I think we should have little vinyl ammo pouches with Hello Commando on them.

General Buckethead has ordered the crack Peelander Z squad to……
I dunno
I just wanted to namecheck Buckethead and Peelander Z here.

Why stop there, DocAmazing? Commandos dressed as Hello Kitty would really soften their army’s image.

Inscrutable. I think you are saying teh Japs are inscrutable. Correct?

Not them, but their take on our popular culture. They basically take things we do and combine them in bizarre ways. See: Spider-Man and giant robots.

Tsh, everything in Japanese culture has giant robots. Or giant swords.

A long-term foreign resident of Japan once wrote that every day you see at least one thing that doesn’t make any sense at all.

If that’s true, I’d regard it as a major plus.

As Japan sheds its postwar pacifism

Aaaeeeiiiiiiii!

Sorry, I shit my pants when I read someone casually using that phrase.

Maybe I’ll be cool with “As Japan celebrates it’s hundredth year of pacifism,” but, until then…

Aaaeeeiiiiiiii!!

If Japan still had its military-industrial complex and imperial foreign policy, they wouldn’t be using that cute cartoon mascost. They aren’t spending their time invading other countries (at this moment) and demonizing an enemy. America is still working through its violent, hegemonic phase. It won’t last.

With all Japan’s faults, I still like its humble public posture.

A long-term foreign resident of Japan once wrote that every day you see at least one thing that doesn’t make any sense at all.

I only lived there for a year but in my experience, yep, pretty much. One of the first things I bought was a pair of slippers with “beautiful, human life” written on the toes, and when I showed them to my Japanese friends they didn’t see anything funny about them at all.

North and east of An Loc in the summer of 1970, I learned to protect myself from the NVA by appearing as cute and cuddly as possible. You’d be amazed how they would give you a pass if you you had big eyes and funny outfits…

mikey

I don’t think that was a robot. I think his ship was a transformer. The real question is why did he name his ship, “Barbara?”

And apparently, the Japanese are really hard-asses about weed. Astounding.

They basically take things we do and combine them in bizarre ways. See: Spider-Man and giant robots.
You seem to be implying that Spider-Man and giant robots are not bizarre combinations per se.

He fucked MY little female anime cartoon fantasy chick just the other day.

I feel dirty.

And I say that acknowledging that my-tmesis-country hasn’t even admitted it has a problem and gotten on the twelve step program.

Shorter Bush Iran Diplomacy:

I’m not touching you!y

Assclowns of the Week #60: Iraq and Ruin Edition is up and what a depressing roll call. So depressing, I had to play it straight. Why was it depressing? Almost all ten segments dealt with neocons who were aiding al Qaida in some way or another.

every day you see at least one thing that doesn’t make any sense at all
If you can get through one day anywhere without seeing at least one thing that doesn’t make any sense at all, then you need to get out more. Or your definition of ‘making any sense’ is more flexible than mine.

cadres of cute characters and adorable mascots
Oh joy. Pikachu storm-troopers.

So the Japanese are expanding their military forces, is this the gist of it?

Am I the only one that thinks that nothing good will come from that?

Yeah, Japan is on it’s way back as an imperialist (or neo-imperialist) power, it has the fourth largest navy in the world or something. The whole “pacifism” thing was just a shell for the US-sponsored one-party state (see Chalmer Johnson’s Blowback) during the Cold War when the US needed a loyal client/military base for attacks on Asia (Korea/Vietnam). All the while the forces of militarist Japan has been sharpening their knives and biding their time, waiting for the day when they are strong enough and their US taskmaster weak enough for them to re-emerge. A truly independent Japan would accomodate China which would end the US empire of bases in the region. Therefore Washington prefers a beligerent Japan that is hostile to it’s neighbours. Sort of like Israel and the Arab world really (the US reportedly sabotaged peace talks between Israel and Syria recently)

If you can get through one day anywhere without seeing at least one thing that doesn’t make any sense at all, then you need to get out more. Or your definition of ‘making any sense’ is more flexible than mine.

This is kind of what I was thinking. Very little makes sense to me, and I have notoriously low standards…

mikey

Um, this pretty much nagates any American’s right to laugh at Prince Pickles…

“negates”

What’s that, you say? You want more examples of Japan doing weird shit with American culture? And you feel that you’re simply not getting the bleeding performance your eyes are capable of?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpvQ9UdH0pc

Make note of the part where Blossom denies and buries her pain and suffering under a constant farce of happy happy lucky love. Thaaaat’s right, let it’s simmer and boil, soon to explode in a violent front-page spread of blood, tears, and death.

Also, Prince Pickles is obviously a immigrant from South Park, USA.

Well,

I had to come here and tell all of you.

