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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 13, 2023

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I'm not exactly sure what your plans are, but Chris McCandless died in a schoolbus in Alaska in 1992, later made famous by Into the Wild and a more recent movie, and just a few years ago the state had to remove the bus because tourists kept drowning or getting lost trying to find it.

We've been trying to persuade him not to embark on his stupid, pointless masturbatory exercise for months. He's having none of it.

My bet is there's no need, he'll drop it on his own sooner or later, probably before spending two nights outdoors.

For every Chris McCandless, there are probably a hundred dead fools that aren't made famous like this and don't have pilgrimages.

You’re most of the way to being a doctor and have US citizenship. Just wait until you’re an American doctor and marry a Filipina or a Colombian instead of wandering around rural northern Alaska in winter. They won’t care if you happen to be ugly and socially awkward when you’re a doctor with US citizenship.

She is still going to be disgusted twice over, as I am now: by my unattractiveness, and by my hypocrisy. Why not attempt the Hock and if I survive, marry a Filipina or a Columbian? I also kind of like the idea that awkward or unattractive people - especially awkward and unattractive men - should choose their own Hock or at least seriously consider it. The pointlessness is the point.

Seriously, he is? Man, between "being a doctor" and "did some pointless nature challenge", doctor wins out very easily for female attention. Let alone the US part.

Though I kind of have to snicker imagining him actually completing the Hock, but everytime he tries to tell a woman she just wants to talk about him being a doctor all day.

Though I kind of have to snicker imagining him actually completing the Hock, but everytime he tries to tell a woman she just wants to talk about him being a doctor all day.

Which is exactly what happens. Unless you're a professional athlete (in which fame generates Sexual Marketplace Value) I promise women don't care about your amazing physical achievements.

I believe you; I have said many times before that the Hock is pointless physical suffering and risk. I don't think many people will be impressed by my having completed the Hock. They'll think I am either lying, or crazy. It's the effects of the Hock on my character and personality that are going to make the difference for me: having endured pointless suffering and mortal danger, I am now worthy of love in a way that I was not before the Hock. I've described the idea that my desire for sex and relationships is fundamentally hypocritical at the moment (because I'm asking someone to endure some gross shit I'm not OK with doing myself) and disgusting (because I think this form of hypocrisy is a little gross). Yes, there's also the disgust that comes from the very unattractive (and this is NOT just physical!) wanting sex and relationships, but my motivation for the Hock is basically that it'll freeze the hypocrisy and a bit of the disgust off of me. I've also always been curious about how I'd fare in a Bear Grylls-style survival situation/polar expedition type deal, and this is the time to either do my business, or vacate the throne...

And what good would it do you to end up probably being the next entry in this long list?