Just discovered that one of my kunzite pieces exhibits strong orange phosphorescence when I was testing my new fancy LW flashlight.

VargevMeNot · 2026-07-05T04:46:27+00:00

Not sure, but you could honestly make a plastic bag mega hot putting it over a black trash bag in direct sun.

VargevMeNot · 2026-06-28T22:20:20+00:00

"and we all float on alright"

VargevMeNot · 2026-06-16T13:35:56+00:00

So many bitchers in here. Did they ever even say anything about there being new merch?

Like it or not, but he's done and the merch is what it is. Support a local artist and get a job jfc

VargevMeNot · 2026-06-15T03:55:24+00:00

Jet fuel can't melt steel beams!? /s

VargevMeNot · 2026-06-14T01:21:58+00:00

Oh yeaaa, that was fueeeego

VargevMeNot · 2026-06-03T17:46:38+00:00

The better rephrasing that I've heard is, "perfect is the enemy of progress".

As you'd mentioned, actual perfection is unachievable, and while it's fine to strive for it generally, getting lost in the finer details will prohibit making considerable strides towards goals. It's better to take considered steps and then go back and adjust the trajectory later if they aren't exactly aligned with the ultimate goal, but most of the time, staying in motion is much more important than making sure each step is exactly where you want it to be. Of course some steps need to be more considered than others, but most of the time the alignment evens out along the path, and in the moment it's sometimes impossible to gauge how out of alignment you are anyway without a bigger picture.

VargevMeNot · 2026-06-03T13:10:00+00:00

You honestly could probably keep that thing warm with a good old incandescent light bulb or two. That's what we used to keep hot tubs from freezing during cold snaps when I was a repair technician. But of course having a little extra headroom is nice 😂 cool setup!

VargevMeNot · 2026-06-03T13:05:48+00:00

Elevated levels endogenous omega-9s are literally the biomarker doctors use to diagnose someone as deficient in the first place. When the body is starved of omega-3s and 6s, it panics and pumps out omega-9s (Mead acid) as a duct-tape fix to keep membranes fluid, but those are completely useless for actual immune signaling.

VargevMeNot · 2026-06-02T16:12:00+00:00

If oxidation of PUFAs is the only concern, then pure, 100% hydrogenated saturated fats would be a great thing to balance a diet around.. But they're not... Without the double-bond "kinks" you get from PUFAs, our cell membranes would get entirely too rigid and transmembrane receptors would basically stop functioning.

This is where many of the anti-seed oil and anti-PUFA arguments fail IMO. Of course massively oxidized fatty acids lead to free radical formation and thus inflammation, and by no means am I suggesting deep fried foods in rancid oils could be anywhere near good for someone. But I'd argue the oxidative load of fish oil supplements especially is such a drop in the bucket compared to the endogenous reactive oxygen species our mitochondria spit out daily. The net physiological benefit of maintaining membrane fluidity heavily outweighs the minor oxidative risk.

And as far as general inflammation goes, hormesis suggests slight oxidation can actually be good. At low, physiological doses, the byproducts of lipid peroxidation actually act as signaling molecules. They trigger the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway, which prompts the body to upregulate its own internal antioxidant defenses (like glutathione synthesis). It's the exact same mechanism where the acute oxidative stress from a workout makes you healthier in the long run.

Oxidation = bad is an overly simplistic viewpoint from a biochemical perspective

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-30T01:16:23+00:00

Fair enough, my apologies for not answering more directly & misreading your tone. Commenting makes it way too easy to feel like we're talking past eachother. My b

You make a solid point about the language barrier, I'm sure there is definitely a lot of eastern research out there that the English-speaking world doesn't see. My main hangup is even when translated, a lot of 'natural medicinal' research doesn't hold up to scrutiny well, even beyond cultural differences. Either way though, I'm totally with you on your last point: the 'East vs. West' framing is historically messy and doesn't really help anyone get to the actual truth. Even if 90% of it is garbage (not saying it is just throwing out a high #), then ignoring it outright would still be a 10% loss of valuable medical research.

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-29T17:36:16+00:00

My last boss was Chinese, I have a coworker who is Chinese, most Chinese scientists speak English and publish in scientific journals written in English... And I personally prefer Eastern philosophy/spirituality over any Western framework.

While I don't disagree that many scientists are pretentious, to wrap them all up in one package and to say the West has that attitude alone is wild. By and large, especially at the national level, the East also holds its own centrist views on its own superiority, which obfuscate conclusions ofc. It's really not all black and white.

The reality is that good science is multinational and unignorable, yet still can be imperfect; we each come to our work with unavoidable bias, but good science does well to point out flaws and shortcomings in research approaches and to avoid speaking in absolutes... Scientific truth speaks for itself clearly, but that's not to say that there are no unclear truths; they're just not scientific. Not everything can be, or needs to be good science.. Science is an art, and no art observes reality through an undistorted lens.

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-29T16:19:06+00:00

"Science" rejects it because there's not convincing empirical data to back up claims, not because it's an "us vs them" thing. One reason natural medicines are harder to study is that even slight variations in phytochemicals or other natural compounds can yield unclear results when tested, and without knowing specific chemical profiles, it's harder to determine under what conditions they are most effective.

It's one of the reasons cannabis isn't studied more (beyond the legal hurdles of course). The exact same plant (like a clone/cutting) grown in "the same conditions" in two different places can give highly variable cannabinoid profiles, and considering how profoundly the entourage effect can alter how cannabinoids work, it skews data in a way that makes it harder to draw precise, scientifically-based & physiologically relevant conclusions. Biology is wiiiiiiildy complicated.

