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Posted in: Trump blames diversity hiring as probe into deadly midair collision begins See in context

The attrition rate at the FAA Academy for air traffic controllers can be around 40–50%. This means that about half of the trainees don't complete the training program and become certified air traffic controllers.  That's a pretty high standard.

“PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?” he asked a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, requesting it keep a lookout for an American Airlines Bombardier jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita, Kan. The helicopter was on a training mission, officials would later say.

“PAT25, pass behind the CRJ,” the controller then said as American Airlines flight 5342 descended over the Potomac River just moments before landing. “CRJ” is aviation shorthand for Canadair Regional Jet.

19 seconds later they collided.

The standard procedure is to wait for the NTSB to issue a report. A serious politician wouldn't try to preempt that, let alone try to score a political point.

For example the very recent Jeju flight crash had many internet experts coming to the conclusion the pilot brought down the wrong engine. However, the final investigation found bird feathers in both engines, so it may have been more complicated.

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Posted in: Kawasaki Heavy began false deals 40 years ago over SDF scandal See in context

The slush funds were used to buy goods such as home appliances and handheld gaming consoles for MSDF members based on their requests, the report said.

At a 100 yen conversion rate that is 17 million dollars. That's a hell of a lot of gaming consoles.

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Posted in: 25-year-old woman arrested for attempted murder of 5-year-old son See in context

There are such things as communal homes for single women and their children in Japan. The woman and her child might benefit from living in that kind of communal home.

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Posted in: Man falls to death while removing snow from roof of house in Niigata Prefecture See in context

The lack of safety measures taken is regrettable, but I give him credit for being active at 83.

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Posted in: Ex-Olympus CEO gets suspended sentence on drug charge See in context

I thought CEOs were supposed to be smart.

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Posted in: Suspect arrested over murder of couple in Chiba Prefecture See in context

According to investigators, Sakamaki had temporarily deposited several hundred thousand yen with the deceased Torai, and had called him earlier this month to ask for the money back. Police believe that Sakamaki knew something about the arson as well as the murder of Torai and his wife, and are investigating whether they are related.

translated from https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/1630342?display=1

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Posted in: Japan eyes more flexible school curriculum to meet diverse needs See in context

@BertieWooster - "They don't need quadratic equations"

Children learn a bit of everything - e.g., literature, writing, art, history, math, physics, sports, woodwork, cooking - so that they can find out what their aptitudes and interests are. Some kids love math. The world does need math and a lot of other skills too.

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Posted in: Police called out to investigate suspicious Santa in Wakayama See in context

I'm sure his intentions were good, but it is not a good idea to train kids to accept food from strangers.

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Posted in: JAL reports cyberattack; sales for domestic and int'l flights resume See in context

JAL said in an X post that it had been having network problems from around 7:24 a.m. on Thursday which could affect domestic and international flights. But the cause of the failure had been identified by 8:56 a.m., it added.

So this was just a DoS (denial of service) attack?

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Posted in: Japanese atomic bomb survivors say Nobel Peace Prize gives fresh impetus to disarmament push See in context

There is a lot of room for negotiating to reduce the risk of war, both conventional and nuclear. The glass is half ____.

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Posted in: Shibuya’s Hachiko statue will be covered up for New Year’s Eve, pedestrian barricades installed See in context

The tragedy of the thousands who have arranged to meet at Hachiko spending New Years Eve wandering around lost and looking for each other.

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Posted in: Cambodian trainee to sue farm manager in Japan over repeated rapes See in context

@Nobu - Why don’t Japanese media cover this story?

I see multiple reports in regional online sites, for example:

https://www.sanin-chuo.co.jp/articles/-/693982 実習生、性暴力で提訴へ 「断れば帰国」脅され 栃木の農園

https://www.gifu-np.co.jp/articles/-/477330 実習生性被害で提訴へ 経営者から「断れば帰国と脅し」 栃木の農園、妊娠し中絶

but nothing in Kyodo's japanese newsite. Perhaps they received a legal take down request?

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Posted in: TikTok's future uncertain after appeals court rejects its bid to overturn possible U.S. ban See in context

I think TikTok's secret sauce is that they have an army of 20-30 yr old urban, probably college educated non-tech employees with good "trend" sense that work hard for 1/8 of what a similar US person would earn - those young people - in the age group that can still enjoy working 12 hrs day - keep the content alive and snappy (in a shallow way). Of course TikTok can't admit this, because it also means the CCP has their finger on the scale, and that TikTok can't sell their "secret sauce" because it cannot be recreated in the US. In comparison, Google, for example, uses an (AI) algorithm and/or relies on ultra cheap labor in third world countries whose sense is somewhat different - the "shorts" quality is just not as good.

