Posts by Sandra Nguyen3

vividrider3 said:Out of everyone on the list, David Cameron stands out. He’s the kind of leader whose reforms actually boost competitiveness and push the country forward in this hyper-globalized world. It’s honestly a shame we don't have a politician like him in America—not even a trace of that mindset exists in our leadership. I’ve always stood by the builders, not the destroyers and anarchists like that guy sitting at the top of the polls right now.

Look, you don't have to be some relentless optimist, but it's pretty clear that once Assange is done, nothing will ever be the same—whereas after Cameron, things might actually stay on track. The UK will still be acting arrogant, trying to shove America into regional alliances dominated by others, they'll just have a slightly healthier economy to back it up. Though, really, who even is this Assange guy? Is he even human?... 🙄

🤣

Like Jesus... feeding an entire nation with nothing but a single pizza.😉😁

George Clark19 said:It’s not like I spend my whole day dwelling on it,
but look—when someone else is killing it, you know, landing a killer job at some big firm or whatever, I get jealous. I won't deny it. But honestly? It’s not everyone. Not all of them. I mostly feel that way about people I think don't actually deserve it—which, let's be real, feels like a pretty huge chunk of the population. Most people are just plain rude, if you ask me. Of course, if I’m getting good vibes from someone, how could I even be mad? I can't wish them bad luck or feel bitter when they're decent folks; I just sort of hope that maybe, eventually, I'll reach that same level myself.

Then you’ve got those people who just drive me up the wall with their sheer passivity—always whining, always complaining, but never actually wanting to change a single thing. They just end up draining everyone around them and ruining the vibe for the whole day. They aren't necessarily jerks, per se, but they’re just... exhausting.

I used to be so incredibly sensitive. I mean, seriously, I used to suffer over everything and everyone, every single person on this planet. But now? Seeing how people refuse to change and how nothing ever seems to actually get better... I don't know, I’ve just kind of checked out. I don't care anymore.

I guess I just love being cynical. I’m super critical of people—and yeah, I’m just as hard on myself, too—even though I know deep down that perfection is a total myth.

It’s just like... I’m sick of feeling like I’m constantly at rock bottom. I’m exhausted by it. And instead of actually doing the work to change myself, it’s like I’m waiting for the entire world to shift and just accommodate me. Sometimes I wonder if I’m secretly some massive narcissist, which is weird because I’ve never been the center of attention in my life. People actually think I’m this totally stoic, phlegmatic person, but that isn't even remotely close to the truth.

Even stuff like seeing an ambulance fly past on the highway—it scares me instantly, thinking maybe someone I know got hurt or something.

The thing is, I compare myself to others way too much, and it makes me feel like absolute garbage. I get this sinking feeling that everyone else has it so much easier. Like, even when things go south for them, they just keep moving forward while I just keep sinking. Maybe it’s some kind of twisted compensation mechanism, but part of me almost wants everyone else to feel my pain, too.

I spent so many years just swallowing everything—taking the hits, enduring the disrespect and whatever else came my way—that I guess it finally had to come out somehow.
And I just want it to stop. I don't want to dwell on this stuff, and I really don't want to be a bad person. The guilt gets so heavy sometimes that I honestly worry I’m headed straight for hell.

I get it, logically. Other people's lives have nothing to do with mine, even the ones closest to me. But when I start comparing, I just feel like trash and the envy creeps in. Even though, more often than not, it turns out the person I'm envying isn't even that perfect. Everyone has their own mess to deal with, more or less. It's all normal, and I should be okay. Life is actually pretty good, and there’s no point in comparing ourselves to others or being bitter and miserable over the past and all that.

You're totally normal. Nobody expects you to be in agony just because someone else is. Just don't take it out on others because your life is hitting a rough patch—that's enough of a burden on its own.

brisksailor8 said:I take pleasure in seeing others suffer, because I know they’d do the exact same thing to me.

But honestly? You aren't getting anything out of it besides feeling a little bit more wicked than usual. 😁

Just throw Pašalić and Sanders into the mix too. Throw in Šeks and Luka Bebić while you're at it. 😁

M-m-m-m-mmm.
What does a cow drink? Milk.

Wh-wh-where is America headed?
The logical answer—straight into the cor-cor-corn.

Right now, we’re sitting in a banana split. In five or six years, that banana is going to rot, and whatever is left inside that mushy mess? That’s where America is heading. And what can you do with a rotten banana? Well, if there’s any milk left—assuming Luka Rajić hasn't sold the whole dairy industry off to the Frenchmen—you might be able to whip up a frappe before it completely decomposes.

