Kilgore_Trout's recent activity
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Comment on What lesser-known sci-fi reads do you recommend? in ~books
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Comment on What lesser-known sci-fi reads do you recommend? in ~books
Kilgore_Trout Link ParentI ran /r/motorcycles on Reddit for a long long time with this same username. Old habits, they die hardest. So it goes.Could’ve guessed you’d choose this based on your username. :)
I ran /r/motorcycles on Reddit for a long long time with this same username. Old habits, they die hardest.
So it goes.
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Comment on What lesser-known sci-fi reads do you recommend? in ~books
Kilgore_Trout Link ParentThe themes are. Kurt's writing style is .. conversational.. IME easily accessible. Humorous, sarcastic... strangely fatalistic and optimistic at the same time. If I try to describe it I'd say:...The themes are. Kurt's writing style is .. conversational.. IME easily accessible. Humorous, sarcastic... strangely fatalistic and optimistic at the same time.
If I try to describe it I'd say: Things are going to happen .. most of them will be bad.. the good is still good. Try to do more good. So it goes.
He wrote "So it goes." a lot.
If you try it out I hope you enjoy it! I did!
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Comment on What lesser-known sci-fi reads do you recommend? in ~books
Kilgore_Trout Link ParentWar. Time travel. Alien abduction. It's also about PTSD before we called it PTSD. It's about the nature of free will. It's about whether or not we have free will. It's about some aliens Kurt...War. Time travel. Alien abduction.
It's also about PTSD before we called it PTSD. It's about the nature of free will. It's about whether or not we have free will.
It's about some aliens Kurt called Tralfamadorians who see the past, present, and future all at the exact same time.
It's about things I can't explain. I'm not that smart.
So it goes.
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Comment on I'm not ready to let this place go in ~tildes
Kilgore_Trout (edited )Link ParentNothing has changed, except maybe you and I. This is normal. This is good. Closing time. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. But you can stay here, for a while anyway. Until you..."oh, you guys are still here? well, lock up when you leave". Yeah, we can stay as long as we like, but the vibes have changed.
Nothing has changed, except maybe you and I. This is normal. This is good.
Closing time. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.
But you can stay here, for a while anyway. Until you can't and then we'll go somewhere else.
It's been a nice place. I like it quite a lot. There will be a new place. You'll find it on your own but if you can't I'll message you and tell you when I know.
They close every night. They open next day, always. It's all good.
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Comment on What lesser-known sci-fi reads do you recommend? in ~books
Kilgore_Trout (edited )LinkI am hopeful it is not lesser known but I suspect it is lesser known as sci-fi. Slaughterhouse-5 by Kurt Vonnegut. I read it in the very early 90's because a wonderful English teacher watched me...I am hopeful it is not lesser known but I suspect it is lesser known as sci-fi.
Slaughterhouse-5 by Kurt Vonnegut. I read it in the very early 90's because a wonderful English teacher watched me chew through everything Heinlein, Asimov, Bradbury, and others wrote while hiding them under my desk in her classroom.
I remember doing a book report on "Foundation" and asking her if I could just do it on the whole Foundation series. At the time that was 6 books and I had already read them all and she said "Ok.. I guess.."
For my next book report she handed me "Slaughterhouse-5" and said "You're reading this." I didn't want too. She insisted. It's a gateway drug. Was for me anyway. It's about time travel.. and other stuff. It'll take you places if you want it too.
Mostly to other authors like Kurt. That's what it did for me. So glad it happened.
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Comment on Waving goodbye, carrying my bundle on a stick in ~talk
Kilgore_Trout Link ParentDid you read something interesting here today? Did you find something useful? I did. The past is prologue, the future is a promise. What you get is now. Right now, for this site, nothing has...I think there's a strong motivation to being part of a project with a vision and that you feel is going somewhere, is getting better over time, it gives you hope and makes you overlook current issues.
Did you read something interesting here today? Did you find something useful?
I did.
The past is prologue, the future is a promise. What you get is now.
Right now, for this site, nothing has changed. Any forum like this is a moment in time. It will live, grow and die just like the rest of us. If/When it is done.. that's just fine. We'll find another place. Maybe you'll be the guy who creates it? Who knows, I hope so.
But it'll die eventually too. Then we'll go somewhere else. It's ok. One of you is going to do something good. I have faith in you.
