esoTalk – Fat-free forum software
esoTalk is a free, open-source forum software package built with PHP and MySQL. It is designed to be:
- Fast. esoTalk's code was architectured to have little overhead and to be as efficient as possible.
- Simple. All of esoTalk's interfaces are designed around simplicity, ease-of-use, and speed.
- Powerful. Despite its simplicity, a large array of plugins, skins and languages are available to extend the functionality of esoTalk.
Introducing google-webfonts-helper
Let’s be clear: hosting Google web fonts in a GDPR compliant way on your own server requires significant effort. You’ll need to download all the necessary .eot, .woff, .woff2, .ttf, and .svg files, upload them to your server, and then add the corresponding CSS snippet.
Sounds simple? It would be, if Google offered direct download links for the files and a ready-made CSS for self-hosting. Since they don’t, and to avoid relying on font generation tools like Font Squirrel, I created a service called google-webfonts-helper to streamline the process.
I went over to visit an old friend of mine, Nika. We sat down for a nice, cozy chat—had some tea, polished off a glass of wine each. Then, before bed, she went to take a shower.
She came out and asked:
«Hey, Katya—have you ever, like, masturbated using water?»
I said:
«Of course!»
And so, we started comparing notes.
Then Nika recalled:
«You know, back when I was living with my parents, the bathtub there was totally awesome—it even had this cool grate at the bottom.»
I asked:
«Oh, so you’d sit right on the grate?»
«Well, yeah… I mean, the tub was full of water, right? Plus, there was this really handy hose—a black one. You could unscrew the showerhead and just go to town with the jet...»
Nika grinned dreamily and lit a cigarette.
«But then my dad decided he was getting too old for that setup, so he replaced it. And the new one turned out not to be nearly as cool. I mean, it was convenient enough, but because I was constantly unscrewing and screwing the head back on, it started leaking pretty quickly. You know—right at the threads.»
My dad just couldn't figure out why the new shower kept leaking, so he decided to fix it. Basically, he stuffed a washer inside and somehow packed the interior with… well, what do you call it? Some kind of technical packing material, anyway. To seal it up *tight*!
Nika paused for a moment, blew a smoke ring, and finished her story:
«So, from then on, I had to take a pair of pliers with me to the bathroom every evening.»
Girls worry that guys don't write to them after sex, but in reality, we don't write because after such a disgrace we're embarrassed to even look them in the eye, let alone write.
Well, today marks exactly one year since my divorce was finalized—and the start of my thirteenth month of solitude. To spite the women who chime in on every thread like this asking, «Does nobody want you?» I’ll answer: someone does. But the caliber of women available simply doesn't satisfy me. I’ve been with over ten different women this past year—specifically, women with whom I shared an intimate connection. Four or five of them were women I met through dating apps. They were all good women—intelligent and attractive. But… I’m done with problems. Done with high-maintenance relationships. Done with having to make decisions for someone else, or having to shoulder other people's burdens. I suppose I’m just burnt out. All I want now is a quiet, happy life—not all this drama.
1. Women with children. I’ve tried dating women with kids three times now, and honestly, I just don't get the appeal. Why bother? Why should I have to deal with someone else's child's problems? There’s been a recent trend of people insisting that «you shouldn't hit children,» yet I’ve noticed that none of the women I dated were actually *disciplining* their kids. I’m not advocating for corporal punishment, but when your child throws a tantrum in the middle of the street—screaming and acting out with total impunity while the entire neighborhood watches on like it’s a movie—you really need to stop and ask yourself where you went wrong as a parent. I have absolutely no desire to take on the responsibility of raising someone else's child.
2. Every woman I’ve met has had financial issues—mortgages, outstanding loans, dead-end jobs they hate. Starting a relationship—let alone having a child—with a woman who’s saddled with 12 million in debt just doesn't seem like a smart move. What happens when she goes on maternity leave? Who’s going to be left holding the bag for that debt?
3. Appearance. I’m no «alpha male,» and I’m certainly no male model. I’m just an average guy—no receding hairline, a couple of dental implants and crowns, and I try my best to keep my weight in check. I’ve certainly seen it all: sagging breasts, cellulite, missing teeth, smoke-stained stumps. This is just a small fraction of the issues facing women over 30. One could dwell on this topic endlessly, but nowadays you can get dental work done in just about any basement; just take another look at your budget—skip the latest iPhone release, quit puffing on your IQOS for a couple of months, and you’ll find the funds.
I am not some bitter adherent of the men's rights movement. I don't demand anything more than what I myself am capable of giving. I have no desire to solve other people's problems, nor do I wish to create any myself. After a year of dating, I see no point in entering into a relationship with modern women. That ship has sailed for me. To the men who found the strength to raise another man's children—I shake your hand; I couldn't do it—you are better men than I am. As for domestic life, I’ve simplified it for myself as much as possible: a washer-dryer combo, a dishwasher, a robot vacuum, a water heater, a fresh-water filter… and I do all the cooking myself.
And now, the top list of cringe-worthy dates:
1. I met up with a woman. I won't deny it—she was beautiful: 32 years old, gorgeous hair. During the date, over a cup of coffee, she informed me that she has four children, one of whom is being raised by her ex. They live in a two-room apartment—and to top it off, her mother lives in the other room. When I asked how she envisioned our relationship, she replied: «You’ll move in with us, and I’ll have a baby for you.» I declined.
