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    1. When was the first time you felt different?

      All of us know the feeling; some of us have felt it more intensely than others; some of us have to continue to live with it daily. When was the first time you really became aware of it? What did...

      All of us know the feeling; some of us have felt it more intensely than others; some of us have to continue to live with it daily.

      When was the first time you really became aware of it? What did it feel like? How did it play out?

      30 votes
    2. Explanatory narratives - tell your stories!

      I've commented on explanatory frameworks before. These are the unifying narratives that we use to make sense of ourselves, political concerns, economics, and even science and mathematics....

      I've commented on explanatory frameworks before. These are the unifying narratives that we use to make sense of ourselves, political concerns, economics, and even science and mathematics. Narratives are accounts of connected events or phenomena that attempt to express the connections in an explanatory story.

      We're often afflicted with "just-so" narratives that attempt to reconcile or explain the way the world works with little or no evidence, like claiming inequality of inborn capacities, innate racial differences, or the intervention of supernatural entities and forces.

      So this is everyone's chance to tell a story, at whatever length they find convenient, which explains something that concerns them. Possible examples of story topics:

      "Why finding work is a struggle for me"
      "Bayes' Theorem accounts for everything"
      "Political parties can't handle reality"

      These examples aren't about me or my beliefs - I'm just flinging things out there. This also isn't a college narrative essay exercise. So just tell a good story about something you care about, that's likely to engage others' interests and concerns.

      Conspiracy theories are probably not a good idea here; the tendency towards them is a dysfunction of humans' ability to create, and desire for, narratives.

      I ask that participants in the thread refrain from attempting to argue with or disprove others' stories here, but they can become jumping-off points for new Tildes topics.

      If this exercise is well-received, it could become a monthly recurring thread. Feel free to advise on better structure.

      17 votes
    3. Super totally official Happy New Year thread

      Happy 2020 Tildes people! Here's to good health, personal growth, and much success to each and all of you in the new year. It's always a good time to remember we have the power to shape our lives...

      Happy 2020 Tildes people! Here's to good health, personal growth, and much success to each and all of you in the new year. It's always a good time to remember we have the power to shape our lives however we want them to be. Peace and blessings.

      22 votes
    4. Ode to Baking Soda and Superglue

      Some days ago I came back home to visit my parents during these holidays. Yesterday evening, while we were watching a movie, nature called and I had to go to the bathroom. Because I'm a lazy bozo...

      Some days ago I came back home to visit my parents during these holidays.

      Yesterday evening, while we were watching a movie, nature called and I had to go to the bathroom. Because I'm a lazy bozo and it is closer to the living room, I did what no man should ever do - I used my parents' bathroom.

      Stumbling in the dark in this unfamiliar place I had no right being in, I clumsily bumped on the towel rack (an old 80s coat hanger looking thing) and to my horror, managed to snap one of its plastic arms off.

      Because it's a relic of its time, and perhaps because the bathroom is a sacred personal space which should never be altered if not for strictly necessary reasons, mom and pops were upset.

      I felt like shit, an outcast whose madness lead an entire family to despair and misfortune while trying to save himself literally a handful of pitiful steps.

      But a shining beacon of hope came from a fading memory, one which sounded utterly absurd, yet in times of desperation still came out as somehow plausible.

      "Just use baking soda and Loctite forehead"; this had been uttered from a German friend of mine while he had been admiring the broken mess that is my duct taped ps4 controller some time ago. Was it a joke? Was it a serious suggestion? German humor is often lost in translation...

      Still, I had to give it a go. I had to try something. And this morning an attempt was made.

      I'm still feeling ecstatic. Never have I hever felt this good about a DIY tryout. I can confirm that baking soda is an incredible catalyst for super glue; the result while somewhat sloppy-looking is rock solid.

      Pops couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his good ol' towel rack hanger thing stoically standing where it always did, in its rightful place, with no defects at all.

      Thank you baking soda and super glue, you saved Christmas.

      To all of you whose plastics need some fixing, remember this combo and give it a go - it will save you as well.

      Any other similar hacks that you might want to share are very much appreciated.

      TL;DR
      Baking soda and regular superglue are incredible for fixing plastics.

      Edit: forgot to put tags in post. Apologies.

      19 votes
    5. What are you doing this week?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week. If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week.

