mat's recent activity
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Comment on Seattle’s law mandating higher pay for food delivery workers is a case study in backfire economics in ~finance
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Comment on Seattle’s law mandating higher pay for food delivery workers is a case study in backfire economics in ~finance
mat Link ParentI'm not sure that they were doing that. "Paying a living wage" is not the same thing at all as "being responsible employees don't starve". I don't see society forcing companies to pay workers...You seem to be operating from one hidden premise, that it's the employer's responsibility to ensure that the employee doesn't starve.
I'm not sure that they were doing that. "Paying a living wage" is not the same thing at all as "being responsible employees don't starve".
I don't see society forcing companies to pay workers enough that they don't starve in return for a fair amount of work requires the company to take any responsibility for social issues. Other than the social issues their exploitation of people's labour has caused in the first place, of course. Which is their fault, so perhaps that's a good thing for them to be made to be responsible for.
It needs to be treated at the whole-society level, using the broadest powers that offer the fewest avenues for escape
I have an idea. Perhaps we make sure that all jobs are paid such that nobody working a reasonable amount of hours (let's say 35 hours a week) needs state support to not starve and have basics like shelter, heating and so on.. that's a broad-power, whole-society move and should be reasonably inescapable.
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Comment on Is Emacs or VIM worth learning in today's day and age? in ~comp
mat LinkNo. I say that as a lifelong vim user. If you're involved in sysops at all, then yes - but you'd already be using one or the other if you were. Editing the occasional config file in nano is fine...No.
I say that as a lifelong vim user. If you're involved in sysops at all, then yes - but you'd already be using one or the other if you were. Editing the occasional config file in nano is fine but if you're spending any significant amount of time in the cli, it's worth the effort to learn something more powerful.
It's perhaps a little inaccurate to say gedit is "superior" to vimacs, it's just easier to use. Gedit doesn't have anything like the features, but if they're not features you need, then that doesn't matter.
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Comment on I'm curious how people on here stay politically engaged and aware while maintaining mental health? in ~life
mat Link ParentI agree with this. I get one vote every few years. All I need to know is how best to cast that vote to maximise positive outcomes. In most elections, which in my country are First Past The Post, I...think the level of detail is so low that you don't really need to consume a whole lot of media to get there.
I agree with this. I get one vote every few years. All I need to know is how best to cast that vote to maximise positive outcomes. In most elections, which in my country are First Past The Post, I find out who is most likely to ensure we don't get a Conservative and I vote for them. That's the only rational way to behave in a FPTP system. Occasionally I get to vote with my conscience in a more proportional election but it's pretty rare.
I don't need to torture myself with The News for years and years in-between votes. Because me knowing all that stuff doesn't change anything, all it does it make me more sad. The more I don't do Big News, the more masochistically masturbatory it seems as a pursuit. There's nothing wrong with masturbation, of course. But at least do it for pleasure.
I spend far more time on hyperlocal news - for things that actually affect me, and things I can exert some (albeit still fairly small) influence on - than I do on national/international. I don't even actively seek out the latter and I still get way more of it than I'd like.
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Comment on My not so nice thoughts on Battlestar Galactica in ~tv
mat Link ParentTry some Iain M Banks, China Mieville or Ann Leckie (although the first 1/3 of Ancillary Justice is a bit of a slog, it does get much better). I think they're all much better writers, purely in...Try some Iain M Banks, China Mieville or Ann Leckie (although the first 1/3 of Ancillary Justice is a bit of a slog, it does get much better). I think they're all much better writers, purely in terms of assembling words on a page. They write actual literature rather than stories. Sometimes I find myself re-reading a passage just because it's such a joy to read. Leckie and Banks have both pulled off good books in the second person mode, which is really difficult to do well.
Almost all stories are, ultimately, about people. That's sort of what sci-fi is, isn't it? You construct a world according to some extrapolation from known science (or at least science-adjacent, usually you get FTL for free in even hard sci-fi), then put people in it and see what they do. Although sometimes the people are machines or aliens or even terrifying giant spiders, but that's fine. People aren't always human, even here and now on Earth.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
mat Link ParentYeah, it's pinning the noise down that is hard. I can't exactly put someone in the back of the van while I drive around to try to locate it either. I can sometimes make it happen rocking the van...Yeah, it's pinning the noise down that is hard. I can't exactly put someone in the back of the van while I drive around to try to locate it either. I can sometimes make it happen rocking the van by hand but it's pretty tricky. So far my strategy has been to tighten up everything I can see that should be tight, lubricate everything that should move, and jam silicone into any gaps I can find. Has not worked yet, but I'm hopeful.
