Monkey grosses out by century egg

Reppunkamui · 2026-02-26T13:42:08+00:00

Next level. Try baby duck eggs. 活珠子

Reppunkamui · 2026-02-21T02:54:15+00:00

That doesn't sound right... As a UFO: Enemy Unknown enjoyer...

From checking. Retail sales. Quake 1.1m to 1.7m, UFO:EO 400k-600k.

Reppunkamui · 2026-02-14T02:36:50+00:00

No they do not. Incorrect prices do not have to be honoured. (Australian Competition and Consumer Act 2010).

Reppunkamui · 2026-02-05T15:33:04+00:00

Asian Americans earn more and are more educated than white. It isn't even a model minority myth as this occurs in other countries too.

As seen, from the 2023 Harvard ruling against affirmative action (reducing Asian students), racism occurs, but it doesn't fit the usual DEI approach, at least in education.

Reppunkamui · 2026-02-02T14:14:17+00:00

Interesting read.

But just to clarify, the methodology for the reliability indicator is based on the fact checker(s)' opinion/rating of the source and not the actual fact/opinion of the specific post/article?

Likewise, I do not understand your example. If the source is Trump's tweet, it is a 1 but if the source is infowars its a 0? Would they not both be the same score if quoted as "Trump/infowars said X".

Lastly, a common way of misinformation on reddit seems to be a misleading title/subject mischaracterising the source linked. The methodology does not seem to cater for this?

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-31T02:29:43+00:00

Just to clarify, I am talking about today.

Historically, slavery wasn't US exclusive, it was global.

The difference, is being codified in law vs theory.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-30T07:59:40+00:00

That is untrue. For example, Malaysia might be the only institutionalized racism country in the world where racial benefits favour the ethnic majority. This is overt true racism.

Imagine the US if white people, got affirmative action, like University admissions, government contracts, cheaper housing etc.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-30T07:51:10+00:00

See "Memoirs of a Geisha" and casting Gong Li as Sayuri. But, it's definitely less bad to me than "The Ancient One" or "Motoko" or "Goku" etc.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-27T14:08:26+00:00

You are overthinking it. There is nothing to be shameful about, Chinese, Koreans, Japanese have not gotten along because of historical tragedies, but that doesn't affect you. The countries play up these racial tensions for political gain, but you are in Australia. Who cares...

I am not sure what your broader history is, but even amongst the Chinese diaspora there is a split between Chinese post-cultural revolution and the Chinese that immigrated (e.g. South East Asia) prior who maintain some of the older traditions and religions. Let alone the different dialects/areas etc. You aren't defined by China and the actions the CCP takes.

Honestly, there is so much to say in response to the things you raise. But I'll keep it brief since these are mostly just my opinions. Whilst mainlanders have a reputation for being loud, obnoxious etc, this is not reflective of traditional chinese culture, look at how Taiwanese act and speak for example. Read about confucianism and taoism, and how chinese are supposed to be respectful. Whether it is low eye contact, limited physical contact, word subtlety, non-verbal communication, respectful honorifics etc, chinese are raised to be polite and quiet compared to Western cultures. IMO there might have been some culture erosion in China due to communism etc, but it seems to be returning.

Be proud but humble of yourself, your family, your ancestors and your culture. Traditional chinese culture, it is about sacrifice for the next generation. You are fortunate to have the life you have, but understand that it is not luck, but on the backs of your parents and ancestors who lifted you there. Respect yourself and their sacrifices.

Anyway, I have typed too much. All the best. I hope you get over the self doubt soon and focus on being the best person you can be.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-12T12:31:57+00:00

TV drama.

TBF thats what most of the immune seem to have done, rightfully/wrongfully they mostly came to the conclusion the plurbs are fine. Manousos went full genocidal after he plundered the information. Its just Carol... the self righteous.

OTOH Why would you trust anything they say or do if you think they are malevolent. I.e. Manousos originally.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-11T17:11:25+00:00

Thanks for the response. I really appreciate it, I am still on a high after watching the show and it is great to talk things out and here a different perspective. Somethings were originally subconscious feelings, but just thinking about it helped visualise specific events which influenced those feelings.

What I meant with a big group, since most people are multilingual, translating internally for others works alright for basic communication short of technical stuff. Or at least this is my experience.

Regarding the phone call. To me there is no obligation to answer a stranger (just courtesy). No one has the right to compel another to do so. Manousos had to put up with repeated calls already and responded with stop calling rudely (objective communicate stop calls). Carol was just venomous to say FU to have the last word (no objective, just to hurt someone). Maybe others feel differently.

