You can have conversations IRL that nobody will monitor or have any record of. I swear, people these days have forgotten how to exist in the real world.

I wouldn’t call moderated internet communities a panopticon. You can opt out at any time, which is pretty antithetical to the definition of a panopticon.

What’s the better way?

No, dogs have no concept of gender identity.

Unlikely. They have data centers in several locations all over the world, and there are countless backup copies downloaded onto personal devices everywhere.

Chicken soup.

Chicken stock, chicken, carrots, onion, celery. Add noodles if you like.

I disagree with your corollary. We don’t know the rules of the universe that our simulated universe resides in. We could be the first layer or an infinitely lower layer, and there would be no way of knowing.

Nope

Because humans are social animals, and these sorts of customs are signals to each other that we’re all willing to abide by the social rules our societies follow.

Add more color. Paint your walls if you’re allowed to.

Add stuff. Plants, furniture, art on the walls, and rugs. Bare rooms feel bigger.

A little bit of survivorship bias there, but you are correct that engineers throughout history have been just as smart as engineers today.

If you found salmon bland, then “fishy” tasting fish probably won’t be a problem for you. Cod is a very mild and delicious fish and it’s what I would have recommended.

If fishiness isn’t going to bother you then you can probably cook it any way you want. Oven roasted or pan seared would be good bets. If you wanted something to make it delicious and not mask the taste too much, fried fish in a simple batter can’t be beat imo.

I don’t think this is about politics

If it were socially acceptable, I wouldn’t have any reason not to use it.

As for how I feel about it being taboo now, it’s whatever. It’s just a natural consequence of how language shifts and evolves over time.

Goldeneye. Revolutionized the FPS genre at the time. Nigh unplayable now. Tried recently using both NSO and on an original N64, it just hasn’t aged well when compared to something modern.

Air conditioner

Going to the UK in the fall, first time going to Europe, I’m pretty excited.

Whether it’s through professionals IRL or strangers on the Internet, it’ll require effort on your part. You’re going to have to want to be an active participant and willing to work on yourself. It will be a process, not a single event.

I like semi-obscure Star Wars references and clever wordplay.