      If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work related, I'd love to hear about them. This is a place for casual discussion about your week, past, present, and future.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this week?

      8 votes
    6. What do you want for Christmas?

      It can be anything: possible/impossible, material/immaterial. I want the Ergodox EZ programmable keyboard. In my estimations, taking into account currency exchange, shipping and import taxes, it...

      It can be anything: possible/impossible, material/immaterial.

      I want the Ergodox EZ programmable keyboard. In my estimations, taking into account currency exchange, shipping and import taxes, it would cost R$ 2323.2 (2323.2 Brazilian Reais) to bring one home. That's 232% of our minimum wage.

      So I bought some cheap games on the PSN and a 15 dollars vertical mouse instead.

      19 votes
    7. What's one thing you HAVEN'T been able to find online, no matter how hard you tried?

      It could be the final piece to your prized collection, a person you talked to before they seemingly disappeared, a story you read that has since been deleted, etc. In my case, I really wanted to...

      It could be the final piece to your prized collection, a person you talked to before they seemingly disappeared, a story you read that has since been deleted, etc.

      In my case, I really wanted to find a website called notebookinhand.com, a forum I came across while I was a teenager in the early 2010s. It was solely dedicated to people describing their hobbies, and the community seemed very nice and welcoming, and I also like how the site was designed. It looks like it's been shut down but I can't stop thinking about it!

      So, tell me what's your internet "unicorn", so to speak.

      44 votes
    8. Would you consider yourself 'fortunate'?

      I'll start by saying yes and no, but the reasons for my answer are personal and familial ,so if you don't like that skip my answer. Yes, because... I am the only person in my family who speaks...

      I'll start by saying yes and no, but the reasons for my answer are personal and familial ,so if you don't like that skip my answer.

      Yes, because... I am the only person in my family who speaks English (We're Brazilian) on not just on a basic level, but actually good enough to talk to actual native English speakers, listen to great, (unfortunately lacking alternatives on other languages) YouTube channels and even good enough to get an actual English certificate from Cambridge, along with actually being somewhat knowledgeable.

      More detailed explanation

      No, because... my parents are poor, and I'm probably weird to my classmates. My father has worked as a mechanic since he was 11 (which was actually quite common when he was a kid in 90s brazil) and makes somewhere between 1 and 1.5 times the minimum wage (estimations because he is self employed) and my mother wanted to be a seamstress but she ended up being a cashier in a fast food and then in a flower shop and she is now unemployed now she also wants to be self employed by selling painted embroidery via Instagram which is great but competition is stiff meaning that until she somehow gets a serious following to sell her stuff to my father is the sustaining the 3 of us on what he makes in the month.

      On the 'I'm quite weird to my classmates' bit, It's essentially by watching English content, I am effectively on a different platform with a different audience and different creators than them. here are the 250 largest channels in Brazilian YouTube for context.
      You know them as well as I do but it's incredibly annoying when you enjoy completely different content and vice versa. More on this also.

      19 votes
    9. Habits to build in 2020?

      It's the last week of the year! Although I generally believe that self-improvement projects can begin at any time, New Year is a popular time to reflect and to plan for the future. So for some New...

      It's the last week of the year! Although I generally believe that self-improvement projects can begin at any time, New Year is a popular time to reflect and to plan for the future.

      So for some New Year's Resolution inspiration:
      1. What was the most beneficial habit you built in 2019?
      2. What is one habit you would like to build in 2020?

      25 votes
    10. What are you doing this weekend?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend. If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend.

      If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't done, or even if you just want to talk about how you're doing this weekend, this is a place for casual discussion about those things.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this weekend?

      7 votes
    11. Not every movie must be a melodrama

      start rant First, my personal definition of the term: melodrama is a narrative that appeals to our stronger emotions in a lengthy, recurrent, unjustified and exaggerated fashion. Unlike drama,...

      start rant

      First, my personal definition of the term: melodrama is a narrative that appeals to our stronger emotions in a lengthy, recurrent, unjustified and exaggerated fashion. Unlike drama, which plays to your sentiments in a more contained and psychologically realistic manner, melodrama overwhelms us with every trick in the book to elicit a powerful emotional reaction by any means necessary.

      You can tell from my phrasing that I'm not a fan of the genre, but that's beside the point. Melodrama has its place: operas and soap-operas wouldn't exist without it, and, in moderation, it's a practical way to inject emotion in plots that would be otherwise hermetic and dry.

