Hello Joshu, May I ask, Here's the issue, What's my task?
No words are spoken by the master, Since every letter spells disaster, So to avoid catastrophe, Answers are given silently, And with calamities averted, The knowing knowledge stays unworded, Unwritten rules for none to follow, Filled to the brim by staying hollow, Hypocrisy! This heresy! Spoken words through poetry, With an intent undoubtedly, Should think twice for once you fool me...
Then what? Who said? Whose do's and dont's? No one claimed this here revelation, Simply sharing meditation, Personal practice put on paper, Take it, leave it, lover, hater, And with that difference unlearned, Who could remain to be concerned, Doubt and fidget, Yes, But no, Still distracted by the show, When from right here to the horizon, The myriad things just keep arising, This friction between earth and sky, Creates the question, Who am I? Because that very self idea, Is the very untouched sphere, Of the uncaused origin, Of an effect that's never been, Of that what's only ever shown, As naught but knowing... The unknown.

Hi everyone! I recently came across a brand that claims that their ingredients kinda mimic your skin and help healing your skin barrier. I did a bit of research but I thought some of you might be more knowledgeable on this topic.
My facial skin has been extremely sensitive for almost six years now and at this point I'm pretty much at loss. I get rashes almost instantly when I try using skincare for compromised barriers, even if they claim to be very gentle. My skin is constantly dehydrated, very thin, doesn't retain water at all, my skincare just kind of "sits on top" and I react to basically everything at this point. And it's really only my face, the rest of my body is only mildly sensitive. I've also been to several dermatologists and none of them could really help me.
The brand's products have a fairly short ingredient list which made me curious + their claim seems to be promising. However, I noticed that they use a lot of mandelic acid in their skincare, for example in one of their moisturizers: Aqua, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mandelic Acid
I read that mandelic acid is a very gentle AHA but should still be avoided when dealing with sensitive skin/a compromised barrier. However, I also read that it can be beneficial when it comes to healing your skin barrier.
Since I'm desperately looking for something that could finally fix my skin, would this maybe help? I don't have much experience with mandelic acid and thought some of you might know more about this. I also don't want to ruin my skin even more, which is why I'm so careful :(

First of all, try not to be offended because you don't have any reason to. I've seen a lot of people using insults in my last post, because they need others' confirmation on the music they like and that they feel insecure when somebody says something about their favourite genre. This is normal to an extent, because here I talk about the general opinion of people and not about my personal one. All the people seemed to think that I was expressing my personal opinion that the music they listen to it's bad, when in reality I didn't make any claim about what I think it's good or not.
For example: Ewigheim is a pretty unknown band that I like. My personal opinion is that they're good. Now, giving that so few people are liking them, I can easily conclude that the general opinion on them is that they're shit, but I don't feel offended or insecure by this because it's just what people as a collective think. If you'd ask all the people on Earth if they like Ewigheim or not, the chances of them not liking it are 99%.
Quality is generally seen as a technological trait that can be objectively measured (or almost objectively, to be correct) by the carachteristics of the object itself. This works for cars, blenders, glasses, guns or furniture. When it comes to art, quality is often seen by people the same way, but it's very incorrect. When talking about arts, quality is not measured by the characteristics of the piece of art, but by the response people have to the piece of art.
For example, a song is good when people like it, not when the artist used some very complicated patterns, a lot of instruments or it has a very special structure. These can be traits of a song that's liked by people, but it doesn't have to be liked by people if it has these traits.
Another important point is that the purpose of art is to be enjoyed. People consume art that they like (enjoy), even if they may describe that art as disturbing, deprimant or any other "bad" description. They consume it because they enjoy it, otherwise they wouldn't consume it.
Now that I've explained why the quality of a piece of art is "measured" by the response people have to it and that the purpose of art is to be enjoyed (liked) by people, I can easily conclude that art that has more people enjoying it is better than the one having less people enjoying it.
This leads to some conclusions that trigger most metalheads, because a general trait of them (us) is to feel superior because of the music they like.
For example, everyone here is fuming when I say that the general opinion is that Imagine Dragons is better than Morbid Angel. Your personal opinion might be different (as well as it's mine) but the general opinion is easy to see. If you'd ask all the people on Earth which band is better, more than 95% would say that Imagine Dragons is better.
I don't think that I need to explain why all people's opinions are equal when regarding arts.
If you don't agree with what I've said here, you can try to prove me otherwise, but please pay attention to what I've said and don't feel offended or insecure. Also, try not to use insults, this just only makes you look like offended teenagers.

if, for example, SS was selling MS pics on telegram or whatever apps, is there a chance JS turned a blind eye to it because she was making money from it too via SS? I don’t believe she directly partook in any assault of MS. However, she worked a lot, and night shifts often too — is there a chance she shared the profit with SS and turned a blind eye to it, maybe not even caring to ask WHERE the money came from exactly?
Just a thought.

There are some points that I noticed some car buyers do when purchasing their new car! Some of these things I have personally experienced myself!

1: Sunroof

I know it totally depends on taste, and frankly, a sunroof is okay, but a panoramic sunroof is not. India is a hot climate country, and while a mini sunroof heats the cabin a bit, a panoramic sunroof doubles it to boiling point. If parked under the sun, even with the curtain on, the AC has to work twice as hard, and your fuel efficiency goes for tank. Some pros and cons of panoramic sunroof

2: Black Color

Black color is nice and all, but it isn’t cheap to maintain (scratches are easily visible). It takes all your time and money to keep it shining. I know PPF will help, but again, you are spending more. Plus, another point is heat. It absorbs a lot of heat, and the cabin gets very hot. Again, the AC needs to work twice as hard, and fuel efficiency suffers. (I have a black car) Just don’t go with Black because another person also brought it.

3: Extended Warranty and Accessories

There is no need to buy hefty price accessories from showroom that too basic one. Should Avoid! them at all costs. Many people don’t know that there is a vast difference between factory warranty and extended warranty, as covered in this article. Extended warranty never covers your whole car compared to factory warranty. You can also buy an extended warranty on the last day of the factory warranty's expiration by just paying an extra Rs 1000 (Hyundai). I don’t think it’s beneficial to pay upfront for something that starts after 3 years. On the last day, judge for yourself whether you really need it. If you have low running, you don’t need it. (Most of buyer never claim extended warranty)

4: Buying Top Model only!

Who’s buying the Nexon for 19L and the Creta for 25L? Those are some overpriced models. The top model doesn’t always mean the best; even the 2nd and 3rd top models can fulfill your needs. Buy a car model based on your needs, not desires, because you already chosen the right car that meets all your requirements. You can save money for other things like accessories and more.

5: SUV only!

People are buying tall hatchbacks in the name of SUVs. You should reconsider your decision. Today, hatchbacks come with good ground clearance. For example, the Baleno and i20 have 170mm, while the Punch has 187mm, which is enough. The Baleno and i20 also offer plenty of space, comfort, and features. True SUVs are more like the Scorpio-N.
There is also one point about Petrol/Diesel, but I’ll cover that another day. I know these opinions can be subjective, and you might not agree with me, which is okay. Instead, we can have a healthy discussion in the comment section.

