DefinitelyNotAFae's recent activity

  1. Comment on What's happening in Kansas should alarm us all in ~lgbt

    DefinitelyNotAFae
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    This one is a downer but also talks about the Trans Continental Pipeline and other acts of defiance. And hopefully it speaks to others too.

    On Feb. 25, Siobhan Kirchstein received an official letter from the Kansas Division of Vehicles instructing her to surrender her driver’s license. She was one of hundreds of Kansans who received such letters when Senate Bill 244, a hastily passed piece of legislation, invalidated driver’s licenses on which the gender marker did not match the holder’s sex as assigned at birth.

    “Additionally, please note that the Legislature did not include a grace period for updating credentials,” the letter said. “This means that once the law is officially enacted, your current credential will be invalid immediately.” The law was going into effect the next day."

    She’d heard that Kansas might be placing transgender women in men’s prisons, and she feared violence, even rape. So, while some friends wondered aloud whether the state was really going to enforce the new law, Kirchstein decided to comply.

    Some of the words or expressions in this article may at first blush seem hyperbolic. One of them is “fascism.” That’s how Kirschstein characterized the process when we met in Lawrence in July: “It was soft fascism.” It was. Fascism usually begins with redefining the nation by excluding certain groups, which are branded threats to national health and unity. The Trump administration has fixated on two groups most of all — immigrants and trans people — in just this way, smearing us (I am a member of both groups) as predatory, sick, at once subhuman and terrifyingly powerful.

    Which brings me back to the word “fascism.” In 1938, Nazi Germany passed a law requiring Jews to add a specific middle name to their identity documents — Israel for men, Sara for women — so that they could be easily identifiable. “It would be laughable, if one couldn’t lose one’s reason over it,” the German Jewish linguist Victor Klemperer wrote in his diary at the time.

    “I got the hint. I left.” I met Olivia Perdue at a roadside Panera Bread not far from her home in Missouri, where she had moved a week earlier. Perdue laid a half-dozen laminated ID cards on the greasy glossy table in front of us. “The V.A. thinks I’m female, the F.A.A. thinks I’m female, the Social Security Administration thinks I’m female, the state of Missouri thinks I’m male.”

    It’s as if there are two Kansases — one of them a kind, loving Kansas where neighbors accept one another and churches offer sanctuary to immigrants and create summer camps for queer kids.

    In Nazi Germany, the prerogative state was small: It encompassed some 600,000 Jews and even smaller numbers of Roma and Sinti, homosexuals, members of the Communist Party and the physically and mentally disabled. In the United States, Black people, Indigenous people and many immigrants, at a minimum, have long — have always — experienced state power as arbitrary and violent. That’s a much larger group. But even so, when the prerogative state expands, it shocks us: When a white U.S. citizen is shot by an immigration agent, or when a white person in Kansas wakes up to find out that they no longer have a valid ID — in a sense, to find that they are now undocumented in their own country.

    Two days after I interviewed Kirchstein at Harbour Lights, the bar that hosts the queer pool tournament, and just over four months after she got the Letter about her driver’s license, she got another letter. “I am reaching out to you from human resources in response to a report received that I have an obligation to follow up on,” it said. “The report received was that you used a restroom in Parker Hall on the first floor in violation of Kansas Senate Bill 244 on June 22, 2026.”

    This one is a downer but also talks about the Trans Continental Pipeline and other acts of defiance. And hopefully it speaks to others too.

  3. Comment on Canadian wildfire that forced 20,000 to flee may signal ‘new normal’ in ~enviro

    DefinitelyNotAFae
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    I mean there really were decently large populations of people in North America prior to huge percentages of them dying to disease. But we do know that wildfires were both necessary for tree...

    I mean there really were decently large populations of people in North America prior to huge percentages of them dying to disease.

    But we do know that wildfires were both necessary for tree reproduction and prairie health and just different due to how natural forests and prairies grew and were managed by wildlife.

    I think there were enough native peoples that it was clearly not uninhabitable. But mix poor land management with artificial biomes and monocultures with a loss of fauna with pushing homes further and further into at risk areas with a dash of climate change on top and it's not that surprising where we are, I think.

    2 votes

  4. Comment on Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO in ~news

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    From Discworld -- Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

    From Discworld

    “Do you understand anything I’m saying?” shouted Moist. “You can’t just go around killing people!”

    “Why Not? You Do.” The golem lowered his arm.

    “What?” said Moist. “I do not! Who told you that?”

