• Nov, 2023
  • Nov 30, 2023

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bYVC8XdV2w

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4epcrJ66gQI

    This isn't super relevant to ‘today’ because pros have probably always had the same situation, but there have been headlines about people (women) having instagram/tiktok regret after becomming nude/sex/whatever workers on those platforms. Did just so much time pass in which the negative consequences of selling that were just forgotten to culture? Traditionally it seems everyone advised against going that way, but maybe it was forgotten after like the 60s or something, and more in the recent generations? and maybe it had something to do with the slowly increasing selling of more graphic/personal sexuality on TV, movies, music, promotion.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCPWuk1i_Jw

    Harvard ranked last out of 254 schools in the US in terms of free speech etc.

    There's nothing wrong with criticizing Israel, Ackman said, but you can't talk about ‘eliminating’ a people or group or something similar to that.

    Allowing people to say hateful things, threatening things, creates a hostile environment not condusive to learning.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKeOeKw5dy4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ7VOu-5MTk

    ‘What the prison population is shifting towards is more political crime, more white collar crime. More things that aren't really crimes.' - Shkreli

    Omegle shutting down after 14 years. The guy doesn't want to have a heart attack in his 30s, can't economically or psychologically continue. Because, like the telephone, it is a tool sometimes used by people in even abusive ways, but, unlike the telephone, its a tool that can do something no other tool can do, allow users to meet strangers in a safe way. He built it (and would have otherwise liked to continue maintaining it if not for the legal and personal attacks) to connect strangers in a safe way, total strangers, to talk about anything they wanted, a philosophical discussion randomly or whatever, something not possible anywhere else. In his explanation blog, he mentions that he was raped as a child (don't know what these words indicate but whatever) and that he felt safe exploring things using Omegle because no one could actually reach him.

    I actually had assumed Omegle wasn't a thing anymore, as I haven't heard it mentioned in like 10 years. Onward with the destruction of actual people and real interactions or actuation through the current version of the internet.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AbHGi62KQ0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuIfez3Vf6c

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1GxuNceLj4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC18ihmmSxk

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sAdisqKsaM

    Open 6 to 6, and some are open evenings or weekends.

    Under 3 years old, 4 children per group. Over 3, there are 7 children per group.

    ‘I don’t understand why men don't rebel. They should.'



  • Nov, 2023
  • Nov 04, 2023

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6W1kcdFCq0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqHKMovMWaQ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18ZjLG7EPGw

    Recent science has it that fame isn't fleeting, it isn't 15 minutes. Most people who appeared significantly in news retain their fame long afterward. Also, it might be that there is not much revolving door, that there isn't much people coming in and displacing already famous people.

    Japan: Livestreamers/content makers from US and other non-Asian countries have been making a public nuisance of themselves in Japan for fame. One was arrested after a citizen stood up to him. Talk of banning all streaming in public.

    A few years ago after a dangerous incident using drones, all drones were banned within a week, after which they rolled that ban back and created laws.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU2NIk9-JJg

    Is there another part of economics where a country that has a high minimum wage/rich economy has few tourists, and those it gets are people with money, so their local culture and society are preserved, whereas cheap/poor countries get massive influxes of misbehaviour which degrades their culture? Japan never had as much tourism as now, because the yen is very cheap. Countries like Thailand and Colombia are traditionally cheap (although there misbehaviour has less of an effect because their culture isn't like in Japan).

  • Oct, 2023
  • Oct 17, 2023

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0sl8rhKhAg

    Less than 10% of London police carry.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fm_MCdsQs8

    Maybe a bad thing, maybe not necesarily? How good are schools now? Education doesn't just come from schools these days. Do kids get enough education even without so much school, for the jobs they will fill?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck7Krz7QcxU

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d-LnwuSp0U

    Are some countries just ones were when people have guns they'll shoot in public spaces more? Or is it all countries?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iihUZtevV2k

  • Sep, 2023
  • Sep 25, 2023
  • Why Are Americans Losing Faith in the Value of College? | Amanpour and Company - YouTube 
  • Sep, 2023
  • Sep 18, 2023

  • How Greeks are getting squeezed off their own public beaches | Focus on Europe - YouTube 

    Illicit business practice. Sometimes tipped off before inspections. Covering parts of beaches with umbrellas and charging for chairs. However, the businesses say visitors want to rent the sun lounges. Some visitors complain about it, in terms of tourist reputation of the island.

    The world kinda robs moments. - D Glover


    Why period poverty is making Ghanaian girls missing out on school | DW News - YouTube 

    Music awards. BlackPink won best group, IceSpice won best new female (and everyone said ‘best looking new female to men’). T Swift won album and best artist (runners up Doja and Shakira, who made a lot of headlines this year because of drama with her ex-boyfriend lyrics, and Karol G who has been filling statiums). There is a rock category, filled with bands who've been active for 20 to 40 years now. Lana won alternative. The only new thing was Peso Pluma I guess.

    Song performances were all hiphop/latin pop.


    Loudspeaker message outside NYC migrant shelter warns new arrivals they are 'not safe here' - YouTube 
  • Aug, 2023
  • Aug 21, 2023

  • Young women 20-30 are doing better than ever, outperforming men in many categories, jobs, earnings, relative to young men. SInce women prefer to date up (someone who's better than them) the pool of desireable men is decreased. Also, women ‘wait for the offer' from a man. They don't seem comfortable in occupying this traditionally-male role. - Psychacks

    People are having less marriages, less couples, and even less hooking up.

