LumaBop's recent activity
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Comment on Tips for increasing online privacy (without going insane)? in ~tech
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Comment on Tips for increasing online privacy (without going insane)? in ~tech
LumaBop Link ParentOne benefit of NextDNS is that you can fairly extensively configure your settings, to choose exactly what is filtered. There are plenty of settings to fiddle with, though I haven’t been back to...One benefit of NextDNS is that you can fairly extensively configure your settings, to choose exactly what is filtered. There are plenty of settings to fiddle with, though I haven’t been back to that panel in a while.
I think the only benefit of using the app is that you can quickly toggle NextDNS off if you want to fallback on your default DNS for whatever reason. Since I have a very strict filtering setup, I use this to quickly circumvent my rules, if I need to.
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Comment on AirPods or not? in ~music
LumaBop LinkI personally use AirPods Pro (Gen1) with an iPhone, and obviously in that context I think they are great. I’ve also known several people who use AirPods but don’t have any other Apple devices, and...I personally use AirPods Pro (Gen1) with an iPhone, and obviously in that context I think they are great. I’ve also known several people who use AirPods but don’t have any other Apple devices, and it doesn’t seem to have hampered their experience. Obviously you lose out on some features like Spatial Audio, but as far as comfort, audio quality, noise transparency and cancellation modes, these are all available and function just as well with non-Apple devices.
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Comment on Emmanuel Macron unveils new right-wing French government in ~society
LumaBop (edited )Link ParentPerhaps Macron prefers to compromise with the right (centrists do always seem to compromise to the right rather than the left) - but that doesn’t change the fact that the NFP, and Melenchon in...Perhaps Macron prefers to compromise with the right (centrists do always seem to compromise to the right rather than the left) - but that doesn’t change the fact that the NFP, and Melenchon in particular, have offered nothing but antagonism and unwillingness to appeal to the centre. A purely left wing government would not be a reasonable outcome of this election given that the NFP are nowhere near a majority. If the NFP wanted to form a government, they would have needed to compromise with the centre and form a centre-left government, rather than trying to be radical, especially since the radical position of the most left-wing members of the bloc are not reflective of the position of the French public, and certainly not in line with the outcome of the election.
On a separate note, I totally agree that Macron calling this election was a bizarre move that has clearly served to do nothing but deprive the French people of an effective government with a majority in parliament, increase the polarisation of French politics (a disturbing trend being seen in many western democracies), and ultimately ending up with a more right-wing government which doesn’t accurately reflect the desires of the French people.
Edit: the point I’m trying to make here is that it’s easy to criticise Macron for “not respecting the outcome of the election”, but the harder thing to is to critically examine how NFP have approached the result of this election in attempting to form a government. But, in my opinion, the latter is the much more important thing to do for people who want to see left-wing parties win elections and form governments.
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Comment on Emmanuel Macron unveils new right-wing French government in ~society
LumaBop Link ParentBased on my understanding of how the French democracy works, there isn’t anything about this that is necessarily undemocratic. In a French parliamentary election, the people vote for members of...- Exemplary
Based on my understanding of how the French democracy works, there isn’t anything about this that is necessarily undemocratic. In a French parliamentary election, the people vote for members of parliament, not for a government. The convention is that the majority party/bloc in parliament forms a government, since they can guarantee that they have the confidence of parliament and will be able to pass laws (due to holding a majority). Moreover, if a party has a majority, the President has no other option but to allow them to form a government, since otherwise that party could immediately pass a vote of no confidence in the government appointed from a minority, and that government would be entirely unable to pass any legislation.
In the most recent election, no party/bloc won a majority (I believe this is very unusual for France). This created a very difficult situation for Macron, since as the President it’s his job to appoint a government that can run the country, but since the three major blocs broadly disagree with each other, it was impossible for him to appoint a government that would actually be able to maintain the confidence of parliament and be able to pass any legislation.
In a country like the UK (where I live) we would just dissolve parliament and hold another election until there was a group in parliament that was strong enough to form a government. However, I believe the French constitution doesn’t allow for this approach, so Macron has to appoint a government of some sort. It seems that the centre (Ensemble) and right wing (RN) blocs are more willing to work together, while the left wing (NFP) have been insisting that they should be handed total control of the government since they won the largest number of seats (but still a minority!)
I’m sympathetic to the view that the left wing “won” the election by virtue of being the largest bloc, but it’s pretty clear their unwillingness to compromise to form a coalition government with the centre means they would not be able to hold the confidence of parliament and would immediately be ousted if Macron did allow them to form a government. If the centre and right are willing to work together, at least enough to allow a government to not immediately suffer a vote of no confidence, then Macron doesn’t really have another choice. And remember, he was democratically elected to be President, and one of the most important jobs of the President is to appoint the government, so it’s hardly “undemocratic” if the democratically elected President appoints a government that will actually be able to hold the confidence of parliament and pass legislation.
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How do you shave?
I’ve been shaving for about five years, and in that time I’ve always been using an electric razor. I’m not sure why, but that was the first way that I learned to shave, and I’d never bothered to...
I’ve been shaving for about five years, and in that time I’ve always been using an electric razor. I’m not sure why, but that was the first way that I learned to shave, and I’d never bothered to try a different tool - until 10 minutes ago, when I shaved with a cartridge razor for the first time.
Oh, my, word. It’s like magic - as if I’m just wiping the hairs off my face. I don’t think I’ll ever go back now, this shave was easier, less messy, and closer, plus since I can easily see where I’ve already been and what I have left to do because of the shaving foam I don’t accidentally miss a patch.
