So does this judge think ChatGPT isn’t causing enough suicides, and it needs some help? She’s not old enough to be this out of touch.

The fact that only two apps were removed has me suspecting there may be a reason other than them being LGBT. Obviously it’s possible they left up other apps so that they could point to them and say they aren’t being homophobic, but I’m not sure that’s the case.

One Chinese-language article speculated that the reason for the removal is that these are social media apps which don’t have real-name authentication. (https://www.bluezz.net/2025/11/09/50291.html)

According to another it was announced in September that there would be a crackdown on social media in general. (https://www.rfi.fr/cn/中国/20251111-苹果证实-中国要求下架两款风行的男同约会app)

A CNN article says that “compliance issues” and “vulgar content” are the reason. For context, steamy makeout scenes are not allowed on Chinese TV, and I imagine saucy selfies could be considered a violation. (https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/china/china-gay-dating-apps-removed-intl-hnk)

While I’m not trying to argue that China is a super cool supportive place for queer people, I am open to the idea that this has nothing to do with it, and that Western media is very happy to have anything negative to report about China.

If eating cow patties is offlimits, would mosquito patty also be considered meat?

Yes, insects are animals and their exploitation and/or killing is therefore rejected under veganism.

They don’t necessarily need to be trolling. I completely understand the passion and don’t exactly disagree with them. Most people aren’t consuming meat as a necessary evil; they’re often consuming it in excess because it’s enjoyable, even when they already understand the horrors of factory farming. It’s upsetting and frustrating and I just want to do what I think is most likely to improve the situation.

What I mean is that I don’t have any control over whether it dies. People want to eat it, and they are not amenable to the idea they shouldn’t. But they are amenable to the idea that it shouldn’t be tortured beforehand. Reduction of harm is always good even if it’s not perfect.

I also said I’m not sure that it’s possible for everyone to live healthfully without consuming some animal products. I personally haven’t been able to maintain a vegan diet for longer than two months any of the many times I’ve tried, so I’m not in a position to lecture anyone on what they eat.

Overall, I think a baby steps approach is the most realistically achievable path to a potential future of zero harm. (I don’t say vegan here because I don’t object to symbiotic forms of exploitation such as pet ownership or beekeeping.)

I don’t feel 100% confident in the idea that everyone can be vegan. I do encourage everyone to consume as little animal products as is realistic for them, but not everyone is interested in doing so. If the pig has to die I would rather it live a happy life than for it to sit in cramped conditions or a solitary cell with no physical or mental stimulation.

There’s a difference between protecting yourself from a parasite species which spreads deadly diseases and torturing an intelligent being for no reason. Happy animals taste better, you know.

Dragonflies.

I do, because I have to pay my electricity bill. I also turn off lights and run things like laundry later at night.

It happened to me. My skin was chronically dry and painful my whole adult life, but I’m magically normal on T. I also sweat more and have to wash my face multiple times a day.

It also really helped my emotional regulation not by changing my emotions, but moderating how intense they feel. It takes a lot more to make me cry now. Stopping the menstrual cycle was part of that as well, and I’ve not had a single yeast infection or hagfish attack on T.

I sometimes joke to myself that I’m just faking the whole trans thing to gain access to these treatments.

Slowly realizing The Thought probably isn’t very related anyway and probably no one ever likes hearing all the dumb shit you have to say.

It’s 297 more times.

*looks at comment history*

Good god.

I don’t see a problem with giving someone a shout-out under an otherwise topical post. Stamets has been providing me with a steady stream of quality memes, and I appreciate that.

If you ask me what my favorite X is, I immediately forget 90% of things I like and become the Family Feud answer board. I can think of all the TV shows I keep meaning to watch while I’m at work, but the moment I get home I’m like “Man, I wish there were some good TV shows I could watch. I could really go for getting immersed in a series. Too bad nothing like that exists.”

I bet torpedoes are pretty good for killing whales.

Because they’re sterile, they can’t spread to other regions.

That really should have been obvious, lol.

I think that would wipe out the target species if it were effective. I know they have GMO mosquitoes whose bodies will kill particular pathogens rather than spread them, and I feel like that’s a safer idea. But maybe the species which target humans aren’t ecologically important; I don’t really know.

I don’t understand how a flying insect can be kept out of an area. Do you have a strategy in mind?

I don’t know whether any particular medication helps, but you can get into the habit of setting an alarm for X duration and just allowing yourself to enjoy an activity until the timer goes off. A lot of managing ADHD is setting rules and a schedule and doing your best to stick to it. It’s not something you can just wake up and do, but it is something you can get better at over time. It’s important to not be discouraged by failure, which is also a challenge in itself.