papasquat's recent activity
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Comment on For thirty years I programmed with Phish on, every day. In 2026, the music is out of phase with the work. in ~tech
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Comment on "The reason I'm not an atheist is that I think the philosophical arguments against it are unanswerable" (gifted link) in ~humanities
papasquat Link ParentIt seems to me that he's making a classic God of the gaps argument, but with more better education and more words. It still relies on the same logical fallacy though. The thing is that science...It seems to me that he's making a classic God of the gaps argument, but with more better education and more words.
It still relies on the same logical fallacy though.
The thing is that science never claimed to be able to explain everything.
It's a massive logical leap to go from "science can't explain everything" to "and thus God and his divine son, Jesus Christ are real and our Savior".
God doesn't need to exist for science to not explain, or not even be able to explain everything. It's entirely possible for some things to just be unknowable without a mystical being controlling the whole universe.
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Comment on Is British English actually better than American English? in ~humanities.languages
papasquat Link ParentWell, it's a much bigger country. I think long distance travel was probably more difficult for more of Britain's history than the US, but it would take about 15-20 days to walk from one end of...Well, it's a much bigger country. I think long distance travel was probably more difficult for more of Britain's history than the US, but it would take about 15-20 days to walk from one end of Britain to the other. It would take 6 months to do the same in the Continental US.
I think that likely contributed to the differences in geographic patterns of accents as well. An American from New York sounds extremely different than one from Alabama, but the NY and NJ accent are pretty much the same thing, and most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference between an Alabama and Mississippi accent.
In the UK, people from a county over can almost sound like they're speaking different languages.
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Comment on Is British English actually better than American English? in ~humanities.languages
papasquat Link ParentNone of those factors are necessarily desirable in a language though. In many cases, ambiguity is a feature, not a bug. For instance, when starting a romantic relationship, a lot of people will...None of those factors are necessarily desirable in a language though.
In many cases, ambiguity is a feature, not a bug. For instance, when starting a romantic relationship, a lot of people will say stuff like "oh we're just talking right now".
Talking could mean passing each other in the hallway and having a conversation every so often, going out for coffee a few times, going on regular dates, or just meeting up for sex. The ambiguity is the point, it's not undesirable.
There are countless examples of words and phrases that mean one thing if you're in the "in group", and mean something else entirely if you're not.
Those are very intentional characteristics that serve a specific function, they're not deficiencies with the language.
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Comment on Is British English actually better than American English? in ~humanities.languages
papasquat Link ParentI guess you could argue that neocolonialism is better than the kind of colonialism where guys in pith helmets chopped peoples hands off, but neither are really great. There's also the point that...the ones that lean toward American English adopted it more organically in response to American influence in commerce and entertainment.
I guess you could argue that neocolonialism is better than the kind of colonialism where guys in pith helmets chopped peoples hands off, but neither are really great.
There's also the point that most of the cultures that the US subjugated in our own form of regular, old school style colonialism are dead, or are relegated to reservations where they unsurprisingly mostly also speak American English.
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Comment on Is British English actually better than American English? in ~humanities.languages
papasquat LinkThis is one of the most subjective questions ever. You might as well ask what color is best. They're also extremely similar, they're the same language, just regional dialects. Americans have no...This is one of the most subjective questions ever.
You might as well ask what color is best.They're also extremely similar, they're the same language, just regional dialects. Americans have no trouble understanding standard RP English, and people from the UK have no issues understanding general American English.
There is much more variation in dialects within the US and UK than on average between them. As an American, I have a much easier time understanding someone speaking RP English than I do understand deep southern US accents.
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Comment on Apple set to become third-biggest laptop maker this year in ~tech
papasquat Link ParentTo be fair, most laptops from that era were easy to work on. Laptops from back then were more similar to desktops today. They used commodity hardware, standardized expansion slots, and accessible...To be fair, most laptops from that era were easy to work on. Laptops from back then were more similar to desktops today. They used commodity hardware, standardized expansion slots, and accessible cases. I upgraded many laptops by replacing their CPUs back then.
