JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
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Confrontation
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U.S. Navy investigating how parts fell off aircraft near Atsugi
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California court to decide if SeaWorld whales are illegal 'slaves'
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Kuroki reported pregnant 2 weeks after denying relationship with Akanishi
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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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LFRAgain
Not even remotely true.
There are a number of widely used technologies born of the Space Program that have made life better for people.
Scratch-proof lenses, composite golf clubs, high-density batteries, blue-blocking ultraviolet sunglasses, the computer mouse, freeze-dried food, and Tang Orange Drink are just a few of the more commonly known ones.
But did you know the first integrated circuit ever built, leading obviously to a wide range of computer applications, was designed for the Apollo Program?
Cordless drills and the DustBuster use computer algorithms devoloped for the Space Program that help their motors work more efficiently, thus using less battery power.
The multiple angles seen in your favorite sports broadcast? Courtesy of the robotic gigapan camera technology designed for the Mars Rovers.
Thermometers that make it possible to take body temperature in seconds via the ear? The Space Program.
The "Jaws of Life" device used to pull people from automobile wrecks? Space Program.
Grooves in highways to drain water away? Space Program.
The swimsuits worn by gold medalist in the 2008 Olympics? Space Program.
Nike Air athletic shoes with hollow pockets in the foam soles for shock absorbing materials? Space Program.
Cell phones, televisions, computers -- all of these devices owe their existence to the Space Program.
Waste of money, you say? I'm curious to hear if think these various technologies are equally wasteful (as you reply with your laptop, of course)
Posted in: Obama under fire over space plans
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LFRAgain
The thing people in democracies all around the world seem to be forgetting is that a representative democracy is just that -- representative. The person given a mandate to lead isn't there to do exactly what you want, but rather is given the trust to do what is right or what is necessary on your behalf, whether you may personally agree with it or not.
Anyone who doesn't step into the Prime Minister's shoes with a ready-to-go plan to shut down every nuclear reactor in Japan by tomorrow noon, even though to do such a thing would cripple Japan economically in ways even the most ardent cynic couldn't comprehend, hasn't got a snowball's chance in hell in the current Japanese political climate.
Of course, the problem that's been ever apparent in Japan is that the leadership class (that's essentially what it is, to be honest) lacks any real leadership ability, much less the political, economic, and social acumen to implement those policies that will best benefit the nation.
A nation of the political ignorant led by a cadre of the politically inept. It's g*ddamned circus.
Posted in: Public support for Noda falling
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LFRAgain
Soldave,
You forgot the rebuilding of the earthquake-struck areas, the revival of the Japanese economy, and the elimination of US bases in Okinawa. ;-)
Posted in: Public support for Noda falling
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LFRAgain
I would argue that this will continue until one of two things happens:
1) The electorate starts to act like adults rather than spoiled children.
2) The laws governing what the Head of State should be are drastically changed to compensate for an elactorate that refuses to stop behaving like spoiled children.
Posted in: Public support for Noda falling
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LFRAgain
Bill Page,
Actually, no, my "Re" wasn't in reference to some subconcioius struggle with lingering emotional pain. It was in reference to the patent absurdity of anyone here to trying to quantify the loss of a loved one, i.e., *"My loss is more painful and deeply felt than yours, therefore your opinions are invalidated."
As a self-professed "professional and fully licensed therapist", I would expect that you, of all people, would recognize this. But then again, pain over the loss of someone close does unexpected things to all of us.
I never intended for my position suggesting Masato Shibata not be summarily crucified to be turned in a tit-for-tat competition over personal loss. But some seem to think that's the way to go here, so I'll respectfully bow out now and leave you all to it.
I wish you nothing but the best and sincerely hope you find some way to overcome the pain of this horrible tragedy you and your family have been forced to endure.
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LFRAgain
If by other countries, you mean countries whose populations are but a fraction of Japan's largest cities, then sure, "green alternatives" may be a suitable alternative to fossil fuels.
But they aren't a suitable alternative for a nation with the population and energy consumption of Japan. Green energy alternatives don't come even remotely close to providing the amount of energy Tokyo consumes on a daily basis, much less the entire country of Japan.
Cutting off the nose to spite the face isn't the way to go about weaning modern societies off of nuclear or fossil fuels.
