England (my sweet homeland)

[Steve Bildermann]

Produces

- the craziest royal family
- the most rabid soccer fans

AND now
The dumbest petty crooks

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=2&id=219209
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=2&id=219144&page=2

[kamome]

Yeas, that might have been a dumb petty criminal. But to make such fuss over 1000 yen??? Japanese politicians pilfer millions of dollars from the public through bid rigging and bribery. But what an irony that a gaijin who sneaks 1000 lousy yen from a convenience store makes equally big news and actually prompts the police do a little bit of investigation work to nab him. Sheesh, what a frickin' joke.

[tokyojoe]

Yeas, that might have been a dumb petty criminal. But to make such fuss over 1000 yen??? Japanese politicians pilfer millions of dollars from the public through bid rigging and bribery. But what an irony that a gaijin who sneaks 1000 lousy yen from a convenience store makes equally big news and actually prompts the police do a little bit of investigation work to nab him. Sheesh, what a frickin' joke.

In America they`ll put you in the slammer for stealing 50 bucks, but if you rip off millions of dollars (a la Enron or Merrill Lynch) they don`t do a thing.

[Steve Bildermann]

To paraphrase:

I steal 1,000 yen. I have a problem.
I steal 1,000M yen. You have a problem.

I wonder how this will be handled. I expect we will never know.

Anyway can't stay and chat guys, must start getting the beer in for tonight's match.

E-N-G-L-A-N-D - Zig a Zagger - Zig a Zagger OY OY OY
Feel much better now

- Note we are the only supporters to bring an entire brass band as accompaniment

[GuyJean]

In America they`ll put you in the slammer for stealing 50 bucks, but if you rip off millions of dollars (a la Enron or Merrill Lynch) they don`t do a thing.

They already have a ruling on Enron? No one was guilty!!?? I thought it was still being 'investigated'.

That's nothing. Look at OJ.. And that was in front of a jury!!!

I'd like to see a Japanese jury. My prediction: A Japanese defendant would be found not guilty 80% of the time, if he cried and said sorry. A foreign defendant would be guilty all the time because... well.. he's foreign.

GJ

[Crispy]

Think about the beginning of Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha. The thief says to the daimyo "I only stole a few coins. A petty thief. But you've killed hundreds and robbed whole domains. Who is wicked, you or I?"

Wrongness is simply a matter of scale.

[Steve Bildermann]

[tokyojoe]

Does Japan also have that problem with `clumsy prisoners` who somehow always manage to fall and hurt themselves?

[Steve Bildermann]

Does Japan also have that problem with `clumsy prisoners` who somehow always manage to fall and hurt themselves?

Yes but it's not a problem because in Japan the report *always* reads. Prisoner became depressed and injured himself.
Then again they can just lock you up and *forget about you.

TOKYO, June 7 Kyodo - The Tokyo Immigration Bureau has kept two foreign men in custody for months after forgetting about them despite the fact the detention term is only 30 days under the law, bureau officials said Friday. (17 :04)

[kamome]

Anyway can't stay and chat guys, must start getting the beer in for tonight's match.

E-N-G-L-A-N-D - Zig a Zagger - Zig a Zagger OY OY OY

GO ENGLAND!! I may be American, but I will also cheer for England and Ireland when they play. It's like cheering for a brother or a cousin. For those not following the games, England is playing Argentina tonight in what will go a long way toward deciding who advances out of that group (which also happens to be the most talented group of 4 countries in the Cup).

I gotta' get home on turn on the tube myself to watch the game.

[Steve Bildermann]

God Bless you and all of your seed.

E-N-G-L-A-N-D
E-N-G-L-A-N-D
E-N-G-L-A-N-D
E-N-G-L-A-N-D

Phew

and by the way Maradona - WE ARE NOT SCARED OF ARGENTINA - YOU LITTLE TWERP

[Steve Bildermann]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssss



ENGLAND 1 ARGENTINA 0

[cstaylor]

... but what was up with that "Beckham Backhand" near the end of the first half?

[kamome]

God Bless you and all of your seed.

Why thank you!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssss


ENGLAND 1 ARGENTINA 0

Way to go! A great victory for England.

By the way, if anyone in Japan goes out to the pubs during a soccer match, there will inevitably be several Brits or Irish in there cheering for their team (or some other team they might like). I can see why soccer has so many fans--it's a good excuse to go out and drink with the guys!

I know very little about the rules and strategies of soccer, but I like the international aspect of it. You get to see players and supporters from countries rarely heard about in the news (Senegal? Cameroon? Uraguay?). Being outside the US allows for more exposure to world sports instead of being locked into the NBA/NFL/MLB (although I am also a fan of those too).

Anyway, too bad I've been stuck inside the last couple of days with a nasty cold and laryngitis. Can't cheer and drink Guinness as much as I'd like.