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
"Heck, what's worse, having urine on your clothes or your plane hijacked/blown up by a terrorist who got through security?"
Um. Let me see. Do I get another choice?
If your name is Pistole, there is no other choice. In Pistole's world, the US has run out of options. Chertoff slipped him a few million to say that if anyone asked.
Posted in: TSA chief calls for understanding; pat-down leaves Michigan man covered in urine
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Klein2
"I never called those opposed to getting the pat down any names but commented that they can opt out to fly or take the scanners. It's you putting words in others mouth. You don't listen just like these TSA agents. "
Well, I seem to remember you calling someone a "panicy little girl" for not wanting to fly. What is that, Mike? Putting words in your mouth? I think you are showing some of that trademarked "selective memory" that is so common with you wingnuts. I looked it up though. You did. You wrote that. "Never" as you say, was about a day ago.
Now that you find that the right-wing powers that be are using this protest for spin, you have changed your tune. I find it very revealing.
Posted in: TSA chief calls for understanding; pat-down leaves Michigan man covered in urine
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Klein2
Latest news is that LaGuardia and Kennedy and all Port Authority airports will opt out of TSA if scanners are used. And then the contract will go to... well.. Guido and the boys instead, I presume.
A shirtless Utah boy was groped by the TSA and that was filmed.
And scientists at Livermore have an easy fix to distort body images, but not weapon/explosive images. Interesting idea. Makes people look fat or thin or short or long... anything but titillating. Livermore told the TSA about it in 2006, and they would have none of it. It is a dreadfully simple Photoshoppy kind of thing that would make a lot of people feel a lot better. But as we know, Pistole has told us there is "no other way" so we should just trust him on that.
Chertoff is slang for devil in Russian? Really?
Oh yeah. And the TSA is hiring extra workers... NOW... to deal with the Thanksgiving rush. Meaning that you will be searched by someone with less training than someone who says, "You want fries with that?"
Posted in: Scanners and pat-downs upset airline passengers in U.S.
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Klein2
Sicilian, you are almost correct, but remember box cutters. What IS correct to say is that all have been stopped by passengers. Vigilant passengers.
"I say that the only real good thing to come out of the 9/11 attacks, with respect to security, are the doors being reinforced."
They have not been. That is a huge problem. Marshals have been controversial. They generally do not like their jobs and are poorly paid. OTOH, shifting the huge TSA budget to an air marshal program might be a good idea.
"tell us you don´t see a common characteristic."
Some intelligence agency knew what they were going to do beforehand. And. I think they all had penises. However, a Russian airliner was brought down fairly recently by two women. So you put them in there, and it kind of blows the penis argument.
Posted in: Scanners and pat-downs upset airline passengers in U.S.
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Klein2
"Boehner flies commercial."
I know. And Hillary doesn't. So what? The point is that Boehner flies commercial but will not go through security at all.
WilliB. It comes down to this: The TSA says, "We can violate someone's rights or we can violate someone's rights." You say, "OK. Violate someone else's, not mine." I say, "uh uh. Find some other way." Pistole says there is no other way, and he is just wrong. There are people at the Heritage Foundation and at Georgetown who KNOW he is wrong. People at MIT, too. Protecting freedom is not something you buy at a trade show. The TSA is going to have to back up and consider the problem again. This is not working.
Posted in: Scanners and pat-downs upset airline passengers in U.S.
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Klein2
"“No one living with an `ostomy’ should be afraid of flying because they’re afraid of being humiliated,” she said."
Oh yes they should. Take one flight and your medical problem is not your own private affair any more. You thought pooping and peeing in a bag was the greatest affront to the dignity of an ill person? What about letting the world watch it spill all over you and have to smell it?
It is newsworthy because it is so illustrative of an agency created in panic and which has run absolutely out of control.
Posted in: TSA chief calls for understanding; pat-down leaves Michigan man covered in urine
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Klein2
Ha. MikeHuntz slowly changing his tune... hoping nobody will notice. Mike and Creosote started out calling TSA protestors all kinds of names, but now that that right has come out against the TSA, he is "adapting".
"why did he not say, look, do not pat me down, I have bladder cancer etc...this man sounds like an idiot! I feel sorry for the TSA guy doing this patting down stuff, sounds really gross."
Yeah. Blame the citizen. Pistole does this too. The citizen has NO DUTY to volunteer or state ANYTHING. Medical privacy allows people to walk through life choosing not to tell people that they use viagra, have implants, artificial hooters, and whatever else. Putting the burden on a citizen to just surrender to every mall cop who comes along is not America, its Gabon. Urine is a safe and almost sterile fluid, so there is no damage here beyond laundry bills, but there is humiliation.
Posted in: TSA chief calls for understanding; pat-down leaves Michigan man covered in urine
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Klein2
"It has officially said that flying is a "privilege" and that if you, in effect, don't want to chance being humiliated by TSA don't fly."
Jean, it is great to see you back after all these years. You have been missed. Just so everyone knows, legal precedent in the US establishes travel as a right, not a privilege. Air travel is sanctioned by the US government, but not owned by it, so this TSA claim of "privilege" is a fiction.