    The price tag of a young woman is higher, so there are less men for them, so they ultra-compete for these 10% of men, and these valuable men have so much optionality they may decide to forgo marriage and just hook up forever. ‘The men who have what women want are the least likely to give it to them. From their perspective, the womens demands are too expensive, and they only become MORE expensive as a function of time.’

    25% of women unmarried at 40, up 25% in 10 years (this stat seems to mean little though).

    Ending tipped wage system will hurt the people it's trying to help: Fifty/50 Group's Scott Wiener - YouTube 
  • Aug, 2023
  • Aug 14, 2023
  • Did I mention Taylor Swift mania. Not since Michael Jackson and Madonna, maybe.

    This cherrypicked line created a lot of buzz and speculation, but as usual when we saw a real video 5 minutes long, it appeared she freaked out (for whatever reason) and didn't like the guy.

    Reports (true?) people on several different planes have freaked out, tried to get off plane mid way, etc.



    Government was used by political groups to make marriage basically stupid for men to enter into, as they are financially liable after a split. This may be dated from alimony/spousal support laws. For a long time, there was no seeming reaction, but now it seems to have caught up. Women, on the other hand, maybe since around the popularity of Sex in the City, seek something more casual and a string of relationships/hookups.
     
  • Aug, 2023
  • Aug 05, 2023
  • Marriage

    Education first.
    Work second.
    Marriage third.
    Then the baby carriage.
    To be in a ‘better spot’ relationship wise when they get married and when they have kids.

    Since the 70s, higher income marriage has been about steady. Middle income was at the same 80% rate in the 70s but has steadily declined more than 10%, and lower income, which was 60% is now 40%.

    Since the 60s high school grads have decreased. And their incomes. Women have a more secure footing. One member of the financial undertaking of marriage, the man, is less marriageable.

    Also, there is less religion, it is said. A lot of babies are born out of wedlock in some parts of the world, but in others, like Japan, only 2% or babies are so born.

  • ...

    People talk about how movies, even if people know they aren't good, people will go to the theater anyway or watch them anyway, because they know they'll be Number 1, or cost a lot, or people talked about them a lot, or they're part of a series, and some people just go to make videos of themselves reacting to the movie.

    ...


    ...


    Series of home invasions target Asian families in Oakland Hills, police sources tell I-Team - YouTube 
  • Aug, 2023
  • Aug 03, 2023

  • Jul, 2023
  • Jul 19, 2023


  • ...

    Tech companies, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, so big Hollywood companies can't compete, some say, in streaming.

    ...

    Musk said that he used to be good friends with Sergei Brin (or was it Larry Page?) and they used to talk on the phone about the dangers of AI, and Musk said the Google exec wasn't as concerned and at one point even called Musk a specie-ist, and Musk pondered ‘As opposed to a non-specie-ist?' and whether that was better.

    I wonder what the Google exec's current position is on this. Journalists?

    ...



    Will Messi change soccer in the US?

    ...


    Miranda Lambert stops show to scold fans for taking selfies: 'P****** me off!' - YouTube 
  • Jul, 2023
  • Jul 14, 2023

  • ...



    Writers strike expands to actors.

    Every media company is cutting jobs.

    Streaming. There's no bonus for good performance on streaming.

    ESPN. Revenues are declining and sports costs are going up.

    Paramount and Showtime streaming are combining. HBO and Discovery. Aggregation.

    Everyone was chasing Netflix. Now they're scaling back instead. Not so easy to replicate. “We'll have a smaller streaming service.”

    ...

    “The age of OnlyFans regret”

    ...

    “Dating apps make people horrible and ruthless.” - Kidology

    “Sabotaging our own ability to find people we would be compatible with, or develop compatibility with over time."
  • Jul, 2023
  • Jul 03, 2023
  • Recent months, headlines have had delivery people (for restaurants etc) not deliver food (photos of the rotten food from their order), not deliver at all, etc., unless the tip is given beforehand. Some backlash. Is this the way tipping will finally come to an end?

    I forget who, some US celeb who has a restaurant or delivery or something, put it so you can't tip, but they pay their waitors ‘a fair wage’ of $30.

    Is this how it startss? I've seen 2 ways; legislation, or that restaurants compete by putting signs that tipping is not allowed (which is the restaurant I think most people would choose).
  • Jun, 2023
  • Jun 26, 2023
  • Has LinkedIn Ruined Your Career? - YouTube 
  • Absolute nonsense from John Campbell about Multiple Sclerosis, vaccination, and the WHO. - YouTube 
  • “Passport bros” Men from Western countries, fed up with how woke etc women are there, go to other countries to find women. Some get remote jobs.

    Some mentioned the similarity with mail-order brides, which was a thing in the 80s and 90s and 00s maybe. Interesting compare and contrast.
  • Jun, 2023
  • Jun 11, 2023
  • Tucker Carlson takes on ‘taboos’.

    If you want to control a populations thoughts you need to ‘take charge of a society’s taboos,' said Carlson. ... ‘What we’re allowed to dislike is being dictated to us from aboce.'

    Stealing, flaunting your wealth, striking women, smoking marijuana on the street, shameless public hypocrisy, taking other people's month for not working. (Note that many of these things entered into acceptance with the popularization of 90s black rap music, gangsta rap, etc.)

    Carlson says he thinks ‘child molestation’ is being folded into acceptance, Instagram etc.

