[kineticpenguin]

At the risk of sounding anti-intellectual, I think that college should be free and also not a requirement for employment outside of highly specialized career fields

[kineticpenguin]

At the risk of sounding like an effete intellectual, I do actually think you should be allowed to just take college courses indefinitely

[yourunderwaterskies]

technically you can, if you don't care about degrees.

Free Harvard courses. Free Courses from Stanford. Free Courses from MIT. Free courses from Yale. Free courses from Princeton.

Free courses on Coursera.

Free Courses on EDx Free Courses on Alison

For paid, there's The Great Courses+/Wonderium. 20$ a month for unlimited courses.

When searching, the phrases you're looking for are Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), or you can do a general search of say, "free online college courses." Oh, and so you don't get surprised like I did, have an avoid: Hillsdale College is a conservative Christian site and not a valid MOOC place. Sign up with them and you will get things like THIS IS WHY THE LEFT IS TURNING YOUR KIDS TRANS AND GAY in your inbox.

[aloeverawrites]

@yourunderwaterskies I wanted to say thank you so much for adding these links, seriously, they've been life-changingly helpful to me-

And I also wanted to mention that humanitarian organisations have free courses too, like the Red Cross on international humanitarian law.

Humanity in War

Learn more about the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Program to train policy professionals, government officials, academics,

Kaya

Kaya is a free humanitarian learning platform which offers hundreds of training opportunities across a range of key topics, including the hu

[26381]

If I make a color coded table addressing my various overlapping current issues to bring to therapy it will either be a helpful tool or convince the therapist that there's something truly wrong with me and I can get covered by insurance. Win-win

[26381]

Sorry if I worried anyone lol I made a therapy appt

[26381]

Like is there such a thing as depression but you're so far gone you're not like, "sad" you're just doing the motions

Man like I went to therapy once in college and they were like you don't do drugs Or drink? What are you doing here? More or less exact quote

And my therapist here was like oh you're going to work on time every day? Sounds pretty solid

Like ok I put the pegs in the holes. But I don't know if I've been "happy" for maybe 20 years

Like what is it when you're depressed but getting along fine on paper

[26381]

Output based hobbies like drawing and writing aside I don't even read books or manga or play video games anymore

Watching tv makes me tired, even when I do I watch like one singular 20 minute episode

I go home eat food walk my dog and then pass out. Weekends? I wish I could tell you, I think I just black out for 48 hours

[26381]

I really don't know what I'm doing with myself my career is at a dead end and I don't do hobbies anymore what am I doooooing

Like I'll tell people my job is boring and they're like oh well I'm sure you have a fulfilling time off work

And I'm like 😏 bold assumption

[26381]

kamen rider mice

[26381]

Ok but is it just a reality of adult life that you need to beg people to hang out with you never the other way around. Does everyone feel this way. Or do my local friends just not think of me very much.

[26381]

Does make a gal feel isolated though

[26381]

There is Extreme social othering of immigrants here. And once I told my wife I'm exhausted after my friend laughed in my face at the concept of me holding a job with japanese as the operating language (which is uhh. I do do that.)

And she said well why don't you find some foreign friends, they'll probably understand your perspective

And I'm like. In the past I've been judgmental of foreign nationals here who have Zero japanese friends and stick in their own bubble. But then I'm like ohhhh it Starts from rejection and isolation

[26381]

Something fascinating about Japan is that there is no public consciousness of immigrants as a category of residents. There's "the foreigner problem" which covers tourists, technical interns, permanent residents alike. If you're foreign the general view is that you will Go Home eventually. And this is pervasive in policy as well as public consciousness. Like I saw an old sensei after 4 years and they're like. You're still here? When are you Going Home? And I'm like well my home is hmm I'm gonna say the house I own. That I bought. In Japan.

[26381]

Anyway I never really resolved the issue of racial identity I kind of just got too busy dealing with daily xenophobia to worry about it

[26381]

I really get full on interrogated by the way

Like people have not heard of naturalization

They're like so what visa are you on

And I'm like I don't have a visa I have citizenship

They're like oh so you married a Japanese citizen

And I'm like no that would be a spouse visa I don't have or need a visa

And they're like oh permanent resident

And I'm like no I have a Japanese passport

And they're like ohhh so one of your parents is japanese then

And I say no Patrick. The lid.

This is like. At job interviews. Which I feel like should be like, illegal? To question someone on their citizenship based on their phenotype?

[little-gay-boy-45-deactivated20]

another commission done!!

[26381]

This highlighted bit is insane by the way. How else is someone supposed to immigrate other than uhhh. Getting a visa.

[26381]

Anyway I never really resolved the issue of racial identity I kind of just got too busy dealing with daily xenophobia to worry about it

[26381]

Very delicate game to play whenever I casually mention my dad having Roots In Africa on this side of the Pacific and then people ask Which Country

How is one to answer that question during a lunch with coworkers without making it Real Awkward for the person who asked

[26381]

Upon further reflection maybe I don't need to bring up genetics every time I complain abt being lactose intolerant though. Sorry dad

[26381]

Very delicate game to play whenever I casually mention my dad having Roots In Africa on this side of the Pacific and then people ask Which Country

How is one to answer that question during a lunch with coworkers without making it Real Awkward for the person who asked