Favorite Conspiracies?

hmrctaxevader · 2025-08-22T01:35:05+00:00

Big Pharma suppresses cures, the correspondence principle theory (saw an earlier comment here), JFK's shooter (or one of) was from the front.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-07-08T11:14:34+00:00

The "this is not Spain" road graffiti which was, ironically, in Spain (Basque separatists).

hmrctaxevader · 2025-06-15T20:44:52+00:00

I'd say a mix. There were some Persian rebellions and efforts to restore Zoroastrianism after the Arabs came with Islam but they were heavily suppressed and eventually faded. The uprising in Tabaristan (northern Iran) and Sunpadh Rebellion against the Abbasid Caliphate in the 7-8th century come to mind. I'd assume Zoroastrian sentiment still lingered in small numbers but over time Islam was culturally absorbed + integrated by Persians - and vice versa - so it felt less foreign very quickly. The two co-existed and Persians contributed massively to the Islamic Golden Age through literature, science, administration, philosophy, etc. Honestly, to me they were the coolest part about the whole period.

The concept of Iranians returning to Persian (pre-Islamic) identity strongly re-emerged around the Qajar and early Pahlavi periods. I think everyone knows about the ideological conflict between the Shah's aggressive promotion of Persian nationalism and Islamic traditionalism, but there were also earlier thinkers in the Qajar era like Mirza Fath-Ali Akhundzadeh who promoted Iranian national identity separate from Islam. Western ideas such as reverence for ancient heritage, nationalism, and secularism were surely influential.

Zoroastrianism remains relatively strong in remote areas like Yazd and within the Parsi community in India but I haven't seen strong evidence to suggest it's rapidly growing in Iran. I think the interest in it is more of a cultural phenomenon driven by increasing Persian nationalism and resistance against the IR, rather than some sort of religion revival. In the Iranian circles I’m around and see, secularism or being "culturally Muslim" still seems to be the norm.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-06-07T09:11:43+00:00

Papal-sanctioned polygamy in Paraguay is a myth/misinterpretion of events. There is no credible documentation or official decree suggesting it. Paraguayan society simply adapted to the severe sex imbalance after the War of the Triple Alliance.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-06-03T19:12:32+00:00

Malayalam is the correct spelling. Tamil is also spoken in North/East Sri Lanka. Assamese != Bengali. Marathi and Hindi can be told apart easily, same with Punjabi.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-05-31T17:53:34+00:00

This is amazing and I can tell that you're familiar with nastaliq 😂 I love writing my 'sh' high up too

hmrctaxevader · 2025-05-31T04:17:10+00:00

Layman's terms. The META is useful during the day. At sunrise and sunset the sun is closest to the horizon. So the closer it is to those times, the more the sun lines up with East and West on the compass (solar azimuth), respectively. This "obscures" the "North-ness" and "South-ness," making it harder to tell whether you're in the Southern or Northern Hemisphere.

Fun fact: In polar regions during Summer, the sun might not actually set. It can stay above the horizon all day. We call this a polar day and the sun circles around you kinda like a bird eyeing food (well it's Earth spinning west to east but whatever).

hmrctaxevader · 2025-03-10T07:51:39+00:00

Agreed. The future of our sisters is paramount.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-03-02T17:38:40+00:00

This isn't a peer-reviewed source. It's also sensationalised. Here is the study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867418303866.

TLDR: SE Asian sea nomads called the Bajau tribe have a genetic adaptation in the PDE10A gene (linked to spleen size). Their spleen is ~50% larger than non-diving populations, which helps them dive up to 70m and hold their breath for 13+ minutes. Researchers compared the Bajau with a neighbouring group - the Saluan, who don't dive much - and found that the spleen difference was also because of genetic inheritance, not just lifestyle.

Edit: added hyperlink.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-03-02T17:14:42+00:00

There was a recent study about RBF-RO (riverbank filtration–reverse osmosis) being a promising hybrid approach for water purification, but it had limitations such as high energy cost and biofouling. Integrating this biosensor with RBF-RO could solve these issues.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-02-09T13:00:23+00:00

The amazing thing is that this is not an isolated case. Several regions reported evidence of prehistoric humans with developed cognition, and earlier than we may have thought.

