JaymesRS
8h ago
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100%
Someone else I just read compared this to a make-a-wish® activity.
JaymesRS
8h ago
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I think that scent is his adult diapers, actually.
JaymesRS
8h ago
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100%
One specific franchise location and they were closed to customers during the visit with the staged customers all vetted by USSS and having gone through a rehearsal ahead of time to practice what they were going to do.
JaymesRS
2d ago
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100%
I know a few physicians who have already been seeing it in their practice.
JaymesRS
2d ago
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JaymesRS
3d ago
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Except things like law exist in a measurable state. Violating a law has a measurable outcome in the physical world. That’s the difference. If you run a stop sign in the presence of observers such as a police officer (such that it has an impact on that observer) you will be issued a citation for violating that law. We can test that hypothesis.
If something has no measurable presence under any observable state it is indistinguishable from that which does not exist. And to assume it does is tautological and a fallacy.
JaymesRS
3d ago
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100%
How would the world change if god didn't exist the way I described, as being socially real? There'd be no churches, no religious art, no pilgrimages that attract tens of millions each year.
That is tautological and presumes the antecedent. It’s true because they have these experiences and produced these objects. It wouldn’t be true if they hadn’t done that.
I didn’t ask, how would the world would change if people did not believe that God existed. I asked how it would change if God actually did not exist whether they believed or not. 
I’m looking for the major distinguishing characteristic that would differentiate belief in something untrue versus the actual no existence in that. It’s accurate to say that if belief was none existent, those buildings, rituals, etc. would not exist, but that doesn’t distinguish between people believing it to be true yet it not actually comporting with reality.
Those things you mentioned aren’t reliant on being consistent with reality only on people believing that they experience something that is unmeasurable in any actual sense. Our history is full of times where people believed something and developed practices, rituals, stories, and structures in recognition of those beliefs and purported to experience the presence of that belief target only for later peoples to recognize that those beliefs weren’t based on any thing that comported with reality.
JaymesRS
3d ago
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100%
For in book reasons yes, for real world people not so much. That was my point. These can be logically consistent within a work of fiction but nonsensical when carried over into reality.
JaymesRS
3d ago
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Of course not, one of my best friends is a cow. I just think there should be different spaces for cows and humans, I’m not a bovinist.
JaymesRS
3d ago
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That’s a lot of words that don’t tell us anything other than people created art and rituals they found meaning in. People do that with books and stories that we recognize as fiction all the time without us elevating that to a religion.
Is it epistemologically consistent to say that something that cannot be measured or observed in a replicable manner exists? How would the world be conclusively different from that thing if it didn’t exist if it exhibits no measurable or replicable and observable outcome?
JaymesRS
4d ago
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100%
Without knowing the situation, in the world as it exists today, there’s a lot of racist people that use Muslim or anti-Muslim rhetoric to refer to or denigrate any person of roughly Middle Eastern descent. Think of how many stories there were of Sikhs that were assaulted physically or verbally after September 11.
A moderator or admin who is aware of this could easily still allow criticism of Islam, the religion, while taking actions against those who are just being racist assholes with a veneer of anti religion. I have seen this many times before.
JaymesRS
4d ago
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93%
I don’t know, saying “I don’t have proof, I just believe” doesn’t seem like any sort of internal “logic” to me.
And while there are a lot of vocal people who are anti theists, most of us just look at believers like we would real people who are too afraid to say Voldemort’s name so he won’t come back because they can’t separate stories from reality.
JaymesRS
5d ago
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100%
I loved those books growing up.
JaymesRS
5d ago
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100%
Oh, so you’re ignoring cow murders now, they could get pushed out of the window too? Why is no one focusing on cow on cow crime?
JaymesRS
5d ago
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98%
Cows in buildings can be a serious issue. I don’t think they should be banned, there are special purpose buildings like barns after all; but in commercial and residential spaces, highly discouraged at the least.
JaymesRS
5d ago
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80%
Yes. A pretty detailed write up as well. Seems like an easy thing to look up.
JaymesRS
5d ago
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94%
She’s lived a really full life. Even her Wikipedia page is a good overview. She’s the type of activist a lot of keyboard warriors would like to pretend they are.
JaymesRS
6d ago
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100%
I feel like RealClear tried something like this in 2022 where they started showing a stronger Red wave that wasn’t there.
