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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Klein2
Nobody has said it, but it is the gorilla in the room: hormones.
Incredibly powerful drugs moving through every kid's body. They are supposed to get humans to procreate, but that message gets screwed up in every way imaginable.
Teenagers. It is a wonder any of them make it to age 24. Rationality is the exception, not the rule, for kids of that age. 17 yo boy and 14 yo girl? That's not a family, that's a tornado.
Posted in: 17-year-old boy stabs 14-year-old sister to death at home
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Klein2
This issue got 100 times more attention this week than it has gotten in the past five years. It deserves that much attention as a civil rights issue and as a terrorist prevention issue.
Just in the past few days, many GOP people have come out against scanning and frisking, and I believe that is a first. Some airports might now use private contractors instead of the TSA, which is a first for major airports. Pilots have been exempted from some scrutiny. Kids under 12 have also gotten a pass. And many many smart people have come forward to help Pistole see that this is not "the only way."
Who knows if people are too afraid or resigned to push for more changes. Still, more attention, more scrutiny of unelected but powerful officials, and more consideration of alternatives is always a good thing. Tyner speaking out for his junk has given Americans a rallying cry AND a lot to be thankful for.
Posted in: What is your view on all the fuss this week about pat-downs as part of security measures at U.S. airports?
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Klein2
hottamales. I heard you the first time to ditch the talk about naked teens, and I am not going to do it, so quit asking.
This whole issue is about people not wanting to have their privacy invaded, and then having it invaded worse. It involves steaming emotional doodoo. Did you miss the part where the guy says "If you touch my junk, I will have you arrested"? Yeah. Guess what. People call their genitalia their "privates" for a reason. This is a sexual and religious issue to many people who don't give a whit about the Constitutional ramifications. It is to Mike Huckabee, who happens to be a leading candidate for the GOP pres nomination. How is that for steaming doodoo?
"One thing I don't think the suits are counting is pathetic political hacks trying to turn this into a partisan debate. "
You really think this has never been a political issue and it is being made into one now? Really?
Thanks for joining the discussion, hot. I can see that you want to discuss this issue, but you did not come to discuss privacy or politics. Thanks for the Ben Franklin reference. Usually people provide the tired old quote to go along with it, by the way. Give a little thought to WHY they don't let you see your own scan and it is not so worrisome. Seems obvious to me why they don't. That is so NOT the issue.
Hey, you and Mike have a great day. Happy Thanksgiving. Hug a Native American.
Posted in: Airport lines move smoothly in U.S. despite warnings
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Klein2
By the way, Mick Huckabee is officially asking for Obama to take his family through a TSA checkpoint, so the mainstream GOP has finally gotten its ducks in a row in support of the ACLU. Warms my cockles. I Heart Huckabees.
Other reports around the net from Philly and I think Denver are saying that the TSA people are being very nicey nicey. All smiles and gaiety. No doubt they are also "randomly" choosing people to grope who are the least likely to complain.
Superlib. Yes I would object to going through a scanner, but not for safety reasons. For privacy reasons. And really, if there is someone with penile AND breast implants, I really don't want to know about it. There are things people don't need to know. I would not object to going through a scanner that would distort my body features, which device some Livermore people put forth in 2006. There is also a "stick figure" device that I am ok with. Nobody should be looking at naked 13 year old girls or boys, I happen to believe, or feeling them either. I dont see any reason that the body contour MUST be shown at all, actually, and I am pretty sure even I could program an image filter to get rid of that contour if I had a year and a tutor (he said sheepishly).
Thanks for the shout out Mike. I think you are special too. I am going to dedicate something to you today.
Posted in: Airport lines move smoothly in U.S. despite warnings
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Klein2
“I just feel bad for the traveling public that’s just trying to get home for the holidays,” Pistole said, noting that TSA screeners “just want to get you through.”
Later, Pistole added, "I think it's unfortunate that a few bad apples are choosing to ruin the assembly for everyone." He then promised fines and detention for the evildoers and threatened to cancel prom if morale does not improve.
