news/notes 2009.02.28

[News Newspaper] from "The Washigton Post"

Economy Shrinks At Staggering Rate

Challenges Loom Larger Than Feared With Sharpest Contraction Since 1982

The prospects for an economic recovery by year's end dimmed yesterday, as government data showed that the economy contracted at the end of 2008 by the fastest pace in a quarter-century. The worse-than-expected data fueled doubts about whether the Obama administration had adequately sized up the challenges it faces in trying to pull the country out of recession.

Gross domestic product, a measure of the goods and services produced across the nation, shrank at an annualized rate of 6.2 percent in the last quarter of 2008, according to the Commerce Department, far worse than the initial estimate of 3.8 percent and the 5 percent most analysts were expecting. The downward revision means the economy began the year from an even weaker position than previously thought.

"The economy really doesn't have any momentum going into the first quarter," Wachovia economist John Silvia said. "To the extent the economy may have been weaker, then the impact of the stimulus would be more muted."

The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 1.7 percent, or 119 points, capping a week in which stocks were battered by concerns that parts of the banking sector would be nationalized. Shares of Citigroup tanked 39 percent, to $1.50 after the government prepared to take a large ownership stake in the firm. Major indexes closed down about 4 percent on the week.

More than a year into the downturn, businesses are hunkering down. Technology and services conglomerate General Electric said yesterday that it would cut its annual dividend in July for the first time in at least 59 years to conserve cash and keep its borrowing costs as low as possible. Latham & Watkins, the nation's fourth-largest law firm, said it would dismiss 190 lawyers and more than 250 paralegals and support staff.

The revised GDP figure helped stoke skepticism among economists who say the White House's projections for the nation's recovery are too rosy. Based on those projections, Obama said he would slash the deficit in half by the end of his term. In its budget outline, the administration predicted that the economy would shrink 1.2 percent this year and grow 3.2 percent next year. By contrast, the consensus among private forecasters is that the economy will shrink 1.9 percent this year and grow 2.1 percent next year.

"It's just premature to expect the economy to be recovering," said Joshua Shapiro, chief economist at MFR, a forecasting firm. He said he expects the recession to drag into early next year.

"If you looked at the Obama administration's forecast, it's very much at the optimistic end of the spectrum. There's a whole 180 degrees between us and them," Shapiro said. "That doesn't guarantee they're wrong and the pessimists are right. But they are making pretty optimistic assumptions right now to hit even these terrible numbers for deficits."

Christina Romer, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told reporters yesterday that the administration's growth projections were made weeks ago, before data showed an even deeper recession, and noted that it is normal for an economy to bounce back fairly sharply after a major downturn.

Speaking at monetary policy conference in New York yesterday, she said the first quarter "is going to be bad," but the government stimulus package and other efforts would eventually bring healing.

"We are a supertanker, and it doesn't turn quickly," she said.

The updated fourth-quarter gross domestic product was the first of two revisions. It was based on more complete information than was available for the earlier estimate in January.

[Born This Day] from "Britannica"

Frank O. Gehry
American architect and designer Frank O. Gehry—renowned worldwide for his original, sculptural, and often audacious work, including the curvaceous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain—was born in Toronto this day in 1929.

[On This Day] from "Britannica"

1986: Olof Palme assassinated
Olof Palme, the internationally prominent prime minister of Sweden (1969–76, 1982–86) whose strong pacifist beliefs included opposition to the Vietnam War, was assassinated this day in Stockholm in 1986.

news/notes 2009.02.27

[Today's Paper] from "The New York Times"

Broadcast TV Faces Struggle to Stay Viable

CBS, home to “60 Minutes,” the “CSI” franchise, “Two and a Half Men” and the new hit crime drama “The Mentalist,” is having a better year in prime time than any other network.

And yet, as at the other networks, profits have declined sharply at CBS.

For decades, the big three, now big four, networks all had the same game plan: spend many millions to develop and produce scripted shows aimed at a mass audience and national advertisers, with a shelf life of years or decades as reruns in syndication.

But that model, based on attracting enough ad dollars to cover the costs of shows like “Lost” and “ER,” no longer appears viable. Network dramas now cost about $3 million an hour.

The future for the networks, it seems, is more low-cost reality shows, more news and talk, and a greater effort to find new revenue streams, whether they be from receiving subscriber fees as cable channels do, or becoming cable networks themselves, an idea that has gained currency.

The last bastion of the big network audience is the Super Bowl and other live events like the Grammy Awards and the Academy Awards. The rub is that those have traditionally been viewed as promotional outlets for a network’s other shows, and rarely make money themselves.

Ratings over all for broadcast networks continue to decline, making it harder for them to justify their high prices for advertising. Cable channels are spending more on original shows, which bring in new viewers and dampen their appetites for buying repeats of broadcast shows.

For the networks, the crisis is twofold: cultural and financial. For viewers, the result is more low-cost reality shows, prime-time talk and news programs and sports from the institutions that once made “Hill Street Blues,” “All in the Family” and “Cheers.”

NBC’s decision to move Jay Leno to a Monday-through-Friday slot at 10 p.m. eliminates the chance of the network developing another “ER” for that hour, but it will save the network tens of millions of dollars.

The network television landscape is scattered with other examples that speak to a broken business model.

The CW, a lower-profile network owned by CBS and Time Warner, contracted out part of its prime-time schedule to an outside supplier, but shut down the deal after just three months because of low ratings and production problems. MyNetworkTV, a unit of the News Corporation, said it would essentially stop being a broadcast network and instead be a “program service,” supplying shows, some of them reruns of series like “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” to affiliates. The networks have already lost much of their cultural cachet to cable, which is spending more to develop original programs. For the first time, the winning drama at last year’s Emmy Awards was on basic cable: “Mad Men,” which is on AMC. (“The Sopranos” was the first cable show to receive an Emmy for best drama series, but it was shown on HBO, a premium cable channel).

Financially, the networks are on shaky ground, partly because they rely almost solely on advertising. CBS reported that for the fourth quarter of last year, as the recession deepened, operating income in its television segment declined 40 percent, even though it was by far the most-watched network. In the second week of February, CBS had 12 of the top 20 shows, according to Nielsen Media Research.

News Corporation, which owns Fox, reported operating income of $18 million in broadcast television, compared with $245 million a year ago. And Disney’s broadcasting business had a 60 percent drop in operating income.

For years the major networks raised their ad rates, despite the shrinking audience, because they still offered advertisers a larger audience than anyone else.

