gaijintraveller said...

gaijintraveller at 07:05 AM JST - 29th May

When a person repeats a lie often enough, they often believe it themselves. If the person has convinced himself the lie is true, you cannot tell.

Ask someone if Dick Cheney is a nice guy. Answer: No. Waterboard or cattle-prod him. Answer: No. Repeat waterboarding or cattle-prod. Answer: Yes.

This…

Posted in How can you tell if someone is lying to you? at 07:05 AM JST - 29th May
gaijintraveller at 07:58 PM JST - 27th May

This technology is not so new. State-of-the-art equipment is used in many countries and not just to grow vegetables. In fact much of the development got off the ground in the sixties. It has resulted in extremely strong strains of marijuana, but I doubt it will actually be used to…

Posted in State-of-the-art fruit and vegetable lab unveiled at 07:58 PM JST - 27th May
gaijintraveller at 07:47 PM JST - 27th May

The only really new thing about this seems to be a price approaching 4,000 yen. I suppose you could say a power cable to trip over instead of a battery is a feature.

Posted in 'Buzz off' never sounded better at 07:47 PM JST - 27th May
gaijintraveller at 06:50 PM JST - 26th May

If annoying noise could act as a repellent, nobody would shop at places like Yodobashi or BIC, use JR or escalators. This will not work in Japan because Japanese people accept annoying noises as a natural part of the environment. I have been told that this is because they have…

Posted in 'Teen repellent' in Adachi park spurs flood of inquiries at 06:50 PM JST - 26th May
gaijintraveller at 07:08 AM JST - 25th May

Cats are excellent at reducing the population of rodents such as rats and mice. They are a natural part of the environment. The problem is so many people mistreat them and teach them to fear humans or even be aggressive. If they are treated with kindness, they will respond with…

Posted in NPO provides unusual solution to Japan’s feral cat problem at 07:08 AM JST - 25th May
gaijintraveller at 07:51 AM JST - 15th May

It seems every company is trying to improve picture quality with some new slogan. Now, if someone could invent a method to improve the quality of the content, that would be progress.

I doubt Japanese TV will be any more interesting when it is broadcast digitally.

Posted in New AQUOS D TV series at 07:51 AM JST - 15th May
gaijintraveller at 08:25 PM JST - 13th May

Most universities have counsellors who can help students who contemplate suicide. I suspect that this was not the sole reason for his suicide, but it may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. He probably suffered from depression. He may have attempted suicide before. He may have had…

Posted in Student killed himself after thesis nixed by associate prof last year, Tohoku Univ says at 08:25 PM JST - 13th May
gaijintraveller at 08:39 PM JST - 9th May

"On the job" is an expression means something else to readers from Britain, which makes for an amusing headline.

Posted in Many tired working women nibble at sweets on the job at 08:39 PM JST - 9th May
gaijintraveller at 02:51 PM JST - 8th May

We all know that the fuel surcharge has been a huge scam. Since pump prices for petrol are what they were back the the 1970s, I can only assume that other fractions of petroleum are also back to 70s prices. As JAL and ANA seem to have to ask the…

Posted in JAL, ANA to scrap fuel surcharges on international flights from July at 02:51 PM JST - 8th May
gaijintraveller at 08:15 AM JST - 30th April

The may be free with the beverage company shouldering the cost, but I do not believe they are doing this without getting something in return. Who is paying for the machines? Or are the drinks companies supplying old machines that they would otherwise scrap? Will the drinks be kept cold…

Posted in Machines dispensing free drinks after natural disasters increasing at 08:15 AM JST - 30th April