non-Dhamma, but useful

edge cases for correct use of 'literal' Is this correct usage of "literally"? I was sitting on my throne considering possible solutions to difficult problems at work. As I hunched over to wrap up the paperwork for my #2 business, my shit was literally looking me in the eyes, my shit was literally staring me in the face. I was literally face to face with my own shit. I was literally staring into the face of my own shit. AI says #3 is correct, or at least defensible, the others are incorrect because shit is not a living being with eyes, face. I wonder if all 4 could be correct, in the context that it's differentiating between shit at work (difficult psychological problems) as opposed to physical shit in literal physical spatial proximity. Also, isn't 'face' used to describe aspects of literal inorganic dead objects? Face card? Expert ruling? AI suggestions for more poetic rendering   "I spent some time this morning really sitting with the data. Aft...

  This is behind Washington Post paywall, but it's an important piece of news so I'm sharing publicly. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/02/14/havana-syndrome-cia-norway-experiment/ Exclusive Researcher skeptical of ‘Havana syndrome’ tested secret weapon on himself In 2024, a Norwegian researcher skeptical that pulsed-energy weapons could do damage to human brains built a device and tested it on himself. It didn’t go well. Updated February 14, 2026 at 9:18 a.m. ESTyesterday at 9:18 a.m. EST 9 min Summary 963 Make us preferred on Google Oslo in January. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images) By Warren P. Strobel and Ellen Nakashima Working in strict secrecy, a government scientist in Norway built a machine capable of emitting powerful pulses of microwave energy and,  in an effort to prove such devices are harmless to humans,  in 2024 tested it on himself. He suffered neurological symptoms similar to those of “Havana syndrome,” the unexplained malady tha...