Thomas Twatt comments

"I have been very blessed [which] has enabled me to fight for what I truly believe in: representation, diversity, especially empowerment of women... We should never allow somebody to put us in a box.”

Blessed? Yes. Daughter of one of the richest capitalists in Malaysia, privately educated in the U.K., top private stage school, never worked a real job in her life and never wanted for anything.

A box? Empowering women? Well, you were keen enough to be Miss Malaysia and Miss World runner up. Who put you in those empowering boxes? Oh, it was you.

Entitled pampered posh rich salt pot tells ordinary folks struggling to make ends meet amid a global recession that ‘you can be what you want to be!’ Dontcha just love it.

TT

girl_in_tokyo Today  07:31 am I recall sending you numerous links to sites where these stats were quoted from a book written by a prosecutor in the sex crimes unit. 

But go ahead and call women liars. We are taking note.

I recall no such 'links' and I would say again: citing one or two published studies by name would be more persuasive than blithely claiming that 'stats' and 'various research' (sic) exists.

Is anyone here calling 'women liars'? I certainly didn't.

I don't think you're a 'liar'. You do exaggerate and generalise and cherrypick, and attribute every single problem in the world exclusively to 'men' though, and that's why it's so difficult to take you seriously.

TT

An elegant man.

TT

Let's not forget, though, that the vast majority of sexual assaults, including rape (95%) are never reported in Japan (according to various research).

[sigh] Well if ‘never reported’ they would be alleged assaults, then.

And might be a tad more persuasive if instances of this, ahem, ‘various research’ were cited by name?

TT

@LoveJapan

Criticism and judgement of any person is unnecessary really when it's just for the sake of it.

A ridiculous statement. All legitimate criticism carries with it the implicit suggestion of potential betterment.

Conversely, spurious knee-jerk shrieks of ‘misogyny’ and unwarranted ad hominem attacks on the critic, by way of response, simply smack of petulance.

TT

 I was at the premiere of Demi Lovato’s documentary a couple of years ago, and I was just so blown away by her honesty and her vulnerability and talking about so many private moments in her life. That really inspired me just to be able to feel free, to be open and to be more honest about what I was going through

Oh, shut up.

Go and ‘reclaim’ your boring stories, but push off and keep it to your vapid whining entitled self-indulgent C-list past-sell-by-date celebrity selves.

Sweetheart… Nobody cares.

TT

"It is a very serious issue," Akira Naito, chairman of the union association, said during a press conference. "Tougher penalties will deter" people from taking illicit photographs, he said.

99% of flight attendants in Japan are female* but the head of their union is a bloke?!

Bwahahahaha, good old Japan!

TT

*https://hrmasia.com/japanese-airlines-now-accept-male-cabin-crew/

Police in Sapporo, Hokkaido, have arrested a 46-year-old man on suspicion of abducting and sexually molesting a teenage boy in his car.

This is unhelpful lazy reporting, sadly not atypical of this publication. Depending on the age of the victim here, 'boy' may be appropriate in terms of the law (if he is aged 13-17) or pruriently misleading (if aged 18 or 19). If he is the latter, 'molesting another man' would be better.

In any case, though, as girl_in_tokyo is at pains correctly to point out, it is entirely unacceptable to blame a victim of sexual assault for 'asking for it/'walking into it' (sic) based on their behaviour and/or appearance prior to the assault. The only person responsible and culpable for sexual assaulting another is the assaulting party.

Aged 15, I accepted a lift from an adult (aged at least 50, maybe even 60) who sexually assaulted me before allowing me to leave the vehicle. At one point I thought I was about to be murdered. It was not my fault, and I didn't report it because I was embarrassed, but I am still troubled by it today. (The same thing happened to at least 3 female friends of mine.)

A culture of 'victim shaming' is a culture enabling of evil and has a lot to answer for.

TT

(from Asahi Shimbun)

In January, a police officer on a stakeout caught Saito throwing a stone at the car, and he was arrested on suspicion of destruction of property.

But the case was dropped as prosecutors said there was no clear connection between the stone and the scratches on the car.

