So I decided to watch these movies mostly purely out of curiosity. If you follow politics or any sort of Chinese news then you’ve probably heard of “wolf warrior diplomacy”. Which I’m not quite sure whether that originated in Chinese media or American media, but my guess would be the latter. I went into it kind of expecting and kind of wanting a jingoistic sort of movie. But what I got wasn’t really that. I mean sure, there’s definitely a bit. But I expected more just based on how much this movie has been mocked. I think I liked the first one better.

As the sun set Sulla set out and the adventurers from earlier began to trickle out. Five came on horseback and the others were to ride in the wagon.

“So, where exactly is this den of banditry.”

Sulla stretched his whiskers for a few seconds and responded, “You know the reports of recent lootings of houses?”

“I’m aware. That is why the baron is so pissed and is handing out such high rewards for the death or capture of thieves.”

I just got physically threatened on Christmas Eve by my brother. It’s one thing for my parents to take his side, but it’s a whole nother thing to justify threats. I’m debating on whether I should do this next year. Next year I will probably be living independently of my parents. I’ll still be dependent on them, but I probably won’t be living in the same house as them come next year. I’m not sure I wish to listen to threats like that a second time on Christmas. I know I deserve better than that. When you’re treated horribly by your family, I’m a believer in seeking out a new family. I’m not sure I want to put up with this next year.

In book 2 and in chapter 3 of the Analects, it is recorded that Confucius said the following: “If you try to guide the common people with coercive regulations and keep them in line with punishments, the common people will become evasive and will have no sense of shame. If, however, you guide them with Virtue, and keep them in line by means of ritual, the people will have a sense of shame and will rectify themselves.” Furthermore, in 7.6, Confucius is recorded to have said: “Set your heart upon the Way, rely upon Virtue, lean upon Goodness, and explore widely in your cultivation of the arts.” Confucius held a deep conviction that this “Way” exists and is that which should be pursued. Yet, bafflingly, it is said in another place when a disciple named Zilu asked Confucius about severing ghosts and spirits, Confucius replies how “… [he is] not yet able to serve people—how could you be able to serve ghosts and spirits?” (11.12) Zilu follows this up, asking Confucius again about death. Confucius, again, gives a similar answer: “You do not yet understand life—how could you possibly understand death?” (11.12)

The prompt that was given by the professor is the following: Drawing on what you’ve read in Off the Edge, the other assigned readings and discussions, and your own research, explore whether social media is harming our ability to think critically. There are many problem with responding to this. The two main problems with this prompt are that it fails to define exactly what social media is, as well in making clear whether this “our” is referring to the impact of social media on a personal or societal level. Third, this book and sources are terrible. Fourth, there are no solutions anywhere to be found. You could take this prompt in so many different ways. For the purpose of this essay, the writer will assume that the professor meant effect on an individual and that social media includes all forms of digital communication where one can interact and network with other individuals over the internet. If that is so, then it really depends on your consuming habits of social media. In chapter 7 we saw a rather extreme example of how an individual can end up if not using social media critically: “Whatever he privately believed in the moments before his rocket launched, he died in Flat Earth’s name." (Weill) Affirming or negating this prompt would be as useful as stating that movies are bad—an utterly meaningless statement. Even if they were inherently bad (despite of the wide variety), it doesn’t matter because they exist and won’t be going away any time soon.

I am now free of the JLPT and the ACT. I would like to say I’m satisfied with what I achieved. It hasn’t been the most eventful semester. I feel like I really need a change of pace. That’s one of the reasons why I want to go to Japan. It’s not just for academics, but to distract myself. In about a month-and-a-half from now I’ll submit my application to the other three schools that I’m applying. I’m fairly confident at least one will accept me. I want to say I’ve achieved a 28 on the ACT and have passed the JLPT N2. I hope putting in that effort this semester pays off. At the very least if I have the N2 then everything won’t be completely wasted. It’s been a waiting game.