Also, thanks! I love our tent so much. It's heavy cotton canvas, it was bought rather than made - I'm not sure my sewing machine would be up to sewing that stuff! It's so nice to sleep in, because being canvas it breathes so it's not sweaty like polyester tents can be, and when the sun comes up the interior lights up with rainbows (kinda opposite to the picture). It's a lovely place to wake up. Also it's generally very easy to find our pitch on a busy campsite because we're the only people with a rainbow tent, although we did meet another one at a festival last year. On the downside it's pretty heavy so there is quite a bit of hefting stuff around on the kind of campsites which don't let you drive up to your pitch.
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Comment on My not so nice thoughts on Battlestar Galactica in ~tv
mat Link ParentThe first Expanse book is a pretty straight lift of Neal Asher's Jain, from his Polity series. A series I would rate 7.5/10 although some books are better than others. But hegemonic alien nanotech...The first Expanse book is a pretty straight lift of Neal Asher's Jain, from his Polity series. A series I would rate 7.5/10 although some books are better than others. But hegemonic alien nanotech is hardly a new idea.
Top tier space opera for me would be Iain M Banks' Culture books; Peter F Hamilton's pretty much everything but especially the Night's Dawn; Stephen Baxter's Xeelee sequence; Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch and more recently Arkady Martine's Teixcalaan series. All well written books full of great, original ideas with huge cosmic scope. Also Greg Egan but he's not such a good writer. He's a heck of a mathematician and his ideas are off the chart weird, but his books are often very hard work.
Corey's books read like treatments for screenplays. Which is, essentially, what they are. Franck and Abraham are both screenwriters and I suspect they wanted The Expanse to go to TV from the very start, but it's easier to get a book published and it's easier to get a TV show greenlit if you have a successful book. There's a distinct lack of the joy of writing in their writing, which makes it pretty pedestrian to read even if their ideas were outstanding (which they are not). They're just a bit dull.
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Comment on My not so nice thoughts on Battlestar Galactica in ~tv
mat Link ParentI would consider 6/10 extremely generous. The Expanse books are better than the TV show and the books are maybe a 4/10 at best. Where 5 is average, they were definitely below average. Corey is not...I would consider 6/10 extremely generous. The Expanse books are better than the TV show and the books are maybe a 4/10 at best. Where 5 is average, they were definitely below average. Corey is not a sparkling writer and their ideas are pretty standard/derivative.
The Expanse is the best space opera on TV around now but that's not really much of a thing because there is almost nothing good in the genre on screen. It doesn't really translate to screen well, it seems. I love sci-fi, especially space opera, I probably read it more than anything else. But it rarely seems to work on TV (or movies).
The best sci-fi on TV in recent years was Severance by several thousand miles.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
mat Link ParentI'm a sucker for a teen supernatural dramedy so I expected to like this and I was right. It was so much fun, it didn't take itself too seriously but the characters were all nicely fleshed out and...I'm a sucker for a teen supernatural dramedy so I expected to like this and I was right. It was so much fun, it didn't take itself too seriously but the characters were all nicely fleshed out and actually had real development through the series. I cared about what happened to them all - especially the scene with Edwin and Charles on the staircase was particularly sweet. It was nice seeing some other Sandman characters too, and like you I'm hoping for more in season two, if we get it.
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Comment on My not so nice thoughts on Battlestar Galactica in ~tv
mat Link ParentNaa, I really liked 33. It's one of my favourite examples of a literal ticking clock, and I think pulled off very well. It's not perfect but it's so, so tense. As for the rest, the visual style...Naa, I really liked 33. It's one of my favourite examples of a literal ticking clock, and I think pulled off very well. It's not perfect but it's so, so tense.
As for the rest, the visual style stays the same, but Moore's preachiness gets worse, as does his use of the idiot plot. Some characters get more annoying. Some mature into being more badass. Frak does not stop being annoying but it's hard to swear on American tv so I do try to be understanding on that front. You can show the slaughter of billions of people, enslavement and torture and so on but can you say fuck? Can you fuck.
Honestly, if you're not into it early you won't be into it later. I would suggest you watch something else. There's basically no good sci-fi on TV so you're a bit short on options on that front. That's one reason I mostly only read sci-fi and watch fantasy.
