tygerprints

How very un-21st century of them. I swear most music today is four minutes of two constantly repeating chords.

Yeah, truth. Nobody has complete freedom in a world of other people. I don’t get to run around being an ax murderer, for example (not that I want to be). There are plenty of guardrails and rules and laws, many for good reason.

I agree these are the real luxuries but they CAN be supplemented by a little happy consumerism here and there. I love to have a good conversation with friends over a good lunch at a restaurant, or going to a nice dinner. Have meals out is a nice luxury also.

What about the content generators who earn their living from Tik Tok? Banning it is not the solution to fixing the problems with it.

In Utah they’re so frightened of social media that they have made it almost impossible for any social media companies to thrive here. Tik Tok is now in their crosshairs because it’s the fashionable GOP target, but previously it was facebook and the internet in general. Now they’ve passed laws to restrict internet usage for anyone under 21 - on the off chance some kid might see a cartoon of a bare butt or something, and their head might explode.

AI could be a creative tool for good, in the right hands; unfortunately, most people will use it to produce crap and to spread sick disinformation that, in many cases, will be libelous if not downright corrupt. The art of persuasion should have guardrails because, essentially, most people are pimps who stink excuses.

Well you’re right about the last part, the only real solution is to keep trying, because it’s all a process and there probably won’t be any magical changes overnight.

But one of the reasons you and so many people today feel this way is - other people are assholes. And so am I, and so are you. We’re humans, and we are all assholes, and so it’s hard to find anyone willing to give the kind of commitment you’re seeking, anyone willing to compromise and anyone who isn’t totally self-involved.

The secret to happiness is really more about learning to love yourself as is, you have a lot going on from what you said in the first paragraph. And in time, if you embrace that and you learn to exhibit confidence in yourself, you’ll attract the right person.

Don’t feel pressure because other people “seem” to have it all - there’s no timetable, and everyone blossoms at a different rate. Relax a bit and let go of the reigns you use to throttle yourself. You are fine as you are - relax, breathe, and enjoy the journey!

That’s what I’m saying.

And that’s why I think conservatism is kind of ignorant, because life itself is about change and progress, not about stagnating in one place. I’m very progressive though, so I’m more about taking a risk and seeing what results. To me life is about moving forward and ahead and not going backward into the past.

It IS mythological as in, there never was an age without turmoil and unrest and inequality. I know they think that a “golden age” is one where we live by the “old rules” of former times, but there’s good reasons why those former times and those rules were left behind and/or changed.

Their version of what ‘correct values’ are, is totally different than mine. They have a saying here, “Utah values,” by which they mean values that favor big families, religious beliefs, and capitalist goals. That’s fine, but those aren’t the values I want for myself or my family.

So they can try to drag the U.S. backward all they want, but I’m not going along, I’ve come too far to go backward.

Well that’s kind of my point, no matter which age they are pointing to, none of them were really “golden.” There’s never been a time when there wasn’t war and disease and suffering and inequality, so it really is a psychological construct and not a reality.

As part of the capitalistic system here in the U.S., I find that there is really no way to ignore it and that it’s not the best idea to ignore it. In fact, I’m happier now being a materialistic user and consumer than I ever thought possible.

Call it the “Stepford Wives” syndrome, I’m happier giving in to it instead of fighting it. And I’ve a lot to show for it, so I have no complaints.

Yes my family had $$$ to start with, so that was a huge help in life. I still had to work once I completed high school (started a job the next day) and to put myself through college, and I’m glad I had those experiences.

I’ve traveled a lot, in china and Asia and in Mexico - believe me, there are so many good things that our society of capitalism offers; great houses, food, a bed to sleep in, that many people in other countries do not ever get to experience at all.

You can kick against it, but you won’t change it. It’s what our society runs on. And trust me when I say there are much worse things than being a fat and happy capitalist pig.

You’ve read that many books already this year? I thought I was doing good with having read a book in January and one in February. I’m about to start on Nick Cutter’s horror novel, “The Troop,” which I’ve been meaning to read for 10 years now.

Reading, trying to write, hoping to get back to playing piano and listening to good music again. The weather is very warm and sunny for us right now - I need to get out and walk while it lasts!

I agree that for some people, suicide is actually a best option. This is JUST my own opinion. If you’ve considered it well, and you understand what you’re doing, why should it not be a choice? If we had a truly human culture, we WOULD have suicide booths (or at least clinics) for adults of a certain age who meet certain criteria and have thought their decision out thoroughly.

That said, I’ve wrestled with those same thoughts and feelings when I was younger. Now I’m 60 and nothing could convince me to commit suicide; not just because I’m a lot closer to the grave anyway. But because it’s taken me decades to see and love the value in being myself.

I did have to walk away from some truly abhorrent jobs, even at the risk of losing money. And I learned to make more time for the things I enjoy. It’s been a process, there isn’t a simple magic solution. Consultation with a therapist is very helpful, and can put you back on the right track.

When you are deathly ill, you go see a doctor to get cured. The same should be true for when your mind is ill and upset. Get some good help, and be OK with fighting for your right to feel good. It’s not really about who might miss you when you’re gone, that’s not the right reason to avoid suicide. It’s because no matter who might or might not miss you, you have your own intrinsic value and worth that needs discovering.

Well I consider anyone who believes there’s actually a god to be a dangerous lunatic, so you can pretty much imagine how I feel about their statements. I’ve heard better logic from deranged schizophrenics.

But if these idiots really believe that embryos are complete human beings, wouldn’t that necessitate making IVF even more available and affordable - wouldn’t they prefer these embryos be housed in a womb instead of being left frozen in a locker? Their own logic would necessitate the proliferation of IVF clinics everywhere.

You’re absolutely right though. If trump wins another term it will mean that democracy has completely died and the country that was America is over for good. My family is already moving out of the country, just in case, because it’s too steep a price to pay and it’s too horrifying to think that there are many horrifically mentally ill people still out in public who support trump, people I consider more dangerous than any child predator.

Given the situation I’d still vote for Biden. I’d vote for Jeff Dahmer before I’d ever vote for a complete monster like trump.

And I’m not sure WHICH golden age they mean - I grew up in the 50s and 60s, and though people THINK those were “happy days,” I remember the turmoil, the political unrest, the protests about police brutality, the hate, the huge problem of drug abuse and alcoholism everywhere.

I think the golden age is a fictive past that never truly existed (and nobody would really want to go back to anyway).

That’s very true, I’ve noticed over the years living here in the Red state of Utah, how fearful the conservatives are about EVERYTHING. They just passed a law to keep trans people from using public bathrooms - even though there are probably four trans people in the whole state. Now the Gov is signing a bill making it easier for anyone to have a book banned from school libraries if it has any mention of human relationships or sexuality.

As my grandma used to say, our state motto should be “running Scared.” I think the reason our teen suicide rate is so high here is not just because of the anti-LGBTQ biases but also the culture of anxiety and fear everywhere you go.

It’s been interesting the past couple weeks. Caught a bad cold, today I’m coughing up a lung, but it’s warm and very sunny here in Salt Lake - unusually warm for us today. Bed bugs not a problem - they don’t like our dry warm climate so much.

It’s a very warm and springy day here in Salt Lake, supposed to be 67 degrees. But I’m sick with a bad cold, so - no celebrating. I managed to get through the winter without getting sick, but now - of course now I come down with it.