borscht said...

borscht at 02:27 PM JST - 4th February

Police suspect the burned house was used to grow cannabis

I think you're on to something here, Columbo.

Posted in Hundreds of pots of cannabis found in ruins of gutted house at 02:27 PM JST - 4th February
borscht at 08:44 AM JST - 4th February

Writing signs in foreign languages is all very good, but once the foreigner has found his or her way to your rural area, what's to keep their attention? Do tourists really want to spend three hours on a local train getting to your rural area? Granted, the scenery and forested…

Posted in Japan planning to boost foreign tourism in rural areas at 08:44 AM JST - 4th February
borscht at 12:27 PM JST - 3rd February

I wonder if the mother learned this child modification technique when she was a child.

Posted in Ibaraki woman held after slamming 2-yr-old daughter’s head into floor at 12:27 PM JST - 3rd February
borscht at 09:32 AM JST - 3rd February

I can understand the old man not getting out - maybe confused and maybe slow moving. But if my two-story house were on fire and I were on the second floor, I'd jump with my kids and hope for the best. This house must've gone up like dry underbrush. Condolences…

Posted in 4 bodies found after fire at house in Niigata Pref at 09:32 AM JST - 3rd February
borscht at 09:30 AM JST - 3rd February

Sham science is popular because it requires no education and is lots of fun! Hence the Ghosthunters show on US TV using radios to prove the existence of ghosts. How? Well, it made a noise didn't it?

On topic: I had three Japanese guess my blood type after a short…

Posted in In Japan, you are what your blood type is at 09:30 AM JST - 3rd February
borscht at 09:26 AM JST - 3rd February

Why complain about a world leader who can't talk? I don't know. The US managed to start two wars and land itself in huge debt with one. On the other hand,

If you misread kanji, people will begin to doubt your entire intellectual level including your knowledge of history, culture…

Posted in Aso's misreading bloopers spark kanji book boom at 09:26 AM JST - 3rd February
borscht at 08:21 AM JST - 3rd February

Mitsubishi’s defect cover-up stunned Japanese because it had been so systematic and it came from such a high-profile company.

I believe their TVs exploded, too. With consumer rights and liability laws, perhaps the stunned Japanese will become aware that even high-profile companies are in it for the money, not our…

Posted in Negligence convictions upheld in Mitsubishi Motors trial at 08:21 AM JST - 3rd February
borscht at 08:17 AM JST - 3rd February

Chiba is hoping the homeless will 'disappear.' I.e. Go to a city that accepts net cafes as residences. Ta da! Problem solved. (For Chiba) Out of sight and all that.

Posted in Chiba gov't refuses to register Net cafe as residence for homeless at 08:17 AM JST - 3rd February
borscht at 10:29 PM JST - 2nd February

Actually I believe a whale is nothing more than a big mammal, like an elephant with fins. The whalers insult everyone by claiming to be doing research, by claiming Japan has a long history of whaling (they do, within eye-shot of Japan), and by being part of a nation that…

Posted in Which side is more insulting to the other: pro-whalers or anti-whalers? at 10:29 PM JST - 2nd February
borscht at 03:09 PM JST - 2nd February

The teen was arrested for obstruction and inflicting injuries, including a shoulder dislocation, on the 26-year-old officer,

Dislocating a shoulder is not an easy task. It takes quite a bit of muscle and the policeman had to be fairly docile to allow it to happen. Did he fire the warning…

Posted in Police officer fires warning shots after being beaten by 14-year-old boy at 03:09 PM JST - 2nd February