I come from a generally abusive upbringing and I just went No Contact with my Family.
I put TLDR at the end. It is alot.
I think Narcicism is part of their entire generational culture after the break with all my Family Elders.
I moved away from home and in with a kind fun loving man. I became stable! I got an amazing job. Best of my career.
My Family couldnt stand it, I wasnt desperate or needy and available for their game playing.
My Dad got angrier and angrier on every phone call. Shouting abuse at me about decision. I should not ever order takeout! I havent got a sizable retirement plan. Dont take a loan on a decent car. You dont have a house. Its a waste. He owns million in real estate and never runs AC in his own house. If he does it for a guest hell tell them how its a big deal. He believes in saving…
The derision continued until I confronted him about hus behaviour. It was a careful well thought out conversation. Complaints are unwelcome in my Family. I told my Dad directly. You are losing your temper everytime were on the phone and Im worried about you. This could be early stage dementia. Will you please see a Doctor?
When I was on disability he loved playing kind supportive Dad. Now Im flying on my own and he is losing his mind.
My criticism led to a years worth of drama. It was a slow creep. He would ask me about work. I thought we were being civil. And then I started getting emails from his Sister. Shes worried about me. His Brother makes a trip to Montreal and he says three different reasons why hes here. I feel checked up on. My Sister calls and reminds me gently. Be careful ya know youre “Special”.
Im legit making 87k a year in a Unicorn Startup. Its amazing.
I lose my job during a round of layoffs. Budget cuts. Didnt make sales targets. Im low hanging fruit. Im going to collect max EI. The company is generous and gives me a months notice so I can jobhunt.
This is my Dads big moment. Hes on the phone checking in and he moves to destroy me. Oh honey! You dont have to lie. You got FIRED! That happens sometimes. Listen. Why dont you move back? Plenty of part time jobs here. Less stress. This always happens to you… (It does not)
I get off the phone shaking. Wtf is this trash. I have two letters of recommendation and lifelong contacts and the launch of a career.
To cut to the chase. He had gone behind my back and started rumours Im doing drugs and lying to the Family constantly. He said my new bf is a drug dealer. He cant understand why I left my Husband (actual drug addict)
Total assault on my character and ran me right out of the Family. Im honestly glad to never talk to any of my 18 Cousins 8 Aunts and Uncles or 6 Sisters and Brothers ever again. None of them believe a word I say anymore. They want that Old Family Money.
Im officially unsafe. And its shocking but. Get wreckt. My Dad thinks hes the King and I MUST worship and faun over him. Puke. I have an opinion.
TLDR. I offended my Father when I called him on his bad behaviour for the first time. So he convinced my entire Family Im in a DV situation and using hard drugs. Noone cares what I say because he pays a lot of their bills… and takes them on vacation around the world.
For Reference see. Crabs in a Bucket. Or. George Carlin. There might be something wrong with you. You might be surrounded by ash holes.

I was recently having a debate with a friend. He is a native speaker of mandarin & cantonese, and while I am a native english speaker. The essence of our discussion was whether or not character based languages innately improve a speakers memory vs alphabet based languages?
Their argument (for) was that this was the same topics such as the argument with Japanese blue v Green & perception. Language you learn affects the way your brain operates, so it is by itself a possible claim. Expanding on this, the number of characters you need to know for fluently engaging in society is significantly larger than the number of letters you need to know. He argued that if you forget a word you can sound it out & guess the meaning from its root and prefixes/affixed. He additionally brought up memorizing stroke order (but my counter there, that stroke order is fairly consistent across characters & intuitiveh
I argued against, as we don't read words one letter at a time anyway. It is remembering whole words, and to that end his own argument (remembering root words, prefixes, etc.) not only makes it comparable to mandarin, but in my opinion the Chinese radical system actually makes it easier to guess the meaning of a new character (at least in traditional) compared to english. Additionally I think the comparison to the "blue/green" studies is unfair - this feels to be a better example of nature v nurture. Does something about being a character based language speaker improve your memory, or does the fact that their (in china) education system emphasis memorization (poetry recitation, etc) lead to it.
That is a huge oversimplification of our discussion it was multiple hours. But the gist is, is there something about chinese & other character based languages that make their speakers better at remembering things?

Before I start, I want to say that I don’t mean to intentionally offend anyone and I am solely looking for different point of views which might change my perspective. I will not go too deep into my thought and will try to provide as much context as I can. If my point of view is confusing or needs further clarification, I can further clarify.
Now to begin, I am currently under the belief that Sikhism like all other religions is man made.
REINCARNATION:
Aspects about reincarnation do not seem to make much sense. In Sikhi what I have found is that it is stated that 8.4 million life forms are which we have to cycle through to finally become human. First of all, I am pretty sure this is a concept that is very similar to the Puranas, in which it is also listed that the cycle of reincarnation is through 8.4 million life forms. The more detailed view might be different but the underlying concept is the same, some argue that this is a evidence that concepts in Sikhi are copied(I don’t have much of an issue with this but would like if someone can elaborate). Now the 8.4 million life forms do not make sense to me, while it is predicted that 8.7 million species exist right now(National Geographic) this number is also ever changing. And SGGS also proposes that there are multiple worlds with multiple species, wouldn’t this already contradict the claim of 8.4 million species?
My other issue with the concept of reincarnation is that from what I have gathered consciousness is exclusive to one life, meaning it does not carry over to another reincarnations(I got this concept from many videos that talk about death/consciousness and from people I have talked to about Sikhi). If the consciousness does not carry over and only the soul does what is the point of going through so many cycles of reincarnations? You obviously won’t know, sure your soul might be the same in every reincarnation but then again I have found no clear definition of what a souls is in Sikhi. It cannot be consciousness as that is clearly evident to be a byproduct of the mind.
REINCARNATION and SUFFERING:
If one is born into extremely poor circumstances(war, bad family, forced into non consensual acts, does crime due to circumstances) how exactly is that fair? We say that they must have done bad actions in their previous life, but this leads to two different questions. If they went through 8.4 million cycles to be a human why were they given impossible circumstances to become one with god? The other question being, if they clearly don’t remember what they did in the past in what way is it fair to give them a less desirable environment(in which they suffer)?
THE GURUS:
Now before I start this section, I think all Sikhs would agree that preforming miracles was a key aspect the Gurus were against. Yet we say that every guru had the “light” of Guru Nanak passed through them. I do not know if this is metaphorical or literal, if it is literal it goes against the no miracle teaching.
Another issue I struggle to understand is how I believe 7 out of the 10 gurus were directly related? I understand that there is a saki(forgive me I do not remember the exact saki) where someone asked one of the gurus to keep all the remaining gurus from the same family. This seems to be a somewhat of an escape from answering the question. Whether the saki is true or not I do not know but in the end the whole idea of many of the gurus being from one family makes the religion seems somewhat like a empire to an outside(non Sikh) and in some I have discussed it is one of the vital point of doubt.
Why were none of the Gurus female? This is a small non issue but slight confused question I have. If one of the gurus was a female it would further solidify how Sikhi broke norms and how regardless of gender the gurus were enlightened.
I think I will stop here, I have some more questions regarding practices done by the gurus and the concepts taught but I will stop here. My questions are not intended to offend someone and if my language used may seem offensive or aggressive I apologize that is not my intent. It just seems based on my research I seem to only conclude that Sikhism out of the major 5 religions is the most morally just and inclusive religion. The teaching taught in Sikhi can be adopted my anyone and they generally lead to good outcomes for many(good morals, equality, etc). However, other than this I do not see any evidence of God in Sikhi. The questions I ask seem to be my biggest issue in taking a “leap of faith”. The answers I have gotten is you have to experience god yourself, which is to me the same as telling a Hindu to imagine Vishnu(or any deity) with their eyes closed obviously they will have a image of the said deity if they truly imagined such. I will stop here, it seems I am frustrated with myself and I initially wanted to get closer to Sikhi to help deal with the unknowns of life. I am in simpler terms struggling to take a leap of faith due to some of the questions I have with Sikhi, this has lead me to currently take a agnostic stance in which I think God does not care about what we do and simply ignore us.
If any of my passages seem to be just rants or repetitive I apologize I did not mean for them to be as such(I have this problem sometimes). I can clarify any of the topics I discussed and I am open to anyone changing my mind.

