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
The more I think about this, the more it looks like McCain might know what he is doing. By brining these 3 (Biden too)back to Washington to deal with this, then more spotlight can be on the bill and that should hopefully not allow them to slip something to the American public that we didn't know was comming. I think the more attention paid to what is going on (like the McCain-Kennedy Amnesty Bill that failed) by the public would make the law makers keep an eye on what the American public really wants and not what is wanted on Wall Street.
Also, if the Dems really do come up with a proposal that looks out for the interest of the people rather than the few on Wall Street and McCain votes for it, then yes he would loose some on the right, but I think he would gain more from the popular votes on his decisions. If the two want to debate, let them debate it out on the Senate floor. I would rather hear them discuss on why the merits of a plan should be included and how it would affect their Presidency on the floor of the Senate where words would mean something than on the campaign trail where it is just talk.
Look at it this way, Obama was against the War in Iraq. I don't blame him for his views and I see nothing wrong with that. But when he goes out and campaigns, he makes it seem like he voted against the war, when in fact he was just a state legislator. He had no input. Now, if the Reps. try to put into place something that he is against, he can say he voted against it, and his statements would actually mean something.
The same with McCain. If the Dems come up with a proposal that is fair to the American taxpayer and puts better regulations in place, and votes for it, then he can say that he truly wants to be bipartisan. I know some will say that in the past McCain was against stronger regulations, this is true, but I think that the times now cause for a reevaluation. If McCain can come out and say that, I would not consider it a "flip flop" but merely that his views have been "OBE" (military for Overtaken By Events). That would still show he has more of a stance to admit his wrongs than Obama, who still will not admit that the Surge actually did some good and worked.
Posted in: McCain suspends campaigning over financial crisis; Obama rejects call for debate delay
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Alphaape
Yes in the past campaigns have gone on during wars and other disasters, and the president needs to be able to focus on more than one issue. But today it is all about image.
Remember back when Katrina happened, everyone complained that Bush was no where near the scene. Even though he has state of the are communications, and he could be in the "can" on Air Force One and still command and control everything, he had the perception that he didn't care because he was not seen as "doing something" on TV.
In this case, if Obama had made the same comment and McCain was to keep on with his campaign, then the cries of he didn't care about the common folk since he has his seven houses would be the norm. One other reason why I think it is important that they both get back to D.C. is the fact that they are both being paid by the taxpayers to be U.S. Senators. They need to do their jobs. If it comes down to a vote, will Obama merely vote "present" like he has done in the past which only means that he was there and did not decide on anything or will he cast a vote that may be unfavorable. They can still campaign from D.C. I think that they both need to do their day jobs, or resign from them so that they can focus on the election. If they are that committed to being President, then they should have no hesitation to resign from the Senate if they can't take the time and do their day job like the rest of us, or are they making sure that they have something to fall back on to keep them in power.
Posted in: McCain suspends campaigning over financial crisis; Obama rejects call for debate delay
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Alphaape
cleo, your points are well put. I have seen the many comments about napping J-cops in the koban. I think that we are sometime not aware that they do have to in some cases put in 24 hour shifts, and I have no problem with them getting a nap whenever they can. I myself have spent numerous hours "tango-uniform" when out at sea working shift work when I was not required to do something.
But I think what gets the perception about most J-cops and their sleeping in kobans is by the way they seem to handle high profile crimes that makes them look bad. Like the case of not knowing that a life-sized dummy was not a human, or letting the main suspect in the killing of the British woman walk right past them barefoot, or the time when it took 20,000 cops in Osaka to stop a speeding car (or some huge number, it was posted here). I think that the measure of incompetence that they show gets reflected in the greater image of how the police are viewed. The same as it was with the LA cops back in the 90's with the Rodney King beatings or the Rampart scandal and the perception that LA cops are crooked. Not all J-cops are lazy, but it seems that the lazy ones get the most press.
Posted in: On-duty officer apparently shoots himself at Tokyo police station
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Alphaape
USN, I guess you are of the NATOPS school that all you need is 8 hours a night, and all the sleep you get in the daytime is just extra.
Working a 24 hour shift could be done, if done correctly. Even firefighter get to sleep in the station house if they are not on call. I am sure that there is plenty of room to take a nap in shifts in the back of a koban.
Posted in: On-duty officer apparently shoots himself at Tokyo police station
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Alphaape
One of my jobs in the USN, we had to pull duty for 24 hours. On ships, even though you did a full work day, that means that you slept on the ship during normal sleeping times unless you had the night watch. Then, it was rotated through the duty section.
Do not the J-police have enough since to do this. A cop is on duty for 24 hours. But he should at least spend 8 hours working, and at least 8 hours asleep, still being on call in case of an emergency. It seems to me not only can these guys not solve crimes thoroughly, they can't man a watch bill either.
