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Once they crack down and enforce, cough cough.... Japan will be even better. Most of the…
Posted in: Smoke-free laws lead to less smoking at home
Noda thinks it's good for Japan in the long run to test the patience of (so…
Posted in: Noda says Japan seeks waiver from U.S. penalties on Iran
Untrack, The worse case scenario which would have involved the collapse of the No4 SFP, didn't…
Posted in: Official defends secrecy over worst-case nuclear disaster scenario
Scrote~ Really?!! If that is true, I wonder how many other 'government officials' moved their families…
Posted in: Official defends secrecy over worst-case nuclear disaster scenario
Yes, go green, Japan and the world. It's about time.
Posted in: Firms plan to build floating wind farm off Fukushima coast
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MichaelJP
Motivation is difficult. Its hard to get people's spirits fired up with enthusiasm for decades of life as a mindless, grey drone. I doubt Apple or Google have this problem. I, however, do not work for Apple or Google, and can empathise with these graduates.
Posted in: Companies try to avert new recruits going down with 'June blues'
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MichaelJP
maybe they could make tokyo disappear and replace it with something better looking
Like a giant statue of me!!
Posted in: Japan Magic Convention to be held in Tokyo in August
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MichaelJP
I'm sure most Japanese citizens would have sent a thank you note, but the article mentions it may have been a music or media industry executive. That, in itself, should be explanation enough. As someone who has dealt with chaps at these levels, I'd think its a reasonable bet that any form of thanks would not even have occured to them.
Worse is the fact that the author himself has enough indignation to write an immature article about it.
Posted in: Lost and found in Tokyo and London
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MichaelJP
Has anyone seen that porn clip where they placed some sort of one-way glass cubicle in Shibuya or Shinjuku, and filmed the couple getting it on while the crowds wandered by totally oblivious?
Posted in: Porn producers look for more daring locations
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MichaelJP
This story is relevant to my interests.
Posted in: Porn producers look for more daring locations
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MichaelJP
I have worked extensively for almost a decade with Indian outsource developers as well as onshore developers here in Tokyo, and if Chairman Vijay Mukhi ever reads these comments, I would urge he seriously takes into the consideration the following advice:
India's reputation for high-quality IT professionals was made by the extremely talented "old-school" developers who came onto the scene prior to the dominance of firms like Infosys and Wipro.
That reputation is now being squandered by the increasing numbers of disastrously incompetent, poorly-trained outsource staff that have been flooding projects in recent years. Please, place more focus back on education and quality. India is trusted far more than possible competitors like China, so don't let a few big companies destroy that trust and reputation by chasing large profits regardless of the longer-term damage. Once reputation is lost, it is very hard to regain.
Posted in: India seeks to boost IT business in Japan
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MichaelJP
My life is so dull :( .
Article Unavailable
0
MichaelJP
Traders and cocaine... in Roppongi... I am shocked!! I'd love to see some random blood testing on the trading floors of the major investment banks here in Tokyo. You can bet many traders would suddenly decide it was time to relocate.
BTW: The "someone put it in my pocket" excuse probably also wouldn't work to well when going through customs either.
Posted in: British employee of Merrill Lynch Japan among 10 busted over cocaine use at nightclubs
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MichaelJP
I could handle a bit of decadence
Posted in: Shangri-La Hotel to open in Tokyo in March 2009
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MichaelJP
Is it ok to import the English version into Japan? And are there any good first-aid courses run in English in Tokyo?
(Sometimes Japanese Customs get a bit edgy when you purchase overseas medical stuff.)
Posted in: Talking first aid kit
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MichaelJP
What a sad situation to be in. Its a pity that a tiny fraction of the money thrown away on useless construction work couldn't be diverted to training a new generation of skilled investigative officers, giving them access to state-of-the art equipment, and generally boosting their numbers and prestige. I'm guessing the police force is currently riddled with yakuza plants and cult infiltrators like Om Shin.
Posted in: Wave of retirements impairs police investigative ability
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MichaelJP
So what is the advice if you actually get arrested? Don't sign anything and don't say a word till a lawyer is present? If non-payment of the NHK fee ever becomes a crime, this knowledge could come in handy.
Posted in: Nick Baker sent back to Britain to finish jail sentence
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MichaelJP
At last! Space Battleship Yamato ready to launch!
Posted in: Japan enacts 1st law allowing for military space use
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MichaelJP
The issue of 65+ year old retirees working is different to that in other countries where the elderly are forced to work just to pay the bills. In Japan, the elderly often have valuable skills and can still contribute significantly despite not needing to actually work. This can be very fulfilling and provide a powerful sense of belonging, even if they work limited hours.
The fundamental difference between Japan and the so called "modern" Western societies is that there is a far greater satisfaction gained from contributing to the general social good, rather than an "every man for himself" attitude and culture of entitlement that permeates modern American and Chinese societies.
Posted in: G-8 labor meeting calls for work-life balance, split on working style
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MichaelJP
hokkaidokarin, you are correct that most single mothers in Japan have a very difficult life, and it is very sad to see.
But...
You are completely wrong about your interpretation of Japanese society and you need to look beyond your (possibly Western) prejudices. Having children is not the only goal in life for people these days, and Japanese females are well ahead of their Western counterparts in this respect. If you think breeding is the only path to a fullfiling life, then you are still living in the 50's or have succumbed to some primitive religious meme.
Women here choose not to be married and/or not to have children because they don't want to be married and they don't want children. They enjoy their life as it is, and your implication that there is something missing in their life if they stay childless is a rather outdated attitude.
Posted in: What changes are needed in Japanese society to stop the falling birthrate?
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MichaelJP
No. Japan should not become a nation of breeders like the U.S. and other, closer neighbors. Japan shouldn't worry about a falling birthrate, and instead focus on quality over quantity: look at getting the most out of a diminishing population through efficiency programs, advanced medical research into healthy lifespan extension, and high-quality, science-based education of the nation's youth.
The world has more than enough people as it is.
Posted in: What changes are needed in Japanese society to stop the falling birthrate?
0
MichaelJP
That's actually pretty good for a G-SHOCK, although "Riseman" seems more like a Japanese translation for Viagra.
Posted in: Multi-band atomic watch
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MichaelJP
After paying the copyright royalties, we should all feel obliged to download music without paying. Or better, just not listen to the jpop crap that passes for music and spend our money on good live bands.
These "digital content protection laws" represent a failing in the justice system and its inability to adapt to pivotal technological change. Why should companies in the music and movie industries, with their outdated business models and practices, be artificially protected?
Posted in: Japan to propose copyright fees on iPods, digital hard disk recorders
0
MichaelJP
This is why I refuse to clean the toilet.
Posted in: Four found dead after inhaling lethal gas made from detergent in Takayama
0
MichaelJP
I'm thinking the civil service IT admins just did a simple grep of the logs and counted the number of distinct http requests. There could be many per page view. However, how much time and money did they waste restoring and analyzing all the logs from nine months of backups just for this? Now that is the real waste! And why did it take 9 months to find?
Posted in: Civil servant demoted for accessing porn sites 780,000 times during office hours