JaymesRS
1w ago
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100%
Has anyone checked in on Matt Taibbi, he must be stunned speechless.
www.salon.com
The Green Party leader has hired a GOP consulting firm and worked with Trump-affiliated lawyers.
pagesix.com
“Despite claims that it was a casual affair or flirtation, Page Six has learned that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and New York Magazine scribe Olivia Nuzzi had ‘incredible’ FaceTime sex.” … “They had ‘incredible’ sex over FaceTime, according to another source, with Nuzzi noting to pals that the 70-year-old had impressive sexual stamina.”
Description: A picture titled “Russian plants” in a 3 x 3 grid with one of the grid items being Jill Stein, the rest are flora.
Of the individuals they inquired about, (see page 10): Tim Walz, Taylor Swift, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Elon Musk, Donald Trump, & JD Vance; Tim Walz was the most popular person and second only to “capitalism” in the total list.
With Walz officially the VP now, what things do we need to explain to those who only see MN as a flyover state? The DFL party? Duck, Duck, Grey Duck? Our pride in our confederate flag? Lutheran sushi? Hotdish? Talking about the ‘91 Halloween blizzard? Ice fishing?
*A missing God.* *A library with the secrets to the universe.* *A woman too busy to notice her heart slipping away.* Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts. After all, she was a normal American herself once. That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father. In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God. Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation. As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own. But Carolyn has accounted for this. And Carolyn has a plan. The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human. Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, *The Library at Mount Char* is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heartbreakingly human, sweepingly visionary and nail-bitingly thrilling—and signals the arrival of a major new voice in fantasy. [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Library-at-Mount-Char-ebook/dp/B00NRQRWAA) [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-library-at-mount-char) [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-library-at-mount-char-scott-hawkins/1120377335)
Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandment finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, becomes something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean the death of each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win. That’s how war works, right? Cowritten by two beloved and award-winning sci-fi writers, *This Is How You Lose the Time War* is an epic love story spanning time and space. - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/This-How-You-Lose-Time-ebook/dp/B07MNG496J) - [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/this-is-how-you-lose-the-time-war-1) - [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-is-how-you-lose-the-time-war-amal-el-mohtar/1129709862)
*From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes a remarkable story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.* "I didn't know you were a... demon." "You idiot. I'm the demon." *Kai's having a long day in Martha Wells' WITCH KING....* After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence? Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions. He’s not going to like the answers. *WITCH KING is Martha Wells’s first new fantasy in over a decade, drawing together her signature ability to create characters we adore and identify with, alongside breathtaking action and adventure, and the wit and charm we’ve come to expect from one of the leading writers of her generation.* **At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.** - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Witch-King-Martha-Wells-ebook/dp/B0B9KVV7JH) - [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/witch-king-3) - [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witch-king-martha-wells/1141976525)
S.T., a domesticated crow, is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (i.e. "those idiots"), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos®. But when Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to think something's not quite right. His tried-and-true remedies—from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering affection of Big Jim's loyal but dim-witted dog, Dennis—fail to cure Big Jim's debilitating malady. S.T. is left with no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a wild and frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis, where he suddenly discovers that the neighbors are devouring one other. Local wildlife is abuzz with rumors of Seattle's dangerous new predators. Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a cowardly crow whose only knowledge of the world comes from TV. What could possibly go wrong? - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Hollow-Kingdom-Kira-Jane-Buxton-ebook/dp/B07L2V6H2M) - [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hollow-kingdom) - [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hollow-kingdom-kira-jane-buxton/1129965178?ean=9781538745816)
If you’re doing [Book Bingo](https://literature.cafe/post/9497120), this completes any of the following squares (possibly others as well; 1B, 1C, 1D, 4A. The remarkable Tim Powers—who ingeniously married the John le Carrè spy novel to the otherworldly in his critically acclaimed *Declare*—brings us pirate adventure with a dazzling difference. *On Stranger Tides* features Blackbeard, ghosts, voodoo, zombies, the fable Fountain of Youth…and more swashbuckling action than you could shake a cutlass at, as reluctant buccaneer John Shandy braves all manner of peril, natural and supernatural, to rescue his ensorcelled love. Nominated for the Locus and World Fantasy Awards, *On Stranger Tides* is the book that inspired the motion picture Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides—non-stop, breathtaking fiction from the genius imagination that conceived *Last Call*, *Expiration Date*, and *Three Days to Never.* - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Tides-Tim-Powers-ebook/dp/B004LLII12) - [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/on-stranger-tides) - [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-stranger-tides-tim-powers/1100051911?ean=9780062091369)