      But even sweetness in excess will make you vomit, and many interesting productions exaggerate it to the point of nausea. Arrival is awesome, but did Amy Adams character (which was basically one the smartest persons on Earth) really need to spend so much time as a freaking wife? We had the coolest movie aliens in the last 20 years, did she really need to marry a boring physicist? And what about the whole parenting conundrum in Interstellar? You're in fucking space, I couldn't care less about your failings as a father! No one could save 1998s Armageddon, but the struggle to explode the giant asteroid heading towards the Earth was way more interesting than Liv Tyler saying goodbye to Bruce Willis over some corny Aerosmith song. The TV show The Killing was particularly annoying... what would prefer, awesome investigation scenes with constant new developments or 30 versions of "look how the same family is grieving in a slightly different way"?

      But credit where credit is due: some moviemakers know a thing or two about concision. So my props to Fernando Meirelles (City of God), José Padilha (Elite Squad), Alfred Hitchcock, David Fincher, Sidney Lumet, Martin Scorsese, Chad Stahelski (from John Wick!!!!) and many others. Thank you for not wasting my time!

      EDIT1: And just make things perfectly clear: my issue is not with the presence of drama or melodrama, but with its amount...
      EDIT2: to be even more clear: this does not mean that I wish for all movies to be sterile, dry or devoid of emotional content...
      EDIT3: a lot of answers seem to ignore the differences between drama and melodrama, the previous edits and the nuance of the post. Ahh... what can I do? :P

      end rant

      9 votes
    12. Why don't you comment on poetry?

      I post a fair amount of poetry to Tildes, with the hope of getting feedback or starting discussion. Yet, as you can see from looking at the poem tag, there generally isn't any kind of discussion...

      I post a fair amount of poetry to Tildes, with the hope of getting feedback or starting discussion.

      Yet, as you can see from looking at the poem tag, there generally isn't any kind of discussion on poetry posts. Even Bishop's departure post only received six comments.

      So, why is this? What stops you commenting on poems? I would like to have discussions about what I write with the people here. I don't know if there's something I can do to make it easier to engage with me regarding my work, or if there's something else preventing the discussion.

      37 votes
    13. Anyone has some good recommendations on economics and geopolitics channels?

      So far I know of Economics explained for economics and CaspianReport for geopolitics but neither has really convinced me of their credibility and these 2 subjects seem to be the dark sheep of...

      So far I know of Economics explained for economics and CaspianReport for geopolitics but neither has really convinced me of their credibility and these 2 subjects seem to be the dark sheep of educational content, due to being primarily speculative and subjective in nature and being quite niche for being such general topics.

      7 votes
    14. How do you feel about safer kitchen knives?

      Kitchen knives are frequently used to stab people. This results in serious injury or often death. Most stabbing murders are perpetrated with kitchen knives, reflecting the huge numbers of knives...

      Kitchen knives are frequently used to stab people. This results in serious injury or often death. Most stabbing murders are perpetrated with kitchen knives, reflecting the huge numbers of knives available (most homes have one), and where most murders happen (in the home). (I'm talking about UK here).

      Kitchen knives have a cutting edge and usually a sharp piercing point. There's nothing that can be done to make the cutting edge safer. But we can look at the pointy tip.

      Pointy tips are useful, but we tend to find that only professional chefs or experienced home cooks use them. Most people cooking at home don't use or need such a pointy tip.

      There are some companies releasing knives without the pointy tip, and I'm interested to know what you think.

      https://twitter.com/JohnHMCrichton/status/1209095901102387200?s=20

      13 votes
    15. Intermissions for modern movies - what are your thoughts?

      It seems that movies are getting longer and longer nowadays, and some people (like me) are incapable of holding their bladder for more than 1.5-2 hours, especially when movie-theater-sized drinks...

      It seems that movies are getting longer and longer nowadays, and some people (like me) are incapable of holding their bladder for more than 1.5-2 hours, especially when movie-theater-sized drinks are involved. So this got me thinking: is it time to bring back the movie intermission?

      I'm curious:

      1. Are you for or against the idea of longer movies having an intermission? Why or why not?
      2. How do you think adding an intermission to the movies would affect the experience? And how might it affect the film industry and the films themselves?
      24 votes
    16. What are you doing this week?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week. If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week.

