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McDonald’s Supersizes China Bet as Corporate America Pulls Back

Fast-food chain aims to nearly double its restaurants in the country after buying back more of its business there for $1.8 billion
By Newley Purnell

April 29, 2024 9:00 pm ET

Article link: https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/mddonalds-china-expansion-240c14b0

Article preview:
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Quotes:
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One of its challenges is a burgeoning Chinese rival called Tastien, which caters to local appetites with inexpensive burgers made of Peking duck, spicy tofu or fish-flavored pork, in addition to beef. The interiors of its restaurants are decked out in red and feature slogans such as “made in China” and “Chinese stomachs love Chinese burgers.”
Not to be outdone, Chicago-based McDonald’s has been offering new creations such as wraps made of chicken and pickled bamboo shoots, and promotions that have included Coca-Cola-flavored chicken wings and a sandwich made of Spam luncheon meat and Oreo cookie crumbs.
The company has created quirky promotions appealing to younger customers that have gone viral on social media. One is a combo meal that comes in a “cat box” made for felines to play in. In some stores the chain also unveiled exercise bikes equipped with trays, allowing riders to munch their meals while pedaling to wirelessly charge their mobile phones.
. . . . . . . . .
China is now the fastest-growing market for McDonald’s and its second-largest by number of stores, with more than 5,500, the company said in November. The more than 1,000 new restaurants McDonald’s opened in China last year marked a record for the company, Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden said during a February earnings call.
Some lunchtime diners on a recent afternoon at a McDonald’s in Beijing said that while they are aware of the upstart Tastien, they like the U.S. burger chain’s consistent offerings and find it a reliable location to see friends and hold business meetings. Tastien didn’t respond to a request for comment.
. . . . . . . . .
McDonald’s dominates the burger landscape: Its market share among fast-food restaurants in China serving beef burgers rose to 74.6% last year from 71.5% in 2018, according to Euromonitor International.
One popular McDonald’s meal in China allows customers to purchase two items, such as a double cheeseburger and a portion of chicken nuggets, for $1.92.
. . . . . . . . . Munching on a cumin-flavored duck burger at a rival Tastien restaurant in Beijing one recent afternoon, Zhan Yirou said he spent 20 yuan, equivalent to $2.76, including a discount offered to first-time visitors, for a combo meal that also came with chicken nuggets and popcorn chicken. “I had McDonald’s burgers yesterday and wanted to try something new today,” he said. While he enjoyed the taste, he said he didn’t see a huge price difference, and probably won’t return to Tastien. “I wouldn’t just consider visiting Tastien to support the so-called Chinese hamburger, as quality and taste matter more,” he said.

My child’s first communion is this weekend. I have my parents traveling in for it. They were baptized catholic but are not practicing. We only get 6 seats for the church. My last child had the same thing last year and again we o my got six seats. We told my parents last year that there was not room at the church, mainly because my wife’s family is polish and catholic and don’t miss mass, ever. We tried explain to my parents that we really wanted strong practicing Catholics to to be present for our daughter. This was not received well. This year, the god father gave up his seat for my mom and agreed to stand in the back of the church. Needless to say, my wife’s family, particularly the devout ones are upset with me and my parents for take up space at the church that could have been filled with food strong catholic examples. This has brought a cloud over this glorious day and I’m struggling with how to handle it. My parents want to be there to support here and do t understand. My wife’s side feels they should be there and think my parents are being selfish. I would love some options from the catholic community.