I am glad that the issue gets a hearing, though. The TSA has obviously decided to tone things down and blame the victim and deflect the discussion to issues of terrorism that are entirely beyond his control instead of following the law of the land. After the holidays, the TSA will take off the kid gloves and get back to violating people as usual.
Never doubt it people: Over and over again, we see that FEAR works. It moves mountains. It creates armies of zombies and slaves. Almost to a man, you will hear sheeple say some version of "I don't like it at all, but I don't want to die." The TSA will not hold a gun to your head. They know that the media have you believing that Al Qaeda is doing that, so all they have to do is mention it. Once you have a bogey man, you have control. It can be Obama, Saddam, Hitler, China, Bin Laden, or jews or communists. There are now about three people left in the world who want Bin Laden caught. Everyone else is riding the gravy train of "terruh" one way or another. What is happening today with North Korea is the same thing. China will use the DPRK as a bogeyman to get control in Asia while the PRC can be friendly and trade with people. The US can use them to keep its allies in line. And Kim makes Putin look all warm and fuzzy by comparison. See how that works? Who wants the DPRK to disarm? Nobody, really, but let's say we do. It makes us seem reasonable.
This TSA thing is not about Bin Laden. It is not about baby formula. It is about control. People who are not afraid cannot be controlled easily. There are not many of those people left..... I am afraid to say.
Posted in: Airport lines move smoothly in U.S. despite warnings
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Klein2
I am interested to see what happens. I am actually intrigued to see the right and left coming together on this, as they should. Rights are something that moderates do not care too much about, which was working out ok when the courts were doing their job. And now here we are: we have TimRussert cheering for the ACLU, which is nice to see. I want to see more attention to rights from the libertarians like Ron Paul is doing. This IS the libertarians' fight after all. You know fiscal conservatism could be a big success if someone in the GOP could just suggest cutting the military budget, but that will never happen.
Posted in: TSA chief calls for understanding; pat-down leaves Michigan man covered in urine
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Klein2
Sushi. The conservatives posting are showing their true colors as sock puppets for whatever conservative mouthpiece is the flavor of the month.
Last December, they were jumping all over Napolitano for something that happened in Nigeria. So Chertoff makes several million peddling his goods to the TSA and now they found a bandwagon to get on in bashing Obama for a "police state". Look at their post history and it is clear as day. MikeHuntz did a huge about-face in just the last day or so. TimR and MrCreosote were arguing different ways for days until their got their party line straight. It is all in the post-history. These guys don't think for themselves.
I used to give them the benefit of the doubt. I assumed they were honest and sincere. That they just did not know any better. Now I see it is all a cynical game with them to just blame anything on Obama and say Bush is not to blame. They don't even think about it. Just trolls. Straight up.
Posted in: TSA chief calls for understanding; pat-down leaves Michigan man covered in urine
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Klein2
I don't think any of you hit on the expense of it from both sides. The real problem Japanese people have is understanding risk, and it shows in how they deal with insurance. Their only rule is: more is better! And then everyone waits for that dismemberment so their ship will come in.
With guarantors, it is a catch 22. If someone can't find ANYBODY to be one, then yikes!! But the expense of paying a bunch of money to a company instead of the landlord is stupid.
Mr. Renter dude should just use his head and say to the landlord: look, I can get a guarantor for 6 man or whatever, but how about I just pay that to you?
If the market is fair, then the price should be right. Landlords are dumb not to do this. But I know that landlords geenerally do not want to deal with unpleasantness, money, etc. Fools.
It is exactly the same thing as a high interest rate credit card or something like that.
Posted in: Sleazy guarantor brokers prey on the desperate
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Klein2
"Call in Duke Nuke Em!!"
HAIL to the king, baby!
Things are just getting worse for NK. I think the key is to figure out what NK wants, and just do the opposite.... every time. That's why I said "do nothing" above. NK wants a reaction. It wants recognition. It wants to negotiate and get something.
Knowing that, the best thing to do is let them stew. Give the spoiled child a time-out. Let them eat thin potato soup and cabbage for the 15th winter in a row.
