1. What budget, currency, and region are you based in/can purchase from? - 150 USD but willing to stretch if it is worth it, USA based
2. What length, handle type, and profile are you looking for? - 210-240 gyuto, hybrid or traditional handle
3. Intended use case of the knife? Be as specific as possible - Used to chop vegetable and fruits, no meat usage
4. Do you prefer a high performance knife with a thin, fragile edge or a knife that trades off cutting performance for a more durable and forgiving edge? - Preferably forgiving edge, should not be very fragile or brittle
5. Do you require a stainless knife? - Yes
6. What knives have you owned? What do you like/dislike about them? - Currently own Victorinox Modern Carving knife, love the knife, performs well, light weight and durable, no complaints.
7. What knives are you considering? What knives from the flowcharts interest you? Provide links where possible. - Saw the following knives which looked interestingIseya VG 10 Damascushttps://japan-knifeshop.com/products/iseya-33-layer-vg10-damascus-gyuto-japanese-knife-210mm ST 33 layer VG 10 Damascus, found 2 links which showed different looking knives, not sure which is the right one or if both are correct https://www.amazon.com/Sakai-Takayuki-Hammered-Damascus-07396/dp/B00LN1ZVN6 https://www.hocho-knife.com/sakai-takayuki-33-layer-vg10-damascus-hammered-wa-chef-knife-gyuto-210mm/ Unsure of which Tojiro DP knife to look at, including their damascus line. Are these knives good as I heard there were some QA issues.Any reason not to buy an FKM or Ikkaku Donryu? I heard both brands had issues but again unsure on the accuracy of the information.Open to any suggestions not in my list.
8. Any other additional context that you would like to give? (finishes, special requests, specific materials, height requirements, etc.) - Any reason a damascus knife is betteworse than a regular knife? Will damascus stainless steel stay corrosion resistant?

