2006-02-28

Audioblog for 2006-02-28 "Application"

Listen to my audio recording of the blog entry "Application" on 2006-02-28.

Also check out the Trev Report MP3 for February!
Enjoy!

Posted by jumex at 21:11 0 Comments links to this post

Application 申し込み書

Posted by jumex at 17:05 0 Comments links to this post

Practice FSWE Essay 2

Please evaluate my practice FSWE essay.

The actual essay is evaluated from 1 to 12 with 12 being the highest score. I believe that last year the passing score was a 6.

I handwrote this essay in 50 minutes in accordance with the rules of the FSWE. I will present it without spellchecking or editing so to represent the actual essay as it was written.

When evaluating please be aware of the following:

• When composing the essay, the point of view should be clearly stated and supported.
• Writing should be evaluated on quality of writing, not the opinions expressed.
• A sucessful essay should have an obvious structure and clear thesis supported by relevant substantiating details.
• It should show my ability to analyze the topic in a way that is appropriate for the intended audience (a foreign service officer).
• The writing should be coherent with only occasional lapses that do not impede flow or readers' comprehension.
• Language should be generally concise with clear and appropriate word choices.
• The language should be free of errors in grammar and syntax, with only minor errors in spelling and punctuation.
• There is no limit on length.

The topic:
In the U.S., we treasure our rights and freedoms, in particular, our freedom to say what is on our minds. We think of this right as fundamental to a democratic society. Therefore, some argue, there should be no limits placed on freedom of speech. Others maintain that limits should be placed on freedom of speech only when our national security is threatened, as it might be when the U.S. is at war. Others argue that hate speech or pornography, at best offensive and at worst dangerous to others, should be limited by federal legislation or by local community ordinances. In your opinion, what limits, if any, should be imposed on our freedom of speech? Carefully explain the rationale for your position.

My essay:

The limitations of Free Speech

The words "Free Speech" are what the U.S.A. was founded on. The concept of limiting this concept is, perhaps, against our very nature. Yet there are times when limitations must be set. Times of grave danger or war. There are always concerns, though, that we might overstep our boundries, so free speech must remain mostly free. Limiting speech on moral or religious grounds cannot help our society, and in fact, might be its downfall.
There are times, when people's lives are at stake, where free speech should be in check. The classic example is when a person shouts "fire" in a crowded theater. This is a malious act that can, under no circumstances, be covered under the protection of free speech, since it causes, or can cause, physical harm to others. Another example where free speech can hold no dominion is the passing of terrorist knowledge to dangerous people. Free speech cannot, and will not, be held as a plausible defence for anyone sharing bomb-making information with terrorist groups. But these are extreme cases.
When looking at your everyday life, the theme changes quite a bit. What of pornography? Holocost denials? Religious proliferation? Some would go so far to say these things, too, pose imminate threats. They do not, though. The private showing of sex acts and the speeches of killers have very little in common. The key to limiting free speech is not to go too far. We can trace back almost any one thing to any other to give us just cause to stop something, but in regards to free speech the limitations should be clear. If speech imposes a direct threat to life or if spoken or read would directly cause a threat to life, that speech should not be covered under the umbrella of free speech. Everything else is fair game. Especially thise things most everyone reads.
Newspapers have often been the champions of free speech and for good reason. Those who report what those in power don't want to hear (which in itself is a fine definition of 'news') are often the subject of unfriendly politics. In a free society it is of the utmost imporance that political factions do not control the public news sources. Newspapers must, then, have the forsight to limit their own speech so as not to be limited by the government. To do so is risky, but necessary to insure that the people can still get uncensored news. Doing this is, or should be, as simple as making sure there is no speech in the news that will incite a direct threat to life.
What is a direct threat to life, though? That is a question that befuddles many and has no clear answer. For this reason government regulation alone cannot limit free speech. It must be handled on a case-by-case basis with presidents set, reset, changed, deleted, and altered along the way. As our society changes so does our speech and our laws and regulations must change with them to insure that the umbrella of free speech is never clased and put away for good.
Free speech is fundemental to our lives and the lives of our children after us. We must weild this great gift wisely, lest we have it ripped away from us at the hands of those who would want to save us. As Mark Twain once said, God gave us the abilities to say whatever we want and do whatever we want and the wisdom to do neither.

P.S.: I misquoted Twain, that is why I didn't put it in quotes. The actual quote is "It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either."

My outline:

Dangerous speech bad,most ok

• Bad stuff
  • Fire in the theater
  • Spreading terror
• newspapers free
  • newspapers by gov't.
  • newspapers regulated by self
• Offensive Ok
  • porn by 'rents.
  • Freedom of ex.
• Mark Twain

Please be critical. I want to improve my essay writing skills as much as I can for the test and beyond.

Thank you for your help.

Yours,
trv

Posted by jumex at 14:19 0 Comments links to this post

2006-02-27

Audioblog for 2006-02-27 "Movie"

Listen to my audio recording of the blog entry "Movie" on 2006-02-27.

