JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
-
- Corporate Business English Trainers
- ACT Systems, Inc.（株式会社アクト・システムズ）, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥269,500 ~ ¥280,000 / Month
-
- 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
-
- 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*
0
Alphaape
Actually, "W" acted properly. He didn't get up and run to cover on AF1. He continued to do what he was doing, and when that event was over put into action his Emergency Action plans. Also, the ones who backed this act got visited by the US military, I doubt if anything of the sort will happen with this event, just like the Ft Hood shooting. All we get now, is a few words and promises of speaking more on it tomorrow.
@warnerbro: Just curious, what was Bush supposed to do? Remember, everyone thought the first planes into the Trade Center was just a fluke.
Posted in: 2 U.S. airmen killed in Frankfurt airport shooting
0
Alphaape
I guess this ungrateful S*B dosen't appreciate the fact that the US helped stop the bloodshed in his country and the persecution of Albanians (mostly Muslims) from the Serbs (Orthodox Christian). But he still sees the US as bad guys. I hope they send him to Gitmo and give him the Death Penalty. I can say if he went against armed military members that is one thing, but unarmed and in a public place is cowardly.
Posted in: 2 U.S. airmen killed in Frankfurt airport shooting
0
Alphaape
How about lowering prices. That usually works. Also, isn't it the job of management to come up with ideas on how to generate more revenue?
Posted in: Making a spectacle of himself
0
Alphaape
The only thing that I can say to that is a quote from C.S. Lewis:
Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. — C.S. Lewis
Posted in: One year after 'Cove' Oscar, activists shift tactics
0
Alphaape
I think the biggest mistak JAL ever made was taking the crane image off the tails of their planes. Show a little national pride JAL.
Posted in: Crane dance
0
Alphaape
@GJDailleult: That was my point. Just "kicking the can down the road" type of business practices in housing loans, and the way state governemts operate has gotten us into this mess. If the Gov is trying to stop it, I am for it.
Posted in: Facts overshadowed in debate over union bill in Wisconsin
0
Alphaape
So in other words, the state should keep things the way they are, and when the budget does hit a deficit just tax people to make up for it is what the writer is saying? That type of thinking is what has gotten us in the mess we are in now financially. Don't worry about the future, just buy a house that we can't afford and hope that it will work out in the future, or just give beefits away, and rely on an IPO for the Green Bay Packers to bring in revenue.
At least the Gov. is taking steps to prevent future financial problems.
@wolfpacK; Yes and no on this statement. Federal workers in the states below a certain paygrade do have collective barganining rights. They can earn overtime and time and a half and other benefits. But those of us who are Federal employees here in Japan, are excluded from any collective barganing agreements. You aer correct on the wage freeze. We didn't get the annual wage increas this Jan 1, and I believe it will be the same for next year.
Also, I got hit in the wallet by another pay increase taken away from me. Military retirees as myself also did not get a COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) this year, and I didn't get one last year too. But as you say, Obama has said nothing about this.
Posted in: Facts overshadowed in debate over union bill in Wisconsin
0
Alphaape
I wonder how many golf balls wind up on the tarmac? That could be a dangerous thing.
Posted in: Fairway, runway
0
Alphaape
Glad to hear that these people will at least have jobs for a few more years. I guess since Boeing is headquartered in Chicago, and the former White House Chief of Staff jsut got elected as mayor sure helped things out a bit.
Too bad Rahm didn't run earlier. He might have been able to get the IOC to consider Chicago instead of Rio for the Olympics.
Posted in: U.S. Air Force awards $35 bil airborne refueling tanker contract to Boeing
0
Alphaape
I wonder if there are any "Engrish" mistakes in his letter.
Posted in: New envoy
0
Alphaape
Why are these people just now demonstrating against Gadhafi?
Posted in: Anti-Gadhafi rally
0
Alphaape
@amerijap: I guess you have not been reading the posts closely. Never did Gov. Walker deny the teachers an opportunity to be in a union. As a matter of fact, he stipuatled in his bill that union membership would be voluntary, and not mandatory like it is now. So teachers that didn't want to join the union would have a chance to say so (whole free speech issue). He did not ever say in the beginning his first choice was to lay off teachers. But the Dem legislators have been absent to vote on the bill, thus maybe forcing the Gov to make that move if he has to.
Posted in: 70,000 protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol
0
Alphaape
That's what they want you to believe.
Posted in: 70,000 protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol
0
Alphaape
@whiskeysour: To add to my previous post, Detroit public schools has yearly costs of $52 million on pensions and $44 million on health care, which is more than their utilities costs and security costs to run the system.
