Monday May 28, 2012

horizon360's past comments

  • 0

    horizon360

    JAPANTODAY (not JAPANTIMES)...oops

    Posted in: Former gang member shot dead in Denny's restaurant in Chiba

  • 0

    horizon360

    kakifry wrote: "I guess being killed makes you a "former" gang member, not your age or the extent of your gang activities. Once in, always in.' [That is clearly one way to become "former"]

    Perhaps "former gang member" refers to someone who is not presently a criminal suspect or the subject of an arrest warrant (but was sometime in the past). It seems that mere association with a gang does not technically make you a "gang member" up until you become "wanted" in connection with a crime.

    I wonder how editors at JAPANTIMES define "gang member" and "former gang member".

    Posted in: Former gang member shot dead in Denny's restaurant in Chiba

  • -2

    horizon360

    "...former gang member" is an interesting term. Does it mean that he was convicted of crimes and served some time and eventually returning to society as a productive citizen? Maybe it means that he was "semi-retired" or "inactive" from criminal "work" due to advanced age. Perhaps he was "restura" out of his group because of the bad economy.. [shirokuma2011 called this one right.]

    Posted in: Former gang member shot dead in Denny's restaurant in Chiba

  • 1

    horizon360

    "Peters, a former lawyer, said she is renewing her legal license after a 10-year lapse so she can represent other Honda owners who have the same problems she did."

    Peters was never a "former lawyer". She is, more accurately, a qualified "lawyer" who chose to claim "inactive" status with the California Bar Association for some period of years. Describing someone as a "former lawyer" is like describing someone with an M.D. degree who has passed Medical Board Examinations as a "former doctor" if they don't currently see patients or work in a laboratory. Anyone who has ever qualified professionally as a licensed attorney or M.D. is still a lawyer or doctor regardless of what activity they may be engaged in at present.

    Posted in: California woman wins suit over Honda hybrid mileage per gallon

  • 1

    horizon360

    For this individual shareholder to file a lawsuit against the Board of Directors he first needed to find a good lawyer (bengooshi) to represent him. That probably took a lot of time and effort and money. So far all of the institutional shareholders of Olympus (like banks and investment companies) have refused to take any legal action at all. Now this one small individual shareholder ("The Lone Ranger" ) with his lawyer ("Tonto") are fighting to save the day for all the shareholders. AmericanForeigner bashing the Lone Ranger and calling him an idiot was very uncool.

    Posted in: Shareholder sues Olympus board for firing Woodford

  • 2

    horizon360

    Making the V sign in pictures is a throw-back to mid 70s americana. It came to Japan mainly through black and white teenie bopper picture magazines on international pop culture. Current generations are simply copycatting a trend that was cool when their parents were in junior high. Of course they have no idea that this is so and think it makes them look like rebels.

    Posted in: Why do young Japanese make the V sign when they pose for photos?

  • -1

    horizon360

    Japan's decade long pet boom and population explosion of miniature dog breeds has created problems with noise pollution - but no risk of harm from dog attacks. Accounts of vicious biting by dauchsands, pomeranians and poodles are rarely heard. What really needs attention are effective regulations on pet owners who fail to reasonably control barking. Leaving pets home alone while the owner is away to work generally results in neuratic barking which continues for hours at a time. Whole apartment buildings and suburban communities across the country are impacted by this trend. Owners who are away while their dogs are home alone are oblivious to how their darling pet has become a public nuisance. Compounding this problem is the cultural tendency of benign non-interference with any sort of anti-social behavior in Japanese communities. Everyone suffers but no one wants to take a stand and do the right thing - i.e. complain. Afterall, the little darlings are actually blameless and anyone who dares say otherwise must be insensitive to the perfect love of furry family members.

    Posted in: Should dog owners be prosecuted if their animal attacks someone?

  • 0

    horizon360

    Unification enterprises conduct fund raising in Japan targeting elderly women living alone. Once relations are initiated (by door-to-door sales) the Unification agent will begin selling jewelry and gingsing tea to the target at the highest prices which can be recovered. A simple cosmetic jewelry piece is typically priced at hundreds of dollars (in YEN) and ginseng tea extract at similarly exorbitant cost. The initial sales pitch is about "building" friendship between the representative and the target. The agent tells the target that her generousity demonstrates that she is a good person. Once relations progress the representative begins a new sales phase wherein questions of afterlife scenarios of deceased loved ones suffering becomes the central conversation theme. In this stage the elderly target person is told that her purchases will directly reduce the torment which her husband, child or friend are now undergoing in Buddhist purgatory. In this stage monetary contributions to the Unification enterprise are also solicited at suggested amounts parralleling the individual and family wealth of the target. Typically an initial contribution of ichi man (about US$10,000) is suggested and then sequentially this same amount or a higher figure is periodically mentioned as being once again needed to alleviate more afterlife torment. Later in the third phase the target is set up for Unification induction with forfeiture (collection) of all financial remaining assets (usually real property/land house) soon to follow. At this stage various ritual white garments and other Unification induction accoutrements are sold to the target - who is told to keep these matters an absolute secret from even the most trusted friends and family so that the deceased loved ones do not incur even more unbearable and inreparable suffering in purgatory.

    Fortunately these kinds of religious cult fund raising activities are prohibited under the Japanese "Spiritual Sales" laws. Targets who are helped by friends or family have an excellent chance of successful deprogramming and also recovery of most financial assets through legal representation. The lead Japanese bengooshi (lawyer) handling most of this work is Hiroshi Yamaguchi, a Tokyo-based lawyer representing the National Network of Lawyers Against the Spiritual Sales. The Yamaguchi law offices and others receive hundreds of requests for assistance each year - represently only a small fraction of the total number of active target persons.

    Sadly many Japanese elderly and their extended familes have been financially devasted by the actions of the estimated 30,000 Unification agents at work in Japan over the past four decades. Of course the greatest damage is destruction of family.

    Posted in: Questions raised over Unification Church's involvement in 2018 Winter Olympic venue

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