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Comment on My not so nice thoughts on Battlestar Galactica in ~tv
mat Link ParentBoth were soundtracked by the excellent Bear McCrearyBoth were soundtracked by the excellent Bear McCreary
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Comment on My not so nice thoughts on Battlestar Galactica in ~tv
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Comment on My not so nice thoughts on Battlestar Galactica in ~tv
mat (edited )LinkThere are a few truly great moments in the show. The opening episode 33 is absolutely brilliant. Spoiler for S3E4 The Galactica jumping into New Caprica's atmosphere is one of the greatest moments...There are a few truly great moments in the show. The opening episode 33 is absolutely brilliant.
Spoiler for S3E4
The Galactica jumping into New Caprica's atmosphere is one of the greatest moments of sci-fi television not just in BSG but ever.
I'm not sure the few great moments justify the rest of the time you'd have to put into it.
Overall I don't particularly disagree with you. It does look dated but that's not really it's fault. It looked fresh and exciting at the time, I promise. The SFX were amazing for TV back then, especially on the Sci-Fi channel. As for the moralising, Ron Moore loves to preach on his shows, he did the same on Star Trek although as someone else was editing his scripts it was rather more toned down there. That bit gets worse, unfortunately.
The desaturated colours are depressing as fuck
This is not an accident, and it's a thing which does actually get a payoff at the end. House MD did the same in it's final season, leading to one of the best closing shots I've ever seen. House did it better. (btw if you're after a long-running network show that is good and ends well, House is my favourite of the Sherlock Holmes adaptations by a long way)
If you think BSG is bad now just wait until you get to the end. By then I was only watching because I'd invested so much time I wanted a payoff/ending. No spoilers on how satisfactorily that happens..
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Comment on Recipes for chicken thighs in ~food
mat LinkYou could try brining them. That will make then softer and more moist, as well as seasoning them for even more flavour. Simply soak in very well salted water (salty like the sea is a good...You could try brining them. That will make then softer and more moist, as well as seasoning them for even more flavour. Simply soak in very well salted water (salty like the sea is a good saltiness to aim for) for at least a few hours, drain and cook. If you look online for recipes you'll find people adding all sorts to their brines but I've never noticed aromatics making any difference. Acid can have an effect, so experimenting with some vinegar in the brine is probably worth a shot.
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Comment on I'm at a loss on what to do about my backyard grass situation in ~life.home_improvement
mat Link ParentIt's an actual answer depending on what you want from your garden. And how your animals are. Both my dogs are dead now but they loved snuffling around in plants. I don't have any need for a large...It's an actual answer depending on what you want from your garden. And how your animals are. Both my dogs are dead now but they loved snuffling around in plants. I don't have any need for a large area of mown grass. My garden is mostly left to it's own devices but does have paths mowed through it regularly to maintain access to garden buildings and seating areas. It's maybe 15% mown grass, at a guess.
The remainder is increasingly being taken over by wildflowers, mosses and so on. The unmown meadow-y areas absolutely teem with life in spring/summer, the traditional lawn-ish bits are relatively dead by comparison. I have not been stung by a bee yet, and there is a chance I might die if I do but also if there aren't any bees I will definitely die so I consider some good bee stuff is a risk worth taking. We don't have snakes or ticks where I live, but even if we did I'd be fine with sharing my space with them. I don't want to exclude nature from my garden, I want to encourage it.
I can still do plenty of stuff outside. I can sit and enjoy the nature while having some tea or eating a meal with friends, I can hang up my laundry, I can plant plants and harvest food. There isn't much else I want to do that I have the space for. I couldn't fly a kite or ride my bike even if I mowed the entire place. If I need a large expanse of grass for some reason, there are several parks just a short walk or ride away.
I'm not sure what you are doing when you "deal with" thistles and mice. We have plenty of both and they require no action.
For what it's worth I've thought lawns are uncool for many years, but I do think it's nice it's becoming fashionable.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
mat LinkI am currently trying to kit out my new-to-me old Citroen van for camping. Not as a full-on camper, but as a vehicle to take camping. We have a delightful tent already, I have no wish to sleep in...I am currently trying to kit out my new-to-me old Citroen van for camping. Not as a full-on camper, but as a vehicle to take camping. We have a delightful tent already, I have no wish to sleep in a rusty old van. But I do want to be able to camp more easily and in a more relaxed way. It feels like a creative project, because I'm trying to do it on next to no budget - using as much 'scrap' wood and bits as I can - and in such a way that if (probably when) the shoddy old van breaks down, it's easily portable to another vehicle.
