What does a prednisone pill look like

Hi there everyone I am F21 and my father is in his early fifties.
I have been thinking about coming to this reddit for some time to talk/vent about my issues. I wasn’t really sure if he was a narc but he was my main issue from my ptsd therapy “emdr” I covered him a lot actually.
I don’t want to go into loads of details but my mother is an enabler, she forgives everything he does. If he randomly hits/assaults me she tells me to stop being silly and stop “overreacting”. She always has done this since I was young.
I have one other sister she’s younger than me, in her teenage years. They’ve never laid a hand on her. She’s becoming like them though. I am the butt of every single joke. Doesn’t matter if it offends me or not.
If I am hurt it doesn’t matter, if I react my dad goes ballistic tells me “it’s just a joke” doesn’t speak to me for days. Angrily looks at me like i’m a piece of shit. Refuses to look at me. Will talk to everyone in the house but me will talk to my partner and completely ignore me.
He doesn’t hit me anymore but everytime he goes behind me when i’m eating i flinch and wait until he’s gone.
My parents both never believe in anything I do career wise. They are very invested in what my younger sister wants to do though. Everytime I try and tell them what i’m interested in their faces turn cold and tell me that I am not the right person for the job that i want to do. They have created me as a person in this reality that I am incapable of anything and I’m so tired of it.
I don’t get this upset often because my emdr therapist helped me stand up for myself a lot but it’s constant i’m so upset I feel like just ending it. I hate my life at home but I can’t afford to move out.
I was misdiagnosed with a disorder about 2 and a half years ago as well and they constantly use it against me, it’s so debilitating. I told them I was misdiagnosed and my mother said I wasn’t so can’t have an argument I guess.
I’ve never spoken about this online sorry this is a bit all over the place, very emotional at this moment in time.
You can respond if you’d like to I am just feeling so depressed about everything. Sometimes I feel bad for talking about it because everyone else sees them in such a good light. They have done a lot of good things for me so I feel really selfish for talking about their abuse but i’m getting to the point where I just feel horrible all the time about it.

Howdy,
I will try to grab some video this afternoon.
I am new to the Frontier world and new to trucks in general. I have a 2018 Pro-4x with about 117k miles on it. I have noticed that when I start the truck in the morning and I don't let it warm up before I start driving, I will hear a pronounced ticking/clacking noise coming from the engine. This only happens under load and it does vary with RPM's. I have tried to get it to reproduce by hitting the gas in the driveway but it doesn't. It is only under load like accelerating.
After about 10 minutes or so of driving, once the engine has warmed up, the sound will go away and the truck will sound smooth. I wont make the sound again until the engine cools so if I go into a store and come back, it wont produce. I will say, that it does seem to be worse, the cooler it is outside when the truck is started so mornings are worse than afternoons.
I have tried to make sure that every piece of heat shielding is secured. The other suspects are an exhaust leak or the injectors. I have looked for an exhaust leak but can find any indication of one.
I know these trucks make A LOT of noise so my question is really, should I be concerned or is this normal? What are some other things I can look at?

Greetings!
We would like to continue with energy work.
In todays session, we are desirous of speaking about the vertical dimension of your body or that which would be understood as the anaerobic or 'without oxygen.'
Firstly, we ask the rhetorical: Why did the Monks and Yogi's live in the mountains?
We of J believe the monks and yogi's lived in the mountains to live in crisp, oxygen depleted air. We also believe they lived in mountains due to how prana moves through mountainous environments.
The closest low-land air ever comes to being crisp would be in your harsh winters where temperatures are below freezing.
Within an environment that has a severe lack of oxygen, breathing is something you do entirely manually to keep yourself from constantly fainting or tripping, each breath in-fact is a trip through the anaerobic system. Monks spend years learning how to not space out in a most literal sense lest they die of carbon dioxide poisoning.
Each breath, however small or large, supplies the monk with aerobic potential which he utilizes to keep himself awake and aware of what is happening in the world - this builds a positive charge.
To be willing to partake in the world of the living, requires typically more positive energy than negative, which many may understand as work ethic in your culture.
Breathing exercises for working monks revolved around washing dishes, cleaning and tidying, praying and a variety of other physical labors that went from as intensive as running around everywhere and chopping trees, to as relaxing as learning how to see different colours or floating in the air (levitation).
With aerobic potential or positive charge, we of J think anything as fantastical as your movie and cartoon depictions of super-powers is possible. However, harnessing aerobic breathing is very difficult because in the low-lands, oxygen is usually so abundant that one does not realize how each breath vitalizes the body and in which areas.
Anaerobic Potential:
However, we of J believe there is an entirely different side to the body that does not rely on oxygen at all. We also believe many confuse this energy system as the array of pains and pleasures they feel going through life, such as breaking an arm, going through a break up, fulfillment or even profound states of satori.
We of J believe that much of human experience in-fact is centered around the anaerobic side of your mind/body.
When oxygen is not required, things that would make you look as alike a superhero with oxygen would then seem childish when done without oxygen.
We of J believe that most spiritual work asks one to focus on anaerobic contractions of focus and in bolstering the strength of this muscle, one can navigate your planet with great freedom.
The anaerobic system works within deeper structures of the central nervous system, it is hard to feel but without being unconscious, yet if one can experience this nervous system entirely with will power alone through dedicated meditative practice, that same entity will be able to traverse the empty space not only within themselves but the Universe itself.
For many, the anaerobic nervous system and its corresponding contractions are 'autonomic.' Meditators train for many years but usually in good environmental conditions, to gain mastery over the centers of the body that do not require oxygen to manipulate. In doing so, it becomes possible to create whichever hormone one so desires merely by stimulating the gland directly.
In yoga, beginners must learn a set of muscular contractions, learning all these muscular contractions would take some many years, but students of yoga plan on living hundreds of years so they usually do not mind.
The first muscular contraction is to liberate or free sexual energy which is the pelvic floor lift which we explained a few sessions back. This lift prepares the anaerobic system for blood-flow.
The final muscular contraction is to find the Dao in thinking hard and softly to move consciousness into hyperspace, this works the entire throat chakra which humans would understand as the default mode network.
All the contractions in the middle are what entities would term their life story or most vivid experiences of life, which settle automatically between the lower and upper spine.
In mastering all anaerobic contractions to generate higher experience, the Yogi may undergo death and rebirth to continue his training in a newer, fitter body that can handle large quantities of life-force.
In doing these exercises for hundreds of years more, one realizes that all is Thought, and balancing thinking and energy (relaxation) is the aim of the Simulation.
The Dao of Thinking:
Thinking is a balancing act, humans swing in a variety of different ways, but it is always a back and forth of the left and right hemisphere. To find the Dao or Middle, is to find the point where one is both thinking in a relaxed form and in a tense form such that one feels a sense of rising or lifting.
This is done correctly when one feels their head vibrating or 'tensing.'
As one familiarizes themselves with this contraction, a sense of yawning may come over you, it is important to not waste the energy, so it is better to hold the yawn in and use it for something more profound.
One will then contract all their thinking potential at the same time, which you may have done at a young age when you had a deep sense of doom come over you or felt profoundly excited and time started moving very slowly.
By contracting thinking potential all at once but with the anaerobic system, we can effect the pineal gland piezoelectrically and begin to sync with the magnetic environment around us.
Drugs and the Anaerobic Nervous System:
We of J believe this nervous-system is very hard to feel in your world due to environmental issues which include wifi among other things.
Boomers, as your world terms them, are quite familiar with this nervous-system and very much struggle using your technology because it was simply not necessary to think so deeply about life such that it required dexterous hands and a quick left and right hemisphere.
Losing feeling of this nervous-system completely causes suicidal thoughts and depression we believe, gaining feeling of this nervous-system awakens you to pains that you have equally been ignoring.
We of J hope that the drugs of your world may soon help the common man or woman make contact with their inner world.
For those who are very interested in this nervous system, we of J are currently working with our instrument such that he may explain how you can awaken it with will-power predominantly.
If you have any questions about the 'anaerobic nervous system' as we are calling it, please do ask.