___________________________________________________
Taken from http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/12/14/when_jesus_met_buddha/ for the intellectual discussion purposely. Not for commercial gain
When Jesus met Buddha Something remarkable happened when evangelists for two great religions crossed paths more than 1,000 years ago: they got along By Philip Jenkins December 14, 2008
While few mainline Christians would put the matter in such confrontational terms, any religion claiming exclusive access to truth has real difficulties reconciling other great faiths into its cosmic scheme. Most Christian churches hold that Jesus alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and many also feel an obligation to carry that message to the world's unbelievers. But this creates a fundamental conflict with the followers of famous spiritual figures like Mohammed or Buddha, who preached radically different messages. Drawing on a strict interpretation of the Bible, some Christians see these rival faiths as not merely false, but as deliberate traps set by the forces of evil.
Being intolerant of other religions - consigning them to hell, in fact - may be bad enough in its own right, but it increasingly has real- world consequences. As trade and technology shrink the globe, so different religions come into ever-closer contact with one another, and the results can be bloody: witness the apocalyptic assaults in Mumbai. In such a world, teaching different faiths to acknowledge one another's claims, to live peaceably together side by side, stops being a matter of good manners and becomes a prerequisite for human survival.
Over the past 30 years, the Roman Catholic Church has faced repeated battles over this question of Christ's uniqueness, and has cracked down on thinkers who have made daring efforts to accommodate other world religions. While the Christian dialogue with Islam has attracted most of the headlines, it is the encounters with Hinduism and especially Buddhism that have stirred the most controversy within the church. Sri Lankan theologians Aloysius Pieris and Tissa Balasuriya have had many run-ins with Vatican critics, and, more recently, the battle has come to American shores. Last year, the Vatican ordered an investigation of Georgetown University's Peter Phan, a Jesuit theologian whose main sin, in official eyes, has been to treat the Buddhism of his Vietnamese homeland as a parallel path to salvation.
Following the ideas of Pope Benedict XVI, though, the church refuses to give up its fundamental belief in the unique role of Christ. In a widely publicized open letter to Italian politician Marcello Pera, Pope Benedict declared that "an inter-religious dialogue in the strict sense of the term is not possible." By all means, he said, we should hold conversations with other cultures, but not in a way that acknowledges other religions as equally valid. While the Vatican does not of course see the Buddha as a demon, it does fear the prospect of syncretism, the dilution of Christian truth in an unholy mixture with other faiths.
Beyond doubt, this view places Benedict in a strong tradition of Christianity as it has developed in Europe since Roman times. But there is another, ancient tradition, which suggests a very different course. Europe's is not the only version of the Christian faith, nor is it necessarily the oldest heir of the ancient church. For more than 1,000 years, other quite separate branches of the church established thriving communities across Asia, and in their sheer numbers, these churches were comparable to anything Europe could muster at the time. These Christian bodies traced their ancestry back not through Rome, but directly to the original Jesus movement of ancient Palestine. They moved across India, Central Asia, and China, showing no hesitation to share - and learn from - the other great religions of the East.
Just how far these Christians were prepared to go is suggested by a startling symbol that appeared on memorials and stone carvings in both southern India and coastal China during the early Middle Ages. We can easily see that the image depicts a cross, but it takes a moment to realize that the base of the picture - the root from which the cross is growing - is a lotus flower, the symbol of Buddhist enlightenment.
In modern times, most mainstream churches would condemn such an amalgam as a betrayal of the Christian faith, an example of multiculturalism run wild. Yet concerns about syncretism did not bother these early Asian Christians, who called themselves Nasraye, Nazarenes, like Jesus's earliest followers. They were comfortable associating themselves with the other great monastic and mystical religion of the time, and moreover, they believed that both lotus and cross carried similar messages about the quest for light and salvation. If these Nazarenes could find meaning in the lotus-cross, then why can't modern Catholics, or other inheritors of the faith Jesus inspired?
Many Christians are coming to terms with just how thoroughly so many of their fundamental assumptions will have to be rethought as their faith today becomes a global religion. Even modern church leaders who know how rapidly the church is expanding in the global South tend to see European values and traditions as the indispensable norm, in matters of liturgy and theology as much as music and architecture.
Yet the reality is that Christianity has from its earliest days been an intercontinental faith, as firmly established in Asia and Africa as in Europe itself. When we broaden our scope to look at the faith that by 800 or so stretched from Ireland to Korea, we see the many different ways in which Christians interacted with other believers, in encounters that reshaped both sides. At their best, these meetings allowed the traditions not just to exchange ideas but to intertwine in productive and enriching ways, in an awe-inspiring chapter of Christian history that the Western churches have all but forgotten.
To understand this story, we need to reconfigure our mental maps. When we think of the growth of Christianity, we think above all of Europe. We visualize a movement growing west from Palestine and Syria and spreading into Greece and Italy, and gradually into northern regions. Europe is still the center of the Catholic Church, of course, but it was also the birthplace of the Protestant denominations that split from it. For most of us, even speaking of the "Eastern Church" refers to another group of Europeans, namely to the Orthodox believers who stem from the eastern parts of the continent. English Catholic thinker Hilaire Belloc once proclaimed that "Europe is the Faith; and the Faith is Europe."
But in the early centuries other Christians expanded east into Asia and south into Africa, and those other churches survived for the first 1,200 years or so of Christian history. Far from being fringe sects, these forgotten churches were firmly rooted in the oldest traditions of the apostolic church. Throughout their history, these Nazarenes used Syriac, which is close to Jesus' own language of Aramaic, and they followed Yeshua, not Jesus. No other church - not Roman Catholics, not Eastern Orthodox - has a stronger claim to a direct inheritance from the earliest Jesus movement.
The most stunningly successful of these eastern Christian bodies was the Church of the East, often called the Nestorian church. While the Western churches were expanding their influence within the framework of the Roman Empire, the Syriac-speaking churches colonized the vast Persian kingdom that ruled from Syria to Pakistan and the borders of China. From their bases in Mesopotamia - modern Iraq - Nestorian Christians carried out their vast missionary efforts along the Silk Route that crossed Central Asia. By the eighth century, the Church of the East had an extensive structure across most of central Asia and China, and in southern India. The church had senior clergy - metropolitans - in Samarkand and Bokhara, in Herat in Afghanistan. A bishop had his seat in Chang'an, the imperial capital of China, which was then the world's greatest superpower.
When Nestorian Christians were pressing across Central Asia during the sixth and seventh centuries, they met the missionaries and saints of an equally confident and expansionist religion: Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhists too wanted to take their saving message to the world, and launched great missions from India's monasteries and temples. In this diverse world, Buddhist and Christian monasteries were likely to stand side by side, as neighbors and even, sometimes, as collaborators. Some historians believe that Nestorian missionaries influenced the religious practices of the Buddhist religion then developing in Tibet. Monks spoke to monks.
In presenting their faith, Christians naturally used the cultural forms that would be familiar to Asians. They told their stories in the forms of sutras, verse patterns already made famous by Buddhist missionaries and teachers. A stunning collection of Jesus Sutras was found in caves at Dunhuang, in northwest China. Some Nestorian writings draw heavily on Buddhist ideas, as they translate prayers and Christian services in ways that would make sense to Asian readers. In some texts, the Christian phrase "angels and archangels and hosts of heaven" is translated into the language of buddhas and devas.
One story in particular suggests an almost shocking degree of collaboration between the faiths. In 782, the Indian Buddhist missionary Prajna arrived in Chang'an, bearing rich treasures of sutras and other scriptures. Unfortunately, these were written in Indian languages. He consulted the local Nestorian bishop, Adam, who had already translated parts of the Bible into Chinese. Together, Buddhist and Christian scholars worked amiably together for some years to translate seven copious volumes of Buddhist wisdom. Probably, Adam did this as much from intellectual curiosity as from ecumenical good will, and we can only guess about the conversations that would have ensued: Do you really care more about relieving suffering than atoning for sin? And your monks meditate like ours do?
These efforts bore fruit far beyond China. Other residents of Chang'an at this very time included Japanese monks, who took these very translations back with them to their homeland. In Japan, these works became the founding texts of the great Buddhist schools of the Middle Ages. All the famous movements of later Japanese history, including Zen, can be traced to one of those ancient schools and, ultimately - incredibly - to the work of a Christian bishop.
By the 12th century, flourishing churches in China and southern India were using the lotus-cross. The lotus is a superbly beautiful flower that grows out of muck and slime. No symbol could better represent the rise of the soul from the material, the victory of enlightenment over ignorance, desire, and attachment. For 2,000 years, Buddhist artists have used the lotus to convey these messages in countless paintings and sculptures. The Christian cross, meanwhile, teaches a comparable lesson, of divine victory over sin and injustice, of the defeat of the world. Somewhere in Asia, Yeshua's forgotten followers made the daring decision to integrate the two emblems, which still today forces us to think about the parallels between the kinds of liberation and redemption offered by each faith.
Christianity, for much of its history, was just as much an Asian religion as Buddhism. Asia's Christian churches survived for more than a millennium, and not until the 10th century, halfway through Christian history, did the number of Christians in Europe exceed that in Asia.
What ultimately obliterated the Asian Christians were the Mongol invasions, which spread across Central Asia and the Middle East from the 1220s onward. From the late 13th century, too, the world entered a terrifying era of climate change, of global cooling, which severely cut food supplies and contributed to mass famine. The collapse of trade and commerce crippled cities, leaving the world much poorer and more vulnerable. Intolerant nationalism wiped out Christian communities in China, while a surging militant Islam destroyed the churches of Central Asia.
But awareness of this deep Christian history contributes powerfully to understanding the future of the religion, as much as its past. For long centuries, Asian Christians kept up neighborly relations with other faiths, which they saw not as deadly rivals but as fellow travelers on the road to enlightenment. Their worldview differed enormously from the norms that developed in Europe.
To take one example, we are used to the idea of Christianity operating as the official religion of powerful states, which were only too willing to impose a particular orthodoxy upon their subjects. Yet when we look at the African and Asian experience, we find millions of Christians whose normal experience was as minorities or even majorities within nations dominated by some other religion. Struggling to win hearts and minds, leading churches had no option but to frame the Christian message in the context of non-European intellectual traditions. Christian thinkers did present their message in the categories of Buddhism - and Taoism, and Confucianism - and there is no reason why they could not do so again. When modern scholars like Peter Phan try to place Christianity in an Asian and Buddhist context, they are resuming a task begun at least 1,500 years ago.
Perhaps, in fact, we are looking at our history upside down. Some day, future historians might look at the last few hundred years of Euro- American dominance within Christianity and regard it as an unnatural interlude in a much longer story of fruitful interchange between the great religions.
Consider the story told by Timothy, a patriarch of the Nestorian church. Around 800, he engaged in a famous debate with the Muslim caliph in Baghdad, a discussion marked by reason and civility on both sides. Imagine, Timothy said, that we are all in a dark house, and someone throws a precious pearl in the midst of a pile of ordinary stones. Everyone scrabbles for the pearl, and some think they've found it, but nobody can be sure until day breaks.
In the same way, he said, the pearl of true faith and wisdom had fallen into the darkness of this transitory world; each faith believed that it alone had found the pearl. Yet all he could claim - and all the caliph could say in response - was that some faiths thought they had enough evidence to prove that they were indeed holding the real pearl, but the final truth would not be known in this world.
Knowing other faiths firsthand grants believers an enviable sophistication, founded on humility. We could do a lot worse than to learn from what we sometimes call the Dark Ages.
Philip Jenkins is Edwin Erle Sparks professor of the humanities at Penn State University. He is author of "The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia -- and How It Died," published last month.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/12/14/when_jesus_met_buddha/

