Lurker > Dragonblade01

metralo posted...

centrists like to try to act like hitler wasn't a bad person either, just misunderstood and we need to show respect for the dead.

centrists are just as bad as the alt right.

Considering you mistakenly believe I'm centrist, I wouldn't trust you to identify someone's political stances.

metralo posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

metralo posted...

OctoPop posted...

Fair. Next. This "it's okay to be white" is a blatant dog whistle for peckerwoods disguised as a harmless quote

yup.

wish they beat this dumb fuck into a coma.

Well don't you sound stable.

much more stable than someone who wants to create a white ethnostate, yup!

im glad people like you didnt exist in ww2 though :)

You wish dumbasses holding signs were beaten into a coma, so I'd say that's still up for debate.

And you wouldn't want someone who opposes nazis around during WW2? What a weird thing to say.

metralo posted...

OctoPop posted...

Fair. Next. This "it's okay to be white" is a blatant dog whistle for peckerwoods disguised as a harmless quote

yup.

wish they beat this dumb fuck into a coma.

Well don't you sound stable.

Look, if someone ever tells you that it's not ok to be white, then fuck them. But making a fuss about it like this is ignorant at absolute best.

Dyinglegacy posted...

Doom_Art posted...

Yeah the statement plays into this whole bizarre "white genocide" grievance s*** that the far-right and white supremacists have been hocking by implying that society is telling you it's not okay.

Honestly, sometimes I do feel that way. Not the genocide thing, but the thing about it not being okay to be white. I'm not sure why I feel that way, but I do. Like I'm guilty of something, but not sure what that something is.

I think that's just the result of a more highlighted racial divide rather than an explicit message intended by others (well, except for extremist whackjobs I suppose, but they're rare). And I mean, clearly you aren't the only person who feels that way if the current climate is as it seems.

But what I think is happening is that the highlighted racial divide can cause some people to feel guilty for the past and also make them feel compelled to choose sides (which, in an unfortunate bit of irony, can sometimes exacerbate the feeling).

prettyprincess posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

Well, I'm sorry I don't automatically assume the parts that don't offend me are irrelevant.

at best the method of display is irrelevant and at worst there is a more nefarious implication such as that he views his position of power over the referenced groups as a gift/celebratory, but that aspect will likely only ever remain inferred and never stated unless a particularly shocking media blunder takes place

It still seems odd to me, but I appreciate the perspective, and at the very least I can understand the reaction to a display so full of stereotypes regardless of any extra level to it. I've always trained myself to look at all parts of any supposed message so as not to get caught up on any single component, so I'm sorry if my questions about this came across as insensitive.

Kineth posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

Kineth posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

Kineth posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

What I still don't understand is where exactly the offense is supposed to be. Like, even assuming it was done with the explicit knowledge of racial stereotypes, what does putting it on a Christmas tree mean? Is it hateful? Is it supposed to be a mockery? If so, how? Because that is so far removed from the idea of decorating a Christmas tree that I don't see how that should be the normal assumption.

You're the one centering your focus on the Christmas tree as opposed to the display of stereotypes. It's not hard to understand.

And you're the one deliberately ignoring a very real part of the display that, quite frankly, makes the entire thing confusing.

The tree is a red herring and only a place to display said racist messaging. If all you're gonna do is shoot down the explanations offered to you, stop asking questions. You're clearly not interested in the answers.

Um, excuse me, I am very much interested in the answer. I haven't once "shot down" an explanation offered me, considering this very post was the first time an actual explanation was even offered. If the tree is actually an entirely meaningless part of this, then fine. But you need to get off your presumptuous high horse.

You need to stop needing people to hold your hand.

Well, I'm sorry I don't automatically assume the parts that don't offend me are irrelevant.

Of course it's okay to be white.

But holding a sign and trying to make a movement out of it tells me you have a silly persecution complex.

I think PETA knows that this is the only way they can get attention.

