A nice hearty soup. Can basically travel the world because it can feed you and hydrate you when you cannot find water or sustenance. And I think it is healthy enough to not kill you if you survived on it for the last 3 months, might be wrong.

But most importantly it will not take away your pleasure of better food, such as pizza, which after three months only eating pizza, you will be tired of it for the rest of you life

How did the marriage ceremony go, who officiated the marriage, was it a religious leader or another type of official. I am really curious because I want my Christian GF to have the wedding of her dreams and I am not sure how to approach the topic. I have no issues but I am scared a pastor or similar might have because I am atheist

Vices are a natural part of being human. But vices can easily become difficult to manage in a healthy manner. But it sounds like you are lonely and your religion and the service from adult workers is trying to fill the void. I get it, life is hard and tough and very lonely.

Why not try to take it easy on yourself. We are all fallible, but we should strive to better ourselves, look it seems that is exactly what you are trying and wanting. This might seem stupid but I started jogging last year. I fucking sucked, but someone told me try moving half an hour a day 2-3 times a week and in a year you would have succeeded in something to further build upon. So I jogged a block and basically died, but almost a year later it changed my life, I joined a jogging group at work, made new friends and running partners, and comradeship. I am not a jogger, still doing a 5km at 57 minutes yesterday, a parkrun with friends. But my point is not to start jogging, but maybe find a hobby or activity that allows you to interact with people, no matter how stupid, and if it is something to be active then there may be a double benefit.

This will not solve your issues or vices, but I learned little by little it becomes a lot, and maybe working on yourself physically or socially, even if you are a fish out of water, will yield results in different ways. It sounds like you are working on yourself spiritually, I hope since you started you have seen a difference. But changing yourself will require work, that is what makes it so satisfactory because you worked for this change, but there isn’t a quick fix or and shortcut, but the answer is easy, small efforts everyday, results in big hard worked changes after a while.

Good luck on your journey, I hope you are able to deal with your vices and issues in a healthy but productive way.

I will be honest, I identify as a libertarian, but that does not mean I have blind faith, and I do see benefits of other system. I do not think there really is a one size fits all solution. I am coming from South Africa. The post apartheid government I think even describes themselves as Socialist. I won’t lie they did great work from 1994-2008, amazing even. But unfortunately their way led to what I can describe as a self enrichment drive, really hollowed out our beautiful state. I think that’s why I identify as libertarian, Hayek’s road to serfdom really felt like he was explaining exactly what we are experiencing the last 15 years.

But apart from whose economic model is right, I think the most important thing in a functioning society is participating, like we are doing, coming up with dialog, arguing in good faith. But basically keep those in power on their toes, ensure their power isn’t entrenched, they are there to serve the people in however little or how much they try to govern us, and the people should participate to ensure they are kept accountable.

I think all of us want the same thing, a better world for us and a better place for future generations. Don’t let the elite tell us our differences should cause us to fight, like I said that is the beauty of this conversation, we can differ, thank you for having a different view so that I am not in an echo chamber, let’s argue in good faith, have freedom to explore each other’s viewpoints, you really did make amazing argument with entrenched monopolies for example.

Sorry rambling here, but love you internet stranger, thank you for our argument and challenging our own ideas so that we can grow

I still feel you attacked the open market idea, instead of answering the question I asked where a controlled market decides to give a sub par product, what individualistic avenue is there then to correct the 10% saw dust in my food?

Ok I hear you, the free market is not perfect, in fact it is free for exploration due to its open-ness. I give you that. There have been many abuses and will be. But I just listed a way the free market can regulate itself passively eventually without external influence, it is in individuals best interests to choose a better product and let the inferior fail (if there is no external influence). In a controlled market where the decision is made that the food can be adulterated by let’s say 10% saw dust, this was chosen because the people on top realised that it won’t have detrimental effects and will provide 10% extra rations. What passive correcting method which individuals can exercise is there?

I feel you are making a good point, in a free market people will choose, it is literally in their best interest to choose, and if someone produces a sub par or even poisonous product, the people will choose not to use the product and basically self regulate. Our country had this sudden boom of Shein clothing, they were cheaper so of course they dominated. The government tried exercising control by confiscating the clothes or adding extra tariffs on the clothes and it really was ineffective, our ports are basically so corrupt anything gets through. But now two to three years later even the newspapers are picking up on the growing textile industry thanks to everyone buying locally made clothes that are higher quality that lasts more than 5 washes. Yes there was a market disruption but the market is regulating itself, and cheap clothes from China or Pakistan will have there place, they will only have enough space the market decides for itself.

Here is an opinion piece regarding the recent shifts, https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-07-07-after-the-bell-shopping-sucks-but-sa-is-stitching-a-comeback/

Imagine the guy that had to go down the slide in front of their glorious leader, like think even in front of your own president you had to take a waterslide, have them take a picture to share to the world

I always wondered how it feels, I generally abstain from drugs, but cocaine always seemed like fun. But seeing how easily I got hooked to vaping and then struggled but did quit my habit I do not want to try something I think will be more addicting

I think veganism is unfortunately a person’s decision, like sexuality or religion.

The benefits for themselves can be listed, but unfortunately they have to choose vegan lifestyle for themselves.

Hopefully veganism becomes even cheaper and becomes more appetising for the broader society than alternatives so that it isn’t just moral or ethical reasoning driving people to change.