      If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work related, I'd love to hear about them. This is a place for casual discussion about your week, past, present, and future.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this week?

      7 votes
    17. What are some good questions for self-reflection?

      With the year and decade coming to an end, I wanted to do a self interview/reflection. I'm basically looking for questions that address the past, present and future. Questions that help reflect or...

      With the year and decade coming to an end, I wanted to do a self interview/reflection. I'm basically looking for questions that address the past, present and future. Questions that help reflect or set goals are nice, but anything goes really. This was inspired by Vanity Fair's yearly interview with Billie Eilish, but I also love reflecting on the past and need for structure by setting goals for the future. Plus what better time to do this with the new year and decade coming up?

      What I'd like to do is ask myself these questions on a yearly basis, but this one might be longer as I'd put questions that will address things 5 & 10 years from now.

      13 votes
    18. 2019 Superlatives

      As we come to the close of another year, I thought it would be a neat idea for people to give their picks for the Best/Worst/Most/Least [something] of 2019. Think of these like awards, although...

      As we come to the close of another year, I thought it would be a neat idea for people to give their picks for the Best/Worst/Most/Least [something] of 2019. Think of these like awards, although some of them are not necessarily in categories people would want to win.

      There are no limits and no criteria. Examples:
      Best Meme
      Worst Tweet
      Most Pretentious Startup
      Least Surprising Box Office Bomb

      Anything is fair game -- do whatever you want! Get creative and have fun! Winners can be people, places, or things -- all 2019 nouns are eligible!

      While I'm intending this to be mostly for fun, it's okay to give serious ones too, so if you want to tell me about, say, the legit Best Movie or the Most Transformative Hashtag of 2019, be my guest.

      Make sure you don't just drop your award winners' names in the thread. Be sure to explain why they're deserving of their title.

      Also, it's okay for one category to be awarded with more than one winner, so if someone else has already given their pick for, say, Best Season Finale, and you feel strongly that another deserves the win, add your pick and explain your thinking!

      21 votes
    19. Tild-ers who live in developing countries (India,Brazil,Nigeria), what differences between your country and the West would you like to bring to others attention?

      First, I'll start with currency (although this isn't unique, exclusive or universal to developing countries.) In my country a real is 25 US cents and 22 European cents. This effectively means...

      First, I'll start with currency (although this isn't unique, exclusive or universal to developing countries.) In my country a real is 25 US cents and 22 European cents. This effectively means everything made by a US or European company (a lot of things and almost everything technological or of value) is 4 times more expensive for me than for an American/European. This means an iPhone costs 4 thousand BRL but our minimum wage is still around 1000 BRL monthly (4.30 BRL/hour assuming an 8-hour shift) meaning an iPhone costs 4 months of minimum wage in Brazil while in the US it costs less than one. For reference an Indian rupee is a 70th of a dollar and the minimum wage is 164 to 750 rupees daily depending on the state (4920 to 22k rupees monthly) but it still only amounts to 320 US dollars.

      34 votes
    20. What are you doing this week?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week. If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week.

      If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work related, I'd love to hear about them. This is a place for casual discussion about your week, past, present, and future.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this week?

      9 votes
    21. Let's Talk: What are your guiding rules in life?

      I often run long distance as part of my workouts and lately I've been composing various axioms for how I should live. These are three axioms I find integral to my character which I try and place...

      I often run long distance as part of my workouts and lately I've been composing various axioms for how I should live. These are three axioms I find integral to my character which I try and place at the bedrock of my decision making.

      0th - The thought which you cannot think is that which guides you.

      1st - The world can be boiled down to two types of people: those who act and those who are acted upon. Be one who acts.

      2nd - Defy social conformities via normative methods.

      21 votes
    22. Should some of these Republicans start to recuse themselves from the impeachment of Donald Trump?

      Just a question. Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, and the rest of them saying they already have a vote against removal of Donald before a court appearance. Sorry if this is the wrong sub tilde for...

      Just a question. Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, and the rest of them saying they already have a vote against removal of Donald before a court appearance.

      Sorry if this is the wrong sub tilde for this. It just pisses me off.

      "'I'm not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here': Graham predicts Trump impeachment will 'die quickly'" in Senate https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/14/politics/lindsey-graham-trump-impeachment-trial/index.html

      17 votes
    23. What are you doing this weekend?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend. If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend.

