🌟🌟 Social 🌟🌟 PD Social Thread 2022-2025 v. Year of the Phenethylamine

[Xorkoth]

Was looking through old threads and saw @Delsyd 's name. How's he been doing, anyone still stay in touch with him?

Yeah, he's one of my best friends, we live in the same town, he moved here just a year after I did, so we've been hanging out regularly for... 13 years. He pops in here from time to time still. He's engaged, has a baby (the cutest little girl EVER), who is going on one year old, and another baby on the way. He's really happy and doing great.

Another you might remember is samadhi_smiles. He is also one of my best friends, he and Delsyd and I have a group text that we talk in every day. samadhi_smiles is doing very well, too. He is in all likelihood the most vibrantly happy person I have ever known. He and his longtime girlfriend have a kid, he's almost 4, and he's such a cool, smart kid, I'm "uncle Xorkoth" (he doesn't call me Xorkoth though ).

samadhi_smiles was the first BLer I ever met, he and I spent the night in my house just after I bought it, camping out in the empty living room and getting high on AMT, phenibut and poppy pods, before I even moved in, the day we met. He lived in my spare room for a year while he was working some stuff out in a difficult period of his life (homeless, depressed, serial base jumper). But now, he's got a business he started and operates, figured out how to make $200 an hour staining and washing decks. Made a ton of money in the 2017 crypto boom, too, bought land and built a house on it (mostly by himself from what he learned online, he just hired someone for the concrete slab, excavation, well digging, and electric work, and some of the plumbing). I helped him with his roof.

Currently he's on a 4 month long road trip with his family, having adventures all over the country, and then they're going down to Mexico. Every winter they spend the whole winter, after Christmas, on vacations to all sorts of places. He saved enough money up front and so that he has figured out how to work 10 hours a week and support his family as the sole earner, without dipping into savings. So he usually does that in order to spend as much time as possible at home with his son. He said he feels like he found a cheat code to life, and he exudes a feeling of joy that is contagious and palpable. I'm super proud of him. He's honestly a really big inspiration to me, he came from no wealth at all and in a few years, built up a life to where he works minimally and is able to provide a great life for his family, and he just brings good things to everyone he loves.

 

[pharmakos]

Yeah, he's one of my best friends, we live in the same town, he moved here just a year after I did, so we've been hanging out regularly for... 13 years. He pops in here from time to time still. He's engaged, has a baby (the cutest little girl EVER), who is going on one year old, and another baby on the way. He's really happy and doing great.

Another you might remember is samadhi_smiles. He is also one of my best friends, he and Delsyd and I have a group text that we talk in every day. samadhi_smiles is doing very well, too. He is in all likelihood the most vibrantly happy person I have ever known. He and his longtime girlfriend have a kid, he's almost 4, and he's such a cool, smart kid, I'm "uncle Xorkoth" (he doesn't call me Xorkoth though ).

samadhi_smiles was the first BLer I ever met, he and I spent the night in my house just after I bought it, camping out in the empty living room and getting high on AMT, phenibut and poppy pods, before I even moved in, the day we met. He lived in my spare room for a year while he was working some stuff out in a difficult period of his life (homeless, depressed, serial base jumper). But now, he's got a business he started and operates, figured out how to make $200 an hour staining and washing decks. Made a ton of money in the 2017 crypto boom, too, bought land and built a house on it (mostly by himself from what he learned online, he just hired someone for the concrete slab, excavation, well digging, and electric work, and some of the plumbing). I helped him with his roof.

Currently he's on a 4 month long road trip with his family, having adventures all over the country, and then they're going down to Mexico. Every winter they spend the whole winter, after Christmas, on vacations to all sorts of places. He saved enough money up front and so that he has figured out how to work 10 hours a week and support his family as the sole earner, without dipping into savings. So he usually does that in order to spend as much time as possible at home with his son. He said he feels like he found a cheat code to life, and he exudes a feeling of joy that is contagious and palpable. I'm super proud of him. He's honestly a really big inspiration to me, he came from no wealth at all and in a few years, built up a life to where he works minimally and is able to provide a great life for his family, and he just brings good things to everyone he loves.

