The Goods on Goodling and the Keys to the Kingdom

Seeded on Sun May 27, 2007 10:12 AM EDT (bradblog.com)

The perplexed committee members hadn't a clue --- and asked no substantive questions about it thereafter. Karl Rove is still smiling.

us-news, united-states-of-america, karl-rove, george-w-bush, election, caging, crime

Half of smoking moms of pre-school-aged kids failed to quit during pregnancy

Seeded on Thu May 24, 2007 8:33 PM EDT (mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp)

Nearly half of smoking moms of pre-school-age children failed to quit the habit while they were pregnant, according to a survey conducted by a pharmaceutical company.

world-news, japan, asia, smoking, children, pregnancy, secondhand-smoke

Newborn baby girl found alive in plastic bag at garbage-collection site

Seeded on Tue May 22, 2007 3:30 AM EDT (mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp)

The girl weighed 2,000 grams and an umbilical cord was still attached to her. Investigators estimate that she was born five to seven days earlier.

world-news, japan, asia, abandoned-newborn, crime

Japan Enacts Referendum Law

Seeded on Sun May 20, 2007 9:10 AM EDT (transpacificradio.com)

In a historic step toward the first revision of the country's postwar pacifist constitution, Japan's Diet (parliament) enacted a bill on Monday setting the rules for a national referendum required for any constitutional changes, on the strength of the Liberal Democratic Party …

world-news, japan, asia, shinzo-abe, diet, society, constitution, revision

Grisly crimes spark rethink of 'safe' Japan

Seeded on Sun May 20, 2007 2:54 AM EDT (search.japantimes.co.jp)

A mother beheaded by her son. A baby who suffocated after being stuffed by his parents in the baggage compartment of a motorbike while they played pachinko. A murderous shooting spree during a hostage standoff.

world-news, japan, asia, crime, murder, society

Interrogation DVD eyed as evidence

Seeded on Wed May 16, 2007 4:02 AM EDT (asahi.com)

The rights enjoyed by suspects in Japan are few and often ignored. Until recently, interrogations were never recorded. Forced confessions have been the name of the game in the Japanese penal system for decades. This, however, is evidence of a positive development:

world-news, japan, asia, justice, forced-confessions, police, interrogation, recorded-interrogation, crime, murder

An ethical blank cheque

Seeded on Wed May 16, 2007 2:36 AM EDT (Guardian Unlimited)

This article analyzes popular recollection of the second world war. British and US mythology about the second world war ignores our own crimes and legitimises Anglo-American warmaking...

us-news, wwii, united-states-of-america, britain, war-crimes, rape, torture, murder

Children Attacking Parents

Seeded on Wed May 16, 2007 2:19 AM EDT (gaijinpot.com)

A follow-up article that details a recent trend in violence. It seems that children are lashing out more often at their parents these days in Japan.

world-news, japan, asia, violence, crime, murder, children, parents

Tokyo Swallows Continue Dive

Sat May 5, 2007 9:31 AM EDT

Tokyo just wrapped up another big loss at the hands of cross-town rivals, Yomiuri.

Continue reading this entry ...

sports, baseball, tokyo-swallows, npb, japan, asia, hoshino, yomiuri-giants, ignorance

Refs are bad, but they're not racists

Seeded on Thu May 3, 2007 12:10 AM EDT (Fox Sports)

Move over Don Imus, here comes Bernie Fryer. And Jess Kersey. And Bob Delaney. And Dick Bavetta. And all those other subconscious racists who let their inner prejudices dictate the way they call an NBA game.

sports, racism, referees, officiating, bad-call, nba, basketball, research

Sony responds to animal slaughter accusations

Seeded on Tue May 1, 2007 11:34 AM EDT (bit-tech.net)

Sony has issued a formal response regarding its promotion of God of War II in Athens, which involved dead animals and topless women. The story originally appeared in The Mail on Sunday. In its response, Sony has confirmed what did and didn't happen.

world-news, sony, ps3, japan, asia, marketing, dead-goat, topless-women, promotion

Where are you sleeping tonight?