This is probably my number one pain point when it comes to editing: Obtaining and storing the large amounts of video footage and finding relevant footage afterwards. I think this is a generic problem for high-edit gaming videos (I do primarily game reviews). Figured some of you are struggling with it too, so we could exchange and learn from each other.
I've found these general approaches:

• Recording EVERYTHING as I game, just so I can use it later. I've found a tool "Lossless Cut" which helps quickly comb through large files and cut out relevant chunks - but that still costs a lot of time and this post processing work is not very fun. I'm now trialling taking paper notes as I game so I can quickly write a note and a timestamp of something interesting so I can find it later. Still requires post-processing, but it feels less frustrating/random. I've in the past tried to just have an excel sheet adding notes to each large file, which helped a bit as well, but still makes searching for things tough.
• Use generic gaming footage as B-roll only, for A-roll always do intentional recording. This necessitates a lot of planning in advance to understand what scenes you need, and then (this is the real problem imo) the setup in the games themselves to obtain the footage. For example, you may realise you want footage from a specific quest/story mission because you want to highlight how unbalanced it is. Well, unless you have a save file directly before this mission, recording it may take a while.
• Use ShadowPlay to save highlights AFTER they have happened. This is, in theory, probably the best of both worlds. My issue is that if I play in multiplayer, I cannot separate discord audio from the game audio. I do it with OBS (I record to 3 audio tracks for game, discord and microphone), but that doesn't have a highlight-saving feature.

Currently, I am doing a mix of 1 and 2. I use generic footage as B-roll, and exports with losslesscut as A-roll. I make the filename have a long list of tags, so I can quickly search through my 100+ files to find a clip that I want. I get issues with clip reuse every now and then which is annoying, but it's the best I can come up with now.
If during editing I realize I am missing footage, I tend to add simple text describing the footage I want and then adding it to a txt file as a note. Then I keep editing. Once I am through one iteration, I go into the game and record all the things on my list. I find this process to be much faster and less frustrating as you can bundle similar tasks and don't have to keep launching and quitting software. And to be honest, sometimes I find that adding B-roll instead of the text works well too. I tend to be too perfectionistic sometimes I suppose.
Anyway - those are my general thoughts on the topic. What do you guys do? Do you struggle with things like this as well?

Some of the promises they have made in their manifesto seem like the final blow and nail in the coffin to Indian Democracy.
1. One nation one election, under the garb of saving costs will deal a deathly blow to our Democracy which is already in ICU.

1. Dilution of Regional Issues: State elections often focus on specific regional concerns, and combining them with national elections could overshadow these crucial matters
   
2. Reduced Accountability: Longer election cycles may reduce the frequency at which voters can hold governments accountable for their actions, potentially leading to complacency among elected representatives
   

1. When elections are staggered and spread across, it atleast keeps the national/multi-state parties on their toes and keeps them somewhat accountable and also allows for other states’ issues/national issues to affect state elections.
2.For example : Say a massive farmers protest occurs in Delhi and their ill treatment might influence voting decision of farmers in local states that are going to elections in the following months or a big corruption scandal that got exposed nationally might affect the same party’s prospects in the local elections.

1. The constitutional challenges of "One Nation One Election" intensify if a government is dissolved or dismissed prematurely. This scenario raises complex issues regarding synchronizing the terms of the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, requiring amendments to Articles 83, 85, 172, 174, and 356 of the Constitution. The need to manage breaks due to dissolution, President's Rule, or hung assemblies poses significant hurdles, potentially undermining India's federal structure. Without proper synchronization and constitutional amendments, the proposal risks facing legal and structural criticisms, impacting the democratic fabric of the country.

2.UCC

1. UCC and Some sections of the new criminal laws are outright anti people and snatch away our freedoms. Like UCC requiring live in relationships registration and requiring scrutiny/consent from a police station guy, maintaining registry, and then after breakup

1. Anti-Woman and Anti-Democratic (Anti-Liberty and State interference in personal lives): The UCC is seen as anti-woman, anti-democratic, and draconian. It restricts adult women's sexual autonomy, allows for moral policing, and interferes in consensual relationships, including marriage and divorce

3.Criminalization and Penalties: The UCC is criticized for its heavy focus on penalties and punishment, creating a legal environment that criminalizes personal choices and relationships.
4 Exclusion of Tribes and Targeting Minorities: Critics highlight the exclusion of Scheduled Tribes (STs) from the UCC and its perceived targeting of Muslims. The law is viewed as a "Hindu Code" that imposes cultural values on all citizens, especially minorities
5.Registration of Live-In Relationships: Mandatory registration of live-in relationships is seen as intrusive, violating individual autonomy, and potentially leading to marital disputes, interference from authorities, and societal scrutiny

1. Selective Application and Double Standards: Critics argue that the UCC's selective application, exemptions for certain communities, and exclusion of tribal and minority groups undermine the law's claim to uniformity and equality
   
2. These criticisms collectively paint a picture of a UCC in Uttarakhand that is perceived as regressive, discriminatory, and detrimental to personal freedoms, especially in the context of relationships and breakups.
   

And then if BJP wins this time with almost similar results as 2019 and in worst case if it gains more seats, then it reinforces BJP’s mindset , attitude and gives them bold confidence that what they are doing does not matter to people

1. Manipur does not matter. They can get away with gross incompetence.

1. In any half decent democracy, this alone would be enough for a president’s rule to be enforced and state govt dismissed and army brought in.

4.Protests mean nothing to this govt and are dealt with force.

1. Farmers protest took over a year with 700+ deaths and we all saw how the recent farmer protests were treated almost as an infiltration into the country with nails,spikes, blockages etc
2.Wrestlers protest and nothing happened
3. Ladakh Protest

1. Not attending and not even acknowledging the protests and meeting the agitated is basic responsibility of a govt. Whether the demands are reasonable/feasible/logical or not is secondary. If govt believes they are unreasonable then govt should atleast meet them and explain and sort things out.*

1. Extreme Misuse of agencies does not matter.
   
2. Press freedom does not matter. PM holding a open press conference and being held accountable does not matter. PM coming to the the parliament and answering questions does not matter.
   
