Gaywallet's recent activity
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Comment on Tilderinos in ~talk
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Comment on Is vaping less harmful than smoking, and does it help people quit? in ~health
Gaywallet Link ParentAs someone who lives in CA who uses vapes to reduce the amount of opioids I use for my chronic pain (nicotine potentiates the effects of opioids) I can tell you that it's getting harder and harder...As someone who lives in CA who uses vapes to reduce the amount of opioids I use for my chronic pain (nicotine potentiates the effects of opioids) I can tell you that it's getting harder and harder to acquire. The website I used to use no longer ships to CA at all.
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Comment on California voters pass Prop 50 to redraw the state's congressional maps in ~society
Gaywallet Link ParentYou're absolutely right, gerrymandering is not a healthy trend for the country in the long term. This particular proposition, on the other hand, is literally the only piece of legislation that...You're absolutely right, gerrymandering is not a healthy trend for the country in the long term.
This particular proposition, on the other hand, is literally the only piece of legislation that I've seen that's trying to fight it on the national level that has passed.
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Comment on Is vaping less harmful than smoking, and does it help people quit? in ~health
Gaywallet Link ParentBoth have been legislated - all flavored vapes currently cannot be sold legally in CA (this is a very recent development) and liquid was banned years ago. A lot of corner bodegas will still have...For vaping I seem to recall at one point a push against selling flavorings and possibly nicotine liquid, though that must have not gotten anywhere since I see these things are presently available.
Both have been legislated - all flavored vapes currently cannot be sold legally in CA (this is a very recent development) and liquid was banned years ago. A lot of corner bodegas will still have them, but it's getting harder and harder to find suppliers who will ship to CA so this will likely start to dry up.
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Comment on Is vaping less harmful than smoking, and does it help people quit? in ~health
Gaywallet Link Parentokay yea fair enough, capitalism is the enemyokay yea fair enough, capitalism is the enemy
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Comment on Dick Cheney dies at 84 in ~society
Gaywallet Link ParentI mean, to be fair, he also wasn't murdered. It's a lot easier to martyr someone who was killed than it is to martyr someone who died of old age.It's interesting that there really doesn't seem to be much effort to play him up as a good person the way they did with Charlie Kirk
I mean, to be fair, he also wasn't murdered. It's a lot easier to martyr someone who was killed than it is to martyr someone who died of old age.
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Comment on Is vaping less harmful than smoking, and does it help people quit? in ~health
Gaywallet Link ParentNicotine, while addictive, has an extremely misleading scientific history. Contrary to popular belief, it is not actually not an extremely addictive substance. For a summary on some of the...I'd like to see more studies on the effects of nicotine addiction on mental health. It seems pretty well established that vaping is far less physically harmful than smoking, but I still find it concerning how willingly kids are giving themselves a lifelong chemical dependency.
Nicotine, while addictive, has an extremely misleading scientific history. Contrary to popular belief, it is not actually not an extremely addictive substance. For a summary on some of the physical and mental effects of nicotine, I'd recommend at least glancing through the high level bullet points in this review.
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Comment on Is vaping less harmful than smoking, and does it help people quit? in ~health
Gaywallet Link ParentThere absolutely has been an ongoing coordinated campaign against vaping. Most of it is funded by big tobacco, namely the companies which have been resistant to sell vaping products. Those which...made it feel like there is some sort of ongoing coordinated campaign against vaping
There absolutely has been an ongoing coordinated campaign against vaping. Most of it is funded by big tobacco, namely the companies which have been resistant to sell vaping products. Those which are selling vaping products are typically targeting a negative ad campaign against those which are not marketed as e-cigarettes (anti e-liquid and anti other kinds of vapes) or otherwise attempt to limit possible competitors via expensive means such as FDA approval.