Forgot to post on Sunday swaps today 😭. I’m moving soon though and would like to clear some room so I’m very open to offers. Shipping is $5!
alkemia 2020 arcanum experiments 21 $6 Black cherry, sangria, Japanese incense, almond wood, musk
2022 arcanum experiments 1 $6
Marzipan frosted sugar cookies, Crème Brûlée pipe tobacco, Bourbon vanilla
2022 arcanum experiments 8 $6
Green tea, fresh garden flowers, dewy aldehydes, early morning mist
arcana
Kincardine maiden half full $15
A harvest blend for traditional corn dollies and the spirits that live among the grain: hard apple cider, genuine hay absolute, chamomile essential oil, infused honey, and the smallest dash of white musk
skookum tol $22
The Chinook version of Bigfoot. A Northwest blend of fir needle oil, juniper, hemlock, rain, tiny wildflowers, strawberries, and a pinch of cool earth
The huntress tol $20
Sweet clove, black pepper, aromatic mint, blood orange and a whiff of her sacred oak groves
Peaches crave mambo tol $15
Cuban tobacco, dark vanilla, sweet rum, tonka, white musk, and sun-warmed peaches
A terrible enchantment tol $20
The scent of a powerful curse created in the dark forest: oudh, opium smoke, fir, pine, cypress, and juniper
Witches befriend unicorns tol $20
Pumpkins crave pointe shoes almost empty (this spilled but should be enough in here for a sample) free with purchase to first person who asks
nava Neon bat : Pistachio and Vanilla Custard, Almond accord, Heliotrope, Honey candy accord, Black Patchouli, Bastet’s whipped Ice Cream accord, Crystalline Vanilla Absolute
Bois de Santa rouge vanilla tried twice $20: NA Red Sandalwood (Nine Sandalwood blend: Indian Red Sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus), African Sandalwood (Osyris lanceolata), Australian Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum), Indian White Sandalwood (Santalum album), New Caledonia Sandalwood and four more Indian Sandalwood blended into Himalayan and Moroccan Wild Atlas Cedar), Bastet’s Musk absolute, Vanilla Bean cordial, Bourbon accord infused with Madagascar Vanilla Beans, Ugandan Vanilla Bean essence, Moonstone Vanilla absolute (studio limited), Bourbon Vanilla absolute (studio limited), Brown Sugar and Tahitian Vanilla Crème
nui cobalt
Cloak of evergreens tol $15
Snow-covered spruce, iced cedar tips, golden pine sap, icicle musk, and the fading memory of tea by the fireside
*sucrabellie Blood lust tol $15
Red lipstick accord, animalic musk, guiac wood, blood accord

It's for next year, but I've been researching about available college for some time now.
A little background, I live in Indonesia, a country where each city, each province have a very different customs, traditions and way of live. And this influence what kind of art they have.
I have chosen 2 places that looks like a good place to study art. They are from a different province and have almost contrasting traditions and way of live.
(in case there's Indonesian within us, It's Yogyakarta and Bali)
The first college is a very popular college known for it's fine art, with a cheap living cost. But a somewhat conservative society. I don't have a problem with it to be honest. I have Indifferent feelings to it's traditions.
The second college is somewhat unknown (at least based on google searches), the cost of living is higher than the first college. But a very open society, since a lot of tourism going there. And what really peek my interest is I actually really, really like their traditions, customs, and the nature and enviroment itself.
And because there's a lot of tourism, I probably could get a side job and use my first Japanese Literature bachelor degree to its use.
The only thing holding me back from choosing the second one is that It's a pretty unknown and fairly new college (est. 2003) compared to the first one which is 1984. they have participated in gallery and art stuff in general, their work are very nice and unique, but not known for it's art educations. (And their website have some missing pages, which I assume, because it's neglected)
What do you guys think is the better choice from out of the two ? If I care more about the Art educations itself ?

Posting here, too. ^{^}
I haven’t used Reddit in quite some time but hey, sometimes I remember it exists and give it a try here. It’s 11 PM here and, although I am sleepy, I wanted to finish this pleasant day in a pleasant way (hopefully!) (:
I am a young adult, although I feel like I attended middle school just the other day; if I had to tell you about my interests, I’d say I love listening to music and singing and I am quite an artistic person: in fact, I also draw both traditionally and digitally. I also have an interest for languages especially East Asian ones, and I’ve recently started attending Korean lessons and I am thinking about continuing learning Hiragana and Katakana (both Japanese alphabets) too. I can describe myself as an ambitious, stubborn yet flexible, empathetic person. I admit, I also am interested in things such as astrology and MBTI; although many tend not to believe it or to believe it totally, so no I’m between, I think that it is safe to give them both a try being this for fun or a more serious and different way to get to know people. For those who are interested, I am Aquarius and an INFP (I have no idea if this last one has changed with time).
I am open to go and give everyone a try, but I’d rather have a chat with people close my age because I feel like we can have a similar way of seeing things (or at least it is easier to do when close by age). I do not accept people who show no real interest in what I’ve written so far and want to chat immediately because I am a girl. Please, introduce yourself in a similar way I did or the way you prefer, show me that you care about having a nice chat! Also, I value honesty a lot, so be honest about your intentions

My Breakfast: Day 1177
This is my take on a Vietnamese Breakfast Bánh Mì and it hit every spot I had this morning and then some. I do love this breakfast so much. It’s not fully traditional, so don’t holler at me. It’s my take.
It’s also “my take” because I do sort of create a mash up of various Asian foods, which may or may not annoy some people. Since I’m still on a Bánh Mì high, it’s okay. I’ve posted the “Not Really A Recipe” Recipe a bunch of times, but here it is again.
🥖 Get a Crusty French Baguette. Spread with Sriracha Mayo. (Side “not really a recipe” - just mix sriracha and mayo.) 🥚 Make a Tamagoyaki Omelet. A Tamagoyaki “omelet” is a Japanese thing. Beat two eggs with a little sugar – about ½ tsp per egg, some salt, mirin if you have, I add some white pepper too. I also add some sliced scallions and some Lap Cheong Sausage.
Cook like a crepe or flat omelet. You can be very proper and use a rectangular Tamagoyaki pan, but you don’t have to.
Put together on the baguette with: 🥕 Julienned Carrots- Quick Pickled in rice wine vinegar, salt and mirin. 🍖 Paté, my house was paté-less this morning so (quelle horreur!) I used ham. 🥢 Mandolined Daikon – Those are the things that look like egg white rounds. 🌶 Sliced Fresh Jalapeños, or omit if you’re spice averse. 🌿 Fresh Herbs: Mint / Cilantro / Basil or whatever combo you like.
Layer all the above however you like. Then eat and be content. Even if you make it all wrong, you’ll still be all right.
Not 100% traditional, but 100% delicious.Damn. Now I want this for dinner.

