When I was living in Japan, new clubs in Roppongi (place full of night clubs where all the gaijin hung out) would always hire Japanese body guards. Despite the influence of video games and movies, there is not much violence in Japan. Most Japanese males have never been in a fight. These bouncers were always trained in martial arts and had "security" certificates. In most of the clubs in Japan, they have sections where girls can sit and guys are not allowed. To make it so the girls don't have to be harassed. There was always some drunk Marine or Australian that didn't like to be told to leave the "grils" section and they would hospitalize the poor Japanese body guard who told them to leave. Then the club would hire some Yakuza (Japanese gangsters who are supposed to be tough) and then the Yakusa would get pummeled also. Finally the club would hire some large american servicemen in their off hours and order would be restored. But in the three years I was there I must have seen fifteen clubs go through this evolution.

This Should be Fun
 

Aw, hell, on this issue you can speak for me.

This Should be Fun
 

POTD. Bravo!

This should be fun.
 

More on the Texas law and this particular case by one of the bill's drafters.

Hank is pretty sure those clubs were just created that way. It's a Shinto thing; you wouldn't understand.

Supposed to be?

Have you never seen a Takashi Miike film? Beat Tikano?

Zen actually- What is the sound of one big meaty marine's hand clapping the head of a Japanese bouncer?

What the hell are you doing posting right now? I was told you were finding us a place to get Green Beer in the very very near future.

It'll be easy enough to find. Listen for the sound of heels on concrete, followed by the screams.

This Should be Fun
 

I would have thought that reading the rest of my post should have cleared up that concern.

As I noted, women and (non-huge) men would not be able to do the strip-club bouncer job as well as the huge men by definition -- because of the needs of the job -- which include the need to be sufficiently impressive to scare off challenges.

I would say that, IF the prisoners _thought_ a tiny woman was as intimidating as a large male guard, AND that particular woman was freakishly strong and/or otherwise able to actually perform just as well as a large male guard -- THEN she _could_ do the job as well.

Your post seemed directed to the absence of the first criteria -- whcih I agreed was important and legitimate.

S_A_M

Taking a breather. See you in an hour.

I remember going to a new club called Gas Panic III (don't even try to figure out how they name things in Tokyo) and I saw this Japanese bouncer walking up to a guy I knew was a SEAL. He was new in Japan, so I had just bought this guy two or three shots of tequila to make this American hero feel welcome in this strange land. He was in the "no guy" area talking to a very attractive Japanese girl, and you could tell it was just a matter of time before they were going home together (it was not very diffiult to pick up Japanese girls in Japan). The SEAL knew he was about to score and we all know that is when the male of the species is most dangerous. Being a veteran of the scene, I saw what was coming, and felt kind of responsible for what was about to happen because of the tequila shots (and teaching the Seal a few good lines in Japanese). While I was trying to make my way to the impending disaster, I saw the SEAL push the Japanese bouncer away, then the Japanes bouncer got in some Martial Art stance and threw a Karate punch at the SEAL that bounced of his back like a nickle hitting an Army Tank. The SEAL turned around, threw a right hook and I don't think the poor Japanese guy touched the ground for at least two yards. Five Japanese bouncers were laid out before me and two other Gaijin convinced him to leave the bar. Lambs to the slaughter.

Wonkette gets her hands on a Homeland Defense threat chart.
 

Just a draft:

http://www.wonkette.com/politics/threatchart.gif

(I'd put up a link, but they forgot to include one for this post.)

Why on earth didn't you make an effort to keep him out of the no-guy area? And why didn't the girl take him out of that area if she was so into him?

Volokh goes hard core
 

Eugene Volokh is aurguing in favor of allowing victim's families to participate in the torture and killing of criminals, presumably ones that are sentenced to death.

Really.

• I am being perfectly serious, by the way. I like civilization, but some forms of savagery deserve to be met not just with cold, bloodless justice but with the deliberate infliction of pain, with cruel vengeance rather than with supposed humaneness or squeamishness. I think it slights the burning injustice of the murders, and the pain of the families, to react in any other way.
  
  And, yes, I know this aligns me in this instance with the Iranian government — but even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and in this instance the Iranians are quite correct.
  
  UPDATE: I should mention that such a punishment would probably violate the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause. I'm not an expert on the history of the clause, but my point is that the punishment is proper because it's cruel (i.e., because it involves the deliberate infliction of pain as part of the punishment), so it may well be unconstitutional. I would therefore endorse amending the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause to expressly exclude punishment for some sorts of mass murders.

Me, I just think Eugene is just angling for one of those judgeships coming up.

Islam- a Religion that appreciates a good Hank Post
 

http://www.moroccotimes.com/news/article.asp?id=4815

Al-Azhar – The Vatican
Official apologies demanded

Morocco TIMES 3/17/2005 | 10:36 am


Egyptian highest religious authority Al-Azhar has requested the Vatican to present official apologies on Christian crusades carried out against Muslims seven centuries ago.

