cdb's recent activity
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Comment on The land that doesn’t need Ozempic in ~food
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Comment on How are you dealing with inflation regarding everyday enjoyment? in ~life
cdb LinkShort term, I've always had a budget I stick to, so comparison shopping is just something I'm used to. If beef is expensive I'll switch to pork or chicken, or generally I'll just buy whatever...Short term, I've always had a budget I stick to, so comparison shopping is just something I'm used to. If beef is expensive I'll switch to pork or chicken, or generally I'll just buy whatever meats or vegetables are on sale and figure out what to do with them after. I eat fast food somewhat infrequently, and the rise in prices just means I go for other alternatives when I don't feel like cooking. It might be reheating frozen foods (some from costco are pretty good), or other local restaurants, which have become more price competitive lately. I don't feel like it's healthy to have fast food as a major factor in "everyday enjoyment" anyway.
Long term, I realize that my previous choices in education and career path have somewhat insulated me from feeling the effects of this recent inflation since I feel like my compensation has kept up. However, it's potentially risky to stagnate in income and job function. So I'm trying to skill up for jobs with higher earning potential.
Ultimately, my lifestyle hasn't changed much due to inflation, and just looking around my neighborhood it seems like people are not outwardly affected (still seeing new cars appear in driveways, frequent signs of home remodeling, kids playing outside have fancy new toys, etc.).
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Comment on Google lays off hundreds of ‘Core’ employees, moves some positions to India and Mexico in ~tech
cdb Link ParentI feel like that's a bit of a non sequitur. I just don't see how being a transformative tech company means you will never have layoffs. I can see disappointment in decisions they're making that...I feel like that's a bit of a non sequitur. I just don't see how being a transformative tech company means you will never have layoffs. I can see disappointment in decisions they're making that would conflict with "don't be evil," but whether they are doing interesting or non-evil tech things doesn't have much to do with whether they will find it beneficial to reduce staff at times.
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Comment on Ana de Armas turns 36: How the Oscar nominee jumps between dramas and action movies in ~movies
cdb Link ParentCould you explain further what you are trying to say here? Why isn't Ana de Armas a movie star?Could you explain further what you are trying to say here? Why isn't Ana de Armas a movie star?
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Comment on Google lays off hundreds of ‘Core’ employees, moves some positions to India and Mexico in ~tech
cdb LinkI'm trying to understand the significance of these articles. I'm just not seeing how "company lays off 0.1% of its workforce" is newsworthy. The last article was about laying off a team with less...I'm trying to understand the significance of these articles. I'm just not seeing how "company lays off 0.1% of its workforce" is newsworthy. The last article was about laying off a team with less than 10 people. Certainly it's impactful to those it affects directly, but from a business standpoint it's a nothing burger reorg kind of move. Don't these kinds of things happen all the time with other companies? What's news about this other than it's about a tech company, and tech layoffs seem to be a popular narrative right now?
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Comment on The cycling revolution in Paris continues: Bicycle use now exceeds car use in ~transport
cdb Link ParentConnecting is such a big issue with bike lanes. There are a lot of bike lanes in between home and work, but not in the busiest and most dangerous areas to ride in. The sidewalks are also poorly...Connecting is such a big issue with bike lanes. There are a lot of bike lanes in between home and work, but not in the busiest and most dangerous areas to ride in. The sidewalks are also poorly maintained in those areas, probably because foot traffic isn't high near freeway entrances and other car-dominant areas. So, a bike commute ends up not being viable if I'm risk-averse. A coworker died in a bike accident recently, and the number of ghost bikes I've seen is not encouraging.
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Comment on Generation Z is unprecedentedly rich in ~finance
cdb Link ParentIt's probably my fault for not being more clear. I was writing all that on my phone. There are all sorts of issues with supply and whatnot that are probably more relevant, but I just don't feel...It's probably my fault for not being more clear. I was writing all that on my phone. There are all sorts of issues with supply and whatnot that are probably more relevant, but I just don't feel like discussing. I would like to be able to just talk about one detail at a time, but I end up thinking I have to write a whole book so people don't get the wrong idea about me and switch to arguing things I'm not even talking about. Unfortunately, if you refute something that comes from one "side" then it naturally sounds like you're on the "other side." But then if I try to put all sorts of qualifiers in my comment, it dilutes the point and people start responding to those parts rather than the point I'm trying to make. Economics ends up being a hard subject to discuss, I guess. Kind of a rant, but yeah, It's still on me that I wasn't clearer, and I'm still trying to figure out how to make just one point without giving the impression that I'm making another point.