Kineth posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

Kineth posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

What I still don't understand is where exactly the offense is supposed to be. Like, even assuming it was done with the explicit knowledge of racial stereotypes, what does putting it on a Christmas tree mean? Is it hateful? Is it supposed to be a mockery? If so, how? Because that is so far removed from the idea of decorating a Christmas tree that I don't see how that should be the normal assumption.

You're the one centering your focus on the Christmas tree as opposed to the display of stereotypes. It's not hard to understand.

And you're the one deliberately ignoring a very real part of the display that, quite frankly, makes the entire thing confusing.

The tree is a red herring and only a place to display said racist messaging. If all you're gonna do is shoot down the explanations offered to you, stop asking questions. You're clearly not interested in the answers.

Um, excuse me, I am very much interested in the answer. I haven't once "shot down" an explanation offered me, considering this very post was the first time an actual explanation was even offered. If the tree is actually an entirely meaningless part of this, then fine. But you need to get off your presumptuous high horse.

Kineth posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

What I still don't understand is where exactly the offense is supposed to be. Like, even assuming it was done with the explicit knowledge of racial stereotypes, what does putting it on a Christmas tree mean? Is it hateful? Is it supposed to be a mockery? If so, how? Because that is so far removed from the idea of decorating a Christmas tree that I don't see how that should be the normal assumption.

You're the one centering your focus on the Christmas tree as opposed to the display of stereotypes. It's not hard to understand.

And you're the one deliberately ignoring a very real part of the display that, quite frankly, makes the entire thing confusing.

What I still don't understand is where exactly the offense is supposed to be. Like, even assuming it was done with the explicit knowledge of racial stereotypes, what does putting it on a Christmas tree mean? Is it hateful? Is it supposed to be a mockery? If so, how? Because that is so far removed from the idea of decorating a Christmas tree that I don't see how that should be the normal assumption.

The Great Muta 22 posted...

Kineth posted...

Rebel_Patriot posted...

KStateKing17 posted...

I just thought about something. A lot of people will say that the flag is a battle flag and a part of southern heritage, but then turn around and say the Democrats were the ones that supported slavery in another argument. Why would a Republican proudly wave a flag that was used by pro slavery Democrats?

The flag was adopted as a symbol of rebelliousness which is a strong characteristic of southern people regardless of race, and it was adopted as a symbol of southern pride. Key word is adopted. This stuff isnt difficult to grasp unless you want it to be.

No, the flag was only widely adopted as a banner against desegregation and the Civil Rights movement in the 50s and 60s. Georgia, for example, changed their state flag to include it in there in 1956.

I mean, I get that there are people like how you describe. There are also people who use it as a banner for their monstrous beliefs. It's used in substitute of the Nazi flag in Germany since the flag is outlawed there.

There's also the whole fact of Hitler being a huge fan and supporter of the Confederacy that you'd think would push people away from supporting this shit flag.

Yet here we are

I don't suspect a lot of the bandwagoners know that. All it took were some racists to dig up the flag and post about southern pride on social media to get the stupid train rolling.

The whole confederate flag pride nonsense seems to me like it's probably a small part actual racists and a large part idiots who got swept up in the rhetoric. That flag is too weird of an esoteric choice for it to be a flag of pride to anyone but the explictly racist or the uninformed.

No one has said what message they think the tree is supposed to send yet.

Watch the next series be called Dragon Ball Fusion

Irony posted...

Wait gave birth at 7 months?

Being in the state of mind to stab your racist father is probably not super good for a pregnancy

Wow
An
Unused
Shovel
!

Sounds like the child is okay, at least.

Seriously though, what message do people think this is supposed to send?

That's a pretty ugly tree, but what message do people think they're trying to send with it?

I don't think I've ever tried it.

Social media just bleeds self-righteous behavior.

White nationalism is not necessarily racist, but it is always misguided.

I would watch an Odd Couple-style sitcom with Tom Hardy reprising both roles.

He's an uninformed idiot with some nationalist ideals. People treating it as more than that are overreacting.

