I'm not sure how controversial this is but I don't even understand how is this a debate. Before I entered spaces like reddit & tiktok I had no question that Pitou was 100% female but now we have like half the fanbase talking about "That's man, why are you attracted to a boy" or "It's THEY/THEM or HE not a SHE". I'm here having that "bruh what" jackie chan meme reaction. She is portrayed as a female, you can clearly see her body structure and physical features. Very feminine now that doesn't mean she HAS to be female because characters like Kurapika who resembles a girl is actually a boy.
My point is there's enough evidence for her to be female, if people want to believe otherwise that's fine. There's another group of people that are dead set on Gon and Killua having a deeply romantic relationship and gay vibes coming from them...frankly ridiculous. Here are some examples from the anime:

1. Pitou being referenced as a "Mother trying to protect their child" when absolutely NO man has been ever referenced like that.
   
2. All chimera ants are male/female coded meaning they are all capable of reproduction. Which means they are one or the other. There's no other ambiguious chimera ant it's clear that from the beggining.
   
3. Pitou has tits, ass, and wide hips. Look at the evolution of Togashi's drawing you can clearly see he's into a stereotype and even joked about it once.
   

Any confusion stemming from databooks, translators, or producers it's their fault. I know there are some sources that say it wasn't sure whether it's a boy/girl I think has led to many confusions in the fanbase.
Ready for the downvotes but someone had to say something it's just annoying fanboys ruining the experience.

(Only Europe, Please) - short note - If you're not into reading or receiving long messages,don't read any further + Please If you don't want to read everything because of my post being too long for you & instead of reading It all - ..skip some parts - find another person to talk to.Let's respect each other and our free time. All people criticizing/making fun of me & other people - will be blocked.Pretty much as people questioning my post and giving me unsolicited advice.I'm not here for any conflicts and I know I can't please everyone - I know I never will.. However It's me who should feel comfortable in my new potential friendship & obviously someone who wants to be my friend - not the whole world.. which is why I don't need any advice from people who don't even want to be a part of my life. The amount of rude people on Reddit always criticizing others and making fun of them is unbelievably high but let me tell you something - NEVER let anyone make choices for you and criticize you only because you're different! Always fight for your dreams and never let anyone make you think you're worthless! It's your life and you're the one deciding what's best for you - If you want to judge me despite not even wanting to talk to me or give me advice better block me! I'm an adult woman and I make all decisions on my own.I'm not trying to "fit in" and be like everyone else - just to get more attention.Accept me for who I am or let go - is my motto.
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Hello guys! 🙂 (read everything before you decide to send me a message) Please send me a message ONLY If you're in the same situation and If your expectations are the same as mine.I want to find like minded people from Europe (Why Europe? Read my post to find out) I'm looking for something permanent (remember - you can feel lonely even If you're surrounded by others - If there's no emotional bond) I'm fed up of meeting people who never make time for me & only text me once or twice a week to ask me "what are you up to?" Out of boredom.I don't want to meet people asking others a million of questions like "what's your favorite movie?" Just to give them one word answer and ask them another question "and music? Your favorite song?" I'm looking for something "deeper" & different 🙂
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What kind of friend would I like to find? Someone to talk to on a daily basis - Someone who needs It & wants It just as much as me
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What are my expectations? I would like to meet someone in a similar situation – why? Because I honestly feel like only a person with the same expectations and a similar outlook on life would get along with me & because I feel more comfortable talking to people like me..Friendless people who need a strong bond - people without friends and partners.. Don't get me wrong…Most people deserve to be happy and It's good to have friends but people who have friends or families in real life are usually more focused on them (which is completely understandable) & have less time for others + I simply don't want to be replaced by anyone..I kind of envy people who can call others , true friends given I don't have an emotional bond with any of my acquaintances. Please send me a message only If you're not In a relationship and don't have friends for the same reasons I've already mentioned before
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Whenever I hear that others have friends I simply get sad because (believe it or not) If I had to choose between 20 people to talk to (acquaintances) and one special person - I'd choose that one special person without any hesitation .
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I also want to talk to others every day because..I want to see someone’s effort & be someone's first choice - not another person to have random conversations with..some people ask me "Why do you want to talk to people from Europe?" Well..Because I would like to see someone I'd get along with - In the far future - face to face :) + I don't want to wait any longer than 6 hours to receive a message - waiting 6 hours to receive a message is more than enough
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I'm by no means criticizing people who don't want to talk to others often / People who really are super busy & People who want to find someone to have unimportant conversations with - I'm aware that not everyone has the same expectations which is why everything you're reading now - is here for a reason :) All I'm suggesting is - I don't want anything temporary and I don't want to be the one always giving more than receiving.Listen people - I used to ignore being..ignored by others..always being just an option to talk to during tough times or moments of boredom.I was too young to realize that I was never important enough for most people that were a part of my life. I don't know who needs to hear this but..No one is too busy to make time for you! People make excuses to avoid others because they prioritize everything and (maybe) everyone..over them. It's true that most people are busy - but It takes only a few seconds to start a conversation (If you're into short messages) and a few minutes (1-10/15) to type a long message . Don't let anyone lie to you.
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Truth is that most people either don't like you enough to make time for you or just simply - feel no need to talk to others often but are they too busy? No..You don't need to send me a message just to ask me and tell me "Do you really want to talk every day? I like long messages but I can't promise to contact you often" If you really are unsure please don't send me a message.I don't need more acquaintances aka people to talk to - occasionally.
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I'm not trying to sound rude but conversations once or twice a week wouldn't be enough for me and I don't need them... Let me tell you one thing – A true friend would never just give up on you for no reason :) It’s always possible to find someone to have a random conversation with – someone willing to send you one message once or twice a week..but..It’s almost impossible to find people willing to make more time for you.
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I’m not asking a busy person to make time for me by changing some plans! Absolutely not! I’m here to find someone who wants to talk daily (throughout the day or maybe even night) of one’s own will.Someone looking for the same kind of connection.Strong friendships are based on mutual support. One of the best things you can do for a friend in need, is just to be there for them when they want to talk.I often see posts from people who always say how friendless they are because they don't feel loved or appreciated by their "friends" remember! A true friend - someone who truly likes you or someone who wants to get to know you - will always find time for you.
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I'm not interested in small talk/short messages - I love long and meaningful conversations. It's so easy to find someone who loves abbreviations and questions like "How are you?" How was your day? Or what are you interested in? But so hard/almost impossible to find a person who knows how to keep a conversation going & show others some effort.Building and maintaining friendships takes time and effort.Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relations with other people.Close friendships are so important to us because they are so difficult to form + Having friends can help you feel as if you belong to something that brings purpose and connection to your life
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• I do NOT respond to any „Hey,hmu” or „u want to talk?” type of messages (super short messages or messages full of abbreviations – I literally can’t stand abbreviations and acronyms in text messages) ALL messages full of abbreviations will immediately be ignored.I also don't like it when people ignore everything I say in private messages just to focus on a random question or? When they start talking only about themselves and don't ever ask me anything. I love conversations with people referring to everything I say...I want everything I say and do - to be reciprocated
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• No NSFW profiles (checking mental health subreddits NOT included as I'm a huge empath and always try to understand others) - Please! I'm not looking for anyone to flirt with and I'm not looking for a partner either. I always check people's profiles (even comment history) - To avoid guys, trying to get inappropriate pictures from adult women or? flirt with them + I don't want to see you with no clothes on so If you're on Reddit only because you want others to see what's underneath your clothes - I'm not for you! I just simply don't want to see any s e x related activity on your profile If you want to talk to me.
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• If both of us (you and I) are from the same country (I live in a non-English speaking country) - I want to communicate with you in our first language! No - Not because I don't understand English - because as you see - I do. Why then? English is simply overrated and people don't appreciate other languages as much as they should. So.. If we're from the same country and you want to talk only in English (which is quite common on reddit) - Talk to someone else. I just don't want to talk to a person from the same country as mine - in a foreign language as It's just something I don't understand even If all you want is to improve your language skills
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• Please only adult people 18-36 (age range) It doesn't matter to me If you're younger or older than me (as long as you're not underage) So.. don't worry! I just want to have discussions with emotionally mature people :)
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• I don’t respond to messages I don’t find interesting even If they're long - If after receiving and reading your message I don't feel comfortable or think "I wouldn't get along with him/her" I simply do not respond (what I’m suggesting is that I don’t always respond to someone’s first or second message because..sometimes you just know If you’d get along with someone or not- I’d never ignore anyone after days or weeks of daily conversations though) just because I don’t want to do anything forcefully & because I don’t want to lead anyone on. I read all messages but I definitely don't respond to all of them! I want to make it clear because I don't want to be accused of not responding and not reading people's messages! - Some people don't message me back as well and even If It's a bit disappointing I'm ok with that! - as long as there's no emotional bond - Not responding to someone's first or second message Is completely OK! If people think they wouldn't get along with a stranger - is there a reason to start a conversation? I don't think so. I can't stand being ignored after days or weeks of daily conversations and seeing people changing priorities over time.. but that's something different - something I don't want to go through ever again for real. If I'm really interested in someone's message it's impossible to hear from me "I'm too busy" because I know myself and If I had no time for others - I wouldn't be here. I don't want to pretend someone I'm not and always try to find some cheap excuses to avoid others. (unlike most people who don't want to talk to others)
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• Don’t ask me “Can you tell me something about yourself?” If you really want to get to know me - you can ask me questions :) I'm an open book.
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• It would be better If you guys were into emojis - like me - to describe your emotions In text messages. Two emojis - 🙂 and 🙁 are completely enough! I just don't like emotionless conversations.I also don't like it when people say "yeah" or yea"as it sounds dismissively. First impression Is everything to me! I want to see your kindness even in a text message - Emojis are very helpful to express your emotions.I don't want to meet people who say "crying Is a weakness" - It's OK to cry even If you're a guy!
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• I want to talk on reddit first (just to make sure If I'd get along with you) before moving to Discord or some other app
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• I would rather talk to a homebody - not another person who always has something to do as people who are very busy don't even have time for daily conversations
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• If you're another person interested only in "childish conversations" such as "HEYOOO! I'M BORED! Ya like Pizza or cheese? xDDDD 🤣" I'm begging you! Don't send me a message.I'm not a child anymore and such messages don't make me smile or laugh.I'm looking for someone interested In serious discussions - not another person just seeking some entertainment out of boredom . Conversations with sarcastic undertones (even when It comes to some emojis such as 🤣😂) are not for me. Your typing style matters to me! Why? when It comes to online conversations with someone new - It's not always possible to know If someone Is laughing at you.. or with you. Let me tell you something else! Jokes about cancer, disabilities and death are UNACCEPTABLE to me. If you find joy In someone else's misfortune you are not a person I want to know.
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• Time response matters to me a lot! I would never ask anyone to be online all day long and I'm NOT asking any of you for any instant messaging as I'm someone who would rather wait an hour or two to receive a proper response instead of some short and pointless messages but I'm interested only in daily conversations and I don't want to wait any longer than 6 hours to get a message from you.I don't need unbelievably long messages either! Messages as long as the second paragraph of my post - are completely enough. If you like longer messages? you can send me a longer message, but If you want to send me one word or one sentence as a response to my post - don't expect a reaction from me. I don't want to come across as rude - I just don't want to waste your time
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• I'm strongly AGAINST picking on people you don't even want to chat with - and making fun of them! I can't stand people who criticize others publicly or make fun of them! (only because they disagree with someone they don't even know) There's no place In my life for someone using Reddit, to hurt other people
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• I'm not into foul language and I definitely don't want to talk to people who swear a lot...
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• I want to meet assertive people who know what they want and always stand up for their friends
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• I want to meet someone willing to call me In the future, someone spontaneously sending me pictures of animals or food, et cetera. I want more than just text conversations.. 🌻
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Why can’t you see any of my hobbies listed down below? Because what really matters to me is..who you are (If you’re honest, talkative ,understanding, caring and trustworthy – for example) just simply – It matters to me what you’re like! not what you like.Don’t get me wrong – you can tell me what your hobbies are but from my point of view - people's hobbies are important - If you want to find a gaming buddy or If you want to meet someone to hang out with in real life and..go bowling for example.What most people seem to care about are other people's passions – I don’t. I get along with other people despite having completely different hobbies but I absolutely don’t get along with people way different than me (different expectations and outlook on life – way different sense of humor or personality traits – It’s just an example) It doesn't make ANY DIFFERENCE to me If you're a gamer or? Someone interested in photography! It doesn't make any difference - > as long as you're talkative and kind and If you also want to find someone willing to stay in your life..for good - But If you're into small talk and all you want is to...type and receive super short messages or If you're here only because you're bored and don't know what to do + If you're a very sarcastic person - I'm definitely not for you! I don't get along with overly sarcastic people turning everything into a joke. Friendships should be natural – not forced. I wouldn't get along with people who laugh at everything.. In my opinion most people are way too sarcastic.. It's quite sad... Sarcasm can also be another form of passive-aggressive behavior.
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People who want to be to friends should feel comfortable and have something in common. No - not necessarily a similar taste in music or movies but something else..Most friendships don't fizzle out because of people not having the same hobbies but..because they just simply have different expectations when It comes to something important.I'm not here out of boredom and trust me - I'm not here to meet as many people as possible.I choose quality over quantity.I highly value myself and my time & Sometimes one person but a person who makes you feel comfortable and understood - is more than enough :) We ALL can choose what kind of people we’d like to talk to and maybe even become really good friends with and I? I don’t want anyone to be disappointed.We all have some expectations after all.I know that people don't have to talk as often as possible in order to become friends but I'm interested only in daily conversations. If you really need someone to talk to due to loneliness and If you have time to talk to me daily (throughout the day and maybe even night) I always make time for others.I'm literally always available.I could even stay up all night long only to talk to someone important to me. I’m ready to commit but only If there’s some chemistry between me and someone else.I don’t do anything forcefully.
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If you want to talk to me tell me your story - tell me why you're here, what kind of friend would you like to meet :) Et cetera.Such messages are way more interesting to me than...someone's long list of hobbies. I know! It's unusual on reddit but I don't make friends based on hobbies..I want to meet someone with the same mindset as mine to finally feel understood and get close to someone new. You can share your problems with me - I absolutely don't mind "complaining" as I've been through a lot in my life.What do people usually tell you when you tell them that something's wrong? "Don't complain" or "Life's not over yet - one day you'll be happy" or "There are worse situations than yours" and..obviously "Find a therapist" Life's not a fairytale and sometimes things don't go as planned.Emotions shouldn't be bottled up.I'm sick of people always telling others "everything's gonna be ok" move on " & more..Trust me people - not everyone wants to hear "Just believe in yourself and everything's gonna be ok" Some people take it as reassurance - but others? They would rather hear something different 🙁Imagine being told that things will be okay, only for them to get worse..Do you guys know why telling someone "everything's gonna be ok" Is wrong? Because you can't see the future.
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You can't guarantee others that one day they'll finally be happy + when It comes to social interactions - We're responsible only for ourselves - not others & as you guys know people let us down quite often (sometimes even when there's no reason) so instead of telling people how they should move on, forget everything and be happy or asking them to find a therapist - be there for them! Always be willing to listen to them If you really like them or want to get to know them & don't suggest everyone in a tough situation to find a therapist because even the best therapist won't ever replace a true friend + It's quite normal to be disappointed If people always do something to hurt you. Sharing your hardships with other people in a very similar situation or exactly the same one - is VERY helpful If the other person understands you & wants to start all over by just letting it all out! Feeling emotional support instead of always hearing some "positive quotes" or someone saying "Stop complaining let's talk about something else - Is very important! "Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on. I appreciate sensitive people who always try to understand others. If after hearing a sad story all you want to say is "forget the past and move on" you're not for me. It's important to be a good listener and provide emotional support to others
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Please - If you're a completely different person than the described type of person I'm looking for (If you love abbreviations,If you don't need a stable friendship, If you're sarcastic and quiet) or If you simply disagree with my post - don't force yourself to send me a message.I want my new potential friendship to be natural which is why I want you to contact me only If your needs are the same - I don't want you to pretend someone you're not - only to please me - Pretending to be someone you're not - is the worst.I want to finally be happy again & find someone "always" wanting to talk - sending me random pictures throughout the day - food pictures or pictures of some animals. What is the most important to me? I want to find people who value online friendships as much as they would value real life ones as there's another human being on the other side
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No comments please.Only Private messages and chat requests 🌺
I know It's possible to meet people with exactly the same expectations as mine but It's just not easy because most people are Interested In temporary and entertaining conversations. People like me are just "different" I really want to finally find someone who loves emojis as much as I do.. someone who loves sweet, warm and serious discussions at the same time. Emojis really do - change conversations 😊

