λ definitely has my vote.

Science

On the ACES assessment, every single one of the 10 things asked about is known to cause neurological issues in children which persist throughout their lives. Only a 0 is insignificant. A 1 is very significant. I also scored “low” and thought it didn’t mean anything, but I’ve since learned every single one means a lot.

Will it be powerful enough to kill Son Goku?

Yeah, like most MCU villains they started committing random acts of violence as their leader “goes bad.” The in-universe MCU Senate canonically already went bad. The solution proposed by the story was to kill the flag smashers and ask the people who (I keep repeating this) are canonically responsible for the problem due to their negligence, are asked to “do better.”

They’re trying to do the impossible with this character. He is critical of the actions of the in-world corrupt establishment but also unquestioningly loyal to it. The climax of his last story was asking a bunch of senators who canonically caused a human rights emergency to try harder. He literally just asked them to try harder. That was the resolution. Also the people who were fighting for the victims of the human rights emergency that the MCU American senate canonically caused were all killed because boot-licking is framed as the “correct” way to address systemic issues. More than any other IP, I think this one is the US military’s favorite for recruiting purposes.

I’m proudly indecent in this and other regards.

In the future I hope this won’t be such a universal experience.

The Cadaver Collector is real!?

The tampon market has been neglecting men for as long as it’s been around. When are we going to see “rough and tumble tampons for tough guys” so we can finally get some respect?

This was a really interesting video which I had a lot of thoughts about.

I think that discussing narcissistic personality traits that appear commonly among many in our culture is valuable, just as I believe discussions concerning safe spaces, triggers, and what it means to be woke are valuable. The thing that all these have in common is that conservatives took these terms over and made them meaningless to suit themselves. This video features dozens of instances of American con artists and cult leaders leveraging a valuable discussion to their own benefit.

The experts in the video believed that they and people like them were inherently superior, or deserved to be considered among the elite group. They expressed no empathy or compassion toward the people they dehumanized. Since they make their money from the people they lie to through lying to them, they are skilled exploiters. I would call all these narcissistic tendencies even if none of them had diagnosed NPD.

The reality is that many Americans, especially those in business, don’t care how they get what they want as long as they get it, and have no qualms about doing whatever they can get away with. I think this is a consequence of our culture and economic system rather than individual moral failings.

I don’t accept that no one should be called out for their greedy and selfish behavior. I don’t accept the most greedy and selfish in our society are once again trying to blame their own vices on their victims. I don’t think it’s monstrous to behave the way that countless nobles, gangsters, and capitalists have throughout history have because it’s clearly very human behavior in the circumstances that allowed these people to thrive at the cost of others. It’s the circumstances that allow and/or encourage this behavior which are a problem.

I like this one because it’s almost close to being true.

And when it hunts underwater it is deaf and blind, sensing electromagnetic signals from its prey with the duck-bill.

Terrorist acts are illegal, but being associated with domestic terrorist organizations is not illegal in the United States. Affiliation with hate groups has been found by our courts to be protected under the 1st amendment. That being said any radical group not associated with white supremacist ideology is going to get be actively pursued by the US intelligence apparatus extrajudicially.

Having to reliably listen to bigotry and nonsense that you are obligated by social conditioning to nod along with is not only draining but an attack on your own identity by yourself. Either you’re torturing yourself by continuing to put yourself in this uncomfortable situation or you will come to tolerate it and not be as bothered by it and corrupt yourself that way. It’s worth finding someone with some clippers that doesn’t give you an identity crisis on a regular basis.

Has anyone here ever had an experience with authority which helped them, made them feel more confident or secure, or at least wasn’t a huge hassle for no reason at all?

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As a dog person, I am very happy that you understand this about yourself. You will not be someone who abandons a dog. It’s not for everyone and there’s nothing wrong with anyone it doesn’t appeal to. Cats are way less work if you’re looking for animal companionship, otherwise you’re going to have to settle for (ugh) human companionship.

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In many circumstances the placebo effect is superior to common medical environments. I was completely dismissive of homeopathy until I came to understand its actual appeal. Obviously there is no proven physical mechanism of the substance itself; the water is just part of the ritual. The ritual of being cared for and being paid special attention to by another person who cares that you get better and can do nothing for you but give you that attention you need is 100% placebo oriented medicine and 0% drug.

I was dismissive about crystals as well, but the reality is that if you are aware of them they are in some way altering your awareness by being present. The way they alter your awareness could be as simple as noticing an interesting looking stone, a reminder that there is a vast unknown and many others trying to find their way as you are, or a meditation weight and focus. I don’t know about crystal effects on vibrations other than to know that mass is literally energy and different compositions of molecular structures could have effects on the immediate environment beyond our ability to yet measure. I’m most comfortable saying that crystals definitely have some effect, definitely have assisted others in their healing journeys in some form or another, and beyond that I do not know many specifics.