collegepark30349 comments

Posted in: Trump selling Bibles to encourage supporters to 'Make America Pray Again' See in context

Isn't that the picture where he is holding the Bible upside down?

*"All Americans need a Bible in their home and I have many -- it's my favorite book,"*

I rolled my eyes so hard I saw the back of the inside of my skull.

29 ( +31 / -2 )

Posted in: Ito left out of Japan soccer squad for World Cup qualifier amid sexual assault claim See in context

This is always a tricky situation. We have to accept what she says to be true (not believe, accept), while at the same time giving him the benefit of the doubt. In other words, the presumption of innonce versus the burden of proof. I don't particularly like giving someone accused of sexual assault the benefit of the doubt, but according to the system we have agreed to live by that is what I am obligated to do. I can understand the him being left off the team, though. It would be a distraction in and out of the locker room.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Posted in: Ohtani's wife seen with him in photo on social media See in context

“a normal Japanese woman” 

Welcome to the age of computer translation. Any competent speaker of English would know to say she is "a private citizen" as opposed to her husband who is "a public figure" without even needing a dictionary.

Was she a member of the silver medal winning Olympic team?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Posted in: What do you think of school uniform dress codes in Japan? See in context

I'm of two minds on this. From my experience, it is not that much of a hassle or expense, at least in public schools. The only people who spend a lot of money are those that go for exact fit and have to keep buying new sizes. I've only bought one blazer and two pairs of slacks for my son in JHS. I bought the blazer big and let him grow into it and for the slacks, tucked the waist and hemmed the legs and let them out as necessary. Did the same when both my kids were in elementary school too. Big sizes for their PE clothes. Sure, they are a a little to big when they start and a little too small when they finish, and look a little awkward, but who cares? It also makes it easier to decide on what to wear - there is nothing to decide. Since they only need casual clothes for weekends and breaks, I've saved money on that end too. Most elementary school districts / neighborhoods also have a uniform recycling current that flows through them. My kids have worn several hand-me-downs from other neighborhood kids - gym shorts, warm-ups.... Some of them have had 2 or 3 different last names written and crossed out on the tags. We put them right back in the current when we were done.

As for the other part of my mind,

They reduce the difference between richer and poorer and promote solidarity, which can positively effect student behavior.

I don't think I can agree with this. If it promoted solidarity, the rampant bullying that takes place and formation of cliques in schools would not happen. It does and uniforms do absolutely nothing to prevent that. Kids don't get picked on by kids from other schools. I've also seen the classroom breakdown (学級崩壊) in schools with uniforms. The only solidarity they had was working together to give the teacher a nervous breakdown. Students also know who has money and who doesn't based on where they live, what jobs their parents have... - uniforms can't hide that either.

Also, while they may not be judged within the school, they are judged by society as a whole when they are outside the school when others see their uniform: Oh, that kid goes to XXX high school, she must be smart. That kid is wearing a XXX high school uniform, he must not be to bright. That one is wearing a XXX uniform, she's rich. He has on an XXX uniform, must be a trouble maker.... Then they become just another way to judge somebody without knowing them.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Posted in: With Beyoncé’s foray into country music, the genre may finally break free from stereotypes that have long dogged it See in context

Many non-listeners stereotype country music as being white, politically conservative, militantly patriotic and rural.

Many listeners don't know anything about country music. The diversity of the genre - Honky Tonk, Bakersfield sound, Western swing, dark country, Appalachian... Or the diversity of the artist - lots of Latinos - from Freddy Fender to Los Lonely Boys. It is quite a deep genre with many talented artists.

Similarly, the genre has always included a mix of Anglo-American and Black American musical instruments. The banjo, for instance, has African roots and was brought to America by enslaved people.

This is a point that's a bit of a reach and I'm getting a little tired of hearing it. While the ancestor of the banjo may have come from Africa, the music made with it is noting like how is it used in country music. It's like saying jazz has its roots in white music because the saxophone was invented in France by a white man and brought to America later. Just because it has the same instruments doesn't mean it is the same thing.

On a side note, one of the biggest thrills of my life was getting to meet Jerry Reed when I was about 7. He and my daddy went to school together, and while they weren't "friends" later in life, Mr. Reed did recognize him and know his name when we went to one of his shows at Wagon Wheel Willie's. Got a picture of me, my brother, Daddy and Jerry Reed (Snowman from Smokey and the Bandit if you don't know his music).

