News Stories

[Sumeragi]

We give out ancestors too little credit. That's all.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Aye, to me that's an utter fail as well. Its a symptom patch instead of addressing the root problem (men who take liberties with the treatment of women for whatever reason or want to box off women because the *men* aren't behaving). How about running more trains so that people aren't packed together so tightly? Adding train monitors, cams, etc.

I'm pretty sure there's a limit to the number of trains you can safely run on any given line. (Though I have no idea if Japan's networks are saturated, but I suspect they are. Dense population.) And I don't know that surveillance would work all that well, when passengers are packed like sardines.

I guess the solution would be to build more lines, but that's expensive.

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

i think the problem why are people following instructions written down a couple of thousand years? Other then because we always done it this what logical reason is there? In Confucianism, man and woman are suppose to walk on separate side of the streets, but we gave that up before AD roll over as too impractical.

Because they suspect that laws written thousands of years ago were dictated by God. They know that laws today are written by politicians (or their assistants).

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

We give out ancestors too little credit. That's all.

i give mine credit for ditching the "opposite sex walk on different side of the street" after a small experiment.

[ganbaru]

Federal forces sully Mexico's war on drugs
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BQ0BN20111227

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Almost all the Laws would need some origin and reasoning behind them logically. Some of the Kosher laws for example show a odd knowledge of diseases in an age before those things were defined. Sanitation laws also show some high degrees of understanding...yet also don't prove the writers understood why these things worked. Some things in these old texts sound like someone with advanced knowledge or at least an extreme observational and scientific mind was able to piece together a lot of things that our "modern" civilization has pretty much just figured out in the last few hundred years, or less (or perhaps refigured out...sometimes we are not clear on just what knowledge was lost before or after Rome fell). However it is written in a way to get the idea across to people that "clearly" would not understand that advanced person's ideas. At least in terms of why and how...so it becomes "You shall do this" orders...sometimes without reason...."or else" is added sometimes as well to be sure they do it.

But it makes you wonder. But then I read or watch too much Sci-fi and history.

You have no idea.
Try studying Kabbalah, gotta say it's certainly is interesting.

However, with regard to the laws of the Hebrews.
Many of the old Hebrew laws are believed to have been passed down from the Code of Hammurabi.

Hammurabi's code came from the law of Ur-Nammu, and that law is believed to have come from Shem (the so called 7 Noahide Laws).

Please note, I said these laws are believed to come from one another, there is no definitive proof that they do.

[andyjay729]

It is interesting to discuss the origins and merits of certain societal laws, however, that's obviously not the issue with the debate about UOD Jews harrassing a schoolgirl. They have the right to their opinions, but as I see it, not to "enforce" them with harrassment on public streets. Visitors to, say, Amish country in the US are obliged to drive a little more cautiously on roads frequented by buggies, but I venture to say few would find that offensive. Spitting and, frankly, acting like Fred Phelps' followers, on the other hand... When was the last time you heard of Amish people spitting at and denouncing as whores women who dared enter Lancaster County, Pennsylvania without a full dress and shawl? Yes, unfortunately, people who enter those neighborhoods in Israel should be forewarned of certain loose-cannon UOD's, just as people should be forewarned when vacationing in Mexico these days, but is it at all justified if they get harrassed or hurt?

Meanwhile, I must admit that I support the idea of woman-only rail cars in Japan. If certain rail lines have a persistent groper problem, are too crowded for security cameras to have much effect, and women demand them, then I feel it's a sensible choice. I think it's sad that things have supposedly gotten to that level, and there would probably be some significant legal/civil rights issues over such a thing in America, but this is an issue only the Japanese themselves can figure out. Likewise, same with Israel. I'm just a stupid American; I'm not exactly familiar with the labyrinths of Japanese and Israeli laws and customs, so I can't prescribe their solutions for them. I can only offer my opinions. Unfortunately in both societies, it seems some women are being victimized with opposite motives, if you will.

[DonQuigleone]

There's a difference between the Japanese rail car example, and the girl walking through the ultra-conservative neighbourhood example.

In the former, the state is giving an option to women, IE you can stand in a normal rail car, or stand in one of these women-only rail cars we have provided.

They're never compelled to go into the railcar (other then by the groping the male passengers perform). For instance, the female passengers won't be harrassed to go into their car, though one could foresee a situation where any woman in a normal car was seen as "fair game" by potential gropers, as they "knew" that groping always occurs in the mixed gender cars etc.

