Aaron2008 comments

Posted in: TEPCO couldn’t get battery during Fukushima meltdown; went to hardware store the next day See in context

Whatever people may think, consider the wealth of information, the knowledge and the evidence of whistle blowers in this case. On top of that, the business culture here does not allow for people to step outside the group and report ineptitude. There should have been back up upon back ups in this case. You know if this were to happen anywhere else the public would be out if control. Look at the 1960's Japan. Way different. They are all drones now.

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Posted in: Schoolgirl says education pointless; gets schooled in debate on Twitter See in context

I admire her outspokeness, she actually has an opinion and by virtue of youth, she is allowed to have illogical arguments toward education.

Now, judging by the amount of university educated young people who are doomed to part time jobs if they are lucky, the high schooler is not to be brushed off as being a wingnut. It's easy to understand her disallusionment.

All those promises, study hard, go to the right school, her parents payed so much money for cram school, secondary education (as it is not publicly funded) and finally, university.

Yes, she is not far from her opinion. Will there be a job there paying more than minimum wage?

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Posted in: Comedian suggests using Japanese with American accent to stealthily broach uncomfortable topics See in context

So ifuu I speaku in zis waaayu, itsu oke? Sank you berry much.

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Posted in: Gov't employees to start work early, finish early in July, August See in context

Research is an interesting concept. Before the occupation, Japan used "western standard time" for western Okinawa and Taiwan and then "Central Standard Time" for the mainland of Japan and Korea. Then from 1948-51, Japan observed DST between May and September every year under an initiative of the U.S.-led occupation army. " The information is there, check it out.

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Posted in: Kan says sales tax debate will come after July election See in context

my2sense, I too, remember those halcyon days when I was 18 and arrived in Japan to visit friends in Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagano. The hospitality was akin to being a movie star and money was no object. I couldn't pay for anything. The nation was drunk on it's success as property values and stock prices soared. Remember the value of a square metre of property in Ginza as Banks lent heavily with land as collateral?

Weirdly enough, "Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa told policy makers today that China’s strengthening recovery is spurring concern that the economy is in a bubble..." http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-18/bank-of-japan-s-shirakawa-sees-chinese-bubble-risk-update1-.html

The same article paints a fairly realistic story about the need for most Japanese citizens to realize that even PM Kan is aware of, that the current system is unsustainable without drastic spending cuts and tax adjustments.

Let's look at the record, Noboru Takeshita had to resign as prime minister not long after introducing the shohizei 3% consumption tax in 1989. In 1994, prime minister Morihiro Hosokawa announced that he was going to hike the tax to 7% - but he dropped the plan the next day amid a backlash and was ousted a few months later. In 1997, premier Ryutaro Hashimoto finally pushed the sales tax to 5%.

It's simple, PM Kan has shown political courage, let's hope he is allowed to do his job and increase the sales tax with a promise to cut personal income tax so that Japanese can rebuild their savings and build a better Japan.

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Posted in: Japan and its standardized test-based education system See in context

If you are Japanese, what are your options? Put up or leave. Many have in the past (to Brazil, the US & Canada) and continue to do so by either marrying a foreigner or having the education and skills to allow them to be free like you and me.

For some, it takes a geographic move of house to get away from the passive aggressive behaviour that is so prevalent in Japan. The only way, Japanese society will change is through immigration of different minded peoples.

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Posted in: Scooting around See in context

The future of Japan without human beings is not that far off. Honestly, building robots is more important than the lack of of real face to face interaction, no wonder why the birthrate is so low. God bless Japan.

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Posted in: Miley Cyrus: 'I'm not trying to be slutty' See in context

No. She'd be practically virginal up around Dogenzaiya in Shibuya. Really, it's sad to see such fluff for a story.

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Posted in: Japan bribed small nations with cash, call girls to get whaling vote: Sunday Times See in context

Hey kids! Have a look at this article: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/03/04/toyota-and-the-end-of-japan.html#

"Japan will continue to give up, fade away, and blame its limitations on demographics and the changing international balance of power.

In this bleak view, the Japanese will return to their mantra of shoganai (nothing can be done). Indeed, it seems that Japan's long decline may not be accelerating, but the prevailing sentiment is that nothing can be done to apply the brakes".

One would think that if this were factual, let alone all the eikaiwa shutdowns, coupled with the moaning and groaning that goes on here as a reflection of the difficulty of life in Japan, you might want to think about getting off the Titanic when you can. If you're a foreigner, you got options that most Japanese don't.

Oh, yeah. Don't forget to turn the lights off when you leave. (LOL)

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Posted in: Utah executes condemned killer by firing squad See in context

The principle of "an eye for an eye" punishment system has it's origins in The Code of Hammurabi, sixth king of Babylon.

Hey why just stop there? The Code consists of 282 laws. Let's follow them to the letter of the law.

For instance:

If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off. If a man strikes a pregnant woman, thereby causing her to miscarry and die, the assailant's daughter shall be put to death. If anyone commits a robbery and is caught, he shall be put to death. >During an unsuccessful operation a patient dies, the arm of the surgeon must be cut off.

