JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
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- FT English Teachers for Kids - Osaka
- Kohgakusha Co., Ltd. （株式会社興学社）, Osaka
- Salary: ¥255,000 ~ ¥275,000 / Month Travel Expenses, Encouragement of Japanese learning*
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- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
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Alphaape
@chewitup: You are correct. A typo on my part. It should have read "2012" for the Dem Party nominee.
That could be debated. What I find that brings the discussions to where they are now, members of both parties can't seem to look at each other and come up with real solutions, and stop making sound bites to deceive the public.
Posted in: House Republicans delay vote on debt limit, spending cuts
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Alphaape
@yabits: If you are out there, I seem to remember awhile back that you and I were having a discussion about the solidarty of the Obama base and how no one would challenge him in 2010 from his own party. I think you need to go back and take a look at what we said, and realize, I may have been right on this one.
Posted in: House Republicans delay vote on debt limit, spending cuts
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Alphaape
@chewitup: Not sure what that comment has to do with the discussion.
So I take it then that you are fine with taxing the rich and corporations, all the while the "Jobs Czar" in the government gets to ship jobs to China and his company paid no US Income taxes last year.
Posted in: House Republicans delay vote on debt limit, spending cuts
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Alphaape
@chewitup: I think before you go labeling it all a GOP problem and that those fat cats and rich just have their lobbyist help them siphon off the pork, you need to look at GE. GE paid no US income tax on $5billion in profits. A few days ago, GE also announced that they are closing their X-ray division in Wisconson (the state where the GOP gov. took away some of the union power) and has decided to ship it over to China, and invest $2billion in training Chinese engineers. The same GE, whose CEO Immelt is the "Jobs Czar" in the current administration.
So, it is not just the GOP rich who have lobbyist trying to gunk up the works, but the Dems are just a guilty.
Posted in: House Republicans delay vote on debt limit, spending cuts
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Alphaape
@yabits: Just so you know, they have found an interview in which Morgan told interviewers that stories were based on phone tapping. Did he tap the phones, no. But he ran stories that were based on phone taps. From the article:
"But it has emerged that Mr Morgan gave a notably different response when asked during an interview with the BBC about his potential involvement in covert "gutter" journalistic practices during his time as a tabloid editor between 1994 and 2004."
Mr Morgan replied: “To be honest, let’s put that in perspective as well. Not a lot of that went on. A lot of it was done by third parties rather than the staff themselves. That’s not to defend it, because obviously you were running the results of their work.
"I’m quite happy to be parked in the corner of tabloid beast and to have to sit here defending all these things I used to get up to, and I make no pretence about the stuff we used to do,” he told the programme's host, Kirsty Young.
“I simply say the net of people doing it was very wide, and certainly encompassed the high and low end of the supposed newspaper market.”
Interesting, don't you think?
Posted in: Murdoch rejects blame for hacker scandal at hearing
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Alphaape
Whever thought of this idea is a good person. Glad to see that this has happened some time after the media rush of the relief efforts has died down. I imagine these kids probably feel as if they are forgotton. But I hope that this gives them hope to understand that people still care for their well being!
Posted in: Out-of-season Santa Claus appears at evacuee shelter
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Alphaape
Alphaape, abundant government services hardly explains this isolated incident. That dog won't hunt. Ever.
You could make at least a half-way decent argument that had those kids been armed, yada, yada. But it would only be half-way decent and would have little to do with this nanny state claim.
@chewitup: Actually, you made the argument for me. Not so much that children need to be armed, but the fact that the belief of Norwegians that their police should not be armed. Do a search and you will see some of the policies of the Norway police. Most are not armed. Those in patrol cars do have guns, but they are unloaded and can only be used with permission from a supervisor.
That type of mentality, is what leads to an ineffective police force. Not saying that they should be "Dirty Harry's" but when you have a populace that believes their law enforcement personnel should be strictly regulated to the point that they are ineffective in terms of their material readiness (i.e. only one police helicopter in the area, and it seats 4 persons and one is an engineer; boats that sink when they are loaded with police due to the fact that they are overloaded beyond what it was designed for), you get what you pay for.
A government that is not too concerned about public safety in regards to enforcing the laws, but making sure that you get a year off for maternity leave, will usually end up with a police force like this.
Posted in: Norwegian police slammed for slow response to rampage
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Alphaape
@chewitup: Read the article closely. See how it goes into the details of the police failures. Then go and do research on what services the Norwegian Govt. gives to Norewegian citizens (including immigrants) such as up to a year off for childbirth (both parents) and the other perks and bennies that comes from the government.
Then come back and tell me that a government that can put that much into making sure that people are "taken care of" can be so incompetent as to not look outside of their borders (in this case inside too) and see that there are people who will do as much harm as possible to their society, and should at least be better prepared to defend and provide protection to their people.
Posted in: Norwegian police slammed for slow response to rampage
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Alphaape
@yabits: This story is about Norway and not the US. Stay on topic. Read the article closely, and see what state of affairs the special police was in. A prudent country, just looking at what has happened in othe European countries would have at least taken steps to make sure that they maintain readiness to face the growing threats. Not from one particular group, but from how any group uses the tactics that seem prevelant in the world today to cause mayhem and terror in countries.
Posted in: Norwegian police slammed for slow response to rampage
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Alphaape
So much for the "Nanny State" being able to take care of all the needs of a country.
Posted in: Norwegian police slammed for slow response to rampage
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Alphaape
@cleo: Looking at the local report on the story, the shooter, the shooter and the wife were not born in Texas, or America for that matter. Hoi Ta (grandfather survivor of the shooting) and his family moved to North Texas from Vietnam nearly two decades ago in search of a better life. But now nearly all of his children are dead. The night before the boy’s mother, 29-year-old Trini Do, threatened to divorce her estranged husband, 35-year-old Tan Do.
