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ThomasdelVasto

Κύριε, ποίησόν με ὄργανον τῆς ἀγάπης σου

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joined 2025 May 20 19:37:18 UTC

Blogger, Christian convert, general strange one. https://shapesinthefog.substack.com/


				
User ID: 3709


				
				
				

			

		

	














	


		


			



	

		

			

			

				

					

						

							
						

						

							
							

								
ThomasdelVasto


								

								

								
								
								

								
							
					
 
				


				
Κύριε, ποίησόν με ὄργανον τῆς ἀγάπης σου

				
				
				

				

					0 followers  

					follows 0 users  

					joined 2025 May 20 19:37:18 UTC
				


				
					

					
Blogger, Christian convert, general strange one. https://shapesinthefog.substack.com/



				

				

				

				

				

					

					

					
					
					

					
User ID: 3709


					
					
					
				

			


					

						
					



		

	

 











			
			

			
			

			




	


		

			
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	 Hot Bump Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
	



		

	






	

		
		

		
		
	

	

  







		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
How do you do part time homeschooling? Can you explain how that works? I thought it was an either or kind of thing?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Wow beautiful story, you don't hear this type of thing often. Thanks for sharing. Gives me more confidence about the whole babies thing ahaha.


Good on you and your wife for sticking it out.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Bravo sir, bravo. Couldn't have written it better myself.


I'd also like to add that in addition to all this, children seem to change who you are as a person. Many folks I've talked to more on the spiritual side, so to speak, all report that children open you up to a newfound level of love and compassion, a depth of feeling almost impossible to reach without them.


I've noticed this depth of love in myself when spending time around children for long periods of time.


To me, that's one of the most attractive pieces. It can be extremely difficult, especially to folks who deal with depression and anxiety, to get access to these blissful moments of love and joy. Having kids seems to make them far more available, and in a healthy way to boot. Not, as you say, just like shooting up heroin.


Either way, I strongly reject the philosophy of the last men as well.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Nowadays I feel a lot of resentment for all the broken trust between me and my childhood idols. I fought this war alone in my classrooms. They gave me the forbidden fruit of knowledge, only for years later to become what they taught me to hate.






But really, am I the only one who went through this live?




Good write up, entertaining. I went through a similar journey but a few years before your time. My major thing was internet forums, mostly /redpill on reddit and other similar types of 'manosphere' forums.


Unfortunately what I've found is that while they get a lot of things right, those forums, and probably many of the youtubers you watched, are also drowned in cynicism and rage. To the point where they aren't quite healthy role models for young men. However, they are indeed often the only ones willing to speak truth to power, as they say. Makes for a bad mix, imo.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
No worries friend. I hope you like my top level though!


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Idk from Grok I got:




For fiscal year 2023 (from U.S. Census Bureau data), current spending per pupil varied by region, but national averages have continued rising (e.g., an 8.9% jump in earlier 2022 data to ~$15,633, with further increases since).




				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Yeah except people with kids have to pay for all of that as well.... and I wouldn't say parents get the value back out of it, not even close.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Not sure if this has been posted yet, but there's a video doing the rounds of a woman who didn't want kids changing her mind after being exposed to a baby. The government may want to consider this type of exposure in any final year sex ed/home economics programs in high school.




Hey bud I posted that, it's the first comment in the whole thread! ;P


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
True, I'd agree with that. We have definitely downplayed it a lot in our culture.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Around my major US metro area, there is definitely more 'non-Latin' partner dance than the other way around in terms of actual amounts of events happening for west coast/east coast swing, blues, fusion, ballroom, tango, country swing, etc etc.


You can define "vibrant, living" how you want and get to that, but Latin definitely isn't overall more popular. In terms of swing, lindy and east coast are kind of retro branded but WCS and blues are quite modern and self consciously so.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Actually I've heard people seriously argue this on twitter. Perhaps there's something to it.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


Latin America has some classy as hell music and dance. Actually a lot more so than the US does.