Yeah I remember good old samadhi / Gaian Planes too glad to hear they're both doing well.

 

[Delsyd]

Was looking through old threads and saw @Delsyd 's name. How's he been doing, anyone still stay in touch with him?

Hey Friend. I’m here, I just mostly browse these days. As Xorkoth mentioned I’ve got a little family now and that combined with my full time job and trying to get my own business off the ground has eaten up most of my free time. But I stop by here frequently to keep up with what’s going on.
I’m glad to see you around here and cancer free.

 

[unodelacosa]

It just seems (to use a great word from someone else a bit earlier) solipsistic to think

Thanks, I was the one who used that word on page-78.

but we can still arrive at the conclusion that it's very much more likely that there is other life in the universe, vs us being the ONLY life in the entirety of the cosmos.

No we can't. There is zero evidence, just conjecture. I wish we were contacted by (friendly) alien life. I wish there were green Martian people. That would be badass (I think, but I might be influenced by the 80s movie, Total Recall).

On the other hand, I believe in multiverse theory. I recommend reading Sean Carroll's Something Deeply Hidden. Carroll is a mathematics and theoretical physics professor at CalTech and the book lays out a convincing and science-based argument for why it's highly likely that "Quantum Worlds" exist. Who knows? Perhaps quantum entanglement is the key to teleporting to distant worlds in locations light years away.

The latter position has a similar sort of ring to me as "we are the chosen people of god". We are really not that special.

Ok for starters, easy on the antisemitism, my guy. As we all know, choosy Jews choose Chosen chicas (j/k)

I'm just messing with you. The concept of being chosen is a way of distinguishing your group from the other groups, who are otherwise largely the same. To use the Jewish religious analogy w/r/t the concept of being "chosen" again, it's not like the Jews are saying they're the only people on the planet. They recognize other humans (long ago referred to as "Gentiles") of differing religions and ethnic backgrounds from various locations across the globe.

I think we all agree that humans are the only beings on the planet with true speech communication abilities. I've always thought it would be badass if there were some other species who could also speak like humans. But there is no evidence that animals can fully speak, just like there is no evidence that intelligent life exists outside of our planet. Some bird species can mimic, but they generally have no idea what they're actually saying. The African Grey parrot, Alex, was trained to count to six, distinguish shapes, colors, and a few other things. It actually had a working vocabulary of ~100 words.

Anyway, I interpret it differently than to take it as pure hubris or pride or something whenever someone thinks that we are all alone in the universe. It’s sad and a depressing thing to have to admit, but it’s honest and it’s better than deluding ourselves into thinking something’s out there for sure. Besides, if there is other intelligent life out there, we might not want them to discover us at all.



and

Or maybe we are quite special, but even if 0.000000001% of planets with liquid water (and we have a moon of Jupiter in our solar system that is literally full of liquid water except for its core... either our solar system is chosen by god, or water isn't that uncommon)

About a decade ago, NASA scientists discovered a planet super far away on which they detected the presence of water and a climate that looked capable of sustaining life. We’re also seeing things in the past—many, many years ago—given how far light has to travel before we see it, of course. But evidently the issue with all the discoveries they’ve made like this is 1. the atmosphere and water we’re sort of mixed together into this giant foam that might make it inhospitable for life as we know it. But that hardly mattered much because: 2. the star in that planetary system is much smaller than our sun and all of the planets orbiting that star sit much closer to it. Consequently, those planets take a lot more radiation from their star and this sterilizes the planet, making it impossible for life to begin.

Until we’ve seen another instance of a planet orbiting a star with the right atmospheric makeup and distance from said star, howTF could we know how improbable or unlikely life is in the universe? That doesn’t make us the “chosen ones” because we are the only ones to exist (most likely). There’s no control group from which to make a variable, so to speak.

