Maddie

More like realizing that they are not what you assume them to be.

Yes, he taught to see them for what they actually are (mindfulness) and realize these things are not the self. This is what he taught the eightfold path for.

The term Anatta in India means "self" or "soul", basically an unchanging essence. The Buddha taught that there are five aggregates that we tend to assume are us, but in reality are not. They are physical form such as the body, feeling meaning the six senses making contact with objects and our perception of them as being good, bad, or neutral. Perception which is our recognition of classification of objects based mainly on past experiences. Volition which is the decision making part of the mind, and consciousness which is our awareness of these other experiences. The Buddha taught that these five things were commonly assumed to be the self but are not.

If we are going to use "ego" in the way the Buddha meant anatta then it is the misunderstanding of the five aggregates as being the self when they are not.

It's hard to resist a lady bug slumber party though

Yes. Technically it would only be intentions, because if while you are asleep if you roll over and squash a lady bug that is an action but there is no ill intent at all, even thought its technically an action, so therefore no karma.

Yes karma is both cause and effect. One makes karma with ones actions, and the karma made in turn conditions future actions.

There actually are some cases where I will use the term "bad karma" but these are where someone else is actively being harmed with ill intent.

I don't know if I would use the word bad karma. I think acting on desire creates the karma of desire.

So I guess the real question is more about the mind and desire than the actual visual images themselves.

Assigned male at birth is more about gender than sex. It is the assumption (usually correct but not always) that one's sex and gender will be aligned.

Is it? how so?

That's definitely messed up and wrong no doubt, but I was curious about the energetic aspect.

How so? Being that I'm asexual I'm curious about this.

Define bad. In what sense do you mean is it bad for you? As in it can be addictive?