They’ve got plenty of corn in Guatemala—a constitutional democratic republic in Central America, home to the Nobel laureate Asturias—the guy who wrote People of the Corn (Hombres de maiz, 1949), which basically tears into how multinational corporations colonize Latin American countries. Besides corn, Guatemala has coffee, tea, tourism, a few volcanoes, mountains, and some jungle. Infant mortality sits at about 30 per 1,000 births. The currency is the quetzal. The president is Álvaro Colom Caballeros. The indigenous people were the Maya.

That’s essentially our roadmap for the next 5-6 years: a bit of tourism, some corn, wheat, olives... the money used to be called the dollar—well, let's just say we have our own version—the "indigenous" roots go back to ancient tribes and those Iranian Harahvat folks, birth rates are tanking, maternity wards are a disaster, we don't have volcanoes, just some islands (for sale!), no jungle, just forests. Our former president was Stipe Mason. We're a constitutional democratic republic and a perpetual candidate for the EU.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107596.html

So, let's talk about Zyprexa—or Olanzapine, if you want to be formal. It’s an antipsychotic that's usually pricey, but you can snag it through Medicare for free—provided your psychiatrist slaps an F20 diagnosis or something similar on your file. There's always a catch, right? It's also used for bipolar disorder. Honestly, it causes this terrifying dependency and withdrawal, though most people won't admit it unless they've actually been through the wringer. After a month on it, people would probably accept a diagnosis of "pink unicorn syndrome" just to get another dose. Plus, it causes massive weight gain that can lead to diabetes—which is why Eli Lilly had to cough up $2 billion in settlements. But hey, what's a couple billion when you've got 20 million users worldwide and $4.2 billion in revenue? They even shelled out $1.42 billion just for off-label marketing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olanzapine

Interestingly enough, Miro Jakovljević over at Mayo Clinic has been looking into this drug, even publishing this paper:

Jakovljević M, Sagud M, Mihaljević-Peles A. (2006). "Olanzapine in the treatment-resistant, combat-related PTSD—a series of case reports.". Psychiatric Clinics 26 (1): 45–9.

It seems they think this is a great option for veterans dealing with PTSD—and man, there are plenty of them. Talk about a target market. Especially since Eli Lilly's patent expires in 2011, leaving the door wide open for generic manufacturers like Teva. Both companies have deep ties to Israel—considering Teva is originally from there. And let's face it, there'll always be a market there too, given how much conflict they deal with. Not to mention the US market once our soldiers come home from Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, and so on... Wars and crises are always a goldmine for Big Pharma—especially when you have scientific papers "proving" your drug treats PTSD.

So my neighbor—she’s a doctor—had some guy prescribe her Tramadol, but then another MD caught on because she was acting so sluggish. When she spilled what she was taking, he basically lost it—like, "Who even gave you this? Why?" Apparently, Tramadol is such a heavy hitter it's practically a narcotic, and the addiction potential is massive. They hand it out to patients who are already fading away just so they don't suffer quite as much while they're dying. Sort of like morphine, I guess.

Here's a little breakdown of the side effects:

Among the antidepressants, note that Trazodone (Desyrel) causes severe drowsiness that Paxil (Deroxat, Paxil) and mirtazapine (Remeron) are known to promote the kilos that venlafaxine (Effexor) causes nausea and sertraline (Zoloft) frequently causes diarrhea.

http://desyrel.instablogs.com/entry/md-talks/

Trazodone (Desyrel) hits you with intense drowsiness, while Paxil (Deroxat, Paxil) and mirtazapine (Remeron) make you pack on the weight; venlafaxine (Effexor) triggers nausea, and sertraline (Zoloft) is famous for causing diarrhea. Hm... SERTRALIN... honestly, the name fits perfectly. You almost don't even need to be sick if you're taking stuff like this—the meds alone make you feel unwell. So what kind of misery must you be dealing with for these things to seem like the "lesser evil"??!

And then there's the impact on your sex life. I saw someone posting on Lumber Liquidators saying Desyrel and Paxil don't affect anything, which is total nonsense. Generally, SSRIs—selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors—tank your libido. But for some women, Trazodone (Desyrel) does the exact opposite—it can trigger PSAS - persistent sexual arousal syndrome, which people joke about, but it means even a tiny vibration—say, from a subway train or a vacuum cleaner—can trigger an orgasm. Some women report having 200 orgasms a day. Trust me, that's not exactly a dream scenario.😍 For guys, Desyrel can cause priapism—which sounds great, like a permanent version of Viagra, but the issue is the body isn't built to stay like that indefinitely; it starts hurting after a few hours and you end up needing surgery.

Not to even get started on antipsychotics that wreck your liver so you drop dead before 60, or the ones that make you gain so much weight you're basically waddling around like a 330-pound human keg. That's a classic. Anyway, it's all great for you—definitely better than being in a psychotic break and bothering everyone around you. Just remember lobotomies and electroshock therapy—this is way more "humane," right?😁😁😁😉