In the latter case, the woman doesn't have a choice, other then to avoid that neighborhood entirely. That may not be possible if the woman has to pass through the neighborhood to reach her workplace, for instance.

It's never right for any residents to harass someone physically for not abiding by one of their customs, however, communities to have a right to define their own norms, and people visiting such a community should always attempt to abide by them.

This is a grey area though, for instance, what if half the community is ultra-orthodox, and the other liberal? One community does not have any right to inflict their beliefs on the other. In this case, the communities would need to be seperated.

Furthermore, while it may be proper to restrict superficial matters like clothing, conservative communities should not have a right to dictate the activities of anyone, EG whether a woman has the right to walk alone, or to work.

Likewise, no community has the right to discriminate against a person for something they cannot change, like their skin colour, or gender.

This applies anywhere, conservative communities can be allowed to do as they like, so long as they're not imposing themselves on anyone else. If a foreign person enters that community, it's correct to expect that person to pay heed to the societal mores of the area, unless they are overly onerous (dress in a certain way- yes, have to go to church or not work- no). When in Rome, do as the Romans do, but the Romans should never force you to be fully Roman.

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by andyjay729

It is interesting to discuss the origins and merits of certain societal laws, however, that's obviously not the issue with the debate about UOD Jews harrassing a schoolgirl. They have the right to their opinions, but as I see it, not to "enforce" them with harrassment on public streets. Visitors to, say, Amish country in the US are obliged to drive a little more cautiously on roads frequented by buggies, but I venture to say few would find that offensive. Spitting and, frankly, acting like Fred Phelps' followers, on the other hand... When was the last time you heard of Amish people spitting at and denouncing as whores women who dared enter Lancaster County, Pennsylvania without a full dress and shawl? Yes, unfortunately, people who enter those neighborhoods in Israel should be forewarned of certain loose-cannon UOD's, just as people should be forewarned when vacationing in Mexico these days, but is it at all justified if they get harrassed or hurt?

I agree in part, however, are we not supposed to stay out of the business of other countries?

We surely can be mortified by the actions of the UOD Jews, and condemn them for this ridiculously primitive behavior (spitting on anyone reminds me of monkeys throwing feces at the zoo), but do we have a right to tell another country what traditions it should be allowed to have?

Meanwhile, I must admit that I support the idea of woman-only rail cars in Japan. If certain rail lines have a persistent groper problem, are too crowded for security cameras to have much effect, and women demand them, then I feel it's a sensible choice. I think it's sad that things have supposedly gotten to that level, and there would probably be some significant legal/civil rights issues over such a thing in America, but this is an issue only the Japanese themselves can figure out. Likewise, same with Israel. I'm just a stupid American; I'm not exactly familiar with the labyrinths of Japanese and Israeli laws and customs, so I can't prescribe their solutions for them. I can only offer my opinions. Unfortunately in both societies, it seems some women are being victimized with opposite motives, if you will.

Is it true that there is a groping problem on the Japanese public transit system?
I've the rumors, but I thought that's all they were.

If we are going to get angry about Japan and Israel making these types of laws or tolerating the bad behavior of some of their citizens, then we had better get serious about "White Slavery" worldwide first. These things need to be prioritized IMO, and human trafficking is far worse than what either Japan or Israel has done and/or tolerated.

The Sex Trade in the United States
http://updates.adventures.org/?filen...-united-states

The Protection project has been trying to help stop this horrible practice since 1996, but there simply isn't enough public support.
I blame the media for this.
The US media are quick to attack policies that segregate women, and rightfully so, but are in general silent about the sex trade right here in the United States.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

I agree in part, however, are we not supposed to stay out of the business of other countries?

We surely can be mortified by the actions of the UOD Jews, and condemn them for this ridiculously primitive behavior (spitting on anyone reminds me of monkeys throwing feces at the zoo), but do we have a right to tell another country what traditions it should be allowed to have?

I believe what he means is that we, as outsiders, don't have a say in what people can or can't do in another country and that we should be sensible and mindful of other people's cultures, traiditions and way of life. If a community harasses someone for being different, sure, we can be angry because it's not right to harass someone, but to in turn be sensible in how to approach the person and tell him/her that it's not right to be doing something out of the norm from the locals' perspective.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Wendy's returns to Japan, with foie gras on menu

Tokyo (Dec 28, Wed): Wendy's, the third-biggest fast-food chain in the United States, is adding goose-liver pate and truffles to burgers as it invests as much as US$200 million on a return to Japan after leaving the country in 2009.