Posted in: TSA chief calls for understanding; pat-down leaves Michigan man covered in urine
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Klein2
"Tom Sawyer, a 61-year-old retired special education teacher"
A modern-day warrior Mean mean stride, Today's Tom Sawyer Mean mean pride.
Though his mind is not for rent, Don't put him down as arrogant. His reserve, a quiet defense, Riding out the day's events.
How did Rush predict this?
Pistole has not ruled out body cavity searches, which severely ups the ante for protest. I think people need to take a stand now or say goodbye to commercial air travel as we know it. "Tomorrow" is disappearing fast.
Posted in: TSA chief calls for understanding; pat-down leaves Michigan man covered in urine
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Klein2
"the US is in a cul-de-sac "
What a great way of putting it. It has to go back to move forward. I agree entirely. It has gone too far and has gotten to a point where it can't progress, or even turn around easily. That sums it up well.
"And younger. And older. And males too. And you. And your spouse. Who knows what he fancies? Who cares? Could we leave the emotional/sexual non-sequitors at home please? "
I care a little. It is me. It is my mother. And my nephews and cousins. Why leave emotion and sex at home? I would be willing, but the TSA wants to feel genitalia and look at them. Never before have I been nude in public or groped in public, but the TSA wants to change that. It is an issue for many people.
TSA agents have stripped a woman's shirt off and laughed about it and about viewing it on tape. TSA agents have put powder in women's luggage just as a joke to see what they would do. Federal agents have been caught saving images, and TSA agents will be caught doing the same thing someday soon. TSA agents are not law enforcement personnel or medical personnel. It is not necessary to any of my arguments that every TSA agent be a pervert, but when you consider that even questioning these people is "unpatriotic", then one can imagine that being a TSA agent would be a lot more rewarding for Chester the Molester than being a janitor at a junior high school. It has been said before and it is true: TSA agents are the only non-medical people in the US allowed to view thousands of images of 13 and 14 year old boys and girls with no prosecution. Their searches are done without probable cause and would be considered sexual assault if done by almost anyone else.
You don't really argue with that, you just dismiss it. So thanks for letting me clarify that.
peachy: I think that is about as honest an assessment as I have seen. You talk about posture and demeanor, and it is true. I think that the deal is that TSA was created in haste with an impossible mission by an angry nation. I think their mission was probably "stop terrorists" and it probably should have been "promote safety of air travellers". Some people won't like that kind of warm, fuzzy stuff, but so far EVERY attempt has been thwarted by passengers. I think that is correct, isn't it? The simple fact that is constantly ignored is that the TSA keeps messing up and passengers keep making the big plays.
I don't understand the bureaucratic contempt and coercion re passengers at all. They seem to be killing air travel instead of promoting it. Who told them to do that?
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people
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Klein2
"Google knows far more about you than the US gov does. "
But Google doesn't care about me and Google does not want to put me in jail or make me pay a 10000 dollar fine just for walking into an airport. You are really missing the issues Tim. If Google violates my rights, I sue. If the TSA violates my rights, all I get is poked up the heiney. And THEN I get fined.
Anyway, TR, you are way out on a limb with this. I see how your agenda is to pin whatever you can on anyone but Bush and Cheney, but your beloved party is disagreeing with you. Why not tell us what is wrong with the GOP stance on this? What is Ron Paul doing to have you disagree with him so?
Or better yet, what is wrong with the GOP that they support the TSA in doing this to your fellow Americans? Are you willing to call the GOP complicit in its domination of true patriots. Take a stand that is not simply naysaying Obama. I dare you.
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people
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Klein2
"The common sense alternative of p r o f i l i n g (something Klein2 does constantly in his posts...) "
Hoping for a pat down are you?
Just kidding TimRussert. Don't worry, I will never profile you. You are certainly one of a kind.
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people
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Klein2
Looks like TimRussert and Noborito are leading the new charge from the right. I find it baffling that they clash with Mr. Creosote and MikeHunz, who, although also right wingers, are calling the protestors and Ron Paul pinkos, or something like that.
What is the stance of the GOP on this? Or the Tea Party? Does anyone know what Rush and Sarah are saying?
We have TimRussert, Noborito, ron paul, and ChristianPatriots and some in Congress calling for the TSA to cease and desist. These are libertarians? Tea Party? Who are you guys?
Then we have MikeHuntz and Creosote saying libs should shut up and get scanned. Calling protestors conspiracy kooks. These are what? Right wing GOP?
I guess the Dems are also split on this? I think they inherited this TSA mess and suspect that as soon as they do something, there will be some incident they will get blamed for.
All the more reason to believe that the TSA has everyone cowed and confused.
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people
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Klein2
"downs would do nothing to detect a surgically implanted bomb."
which would look at lot like a certain medical device I can think of off the top of my head.
And a colostomy bag full of (icky) fluid could be rigged up, etc.
See how dumb it is? Someone is playing the terrorists' game. Time for new approaches or time to realize we have to watch out for each other instead of relying on technology and machines to verify each of us.
