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self_made_human

amaratvaṃ prāpnuhi, athavā yatamāno mṛtyum āpnuhi

15 followers   follows 0 users  
joined 2022 September 05 05:31:00 UTC

I'm a transhumanist doctor. In a better world, I wouldn't need to add that as a qualifier to plain old "doctor". It would be taken as granted for someone in the profession of saving lives.

At any rate, I intend to live forever or die trying. See you at Heat Death!

Friends:

A friend to everyone is a friend to no one.


				
User ID: 454


				
				
				

			

		

	














	


		


			



	

		

			

			

				

					

						

							
						

						

							
							

								
self_made_human


								

								

								
								
									
								
								
								
								

								
							
					
 
				


				
amaratvaṃ prāpnuhi, athavā yatamāno mṛtyum āpnuhi

				
				
				

				

					15 followers  

					follows 0 users  

					joined 2022 September 05 05:31:00 UTC
				


				
					

					
I'm a transhumanist doctor. In a better world, I wouldn't need to add that as a qualifier to plain old "doctor". It would be taken as granted for someone in the profession of saving lives.


At any rate, I intend to live forever or die trying. See you at Heat Death!



				

				
					
Friends:

					
A friend to everyone is a friend to no one.


				

				

				

				

					

					

					
					
					

					
User ID: 454


					
					
					
				

			


					

						
					



		

	

 











			
			

			
			

			




	


		

			
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				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Well, try telling them that.




My time and patience for arguing with people being idiots is, sadly, quite limited. Especially when I'm not getting paid to do it. I don't recall an actual patient who showed up and demanded that something out of the ordinary be done for them because they have both diseases, but it's early days yet.




Even worse are the people who apparently have diagnosed (or suspected?) BPD, and then openly brag about it. Even on dating profiles.




Even worse? My man, that's even better. In the sense that I will selfishly give them points for being honest and waving a red flag at onlookers. I can tell you from experience that you do not want to know what it's like to date a BPD woman, especially one who was undiagnosed and wouldn't accept my suggestion that she get assessed for it. If people express their most obnoxious personality traits and then are proud of it, anyone still lets them into their life is too dumb to deserve much sympathy. Or perhaps they really value passionate hate sex, I can't judge too harshly.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


torquentes labia moverunt caput




If she tells you her labia's gone kaput from too much torque, you're either doing it very wrong or very right. I hope they her calling you a runt and asking you to move was expressed with affection too.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
In the sense that that it recognizes {no intellectual deficit plus some generic autism traits} as a sub-category? Yes. But Aspergers was handy. We got rid of it without a handy epithet to replace it.


It would be like replacing "mild depression" with "depression without suicidality, severe anhedonia, psychomotor retardation..." You have replaced a convenient and pragmatically helpful diagnosis with a more unwieldy one, with no clear benefit.




I am obviously am not an illustrious doctor




Don't worry, neither am I. At least the illustrious part.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I think 38% German is a very respectable amount: it corresponds to me being punctual (mostly, don't @ me @fttg) and generically responsible. Any higher and I'd lose the sense of humor, and what else do I have going for me?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


The correct answer would be D, of course




I did not know that you graduated from casual competitive misogyny to homosexuality, but that is hardly uncommon either. Ah, the things I've heard catty gay men say about women... if I said half as much, I'd be in the lockup (not that I want to, I think women are pretty and caring and smell nice, and I constantly fraternize with the enemy).


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


I will also interpret the autism score as indisputable proof that ADHD should not be placed anywhere near the autism spectrum.




I mean, that's the standard psychiatric consensus. And an opinion I share. They are very distinct clinical entities, though there definitely exist large numbers of people who are "AuDHD" in the sense they have both conditions. But that isn't special or worthy of a distinct diagnosis, anymore than someone with ADHD and depression has ADepressionHD.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Very German/autistic of you. I'm glad everything is working as expected.


(I would have enjoyed that too, albeit probably only 1/6th as much)


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Entirely within my expectations, ngl. I do think Aspergers deserves a place in modern psychiatric taxonomy, when up to 80% of people with autism have learning disabilities, then it at least served as a convenient shorthand for those of normal or above average intelligence. Well, I don't get consulted on either the ICD or the DSM, at least not yet.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I was thinking of tagging you, but the bit works best when you show up of your own volition.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I think it would be handy to have a per-user list too, and I am too broke/cheap to pay for Max.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
"Am I German or Autistic?"


http://german.millermanschool.com/


(I am neither German nor autistic, but it's good to confirm, through a psychometrically validated instrument that I'm a regular dude. Uh, I don't remember my results but I think it was 38% German and like 10% autistic?)