      If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't done, or even if you just want to talk about how you're doing this weekend, this is a place for casual discussion about those things.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this weekend?

      10 votes
    24. Happy Friday the 13th!

      Happy Friday the 13th, everybody! ... remember, I'm trying to start a Thing where Friday the 13th is a Good Luck day, 'cuz every Friday is "Good Friday". Henceforth, it's Monday the 13th that's...

      Happy Friday the 13th, everybody!

      ... remember, I'm trying to start a Thing where Friday the 13th is a Good Luck day, 'cuz every Friday is "Good Friday".

      Henceforth, it's Monday the 13th that's the bad-luck day ('cuz ... Mondays ... duh).

      So anyway, Happy Friday the 13th ... it's gonna be a thing!

      10 votes
    25. What are you doing this week?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week. If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week.

      If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work related, I'd love to hear about them. This is a place for casual discussion about your week, past, present, and future.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this week?

      5 votes
    26. What are you doing this weekend?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend. If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend.

      If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't done, or even if you just want to talk about how you're doing this weekend, this is a place for casual discussion about those things.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this weekend?

      11 votes
    27. What are the best and the worst purchases you've recently made?

      "Recently" can be whatever window of time you want it to be. I figure a lot of us probably have some holiday shopping to do, and this might be a good way of figuring out some good things to get...

      "Recently" can be whatever window of time you want it to be.

      I figure a lot of us probably have some holiday shopping to do, and this might be a good way of figuring out some good things to get and some bad things to avoid. That said, what you share here doesn't have to be a gift idea, so don't feel limited in that regard. I'm also just interested in hearing what people have recently bought, good or bad.

      19 votes
    28. Brussels in Christmas

      Brussels is ridiculously beautiful in December. I feel so lucky to live here. There's a christmas market where lots of independents sell artisanal products of all sorts. It's incredibly cool....

      Brussels is ridiculously beautiful in December. I feel so lucky to live here.

      There's a christmas market where lots of independents sell artisanal products of all sorts. It's incredibly cool.

      https://www.brussels.be/winter-wonders

      There's a huge christmas tree in Grand Place which looks fantastic. There's also this weird multicolor lightshow nearby which you can walk and dance inside of (must be pretty crazy on psychedelics). Took this photo of it with the girlfriend earlier today.

      It's late and I'm kind of too tired to elaborate too much on it, but god damn it's so cool here. I live like… five minutes walk from all this. I've been in love with Brussels all year ever since I moved here last january, and this is like a really nice wedding anniversary gift for me and this city.

      8 votes
    29. What are you doing this week?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week. If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week.

      If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work related, I'd love to hear about them. This is a place for casual discussion about your week, past, present, and future.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this week?

      9 votes
    30. How can I converse with my 4-year-old nephew/godson who lives in another continent?

      I am, by all definitions, a strong introvert. Communication is an issue with people that are physically close, let alone on Skype video calls. When my sister got pregnant, I claimed the godfather...

      I am, by all definitions, a strong introvert. Communication is an issue with people that are physically close, let alone on Skype video calls. When my sister got pregnant, I claimed the godfather position. She was very happy. We're not even Catholics anymore, but we come from a Catholic background and it's tradition.

      She's bringing the kid to get baptized next month. Last time he was here, 2 years+ ago, I was able to "talk" to him and we even became "friends" (he was 1-years-old, so probably forgot about me by now). I have trouble Skyping with him (and everyone else for that matter). Every once in a while my mother asks me I want to get distant from my sister, and this causes some distress. It's not like I want to create a situation. My father is a lot like me in that regard, and it doesn't really bother me that it takes a few months for him to talk to me (I'm 99% sure I'm in the spectrum, not so sure about him). He showed me his affection multiple times before, on his own way.

      I'm aware not everyone is like me, and want to be more online-present for my godson and my sister. This may seem silly to some people, but it's hard to start or keep up with a conversation. I cannot talk about any subject, and silence is preferable to conversation for the sake of conversation.

      But in this situation, I must give space to his infant world, which obviously does not include my grown-up interests. I don't know how to proceed from that understanding. I actually like the kid, we had great "conversations" when my sister last visited. But it's been really hard to keep an online presence. And I think I should.