“More dollars are chasing fewer eyeballs,” said Gary Carr, director of broadcast services at TargetCast tcm, a media and marketing company.

Lately, the recession has forced down the cost of prime-time commercials on network television, TargetCast said. In the fourth quarter, the average cost for a 30-second prime-time spot declined 15 percent, to about $122,000, the company said.

But advertisers will still pay large premiums for a big audience, particularly for live events like Fox’s “American Idol,” which can command $700,000 for a 30-second spot, according to Adweek. A top network hit of several years ago, NBC’s “Friends,” brought in an estimated $450,000 per 30-second spot.

These circumstances upend the traditional business model of developing comedies and dramas that can live, quite lucratively, for years in syndication.

“Prime-time television has been so expensive,” said Tim Spengler, president of Initiative U.S.A., an agency that is part of Interpublic. “The price premium is getting out of whack, and I think you’ll see some pullback.”

Within the industry, the identity crisis is evident in the debate about the future of the business among network executives.

Jeff Zucker, the chief of NBC Universal, has been more pessimistic, saying, “broadcast television is in a time of tremendous transition, and if we don’t attempt to change the model now, we could be in danger of becoming the automobile industry or the newspaper industry.”

[Born This Day] from "Britannica"

Constantine I

Thought to have been born this day after AD 280, Constantine I, the first Roman emperor to profess Christianity, sparked the empire's evolution into a Christian state and catalyzed a distinctively Christian culture.

[On This Day] from "Britannica"

1991: U.S. victory declared in Persian Gulf War

On this day in 1991, U.S. President George Bush ordered a cease-fire effective at midnight and declared victory in the Persian Gulf War, a conflict triggered by Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait in August 1990.

news/notes 2009.02.26

[News Front Page] from "BBC America"

Obama outlines Iraq pullout plan

President Barack Obama has announced the withdrawal of most US troops in Iraq by the end of August 2010.

In a speech at a Marine Corps base, he said the US "combat mission" in Iraq would officially end by that time.

But 35,000 to 50,000 of the 142,000 troops now in Iraq will stay on into 2011 to advise Iraqi forces, target terror and protect US interests.

Mr Obama praised the progress made but warned: "Iraq is not yet secure, and there will be difficult days ahead."

Some Democrats are concerned that the timetable falls short of his election pledges on troop withdrawal.

Mr Obama had said previously that he would completely pull out troops within 16 months of taking the top job.

Earlier this month, he ordered the deployment of up to 17,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan, saying they had been due to go to Iraq but were being redirected to "meet urgent security needs".

'Hard-earned progress'

In his address at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina, Mr Obama said his national security team had drawn up a "new strategy" for US involvement in Iraq.

The strategy recognised that the long-term solution in Iraq must be political and that the most important decisions about its future must now be made by Iraqis, he said.

"We have also taken into account the simple reality that America can no longer afford to see Iraq in isolation from other priorities: we face the challenge of refocusing on Afghanistan and Pakistan; of relieving the burden on our military; and of rebuilding our struggling economy - and these are challenges that we will meet."
Mr Obama said all US troops would have left Iraq by the end of 2011, in line with an agreement signed between the two countries last year.

The president recognised that the conflict had been "a long war" and paid tribute to US forces who have served in Iraq.

"Thanks to the sacrifices of those who have served, we have forged hard-earned progress, we are leaving Iraq to its people, and we have begun the work of ending the war."

He also announced that his administration would increase the numbers of soldiers and Marines, in order to lessen the burden on those now serving, and was committed to expanding veterans' health care.

Addressing the Iraqi people directly, Mr Obama said theirs was "a great nation" that had persevered with resilience through tyranny, terror and sectarian violence.

He went on: "So to the Iraqi people: let me be clear about America's intentions. The United States pursues no claim on your territory or your resources.

"We respect your sovereignty and the tremendous sacrifices you have made for your country. We seek a full transition to Iraqi responsibility for the security of your country."
The two nations would build a future relationship based on mutual interest and respect, he said.

Mr Obama said there were important lessons to be learned from the Iraq conflict - among them that the US must go to war with clearly defined goals, that it must weigh the costs of action and "communicate those costs candidly to the American people".

As a result of these lessons, he had ordered a review of US policy in Afghanistan, he said, and put the costs of Iraq and Afghanistan into the federal budget.

Stressing that Iraq's future was inseparable from that of the broader Middle East, Mr Obama said the US would now "pursue principled and sustained engagement with all of the nations in the region, and that will include Iran and Syria".

The new US ambassador to Iraq would be Christopher Hill, the former US chief negotiator with North Korea, the president added.

'Still dependent'

The withdrawal plan is a middle way between the speedy reduction Mr Obama envisaged during his election campaign and the slower one some military leaders may prefer, BBC North America editor Justin Webb says.

Mr Obama wants only two combat brigades to leave this year but after December elections in Iraq the pace should quicken, our correspondent says.

The BBC's Mike Sergeant in Baghdad says that security in Iraq is now better and people say they are ready for US forces to leave.

However, some people are deeply worried about what exactly will happen when US combat troops disappear, our correspondent says.

While Iraqi forces are much better trained and equipped than before, they are still dependent on US troops for support in many areas, our correspondent adds, and a great deal of American financial and political support may be needed for years to come.

'Too many'

Democrats have expressed concern that the troop withdrawal is being watered down.

Speaking before Mr Obama briefed Congressional leaders about the plan on Thursday, Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi said 50,000 troops seemed too many for a residual force and needed to be justified.

However, other sceptics have expressed concern that a fast withdrawal could reverse the dramatic but fragile gains in security in Iraq.

John McHugh, the top Republican on the House armed services committee, said after the briefing that Mr Obama had promised the pullout strategy would be revisited if violence in Iraq increased.

REACTION TO BARACK OBAMA'S IRAQ PLAN

"President Obama very appropriately and correctly thanked US Marines for precipitating the turnabout in Iraq. But if there is a chance of success in Iraq now as defined by Barack Obama, shouldn't there be some mention of the change in strategy, and the former Commander in Chief, the guy who hung in there?"

Marc Ambinder, Atlantic Monthly

"Several Democratic leaders have voiced strong concerns about the size of the "transition force." What's more, for all of the success in reducing violence in Iraq, long-term political progress remains elusive, and will have to be a high priority for the administration. Still, Obama has outlined the beginning of the end. It's about time."

