I wouldn’t say I heap them in together. At times in my life I have rejected a belief in anything ‘higher’, which fits your definition of atheism, although perhaps my mindset was closer to an agnostic atheist stance, which to me is more along the lines of ‘I don’t believe, but I can’t be certain as there’s a limit to my knowledge’, as opposed to being a strong proponent of the belief that there is nothing beyond death.

I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say it’s all baseless. It could just as easily be the passing down of allegorical tales — stories seeded by some guiding or controlling force countless generations ago in our collective development. There are even arguments for things like a collective consciousness or sub-atomic networks, suggesting that our linear experience of time might just be a way of processing information.

Honestly, who really knows? But speaking as someone who has oscillated between Christianity, Buddhism, and atheism in my youth, I’ve come to see atheism as just as much of a limiting dogma as any other belief system.

As a UK citizen at the ripe old age of 47, who has always been fairly left wing but has definitely become jaded with all politics and less engaged than ever, I can honestly say I’d never heard of the guy until this week.

However, from widespread media exposure this week, it’s hard not to conclude that he was basically one of the many grifters that seem to be riding high in the US. There seems to be club of them who disingenuously tap into the unfocused frustrations of many Americans, charismatically providing easy answers and appointing blame, seemingly motivated by nothing more than their own self-interest.

That said, I can’t take pleasure in seeing someone die. I haven’t and will not watch the video. I don’t think it’s a healthy to be entertained watching another humans life brutally end.

I get the need to be left alone. That said, when moving to a new city, I found work was actually a good place to meet people and some (but far, far from all) of my former co-workers remain life-long friends.

It may sound twee, but I feel that so many people not being neuro-typical is the spice in the mix of humanity. The best artists, creators, inventors, musicians, comedians, writers, poets, engineers, philosophers… are mostly neuro-divergent to some extent (on a spectrum, if you will).

I’m in my late 40s and I’ve only recently learned about ‘masking’. I assumed everyone had multiple personalities they wore for different people. Apparently not. I assumed everyone could clearly visualise things in their mind. I assumed everyone had a song playing in their head most of the time, as well as an internal monologue. Apparently not.

I get by pretty well. I’m undiagnosed with some sort of ‘ism’ I guess, but who knows. If there’s no treatment as such then there’s no rush for diagnosis in my case.

Some of these things are not like the others :-)

I fully agree. At this point I’d take my TARDIS back to Berlin in the summer of 1940 if I could get a free, all expenses trip.

I’ll see your Brighton and raise you Blackpool.

15 years, married for 13.

I think it’s a bit of a cunty outlook. I have some sympathy for the childfree brigade, as I understand society can make you feel bad (if you let it) for not having kids. But then again, I wasn’t a dad until I was 38 and never experienced any negativity for that decision. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Essentially I dislike any mindset that judges others for their procreative choices.

ITT: a lot of folk buying tech. Including me.

Retro gaming thing the size of a game boy from Temu. Probably not great for the planet, but it was £23…

Not gonna lie, the food in Spain is tremendous. And yes, historically our recipes have been bland (but with decent produce). Post WW2 staples were dreadful. But we’re a fairly multicultural clubtry now, so Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Thai etc are all on the menu these days.

Ha, you’ve no idea what you’re talking about, Amigo. North Sea fish from the waters of Shetland is amazing. Shetland lamb, Scottish Beef. Google it. I suspect it shits all over the drugged up fodder served in American cities :-)

My wife still uses reddit now and then, but I can’t because I’m banned :-/

I live in the UK. Tonight we had fresh haddock and chips, caught locally. Yesterday we had lamb curry, made with locally sourced lamb. Local produce is abundant, and high quality. How you cook it is up to you, but we also have some of the best chefs in the world.