      22 votes
    31. Tildes Pen Pals

      So today I decided to ditch instant messaging / texting / whatever in favor of longform emails, phone calls (which I'm terrible at), and proper physical letters. I want to focus on the physical...

      So today I decided to ditch instant messaging / texting / whatever in favor of longform emails, phone calls (which I'm terrible at), and proper physical letters.

      I want to focus on the physical letters part because that's a skill I'd like to train, but I only have a couple people who it looks like will go through with that. Most will either let me float away (understandably!) or will contact me in the more convenient ways I'm allowing myself to engage in. So after playing Kind Words, I'm thinking that writing to strangers could be a fun exercise! This could be a couple people meeting here and writing letters, or it could be a whole thing, depending on interest. Casual letters are beautiful things, let's try to make some :)

      If you want to participate, please post at least the following:

      Age group:
      Topics of interest:
      Country / Region (please don't post your address, that can be done through PMs):

      27 votes
    32. I'd like to talk about the world these days, care to join in?

      Hey, friends. I'd like to take a few minutes of your time to talk and converse. Please, feel free to join in. I'm not trying to make any points or whatnot, but I need to get this out of my head....

      Hey, friends. I'd like to take a few minutes of your time to talk and converse. Please, feel free to join in. I'm not trying to make any points or whatnot, but I need to get this out of my head.

      It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to see that there is a lot going on these days. I know that there's always a lot going on, but it just seems to be on my mind a lot more than it used to. I'm unsure if it's because things out there actually are heating up, if the current news cycle is finally paying some attention, if I'm just more interested/aware as I get older, or if it's some combination of these. Regardless, it just seems like there's so much to think about.

      To begin, there's the domestic stuff. We have an inevitable recession coming our way sooner than later (recessions being a feature of our application of Capitalism, after all), and, of course, the mess in the other Washington. I'm doing my best to keep up with the impeachment, while not letting it really "get to me". As I get older, I find that I care more and more about the wellbeing of my country, and the utter shame that is this current administration makes me genuinely concerned for the health of our nation and the people in it. I cannot help but think to myself that I am watching the arguably most significant political crisis since Watergate unfolding before me - live, in real-time. It's wild, as you know that you live through history in the making, but you never really think that you're going to live through something of this caliber.

      While I'm hopeful that our own brush with populism will turn out OK (our 3 branch government is remarkably robust), I still worry about us and the other countries that are dealing with it now too. We have Bolsonaro and Duerte, Brexit and Trump. We have the mess in Bolivia, and frankly I still don't exactly have my head wrapped fully around what the hell is actually going on there. We have the trickery of Putin and his loyal cronies. Even populism aside, we have the unrest and violence in Lebanon, Syria, Chile and Iran. And of course, let's not forget our friends in Hong Kong.

      I look at the HK situation and feel extra helpless. I was 7 when Tiananmen Square happened, and I kinda remember it. I certainly remember tank man on the news, but that was about it. I see what's going on in Hong Kong and I cannot get past the feeling that they're literally fighting a losing battle for their lives. I can't imagine how they'll survive this without getting steamrolled, unless a foreign power steps in. You know that'll alter the course of the 21st century. I mean, hell. Even if things turn out rosy, this is still probably one of the most significant events of this century. And here I am, watching it in real-time again.

      This isn't even touching on the literal concentration camps that China is running for the Uighur Muslims. Shit, even my own country is running camps for children right now. How TF does this even happen? By the time half of us even find out, these camps have already been up and running for a good while. What can you even do?

      Then there is a the ever-looming specter that haunts us and feels inescapable: global warming. I don't think I need to elaborate on this one, just a quick peek at the fires and floods, droughts and melting glaciers says it all. Again, we're along for this ride in an enormous mechanism that individually we are wholly powerless against. I sincerely hope that we do manage to engineer our way out of the worst of climate change, but I am honestly not hopeful that we will limit our emissions enough to keep us under the 4° warming that we're seemingly on the trajectory for. I sure won't be alive in 2100, but my youngest nibblings just might - or at least their kids will be. What kind of world are we leaving for them?

      How will these things affect and feed off each other? Will we look at the period between WWII and the early 21st century as one of unusual peace and prosperity?