I can't remember if it was an actual comedy web series or not, I stumbled across the animator's website (I believe a woman, the voice acting seemed to be all done by one person and they sounded feminine but I don't want to entirely assume because I can't remember what I read about them on their site) at one point either in the late 2000s or early 2010s and discovered their flash animations.
They had slightly more cutesy-looking characters that were traditional Japanese spirits, the main one I remember was either called Fox Kitsune or just Kitsune (looked mostly like a fox with a higher voice), then there was Kasa (a kasa-obake, a one-eyed one-legged umbrella) and I believe some others but I can't remember what they were.
My spouse and I still quote one of our favorite animations from them but we can't for the life of us remember where to find them anymore or if the animations still exist somewhere. In the one we remember, I believe they're reading fan mail or something similar, and there's a joking quote that goes something like "Let's read this as a family, but let's not invite that baby, she's a liar and a cheat!" in a high-pitch voice.
Hopefully someone else remembers seeing these!

I haven’t used Reddit in quite some time but hey, sometimes I remember it exists and give it a try here. It’s 11 PM here and, although I am sleepy, I wanted to finish this pleasant day in a pleasant way (hopefully!) (:
I am a young adult, although I feel like I attended middle school just the other day; if I had to tell you about my interests, I’d say I love listening to music and singing and I am quite an artistic person: in fact, I also draw both traditionally and digitally. I also have an interest for languages especially East Asian ones, and I’ve recently started attending Korean lessons and I am thinking about continuing learning Hiragana and Katakana (both Japanese alphabets) too. I can describe myself as an ambitious, stubborn yet flexible, empathetic person. I admit, I also am interested in things such as astrology and MBTI; although many tend not to believe it or to believe it totally, so no I’m between, I think that it is safe to give them both a try being this for fun or a more serious and different way to get to know people. For those who are interested, I am Aquarius and an INFP (I have no idea if this last one has changed with time).
I am open to go and give everyone a try, but I’d rather have a chat with people close my age because I feel like we can have a similar way of seeing things (or at least it is easier to do when close by age). I do not accept people who show no real interest in what I’ve written so far and want to chat immediately because I am a girl. Please, introduce yourself in a similar way I did or the way you prefer, show me that you care about having a nice chat! Also, I value honesty a lot, so be honest about your intentions

I like old school american traditional tattoos. Would it be weird to ask for dark green instead of black because I think it would look better on my light skin with freckles.
Has this been a thing even and are there any examples you know of?