Posted in: On-duty officer apparently shoots himself at Tokyo police station
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Alphaape
McCain at least did admit the error of his ways. My home state, Arkansas did not exactly jump on ratification of the King Holiday also. It was still under the leadership of Gov. Bill Clinton. He got it through but with a compromise. The state employees can take the holiday off if they want, or they can take the following Monday off. That day is Gen. Robert E. Lee's birthday (they still do that to this day in Arkansas). So much for Bill Clinton and his Democratic machine saying that they are for minorities. They will do only as much as they can get away with. To be fair and balanced, Gov. Mike Huckabee had a chance to change this, and he didn't either.
Posted in: Obama, McCain react cautiously to financial rescue plan
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Alphaape
Good points. I though Obama was for the "regular people" but yet he was at a fundraing dinner that charged $28,000 a plate.
I don't know which is worse, having 7 houses or being able to go to a dinner that cost you $28,000.
But you don't see too much of that reported in terms of someone being out of touch with reality.
Posted in: Obama, McCain react cautiously to financial rescue plan
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Alphaape
smith/barry; I am not speaking from the radical right. Just answer my question please. If it is a free country and I agree that it is, you can invite whomever you want to your rally. That is fair. So if it is a free country, does that not give a person the right to make their own decision as to why another person, in this case the group that had initially invited her to decline the invitation.
I find it hard to believe, that the person who organized this as was profiled (Penny Pritzker) is not smart and well connected enough to know that if a person that is the VP nominee (no matter what party, because that person would bring more media to the rally just to see what they would say and get exposture to your cause) would not know the ramification of her actions.
goodDonkey, yes this is not an officaly sanctioned event by any government agency. But my point is, the next time, either Rep or Dem gets on the TV and calls for bipartisan ship, I will just blow it off. They can't even share the stage at an event withoug petty bickering. If this is something that they can't do for the betterment of peace in a region, then I doubt very seriously that they could do it in their offical "work." I am not saying that they need to make brunch dates with each other, but if they are so adamant on the theme of "change" and no more politics as usual, they are pretty much doing the same old thing.
Posted in: Palin blames Democrats for withdrawn invitation
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Alphaape
Bary, if this is the case, then wouldn't the Dems want Hillary to attend. The reason being they know all of the press would be there, and when Palin was to speak, they would be able to catch her in her own words as being a "liar" and not knowing what was going on, and could have made it to the home stretch with a series of ads showing this.
Barry, didn't mean to quote your comments in my reply. So I am not a liar.
Posted in: Palin blames Democrats for withdrawn invitation
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Alphaape
What I think is the problem is that Dems use fear and smear tactics to shout out any opposition. Is Palin a liar, probably so just like every other politician. Tell me one thing that Obama said that he would do in the primaries and now has changed that how would carry out that policy. Would that be considered being a liar?
Posted in: Palin blames Democrats for withdrawn invitation
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Alphaape
Before others on this forum accuse me of being nothing more than just a "talking head for Fox News" I must say that I am ashamed of Hillary and the Dems on this one.
I can understand if the organizers of this rally asked them to focus their comments on the present situation with Iran, and to cut down on the politicing I think that would be fair. But for Hillary and the Dems to pull out if Palin would be there is just bad taste.
How can the Dems say that they will be willing to work with the Rep. on bipartisan issues, if they can't even attend a rally together against a percieved threat from Iran, how the heck should I believe them when they say they will work with each party in Congress to get legislation done to solve the many issues that face the American electorate.
Just shows you that the Dems are a bunch of spoiled losers. If Hillary can't be the star, then I am not going to go. If Obama thinks that a appearance by both Hillary and Palin would make his decision to pick Biden makes him look bad, then Hillary can't go.
No matter what the polls may show, I think that the Dems are going to throw this election away on their petty bickering.
Posted in: Palin blames Democrats for withdrawn invitation
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Alphaape
yabits, people are funny about their money. Some may see the rate in captical gains tax as just another tax that they don't want to pay besides their income, state, property, local, sales and other taxes that will probably increase over the next few years.
Posted in: Obama mocks McCain's call to fire SEC chairman
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Alphaape
I seem to remember that everyone was up in arms when Bush told Brownie that he was doing "a heck of a job" after Katrina and the politicos wanted his head. So Bush sent him packing after that. Is it a matter of closing the barn door after the cows have left, I guess you could say that. But, so it was with Brownie. And I guess what makes this all the more important for McCain to say he would fire the SEC Chairman, I would think that unlike Brownie, the chairman was supposed to have "known" what he was doing, and not just there because he gave to the party to get elected. So when McCain calls for someone who obviously had the "right stuff" to be there but screwed it up, I think shows that accountability must be kept. If Obama wants to fire the whole trickle down crowd, I hope that he is ready to let go some of his supporters in that group, and start with having Rep. Barney Frank from MA replaced on the Banking committee.
As for Obama's comments on raising taxes, let's just take a simple look at the captial gains tax increases. I am a small time investor. I try to maybe put at least $100-2000 a month in some stocks online. Not much, but hey it beats wasting it in a buy me drink bar. Now when the market is good, I have seen some good returns. More than the interest I would see if I kept the same amount in the bank. However, with an increase in capital gains tax, my increases would diminish. This money that I put in is from my net income. All my obligations to the governments (federal and state, and local) have been met. I understand that I would have to pay taxes on it, but an increase in taxes for such a small time investor like me would take away my tiny profit, and I may as well stick it in the bank and get a smaller amount of interest.