3. Passing bills without any discussion or debate does not matter
   
4. Suspending MPs for raising their voice does not matter, Mass suspension also does not matter
   
5. Use of governors to interfere in state govts functioning does not matter
   
6. Washing machine politics does not matter. People dont care
   
7. Communalism and Hate speech does not matter
   
8. Toppling govts doesnt matter
   
9. Election Commission and its discharge of constitutional duties does not matter
   
10. Using PMLA and UAPA on civil society activists does not matter
    
11. Electoral bonds does not matter
    
12. Covid mishandling does not matter
    
13. Weakening of democracy does not matter. CAG / RTI is being diluted..
    
14. Heck, rejecting opposition candidates’ nominations, forcing them to withdraw and win uncontested without even a single vote being cast like it happened in Indore,Surat and In Arunachal Pradesh, 10 BJP MLAs have been declared elected unopposed (they have simultaneous assembly and lok sabha elections)
    
15. I also have a distant fear that once NRC is brought in and implemented, Muslims might be particularly at the receiving end and a significant number of them might be declared as infiltrators. I dont know why I feel this , but I feel this more so after PM gave a blatant hate speech saying Muslims are those who have more kids and are infiltrators…
    

The list is endless and these are some of the major things that come to my mind and are certainly gloomy.
I seriously don’t have energy to fight the whataboutery and falsehoods spread about the INDIA Alliance..
Remember in India politics is not who is good and better than the other but rather who is the lesser evil…and it’s clear who the lesser evil is.
Amazing how People are willing to trade humanity, empathy and their freedoms/liberties/privacy, democracy, social harmony for infrastructure.
Its highly likely that BJP will return to power for 3rd term on their own. As much as I don’t want BJP to return , I’m starting to lose hope and I’m starting to believe in what Bhakts say , “Ayega toh modi hi” ,
So be mentally prepared (atleast I am)… Good luck and best wishes to all of us.

I know there is purported spread maskless outdoors in close quarters.
I also know it is said to dissipate quickly as distance increases.
It is also said it travels up though.
I am wondering what if you lived on the top of a hill and regular festivals happen down in the bowl.
One person would quickly go away but what about loads of people?
Imagine an extreme example like glastonbury. If someone lived on a brow and the wind wafted that way would it be like a covid smog passing their way?
I ask because I may move somewhere which would probably have regular festivals through the year and is downhill and I would be located about 1/2 mile but uphill so people's breaths could raise and go in the direction of the wind.

It is very obvious that when the term “conspiracy theory” is used, most people immediately connect it with the word “false”
Now, it is almost as if questioning anything against the status quo or against an official organization is labeled “conspiracy theory” as if that automatically makes it not true.
There’s speculation that this was the actual purpose of creating the term, and basic human psychology would do the work for “them” over time…and if so, it definitely worked.
Just look at COVID for example, so many people shared their warnings and thoughts. They were immediately debunked by the CDC and government officials, claiming these conspiracy theories were harmful. Only later to discover they were true.
When do we first find people talking and writing about conspiracy theories? A lot of people claim it originated from the philosopher Karl Popper in The Open Society and Its Enemies (1st edition: 1945)
Others say it was a term created by the CIA after too many people questioned and speculated on the assignation of JFK to give them less credibility.
Some say it’s both, and the term only gained its common recognition when pushed by the CIA.
What are your thoughts?? This should be a fun rabbit hole.

