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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sf2k
TEPCO was not mentioned as a cause in this article. TEPCO, which single-handedly destroyed Japan's reputation and mired Europe in memories of Chernobyl.
Merely being angry wasn't the reason, that was the result. If a news organization doesn't know the difference between cause and effect, then what quality of information can anyone receive?
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sf2k
I think this should be immortalized in sculpture
Posted in: Nap time
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sf2k
maybe it's an art piece: Parkmen. They're certainly dedicated
Posted in: Nap time
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sf2k
air traffic controller on the left, and his ever present subordinate-trainee
Posted in: Nap time
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sf2k
One guy making do with the commuter train position. Handy anywhere
Posted in: Nap time
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sf2k
YY. hope so!
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sf2k
Yes indeed, you are absolutely right there are not the same. America has massive wind potential many times that of Germany. But it's Germany that is doing something and getting a strong return on that investment. Also not the same. Doing nothing ensures nothing is done. Doing something makes something. Amazing isn't it? America is sitting on a lottery ticket and won't cash it in. Why run away from it?
Whoa, easy on the dying airline industry. People aren't ready for that conversation yet. Nothing is going to replace the fuel of a 747. It's old technology. Also the airlines are crippling themselves on worsening service year after year and many will go belly up soon enough.
Technically, you can power a Cessna with microwaves (Canadian experiment 1980's) and I suppose it could be ramped up to airliner scale but that gets problematic with tracking and either burns up land or atmosphere if there's a miss!
Obviously then, the better choice for scale and price and as a known quantity has to be high speed rail between major cities on land. The good news is that most of the railway is still there rusting in the rain for local transit for slower local stops. These are two systems. You need both to make the high speed system work at scale. (Sadly Shinkansen was stopped in Florida. I was really hoping for that one! )
Rail would at least be locally electrically powered, so priced locally, and local jobs that cannot be exported. Not dependent on the kindness of Saudi Arabia. Or choose continued dependence on the kindness and stability of Nigeria, Angola, Saudi Arabia et al. I don't get it. Why continue the facade when America could be a green powerhouse?
I don't understand why this is even an argument. America is bleeding money but outright refuses to save energy, because everyone must drive a car. J H Kunstler refers to this as the Psychology of Previous Investment. Our parents drove a car and thus we will too, even if it no longer makes economic sense. There is no price too high and no option available. It's just not possible to crack that viewpoint and instead offer better design.
So much engineering from America gets transplanted around the world. It's just weird that it's never used in America at similar scales.
It's okay, do what you feel you need to do. I'm sure a lot of you will be perfectly fine. I'll just say thank you America for your education. The rest of the world is certainly putting it to good use.
Texas has a lot of windmills and is doing quite well with it as are many other states. Using wind doesn't mean giving up on all other systems. It builds resilience. Respect all energy systems, but see them for what they are, and work within their capabilities.
How can anyone be upset about reducing oil when most of it isn't even from America? Can it be explained why there is such an entitlement towards foreign oil imports?
sorry for the length of post. lots of questions
Posted in: Obama announces steps to speed up U.S. oil production
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sf2k
Yes, of course. But a real market, not the American oligarchs. The subsidies for solar, wind etc are no where close to the ongoing never ending subsidies for the oil industry amassed over the last 80 years that no one bats an eye at. If everyone had the same then they'd be doing great. Or no subsidies for everyone and suddenly the real costs would be apparent. (pollution costs, transit costs, construction etc). Not all alternatives would survive but some would. Too many oil lobbyists would cry bloody murder and job losses though. Can't have that.
Oddly Germany has a subsidy program that shrinks over time. In the next nine years 30% of their energy will be wind powered. This is in a country that compared to America hasn't equivalent wind resources, so that's easily an avenue that America can try, and even surpass. They also use biogas and a bunch of others together to offset weakness in one for strength in another. (Winning!) They are at least trying to get off coal and nuclear. Likely that will always be a base load, but mixed in with more successful and flexible alternatives, green jobs are thus looking quite positive, and locally based.
Since going cold turkey for America is unlikely as your fear of a market system foreshadows, subsidies can work if they are used with the proviso that they are not permanent and track downwards over time. The end result are jobs and a new industry that grows into the position which can stand on it's own feet as the eventual goal.
Oil doesn't qualify because the extra costs passed to consumers would be riotously unacceptable, and the costs would never go down, thus subsidies are permanent.
