I was using Reddit Sync. When the API nonsense went down, the Dev announced that they were switching to Lemmy. I’ve stayed on the app and now feel like I’m part of a much richer community. I’m glad to be here.

I’m on my 3rd all achievement run of Into the Breach. Subset is God tier.

It doesn’t matter who the “they” is. Fascists need an enemy. They will construct as they go.

The original trilogy is enjoyable, and The Empire Strikes Back stands out as the strongest of the three.

Andor is top tier, with Rogue One serving as a decent conclusion.

Beyond that, nothing else really leaves a lasting impression for me.

Trump didn’t create the grift. The system that enabled it was built long before he arrived.

Starting with Nixon’s “Southern strategy,” the Republican Party began reshaping political identity around grievance. After the Fairness Doctrine was repealed in 1987, partisan media like talk radio and Fox News grew without the obligation to present balanced perspectives. The Citizens United ruling in 2010 then opened the door to unlimited political spending, allowing well-funded groups to amplify fear-based messaging at scale. The Tea Party movement reinforced the idea that the threat came from within, not just from ideological opponents.

Over time, this narrative produced an ever-shifting villain: sometimes “liberals,” sometimes “socialists,” often just “them.” Orwell captured the mechanism in Animal Farm: “Whenever anything went wrong it became usual to attribute it to Snowball.”

Trump didn’t invent that scapegoat. He inherited it, and then he turned the volume up.

To us, the grift is obvious. But for many, decades of messaging eroded trust in institutions and made the fear feel real. The lie works not because it persuades, but because it offers comfort.

Understanding that history doesn’t excuse it. It reminds us the machinery was built before Trump and will remain if we only confront the man instead of the system that produced him.

In the 90s, especially in high school environments, homophobia wasn’t just common, it was socially reinforced. Gay was used as an insult, casually and constantly. People rarely questioned it. Teachers didn’t intervene unless things turned violent, and even then, the issue addressed was the aggression, never the prejudice. It was an era when appearing different, even slightly, could make you a target. Most people avoided standing out if they could help it.

During that time my grandma gave me a pink terrycloth nightgown. On her it was a nightgown, but on me it fit more like a long shirt. I thought it was amusing and comfortable, so I wore it regularly without giving it much weight.

Each time someone hurled gay slurs at me, I replied, “I’m secure enough not to care what other people think. Can you say the same?” They usually followed up with more immature remarks, which I’d call out too. The problem wasn’t what I wore, it was that I wasn’t afraid to wear it.

Audio Visual! My job is so much fun!

It’s like those scam emails that are obviously fake. The sloppy writing isn’t by mistake. It filters out the people who would question it, leaving only those who don’t read carefully or think critically. What seems like incompetence is the strategy.

This ad works the same way.

“Never think twice about doing what’s right” sounds like a call for decisiveness, but it’s a call for impulsivity. If you never think twice, you never pause to consider whether what you’re being asked to do is actually right. You never weigh legality. You never examine morality. You simply obey.

They’re not looking for people who act ethically. They’re looking for people who won’t question.

They don’t want judgment. They want compliance.

If you stopped to think about what this ad implies, you’ve already proven you’re not the kind of person they’re trying to recruit.

I’ve found more genuine and enlightening conversations here in two years than I ever did in Reddit. They can have that trashcan. I’m having fun here without them.

Absolutely! The opinions you see on platforms like Lemmy or Reddit don’t necessarily reflect the views of the actual target market. Many of those users are casual gamers. These are people who own a phone and an Xbox, and that’s the extent of their gaming experience.

That market is HUGE. Valve is offering accessibility, convenience, and comparable (to consoles) performance without the complexity of PC gaming. I think it’s a fantastic move, and I’m genuinely excited to see it succeed. I have long wanted to play with more of my work friends who fall into this category.

I’ve heard of Supercommunicators! Haven’t read it yet, but I really love that these kinds of books exist because they reinforce something I genuinely believe: communication isn’t a personality type, it’s a skill.

Some people come by it naturally, and others learn it deliberately. Both paths lead to meaningful connection.

And small talk fits right into that. Even if it feels awkward or draining at first, practicing simple things like curiosity, open questions, and responding to what someone shares gradually makes it feel more intuitive and more rewarding over time.

I’m glad the book has been helpful for you! Anything that breaks communication down into a learnable skill is a gift.

You’re definitely not the only one who feels that way. I actually love what some of the others pointed out to you here. People bond over frustrations, stress, annoyances, and “downer things” far more than we give them credit for. Shared struggle is one of the strongest human connectors.

But you’re also right that unloading everything at once would feel overwhelming, to you and them. The key is exactly what folks have said here: small doses.

Something like: “Honestly it’s been a rough week, but I’m getting through it.”

That doesn’t make you look bad,it makes you look real. It creates space for the other person to say something like, “Yeah, same here,” or, “I hear you.”

And here’s the surprising part: Feeling heard doesn’t double the stress it usually decreases it.

Two people acknowledging something tough doesn’t weigh both down, it often makes the load feel shared, understood, and a little lighter.

Small talk isn’t about dumping or fixing. It’s about tiny human signals that say: “Hey, I’m here too. Life’s tough. We’re both trying.”

You don’t have to sugarcoat your life. You just practice finding those small, balanced ways of sharing that open connection instead of shutting it down. Like any skill, it feels awkward at first, but it gets easier and very rewarding with time.

I really appreciate you sharing this so openly. I want to say upfront that you’re not unusual for feeling this way. A lot of people find small talk draining, unnatural, or mildly stressful. You’re definitely not alone in that. It’s totally natural to struggle with the energy it takes.

