Very valid points. And frankly if I’m being honest with myself, I think I know this is ultimately a losing battle, as this is a field where perception is king, and I guess I’m really just venting my frustration with the situation. I think we’re mostly all frustrated with it honestly, but it’s a bell we can’t really un-ring, so here we are. Cheers.

Yeah I’m not defending AI output here, it absolutely follows awful and easily recognizable tropes. I’m just trying to fight against the current “em dash = AI” bullshit because, again, real people use real grammar. And people have been using non-LLM spelling & grammar checks which push syntax like em dashes forever; are we to assume that people suddenly stopped using these non-“smart” tools?

Rally against AI slop all you want, I support you, it’s just the promotion of the dumbed down reductive takes like em dashes or semicolons are indicative of AI.

Real people use em dashes — the models were trained on real human output after all — so this new crusade against em dashes as the Mark of Beast for AI has always been and continues to be silly.

I mean as a guy I think the dude looks easily 100x better in the “before” pic. I don’t know who this dude is at all, but that before pic is already a perfectly comfortable, healthy-looking body. Before looks approachable and friendly, while still healthy. After looks high-effort and very motivated; that’s a lot for some people. A lot of people want somebody they can relax on the couch with popcorn with, not somebody who is gonna wake up every 6am to go running.

Truth. I feel silly having brand loyalty to a flour brand, but I do. I think King Arthur puts out fresher, better flour, and I think their recipes and website are super solid. Legitimately a fan of a flour brand, lol.

Not if you tell the officer that you’re a cop too and you were screaming “Wee-ooo-wee-ooo” so you’re allowed to speed too, then they have to let you go.

Yep, exactly what confirmed it for me

Imo it looks like the back wall of a Spencer’s-type novelty shop rather than a sex shop

This is a small one, but can you please make it so that all menu descriptions actually list all the major dish components so I’m never surprised by secret onions or mustard again?

Edit: oh no I’ve been reading your monkey’s paw responses… You’re gonna make restaurants disclose everything clearly but ensure that onions and mustard are in every dish from now on, aren’t you?

I’m glad you’re out here correcting people. I’m definitely a layman, but as I see it the entire concept of the Vanguard is immediately antithetical to communism, so I think Leninism is at best a bastardization of Marxist communism. Again, at least as far as my very uneducated opinion goes based on my understanding

Sure, if you don’t mind some random top of mind recommendations.

For 90s alt/grunge fans, I definitely recommend the latest album by Scowl, ‘Are We All Angels’:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0zDdwRsOg2sVvOFpjEOtHs

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/scowl/are-we-all-angels/

80s synth is pretty broad, so let me give you two fairly different recommendations and see where you land with them. First off, I’m gonna reach back a little bit to 2020 to recommend ‘Monsters’ by The Midnight, a great album by a great band:

https://open.spotify.com/album/1WKMbxcldmwnXaCIGgEpUW

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-midnight/monsters/

But if you’re talking the more kind of pop-influenced, singer/songwriter side of 80s synth, I’m actually gonna recommend a really small release to you, ‘It Ain’t Too Late For One More Ride’ by indie musician Calvero:

https://open.spotify.com/album/6i5MYveOM35x8twOhfpYim

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/calvero/it-aint-too-late-for-one-more-ride/

I do consider myself a bit of a music buff and I listen to an incredibly broad range of genres and styles, but I will confess that rave music isn’t one of my specialties. But a couple quick recommendations that might fall in the same rough proximity:

First off I dig the chillout beach party vibes of some of the tracks by artist “elsaaa” on Spotify, mostly the songs on the top of her popular section:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0l9ymNLUakebec39MWLAuE

I also like a bit of ARMNHMR, but they’re not super new so if you’re into EDM/rave music you may already know them:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0P2bZXPyjHYRW4guHVAFl1

If you just want some fun dance music that’s very modern, and you have any openness to metal, may I recommend a few tracks by the very excellent and very fun Electric Callboy, with the caveat that this is not rave music and may potential be a stretch for you:

Electric Callboy - Everytime We Touch (TEKKNO Version):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuBXeF5acqE

Electric Callboy - PUMP IT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnzkhQsmSag

Electric Callboy - WE GOT THE MOVES:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1NdGBldg3w

Again, these are just quick top of mind recommendations, so if they don’t hit for you or you want more recommendations, let me know and I can think on it a bit longer. But if you do check any of it out, feel free to let me know what you think!

I’ll never understand this. I’m 40 and I’m still actively seeking out new music and listen to vastly more new releases than anything 5+ years old.

Of course I understand everyone has “their thing” and music happens to be my thing, so I understand the additional interest in my case, but the alternative just seems so damn boring to me…