Steve Benen, Washington Monthly

"In 2003, then Maj Gen David Petraeus, commander of the 101st Airborne Division that had participated in the invasion of Iraq, had a running joke with an embedded reporter... The general would turn to the reporter and muse, "Tell me how this ends." Today at Camp Lejeune... President Barack Obama - an antiwar Illinois state senator at the time of the invasion - answered Petraeus."

Spencer Ackerman, Attackerman, Firedoglake.com

"2011 just became a hard stop, I think. When presidents lay down markers like that, they don't easily walk away from them. It's now what Iraqi politicians described it as: the American Withdrawal of Forces Agreement. I fear Iraqi domestic political convenience just became American strategic reality. This converts the SOFA from a framework for a long-term strategic partnership to a guarantee of withdrawal."

Tom Donnelly, The Weekly Standard

Japan's industrial output plunges

Consumers around the world no longer want to buy Japanese cars
Japan's industrial production fell by 10% in January - the biggest monthly drop since records began more than half a century ago, the government says.

It is the fourth successive month that factory output has fallen, as the world's second-biggest economy suffers its worst recession in decades.

The latest figures come days after the government said exports plunged 45.7% in January compared with a year ago.

Japan's economy is suffering because of falling demand for its products abroad.

Consumers around the world afraid of losing their jobs in the global downturn no longer want to buy Japanese electronic gadgets and cars, the BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says.

The country's car production plunged a record 41% year-on-year in January, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

It said 576,539 vehicles were produced in January compared with 976,975 for the same month of 2008.

Painfully exposed

The Japanese themselves are also shopping less, with average household spending falling 5.9% in January compared with the same month a year ago, our correspondent says.

Jobs are also being slashed - the number of people unemployed rose by more than 200,000.

"The recession is having an increasing impact on the real economy," Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano said.

Japan was once seen as relatively immune to the global crisis because its banks were not as exposed to bad loans as those in the US and Europe, our correspondent says.

But he says that Japan's reliance on foreign markets to drive its economy out of a long slump in the 1990s has left it painfully exposed.

news/notes 2009.02.25

[Today's Frontpage] - from "The Japan Times"
Yosano wants steps to prop up stocks
Price-keeping operation, even '60s-like purchasing agency eyed
The government may work out fresh measures to bolster Tokyo stock prices
that have been plunging in step with New York markets.

Aso set to go over agenda checklist with Obama
'Buy American' plan, reccessin, terroism, climate all factors
Aso arrived in U.S. on Monday night to meet Pres. Obama at the White
House and underscore the importance of the bilateral alliance by reaffirming
cooperation over the economic crisis, antiterrorism efforts and global warming.

Obama deficit goals rely on rosy assumptions
Pres. Obama's ambitious goal of cutting the federal deficit in half relies on
a perfect - some might say improbable - convergence of factors: a recovered
economy, a tax boost for the rich and success in easing foreign entanglements.

Nikkei follows Dow, touches 26-year low

MSDF may divert oiler to Somalia task force

Pyongyang preparing to launch 'satellite'

[World news] from "The Observer"
Cancer deaths 'to double in next 40 years
'Professor warns that alarming rate of obesity across the world will trigger
huge rise in disease
Cancer cases are now rising at such a rate in Britain and the rest of the
world that the disease poses a threat to humanity comparable to climate
change, a leading scientist has warned.
The growing obesity epidemic in industrialised countries will be highlighted
this week as a leading cause of cancer in a policy report led by Sir Michael
Marmot, professor of epidemiology and public health at University College
London.
About seven million people die from cancer worldwide each year, according
to the most recent estimate by the World Cancer Research Fund, expected
to rise to more than 10 million by 2020. The estimated number of new cases
annually is set to increase from 10 million now to 16 million by 2020. Overall
the toll is predicted to double in the next 40 years.

Turkish Airlines plane crashes at Amsterdam airport
Plane carrying 135 passengers splits in three on approach to Schiphol
airport, reports say.
A Turkish Airlines plane carrying at least 135 people crashed in a field
today while coming in to land at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, killing at
least one person and injuring 20, airline officials said.

[World news] - from "The New York Times"
Obama Assures Nation: ‘We Will Rebuild’
President Obama asked both houses of Congress to quickly address energy,
education and health care.

[News] from "Los Angeles Times"
Obama mixes optimism and hard truths
The president, in praising the nation's resolve, works to inspire confidence.
But he does not downplay the many problems ahead.

[Today's Newspaper] - from "The Washington Post"
'Day of Reckoning Has Arrived'
Obama Outlines Road to Economic Recovery
In an address before a joint session of Congress, the president stresses the
importance of investing in energy, education and health care.

[Born This Day] - from "Britannica"
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, born this day in 1841, was initially associated with Impressionism, but in the 1880s his early works of sparkling colour and light gave way to a more disciplined, formal technique.

[On This Day] - from "Britannica"
1986: Ousting of Marcos in Philippines
On this day in 1986, Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos, under pressure from the United States, fled his country for Hawaii after a fraudulent electoral victory over Corazon Aquino, who replaced him as president.

news/notes 2009.02.24

[Today's Frontpage] - from "The Japan Times"
U.S. may buy bigger stake in Citigroup: report
Citigroup Inc. is in talks that could result in the U.S. government
increasing its stake in what was America's most valuable bank, a source
said, and The Wall Street Journal said taxpayers could own as much as 40
percent of the ailing lender's common stock.

Japanese films bag Oscars
"Okuribito" ("Departures") won the Oscar for best foreign-language film,
while "Tsumiki no Ie" was chosen as best animated short film at the 81st
Annual Academy Awards ceremony Sunday.
Directed by Yojiro Takita, "Okuribito" depicts the dignity of life and death
through the eyes of its protagonist, who makes his living placing bodies
into coffins.
The animated film "Tsumiki no Ie" (The House of Small Cubes"), directed
by Kunio Kato, is a 12-minute portrayal of the life of an old man who tries
to keep rising water caused by global warming out of his house.