Seeded on Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:40 AM EDT (CNET News.com)

According to the Japan Complex Cafe Association, as of 2005, there were about 2,740 Internet cafes located across Japan.

world-news, japan, asia, internet-cafe, sleep

Drunk groom's brother takes his place

Seeded on Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:09 AM EDT (Sound In Motion)

Drunk groom is chased off by wedding guests and brother steps up to the plate in his place. No hard feelings, of course.

world-news, india, society, marriage

Fareed Zakaria Interviews Sankei Shimbun Editor on the Comfort Women Issue

Seeded on Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:08 PM EDT (transpacificradio.com)

Many thanks to Japan Probe for bringing this one to our attention. On March 29, Fareed Zakaria interviewed Yoshihisa Komori, a Washington DC-based Editor-at-Large for Japan's Sankei Shinbun for the PBS series Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria.

world-news, yoshihisa-komori, sankei-shinbun, fareed-zakaria, trans-pacific-radio, japan, comfort-women, united-states-of-america, ww2, justic

Rice Deputy Quits After Query Over Escort Service

Seeded on Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:56 PM EDT (The Washington Post)

Randall L. Tobias, the deputy secretary of state responsible for U.S. foreign aid, abruptly resigned yesterday after he was asked about an upscale escort service allegedly involved in prostitution, U.S. government sources said.

us-news, randall-tobias, condoleezza-rice, united-states-of-america, government, sex, prostitution

A look at the bank dispute that has held up North Korean nuclear deal

Seeded on Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:42 PM EDT (money.canoe.ca)

An obscure banking inquiry has hijacked a landmark nuclear disarmament deal with North Korea, to the surprise and dismay of U.S. and some foreign officials who have tried for months to resolve the mess.

world-news, north-korea, macau, china, united-states-of-america, government, nuclear-weapons, diplomacy, six-nation-talks

China humbles US, Japan in Asian charm game

Seeded on Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:34 PM EDT (Sound In Motion)

China's economy has humbled many smart people in recent years. It has defied those arguing it would slow, those predicting a hard landing, those saying its currency would surge and those concerned that social unrest would shake Asia's second-biggest economy to its core.

world-news, china, japan, united-states-of-america, economy

Giant Rabbits in North Korea

Seeded on Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:21 AM EDT (spiralbound.net)

Back in in February 2006, an East German named Karl Szmolinsky won a prize for breeding Germany's largest rabbit, a 23 pound "German Gray Giant" named "Robert".

world-news, giant-grey, rabbit, germany, north-korea

Yankees Skip Igawa in Rotation

Seeded on Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:53 AM EDT (japanball.com)

New York Yankees left-hander Kei Igawa, who took his first loss in the major leagues on Monday, will be skipped in the team's next turn around the rotation, Yankees manager Joe Torre said Thursday.

sports, kei-igawa, new-york-yankees, pitcher, baseball, mlb, hanshin-tigers, japan, npb

Kidnapped Chinese sex worker freed after 6-day ordeal, arrested for visa violation

Seeded on Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:24 AM EDT (mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp)

A Chinese sex shop worker kidnapped and held captive for six days was freed and released in Tokyo early Saturday, police said, adding that they had also arrested the woman for visa violations.

world-news, japan, asia, justice, human-traficking, prostitution, immigration, law

Seung-hui Cho and Hines Ward

Seeded on Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:59 AM EDT (english.hani.co.kr)

Seung-hui Cho's shooting spree left Americans and Koreans in shock. The biggest dilemma Koreans feel is the question of whether Cho was Korean or American. They think the answer will determine how much responsibility they have to feel for what happened.

world-news, choi-hyeon, cheju-national-university, seung-hui-cho, hines-ward, racism, south-korea, united-states-of-america, virginia-tech

Tokyo Swallows Take Chunichi Series 2-1

Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:27 AM EDT

Yokohama Baystars SeriesThe first two games of the week (both versus the Yokohama Baystars) were rained out. It wasn't until Thursday that a pitch finally got thrown at Jingu stadium.

Continue reading this entry ...

sports, baseball, japan, tokyo-swallows, chunichi-dragons, atsuya-furuta

Boris Yeltsin Dies

Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:03 AM EDT

Boris Yeltsin, the first Russian Federation leader, died today according to the Kremlin. Yeltsin led the Russian Federation from 1991 to 1998. He oversaw the democratic reforms and market shifts that demolished the standard of living for many Russian citizens.

Continue reading this entry ...

world-news, boris-yeltsin, russia, death

The Open Society and Its Enemies

Seeded on Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:44 PM EDT (metropolis.co.jp)

It is well-known that naked power rules in Japan, and that the strong impose their will on the weak. Yet at the same time, the idea of "maintaining public harmony" is of the utmost importance.

world-news, japan, justice, life-in-japan, society, freedom-of-the-press

Japan and the Blogosphere at Japan Economy News & Blog - Bank of Japan, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade, Economy and Industry

Seeded on Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:17 PM EDT (CNET News.com)

A Japan Times editorial published today reveals that according to "a recent survey," Japanese is the most popular language in the global blogosphere. We'll get back to why that may not be true in a minute.

technology, japan, blogging, technorati-rankings

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