Umechan

Here's the article incase someone actually wants to read about this boring man.

I'm moving back home to the UK after living in Japan for 11 years. I noticed a westerner at the boarding gate with his feet up on the seats opposite him. I thought that was incredibly rude, especially as he had his shoes, which Japanese people normally remove when putting their feet on something people sit on, but I didn't dwell on it.

After boarding the plane, he walked past my seat, and I noticed he was carrying the book "The Real Anthony Fauci". I wasn't familiar with the book, and although I think there are things Fauci deserves to be criticized for, it just screamed conspiratorial chud. I decided to wait until I had WiFi access and could Google the book before passing judgement, and it turned out some people don't deserve the benefit of the doubt.

The labels have the character's name followed by 受 (uke), which means being the receptive or passive partner, or in BL slang means the bottom. Most underrated organizational system ever by the way. Please show this to anyone who claims that "unwoke" Japan doesn't "shoehorn queerness into everything".

I'm personally all for letting people decide if they should vote, but it's entirely Biden's fault that people don't want to vote for him.

Last year, I discovered that I have something in common with Biden. No, I don't mean I should be executed for my crimes against humanity (although I'm sure some of you tankies will beg to differ); I discovered that we are both using CPAP to treat sleep apnea. I struggled with chronic sleep deprivation for around three years until I finally got diagnosed and started CPAP around 18 months ago. I want to try to avoid being ableist, but as someone who has personally experienced impaired memory and reduced neurological ability from untreated sleep apnea, I know full well what it can do.

I do not know the full details of Biden's treatment, but articles suggest that he only started CPAP last year despite being diagnosed in 2008. Maybe it's unfair to speculate about his personal health, but it seems like there are one of two possibilities.

1. Like roughly 50% of CPAP users, he struggled to adapt to it and quit within the first year, but had to give it another chance after his health inevitably deteriorated.
2. A CPAP was unnecessary at first, as he could manage his symptoms through undergoing surgery or using a dental device, but they progressed (as they generally do with age) to the point where he needed to start CPAP therapy.

In either case, he was probably sleep deprived for some time before his doctors noticed and advised him to start CPAP therapy. It can also often take at least six months to overcome sleep deprivation (it took more than 18 months in my case), and even longer to repair the damage it caused.

My sleep apnea is likely much worse than his, but I'm also half as old as him, and I would not describe my memory as fine. I never expect to remember important information unless I write it down immediately, and I sometimes struggle to remember the names of people I've worked with for several years. I've just had to accept that dealing with my poor memory is part of managing my symptoms. I don't think he deserves to be mocked, but I think he should accept that his memory is far from fine.

I'm 40 and therefore ancient in terms of internet years, but although I'm British (but one who was born to a Celt and an Southeast Asian born in a British colony, so don't judge me) I really don't remember how Ireland was viewed when I was younger. I didn't have much awareness of current events until I was at least 10, and the Good Friday agreement was signed when I was 15, so I always view the worst of the conflict as something that was before my time.

I know there was a whole stereotype about Irish terrorists, but was that ever used by politicians and/or media figures to prolong the conflict? Are there any verifiable examples of this such as articles or videos?

"Do white lives matter?" energy.

I saw some people on Reddit discussing whether someone was being orientalist, and I agreed they were simply by using the phrase "zen-like concentration". I'm not offended by them using this term, I just find it stupid. "Zen-like" has absolutely no meaning, but gives an air of eastern spirituality and mysticism. I personally think you should only be able to use that phrase if you can give a detailed and verifiable explanation about the differences between zen-like concentration, huayan-like concentration, mahasthabir nikaya-like concentration, and chan-like concentration, as well as recognize that the last one is exactly the same as zen.

And why is it only ever "zen-like"? I'm sure everyone would find it strange if Asians suddenly started to use the terms "seventh day adventism-like" or "independent fundamentalist baptist-like" to refer to the elements of American culture they find exotic.

Someone posted about language barriers in music yesterday, and it reminded me of a time I experienced the opposite.

I bought a compilation CD released by the record label Avex when I visited Japan in 2006 with no knowledge of the language. It included the song Yatsu Revolution (don't watch it in public or in front of other people BTW) by the A-BOYS. It's obvious from the video that the song is very strange, but with YouTube being less than 2 years old at the time, the music video wasn't easily available online, so I just thought is was supposed to be tongue in cheek. There was also a dance group that has worked with Avex and are called A-Boys, so I assumed the song was by them.

I started studying Japanese a few years later and eventually went to a language school full-time. I found the album it was on along with a bunch of others buried in my hard drive around 2020. My understanding of it going from 0 to 100 all at once was a surreal experience. I'd assumed it was just a silly song by some dancers with no professional singing experience, but it was actually a bawdy song about Japanese geek culture.