AnEarlyMartyr's recent activity

  1. Comment on Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ finally breaks Mariah Carey’s all-time record for weeks at US no. 1, eclipsing ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ in ~music

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    I was definitely hearing country playing just wandering around in different countries in Europe recently. It stood out to me 'cause I was a bit surprised but I noticed it in several different...

    I was definitely hearing country playing just wandering around in different countries in Europe recently. It stood out to me 'cause I was a bit surprised but I noticed it in several different countries.

    3 votes
  2. Comment on In fighting for every black child, did I forget my own? in ~life

    AnEarlyMartyr
    (edited )
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    I think this sells the author short a little bit and is exactly the thinking the author identifies and was consciously choosing to combat with her decisions. For what it's worth I think that there...

    I think this sells the author short a little bit and is exactly the thinking the author identifies and was consciously choosing to combat with her decisions.

    For what it's worth I think that there are real benefits that come from her daughter having had these experiences. And while I understand why its a point of real tenderness now, it wouldn't surprise me if later on her daughter is grateful and better off for the somewhat unconventional schooling path she's followed.

    9 votes
  3. Comment on What's the oldest piece of clothing you own and still wear? in ~life.style

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    I mean I definitely have some clothes I’ve thrifted that are from the ‘70s but as far as what I’ve had for the longest and still wear. I think it’s probably a Carhartt work jacket that I’ve had...

    I mean I definitely have some clothes I’ve thrifted that are from the ‘70s but as far as what I’ve had for the longest and still wear. I think it’s probably a Carhartt work jacket that I’ve had for about 14 years. It’s got some miles on it and it definitely shows but I still wear it when relevant.

    1 vote
  4. Comment on Brad Pitt returning for ‘World War Z’ sequel at Paramount with Edward Berger to direct in ~movies

    AnEarlyMartyr
    Link Parent
    Hollywood absolutely makes movies based on (perceived) demand for them. Now it may not be the only criteria but it is a major one. That's all the phrase is a reference to. It's a figurative phrase...

    Hollywood absolutely makes movies based on (perceived) demand for them. Now it may not be the only criteria but it is a major one. That's all the phrase is a reference to. It's a figurative phrase more than a literal one. Though of course Hollywood does sometimes make films because people are literally asking for them.

    So obviously someone thinks based on previous box office and other numbers, that there is enough demand for this movie that it will make some money. I'm just skeptical. No one seems to remember this movie very fondly (I'm sure there are exceptions), I rarely see people reference it except to say that it didn't really adapt the book, and I feel like the industry has changed quite a bit since 2013, in a way that I don't think will ease its path to profitability.

    2 votes
  5. Comment on Deciding whether (or not) to have a child in ~life

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    I tend to assume climate change will get worse, probably leading to further worldwide instability, among other things. I also tend to think the world would be better off with fewer people. And...

    I tend to assume climate change will get worse, probably leading to further worldwide instability, among other things. I also tend to think the world would be better off with fewer people. And it's quite likely that I will never have children, the older I get the more I tend to think I won't. I'd probably make a good enough father but I don't really think it's what I want, for a multitude of reasons.

    All that said, I think you should probably have kids. It sounds like you have both the means and the desire to have children and raise them well and that's worth a lot. Yes, the future is difficult and deeply uncertain and who knows what will happen, but it's not over yet and I think it's okay to live as if that's the case.

    Vis à vis adoption, I think I largely agree with you and sadly have come to the conclusion that while I may or may not have kids, it seems really unlikely I would ever adopt. Not that it can't work out well but I've also seen a lot of added complications and difficulties there.

    3 votes
  6. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    Two things stand out for me this last week. They're not the only things I've been listening to, but I don't think it would make sense to just list a selection of random songs. You Seem Pretty Sad...

    Two things stand out for me this last week. They're not the only things I've been listening to, but I don't think it would make sense to just list a selection of random songs.

    You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love (2026) - Olivia Rodrigo

    I've enjoyed bits and pieces of Olivia Rodrigo since her first big hit with Drivers License. Mostly just whatever singles came out but this is the first time listening to a full album of hers. My enjoyment of modern pop seems to vary by the year. Which is to say that I like some of what comes out even if my tastes tend to skew either significantly older or in other genres. But I've always felt like OR's stuff has some nice cross generational appeal while being very clearly young (in a good way). This album is no exception, as she chronicles the rise and fall of (what I believe is) her first serious relationship. I tend to go a bit more for the second half of the album, the sad girl part, but that may just be my general taste. On the whole I'd say it's an enjoyable and catchy album and I like her songwriting. I suspect she will only continue to evolve and get more interesting as time goes on.
    Some standouts for me would be: The Cure
    Cigarette Smoke
    Purple

    What's Going On (1971) - Marvin Gaye

    It's a classic for a reason and while I don't know that I would go so far as to say it's the greatest pop album of all time, I get why some people do. Mostly, I don't know what I would put for greatest pop album, but What's Going On is a great album. Especially the three major singles from it. It still feels a lot like summer where I am so I've been driving around with the windows down and What's Going On playing. It's amazing and sometimes kind of depressing just how topical it remains. Standouts would be those three major singles but the whole thing is worth a listen.
    Those three are: What's Going On
    Mercy Mercy Me
    Inner City Blues.

