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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Betzee
Probably the next generation is the one to watch:
The Dallas Morning News profiles former Gov. Jeb Bush's eldest son, George P., calling him "the likely heir to a political dynasty and perhaps even the future of the Republican Party.."
"He's our John-John," one woman told the paper as Bush posed for pictures with young Republican donors, casting his appeal in "Kennedyesque terms."
Like Bill Richardson, George P. Bush is a WASP Latino. Given the shifting demographics of the American electorate, that could prove advantageous.
Posted in: Former President Bush touts son Jeb for top job
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Betzee
Well here's a non-Japanese source for ya.
Though I doubt falconry will displace golf in Japan, in Saudi Arabia how a man handles his bird is said to reveal a lot about his character. Falconry plays the same social function there as golf does elsewhere.
Whatever its origins, the principles of falconry have remained largely unaltered since the first Japanese description of the training process in AD 355 (the last really big breakthrough was the introduction of the hood, brought back from the Middle East by returning crusaders).
http://www.acountrylife.com/page.php?id=11
Posted in: Falconry
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Betzee
In fact the North Koreans got the idea from Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan. Having your son succeed you is the best hedge against having your record undone, or even your judgments questioned.
But we live in a democracy where the press is not controlled. And Old George, who in this interview also touted GWB's accomplishments, said something to the effect: "He'll come home with his head held high. His parents are proud of him."
First his wife, now his father talking up his record. What a sad sack of a man! I think the association has ruined Jeb's chances.
Posted in: Former President Bush touts son Jeb for top job
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Betzee
Thank you for this information!
Posted in: Falconry
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Betzee
Falcons are often found in desert-based cultures because they can be trained to find food and bring it back (like many cats)!
Posted in: Falconry
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Betzee
I always associate falconry with the Middle East, didn't realize the Japanese had a traditional as well.
Posted in: Falconry
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Betzee
There's no doubt about it. We gave him the incumbent's advantage; he took over from Paul Bremer because "he was a man we could do business with," in contrast to al-Sadr and others who trounced him at the ballot box in early 2005. But that doesn't mean his observations are off the mark.
Posted in: Bombing at Iraq tribal lunch kills at least 23
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Betzee
Though this letter was not written in response to Oregon's proposed change, but a national gas tax, the issues are essentially the same ones:
It’s unrealistic to expect our elected officials to risk getting voted out of office by imposing tough choices that we are unwilling to make ourselves. But our political leaders can ask us: Are we serious about energy independence?
Do we want to reduce the military burden of protecting our oil supplies? Do we want to free our foreign policy to deal with nations and nonstate actors who don’t like us? Do we want to bring Iran to the bargaining table from a position of strength? Do we want to make alternative fuels competitive, reduce our carbon emissions and protect the environment?
Merely talking about those goals will not be enough. We have to be willing to act to achieve them, and that means endorsing incentives to change our own behavior.
Posted in: Oregon looks at taxing mileage instead of gasoline
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Betzee
He was the guy we installed after pulling the plug on Chalabi with the expectation his brand of secularism would prove appealing. Obviously that didn't turn out to be the case, though hardly a surprise since those running for office campaigned on grievances. Allawi, to explain this, has introduced a new expression, "political sectarianism." Useful term.
Maliki's government was characterised by "weak performance, erected upon political quotas, major government corruption and infiltrated state agencies," he said. "Four years passed ... and they can't build the police, army, national institutions."
"Ending Saddam's regime was essential, but replacing the Saddam regime with extreme chaos was not right," he said. "I did not imagine the political process would eat itself from inside or that it would abandon the rule of law and establish political sectarianism."
Posted in: Bombing at Iraq tribal lunch kills at least 23
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Betzee
From an interview with former transitional head of state Allawi:
"Yes, Bush's policies failed utterly," said Allawi, describing the U.S. administration that once backed him. "Utter failure. Failure of U.S. domestic and foreign policy, including fighting terrorism and economic policy."
"His insistence on names like 'democracy' and 'open elections', without giving attention to political stability, was a big mistake. It cast shadows on Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Egypt, and I believe this will be remembered in history as President Bush's policy," he said.
