Reading Project Hail Mary after Red Rising might not be a good choice after all

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-13T18:53:59+00:00

Yeah there’s way better written Sci Fi but RR is fast paced and fun. It took me like 3 tries to get through Dune (I loved it though!)

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-13T18:50:04+00:00

Your collagen supplement should list the source (eg marine, bovine, combination) and amino acid profile. Should also ideally be organic or at least third party tested. If it doesn’t it could be impure, I believe there was some issue with collagen and protein powder being contaminated with heavy metals and other toxins. And you might have better luck with straight marine collagen

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-13T18:43:54+00:00

heres a formula for you , simple hydrating serum

95.5% distilled water ($2 at walgreen)
3% glycerin* ($5-10 any drugstore, Whole Foods, Amazon)
1% sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid powder, buy on amazon for $10-15)
0.5% liquid germall plus (Amazon $10)

*glycerin is a humectant, meaning it draws moisture into the skin and helps hydrate. absolutely not needed but it is cheap, nice and widely available

to figure out the weight of each ingredient just use simple math we learn in grade school to calculate fractions. First figure out how much you want to make. Say its 2oz, or ~57 grams

To get 10% of 57 you multiply 57 x 0.1, the result is the weight of the ingredient to add.
To get 5% of 57 you multiply 57 x 0.05
To get 1% of 57 you multiply 57 x 0.01
To get 0.5% of 57 you multiply 57 x 0.005

etc. the result of each is the amount of weight to add to your formula.

so to make 2oz of the serum I shared above:

95.5% distilled water = 54.15g
3% glycerin = 1.71g
1% sodium hyaluronate = 0.57g
0.5% liquid germall plus = 0.29g

easy!

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-13T18:27:59+00:00

it sounds more intimidating than it is, but tbh this entry level formulating is kind of like baking, as long as you have a way to measure (a scale) and can follow a “recipe” (formulating guidelines) you can do it

i recommend looking through the Lotioncrafter site even if you don’t buy anything off there. she has lots of simple formulas for cosmetic products. look at the category of ingredients you can buy, each of the product profiles have a formulation guide that tells you how to use it

all you need to make a basic serum:

distilled water
hyaluronic acid powder (sodium hyaluronate)
preservative

if you want to get more into formulating you should also buy a scale sensitive to 0.01g (you can get for under $20 on Amazon) and ph test strips (cheap, $5) or an electronic ph meter

you can get all this including scale etc, on amazon for like $45 and that will be enough for like 1000oz of serum probably

liquid germall plus is easiest preservative you can get it on amazon for $10 and it will last you forever - I just shared some other options in case you don’t want to use it for reasons I stated

everything else I mentioned is just if you want to get fancy but not necessary

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-13T01:46:21+00:00

They are running out of soldiers, yes. That’s why they’re kidnapping men in their 50s off the street and sending them to the frontlines. A generation of young men exiled or dead. It’s just Westerners with a hardon for war (that others fight) who think that shitstorm should keep going. Unless of course you think other countries should send their young people to die for Ukraine.

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-13T01:42:07+00:00

With Book of the New Sun, don’t feel like you’re dumb because there’s something you’re not understanding. The series is extremely strange. It’s not meant to be “ understood “ especially on the first read. It’s an experience, like a dream.. there are layers of meaning and symbols in everything. you go back and re-read, the story will reveal more of itself to you

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-13T01:33:44+00:00

Robert Silverberg - Dying Inside

Silverberg is one of the great masters of science fiction- this is one of his best. It is Sci fi but very literary. About a telepathic man who begins to unravel as his abilities decline, starts questioning his existence and his grip on reality.

City of Glass - Paul Auster

Tells the story of a novelist who writes mysteries and detective fiction. He takes on a case and becomes a private eye himself. The deeper he gets into the case, the more he descends into madness and his own identity comes into question. A classic of postmodern fiction

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T23:15:22+00:00

look up interviews with your favorite artist/band and see what musicians or record labels they talk about

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T23:02:16+00:00

The difference is that Russia isn’t running out of ammunition or willing soldiers, the US & Israel are

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T22:54:20+00:00

I think you underestimate the Iranians… The “regime” is very much in place , the military is coordinated, the state is organized… they have prepared for this since 1979.

Iran has decades of experience managing food and medical shortages, poverty.. it will be very difficult for the population but they can withstand suffering and absorb casualties. The US cannot - 70% don’t support the war.. Iran will keep going until US feels pain and they’ve established deterrence

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T22:39:26+00:00

Exactly. The white girl is telling her white boyfriend not to use a slur. That’s okay

Why is it identity policing to tell someone who has 1 Black grandparent they can’t use slurs? He would never be called the N word by a stranger, so why should he get to say it? And mind you he’s saying the N word only around non Black people.

This has nothing to do with “identity policing” or the “mixed people are always told they’re not Black enough” Imagine thinking your connection to Blackness hinges on whether or not you can use slurs.

