domain:acoup.blog
quiet_NaN
3d ago
I believe that the Christian right, which is the camp of most pro-lifers, see non-procreative sex as inherently sinful.
There are probably some people who really hate abortions but are fine with fucking around, and will get their daughter an IUD at age 12 so she is protected from pregnancy, while also being fine with her experimenting with her 14yo boyfriend.
But the modal pro-lifer would emphasize that abstinence until marriage is the only 100% effective birth control. (For perfect use. For hormone-laden teens who do not typically get married before 20, I think that the Pearl Index for abstinence would be rather abysmal.)
Take the official Catholic position (my emphasis):
Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children. (14) Equally to be condemned, as the magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary. (15) Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation—whether as an end or as a means. (16)
So it is not that abortion is very bad and using a condom or getting a sterilization after your fourth kid is a little bad -- they are all similarly worthy of condemnation. At the end of the day, at least the pope cares little about unborn kids being killed and a whole lot about people having deliberately non-procreative sex.
I think from a Catholic theology point of view, abortion, sodomy, sex outside marriage, sex within marriage with contraceptives and masturbation are all mortal sins. If you commit any of them and are not cleansed by baptism or confession, you go to hell. Might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb, and all that.
In conclusion, I think that the CR does not see single motherhood as a punishment for fornicating women, but simply as a natural consequence of her act which should be her cross to bear. But the underlying idea seems to be that during the heydays of Christianity -- in the good old days -- the choices of a woman were (1) marriage, (2) chastity (e.g. becoming a nun) or (3) being a fornicator, which meant to be an outcast of polite society. (Sure, gays and lesbians could always fuck around without biological consequences, but at least for men there were severe legal consequences instead.) Birth control and abortion have changed that equilibrium in a way which leads to a lot more sexual immorality especially from women (as men were probably always going to whorehouses). If birth control is illegal, then a woman are much less likely to engage in PIV sex outside marriage and will have their hands full with their kids instead of dyeing their hair green and studying feminism, or something -- I do not claim that I would pass the CR ideological Turing test.
Try explaining to an immigration officer that you're visiting America to... write blog posts... at a place run by... internet rationalists
Probably wouldn't be as bad as you think. They have heard much weirder stories, and yours, while a bit unusual, is easily verifiable and documented, and if it doesn't look like you are intending to become an illegal immigrant they won't spend too much time on you. They have a lot of cases to go through. One thing that could help is getting some kind of officially looking document (the more official looking, the better) that says in clear and official language what is it about and that it's just for a month and you are not going to work in the US, it's just educational or whatever. Talking to somebody that knows how it actually works - e.g. immigration lawyer - may be a good idea too. You may to have to pay a little (it shouldn't cost much, it's not a complicated case) but they probably would tell you which stupid things not to do. Usually problems in this area come from people doing some stupid thing (e.g. telling the immigration officer they'll be working while on tourist visa or something like that).
self_made_human
Sajjano durjano bhūyāt, durjano badhyatāṃ sadā, baddho'nyān nibandhāyet
3d ago
· Edited 3d ago
As I've bemoaned on multiple occasions, nobody is making the UK do this. The ICJ doesn't count, I've seen arthritic dogs ready to be ol' Yeller'd with a better bite:bark ratio. You can - if you are a sovereign state larger than Sealand - just ignore them. Mauritius? Why are they going to do, cancel Jet2 holidays and paddle over in their canoe?
Has anyone considered pitting one sacred cow against the other? Someone needs to tell Starmer that he could fund the NHS and pensions for another 3 weeks with the money.
SubstantialFrivolity
I'm not even supposed to be here today
3d ago
Is that really a thing?
self_made_human
Sajjano durjano bhūyāt, durjano badhyatāṃ sadā, baddho'nyān nibandhāyet
3d ago
Thank you! I'm not getting paid by the piece, it's more that I'll quickly have to figure out a hotel if I don't keep producing them.