Oil as well was developed over 80 years and to compare it other industries in their infancy isn't possible. Given the same conditions, other sources would be equally viable, with the market sorting out winners and losers and not governments. They have come this far and it's not even 80 years. This remains a concept not understood in America which is missing the boat on jobs and opportunities. For all its free market PR bluster, it's quite a controlled energy society monopoly/oligarchy.
Sadly America will continue to suffer for it as dictatorships of oil are replaced with democracies who no longer want to sell, or will reduce exports due to increases for their own use.
My own country is also delusional about the tarsands scaling up to meet American demand. I don't see it happening. Not enough water and natural gas or new refineries no one wants to talk about. Not the end mind you, just that it can't scale to the demand.
Time well past to get off the sauce. We both have tons of energy NOT oil/gas/natural gas/shale related and can make quite a lot of electricity which is more efficient. We know we can do it. But we're held back by a risk adverse shareholder driven economy.
High speed trains? go to Europe or Asia. Wind? Europe or Asia. Thinner people? Lower mortality rates? Quality of life?
We got a lot of work to do, and one area where there should be no issue is in alternative energy.
Cheers
Posted in: Obama announces steps to speed up U.S. oil production
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sf2k
you forgot the oil/gas industry. It has to be a level playing field for everyone, or it means nothing.
Posted in: Obama announces steps to speed up U.S. oil production
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sf2k
Revel in higher oil and gas prices. Only in their increase do the market forces kick in to drive alternatives into the marketplace. That's how markets work. Otherwise crying to the gov't to bail out multi billion dollar profiteering companies per year is ridiculous on top of irony.
Let the market work and invest in the changes needed, not padding the cliff diving of industries that must surely be allowed to fail.
From failure renews opportunities to change. This is not something to fear. America has reshaped itself many times. Sure there are ups and downs but in the end this used to be a strength. The GOP has long sold itself off to Big Oil and everyday that influences government decisions is another day the market is not being allowed to offer alternatives to the problem. Too bad to watch this all crumble.
Posted in: Obama announces steps to speed up U.S. oil production
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sf2k
The market forces have spoken, and with an energy inequity of having 5% but using 20% then there is no way that that inequity can change unless Americans stop their insane driving and cross continent trucking and build real walkable communities with local food which is much cheaper.
In the meantime, you need higher prices for gas for alternatives to become viable. That's how a market works. Otherwise it's just subsidizing oil so those companies can rake in billions more profits. I'm sure that will go over well.
Also USA doesn't control the Chinese economy, the current driver of oil prices. They can afford the oil price while America really can't. It's hasn't been the anaemic US economy since their crash in 2008 or more.
America isn't driving the market to begin with, so how can anything they say change it if they are ignoring change and the market forces that should be pushing it?
Burst that bubble and rebuild America. The old ways only drag you further down.
Posted in: Obama announces steps to speed up U.S. oil production
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sf2k
sailboats are ships too, and never needed "eco-" in front of them to denote that they are still ships. Overuse of a prefix does not make it correct.
Posted in: Eco Marine Power launches eco-ship study
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sf2k
how eco-interesting for an eco-advertisement. I eco-wonder what they are eco-selling?
Posted in: Eco Marine Power launches eco-ship study
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sf2k
sorry, I have a life
Posted in: Google-powered laptops to go on sale in 7 countries June 15
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sf2k
Sony, its
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sf2k
That it has to be explained that the USA is no better than OBL by this action, is quite lost on a country that has the death penalty and who only sought revenge to begin with.. That this will undermine it's future is equally obvious...
I can understand if they felt it was a necessity, but in the end it would have been better for any pretext of "American Justice" for him to have been captured
American Allies will be wary to help in future
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sf2k
this will continue to be "released" over and over for every decade of my life
Posted in: 'Star Wars' saga coming to Blu-ray
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sf2k
If you want any airline, nationalize them. The only way to finance their losses are with taxes. Because it's not going to be the tourists if nobody can afford a ticket.
Eventually the fuel will have to be saved for overseas flights, and leave domestic travel to electric powered trains
Posted in: Airlines say they have no choice but to pass the increase in oil prices on to passengers in the form of a higher fuel tax? Do you agree?
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sf2k
The airlines are the Peak Oil canaries in a coal mine. First, airlines will go bankrupt, then demand gov't buyout, then service will continue to drop. Corn oil doesn't power a plane. Or Palm oil or what have you. There's not enough energy density. Enjoy it while you can. It'll be a few years yet.
Posted in: Airlines say they have no choice but to pass the increase in oil prices on to passengers in the form of a higher fuel tax? Do you agree?
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sf2k
I find your lack of faith...disturbing
Posted in: 'Star Wars' saga coming to Blu-ray