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Comment on Scientists push new paradigm of animal consciousness, saying even insects may be sentient in ~enviro
cdb Link ParentIf you want to play it safe, you still have to draw a line somewhere. I'm responsible for the deaths of many thousands, if not millions, of insects just trying to keep them out of my home. Does...If you want to play it safe, you still have to draw a line somewhere. I'm responsible for the deaths of many thousands, if not millions, of insects just trying to keep them out of my home. Does that make me a monster? I would think that your suggestion makes sense, but I can't figure out how to follow it without logically falling down a slope either towards everything mattering or nothing mattering. The perspective presented here only makes it harder to know what playing it safe even means. What does "play it safe" mean to you, and how did you choose that position?
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Comment on Clothes shopping as a short & fat (trans) guy with narrow shoulders in ~life.style
cdb LinkHave you considered jeans made to measure? There are some relatively cheap online options. Although the cheaper options may not be the most precise with their measurements, it's a hell of a lot...Have you considered jeans made to measure? There are some relatively cheap online options. Although the cheaper options may not be the most precise with their measurements, it's a hell of a lot better than anything off the rack if you have a body type that isn't represented in stores.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
cdb LinkJust finished The Practicing Mind by Thomas Sterner. Basically, the message is to focus on process rather than results. Not much new, but it's a good reminder. My biggest takeaway from it is the...Just finished The Practicing Mind by Thomas Sterner. Basically, the message is to focus on process rather than results. Not much new, but it's a good reminder. My biggest takeaway from it is the suggestion to deliberately slow down what you're doing, which helps you be more thoughtful about your actions, which in turn can get you into a flow state more easily. Reminds me of the cliche "slow is smooth, smooth is fast."
Moved onto The Demon Haunted World by Sagan, which seems to be a defense of scientific and rational thinking. So far I'm thinking it's pretty much preaching to the choir, because the only people who would bother reading such a book are likely to already be familiar with such concepts. Even so, I'm hoping it will help me be more open to examining my own beliefs and also make me a better communicator, since Sagan was a pretty well-received science communicator.
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Comment on Generation Z is unprecedentedly rich in ~finance
cdb Link ParentFHA just started offering 40 year mortgage in 2023. I'm trying to talk about trends longer than a year or two. As far as I know, most lenders don't offer 40 year mortgages, and they are very...FHA just started offering 40 year mortgage in 2023. I'm trying to talk about trends longer than a year or two. As far as I know, most lenders don't offer 40 year mortgages, and they are very rarely used.
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Comment on Generation Z is unprecedentedly rich in ~finance
cdb Link ParentFirst and foremost, I am not saying that there is nothing wrong with house prices. I feel like you are assuming that I am, and I am not. Just talking about details. The average household size has...First and foremost, I am not saying that there is nothing wrong with house prices. I feel like you are assuming that I am, and I am not. Just talking about details.
The average household size has decreased over time, even since 2015. Household size defined as number of people living in the same housing unit.
You said "inflation adjusted" and then started talking about price to income ratio. I think affordability is worth discussing, but not by using averages like CPI for all items. Things change in relative price all the time, and that's ok. What's not ok is if homes are unaffordable for most people, which is the current state.
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Comment on Generation Z is unprecedentedly rich in ~finance
cdb Link ParentHere's the definition I'm referring to: So, increased number of roommates would increase the household size.Here's the definition I'm referring to:
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a household is considered to be all persons living within one housing unit. This includes apartments, houses, or single rooms, and consists of both related and unrelated people living together. For example, two roommates who share a living space but are not related would be considered a household in the eyes of the Census.
So, increased number of roommates would increase the household size.
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Comment on San Francisco sues Oakland over proposed airport name change in ~transport
cdb Link ParentHmm.. that makes sense. Maybe I'm just not that open minded about the east bay and should try to be more objective. I'm even a Raiders fan, but I've always thought of Oakland as an unpleasant...Hmm.. that makes sense. Maybe I'm just not that open minded about the east bay and should try to be more objective. I'm even a Raiders fan, but I've always thought of Oakland as an unpleasant place to visit.
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Comment on San Francisco sues Oakland over proposed airport name change in ~transport
cdb Link ParentI feel like visiting "The SF Bay Area" for tourism isn't really a common thing. Visiting SF, yes, but other than the Golden Gate, you don't need to be crossing any other bridges. I honestly feel...I feel like visiting "The SF Bay Area" for tourism isn't really a common thing. Visiting SF, yes, but other than the Golden Gate, you don't need to be crossing any other bridges.
