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
I guess the bear had an "un-bearalbe" urge for some "bare necessities" for the night. I had to get that out.
Posted in: 12-year-old girl fights off bear in Hokkaido
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Alphaape
pooh was in search of his honey.
Posted in: 12-year-old girl fights off bear in Hokkaido
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Alphaape
nisegaijin, good points!
Obama is playing the part of the "pied piper" and people don't realize it. He calls a family making $250,000 wealthy and would rasie their taxes. In cities like LA, SF, Chicago or NY for a family of two bread winners this is definatley middle class. Just in the housing market in SF alone they would still be out priced to buy a home, and with that income they would not be able to benefit from Obama's new social programs.
From what I am reading, that income estimate will actually go down so you will see an increase in taxes for most Americans.
McCain still has a way to go in terms of defining his policies, but I think I would stand a better chance with him than Obama.
Posted in: Obama revels in a presidential race with many contrasts
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Alphaape
Mark it here please: If Obama gets elected and he does stick to his 16 month plan, I will buy everyone here a drink of their choice.
If he does get elected, and doesn't stick to his 16 month plan, everyone owes me a beverage.
What I think will happen if he is elected, there will be a cooling off period in Iraq, troops will depart, and 16 months from Jan 2009 (May 2010) we will see the last helicopter flying from the roof of the American Embassy ala Siagon 1975. And Obama will somehow say that it was all GWB's fault.
Posted in: Iraq Prime minister not backing Obama timetable on combat troop pullout
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Alphaape
From my basic sciences classes 30 years ago, I thought that CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) was want plants took in for photosynthesis and gave off O2 in return which we humans use.
So if we cut CO2 emissions wouldn't that hurt plant life?
Global Warming: psuedo science at best.
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Alphaape
A.D.D. Economies go up and down. Remember, the people who made it rich in the 90's under Clinton and I invented the Internet Gore, lost jobs and money when the .com bubble burst. Move ahead to the present day, and people who were starting to make money in real estate at the close of the Clinton and beginning of the Bush first term when they were throwing moneyto people to buy houses and property, and everyone was happy making money now face a bubble burst like the .coms did.
True jobs have gone overseas, but there are still plenty of jobs in America. Like I said, economies change. All you can do is plan for them. If the US had a "stovepipe" economy like Japan, then we would be in serious peril like it was here when the "Asian Flu" hit the marktes in Asia and Japan's economic bubble burst. Yes there will be hard times, and people will get screwed but it is not just the disaster that everyone thinks it is.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a total Bush team member, but I do realze that some of it is his fault, and some the opposition's fault. American politics plays "politics" over the good of the people.
Posted in: House Speaker Pelosi calls Bush 'a total failure'
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Alphaape
Sez, Correct on both accounts. But Nixon was about to be shown to have committed crimes, and one of the main reasons that Johnson's case was much about imcompetence on his part, as well as Clinton's almost near removal. I am not saying that it can't happen, but that when you look back on all of the US Presidents, "W"'s ability or lack thereof is pretty much on par with the rest of them.
I don't think that the country is being held hostage by Bush. We did have mid-term elections, and a change in the make-up of Congress put Pelosi in power. But for all of Bush's failings, none have been impecahable offenses. FOr the record, Pres. Johnson faced impeachment due to mainly the "Radical Republicans" (he was actually a southern Democrat that sided with the Union, so Abe put him on his ticket in 1864 as a 'Unity Ticket') felt that he was not moving fast enough in the right direction in by vetoing the civil rights bill and his hurry to accept the Southern states back into the union with conciliatory policies vice the ones they wanted to make. Why bring this up? If Nancy Pelosi is so insistent that "W" is such a screw up, then she should bring up impeachment charges against him. As the Speaker of the House, she should be able to gather enough votes to do so. But, I think she understands that under all of her rhetoric, both the House and Senate (Republican and Democrats) are to blame for some of the messes that Bush is said to have caused.
I think it is just a way for her to try to come off as doing something, while doing nothing. Smoke and mirrors to easily placate the "Hate Bush" crowd.
Posted in: House Speaker Pelosi calls Bush 'a total failure'
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Alphaape
If any of you have read American History, you will see that we have elected some real "doobers" to the White House. At the time they were in office, the common belief was pretty much the same as what is being said about Bush. But through it all, America has been able to make it.
I seem to remember that when Jimmy Carter was getting elected in 1976, there were posters made with the initials of "JC" and a picture of Carter with the caricature of "Jesus Christ." He was to be the great "saviour" of America. And look what happend after he got elected. American prestige and economy sunk even lower.
One thing about America, like it or love it, the people have the right to bad mouth their leaders. Even if it is deserved or not, the right still exists. I wonder what would happen, here in Japan, if a prominent politican called Fukada a total failure? Would his cabinet dissolve? And would their be a call for "No confidence" and a new person elected? Well at least in America, we have learned that we will stick with a "bad decision" until the appointed time to either re-elect or change. I guess that is the difference between our system and a parlimentarian system.