It's a complicated story, frankly, as it's evolved over the years, but it's also important to note that there was a concentrated and coordinated push against vaping that also came from certain researchers who had a political narrative or moral reasoning behind flawed science. The WHO's stance on vaping, for example, used to be strongly negative in the early 2010s but public health experts and those in addiction medicine have helped to change that stance because the literature has consistently proved much of what the article linked states.
Lastly I think it's important to note the classic "it's harming the kids" argument which is easy to make since they sell vapes in non-offensive odors. There's a lot of folks who have a strong moral stance against drugs of any sort (notably alcohol often being excluded) who look to push this narrative whenever it is convenient (they're putting drugs in the Halloween candy!!!1). While it shouldn't be completely discounted (capitalism is going to always look for more customers), I don't think there's people in a boardroom twirling their mustaches asking how they can get more kids addicted to drugs.
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Comment on Is vaping less harmful than smoking, and does it help people quit? in ~health
Gaywallet Link ParentFor handy referenceTime will tell, but I also wish I had a near term indicator to help gauge what’s truly dangerous and what’s effectively as dangerous as alcohol
For handy reference
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Comment on Is 67 just brain rot? in ~humanities.languages
Gaywallet Link ParentWell I mean we are arguably in the beginning stages of fascism here (and arguably coming from an oligopoly) and there's a lot of economic favoritism happening to Trump's business partners and...Well I mean we are arguably in the beginning stages of fascism here (and arguably coming from an oligopoly) and there's a lot of economic favoritism happening to Trump's business partners and buddies. At what point does it lose the label of capitalism? In this country in particular I think it's useful to label it something besides capitalism because we have this unhealthy fascination with the idea of capitalism (free market, invisible hand) that either never reflected the realities of capitalism or cause people to view things with rose-tinted glasses. It might do many people good to reject the label of capitalism and to use terms like oligopoly and fascism to paint to the current landscape anyhow.
As an aside please mark this as noise since we're a bit off-topic now. And thank you for the trust! It's nice to hear my thoughts and opinions are found valuable by members of this community 💜
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Comment on Is 67 just brain rot? in ~humanities.languages
Gaywallet Link ParentA better set of words to use there might have been "late-stage capitalistic propaganda." The general statement there was that something like an oligopoly is not capitalism because capitalism is...A better set of words to use there might have been "late-stage capitalistic propaganda." The general statement there was that something like an oligopoly is not capitalism because capitalism is supposed to be an economic system (and the concepts of capitalism such as competition cannot happen when power is consolidated in this fashion), not a governmental system, but I'm not particularly interested in going down the rabbit hole of discussing things like laissez-faire vs. welfare capitalism and more modern attempts to classify capitalism outside of just the economy.
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Comment on Is 67 just brain rot? in ~humanities.languages
Gaywallet Link ParentI think it's important to note that 67 came up from a group of individuals who were hyperobserved. Many of these individuals became viral in their childhoods (even if it was just local virality)...I think it's important to note that 67 came up from a group of individuals who were hyperobserved. Many of these individuals became viral in their childhoods (even if it was just local virality) and were exposed to what it's like to be in the public eye - often extremely cruel and unforgiving. A lot of their speech, not just 67, is about obscuring meaning and avoiding surveillance - skibidi is another example of a word to signal an ingroup and meant to purposefully confuse those who are not in the group. If we think about ingroup slang as a way to connect and convey meaning amongst a minority group who is persecuted (many such examples of this such as the various gay slangs - think of words like camp, slay, dolls, diva, and so on) and that it allows folks to communicate subversively, a second order of this would be words which are explicitly meant to throw off people who are trying to "break the code" so to speak. Words which are purposefully meaningless as a means to subvert surveillance.
Of course, all of this gets amplified and modified by the existing environment which is not just surveillance heavy but dripping in misinformation and post-capitalistic propaganda and brainrot. As you've mentioned this has given rise to irony (post^n-irony as well of course) and notably also absurdism as a whole amongst that generation. Given the relatively bleak outlook of someone entering their adulthood around now with society as fucked up as it currently is, it makes a lot of sense that their speech would be means to both subvert and point out all the issues we see in a hyper-capitalistic ad and algorithm driven world.