I intend to write back to Lightcone, but they've left me till the end of the month. I need to figure out exact dates and visa considerations, and I wanted to get the easy questions out of the way before pestering them.
phailyoor
3d ago
This is not true. AI search is not programmed to be critical of sources, so it becomes a pure garbage in garbage out situation.
On heavily SEOed queries, AI search is in fact much much worse than just asking the AI directly. In August 2025 I will not touch "grounded" AI with a 10 foot pole it's dogshit.
This guy asked AI for a "grounded" query and the AI happily cited a fake scam website front and center.
self_made_human
Sajjano durjano bhūyāt, durjano badhyatāṃ sadā, baddho'nyān nibandhāyet
3d ago
Gemini 2.5 Pro is the best free LLM, because Google lets you use a nigh unlimited amount on AI Studio. All the other models of comparable quality are paywalled, but G2.5P is up there as one of the best nonetheless.
I've heard credible claims that a version that was allowed to think longer/in-parallel won IMO Gold this year, in conjunction with more bespoke models. I might be misremembering, but some people claimed to have gotten golds using just the public version and a lot of prompting.
SSCReader
3d ago
So if anyone has brilliant ideas about US visa applications, creative leave arrangements, or general life optimization, I'm all ears.
I'd start by reaching out to Inkhaven. If they had this open internationally, they should already have considered visa issues. Hopefully a whole bunch of influential rationalists should already have considered how they could do this. If you're not getting paid I would think a tourist visa would do. It's essentially a writing holiday. But if you are getting paid for for your blog posts that makes it considerably more complicated I should think. There are visas for artist residencies, so I wouldn't be too concerned about the writing thing being weird as being the problem, but those generally would require the sponsor (Lightcone presumably in this case) to be engaging with being an official sponsor through the US government. Also the timing is likely tight for November. J-1 or B-1 Visas might be a possibility depending on the exact details. Unfortunately India is not part of the Visa Waiver program or you might have been ok with just an ESTA as you can travel for 90 days for business.
"You may be eligible for a B-1 visa if you will be participating in business activities of a commercial or professional nature in the United States, including, but not limited to:
Consulting with business associates Traveling for a scientific, educational, professional or business convention, or a conference on specific dates Settling an estate Negotiating a contract Participating in short-term training"
fmac
Ask me about bike lanes
3d ago
The red pill people don't seem happy or sexually fulfilled no matter how much sex they're having, they seem constantly angry and they seem like they hate the women they are fucking.
That's the beauty of the red pill. It treats women like they're crazy, and by acting like a red-piller you ensure that you only interact with the crazier women (as the saner ones self-select out of your way).
There are actually some foundational truths in RP mythos, although the vast majority of them apply to men and women (everyone likes people who are attractive and confident, if you have a lot going for you in life people will find that cool, etc).
As a teenager I actually started trying to write a short book of all the Red-pill truths I saw, while stripping out all the stupid misogyny. Then I got a girlfriend and stopped caring, and by the time we had broken up fully lost interest.
hydroacetylene
3d ago
It doesn't just sound like someone's grandma?
iprayiam3
3d ago
In a sense, yes. But also as a quick aggregator and guided tour for low stakes info absorption. Whether that's recreational or professional:
Recreational example: Is mewtwo the most powerful pokemon?
What I am seeking: an answer to this question, and some quick context history, light reading.
How much I care: not much, passing interest as my kids have an episode on
What's wrong with a google search?: I can't necessarily find the answer on a wiki, and if I have a specific follow-on, I can't expect to just scroll down and find it. I have to wade through stuff I don't care about. I could search for a reddit thread, but will more likely have to scroll through unnecessary nerd-debates, not authoritative or exactly what I'm asking.