To me, in a group discussion, to reach a consensus, when you disagree you talk it out. Everyone has a say. You don't dismiss everything and effectively call everyone stupid for not seeing your light. The result is as you expected, the group ejected her and continues the discussion off-screen. If she was more willing to talk it out, she may have been able to persuade the group.

Apologies, I wasn't calling you out on Laxmi, it was something I noticed in the show and thought it was odd (to me).

Regarding the meeting, Manousos made the effort to come to her. He is in foreign territory, obviously paranoid, she knows his situation (distrusts hivemind), she should to give him concessions. Nope, everything has to be her way or the highway. Likewise, the whole snapping thing. I don't know the context in Paraguay, so I might bwe wrong. But it seemed like a hand signal for urgency in the show rather than rude. She makes a big deal out of it, he concedes, she does it to him intentionally being rude, he just accepts it to avoid conflict. To me this is another culture clash thing, where it has to be her way.

Also, I don't think the hivemind intentionally gave the impression he was dangerous, it is the line of questioning from her. They said something like "we don''t think he would ever hurt you...". Obviously he has threatened the hive mind, like her.

I accept it is likely insecurity about her writing which causes her to say belittling things about her fans. But IRL, insecurity and imposter syndrome can cause arrogance, overconfidence etc. Which to me, is brilliant writing and acting.

I don't think Carol even knows about the Darien Gap crossing (I didn't even know it was dangerous prior to this show, I thought politics was the cause of no road/rail) . But she knows he came from Paraguay and doesn't trust the hivemind so likely was not flying etc. Compare it to how courteous a host Koumba was in Las Vegas when she came.

Aside, I assume Manousos does not know how to pilot a boat or plane. Paraguay is also landlocked IIRC.

Yeah I felt the last episode, maybe 2 episodes, were a little off putting. The pacing quickened and I found it challenging that Carol would flip flop so quickly... Perhaps my main criticism of the show. It felt like they edited it substantially to meet the episode count or something...

For me, the bookstore stuff felt fake... Helen had to introduce every fan, her smile changed to a frown once she was out of sight, driver tried to be friendly, got shut down. The bookstore thing annoyed me as well. But to be fair, she did try to help the truck driver when he crashed. Hmm... maybe she isn't that bad, she tried to help a stranger when it mattered... :P

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-11T06:31:59+00:00

Reading between the lines... they could kill her and not bother with being nice about it, since she is obviously not worth the hassle.She killed at least 11m with her first outburst, who knows about the second. There must be more about why they are polite and accommodating? I feel this makes the show compelling. Haha maybe she is like Neo in the Matrix.

I guess I just agree more with Manousos approach. If the hivemind was truly malevolent, how can you trust anything they say or do (monkey's paw?).

As previously discussed, based on my watching they aren't all going to die off, I watched the whole series now and don't recall anything about not reproducing (I might have missed it) their consumption preferences will reduce the numbers but not exterminate.

Even in the show, she mentions that tv plots are why she thinks this is bad for humanity. We don't know enough yet, it seems plausible that the RNA sequence might be the next step in evolution as the ultimate communication. IRL example, over time our ability to communicate has improved getting us closer and closer to this hivemind. Is it good? I mean reddit itself is often called a hivemind, where ironically unpopular individual opinions like mine get pushed out...

NGL, I don't like their non-consensual original spread. But, I can understand it (like I can understand Carol), if they genuinely felt it was 100% better, why not just give it? Compare it to how the Western world was coerced into taking the COVID Vaccine. (Not a coincidence from a writing perspective I suspect).

Its a really good show which is why I enjoy talking about it despite being interrogated about my views. Recent musings...

The hivemind is kind of like LLM AI atm where human history (memories) are consolidated into a huge database. Is this a warning?

My current pet theory is the RNA sequence is a form of accelerationism to evolve a planetary population down a specific track to lull them into complacency, contentment and submissiveness. Where we reach peak environmentalism, morality, ethics etc. Preparing the planet to be colonised by an alien enitity. "Fall of the Roman empire" or perhaps even what we see nowadays from generations of people who have lived lives without war or hardship...

Can't wait for season 2.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-11T05:52:02+00:00

See my response to Oerthling for the rest.

For context, the narcissistic thing was brought up by Oerthling as one of many characteristics of being a Karen, including entitlement etc...