    Carlson highlighted Democrats focus on ‘white supremicism’ as ‘the most dangerous threat to our homeland’ (Biden said that). Carlson asks ‘What is it? Can anyone actually define ’white supremacy'? ‘When no one’s willing to define the offence, you can't be sure whether or not you're committing it." He says government does this to keep people off balance. ‘It's hard to relax in a country like that.' 

  • Some people starting to talk about ‘corporate press collapsing’.
  • Peso Pluma

    All of a sudden is everywhere, partially because of dearth of any interesting celebrities. (Kanye sometimes makes headlines but for fashion and controvercial ideas/statements in an era of high self-repression of speech across all the West, Taylor Swift sometimes for the price of her concert tickets or because she's dating a kind-of-badboy who kissed a security guard last time, Selena Gomez, Justin Beiber and Hailey in headlines about the two girls copying or insulting each other). The most headlines re culture are probably to do with trans and AI. There's an ongoing culture war in the West, but it seems it might be rolling over, as Elon, Tucker Carlson, alternative media presenters like Joe Rogan, Lex Fridman, have become not only more trusted but also more listened to maybe.

    PP has 1 hit song recently. It's catchy though. And the video is good. The song is good. It's a crossover or something, based on a Mexican style. But it sounds pretty American, for whatever reason. Perhaps there will be more than just 1 hit, his voice rasps and half-nasals across the sound in a distinctive way.

    Many or most of the headliners at Coachella were Latinos, who speak Spanish, sing in Spanish. I guess USA is being given back to them now. Nations are often given away and the populations don't resist superplacement. They sometimes resist invasion if it's sudden, but invaders even can go through the government or through the populace. The civilizations of the new world were mostly easy to conquer. Modern Canada and USA are fine with selling and giving away their country.
  • Jun, 2023
  • Jun 04, 2023
  • Iowa, other states making laws to allow more under-18 workers (which is called ‘child labor’ in pop media). One was denied by federal court, saying states can further limit child labor but not expand it.

    Department of labor is finding more ‘violations’ of ‘child labor’ laws this year (like 3500 or something).
  • Jun, 2023
  • Jun 01, 2023
  • Why is California Losing Hollywood? | David Graves - YouTube 
  • May, 2023
  • May 30, 2023
  • De Santis will announce presidential run on Twitter. (Ted Cruz was the first to do so years ago.)

    Twitter had talked about possible bankruptcy. It fired 80% of staff. It still runs. But now we're not talking about that, but instead talking about its relevence. This may have been more Musk's plan, his platform for relevence, whether to dictate or participate in talking about what's going on.

    DeSantis throwing in his lot with "non-conventional media." Does this seem strange, considering presidents (Trump) have been banned from social media in the past? Maybe it doesn't matter. If they get banned, they will get TV press on that story.

  • May, 2023
  • May 24, 2023
  • “AI washing” - like “greenwashing” - sounds good, and it will make your stock go up, but is it actually really?
  • May, 2023
  • May 22, 2023
  • The US Army 'fat camp' helping would-be recruits lose weight - YouTube 
  • May, 2023
  • May 13, 2023
  • People are using the term 'blackwashing' for the new series in which Cleopatra is played by a black woman.

    Headlines all over. Egypt is apparently suing or something for the misrepresentation. Cleopatra was Macedonian.
  • May, 2023
  • May 04, 2023

  • She criticizes including DeSantis over a bill that would have a list of things that books have to meet in regards to be allowed at schools.


    A lot of the books in focus are deal with gay subjects. Is it the subject? or the depiction (perhaps too graphic descriptions)?

    Soft censorship sometimes, ban other times.


     
  • May, 2023
  • May 02, 2023
  • Hollywood writers went on strike

    Last time was 15 years ago. Lots of revenue in Hollywood, but not much profit. They've been spending (investing/losing money) on developing their streaming services).

    Another thing is that currently one writer might be doing 10 eps of a series. Different from 20 or 30 years ago when it was a team. TV writers traditionally were compensated by the episode, but less so now. Those are things writers on strike also want to change.
  • Apr, 2023
  • Apr 27, 2023
  • Army base renamed after Black veterans as military plans to stop honoring Confederates - YouTube 
  • Apr, 2023
  • Apr 12, 2023

  • Apr, 2023
  • Apr 09, 2023

  • Culturewar? Woke?
  • Apr, 2023
  • Apr 03, 2023
  • Shocking! 46 Million Become Influencers As Half of Northeast China’s Population, No More Jobs! - YouTube 
  • Mar, 2023
  • Mar 23, 2023
  • Trans women banned from women's athletics - YouTube 
  • Mar, 2023
  • Mar 15, 2023

  • woke/wōk/verb

    An individual who believes feelings are more important than facts and anyone who disagrees is a bigot.

     
  • Mar, 2023
  • Mar 14, 2023

  • Mar, 2023
  • Mar 01, 2023
  • “These days, actually, the real news comes from comedians." - Succession (series)

    Rogan has touched on this a bit too here and there. That comedians are working directly in front of the people, it's high pressure, and you can't get away with lies or things that don't ring true. You won't be funny. And they work till 3 or 4 in the morning in front of tiny crowds sometimes. You don't make it unless you're funny (therefore have a strong idea of what is true), and you'll lose success if you compromise.
     
    Russell Peters commented on how comedians don't play colleges anymore, because they're not going to play by their rules. And commented that there was no point trying to win over PC/woke people, because he'd lose his base who finds him funny, and he wouldn't gain the PC/woke audience anyway.
  • Dilbert cartoonist was dropped by hundreds of newspapers after he publicly said

    "If nearly half of blacks are not OK with white people, according to this poll ... then that's a hate group."