Two years ago, I took a part-time job that still haunts me to this day. I decided to finally write about my experience, hoping it might help me process everything. I was a college student, and like a lot of you, I needed a part-time job to help cover tuition and other expenses. After a long search, I found what seemed like the perfect job. It was a caregiver position, working from 5 PM to 9 PM, taking care of elderly people. The job was pretty straightforward, make sure they took their meds, had their meals, and just hang out with them for a few hours.
I got assigned to take care of this 85-year-old lady. Let's call her Mrs. Eleanor to keep things anonymous. She lived alone in this quaint little house on the edge of town. The place was old but well-kept, with a charming, slightly overgrown garden that probably hadn't seen a gardener in a few years. She had a small poodle named Max who was always by her side, following her around everywhere she went.
From the start, the house felt... off. There were no family pictures anywhere. I mean, you'd think at her age, she'd have photos of kids, grandkids, maybe an old lover or something. But no, nothing. It was weird. The walls were bare except for a few generic paintings. I asked her about it once, just casually during a conversation, but she brushed it off and changed the subject real quick. She had this look in her eyes, a mix of sadness and something I couldn’t quite place. I didn't push it because I didn't want to lose the job, but it definitely made me curious.
My daily routine was simple enough. I'd get there around 5 PM, cook dinner, make sure she took her meds, and just keep her company for a few hours. Max, the poodle, was a friendly little guy, always happy to see me, wagging his tail and jumping around despite his age. Mrs. Eleanor, though, was polite but pretty reserved. She didn’t talk much about her past or family, which just added to the mystery. Our conversations were always pretty basic, like talking about the weather or what was on the news.
Every evening, as I cleaned up after dinner, I'd hear Mrs. Eleanor singing a lullaby. It was the same soft, melodic tune every night, echoing through the quiet house. While the song was gentle, it really creeped me out. It felt so out of place in the otherwise silent house. She sang it every night, like clockwork, and it always made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Sometimes, I would find myself pausing my cleaning just to listen. The whole situation was unsettling. The house, the lack of family photos, the nightly lullaby, it all felt like pieces of a puzzle that didn't quite fit together. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a deeper, darker story behind those melodies. It was like the house held secrets that it wasn’t ready to share, and I was just an outsider peeking in.
As the weeks went by, my curiosity grew stronger. Why was she singing this lullaby every night? Who was it for? The routine stayed the same, but the sense of unease kept building. I had been given strict instructions by my employer not to go into Mrs. Eleanor's room. It was one of the non-negotiable rules of the job, probably to respect her privacy and maintain professional boundaries. One evening, while I was cleaning the dishes, I noticed that the door to Mrs. Eleanor's small office was slightly opened. She had always kept it closed and had told me it was just a mess she didn't want me to fuss around with. But that evening, the door was invitingly open. Hearing her close the bathroom door upstairs, I decided to take the chance and peek inside the office.
The room looked straight out of the 1960s. Blue walls, a small single bed, and a wooden desk cluttered with old papers. There was a small closet to the left that caught my eye. The whole setup struck me as odd. This room, which looked like it belonged to a young boy, was in the home of an elderly woman living alone. There were no pictures, no personal belongings, nothing to explain why this room was here. I couldn't explore more because I heard footsteps right above me, making my heart race. Panicking, I quickly closed the door and hurried back to the kitchen. The rest of the evening went by uneventfully. I gave her the necessary pills, made sure she was comfortable, and left for the night. But I couldn’t stop thinking about that room. Why would she have a boy's room in her house if she had no children? The thought gnawed at me, creating a whirlwind of questions.
The next day, my curiosity got the better of me. I decided to do some research on Mrs. Eleanor. I spent hours online, searching for any information about her. But nothing came up. No social media profiles, no news articles, nothing. Not a single piece of information about her life.
It was baffling and left me with more questions than answers. I returned to work after the weekend, determined to find out more. That evening, as usual, I prepared dinner and ensured Mrs. Eleanor took her medication. Then I waited for her to go to the bathroom. The moment I heard the bathroom door close, I quickly made my way to the office. The room was just as I had left it, with that same lingering, musty smell hanging in the air. This time, I opened the closet. Inside, I found small boxes, stacked neatly but covered in a thin layer of dust. My heart pounded as I opened one to find baby clothes, tiny socks, pants, and sweaters, all meant for a baby boy. They were neatly folded and seemed well-preserved, despite their apparent age. But why would Mrs. Eleanor have these?
The discovery left me with more questions than answers. I went back to making dinner, trying to process what I had found. My mind was racing with possibilities, but none of them made any sense. Was it possible she had a child once? If so, where was he now? That night, as usual, Mrs. Eleanor began singing her lullaby. Normally, this song would send shivers down my spine, creeping me out every time. But this night was different. Instead of fear, I felt a surge of curiosity that I couldn’t ignore. I went upstairs quietly and with each step up, the lullaby grew louder. The door to her bedroom was almost closed but had a small gap, just enough for me to peek through. She always left a gap, saying it was to let Max come and go as he pleased. I peered through the gap and was shocked by what I saw.
There, Mrs. Eleanor was sitting in a rocking chair, gently swaying back and forth. She was holding Max in her arms, cradling him like a baby, and singing softly to him. Next to her was a small wooden cradle, old and worn, as if it hadn't been used in years. She continued her lullaby, her voice soft and melodic, but now it felt more sad than creepy. Her gentle rocking, the way she cradled Max, and the soft melody of the lullaby created an image that was hard to shake. I slowly backed away from the door, not wanting to intrude any further. I went back downstairs, my mind spinning from what I had just seen.
This made me think and start connecting all the dots. Was she pretending her dog was a baby? A baby she never had? I could be wrong, but that would make sense, right? The boy’s room, the baby clothes, no pictures, no husband, no children, just her and her dog, whom she pretended was her own son.
There are many possibilities. Maybe she lost her child during a miscarriage, or the son died somehow. It’s heartbreaking to think about, but I had no way of knowing for sure since there was nothing about her online. I even asked my boss about Mrs. Eleanor, trying to get some information about her past. My boss didn’t know much either, just that Mrs. Eleanor had always been a bit reserved and private. She mentioned that Mrs. Eleanor had experienced some tragic losses and that she was now quite lonely, with some health issues typical for her age, but nothing specific.
I worked out the rest of the week, but everything felt so creepy and intense. The quiet dinners together, the silence in the house, the haunting lullaby, it all felt like I was living in some kind of ghost story. Each night, as I lay in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had seen. The pieces seemed to fit together, but they painted a picture that was too tragic and eerie for me to handle. Even during the day, I found myself distracted, replaying conversations with Mrs. Eleanor in my mind, looking for clues I might have missed. I thought about asking her directly but quickly dismissed the idea. It felt too intrusive, and honestly, I was scared of what I might uncover. There was a part of me that didn't want to know the full story because the fragments I had were already too much.
I noticed more details that added to the unsettling atmosphere. The way Mrs. Eleanor would sometimes pause mid-sentence as if lost in a distant memory, or how she would stroke Max's fur with a faraway look in her eyes. The house itself seemed to hold its breath.
I made my decision, I sent a text message to my boss saying I couldn’t continue with the job and that I was quitting immediately. I didn’t even say goodbye to Mrs. Eleanor. It felt wrong and I knew it was rude, but I just couldn’t bring myself to face her again. The thought of another day in that house, surrounded by haunting memories and unanswered questions, was too much for me to handle.
I felt a mix of guilt and relief. Guilt for leaving without a proper goodbye, for abandoning Mrs. Eleanor when she clearly needed someone. But also relief, knowing that I wouldn’t have to endure another evening of lullabies and unsettling silences. I knew I was being cowardly, but I just couldn’t do it. The experience had taken a toll on me, and I needed to get out. The whole experience was something I couldn’t shake off easily. It made me think a lot about the hidden struggles people face and the ways they cope with their pain. Mrs. Eleanor's story, whatever the full truth was, taught me that sometimes, the past can cast a long shadow over the present.
So, that's my story. It was a job I thought would be simple, but it ended up being one of the most emotionally intense experiences of my life.

Hi guys
I was wondering if anyone who has been fired for reporting something discrimination-related has any advice on finding their next job?
For context, I was working in a marketing-related role in the video game industry, and was fired a few months ago when I raised concerns about pay inequity and harassment. Like I was literally sent home within a few hours, forced to take 1 week involuntary leave, immediately had network access revoked, and was fired at the end of that week. I know that marketing isn’t a “tech” role (and I’m not claiming to be a “woman in tech”) but I really need guidance on how you find another job after this. These are the main things I’m struggling with:

1. Who do you guys list as references when job searching? I don’t think I can use anyone from this company as a reference, but not giving a reference will look suspicious.
2. What do you say in interviews if they ask why you left your previous company?
3. How do you account for the lack of career progression that goes with being a woman in a male-dominated space? I feel really behind in my career from doing work way above my pay grade while being refused actual recognition or visible career progression. I was never promoted (while the men around me were) and I’m anxious competing for jobs against people who had normal career opportunities. Maybe my question is, is there a way I can handle this without taking a job that is way below my skill/experience level?
4. Does anyone have advice for coming across as competent when you are so used to being undermined, micromanaged, refused opportunities etc? My psychologist said that I have internalised this experience as my personal failure, and that I need to internalise a different narrative. I understand this in theory, but it’s really hard in practice. I feel like one of those dogs that was abused by its previous owner and now acts skittish around men and gets scared during thunderstorms*. Like I feel like I can’t go to a normal workplace because I might “give it away” somehow, and people will think I’m weird and damaged. At my previous company, I wasn’t allowed into the office without a designated male chaperone, and I wasn’t allowed to make basic decisions by myself (every tiny detail had to be approved by a male coworker). I know these things aren’t normal, but I'm so used to having to be deferential that I don't know what is normal.
5. I'm currently thinking I'll do a postgrad degree so that I have something on my CV that is more recent than this job. Has anyone done this (either after being fired, or in general), and did it help?

Thank you all for reading, I really appreciate any and all guidance. Also thank you for your time :)
*I've never owned a dog, maybe all dogs are scared of thunderstorms. I hope this metaphor makes sense.

For a little over 2 weeks, our 2 year old Portuguese Water Dog (boy, 50lb/22kg) has refused to walk outside. Normally we go outside 3-4 times a day on walks ranging from 10-45 minutes. However now its mainly just standing around for 10 minutes before we go back inside. When he does walk, he's very very slow and if there is any resistance on his harness, he freezes (we dont tug or yank on him ever).
We have taken him to the vet to get checked out, tried using a variety of treats, and just about everything else the internet & our trainer can suggest. Longer leash, ignoring him, standing our ground, leading with treats, hype when he moves, and the list goes on.
Even walking with friends and other dogs that he normally is obsessed with — he still refuses to move. The only way we can get maybe 10 minutes out of him is when both my wife and I go outside together but then when he wants to stop, he stops. If we give in and carry him (he's about 50lbs), even a block, he snacks
As far as we can tell he’s a happy boy, loving running around at the park, cuddling at home, hanging out with us — but once we’re outside he will almost always refuse to move at all. It's like theres an invisible barrier between our home and the outside where he changes.
We've been advised to ignore him inside, no treats/toys, and only give him attention and treats/food outside, so we'll try this now.
I’m assuming this is a game or power-move, but we really just don’t want to start dreading going outside with him. I will take him back to the vet on Thursday, while there should I ask for any particular tests or anything? We're really at a loss on what to do, or what to not do, so I'm looking to this community for help.

Hey all, I'm looking for ideas to decorate a movie room. Wondering if anyone had any suggestions.
Does anyone have a good site to commission a neon sign like the one on the show?
I'm not opposed to neon tubing rather than the real thing so Id like to price both.
Also I want to commission a custom rug.
Looking for ideas of what it should say? Drive-In Mutant? The three Bs?
Currently I have several posters from Joe Bob (Signed). I have the Red and Blue 3d skull poster and several pieces from Slasher Design.
I have all of the figures from Fright-rags and the bobblehead from Pall Bearer.
Thank you for any suggestions.

My boyfriend always looks at womens breasts whenever he gets the chance. He will even turn his head when we are walking together on the street. I told him I don’t like when he does that around me. He has done it less recently but I still see it happen. We were watching a TV show and he moved closer to the screen to see the womens boobs, I got upset and brought it up to him again and he said since it’s not “morally” wrong he doesn’t see a problem with it, because it’s a TV show. He’s making me feel bad and saying that I’m trying to change him, but I feel like this is just a simple request he can stop doing out of respect for me. I find it very disrespectful and gross. Imo he’s too old to be doing this, acting like a horny teenager. I don’t want to be with anyone who doesn’t have any self control. We have been dating for a year. The fact that he can’t grasp the principle of the situation is what makes me the most frustrated. Is this normal behavior for men in relationships?

1. Corn - Almost all corn, specifically in the US and Canada is produced by Monsanto seed. This is a man-made corn, which has been genetically modified and/or is a hybrid corn. It’s been processed. This corn was specifically developed by Monsanto to be fed to cows for them to put on fat quickly and grow fast. The more corn you eat, the fatter you get. It’s not the original, as nature intended it to be food. It causes allergic reactions to all degrees. Avoid anything with the word corn in it “Corn syrup solids”, “high fructose corn syrup”, “cornflower”, “corn starch”, “cornflakes”, etc. Look at the ingredients, if it has the word corn then avoid it. Monsanto is an American agricultural biotechnology and agrochemical company that was founded in 1901 by John Francis Queeny in St. Louis, Missouri. The company's products include glyphosate herbicides, crop seeds, and vegetables. Monsanto is best known for its herbicide Roundup, which is based on glyphosate. The company also produces genetically modified seeds, such as those that can tolerate glyphosate, which kills weeds without affecting the crop. What happened to Monsanto? Ethical Consumer
2. Artificial Sweeteners - 2 main ones: Aspartame(nutrasweet) & Sucralose. Stay away from these two. These are found in diet sodas. These fall into a category called exito-toxins. They are chemically addictive. It’s the “new crack”. It affects the neuro-transmitter activity and the serotonin levels in your brain. This means these artificial sweeteners make you anxious, stressed, and depressed. They are in any diet product. If you see “no sugar”, it may be a marketing ploy - they want to convince you it has lower calories and some type of artificial sweetener. You find these. The actual foods or drinks taste horrible, but the aspartame and sucralose make it taste better. Fast food study
   
3. Pork - A pig will eat anything. Scientists now know that whatever the pig eats turns to meat on its bones. The meat you eat puts toxicity in your body.
   
4. Shellfish - More people get sick and/or die from eating “bad” shellfish than any other food group. Many people are also allergic to it more than any other food group. Shellfish isn't just a fish that comes in a shell like a scallop, mussel, lobster, clam, crab. It’s any fish in water that does not have scales and fins. Stay away from anything that comes out of the water with no scales and fins. Catfish has fins but no scales, stay away. Squid/Octopus stay away from. These non-scale/fin animals are called “filters”. They absorb whatever toxins that are in the water and they keep that in their flesh, which is eaten. This is also the law of kashra, the kosher laws - pork and shellfish fall into the kosher law category. It states that you can eat anything on the ground that has a split hoof and chews to cut. Which is why you don’t eat pork. Also, don’t eat anything that doesn’t have a split hoof and chews to cut like a bear(has a paw). States you should eat fish with fins and scales. The Kashrut Laws
   
5. Hydrogenated Oils (Trans fats) - Look on the label. It says hydrogenated oil. These scar your arteries and lead to heart attack. It messes with hormones and affects sleep. Makes you hungrier and fatter. Affects immune system.
   
6. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) - Buy foods that say no GMO’s. The majority of the ingredients have not been modified. With GMO, foods are modified.
   
7. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) - Falls into the same category as artificial sweeteners, it is an exito-toxin. Messes with neuro-transmitter activity, makes you hungrier, makes you thirsty, makes the body store extra fluid in fat cells making you gain weight, bloady, and fat. It increases fat cells and makes them bigger. KFC, Taco Bell, etc all have this.
   
8. Wheat - If you live in Italy, this doesn't apply. Youdon’t want wheat that's come from Canada or USA because it's only been fermented for 48 hours. This is tough because how can you determine that? Duran-wheat means it's from Italy. This is trustworthy. If you can reduce the amount of wheat you consume, you’ll be better off because the majority of wheat hasn't been fermented for 48 hours. Its high gluten wheat, causes types of gas, bloating, allergic reactions, weight gain, etc. Make sure all your pasta comes from Italy (Organic product of Italy). If you make your own pasta, buy flour from italy. Same goes for bread in USA.
   
9. Soy - All over the world. Almost all soy now comes from Monsanto seed. It’s been genetically modified and causes all types of intestinal problems and reduces testosterone. Same with corn, soy is everywhere - “soybean oil”. Soy-bean oil is very cheap. Even if it’s organic,it can still be genetically modified.
   
10. Corn-fed beef & anything dairy that doesn't come from grass fed cows - Stay away from homogenized dairy. Cows eat grass. But in the industry, cows are fed Monsanto genetically altered corn to make them fat and get them to the supermarket quicker. Cows don't eat grain in real life, they eat grass. When a cat is fed corn and grain it will get fatter faster. In the commercial feed that's fed to cows, there is ground up dead cows, horses, other animals that were so diseased they couldn't be put into the food chain. But they'll feed it to a cow which is supposed to be a vegetarian only eating grass. This cow gets diseased as well. Those animals were injected with bovine growth hormones and massive amounts of antibiotics. When you eat beef, your testost. score goes down, you put your body in toxic shock, because of the growth hormone, which makes you fatter. These beefs don't have much CLA which is the acid in the beef that increases testosterone. Buy 100% organic grass fed beef and dairy. Buy raw cheese that comes from France or switzerland.
    

I am looking for a foldable saw that can fit in my knife bag.
Is there something like that? does the blade need to be something specific or i can buy something from ther hardware store?
I understand the challenges of the size making it harder to cut through bones but for what I need this for it will be fine

“Will you look at that,” Captain Yontan marveled from the observation deck. They had arrived in the Solar System at long last, the old bastion of knowledge mankind had abandoned many millennia ago.
“Such a basic tech, yet so beautiful, so… poetic,” Lezlybe uttered, gazing at the constant flux of Sunfire Conduit pulled from the sun to one, two, three relays, and finally to the surface of Pluto, where its energy was being harnessed inside a crater. “And you’re certain that’s where the Ultimate Knowledge is stored?”
“Yes,” Yontan nodded. “Every clue leads to Pluto. Can you imagine? The Ultimate Knowledge, lost for millennia, on this planet out of all places.”
“Ready to descend at your command, captain,” announced Ghenna.
Yontan turned to his crew and smiled. It was the first time they had seen him do that in months. “Hover around the south-south-eastern quadrant of the crater. That’s where the entrance is supposed to be.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Lezlybe’s turned to face the captain, her long black hair swirling around with her.
“Wouldn’t that energy burn us on approach?”
“It might be basic tech, but not that basic, Lez,” said Yontan. “It’s safe up to a distance of 100 meters. Don’t underestimate the intelligence of our ancestors because they built this thing in the distant past. They were as smart as us. Smarter even, in certain aspects, I’m sure.”
“Found the entrance, captain,” said Ghenna. It was a pale peach colored door built on the craterside.
“Land near it, wherever it’s stable.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The ship touched down next to the Hollis Crater. Yontan and four others suited up and left the craft. Before heading for the door, the team stopped to gaze at the Sunfire Conduit from their position. It went up, up, up as far as the eye could see.
Jmerr was awestruck.
“I can’t believe we’re able to look at it with basic sun visors. Do you think our ancestors purposefully designed it like that?”
“Of course,” said Yontan, mesmerized by the spiraling blaze swooshing down the crater. “Aesthetics have always been important, especially since it used to be connected to three planets, two dwarf planets, and eight moons. Many renown painters have depicted the Conduits in their art. Although no physical portraits survived, their works have been well documented over hundreds of books.”
Lezlybe approached Jmerr and put her hand over his shoulder.
“I kind of wish we could hear its thunderous sound. I imagine it’d be a satisfying swoosh, kind of like a blowtorch.”
“You’d be deaf before you’d hear a thing,” laughed Yontan. “We’re speaking of extremely powerful jets coming from a star, after all. I can’t wait to see why they’re pulling so much energy on such a small planet. It’s totally excessive in my view.”
“Maybe it’s not,” said Lezlybe. “Especially if the Ultimate Knowledge is behind this door.”
The team approached the door, a small black panel to its side. Yontan placed a round device on top and, seconds later, it retracted into the ground.
“A Grampus?” frowned Jmerr, even though no one could see his face behind the visor. “Why do you use this old AI?”
“Because I don’t know the code,” explained Yontan as they stepped inside a long hall. “So I brought this device with me to crack the password. Don’t forget that this here is also old tech. Newer devices could break something.” He glanced over his shoulder at the wide-open entryway with the ship not too far behind. “But it looks like the Grampus broke it anyway since it doesn’t slide shut.”
At the end of the wide turquoise hall, another door was easily popped open with Yontan’s device. This time, however, the heavy door closed shut when the last person stepped in.
“I hope we’re not trapped in this small room,” gulped Lezlybe.
“Don’t worry, we can ask someone on board to cut it open if needed,” said Yontan. “After all we –”
PSHHHHHHHH
A burst of gas sprayed them from all sides, followed by a shower of heavy liquid. A few moments after it stopped, the door in front of them opened, and a gentle male voice greeted them.
“Welcome to U.K. ONE. The current air pressure is at 101.3 kilopascals, with a temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius and a humidity level set at 60% RH.”
The voice then proceeded to inform them about the room’s condition among other sets of data.
“I see. We were inside a basic decompression chamber,” muttered Jmerr.
The tallest crewmate, Lessandre, popped his helmet off and took a deep breath.
“Ah, historical fresh air,” he boomed, looking around the oval room. “It brings a tear to my eye.”
“What are you doing?” Yontan shouted. “We don’t know what particles or microorganisms could linger in here.”
“Relax, captain. Tyche analyzed the air and told me it’s fine. Why don’t you all retract your visors and experience this multimillennial-old air? You’ll never have the chance to do that again, you know.”
Yontan checked with his own version of his AI, Tyche, and everything seemed to be fine, so he retracted the visor of his helmet as well, just in time to scratch an itch on his beard. The rest of the crew followed, except for Jmerr.
“Come on, Jmerr. It’s a unique experience, my friend,” beamed Lessandre, tapping on his shoulder.
Jmerr scowled at Lessandre. “I refuse to take unnecessary risks.”
“As you wish,” Lessandre grinned, loudly sniffing the air. “Ahhh. The air in here is exceptionally… how to describe it?”
“Dusty?” Lezlybe chimed in. “I think the auto-clean on the filter stopped working long ago.”
Yontan was ignoring his crew, inspecting the walls of this oval room for clues. But the room was pretty much empty, outside of the air conditioning holes and lights flickering on the ceiling.
“I know there’s another door on the other side of the crater, but that one’s the entrance to the accumulator and workspaces,” he muttered to himself, caressing the wall in the hopes of finding a button or a gap of sorts.
“Is that place also turquoise?” asked Lessandre. “I really hate this color. Reminds me too much of my ex.”
Lezlybe rolled her eyes.
“Then why don’t we go there?” asked Ghenna, who had closed her visor since she didn’t like the smell.
“Because,” began Yontan absent-mindedly while brushing his hands over the wall, “every document points to this place. We’ll check the other site if we don’t find anything here. Now if only I – aha! A button. This might be it.”
Yontan pushed it with his finger. Instead of clicking, like any other button would, his index finger sank completely in. He immediately withdrew it, fearing something might cut his finger off. But the button came back, except it was now white and protruded out of the wall. Yontan hesitantly pressed it.
An oval pedestal emerged from the middle of the floor, gradually rising until it reached chest height. The left side slid open with melodious clicks, and out came a small table with a round black object on it with a sky-blue center. Before they had the time to guess what it was, a hologram rose from it, displaying the head of an old balding man with a lazy eye.
“Greetings, future humans,” said the feeble voice. “And welcome to K.U. ONE. What is your purpose here?”
Yontan glanced at his crew, who gave him a nod and shrugs. He cleared his throat and spoke clearly, “We’ve come here to gain access to the Ultimate Knowledge, which is said to contain the answers to our purpose within the universe.”
“I see. And you are one, two, five. Oh! That is good news, good news indeed. I’ve been waiting for you. Well, not me per se, since I’m long dead, I suppose,” the hologram laughed, “but my digital image. And five? Oh, proof that nothing happens at random.”
Yontan was slightly taken aback.
“Wait. You’re not a simple recording?”
“No, no. I’m enhanced with artificial intelligence. It speaks as I would speak, saying what I asked it to say – with a bit of panache. Now, move to the other side of the pedestal. It will pop open and contain a box.”
The other side popped open, displaying a silver box embossed with gold on the edges. It was beautiful. Lessandre grabbed it and tried to pry it open.
“Tut-tut! You need the key to open the box. I’ll hand it over only of you accept to eat its contents.”
“Eat it?” Yontan uttered in excitement. “Will it alter our brains? Give us the knowledge we yearn for?”
“Not quite. But it is a necessary step.”
“I won’t touch it,” Jmerr stated firmly. “I don’t trust this man. Whatever’s inside, it’s been in there for thousands of years. There’s no way it’s still edible.”
“Oh but it is,” grinned the man. “What do you think the Sunfire Conduit is used for?”
“What?” uttered Lezlybe. “The power of the sun used for… food?”
“Of course, there’s more to it. But a lot of energy is necessary to cool it down to near zero kelvin and keep it that way until it’s very slowly reheated to the ideal temperature for you to savor.
“Now, will you eat its contents or not?”
“Why don’t we bring it back to the ship and study it?” suggested Jmerr.
“The moment you leave the room with the box, its contents will be destroyed, and so will the key to Ultimate Knowledge.”
Yontan exchanged a glance with his crew. Lessandre gave him thumbs up, Ghenna nodded and Lezlybe shrugged. Jmerr was the only one to firmly shake his head.
“Fine, we’ll eat its contents,” said Yontan, upon which Jmerr put his hands up in the air in frustration.
A key appeared from the front of the pedestal. Yonan used it to open the box Lessandre was holding. Five dark-brown spherical objects were neatly placed within fitting molds, resembling the five dots on a die.
“Behold the Five Orbs of Knowledge,” the hologram said solemnly. “I recommend one for each of you.”
Jmerr crossed his arms. “There’s no way I’m touching this.”
“What if someone eats two?” asked Yontan, eyeing Jmerr.
“It would sadden me, even though it might be beneficial to grasp the Ultimate Knowledge.”
Without hesitation, Lessandre popped the middle one in his mouth. Every other crewmate was staring at him. A few bites in, he suddenly froze, eyes wide open. His gaze slowly shifted from Yontan, to Lezlybe, to Ghenna – whose visor was now lowered – and finally stopped on Jmerr.
“Awl eash ‘em bofh,” he rapidly chewed, popping a second one in. “Awl eash ‘em owl ihf you guysh downt.”
Yontan’s hand was shaking as he picked his Orb. Lezlybe and Ghenna also chose one.
“On the count of three,” gulped Yontan, as he noticed the horrified look on Jmerr. “One… two… three!”
The shell of the Orb had a slight crunch, with a rather soft, creamy inner core, gently melting on their tongue. Sweet with a zest of bitterness. Each bite, each movement of their tongue was another moment they savored, dreading the end of this unique flavor. It was an explosion of exoticism, a sensory overload inside their mouth; the richness of the Orb filled their taste buds and souls alike with pure bliss.
Then there was the aroma, dissolving the dusty odor of the room with its arboraceous perfume. It reminded them of Terrestrial woods, now planted across various planets in the Milky Way. Comforting, ancient, nostalgic, and so raw at heart.
Fortunately, this jolly adventure didn’t end after they swallowed it, no, each residue, sticking to the various corners of their mouths, lingered like a fleeting memory soon to disappear forever. Yet it was still there, to grasp with the palm of their hands. But when they tried to, it became vapor, dwindling, yet etched in their brains with such strength it would be impossible to ever forget this moment. Ever.
Their minds were still floating on a cloud of ecstasy when Yontan stared at Lessandre.
“You ate two,” he breathed. “And you,” he turned to Jmerr, “you have no idea what you’ve just missed. It’s… indescribably delectable.” Yontan faced the hologram. “Please, give us one more, for Jmerr. He has to try this… Orb.”
The hologram grinned widely, creasing the old man’s entire face.
“These were the last five. There are no more.”
“WHAT?” everyone shouted at once.
“Th– that’s it? No more?” Yontan’s shoulder slumped. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We could’ve taken it back to the ship and try to recreate it.”
“It’s impossible without the recipe.”
“A recipe? Give it to us, I don’t care about Ultimate Knowledge anymore,” Lessandre laughed.
“But you had two,” Lezlybe scowled.
“And I want more,” he chuckled. “I’ve never felt better in my life. Even two were far too few!”
“Yes, hand us the recipe so we can share it with the rest of the crew,” pleaded Yontan.
The hologram seemed more and more pleased with itself.
“Even if I gave you the recipe you couldn’t make it when the main ingredient’s missing.”
“What’s the main ingredient?” Ghenna asked.
“Cacao. And these were chocolate truffles, which I made myself utilizing the very last cacao beans to ever exist. I’m sorry. You’ll never eat chocolate ever again.”
Jmerr seemed disappointed upon hearing it, especially after seeing how everyone reacted to it.
“B – but… why?” Yontan asked. “Why offer us a delicious treat only to punch us in the gut right after?”
The hologram smiled. “Think. What is your purpose here?”
“To acquire Ultimate Knowledge… But I fail to understand…”
“If my clock is correct, 3622 years have passed since the last human – which is myself – set wheels in this room. 3622 years of technological advancement, of accumulated mastery of various sciences and understanding of the universe. Yet you believe Ultimate Knowledge is to be found in the past?”
The crewmembers looked at each other, dumbfounded.
“So… it doesn’t exist?” suggested Lezlybe. “We’ve come this far for nothing…”
“Haven’t you just experienced the ultimate delicacy of humankind? Therein lies everything you need to know.”
“It’s not about the knowledge,” began Yontan, “but about the experience we savor?”
“Exactly!” Clapping hands appeared in front of the hologram’s face. “Instead of looking for something that may not be, learn to cherish the transient nature of existence through every experience you encounter. Who knows what happens once you’re dead? Constant hesitation leads to a life of lost opportunities. One of you has learned this lesson the hard way, I’m afraid. However, the tall man over there has greatly benefited from this lesson. Balance in all things!”
“No data is ever lost,” snorted Jmerr scornfully. “Death is simply the temporary loss of information until it’s retrieved.”
“The no-hiding theorem,” smiled the hologram. “Of course. But you wouldn’t be here if you could completely determine the state of the entire universe. Thus, my rhetoric stays valid. For as long as this is beyond our grasp – likely until humanity’s extinction – you ought to cherish every experience and lose your fear of consequences within reason.”
The room went silent, the subtle taste of chocolate still lingering in their mouths like the fading words of an old love letter.
“What do we do now, captain?” Ghenna asked shyly.
“Take your new-found knowledge and share it with others,” the hologram said before Yontan could open his mouth.
“So… there really is nothing else here?”
“Nothing at all.”
The hologram fluttered for a moment.
“Were these really the last pieces of chocolate?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you eat them yourself?”
“Because sharing is the quintessential attribute of humanity. And I’m glad to have contributed my part, even though it took several millennia.”
“So why use all that energy from the sun?” asked Lezlybe.
“It’s twofold,” said the hologram. “Partially to keep this chocolate in pristine state, as I said before. You’ll understand the second reason soon enough. Let’s say it’s a parting gift, for that man who hasn’t eaten his Orb.”
“I don’t understand.” Yontan was running his fingers through his hair. “You speak of sharing, yet we won’t be able to share this exquisite experience. There’s no chocolate left.”
“Share the wisdom you’ve acquired. Or perhaps you shall find something unique to share with others as I did. Even the stories of your adv–”
The man disappeared for a few seconds.
“–entures – Ah? We’ve been cut. Soon I shall be free, just like your minds. Swiftly return to your ships, and sail t–”
It flickered again and stopped for nearly ten seconds.
“–he vast empty space to… wherever your heart leads you. Farewell. Fare well indeed.”
The hologram zoomed out to show an old man sitting on a wheelchair, waving both hands. It flickered one last time before completely fading out with a hum.
Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke from everyone’s earpiece.
“Captain, is everything all right?” asked one of the crew left on the ship in a panic.
“Why? Did the entrance crumble down?”
“No, Sir. It’s the Conduit. You need to see this for yourself.”
The crew put on their visors and hurried out of the room, through the hallway, out on the freezing surface of Pluto. They gasped upon staring up.
“The Conduit!” Ghenna uttered.
It was oscillating, slowly shrinking until the last flames swooshed back and forth from the relay to the crater, and then, it retracted entirely.
“It’s… it’s gone…” sighed Yontan.
“The parting gift,” Jmerr sobbed. “He knew. He knew someone might not try out the chocolate truffle, and he purposefully shut down the entire system.”
Lessandre turned to Jmerr. “Consider this your incredible experience. We must be the only humans to ever see this happen in real time.”
“But we can reconnect it, unlike the chocolate, can’t we?” said Lizlybe.
Yontan shook his head. “Do you know of the ancient pyramids in the northern African continent?”
“Yeah…” she hesitated. “Vaguely.”
“Do you know why they’ve never been rebuilt?”
Lezlybe shrugged.
“Because there’s nothing to gain in doing so.” He pointed his finger at the vast expanse above him. “We’ve never rebuilt the ancient pyramids – not due to complexity, but due to loss of time and resources involved without any actual benefit. I’m afraid this is the last time anyone has admired this old tech at work.”
Upon their return on the ship, they told the rest of the crew what inside the U.K. ONE.
“So the Ultimate Knowledge doesn’t exist?” one of the crewmember asked.
Yontan took one last glance at the crater as the ship took off.
“I believe it does,” he beamed, looking at the bemused faces of his crew. “Not here.” He gently tapped his temple. “But here.” His hand rested on his chest. “And there.” His arms were wide open, as if trying to embrace his whole crew at once. “Acquired wisdom is the Ultimate Knowledge. And the ability to share experiences with others is our greatest gift.”