Also check out the Trev Report MP3 for February!
Enjoy!

Posted by jumex at 17:20 0 Comments links to this post

Time flies 光陰矢のごとし

(This is an article I wrote for the local town paper. Ten points to the first one who translates it into English.)

光陰矢のごとし

　約2年半前、飯南町（そのときの赤来町）に行きました。この間にたくさん友達を作ったり、いろいろな計画をしたり、いい生活を過ぎました。もうすぐ赤来中学校と頓原中学校は卒業式をします。卒業のときはいつも感動的な時間ですけど、8月から、飯南町を発たなければならないので、特に今年度の卒業式は私のために大切です。最後の卒業式です。今年度の3年生はぜひ忘れられません。約3年間で、少しずつ3年生は小学生のような1年生から大人のような3年生まで変化することを見ました。3年生の中でとっても素晴らしい人々を見えます。あなたたちの未来は誰も分かりません。このページを読んでいる卒業生のためにメッセージがあります。「「しなければならない」を聞け」というシェル・シルヴァスタインの詩をご覧ください：

LISTEN TO THE MUSTN'TS Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child, Listen to the DON'TS Listen to the SHOULDN'TS The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS Listen to the NEVER HAVES Then listen close to me -- Anything can happen, child ANYTHING can be.

「…しなければならない」を聞け きみ、「…しなければならない」を聞け、 「…していかない」を聞け、 「…べきではない」を聞け、 「無理」、「いやだ」 「絶対だめ」を聞け その後で僕をよく聞きなさい　－　 何でもできる，きみ、 何でもできる。

中学生のとき，この詩はよく感動しました。意味をよく考えてください。3年生も未来で何でもできますよ。お卒業おめでとうございます。みんな，美しい未来を作りましょう!

ワンポイント英会話

• Congratulations!　コングラジュレーションズ!　おめでとう!
• Good luck in the future. グード・ラック・イン・ザ・フューチャ。 未来でもがんばって。
• Have fun in high school. ハブ・ファン・イン・ハイ・スクール。 高校で楽しんでねえ。

(Please ignore my inevitable glaring mistakes in Japanese...or don't.)

Posted by jumex at 16:14 0 Comments links to this post

Movie 映画

Posted by jumex at 14:29 0 Comments links to this post

2006-02-24

Audioblog for 2006-02-24 "Quaker Meeting"

Listen to my audio recording of the blog entry "Quaker Meeting" on 2006-02-24.

Also check out the Trev Report MP3 for February!
Enjoy!

Posted by jumex at 17:14 0 Comments links to this post

Quaker Meeting まじめの会議

Posted by jumex at 17:01 0 Comments links to this post

2006-02-23

Google Maps is awesome. グーグル地図がすごい。

My domicile (僕の住所)

That is where my house is. I am typing from that location right now. That is the definition of awesome.

このリンクは僕の家です。ちゃんと今その場所からこのメッセージを書いています。それはチョーかっこいいだぞ。

Posted by jumex at 20:22 0 Comments links to this post

Audioblog for 2006-02-23 "Time flies"

Listen to my audio recording of the blog entry "Time flies" on 2006-02-23.

Also check out the Trev Report MP3 for February!
Enjoy!

Posted by jumex at 16:54 0 Comments links to this post

Time flies 光陰矢のごとし

Posted by jumex at 16:37 0 Comments links to this post

2006-02-22

Audioblog for 2006-02-22 "Exclusive"

Listen to my audio recording of the blog entry "Exclusive" on 2006-02-22.

Also check out the Trev Report MP3 for February!
Enjoy!

Posted by jumex at 19:08 0 Comments links to this post

Exclusive 専属

Posted by jumex at 17:00 0 Comments links to this post

2006-02-21

Audioblog for 2006-02-21 "In retrospect"

Listen to my audio recording of the blog entry "In retrospect" on 2006-02-21.

Also check out this month's Trev Report MP3!
Enjoy!

Posted by jumex at 17:29 0 Comments links to this post

In retrospect 振り返ってみると

Posted by jumex at 15:19 2 Comments links to this post

2006-02-13

the Trev Report 2006-02-13

Hello and welcome once again to your monthly dose of Trev: the Trev Report, wherein you will find the many goings-on of Trevor Lalish-Menagh in the last month or so. Today is a very happy birthday edition for my lovely wife, Signe Rose! Happy birthday, Signe! And now on with the report!

Trev's Love Life
----------------
Today is Signe's birthday, but I am afraid to say that it is not a very happy one. About a week ago Signe started having acute lower back pain. She went to a back specialist and they told her that she is suffering from a slipped, or herniated, disc. Fortunately there was no need for operation, but she has been
told that she should lay down and not drive for at least two weeks. That couldn't stop us from going on a weekend vacation to a local hot spring resort, though. Signe and I had planned the outing for her birthday for some time and we decided that a hot bath in the natural spring waters would help her. Having a change of scenery was also really good for Signe's spirit.
Laying prone in the living room all day can get really boring. The resort we went to is called Shouen (http://shouen.jp/) and the hot springs in that area are famous for their beautifying qualities and it turned out to be a great birthday trip, despite Signe's back trouble.

