Poke's past comments

  • -3

    Poke

    Does anyone else think that Japan, because of its obsession with "safety first" and doing things in the "right" way, by the book, is excessively disrupted any time something mildly unexpected happens? This fire, for instance. 90 minutes putting out a kitchen fire? Or the fact that the Shinkansen can be stopped for hours because of a plastic tarp. What's the point? Then, when a real disaster happens, the country is still completely unprepared. It seems like the "memorize the manual" approach should be replaced with a little bit of respect for improvisation that responds to actual circumstances.

    Posted in: Fire in Shibuya Station arcade disrupts operations

  • -2

    Poke

    In my vast experience, Japanese nurses are not very intelligent. Its not the field that the smarter Japanese women go into...and not a very bright pool to begin with.

    I say give her a few weeks in jail for failing to properly dispose of a body. But maybe her baby was stillborn or there were complications. I dig the anarchist move of giving birth in her own room. The karaoke trip was also a nice touch.

    Posted in: 22-year-old mother arrested after infant's body found in her room

  • -1

    Poke

    I'm no fan of these nationalist groups generally (and what an annoying, cloying name for that group), but I am impressed at how disciplined and composed they appear to be. Is there a learning curve here? They vow not to land on the islands to avoid making the situation worse, and they will avoid direct conflict, violent or verbal, with the other side. This seems like it could be a solid strategy. Let the other side show their incivility first. Can you imagine what an interview with their Chinese counterparts would sound like?

    Posted in: Over 80 Japanese nationalists approach disputed islands

  • -1

    Poke

    Hmmm, she emphasized that "I need to focus on singing well." That would be nice. But, I have an idea: why not focus on having a soul? For example, writing your own lyrics and music and treating music as expression and not just a product? Maybe she does, but the article doesn't seem to mention it. This article talks about "quality content," but not surprisingly no one hints at what that might mean, other than promoting artists from talent shows and indie labels. That's a start I suppose, but I sense a disconnect.

    A lot of my favorite musicians aren't necessarily great singers, but they are original and interesting to listen to.

    Posted in: In Psy's musical wake, K-pop tries substance over style in star search

  • -2

    Poke

    R.I.P....Rest in pieces. The guy was a hikikomori by definition. They're very difficult to deal with, and don't want help. The sisters were justified in leaving him be and letting nature take its course. He did himself in by not eating, most likely. If only more pointless people in that situation would similarly show the same commitment to removing themselves--end of a social epidemic.

    Posted in: Woman puts skeletonised brother in trash after realizing he's dead

  • -1

    Poke

    Motive=crazy, overwhelmed by having 4 kids before you're 30. People should be forced to get a license to reproduce. It would be great if Japan became the country to pioneer this idea, but it will never happen. Too much paranoia about the need to maintain the Japanese race.

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

  • -3

    Poke

    That is an extremely sad thing that happened to this man, and I feel for him. But I still want to chime in on the side of those who think this is a lot of money, especially for a Japanese ruling, and maybe even too much. It is definitely more than this victim was going to earn in his remaining working years, and more than his penson--which he will still get. Sure, I agree you can throw him some money for pain and suffering, but how much? Its hard to put a price on that. I think that he and his family will be pretty well taken care of. He should try to quietly enjoy his retirement and more time with his family. The money may run out if he lives 20-30 years more...but how long do people really need to live anyway, in retirement, severely disabled?

    Posted in: Paralysed man awarded Y189 mil in damages after bicycle crash

  • 8

    Poke

    Good. I say down with the Japanese agriculture lobby, down with Nokyo, down with rice fetishism. And if an 85 year old's hand-gardened rice is so good, people will still buy it. This is not, however, to say that I support the U.S. lobbies' positions either. You can't force Japanese consumers to buy American automobiles when they've been told their entire lives that the product is inferior.

    Posted in: U.S. senators want no exemptions for Japan over TPP

  • -2

    Poke

    It took me a while to figure out that we were talking about the Universal that runs the movie studio, theme park, etc.

