"Evil will always triumph because good is dumb."
In the JET community we have an internet message board - a place to discuss important JET-related issues with other JETs in the ken and swap teaching ideas. It is a vital tool for the efficient exchange of information; a resource for all.
The biggest section is 'Rants and Raves', which is where we slag everybody off.
JETs do not always have a lot to do, so this is where you can usually find most people. There are various 'threads' that cater to subjects from the weather to how much the Japanese suck at life. My favourites are the "I'm Not A Commie Bastard" thread, which is mainly about politics. The title of the thread is an exercise in newspeak, as it seems to be the main forum where Western, European, and Canadian liberals gang up on the two or three right-wing republican JETs and blame them for most of the world's ills. Favourite quotes sources are the BBC, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Daily Show. The words "Fox News" are an abhorrence in this thread. "In The News" is where those of the politics thread lament the state of the world before moving to the politics thread to blame the Americans for it. "In The Sports News" is the thread where mainly British and former Empire countries lament or rejoice in the latest rugby, football, and cricket scores. Occasionally some Americans will post about weird sports and talk gibberish about things in decimal places.
There are, at any time, around 20 people posting. There are regulars who seem to be able to reply to every post in seconds, and there are those like me who, by the time they've finished typing a reply with two fingers, find that the conversation has leaped ahead and they're talking to themselves. Some people you should never get into an argument with for they seem to have the unnatural ability to consult Wikipedia and Google in seconds (the fonts of all modern day knowledge) and crush you with reams of facts and figures.
There are also the entertaining posters - the nihilistic and the outright strange. The most entertaining are those who lament the naiveté of the pinko-card-carrying-commie-liberals. According to an article I read recently, on a long enough timeline all men will develop prostate cancer. And so it is with the message board; given long enough every subject will turn into the 'USA vs. Everybody Else' debate. I used to rant endlessly on the Everybody Else side until I realised that I don't always disagree with them (the USA side). I can understand their point of view. I don't always agree with it, but I can see the rationale. The realist side of me will always win out against the idealist, but I just like to argue.
The great thing about the boards is that is really is a meeting place for everybody, and nothing said on it really affects you in the real world - it's for shits and giggles; a place where we can all vent about the retardedness of Japanese bureaucracy. The teaching threads are a goldmine: if you ever need another English-speaking opinion, or a last-minute teaching idea, you are guaranteed an almost instant response.
The boards are, however, a finicky mistress - an hour of vent or verbal dueling will brighten up your day, but you'll always find yourself going back, just to check. The amount of time JETs spend on the boards is a subject that has been apparently brought up at Education Board meetings. I'll certainly miss it when I leave.
The biggest section is 'Rants and Raves', which is where we slag everybody off.
JETs do not always have a lot to do, so this is where you can usually find most people. There are various 'threads' that cater to subjects from the weather to how much the Japanese suck at life. My favourites are the "I'm Not A Commie Bastard" thread, which is mainly about politics. The title of the thread is an exercise in newspeak, as it seems to be the main forum where Western, European, and Canadian liberals gang up on the two or three right-wing republican JETs and blame them for most of the world's ills. Favourite quotes sources are the BBC, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Daily Show. The words "Fox News" are an abhorrence in this thread. "In The News" is where those of the politics thread lament the state of the world before moving to the politics thread to blame the Americans for it. "In The Sports News" is the thread where mainly British and former Empire countries lament or rejoice in the latest rugby, football, and cricket scores. Occasionally some Americans will post about weird sports and talk gibberish about things in decimal places.
There are, at any time, around 20 people posting. There are regulars who seem to be able to reply to every post in seconds, and there are those like me who, by the time they've finished typing a reply with two fingers, find that the conversation has leaped ahead and they're talking to themselves. Some people you should never get into an argument with for they seem to have the unnatural ability to consult Wikipedia and Google in seconds (the fonts of all modern day knowledge) and crush you with reams of facts and figures.
There are also the entertaining posters - the nihilistic and the outright strange. The most entertaining are those who lament the naiveté of the pinko-card-carrying-commie-liberals. According to an article I read recently, on a long enough timeline all men will develop prostate cancer. And so it is with the message board; given long enough every subject will turn into the 'USA vs. Everybody Else' debate. I used to rant endlessly on the Everybody Else side until I realised that I don't always disagree with them (the USA side). I can understand their point of view. I don't always agree with it, but I can see the rationale. The realist side of me will always win out against the idealist, but I just like to argue.
The great thing about the boards is that is really is a meeting place for everybody, and nothing said on it really affects you in the real world - it's for shits and giggles; a place where we can all vent about the retardedness of Japanese bureaucracy. The teaching threads are a goldmine: if you ever need another English-speaking opinion, or a last-minute teaching idea, you are guaranteed an almost instant response.
The boards are, however, a finicky mistress - an hour of vent or verbal dueling will brighten up your day, but you'll always find yourself going back, just to check. The amount of time JETs spend on the boards is a subject that has been apparently brought up at Education Board meetings. I'll certainly miss it when I leave.
posted by Geoff at 12:23 AM
1 Comments:
So you have no idea who I am, but your blog rocks hardcore....Rachel is a friend of mine from college; I got your link from her website. Anyway, I thought I should say that. I also have a blog in Germany.....not as....odd as Japan, but it has its moments. OK, bye.
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