JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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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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- 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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smithinjapan
Serrano: "How much much farther is the U.S. going to fall during Obama's second term?"
Fortunately, you're going to probably be allowed to bow down and admit how wrong you were when Obama is reelected. He'll have had enough time for at least SOME of his legislature to have taken effect -- same way GWB's disasters went into full bloom years after his disastrous aim ended. But I won't expect you to bow down before a camera, but instead pretend how all that is bad is Obama's fault and all Obama's good is thanks to some problematic Republican. :)
Better luck in 2016, my friend. My advice, though, would be to stop blaming others on your own problems (I mean US) and taking the liberties you have to do something about it instead of wishing for miracles (which the GOP promise, but would NEVER deliver... then blame on the Dems!).
Posted in: Surging Gingrich blasts U.S. media, Republican rivals
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smithinjapan
"The draft legislation has won the backing of Hollywood, the music industry, entertainment giants like Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others."
The scumbags in a lot of this. Glad to see them forced to have to think about a new way to screw us. Sure, at the end of the day a person deserves to be paid for an honest day's work, but calling these industries 'honest'? The artist is still going to get $30 M US for starring in the picture, and musicians will still get their millions for being in concerts.
tonsofun: "Before you go around bashing Obama's leadership skills, why don't you do just an ounce of research? Because regardless of whether or not you're right, you still put your foot in your mouth on this one."
unreconstructed look into something before he tries to turn everything into a rant against Obama?? Methinks you ask too much! But OUCH did you serve him some crow!
Posted in: U.S. Congress puts online piracy bills on hold
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smithinjapan
Elvensilvan: "Stop thinking about profits, losses and costs for a while, and make sure the people who pay for your services are safe!"
Wouldn't that be ideal? But it will NEVER happen while governance remains as it is here (and elsewhere, for that matter). Personal profit will always take precedence over the safety of the customer. Always. What has the Japanese government done to punish the company that sold all the radioactive rubble? NOTHING; the excuse being they got it out before the restrictions were in place (even though they never checked after the restrictions WERE put in place).
Posted in: Firewood ash at Nihonmatsu homes found to contain high levels of radioactive cesium
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smithinjapan
oginome: Okay, I should add to my last comment that laws and legislature are indeed passed to better things, but it's often just lip-service, with loop-holes a-plenty, and it's always left of to the businesses/local governments to decide if they should follow. They're reneging on the 40-year rule thing and it hasn't even passed yet!
Posted in: Firewood ash at Nihonmatsu homes found to contain high levels of radioactive cesium
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smithinjapan
oginome: " Don't write off the Japanese, they learn from their mistakes..."
Which is why they're going to make exceptions to the new legislation on 40 year old reactors? which is why they STILL want to build MORE reactors and restart the ones that have been shut down? which is why we are reading about this kind of thing AGAIN after many, many people should have said NOTHING should have been sold from the affected areas to begin with, and/or that this kind of thing will only spread? Which is why the government still makes sales of such products 'up to the local government/business' and only SUGGESTS they don't do it? which is why so man of the people who added to the seriousness of the disaster are still in high ranking positions (instead of jail) or the companies is being bailed out by government instead of nationalized? Better yet, why does Japan, the only nation who suffered a nuclear attack, have so many reactors, want to build more, and is so dependent on nuclear power?
Please! Russia may not learn from its mistakes, and many nations don't, but Japan is certainly among the last in terms of nations that do.
Posted in: Firewood ash at Nihonmatsu homes found to contain high levels of radioactive cesium
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smithinjapan
And if you believe that I've got a bridge to sell you!
What they'll do, AT BEST, is that they will in fact use the funds from a consumption tax increase towards social security, but then use the funds that would ordinarily be used for social security for personal interests and unnecessary public works projects (as well as bringing in more DIET members and hiring more panels to study this and that -- and for whaling, of course).
Posted in: Gov't says revenue from 5% consumption tax hike to be used only for social security
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smithinjapan
I hope the pigs are okay -- and 'Twould be nice if they could escape and somehow live out their lives peacefully. Doubtful, but hey.
What's with trucks having problem keeping their pigs? I guess the first time, a few weeks back, WAS an accident, but still.
Posted in: Escaped pigs cause traffic jam on Hanshin expressway
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smithinjapan
A healthier, more peaceful environment? while both are off working? Someone I was talking to today about Darvish (I didn't know about the divorce until she told me) said it was supposedly because he cheated on her, but I have no idea if it's true or not. Seems pretty sudden.
Posted in: Yu Darvish divorces TV celebrity wife Saeko
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smithinjapan
It's a shame governments don't put so much effort, money, and time into getting rid of organized crime as they do trying to catch people responsible for giving others a show they otherwise can't watch for less than some crazy amount, or perhaps not watch at all. One key difference, of course, is that these people are paid off by the mafia, whereas useless production companies pressure the government over lost funds when it comes to pirating. Like the mafia, though, when one head gets cut off, something else will just hop up in its place.
Posted in: File-sharing site shut down; 7 indicted in U.S.
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smithinjapan
If the baby died soon after birth why would they try to hide it and then get rid of the body later? The only rationale I can think of, aside from sheer insanity, is that the baby perhaps did not die of natural causes so the parents feared the consequences of reporting the death and disposing of the body properly.
Posted in: Woman, father held on suspicion of burning baby's body in park
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smithinjapan
Anyway, good riddance to yet more bad rubbish. They should all quit, really, but one of the clowns needs to take center stage in the GOP before being whipped at the polls later this year.
This really is quite funny to watch.
Posted in: Surging Gingrich blasts U.S. media, Republican rivals
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smithinjapan
Serrano: "The complete joke candidate would be Barack Obama,"
Didn't realize he was running in the GOP candidacy! I do realize you're awfully bitter, though.