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Comment on I powered my house using 500 disposable vapes in ~engineering
Gaywallet Link Parentvape companies wage war on e-liquid/rechargeable vapes, and push for local laws to ban them cigarette companies wage war on disposable vapes, and push for local laws to ban them soon we'll all be...vape companies wage war on e-liquid/rechargeable vapes, and push for local laws to ban them
cigarette companies wage war on disposable vapes, and push for local laws to ban themsoon we'll all be back to cigarettes like phillip morris intended
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Comment on People with a very good memory: does that make it harder to forgive? in ~talk
Gaywallet LinkI forgive quite easily, actually. I think, perhaps paradoxically, it makes it easier to forgive because I can remember both the sum of things (plenty of good they've also done) or I can place it...I forgive quite easily, actually. I think, perhaps paradoxically, it makes it easier to forgive because I can remember both the sum of things (plenty of good they've also done) or I can place it in context better (the sum of negative things others have done). Ultimately, however, forgiveness is a personal thing - it's not about what someone has done but your ability to move on from it.
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Comment on A Nazi tattoo exposes US Democrats’ greatest weakness in ~society
Gaywallet Link ParentThe general population was there until the propaganda hate machine targeted trans people in general and there was no counter-messaging. I'd love to see where you think the democrats 'lashed their...- Exemplary
the general population is just not there yet
The general population was there until the propaganda hate machine targeted trans people in general and there was no counter-messaging.
lashing the entire democratic strategy to that horse just doesn't make sense
I'd love to see where you think the democrats 'lashed their entire strategy to that horse'. With the exception of a few progressive dems, they've been throwing trans people under the bus since the beginning. This whole year has them compromising on trans strategy (the consultants straight up said to fold on these issues). They are not, and have essentially never made this a major part of their strategy. What little rights trans people have won in the past two decades have been primarily behind the scenes and exceedingly small victories.
It's a catchy soundbite, and it works.
So are the dozen other soundbites that they have. Why are you so focused on this one and not any of the other dozen issues? Have you ever thought a bit more deeply about what these soundbites represent and how they are working? Because they are absolutely distilling every issue down to a catchy soundbite, and that's precisely why the right is winning. They make everything an individual issue which is what their voters care for and they simplify it down to an emotional appeal. Showing how it affects the individual, simplifying something complex, and appealing to the voters emotions are the three key components that the democrats need to focus on.
As a general thought, I'm sick and tired of this false narrative being pushed as a reason to abandon trans people. I know you're desperate for a win, but the answer is not abject cruelty to a group in the hopes that kicking them off the ladder will somehow win over voters. Guess what happens when one boogeyman is gone? They will simply shift to another one, like immigration (remember how that used to be the issue people talked about as losing the centrist voters to the right?). Stop acting like your warped sense of reality is somehow either the truth or a path forward. Not only is this both incorrect and insane, but it's exactly the kind of infighting that the people in power want. If you want to be helpful focus on the positive messages you think we're doing a bad job on. You spend all of one sentence on fiscal responsibility and the latter half of a single paragraph talking about literally anything but trans people. Be better
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Comment on Queer temperature check: how is everyone doing right now? in ~lgbt
Gaywallet Link ParentThere's always folks in cities that are the absolute worst match for their personality and ideology and San Francisco is no exception to this. It's much rarer per capita than other places, but...There's always folks in cities that are the absolute worst match for their personality and ideology and San Francisco is no exception to this. It's much rarer per capita than other places, but I've gotten my fair share of slurs thrown at me. Simultaneously it's also the place where I've gotten the most compliments on my outfit on a daily basis.
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
Gaywallet Link ParentWhy would you come here to repeatedly say this? This exchange is aggressive, offensive, and passes a judgement on several groups of individuals. I would encourage you to think more deeply about...- Exemplary
I think in general people that tend to be more “sexed up” (poly, multiple partners in short periods, rough and less mainstream sex) trend less attractive.