Researchers discover antibodies that may lead to vaccine for flue
Researchers have discovered human antibodies that neutralize not only
H5N1 bird flu but other strains of influenza as well and say they hope to
develop them into lifesaving treatments.
The antibodies - immune system proteins that attach to invaders such as
viruses

[World news] - from "Guardian"
Nasa's CO2 satellite falls short of orbit
Carbon emissions monitoring satellite did not release from rocket
A pioneering satellite designed to map carbon dioxdide concentrations ran
into technical difficulties today.
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory launched successfully in the early hours
this morning aboard a Taurus XL rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base in
California. However, at 10.11am GMT, as the satellite prepared to separate
from the launch vehicle, Nasa launch director Chuck Dovale "asked that the
contingency plan be implemented."
Three minutes later an explanation came through on the satellite's launch
blog: "According to Nasa commentator George Diller, the payload fairing
failed to separate from the vehicle during ascent."
The launch team is now investigating to discover the root of the problem.
Oco is designed to collect precise measurements of the greenhouse gas in
the Earth's atmosphere, identifying where it is coming from, where it is
absorbed and what happens to it in between.
"It's critical that we understand the processes controlling carbon dioxide in
our atmosphere today so we can predict how fast it will build up in the
future and how quickly we'll have to adapt to climate change," said David
Crisp, principal investigator for the Oco, based at Nasa's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

[Today's Paper] from "The New York Times"
U.S. Pressed to Add Billions to Bailouts
The government faced mounting pressure on Monday to put billions more in
some of the nation’s biggest banks, two of the biggest automakers and the
biggest insurance company, despite the billions it has already committed to
rescuing them.
The government’s boldest rescue to date, its $150 billion commitment for
the insurance giant American International Group, is foundering. A.I.G.
indicated on Monday it was now negotiating for tens of billions of dollars in
additional assistance as losses have mounted.
Separately, the Obama administration confirmed it was in discussions to aid
Citigroup, the recipient of $45 billion so far, that could raise the
government’s stake in the banking company to as much as 40 percent.
The deepening global downturn is dragging down all kinds of businesses,
and, with no bottom to the recession in sight, investors sent the the Dow
industrials down 250.89 points, or 3.7 percent, to 7,114.78, a 3.7 percent
drop for the day and a loss of about 50 percent from their peak in the fall of
2007. Asian markets followed suit on Tuesday by flirting with the lows they
hit last October, with stocks in Hong Kong dropping more than 3 percent,
and Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropping more than 2 percent before
rebounding slightly.

[World news] from "CNN"
N. Korea: Ready to launch satellite
North Korea announced Tuesday it was preparing to launch a satellite from
its northeastern coast, denying recent intelligence suggesting it was ready
to test a long-range missile.
"Full-scale preparations are underway at a satellite launch site,'" a North
Korean space committee spokesman said through the official Korean Central
News Agency (KCNA).
The Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite would launch on the Eunha-2 rocket, he
said.
"If the satellite is successfully launched, our country's space technology
will take a great step forward into becoming a strong, economic country,"
the spokesman said, adding that the North Korea is following its own
"peaceful use policy" in developing such technology.

[Born This Day] - from "Britannica"
Charles V
Born this day in 1500, Charles V, who reigned as Holy Roman emperor,king
of Spain, and archduke of Austria, long struggled to preserve a Spanish and
Habsburg empire that reached across Europe to Spanish America.

[On This Day] - from "Britannica"
1868: U.S. President Andrew Johnson impeached
On this day in 1868, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 126–47 to
impeach President Andrew Johnson, whose lenient Reconstruction policies
regarding the South after the Civil War angered Radical Republicans
in Congress

[Words] from "英辞郎"
protagonist
【名-1】主人公、主役
・Alex is the protagonist in the play. アレックスは、その劇の主役である。
【名-2】主唱者
【名-3】参加者
【名-4】《能》シテ

contingency
【名-1】不慮の出来事、偶然性、続発事件、偶発性、偶発事件、偶発事象、
不測の事態、不慮の事故、有事、付随の事件、臨時出費
・Neither party shall be liable to the other party for any failure or delay in
the performance of any of its obligations under this agreement for the
period and to the extent such failure or delay is caused by riots, wars,
laws, acts of God, or other similar or different contingencies beyond the
reasonable control of the respective parties.
《契約書》いずれの当事者も、本契約に基づくいかなる義務の不履行または
遅延が、暴動・戦争・法律・不可抗力またはその当事者が適切に制御できない
類似もしくは異なった偶発的出来事により引き起こされている場合、その期間
およびその範囲に限り相手方に対して責を負わないものとする。
・When the first plan failed, we used a contingency plan.
初めの計画が失敗し、私たちは非常事態の対策を講じた。
【名-2】予備費

news/notes 2009.02.23

Dear Visitors: Thank you for taking your valuable time and accessing our site.

[Top News] from "The Japan Times"
Obama aims to cut budget deficit in half
Iraq, bureaucracy, taxes on rich to form core of next year's plan
Pres. Obama wants to cut the federal deficit in half by the end of his first
term, mostly by scaling back Iraq war spending, raising taxes on the
wealthiest and streamlining government.

9,000 near-naked men scramble for glory
About 9,000 men dressed only in white "fundoshi" loincloths scrambled to
get their hands on two pieces of sacred wood at a Buddhist temple in
Okayama on Sunday, marking the 500th anniversary of "one of Japan's three oddest festivals."

Iran offered to end Iraqi attacks for nukes
Iran offered to stop attacking coalition forces in Iraq if the West dropped
opposition to its nuclear program.

Clinton finishes Asia tour visiting Chinese women's rights activists

Thousands apply for five jobs
2,362 people lined up to apply for five job openings in the municipal
government,Suita Osaka Pref.

Melbourne Australia) Aussie memorial recalls firestorm's 209 victims

[World news] from "The Observer"
Mohamed returns to Britain after Guantánamo ordeal
Family, lawyers and doctor greet former Guantánamo detainee
Statement released accusing Britain of collusion in torture
Binyam Mohamed, the former UK resident who has been incarcerated in
Guantánamo Bay for more than four years, arrived back in Britain today.

Oscars 2009 foreign language film
Best foreign film was won by Okuribito, aka Departures, and everyone
laughed along with director Yojiro Takita's acceptance speech. At least,
we think they were laughing with him.

[Today's Paper] from "The New York Times"
As Doubts Grow, U.S. Will Judge Banks’ Stability
The nation’s largest banks will face stress tests this week, as the
government examines their long-term viability.

Need Dire and Aid Scant, Iraq’s Widows Struggle
The number of war widows has swelled, posing a threat to the country’s
tenuous social structures.

[World news] from "CNN"
Oscars 2009 foreign language film
Most of the winners, if not foreordained, were expected. The evening's
sole shock came with best foreign-language film, which went to the
Japanese film "Departures." Among the films it beat were France's "The
Class" and Israel's "Waltz With Bashir," two of the best-reviewed films of
the year.