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: Trump pledges to defend Christianity against the left, which he says wants 'to tear down crosses' See in context

Sorry, one more comment:

First he says this, "...every fascist regime has tried to co-opt them (crosses) and control them."

And then this, " “But no one will be touching the cross of Christ under the Trump administration, I swear to you.”

Which means, he is indeed attempting to co-opt and control them. Which is what he says facists do. He is calling himself a facist. I wonder if Mr. Dunning-Kruger is aware of this.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Posted in: Trump pledges to defend Christianity against the left, which he says wants 'to tear down crosses' See in context

I've just finished reading a book titles "A Fever in the Heartland" about a man named D.C. Stephenson and the rise of the KKK in Indiana, and nationally, in the 1920s. The parallels between Stephenson and the Trump / MAGA movement are eerie. Not the ideology - I'm not calling Trump or his followers Klan. But the corruption, coercion and band-wagoning of members of the general public, polticians and officials. The emphasis on "Christian" values and traditional "American" ideals and morals and the danger of "others" not like them (wink, wink) and the damge they have done and will do the America. 100 years later and history does seem to be repeating itself.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Posted in: Japan to boost child allowances to tackle falling birthrate See in context

One thing people are missing that was reported in the Japanese press but not here. To fund this the gov't is taking away the dependent child tax deduction. However, for JHS and HS age children the amount of the deduction is more than the amount of the allowance. 10,000 a month for my HS aged son is 120,000 a year. The deduction, if I rememebr correctly, is 260,000. So, I am losing 140,000 a year. It's like a friend asking to borrow $1,000 and then turing around and saying, "Hey, here's $500 to buy something nice." It was my money to begin with and you're keeping half of it.

I with they would give me the option of taking the allowance or taking the deduction. I'd take the latter. Let me manage my own money.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Posted in: If you live in Japan, what are some items you always make a point to bring back to Japan after you return from a trip abroad? See in context

Add another to the deodorant gang. I also get the biggest bottles I can find of extra-strength Tylenol and Tums (getting older), and decent sized tooth-brushes.

Dress shirts are a must. I take a 36/37 sleeve, which isn't all that easy a find in the States and unheard of here. Good quality dress shoes (Rockports), size 29. I can find larger sizes here, but only in the cheaper brands that are only slightly better than going barefoot.

If there is room leftover - a bag of grits, black-eyed peas, good cornmeal.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Posted in: Award-winning author's AI use revelation roils Japan's literary world See in context

This is an interesting ethical question. I think author's should have to cite any passages or content that they used AI to write, especially if they copied the passages verbatim, or even revised, or used an idea from AI that was not their own. If I copied a passage word-for-word, paraphrased or took an idea from another source without attribution in one of my research papers, I'd be in some pretty hot water.

*The Hoshi Shinichi Award for sci-fi literature has set out detailed requirements for the use of AI-generated content in submissions, including prohibiting its inclusion as is, without significant additions or revisions to the generated text, as well as keeping records of the process, among other rules.*

I agree. We're not talking "inspiration" here - this painting, song, passage, work, author...inspired me to write this / this way. We are basically talking about a new form of plagarism. Taking credit for someone (something?) else's work.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Posted in: Billy Idol talks upcoming pre-Super Bowl show, recent Hoover Dam performance, working on a new album See in context

Rebel Yell was probably the first record I bought with my own grass-cutting money as kid (could have been Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down, it was 40 years ago so the memory is a bit fuzzy). I so wanted to be Billy Idol. I remember going as him for Halloween that year - spiked hair and a vest with no shirt on, just like the video. Billy and Steve Stephens were the be all, end all.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Posted in: I’ve had to face barriers that often prevent me from being accepted as Japanese, so I am filled with gratitude to be recognized at this competition as a Japanese person. See in context

What I find funny is that if she played naturalized and played a sport such as baseball (Nootbar), basketball (Hawkinson) rugby, (Rich Michael and a score of others), soccer (Rui Ramos and a score of others), then everyone would consider her "Japanese." I consider her more Japanese than Naomi Osaka. I'm pretty sure this young lady could actually read a newspaper and conduct and interview without an interpreter.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Posted in: What do you think of dating apps? See in context

Dating an app has no appeal to me. I'd rather date a person.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for 'The Full Monty' and 'Michael Clayton', dies at 75 See in context

Enjoyed his work very much. An example of how we all start small: 20+ years ago, around the time In the Bedroom had come out, I was teaching English and came across a BBC English teaching video cassette called "The Lost Secret" made some time in the late '80s. I decided to use it in class. While watching the video I kept thinking, "I know that guy." Looked at the box and low and behold it's Tom Wilkinson. Not only that, the female lead was Miranda Richardson. A "you've come a long way, baby" moment. Kind of like seeing Morgan Freeman on Electric Company.