Prefectural police later arrested Saito two more times on similar suspicions based on security camera footage. Both cases were dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Bishop and his wife told police during the investigation that they had “no idea” why they were being targeted.

Saito never gave a clear explanation of why he had apparently attacked the car.

That is very scary indeed. An appalling and tragic crime that surely could have been averted? This Saito character is obviously deranged and was exhibiting a clear and escalating pattern of violent criminal conduct. A more meaningful intervention ought to have been made some time ago. That poor family.

TT

Online, LGBT people expressed concern that the remarks by a high official in government could be used to excuse discrimination.

Japanese literature scholar and TV personality Robert Campbell, who is gay, tweeted his anger and dismissed Arai's apologies.

The official's remarks were "not 'expressions that gave a false impression.' They were abusive words that threaten people's dignity and peace," he wrote.

A gay member of the House of Councillors, Taiga Ishikawa, called the situation "beyond one's patience" on Twitter and noted that Arai had also said that all of Kishida's executive secretaries are against same-sex marriage.

Good grief, this makes it sound like everyone except Kishida is 100% behind (pun unintended) gays. But one in 3 Japanese citizens who express an opinion on the matter disapprove of homosexuality, so why does this article not reflect that significant segment of the populace at all?

TT

Not sure why he keeps playing 

When he does play, which is not often, it is only for a few minutes

Really? Good regular income, good healthy regular lifestyle, regular exercise and supervised training programme, adulation from fans, and teams will appreciate him for the positive publicity and shirt sales: he’s an ambassador for J-soccer.

And why shouldn’t he, while he’s still fit and capable? He can start the full time TV pundit gig later. 55 isn’t old.

Why all the hating? King Kazu’s alright!

TT

While I wouldn't get violent, it is frustrating that the cookie isle in ALL Japanese supermarkets have the exact same lame products.

Yes, that’s deeply infuriating. I scoured the cookie aisle of my local supermarket yesterday for hours looking for a paraffin heater and some horseradish sauce, and all I could find were biscuits!

[sigh]

TT

when the man was told he was being arrested for touching the woman’s mune… he wanted to make it clear that while he was admitting to touching the woman’s mune, he denied touching ryomune

In a nation so absolutely fixated on strict linguistic rigour, ‘correctness’ and formal exactitude, it seems bizarre that this would be worthy of mockery.

TT

Kristen’s genuine personality and openness about her mental health resonates with people in a really honest and authentic way. 

Glad they made that clear. Folks might’ve thought they chose her because she’s drop-dead gorgeous and extremely sexy.

TT

PS. Hims & Hers Health Inc? What a ridiculous name for a company.

The girl wants to break up and they end up dead. It’s no surprise so many women want to remain single. No doubt this is contributing greatly to the declining birthrate.

Don’t think you’ll be winning any prizes for logical reasoning this week, chief. (You might wanna check out ‘third-cause fallacy’ and look up the difference between ‘correlation’ and ‘causation’.)

TT

a New York court dismissed a $40 million sexual misconduct lawsuit brought against Spacey.

The complainant, actor Anthony Rapp, alleged the star had assaulted him when he was 14.

Yeah, it’s funny how it’s always only the really rich dudes who get sued by these gold-digging nobodies.

The ‘actor’ Anthony Rapp? Yeah, sure, buddy.

TT

 If some older woman you don't know and are completely unattracted to followed you home in her car, stopped the car, came up to you, and asked you to show her your underwear, would you not feel like you have just been sexually harassed? 

On the contrary, I think most blokes would be suddenly attracted to her.

TT

What does "wedlock" actually mean? Locked into a wedding. Wedding-lock.

No. It's from Old English wedlac (offering a [wedding] vow, promise, pledge).

The -lac, noun suffix is unrelated to 'lock' (as a means of fastening or confining); that comes from a different Old English word,  loc.

So the '-lock' in wedlock signifies, from -lac, 'demonstrable action, observable practice'. Which is what love is, really. In my house, anyway.

Nice try.

TT

Naomi Osaka to become a single mother?! :—o

I wouldn't let that fruitcake look after my jacket.

