JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Corporate Business English Trainers
- ACT Systems, Inc.（株式会社アクト・システムズ）, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥269,500 ~ ¥280,000 / Month
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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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Hotbox08
What an upset! Wow! And to think that this was the same Netherlands team that didn't really do all that well in the Olympics. Congrats to them on a fine job; especially in the pitching department. To be able to contain the bats of Ortiz, Jose Reyes, Ramirez, and Miguel Tejada, is just amazing. And to think the Dutch team won against them twice! I just wish I could have watched this game.
Posted in: Netherlands topples Dominican Republic at WBC
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Hotbox08
Excellent point, cleo! I'm glad that most of the people in the world are like you and don't believe in the twisted logic that having more guns is the answer to a safer world.
Posted in: 10 killed in Alabama shooting rampage
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Hotbox08
pawatan: So what you are saying is that having a gun prevented them from being a victim of a violent crime? That reasoning is ludicrous. None of my friends own a gun, and none of them have been a victim of a violent crime too. So your logic just doesn't stick. The purpose of a gun is to shoot a bullet. My friend, who is a police officer told me a couple stories, an one in particular really made me realize that accidents can happen. A child somehow got his hands (his father claimed he had it locked up securely) on his father's gun and while playing around with it, shot and killed his younger brother. Of course, things like this could have been prevented if the gun being kept in a house was kept securely locked and not loaded (but statistics show that many are kept loaded, possibly because in order for it to be used in an emergency "protection" situation, it should be ready to be used). In fact, as recently as the year 2000, approximately 100 children under the age of 14 were killed when a gun was accidentally discharged. Gun rights lobbyists will argue that that is a low number considering the population of the U.S., but that is only the number for those under the age of 14 and those that were killed, not just injured. Bottom line is that accidental shootings happen far too often. For more accurate statistics, check out this website:
http://www.ichv.org/Statistics.htm
In 2005 (the most recent year for which data is available), there were 30,694 gun deaths in the U.S:
12,352 homicides (40% of all U.S gun deaths), 17,002 suicides (55% of all U.S gun deaths), 789 unintentional shootings, 330 from legal intervention and 221 from undetermined intent (5% of all U.S gun deaths combined). -Numbers obtained from CDC National Center for Health Statistics mortality report online, 2008.
Posted in: 10 killed in Alabama shooting rampage
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Hotbox08
VOR: I am an American and a law-abiding citizen. So are my family and friends. Of them, only one owns a gun, and it is because he is a police officer. The fact is, most law-abiding citizens in the States don't want to carry a gun. Yes, the thought of encountering an armed person is scary, but the fact is that carrying a loaded weapon can be just as, if not scarier. No, arming everyone to the teeth is definitely NOT the answer.
Posted in: 10 killed in Alabama shooting rampage
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Hotbox08
Often times, those who are for the death penalty ask those who are against it to try and put themselves in the shoes of the victim's family (e.g. "What if someone you love were killed?" "Wouldn't you want your father's murderer be put to death?"). But they should also ask themselves "What if my mother, father, brother, or sister were wrongly convicted of a crime?" "Would I be supporting the death penalty so strongly?"
Posted in: America has a cultural divide on death penalty
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Hotbox08
smithinjapan:
Yes, I do know that. However, there have been a few instances where I was glad that I could catch a rerun of a show that I wanted to watch at a time which was convenient for me, since I confess that I have no patience for recording shows (and I don't subscribe to TiVo either).
True, in general, Japanese shows are crap. However, I have come across some excellent programming (some of which have been sadly cancelled). For instance, I suggest watching "世界ふれあい街歩き" on NHK Sunday nights at about 11:30 pm. (I still can't get over how smooth the camerawork on this show is; I always feel as if I'm walking the streets in that country they visit each week), "Sekai fushigi haken" on TBS (I always learn something new about the world on this show), "Amazing Animals" on TBS Sunday nights (I have to confess that I have a great interest in animals), and "ワンステップ!" on Nippon TV (which I always have a hard time watching, because it is shown the same time as "世界ふれあい街歩き").
Why is it an excuse, I've just proven that they DO air other games; just not on terrestrial TV. It is the same in the States. Whenever there is a major tournament or event, such as the Olympics, they don't and can't show every event or game on terrestrial TV. Other stations like ESPN (yes, ESPN is not a terrestrial channel) end up picking up the slack on airing other games or events. Why should Japan be any more special? If you want to see the other games, watch NHK BS1 or BS2.