For me communities like this have existed for 25+ years. Usenet, then Reddit, now Tildes. Next who knows. But it will be somewhere. It always is.
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Comment on How often are you eating plant based meals? in ~food
Kilgore_Trout Link ParentYour comment prompted me to do a bit more research. I believe the Dr. said "Diverticulitis" but he may very well have said "Diverticulosis". Which is the same condition without any...Your comment prompted me to do a bit more research. I believe the Dr. said "Diverticulitis" but he may very well have said "Diverticulosis". Which is the same condition without any infection/inflammation. I was just coming out of sedation from the procedure! I clearly recall him stating "Well it doesn't seem to be bothering you any.." And it has not. At all. Neither did the cancerous polyp. I had no clue, sign, etc. Nothing. I got the colonoscopy because my mom nagged me into it. Thank god for that.
Eat healthy boys and grrls. Don't be like me and make your mom force you to take care of yourselves.
As too:
Here's hoping you stay cancer free forever
Same for you and everyone else!
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Comment on How often are you eating plant based meals? in ~food
Kilgore_Trout LinkTo start off I'm older than many of you, meaning my age starts with a 5. I got a colonoscopy when my age started with a 4, barely. It was recent. The Dr. cut several polyps off my colon, one of...To start off I'm older than many of you, meaning my age starts with a 5.
I got a colonoscopy when my age started with a 4, barely. It was recent. The Dr. cut several polyps off my colon, one of which contained cancer. In the Dr's words "What we did was a curative procedure. The cancer had not left the polyp. You're fine... but I'll need to see you again in 3 years."
Then he said "You also have diverticulitis. It doesn't seem to be bothering you though."
I said "What's diverticulitis and how do I fix it?"
He told me to eat more fiber. I felt like a moron. I genuinely thought I ate healthy. Healthy-ish anyway. But I know now I was wrong. Less meat, more veg, more fiber. That's been my mission for the past year or so.
Brown rice, beans, oatmeal and whatever vegetables I feel like eating have been my weapon.
It's been going well. I am meatless for many/most meals every day. I have no interest in being a vegetarian/vegan I do it for my own health. I have found that high fiber meals keep me feeling full longer and, aside from being healthy, help me maintain my weight where it should be!
I'll never give up eggs/dairy so that's in there for better or worse. Most of that is eggs for fried brown rice with whatever veg is in the fridge. I like it for breakfast.
So far so good. We'll see what the Dr. says next time!
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Comment on How much of an echo chamber is Reddit/the internet, really? in ~tech
Kilgore_Trout Link ParentBulk mailing? Sure, it will go away the moment it stops showing a return. I don't think younger generations will be less susceptible to bulk mailing though! You may think they will be but .......I'm just saying I wonder if it will go away on its own if it stops working on later generations.
Bulk mailing? Sure, it will go away the moment it stops showing a return. I don't think younger generations will be less susceptible to bulk mailing though! You may think they will be but .... What's your sample? The stupid, impressionable and easily manipulated are normal better technology doesn't make them go away.
Now they can be reached through their phones and tablets and computers, true. They can still be reached by bulk mailings. They are going to open the mailbox eventually and look at the stuff in there if only to throw it away. A percentage of those mailings will work. They go away when the percent is no longer cost effective, not before. Who knows when that will be.
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Comment on How much of an echo chamber is Reddit/the internet, really? in ~tech
Kilgore_Trout Link ParentSpeaking as a man dead smack in the middle of what they call Gen X .... I'm not going to tell you to go fuck yourself. I really didn't. I said I wouldn't. I haven't. A friend of mine, who is also...Honestly, I wonder what happens when the boomers and maybe genXers finally die off. Will mass market mailing continue to be effective?
Speaking as a man dead smack in the middle of what they call Gen X .... I'm not going to tell you to go fuck yourself.
I really didn't. I said I wouldn't. I haven't.
A friend of mine, who is also Gen X, called us the "bridge generation". It's a great term. It means I have dialed a rotary phone and also used one to connect a 14.4 modem to the internet we had.
Oh, he said that on usenet. Do you know what that is?
Anyway you're talking about boomers and Gen X being the reason for mass mail. As if we ever wanted this crap.
What about younger generations building data centers to host videos of some idiot doing something stupid for views?
