Breathe

@enchanted The JD Vance video was great. It video zooms in on details of the relationship between Thiel and Vance which is a piece that I was missing. What the video touched on but didn't elaborate on is what VC Info Docs discusses here https://www.vcinfodocs.com/ This is where it's all going and it's sinister as fuck. I really wish it got more visibility because this is where we are headed. This page in touches on what was discussed in the video https://www.vcinfodocs.com/venture-capital-and-trump I'm looking forward to watching the Thiel video tomorrow.

Yeah, it's a problem. The problem we have in the US is diagnosing based on symptoms without getting to the root. Self-esteem, trauma, and addiction related mental health side effects are often misdiagnosed. People are put on meds that wreck their physical health. Patients don't have the wisdom to question diagnoses doomed to whatever diagnosis they are given. It's the ultimate kind of stuckness when the mind isn't functioning smoothly and there's no one to help. The system is designed to get people back into the workforce as quickly as possible so they can resume paying taxes. They do not give a shit about outcomes. Insurance companies here require a diagnosis from psychiatrists and psychologists alike so many mental health professionals can't think outside the box. The DSM is a critical thinking and objective analysis killer. Also, the healthcare here is fucking expensive as fuck so many people can't afford treatment that creates lasting results. What people need are professionals who can root cause issues and not accept labels dictated by the corrupt healthcare industry. They also need professionals who will advocate for clients so they can get the care that they need. In other words, navigating insurance companies and disability programs. To be an effective professional one would need a social justice lens to help clients navigate the system. People with mental health issues are often don't have the mental capacity to advocate for themselves. There are good professionals out there but they are extremely difficult to find. Many healthcare professionals become jaded and just stop caring about their work. It's like a needle in a haystack. And the ones that are good, many of them don't take insurance so the majority of people cannot afford them. Right now good therapists charge $200-$300 an hour, who the fuck can afford that on a lower wage? And, don't get me started on the education system. A good healthcare professional should take ongoing training to combat indoctrination from the cookie cutter university curriculum. I find it questionable that a 25 year old can graduate with a master's degree, with no life experience, and be expected to help people who are further along in life. Most importantly, a good psychologist/psychiatrist really has to know how their own mind works. Understand fear, the core beliefs that drives thought and action, and the mechanism of attachment. You probably don't share all of the challenges that we have here in the US, but there should be a few nuggets to mull over.

If the US did expand, it'd probably team up with Argentina.

I've been wondering the same thing

My question is, how did Europe not know this was coming? It's not like Trump was trying to hide his intentions, the fucker can't keep his mouth shut. The writing has been on the wall for almost a decade now.

Your physical and psychological needs need to be met to make steady progress. Anxiety needs to be under control and that's not really possible until you feel taken care of. Also, nothing wrong with being a housekeeper! That is actually great work for spiritual development. What do you think monastery residents do all day long? Cook, clean, garden, etc. A simple life is a good one.

This guy is known to be a fraud: https://behavior-podcast.com/who-is-chase-hughes-lies-of-fake-expert-in-behavior-influence/ He was a shitty pickup artist, and definitely not an expert in MMA like he claims (I trained BJJ and Muay Thai for many years, his videos are a joke). He was not a high ranking dude in the Navy like he claims. The one thing he is good at is lying. Take anything he says with a grain of salt.

Yeah, that's it. Cut out the highs and cultivate a more subtle, sustainable happiness. Not easy.

Cut out distractions and limit your information intake. Spending time in nature, going on walks, and meditating are all good disciplines. Some people like to journal. Cleaning the house is a good one for me, anything movement oriented. Doodle, listen to music, pet the cats in your neighborhood. Go to museums, concerts. Get good sleep. Talk to interesting people. Stay offline. Stay away from nicotine and alcohol. Eat healthy. Go on adventures once and a while. Do shit that scares you. I'm my most creative when I spend two hours a day working out and meditating (calming meditation). That is my foundation.

