FluffyKittens's recent activity
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Comment on Chechnya 'bans music that is too fast or too slow' in ~music
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Comment on Chechnya 'bans music that is too fast or too slow' in ~music
FluffyKittens (edited )Link ParentPromonk’s usage is entirely consistent with the original etymology, within the bounds of the inherent “terminological imprecision”, as you choose to call it. “Terminological imprecision” is a form...Promonk’s usage is entirely consistent with the original etymology, within the bounds of the inherent “terminological imprecision”, as you choose to call it.
“Terminological imprecision” is a form of informal definition in my book.
E: Practical example - you can find “jawn” in dictionaries and scholarly articles too - which is the least formally-defined word I could think of.
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Comment on Chechnya 'bans music that is too fast or too slow' in ~music
FluffyKittens Link ParentActing like gaslighting is a formally defined term instead of a loose metaphorical nod to a particular plot point of an old movie is a form of gaslighting.Acting like gaslighting is a formally defined term instead of a loose metaphorical nod to a particular plot point of an old movie is a form of gaslighting.
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Comment on Amid marijuana legalization, a civic problem lingers: that smell in ~life
FluffyKittens (edited )Link ParentTexas has a weird Cannabis-Lite thing going on nowadays, actually - Delta-9 edibles are legal in Texas, as long as they’re <0.3% THC by dry mass. They’re sold in stores where you can pay with...Texas has a weird Cannabis-Lite thing going on nowadays, actually - Delta-9 edibles are legal in Texas, as long as they’re <0.3% THC by dry mass. They’re sold in stores where you can pay with credit card and they’re not terribly larger than usual gummies per dose.
Definitely not smart to test the limits cooking at home though.
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Comment on Loneliness can kill, and new research shows middle-aged Americans are particularly vulnerable in ~science
FluffyKittens Link ParentYeah, I’m just talking re: the downstream question.Yeah, I’m just talking re: the downstream question.
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Comment on Loneliness can kill, and new research shows middle-aged Americans are particularly vulnerable in ~science
FluffyKittens Link Parent“Cottage food laws” are the term for this. All depends where you live. https://cottagefoodlaws.com/I was actually having a discussion related to selling/giving out food in your community the other day; are there any concerns when it comes to giving food to people in regards to health safety? As in, do you need to have some sort of license or approval, or is it OK if you're not operating above a certain size?
“Cottage food laws” are the term for this. All depends where you live.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
FluffyKittens Link ParentThis is exactly the sort of perspective I was hoping for - huge thanks!This is exactly the sort of perspective I was hoping for - huge thanks!
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
FluffyKittens LinkPosting here since this doesn’t warrant its own thread: Anyone have experience repasting their laptop CPU? If so, got any takes on the relative difficulty? I’ve got an ancient HP business line...Posting here since this doesn’t warrant its own thread: Anyone have experience repasting their laptop CPU? If so, got any takes on the relative difficulty?
I’ve got an ancient HP business line laptop that’s about ten years old, and suddenly started throttling and pinning the fans at max speed under no load a few weeks ago. I have a good local repair shop, but they quoted me $120 to do a repaste, and the laptop was <$250 when I bought it used ~5 years ago.
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Comment on Why are no reasons given when (or even better before) removing a post? in ~tildes
FluffyKittens LinkThere were a lot of HAES-related threads that went off the rails in the past (back around the fallout of the r/FPH stuff), and I think Deimos is understandably not super enthusiastic about...There were a lot of HAES-related threads that went off the rails in the past (back around the fallout of the r/FPH stuff), and I think Deimos is understandably not super enthusiastic about moderating yet another similar fiasco - but it was definitely a bit more preemptive of an action than usual this time.
It’s not a personal affront to your post at all, so please don’t feel like you did anything wrong.
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Comment on As obesity rises, Big Food and dietitians push ‘anti-diet’ advice in ~health
FluffyKittens Link ParentNot to be a dick about it (because it’s not your fault - it’s intentional misinformation pushed by seemingly respectable institutions), but you’re reciting the General Mills propaganda to a tee...Not to be a dick about it (because it’s not your fault - it’s intentional misinformation pushed by seemingly respectable institutions), but you’re reciting the General Mills propaganda to a tee here.