Also I still like his videos regardless.

That's... unfortunate, I guess.

Oh yeah, this conversation will definitely go better the second time.

How the hell is an abusive relationship like "wanting to have your cake and eat it too"?

As if I needed another reason to dislike nightclubs.

Not literally, no.

But in a sense, you're part way to the correct answer.

I actually kinda legit want to open a craft beer store.

Sayoria posted...

Do you have to pass N5 to go to N4? I kind of regret not doing it but just found out today the test was happening. I might have been able to pass N5.

You can take any level as long as you pay the fee.

CoolMaskGuy posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

Any resources you'd recommend using to prep for N1 now that you've taken the test?

A lot of the practice books are perfectly fine and get the job done, but what I used specifically was:

N1 - This is just the official practice test that they release every year. Just one mock test, exactly like the real thing, and pretty cheap. So it's good to use to get a baseline of where you're at and what you should focus on.

N1 - This is a collection of three mock tests with simple explanations for the answers. Good for when you're approaching the test day and you want some comprehensive review.

500 N1 - This is a great book for drilling the language knowledge points (as opposed to reading or listening). It's a collection of 500 problems, and each page has three questions (one for pronunciation, one for vocab, and one for grammar phrases). It's not good for getting a feel for the whole test, since the types of questions aren't as varied as what you'll get on the real thing, but on the back of each page of questions is a clear and concise explanation of the answers.

TRY! N1 - This is the book I used to review the grammar topics. It provides an explanation for all of the many grammar phrases that crop up in N1. The explanations can be a bit obtuse at times; but to be fair, the way the JLPT handles grammar can be pretty obtuse in general. It has tons of practice questions and divides the topics into chapters over some short reading, which is very helpful.

N1 - This is the book I used to practice reading. It offers multiple sample readings for every style of reading problem that appears on the test. It also contains practice reading tests that are exactly how they would be organized in the real thing.

kayoticdreamz posted...

So how are you guys going about learning Japanese?

Advice for a noob with a hearing impairment(though not so deaf that I HAVE to have hearing aids.)

The key thing about starting is you need to find something that works for you (and that you can tolerate) until you establish a foundation of basic understanding. Once you have that, you can more easily start practicing using methods that are more interesting to you (such as reading comics, or playing games, etc.).

Personally, I'm pretty academically-minded, so a formal classroom setting was the perfect way for me to learn the basics.

M3sterybumper posted...

YonicBoom posted...

How long have you been studying in total?

Hasn't he lived there for almost a decade?

4 years, lol. Still, there's a difference between using Japanese in a practical sense, and going the extra mile to improve your ability such that you can comfortably pass N1. I read a lot of articles in business and science magazines (which is why I had enough time to comfortably read each reading section twice), and I've done countless hours of vocab and kanji drills. And I practice both reading and writing by copying newspaper articles. I also did explicit JLPT N1 studying, such as many sample problems, especially for grammar and reading. Still, the N1 requires that you either study exclusively for what shows up on the test, or expose yourself to the sorts of topics that you don't experience in everyday Japanese life. It's like asking a foreigner learning English to answer questions on how the author of an editorial feels about some scientific discovery. They could only do it if they studied that subject for that question, or if they'd exposed themselves to more than normal life in America, the UK, etc.

But anyway, took the N1. Honestly, I think I passed. Not a sure thing by any means, but I was confident enough in all sections that I think I scored well enough. Of course, I won't know until the end if January.

How do they not realize how cartoonish they're being when they use a yardstick to open a door and push up a lock?

How can Australia be real if our eyes aren't real?

They also aren't super good at diagnosing it. And in schools, mentally challenged students can't be moved to special needs without the parents acknowledging the disability. And a lot of parents don't want their kids in special needs.

No

Any song by Marilyn Manson.

monkmith posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

monkmith posted...

watched an anime once where one of the little kids bullied a girl by murdering her dog in front of her, not sure if that's typical of japan though...

