Specifically something that’s /not/ meant to be on fire (so no fireplaces/bonfires). It’s something that is often seen on Film/TV, a car on fire, or a house. It’s something I have never seen in person, but see a lot of on Netflix.

On one hand the government has no business telling two consenting adults not to have sex. But what if the prostitute has been trafficked and doesn't count as consenting? Will legalization affect human trafficking?

I realize this is a big topic with no easy answer. But with Google, forums, Reddit, Discord and the millions of things out there, it's sometimes difficult to determine what is useful or not.

For instance, there is no point in Googling "Best Discord servers for xxx" because there is no way to really know which is the "best" - all servers will say they are :)

I have definitely found great information on Reddit and some Facebook groups., However, I've also found lots of spammers and useless content. Some people do not set out to mislead - it's just that they may have had wildly differing experiences.

Generally, I look over the forum in question. If the general tone is ok - respectful and helpful - it's a good sign. If not, well...it takes about 5 to 10 minutes of intensive reading to get the "Feel"

I'm always looking for ways to get better at this, especially as it often becomes a case of "who watches the watcher" (you can Google Glassdoor and Trustpilot reviews, but are they trustworthy or paid?)

Was talking about random stuff with my family over dinner and I was talking about some neat stuff I'd been looking at recently about what the initial human habitation on the moon will probably look like, the various strategies put forward by the big companies, etc, and my family members just flat out don't see the point of any of it. The basic sentiment from them was, "What are you gonna do on the moon? What's the point? There's no atmosphere, water, food, it'll never happen and I don't see why anyone should care anyways. We should take care of the planet we have." A quote from one family member was, "Sure that stuff is good for sci-fi but they're never gonna be able to do that and who gives a shit, there's nothing there".

How do you answer to that to someone who doesn't see the point of expanding beyond Terra? Without going all nuts and bolts on the technical implementation details, since they don't or won't care or understand. How do you convey "the point" of getting humans off Earth to someone who thinks it's all pointless pie in the sky malarkey? What's the elevator pitch of why humanity should expand into more of our solar system?

Lately I've been feeling bad for the "henchmen." I'm not talking about the obvious evil ones, but rather ones who just show up to do their jobs not knowing the people they work for are evil.

For example, the sniper and helicopter pilot in Stranger Things in season 4 episode 8 "Chapter Eight: Papa." Two guys who just went to work for the military (as far as we know) and were ordered to do things that are morally questionable. It probably wasn't the first time.

Did they have a family? A wife and two kids? Who cares. Eleven had her moment.

Every. Single. Time. I go to a hotel, there is always something wrong with the coffee maker. It doesn't matter what. As long as something is wrong. From dispensing twice the amount of water I put in, to working a half hour after it heated up, while I was absolutely not expecting it, so of course I didn't have a cup under it. Every time I think of this I laugh. Does this happen to you, or am I the only one?

I was born and raised in London to Nigerian Parents ( was in Nigeria from age 2-4/2-5)

Raised in Nigeria from 13-21

I now have been living in London the past 7-8 years

Alcoholics who I met in real life usually could barely do anything when they were in the binge or even if they just drank a lot - and definitely they never were able to perform any complex duties.

On the other hand, casually reading about many alcoholics who are C-suite and top politicians (I'm originally from Russia so Yeltsin is a person who I think first, but there were also many like this on lower levels too) it makes me wonder - how did they ever climbed that high with this addiction and how did they stand on top for so long? Because again, I can't imagine any alcoholic who I know personally to be able to navigate any complex political situation and not be deposed in a week.

I see a lot of stories about various maneuvers by countries like the US, China, and Russia doing certain military exercises in preparation of a potential war. Why would any of these sorts of exercises even matter if nuclear weapons exist? to be clear, I understand that military exercises are important, especially when it comes to practicing for an asymmetric war. Some specific actions that are odd to me: Russia being threatened by NATO expansion, ICBMs can already reach Moscow from Kansas so I feel like having hostile bordering states matters a lot less now. On top of that NATO allies practicing for a potential defensive war, again feel useless, Poland for example doing military exercises in case of a Ukraine-style invasion is odd to me because as a member of NATO, an invasion of them means America and Russia are in direct war. Finally, the US and China doing exercises, diplomatic maneuvers, and military research (into things like warships) in preparation for a potential direct conflict seem pointless as again, if we are in direct conflict nuclear weapons would get launched. I realize that this question may seem dumb and that these maneuvers have a diplomatic weight behind them that is often the real goal but besides the diplomatic points do these exercises and drills have any real purpose?

Why do military maneuvering, base building, and other similar tactics matter between great powers if nukes exist? To be clear, I am not saying that any war would purely be nuclear, but that a war will never happen because it could go nuclear. Due to MAD, the US, China, and Russia will never risk direct conflict, even if that conflict is just conventional.

