JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Financial Advisor
- Select Asset Management KK, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥100,000 ~ ¥999,999 Paid Training Commission Based
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- Corporate Business English Trainers
- ACT Systems, Inc.（株式会社アクト・システムズ）, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥269,500 ~ ¥280,000 / Month
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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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plasticmonkey
This photo pretty much sums up the spirit of current Media Japan, and it makes me sick: "it's my business, popular is always good, you can't prove what you think, it doesn't mean what you think it does, it makes some people happy, it's part of Japanese culture, it's not your business." As a father with a daughter, I hope these people sleep real uneasy till they come to their senses and stop the promotion of this pathology. It produces nothing but harm. Please!
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plasticmonkey
"The whole earth got down on its knees, looking for a little ease . . ."
Posted in: Volcano erupts again with big blast of ash, rocks
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plasticmonkey
If they sincerely apologize to the turtle community for causing trouble and show the jury how they have atoned for their sins by their loss of respect in the turtle smuggling industry, then they may receive a suspended sentence.
Oops. Wrong country.
Posted in: 2 Japanese men indicted in Los Angeles in turtle smuggling case
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plasticmonkey
@yabits: How can you compare Sofia Coppola to Ozu? I thought the Virgin Suicides was very good because it had something creepy lurking beneath the surface, but every one of her films since then has become less substantive and more pretentious. Lost in Translation has its moments, though none are there when you watch it again. Marie Antoinette is awful in almost every respect. This new one is supposed to be worse, with Sofia stripping the narrative down to nothing. People driving around, doing nothing, talking about nothing. I love minimal filmmaking (like Ozu), but only when it knows what it's going after (and I don't necessarily mean linear plot) and knows when to stop. Ozu was great at choosing seemingly pedestrian moments that still resonate deeply. Sofia seems to want to manufacture moments through simplicity alone, as though the style itself will distinguish itself from the usual Hollywood mainstream fluff. She needs to get over herself in the same way Tarantino does.
Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. Ozu is not relevant to this discussion.
Posted in: Here and there
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plasticmonkey
Something must be getting lost in translation. My Western brain can't process this statement.
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plasticmonkey
WilliB, how much partisanship do you find in the word "we"? Is it so hard to swallow reasonableness?
Posted in: Obama, at Arizona memorial service, says polarized nation needs healing
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plasticmonkey
@WilliB: Now, if you were president, what would you say or do in this situation? Would you stay in bed and pretend the nation wasn't shocked? Or would you address the situation? If the latter, how would your address proceed? Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States, Willi B!
Posted in: Obama, at Arizona memorial service, says polarized nation needs healing
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plasticmonkey
Well, in a country where you're not encouraged to be a real person, might as well be an imaginary princess. Very sad.
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plasticmonkey
@sarge:
"Healing" doesn't necessarily entail anybody giving up their ideals or agendas, whether conservative or liberal. You make it sound like the Democrats took over the nation by putsch. I hate to tell you this, but there are many many millions of American citizens who share a liberal agenda (and it's not a dirty word) with their democratically elected president. Healing just means stopping the childish namecalling, fearmongering, hysteria, and exaggeration that has taken over political discourse in America.
Get a grip, America.
Posted in: Obama, at Arizona memorial service, says polarized nation needs healing
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plasticmonkey
To those who have sabotaged reasonable discourse with extremist rhetoric, fearmongering, deliberate misinformation, demonizing those on the other side as socialists, fascists, baby-killers, etc. : you are an inspiration to dangerous nutcases like this Arizona bloke. Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Fox and Friends have blood on their hands. The shooter may be crazy, but the right wing fear machine gave him a cause to follow. RIP to those who died unnecessarily.
Posted in: Arizona Rep Giffords shot, 6 killed, including judge, 9-year-old girl
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plasticmonkey
Do I hear violins.
Any officer who needs to stimulate masturbation on video to boost morale is a loser, and any real sailor knows it. The navy doesn't need a captain with such lack of wisdom. There's a lot of lewdness that goes on in the armed forces, but this is just dumb. I can't believe anybody's defending this guy. It has nothing to do with DADT or whatever you think of PCness or Obama's military or the so-called 'chickification' of America. Real officers don't do this, and he would have been fired under Reagan as quickly as now.
Posted in: U.S. Navy commander loses carrier job over lewd videos
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plasticmonkey
RIP -- great actor.
