Not Quite a motss.con xxii (via Zoom)

On Saturday, December 3, 2023, the soc.motss.con bunch had another Zoom call.

I was later than I'd've liked thanks to an afternoon nap, but I eventually made it in. We had nine people over the course of the 100-odd minutes or so I was there. I had fun catching up, and it seemed like others did too. Discussion topics (as I wrote them down, but not necessarily in chronological order) included: 9/11 and the aftermath Guinea pigs Other pets and longevity Shenanigans in academia Cultural differences between academia and corporate Stress levels in different environments Driving, motorcycles, and walking Exercise (walking and otherwise) Is guilt a useful emotion? Guilt and culture Family roles versus impared parents and how that affects children Is there free will (predestination vs genetics and childhood indoctrination) Childhood experiences influencing aduly behavior Saying "There's no free will" prevents people from making changes in their own life Recovery and deciding to make changes Change types: Coming out Being born again Being in recovery Whether decisions are rational (cf. economics) Changing minds versus predestination Suicide rates (especially in teenagers) rising Trevor Project and the "It Gets Better" campaign Local scandals Dental work and radio waves Humanity affecting electronics and electrics Vibrators turning on by themselves New electronics Pets' names and ages Pet fees in rental agreements Our own ages Quitting smoking Novid to COVID, asymptomatic COVID, and the whole shebang Politics, primaries, and presidential nominations Historical election results Trying to change hosts and leave the meeting Soup recipes Boot repairs and shipping Shipping companies' suckage Ticketmaster fees and blacklists Travel plans Tickets for performers (Matteo Lane, Bianca Del Rio, Liz Phair, et al.) Lighting effects Weather