Michael Wilkins

@waronweakness Dickens is obviously a huge figure in English literature, but he was writing in the mid-nineteenth century. I'm not sure if that proved early 21st-century writing gurus wrong about writing for audiences in the 21st century. Of course, you can write any length sentence you want.

Writing gurus : "Write short sentences and don't use big words" Charles Dickens in the first sentence of Oliver Twist: "Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse; and in this workhouse was born - on a day and date which I need not trouble myself to repeat, inasmuch as it can be of no possible consequence to the reader, in this stage of the business at all events - the item of mortality whose name is prefixed to the head of this chapter.

@jzpitts I don't know how to answer this without seeming rude. This is an insane question. Yes, Japanese people read books; it's one of the most literate countries on the planet. There are bookstores everywhere. But like everywhere else, people are using electronic devices more and more.

I’m curious, do the Japanese enjoy reading fiction books for pleasure? Are there many bookstores, besides for Manga, in Japan?

@investBG @jmcheer1 @hanaamurakami Yes, definitely Taiwan. Lots of places are just as good, but I don't know any that are in another class above Japan. I don't get the negativity.

@mediumwriterM @jmcheer1 @hanaamurakami Taiwan would probably be close maybe? Some cities in SEA can have very good QoL as well. Da Nang in Vietnam comes to mind. Of course it has that SEA flair of slightly chaotic atmosphere but it's safe, convenient, relatively clean and it has an amazing beach.

Here’s the truth: Japan is great for vacation, but not for living ✌🏻

@investBG @jmcheer1 @hanaamurakami True, there are some great places in Asia, I think I could live and make a decent living, but I'm not sure they are on that different a level as Japan, and I know a lot of places that are worse. A little surprised about the negativity in the OP, but everyone can have an opinion.

@jmcheer1 @hanaamurakami Even if your income is average, like 5 million a year it beats most places on earth. Name a place you can easily earn the equivalent of 5 m yen a year and live a good life?

@hanaamurakami As always, it depends. If you’re wealthy and live in Moto-Azabu or Toranamon,have a beach house in Kamakura, and a chalet in Niseko, and income from international investments, it’s a good life. But for most, this is not the reality.

@hanaamurakami Really? Compared to where? I think I'd live in Japan compared to most places on the planet. I guess it depends on your life and how much money you have.

@TheList_Man @spectatorindex Then disagreeing with lists isn't weird either. That is literally the point of posting them, isn't it? People can live wherever they want, but LA? NY? Seriously, most people want to live in those shitholes? LMFAO!

@mediumwriterM @spectatorindex Because you wouldn’t doesn’t mean most people don’t - and they do because that’s what happens. And NO list is silly.

Best cities in the world, 2026. 1. 🇦🇺 Melbourne 2. 🇨🇳 Shanghai 3. 🇬🇧 Edinburgh 4. 🇬🇧 London 5. 🇺🇸 New York 6. 🇿🇦 Cape Town 7. 🇲🇽 Mexico City 8. 🇹🇭 Bangkok 9. 🇰🇷 Seoul 10. 🇯🇵 Tokyo 11. 🇨🇭 Zurich 12. 🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro 13. 🇩🇰 Copenhagen 14. 🇧🇷 Sao Paulo 15. 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 16. 🇵🇱 Krakow 17. 🇵🇹 Porto 18. 🇲🇽 Guadalajara 19. 🇪🇸 Madrid 20. 🇪🇸 Valencia 21. 🇦🇺 Sydney 22. 🇫🇷 Paris 23. 🇸🇬 Singapore 24. 🇲🇦 Marrakesh 25. 🇻🇳 Hanoi 26. 🇬🇧 Bath 27. 🇪🇸 Bilbao 28. 🇩🇪 Berlin 29. 🇦🇺 Adelaide 30. 🇨🇳 Beijing (Source: TimeOut)

@mrjeffu Unfortunately, not that strange. They know it is stupid and damaging to Japan's economy, but Japan's criticism won't stop them, and criticizing America will damage an important relationship Japan unfortunately needs in the short and medium term, so Japan keeps quiet.

Italian Prime Minister Meloni has called the Israeli/US attacks on Iran a violation of international law. This is a stark contrast from Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi, who has avoided commenting on the legality of the war or criticizing Trump.

@TheList_Man @spectatorindex Are you joking? I would never live in the first 4 of your list. These lists are silly. It just depends on the person.

List of the Actual best cities in the world because this is where everyone wants to live in real life 1. New York 🇺🇸 2. London 🇬🇧 3. Paris 🇫🇷 4. Los Angeles 🇺🇸 5. Munich 🇩🇪 6. Madrid 🇪🇸 7. Melbourne 🇦🇺 8. Sydney 🇦🇺 9. Barcelona 🇪🇸 10. Tokyo 🇯🇵 Ain’t nobody rushing to live in Cape Town or Scotland lol

@harukaawake What a stupid post. What is so strange? The waitress isn't talking to her; she is explaining it to the man. She doesn't understand Japanese, so what? Why would every visitor to a foreign country understand the language? Have you ever travelled anywhere?

