InTheKnow comments

Posted in: Model citizen See in context

Whether it's a man or woman-- and I'm not sure-- a little warning with that photo would have been appreciated.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Managing gaijin teachers See in context

The writer, Dean Rogers, is a self-professed CEO and business consultant. I think it's reasonable to expect him, in those roles, to read, write, and speak English perfectly. Especially, he needs to write coherently. Am I asking too much?

Moderator: Mr Rogers' style is easily understandable. Please focus your comments on the points he is making in his commentary, which is the purpose of the discussion board.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Managing gaijin teachers See in context

Lots of complainers here.

For good reason. eikaiwa and even 'better' schools like Berlitz were, are, and will be a young person's or backpacker's temp job while they 'do' Asia. The wages, benefits (huh?) and job security (double-huh?) of eikaiwa will see to that. What does Rogers' own school offer? More of the same.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Managing gaijin teachers See in context

First, this guy uses 500 words when 50 will do. I finally started skimming because of his deadwood verbosity. Rewriting is good writing, Dean! Edit yourself, man, and don't submit your first draft.

the way in which foreigners are quite often treated as a disposable resource with no vision for career development and opportunities is also a contributing factor.

replace 'quite often' with 'always' and this is a salient point. ESL teachers here shouldn't delude themselves into thinking this is a career.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: NEC research chief arrested for molesting girl on train See in context

Sato has admitted to the allegation, and was quoted as saying: “She was my type. She kept quiet when I touched her at first, so I kept doing it.”

Another reason why I'm not here for the long haul: a society whose companies wouldn't fire a scumbag like this because it might 'cause problems at his house financially', etc.

I hope Japan is OK with it never being viewed as a democratic, progressive, internationally-minded nation.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: What do you think of Japan's TV coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympics so far? See in context

I've been following the 2010 Japan Olympics on TBS and it's OK-- a little fluffy and topical though. Are other countries competing too? I didn't know that.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Doggy bags slowly infiltrate Japanese dining scene See in context

I doubt any restaurant would refuse you.

Wrong, many restaurants do refuse by explaining, "Gomen nee, dame desu yo. The food might go bad and we don't want to be liable for that." (a sumimasen as she bows and smiles, then turns to walk back to the kitchen, muttering under her breath, "moron.")

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Doggy bags slowly infiltrate Japanese dining scene See in context

Now if only the portions would warrant taking something home.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Civilian death toll climbs in Afghan offensive See in context

The U.S. is going to do what no other military in history could do-- including the USSR- conquer Afghanistan? Good luck with that. With all its resources, ground forces and satellite wizardry, the U.S. still hasn't found bin Laden. I'm glad we have the money for this 9-year-and-counting Iraq-Afghan war effort. Oh, wait.....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Grammy winner Taylor Swift arrives on 1st visit to Japan See in context

I hope she has blocked off some 'down time' while she's here to have some corrective plastic surgery done to fix those funky eyes of her. She's no beauty and her voice is pure irritation. But she's "popular" and I guess that warrants a flight over.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Man saves woman from train after she falls onto tracks See in context

She's going to wish she had died when she receives the bill from JR.

What sucks there is JR keeps all the money, it doesn't go to any of the actual passengers who were delayed and inconvenienced.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Man saves woman from train after she falls onto tracks See in context

It's a good thing for her that that guy saw her fall and not me. I wouldn't have risked my life for a drunken bimbo.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: China discloses buying spree in U.S. companies See in context

money always chases value...basic economics

Whoa! Someone needs to take some basic business and investing classes. If you re-post to say it was said with sarcasm, I'll retract my post.

Hint: tech stock bubble leading up to the bursting of it in 2000. Oh, the paaaaain.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Man gets 17 years for stabbing neighbor over feeding of stray cats See in context

I know what you're thinking: the feral cats, which harmed nobody, would just continue destroying the population of those adorable Norway rats and cute mice we love to see playfully scurrying about our neighborhoods. I ask you, which would you rather see more of? Sorry-- bad example, but its logic is in line with the defense and prosecutor's focus in this case.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Man gets 17 years for stabbing neighbor over feeding of stray cats See in context

This in itself is almost a life sentence. I mean, come on, he's already 70 years old

He lived enough years to learn you can't stab and kill people over petty neighborhood disagreements. I'm sure the victim's family was hoping she'd live a while longer instead of taking her grandkids to her funeral.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: High school boy arrested for running child porno site See in context

I wanted people with similar interests to share the same joy.

Wow. What a lens with which to view the world.

collecting child porn = nature photography, ikebana, hiking, playing the piano, the joy of gardening, etc.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Man gets 17 years for stabbing neighbor over feeding of stray cats See in context

For the price of a cheap knife, you can buy a good supply of cat poison-- I mean rat poison. ;-) Murder a woman, kill some stray cats..... hmm, dou shiyou ka na.

I'm sure this idea will come to in the next 17 years.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Posted in: Man gets 17 years for stabbing neighbor over feeding of stray cats See in context

Defense argued that the man was lonely and that the cats were his only companions, while the prosecution said the man made no effort to associate with his neighbors.

WTF?! Stupid me was thinking the case should be about whether or not he stabbed and killed her. I think it's somewhere in the legal code that it doesn't matter if you're lonely or didn't chat with your neighbors. You still can't knife people repeatedly.

