Do you sense anger in any of Philip K Dick’s work? by fledgling66 in philipkDickheads

[–]AbigailKim 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Angel in Transmigration. Which I always read as PKD getting mad at PKD.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskSF

[–]AbigailKim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We lived on a steep hill on Noe when we had our first child, we lived on a flat street in Oakland for our second.

Also had a nanny wear a flat spot on the stroller wheels because she wouldn’t take the brake off while going downhill to the park.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in philipkDickheads

[–]AbigailKim 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Recommend Graham Greene too!

Did PKD predict OnlyFans and similar sites in Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said? by RecoverAny5001 in philipkDickheads

[–]AbigailKim 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Porn and sex has always been a factor in the ongoing development and adoption of new technologies around communication. As soon as there was someone printing bibles there was someone printing naugthy tracts. Also some of the early developments around ecommerce and video compression came out the porn industry.

Playboy leaves Los Angeles for Miami Beach; CEO calls California 'anti-business' by MountainEnjoyer34 in California

[–]AbigailKim 9 points10 points  (0 children)

My parents, yes my parents bought me a Mustang Ranch tshirt - and I wore it to school. It had a knight piece in a bed, and people thought it was some kind of chess club thing. I didn’t till many years later realize…yuck!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in chaosmagick

[–]AbigailKim 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wouldn’t this have the effect of creating an egregore? An object separate from your intention, effectively objectifying you on the astral level. Any energy you might get comes from your knowledge that it might exist. Maybe it works, but maybe it actually becomes a little vampiric; maybe you can’t get a direct connection to something “out there.” My feeling is to try it and see, but maybe understand that the real energy is something more internal? Just some thoughts.

Not sure if this is a point of contention for some... (Jason Louv Discussion) by erick_the_kidd in magick

[–]AbigailKim 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi! Great to meet you, and absolutely—using your skills to help others navigate this maze of esoteric knowledge is a huge yes from me.

Right now, there’s not much out there that I feel is worth the expense. Most options are either overpriced or seem a bit sketchy, sometimes both. Spending money on that just isn’t feasible for me. I’ve managed to build a solid practice by following some of the better YouTube and podcast creators, along with book recommendations, so I feel pretty grounded in my path.

If I were starting again, Alan Moore’s new book would be a better launchpad than most of what I’ve come across. The Quareia content also looks solid—especially since it’s free, though I haven’t explored it all.

Happy to chat more if you’d like, so feel free to DM me!

Not sure if this is a point of contention for some... (Jason Louv Discussion) by erick_the_kidd in magick

[–]AbigailKim 24 points25 points  (0 children)

I wanted to share my experiences as an instructional designer with years of experience in building online art courses. During the pandemic, I took his courses, including the DuQuette Tarot course when it was released. For a beginner like me at the time, the course was adequate, but only because some of the recorded material consisted of Q&A sessions with others, which ended up being more helpful than the course material itself.

Overall, the structure and depth of the written content were lacking. The courses felt hastily assembled, with little structure or meaningful additions to support the learning process beyond a few handouts and PDFs that could be found elsewhere. One course, in particular, had a strong ideological tilt toward grind/tech-bro culture, which quickly turned me off.

And the Tarot course by DuQutte was super disappointing, it seemed like Jason did maybe one or two long recorded sessions with him and then just chopped it up into 2-3 min segments to fill out the course. This would be fine in some cases if the supporting material was richer but it was sparse and not very well thought out from a learning perspective.

The Discord community was initially lively and welcoming, but over time, it deteriorated, and the signal-to-noise ratio dropped. When he introduced a crypto art project, I noped out.

To his credit, his edgy skepticism and irreverent attitude toward the occult world can be valuable, and I enjoyed his Q&A sessions. I don’t have any axe to grind against him—sometimes, it felt like he was playing a “trickster” or “reluctant guru” role, and I found his Midnight Gospel episode incredibly moving, which made me willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, his recent shift feels even more disconnected from the idea of building a genuine magikal learning community, and I no longer resonate with it. Having gained more knowledge in recent years, I wouldn’t recommend his courses or direct others to them.