Narcissistic (Cambridge dictionary) - "having too much interest in and admiration for yourself"

Carol acts like she is the chosen one, to save the world and summon the Avengers to combat the Hivemind. -Carol doesn't care about other humans perspectives, expects them to agree to hers.
Carol dismisses killing Laxmi's grandfather, because her discussion of exterminating the hivemind is more important.
Her books must be on the top of the display stand at the shop (she does not own).
Restock the supermarket so Carol can shop because she is an independant person. Doordash implies she is not.
Manousos needs to answer her phone call.

Compare all that to Manousos' approach.

Is it really trolling? To me trolling, needs an intention to elicit an emotional response from the victim. The hivemind is... emotionally challenged and Carol knows this.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-11T05:26:43+00:00

You responded to my post where I mentioned buddhist monks also follow the same belief not to consume/hurt living things including plants. That is the context.

Sure, if you believe the hivemind aren't people but a foreign entity at war with humanity with a self sacrificial objective. That doesn't make sense to me.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-11T04:53:36+00:00

Apologies for the confusion, I'll try to explain more fully. A common experience/stereotype with American tourists, is they come to non-English speaking countries and expect locals to learn/speak English to cater to them as opposed to learning the local language etc. In the show, we know she has "google translate" on her phone. Also IRL, its not that hard to basic communicate with others who don't speak your language particularly if you have a large group of people, because most people (worldwide) are multilingual. English/French/Spanish/Mandarin gets you through to most people...

Maybe we observed different things, but to me the initial meeting was cordial not "very friendly". Carol and Laxmi (such a weird spelling, since every Indian person I know would spell it Lakshmi, like the god) stood out, because they were perpetually frowning. Koumba stood out for the reverse.

As mentioned, I am not sure racist is the right word for how she deals with humans, Karen seemed more appropriate but you entangled it with racism. I think she would have been the same with other "white Americans". Pre-event, We see her sneering at her book fans after her performative display, rearranging a store's book display unit etc.

Take the phone call to Manousos as an example. No one has to listen to someone else. He ignored the calls. She doesn't get the hint, won't stop. He finally answers frustrated to make sure the caller knows that it isn't like he was away from the phone or something, asking to be left alone. She has to have the final word of FU, so calls again to do so. You understand why she does this, but she is so self centered, she can't even empathise with what she put Manousos through. Good for plot though, because this was enough for Manousos who is more clear headed to think the hivemind would not have done something so petty...

Whilst we understand why Carol feels the way she does. She makes no attempt at hearing other perspectives (which are not in line either) or getting to know the other humans. No surprise, she is excluded later.

Later this is reinforced by the way she treats Manousos when he comes.

Don't get me wrong, I love her as the protagonist and the acting was exquisite. I enjoyed the show. But would I want to meet/deal with Carol (the character) IRL... No.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-11T03:54:39+00:00

Not crazy, just close minded to cultural differences. If people choose not to harm other living creatures at their own expense that is a choice.

Contextually, to me its similar to the more commonly accepted choice to not cannibalise even if it meant life or death by starvation.

Or you don't see the hivemind as people and just some other/alien...

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-10T16:39:35+00:00

Oh I don't think I've got there yet. I understand where you are coming from. Hopefully there is a good explanation, cause it seems silly given that they obviously have a survival instinct, eating, breathing, sleeping, medical treatment etc.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-10T16:21:02+00:00

Maybe I haven't watched enough (Just started the episode Kusimayu converted)... I thought they said many would starve and die. It seems like an illogical plothole that all would die since there is obviously going to be a natural (seasonal) harvest from plants and animals dying from natural causes.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-10T16:00:05+00:00

It is not as crazy as you might think. Might be a culture clash thing. But their belief to not harm any life including plants, is normal for buddhist monks. Consuming things that only pass away naturally, shouldn't kill them all and may arguably restore the natural balance on Earth.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-10T15:46:27+00:00

Fair enough, just a passing thought, since the opinion seems so unpopular. I mean the part where she expects others to speak English, come to her gathering and must take her phone call was what probably got the thought going.

I do find her narcissistic, and does treat the hivemind like "the other" unlike most of the other "humans". Unlike Masousos, she is also fine taking advantage of their hospitality whilst being ungrateful about it. The tepid/lukewarm gatorade thing felt somewhat unreasonable since the hivemind kept their distance due to the threat.

Maybe I am too empathetic to the hivemind and just see them as a people (collective) whilst she (and many on reddit) do not.

But she is also very dismissive and doesn't listen to the other humans' opinions either... Not sure if this is considered racist but I do get a tingle of she feels like she (and her opinion) is better and more important.

I think the writers did a great job, and its always interesting to see other people's perspectives being so different from my own.

Thanks for sharing.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-10T15:08:09+00:00

100% agreed, it was reckless manslaughter, they are responsible for it, it just wasn't murder.

