I understood the comment above to be comparing how public opinion is allowed to shape itself in the fediverse, vs being censored and molded to only fit particular permitted messages in mainstream social media. We can express ourselves without worrying that we’ll get locked out of the entire fediverse for stating an opinion that mods or admins don’t like. Which makes it fair to wonder how much suppression is going on elsewhere, that we don’t see and never hear reports on, because censorship.

I’m not sure where the idea of Lemmy having an effect on public opinion at large came from. It feels like a non-sequitur, but maybe I’m just too tired and I missed something.

I don’t know about that, I’ll be fine until someone with no comprehension of “right of way” nearly kills me. Those moments usually create a string of angry swears that would make a sailor proud.

I feel you. I have to keep reminding myself that a lot of my anxiety isn’t mine - it’s my mom’s. I just inherited the behaviors that she picked up, that in turn were created in reaction to my (long-gone) toxic grandfather’s abuse.

Generational trauma probably lurks behind all of us, deeprooted and insidious, propping up maladaptive behaviors that go unexamined simply because they are considered “normal” in our families.

My sapphic brain wasn’t tuned to understand that quote properly at first. Instead of seeing an insult, I thought, “Wow, that sounds like a busy, but amazing, morning.”

This happened when I decided to practice language by using the audio/subtitle options on Netflix. I ended up getting annoyed by the Spanish subtitles and spoken Spanish being different, and I couldn’t do both simultaneously.

Btw, some of the puns on Spanish-language Bojack Horseman are even better than the originals. The translation team must have been masters to be that on-point, consistently, throughout a show that practically breathes puns. (Well, puns and tragedy.)

Whoaaa, mama!

From what I can gather, it seems that NT people are more interested in finding similarities they have with others in their in-group, than with finding the differences that set them apart from their group.

If they have a personal disagreement from the dominant opinion, they’re more likely to either suppress it or reconsider it - like thinking a fashion is tacky when it’s brand new, but joining in on it later once it becomes popular. Individual opinions aren’t held firmly, but are swayed to fit whatever others agree with.

It’s all about that social cohesion, that drive to be part of the protected herd. Many neurotypicals will promptly shed their individualities if it means attaining higher social standing. They don’t want to “stick out,” as that threatens their personal connection with the group identity.

Epidurals, in which labor pain is reduced, are expected to remain outside coverage under the proposals.

So what, pain relief is an optional upcharge, like choosing to add avocado to your sandwich?

Don’t get me wrong, I’d be ecstatic if the US went this far to help new parents, but fuck whoever decided that it’s acceptable to omit epidurals from the covered costs.

zero click internet

I went to look this up and DuckDuckGo automatically provided an AI-generated answer at the top of the page, before all the search results. I’m not quite sure what the word is for the odd way I’m feeling now. Probably some obscure term that only exists in another language.

The man appeared on King of the Hill and Bobby mistook him for Jesus.

I have no doubt kids in such schools (I’m not calling them “elitist”) were bullies to each other.

But what about outside of school? You think house staff didn’t have to obey Elon when he was a boy? You think an entitled kid who’s bullied in one area isn’t going to exploit power given to them in other areas? Looking at how he manages things as an adult, I pity all the house staff and childcare staff that ever had to put up with him.

The rest of us never had that kind of power in any facet of our lives. There are layers of privilege that separate the experiences of Musk and the experiences of the 99%. It isn’t “dehumanizing someone” to point that out.

Those rich white people have a capacity and interest in understanding other people (they “network” amongst themselves all the time.)

The disconnect comes from who they consider to be “people.” Talk to anyone who’s done domestic or other service work for somebody ultra rich if you want a real eye-opener. The rich see poor people the way most people see farm animals - things to use for their own benefit. They don’t feel bad about abusing us because they truly don’t think we’re equal to them. That’s not autism. That’s a toxic culture that depends on dehumanization.

I know it took pain to write that, and thankfully the original comment that inspired it has been removed, but I wanted to thank you for writing your piece. From start to finish, you nailed your point, and I feel personally vindicated by reading your words. I’ve had to make the same argument so many times, for so many people who can’t seem to comprehend that my differences aren’t deliberate choices. In fact, sometimes I don’t even realize I’m being “different.”

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that your comment resonated with me strongly. I saved it for the next time I encounter this sort of situation, because you phrased things so perfectly that I don’t think I can improve on it. Thank you.

I used to have these cheap, waterproof light ball things, that could be either red, green, blue, or a slow transition between all three. They were designed for use in a pool, but I got them for my shower.

They were absolutely perfect. If I was having trouble sleeping and decided to take a shower (which sometimes help me sleep), I could keep my night vision intact by setting the light balls to red. They provided plenty of light for me.

I moved houses since then, however, and haven’t seen them in years. I’m going to have to look around pool toy sections soon, see if I can find something else like them.

Then you pull aside, roll down the window, and hear nothing but the buzzing and chirping of whatever nature’s out there. It’s just… zen.

I’ve always lived in pretty densely-populated areas, but a few years back I got to drive around eastern Arizona for a few hours at night. It was so dark and so empty, I felt like I was flying through space. I could’ve gone into a trance, had I not been somewhere unfamiliar (I had to keep some focus in this unfamiliar area with spotty cell reception, where I was alone, at night.)

I don’t believe the iPhone screen gets dark enough. I’ve had mine on its lowest possible setting since I got it, and I still sometimes want to make it darker. Thank goodness so many sites have “dark mode” nowadays.

Your English is good, don’t worry! In fact I quite like the way you worded that. Isn’t it comforting to realize you’re not as alone as you had thought you were?

You’ve killed everyone.
You’re away forever, but you’re feeling better?

It could be an official rite of passage, perhaps one that’s provided after one receives the great sacrament of Sexual Education. Every student participates in a comprehensive, science-based course that educates them factually about sex, before they’re given access to porn. That way, we’re not letting porn be sex ed, which is currently a problem for way too many.

As a former loser in school, I don’t believe any billionaires ever had the same experiences as you or me. People like Musk and Trump were raised in wealth, in an entirely different environment, and they have always had people who catered to them because of it. They have never been anywhere near as alone or helpless as the average bullied kid is.

They should’ve been given better mental health support as kids, as we all should have. However, as adults they have a lot more power to improve themselves than poor people do - I am dependent on work for health insurance, and can’t be guaranteed the company will even pay for a given therapy session (because of bullshit loopholes that other rich people designed.) These billionaires have all the resources anyone could ask for and they still choose not to improve themselves.

We are not the same.