    “I Worked It Out. You Have Killed Two Point Three Three Eight People” said the golem calmly.

    “I have never laid a finger on anyone in my life, Mr. Pump. I may be -- all the things you know I am, but I am not a killer! I have never so much as drawn a sword!”

    “No, You Have Not. But You Have Stolen, Embezzled, Defrauded, And Swindled Without Discrimination, Mr. Lipvig. You Have Ruined Businesses And Destroyed Jobs. When Banks Fail, It Is Seldom Bankers Who Starve. Your Actions Have Taken Money From Those Who Had Little Enough To Begin With. In A Myriad Small Ways You Have Hastened The Deaths Of Many. You Did Not Know Them. You Did Not See Them Bleed. But You Snatched Bread From Their Mouths And Tore Clothes From Their Backs. For Sport, Mr. Lipvig. For Sport. For The Joy Of The Game.”

    -- Terry Pratchett, Going Postal

    22 votes

  5. Comment on Waving goodbye, carrying my bundle on a stick in ~talk

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    And it was certainly exhausting and draining for those couples to have to keep being "good representation" and calmly persuade people to believe in their fundamental goodness and humanity. And...

    facts, it was that the public's opinion on gay marriage changed over time, and a lot of that was probably due to being directly exposed to healthy gay relationships and discussion among the populous

    And it was certainly exhausting and draining for those couples to have to keep being "good representation" and calmly persuade people to believe in their fundamental goodness and humanity.

    And they're still calling queer people predators, groomers, and child molesters and trying to overturn the court decisions protecting our rights.

    I try to engage in persuasive educational conversation, but it's exhausting to do the same thing over and over and have no one look at actual data, for example. I can cite a dozen sources and I know people don't read it because it's too long. But it's equally weighted with someone who says "obviously common sense says that gay people can't get married because they can't have babies" (hypothetical).

    I still do it. I'm sure I'm annoying to some for it. But misinformation uncontested is often agreed with.

    If everyone listened to the anti-abortion preachers they'd think clinics are pulling fully formed viable fetuses out of a uterus while cackling madly and sacrificing them on an altar to Satan. And if that is the only messaging, even in a small community, opinions will shift. I do what I can in response.

    4 votes

  6. Comment on Person has been fined for using a foghorn to wake a sleeping polar bear in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in ~enviro

    DefinitelyNotAFae
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    Ah fair, I suspect it woke up, grumbled and went off to sleep or hunt elsewhere. But mostly because they're less good at capsizing boats than orcas are.

    Ah fair, I suspect it woke up, grumbled and went off to sleep or hunt elsewhere.

    But mostly because they're less good at capsizing boats than orcas are.

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO in ~news

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    It's basically a gamble on double jeopardy. New York has stronger double jeopardy laws than many other states. Since he's now been convicted in this case, the argument is that he can't be tried in...

    It's basically a gamble on double jeopardy. New York has stronger double jeopardy laws than many other states. Since he's now been convicted in this case, the argument is that he can't be tried in NY. And the state was worried about a federal plea deal tanking their case.

    8 votes

  8. Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    I just feel like going ⊹₊⟡⋆⊹₊⟡⋆⋆EMPATHY.ೃ࿔.𖥔 ݁ ˖*:･༄ ✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧ But you explained it with actual words.

    I just feel like going

    ⊹₊⟡⋆⊹₊⟡⋆⋆EMPATHY.ೃ࿔.𖥔 ݁ ˖*:･༄
    ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

    But you explained it with actual words.

    6 votes

  9. Comment on Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO in ~news

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    Also better to be sentenced for stalking than first degree murder. Not sure what the sentencing range is in federal stalking charges or if there's aggravating factors.

    Also better to be sentenced for stalking than first degree murder. Not sure what the sentencing range is in federal stalking charges or if there's aggravating factors.

    10 votes

  10. Comment on Person has been fined for using a foghorn to wake a sleeping polar bear in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in ~enviro

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    They were on the boat... Thankfully is the wrong word

    They were on the boat... Thankfully is the wrong word

    2 votes

  11. Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    I mean, I use a computer for work and at home. But I don't see much benefit in talking to a computer as if it were a person. I also prefer to use trusted sites for recipes, I don't trust LLMs to...

    I mean, I use a computer for work and at home. But I don't see much benefit in talking to a computer as if it were a person.

    I also prefer to use trusted sites for recipes, I don't trust LLMs to "know" a good recipe vs a site that just...does recipes. I have learned from those types of sites my entire life. (And from cookbooks!)