If anyone wants to see what the DPRK is all about, put GOOGLEEARTH on your monitor and have a good look. The DPRK is a whole lot of nothing. Just nothing. If there is a lovely spot you can see from a satellite, rest assured that it is used by the highest of officials. You can find more goods in a 7-11 a block away than you can in an average NK town, I would bet. Have a look.
Worrying about them is a waste of time. Especially when they want you to.
Posted in: What is the best way for the global community to deal with North Korea?
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Klein2
Watched a documentary made before 9/11 (Discovery, "Blowback") yesterday, and I tell you what. The US has been at war against Afghan terrorism pretty well from the day the Russians left, and against fundamentalist islam since the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Achille Lauro. Beirut 1983. Lockerbie. I knew that, but anyway... it was nice to see something pre 9/11 because people were not hysterical way back then.
They showed footage of the WTC bombing and presented ominous shots of jetliners as the segment ended. I am not a conspiracy theory guy, but it became crystal clear that people KNEW that a jet attack was coming. It also became clear that this is a long term war against mujaheddin.
In that context, what should we be doing? If this all goes on for the next three generations, what should the US be doing now? Alternatively, if the powers that be have chosen this strategy as the correct one, what does it mean?
For the first question, I think I have become a fan of profiling. Never ever racial or religious profiling... but I will say that avoiding investigation of someone because of what they are is not a safe way to proceed. Stupid obvious profiling is worse than none at all because it will make us ignore threats, but scrutiny of certain people, if it is done right, is better than half-baked glances at everyone. I think that is the Isreali mode. I also think different means might be necessary to produce a sustainable program that will last for the next 30-60 years.
For the second question above, I have a dark suspicion that the TSA and CIA know things that they are not telling the American people. I think that this policy might be an attempt to tell people nicely that only essential personnel will be flying from now on. Costs and inconvenience will continue to increase as America battens down the hatches to exist in a world with a nuclear Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, Myanmar, Venezuela, etc. all looking for payback. No matter how you slice it, if that is the case, life in general in the US is going to get a lot worse.
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people
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Klein2
"that I am forgetting that was likely in the news regarding would-be attackers being stopped at the security points...there has to be at least one such story with all that expensive equipment."
Peachy. Oddly enough, there isn't. Let me know if you find a reference. I read an interesting interview this morning of a guy who would know, and he says there has not been one. The TSA coyly states, "we won't discuss successes", but you know it would, and it does certainly crow mightily about its mountain of confiscated nail clippers.
Elbuda, I was actually waiting and waiting for someone to bring up drugs. Was it you?
In the America I grew up in, here is how police work progressed: You established probable cause. Then you searched for a specific item related to a specific crime, usually with a warrant. Then you either found it, where you made an arrest, or you didn't and you had to let it go. There are some gray areas. For instance, if an officer walks is invited into a dorm room and smells marijuana or sees white powder on a table, that constitutes probable cause, and a search can progress.
Now here is the deal. I would never do this, because I am an amputee transgender person, so I have enough to worry about, but ... Let's just say I have 500 grams of coke in a baggy around my waistband and choose to be groped by the To Serve Alquaeda team. I THINK that the cocaine evidence is inadmissible because the Total State Authority is only looking for weapons, right? Just because they are looking for weapons does not make my body a public place, so search and seizure is a violation of my rights. And if it aint, it oughta be. Point being that I am not so sure that druggies or whatever are so concerned about this.
Aw heck. The point is probably moot anyway. Dogs find that stuff. I guess.
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people
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Klein2
The military action on the Korean Peninsula was executed by a UN force. Many nations receiving NO Marshall Plan aid sent troops. Some that received MPlan funds did not send troops.
I don't know how this fits into blame and the US and Russia really. Russia has stopped supporting North Korea and wont even do energy deals with them anymore. The UN is not involved with the Koreas anymore. The world has changed. Pretty well everyone has gotten what they wanted except for this Albania like state, the DPRK. The dysfunctional people's rogue korea.
