Leo Gura

It depends on how you want to define your terms. I don't think moralistically at all, because that implies some objective right and wrong. Ugly is an aesthetic.

It is best left undefined and open. You know when you see ugly. Yes, but also deeper. No. Not in a moralistic sense. But of course immoral behavior is ugly. Selfish and ignorant behavior is ugly. Ungodly behavior.

It is not my job to do introductions. I am not a podcast host.

I think that problem is solved by properly teaching epistemology all throughout school. By the time kids graduate highschool they should have the epistemic knowhow of everything Actualized.org teaches. This should be a baseline for everyone in society. Not as a belief system, but actual epistemic work, questioning reality. We expect everyone to know math, yet not epistemology? This is silly.

Yes, it costs money to avoid toxic chemicals these days. Making poison has been big business for the last 100 years.

I was gonna make a joke saying kangaroos, but then read your post. Lol

I think they still struggle with self-deception and bias, unless they are crazy Woke. Bugs me too.

@musicandmath111

I will not shower for a month and roll around in glitter.

I will make sure to rub myself with a skunk before I go. I hope you like some funk with your meal.

Is this stuff even real or just AI clickbait?

It's not just about selling though. It's about appeal. Taylor Swift music is appealing. Even if it ain't your style. Dub-step is not appealing except to a few freaks. Which is why it will never out-sell Swift.

It's okay. The important thing is that you did the work.

The notion that conservatives are not obsessed with sex is laughable. Conservatives are sex freaks, despite their fake piety. That loving conservative is watching donkey porn in his closet.

Listening, in my view, is understanding verbal communication. Contrary to what hippies may believe, the rain is not communicating with you. But it is profound to be mindful of the rain.

Isn't that just botox?

@Davino What you're describing is what I would call awareness or mindfulness -- which is of course fundamental. I don't call listening to the rain, listening. But good for you for doing the work.

The cope that lovers of dub-step tell themselves when they go to sleep at night

Haha "I sniffed my own farts and concluded it smells good."

Yes, Vibes. But I think melody contributes more to the vibe. Melody is crucial for creating a memorable and unique vibe.

The melody has the character, the charisma, so-to-speak. To fall in love with a song it needs to have character. Rhythm has less dimension to express that character. Just like rice in a dish doesn't add character to the dish.

It's not just my preference. Hence the point about sales. Of course I am oversimplifying it. I know people love different things and I don't expect everyone to love what I love.

You guys are being all smart-ass with me. But there is a reason why pop-music is so melody-focused. Because what I said is true: what sells music is a delicious melody. Yeah, there are some folk who love niche kinds of music (dub-step and shit), but they are the exception that proves the rule. It's like people who glorify story in video games. Story does not sell video games. Story is not why people buy video games. And if you don't understand that, you are a bad designer.

Bro, that is the most overused joke is human history. South Park didn't invent it. I have not watched South Park in 20 years.

What's most important is what sells the song. Rice in sushi is necessary but it's not what sells sushi. It's not why people love sushi. It's not why people keep buying sushi.