    2 votes
  7. Comment on Brad Pitt returning for ‘World War Z’ sequel at Paramount with Edward Berger to direct in ~movies

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    Of course the sequel everyone has been clamoring for! Hey, wait a minute! Has anyone been asking for this? Does anyone even want this?!?!? I feel like I’ve never even heard anything more positive...

    Of course the sequel everyone has been clamoring for!

    Hey, wait a minute! Has anyone been asking for this? Does anyone even want this?!?!? I feel like I’ve never even heard anything more positive than a solid “meh” about this movie.

    Full disclosure, I read the book 10+ years ago and remember liking it but never watched the film adaptation because it just didn’t seem like it was very good. Am I wrong?

    4 votes
  8. Comment on What are the genuinely worst films of all time? in ~movies

    AnEarlyMartyr
    Link Parent
    Wow, I feel so seen and validated. I don't really like Will Ferrell or Ben Stiller in most of their comedies, and sometimes I really feel so alone, but most of the early to mid 2000s comedy in...

    Wow, I feel so seen and validated. I don't really like Will Ferrell or Ben Stiller in most of their comedies, and sometimes I really feel so alone, but most of the early to mid 2000s comedy in that style just doesn't do it for me. I do like Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction though.

    11 votes
  9. Comment on [SOLVED] Hunting for a movie in ~movies

    AnEarlyMartyr
    Link Parent
    Now that we know this is the answer I’m just curious how you got there?

    Now that we know this is the answer I’m just curious how you got there?

    2 votes
  10. Comment on Are others finding themselves spending less and less time online? in ~tech

    AnEarlyMartyr
    Link Parent
    As someone who just recently spent a couple years almost fully offline (long story but think like 2 hours on a computer to check email each week). I can tell you that the attention span and...

    As someone who just recently spent a couple years almost fully offline (long story but think
    like 2 hours on a computer to check email each week). I can tell you that the attention span and engagement comes back. But think of it like withdrawals. You’ll likely have to go through a period of boredom and discomfort before you start really rewiring. So just pick something else (or many other things jump around whatever) to do and stick with it for a while in lieu of random things on the internet. It’ll come back.

    One thing I took to doing was carrying a little notebook and I could write things down I wanted to look up and look them up later at a more specified time.

    Of course the life I was leading was very specific and it’s not really feasible to check out that completely for most people. In fact it’s no longer feasible for me either and my random internet usage has crept up and I notice the difference mentally. But I do think that it’s worthwhile to really prioritize life off line.

    5 votes
  11. Comment on What are we in a golden age of? in ~talk

    AnEarlyMartyr
    Link Parent
    Not who you’re replying to but honestly I’m much more on your side here. Especially because the LLM generated answers for search inquiries seem to relatively frequently be wrong. I don’t use them...

    Not who you’re replying to but honestly I’m much more on your side here. Especially because the LLM generated answers for search inquiries seem to relatively frequently be wrong. I don’t use them much but when I do I try and follow the source links and it’s not infrequent that the source just directly contradicts the answer or is about something related but not actually relevant to my inquiry. Add on the fact that so much of the internet seems to be even more polluted with ads and slop. I find it increasingly difficult to find good answers to my questions anymore.

    12 votes
  12. Comment on Curious about Android forks (/e/ OS, LineageOS, etc) for old Samsung tablet in ~comp

    AnEarlyMartyr
    Link Parent
    Thanks for the response. I must say Apple has it’s faults and there’s lots I don’t particularly like about being so locked in to their ecosystem but every time I think about switching I’m reminded...

    Thanks for the response. I must say Apple has it’s faults and there’s lots I don’t particularly like about being so locked in to their ecosystem but every time I think about switching I’m reminded by things like this about some of what I do appreciate about them. I’ve definitely run apple products to the end of their security update cycle and by that point it’s generally long enough that it makes sense to get a new device for other reasons as well.

    1 vote
  13. Comment on Curious about Android forks (/e/ OS, LineageOS, etc) for old Samsung tablet in ~comp

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    I think I might just be ignorant but is that normal for most Samsung tech to no longer be supported after like 4 years? That just seems insanely short to me. I admit I mostly use Apple hardware so...

    I think I might just be ignorant but is that normal for most Samsung tech to no longer be supported after like 4 years? That just seems insanely short to me. I admit I mostly use Apple hardware so I’m not that familiar with life cycles for other products but I’m just used to my stuff being supported for a much longer period of time.

