ultradork's past comments

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  ultradorkFeb. 12, 2013 - 01:07PM JST

  In other words, they are treated the way women are in Japan. My wife experienced it as a sales woman and have met dozens and dozens of others in similar situations. So few women are able to meaningfully rejoin the workforce it is an incredible waste. In a country with zero population growth and a increasingly greying population you`d think there would be a strong emphasis on gender equality in the workforce here. Everyone in charge in the govt, industry and education is a balding (with either a barcode or toupe) oyaji.

  Posted in: Female sales reps in U.S. say Daiichi Sankyo discriminates

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  ultradorkOct. 10, 2012 - 03:56PM JST

  For actual security, you arent trying to simply enforce laws or rules that happen to be in place at that particular time. It seems reasonable that terrorists will constantly change tactics and often work within the system to carry out an attack. Actual security involves checking further when something seems peculiar - "TPO" is common sense. Now this guy is probably some kind of survivalist or something, no threat to anyone, just compensating for emotional issues. BUT, he shouldve been checked out in Kansai Airport and maybe Seoul, too. While it may be legal to purchase & transport this stuff in Japan (and elsewhere), it is certainly a reasonable question to look someone in the eye and ask why they have that kind of gear and why they are wearing or carrying body armor in their bags prior to boarding an int`l flight. If he is wearing it, he should be looking chubby, and in hand carry it would show up as a rather dense materiel in the x-ray. I would definitely notify the air crew if I noticed someone with gear like that, it simply is out of place.

  Posted in: Man on flight from Japan held in LA after smoke grenade, leg irons, body bags found in luggage

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  ultradorkOct. 09, 2012 - 09:14PM JST

  She left in December.

  Posted in: What's cool? Changing values after March 11 disaster

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  ultradorkOct. 02, 2012 - 04:33PM JST

  @probie - actually there have been successful Japanese terrorists; Red Brigade in the past (responsible for hijackings and other heinous acts) & Aum Shinrikyo more recently; not all terrorists are Muslim. I was in Rome in '87 when a Japanese Red Brigade fired an RPG at the US Embassy & while simultaneously a car bomb killed 2 Italian bystanders outside.

  Posted in: Random patdowns begin at 30 int'l airports in Japan

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  ultradorkOct. 02, 2012 - 04:22PM JST

  Pure theater. Knowing this - why wouldn't a person with ill intent put the materials inside their body, in a bra or right on their privates? Prisoners in jails have an awful lot of contraban - surely a fanatical terrorist can endure some discomfort. This is a waste of time & money. Solid intelligence before anyone gets near the airport is meaningful security. How, why & where will these people obtain the explosive materials that necessitate this security theater? That should be the focus. Not timid women with a 1 hour training course and white gloves apologizing with an awkward smile for realizing "it" is hanging to the left today.

  Posted in: Random patdowns begin at 30 int'l airports in Japan

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  ultradorkSep. 27, 2012 - 04:32PM JST

  Great timing. How about adding Taipei & Seoul? Keio Plaza was past its prime 20 yrs ago when I was a JET.

  Posted in: Friendly Planet Travel introduces Beijing and Tokyo: A Sale of Two Cities tour

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  ultradorkSep. 26, 2012 - 07:34AM JST

  Awesome event to attend at least once in a lifetime, especially if you like drinking beer. Good times.

  Posted in: Drink or flirt: there's a beer fest app for that

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  ultradorkSep. 25, 2012 - 11:45AM JST

  Nothing happens in a vacuum. Just about every country in SE and NE Asia has ongoing territorial disputes, most involve potential resources and of course some are trifling but in matters of national pride, trifles can take on grand significance. Japan has disputes with Russia, Korea, China and Taiwan. Russia has quite a few with China and on and on. The way a country deals with one negotiation certainly has bearing on how the other countries will deal with you. Offering to sell or buy seems an extremely unlikely scenario. If you buy it, you are admitting you dont own it (plus everyone may remember Alaska, some serious ROI for the US eventually). Logic and pragmatism are qualities rarely brought to bear in these disputes, particularly when the 2 sides lack trust. Japans recent troubles may reach a status quo and then stay reasonably calm until the next "incident" and things flare up, rinse & repeat.