Work example: I'm emailing to a customer and need to react to an unfamiliar competitor
What I am seeking: high level point of view that I can build talking points around
How much I care: It's important to be directionally right, but I don't need ot be an expert
What's wrong with a google search?: The competitor website takes exploring and is not oriented toward me learning the relevant competitive highlights that I need in the context this question has come to me in.
hydroacetylene
3d ago
It seems worth noting that there are very few chaste virgins sleeping with Casanova. Very promiscuous people mostly have sex with each other- even if certain cads like to insist they introduce chaste virgins to the lifestyle on the reg.
hydroacetylene
3d ago
I wasn't so much advocating sexual liberalisation or disparaging sexual traditionalism as much as I was simply pointing out that if we're accepting a sexual framework, we need to fully accept all of what it means. Sexual traditionalism doesn't just mean "shotgun weddings for men" and "penalties for cads for having deflowered a woman" but also stigma and penalty for women who have premarital sex or tart themselves up inappropriately or use sex/intimacy to wheedle money out of men, the ability for the men around them to vet who they're going out with (since they will have to defend any breach of their honour), and responsibilities for both husband and wife in a marriage to put out and provide sex to their spouse. The responsibility for maintaining a pro-social scenario was not placed only on one party.
What makes you think I have a problem with any of that?
fmac
Ask me about bike lanes
3d ago
You can edge without gooning, but you cannot goon without edging
So say skibidi
fmac
Ask me about bike lanes
3d ago
watching 10 videos at once for hours on a multiscreen setup laying down in a reclining chair while vaping weed.
I've always looked down on "gooning" as degeneracy of a high order but damn you made it sound kind of fun
I think I just miss smoking in the reclining chair I had before I moved out on my own
fmac
Ask me about bike lanes
3d ago
If the AI was searching then it's about as valuable as searching it yourself, which is how everyone learns everything now.
If they had AI guess with no search grounding, then yeah, that's useless
RoyGBivensAction
Zensunni Scientologist
3d ago
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.
hydroacetylene
3d ago
No, I have not.
I am unwilling to go into particularly great detail, even with strangers on the internet, as it is a rather... personal subject. I suppose I brought it up though.
I had the guidance of a priest overseeing it, who doubled as a spiritual director. I remember a lot of talk therapy focused on inculcating a more normative masculinity(which included attraction to women, but also the general idea of it- I learned to like sports as well). I had a therapy workbook by someone Dutch... Van Ardweg I think? There wasn't a lot of specific focus on sex and sexuality- I was discouraged from thinking about it too much- but the idea of sexual activity with another male went from appealing to buzzkill. I did have to catalogue my attraction to women and was supposed to do it by recording- something to do with a normal, male voice. There were other exercises aimed at perceiving myself as male, too. The key theory was something about disruptive relationships to masculinity and the need to establish heteronormativity; I don't think it would even have been without the intertwined ideas about gender roles and all that.
If you have more specific questions you're welcome to ask but I might not answer.
self_made_human
Sajjano durjano bhūyāt, durjano badhyatāṃ sadā, baddho'nyān nibandhāyet
3d ago
· Edited 3d ago
I Got Into Inkhaven (And Now I'm Panicking)
I received a frightening email, and in my line of work, you kinda expect them. But this one was different: Inkhaven accepted my application.
If you haven't heard of it, Inkhaven is this writing residency thing run by Lightcone Infrastructure. Yes, that's the LessWrong people, except now they're doing physical world stuff instead of just posting online. Scott mentioned it on his blog, which is how I found out about it. He's going to be mentoring there, which honestly might be the main reason I applied. Other names of note include Scott Aaronson, and Gwern.
The premise is beautifully simple and terrifying: show up, get housing at cost, write one blog post per day. Miss a day? You're out. It's like a writing bootcamp designed by someone who really, really wants you to develop a daily habit. Of course, in my particular case, it's like convincing someone popping oxy every day that they can save money by switching to fent. Do I look like I need additional incentive to write?