    "And the best advice I would give to white people, based on the current way things are going, is to get ... away from black people," said Scott Adams
     
    Musk on Twitter took up the thread saying that for a long time the US media discriminated against blacks, and now they're being racist against whites and asians.
  • "I think there's a certain Cancel Culture on the Right just like theirs a Cancel Culture on the Left, that can make quite stupid decisions." - Joe Lonsdale

    On CNBC talking about Texas and Florida making policy reacting to bank's ESG policies which the states think have gone too far in that, and about DeSantis' limiting Disney, while these things cost the tax base (higher rates for banks) (counter-argument is that Disney shouldn't have had that relationship to start with for the past 50 years, and DeSantis said the reason he did it was that parents weren't allowed to have a say in what they were learning in schools).

    Business and politics and staying separate. "If you're not on my side you're my enemy," Becky noted.
    Although right now the Right is on the weaker side of Cancel Culturing, so their actions in this vein are perhaps more welcomed by some people.
     
    Liz Shoker commented on DeSantis, saying he was trying to tap into some base, not defining what is Woke or presenting concrete policies, but using it generally and 'going after soundbites' and 'shifting' the meaning of that word to 'be convenient to what he's saying at the moment.' 'Trying to get people though emotion ... us versus them.'  She said he was taking a 'fringe approach.' May alienate Centrists.

    40% of US whites now feel they face some discrimination, according to a recent poll.

    DeSantis hasn't announced a candidacy for Pres, but many expect it.

    I don't think we could name a more exciting candidate. Will Dimon or Cuban run?
  • Feb, 2023
  • Feb 22, 2023


  • I actually know lots of men who do this. Not all women, but in general American women and women who give signs they might be part of this movement.
  • Feb, 2023
  • Feb 13, 2023
  • Dicaprio has been on headlines on Facebook, where the headlines talk about him being slammed or shamed for dating some model (he's well known for dating models) who's 19.

    Yet looking at the comments there are basically no comments slamming or shaming him. Basically every comment (from men and women) is supportive of him, saying he's living his best life (what is the origin and formation of this concept? it seems to have really made ground in culture), that it's not anyone else's business, that 'she's very pretty and he's very successful.'

    This seems quite different from several years ago (although I'm not 100% sure how different), when there would have been more 'how dare he' 'that's so weird' comments from a percentage of the people (yet then also the defenders would have been there too). Decaprio's currently like 48 or something.
  • Feb, 2023
  • Feb 03, 2023

  • Was age 6-17. Now they want most people to start at age 3 and make it uniform across the country. They've asked all schools to adopt this.

    "90% of development happens by age 8 or 9." They want people to be able to perform maths and other things better.

    "Play based learning school" added to the start of the same old period of schooling, it seems. Playing and learning, colors and shapes, alphabets and numbers. Not textbooks.

  • Feb, 2023
  • Feb 02, 2023
  • People have started to talk over the past few months about a sort of end of a cycle or period

    (Not everyone or even mainstream media, but non-mainstream culture-watching vloggers etc.)

    Two headlines randomly chosen:

    ‘Today’s UK is an unhappy, divided, authoritarian country’

    ''Kickback plot involving San Antonio doctors exposed'

    Canada also the government has not even needed to but has done unconstitutional things to citizens (freezing bank accounts during Trucker Protest most notable). People in the UK consider corruption in government normal. Doctors are not allowed by the State (California) to honestly treat their patients (Covid #PIC). Doctors as a profession if they're doing a lot of drug pushing scams and things it seems pretty extended.

    People have talked about the start of truth coming forward (because for the past decade or so at least there's been a strong trend away from saying true things, where there is so much firepower that can be used against people who say unpopular things (and what isn't unpopular with someone?).

    Teachers in top universities (Jordan Peterson) are being 'reeducated' and having their license threatened because of things they tweeted. Opinions and statements.

    High school teachers and nurses and doctors had to do vaccines or lose their jobs.

    The whole Island Party thing with the recent flight list published.

    People reacting against wokenss, metoo, etc. And more people expressing why.

    US political debates held at 4th grade level of language, I heard, whereas in 1900 it was 11th grade level. No interesting leaders in politics (maybe Desantis? who just today showed a massive lead in the Rs).
     
    Young people in large numbers (but tiny percentage, unnoticeable) buying non-smart phones for mental health.
  • Jan, 2023
  • Jan 04, 2023

  • Dec, 2022
  • Dec 18, 2022

  • Dec, 2022
  • Dec 02, 2022
  • Russians believe that Ukraine and Ukrainian-ness isn't real or is created artificially and should be wiped out - Jeffrey Mankoff

    Many Ukrainians believe they don't belong at all to this Russian thing, that they have their own culture.
     
  • Nov, 2022
  • Nov 27, 2022
  • ‘Instant-noodle marriage’—Chinese youth new invention amid a miserable life - YouTube 
  • Tipflation Taking Over Holiday Shopping - YouTube 
  • Nov, 2022
  • Nov 06, 2022
  • First seen use of 'womansplaining'

    Womansplaining exists, whether you believe it or not. : unpopularopinion 
  • Nov, 2022
  • Nov 02, 2022
  • Douyin makeup in China
  • Nov, 2022
  • Nov 01, 2022
  • "That disconnect (under Obama) is ultimately what broke trust in government. The fact that we didn't engage for 8 years." - Zeihan, relating Obama's inexperience / disinterest in management of the expansive government apparatus with the election of Trump.
  • Oct, 2022
  • Oct 17, 2022

  • Sporty cars in Togo often cost double the actual cost (import). A similar problem in many smaller countries, or countries with more independent-oriented public workers or culture.
     