A laptop with a removable CPU is unheard of nowadays.
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Comment on What Google thinks you're worth in ~tech
papasquat LinkOne thing these ad profiles do that I absolutely hate (among the million other things I hate) are merging my personal and professional lives. I try to keep those separate as much as possible. I...One thing these ad profiles do that I absolutely hate (among the million other things I hate) are merging my personal and professional lives. I try to keep those separate as much as possible. I have different cell phones, different computers, different laptops, different logins for everything that do not cross between personal and work machines. I don't talk in detail about my work in personal contexts and vice versa.
Still, I get things like vendors calling my personal cell phone number trying to sell me things because of my position constantly. I've asked them where they got them, and I've gotten mostly lies like "linkedin" (I don't, and have never had any phone number on linked in, let alone my personal cell phone number).
I know they bought it from a data broker who aggregated it with my ad profile, so they very likely have a merged portfolio of the broad strokes of everything I've ever visited or searched for, in both professional and personal contexts. I can't stand that.
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Comment on USA to mandate surveillance tech for new cars also determing fitness to drive by 2027 in ~transport
papasquat Link ParentI think you may be trivializing how simple it is. I've used similar setups in the past, but its really a lot more fiddly than sitting down and pressing a button on a remote. For one thing,...I think you may be trivializing how simple it is. I've used similar setups in the past, but its really a lot more fiddly than sitting down and pressing a button on a remote.
For one thing, everyone that wants to use my tv now has to have an app installed on their phone or use mine.
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Comment on USA to mandate surveillance tech for new cars also determing fitness to drive by 2027 in ~transport
papasquat Link ParentI had an apple tv a long time ago. It was nice, but the lack of the ability to sideload was a dealbreaker for me. It also had very limited codec support, but that was much more of an issue 15 or...I had an apple tv a long time ago. It was nice, but the lack of the ability to sideload was a dealbreaker for me. It also had very limited codec support, but that was much more of an issue 15 or so years ago when we hadn't standardized on three major codecs yet.
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Comment on USA to mandate surveillance tech for new cars also determing fitness to drive by 2027 in ~transport
papasquat Link ParentIt's not more trivial than picking up a remote though. There are front ends and software that make it easier (like Kodi), but it still requires some non standard hardware and manual setup. I...It's not more trivial than picking up a remote though. There are front ends and software that make it easier (like Kodi), but it still requires some non standard hardware and manual setup.
I didn't really mind messing with a computer to watch tv when I was younger and I was the only one using it, but now that I have a wife and family, and less time to mess with computer stuff, it's not exactly feasible.
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Comment on USA to mandate surveillance tech for new cars also determing fitness to drive by 2027 in ~transport
papasquat Link ParentI don't know if having to use a keyboard and mouse to watch tv really counts as an "amazing job". I used to do something similar a long time ago when I was in college, but then moved to XBMC/Kodi,...I don't know if having to use a keyboard and mouse to watch tv really counts as an "amazing job".
I used to do something similar a long time ago when I was in college, but then moved to XBMC/Kodi, and eventually settled on Chromecast.Personally, I like a dedicated streaming box like a Chromecast or fire stick paired with a tv, because the interface is so much better suited for it, and because someone else takes care of updates for me. I don't think I could deal with even one more device that I'm responsible for patching in my house.
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Comment on An insight into looksmaxxxing/blackpill "ideology" in ~life
papasquat Link ParentIt's not a confirmation of the ideology, lol. It's confirmation that being rich lets you get away with a lot more. If clavicular was a very good looking broke guy, his life wouldnt be a whole lot...It's not a confirmation of the ideology, lol. It's confirmation that being rich lets you get away with a lot more. If clavicular was a very good looking broke guy, his life wouldnt be a whole lot different than if he were a moderately ugly broke guy.
I know multiple very good looking broke guys. The only difference between them and the ugly broke guys is that they have sex a little more. (Not even a lot more though, to be honest).
You don't automatically get handed a Ferrari, a designer suit, and VIP passes to a night club once you reach a certain level of attractiveness.