    3 votes
  14. Comment on What lesser-known sci-fi reads do you recommend? in ~books

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    I think Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke fits here. Starts with aliens appearing on Earth and taking it over as a sort of benevolent dictatorship for unclear reasons. I remember when I first...

    I think Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke fits here.

    Starts with aliens appearing on Earth and taking it over as a sort of benevolent dictatorship for unclear reasons. I remember when I first read it finding it both engaging and also the sort of book where I just had no idea where it was going until we got there. It’s not very long and is I think often considered one of Clarke’s best novels.

    I’ll go ahead and plug I Am Legend too. Also fairly short and incredibly gripping as a kind of horror SF. I still don’t understand why everybody has struggled to make a good adaptation but they all seem to lose the fundamental theme of the novella and throw away what imo is one of the best endings of all time (and I’m sorry but the Will Smith alternate ending does not fix this). I also find it probably the most realistic and relatable version of what it would be like to survive some giant earth wide cataclysmic event. Seriously, just read it. It won’t take you very long.

    8 votes
  15. Comment on Reddit will require you to be logged in to use old.reddit.com in ~tech

    AnEarlyMartyr
    Link Parent
    Funny, I get a page block and sign in request on new Reddit but can still use old Reddit to get around it. Currently in Austria on mobile.

    Funny, I get a page block and sign in request on new Reddit but can still use old Reddit to get around it. Currently in Austria on mobile.

    2 votes
  16. Comment on The AI bailout could be baked into the AI bubble in ~finance

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    Yet another datapoint in the long running argument for modern private equity firms as largely parasitic and generally destructive to the greater wellbeing.

    Yet another datapoint in the long running argument for modern private equity firms as largely parasitic and generally destructive to the greater wellbeing.

    18 votes
  17. Comment on Others that also have an aversion to onions, when is it OK? in ~food

    AnEarlyMartyr
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Just to point out this article is only kinda correct, as within the Theravada Vinaya tradition there is indeed a prohibition against the consumption of garlic (with some caveats). Meaning it...

    Just to point out this article is only kinda correct, as within the Theravada Vinaya tradition there is indeed a prohibition against the consumption of garlic (with some caveats). Meaning it likely does go back quite early, even if the prohibition against other alliums is primarily observed within Mahayana traditions, and likely stems from other sources.

    On one occasion when the Buddha was seated teaching a large gathering, there was a monk who had eaten garlic. Not to annoy the other monks, he was sitting at a distance. The Buddha saw him and asked the monks why he was sitting there. The monks told him and the Buddha said, “Monks, should one eat anything that would stop one from hearing a teaching such as this?”
    “No, sir.”
    “You shouldn’t eat garlic. If you do, you commit an offense of wrong conduct.”
    On one occasion Venerable Sāriputta had a stomachache. Venerable Mahāmoggallāna went to him and said, “When you had a stomachache in the past, Sāriputta, what made you better?”
    “Garlic.” They told the Buddha.
    “I allow you to eat garlic if you’re sick.”

    [Translation by Bhikkhu Brahmali]

    In practice I think most modern Theravada monasteries will allow garlic though, and as anyone who’s studied any Vinaya knows, “sick” tends to be a much broader category than we would normally think of it when we hear that word in English. There’s also a similar, though slightly different rule for nuns.

    Also, worth pointing out that “an offense of wrong conduct” or, dukkata; is among the most minor of transgressions for a monk.

    Only bringing it up cause I think it’s interesting and I happen to have this knowledge.

    3 votes
  18. Comment on Some Estonians invite strangers into their back gardens each summer in ~food

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    Honestly I find most of the places I’ve been in Eastern Europe to be incredibly hospitable. This seems like a nice tradition maybe I should go to Estonia.

    Honestly I find most of the places I’ve been in Eastern Europe to be incredibly hospitable. This seems like a nice tradition maybe I should go to Estonia.

    7 votes
  19. Comment on DuckDuckGo’s anti-AI sunglasses won’t spy on anyone in ~tech

    AnEarlyMartyr
    Link Parent
    I mean part of that just seems to be the internet anymore. Maybe Kagi is better (I haven’t tried it) but I suspect part of it is that the internet is just overrun with ads or ai slop ads or just...

    I mean part of that just seems to be the internet anymore. Maybe Kagi is better (I haven’t tried it) but I suspect part of it is that the internet is just overrun with ads or ai slop ads or just straight ai slop.

    9 votes
  20. Comment on OpenAI didn’t notice its AI agents using a message board to plan their hacking spree in ~tech

    AnEarlyMartyr
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    I don’t doubt it, really. He may even be right that the only real way to counter that is to step up automated defenses. I just can’t help but read it as “The only solution to problems we’re...

    I don’t doubt it, really. He may even be right that the only real way to counter that is to step up automated defenses.

    I just can’t help but read it as “The only solution to problems we’re partially responsible for creating is to give us more money and not regulate us.”

    Which like I said, he may be right but there’s a certain amount of irony there.

    6 votes