16bitclaudes's recent activity
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
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Comment on Online shopping - how convenient is it actually? in ~life.style
16bitclaudes LinkI am a serial online shopper and have found it exceptionally useful. It allows me to explore all of my hobbies and interests with the only real limiter being finances. I enjoy insect taxidermy, I...I am a serial online shopper and have found it exceptionally useful. It allows me to explore all of my hobbies and interests with the only real limiter being finances.
I enjoy insect taxidermy, I would never be able to find unmounted A1 grade butterfly specimens on the highstreet. I make soap sometimes, I wouldn't know where to start looking for caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) in any decent quantity within a 20 mile radius. I love gardening, I've been able to find some exciting varieties of heirloom seeds and fruit bushes that aren't at my local garden centers, although I give them plenty of love too. It's great for specialist ingredients; I am endlessly grateful that I can just order a jar of cassareep online to make pepperpot with rather than having to make a 3 hour round trip on public transport to find a Caribbean grocer.
I use a cashback website wherever I can and have clawed back around £500 over the years, probably a bit more from using a credit card which gives me a small percentage of cashback on purchases too. I still support my local shops and go to physical stores for groceries but for stuff that's higher up on the pyramid of needs, online covers an awful lot of my shopping habits. I try to be conscious of my data being passed on to third parties but frankly I think they'd be too confused by all my odd purchases to know what to do with it.
I'm less worried about frivolous spending habits because I budget carefully every month and am in the habit of checking my statements regularly, especially before making a big purchase.
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
16bitclaudes Link ParentI'm so sorry this is happening, I enjoyed seeing your pics of Quincy. I'm conscious of when this was posted, so I hope you've both had a really good day together.I'm so sorry this is happening, I enjoyed seeing your pics of Quincy. I'm conscious of when this was posted, so I hope you've both had a really good day together.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
16bitclaudes LinkI found some salmon fillets that were 60% off so I made this salmon superfood salad for dinner tonight. I've made it a couple of times before and the dressing is absolutely phenomenal. It's good...I found some salmon fillets that were 60% off so I made this salmon superfood salad for dinner tonight. I've made it a couple of times before and the dressing is absolutely phenomenal. It's good with white miso but even better with brown.
Made a sundried tomato loaf for my grandparents on Sunday which they inhaled, so that must have been decent. There was only a quarter of it left when I got done visiting them.
I've also had to go into the office this week for a quarterly event, which I always bake some goodies for. This time was a huge quadruple batch of banana everything cookies, a 4 layer lemon courgette cake (practice for my wedding later this year) and a fruited tea loaf. It's a three day event but most of it's already gone!
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
16bitclaudes LinkMy beautiful boy got his KC Good Citizen Dog bronze award today. I don't have a photo to hand but I'm very proud and relieved that he passed the assessment with no issues, he's slowly on his way...My beautiful boy got his KC Good Citizen Dog bronze award today. I don't have a photo to hand but I'm very proud and relieved that he passed the assessment with no issues, he's slowly on his way to becoming a very good dog!
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
16bitclaudes LinkWent to a conference for a few days. It's the third year that the company has hosted it and it's always a good time, I was a speaker this time and I think it went fairly well. I've been asked to...Went to a conference for a few days. It's the third year that the company has hosted it and it's always a good time, I was a speaker this time and I think it went fairly well. I've been asked to present the same talk again somewhere else at a future date.
Got back home at nearly midnight and then straight back to work the next day, followed by a pub quiz with our new neighbours in the evening which was a good laugh! They're basically perfect and I'm really glad we all get on so well.
Made a big fuss of my partner and pets, who I missed a lot. Preparing my dog for his KC Good Citizen Dog bronze assessment tomorrow - he knows the material but he's a teenager so it's a complete dice roll as to whether he'll actually feel like doing it!
Also made some dough for a sundried tomato loaf this afternoon, which is currently cold proofing in the fridge. That'll be baked tomorrow and given to my grandparents on Sunday.