I really like how my legs look in jeggings but unless I wear an oversized shirt I hate how visible my junk is. Bar fully tucking does anyone know anything out there that helps conceal the shape of your d**k for these kinds of clothes? Feel like it must be a thing but not sure what to look for. Thanks

So before these last couple weeks, I had only ever played ME2, with my disk copy of ME1 being broken so the game would crash when arriving at the Citadel for the first time. But after playing Andromeda, I couldn't help feeling after 60 hours and 96% completion, that I just played 3 different games.
Let me explain.
The first game was personally my favourite. Arriving at Habitat 07, finding the Nexus in it's unfinished state, arriving at EOS and exploring the failed outposts and experiencing a limited progression until you progress the planet's story further. I loved how the wider world was cut off by high radiation that kept my exploration limited to a managable amount initially. I loved how once I set up the colony, I got to decide what type of colony it was (I picked Military for obvious reasons), and even got an awesome cutscene of the prefabs and shuttles landing on the planet. I loved how soon after fixing the vault, things started to improve, more of the map opened up, SAM gave me a run down of what was now available and the environment seemed to change visually.
This set up my assumptions for the rest of game quite high and I was all for it. However, things quickly changed after going to the second habitable planent. Aya.
Suddenly I've been thrown onto a small accessible hub area with no planetary exploration, and instead been presented with fish lipped, bug eyed, wannabe Twi'leks. I am no longer in my explore, adapt, overcome mind set and I'm suddenly brought into a "Gotta make these new aliens like me unlike the other group of aliens" mind set. This is in itself isn't terrible as it varies the gameplay and the story, however the game NEVER returns to the previous experience that I was greatly looking forward to, but I pressed onwards with the hope that my EOS experience would continue.
I was wrong.
More systems were now made accessible (Despite the Nexus saying that their probes only reached as far as Aya's system), so naturally I checked, did the repetetive task of going from planet to planet with a roughly 20% payout of either 270xp or a mineral vein visable from space that gives less than a single mineral node you find planetside, and then proceeded to Havarl. My hopes remained high as the map appeared small and the Nomad wasn't usable, and 2 of the 3 remnant towers were already activated, massively bringing down the amount of busy work I had to do. I didn't consider this as a planet to colonize and instead treated it like a large hub area with a few story progression quests, like finding our lovable gay Turian spectre Avitus and getting the first clues as to the status of the other 3 Arks. I did the Vault, established a research outpost with the Angaran's and was satisfied.
Then I moved onto Vauld.
Up to this point and a little more, I had believed that my EOS experience would return now that I had Aya and Havarl out of the way. When I landed on Vauld, I loved the atmosphere. It was dark, cold and clearly had something for me to achieve. My first thought while walking through the snow (aside from wondering why there was a pilot telling me he was ready to assault the enemy stronghold once I gave the go ahead), was "Wow, I can't wait to see how things change once the vault is active, I bet the ice is going to melt gradually and you'll see the ground underneath". Suffice to say my Vauld experience peaked after leaving the resistance base, approaching the 2 Angaran's standing outside and looked down at the large open area for me to explore. And with my hopes still high, explore I did. However this was the first major sign that things had changed.
There was no longer locked progression, waiting for me to restore the vault (Unlike EOS which had lvl 1 and lvl 3, Valud only had lvl 1 and lvl 2 which only stifled exploration but didn't directly prevent it). There was no awesome cutscene or meaningful choice once I established my outpost. There was no visual change except for somewhat clear skies, and I really had no reason to come back to the planet afterwards except to complete quests I was too lazy to do straight away, or continue missions that brought me back. At this point it was clear that my assumptions of the game were incorrect and the experience I enjoyed from EOS would not be returning.
Then we moved onto Kadara, the planet I hate the most. I landed into another hub area, again with no accessible exploration area, but unlike Aya, this planet had one that was separated by a loading screen. Sloane was a bitch and I questioned how the Angara here had been mingling with the Milky Way exiles for the last 14 months, yet our landing on Aya was apparently first contact with the Angaran's who were already associated with our lovable rogue.
Again, planet exploration disapointed me, except this time there was even less than Vauld. Now the only environmental hazard was sulfur water which was practically an insta kill if you so much as touched the water with your toe. I did the usual, went to every forward base, collected every mission and task, completed the story progression and then resolved the conflict that would allow me to get an outpost down. And despite Vauld giving me little reason to return after, Kadara gave me even less! With the only reason to return being follow ups of other missions and loyalty missions. But hey at least the water no longer kills you. I guess that's "progression".
And to my dissapointment, Havarl was actually considered an Outpost/Colony, meaning the last place I had to go to was Elaaden. The second Desert planet (Though this one is hot instead of radioactive), the home of the exiled Krogans, and another planet where the Angaran have an established presence and have been in contact with the exiles for 14 months with Ryder being first contact 14 months later. Though I was just glad to finally find out where Drak had apparently come from ever since he mentioned moving with his clan after leaving the Nexus and being found on EOS, despite his clan being firmly established in Elaaden.
Like Vauld and Kadara. I drove around without any temporary limitation. Got the forward bases. Collected the quests and met the bitch in charge (In Elaaden there are actually 2 bitches in charges, though only 1 of which you can actually get rid of and replace). I did the story progression, resolved the local problems, watched an epic battle between 2 Krogan that I had absolutely no influence over (Couldn't even decide who to put incharge of New Tachanka like I could do with Kadara port), and just as quickly as I arrived at Elaaden, I had left. Leaving the Arks and Meridian to resolve.
Resolving the arks were a little dissapointing. I had hoped to recover the Arks, expand options for colonization, gain more quests and give me more reason to explore. Instead all I ended up with was 2 functional arks. A loss of about 25% of the Turians, Asarians and Salarians that came to Andromeda and not a single original Path Finder on the Nexus. And despite in game dialogue mentioning that the retrieval of the Arks had allowed for construction to continue on the Nexus, there was no visual changes of the Nexus which remained in the same half built state since the start of the game (When I saw Nexus levels, I had incorrectly believed that each time the level increased, the Nexus would gradually be completed).
And then there was Meridian, which was actually a Remnant space station/city that you needed to bring back online. At this point it was felt like the 3rd game had come into effect. While the first game had great exploration and colonization, while the 2nd game felt like a more tedius version of ME1 with less meaningful choices and plot, and more filler. And now we've moved onto the 3rd game, which is a massively rushed attempt at "ending" the game and giving some minor rewards/punishments for choices you've made through the mid game and the end boss fight being a partial Architect fight filled with many remnant forces, which follows a "warthog run" populazised by the final mission of Halo Combat Evolved.
There is nothing reflective of the rest of the game in the final missions, and after the final mission, the epilogue sets up or leaves unanswered questions that would have/should have been answered in DLC or a Sequal.
These being:
Qaurian Ark (Probably chased by 1 or more Reapers that escaped by the Crucible destroying everything)
Removing the Scourge (Implied that it could be removed in Meridian, but then never brought up again)
Uncovering the Benefactor (Likely The Elusive Man or The Shadow Broker (Could be Liara or the previous one))
Turning outposts into Colonies
Construction of Port Meridian
Fixing Ryder - 01 (Previously Habitat 07)
The Ancient AI (Disapears after the Hyperion gets stolen)
Waking Ryder's mother
Restoring Communication with the Milky Way (They questioned why communication wasn't open after setting the nexus up)
Connecting the Engine (Meridian) to the Remnant City and activating all Vaults remotely
Primus informing the Kett Empire about what's happened in the Heleus cluster
And probably a few other smaller that I can't recall at this time.
So there it is. Why does the game feel like 3 different games in 1 package? Why did the game peak at EOS and then slowly decline for the rest of the game?
I look forward to discussions in the comments.

I'm at a loss here. I'm trying to figure out what to do about my itchy skin following showers. First off, I have sensitive skin. I used to breakout very easily and had a skin allergy, over the years that allergy has lessened and in some cases doesn't bother me at all. I continue to use gentler products on my skin, I lotion everyday especially after showers or baths. But lately, nothing works when it comes to the itchiness my skin experiences after a shower or bath. The itching could last for an hour to all day.
I recently moved to the Tacoma area in Washington and I'm 32 weeks pregnant with my first child. Ever since moving here I have experience extreme itching all over my legs and some parts of my upper body. First, I tried Cera Ve Extreme Itch Relief and even put it in the fridge for a cooking affect on my skin. That didn't help. I'd even put ice packs on my skin to stop myself from itching. It was only a temporary relief solution. I looked up at home solutions and if my pregnancy could be a factor. Online suggested it could be the humidity in the air (or lack thereof) so I got a humidifer that I run every night. It also said pregnancy could trigger eczema. At my OB, appointment, I spoke to my physician who thought it could be an allergy and gave me medicine. She also suggested using Aveeno's Oatmeal bath packets followed by their lotion. Despite having taken those pills for several weeks and using the Aveeno products, I'm still severely itchy. I looked again online and saw that the hard water from my home could be a factor. The landlord will not allow me to add a water softener system to the home so I purchased a shower head filter which I installed. However, after showering again, I was still itchy all over and it feels like bugs biting me. It's not a type of itch that I can simply ignore. It's almost painful and I'm forced to scratch.
Does anyone have any help? Any other ideas?
Products I use: ALL Free and Clear washing detergent, Dove Shea butter soap bar, Aveeno Oatmeal Lotion, Passion and Beyond Deep Clean Cooling Shampoo and Conditioner, and Palmers Cocoa Butter lotion and oil for my growing belly.
TIA!

How can we stop going around in circles with these corrupted nihilists? (basically an extreme religious-nut but in reverse; no meaning, no value, no good/bad, nothing matters) I've compiled some of my thoughts/comments.

But first If you are not caught up yet:
1 Re: Vegan Gains ...The Militant Vegan Raffaela Interview - (May 12, 2024)
2 Vegan Gains is a sub-Jerkivest [5/11/24]
3 Moral Realism Debate w/ Inmendham - (May 16, 2024)
4 WTF #899: The vegan gains debate ... Value realism - (May 19, 2024)
5 Vegan Gains ...Denialism is the only nihilism [5/19/24]
also saw this Controversial Topics with Vegan Gains (Horse Riding, Bivalves, Depression, and much more!) - (May 11, 2024) ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ (he thinks in terms of some dogmatic religious brain-rot morality source of right/wrong, but a kind of reversed/opposite conclusion of it's absence, nihilism)
the very reason religion was invented in the first place was because humans by nature had a value-engine driving them & NEED for meaning, that's the irony. value gave rise to religion, religion never needed to grant value. The fact people can't grasp this. 🤦 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Now onto the various arguments, sorry how long and out of order it is But the idea is to provoke you coming up with better ideas/arguments, and if you can critic and strenghen my and ultimately inmendham's arguments. The GOAL should be to Create a formal argument AKA a syllogism, modus ponens. Something clear and concise that can't be taken out of context or misinterpreted, as happened with the debate...