Not for the same reason, but I have a friend who is nearly immune to LSD. I have thrown LSD out twice now because he told me my shit was bad. Now we know that he's just a freak of nature.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_J._Spence Craig Spence was basically the "Epstein" before Epstein. Same thing, a global, criminal elite network of pedophiles and traffickers. Bugged gatherings, blackmail, etc. Like Epstein, he also "committed suicide" right when the CIA was called to testify. Sarah Kendzior writes extensively about Epstein in "Hiding in Plain Sight" and Spence in "They Knew". She references all of her sources in both books. The information is out there hence the title of the first book. But Trump ran in criminal circles with the mob and corrupt lawyers and anyone who tried to come forth was either killed or blackmailed. It's all fucked.

@Oliver Wright At what dose do you lose coherence?

I like a spicier trip. 250 is perfect. 300 makes me feel really confused

It's spiritual bypassing

I've been a software developer for over a decade and I think there is cause for concern. I think it will take a lot of our jobs but it cannot take all of them. Developers still need to drive AI because systems are complex. AI will definitely replace many developers and companies will continue to outsource work to cheaper countries or offer work visas to cheaper developers. I think software developers in the US are pretty fucked for this reason. If you're looking for job security, teaching math may be a good way to go. Or, go into cybersecurity. It's a super interesting field and cybersecurity will require much more technical expertise than developers in the future.

Interesting. He used to only speak from an absolute perspective. Fun fact. I had a short conversation with him in person a few years ago. Nice guy.

It depends on where you live. I'm ok with tattoos and piercings (septum piercings are hot). Liberal cities have more interesting, conscious people. But in the US cities are so expensive now, so that is changing and making way for tech and medical professionals. I don't know what an NPC is but be careful with isolating, you can get depressed, lose social skills, etc. I tend to get along with other meditators, people who like spending time in nature, activists, and artists. I don't expect others to be into spiritual development so there has to be some level of acceptance that others aren't into the shit I care about most

I love that you did this. But also, I do not encourage others to try this. How long did the trip last? Did they know you were tripping? Did they give you anything to come down?

If only. I'd bet that most Americans don't get to choose their insurance provider. I can only recall one employer offering me more than one insurance company to choose from.

If you were have to deal with the healthcare system for a serious health condition you would understand. It is criminal as fuck

@Yali What situation? Being in court? If he had any doubts about moving forward with his plan he could have stopped long before making a ghost gun and inscribing shit on bullets. He had plenty of time to think about his actions leading up to the execution. So, you are probably right about him not feeling much remorse.

He may not be cracking a smile all the time so you can't jump to conclusions about how he feels based on a single photo. We can deconstruct the situation, though. Luigi suffered a lot due to the shitty health care that he received so he feels like justice has been served to some degree. A lot of people support what he did, so I imagine that he feels some level of validation. I believe that in his mind he made an example out of the victim and sent a message to the world. I would imagine that he is at least a little bit afraid of the consequences he is about to face. I do not know how he feels about the victim's family.

I'm afraid that's where the US is headed

I thought I'd start a thread about authoritarianism and share some resources that were helpful to me. I think it's important to understand, first that this is in fact an authoritarian coup, but also how to spot it and where this is all headed. There are plenty of people, including news anchors, who are not aware of what's happening. I find this baffling. Some people don't think authoritarianism is a problem if the professed policies fit their world view. What they don't understand is that authoritarians do not care about citizens at all and that they will be betrayed. If I can, I'd like to raise some awareness. I will share some resources that I think people should know about. Feel free to post others, I'm curious what you all come up with. https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny https://jason-stanley.com/book/how-fascism-works/ https://protectdemocracy.org/work/the-authoritarian-playbook/ https://trumptyrannytracker.substack.com/

One example of testing the waters would be ICE. They are deploying violent servants to do their dirty work. That is already accepted to a degree. Then, they deployed the national guard and border patrol. So here they are pushing boundaries a little more. Now he's talking about training the military in democratic cities. Again, a little more. If successful, men in uniform on the streets will be normalized. That's when the game is over.