    Idk I just don't see it being a benefit over what I already do.

  12. Comment on These twenty-five artifacts explain America (gifted link) in ~life

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    Well... You wouldn't be wrong either.

    Well... You wouldn't be wrong either.

    1 vote

  13. Comment on These twenty-five artifacts explain America (gifted link) in ~life

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    Yeah I think you could make dozens of these articles all with a different top 25 items. These are good choices!

    Yeah I think you could make dozens of these articles all with a different top 25 items.

    These are good choices!

    1 vote

  14. Comment on Elon Musk on tomatoes in ~food

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    Thanks! I definitely could not listen to a long form anything with him.

    Thanks! I definitely could not listen to a long form anything with him.

    6 votes

  15. Comment on Elon Musk on tomatoes in ~food

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    (edited )
    Link
    Is there a clip just about tomatoes? ETA this link should take folks to the comment

    Is there a clip just about tomatoes?

    ETA this link should take folks to the comment

    2 votes

  16. Comment on One woman's message from the hell of US Immigration and Customs detention in ~society

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    The linked article is published like an opinion piece, fully written by the author, hence it not being a news article about their abduction and detention written by a reporter. That's why there...

    The linked article is published like an opinion piece, fully written by the author, hence it not being a news article about their abduction and detention written by a reporter. That's why there isn't external context.

    For an article written with all the muck raking one could want the NYPost can provide the extreme alternative view.

    This could have been handled without kidnapping, separation, abuse, etc. if the policy were simply going to be changed. Maybe they're terrible people, but I don't think it matters if they are. The inhumanity is the point and this isn't how a country should handle a change in immigration policy, even if one were warranted.

    4 votes

  17. Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    I mean I'm never buying a single 5k robot so I suspect you're right that they won't take off.

    I mean I'm never buying a single 5k robot so I suspect you're right that they won't take off.

  18. Comment on Neuroscientists find logical reasoning does not involve language-processing parts of the brain in ~science

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    Bicameral mentality - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicameral_mentality There's a lot of criticism of the idea. And he uses the Homeric epic poems to demonstrate characters lacking...

    Bicameral mentality - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicameral_mentality

    There's a lot of criticism of the idea. And he uses the Homeric epic poems to demonstrate characters lacking internal agency as a description of reality vs trope of storytelling for example.

    I'm not educated enough on it to do a full analysis but there's a lot of critique that's probably worth reading that's more accessible!

    1 vote

  19. Comment on Incentives are for losers in ~society

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I find that his tone places himself in a superior position to those "following incentives" because he insults those people. He talks about having to "see the fish and go insane" and that this is...

    I find that his tone places himself in a superior position to those "following incentives" because he insults those people. He talks about having to "see the fish and go insane" and that this is something that people with integrity do. His solution to his first major "fish" is to "sometimes still go to the hotel but only have it say "guest" on the name tag"... Not do anything about his convictions about the homeless, not change their conference to involve a charity aspect (my professional org conference did this for example) or choose smaller hotels with fewer luxurious canapés. He just.... Relabeled himself.

    But he never demonstrates that he, or anyone really, is immune to incentives. Even his examples. And I find it an argument that conveniently puts himself on the "right" side of the line.

    The sky daddy line is literally a tweak of a Star Wars quote, it's not something the teenagers in the study would have said it's how he framed the idea of "moralistic therapeutic deism" that IMO he is insulting. It's "cute" (by which I mean it isn't). It's not just about criticizing religious belief, it's doing so in a very childish way.

    As for whether it's science communication, he's an experimental psychologist talking about psychology. Whatever he's doing if not science communication, I think it's not well done.

    2 votes

  20. Comment on Is it time to include pronouns? in ~tildes

    DefinitelyNotAFae
    Link Parent
    sigh that's "nice" and all, but I was replying to someone and apologizing if I caused her harm. I find it odd to use my comment directly apologizing to a person and asking her to correct me if I...

    sigh that's "nice" and all, but I was replying to someone and apologizing if I caused her harm.

    I find it odd to use my comment directly apologizing to a person and asking her to correct me if I make a mistake as the jumping off point to say "actually for me, even if it caused harm I'm going to keep doing it" instead of replying to someone who agreed with you above instead.

    It doesn't make sense and I disagree with not respecting folks wishes even as I'm someone else who doesn't always track usernames.

    5 votes