[Born This Day] from "Britannica"
.E.B. Du Bois
Born this day in 1868, W.E.B. Du Bois was the most important African
American protest leader during the first half of the 20th century, helping
to create the NAACP in 1909 and editing The Crisis, its magazine, for
24 years.

On This Day] from "Britannica"
Alamo besieged by Santa Anna's Mexican army
This day in 1836, during the Texas war for, Mexican
General Antonio López de Santa Anna began a siege of the Alamo, which
was captured after 13 days and which became for Texans a symbol of
heroic resistance.

[Words] from "英辞郎"
streamline - to make an organization or prodess simpler and more effective
【他動-2】無駄をなくして合理化する、簡素化［効率化・能率化］する、
能率的にする、縮小改編する、整備する

loincloth - a strip of cloth worn around the loins
【名】下帯、腰巻、ふんどし◆【語源】loin（腰）＋cloth（布）
《相撲》まわし

incarcerate - to put and keep someone in prison
【形】投獄［監禁・幽閉］された
【他動】投獄［監禁・幽閉］する
・The court ordered the enemy of the people incarcerated.
裁判所は民衆の敵に投獄を言い渡した。

foreordain - to appoint or ordain beforehand; predestine
【他動】〔人を～するように〕運命づける
[Noun] foreordination
【名】〔あらかじめ決められた〕運命、予定

news/notes 2009.02.22

[Top News] from "The Japan Times"
Crisis tops rights issues: Clinton
H. R. Clinton said Saturday the United States and China can pull the
world out of economic crisis by working together and made clear this
took precedence over U.S. concerns about human rights in China.

The Fair Trade Commission plans to fine 10 firms over air cargo cartel

Its prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, meets Genva rules: Pentagon

Rio mayor in futile bid to curb Carnival chaos
Rio's mayor has a plan he believes can tame this chaotic city, which is
both beloved and loathed for the cacophony of sins that reach their apex
during Carnival.

[World news] from "The Observer"
UK agents 'colluded with torture in Pakistan'
A shocking new report alleges widespread complicity between British
security agents and their Pakistani counterparts who have routinely
engaged in the torture of suspects.

[Today's Paper] from "The New York Times"
Obama Has Plan to Slash Deficit, Despite Stimulus Bill
President Obama will set a goal this week of cutting the annual deficit at
least in half by the end of his term, according to administration officials.

[World news] from "CNN.com"
Australia mourns victims of deadly wildfires
Church bells rang throughout Australia on Sunday in remembrance of the
victims of last month's devastating fires that killed 209 people.

Swedish car maker Saab files for reorganization
Swedish car manufacturer Saab, a fully owned subsidiary of General
Motors, announced Friday that it will "file for reorganization ... to create
a fully independent business entity."
independent business entity."

Clinton: Chinese human rights can't interfere with other crisis
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broached the issue of human rights
with Chinese leaders on Saturday, but emphasized that the global financial
slump and other international crisis were more pressing and immediate
priorities.

[Born This Day] from "Britannica"
George Washington
Called the “Father of His Country,” George Washington, general and
commander in chief of the colonial armies in the American Revolution
(1775–83) and first president of the United States (1789–97), was born
this day in 1732.

[On This Day] from "Britannica"
1997: Cloning of Dolly
On this day in 1997, a team of British scientists working under the
direction of Ian Wilmut at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh announced
the birth of Dolly the sheep, the first clone of an adult mammal.

[Words] from "英辞郎"
futile
【形-1】役に立たない、効果のない、無益な、無駄な、不毛な、無能な、無意味な、余計なお世話で
・It is futile to talk to him since he won't listen.
彼は話をしても聞かないから、意味がないよ。
・Resistance is futile. 抵抗しても無駄だ。／無駄な抵抗はやめろ。
／悪あがきはやめろ。／逆らうことはできない。
【形-2】くだらない、つまらない、とるにたらない

tame
【他動-1】〔動物などを〕飼いならす、手なづける
【他動-2】〔人を〕従順にさせる、おとなしくさせる
【他動-3】〔熱意や関心を〕そぐ
【他動-4】〔気力・色彩などを〕弱める
【他動-5】〔天然資源などを〕管理［支配・制御］する

cacophony
【名】不協和音

collude with
～と共謀する

news/notes 2009.02.21

[Top News]-from "The Japan Times"
UBS, U.S. raise stakes in bank secrecy row
IRS asks Swiss giant for list of 52,000 alleged tax evaders
Swiss banking giant UBS AG and U.S. authorities were locked in a high-
stakes legal tussle over banking secrecy Thursday despite a pact meant to
settle a massive tax fraud case that has rattled the Swiss banking industry.

Iran has enough nuclear fuel for bomb, IAEA says
Iran has enough nuclear fuel to build a bomb if it decides to take the
drastic steps of violating its international treaty obligations, kicking out
inspectors and further refining its supply.

Turbulence hurts 47 over Narita
Rough air left 47 passengers and crew members injured aboard a NA jumbo
jet Friday as the flight from Manila was in a holding pattern off Chiba
Prefecture awaiting clearance to land at Narita airport.

FTC Probes Seven-Eleven over 'bento' discount ban
The Fair Trade Commission is investigating Seven-Eleven Japan Co. for
allegedly restricting franchise stores from discounting sales of boxed
lunches and other food products close to their expiry dates, the
company's owner said Friday.
It is the first time the antimonopoly watchdog has opened a full
investigation into "member-store bullying" by the head-quarters of a
major convenience store chain since it announced new guidelines on the
franchise system in 2002.

Topix falls to lowest since '84

Three acquitted in brazen slaying of Russian reporter
A jury in Moscow voted unanimously Thursday to acquit three men in the
killing of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, dimming hopes for justice in
a case that has mocked Russia's claims to be a modern democratic
nation.

[Sports]-from "The Japan Times"
Ishikawa struggles in PGA Tour debut
Teen sensation Ryo Ishikawa suffered a bout of stage fright and carded
a 2-over 73 in the opening round of NTO on Thursday.
Making his debut on the PGA Tour as a commissioner's foreign exemption,
the 17-year-old made a dream start with a birdie on his first hole but
struggled with his short-range putting and had two bogeys and a double
bogey before picking up another shot on the 13th at the par-71 RCC.

[Born This day]-from "Britannica"
Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe, born this day in 1924, was the first prime minister
(1980–87) of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia), its president from 1987,
and a black nationalist of Marxist persuasion who established one-party
rule.

