Nine to go! (suicide party cars)

[Russell]

Well, they have finally gotten to the `G` word. G a s o l i n e….Gasoline? Whoda thunk it?

Why is it that what is so very obvious is always never even suggested until it is proven to be the case? The `missing` in a house fire are presumed to be alive even though there are burnt bodies matching the description of the missing; those lifeless bodies are in `cardiac arrest` until they reach the hospital where they are once again examined and determined to be dead; etc., etc.

You read it first on this forum that it was likely gasoline...

[matsuki]

Makes me want to suicide as well...

[wagyl]

Hey if you are after music videos to make you suicidal...

May be NSFW if your workplace has a thing about puppets

[Salty]

Well, they have finally gotten to the `G` word. G a s o l i n e….Gasoline? Whoda thunk it?

Why is it that what is so very obvious is always never even suggested until it is proven to be the case? The `missing` in a house fire are presumed to be alive even though there are burnt bodies matching the description of the missing; those lifeless bodies are in `cardiac arrest` until they reach the hospital where they are once again examined and determined to be dead; etc., etc.

You read it first on this forum that it was likely gasoline...

Yes - I knew that, and I had similar thoughts and suspicion the moment the incident hit the news and they started to call it `oil`, such as corn, olive, sesame, or even rapeseed. And of course they then persisted even after it was eventually describe as being reddish, explosive, smells-like (OK, I made up smells-like), but really , WTF?

[wagyl]

I think it is a bit harsh to say that oil is not an appropriate word. Gasoline is a fraction taken from crude oil, after all. If they said it was gasoline from the beginning, and it ended up being kerosene or something, people would be all over them for "demonising gasoline unnecessarily."

[matsuki]

Are we really worried about offending people based on what was used? If the guy is going all out, gasoline would seem to be the fuel of choice. (though he should have paid a visit to TEPCO instead of going out on the shinkansen)

[yanpa]

Why does Japan have such a high suicide rate?

Last year in Japan, more than 25,000 people took their own lives.

That's 70 every day. The vast majority were men.

Those figures do not make Japan's the highest suicide rate in the world in a developing country.

That dubious title belongs to South Korea. But it is still far, far higher than virtually all other wealthy countries.

It is three times the suicide rate in the United Kingdom.
...more...

[wagyl]

Auntie Beeb's Man in the Far East is slipping. I saw a couple of paragraphs there with two sentences. Well, one of those sentences, you could argue whether it was properly formed, so I will let that one pass.

[Salty]

I think it is a bit harsh to say that oil is not an appropriate word. Gasoline is a fraction taken from crude oil, after all. If they said it was gasoline from the beginning, and it ended up being kerosene or something, people would be all over them for "demonising gasoline unnecessarily."

They could have stuck with `liquid` if they didn`t want to say the most likely word. But `oil-like`?

[kurogane]

I getcha Salty, but I often rather appreciate their tendency to not jump to conclusions until the facts are in. That's actually rather solid journalism. As a reverse example, the foreign media's coverage of the Toyota Druggie Woman was rife with speculation and corrections. I can dig the When We Know You Will attitude they seem to prefer to the "Oh, Fuggit, just make it up!" one so many interwebz media seem to prefer.
Also, don't forget that in cases like this they want to do their utmost to avoid reporting anything inflammatory.................

[wagyl]

Also, don't forget that in cases like this they want to do their utmost to avoid reporting anything inflammatory.................

That one burns!!!

I think the issue here is that we had a translation into English from Japanese. 油のようのもの could be "something like oil" but that doesn't have the right register for a news report, so it became an oil-like substance. There is no conspiracy to put cooking oil manufacturers out of business.

[kurogane]

Right. I really have no problem with initial vagueness anyways; it seems better journalism to me. Also, given what a hot topic this story is, perhaps they were worried about getting singed for false or misleading reporting in a subsequent comments section flame war?

[chibaka]

Right. I really have no problem with initial vagueness anyways; it seems better journalism to me. Also, given what a hot topic this story is, perhaps they were worried about getting singed for false or misleading reporting in a subsequent comments section flame war?

Ouch....

[yanpa]

Kurogane is really on fire about this issue. Just don't burn yourself out, dude. Though I'd also like to see some input from forum member "inflames" too.

[kurogane]

Cool advice, man. I was also worried that I was a bit like a moth to a flame.

[dimwit]

Personally, I don't think we should extinguish his enthusiasm, being all hot to trot.

[kurogane]

Thanks. At the same time there's no need to pour fuel on the fire and fan the flames.

[Mike Oxlong]

Stupid flame wars.

[Russell]

Can't you guys stop raking over the ashes?

[kurogane]

Good point. If the Japakneez interwebz got wind of this I have a feeling things could get really inflammatory.