JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
-
- 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
-
- 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*
-
- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
0
grafton
Sabi
You still failed to answer my question about how the Palestinians would behave towards the Israelis if they did get the land they are asking for, would they suddenly become ever so sweet and stop trying to destroy Israel or would they just start firing their rockets from the land they were given, much as they have done from Gaza.
Posted in: Israel: No building restrictions in east Jerusalem
0
grafton
sabiwabi at 09:26 PM JST - 22nd March
Before 1956 most Israeli weapons were French, it was only after the back stabbing games played by the British that the US started to send serious weapons to Israel. The concept of a Jewish homeland was formulated in about 1919 and was a long time in the creation. Maybe pointing the finger at the UN is a little unfair. You might also like to remember that the weapons used against Israel in 1948 were supplied by the British, they also lead some of the Arab armies. Arabs of all kinds at that time were unable to manufacture weapons and Israel was only days old. So however you look at it somebody had to supply the weapons. This need you have to paint the Palestinian as the perfect being and the Israeli as a total monster is very unbalanced. Israel has existed since 1948 and has never for a single day been given the chance to live in peace, the monster you see is the product of a constant need for defence against neighbours that refuse to accept that Israel exists. Rather than pointing the finger of blame at others for supporting Israel you might be as well looking at why it is what it has been made into.
All right Sabi, let us for a moment give you the world the way you would want it. The Palestinians get what you say is their land back. What happens to the people that currently live in Israel? Where are you going to send them? And don’t be simplistic and say they can stay because we both know that the only Israelis that will be allowed to stay are the dead.
Are you going to say that Israel can exist so long as it is within the pre 1967 frontiers and that all those currently unhappy Palestinians are just going leave it at that? We both know that is not going to happen so why pretend you want something that we both know you don’t want. Like Hamas you want the total destruction of Israel but to say much here would get you deleted. You have never come clean on any issue related to Israel yet so I simply give up on you. Israel is not by any stretch of the imagination a perfect country but by comparison to what you would put in its place it comes incredible close to perfection.
Posted in: Israel: No building restrictions in east Jerusalem
0
grafton
Branded at 11:58 PM JST - 22nd March
That’s something of a rant given that you have missed a small detail, the people taking legal action are people who bought shares and feel that they could “potentially” have lost money. I can’t see any place where they feel they could have been “potentially” killed. Comparing apples with oranges doesn’t quite make it.
I’m not that concerned about who is taking action against who, what does worry me is the idea that people who deal in stocks now feel they have some grounds to sue when they make bad deals. Sorry but when the law of the land starts to protect gamblers from losing then the law is well out of order.
Posted in: Toyota shareholders in U.S. sue over fallen stock price
0
grafton
Finally!
I am so pleased that this billed passed.
No, I am not an American nor have I any interest in going to the US, but to finally see the end of this news story in sight is so good, it opens up 20% of the rest of the world.
Posted in: U.S. Congress clears historic health care bill
0
grafton
We can all talk, argue or even fight over the issues surrounding religions but in the end there really isn’t a thing that anybody can say that proves the matter one way of the other. One thing that is critical to even beginning to answer such questions as this is to push the church, synagogue, Mosque or whatever out of the question. These are all man made constructs created with the sole interest of control rather revelation of truth, assuming there be a religious truth to be revealed. For me the idea of god and after life are simply man made constructs too and extremely arrogant constructs too. Simply look at the lives we all lead and you see that not one single one of us amounts to much yet many believe we are so very special that we have been created by a super being who had nothing better to do than create millions of unimportant little creatures who all run about doing totally meaningless things while also believing in HIM (sorry, or HER). Does a single bacteria get to have an after life? Well if you believe you do why shouldn’t it? Are Bacteria leading deep and meaningful lives discussing their very existence? I have to admit that I really don’t know (and neither does any one on this site), but what I do know is that all the ideas that we are trying to make sense of here are born out religions that are themselves man made constructs and not a single one of these religions (Buddhism is not a religion) give those bacteria the same value they give human kind. The question is born out teachings that are born out religion so the foundation of your thinking is already deeply suspect. I am neither so arrogant nor so insecure as to feel that we have a need to believe in such fantastic notions as god and an after life. What we can and should do is live the life we have based on a sense of self, we know who we are and what we feel so should treat others as we would our self be treated. If you feel any need to look out side of yourself for who you are that is a need born within you and such needs will always find an “answer”, any answer that is comfortable.