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Comment on What are some of your favorite PlayStation 1 games? Any odd or unique ones worth playing? in ~games
16bitclaudes Link ParentI hope you love Klonoa! It was one of my favouritesI hope you love Klonoa! It was one of my favourites
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Comment on Favorite hobby / subculture YouTube channels? in ~hobbies
16bitclaudes LinkAtomic Shrimp - gentle paced videos about weird stuff in cans, foraging, budget food challenges and scammers Africa Everyday - a former scammer that befriended Atomic Shrimp and sometimes...Atomic Shrimp - gentle paced videos about weird stuff in cans, foraging, budget food challenges and scammers
Africa Everyday - a former scammer that befriended Atomic Shrimp and sometimes collaborates on recipes with him, makes videos about his life in Nigeria
Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't - "a low-brow, crass approach to plant ecology & evolution"
Drew Gooden - comedic commentary on YouTube/ internet/ pop culture
Gavin Webber - cheerful cheesemaking for curd nerds!
GeoWizard - walks all over the land, fascinating challenges like walking across Norway in a straight line, plays a lot of Geoguessr
Henry Phillips - comedy in painfully sad cookery
Honest Tries - a guy tries infamously terrible recipes in earnest
Jay Foreman - silly and educational videos about maps and the places on them
Luke Towan - amazing scale models and dioramas
Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games - the director of several Kirby games and Super Smash Bros. reflects on the principles of good games design/ gamedev
OneShortEye - classic PC game speedrunning history
Ordinary Sausage - sausages
Scott Rea - good, proper butchery
TierZoo - if the world was an MMORPG, what would the best character build in nature be?
TwoSetViolin - two professional violinists having fun
Soft White Underbelly - interesting and often sad interviews with people who have lived remarkable lives.
Ziang's Food Workshop - mum and son duo making British Chinese takeaway favourites
Masaru - a fisherman who catches, processes and eats all kinds of different fish. Has had pretty bad poisoning from it at least a couple of times but still forges ahead
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentMaybe at some point :) variety is the spice of life and the world is a more interesting place when we have different perspectives but I think you're right that if I'd given a bit of preamble we...Maybe at some point :) variety is the spice of life and the world is a more interesting place when we have different perspectives but I think you're right that if I'd given a bit of preamble we would have all been more likely to be on the same page about it, whether we agreed or not.
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Comment on Have you ever "homebrewed" fermented beverages? in ~food
16bitclaudes LinkMy first attempt at homebrewing was some strawberry wine. I used a 25 gallon brewing bucket for my initial ferment and then racked it all off into smaller demijohns. I spent maybe £100 total on...My first attempt at homebrewing was some strawberry wine. I used a 25 gallon brewing bucket for my initial ferment and then racked it all off into smaller demijohns. I spent maybe £100 total on all the equipment and ingredients, including a few big bags of frozen strawberries from Costco. I also got some freebies from a lady at work who used to homebrew in her younger days.
I can't remember how long it was before I first tasted it, but I remember being excited: this was it! I made alcohol! Real alcohol! It didn't taste terrible either, the nose and flavour was lovely (to me at least, but I'm very much not a sommelier) but because it was such a young wine the finish was like drinking rocket fuel, haha. My mum didn't seem to mind though and she ended up guzzling a lot of the stuff I bottled and corked before it got a chance to really age to any significant degree. Fruit or country wines aren't really one that you can tuck away for 10 years and enjoy as a fine vintage anyway.
My lesson learned would be: take the ABV measuring seriously. I wasn't very good about using the hydrometer before/ after fermentation so had no hope of calculating the final gravity, I just knew it was boozy.
I agree with u/lupusthethird that once you start attempting mead it gets rather pricey - especially using good quality honey. It's a fun hobby if you have some space in a dark cupboard and you're patient and keep all your equipment clean. The Homebrew forum has some really good recipes and advice for beginners.
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentHonestly I regret the original timing of this post; I shot it off and then got buried in work and only re-entered the discussion at a relatively late stage. I don't think it helps that the...Honestly I regret the original timing of this post; I shot it off and then got buried in work and only re-entered the discussion at a relatively late stage. I don't think it helps that the direction of the discourse has been shaped by some early commenters having a very visceral reaction to the name alone and not really looking much further into it. I would find it rather bewildering if somebody read the material and still came to the conclusion that this was a call for genocide.
There are definitely valid criticisms to be had and questions to be raised (which I've enjoyed reading and discussing!) but some of the more highly rated comments about genocide and facism feel like they've come about as the result of a sideways glance at things rather than an earnest look.
