The End

So, as you may have noticed, I've been neglecting this blog for at least two months now. I really lost interest in talking about what was going on over here, and for a lot of that period (and long before) I was so full of contempt for my job and my situation that I felt anything I said would be negative, which isn't entirely fair.

Recently I've had some good experiences here, and I don't think I can be eloquent enough to share them on this forum anymore. So if you want some warm fuzzy stories, ask me in person. Because don't you know my tenure here is finally coming to an end. Although it had a bad middle I want to once again remind myself that the beginning and end of this experience were really great. I'll be coming home in early August and I want to leave this journal to stand as a record of what I did. But that being said...

I've started up a new blog. It will most likely not be updated until I get back to the states, but if you like to keep track of what I'm doing you can subscribe to the RSS feed or whatever. The new blog with contain posts looking back on Japan (with pictures, and hopefully a little perspectice) but it will be more focused on improving and enjoying my life when I get back to America. You can expect way more posts on topics such as video games, comics, politics, science, religion, etc...things I'm actually interested in.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Two Years Down. Make adjustments as necessary.

Good riddance

Jesse Helms was a bigot...a horrible, ugly human being. We are all better off now that he's dead. The fact that the president of my country called him a patriot makes me sick and sad.

How long until November again?

I don't get it

How can she have scored a "decisive victory" or "rebounded" or any of the insane things the media is saying when she's still losing? To even come close to having the most delegates by the summer she's going to have to win by much larger margins than 14.

Yes. 14. That is the precise amount of delegates she netted in Pennsylvania. Yet the media continues with their "Hillary's comeback" bullshit.

All the while McCain is laughing his ass off...

It's Not Elitism If You're Right

I've kind of worried about supporting Obama after he criticized the very reasonable comments his ex-pastor made concerned 9/11 and US foreign policy. I don't want another president living in denial that our government's dirty deeds done overseas aren't the major reason for that heinous attack. But he definitly got me back on the bandwagon with his remarks earlier this week. The republicans are jumping down his throat, including cloak and dagger Republican Hillary. But look at what he actually said:

"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Absolute truth. He's not looking down on them. He's understanding their situation better than any faux Republican schmuck who'd try to exploit those feelings to get votes. They're the ones who should be ashamed of themselves. Pandering to the fears of the working class and giving tax breaks to the rich and the Church. Fuck that. That's not my America.

Ben and Matt BLOWING UP!

Look at this YouTube business. IIUM/KUS is featured (at slot #3) in the company of none other than Adventure Time! Rock on!

Keep doing what you're doing guys.

PS- I have the feeling a rabid fan may have just uploaded a RDCCDX AMV. Just a hunch.

EDIT: In the time since I posted this IIUM has been boosted to #2 featured video. Just peep the front page of YouTube.

Older, Crazier, but still not entirely wrong...

George Carlin:



via Pharyngula

Graduation

So I wrote an angry post before. It's kinda hard to write anything but angry posts at this point in my tenure, but I've got something else to cover.

Yesterday my 3rd years graduated. Whatever that means, because I'm pretty sure about half of them couldn't have had more than about a 50% GPA by American standards. Oh well.

At graduation they were perfect little angels, but for the last two years they've been a pain in my (and every other teacher's) ass. They're obnoxious, rude, and seem to actively try not to learn anything. It's been tough.

However as I said goodbye to them yesterday, and actually experienced a positive outpouring of emotion so rare in Japan, I was reminded of all the good times we've had together. We've shared very brief, very simple conversations in English. Mostly about the size of my penis or the color of my pubic hair (boys) or if I've done my girlfriend recently or which 3rd year girl would I like to have sex with (girls)...but conversation nonetheless.

Most importantly, however, I was reminded of one big thing. I was reminded that each and every one of those little shits is exactly what I love(d) about youth. They're rebellious, angry, cocky, alive... how can I fault them? The truth is I don't. It took me until now to realize it, but they're what kids really need to be. Untrusting of adults, willing to experiment and test boundaries. They're EXACTLY what kids need to be, especially in Japan.

Now if they'd had a bit more of a penchant for study of course I'd be happier, but I'd just finished with having almost an entire class of punks (in one form or another), and that made be incredibly proud and happy.

Too bad I had to play the role of their "man" too long to figure this all out...