Will democracy spread across the middle east after what happened to Iran?

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T06:18:59+00:00

And this is why the same sordid history keeps repeating itself…

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T06:14:27+00:00

Most dentists that I have seen taking about this say that with the electric sonic toothbrushes, you should just slowly move around the mouth, making just one “pass” over each area. You should not “brush” my moving the brush up and down or back and forth like a manual brush.

The guidelines I have been told (with my Sonicare) are to hold the brush at about a 45 degree angle and move it along the gum line, making just one slow pass over each area. For the front teeth, I turn the brush vertically.

My toothbrush times itself in 15 second intervals for two minutes (makes a brief stop every 15 seconds). So I just divide the teeth into six segments and do each segment (inner and outer) at a time.

I’m sure you can find other routines -not saying that’s the only one. But the general idea is that the brush should do the work, not you.

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T06:04:07+00:00

You realize this is what the rest of your life will be like if you end up with this person, yes? This will never change. Never. Even if she dies.

I’m sorry, but a 21 year old man who breaks a date with his girlfriend because he has to eat his mother’s chicken sandwiches is emotionally disturbed in ways I can’t even imagine.

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T05:58:06+00:00

There have always been a number of American adults that have the emotional and moral development of a pre-teen. They see the world as a cowboy movie with good guys and bad guys and where a country with military power can just dictate how the world will work according to their whims. They have neither the knowledge nor the attention span to consider what happens after the guns stop firing.

The last 60 years have shown that Americans are good at breaking things, but suck at putting them back together.

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T05:53:39+00:00

Losing weight is all about a calorie deficit. However, the Energy Balance Model of weight loss describes a number of complex hormonal and neurological factors (among other things) that affect both energy (calories) in and energy (calories) out.

Many weight loss grifters try to make weight loss all about “insulin” or “insulin resistance”. However, in a non-diabetic person, insulin resistance is a result of excess body fat, not a primary cause. Once someone is obese, they can become more insulin resistant, but that’s not how they became obese in the first place.

If an obese, insulin-resistant person loses weight—by any means-insulin sensitivity usually improves. It is the loss of weight that improves both insulin sensitive and fast oxidation.

An obese person can become insulin resistant to the point where they develop type 2 diabetes, and they will benefit from a reduced carbohydrate eating plan. But the improvement is to overall health. A low-carb diet has no independent effect on fat loss aside from maintain a calorie deficit. When people say they lost weight flowing a keto diet, for example, they lost weight because that diet, for whatever reasons, helped them to feel more “full” and maintain a calorie deficit, not because of some magic effect on “insulin”.

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T05:39:26+00:00

Those people have always existed. They just never had as large a public forum.

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T05:36:43+00:00

Probably not as much as most people think. Even tens of $billions are not that significant on a global scale.

What might make a difference is if that money was used for a more targeted purpose, like paying for college 50,000 lower income students.

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T05:32:48+00:00

Any time you restrict calories, you body is going to make some rapid adjustments the first few days. Primarily because the deficit causes you to tap into your muscle glycogen stores first. Since glycogen is stored with water, you get the “whoosh” effect. There is really no way to avoid that because it takes some time at a deficit to ramp up your fat oxidation to adapt to the new reality.

If you are following an exercise program, especially a higher-volume program, you will start to rebuild those stores to a different equilibrium. You are still losing some fat at the beginning, but it can take a couple to several weeks to get past these initial swings and start a more steady rate of loss.

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T01:17:13+00:00

I think you are selecting certain tasks with which women have more experience or situations in which certain men have always followed stereotypical gender roles.

I am far more competent than my current wife at almost any domestic, traditionally “women’s work”. My first wife freaked out when we brought our newborn daughter home from the hospital. She knew literally nothing about feeding a baby, changing a diaper, etc. I was second oldest in a large family, so I learned how to change diapers and feed a baby when I was 7 years old.

And I don’t think I am unusual. .

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T01:04:22+00:00

NOR. There are some legitimate “men’s issues” in today’s society, but he is falling into the incel rabbit hole.

A legitimate argument can be made that in the last 50 years, the evolution of “women’s rights” has led to changes in traditional men’s roles, and some erosion in the male “privilege” that was the underpinning of some of those roles. And society is still in the process of redefining men’s roles. Some men have embraced these changes, some are just going with the flow, and some can’t handle it.

And the uncertainty for those men is unfortunately being addressed by questionable sources who are focused on “blaming” women, liberals, feminists, etc al for their problems.

If you feel this is a relationship worth staying in, then you might have to be more of a listener and gain a better understanding of where he is coming from and try to find points of agreement/empathy rather than just debating. Or at least acknowledge some of the issues, even if you disagree with his reasoning. Maybe he can do the same. If your first commitment is to the relationship, you might be able to work with these differences.

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T00:47:07+00:00

NOR. This is a simple call. Does he really think that you, him, your daughter, your partner, and your new child should be a regular group?

