Hey Ixy, thanks for attaching the photo. Your pic was a bit larger/clearer than the other ones I'd seen, and so I was finally able to make out that last kanji at the very bottom. It's "ki", which has a few different meanings, but in this case most likely means "apparatus". Makes sense.
Several people commented about the different views towards sex/sexuality in Japanese culture versus our own. And it's true, we are a lot more uptight here than... hell, almost ANYwhere. And yet, I'd be willing to bet that no other country has as rampant a problem as we do with sex crimes. I mean, the whole world knows about all the problems going on right now in the US Catholic church, but you don't hear about the same thing going on in say, Italy. So which phenomena feeds the other? Is it because we're so uptight that we have all these people acting out their darker desires? Are they driven to it because there's no way of say, "letting off steam"? No way of expressing those urges that's even marginally socially acceptable? Or is it the other way around, and the reason we're so uptight is out of shame over what's been lurking under the surface for so long? I mean, come on... everybody knew this problem was there. Maybe it didn't make the news every night, but it wasn't the best-kept secret in the world. So,
uh.... what was the point I was trying to make again?
My head hurts.
-Chris
Received on Fri Jun 14 2002 - 12:11:44 CDT