He has all of those things because he happened to become a famous influencer. Casey neistat got all of those things when he became a famous influencer too, and he's decidedly not conventionally attractive.
He has fewer material concerns because of the money, not because of the looks.
The looks aren't even what got him the money though, it's the message that hit at the exact right time, with the exact right people, in the exact right way.
The only reason any of this matters though is that becoming Clavicular is not a path to make your life better. The 16 year old kids watching him are not going to become him. They'll become slightly better looking, more broke, and maybe gain some new drug addictions or health concerns.
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Comment on An insight into looksmaxxxing/blackpill "ideology" in ~life
papasquat Link ParentThe thing about the belief system is that they're "right" about the things that everyone already believes. That is, there's no significant opposition to the idea that attractive people are more...- Exemplary
I think they’re very clearly right about some of this
The thing about the belief system is that they're "right" about the things that everyone already believes. That is, there's no significant opposition to the idea that attractive people are more successful at dating and first impressions, or that women have an easier time finding casual sex.
They seem right because they invent strawmen to represent mainstream/feminist thought.
Everyone knows that if you're hot, you're going to be able to get more dates if you want them. Everyone knows that looks are the single most important factor when people see you and make an impression of you.
What they don't agree with is that it's worth flying across the world, spending 80k to have your shins repeatedly and painfully broken and spending a year in recovery and being effectively disabled for the rest of your life so that you can go from 5'10 to 6'.
Lookmaxxing implies that looks are literally the only thing that's important in life. It really isn't. Having the hottest possible partner, or having the most sex possible will not make you happy. It's never made anyone happy once they got over the novelty of it.
You can see this in clavicular or any of the other popular online black pill personalities. They're all miserable. Theyre not happy or content with their lives, they don't have stable relationships, and they've never focused on the other things in life that are important besides looks.
So yeah, looks are important, but no one disputes that. You can't say that looksmaxxers are "right about some of it", when it's the same thing that everyone else already knows. It's like saying that the Nazis were right about some of it because they thought that having a strong military was key to winning wars. Sure, they believe that, but so does everyone else. It's not a key differentiator.
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Comment on Your favourite karaoke songs? in ~music
papasquat Link ParentAyyy, someone with the same vocal range as me. Johnny Cash is my go to, because most songs have high notes, where if I sing them, it makes it so I can do maybe one or two songs all night and then...Ayyy, someone with the same vocal range as me. Johnny Cash is my go to, because most songs have high notes, where if I sing them, it makes it so I can do maybe one or two songs all night and then I can't talk the next day.
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Comment on Why America is so much better than Europe at immigration in ~society
papasquat Link ParentYeah, it's something that gets missed when comparing anti immigrant sentiment in the US and in the EU. The EU has far higher immigration rates from countries with entirely different cultures than...Yeah, it's something that gets missed when comparing anti immigrant sentiment in the US and in the EU.
The EU has far higher immigration rates from countries with entirely different cultures than mainstream European cultures, on a fundemental level. The values are different, the religions are different, the cultural expectations are different.
The US and central/South America are really very similar culturally, as much as anti immigrant folks over here like to pretend they aren't.
They speak a different language, but they're predominantly christian, secular, generally have the same opinions on human rights and the role of governments in enforcing them and so on. It's not surprising that within a generation, an immigrant family from Mexico perfectly blends in with the larger American culture, but that's less so the case with immigrants to European countries from the middle east. Their cultures are just nearly as closely similar.
This makes sense when you think about the history. Every country in the American has been filtered, their dominant cultural influences were from a relatively small group of European settlers 500 years ago. Spain for Latin America, and England and France for North America. Europe and the middle east all trace their cultural roots back tens of thousands of years where independent cultures evolved, where those cultures clashed, it resulted in some of the most brutal, drawn out warfare in human history. The Americas, by comparison, have essentially a European culture, with some native and African influence which additionally serve to bring all of the cultures on the contents here together culturally closer.
Backlash against immigrants in the US is much more likely to be just basic racism, and thus entirely irrational, versus immigration backlash in Europe potentially being more founded on those cultural differences.
