Wednesday February 15, 2012

the_sicilian's past comments

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    the_sicilian

    I have said for a long time that a Hooters down here in Okinawa would make a killing. With chicken available locally, a lot of Americans, a lot of Japanese tourists, it would be great. I just don't have the start-up capital.

    I hope it works up in Tokyo.

    Posted in: Hooters to open first Japan restaurant in Tokyo on Oct 25

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    the_sicilian

    Tomorrow, I hit 17 years of marriage to a nice J-girl (and I am not a J-guy). I don't think that there is a switch that goes off that changes women. I think it goes both ways. Of course you change, as you now should both have shared ideas and visions. Remember, you're both going forward, so there has to be some change.

    Most boys i knew had scooters or motorcycles.. and those are much more fun to ride on, and more romantic too! So it is wrong to say that all J-girls go gaga? over a car.

    I'll tell you what, if I pull up in a Ferrari, you will go ga ga. I guarantee it. But this does not apply to everyone.

    There are plenty of the gold diggers. Hell, I was in debt when I got married. Now things are better.

    Posted in: What makes Japanese women say, 'I never want to see that jerk again!'

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    the_sicilian

    In Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, a rally was also held to protest intrusions and illegal fishing by foreign nationals in Japanese waters. Local governments and fishermen pleaded that they want to fish in a safe environment.

    And who will provide this protection? Hmmmm.... Must be the undesirables that are "occupying" the island. And Yuri, the JMSDF Coast Guard can't do it. They had a tussle with Chinese fishing boats. Destroyers would decimate them.

    Posted in: Thousands in Japan, China rally over island claims

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    the_sicilian

    Yuri: If men were not interested in that one thing, there would be no human race.

    One tip for the ladies out there: When you are on a date (first, second, whatever), watch your man's mannerisms with people in customer service (waiter/waitress/hotel staff/etc...). If he is truly a good person, he will not treat them as people that are below him. If he treats them badly, that is a bad omen of things to come in the relationship.

    Posted in: What makes Japanese women say, 'I never want to see that jerk again!'

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    the_sicilian

    Tamarama at 07:45 AM JST - 12th October Good parenting is the key to the problem. If taught properly almost kids understand acceptable behavior in the appropriate place, and will act accordingly. Good parenting is hard work and takes time and commitment. Parents who throw their hands in the air and say "it's just his nature" or whatever, are being lazy.

    Best answer I have seen on here. As a parent of 3 kids, all living outside their native land since birth, it is the parents that bore the responsibility up to about age 5. After that, the child should understand right and wrong. If they do not, the parents were too lazy to teach them.

    And my kids have been doing trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights all their life, and I have been complimented by passengers (like yourselves on this board) because they expected the worst, but were very surprised.

    So what is the best way to deal with it? Complain to the stewardess in a nice manner. And keep it coming until the airline gives you some type of compensation. Similar to people that can't fit into a seat: You need to read the airline transport agreement, and make the airline uphold it.

    Or you can look at the lazy / bad parent, and tell them they need to get their kids under control. Not simple but may make you feel better.

    Posted in: What's the best way to deal with screaming or badly-behaved children at airports and on planes so that they don't drive other passengers crazy?

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    the_sicilian

    This won't get rid of the 55 and older flight crew us travelers are accosted with....Pity.

    Posted in: UAL, American near approval for Asia ventures

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    the_sicilian

    Well, I'd like to know of an alternative to democracy that allows for personal and market freedoms. Show me one that works. Oh, and before anyone says so, communism does not work.

    Posted in: Do you think democracy is the best form of government?

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    the_sicilian

    Zenny: My wife's urologist actually works out of the Ryukyu University Hospital, which is the place for anything resembling advanced surgeries. If going to mainland Japan was an option, I might have done that but going to the USA was better. That's all.

    I do like that we pay only a small percentage for care, and in general the care is good. But the crowding is something that I hope can be addressed. I feel there should be more incentives to be a doctor or nurse here.

    Posted in: What do you think of the health insurance system in Japan?

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    the_sicilian

    This is what makes it so good and versatile you can chose where you wish to go, if you don't know how the system works or are not able because of language then it is not the systems fault.

    Limbo: Understand, I am relaying what my experience has been. My wife had no choice to go to another hospital unless we wanted to fly to another part of Japan, after our doctor gave a referral to a specialist, and he was not very willing to do that.

    So you discount my experience because you think I do not understand the "system"? My wife is Okinawan, and we live in Okinawa. She has a pretty good handle on how the "system" works. Maybe more so than you , being she is a native and you appear not to be. So to expedite the process (and anyone with cancer will tell you that is the priority), it was better to get out of the system for treatment.

    And my comments of hospital overcrowding are valid as well. An aging population and every small sickness being sent to hospitals is a bit difficult to deal with.