On the subject of Efilism, tread lightly, the philosophy and argument extends beyond merely focusing on suffering; it also includes the critical issue of consent violation. Its proponent and creator, Inmendham, argues for value realism, which contrasts starkly with the notion of subjective morality which I find illogical. While objective morality is full of baggage... often linked to outdated religious doctrine so on face value it's not fun or easy subject to broach... many contemporary non-religious ethicists ground it in realism. Personally me, inmendham and others see no use for the term "morality" as it's tainted. value-realism is the subject. Is it a value-laden universe or not?
it is not necessary to call TRUE/REAL right or wrong Objective, because if objective is defined as mind-independent than without minds there's nothing right/wrong to happen to, therefore THE discussion should be just regarding what is TRUE or NOT, subjective doesn't necessarily mean mere contrived opinion or preference but can be logical conclusion, e.g. you can conclude 2 + 2 = 4 as we understand these concepts of numbers to model reality but can you call it objective or mind-independent 2 + 2 = 4, or that math exists? Not really. As you require a modeler to model reality, an observer to make the observation, a mind to come to such accurate conclusions. To me, claiming there is no real right or wrong is akin to asserting that moral standards and ultimately the subject of Ethics is as fictitious as religion or Santa Claus, you just believe it cause you want to or have preference to. Why maintain this pretense if it's all a mere fabrication / contrivance?
Regarding subjective judgments such as determining "What's the tastiest potato chip or the most beautiful painting?", these are not factual assessments about the things themselves, The question itself is misleading, because the thing itself has none of those qualities objectively, Instead, such qualities are OUTPUTs generated by the interaction of our bodies and minds with these INPUT items, the input is quite arbitrary/irrelevant, unlike the highly meaningful & distinct output generated of positive or negative experiences. You might get off more on certain female body part than another, it doesn't matter, the output positives & negatives is more or less same among individuals and that's what's relevant... not what specific fun or hobby gets you or them off or pushes their buttons.
It can be TRUE that a certain food item is the tastiest to that personal individual, or gross to another, and we can talk about intersubjective truths with averages overall. But one's experience of what is tastiest for them doesn't contradict another's, they can both be true for them individually, as you are likely not even sharing the same exact experiences to judge differently. And one's very perception or framing of the experience changes the experience itself, no way around this truth. Some people find bricks tasty or edible, just how their brain is wired.
It's important to recognize that differing opinions of personal taste do not inherently conflict in the way ethical contradictions do. With ethical matters, asserting that two diametrically opposed views are equally valid is problematic, either one is right and the other wrong, or both might be based on flawed reasoning. Pretending 2 opposing ethical views can be both equally right/true/correct is utter contradictory mush, either one of them must be right / wrong, or both are contrived meaningless nothing opinions, just made up. you wouldn't say whether one believes in god or not IS mere personal opinion/preference and such 2 opposing views can be equally right at same time, that's utter contradictory nonsense, by saying 2 opinions that gRAPE is both good & bad at same time are equally right opinons, right loses all meaning and you might as well say neither is right and both are wrong, they each have their own contrived fairytale delusion.
Now with Ethics of right / wrong, it does not depend on one single individual's preference or opinion, but taken as the whole, if you violate one without consent you still have to account for that since you are seemingly putting the weight on the preference otherwise preferences are utterly meaningless and irrelevant.
ALSO, Do you call whatever you prefer what's right, or do you prefer to try to do what is right?
Do you prefer to seek out what is the right most accurate conclusion given all the facts of reality, or contrive right to be what's in your preference/interest or personal gain?
I don't think VG or most these talking heads understand value-realism (problematic events within subjectivity/a non-physical but REAL reality of the mind). Obviously there's no objective divine or otherwise prime-directive moral-rules we must follow. Unfortunately Religion has poisened the conversation so much with archaic ideas and mushy terms like 'Morality'. Understand there is no 'moral truth', let alone an objective one, ofc if you pigeon-hole me or all realists into defending such nonsense it's easy to refute them. What I'm interested in is subject of Ethics, and to start whether or not value/problematic events exist or do not exist.
Here's a silly question by nihilists: "why is suffering bad?"
Response: How do you identify suffering? Based on the fact that it feels bad. (Yes subjectively) Just as we can subjectively understand 2+2 = 4
Or this: "prove suffering bad, objectively"
Also question-begging, obviously it is subjective. If such badness cannot exist mind-independently by definition.
"Prove suffering is bad, objectively"
is begging the question, because...
It strawmans / assumes the badness must be bad mind-independently, it isn't therefore, it isn't bad.
Answer this, evolutionarily do animals PERCEIVE being tortured skinned alive nail in the eye as BAD, or does it impose torture which we RECOGNIZE and define as Bad by definition?
If true PAIN/torture isn't bad then why does it exist evolutionarily? Answer: (problem -> solution) mechanism which functions as ability to learn & improved survival, this mechanism was reinforced over time as it worked.
inmendham & realists like myself argue: it is the case Descriptively, Objectively evolution IMPOSED Prescriptive-value-judgements onto animals which function as a learning/problem solving mechanism. Fact is, the invention of 'PROBLEM' is something I/we/animals had nothing to do with... (no-free-will-choice) but are simply byproduct in observation of this fact.
If real PROBLEM(s) didn't truly exist then Arguably the word and conceptual understanding it points 👉 to wouldn't exist either. As if beings could be truly blind never seeing colors/vision yet pulling the idea out of thin air and conceiving of such a thing, how preposterous, that'd be giving human creativity/imagination way too much credit. The only nihilist argument then is that by evolution we & all feeling organisms are somehow ultimately deluded or have illusion of problem where there is none, which I find deeply implausible. Run the torture study/experiment a million times putting people's arm in the fire "yep still bad". Filtering out people who lack ability to feel pain of course.
As evolutionary biologists even states pain is a message to the animal "don't do that again". Can't get descriptively prescriptive more than that.
Are You Getting It?
The Ought is literally baked in as an IS. The is-ought gap to be bridged is a complete Red-Herring, yes you can't derive an Ought from an IS, because if you oughtn't do something, then it can never be BAD... problematic/BAD/torture can't mean anything if it doesn't scream OUGHT-not.
All you have to agree to is due to evolution it created torture which is decidedly negative/ inherently BAD, by definition. Otherwise it wouldn't feel bad or be torturous at all... THEN ask yourself, how can something be BAD yet it's not BAD to create that BAD?
This is Checkmate. These are irrefutable Facts & Logical deductions.
So much for it all being false-perception, the very fact placebo patients perceive an otherwise harmless laser as BAD/painful makes it so. It's the TRUE reality in their mind and you can't deny that fact. It's also a fact believing a pain isn't really all that bad can make it so, but this doesn't make these value-laden experiences NOT real/true.
As per evolution, your body/brain's mechanisms must generate & impose a prescriptive-value-judgement / problematic event within your mind,
It's nagging, complaining, telling you keeping your hand on the hot stove is a mistake/problematic/bad. (not in itself but as a consequence)
I believe this brain making me write all this... is making an accurate assessment when it observe certain events to be problematic/bad where it's happening which is within subjectivity, where's your evidence my perceptions are fooling me or I'm somehow deluded? I witnessed the crime take place and you were nowhere near the crime scene yet you have the authority to claim otherwise as fact? (You are not simply agnostic to my problem suffering but a De-nihilist)
Once one accepts this evolutionary fact we can move on to more complicated questions regarding ethics, like how do weigh the good & the bad, conflicting preferences, etc. Otherwise, it's all pointless & futile, like arguing bivalves or wild-suffering with a non-vegan. They're just not on that level yet and it's a waste of time.
revised version of my other comment: I believe that many discussions around morality miss a crucial point about value-realism, which acknowledges problematic events within subjectivity, a non-physical but real reality of the mind. It is evident that there are no objective, divine, or prime-directive moral rules we must follow. Unfortunately, religion has muddied the conversation with archaic ideas and terms like 'morality'.
There is no 'moral truth,' especially not an objective one. If critics pigeonhole realists into defending such notions, it becomes easy to refute them. My interest lies in ethics and whether value/problematic events exist.
Consider this question by nihilists: "Why is suffering bad?"
Response: Suffering is identified because it feels bad, subjectively. Just as we subjectively understand 2+2=4, we can recognize suffering through its unpleasant experience.
When asked to "prove suffering is bad, objectively," this is question-begging, as the question assumes that the badness must exist independently of minds, which it does not by definition. This question straw-mans the issue by requiring mind-independent badness, ignoring the subjective nature of suffering. As if the quality of it being BAD must be granted by something outside the experience itself.
Evolutionary Perspective: Animals perceive and react to torture (e.g., being skinned alive) as bad because evolution has imposed mechanisms that signal harm. Pain serves as a problem-solving mechanism, reinforcing behaviors that enhance survival. If pain and suffering weren't inherently problematic, they wouldn’t exist in the form they do.
Realists like myself argue that evolution has objectively imposed prescriptive-value judgments on animals. The concept of 'problem' or 'bad' arises from these evolutionary mechanisms, not from free will. The existence of these concepts indicates the reality of these problematic experiences.
If real problems didn’t exist, neither would the concepts describing them. This is akin to how beings blind from birth wouldn’t conceive of color. Suggesting that evolutionary processes have universally deluded all feeling organisms into perceiving problems where there are none is implausible.
As evolutionary biologists state, pain signals to the animal, "don't do that again," which is descriptively prescriptive. The 'ought' is embedded within the 'is.' Thus, the is-ought gap is a red herring because prescriptive judgments are evolutionarily ingrained.
Again, How do you identify suffering? Based on the fact that it feels bad. (Yes subjectively) Just as we can subjectively understand 2+2 = 4
All you have to agree to is due to evolution it created torture which is decidedly negative/ inherently BAD, by definition. Otherwise it wouldn't feel bad or be torturous at all... THEN ask yourself, how can something be BAD yet it's not BAD to create that BAD?
Conclusion: By acknowledging that evolution created inherently negative experiences like torture, we accept that these experiences are bad by definition. Denying the badness of creating bad experiences is contradictory. Therefore, once recognizing the true reality of subjective experiences, only then we can move on to complex ethical questions about weighing good and bad and addressing conflicting preferences.
playing devil's advocate let's try Steelman their position and then arrive at the logical conclusions of it and then perhaps refute it. If they say: "veganism = right" realize there is no contradiction IF by 'right' they just mean it's literally nothing but their preference...
There's no goal to prefer to know/do what's right, RATHER what's right is whatever matches our personal preferences, so unlike flat earther vs round earth beliefs/CLAIMs which can contradict/conflict with each other since either 1 is right or both are wrong. Individual tastes don't.
Whereas if VG says 9 people gRAPE the 1 kid for fun is WRONG because he's a threshold-deontologist but Also RIGHT to a hedonistic utilitarian, Those views only contradict/conflict if they are making VALUE-claims or recognizing a problematic event take place. However, with VG apparently he would have to say he's not claiming or labelling anything as TRULY problematic at all but merely describing his preferences like flavor of ice cream...
Now, of course, as the realist, I find such a view more deplorable/worse than if they were merely agnostic on right/wrong. Cause it's one thing to say there's a right answer to questions of Ethics but we have no objective scientific basis to determine it yet or lack knowledge VS saying they have knowledge there is absolutely no right or wrong.
Under Anti-realism nihilism, what they mean by wrong/right, is just their preference, if I understand correctly (which I'm quite sure) Anti-realism nihilism reduces the Subject of Ethics down to nothing but you or someone else pontificating/opining (i.e "me no like torture") . It defends some sort of expressivism, emotivism, normative, prescriptive reduction of Ethics. Which I find lubricious and has to be a mistake,
I don't see anyone playing any different game even the nihilists invest their money and plan ahead for self-interest, no one truly signs up for torture for fun like it's no problem, and runs away from pleasure happiness as bad. Further, it stands to reason... since we can recognize objectively evolution created a punishment mechanism to enforce learning and survival, BAD/PROBLEM as a concept is something I/WE/Animals had nothing to do with. We didn't invent it, we recognize it and respond accordingly. Even evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins stated that pain is a message to the organism 'don't do that again!'
We must address further the flawed logic of VG and other nihilists reducing Ethics down to mere arbitrary preferences like potato chip flavor, or how much salt you prefer in the soup. As it is completely disanalogous & dishonest upon reflection. QUOTE: "There's no arguing against Efilism, it's just personal opinion. Like arguing what tastes better... ice-cream or potato chips?"
Say if you believe that the mona-lisa is beautiful, and I personally find it ugly, this conflicts/contradicts nothing because it claims nothing in terms about that object or reality outside of our own minds.
such qualities are OUTPUTs generated by body/mind from these INPUTs, the input is quite arbitrary/irrelevant, unlike the highly meaningful & distinct output generated of positive or negative experiences.
it doesn't matter what specific fun or hobby gets them off or pushes their buttons in order for it MATTER, those differences don't make it any less real OR all mere subjective opinion. the output positives & negatives is more or less same among individuals and that's what's relevant...
It can be TRUE that a certain food item is the tastiest to some personal individual, or gross to another, one's experience of what is tastiest for them doesn't contradict another's, they can both be true for them individually because it is the reality in their mind, Some people find bricks tasty or edible, just how their brain is wired.
while one person may find a certain food delicious, another may find it repulsive, without invalidating each other's experiences because they are true for them individually. both experiences are valid/correct.
However, actions that disregard another's negative experience invalidate their reality. if you find being boiled alive problematic and I do it anyway believing it's ok, I am invalidating your experience as either not real, relevant, doesn't matter, or my preferences are more important (carry more weight) than yours. Or simply believe it's ALL equal or arbitrary and I just prefer to exploit you so I do that.
Positive or negative experiences are largely consistent among people, making them relevant, regardless of the specific stimuli. Individual truths about taste or preference coexist without contradiction, reflecting each person's value-generated reality.
This cannot honestly be applied to one's mere opinion it's fine to boil kids alive, as you are invalidating the fact that it matters to those victims. You saying it doesn't matter or your gain of pleasure outweighs their loss of pain, is a claim about the reality of events going on in their mind, so there is room for conflict/contradiction. They can't both be right/wrong at the exact same time.
A strong non-intuition argument/claim & facts presented render value-nihilism implausible:
It is Descriptively the case, that Evolution IMPOSED Prescriptive-ought statements... of 'PROBLEMATIC sensation/event' on organisms which functioned as a learning mechanism and improved survival.