I see a lot of stories about various maneuvers by countries like the US, China, and Russia doing certain military exercises in preparation of a potential war. Why would any of these sorts of exercises even matter if nuclear weapons exist? to be clear, I understand that military exercises are important, especially when it comes to practicing for an asymmetric war. Some specific actions that are odd to me: Russia being threatened by NATO expansion, ICBMs can already reach Moscow from Kansas so I feel like having hostile bordering states matters a lot less now. On top of that NATO allies practicing for a potential defensive war, again feel useless, Poland for example doing military exercises in case of a Ukraine-style invasion is odd to me because as a member of NATO, an invasion of them means America and Russia are in direct war. Finally, the US and China doing exercises, diplomatic maneuvers, and military research (into things like warships) in preparation for a potential direct conflict seem pointless as again, if we are in direct conflict nuclear weapons would get launched. I realize that this question may seem dumb and that these maneuvers have a diplomatic weight behind them that is often the real goal but besides the diplomatic points do these exercises and drills have any real purpose?

Edit: To be clear, I understand that due to mutually assured destruction, nuclear weapons are an absolute last resort. What I am asking is that, due to MAD, a direct war between the US and China will never happen, why does the manoeuvering matter?

I’ve been coming across numerous videos on YouTube discussing loneliness among youth in various Asian countries, like “Gen Z & Lonely In The Philippines: Why Do Filipino Youths Feel So Alone?”, “Japan’s Young Are Now Its Loneliest Generation, Overtaking The Old. Why? | Insight”, and “Why 20s, 30s in Korea die alone at home? | Undercover Korea”. As an Asian myself, I had considered living in Asia for a while, but these videos have made me reconsider.

Is this loneliness something specific to Asia, or is it part of a larger global trend? How do cultural and societal factors contribute to this in Asia compared to other regions?

We have all see in, standing in line at the supermarket and some elderly person struggling using the payment terminal somehow. I was standing there patiently and it made me wonder, will I struggle like that later as well ? I grew up with tech (42 this year) and surely will not, but then I have no idea of what will come either and maybe in 30 years I will be holding up the line not making sense of the newest stuff.

While it is impossible to predict the future it also made me think back, perhaps one day 50 years ago the person now struggling paying for her groceries had the same feelings and getting frustrated of how "old people just don't get all along with the times".

Anyone an idea or stories about this subject (maybe you even have a still living grandparents that would love to talk about it) ?

(mostly looking for technological things, I can think radio/tv or so. Not culturally like music, everyone knows that whatever day and age the kids always listen to satanic crap)

Edit:

Thanks for all the response, but several of them seem to miss the point, I know we will all eventually be the same (I for example do not understand social media at all and struggle with it), but that's not the idea here.

What I am wondering about is what are some examples of things thar somebody who was 70 in the 1960's struggle with that made then young people sigh? It's looking backward in a curious way not demeaning way.

There seems to be less new Subcultures, less new properties, less culturally significant events ect. I know some still happen here or there. But it kinda feels like we are in a creative and cultural dry spell.

I got into software and tech stuff in the 90s. Culturally, it was still very aligned with the Linux/open source stuff. Where there was a genuine intellectual curiosity in the way people approached things. It was a lot of people with university email addresses and there was a high degree of politeness and respect. Even in the commercial software space, there was this feeling of the Dot Com Boom showing that Brains are beating Brawn, and how Bill Gates was the nerd from your high school class becoming your boss, and how geeky math and hackers and people who were pasty white from being inside are becoming more powerful in society.

In 2024, that same loose "community" seems to have a very different feel. It's kind of full of these Youtubers and Tiktokers who have a very macho, alpha male kind of attitude. As if coding is the new Wall Street, and it's a bunch of hyper "high achieving" men who want to crush some code while listening to Joe Rogan, work out at the gym, go elk hunting with a crossbow, go to a country concert and pick up some chicks, and call it a day.

I don't want to be a gatekeeper, but it's just something I've noticed. Can anyone else corroborate?

Well, where do I start?

I am 15 years old. And I'm lucky enough to have a couple of friends! We're a group of 6, and while we're close and stuff, I'm closer to some people than other, specifically a girl. Life's been going great since I joined that group.

And then comes today. My older sister, who's a lot older than me, came to me and we were having a normal convo and she brings up the subject of friends. She said to me to be more social and to open up more and have more friends. Understandable, tho I have to admit I certainly find it hard. But, she also told me that those friends I have, we're gonna break apart as soon as school's over. Huh

That gotten me into thought. A lot of thought. And it makes me sad. She said not to be sad that this is how things go. She herself had some friends that lost contact with but she still goes out with three remaining from those times. The catch? Let's just say he isn't fond of them. Same goes for my two other siblings. None of them are fond of their friends. And this also makes me sad. Maybe it's a family trait? A bad one for sure. I don't think I have it, or at least I hope. I'm fond of my friends.