Drew Mcintyre vs Dax Harwood vs Trick Williams vs Ricky Starks
Results: All 4 men trying to gain momentum for their team ahead of Wrestlemania, in the end Drew hits Dax with a huge Claymore kick as Trick and Starks are outside the ring and Drew picks up the win
__________
Finn Balor & Cody Rhodes are seen talking backstage
Cody: I am sure it was just in the heat of the moment, yeah it was a little cheap but come on we have all done things like that
Balor: Just watch yourself tonight Cody, don't let him catch you like that
__________
Karrion Kross vs Gunther
Results: These 2 have a hard hitting match, both men giving everything they got, just as it looks like Kross may be closing in on a win, from the crowd MJF runs in attacking Kross, clearly revenge for being put through a table last week. The ref calls for the bell giving Kross the win by DQ, Gunther angry walks off as Kross & MJF get pulled apart by officials
__________
Back from commercial we get MJF backstage
MJF: OK you big musclehead lunatic, I am not playing nice anymore, and not going to spend my time on any smart lines that these stupid fans will clap and cheer for without understanding a damn thing. Kross... me and you Wrestlemania!
__________
Paul Heyman is shown in the parking lot looking stressed out, as a large black SUV rolls up, Heyman looks nervous but once the doors open his face turns relieved as outsteps Roman Reigns, The Usos, & The Rock.
Roman stares at Paul
Roman: You talk to Aldis?
Heyman nods and holds up what looks to be 3 black leather folders as the 4 Bloodline men and Heyman head inside
__________
Sheamus vs Cash Wheeler vs Ricochet vs Alexander Hammerstone
Results: Much like the first Fatal Fourway, this match sees all 4 men trying to get momentum ahead of Wrestlemania. Sheamus and Hammerstone end up taking eachother out of the equation as they brawl up the ramp to the back. In the ring Ricochet hits a huge 630 on Cash to pick up the win
__________
Finn Balor, AJ Styles & Cody Rhodes are all shown backstage
AJ: It was in the moment, I was trying to win a match, don't take it personal
Cody: Guys relax, it is not that serious lets just move on
Balor: Alright fine, I will let it go, but I am going to go out and do commentary for your match just to... watch
__________
Cody Rhodes vs AJ Styles
Results: These 2 start with a handshake before having a very straight forward honest match, after Cody whips AJ into the corner hard, the turnbuckle pad falls off behind him. Moments later AJ is about to whip Cody into that now exposed corner when Balor stands up, AJ hesitates which allows Cody to move around and catch AJ with a Cross Rhodes and pick up the win
__________
As we come back from break we see Nick Aldis in his office
Aldis: So this is what the 3 of you want? Fine... you got it
The camera pans out showing Cody Rhodes, AJ Styles, and Finn Balor
Aldis: At Wrestlemania it will be AJ Styles vs Cody Rhodes vs Finn Balor in a Triple Threat match
All 3 men look satisfied, each one shaking Aldis' hand before walking out of the office
__________
Carmelo Hayes is in the ring, his WWE title around his waist
Carmelo Hayes: I ended Roman Reigns historic reign in the most vicious match there is Elimination Chamber and how was I able to do that? Because I am not the future of this business as some have called me, I am the right NOW an--
Hayes is cut off as 'Cult of Personality' hits and CM Punk walks to the ring
CM Punk: Sorry, Melo I really am I mean no disrespect but this is the last Raw before Wrestlemania and I could not just sit back and let you bore these people with some bullcrap lines that belong as a company slogan and are just fake. So let me make this very simple, I came back here, not to make friends, not to be a nice guy, I came here to make money, and that means being THE guy and that means taking that title from you.
Carmelo Hayes: Punk you couldn't take this from me if you were in your prime, but now? you will be lucky if you make it through our match without that arm going pop and infact...
Hayes stops as he gives Punk a cheapshot with the microphone knocking Punk down, by the time Punk gets back up Hayes has slid out of the ring and is walking up the ramp laughing
__________
Ilja Dragunov vs Swerve Strickland
Results: Days before the Wrestlemania Triple Threat these 2 go one on one and neither are trying to take it easy, after going back and forth for awhile, the crowd at one point chanting 'this is awesome' when both men are down, when suddenly Gunther appears and attacks both men, leveling both men with vicious powerbombs before picking up the Intercontinental Title and holding it high
__________
We now come to a very important segment as Nick Aldis is in the ring with a table set up, and he introduces The Bloodline, first out comes the newer faces, Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and the GoD. Then out comes Roman Reigns, The Rock and The Usos. The 2 groups sitting across from each other
Aldis: Gentlemen I know the longer we all are here the more tense this gets so let me make it simple, you all wanted this, but if ANY of you lay a hand on each other here tonight, then ALL of these matches are off.
As Aldis says that, all 8 men do not look happy
Slowly the 3 folders on the table get opened and signed by the needed individuals, and Aldis collects them and leaves the ring
Jey Uso: For those of you unsure of what was just signed, let me make it clear, we just signed the end of the GoD... because at Wrestlemania it will be The Usos vs the GoD in a Bloodline Rules Tag Team Match, and when its all said and done... we going to send you boys back to Japan... YEET!
Tama Tonga: Back to Japan? see that is how we differ, you want to send us to another company and be happy... this match is going to send you boys to the hospital... permanently!
The Rock: Solo... Solo my boy your daddy is a good friend of mine, hell he once ran a man over for me... it is just such a shame that his youngest boy has become such a bitch that he is no more than a lackey for these 3 Jabronis. So at Wrestlemania... Bloodline Rules, Solo Sikoa vs The Rock, boy you are in for the ass kickin of a life time!
Solo does not speak, just stares across at Rock and holds his taped thumb up slowly
Roman Reigns: And that leaves you and I Jacob... The Tribal Chief versus... the convict, the man whose big influence in life came while sitting in a cell...I guess it is fitting, since this Sunday, Wrestlemania, Bloodline Rules, I am going to make you wish you we back in that little cell
Jacob Fatu: Yeah I was locked up that aint news, Roman I am walking into Wrestlemania with one goal, you wanna bring up my time in prison? Fine, this Sunday... I am going to make you my prison bitch!
Fatu throws the microphone at Roman causing all 8 men to stand and overturn the table but they can't touch.
As the 4 younger bloodline are leaving the ring, out of nowhere Solo turns and in one motion nails a Samoan Spike on Paul Heyman laying him out and Solo hops out of the ring as Roman and his side check on Heyman and are clearly furious as they yell for doctors as Raw goes off the air
__________
Wrestlemania Card
WWE Championship
Carmelo Hayes(c) vs CM Punk
Intercontinental Championship
Swerve Strickland(c) vs Ilja Dragunov vs Gunther
Tag Team Championship - Ladder Match
Hammerstone/Starks(c) vs Mcintyre & Sheamus vs FTR vs Trick Williams & Ricochet
Women's Championship - Cage Match
Rhea Ripley(c) vs Tiffany Stratton vs Toni Storm vs Liv Morgan
Women's Tag Team Championship - Elimination Match
Cora Jade & Roxanne Perez vs Asuka & Giulia vs Vega & Kai vs Kayden & Katana
Becky, Charlotte, & Scarlett vs Skye Blue, Julia Hart, & Karmen Petrovic
Finn Balor vs AJ Styles vs Cody Rhodes
Karrion Kross vs MJF
Bloodline Rules
Roman Reigns vs Jacob Fatu
Bloodline Rules
Usos vs GoD
Bloodline Rules
The Rock vs Solo Sikoa