[On This day]-from "Britannica"
1965: Malcolm X assassinated
Malcolm X, who articulated concepts of racial pride and black nationalism
in the United States, was assassinated this day in 1965 and became an
ideological hero after the posthumous release of The Autobiography of
Malcolm X.

[Words]-from "英辞郎"
stake
【1-名-4】引き受けるべき債権と債務
【1-他動】～に資金を与える、資金援助する、～を賭ける
・Nothing stake, nothing draw. 《諺》何も賭けなければ何も取れない。
・It was a last-ditch effort upon which the existence were staked.
存亡をかけた決死の出陣であった。

evade
【他動-1】～を逃れる、避ける、回避する、～から巧みに逃げる(escape)、
うまく切り抜ける、うまく逃れる
・He was arrested for evading over 1 billion in income tax.
彼は十数億円を超える所得税脱税容疑で逮捕された。
・To evade taxes Sam invests his money abroad.
税を逃れるために、サムは海外で投資を行っている。

tussle
【名】激しい格闘［闘争］、取っ組み合い
【自動】激しく格闘［闘争］する、取っ組み合いをする

rattle
【他動-3】慌てさせる、混乱させる、～の平静さを失わせる、いら立たせる
・Ratings agencies rattled executives.
格付け［評価］機関は経営陣［会社役員たち］を慌てさせた。

acquit
【他動-1】～が無罪であることを決定［宣言］する、～に無罪判決を言い渡す◆【対】convict
【他動-2】釈放する、放免する
・Harold was acquitted by the jury.
ハロルドは陪審に無罪とされた。
【他動-3】～を義務から解放する
【他動-4】〔義務などを〕果たす◆【用法】acquit oneself of

slay
【他動-1】殺す、殺害する、虐殺する、破壊する、消滅させる、絶滅させる
・He thought carefully whether he should slay the snake or not.
彼はヘビを殺そうかどうしようか注意深く考えた。

mock
【他動-1】ばかにする、まねをしてからかう
・The teenager mocked the teacher behind his back.
少年はすぐ後ろで教師のまねをしてふざけた。
・He mocked his opponent by imitating his voice.
彼は、敵の声をまねて相手を嘲った。
【他動-2】だます、欺く
【他動-3】無視する
・She mocked her frustration and stress.
彼女は自分の欲求不満とストレスを無視した。

news/notes 2009.02.20

[Top News]-from "The Japan Times"
Aso accepts blame for Nakagawa
Ex-minister was warned about alcohol in past
Prime Minister Taro Aso aplogized Thursday over the abrupt exit in
disgrace of Shoichi Nakagawa as finance minister and accepted
responsibility for appointing him.
"I really apologize for this," he said, stressing that swift enactment of the
fiscal 2009 budget should be the Diet's priority.

Obama unveils $75 billion to forestall foreclosures

JAL mulls 200 billion government-backed loan
Japan Airlines Corp. is considering borrowing some 200 billion from the
Development Bank of Japan, sources said Thursday.

BOJ takes credit-flow measures
The Bank of Japan said Thursday it will buy up to 1 trillion worth of
corporate bonds help by finacial institutions amid the deepening recession.

UBS to name U.S. clients in massive tax case
Swiss banking giant UBS AG has agreed to pay $780 million and identify
certain U.S. clients in a deal to resolve criminal fraud charges that it
assisted rich Americans to evade taxes.

[National]-from "The Japan Times"
High hopes for JAXA's new rocket
Nestled in a cavernous but air-tight hanger, scientists are putting the
finishing touches on the H-IIB rocket, hopig it will boost Japan's prestige
when it blasts off later this year.
The H-IIB - designed to take supplies to the International Space Station
as well as launch satellites - is more imposing than its predecessor, the
H-IIA. When it is ready, the H-IIB is expected to stand 56 meters high
- 3 meters taller than its sister rocket. It will also be 5.2 meters wide,
compared with 4 meters for the H-IIA, and weigh 530 tons. Two engines
and four quaxiliary boosters will be used to drive the massive rocket into
space.

[Weekend Scene]-from "The Japan Times"
Funereal flick out to reap Japan an Oscar
Yojiro Takita talks about his funereal drama 'Okuribito' ('Departures'),
Japan's big hope at this weekend's Academy Awards

[Born This Day]-from "Britannica"
Honoré Daumier
French artist Honoré Daumier, born this day or February 26 in 1808, was
renowned for his cartoons and drawings satirizing French society, and his
paintings helped introduce Impressionist techniques into modern art.

[On This Day]-from "Britannica"
1962: John Glenn's orbit of Earth
John H. Glenn, Jr., the oldest of seven astronauts selected by NASA for
Project Mercury spaceflight training (and later a U.S. senator), became on
this day in 1962 the first American to orbit Earth, doing so three times.

[Words]-from "英辞郎"
forestall-to prevent something from happening by taking action
before it does
【他動-1】～を未然に防ぐ、～の機先を制する
・The president should forestall a possible riot by deploying a garrison.
大統領は守備隊を配置して暴動を未然に防ぐべきだ。
【他動-2】〈文〉～を見越す、～を予想する
【他動-3】〔～を事前に買い占めて〕市場に出回らないようにする

foreclosure
【名】《法律》（抵当権の）請け戻し権喪失、質流れ

evade-to avoid talking about something especially because you are
trying to hide something
【他動-1】～を逃れる、避ける、回避する、～から巧みに逃げる(escape)、
うまく切り抜ける、うまく逃れる
・He was arrested for evading over 1 billion in income tax.
彼は十数億円を超える所得税脱税容疑で逮捕された。
・To evade taxes Sam invests his money abroad.
税を逃れるために、サムは海外で投資を行っている。
【他動-2】〔法律の目を〕くぐる
【他動-3】〔質問を〕はぐらかす

mull
【1-自動】〈米話〉じっくり考える、検討する、思案する、熟考する、頭を絞る、討議する
・I mulled over the decision for several days.
私は数日間、その決断について熟考した。
・I have been mulling over buying it.
買おうかどうしようかと迷っているところだ。
【1-他動-1】〈米話〉じっくり考える、検討する、思案する、熟考する、頭を絞る、討議する
・He mulls returning to metropolis.
彼は大都市へ戻ることを検討［思案］している。

iespcs@yahoo.co.jp
ieskkk@softbank.ne.jp

news/notes 2009.02.19

[Top News]-from "The Japan Times"
Obama orders surge for Afghanistan force
17,000 more soldiers to aid escalating war
President Barack Obana approved adding some 17,000 U.S. troops for the
flagging war in Afghanistan, his first significant move to change the course
of a conflict that his closest military advisers have warned the United States
is not winning.
"This increase is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in
Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and
resorces it urgently requires," Obama said in a statement.