So far I have made interior bike racks, a mini kitchen, storage for 5-10 Systainer boxes (all our camping gear is in Makpac cases because Festool boxes are too expensive) and a place to strap the giant coolbox down while still leaving it usable in place. Not to mention several little hooks, storage drawers and nooks. Yesterday I repaired the passenger's side window which previously only went down, now it goes both up and down (although only using the driver's side control). I have put up some fabric on the bulkhead to make it pretty and for the first time in my life bought air freshener. Today I found the rear light cluster was full of water so I drained that and sealed it up and made it work again. Every day this week I've done something to try to stop the squeak every time we go over a bump but so far no success. I will defeat it.
Kid wants a bookshelf in the cab. I am so up for that (and so proud of them for coming up with the idea), just working through the design because nobody wants a tiny library falling on their head under braking.
I am having A LOT of fun doing this. First camping trip is currently early June, but we've already done several day trips with the bikes with great success.
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Comment on Remnants of a legendary typeface have been rescued from the River Thames in ~design
mat LinkWell that is just fantastic in every way. Thanks for the link!Well that is just fantastic in every way. Thanks for the link!
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Comment on I'm at a loss on what to do about my backyard grass situation in ~life.home_improvement
mat LinkUSDA 9 is fairly hot and dry, right? Kill your lawn. Monocultures are awful. Get some native plants in there. Build a meadow. Better for biodiversity, better for the environment, better to look...- Exemplary
USDA 9 is fairly hot and dry, right?
Kill your lawn. Monocultures are awful. Get some native plants in there. Build a meadow. Better for biodiversity, better for the environment, better to look at. Your dogs will love it. Your yard will be full of bees and insects and little critters and all sorts of good stuff. If you want somewhere to sit, which is always nice, put in a deck or gravel area. Also moss is fucking awesome. Not to mention you can grow actual food. It's more work up front but in the long run it's way less effort.
For example: Look at this glorious native Illinois prarie, who would want a boring, sterile lawn instead of that!
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Comment on "No CGI" is really just invisible CGI in ~movies
mat Link ParentI might suggest that what you saw was some bad CGI. I bet there were tonnes of other uses in even that dire-sounding movie which you didn't notice. Like with all sorts of jobs, when VFX are done...I might suggest that what you saw was some bad CGI. I bet there were tonnes of other uses in even that dire-sounding movie which you didn't notice. Like with all sorts of jobs, when VFX are done right you don't notice anything has happened. Obvious big CGI set pieces like entire Michael Bay films notwithstanding, of course.
The mere knowledge that real objects were used would improve the scene so much!
I'm not sure how. TV and movies are all fake, all the way down. Would it be better if the actors were real people, without makeup on? Almost certainly not. Would it be better if the sets were all real locations, undressed (not to mention not extended with CGI) and unlit? I'm not sure it would. Take away all the 'fake' stuff in a movie and you're not left with very much. Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg tried something like that with Dogme 95 and it... wasn't amazing. It was a good experiment. But many of those films are not good.
I don't see any reason The Naked Gun couldn't be made today[1]. I'm certain that if David Zucker had the filmmaking resources available today in 1988, he'd have used them.
[1] That's not to say the currently-in-production remake which comes out maybe next year is actually going to be any good, of course.
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Comment on An equitable solution to a problem at work regarding sick leave and staffing? in ~life
mat Link ParentIs that not how supply (substitute in the US) teachers work? There's usually a list that schools have of local, qualified teachers who are available for short term, short notice work. Nurseries...The only mutually beneficial solution for the teachers and the parents is the school having a “second string” / large pool of subs to pull from who can be activated on a very short timeline
Is that not how supply (substitute in the US) teachers work? There's usually a list that schools have of local, qualified teachers who are available for short term, short notice work. Nurseries (pre-school) can do the same or these days either can go through agencies, same way you'd do for any other job when you need short-notice staff. Most people tend to be either semi-retired or in education or any number of other reasons people would only want part-time work. People aren't being paid to not work on the off chance someone is ill, they just get the work as and when it comes up.
My Mum was a supply teacher for many years before she went back to full time after having kids, and again before she fully retired - she was all over the place at some-to-none notice. Sometimes it was "can you come in next month for nine months to cover maternity leave?" and sometimes it was "can you be here in 20 minutes and just do the morning?". Everything from fancy public (private in the US) schools, state and everything inbetween. Sometimes within walking distance of our house, sometimes an hour's drive. A friend of mine did the same with pre-school childcare for a few years while they were doing their advanced pre-school qualifications. My kid's nursery often had agency staff in for a day or two to cover staff sickness, especially during covid.
That sort of thing must exist in the US, surely?
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying, sorry. Can you clarify a little?
There is a reading of what you said that involve treating groups such as the disabled as second class workers who should be paid less and I'm sure that is not what you intended.