Chava is a golem, a woman made of clay, who can hear the thoughts and longings of those around her and feels compelled by her nature to help them. Ahmad is a jinni, a restless creature of fire, once free to roam the desert but now imprisoned in the shape of a man. Fearing they’ll be exposed as monsters, these magical beings hide their true selves and try to pass as human—just two more immigrants in the bustling world of 1900s Manhattan. Brought together under calamitous circumstances, their lives are now entwined—but they’re not yet certain of what they mean to each other. Both Chava and Ahmad have changed the lives of the people around them. Park Avenue heiress Sophia Winston, whose brief encounter with Ahmad left her with a strange illness that makes her shiver with cold, travels to the Middle East to seek a cure. There she meets Dima, a tempestuous female jinni who’s been banished from her tribe. Back in New York, in a tenement on the Lower East Side, a little girl named Kreindel helps her rabbi father build a golem they name Yossele—not knowing that she’s about to be sent to an orphanage uptown, where the hulking Yossele will become her only friend and protector. Spanning the tumultuous years from the turn of the twentieth century to the beginning of World War I, The Hidden Palace follows these lives and others as they collide and interleave. Can Chava and Ahmad find their places in the human world while remaining true to each other? Or will their opposing natures and desires eventually tear them apart—especially once they encounter, thrillingly, other beings like themselves? - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B075WS4G4K) - [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-hidden-palace) - [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hidden-palace-helene-wecker/1138646126?ean=9780062468741)
*The sequel [The Hidden Palace](https://literature.cafe/post/9936848) is also on sale* Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay by a disgraced rabbi knowledgeable in the ways of dark Kabbalistic magic. She serves as the wife to a Polish merchant who dies at sea on the voyage to America. As the ship arrives in New York in 1899, Chava is unmoored and adrift until a rabbi on the Lower East Side recognizes her for the creature she is and takes her in. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert and trapped centuries ago in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard. Released by a Syrian tinsmith in a Manhattan shop, Ahmad appears in human form but is still not free. An iron band around his wrist binds him to the wizard and to the physical world. Chava and Ahmad meet accidentally and become friends and soul mates despite their opposing natures. But when the golem’s violent nature overtakes her one evening, their bond is challenged. An even more powerful threat will emerge, however, and bring Chava and Ahmad together again, challenging their very existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice. Compulsively readable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable, in a wondrously inventive tale that is mesmerizing and unforgettable. - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Golem-Jinni-Novel-P-S-ebook/dp/B008QXVDJ0) - [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-golem-and-the-jinni) - [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-golem-and-the-jinni-helene-wecker/1112581266)
If you’re doing [Book Bingo](https://literature.cafe/post/9497120), this completes 2D if not others possibly as well. Here William Goldman’s beloved story of Buttercup, Westley, and their fellow adventurers finally receives a beautiful illustrated treatment. A tale of true love and high adventure, pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a frightening assortment of wild beasts—The Princess Bride is a modern storytelling classic. As Florin and Guilder teeter on the verge of war, the reluctant Princess Buttercup is devastated by the loss of her true love, kidnapped by a mercenary and his henchman, rescued by a pirate, forced to marry Prince Humperdinck, and rescued once again by the very crew who absconded with her in the first place. In the course of this dazzling adventure, she'll meet Vizzini—the criminal philosopher who'll do anything for a bag of gold; Fezzik—the gentle giant; Inigo—the Spaniard whose steel thirsts for revenge; and Count Rugen—the evil mastermind behind it all. Foiling all their plans and jumping into their stories is Westley, Princess Buttercup’s one true love and a very good friend of a very dangerous pirate. - [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Bride-Illustrated-Morgensterns-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00GQDOD80) - [Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-princess-bride-12) - [B&N](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-princess-bride-william-goldman/1116009359)
My first experience was the Ready Player duology by Ernest Cline and the This Trilogy is Broken 4 book series by JP Valentine. I’ve also had many recommendations for Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. The Ready Player series was basically an ok story with a “hey, remember this thing from the 80’s‽” through-line. And while some of the jokes felt forced, the Valentine Series overall was a ton of fun and I couldn’t stop reading it. What else have you really enjoyed? (This genre lends itself towards a couple of Bingo squares too. )