The thing is: I don’t think we can assume that the earth is at all a typical planet. Even if there are 7 x 10²² observable stars, many of them just like our sun yet also billions of years older, and one would think it’s inevitable that with that large of a sampling, some planet simply must have the same conditions as earth, nothing is guaranteed, and we don’t know how rare “Earth-like planets” are.

Instead, the universe is silent. It’s a mind fuck. I will admit though: there’s a chance that silicon-based life might be out there somewhere. And I also think there’s a chance that human life exists and gave birth to intelligence, but it’s fragile. I think developing AI based on our own intelligence is the only way we’ll ever escape the inevitable doom of our solar system. And I’m using “we” loosely here, lol

 

[Xorkoth]

I'm just saying... okay, so that one planet around one star didn't work out... just think of the numbers, man. 125 billion x 1 billion = a WHOLE LOT of chances for life. I mean, it happened here, right? So it is obviously possible for life to happen in some random spot in the universe... unless you believe that almighty God said LET THERE BE LIGHT ON THIS PLANET ONLY! So if here, why not in at least one other place in that staggering multitude of stars?

I'm not saying I know for sure, I'm just saying that it seems like a much higher probability that there is other life out there, than for the reality to be that out of all of those stars, this is literally the ONLY one that has any life. I think that being able to see it for yourself before you believe it is a bit strange. How could we possibly see something in a different galaxy (or for that matter, even 1/200th of the distance across our own galaxy)? And yet, if it exists, does me and you not seeing it make it less real? You're right, how the fuck could we know? So why would you decide it's most likely that we're alone, when we've been looking for 60 years, and light and waves have only traveled as far as a handful of the nearest stars in this one little galaxy, since then? Just because we haven't seen it? It's too far away; we can't see 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999997% of the stars close enough to make that sort of determination. It makes no sense to use that as evidence against existence.

To me, it's a matter of statistics. Pick a super low percentage above zero (you can't pick zero, because if you pick zero, then we don't exist, either). Unless you pick 1 / (125 billion x 1 billion), life will have to exist somewhere besides here. And that seems like a suspiciously low, and precise number. Seems easier and more sensible to think that we're probably exceedingly rare, but not unique.

This whole thing isn't to say it matters beyond a thought exercise - it probably doesn't, because space is way too vast to travel. But you can still think about it.

 

[JackARoe]

Wow, great conversation. Nature is wonderful. We base time off of it. The Earth rotates once and it is a day. Going around the moon is a month and going around the sun is a year. We do not have a time name for the Milky Way Galaxy rotation, it is too vast. But logic would say that in all probability there has to be life in a physical way.

But I also subscribed to the notion that life could be right here in a different dimension that we can’t tune into just yet. Non-human intelligence has been written about. Timothy Wylie wrote a book about dolphins, extraterrestrials, and angels as an example of non-human intelligence it is pretty thought-provoking.

I am in the same camp as Uno is. At least on the physical level until we have solid proof it is all conjecture. But I also agree with the notion that there has to be life out there!

Hope everybody as well, I have not had the time to do more than grunt in the forum this week. Catching up is cool.

Pharmakos, (TKW) I have said this before, but posting your experience with cancer and overcoming it, put you in sort of hero status for me. Very good to see you around, and some of your music tracks are excellent one of them sounds like that Yes song The Fish. When I was playing it, I had my guitar in my hand and I noodled along with you.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

Going around the moon is a month

what?

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

You mean moon goes around once?

 

[JackARoe]

what?

LOL hey I am only only on my first cup of coffee. Let me fix that. The Moon going around the Earth once is a month. lol I will leave that in the original post as it is funny.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

Keep on drinking

 

[JackARoe]

Keep on drinking

Trying to think of what else I can do since it is a Saturday. Man, why do we always think of what drugs we are going to do today. Crazy.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

I want benzossssss, I want to sleep another 8 hours and wake up cleaning up this stupid flat.
It is snowing outside, could use some exercise on the way to dealer, it do be nice.

