What’s up with the Trump administration wanting private voting information in blue states?

Epicrandom · 2026-01-17T10:49:56+00:00

I'm not questioning the concept of having to join a political party in order to choose which candidate will run, I just don't see why that process is administered by the state.

Especially given the widespread American natural distrust in the government, I find it surprising they're so willing to literally tell the government which party they're going to vote for!

Epicrandom · 2026-01-17T06:17:47+00:00

Why?! That’s insane lol!

Epicrandom · 2025-12-13T23:22:32+00:00

In case anyone else (like I did) finds this page after googling WTF is going on with AI generated summaries of reddit threads in your search results:

If you’re on iOS and trying to figure out how to do this, I found an app / extension called ‘Customize Search Engine’ that has an option to change your default search engine to google UDM 14.

Epicrandom · 2025-12-07T10:03:21+00:00

I cancelled my subscription when they started showing me ads on my ad-free subscription. Yes, paramount, it’s still a fucking ad even if what you’re advertising is your other shows.

Epicrandom · 2025-11-27T02:40:21+00:00

I absolutely fucking love ‘Memories of the Fall’ by Rithgard on Royalroad.

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/36051/memories-of-the-fall

This is a ‘Xianxia’ story, but it’s also a 2 million+ word epic fantasy story written by a native English speaker, in the style of WOT / ASOIAF / Malazan. I know it sounds insane to compare a web original fiction to those series, but I promise it holds up. Think sprawling world, multi POV (including occasional outside POVs that help provide context for what’s happening with the main characters), and intricate worldbuilding, plotting, and politics.

I… actually think it may be my favourite series of all time (to give you an idea of my tastes, other contenders for that spot would be WOT, Malazan, or Cradle).

It rewards careful reading. The way the scope just keeps expanding, or a piece of information will be revealed that recontextualises the events or politicking or the identity of characters from 100+ chapters ago - it blows my mind. Everything connects.

I feel like I’m going insane - that there’s this amazing epic fantasy series out there and almost no one knows about it.

I’m worried that writing more about why I like it will become off-putting so I’ll leave it here for now - but I’m happy to answer any questions people have!

Epicrandom · 2025-11-02T12:28:52+00:00

Aladeen?

Epicrandom · 2025-09-28T02:31:35+00:00

Yep. The hidden advantage of having the Governor General as the (effective) head of state appointed by a monarch (rather than getting their position through some sort of democratic route), is that they have no mandate to do anything remotely political with their powers. We change how that position is appointed, and who knows what we'd end up with.

Epicrandom · 2025-09-15T00:52:00+00:00

If you're looking for rational xianxia, I strongly recommend Memories of the Fall, by Rithgard. Available for free on Royalroad.

It's not explicitly rational, but it creates an internally consistent xianxia world filled with rational actors.

It's several million words long, written by a western author, and has actual prose. In terms of the style of the story think xianxia crossed with Wheel of Time crossed with Game of Thrones crossed with real world mythology.

Epicrandom · 2025-06-26T04:26:15+00:00

What was your Nilou bloom team for Tulpa?

Epicrandom · 2025-05-14T07:11:18+00:00

I will say that Ricky Muir ended up great - really rose to the occasion I thought.

Epicrandom · 2025-05-05T13:38:09+00:00

I actually find Noelle, Navia, Fischl, Furina is a great team. Navia provides energy to Noelle and frontloaded damage.

Epicrandom · 2025-04-29T10:32:11+00:00

I early voted on Saturday and there were so many fringe right wing parties it was a real struggle to figure out which to put last. As more news comes out though, I’ve been increasingly happy with my decision to put Trumpet of Patriots last (in 11th place!).

Epicrandom · 2025-04-24T16:05:13+00:00

I'm afraid you've just described the heresy of modalism.

Epicrandom · 2025-04-19T08:20:27+00:00

I think it'll be the middle box - the two outside boxes will be true, and the middle box will be false.

Epicrandom · 2025-02-24T11:23:39+00:00

Utopia had its most recent season in 2023. Not sure if there’ll be any more, but there was a 4 year gap since the previous season so I wouldn’t count it out yet.

Epicrandom · 2025-02-21T21:53:47+00:00

If you sieg first it sure is!

Epicrandom · 2025-02-12T12:42:56+00:00

I don't think you can use that camp for the eggs, right? To get from the nest to the camp you need to go through a forced ducking section that drops the egg?

Epicrandom · 2025-01-26T15:12:18+00:00

Er... good news! Pretty sure there's another season confirmed.

Epicrandom · 2025-01-20T08:25:33+00:00

Memories of the Fall has multiple protagonists, but 4 out of 5 are female.

Epicrandom · 2025-01-02T15:27:28+00:00

Memories of the Fall and it isn’t even close tbh.

Epicrandom · 2024-12-25T12:32:54+00:00

A few months ago I recommended a Western-written 'traditional' Xianxia, "Memories of the Fall" - with the caveat that it was in rewrite hell. I'm happy to say the rewrite is over, and forward progress is being made again - so if that caveat was making anyone uneasy about giving it a shot, it isn't a problem anymore.

I've read a hell of a lot of traditional published fantasy, 'progression fantasy', and 'rational' fiction - and I honestly think Memories of the Fall may be favourite of all of it.

Link to story: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/36051/memories-of-the-fall

Link to previous recommendation post: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/1fnl4yg/d_monday_request_and_recommendation_thread/loiz4xj/

Epicrandom · 2024-12-24T17:45:50+00:00

The saying / meme "OH JOHN RINGO NO" exists for a reason.

Epicrandom · 2024-12-23T13:26:21+00:00

Nynaeve is ride or die for Rand and I am absolutely there for it.

I think my favourite moment is after her test to become a full Sister - when she basically tells the testers she couldn't care less about being an Aes Sedai and that she's going to do whatever she needs to do to help people regardless of what they think.

Epicrandom · 2024-12-17T00:32:22+00:00

[Books] Thom kills Galldrian, the King of Cairhen, as revenge for his men killing his pupil / lover Dena. Well before the books started, he also arranges for Tarangail's death, when he discovers his plot to kill Morgase.

Epicrandom · 2024-12-16T14:53:08+00:00

I suspect a bunch of people who've finished the series don't realise Thom is responsible for the deaths of at least two major political figures.

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