It was similar in my school, I mean aside from objective textbooks like in science or history. Apart from a couple stories, I’ve never really enjoyed reading fiction, and as a result, I struggled in school as that was the focus for gauging reading comprehension and other metrics.

Where I lacked in desire to read fiction, I was obsessed with poring through the encyclopedias we had at home. I would read ahead in history and math and science. I had no problems grasping the material and applying what I’d learned. In many ways, I feel this was not recognized by teachers and that the education system failed me in this regard.

I love reading to learn about the world, and I understand fiction can provide insight into other people’s perspectives, but it is still difficult for me to engage with fiction. It just doesn’t interest me the same way.

This isn’t to say we should change how we impart the joy of reading to kids. I’m not sure how I’d deal with my case, even if I could go back in time. There’s a good fiction plot somewhere in here, I guess. “Man goes back in time to spark new interest in himself to read fiction, ultimately fails, but the child reflects on it later in life and continues the time loop.”

To truly answer your question, I feel like I need to read about child development and the education system in general.

Depends on where I am at. In traffic (or just watching people drive cars around)? More grumpy. Stressful situations at work? More calm and laid back.

You’re in luck! The Kennedy half dollar, minted since 1964.

I am not a biologist or really anyone with any authority on the matter. Just some guy who likes to read and think about all manner of subjects, so I cannot adequately explain anything here, but if you’re interested in the why, it really boils down to the simplicity of morphological structures early in the development of life on earth, to more complex as evolution did its thing. That’s not to say that evolution has a goal, just that added complexity often means greater advantages. Also, it isn’t as though nothing similar to these creatures exist at all today. These basal forms were a prerequisite to the life we see in the oceans (and on land) today.

Definitely stay interested and read more about morphology and evolution in general! Fascinating stuff.

I’ve always understood SoaD to be overtly political, with songs like Prison Song, Attack, BYOB, A.D.D., and on and on… I listened to them for a long time because I enjoyed the music, but when I gave more than two seconds to think about the lyrics, I immediately understood them to be political in nature (which I actually enjoyed and appreciated more).

When I want non-political music, I almost avoid lyrics entirely, or listen to old-timey songs about broken hearts and love. I particularly enjoy early jazz guitar like Billy Banks, or The Ink Spots. Or some good EDM like Jaded and Noizu.

There’s a bit of politics in so much lyrical music, even if it is less transparent, seemingly nonsensical stuff. I do enjoy a good revelation about some bands, though. Like the amount of veterans my age that listen to Lamb of God but are very enthusiastic about military service and God and country types, or as has been mentioned in the thread already, that whole thing with Rage Against the Machine. I feel like SoaD falls into this category a lot too, with these particular people.

There are certainly moments of social commentary in RHCP songs, but I do enjoy Frusciante’s and Flea’s musical prowess to a degree that I don’t care at all what they’re saying at times, and just very much enjoy the tunes.

Edit: After reading replies in here, I oughta mention I’m wrong and political music doesn’t actually exist.

There’s no paper or webpage long enough.

Not OP, but I am in a blue collar job and do the same. I get up at 4am and between brewing then drinking my coffee, eating a small breakfast, using the facilities, and doing general stuff getting ready to go to work, I then leave about 615am and clock in by 7am. I either read or listen to the news the whole time, or in this case, I also replied to your comment.

Not to mention corporate news. It’s impossible to find anyone else discussing particular events or raw video or even live streams without wading through what seems like thousands of every damn news channel with their talking heads and editors about any topic. I certainly understand why it’s important to have news easily accessible, but it kills me that I used to be able to find news media critique and videos of happenings from everyday people, and I just can’t anymore, at least not without serious digging. Obviously the rise of other video platforms plays a role, as does the need to ensure accurate information for specific things, like a pandemic or climate change, but I can’t help but see just how homogenized and corporatized it’s all become.

This isn’t to say there aren’t great channels out there that meet my needs, I just miss being able to type a keyword in and finding regular people, not trying to game the algorithm, not trying to make youtube a career, just getting their voices out there.

I know it’s a meme to knock on BMW drivers for this, but this just seems like your average driver of any car anymore.

All right, rant over.

Is this just an ad for Church’s Chicken?!?

Reminds me of Bill Hicks.

"I know all the marketing people are going, “He’s doing a joke…” There’s no joke here whatsoever. Suck a tail-pipe, fucking hang yourself, borrow a gun from a Yank friend – I don’t care how you do it. Rid the world of your evil fucking machinations. Whatever, you know what I mean.

I know what all the marketing people are thinking right now too: “Oh, you know what Bill’s doing? He’s going for that anti-marketing dollar. That’s a good market. He’s very smart.”

Oh man, I am not doing that, you fucking, evil scumbags!

“Ooh, you know what Bill’s doing now? He’s going for the righteous indignation dollar. That’s a big dollar. A lot of people are feeling that indignation. We’ve done research – huge market. He’s doing a good thing.”

Godammit, I’m not doing that, you scum-bags! Quit putting a goddamn dollar sign on every fucking thing on this planet!"

RIP

I think a lot of people are very much pissed about their situations, but also mislead and/or ignorant about what the problems actually are, how solutions can be enacted, and both who can lead and who to blame.

There’s also burnout. I think most people are just trying to make sure they can get to work, see their family, raise their kids, etc. The system works to grind us down so we don’t put up a fight, and the system is working well.

My wife is like this. We’ll be on a walk and she’ll stop mid sentence to walk ten feet into someone’s yard and grab a four leaf clover. She does this all the time and we have a huge collection of them, and that’s with us usually giving them away to people we pass further down on our walks.

1. Behind the Bastards
2. Blowback

I didn’t listen to any other podcasts because there’s enough in these series to fill my work time and induce a rabid research of the topics discussed.

I think the word ‘conspiracy’ here is being conflated to mean ‘ridiculous, and false, conspiracy theory’. Conspiracies happen, but the word itself has the association with those who theorize and speculate on the absurd. I can say I don’t know for sure what the original commenter meant, but I think it is implied they meant they ‘know the Clinton’s murdering people isn’t true’.