< Ep 4- Part 2
Based on the fourth round of the elimination contest and the results
Spoiler tag only for basic character spoilers.
[Cut to the stage with Chris and Chef sitting at a judges table]
Chris: Alright first up is the Narwhals with Ella, Dakota, and Staci.
Tsumugi: And assistance from Beth!
Chris: Yeah, yeah whatever. Begin ladies.
Sayaka: [to herself] Here goes nothing. Please don't let me die of embarrassment.
[Sayaka begins to sing one of most popular songs]
Makoto: Oh, I love this one.
Kaede: Makoto, focus on the piano keys please. We're still not ready yet.
[Sayaka starts to dance around the stage]
Chris: Yes, pretty good, though I have no idea what those words mean.
Chef: Seems to be a one woman show so far.
Miu: Don't you worry because this shows about to heat up thanks to me! [she aims her invention]
Chris: Dakota...what exactly is that going to do?
Miu: Don't blink! [She fires at Sayaka as her body erupts into light and smoke. She can still be heard singing. Her old clothes are blown away against the backdrop]
Chris: Flashy and impressive.
Chef: Um please tell me that isn't the girl's clothes over there.
Miu: Wait for it…
[The smoke clears. Sayaka can still be heard singing]
Himiko: Behold, the Ultimate Magician is here now!
Chef: Okay then where is the- Gaagh!
[Sayaka suddenly appears over Chef's shoulder singing to to both of them in a completely different outfit]
Miu: Yeah, sing it girl! [Miu aims again and fires]
Chris: Agh! Dakota, not in my eyes please! Ugh, Chef, give me something to clear my eyes.
Himiko: Here you go. [She's now in Sayaka's place next to them holding a handkerchief]
Chef: Are these the girl's other clothes now?! [Referring to the clothes blown into his face]
Miu: Look, I can't control where they go to alright. Just enjoy the show you two!
[Another burst of smoke and Sayaka's back on stage. This process repeats a few more times with Sayaka disappearing and reappearing all over the stage every time in a new outfit and Himiko in her place until Sayaka finally finishes her song]
Sayaka: *pant* *pant* So what did you think?
Miu: Yeah, pretty impressive right?
Chris: Well, while I couldn't understand any of the words being sung, I will say I did appreciate the theatrics of it all.
Chef: Though, I could've done without all the girl's clothes strewn everywhere.
Chris: We give it a 4 each so an 8/10 for the Narwhals. Not a bad start. Rhinos are up next with Sugar, Katie, and Geoff.
Gundham: Are you sure you can handle knives?
Peko: Of course, like he said they're just tiny swords right…
Hiyoko: You just better not hit me! *Deep breath* Let's do this.
[The music begins and Hiyoko begins dancing her traditional Japanese dance]
Chris: Again with the Japanese songs. You don't see us going around playing songs that scream we're Canadian.
Hiyoko: Just shut up and pay attention!
Chef: I'm a little curious what the hamster boy is doing over there.
Kazuichi: Okay Peko, you're up. Just aim for the spots Mukuro already hit in the backdrop.
Peko: Very well. [She throws the first knife. It flies past Hiyoko but not without her having to dodge a bit]
Hiyoko: I said watch it, you klutz!
Peko: I got this, okay…[throws three more all just barely hitting their mark and missing Hiyoko]
Chris: Okay extreme traditional dancing huh? Not bad…
Gundham: Go now my Dark Devas! [Maga-Z and San-D make it onto two of the knives and start posing. Cham-P slumps onto the lower knife as Jum-P springs off of him onto the higher one.]
Chef: Interesting use of the little rodents.
Kazuichi: Okay Peko, bring it home with a few more.
Peko: Wait, where do I throw them?
Kazuichi: Um…I don't know Mukuro was just going to throw them to give more platforms for Gundham's hamsters to dance around on but we didn't get that far in practice. Just anywhere I guess.
Peko: Alright….[to herself] just don't hit Hiyoko or the hamsters. Hgghh!! [She throws the next knife and it flies to much to the right, slicing the sleeve of Hiyoko's kimono]
Hiyoko: Ahh! My sleeve! [The knife sails passed and straight towards Cham-P. He tries to jump out of the way and ends up falling off the knife and sending it clattering to the ground. This sends the rest of the Devas in a panic as they leap off the backdrop and onto Hiyoko] AGGHHH! No, get off me you filthy rats!
Sonia: Hiyoko, be careful don't hurt them!
Hiyoko: No stop! Get out of there!!! [She tries to keep dancing but is convulsing around, continuing until the music finally stops] *pant* *pant* [Her kimono tattered and loose from flailing so much, the Devas climb their way out and run back to Gundham]
Gundham: Be still my Devas, everything is alright now.
Hiyoko: Uggghhhh!!! Your stupid hamsters ruined my performance!!
Chris: *ahem* Well it definitely wasn't good. What do you think, Chef?
Chef: I liked the part with the knife throwing around the little brat. But other than that it's a two for me.
Chris: A two for me as well. So that leaves the Rhinos with a final score of 4/10. Octopi you're up next.
Peko: I'm sorry, I guess I'm not the best at knife throwing.
Aoi: Don't worry, Peko, we don't blame you. When we lose we know exactly who to blame.
Byakuya: I wonder who you could be referring to.
Hiyoko: Can I vote Gundham's stupid hamsters off the island instead!?
Gundham: Over my mortal body.
[Cut to the Octopi backstage still trying to work out their instruments]
Chris: [off camera] Come on, Octopi. Hurry up, we don't have all day.
Kaede: No, we can't do this, they're not ready.
Akane: Look on the bright side we probably can't fail worse than the Rhinos.
Kaede: I know but it's still going to be pretty embarrassing. Byakuya's right it's impossible to expect anyone to match our talent this quickly.
Taka: Wait, Kaede, that's it. We just need to reverse that thinking. Instead of them matching you two, how about you two match them?
Ibuki: Um, Izzy's a little confused at what you mean about that, Topher.
Taka: Listen up you two [whispers to Kaede and Ibuki]
Kaede: Huh, oh…oh my that might actually work.
Ibuki: Absolutely, we can make this rock hard!
Makoto: Wait, you didn't tell us what you're even doing.
Taka: There's no need. You two just go up on stage and play like you normally do.
Nagito: So poorly?
Taka: The girls will handle the rest and let your luck carry us to victory. Now go, Chris is waiting!
[Cut back to Chris and Chef at the judge table]
Chris: Finally, it seems like the Octopi are ready. Looks like we have a musical performance by Sky, Cody, Harold, and Izzy. Should be interesting at least.
[Stage opens with Makoto on the piano and Nagito on the bass guitar. Both begin playing simple melodies still rather amateurly]
Chef: This is the best they can come up with when it comes to talent?
Chris: I know, I feel like I'm back at my middle school talent show.
[Suddenly Ibuki bursts onto the stage shredding her guitar to Nagito's melody but in a way where it blends in with hers.]
Chef: Huh, that doesn't sound half bad. Could do without the piano though.
[Then Kaede slides in next to Makoto and does a musical scale matching the simple keys Makoto's playing]
Chris: Woah, what the?
[The stage immediately erupts into a complete harmony of guitar and piano. It turns into a rock ballad as Ibuki's guitar takes center stage only giving a moment to breathe as Nagito plays his simple melody as a solo and Ibuki takes back over]
Akane: This is actually working!
[Next Kaede takes center stage as her fingers dance gracefully over the keys purposely missing the notes that Makoto's melody is satisfying and taking the moment final moments to play one of her favorite classical pieces]
Chef: *sniff* It's beautiful.
[The grand finale has Ibuki and Kaede do a musical showdown, each playfully hitting back at each other with their own song. At one point stopping their playing to let Nagito and Makoto play their tunes against each other before finally jumping back in and finishing the set off with a big loud cacophony of noise. Ending on a complete silence after Kaede does one final slam on the keys and Ibuki one final power chord.]
Ibuki: Oh yeah, how was that for you!
[Octopi burst into applause and cheers. The four performers take a bow.]
Chris: I've got to admit that was mighty impressive. To not only blend guitar and piano but also those two's terrible playing is, dare I say it, extremely talented. It's a five for me.
Chef: *sniff* Huh, what?! Oh yeah a five from me as well. Man, that piano song reminded me of my childhood with Mama. What was that again…Debut…no Daberry?
Kaede: That was Debussy. It's one of my favorites.
Chef: Yeah, that was it! Man, that brings back memories.
Chris: Well I have to say it looks like we have a clear winner with a perfect 10/10 the Octopi win this competition. Of course we still have the Lions left. While I doubt they can match that we'll see if they at least don't come in dead last. It can't be any worse than the Rhinos, am I right?
[Cut to Lions backstage]
Mahiru: Well, Chihiro, are you able to fix it?
Chihiro: Sorry, film cameras aren't really my specialty. I'm going to need more time and maybe some help from Miu.
Kaito: Great, then who's going to perform with Angie and Nekomaru now?
Mondo: We still have Kirumi, right? She said she’d be of assistance.
Angie: Never fear Tyler and Brick. For Atua has answered my calls for help and has determined that Mike shall be our new performer, Nyahahahah!
Hajime: What, me?!
Angie: But of course, Atua senses great power inside you, and so you'll be perfect. Plus you must have great trust in Atua. More So than Tyler.
Hajime: But I…what am I supposed to do?
Mondo: Don't look at me man, Angie's in charge here.
Angie: Just follow my lead and let the beauty of making art and Atua guide you.
Nekomaru: Also make sure to catch everything I throw at you.
Angie: Let's begin. Places everyone!
[Cut back to Chris]
Chris: Alright, last up we have the Lions with Angie, Lightning and Courtney.
Celeste: Actually a change in plans Chris, as Mike will be taking Courtney's spot.
Chef: Mike? Does that guy even have a talent?
Chris: Well, we'll see. It's showtime!
[The stage opens and Angie and Hajime are in front of a pile of mud. Hajime's staring awkwardly at the audience]
Chiaki: Go, Hajime.
[He waves at Chiaki, but is immediately cut off by Nekomaru jumping on stage]
Nekomaru: All right team, ready and….. create! [He immediately starts throwing artists' tools at the pair in a rhythm. Hajime attempts to catch each one and passes it to Angie who is busy forming the mud.]
Angie: Hi, hi, hi, keep it up Mike and Lightning. This mud dries quickly!
Hajime: Agh, I'm going as fast as I can! Woah, there.
Nekomaru: Time to speed things up then. OVERDRIVE!!!
Hajime: [to himself] Dear Atua, please no.
[The strange dance continues of tools being thrown and just as quickly discarded, as Angie works faster building up her mud creation until finally it looked to be completed]
Chris: Hold on a sec…….
Angie: Aaaaannnnd…Wah Lah! How do you like it, Chris? [Angie turns to reveal a life size sculpture of Chris smiling down at his human counterpart]
Chris: It's beautiful! That's an immediate five from me! This is going to make a fabulous camp centerpiece.
Hajime: *pant* *pant* Are-are we done?
Kaito: I think we actually won this.
Kokichi: Of course, haven't you seen any underdog story? You always come from behind and claim victory.
Angie: Hmmm….ah not quite yet. Atua has shown me one more improvement. Lightning, I need a pretty rock over there by the seashore. Hurry, before the sculpture hardens.
Nekomaru: You got it!!!
Hajime: *pant* W-wait, Angie. I think we've done enough, we really shouldn't push it.
Angie: Nonsense Mike, Atua has spoken that this masterpiece will not be complete without it.
Hajime: B-but-
Nekomaru: I GOT IT! HAJIME, HEADS UP!!! [He launches the rock straight at the stage]
Hajime: Oh no-HGGGHHH!! [He catches in straight in his gut]
Mondo: Wow, he actually caught it. Pretty good for a-
Mahiru: Hajime, look out behind you!
[Hajime stumbles backwards from the impact and bumps into the sculpture, ultimately knocking it over and smashing on the ground]
Kokichi: Ooooh, that's not how those stories go. Maybe they really are fictional lies.
Kaito: Go Kirumi. [He pushes her on stage as she calmly walks over and begins cleaning up the rumble]
Hajime: Ugghhh. I've *cough* got it.
Angie: Oh my! On second thought it probably wouldn't have helped anyway. Chris seems different now.
Chris:................
Kaito: So uh Chef. You heard Chris. He already gave us a five so how about you?
Chef: Well it is impressive but ultimately you didn't have coordination to work as a team but I'd still give a three. Mostly for the maid girl's diligence.
Mondo: So, that still gives us an eight tied with the Narwhals then?
Chris: Nope! Uh uh, I retract my rating! For building up my hopes and dreams, and firmly crushing it. You get a Zero! Lions I'll be seeing you at the campfire ceremony immediately! Actually…let me mourn my losses first.
Angie: Well, this is not how Atua saw this going at all, but a very impressive display, Mike.
Hajime: Uh, yeah sure.
[Cut to the campfire ceremony]
Chris: Lions, you know why you're here. So let's just get this over with! In fact you probably already know who the bottom three are so in order is Cameron, Tyler, Brick, Blaineley and Courtney. You're all safe. [The donuts are chucked at them]
Mondo: Woah, watch the hair, man!
Chris: Celeste, Max, and Trent are also safe with one vote each.
Ryoma: Wait, someone actually voted for me? [He looks over at Celeste]
Celeste: What? I told you I would. No need to stare at me like that.
Chris: And looky here, surprise surprise it's the final three dream smashing performing losers. The first one safe is…….Mike.
Hajime: Well, that's a relief.
Chris: And the last one to receive a jelly donut is…………..
………….. Lightning.
Nekomaru: Thank you, I promise not to let you down again, team!
Angie: Oh my…what is this?
Chris: This is you not getting a donut, Angie, which means you're out of the competition. Serves you right for getting my hopes up!
Angie: Atua definitely did not see this coming-woah!
Chef: Yeah, yeah, blame whatever God you want girly. Time to go.
Angie: Bye-yonara my friends. I hope we stay in touch. Visit my island someday!
[Confessional]
Mahiru: Look it wasn't because of Angie's reliance on Atua that we voted her off…..okay maybe it was. I mean seriously we could've won if her God didn't demand that final addition. Maybe it was for the best.
[End]
[Confessional]
Kaito: Finally! That's one incompetent leader off our team. Maybe these guys will start relying on others for a change. Like me!
[End]
Chris: Quite the shake up as we lose our first team leader. Will the Lions be able to work as a team without her. I mean who else are they going to listen to....Tyler?
Kaito: Hey, I heard that!
Chris: Find out next time on Total Drama Triple D of Danganronpa Despair Disaster.