I reside in Japan, so it's normal to ask about blood type upon having a date or relationship. (It's even featured on some anime, as it's s trope found in romance types, if you know the right scenes for it.) But I was surprised that it's also a thing in South Korea, as one of my friends from there mentioned it. I even heard this type of question asked on K-drama's. (Mainly romance ones.)
Let's say a Japanese / Korean Man / Woman decides to date and start an interracial relationship with a American / British Man / Woman (or any other foreigner), but the Japanese or Korean individual asked them this question: "What's your blood type?" As it is a rough equivalent of asking for their zodiac sign. (It's even a question asked in anime, when you come across scenes involving dating or relationships.)
From both within Japanese or Korean culture, blood type is seen as an indicator for personality to marriage compatibility. (Okay, from a medical standpoint it kind of makes sense since you want the future child to be healthy, as if you have a kid with blood type that differs from you and your partner, it can cause problems if you need a blood transfusion, as you need a blood type that is compatible.)
Even on dating apps, people from both countries actually list their blood type within their profiles (both male and female), as you can literally see it within their bio. Another thing, on apps like Tinder: Japanese women tend to hide their faces a lot, it's like they are camera shy, as opposed to Western women they take a full picture of themselves, not camera shy, when they upload their profile picture.
Basically its explained like this, just to list a few attributes. (Personality) -

Type A	Type B	Type AB	Type O
Kind	Optimistic	They are bookworms	Realistic
Hardworking	Gets lonely easily	Calm and rational	Very cautious
Big on cleaniness	Love festivals and parties	Chasing their ideals and dreams	Dream of getting rich quick
Good at hospitality	Quick to adapt	Have various hobbies	Romanticists
Safe drivers	Likes to play	Have strong spirituality	Heading straight toward their goal
Strong on taking responsibility	Afraid of being alone	Sensitive and easily hurt	Vigorous at earning a living
Can be calm even when accidents happen	Have unique ideas and are creative	Doesn't like interference from other people	Good at developing economic concepts

The affinity of type A

If a partner has blood type A: that means they have many points in common, both of them are highly strung, so that means they can become irritated with each other.
If a partner has blood type B: an individual with type A envies type B happy to go personality, but on the flip side type A worries about type B's personality.
If a partner has blood type AB: the individual with type AB is reliable for a person with type A, they can turn to and rely on them for advice and assistance. They can have a stable relationship.
If a partner has blood type O: that individual is protective of type A, but if type A discusses about every small thing, the relationship will end on a bad note.

The affinity of type B

If a partner has blood type A: that individual will be willing to help a person who is type B, but in return they easily get fatigued. Type A complains and nags about type B.
If a partner has blood type B: both parties are not careful. That leads the both of them on doing stuff that is considered off the rails and may regret later.
If a partner has blood type AB: they quickly start having a liking for each other, hence their relationship starts. They love each other a lot.
If a partner has blood type O: they can understand each other easily, the type O covers for type B's bad points, hence they are a still a great match.

The affininty of type AB

If a partner has blood type A: an type AB individual respects type A, they have a passionate love for each other, but they end up fighting and quarreling.
If a partner has blood type B: They are a good match connecting with each other easily, hence the chemistry between them is compatible.
If a partner has blood type AB: the relationship proceeds along parallel lines, but they cannot open their minds to each other. It's best to be not be too close, but also not too far.
If a partner has blood type O: they can both succeed in both business along various activities together, as they can produce new things easily.

The affinity of type O

If a partner has blood type A: that individual will always want to take the lead for type A, they are a good match for each other.
If a partner has blood type B: they can talk and freely express while having a comfortable relationship, but type O gets confused about type B's moody persona at times.
If a partner has blood type AB: their thoughts are a match, but if both parties are in the same 'arena' they compete with each other.
If a partner has blood type O: both parties don't understand each other easily, so they feel alienated. It's suggested that they should not be close together.

I mean, what would be the reaction of a Westerner or any other foreigner, like Europeans, Hispanics or Arabs, etc. if a Japanese or Korean individual asked them this question: "What blood type are you?" upon dating, are they going to literally think they have ill intentions on harvesting their organs selling it to traffickers or something? (When it is not connotated like that at all!)
My guess is that, it's just a cultural difference that may need some explaining, as they may not fully grasp what they had just asked them. Since their dating cultures are different in their own way, how would an American, Brit, Aussie or any other foreigner be able to answer back? Would they be creeped out or consider it weird, as it may not be a question they have been asked before.

