JoylessAubergine's recent activity
-
Comment on What browser extensions do you absolutely love to use? in ~tech
-
Comment on What sources are you using to follow the Russian invasion of Ukraine? in ~news
JoylessAubergine LinkMy list is nearly the same as /u/AnEarlyMartyr but i also follow a few translators. @ChrisO_wiki Finds interesting articles in Russian and creates threads translating them. Dmitri @wartranslated...My list is nearly the same as /u/AnEarlyMartyr but i also follow a few translators.
@ChrisO_wiki Finds interesting articles in Russian and creates threads translating them.
Dmitri @wartranslated Who translates video/audio/telegram content coming out of Russia/Ukraine.
@AlexGabuev Who is a Eurasian specialist and tends to bring the view point from China and central asia into the picture.
@Neil Hauer who is a true journalist who focuses on the Caucasus but also visits the Ukr/Ru front line fairly often. Recently posted "I don't want to toot my own horn but an editor asked me to write about this whole Wagner business and I replied 'give me a few days to see the news so I don't sound like a moron in a week' and folks that is a totally fine approach to take" which i appreciate.
-
Comment on What sources are you using to follow the Russian invasion of Ukraine? in ~news
JoylessAubergine Link ParentMe and you basically follow the exact same people. I have a bit of a man crush on Mark Galeotti, he's one of the few "serious" people who can weave humour into podcasts and interviews off the cuff...Me and you basically follow the exact same people.
I have a bit of a man crush on Mark Galeotti, he's one of the few "serious" people who can weave humour into podcasts and interviews off the cuff on what can otherwise be quite dry subjects. Also his books are as interesting as his interviews/podcasts/articles, plus he's written 25(!) of them.
-
Comment on Anyone having trouble using their invites? People just don't seem interested in ~tildes
JoylessAubergine Link ParentIt's one of those things that outs people as younger internet users who only really know 4chan through /pol/ or through what they've heard. 4chan, from the very beginning, through peak /b/ and...It's one of those things that outs people as younger internet users who only really know 4chan through /pol/ or through what they've heard. 4chan, from the very beginning, through peak /b/ and meme culture, Chanology, Anonymous, etc to /pol/ and since is not a "free speech" zone and never has been. Even /b/ has rules. It's rules are often less decorum based than most forums but you could and did get banned at the discretion of Janitors.
-
Comment on Tildes and identity politics in ~tildes
JoylessAubergine LinkYou just haven't been here long enough. Give it a week. Tildes is many things but lacking identity politics it isnt. If you like stupidpol you will quickly find tildes infuriating, everything here...I would love to hear the thoughts of the older Tildes users before the most recent Reddit exodus (from where I come).
You just haven't been here long enough. Give it a week. Tildes is many things but lacking identity politics it isnt. If you like stupidpol you will quickly find tildes infuriating, everything here is viewed through the lens of identity and every discussion generally ends in someone pulling an identity card. Its one of the reasons i and quite a few others i have spoken to rarely post or stopped posting all together.
-
Comment on Anti-vaccine protesters storm BBC HQ – years after it moved out in ~health
JoylessAubergine Link ParentI mean they don't write themselves, it's guardian writers writing it for the guardian audience. I don't believe anyone in the UK doesnt know the BBC moved ages ago because it was constantly on the...I mean they don't write themselves, it's guardian writers writing it for the guardian audience. I don't believe anyone in the UK doesnt know the BBC moved ages ago because it was constantly on the news, nor does the guardian interview people who thought it was still the BBC headquarters. That said it's still a TV studio where some of the biggest daytime tv is filmed and an iconic building, which is the reason they stormed it (and it's in London which may be the biggest reason).
-
Comment on Valtteri Bottas has taken full responsibility for the early chaos at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which ended his and several other drivers' races in ~sports.motorsports
JoylessAubergine Link ParentI've not watched F1 for long (DtS brought me back to the sport) but are these appeals ever successful? It feels like the appeal process is mostly an official disagreement rather than there being...I've not watched F1 for long (DtS brought me back to the sport) but are these appeals ever successful? It feels like the appeal process is mostly an official disagreement rather than there being any expectation of overturning the judgement.
