Jay's Astro World

ANNIE HSIAO-CHING WANG

Good evening, friends, let me tell you some Secrets on how to argue like (and with) assholes. I’m writing this because I keep running into a particular asshole, and I need to stop engaging with them, and so this is an instruction sheet for myself as well as you guys. 

First, try to avoid assholes; they don’t deserve your time and energy. But, if an Argument is unavoidable, here are a few tips on how to emerge unscathed. 

Let go of the idea that you’re going to win. 

You’re not gonna win. Nobody wins in an argument with an asshole. But, on the other hand, you can make them lose. You can deprive them of their entertainment and their triumph. 

How??? 

Do not present your side of this debate. 

This is so counter-intuitive for most of us who believe in things like, oh, science, or real facts, or the idea that real facts can be determined by science. Here’s a cool terrible thing about humans: certainty has nothing to do with facts. And when people are certain, that is when they become assholes. 

When someone’s only goal is to win an argument, any real evidence or facts you give them is just ammunition for them to turn against you. 

You will not convince them. So what should you be doing? 

Destroy their arguments.

This is a thing of joy, because it’s what assholes are used to doing. They are, at heart, morons who don’t know how to construct, only how to destroy. 

I used to be super emotional about arguments like this. I couldn’t think of anything to say while the other person ranted on about their horrifying bigotry. Now I’m a lawyer, and I’ve learned to weaponize my essentially nitpicky nature. For money. 

So here are some easy tactics you can remember and deploy: 

- Make them define the words they use. Nitpick the definitions. 

- Turn questions back on them. If they ask you “why do you believe x”, ask them why they believe y. If they pull some “I asked first” shit, ask them why they’re afraid to defend their beliefs. 

- Call them emotional.  If possible, pick out specific emotions. This is especially devastating when you’re debating a man, as he will get more emotional as a result. 

- “Why is that funny? I don’t get it.” Making people explain mean jokes can be a delight; they just wilt the more you question them about the underlying assumptions. 

- Laugh at any especially dumb shit. Like they use some slogan or catchphrase that’s obviously untrue, due to science, or essentially ridiculous, like “we’ve made America great again,” and you just blurt out laughing. If they get mad, tell them – oh, so sorry, I’ll shut up, I’m giving you the floor to talk about your beliefs. I’m respecting you. This is a goddamn power move. It gives you the high ground, and also the implied control over the situation. The floor belongs to you, but you are yielding it to someone because you can. 

- If they make an awkward exit, let them. Especially if they call the discussion “political.” It means they’re feeling attacked. Graciously allow them to retreat with their tail between their legs. If they storm off, allow them to do that too. Congratulations; you’ve ended the argument and you don’t have to deal with it anymore. 

Basically: hand the asshole a shovel, and let ‘em dig. Relieve yourself of the burden to convince them they are wrong, and just sour their fun instead. 

–

Additionally, these are the tactics that assholes use, consciously or subconsciously, all the time. Recognize them. Once you know what they are, you can become immune to the intimidation and belittling tactics. 

Link for full article below.

1. They also invented kayaks and dog booties.

Dog booties are actually really important for working sled dogs in winter to protect their paw pads from iceburn and keep ice from getting in between their toes and burning them that way.

2. The traditional Inuit diet is one of the healthiest in the world, and the most balanced for the ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 consumption

Most modern diets consume way too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3.

3. Inuit is a plural noun. When speaking about a single person the correct word is Inuk (always capitalized)

For example, “This Inuk woman is wearing traditional Inuit tattoos”.

billi get food later?

billi want food!

billi mad.

But even if you want to think of it as an action-reward system, I feel like there are enough videos that evidence that it’s not just about that to the animals involved, which — yeah, okay, wishful thinking, BUT! Billi’s owner posted a TikTok recently where she asks Billi what she wants — a question Billi comprehends — and Billi just responds “Happy Billi”.

Also, I’m fascinated with the fact that three of the dogs who are using AAC to communicate have demonstrated an understanding of water in the abstract. Typically, a handler will model the word “water” with water in the bowl. I remember the first time I saw that Christina Hunger video where Stella accidentally broke her “beach” button — it wasn’t immediately able to be fixed, so the spot on the board remained vacant. Stella strung together the words “help water outside” after looking at the place where the “beach” button should be. Up until then, for me, it was just kind of a neat thing.

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A post shared by Christina Hunger, MA, CCC-SLP (@hunger4words) on Nov 11, 2019 at 12:47pm PST

Then Bunny displayed several uses water in the abstract. When her owner declined to take her to the beach, Bunny tried to get around the no by asking instead “please water walk”. (Can’t find this video right now though I promise I tried.)

She also responded to high tide flowing beneath their house by saying “water sound”, and later the same night when it rained, “water outside”.

There’s also Polly on TikTok, who has used “water” and “play” while outside, presumably to get some hose or pool time in. She also strung together the words “water treat,” resulting in a homemade pupsicle.

It’s just neat to me that they recognize water as water in different states (ice, the ocean, in a bowl, rain) enough to use it to indicate things they want or hear or see! I think Bunny also called a baby seal a “water hippo” at one point (because she has a button for her squeaky gray hippo toy). Like, Bunny has pretty much figured out times of day and is now trying to figure out “yesterday” in relation to “today” and “tomorrow”. How do you model “yesterday” to a dog??? She’s also self-reported injuries to her paw three times — two of those were barbed foxtails embedded between her toes that her owner didn’t know about!

lmao that sucks.

Bye,

Professor

Pain???

d e p l o y

Are people scared that using a white cane will make their blind character seem weak? They can’t use a cane because they’re so special that they already know what’s around them, and other blind people who use guides are inferior because they’re not special?

I’m tired. Give your blind characters white canes and other guides. Let them hold onto their friends, let them have guide dogs. Don’t make white cane users feel ostracized for not being “strong enough” to go without.

Another thing that pisses me off is when a sighted character comes up with the fantasy equivalent of braille and teaches it to the blind character. Braille was invented by Louis Braille, a blind man, in 1824. The blind character should be the one coming up with it.

Tldr I’m blind and tired of sighted people lol