Alex K

Architect

[Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter]

Giants are in lone possession of first place in the NFC East for the first time since November 2015, when their QB was Eli Manning and their HC was Tom Coughlin.

[unusual_whales @unusual_whales]

Warren Buffett said he could end the Federal deficit in five minutes.

His idea? Ban all sitting members of Congress from reelection whenever the deficit tops 3% of GDP.

The federal deficit currently sits at 5.8% of GDP.

[CMS Invests @cmsinvests]

So you’re telling me I have to go to my 9-5 because I didn’t buy Moderna $80 call options that exploded 500,000% in 1 day?

$1,000 → $5,000,000

$MRNA

[Hollywood Gump @FirstNameJ0hn]

Will Sasso and Dan Soder are Macho Man Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rodney Dangerfield, and Robert Deniro reading Andy Rooney quotes. 😂😂😂😂

(🎥@ChrisVanVliet)

[Alex K @kxela00]

@unusual_whales Huge black market opportunities

[Alex K @kxela00]

@NFL_Convo @blitzlink_ tough spot here with limited options WR to start A Pierce, D Vele or L Burden?

[Alex K @kxela00]

@TheFFBallers tough spot here with limited options WR to start A Pierce, D Vele or L Burden?

[Alex K @kxela00]

@JameyEisenberg tough spot here with limited options WR to start A Pierce, D Vele or L Burden?

[DraftKings Sports @DKSports]

Roller Derby is ELECTRIC and I need more right now 😂

[Redman @therealredman]

“ DONT WANNA C ME RICH ” OUT NOW ! All Music Platforms.. MUDDY WATERS TOO

https://t.co/bFaxPfDEPW

[revolvermag @Revolvermag]

The story behind Nine Inch Nails' infamous 'Broken' movie, the fake snuff film that went viral on bootleg VHS https://t.co/d01WMXL6Z7

[nine inch nails @nineinchnails]

30 years of The Downward Spiral.

[FantasyPros @FantasyPros]

Hearing Scott Hanson say "7 hours of commercial free football" for the last time this season

[Archaeo - Histories @archeohistories]

Japan, like any other nation, is an ocean of diversity, home to multiple minority groups. One of these groups is Japan's indigenous people or Ainu. These hunter-gatherers worshipped nature and animals, spoke a language unrelated to any other, and had unusual customs like tattooing their lips.

Ainu people are historically residents of parts of Hokkaido (Northern island of Japan) Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin. Origin of Ainu people and language is, for most part, unknown. However, there have been many theories on the subject. In 2008, Japanese govt. officially recognized existence of Ainu as an indigenous people, although their distinct language, culture, and religious practices have survived for millennia.

As Japan grew as country, Ainu people were pushed farther and farther north, until ultimately they were relegated almost entirely to the frigid island of Hokkaido. But in 1899, Japanese government took inspiration from treatment of indigenous people in American West. Under Meiji Restoration, Ainu had their traditional lands taken from them and their language and cultural practices were outlawed. It's a depressingly familiar story and damage done is only recently being addressed. Appearance of Ainu that significantly different from Japanese culture. First of all, both men and women keep their hair at shoulder length and wear traditional Ainu garb. Men, never shaving after a certain age, usually have full beards, and women undergo mouth tattooing to signify their coming to adulthood.

As hunter-gatherers, Ainu lived off of land. Common foods included deer, bear, rabbit, fox, salmon, root vegetables and much more. Unlike Japanese, Ainu always cooked their food, never eating anything raw. Common hunting weapons included poisoned spears and bow and arrows. Ainu were similar to Japanese is in way of religion. Ainu, just like Japanese people, were animists and believed that all things are inhabited by spirits known as kamuy. While there are many gods in Ainu belief, one of most important is known as  Kim-un Kamuy or god of bears and mountains. All animals are thought to be manifestations of gods on Earth in Ainu culture, however, bear is believed to be head of gods and is therefore known as Kamuy or "God." Traditionally, Ainu sacrificed bears in order to release kamuy within them to spirit world. One tradition, called  lotame, involves raising of a young bear cub as if it were an Ainu child and then sacrificing once it has come of age.

For hundreds of years, Ainu have been either ignored, discriminated against, or forced to assimilate with mainstream Japanese culture, which unfortunately, led Ainu language and culture to the brink of extinction. In 2008, Ainu finally gained parliamentary recognitions a people with a "distinct language, religion, and culture." As it began in early 15th Century CE, when Japanese settlers began pushing into Ainu land on the island known today as Hokkaido. Later, under harsh policies of Meiji Era, Ainu were prohibited from speaking their language and forced to use Japanese names. They were barred from their hunting and fishing traditions. Today, concerted effort is being made to preserve Ainu culture and language. And with the 2020 Olympics to be held in Japan, the government has plans for a facility centered on Ainu culture. Between these and other efforts in Hokkaido villages, perhaps a little life can be breathed into the land known as Ainu Mosir, “land of the human beings.”

📷 : Laura Liverani

© The Washington Post

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#archaeohistories

[City of New York @nycgov]

Happy 30th anniversary of your debut album, @WuTangClan! 🎂 🎉

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

How Japanese have produced wood for 700 years, without cutting down trees.

Daisugi is an ancient Japanese forestry technique developed in the 14th century originally used by people living in the Kitayama prefecture, because the territory was extremely poor in saplings.

They planted cedars pruned in a special way to produce shoots that eventually would become perfect, straight, knot-free lumbers.

The shoots are gently pruned by hand every two years leaving only the top boughs, allowing them to grow straight. Harvesting takes 20 years and old 'tree stock' can grow up to a hundred shoots at a time.

There was actually another reason why the technique was developed: fashion. In the 14th century, a linear, stylized form of architecture known as sukiya-zukuri (数寄屋造り) became popular, and every prominent samurai or nobleman wanted a house built in this way.

There were simply not enough raw materials available to keep up with demand, so daisugi was developed to produce more wood in a shorter time.

The wood produced with this technique has also impressive qualities: it's 140% more flexible than standard cedar and 200% denser and stronger. And, it's extremely durable.

[Science girl @sciencegirl]

A family of Japanese dwarf flying squirrels

[John Cusack @johncusack]

Alright - who ever made this should be put in charge of a major studio - and given free reign -
Although if Mike judge could do a beavis and butthead version I vote for him for speaker

[internet hall of fame @InternetH0F]

that was kinda…