    Posted in: FBI probe of Universal focuses on $25 mil consultant fee company now disavows

  • -3

    Poke

    Mercy killing. The son sounds barely human: "He would shout loudly and hit the walls." Just those two points, yet I get the picture. I've seen an unusually large number of people like that in Japan.

    Posted in: Woman confesses to killing 25-year-old mentally disabled son

  • -3

    Poke

    They should really do more to protect the Chinese police force...this is appalling. Teach the cops to swim, maybe.

    Posted in: No. of dead pigs found in Shanghai river almost 6,000

  • 1

    Poke

    Disaster or not, Japan has been slowly headed down the drain for some time now. It was possible that the tsunami and nuclear disaster might have jolted the nation out of its downward spiral, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It wasn't enough. It seems the country and culture are only capable of real radical change and adaptation in times of crisis like the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. Upshot: no, Japan will likely not emerge stronger from this particular debacle.

    Posted in: Abe vows Japan will emerge stronger from 2011 disaster

  • -1

    Poke

    Kashiwa~ "folks who post snarky comments may be next." I'll take my chances, thank you. And I don't know how old you are, oldtimer, but I doubt that you are 98 years young. Why? Because you are using a compooter to link together words to create meaning. I am not calling to wipe out the elderly; the 70 year old daughter certainly committed a crime. But its closer to a mercy killing, I bet.

    Posted in: 70-yr-old woman arrested for death of mother in failed murder-suicide bid

  • -2

    Poke

    I see a zombie sitcom in the works. Dead Daddy Knows Best....

    Posted in: Tokyo man arrested after living with father's corpse

  • 0

    Poke

    I hope that the justice system doesn't waste too much time of this case. Show some sympathy to the 70 year old. People in Japan are living too long.

    Posted in: 70-yr-old woman arrested for death of mother in failed murder-suicide bid

  • 3

    Poke

    I think that this may backfire on China. Trying to wear out the Japanese ships? Seriously? "Whew, we are so tired of sailing round and round these islands...we give up, you take em." Its already clear that this is simply going to provoke a build up on Japan's side.

    I hope someone in the Japanese government is working out some strategy here. China needs to be forced to pay some price for its actions, short of all out war.

    Posted in: China's navy seeks to 'wear out' Japanese ships in disputed waters

  • -1

    Poke

    The protestors may be on the right side of things. But I can hardly be impressed by a movement that is rooted most of all in fear and anxiety. The Fukushima crisis threatened the one pathetic thing these sheeple hold most dear--their illusory sense of security and stability. Most had never really thought about the issue before, but now they're fixated on the one obvious and easy monster that has emerged. They don't have any alternatives or thought for the future; they just want to rid themselves of the source of insecurity and go back to complacency.

    And thousands in Tokyo isn't exactly a massive ground swell. In the last election, the nation put the pro-nuclear parties back in power, not the anti-nuke ones. I doubt that those people are more informed on the issue, they just have other priorities.

    Posted in: Protesters in Tokyo demand end to nuclear power

  • 0

    Poke

    These stories are getting old. Its always the same. Perhaps Japan should do something proactive to prevent the dispute but not war-sparking. Otherwise, they should stop complaining. If Japan has sovereignty, show it.

    Posted in: Two Chinese ships seen in disputed waters

  • -1

    Poke

    This doesn't bother me at all, and right on to everyone involved. But why am I not surprised that its two Japanese females getting married there? I shudder to recall how many Japanese women I've met who are pathologically obsessed with Disney and Disneyland. I knew one who thought it was her magical entrance to "gaikoku" and would go there every weekend to escape her reality in Japan...rather than saving up that money to check out the real world outside of her country. So, I kind of wish they had taken their progressive energies in a more progressive direction, to a more progressive place.

    Posted in: First gay wedding held at Tokyo Disney Resort

  • -1

    Poke

    On the one hand, I am happy that the project of an AKB-affiliated starlet has been cancelled. On the other, the story sounds potentially interesting. But wait a minute, it stars an AKB dropout and is 90% in Chinese? It wouldn't have been any good anyway.

    Posted in: Atsuko Maeda's film canceled after studio goes bust due to Senkaku dispute

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