    Posted in: What do you think of the health insurance system in Japan?

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    the_sicilian

    Limbo: Well, the thing with the USA is if you have a good job (I do) and have a good health care provider / insurance (I do), I can get better care than I have experienced here in Japan.

    Example: My US health plan caused me to pay, on average, about $800 out of pocket for 3 kids being born. All normal births. But like I said above, I do pay about $400 a month for my coverage.

    The problem I have with the Japanese system, and yes, it is a social system, is that when you go to the hospital, you find a lot of people with very low level sickness waiting to be seen. In the US, as an example, you have your own PA or family doctor to take care of this type of thing. HEre, a lot of baa-baa's are in there because they have a cold.

    Posted in: What do you think of the health insurance system in Japan?

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    the_sicilian

    I agree with Elbudamexicano: Stick this nice young man in general population in San Quentin and lets see how long he lives. Fit punishment.

    Posted in: Teacher arrested over videos of elementary school girls in toilet

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    the_sicilian

    Agree that the dental coverage gets a little complicated, and they do not cover braces at all. But not a big deal.

    I'm just not sold on the whole social medicine. My wife needed surgery for cancer, and the doctor said that unless she wanted wide open surgery (no advanced techniques), she would have to wait 2 1/2 months. We flew to the US and used my insurance and she had a whole kidney removed within 3 weeks of the first phone call.

    You'll get care in Japan, but not top quality. The young doctors are OK, but there are not enough of them because they can't make enough money.

    Posted in: What do you think of the health insurance system in Japan?

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    the_sicilian

    I now like the immigration people at Narita. Gambate.....

    Posted in: Paris Hilton leaves for U.S. after being denied entry into Japan

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    the_sicilian

    Yuri, the US carriers have old ladies as crew. this is because of the unions and discrimination lawsuits. So if you have tenure, you get the big international hauls.

    I fly about 50K - 100K a year, and I'd prefer the younger stewardess (even in business). They are actually polite, and don't snarl "chicken or beef". Don't care what they look like, hell the guys actually provide better service than the women. I just hate these old ones that feel they do not have to provide any customer service.

    And Japan sucks ass for arrival times of US flights. I'd love to fly on ANA and get to Narita in time to catch a sooner flight to Okinawa, instead I am stuck on the Gajin Express.....Not fun. Plus Narita tower has a habit of ensuring the US carriers land at the furthest runway from the terminal, so another 20 minutes is chewed up getting there.

    Posted in: U.S. airlines squeezed as Haneda goes international

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    the_sicilian

    I agree with the premiss of free speech, but not he way this guy is going about it. If he was serious, he would tell his 50 followers, stand on the front lawn of his "church" and burn it and be done. No publicity needed.

    But I do find it rather disturbing how America and the world are now to the point of cowering to the Islamic religion, and this one only. Why is it that a comedian can stand up and tell thousands of Jewish jokes and they are laughed at, but two writers for a TV cartoon (South Park) are excoriated for writing some logical arguments that piss of Islam, and the network goes crazy censoring them?

    Why should different rules apply to different religions? Hell, most wars have religion as a main protagonist. How about the same rules, or no religions at all?

    Posted in: Pressure builds on Florida pastor who wants to burn Quran on Sept 11

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    the_sicilian

    Why...? Maybe, they just need another excuse to charge an extra Y10,000 a night.

    Posted in: All aboard

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    the_sicilian

    So they basically did not make any decisions, and just kept the status quo? Ah, Japanese politics at work. Brilliant.

    Posted in: BOJ eases monetary grip; gov't to use Y920 bil for stimulus measures

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    the_sicilian

    Is there a contest going on that I don't know about? It seems, about once every 10 - 15 days, there's a new way to kill/maim/torture your own child. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

    Posted in: Nagoya couple arrested for starving 5-year-old daughter over 6 months

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    the_sicilian

    I still hold doors open, and I'll move the seat out for my wife, and give up a seat so others may sit. It's just general human kindness and compassion. Nothing wrong with that.

    Posted in: Do you think a man holding a door open for a woman, holding her chair for her when she sits down, or giving up his seat for her are outmoded gestures of politeness or do they still have their place in today's society?

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    the_sicilian

    I'd say going to a JLPGA tournament and chatting up Ai Miyazato. Then being able to hang out with her and have some fun (eating, talking, drinking, etc...). Anything (if) that would happen after that would be gravy.

    And for Yuri: If you idea of having some fun has absolutely zero sexual intonations, then you seriously have problems and see sex as a utility for creating children and nothing more. Hell, I know a lot of women who just love the idea of flirting, but that's where it ends (much to the chagrin of any man they are with).

    Posted in: What would be your ideal summer fling?

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