-
Comment on To catch teenage gamers after curfew, Chinese company deploys facial recognition in ~tech
JoylessAubergine (edited )Link ParentI may be well off here but on top off all the data gathering and normalizing of invasive practices, to do business in authoritarian states you have to stay ahead of government or risk being took...I may be well off here but on top off all the data gathering and normalizing of invasive practices, to do business in authoritarian states you have to stay ahead of government or risk being took over. It's not the west where big business waits until laws are enacted and then waits until someone gets busted, then follows the appeal process until the high court when they finally decide to follow the law. You have to interpret the Party's speeches and announcements and implement what you think they want before someone decides to are being "difficult" and takes you down a peg or two.
-
Comment on The invisible addiction: Caffeine makes us more energetic, efficient and faster. But we have become so dependent that we need it just to get to our baseline. in ~health
JoylessAubergine Link ParentTea contains an amino acid called l-theanine which is a relaxant and helps with anxiety, the effect actually increases when mixed with caffeine which is one reason why you dont get a coffee-like...Tea contains an amino acid called l-theanine which is a relaxant and helps with anxiety, the effect actually increases when mixed with caffeine which is one reason why you dont get a coffee-like buzz with most tea.
-
Comment on What's the most expensive food you splurge on to make you happy? in ~food
JoylessAubergine (edited )Link ParentI've been getting back into tea recently after a few years away. It's weird. Compared to Tetley's it is very expensive and at the top end it can very expensive yet you can get incredible tasting,...For me the most regular high-end food I buy is top quality tea. Single estate African English Breakfast is my jam at the moment, but I like Houji-cha and a nice Chinese green as well. I'm lucky to have a very good tea shop near where I live and even very expensive tea isn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things.
I've been getting back into tea recently after a few years away. It's weird. Compared to Tetley's it is very expensive and at the top end it can very expensive yet you can get incredible tasting, fresh, small farm, historically important teas at very affordable price per gram. Today's cup was a Yunnan Gold Needle black tea which cost me ~£5 for 25g which is around 10 servings worth (though you'll get multiple glasses out off every serving). Expensive, yet super cheap.
It's hard to for me to pick a favourite because you can have such different flavours from looseleaf. A white can be mellow, sweet and fruity compared to a black or oolong that might be in your face malty and chocolatey and they are both very different drinking experiences. The only ones i know i dont like are pu'ers, at least the 3 pu'ers i have tried so far have tasted like wet dog, not a massive fan of Lapsang souchong either (marmite of the tea world) .
I've managed to, mostly, escape the very expensive part of tea, that being teaware. I was very close to buying a handmade clay tea set from etsy the other day though but my beaker and sieve setup is working for me at the moment.
-
Comment on What are some great documentaries about Asian culture that are easily available? in ~movies
JoylessAubergine LinkThere are hundreds of "Begin Japanology" videos on youtube. They focus on one part of Japanese culture and do a 30minute video on them. They are from NHK, japans national broadcaster. The "Bite of...There are hundreds of "Begin Japanology" videos on youtube. They focus on one part of Japanese culture and do a 30minute video on them. They are from NHK, japans national broadcaster.
The "Bite of China" are very good documentaries focused on food. They pick a few food points every episode and go into detail about them and the culture surrounding them.
If you don't mind podcasts Lazlo Montgomery's China History Podcast is a great look at Chinese history. The series on Tea is genuinely on the greatest podcast series ever.
-
Comment on What do you think late 2010s-early 2020s nostalgia will look like? in ~talk
JoylessAubergine LinkAffordable TV. Netflix is £6 a month!!! That is incredible. Satellite TV was/is so expensive. The basic Sky package is over £25! My dad point blank refused to get Sky when i was young (900...Affordable TV. Netflix is £6 a month!!! That is incredible. Satellite TV was/is so expensive. The basic Sky package is over £25! My dad point blank refused to get Sky when i was young (900 channels and nothing to watch) but even he couldn't imagine living without Netflix. Our house's tv box isnt even connected, instead we watch exclusively Netflix, Amazon and Iplayer and it costs less than the basic sky package did 20 years ago.
I think we are coming to the end of it now, more services, more costs, more adverts but it was good while it lasted.