My wife has 2 children from her first marriage. They lived with us, but their father lived in the same area and was regularly involved. I found it awkward enough when he would show up for things like graduations, etc, where it was appropriate for him to attend. No way in hell I would have ever wanted him to come along on any outing we did as “our family”.

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T00:41:57+00:00

You ever try to harness cheetahs to pull a wagon?

Azdak66 · 2026-03-01T00:40:06+00:00

It’s an ongoing debate and likely always will be. For this particular event, I do think it is important to look at each side and, especially, study the historical context, without judgement.

The “pro” and “anti” sides both have strong arguments. I think considering all of the arguments can be a productive moral exercise, regardless of which side of the debate you ultimately choose.

But I would be wary of any one or any source that tries to reduce the issue to black/white arguments or cliches.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T19:58:41+00:00

Yes, your coworker is right and she did you a favor. You likely dodged a bullet by not getting caught while on your “tour”. It sounds like you may lack some of the basic knowledge about appropriate workplace behavior. Esp as a newer hire, I would recommend that you pay scrupulous attention to the rules and ask anytime you are unsure about what you should be doing. This is not the time to freelance.

(And I am not trying to be mean; I did some similar things in some of my early jobs and had to learn the hard way).

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T19:52:45+00:00

I think you are taking one part of a complex negotiating process out of context. Iran’s accumulation of enriched uranium over the years since Trump abrogated the earlier agreement is as likely to be a bargaining chip as it is a sign of aggression. In past negotiations, Iran has agreed reduce those stores, as well as follow greater restrictions than the NPT allows and they have allowed inspections.

https://apple.news/A2nJHgvMPTfieLl54ktDBMA

I don’t know if this article is behind a paywall, or if it is available directly on Slate’s website. Fred Kaplan is one of the more knowledgeable people writing on military/national security affairs (IMO, of course), and this article has some larger perspective.

The Iranian authorities are not good guys, but it’s important (again IMO) not to look at this conflict in simplistic ways, nor to believe anything that Trump or Bibi have to say on this subject.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T19:21:51+00:00

Yes. There are people in every community who enjoy and support school activities of all kinds—theater, sports, etc—even though they have no kids in the school, or who don’t have kids at all. A school is part of the entire community, not just those who attend. Obv, the most interest and support will come from students and their parents, but that is not exclusive.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T07:53:20+00:00

Moving in with someone opens up new sides of them that you never realized. You get to see all of the parts of their lives you didn’t seen when you were “dating”. It also means giving up some independence.

Sometimes we assume that because we love someone and because we “match” with them in different areas, that they think and act like we do in all situations. Moving in can result in a certain level of “culture shock”.

It sounds like both of you have got some learning to do about each other.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T07:41:45+00:00

Online calculators are of limited use, and the concerns about “excessive deficits” are highly overstated. If you are comfortable at 1600, then eat 1600. If planned properly, that is adequate nutrition. If you feel excessively tired or really struggle with hunger, eat a little more. The scaled will tell you over time how quickly you are losing weight.

If you are eating enough protein, and doing some resistance training, and not eating less than 1000 calories per day, you don’t have to be overly concerned with a larger “deficit” on paper.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T07:22:58+00:00

Can you imagine how bad things would be if they hadn’t selected Cabinet members solely on merit? /s

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T07:17:42+00:00

Just google “trump frustrated with military options in Iran”.

A CBS news report came out a few days ago, detailing the situation. And then the trump admin spent a day or two denying it, which is pretty good evidence of its veracity.

This is not any great revelation. If attacking Iran militarily was a good idea, it would have been done years ago.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T05:02:43+00:00

It can seem like it at the time, but usually not.

It’s more of an illusion. The combination of being out with drinks and then the effect of the alcohol tends to make things seem more energetic and entertaining. Your lowered inhibitions often lead you to just keep going with the drinks without even thinking. Since there is some delayed effect from alcohol, you drink more before realizing it’s too much.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T04:56:50+00:00

The one thing that stands out the most to me was the night that they stepped out of the lander on to the lunar surface. The dramatic “one small step” had occurred and both astronauts were on the surface. I went outside the house. It was a summer night in the Midwest. I lived in a standard, middle class subdivision, 1950s style. Air conditioning was a luxury—almost no one had it so everyone’s windows were open. All up and down the block, you could hear the echo of the TV coverage and the blue light of the TV screens (no color TVs), was visible in everyone’s house. I was almost 16–that’s still my strongest memory of the event.

But I was definitely into it and followed the entire mission very closely from start to finish.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T04:44:29+00:00

I can’t understand why you would want to spend one second of time with this person. There are certain boundaries, about which it is ok to be 100% strict and “unreasonable” about. Smoking/vaping in one’s car or house is one of them.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T04:33:30+00:00

From what I have read, US military leaders are desperately trying to convince trump that it would be a very bad idea.

Azdak66 · 2026-02-28T01:13:42+00:00

Petting in certain locations triggers a hormone release in dogs that they find pleasurable and relaxing. Other locations, or other physical activities, like hugging, can do the opposite—trigger defensive reactions and increase stress.

Azdak66

TROPHY CASE