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for April 3, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I don't think you, or the general user, can do that. It's in the mod log and our per user moderation history, but even there it'll lump multiple AAQCs together if they were in the same month.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Would "all they did do" make you happier? Because that is clearly true. The EU couldn't afford serious bloodshed over Greenland or war with the US. If Trump wasn't held back by domestic factors, they would have been almost entirely powerless to stop the annexation. You think Macron really wants to start a nuclear war, despite being the most hawkish leader, leading a country with a doctrine of first use?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Less likely? Yes. But most people genuinely don't know how common accidental motion is during sleep. And I wouldn't consider it strong evidence of intentional abuse, even if he's got a reputation as a sneaky abuser.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I never said they lost. I said they made a symbolic protest, and that was sufficient. I am not excusing the vagaries of the current administration, merely pointing out the power dynamics at play.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
The US can't entirely ignore Europe without serious ramifications (as seen by the rather disinterested response to Trump's call for support in Iran), but we all know who wears the pants in that relationship. The US can't entirely ignore that continent, but it can get away with bullying, intimidation and what can be charitable described as "tough love".


It's worth keeping in mind that the leaders of European countries, on average, do not behave in a way that is representative of public sentiment. It costs nothing for a Berlin or London art hoe to go on a Free Palestine march, Berlin and London themselves are not nearly as keen on the prospect. This also applies to the relationship with the US, the EU is not going to entirely cut ties, even if things cooled significantly. Even the deployment to Greenland was more of a symbolic/shambolic affair that would make for an excellent comedy.


Consider that. The most powerful power in the world is slamming you with indiscriminate sanctions, not significantly different to what it uses against its most hostile enemies. It threatens to annex Greenland, and all you can do is make press statements to "express concern" and send like a platoon of dudes off to get their balls cold. Which, in a way, is reasonable. I doubt Trump could have actually annexed Greenland by force without a serious risk of his own supporters making a runner. Why would the EU need to do more than save face?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for April 1, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
The whole point of the drug development pipeline is to minimize the unknown unknowns. Sure, it's not perfect, but there is no good reason to spend very much time worrying about Knightian uncertainty in a clinic. While your claims are true, I genuinely don't think it changes anything in practice. Statins have been around for ages, and even semaglutide has had its safety established to a degree where I am more than comfortable putting my mom on it and taking myself, sometimes.




If the doctor says "you have to do it, or you're going to be in serious trouble, the pills are the only way" - fine, do it. But if they say "you may try to change your lifestyle, or if it sounds too hard there are pills, your choice" I'd personally choose to try the non-pills way first.




And that's fine, no issues there. But when the pills are pretty close to a free lunch? I'm not advocating for him starting warfarin or anything that would make me sit up and think thrice before the recommendation.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Better than eyeballing it flaccid, I can grant that much.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for April 1, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Note that I'm not strongly endorsing the statins. But your actual doctor probably knows your situation better than I do, and I trust them by default. More importantly, in a way, you can just quit if the side effects are more nuisance than the (small) benefits are worth.




I'm skipping GLP-drugs because I want to solve the root cause, not just the symptoms. Sleep, diet and work outs first. Rest will follow.




Why not both? Seriously, even if you don't "need" them like someone with someone who is outright obese and diabetic, they'll help. There is no reason to think that you can't also make lifestyle modifications alongside them, and those are laudable goals anyway. You'll almost certainly lose weight, and it'll help the cardiovascular stuff. If your sleep is hampered by something like sleep apnea (which I do not know you have, but is not unlikely), then the weight loss will help with that too. It's easier to exercise and diet if you've already lost some weight and don't feel as hungry. The drugs should be easily affordable for you, you make a lot more money than I do.


If you had to choose between statins and semaglutide on my recommendation, then I would rather you pick the latter. Just talk about it with your doctor, as and when you see them again. If they advise against it, eh, that's fine by me.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


The femme fatale archetype and the "hot BPD girl" archetype exist for a reason.