When I submitted my application, I figured my chances were decent. Self-described member of the rationalist community, popular posts on LW and /r/SSC, psychiatry resident who sneaks in references to Bayesian priors whenever he thinks he can get away with it. I included links to six pieces I'm proud of* and wrote the standard "here's who I am" introduction. But I had one major problem: I can't do the full month of November. My job gives me 14 days of leave every six months, and they don't let you combine them. Not exactly conducive to month-long writing retreats. Lightcone noted that those who couldn't make that commitment would be down weighted in favor those who could.
I applied anyway. What's the worst that could happen, right?
Apparently the worst that could happen is they say yes.
Now I'm staring at this acceptance email having what I can only describe as a controlled panic attack. Getting a US visa is going to be a nightmare. Try explaining to an immigration officer that you're visiting America to... write blog posts... at a place run by... internet rationalists? I'm imagining that conversation and it doesn't end well.
The timing is also spectacularly bad. I have a professional exam smack in the middle of November. A close friend is getting married in Texas in December, and I'm not sure I can swing both trips. My leave schedule is already stretched thinner than phyllo dough.
But here's the thing: this is exactly the kind of "good problem to have" that people talk about. I want to go. I want to meet Scott and all these people I've only known as usernames and Twitter handles. I want to see if I can actually write something decent every day for however long I can manage.
So if anyone has brilliant ideas about US visa applications, creative leave arrangements, or general life optimization, I'm all ears.
Plans so far:
-
Figure out how to stretch the leave. Fly out as soon as the exam is over, and then make strategic usage of weekends to eke out a longer stay. I'm aiming for 10 days plus weekends for Inkhaven, and 3 days plus hopefully another weekend for the wedding. I had really meant to use this as an opportunity to visit the many Mottizens who had invited me over to shoot guns (I think I need a spreadsheet for that alone), but I hope they can forgive me if the itinerary doesn't allow for it. Well, the first offers came in almost two years back, and I haven't heard anyone rescind them since. You guys seem like an understanding bunch.
-
Book visa appointments ASAP, and figure out how to phrase this in an ICE-friendly manner.
*If memory serves, one of them was a moderation comment I'd written on The Motte. Don't say I don't look out for us whenever I can!
MaiqTheTrue
Renrijra Krin
3d ago
That makes sense. I just wanted a bit of clarification about what the liability situation is. The law can get counterintuitive at times.
RoyGBivensAction
Zensunni Scientologist
3d ago
I would be shocked if the guy sending the rectum photo had anywhere near the stretch of goatse.
urquan
Hold! What you are doing to us is wrong! Why do you do this thing?
3d ago
I think trans women would avoid a lot of heartache if they stop being obsessed with dating 110% straight masculine guys and went for the guys that are fine meeting them for a coffee date in broad daylight instead.
Well, the complaint I've heard is that even this doesn't protect you. You might go on a nice set of public dates, but still get played by someone who's using you as an exploratory vessel for bicuriosity and isn't actually interested in a full-on relationship -- or even sex, when things get down to it. "This has been fun, but I've decided this isn't for me/I'm still exploring my sexuality" is a common type of breakup or rejection I've heard complaints about; one acquantance insisted on showing me a screenshot of the breakup text and then, sighing, said "I hate bi men."
That said, most trans women I've known or seen with a partner in public were, or wanted to be, in a relationship with another transgender person. I have no data, so maybe the reality is more complicated.
ThenElection
3d ago
Can even get a nice bidding war going between the UK/US and China. Basically free money.
Grant_us_eyes
3d ago
Yes, Escorts provide GFE-stuff. Of varying types, of varying lengths. I've checked. The point I was trying to make is, such an activity as I described it involves a deep degree of investment on both sides of the fence and a level of intimacy that just doesn't boil down to 'these two fuck every so often'. It speaks of two people actively trying to keep together a household and the long time-horizon that implies.
Can't really get that from an Escort, or an OnlyFans.
But it's an indicator New York is no longer normal. And it will be inevitably seen by Democratic leadership as a sign that non-normal candidates can win elections, and it's OK to nominate more of them. First we take Manhattan, then...
More options
Context Copy link