Posted in: Oscar-nominated British actor Pete Postlethwaite dies at 64
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plasticmonkey
@JeffLee -- I agree. When a majority, Islam is dictatorial. When a minority, it is angry.
Posted in: 5 arrested in plot to attack prophet cartoon paper in Denmark
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plasticmonkey
Countries like Denmark accept these immigrants/refugees/asylum seekers under the openness of their system and offers them full rights to free exercise of religion and speech. And then these people decide that other residents of their new home should not be allowed such freedoms, and will kill randomly to make their point. Truly amazing how low their religion can drag them. Is this how to treat a host who's taken you in?
Posted in: 5 arrested in plot to attack prophet cartoon paper in Denmark
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plasticmonkey
repentjapan: I never claimed my discourse to be civilized. I am not terribly civilized in this particular context, and for that I apologize. I aim to be rational and honest to what we humans can positively share. You may take it for what it's worth, but I want to find a place of common understanding and growth. You are not a fool. I hope I am not, and strive not to be.
I wish you peace in your convictions.
Posted in: Waiting for a sign
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plasticmonkey
@repentjapan: I'll repent before I go to bed, and after I brush the sins off my teeth. You say you're not trying to evangelize in this thread. Then you are here to defend against blasphemy or apostacy?
You are also obviously not telling the truth about your involvement with BDL. We go from:
to
to
to
You clearly are breaking (or at least flaunting) one of the more relevant commandments here.
BTW I repent a lot. To people who are close to me, to people that I have harmed, to people I must mend broken ties with. And I do it because I want to, because it's important to us. I do not repent in fear of an imaginary God who throws a hissy fit when people disobey an erratic set of iron age laws (see Deuteronomy). Have you sacrificed any goats recently?
Posted in: Waiting for a sign
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plasticmonkey
@repentjapan: There's really no use having a reasonable discourse with you if all you can come up with is Bible quotes. You are simply unable to question the validity of the Bible as heaven-sent truth. And what you are quoting to us here is irrelevant.
You're saying that myself and other non-believers choose not to believe because we love darkness? That is just utter baloney! Speaking for myself and probably most others, I can say with utter honesty that I wish to do good in this world. I do not believe in Christianity because I have a brain, and I cannot turn it off.
I have a question for you. The only two motives for belief in Christ can be these: 1) you believe Christ will make you a more loving person 2) you want to get a reward (in heaven)
The first is clearly debatable (witness GW Bush and the tens of thousands needlessly killed in Iraq, as one example). The second reason I find horribly selfish. Which is it for you?
Posted in: Waiting for a sign
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plasticmonkey
So is it like Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Islam means 'submission', and radical Muslims also shun human reason for blind subservience to scripture. I'm sure they lay claim to the "truth" with as much heart as you do. Which way should non-believers follow?
I am a moral person and I do my utmost to do good for others. Reward or punishment in the afterlife should be irrelevant in the equation. I grew up in a very religious household and wrestled deeply with these issues for many years. Religion simply divides people into clubs. Some people need that. I do not. I have become a better person having shed my Christian shackles.
You're going to convince very, very few people just by quoting scripture. Of course you are entitled to continue doing so if it makes you feel better. While I don't agree with your belief and calling, I sincerely encourage you to find a more effective method of evangelism. BDL has been giving Christianity a very negative image in this country.
Posted in: Waiting for a sign
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plasticmonkey
Wolfpack: Of course there is no proof that God does not exist, just as there is no proof that the Flying Spaghetti Monster does not exist. It is up to the believer to offer convincing evidence that God does exist. Standing on a street corner holding up signs of Bible verses -- written aeons ago by fallible humans -- is not convincing to anyone but the desperate and delusional.
@repentjapan: I don't sneer at you BDL folks. I do feel sorry for those kids who are roped into working for a cause I doubt they truly grasp.
The good news of the Bible is enough? Well, I guess that takes a big load of responsibility off you, then. No need to use your noodle to convince anyone of the truth. Just throw some scripture at the wall and see what sticks?
Posted in: Waiting for a sign
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plasticmonkey
Christianity has had 600 years more than Islam to start pulling out of the Stone Age, which is why the Pope can call for patience, hope, and restraint instead of revenge. Ultimately, though, charitable impulses come from a humble/realistic view of humanity, and our place and future in the world. Religion has had nothing to do with it, though believers like to claim goodness for themselves.
Posted in: Pope urges courage for Catholics in China, Iraq