I think medical advancement could be as dramatic this century was in the last. However, patent law is likely to hold us back

Removed by mod

Anonymous sex in bathrooms has become almost nonexistent in my city since Grinder.

I’m sure there are a few beats left, but nothing like it used to be.

Dogging seems to have picked up, but I assume the married are organising these affairs online.

1. How to live safely in a science fictional universe
2. The forever war
3. Catch 22

Art is theft

All art is inspired by other art, it grows, evolves, eats itself, parodies life, informs living.

I wouldn’t worry about it

I hang out with my cats.

People have weird impressions of animal companions, especially cats, because they treat them poorly. You should raise animals like children: learn from a good cat parent directly and read up on evidenced-based books. It’s easy to see parallels with poor parenting: intergenerational poor parenting, nuclear families where the grandparents aren’t actively engaged in teaching how to parent, absent parents due to capitalisms unending grind.

It takes patience, positive reenforcement, consistency, and commitment. But cats can be best friends.

ikr, ITT, people getting mad they don’t fit into / agree with a strangers green flag list. The world is a wild place and I hope it’s not as hostile or absurd as I believe it is.

To improve the quality of each frame as you upscale it

Isn’t this a perfect example where stable diffusion excels over the traditional process?

It’s an interesting one to me for two reasons.

\1. Israels allies are culturally and ideologically opposed to what Israel has been doing in the region since WW2. It is imperialistic, subjugating and what the west has been trying to move away from in the later half of the 20th century. However, it is strategic to them to support Israel so they will continue to bite their tongues and support their ally.

\2. After the second world war Europe has been very cautious of any nation displaying imperialist intent. The mindset was featured heavily in the Falkland island conflict, etc. With Israel’s obvious intent of expanding their land, especially with Zionist ambition, many strategists in Europe may find themselves thinking of the similarities between 1940s Germany and the current political ideology of the state of Israel.

As a lover if insects and arachnids who spends significant time in nature and the garden, the fear I feel for wasps is indescribable.

The idea someone, two millennia ago, wrote wasps to be the most evil, feared, sadistic thing in their experience of the world resonates with me deeply.

Even the state of politics dating back to the Grachi. Gradually becoming more violent and turbulent and Rome’s reach and power grew. A society of adapters who could no longer adapt to the fast pace of change.

Very uncommon. Arguably one of the most disturbing comedy’s ever made.

Meet the Feebles is a 1989 musical comedy produced and directed by The Lord of the Rings mastermind Peter Jackson. The film is set behind the scenes at a Muppet Show-like theatrical company, and it nods to The Muppet Movie with its story about raggedy puppet entertainers dreaming of making it big. Except in Meet the Feebles, most of the puppets are diseased, drug-addicted, and / or sexually perverse. Jackson, his partner Fran Walsh, and fellow New Zealand weirdos Danny Mulheron and Stephen Sinclair collaborated on a screenplay that weaves together about half a dozen subplots; the most prominent involves the talented hippopotamus Heidi, whose lover (and the troupe’s impresario) Bletch is cruelly dismissive and adulterous. As the Feebles prepare for the show that could be their big break, their personal problems start to spill over onstage.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/24/17778026/happytime-murders-peter-jackson-meet-the-feebles-perverted-puppets-streaming-recommendation

Which nation?

THE nation

Thank you friend, it seems we have similar tastes for similar reasons. Would you recommend anything else?

For Reynolds, the revelation space trilogy is he best received and has his biggest ideas. But you could start anywhere. While he has some core themes, his ideas are all over the shop between books; each unique in both style and concepts.

Peter F Hamilton is an odd one. His writing is very male but the hard sci fi ideas and world building are second to none. The darkest place to start is the Confederation universe. The most fun and fantasy adjacent is the Void Trilogy. Despite being a hardcore fan I’m not very well read on him.

For both, their short stories are exquisite, in some cases mind bending and worldview changing.

I think a society has to be believable to be a good dystopic novel.

Rands world building is non existent and she treats the society as merely an excuse to write long boring speeches about a world she hardly experienced; instead having a proxy knowledge sourced from drunk old men.

*Neuromancer by William gibson is crazy dark and is the book which started the cyberpunk genre.

The forever war by Joe Hadleman is cynical but not totally dark, still has some awesome dystopic themes which have not lost their power over he years. Hard to say if it could be read as critical of current gender ideology or in support of it.

If you’ve ever thought about getting into the 40k universe Dan Abnett is great and his writing of female characters gets better over the years.

Alastair Reynolds and peter f Hamilton mention many societies in their space operas and generally have a pretty grim, imo realistic, view of human nature and how it might follow us to the stars.

Brave new world is an interesting concept for those who like dyspotic worlds. IMHO not a great book, still worth a read.

Protonmail

It has all the bells and whistles, is privacy protecting, and is free to use

Studies are easier to beat people over the head with. A rolled up journal hurts more than an opinion column.

Additionally, they have stats on exactly how much money the program saved. Good to be able to pitch a social program making the county/state/country money.

Money doesn’t buy happiness

Like fuck it doesn’t. This is class war propaganda and shouldn’t be confused with the idea arseholes are better at making money.