Here's how we'll determine if an alien species is sentient: observe them closely, until we know all their normal behaviors, then look for the craziest, goofiest, weirdest -- stuff -- they do. http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-strange-real-life-gangs-that-put-the-warriors-to-shame/ http://www.cracked.com/article_18567_6-japanese-subcultures-that-are-insane-even-japan.html http://www.cracked.com/article_18494_15-unintentionally-perverted-toys-children.html And now, for something normal: http://www.cracked.com/article_18627_6-things-from-history-everyone-pictures-incorrectly.html

:snicker: Better than the short story I read where an alien race's definition of sentient was: "Only sentient races put other creatures in cages."

If members of your species can look at a situation, analyze it, come up with several different ways of handling it, including the pros and cons of each method -- and deliberately, knowingly, choose the one most likely to bite all of you in the ass, your species is sentient. If you have an equivalent of Barbara Tuchman's The March of Folly anywhere on your planet, your species is definitely sentient. About those girl gangs in Japan: you think the person who created Shiratori no Jun gave her the yo-yo for a reason?

Originally posted by UnpublishedWriter About those girl gangs in Japan: you think the person who created Shiratori no Jun gave her the yo-yo for a reason?

I was thinking the same thing. Heh, the green hair too. These are bizarre -but they actually make me want to visit Japan that much more -guaranteed not to be boring!

Originally posted by lborgia88 These are bizarre -but they actually make me want to visit Japan that much more -guaranteed not to be boring!

ITA!!! It's one place that has always attracted me and that I haven't had the chance to visit, yet, but that will always remain my dream destination!

I like learning about Japanese culture and tradition and all that. But sometimes it's so bloody hard to find stuff that's not watered down to nothing.

Yeah... saw all that stuff while I was there... Amazing how you just got used to it... Or scary that you just accepted it as part of the landscape.

Very funny UW! Some of the Japanese "cult" and fashion stuff is totally scary.

Originally posted by green Yeah... saw all that stuff while I was there... Amazing how you just got used to it... Or scary that you just accepted it as part of the landscape.

The Galactor captain looked at his squad. "Are sure about this?" he asked, motioning to his costume. "Nobody will notice?" "You won't get a second glance," Watanabe assured him. They stepped out of the van. "I am so underdressed," the captain moaned. Or: Katse read the latest report and sighed. Time to amend the list of people not to mess with to include Japanese girl gangs.

Japanese make an art of everything! writing, dressing, fabric design etc. (They produce higher quality wools and silks than Italy,) Thats what I love about their culture. Its their respect for art and creative minds and encouragement, not just academic minds like the west focuses on (maths and science,) Well thats what I found throughout high school. They barely touched on careers for artistic people when i was there. (Art has its own academic nature.) (BTW- I have nothing against maths/science, there are things in science that I find facinating to learn about too.)

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne Japanese make an art of everything! writing, dressing, fabric design etc. (They produce higher quality wools and silks than Italy,) Thats what I love about their culture. Its their respect for art and creative minds and encouragement, not just academic minds like the west focuses on (maths and science,) Well thats what I found throughout high school. They barely touched on careers for artistic people when i was there. (Art has its own academic nature.) (BTW- I have nothing against maths/science, there are things in science that I find facinating to learn about too.)

And yet as an educator I would say the exact opposite is true. The Japanese/Asians are extremely good in the Maths and Sciences where as in the "Western" culture we tend more towards the arts. I agree in high school the arts are "frowned" upon as going no where, but we see a lot more arts and creative thinking in schools than I have been told are allowed in Asian ones. Again that is what I have heard, I have not seen any proof for myself. Interesting what you are told depending on which part of the world you live in. It is always nice to hear another side to what you believe.

I wonder if it's a case where, in Japan and other Asian countries, the fine arts are revered and do flourish but aren't so much presented as things to major in in university? Or maybe it's a case where there are a good number of Arts majors but we're less aware of them in the West, as the Asian students who come to universities here tend to be top maths and sciences students. I remember, some years back, Atlantic Monthly magazine had a big article that focused on universities around the world and noted that more Nobel prize winners and patent recipients in fields like engineering and the sciences were affiliated with universities in the West, but in the same article, someone who had been on the admissions committee for Harvard's medical school was quoted saying that if they accepted students exclusively on academic merit, the students would be nearly all Asian women.

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne (Art has its own academic nature.) (BTW- I have nothing against maths/science, there are things in science that I find facinating to learn about too.)

My sister's an artist (non-Gatch ) who won prizes at the Western Washington Fair (aka Puyallup Fair) high school art competition in the late 1990's. After seeing her work, I have only the highest respect for any true artist's efforts. I'd like to show a swan picture my sister did, but I have no idea how to upload it.

I was going to ask about your avatar pic, Candi! I couldn't immediately tell what it was before I read your comment, but now I see it...very cool...was that done with pastels/chalks?

Hey, Candi! Found the thread you mentioned the picture in!!

Springie, how do you put a picture in a post? I'd love to show the bigger version of the swan picture.

I always use photobucket...I upload the pic there and copy and paste the [IMG] code...