(Only Europe, Please) - short note - If you're not into reading or receiving long messages,don't read any further + Please If you don't want to read everything because of my post being too long for you & instead of reading It all - ..skip some parts - find another person to talk to.Let's respect each other and our free time. All people criticizing/making fun of me & other people - will be blocked.Pretty much as people questioning my post and giving me unsolicited advice.I'm not here for any conflicts and I know I can't please everyone - I know I never will.. However It's me who should feel comfortable in my new potential friendship & obviously someone who wants to be my friend - not the whole world.. which is why I don't need any advice from people who don't even want to be a part of my life. The amount of rude people on Reddit always criticizing others and making fun of them is unbelievably high but let me tell you something - NEVER let anyone make choices for you and criticize you only because you're different! Always fight for your dreams and never let anyone make you think you're worthless! It's your life and you're the one deciding what's best for you - If you want to judge me despite not even wanting to talk to me or give me advice better block me! I'm an adult woman and I make all decisions on my own.I'm not trying to "fit in" and be like everyone else - just to get more attention.Accept me for who I am or let go - is my motto.
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Hello guys! 🙂 (read everything before you decide to send me a message) Please send me a message ONLY If you're in the same situation and If your expectations are the same as mine.I want to find like minded people from Europe (Why Europe? Read my post to find out) I'm looking for something permanent (remember - you can feel lonely even If you're surrounded by others - If there's no emotional bond) I'm fed up of meeting people who never make time for me & only text me once or twice a week to ask me "what are you up to?" Out of boredom.I don't want to meet people asking others a million of questions like "what's your favorite movie?" Just to give them one word answer and ask them another question "and music? Your favorite song?" I'm looking for something "deeper" & different 🙂
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What kind of friend would I like to find? Someone to talk to on a daily basis - Someone who needs It & wants It just as much as me
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What are my expectations? I would like to meet someone in a similar situation – why? Because I honestly feel like only a person with the same expectations and a similar outlook on life would get along with me & because I feel more comfortable talking to people like me..Friendless people who need a strong bond - people without friends and partners.. Don't get me wrong…Most people deserve to be happy and It's good to have friends but people who have friends or families in real life are usually more focused on them (which is completely understandable) & have less time for others + I simply don't want to be replaced by anyone..I kind of envy people who can call others , true friends given I don't have an emotional bond with any of my acquaintances. Please send me a message only If you're not In a relationship and don't have friends for the same reasons I've already mentioned before
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Whenever I hear that others have friends I simply get sad because (believe it or not) If I had to choose between 20 people to talk to (acquaintances) and one special person - I'd choose that one special person without any hesitation .
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I also want to talk to others every day because..I want to see someone’s effort & be someone's first choice - not another person to have random conversations with..some people ask me "Why do you want to talk to people from Europe?" Well..Because I would like to see someone I'd get along with - In the far future - face to face :) + I don't want to wait any longer than 6 hours to receive a message - waiting 6 hours to receive a message is more than enough
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I'm by no means criticizing people who don't want to talk to others often / People who really are super busy & People who want to find someone to have unimportant conversations with - I'm aware that not everyone has the same expectations which is why everything you're reading now - is here for a reason :) All I'm suggesting is - I don't want anything temporary and I don't want to be the one always giving more than receiving.Listen people - I used to ignore being..ignored by others..always being just an option to talk to during tough times or moments of boredom.I was too young to realize that I was never important enough for most people that were a part of my life. I don't know who needs to hear this but..No one is too busy to make time for you! People make excuses to avoid others because they prioritize everything and (maybe) everyone..over them. It's true that most people are busy - but It takes only a few seconds to start a conversation (If you're into short messages) and a few minutes (1-10/15) to type a long message . Don't let anyone lie to you.
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Truth is that most people either don't like you enough to make time for you or just simply - feel no need to talk to others often but are they too busy? No..You don't need to send me a message just to ask me and tell me "Do you really want to talk every day? I like long messages but I can't promise to contact you often" If you really are unsure please don't send me a message.I don't need more acquaintances aka people to talk to - occasionally.
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I'm not trying to sound rude but conversations once or twice a week wouldn't be enough for me and I don't need them... Let me tell you one thing – A true friend would never just give up on you for no reason :) It’s always possible to find someone to have a random conversation with – someone willing to send you one message once or twice a week..but..It’s almost impossible to find people willing to make more time for you.
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I’m not asking a busy person to make time for me by changing some plans! Absolutely not! I’m here to find someone who wants to talk daily (throughout the day or maybe even night) of one’s own will.Someone looking for the same kind of connection.Strong friendships are based on mutual support. One of the best things you can do for a friend in need, is just to be there for them when they want to talk.I often see posts from people who always say how friendless they are because they don't feel loved or appreciated by their "friends" remember! A true friend - someone who truly likes you or someone who wants to get to know you - will always find time for you.
★
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I'm not interested in small talk/short messages - I love long and meaningful conversations. It's so easy to find someone who loves abbreviations and questions like "How are you?" How was your day? Or what are you interested in? But so hard/almost impossible to find a person who knows how to keep a conversation going & show others some effort.Building and maintaining friendships takes time and effort.Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relations with other people.Close friendships are so important to us because they are so difficult to form + Having friends can help you feel as if you belong to something that brings purpose and connection to your life
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• I do NOT respond to any „Hey,hmu” or „u want to talk?” type of messages (super short messages or messages full of abbreviations – I literally can’t stand abbreviations and acronyms in text messages) ALL messages full of abbreviations will immediately be ignored.I also don't like it when people ignore everything I say in private messages just to focus on a random question or? When they start talking only about themselves and don't ever ask me anything. I love conversations with people referring to everything I say...I want everything I say and do - to be reciprocated
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• No NSFW profiles (checking mental health subreddits NOT included as I'm a huge empath and always try to understand others) - Please! I'm not looking for anyone to flirt with and I'm not looking for a partner either. I always check people's profiles (even comment history) - To avoid guys, trying to get inappropriate pictures from adult women or? flirt with them + I don't want to see you with no clothes on so If you're on Reddit only because you want others to see what's underneath your clothes - I'm not for you! I just simply don't want to see any s e x related activity on your profile If you want to talk to me.
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• If both of us (you and I) are from the same country (I live in a non-English speaking country) - I want to communicate with you in our first language! No - Not because I don't understand English - because as you see - I do. Why then? English is simply overrated and people don't appreciate other languages as much as they should. So.. If we're from the same country and you want to talk only in English (which is quite common on reddit) - Talk to someone else. I just don't want to talk to a person from the same country as mine - in a foreign language as It's just something I don't understand even If all you want is to improve your language skills
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• Please only adult people 18-36 (age range) It doesn't matter to me If you're younger or older than me (as long as you're not underage) So.. don't worry! I just want to have discussions with emotionally mature people :)
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• I don’t respond to messages I don’t find interesting even If they're long - If after receiving and reading your message I don't feel comfortable or think "I wouldn't get along with him/her" I simply do not respond (what I’m suggesting is that I don’t always respond to someone’s first or second message because..sometimes you just know If you’d get along with someone or not- I’d never ignore anyone after days or weeks of daily conversations though) just because I don’t want to do anything forcefully & because I don’t want to lead anyone on. I read all messages but I definitely don't respond to all of them! I want to make it clear because I don't want to be accused of not responding and not reading people's messages! - Some people don't message me back as well and even If It's a bit disappointing I'm ok with that! - as long as there's no emotional bond - Not responding to someone's first or second message Is completely OK! If people think they wouldn't get along with a stranger - is there a reason to start a conversation? I don't think so. I can't stand being ignored after days or weeks of daily conversations and seeing people changing priorities over time.. but that's something different - something I don't want to go through ever again for real. If I'm really interested in someone's message it's impossible to hear from me "I'm too busy" because I know myself and If I had no time for others - I wouldn't be here. I don't want to pretend someone I'm not and always try to find some cheap excuses to avoid others. (unlike most people who don't want to talk to others)
🤍
• Don’t ask me “Can you tell me something about yourself?” If you really want to get to know me - you can ask me questions :) I'm an open book.
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• It would be better If you guys were into emojis - like me - to describe your emotions In text messages. Two emojis - 🙂 and 🙁 are completely enough! I just don't like emotionless conversations.I also don't like it when people say "yeah" or yea"as it sounds dismissively. First impression Is everything to me! I want to see your kindness even in a text message - Emojis are very helpful to express your emotions.I don't want to meet people who say "crying Is a weakness" - It's OK to cry even If you're a guy!
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• I want to talk on reddit first (just to make sure If I'd get along with you) before moving to Discord or some other app
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• I would rather talk to a homebody - not another person who always has something to do as people who are very busy don't even have time for daily conversations
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• If you're another person interested only in "childish conversations" such as "HEYOOO! I'M BORED! Ya like Pizza or cheese? xDDDD 🤣" I'm begging you! Don't send me a message.I'm not a child anymore and such messages don't make me smile or laugh.I'm looking for someone interested In serious discussions - not another person just seeking some entertainment out of boredom . Conversations with sarcastic undertones (even when It comes to some emojis such as 🤣😂) are not for me. Your typing style matters to me! Why? when It comes to online conversations with someone new - It's not always possible to know If someone Is laughing at you.. or with you. Let me tell you something else! Jokes about cancer, disabilities and death are UNACCEPTABLE to me. If you find joy In someone else's misfortune you are not a person I want to know.
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• Time response matters to me a lot! I would never ask anyone to be online all day long and I'm NOT asking any of you for any instant messaging as I'm someone who would rather wait an hour or two to receive a proper response instead of some short and pointless messages but I'm interested only in daily conversations and I don't want to wait any longer than 6 hours to get a message from you.I don't need unbelievably long messages either! Messages as long as the second paragraph of my post - are completely enough. If you like longer messages? you can send me a longer message, but If you want to send me one word or one sentence as a response to my post - don't expect a reaction from me. I don't want to come across as rude - I just don't want to waste your time
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• I'm strongly AGAINST picking on people you don't even want to chat with - and making fun of them! I can't stand people who criticize others publicly or make fun of them! (only because they disagree with someone they don't even know) There's no place In my life for someone using Reddit, to hurt other people
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• I'm not into foul language and I definitely don't want to talk to people who swear a lot...
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• I want to meet assertive people who know what they want and always stand up for their friends
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• I want to meet someone willing to call me In the future, someone spontaneously sending me pictures of animals or food, et cetera. I want more than just text conversations.. 🌻
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Why can’t you see any of my hobbies listed down below? Because what really matters to me is..who you are (If you’re honest, talkative ,understanding, caring and trustworthy – for example) just simply – It matters to me what you’re like! not what you like.Don’t get me wrong – you can tell me what your hobbies are but from my point of view - people's hobbies are important - If you want to find a gaming buddy or If you want to meet someone to hang out with in real life and..go bowling for example.What most people seem to care about are other people's passions – I don’t. I get along with other people despite having completely different hobbies but I absolutely don’t get along with people way different than me (different expectations and outlook on life – way different sense of humor or personality traits – It’s just an example) It doesn't make ANY DIFFERENCE to me If you're a gamer or? Someone interested in photography! It doesn't make any difference - > as long as you're talkative and kind and If you also want to find someone willing to stay in your life..for good - But If you're into small talk and all you want is to...type and receive super short messages or If you're here only because you're bored and don't know what to do + If you're a very sarcastic person - I'm definitely not for you! I don't get along with overly sarcastic people turning everything into a joke. Friendships should be natural – not forced. I wouldn't get along with people who laugh at everything.. In my opinion most people are way too sarcastic.. It's quite sad... Sarcasm can also be another form of passive-aggressive behavior.
★
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People who want to be to friends should feel comfortable and have something in common. No - not necessarily a similar taste in music or movies but something else..Most friendships don't fizzle out because of people not having the same hobbies but..because they just simply have different expectations when It comes to something important.I'm not here out of boredom and trust me - I'm not here to meet as many people as possible.I choose quality over quantity.I highly value myself and my time & Sometimes one person but a person who makes you feel comfortable and understood - is more than enough :) We ALL can choose what kind of people we’d like to talk to and maybe even become really good friends with and I? I don’t want anyone to be disappointed.We all have some expectations after all.I know that people don't have to talk as often as possible in order to become friends but I'm interested only in daily conversations. If you really need someone to talk to due to loneliness and If you have time to talk to me daily (throughout the day and maybe even night) I always make time for others.I'm literally always available.I could even stay up all night long only to talk to someone important to me. I’m ready to commit but only If there’s some chemistry between me and someone else.I don’t do anything forcefully.
★
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If you want to talk to me tell me your story - tell me why you're here, what kind of friend would you like to meet :) Et cetera.Such messages are way more interesting to me than...someone's long list of hobbies. I know! It's unusual on reddit but I don't make friends based on hobbies..I want to meet someone with the same mindset as mine to finally feel understood and get close to someone new. You can share your problems with me - I absolutely don't mind "complaining" as I've been through a lot in my life.What do people usually tell you when you tell them that something's wrong? "Don't complain" or "Life's not over yet - one day you'll be happy" or "There are worse situations than yours" and..obviously "Find a therapist" Life's not a fairytale and sometimes things don't go as planned.Emotions shouldn't be bottled up.I'm sick of people always telling others "everything's gonna be ok" move on " & more..Trust me people - not everyone wants to hear "Just believe in yourself and everything's gonna be ok" Some people take it as reassurance - but others? They would rather hear something different 🙁Imagine being told that things will be okay, only for them to get worse..Do you guys know why telling someone "everything's gonna be ok" Is wrong? Because you can't see the future.
★
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You can't guarantee others that one day they'll finally be happy + when It comes to social interactions - We're responsible only for ourselves - not others & as you guys know people let us down quite often (sometimes even when there's no reason) so instead of telling people how they should move on, forget everything and be happy or asking them to find a therapist - be there for them! Always be willing to listen to them If you really like them or want to get to know them & don't suggest everyone in a tough situation to find a therapist because even the best therapist won't ever replace a true friend + It's quite normal to be disappointed If people always do something to hurt you. Sharing your hardships with other people in a very similar situation or exactly the same one - is VERY helpful If the other person understands you & wants to start all over by just letting it all out! Feeling emotional support instead of always hearing some "positive quotes" or someone saying "Stop complaining let's talk about something else - Is very important! "Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on. I appreciate sensitive people who always try to understand others. If after hearing a sad story all you want to say is "forget the past and move on" you're not for me. It's important to be a good listener and provide emotional support to others
★
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Please - If you're a completely different person than the described type of person I'm looking for (If you love abbreviations,If you don't need a stable friendship, If you're sarcastic and quiet) or If you simply disagree with my post - don't force yourself to send me a message.I want my new potential friendship to be natural which is why I want you to contact me only If your needs are the same - I don't want you to pretend someone you're not - only to please me - Pretending to be someone you're not - is the worst.I want to finally be happy again & find someone "always" wanting to talk - sending me random pictures throughout the day - food pictures or pictures of some animals. What is the most important to me? I want to find people who value online friendships as much as they would value real life ones as there's another human being on the other side
★
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No comments please.Only Private messages and chat requests 🌺
I know It's possible to meet people with exactly the same expectations as mine but It's just not easy because most people are Interested In temporary and entertaining conversations. People like me are just "different" I really want to finally find someone who loves emojis as much as I do.. someone who loves sweet, warm and serious discussions at the same time. Emojis really do - change conversations 😊

