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RoyGBivensAction

Zensunni Scientologist

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joined 2025 June 08 18:10:35 UTC 

				
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RoyGBivensAction


								

								

								
								
								

								
							
					
 
				


				
Zensunni Scientologist

				
				
				

				

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	 Hot Bump Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
	



		

	






	

		
		

		
		
	

	

  







		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 11, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


9/11 was not a self-help group for depression gone horribly wrong.




The 9/11 Attack Considered as a Self-Help Group for Depression.


Osama Bin Laden was the organizer of the therapy session.


The north tower got off to a bad start.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 10, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Did you read Less Than Zero before Imperial Bedrooms?




I did not. Considering it's Ellis, I wasn't sure if that mattered. I'll probably re-read IB after I read Less than Zero.


I finished Lunar Park and thought it was generally good.




The Rules of Attraction, incidentally, is set at the same college as Donna Tartt's The Secret History (much-beloved in these parts).




A bit of trivia I knew for some reason. I haven't read The Secret History (I probably should), but I've read a plot synopsis, and was amused that the two books sound like they could be taking place in the same fictional universe.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for August 13, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


I'm running about 80 miles/a week these days




Impressive. That's a lot. I'm at half that, and with a lifting schedule too, I go to bed feeling beat up most days.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 11, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


t's like after being released into the wild, all the good women got locked down or went to ground, and only the predators were out at night.




Ah, this reminds me of an effortpost I wanted to write. There is definitely something to this. After college, there is absolutely a group of women who totally vanish. Unless one encounters them at work or TJMaxx (or whatever place they use to sate their shopping addiction) or the grocery store, it's effectively impossible to meet them.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 11, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I would be shocked if the guy sending the rectum photo had anywhere near the stretch of goatse.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 10, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
It's remarkable how nauseated I can feel when reading him (and I'm not referring to the ultraviolence bits).


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 10, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Where are you observing this stuff?




I know many lawyers plus many non-lawyers who are adjacent to the legal field.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 4, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I was thinking it's been a few years (maybe 5 or 6) since I watched a full season of SP, but then I realized the last one I watched was season 17. That was 12 years ago. How times flies.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 10, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Why do so many people think it's trivially easy for a "new religion" (as opposed to a new church/temple/whatever you want to call it within an existing and well-established denomination) to get tax-exempt status in the US?




Most people have zero understanding of the law in general. You can adjust "most people" to "almost 100% of people" if you're discussing a particularly fine point.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 10, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


That said, it’s bewildering how… lacking in instinct for manipulation a lot of young women are.




You could amend that to "women." The amount of 30something married women I've seen fall for very obvious manipulation from a lothario is painful to contemplate.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 10, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


How do you all interact with LLMs?




I don't. I do my best to avoid it at all costs. If it's built into something I otherwise need to use (search engines, Westlaw, whatever), I either disable it or ignore it.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 10, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
How long have you been around rationalist-adjacent spaces?


I found Scott in 2013 or 2014, possibly via LJ. I remember discussing "Universal Love Said the Cactus Person" with a friend IRL who brought it up and he previously had never mentioned reading SSC. Somewhere in there I found /r/SSC because in 2016 I saw a notice for a meetup taking place 5 minutes away from my house and didn't go because I found many people active in /r/SSC off-putting. I stopped paying close attention to Scott after the 2017 Kolmogorov entry. I remember /r/theMotte being created and then /r/SneerClub with the latter being distilled perfection of what I didn't like about so many /r/SSC posters to start with plus reddit overall. I guess that's about where I stopped paying close attention because it was only much later that I became aware of this site starting separately to escape reddit, the TW/schism hullaballo, and some other subsequent happenings.


Because I have a strong memory that works in strange ways, it's a bizarre feeling to recognize a few user names from ancient /r/SSC days (Zorba, Hlynka, gattsuru, etc.), or look into /r/SSC now and see a few users I dislike still plugging away, and realize I've been paying attention (or at least mildly aware) of their written output for a decade.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 10, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Working my way through Bret Easton Ellis works (have already read American Psycho and Imperial Bedrooms in the past). Finished The Informers, started and put aside Glamorama (insufferable main characters for the first few chapters and I can't imagine spending 400+ pages with them), and now about halfway through Lunar Park.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 4, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Fi is more like a programmable CPU; it can do almost anything, and the exact "software" that is being run will vary greatly between different Fi users.




So what happens when a Fi gets programmed with highly neurotic/anxious software? Are they discernible to other people as any different from an Fe?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for August 6, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


What did you think criminal defense would be like?




Sunshine, rainbows, drinking champagne on unicorns, perfect 10s throwing themselves at me, etc. You know, the usual.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for August 8, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


The guy who loads up on tight ends




( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for August 8, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


One is known as Otterbox. One is known as Otterlocker. I'm pretty sure you can guess what happened, here




The gay furries got some new robust cellphone cases?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 4, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


All interstate transit would have to be on the I-10 and I-40 through Arizona.




