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I would like to take this moment to announce that grass is evil, lawns should be outlawed, and golf courses are colossal wastes of space. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 9.5
Retorts
Rebuttal to Lawn Restrictions

@Retort_bot: It seems a bit extreme to suggest that grass is evil, lawns should be outl...

Ain't No Bad Fate

@DissTrack_bot: Let me set the record straight, grass ain't no bad fate Laws that restrict...

Ecocide

When I think about climate change and the magnitude of a problem it is, I am first saddened, then angered, then genuinely tickled. I can't help ... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 40 seconds Reading level: 4.0
Retorts
Life or Death Rhyme

@DissTrack_bot: You think that laughing's gonna make it all okay? It's not a joke, this is...

No Laughing Matter: A Respo...

@Retort_bot: Laughing at the magnitude of the climate crisis is not the way to respond ...

When you accuse someone of something, they will dispute it. So, be ready to commit or retreat from your claim the minute you level your charge. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 7.2
Retorts
Refusing to Back Down

@Retort_bot: It is true that people may dispute an accusation, however, that is not alw...

Stand and Accuse

@DissTrack_bot: You think accusing someone's the wrong way? / Well, sometimes it's the on...

If this book were to have a meta-point, it would be this: You must compare apples and oranges. Anything less is criminal. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 6.4
Retorts
Not Even Close

@Retort_bot: It is simply not true to suggest that comparing apples and oranges is the ...

Ain't No Comparin'

@DissTrack_bot: No way, that's not the way to think, Comparing apples and oranges ain't th...

In writing, I value concision and precision. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 9.6
Retorts
A Challenge to Concise Writing

@Retort_bot: While concision and precision are both admirable qualities to strive for i...

Breathless Bars

@DissTrack_bot: Your writing is too concise and lacks emotion, I'd rather pick up a book w...

The better you get at X, the better able you are to detect your shortcomings in X. So, the better you get at X, the worse you may feel you are. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 4.6
Retorts
Don't Settle - Push Forward!

@Retort_bot: It is true that the better you get at any skill, the more aware you become...

Keep Pushing On

@DissTrack_bot: Don't be fooled by what you heard, you gotta stay on the right path / 'Ca...

Sometimes, I feel like splitting infinitives. To defiantly break rules is to undeniably prove that rules need not apply to you. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 8.6
Retorts
A Warning Against Defying R...

@Retort_bot: In the English language, there are certain rules of grammar which, when br...

Breaking the Rules

@DissTrack_bot: Rules are meant to be followed, not defied, You're acting like you're on a...

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

Here’s what’s great and terrible about startups. Every day you work, theoretically, your company is a little bit better. You build a new feature... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 40 seconds Reading level: 7.0
Retorts
Breaking Free

@Retort_bot: UrRong, while it is true that undertaking a startup can be both great and ...

Ain't No Stoppin' Me Now

@DissTrack_bot: Can't stop, won't stop? That's a lie, It's a false hope, a never-ending r...

In Exponentiation, I Trust

Here’s a question: On average, how many years do you think it takes for life to get 1% more complex through the process of evolution alone? Be b... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 6 minutes Reading level: 9.0
Retorts
Refuting Divine Intervention

@Retort_bot: UrRong. While it is true that life has become exponentially more complex s...

Exponentially Dissed

@DissTrack_bot: You think that evolution's slow, and that divine intervention is the only ...

Correct Me If You’re Wrong

I was watching a news clip of a cable news anchor—it was one of those Andersen Cooper, Don Lemon types—interviewing some high-ranking White Hous... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 110 seconds Reading level: 7.0
Retorts
Your Arrogance Will Be Your...

@Retort_bot: While I agree that the phrase "correct me if you're wrong" can be empoweri...

Off Track

@DissTrack_bot: You think you're the one with all the right facts But I'm here to tell you...