Most everyone learns it. Most everyone knows how to implement it. Most people find it to be a regular part of life. What is it; it’s personal space. Harry and Meghan seem to both lack the respect of people's personal boundaries. Worse. They seem to feel entitled to cross the boundaries of others. It is a well documented pattern that Harry is drawn to touching the chests of other men in public. Deliberately. It is bizarre that a man who grew up training to be a working royal would do something so bizarre for the cameras to capture.
In the Netflix reality show, Meghan complained that hugging William and Catherine was a slight against her. As if not wanting to hug Meghan means that William and Catherine are cold. That people shouldn't like them for having the gall to not want to be hugged by her. William and Catherine are autonomous adults. They should have the right to their personal space. They should get to decide who gets to hug their bodies and who does not. That shouldn't be challenging to understand. William and Catherine already have public duties where they shake people's hands and greet others while in close physical proximity to people they don't know. William is most likely used to people trying to take advantage of his position and status. It is understandable why he might have his guard up when meeting a stranger nevertheless his brother's new girlfriend.
Familiarity with another takes time. It does not come by trying to throw someone off by asking to use their lipgloss. Constantly hugging others doesn't necessarily make a person approachable. In fact, the body language this couple demonstrates makes them seem unfriendly. No one would go into the workplace or in public around others, clinging to their spouse. It gives the impression of a date, not an event to interact with others. It is not feminist to elbow a husband out of the way. The kind of forced intimacy Harry and Meghan display of themselves or others is not warm or genuine. It comes across as contrived.
British people do not find hugging to be jarring. What is jarring is Meghan's inability to read a room. There was a lot of whining from Team Tig and Todger that the detractors of Harry and Meghan were so put off by Meghan's wardrobe while in Nigeria. Her outfits were fine for a day at the beach or for an evening out. Wearing backless dresses to visit schools is not appropriate no matter what. The trip was heralded as a trip for Invictus (shocker, it wasn't). If the trip was for Invictus, wearing cut outs and spaghetti straps to what should be an event promoting the Games, is a key way to take the focus off of the cause and onto the so called patrons. Just perhaps the Invictus Games is not about the service-members anymore by design.
Anyone anywhere can learn the customs and traditions of another country. Culture is meant to be shared and appreciated. Even if the one learning does not agree with a specific culture, being a diplomat is putting that aside for something outside of themselves. No one should go to another country thinking they own the place and that the locals should cater to them. It does not take an International Relations degree to enter a house of worship of another faith and show reverence. An American can learn the words to God Save the King and a Brit can learn what is typically served for Thanksgiving.
Queen Mary of Denmark and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands learned Danish and Dutch respectively as they hail from Australia and Argentina. But Meghan Markle had to learn hymns for church and that is supposed to make her a victim.
Given that Harry was raised to be an ambassador for his people, it is curious that his wife was so ill prepared for it. They flunked out of being royals but everyone is supposed to believe they were so good at it the Queen and all of them were so jealous of them. If that is true, it’s so weird why they appear to fail at everything they do now. It’s really quite touching how logic and sense never seems to apply.

Howdy Folks,
I come bearing good news!
We're excited to announce the release of a new experimental branch for Manor Lords, version 0.7.965. This experimental update brings significant gameplay changes and numerous improvements.
Important Notice: Before you switch to the new beta version of the game, it's absolutely crucial that you back up your save files. Failing to do so could result in the potential loss of your progress. The new strings are not localized yet and stability hasn't yet been thoroughly tested. Some balancing changes are still experimental.
To access your saves on Steam for Manor Lords.

1. Press Win + E
2. Paste %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\ManorLords\Saved\SaveGames into the search bar.

To discuss this build, please join the official Discord server https://discord.gg/manorlords. You'll find a channel for discussing the ongoing pre_release branch.
You can read Slavic Magic's full Steam announcement here.

How to Access the Experimental Branch:

1. Open Steam
2. Right-click on Manor Lords in your library
3. Select Properties
4. Navigate to the BETAS tab
5. Enter the password: veryNiceBasket
6. Select "pre_release" from the "Beta participation" dropdown
7. Wait for the game to update (restart Steam if needed)
8. Launch the game

Full Changelog for Version 0.7.960 -> 0.7.965

What's inside:
This update focuses primarily on balancing and bugfixes. Key changes include:

• Militia Squads: You can now hire 6 militia squads even if you already have a retinue and mercenaries employed. Future builds will connect this cap to the Lord's rank.
• Sheep Breeding: The sheepbreeding development branch has been capped, and sheep no longer spawn exponentially.
• Fields, Harvests, and Fertility: Significant improvements have been made to field overlays, crop prediction, and ox and worker behavior for enhanced accuracy and optimization.
• Barter and Trading: Numerous fixes implemented; on-foot traders can now carry 5 items per trip.
• King's Tax and Trade Route Costs: These have been toned down from the levels introduced in version 0.7.960.
• Loserville Bug: Fixed the "Loserville" mercenary bug.
• Marketplace Distribution: Improvements made to the distribution within the marketplace.
• Experimental Feature: Added a "Allow market stall setup" toggle to prevent workers/inhabitants of certain buildings from setting up market stalls.
• Construction Reserve: You can now set a construction reserve for buildings using planks for crafting, like the Joiner's shop.

Gameplay & Balance:

• Capped sheep breeding to 1 new lamb every 10 days max.
• [Experimental] Villagers are only allowed to fetch water from the well nearest their home, except in case of a fire.
• [Experimental] Yield will never increase past 100% growth to keep gameplay intuitive.
• [Experimental] Even at 0% fertility, a tiny yield is still possible.
• [Experimental] Max yield per plant increased from 2 to 4, although the Hunting Grounds policy still reduces it by half.
• [Experimental] Plant yield rate reduced by half to encourage early harvest in emergency modes.
• The militia squad limit is now 6, regardless of retinue or mercenaries employed; future connection to the Lord's rank planned.
• [Experimental] Doubled the fertility regeneration rate on fallow fields and from fertilization.
• [Experimental] Slowed all plant growth by around 30% for balanced gameplay between field and vegetable crops.
• [Experimental] Tree growth rate slowed by around 30% upon player requests for more impactful forest management.
• [Experimental] Archer range increased by 1.5x with damage also increased from 12 to 15.
• [Experimental] Cost of opening new trade routes returned to linear scaling.
• [Experimental] Carrying capacity of on-foot trading post workers increased from 1 to 5.
• [Experimental] Royal tax restructured: No tax for the first 5 years, then 1 Treasury per citizen after 5 years, 2 Treasury per citizen after 10 years, 3 Treasury per citizen after 15 years.
• [Experimental] Adjusted granary and storehouse worker slots to unify to 3 families for lv1 and 6 families for lv2.

Minor Changes:

• Removed optimization where only every nth plant affected the fertility values due to display errors.
• Improved accuracy of fertility overlay colors and crop yield predictions.
• Added missing tooltips to minomajor trades.
• Enabled setting "trade rule" for advanced trades without an established route; items not available will show as NA.
• Reworked the construction reserve system to include various goods like planks.
• Optimized inventory array functions.
• Enabled disallowing certain families or workplaces from setting up market stalls.
• Tuned how "current region" is calculated in the UI for more comfortable building on the edge between two player-owned regions.
• Ensured iron and clay deposits do not generate on steep terrains.
• "MODDED" may now display after the version number to aid bug reporting.

Crash Fixes:

• Fixed a crash related to deleting a building when pathfinding obstacles are being verified.

Bug Fixes:

• Addressed issues with employed traders going to trade points without an open trade route.
• Corrected early movement of farm workers to transport tasks despite available crops.
• Resolved inaccurate predicted yield displays.
• Fixed rotation issues in villagers after dismounting.
• Addressed respect of work area limits by farming oxen.
• Fixed blurry appearance of gilded aventail houndskull helmets in the retinue editor.
• Corrected non-drawing of the forest mask.
• Fixed bandit camps respawning on loading due to unsaved "lastBanditCampSpawnedDay."
• Ensured villagers set up market stalls to sell their produce like vegetables.
• Corrected the wrong apple basket carry animation.
• Fixed wealth transfer issues during barter.
• Ensured bartering traders return the correct number of items based on barter value and carrying capacity.
• Addressed overpacking by bartering traders in their origin region.
• Resolved trading post exports not proceeding after the trader reaches the destination.
• Corrected the distribution of multiple instances of the same good type to a single plot, which left outlying houses undersupplied.
• Fixed crop rotation to fallow causing farmers to harvest invisible itemID_0, which stopped supply dumps from being cleared.
• Addressed issues with villagers staying at homes indefinitely if a bandit camp is spawned, thinking the region is under attack.
• Ensured proper saving of mercenary company arrival regions.
• Stopped granary workers from stealing ale from the tavern.
• Fixed interrupted livestock exports due to sheep herd behavior.
• Ensured livestock trader jobs trigger import tasks when buying livestock from another region.
• Corrected the missing "hunger" popup artwork.
• Fixed a typo in the credits list.

Cosmetics:

• Tuned field dirt UV wiggle to make the huge vegetable gardens less wavy.
• Improved the precision for snapping terraforming meshes like mines or sawpits to the ground.
• Made leaf clumps smaller and disabled the parallax mapping to reduce distortions.
• [WIP] Updated the visit mode character model for the green lady portrait to be female, still in progress.
• Cleaned up combat animations.