Why would you come here to repeatedly say this? This exchange is aggressive, offensive, and passes a judgement on several groups of individuals. I would encourage you to think more deeply about why you thought it was okay to share this statement publicly and why you thought it was okay to judge entire groups of people based on their bedroom activities or how "attractive" they are. Even assuming you were correct (there's plenty of literature which proves attractive people have more sex, so it's quite questionable), why would you need to disparage a group of people publicly, repeatedly? Have you considered that you might be projecting a need for validation on these individuals and have crafted a reality to fit a situation you genuinely don't understand? Also, have you considered what "attractive" even is - that is to say have you considered that some of the people you consider unattractive would also consider you unattractive?
I ask all of these questions because you jumped into a conversation with a disparaging take on large swaths of people and repeatedly doubled down when anyone engaged in conversation. This reads like bait and less of a conversation than you needing to validate your own feelings on something at the expense of others.
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
Gaywallet Link ParentI mean, this alone describes most of the problems with society. Those who do not care about others are a plague on civilization. Unfortunately, they are often in positions of power.some people are profoundly selfish and amoral
I mean, this alone describes most of the problems with society. Those who do not care about others are a plague on civilization. Unfortunately, they are often in positions of power.
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Comment on What's a product or service that you use but don't want to pay for and why? in ~life
Gaywallet Link ParentThey also charge more the older you are and based on your gender - men pay more than womenThey also charge more the older you are and based on your gender - men pay more than women
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Comment on It's impossible to evaluate your sleep with only one number in ~health
Gaywallet Link ParentI don't know about the specific "body battery" mentioned in these comments, but I do want to address one comment you made There's a lot of evidence out there that HRV (heart rate variability) is a...I don't know about the specific "body battery" mentioned in these comments, but I do want to address one comment you made
I don't think there's any scientific evidence that there are circumstances where your watch knows better than you do
There's a lot of evidence out there that HRV (heart rate variability) is a high quality indicator on immediate short term health. We've been using it in competitive sports training for quite some time to tailor when to push and when to rest, but it can surprisingly accurately predict when someone is under stress for other reasons, such as when one is beginning to get sick. HRV often isn't a thing people are actively aware of and it's absolutely something that devices like halter straps and watches and smart rings can monitor and measure. It's a general measurement of bodily stress, however, and isn't a silver bullet of any sort - but if you're feeling well otherwise and went out the night before, it could let you know to rest to avoid getting sick. Or if you pushed yourself on a workout the day before, or have an impending stressful deadline, it can also be a signal to take it easy so you don't invite illness with a weakened immune system.
HRV is just about the only thing I pay attention to on my sleep tracking device (and with previous activity tracking devices) and I've anecdotally found it quite useful to stave off illness.
It breaks my heart to think about all the folks we've lost and how many of them left because no one was willing to have the hard conversations we needed to have around here about the problems this place has with inclusivity. Unfortunately it's a battle that has no knights anymore, and while some of us still stick around it does, at times, feel like a ghost ship of the voices we once heard.
For what it's worth, I'm glad you're still around, along with about a dozen other folks who I feel carry the banner in spirit - willing to fight the normative answers, the slow creep of centrist and privileged voices and thoughts; one to speak up for those who aren't here or are deprived of their voices.
I suppose I'm not around on this website enough to really know what the vibe is like around here anymore, but I do find myself pushing back on harmful rhetoric (usually unintentionally malicious, but problematic nonetheless) in most threads that I do bother to open up. I wish there were another place like this, that truly centered the individual and encouraged deeper thought and reflection. I find myself unable to move on from this website completely because the depth of discussion here isn't as proliferated with bad takes as other long-form discussion sites, but I also find myself longing for space that actually centers the human. I'm glad that I can reliably find you and specific others with compassionate and thoughtful takes - if folks like you weren't around I probably would leave this place forever.