"...who has been the biggest joke in presidential history, except that instead of laughter he has brought misery to millions."
Actually, after "except that" you need to insert, "...his predecessor was FAR worse and is directly responsible for the majority of problems Americans face today". Of course, you should also add, following that, that, "Obama has tried to change it but the GOP has simply said, 'no', regardless of what was being proposed, and solely to oppose the Democrats".
THAT would make your statement correct. But SushiSake was bang on -- aside from perhaps that idiot Michelle Bachmann he was definitely the biggest clown out of them (the biggest, mind you... they are all clowns running at the moment).
Posted in: Surging Gingrich blasts U.S. media, Republican rivals
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smithinjapan
Wurthington: I agree with you 100%. Darvish has a lot of potential, and I hope he realizes it and becomes one of the MLB's better pitchers. Matsuzaka also had a lot of potential and got a MASSIVE contract after a lot of negotiating, and we all know what happened to him. Back to Iwakuma and HIS whining (and his manager's), you'll notice this time around when he got a contract they did not mention how much they agreed to (at least not at first). My guess is it was not near what he was demanding before.
It's a shame he's losing a lot of the money to pay his ex-wife, but 112 Mil is MORE than enough until we see how he performs.
Posted in: Fighters manager says $112 mil too low for Darvish
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smithinjapan
Geez, A Japanees manager whining about MASSIVE contracts -- go figure. This guy should take a page from Iwakuma's history book and realize managers only hurt those they represent when they make outrageous demands. He's getting TEN MILLION US per year, for six years. After that, assuming he does well, he will be in a position to demand more.
I'm sick of all these Japanese managers and/or players demanding so much when they've yet to prove themselves in the (US) majors, and then in many cases amount to a hill of beans and get sent home.
Posted in: Fighters manager says $112 mil too low for Darvish
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smithinjapan
The guy ONLY gets six months?? His neglect could result in a criminal being released back into society. Worse yet if the crinimal is innocent but they falsify evidence to make him look guilty, as Osaka inspectors are well known to do (big scandal a couple years back involving people all the way up to judges!) someone will suffer because of this man's stupidity. Six months for the drunken incident, I understand, but for losing and then falsifying evidence he should be canned at the very least, and in addition charged with some crimes at best.
One reason why things like this seem to happen so often (corruption, drunken incidents with police, etc.) is that the punishment is so mild.
Posted in: Osaka assistant police inspector accused of falsifying evidence
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smithinjapan
Okay, so I'm going to try and understand this:
There's steam blocking the photos, but the temperature inside the reactor is 44 degrees. The can't find the fuel but are insinuate it would not have gone through the concrete bottom (just say it may have reached there), and yet the water surface could not be found (seeming to indicate it has drained SOMEWHERE, and they find leaks of radioactive water outside the plants when they bother to look. Hmmmmm...
"...hoping the first look inside since the crisis would help them better assess reactor conditions and make repairs."
SURELY they mean repairs so that they can get in and completely disable and eventually dissassemble the things. Knowing TEPCO, though, they're probably aiming to salvage what they can for use later.
Posted in: Endoscope shows radiation, steam, rusty metal inside Fukushima reactor
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smithinjapan
So Azumi, after going 180 on his promise to his American counter-part, said Russia and China should solve the thing on Japan's behalf? Sounds like Japan just wants to look good by saying they'll 'consider' (after retracting the promise) joining the sanctions and lessening oil imports, but also want to keep importing to avoid any negative effects from not doing so. This issue is more serious, but didn't they learn from Hatoyama what happens when you promise opposing parties they'll both get what they want?
Posted in: Azumi wary of Iran sanctions impact
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smithinjapan
"The approval would pave the way for resumption of the reactors if local communities consent."
Hahaha! Like they won't restart them when the public ultimately disapproves. They ALWAYS do this -- seek support but do something anyway when they don't get it. Restarting the reactors means BIG money for the companies, which means big envelopes for those with vested interests. They're not going to pass up the chance to make more. They'll "ask for understanding" and Edano will say, "We can't allow you to be in the same room where the panel is taking place, so sorry, but the restarting of the reactors will not harm human health", but they'll most certainly restart them.
Posted in: Stress test
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smithinjapan
Agree with bonword -- why on earth do they not have a contingency plan put into place in case of this kind of error? The IC player doesn't work? make sure you have a copy of the script (and maybe in the case of English test have someone there who can read English well as a last resort) and backup CD or something. I heard one of the biggest problems was with social studies, wherein the test method had changed greatly and the monitors/proctors didn't know what they were supposed to do for it.
Anyway, this really sucks for the kids who have to take it again, as many of them would otherwise be focussed on studying for university entrance exams. Now they've got to reexperience the hell that is this exam.
Posted in: Errors result in highest ever number of entrance exams retakers
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smithinjapan
I was talking about this with a woman this morning and she told me that apparently Japan USED TO start the school year in Autumn (around the start of September), but it was later changed to start and end in line with the fiscal year.
Going back to the system of starting the school year in September is a great idea, though more for students in general than as a means to lure in international students and students/teachers on exchange (Nicky is correct with the language barrier comment). I just think it's odd to start a new year in April and then after a few months have the longest vacation of the year, then go back and resume the school year in the second term. It makes a lot more sense to finish the school year and then have the summer vacation, then start anew in September. If Todai does this others would definitely follow suit. I have my doubts they will actually do it, though, as 'considering' seems to take an awfully long time here, and radical changes like this are often met with criticism from radical elements simply because Japan (in this case Todai, of course) would be aligning itself with foreign countries.
Posted in: University of Tokyo considering autumn start to academic year