I honestly feel like this is just trying to scam people into thinking that the east bay is a reasonable destination to fly into even if you don't have relatives who live in Walnut Creek or something.
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Comment on Generation Z is unprecedentedly rich in ~finance
cdb Link ParentIncreasing house prices is a natural consequence of increasing real incomes. In other words, if income is increasing faster than the price of goods, people will just spend more on housing. In the...Increasing house prices is a natural consequence of increasing real incomes. In other words, if income is increasing faster than the price of goods, people will just spend more on housing. In the US, the average household size has decreased over time, and the average home size has increased, which is a reflection of this. If the main problem was really the price of housing relative to the general inflation rate, people would be demanding smaller homes and more people would be living together, when it's actually the opposite.
Of course, low housing supply and wealth inequality are certainly problems we need to deal with. I'm just trying to explain why inflation-adjusted price is not meaningful when talking about housing.
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Comment on Online shopping - how convenient is it actually? in ~life.style
cdb (edited )Link ParentYeah, the value proposition of Amazon is hard to ignore. Last night during dinner the subject of a cleaning product for the dog came up in conversation. I took out my phone, and after some...Yeah, the value proposition of Amazon is hard to ignore. Last night during dinner the subject of a cleaning product for the dog came up in conversation. I took out my phone, and after some discussion about ingredients, I ordered what we needed. The whole process took about 3 minutes, including the discussion, and it's scheduled to arrive today.
I've come to loathe wasting my time going to the store for things like this, especially not knowing if they'll even have what I want in stock. I've found that there are very few things I actually need to have in hand right away.
edit: Now that I've thought about it a bit, I'm pretty sure I actually get most things sooner with online shopping than physical retail. Usually I have to wait until the weekend or a rare light work day to get the shopping done. If I'm busy, maybe that trip to the store gets delayed for weeks or even months. With online shopping I just order whenever I think about it and it arrives whether I'm busy or not.
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Comment on Why Gen Z is quietly giving up in ~life
cdb Link ParentI think it's on topic and worth discussing how often we're seeing this narrative. Kind of reminds me of how suicides are contagious. It's not that those who committed suicide weren't struggling,...I think it's on topic and worth discussing how often we're seeing this narrative. Kind of reminds me of how suicides are contagious. It's not that those who committed suicide weren't struggling, but maybe it put them over a threshold to have the thought of suicide planted in their head. In the same way I wonder if the thought of hopelessness isn't being planted in people's heads just because it's mentioned so often. Of course there are problems in the world, but if people are being told that many people are giving up on life, it kind of normalizes it. This is in line with the video's point about how social media is affecting us.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Piranesi in ~books
cdb (edited )Link ParentI felt that Piranesi was the only character that had any complexity, which might have been the point. Everyone else was just completely one-track without any information about their motivations....I felt that Piranesi was the only character that had any complexity, which might have been the point. Everyone else was just completely one-track without any information about their motivations. It makes it almost like a children's book, but I guess that's a reflection of Piranesi's mental state, which is basically an adult with the curiosity of a child. However, without more character development, it also made the climax a little hollow for me. Piranesi is telling me that he cares whether the Other dies, but I don't really care since he's just a caricature of a jerk to me. Then despite bits of Matthew peeking out here and there in the middle of the book, at the end it seems like he's just as gone as the beginning.
Other - Neutral Evil
Prophet - Chaotic Evil
Raphael - Lawful Goodedit: Well, that turned out to be kind of a negative comment. I guess I just feel like complaining, and it's easier to talk about negative things than positive things. Otherwise, I enjoyed the the concept and the journey.
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Comment on Truong My Lan: Vietnamese billionaire sentenced to death for $44bn fraud in ~finance
cdb Link ParentYou are assuming too much. The only thing I'm trying to say is the first sentence of each of my previous comments,taken literally. I'm not trying to argue any position other than that the top...You are assuming too much. The only thing I'm trying to say is the first sentence of each of my previous comments,taken literally. I'm not trying to argue any position other than that the top level comment cannot be taken as the default position without further argument or evidence, so I'm asking for some arguments or evidence.
At my school everyone was required to live on campus their first year and purchase a meal plan, which was all-you-can-eat. With no cooking facilities and a literal buffet for every meal, the "freshman fifteen" was almost inevitable, with many people visibly gaining weight. Some of my friends lost weight after moving off-campus, but some of them didn't. I feel like these policies were a huge disservice to the student population, but it also seems culturally normalized for any US institution to have policies that ignore negative effects on public health.