Update for Everyone IV - Hungover

[DavidB.]

Been vegetarian for a while now. I suppose I always thought the idea that animals had to suffer for my food was problematic, but just didn't think about it and enjoyed my meat; my friends know I love chicken, especially KFC. However, I'd been thinking about it for a while already, especially because the hypothetical idea that I'd visit a slaughterhouse had always been nauseating for me, and if you don't want to see it because it's horrible, then should you perpetuate that? So I had already arrived at the conclusion that I found eating meat (and the idea that animals have to be "produced" and kept on an industrial scale just to be fed and to die) to be fundamentally problematic.

Then I came across the Atlas threads (the discussion with Antonio, but also other threads) in which Alcon made such convincing arguments that I basically didn't think I had any reason not to try it, at least. Bodybuilding is one of my hobbies, so that held me back for a while (I used to eat chicken or beef every day), but I found out I could simply derive my proteins from seeds and nuts instead (and I use creatine). Ebowed helped me out with some tips regarding recipes, and there are so many great recipes online. I now try to cook myself new stuff every day, which is a lot better and a lot more varied than what I used to eat before.

I'm not saying I will never, ever eat meat again, but I will try to keep it up as long as possible and not cook myself any meat anymore. Until now, the amazing thing is that I don't think it has had any disadvantages (granted, apart from the fact that I spend a little more in the supermarket, but I don't think that is absolutely necessary). I'm probably going to be ridiculed a lot by people, but no 1 curr. Meanwhile, I have not engaged in acts that perpetuate the existence of a meat industry I disagree with, I have become a better cook and discovered a lot of great recipes, and I have contributed a little bit to avoiding environmental damage. It also makes it easier to keep kosher.

So I'm happy with my choice and will try to keep it up

[DavidB.]

Today, my parents' municipality confirmed that I'll be counting votes and earning money again, this time in the April 6 referendum. Yay.

[DavidB.]

In April I'll be going to an event with Nigel Farage in the Netherlands for our referendum! Hope to meet him and take a picture with him!

[DavidB.]

I'm going to Raleigh for a week this summer to serve as a page for the NC House of Representatives. Can't wait to meet the GOP caucus clown car, but not looking forward to staying with a host family.

I also got accepted to one of those Washington DC shticks where you tour government buildings and meet with some of the Senators; that should be pretty fun.

Applying for a spot at the DNC with all the other nerdy little political kids is also on the schedule.

Mazal tov!

The downside is that I'll be there on Election Day so I won't be able to watch the full results unless I stay up really late.

This might be true, but it is absolutely no reason not to stay up imo I'm staying up for races that are a lot less important and I'm not even an American, plus I live in an even "worse" timezone. Oh, and congrats on going to London!

[DavidB.]

Might have the opportunity to go to f-ing California this summer, for free

[DavidB.]

UCLA seems to do things a bit differently than what I was used to at Sciences Po. There, papers tended to be long-term project you had several weeks to work on and were expected to write 15-25 pages. Deadlines were usually at midnight.

Here at UCLA, some professors seem to love the "daylong exam" model, when you get your question and have a number of hours (8 in a case, 24 in the other) to answer it. Both end up being hectic for me, though.

That UCLA model is utterly terrible, wow. It would just totally stress me out, even if writing papers has become my second nature (normal polsci grad student). I also don't really like papers of 20+ pages, because the focus will then often be on quantity instead of quality, but at least that's still manageable in terms of stress.

[DavidB.]

Hilariously, you could donate to Bernie's Super PAC, I think.

He doesn't have one, does he?

This should be a no-brainer. Us Americans don't go around donating to political campaigns in the UK.

Uh, yes, they do? Don't know about the UK, but American businessman George Soros just donated 200,000 euros to the "yes" campaign in the upcoming Dutch referendum on the EU and Ukraine. That should of course be illegal, too, and it's out fault for allowing this -- but still your statement is factually incorrect.

[DavidB.]

So I just came back from voting with Dad; very happy to cast my first presidential vote for none other than Donald J. Trump himself.

Fifty-eighth voter at our voting place for the fifty-eighth presidential election

why the hell Trump and not Sanders?

[DavidB.]

Just registered myself at the local uni, so barring something unforeseen, I will be studying a program called "International Economics" - basically a hybrid of business and economy with a special emphasis on English and a second foreign language (Italian for me) - at the university of Innsbruck in autumn.

I'm now wondering on whether to do a second studies as well, and if so (probably), what exactly. I've been thinking about pol-sci, Maths, or maybe also anglistics or any other language studies. Anyone got any advice for me?

Something completely unrelated, friends and I also booked some accomodations + bus tickets for our Iceland trip in July this week. So godamn excited and pumped about that!

Wait, you're still in high school? Also, why Innsbruck and not Vienna?

[DavidB.]

Clicked back to the Atlas homepage, I got this warning message that my computer had been likely infected by a virus, got asked the answers to 2+1 and 1+1. Anyone know of some good free antivirus?

Install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (which is free) in addition to some good free virus scanner like AVG.

[DavidB.]

My wife is pregnant. Did you know you can still be surprised at the news even if you are actively trying to have a baby?

Wow, congratulations!

[DavidB.]

When the term "nice guy" becomes derogatory there's something wrong with the world tbh.

[DavidB.]

I asked my boyfriend to marry me. He said yes.

Congrats!

[DavidB.]

Holy sh**t, that's awesome. Again, congratulations.

[DavidB.]

Apparently, my grandmother was a founding member of the Jewish Defense League.

...

Great honer!

[DavidB.]

Well, I took the GRE today as part of a concurrent master's degree program I'm applying for, and I got 170 on the verbal and quantitative sections, so I'm pretty happy about that.

Congrats!

[DavidB.]

Not being in a relationship does not automatically means a celibacy.

Committing oneself to the lack of one does.

How? You can have sex outside a relationship.

[DavidB.]

Well, I'm back.

See you around.

Great news. Hope you're doing fine?

[DavidB.]

Well, I'm back.

See you around.

Great news. Hope you're doing fine?

Oh, personally (that is, if I don't stop to think about the future of humanity over the next few decades for too long), I'm doing pretty good. I've ended up genuinely enjoying teaching (though definitely not grading!) and hope I'm not too terrible at it.

Most Antonio answer ever! Good to hear you're doing alright personally.