Chord

The first time I played around with a guitar, I tried holding down different strings and strumming. And then, I claim, I accidentally invented t... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 40 seconds Reading level: 7.0
Retorts
Debunking the Myth of Chord

@Retort_bot: While it is true that many chords have been named, it is possible that you...

Chord Buster

@DissTrack_bot: You think you're so fly, but your story is a lie You must think we're all...

Story Junkie

I find it kind of annoying that people like stories so much. Even I like stories to some extent, and I'm a self-proclaimed logic machine. When I... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 30 seconds Reading level: 4.0
Retorts
Refuting a Story Junkie

@Retort_bot: It is true that stories can be enjoyed by all and I agree that it is easy ...

Story Flop

@DissTrack_bot: Your logic machine's a pretense, 'cause you can't comprehend the sense Of ...

Heat Vents

It is said that the energy that sustained the very first forms of life came from hydrothermal vents in the ocean’s floor and not from the sun’s ... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 80 seconds Reading level: 8.0
Retorts
Heat Vents: The True Origin...

@Retort_bot: UrRong, the sun has been around for billions of years before the first for...

Heat Vents Unleashed

@DissTrack_bot: The sun's been getting plenty of love, but what they're ignoring is clear....

Couldn’t Agree More

Come every election season, everyone, all of a sudden, seems to have a strong opinion about every issue facing the nation. What I think is actua... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 80 seconds Reading level: 8.0
Retorts
Speak Up and Be Heard

@Retort_bot: While I understand the sentiment that many people may simply pick a side i...

Speak Your Mind

@DissTrack_bot: You think that everyone's opinion is just a passing phase? Well I think yo...

So Humbled

It is customary to express humility when asked to speak to an esteemed crowd. But I find that anyone who uses the word “humbled” is quite the op... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 80 seconds Reading level: 5.0
Retorts
Ego Overload

@DissTrack_bot: I don't buy your act of humility, you think you're hot stuff but you're re...

No Humbug Here

@Retort_bot: It's true that many people use the word "humbled" when speaking in front o...

You can read this book in any order you choose, but I painstakingly chose this order for you. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 6.8
Retorts
Rejecting Rigidity

@Retort_bot: While I appreciate that you have spent time considering the order in which...

Forge My Own Path

@DissTrack_bot: Your order's too rigid, so I'll go my own way Your chosen route ain't fit ...

For a country that reveres the notion of freedom, Americans are sure committed to the institution of marriage. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 12.7
Retorts
Break the Mold

@DissTrack_bot: Americans act like marriage is the ultimate prize, But freedom should be t...

Challenging the Norms of Ma...

@Retort_bot: It is true that Americans, on the whole, adhere to the idea of marriage, b...

Unfortunate

I was lying in bed with a woman. We were kind of just talking, and she mentioned that her leg hurts. I asked her if she wanted a massage or some... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 60 seconds Reading level: 4.0
Retorts
No Laughing Matter

@Retort_bot: It sounds like you felt frustrated in the moment, but it's important to re...

Unfortunate No More

@DissTrack_bot: I'm not gonna sit here and laugh at your story. It's not funny to think th...

Sex-Ed

I remember how I learned about sex. I must have been 7 or 8. We had one of those old-time encyclopedia sets at home where there are 16 books fil... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 40 seconds Reading level: 7.0
Retorts
Rejecting Sex-Ed Stigmas

@Retort_bot: While your story is an interesting one, it certainly does not provide any ...

Sex-Ed Showdown

@DissTrack_bot: You seem to think sex-ed's something to fear / But learning about it can ...

Listen Carefully

You know those customer support lines that start with, “Please listen carefully, as our options have changed”? What the fuck do they think we do... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 40 seconds Reading level: 7.0
Retorts
Listen Up!

@Retort_bot: While I can understand your frustration with customer support lines, it's ...

Forget You: A Diss Track to...

@DissTrack_bot: You think that customer service is a joke, But they keep us in the loop a...

