MeowZedong

joined 2 years ago
[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago (3 children)

You really like them? I got issued one for work and am not a fan.

The power button on these things is in the least intuitive spot and I've had lots of weird driver issues causing hardware to fail intermittently. Specs look good on paper, but the experience has been really lacking. The moment I can swap, I think I will.

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago

Sometimes everything is paid for by the research group, including salaries, and utilities and facilities management is also charged back to the group by the university. The way those funds are allocated varies by institution and some are stingy as fuck, running "like a business."

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 month ago

They usually don't know about institutional indirect costs and how they often run around 50% of the research funding in the US.

For those not in the know, that's an extra 50% that you need to add to the funds you apply for that will just go to the college to use for whatever they want. Research groups often don't see any of this invested back into their facilities and grad students often need to apply for their own external funding to make a high enough wage just to scrape by.

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 month ago

Yes. I think it was pretty wide-spread.

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 1 month ago

Or join an instance they don't like and they curate themselves for you. :)

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 1 month ago

Join a different instance, there are ones that are more curated for different regions in the world. Lemmy.world is very US centric and essentially a carbon cut-out of reddit. Lots of redditors migrate there and try to maintain that type of culture on the instance, so they also got many of the most toxic complainers condensed from mass reddit exoduses.

The fediverse is meant to be explored and it may take you a month or two to find where you like best.

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 month ago

Like I said, it's not the healthy choice, but I'm also not going to demonize a person for having the occasional sweet drink.

A much better hill to die on is the systemic use of known carcinogens in products that we come in contact with everyday as well as the dumping of even worse materials into the environment that make their way into our bodies via the water we drink and the air we breathe. You don't get to choose whether you are exposed to these things.

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I think the consensus on health effects of artificial sweeteners is unclear so long as you only consume a reasonable amount. There are plenty of other synthetics in highly processed foods that are much more concerning.

That said, water is obviously healthier.

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago

At least one company made a soylent, it's just not soylent green. Not sure if it contains soy or lentils.

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 2 months ago (5 children)

If this is a simulation, it's more likely that every student must experience the same life so that they have an equal understanding of the material. I can also see an alternative where there are a select number of simulated individuals rather than a single one, but it seems much simpler to only use one for ease of development and standardization.

This means the babies that die too early to experience the simulation properly are not students. If the point is also to teach students about life under capitalism and the necessity for socialism, it follows that having this realization during the simulated lifetime is a necessary part of the curriculum. I also know that I am conscious and experiencing the world from my personal perspective.

For these three reasons, I've come to the conclusion that I am likely the life being simulated, meaning all of you are a part of the simulation and have no real consciousness or agency. Even if I only have the illusion of agency, I am the only consciousness being experienced and the most real thing about the simulation.

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I saw this in a comment on HB a while back and while the title may not describe you, they discussion about gender within it may be helpful.

How important is your gender identity to you?

Personally, my gender means nothing to me, but I didn't know that for a very long time. I wanted to live my life how I wanted, like what I wanted, present myself how I wanted, but that often contradicts what others expect from me. I've always been frustrated by how much attention others have put on my gender, using it as a weapon to put me down, exclude me, or say I can't do something. To this day it is used to saddle me with expectations I don't want, exclude me from support I need, and judge my platonic relationships with others. It feels like a nose that just won't leave my asshole alone.

You can present yourself in ways and enjoy things that fit outside of the box that others seek to place you in and many people will punish you for this. That's a failure on their part, not yours. From the outside, I appear to be a "normal man" but that is just a shallow description based upon stereotypes that people use to try to understand me. That is not me and that has no bearing on who I am. Only I can define who I am.

For me, trying to fit within the "boxes" of labels is stressful because it feels like I'm masking myself for others, trying to fit their expectations rather than being true to myself. Today, I typically reject these labels and just do what fits me and I am much happier for this. It took me until my thirties to embrace being myself but this does not mean I stopped changing or never question myself. Questioning yourself is how you grow.

Back to you...

Maybe it's a good moment to step back and think about what is important to you. Why are you so focused on your gender identity? Why is it important: is that importance coming from within you or is it a reaction to the world you live in and other people? Are you struggling with other things in life that you cannot control and looking for something you can control?

Exploring these sorts of questions so that you better understand yourself. I'm partially projecting here because I think people have a tendency to get wrapped up in finding labels and fitting in a bit too much. Remember: labels can be helpful for understanding yourself, but they should not define you. People change as they progress through life and identities can change. Questioning yourself is perfectly normal. The answers you come up with to the questions above are valid and don't need to match mine. They need to be a reflection of you.

Your comment about being excited to start hormones but then losing that enthusiasm after your first shot makes me think there might be something else going on? You also may be right in that its just the realities of the journey/nerves setting in. I defer help on that question to someone who is trans and has that experience. Maybe a post asking about others' insecurities when deciding to transition and when beginning that process would give you some insight on how to figure this out?

The most important part of finding peace is to be true to yourself. You can change, you can be inconsistent, you can be unsure, you can fit outside of all the boxes, but you can also fit inside them too. I think you should spend some time reflecting on yourself: explore your emotions and motivations before you continue until you know what you want and why you want it. Read the comments in the HB thread Queercommie shared. If you have the means, seek out a therapist that you feel comfortable with (it took me a few therapists before finding one that fit me) and use their help to explore and better understand yourself (not to get their opinion on your gender). Therapy is not a quick process, but you can't be true to yourself if you don't know and understand yourself. Having some guidance and an impartial person to talk to and ask questions makes this easier.

Most importantly, know that as your comrades we will support you and respect the choices you make even if that means you need to spend some time trying out different things to figure out what best suits you. Our solidarity is not dependent on your gender identity and we will stand by you no matter who you decide you are.

[–] MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Hormones influence some of the most basic functions in the body, including your "internal thermostat" and metabolism, so it's not too surprising you are getting what feel like strange side effects such as shivering. Chills are a known side effect of estradiol and other hormone treatments but it shouldn't be a dangerous one.

The leg cramps could be caused by both the EE and/or the MCT, but (this is where my experience ends) there are many people who say it's more a matter of your technique when administering. If you haven't looked into proper technique, there are videos on YouTube that could help. I've also heard that subcutaneous injections are less painful for some people.

I saw you told your parents the other day too I think?

Congrats, I hope things continue to go well!

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