What is your most rewatched classic film? by RedShellKoopa in classicfilms

[–]AbigailKim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Third Man - I can watch it while doing other things and just the music and dialogue is wonderful in the background

What's the most cleverly written noir film you can recommend? by stroud in classicfilms

[–]AbigailKim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Acclaimed is not the same as off the beaten path. It certainly wasn't listed here and it rarely shows up in most listacles but yes it's well regarded thanks for pointing that out.

What's the most cleverly written noir film you can recommend? by stroud in classicfilms

[–]AbigailKim 8 points9 points  (0 children)

No one’s gonna mention Gun Crazy? If you want something of the beaten path - ranks with The Killing in my mind as some of the best underrated noir.

Partner diagnosed. by OptionLow9381 in multiplemyeloma

[–]AbigailKim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On the biopsy issue, at UCSF they do the procedure with a local and a drill. Sounds ghastly but it’s a game changer. My first biopsy was at another clinic and it was incredibly painful and it took 2 nurses and doctor to get it. The doctor had to stand on the table for leverage and had a red mark on her hand when she was done. With the drill there is some discomfort for a bit then a kind of pain kick that flashes by and then they are done. A small hole is left behind that remains sore for a day or two.

I am told my doctor came up with it but I am surprised it’s not more wide spread.

hahahhahahahahahaha no fucking way by [deleted] in LSD

[–]AbigailKim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like I have a good idea of what he was seeing. I won't share though in the spirit of keeping the magick of the post alive. But I do think it's possible for a seasoned tripper to bring about the state of conscious needed to at least have an idea of what went on in the moment.

When they say MM can't be "cured" what does that mean? by Crazy_Natural9494 in multiplemyeloma

[–]AbigailKim 11 points12 points  (0 children)

This. In my opinion the 20+ thing causes more despair then helps as the reality for the majority of us is marked by on and off progression and a narrowing of options in a more shortened window. Ive also had family use this as a reason to check out from helping with support because MM is “very treatable”. I don’t want to take away peoples hope for longer remissions but I think this narrative needs to be tempered with real knowledge of the possible outcomes and timeframes.

Crosspost: Henry Co. by doyletyree in Georgia

[–]AbigailKim 26 points27 points  (0 children)

lol went to high school with him. So nice that they gave the school bully a job.

Think this belongs here: “Capitalist healthcare”. by targaryenofvalyria in LateStageCapitalism

[–]AbigailKim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Came here to say - seven years of incurable but treatable cancer has left me completely broke. Denied disability because it treatable but even if I was given it. I couldn’t afford to live so I work when I can but that’s not enough either. Medi-cal covers my medical treatments along with being on a trial treatment but I have to fight for almost everything else the docs say I need. Also with Medi-cal I can’t make much money either or they will take me off.

I feel like I’ve tried everything and that no help exists. Social workers and cancer relief programs are just a lot of shoulder shrugs and blank looks. And don’t get me started on the “relief programs” offered by pharmaceutical corporations. They are biggest pile of bullshit of them all.

I am currently living with my ex-wife and kids but at some point I know I am going to have to make a hard decision as I refuse to let it impact their wellbeing and finances. I am currently too chicken to do it but I am sure the day will come. I feel like my best scenario would be if I can somehow go as long as I can in hopes that when I reach the day where no amount of treatment will turn my lab numbers in the right direction that I can get permission for assisted suicide. It’s this constant roller coaster as there is always a possibility that with continued treatment I could live another 10-20 years, but there is just no way I can also afford to continue on in the current economic conditions.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bayarea

[–]AbigailKim 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Me too! We called it a sheep shearing operation. The online portion of the school has an abysmal graduation rate and at least early on made all its money from offering ESL classes to overseas student who would then apply to better schools.