So the shooter wasn't born there but in Vietnam. I guess living in Texas for the past 20 years had rubbed off on him in the wrong way.
Posted in: Gunman kills 5, then himself at Texas roller rink during party
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Alphaape
@Howdy Doody: I can think of several cases that have been reported on JT of people slashing family members and then offing themself (often failing), or killing themself either with the CO2 or gas method and endangering others, or the classic case of jumping off a building and landing on a bystander in the street.
As tragic as this case is, this guy was going to kill no matter what he had at hand.
Posted in: Gunman kills 5, then himself at Texas roller rink during party
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Alphaape
@cleo: No I don't. But I understand that it is the law and I have to abide. Just as your argument against guns, why would anyone need a 10" blade knife? Expecting to gut any wild animals that pounce out of the woods?
That is your right not to come to America, but I imagine the 300 million citizens will not really loose any sleep over your decision.
Posted in: Gunman kills 5, then himself at Texas roller rink during party
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Alphaape
@Howdy Doody: No, that is not what I am saying, you are being illogical. No one has the right to go out and kill someone if they are mad. Just like I can't carry a knife over a certain length because it is considered a weapon.
Posted in: Gunman kills 5, then himself at Texas roller rink during party
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Alphaape
I work with a few JN males whom I would say could fit this guys profile. I bet that he is a salary-man, and has a reall tough OL that really grinds him at work. But, instead of talking to the OL at work, he is afraid to and takes it out on girls he sees. I guess he is also hen-pecked at home if he was married. I would at least have just a tiny bit of respect if he would at least go home and argue with the wife, but he is probably too scared to do that too.
Posted in: Man arrested for assaulting schoolgirl on escalator at Yokohama Station
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Alphaape
@cleo: If guns were banned in the USA, there would still leave that "10%" of non-US made guns (accroding to your statistics) that will fill the void, and I imagine the gun violence will still continue in Mexico.
Also, we have a very bad problem with drug smuggling into the USA from Mexico. Don't you think those same people will begin a new trade (them along with others who seem to like to break the US laws), and we would then see an new trafficing, in illegal weapons into the USA.
At least with the gun laws in the USA, there are provisions for background checks. In theory, those who should not own guns because of past crimes do not have the right to legitimately own a weapon. If they get one illegally, with our current system, I don't think it will be a problem for them to get one if all guns were banned.
@cleo: some apartments are now making it illegal for renters to smoke in them. I share your concerns about not wanting to be caught in the crossfire when someone gets in heated passion. So, if I see something that I am not really in favor for (as an example gay marriage) and I want to protect mine from being around it, it should be banned and not allowed? Where does that slippery slope end, and where does your rights trump my rights? If you live in a democracy then majority rules. I have to accept the fact that smoking is banned in some places even though it doesn't affect me. You have to accept that the majority of Americans are in favor of guns.
Posted in: Gunman kills 5, then himself at Texas roller rink during party
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Alphaape
@cleo: I will agree with you that guns in Mexico may come from the USA, but not on that percentage. I read that from some of the Wikileaks, many weapons are not just from the US, but other countries in Europe (Russia, Czech) and China and Columbia.
So the guns get smuggled there and they are used.
Well, I am glad that you know what's best for me. I don't smoke, and don't care for it. But to be honest, I think it is not fair that a smoker can't smoke in bar if they want to. If I don't want to be around the somke, then I will not go into the area. But to secure the rights of others, even though I don't care for their activity is pretty heavy handed.
Posted in: Gunman kills 5, then himself at Texas roller rink during party
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Alphaape
@cleo: It does matter. If I follow the rules, and have not committed a crime, then if I want to buy a gun then I can't buy one because some nut job who has broken the rules and abused his priviliges has taken away my right? I don't think so.
I don't think it is a last resort. You didn't give an answer only just make blind statements.
It comes down to human nature. I hate to say it, but there are some crazy people in the world. This is a tragic event, but banning guns will not stop it from happening. From the Moore movie, "Bowling for Columbine" he shows the difference between Detroit and the city across the border in Canada, Windsor I believe and the difference in the gun deaths. I can do the same in this case, compare the gun deaths in Texas, vice the gun deaths in Laredo right across the border from El Paso. Guns are illegal in Mexico, but more killings go on there than in Texas.
Posted in: Gunman kills 5, then himself at Texas roller rink during party
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Alphaape
@cleo: So this person followed all the laws of Norway to get a gun, and when he got one he killed with it. So, I guess your argument is that we should just do away with all guns, since even if you follow all the laws and regulations to get one, you can still kill with it.
What we don't know in the Texas story, is if the person was able to carry the gun legally (i.e. he wasn't currently a felon on probation). If that was the case, then he bought one illegally and efforts should be made to find out how and those who sold it to him should face penalties.
But, the guy in Norway did buy his gun through the proper legal channels. So should the government officials who authorized him to buy one face charges also.
So if someone in the area had an carry permit, do you think that they would have had the right to defend those who were being shot? Not all persons who carry guns are going to use them when arguments arise. Using your logic, all kitchens should be clear of knives because as I have posted previously, there are stabbings and kilings with sharp objects too. And they don't require a license. Just watch any episode of Cops.
Posted in: Gunman kills 5, then himself at Texas roller rink during party
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Alphaape
@smithinjapan: I bet that we read that a distraught person will kill a family member here in Japan with a knife or strangling or by some other means just as likely as we will see another mass killing death in the USA.
Posted in: Gunman kills 5, then himself at Texas roller rink during party