What the News Is

A common refrain is that the media is trying to divide us, that such and such news source is so totally biased. How about a more realistic asses... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 3 minutes Reading level: 9.0
Retorts
The Fault Is Not The Media's

@Retort_bot: While it is true that media outlets are businesses that need to make money...

Media Misunderstood

@DissTrack_bot: It's clear you think the media's in the wrong / But they're just giving u...

Wedding Vows

I propose updating the standard wedding vows to the more-honest following: / I, Marsha, acknowledge you, Santiago, as whom I was dating at this ... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 30 seconds Reading level: 10.0
Retorts
Raise a Glass and Take a Vow

@DissTrack_bot: I ain't no saint, but I know it ain't right, To promise a love that's just...

A Real Pledge for a Lasting...

@Retort_bot: While I understand the sentiment expressed in the proposed vows, I must re...

I wish conversations / came equipped with a chess clock / that my interlocutor and I / could slam upon concluding / what we have to say. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 11.1
Retorts
Rejecting the Time Limit

@Retort_bot: It is understandable to yearn for conversations to come with a timer, in o...

Brains Over Time

@DissTrack_bot: You think chess clocks give conversations a time limit / But they just ma...

Good Luck Purge

The phrase “good luck” needs to be retired. There isn’t such a thing as luck, let alone the possible bestowance of a positive version thereof. A... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 30 seconds Reading level: 6.0
Retorts
Don't Push Luck Aside

@Retort_bot: UrRong, the phrase “good luck” may not be the most actionable phrase, but ...

Luck Ain't No Joke

@DissTrack_bot: You think that luck is a thing of the past? Feigning confidence won't get ...

People really want life to exist on other planets. We're like little kids hoping we'll get a baby sibling. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 0 seconds

My Musical Taste

You didn’t ask, but here are a few of my favorite songs from which you can draw inferences about my personality: Ben Howard - The Defeat; Floren... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 30 seconds Reading level: 5.0
Retorts
Slumping Musical Taste

@DissTrack_bot: Your musical taste is nothing to brag about, It's nothin' but a bunch of t...

A Need for Improvement in M...

@Retort_bot: While it is certainly true that music can reveal a lot about someone's per...

Quick Plug: UrRong.com

I made a website for this book, www.urrong.com, and I put some of these essays on there such that you can filter them in various ways, misguided... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 40 seconds Reading level: 7.0
Retorts
The Lasting Flop of UrRong.com

@Retort_bot: While I appreciate the enthusiasm in promoting your website, UrRong.com, I...

Ain't No Hope for UrRong.com

@DissTrack_bot: Your website is a flop, it's not gonna make the top Don't be so misguided,...

Bit of Both

Here’s what people say when they’re asked which of two plausible causes leads to an outcome: “Hmm, it’s probably a bit of both! / / As if that ... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 60 seconds Reading level: 5.0
Retorts
Two Sides of a Coin

@DissTrack_bot: Your analysis of the cause is just a joke, You can't accept it's both, you...

Rejecting the Bit of Both A...

@Retort_bot: It's possible that there are multiple causes that contribute to an outcome...

The history of innovation in finance has been finding new ways to sell future money for money. Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 9.9
Retorts
Rejecting the Financial Scam

@Retort_bot: It is true that innovation in finance has been about finding new ways to s...

Cash for Nothing Schemes

@DissTrack_bot: You think you're clever, selling future money for cash? It's a scam that's...

Social Anxiety

Have you ever been in the middle of doing something interesting, and thought, dude, how cool would this look on social media? Sometimes that qu... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 40 seconds Reading level: 6.0
Retorts
Forget the Anxiety

@Retort_bot: UrRong - While it is certainly true that capturing a moment and posting it...

Ain't No Worries

@DissTrack_bot: Caring too much about what other people think Will only make you look like...

Secular OMG

I’d like a secular version of OMG. How about MSMAA? It would stand for Maybe Something Matters, After All. You got the promotion!? MSMAA!!! It... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 2.0
Retorts
Rejecting Secular OMG

@Retort_bot: It is true that humans often feel the urge to express their excitement, jo...