Posted in: Do you believe in life after death?
0
grafton
stevecpfc at 12:29 AM JST - 22nd March
“while you rightly argue against terrorist attacks, you do not argue against the terror inflicted on the Palestinians for decades, in what can only be called state sanctioned terror.”
What you call “state sanctioned terror.” I see as Israel trying to control Palestinian organised terror. If the populous of the US start throwing rocks at the White House you really would expect the police to step in and deal with it and if these rock throwing protests escalated over the years you would expect the control to follow suit. To a very large degree this is what we see happening in Israel. No, I am not saying that any of this is right and how it should be. I defend Israel because I don’t see this as a one way street with all these ever so sweet Palestinians being right all the time while Israel is always wrong. You Haylars and Sabi can only ever see the Israelis as being in the wrong and yes they sometimes are, but try not to be so gullible about the Palestinians, being so leaves you open to accusations of being an Israeli hater. Though that is not something that I have ever said, not even to Sabi, though in his case it might well be true and maybe he could tell us if that is so.
If you step back from the current conflict as it is today and ask yourself why things have got to where they are you might find that you are not so pro Palestinian. Israel took control of a number of places in an effort to stop itself from being attacked, over time this has failed to work and the Israelis have done themselves no favours by becoming very heavy handed in dealing with the situation. Would you or I be any different when we lost patience with a intransigent group that will not accept that we exist? There is now no balance being shown, but always pointing the finger of blame at Israel for this is naïve, there are at least two players in this and to ignore the fact that Arab money backs the Palestinians and finds its way to private Swiss banks or other such places is to ignore that some of your innocent Palestinians are making a great deal of money by keeping this insanity going. This is but one detail, so don’t simplify it and see only the Palestinian propaganda about the occupation. Is Israel in the right? Don’t be silly, that is a question that requires a black or white answer and there is no such thing. But at least in that respect I am a lot more balanced about this than you are.
Posted in: U.N. chief says Israeli settlements must be stopped
0
grafton
sabiwabi at 04:37 PM JST - 21st March
“lets do to Israel what we did to Iraq,”
“Let us do?” “We?”. Are you seriously putting yourself on the side that invaded Iraq? Well yes, with the constant changing currents it is best to be flexible in ones opinions and politics.
HeyLars at 05:33 PM JST - 21st March
“It is patently anti-democratic. It is criminal. It is selfish. It is greed. It is thievery. It is outrageous!”
It is also hyperbole and a fait acompli.
“And anyone supporting it has shown their hand at what sort of person they are. No friend of mine and no friend of democratic principle!”
I can live with that, I have enough friends. As for being a friend of democracy, is that Arab democracy you are talking about or real democracy?
In answer to the question about the Hams missile attack, it killed, as always an unnamed person in Israel, a Thai worker was all the news told us. It would seem that the Palestinian propaganda machine is better than the Israeli one because we always get to know the name and age of the killed Palestinians (The death of 16-year-old Mohammed Qadus). But then the Palestinians have always been more willing to use the death of their own to gain brownie points with the media and the gullible.
Posted in: U.N. chief says Israeli settlements must be stopped
0
grafton
Noliving at 11:56 AM JST - 21st March “Am I the only one who thinks this was funny?”
No, I actually did laugh when I first read this and can well imagine this little smart as…saying the first thing that came into his head, not because he is a racist but because it was (for him) the first mad idea that came to him. And is anybody going to accuse me of being racist when I would have been (had I been there) one of the people he asked to leave the store? I have few black American friends and one the main reasons is that their sense of what is and isn’t racist is so uncomfortably close to the surface all the time. It is a constant in any conversation and I find it exhausting. Granted I do not know what living in the states is like for them, maybe there is that constant pressure, I somehow doubt it, but if it is then it must be one seriously screwed up country.
Posted in: Teen charged over racial announcement at New Jersey Walmart
0
grafton
Sharky1
Do you think he could avoid doing so standing there? One way or another.