And that's why I'm asking this question. That girl I mentioned earlier? I'm convinced she's my other half and I feel so, so ,sooo licky to have met her. She's my first friend, litteraly! We met at pre- pre-school, we made friends! We went together at pre-school, and at the same elementary (tho at the last two years we grew kinda apart due to different classrooms but still we awkwardly talked when given the chance) and at middle school we reconnected the second year! Now, we're going first year High School and we're as close as ever! I have -7 filter when I'm talking to her yk, and that says a lot since I have a tiny bity bit of social anxiety haha. So yea sorry I was rambling I didn't even realise that

So, I don't really wanna lose her. And she said she doesn't wanna lose me too. But what my sister said is still on my mind. And it makes me so sad again. Not the "I wanna cry" sad, but the "I have no energy and I wanna lay down all day long looking at the clouds thinking nothing but feeling like something blocks your lungs" sad. Yea sorry again

If you reachwd down here, thank you a lot. Means a lot. Truly. And sorry for this block of text. Hope you have a nive day, anonymous stranger <3

I've had this question for a while lingering.

Already, to master a subject requires many years of advanced learning. I'm thinking of learning linearly, where you build on previous information to expand, like a pyramid hierarchy of learning.

If we look at coding for websites, original internet sites (were not only awful but) required knowledge of C++, etc. to be able to code. Nowadays this process is streamlined through UX services that allow for basic website creation, bypassing the need for some people to know how to code. I get that coding is still important but bear with me here.

Let's say astrophysics advances to the point that we now have the methods available to travel at the speed of light. The sheer amount of new science one must learn must be staggering; I wonder if a single human being would be able to learn all of this information in a single lifetime. I would assume they would. They could not, in my coding example, bypass coding and skip to UX, and still master the science. How has this possibility been thought out?

Hello, I have an education in GIS and geography as well as 2 years of experience at a research lab working as a GIS analyst.

I have experience in ArcGIS pro, QGIS, lidar, DEMS, network utilities, autocad, python coding and research work with multidisciplinary teams within the army corps of engineers.

I lost my job and in search of a new job within the DMV area. I have already applied to 100 jobs over the past 2 months but only got 3 interviews and struggling.

How I can more effectively do outreach and get the attention of employers?

Right now I am living with my parents and using this time to learn more python, GIS, and 3d modeling using udemy as well as taking more time to craft cover letters.

I am using indeed and LinkedIn to look for jobs and applying to any and all jobs that’s are at least 50,000 but preferably 60,000 annually with benefits.

Do I message recruiters directly? How can I go about that effectively? Is there anything I might be ignorant to in this process??

I had my resume peer reviewed by one of my previous project managers and sister who works in communication.

I know this process takes time but I would like to be able to find a job by next month if possible.

I recently had the unfortunate experience of randomly remembering all the things I threw away over the years that I now wish I kept ahold of. Such as my grade school yearbooks, or a childhood journal, or even a necklace. I unfortunately had the terrible habit when I was younger of throwing stuff away on impulse because I felt I didn’t need it any longer. Now I wish I hadn’t been so dumb and kept everything. Has anyone else ever experienced this?

I am afraid to go to the US for 3 months (next summer but I have to start preparing papers in 2 months).. I am afraid to leave my cats, my dog and my grandmother, who is sick (with many diseases), here. My grandmother is in stable condition, but everythings can happen in such time. What can I do?

I live in a small michigan town but i am originally from Mannheim germany

also i think i want to move to a big city in eastern asia (Tokyo, Busan, Hong Kong,)

You can still love your child and everything, but do you wish you never had them? Or are you okay with how things turned out?

April 2024: NYPD seizes over 1,600 illegal dirtbikes, ATVs and scooters in big crackdown

cops seized scores of scooters and mopeds without proper registrations and license plates during a 10-day operation...“Your NYPD officers removed 1,670 mopeds, motorcycles, ATVs, and dirt bikes to combat a nuisance that has negatively affected our communities and their quality of life,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell posted on X. “These vehicles are typically unregistered, unlicensed, and uninsured.