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentAnd yet, more people are choosing not to have children. Many of them without believing in or being aware of VHEMT and having other motivations. Even if they aren't part of the movement, it's...Add to that the fact that you'll never convince a notable minority of people, let alone a majority, to reduce the population
And yet, more people are choosing not to have children. Many of them without believing in or being aware of VHEMT and having other motivations. Even if they aren't part of the movement, it's considered a success every time somebody chooses not to reproduce.
True it's unlikely that the majority of people will ever be convinced of this school of thought, but it's being reported that the birth rate is dropping across the world anyway. I am only sorry that some of it will be for sadder reasons (i.e. people not being able to afford it), but as someone else pointed out earlier there are some good ones too, like a reduction in the stigma of being childless/ childfree.
Instead of ridding the Earth of humans willing to cooperate, I recommend trying to influence the world by making as many cooperators as possible in the hopes of vastly outnumbering the people who selfishly cause artificial shortages.
I don't think that's the aim. Of course we want people to co-operate, that's how problems get solved. It seems rather wasteful to just keep churning out new people when we could also be trying to make more co-operators of our existing population too. It's like that Stephen Jay Gould quote:
“I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.”
We probably already have the next generation of big problem solvers here, I dread to think how many of them aren't realising their potential because of this inability (or more accurately, unwillingness by a select few) to distribute our resources sensibly. It's a stupid game and I increasingly feel like the only way to win is not to play.
We can have fewer people AND more teamwork, and in fact that's the gold standard outcome I'd like to see.
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentThank you, I promise I am being completely sincere and operating in good faith. I don't think I'm confused, but I do think that you misunderstand the movement, which is why you think VHEMT is...Thank you, I promise I am being completely sincere and operating in good faith. I don't think I'm confused, but I do think that you misunderstand the movement, which is why you think VHEMT is suggesting that genocide isn't evil.
The definition of genocide is "the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group." At face value, this does seem like what's being asked for. However, VHEMT is not calling for anybody to be killed - and certainly does not single out any particular nation or ethnicity. They're asking for people in general to stop being born.
Moreover, the very first word "voluntary" takes priority. If you're going to read anything about the movement, I think it's got to be this summary. They very much want to make the world a better place too, and they think this is the way to do it.
I should emphasise that I largely agree with the philosophy but I don't expect or particularly want it to be taken to its literal end goal of a population of 0 people. In fact, most people that subscribe to the movement's beliefs don't actually want this and the founders themselves acknowledge and are realistic about it. In that sense, the name of the movement is rather sensationalist.
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentThat's a fair point, but we can still work together to figure that out with fewer people. In fact, we might stand a better chance of working it out if the overwhelming majority of our population...That's a fair point, but we can still work together to figure that out with fewer people. In fact, we might stand a better chance of working it out if the overwhelming majority of our population is well educated, well fed and not competing for resources (I acknowledge that some of that competition is currently being driven by artificial scarcity). Those conditions sound like they would encourage people to be more co-operative.
We could probably meet everyone's basic needs right now but the sad fact is that we are not, and there's still the big question of whether that would be a good thing for everything else living on earth given our large numbers. If resources aren't going to be scaled up to meet everybody's needs then it seems like the next best thing is to scale ourselves down.
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentGood point! It was explained to me that this wasn't out of malice and was following specific guidelines for this exact reason, but given my extensive history and incompatibility with other long...Good point! It was explained to me that this wasn't out of malice and was following specific guidelines for this exact reason, but given my extensive history and incompatibility with other long term contraceptives (one of which I had fitted at the surgeon's insistence and subsequently landed me in A&E) it was incredibly frustrating that she continued to parrot this and that an exception couldn't be made. It's hard to think of what she could have said to make things better, but her delivery/ bedside manner was pretty poor.
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentThanks for the thoughtful response and I'm very relieved that the non-facist feeling is coming across to you, haha. I fully understand why you take objection to this bit. Somewhere else on the...Thanks for the thoughtful response and I'm very relieved that the non-facist feeling is coming across to you, haha.
As VHEMT Volunteers know, the hopeful alternative to the extinction of millions of species of plants and animals is the voluntary extinction of one species: Homo sapiens... us.