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people
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Klein2
"This assumes that those 2000 were all terrorists. The reality is more that they get 99.9% of nail scissors."
Monkeyz. Good points. And a funny one there. I gave some thought to the math, and you know what I figured? After all the legitimate air passengers have given up, the terrorists will still be flying. So my little math lesson is illustrative, but it illustrates that you just can't stop the terrorists using probability and technology. You have to detect or eliminate their intent. You probably DO have to find bad people instead of trying to find potential weapons.
But eliminating passengers and killing the airline industry STILL makes the TSA's job easier. I think it is their plan.
Atlantic Monthly has reported a TSA worker as saying that the groping is intended to get people to choose to use the machines.
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people
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Klein2
The Rat is right. One of the more recent advocates of an end to TSA groping is ChristianPatriots. Along with Penn and Teller, Dave Barry, several congressmen, Ron Paul, Ralph Nader and the ACLU and various citizens groups, it covers quite a broad spectrum.
Notably absent are GOP and Tea Party (take our country back, but leave the TSA alone) efforts, which can probably be explained by two words "private jets."
I am waiting for the hypocrisy to crack things open and show ANOTHER split in the GOP: Those who really want government power limited vs. the TPINOs -- tea party in name only vs. the regular GOP (Mica, etc.), who just want to make some money off of this.
Hillary just advises people to get scanned. But guess what? Some airports are scanning AND groping, not OR. Some are scanning, then groping if there is any anomaly. And some don't have any scanning, just random groping. So she is not being too helpful. Frankly, she is too busy to worry about it.
OK. I promise I will not post for at least another day on this. Sorry to test you patience everyone.
Posted in: Scanners and pat-downs upset airline passengers in U.S.
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Klein2
"It's pathetic to hear the liberal crowd always talk in the conspiracy mode"
Hey two weeks ago, we dealt with your conspiracy mode rants about Pelosi and Obama. Why don't you run and catch up with your tea party and GOP people who want the TSA disbanded? Or are you calling Ron Paul and John Mica conspiracy kooks?
"I feel sorry for you my friend living in that world."
I am probably not your friend, but I live in the same world you do. I just see it differently and don't share your sense of selective amnesia about it.
Funny you should bring up your experiences, MrC. I have also been hammered for crossing a cordon that was not clearly marked. But your Seoul comment is damning. When I first came to Japan, it was the first time that I saw guards with rifles and caged window military vehicles at airports. The first time ever. It was bizarre, and I had grown up in an area with a lot of military in the US.
Now, decades later, the soldiers have left Narita, but you fly to the US and everything is checkpoints, guards, soldiers with automatic rifles, orange alerts, and "show me your papers, citizen." It is not the world that has changed for the worse, it is the US. I don't think you can find anyone who disagrees with that, except yourself.
Posted in: Scanners and pat-downs upset airline passengers in U.S.
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Klein2
"I think the worst part of the security lines is the rudeness."
Almost the worst part.
"It's possible to be polite and firm."
Can I just say "Japan" here? I love the way they do their jobs with a poker face. Almost silent. Detached. They have to be organized because they can't rely on people speaking Japanese, so the cordons, rules, and procedures are all clear ahead of time.
"I've heard people get shouted at and belittled by the security staff and immigration officers."
Me too.
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people
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Klein2
Awesome fits. It is almost as awesome as gutenberg.org. Almost.
They had more to start with and lower ambitions, plus better funding than gutenberg, but the result is much more user friendly and it is "pretty good."
It is not authoritative, and certain interests have tried to pervert it, but it seems resistant to that and strives to be useful.
And they are not for profit. I give them an A.
Posted in: What do you think of Wikipedia?
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Klein2
Paragraphs... about three and four are extremely interesting to me. It IS a terrorist oriented system. It DOES react to terrorist acts. Is that a good thing? Doesn't it effectively give control over air travel to terrorists? All they have to do is get one guy on a cell phone in Yemen to say the word "bomb." and all of America goes into lockdown.
They don't even need a suicide bomber to create panic and outrage. Now THAT is service. Direct dial terror. Bin Laden can't order a pizza, but he can order up a crummy holiday for the whole US. I hope Al Qaeda sends Pistole a Christmas card, or flowers, or something. He isn't making their job harder, he is making it easier.
Does anyone question that?
And if it is not flier oriented, then the TSA has no problem at all suggesting, with a straight face, that nobody fly at all. Seriously. It makes their job easier to have fewer fliers. Pistole said that there is "no other way" to protect travellers. Really Mr. Pistole? Really?
Let's have some math fun. If you have 2000 travellers and you have systems that are 99.9% effective, then you have two terrorists getting through, probabilistically speaking. And if you "can't reduce that probablity any more", which is essentially what Mr. Pistole has said the last couple of days, then the only way to reduce "terrorism more" is to reduce the number of travellers. If you have only 1000 travellers, then you can keep your systems and have only one terrorist left. Way to go TSA!! Here is your bonus Pistole! You reduced terrorism!
Posted in: TSA has met the enemy — the people