JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Kanto region
- RCS (RCSコーポレーション), Kanto
- Salary: ¥180,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month includes performance bonus
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- Assistant Language Teacher - TOKYO - late-March start
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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- Assistant Language Teacher - Kanagawa Prefecture - late-March start
- Interac, Kanagawa
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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DoctorTofu
My sincere condolences, then. And no sarcasm there - it has to really, really suck to be surrounded by creeps... Then again, forgive me if it's REALLY hard to believe. I accept that you feel that way, but is there a possibility of you assuming that every westerner is a creep and thus being selectively blind to any positive qualities they might have, while at the same time greatly amplifying their shortcomings? I don't know your situation, the place you live in or anything about you, so hearing such a pessimistic story just makes me wonder.
I didn't say anything about seeing western women with children - that must have been someone else. Where I live (Tochigi) it's also not a common sight. And we don't even have Costco :) And I really don't understand the comment about pregnant, barefoot woman chained to the kitchen sink - what is that all about? Hating "charisma men" is your right, but such comments seem a bit too much...
Posted in: Stereotypes ’R’ Us
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DoctorTofu
pinga - it seems your experience is based solely on hanging around eikaiwa teachers (in an unfortunate neighborhood too, it would seem - everyone you meet is a wanker? Dear god!). I'm not a teacher AND I don't live in Tokyo, but my experience is very different from yours. Sure, there are idiots everywhere, but I find most non-Japanese people I hang around are quite sensible and, well, normal - by both western and Japanese standards. Some of them are married (happily), some of them have girlfriends/boyfriends and some of them are single, but honestly, I don't see that many "charisma men" - actually, I almost don't see them at all.
There's another thing too - the process of "recruitment" (quotes intentional) for most eikaiwas is ridiculous - the requirements are as close to non-existent as they can be, there seems to be very little screening of applicants and (here I rely on what my American friends tell me - I don't come from an English speaking country, so I have no firsthand experience here) jobs here are marketed as basically a cool adventure with a lots of parties, no responsibility whatsoever and requirements less stringent than the ones to work in McDonalds'. I think this is the reason you get a lot of "bad apples" here - people who not only have no idea how to teach, but even how to speak their own language properly, people with no manners, "charisma men" and all that... Of course there's always the question of whether all those eikaiwas could find any proper teachers for the pay they're offering - how they say, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys...
Posted in: Stereotypes ’R’ Us
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DoctorTofu
Yeah, nothing like a sweeping generalization to start the day, and it only gets better further on... What exactly is the point of this article though? What I see here is oh-so-popular recently "on one hand X, on the other hand Y and my own opinion is not important" style of writing - what exactly does the author want to convey? What does she want to accomplish with this piece? I don't know - does she?
Posted in: Stereotypes ’R’ Us
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DoctorTofu
There we have it. That's the main problem. How do we define "damaging material"? Damaging to whom? Where do we draw the line? Do we even need to draw the line? In my opinion we don't. It has been proven and proven again, that people will find a way to access or publish any information they want on the net. Just like the fact that criminals sometimes use cars is not a reason to start performing full background checks on everyone who wants to buy or rent a car, the fact that psychos use the internet is not the reason to police it for everyone...
Posted in: Akihabara rampage foretold but lost among myriad messages on Internet site
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DoctorTofu
Zenigata2 - so are you saying that there is such a need in any country? You are not bothered by all the false positives the American system is generating? You think that raiding a teenager's home and seizing his computer for a joke post is "maybe a tad extreme"? Do elaborate, because I can't believe my eyes...
Posted in: Akihabara rampage foretold but lost among myriad messages on Internet site
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DoctorTofu
It's a partial repost, but maybe here someone will be able to explain this decision to me.
Following last Sunday's stabbing spree, I will refrain from wearing red underwear on Saturdays and I will place the accent on the last syllable of "Akihabara" on every 3rd, 20th and 28th of all even months. It's about as logical as the decision to open the street to cars as a reaction to the killings.
Also, would anyone care to explain how exactly will the magic power of traffic combat the sexually explicit photo events? Are photographers allergic to exhaust fumes? Do aspiring porn stars' heads explode when they hear car horns, just like martians' heads in "Mars Attack" in reaction to music?
Posted in: 'Pedestrian paradise' to be suspended in Akihabara
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DoctorTofu
aww crap, Brillinat=Brilliant of course.
Posted in: United joins American in charging $15 for first checked bag
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DoctorTofu
Great, so in plain speak this means "Let's see what our passengers consider important, don't want to give up and then charge the bastards for it! Brillinat! Toilet use and/or breathing fees anyone?
Posted in: United joins American in charging $15 for first checked bag
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DoctorTofu
APismoClam - Amen. I really couldn't have said it any better. Great post!
Posted in: Violent game launch canceled after Akihabara rampage; gov't discusses regulations on knives
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DoctorTofu
I'm not going to repeat myself, there's enough said on the topic already, but the thing is these measures do not provide security. I repeat: they do not provide security. People are told they do, but it's at best a misstatement and at worst an outright lie. What they provide is illusion of security. You can't accept anything with "it's for security!" label on it. If someone told you that anal cavity searches will be mandatory FOR SECURITY - "We have to check if you're not harboring dangerous Islamic terrorist behind your sphincter. Or bombs! Or child pornography! It's for your protection! And think of the children!" - would you submit to it?
Anyway, please, just think logically and try, just try not to let emotions cloud your judgment... Over and out.
Posted in: Scanners that see through clothing installed in U.S. airports
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DoctorTofu
RedMeatKoolAid - remember the time passengers were able to choose between showing ID or the pat-down before when boarding the plane? Good times, good old times...
I wonder how much longer the choice will be available, boiling the frog alive, and all that...
