There’s an additional context going on in Japan right now that makes this about a lot more than just what YT content is out there.

Similar to other countries, there is an alarming rise in anti-foreigner sentiment lately, some of it caused by economic conditions (that frankly foreign residents are not responsible for) and a lot of it caused by extreme post-pandemic overtourism, stoking of nationalism with a dash of xenophobia from the Sanseito political party, as well as a rash of very badly behaving ‘influencers’ like Logan Paul, a bunch of people doing dumb disruptive shit on trains and one guy who was just hurling invective at people trying to pick a fight (not even going to mention his name b/c he doesn’t deserve a shred of attention. Still can’t believe that guy didn’t get shanked before he was deported).

The overall result being that, in general, people are sick to death of shit like this. And yeah, this kid seems to have good intentions, is being respectful in his speech (if not his conduct), I wouldn’t lump him in with the rest of the ‘troublemakers’ I mentioned, but the point is, as foreigners we don’t always get that chance. Just by coming up to someone at putting a camera in their face, you’re committing a significant social faux pas in Japan, and it’s exacerbated by an environment that is lately quite weary of foreigner shenanigans.

I overhear it in cafe conversations, I see it on people’s faces when they see my outwardly foreign appearance and I see it when I enter a restaurant and there’s a look of panic on the servers faces upon seeing me and then quickly looking to the manager until at last I speak some Japanese and they finally unclench. I’ve been here a while now, it hasn’t always been this bad.

Point is, this kid is being rather selfish and rocking the social boat in a way no one needs, and I hope that as he interacts with more people some of them will call him out on it and he’ll get wise.

As a small post-script to address your comment about how the old man was cool with it, that’s fine and dandy. Again, the issue is the kid using people as his personal study-aid without properly asking. Again, as an outwardly presenting foreigner I can’t count the number of times I’ve been approached in all kinds of situations by people I don’t know trying to get some free English practice (and yes, it’s VERY different than simply starting a conversation in English, it is blatantly exploitative). I’ll always be polite about it, but it’s incredibly rude to reduce someone to language practice in any context. And even then, if you want to interview people, ask 'em before turning the camera on.

I do not understand the positive comments in this thread, this is so fucking cringe. I live in Japan and this type of idiot makes things worse for all of us foreigners. Yes, take study of the language seriously. Yes, talk to people and engage in genuine conversations with them. But this recording and publicizing it does NOTHING to further your language skills or understanding of the culture - it’s shameless self-aggrandizement at the cost of normal people trying to live their lives. Japan is not a people-zoo and Japanese people are not your personal PR platform, have some fucking respect.

God I miss those! Strolling down the street, quickly stutter run up to that sweet ledge and bust a random 6 foot frontside, continue strolling down the street…

Whoa, don’t think I’ve ever seen the original image before.

Everyone should watch this movie. It’s an underappreciated classic.

I’ve been giggling like an idiot at this for 5 minutes now

Sorting in Immich needs a lot of work still. The main thing I’m still missing from Google Photos is being able to manually sort images in an album.

I overall loved the choice to use it and orchestral arrangement especially, really got my attention after all the action and made me lean in to the moment and the show. What I didn’t love was Rufus Wainright’s overly syrup-y vocals. Really would have preferred the original remixed with the orchestral arrangement.

That said, I do wonder if over time this is going to grow on me and become another Faith of the Heart. 😁

Totally! I haven’t loved the post-Burn setting but the way this show is already contextualizing it, and the optimism it’s doing it with is already starting to change my mind.

And it’s even carrying over from the show into real life, which is one of the things I love most about Trek and its good to have this out there. There’s some nitpicks, as there always are, but so far I can deal with them, especially if it stays consistent. 🖖

I wasn’t aware of the Stellaris mods at the time I grabbed Infinite, but I have to say that I honestly don’t mind dipping into it from time to time. I guess there’s bugs and balance issues and whatever but apparently I’m basic enough that I haven’t noticed. It getting abandoned does make me quite angry though.

This one always made me giggle uncontrollably. https://whiteninjacomicsarchive.github.io/#78

I started keeping a Note on my phone titled Game Diary with different sections for games I’m playing, and write down what I was doing, my train of thought and what I wanted to do next, things I had to check on our fix etc, at the time I put it down. It’s helped immensely when I come back to something after a while and encounter exactly what you’re talking about.

all of the building blocks were created over a long time, and suddenly, their invention or discovery becomes inevitable.

The first season of Connections did an exceptional job of illustrating that idea. Highly recommended!

I thought our rights were in that place where I put that thing that time.

I think we just call that a movie.

“Tell Bari Weiss. I want her to know it was me.”

Ugh, man… this canned wassail is kinda skunky.

It’s common for terrible acts to go unpunished. There are lots of movies and shows where the bad guy wins. Many where you can’t even tell who the bad guy is. But they’re still good stories.

That’s kind of my point though, the show failed to make any statement about it, including this one. In fact, what you say here would have been an exceptional statement to make, especially considering the post-9/11 backdrop of this season’s arc. Instead they were just like, “ANYWAY, time for some timetravel shenanigans” or whatever the next season was doing, I don’t recall. That absence of comment is the failure the show makes is what I’m really saying.

I think the character decisions were motivated, intentionally difficult to wrestle with and especially relevant for the time it was made. I think what makes the show unforgivable for it however, is the complete lack of consequences for those transgressions.

And before someone brings up DS9 and In the Pale Moonlight, I would point out that that entire episode was doing the work of questioning and condemning decisions just like this. It’s what ENT was missing.

What do folks think about Helium as a Chromium option?