-
Comment on Joe Rogan spread anti-vaccine misinformation. Spotify's CEO redirects and refuses to address problematic behavior. in ~health
JoylessAubergine LinkI thought Covid would be Joe's redemption arc. He went from having Michael Osterholm (American epidemiologist, Regents Professor, and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and...I thought Covid would be Joe's redemption arc. He went from having Michael Osterholm (American epidemiologist, Regents Professor, and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota) on the show in March 2020 discussing Covid. To being half a step from outright covid denier and from what i hear he just cant shut up giving his opinions on it. It's very hypocritical for a guy who injecting all sorts of stuff off label to be sceptical about these vaccines.
-
Comment on The surge in India in ~health
JoylessAubergine (edited )LinkThe situation in India is terrifying. I follow a fair amount of Indians on social media and the amount of resharing asking for hospital beds, for oxygen, for remdesivir, for travel help to get to...The situation in India is terrifying. I follow a fair amount of Indians on social media and the amount of resharing asking for hospital beds, for oxygen, for remdesivir, for travel help to get to a hospital is horrifying. It seems the fears we had in the UK (and the west) of hospitals being overwhelmed has become a reality in much of India. In dozens of hospitals their oxygen is being limited to 3-4 hours a day. There doesn't seem to be the political or social will to enforce a proper lockdown.
-
Comment on Keir Starmer struggles to counter Boris Johnson’s ‘vaccine bounce’ as UK polls loom in ~society
JoylessAubergine Link ParentBut why would he do that. Tories are in power until the next general election which isn't until 2024, game planning for a 2021 election is a complete waste of time. Keir's job isnt to win cheap...These polls have convinced me that if Boris were to call another GE later this year, he'd walk away with a biblically large majority.
But why would he do that. Tories are in power until the next general election which isn't until 2024, game planning for a 2021 election is a complete waste of time. Keir's job isnt to win cheap victories now, which will frankly come across as morbid and likely backfire, his job is to rehab the party for 2024 and then use Tory hubris today to win the next election. Part of this includes an excising of Corbyn and Corbynites. You can excuse Corbyn's results however you want but at the end of the day he lost to May(!) and then got thrashed by Johnson along with creating previously unthinkable losses in the north (i live in one of those seats). Corbyn is deeply unpopular with a lot of the Labour working class base, not Blairites or Centrists but people who have voted Labour their entire life and couldnt have imagined voting Tory, Corbyn was so unpopular people held their nose and voted Cons.
-
Comment on Foundations of Geopolitics in ~humanities
JoylessAubergine Link ParentDugin is a bit of a boogyman in the west who gets trotted out every few years when they want to show how scary Russia is. Very few people in Russia take him seriously (or have heard of him) and...Dugin is a bit of a boogyman in the west who gets trotted out every few years when they want to show how scary Russia is. Very few people in Russia take him seriously (or have heard of him) and even fewer in places of power, until Russia invaded Crimea he was just a fringiest of the fringe academic. He's still well away from any power or influence but more well known.
His ideas contain vague parallels, from a 20,000 foot view, but when you focus on them you can see how far of the mark they are in reality. He's a bit deluded when it comes to Russias power since the fall of the Soviet Union (he should know better as he wrote this in the late 90s after Russia got spanked in Chechnya). Russia could not annex Ukraine since the fall of the soviet union, Ukraine was closer to Russia before Crimea and nothing is going to bring them back to that relationship. Even a full "annexation" would be a disaster for Russia. It's laughable for him to think Russia can offer spheres of influence when the EU is gobbling their western spheres and China is gobbling their eastern spheres, all while Russia is trying to resist, what does Russia have to offer? Far from an Islamic-Russian axis, the Islamic world hates Russia because of the Chechen Wars, the Afghan War, the current meddling in Syria, Russian support of Israel. His views on China were out of date 40 years before he wrote the book, it's going to be China eating the Far East rather than Russia taking Manchuria (lmao!). etc.
I think his most accurate point is with America but there he is getting credit for things America is doing to itself. Russia hasnt made the US the worlds scape goat, America did by acting as a completely chaotic actor on the world stage. It isnt Eurasianism or RussiaToday that unites the Islamic world against america, it's Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and the dozens of Tinpot dictators it has propped up over the years.
Even identarian destabilising in America, which is a Soviet play that Russia actually has the power to use. Let's be honest, America is already a destabilised mess because a divided America works for damn near everyone except the American public. The American elites like it, the Chinese like it, the Russians like it. I'm sure Russians are playing a part but they are chucking firewood onto an already blazing housefire.