U.S. eyes economic recovery as stimulus signed
Obama signed into law a $787 billion economic stimulus plan Tuesday,
predicting the package of spending and tax cuts marked "the beginning of
the end" of America's worst economic slide since the Great Depression.

GM, Chrysler seek billions more in loans
Billions of dollars in government loans already handed out to prop up
General Motors and Chrysler won't be enough. The companies, which have
received $17.4 billion so far, filed plans with the government more than
doubling that request to a staggering total of $39 billion.

Aso, Medvedev agree to intensify efforts to resolve territorial row
Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed
Wednesday to itensify efforts to resolve the decades-old territorial row
over four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido.

Man who killed, chopped up neighbor gets life
The Tokyo District Court sentenced a Tokyo man to lige imprisonment
Wednesday for killing a woman who lived two doors down from him in a
condominium in Koto Ward amd mutilating her body last year.

[Born This Day]-from "Britannica"
Nicolaus Copernicus
Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, born this day in 1473,
reintroduced the heliocentric system, proposing that the Earth, like the other planets,
revolves around the Sun and that it turns once daily on its axis.

[On This Day]]-from "Britannica"
1945: Iwo Jima invaded by U.S. Marines
On this day in 1945, during the final phases of World War II, U.S. Marines
invaded Iwo Jima so as to wrest control of the strategically important
island from the Japanese, who put up fierce resistance in the ensuing battle.

[Words]-from "英辞郎"
flagging-becoming tired or losing strength
【1-形】だれぎみの、減少ぎみの、低迷する
【2-名】敷石舗装

prop up-to prevent something from falling by putting something against
it or under it
【句動】下支えする、支柱を施す、てこ入れする
【名】<→prop-up>

mutilate-to severely and violently damege someone's body, especially
by cutting or removing part of it
【他動】～を損傷により損なう、（手足を）切断する、不具にする、骨抜きにする
・He killed and mutilated 15 men.
彼は15人を殺し遺体をバラバラに切断した。
・The child mutilated the book with his scissors.
その子供は、はさみで本をめちゃくちゃに切り刻んでしまった。
【変化】《動》mutilates | mutilating | mutilated、【分節】mu・ti・late

heliocentric system
太陽中心説

news/notes 2009.02.18

[Top News]-from "The Japan Times"
Nakagawa to resign after budget passage
Opposition censure bid seeks to get finance chief out sooner

No way out left for Aso, experts say

Aso OKs Nakagawa Resignation, Yosano To Double As Finance Minister

Japan, U.S. sign accord on forces realignment
Clinton offers assurances on security, transfer of marines to Guam
Japan and the United States formally signed an agreement Tuesday to
relocate about 8,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam by 2014 and
reinforce security ties.

Khmer Rouge genocide trial begins in Cambodia
The boss of a prison where some 16,000 men, women and children were
tortured and executed appeared before Cambdia's genocide tribunal
Tuesday in its first trial over the Khmer Rouge reign of terror more than
three decades ago.

Planned new foreigner IDs to be Justice Ministry-issued

U.S. halted sale of nuke equipment to Pakistan
A Tokyo trading house extensively involved in exporting equipment to
Pakistan for use in its clandestine nuclear arms program was forced to
scrap the sale of key uranium enrichment devices after the United States
became aware of the deal, a source connected with the company said
Monday.
The source said it was under U.S. pressure that a Japanese major heavy
machinery maker, whose name was not provided, stopped the sale of
power supply inverters to Pakistan through Western Trading, which foled
in 2004.

Abductee kin meet Clinton

[Born This Day]-from "Britannica"
Toni Morrison
American writer Toni Morrison, noted for her examination of black
(particularly black female) experience within the black community and
recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, was born this day
in 1931

[On This Day]-from "Britannica"
1930: Pluto discovered by Clyde Tombaugh
Using a 13-inch (33-cm) telescope at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff,
Arizona, Clyde W. Tombaugh, a 24-year-old American with no formal
training in astronomy, discovered the planet Pluto this day in 1930

[Words]-from "英辞郎"
censure
【名】激しい非難、とがめ、酷評、不信任
・The lawyer was censured in court for his use of bad language.
その弁護士は汚ない言葉を使ったため、法廷で厳しく非難された。
【他動】非難する、酷評する
【＠】センシャー、センシュア、【変化】《動》censures | censuring | censured

genocide
【名】大虐殺、集団虐殺◆国民・人種・政治的集団に対する大量虐殺を意味する
名詞で、第二次大戦中のナチスによるユダヤ人虐殺や、クメール・ルージュによる
民族虐殺などについて使われる。語源は「民族」を意味するギリシャ語 genos と
「殺す」を意味するラテン語 -cide。この接尾辞は homicide（殺人）や、
suicide（自殺）などの語にも使われている。

terror
【名-1】恐怖
・She felt terror whenever she went into a small, dark space.
彼女は狭く暗い場所へ行くといつも恐怖を感じた。
【名-2】テロ（行為）
【＠】テラー、【変化】《複》terrors、【分節】ter・ror

tribunal
【名-1】法廷、裁判所、裁決機関
・A tribunal was set up to judge the prisoners.
その囚人を裁くための法廷が開かれた。
・The Security Council established a tribunal that would try those
suspected of atrocities.
安全保障理事会は、残虐行為の容疑者を裁く機関を設置した。
【名-2】《法律》裁判官席
【＠】トライビュナル、トリビュナル、【変化】《複》tribunals、【分節】tri・bu・nal

clandestine
【形】秘密で行われる、秘密の、人目に付かない、内々の、忍びの、ひそかな
・He was in charge of clandestine affairs for the CIA in Europe.
彼はヨーロッパで CIA の秘密任務を担当していた。
【節】clan・des・tine

nuke
【名】核爆弾、核兵器、原子力、原子力船、原子力発電所
【他動-1】核兵器で攻撃する、核攻撃する、核爆弾で破壊する、完全に破壊する
【他動-2】電子レンジで調理［料理・チン］する
【他動-3】〔データを〕削除する
【＠】ニューク、ヌーク、【変化】《動》nukes | nuking | nuked

news/notes 2009.02.17

[Top News]-from "The Japan Times"
Economy has worst fall in 35 years
12.5% annualized dive in quarter reflects Japan's beating: Yosano
The economy plummeted at an annualized pace of 12.7 percent in the
three months through December, the worst fall in the past 35 years.
Gross domestic product for 2008 shrank 0.7 percent in real terms,
compared with 2.4 percent growth in 2007.
Household consumption fell 0.4 percent in October-December, or an
annualized contraction of 1.7 percent. Privatesector capital investments
plunged 5.3 percent, or an annualized contraction of 19.5 percent.

