Col. America, I presume you do not live in Japan, where the prevailing winds are northwesterly. Perhaps you can sit in your armchair and punch the button in safety and comfort, but the fallout won't be limited to just millions of innocent people in North Korea. Putin stood up to the oligarchs that were stripping Russia's assets, and he improved life for the average Russian citizen. Ten years ago, you could say the army was demoralized--the whole country was! But not now. With a lot of trigger-happy people in America in power, including Mr. Cheney, and with religious zealots pushing for Armageddon, I fear a nuclear war is just a matter of time, with fatalities in the millions or billions and even people in armchairs affected in some meaningful way.

    Posted in: Cheney accuses Russia of using brute force, intimidation over Georgia

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    Patto

    I read somewhere recently that a treaty established about two decades ago recognized Ossetia as independent from Georgia and allowed Russia a peace-keeping force there. So after Georgia attacks Ossetia, killing thousands of Russian peace-keepers and their families, Russia retaliates by attacking Georgia, and we are supposed to think Russia is really bad because of this? The BS about this skirmish has been flying so thick it makes me think someone in America or perhaps Israel wants really badly to push Russia into a major war. No wonder Russia is calling for more observers. Impartial ones would be nice.

    Posted in: Russia calls for more observers in Georgia

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    Patto

    Thank you for the recommendation! I'll go give it a try!

    Posted in: Iriomote Island: Go trekking through primeval forest — without leaving Japan

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    Patto

    Amazing the little boy could survive the night on that mountain! It was a miracle it didn't rain that night. I live there and often hike on that mountain. It is not warm at night. It's over 700 meters altitude where he was. He was probably on a north slope, which is overgrown with short trees and shrubs. Amazing they could find him! It is a real miracle.

    Posted in: 2-year-old missing boy found on Shizuoka mountain

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    Patto

    Thank you to Mr. Grimm for a thoughtful article! I think a third Yasukuni will remain for quite a while: the loyalty test. Japan has had those throughout its history, it seems a deeply important part of their culture. Loyalty tests, however, can take many different forms, so Yasukuni's relevance may fade in this area over time. A fourth Yasukuni will remain, though. It is a part of Japan's indigenous religion, and though the wartime government defined Shinto as a cultural/educational institution and a few people within Shinto still do, there are many others who find real inspiration in it as a nature-oriented beautiful religion. In fact, people outside Japan are discovering Shinto. There is a Texas Shinto Study Group, for just one example. They honor Yasukuni as part of Shinto, while recognizing the reasons for controversy. I think that no religion, country or culture should be judged by what its soldiers did in a war. We would all be throwing rocks at each other. The world, unfortunately, has an endless supply of warmongers who will utilize any means at hand for organizing and motivating armies. "I am with God! Blah blah blah."

    Posted in: The Catholic Church and Yasukuni shrine

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    Patto

    I smile at them benignly and wave as they go by.

    Posted in: It’s time for emperor to rev up his own sound truck

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    Patto

    I visited the park in the late 1980s before it officially opened. There was only one blind then, near the pond, and I was the only visitor and in fact saw no one on the way to and from the station, aside from a few drunken horse-racing enthusiasts loitering and huge trucks speeding through the streets not anticipating pedestrians. Even so, it was worth the trip. I am happy to hear how nice it has become! I found Tokyo overall to be surprisingly rich in wildlife.

    Posted in: Ornithologists flock to Tokyo bird sanctuary

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    Patto

    Organic farming, home cooking, reducing use of car, hiking for fun, bringing my own shopping bags and chopsticks, unplugging and reducing usage of electronics, installing windows in ceiling to eliminate need for lighting during day, sleeping and rising early. These are all common sense, and as prices rise, more people including reactionaries will do them to save money. Only the very rich will continue to guzzle. I have never owned a TV or air conditioner. Westurn, if you are concerned about acid rain, it affects the western parts of Japan more. Get some pH strips to check it. If you don't have access to a safe well or spring, investing in a rain collection system may be to your advantage in the long run.

    Posted in: What do you do in your day-to-day life to conserve energy and protect the environment?

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    Patto

    I admit to feeling better after Coligny's beautiful rant! Republic, I've been a translator in Japan for 20 years, but even I don't know how the Japanese communicate with each other! I am beginning to believe in ESP.

    Posted in: No substitute for human touch in translating

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    Patto

    I'll be more impressed when wh puts impeachment back on the table. Until then, it's just sweet nothings.

    Posted in: House Speaker Pelosi calls Bush 'a total failure'

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    Patto

    The Emperors and Empresses are supposed to be gods and goddesses--constantly playing their roles for the benefit of the Japanese nation. Always giving, never receiving except in a ceremonial sense, like the shrine gods, in front of whom we bring the finest gifts, then take them away and consume them ourselves, because the gods, after all, cannot eat. That's a lot to ask of a human being. The boys are brought up under such circumstances and accept them with equanimity, believing the fate of their nation rests on their shoulders (and there is reason to consider the Emperor a stabilizing force in Japan). For two generations, however, the girls have come into this from the outside, so they know freedom. They have proceeded with a sense of duty and the importance of their role, understanding intellectually what that will entail. It strikes me a lot like committing suicide for the greater good. Japan has its own glorified Guantanamo for all the world to gawk at.

    Dear Masako needs our loving words recognizing her enormous sacrifice. That may be the only thing that can reach her.

    Posted in: Crown prince seeks public understanding for ailing wife

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    Patto

    I miss the long summer evenings spent with friends, but Japan has its own culture, and it is no good asking Japan to be just like America or Australia. Rather than enjoying a long evening, it makes sense to get to bed at an early hour, then get up at dawn and enjoy a long refreshing morning. The salarymen are going to waste almost as much electricity with a long evening as with a short one.

    Posted in: What are your views on daylight saving time?

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    Patto

    I think the situation has worked out very well from the government's point of view. Students are kept too busy to develop an independent point of view and they develop an aversion to education by the time they reach college age because they have been forced to memorize so much nonsense. Most of them goof around for four years rather than study in college (who can blame them?), then they become part of a docile work force. Japan has avoided a major brain drain and they keep most of the capital within the country in savings accounts with multi-digit interest rates (0.00...) because few people understand English well enough to take their money and business abroad.

    Posted in: Why don't Japanese speak English better than they do?

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