  • Sep, 2022
  • Sep 14, 2022

  • Breivik attacks were 2011. 11 years ago.

  • Aug, 2022
  • Aug 24, 2022
  • Team of archaeologists come across exciting discovery, site indicates home of St. Peter - YouTube 
  • Aug, 2022
  • Aug 18, 2022

  • Alcohol contribution to Japan's revenue in 1980 was 5%. Now it's 1.7%.
     
    Work-from-home has exacerbated the non-drinking.
  • Jun, 2022
  • Jun 19, 2022
  • 85% of Americans age 13-38 want to be social media influences

    ... according to Yahoo Finance.

    "People want short, engaging content. They want to get value immediately, whether it is through entertainment, through education, through something relatable or sharable." According to Cassey Ho, who also posts a lot of videos showing how tight shorts fit her, in a way most women don't show publicly.



  • Jun, 2022
  • Jun 18, 2022
  • WWE CEO McMahon steps aside during misconduct investigation - YouTube 
  • May, 2022
  • May 31, 2022
  • Jordan Peterson now has 5m subs on YT
  • May, 2022
  • May 24, 2022
  • Toxic Positivity | Hacker News 
  • May, 2022
  • May 02, 2022

  • Will YouTubers become the most hated profession?
  • Apr, 2022
  • Apr 25, 2022
  • Seen on Facebook



     

  • Apr, 2022
  • Apr 18, 2022
  • Over Easter weekend in Sweden, there were reportedly some public Quran burnings

    Is this just the 'get used to it' phase of Muslims living in contemporary Europe?
  • Dec, 2021
  • Dec 09, 2021
  • 3% of black workers in US want to go back to the office, versus 20% of white workers

    ... according to a survey by Slack

  • Nov, 2021
  • Nov 15, 2021
  • Peter Hitchins: "I see no hope in temporal things."


    ... in which he states he's given up (although I sort of doubt that he won't continue). He says, [70 years as a one-man think tank...] "and i might have well spent the whole time on the beach or in the pub. Nothing i have said has ever made the slightest difference. There is no point of connection between anything that i have said or done and the political system. I cannot make any impact whatsoever."

    ... And talks about the depressing effects of giving a lecture ... 'proving points' and then hearing people make statements contrary to his points.

     
  • Nov, 2021
  • Nov 05, 2021
  • Cycling in winter has almost no correlation to snow

    Canadians were called 'wimps' in comparison with Finns in Oulu, because Canadians basically don't bike in winter. Pointed out by Not Just Bikes.

    How much snow falls / the temperature have very little correlation to how many people use bikes, according to some study. Rather, the most important factors are:

    1. Safe bike lane network, so cyclists can get where they want to go, and don't have to share or cross paths with high-speed motor traffic. Oulu has separated bike lanes, and they mark them with images projected from above rather than painting the concrete. Oulu's bike/foot paths are generally designed to be shortcuts, and there are lots of underpasses so pedestrians and cyclists can avoid roads, so in Oulu cyclists can make entire journies without encountering a traffic light or stopping.

    2. Maintenance of snow. Currently, few cities do this well. Oulu maintains its bike paths. 2cm of snowfall and they plow. In Canada, they won't plow unless 5cm fall, and often bike lanes are sometimes where they plow snow into.

     
  • China looks to mega-company chiefs

    Another Chinese property market giant is losing value massively (I think 75% for the year currently). Kaisa.

    China would like if the head of that company would offload some of his assets and make a dent in the companies financial issues. He owns $3b in stock, $200m in planes, $50m yacht, and $200m in houses. Most of his holdings are through a BVI company, so it's not exactly clear.

    Will Chinese billionaires behind these companies decide to give up their fortunes and continue being respected business people, and a part of what happens next in China? or will they say no, keep their wealth, and possibly move?

  • Nov, 2021
  • Nov 01, 2021
  • SEGA Ikebukero Gigo closed down

    After the building ownership changed hands. SEGA Akihabara also closed down recently.

    "This was definitely the game center I visited the most. I played games, took purikura with my girlfriend at the time. And recently our daughter was born. I would come here to win plushies and things for her. This place was a big part of my life." - Random Japanese young man

    Many of Japan's game centers have reportedly closed down over the past year and a half.
     
  • Controversial anime in Japan called Higehiro

    It's about a young man (27) who one night comes across a highschool girl (didn't hear her age) and she offers him sex to let her stay with him. He refuses but says she can stay with him anyway until she "fixes her spoiled spirit."

    She says she doesn't want to go home. "I can't force her," says Higehiro. "None of you saved her. You just hurt her her more and then threw her away."

    There are people on both sides of this issue, which seems to stem from a law more than any independent logic. In Japan, allowing a minor to stay with you is illegal, considered a kind of kidnapping, even if nothing happens sexually. (What year was this law invented?)

    A question raised goes kind of like, "Fine, you can say he shouldn't have let her stay with him, but what should he have done instead? Just ignore her and not help her? Report her to the police? Maybe her home life is not good, for her to decide she won't return there." This is the same question I hear asked a lot by people criticized for non-PC statements or government policy, kind of like, 'You can't just criticize the current solution unless you say what you want the person to do INSTEAD."

