Inflation is a bitch. I remember when I worked at the "99 Cents Only" store and they were considering changing their name because at least half of their products cost well over that amount. Even at walmart, many $1 items have gone up 25% in price, and I'll blame sleepy Joe for that.

I'm still not sure why going into a war zone is something you view as a positive experience, what with all your "live life to the fullest" sentiments. Is it some kind of bucket list thing? You want to scratch off the "Go to War" item from your TODO list? My TODO list is much more mundane and meandering than that, with stuff like "finish watching this show" or "jerk off today". Sometimes when I'm feeling really ambitious, I tell myself to write a story, and a month later, I'll have the opening paragraph. Life is beautiful, but it often isn't productive.

fuck bucket lists. Mate all I can say is for me, there is a need to always move forward to try new stuff, thats just part of my fibre, its what makes me who I am.
I can't speak for you but if a bucketlist helps, then use it. I would fill it with easy to get goals though, if you aim too high you're setting yourself up for failure, just stumble ahead in the general direction. The important thing is to not go backwards or sit down & vegetate, always move forward.

WRT writing, do you have a story in mind? perhaps fead the outline for the first chapter into chatgpt and see what it comes back with. totally cheating, but trust me others are doing the same.

Oddly the last specific 3 goals I had I failed in all 3.
Smoke a joint in albania, visit weng wengs grave in manila, sit on the solid gold toilet in HK.
I failed all 3, I did have fun trying though.

WRT masturbation, do you eat kelloggs?

I set myself a goal like maturation because I know I can do it. I can go above and beyond on that goal. What does Kelloggs have to do with it?

My actual goals tend to be short coding projects here on TE. I've set myself bigger coding projects that I'm slowly chipping away at, even though it's taking me years.

Writing goals are inconsistent. I set my sights on fan fiction, but just typing that makes me roll my eyes and question why I bother. So I'm trying to trick myself into writing a fanfic and then changing it up enough that it's "original". I'll never learn.

Why some a joint in Albania? Why not just smoke a joint in every country you visit?

the inventor of kelloggs was very anti masturbation, in fact corn flakes were invented to stop kids jerking off. Then again dr kelloggs gave himself 1000s of yogurt enemas during his lifetime so maybe that messed with his logic

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/32042/corn-flakes-were-invented-part-anti-masturbation-crusade

doctor had also come to believe that sex—including masturbation—was detrimental to physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Kellogg cataloged 39 different symptoms liable to affect a chronic masturbator, including general infirmity, defective development, mood swings, fickleness, bashfulness, boldness, bad posture, stiff joints, fondness for spicy foods, acne, palpitations, and epilepsy.

That's some funny shit. I hear all the time now how sex is good for you physically and mentally. Spiritually, we're all damned, but it's exercise. Even staring at boobs is apparently good for you. And that whole bit about mood swings is off. Jerking off centers me. I need it to stay level headed, but maybe that's his argument, that it becomes a necessary habit to regulate one's behavior.

Perhaps his aversion stems from something else. Maybe he was impotent and wanted others to feel his frustration.

I am not a massive fan of heading to Ukraine unless you absolutely have to, Zed. Is there any other way you could make a difference for that country, without physically going there? You're a smart guy, and computer savvy. Couldn't you become one the people messing with Russia through the internet... through Cyberia, so to speak, ha ha? I bet you could wreak a lot of havoc that way, if you set your mind to it.

Speaking of life, and of valuing it, I took myself to the emergency room last night, at a local hospital. (I am fine, as it turn out, so, no one worry about me). But.. well, to back up a little, about a week and a half ago I messed up my back, and have mostly been keeping myelf horizontal ever since then. (It has been gradually healing itself, and I think I'll be fine soon). But, yesterday I became convinced that I had taken an overdose of acetaminophen... I was feeling very distracted yesterday afternoon for varius reasons, and I wasn't sure (afterwards) if I had my acetaminophen caplets once that afternoon, or accidentally twice, within an hour or so. I watched a few videos on Youtube, and it sounded like you could die from an aceta-- overdose, although you might not feel the symptoms right away. By the time you can feel the symptoms, apparently it might be too late already. So... I don't know if I'd say I panicked, exactly, but I was deifnitely trying to err on the side of caution, and I took the MBTA trolley and then the bus to our local hospital, in the pouring rain. They drew some blood for tests, and released me fairly quickly... probably two and a half hours after I arrived. They were very helpful and nice to me, I have to say. They took the time to walk me through everything they had to say, and made sure I understood what they were telling me.

Anyway, long story short, I am fine, but I will be a little leery of taking any acetam-- for a while now. Also, I was really scared, there. I thought I could be dead within a few days. YIKES. It sounds like a pretty painful death, too. You can get liver failure, and if you can't get a transplant in time, your goose is cooked. I was really freaked out.

