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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
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User ID: 894
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
3mo ago
I’ve found that there are distinct similarities between all communist (or former communist) cities. The biggest I can think of is the ubiquity of the communist apartment block design.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
3mo ago
I don’t think they ever did. I just knew about them from the internet. Boss, as far as I know, is not a brand in the US or China in any major capacity.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
4mo ago
I was taught through the Alexander Pope Translation and it's the first translation of the Iliad I'd ever read.
https://gutenberg.org/files/6130/6130-h/6130-h.htm#chap01
To me it's very enjoyable. Though technically not as accurate to the original as some others, in English, it's one of the best translations out there.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
4mo ago
I am Buddhist, though Chinese Pure Land, which seems to be different from what you practiced, and I’m praying for your protection.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
4mo ago
Loved your list and reviews. In fact, I haven't gotten ahold of some on your list, and will be trying them in the future. I also love that your nose is so different from mine. Personally, Bois Imperiale, Beau de Jour, and Jazz Club are some of my favorite scents so it's fun to hear differing perspectives. Also, some of the wife reviews are really funny. I'd be very glad to read any of your future fragrance reviews should you decide to do any. Thanks for sharing your results
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
4mo ago
There's also the problem of said politicians not having to face the consequences of their policies. Personally, I have to walk through San Francisco's Tenderloins district while dodging literal piles of human shit on the ground and homeless people threaten me from across the street. But Newsom gets to ride through the city that he personally ruined with armed security and live in a gated community. All the while, he's talking about what a great job he did and what a success he is. I still remember when he locked California down for around a year and made visiting friends and family illegal (causing me to break up with my girlfriend at the time who lived in another city) while he hosted that party for some two dozen people in the restaurant.
I don't even try to hide my complete enmity toward Newsom and I suspect that many Canadians feel the same way about Trudeau.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
5mo ago
I think the meaning is that Japan is some idealized version of what a European society would look like. Rules-based, polite, and homogenous. Of course, the Wakanda comparison breaks down when we realize that Wakanda was made up by people trying to sell comic books and Japan is a real-world place with a real-world culture and society.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
5mo ago
I agree on some level, but on the other hand, it's nice to know that true cultural exchange is still possible. I think that overall the effect will be positive.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
5mo ago
To be honest, it's refreshing from the normal spew of raw sewage that Xitter provides normally. The Japanese are enthusiastic about niche parts of American culture, and it's very fun to meet their enthusiasm with mine for their culture. I had a chat with some Japanese people about popular conspiracy theories in Japan. Apparently a large minority of Japanese people believe that after WWII, the royal family was replaced by other high ranking nobles who sided with America. I taught them about the reptilians that run our government and businesses.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
5mo ago
Even my Today's News feed is filled with "Japanese X users discover American culture." I'm so happy I was able to be here.
Anyone been using Xitter recently? The algorithm change is causing a lot of Japanese posts to show up on my feed. Further, the autotranslate has allowed for some of the most frictionless communication between Japanese and American users ever. This is the most fun I have ever had on Xitter. I urge everyone to try it while we're still in the honeymoon phase and before it gets changed.
Update: It seems that a lot of Japanese users have been getting annoyed because American Evangelicals have been proselytizing toward Japanese Twitter users. Theological debates have broken out. It seems that many Japanese people are annoyed with the holier-than-thou tone of the Evangelicals.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
5mo ago
The last thing I need is a wife with a bigger dick than mine
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
5mo ago
Synthetik and Synthetik 2 are both fantastic games. The gunplay is punchy and fun. The sound design is immersive, and everything just flows like a dream. Synthetik 2 is a little more stop and go, but in Synthetik 1, once you get into the zone, it really is a symphony of violence.
Here are unhinged reviews of both by SsethTzeentach, where I first heard about Synthetik:
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
6mo ago
Glad to hear it. Hope you find the holy grail.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
6mo ago
I'm invested in you guys' search for fragrances. Did you guys decide on anything? Hopefully you guys were able to find what you're looking for.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
6mo ago
A fascist trademark is its insistence that the country is not just a collection of individuals but a people, a Volk: a mystically defined and ethnically pure group bound together by shared blood, culture, and destiny
I hear this a lot, and I have to seriously ask: Is there a single ethnic group outside of Western Europe and America that doesn't believe this? I'm Chinese, and I can say personally that every single Chinese person I know that was raised in China believes this idea. China is not just the land, it's a people and a culture. The only Chinese people I know who don't believe this are the ones that have been either born in or raised in America, and even then it's a 50/50. Am I wrong?
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
6mo ago
Probably not really enough meat on the bones here for Culture War thread but it also doesn't really fit anywhere else. I really wanted to talk about this year's Chinese New Year Gala put on by the Chinese government. For those that want to watch the Gala in its entirety, here's a playlist of the Gala in 4 parts.