Japan firms played into Khan's nuclear hands
Key devices abetted disgraced proliferator's atomic arms quests

Doubt cast on North's uranium aenrichment

Nakagawa denies being tipsy ahead of Rome G-7 briefing

Caracas [AP]-Chavez wins vote to scrap term limits

[Asia-Pacific]-from "The Japan Times"
North says missile part of 'space' effort
Northe Korea on Monday fueled speculation that it is preparing to test
a long-range missile, signaling that it will go ahead with a rocket launch
as part of a "space development" program.

[Words]-from "英辞郎"
abet
【他動-1】〔悪事を〕けしかける、唆す、ほう助する、教唆する、扇動する
・Abetted by inflation, the company needed to raise the prices for their
products. インフレのため、その企業は製品の値上げをしなくてはいけなかった。
・He abetted a newcomer in the kidnapping.
彼は、新入りを唆して誘拐をさせた。

disgraced
【形-1】面目をつぶされた、汚名を負わされた、屈辱を受けた
・They shouldn't feel disgraced.
【形-2】不祥事を起こした
・An institute director made a visit to the place where the
disgraced researcher led the excavations.
研究所理事は、今回不祥事を起こした研究員が発掘を指揮した場所を訪問した。

proliferator
【名】拡散国家◆大量殺りく兵器拡散を推進する国。

quest
【名-1】追求、探索、探求
・The quest for peace in the world is never ending.
世界の平和の追求には終わりがない。
【名-2】冒険の旅
【自動】探し求める
【他動】《詩》探求する

news/notes 2009.02.16

[Top News]-from "The Japan Times"
Predictions on climate get gloomier
Pace of change on many fronts much worse than expected
The pace of global warming is likely to be much faster than recent
predictions because industrial greenhouse gas emissions have increased
more quickly than expected and higher temperatures are triggering
self-reinforcing feedback mechanisms in gloval ecosystems, scientists
said Saturday.

Japan's Iraq aid mission officially ends

Pyongyang makes possible peace offering

Specific firms got last-minute gifts in stimulus
In rushing to pull together a landmark economic stimulus package
last week,Democratic lawmakers and the White House added billions
in new spending　and tax breaks that will benefit a handful of
specific companies and industries.

[Words]-from "LDOCE"
greenhouse effect
the gradual warming of the air surrounding the earth as a result of heat
being trapped by pollution

greenhouse gas
a gas, especially carbon dioxide or methane, that is tought to trap heat
above the earth and cause the greenhouse effect

news/notes 2009.02.15

[mechanical]-from "Machine Design. com"
Shoulder-fillet stresses finesse
FEA reveals shoulder fillets under unanticipated stress.
For years, designers relied on the formulas and graphs published in
Peterson's Stress Concentration Factors. But what if they weren't as
accurate as we thought?
Peterson's solutions take the form of separate graphs for the three loading
modes: bending, tension, and torsion. They have been published in
mechanical-design textbooks since their original appearance in 1953.
Modern analytical techniques that used finite-element analysis (FEA) can
provide a more accurate, easier-to-handle solution.
For details, refer to "Machine Design.com, Volume 81, Number 1,
January 8, 2009".

[Top News]-from "The Japan Times"
U.S. Congress clears final stimulus bill
With the House of Representatives and Senate giving final approval to the
massive stimulus bill Friday

G-7 finance chiefs hunddle over stability measures

Clinton pitches peace offer to Pyongyang

Risks from space debris grow with every launch

Japan inks $100 billion loan to International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Summer heat hits early in Chiba, Shizuoka

[Words]-from "英辞郎"
huddle
【名-1】群衆、ごちゃ混ぜ、混乱、乱雑、大騒ぎ
【名-2】相談、協議、秘密会議、密談
【名-3】《スポーツ》作戦会議、ハドル
【自動-1】群れ集まる、密集する、群がる、寄り合う
・Those huddled in the lifeboats watched the ship sink into the ocean. 救命ボートに群がった人々は船が海原に沈んで行くのを見た。
【自動-2】身を寄せ合う
・The survivors huddled together to keep warm.
生存者は身を寄せ合って暖をとった
【自動-3】相談する、密談する、談合する
・The players huddled close together before the game.
選手たちは試合の前に集まって戦略を話し合った。

ink
【他動-2】〈米〉～に署名する

news/notes 2009.02.14

*① [top news]
* Postal blunder puts stimulus pay at risk
Koizumi unlikely to back Aso's cash handouts
* Filipino girl's parents told to leave
The Justice Ministry has decided not to allow a Filipino family, including
a 13-year-old girl born and raised in Japan, to continue to stay
together in the country, Justice Minister Eisuke Mori said Friday.
*LDP may revive ban on temps in manufacturing
In an apparent bid to shore up job security, the ruling Liberal Democratic
Party has begun looking into revising the law to ban the dispatch of
so-called registered temporary workers by staffing agencies to the
manufacturingt industry.
* Nissan suspends prep work on Chrysler compact deal
* Economic crisis 'represents greatest threat to U.S. security'
*⑪　blunder
【名-1】大失敗、大間違い、重大ミス、ばかな間違い、失態
・The teacher's blunder forced everyone to take the test again.
教師が重大ミスをしたため、子供たちは皆再びテストを受けさせられた。
【名-2】《囲碁》ポカ
【自動】まごついてうろうろする、不注意で大失敗する、へまをする、不覚をとる
・If he blunders again, he'll get fired.
もし彼がまたへまをしたら首になるだろう。
*⑪ shore
【2-名】支柱、突っ張り、つっかい
【2-他動】～を支柱で支える、～につっかい（棒）をする
*⑫ [THESAURUS]
a stupid mistake
* blunder / blʌndə / a stupid mistake caused by not thinking carefully
enough about what you are saying or doing, which could have serious
results :
In a serious blunder by the hospital, two babies were sent home with
the wrong parents.
* gaffe / ɡæf / an embarrassing and stupid mistake made in a social
situation or in public :
a serious gaffe in her speech about immigration
*① quoted from "The Japan Times"
*⑪ quoted from "英辞郎"
*⑫ quoted from "LDOCE"