Wednesday February 15, 2012

smithinjapan's past comments

  • -2

    smithinjapan

    Harry_Gatto: "Terrorists? Terrorist activities? Terrorism? You sound like a paranoid American."

    Not American, but compared to the constant harping about 'terrorists' by pro-whalers -- errr... pro-science people on threads like these I'll take your mistake as a compliment. And yet you fail to answer my question -- how is it you can call SS 'terrorists' but claim the more dangerous whalers are 'defending themselves' despite the fact they were tailing the SS ships to begin with?

    Bit of a conundrum, I know, but you guys have a knack for trying to spin things so give it a go!

    Posted in: 3 anti-whalers injured after Japanese crew throw hooks, bamboo poles at them

  • -9

    smithinjapan

    Heda: "Japanese prevent further illegal boarding by SS would be a more apporpriate headline."

    Nah... "Japanese whalers are terrorists" is better. You guys misuse the word when an anti-whaler does something as innocuous as throwing a rope in the water, so certainly attacking innocents with bamboo poles and grappling hooks is terrorism, no?

    "In the Indian Ocean, they regularly shoot people who approach larger vessels in high speed crafts without permission to come along side. "

    And yet it was the SM2 tailing these crafts, not the other way around. Doh! Stepped into that one pretty easily, eh?

    Posted in: 3 anti-whalers injured after Japanese crew throw hooks, bamboo poles at them

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    I wonder how they'll screw her over THIS time.

    Posted in: Suu Kyi registers as candidate in Myanmar by-election

  • -9

    smithinjapan

    There you go -- for all out there who call the SS crew terrorists, we know the truth; the Japanese whaling crew is FAR more violent and engage in more terrorist activities. The good thing is that the whalers engaging in this terrorism are drawing a LOT of negative press. Keep it up, SS! You're doing great.

    Posted in: 3 anti-whalers injured after Japanese crew throw hooks, bamboo poles at them

  • 2

    smithinjapan

    I'm curious if 'kizuna' were not chosen as the kanji to represent 2011, would this article exist?

    Posted in: 'Kizuna' takes many forms in post-disaster Japan, including marriage and infidelity

  • 6

    smithinjapan

    Here's a wild idea -- crack down on the yakuza instead of this 'shouganai' attitude! If it's known this is the reason for the attack, or similar shootings, then start stopping it! Nah... easier for the nation's police to look the other way and ask seniors if they're riding a stolen bicycle or not.

    Posted in: Construction company president shot in Fukuoka Pref

  • -1

    smithinjapan

    "A team of Japanese scientists claim their pressure sensor sheet can accurately identify an individual’s backside..."

    A bit of a premature announcement when...

    "The recognition tends to be compromised by different clothes,” he said. “Sensors read different signals from a pair of trousers and a pair of jeans.”

    In other words, it doesn't work, so why claim it's accurate?

    Posted in: Bum's the word in Japan security scans

  • -1

    smithinjapan

    I've used Yahoo! for email since its inception, and I find it not bad (although the recent changes to the interface I don't find attractive at all). As a search engine, however, it doesn't hold a candle to Google, and never will; it's very limited by comparison, and the hits you get when searching are sometimes ridiculous.

    Posted in: Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang leaving company

  • -2

    smithinjapan

    "State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland last week denied that the United States was linking food to politics."

    Ummm... how could you deny this?

    Posted in: U.S., Japan, S Korea say N Korea must give up nukes

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    “We agreed on the importance of improvement in inter-Korean relations and resolution of the abductions issue,”

    Geez... why am I not surprised this came up? I guess they're looking to derail any future talks again by harping on a bilateral issue in a 6-nation forum.

    Posted in: U.S., Japan, S Korea say N Korea must give up nukes

  • 1

    smithinjapan

    Geez... only 54 million when they had contracts valued at over $6 billion. That's less than 1%.

    Posted in: Marubeni to pay $54.6 mil penalty for role in Nigeria bribery scheme

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    “The captain defended his role on the direction of the ship after the collision, which in the captain’s opinion saved hundreds if not thousands of lives,”

    Like piloting the ship off course to please a person from the island? Yep, saved thousands of lives by doing that. Oh, and he surely saved thousands of lives by bailing before almost anyone else and not returning to the ship when ordered!

    How this coward has the gall to say otherwise is beyond me, save of course that I understand he is merely trying to save his own skin... which will soon, rightfully, be flayed.