I'm an ethnically Chinese person born in Mainland China and moved to America in my youth. This means that I'm celebrating Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year or Spring Festival if you want to be more politically correct). For those that don't know, since the year 1988, the Chinese Media Group (state run broadcast company) have put on a Gala that starts on New Year's Eve and runs into New Year's day. Generally, this is one of the biggest broadcasting events of the year in China. Every year the shows include traditional performances mixed in with skits, modern songs, and other segments. I myself have very fond memories of watching past Galas with my family, including cousins and grandparents. While the Gala is always popular, the general consensus is that they have not been as good as the years have gone on. In my memory, the 2000s had the best Galas by far. (The Gala really misses Zhao Benshan since his ousting.)
That's all background information about the Gala, and as you might be able to tell, by this point, the Gala is completely engrained into Mainland culture. If you refer to "春晚," most mainlanders know exactly what you're talking about. What makes this year's especially interesting to me, however, is that it seemed to act as a coming out party of sorts. In the same way that the 2008 Olympics acted as a way for China to display its thorough modernization, it's clear to me that the Chinese government wanted this gala to do the same. From the kung fu robots to Lionel Richie and Jackie Chan duetting We Are the World, the entire show seemed to radiate something akin to menace and arrogance (also funny to me because two of the five singers in the video are coming from countries that are actively committing ethnic cleansings). Online, there's been a lot of talk regarding the comparisons between the Chinese backflipping robot and the Tesla backflipping robot, and it seems that those in the Party were specifically trying to rebut some of the criticisms of the Chinese robot. The feeling was especially clear with the duet. To me, it was saying "We are so rich and powerful now that we can incorporate a core part of American culture into our own Gala as a part of our propaganda efforts." China always tried to incorporate western performers in their acts as a way to boost their own prestige (one obvious example is The Great Wall featuring Matt Damon, Willem Dafoe, and Pedro Pascal). And westerners used to look at these attempts with bemusement when China was still seen as a second-rate power, but I think the mood very much changes now that China is quickly gaining legitimacy as a viable alternative to American hegemony.
All of this is obviously coming on the heels of the multitudes of criticisms that have been levied at America, Americans, and the American government. Much ink has already been spilt regarding the obvious decline of America as a power and the rise of China as America's rival. This attempt at display of cultural power is especially stark when contrasted with the recent speeches at the WEF. Everyone seems to be in a very Chinese part of their lives as the Chinese government has seemingly succeeded in their online marketing (propaganda) campaign to convince the wider world that China is an advanced Eastern country, on par and perhaps surpassing South Korea and Japan. A (long) while ago, I made a review of Ne Zha 2 and at the end, I wondered whether eastern cultural dominance would continue. It seems that the answer is firmly "Yes." Not only will eastern cultural dominance continue, but Chinese culture, which had notably lagged behind in the past, is taking up more of the cultural space. And whereas South Korea and Japan are explicitly friendly nations, what happens to America and Americans if Chinese culture becomes dominant? Unfortunately, from my perspective, the future is not bright. It's by no means hopeless, but the collapse of American cultural hegemony is just another crack in the dam.
Side note: I'll talk about a childhood Gala memory. When I was a kid, my favorite parts of the Galas growing up were always the 小品s. These are ~15 minute humorous stage sketches that generally convey some form of wisdom at the end. When I was a kid, Zhao Benshan was a mainstay at almost every single Gala. He's from the North East region of China (formerly known as Manchuria, though Chinese people don't like that name nowadays) which is the same region of China that I'm from. He spoke with an exaggerated accent North Eastern accent that I also speak Chinese with, including the colloquialisms and slang. He honestly put North Eastern Chinese culture on the map. I'm not exaggerating when I say that he built a small media empire during the aughts and early 10s, with nationally syndicated TV shows, live shows, and even international tours. For about 20 years, he was present at almost every New Year's Gala, and he'd always perform a sketch, which would be one of the highlights of the entire show. Recently (when Xi JinPing ascended as Chairman) he was ousted due to supporting the wrong political faction. Now he's relegated to the North Eastern part of China as a local celebrity. The Gala dearly misses his presence, as the quality of the sketches after his ousting has taken a downturn. I'll share some of his greatest hits at the Gala, but unfortunately, many of the sketches don't have subtitles and are incredibly hard to translate. These sketches rely on wordplay, cultural references, and specific knowledge to be funny so as to be nearly incomprehensible to someone who doesn't understand Chinese, and especially the North Eastern dialect of Chinese. For myself, it really is impossible to overstate how important he was to the New Year's Gala.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
6mo ago
I really think Tom Ford can be your house. A lot of their masculine scents should be up your alley considering the restrictions.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
6mo ago
If you've already gone through all of the designer brands (brands that are not perfume-only, such as Hermes, Chanel, and Dior. These are generally found in department stores such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Macy's, as well as Sephora and Ulta) I'd suggest you look into niche brands (brands that only create perfumes and perfume themed products, such as room sprays, body wash, candles, and diffusers). I'll try to suggest a few for you. Let me know if you've smelled any of these before:
Byredo Blanche Absolu de Parfum: To me, this is what comes to mind when you describe the scent as soapy. Byredo has a lot of clean, soapy scents, so I'd suggest you try their entire lineup. There are similarities to Lazy Sunday Morning, but to me, this is superior. Speaking of Lazy Sunday Morning, Maison Margiela also has Bubble Bath and Beach Walk, in case you haven't given them a try yet. They both give me a clean, fresh, soapy feel.