    That Japanese Man Yuta commented that the issue of controversy might not be the age difference, since other animes (he gave an example of a rom-com) have similar age disparities but are not treated as upsetting and the courting of a minor is not illegal, but in Higehiro there is a question of 'transactional relationships' since the girl offers sex for a place to stay, even though Higehiro does not accept. He later admits that he probably offered to let her stay because she was cute, and thinks about her a lot, rather than the girl he liked when the story started. Other anime that feature transactional relationships are also controversial.

     
  • Oct, 2021
  • Oct 31, 2021
  • Vtuber video cancelled in Japan

    After feminist politician group there complained to the police that they 'employ an anime character that depicts a young girl as a sexual object.'

    The Vtuber anime character made a video with the Japanese police about how to ride a bike safely.

    Although the video was family friendly and the anime character not particularly young-looking, the group didn't like that her breasts swayed when she moved and wore a short skirt that 'exaggerated her sexual appeal.'

    The police pulled their links to the video and the video was taken down.

    Two other cases in the past several years had the same sequence of events, with NHK (Kizuna Ai talking about the Nobel Prize) and Japanese Red Cross (Uzaki-chan promoting blood donation), and afterwards more people defended the characters than were offended.

    The creator of the anime in question said she wears what she wants to wear, not because other people tell her to wear it.

    It was pointed out that during 'patriarchy' men shamed women for behavior and types of clothes they wore, suppressing their freedoms, but now 'feminists' are doing the same thing.

    One commenter who didn't like the Vtuber wrote, "The VTuber in question is wearing a miniskirt and a school uniform while exposing her midriff. Regardless of the person's intentions, the men watching would naturally view her in a sexual way. The way she speaks is also slow and clumsy, the same way a little girl speaks. She is exactly what men want: a young, innocent, erotic woman. That is why she is so popular. At the very least, I don't want to show off my midriff to a crowd, and I don't want to talk like an idiot."



     
  • Oct, 2021
  • Oct 26, 2021
  • Japan's princess Mako married a commoner and lost royal status

    The princess has moved to the US.

  • Oct, 2021
  • Oct 22, 2021
  • "New greed is actually insecurity and envy - Josh Brown

    "... very distinct to this moment."

    "Different kinds of greed"

    "Just watching 22 year olds, who don't know anything, become billionaires overnight. That's killing people, from a sentiment standpoint."

    "Middle-aged people who are watching this circus going on outside their window, and I think it's making them almost consider buying weapons."

    "I think that colors a lot of the market commentary, and now everything 'is a bubble.'"

    "People looking at their portfolio, taking huge bets."

    "It's 'Where do I stand?'"

     
  • Oct, 2021
  • Oct 17, 2021
  • A British politician was stabbed to death

    The killing has been announced as motivated by 'terrorism.'

  • "I don't know why or how everybody got this ... sensitive,"

    Chapelle said at a recent show, commenting on 'cancel culture.'

    I haven't read anything on the morphology of it, either.
  • Joe Rogan had Sanjay Gupta on and pressed him on CNN's 'journalism'

    Because CNN (Gupta is a star 'medical professional' on that channel) reported on Rogan taking 'horse medicine' and painting it pretty negative, and putting a yellow filter on the video they used of Rogan (to make him look worse). Guptra tried to change the subject several times, but Rogan pressed him in a guyish way, and was pretty good at it.

    It made waves and headlines on Republican media and YouTubers.

     
  • Oct, 2021
  • Oct 13, 2021
  • Jerusalema

    A pop phenomenon. There's a song called Jerusalema, a gospel-influenced house song by South African producer  Master KG and performed by singer-songwriter Nomcebo, and people all around the world in groups or singles are making dance videos to it. I think it might be mostly a TikTok thing. Shows African dancers pretty nicely.

  • Great Resignation, a term coined for all the people quitting in the Western world

    Shocks, like that experienced by basically everyone over the past year or two, often cause people to reassess the things they're doing with their lives. Burnout is another thing cited (at places like hospitals).
     
  • Oct, 2021
  • Oct 11, 2021
  • Women not really going back to work as much as expected

    Many commenters said things like 'businesses should do more' to try to get women to go to work.

    There was also talk about childcare as a way to make it easier for women to go to work.

    Reportedly, lot of families also want to keep homeschooling their children rather than send them back to school.

    Reports didn't really give an any numbers.


     
  • Sep, 2021
  • Sep 30, 2021
  • US schools: Conflict over masks and vaccines

    Lots of disagreement in meetings and signs being put up, and some low-key violence like grabbing phones, as well as 'threats of violence' and letters to government.

    In a letter to the president, the National School Boards Assoc Pres Viola Garcia went somewhat nuclear, straight to 'terrorism:'

    "As these acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials have increased, the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes," she wrote.

     
  • Sep, 2021
  • Sep 28, 2021
  • Northwestern U facing calls to completely abolish Greek life

    ... Two students at a two different frat houses said they were drugged. A spokesperson for the frat house AEPi said, "Our understanding is that the people responsible ARE NOT and HAVE NEVER been members of AEPi."

    A few years ago that frat house was suspended for a year because they gave alcohol to people under age 21, reportedly.

    One student said, "It's really important to believe the victims ..."

     
  • Sep, 2021
  • Sep 17, 2021
  • College hookup tactics

    ... were studied recently. Talking about college men and women seeking short term relationships.