And you’re right: you shouldn’t force yourself into situations that overwhelm you or pretend to be endlessly curious. Most people don’t naturally like small talk. For a lot of us, it’s something we get more comfortable with only through small, low-pressure repetitions.

But here’s the piece I think is worth considering, and the reason small talk is actually valuable even for people who don’t enjoy it: small talk sends the exact signals you said you want people to receive.

You mentioned wishing you could carry a certificate saying “I’m safe; I’m trustworthy; you don’t need to be on guard around me.” That’s exactly what small moments of casual conversation do.

Most people don’t build their sense of who’s safe through deep conversations. They build it through dozens of tiny, low-stakes interactions where someone shows calmness, presence, or a small bit of warmth. Small talk is the first rung on that ladder. It’s how people subconsciously decide:

• “Okay, this person is normal.”
• “This person is steady.”
• “This person is okay to talk to.”

You don’t need big enthusiasm or real interest to start. Just the smallest signals. Each tiny exchange builds a little more ease for you, because people who feel safe around you treat you differently. That’s the payoff. That’s the value.

And practicing small talk bit by bit isn’t a chore so much as an investment. It’s a skill, one you grow into at your own pace. It quietly makes the rest of social life smoother, because the foundation becomes easier to lay. Even a brief moment of acknowledgment, a nod, a short comment, a simple reply, can be meaningful without draining you.

There’s no pressure to push past your limits. Comfort matters. But if you ever decide to experiment with very small doses, it can become a tool that supports you rather than exhausts you. And the good part is: it really does get easier the more tiny reps you get under your belt.

I hear you and honestly, those answers are exactly what most people would say. You are being honost and, honestly, most people aren’t naturals at this. It’s a learned skill, not a personality trait.

That said, small talk isn’t really about coming up with something you find interesting. It’s more about stepping a little outside your own head and giving the other person something to work with. It’s giving them permission to show you which direction they want the conversation to go.

Think of small talk like a nudge that invites someone else to open a door. It’s not supposed to feel profound to you at first! The goal is to offering a tiny thread for them to tug on. Some people don’t and that’s fine. Some do! Maybe they relate to hating work, maybe they tell you how they unwind, maybe they joke back. You don’t know and that is where things can be fun!

Today, saw a guy walking down the hallway where I was working. He had a shirt with a movie I recognized on it. I said “I love that shirt bud! Great movie!” He said “Aww thanks! I got it a few weeks back and…”

He ended up stopping and we chatted for a moment about the director and other films.

Now, he could have just nodded and walked past. That is fine! It wasn’t about my satisfaction! But when he bit and replied, I made a friend out of a stranger.

The skill is in giving the other person a starting point and then being curious about where they take it. That takes practice, especially when it doesn’t come naturally. It will feel awkward at first and may even be painful, but that is the same with all learned skills. Sucking at something is just the first step towards being sort of good at something. The more you do it, the more you start to notice small sparks you wouldn’t have seen before.

It’s not about you being interesting, it’s about being curious about other people and their interests. And that’s a skill anyone can strengthen, one low-pressure exchange at a time.

“Small talk” is actually one of the most powerful tools for connection we have. It’s not meaningless chatter; it’s the doorway into deeper understanding.

The trick isn’t to say the most interesting thing in the room or ask interesting questions, it’s to be interested.

When you ask someone, “How’s your day going?” or “What’s been keeping you busy lately?” and actually listen to their answer, you’re signaling that you care about their world. That’s the quiet magic of small talk: it turns strangers into people, and people into friends.

Start simple. Ask open questions that invite reflection instead of yes or no answers. Things like:

“How’s work treating you this week?”

“What’s something you’ve been enjoying lately?”

“Do you like slow days or do they make you restless?”

Then, build on what they share. Match their tone. Add your own small experiences (“I know what you mean, I kind of love quiet days too”). These little back-and-forth moments help conversations feel easy and balanced.

The value of small talk isn’t in the words themselves, it’s in the attention you give others. Over time, these small exchanges build trust, warmth, and familiarity. They’re how relationships begin, how empathy grows, and how we remind each other that we’re seen.

So don’t underestimate small talk. Practice curiosity. Ask, listen, share. Every person you meet carries a piece of the story you haven’t heard yet, and small talk is how you start uncovering it.

You make an excellent point. Anyone requiring “/s” to recognize sarcasm must indeed be an idiot. After all, tone, intent, and context are inherent in written text. When prose is clear and precise, misinterpretation simply doesn’t occur. The reader’s failure to perceive subtext is a personal shortcoming, not a limitation of the medium. It’s comforting to know that digital communication, unlike speech, conveys irony with perfect fidelity. Truly, misunderstanding is only for morons.

Plumbing is a noble trade.

This needs more context.

This temporary order was issued by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. It doesn’t address the merits of the case. It’s a procedural step meant to preserve the status quo. The order only lasts through the weekend and is designed to give the appeals court time to review the issue and issue its own decision, likely on Monday.

In the context of the 2025 government shutdown, it’s a remarkably strategic and symbolic move. By issuing even a short stay, Justice Jackson ensures that it is drawing public attention to the fact that the Trump administration is actively trying to block those payments. It’s a cautious legal action with enormous practical and political impact.

Honestly, given her position on the court, it’s a brilliant move that leans into the spirit of the Democrats fight.

This isn’t satire. Do we need to start posting onion articles in “not the onion”?

He thinks that his messaging of blaming the Democrats is working. The worse things get, the better he thinks that messaging becomes. He knows his base will never know or care what he is doing, only that he says it’s the Democrats fault.

This is literally a winning strategy from his perspective.

Cruelty is literally the point.