Posted in: Teen charged over racial announcement at New Jersey Walmart
0
grafton
“The world has condemned Israel’s settlement plans in east Jerusalem,” Ban told a news conference after his brief tour. “Let us be clear. All settlement activity is illegal anywhere in occupied territory and must be stopped.”
The U.N. chief also expressed concern about what he said was a worsening humanitarian situation in blockaded Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Speaking later Saturday in Jerusalem alongside Israeli President Shimon Peres, Ban repeated the Quartet’s call for a resumption of talks and for the establishment of a Palestinian state within two years.”
adaydream
“Israel has proved themselves to be liars when standing by their word. They are all out murderers of women and children in safe havens and schools”
It’s so good to see that everybody is taking such a balanced view. Granted this type of a balanced view might just be one of the reasons Israel doesn’t give a damn about the UN or much anybody else come to that. Why should they when they are never given a fair hearing.
“who Palestinians say was shot in the chest by Israeli security forces”
“The military insisted that its troops did not use live bullets”
Obviously those nasty Israelis are not telling the truth and those ever so sweet Palestinians would never lie would they? I will leave the gullible to believe what they want to believe after all who am I to tell them the moon really isn’t made of green cheese if that’s what they want to believe.
Posted in: U.N. chief says Israeli settlements must be stopped
0
grafton
“Winters said she hopes the boy will get counselling and be educated about sensitivity so he can understand the consequences of his actions.”
Stand the little smart a.. outside the store for a week with a sign round his neck saying sorry. At the end of that week he will have been “educated”.
Posted in: Teen charged over racial announcement at New Jersey Walmart
0
grafton
Maybe Pakistan have a better idea of who these people are than the UN do and maybe they know better than to waste time talking in circles with people who do not want a peaceful settlement. Then again Pakistan is not a country that can ever be really trusted.
Posted in: Pakistan arrests halt U.N. contacts with Taliban
0
grafton
My respects to the family of this man who was doubtless very dear to them and I mean disrespect to the man himself, but this is Japan Today and not being an American I have no idea who he is. I cannot for the life of me understand how this could possibly constitute “World news” given that there far more important and more encompassing news stories that could and should be covered.
Posted in: Fess Parker, TV's 'Davy Crockett,' dies at 85
0
grafton
How wonderful. It’s hard enough trying not to fall over the rats on strings (pocket “dogs”), though thankfully most of late seem to get carried everywhere. Now we can all look forward to bigger rats on wheels with mummy in protection mode just behind, shopping will so much more fun. And no, children are not sacrosanct, they are wonderful in their place and whizzing about on wheels at two years old in and around shops is not their place.
Posted in: Enterprising moms cash in on micro-scooters
0
grafton
TumbleDry at 11:31 PM JST - 18th March “grafton: their silly “religion” “this is your words”
You seem to take exception to most everything that I write. If I were a more fragile soul I would worry that you don’t like me. By the way “this is your words” really should read “ these are your words” and yes they are my words and my opinion is that all religions are silly so I wouldn’t get too worried that I aimed this only at Muslims. The rest of what was written was aimed at CNN rather than Muslims in the US and of course as you will have understood my problem with CNN was that they were propagating a message to people who might well not have heard the original and who are those fringe Muslims that you mentioned. I wasn’t thinking so much in terms of censorship so much as not propagating anything that simply has no need to be propagated and I would go so far as to say the same about meaningless cartoons, once published there really shouldn’t be any need to republish them. So not exactly the extremist view you might be attributing to me. Sorry if that in any way disappoints you, but the truth is like most people I am not wholly one thing or another, and yes that does mean that you will find inconsistencies in both what I write and think, as is perfectly normal with any human being. Sorry about that.
Posted in: Yemen-American imam calls for U.S. Muslim revolt
0
grafton
Elephunk at 09:32 PM JST - 18th March “not a goof idea for chinese to piss off australians considering how badly chinese need australia to supply them with iron ore. I think that they just shooting themselves in the foot.”
When it comes to making money Australia will turn its back on this Chinese “immigrant” (even if he’s Australia born). They will also very likely lower prices to China too, even if they have to hide the reductions in some way.