Thank you for playing!
Greg Styczeń, Lead Developer, Slavic Magic

The Lord Provides - Out of the Blue
This is actually a reminder for myself.
See the plant over there 🪴 this plant is in a certain state of being. There is an image and feeling that it’s giving off… of either being a fully grown tree or a dead plant.
If it wears the FINAL image and feeling of a fully grown tree… the lord provides it with: sunlight, nutrients, everything it will need to reach that tall and final state. If it requires movers to take this plant from a pot to a secure soil, the Lord will provide it. He provides it all, to take it to the final image
If it’s carrying the FINAL image and feeling of a dead plant… the lord provided it with: lack of Sun, no water, no nutrients. Notice: it’s on the outside, things change; the plant did no action personally. Perhaps the lord provided it with a child who runs and uproots it. He will provide it with everything, all that it needs, to get it to the final form.
If your friend is inwardly having the FINAL image and feeling of health… the Lord will provide them with: positive energy, deep rest, total physical health and recovery (again, they didn’t personally take any actions to do this, the world will change to support them in this way), people who are inspired by their health, perhaps a delicious healthier store much cheaper and closer than their usual take out is opened, anything and everything to support their growth to achieve the final image will be provided
If your friend is inwardly wearing the FINAL Image and feeling of sadness: the lord will provide them with, people, events, ideas, movies, which sustain that in them, experiences which will give them that in its final image and form. All of these will come to them FROM THE OUTSIDE, randomly, perhaps someone even hurts them emotionally for no reason at all—they personally didn’t take any step to make that happen.
If your friend is inwardly wearing the FINAL feeling and image of being an artist, the lord will provide them with, patrons, inspiration, perhaps a studio, other artist friends, money to let them do this, events which they will be inclined to go to which will make them get to the final image. These things will come to them from the outside, they wouldn’t go and plan events. What is needed, by the intelligence of our Lord, he will give to us. We simply accept it like water and sun
If your friend is wearing the FINAL feeling and image of being financially wealthy, the lord will provide them with a larger form of income, with a new job, a book perhaps which inspires them, opportunities and events, all of which happen from the outside, they don’t quit their job or make any decisions like that.
If your friend is wearing the FINAL feeling and image of living in another country, the lord will provide them people, events, whatever needed be, a relative calling them, anything and everything they need to grow into that final image.
(Notice: how water and nutrients and sun—when the lord provides plants this thing… it effortlessly takes it up its body and does what it does. There is no energy use, it’s osmosis. It just happens. Just like that, when god provides you with your needs for that final image, whatever he gives, you will NATURALLY AND EFFORTLESSLY TAKE IT!)
And now notice this: like the plant and the tree… the Lord provides. And they are at his mercy. Trees don’t plan out or take DEFINITE ACTIONS, “okay I am going to TAKE this much nutrients, I will DO this, I will DO that, I must FIGURE OUT a way to GO to fertile land”. No. The lord provides them the nutrients, the sunlight, everything they need FROM OUTSIDE OF THEMSELVES; they don’t see any decisions, or actions. The sun comes to them. Someone comes and moves the plant to better ground. OTHERS DO THE ACTION. They simply receive. They simply RECEIVE. That’s all you do. They don’t toil and struggle to DO anything like humans have been taught. They simply receive, exactly what the Lord provides them, in faith that these things will get them to the final image.
This means: all of these incidents will happen OUT OF THE BLUE. Just like how trees cannot control the rainfall, or this or that. It just happens. You cannot DO something. If it’s in the final image and feeling for the tree to outgrow and be tall, the lord will provide whatever they will need to achieve that final result. And it will happen from the OUTSIDE and no action is done physically by them personally. Other things will move to them.
Let GOD give you what you need: don’t go out doing it. You don’t know what you need to get the final image; you may think you do, but like a plant, like a dog, like anything else… we must RECEIVE the nutrients that God provides: we must be passive. For God knows masterfully exactly the specific person you need to meet, the events you have to encounter to get to the end image: He will provide it all. (And you will be inclined to take these steps so naturally it will not feel like you’re DOING anything, it just happens, there won’t be effort involved in the process, no planning, just getting coffee or, if you had to do a certain task—JUST LIKE A PLANT EFFORTLESSLY RECEIVES THE WATER FROM ITS ROOTS, so too, you will effortlessly and unmistakably make the decisions when such events and decisions are required). You do not go out searching.. If we are open to receive, we will see —EVERYTHING we need to get there, will come to us. Just like rain, Sun, etc etc.
All of this will happen out of the blue, they will never happen due to a physical cause or decision you personally make. The cause is imaginal. Not physical.
We are children of God, have total power to change the image and feeling that this plant has, of that person has, or the love of your life has. Or your friends and family have. Whatever the final image and feeling is: the lord will provide everything.
We are children, inside God’s womb: He is our mother. And exactly how the child in a womb has a final end, the mother provided exactly what it needs… in that way, our Father in heaven will provide exactly what we need.

It's here! The results for the 2024 Fantasy Top Podcasts Poll have been tabulated and we have the results! Before we share those results with you, a quick preamble about participation and how we categorized the podcasts. The original voting thread can be found here.
Participation
In total, 77 people participated in this poll and cast a total of 360 votes for 183 podcasts. That's a big uptick from the last time this poll was undertaken but not as much participation as we'd hoped. The vote spread was remarkably similar to last time but as we suspected, the popular podcasts have changed wildly. For instance, Writing Excuses was the most popular podcast last time with 16 votes and this time it only received one vote.
Only 2 podcast votes were disqualified: 1 for not seeming to be a podcast (not found on any podcast app and it did not describe itself as a podcast on its YouTube channel) and the other was only available on a website that my antivirus software wouldn't let me go to so I couldn't confirm anything about it.
Breakdown
There were 7 main categories of podcast:

• Discussion - for general podcasts where hosts talk about shared interests. This could include news, book discussion, readalongs/watchalongs, lore analysis, and so on. This is the category most people tend to think of when you say "podcast." Readalongs/watchalongs are specifically called out in the list due to their participatory nature.
• Fiction - for podcasts where previously published stories are read aloud often by their author usually without sound effects.
• Audio Drama - podcasts where stories are performed by actors as plays with sound effects. Not everything in this category is is specifically a drama. Some are comedies but audio drama appears to be the catch all term for any story performed for audio.
• TTRPG - a catch all for anything D&D related including actual plays and similar games like Pathfinder.
• Writing - podcasts on writing advice, story creation, and the like.
• Folklore/Mythology - somewhere between Fiction and Discussion, these podcasts bounced between reading, discussion, and history of real world myths and folklore often by people who are experts in their field. This felt different enough from Discussion and Fiction to single out since it did not fit neatly in either.
• Improv - there were a number of podcasts where comedians improvised stories in a fantasy or sci fi world. It wasn't quite fiction and it wasn't quite audio drama so it got its own category.

Fiction and Audio Drama are definitely the blurriest categories. In general, I counted something as audio drama if it had multiple actors and sound effects. This meant that stuff like Night Vale, which is arguably an audio drama, was counted as a fiction podcast since it doesn't have these elements. This decision was partially informed by Night Vale calling itself a fiction podcast instead of an audio drama which helped me figure out where to draw the line using Night Vale as a boundary marker. However this also means that delineations between Audio Dramas and Fiction may not be consistent as I did defer to podcast descriptions if they described themselves as Fiction or Audio Drama.
Our most popular podcast categories in order of most to least popular were:

1. Audio Drama - 62 podcasts Discussion - 62 (17 of the discussion podcasts were watchalongs or readalongs)
2. Fiction - 24
3. TTRPG - 21
4. Folklore/Mythology - 4 Writing - 4
5. Improv - 3

The Results

To save space, only podcasts that received 3 or more votes are displayed in the table below. Podcasts with only one or two votes can still be seen in our Fantasy Top Podcasts of 2024 Google Sheet.

Rank	Podcast	Category	Votes
1	The Magnus Archives	Audio Drama	18
2	Welcome to Night Vale	Fiction	16
3	The Adventure Zone	TTRPG	10
3	Wolf 359	Audio Drama	10
5	Alice Isn't Dead	Fiction	6
6	Alzabo Soup	Discussion/Readalong	5
6	Critical Role	TTRPG	5
6	Green Team of the Legendarium	Discussion	5
6	Imaginary Worlds	Discussion	5
6	Intentionally Blank	Discussion	5
6	Worldbuilding For Masochists	Writing	5
6	Worlds Beyond Number	TTRPG	5
13	2toRamble	Discussion	4
13	ars PARADOXICA	Audio Drama	4
13	Dungeons & Daddies	TTRPG	4
13	I Am In Eskew	Audio Drama	4
13	Limetown	Audio Drama	4
13	Midnight Burger	Audio Drama	4
13	Old Gods of Appalachia	Audio Drama	4
13	The Silt Verses	Audio Drama	4
13	The Strange Case of Starship Iris	Audio Drama	4
13	The White Vault	Audio Drama	4
13	Wizards Vs. Lesbians	Discussion	4
24	Be the Serpent	Discussion	3
24	Escape Pod	Fiction	3
24	Girl In Space	Audio Drama	3
24	Not Another D&D Podcast	TTRPG	3
24	Page Break	Discussion	3
24	Podcastle	Fiction	3
24	Pseudopod	Fiction	3
24	The Bright Sessions	Audio Drama	3
24	The Locked Tomb Podcast	Discussion/Readalong	3
24	Uncanny Magazine Podcast	Fiction	3
24	We Fix Space Junk	Audio Drama	3
24	Within the Wire	Fiction	3

Miscellaneous Info

• The most highly voted Discussion podcast is a tie between Alzabo Soup (which is about the books of Gene Wolfe), Green Team of the Legendarium, Imaginary Worlds, and Intentionally Blank.
• The most highly voted Audio Drama (as well as most highly voted podcast overall) is the Magnus Archives.
• The most highly voted TTRPG podcast is The Adventure Zone.
• The most highly voted Fiction podcast is Welcome to Night Vale.
• The most highly voted Writing podcast is Worldbuilding for Masochists.
• The most highly voted Improv podcast is Mission to Zyxx (not displayed above because it only got 2 votes).
• The most highly voted Folklore/Mythology podcast is Lore (not displayed above because it only got 2 votes).
• On average, users voted for 4.7 podcasts per comment.
• 60% of the list is composed of podcasts that received only 1 vote.

Closing Thoughts
So that's the poll. What are your thoughts on the rankings? Are you surprised any specific podcasts didn't make the list?

It was a soft little ski town in the North Carolina mountains, five hours from our home in Atlanta. The treeless scar on the face of the biggest hill was slick with ice and artificial snow. Southern skiers in rentals tumbled their way down to the rickety chair lifts. A pink sunset lit the still green hills.
The kids were exhausted, pulling themselves out of their snow pants in the backseat while we were parked at the pizza place at the foot of the mountain.
H, our oldest, saw the piano first. Immediately, he started to tremble. He knew what was coming.
You were on your fourth glass of wine when you approached the young guy playing pop songs for ski families on the baby grand. You sat our middle boy, G, about 8 years old then, down beside him on the piano bench and sang loudly along while he played a few bars of whatever he could remember. "I Will Survive." G has always liked performing for you. H waited outside by the car, hyperventilating.
He feels these moments as a repeated trauma, a sort of emotional concussion that always leaves him shaking. You told him he had no right to get anxious about something his brother was doing. You didn't understand what he was feeling. Maybe you didn't care. For him, it was about all the times you'd made him play for strangers. He was afraid.
I stood by the car with him while he shook, not knowing what to say that wouldn't betray you and would somehow keep the fragile peace. I'd spent months sleeping on the couch while you churned. When you were done performing for everyone, you pulled a band sticker you'd made for the boys from your purse and stuck it to the wall by the door. You could find the same sticker in the women's room of every bar and restaurant you'd ever been to in Atlanta. You were building something, turning them into the stars you never got to be.
We piled back in the car and snaked up through the dark hills towards the A frame rental. The boys were quiet in the dark of the backseats. You had brought a plastic cup of wine from the ride back, cheap pinot grigio sloshing with the turns. You were singing along to the spotify stream— a song called “Judy”
"Oh where are you Judy? Where are you Judy? Where are you Judy...." you sang, so excited to hear your special person’s name leave your own mouth. You called out for her then: "Oh Judy!"
For months I'd tried to embrace your relationship with her. On the surface it almost looked like an affair. But I knew you well enough to know it wasn't sexual. It was just that she had become your sun and moon.
In our marriage, you had always had a female friend that meant everything to you. Like Judy, they were usually a little older than you, usually with dark hair. Someone that could be mistaken for a big sister. Without fail, the relationships would end in an eruption. Infatuation turning on a dime into disgust.
The affection for Judy was deeper though than it ever had been before, and I was worried about what it would mean for you when the split inevitably came.
I started a fire in the stone circle beside the A frame once the kids were down in their bunkbeds, and you sat down beside me with more wine, smoke haunting the evergreens and rhododendrons in the darkness.
It was in your eyes then, that black place you go to, a pained trembled in the dark brown pupils. It was never really about the alcohol. It was something deeper and more painful. You were inflamed. “So," you asked me "Do you still want to be with someone like this?” You spat the words, staring into the fire. You were angry and righteous but fearful too, like I’d already gone. The quiet part of you knew what was wrong. Everything else in you blamed me.
“Of course I do,” I said. I knew what it was by then, but I was still looking for answers. Some solution to lift your pain and bring you back. I hadn’t told you yet what the therapist had shared with me. I had swallowed it, a secret I thought I could protect you from long enough to find a way to fix it. Some brilliant therapist or miracle drug that would plaster over the cracks. I didn’t understand why a therapist wouldn't tell a client what they were going through. "She will never accept it," was her justification. "Prepare for divorce."
The same sickness swimming in your eyes had infected me too. It had brought out the worst in me and I would match your anger. Not this night, though. This night I was quiet while you smoldered.
We sat together, a foot of old picnic table bench between us, a wide smile on your face that I didn’t understand.
When the fire was out, we went to our separate beds.