 

[JackARoe]

I want benzossssss, I want to sleep another 8 hours and wake up cleaning up this stupid flat.
It is snowing outside, could use some exercise on the way to dealer, it do be nice.

Benzos I have. It’s not a fun day for me though. Excellent if I want to sleep. I think benzos are good nerve drugs, too, I mean for nerve pain. Last summer when I had sciatica, I resorted to them along with gabapentin and Advil. That was the one time I took them for, gasp, for three days in a row at night. But they totally helped. But they are not for today, gabapentin or phenibut might be.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

yeah, totally, I also have some acute minor nerve entrapment or flaring neuropathy on leg right now it is not bad but benzo could fix all sort of things now

 

[Xorkoth]

Benzos I have. It’s not a fun day for me though. Excellent if I want to sleep. I think benzos are good nerve drugs, too, I mean for nerve pain. Last summer when I had sciatica, I resorted to them along with gabapentin and Advil. That was the one time I took them for, gasp, for three days in a row at night. But they totally helped. But they are not for today, gabapentin or phenibut might be.

Funny you mention sciatica, I was just coming on here to complain about how last night the twinges I have been getting here and there finally became a full-on attack. Was barely able to sleep last night... I hate sciatica so much, it's so uncomfortable. Gabapentin helps a lot, I resisted taking any etizolam last night though, because I recently had some wicked rebound from flubromazepam and I'm trying to keep benzo use to a minimum. Last time I had a flare up, I found pretty good success with a combination of CBD and THC-O... the goal being not getting all anxious-high, but experiencing pain relief.

 

[unodelacosa]

just think of the numbers, man.

I am. You interpret that—given so many chances for another Earth-like planet—intelligent life is inevitable, i.e.: Infinite Monkey Theorem.
I interpret the opposite, that—given the lack of evidence despite seemingly high likelihood of intelligent life, perhaps the chances of sapient—and thriving—extraterrestrial life is at least equal to the chances none exists. Maybe sometimes life doesn't evolve as much before dying from one of many possible mass extinction events. Maybe civilizations wipe themselves out through war or climate change, or they get hit by asteroids or solar flares…

It's also possible civilizations advanced beyond us millions of years ago, and we're in cosmic day care until we're older. Or maybe intelligent alien life just isn't that into us, lol.

Stephen Hawking opined we should not have broadcast a radio signal of human existence, reasoning that if intelligent aliens exist and indeed engage in interstellar travel, they might plan to enslave us while they suck our planet dry of natural resources and leave us to extinction in a used up nightmare shell of Earth.

125 billion x 1 billion = a WHOLE LOT of chances for life. I mean, it happened here, right?

Yes but that's false logic. How do we know it wasn't pure dumb luck that allowed intelligent life to happen, and that it's in fact still mind-bogglingly rare? Counting this singular case study on Earth is not enough sample size to know a thing like that. It's possible that it's more likely intelligent alien life does not exist yet and never has or will. Similarly, it's possible a Flying Spaghetti Monster exists. Does that mean you believe in it? No of course not, but you can still think it's possible since it's impossible to invalidate the notion completely.

unless you believe that almighty God said LET THERE BE LIGHT ON THIS PLANET ONLY! So if here, why not in at least one other place in that staggering multitude of stars?

Yeah maybe but let's see some evidence. Otherwise it's a specious claim.

I think that being able to see it for yourself before you believe it is a bit strange.

I think believing in a thing blindly is unwise and superstitious. And I don't mean to be argumentative or harsh. Truly I want to believe in aliens. But it doesn't change the fact that, to the best of our knowledge, there is no other sapient life in the knowable universe at this point. Maybe aliens are out there but we haven't figured out why it's so silent in our universe. But applying Occam's razor, the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions is: we're all alone in the universe, and if not, alien life is perhaps too far away to matter during our lifetimes.

Also, wanting to see evidence is at the core of both science and law. I don't see how that's strange. Before you buy something from someone on, say, Craigslist or similar, don't you want to see the thing you're buying first, make sure it works, &c.?

