RayInJapan

No disrespect taken FT. Obviously my choice of my line of work plays a big part in my moral values and beliefs. Not that mine are any better or worse than anyone elses, but I wouldn't be doing it for over 23 years if I thought we were going around the world making it worse off than it was yesterday. OC - The web page came from info shown on Kuwaiti Television. Yes, they have a bone to pick with Saddam, and showing that scene could provide some benefit to their cause. Looked awful damn realistic to me though, especially the old lady who was crying because of the relief she felt.

Did you guys not get the point of the CNN article? The Iraqi people are celebrating their liberation from Saddam. The mere fact they are now free to sing "Your days are numbered" and publicly pound on his picture with their shoe and don't have to worry about being shot in the head within a few hours may mean nothing to you - but it means the world to them. They didn't have the power to help themselves, so the US is doing that for them. Whether you agree or not is irrelevant. When this is all said and done, the only opinion that matters is that of the Iraqi people. You're 100 pe

FATTWINS - you're quite right - the fact the US will win this war doesn't mean we're right. THIS DOES

geoff - I never said the US has been perfect in its first 200 years of existance. The instance you talk about is still under investigation but it appears that yes - innocent civilians died, but the US has never committed attrocities on the scope of the Nazis, Serbs, and Saddam Hussein. My condolences on the loss of the 8 british troops in the helicopter crash.

There you go OC - disagreeing with me again. The war has been noticeably quiet from my perspective. No reports of Iraqi Air Force flying, minimal missle launch, and minimal resistance. Although the tape of Saddam has surfaced, he, unlike Azziz yesterday, has not appeared before the cameras live to prove he is alive. I reckon that he was in the bunker, the missles nearly got him, and he is now hiding somewhere trusting no one since it apparently was one of those "close to him" that ID'd his location for the missle/bomb strike. I'm hoping that much of his military field comman

Hi Iggy - have fun at Hakkoda tomorrow. We'd love to go but I go to Okinawa next week so its best we stay home and take care of business. Unless it miraculously dumps tonight or tomorrow - then Hakkoda here we come. Z - how is Owani? I've been wanting to go there all season, and drive by it alot on our way to Ajigasawa - looks like it could be a lot of fun but they half as much snow as Ajigasawa and I've heard its often icy. Have your friends taken you to Ajigasawa on any of your trips?

yes - where are you at?

This is an internet forum, not a think tank, so over-simplification is somewhat required. We don't have the space to produce pages of documentation in order to prove/disprove a point. I remember one person lamenting having to read long documents in order to develop an opinion, so doing so wouldn't help anyway. You disagree with US Foreign policy, take every opportunity to voice that disagreement, and then get upset cause someone dares to challenge you? You said your proud of those in the British gov't who are resigning because of their beliefs. I actually applaud their actions, becau

Thats a real smile. Thanks.

Confused - the first WTC attack in 93 was on US soil, but the reality was it was no where near as horrific. You're correct about everyones opinion counting. Debate is healthy, and necessary. What I despise is when folks take it to a personal level.

Confused - Yes, prior to 9-11, there was terrorism in the world. But 9-11 was the first act of terrorism that killed thousands of people. The US is not alone in the war on terrorism. Post 9-11, the majority of the worlds governments decided together that enough is enough. Memories fade quickly though, and the farther we get from the horror that 9-11 produced, the smaller the threat of global terrorism seems. Wakaran - the part you quoted was aimed at OC. He seems to take great pleasure in taking every opportunity to knock the US and its people. My point to him was that unless he's s

Hmmm...I was wrong - I stand corrected. But that is what I was told back in Okinawa by my friends who own houses and are married to Okinawans. Maybe its cause I'm not here on a permanent visa (yet).

yes - but its in my wifes name (She's Okinawan). As far as I know (from being told that), gaijins can't own land here. Which pretty much sucks cause the Japanese own a whole lot of land back in my home state of Hawaii.

One more thing OC - please - show me and the everyone else when/where the US has killed a "load of people". While you're doing a search on google to find the answer, do a search to find when we've saved millions too. You can use the following keywords to help in your search: Somalia, Kosovo, Bosnia, ROK, Kuwait, West Berlin, China, Phillipines, France, Australia as a start.

db - as usual, you crack me up. I think that line is better than Oceans line on the dolphins. OC - I swallow a lot of lies? I speak from experience - hands on experience. What do you speak from? As far as I know, you're from the UK, and live here in Japan. What qualifies you to dictate to me or anyone else what is right and what is wrong? The fact you're good at using google? I don't think so. I'll give you that you are qualified to speak on the history of the UK, but unless you've spent some of your grown up years living in America, you have no clue what it actually means to be an

The North tends to rattle sabers quite a bit but they actually practice more terrorism than Iraq does. It doesn't get much publicity because: A - its primary target is South Korea, and B - a large part of the world doesn't care about either country. They have come to the brink of breaking the armistace many times, but cooler heads have prevailed. I wish the North would simply realize its form of government is outdated and then the north and south could reunite peacefully. Awful tough though for the NK to give up power though...

mini cup chicken at Lawsons! And salmon onigiri, and aquarius or pocari sweat. And choco - lots of choco, especially white choco

I hope you set him straight db. If not, give me his cell phone number so my wife can explain a little of Japanese history to him. This is not the same situation. The Japanese attacked the US and then continued on with Guam, Saipan, the Marianas, the Phillipines, were already in Chinea and Korea, and wanted Australia too. The only goal of this coalition is to remove Saddam, his WMD, and his government so they cannot proliferate terror any longer. For those who think its wrong for the US to go in to remove a dictator without them being an immediate threat to the US - its not the fir

We'll be enjoying the sunshine down in Okinawa...

Already snowed about 10 cm up here in Misawa! Too bad I'm working today, and tomorrow, so unless it keeps snowing all through tomorrow, by Saturday, it will be all messed up since tomorrow is a Japanese holiday.

MS - next time tell him "do ke!", and if that doesnt work, try putting your hand on his ass like he probably does to japanese women. db - you always crack me up...

Well then, lets go to Australia and watch it. We could stay at SBFs house. I have to confess I don't watch a lot of rugby but I do like it when I watch it. Better than soccer, almost as good as american football if not equal since they don't use any pads. If I was 20 years old again - I'd be playing it.

All the time for us too - and we go to karoke places a lot too. I pretty much suck but Momo is actually pretty talented and gets a standing ovation wherever she sings. I keep trying to get her to make a CD so I can retire and live the good life but she says shes too old...

Hi Jared - How's geto been? We haven't been back since the one time we went - I guess we'll try again next year. Have you ever gone to Junes?