The Still New What Did You Last Do Thread

[Graf Zahl]

Yes, but they are on the best way of subtracting themselves from that if they get more idiot presidents who alienate all the allies.

[wildweasel]

Yes, but they are on the best way of subtracting themselves from that if they get more idiot presidents who alienate all the allies.

We're a "first world" country that is facing failures of infrastructure, of the system very explicitly not working for a huge chunk of its people, of representatives in high places outright bragging about what awful people they are. As much as there are efforts being made to fix things, we're at the very least in the path to becoming the kind of country that we originally claimed to be better than.

[Dr_Cosmobyte]

Oh please, let's not start a political derailing. I just said it was sad to see failures in a country where we all are taught since little that "things work" in there.

Believe me. It sometimes gets tiresome to see those "coachs" who blabber about how everything works in first world countries, and how they "believe" (yeah, right) that you can make Brazil jump from poverty and political (no sides taken) corruption to become the new future, where education and health is actually good. The thing is, people hear that since the late 80's as far as i'm concerned and probably before that.

[Gez]

I've shared this video on a lot of places because, while it's very simplified, it's also largely true.





Also: First World: the democratic/capitalist West, Second World: the dictatorial/communist East, Third World: the unaligned South, regardless of political and economical system. Funny thing is that neutral countries like Austria or Switzerland were, by that definition, Third World.

Since most (but not all) First World nations were rich and most (but not all) Third World nations were poor, the terms changed meaning especially after the end of the Cold War, when the Second World disappeared.

However, with the USA's isolationist trend resurfacing, they could end up in the Third World by the original definition. They just need to pull back from their various overseas military bases and leave NATO; two things that Trump has threatened to do. (He won't do it though. It's just to pressure US allies to buy US weapons, because that's his idea of "the art of the deal".)

[Rachael]

There was this thing that happened in my town, and quickly everybody knew about it. An old man actually passed away while waiting for assistance on a public health care center.

Reason? Doctors get paid a waaaay lower wage than in private clinics, and thus they go into work, sign their time schedules and go away, or even don't go at all.

Sad to see that even a first world country has their problems related to health.

Yeah - nevermind that they intentionally pay doctors in public clinics such a low wage - just specifically FOR the very reason of being able to use it as ammunition against any socialist idea. Oh, but no, you're absolutely right, aren't you, everything the government does is bad and horrible no matter what it is, even in the instances where it is being done wrong by bought-out politicians just to fool you, so that places like Fox News can pick it up and frame it whatever way they want and you never question it?

If we had an actual democracy - not only would we have public health care - but it would be done correctly, it would be protected from de-funding, and doctors would have incentives to actually work and help people. The best part? We wouldn't have this shitty private insurance system that never pays doctors for literally anything. We wouldn't have shitty insurance being able to reject people or raise rates for pre-existing conditions.

Let's put it another way: If we had an actual democracy, we wouldn't be stuck with a system that more than 51% of people stuck in it despise. That's really the simplest way to put it.

[dpJudas]

I've shared this video on a lot of places because, while it's very simplified, it's also largely true.

The scary thing about this video is how it describes what it takes a democracy to turn into a dictatorship. Especially in the current US situation many of the key (pun maybe intended!) requirements are getting worryingly close.

[Rachael]

Ironically - this video was published only hours after I made my post about socialism. I feel like it's very relevant dispelling the myths about socialism - you already have it, especially if you live in North America or Europe, and it benefits you and you can't live without it, whether you want to admit it or not. (The truth: We're not pure capitalist, or pure socialist - every country is a mixed economy with both public and private industries!) In fact - if you didn't have it, your house would've been gone multiple times over due to fires, no matter how much money YOU have, due to people being unable to afford firefighters. Guess what - fire spreads - who'd have thunk it?... physics doesn't care how rich you are.

Want to know something else? Those few socialist programs you enjoy - social security, police, firefighters, military, school, public roads and bridges ... they do just fine, don't they? - at least, until they suffer funding cuts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecXINohqo18

[Dr_Cosmobyte]

Yeah - nevermind that they intentionally pay doctors in public clinics such a low wage - just specifically FOR the very reason of being able to use it as ammunition against any socialist idea.