Calories aren’t fungible, macros aren’t either, and Lucky Charms isn’t at all sugary compared to Frosted Flakes or Raisin Bran. The full GM lineup is processed to hell and back, so the dietary fiber you’re getting per the nutrition label isn’t equivalent to the fiber you’d get from greens/nuts/vegetables - and same for the other carbohydrates/proteins/micronutrients. Metrics like fiber are proxies for “healthiness”, not direct indicators of it - so companies can and will game the metrics.
IIFYM can be a fine maintenance strategy, but the trick to being able to adhere to it is a solid base dietary composition - and that’s the part naive dieters most often bungle. Generally speaking, all processed breakfast cereals are a bad base to build on.
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Comment on ‘Lavender’: The AI machine directing Israel’s bombing spree in Gaza in ~tech
FluffyKittens Link ParentWhile you’re making a valid point, the conflict has been going on for quite a while now, and this ain’t the first war crime revelation. I think I speak for a decent chunk of the userbase when I...While you’re making a valid point, the conflict has been going on for quite a while now, and this ain’t the first war crime revelation. I think I speak for a decent chunk of the userbase when I say the fundamental issues have been flamewarred well enough on this forum. Acknowledgement of the tragedy is a given.
The AI tool is the novel point of discussion covered by this article, so IMO it’s entirely reasonable to dive into the details of it in this thread.
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Comment on Will the Apple antitrust case affect your phone’s security? in ~tech
FluffyKittens Link ParentGreat to know - thank you! I just checked and unfortunately my carrier doesn't offer any features like that, but I'll hunt for a good third-party app later and try it out.Great to know - thank you!
I just checked and unfortunately my carrier doesn't offer any features like that, but I'll hunt for a good third-party app later and try it out.
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Comment on Terraform Industries converts electricity and air into synthetic natural gas for the first time in ~enviro
FluffyKittens Link ParentYeah - I thought about that. Figured methane losses would be on the order of a few tenths of a percent, meaning the CO2 equivalent of the methane released would be relatively low compared to...Yeah - I thought about that.
Figured methane losses would be on the order of a few tenths of a percent, meaning the CO2 equivalent of the methane released would be relatively low compared to carbon sequestered, and chose not to dive into the weeds - but you're absolutely right.
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Comment on Will the Apple antitrust case affect your phone’s security? in ~tech
FluffyKittens Link ParentI’ve actually gotta give the feds credit for the STIR/SHAKEN mandate - I don’t see a regulatory failure on that front. Apple not allowing users to implement better customized controls (e.g....I’ve actually gotta give the feds credit for the STIR/SHAKEN mandate - I don’t see a regulatory failure on that front.
Apple not allowing users to implement better customized controls (e.g. automatically send international calls or certain area codes to voicemail) is the bigger barrier to suppressing the problem in my book, but I get where you’re coming from.
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Comment on 12-year-old student opened fire at a secondary school in southern Finland on Tuesday morning, killing one and seriously wounding two other students, police said in ~news
FluffyKittens (edited )Link ParentYeah sorry - I straight up failed to drop my thesis there: I think more control is generally better in terms of reducing deaths, and Finland may not even go far enough. Japan is a great example of...Yeah sorry - I straight up failed to drop my thesis there: I think more control is generally better in terms of reducing deaths, and Finland may not even go far enough.
Japan is a great example of effective policy in my book, though I’d definitely settle for something closer to Finland in a US context.
E: I’m probably overstating my affinity for Japan’s policies in hindsight. I’m a pro-gun, Gadsden-flag-waving Texan… but I don’t think anything other than bolt-action rifles for hunting or pump-action shotguns with smaller shot should be available to the public without majorly restrictive licensing or a specific purpose, such as protection from wildlife in remote areas. That’s not a palatable political policy in the US, but it’s where I put the ideal theoretical balance in terms of the cost/benefit tradeoff guns present. Semi-auto handguns are almost pure negatives in my book.
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Comment on 12-year-old student opened fire at a secondary school in southern Finland on Tuesday morning, killing one and seriously wounding two other students, police said in ~news
FluffyKittens Link ParentZooming out though, part of that is a numbers game. If we assume such shootings scale directly with population and happen once every sixteen years at Finland’s 5.6M pop mark, you’re slated for...Zooming out though, part of that is a numbers game.