Wow, the video is on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ4bUK7aN4s

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: What are your fondest childhood memories of Christmas? See in context

Going through the house with my brother and sister trying to find where Mom and Dad hid the presents from "Santa." Always found a few before the big day.

Not really the fondest, but one year I woke up and went down to the living room BEFORE my parents had put out Santa's presents. Absolutely heartbroken and started to cry so loud I woke everyone up. Luckily for me Santa came after I went back to sleep.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: Kishida pledges to do utmost to tackle negative impact of price hikes See in context

Next eliminate half of these useless politicians. For example my city has 30 councilors making 7 million plus a year. 30! Our population is only 50k people!?

Amen. Okayama has 43 people on the city council. My hometown of Atlanta - rather larger than Okayama - has 16.

And just in this morning's paper there was an article about the LDP plans to reduce the amount of the income tax deduction for children in high school. It is 320,000 right now, I think, with plans to lower it to 280,000 or so. Technically not a tax "increase," but still...

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Posted in: Shop employee fights off three robbers with polearm in Tokyo's Ueno district See in context

I remember the manager at my first part-time job (cashier at a drug store) in high school telling me, "If someone has a weapon and tells you go give them the money, give it to them. Your life is not worth $200."

That being said, the guy with the pole is pretty darn big and looks like he could have handled the robbers on his own. Shouldn't be too hard for the police to trace the motorbikes if they wern't stolen.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Posted in: If a child talks to a school teacher, their parents may find out and the abuse could get even worse. See in context

This is why teachers here need to be mandatory reporters. Any time a student tells a teacher he or she is being abused, or the teacher even suspects abuse (bruises, etc.), the teacher must be required to report it to authorities - not just their coworkers - with legal penalties if they do not. In Georgia, I would have lost my job if I did not report suspected abuse to the police and DFACS. It should be the same here (quality of Japanese police and DFACS not withstanding...).

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Posted in: Angels' Ohtani wins historic AL MVP; Braves' Acuna wins NL honor See in context

Ohtani won plenty of games alone through his brilliance.

I'm not saying he is not a great player. I'm just saying he is not as "valuable" as most seem to think.

Angles with Ohtani in 2023 62-73, without Ohtani 11-16. Losing record either way.

Compare that with Aaron Judge of the Yankees, last year's MVP.

With Judge in 2023 57-49, without Judge 25-31.

The Yankees were a better team with him than without. To me, that is "value."

Player of the year? Absolutely. Best player? Sure. Valuable? Not so much.

When I played ball, statistics piled up in a losing effort were often referred to as "fool's gold."

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Posted in: Angels' Ohtani wins historic AL MVP; Braves' Acuna wins NL honor See in context

While I feel he is currently one of the best players in baseball (defense counts), I can't really call him the MVP. The truth is, the Angels had a losing record with him playing before he got hurt and also had a losing record after he got hurt. Not much value there. If they had the best record in baseball and lost after he got hurt, fine. But, the team was bad with and without him. Great? Yes. Valuable? Not really.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Posted in: Kishida says gov't won't hike taxes to boost defense budget See in context

Of course not, they will just raise fees and cut benefits instead.

Reminds me of when the county wants more money in Georgia. They don't raise property taxes, they just re-appraise your property for a lot more and send you a larger bill. My brother's house magically went up $75,000 in value in one year.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Retrial of man accused of 1966 quadruple murder begins See in context

This is such a travesty of justice. As I have said before, there have been numerous Justice Ministers and executions since he was convicted (134 since 1993), with many executions of murderers with fewer victims. If they are 100% sure this man is guilty, why was he not executed long ago? It really is a simple question. If they are so convinced and the evidence is indisputable, why has no one signed off on his execution? The fact that this has not happened makes it obvious that they know they are wrong and executing him would be murder. They are too cowardly to admit they are wrong, and too cowardly to send him to the gallows. I guess if he had just died of natrual causes in prison, that woudl have given them the out they are looking for.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Posted in: Who gets your vote for the greatest movie villain of all time? See in context

Either John Huston as Noah Cross in Chinatown or Orson Welles as Harry Lime in The Third Man. Those characters are just too real; sociopaths with no remorse who justify their actions. You can imagine the things they did happening, or having happened, in the real world. Oh, and the Sackler Family in any fictitious portrayal or documentary appearance.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan school absenteeism at record high of nearly 300,000 in FY2022 See in context

Thanks for the compliment kohakuebisu

Japanese schools are overbearing and still try to force kids into one acceptable box. Children are increasingly rejecting this.