My last flat was unbearable.
I mean, you try having a family of 11 live above you, when half of them are under the age of 8. Also try having a pair of raging alcoholic neighbours on either side of you. A pair who were once married to each other. My eyes rivalled that of pigeons’ due to no sleep.
I lasted a total of 21 days. I know, new record huh? I just about shoved the keys back in the grubby hands of my landlord when I finally saw the lunacy inscribed on his face. No wonder the rent was dirt cheap.
So I was back on the road, not on the streets though. Luckily enough I started questioning the flat by day 8, looked around for another place by day 15, and made a decision to get the hell out on day 18. 3 days of packing and it was bye-bye.
My new place seemed all the better too: yes, the rent was more expensive, and yes, it only has 2 bedrooms. But at least it was a house, one where pesky neighbours were at least 5 metres away. On my right, at least. On my left? Their house - thankfully - couldn’t even be seen where I stood.
Parking my car, I skipped up towards my new house with my fresh set of keys. And on entering? Silence. Perfect still silence. Thank the Lord. I basked in it for a while before returning to my car, unloading some of my baggage. It took 3-4 hauls, but I managed to fit it into one of the bedrooms. Thankfully, the rest of my things were to be brought by moving vans in about an hour.
I envisioned what the house could look like with a few finishing touches.
“But first…”
I eyed the 2 rooms. “Mine!”
The room I had chosen to be mine gave a bright view of my own smaller garden, as well as a portion of my right neighbour’s house, but that didn’t matter much. The view in the other room would suck: just my car and some reeds.
I was just about done heaving some of my baggage into my newly-chosen room when the doorbell gave an obnoxious ring. I stood, fighting the urge to just run away into one of my rooms when it beeped again.
Reaching the door, I eyed out of the peephole to see nothing but an opaque whiteness. I guess the downside in this house is that the last tenant was a slob. I eyed some of the yellowing walls. Sighing, I opened the door.
“Hello! We’re your neighbours, Jack and Sally, and we live just there,” She motioned towards my right, “We came to introduce ourselves, and to let you know that if you ever need anything, we’re right here.”
She then shoved a basket full of biscuits at my chest, a motherly-smile stretched around her lips. She turned to leave, husband - clearly forced to follow her - in tow, when she turned around.
“Your name, dear?”
“Leen!” I shouted after her.
“Perfect.”
And perfect it was, I thought. Neighbours that respect their distance from you, and give you food? I eyed the delicious snacks in front of me. Definitely an upgrade.
Though it was at dawn the very next day that I woke up, shook.
~
See, I was just sleeping in my newly delivered bed when I heard it. Something that sounded like a bird, a huge caw, before it alternated into different pitches. Disoriented, I tried to wipe the sleep from my eyes in order to focus better. But it just made me more confused.
It sounded like a chicken.
As far as I know, this new place was not the countryside, nor farmland. So what? And why?
I stepped up to my window to take a good look outside. I wouldn’t keep a rooster in my home that’s for sure. Whatever it was, it was coming from…
My jaw dropped.
I closed my eyes and scrubbed at them harshly.
Please tell me why I opened my eyes and saw the exact same thing.
A man, on his haunches, face pointed towards the sky, was making rooster noises.
And he was on my neighbours’ garden. The ones I met earlier.
He looked absolutely demented. I wasn’t even scared then, just flabbergasted. I wasted no time calling the police at this disturbing nuisance.
When they arrived though, I saw my neighbours’ shoot straight from their house, speaking or…was it pleading? With the officers. What on Earth..?
Anyway, it was their problem now, so I went back to bed. I had a whole bunch of chores the next day, and had to get it all sorted before I returned to work.
Shutting my eyes, I wished for peace. And quiet, thank you very much.
~
At last, I woke up at 10 AM. By 1 PM, I had sorted my clothing into its respective drawers, and had decorated my bedroom walls, including a new golden addition. And now? I had food cooking on the stove. It felt satisfying, having cleaned up and now awaiting the prize of food.
I scrolled on my phone as I waited for the pasta to cook, before another ding turned my attention towards the door.
“Huh, what now?”
Unfortunately I hadn’t cleaned the peephole yet, so I had to open the door. There stood Jack and Sally. Or Sally and Jack. Jack looked lost. Sally stared deep into my eyes.
“Was it you?”
“Me? What do you mean?”
“That called the police last night?”
I recalled the past night, and gave her a thumbs up, hoping my smile was reassuring. “Yep, don’t worry, that lunatic will not be coming back ever again. He can go to the zoo if he wants to squawk.”
I should’ve taken the cue from Jack’s paling face, but Sally grabbed hold of me. “Listen here, okay? That man, the one you called the police on...” She trembled, “He’s my son! You can’t do that! He was not even on your property!”
My eyes widened. “He’s…your son?”
“Of course! How can you not see that?”
Nodding at her, I relinquished myself from the hold she had on my arms. “Okay then, sorry for the call. But I do have to mention something,” Jack started to shake his head behind his wife, but I ignored the little-to-say man, “Is there any way you can keep the noise down to a minimum? Honestly, your son has vocal cords of steel! It would wake the entire neighbourhood at this rate.”
Sally stared pointedly at me, then took a look around my house. “Very well.”
She grabbed her husband’s arm as she turned to leave, and I caught the slightest look of fear in his eyes before he was abruptly pulled away.
I dismissed it - and the sinking feeling - on discovering my very soft, overcooked pasta when I came back into my home though.
I managed to also do one thing before wrapping up: I cleaned out my door's peephole. Now I wouldn't have to open the door to know it's them. I'd just speak at them from the inside if they were to come back.
~
I woke, jolting out of my bed the very next morning, or night. I checked my bedside clock to see it was 3:50 AM. The cock-a-doodle-doo was breaking into my head. I grasped my hair in frustration, knowing that I didn’t have the madman’s parents phone numbers’ to call, or maybe scream at them. It was the exact same thing as the day before! Except…maybe…
I strained my ear.
It sounded a lot closer.
My hands, for some reason, became clammy instantly, and the urgent thumping of my own heart - the fragility of my own life - became all the more prominent.
I tiptoed to my window and peeked outside. Nothing.
I then slowly treaded to my spare bedroom, and pulled the curtains apart. Zilch. Nada. Though…
Almost as if under a spell, my head turned towards my main door. I…I could somehow feel it. Just to confirm though, I peeked out of the door-hole.
And with a slam, I collapsed in my new, dream home.
~
When I came to, I was lying on white sheets, and a bright white light hung over me.
A hospital.
I was in my own room, which I found odd. It was not like I needed it. But then a doctor walked in, followed by 3 other people, and it all made sense. Everything - blurs and sureness - melted into a perfect picture.
Sally, Jack, and their son.
He couldn’t be more than 17 really. Though he looked 37 a few hours ago. Face pressed against the glass of my peephole, mouth wide open towards it, eyes pointing in different directions as his face reddened and contorted.
I was deaf in one moment. Then came the COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO.
Of course I fainted. Who could blame me?
“Good afternoon, I’m Dr Lam. You’re in A&E right now. Are you able to tell me your full name and date of birth?
My voice answered the Doctor’s questions, but my eyes stared dazed at the youngster’s abdomen, not daring to reach his its eyes.
“Well, nothing seems to be wrong with you. You may have just been dehydrated. Did you have any headache or pain before you fainted?”
I replied in the negative.
“Luckily, your friends’ son had found you passed out, and ensured your speedy arrival to hospital, so I wouldn’t be worried about any damage.”
My eyes finally strayed, looking towards the ground. I held the nauseousness of bile down my throat. Following a brief check-up, I was allowed to leave.
And 2 people and a demon followed me out.
“Well, Leen, that should give you a lesson,”
Sally.
I turned towards the family, who stood in a 3 person arc. Only 1 managed to look away, equal parts shame and guilt. I don’t need to mention who that was.
“Don’t worry. You can look at me, I don’t bite: not now and not at dawn,” a strained voice whispered at me. “I promise, it’s only at dawn when I…when I…”
“Hush Dean, don’t work your voice that much. You’ll need to save it for later.”
I was still dizzy. That didn’t stop me from running half-hobbled to the taxi stand, where I begged and claimed to many that I would provide double payment if they were to take me to my house.
It took a while, but I managed to pack some of my clothes. There was no way in hell I was sleeping at that damned house again, not now, not ever. I called and booked at a nearby hotel in the meantime.
I was done packing necessities by the evening. Walking out of my house, I saw no sign of those three. I would have been relieved, had I not come face to face with than one thing: standing in my garden, leaning against my car. My breathing picked up instantly.
Dean
It stood with its back resting against my car. And It noticed me immediately. Seems like it was just waiting for me to notice it.
“Are you leaving?” It sounded almost sad, but I needed it to move away, or my only way out of there would be in jeopardy.
“For the night.” My answer? Almost smooth, but even I could hear the first shake in my voice.
It nodded though. “Okay.” And he moved from my car. I counted the distance. 1 metre. 2. 2.5-
It made a sudden dash at me as I - in flight response - ran frantically to the driver’s seat, locking the door. I came in half-squashed, my backpack still on my back. But I didn’t care.
Its face was pressed against the window.
“Mum is waiting for a person that will like me for me, not run away. You’re supposed to like me.” It said, matter-of-factly. It then wailed, and sunk beneath the car window.
I did not dare to sit up and see what it was doing.
I didn’t even need to though. The sound came a split-second later.
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO
Tears spilled from my eyes. My limbs felt weak. I couldn’t even breathe. It suddenly sprang up to the window. Eyes enlarged: looking at me and everywhere at once.
“I can actually tur-COCK- in the day too, but M-DOODLE- said it would be too much for you,” wheezing, it exclaimed again before adding, “but this is ME. Do you-do you, do you like me?”
With dead limbs I weighed my foot on the pedal, and jump-started the car to speed off. My head shook left-and-right in response, stomach heaving with nausea.
Human preservation kicked me into taking proper control of the car when I saw, out of the rear view mirror, Sally. This time with a rope, which locked around the creature’s neck before she tugged, drawing it into her house. At one point we locked eyes. And what do I mean by we?
Answer: the 2 of them and me.
It was honestly a miracle that I did not get into a road traffic accident.
I spent 3 days living in the hotel after that, my job long-forgotten in the aftermath.
By day 4 I broke down and called my older sister, asking to stay at her place for a while. Her house and area seemed fine the times I’d stopped over. I guess I clearly did not seem right though, as she many-a-time asked me what was wrong. My answer? Stress. She persisted, years of living together as kids helping her figure out my lies, though she ultimately gave up after a week. She knew it was something I didn’t want to share, and that I was safe now. That was enough for her.
For me? I guess at the time I so badly wanted to tell someone. Though it couldn’t be my sister. I didn’t want to cause any trouble. Nor see if she’d even believe me, or instead rank me at the same IQ level as her two 5-year-olds.
For a few weeks, I stayed with my sister and her family, reassuring both her and myself that I was fine. Thankfully, we worked together to find a small apartment. Next to a kids school too - bonus points. I now craved safety above all else. After moving out though, I realised I needed my belongings back.
So, who picked up my stuff from that cursed residence, you ask? The moving people. I called the police from a random phone booth first to head over to that area, emphasising on seeing some suspicious looking men, whilst I got them to collect everything. I did not dare to call the police on that family though. I would prefer if the link between me and them got cut, drawn and quartered.
So now I’m here, in an apartment which thankfully hasn’t shown any sign of insanity. Inspecting my belongings, I noticed that there was one thing missing.
My gold frame, used to encase my make-shift certificate - made by yours truly after her 21-day record from the previous apartment - was gone.
I felt somewhat miffed, but then I realised something.
Something which can maybe bring the light out in this whole situation.
I counted carefully. I broke my record.
With a grand stay of 2 days. Now that - that I don’t think I’d ever be able to beat.