Inspiring negative feelings in others, a generalized goading and prodding, poking at a sequence of signifiers (like exposed nerve endings) in order to elicit a, one would imagine as of this point reliable/predictable, response from people might be a useful ritual meant to sustain engagement. Useful for the one devoted to their own little Cult of Personal Relevance. But I think this remains a destructive tactic with deleterious effects; that it all collapses into a Dopaminergic Singularity doesn't negate the fact. Becoming no different than the Gore or Morbid accounts on twitter. The same principles are at work. Assume the pragmatist stance; this wouldn’t be the case if they didn’t work. Is it the algorithm or is the algorithm a reflection? A snapshot of us in 0s and 1s? Framed in the social media. Revealing them disguised as narcissists and their victims. This agonized state has been monetarily incentivized. As attempts at reparations or restitution have at times accidentally given monetary incentives for people to develop behaviors that have proved deleterious to those the programs were supposed to help. Take this money, keeping using this thing, vote for me. From indentured servitude and slavery to wage and welfare.
In the case of A&D they don’t even have to do that much in order to elicit the negative response. Aloofness and ambivalence is at work. Words consistently distorted in the interpretation and transformed into something personally injurious. Returning again and again to be injured. Attempting to write a comment capable of repaying the injury in kind. Given the nature of the medium and its intimacies, being ignored inspires the commenter to comment more, getting upvoted by other teeth gnashing users until finally they’re rewarded for their devotion with either a coveted response in kind, or more often than not a good-humored comical response. That or more insidiously, they appear to verbally alluded too on the podcast itself, giving the impression of having made some sort of impact on the strangers who exert this degree of undo influence on their lives. Gambling logic at play here. Keeps you coming back for more.
Having been arrested for shoplifting the female court clerk translates Charlotte’s statement in court,
“Your Honor, I’m just a late capitalist subject navigating a vicious and frankly unfair system. Isn’t the culture industry truly to blame, for producing these desires in me and failing to provide me with the means to fulfill them legitimately? I know I’m meant to be an obedient consumer to market interests yet I’m as much if not more of a victim than the store I shoplifted from.”
Charlotte smiles at the female girl-boss judge. Cut to her weeping on her gay German friend’s lap, having been found guilty and fined 500 euros.
Feels like there is a lot of mourning over the Fantasy of the Fantasy of Indie Darling Dasha, a Bataillean Dasha, with strong Radical Nietzschean-Communist sympathies. Who loves carnival and protests and is working to do her part to bring about Full Luxury Gay Space Communism. This is mirrored by the fantasy of a Catholic Socialist (or Franciscan Communist) Dasha who supports a popular social movement. But this Fantasy of Dasha was never not connected with a Softness of Bodies-esque Survival/Necessity wrought (daddy issues) Narcissism. A 21st century “femme-fatale” as someone just kind of stumbling through life, stumbling out of catastrophes, regardless of who they leave behind. Leaving a trail of broken things in their wake.
The “Radical” 21st century Femme Fatale, is revealed to be nothing more than female Pee-Wee Hermann thrown-into the world. Stunted man-child, the under-the-weather dirtbag lingers, dreaming of being something people pay to simply exist. No abstract ideological justifications can obfuscate this. She knows what she is. A narcissist. She’s simply surviving, and striving to be something other than what she is through seduction and the aestheticization of her Self, a commodity chewed but never swallowed. Traipsing through the world that necessitated the development of this type. Like money, she burns. Difficult to tell how much is calculation and how much is compulsion. It’s not so much that this is actually Dasha but rather that this is a personae Dasha has creatively explored and interrogated, not simply as something she has been formally type-casted into by others but as a type she likes to mimic and model and take apart and reassemble. Capable of treating the personae with equal parts reverence and satirical derision. Alternatively Dasha has type-casted herself as a type type-casted by the World. It’s her comfort zone, obviously she has a sympathetic attachment with the Superfluous Woman. Addicted to benzos and social media and Love. Her brain is addled but she’s still capable of making intimations towards necessary social calculations, blessed with prodigious low cunning. Overtly-identified with drug addicts, ghouls, and depressed poverty stricken losers. Susceptible to the influence of memes and atrocity porn. Having clawed her way into the lower rungs of the entertainment industry she knows a lot of people, is 3 degrees of separation from a lot of people who made it. Scrolling through her feed. Totally oblivious and protean in her values. Her opinions, her identity a roiling mass malleable, the internal spark animating it totally
Synthetic-orphan. Oh star-bob waif stumbling through corridors uncoordinated barely surviving through rapid-fire wardrobe change, only the flip-flops remain.
Too much sun. Beach too long. Friends too far away. Water? Tap water here tastes horrible. Started drinking early anyways. Pretty blue bikini lady, collapsing on the beach. Panicking. Ankle twisted? Have to stop inhaling sand only making it worse. Gasping. Everywhere. God it's everywhere. Wires of saliva, tears, and mucus binding face to the earth. Try to croak out a cry for help. My "friends" are dancing and OD'ing. Inhaling and coughing up more sand, wrenching. Sand on tongue, between teeth, in throat. This is awful. This surely can't be the end of everything. Gone through too much. Loved too hard. On second thought... actually on third fuck all this sand and sun. Aren't my elements. I was lying, God. Is this your attention?
The Ocean. Soon the waves will break against delicate body and the tides will drag my body out to sea. Will I have strength left to turn myself over? Will I drown? Then what? Goosepimple cold water without a gentle touch to press them back down.
I'm going to die here...aren't I?
Is that a sea turtle?
It is.
It's face. Uncanny. Father-like face.
Eyes locked into mine.
He knows me.
Dragging itself forward slow but steady. Directly at me. Unbroken turtle focus. Magnificent marine creature.
What does it want?
"W...what do you want!?"
It continues shuffling towards me.
Fear.
"Hey are you okay?"
Strong arms.
Another day. Another attempt against my life thwarted.
I think I love you.
Seducing with a promise (made or perceived) of something just round the corner, tomorrow. Just wait and trust in the plan… terrified of being exposed and pilloried. That those who’d come around drawn by whatever promise they thought they saw in us would turn around crestfallen and seething with the inevitable disillusionment. People who’d defended me. Sure they had their own motives. Didn’t ask to be taken as a escape route from their lives. Never asked to be turned into this beautiful thing they’d turned me into. Like if I’d suddenly swooped down into their lives knowing exactly what to do, knowing all the right people, with boundless time and energy to help lift them up and out of whatever it is they need to be lifted up and out of. You really think you’re the only one with that fantasy? Really? What you’ve made in your head is something that can’t hope, can’t desire, can’t await someone capable of making this make sense. Why can’t you be that? Why can’t you be the hope, the desire fulfilled, the arriving. I was never an answer. I thought you were and that wasn’t fair. Each and every one of us is tasked with making ourselves appealing if not valuable. Maybe making yourself appealing is the only value left. All of it is seduction. Didn’t you pretend to know better? You don’t think I fantasize about a lover that can save me from myself. Understand me, beckon me to go on living in your promise. I’m disillusioned, I’m frustrated. That bundle of ambivalence is clogging up my brain too. I’ve made my choice.
Chin resting on heel of palm. Looking through the feed.
Aroma of coffee, baked goods, and the subtle spicy scent of a great many books seeped in coating the inside of her skull and clothes. The memory of it a least. Pressed the soft tissue paper against rosy-rimmed nostrils glistening, clearing her throat. Glanced around. Ambient bop in the background, fusion jazz intermingled with light conversations, the hissing and gurgling of the latte cult’s machines, and the upward inflection of green aprons taking orders and calling names. Cosmopolitan beepboop music to strive to. Recording of a life getting blown away into a flute. Whoever or whatever it is is dying for us. Jazz flute phantom, bent over at the waist bobbing and swaying to the emissions, cheeks distended, red veins erupting. Kind of music meant to let you know you’re cultured. At least she’d felt cultured the first few times she’d heard it in a public place. Feeling like she’d entered another first chapter altogether. Guaranteed to be better than what preceded it. Better in the possibility of not being what preceded it. The first few times at least. She’d made a note to investigate. To download the app that would allow her to hold up her phone to the tune and receive the names of artist and song. Create a new playlist. Speak of these things with casual authority. Have them on a first name basis. Consciousness elevating, lifted by the short-sleeve black button shirt jazzman up and out of the muck. Break the monotony. Had figured at the time that anything else would be much better than everything as is. Didn’t even like it that much. She already had her music. Adjacent but better. Was frustrated at first with her wills own rebellion. Wasn’t sure why she’d started avoiding it. The knowledge remained and was by her estimation, still rather formidable.
Always been complemented for her taste.
Engaging in social media sortilege. In the blue-light pale.
“If you loved me you'd tempt me.”
Her stillness broken by the audible gulp. Snot sparkling in the corners of bathroom paper towel chafed red nostrils. Occasionally grimacing jaw jutting out. Face contorting in a carnival indignation.
There was high praise in the comment section, thousands of hearts, roses tossed on stage. They don’t know or pretend not to know. Cutesy the publicly-dower and ever-derivative performing an “ironic” curtsy as the curtains closed. Thunderous applause. They love her. They love her. “And what about me?”
In the dark depths of the Congo, a child miner lost multiple limbs and for what?
“Vapid bitch.“
Thumbs had gone to work with minimal prompting.
Backspace. Too crude. Didn’t feel right for the moment.
If you loved me you’d tempt me…
Dreamed of being welcomed to the city-world, shoegaze city, she saw herself there one day. Dreamed about it. One amongst the well meaning citizenry comprised of strange semi-corporeal spirits, pensive intellects with great comedic timing, and beautiful people. A place of chessboards and lovers staring without care. Close her eyes and feel a breeze just cold enough for pleasant, cold enough to justify her style. A place located in the forever something better.
A Girl stumbles out of an IPA serving establishment in an artificially dingy part of Los Angeles patronized by would-be bohemians and proud DSA members. Brunette and wearing a sailor suit. A lit American Spirit brand cigarette smoldering between her middle and ring fingers. She presses her ring finger against a tear duct, before taking a mighty drag. Exhaling a pillar of smoke above her head into which she projects the flickering images of noire detectives. It descends, engulfing her. Dissipating it reveals the Girl now blonde and wearing a fashionable tan coat. Ready to hitchhike across America, to a Magical City with unburnt bridges. Ready to uncover the Truth.