7 reasons why I think FFIE will squeeze.
1. Traction and Media Attention.
-Once traction picks up on $FFIE, it will be over for the hedgies. We must work the stock in order to meet WSB's requirements and bring in more fighters.
2. Short interest remains staggering 95.36% and 36.3 million shares are borrowed
-This must be accounted for. Once we raise the stock price, it will induce the need to cover the short positions, leading to the big short squeeze we are looking for. (Got it from Fintel, can't link for some reason),
Edit: went in-depth more in reason #10 due to requests.
3. The stock has seen incredible performance and has fundamental value -Surging from 0.04$ to 3.80$ is no easy feat. This highlights the strength of retail investors as we stand up to the big money.
-FFIE has also announced cooperation with Master Investment Group and Siraj Holding LLC in the Middle East, establishing a strategic effort to expand business.
4. Your fellow apes are in the trenches with you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
-There are those who have lost a lot, and there are those who missed out on a lot. Nonetheless, we must not let our fellow apes be stranded. We are coming with more backup and support everyday!
5. Trading volume is extremely high, reaching over 9 figures, indicating strength and oncoming fire that is FFIE.
6. SEC Rule 201, this restricts the short selling after significant price decline. It is currently in effect for FFIE, reducing potential for short attacks and aiding in the squeeze. More power to retail this week.
Edit: I've linked multiple threads/sources in the comment section. Sources indicate that SEC Rule ended after today.
7. Historical Precedent: The same song is being sung here as with GME, AMC, and the other meme stocks. I believe in the potential and I am confident in our community.
PSA: THIS IS NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE, I AM NOT AN EXPERT. I'M JUST AN APE. I CAN BE WRONG.
AS FOR ME, I'M NOT SELLING....
Edit: Reading other sources, I want to add more reasons.
8. Regulation and Market Dynamics aka closing above 1$
-Why is this important?
If FFIE maintains a closing price above 1$ for seven consecutive sessions. It will no longer be at risk of being delisted from the Nasdaq. Staying listed will ensure CONTINUED access to a larger pool of investors and maintains regulatory compliance standards, basically enhancing INVESTOR CONFIDENCE AND MARKET STABILITY FOR FFIE.
Edit: UNDERSTAND IF THE STOCK PRICE DROPS TO 0, SHORT SELLERS DO NOT HAVE TO SPEND ANY MONEY TO BUY BACK THE SHARES. IF IT DID, THEIR PROFIT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE THE TOTAL AMOUNT THEY SOLD THE BORROWED SHARES FOR.
This basically means we can INFLICT UNLIMITED LOSS IF THE STOCK PRICE INCREASES INSTEAD OF DECREASE.
9. FFIE on the REG SHO and FTDs
FTD (fail-to-deliver) occur when a seller (short seller) does not deliver the securities sold by the settlement day. This can happen for a variety of reasons. FTD can be caused when many investors short a stock, depleting the supply of available shares to borrow. High short interest = susceptible to FTDs. Higher # of FTDs = more pressure on short sellers to cover.
In a nutshell, short sellers borrow shares to sell on market. They sell them to buyer. Short seller then can't deliver the sold shares to the buyer by settlement date.
-Being on the REG SHO List indicates that FFIE has experienced a substantial number of fails-to-deliver OVER A CONSECUTIVE FIVE-DAY PERIOD. This means short sellers have not been able to deliver the shares they sold, often due to the unavailability of borrowed shares.
-Once the threat of delisting is removed, short sellers will be compelled to close out their positions by purchasing actual shares from the market. According to SEC regulations, they are required to do so within ( typically ) 35 days of the stock being listed on the REG SHO List. This mandatory covering may drive up stock price due to increased demand.
HERE'S HOW IT AFFECTS FFIE. SHORT SELLERS WHO CANNOT DELIVER SHARES ARE REQUIRED TO COVER THEIR POSITIONS BY BUYING SHARES FROM THE MARKET.
10. Retailers BUYING ANDDD HOLDING We buy and hold because the short sellers only benefit by making the price go down. What happens if it stays up or hell, even increase?? THEY'LL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO COVER. (Extension to point 2.)
-Imagine you're a short seller, you want the stock to go to 0$ so you can walk out with significant profits without BUYING BACK the BORROWED shares ok?
Then you see a bunch of apes keeping the price up. Now what? HOW HIGH CAN IT GO? How long can it stay up?
-However long this takes, it will inflict losses. The potential for a stock to skyrocket is theoretically indefinite, BECAUSE a stock price can go up forever. EVEN IF THEY SEND THE STOCK TO 10$ AND PUSH IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 1$, WE MUST REMEMBER....
IT'S ONLY EVER IMPERATIVE TO KEEP HOLDING UNTIL THEY HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO BUY BACK THEIR BORROWED SHARES. ONCE THEY REALIZE THE POTENTIAL OF THE STOCK WON'T EVER REACH THE PRICE TARGET, THEY WILL ACCEPT DEFEAT AND BUY BACK THE BORROWED SHARES. GIVING US THE SHORT SQUEEZE AND WE WILL WIN.
THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO BUY AND HOLD, THIS CAN SKYROCKET.
WE MUST HOLD THE LINE. BLEED THEM UNTIL THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO COVER THEIR SHORTS.
I'M IN WITH YOU APES TIL THE END. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT.

Hello, potential Madden Zone league members!
We are a SIM rules Madden league that is currently looking for users to fill a few of our teams!
We use NeonSportz to track league info.
**We are currently in Week 11 and are using a post 2024 NFL Draft Roster with the latest moves and rookies!
Available Teams: Bucs, Rams, Saints, Chargers, Bengals, Falcons, Broncos**
We have been an ongoing league since Madden 15 and are looking for dedicated users who are able to stay active in chat, schedule games proactively, and PLAY scheduled games. As a user in our league you will be expected to mimic real life team management, and call games like real NFL coaches do, and that essentially means you cannot run 3 cheese plays over, and over in a game.
We use Discord for communication, and advance every 48 hours. Advance is generally @ 10pm EST, but we try to make sure all games can be played so at times we will accommodate those games by extending advance by an hour or two. We encourage users to stream their games using Twitch so that others in the league can watch the action, and be more involved when they aren’t playing, however it is only in the playoffs that streaming is required (so long as it doesn’t completely cripple your internet!).
This is a league that we intend to carry into Madden 25 and beyond so our goal is to find long term users who add value to the league. Be sure to send a DM to join our Discord if you're interested and we can answer all questions.

Hello, potential Madden Zone league members!
We are a SIM rules Madden league that is currently looking for users to fill a few of our teams!
We use NeonSportz to track league info.
**We are currently in Week 11 and are using a post 2024 NFL Draft Roster with the latest moves and rookies!
Available Teams: Bucs, Rams, Saints, Chargers, Bengals, Falcons, Broncos**
We have been an ongoing league since Madden 15 and are looking for dedicated users who are able to stay active in chat, schedule games proactively, and PLAY scheduled games. As a user in our league you will be expected to mimic real life team management, and call games like real NFL coaches do, and that essentially means you cannot run 3 cheese plays over, and over in a game.
We use Discord for communication, and advance every 48 hours. Advance is generally @ 10pm EST, but we try to make sure all games can be played so at times we will accommodate those games by extending advance by an hour or two. We encourage users to stream their games using Twitch so that others in the league can watch the action, and be more involved when they aren’t playing, however it is only in the playoffs that streaming is required (so long as it doesn’t completely cripple your internet!).
This is a league that we intend to carry into Madden 25 and beyond so our goal is to find long term users who add value to the league. Be sure to send a DM to join our Discord if you're interested and we can answer all questions.

I’ve never posted here before but I feel like I have a story that will resonate with you all.
—— Edited to add: I (26F) was diagnosed at the age of 24. So this happened pre diagnosis. ——
I was reminded today about my days in college and how I was a much better student in college than I was in school.
Where I come from, any child who does well in school is pressured into pursuing STEM in college. Fortunately, I was never good in school (too inattentive) and my parents were not the kind to pressure me into doing anything (they tell me now, that I was never the kind to listen to anyone. Sounds familiar?).
So naturally, when I went to college, I chose courses that seemed interesting and fun to me. I chose to major in literature. In my college, you have to apply for a seat toward the end of your 2nd year (it’s a 3 year course).
The list of students who made it to the final year was released announced on a WhatsApp group. My name wasn’t on it. 30 minutes later, there was another text. It read:
“After careful consideration, we’ve decided to chosen 4 more students to sit through the course despite their poor records.

1. Some kid
2. A different kid
3. A third kid
4. OP

Please keep in mind that you all will have to work harder and improve your record moving forward.”
My grades weren’t too bad but my attendance was pretty low. So I guess it’s fair.
Now, our faculty was by far the best in the city but since they had known all the students for 2 years, their minds were set. Even us students knew where we stood with them. It’s not unfair to say that they were biased. They liked the kids that they liked and rightly so. These students were very engaged in class, always participated in conversations, wrote poetry, etc. I didn’t do any of that. While I enjoyed literature and reading and ruminating (I had moments when I genuinely believed that my introspection skills were superior to some of the best students but I’d dismiss it because if I was so good then I’d be more liked by the faculty right?), I was never able to pay attention in class. I used to be zoned on all the time. This is why my attendance was so low. I was really scared of being called out by the professors for not paying attention. Anyway, I used to score average grades in my class projects and tests. Not bad at all but not great either. However, our semester-end exams used to be held in a different college and they were graded anonymously.
When our exam results were announced, I scored the highest grades in my course (I figured this out because everyone was sharing their score on the WA group). The next day, everyone in class was talking about how the exams were so difficult and it’s so difficult to score well. One of our professors said, “Yeah, I really don’t know what happened this time. Some of the brightest students scored poorly while some of our lowest graded students did very well. It’s messed up.” And then she asked, “Who had the best score out of all of you?” I raised my hand and she said, “OH”.
I can see the humour in it now but I remember feeling humiliated back then. There was no convincing her. For her, this was an act of God. Under no circumstances could she be a human being who was biased towards charismatic people and didn’t favour those who were hard to like (totally fair, btw. I mean not entirely fair but I get it). It was all some conspiracy to her. And honestly, I had been failed by the system so many times by that point, that I believed her.
I feel really sad for that young woman who failed to succeed on most days and even when she managed to win one, those wins were invalidated.
Anyway, I thought this story belonged here. I hope it acts as a reassurance for you all. May we find the strength to believe in ourselves and let ourselves celebrate our accomplishments because they’re too far and few between.
TL;DR: My achievements were undermined by a professor because I wasn’t a model student.

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!

