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PaperclipPerfector  10hr ago (text post)   169 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for March 15, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

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So, what are you reading?

I'm picking up al-Gharbi's We Have Never Been Woke. It's more scholarly and less popular than expected. The title apparently means that for all the woke signalling being done, actual wokeness is more about appearances and ambition than anything.

What the Hell Did I Just Read? (John Dies at the End: Book 3) by Jason Pargin. FWIW, I didn't like the second as much as the first but #3 is exploring concepts that are more interesting to me and I'm liking it better than #2.

I finished Hua Hsu's memoir Stay True during the week. It was pretty good, and I really did get the impression it had been gestating within the author for a long time. It concerns events which happened in the late 90s, but was only published in 2022. I really did feel like Hsu has been writing about these events in private journals for decades, trying to process his feelings.

Reading Lying for Money, for the third time. One of the most entertaining non-fiction books I've ever read, I just cannot get enough of it.

Best version of Railroad Tycoon? I've been hankering to give it a proper go, having only played one of them in my youth (where I quickly went bankrupt).

What supplement brands (vitamins, minerals, creatine, pre-workout, etc) do you trust and use? How did you make that determination?

The one I trust most is Nootropics Depot. Scott talks about them in: https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/how-trustworthy-are-supplements

Originally, I was drawn to them because they had a good reputation when I was researching phenibut sources (which they no longer sell). Then I tried many of their products and they worked as described. The products have certificates of analysis. The owner (u/MisterYouAreSoDumb) posts on Reddit alot and I can tell:

  • He is very knowledgeable.
  • He is focused on quality and improving the industry. He calls out shady practices in the industry that are verifiable.
  • There are many people that respect and agree with him.
  • He has been in the space for a long time and is known for pursuing mission and long-term goals over short-term profits.

Another factor in my determination is that giving money to his company supports the development of novel nootropics that are easily accessible outside the medical model. I have a grudge against the medical system/FDA/government for how they handle psychedelics, MDMA, phenibut, tianeptine, racetams, and other substances that I believe people should have greater access to.

I buy most from Sam's Club, I generally trust that the products will be quality and won't kill me.

And you get bulk pricing.

If its grey-market stuff, I intentionally look for sellers that have a physical presence that is close enough to me that I could, if needed, show up and confront someone personally and/or burn down their building.

Or, more seriously, that makes it easy to attempt legal action on them, although if you dig into how these entities are structured, its clear they're really trying to make it hard to pin them down.

Beyond that, repeated positive interactions and referrals from trusted friends are the go-to.

I just buy whatever they sell at Costco. Otherwise the choice is overwhelming, especially since I have no idea who to trust.

What do you think about AI being employed as tool for propaganda in the Iran War on either side? Will we see widespread use? Has it already been used in the Ukraine War or is this its first appearance?

Please recommend a good news source about War in Ukraine, ideally impartial and ideally focusing more on objective criteria rather than politicians statements or shock footage.

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