You're right, how the fuck could we know? So why would you decide it's most likely that we're alone, when we've been looking for 60 years,

We've been looking for 60 years without finding anything and you wonder why I would think intelligent life might not exist beyond our planet? If it does, it's not at the same time as us, or at distances too great to cover. Seems plausible to me. Am I crazy?

and light and waves have only traveled as far as a handful of the nearest stars in this one little galaxy, since then?

Well many of those stars are billions of years older than our sun. This more than makes up for the time gap difference you're alluding to, I think. I didn't invent this theory, btw; it just makes the most sense.

To me, it's a matter of statistics. Pick a super low percentage above zero (you can't pick zero, because if you pick zero, then we don't exist, either). Unless you pick 1 / (125 billion x 1 billion), life will have to exist somewhere besides here.

That's not how probability works. You can speak to likelihoods, but it is a false conclusion to say "[extraterrestrial] life will have to exist". It does not have to exist… at least not in this universe. According to quantum mechanics and multiverse theory, every possible thing that can exist in fact does exist in some alternate reality universe, and this branches out, perhaps infinitely, but that's another discussion.

This whole thing isn't to say it matters beyond a thought exercise - it probably doesn't, because space is way too vast to travel. But you can still think about it.

Well that's what I was saying. If intelligent aliens exist, the technology to bridge the enormous distance gap between us is a technological undertaking probably not possible in our lifetime and for who knows how many generations after us?

That said, I also don't mind if people want to keep looking, even if it is risky in the sense of: who knows what we'll discover if we do discover intelligent alien life? Either way, it's fun to think about.

 

[unodelacosa]

I recently had some wicked rebound from flubromazepam and I'm trying to keep benzo use to a minimum.

That stuff is so fucking heavy, and it lingers into a sluggish morning for me. Flubromazolam is preferred over flubromazepam for me. Meanwhile, bromazolam is another ass-kicker, which surprised me.

So many benzos, so little time.

Also don't forget about arylcyclohexylamines.

 

[pharmakos]

Funny you mention sciatica, I was just coming on here to complain about how last night the twinges I have been getting here and there finally became a full-on attack. Was barely able to sleep last night... I hate sciatica so much, it's so uncomfortable. Gabapentin helps a lot, I resisted taking any etizolam last night though, because I recently had some wicked rebound from flubromazepam and I'm trying to keep benzo use to a minimum. Last time I had a flare up, I found pretty good success with a combination of CBD and THC-O... the goal being not getting all anxious-high, but experiencing pain relief.

You still working from home doing coding? How often do you get up to stretch through the day? Humans shouldn't stay seated for more than an hour at a time. Works out for the young but catches up to us eventually.

 

[JackARoe]

Oh man, yeah working from home coding finally made me take stretches and core exercise a little more serious after last summrer's sciatica attack.

I have to wonder with bromazolam. Granted I never took it before bed but if I take it a dinner, relax and sleep, go to bed and sleep I wake up just fine. Not the 20 hour lingering issues I see listed. 1.5 is as high as I went. Of course who knows what I have from a vendor. But whatever it is sounds better than the description of bromazolam affecting people for 2 days. Whatever I have feels like a faster hitting diazepam. And does not linger to the next day if taken around dinner. Also only tried that twice. I like the shortness of etizolam. I admit though that bouncy onset can feel good or can cause me aggravation before sleep. Not always a good thing.

 

[Delsyd]

Astronomer calculates the odds of intelligent alien life emerging

A new study discovers the likelihood of extraterrestrial life in the universe.

bigthink.com

This popped up on my Facebook feed. Seems relevant to the conversation going on here. This astronomer believes other like in the universe is likely, while intelligent life is less probable though still possible.

I like to believe that they do in fact exist and have at some point visited. I have no evidence of such but it’s more fun to think of it that way for me. I also like the idea of different dimensions, like @JackARoe mentioned, and that alien life might come from or exist there.
A materialist view of the world can be pretty sad and boring, I like to spice it up with beliefs, whether there’s any basis for them or not.