2. I met a woman on Pure specifically for sex. She speaks several languages and has traveled halfway around the world. During sex, she slapped me across the face—apparently, that’s her fetish. She’s 40+, but she isn't looking for a relationship; she’s perfectly happy on her own, and finding sex isn't a problem for her.
3. Most women are looking for a guy who doesn't pay child support—even though they have children themselves—and on top of that, they declare right there on the date that they don't plan on having any more kids. When I ask them, «So, what’s the upside of this kind of relationship for *me*?» they can never come up with an answer.
What is this post about? I don't know. People say that a man's «prime age» begins after 30, but it certainly doesn't feel that way to me. All the childless women seem to have been snapped up already; mostly, what’s left are the unwanted or «high-maintenance» ones. I guess the only option left is to wait until I hit 40+, when their kids will have grown up and started families of their own? How do you guys manage out there—the single, childless guys aged 35+? I’ve only just embarked on this path myself.
Lately, I’ve noticed a great deal of anguish among women regarding the inability to find their «other half.»
So, I have a question for those of you who are married: how often do you praise your husbands?
This isn't my first marriage; I’ve been with various women over the years, but they all had one thing in common: they viewed any work a man did—any task he performed—as nothing more than a duty. Yet, just try leaving the dinner table without saying «thank you,» and you’d be met with immediate indignation.
Personally—and this goes for many men in my social circle as well—we are «men with golden hands»; we can fix or build practically anything. But nowadays, we often don't even want to anymore, because our efforts have been completely devalued.
We don't need any extraordinary attention—just a sincere «thank you.» (Or even an insincere one, for that matter!) But is it really so difficult to simply open your mouth and offer a word of praise to your man?
My current wife has several single or divorced friends. Whenever I help them out, words of gratitude flow in abundance—and it feels wonderful. They constantly tell my wife how lucky she is to have me.
And this seems to be the case throughout my entire social circle.
To our wonderful women: for the most part, you *are* happy! If your man drives a nail into the wall at home, thank him for it—praise him! Do that, and he’ll happily drive nails into the *entire wall* for you.
If you stay for even a second online, you’re instantly flooded with a wasteland of blatant, aggressive AI fabrications. We aren’t just talking about generic «AI videos» here; we are talking about digital visual scams—like a fake «magical spray» erasing rust in a video where reality literally warps, textures blink, and objects mutate across frames.
Yet, if you look at the comments, thousands of people are there, completely amazed, seriously asking where they can buy it.
How did we get here? It is a state of semi-conscious vegetative bliss. People scroll in a passive trance. Their brains see a quick hit of visual satisfaction and bypass all logic. Worse, an army of fake automated bots hypes up the content, creating a fake consensus. We have reached a point where if a viral video dropped tomorrow with a caption claiming «Eminem did something horrific,» a staggering 80% of the internet would just accept it as absolute gospel without a single second of critical thought.
But the real nightmare isn't just about consumer scams or brain-rotted comment sections. It’s what happens when this tech enters the real world—like our legal system.
Historically, proving guilt or building a frame-up took actual, physical effort. Corrupt actors had to plant weapons, falsify physical receipts, or bribe ballistics experts. Today, framing a human life has been completely democratized. With a cheap AI subscription, anyone can generate a photorealistic video of you committing a violent crime.
And who judges that evidence? A jury of twelve random people pulled straight out of that exact same «scroll-brain» public pool.
We all seeing Law and Order, where judge instructs a jury to «Disregard that or this». How in the right mind do you unhear something or unsee?
We’ve all watched Law & Order where an attorney slips in a devastating line, the opposing lawyer jumps up yelling «Objection!», and the judge calmly turns to the jury and says, «Objection sustained. The jury will disregard that last statement.»
Even as a viewer sitting on couch, you know it's a total joke. Your brain immediately goes, «Uh, too late. We all heard it.»
Even if a judge instructs a jury to «disregard» a fake video they saw online before the trial, the human brain physically cannot delete an intense visual memory. Once you infect a mind with a visual lie, the truth is fighting a losing battle.
This brings us to the ultimate, terrifying endgame of generative AI: the reverse scenario.
When the public is constantly exposed to a flood of hyperrealistic fakes, the entire concept of objective truth collapses. We enter a state of total cynicism where the real world becomes a lie.
A corrupt politician caught taking a bribe on a real camera no longer has to hide the evidence. They just have to look into the camera and say, «That’s an AI deepfake made by my enemies.» And a exhausted, paranoid public will believe them.
Actual humanitarian crises or war crimes will drop online, and a fatigued population will simply turn away, dismissing it as «AI slop.»
What could have been a deeply useful tool for human efficiency has instead become a digital weapon of mass destruction. By hacking the human mind with an endless stream of visual falsehoods, we are breaking our shared reality.
If we can no longer agree that a physical event actually happened, society cannot function.
No matter how advanced, powerful, or incredible a tool is, its value is entirely limited by the intelligence and intent of the person using it.
Give a brilliant tool to someone with no critical thinking or a lazy mindset, and they’ll find a way to turn it into a complete disaster.
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