If we assume such shootings scale directly with population and happen once every sixteen years at Finland’s 5.6M pop mark, you’re slated for over three shootings per year once you scale that rate up to the US population size.
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Comment on Will the Apple antitrust case affect your phone’s security? in ~tech
FluffyKittens Link ParentTo be fair, Apple users would also generally be much safer if third-party dialers and SMS apps were available that could better screen out spams and phishing. I think opening the door to allow...To be fair, Apple users would also generally be much safer if third-party dialers and SMS apps were available that could better screen out spams and phishing. I think opening the door to allow that will likely be a net-positive tradeoff.
There are some options available now, but they’re not that great because Apple has made a concerted effort to deny them the same privileges as those offered by their own first-party dialer + iMessage.
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
FluffyKittens (edited )Link ParentI love HN for what it is, I’ve seen those takes, and I even buy the fundamental premise… …but holy hell is it richly ironic to compare the two sites in terms of toxicity that way. Dan is a good...I love HN for what it is, I’ve seen those takes, and I even buy the fundamental premise…
…but holy hell is it richly ironic to compare the two sites in terms of toxicity that way. Dan is a good moderator, but HN comments on any remotely contentious issue wind up dimethylmercury toxic despite that.
E: and if this were HN, I’m also sure I’d have some bizarro mercury-denialist telling me my comment is fundamentally flawed because mercury compounds are perfectly safe and they drink it for breakfast every single day.
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Comment on Terraform Industries converts electricity and air into synthetic natural gas for the first time in ~enviro
FluffyKittens Link ParentEvery carbon in the methane is coming from atmospheric CO2, so unless there’s a leak, it’s just as carbon-neutral as solar itself. Methane burns quite cleanly and it would take a gigantic leak to...Every carbon in the methane is coming from atmospheric CO2, so unless there’s a leak, it’s just as carbon-neutral as solar itself.
Methane burns quite cleanly and it would take a gigantic leak to be much worse than burning regular natural gas from the ground. On the whole it’s not a bad prospect - if not pragmatic at present due to the level of inefficiency.
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Comment on The influencer who “reverses” Lupus with smoothies. Psychiatrist Brooke Goldner makes extraordinary claims about incurable diseases. It’s brought her a mansion, a Ferrari, and a huge social following. in ~health
FluffyKittens Link ParentYeah, I’m of two minds about it: on the one hand, ivermectin and kin had overwhelmingly negative risk profiles, and way more providers should’ve lost their licenses for pushing it during the...Yeah, I’m of two minds about it: on the one hand, ivermectin and kin had overwhelmingly negative risk profiles, and way more providers should’ve lost their licenses for pushing it during the pandemic.
On the other hand, there are quite a few cases of medical innovators who were tarred and feathered by the mainstream establishment - but ultimately turned out to be correct. Joseph Lister is the earliest example that comes to mind, but a more recent example would be John Sarno.
Sarno played a major role in popularizing the idea of a “mind-body connection” - i.e. that psychological stress can manifest as subconscious muscle tightness and trigger back pain/similar bodily conditions. His specific medical ontology (“tension myositis syndrome”) was never adopted, but a majority of medical providers now buy his core theory and many hold him in high regard. Reading his main book on the subject (Healing Back Pain - written the the 80s IIRC) is quite a trip in modern times though, because he lets through some palpable bitterness/indignation that his ideas were dismissed out of hand and sounds quite similar to the antivax/new-age crowd as a result.
Another case study in the same vein would be low-carbohydrate diets for T2 diabetes: twenty years ago, suggesting that such a diet could put diabetes into remission was fringe to the point of taboo, and mainly spread through fitness/keto/paleo circles. In less than two decades though, the mainstream consensus pulled a full 180. Similar story for concussion management protocols.
I do think we can and should try to do better in terms of limiting abuses like the one in this article, but I think there’s also an understandable reticence to censure licensed physicians even when they’re almost certainly wrong - because those kooky types have turned out to be right a few times before and majorly changed the status quo for the better.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formal
In a nutshell, I’m using formal in the first sense (1) listed on the link above; you’re using it in the second (2).
Put another way, since “gaslighting” is used a general metaphor for “similar to that thing that happened in that movie” as opposed to a descriptor of a concrete idea, it’s not formally-defined.