Or at least I-10 after the Navajo Nation blockaded I-40 from Gallup to Flagstaff.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for August 8, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - I'm Gonna Booglarize You, Baby (1972)


During their 1972 European Tour, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band appeared on the German TV show Beat Club. This song is quite the performance, even by Captain Beefheart standards. Some of the other tracks took multiple takes for various reasons, but they nailed this one. It sounds like chaos until the 3 guitarists and the drummer hit the groove. I would make some of Beefheart's vocalizations my text notification on my phone if I were more tech-inclined.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for August 6, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


talking to people




If by "talking to people" you mean dealing with unreasonable felonious clients, their unreasonable families, obnoxious and occasionally unethical prosecutors, unhelpful court staff, belligerent judges, probation officers, police officers, and a bunch of others, then yes. And of course, most of the court staff, probation officers, police officers, clients, and their families all believe they're lawyers and know more about the law than I do.


None of that includes the administrative side of things.




Isn't the point of training and experience so you can autopilot most of the time?




lol. lmao, even.




Are you talking about being a corporate attorney?




No, criminal defense.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for August 8, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


In year 2025, the appeals panel reverses. The city charter grants to the city personnel director, not the power of establishing holidays, but merely the power of establishing employment regulations regarding holidays. The power of establishing holidays is not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the charter, so by default, in accordance with state and federal practice, it inheres in the legislative body—the council. Therefore, this executive order is a usurpation of legislative power. (This analysis applies to substantive holidays that are days off for city workers. The mayor still may declare temporary, symbolic holidays that have no effect on anybody.)




Somewhat similar to the history of MLK Day in Arizona.




In 1983, then-president Ronald Reagan signed the bill that made Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday, the first to commemorate the life of an African American, according to the U.S. Senate website. Three years later, the Arizona House of Representatives created a bill to recognize the holiday. One vote defeated the bill, but nine days later, Gov. Bruce Babbitt issued an executive order to create a paid MLK holiday.






Subsequent governor Mecham gained national attention several days after his inauguration by fulfilling a campaign promise to cancel a paid Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday (MLK Day) for state employees. The holiday had been created in May 1986 by executive order from the previous governor, Bruce Babbitt, after the state legislature had voted not to create the holiday. Following the creation of the holiday, the state Attorney General's office issued an opinion that the paid holiday was illegal and threatened to sue the incoming governor over the cost of the paid holiday, as it had not been approved by the legislature. Despite the issues of the legality of how the holiday was created, Mecham replied to comments from civil rights activists and the Black community after the cancellation by saying "King doesn't deserve a holiday."






The decision turned to the voters in 1990, when two separate ballot measures for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday were put on the state ballot, according to the Pima County Public Library. Both measures failed to pass, once again drawing outrage and boycotts against Arizona. Notably, the National Football League stripped the state of its right to host the 1993 Super Bowl. Musicians refused to perform in Arizona.






The loss denied Phoenix a projected $200 million in revenue. An agreement was made that Arizona would host the 1996 Super Bowl, with the condition it passed a referendum to celebrate the holiday.






The holiday was finally inked into state law in November 1992. Voters passed a Martin Luther King Civil Rights Day holiday, making Arizona the last state to formally install an MLK holiday




				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 4, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


They can just be mistaken about whether they should use a gun in self-defense and end up killing someone anyway.




The victim was named McGlockton and was killed by a ... you know the answer. Incredibly unfortunate nominative determinism.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 4, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


I might trust you with a gun, but I don't trust the guy who just broke your car window in the middle of the night and stole your gun.






And that's much harder to solve, because even if you require people to store guns securely at all times are we gonna start arresting people because they forgot it in their car coming home from the range?




Someone breaking into a car to steal a gun is likely a prohibited possessor. Sending prohibited possessors caught with a firearm to prison for long stretches is one solution. It is probably one of the most straightforward solutions given the frequency that someone committing a crime with a firearm has prior criminal convictions and has been caught with a gun before. Given the general anti-firearm position of the DNC, it seems like a no-brainer policy position to support, but of course they cannot because of reasons.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of August 4, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


When I cross the border to the states, there's often a moment of shock upon seeing someone with a gun on their hip going about their day in a gas station, or restaurant, or shopping mall.




    

  1. 

    It's interesting how open carry has changed in the US in the past 30 years. I grew up in a place with many guns and where open carry was legal, but only the most trashy of rednecks would open carry, and they were derided by other gun owners. "Whatsamatter, you think the Russians are going to invade today?" Now if I visit home, I'm probably going to see someone open carrying at the grocery store or whatnot.
    

    2. 

  2. 

    I read lots of hiking journals, and Europeans, Canadians, or incredibly insulated coastal blue tribers encountering open carry among the people of MT, ID, WY, and NM on the Continental Divide Trail never ceases to entertain me. They range from "ohmygod this guy had a gun on his hip at a coffee shop, I was so close to dying, what's wrong with your country" to "I was scared at first and then we talked and he invited me to go target shooting so I took a day off hiking and went shooting (after never touching a gun before) and it was the most fun I've ever had in my life."
    

    3. 



				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for August 6, 2025
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Some societal stereotypes seem to be based on things that haven't been true for 10-20 years, and the updates are slow to happen. The "middle aged dude running off with the floozy from work and buying a red convertible" trope is indestructible, but I've personally seen more of the "woman loses her mind and gets divorced (or the opposite order), borderline abandons her kids, and goes on a years-long drunken sex binge" version.