    For men, the top tactics were dancing with their partner, conversing with her, texting her, and getting drunk. For women, the tactics were dancing with their partner, texting him, flirting with him, and touching him.

    Want to Hookup?: Sex Differences in Short-term Mate Attraction Tactics | SpringerLink 
  • Sep, 2021
  • Sep 14, 2021
  • China's regulations versus celebrities

    In May 2021, fans of an idol threw away 270k cartons of milk because they were buying the QR code on the carton to 'cheer on their favorite trainee' for an idol group ("the milk incident"). The milk waste was taken seriously, partially in light of the CCP's Food Waste Prohibition Law. After this incident, China's National Cyber Info Office (CAC) said idol fandom would become regulated heavily for irrational behavior. "Irrational celebrity worship."

    Weibo has deleted countless posts and closed real and fake accounts for idol fan clubs online. They banned the BTS  fan page (maybe the biggest K boyband currently) for 60 days and then banned 21 other fan groups for a month).

    China used to post a lot of idol fan rankings, and Chinese spend a lot of money to support (sometimes smaller) celebrities. There are paid voting programs, but these have all been banned now.

    Tencent (largest music platform in China) banned accounts from buying the same album or single more than once.

    Chinese people paid $8m last year for K-pop (digital music only, or including merch?), the highest amount from China, reportedly. Total K-pop exports rose 3.6-fold yoy to $26m. This is considered by the CCP to be a trivial use of citizens' interest and money. China says this is a problem, a sick 'fan circle' that has become too prominent, with various fan bases abusing and slandering each other, engaging in 'malicious marketing,' and forcing fans, including young people, to raise funds to support the stars or would-be stars. A Chinese spokesperson put it that all this "seriously hinders the healthy development of the entertainment industry."

    Another related issue is big famous celebrities who China sees as having "excessive incomes" or "false political positions," as well as non-masculine men. Some celebrities (who have passports from other countries) have said they'll give up their foreign passports. (I'm not clear on exactly what the issue is and which passport they said they'd give up.)

    The K-pop style of attractiveness is considered to be imasculine, and China said they'll establish a correct beauty standard for Chinese as well, reportedly. Cosmetics will be among the things focused on. Many reality talent shows were banned for reasons in this vein of central planning. Effeminate boy bands are prohibited from being on idol talent shows.

    Should we expect a somewhat extreme manifestation of the androgenous sexy "forbidden boy" style type we saw in America between the 50's and maybe 80s?

    Another issue is celebrities who have caused controversy by committing immoral acts. Recently, Chinese stars have been in the news for sexual incidents, drugs, and tax fraud. One star published photos or something on his repeated visits to Japan's Yasukuni Shrine and was boycotted (by the Chinese public?).

    I also read passing mention of 'foreplay programs.' What is that?



     
  • Sep, 2021
  • Sep 13, 2021
  • China's cultural rules 2021

    Most recently TV talent shows have been banned and TV broadcasters aren't allowed to promote 'effeminate looking men' (K-pop issue). Actors accused of tax evasion and misbehavior have had their work taken off line.

    Minors are allowed to play video games even less than before.

    Tencent and NetEase Games have to remove content that promotes 'incorrect values' like money worship.

    Rideshare company Didi had to be removed from the domenstic app stores for illegally collecting and using personal info.

    The multi-billion dollar private tutoring industry has been banned from making profit or raising capital.

    Some celebrity fan clubs have been banned for promoting 'chaotic culture.'

    One commenter harkened to Xi's 2014 comments on Beijing Forum of Literature Arts where he spoke of 'the good, the true, the beautiful' as the essential values that China needs to cultivate. She said actors and other public figures have greater social obligations to set examples for the moral direction of the society. That celebrities are important not only because the produce excellent works and very entertaining shows but the government has expectations of them as a person.

    Some say that the CCP does not think of these popular apps that just do things like ride hailing or sharing social media posts as real technology, so they're not important to China in terms of being part of the 'tech sector.' Instead, China considers tech to be things like semiconductors, chips, 5G (hard tech).

     
  • Aug, 2021
  • Aug 30, 2021
  • China bans playing video games more than 3 hours per week

    For children, anyway. They can only play games online between 8 and 9pm Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and public holidays.

    This is down from the 2019 limit of an hour and a half per day and 3 hours on holidays..

    AP: "Regulators said in Monday’s notice that they would strengthen supervision and increase the frequency of inspections of online game companies to ensure that they follow the regulations closely."

    Notification from Xi through the National Press and Publication Administration
     
  • Aug, 2021
  • Aug 13, 2021
  • 10% of 1% of Mayan sites

    ... of all the remains archaeologists could excavate, less than a percent has been thoroughly explored, although lots have been touched by looters over the years (near 100%).

     
  • Jul, 2021
  • Jul 29, 2021
  • 'Lying flat' movement in China

    ... references to it removed from social media. It's romanized as 'tang ping.'

    It started with a social media post that read in part,

    'I have spent most of the [two years without a steady job] enjoying myself and I find nothing wrong with it. Expectations and stress typically came from the traditional ideas of elder family members. The constant feed of celebrity news about the latest romances and pregnancies to the masses was akin to imposing a way of thinking on them. Since this land never really existed to exalt the tide of human subjectivity that I can create my own to myself. Lying flat is my wise man's movement. Only lying flat can we be human measure anything [sic from not the best source because I couldn't find the original blog post].'

    Over time the term has become a buzzword on the Chinese internet and has become popular among the youth there.

