CptBluebear's recent activity
-
Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
-
Comment on ‘It’s shameful’: New York’s elite lash out at Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax in ~finance
CptBluebear Link ParentNote that I'm talking about the wealthy from times where "rich" didn't mean being worth more than the GDP of most countries. There are plenty of reasons for that ridiculous blowout that I won't...Note that I'm talking about the wealthy from times where "rich" didn't mean being worth more than the GDP of most countries. There are plenty of reasons for that ridiculous blowout that I won't get into (Jack Welch being at least one or more of those reasons), this is generally about times where wealth inequality was already low before the globalisation of finances kicked in.
Your first paragraph sums up nicely how contemporary finance tends to be scatter shot rather than a local developing opportunities in their home town and staying there.
I'm not sure about the Google office thing, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was at least in part about the prestige of being prominent in high CoL areas.
-
Comment on ‘It’s shameful’: New York’s elite lash out at Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax in ~finance
CptBluebear Link ParentIronically, trickledown economics is probably one of the better descriptions for this phenomenon. Think of the current wealthy class. Their investments and connections are no longer locally bound....Ironically, trickledown economics is probably one of the better descriptions for this phenomenon.
Think of the current wealthy class. Their investments and connections are no longer locally bound. Large scale international investment into corporations working at global scales, their "home" is wherever their private jet is taking them or whatever segregated hill or community they built their mansion on, and doing their best to skip out on taxes both personally and commercially.
The ramifications are clear: No connection with local communities to the point they'll threaten to leave said community if asked to pay into the collective and by investing at a multinational level you can skirt taxes too by creating corps in tax 'lenient' countries. Therefore, local communities see nothing of this generated wealth.
Previously, before large scale globalisation we'd frequently see the opposite. Wealthier people stayed in their local communities and became important figures. These folks would either pay taxes to the betterment of the collective, or decide to duck the taxes by investing locally. Why not look into supporting local business ventures? Construction too might be useful on the lands you own.
Money wasn't as quick to leave the community entirely and would circle around within the same area providing jobs and opportunities for the people, which increases consumer confidence, which boosts local store revenue, which in turn creates more options for entrepreneurs to open their own stores and the cycle continues.Of course I'm painting a simplistic and idyllic picture, this didn't always happen but there is plenty of evidence it did.
I used to live in a place that was once built by a corporation to provide housing for their employees. They would provide cheap living spaces, creating construction jobs, gave breathing room to their employees and spend more time locally to spend money, which gave rise to local stores and restaurants, and so on.
Gentrification isn't too far off the mark but it's a bit of a dirty word because it implies it's purposefully done to price out lower classes when instead this happened in a "rising tide lifts all boats" kind of way. People usually want to improve the community they live in, and the wealthy used to too before they had the option to just take everything elsewhere and keep the community hostage by threatening to do so.
Boom/bust oil towns rapidly experience this phenomenon from both ends where local wealth booms the place until it dries up and is taken away only for the place to wither.Long story short: Locally spent money remains local to the community which increases regional wealth. And that was frequently done by rich people trying to avoid paying the highest tax brackets and improve the place they also live in, but the crux is that this connection is no longer there to want to give back to the community. Nowadays that money is no longer regional but global.
-
Comment on Just published my first game in ~games
CptBluebear LinkMovement is genuinely great. It feels smooth to navigate the orb and I don't ever think I'll accidentally hit the wrong field unless I physically spaz out and double tap my phone screen or...Movement is genuinely great. It feels smooth to navigate the orb and I don't ever think I'll accidentally hit the wrong field unless I physically spaz out and double tap my phone screen or something. It could very easily turn into something frustrating when you whip around and accidentally trigger mines, but that never happens.
Edit to add: @fnulare also touched on the controls. Games that feel good to play often have more staying power.
-
Comment on ‘It’s shameful’: New York’s elite lash out at Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax in ~finance
CptBluebear Link ParentThe sentiment is appreciated but no need, I feel plenty of others put more effort into their contributions. If anything the post was a hazy early morning diatribe rather than a well thought out...The sentiment is appreciated but no need, I feel plenty of others put more effort into their contributions. If anything the post was a hazy early morning diatribe rather than a well thought out and put together response, although I do stand behind my message.
My post certainly lacks nuance but in all honesty that's also because the post I responded to was more of an emotionally charged than a substantiated one.