Spitting out a wad of bubble gum and dreaming dreams of jeans and leather. We’re seduced by a music, the water nymph’s inspiration and inspired craft, capable of bringing together the disparate elements floating around our interior cavity. Shaping our fantasies. Dasha as an artist performs the Superfluous Woman well, willing to sacrifice to this Identity-Specter, embodied in her jangly walk (concealing surprising nimbleness), through the performance. She’s at once the performer, the performance, and the producer-director. Mutating, evolving to thrive in the collapse constitutive of social media and streaming platforms. Maybe because she’s seduced by it and sees that others are seduced by the persona as well.
Seductive, self-conscious, retarded.
Dasha Nekrasova we love you.
I love you.
Going to protests in order to skip class and party. Showing tits for hope and change. Consider that at the time maybe she cast this desire as the desire for Revolutionary Autonomy. Rather than as a desire to be desired (recognized) by a Prince and by the others. Perhaps wanting to skip class and party does speak to something vital and potent in itself. That the desire to break out of institutions and enjoy the company of other humans gathered together for a Cause… this youthful exuberance… does actually constitute an autonomous act. It’s not in and of itself Revolutionary. It’s an approved protests (even when they aren’t formally approved they become something of a ritual confined within a series of spaces) that more often than not transformation into little music festivals. Everyone gets to have a good time and ultimately go back to class, finish the semester, return to business as usual. The participants get to play the part of the “young student radical” and the event organizers get something else to include in their portfolios. Referenced Amber A’Lee Frost’s book Dirtbag, specifically Amber’s citation of Occupy Wall Street activists turned founders of boutique consulting firms dedicated to choreographing “events intended to appear as dynamic, broad based social movements” manufacturing “feel-good content for an activist’s social media feed.”
Few of Amber’s observations are worth reproducing below,
“What the entryists could do, however, was secure positions as brokers on behalf of the people. They worked their way into academia, got bylines in legacy media, established think tanks, got jobs at nonprofits, started their own consulting firms, embedded themselves in NGOs, etc. This isn’t to say those jobs always make the world worse, but as a political “tactic,” you can’t help but notice that the professionalization of activism does more to shore up power for a growing class of “movement managers,” and that, rather than relying on democracy (much less democratizing anything new), they were joining the very institutions used to circumvent democracy. Granted they would ostensibly be taking these posts to capture the king’s ear and thus wield a little “soft power” in the name of justice. It made sense, on some level. You had a glut of angry educated, progressive millennials who recently found themselves on the professional and economic downslide. They knew they were a bit screwed, but they also knew they were way less screwed than everyone else; and they needed jobs. So of course they wanted to pursue positions where they might exercise a little Professional Managerial noblesse oblige that might benefit “everyone else.”’
and,
”Nonetheless, Occupy Wall Street really was more than the Potemkin protests, for better or worse. Much to my chagrin, the major opposition to the opportunism of Professional Managerial Anarchists were the Amateur Anarchists, for whom “spontaneity” and “organic” activity was the goal in and of itself. A sort of shitty Emerald City was formed from the energy roiling in and around the park; it’s not that the outside world disappeared exactly, but it became less noticeable, and it was easier to forget the rest of Oz, much less Kansas. For a lot of people, this escape - a retreat, really - was the dream.”
As it relates to Red Scare. The point is that podcasters or streamers aren’t Revolutionary Agents. At most what they have is a platform they can rent to others. They keep calling attention to the position people like them occupy, shock-jock solidarity. How it's a kind of strata and pocket-dimension (Twitter). Anna had a number of bangers this episode related to this. When discussing figures like Carl Beijer and Noah Kulwin she says something along the lines of, I can't believe that the people who go to the same parties and funerals that I'm invited too are my 'ideological' enemies, it's not ideological conflict it's professional competition that it's narrativized as something ideological and Manichean is just what these people tell themselves in order to not confront the fact that they're strivers and careerists. She says something along the lines of "I knew BLM and MeToo was evil from the start, it wasn't coopted" easy to read Anna as being a smug and terrible person, ignoring that earlier she'd mentioned that all of these things discursively adopt worthy causes (Racial justice, sexual justice, Covid justice etc...) the point isn't that the people or the principles informing any of these things are "evil" but rather that the medium itself can be considered evil. Evil in that it specifically harnesses hope in order to betray them. Makes the principled unprincipled and mercenary. The “trained Marxist” with a real estate portfolio made filthy rich. Social media, the US, the NGO-complex etc... Within the machineries provided and present, these things inevitably canalize public discontent/heterogeneous forces back into the service of the Homogenous Anti-Fragile State. Numerous Ponzi schemes stacked on top of one another forming an incomplete Pyramid. The eruption of base powers canalized towards the preservation of the essential relations of production.
Consider the following point by Anna concerning the “Rightwing” E-Girls on twitter breaking the bit and the absurdity of it,
Anna: “…literally they’re being besieged by armies of 19 to 23 year old…14 year old brown guys with like a dial-up connection. That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back!? That’s what finally and definitively made you turn away from rightwing politics? Like you came there, you were OKAY with the racism, you were okay with the antisemitism, you were okay with the hatred for democracy, you were okay with the contempt for the poor and the weak…”
Dasha: “But HitlerRapeGroyper calls you a ‘Roastie’…”
Anna: “…you were okay with Holocaust denial, you were okay with Human Biodiversity…. but the minute they said something about ‘Eggless Roasties’ you were out and Ridin4Biden… that’s crazy bro. And also like no offense but racist rightwing anons on the internet aren’t politics. They are not representatives of the movement. They have virtually nothing in common with the GOP.”
Vulgar and revelatory.
Find the relationship with Rightwing Anons in some ways it’s a predatory/exploitative dynamic, “I pander to you up to a point sure but I’m hoovering up anything clever, encouraging Simpendence, taking your money, and using cleaned up versions of your jokes and your takes without giving much if any credit… because you’re a nobody online who decided to center your whole virtual identity around being a racist, an anti-Semite, a reactionary monarchist, a race realist, a holocaust denier, a Hitler enthusiast, and a hater… you can never be anything other than an anon. You’re fucked unless you totally start over and that’s hoping you didn’t dox yourself over the years you’ve been desperately searching for human connection on this thing. Which you probably have.” The Rightwing Anon is something to be studied (representing a pathological reification of the conservative normie unconscious) and drawn from.
The Rightwing Anon is not only not representative of the GOP voter base, they are also not representative of the actual audience that these people are attempting to tap into. Though they might serve as influencer’s influencers and gatekeepers and models for online activity (what discourse is and isn’t permissible) the extreme positions and antics they adopt conceal the conservative-leaning “anti-Woke” but largely noncommittal normie Zoomers (24 years old and younger) who do in fact constitute the audience or demographic Conservative-signaling and GOP-aligned MSM along with other corporate bodies, political operatives, and people within the entertainment industry… would like to tap into if not outright secure. Representing a potentially enthusiastic voter-base, a talent-pool, and a spare change (disposable income) dispenser given the fact that many of them likely don’t have to redirect all their funds towards paying rent and utilities just yet.
Plus, on a more concrete political note…There is a dimension of tactical support for those who want tighter immigration controls, a bit of protectionism and/or outright economic nationalism, anti-interventionism and by extension (or perhaps more importantly) those willing to bleed NGOs and minimize the influence of foreign national actors on US politics i.e., namely diasporic and exile interest groups, powerful enough to form political blocs that exert a disproportionate influence on US foreign policy, animated by nothing more than ancestral beef turned into a familial mythology and site of identity-formation, avenging their great-grandfather and bringing ‘democracy’ to the countries they’d fled from by punishing those who decided to stay and those who didn’t leave until things got really bad. I’m of the opinion that no one in the GOP will ever come close to achieving something like this but disillusionment can prove vital.
The very least these Rightwing E-Girls can do is maintain a general fidelity. Identifying with and pandering to the Abstract Right while denouncing the Left (adopting/adapting anti-Communist sloganeering and critiquing the “Actual Existing Left”) or at the very least, bare minimum, to not countersignal the GOP. Making fools of fans and donors alike. If you’re going to be asking people for money then you might as well not insult/humiliate them in the process.
…
Attempts at a Dream Interpretation from penultimate episode
Thoughts that came up. Into the arms of a Self-Made Father. Recognized as being of him. Of his glamor and grandeur. Dancing if anyone gets it its him right? To be moved by the Spirit of the Time. Like recognizes like and we are dancing together in the ballroom.
The usual and the cynical note the shabbiness of the whole operation. This doesn’t matter. We’re going to Rome, to Vatican City. To the Throne of St. Peter. The negging has worked. Shabby sure but the little foxes are rough and mischievous and part of God’s design.
…
People don't tend to deal well with disillusionment and dwelling with dissatisfaction. It’s all too dualistic. All or nothing and it's never enough. Lots of raging so far.
Women who age, who become more conservative (literally not liking protests because they're too loud) and who don't actually have a strong knowledge of the material but still opine simply to opine is unforgivable. That the opinion should carry a profound existential weight rather than be something subject to change is something struggled with. Or perhaps it's mutability itself and how this mutability is connected not with information and by extension sincere conviction and conversion but rather with necessity and social or monetary considerations... is what's particularly infuriating, especially for other women (and jaded Simps). The assumption being that the appearance is the essence. There can't be any interiority, there can't be anything to these women other than the fantasy we pour into their words. Projections turning the whole thing into a run on sentence. Once they had been good but now they are bad.