hi everyone! here’s the link to the OG post (https://www.reddit.com/LegalAdviceUK/s/rJKAuDrTej) incase you missed it. It’s been over a year now, i wish i had a bit more of an update but this is all.
the day after i presented all my “evidence” to the station & the officer sent my copies off with the ticket issued on the night, i sent an email to the camera & tickets office with a timeline of what happened and all of the paperwork. someone replied and said once they receive the ticket in office they will review. a week later, the insurance company finally sent me an indemnity letter, the conversations i had with them were honestly like pulling teeth - will never deal with them again, but i got it, sent it straight over, same stock reply “sure once we get the ticket in office…” (you get it).
3 weeks later im emailing again - “any update?” because i did NOT want this coming back on me or them claiming they sent me post and i didn’t respond etc etc. still the same. 6 weeks later, still the same.
and a whole year later still the same! no one has responded to me, no mail, no email reply, no points on my licence, nothing.
i suppose i do have one question - how much time before they can’t charge me with it anymore? like for example can they send me a letter in 2 years time stating they found i was liable?
also don’t you think it’s a bit cheeky how shit they can make you feel about these kind of situations and then just leave you in the lurch? i don’t expect a sorry, but some peace of mind would be nice!

• still in england :)

Hello!
This question is focused on American culture, but feel free to answer if you think your country treats it differently.
I don't know how it is in real life since I've never been to the states, but online people generally seem to agree that nobody besides black people should be using the n-word in any context.
This is a little weird to me, there's a whole host of reasons you might want to say the word with no malice:

• you're quoting someone directly
• you're singing a song that uses the word
• you use it as part of a phrase like 'n*gga please"

And when someone interacts with a group for a long time, it's only natural for them to pick up on that groups dialect and start using new words. Given that the n word is so common in AAVE, someone learning the dialect might add it to their vocabulary as an alternative to words like "friend" or "brother".
I understand that the word is used as a terrible slur by many and this usage is vile, absolutely disgusting; but in the examples I've provided there's no racism at all. Why should someone be reprimanded for using the word in such a way if there's absolutely no malicious intent or racial discrimination behind the words?
That's that, looking forward to your replies.

Now this isn’t directed at anybody at all, and I’m not using this as a general statement at all, all my regular controller players, love ya. But why do some players discuss aim assist specifically in a way that suits their argument? For example if some controller players are talkin about how fun controller is, and how OP aim assist is, these types of controller players would usually agree. But when it comes to a kbm player debating whether aim assist is op or not, they downplay it like hell, and act like it’s not even that helpful? I’d say the same for kbm players but I don’t rlly see many of them do that. Probably just looking in the wrong place though.

