The Off Topic Topic

[Barrister]

Yeah for sure, limited. Not sure it's a big problem though. Isn't it more of a thing about what the market wants and how the owners of the IP want to manage it? I mean... I'm not the biggest pro-capitalist ownership rights advocate on these boards (and I'm not particularly convinced of the long IP ownership laws underpinning our current approach), but isn't that the argument? If they own it and want it to say "weird" instead of "queer" or whatever, is "you're limiting access to the original" a convincing argument to stop them?

(to be honest, I'm not 100% convinced by that argument but I'm trying it out...)

The owners of the IP can do anything they want with it.

This subthread has been about whether the owners are overly sensitive knuckleheads, not if they are breaking the law.

This.

The Roald Dahl changes are not some kind of government censorship - they're being done at the behest of the rights-holder.  So they have every right to do so.

I loved Roald Dahl's books as a kid, and my own kids have read them, but they're not some kind of sacred text from which no changes can be countenanced.

It's just - the changes seem so silly.  I mean is calling someone "enormous" any better than calling someone "fat"?

I understand Roald Dahl is on record as saying antisemitic things, and if his books are being edited to remove anything that could be perceived as antisemitic I have no problem with that.  But I certainly don't remember any such things from his books.

[Admiral Yi]

Well the topic was raised as Jos pointed to the bizarre teeth gnashing taking place and then Languish turned out with its own teeth gnashing.

He's awesome. 

[Jacob]

He's awesome. 

He is definitely a major contributor to keeping languish alive

[Tamas]

He's awesome. 

He is definitely a major contributor to keeping languish alive

Indeed

[Sheilbh]

The owners of the IP can do anything they want with it.

This subthread has been about whether the owners are overly sensitive knuckleheads, not if they are breaking the law.

Ish. Been pointed out this might be illegal in France (who were not planning to make these changes anyway) because of their very, very stringent approach to the moral rights of artists.

I always think of that Fake or Fortune episode where they built the case that x painting was a Monet, with lots of factors. The committee who decide what's a genuine Monet disagreed and, as is their right under French law, required that painting was destroyed

He is definitely a major contributor to keeping languish alive

Yes

[The Minsky Moment]

It's just - the changes seem so silly.  I mean is calling someone "enormous" any better than calling someone "fat"?

Enormous Albert says no.

[The Larch]

Japan poised to raise age of consent from 13 in overhaul of sexual offence laws
A justice ministry proposal is expected to be submitted to parliament soon, with the way rape crimes are prosecuted under scrutiny as well


Japan poised to raise age of consent from 13 in overhaul of sexual offence laws
A justice ministry proposal is expected to be submitted to parliament soon, with the way rape crimes are prosecuted under scrutiny as well

Japan is poised to raise the age of consent from 13 to 16 in an overhaul of legislation prompted by criticism that existing laws fail to protect children from rape and other sexual offences.

A justice ministry panel has proposed raising the age of consent from 13 – the lowest among all G7 countries – as part of a series of reforms to the penal code that will also make voyeurism a criminal offence and clarify the requirements for rape prosecutions.

The overhaul of Japan's laws on sex crimes comes after several rape acquittals in 2019 caused public outcry, including a case in which a man repeatedly raped his teenage daughter.

A branch of the Nagoya district court acquitted the father and prompted anger when it said there was no definitive proof that the daughter had been unable to resist, even though it recognised that she had not consented. A higher court later overturned the decision and sentenced the man to 10 years in prison.

Japanese criminal law requires two conditions to be met to conclude that a sexual assault has been committed – sex must be non-consensual, and there must be proof that the victim was unable to physically resist.

Among the most controversial provisions in the existing law is a requirement that prosecutors prove that rape perpetrators used "violence and intimidation" to incapacitate their victims.

The justice ministry panel did not remove the wording in its recommendation, but clarified that the definition also covers intoxication, drugging, catching victims "off-guard" and the use of psychological control.

The clarification "isn't meant to make it easier or harder" to secure rape convictions, but "will hopefully make court verdicts more consistent," a ministry official said.

Human Rights Now welcomed the change as a step forward, but said it "still fails to meet international rape legislation standards". Instead, Japan should "redefine the crime of rape as all non-consensual sexual intercourse", the group said in a statement.

The age of consent is 16 in Britain and South Korea, 15 in France, and 14 in Germany and China. Japan's age of consent has remained unchanged since 1907.


While regional laws ban "lewd" acts with people aged 18 or under, prosecutions resulting from violations of these local laws result in significantly lighter penalties.

The ministry's recommendations have been submitted to the justice minister, Ken Saito, and are expected to be submitted to parliament in the coming months, the Kyodo news agency reported.

The panel also proposed a new offence covering the act of secretly filming someone for sexual purposes, and extending the statute of limitations for rape from 10 to 15 years to give survivors more time to come forward.

[Josquius]

Sigh. I've seen some reporting about this and its all pretty dumb in how its placing the focus on the age of consent rising.
Basically everywhere in Japan its already illegal to have sex with a 15 year old unless you are yourself of that age. This isn't covered under the specific age of consent law but rather a bunch of other laws like one against lewd acts with a minor.

Japan has traditionally had huge issues with enforcement of this. Loads of cases in not too distant history of paedophile teachers that weren't the national scandals they would be over here. Its pretty standard that every town in Japan has a porn shop (this is a huge deal considering they don't have many other shops) where amidst the AV you also have for sale DVDs and pictures of children in bathing suits and other disturbing shit.

Though lately they are getting their act together. Supposedly. How much is real and how much for appearances I don't know. Even when I was there they did seem to be slowly phasing out the paedo-bait.
More genuinely impactful than the age of consent rising is that I believe some other laws to protect girls are being passed at the same time.

[Sheilbh]

Going vegan for lent and made the catastrophic error of cooking something that tastes healthful on day one

[Valmy]

Going vegan for lent and made the catastrophic error of cooking something that tastes healthful on day one

Lent is really long as well

[Sheilbh]

I know. Basically a saint

[Admiral Yi]

How does healthful taste? 

[Sheilbh]

It was this - and it is tasty:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/feb/06/nigel-slaters-recipes-for-roast-artichoke-broth-and-for-potatoes-with-rosemary

[Sheilbh]

Relatedly I wanted to eat more seasonally so signed up for a veg box - and I went for the organic, UK produce box thinking that would definitely be very seasonal. As a city person I have literally no idea what's seasonal so need help.

And in general it has been really good. It's got me cooking new dishes etc which is what I wanted.

But winter is very long and really very, very samey. Not sure how much longer I can go cycling through potatoes, carrots, onions with parsnips/celeriac/cauliflower

[Josquius]

Potato is life.