-
Comment on The Queen's Gambit (Netflix) - Discussion thread in ~tv
JoylessAubergine (edited )LinkI think one of the reasons this show was wildly popular because while it was about someone excelling in something society doesn't expect them to, it wasn't filled with the usual me against the...I think one of the reasons this show was wildly popular because while it was about someone excelling in something society doesn't expect them to, it wasn't filled with the usual me against the world tropes. The orphanage wasnt filled with bullies, the janitor wasnt a creep, the chess people weren't massive dickheads because she was a woman, her adoptive parents weren't abusive, the people around her were by and large supportive of her trailblazing, if a bit bemused by the whole thing. It was a breathe of fresh air.
I did start playing chess again after watching it.
-
Comment on Massive container ship stuck in Suez Canal, blocking world's busiest shipping route in ~news
JoylessAubergine (edited )Link ParentFrom what i understand BRI is in a weird place for logistics. They've not quite found what it should be used for. It's slightly faster but more expensive than by ship (as others have said, ships...From what i understand BRI is in a weird place for logistics. They've not quite found what it should be used for. It's slightly faster but more expensive than by ship (as others have said, ships are very fuel efficient and fuel is shipping's main expense (~50%)) and the speed increase doesn't justify the price increase for the vast majority of things shipped internationally. For things that need to be transported very quickly they use planes but that of course is significantly more expensive.
The north east passage (NEP) maybe the future of China-Europe shipping . It's still at least decade off but NEP is something like 3000-5000nm (~30%) shorter trip from east asia to mainland europe. When it is shown to open consistently it will probably take the east asian chunk of the Suez's traffic.
-
Comment on Quitting Reddit follow up thread in ~talk
JoylessAubergine LinkI wasnt in that thread but i tried giving up Reddit for lent. I am addicted to it. There was a post by a Stanford Doctor about how her patients essentially hate scroll social media and don't get...I wasnt in that thread but i tried giving up Reddit for lent. I am addicted to it. There was a post by a Stanford Doctor about how her patients essentially hate scroll social media and don't get any enjoyment out of it yet cannot stop (Non-reddit link, direct to post) and it was me to a tee so i decided to give it up. I lasted a week before i caved in.
There is just so much information on there that is only found on reddit. I know logically most isnt useful, its faux-entertaining noise that makes me feel smarter but without it, i feel like there is an entire world that i am missing. There is also the hate scrolling, finding the nonsense that "triggers" me, the corporate astroturffed posts, the nutty nationalists shitting up threads, the memes. I also missed the communities. Even the most awful meme filled ones are still better than nothing. I don't know where else i could talk about my hobbies and interests in such an accessible manner.
Going to try again tomorrow but limit my time rather than going cold turkey.
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~news
JoylessAubergine Link ParentYes, i'd rather they go away like they said there doing. I feel like when you choose to leave the institution only after a £32 million wedding and getting the titles they use as their branding...would you prefer they didn't make use of it?
Yes, i'd rather they go away like they said there doing. I feel like when you choose to leave the institution only after a £32 million wedding and getting the titles they use as their branding that it does invalidate some of the suffering. I'm sure Meghan had an incredibly hard time and for that she has my sympathy. On the interview however, nothing they said in the interview was new or shocking. It's well known Phillip is a racist and that the royal family are completely out of touch with reality (non-sweating, pizza express visiting uncle's interview being the most recent example) . It's well known they look after the institution no matter how misguided or brutal they have to be to their own. And nothing needs to be said about the british tabloids.
It wasnt a grand exposé on the royal family, it was a cynical grift by a couple of multimillionaires throwing their family under the bus while being interviewed by a billionaire to get media attention on their future attention seeking nonsense.
My less filtered view on Harry
Harry had a choice when he choose to be an apache helicopter pilot and politicked with his royal position to get deployed to Afghanistan where he said what joy he got from his job of launching hellfire missiles on Afghans, i believe he compared it to a video game. He had a choice when he dressed as a nazi. Him lecturing anyone on the morality of anything is a joke. He's cut from the same cloth as the rest of his deluded inbred family.
Linkclump on chrome is an alternative if you want to try that.