Posted in: House Speaker Pelosi calls Bush 'a total failure'
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Alphaape
Nancy is in way over her head. Her husband is a big time busiess man and lobbyist. His main client, PRC. So as Nancy goes on about how "W" is a failure, she is busy making sure that rules and regualtions are relaxed so her husband and friends can have increased access to China.
I think she needs to "clean House" as she mentioned when she first was elected to the Speaker position by her collegues, and then worry about "W."
Posted in: House Speaker Pelosi calls Bush 'a total failure'
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Alphaape
Many have known for a long time that Jesse is a "shyster" and he is out for his own self interest. He has done some good in the past, but a good book called "Shakedown: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson" goes into pretty good detail about how he uses the race card to basically blackmail corporations to funnel money to organizatios run by his friends, and then they give it back to him.
He has done some good as I say, but in the end, he is just out looking for himself.
Posted in: Jackson used N-word in off-air remarks: Fox News
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Alphaape
I think this is a good step. My personal backgroud, my mother worked as well as my father. They both helped in raising us. Dad would cook, and stay home until mom worked. Mom did not go back to school for higher degrees until we were old enough to stay at home by ourselves (13/14) without a baby sitter. So, I strongly believe that work and home life can be balanced.
Posted in: Helping women get back into the workplace
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Alphaape
Zybster, Good article and good information. It seems that according to this, you are statistically safer hanging around Americans than those Chinese women on the corners offering "massagge." :)
Posted in: The serious crime rate for U.S. service members off their bases is approximately half that of the Japanese population.
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Alphaape
Naruki Oni, where did you get that stat from? There is plenty of crime onbase. Many cases of minor theft, teenage problems and yes the occasional assaults do occur. I read the police reports, and the more serious ones get reported to J police. I belive last week there was a story in Stars and Stripes about a drug possession onbase (Marine in Iwakuni was smoking pot in the barracks and had possession). The offer was made to turn him over to Japan authorities, but they turned it down since it occured onbase and decided to let the US handle it. Before we go down the much vautned "SOFA argument" it worked exactly as it should in this case. Marine is charged with a crime (on US property) and J Gov is given the opportunity to prosecute. They declined, so now he will get charged under UCMJ. If you read the blogs on what happened to the Marines who assualted females lately, you will see that this guy will get a pretty hard sentence against him. Sure the US will save face, by throwing the book at him.
There is a thing called "legal hold" where if we have court cases or civil involvement pending, you can't leave. I almost fell to that when I had a minor "fender bender." They asked if I had any upcoming deployments or leave that would have taken me out of Japan. I did and they noted it. So, if needed, I would not have been able to depart.
So, yes the military does police it's own. If not, then why can't I drink in a bar after midnight tonight? Get your facts strait.
Posted in: The serious crime rate for U.S. service members off their bases is approximately half that of the Japanese population.
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Alphaape
freddjoh, I was a Navy recruiter in a past job and let me give you a few facts: -one of the hardest colleges to get into is the US Naval Academy (as well as West Point and Air Force Academy), that require nomination from a Congressman and other pre-screening. So none of this "I just got by in high school and I can play a little ball so let me in, and 4 years later they are in the service causing problems." - Many students apply for college scholarships from the military that pay a full 4 years tuition and guarntees you a commission as an officer afterwards. Needless to say competition is very high for this, and student who do get them use them a places like Yale, MIT, Stanford, etc. Basically, if I had a kid of college age, I would highly recommend to him/her to apply and let someone else pay for your education, and you will have a job after graduation. - for those who do not choose to go to college,most of the military jobs are highly technical. They do require some academic skills. So the rock bottom students who can barely read are not really allowed to enter the military. - As far as loser kids, if you look recently at the latest NBA draft, there were several kids that had no college experience. Looking back a few years to Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics, he chose not to go to college. Yes he had skill, but one of the main reasons why he did not was because he couldn't get a high enough score on the SAT/ACT to meet the NCAA minimus (Title 9 is the rule). So, in your world, since he did not go to a college he would be considered a loser since he was not smart enough to make it.
True, bad apples do make it into the military. But, I will also bet you a good meal that there are a lot of people in jails in the US who have college degrees, and still are idots and losers (I know a few).
So before you start on your "loser" rant, please check your facts.
Posted in: The serious crime rate for U.S. service members off their bases is approximately half that of the Japanese population.
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Alphaape
memyself, I'm from Arkansas myself and a Black man and we are not all without table manners.
True this guys actions were probably over the top, but they are no more than the drunk Japanese guy on the train that falls asleep on me or acts beligerant to others. If you are stating that Blacks have bad table manners or are overly loud, going to TGIF in Yokosuka, or Yokohama I have seen many white groups exhibit loud obnoxious behavior of speaking too loud, thinking that everyone in the place wants to be part of their party, or that the servers there are there to only serve them. So I don't think it is so much of a racial thing, but just a rude problem posed by people who don't know any better.