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It’s going to take all of us going.I fully understand why you take objection to this bit. Somewhere else on the website it's clarified that this is because it would be the only way to ensure that the problems humans are causing today are not repeated (at least, not by us). As much as they emphasise elsewhere that they're realistic and they don't really expect this to happen, it's also probably one bit of reasoning I disagree with on a personal level.
As much as we do seem to be repeating a lot of past mistakes and regressing in some areas politically at the moment, I think humans have shown they have the capacity to learn. I'm optimistic enough, perhaps foolishly so, to believe that we can collectively realise that 8 billion of us was not the best idea and build a society where we all have the freedom to choose to procreate responsibly. As someone else mentioned, our ability to co-operate is a huge advantage.
So, that's the part I think that conflicts with the more egalitarian part. If it comes from caring about other humans, then why advocate for genocide/extinction of the species? If it doesn't come from a place of caring for other humans, then why not advocate for violence?
I guess why should they advocate for violence? This has a similar energy to "if you don't believe in God/ the bible then how do you know right from wrong?". The idea of living long and dying out pretty tacitly implies that they believe the winning strategy is for people to carry out the rest of their natural lifespan without passing on the baton. Most VHEMT volunteers do care about other humans and still have loved ones, friends, neighbours. They can still contribute to charities or serve their communities. Even if they didn't particularly care about other humans, most people don't want to resort to violence. It hurts other people and causes anguish, distress and suffering. They want fewer people but they're still capable of empathy.
That's the thing. Vast majority of humanity doesn't contribute much to this.
Apologies, you might have misunderstood what I meant by this and I'm actually in agreement with you here but coming from a different angle. You're absolutely right that the majority of carbon emissions are being created by a select few at the top, including corporations that we are pretty much all forced to engage with unless we give up on participating in society and go back to living in caves. You're also right about food insecurity and the unequal distribution of food, water, etc. which is unfortunately a feature and not a bug.
Those things are bad enough, but it's also our social care networks (mental health, healthcare generally, welfare for the vulnerable, support for low income people and parents) that haven't scaled. It's intensely infuriating that they could be, (if only we would co-operate more!) but they aren't. If humans aren't prepared to co-operate to the level that things can be made fairer and more equitable for everyone, then is making less of "everyone" by refusing to chuck more people into the system and scaling things back down such a terrible idea?
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentThis is very likely true but represents an unlikely hypothetical situation. In our present reality, we don't have to worry about the looming threat of Gary Larson's cow tools and we are the only...There's nothing special about human selfishness. If in millions of years other species advanced to our stage they'd be just as catastrophic to the environment.
This is very likely true but represents an unlikely hypothetical situation. In our present reality, we don't have to worry about the looming threat of Gary Larson's cow tools and we are the only species having an impact of this magnitude as well as the level of consciousness and reasoning to do something to change it.
A technologically advanced civilization (one more advanced than our current one) is the only way life on this solar system survives major catastrophes.
I don't really think that's correct. There hasn't been any mass extinction event previously which has ended 100% of life on earth. Certainly there have been times that it's come close; I think the Permian extinction did something mad like 80% - 90% of known life, but there have always been survivors to cling on, adapt and fill the niches.
Major catastrophes on the level that you describe tend to be a pretty brutal and unpleasant time for everyone involved though. If it were coming about as a result of something entirely out of our hands then I think it would be an easier pill to swallow in some ways, although it would still be human nature to try and work towards a solution (punching the asteroid in the face). But it's nothing as high octane and Bruce Willis-y as an asteroid, it's a slow, insidious temperature creep that we've had a very significant hand in accelerating.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
16bitclaudes LinkBrian Lagerstrom's one pot spaghetti. It's an absolute gamechanger, I'm thrilled with how flavourful it is, how the sauce clings to the pasta and how much better it is texturally. I make it with...Brian Lagerstrom's one pot spaghetti. It's an absolute gamechanger, I'm thrilled with how flavourful it is, how the sauce clings to the pasta and how much better it is texturally. I make it with 7% fat turkey mince to trim the calories a bit.
