JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
-
1
Japan's nuclear safety standards flawed, says commission chief
-
2
To be healthy, live in the big city
-
3
Teacher nabbed for using miror to peek up girl's skirt
-
4
From carnivores to herbivores: how men are defined in Japan
-
5
Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
-
- 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*
-
- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
0
Bholder
hurryharry1 - i second that!
here's an interesting read: h t t p : / / w w w. w s w s .org / articles / 2011 / apr2011 / roya-a29.shtml
Posted in: What did you think of the British royal wedding on Friday?
0
Bholder
this kind of behaviour is constantly promoted in j porn. most porn i've seen here, and i admittedly see tons of it, is rape, coercion, hidden cams, scams, chikans, intimidation. all in one way or the other depict initial resistance from the female, gradually diminishing, ending with supposed pleasure. i find it seriously wrong and have been talking to japanese people about it. girls would be like: "that's because only men watch porn, what do you make of it as male? don't ask me". men are like: "it's all make-believe anyhow, it's not a big deal". this is one cultural aspect i find really disturbing as it brings out unconscious, implied presumptions of male/female relations that seem to run very deep in society. i distinctly remember thinking how once the dust is settled there's definitely going to be a surge in rape/coercion themed porn in evacuation shelters in a year or two, just wait and see
Posted in: NGOs warn evacuees of possible sexual assaults in shelters
0
Bholder
"Dai’s lawyer at his trial, Ming Tian, told the newspaper that he did not expect the appeal to be successful because there was no new evidence."
with lawyer like this who needs prosecutors?! probably state provided and no doubt did his best defending the poor chap, putting his own name and social well-being into jeopardy in the unpopular, highly publicized case. NOT
everyone, even multiple rapists, should have a fair trial and this smacks of anything but
Posted in: Chinese man appeals death sentence for 116 rapes
0
Bholder
well, one difference in treatment of both disasters is how media and all kinds of spectators were quick to claim Chernobyl spelled the indigment of soviet political and economic model while we don't see that kind of conclusions released in this case.
Posted in: Comparing Japan and Chernobyl
0
Bholder
it could be done on the continent with the help of chinese factories and military in very short notice if our options weren't limited by irrational and thoroughly outdated division of the world into "nation states"
Posted in: Japan says dumping radioactive water in ocean doesn't violate law
0
Bholder
the crisis should override any property "rights" of TEPCO and any sovereignity "rights" of japan. this is a problem of all humanity and all resources must be places at the disposal of an international committee formed especially for this, backed with local teams on the ground. TEPCO and its major shareholders as well as the whole nuclear industry of the world can later be billed for the exercise
Posted in: Japan says dumping radioactive water in ocean doesn't violate law
0
Bholder
if human need and not profit was the basic decision-making standard of society, we wouldn't have one private company dealing with the crises of worldwide consequences. we would have all the nearby (east and SE asia, pacific rim etc) resources like oil and gas tankers, military ships, all of the world experts etc put off whatever they're doing and focus on finding the best solution to this right now, NO MATTER THE COST. of course in a rationally planned society and economy we would never have dozens of nuclear PPs in the most seismic part of the world in the first place. we don't want the "least worst" option or face-(shareholders)-saving plan. we need concrete info, short, mid and long term plans and options and widest possible debate over them.
Posted in: Japan says dumping radioactive water in ocean doesn't violate law
0
Bholder
it's encouraging to see this many people seeing through and calling out the hypocrisy and double standards of the world elite. selective invoking of "humanitarian crisis", "democratic and human rights" etc. is getting really old. hell it was old enough hundred years ago already, when similar crises was unfolding in north africa as well. just don't make the mistake of equating the populations of the belligerent governments with the policies and interests of the ruling classes of their countries and international financial aristocracy. NO TO WAR! NO TO IMPERIALISM! NO TO NEO-COLONIALISM!