The Japan Premium sandwich sells for 1,280 yen (US$16) at Wendy's in Tokyo's Omotesando luxury shopping district, the first of a targeted 100 shops. "We think the fast-food market here is ready for something different," Mr Ernest Higa, chief executive of Wendy's Japan, said in an interview at the restaurant’s opening yesterday.

And if Wendy's had any doubt that it would be welcomed back into Japan, the 300-plus customers who lined up yesterday to get into its first new restaurant are likely to have blown such worries away.

One passionate fan, who was dressed like the Wendy's girl trademark, complete with red pigtails, apparently missed the burgers so much that she waited from 4.30am until the opening at noon and ordered everything on the menu.

However, Japan's outlook for slow economic growth adds to the pressure on Wendy's to find a new niche in the industry.

The Bank of Japan said last week that the economy's rebound from the March 11 earthquake has come to a pause, lowering its evaluation for a second straight month because of the yen's strength and a cooler global expansion.

McDonald's Japan forecasts sales of 304.5 billion yen this year, a third straight annual decline and 25 per cent less than 2008 revenue.

"With the economic situation, you need to bring something that is unique and exciting," Mr Higa said. The "new fashion" of high-end fast-food will give the chain what it needs to thrive, he said.

BLOOMBERG, FINANCIAL TIMES

Given the economic situation, I would further suggest that late-night, half-price offers on leftover burgers are a splendid idea.

[Tom Bombadil]

Ahh, Wendy's. We used to have one not far from the campus, and for 3 dollars you can get a quite decent lunch. We visit the place very often and order the same thing almost every time. Unfortunately the place closed down after a couple of years, and it become a joke among our buddies that we ate the restaurant to bankruptcy.

[ganbaru]

"Nothing frightening" seen in Syria protest hotbed: monitor
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BO0B620111228
Of course, as if the millitary would shoot civilians in front of the monitor team.

[MrTerrorist]

[GundamFan0083]

Netanyahu: Israel will fight harassment of women in the public sphere


http://www.haaretz.com/news/national...phere-1.404189

[andyjay729]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

I agree in part, however, are we not supposed to stay out of the business of other countries?

We surely can be mortified by the actions of the UOD Jews, and condemn them for this ridiculously primitive behavior (spitting on anyone reminds me of monkeys throwing feces at the zoo), but do we have a right to tell another country what traditions it should be allowed to have?
.

I meant just that when I said that this is an issue only the Israelis themselves (and the Japanese, in their case) can figure out. I'm just giving my opinion.

[Vexx]

There's no magic wall between countries... you see someone beating the crap out of their family member next door and do nothing? No, you at least call authorities - or shame them publicly, or get the village together and lynch the guy Countries are no different (Chinese assertions aside).

Even if the guy is just making his family wear funny hats, he should expect others on the street to raise their eyebrow and comment.

[ganbaru]

U.S. Fifth Fleet says won't allow Hormuz disruption
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BR09E20111228

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vexx

There's no magic wall between countries... you see someone beating the crap out of their family member next door and do nothing? No, you at least call authorities - or shame them publicly, or get the village together and lynch the guy Countries are no different (Chinese assertions aside).

Even if the guy is just making his family wear funny hats, he should expect others on the street to raise their eyebrow and comment.

Not quite so......

"Mother" tortures boy for 2 years

The thing is, the neighbours just pretend that it isn't their business. I think Singapore can uphold their standard of being a "fine city" by dishing out fines to ignoring neighbours on the same floor if they are unable to prove that they are not at home at the time.

There have been calls on the local net that call for the burning of the witch, but as usual, it will subside, nothing will be done until the next incident.

[Ithekro]

Well presently, the Fifth (Arabian Sea/Persian Gulf/Red Sea) and Seventh Fleets (Western Pacific/Indian Ocean) are the forward active combat fleets, so they do know what they are doing.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Well presently, the Fifth (Arabian Sea/Persian Gulf/Red Sea) and Seventh Fleets (Western Pacific/Indian Ocean) are the forward active combat fleets, so they do know what they are doing.

Iran is playing a dangerous game here. Closing off the straits will result in an AOW against it by Saudi Arabia, Oman, and SEA.

Though I think they might have the ability if they are launching ballistic missiles against the fleet.