Not just the children, but also their parents. My wife's parents, in their 80s, only know Japan and Japanese school, and that's fine. They went to school because they had to. It was post-War and the country was rebuilding, getting an education was a way up and a way out. They "gamaned" and "shoganaied" a lot of things we consider abusive now. Later generations, I guess what we'd call Boomers and Gen X in the States, also did this to some extent. But, they also began to notice, as they got older, the mental and physical toll it took on their parents and was taking on them - health, family relationships, etc. They also got out to the world and learned how things were done differently in other countries - study abroad, homestays, TV.... Not necessarily "better," but they saw enough to know that things in Japan did not necessarily have to be the way they are. Unfortunately, nothing changed for them. Blame Monkasho.

Now the younger parents see the same thing happening to their children that happened to them, their parents and grandparents and they are not having it. Rightfully so. The "gaman" and "shoganai" to the detriment of oneself and those close to you way of thinking does not mean as much to them. I see this as a positive. They are making the well-being of their kids a priority. Good for them. Monkasho is eveidently not interested in changing anything, so some parents are taking matters into their own hands. Good for them again. They are doing the one responsibility that all parents have - make things better for your children than they were for you. If the school won't, then do it yourself. As stated above, you don't have to go to school to get educated.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan school absenteeism at record high of nearly 300,000 in FY2022 See in context

I wonder if those talking about "draconian measuers" and schools being "prison camps" actually have kids in public schools. Here is Okayama there was little difference between how things were done pre, during and post Corona. The main changes were they had to take their temperature every moring, wear a mask, and wash their hands before entering the school building. The schools were never shutdown other than a week when the pandamic first started (March 2020? 21?) and nobody really knew what was going on.

They had all the normal school activities: 学習発表会・参観日・山の学校・海の学校・修学旅行… Sure, things were scaled down, one parent only at 参観日, etc., but nothing "draconian." They still had their clubs and sports activities as well. There were a few times when a class or entire grade what sent home, but that happens and has happened with the flu and noro virus as well, not outcry for that.

I think the main reason is that the schools (Monkasho) has simply failed to keep up with generational changes in society. A sizable section of parents with young kids today did not particularly enjoy school themselves, for a myriad of reasons. Thus, they have no real problem with letting their kids miss school, especially if the reasons have to do with mental or physical health. School and education are not the center of their universe. The paradigm has shifted from their grandparents' idea of "you have to go because it is school" to the current idea for many of "it's just school, school isn't everything, no sense in going if you are unhappy." Unfortunately, Monkasho is still thinking like the grandparents: "It's school, how can you not love it?"

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Posted in: Japan basketball 'on the map' after qualifying for Paris Olympics See in context

This is because Japan doesnt play to the individual, and the individual has to play for the team. Japanese players get infinitely better when they play in the US, rather than here.

I agree with what you are saying, but it is a bit deeper than this. Basketball is a team sport no matter how many great individual stars there are. That being said, no matter how well a team is coached and versed in their system, their are times when individual players, or a couple of them, need to be spontaneous and create on the spot - read and react, not just follow a script. This is what a lot of Japanese sports teams are missing. Very top down from the coach. A player freelances, he winds up out of the game. I was tickled when the manager of the Keio baseball team at Koshien was praised for letting his players make their own decisions when batting. It really should have been like this all along. Hense, the "over coached and under taught" comment.

Things I think Japan needs:

get more players overseas - NCAA, NBA, D-League, Euro-league. Play in Japan and you play against Japanese players with Japanese coaches and Japanese trainers. You become good at playing against Japanese. Go overseas, learn new things - coaching, training...and you get to go against players and coaches from other countries. Look how well the men's soccer team did in the World Cup. Most of their players are now foreign based and bring all that comes with it to the national team. Maybe in a generation things will get better (Coach Hachimura, Coach Watanabe...)

more basketball culture outside of school clubs. I learned as much from playing pickup and streetball as I did from coaches and going camps. I learned different things, of course, but just as useful. School is where you get the fundamentals and knowledge. Outside is where you learn to create and freelance - nobody to tell you what you did was "not the right way." Combine the two, then you've got a player. Unfortunately, the very few outside hoops I see here are empty except for exchange students and resident foreigners. Almost nobody has a hoop in the driveway or a roll-away in the street. And if they do, usually it gets removed for being "meiwaku," at least in my neighborhood. Let the game come to the kids on their own sometimes.