Therefore, BAD/PROBLEM isn't mere subjective opinion but something I/we/animals had nothing to do with and are mere by-product reacting to an observation.
This is pretty much the only base-axiom needed to ground my own torture as mattering as the original actual value-currency at stake. That paired with the fact I sampled consciousness and know it matters to me whether or not I am tortured, the fact that I personally observe it as problematic makes it the true reality for my own mind...
...AND it's not mere opinion/proclamation / or idea humans creatively invented out of thin air... as if like everyone could be truly blind yet conceptualizing colovision, makes no sense. plus that's giving humanity way too much credit of imagination.
Can't really have thoughts about information that you don't have. The concept of bad/problem arguably wouldn't even exist if it never was so.
Yes, I agree very semantics. I am attempting to shed clarity on this topic. Looking at the word "BAD" purely in a descriptive sense (e.g., that which can be categorically applied to extreme suffering) it loses all meaning if it's not truly consequential (i.e., it matters whether one experiences bad or not). If it doesn't actually matter ("no problemo") then it can't be bad, only an illusion/delusion of it, yet it's an effective one evolution imposed on organisms as a learning/problem-solving mechanism. The value-realists like myself have every reason to believe evolution created the real thing, not some contrived pseudo-problem organisms feel compelled/obligated to solve.
One only requires the axiom of a Descriptive Bad to ground Ethics. Why? Because it can be argued that a descriptive statement of BAD/problem is prescriptive by it's very nature in the meaning the of word/language.(otherwise its psuedo-bad/fake langauge, redefines bad as aversion/mere preference against) Otherwise, it can't mean anything to be bad, torturously obnoxious, unwanted experiential events couldn't mean anything. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins even state pain is a punishment signal/message to the animal: "Don't do that again!" If those aren't prescriptions imposed, then I don't know what is. The animal doesn't simply decide/prefer to avoid the event and finds it bad, it's told/finds it bad and so prefers to avoid the event/problem. If god or there were some logically or physically possible way it were to be invented how else would it exist?, or what you think evolution's reward & punishment mechanism accomplished? If it didn't synthesize problematic sensations to force organisms to solve?
Evolution prescribes Needs/wants, at the same time imposes a PAIN/PROBLEM of starvation/hunger which by it's very nature is a prescription for solution (i.e. sustenance/relief/comfort.)
By the very nature of "PROBLEM" it prescribes -> "SOLUTION" not merely a contrived or trivial-like on paper math problem, but the origin of why the word even exists: the problem of pain, a true whip/punishment mechanism, real currency to play with, real loss. Idk how you can describe something categorically as a PROBLEM in the true sense of the word if it doesn't come with it a necessary prescription for its solution. Because if there is no NEED for a solution, then it turns into no longer a problem again...
I don't see how it could be any other way because if there's no real game to be playing with value baked into it, then money would be worthless/not even exist, animals wouldn't bother evade standing in the fire, etc.
Saying It is Descriptively the case, that Evolution IMPOSED Prescriptive-ought statements... of 'PROBLEMATIC sensation/event' on organisms which functioned as a learning mechanism and improved survival.
Is the same as saying Evolution IMPOSED torture/BAD, as that's what torture/bad is... a prescribed need for solution to a problem which is some form of relief/comfort.
The prescription arises as a result of accepting step 1. (which nihilists reject/deny) problem solution. The latter does not follow/exist without the former. basic 2+2 = 4 logic. There's no point figuring out the answer to the math equation, if we don't agree first and foremost a problem exists. Nor how to solve a disease, if we don't first and foremost recognize a disease exists. And so, Any debate with nihilists on step 2: of determining what is the most likely solution / right answer becomes irrelevent and a waste of time. Arguing about whether x or y IS the right answer to fixing/preventing diabetes is pointless when they don't even agree the really disease exists. They don't believe an actual real BAD / Problem exists.
VG reduces it down to mere preferences, his reasonings that even if universally sentience prefers not suffebe tortured... Well, just because it is the case descriptively we prefer to avoid suffering doesn't mean we ought/should prevent suffering. He hasn't bridged the IS-OUGHT gap. But he got it backwards,
the claim/argument... ISN'T that because descriptively, sentience universally has a preference to avoid suffering, it is therefore bad,
the claim/argument... IS that it's descriptively bad/problematic, therefore universally there's a deductively logically assigned preference to avoid it,
Again you can't classify/label something as a problem if it's inconsequential whether it is solved or not. The word loses all meaning. If something NEEDs solving/fixing it means there's a problem, if there's a problem it means there's something NEED solving/fixing. Evolution manufactures these needy problems in organisms to manipulate and control them.
Merely what our preferences are IS NOT relevant, preference "frustration" arguably IS. (if preferences couldn't be frustrated "i.e., no value" than it wouldn't matter which way things turned out)
You can have a preference for some art style over another, if we were just programmed non-feeling robots that preferred to avoid standing in the fire, but there was no real kernel of value/bad, then it wouldn't matter.
Let's imagine something was Objectively PROBLEMATIC, an IS statement. What would a real problem look like? something in NEED of a solution. Again, why? because If it doesn't matter whether or not it exists or is Solved or not, it could never be a problem in the first place. So either this problem exists or it doesn't. (NOTE: it doesn't need to be an objective problem to be REAL, "i.e mind-independent")
Next, if ASI or sentient beings were to sample this "problem", would it not be the case they would logically deduce it's in need of a solution? And assign their preferences accordingly to solving it? Cause again otherwise then you just see it as "no-problemo" again.
"If Inmendham's argument is that sentient beings create value, and that the universe has no value without the presence of a sentient being generating it, would it not follow that the ought is inherently built into sensation?" yes but the way VG unfairly reframes it is that we subjectively place value on it, THAT it's entirely subjective, like you prefer salty or sweet, or certain ice cream flavor. emphasizing that it's entirely subjective opinion. Take a look at his unfair silly example: "we can't say pineapple on pizza is objectively tasty or not..." this shows a complete ineptitude in grasping the subject and misrepresenting the argument like crazy, no one is arguing whether Mona Lisa is objectively beautiful or some such thing.
What is being argued: the positive or negative mind-dependent event produced in response to the sensual or perceptual stimuli, the input (object) is irrelevant, only the output (experience) matters and what the value-engine (BRAIN) produced. What pushes your buttons so to speak, blue jelly beans or green jelly beans, could differ between 2 individuals but the shared experience is the same more or less. Whether you wired to find pineapple on pizza tasty or gross is irrelevant, some people find bricks edible.
Main issue is they talking past each other: what inmendham is arguing for was either not expressed as best it could be, and/or VG does not quite comprehend what is being argued... inmendham claims/argues evolution created the real bad/PROBLEM and we respond in recognition of this fact/truth with preferences that follow accordingly, Logic cannot be escaped, once you know 2+2 = 4, you can't will or believe it to be 79. If you know the right answer "torture be Bad M'kay?" obviously you won't act or behave otherwise and say you love it. What could it mean to have a preference against experiencing torture... does such a statement even make any sense? All that is required is a real BAD to exist... and then the preference to avoid it logically follows, an inescapable truth. Unless he thinks I also choose or prefer to believe 2+2 = 4 ?
Essentially VG keeps counter-arguing that: "yes we want to avoid torture, but that's just your preference... just cause universally sentience has a preference against torture (a Descriptive / IS statement) doesn't logically follow some Normative/Prescriptive claim/statement. That just because something IS the case it doesn't follow that we OUGHT / should do X, like help others, prevent suffering, etc. That's a non-sequitur he says. Ultimately it's just a preference." sure but...
His argument only applies/counters a strawman position in his head: Because of this I and other realists can account for / side-step it completely, we aren't attempting to derive an OUGHT from an IS. e.g strawman: "we ALL have preference against torture, Therefore it's BAD." Or "we ALL have preference against torture, Therefore we OUGHT prevent it"
The actual argument is that it's Truly Bad/Problematic by the very nature of the word, Therefore first-hand observation follows universally a deductively logically assigned preference to avoid it. Not the other way around.
"If the only thing that can have meaning in the universe is the experience of a sentient being, ought we not maximize its value just by nature of its experience being the only thing that can matter?" yes the ought is a further logical extension of recognizing it to be a problem, which denotes/demands a solution, otherwise if it doesn't matter to solve it or not then you've turned it into a non-problem again. So it can only be categorically one or the other.
Issue of semantics, different terminology and definitions: as long as VG defines objective as "mind-independent" and sets the goal-post to the realist to find a mind-independent "wrong/bad" as if somehow we need some divine-command or absolute rule in the universe that declares it so... then there is no fruit to the discussion. suffering/bad takes place in the mind/experience, so of course it's unfair to ask one to present a mind-independent suffering/bad in the universe, it is begging the question. To be fair inmendham uses the term objective and could have done better job with defining/pushing his terms "e.g. objective as truth/real/fact" and not let VG impose in his own. However, I don't ascribe a requirement to demonstrate an Objective BAD to ground a BAD as real, valid, and true; it can be entirely based on Subjectivist grounds/axiomatic foundations.
Just because the BAD takes place within subjectivity doesn't make it any less real (non-physical/immaterial sure... but not unreal). VG and nihilists can't understand this. 2+2 = 4 is subjective as is all science ultimately as a root axiomatic-fact... as an observation requires an observer. This doesn't mean realism can't be proven/grounded, it can just like we can know 2+2=4 and the moon exists. If anti-realism is gonna deny subjective truths because it's subjective, then one can't know much of anything and reduces to solipsism. I am more certain I exist and the reality of "perceived" BAD I experience is actually a real BAD... THAN that the moon even exists or any other scientific empirical claim.
PROBLEM is something I/we/animals had Nothing to do with, we didn't invent it.
If Anti-realism nihilism was True and Real "PROBLEMS" didn't exist the word wouldn't exist. It is like being born never knowing or seeing or experiencing vision & color, it's impossible to contrive or imagine it. Some knowledge & information is only accessible through experience.
Even Richard Dawkins stated, "pain is a message to the animal Don't do that again!"
If the ought exists within subjectivity, as preferences, why would them being Subjective vs Objective determine whether or not their violation matters? If one experiences disgust looking at something AND another finds beauty... both are true realities for them, they don't conflict or contradict like empirical or fact claims, but instead both are correct and relevant, not one or the other, BECAUSE when someone says the mona Lisa is beautiful they are just saying it arises in them a sense of beauty, the thing/input is irrelevant whereas the output in mind is what is relevant and true for their reality.
Subjective =/= not true, I don't understand the dichotomy between objective vs subjective ethics, as if there isn't facts to glean about subjectivity.
There's also definition or semantic problems:
objective (mind-independent) vs subjective (mind-dependent)
Under such definition does it make sense to say Objectively evolution created feeling experiencing organisms having sense of taste, smell, sound, hunger, pain, to survive. So can we apply word objective to mind-dependent experiences or not?
And of course under such definition there is no objective mind-independent ethics as without minds there is no feeling subject of concern to even talk about in first place. So how silly...
Yet they take objective to mean True & Subjective made up or mere contrived opinion.
For me these are semantic word games that distract, I just care about what's fact/true. What many don't get is Even science, math is subjective invention, byproduct of subjective tool of language, doesn't mean we can't create an accurate model and picture of reality.
I believe the Is-Ought gap is a red-herring, sure it's true you can't contrive an Ought from just what IS, but with evolution the OUGHT statement is built-in, it's descriptively a prescriptive value statement imposed on me, I/we/animals literally have nothing to do with it, I'm just by-product an observer. This is key understanding.
There exists no objective or divine commandment "you OUGHT do X" written into the fabric of reality, and therefore if you don't that's Bad, No. That's nonsense/impossible logically.
Rather an Descriptive IS statement of X is a real bad/PROBLEM, denotes/demands a solution by it's very nature of the word, otherwise if it doesn't need solving then it becomes into a non-problem again, so either x categorically IS a PROBLEM or it's not.
The claim/argument... Is that it's Descriptively BAD/Problematic, therefore universally there's a deductively logically assigned preference to avoid it. Not the other way around. Our personal preference against torture forever doesn't make it therefore bad. The prescription is built in, forced onto us.
It's like "STOP!" & "GO" What do you say to a dog? "BAD dog!" This is saying it should or shouldn't do something. basically = "No!" "Stop!" That's a prescriptive statement/signal/conveyed message.
Or simply, alls required is Descriptively diagnose Torture as Problematic. Which implies Problem Solution Without necessity of solution there is no problem at all, likewise without problem solution means nothing.
​So you essentially boiled my position down to: "Evolution programmed preference to avoid torture." or "we evolved preference to avoid torture" Does that sound incoherent or what... as if I would make such a silly claim. Keep straw-manning.
Do you think animals have PREFERENCE by default to avoid being tortured burned alive and have sex, or logically preferences are born out of observing problematic negative / positive assigned accordingly through punishment & reward mechanisms aka prescriptions, think long and hard about this one...
This is why value or ethical nihilism is incoherent to me. IF torture be bad, how can it be NOT-bad/neutral to create BAD?
It either is truly BAD or it isn't. It's either real or it's an illusion/delusion and false perception.
Their position must reduce to there is no MEANINGFUL difference between Torture & Bliss. And evolution didn't create any problematic sensation or true punishment whatsoever. Instead, were somehow deluded to view being boiling alive as problematic sensation/BAD, and relief as good, we can't tell the difference or label which is which...
Vegan Gains or any anti-realist needs to substantiate these anti-realist nihilist claims & concede if he agrees with the statements below:
"The value-laden problematic BAD experience of being tortured boiled alive in a vat of acid indefinitely... isn't really bad, evolution didn't successfully impose a real negative punishment mechanism on animals, torture isn't something I/we/animals had nothing to do with and are just byproduct observing the imposition, NO! Instead our opinion has everything to do with it... what's problematic torture, one is merely subjectively interpreting/inventing/proclaiming it to be so! Evolution failed!"
"Animals run from fire cause they irrationally unreasonably subjectively interpret it to be bad/problematic sensation or experience, not cause DNA molecule made it so objectively for evolutionary reasons"
"It is all subjective preference like flavor of potato chips, problematic torturous experience isn't bad you just think it's bad or have preference against it."
"You don't logically recognize intrinsic problematic torturous experience then logically assign solution to problem which is preference to avoid that experience, No, you merely have subjective delusional preference against a nail in your eye and there is no logic to it"
"Good is Bad, and Bad is Good depending on opinion, no right or wrong, all subjective tho"
value anti-realism nihilism. INSANE! WORSE than a flat-earth theory!

