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kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD)

@ttcrossroads.net

110 followers 170 following 740 posts

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more , so that we may fear less. -Marie Curie 筑波大学中央図書館ボランティア Volunteer, Univ Tsukuba Central Library

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kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · Aug 14

It’s time to plan how the global south can step into the science vacuum being created by Trump et al.

Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · Aug 14

Scientists’ role in defending democracy www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Let's all support this vital need: the ability to tell the truth. 💪

"Those in the science community who are willing & able to be more visible can step up. Acting together will be more impactful than going it alone."

Scientists’ role in defending democracy

The United States’ democratic leadership, commitment to freedom of expression, and investment in the pursuit of knowledge have long enabled its preeminence in science and technology. Yet today we are ...

www.science.org

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 26m

Philosophers don’t need wastebaskets, which, according to Einstein, are the most important tools of theoretical physicists.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 5h

Column from Yomiuri Shimbun, 19 June 1970, p.21 arguing that Komeito would cease to exist within 10 years with its members dividing between LDP and some other party, perhaps the Socialist Party.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 5h

Today's (12 Oct 2025) Asahi Shimbun reports on p.2 that one reason that Komeito allied with LDP in 1999 was to suppress a movement to call on Komeito/Sokagakkai founder Ikeda to testify before the Diet re separation of politics and religion.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 19h

Perhaps Japanese citizens are tired of parasitic religions with tentacles reaching into Japanese politics.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 19h

Japanese Constitution: Article 20. Freedom of religion is guaranteed to all. No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the State, nor exercise any political authority.
No person shall be compelled to take part in any religious act, celebration, rite or practice.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 19h

Perhaps Komeito observed that prosecutors in Korea compared the membership roles of the UC and PPP. People in Japan are voicing, "Why can't Japanese prosecutors do the same?"

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 19h

The only thing that changed was the LDP's treatment of Komeito.

Komeito wants to wear a halo, but it could have done that any time in the last 26 years. Why didn't it? Why now?

Note that Komeito said nothing about the LDP's (esp Hagiuda's) ties with the Unification Church.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 19h

The ripples from most successful assassination in history still threaten Komeito, itself the political arm of a cult that was once as reviled as the Unification Church.

Takaichi treated Komeito like secondary citizens. But the LDP did not suddenly become more corrupt.

Levi McLaughlin @levimclaughlin.bsky.social · 1d

Over the past few years, the coalition's popularity has been battered by two major challenges: the July 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzō by a gunman angry about his links to the controversial Unification Church...

Reposted by kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD)

47NEWS @47news.jp · 22h

再エネの発電量、石炭上回る世界88カ国の25年上半期分析

　世界の電源構成に占める再生可能エネルギーの割合が、2025年上半期（1～6月）に初めて石炭を上回ったとする報告書を英シンクタンクのエンバーが11日までに公表した。地域差はあるものの、太陽光と風力の ...

www.47news.jp

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kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 1d

In the April 2023 regional elections, 12 of Komeito's 1555 candidates lost, their worst performance since 1998. To me, that looks like a controlled voting bloc.

Chart showing Komeito's election results from 2019 and 2023.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 1d

In the April 2023 regional elections, 12 of Komeito's 1555 candidates lost, their worst performance since 1998. To me, that looks like a controlled voting bloc.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 1d

Han Hakja may never again set foot in her palace.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 2d

Flee first, then bray about it.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 3d

It would be nice if the article linked to the study.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 3d

Advertisement for an #antivaccine movie, Hippocrates Blindspot.
Showing at the Shinjuku Piccadilly, 10 October

Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gma...

Asahi Shimbun, 8 October 2025

Advertisement for an #antivaccine movie, Hippocrates Blindspot.
Showing at the Shinjuku Piccadilly, 10 October

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gmahaxkYlw

Asahi Shimbun, 8 October 2025

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 4d

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Renewables overtake coal as world's biggest source of electricity

Developing countries lead the historic clean energy charge but the US and EU rely more on fossil fuels than before, a think tank study shows.

www.bbc.com

Reposted by kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD)

David McNeill @davidamcneill.bsky.social · 5d

“The Showa Emperor Repeatedly Advocated For The Necessity Of Rearmament”: I interviewed Asahi journalist Ryuichi Kitano about his new book on Hirohito: apjjf.org/2025/10/mcne...

apjjf.org

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kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 7d

‘political ideas and activities that are intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them what they want’

www.cam.ac.uk/news/populis...

'Populism' revealed as 2017 Word of the Year by Cambridge University Press

The word 'populism' has been announced as the Cambridge Dictionary 2017 Word of the Year.

www.cam.ac.uk

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 7d

Not at the Washington Post

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 7d

Is "populist billionaire" an oxymoron?

Andrej Matisak @matisaksk.bsky.social · 7d

#Czechia will be run by billionaire Andrej Babiš's populist ANO, with support from climate deniers and the far right. That is the most likely scenario. And while it sounds bad, the hegemony of ANO will likely act as a slightly moderating factor here. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1... #politics

Populist billionaire Andrej Babiš wins Czech parliamentary election, official results show

Populist Czech billionaire Andrej Babiš has won a parliamentary election, marking a political comeback

www.washingtonpost.com

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kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 8d

Also, not using "Unification Church" would introduce a wall between recent and older articles, something that would benefit FFWPU.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 8d

Japanese news media consistently uses "former Unification Church (Family Federation)" (旧統一教会（家庭連合）) because that is what people here know them by. Also, there are fishy circumstances related to their name change, which is viewed as a PR stunt.

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 9d

Can Takaichi see China from her house?

Reposted by kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD)

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 10d

We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.

660 8.3K 25K

kijinosu (Alan Engel, PhD) @ttcrossroads.net · 10d

In 1973, the average faculty pay in Japanese universities was 2,435,288 yen (about $8,000.00) whereas the American average was $14,373.00.