      This stuff keeps me up at night, and sometimes it feels like doing your best is just a vain exercise in futility. I know it's not, in that everyone doing their best would make huge changes, and that no matter what happens, I can go to my grave in good conscience knowing that I did what I could. Still, some days it all feels like too much, you know?

      Anyway, thank you for listening to me, and letting me talk. There's a few people in my life that share the same concerns, but it's hard to find anyone to talk to about the breadth of all this shit that there is to worry about.

      So, anonymous strangers on the internet, how are you feeling about the world situation these days?

      21 votes
    33. What are your favorite RSS feeds?

      I particularly enjoy Voice of America for political news, Hacker News for tech news, and a Craig's list filter for particular cars in my area (since I might be getting one soon).

      19 votes
    34. What are you doing this weekend?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend. If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend.

      If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't done, or even if you just want to talk about how you're doing this weekend, this is a place for casual discussion about those things.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this weekend?

      9 votes
    35. Discussion time: What are your opinions on digital censorship?

      Given the furor on Youtube over the new COPPA laws and the way they will affect content creators, I'd sort of like to know the opinions of tildezens on the topic of digital regulation. What do you...

      Given the furor on Youtube over the new COPPA laws and the way they will affect content creators, I'd sort of like to know the opinions of tildezens on the topic of digital regulation. What do you guys think about heavy moderation or even censorship on social media platforms? Do you think it's a necessary way to keep online communities safe for all, or is it stifling open discussion on the internet?

      (Not sure if should be placed in here or tech, please don't flame)

      12 votes
    36. What are you doing this week?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week. If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week.

      If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work related, I'd love to hear about them. This is a place for casual discussion about your week, past, present, and future.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this week?

      7 votes
    37. What are you doing this weekend?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend. If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their weekend.

      If you have any plans, things you want to get done, things you have done, things you haven't done, or even if you just want to talk about how you're doing this weekend, this is a place for casual discussion about those things.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this weekend?

      13 votes
    38. Amanda Palmer is getting dragged on Twitter - is this cancel culture?

      I've seen some debate on here about 'cancel culture', and there is a pretty good example of it happening on Twitter more-or-less now (or I guess it's probably old news in internet-time). Here is...

      I've seen some debate on here about 'cancel culture', and there is a pretty good example of it happening on Twitter more-or-less now (or I guess it's probably old news in internet-time).

      Here is Amanda Palmer's Original thread:
      https://twitter.com/amandapalmer/status/1197525096937771010

      Here is the perspective of the "the guardian's music editor" (not actually the music editor, but she is the woman Amanda Palmer's tweets allude too as the music editor):
      https://twitter.com/laurasnapes/status/1197572693081698310

      (the actual music editor also weighed in https://twitter.com/ben_bt/status/1197568113535070208)

      It's pretty clear that there is an internet pile-on going down. Here is just a few of many examples:
      https://twitter.com/JEHANCOURF/status/1197645652605448193
      https://twitter.com/BrandyLJensen/status/1197660203937914880

      Palmer's husband Neil Gaiman isn't escaping scrutiny either:
      https://twitter.com/harrrithon/status/1197594514564820992
      https://twitter.com/ThosMcStakin/status/1197662487593635840

      Some unrelated anti-Palmer stories cropping up:
      https://twitter.com/bombastic_luv/status/1197765401691742208
      https://twitter.com/TamikaVST/status/1197672824040828928
      https://twitter.com/TamikaVST/status/1197674952591327237

      So my question is: is this the cancel culture everyone is worried about? Is twitter going 'too far'? Or is Amanda Palmer getting what she deserved?

      I'm honestly on the fence. Give me your thoughts.

      12 votes
    39. Free-wheeling hypothetical: President Pelosi ... how would that work?

      Admittedly highly unlikely ... but also becoming less inconceivable by the day. She is 2nd in line after Pence. So, let's just say, 3-5 months from now, They swear in Pelosi as the next POTUS....

      Admittedly highly unlikely ... but also becoming less inconceivable by the day. She is 2nd in line after Pence.

      So, let's just say, 3-5 months from now, They swear in Pelosi as the next POTUS. What does that do to both Repub and Dem Primaries? What does it mean for the next election? Does the US keep itself together long enough to have an election?

      Heck, while I'm asking, what about a President Pence in 3-5 months. That's at least an order of magnitude less unlikely. How would that play out?

      PS: Somebody recently started a 'what do you daydream about' thread ... so, you-know ... this.