End of Episode

I'd love some advice on getting a tattoo reworked. My main questions are about how to contact an artist: 1. Is it rude to contact an artist who doesn't say if they do reworks or not? Many artists whose work I like don't mention reworks at all-- is that a sign they don't do them? Or does it not hurt to send a polite email?

1. I also want to get a new tattoo at some point, possibly from the same artist I would go to for the rework. Is there an etiquette as to which to do first?

The tattoo I'd like reworked is about 5 years old. What I want to ask for in the rework is for the linework to be thickened (I wanted it done in an American Traditional style, and the original artist used very skinny lines) and some color that is patchy evened out and shaded.

I own a copy of the Hyrule Historia & I've actually read it, so I get in theory the way that the timelines in the Legend of Zelda series work, but with BoTW and ToTK, I personally find it easier to borrow comic book universes and think about the Legend of Zelda in that term. Sometimes the same event, or something similar, can happen in multiple universes, but that doesn't mean it happens the same way in all universes. Think about the Marvel comic version of Civil War vs. the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Civil War. This is theory one for the timeline, but it's more of an opening stage for my actual theories.
And by "theories" I mean, in tvtropes terms, Wild Mass Guessing. I'm afraid I don't have any evidence for this, it's mostly inference + "what if". My apologies if that doesn't fit the sub. 😅
-----
With that in mind, I'd like to make two hypotheses based on this framework:
Firstly: The imprisoning war in Tears of the Kingdom, as it's understood by future historians is the BoTW/ToTK universe's version of Skyward Sword.

• No, I'm not saying the Skyward Sword didn't happen/isn't canon. It 100% happened exactly how it happened in the game/manga/how you personally played it in the Prime Zelda Universe.
• But here me out, and remember that I'm basing this off of how people might remember it/not necessarily how it actually went down.

Both stories have:

• People who live in the sky and fly on birds - or in TotK's case, bird-shaped gliders/planes
• A goddess figure (put a pin in this) who suffers grave injuries and passes away
• This goddess figure was part of the founding of the new Hyrulian nation
• The goddess figure had a descendant/incarnation who had the same powers who went around rallying the people of the time to fight a new foe
• A sword is forged in holy, "goddess" energy
• Dragons
• The foe could not be defeated permanently, and would instead return at some later for a hero/the descendant to fight at that time instead
• Ganondorf and Demise look visually similar

Again, I am not saying that Skyward Sword happened in BoTW, just that this war may be a plausible interpretation of why Skyward Sword may look like in this universe.
As for that pin:

• A goddess figure (put a pin in this) who suffers grave injuries and passes away

My second theory is that Sonia and Hylia got syncretised either accidentally or intentionally-for-political-reasons.

• In this theory, Hylia is still genuinely a Hyrulian goddess, possibly even one that Sonia worships (hence the Triforce tattoo/body paint), however she has nothing to do with Sonia, or any of Zelda's line.
• At some point, Sonia's actions (having a descendant with Light powers that could seal darkness) accidentally got merged with Hylia.
• This could be why Zelda had no luck praying to Hylia in BoTW, despite the fact that Link can go to the different statues and get hearts/stamina; Hylia genuinely couldn't have helped Zelda because she had no connection to her.
• Admittedly, I'm not sure if this works in the context of people like Zelda's mother, or the glowing lady that Zelda mentions in her diary in BotW.
• I'm not saying that Hylia isn't real! I'm just saying that maybe in this universe, she has no connection to Zelda/the Hyrulian line. She's still around as a valid Hyrulian goddess though.

This either was intentional/political, or could genuinely have been accidentally by scholars trying to decipher ancient Zonai text and mistranslating/the script being worn away.