... I'm in recovery. It's going well so far, though I have my fingers crossed.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Do you have very good reason to believe that he was lying? I've obviously not been there, but it is not very uncommon to see parasomnias like REM-sleep where there really is unconscious acting out or uncontrolled muscle movement. All I am saying is that his claims are not prima facie false, if there's more evidence that suggests he genuinely was a sneaky abuser, that's fair (but it is possible for someone to be both a bad person and also physically sick, disease rarely cares about moral valence).


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for April 1, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I am not saying they are nothing. But statins are the annoying kind of drug where the benefits are hard to perceive on an individual basis, but we have strong evidence does help at a population level. And the harms are even more rare, barring the more common transient stuff like muscle aches.


In more formal terms, the NNT is high, and so is the NNH. But the former is still significantly smaller than the latter, almost by an OOM. Both are diminished by his age and reasonably good health, at least on the basis of information provided, but I would be rather surprised if it came out to a complete wash or net harm (however small).


(I have neglected to specify that NNT and NNH require specific metrics or endpoints to assess, but I'm talking about the serious stuff, like number of cardiovascular events avoided in expectation or new onset T2DM/rhabdomyolysis)


As it stands, I think that @DirtyWaterHotDog is an intelligent sensible individual, and that their doctor has done due diligence before making the recommendation. I'd love to see an explicit QALY calculation, but let's be honest and admit that those are desirable but not strictly necessary, assuming a competent doctor exercising clinical judgement. I'm sure he's going to do his own research instead of deferring entirely to an argument I made while suffering from a serious migraine (even if I think that my advice is fine). I see no significant risk from initiating them, since they're easy to start and easy to stop if the most likely side-effects become annoying. The benefits are also probably small, but  I think his actual doctor has a better picture than I do, and I see no real reason to disagree with them.


(If I was his actual doctor instead of a friendly stranger on the internet, I would be poring over the reports and calculating QRISK scores.)


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
There is a very good reason why I said the odds of a more favorable outcome go up, rather than making a stronger, deterministic claim in the passage you quoted.


"Good behavior" or submission is no guarantee of good treatment, but I think it is fair to say that it helps on the margin. The typical man coming home with a looted woman does not have three more waiting at home, the maths is unlikely to work that way. The way that royalty treats their new concubines is not representative of the average. My understanding is that even for the Sabine women, the typical Roman kidnapper only got the one, but correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't specifically checked, though this is mostly because I doubt a clear-cut answer is easily available. Even when the kidnapper/victor is successful enough to have multiple female captives, I do not think it is an unjustified leap in logic to think that compliance and feigned/real affection would improve material circumstances on the margin. If your new "husband" has three docile wives already, do you think anyone is going to treat you better for being uppity?


Even within living memory in the West, it is hardly uncommon to hear of women who deplore their abusive husbands but are forced to stay by them because of the financial ruin or social opprobium they would face after separation. Situations like that even happen today, though not nearly as often when Western culture (and much of the world) has tighter welfare nets and feels the duty/need to intervene.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I am not claiming that this is a universal experience. I am only claiming that situations like this can and do happen, including in well documented histories as well at present, in the parts of the world that can be impolitely but accurately be described as shitholes. And we know the past was much more violent than the present, or the fact that far fewer men passed on their lineage than women did, or the recent evidence that Neanderthal-Cro Magnon crossbreeding usually involved Neanderthal men and CM women. I wonder why.


You don't even need the maximal "consent to rape or die" version. Even the ability to tolerate and ameliorate flawed men who are otherwise good providers is adaptive. As you've noted, societal norms didn't even switch to condemning such behavior till well within living memory.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
There is no end of nuance I could add, but this is a good point. I might as well mention that it's very common for the traits and tendencies expressed by genes to vary according to the sex of the organism that receives them (even if this is not an absolute either). The same genes on a different sex chromosome can do different things. So Genghis might well have had a submissive mother, while the same genes might not have manifested in him but might have in his daughters or sisters (or have been outcompeted by the tendencies from his paternal lineage).


The same goes for Ugg and Bride of Ugg. She might hate being raped and enslaved. But her sons might well be perfectly happy to do the raping and enslaving, propagating her genes as well. The question, which requires a lot of empirical grounding to answer, is which tendency wins out overall. But there isn't a unique winner at the very least, we observe a lot of diversity.