Aug. 30: Bay Area law enforcement says stopping dirt bike packs is a 'liability'

More from NY:

2024: Governor and Mayor Launch Largest Interagency, City-State Task Force to Remove Dangerous Ghost Cars From City Streets

73 Cars Seized...cars that are virtually untraceable by traffic cameras and toll readers because of their forged or altered license plates

I struggle with this. Today, and on many days while I am on Instagram, friends of mine share absolutely horrific images of conflicts around the world. This is done with the intent of educating people and asking us to look in the face of the worst of humanity. They do this in the hopes of stopping whatever is happening, shining a light on it I guess. Today I saw a little boy dying, alone on a floor. He was in tremendous pain. Someone was filming him instead of comforting him. No one was beside him.

I am a mother. I would not want someone to video and share images of my child dying, in their most vulnerable moment ever possibly. I feel like we are forgetting about someones dignity.

It makes me want to turn away, but I understand that this is also wrong and comes from a place of privilege. I would love to hear what others think of this. Is dignity and privacy unimportant when it comes to war?

Am I thinking about this wrong?

I am a diversity officer for a society in university, and I have been given the dates 28th November or 3rd December to run a cultural event. The requirements are that it has to be low to medium budget, and it lasts for roughly 2 hours.

I have thought of:

• Cultural trivia game (like a kahoot quiz)
• around the world snack sampling (have snacks from countries to taste)

These types of ideas would in theory fulfil the requirements. Does anyone have anymore ideas that I could note down?

Sometimes life surprises you with what becomes useful. What’s a skill you didn’t think would matter that ended up being incredibly valuable?

I see women complaining about their MILs all the time, and it's no secret that there's a general expectation in society that they're disrespectful or annoying to their son's wife. I cannot relate to this because, as a woman, mine treats me like family and has never disrespected me. I'm perplexed that a group of people can share such a unanimous quality, and I'm questioning if this is even possible or if it's exaggerated. If it's actually true, why? And how is it possible? What makes mother in laws collectively act like jerks? What social/psychological dynamic is at play here?

I'm tempted to write it off as a stereotype with no statistical basis, and to be perfectly honest, it kind of annoys me because it feels misogynistic. (I am not saying it is necessarily, it just gives me that feeling because I cannot understand logically how it can be true...) But with so many people having the same experience, it feels intellectually dishonest to brush it off, and I don't want to invalidate their experiences. So I just wanna know the truth.

I've heard most recycling ends up in the landfill anyway. To what extent is that true?

I mean, Sam Harris is famous for using this argument, claiming that since most (if not all) people value their physical well being and don't wanna be in torturous pain, therefore any behavior that supports physical well being and avoids torturous pain will be objectively moral.

Is this not true? Has he not found objective morality through physical well being?

Recently, I found myself in a deep conversation with a friend about what it takes to achieve success in life. Our discussion revolved around the idea of choice and how it impacts where we end up. My stance was that every individual, regardless of their starting point in life—be it their background, environment, or circumstances—has the potential to become successful, entirely based on the choices they make.

At the heart of my argument is the concept that every choice we make leads to an infinite number of paths. Picture life as a branching tree, where each decision acts as a fork that opens up new branches. Every one of these branches represents a new set of possibilities, challenges, and opportunities. The beauty of this perspective is that it suggests no matter what path you're currently on, there's always the potential to choose a different direction that could lead to success.

This doesn’t mean that the journey is easy or straightforward. Some paths may be more challenging than others, filled with obstacles and setbacks. But every path, no matter how difficult, contains within it an infinite array of choices that can steer you toward your goals. This perspective empowers us to see that our future isn’t fixed—it’s shaped by the decisions we make along the way.

What do you think? Does this perspective resonate with you, or do you believe that other factors play a more significant role in determining success?

Somethings function is dependent on the form and materia of the entity. 

Possibly there are no other elements that will affect function. 

A. But what is heat or energy, and how does it come to be? 

B. How can heat or cold influence the potential for movement or even make movement necessary or impossible for the thing, organism or entity in any form it can come in?  

Let's say that to fully understand a thing, we need to understand it’s purpose. (Or purposes, for complex things.) 

A plant's purpose is to get nutrition, to grow, and to reproduce. Whether a plant is "good" or "bad" depends on the various levels of functioning of those purposes of the plant. 

Or whether a tool is "good" or "bad" depends on the level of function it has to fullfill it's purpose, or the meaning of it.

For an animal it’s not only about those three (get nutrition, grow and to reproduce) but also depending on what type of animal it is, about locomotion, and perception. 

So the perfect animal will be having perfect function of those purposes.

C. But can we correctly define “good” in this way, and as something that can be fully explained in a way that “good” will merely be reduced to being a objective fact in the world? (A very difficult fact to get knowledge of, but non the less an objective fact.)

Humans are said to have the purposes of the plant, and of the animal, but also keep reason or an ability to deliberate.  

D. Can a person be a good person, but not with that logically following that she will be a moral person? 

Allthough Kant would claim that what is moral duty is something that can be understood with the ability of reason or by a rational ability.