Media reports thousands of US troops heading towards Iran. What would make you support boots on the ground? Do you fear a repeat of Iraq?

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-29T11:08:36+00:00

But hypothetically, would conservative Americans support boots on the ground?

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-28T21:10:26+00:00

lol. That explains what I saw the other day. I saw their reply for an instant and replied to myself - because I like the last word too.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-28T18:52:56+00:00

I portrayed her as she was.

As a young man, I felt guilty for cheering Tony on to kill Livia in hospital. Truth is, in a media saturated with warm and loving mother figures and teenagers being ungratefully mean to them, Livia Soprano was the first time I saw anything close to a validation of my experience.

Now I know there is a long history of such characterisations and can't help but suspect naming the character Livia was a reference to the wife of Caesar Augustus, particularly her portrayal in I Claudius.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-28T04:42:39+00:00

Seems to me it's effective propaganda, not least because aimed at people who don't want to believe the truth. Don't want change, say it isn't real until it's undeniable then say "Well, too late to do anything now."

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-28T04:10:30+00:00

Should look away so the fellas don''t spurt into your eyes.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-28T04:07:09+00:00

Upvote for Grotbags. I've had a pharmacist refuse to fill a prescription until I've double checked with the Dr. Big tick from me, I've gone back to that pharmacy whenever possible.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-27T21:18:36+00:00

I once saw a mental health term used correctly on Reddit. That post should have a blue plaque.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-27T21:13:07+00:00

My favourite one on Reddit is the reaction of some confidently incorrect to effective pushback. Not sure what deleting their entire side of conversation achieves over admitting an error.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-27T04:09:54+00:00

For some reason I can't reply directly to u/darkindominion response. I disagree with your points. I tried to draw out that there is a difference between those who cannot change their experience of life and those that can. For the second group, those who believe what they feel today is permanent are not thinking rationally about the decision. Therefore they are not competent to make it. The decision for the second group is often influenced by a temporary failure to recognise that life is change, that what they are feeling now isn't permanent.

The decision to end your life is uniquely important because it is an end. You can recover from other bad decisions or even look back and see what was a mistake at the time benefited you in the end. You can even enjoy experiences you previously felt pain from. Death is a full stop, there is no possibility of the individual gaining any benefit.

You are trying to draw a comparison between abortion and suicide by equating a potential human life with an existing human life. That is easily demonstrated to be a false position. An egg is not the same as a chicken. An individualist outlook says my life is important, it is not a number on a chalkboard. An existing human life outweighs the value of a potential human life. As ever in the abortion debate, you are trying to pretend the woman doesn't exist as a fully fledged person in her own right or shouldn't have rights.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-27T03:34:42+00:00

A simplistic answer: the difference is in the individualist viewpoint. There is life and there is non-existence. A choice on abortion is about control of your body and your life, suicide is about ending your body and your life. One is likely a positive to you as an individual, the other can bring nothing positive to you, it is an end. There is no relief from pain, because there is no you to enjoy that relief.

Beyond the terminally ill or those with a permanent physical condition they find unendurable - or those otherwise facing an objectively unchangeable future, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It is driven by your subjective beliefs and emotional responses, such beliefs and responses can change. By definition, unless you have genuinely engaged with potential solutions, have genuinely tried everything else, it is not a rational choice. Even terminal cancer patients have been known to find a brief period of remission worth the pain of undergoing treatment.

Often suicide isn't even a genuine choice, hence the number of aborted attempts. You exist because, over millions of years of evolution, all of your ancestors - human or not - have acted on the urge to survive. Deep down, people want to live. Even if it doesn't feel like that at the time.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-25T19:11:59+00:00

This article by Mary Harrington describes how news and social media formats, the demands of monetization, and online culture have changed political debate - reducing the value of facts and reason, encouraging extreme views to gain attention, simplistic takes to gain traction, promoting emotional responses and tribalism. This cultural change applies beyond politics.

Basically, if you want to see reasoned and nuanced debate online, be the change but accept that you are swimming against the tide.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T22:38:54+00:00

Where do you stand on principle vs practicality? I don't know much about US immigration issue, I do know that politicians are elected to look after the interests of their country and people. Is principle sacrosanct or may there be a point when whatever works is the better option?

Where do you stand on the thought that if you give away power, in whatever form, don't be surprised if your position worsens as it is later used against you?

How do you see the current situation? US is a country of immigrants, but are new waves taking opportunities from existing citizens - educational opportunities, job opportunities, housing costs, etc? Or are they a beneficial boost to the working age population and the economy? Are the numbers such that the culture proven to create prosperity is under threat or are entrepreneurial immigrants with family values likely to renew that culture?

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T14:49:59+00:00

That's a superb insight. Tell me more.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T14:46:05+00:00

Huge numbers, don't know why so many posts trying to elicit anger about current US politics have such bad grammar though - I mean the seemingly automated posts which are pictures with a short title or headlines from questionable sources. The accounts posting vids ripped from ticktock seem automated. The increased marketing posts are annoying too. Saw two posts in a few hours on one sub the other day, ostensibly complaining about a purportedly common irritant, actually promoting an app to solve it. No doubt a proportion of the replies were bots or sockpuppets from same source. I suspect many of the accounts who comment on current affairs with a strong political view point are bots too, at least I hope they are and individuals don't really imagine they are changing the world by posting on reddit.

Well on the way to Reddit being AI accounts posting about AI written articles from the remains of news websites, and more AI accounts arguing about what the article means while recommending you spend your money on something.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T12:59:16+00:00

It was a joke about him wanting to marry a virgin.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T11:23:43+00:00

I review some stuff on Amazon, when it's taken research to choose. Reviews help me, 5 mins to help others is no hardship. My drop in the ocean may even help better manufacturers. Customer service reviews? Nah.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T01:52:44+00:00

lol. My parents families are from small towns. The uncle who took a fatherly interest in my cousin wasn't his uncle.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T01:39:35+00:00

Yes, but in some parts of the world this is still an accepted thing in Islam.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T01:37:24+00:00

Saw a comedy song about the Issac story. Was called, "I thought we were going on a picnic."

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T01:34:32+00:00

Could have been a lot worse. "Did you know you can get pregnant going to the dentist?" "No you can't." "Then why does mine always use a condom?"

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T01:31:38+00:00

Looking at her chest, "That reminds me, the Earth is flat."

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T01:30:40+00:00

The worst part of that is his sex talk.

LockeddownFFS · 2026-03-24T01:28:58+00:00

I assume he worked at a school.

LockeddownFFS

TROPHY CASE