The old family home stood at the edge of town, its once grand facade now weathered and worn by time. The town's whispers about the house had reached my ears many times throughout my childhood, but I had never given them much thought. Now, standing before the creaking gate that led to the overgrown path, I felt an inexplicable urge to discover the truth.
I had inherited the house after my great-uncle Nathaniel passed away, a man I barely knew but whose presence seemed to linger in every corner. The dusty heirlooms and musty bookshelves hinted at a long and storied history. It was a history I intended to uncover.
The first few days were uneventful. I spent my time clearing out cobwebs and sorting through old papers, most of which were mundane—bills, letters, old photographs. But then, tucked away in a hidden compartment of Nathaniel's desk, I found a bundle of letters tied with a faded red ribbon. The letters were old, the paper yellowed and brittle. They were addressed to my great-grandmother, Beatrice, from someone named Arthur.
The letters spoke of forbidden love, betrayal, and a pact made in desperation. Arthur's words grew increasingly frantic as he described a dark secret shared by the family—a secret that, if revealed, would bring ruin upon them all. My curiosity piqued, I read on, unable to tear myself away.
One letter in particular stood out. Dated December 3, 1923, it detailed a horrific event: a fire that had claimed the lives of several townspeople. Arthur confessed to starting the fire, claiming it was necessary to protect the family from something far worse. He mentioned a cult, dark rituals, and a promise made to an entity he referred to only as "the Shadow."
The more I read, the more I felt an unsettling presence in the house. Shadows seemed to move on their own, and whispers echoed through the halls at night. Determined to understand, I ventured into the basement, where Nathaniel's journals hinted at more hidden secrets.
The basement was damp and cold, the air thick with mildew. Shelves lined with jars of strange substances and dusty books filled the room. At the far end, behind an old trunk, I found a small door. It creaked open to reveal a narrow staircase leading further down into darkness.
With a flashlight in hand, I descended, my heart pounding in my chest. The air grew colder with each step, and a sense of dread settled over me. At the bottom, I found a chamber filled with symbols carved into the stone walls. In the center was an altar, stained with what I could only hope was old wax.
As I examined the room, I found more letters, these from Nathaniel to someone named Margaret. They described rituals performed to keep the Shadow at bay, sacrifices made to ensure the family's prosperity. Nathaniel's last entry was a chilling plea for forgiveness, confessing that he had failed to uphold the pact and that the Shadow was coming for him.
Suddenly, the flashlight flickered and went out. Panic set in as I fumbled to turn it back on. When the light returned, I saw them—figures standing in the shadows, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. They whispered in unison, a low chant that sent shivers down my spine.
"Blood of the betrayer," they intoned. "Blood of the guilty."
I tried to run, but my legs felt like lead. The figures closed in, their hands cold as ice as they grabbed me. I struggled, but it was no use. They dragged me to the altar, their chanting growing louder.
As they forced me down, I realized the truth: my family had been protecting a dark secret for generations, a secret that had now claimed me. The last thing I saw was a figure stepping out of the shadows, its eyes filled with malevolent glee.
The pain was sudden and all-consuming. My scream echoed through the chamber, blending with the chants. And then, there was nothing but darkness.
The house stood silent once more, its secrets buried deep within its walls. The townspeople still whispered about the old family home, but no one dared to venture inside. They said the shadows moved on their own, and at night, if you listened closely, you could still hear the whispers of the past.
Years passed, and the house remained untouched, a dark mark on the edge of town. Then, one evening, a young couple, unaware of the house’s history, moved in. They had bought the property cheaply, charmed by its antique allure.
Their first night in the house was uneventful. They laughed, unpacked, and made plans to renovate. But as the clock struck midnight, the atmosphere changed. The house seemed to come alive with a malevolent energy. The husband, Peter, heard a faint whispering. At first, he dismissed it as the wind, but the whispers grew louder, forming words.
"Blood of the betrayer... Blood of the guilty..."
He followed the sound to the basement, where the narrow door stood ajar. Against his better judgment, he descended the stairs. The flashlight flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The chamber at the bottom was as I had left it, but now there was something new—a fresh inscription on the altar: "He who seeks shall find."
Peter turned to leave, but the shadows moved. Figures emerged, their eyes glowing with the same unnatural light. He screamed for help, but the basement door slammed shut, trapping him inside.
Upstairs, his wife, Emily, heard his screams and rushed to the basement door, but it wouldn't budge. She pounded on it, calling his name, but the house seemed to swallow her cries. Desperation set in, and she ran to the phone, dialing the police.
The police arrived quickly, but as they approached the house, they felt an unnatural chill. Inside, they found Emily, frantic and pale. She led them to the basement, but when they opened the door, the chamber was empty. There was no sign of Peter.
Days turned into weeks, and Peter was never found. Emily moved out, leaving the house abandoned once more. The townspeople spoke of the curse, of the family’s dark past, and warned newcomers to stay away.
But the house never stayed empty for long. Curiosity drew people in, and one by one, they disappeared, claimed by the shadows. The whispers continued, a never-ending chant of betrayal and guilt.
One stormy night, a group of ghost hunters arrived, eager to uncover the house's secrets. They set up their equipment, cameras rolling, as they ventured into the basement. The air was thick with tension, the shadows seemed to watch, waiting.
As they explored the chamber, the leader of the group, Sam, found the old letters. He read them aloud, his voice trembling. The whispers grew louder, the shadows closing in.
"Blood of the betrayer... Blood of the guilty..."
The cameras captured everything—the figures emerging from the darkness, the screams, the terror. But when the footage was reviewed, all that was visible was the empty basement, silent and still. The hunters were never seen again.
Years passed, and the house remained a dark legend. No one dared to enter, the whispers and shadows a constant warning. And yet, on moonless nights, the townspeople could see faint lights flickering in the windows, hear the faint whispers carried on the wind.
It was said that the house was a gateway, a place where the past and present intertwined, where the sins of the ancestors demanded atonement. Those who entered were lost, their souls trapped in a never-ending cycle of horror.
Then, one day, a young historian named James arrived in town. He was fascinated by the stories and determined to uncover the truth. Despite the warnings, he entered the house, armed with his knowledge and a sense of purpose.
He found the letters, the journals, the hidden chamber. But as he delved deeper, he uncovered something no one had seen before—a final letter from Nathaniel, hidden behind a loose brick. It spoke of a ritual to break the curse, to free the trapped souls.
With renewed hope, James prepared for the ritual, following the instructions meticulously. As he began, the house seemed to tremble, the shadows stirring violently. The whispers grew to a deafening roar, but he pressed on.
The final step required a sacrifice, a willing soul to take the place of the cursed. As James completed the ritual, he felt a searing pain. The shadows enveloped him, but he continued to chant the final words.
Suddenly, the whispers stopped. The shadows receded, and the house fell silent. The townspeople, watching from a distance, saw the lights go out and heard a final, blood-curdling scream.
The next morning, they found the house empty. The letters and journals were gone, the chamber sealed. James was never seen again, but the curse seemed to have lifted. The house stood silent, no longer a source of fear.
Years later, the house was sold and renovated. Families moved in and out, but the dark history remained a distant memory. The whispers and shadows were gone, but on stormy nights, the faint echoes of the past could still be heard, a reminder of the darkness that once lurked within.
And so, the legend of the old family home became a story told to children, a cautionary tale of curiosity and the consequences of uncovering secrets best left buried. But some say that on the darkest nights, if you listen closely, you can still hear the faint whisper: "Blood of the betrayer... Blood of the guilty..."

The thing about this climate crisis that no one talks about is that economically, this is not new. This is the same sort of shift as any other massive economic shift we've seen in history, whether resulting from technology or environment or society or any combination of the three. It will be rapid; as rapid as the economic expansion of Europe when it discovered just how profitable colonisation and slavery were. But it's not really anything unseen in an economic sense.
How markets work is this: everything is just supply and demand. If there is a known demand for something, in a roundabout way, the market will ensure that demand is supplied. It might melt a few glaciers in the meantime, or be delayed by a war or two, but it's a force akin to that of nature, or evolution, or cause and effect. The markets will balance. Eventually.

A detour through history

The Chinese never developed eye-glasses. They didn't have the need for glass, because their drink of choice was tea, so the materials they worked with were mostly ceramics. In Europe, the cultural drink of refinement was wine. This didn't need to be kept hot, or be brewed and poured perfectly and all that stuff I'm told is important with tea. But it had requirements and qualities of its own, and one of them is that it looks pretty on display -- and that's why Europe developed and refined glass so much faster than China.
Glass is an incredibly old invention. It's fragile, much more fragile than pottery, so we rarely find it in archeological digs. But it's been invented in and/or expanded to many many cultures throughout history since at least 2000 BC in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Syria, followed by the Greeks, the Romans, the Canaan, and the Persians. Basically anyone with an empire, including the Chinese, was making glass. Unfortunately they'd only just discovered transparent glass by the late Bronze Age, when the Bronze Age collapsed due to a series of environmental, migratory and urban changes.
(A good reminder that historically, periods of mass technological advancement are followed by civilisation collapses and dark ages. Until the present, of course. But that's been true of every present.)
A lot of glass-making technology was lost, but some important things were saved and some new stuff was rediscovered, and most of this discovering happened in Europe because they had, as I mentioned, wine. And rich people wanted to show off their pretty, colourful wine, and that only worked if your glass was transparent. And Italy had access to pure silica quartz, plus soda ash via their trade with the Levant, and so some clever spark there developed the first pair of eyeglasses.
And that's how you have Mecca, Italy and Venice (the latter of whom had been producing the famous Venetian glass, but moved all their glassmakers to Italy because they'd built all their buildings out of wood) all mass producing eye-glasses with consistent standards for Europe and the Middle East by the 14th century.
This might seem like a small development, but gradual loss of sight used to be a disability. Like, it seriously disabled people from doing many things. Far-sightedness meant artisans couldn't create and scholars couldn't read -- I can't even imagine how many people died falling off a horse just because they were short-sighted. For civilisations to have access to devices that got them decades of productivity out of some of the most skilled people in their societies was massive. And that's part of how you get European dominance over Asia, because the Chinese economic powerhouses didn't care about glass as much as Europe did. It's not enough to just invent something. To develop a technology, a society needs both the resources to play with and the need to play with it. That's why we get so much advancement from war. You can thank Germany for your microwave.

How on earth is this relevant to the market or our climate crisis?