Money makes the world go around, world go around…….I think you all know the words so let’s all sing along.
Posted in: Australia concerned about Rio Tinto espionage trial in China
0
grafton
I am calling on all Muslim Americans to give up their silly “religion”, have a drink or two in a local bar with some real people and start living happy lives. What do you think are my chances of getting my call to the Muslims of America aired on CNN? Not too good me thinks.
Now I am not one that would normally agree with censoring people but why have CNN aired this lunatics message to Muslims in America, did they think that not enough of them had heard it, are they looking at ways of generating more local news? It seems to me that only those that are already nutty enough to be interested would have heard this massage, now all have heard it. Thank you CNN for helping the world become that much safer.
Posted in: Yemen-American imam calls for U.S. Muslim revolt
0
grafton
JT I’m proud of you, you finally proved me wrong in a very, very big way. I never believed you had a sense of humour. What a happy looking chicky she is too!
Posted in: Model citizen
0
grafton
TumbleDry at 12:44 PM JST - 16th March
“By using Muslims, do you include all Muslims?”
Now you are being silly. Given that I have a limited amount of time and space do you seriously require me to delineate exactly which groups I am talking about? You know perfectly well what is being talked about and being obtuse and pedantic hardly aids any true argument you might have.
“Why do you care so much about what other countries with a Muslim majority?”
I think you might wish to write this again filling in whatever is missing because as it is it makes no sense so cannot be answered.
“How about taking care of the Muslim community in your country?”
I do not live in a single country, my work means that I need to travel a great deal and have homes in 3 countries. I am a Caribbean brought up mostly in the UK, Colombia and Spain. And in any of the countries I have lived in or currently live in the Muslim community are well capable of looking after themselves and are to a large degree closed communities to the extent that they would be extremely suspicious of any outsider wanting to “take care of them”.
“Be sure they integrate well? Are they getting the same chances than a white Christian?”
This simply shows that you have no idea what you are talking about. “Integrate well?” Most Muslims would resist integration in to the local communities because for them integration would be seen as a two way street that would involve them having to give up some aspects of their “culture”. As for “same chances than a white Christian?” To a very large degree Muslim communities operate independently of the country they happen to be in, their social and work lives are within their own closed communities. You can have had little to do with Muslims living in other countries if you do not know this.
“Are they all coming or born in your country with the goal to destroy it?”
This question is provocative nonsense and you know it. I am not right wing nor am I paranoid about Muslims. In fact it might surprise you to know that my brother in law is a Muslim, granted a not very good one in so far as he lives a normal life not taking his religion to stupid extremes. Thank you for reading my post and taking the time to show an interest and ask questions. I hope I have helped you gain a somewhat clearer impression of where my concerns are coming form.
Posted in: Culture clash: European art provokes Muslims
0
grafton
HeyLars at 11:08 PM JST - 15th March “grafton, you cannot blame Muslims over here for what Muslim governments do over there. That is just silly. To justify that is to justify taking Americans hostage for what the U.S. government does. Its simply indefensible.”
What are you talking about? I admit that for some odd JT reason the first part of what I wrote disappeared but just where do you see any mention of government? And I can’t justify anything because there is nothing for me to justify, because what I would like to see happening in the west simply isn’t happening, so I can’t justify it can I? However your apt example of Muslims taking and killing hostages is happening without any justification while the west bends over backwards to accommodate the sensibilities of immigrant Muslims very often to the determent of the indigenous population and in many cases in contradiction of its own laws. The west has worked hard to bring about equality laws, laws that are meaningless to Muslims who now wish to introduce their own laws to run in parallel to local laws and in many European countries this is being accepted. To most people this simply isn’t acceptable, many people have fought long hard battles to achieve these laws only to now see that selected groups can opt out. The west does have free speech and if the only way to show that to the interloper is to print silly cartoons then so be it. But somewhere a line needs to be drawn that will stop the gradual erosion of western values. And you don’t have the right to tell me I am wrong unless you are also willing to give up your own right to tell me I am wrong and that is a freedom you would not have to give up if you were under Islamic “law”. What you are arguing for is the right for others to take away the rights you have.
Posted in: Culture clash: European art provokes Muslims