I'm not sure I could still through the trial as a lay judge and keep my mouth shut if these matters were being debated.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Sarah Palin assails Obama at 'tea party' gathering See in context

I don't think people are thrilled to hate her, but when she opens her mouth she does give out invitations for it. If I were Alaskan I would have been relieved that husband and 'First Dude Todd' was as involved in state decision-making as hundreds of newly-released e-mails are now showing..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japanese ask: Is U.S. backlash on Toyota a ploy to boost American auto producers? See in context

so I wouldn't attach the Post's credibility....

ah, 'credibility'. The bottom line is that newspapers and "I'll support the cause if it's good political PR and gets me votes" politicians are getting some milage out of this story at the moment. I'd buy another new Toyota tomorrow. With more than 15,000 parts that move, spin, whir, grind, pulse, heat up, rub, rotate, and do it all under extreme conditions of cold and hot weather, it's surprising more things don't go wrong. Toyota engineers won't learn a lot from American car engineers. Americans and American car companies should know all about recalls-- they've had more of them.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Sarah Palin assails Obama at 'tea party' gathering See in context

What's lost on Palin is that for a 'revolution' to be successful, you need two things:

1) Ideas that are better than the status quo and/or opponent

2) Enough people behind you to see it through to the action stage

She has neither of these. She's a FOX TV network entertainer now, like Glenn Beck, and she is just following the money trail. I hope everybody knows that.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Fuji TV newscaster Aiko Kaito poses in high school uniform for CD See in context

It comes as no surprise that the male top management at TV Fuji, all 60+ years old, mentally-pictured little Aiko in a high school uniform and gave an enthusiastic thumbs up when this marketing idea was run past them!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japanese ask: Is U.S. backlash on Toyota a ploy to boost American auto producers? See in context

For JT poster Branded (and other interested parties). This excerpt is from an article on this subject in the Washington Post (I hope that source is credible enough for you, Branded):

Alex., VA: Regarding a stuck accelerator... if that were to happen to me, the right move would be to put the car in Neutral, and apply the brakes and steer to the side of the road and then turn off the ignition.

In the famous case in Calif. where an off-duty CHP and his family were killed by a stuck accelerator, wouldn't that procedure have worked?

Or am I missing something? I've shifted to neutral in a moving vehicle, but never while revving the accelerator. Is this issue more than just carpet position?

Mike Quincy: Yes, the people in California probably would have lived if the driver put the car into neutral. Another piece of advice: don't pump the brakes -- you lose compression. And don't turn off the engine when the car is in "Drive" -- you'll lose your power steering.

URL: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/01/28/DI2010012803239.html

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japanese ask: Is U.S. backlash on Toyota a ploy to boost American auto producers? See in context

According to Toyota engineers throwing the car into Nuetral at such high RPM's may be impossible !

Man, that was weak. And wrong. OK, for remedial students...

Lesson Part 1: According to my actual driving experience in my 2006 Toyota Corolla, more than once I accidently bumped my shifter into 'N' when driving down the expressway. Fortunately, it's engineered NOT to go into 'R' or 'Park' no matter how hard you try. 'N', yes. I knew immidately because the engine suddenly revved high. The shifter going into 'N' was due to the the way I sat in my seat and how I positioned my long legs, not a design flaw.

Lesson Part 2: The parking brake works whether the car engine is running or not. You don't have to lock up the wheels to stop the car, although you could. You do have to pull up on it. You can do that, right?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Ginza's hostesses feel the economic pinch See in context

The Ginza hostesses would rather feel the salaryman's pinch than the economic pinch. Hostesses epitomize the anything-for-money mentality some in Japan buy in to. There's a short shelf life for these chicks and then a big multi-year gap on their CV when they account for the those years. I'd try to keep a secret too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Bosses uptight over newbies' ignorance of phone protocol See in context

How about this approach that might yield results: the dolt who ignores a ringing phone when told (repeatedly) to answer it is the one you tell payroll to ignore at the end of the month when salaries are e-transmitted to employee bank accounts. This could soon start a meaningful dialogue about 'job responsibilities and expectations' and bring about desired change in the office. I'm just saying.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: The dumbing down of Japanese students See in context

people are still graduating from university but they can't think. A lecturer at Keio recently bemoaned his frustrations to me at the lack of quality amongst his graduates in the past 10 years.

poster DenDon has it right. Education here is still focused on rote memorization and test-passing. Logic, reasoning, and critical thinking skills along with the freedom to (politely) question your teacher/superior's views/opinion is lacking.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: The dumbing down of Japanese students See in context

InTheKnow, I'd say NO!!!! Even too many katakana in the sentence is a pain in the brain how much more roman alphabet.

katakana, hiragana, furigana, kanji, roumaji... all used to write Japanese today. Yes, writing in one alphabet (Roman) that can represent every word in Japanese would be confusing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: The dumbing down of Japanese students See in context

It's amazing the number of people you see who think that tilting the head, or scratching the back of it, is the same thing as figuring something out.

I find that sucking air through my teeth and then proclaiming 'muzukashii ne~' quickly brings about a solution.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japanese ask: Is U.S. backlash on Toyota a ploy to boost American auto producers? See in context

So what'll it be you do when you go hurtling down at 120km/h no brakes? Ok, put in in neutral and then what? pull a Flintstones and put your feet out to stop? Good luck with that.

m5c32: I hate to teach on my day off, but if I must... you're confusing the 2010 Prius problem (brakes) with the much larger Camry, Corolla, etc. models' recall (stuck accelerator). Pay attention: the engine keeps running after you put it in neutral. The brakes work normally and will stop the car. You might end up with a blown engine, but that will happen AFTER you come to a full stop from 120 km/h. The 2010 Prius hasn't been recalled yet, although Toyota is examining the issue and is likely to use a software patch to fix the car's electronics. For about one Prius that MIGHT be recalled, about 150,000 other models HAVE BEEN recalled. 15,000:1 ratio. Fact-check before posting, please. Next!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Recent Comments

Popular

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites


©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.