🇯🇵 A viral video from Japan: a foreign lady looks completely lost and confused by the waitress speaking in all Japanese. I should also note that the man on the right looks Asian. It's possible she thought he could understand Japanese.

@harukaawake Yup. And just when you think you can do it, they renovate it, and you are a zero again.

🇯🇵 Someone tried to walk from Shinjuku Sanchome Station exit C8 to Nishi-Shinjuku Station exit C8. It took him about 28 minutes. Although I grew up in Tokyo, I can’t do this without getting lost. It’s even harder at night as some paths are closed.

@thecurioustales Who "volunteered" to taste 3,000-year-old honey in an Egyptian tomb?

**13. Honey never expires—we found 3,000-year-old pots still edible** Archaeologists opened Egyptian tombs and found honey. They tasted it. Still perfectly good. Honey's low moisture + high acidity = bacteria can't survive. It's the only food that's genuinely immortal.

My 5-year-old nephew asked me a random question. I didn't know the answer. So I looked it up. What I discovered (fact #11) made me rethink my entire childhood. Now, there are 20 facts that live rent-free in my head: 🧵 #1. Pineapples eat you while you eat them

@iihitocos That is so kind of you to say. I wish more people would be this kind to second language learners. But I wonder if you heard my accent in Japanese, you would still feel this way, LOL!

Every language is incredibly difficult.
Even my own native language doesn’t make sense to me anymore.
So when someone whose native language isn’t Japanese speaks Japanese, I can only imagine how much effort they must have put in… It genuinely makes me happy. I wish I could be like that too…

One thing I was unprepared for in the professional world was how they do layoffs. There was this one guy who had worked at the company for 10 years. He had moved closer to the office to cut down his commute. He had never talked bad about the company, and you could tell that this company was his life. One day, he gets a call from his boss, who he had worked with for 10 years, and he joins a Zoom. Immediately, HR joins the call, and he knows what's going down. After that call, laid off. He goes back to his desk, picks up all his stuff, doesn't even say anything to anyone, doesn't say bye. I don't blame him, though. He's probably in so much shock. Gathers all his stuff, walks out the door. Just like that — 10 years, and gone. That's how layoffs happen. And the craziest part was no one around me looked surprised because it is so normalized. It's just another day in corporate life. And even the people who had known this guy for about 4–5 years weren't surprised. If you ever think a company cares about you, just know they don't. They're going to do what's in their best interest, and so should you.

@AlexHormozi Are you sure? That is how a lot of people were taught to write basic English. People keep saying things like this, but it isn't an AI tell; it is a boring writing construct that many humans use, and AI is copying.

How to know someone uses AI to write: It’s not X, it’s Y. Not A. Not B. Not C. But D. If you choose to use AI to write (all good). Just cut out the forced negatives before the point. Just make the point and move on.

@RYGRAAL @mehdirhasan Really? It seems to me insanely huge negative stories get 5% of play they would under a Democratic administration. And can presidents really not let the press into the White House? A private individual OK but a president? Think about it.

I actually find this side of trump to me my biggest turn off, and this is coming from a big trump supporter. However, I also understand his frustration. I don't think he should be taking it out on individual reporters, but the way media has treated him has been diabolical. Whether it is straight up lies, misinformation, or half truths, they always find a way to make him look like the devil. I wouldn't allow half of these networks into the white house if it was me.

Why don't her fellow White House correspondents stand up for her? Why do reporters as a group tolerate these Trump attacks on their own members, especially female members? What happened to solidarity?

@mehdirhasan Yup shameful. But it is likely their whole organization isn't it? If they pushback their publication/network loses access so they are likely told to not rise to the bait. You would think there are at least a couple reporters or editors with integrity but the answer seems to be 0.

@YoelNisanov @SahilBloom Which means there is a second connected point. You must be selective about what you set a high bar for. Choose a couple important things with high standards. If you say everything it will be counter-productive.

@SahilBloom Standards help, but they’re not free. High standards without the systems to support them usually turn into burnout or avoidance. The bar matters- so does how you make it reachable.

A lot of problems are solved by having higher standards. Low standards make everything feel optional. You let things slide. You accept less than you're worth. You allow your goals to fade. Raise the bar higher than what feels comfortable. Your standards decide your future.

@TheCinesthetic Tarantino can be a bit of a self-absorbed wanker. Lots of his films seem pretty derivative to me.

Quentin Tarantino refuses to watch Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films. “I saw Dune a few times. I don’t need to see that story again.” Villeneuve replied, “I don’t care.”

@HenryHonto @taylor_jeremys @RyanHoliday Leftist sources like the US constitution, Marcus Aurelius, and Martin Niemoller? LOL. Have you ever considered perhaps the "smart" people aren't the ones getting hypnotized? Probably not, you don't sound like you have much interest in self-reflection.

@mediumwriterM @taylor_jeremys @RyanHoliday He only samples leftist news sources and only believes they’re the real ones. It’s pretty obvious. A lot of smart well read people get hypnotized by the media this way.