In my example, I am but just a small time investor, but multiply small time investors like me, who decide not to buy stocks any becuase of higher capital gains tax, and you would get a ripple effect of millions of people who would no longer look to invest. Yes my paltry $200 is not going to hurt Wal-mart stock, but is millions of people took my attitude, they would see a drop in income from stocks. Look at it this way, Obama prides his campaign on not taking huge donations from lobbyist groups. It is the "regular" people who are donating $50-$100 a month for him. Those regular people are giving him donations that reach at least $20 million a month. So if the "little people" can give donations that get him that kind of money each month, just think of the effect of the "little people" deciding not to invest their little amounts due to higher capital gains tax. But the Dems don't present it that way, they make it seem like the really wealthy are against this "rich people's tax" when in essence, it will hurt small time investors like myself.
Posted in: Obama mocks McCain's call to fire SEC chairman
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Alphaape
B4B, I was a grown man in the 90's as well as the 80's and I do remember. I did not say anything about the surplus. What I think needs to happen is that spending gets under control, better regulation and oversight (look at the airline industry, we stepped in to save them, and they are still screwing us with excess baggage fees and the like to make up for money that they are losing after we bailed them out).
If you need to raise taxes after better spendig measures are in place, then I am for it. But don't just raise taxes and continue on the path that we have been on.
Posted in: Obama mocks McCain's call to fire SEC chairman
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Alphaape
Just my guess, but I think McCain is still calling for smaller government, but with a better way to operate. Instead of creating a bigger and bigger Fed govt. with more rules, how about making one with a more common sense approach and better regulations. Instead of the bloated Byzantine system that we have in place in some area now.
As far as the campaign, it has been proven that you can't correct these types of changes in the economy with higher taxes. Obama has all ready said that if elected he would raise the capital gains tax, back up to almost past where it was under Clinton (he did say that he would not go as high as 30% but in the 20's from the current 15%). If this is done, you will see more and more investors take their money out and a massive sell off on Wall Street would happen. Afterwards, more people would be less willing to invest, since they will have an increased tax on their investment returns.
If McCain were smart, the first thing he should do when they meet to debate is to say to Obama based on past experiences, when captial gains taxes were high, people tended to invest less. Are you still willing to increase the capital gains tax on investors when you become president? If he back peddles out of this, after he said he will do it, then he will be seen as a "flip flopper." If he says yes, then he will be seen as a tax and spend president.
Posted in: Obama mocks McCain's call to fire SEC chairman
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Alphaape
So sad. I wonder did her relative set her up with borrowing money that she knew she could not pay back. With relatives like her, I would rather be an orphan.
Posted in: Two arrested for forcing woman into prostitution to pay back debts
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Alphaape
Like a caption under a photo I once saw under a beautiful woman once said: "No matter how fine she looks, some man, some where, is tired of her c**p."
In other words, all that glitters is not gold.
She is pretty though I must admit.
Posted in: Aya Sugimoto
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Alphaape
Saying that it was just some bad Democrats is like saying someone is just "a little pregnant." You are quick to cast all Republicans as bad, but yet only a few Dem. I would say, that the Dems who voted for the measure are probably more true to any of the party, i.e. they are out for themselves.
Both parties are to blame, in my opinion. If there were not enough votes, then they should have pressed the issue to the press and the people and get the PR machine working, to turn public opinion.
Bush, Pelosi, Biden, Obama, McCain, are to blame for not being better stewards of the government.
Posted in: Obama, McCain blame economic woes on greed, policy
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Alphaape
yabits,
I am going to post a link for you to go to a podcast of the Micheal Savage show. I am not sure if you like his politics or not, but he is known to cut across ideological lines and call a "spade a spade." When you get to the link, look for the clip from Sep 9th, Hour 1 and listen to it. In the first minute of the clip you will hear GWB give his speech that I was referring to about how more needs to be done to get non "Angelos and Blacks" (those are Bush's own words that he uses) into situations where they can afford to get loans to get houses.
Here is the link: http://www.910knew.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=savage.xml
Take a listen, and then tell me if I am wrong.
Posted in: Lehman declares bankruptcy; Bank of America buys Merrill Lynch
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Alphaape
yabits, I am not blaming the Dems on the mess that the economy is in. I stand by my statements that both parties are to blame. Both the Rep. and Dems. got us into this mess.
"In the House, 125 Democrats and 1 Independent (Sanders-VT) voted against the House version of the bill, and not a single Republican."
Yes but also there were 302 who voted for the bill, and the House make up that year consisted of 202 Dems and 231 Rep. So at least 77 Dems did vote in favor of the legislation, so like it or not, there was some "bi-partisanship" going along for that vote.
I stand by my statements that greed goes across both party lines. Reps are just as responsible as the Dems for this situration that we are in. Everyone was getting rich on both sides and the house of cards just simply fell.
Posted in: Obama, McCain blame economic woes on greed, policy