Posted in: Local assembly wants Hamaoka nuclear plant permanently shut down
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LFRAgain
Re: Empty words, goldfish bowls, et al.
My oldest brother was helping a complete stranger change a tire on the side of a road late at night when a drunk driver plowed into the car he was standing next to, killing him and crippling his friend for life. My brother was 20 years old at the time. I was 10. And he was torn from me, my family, his friends, his fiance forever in an instant of obscene negligence. The person who killed him served but three years in prison for his crime.
While I feel strongly that the sentence was far too lenient for the severity of the crime, in no way do I wish the man dead, nor do I wish to inflict upon his family even a fraction of the pain he inflicted on mine. It serves no purpose and does absolutely nothing to ensure the safety of others. It's simple vengeance, pure and simple. I felt that way then, and I feel the same way now, some 30 years later.
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LFRAgain
AussieDude and Bill Page,
Thank you for your posts. They are both thoughful and thought-provoking.
I have a lot of feelings on this subject, the most obvious being sympathy for the families who have lost children in this horrific accident. But at the risk of earning the ire of others posting here, I also feel sympathy for the driver of the crane for having ever been in a position in which his epilepsy prevented him from pursuing a dream many of us take for granted.
After just a glance across the Web, having epilepsy is no picnic. They earn 93 percent of what their peers do, enjoy a high school graduation rate of but 64 percent, and are up to 69 percent more likely to be unemployed than non-epileptics.
And it's no wonder. In addition to not being allowed to operate commercial machinery, epileptics are often barred from jobs in which they might assume responsibility for the safety of others, which includes being a police officer, a firefighter, or even a teacher.
Many employers avoid hiring epileptics if the job involves working near a body of water, high-voltage power lines, or at extreme heights. Jobs involving power tools, heavy machinery, or hazardous materials are also rarely given. And all of this despite epileptics who have their seizures thoroughly controlled through medication.
Making things more difficult given an epileptics limitations regarding transportation, many are limited in what job they can do by simple geography. Without a comprehensive public transportation system or a reliable alternative for getting to and from work, many epileptics effectively have no practical options available to them other than to take what employment they can find within walking distance. That doesn't leave a lot of choices.
Given all of this and more, I can empathize with this man's desire to hide his epilepsy. I don't agree with or condone what he did -- he killed six children. But I understand why he may have lied. In understanding it, I just can't join the calls to have his life effectively taken away from him. He didn't ask for epilepsy, and he certainly didn't ask for the complexities and trials that living with it entail.
I'm not asking that he be cut any particular slack. But to look at his actions in the same light as that of cold, calculating killer is a wildly unfair assessment, to say the least. They say that you can tell how civilized a society is by two things -- how it treats its dead and how it treats its criminals. The rush to lump this man into the same category as a hardened criminal is precisely why modern societies have and need sophisticated legal systems.
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LFRAgain
1) Japan is not covered in radiation. At least no more or less than any other parcel of land on this wide earth.
2) The word that seems to being eluding you is "irradiated," and not "radiated."
Considering some folks can't even use the correct terminology, it shouldn't come as any surprise that they also ignorantly and incorrectly assume the entirety of Japan has been irradiated.
Sharapova has nothing whatsoever to fear coming to Japan to play. Neither do the other players, spectators, or anyone else thinking of visiting Tokyo for whatever reason.
The time for scare-mongering has long since passed, folks. Let's move on, shall we?
Posted in: Sharapova admits having concerns about playing in Japan
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LFRAgain
Talk about short-term memory loss. Nice try, but no dice.
Obama has had to deal with a pretty lousy hand from the very first day he took over as President. It's going to take far more than four years to clean up the mess that brewed under Bush and Clinton, and he certainly can't do it by being the same sort of intractable, unyeilding, zero-compromise asshat that many Republicans bizarrely seem to believe constitutes the best an elected representative has to offer: "No weakness! No surrender!"
How about, "No progress?"
The ability to seek and reach compromise is at the very heart of a healthy democracy. Without it, nothing gets accomplished, and we're stuck in the same cyclical pointlessness that've been the Senate and House races for the past three administrations.
Obama's pragmatic, smart, and determined. He'll get my vote again, without reservation.