MFK 724: This one has specifically been described as clean and soapy. I've smelled it and I concur. I like it a lot, but because I already have a couple of this style of scent, I won't be getting it for now. Along the same line from MFK as well is the Aqua Universalis line from MFK.
Nonfiction Gentle Night: This one is a bit of a shot in the dark (tbh these all are), but Nonfiction is a Korean brand, so there may be a connection. I've smelled this only once, and I do remember it reminding me of washed laundry. I really only remembered this because you said the guy was Korean, but their scents are actually all fairly good. My Korean ex loved this company.
Shiro FREESIA MIST: This is also more of a shot in the dark. Shiro is a Japanese brand and most of their perfumes are of a fresh nature. Freesia Mist leans more feminine, and is slightly off theme, being more fruity and fresh rather than soapy, but to me it smells like a very high quality shower gel. I'd suggest this to you just to try it even if it's not The scent.
Hope you find what you're looking for.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
6mo ago
You caught me at a time bit of a busy time, so I won't be writing full reviews, but I'll suggest a few for you to start off with. I'll try to hit the notes you like and avoid the ones you don't, but I don't know what climate you are in or what situations you're going to be wearing these in, so you need to try these to see if you like them. I also don't have encyclopedic knowledge so I can't hit everything. These are assuming unlimited (within reason) budget:
Tom Ford would be a great starting point: Tobacco Vanille, Noire Extreme, Fucking Fabulous, and Tuscan Leather are some that I think fit into your criteria. Tom Ford is an established house, so everyone will recognize the name, if that matters to you.
Coffee Break from Maison Margiela technically has Vetiver as a note, but I don't detect it at all. It's vanilla-y, creamy, and sweet. It's not a coffee bomb, but I can definitely smell the note. I like this in fall or winter.
Stronger with You line from Armani is another you might like. Intensely and Parfum don't include notes that you dislike, and both include vanilla as one of the main notes. Mainly for cool to cold weather.
Nautica Voyage is actually a pretty interesting pick for you. Smells of citrus and cucumbers, and you can get it pretty much anywhere for $15-20. Completely inoffensive, and you can go a little heavier with sprays.
Baccarat Rouge 540 from MFK is heavy, syrupy, sweetness. Technically leans feminine, but I'd say it's unisex. It's very strong so go lighter on the sprays when in warmer weather.
Bleu de Chanel L'exclusive is essentially BDC Leather edition. Pricy, but a good alternative for every day wear. It's quite nice in my opinion.
Millésime Impérial from Creed is ocean fruits. Smells to me like a summer day at the beach when I have my sunscreen on with a nice watermelon slice. If the price tag makes your eyes water like it makes mine water, try Milestine from Armaf. It's a very close clone (95%) and it costs less than 1/10.
Please feel free to give me feedback as well. If you tried these, let me know what you liked/didn't like. I'm just an enthusiast, not an expert.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
7mo ago
Never had this issue but I might not be understanding what you mean. Do you have example sentences where this happens?
"뭐하고 있어요?" was the correct answer, and What I heard was "어호이새여"
"지금 좀 바빠요" was the correct answer, and what I heard was "치감전파패요"
This was purely a sounds to writing test, and I don't know enough words in Korean to know what the characters meant, meaning I didn't have the context of whether the characters made sense together or not. I literally questioned my sanity after seeing the correct answers. Apparently in the first example, I missed an entire character being pronounced.
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
7mo ago
I've started learning Korean recently, and I've run into trouble. Unfortunately, my teacher, being a native Korean speaker, has a hard time sympathizing with my issues, and has given me the simple advice of "practice more." I'm not saying the advice is incorrect or not valuable, but it's not very helpful when I don't even understand why I'm making the mistakes I am.
I'm having trouble distinguishing consonant sounds in Korean. Multiple consonants all sound similar. Not even between normal and double consonants, but different consonants that are supposed to sound different all sound the same to me. In fact, sometimes I have trouble hearing the consonant being pronounced at all, especially at the beginning of words. I can, with difficulty, read characters out loud. But when listening to characters being spoken, I cannot write them with sufficient accuracy. This is a problem that I've talked to multiple Korean speakers with and it seems that it's something that they intuitively understand to the point where they have trouble understanding my problem. Is this something anyone else has struggled with, and what are some things that I can do to help?
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
7mo ago
Personally being a dumb MBA I feel like I can perfectly segment pnl between subprime borrowers and rich people. If I make money on subprime and lose money on rich people I can just shutdown the rich people business and deploy more money to poor people. So the academia people are most likely wrong based on simple logic?
In your imaginary scenario, would you be lending money to every single homeless person you see?
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話說天下大勢，分久必合，合久必分
9mo ago
Where? In NYC or Silicon Valley, that's just barely acceptable. In Dothan Alabama, that's a comfortable living.
I find that most western fast food chains are much nicer than they are in the west. I think it’s because they were perceived as fancy when they came to China simply because they were western. Over time, they deliberately cultivated this perception so that now, they simply are fancier.
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