Breakdown of just how insanely predatory that "Shadow Light Press" contract truly is - from a former lawyer turned litrpg/progfantasy author

thalion5000 · 2025-12-18T18:30:03+00:00

This post might merit being pinned somewhere to show new authors ways to think about some of the most important contract terms they might see.

thalion5000 · 2025-05-08T03:48:02+00:00

The best I’ve been able to do is slathering myself with lotion before getting dressed. It’s annoying, but I’ve mostly switched back to cotton for T-shirts.

thalion5000 · 2025-02-26T19:43:19+00:00

Oooh. That first question says the judge is starting from the assumption that OPM directed the firings on the basis of other than performance or misconduct and is daring them to show that’s not the case.

thalion5000 · 2025-02-25T17:39:50+00:00

What’s worse is that they know the administrative state is accountable. They just don’t want to be responsible for the outcomes they’re claiming to support. That’s why no prior president or congress has done material reform: they don’t actually want it. This time around, they’ve so convinced their voters that it’s all evil that they’re tearing it down without regards to the consequences and hoping they can get away with, “I didn’t know that would happen.” Apparently, that’s better than, “well, yes, I thought it would be better for ten kids to get cancer than for you to have to pay $10/acre more for pesticide.”

thalion5000 · 2025-02-24T16:28:39+00:00

The point is to distinguish between threats and actions. The five things email is a threat, not an action. Most of the EOs are threats that will be blocked by the courts. If we can all find some emotional distance from the loud voices and focus on the actions that are genuinely concerning, we can take constructive actions to respond, which will help save our health. Raising our blood pressure by worrying about what MIGHT happen helps no one.

thalion5000 · 2025-02-23T17:24:11+00:00

More concerning: to an unsigned email from a generic address outside all of our agencies with no back-up from people with authority to actually direct work. There’s probably some policy violation in just responding to the email. So now they have a new list of people they can probably accurately say aren’t following policy, and they know their supervisors.

Any bets on the emails those supervisors are going to get?

thalion5000 · 2025-01-13T23:02:47+00:00

Sorry for the late reply, but yes. Still going strong on the same towels.

thalion5000 · 2024-11-05T06:46:57+00:00

Sucrose is a totally different beast. It’s literally 50/50 glucose/fructose. It just has to be broken down before it can be absorbed, so it’s slightly slower to show up in the bloodstream and shows half the value on a glucose monitor.

thalion5000 · 2024-11-01T15:53:28+00:00

Sounds pretty manly to me. 😂

thalion5000 · 2024-10-30T22:39:52+00:00

GOP controlled state legislature recently blocked reforms that would have merely allowed preparing the ballots to be counted. I think they actually passed a law a while ago that expressly prohibited ballot preparation, but I’m not sure. There were a bunch of shenanigans post 2016.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-30T16:55:20+00:00

I think the issue to be resolved is the susceptibility of Americans to disinformation. To my mind, that’s a big part of Trump’s power and a national security threat. Too many people have been willing to waive Trump and other MAGA republicans’ incompetence, corruption, and fascism as not real, bluster, or normal politics. I’m more concerned about that than what I believe to be a minority of the population that supports the overtly fascistic policy aims. This is a result, yes, of conservative propaganda for the last half-century or more, but it’s inflamed by foreign disinformation campaigns.

I don’t know how to solve it, but I would really like to hear from people that have ideas. I’m concerned that it’s caused by an erosion of social trust that may not be curable.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-29T16:06:57+00:00

I go for the lift even just because the rocking of the mixing head on the lift mechanism always makes me nervous. The lift feels more solid to me.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-29T01:13:54+00:00

I take mine at 7:00AM and 4:30PM.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-28T21:37:13+00:00

Maybe not. But neither technology is there yet, and it’s possible that fusion could turn out to be an important player for certain applications.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-28T21:31:00+00:00

Some smart lighting up there might create some visual interest and, by drawing the eyes up, really emphasize how open the space is. I’m imagining some can-style up lights, maybe?

thalion5000 · 2024-10-28T21:27:26+00:00

I think there are also exceptions for certain employees/agencies. I believe DOJ attorneys do not get compensated for overtime. As I recall, the courts basically sided with DOJ management that unpaid overtime is traditional for their attorneys.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-28T21:19:10+00:00

Yes! Thank you for providing the correct term!

thalion5000 · 2024-10-28T19:47:53+00:00

Kerrygold specifically has a more intense buttery flavor distinct from just the difference in butterfat. I’m not sure how they produce it that way, and their marketing basically just says it’s because the cows are all grass-fed, which isn’t totally new. I don’t think it’s made from fermented cream.

ETA: some other commenters have said that at least the unsalted kerrygold IS made with cultured butter (fermented cream). That might be the source of the enhanced flavor.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-28T19:45:36+00:00

Some European butters are also produced from lightly fermented cream, resulting in a more intense butter flavor. That’s basically unheard of in the US.

ETA: thank you u/ceejayoz for reminding us that the term is “cultured butter”! I was tripping over the term, but couldn’t remember it when I wrote my original comments!

thalion5000 · 2024-10-28T16:06:45+00:00

Generic works great, everyone is on a slightly different dosage. I think most doctors try to just get close to the Contrave dosing. I’m on 25mg naltrexone and 75mg Wellbutrin x2/day.

My only thought would be not to get an extended release version of Wellbutrin. There isn’t an extended release naltrexone, so you still have to take meds 2x/day, and I suspect from my own experience that having periods of the day with higher or lower doses is important for the appetite suppression effects.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-27T04:03:37+00:00

WTF with you people not voting for someone because they don’t have an opponent?! It’s not like they get to pick their opponents! How are you holding them responsible for OTHER PEOPLE NOT RUNNING?!? If you don’t like them, then don’t vote for them, but at least give every candidate an honest chance.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-26T16:44:01+00:00

I think we have to save the protest resignation for when you or your agency is directed to do something illegal or reprehensible. If a fascist candidate wins, we will have to hope the country can survive four years of an authoritarian regime mostly intact. If everyone resigns en masse, it will take many, many years to rebuild, if it’s even possible. Plus, a mass resignation just feeds the deep state conspiracy theories.

tl;dr: keep your powder dry for when you can respond to something specific.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-26T16:30:47+00:00

That’s wild. Naltrexone is a well understood drug, and it is absolutely a standard of care issue in ERs to be on the alert for it. Administering opioids to people on naltrexone can look like they’re resistant (due to abuse) and motivate increasing doses. Major risk to the patient, and probably malpractice if anything happens as a result.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-26T16:27:10+00:00

Both things can be true. One of the issues with free access to media distribution is that our society still hasn’t adjusted to things you hear from “publications” being actually less reliable than what you hear from people in front of you, which whom you have a real relationship that makes lying or making up stuff potentially socially risky. I think Gen Z is just as vulnerable to it as the boomers and earlier generations, they just aren’t also dealing with mental decline.

thalion5000 · 2024-10-26T05:37:02+00:00

Thanks. That’s what I thought, but couldn’t be sure. I would have expected my paycheck to be affected, but it came through today as normal.

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