The most extreme cases are, as you might expect, pretty rare. That being said, since students don't have to go home immediately after school and are largely left up to their own devices until dinner time, the more "imaginative" among them can certainly push the envelope at times.

huh. does it normally result in the bullied kid developing psychic invisible tendrils that can turn the average human into mulch?

Nah, I think that's just a power fantasy.

monkmith posted...

watched an anime once where one of the little kids bullied a girl by murdering her dog in front of her, not sure if that's typical of japan though...

The most extreme cases are, as you might expect, pretty rare. That being said, since students don't have to go home immediately after school and are largely left up to their own devices until dinner time, the more "imaginative" among them can certainly push the envelope at times.

For those wondering, the intensity of the bullying in Japan comes from a multitude of interlocking sources. An important thing to understand is the idea of "" (wa) in Japan. In this context, it usually means something like "peace" or "harmony." However, that sounds good on the surface, it can actually carry some insidious undertones. "Wa" is this idea that the collective is working smoothly and in unison, all gears in society doing what they should be doing and where/when they should be doing it. That's where the "peace" and "harmony" stems from under this idea. Unfortunately, what can happen very often in schools is that a student or handful of students (though usually only one) is given the "bullied" role. And under "wa," as long as the collective is working well, the needs of the individual can be thrown to the wayside. Critically, this means that the entire student body will focus on a single target (rather than a single bully vs the bullied).

Now, Japan has been trying to deal with bullying rather ineffectively for a long time now, but there are extra problems with that. One, teachers (not unlike America and other countries) have virtually no real authority, despite the amount of responsibility thrust upon them. That means that they may be powerless to make real changes (and again, some may be unwilling to disturb the "harmony" of an otherwise effective classroom environment). Another issue is that, moreso than America, children's identities can be even more rooted to their school life, since they are obligated to spend more and more time there as they progress through their education. This can make it easier for depression to take hold of those who are bullied. After all, in such a collective society, the feeling that you're being forced out (or even worse, the feeling that you're supposed to suffer in your society) can be utterly unbearable. It doesn't help that parents themselves can be a bit hands off about all this as well, or just as equally powerless to do anything.

So, yeah, there's a lot of factors that lead to bullying being inherently more intense in Japan than in many other places.

In general, yes. Although social media and cyberbullying could help "even the playing field," as it were.

Broken condom.

NeonOctopus posted...

AlisLandale posted...

People always post that, but do they realize that the context is the boys are all boobmen and they're just making shit up to convince their assman principal to extend their probation sentence lol

Your prophet is a fake

And in searching for a lie, they discovered the truth.

YonicBoom posted...

How long have you been studying in total?

I couldn't say. I don't count hours, and I wouldn't be able to keep track even if I did. I also don't exclusively study for specific tests, but also study in more holistic ways since I live in Japan.

N1 test is tomorrow. Pretty confident overall, but I definitely wouldn't say passing is a sure thing, lol

metralo posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

I'm not rationalizing anything. I'm telling you what my views are (which you have just inaccurately represented), and they aren't unreasonable. They are extremely common principles. One, don't insult people; and two, don't assault people.

i bet the nazis that killed millions are glad that you're on their side. keep it up buddy, keep fighting the centrist fight

I'm not on the nazis' side, nor are any of the views I've expressed in this thread anything that could even vaguely be defined as "centrist." Can you explain why you think the way you do, but while accurately repeating my views this time?

metralo posted...

"hey being a nazi isn't a nice thing to do! but he shouldn't be punished for it because punishing him is also not nice"

how is that not being a stupid worthless centrist lmao

So not only can't you explain why you think my views here are centrist, you can't even accurately repeat my views back to me.

EliteC posted...

Rationalize it all you want, but expecting the other kid to take the slurs and not do shit is clearly not a reasonable position

I'm not rationalizing anything. I'm telling you what my views are (which you have just inaccurately represented), and they aren't unreasonable. They are extremely common principles. One, don't insult people; and two, don't assault people.