Posted in: Bombing at Iraq tribal lunch kills at least 23
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Betzee
Yeah, it does. And the young faces mean the ritual won't die out.
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Betzee
I would read the kanji as "first dip in the new spring." Referring to the new year as "spring" indicates it is thought of as a time of renewal. Hence this is probably some ancient cleansing ritual which these hearty souls continue to practice.
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Betzee
Cost of commuting to work probably ranks as a secondary consideration when deciding where to live. Far more important is quality of local schools (which tend to be better outside urban centers). Even if you don't have kids, it will affect the value of your home.
I do like the idea that mileage is being recognized in calculating costs to road maintenance. It's certainly not for auto insurance purposes (which is based on your community of residence). This means those making long commutes from the suburbs pay less than center city residents, and I was one, who put far fewer miles on their cars.
Posted in: Oregon looks at taxing mileage instead of gasoline
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Betzee
Actually I favor tweaking the ratings system which now distinguishes films by the letters G, PG, PG13, R, and NC17.
Clearly, the time has come for a new category: WA (Weapons Allowed). Of course, whole new theatres would have to be constructed out of Kevlar. In addition, other enhancements would be necessary in order to contain the richochets, and deal with the wounded and/or killed, but it would provide a heck of a boost to our ailing economy, and it may make non WA films just that much safer for the rest of us.
Posted in: Pennsylvania man shot for making noise during movie
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Betzee
It's a motto, not a moniker. And one bequeathed by William Penn. Little did he foresee what would become of America (aptly summarized by someone who makes an explicit demographic argument and takes responsibility for it):
America can expect a lot more of this kind of incident over the coming years (decades?). Combine a deep fetishization of military culture with a long and brutal war fought largely by an under-educated economic underclass who are then dumped back into wider society with little or no thought given to the effects their experiences have had on them, and with a legislative structure making the US the only western democracy that allows almost unfettered access to firearms, and this is what you get.
Posted in: Pennsylvania man shot for making noise during movie
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Betzee
Well, what exactly were you referring to when you brought up demographics?
The implication of your statement is that is you have some knowledge of my hometown which you won't share, instead changing the locale to South Central LA.
Kinda tells me all I need to know about what you don't know....
Moderator: Readers, this is not a chat room. Please focus your comments on the story, not at each other.
Posted in: Pennsylvania man shot for making noise during movie
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Betzee
Moreover, you never explained what you meant by this:
I'm still laughing over the defense: Far from responding with disproportionate force, he demonstrated great restraint! Bwahahahaha!
Posted in: Pennsylvania man shot for making noise during movie
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Betzee
The perp sure looks like a tough South Philly guy. In fact he's going to go for some type of post-traumatic stress disorder defense.
PHILADELPHIA — An Iraq veteran charged in a Christmas night shooting over noisy moviegoers fired in self-defense, his lawyer said.
A judge on Wednesday ordered Cialella held for trial on aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and related charges. The judge tossed out an attempted murder charge over a prosecutor's objections.....
A defense lawyer argued that Cialella was being choked and punched as he tried to break up the fight and fired in self-defense.
"He's a marksman," lawyer Greg Pagano said. "If he wanted to shoot to kill, he would have."
Cialella spent five months in Iraq with the Army before being honorably discharged in September, Pagano said.
Municipal Court Judge Craig M. Washington lowered Cialella's bond from $350,000 to $50,000, but ordered him to remain under house arrest if he is released. It was not immediately clear Thursday whether he had posted bail.
Far from acting recklessly, his lawyer's claiming he demonstrated great restraint since he didn't kill anyone.
Posted in: Pennsylvania man shot for making noise during movie
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Betzee
Not bad, the seal is writing the character "丑" used to represent the Year of Ox (as opposed to the animal itself).
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Betzee
Since we're dealing with suicide bombers here, it doesn't usually play out that way. They've opted to leave judgment to a higher authority.
Posted in: Israel demands monitors as part of a Gaza truce