Sheikh Fawzi Zafzaf, President of the Interfaith Dialogue Committee of Al-Azhar, said during a press conference that his committee has sent a request to the Pope last February, demanding an official apology on Christian crusades against the Muslim world, following the example of the Jews.

The principle of demanding apology from the Vatican germinated following Pope Jean Paul II's visit to Syria and Egypt a few years ago, and the apologies the Catholic Church presented to the Jewish and some other Christian doctrines, explained Sheikh Zafzaf. “Al-Azhar is only asking for a similar treatment,” he added.

The Vatican's ambassador to Egypt has abstained from commenting, saying that Al-Azhar's request is now being considered by the Holy See.

Volokh goes hard core
 

No, Ty, this was the POTD.

He was trying to boost his Libertarian Purity score.

a new low
 

Just when you thought the Senate had already stooped to new lows of meaningless hearings called to use baseball players as an excuse for their own tv exposure, they now have called Terry Schiavo, yes the brain dead one, to testify before Congress.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...maged_woman_21

If I'm the husband, I'm sore tempted to wheel her into the hearing room, and let her "answer" all the questions. "I think my wife should answer that" "I would have to defer to my wife" "really, she should have the last word on that".

a new low
 

I thought it was brilliant. They'd tried everything they could think of to stop the disconnect, and kept getting shot down. Now, they subpoena her for some unspecified future day of testimony, and federal law makes it a crime to interfere with the ability of the person to appear in response.

a new low
 

Brilliantly evil?

For a party that rails against the interference by a minority with judicial selection, perhaps the fact that they can't get a bill passed with a simple majority should be a lesson.

This Should be Fun
 

I think perhaps the problem was more likely the grandma was unwilling to use the weapon herself on a timely basis. It would have been nondiscriminatory, saved lives, and remarkably efficient administration of justice given the circumstances.

a new low
 

Will she make a better witness than Mark McGwire did?

This Should be Fun
 

One of Ann's biggest flaws is that she seldom lets the facts get in the way of her opinion.

This Should be Fun
 

They also used to exclude the lame, but then COngress passed the ADA.

a new low
 

Well, I know little about the substance of this one, so I've avoided it quite well, but it does strike me that, stopping a death, if you truly think an injustice is about to occur, might be an inappropriate time to worry about minority status.

a new low
 

Brilliant, yet. Hypocritical, absolutely. What fucking business does the federal government have in this matter?

a new low
 

Did you see that? I thought it was total grandstanding.

eta:

• We're at war in Iraq, at war in Afghanistan, threatened by Al Qaeda, mired in budget deficits, faced with gargantuan liabilities in Social Security and Medicare, struggling to sustain the fighting capacity of our military forces--and what does this committee think warrants its urgent attention? Whether a handful of overpaid entertainers are taking forbidden pills to improve their performance.
  
  The hearing rests on two well-worn premises that ought to offend the conservative sensibilities of Republicans, who control this committee and Congress. The first is that absolutely everything is a federal responsibility. The second is that the private sector needs incessant guidance from government.

http://www.instapundit.com

a new low
 

How brilliant can it be? I defy any lawyer to come up with even a scintilla of evidence that she could have responded to the subpoena.

a new low
 

I think you may be overstating the case here, Bilmore. I don't recall Congress being granted the power to bestow immortality in the Constitution, and short of that, I fail to see how they can prevent a death.

The Truth Comes Out
 

a new low
 

I hope everyone who voted for this one day finds themselves immobile in a hospital bed, unable to communicate and in searing, blinding, unending pain. Fucking Pharisees.

a new low
 

I saw some of the questions asked by Christopher Shays, and was appalled. It's not the place of private business or a union to enforce the laws against drug abuse. I mean, MLB probably should try to do something about it, since it affects the integrity of the game, but that's a business decision. It's not like they're deputized to prosecute drug offenders.

a new low
 

MLB and the players union have handled this poorly as well. I actually stopped watching baseball after the 94 strike, and part of the reason was roids. When Brady Anderson comes in 30 pounds heavier and hits 50 HRs, you know juicing is running rampant.

But there are far more important things for Congress to focus on than roids in baseball.

The Truth Comes Out
 

Since you can't deny that Republicans used various procedural devices to prevent Clinton nominees from getting an up-or-down vote, why do you marvel at the notion that Boxer wants judges to be approved by 60 votes?

a new low
 

Dunno, I see your point, but they're also creating conditions that encourage and foster abuse. Kind of like they own a crack house, but with a different smell.

a new low
 

I'm waiting for hearings on steroid use by professional wrestlers.

a new low
 

Same people that wanted to cut Medicaid want to keep her alive. I don't understand these people.

a new low
 

Well, keep in mind that I'm not commenting on the substance of their efforts. I have no ideas how alive she is or not. Lacking that, I'm not going there.

The Truth Comes Out
 

I'm vaguely familiar with the GOP stunts pulled during the Clinton term, and I think both practices are unconstitutional.