-
Comment on ‘It’s shameful’: New York’s elite lash out at Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax in ~finance
CptBluebear (edited )Link ParentI don't think it's too difficult to find examples not the US but kept my post in the same realm since it started with Mamdani. The economic boom of post WW2 made it much easier for the entire...I don't think it's too difficult to find examples not the US but kept my post in the same realm since it started with Mamdani.
The economic boom of post WW2 made it much easier for the entire country to thrive and you're absolutely right that it's important to keep that historical context in mind when discussing anything from the 50s.
Nevertheless, my post was less about the significant tax brackets and industrial base of the time and much more about wealth inequality, or lack thereof. Due to this calamitous event, jobs opened up, inheritances were paid out early, and housing was more available.
This follows a trend that doesn't make WW2 an outlier, but in line with other disasters. For example, wealth inequality dropped post WW1, but also shortly after the Black Death.I am going to disclaim this next statement with a handwavey "I could be wrong about this" but these calamities often turn into a bit of a rebirth of prosperity when inequality is at its lowest when perhaps you'd expect a serious economic downturn, not unlike the Byzantines after their Justinian Plague/Black Death event, due to the loss of sometimes multiple generations.
Another small disclaimer that I feel isn't necessary on Tildes because of a bad faith interpretation, but because someone might mistake me typing "inequality" this much and equating my views with communism, that is not at all what I'm about. I think a certain level of income inequality isn't inherently a problem, I think wealth inequality to this extent in 2026 is.
Edit: dangit, I've turned another contemporary problem into a history post. This happens more frequently than I'd care to admit.
-
Comment on ‘It’s shameful’: New York’s elite lash out at Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax in ~finance
CptBluebear Link ParentSticking with the theme of Mamdani and the US for a second here, the most prosperous era in the United States is when wealth inequality was at its lowest and the tax burden distributed most...- Exemplary
Why must humanity insist on doing the superficially good thing ("giving more to others") instead of doing the correct, long term thing, which is "get out of the way of people, tax them as little as possible, and watch the country prosper"?
Sticking with the theme of Mamdani and the US for a second here, the most prosperous era in the United States is when wealth inequality was at its lowest and the tax burden distributed most heavily towards the top. The highest tax bracket at the time was 90%.
What happened is that people with wealth invested more in their local area and caused the region to flourish. Might as well spend it rather than give it to the tax man hey?
What you're proposing is the direction the US, and most of the western European world for that matter, is already going. Not taxing the rich is what we're doing and the consequences are rather stark in opposition to when you do tax the wealthy. Namely: increased inequality, massive wealth flight, reduced investment in local areas, higher tax burdens on lower incomes to make up for the lack of government revenue, etcetera etcetera. What we're not seeing is the country prosper.
Instead, the non-wealthy have the lowest consumer confidence ever, the highest levels of debt, and can't buy houses until they're 45 and up.
Humanity insists, because giving everyone chances works. Your plan isn't something novel, it has been tried. Frequently. And it always fails. Because the free market rich aren't in the business to make the country prosper, they're in the business to make themselves prosper. Without incentives like a high tax burden there is no reason for them to invest locally like they have done so historically.
.. and that's just keeping to the US. Taking it wider, whatever the place or time, a higher wealth inequality leads to an unstable country. Taxes can help alleviate this problem.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentWhile dated and uncommon, gaol is still in use in Australia. On its way out perhaps, but not yet gone!While dated and uncommon, gaol is still in use in Australia. On its way out perhaps, but not yet gone!
-
Comment on I think that we won’t see any new and radical new gaming input devices or form factors anymore in ~games
CptBluebear LinkYou might be interested in this video by Lextorias on the history of controllers and controller layout. Tldw: the layout has been cemented long before the Nintendo Wii made something unorthodox....You might be interested in this video by Lextorias on the history of controllers and controller layout.
Tldw: the layout has been cemented long before the Nintendo Wii made something unorthodox.
And it's not even that different. Some games had you hold the Wiimote sideways turning it into an almost normal controller anyway.
Back buttons have been the new development but unless something radical happens with our physiology or (more likely) capability integrating more senses this layout is firmly cemented.
-
Comment on Buying a high-end PC for the first time - help me to doublecheck what I'm buying? Is 4k a bad idea with the specs? in ~tech
CptBluebear LinkI got myself a 32" 4k 240hz OLED monitor and it's genuinely beautiful to look at. Here's the weird conundrum: I don't want to change back to less than 4k, but I probably wouldn't buy it again....I got myself a 32" 4k 240hz OLED monitor and it's genuinely beautiful to look at.
Here's the weird conundrum: I don't want to change back to less than 4k, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.