Hi! I'm currently in an RCIA program with the aim to convert (and get confirmed) on Pentecost. I was wondering why there was no date for doing Confession before First Communion on the schedule and asked the Father about that. As far as I have understood it, he says that there's no need as the sacrament (I guess he means Confirmation?) forgives sins. Is this true? I always thought that only Baptism forgives sins and you had to confess before First Communion.

When I Let It
When I first started in Al‑Anon, I knew I needed help. I knew I needed to change myself to survive my relationship with my newly sober spouse. Now that he was working a program, I had become the crazy one! So, I reluctantly brought myself to my first meeting, having exhausted all other options. I didn’t know if Al‑Anon would help, or how, but I knew I needed something. I finally wanted what those folks had—peace and serenity.
I really enjoyed the meetings. The people were nice, the stories were real, and I didn’t feel alone anymore. At the end of every meeting, they’d say, “Keep Coming Back.” But I didn’t really latch onto the slogans or acronyms. I did my fair share of reading, and I understood the premise of Al‑Anon intellectually, but it was not a part of me—yet.
But, as the slogan goes, I kept coming back. And guess what? It worked when I let it! About three months in, I found a Sponsor and started working the Steps. Slowly but surely, without me really realizing it, Al‑Anon became a part of me. I no longer have to try to remember a slogan or an acronym. I just know them. I no longer have to think, “What would Al‑Anon members say or do here?” It’s become instinctive.
Al‑Anon gave me the peace and serenity I sought. But, as I hear at every meeting, I have to “Keep Coming Back” and allow the program to work.
By Alicia C., Texas
The Forum, May 2024
Feel free to reprint this article on your service arm website or newsletter, along with this credit line: Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al‑Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia,

I feel suddenly lucid and I need help on what to do. Am I to take my haloperidol? It makes me overly tired and prone to seizures. Ever since I had the first one I've felt like God was communicating with me in some unknown way, like I was part of God, like an organ, that He can directly induce and control. I feel chosen for some unknown mission but I don't know exactly what it is. I feel blinded by light. Part of me went blind, part of me sees clearly, ever since the first one. I have stared at Him, and I am the only one who can do it without dying. But even still I feel like I am collapsing and melting down, like my earthly order can't survive this communion without changing completely to endure the perfect and complete state of peace and utter intimate harmony in God. I don't believe He exists, I know it. I feel like God does everything for me, so I should do everything for Him too. I feel mutilated, and I do want to be this way. Although I am the Tabernacle, I am a terrible sinner, and I am called to abandon this world, not by death but by enduring it to the end. I feel like I can finally visualise and remember and feel and taste and smell God, so personal is our relationship. I can almost touch Him. I am so very sorry if this is nonsensical rambling, my judgement isn't very good.

Hallo everyone,
I'm baptized since I was a kid and I have done my first communion, but I honestly only did it to make my family happy and to honor my Grandma (she was a super devoted Catholic and traditional woman, she had 11 kids and teach all the family about religion).
I was always uninterested in this topic, I had a agnostic phase, followed by a atheist phase and a theistic phase till i finally reconnect myself with God and with the Catholic Church.
The problem is that this is relatively a "new conversion", and when I start dating my boyfriend I wasn't Catholic, so I didn't care about him being atheist.
Now I'm a Catholic, trying to be the best Catholic I can be. But unfortunately I'm 100% alone.
I don't have Catholic friends; the few I had in Brazil were the "statistically Catholic" type, who defends abortion and feminism and so on. I don't found anyone who has ideas or opinions similar to mine. I never met anyone who has the same interests as me in politics, philosophy, theology or anything like that.
My boyfriend is more "friendly" to Catholicism now, and even though he still consider himself a atheist, sometimes he pray asking if God really exists, to help him to be a believer. He go sometimes with me to the church, but his head is still full of fallacies about the church, and sometimes we fight about it.
The people surrounding me are either left, feminists, atheist and of course, pro abortion. The very few religious people close to me are Luterans (North Germany is still very evangelic)
I'm alone, I feel unmotivated to keep my religious responsibilities, I'm always the "different" in the group, I think completely the opposite that the people surrounding me thinks. I don't have anyone to talk, 0 catholic friends, nobody to talk about the faith or just shit talk something with a common interest topic.
Is someone going through the same? Is someone willing to talk about those things? Any advice?