This deserves some backstory. My mom became upset when I informed her I just want me and my partner in the hospital room when I have the twins. Mind you, most twins are likely going to be cesarean at my age (38), so likely it would just be my partner anyway, I just didn’t want anyone else in the room when I have them. My mom has anxiety pretty bad, and even if I do not anticipate her anxiety being an issue in the delivery room, I’m not willing to take the chance. I want to have the most relaxed environment as possible, and I’m not going to be able to spend any time focusing on how other people feel. I also am not really comfortable with people looking at my body. I didn’t explain myself when I told her because I don’t feel I should. She is the one that brought it up and asked if she could be in the room. When I said I didn’t want anyone but my spouse in the room, she immediately started to bargain with me by saying she was in the room for my brother’s children that she is my mom that she used to change my diapers and to me it just felt like she was guilt tripping me. At that moment, I felt backed into a corner and then she asked if she could at least stay with us after we have the babies. Pressured and cornered, I said yes. I am now rethinking this. My spouse does not care if she stays or not. It’s whatever I want, he said, but I think that I shouldn’t have answered it without talking to him first and really considering that this is going to be an intimate moment for us. These are our first children and we are in our 30s and he is in his early 40s, so I don’t think we are ill prepared for what is ahead. I know twins can be a lot which is why maybe I should just let her stay but I’m hoping that I can get advice from others on what you thought? Do you think I would need this time alone with my spouse and my twins? Or am I going to regret not having someone there?