Sulla prowled the streets to find work. Naturally, he walked up to the message board near the closest pub.

“Kill elf bandits. Only good bandit is a dead bandit. GENEROUS REWARD if dead, even more if alive.”

Sulla, his interest peaked, walked in to the pub to discuss this with the innkeeper.

“Say, who posted the bulletin about the bandits?”

“That, sir, was the local lord of these lands. Bandits have been a nuisance they have.”

I was thinking about the real reason why many people fall away from churches and Christianity. I honestly don’t think it has much to do with the truth about reality or anything like that. I don’t think it really has much to do with verses which they object to in the Bible. No, I think the leading one is really sexual desire and how Christian marriages are supposed to work. I think no matter how you read it, you’re really not supposed to masturbate or have sex outside of marriage. The problem is that once a child starts going through puberty around 13, and the average age of marriage in the United States as of 2022 for men, that’s like a whole 15 years where the person is just supposed to suppress any sexual thoughts. I think this is one of the more laughable parts of Christianity. Unless they’re a sage, I don’t think anybody actually follows this. The problem is that the elders are usually older men, and they were probably no better themselves in their youths, lecturing to younger men about the dangers of lust.

最近はね
辛抱はすごく難しいことですね
俺が日本で大学に行きたいです
でも、まだ英語で教えられたい
当然海外に行くと試験は必要だからこの１０月と１２月にACTを取る予定があります
ACTだけではなくて日本語能力試験も挑戦したいです
JLPTも１２月です
今書いてる日は９月２１日です
行きたい大学と専攻はもう決めました
具体的に言いませんけど

理想的に計画通りに勧めます
駄目だったらいま他の計画も考えたいです
問題はお金と時間ですね
まぁ、皆の問題とあまり変わってないね
今のは待ってる時間です
未来はまだ不明
不明
試験はうまく出来るか
日本は経済的の視点から見ると大丈夫かな
日本の学位はアメリカで舐めるかな
日本語は上達するかな
仕事は出来るかな
日本に行かないとビジネスと歴史の専攻をするべきだろう
わからないから色々な悩みは頭で浮かべてる
日本に住みたいだろう
在住は可能性があるから
日本の大学から卒業すると大学院に進学するべきか
大学院から卒業して３年の間で働きたら在住権はできそう
在住権は出来たら日本会社で働く必要はなくなる
結婚も考えるべきですね
正直、白女と結婚したくない
マレシアとか中国は悪くない選択だと思う
でもな、俺の在留資格次第です
外国人と結婚するとビザは楽勝です
例えば、日本の在住を持ってマレシアの女と結婚して
リモートワークしながら半年は日本に住む
他の半年はマレシアに住む
でも、税金とかビザ問題は色々あるだろうな
アメリカに戻るべきか
アジアに行くのはナイブかな
わからん
わからないよ
どうしよう

Sulla had come to the bustling metropolis known as Abingdon. The marketplace was buzzing with merchants selling their wares, wagons going past, house-wives searching for ingredients. There was a message board with advertisements. There were missing persons. There was a declaration by the king. There were bounties. Sulla was busy investigating one particular advertisement. It read: “Beautiful Girl Slave Auction”. Sulla had long thought to himself that such a honorable hero of justice as himself should have a young, female slave to attend him—which was only fitting of a hero of justice. The women of the world, he reckoned to himself, couldn’t help but fall in love with his charm, so he was doing them a favor. Under it were names of slaves which were to be auctioned the next week. A certain one caught his eye. Her hair was green. Her country of origin it said was “Nippon”. Sulla didn’t know what a Nippon is. Said her measurements were 82-57-85. Age of 18 years old. Said to be a magician, and to have received magic training. Says hymen still in tact. Her name is listed as “Shizuka Masou”. Sulla became immediately interested. Unfortunately, he had blown all his money had made on his last job on drinking, gambling, and hiring prostitutes.