Hello fellow New Yorkers! It's time we made a strategic substitution in City Hall. Why not replace our current mayor with someone who truly understands the importance of a good defense? I’m talking about the one and only Coach Tom Thibodeau. Here’s why Thibs is our MVP for Mayor of NYC:

• Full-Court Press on City Work: Coach Thibodeau's arrival at City Hall means the days of lazy civil servants are over. Known for his players leading the league in minutes per game, Thibs will ensure no one's just warming the bench. Expect full engagement and relentless hustle from every department—City Hall is about to turn into the hardest working team in the city.
• Defense Against... Everything!: His mayoral slogan? Simply, "Defense." NYC needs playoff-caliber defense against our everyday adversities: litter, crime, traffic jams, and even that one pigeon who seems to know your coffee schedule.
• Boosting Youth Nutrition and Female Employment: In a groundbreaking move inspired by Josh Hart's enthusiasm for breast milk, Coach Thibodeau plans to introduce a city-wide initiative to improve youth nutrition and support working mothers. This innovative program will not only promote healthier beginnings for our youngest New Yorkers but also provide employment opportunities for lactating mothers, aiming to pump up the local economy and well-being of families across the city.
• Rookie of the Year Programs: Just like he develops young talent on the court, we can trust Thibs to bring out the best in our city’s youth programs. More basketball courts, less court summons.
• A Style Unswayed by Riches: Have you seen Thibs' haircut? It’s as consistent as his game plan: no frills, all business. Surrounded by millionaires and still rocking the no-nonsense look, if that doesn’t scream integrity, what does?
• A Mayor Who Hates Losing: Ever seen Thibs smile? Me neither. He hates losing as much as we hate getting stuck on the subway. Imagine that kind of passion in tackling city issues.
• And if all else fails: we’ll just blame Dolan. It works every time

Let's give NYC the leader who benches slackers and puts defense first. Because if there's anything we can learn from basketball, it’s that a good defense leads creates the most opportunities to score. Thibs for Mayor—let's make it happen!

Introduction:

PLNT, a franchise gym, proudly upholds the motto "Judgment Free Zone" across all its locations. Designed with the intention of welcoming individuals who may feel intimidated by traditional gym environments, PLNT remains steadfast in its commitment to inclusivity. This commitment extends to their gym layout, which deliberately excludes standard equipment like the bench press or barbell. However, PLNT has drawn criticism for some of its practises such as "Pizza Monday" and the "Lunk Alarm" which makes it harder for users to remain committed/progress in their fitness goals.

Market:

Australia
PLNT has entered the Australian market. According to (SOURCE), the top 3 most popular brands are “Anytime Fitness”, “CrossFit”, and “F45 Training”. However, F45 Training has begun running into problems (SOURCE) where 151 of their 500 locations are in distress. This was due to their “repetitive programs” such as burpees and HIIT that cater to beginners, members felt like they weren’t progressing in their fitness journey due to how simplistic F45 Training was. F45 Training draws a lot of parallels to PLNT where they both cater to newcomers and this could potentially pose an issue to PLNT’s success in Australia where the market is more focused on intermediate gym-goers or beginners who are looking to progress.
Mexico
PLNT has also entered the Mexican market. According to (SOURCE) it seems that there is a large demand for fitness-related products within the younger demographic. A very large opportunity is with women aged 18-24, where the penetration rate is <30%. This low penetration rate could be attributed to these women being intimidated into working out. PLNT’s slogan for judgment-free could cater to the needs of these women.
Fitness in the US
PLNT’s largest market is the US, there is a large opportunity for the fitness industry in the US given that < 25% of the total population engages in exercise (SOURCE) and the US is the Top 10 most obese country (SOURCE). The fittest city in the US is Arlington (SOURCE), largely attributed to its affluence, highlighting the significant role socioeconomic factors play in promoting fitness. Affordability remains a key barrier to exercise participation, and PLNT's competitive pricing strategy addresses this challenge effectively. However, I believe that the habit of regular exercise is profoundly influenced by one's surroundings so to shift consumer's taste and preferences could require more effort and time.

Revenue:

PLNT has 4 main revenue sources. “Franchise”, “Corporate Owned”, “Equipment”, and “National Advertising fund”
Franchise
PLNT franchises their brand out to franchisees, collecting royalty fees and national advertising effort fees.
PLNT can’t just do M&A and acquire other competitors in international market and rebrand to PLNT because acquiring competitors means acquiring their members and their gyms. These members and gyms do not fit PLNT’s target demographic of “casual/first time gym goers”, so the growth of PLNT has to be organic.
When forecasting the number of franchisee-owned stores, I assumed that it took PLNT 6 years to prove their brands in the new area they are established in. So, afterward growth rate of franchise-owned stores had a bump in growth rate to reflect the improved trust in the PLNT brand.
When forecasting the Revenue/Franchisee store, in the earlier years of my forecast I assume that the growth rate tend downward as PLNT is trying to attract franchisees so they offer more favorable terms to franchisees. However, in the later years of my forecast as PLNT gains popularity and pricing powers, the growth rate of revenue/franchisee store increases as PLNT can better monetize franchisees through charging higher royalties or more fees.
Corporate Owned
PLNT directly owns some of the gyms from which they earn income. PLNT hopes "to own approximately 10% of our fleet.” - 2023 Q4 earnings conference. I believe that in the earlier years, as PLNT is building out its presence in other locations it has to own a higher % of its stores to prove to franchisees the value of their brand. But, I assume that in the long run, PLNT will regress back to the 10% target that they set.
When forecasting the total number of corporate stores, In my base case, I assume that it takes PLNT 6 years to prove their brands in the new area they are established in. So, afterward, the growth rate of corporate-owned stores tapers downwards.
When forecasting Revenue/Corporate stores, I assumed that the growth rate followed historic averages, tapering down towards the perpetual inflation rate.
Equipment
PLNT sells equipments to new franchisees and offers replacement equipment for existing franchisees.
When forecasting Equipment Revenue/franchisee-owned store, given the uncertainty in how the small-scale gyms that management has in the pipeline would play out. I opted for less granularity and assumed that the equipment/franchisee-owned store grew in line with the perpetual inflation rate.
National Advertising Fund
When forecasting the National Advertising Fund, opting for less granularity I forecasted it as a % of the historic average of gym revenue.

