taikan said...

taikan at 01:00 AM JST - 20th December

This program sounds like the Civilian Conservation Corps established in the US by President Roosevelt to provide employment during the depression. Thus, it appears that Hatoyama is either predicting a coming depression or trying to take steps to avoid one

Posted in Gov't plans to recruit urban youths to work in rural areas at 01:00 AM JST - 20th December
taikan at 12:10 PM JST - 17th December

Sarge --

No pardon necessary.

The only reason a pardon may not be necessary is if the next administration decides, for political reasons. not to prosecute. Waterboarding is a crime under both US law and the international law of war. The United States has prosecuted and convicted members of its…

Posted in Guantanamo should stay open, waterboarding OK: Cheney at 12:10 PM JST - 17th December
taikan at 07:37 AM JST - 3rd December

Unfortunately, this article fails to identify the "think tank" that is the source of the report, the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. This is one of the most conservative "think tanks" in Washington, and it is not likely to have much, if any, influence on the policies adopted…

Posted in New report urges Japan to ease ban on collective self-defense at 07:37 AM JST - 3rd December
taikan at 07:46 AM JST - 13th November

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is sending out an army of top evaluators into government agencies to study the sprawling U.S. bureaucracy

This is done by every incoming administration. Unfortunately, in most instances the "evaluators" are people who want jobs in the very agencies/offices they are supposed to evaluate, so they…

Posted in Obama forms teams to study government agencies at 07:46 AM JST - 13th November
taikan at 03:42 AM JST - 8th November

If a tourist is looking for beach, and a local friendly bar. Where are they going to find it?

You need to get outside of Tokyo more. There are tremendous beaches all along the West coast of Japan. The water is relatively warm (at least, in the Summer) and usually…

Posted in What does Japan need to do in order to attract more tourists? at 03:42 AM JST - 8th November
taikan at 08:52 AM JST - 7th November

If the government wants to attract more tourists, it should conduct surveys of departing tourists to find out what they liked and what they didn't like about their visit to Japan.

For example, I have heard complaints from friends who have visited Japan about the fact that most trains (including…

Posted in What does Japan need to do in order to attract more tourists? at 08:52 AM JST - 7th November
taikan at 04:22 AM JST - 5th November

notimpressed -- An essay is a literary form, not a scholarly form of writing. One of the major differences between an essay and a scholarly article is that the former does not require citation to authorities while the latter does require such citation. Of course, citation to relevant authorities is…

Posted in Ex-ASDF chief retires following dismissal; stands by views at 04:22 AM JST - 5th November
taikan at 07:30 AM JST - 31st October

There are a number of factors. These include more inspection and better methods of detection that result in the discovery of instances of contamination that previously would not have been discovered in the absence of a large outbreak of illness caused by the contamination. An increase in the frequency of…

Posted in Why are food scandals surfacing one after another and what can be done about it? at 07:30 AM JST - 31st October
taikan at 02:22 AM JST - 31st October

Except when prodded by their leaders, most people don't have the time or the energy to "hate" the people of another country unless the countries are neighbors that previously have been involved in one or more wars against each other (and the atrocities that so commonly are perpetrated in connection…

Posted in Iran's top leader says hatred for U.S. runs deep at 02:22 AM JST - 31st October
taikan at 02:13 AM JST - 31st October

The hanging of an effigy, however tasteless, is a form of "speech" which is protected by the First Amendment. However, there is a key distinction between the hanging of the Palin effigy and the Obama effigy. One was on private property and the other was on public property. As such,…

Posted in Obama effigy found on university campus; hanging Palin effigy removed at 02:13 AM JST - 31st October