Reposted by Brian RuhNoriko Manabe @nmanabe.bsky.social · 5hMy article on Yoasobi’s “Idol” is now on Music Theory Online! It considers the role of genre-topics in narrating this song, the opening theme for the 1st season of anime Oshi no ko. Rap, trap, singer-songwriter style, J-pop otaku, and Eurobeat combine to tell the tragic, unknowable story of Ai. 1133
Reposted by Brian RuhDr. Wes Robertson @scriptingjapan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Call for submissions: any manga panels or text from Japanese novels where a character is using an swear word original from English (in katakana is fine). 123825
Reposted by Brian RuhAmy Stanley @astanley711.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Excited to be working with Norton on two new histories of Japan! I have my work cut out for me for approximately the next decade!! 712324
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 29/09/2026What's a poster you had up in your room growing up? This is the earliest one I can remember. 4143
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 29/09/2026youtu.be/RKyD39WoyzM?...youtu.beLights OutYouTube video by Angry Samoans - Topic 012
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 27/09/2026The odds that I have heard any given popular song are incredibly low. “Choosin’ Texas”, you’re not special. 0102
Reposted by Brian RuhMike Elk @mikeelk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026X is blocking the Brazilian Catholic Bishops' Conference account as polling shows Catholics backing Lula. The Church has denounced outside interference in the electionpaydayreport.comX Blocks Account of National Conference of Bishops of Brasil As Catholics Back LulaPolls show Catholics backing Lula as the church denounces foreign interference. 17689284
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 27/09/2026“Out of non-traffic Penal Code offenses in Japan involving U.S. military personnel, their family members, or U.S. civilian employees attached to the U.S. military, only 15.7% went to trial last year, while 84.3% were exempted from prosecution.” www.japan-press.co.jp/s/news/index...japan-press.co.jpJapan Press Weekly @JapanPress_wky 131
Reposted by Brian RuhThe Fake History Hunter @fakehistoryhunter.net · 26/09/2025Just your annual reminder to raise a glass to Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov who on this date in 1983 saved ALL our lives when he decided to wait for evidence in stead of passing on the message that could have caused armageddon. 10664165
Reposted by Brian RuhStephen Bierce @fpilot34en.bsky.social · 26/09/2026I work in a casino and I agree with you completely. 011
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Fire breaks out at Nagoya TV Tower in central Japan, no injuries reported mainichi.jp/english/arti...mainichi.jpFire breaks out at Nagoya TV Tower in central Japan, no injuries reported - The MainichiNAGOYA (Kyodo) -- A fire broke out on Saturday at the Nagoya TV Tower, a landmark in the central Japanese city of Nagoya, but there has been no report 021
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 26/09/2026I used to be pretty laissez-faire about gambling. Not for me, but fine if you wanted to do it, why should anyone stop a consenting adult, etc. Now I feel the entire industry needs to be burned to the ground. Not just online sports betting and prediction markets, but casinos, etc. as well. 35615
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 26/09/2026This is kind of an ad for Nagoya and its environs. But I’m okay with that. I’m biased because Nagoya is the first Japanese city I ever encountered. www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/09...japantimes.co.jpWhen tourists do the ‘Nagoya skip,’ do they know what they’re skipping?Despite historical, cultural and culinary draws, only 10% of overseas visitors set foot in Aichi and Gifu prefectures. 021
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Regardless of all of the other problems with this list, I’m really glad to see the inclusion of The OA. 001
Reposted by Brian RuhDeaf Crocodile @deafcrocodile.bsky.social · 25/09/2026***PRE-ORDER ANNOUNCEMENT*** From Toei Animation! You know him, you love him...you FEAR him! And now he's here: deafcrocodile.com/products/fra... FRANKENSTEIN, LEGEND OF TERROR (KYOFU DENSETSU: KAIKI! FURANKENSHUTAIN) – 1981, Toei Animation, 98 min. 411561
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Was in a work call - I don’t think I’ve heard someone pronounce “ascii” as “ask two” before. 182
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Youngest is 18 today, so this is the obligatory “I’m not old enough to have a(nother) kid this age” post. 1130
Reposted by Brian RuhJoanna L. Pearce, Ph.D. @jlphistory.bsky.social · 24/09/2026This is the worst post that has ever been made. 1247
Reposted by Brian RuhTsun. All Tsun. @alltsunnodere.bsky.social · 24/09/2026This might be the best interview I've ever done. Akiko is a treasure and a joy to speak with. www.animefeminist.com/lively-happy...animefeminist.comLively, Happy People: An Interview with Akiko Higashimura - Anime FeministWe were lucky enough to sit down for an interview with Higashimura, the massively accomplished mangaka best known in English for Princess Jellyfish 06234
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 23/09/2026I honestly do not understand undecided voters. Are you not aware of what you value and prioritize in life? (I mean, possibly not, which makes me react uncomprehendingly in a slightly different way.) 151
Reposted by Brian RuhWill Pierce @willpierce.bsky.social · 23/09/2026It’s charming Oshii put a reference to that enigmatic Mako Hyodo poster from Red Spectacles in Patlabor: The New Files, even if it reminds me I cannot have this poster 0156
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 23/09/2026It’s fun doing genealogy research. Looking at some possible 15th century relatives: one side of that family is probably of Norman origin and came over with William the Conqueror, while the other side is probably of Anglo-Saxon lineage and fled the Norman Conquest into Scotland. 362