Trev's Work
-----------
Life as an ALT goes on as always. I had a unique opportunity at the junior high school (http://www.town.akagi.shimane.jp/akagichu/) the other day. One of my English teachers was on vacation and the other one had to leave to take care of her sick child on a day with three English classes. The result was that I, for the first time in two and a half years, had to teach English class by myself. The teachers left me with dittos to have the kids mindlessly do, but I thought it would be better if I continued with our lessons, so that is what I did. The kids were all really well behaved and we got a lot done. I was quite proud of myself that day, and the next time I saw my English teacher she even commented that the kids really enjoyed my class. She went so far as to suggest that I take over for more classes, but alas that is not my job here. I enjoyed playing teacher-for-a-day, but I have little desire to take over completely. I am fine staying an ASSISTANT language teacher. There are pictures of me teaching by myself up at the school website (http://www.town.akagi.shimane.jp/akagichu/1802/180208.htm).

Trev's Next Job
---------------
I am intending to apply for an Elementary School Only ALT position in Shimane Prefecture, where I live now. Right now I teach primarily at a junior high school and twice a month at the two local elementary schools. If I get this new position I will be teaching anywhere from two to twenty-one different elementary schools depending on where I am placed in the prefecture. Currently there are only a handful of positions open and there will be competition for them, but I am hoping that I will be able to assure myself a spot, which would ensure I have work for at least two more years here. Signe is also applying for a position in the JET Programme. She is flying home to America this month for an interview and with any luck she will be able to get a position near where I end up. That would give us at least three more years of steady employment here. All the better to pay off our looming debts and loans with. The sooner we can free ourselves from that burden the sooner we can look into
other options, namely the two-year volunteer positions in the U.S. Peace Corps.

Trev's Study
------------
Despite all this banter of jobs in Japan and the Peace Corps my main sights are still transfixed on a career as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. The first step of which is to take the Foreign Service Written Exam in April. I have applied and will be traveling to Osaka to take the six-hour exam. The pass rate is very low, so I expect to have to take the annual test more than once to get in, but even when I pass the written exam I will still have to fly to Washington D.C. for a grueling day-long oral assessment. If and when I pass that there are still month and months of background checks and medical exams that have to be passed. If you make it that far you are put on a two-year
waiting list ordered by your score on the exam/oral assessment, so if you didn't do that great on one or the other your chances of getting in before your name is off the list in two years can be pretty low. What it all comes down to is making sure you have willful employment for the interim, which is what I am trying to ensure here in Japan for the time being. Of course I am nervous about the exam, but I am doing my best to keep abreast of the world news and current events (I recently subscribed to The Economist as well as getting streaming news feeds off the Internet) as well as refreshing my high school studies of U.S. History and Politics (last summer I wrote out the entire constitution with extensive liner notes to name just one thing I have been doing). One thing I need to improve upon is my essay-writing skills. There is a section in the written exam where you have fifty minutes to write a well-structured essay for or against a given subject. I will keep at everything and with luck and patience on my side I intend to win the day!

Trev's Computers
----------------
There is nothing much to report on the computer front. Things are running pretty smoothly for the most part. I don't think I will be in the market for a new computer anytime soon. I have been hanging out in #fansubs (http://www.fansubs.org/) on EFnet (Internet Relay Chat) during the day, and some nights when I get home I jump on my favorite MUD, Achaea (http://www.achaea.com/main.html), and play around. I have been trying to use the computer less at home. There is no reason for me to be on it all the time these days.

Trev's One Point Japanese Lesson
--------------------------------
So you want to learn Japanese? That is great! Last month we reviewed the polite form of verbs. Let's now tackle the short-form or dictionary-from of Japanese verbs. There are three types ru-verbs, u-verbs, and irregular verbs. Today let's talk about irregular verbs.

The good news about Japanese is that there are only two irregular verbs! They are suru (to do) and kuru (to come). Let's look at how to conjugate these:

suru:
Polite Form: shimasu
Present Positive: suru
Present Negative: shinai
Past Positive: shita
Past Negative: shinakatta

kuru:
Polite Form: kimasu
Present Positive: kuru
Present Negative: konai
Past Positive: kita
Past Negative: konakatta

That's it! Remember these two special cases and you are well on your way. Keep up you studies. Japanese can be a fun a rewarding language to learn!

Well, that is about it for this time. Thanks for reading, and if you get a chance be sure to drop me a line sometime. I always like hearing from you. Until next month, take care.

Yours,
trv

Posted by jumex at 11:16 0 Comments links to this post

2006-02-02

Audioblog for 2006-02-02 "Exactly"

Listen to my audio recording of the blog entry "Exactly" on 2006-02-02.

Also check out this month's Trev Report MP3!
Enjoy!

Posted by jumex at 16:56 0 Comments links to this post

Exactly ちょっど

Posted by jumex at 15:17 1 Comments links to this post