They district has lost over 83,000 students over the past decade, but yet teacher salaries and benefits have continued to increase.
Not to say that teachers are to blame for the economic crisis that the US is facing, but when you get statistics like these, the unions should at least be willing to renegotiate. I would rather take a pay cut than have no pay.
As in true "progessive form" there will probably be calls for taxing the rich to get rid of this deficit. But Detroit is one of the poorest per capita income cities in the US. Who are you going to tax? The city can't levy taxes on people who live outside the city limits, so where do they get the money from?
Posted in: 70,000 protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol
0
Alphaape
@whiskeysour: Have you heard the latest from Detroit, MI? The city has to close half of it's public schools. The reason why, 2/3 of it's budget is personnel costs (pay, pensions, and health care). The union got too many demands and the city couldn't afford it. So they have to go to the drastic step of laying off teachers and closing schools. They couldn't renegotiate the contracts, so they have to keep paying them.
That is why the WI gov is at least attempting to slow this type of problem down in his state. Nothing to do with ideology.
Posted in: 70,000 protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol
0
Alphaape
@whiskeysour, it is you who must have an agenda with a statement like that. He is not asking for a raise for himself like the US Congress does and gives themselves every year. Also, he is working and earning a salary. Why should he give it up?
Yes they are. Becuase the manufacturing jobs left and went to places like Mexico and other states that had lower costs. Why did the costs in WI and MI go up? Union demands for pension and health guarentees with small worker contributions. Since the auto industry was private busiesses at that time, they did the best to make a profit by cutting costs. These cost savings meant to move operations to area with lower costs. Since you suggest I do some research, why don't you look at the cost to produce a car in MI compared with a place like Tennessee or other locations. You'll see that union demands helped to drive up costs.
If that was the case, then he would have started with cuts vice asking them to contribute more to their healthcare, and limit the size of the raises they can get each year.
I suggest you do. Look at my previous posts at what the governor wanted to pass. It gave clear examples of his plan and his reasons. All you give, are some trumped up postings based on "feelings" and not offering any substantive input.
Do a bit of research. Either chess or checkers, if you clear the board, you still win.
Posted in: 70,000 protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol
0
Alphaape
> >
@whiskysour: 70,000 people can rally against the Gov, but looking at the Nov 2010 election results: 1,128,159 (52%) voted for Walker 1,005,008 (47%) voted against Walker
So having 70,000 protest against him is really not an indication of his unpopularity. How many of the 70,000 were bussed into WI from outside of the state.
Go take a web search and you can see some of the signs at the protest with Walker's face in a gunsight, being aimed at.
So in a liberal state like WI was, they now all want to live under a dictatorship?
What's more un-American is the Dem legislators running away and not sticking their ground and debating the issues. They say that he was "moving too fast" for them to vote on the issue. Funny, how the Dems under Pelosi thought that we needed ot rush the Healthcare bill through real fast so that we can "Pass it and see what's in it" (her words exactly); but now they want to take the slow road. That is un-American.
Posted in: 70,000 protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol
0
Alphaape
In lieu of this comment, let me give you a quick rundown on what Walker wants: - The bill would limit government workers collective barganing agreement (not do away with unions) to pay increases less than the Consumer Price Increase (CPI)unless approved in a local referendum. - Unions could not force members to pay dues, and would force a vote every year to remain certified. - employees would have to pay 5.8% of salary for pension costs (they pay nothing now) - pay 12% of their health care premiums (they pay 6%) now.
That doesn't seem like it is so bad. Especially when the state has to raise taxes to pay for the increasing costs of the benefits, tax raises that the state workers will also be paying too.
What's so bad about that? If if you have valid points, I suggest you email them to the Dem politicians who left the state. They obviously need some help in countering these points.
Posted in: 70,000 protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol
0
Alphaape
I guess "W" was right afterall. Build a democracy in Iraq and the rest of the countries will follow. Of course, they probably were hoping that the mer radical elements wouldn't participate.
Posted in: Gadhafi's son warns of civil war in Libya as death toll tops 200
0
Alphaape
Listening to a WI state representative gave me some insight. When they say that they want to end the collective barganing, they don't mean that they can't organize nor will they loose any benefits. They will still be able to bargin for their wages, but other issues they will not. So underperforming teachers will now be able to be fired, not just in a "willy nilly" fashion but with a due process.
It took them 15 months to get the current contract they are under, and that is not a way to conduct business.
Posted in: 70,000 protesters surround Wisconsin Capitol