      8 votes
    40. I don't know how to move

      I'm doing really well in all my classes. On assignments that were given at the beginning of the quarter with due dates as part of finals, I have diligently worked on them every week. I even let go...

      I'm doing really well in all my classes. On assignments that were given at the beginning of the quarter with due dates as part of finals, I have diligently worked on them every week. I even let go of being a perfectionist by time constraining tasks and being okay with whatever I had produced. And yet I am now stuck. Immobile.

      I didn't go to school today. I think it's because I have a presentation tomorrow. I've had the presentation completed more or less for a couple of weeks. I've timed it, and can say all the words, and get all the things out to an empty living room. But as soon as someone else is in the room, I stumble and forget everything, even with my flashcards in front of me. I can't even read the text as in my eyes can not focus.

      So today I was just going to practice more. But I didn't. I skipped classes, got shitfaced, passed out at some point, and woke up with no interest in anything.

      I'm pretty sure I will go to school tomorrow, but there's a part of me that thinks it's just to much to ask of me to be in front of people and I don't want to look dumb, I don't want to ummm and forget and be boring. And then I missed classes and I will be a liar about why, and I hate liars. And I don't want to go, and I didn't practice today when I should have and I got drunk instead, and I don't have much patience for drunks. I AM NOT LIKING MYSELF AT THE MOMENT, and what happens if I don't go tomorrow? I could fade away from everywhere and no one would ever know, but me. And that bites because I would never let me live it down.

      If you have any words of wisdom, I would love to hear from you, even if I don't respond because I'll be embarrassed that I hit send on this.

      Edit: Wisdom isn't necessarily what I am looking for (though if you have it, I want it). I also want to know if you ever felt similar and what did you do.

      26 votes
    41. What is/are your favorite quote/s?

      "Dead people receive more flowers than living ones because regret is stronger than gratitude." -Anne frank It is quite hard to convince someone on something if their income depends on them not...

      "Dead people receive more flowers than living ones because regret is stronger than gratitude."

      -Anne frank

      It is quite hard to convince someone on something if their income depends on them not understanding it."

      "A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932. He won an election, and 50 million people died as a result of that election in World War II, including six million Jews. So what I learned as a little kid is that politics is, in fact, very important."

      -Bernie sanders

      19 votes
    42. What are you doing this week?

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week. If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work...

      This topic is part of a weekly series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss their week.

      If you have any plans, goals, accomplishments, or even failures, whether they be personal or work related, I'd love to hear about them. This is a place for casual discussion about your week, past, present, and future.

      A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.

      So, what (or how) are you doing this week?

      16 votes
    43. Would you pay for social media platforms and search engines if it meant they would not have any advertising or data collection?

      (Someone posted a thread like this but for triple-a videogames rather than software and people said no so I wonder if software is gonna be different.) If you would or not, why? If you would, how...

      (Someone posted a thread like this but for triple-a videogames rather than software and people said no so I wonder if software is gonna be different.)

      If you would or not, why? If you would, how much? What would be the side effects of this change if it was applied on a mass scale? What would be the potential drawbacks?

      Edit: Can also apply to video-sharing platforms or forums or instant messengers any software as long as it serves a general purpose and complies with what's mentioned above.

      26 votes
    44. What's a "sore thumb" for you?

      You know: something that sticks out to you in a bad, unignorable way -- like a "sore thumb" -- every time you see/hear it. Maybe its apostrophe misuse, maybe it's using cliches like they're going...

      You know: something that sticks out to you in a bad, unignorable way -- like a "sore thumb" -- every time you see/hear it.

      Maybe its apostrophe misuse, maybe it's using cliches like they're going out of style, maybe it's b  a d k e  r n i  n g, or a lack of parallelism perhaps bothers you.

      Whatever it is (and it doesn't have to be writing related), let us know. Also, most importantly, why do you think it has such a profound effect on you?

      16 votes
    45. What do you think about the concept of generations?

      I think it's a pretty decent way of visualizing a general group of people and the hardships or triumphs they went through, the only problem is when said events don't translate between countries &...

      I think it's a pretty decent way of visualizing a general group of people and the hardships or triumphs they went through, the only problem is when said events don't translate between countries & social classes and people refuse to distinguish them accordingly.

      (For reference I'm late Gen Z.)

      14 votes