I think it is important to keep an eye on your sphere of influence and not take on emotional burdens for things that are far outside of that. Most people are not in a position to make a major impact on the world stage, and that’s ok, but those same people can have a huge impact in their community and with their families.

If you start by refining yourself into a person who stands on a foundation of values, you will be better prepared if you have the opportunity to make serious change. If you don’t get that chance, you will still have intentionally continued to grow into a wiser person than you started as. It’s a win win.

If you do find yourself in the position to do the right thing and influence change at scale, then it is up to you to call on those values and do so. I often think about how there have been so many people who could have changed the course of many global issues, and they bailed on the responsibility.

So I guess my stance boils down to: refine yourself, don’t blame yourself for the things you can’t change, and change the things you can for the better using your best available judgment. That’s all that most people can be asked to do.

If Lady Gaga was the only culture we were spreading, we’d be in good shape.

I’d personally like my press to have a little less freedom to grift and a little more discipline to report.

Chris Cornell is the GOAT. That’s all I have to say.

I’m so sorry you are going through this. Sending positive vibes from afar. Mom’s are special.

Die Antwoord.

Yes.

My experience traveling has been the opposite—I’ve been noticing how the perception of modernity in America functions as a control and fear inducing mechanism to keep people from seriously questioning capitalism.

I have spent a lot of time in Mexico, and I personally believe they have their priorities better aligned to give people an existence with some level of dignity. It may not look like American suburbia, but you can take up a cottage industry easily if you are poor, get healthcare more easily if you are sick, and socialization is affordable. Where America nickel and dimes every necessary expense to live, Mexico does a better job of keeping those costs down and taxing luxuries instead.

I’m not saying Mexico is perfect—no country is—but the “shithole country” rhetoric that Trump espouses contributes to an impression that our way is indisputably the best way, and that is simply not true.

Well it’s simple really—because the fascists decree it to be so.

Yep, and that seems to be the route Apple was going. Screens you can place anywhere in your visual field.

Not doubting, but do you have a source where I can read more about this?

Sounds like boomers watching cable news to me.

This is the correct answer here! People copyright strike reposted videos all the time, but turning it into commentary makes it a new artwork so it won’t get removed. They also often insert the commentary over the sections of video that include copyrighted music.

Honestly, I don’t recommend it. The drawbacks are much bigger than the benefits.

If you want a legendary high in your old age that also won’t kill you or make you an asshole, I highly recommend LSD combined with Nitrous Oxide. Turn the brain on with LSD, and turn the body off with laughing gas for 30 seconds at a time to ride in and out of pure creative consciousness. Works pretty well with MDMA too, but that can hit the stomach hard, and could be a bad idea for an older person.

Heroin will just remove all feelings of guilt and remorse for your actions until you subtly shift out of alignment with your own values. It removes all fear, which is what people get addicted to, but then you become a total piece of shit because you will feel no negative impact from being cruel. That’s the secret that I wish I had known going in. Don’t become a nasty tempered old junkie—that is a tired cliche and there are much better highs.

When you find yourself happy with the status quo, it is a good idea to look around your community and make sure that you aren’t just part of a privileged group.

Just some casual sexism.

You clearly underestimate the powers of the dreaded arch-mage of Cthulhu. /s

…just who the next Pope is going to be.

Right, just one of the most powerful religious positions in the world overseeing a vast real estate empire worth billions to trillions of dollars, who will be appointed for life, and who cannot be questioned due to having the authority of God himself. Not important or interesting at all. /s

Aragorn also abandoned his duties for decades because he was overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy. No matter how good you are, it is also ok to forgive yourself for not being perfect or having genetic skeletons in your closet.

I haven’t done heroin in 15 years, but MAGA…not even once. It’s important to have standards in life.