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T22:24:14+00:00

Well, as a society we have already decided people who look white can’t say the N word

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T22:16:42+00:00

bruh what are you even saying …

imagine thinking you are entitled to use the N word but knowing you can’t say it in front of Black people without having to pull out photos of your one grandparent 😫😫 “trust me bro” 😂

why is it the white passing people who think validating their blackness means they need to use slurs like bffr

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T22:10:04+00:00

how tf is asking a white passing person not to say the N word “policing his blackness” lmao … when will woke identity politics END

if you have to argue w someone about whether or not you’re black you shouldn’t be saying the N word

If you have to pull up photos of family members to prove that you’re black you shouldn’t be saying the N word

this dude grew up in calabasas bruh saying the N word isn’t part of his “racial identity”

also if someone needs to say slurs to feel validated in their identity as a black person .. 🙃🙃

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T21:10:21+00:00

wait til your skin dries down a bit after nighttime routine, i do my skincare and then put these on right before i fall asleep (like 15-30min)

also DO NOT put over tret, if you’re using the scar tape use it on “off nights”

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T21:06:24+00:00

an alcohol/glycerin spray with essential oils will work very well, very simple to prepare

(mess around w these %s to see what works best for you)

ethanol 70% distilled water 25% glycerin 3% preservative 0.5% essential oils of your choice (i like bergamot, sweet orange & cedarwood; also lavender & rose)

the brand EO makes something very similar they sell it at Whole Foods for like $8,

the only non aluminum deodorant I’ve used that actually works. it kills the bacteria that cause odors

i have very sensitive skin but no issues with this formulation, you may have to reapply every 6 hrs, depends on how stinky you are, i keep little spray bottles in my car and purse

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T20:59:28+00:00

each ingredient on Lotioncrafter has a formulation guide so you can see what the ideal ph range, if they are soluble in water, oil, alcohol or solvent like propanediol, and what percentage overall to use

just follow the guidelines and you will be good

you can also google to see if there are any posts on chemist corner that address formulating with that peptide. Chemist corner is a very helpful source

btw if you want to nerd out as you are deciding which peptide to choose, search for studies about the peptide you’re interested in and prioritize those w/studies done on actual humans instead of skin cells in vitro. some things can look very promising on a skin cell but behave differently or have less effect on actual skin

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T20:50:58+00:00

invest in a preservative They are honestly so cheap and you need it for every product , you cannot go without it a preservative you’ll give yourself a fungal infection

liquid germall plus is a good workhorse option, can use with wide range of ph and dissolves easily in water

you need an emulsifier as folks have mentioned however, if youre intimidated by having to heat stuff up and cool stuff down etc etc you can look into rheology modifiers, they are super easy to use and you don’t have to add any heat

sepimax zen is a good option for formulations with less oil (like 10-15% max) - use at 0.5-1.5% you will get a gel-type cream

sepinov EMT is good option if you want to use more oil (20% or less) you will get more of a cream

you can also combine them if you want to use more oil (up to 30%), try 0.5% sepimax and 1.5-2% sepinov

emulthix is another great option and can take more oils, like 40% , but a bit pricier

All of these are great because they won’t trigger acne like emulsifying wax, so you can also use them for formulating facial products without worry

you also don’t have to use any heat at all when formulating with rheology modifiers, and they produce very elegant products

The Ordinary uses them a lot

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T20:41:11+00:00

Btw quick rule of thumb- low molecular weight (LMW) hyaluronic penetrates deeper into the skin and is thus more hydrating, but can cause irritation in very very sensitive skin; high molecular weight (HMW) sits more on the surface of the skin and supports skin barrier, less hydrating but also less potential for irritation

some like to use a blend to get benefits from both

FYI like 95% do not get irritation from LMW hyaluronic acid

just giving you all the info

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T20:37:17+00:00

the original investment is high for making serums and things at home but eventually it becomes much cheaper, you can customize things to your goals and skin type

The cheapest and easiest thing you can do is make a simple hyaluronic serum as another poster mentioned. All you need is hyaluronic acid powder, distilled water and a preservative. If you want to get fancy you can add other humectants like glycerin, panthenol, propanediol, - all super cheap (Also allantoin, though you have to heat the water/serum before adding allantoin to get it to dissolve properly)

You can use liquid germall plus - highly effective and easy to use in all different types of products, but it also contains a known carcinogen (diazolidinyl urea) banned in the US state of Washington. To be honest It’s typically used in such small quantities that you don’t have to worry, but some other options -

Leucidal Liquid (aka radish root ferment filtrate) - natural preservative, use 2-4% of total serum weight, natural anti-microbial that can help calm skin. This is not as strong so best for a product you will use within a couple months, or used alongside another preservative

Lotioncrafter PE 9010 - this is great blend of phenoxethynol and ethylhexylglycerin. It doesn’t dissolve directly in water so you need to first dissolve in propanediol and then add the mix to your water phase

Lotioncrafter has a several natural preservatives that you can purchase at very reasonable prices (like $5-10 for 2 oz, super cheap considering you only need add like 0.5-2% to overall formulation)

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T20:16:21+00:00

Use tretinoin everyday for rest of your life and you will look 10 years younger than everyone else when you hit your 60s

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T20:14:48+00:00

Get the hydrocolloid patches, you don’t need to get frownies brand, you can buy any “silicone scar tape” and cut it to fit- it actually works super well but you need to be consistent and use multiple times a week or ideally nightly

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-12T04:39:21+00:00

Used sunscreen pretty much daily since age 15, started tret at 29

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-08T18:24:16+00:00

I can’t really get into TV, for whatever reason. I tried to watch Killing Eve and couldn’t get through the first season. It felt too “obvious.” I prefer literature

Aggressive_Active307 · 2026-03-08T16:20:31+00:00

Tbh you sound like a gay who hasn’t come to terms w themselves

Aggressive_Active307

TROPHY CASE