    Posted in: Italy cruise wreck rescue halted; captain under house arrest

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Good points: They are extremely well timed and very convenient (albeit quite complex as a result). Bad points: over-crowded during rush-hour and quite expensive compared to other countries.

    All told, I think the Japanese train/subway system is among the best in the world.

    Posted in: What do you think are the good and bad points about the subway systems in Japan's cities?

  • 2

    smithinjapan

    "TEPCO also said the extra revenue will be needed to compensate those evacuated for radiation risks, as well as the massive costs for shutting down the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant."

    So now we are LITERALLY paying for TEPCO's ineptitude and inabilities. Along with yesterday's sudden blackout they're going to start saying, "We must restart existing plants to maintain the demand for electricity (but we're still jacking up the costs). We ask for the public's understanding". I ask a woman with particularly pointy stilletos to write 'understanding' on the tip of the shoes/boots and give the TEPCO execs a very hard, very swift kick in the ass. I hope they understand.

    Posted in: TEPCO to raise electricity rates for corporate users by 17% from April 1

  • -1

    smithinjapan

    I see we're already vying for world's worst invention for 2012. Move over lap-pillow!

    Posted in: Bum's the word in Japan security scans

  • -1

    smithinjapan

    Well, if they were illegal to posses, than charge the man, bottom line.

    Posted in: Father of boy accused of attacking two girls in Saitama, Chiba faces charges

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Why would you wear a patch for a black eye, anyway? It's not like you're taking attention away from it or anything. He could sport the black eye and say, "I was fighting the opposition on taxes", or some self-deprecating joke.

    Posted in: Noda appears in eye patch for tax fight

  • 0

    smithinjapan

    Familienprobleme: "but you know how much money just went down the tubes as this ship is a total loss? 570 million U.S. dollars! Half a billion! That is quite a toy the captain decided to play with!"

    Sadly, that is the main reason that ensures the captain will be screwed, not the loss of life. But at least the captain IS screwed, regardless of how you slice it: he was taking people on a joy-ride that resulted in death, he wrecked a half a billion dollar ship, and he ran out before the evacuation and refused to go back and help. This guy is utter scum, and how he became captain I know not.

    Posted in: Italian liner toll up to 7, 28 missing as captain questioned

  • -1

    smithinjapan

    senseiman: "Er....there seems to be some confusion here. If the panel was not independent, as you seem to imply, it would have been more likely to pin the blame on the accounting firms (Olympus outsiders) rather than blaming Olympus` own auditors (Olympus insiders)."

    Well then, do tell who formed the independent panel? How many foreign experts were on it, by the way? And why is it more likely they would blame the accounting firms instead of singling out a few former Olympus (and one current) employees?

    Posted in: 2 accounting firms cleared, 5 in-house auditors blamed in Olympus cover-up

  • 2

    smithinjapan

    I question the 'human ties especially nurtured by japanese society and culture' when they seem to mean ANY tie, from infidelity to the ties established from the 3.11 disaster. Or is it related to the newly formed 'Kizuna' party from the DPJ and former LDP dropouts?

    "Rising sales of such appliances as espresso machines and home bakeries highlight a new feeling that there’s no place like home, and no companionship like that of one’s own family."

    That or it's a cheaper and easier way to make bread and rice cakes instead of shelling out 200 yen for 5 slices or pulling out the giant mortar to pound freshly made rice into rice cakes. I seriously don't understand what the feature is trying to say Kizuna means, unless they're advertising home bakery machines here. I would think that being part of a community sponsored Omochi-tsuki event is more about bonding than turning on a machine, with others or alone, in your home.

    gaijinfo: "Another word with an extremely vague meaning that can be used in almost any situation to excuse/rationalize/justify any behavior you want, as well as highlight Japan's special "uniqueness." All of the so called "evidence" of kizuna in this wandering article are anecdotal at best, and imaginary at worst. They certainly aren't measurable with any degree of certainty."

    Exactly! It's like the article is saying, "Being with your family is Kizuna. Being away from your family is Kizuna. A marriage is Kizuna. Infidelity is also Kizuna". EVERYTHING is Kizuna! The only thing 'uniquely' Japanese about it seems to be the vaguery of how it's used.

    Posted in: 'Kizuna' takes many forms in post-disaster Japan, including marriage and infidelity

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