Breathe

@Scholar I agree with a good deal that you said here, but I'd like to distill it down a framework that I've come up with. Morality is a tricky subject, so I don't want to get lost in the weeds there, but without opening that can of worms I will say that I have values. I align my political views with those values. And yes, I will speak out when I disagree. I will also walk away when once I sense that I'm not getting through to someone. At some point you have to recognize that your own views change. This also means that other people's views are susceptible to change. If you really get that, then you understand that it's fine for people to have opposing views. People are where they are at and there's little you can do about it. Also, it's good to recognize that how you see things now isn't how you'll see things in the future. If you don't get that, then you will never grow. There has to be some semblance of self-doubt, the willingness to challenge yourself, to open up to the possibility that you may be wrong. And lastly, be ok with ambiguity and patient for the truth to reveal itself. Back to values... I value kindness, equality, and truth. I will call people out if they are not acting in accordance with those values, but I will also hold my self accountable if I'm not doing so myself. The latter is easier said than done. Why is this important? Because it prevents me from becoming ideological, limits my tendency to see things through the lens of my own biases, and lends itself to a more harmonious life. @saif2 Good question. Refer to the values I listed above... Corruption proof values.

@SOUL did a much better job at articulating what I was thinking but I'll try to come at this from a slightly different angle and perhaps add a little something... The definition of "right" and "left" has been fluid over time and means different things depending on culture. it's changed over time in the US and I doubt that most people can agree on what each encompasses. We're given to sets of values and there's no room for deviation. Example, if i believe in trans rights, am pro-life, and am firmly against gun control am I right or left? To lump people into two categories is too simplistic. Also, my observation is that people don't really know where they stand. I meet plenty of people who identify as right but when you inquire, they really espouse left wing values, or at the very least, have contradicting ideas. I know one person who thinks that businesses should not be regulated, but also believes people should be eating healthy food. So, on one hand, a mega corporation should not be restricted from putting pesticides on foods, but also believes that pesticides should not exist in food. This is ignorance. People who identify as right or left are basically given a set of beliefs and values without realizing they have no idea what they actually think or believe. What I'm trying to say is that to base a study on people who lack intelligence and self-awareness doesn't yield any meaningful results.

Damn, shit is looking wild in LA. Trump is sending in the national guard These protests do not look particularly peaceful. Isn't this the shit the administration has been waiting for to escalate their agenda? From the lens of authoritarianism, what is happening here?

First thing that's given me any hope in a while

@zazen I'm glad you see it. When the tariffs eliminate jobs and when AI replaces the remaining jobs, what's next? Well, people will be poor. What's next? Well, people will resort to crime to survive. Then what? Well, they will be imprisoned. And guess what? It will be good for business. Private prisons get paid, they also get free labor. FUCK YEAH AMERICA, THE AMERICAN DREAM. ANYONE CAN MAKE IT. EVEN PRISON CAMP CEOS.

@carterfelder I have no interest in teaching you how to learn

Protests are breaking out everywhere. But Saturday is going to be off the hook. He's already saying that he'll come after anyone that protests on his birthday, lol. How do you think Trump will respond? Which cities do you think are going to be met with force? I'm thinking Portland, Seattle, SD, SF, Chicago, NY. Maybe others, I dunno. I hope protesters can remain peaceful. Shit could get ugly in a lot of places. Also, this is pretty damn funny... Not sure if it is real but saw it posted elsewhere. Seat fillers are needed in Washington to pump Trump's ego: https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/tlg/d/washington-seat-fillers-needed-june/7857143452.html

I used to eat at that restaurant. I left SD a couple years ago, cool that you know it. Best pizza! He's strong, I admire him for that. But his actions have been questionable lately. Didn't he meet with Bannon on a podcast? I don't know what the fuck that was about. 1) Rape, citing an insurrection, tax fraud, money laundering, cozying up to mobsters, collusion with Russia, friends with epstein 2) You took the bait. The anti-woke agenda was meant to distract you from the above. Distract and deflect, that's Trump's survival strategy. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU TOOK THE BAIT. YOU SHEEP He's gutting the constitution, privatizing institutions that help people, creating policies that will kill and impoverish millions of people, destroying jobs, etc. The leopard will eat your face too. It's unfortunate that you won't see any of this until it does. But I guess that's how the cookie crumbles. ( SHRUG ) WAKE UP That was strategic. They killed it because they knew he'd have nothing left to run on. That and woke-ness. @carterfelderstill would have taken the bait though.

@DocWatts What is your take on protestors vandalizing shit and launching shit at police? Don't we want peaceful protests? I'm not sure how it all started but shit like that is going to antagonize Trump. We know he'll retaliate and we know what that would likely lead to. Just curious what you think about all of that.

Feeling good isn't a bad thing. Certain pleasant qualities actually pull you deeper into silence. If you don't practice in the Buddhist tradition this may not make sense, but the Buddhists explicitly cultivate certain factors as a vehicle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Factors_of_Awakening

This is fascism.

Let me preface this by saying I have been a tech professional for more than a decade and got my start in cybersecurity. I wanted to kick-start a discussion about what the new administration might mean for users who source psychedelics using legally questionable means. First, if you have engaged in what I referred to above, what you may or may not have done is known. At the very least, AI can figure that out with ease. Not hard. Your Tor/Tails usage, Signal, VPN, banking, Bitcoin, ProtonMail, and XMR transaction have all raised flags. Any packages that may have arrived in the mail have been photographed. it is not difficult to conclude what those packages may contain given how easily it is to associate online activity. There is no-one here on this forum, and I mean that literally... NO-ONE, who has the technical know how to be invisible online. If you think you're invisible, I guarantee you that you have made mistakes, and are likely still making them. Some of you may be aware that palantir is compiling a database of all US citizens in order target and/or blackmail dissent. This is an older article and I don't feel like digging up a new one. This should give you an idea of where this may be going... https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-database-palantir-dystopian-alarm-2079688 Surveillance at this point is ALL PERVASIVE and shit is way more sneaky than you can imagine. Does this mean that you are a target, or that you will or have been profiled? I can't say. It all depends on who the administration may deem an enemy of the state. Given who Trump clearly admires and aspires to be, consider the possibility we may be headed in that direction. Interpret this information as you please. Be careful out there.