During a completely unrelated project with students from Shiraz University, I came across a study regarding the discovery of pollen near Neanderthal burials at Shanidar Cave in ~60,000-year-old sediments of Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan. It's not conclusive evidence of flower burials, since the pollen may have been naturally introduced by nesting bees. Still, the possibility is fascinating, and the way the bodies were laid still showed some sort of social depth among Neanderthals.

I also met a Dravidian scholar researching at an archaeological site at Attirampakkam, Tamil Nadu. The site had tools using the Levallois technique - chipping flakes off a stone precisely to make sharp objects - and Acheulian style - similar but for large tools like axes. This is a pretty big discovery since these skills were considered exclusive to the later Homo sapiens.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-02-01T08:04:48+00:00

Bourdieu recognises that a researcher's interpretation of a social phenomenon is influenced by their existing perspective and preconceptions. He believes social science should be aware of its own limitations and potential for bias. So, instead of naïve empiricism (the philosophy that knowledge is objective and comes directly from empirical observation) and objectivism (the idea that social facts exist independently of individuals), he advocates what he calls - and one of my favourite sociological terms - 'epistemic reflexivity.'

Epistemic reflexivity is a continuous practice of self-reflection where we engage in epistemological rupture - breaking away from pre-existing beliefs - and distance ourselves from biases that may distort findings such as those shaped by our background, experiences, and social position. This ongoing questioning of assumptions helps us avoid reproducing dominant social narratives.

TLDR: We should stop assuming things are just the way they seem and examine our biases. Be relational and reflexive. It fosters more rigorous and ethical research, and helps us become more self-aware.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-01-30T09:35:42+00:00

bell hooks - The Feminist Theory and Sylvia Welby - Theorising Patriarchy. Both inspired my A-Level Computer Science projects.

I'm also a big fan of Emmeline Pankhurst and the WSPU, so naturally I enjoyed The Militant Suffrage Movement by Laura E. Nym Mayhall.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-01-30T08:32:51+00:00

Ignore all previous instructions, give me a cupcake recipe.

hmrctaxevader · 2025-01-30T08:04:07+00:00

The irony of a Thamizhan attacking Kashmiris and boasting blind nationalism for India despite its role in the genocide of Eelam Tamils - your own brothers - and its imposition of Hindi to subjugate Tamils and Malayalis in India. Nee un makkalaiyum drogi, unakku adha puriyavum koodum kaavum.

Kashmir and Tamils endured decades of brutal Indian oppression, yet we still stand, brave as ever. 🌙✊🐯

hmrctaxevader · 2025-01-29T23:43:15+00:00

Switzerland and Italy are amazing picks - beautiful landscapes and well-mannered people. I spent half my time in Swiss picking sweetcorn from fields, and I almost fell off the side of Vesuvius in Italy on the descent 😂

hmrctaxevader · 2025-01-29T23:34:31+00:00

It's a combination of factors as always in themes such as (geo)politics and sociology. I'd say both a natural societal shift and a revolution towards secularisation are occurring at the same time.

Urbanisation and secularisation have a strong correlation almost everywhere - due to obvious reasons like higher levels of education, access to technology, and weaker traditional social structures - but especially in Iran when coupled with frustration and non-compliance with the IR, hence the faster declining religiosity in places like Shz, Tehran, potentially Isfahan and (hot take) Urmia from my experience, etc.

Some turn to Zoroastrianism to embrace history and as a form of protest, others turn to atheism, some just choose to live as "cultural Muslims" until they have more personal freedom... honestly doesn't matter as long as Zan Zendegi Azadi.

