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Disease. The assumption that it's a choice comes first from the assumption that all persons are inherently rational actors. One observation of the world at large shatters that theory like a glasshouse in an avalanche. If a person is raised to normalize (or worse, idolize) liquor, tobacco, LSD...

They're whatever is either... Most appropriate for the story at hand, Decided upon by dice roll. Part of becoming a mature writer is getting past the squeamishness of writing the opposite sex (or any gender for that matter). You can't fill a book with only clones of yourself, you gotta...

On the original topic: Making jokes about any minority group requires several social factors to be considered. Generally, I try to live by the rule that any humour of mine has to punch up, not down. Don't aim to make jokes at the expense of a victim group, make jokes at the expense of the group...

I haven't had writer's block in years since it isn't real. ;) Still, to spur myself into writing, I just think about all the work I've left undone and all the things I'd like to say/share. If I want to brainstorm some scenes, music is pretty great for that, though for writing I switch to...

Make writing into a fulltime obsession and/or become obsessed with consuming as much knowledge to better the world as I could. I couldn't just sit and passively consume entertainment. It would rot my mind and soul in equal measure and leave a taste of ashes in my mouth. I must be productive to...

Well, I got hit with it (Coronavirus) back in April and it had a party in my lungs with my asthma. It was... an interesting experience.

Just defund the police and start over. They're so comically corrupt that the only solution is taking away all of their toys and paycheques and reinvesting them into superior, multifaceted solutions. (Eg: Take some of that funding and put it into mental healthcare and hand over responsibility for...

This'll be my last response for the time being, and then I'll go get some tea and maybe reply again sometime later. :p Less paranoia and more framework oriented. If guns are dangerous (which they are) then have a methodology in place of educating, licencing, and limiting them. You can reduce...

It's dysfunctional, yes, but my point is that ripping away its power isn't going to help it. It can't combat corporations without the power to do so, same with lobbyists and so forth. That takes give and take, but this is getting off topic, so I'll put the pin back in that grenade. :p lil' bit...

Well, at least that was clarified. I'll respond to what I can, but I try to avoid political statements--moreso aim for facts. Actually, Switzerland has a ton of gun control compared to America. Here's a source on that, though it's not in English, so I'll translate a few points for you. All...

I'm uh... I'm gonna need a citation on that one, doc.

Tiered licencing, just like driver's licences. This... Allows easier dissemination between types of gun owners--sport, hunting, collectors, so forth. Allows greater levels of funding for a semi-independent commission to handle the statistics on guns and gun violence. Enforces training classes...

Used to, when I was younger. Then I grew as a writer, began to see plots less as a restriction and more as a set of goalposts & guidelines, a natural evolution on the idea of "in the moment" creation. Improv is a powerful tool, and you can train it well in a guideless, plotless, in the moment...

That's perfectly fair. I misinterpreted your points then, as I wasn't sure what you meant by "they shouldn't vote." Now that's been sufficiently clarified for me to understand. Your disclaimer at the top is well warranted. :p Thanks for the discussion. I agree that education is the way to go...

I think they should. Primarily, because I think each prospective captain should have the opportunity to argue persuasively why it is that they know best how to run the ship. The one that can best explain their version of running the ship, deserves to run the ship. If your argument is not...

How do you think people get educated? Experience, and having systems that support them getting that experience. Whether that's a public education system (largely absent outside of democracies), a strong set of post secondary educations (supported by the strong economy noted above), and the...

Yes. Democracy always, and forever, even if it produces inconvenient idiots. Let's examine three sets of statistics in the real world. #1: Poverty. #2: Murder. #3: Life Expectancy. Y'know, I'm noticing a pattern here. Europe and North America pretty consistently remain the least shitty...

@Night ও An inspiring and wise reply. You're a cool cat, Night.

You need some happy dinosaurs in your life. As for this, I won't get into my usual diatribes about the human condition. You deserve empathy, not a lesson. That being said, I only ask that you not judge all with the same brush of experience that you use with your father. Human beings are far...

The meaning of life is what you make of it, and little more. I suppose to put it in a scientific sort of poetry: All that which is, was once within the womb of a star, that died giving birth to the rest of the universe. The components that comprise a human body are common biochemical reactions...