I think the general population of humans struggle to recognize, understand, and address large scale threats.

There’s the scientific community that’ll try to explain these issues to the general public in simplistic term. But they’re often overruled by dumb idiots in charge who store snowballs in their freezer as proof that climate change isn’t real.

There’s a belief that humanity needs to be brought to the edge of extinction to realize how bad things really are and to get their shit together. I don’t believe humanity would be willing to save itself from extinction as it’s just not profitable to do so.

To conservatives, any porn viewing is a “porn addiction.” That’s their line.

Porn addiction is not on that line, not even close.

The perception of time can feel different from person to person and emotional state to emotional state.

…BlueSky does not have any federalization technologies built into it, meaning it’s just another centralized platform, and thus vulnerable to the same things that make modern social media so horrible.

Ask your average social media user what any of that means and you’ll get blank stares.

Can confirm with the old thinkpads. They’re not great for gaming, but the keyboard, track pack, and eraser head are solid for writing and other office-like work.

I have an idea for an invention, but I don’t have the tools or materials to make it, nor do I have the proper space to make it. I have blueprints drawn and experts consulted on design, but not the means to actually do it.

That property has more rights and protections than people do.

The value of human life, in reality, is much lower than I thought it would be.

Laws and rights are only as good as the people & mechanisms that enforce them. A piece of paper doesn’t protect you, people do.

That people often prefer a comforting delusion over the truth, even if it hurts them in the long run.

I sort of see the appeal of having kids, but I can barely keep things together for myself. There’s no way I can support myself and kids. Even with my boyfriends income and mine, it’s just not realistic.

This is why I don’t use my real name on the internet, nor do I post selfies.

Enlisting in the military.

I was an insufferable piece of shit back in the day, constantly self sabotaging and blaming everyone else for the problems I caused. The military gave me the swift kick in the ass that I desperately needed.

Now I can self reflect and recognize when the problem is me, and I can admit when I’m wrong and course correct.

As a welder, quality doesn’t come cheap or fast. A lot of work goes into my work. Even if all I’m doing is welding Part A to Part B, a lot of research, prep, and planning goes into it.

I need to know what the base material is, the base metal thickness, I need to clean the HAZ, I need to protect everything near the HAZ. I need to actually weld it and clean it for repaint.

A good welder plans to have their welds last the lifespan of the thing being welded on. If I’m welding a car frame together, I’m going to make damn sure they’re good long-lasting welds that resist corrosion. Those welds will outlive the car itself.

Unfortunately this is everywhere. I work as a welder at a large shipyard, and we have the same drama.

We have a female welder who steals tools and personal items from others, then cries “Christian persecution” when she experiences any consequences for her actions. Shockingly, it works and she’s never punished or arrested. They do make her give the items back, so that’s something.

We have the MAGA crazies who vandalize company property with their dumb political / sexist / racist / homophobic crap. They just recently vandalized & destroyed one of the few female bathrooms with a sledgehammer. Shipyard police are still “*looking into it.” I now have to either use a gross porta-potty or walk a mile to use a real bathroom.

We have a ton of anti-vaxxers who believe some of the most batshit crazy things. Though, the more hard-core ones were fired some time ago. The ones who complied and wore a mask got to stay.

This is just human nature. This is what you get when you have two or more people together at one place.

He certainly exercises his free speech to lie about his advocacy for free speech.

Holding a belief and acting on said belief are very different things.

There are crazies who believe certain types of people they don’t like should be exterminated, but so long as they don’t act on those beliefs I don’t consider it horrible or immoral.

I’m a welder, and the general public doesn’t seem to understand why we charge so much for our services. Like, 80% of my work is fit-up, alignment, math, measurements, and work area prep.

All the public sees is “durr, me hot glue metal! All done!” That’s exactly what you get with Jim Bob who owns a welder yet has never trained for it. He’s cheap, his welds are ugly, and they’re likely to fail in the near future.

Honestly, get into the trades. Welders, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc. I went to college to get a business degree and it wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on.

Having a skilled trade, on the other hand, is something that isn’t a job that’s easily shipped overseas. I’m an apprentice welder at a government shipyard and it pays well. Not as much as non-apprentice’s do, but even with just three years under my belt, life is cushy.

I don’t know where you live, but there are government facilities and military bases everywhere. Some offer paid apprenticeship training where they teach you how to do everything while on the clock. I’m in one of those apprentice programs now.

I found this job on USAJOBS.gov. it took a while to get through the hiring process, these jobs are highly coveted. And it’s a lot of work, like really hard sweaty dirty work, but it’s worth it.

I went on to enlist in the military, got out after one enlistment, and eventually became a machinist and shipwright welder. I’m working on my SCUBA & underwater welding qualifications.

In a high-school out in the boondocks of Texas, I was easily the smartest kid. Everyone else was concerned with their parents farm, chores, football, and dating.

Nobody was interested in reading or higher education, and the teachers put no effort into encouraging students to reach higher.

We’re incentivized to lie to our employers. If they ask where we see ourselves in X number of years, any answer rhst doesn’t involve that company is a red flag to management, and likely a reason to terminate your employment.

We live in an age where company loyalty and hard work translating into promotions & higher pay aren’t real things. This is not the 1970s anymore, despite what many of our geriatric politicians say to the contrary.

These days, the only way to get a promotion or a pay raise is to quit and go work for someone else. Employers don’t like to admit it, but that’s the hard truth. There is zero incentive to work hard for, or be loyal to, any company.

I now have infinite patience with essential workers. When they get an order wrong, or they have a bad attitude, I let it go

Shared hobbies are often the best way to get your foot in the door. Book clubs, local events, concerts, charities, and religious locations are a good start.