Sanity Check:

I took into account the Total Members and the Total Number of Stores when determining if my forecast was overly idealistic.
When forecasting Members/Store, I assumed that members/store would grow at a very meager rate due to the uncertainty of how management will proceed with smaller-size gyms.
Ultimately, I believe that the total number of stores will grow at a Y/Y CAGR of 4.6% and the total number of members will grow at a Y/Y CAGR of 5.1%. I believe that this number is realistic given the large number of new promising markets that PLNT is expanding in.

CapEX and D&A:

When forecasting D&A, opting for less granularity I forecasted it as a % of historic average.
When forecasting CapEX, I forecasted it to grow at slightly higher than historic %earnings reinvested given that management has only recently announced plans to expand into new markets, so higher CapEX helps to facilitate a higher number of gyms.

WACC:

10Y T-Bond Yield (1M Avg) = 4.48% Beta (SOURCE) = 1.38 Stable Market ERP (SOURCE) = 4.60% COE = 10.83%
PLNT does not have a bond rating, so I’ll be looking at a synthetic rating (SOURCE) FY23 Interest Expense = 86.58M FY23 Operating Profit = 272.86M Interest Coverage Ratio = 3.15x PLNT has a synthetic rating of “A-” COD = 5.44% Marginal Tax Rate = 21.00% AT COD = 4.30%
Stock Price (5D Avg) = $59.56 Shares O/S = 88.169M Market Value of Equity = 5251.35M Weighted Average Maturity of Debt = 5 Years Market Value of Debt = 2006.16M
%Equity = 72.40% %Debt = 27.60% %WACC = 9.03%

Conclusion:

Ultimately, in my base case, I value PLNT at $52.30 per share. I believe that PLNT is correctly priced given how diluted the gym franchise business is with competitors such as "Anytime Fitness" and "Gold's Gym". Many of these gyms have a more unique selling point than PLNT e.g. Anytime Fitness allows for entry to its gyms globally across 50 countries. PLNT's success hinges on its ability to break into new markets where exercise is uncommon and sell them its message of being a safe space to exercise.
Base Case: [INSERT] Best Case: [INSERT] Worst Case: [INSERT] Revenue Model Part 1: [INSERT] Revenue Model Part 2: [INSERT] Cost Model: [INSERT] Sanity Check: [INSERT] Debt Schedule: [INSERT]

In April 1968, more than a thousand students at Columbia University, reacting to the US Army's actions in Vietnam, attempted a sit-down strike in the university buildings to stop the university's scientific collaboration with the US military. Fast forward over fifty years to April 2024, where the Columbia University campus in New York saw student protests aimed at cutting ties between the university and companies linked to the Zionist regime. Echoing the spirit of the 60s, students adorned their pitched tents with the phrase “liberated zone.” The suspension and detention of students have remained unchanged since the 60s. What occurred today at Columbia University has been repeated countless times in various universities across the US and Europe in recent decades. The array of university protests against the warmongering by the West and its allies raises two crucial questions:

1. Why do Western students feel such a strong sense of responsibility?
   
2. Despite these historical protests, why hasn't there been much change in the policies of the West and its allies?
   

To address the first question, we need to acknowledge the pivotal role of universities in Western society. As modern states emerged, universities took on substantial responsibilities, shaping various aspects of daily life. Depending on the nature of the state, universities assumed roles in either providing or supervising areas like food, healthcare, education, security, and commerce. The rise of modern states and their extensive duties largely rests on the shoulders of universities as the very institution of modern science. For instance, within a modern state's military structure, universities handle everything from methods of training soldiers and setting strategic goals to organizing military structures and developing weapons. This is why socially-conscious students in Western universities can't ignore the significant influence universities wield over their nation's decisions and work to bring about change through activism.
Swimming against the current
Addressing the second question starts on a somber note: "Students who protest for the people of Vietnam one day, for the people of Yemen the next, and today for the people of Palestine are swimming against a strong current in the river." Here, the river symbolizes the university institution and its strong current, embodying the goals and objectives of Western civilization for this establishment.
In his book “Development and the Foundations of Western Civilization,” Martyr Morteza Avini posits economic growth and development as the ultimate objectives of Western civilization. Drawing on perspectives from Western authors both in support and opposition of the global political order, such as Alvin Toffler in “The Third Wave” and Ivan Illich, he concludes that since the Industrial Revolution, the expansion of capitalism and imperialism has created a fundamental demand for skilled labor. Consequently, this has reshaped the educational landscape within universities, now geared towards achieving “unlimited economic development and growth.” As a result, the direction of Western universities is influenced not by internal factors but by external capitalists. Ivan Illich, an Austrian thinker in his work “Deschooling Society,” characterizes the Western education system as driven by an ideology where economic growth takes precedence. Additionally, Ayatollah Khamenei, in his speech on April 7, 2024, while addressing students, identified a flaw in Western universities for their inability to “give direction to the education of scholars and the production of science.”
The limited resources and the domineering attitude of Western capitalists have driven them to encroach on the resources of other nations, aiming to accelerate “economic development and growth” by utilizing tools developed within universities. A prominent example of modern colonization is the establishment of the Zionist regime by the UK, and its reinforcement and support from the US. Initially settling in Palestine during World War I and fighting the Ottoman Empire, the Zionists have now become allies of the US in the region, to the extent that Joe Biden, the current President of the US, views the Zionist regime as “the single greatest strength of America in the region.” With the presence of the Zionist regime, the US has been able to manipulate the region's oil resources and suppress the efforts of the region's people seeking independence. Throughout its history, the Zionist regime has played a pivotal role in furthering the colonial objectives of the West through military operations and the targeted killings of scientists and prominent figures in the region.
University in the service of slogans
Two factors— “producing scholars and knowledge without directing them” and “the exploitation by capitalist interests”—have turned Western universities into agents of colonization and the oppression of vulnerable nations. The utilization of university resources extends across various fields, from humanities to engineering. Activities such as orchestrating coups, conducting media and cultural invasions using anthropological research, and even facilitating genocide in Gaza and Palestine through weapon development sciences, have all been facilitated by universities. This exploitation of academics, akin to other colonial endeavors, presents an enticing facade that captivates both the colonized populations and certain colonial actors. Human rights rhetoric and calls for freedom in Western nations have been used to deceive people in the region and to mobilize domestic support, particularly among scientists. Military interventions in Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, under the pretext of promoting freedom and democracy, were actually undertaken to safeguard capitalist interests. The Zionist regime's attack on Gaza following Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, and the subsequent genocide aided by Western countries resulting in the martyrdom of approximately 34,000 individuals, serves as another instance of capitalist imperialism and warmongering disguised as counterterrorism and the legitimate defense of a democratic nation.
Will Gaza make a lasting change?
Since World War II, numerous students have strived to challenge the dominance and militarism of their own countries in the Western world. Each of these endeavors has contributed to raising awareness among more Westerners about the true nature of these warmongering policies. However, the invasion of Gaza by the Zionist regime, in particular, has prompted Western academics, especially those in the US, to oppose this invasion; because the Zionist regime blatantly disregarded international laws and laid bare the hypocrisy of Western human rights rhetoric. The scale of Israel's colonial project and its significant benefits for the US, and the West in general, have emboldened them to detain, arrest, and suspend protesting students and professors without hesitation, thereby undermining the academic integrity and autonomy of their institutions. It appears that Western academics may not achieve significant results from these justice-seeking activisms until they fundamentally reconsider the direction of their universities. It remains to be seen whether Gaza's resistance can imprint the slogan "liberated zone" on the doorsteps of Western universities, rather than just on a campus courtyard or within a single department.

