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Bad at flirting with others? You may not be alone – only 28% of people realize when they are being flirted with. Women were especially bad at accurately detecting male flirting (only seeing it 18% of the time).

It turns out flirting isn’t innate, it can be learned. Psychology Today tells you about the science and even gives you some fun homework.

• Women flirted more effectively when they used physical contact and didn’t use hugs or humor because those suggested more of a friendly (vs. romantic) intention.
• Men were most effective when they focused on having good conversations, giving compliments, and using humor.
• 77 percent of men perceived a specific expression—head tilted to the side and slightly downward, eyes forward, with a slight smile—as flirtatious
• Speed-dating studies found that having an expansive body posture—such as taking up more physical space with a wider stance and having your arms open and out to the side (vs. crossed over your body) made both sexes appear more desirable.
• In a dating context, the easiest way partners can show responsiveness is through being a good listener. Do this by facing the other person, maintaining eye contact, nodding, giving good facial expressions, asking follow-up questions, and giving your thoughts. Showing sincere interest can be extremely attractive

Links:

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-psychology-of-relationships/202404/the-science-of-flirting

Another lesson on why proper security architecture is critical in product design.

Researchers found that Teenage Engineering’s Rabbit R1 used hardcoded API keys, which once known, allow anybody to read every single response the R1 AI device has ever given, including those containing the users’ personal information.

Links:

• https://rabbitu.de/articles/security-disclosure-1
• https://x.com/xyz3va/status/1805684840269828605

Inami Model Railway Factory has been making insanely detailed model trains since 1946.

When people talk about the “immanent collapse of capitalism”, I think old time videos like this demonstrate that it’s not capitalism that’s necessarily the problem – it’s the greed and corruption of the system that’s gotten us where we are today.

If you look at other economic systems that were destroyed by those same factors of corruption/greed, simply changing the system out or letting it collapse simply enables those doing the worst destruction to have even MORE free reign and control because now there is no police and no system to stop them. Modern history shows time and again that the people that helped collapse/change a government or economic system to replace it with another are usually the first people oppressed and killed by it.

It doesn’t matter if you’re going from capitalism to communism or vice versa. Witness what happened to the resources and industries of the former Soviet Union when it collapsed. They were all taken over by the oligarchs and firmly controlled by the new ruling class.

The French Revolution turned into the Reign of Terror – the wholesale slaughter of whole classes of elites, educated, and anyone branded a ‘traitor’ to the cause. Most of those who led the original revolution ended up beheaded by their own movement.

When the old tzars of Russia were overthrown or Mao overthrew China – the first things that happened were millions dying by famine, disease, and a very rapid deterioration of even basic goods and services. That figure excludes the open genocide of anyone that opposed them that started right after the revolution. Communist takeovers of Central and South American countries tell similar stories.

Contrary to current American arm-chair activists that think swapping ‘power systems’ will fix racism/classism/etc – the reality is you aren’t going to get rid of the mud by simply swapping the sheets on the bed. The rich and those in power can and will not just sit there. You have to go clean the dog or it’ll just jump up there again on the new sheets and keep being who they are.

This is why the Gospel is the only way to change the world – by the conversion of hearts. Even the Soviet Union/China/Cambodia/etc and other countries ruled by coercion learned that at some point, you simply don’t have enough guns to keep pointing at enough heads to keep it going. Jesus’ kingdom has outlived every world government and corrupt member in history by not fighting against oppressive systems – but by changing individual’s hearts.