You can't really blame NK bizarreness on anybody but Kim Jong Il. It goes so far beyond Stalinism that it is more Khmer Rouge-ish.
Posted in: Tensions high after North, South Korea trade shelling
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Klein2
Do nothing.
Posted in: What is the best way for the global community to deal with North Korea?
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Klein2
"There are at least three things Kim will want to secure before he can comfortably hand over the reins: loyalty to the Young General, economic stability and political security ensuring the regime’s grip on power."
Best line of the article. Without the second one, the only way to get the first and third is fireworks like those they showed yesterday. If the west caves in, they get all three. The winning strategy is for the West to do nothing.
Posted in: Attack is North Korean bid for attention
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Klein2
It's a safe bet that this headline can be recycled, so make sure you save it after you throw away the article. Just put some saran wrap on it and throw it in the drawer. It will keep.
Posted in: Attack is North Korean bid for attention
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Klein2
"May cooler heads prevail."
Hard to imagine any hotter heads than theirs, so this is likely to happen.
"btw, for the hawks on here, now's the perfect time to enlist in the army for japan if theyll take you or whichever country youre from. put your life where your mouth is."
Snarky to be sure, but btw Japan does not have an "army" and they won't take you "whichever country youre from" so put your brain where your mouth is.
"i'm boarding the next flight back home, so i can watch on Reuters"
Which begs the question, do you take the 0.001 infinity chance of being killed by an NK shell in your Tokyo mansion, or the 100% probability of TSA groping? Be careful this holiday season, everyone. Arrive alive.
Posted in: Tensions high after North, South Korea trade shelling
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Klein2
"more military strikes if the South encroaches on the maritime border by “even 0.001 millimeter.”
I think this is hyperbole because, like, how would they measure that?
Posted in: Tensions high after North, South Korea trade shelling
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Klein2
"China is urging diplomacy and doesn't want the Korea situation"
Could be. They don't want to look like Washington is pushing them, but China is starting to lose wiggle room at just the time NK is asking for more favors. A friend in need is a pain in the (neck), they say.
The west has got to keep the pressure on. If someone lets up, China will have to let up. With more SKoreans dead, and Japan holding fast, and China looking for friends in APEC, and the US bothered by centrifuges, this is actually pretty bad timing for NK. They want to force something, but they have a pretty weak hand, so everyone knows they are bluffing. And now talks will be called off.
Can the Kim regime last until spring? Only China knows for sure.
Posted in: Tensions high after North, South Korea trade shelling
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Klein2
Tiresias! That is some font. Is it called StaticyMegaphone?
Cold winter coming for North Korea, and those who have been paying attention know that the Chinese have not got enough food to feed themselves (price controls!). Russians had a bad harvest too (wildfires~!).
How did that harvest go this year, Mr. Kim Jong Il?
Hillary is on the case. You think she is going to give them a break? Ha!
Posted in: Tensions high after North, South Korea trade shelling
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Klein2
In the next two days, one of two things will happen. Either Pistole will have succeeded with his little deflection campaign (protestors are only hurting other travellers, this is the only way, etc.) and the protests will fizzle and fade, or things will just get totally out of hand, with five or six jaw-dropping tales being discussed on turkey day.
If I were Pistole, I would tell my flunkies to back off for the next few days and then go back to groping as usual after Thanksgiving. The protest is not going to be popular, but I hope they pour it on. If opposition fades, then this will be the status quo, and these things never get rolled back. Fait accompli. Pistole will assume he has a mandate and will start fining people to shut them up. It works.
Just as an open question, do governments EVER give back rights to people once they have taken them? I suppose rationing is rescinded after a war, as is conscription. Prop. 13 was called a "revolt" against property taxes. And the Tea Party has not done anything yet. Anybody have some examples?
If refusing an x ray is probable cause demanding a search to protect public safety.... if American society accepts that... then what is next? Is there anything more private than our genitalia and medical status? Library, credit card records, Amazon shopping basket are all fair game, I guess... what is left but you refrigerator and living room?
Posted in: TSA chief calls for understanding; pat-down leaves Michigan man covered in urine