The U.S. has extremely classy dances in swing, contra/country dance, smooth ballroom, and other styles. You are greatly misinformed my friend, our dances just aren’t as covered in the media as Latin dances.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
This can work for um work, but I highly doubt it’s possible for more general social configurations.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
I’m curious if you take the average Italian teenager / college student, if they actually spend a meaningfully larger amount of time around babies than in other western countries…


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Friday Fun Thread for February 6, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Let Me Drown was amazing, damn. Any other recs by him?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Let's talk babies! There's a viral video going around on X about a young lady who supposedly never wants kids, then gets to hold one of her friend's babies. She immediately breaks down crying, and declares she wants eight kids!


I find this story fascinating because I relate to it on such a personal level. For much of my early life, even up until my late 20s, I also was staunchly someone who never wanted kids. I would proudly declare this intention to the older people in my life, and they'd look at me with a gleam in their eye and say "sure kid, just give it a few years." I resented their calm certainty I'd change my mind, but turns out they were right.


For me though, it wasn't JUST growing up. It was, as the woman above experienced, spending time around young children. Once I got to babysit my niece and nephew regularly, I realized that kids are incredible to be around! They're so full of joy, laughter, and just general excitement about life, in a truly infectious way.


Personally I think that a huge reason we have so many difficulties in the culture war, in fertility, and I'd go so far as to say mental health, is because our society is no longer oriented around children. We separate young kids from every other age demographic besides their own, and their parents. Most teenagers / young adults spend years or even a decade without ever being around a small child for more than 10 mins. I know I did.


There's something deeply wrong in that setup, as I genuinely believe a huge part of the human experience lies in spending time with the little ones. They really do have the kingdom of Heaven, there's just something so pure and untouched by the difficulties of life in their way of being.


I also suspect that our general breakdown of communal sentiment is tied to a lack of being around kids. I think that as you spend more time around kids, you naturally care more about your community, safety in your neighborhood, and wanting to form safe groups. Novelty in the form of partying and drugs becomes less interesting because you get all the novelty you need from raising young ones.


Either way, while I know it will have to play out over long time scales, I do genuinely hope we can get back to a society where having lots of kids and spending time with them at all ages is far more common than today.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 2, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Yeah that's fair. I also have put a ton of effort into building charisma and social capital as well, so it stands to reason that I have a high powered friend / social network. It's actually a good thing a lot of the time, I feel very blessed. But every now and then I do get quite jealous!


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 2, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Well, I'm a junior marketing guy so, we'll see who gets hit first. I'm thinking of transitioning out of marketing entirely, though.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 2, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
As I told @sarker, we must be in very different circles. Programming is extremely high status in all the circles I've been in, even at my church!


At least you are aware of your relative blessings here my man. It's tough out there. I wish I enjoyed coding, I really do. Have tried it multiple times and, yeah just not my bag. But hey for what it's worth you're a real one.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 2, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Fascinating. We must run in very different circles.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 2, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					


But the thing which sucks is, I like doing my job. I get a great deal of joy from programming. It's an exhilarating exercise in solving interesting problems and watching them take shape




Not necessarily related, but DAMN I am so jealous of my programmer friends who report this. Having an exhilarating job that stimulates the intellect, that you genuinely enjoy, that gets you high social status, AND a ton of money? Good Lord... how is it even possible?


I can barely imagine having a consistent full time job as an adult that I enjoy and find stimulating, let alone all of the other goodies that seem to come associated with many of my programmer type friends. Seriously I have multiple friends making 4x my income with 3x my job satisfaction. It just seems incredibly, brutally unfair that the world is like this. Alas.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 8, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Finished the Vorkosigan Saga. It was great in the early/middle, pretty good throughout, but definitely fell off near the end. Less action, more political/social implications of technology type stuff, which is almost always bad lately imo.


Just picked up The Saga of the Seven Suns which is interesting so far.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 8, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
The Commonwealth Saga and The Culture are the two best sci fi I've read for this.


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Culture War Roundup for the week of February 2, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
How is lying about a degree not worse than buying one?


				

				

						

							

								
							

						


						
					

				
			


			

	


			
			
				

			
		

	






		

			
			
				Wellness Wednesday for February 4, 2026
			
		

	

	

	

		
			

			

				

			

		

			


				

					
Yeah I think I might’ve been the one asking, glad you got something out of it!