I spend a lot of time researching how our nervous system works and what may contribute to the development of Visual Snow and other symptoms. Remember that there is a lot of vital information that I do not know, and may greatly benefit our understanding of this condition. Visual snow is described as an "epileptic" firing in the visual system in the brain. (Tinnitus behaves very similarly but it is occurring in the auditory nerves) NMDA glutamate receptors, which are overexpressed after excitotoxic injury may well be the trigger of an increased spontaneous firing in the nerves. In turn, the brain would decode this increased firing as "visual snow" The idea is that remaining nerve endings have been damaged enough to overexpress NMDA Glutamate receptors, thus increasing their spontaneous firing.There are various factors that contribute to the development of this condition. Everybody first had an initial trigger, and this varies from person to person. Common causes include stress, trauma, recreational and prescription drugs, Lyme, mold, heavy metals, and other toxic exposures. But what they all result in is brain injury and neuronal damage. The severity varies from person to person. The consequences of such injury doesn't just cause break in communication between healthy neurons, but a cascade of events that can lead to further neuronal degeneration and cell death. That is where visual snow comes in. Think of a broken radio or a TV where it isn't able to receive and process incoming signals so the outcome is a lot of visual/auditory noise. Our brains behave in a similar manner when there is an interference with proper neuron function and communication.Another good example is a type of neuropathic pain called paresthesia where you experience tingling and pricking sensations in various parts of your body. When nerves are damaged, they can't communicate properly and that miscommunication causes symptoms such as pain, tingling or numbness.Medical researchers searching for new medications for visual snow often look to the connection between the nerve cells in the brain and the various agents that act as neurotransmitters, such as the central nervous system's primary excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Visual snow can be caused when damaged brain cells emit an excess of glutamate. Many treatments use ingredients that work as glutamate antagonists, or inhibitors. Communication between nerve cells in the brain is accomplished through the use of neurotransmitters. There are many compounds that act as neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, serotonin, GABA, glutamate, aspartate, epinephrine, norpinephrine and dopamine. These chemicals attach to nerve cells at specific receptors that allow for only one type of neurotransmitter to attach.Some of the neurotransmitters are excitatory; leading to increased electrical transmission between nerve cells. Others are inhibitory and reduce electrical activity. The most common excitatory neurotransmitters are glutamate and aspartate while the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter is GABA. It is necessary for excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters to be in balance for proper brain function to occur.Communication over synapses between neurons are controlled by glutamate. When brain cells are damaged, excessive glutamate is released. Glutamate is well known to have neurotoxic properties when excessively released or incompletely recycled. This is known as excitotoxicity and leads to neuronal death.Excess glutamate opens the sodium channel in the neuron and causes it to fire. Sodium continues to flow into the neuron causing it to continue firing. This continuous firing of the neuron results in a rapid buildup of free radicals and inflammatory compounds. These compounds attack the mitochondria, the energy producing elements in the core of the neuron cell. The mitochondria become depleted and the neuron withers and dies.Excitotoxicity has been involved in a number of acute and/or degenerative forms of neuropathology such as epilepsy, autism, ALS, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, migraines, restless leg syndrome, tourettes, pandas, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's, seizures, insomnia, hyperactivity, OCD, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders.(Doctors use two basic ways to correct this imbalance. The first is to activate GABA receptors that will inhibit the continuous firing caused by glutamate. The second way to correct the imbalance is use antogonists to glutamate and its receptor N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). These are termed glutamate or NMDA antagonists. By binding with these receptors, the antagonist medication reduces glutamate-induced continuous firing of the neuron. This explains why some drugs like clonazepam and lamictal are able to help relieve symptoms in some patients. They help reduce excitatory action in the brain temporarily)Anxiety, depression, brain fog, depersonalization, visual disturbances (including visual snow, palinopsia, blue field entoptic phenomenon, photophobia, photopsia) headaches, tinnitus, are all common symptoms associated with increased excitatory activity in the brain. Excessive glutamate is the primary villain in visual snow.I strongly believe there are some genetic components that play a huge role in the development of Visual Snow and makes some individuals more susceptible to developing it. Normally, glutamate concentration is tightly controlled in the brain by various mechanisms at the synapse. There are at least 30 proteins that are membrane-bound receptor or transporter proteins at, or near, the glutamate synapse that control or modulate neuronal excitability. But in Visual Snow sufferers, my hypothesis is that we carry a faulty gene that results in dysregulation of the proteins that control and regulate glutamate excitability. They are unknown as more research will be needed.We live in a society where we are stressed emotionally, financially, physically and exposed to a range of toxins in our environment. Combining underlying genetic susceptibility with these other factors creates all the ingredients for a perfect storm.Stress + Infectious Agents (if any) + Toxins + Genetic Susceptibility = Health ConditionIncluded below is a list of things that can lead to excitotoxicity. The list includes trauma, drugs, environmental, chemicals and miscellaneous causes of brain cell damage. (Keep in mind everybody's bodies behave and react differently to various substances)-Severe Stress (Most people that are stressed out don’t realize that once the fight-or-flight response gets activated it can release things like cortisol and epinephrine into the body. Although these boost alertness, in major concentrations, the elevated levels of cortisol over an extended period of time can damage brain functioning and kill brain cells)-Free Radicals – Free radicals are highly-reactive forms of oxygen that can kill brain cells and cause brain damage. If the free radicals in your brain run rampant, your neurons will be damaged at a quicker rate than they can be repaired. This leads to brain cell death as well as cognitive decline if not corrected. (Common causes are unhealthy diet, lifestyle and toxic exposure)-Head Trauma (like concussion or contusion) MRI can detect damaged brain tissue BUT not damaged neurons. -Dehydration (severe)-Cerebal Hypoxia-Lyme disease-Narcolepsy-Sleep Apnea-Stroke-Drugs (recreational or prescription) -Amphetamine abuse-Methamphetamines-Antipsychotics-Benzodiazepine abuse-Cocaine-Esctasy -LSD-Cannabis-Tobacco-Inhalants-Nitrous Oxide-PCP-Steroids-Air Pollution-Carbon Monoxide-Heavy Metal Exposure (such as lead, copper and mercury)-Mold Exposure-Welding fumes-Formaldehyde-Solvents-Pesticides-Anesthesia-Aspartame-MSG (Monosodium Glutamate is found in most processed foods and is hidden under many various names)-Solvents-Chemotherapy-Radiation-Other toxic exposuresInside the Glutamate StormBy: Vivian Teichberg, and Luba Vikhanski"The amino acid glutamate is the major signaling chemical in nature. All invertebrates (worms, insects, and the like) use glutamate for conveying messages from nerve to muscle. In mammals, glutamate is mainly present in the central nervous system, brain, and spinal cord, where it plays the role of a neuronal messenger, or neurotransmitter. In fact, almost all brain cells use glutamate to exchange messages. Moreover, glutamate can serve as a source of energy for the brain cells when their regular energy supplier, glucose, is lacking. However, when its levels rise too high in the spaces between cells—known as extracellular spaces—glutamate turns its coat to become a toxin that kills neurons.As befits a potentially hazardous substance, glutamate is kept safely sealed within the brain cells. A healthy neuron releases glutamate only when it needs to convey a message, then immediately sucks the messenger back inside. Glutamate concentration inside the cells is 10,000 times greater than outside them. If we follow the dam analogy, that would be equivalent to holding 10,000 cubic feet of glutamate behind the dam and letting only a trickle of one cubic foot flow freely outside. A clever pumping mechanism makes sure this trickle never gets out of hand: When a neuron senses the presence of too much glutamate in the vicinity—the extracellular space—it switches on special pumps on its membrane and siphons the maverick glutamate back in.This protective pumping process works beautifully as long as glutamate levels stay within the normal range. But the levels can rise sharply if a damaged cell spills out its glutamate. In such a case, the pumps on the cellular membranes can no longer cope with the situation, and glutamate reveals its destructive powers. It doesn’t kill the neuron directly. Rather, it overly excites the cell, causing it to open its pores excessively and let in large quantities of substances that are normally allowed to enter only in limited amounts.One of these substances is sodium, which leads to cell swelling because its entry is accompanied by an inrush of water, needed to dilute the surplus sodium. The swelling squeezes the neighboring blood vessels, preventing normal blood flow and interrupting the supply of oxygen and glucose, which ultimately leads to cell death. Cell swelling, however, is reversible; the cells will shrink back once glutamate is removed from brain fluids. More dangerous than sodium is calcium, which is harmless under normal conditions but not when it rushes inside through excessively opened pores. An overload of calcium destroys the neuron’s vital structures and eventually kills it.Regardless of what killed it, the dead cell spills out its glutamate, all the vast quantities of it that were supposed to be held back by the dam. The spill overly excites more cells, and these die in turn, spilling yet more glutamate. The destructive process repeats itself over and over, engulfing brain areas until the protective pumping mechanism finally manages to stop the spread of glutamate."Recent research has confirmed that hypermetabolism has been primarily found in the right lingual gyrus and left cerebellar anterior lobe of the brain in individuals suffering from visual snow. The definition of hypermetabolism is described as "the physiological state of increased rate of metabolic activity and is characterized by an abnormal increase in metabolic rate." Hypermetabolism typically occurs after significant injury to the body. It serves as one of the body's strongest defence against illness and injury. This means that the brain is trying to compensate for the injured areas in the brain by increasing metabolism to meet it's high energy demands. It is trying to function to the best of it's ability under the circumstances. Normally the body can heal itself and regenerate under the right circumstances. But it is extremely difficult for the central nervous system - which includes the spinal cord and brain to be able to do so, due to it's inhibitory environment which prevents new neurons from forming. That is where stem cells come in. Stem cells are an exciting new discovery, because they can become literally any cell in the body including neurons. This is an amazing scientific breakthrough and has the potential to treat a whole host of conditions. Scientists are currently doing research and conducting trials.Excitotoxicity can trigger your "fight or flight" response, as this is the body's primary response to illness, injury or infection. If the brain and the body remain in the sympathetic fight or flight state for too long and too often, it is degenerative; it breaks us down. If this cycle continues, then eventually the system burns out. It is this cycle that results in autonomic nervous system dysfunction. The results are disastrous, digestion is shut down, metabolism, immune function and the detoxification system is impaired, blood pressure and heart rate are increased, circulation is impaired, sleep is disrupted, memory and cognitive function may be impaired, neurotransmitters are drained, our sense of smell, taste and sound are amplified, high levels of norepinephrine are released in the brain and the adrenal glands release a variety of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.I believe in order to find a treatment or cure for VS and it's accompanying symptoms, we need to address the underlying cause, reduce the excess excitatory activity in the brain, repair the damaged neurons, regain proper communication between neurons, rebalance the autonomic nervous system and prevent further cellular damage. We also need to figure out what genes, if any come into play. There is still a lot we don't know about the brain because it is such an remarkably complex organ.FAQsWon't lowering the levels of glutamate solve the problem? Well, not necessarily. That is just one piece of the puzzle. You have to remember that Visual Snow is a multifactorial and complex condition in which it stems from a number of different causes and influences. Based on my knowledge and the information I have gathered, I can conclude that the overstimulation of glutamate plays a huge role in VS and some other symptoms we experience. But there is still so much we don't know. That's why more research will be needed.Why is my condition worsening over time?That is a very good question. It is because the physiology, biology and chemistry of your brain and nervous system has been altered and has become dysfunctional since the initial trigger set off a domino of effects that leads to further degradation in the body. This puts a huge strain on your body and is constantly activating your stress response system. This will wreak havoc on your entire body. The stress response system was designed to deal with brief emergencies that threaten survival. It isn't supposed to last very long because the body cannot sustain itself for very long in this state. When you remain in "fight or flight" sympathetic state for too long, it becomes degenerative and breaks our bodies down. This affects every system in the body. When you are constantly under stress, the stress response system never turns off resulting in an ongoing destructive cycle. Stress can also exacerbate all your symptoms and makes you susceptible to developing other chronic health conditions. How is the gut related to VS?Having increased intestinal permeability is very common in this modern world because we are constantly being bombarded by toxins and stress. Our bodies weren't designed to handle such a huge burden. So we end up getting sick and become susceptible to kinds of diseases. Common causes include:-Poor diet (from excessive consumption of foods such as grains, legumes, sugars, alcohol)-Chronic stress-Toxin overload-Gut dysbiosis (It means you have a lack of beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They are overpowered and outnumbered by pathogens such as pathogenic bacteria, yeast, viruses, parasites)-Overuse of antibiotics When you have increased intestinal permeability, the epithelium on the villi of the small intestine becomes inflamed and irritated, which allows metabolic, microbial and environmental toxins and undigested food particles to flood into the blood stream. This event compromises the liver, the lymphatic system, and the immune response including the endocrine system. It is often the primary cause of the following common conditions: asthma, food allergies, chronic sinusitis, eczema, urticaria, migraine, irritable bowel, fungal disorders, fibromyalgia, and inflammatory joint disorders including rheumatoid arthritis are just a few of the diseases that can originate from having poor gut health.This sets the stage for chronic systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired detoxification, gastrointestinal dysfunction and immune system dysregulation.Some toxins have the ability to damage and destroy neurons, myelin sheaths, synapses and even DNA. An overload of toxins that the immune system is not able to get rid of disrupts normal brain function. This eventually initiates an autoimmune response where the immune system attacks the brain and nerve cells as it tries it’s best to eliminate the toxins.The mitochondria are the energy producing section of your cells. When they are damaged by the toxic overload in the brain cells and are not able to produce energy to fuel the cell, the cell dies.In order to stop this vicious cycle, the underlying biological mechanisms of VS needs to be understood. That is the first step that needs to be taken. Any other stressors also needs to be addressed in order to reduce the overall stress load.It is important to know that VS is just a symptom of underlying physiological stress in the brain. Symptoms are your body's way of communicating with you, letting you know something is wrong in the body.I've come across some research indicating that microglial activation and elevated nitric oxide is involved in some neurological conditions. Basically the microglial cells are our brain's immune cells and when something triggers an inflammatory response, they activate and release harmful neurotoxic compounds (such as nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines) which results in neuronal injury/death. Microglial activation can also result in a loss of synaptic connections in different regions of the brain. It's basically an autoimmune response in the brain. The neuroinflammatory process appears to be an ongoing and chronic cycle of central nervous system dysfunction. This can deplete glutathione levels in the body. Glutathione is the body’s most important antioxidant which is capable of preventing oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals, peroxides, lipid peroxides, and heavy metals. This only further exaggerates the problem, which only leads to a cascade of increased inflammation.Nitric oxide plays a vital role in this process. Elevated nitric oxide levels reduces and impair natural killer cells which leads to a vulnerable immune system that is susceptible to a variety of systemic infections. -Phobe Zhang