Tell you what, the mayor actually framed some of these "ghost doctors" who actually don't go to work just to gather people to keep voting. Too bad he's been doing a terrible job in all the rest and he managed to have 4 delayed impeachment petitions without even reaching half of the mandate

[SouthernLion]

I did my boy Captain Planet a solid, and finally installed a high-flow catalytic converter into the exhaust in my TransAm. I barely lost 1-2HP from installing it, (which is less than I lose from the weather changing to humid and hot), and the exhaust is a lot safer for my passengers, myself, and the environment. It didn't effect the sound too much, I'll get a video to show later.

(It's the part that is welded in the middle/right of the picture.)


This has been a really painful couple weeks. The 15th was the anniversary of when I proposed to my now-late wife. I went up to the beach that I proposed to her with her ashes, and just kind of... knelt in the sand and cried for a while. Today, the 20th, is her birthday. I'm doing some things to honor her, but this darkness is spiraling in to the ground. My friend set me up with a grief therapist tomorrow, which is probably a good idea to go. I don't think anything can help me, I think it's too late for that. But it couldn't hurt to go.

[wildweasel]

My friend set me up with a grief therapist tomorrow, which is probably a good idea to go. I don't think anything can help me, I think it's too late for that. But it couldn't hurt to go.

From what I've been told, if a therapist is going to be of much help to you, you yourself have to be receptive to them. While I never knew your wife, and I probably have no business saying things like this, I'd think that she'd want to see you taking the steps to continue being a functional person even in her absence. So, in essence, do it for her.

[Captain J]

Yes. Probably the best option to make things better, Rex. Perhaps this might be a Turning Point of life. Hope everything goes alright for you, like i said.

[SHayden]

Did any of you ever experience intense derealization and/or depersonalization? I don't know what's going on with me, I know I'm probably suffering from enough mental disorders that I should've seen a psychiatrist years ago but I can't....
It's like I can't control myself. Intense emotions take over me and I can't control them. Derealization as if the world around me isn't real and depersonalization like I'm not real, like I'm not one person, rather multiple personalities fighting over control

I'm experienced with lucid dreaming and astral projection and I'm literally spending more time in imaginary worlds than real one. I feel like everything around me is fake and like I'm not whole, like I have no reason to be alive, no ambition, no motivation...nothing...
Sorry for being so negative but I feel like I'm more and more losing control over myself and that I might do something me or others may regret....

[Captain J]

You're not alone, really. Maybe i hadn't experienced the Astral Projection yet, but the way to my future is getting unclear whenever i keep walking, you know? I had a lot of possibilities and opportunities back then. But i wasn't careful and went stupid, still got no job and fund is getting low. Thanks to this kind of situations going on several days, i also can't control my emotions. Being frustrated is now my default emotion and it's hard to laugh anymore.

I miss the old days when i could laugh and smile with positive mind. Maybe things will be different if we seek out the Psychologist and get some therapy. I wish you good luck, and sorry for being negative here also... Like i said, i just can't control my feelings as i used to.

[SHayden]

Can't say I'm glad there's someone else with similar problem but....at least feels good to be understood. It's so freaking unnerving, I'm gonna be 22 this june and I feel like I'm 90 years old
You know how you feel when you wake up in the dead of night, half-asleep, almost nauseated? That's pretty much how I feel during the day, every day. Imagine doing any chores or even doing something as basic as studying for college in that(both mental and physical) state. Things like depression and anxiety have been troubling me for many years but this feeling of isolation, I guess is what I'd call it, for only about couple of years, like since I started college 2-3 years ago. It's haunting, everyday life feels almost like the movie paranormal activity, constant fear of the unknown and presence of...something....delusions, illusions and mental breakdowns...I guess I should also mention, I did have suicidal thoughts in the past but right now I'm far from it. I can hold on for now, I'm trying to be positive but it feels like sleep paralysis - the more you try to break these chains the more they grip you and and....

I'm going insane, ain't I...?

[Captain J]

This is some big situations. Sadly i can't help you but morally support you. I'm too far away from anyone in this forum and i feel guilty when i really and effectively can't help. But seek help and therapy if possible. They'll treat you nicely. I'm sorry to hear that really...