tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:26:16 +0000I teach, therefore I learn.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/noreply@blogger.com (Will)Blogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-474880314222550763Tue, 27 Feb 2007 03:48:00 +00002007-02-26T19:50:01.370-08:00Gavin responds to the questions about his school. Its an excellent discussion, please read the whole thing. I counted at least a half dozen paper topics in there.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/02/you-have-question-he-has-answers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-6737320049355294255Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:07:00 +00002007-02-20T20:08:59.704-08:00... in pictures. (h/t Japundit)http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/02/how-to-tie-kimono.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-2705332578937326402Sat, 17 Feb 2007 05:04:00 +00002007-02-16T21:04:53.253-08:00Japanese gangsters are renowned for their self-discipline, including cutting off their little fingers to atone for failures or betrayal. --- Japanese mob boss dead in apparent suicidehttp://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/02/yakuza-news.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-1179321319864350600Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:46:00 +00002007-02-05T16:47:39.090-08:00This a pretty good list of English sources of ideas for papers. You'll find links to newspapers, opinion sites, government sites, etc...http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/02/english-language-resources-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-2097862930391744088Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:15:00 +00002007-02-04T13:17:32.633-08:00[I]n the 1930s, the Army Ministry tasked a university researcher (Kyoto, IIRC) to develop a quick method that could be carried out at draft induction centers to determine which conscripts would be most suitable for assignment to infantry units. The university prof, for some reason, latched onto blood type difference as promising data in this regard. Eugenics, of course, was very much in the air http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/02/history-of-blood-typing-in-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-404653176790494219Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:13:00 +00002007-02-04T13:14:47.300-08:00Perhaps this, and the links within, will inspire someone for their papers.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/02/something-about-manga-i-think.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-113897185167941468Tue, 23 Jan 2007 22:50:00 +00002007-01-23T14:51:55.068-08:00Here is a trailer for a Kubuki movie and this longer clip shows some dramatic costume changes.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/clips-of-kabuki.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-1139162734070739659Tue, 23 Jan 2007 22:30:00 +00002007-01-23T14:49:26.671-08:00http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/clips-of-noh-drama.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-6892771992629135337Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:29:00 +00002007-01-19T21:33:33.515-08:00The Asahi Shinbun reports there's an effort to end age discrimination in hiring. Many firms (and I assume these are large firms) explicitly set age limits, sometimes as low as 30, for new hires. In particular, the ban is expected to help freeters--job-hopping part-time workers--in the 25- to 34-year age bracket, officials said. People of that generation typically failed to find regular http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/age-discrimination-in-employment.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-6281431063285641602Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:56:00 +00002007-01-18T14:00:12.065-08:00You would think not, but here might be some evidence that culture is built into the brain. How did it get there?(BTW, there's lots of technical terms, like 'essentialism', used in this class. A cool feature of google is to type "define:essentialism" to get definitions from all over the web.)http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/is-essentialism-true.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-5746358448508504301Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:52:00 +00002007-01-18T13:55:13.512-08:00A fun site, one filled with paper topic ideas, is Japundit. It's mostly silly stuff, but its a good place to go for contemporary issues in Japan. A taster: the new Japanese dad spends more time with the kids and its a sushi bar, but is it Japanese?http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/japundit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-4449703832359740048Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:46:00 +00002007-01-18T13:50:08.408-08:00A blog I sometimes read, is commenting on Japanese history. He's reading books on Japanese history from the perspective of an American Christian. Here's an overview of recent history and here are some thoughts on Eastern religion.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/fellow-traveler-another-take-on-recent.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-5062035749618699621Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:41:00 +00002007-01-18T12:44:57.472-08:00Last week, the professor excerpted from an online discussion paper by Rob Steven about comparing western and Japanese capitalism.The paper does a very bad job with its economic analysis (or analysis of economics), but its a good place to start thinking about these things.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/comparative-capitalisms.