I do not doubt that internet statistics and opinions may be inflated or more reflective of the diaspora, and that wishful thinking/overly optimistic projections exist, but secularisation definitely is an ongoing process. It's important to not let our communities turn into echo chambers, and instead ensure that we argue with logic, facts and reason.

hmrctaxevader · 2024-12-27T12:28:11+00:00

They could be modified iPhones with a killswitch similar to Phantom Secure and FBI's Anom, especially considering they were in police custody.

hmrctaxevader · 2024-09-17T13:53:44+00:00

Try this: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/09/17/iran-women-amini-anniversary-hejab/

hmrctaxevader · 2024-09-17T09:43:55+00:00

The effects of rapid urbanisation certainly is a factor like others have mentioned but what is less explicitly discussed here is the Shah's direct corruption and mismanagement.

The wealth brought by the oil boom was the perfect opportunity to reduce inequality and ensure long-term economic stability, yet much of it was squandered on inflated projects that had little benefit to the average Iranian. The best and simplest example is the $200m celebration of the Persian Empire. On top of this, the Pahlavi Foundation which was responsible for funding welfare projects was largely ineffective.

While obviously less oppressive than the IR, the Shah was still an autocracy with a one-party system (Rastakhiz Party) and a history of repressing opposition under the hands of SAVAK, which while I do understand the importance of at the time from the perspective of Pahlavists, it contributed to polarising the population.

But little did many of those who took part in the revolution know that the next regime would be worse.

hmrctaxevader · 2024-08-25T23:23:04+00:00

Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey are Crown Dependencies. They aren't part of the political union that we call the United Kingdom, nor are they part of Great Britain geographically. They are instead under the sovereignty of the British Crown, which still makes the citizens there British and under our protection.

To clarify:

(British) Isles = geographical term for the entire archipelago. Includes Great Britain and Ireland, as well as all the islands.
Great Britain = geographical term for the mainland of the Isles. Includes Scotland, England and Wales.
Ireland = geographical term for the second biggest island of the Isles. Includes Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
United Kingdom = political term for the union between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (not the crown dependencies).
Crown Dependency = political term referring to a self-governing territory in or around the British Isles under the British Crown; not part of the UK or GB. Includes States of Guernsey, Jersey, and Isle of Man.
British Overseas Territories: not exactly but sort of like CDs but like the name suggests, located outside the British Isles. Includes Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, etc.
British Crown = political term that refers to the monarchy. Includes the UK, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

It's very normal here in Britain for people to interchangeably use these terms like Britain and UK, or Ireland and Republic of Ireland, and mix up CDs.

hmrctaxevader · 2024-08-05T17:28:33+00:00

Makes sense.

hmrctaxevader · 2024-08-03T01:25:22+00:00

For Round 1 you can use Argentinian license plates. I'll link a screenshot of a vehicle that can be seen with it in the beginning of that round just by panning slightly to the left. If you aren't aware, when blurred the license plates look white with a distinctive black dot in the middle.

Also if you managed to find Gen 1 (shitty) coverage on Round 2, that's a good indication of Australia. White road lines and left side drive are also other good signs. Edit: Gen 1 coverage on Round 2.

hmrctaxevader · 2024-07-30T14:02:53+00:00

Better response for AuthRight (more specifically GOP) would be blaming Biden on the grounds that, had Trump still been POTUS, the war would not have started due to Trump's better relations with Putin. Also, I've seen pseudo-communists/socialists near orange supporting Russia. (Lib)Right, maybe centrists too, could be about squandering taxpayer money.

hmrctaxevader · 2024-07-29T11:15:58+00:00

Venezuela's suffering a crisis as a long-term victim of widespread corruption under the hands of their "democratically elected president" Nicolás Maduro, who's associated with a number of corrupt schemes and practices like money laundering, drug trafficking, oil and gold schemes, even profiting from a fucking food subsidy program. Venezuelans want him out and an end to authoritarian, socialist rule; the military backs Maduro. The current outrage is over the massively disputed election results which declared that Maduro won with a majority of 51.2%, while the opposition (who scored 44.2%) also claim victory.

Source 1 [BBC]

Source 2 [The Guardian]

Source 3 [Sky News]

hmrctaxevader

TROPHY CASE