• For example, in Japanese, the kanji for "dog" is pronounced "inu" and it looks like this: 犬 while the kanji for "big" is pronounced "ooki" and looks like this 大. Lose that stroke in the upper right of the kanji and you can drastically change the meaning. If "Son" and "Hyl" in the ancient Zonai script had something similar and the carvings were worn away, that is one possible way that could have happened.
• Another way is if "Son" and "Hyl" in ancient Zonai have the same symbol but are pronounced differently, like the kanji for "tree" 木 which can be pronounced both "ki" and "moku."
• I know that people have translated the Zonai script IRL, this is hypothetically what happened in-universe
• Maybe Sonia wasn't referred to by name in some of the originally found carvings, but by an epithet, and people made that assumption that that epithet was about Hylia instead. "Mother of Hyrule", for example. And then later researchers found out otherwise.

But what about Link and Fi?

• Hylia is still around as a goddess, so it's possible that she still created the original master sword, it was just unrelated to Zelda's powers.
• Link is the kind of guy who wakes up from a 100 year coma with amnesia sees Calamity Ganon and goes, "yeah I'll go kill that thing", so he's definitely Hero material, but Hylia could be involved in this as well.
• Alternatively, Hylia was also around to hear the stories about Link and thought, "damn that kid will need a sword."
• Like, literally I'm not saying at all that Hylia isn't real, just that she has no relation to Zelda in the BoTW/ToTK timeline/universe.

-----
tl;dr

• Legend of Zelda is more like comic book universes and some events happen across multiple timelines but with some differences
• The Imprisoning War is the BoTW/ToTK timeline/universe version of the events of Skyward Sword
• Other "prime universe" events did in fact happen in in the BoTW/ToTK timeline, but not to the same extent - the Ocarina of Time , for example is something that a Zelda imbued with her time powers, rather then being a sacred family relic.
• Sonia was syncretised with Hylia (a real goddess) at some point in the past, and that's why everyone in the BoTW, pre-Calamity timeline thought that Zelda had to go to Hylia to unlock her powers, however in this universe Zelda either doesn't have any divine connection to Hylia at all.

That level is:
• Relatively safe
• habitable
• Few entities
The level is a basically endless set of martial arts training rooms, and the hall you enter in that level varies wildly. It could be a Boxing training hall, a Karate Dojo, a Shaolin Temple, any space like that!
These places have exit doors, but they just lead to more and more different training halls, and it's easy to get lost along these paths. The appliances are in great condition, like brand new, like no one has used them before! In the closets of these rooms, you can even find martial arts costumes such as Karate Kimonos, Kung Fu Tchen Moous and even Sumo Mawashis, but they are not much better than ordinary clothes, they do not protect you from attacks or give you more speed, but if you want it, you can take it!
From time to time, you can find sports locker rooms, but in contrast to the clean halls, they are full of slime, rusty lockers and leaky showers that flood the floor. It's a pretty chaotic, uncomfortable scene and you'd want to stay the hell away from them!
However, in the midst of these training halls, you can find the Championship Stadiums: they are places that have large audiences of empty chairs, with mats on the court below. But the good thing about these places is that there are Food Machines, where you can get Energy Bars and Super Almond Water! To get this, you'll need a Gold Coin for every item you want, and you can find them by scavenging the benches in the grandstands! It can take a long time, but on the other hand, the machines are never empty, as they are replenished in a supernatural way!
When approaching some training objects, you will have an instant reaction of wanting to try them, and when you touch them, a motivation to practice that martial art will appear in your head, and soon you will be practicing. And even with no one to train you, you will see several books in the academies, teaching you the fundamentals of each art!
Even if you've never practiced or shown interest in a martial art, it will seem like the most fun and enjoyable thing in the world to you! And if you already practiced, you'll love spending a lot of time at that level!
Those who went through the level report the constant feeling of strengthened muscles, zero sleep and improved concentration, which extended a little further, when they left the level, showing themselves stronger, faster and with martial techniques worthy of a black belt!
The most important things you need to look for are the weapons of these martial arts, but not just any weapon! Because normal weapons like sticks, knives and others are very common! There are specific weapons that will save your skin in the Backrooms! Are they:
Tyson Gloves: These are a pair of gold boxing gloves, with the Tyson signature on the left hand, presumably a reference to boxer Mike Tyson. They are made of foam, but when punching with them, the impact is overwhelming, capable of throwing objects weighing more than 100 kg away! You get them if you walk into a boxing ring and punch the punching bag for 12 hours straight! They appeared in your hands at the end of that time!
Lee's Nunchaku: A black nunchaku, with two engraved dragons and a golden chain joining them together. His name is a reference to martial artist Bruce Lee. The impact of these nunchakus is even stronger than Tyson's gloves, with the difference that, after repeated attacks, it starts to catch fire, but without injuring the user. It will only incinerate the target it hits, which will be consumed by flames in seconds! You can get it at the Kung Fu Hall, needing to do 100 fingertip push-ups and stay 5 minutes in the Mabu base, the most exhausting Kung Fu pose. The nunchaku will be in the center of a mat with the Yin Yang symbol. Good luck!
Kusarigama: is a weapon composed of a metal scythe and a chain that is somehow infinite when the scythe is thrown. This scythe is insanely fast, being able to slice through multiple entities quickly at once! It is obtained in the Ninjutsu room, after you hit 10,000 shurikens in the center of the target, and it has to be in the middle, around doesn't count! When you succeed, the weapon will come down from the ceiling, hanging from the chain.
Musashi's Katana: It is the strongest weapon among all these. A sword from the Edo Period in Japan, which belonged to the legendary Miamoto Musashi! Wielders of this sword have already been able to slay countless Partygores, slicing them into pieces at Fun Level, and even kill a Death Whale at level 4000! The wielders of these swords have superhuman strength and speed, so any entity that is tangible will be slashed.
However, obtaining this sword is the most risky of challenges, and it is in this challenge that the only real danger of this level lives, The Samurai Challenge, and its only entity!
To find her, you must spend a lot of time in the Kendo Hall. How much time? It is not known, perhaps a matter of days or a week. Who says you should make 10,000 strikes with a training sword, it's not known for sure, but believe me: it's better to spend all that time training!
When you least expect it, you'll see a door that wasn't there before. Upon entering that door, you find a Championship Hall, but not an ordinary one, one specific to traditional Kendo in Japan. In the arena, you will see a box with Japanese inscriptions that say:
“Power must be earned. Prove yourself now!”
When you open it, you'll have access to the katana, but when you turn around, the whole scene changes!
If you were alone just now, you will have right in front of you an entity in the form of a samurai, in armor that seems to be rusted and worn by time and marks of combat, which earned him the nickname of Rusty Musashi.
Sometimes his katana varies in size, being little more than a kitchen knife, or even a huge 2 meter blade.
If everything was silent before, you can now hear screams and roars from the audience, even if there is no one in the pews! And now, you'll have to fight that samurai!
Combat with him is pretty tricky, as he seems to be experienced, but his armor is heavy and he moves slowly. Make no mistake though: his attacks are explosive and take you by surprise, and he's very strong with every hit! Agility and strategy are your best bets to win!
If you get hit, it's your death, but if you win, you'll be applauded by the audience, and you can take that weapon with you. So, throughout your stay, train Kendo until you're sharp, and don't fight the samurai until you're sure you're good enough!
Appetizer:
• Enter the hall with the “Martial Goods” sign at level 33
• Beat a level 4000 island native in a melee fight
• Ritual of the Mountain King has a 40% chance to bring you here
• The Red Knight can take you here if you ask to learn to fight, but it's not 100% sure
• Beat a fighting game at level 849
• Reading the book “The Way of War” in the level “The end is near” will get you here!
Departures:
• Using a lot of Incense to meditate will get you to Level 5000
• Upon exiting Samurai Challenge, you will exit at The Hub
• Finding a 90's phone in one of the stadium's bleachers will take you to Level 11.
• Diving into the Buddha-like fountain in the Shaolin Temple will take you to the Poolrooms, but touching the moss at the bottom of the fountain will land you in the Rotting Pools level!
• Trying to break into a Vending Machine will get you to the “You Cheated” Level, you greedy bastard!
• If you try to escape the Samurai Challenge through the door you came from, you'll exit the Run for Your Life Level, without your sword!