I was trashed a few weeks ago on Protein Wisdom. I posted there tonight on this thread:

Internet privacy: rights vs. privileges (an open forum)11 hours ago by jeff@proteinwisdom.com
… resist the kind of absolutist approach to privacy protections for which many
… of commanding anonymity should, in my opinion, be open to re-examination.
… “ethicsâ€? and “integrityâ€? from internet personas known almost exclusively …
protein wisdom – http://www.proteinwisdom.com/index.php?/ – References

Anyway, Jeff Goldstein asks me to leave, and SURE Enough, guess who pops up a short time later? PATRICK FREY (PATTERICO) with this comment:

“There are genuine downsides to having your real name out there. One of them is that sometimes, a guy who by his own admission has been to prison might cyberstalk you from thread to thread, ranting that you are A LIAR because of something having to do with THE O.J. SIMPSON CASE.

PattericoGNitrini111
_________________________

The Case of the Missing Pie

(tw: cases88. Tell me *that’s* a coincidence!)

Posted by Patterico | permalink
on 02/25 at 09:52 PM”

I tried to respond TWICE to Mr. Frey on Protein Wisdom but my comment’s don’t appear. It sure looks like Jeff Goldstein has banned me also from his website. TOO MUCH……………….

MarioGeorgeNitrini111
mariogeorgenitrini111
______________________
The OJ Simpson Case

Well, Mario, rest assured I’ll soon be banned with you. I knew there was a reason I had been holding back getting banned there on this ip.
We got your back, Mario.

______________________
Less Filling v. Tastes Great

Thanks a different Brad.

“We got your back, Mario.”

COOL, DUDE……………….

Can you believe that Patterico comes in, POSTS about me, and Jeff Goldstein BANS me, not letting me defend myself? TOO MUCH…….

Thanks again a different brad.

MarioGeorgeNitrini111
mariogeorgenitrini111
______________________
The OJ Simpson Case

If you can get through one day anywhere without seeing at least one thing that doesn’t make any sense at all, then you need to get out more. Or your definition of ‘making any sense’ is more flexible than mine.

Oh, absolutely everything I see and hear makes completely perfect sense to me, especially since they increased my meds.

A truly independent Japan would accomodate China…

I don’t know about that. A more independent Japan would be a more nationalistic Japan, and China isn’t a big fan of Japanese nationalism.

Heh. Indeed:

China isn’t a big fan of Japanese nationalism.

Understatement of the week.

Oh, those wacky Japanese! You’ve got to love any culture that can come up with such complete cinematic weirdness as Weatherwoman. Honestly how many other films feature a faux TV show called Hello, Mr Pervert?

I think, all in all, the Army must be damned glad they got away with just Prince Pickles…

you should’ve seen the first draft of prince pickles.

i’ll give you a hint: MANY, MANY tenticle penises.

A long-term foreign resident of Japan once wrote that every day you see at least one thing that doesn’t make any sense at all.

You get the same effect by looking at wingnut blogs, only much less funny, cute or interesting.

China isn’t a big fan of Japanese nationalism.

Word. Wasn’t there some sorta anime thing about that? The Tentacle Rape of Nanking or something? Anyway… last time I checked the Chinese were still a tiny bit unamused with Japanese militarism. Ditto the Koreans.

So? We’ve also got a goofy looking, saucer eyed war mascot. He usually travels with a plastic turkey and a banner that says “Mission Accomplished”

Not them, but their take on our popular culture. They basically take things we do and combine them in bizarre ways. See: Spider-Man and giant robots.

Dude, that stuff started in Japan. You are all about ‘whoa, they took our Spiderman and combined it with robots and made a cool Honda civic, how do they do that?’

Hokusai was cartooning up tentacle porn back when the US was barely a country.
Get over yourself already.

Anyway… last time I checked the Chinese were still a tiny bit unamused with Japanese militarism. Ditto the Koreans.

Musta been a while ago. Last I checked the Koreans and Chinese are happily doing business with the Japanese.

Anna Nicole’s Moldering Cropse

Musta been a while ago. Last I checked the Koreans and Chinese are happily doing business with the Japanese.

Ahem. Militarism, pal. Japanese militarism.Ask some Chinese or Korean people of a certain age to give you their opinion on Japanese militarism; you’ll get an earful. I certainly did when I was stationed in Korea in 1996-97.

Superior-quality Supaidaman giant roboto sentai goodness can be found here–along with many many Green Slime, Spectreman Versus Giant Gorilla and Corman-flavored Fantastic Four. For a fine white life!

http://55bells.blogspot.com/2006/12/supaidaman.html

Move, future of Iraq! For great justice!

It should be pointed out that the Japanese engineer battalion in Iraq has folded its tents and departed.

I was with you up until the knee-jerk French-bashing.