Games, movies, and other media looks incredible on this screen and the 4k is largely responsible for this. Yet I'm constantly lowering specs in games to make use of the 240hz more than I do the 4k. Having framerates at or close to the refresh rate is incredible. I had Windows silently lower my refresh rate from 240hz to 60hz and I could immediately tell because everything feels sluggish.
Stable and high framerates on a high refresh rate screen is better for the overall experience and the irony is that the element that prevents that the most is the 4k resolution aspect. It just takes my 4080 to the absolute limit.I recommend'nt a 4k screen!
Maybe check it out somewhere before taking the plunge? I think it's great, 1440p is really good too though.
-
Comment on Goldman Sachs flags Amazon and Alphabet for inflating S&P 500 earnings growth figures in ~finance
CptBluebear Link ParentYou're able to report a higher value, or rather a smaller loss in value. It simply looks better on the books if your assets are valued at 800 instead of 500. @steezyaspie outlines how that works...You're able to report a higher value, or rather a smaller loss in value. It simply looks better on the books if your assets are valued at 800 instead of 500.
@steezyaspie outlines how that works in another post here. Every year an asset loses value but how much is based on the depreciation cycle.
Buying new assets is irrelevant to this phenomenon because the value of that asset is the same as the money you handed over. You've merely exchanged money value with the value of the asset. Or in other words: if the asset costs a $1000 and you buy one, you now have $1000 worth of assets. Your company is still valued the same, having a 1000 dollars cash or having something that's worth a 1000 dollars is the same thing after all.
-
Comment on Goldman Sachs flags Amazon and Alphabet for inflating S&P 500 earnings growth figures in ~finance
CptBluebear Link ParentAnnualised growth is a fancy way of saying they extrapolated that data based on wishful thinking. I'd be careful taking it as fact. Whether it's Dario Amodei, or Sam Altman, those annualised...Annualised growth is a fancy way of saying they extrapolated that data based on wishful thinking. I'd be careful taking it as fact. Whether it's Dario Amodei, or Sam Altman, those annualised growth numbers do not match reality.
I don’t suppose anyone really expects Anthropic will see 80x revenue growth again because that would be too crazy and they can’t rent data centers fast enough to do it.
That 80x growth number therefore does not need the actual data centers to exist right now either. Annualised growth assumes a company would have kept growing at that rate if it kept steady over multiple years. Not only is it a number that ignores any and all volatility, it's also predictive at best.
It could very well be they had 0.01% growth one month, 0.8% the next, and then annualised growth based on that month's change.
-
Comment on Goldman Sachs flags Amazon and Alphabet for inflating S&P 500 earnings growth figures in ~finance
CptBluebear Link ParentMore salient than you may have intended*, with the recent changes to 401k now allowing investment into private equity under the guise of "democratizing access" to something they call "alternative...Tada! The growth is built on lies! We'll collect million dollar bonuses from your retirement savings for our efforts while the economy collapses.
More salient than you may have intended*, with the recent changes to 401k now allowing investment into private equity under the guise of "democratizing access" to something they call "alternative assets".
This wasn't possible and introduces a giant risk factor to 401ks and their stability. It's often opt-out too, so any US Americans that haven't looked into their 401ks recently... It might be time.
It's especially unstable now since private equity is currently on an unsustainable lending spree with your retirement money.
*Unless you indeed intended it.
-
Comment on Goldman Sachs flags Amazon and Alphabet for inflating S&P 500 earnings growth figures in ~finance
CptBluebear LinkMuch to my surprise, one of the comments under the article had a normal, reasonable, and levelheaded response that instead of featuring insane takes about Google being ran by lizards, adequately...Much to my surprise, one of the comments under the article had a normal, reasonable, and levelheaded response that instead of featuring insane takes about Google being ran by lizards, adequately describes why I feel merely flagging these growth figures is insufficient and this is definitely something to worry about because it hides a rotten core. This has been on my mind for a while and in my current state of slightly hungover I think they say it better than I can so here's the full comment:
It's not just about investments by AMZN and GOOG. It's also the fact that those investments are producing current-year revenue for the companies making the AI picks and shovels, whereas the other side of the income statement isn't being recorded current-year but is rather being depreciated over several years. This imbalance, favoring the stock market's current earnings is probably further exacerbated by the fact that a good bit of the expense side isn't showing up at all on the stock market's accounting since it is being incurred by not-yet public entities like Anthropic and Open/AI.