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-2870905234989340598Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:35:00 +00002007-01-18T12:37:36.579-08:00I'll have office hours Wednesdays 1-2pm and Thursdays 5-6pm. Both are in 2T Young.Also, I've added links to the syllabus and paper topics to the class page.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/new-ta-office-hours.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-6332453795727860329Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:52:00 +00002007-01-10T18:53:04.911-08:00Live webcams from all over Japan.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/who-says-anthropology-from-distance-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-940264884211514759Wed, 10 Jan 2007 20:59:00 +00002007-01-10T13:01:10.953-08:00A student found a citation for the author I mentioned in today's section that committed suicide.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/kimitake-hiraokas-suicide.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-1636411894315489669Thu, 04 Jan 2007 21:43:00 +00002007-01-04T14:07:29.498-08:00A positive view of the book, Chrysanthemum and the Sword, the Professor mentioned in class today and here is a more negative review. http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/chrysanthemum-and-sword.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-549016490381375815Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:36:00 +00002007-01-04T12:43:11.327-08:00The professor asked in lecture today what interests the class had in Japan. These might be paper topics or subjects touched on in lecture or section. They included:artJapan as a model for American instituionshigh tech culturecultural exports (manga, movies, etc)religionthe ability to assimilate other cultures while maintaining JapanesenessAinu and other minority groupsChristianitymix of http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/interests.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-3178521350707736400Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:31:00 +00002007-01-04T12:33:33.626-08:00The idealized samurai code was given best expression by a Japanese Christian named Inazo Nitobe. His book, "Bushido: The Soul of Japan," was written in English and translated back into Japanese after World War II. It prizes sympathy for the weak and hatred of cowardice - and has been a gold mine for present-day nationalists.This newspaper article describes a changing discourse of Patriotism in http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2007/01/rising-patriotism-in-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-115320507151754838Tue, 18 Jul 2006 06:37:00 +00002006-07-17T23:44:31.526-07:00An email from a student:Will-I just looked at the correct reponses to the most recent homework, and Iwas curious about the last question. In the book, it says that if thegovernment faces a budget surplus, it will use that money to pay for someof the national debt. Therefore i thought the graph should remainunchanged. But the correct answer showed a shift of the supply curve in theright direction.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2006/07/government-surplus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-115317111365472281Mon, 17 Jul 2006 21:17:00 +00002006-07-17T14:18:33.676-07:007:10 to 8 pm tomorrow Tuesday the 18th in 184 Younghttp://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2006/07/exam-ii-review-session.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-115277163821885950Thu, 13 Jul 2006 06:15:00 +00002006-07-12T23:20:38.220-07:00You can come up with many reasons why growth matter and many reasons why it may not matter. Go ahead. You can do it.Consider this: The growth rate in the 60's was such that incomes were doubling about once a generation (25 years). The 80's show a different trend where incomes were growing such that they only doubled once every generation and a half.In broad strokes how would you http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2006/07/why-does-growth-matter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-115277112202556314Thu, 13 Jul 2006 05:55:00 +00002006-07-12T23:23:13.386-07:00Data:YearNominal GDP (Billions) Population (thousands) CPI (1983=100) Labor (Billions of hours) 1960 526.4 179979 29.6 94 1980 2789.5 227225 82.4 126 2000 9817 282192 172.2 193Source 1. Source 2.Questions:What's GDP per person? Growth?What was inflation in each period?What was labor productivity?would hourly compensation be in the year 2020 if:The rate of increase from 1960-1980 continued to http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2006/07/practice-with-real-us-data.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-115276406249490737Thu, 13 Jul 2006 04:11:00 +00002006-07-12T22:55:34.350-07:00Gapminder is a great tool to visualizing relationships between various development data.The most interesting views take income on the horizontal axis and the following on the vertical axis (using default settings):CO2 emissionsChild mortalityLife expectancyChildren per woman% of girls in schoolPhones per capitaInternet per capitahttp://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2006/07/gapminder.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17089032.post-115275273929389459Thu, 13 Jul 2006 01:02:00 +00002006-07-12T18:18:14.493-07:00Item19012002Apparel 14%4%Food and Beverages 43%13%Housing 23%33%Entertainment2%5%Transportation0%19%Healthcare/Insurance5%16%Education1%2%Charity1%3%Booze/Tobacco3%2%Other 8%3%Source.http://www.ambrosini.us/teaching/2006/07/household-expenditure-shares-19012002.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Will)0