Please, leave that tired old cliche (and cloak for hate-mongering under the guise of a joke) to the conservatards.

(Besides, it’s the Belgians who are the truly annoying Euro-people. They do make the best beers on earth, however.)

I hope someone has already made a yaoi dojinshin of Prince Pickles and his big nosed Arab friend. (Maybe I should make one myself)

Prince Pickles?
I guess they are still trying to scub their reputation clean of the Battan Death March, the Rape of Nanking, and the sack of Manilla.

Just put your death mask back on Horohito and company, you ain’t fooling anyone.

Why Prince Pickles?

Why not Private Pickles or Captain Pickles or even General Pickles?

Right here in the good ol’ USA, I’ve seen ads for a tiny Spiderman singing nursery rhymes in a kid’s voice while making herky-jerky hip-hop-ish poses. That either makes no sense or is the absolute crystallization of America.

A truly independent Japan would accomodate China…

No shit, what choice would they have? China 80 years ago (still reeling from a century of colonial wars) ain’t quite the same as China today.

When I read the comment about seeing things everyday that don’t make sense, my first smug reaction was recollection of a surreal time spent there last summer.

Then I remembered that I live in Las Vegas.

That “Peopo” character, mascot of Tokyo Metro Police, is especially strange. Teddy bears just do not belong on riot vans.

A long-term foreign resident of Japan once wrote that every day you see at least one thing that doesn’t make any sense at all.

As a foreign resident (originally from Connecticut), I can vouch that this is also true for southwestern Missouri.

And Hello Commando? Brilliant! Victory would be ours!

Hello to DocTAH Marita!

And hello Mario! I am sorry that you got banned from Jeff G.’s blog. You can console yourself with the thought that he usually only bans reasonable people from his blog.

___________
Neko Case

The odd thing is, they make such bloody good cameras.

Hi Gentlewoman,

Just when Patrick Frey (Patterico) shows up LYING about me, I’m banned for Protein Wisdom (Jeff Goldstein’s Website). Figure’s.

Hope you’re well Gentlewoman.

MarioGeorgeNitrini111
mariogeorgenitrini111
______________________

The OJ Simpson Case

Hello Mishima?

Japan is pretty much the definition of cultural weirdness. the housekeeping hampster?

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kAjWUN-]Ebichue1w&mode=related&search=[/url]

damned variant comment systems.

All the while the forces of militarist Japan has been sharpening their knives and biding their time, waiting for the day when they are strong enough and their US taskmaster weak enough for them to re-emerge.

Well, its good to know youall will have a new bogeyman once you’ve cleaned up the Muslim problem.

Let’s see, there are 480 seats in the Japanese House of Representatives and 242 in the House of Councillors, how many would you guess are from right wing nationalist parties?
If you guessed zero you would be correct.
Of course Americans were easily suckered into invading Iraq with bogus information, so no doubt the presence of a couple idiots with loudspeakers and a black van yelling at Shibuya Crossing would be enough to warrant some sort of equally insane hostility.

Ask some Chinese or Korean people of a certain age to give you their opinion on Japanese militarism; you’ll get an earful. I certainly did when I was stationed in Korea in 1996-97.

How nice for you. Fortunately the WW2 generation is dying off.

Re: Pikachu storm-troopers:

There’s an anime show called Mao-Chan that actually touches upon that idea. The earth is invaded by cute aliens, so a trio of cute girls are drafted to dispatch the aliens in a cute fashion (because it looks bad to send heavy military weapons against cute invaders, y’know). It’s a show that adults will recognize as parody yet OK for kids to watch because it ultimately isn’t that bad, aside from parents who don’t get the joke and think the whole idea is just too freakin’ bizarre.

Foreign Minister Taro Aso has proposed sending animation or cartoon artists abroad as cultural ambassadors
Speaking on behalf of New Zealand, could we have Hayao Miyazaki?

Speaking on behalf of New Zealand, could we have Hayao Miyazaki?

Herr Doktor, you’re a Kiwi? Just across the ocean a bit. Mayhap we can share Miyazaki-san, and get a passel of other Japanese goodness along with…?

And if anyone wants to see weird, the entire oevre of Miike Takashi is there for your delectation. Miike is completely barking mad, in this cat’s opinion. Dollops of weird with weird sauce and a side serving of sauteed weird. On weird toast.

Miike is completely barking mad, in this cat’s opinion. Dollops of weird with weird sauce and a side serving of sauteed weird. On weird toast.

Or to steal some choice phrases from a Snowblood Apple reviewer — “Weirder than a whole bag of weird bought cheap at a weird sale. Mad as a barrel of green squirrels dancing a jig on a giant blue flower.”