Posted in: 48 killed, 150 injured as allies launch airstrikes in Libya
0
Bholder
GW made an excellent though sometimes neglected point, a far bigger parasite is preying on the society and throwing some leftover crumbs to the union bureacracy. While millions of Americans confront the daily miseries of unemployment, home foreclosure and poverty as a result of the economic crisis, corporate profits are soaring. Walmart, the world’s largest retail chain, announced last week that its profits grew by 27 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010, while sales at US stores have declined for the second year in a row. The company made $6 billion in profits in the fourth quarter, up from $4.8 billion a year before and $3.5 billion in the third quarter of 2010. Home Depot posted a 72 percent increase in profits, after sales increased by 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter. Profits reached $587 million, up from $342 million a year earlier. Hundreds of companies have posted similar figures. The story is the same: sales and revenues have fallen or ticked up slightly, while profits have grown by double digits. The discrepancy between revenues and profits is due to the fact that the“recovery” in corporate balance sheets is built on layoffs and speedups. “A lot of the recent profits are based on the revenue from cost-cutting,” said James L. Butkeiwiz, professor of economics at the University of Delaware, in a telephone interview. Walmart, for instance, cut over 11,000 jobs at its Sam’s Club warehouse stores in January 2010, about 10 percent of the subsidiary’s workforce. Home Depot cut 7,000 jobs in 2009 and shuttered 34 of its Expo home design stores in 2009. Corporate profits reached an annual rate of $1.659 trillion in the third quarter of 2010, and it is possible that fourth quarter profits, which have not yet been aggregated, were even higher. As a result of these record profits, companies have found themselves with huge stockpiles of cash. US corporations had a record $1.93 trillion in cash and similar assets in December, the last time figures were released. Instead of investing, companies have used this cash to buy back their own stocks, enriching executives and shareholders without creating jobs. In January 2011, stock buybacks reached their highest level since the start of the economic downturn. That month, companies bought back $57 billion in shares, compared to $357 billion for all of last year, according to Trimtabs, the finance data company.
Posted in: Big labor's last stand in the U.S.
0
Bholder
tkoind2, great comments! we must never forget the big picture here, the relation between labor and big business, its historical development and international consequences. even if this or that particular union may be corrupt, it can only reflect on that organization and its leaders, and in no way can mean that workers shouldn't get organized at all. it's probably the time for a new mass rank-n-file organizations that will sweep aside disfunctional and sold-out unions of today and by corageously standing up for the rights of the majority will unite both private and public, blue and white collar, "minority" and "mainstream" workers in defending our basic rights to job and living wages!
Posted in: Big labor's last stand in the U.S.
0
Bholder
it's already spread to Wisconsin though!
Posted in: What do you think about the wave of anti-government protests in countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Iran? Should countries like China and North Korea feel uneasy about it?
0
Bholder
satsumasan, great!! loled
Posted in: Bright swimmers
0
Bholder
the problem is systemic in nature and it is quite natural to blame the system for the state of affairs. in the arab world of about 360 million people over 190 million are under 24! almost 3/4 of them unemployed!!! and we see where that leads. in japan, as long as their grievances do not find a positive outlet through group or class consciousness that directly translates into credible political perspective and action, we will continue to see individual acts of desperation like this, death penalty or not.
Posted in: How many Katos are out there, ready to explode in rage?
0
Bholder
i think one big reason is that they themselves are not too clear on the basis for any belief or opinion they hold and simply could not defend it in a rational and calm manner at all. however, not being too sure about foundations of their beliefs rarely ever gets them to start reconsidering those beliefs though.
simply, people who get too emotional in a debate are holding onto their opinions emotionally rather then rationally and that is why it's the only way they can "debate"
Posted in: Why are so many people unable to debate contentious issues such as whaling, gun control, politics and so on without getting acrimonious?
0
Bholder
praying shows nothing but superstition and lack of knowledge on fundamental laws ruling our world. would you pray for a ball not to fall back down when thrown in the air? it's the same with these people, waste of resources and time. at least in japan they only do it couple of times a year at most...
and for those saying they're only praying for financial success to provide for the needs of their families, have you ever thought about why we need to pray just to have our basic needs met? why is such a fundamental human right as a right to life subject to financial "success"? if we all did more thinking and learning and far less praying and otherwise wishful thinking we could do much better for ourselves as a species.
Posted in: Praying for a good year
0
Bholder
technological development is already far more advanced than our political and social sciences in general so the only thing i would like the coming decade to bring is closure of that gap. so that we can wonder how could we ever have lived in a society that didn't recognize our right to education, right to decent available housing, right to a living wage job, right to refuse to be mobilized to war etc. as basic and inalienable all human rights!
Posted in: What do you think will be the biggest technological development of the coming decade, so that when we look back in 10 years' time, we'll wonder how we ever did without it?
0
Bholder
i love the guy in the middle who's sniffing the hair of the girl in the 1st row
Posted in: Happy New Year
0
Bholder
intl: definitely wikileaks exposures! domestic (I presume it is meant in Japan?): maybe not news but we now have a confirmation that political elite cannot within its midst create any progressive or comprehensive movement that would make a difference for average citizen. this being definitely proven by DPJ and others govt's record in 2010. i mean, the "opposition" wins power after what, forever, and then this?! pft
Posted in: What do you think was the biggest news, domestic and international, this year?
0
Bholder
wow, we now have almost 60% of people being worse off than a year before. and the worst thing is, as far as can be seen no improvement is in sight (at least if we remain in the straight-jacket of political elite and financial aristocracy)
Posted in: Are you financially better off now than you were this time last year?
0
Bholder
i'd like to see the pictures for the rest of the 11 lunar animals. wouldn't be so cute i wager
Posted in: Rabbit season