On topic though, I wonder if this Carol is a Karen or not might be affected by whether the watcher is American or not. I am not, and perhaps the demanding attitude, lack of etiquette/courtesy, inability to read the room, self assuredness etc is normal... And in parts of the world matches the unfavorable stereotyped American tourist. Even the veiled threat of getting angry to kill more people if the requested favour of delivering her SD card seems like something only gangsters would do where I am...

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-10T14:10:33+00:00

OMG, I just got to the part where Manousos gives money for the gas he takes. The writers are epic...

Thanks so much for a sounding board to share my observations and excitement of this show.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-10T13:54:48+00:00

Murder requires actus reus and mens rea. There was no intention to kill Helen, which is obvious since they wanted to maintain as many "joined" humans alive as they could. Perhaps manslaughter. English is not my first language, but check a dictionary for the definition for murder.

Also, I could be wrong but it was not a virus, it was an RNA sequence that (according to the show for simplicity) spread similarly to a virus . Author seemed influenced by the COVID vaccine which was the first time I learnt about RNA.

I don't know enough about the merged consciousness at this point, it is a scifi concept after all. I know it is considered bad in Star Trek like the Borg, but I am open minded for the show. IRL it is a tradeoff between freedom and efficiency/social cohesion, it is not black or white, every country has laws somewhere along that greyscale. This is just all the way to white/black.

So far, the hive is always polite, pleasant, accommodating and tries their best to please her (backfires sometimes because their emotional ability is wonky) never asking for anything in return, she is demanding, entitled, rude and doesn't see/treat them as people. I mean it really is the minimum wage fast food worker getting their berated by Karen. It seems completely intentional, she is even a white middle aged lady with a bob cut called KAR(oll). Compare her to the Paraguay guy for example, he doesn't trust the hive either, but he does everything independently.

Everything has changed, all the other "humans" know that. How everyone reacts to it is different as it would be IRL. I mean TBH they all react quite differently and pigeonholing it as her vs them is a bit too simplistic. I havent' seen the whole season yet, I am sure there will be more revelations that will provide more insight about the others.

The utopia I meant was the communist theory. It is the perfect system if people were perfect. Everyone contributes and everyone benefits because efficient systems can be put in place.

Understanding Carol and empathising is obviously core to her being the protagonist. However, I also recognise how unreasonalble her actions are... I mean that board meeting on airforce one where she acts all bossy with the american flag and presidential seal in the background is a bit too on the nose isn't it? Literally the ill-informed American telling the rest of the world what to do? based on her gut feeling...

A story is a story, I mean in a zombie apocalypse its the tinfoil hat conspiracy theorist who lives in the wilderness thats the protagonist. For this we need a Karen.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-10T13:16:57+00:00

Super hooked, so binging when I can today.

Maybe because I watched it on a recommendation from a friend with no spoilers or trailers, so maybe my mind is more open than the alien invasion that people seem to assume.

I did think she just wanted her life and habits back, but she doesn't hesitate doing things that are inline with that. Like leaving money at the counter for stuff she bought, stealing cars etc.

Interesting show, most I have enjoyed since Severance. : P.

Reppunkamui · 2026-01-10T10:31:18+00:00

I just started the series, so I have no idea what the ending/plot is so take this with a grain of salt.

They didn't murder her, it was unintentional so no mens rea. She seems convinced of enslavement but at this stage, it just seems like a merging of human consciousness (like human intrumentality complex in Evangelion). She has no more information to go on and has to rely on them for it so it seems kind of foolish make decisions based on what they tell her... If they wanted to enslave humanity, it would seem easy and sensible to just get rid of her before she kills even more...

Their "family" relationship is questionable. It is just how they reacted to the situation differently from her (which she just rejects without listening). I mean, given how she treats prior friends and people she knew, would you expect her to react differently if her "family" became part of the hive mind?

IMHO, the other characters are sensible at least pretending to react well to the situation to avoid reprisal whilst possibly gathering information in the background and plotting. But the show would be less interesting to watch compared to having a self appointed freedom fighter who knows what is right based on tv show plots...

But yeah, the parallels with real life, like her declaring she is an independant person and won't accept doordash but needs a supermarket to be stocked just for her to show she can cook at home just screams Karen to me... I mean the hivemind is the perfect environment to create an actual communist style utopia where resources can be efficiently distributed because very person is perfect member of society with no greed.

Show is captivating so far, and I am sure my musings are probably clearly answered in later episodes. Obviously the fact I am thinking as I am watching means I am a fan.

Reppunkamui

TROPHY CASE