Sorry to be so long winded, but hoops is a passion of mine.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan basketball 'on the map' after qualifying for Paris Olympics See in context

I hate to be "that guy," but as a former NCAA Div 1 player (Georgia State Uni) and h.s. coach, Japan has a long, long way to go. The only thing they are "on the radar" is as an easy win for teams in the group stage of the Olympics.

Watching the games, this has been some of worst quality of "major" basketball I have ever seen - on all levels: play, coaching, officiating, commentators, everything. Japan's offense is too simplistic, basically an elementary version of drive-and-dish and throw up a prayer, which while effective for playground and high school ball, will not work against top tier teams (see the France and Slovenia games). It wouldn't even work against a top NCAA team. Their defense is nothing, which is why they play full-court press even in the first quarter. They hope to get turnovers before they are forced into having to defend in the half-court because they do not have the height or length to do it. And don't forget about the total lack of any rim protection. They have also managed to take advantage of the FIFA two-referee system (NBA has three) and have gotten away with a lot of moving screens and reach-in fouls that a third ref would have noticed (but, no shame in exploiting blind spots).

Most of the teams they have played are bottom feeders. I know Finland was ranked higher, but honestly, they played like a pickup team 5 guys thrown together right before the game. No team cohesion at all. Japan's one saving grace is their teamwork. I figure this is because almost all of their players are in the domestic league and they can meet more often for practice and coaching, where as a lot of other countries have their players spread throughout the NBA and Euro leagues. Harder to get together.

And hold off on the idea that Japan will now become a breeding ground for NBA players. Note that their top three players, while learning their fundamentals in Japan, got their main baller education and experience in the NCAA Div 1: Watanabe (George Washington Uni), Hachimura (Gonzaga Uni) and the 3-point guy (can't think of his name, but Uni of Nebraska); even Hawkinson (Washington State Uni). Japan does not really have the underlying culture for basketball yet. Coaching is also a problem. "Over coached and under taught" is what I have seen at the youth level. They run drills better than anybody I have seen, but don't know why they do it or how to put it all together. When the guys that are on this team become coaches of the people watching them now, then things will take off, I think.

Not saying Japan has not done a good job. They are definitely punching their weight. But, please, temper expectations.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Posted in: How can teachers ascertain if students used ChatGPT to do homework or write essays? See in context

The measure for me: When something is better than it should be. I know my students. I know their abilities and what they are and aren't capable of producing. If something doesn't sit right, it usually isn't (although there have been times when some managed to put it all together).

Another sign: they bring up topics and concepts not covered in class or in the materials. When that happens, I either ask them to explain them to me in their own words or give a quiz made from the information presented in the paper. If they can't answer, I know they didn't do the work.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Homework will 'never be the same,' says ChatGPT founder See in context

All teachers have got to do is flip the classroom. During the pandemic, when my uni was all online, I had to live-stream my higher-level course classes and I recorded them just in case. Now, I have the students watch the videos out of class and do the assignments in class (with no computer aid - only each other and myself for help). I flipped the classroom. Their classwork is much more collaborative and is producing very good results. As for essays and reports, just add a personal aspect to it that AI can't do: "Appy the content learnings of this course to your past / present / future personal or professional circumstances. Support your answer with personal examples and anecdotes." Or, "Which parts of the course do you personally find the most and least useful. Why?" Also, make oral exams. This is for uni, but it can easily be adapted for elementary high school.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Posted in: What are some things that you and your friends did for fun when you were teenagers that would not be acceptable today? See in context

I remember buying a single movie ticket and then spending the whole day at the theater watching 3 or 4 movies. Probably wasn't "acceptable" then, but the staff never checked our stubs or ever asked us why we were still there. Today with all of the reserved seating I think it would be impossible. Also hanging out in the parking lot of our part-time jobs after we were done and just, well, hanging out for a few hours until midnight or so.

When I was younger, we also used to scrounge around the house for loose change and then ride our bikes up to the filling station, maybe 2 miles away, and buy a bunch of candy. Mom and Dad were at work and we were left to our own devices. I don't think kids would be allowed to do that today either.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

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