Posted in: Obama's likability is keeping him afloat
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LFRAgain
It's a lot more like, "Anything for sushi."
Despite knowing full well the weather was horrid, despite knowing full well the company would indeed expect him to make the delivery, and despite faux outrage over your assertion that "Japanese are slaves to their company," -- despite all of this, you still ordered the sushi.
Who was being more selfish here, the company or the customer?
Although I'm sure the guy appreciated the tip you gave him for risking life and limb just so you could avoid having to cook.
Posted in: Typhoon strands several thousand commuters in Tokyo
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LFRAgain
This is the best photo AP could offer for this meeting between two heads of state?
Posted in: Next on the agenda
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LFRAgain
CHAMADE,
One, no one's taking Bridgestone's side in the price fixing scandal. How could anyone? They admitted guilt, along with four other non-Japanese companies.
Two, the Bridgestone price fixing charges have nothing to do with their tires. Nothing at all.
Posted in: U.S. fines Bridgestone $28 million for rigging bids, bribery
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LFRAgain
Nice story. I hope he had the opportunity to contact Ms. Arikawa and let her know her bottle made it to someone.
Posted in: Sailor in Hawaii finds message in a bottle from Japan
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LFRAgain
Because that's what manufacturing plants are designed for. Right.
Posted in: U.S. fines Bridgestone $28 million for rigging bids, bribery
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LFRAgain
Singling oneself out and being discriminated against are two entirly different animals, Smith.
Just as it shouldn't really be an issue for someone to identify his/her/x-self as a connoisseur of bottle caps, it shouldn't matter one lick if a person chooses to not hide -- or even chooses to advertise -- his or her transgenderness.
It's what people choose to do with that knowledge that takes us into the realm of discrimination.
You're essentially saying that the best way to avoid discrimination is to hide; homosexuals should stay in the closet, blacks should avoid place where whites congregate, and women should just stop trying to vote, get jobs, or get an education. Because they're all all just bringing it on themselves by advertising their presence.
That's a huge step backwards, mate.
Posted in: 'X' now a gender option in Australian passports
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LFRAgain
TheQuestion (and other posters) makes a well-reasoned argument as far as official identification is concerned.
I don't particuarly care about the Unisex bathroom thing though. Doesn't bother me.
Posted in: 'X' now a gender option in Australian passports
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LFRAgain
Clearly -- and I mean REALLY clearly -- your issue here is with the auto parts shop Yellow Hat, and not Bridgestone. Manufacturing plants are not normally in the habit of receiving, much less dealing with, consumer product complaints, i.e., some guy pulling up in a car, opening up his trunk and pointing out two blown tires, and saying, "Fix these."
I've had Bridgestones on my cars in the past, and they've never burst. I've had new tires that weren't manufactured by Bridgestone that happened to be defective, and I was able to take them back to the shop I purchased them from for a completely free exchange. Yes, here in Japan.
Hoping a company goes belly-up and calling everyone who works there crooks because you got a couple of bad tires in the past is silly, to say the least.
Meanwhile, since some here seem convinced that only a Japanese company would stoop to anything so insidious as price-fixing or bribery, the bribery and bid-rigging investigator managed to get convictions and admissions of guilt from at least three other companies while on the way to Bridgestone. They include, but aren't limited to, since the investigation is ongoing, the United Kingdom's Dunlop Oil & Marine Ltd ($4.54 million fine), France's Trelleborg Industrie SAS ($11 million fine), and Parker ITR, an Italian subsidiary of Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin Corp ($2.29 million fine).
Hold on a sec while we wait for the outpouring of rage in indignation that these non-Japanese companies paid far lower fines than Bridgestone for the same crimes, or better yet, broad sweeping generalizations about how the British, French, or Italians are all seedy, underhanded businessmen.
Posted in: U.S. fines Bridgestone $28 million for rigging bids, bribery
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LFRAgain
Understandable, yes. Altogether rational? Maybe not so much.
Posted in: Patrick says concerns about Japan understandable
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LFRAgain
No kidding. "Axe man"? Not quite. The attacker wasn't a lumberjack and he certainly wasn't a part of a human resources department that focuses on downsizing. How about "man with axe"?
Posted in: Axe man kills two children, four adults near China kindergarten