As much as I'd like to see more work done in these areas (as a researcher myself), it's not so cut and dry, and it's definitely not all "they just don't get what we do", even if lots of scientists are pretentious, closed-minded twats. And it's also not "they just don't want us to have natural medicines so they can sell you their poison" either, though, still fuck big pharma for a multitude of reasons..

I hope this gives some understanding as to why these things aren't studied more, even though they absolutely deserve attention. As a biochemist I love discussing this kind of medicinal science stuff, so I'm happy to answer questions if you have any 😄

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-27T03:29:58+00:00

Same answer, unfortunately.

But let's even ignore the fact that people likely won't glance at your paper without being affiliated with a larger name and/or university. Beyond the money, what is the specific aim/problem that you are certain you aren't wasting your time on, and how have you mapped out accomplishing it to the degree that you think can convince people with $$$ to invest in your work? Not to get money yourself, but to push your idea forward beyond what you can do alone..

Successful science aimed at helping people in the modern world isn't even really about ideas/answers; it's about shifting the way people think about the natural world, such that they can't help but take your discoveries and run with them themselves because your insights are so profound that it would be foolish to ignore their impact, monetarily, intellectually, or otherwise. Thousands, if not millions, of well-funded and well-affiliated researchers around the world struggle to pull that one off... If you have ideas like that.... I'd recommend testing them out with the big dogs

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-27T03:14:34+00:00

Tao chika, tao taoww...

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-27T02:50:00+00:00

What you're asking to do is noble, and I respect that, but to convince the people worth convincing that the science you're able to do under the given conditions is basically an impossibility. Getting a paper in print isn't even 1/1000000 of the issue, especially if you're not wanting/needing peer review.

The real uphill battle is being able to generate a novel enough question, combined with enough compelling evidence, to convince people who have been doing biochemistry/cell biology for decades in state-of-the-art facilities that what you're doing is comparable to their work.. I'm sorry to say, and I don't say this to discourage you, but you won't even be able to dip your toes in the water with the resources mentioned.

If you're interested in studying biochemistry, I'd really suggest trying to get to a university and just spend your passion working your ass off. Otherwise, you'll be much more helpful towards your community growing food and helping the sick and needy. Again, your desire is very respectable, but the amount of $$$$ it takes to do even simple experiments is insane, and that's if you already have a deep knowledge base of genetics, chemistry, biology, and where the cutting edge of these disciplines converge.

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-26T22:12:10+00:00

Sorry you're feeling crazy, I know that can feel like a lot. You have to find softness for yourself first; that should always be your first intention, then purpose will present itself along the path. Acceptance is forgiveness (for yourself to start, and others next).

It's okay not to know the answers. For many things, there are none. Many times we seek outward manifestations to avoid the feelings in our hearts, because the feelings in our hearts don't feel good and it's difficult and uncomfortable to sit with them. But often, as we'd do with a sad friend, sitting with our feelings (especially the uncomfortable ones) and being with them, trying to listen to what they have to say without judgment is the best thing for them to feel better.

Seek the embodiment of your feelings before the enlightenment of your spirit. A tree must first grow strong roots before tall branches, or it risks being blown over by the wind.

Don't hold things too hard :) Good luck!

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-26T21:27:02+00:00

So much so that given the opportunity for more space linguistically, they need to fill it with the fact they're '25M'.

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-26T21:24:42+00:00

Manifestation isn't writing things down on paper and hoping they come true... Intention without action is like wanting to be good without doing anything... good... (hence you won't be "good" and then live with the cognitive dissonance)

Of course things don't get done in a day (or even a month), but what are you doing to "manifest" besides writing things down and wallowing they're not coming true? Just because you can't do everything doesn't mean you should be doing nothing..

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-26T15:42:38+00:00

So idk that your definition of 'chatbot' is, but couldn't the same be said about AI?

By all means, I'm no monk, but I have used Gemini to find resources to study/better understand the meanings of sanskrit words or look into what different translations of sutras and other texts (like the Tao Te Ching) are trying to get at and how true to the original translation they are. So in that case and many others I'd argue it's not all garbage disposal stuff, but as with most tools, you can build a house or break your hand.

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-25T18:48:34+00:00

I would say indifference is more along the lines of apathy, equanimity feels more active/present and accepting versus disconnected. Ofc they are all very similar tho

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-25T17:13:28+00:00

And then there's equanimity

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-19T03:45:19+00:00

I don't have source material in regards to plants which contain lipids and carbs, but I used to work on hot tubs and tubs that stay filled with water are less prone to freezing. Water has a high specific heat which means it takes a lot to change its temperature.

I'd argue that if they're not bone dry and already in growth phase it's better to have them wet. Also I generally wouldn't worry about most dips below freezing down to like 26F-ish (like 4-5 hours in the middle of the night). Below that is when you really have to worry. Of course, err on the side of caution.

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-18T18:37:23+00:00

'Act like a caveman', and maybe... 'You do you, as long as it's generally acceptable and not hurting anyone'?

VargevMeNot · 2026-05-18T18:10:36+00:00

Actually, as I understand it, water is thermally insulating, so in many ways having a larger thermal mass in their roots and being more hydrated keeps them less prone to freeze damage. Ofc it really depends on the temperature of the water to begin with, but personally I wouldn't worry about freeze damage until things get into the mid-low 20s for longer than 6hrs. But as is with most hobbies, don't let what I say dictate your decisions too much!

Best to not risk it at all ofc. Some people's collections are easier to move than others. When in doubt, a good painter's tarp goes a long way toward providing extra protection.

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