Reposted by Brian RuhAparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Reader, I was in fact not prepared 2119565
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 21/09/2026This weekend I made vegan ice cream from a recipe I saw called “marzipan madness”. Yeah, that’s some good stuff. 263
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 20/09/2026I’m glad this didn’t happen. However, as far as crossovers go, I am convinced that Carol Kane’s character on SNW is the same one she played on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. 1112
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 20/09/2026I still sometimes think about Shokoku no Altair (Altair: A Record of Battles). I wish: it was still available to stream; there was a US BD; the English-language manga had a physical release; there was another season of the anime. I want it all, I suppose. 073
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 20/09/2026I’ll believe that thoughts about AI consciousness are genuinely a motivating factor when those same people demonstrate consideration to animals and other humans. 184
Reposted by Brian RuhThe Byzantine Legacy @thebyzantinelegacy.bsky.social · 19/09/2026The Queen of Cities (modern Istanbul, historic Constantinople/Byzantion) is surrounded by the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Sea of Marmara Photos taken before sunset yesterday 0256
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Today is apparently talk like a pirate day, so be sure to use a lot of em dashes 0125
Reposted by Brian RuhNiao Collective @niaocollective.bsky.social · 19/09/2026A reminder that as much as CCP is ‘socialist’ and workers of the world unite and all that, China treats its workers appallingly 1304
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Dropped my youngest off at a concert in Indy this evening, so with some time on my hands I went to a screening of Transformers The Movie. There weren’t that many people in the theater, but I’m pretty sure I heard some sniffling after the Peter Cullen tribute that preceded the feature. 1111
Reposted by Brian RuhPhil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 18/09/2026The U.S. military swung into action to intercept a Chinese ship after an “entirely false” AI-generated intelligence report inaccurately identified what the vessel was carrying It also “almost started a war,” a source told CNN.cnn.comExclusive: US military had close call after using AI for false intelligence report, sources say | CNN PoliticsThe episode shows the risks of using this new, relatively poorly understood technology in the middle of the Iran war 45790359
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 18/09/2026The Extreme Path Andrew Rankin on Japan’s infamous underworld theamericanscholar.org/the-extreme-...theamericanscholar.orgThe Extreme Path - The American ScholarAndrew Rankin on Japan’s infamous underworld 022
Reposted by Brian RuhMichaela Joffe @joffeorama.bsky.social · 18/09/2026an old comic I didn’t feel like updating to be about ai but is still basically about ai anyway because we’ve always been living in hell 61224463
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Mech on the right should have been the representative from Neo Italy in G Gundam. 072
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Intriguing that pre-election I kept reading about how the focus in the Okinawan governor’s race was the economy, downplaying the base issue. (Which is, of course, inexorably linked to the economy.) Post-election, I keep seeing article after article on the how important the vote was to security. Hmm 021
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 18/09/2026This obviously AI image just showed up in my timeline. I don’t think you can successfully appropriate the blahcist (trying out that portmanteau) aesthetic for progressive ends. It undermines any point you’re trying to make. 030
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 18/09/2026My youngest is up and off early for something called “senior sunrise”. Everyone in her class is gathering at the football field early for… some reason? Camaraderie? There are all sorts of senior activities this year. Back in my era, we only had senior skip day. 092
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Impressed that I wrote a book and got my PhD, disappointed that I’m not actually doing anything with the PhD and with my daily work 021
Reposted by Brian RuhDoctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · 16/09/2026reactormag.com/five-books-a...reactormag.comFive Books About Futures Worth Fighting For - ReactorSpeculative fiction can show us the way to a better world, envisioning futures that are both achievable and optimistic. 24915
Reposted by Brian RuhCatsuka @catsuka.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Hand-painted shot from "Jaadugar" Ending. x.com/sciencesaru/... 61647728
Reposted by Brian RuhBrian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 19/07/2026static.klipy.comElmo and Zoe on Sesame StreetAlt: Elmo and Zoe on Sesame Street - Elmo looks up from Rocko, exasperatedly cross-eyed 142
Reposted by Brian RuhJon Reinsch @jonreinsch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Editorial: Incoming LDP-backed governor must address Okinawa's complex public sentiment Mainichi: "What cannot be overlooked is the spread of suspicion that even if the new base at Henoko is completed, the Futenma airbase may not be returned." mainichi.jp/english/arti...mainichi.jpEditorial: Incoming LDP-backed governor must address Okinawa's complex public sentiment - The MainichiIn the Okinawa gubernatorial election held on Sept. 13, Genta Koja, a newcomer backed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and other parties, defeate 022
Brian Ruh @brianruh.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Let me just check the local news to see what’s being done about the issues facing higher education. 041