Fal's recent activity

  1. Comment on Elon Musk’s attack on F-35s fuels debate over expensive fighter jets in ~society

    Fal
    Link Parent
    I agree, ~society or ~misc would probably fit best

    I agree, ~society or ~misc would probably fit best

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Why the Soviet Union was obsessed with corn in ~humanities.history

    Fal
    Link Parent
    I don't think that the characterization is quite as malicious as you make it out to be. I think that American media depicts foreign leaders' interest in corn as 'obsessions' because it's an...

    Would we describe this as an obsession when the US does it? Or only when scary foreign governments learn from us and do the same thing?

    I don't think that the characterization is quite as malicious as you make it out to be. I think that American media depicts foreign leaders' interest in corn as 'obsessions' because it's an interest in, well, corn. It's as common a crop as it gets to us in America. But to leaders of countries with historical issues with food production, like the Soviet Union, or countries with potential future food insecurities, like China, corn is interesting as a way to solve current or future food supply issues.

    To make up an analogy, if Biden started speaking about the potential of taro, and started traveling abroad to the most rural parts of Nigeria and China to speak to taro farmers, I wouldn't find it odd at all if local media described his actions as an 'obsession' with taro.

    9 votes

  4. Comment on Why the Soviet Union was obsessed with corn in ~humanities.history

    Fal
    Link Parent
    It may interest you to know that Xi Jinping of China is also somewhat obsessed with corn (and soybeans), having visited farms in rural Iowa both before and after becoming paramount leader (though...

    It may interest you to know that Xi Jinping of China is also somewhat obsessed with corn (and soybeans), having visited farms in rural Iowa both before and after becoming paramount leader (though this might be more of an interest in American farming methods rather than necessarily in corn itself).

    BBC: Xi Jinping's surprising ties to rural Iowa

    6 votes

  5. Comment on 180bpm+ music recommendations? in ~music

    Fal
    Link
    Perhaps a bit different from the other suggestions, but It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams apparently runs at 202 BPM.

    Perhaps a bit different from the other suggestions, but It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams apparently runs at 202 BPM.

    2 votes

  6. Comment on US President Joe Biden commutes sentences for 1,500 people, the largest act of clemency in a day in ~society

    Fal
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    President Biden on Thursday announced he is commuting the prison sentences for nearly 1,500 people and pardoning 39 others in what the White House said was the largest act of clemency in a single day in modern presidential history.

    The 1,500 people had been serving long prison sentences that would have been shorter under today's laws and practices. They had been on home confinement since the COVID pandemic and Biden said they had successfully reintegrated into their communities.

    The White House released brief biographies of the 39 pardoned individuals. Most committed non-violent drug offenses in their late teens and early 20s. Many served in the U.S. military and all are active in their communities, either through church or volunteer work — including helping others with addiction recovery and navigating life after incarceration.

    Biden has also issued categorical pardons to people convicted under federal law of simple use or possession of marijuana, and to LGBTQ+ people who had been convicted because of the sexual orientation while serving in the military.

    20 votes

  9. Comment on Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses US policy that would have limited anesthesia periods in ~health

    Fal
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    Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, a major health insurer, on Thursday rolled back a policy change that would have capped payments for anesthesia for patients, and would have denied claims altogether if any given procedure exceeded a time limit.

    The policy, which was to be tested before a national rollout, prompted controversy — first from anesthesiologists and then, after a flurry of media reports, from legislators in Connecticut and New York, where the policy was to go into effect in February.

    19 votes

  11. Comment on China bans export of critical minerals to US as trade tensions escalate in ~society

    Fal
    Link Parent
    Zeihan's The Accidental Superpower and The Absent Superpower are what got me into geopolitics/IR, and now I'm doing a master's in international affairs, so I do have him to thank for that. That...

    Zeihan's The Accidental Superpower and The Absent Superpower are what got me into geopolitics/IR, and now I'm doing a master's in international affairs, so I do have him to thank for that. That being said...

    His analysis of past events is pretty decent, so I would read his books just for that, but I would take caution regarding any prediction he makes about anything, especially geopolitics (actually, I would take the opinion of anyone who deals in geopolitics/IR on a grand, global scale with a grain of salt). While some of his predictions are pretty spot on (Russian Invasion of Ukraine, for instance), others are... not so much. See his predicting Alberta to join the US, or the complete collapse of China, for instance. We'll see how that 'total collapse of Russia' prediction plays out.

    All in all, he's entertaining his largely American audience, which is why his predictions for every major power except for the United States is so apocalyptic.

    9 votes

  13. Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news

  14. Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news

    Fal
    Link
    South Korean man convicted for deliberately gaining weight to evade military service

    South Korean man convicted for deliberately gaining weight to evade military service

    A South Korean man has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for deliberately gaining more than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) to evade a tougher role in the country’s military conscription system, a Seoul court said Tuesday.

    In South Korea, all able-bodied men must serve in the military for 18-21 months, but individuals with health issues can instead carry out their duties at non-military facilities such as welfare centers and community service centers. If their problems are serious, they are exempted from their military duties.

    The court said an acquaintance of the man received a suspended 1-year prison term for aiding his crime.

    6 votes

  15. Comment on Weekly Middle East war megathread - week of November 11 in ~news

  16. Comment on Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us (2024) in ~music

    Fal
    Link Parent
    It's here!

    The teaser at the beginning was gas too. Hoping we see a full version of that some day soon

    It's here!

    4 votes

  19. Comment on Graduating college, starting work, and being lonely in ~life

    Fal
    Link Parent
    As someone who grew up in the South Bay, one of the few things recreation-wise that I think the South Bay has over the rest of the Bay Area is hiking, the trails are great and have amazing views....

    I also enjoy hiking and being outdoors, though I suppose those aren't super conducive to meeting new people.

    As someone who grew up in the South Bay, one of the few things recreation-wise that I think the South Bay has over the rest of the Bay Area is hiking, the trails are great and have amazing views. Obviously this can be a solitary activity, though there are hiking groups that might work for you? r/norcalhiking comes to mind. Unfortunately I kind of think that for your age, outside of tech-adjacent areas, as a newcomer to the area SF and Oakland might be easier to develop a social life in. But, if you think of any other hobbies you might have or be interested in getting into, I might be able to list some options.

    Edit: I'm biased, but the South Bay has the best fencing clubs in the Bay Area if you're interested in a new sport

    2 votes

  20. Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk

    Fal
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    I’m tired as fuck man. I’ve started my master’s degree this year, and it’s genuinely eating up all my time (otherwise I would be posting on here a lot more lol). Historically I’ve been a not-great...

    I’m tired as fuck man. I’ve started my master’s degree this year, and it’s genuinely eating up all my time (otherwise I would be posting on here a lot more lol). Historically I’ve been a not-great student as far as studying goes, but last week I convinced myself to sit down and actually review the material for an upcoming test (kind of a lame achievement, but gotta start somewhere I guess).

    Last Friday I also played Wingspan with my friends and roommates. They’re all relatively new to board games outside of the most popular ones such as Monopoly, but they really seemed to enjoy Wingspan and so we’ll likely play it again in the near future. They’ve also asked about other board games, and one friend asked about DnD, which I have no experience in whatsoever but I’ll probably look into soon. Maybe buying one of the starter kits and seeing how that goes?

    2 votes