Glass will be invented, and then it will be forgotten, and then it will be invented again. But only some economies flourished from it.
We have no control over anything but us. And that's terrifying. The climate change that crippled the Bronze Age wasn't even their fault and they still got thrown back to the Dark Ages.
We are going to see our own change in the market. We are going to live it. And one thing is true, whether National or ACT or BP like it or not: fossil fuels cannot continue to be relied upon as a commodity. Not long-term. It's a dying industry, slowly but surely, and it'll die whether we manage to wean ourselves off petrol or whether we use it all up first.
To a lesser extent, this is true of other non-renewables too. We are not at critical mass yet with our lithium-ion batteries, but we're now at the stage where people in the third world all seem to have cellphones. This is not a sustainable practice for a limited metal we have to mine from the earth. When something is running out, we don't have to stop using that material in the things we build; if we start to use it all up, it will soon get too expensive to build with, and that will stop us.
And that's why we have to stop using it: because if you as a country or industry pour all your energy and resources into developing technology based off that now-scarce resource, you will be left with no usable technology when that resource runs out.

What are National doing?

This is a political sub, so I won't mince words: something's gone wrong with National. Something's always been wrong with ACT, but National's change is recent. Power has been centralised in the board and the candidate selection process is no longer in the hands of the rank and file after Steven Joyce's shakeup, instead dominated by corporate interests. And they have dominated. We have a cabinet of lobbyists, and not just on National's side of the board; Luxon has pulled together the whole industry.
When we attribute "intentions" to things like forces and political parties, it can be easy to forget there's not a concerted, rational mind at play behind their decisions, and their actions are influenced by all of the people and factors and forces that make them up. When I say, "National has been bought by lobbyists", I don't mean every single person in the party is a corporate shill. I just mean that there is enough corporate, business, and big-money influence in the party that they are no longer being governed primarily by their voter base or even their party members.
Nothing makes this more obvious than National's direction in politics. When your LABOUR and GREEN parties are the ones proposing to fix your climate crisis via free-market ingenuity that we can patent, sell on and capitalise off, something has gone wrong. There is money to be made in climate change, and National are off chasing oil down the bottom of a well.
If we don't wean ourselves off fossil fuels, we will find ourselves paying for it the increased price for them when we don't have the green technology to utilise at the end of supply. If we don't put our minds to green tech and science, we won't have the environment-saving and cleaning and reinforcing products and knowledge to sell on when the demand for them peaks through the ceiling -- instead we will be buying from other countries at big prices, paying to ship their experts here to tell us how to manage our estuaries or dump sites or skink habitats or whatever it is we need to fix next. New Zealand got lucky with our green energy; we were already using renewables by sheer coincidence when the climate crisis struck, and it made our transition to this new world very smooth. We will not be that lucky again.
Look at what we produce as a country. We held on far too long to our wool market out of some idea that it was "what we were supposed to be doing", and it nearly wrecked the country. Because it took us so long to change, and because we'd converted all our land into pasture, the most effective market for us to turn to became beef. Now that market is thriving, and we are willfully ignoring the real economic costs that will come with being a beef export country, and that cost is methane. There is not a future where countries will be allowed to emit methane for free. And there are no methane-light cows to switch to. Not until we develop them.
And this is what people talk about when they talk about environmental solutions still to be developed -- as if other people are going to develop them. That is incorrect. WE are the Cow Country. WE are the ones that should be foremost of the cow-fart field. If we do, we will be the ones benefitting by selling our bio-engineered cows and our science that made it happen. But if we don't, if we trail behind, we let other countries get out in front, and then our industry relies on them, and their industry outgrows us.
And these are all individual product or problem examples, but we are dragging our feet across the entire green industry. Why?

Big Oil does not care if your tech is Green

I say big oil, but there are other anti-environment and pro-corporate interests at play here. And again, there's not some big puppetmaster moving his pawn pieces, but there is influence, and companies don't want the world to go green, because when they do, they stop getting money for all the things they're getting money from right now. They don't care about the environment because they don't have the capacity to care; they are not a they. They are a force, a conglomeration, a hivemind of workers breaking their back for the company, until they clock off and become their own person again.
Their only interest is keeping ahold of their incredibly profitable market, and that market needs machines that use oil, and consumers willing to buy those machines, and people who aren't thinking about switching to a non-oil version of their tractor that doesn't exist yet (because no one has found the need to invent it. Or had the right resources.)
Oil cares about oil. Mining cares about mining. Tobacco cares about tobacco. Beef cares about beef. And we get value out of these industries as a country, as a society, so when they say"This thing is bad for me", we do have to listen to that. Otherwise we won't get our beef, or our oil. But "This thing is bad for ME" isn't the same as "This thing is bad for YOU". And companies are relying on consumers to not know the difference.

Back to National

Tobacco lobbyists have bought out Parliament, and are literally drafting our tobacco laws. And they are just one interest around the table. But they have had a huge effect. Imagine what's happening to the interests of your politicians when you have your lobbyists working together. Imagine where the interests of lobbyists for mining and oil might meet. Now imagine fisheries has a guy in there too.
Our oceans should be feeling very nervous right now.
It's the small influences we can't see that make these big decisions later on. The people who select our future MPs. The people who decide, hey, I'm going to try this new glass technique. But it takes an awful lot of decisions to make a glassblowing society.
A lot of what we do, we don't do consciously, like developing eye-glasses. But the benefit of our open democries, of our information-based societies, of our unprecedented understanding of economies and markets and science and climate, should mean that when we choose to do something consciously, we can do it.
When we don't, something has gone wrong.

A Green Future

To get to the sort of green economy the non-business parties are picturing, you need someone who has the time and acumen to get us there.
That SHOULD be National. There is so much involved in politics; our politicians are running so much. And they're spending most of their time undoing the last guy's policies. Labour's policies sound like the Greens. National doesn't have any except "win". ACT are doing Charter Schools again. And the policies being made are being made in the interests of business people.
Our politicians don't have visions like Hollyoake of a New Zealand forging our own future, or Muldoon's determination to make things better for the average kiwi, or (heaven help me), Roger Douglass's respect for politics. None of the old guard are happy with how politics is shaping up, and certainly not the right, or who eventually became the right, in Douglass's case -- this is what he had to say on the subject: “John Key lived by the polls and it’s very dangerous. If you want to help people, you have to tell them the truth. The problem is that the politicians of today, they want to help themselves. So they poll in order to know what to say and it’s disgusting.”
I think in that one sentence, Douglass sums up everything wrong with the modern National Party. Once upon a time, National were in it to help people. They're not anymore.

Where to now?

It's all just markets.
If National won't change, they'll kill their market and they'll be replaced by a new party, just like the Liberal Party and Reform Party and Social Credit Party before them. National and Labour have always been around, but not always as these parties, or in these forms. The political spectrum will move to meet demand -- even when curtailed by corporate interests.
Or National will change, take control of their candidates and board, and live to fight for another century or so.
Either way, the economy will continue, and so will climate change. We will still need to develop new technologies using our available resources, and direct our technology-developing towards fixing environmental solutions. I hope New Zealand will benefit from this, and not just witness it. But if it's not National making the push, another political party will. We can see that happening right now, with the other parties suggesting their own green business ideas that National should be sweeping up votes for. There is voter and consumer demand for green businesses, and National are distracting us instead with shiny baubles because the corporations influencing them don't want you to see them.
Another thing Douglass was frustratingly right about: all our parties are doing at the moment is undoing each other's policies. It's hard to see New Zealand making any forwards progress at all if that's our direction.