JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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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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- Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Kanto region
- RCS (RCSコーポレーション), Kanto
- Salary: ¥180,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month includes performance bonus
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- Assistant Language Teacher - TOKYO - late-March start
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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timorborder
however today homo japonicus desire is focused on the infantile, passive, submissive, dumb, mini-skirted teenager.
Commonly referred to as sexploitation
Posted in: Nikkatsu revives successful porn genre of ’70s and ’80s
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timorborder
In any case, the current state of Japanese army will change swiftly if/when US leaves; them main reason for its unseemly state is the fact that they don't really need to worry about wars since US is expected to fight them for Japan.
And who do you think would arm a resurgent Japan? One of the issues that many people forget when talking about the US-Japan alliance is that the simple presence of the US Forces reins in some more extreme elements of Japan's political establishment. All you have to do is go down to the local train station and see who I mean (the clowns in the black trucks). If the US bugged out, perhaps it would be gloves off over some unresolved territorial issues.
Furthermore, if the US ever decided to put Japan to the test and leave the country, where would the Japanese buy the arms they need to defend themselves (if you believe that Japan would have to rearm in the absence of a US benefactor). Who knows, if the shoe were on the other foot, perhaps the US would not sell to Japan?
Finally, when I was in the army, I never trained with the Japanese Self Defense Forces, however, I do have a friend who tried to teach them the basics of mine-detection in Cambodia (with the UN Forces). His opinion was that your average Japanese grunt was a greater danger to himself than anybody else.
Posted in: Ragtag military left to defend Japan on shoestring budget
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timorborder
As a former member of the military (the infantry), I should say that soldiers (especially) have to put up with a degree of discomfort when they are deployed. This is because every little convenience requires some poor sod to carry it. As such, I used to endure the pleasure of not bathing (or changing clothes) for 2 or 3 months at a time. Fresh food (even things like rice and the meely bugs) were also a delicacy. We invariably used to survive on something called "cxm in a cup" (which was the contents of a 24H ration pack - everything for chocolate to chicken satay - heated in a water bottle cup). The name itself came from the condensed milk we used to add as topping. Not exactly 5 star food, but it did the job.
That being said, however, having fixed facilities that are falling down around your ears is just not on. Furthermore, rationing toilet paper is ridiculous and dangerous, because using newspaper can be very painful.
Posted in: Ragtag military left to defend Japan on shoestring budget
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timorborder
To the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism."
Does this mean that the Catholic Church under Pope Benedict does not believe all aspects of anti-Semitism are shameful? What a relief, there are probably any number of Muslim fundamentalists, radical Christians and white supremacists who are breathing a collective sigh of relief.
Cynicism off
Posted in: Pope's preacher: Accusations akin to anti-Semitism
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timorborder
Before I pass comment, it is funny how the media distinguish between the world-famous Takeshi Kitano and the somewhat low-brow Beat Takeshi.
Anyway, with regard to this issue (and the whole pantomime of public hearings on government expenditures), Takeshi has hit the nail right on the head.
Indeed, with such policies (and others such as the US-Japan security saga), the DPJ has shown itself to be incapable of formulating realistic policy, instead pandering to the lowest common denominator via the leveraging of populist hysteria rather than policy substance. Although I hate to say it, the fundamentally corrupt organization that is the LDP is starting to look like the better of two evils.
Posted in: Beat Takeshi snaps at DPJ lawmaker over space budget cuts
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timorborder
I have heard that unwanted puppies in this country (and dogs for that matter) used to end up on the dissection slab at veterinary schools, etc. Obviously, when such information became widely known, there was a bit of a backlash. Talking to my local vet (and some of his colleagues), these days many veterinary students actually have problems getting enough hands-on experience with cadavers. As such, on graduation from university some (like young doctors) face a rather deep learning curve.
Considering this, here is another nugget of advice for any potential dog owners. When you get your dog make sure that you find a good vet (who in my case was somebody who was not apt to run from the room in stark terror on first seeing my larger dog). Anyway, in the course of your dealings with this person, find out about donating your dog (when they die) to a veterinary school. This might sound a bit callous, however, it is a lot better than being at the mercy of the vultures in this country that run pet funeral services (such a stupid idea). Moreover, if your dog is interesting enough, the vet might even give you a discount if you rent it out to him in order to impress his colleagues (lol).
Posted in: A dog's life
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timorborder
You get to find out that the other person wears socks in bed before you marry them.
Posted in: What are the pros and cons of living together with someone before you marry that person?
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timorborder
This is an accident waiting to happen.
Posted in: Kansai International Airport brings in Segways to beef up security
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timorborder
Where do I start? Firstly, I have been to a number of dog shows in Japan, dragging along our guide dog (for guide dog PR and donations) and dragging along our monster dog for the purpose of intimidation and sometimes demonstrations of what a huge mastiff offers in the way of home protection (lol). Anyway, here are a number of wild generalizations:
Unfortunately, like parenthood owning a dog does not require that potential owners pass any form of test. The result of this is that there are lots of people out there that have no idea of what they are doing. My own pet pev (pun intended) are those people whose relationship with their dog is far too egalitarian. To put it simply, dogs are animals that thrive in a pack. As such, they expect and accept a degree of structure in their lives (with their owner actually exhibiting leadership). These people that put their dogs on a pedestal and pamper them to excess are doing no favor to themselves or their mutts.
Now with regard to saving dogs from the pound (and the threat of death), this is something that I am all in favor of. At the same time, a couple of words of caution. Firstly, before you pick up a dog from the pound, you should consider how it got there. Was it neglect (which in most countries is covered under animal abuse laws)? Was it for some medical or behavioral reason? Anyway, while understanding the desire to help these animals in distress, you have to realize that you are buying yourself into a life time commitment. For better or worse. This can mean both a lot of enjoyment and potentially a lot of aggro/expenditure if you find that your new friend has some previously unrecognized mental/health issues. Either way, as soon as you put your name on the dotted line, you are responsible for the animal in question.