TT

... [somewhere, tumbleweed bounces silently down a deserted dust road, blown by the breeze] ...

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Didn’t have time to read the article.

Is it an award for unsightly tattoos?

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the whammy bar on his preferred guitar, the Fender Stratocaster

That last is a half rhyme, I think unintentional? Otherwise, promising. B(+)

Beck? Pioneering musician, and extremely pleasant man, who will greatly be missed.

TT

there was no indication that drink or drugs were involved in the incident

On New Year’s morning?!

Always thought Renner seemed a bit of a lightweight.

TT

ZorotoToday  05:24 pm JST

‘the country refrained from implementing travel restrictions’

I assume this is talking about domestic travel, or travel for Japanese nationals. For the record, there have never been any travel restrictions, so not sure what this article is trying to say

I assume you don’t know what ‘implementing’ means.

TT

“You are here to support safe passage and hold the container that powers a release and an unfolding,” Trainer Gina Gratza told the students. “Be mindful of how you’re speaking and what the energy of what you’re putting out may be conveying....those taking psilocybin should be given the freedom to explore whatever emotions emerge during their inner journeys...

“We’re not guiding,” Gratza said. “Let your participants’ experiences unfold. Use words sparingly. Let participants come to their own insights and conclusions.”

Bwahahahahaha. What a load of hippie twaddle. And all for a couple of thousand dollars per session.

With her Mickey Mouse (non-)qualifications (sic) ('Gina has completed parts A and B of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies MDMA Therapy Training Program and the first 4 modules of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy with The Polaris Insight Center. [sigh]), I wouldn't let Ms Gina Gratza wash my car, much less 'treat' me for trauma and/or depression.

TT

the man, a company employee, drove his car alongside the girl as she was walking home. He stopped his car, got out and approached the girl and said he would like to see her underwear.

The girl ran away…

That poor girl must’ve been terrified. I can’t believe that there are people on here defending this idiot.

TT

Making these foreign trainees quit their jobs and return home is not only a breech of equal opportunity laws it’s also a breech of labor laws by denying them maternity leave. They are also entitled to the government handout of ¥500,000 for having a baby.

Blimey. Don’t know where to start on that. It’s all completely incorrect.

Good luck claiming your leave and your cash handout on your way to the deportation lounge, ladies. Let us know how you get on.

TT

@virusrex

the [foreign] trainees should have the right to have kids in the same way Japanese nationals do

Well, they do. Of course they do. But they must also abide by the contract they have accepted from their employer, in the same way that a Japanese national would. And, in this case, since the working visa sponsorship contract is terminated upon the employee falling pregnant, that’s that. Selfish and naive to presume otherwise. Good luck with the baby, and don’t let the door hit you on your way out.

TT

A country with one of the worst gender equality records in the world, no protection of foreign citizens and toothless unions. 

Yes, of course, when assessed by criteria unthinkingly imposed on Japanese society by arrogant westerners who know diddly squat about Japanese culture. [sigh]

I wish foreigners would stop beating Japan with that irrelevant ‘bottom of the world gender equality league’ yardstick. Japanese women have higher levels of life and job satisfaction than women in just about any other developed country. In fact the only native females here who gripe about their lot are those who’ve been brainwashed by ludicrous contemporary western feminist (sic) values.

Foreign women who come here to work on short term contracts should (adhering to contractual obligations to which they have agreed) be responsible and not get pregnant if they wish to remain here for the duration of said contract. The rules governing a working visa are neither sexist nor unfair. If people don’t like them, they should take their trade elsewhere. Nobody’s forcing foreigners to come to Japan!

TT

Jessica Henwick talks diversity and Nicolas Cage

Way to go with a misleading clickbait headline. (She drones on and on about diversity, right enough, but all actresses have to virtue signal like billy-o nowadays if they want a job.) But she mentions Nic Cage only once, his name only, in passing right at the end of the interview, as an example of a ‘90s hero’ with whom she’d like to work one day. Hardly a headline-grabbing revelation. Did the sub editor read the article? [sigh]

TT