Tell me about life after. Because right now I’m this: The love and attraction are gone. The controlling behavior that I put up with for 10 years is more apparent than ever and I either didn’t see it or adapted and live with it for so long. We have 4 and 7 yo girls and I have worked part-time/SAH for most of our relationship. We are in individual therapy and couples therapy. I don’t want to be around him Is this a phase that therapy and time will heal? That’s ridiculous, right? We aren’t the yelling or name calling type and except for the thick tension and egg shells there isn’t much visible conflict.
When do I leave and what does it look like when I’m not the one with the large income? I doubt he’ll be aggressive or terribly vindictive, I think we can keep the focus on the kids. I want the heaviness gone!

I'm looking for women to date with a purpose so no games but no rush. I have been focusing on more important things in my life so I gave myself a break from dating. I think I'm ready to open up myself to it again. If it doesn't work out, I wish you the best in your life journey. If it does, then I would like for us to get to know each other more.
I'm looking for someone with genuine intentions. Please, if gusto mo ng laro lang and you just want to waste time, i'm not the guy for that. Then, I'm looking for someone emotionally available and mature. A Christian of course who loves God as well. Someone who takes good care of herself like you work out and watch what you eat. Warm personality. Insightful. A bit nerdy. Decent-looking. From Metro Manila.
I'm not gonna say everything about me here since that removes the mystery. You can get to know me for yourself. :) I'm 100% single. No kids. Haven't married. Doesn't look my age. From QC. Christian who got saved from his sinful past. Not the life of the party but the one that makes sure people are enjoying. Reserved personality but adventurous. Average Filipino height but has a big heart so have lots of the right love to give and share. Secure attachment style. Main love language is words of affirmation and quality time. Find out for more!
When you message, I need you to tell me how you are and how's life going for you. Plus I need you to tell me also what God has taught you in waiting for the right man that He has for you. That's it. God bless. I'll reply as soon as possible. Will be busy lang tomorrow.

Hi all, I’m really down and unsure what to do here. I had a haircut scheduled with a new stylist yesterday, to buzz down the sides and back of my head. I have what is considered a men’s haircut and have had one for years, so I booked for a men’s haircut online. I arrived two minutes early for my haircut and was about to sit down when the stylist said “I’m sorry but you booked a men’s cut.”
Me: yes my hair is a men’s cut, I just need a fade on the sides and back that’s all.
Her: No I’m sorry but you are a woman and you’ll need to pay the price for a woman’s haircut.
The woman’s haircut was more than double the charge of a man’s haircut. I was taken aback and thought maybe there was some confusion.
Me: I’m confused, I don’t have a woman’s haircut.
Her: A man’s haircut is just buzzing it really short
Me: yes that’s what I’m asking you to do on the sides and back.
Her: but you’re not a man, you’re a woman.
At this point I was losing my mind but I calmly stated, “ok so let me get this straight, you’re charging me over double for my haircut not because of its complexity, but because of my internal organs?”
Her: [smirking] yes ma’am
Me: then you can cancel my appointment, and don’t you dare charge me for it.
She laughed and charged me a late fee anyway.
I feel humuliated and dehumanized, I’m struggling at work today, not to mention being out money on a tight budget and I still look like Doc Brown because I never got my haircut. Is this legal? It probably is if she owns her own hair salon (which she does through Salon Lofts). I’m disputing it with my credit card company but they want me to work it out with the vendor and I’d rather get a haircut from a weed whacker than be in that woman’s presence again.
I just don’t know if there’s anything I can do aside from leaving truthful reviews…

The thing about this season is, the ones who get it, get it and the ones who don't, don't.
I love season 3, part 1. There are things I didn't like of course, but on the whole I think there was such care taken with this story and a lot of people aren't seeing it. I understand, because I didn't get it at first. I hated the changes they made to Colin and I thought it was too rushed with too much focus on side characters. But after watching it, going back to details I missed in seasons 1 and 2, and listening to others opinions, I get it now.
The first thing that most people see is that Colin is a totally different character than we have seen in the past. He is cocky, overly flirtatious, suave in an icky way, and just over-all unattractive. AND THIS IS TRUE! That is the persona that he has put on, the "armor" that he wears at the start of season 3. Think back to season 1, after Colin announces his engagement with Marina. He and Anthony have a talk, and Anthony criticises him, calling him "immature," and saying that he should have taken him to brothel's to "sow his wild oats," so that he wouldn't be so foolish. This might not have meant a lot to Colin at that time, but imagine how he felt about it looking back after discovering Marina's secret. He probably thought his brother was right. At that point, he decided to "search for himself" and swear off women entirely. In season 2, he goes to see Marina, and she lays into him. She essentially tells him to grow-up and "be a man." The only male role models he has are Anthony and Benedict, who both are notorious rakes. I think this moment on top of the Anthony moment from season 1 are what drives Colin to act the way he does in Season 3. You can even argue that it prompts what he says about Penelope to the lords at the end of season 2! He's saying what is expected, even if he doesn't actually mean it.
We get clues throughout Season 3 that Colin is lonely and unfulfilled. His journal, talking about sleeping with foreign women, but longing for that missing emotional connection, and also talking to the other lords at Mondrich's bar while they all brag about their conquests. He doesn't find this existence of casual flirtation exhilarating or fulfilling; he finds it wanting. And the only times when Colin feels "right" are when he is with Penelope.
The other thing most people feel is that it's not believable that Colin fell for Penelope so quickly. The pacing was wrong and we didn't see enough from them to really justify it. And while I can always use more pining looks from Colin, I disagree entirely. Colin has loved Penelope as a friend since the beginning of the show (and before). You can see when they talk that he genuinely holds her in high regard, seeks out her friendship, and enjoys her company. But because they met as children, he could only ever see her as a friend; until she asked him to kiss her.
That moment is so important and it's so important that she's the one who asked. He was probably thinking that he was doing it for her, because she asked and because he couldn't deny her anything (I know his thoughts are different from that in the book, but this is what I imagine him thinking in the show). But once they kiss, a whole new world opens up for Colin. Suddenly, tender emotion meets physical passion for the very first time for him. He has felt something missing from his romantic encounters in the past, and he found that very thing when he kissed Penelope. So it makes so much sense that his fall into love is short and fast! He's loved her all this time anyway, and now there is no barrier to him feeling attracted to her as well.
I have always, always, always, loved Nicola as Penelope. I think her performance is so nuanced and layered and I still think that in season 3 part 1! But I was blown away by Luke Newton's performance. His acting was subtle when it needed to be, but also raw and full of emotion at other times. It's clear to me that he understands Colin better than any of us did, and it has been amazing to watch him create these layers for an interesting character. Colin overcoming his insecurities about himself has been so beautiful to watch and we may continue to watch in part 2.
I'm so glad I get it now. I'm so glad I feel like I understand what the show was going for because I think part 1 is gorgeous! Can't wait for part 2!

Hello everyone, I have been a beginner DM for DnD for almost a year now and I recently encountered a problem I had never faced before.
To summarize the situation for you, my players were accidentally teleported to the Feywild. In order to escape, they all decided to seek out an archfey who might be willing to help them. So far, no problem. They eventually managed to secure an audience with one of them. Before meeting the archfey in question, one of her sprite servants explained to the players that they must choose their words carefully and be respectful towards her because she is very sensitive. The idea I had was that depending on what the PCs said and how they addressed her, the archfey would be more or less compliant (as with most NPCs, you might say, but for her they really needed to choose their words VERY carefully to persuade her).
This is where my problem starts. One of my players plays a human rogue who has a particularly irritating behavior, both towards NPCs and even PCs (incidentally, the other characters this player has played also behave similarly, but that's another issue). He steals from, attacks, torments, and insults everyone he encounters, even the kindest NPCs, and with the villains, it's even worse. Many PCs are provocative towards their enemies, but he continues to be very disrespectful even when it could mean life or death (which is not particularly realistic, but until now, I have always let it slide because, in the end, he plays his character as he sees fit).
Of course, when it was this player's turn to address the archfey, he began to mock her and insult her gratuitously (to the horrified and disapproving looks of the rest of the table). I then asked him if he was sure he wanted to say that, making it clear that this time there would be very, very serious consequences for his character given what was about to happen. He smiled and said that she couldn't do anything to him and that he would get out of it as he always had. Except this time, it wasn't just simple bandits he had insulted; it was an archfey!
What had to happen, happened: the archfey disintegrated him, turning him into confetti, killing him instantly. The player immediately reacted by saying it was unfair and that I had a player-versus-DM mentality and that I had no right to kill his character instantly like that. I then explained that I had warned him a few moments earlier that if he did that, there would be extremely serious consequences for his character, but he decided to proceed anyway.
The other players are on my side; they think it was the most logical response to the situation and that the behavior of this player's character had to catch up with him sooner or later. However, I wonder if I did the right thing. Does an instant death like this seem too arbitrary to you? Should I allow his character to come back in some way? Or was it the right thing to do?