Posted in: Scanners that see through clothing installed in U.S. airports
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DoctorTofu
Hughgarse - precisely. But hey, knee-jerk reactions are so much better, aren't they? A psycho kills people in a swimming pool? Quick, let's control everyone who owns a firearm! A psycho stabs random people on the street? Quick, let's try to control knifes!
This kind of behavior is common all over the world, unfortunately. A psycho tries to smuggle a bomb in his shoes and is caught without any special security measures? Quick, let's make everyone take their shoes off before boarding the plane! A group of psychos planning to blow up a plane with liquid explosives is caught without any special security measures (let's assume it's true and that producing a liquid explosive in a lavatory is even feasible. I know, requires suspension of disbelief of epic proportions, but let's just try)? Quick, let's ban water!
I know humans are illogical almost by definition, but the lack of common sense in recent times is simply staggering...
Posted in: Violent game launch canceled after Akihabara rampage; gov't discusses regulations on knives
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DoctorTofu
Regulation on possession of knives? Great - professional cooks and people who like to prepare their food at home will surely be delighted. Oh wait, we have no record of anyone ever using a kitchen knife to commit a crime, so that's ok - my fault...
Posted in: Violent game launch canceled after Akihabara rampage; gov't discusses regulations on knives
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DoctorTofu
Capybara - agreed and agreed. It is insensitive. The thing is, I see no reason to be sensitive towards these people (or anyone else, for that matter). I said "this is pathetic" as in "the fact that such DVD was released is pathetic", but you did interpret my intentions well - I do think people who are too shy to bear being looked at are pathetic too. This is my true feeling, and I'm not going to cover it wit politeness or sensitivity, because I see no reason to lie (and yes, I do consider both politeness and sensitivity to be a form of lying).
There is a large group of people that would consider me, not having enough confidence to approach a woman I find attractive on a street or in a bar and talk to her, pathetic. They have full right to do that, because if you can do it, a person like me, wh0 can't, does look pitiful and laughable.
All in all, regardless of what proponents of political correctness would like to believe, people did, do and will consider other people pathetic, think they're morons and/or hate each other. And I find absolutely nothing wrong with it. There are lines I wouldn't cross and I think no one should (physical violence comes to mind), but simply calling someone pathetic and meaning it is waaay before any of those lines.
I'd love to have a discussion about my and other people's concepts of honesty, politeness and lying, but an internet forum (hell, not even a forum, just comments under an article) is not a place for it.
Thus, let me just end by saying that I understand your opinion, but I strongly disagree with it.
Posted in: Interactive DVD for shy people
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DoctorTofu
capone: haha, point taken. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and the Japanese are from... err... somewhere else? ;)
Posted in: Interactive DVD for shy people
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DoctorTofu
That's the problem though - we enjoy live audiences and are not afraid of interacting with fellow humans - such DVDs wouldn't even make a dent in our sector. :P
All jokes, sarcasm and ranting aside though, does anyone actually think curing social anxiety with a DVD is a good idea? Seriously, anyone?
Posted in: Interactive DVD for shy people
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DoctorTofu
Capybara - overreact much? Sure, I might be insensitive, but to me "social anxiety disorder" is about as legit as "restless leg syndrome" - a very (VERY) small percentage of people might actually suffer from it, but the majority (almost everyone) who claim they do, are just plain hypochondriacs looking for a magic pill to solve their problems (which, by the way, are just regular problems most people experience and not illnesses that need to be treated) and/or attention and pity. Since when fear of being embarrassed is a disorder?! Ye gods!
Hence, with your permission or without, I will scoff at, ha, even laugh, mock and ridicule, people who need a DVD to get used to being looked at. That's how much of a prick I am.
Posted in: Interactive DVD for shy people
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DoctorTofu
Awesome - it should be distributed to all prospective English teachers who want to come here, to train them - most Japanese will do just that "Miteru dake".
On a serious note though, this is truly pathetic. I understand people too shy to approach women on the street on in the club (hell, I'm not particularly brave in this department), but being too shy to actually endure being looked at?! Needing a DVD to get used to strangers?! What on earth...
Posted in: Interactive DVD for shy people
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DoctorTofu
I find the idea of "public morality" fascinating (not sure if it's the idea of the original speaker, or the translator, but still). To me, it implies there are two kinds of morality - the real one, hidden from view, and another one - the one we show to the outside world. A bit like honne and tatemae - it doesn't matter if people are moral or not, the only important thing is they hide it from others and just show "public morality" instead...
I might be overinterpreting here, but that's an image I got from these words.
Posted in: These days, on trains, for example, we often see people who have little sense of public morality.
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DoctorTofu
Yes, that's precisely what I would advocate - doing NOTHING more than standard measures. Look at what you're writing - just because you were there and have a STRONGLY EMOTIONAL attitude towards it all means that STRONGLY LOGICAL statistics is garbage? Isn't that precisely what the government (or governments, rather - as I said the situation is not uniquely American) want? Screw logic, screw reason, BE AFRAID!
I repeat - I do not propose alternative action, because I believe NO alternative action is needed. None, zilch, nada. An isolated (tragic, I agree, but still isolated) incident DOES NOT justify the measures taken. If people overwhelmed by emotions had (even more) power, they would probably want to tighten control on shaving machines (razors! danger! suicide prevention!), kitchen knives (stabbings!), forks (likewise! painful stabbings!), chopsticks (I'm sure they were used to attack someone once or twice in the history of humankind!), plastic bags (you can suffocate someone with it!), shoes (shoe bomber! oh my god, the shoe bomber!), stockings (bank robbers use them a lot!), cars (used in getaways!) and so on and so forth...
So, while I understand you're emotional, please don't let emotions cloud your judgment...
Posted in: U.S. tightens entry rules for travelers from Japan, Europe