In a not-really-defense of their BS, by investing in DJT they've set up their net worth to get absolutely ruined during Biden's 2nd term.

I know this is a shitpost, but honestly I'm so glad I got a vasectomy. There is a history of extreme depression and some dementia in my family, so I decided to get it done so I wouldn't father a child who would have to live through that. I never got it tested (don't know if it's possible to), but discussions with psychiatrists and other doctors confirmed it's likely at least partially genetic. If I end up with a partner who wants children there are other ways to go about that. I would never force that decision on anyone else but it has really brought me some peace of mind.

Also, vasectomy + female birth control = low risk condom-free sex (provided no STIs obviously). Finally, what a tragic waste of perfectly good...pizza rolls I'm guessing? That's some "tried cooking while drunk and fell asleep" results.

There is no way that murdering top Iranian officials in an Iranian embassy on Syrian soil was ever going to be anything but a gauntlet thrown down. If it was almost any other country than Israel the world would be outraged. Countries like the USA and Germany didn't pull support because of things like destroying hospitals and killing innocents, so bombing the embassy of a country as reviled as Iran inside Syria wasn't going to stop them.

Netanyahu knows his days in power are done very shortly after Israel leaves a condition of all-out war. Biden has told him that, his polls tell him that, and protestors tell him that. I think he's poking the local bears to escalate and stay in power by extending the conflict. Both Biden and Trump have promised support so Netanyahu is acting with the backing of the world's largest military no matter who wins. Pulling the USA and other Western countries into another war in the Middle East is his best bet of pushing that day of reckoning way down the road.

"Ground-breaking new study discovers that being loved makes people happier". I understand why it's important to formalize results like this so you have data to inform policy etc, but man...it's like reading a study about how the sun is quite warm. Parents who won't support their kids without being told to do so have some foundational family problems to sort out.

It's critical not to include "Jews" in that statement. Israel is not a race, it's a country committing terrible crimes. Jews as a race represent the entire spectrum of morality from saints to villains in the same way any other race does. A lot of Jews are speaking up against Israeli policy at great cost, some examples being Jewish Voice for Peace and Breaking the Silence, which is an organization of IDF veterans who publish their verified testimonials about the truth of Israeli occupation.

Judge people based on conduct, not on genetics or where they were born/reside.

Here's the thing - Trump has always been a high extroversion, low agreeableness, reward-seeking narcissist (that article is from 2016). Here's magician Penn Jillette talking about his experience with Trump on 2 seasons of Celebrity Apprentice (in 2012) and why he thinks Trump's personality makes him a terrible choice for President (definitely watch it, it's 90 seconds of Penn slaying Trump). So sometimes it's hard to tell if Trump is being combative and illogical because he's progressing towards dementia or if it's just his personality which has been awful for as long as it's been recorded. He's the real-world embodiment of the quote by Douglas Adams:

• “In other words - and this is the rock-solid principle on which the whole of the Corporation's Galaxywide success is founded - their fundamental design flaws are completely hidden by their superficial design flaws.” ― Douglas Adams, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Poor countries paying the price for the unrestrained greed of others. Even European countries recorded thousands of excess deaths due to heat waves in the last few years, so much poorer countries like Mali are going to be especially vulnerable. Plus, if the ocean heat records being set or climate disasters of 2023 are any indication this is just beginning.

Trump may be destroying faith in the American legal system with his constant attacks, but what's been even harder on my faith is the way the various justice departments have handled him and his cases. Trump doesn't (or at least shouldn't) get to decide how or when courts prosecute crimes yet it's rarely been clearer that there's two tiers of treatment.

The wealthy and influential are permitted to avoid consequences in ways a normal citizen never could. In the USA in 2024, we have proof that you can avoid jail time, attack officials, reduce your punishment and delay to your heart's content as long as you are in some way powerful. Even after confessing to your crimes multiple times and being specifically told to stop.

