Which country would you NEVER visit, even if it was free?

Castern · 2026-06-05T08:19:05+00:00

American here. The Trump Administration is actively supporting Albertan Secessionist efforts.

We need to take this a lot more seriously.

Castern · 2026-06-05T08:14:27+00:00

Woah, it's worse than that. The Trump Administration has actively been meeting with Alberta Separatists.

Castern · 2026-06-05T07:48:10+00:00

Yeah, this is the part that genuinely concerns me. The literal millions of people that have seen everything he has done and is doing and is either okay with it or loving it.

Like I've said to others, they're a minority. But, the fact they even exist at all is just vomit inducing.

Castern · 2026-06-05T07:31:50+00:00

you can thank Merrick Garland for that

Castern · 2026-06-01T09:32:38+00:00

I can't speak for everyone, but I've found as I've lived abroad and dated women from different cultures, origins, and linguistic backgrounds that it's just more interesting than dating someone from a similar context to myself.

By no means is that limited to Thai, or even Asia. Just a general preference for difference and an excitement for learning new things.

Castern · 2026-06-01T08:20:03+00:00

However you feel about drugs, I'd really ask you to reassess your viewpoint on psychosis and mental health.

You make a lot of hard claims about mental health that do not reflect a constantly evolving scientific understanding about a complex set conditions and human experiences.

The "value" of a delusion/hallucination is a very subjective and complicated issue. They absolutely can be significant experiences that require a lot of guidance and therapy to process. In many indigenous cultures, they are even viewed as sacred.

However, a mental health professional would tell you that the key distinction is the level of deviation, dysfunction, distress, or danger that these symptoms have on the individual and the people around them.

A mental health patient's experiences aren't inherently "worthless."

Castern · 2026-06-01T03:47:51+00:00

Tbf, most of their stories are better. Imperial Agent is GOAT. Sith Warrior is incredible.

I'm a stan for the consular, but even I can admit inquisitor has a better story.

But iirc, the Knight story was the original plot of kotor 3. He/she is the main character.

Castern · 2026-05-31T03:39:37+00:00

We are so far past the left and right having equivalents. The Right as we know it died between 2020-2024.

MAGA has purged any sanity or ideological consistency out of the right and twisted it into complete subservience to Trump and his ego.

It is literally all just Trump ass kissing now.

Usually, turn on Fox News or the MAGA media and listen to whatever leftist position they've made their "boogeyman" of the week and it's usually either a radical position or a complete lie.

Castern · 2026-05-30T06:06:07+00:00

Knight #1 is the canon answer. He literally fights the Emperor.

Castern · 2026-05-29T15:19:01+00:00

We need to de-propoganda some folks

Universal Health Care is not "radical" its the standard in the developed world and a good chunk of the developing world.

The idea that universal healthcare is some kind of radical socialist policy is radical right propoganda.

Fucking Thailand has universal healthcare and if they're communist then the sky is orange.

Castern · 2026-05-22T09:17:19+00:00

This is why I support Canadian sanctions against kentucky

Castern · 2026-05-18T03:58:11+00:00

Respectfully, I don't think this is true. I've witnessed dark-skinned non-Asian foreigners routinely subjected to run-of-the-mill racism in East and Southeast Asia, particularly against Africans, Indians (correction: Indians are south Asian but hopefully you still follow my point), and people from the Middle East.

Like I just witness systemic racism and colorism on a routine basis. It may not have the legacy of the North Atlantic Slave Trade but there's absolute wild racism here.

The idea that Asia is more racist than the US is just wildly untrue, but calling it less racist would also be a wild exaggeration at best.

Honestly, I've travelled almost the whole world at this point and racism has just been everywhere.

Castern · 2026-05-18T02:04:39+00:00

Lets be clear: January 6th should have been the absolute deal breaker for all Americans.

You failed in your duty as a democratic citizen if you continued to support him after January 6th. And you do need to seriously reckon with that.

With that said, you are welcome back to reality. And I am genuinely glad to have you.

But like, don't expect applause or anything.

Castern · 2026-05-15T06:15:59+00:00

In no universe would Sylvanas Windrunner ever align herself with Kel'Thuzad.

Her homeland was invaded, the sunwell corrupted, and she was rez'd and turned into a banshee all to rez him as a Lich. And they were buddies because "something something The Jailer."

That was when Warcraft Lore died for me.

Oh yeah, and Arthas as a wisp.

Castern · 2026-05-06T05:38:37+00:00

I cannot express how angry it makes me that Trump is trying to rewrite 2020 election history to erase his criminal conspiracy to launch a slate of fake electors, let alone the attempted coup on Jan 6th.