I think what Gen Rice is trying to say for the most part, U.S. Service members are not the rowdy bunch of hooligans that the media sometimes portray them. True we have problems as you would with any segment of society, but we are no more above the norm for those kind of events.
And by the way, LT Gen Rice is a Black man, and I am sure that he has excellent table manners.
Posted in: The serious crime rate for U.S. service members off their bases is approximately half that of the Japanese population.
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Alphaape
I am a Black man and have been responsible all of my life. I don't have any children out of wedlock, and I have not sold drugs or any other of the maladies that Obama talks of. Why, because I was taught that is not how a man, not just a Black one, acts in a society. It is all about the uplift of the greater good.
I would like Obama to make the same speech to women (adult women, that is Black and other colors). It takes two to tango. And if you decide to have sex with a man with no job, no education, and no responsibility to the children he may have fathered in this world, then I hate to say it but you deserve what you get. I can see how a young girl may easily get swayed by a smooth talker, but an adult woman who falls for this should no better. Yes things happen and people fall out of "like" with each other, and sometimes men (as well as women) do leave their families, but I am still of the thought that if you don't want somebody that trifiling in your life, don't go out with them. Responsibility is a two way street.
Posted in: Obama says blacks must exhibit more personal responsibility
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Alphaape
A bomb and nuclear power are two different beasts. Nuclear reactors onboard Navy vessels are not designed to go "boom" like a bomb. They can have problems and leak radiation, just like the reactors that are in use in Japan, but the record of safety is higher than the civilian average. There have not been a rash of deformities in children or increased cancer risks in people that live in Norfolk, San Diego, Bremerton, Puget Sound, Alameda, and other locations where nuclear powered vessels are home ported.
I am glad to see that the people are protesting though, at least we know there is some type of democracy left in Nippon. However, I guess with even in the US, the people were given the real facts about what they are protesting, and understand the real issues, and not some sound bites given to them to fire up their emotions on the wrong issue.
I would suggest that they march on Tokyo, the Imperial Palace, the Diet, and the Self Defence agency and voice their concerns, since they hold the key to wheter the US actually stays or leaves Japan. After all, in the SOFA agreement between the two nations, it does say that Japan has the right to ask us to leave. And as has been in various locations around the world, when host nations have asked us to leave (when we assisted with down sizing ourself) like Holy Loch, Scotland, the PI, Taiwan and other locations in Japan, we have left. I know it is not that simple and it will take time for this to happen, but protesting the "workers" here who can't make the real decisions does not seem to really go to the heart of the matter. Protest against those who wield the real power and decision making ability.
Posted in: 13,000 rally against U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier's permanent deployment
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Alphaape
Obama may be new to D.C. but he still plays the same old game. How is it that a man who says he is for "change" will change his stand on issues as soon as the first negative report hits him. Case in point, one day he made a comment on I believe the war and foreign policy, and then later that day he had to have another press conference to clarify the points he made. If that is not someone who has a pulse on the "opinion polls" and the inside track in D.C. then I don't know what the difference is.
Both parties are to blame for the current energy crisis. Experts have been saying that the amount of fossil fuels is finite, and from the first indication back in the 70's, we have been talking about the need to ween ourselves from them. Under Ford (R), Carter (D), Reagan (R), Bush 41 (R), Clinton (D), Bush 43 (R), Congress and the Presidency have failed to act. Yes McCain has been in Congress for many of those years, but so have some of the Obama supporters in key Senate and Congress positions. So for them to now act as if they have been in the dark on this is I think a disgrace to the American people.
Posted in: Obama calls McCain a Washington insider, blames him in part for U.S. foreign oil dependence
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Alphaape
I guess I still don't quite get it. If she is royalty, then why not just tell the IHA to "pack sand" sometimes and do what she wants in terms of seeing her family and friends. If the IHA doesn't like it, then I would say they need to get a new job. If they try to push her out, I think that there would be popular opposition to that.
Japan missed a golden opportunity to have a "Princess Diana" type with her. Who would have been a better person for Japan to trot out to extol the "uniqueness of the Yamato race" than she. Articulate, and good looking (much better than Diana I think) Japan would have been able to reap a gold mine in terms of Public Relations. I bet she would have been able to put a happy face on the whole whaling issue.
But, I think the IHA screwed it on this one. I feel sorry for her.
Posted in: Crown prince seeks public understanding for ailing wife
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Alphaape
Not to say that his comments aren't true, but I wonder how much this guy spends on his First Class treatment I assume he receives when he travels and how much expensive meals he has cost, and if he would be willing to live like the rest of us "unwashed masses."
Posted in: We currently spend 11 times more money killing each other than we do trying to stop the Innocent from dying. Climate change and rising food prices hurt the poor first and foremost. They suffer for our pollution.