I think this post answers my question... https://bsky.app/profile/ruthbenghiat.bsky.social/post/3lr2ukpoef22m

I used to live right down the street from that restaurant. Great pizza. Pretty wild.

Stop that nonsense. Treat everyone as if they have something to offer. You should seeking out the positive qualities in others and learning from those people. The philosophy you have is a sure fire way to stop learning and growing.

Would you say that you or your female friends are attracted to men who have traditionally masculine traits? I'm curious if ego ever plays a role in your attraction to whoever you might be attracted to. I'm talking right out of the gate, before you get to know a person. I'm attracted to beautiful women, but I'd rather have a fairly cute woman who's intelligent and self-aware than a hottie with no brains. But I can be deceived. That initial attraction can be blinding.

I love Timothy Snyder Right at the beginning of the interview where he talks about people agreeing that what we are witnessing is the unfolding of fascism. That! What I wonder is how many people are actually aware that this is a fascist dictatorial coup? How many are under the delusion of this fantasy of American exceptionalism?. "Fascism could never happen here!" I can't say it surprises me, but what pisses me off is how the media isn't calling this out. Even the democrats are keeping their mouths shut

@Yimpa Lol

Yeah, that's a tough question. I don't agree with Leo because you have to have facts to actually think about. Which means, you need reliable sources of facts. That said, some news sources are more trustworthy than others. Find some good journalists, historians, and economists. A lot of them are writing about current events on Bluesky and Substack and making appearances on YouTube. Some I like are Sarah Kendzior, Heather Cox Richardson, Timothy Snyder, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Olga Lautman, Chris Hedges, Richard Wolff. These are all relevant right now. They all knew this was coming.

Well, that's something different entirely, but even so, a well-funded and sophisticated propaganda machine that's actually effective would take years to develop. We're dealing with people who people who have been severely brainwashed. It's not just a matter of changing a person's views, it's a matter of deprogramming and educating them.

I don't agree with this. It can take years for people to change their minds or see things from a different lens. Conversations aren't usually open or productive. People shut down and don't listen to new ideas. Disagreements devolve into insults and arguing rather than asking questions and trying to understand where another person is coming from. In my experience and in what I have observed in others, it usually takes some big life change to see a person change their minds.

I agree that the dems need to focus solely on economic policy. The situation we face now is very different when Kamala was running. She may have tried to avoid discussing social issues, but the economy hadn't tanked on the same level that we are facing now. That's why I don't think we can really say that a populist strategy will not work going forward. These are different times and everyone is going to feel a financial hit and know they have no-one to blame but the current administration. The challenge dems will face is disinformation and propaganda from all directions. Let's say we do find a populist candidate that is palatable to both sides of the aisle. Who's going to cover this person in a way that will reach the people that need to see it? Social media right now is a complete shit show. Nobody knows the difference between fact and fiction. Forget about Fox news. My biggest concern is mainstream media and how much control the administration will have over it. Maybe I'm jumping the gun here, but media outlets are going to be attacked, it's just a matter of how much damage will be done before the next election. Voter suppression is another problem we are going to face.

I believe that countries all over the world have malicious software installed in critical infrastructure systems by foreign adversaries. There is evidence of this and documentaries that talk about it. The "Olympic games" project should give you an idea of what's possible. Iran retaliated by hitting our banks just to show us that they have the tech to do damage in the US. AI is really going to amp up malicious capabilities. Nothing connected to the internet is safe anymore

Intro Let me preface this by saying that I was a pickup artist for years back in the 2009. By 2011 I was a dating coach. I was primarily influenced by RSD and had done boot camps with Jeffy and Owen. I have opinions on online dating, social circle game and bar game. First, you’re going to have to find what works for you. You make a style of your own that suits your personality. It has to be authentic and sustainable. I can’t emphasize the, you need to highlight the qualities that attract a women before connecting with them. You don’t need to be s rockstar but you have to have boundaries, express yourself honestly and directly while making good eye contact, speaking loudly and clearly, and having good posture. And don’t brag or overdo it. That alone will get a wonan’s attention. Humor is another attractive quality, but don’t try to be funny, Flirtation is another one. This comes with time. Women also want to know that you have a quality friend group. Biology Attraction is mostly biological. Women want good genes for their offspring. They also want someone dependable who will help raise their children. Even the women who want kids and a reliable partner, they need to be attracted first. Don’t skip that part. Same goes for me, men like big boobs and butts. It is hard to ignore our biology when you have a nice girl or man who leans more to the nice/kind side of the spectrum. I still fall into that trap. In my experience, most women don’t stop dating assholes until their late 30s. Theres nothing you can do about that. Approach I’m not a super funny guy so I highlight on my strengths. “Common opener is I think you are lovely and I want to get to know you. Are you single.” Depending on the mood I might say, “Let’s make out.” This is incredibly high percentage I’m direct because I avoid the friendzone at all cots. The above keeps me out of that club. Connection Once I get that out of the way we can start having regular conversatoins. She wants to your human side so she can relate and feel comfortable. Lifestyle To keep a girl interested you have to live with integrity. Grow, do the things you say you wlll, keep with your passions. I could go on and on but I’m=m going to to stop here. More to come later...