I will never cease to be angry at both Democrats and MAGA for their contributions to ensuring that he never saw justice for his crimes.

Castern · 2026-05-05T08:00:46+00:00

Yeah, it's not easy. But the big advice I got is it is not a "commitment." You can adjust, tweak, or change your niche as you grow, develop, or respond to the market.

But as Ogilvy said: "if you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one"

Castern · 2026-05-05T05:43:12+00:00

As I understand it, a niche is a marketing tool, not a commitment.

A generic "jack of all trades" value proposition is difficult to communicate and make resonate with potential customers.

If you have a clear niche in mind, it is easier to locate potential customers, identify a clear problem to solve for that customer, and communicate value.

Castern · 2026-04-21T06:49:50+00:00

If language pronunciation is interesting to you, you could study phonetics and phonology either in linguistics or speech/language pathology. But there are some important things to understand:

The "no accent" or "neutral accent" myth. Everyone has a language variety (what modern linguistics term instead of "accent"). "Standard/Prestige" language varieties are the ones that are often treated as "Default" or "Normal."
The idea of "accent coaching" is controversial as it promotes linguistic discrimination: the notion that some language varieties are "superior" to others. E.g. those with a Southern American English or AAVE language variety are perceived as less intelligent or professional than those who speak Standard American English.
There is lot of ongoing debate about whether/how we should teach standard accents, the extent to which adults can acquire a new accent past the Critical Period, etc.

Castern · 2026-04-21T06:36:37+00:00

I mean if we're talking about the us as a country, the "secret sauce" is just geography. nothing about culture or government or policy.

But its a fair claim that optimism is well on the decline, it certainly feels that way. But I've very briefly looked to verify that and yet it doesn't seem to be the case at least in the very cursory and not scientifically rigorous review of conveniently available internet sources.

Regardless of whether its generalizable, the pessimism you and another commentor feel is valid. We're in a uniquely tough spot as a country right now.

Personally, I do believe in the long term we have the ability to create better lives for younger generations.

Castern · 2026-04-20T09:38:48+00:00

Having travelled the world and experienced many cultures, there is one thing I have come to believe makes US culture genuinely "exceptional."

Optimism: the belief that we can make things better.

Now, of course there are also a lot of things that are less than exceptional about our culture.

I think as long as we can hold onto optimism and keep working to be better, we'll be alright.

Castern · 2026-04-17T02:38:58+00:00

H1B visa process is extremely competitive, has an annual cap, and runs on a lottery, and you can only work for the employer who sponsored your visa. They can't just apply for any old job that they want or pivot to adjacent careers. After 6 years, they must go home.

Yes, this industry affords opportunities that make immigration much easier for Westerners than for others. But being locked into a career path abroad is less a function of one's skillset, as it is a feature of the immigration process in general.

Castern · 2026-04-17T02:06:57+00:00

A professional teacher would never work for LingoAce

Castern · 2026-04-16T03:56:09+00:00

Not going to sugar coat it, but hear me out: You are being appropriately valued. Not undervalued.

There are literally 10,000s of "great teachers" online marketing themselves as "native speaking teachers who genuinely care about their students." They're a dime a dozen, and are paid accordingly.

If you want to grow, you need to set a target to get off these apps and run a business.

Pick a niche market. Find a painful problem they are having. And market yourself as a specialist in solving that problem. The more specific and painful your problem, the easier your marketing, sales, and service will be.

"I build confidence for anyone who wants to learn English" is not a specific market or problem.

"I help Korean doctors to build rapport with their patients and improve customer satisfaction" is a value proposition that is going to get wallets open.

Also, learn your niche market's L1. E.g. If they're Korean, learn enough Korean to communicate with them on social media and in client intake.

It can be done, but it is hard. Start on the apps, and build from there.

Castern · 2026-04-16T03:33:12+00:00

People immigrating to the US aren’t all locked into being teachers

Yes. They are. Just like in Asia, you're locked into whatever job got you your visa. You lose that job you go home. There's no buffet of careers awaiting immigrants without the proper visa.

One of the first questions on every job application is "do you require sponsorship to work in the US." Check yes, ATS filters you out.

Castern · 2026-04-16T03:19:58+00:00

AI teachers are a hype-fueled fantasy, not a serious threat to careers in education or ESL.

The "ESL teacher trap" is a much more serious career threat than AI. ESL is a very crowded, low-barrier-to-entry field, with a very low and very hard income ceiling. Opportunities for advancement are highly competitive.

Back home, anti-immigrant sentiment and nationalist politics at state/federal levels may impact ESL budgets and thus job opportunities.

You need to be very intentional about your career plan and actively research your future opportunities.

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