  Posted in: Taiwan, Japan coast guards duel with water cannons

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  ultradorkSep. 24, 2012 - 03:15PM JST

  Almost never sit down, not an issue for me but I have seen it a lot in 10+ yrs of commuting in Tokyo. Pretty funny sometimes.

  Posted in: Public transport tactics: How to deal with shoulder sleepers

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  ultradorkSep. 23, 2012 - 07:52PM JST

  What if all the top 100 newspapers in the world simultaneously published cartoons ridiculing all the world's religions, including Islam, for a month? Would the protests finally die down, as the zealots realize their faith is not diminished or would there be ninja teams of assassins fanning out to kill the editors and weeks of rioting? It just seems such a colossal waste of time, energy, emotion, dignity and resources to get so upset about cartoons, books or videos. "Sticks & stones..."

  Posted in: Pakistani minister offers $100,000 to anyone who kills anti-Islam filmmaker

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  ultradorkSep. 23, 2012 - 04:08PM JST

  Not in Okinawa & 6 other prefectures but a news show recently showed they will open in Shikoku next year, spreading out just as they've done before. Obviously their business model is sound, they bought the founding company in the USA.

  Posted in: Why you won't see a 7-Eleven in Shikoku

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  ultradorkSep. 22, 2012 - 04:46PM JST

  Proof that all new airframes experience problems (but Taro Tanaka doesn't fly in Ospreys).

  Posted in: ANA to order 11 more Dreamliners

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  ultradorkSep. 21, 2012 - 06:30PM JST

  Best option ?!? My kids attend an excellent public school here in Tokyo. Lots of homework, lunch is served, great facilities, class size of 28. 2 minutes from the house. I can't imagine keeping them here all day & wondering how they'd learn the culture & social dynamics.

  Posted in: What do you think of home schooling?

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  ultradorkSep. 21, 2012 - 06:13PM JST

  Read the medical literature - a bad idea. A q-tip on the outer rim is as far as you should go. I remember being told nothing smaller than my elbow as a kid.

  Posted in: Ear pick for children’s ears

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  ultradorkSep. 20, 2012 - 04:12PM JST

  Wei Wei goes bye-bye in 3,2,1....

  Posted in: Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei says anti-Japan protests were encouraged

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  ultradorkSep. 20, 2012 - 08:06AM JST

  I plan on dating Ms. Universe Japan next month. Why make a quantifiable promise that you can't deliver on?

  Posted in: I plan to create 500,000 new jobs within my first 100 days of becoming prime minister.

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  ultradorkSep. 19, 2012 - 02:10PM JST

  If they would relocate the pertinent Futenma squadrons to Henoko as agreed to planned so many years ago, then the Ospreys would bother many thousands less people.....but that is a whole nother can o worms. Theyd still be near the units they are supporting (practical and saves fuel) and flying out of a much less populated area. But of of course this isnt about logic or practicality.

  Posted in: Japan declares U.S. Osprey safe to fly in Japan

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  ultradorkSep. 17, 2012 - 06:43PM JST

  A Peace Treaty ended WWII; the US -Japan defense treaty would applicable IF Japan should actually need help. That isn't going to come about. Everyone knows that neither govt will let this escalate to anything truly bellicose. Military questions aside the economic cost to all concerned would be catastrophic.

  Posted in: Panetta urges calm, but says U.S. takes no sides in Japan-China dispute

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  ultradorkSep. 16, 2012 - 09:08PM JST

  stroke?

  Posted in: Japan's ambassador-designate to China dies in Tokyo

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  ultradorkSep. 16, 2012 - 01:21PM JST

  UMIOSO - why would the film-maker be prison bound? The whole point is, no one goes to prison because they of upset sensibilities - please read the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Right now they are looking to see if he has violated his any of terms of is current probation, that COULD possibly get him in some trouble. If not for this probation (for previous financial fraud charges) there would be almost zero chance hed have any legal issues in the US. Interestingly, he is Egyptian and if he was in Egypt....well, lets not go there.

  Posted in: U.S. powerless to act against anti-Islam inciters