banshee

We need STAR instead of FPTP so everyone can vote their conscience.

Well that was an interesting rabbit hole. There have been a number of new studies in the past decade, and researchers are still investigating the effects of free fructose in sweeteners.

This study is fairly recent: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8188419/

This study notes how the actual amount of fructose varies from the expected amount in popular beverages: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900714001920

Every study I read continues to point out that sweeteners with free fructose taste sweeter and have negative health effects in large quantities while stating how results are inconclusive due to excessively caloric intake. I'm still skeptical of HFCS for now.

Yes but I like making cheap jabs at the drink industry.

On a serious note - you're absolutely right to avoid sugar, and I stopped drinking sweetened beverages many years ago. From what I understand though, people would develop fewer health problems if they consumed cane sugar instead of HFCS. Apparently the unbound fructose makes a difference when consuming sugar at such a high volume.

Sugar or high fructose corn syrup?

I agree. Trump, the weird thing, is fucking cringe.

They're my heroes

I'd like to take this opportunity to blame Citizens United and the lack of regulation on the advertising industry.

Social media companies seek greater engagement to increase their main source of revenue: advertising. Extremist opinions on topics like abortion receive greater engagement, so algorithms optimize accordingly.

Does that mean Republican representatives and senators are inherently useless?

I skimmed through a few articles out of curiosity, and some suggest that polarizing statements (e.g. claims of male discrimination) from far-right leaders resonate with young men. Is this testosterone, lack of maturity, etc. or just human behavior? If the shoe was reversed, would the percentage of conservative women increase?

I think it's safe to assume at least one environmental stimulus. I'm just curious about the diverging trend between the sexes. Why did they respond disproportionately?

I'm not the smartest guy in the room, but what makes you say that?

No of course not. I don't have a particular idea in mind. I've heard many people state that the prefrontal cortex develops sooner in women, and this specifically affects how much of the brain is engaged in decision making.

I was certainly prone to seeing everything in black and white in my early 20s. This may have affected my younger brain's susceptibility to extremist views.