One of the major things all of the tech companies have been doing is massively extending their depreciation cycles. Instead of shorter term (and far more reasonable) 3 year cycles for GPUs in 2020, they have all extended this to 5 or 6 year depreciation cycles in 2025.
Like the commenter says, this hides cost, inflates profit and is compounded by the hidden costs of private companies.
The DOW at 50k doesn't mean the market is healthy. The smoke and mirrors hide the underlying trend: There is no growth in any sector of any market unless it's (unreasonable) AI growth.
This is not sustainable. -
Comment on Steam Controller: Reservations open May 8th in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentIt did for the Deck. I'm somewhat surprised by their choice to make the initial sales round first come first serve.It did for the Deck. I'm somewhat surprised by their choice to make the initial sales round first come first serve.
-
Comment on Do you prefer chunky or smooth peanut butter? in ~food
CptBluebear Link ParentThis is so obvious that I'm genuinely mad I didn't think of doing this myself.My PB goes in the fridge to prevent separation
This is so obvious that I'm genuinely mad I didn't think of doing this myself.
-
Comment on Tips for "refinishing" a D pad? in ~games
CptBluebear Link ParentHahah, yeah rubbing mild abrasives on things can work out well for polishing stuff... or it can completely ruin it if it's too rough. I remember doing the CD thing too. Totally made the disc useless.Hahah, yeah rubbing mild abrasives on things can work out well for polishing stuff... or it can completely ruin it if it's too rough. I remember doing the CD thing too. Totally made the disc useless.
-
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
CptBluebear Link ParentOh no I'm aware right now it's nothing like working in a warehouse, just that description is eerily similar. Nevertheless, a future where all a programmer does is verify code written by AI isn't...Oh no I'm aware right now it's nothing like working in a warehouse, just that description is eerily similar. Nevertheless, a future where all a programmer does is verify code written by AI isn't too far off menial work.
-
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
CptBluebear Link ParentThis reads like working on an assembly line or in a warehouse, but instead it's on a pc. My worst job was order picking in my teens. Every menial task is in a queue waiting to be picked up. No...The main thing now is managing agents. I open a session, ask a question, redirect, switch to a different one, check on a merge, review what came back, send it back for changes, switch again. The day is a queue.
This reads like working on an assembly line or in a warehouse, but instead it's on a pc.
My worst job was order picking in my teens. Every menial task is in a queue waiting to be picked up. No meaningful variation. You work through it until you clock out. Next day however, another queue piled up.
There's little more soul crushing than monotony like that.
-
Comment on Hyundai Ioniq 5N or: welcome back Forester XT in ~transport
CptBluebear Link ParentHa, I was looking them up as well just to see if that "high 40s" was remotely possible in my market and they're easily €70k+ second-hand. Some auto markets are just broken I suppose.Ha, I was looking them up as well just to see if that "high 40s" was remotely possible in my market and they're easily €70k+ second-hand. Some auto markets are just broken I suppose.
Enough has been said about Witch Hat Atelier already that there's no need for me to say more than "go watch it if you haven't."
@Flashfall also wasn't wrong about Yomi no Tsugai. Unsurprisingly, character designs are a standout feature. Though I do like at least that protag-kun is competent and doesn't hesitate to take action. The stumbling MC that's about five chapters behind mentally is not as frequent as it used to be in general but even so, it's always good for the pacing if the MC doesn't have to figure things out the reader/viewer saw multiple story beats earlier.
Now the real standout for me this season is Akane-Banashi.
Anime is the vessel to make obscure and distant hobbies feel more hype than anything and Rakugo is no exception.
Rakugo, an art form I didn't know existed before this show, features a storyteller that will sit in front of a crowd and act out a story of centuries past. The Rakugoka, as they're called, is alone on stage and has to act out every character in the story and most of the time in order to make the audience laugh. So.. a
stand-upsit-down comedy show... Cabaret style.And in typical Japanese fashion, laden with symbolism and tradition. From small things to when the storyteller takes off their haori to the seemingly well defined setlist of stories you're allowed to tell.
Look, I'm a bit of a sucker for sports anime. It's not even the sport itself like this one just happens to be about storytelling. Just like in real life, when someone has passion for something, anything, that just launches me into a happy place. I'm probably never going to go to a Rakugo showing but damn if this anime doesn't get me to live what our protag Akane is feeling. With the anime style trying to get characters to be emotionally expressive and laser focused on making you follow her journey from A-Z they did a really good job creating an interesting show about learning how to express oneself through lived experiences. It oozes love for the art and I'm always happiest if I can get an intimate insider look into an obscure subculture.