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Posted in: U.S. defense chief to visit Japan next week See in context

@ HopeSprings - Most voters in US and elsewhere do not want talk of nuclear conflict to be commonplace and for military budgets to grow non-stop.

Yes. And also "A stitch in time saves nine", "Don't turn your back and run from a Bear", etc. Because otherwise there will be total war.

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Posted in: Carcass of mutilated cat found on road in Wakkanai, Hokkaido See in context

I have done a lot of long distance cycling in Japan, and it is pretty normal to see one flat cat every 100 km. They also get picked apart by hungry wild animals. So I'd want more verification that this was not roadkill & lunch before considering deliberate cat "bara bara" murder by a human. This could be a less glamorous version of the sneaky shoe stealing weasel.

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Posted in: Olympic dressage star Dujardin given one-year ban for whipping horse See in context

Is there a competitive edge logic to inflicting pain on the horse because it releases adrenaline? Then it's not just cruelty but also cheating.

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Posted in: Japanese court convicts Australian who says she was tricked into smuggling drugs See in context

My Jpn wife and I, live in the US. We were friends with a Jpn couple she knew though English language school. The husband is a well educated engineer sent by his company to study at a top US university. They were going back to Jpn and the wife asked my wife to accept postal delivery of a custom made garment which would not finished until after they left, which my wife should then carry in her luggage to Japan the next time she went. Fortunately my kind wife mentioned she felt strange about it and I communicated to the requesting wife why it wouldn't be good idea - why my wife could end up on a permanent border blacklist just for answering yes to carrying someone else's luggage - a lot of awkwardness followed and the proposal was put to rest. I am guessing the requesting wife might have herself been drawn into some confidence trick without full awareness - or maybe the story was true! My wife figured it was probably sexy underwear she felt unsafe having sent by mail.

Going back over 40 years and I was a backpacking youth in Thailand staying at a hostel when a quiet and gracious young lady asked me for advice because a couple were asking her to carry about 40 letters they had written across borders for them - some lame reason like Thai mail was not reliable and it was better to send from another country. So I ended up spending an about an hour refusing on her behalf while they berated me for being obstinate and the female of the couple literally broke down in tears, pleading, until they finally gave up.

Probably in neither case would the intended target have actually done the stupid act even if I were not there, but the point is kindness and a trusting nature can be used to leverage people because they feel bad about saying no. Occasionally the dark side will get lucky.

About this case, obviously I don't know. I think the authorities generally have no choice but to prosecute.

I knew somebody in Taiwan, who after returning home opened his luggage to find nothing missing, but some else's credit was in there. That's a scary thought.

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Posted in: Japan watching South Korean situation with grave concern See in context

@GBR48 - He should be in a prison cell

Yoon’s approval rating hit a low of 17 percent last month, according to South Korea’s Dong-A Ilbo newspaper. South Korean presidents serve for one five-year term, meaning he won’t be eligible to run for reelection. Yoon’s party also suffered a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections in April.

The National Assembly can impeach the president if more than two-thirds of lawmakers vote to do so. Yoon’s conservative People Power Party controls 108 seats in the 300-member legislature and at least eight would need to cross the aisle for an impeachment vote to succeed. The constitutional court then decides whether to uphold the legislature’s impeachment motion. The court has only six of its nine judge seats filled, which could impact proceedings, according to local media reports.

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Posted in: Two men arrested over home intrusion, robbery in Tokyo See in context

Natsume Soseki? Isn't he the guy who wrote "I Am a Cat Burglar"?

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Posted in: Nomura president apologizes for crimes committed by ex-employee See in context

These Japanese jerks ought to be doing some time in the slammer.

The company will of course be rightfully sued. However the execs didn't actually plan, participate in, or even vicariously profit from the crimes.

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Posted in: Two delivery men assaulted in Sagamihara; suspects on the run See in context

Nothing was stolen in either incident, police said.

I suppose they want to get off light by causing neither grievous injury not actually stealing anything. Playing it safe.

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Posted in: Nearly 90% of Chinese view Japan negatively: poll See in context

@NCIS Reruns - About the Xiaomi, didn't you post this? -

To obtain cheap good and cheap energy, the west poured billions of dollars into China and Russia, which used the profits to arm themselves to the teeth. I don't agree with everything Ayn Rand wrote, but she foresaw this and urged such countries be boycotted. Open trade failed to make friends!

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