These folks are the modern version of soothsayers that would demand an animal be sacrificed to appease the spirits/gods every time there was an earthquake, flood, etc. It's just linking a horrible event to something they don't like to fabricate a negative association for their superstitious audience.

No worries friend, it's why she was a perfect match for my dad who is a fun guy (fungi).

I can practically hear the rattle of pearls being clutched and gasps of indignation. How much you want to bet Bonnie was getting hers when she was young but that was "just in fun" or "she didn't know better but does now"?

It's ridiculous. Countries like Germany are using censorship techniques from 50 years ago hoping to keep people ignorant when in fact their attempts just draw additional attention. We live in the Information Age - it doesn't matter how many accounts Germany seizes or doctors they detain, the truth of Israeli war crimes in Gaza and who is complicit is going to go public.

Unless it's been surpassed, the world's largest living organism is a 9 square kilometer fungus that's been growing for about 10,000 years.

This just makes Republicans happier (so long as their own kinky affairs are kept quiet).

I'm of the opinion that as long as you aren't hurting yourself or others without consent, do what you want to. The consent thing is important because people will play contact or combat sports, do BDSM stuff, etc. - so long as it's informed go nuts. It's also important because some people can't give informed consent, e.g. kids can't agree to underage sex because they don't know about the harms and are more vulnerable to manipulation.

A couple of years ago I watched a doctor review a video of someone who likes having sex with balloons. The doctor said he would only diagnose that behavior as a problem or illness if it was hurting him or others around him. His argument was if there's no harm and it makes that person happier then what really is the problem? I was initially taken aback because it's weird right? But after some thought it really made sense to me - just because I don't relate doesn't make something bad. I don't have to want to do it myself - there's room in life for multiple (non-harmful) preferences.

One of the most important things to remember about scams is that there's almost never an "act now" urgency with legitimate investigations/actions. Even in cases of crimes where people are arrested on the spot they have the right to talk to a lawyer before anything proceeds legally. The authorities are not contacting groups of citizens over the phone to tell them they'll be arrested/lose everything in 24 hours if they don't comply.

If someone is telling you that you need to do something IMMEDIATELY and you need reassurance, first off realize it's almost certainly a load of crap. Tell them to send their requests to you in writing, hang up, and contact your bank and/or the institutions that are apparently investigating you (CRA, Police, etc.)

How about we just avoid the long arguments and jump to the end:

• Pro-Biden: Biden is only a war criminal. Trump will actually ruin the USA while being no better (or even worse) internationally. It's a loss for no gain. If Trump wins I'm going to blame anyone who voted 3rd party or didn't vote. We need people to vote Biden regardless of their ethical/financial concerns about the billions being sent abroad and how they are being used. It's that important to stop Trump and MAGA.
• Anti-Biden and also Anti-Trump: Democrats never meaningfully change to court any voters left of center. Every 4 years they bank on their Republican opponent being so awful that it scares people into voting Dem because "it's the most important election ever". Biden has crossed the line by participating in Israeli crimes in spite of most Americans wanting otherwise. If he loses you should blame his policy and Democrat apathy to our concerns instead of us - we're sick of having to support the lesser evil. Threatening to vote 3rd party or withholding our vote is the only way left to meaningfully demand change and proper representation of deeply important concerns.
• Pro-Trump: Popcorn time while we watch libs argue and vote for our (literally painted) golden leader to "restore" an impossibly perfect past that never existed. Even if he acts like a dictator for a while sometimes that's what is needed.

There. After so many of these threads I can near guarantee 90%+ will fall roughly into those categories.

It's been a long time since I've seen some of those, but my order:

Bale = West (serious vs. funny, both legends) > Pattison > Affleck > Keaton > Kilmer > Clooney

Priorities. Kill tens of thousands of civilians in a few months = I sleep (until it threatens careers). Blow up oil = serious problem deserving immediate response.

Even if they're only able to get smiling right it would be an improvement.