Then you should direct these comments to all countries, because it happens in all countries.
Posted in: WBC a big hit with TV viewers in Japan
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Hotbox08
Oh, and when I signed on with my cable company here in Japan, I got several sports channels that came with the basic package, like JSports 1, JSports 2, and JSports ESPN, and GAORA, etc. Even NHK BS1 and BS2 shows a great deal of sports. And believe it or not, 75% of the games being showed do not involve one single Japanese player on it. For instance, they show a ton of soccer games from the Premiere League and Liga Espanola. I've also been able to see a number of NBA and NFL games (with a one or two day delay) too. Don't care much for darts, badminton, F1 racing, table tennis, or WWF and NWA wrestling, but they are also constantly being shown on those channels. Yet, if I were picky about selecting only MLB or NBA games, I could opt to pay about 2000 yen extra a month for a few more channels, but I'm satisfied with my options so far.
Posted in: WBC a big hit with TV viewers in Japan
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Hotbox08
I suggest joining the rest of the people in the free world, and start investing in cable television. Heck, even in the U.S., I know of no one who sticks with free terrestrial television anymore. Everyone pays a bit per month for cable. Then again, those who stick with only terrestrial, are either (a) too busy to watch TV, or (b) too cheap to invest in cable (or satellite TV).
Posted in: WBC a big hit with TV viewers in Japan
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Hotbox08
You obviously don't follow baseball.
Posted in: WBC a big hit with TV viewers in Japan
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Hotbox08
Nice point, but in baseball, as in all competitive sports, when one team is doing so well, it could make the other team look so bad. As in the errors, some of them happened because Japan's base runners were so fast that it made SKorea rush some of their throws or have one eye on the ball and the other on the baserunner tagging up on a sacrifice fly. Yes, the major leaguers (e.g. DiceK, Ichiro) haven't been doing well, but it seems the other players have been able to pull up the slack. The major leaguers will have to get it in gear if they want to do well in the next round.
Posted in: South Korea blanks Taiwan 9-0 in WBC
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Hotbox08
I also wish Michael would just go away. He is a wacko, who although was aquitted of child molestation charges, can't be someone I would trust a child with.
Posted in: Michael Jackson seeks comeback in London
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Hotbox08
Yeah, best dressed, but heck, I could be best dressed if I had his money to afford the clothes.
Posted in: Prince Charles named world's best dressed man
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Hotbox08
Good point. Komatsu has made millions of dollars for the American people, so people shouldn't judge Komatsu so harshly.
Posted in: Komatsu America to close Canadian plant
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Hotbox08
Yay, 12,000 yen plus the 300 dollars (rougly 30,000 yen) I got from the U.S. will buy a lot of groceries.
Posted in: Cash handout? Stupid, wasteful idea, Japanese say
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Hotbox08
VOR, I never said anything about "free". I did mention "affordable" however. There is a big difference there.
Posted in: Obama forecasts record $1.75 tril deficit in his 1st budget
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Hotbox08
The U.S. may have the best medical facilities in the world and doctors there can do some amazing things. However, very few people can afford them. Yes, there are many around the world who fly to the U.S. to have specialized medical procedures and organ transplants done. But, these people are either wealthy, or need to collect donations from people to do so. Affordable health care for Americans should not be a priviledge; it should be a right.
Posted in: Obama forecasts record $1.75 tril deficit in his 1st budget
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Hotbox08
It's amazing that some posters don't know squat about nuclear power. The fact is, that fewer accidents have occured involving nuclear plants and energy, than electricity, in the form of downed electric poles, fires due to frayed wires or faulty wiring, etc. All this bad rap given to nuclear power is all a "chicken little" syndrome.
Posted in: Toshiba to build 2 nuclear plants in U.S.
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Hotbox08
Well, let's see. If in the next three to five years, the economy gets worse, then you would be deemed correct. But if the economy gets better, be prepared to eat your words.
Posted in: Obama forecasts record $1.75 tril deficit in his 1st budget
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Hotbox08
That's right. Global warming has been as overreported and overblown as the hysteria that Japan is getting more dangerous.
Posted in: Antarctic glaciers melting faster than thought
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Hotbox08
What a nutcase this woman is. She looks nothing like Angelina Jolie and has none of her wealth. I feel for the average California taxpayer, now that they will have to foot the bill for the welfare of her children. And to think that she still has thousands of dollars of student loans to pay off as well. Sheesh!
Posted in: Octuplets' mom says she's not living off taxpayers' money