What they say about the after church crowd being the worst is absolutely true.
I'm working until close on a Wednesday night. Traditionally, this is the night when quite a few of the churches in our area have prayer meeting and Bible study. So, it was around 9 at night when 6 gentlemen came walking in and the hostess does her thing and seats them and gets them menus. All the usual. I have a few other tables I'm taking care of, but, I walk over to acknoledge they are there and to introduce myself, that I am their server for this evening, and that I have a couple of tables to get and I'll be around to get their drink order. I take care of my two other tables I was taking care of before they arrived and I swung back around to get them apologizing for making them wait. They request seperate checks (of course, which seems like a recurring theme on here) and I get their drink orders and get it out to them. I wait a few minutes and get their food orders. So far so good.
I get their food orders out to them and tell them I'll be around shortly to check up on them. I do my rounds and come back to them. There were two complaints but nothing that couldn't easily be handled. Rest of their meal went fine afterward. No complaint about dessert. I haven't handed them the checks yet and am talking to another waitress when the people at my table all of a sudden get up and start prostaltizing about how we have all fallen short of God's standard and how we will all burn in hell if we don't follow Jesus and repent of our sins especially for being in this place of depravity. I'm walking over to the table to give out the checks and get them put down so I can start moving them along when one of the gentlemen, probably in his mid-50's start walking toward me and starts prostalizing to me saying I wouldn't be sick with cancer if I walked with Jesus. Guess he assumed this because of my bald head. Said I'd be beautiful if I didn't have all of my hideous piercings and tattoos. He told me I'd be so much better if I worked for the Christian restaurant down the street. Keep in mind over the last two months, I've gotten my ear lobes scalpeled, three piercings (two are repiercings in a very sensitive place), and about three hours underneath a tattoo needle on my chest between my cleavage and bellybutton. He stuffs a dollar bill down my bra at
a.) my fresh tattoo. and...
b.) my still sensitive repierced nipples
and tells me this is my tip because my restaurant and I are charlatains and should burn in hell. I inform him what he just did constitutes sexual assault and I could have him put in jail. He and his buddies get their checks and check out.
I'm still fuming that some old fuck thinks it's okay to lecture me on how I live my life and then gets to reach his hand down my bra.

Why japanese sword is on the island?
I know that we can find it next to dead yakuza member (judging by his tattoo) but how did he ended up there? Is he marked as one of passengers? If yes then how did he managed to get katana on a plane? I bet someone would stop him at the airport. Also if he's passenger then how did he survived fall of the plane and how did he ended up in this cave?
Would be grateful for any explanations or theories

I did a little research on trip advisor and google, and asked Chat-GPT to make an itinerary based on the following prompt.

Generate a day-by-day itinerary for a 4 day tour of Tokyo, Japan. We will be visiting in January (winter).
We are most interested in experiencing arts and culture, theater, museums, parks and gardens, monuments (eg temples and shrines and other old buildings), and good architecture and urbanism. We are less interested in sumo, shopping, alcohol, and nightlife. We are pescatarian, and love ramen, sushi, and poke.
The itinerary should ideally include Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Senso-ji Temple, Meiji Jingu Shrine, and Ueno Park.

It spat out the following, which looks okay to my naive eyes, but of course I know that Chat-GPT will give nonsense some times! Is it (a) doable, and (b) does it optimally satisfy the constraints I mentioned in the prompt? Thank you for any feedback!
Day 1:

• Morning:
  • Arrive in Tokyo and check into your hotel.
  • Start your day with a visit to the Meiji Jingu Shrine. Explore the serene surroundings and learn about the history and traditions of Shintoism.
• Afternoon:
  • Head to the nearby Harajuku neighborhood and explore Takeshita Street, known for its vibrant fashion and unique shops.
  • Enjoy a vegetarian or pescatarian lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area.
  • Visit the Nezu Museum, which houses a remarkable collection of traditional and contemporary Japanese art.
• Evening:
  • Explore the lively Shinjuku district, known for its stunning architecture and vibrant atmosphere.
  • Enjoy dinner at a vegetarian or pescatarian-friendly restaurant in the area.

Day 2:

• Morning:
  • Start your day with a visit to Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. Explore the ancient temple grounds and Nakamise Shopping Street.
• Afternoon:
  • Have lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant near Senso-ji Temple.
  • Visit the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park, one of Japan's oldest and largest museums, showcasing a wide range of art and artifacts.
• Evening:
  • Take a stroll through Ueno Park, known for its beautiful gardens and picturesque scenery.
  • Enjoy dinner at a ramen restaurant known for its delicious vegetarian or pescatarian options.

Day 3:

• Morning:
  • Start your day with a visit to the historic Imperial Palace. Take a guided tour or explore the surrounding gardens on your own.
• Afternoon:
  • Enjoy lunch at a sushi restaurant known for its fresh and flavorful seafood options.
  • Visit the Mori Art Museum in the Roppongi Hills complex. The museum features contemporary art exhibitions and offers panoramic views of the city from its observation deck.
• Evening:
  • Explore the architectural wonders of the Tokyo Station area, including the Tokyo Station Building and the nearby Marunouchi district.
  • Enjoy dinner at a restaurant with a view of Tokyo's skyline.

Day 4:

• Morning:
  • Visit the stunning Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, known for its diverse landscapes and beautiful cherry blossoms (depending on the season).
• Afternoon:
  • Explore the Odaiba area, known for its futuristic architecture and entertainment options.
  • Enjoy lunch at a restaurant with a view of Tokyo Bay, offering a selection of pescatarian dishes.
  • Visit the teamLab Borderless digital art museum, an immersive and interactive art experience.
• Evening:
  • Take a relaxing stroll along the Sumida River, enjoying the city lights and the views of Tokyo Skytree.
  • Have a farewell dinner at a restaurant specializing in poke bowls and other seafood delicacies.