Now, with regard to Japan and pedigree dogs, I think that the country has gone crazy. Pedigrees themselves are just a declaration of how the puppy came to be, listing parents, grandparents and so forth. They are no indication as to the quality of the dog. At the current time, terms such as "Champion" etc. after a dog's name simply mean that the dog has been judged as being a very good physical example of the Breed Standard (guidelines that describe the physical appearance and temperament of different breeds). It is no indication as to the physical health of the dog. Case in point, I can think of many "champion" dogs who have later been found to be carrying genetic diseases, diseases that have been passed onto puppies through breeding. The whole charade is deplorable. If you really want to get hold of a good pedigree dog, here are some quick pointers:
Do not buy from pet shops, many of whom buy in their puppies from puppy mills (places that indiscriminately breed dogs).
Contact a breed association (people who actually like the specific breed). They can introduce reputable breeders.
Always meet the canine parents. This is especially important if you want to buy a muscle dog (a rottweiler, German Shepherd, etc). In such cases it is important to know that your little bundle of joy is not going to grow into an overly-aggressive monster.
Consider a rescue dog. To get around the health issues problem, mixed breed dogs are good option because the mixing of breeds can often override genetic problems.
Contact the guide dog association (sorry I am biased). The training of guide dogs (and other social service dogs) is not a perfect science. As such, you always get some puppies who are unsuitable for the stressful life of a guide dog. The guide dog association makes these puppies available for adoption. They also desex the animal before giving it to you. The great advantage of social service dogs is that very rarely have any genetic issues.
Finally, make sure that you are capable of controlling any dog you get. I know that in the movies, every tough-guy has a rottweiler or a pit-bull on the end of his leash, however, please do not get in over your head.
Cheers.
PS. Having been bitten on a couple of occasions, I especially hate Yorkshire Terriers!!!
Posted in: A dog's life
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timorborder
Let's just hope this "planter" was only for growing flowers. Imagine if this woman was growing some veggies and distributing them to the neighbors.
"Sakuma-san, how do you get your tomatoes to grow so well?"
Posted in: Remains of 2nd infant found in planter on veranda of Osaka woman's apartment
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timorborder
For an organized religion that places emphasis on telling the truth, these guys are definitely talking out their collective axse. Indeed, wouldn't it be better to come clean about this whole sordid issue, jailing the people responsible for any crimes?
Posted in: Vatican offers 3 reasons why it is not liable for abuse
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timorborder
This woman won't be getting away with anything. As somebody earlier pointed out, "abandoning a body" gives the police enough leverage to get the woman down the cells, for days on end if necessary. Meanwhile, a postmortem will be conducted on the remains to determine if the baby was stillborn or alive. If the child was alive, then the cops have another piece of bamboo to put under the woman's fingernails.
Posted in: 13-yr-old boy finds newborn baby's body in planter on veranda
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timorborder
He's back..... Everybody's favorite sometimes bare-chested, pajama-clad judo fanatic is back. And this time he means business.... Let's just hope there are no Washington Treaty-protected tigers between Vlad and his target.
Posted in: Putin talks tough after Moscow subway bombings
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timorborder
All societies produce their own crop of nuts every so often. In the US it is varieties such as the Branch Dravidian, the Manson Family, etc. Here in Japan it was Matsumoto Chizuo and his goons, meanwhile India produces Cashews, I believe.
Posted in: Christian militia accused of plotting to kill police in U.S.
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timorborder
That's all we need. Just when you think things are settling down, our come the nut jobs.
Posted in: Christian militia accused of plotting to kill police in U.S.
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timorborder
On a practical level, I wonder how happy the troops were to see the C-in-C. Talking to an old American friend of mine (who I served with many years ago), he told me the story of when a junket from Congress decided to visit the boys and girls serving in Iraq a couple of years ago. Anyway, some of these politicians decided that they were not satisfied with the usual dog and pony show, and they asked for the opportunity to go out and meet the locals (this was when market bombings were all the rage in Baghdad). Let's just say that the grunts who had to screen this little photo opportunity were not too happy with their elected officials. I wonder what the normal grunt's view of Obama's visit was this time around?
Posted in: Obama makes surprise visit to Afghanistan
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timorborder
Why is it that the children in this sandbox cannot just get along with each other and discuss the issue at hand. Seriously, some of you seem to have ingested one of those little presents left by the neighborhood cat. Get over it!!!!
Anyway, with regard to Obama's visit to Afghanistan, I am glad that he has taken the time to get out of Washington and at least see something of what is happening in the country. Then again, I was happy that Bush also did the same thing when he was in office.
Posted in: Obama makes surprise visit to Afghanistan
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timorborder
Is this actually a newsworthy event? The reason I ask is that it seems to happen all too often in this country.
Furthermore, the man/child in this article should not be allowed to hide behind the misconception that he is still a child. Try him as an adult and punish him accordingly.
Posted in: Man, 19, arrested for beating girlfriend's 2-yr-old son to death
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timorborder
Nothing against McCain, a man of principles who served his country with honor. Indeed, I often wonder what the current world would be like if McCain had managed to beat GW back in 2000.
At the same time, however, it worries me that McCain would have anything further to do with Palin, whose lack of knowledge of various issues during the last election was both scary and somewhat funny. Again, in the interests of a vibrant political democracy, surely the GOP can come up with somebody a lot better than Sarah Palin?
Posted in: Her career rising, Palin now gives McCain a boost
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timorborder
operation of equestrian classes
That settles it. They should shoot this scumbag and his horse!!
Posted in: Sleazy English sensei avoided suspicion for years