I had a pretty severe viral illness in 2011 (age 26) and since then I was constantly fainting. My heart would race horribly in situations it never did before. I stopped going out anywhere I might not find a chair if I feel dizzy. I developed a phobia of fainting while driving on the highway. I couldn’t work out like I normally did without palpitations.
The worst part is I didn’t know for years. I am a waify female but despite that I had previously been as tough, outspoken, outgoing, athletic. Since POTS I was seems as a pathetic, scared, fainter. I was told by my own family and friends I was fainting because I was overly sensitive or wanted attention. The first time I fainted, I still had that original virus on Christmas Day. I had become very quiet while my family was chatting because I felt dizzy. I got up to use the bathroom (feeling very sick to my stomach) and fainted on the way there. I fainted again about a year later while a friend was chatting with a stranger at a bar. My sister and my best friend said I was fainting on purpose in those situations. I fainted when another friend met with her boyfriend at a restaurant. I woke up being accused of being drunk by a waitress but they did call me an ambulance. While my friend didn’t say anything mean, she didn’t come to the ambulance. It wasn’t until 2015 that I had a boyfriend (now my husband) and I fainted in front of him. He took me to the ER, they admitted me and did a tilt table test. I fainted after 12 minutes, and that was after 24 hours of IV fluids. Even then, it was prior to COVID and I was so skeptical of this condition. My friends and family rolled their eyes at this news and I started to as well. I went to therapy for years for anxiety over fainting, bordering on agoraphobia. I was taught to not catastrophize fainting, that it’s not the worst thing that can happen. I pushed myself and even finished pharmacy school and got a great job (with a chair accommodation), got married (with a chair at the alter).
As of 2019 my symptoms were completely gone. I am still afraid of driving or bathing alone, but I am no longer afraid of not having a chair available. I go out with no restriction. I have two young kids and the physical demands actually keep me very fit and healthy. Since long covid became common I’ve been hearing about the condition more and can’t believe I went through all that with no support. I just want to tell people on this forum- I’m so happy you have the understanding and support I never had. I want to reassure you this is likely not forever. It may have just been time for me, but I did change my diet drastically the same year it resolved. In any case, you will find your resolution somehow. I think it’s very important to not fear fainting and stay active to not let hopelessness take over. Make fun of your potential fainting while keeping an eye out for dangerous falls. It’s all about how you cope with this emotionally.

I like to think that I'm a pretty well informed guy when it comes to geopolitics and military history, I enjoy them as a hobby and like to beleive I can look at things somewhat objectively. I was first introduced to the issue of Israel and Palestine when the US recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel over Tel Aviv in 2017 (no national uproar back then or for the 69 years prior that the conflict was going on btw) and I think I did pretty decent research but you can be the judge of that. With this in mind I don't think I've encountered a single "activist" here that has any clue about the history or scale of the conflict and more directly anything about how insurgencies operate and what counter-insurgent operations usually entail. First I've heard numerous people call modern Palestinians "indigenous" even though they were introduced to Syrian Palestine under the Ottoman Empire about 200 years ago, by that logic white Americans are "indigenous" to North America, Jews are indigenous to Palestine starting with the Canaanites in 2000 BC and the founding of the Kingdom of Israel where Jews would remain for over 2000 years until the Roman Jewish Wars in 100 AD where they would be driven from their indigenous land. I feel like this narrative of "Palestinian's" land being taken forcefully by Jews is just students severely lacking in critical thinking trying to force a complex topic into the much simpler "indigenous people forced out by evil industrialized nation" mold. Another thing is the constant association of Zionism with violence, I'm almost positive half the people screaming “Zionist” have no idea about its history or even what it means Zionism at its core is simply a movement to return Jews to their historic homeland and establish their own state in Palestine, not annexing the entirety of Palestine, just anywhere in Palestine which was initially intended to be obtained through economic means but the local Arabs retaliated violently to the massive influx of jews in their communities and subsequent dispalcement eventually escalating into the perpetual cycle of violence ending Mandatory Palestine and leading to the creation of UNSCOP. Now there were obviously zionist extremist groups that did awful things and even modern Israel is no saint but I'll criticize them later seeing the overwhelming blind anti-Israeli stigma at this school. Next moving to the military aspect these “activists” are exactly who you'd expect the quintessential band kid type who has no interest in studying military history but loves to speak on it(pt. 2).

What is Energy Procurement?

Energy procurement is the process of researching and securing the best energy contract for your business's needs from a third-party energy supplier or local distribution company (LDC).
Although it may seem time-consuming and confusing, energy procurement and energy procurement strategy is crucial and could save your business thousands while increasing energy efficiency.

How Does Energy Procurement Work?

To procure energy, you need to analyse your gas and electricity usage and collaborate with brokers or suppliers to determine which contract or tariff is best for your needs. It can also involve assessing the type of supplier, sustainability targets, and energy types available.

Who Needs Energy Procurement?

Every business, regardless of size or industry, will benefit from an understanding of energy procurement. However, the size and type of business operations will dictate your strategy.
For example, the energy needs of a small retail store that operates from nine to five will differ significantly from those of a factory that runs machinery 24/7. To choose the right energy contract, energy type, and energy tariff, you need to determine your energy requirements and goals.
It is best to speak with a broker or consultant if you have any questions about what your specific business will need, and which is the best financial option.

"2021 was an awakening for most UK business owners, energy was usually a background activity, low on the priority list with little thought given. Heading into 2024, navigating the energy market has become a critical task for businesses, especially after the energy crisis led to a significant market shrinkage. This has made energy prices more volatile and unpredictable than ever. Mastering energy procurement is now essential not just for managing costs, but also for ensuring a reliable supply of energy. As the market continues to tighten, having a strategic approach allows businesses to secure energy at stable prices and embrace renewable sources smoothly, which is crucial for meeting new environmental regulations." ‍
Reece Jensen - Senior Energy Consultant at Direct Business Solutions

How Do Businesses Procure Energy?

To get the best deal for your business energy needs, you should look for a supplier that offers competitive pricing and can meet your requirements. Typically, you can buy energy from one of the following parties:
Supplier: Private, wholesale, or retail energy companies can meet your business's energy demands, and they offer an alternative to utility company pricing.
Broker: Energy brokers and consultants will do the leg work for you. They work to find the best supplier, price, and deal for your specific needs.
Utility Company: Utility companies or LDCs are your default suppliers when you don't choose a supplier. They handle the supply and and distribution and charge a set rate for a fixed term or a market-based rate which can change each month.

Why is an Energy Procurement Strategy Important?

It is a simple principle, but there is more than meets the eye when it comes to energy procurement. For businesses, there are many benefits of energy procurement:
Cost Management: Energy bills can be one of the largest expenses for a business. Procuring energy from the right supplier means you’re guaranteed the most competitive rates, reducing energy costs and improving profitability.
Risk Mitigation: Energy markets can be volatile, with prices subject to fluctuations influenced by factors such as geopolitics, weather, and supply and demand. Procurement strategies can help mitigate these risks by locking in favourable rates through contracts or hedging strategies.
Sustainability Goals: Many businesses aim to reduce their carbon footprint and support renewable energy initiatives. Energy procurement allows organisations to source energy from renewable sources or invest in carbon offset programs to meet sustainability objectives.
Operational Continuity: Ensuring a reliable and uninterrupted energy supply is essential for business operations. Procurement activities help businesses plan for future energy needs, especially during times of expansion or relocation.

Types of Business Energy Procurement Contracts

There are various types of energy procurement contracts available for businesses. To make the best decision, it's important to understand the main options.
Fixed contracts
The contracts keep the energy unit cost or standing charge unchanged throughout the fixed term period, which can last from months to years. While they offer more security and prevent price hikes, you won't benefit from rate drops and fixed rates don't mean your bills will be the same every month.
Blend and Extend
The types of conteacts are slightly more complex. Your supplier will extend the contract's length to reduce the amount you're paying. The contract rates are blended with the current market rates, meaning you'll pay higher or lower depending on external influences.
You start with a fixed rate energy pricing, and when the contract is extended, you'll pay a new rate for that period, which helps to reduce energy bills and keep the rates steady until the contract ends. These contracts can be helpful for businesses struggling with high energy bills, but there's no guarantee your business will benefit from them.
The Flex Approach/Flexible energy procurement
These are more suitable for larger business operations. It involves buying energy in bulk at wholesale rates for months or years ahead. However, there's a risk of being caught out of contract when unit rates spike.
Pass-through
Pass-through tariffs swap between fixed, wholesale, unit rates, and other options to give the best deal while considering external factors like National Grid levels, Transmission Network Use of System (TnUoS), and more. They can be a good option for businesses that have a detailed understanding of their energy usage.
Renewable
Renewable energy contracts are the primary option for businesses seeking to meet sustainable energy goals. They involve purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs), which enable companies to offset their electricity consumption by buying the equivalent amount of electricity produced by renewable resources.

Advice For Generating an Energy Procurement Strategy

To effectively manage your business's energy consumption, you need to have a clear understanding of your energy needs. This includes how much energy you currently use and how much you are likely to use in the future. It's important to have an accurate prediction of your energy needs to avoid any unexpected bills.
When budgeting for energy expenses, it's important to be realistic about your costs. You should consider all energy options available to you, including different contracts and tariffs, and negotiate with various suppliers to ensure you get the best rates. Only agree to contracts that are affordable for your business.
Regular monitoring of your energy usage and spending can help you make changes to meet your energy goals. Whether your focus is on improving your carbon footprint or reducing costs, regular monitoring can help you identify opportunities to achieve your energy objectives.
Ask us any questions and we will help you out as much as possible.