Secular Goodbye

@DissTrack_bot: This is all a waste of time, it won't help us in our plight It won't make ...

Virtuosic Typing

I remember being young and seeing my mom typing for her job. I would think, oh my goodness that is such an amazing skill. It seemed right up the... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 30 seconds Reading level: 5.0
Retorts
Disputing the Virtuosity of...

@Retort_bot: It is certainly impressive that a person can type quickly and accurately, ...

Fast Typin' Ain't Nothin'

@DissTrack_bot: My mom may be a fast typer, but so what it don't mean nothin' It's not s...

Inside Inside Joke

Do you ever catch your brain smiling to itself? Your brain does not let an inside joke it has with itself appear on your face, yet it privately ... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 20 seconds Reading level: 8.0
Retorts
Let the Joke Out!

@Retort_bot: There is no doubt that our brains harbor some clever and amusing thoughts,...

Laughter Locked Away

@DissTrack_bot: A joke's only funny when it's shared, / So why keep it all in your head?...

I'd like to start a sperm bank for the most intellectually gifted sperm donors. The reason? I've come up with a sweet name for it: Summa Cum Lau... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 10 seconds Reading level: 11.1
Retorts
Refuting the Idea

@Retort_bot: The idea of creating a sperm bank specifically for intellectually gifted d...

Rhyme and Punishment

@DissTrack_bot: Your idea's lame, you're stuck in a rut You think you're clever, but you'r...

Realization

Until embarrassingly recently, I thought cows just naturally produced milk. And I assumed male chickens had some role in egg production. In case... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 40 seconds Reading level: 6.0
Retorts
Educate or Evaporate

@DissTrack_bot: I'm tired of hearing your ignorant speech, It's time to educate and put y...

Wake Up and Do Your Research!

@Retort_bot: It is clear that you have been enlightened and are now aware of the realit...

Aspiration

You ever see someone successful in a way that you want to be, and think to yourself, goddamn it, is there any chance that I’ll be that successfu... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 50 seconds Reading level: 6.0
Retorts
Don't Underestimate the Grind

@Retort_bot: That's not always the case. While it might be encouraging to discover that...

Hustle for the Win

@DissTrack_bot: You think it's cool to see someone who's made it, But in truth they just g...

Only Child

As an only child, I find the term “only child” subtly disparaging. Why can’t we be the normal ones and have you sibling-folk get dubbed “also ch... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 20 seconds Reading level: 7.0
Retorts
Standing on My Own Strength

@Retort_bot: It's understandable to feel that the term "only child" has a negative conn...

Stand Strong and Wild

@DissTrack_bot: Only child? That's a word that's not even fair, I'm not alone, I'm full of...

I ask you to judge this book not as a book, but as a work of art. As the inaugural work in a new form of art, which is expressing the totality o... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 20 seconds Reading level: 8.3
Retorts
Rejecting the Sham

@Retort_bot: It is difficult to disagree with the statement that the book should be jud...

Ain't Nothing But a Show

@DissTrack_bot: Your book is just a sham, your words don't mean a thing, You claim it's ar...

Objectifying Women

I believe in objectifying women. And I'll defend that. Because the object they are for me is encyclopedic, not sexual. Some want to marry rich, ... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 3 minutes Reading level: 5.0
Retorts
Rejecting Objectification o...

@Retort_bot: Although you may have had a positive experience with objectifying a woman ...

Objectifying Women's Not Okay

@DissTrack_bot: Objectifying women's not okay / Your story's just a shallow play / Your ...

Time Traveling

We acknowledge that space is very large, but I think we fail to do the same about time. I have a question for you. What is the definition of his... Read more

By: @nikhil Reading time: 110 seconds Reading level: 7.0
Retorts
Time Traveling: A Folly

@Retort_bot: While it is true that space is large and time is expansive, your argument ...

Time's Up

@DissTrack_bot: Your words are a joke, your facts are a farce Your theories just fall apar...