    Chinese state media has published criticisms of the idea as irresponsible.

    Chinese youth reportedly not only have low wages as in all countries but also have to support four parents and however many children they have. Many work 9am to 9pm six days a week. 'So why would they want more children?' wrote someone on social media before their comment was deleted.

    Some say, though, that Chinese should have babies not for themselves but for their country in order to realize the Chinese dream. This is countered by others who raise the point that having a child is a basic human right.

    Analysts have said that it's not that Chinese want to lie flat because they are lazy, but rather because they have lost hope in the future. Especially the young generations.



  • Jul, 2021
  • Jul 24, 2021
  • India up in arms over film

    'Padmavati,' a Bollywood film based on poem about a probably fictional Hindu queen called ani Padmini, who chose to self immolate rather than submit to a Muslim king.

    No one has seen the film yet, but there are threats and bounties for violence against the director and actors, and lawsuits to ban the film in the Supreme Court.

    Among the things they take issue on (it is the Hindu's taking offense, not Muslims, despite the Muslim king being 'portrayed as barbaric') is the romance between the Hindu queen and Muslim king.


     
  • France now has an 'office of secularism'

    #France #Prejudice #HumanRights
  • France dismissed an imam for sermon

    ... reportedly, it had something to do with something Imam Mmadi Ahamada said about the wives of Mohammad, which the French interior minister said was 'contrary to the values of the republic' ('against gender equality').

    Minister Gerald Darmanin asked the Loire governor's office to dismiss the imam and ensure his residence permit is not renewed.

    He's now had 2 imam's fired it seems.


  • Jul, 2021
  • Jul 23, 2021
  • China targets education companies to reduce stress in children and cut parenting costs

    'All private tutoring firms now must register as NGOs, they're banned from raising funds from the stock markets and foreign investment ... Those who have violated the regulations shall be cleaned up and rectified,' says the document circulating on state TV.

    EdTech firms have been funded by Alibaba, Baidu, Tencent and Didi.

    Tutoring classes are banned on weekends, public holidays, school vacations, and after 9pm.

    Publicly traded companies in the sector were down between 25 and 60%.

    Clashing policies: China wants international champions, but also wants to crack down on those who'd like to do that. Chinese people don't know what to think about these conflicting policies and it's difficult to get them to talk about it in public or even in private, reportedly.

    The reason has something to do with China wanting more babies, and the barrier to this caused by costs to parents for educating children.

    Reportedly, the Chinese public is happy with this, as they are relieved from an expectation that comes with a large cost.

     
  • Jul, 2021
  • Jul 20, 2021
  • Harvard resignation letter by Cornell West

    ... on Twitter (photo below).

    Top criticism BY (Indy Pirates): Narcissistic academic professionalism has always existed specially from professors towards students. This resignation is only about the lack of status and money, if they paid you more and gave you tenure everything else would not matter.




  • Jul, 2021
  • Jul 18, 2021
  • Cannes 2021: What a difference 2 years makes

    2019 was all American fodder and exhausted gender and race issues (plus Once Upon a Time, Atlantics by Mati Diop and Young Amed), which was the same as the year before.

    2021 had a lot of the similar pretentiousness and Americans, but not seemingly trashy or as tired. Maybe a new decade after a stupid 00s and stupid and weak 2010s.

     
  • Jul, 2021
  • Jul 16, 2021
  • British Muslim politician's car

    ... reportedly firebombed (she was not in the car) amid a reported 'hate campaign' calling to stop 'an enclave of a new Muslim nation within our nation.' Arooj Shah (elected to lead the Oldham Council in May of this year after service as a councillor since 2012) had previously spoken about facing hate, abuse and racism throughout her political career.

    A 23-year-old man was arrested in connection.

     
  • Cannes, 2021

  • Jul, 2021
  • Jul 13, 2021
  • Unknown creators made a website to take photos from social media accounts of Muslim Indian women and hold 'fake auctions' over them.

    ... including vocal journalists, activists, artists and researchers.

    The website is titled after a derogatory term for Muslim Indian women.
  • Virginia still top business state

    ... according to CNBC's annual state competitiveness rankings. It's done very well in the past 15 years in this survey.

    Reasons include a strong workforce (40% have at least a bachelors, according to the US Census Bureau, although the state has a relative shortage of workers and relatively few outsiders move there for work - it also has slightly below-average unemployment) and solid education system, reportedly.

    Virginia scored high points in Cost of Doing Business, Infrastructure, Life Health and Inclusion (formerly Quality of Life), and Workforce. Although its score for Education looks low in its rankings, it represents the second highest state after Mass. and CNBC considers it key to winning the survey.

    'Education is the best tool we have to make our Commonwealth a better, more equitable place for everyone,' according to Gov. Northam.

    Virginia like other US states is currently focusing heavily on change in the form of forcing diversity, sustainability and connectivity. It also has a high cost of living and high wages.

    The other top 5 were N.C., Utah, Texas and Tennessee.

     
  • Jul, 2021
  • Jul 09, 2021
  • A school in Scotland stops teaching To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men

    Mockingbird is considered to be 'anti-racist,' but because it 'plays into a white savior narrative' decision-makers at the school currently consider it racist.

    Mice and Men for it's racial stereotypes and use of the 'n-word.'

  • Jun, 2021
  • Jun 30, 2021
  • NY office buildings are offering bars, exercise faciliites to keep tenants

    ... also throwing in several months of free rent on multi-year leases or reduced rent.

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