RascalFromKochi said...

RascalFromKochi at 11:16 AM JST - 8th August

Serndipity, I agree, almost entirely. The side that just does not come out in tragic cases like this is that for every cruel teacher there are 10 kind ones that are deeply dedicated to the welfare and upbringing of their students, regardless of what unacceptable things they do.

The other…

Posted in 16-year-old high school student commits suicide after meeting teachers over online insults at 11:16 AM JST - 8th August
RascalFromKochi at 11:06 AM JST - 8th August

Whine!!! Don't you guys see the standard game being played here? The Japanese news moguls find the nuclear button so easy to push, and so they push it at every turn. Never mind that 1/3 of their electrical power comes from nuclear sources. Never mind that the US picks up…

Posted in U.S. sub leaked radioactive water at 2 other Japan ports, Singapore at 11:06 AM JST - 8th August
RascalFromKochi at 10:39 AM JST - 12th July

I hope Takagi-san doesn't let the undeserved anger from people bother her. It seems to me that the anger is because they can't stand someone having a real purpose in her life and are jealous.

Posted in 'Eco-actress' Saya Takagi under attack at 10:39 AM JST - 12th July
RascalFromKochi at 10:56 AM JST - 10th July

You might as well get used to it--electronic information will be monitored from this point out, period, whether it is legal or not to do so. We need to get used to the idea. For one, monitoring is too easy to do. For two, it is impossible for a government…

Posted in Senate bows to Bush and approves surveillance bill at 10:56 AM JST - 10th July
RascalFromKochi at 10:47 AM JST - 10th July

Ahmadinejad is a brilliant politician, both domestically and internationally. He is further fortunate that both his domestic constituency and his international constituency are responsive to the same rhetoric--bash the big guy, use inflammatory (e.g. anti-Holocaust) ideas, scream tongue-in-cheek that Iran so deserves the energy resources of peaceful nuclear power (when…

Posted in Iranian leader slams U.S. as greatest threat to global security at 10:47 AM JST - 10th July
RascalFromKochi at 10:38 AM JST - 10th July

"Essentially her argument was that South Korean citizens were better off under an anti-communist autocrat than their brethren in the North under the leadership of Kim Il-Sung."

And Dr. Kirkpatrick was, of course, both realistic in her assessment and essentially correct. Both regimes were not particularly nice--I know, I lived…

Posted in Iranian leader slams U.S. as greatest threat to global security at 10:38 AM JST - 10th July
RascalFromKochi at 10:26 AM JST - 10th July

And think of what it will do to the cabaret/bar industry when dads might decide to go home to play with the kids? That was what happened in Korea when they tried it, and that was one of the primary reasons that it was promptly canceled. Just think! Men might…

Posted in What are your views on daylight saving time? at 10:26 AM JST - 10th July
RascalFromKochi at 10:44 AM JST - 3rd July

Japanese and English have no common ground linguistically, culturally, or historically. Without bridging each of these areas systematically, there is no way for either people to learn the other language.

In addition, most English learning materials I have seen in Japan have been of rather poor quality, and not written…

Posted in Why don't Japanese speak English better than they do? at 10:44 AM JST - 3rd July
RascalFromKochi at 10:24 AM JST - 3rd July

I agree with the "give it up" approach. Yes it is very hard for the families who suffered the loss of their loved ones, and for them I grieve as well.

But Japan does not have the high moral ground--in fact, their "dilemma" is entirely self-imposed.

First, Japan needs to…

Posted in What is the best way for Japan and North Korea to resolve the abduction issue? at 10:24 AM JST - 3rd July