Skills Social

November 3, 2024, 6:38 PM Chill Clowns, Culture

Talking with the teens and it becomes clear to me that:
– no one is talking about how to acquire social skills
– all the old "practice this in smaller/less important arenas" customs that used to give people a chance to use new social skills have been dismantled
– the kids often…

— M.C.A Hogarth (@mcahogarth) October 30, 2024

And they tell me smartphones and social media are not generally harmful. It’s funny, I was criticized (rightly, in many cases) for how poor my social skills were until I improved them, but by comparison to younger millennials and Gen Z I was a social genius. Anyone under ~30 has just absolutely atrocious social capability. It’s shocking when you encounter it.

We’ve failed an entire generation and a half now.

I Need One B-1

November 3, 2024, 6:20 PM Chill Art

BA BONE footage sent to me by a friend. pic.twitter.com/TsiTHp0gFt

— Combat Learjet (@Combat_learjet) October 31, 2024

Those B-1s are such beautiful aircraft. I saw one flying around here last year and I still talk about it sometimes.

Carly or Something

November 3, 2024, 5:34 PMNovember 3, 2024, 5:36 PM Chill Books

The was some sf book I read where a Sydney Sweeney-like starlet gets chosen for some publicity space mission, but a disaster happens so she does scary space stuff and people are surprised she’s brave and not a complete prat? What fucking book was that?

Goddamn I’ve read too many books. I think the book would be 10-15 years old now.

Till Don’t

November 3, 2024, 5:19 PM Chill Regular-ass Post

The thing you figure out over the course of getting a lot hotter over a short time is that women are just as shallow as men (if not more so), they just hide it better.

Till they don’t.

Time Cost

November 3, 2024, 4:51 PM Chill Political Economy

Seems reasonable to me; she’s one of the most popular people in the world. Her time is extremely valuable. If you want it, you gots to pay. That’s just how it is. I’d probably charge even more to limit the events I was obligated to do.

Reshore

November 3, 2024, 4:27 PMNovember 3, 2024, 4:27 PM Chill War

The calculation China is running now — even apart from the election — is how far it can build up its military before America significantly reshores enough manufacturing to be able to fight an extended war.

This is what matters to the conflict that is coming; this is the make or break. It is a race most of us here in the US do not even know we’re running, but we are. If we can restore enough domestic manufacturing capability before China determines it’s ready to fight, we’ll come out ahead. If not, China will take Taiwan and eventually Philippines and the territory of other allies.

And right now, it’s not looking good for us.

Burn Notice

November 3, 2024, 4:06 PM Chill First Ten

Upgraded

November 3, 2024, 9:53 AMNovember 3, 2024, 9:54 AM Chill Video, Video (other)

This vid will piss a lot of people off and is half in “YouTube Voice” so it’s quite annoying, but it’s mostly true. Having done a similar upgrade myself, it has been odd and revealing to be treated as fully human by women now.

Women hug me randomly now in settings they never would’ve before. I had a woman at the DMV call and stay on hold for me with the DMV HQ for 20 minutes after I flirted with her and batted my eyelashes a little. She also waived all my fees. That never would’ve happened before my appearance changed. Not a freakin’ chance. When I am up to being charming and wear a tight shirt, there’s about a 98% chance I get what I want if there is a woman at the front desk or anywhere can she see me.

And it does also make me a little bitter.

Blu DeTiger – Figure It Out

November 3, 2024, 8:11 AM Chill Music Video, Video

That bass playing is so good.

Free Free Verse

November 3, 2024, 6:44 AMNovember 3, 2024, 8:12 AM Chill Art

There are seven tales
And seven wonders
A kingdom alone
And a sound of thunder

Nothing destroyed is wholly gone
And nothing broken
Can’t be split further asunder

There’s a dreaming in the hills
An echo long ringing
And through the valley it spills
Like a drowned choir’s singing

Each time on stopping in this sunlit place
I feel the darkness bleeding in from space

Phoned Out

November 3, 2024, 1:14 AM Chill Clowns, Tech

Do You Miss Headphone Jacks on Phones?

Every fucking day. Worst change ever. I sometimes don’t call people I otherwise want to call because I cannot make wireless bullshit work correctly or at all and I can’t find my adapter to have real headphones work.

What a stupid terrible unnecessary generally harmful clownish change.