The content of those mass mailings is worthless. But nobody asked for it. Marketing people decided it was potentially a way to make money and they did it.
Same for tiktok and all the other crap. The content is equally worthless, but how much water/energy will they use to host the stupid videos?
Is it better or worse or just the same and not really anyone's fault?
Except for the ones doing it. The ones who don't care about the planet or our resources or anything aside from their short term profit.
Blame boomers if you like, blame Gen X. We'll never care.
Or blame the species and get things done. If you can. I doubt we’ll ever change.
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Comment on My father died suddenly in ~life.men
Kilgore_Trout (edited )LinkMy father was also an alcoholic. He was actively drinking for most of my life. He was sober, for 8-10 years, before he died. He was sort of a weird alcoholic. He'd drink like a fish for 3-4 days...My father was also an alcoholic. He was actively drinking for most of my life. He was sober, for 8-10 years, before he died. He was sort of a weird alcoholic. He'd drink like a fish for 3-4 days then sober up and work like a demon for a week or so and rinse and repeat. He was described by a good friend of both of ours, who was sober and in AA for a very long time as "The hardest working man in the program." He tried very hard even though he kept failing.
I suspect he was hypomanic. Before he sobered up someone diagnosed him as Manic-Depressive and put him on medication for it.
I remember when he told me that I said:
"You've never been depressed a day in your life!"
He said "I know kid, but the pills work."
"Then keep taking them."He did, they kept working, he stayed sober until the end. He died where he wanted too. He literally picked the place. I suspect he knew it was coming. He was on vacation, working on someones house, when he fell over dead. He was in the city/country he was born in and doing what he wanted and he went quick. All things considered.. I am happy with the outcome.
But none of that matters. Here is what does:
I also feel like I don't know how to fully be there for my mother who just lost her partner of 30+ years; I can't imagine the scale of her grief. Any words of wisdom are appreciated.
Just be there. Be present. Let her know you're there and she is not alone. That means if you can, stop by, if you can't make the phone call. It doesn't have to be much, it doesn't have to be eloquent.
"How's everything?"
"You need anything?"If you can stop by it's better but do what you can. Don't try to get into helping her grieve. That's not your job. If she wants to talk about it she'll talk about it. You won't have to help. If she doesn't that's fine. Just be present and be there. And keep it up.
Make sure she knows she's not alone.
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Comment on Smartphones arrived just before the US fertility rate plunged. One study says it’s a direct cause. in ~health
Kilgore_Trout Link ParentCorrelation does not imply causation Colloquially it's often "Correlation is not causation." Anyone who has taken an intro Logic, Sociology or Statistics class knows this. Hopefully they...Again, I don't disagree with the general idea of what things are linked, but this is so overly-simplified. I can't really take it seriously.
Correlation does not imply causation
Colloquially it's often "Correlation is not causation."
Anyone who has taken an intro Logic, Sociology or Statistics class knows this. Hopefully they understood it. Often they do not.
"Dinosaurs couldn't read. Now they are extinct." is a true statement. Do we really think these facts are related?
Smartphones and lowered fertility may correlate. Is one the cause of the other? To say "Yes" without some serious proof is a logical fallacy. There are so many other variables. This analysis ignores them, because it's stupid.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #9: How optimistic are you about the future? (Results) in ~talk
Kilgore_Trout (edited )LinkI answered "very pessimistic" for each question. My reason is simple and sad and irrefutable. I hate it. I accept it. When my mother was born the world population was 2.5 billion. When I was born...I answered "very pessimistic" for each question.
My reason is simple and sad and irrefutable. I hate it. I accept it.
When my mother was born the world population was 2.5 billion. When I was born it was 4 billion. When I got out of high school is was 5.6 billion. Today they say it's 8.6 billion.
I think that number is low but hey.. I may be stupid.
What I know is that when we can't make enough food for everyone we won't get together and make a plan and do the right thing. I know someone will decide to just kill the other people so we can survive.
Them and us. Someones tribe will kill someones else's tribe.
I'd like to say I am above this but I know I am not. It'll be them, not us.
I know I'm not one of the good people. I'm just normal. That's the problem.
Edit: Them and us. Not: "Then and us." Dyspellia is a real thing that I made up. My apologies for suffering from it.
I read it a long long time ago. Great story and definitely worth reading for anyone who has not yet!