Anyway, all is well, but at the moment I am feeling like life is better than death, just speaking in a very general way. If you can avoid throwing yours away, that's probably all for the best! My two cents.

It's good to hear everything's ok. I threw my back out a few years ago and the pain was terrible. It took a week or so but the pain eventually faded. Just take it easy and rest up.

Thank you! Yeah, I want to get back to jogging as soon as I can, but I'm not gonna rush it. I'll take things a bit slow for another week or so, and then see how I feel.

good to hear you're OK
WRT the pills do what I do
get an icecube maker container, on monday put the pills in it for the week in seperate compartments, lable each compartment so you know this is for tuwesday afternoon, this way you can see exactly if you missed a dosage or what not

AI talking about doris wishmans dune


"Since there is no actual scene from a Doris Wishman version of "Dune" to describe, I cannot provide a detailed description of one. However, I can offer some speculation on what a scene might look like if she were to adapt it.In general, Wishman's films were known for their low budgets, minimalistic sets, and unusual camera angles. She also tended to focus on sensational subject matter, such as sex and violence, and often employed unconventional storytelling techniques.With that in mind, a scene from a hypothetical Doris Wishman version of "Dune" might feature exaggerated performances and over-the-top special effects.

For example, a scene featuring the giant sandworms of Arrakis might feature low-budget practical effects, such as a rubbery puppet or a model on strings, rather than the high-quality CGI that has been used in recent adaptations.Additionally, a Wishman version of "Dune" might take a more exploitative approach to the story's themes of sex and politics. For example, a scene involving the Bene Gesserit sisterhood might emphasize their sexual manipulation of male characters, while a scene involving the Harkonnens might focus on their sadistic tendencies.

Overall, it's difficult to say exactly what a scene from a Doris Wishman version of "Dune" might look like, but it's likely that it would be quite different from the more faithful adaptations of the story that have been produced over the years."

"Baron Harkonnen: "Ah, the noble Atreides. How I despise their smug self-righteousness. But soon, my dear nephew, we shall have our revenge. We shall crush them like the insects they are, and revel in their suffering. And you, Feyd-Rautha, shall be my right hand in this glorious conquest!"


Feyd-Rautha: "Yes, uncle. I shall serve you well, and together we shall be unstoppable. But what of the Lady Jessica? She is a powerful opponent, and she has allies among the Fremen."

Baron Harkonnen: "Fear not, my boy. The Lady Jessica is a mere distraction. And the Fremen, well... let us just say that they shall soon learn the folly of opposing us. Now, let us toast to our victory, and to the downfall of our enemies!""

Me: AI you can do better than that


The scene takes place in the palace of the Baron Harkonnen on the planet of Arrakis. The Baron, dressed in extravagant finery, is seated on a throne, while his nephew Feyd-Rautha stands nearby.


Baron Harkonnen: "Ah, my dear Feyd-Rautha. You are a vision of beauty and strength, my boy."


Feyd-Rautha: "Thank you, Uncle. But why have you summoned me here? What news do you have?"


Baron Harkonnen: "News? Oh, there is much news, my boy. The spice flows, and with it, our power. But there are always enemies, always those who seek to challenge us."

Feyd-Rautha: "Who do you speak of, Uncle? The Atreides? The Emperor?"

Baron Harkonnen: "All of them, my boy. They are like rats, scurrying about in the shadows. But we shall bring them into the light, and crush them beneath our boots."

Feyd-Rautha: "And how do you propose to do that, Uncle?"

Baron Harkonnen: "Through cunning, and through strength. And through a little bit of... shall we say, persuasion."

Feyd-Rautha: "Persuasion, Uncle? What do you mean?"

Baron Harkonnen: "I mean that we shall use every weapon at our disposal, my boy. And one of the most powerful weapons of all is... desire."

Feyd-Rautha: "Desire?"

Baron Harkonnen: "Yes, my boy. Desire. For what man, or woman, can resist the allure of the flesh? And when that desire is used as a weapon, it can bring even the mightiest foe to his knees."


Feyd-Rautha: "I see, Uncle. And who shall be the target of this... weapon?"


Baron Harkonnen: "Why, the Lady Jessica, of course. She is a powerful ally of the Atreides, and a thorn in our side. But with a little bit of... persuasion, we can turn her against them. And then, victory will be ours."

Feyd-Rautha: "I understand, Uncle. And what of the Fremen? Will they not oppose us?"

Baron Harkonnen: "The Fremen? Bah. They are nothing but savages. We shall crush them like insects. And then, the spice shall be ours, and the universe shall tremble at our feet."

Just listened to an interesting podcast concerning the Hollywood writers strike. While most of their demands are quite absurd they do seem rather worried and want assurances that they won't be replaced by AI...I think they're screwed and are realizing they're obsolete.

Ai still does a worse job (see the above text for example)
But yes there are going to be large scale layoffs, because you know its better to concentrate the money in the few wealthy than to spread it around