Phoenix

As I mentioned in my first post on language study, I'm going through a textbook to pick up new grammar (and in fewer and fewer cases, review old grammar) and practice it. It's also giving me vocabulary, but I'm not putting a lot of emphasis on it--a lot of the vocab is esoteric to college life. Not long from now I'm going to poke around NHK Easy News and pull new vocab from there. Much more practical. However, something I've been thinking about as I proceed through the book (today I am starting chapter 7 out of 11) is that I really should find a way to put together a comprehensive review. After all, it's a course in building up language learning, not a collection of discrete facts. Therefore, my current project is to figure out how I can do this effectively. An exam is the traditional method, but I can't just write it out myself! Or, at least, it wouldn't be efficient. It's a fairly popular book, so maybe there's premade exams posted online somewhere. Must look. In any case, one thing I learned about my self-driven study habits is that I learn best when I prepare in a way that would allow me to make a presentation in class. To give a 15 minute talk, or similar, with reference material. I think I can do something similar here.

For protein I would personally be having jerky a lot more often if I could, but it's so expensive. Likewise for a variety of nuts; I end up with just peanuts most of the time. I would say probably 90% of my protein intake comes from either peanuts, peanut butter, or whole meat I've processed and cooked myself (and of course, the aforementioned eggs). Unfortunately, the peanuts are, what, only 20% protein? And so calorie dense. I haven't tried protein powders or the like yet. I don't like the concept on its face--I eat too much processed stuff as it is.

I will try to post positive things here from time to time, despite my cynical nature. The changes weight loss causes necessitates adjustment to how one dresses. It can be bittersweet. Last week, I had to put away a pair of Levi's I got a great deal on at a thrift store, and of course, the goal is to never wear them again. They were actually too long, but I learned how to hem with them. The process took all day and no less than two trips to the craft store, but it worked out pretty well. I was actually rather proud of the job. Now, I have a perfectly good pair of personally modified jeans that I can't use. However, I have almost a full wardrobe that's a size down, and while I'm not ready for the tops yet, I found a pair of jeans in my storage that fit great. ...for all of a week. The new jeans are already getting loose. While it's awesome to have such a tangible sign of progress (when I look in the mirror, I still don't see a difference), I'm going to be annoyed when I have to buy a whole new set of clothes. I suppose I have time to prepare, though.

We're So Screwed, cynicism at its finest.

In group, out group. It's a story as old as organized humans. If it weren't skin color, it would be something else. I refuse to give him credit for doing it consciously, but the president has managed to fully divert the conversation away from the intent Kaepernick and other players had. Now the national discourse is dominated by talk about is the flag and the military instead of minority oppression. It has to be so frustrating for them.

The "love" reaction felt a bit odd at times. I like you, NL, but I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment!

I thought this said "neither," so I fixed your image from earlier:

34, and still with the sex drive of a 16 year old. It gets really annoying at times.

Yeah. Usually my problem is not properly identifying what kind of conversation is going to end up in arguing.

It didn't make me sad, per se, just annoyed and frustrated. I need to set up something where I have to get permission from someone before getting into a potential argument on reddit. It is never worth it.

So this means nips without lips is okay?

Normally I'd say no need to give a fox, but given the legal jurisdiction this board may fall under, I've also been curious about what kind of adult content is permitted, myself.

It's weird to this man, too, heh. But then non-consent isn't a turn on for me at all, simulated or otherwise, except for maybe a couple of implied consent scenarios.

lol, harsh

Difficulty enjoying new things or things once liked is a classic symptom of major depressive disorder, and I get it bad. It's popped up again today--I tried no fewer than three video games, a book, and sports, and couldn't get into ANY of it. I feel like I'm halfway lying when I participate in the "what are you reading/watching" threads because someone could ask me about it a month later and I'll be like "oh that? I read like a chapter." So yeah, if I do that, this is why, heh.

Okay, I'm convinced. I'll take another look. Be weird seeing a younger Harrison Ford again, heh. Not to mention Rutger Hauer. And whaaat? Edward James Olmos? I'm sold.

They aren't in the US either, but they can run afoul of child pornography laws here. Japanese games are also self-regulated not to have depictions of rape.

@Rapture, I had the same issue despite the URL appearing to be correct. Try googling the headline: "The damage to Samantha the sex robot shows male aggression being normalised." and it should be the first result. I can't support the writer's thesis that use of a device which can't consent normalizes violent behavior. She cites the lack of evidence supporting the idea of a reduction in male violence by way of access to an outlet for such violence, but she also leaves out that there's no consensus on the research in the other direction. This very topic has been hotly debated (and subsequently funded for research) for almost twenty years now, ever since it was discovered that the Columbine shooters were fans of Doom. The research has been mixed since then. It's possible that this may change as the objects we are able to interact with become more realistic in a physical way, but that's impossible to know for sure. I view this piece as a visceral reaction, and suggest we consider the following facts. First, sex robots aren't going to be crossing the uncanny valley anytime soon, perhaps even not for another 50 years. Second, what *is* going to arrive much, much sooner is a very similar and more realistic experience provided by a combination of virtual reality goggles and haptic feedback. That AI programming would be very similar to that in these sex robots, and with the haptic feedback, a physical extension of that programming. Third, there's video games, mostly in Japan where such things aren't illegal, that have depictions of sex with underage persons. By real world definitions, that's non-consent. My point is that society has been here for a while, in a lot of ways, in the virtual realm. I find it interesting that the author was made uncomfortable when that realm met with an prototype of a physical object with basic responses. The implications of this incident are disturbing, to be sure, but I don't know that they speak to anything larger.

@Kenaibeing typically silly.

Now I'm wondering how many people are going to come in here to offer to help you with your "problem," lol.

I honestly couldn't tell you. It was from Netflix, back when I was doing the mail thing.

Last one I had said "A tub and rub will change our day." I did a double take.

I'm a solid zero on the Kinsey Scale, heh. I just like boobs too much, I guess. That's an interesting question, and there's of course precedent for it in the animal kingdom with some critters that are able to change sex if there is a critical need. It may simply be mutation in the code, like with uterus didelphys. These things do tend to move slowly, perhaps too slowly for the rate of technological and social change we go through. Seems more likely that gender has the velocity to fill that delay role.

That's about where I'm at with struggling with it. I can read (not necessarily listen, another problem) the language much better than I can produce it myself. The workbook has been challenging me to do that, but I feel like I need more. And that I need to read more sentences so I'm constantly reinforcing the grammar. I'm close to the end of "beginner" level and entering into "intermediate," so I think I'm close to being able to read children's books and things like NHK Easy News. Once I get to that point, I think I'll do so much better, but my English-to-Japanese is probably going to suffer until I find someone else to correct me. But...that involves...people.

Not knowing a word of Korean, it sounds like gibberish Japanese to me. It's like it sounds like something I should be able to understand but I can't make anything out of it. Kinda like Skwerl. I wonder if it's the same in reverse? I have a number of (probably similar) websites saved on my reddit account that I just haven't had the umph to check out. I really should at some point.