However, I cannot see the Japanese Foreign Ministry sending Miike overseas “to market Japanese culture to foreign audiences”. Even psychotic transvestite Yakuza hit-men would make better cultural ambassadors.

I dunno, but if I were the South Park guys, I’d sue.

Actually, my main question is: where exactly in Japan is this weird blasted plain pocked by craters and mounds of pumice, jagged limestone, and pyrite, where every episode of Ultraman (and, apparently, Japanese Spiderman) appears to take place? And if giant fire-breathing lizards, x-ray-wielding robots, and semiautomatic guitar-toting poncho-wearers are all so hot to conquer this weird little blasted plain, then why doesn’t everybody else just stay well the fuck clear of it?

Oil reserves, probably.

How nice for you. Fortunately the WW2 generation is dying off.

I just returned from a month in the PRC and I can assure you the attitude is not limited to the WW2 generation. I heard plenty about “The Great Anti-Japanese War” from 20-something guide-interpreters as well as catching several episodes of a popular TV drama series about same. Not to mention the disparaging–not to say vitriolic–attitude one of our guides had about Japanese tourists (prompted, to be sure, by a really ugly episode that we witnessed).

Just sayin….

As a liberal and a pacifist, I have to say I think this post — and much of the commentary — is paranoid and sensationalistic, and generally misguided.

It’s true, a lot of Japanese culture can be ridiculous and inexplicable, but I think that’s some of its appeal. Japanese people readily acknowledge this. But the preposterous and hilarious Spiderman knockoff doesn’t really have to do with anything we’re talking about here, and I think you guys know that.

It’s also true that the new Ministry of Defense (previously a cabinet) is trying to use cartoons and other PR tactics to soften the image of the expanding SDF. The reason they’re trying to do this is because expansion is unpopular in Japan. The postwar Japanese are peaceful people who continue to express shame for the atrocities of the 30s and 40s. Despite being in power for over half a century, the conservative government has been unable to revise the constitution to permit expeditionary military action.

People just don’t like it. I spent the summer of 2006 conducting research into violence in Japan. I interviewed a team of of journalists from Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s (and at one point, the world’s) largest newspaper. Yomiuri is a conservative organization, much like Fox in the U.S., but probably a little more loyal. You know what the Yomiuri reporters had to say about the war in Iraq? I quote from the pages of my research: “We hate the War in Iraq. Everyone does.”

You know what’s interesting, though? They applauded the American public for realizing so quickly that the war in Iraq is wrong. “It took us fifteen years,” they said.

To be honest, it would probably behoove us to encourage expansion of the SDF. What has permitted postwar inaction of the Japanese military (remember that the handful of troops sent to Iraq were entirely noncombative) is Japan’s relative safety under the stewardship of the United States. As long as the U.S. polices the world with its nuclear umbrella, disarmament will not get very far. What’s more is that American nuclear action is no longer a credible threat, and this summer, underneath the nuclear umbrella, North Korea detonated a nuclear weapon of its own in the Sea of Japan. I know Japanese people who say they felt the tremor.

Remember, SDF stands for Self-Defense Forces. In truth, I’m not so sure having a peaceful, democratic power policing the Pacific is such a bad thing.

I think he looks like Cartman when people respect his authoriTAY.

The postwar Japanese are peaceful people who continue to express shame for the atrocities of the 30s and 40s. Despite being in power for over half a century, the conservative government has been unable to revise the constitution to permit expeditionary military action.

People just don’t like it.

Nicely put. I’d have written something like that if i was capable of writing anything other than sarcasm.

I just returned from a month in the PRC and I can assure you the attitude is not limited to the WW2 generation. I heard plenty about “The Great Anti-Japanese Warâ€? …

Well yeah, that kinda stuff goes over well with the tourists. When you tour Pearl Harbour they don’t go on about how wonderful was the enemy.

from 20-something guide-interpreters as well as catching several episodes of a popular TV drama series about same.

I’m watching a popular samuri drama.

Not to mention the disparaging–not to say vitriolic–attitude one of our guides had about Japanese tourists (prompted, to be sure, by a really ugly episode that we witnessed).

That guy should probably get a new job, something less stressful. I find Chinese tourists to be loud and rude and incapable of proper queing and i think Russian tourists dress funny and why are American tourists always fat complainers in too small t-shirts? Fortunately Im not a tour guide.

North Korea detonated a nuclear weapon of its own in the Sea of Japan. I know Japanese people who say they felt the tremor.

Hey, the stuff about postwar Japanese folk having no interest in war was good and correct, but now you are just being silly.

“Have you noticed that you never see Spider-Man’s giant robot together with Peter Parker’s giant robot?”

fuck damned monkey nips

Sexy cam babes, free live chat

Biggest swinger and sex dating portal in the world. Have sex tonight!…

…