Comparing those migration patterns as if policy is the only difference is a fools errand.
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Comment on Adults are earning college degrees online in weeks, alarming US educators in ~society
papasquat Link ParentI'm one of those people for the most part. Having a degree mostly proves that you had time and money in your early adulthood. I think there's an exception for me if someone has a notably elite...I'm one of those people for the most part. Having a degree mostly proves that you had time and money in your early adulthood. I think there's an exception for me if someone has a notably elite school on their resume, but just having a degree isn't particularly meaningful for the types of jobs I hire for.
I care mostly about experience, but most of all, enthusiasm. Not enthusiasm to have a job, but enthusiasm for the field I work in. I'm not really interested in hiring people that are just looking for a livable wage. I'm interested in hiring people that think what they do is cool, and who would do something similar with their free time if we lived in a star trek future where all of their needs were provided for, like I would. Unfortunately that's extremely hard to determine outside of an interview, and interviews are very time consuming, so hiring is always painful.
Education, expertise, social skills, and organizational context can all be developed. I don't think I've ever seen someone go from just painting by the numbers to enthusiastic about their field though.
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Comment on What I learned about billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s private retreat in ~society
papasquat Link ParentElon and twitter is actually a pretty good case study to illustrate the differences strategywise. Elon bought the company and within a month it became an extreme right wing, bot and crypto bro...Elon and twitter is actually a pretty good case study to illustrate the differences strategywise. Elon bought the company and within a month it became an extreme right wing, bot and crypto bro infested echo chamber that no one takes seriously anymore.
WaPo is still a pretty well respected publication, all things considered. Even though Twitter has far, far more users than WaPo could ever dream of, I'd argue that the newspaper is a lot more influential with people who have actual power than twitter is.
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Comment on What I learned about billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s private retreat in ~society
papasquat Link ParentBecause manufacturing consent requires that the source is still viewed as at least somewhat legitimate. You can't just turn on a dime and publish stories about unions being evil and billionaires...Because manufacturing consent requires that the source is still viewed as at least somewhat legitimate. You can't just turn on a dime and publish stories about unions being evil and billionaires being good, actually, if you want the paper to remain relevant.
Subtly nudging the paper in the direction you want it to go is a lot more effective.
What other reason would someone have for buying a newspaper in 2013?
It's a business model that was on an obvious downward trajectory even back then.
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Comment on What I learned about billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s private retreat in ~society
papasquat Link ParentThe scary thing is that this is heavily dependant on which government you're talking about. Jeff Bezos alone makes more per year than the revenue of most countries governments on earth. Only about...Governments are an order of magnitude more powerful.
The scary thing is that this is heavily dependant on which government you're talking about.
Jeff Bezos alone makes more per year than the revenue of most countries governments on earth. Only about 60 have bigger budgets than he does.
I'm going to leave the AI stuff aside, because I've talked to death about it, and I'm sure we all have, and I'm kind of tired of thinking and hearing about it.
What's more interesting to me is that to me, it doesn't seem like the author of this article's problem is actually AI related at all. His problem seems like his entire life is one dimensional.
I don't know if he was exaggerating for effect or what, but if the only thing you enjoy doing, and the only thing driving you is truly programming and listening to Phish, you're cheating yourslef out of life. Like... Badly.
Maybe the author is not neurotypical and doing other things is uncomfortable for him or something, but man... that was one of the most depressing descriptions of a life I've ever heard, and that's even before I got to the part where he had a problem.
I definitely understand being passionate about one thing (or two things I guess), but not when it's at the expense of everything else. Falling in love, caring for a pet, seeing other cultures, playing a sport, developing a new skill, tending a garden, and so on and so on. Life has an infinite amount of things to do, most people won't be into most of them, but that's okay. If you're not at least exposing yourself to some of them though, especially when you have the means to do so?
Man, that's just such a shame to just decide at 15 that you're only ever going to program and listen to Phish for the rest of your life.
Also, one half of his life has already been ruined by AI coding agents. What happens if Trey turns out to secretly be a Nazi or child molester or something? Is your entire life just effectively over?