Most people are for capital punishment, I believe. However, we should understand that capital punishment sends a message that it is acceptable to kill in some circumstances and that society has a disregard for the sanctity of life. The question of whether or not the death penalty deters murder, it is very doubtful that killers give much thought to punishment before they kill.

In fact, most murder victims’ survivors will never see the murderer of their loved one sentenced to death.

Likewise, James R. Acker's study, Demystifying Crime and Criminal Justice, "The myth of closure suffers from assumption that the offender’s execution is a desirable outcome for all murder victims’ survivors. However, many parents, spouses, children, and siblings of some murder victims stand adamantly opposed to capital punishment."

We might need to rethink whether we are really getting a a sense of “closure” or just seeking revenge. Let alone the other side issue, wrongful conviction and that African Americans have made up quite a larg portion of death row inmates.

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Posted in: Japan bribed small nations with cash, call girls to get whaling vote: Sunday Times See in context

This lyric below might help serve purpose here:

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away and know when to run.

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Posted in: Japan bribed small nations with cash, call girls to get whaling vote: Sunday Times See in context

After having lived there from 1987 to 2003, I find it really astonishing to see the how the mighty have fallen!

Does anybody remember the days when, Karel van Wolferen's book, "The Enigma of Japanese Power"?

He was considered the anti christ and blaspamous for writing that book. out. Nobody dared to challenge fortress Japan then. Most of us were sold on the Japanese economic miracle. Eikaiwa teachers were making 10, 000 yen an hour. The body' con fashion was all the rave.

Strangely enough, soon after his that book was published, the bubble burst. Almost 20 years later, with very little recovery in site, we see Japan's social, political and economic cracks glaring, warts and all. Today's Japan might want adopt the moniker from Yukio Mishima's book: "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea"

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Posted in: 'The Cove' puts Japanese fishermen everywhere on the defense See in context

I wonder if the average Japanese citizen on the street is completely aware of what is being served up at schools. I taught as a JET and ate whale myself once upon a time. It could have been dolphin, not sure. It feel that if we are in agreement here then, there wouldn't be any contraversy. The facts speak for themselves.

The Japanese public need to know what they are eating and if it is safe, free of mercury. If the Japanese government is subsidizing the fisherman for this, the public should know and have a right to disagree. Not all Japanese are fond of whale meat anyway.

Why such an outcry? Could it be that the farmer and fisherman of Japan are worthy of a lot of rural votes, maybe?

Disention and discourse is part of this thing we call the democratic process. We should question our leaders, health officials and those we voted for, that is healthy. Society evolves and as such has the right to decide whether or not they want to continue a practice that may have been deemed cultural or not to one which is not.

Therefore, if the public wants to continue the practice of eating whale and dolphin, maybe the Japanese public should know the whole story and finally decide for themselves, have honest public discourse, not be duped into submission by the International Whaling Commission or pressured by a few disgruntled fisherman.

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Posted in: 'The Cove' puts Japanese fishermen everywhere on the defense See in context

If the Japanese nation wants to pull the cultural argument card then they would have no reason to sugar coat the industry by restricting the observations of the hunt. How about the lack of public knowledge? I strongly believe that most younger Japanese have no idea that dolphin was served up to them when they were in public school...

What about the science here? Isn't mercury still a problem? I remember as youngster outside Japan learning about Minamata disease. Honestly, they should really check that out.

High concentrations of mercury is recipe for disaster and deformity.

Once again, the public does not question their leaders, everybody just putting in time. I can hear the nation say: "Shoganai", it can't be helped.

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Posted in: Former porn star Ai Iijima found dead at Tokyo apartment See in context

Matsue Okubo's death is comment unto itself. Really, you need to understand that she came into this world as a baby, grew up and then shaped by us, society at large. We ignored her plea for help.

Next time you are walking around Shibuya or Shinjuku, take a look at those lost souls, the people who have no direction, goals or aspirations. I often wondered why adults are mixed up in child's life.

The penalty of not taking care of you children is someone like Iijima Ai. Her good looks got her far but nobody, her parents, her relatives, her "friends" or even the medical community (her doctor) did not monitor her close enough.

I bet if we look a little further into this case, it will be shown that Halcion (an opiate, like meth) her unhealthy life style, staying out late, not getting enough rest, alcohol consumption (mixed with prescription drugs) followed by a bad liver is the reason she died.

If you read her blog, there are cries for help all over the place. Her photo with a 10 yen coin size of hair missing, her weird rants that a mental health professional would pick out straight away.

Who cared? Her "friends". Mikawa Koji? The Gilgamesh Night crew? Her fans? Who is accountable for the meds that where given? Was she monitored? How can someone living in a community like Shibuya, Tokyo die alone without anyone giving a minute of their time?

Let us accept that it is a tragedy and comment about our society and how people surrounded her just for the money and society turned it's back.

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