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentThank you, I enjoyed this breakdown. The parts that stick out to me the most are some very common, reflexive misunderstandings. The idea that because anti-natalists/ VHEMT volunteers want less...- Exemplary
Thank you, I enjoyed this breakdown. The parts that stick out to me the most are some very common, reflexive misunderstandings.
Second, anti-natalist philosophy is inherently depressing. The value of human life, of your own and at the very least of some other humans, is a vital part of human psyche, and I don't think a philosophy that seeks its destruction can bring happiness.
- The idea that because anti-natalists/ VHEMT volunteers want less human life, they don't value it. Why are we attributing the value of something to the quantity? Every day people die preventable deaths through disease, abuse and apathy because our social support is insufficient. Profit is routinely prioritised over people's wellbeing. Does it seem as though life is particularly valued on a larger scale to you today? Human population has exploded over the last century (don't worry, I'm not buying into the overpopulation crisis thing - not in the expected sense anyway). We haven't scaled our resources to accommodate it. We've rocketed up and we need to parachute down. I think with fewer people we will have the resource to care for and value human life more.
This is genocide on the species level. It's the final solution to an entire species. I don't see how this can be reconciled with an empathetic approach... I think, when anti-natalism is taken to its logical conclusions, its proponents should rejoice for every murder and genocide, because they lessen the impact of humanity on the planet.
- Why do you think that's the logical conclusion? Genocides are not typically voluntary. If we accept the above proposal that actually, anti-natalists or at least VHEMT volunteers generally do value human life, logically they wouldn't be celebrating murders and genocides. Then reconciliation becomes very easy. As it happens, the minority in VHEMT that do try to share this opinion aren't accepted. It goes against the motto ("may we live long and die out") and the overall idea that we should "have some fun as we work and play toward a better world."
A couple of other points that I found particularly interesting:
First and foremost, it has no possibility of working. Human species have very strong instincts regarding living and the continuance of future generations that anti-natalist movements will never succeed. Anti-natalists are a very minor exception to this.
- Most people that believe in VHEMT are well aware of this. I've already said it in a different comment but here's a quote from the website: "VHEMT Volunteers are realistic. We know we’ll never see the day there are no human beings on the planet. Ours is a long-range goal." Pinning it all on human instinct is a bit of a stretch though. It's also human instinct to kill a spider when we see it scuttling across the floor. Armed with knowledge that spiders are helpful to our broader environment, many of us manage to resist our primal instincts and catch and release the spider. I can more readily accept that human instinct is to have sex, rather than continue the species, but it's not unheard of for people to choose celibacy either. Suicide rates are climbing (which is not a cause for celebration and is a genuine crisis), in spite of the strong instinct to live. We reject instinctive behaviours in contemporary society all the time.
Finally, there are some very complex questions about this issue. Who decides that biodiversity is good?
This is an especially interesting one. I guess the main issue is that if you don't have biodiversity, you have a monoculture. I can't think of anything off the top of my head that can sustainably exist as a monoculture. Biodiversity is necessary for the continuation of life more generally, so I guess that opens up another complex question of who decides that the continuation of life is good? Whether it's good or bad, I don't think the cessation of all life is something that any of us particularly want.
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Comment on VHEMT: the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement in ~life
16bitclaudes Link ParentThat's an interesting viewpoint! What about the movement makes it arrogant and evil? What makes it more arrogant and evil than the conscious idea that we have dominion over everything? Or that...That's an interesting viewpoint! What about the movement makes it arrogant and evil? What makes it more arrogant and evil than the conscious idea that we have dominion over everything? Or that through proliferation we will be the earth's saviours? Or even that our predecessors gave us life and are therefore owed more children?
I agree we can achieve incredible things when we co-operate, but we don't seem to be co-operating enough. Ecological and resource constraints don't have to be such a huge challenge if there are fewer of us (I accept that some of this is artificial scarcity being perpetuated by some very shitty people though). We can still potentially expand life beyond earth with fewer people.
I think a lower population will take some of the pressure off but it won't solve the problems we're facing; we still need brilliant, co-operative people actively working towards that.
An Italian-ish white bean and tuna salad for lunch, butter chicken for dinner. My in laws are looking after the dog for a few days this week. FIL likes his bread so I've baked him a crusty white/ rye loaf and MIL does keto so she has some homemade peanut butter cups made with 85% dark chocolate as a quick thank you.