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
... skipping some wanderings...
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
... a bit more wandering skipped for brevity...
I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is proclaimed to be 'The Gospel' according to Paul: that all will be saved, and that Christ is the firstfruits of the resurrection, that at the last trumpet, the dead will be raised imperishable and that we might be changed (perfected). Death itself (and sin, its 'sting', and the Law!) is the final enemy to be destroyed.
How is anything but this the Good News? Who believes in a greater God than us? Who else can even conceive of a God more full of Goodness, Mercy, Justice, Holiness and Righteousness than our Father who is Love itself?
May the Lord and giver of life guide us all into his perfect, and inseparable communion, and may all reflect even a portion of the mercy, love and life that he showers on all.
(1 Corinthians 15)

This is I think my first ever post here so I'll post the dumbest thing I thought of at 3 am: the space core founded jc jenson, why? Their slogan is jcjenson in spaaaaacee and what does the space core say? I'm in spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaceeeee Checkmate, Atheists
ban this for low efford if ya want BTW tho I'd rather u not please I spent too many braincells on this dumb thing I just wanted to share

(This is in response to the wonderful 42 thoughts post.)
First, what is NOT there to be had. There are no alienating strobe lights, militarily choreographed dance moves, arbitrary laser effects and stultifyingly gargantuan video displays that coercively confine you to your own solipsistic interiority; rather, the intimacy that attends a GBV show almost demands that you be aware of your presence in the space, forge a connection with your core being and negotiate a bodily relationship to others if you want to have any fun.
These are not arena shows - for good reason. Large venues tend to enhance one's sense of anonymity and insignificance, which is the antithesis of what a good rock show should be about. Nobody at a concert should feel reduced to just another brick in the wall of sound; instead, every individual will find themselves enlivened and empowered by a sense of communion with their group of peers, and feel fully open to embrace the music that enters their bodies, passes through them as a mystical cleansing force, and in many instances extends joyously out of their mouths.
For those who find interaction with strangers problematic, the liquor is there - or the pot, if you prefer, or whatever is your relaxant of choice - to alleviate any traces of social anxiety and lubricate the gears of playful interaction with your fellow audience members and the band, none of the latter of whom in this case pretentiously sees themselves as superior to you in any self-appointed role as Messiah, Fuhrer, or Lizard King.
In sum, we come to a GBV concert seeking not spectacle but sustenance, not entertainment but astonishment, not worship but the satisfaction of witnessing a band do a job well done and adding something positive to the world that lifts our collective spirits in an era rife with enervating negativity.

Hey everyone, just coming here to share my story with trad/catholic anxiety. I’ve definitely been in it for less than many people here but I just wanted to get this off my chest and hey, maybe this helps somebody!
So for context I am a 21 year old college student. I came back to the Catholic faith in February of last year. I had become an atheist at 15 years old after becoming paralyzed with fear when I discovered how mortal sin actually works (“masturbation is a sin??”). I was bitter for a few years, but during the pandemic I started to go down the typical Gen Z “intellectual Christian” pipeline (Peterson, Barron, Pagaeu, Pints with Aquinas.. Lewis and Chesterton.. you know the drill). Eventually I felt something shift and I knew I had to go back to church. My confession experience was beautiful, as was receiving communion, praying the rosary, and reading the Bible. Around this time I also began dating an amazing girl (still dating!) who was raised Catholic in Mexico.
Things were great for about 6 months, but I was constantly taking in online content about Catholicism and.. you see where this is going. The first ugly step was talking to my girlfriend about NFP. She (despite being from a traditional Mexican Catholic family) had never heard about this and found it to be an unsettling and bizarre teaching. Add on to this that she already has a lot of anxieties about pregnancy and motherhood and… it was rough. But nonetheless, she stuck through and tried to at least understand the logic of it.
Meanwhile, I became increasingly radicalized and anxious. I began reading the main Catholic sub for hours a day (literally), frantically looking up questions such as whether NFP requires a “just” or “grave” reason. I would spend entire days in mental agony about the debate on what is sexually permissible in marriage. Eventually I shifted from Pints with Aquinas and Bishop Barron to Sensus Fidelium and Father Ripperger. Now the questions were no longer about when NFP is permissible, but whether women wearing pants or public pools were permissible. Now I was wondering whether the Novus Ordo was sinful, whether wives who work are in mortal sin, and whether the “Fewness of the Saved” sermon was literally true. I became so obsessed and anxious that I literally started googling the most “traditional” monasteries in the US and thinking about joining them since clearly that must be the only way to get to heaven. I started to become afraid of my girlfriend hugging me in case I began to get aroused for a second because I was pretty sure some priest in a barely audible video with 15,000 views said it was a mortal sin, even though two solid priests I actually know told me it was fine.
The thing that kept killing me was that slipping up on any single one of these “rules” was a mortal sin. So if Christopher West is wrong about marital sexual ethics, he’s 100% going to hell. If I’m wrong about women wearing pants, every woman I know is damned. If one trad priest has one less crazy mortal sin rule than another, he's probably done for on judgement day. What the hell is the point? Shouldn't we all lock ourselves in our rooms and whip ourselves all day? How can we know what all the mortal sins are? It all began to seem more and more arbitrary, as if everyone, even the most perfect trad, was just taking on the most amount of rules as they could personally handle and moving on with life. Then is any of this even real? I was starting to crack, and the gulf between my anxiety and my actual life was becoming larger.
Two months ago, I snapped. I realized I was one the verge of becoming an insane loner and losing an amazingly supportive (and patient) girlfriend. I am basically back in agnostic land. I no longer care about the rules. I don't know how long I'll be here, or if I'll become orthodox, protestant, or a Sam Harris secular Buddhist (actually.. probably not that last one lol). I plan on pursing marriage with my girlfriend and conducting our lives like basically every Catholic on the planet.
I feel confused, relieved, and bitter. I have no answers or questions, no point I'm trying to make. But I just really needed to put this out there. Hopefully reading this helped somebody. Feel free to DM me if anyone wants to chat for any reason. Have a great day y'all!