Now I’m wondering, how do other Tilderinos shave, and what has your experience been with different types of razor?
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Comment on BBC exit poll predicts Labour landslide in UK in ~society
LumaBop Link ParentI have a lot of hopes, most of them tempered. I’d love to see a radical shift in this country towards social and economic equality. Labour doesn’t seem to be offering this: anything that could be...I have a lot of hopes, most of them tempered.
I’d love to see a radical shift in this country towards social and economic equality. Labour doesn’t seem to be offering this: anything that could be seen as “controversial” (I.e. trans rights) they seem unwilling to push for, and any chance of actually taxing the wealthy in this country seems off the table.
But, it does seem like they intend to enact some policies which will uncontroversially improve the country. Fixing the NHS, addressing the climate crisis, improving workers rights: I hope this will happen, and I hope that they will go far enough.
They’ve made a big fuss about economic growth. I would like to see the economy turn around, but it’s not clear how the government can create growth without actually stimulating the economy by spending more - and of course they can only realistically spend more by taxing more.
On the EU, it’s pretty clear that we won’t be rejoining it any time soon, certainly not in this parliament. Labour have also said they won’t rejoin the single market or customs union, and to be honest the EU probably wouldn’t have us if we asked. But I hope that we can have a more positive trade relationship with our European friends, and maybe, in the long term, seek to heal the rift between us and move towards a closer relationship involving free trade, free movement etc.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~talk
LumaBop LinkYes, absolutely. Two people can choose to spend time together and foster a friendship, regardless of the fact they might never spend time together “organically” (i.e. without going out of their...Yes, absolutely. Two people can choose to spend time together and foster a friendship, regardless of the fact they might never spend time together “organically” (i.e. without going out of their way and deliberately choosing to).
If anything, building a friendship this way could be particularly rewarding because you know you are friends out of a mutual choice to become so, rather than out of happenstance or convenience.
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Comment on Office chair recommendations? in ~health
LumaBop Link ParentJoining in on the second hand Herman Miller recommendations, my Mirra 2 is absolutely fantastic. I fancy it a nicer chair than the Aeron, but I’ve never sat in a Sayl so can’t compare there. I...Joining in on the second hand Herman Miller recommendations, my Mirra 2 is absolutely fantastic. I fancy it a nicer chair than the Aeron, but I’ve never sat in a Sayl so can’t compare there.
I think the Mirra is pretty easy to find second hand as well.
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Comment on Danish dictionary to weed out gender stereotypes – ‘career women’ are now paired with ‘career men’ and manslaughter is a linguistic offence in ~humanities.languages
LumaBop Link ParentInterestingly, some languages are actually defined by some official authority, or at least the language as defined by that authority is recognised by the government as being “officially correct”....Interestingly, some languages are actually defined by some official authority, or at least the language as defined by that authority is recognised by the government as being “officially correct”. This is the case with French: the Académie Française prescribes the French dictionary and rules of grammar.
It looks like this is sort of the case with Danish. The Danish Language Council, referenced in the article, is responsible for the official Danish dictionary, “which all government institutions and schools are obliged by law to follow”. So Danish, when used in those institutions, is actually prescribed.
So these languages work a bit differently to English, for example, where as you say the language is purely defined by its use, and dictionaries only exist to describe the language as it is used by its speakers.
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Comment on Just finished reading The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, and wondering what to read next in ~books
LumaBop LinkI’ve been on a fantasy binge lately, so if you’d like more fantasy I can easily recommend: The Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo. I just finished it, and it is just fantastic. It’s urban...I’ve been on a fantasy binge lately, so if you’d like more fantasy I can easily recommend:
- The Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo. I just finished it, and it is just fantastic. It’s urban fantasy, and Bardugo writes nothing like Tolkien but I think it’s an excellent pair of books. The characters in this are brilliant, I love every one of them, and one of my favourite features of Bardugo’s writing is her way of showing rather than telling, and dropping in details that become relevant later, which make the major plot beats and twists all the more satisfying because of how they are foreshadowed. I cannot recommend this duology strongly enough to anyone who has an interest in fantasy.
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. This is nice, traditional high fantasy with a really cool magic system. It’s also a story within a story that utilises the middle layer in interesting ways, which I think is really cool. It does however come with the warning that it is part of a three-book series, but the third book is not yet complete and there’s a lot of uncertainty about when that book will be finished. So there’s a risk that you love it so much that you want more, but it’s not available yet. Still recommend it strongly nonetheless.
- The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. If you’d like to sink your teeth into a long, meaty series, look no further than the Stormlight Archive. I can only personally attest to the quality of the first book as I’ve had some trouble getting my hands on the second volume, but what I’ve read so far is excellent, and Sanderson is widely regarded as one of the best authors in fantasy at the moment. His world building is particularly brilliant. The story definitely can take its time, a bit of a slow burn, but I think if you liked Tolkien you’ll like Sanderson.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
LumaBop LinkThe Six of Crows Duology, by Leigh Bardugo - I’m just about to finish Crooked Kingdom, the second book. The two books form one continuous story, so you can kind of think of it as one book in two...The Six of Crows Duology, by Leigh Bardugo - I’m just about to finish Crooked Kingdom, the second book. The two books form one continuous story, so you can kind of think of it as one book in two parts, a la Lord of the Rings which is both one book and three.
This pair have been absolutely fantastic. The first book is focused on a heist, with most of the book dedicated to the build up preceding it. The pacing is fantastic and it does a great job of introducing you to the characters. The narrative is quite streamlined: there are side plots and backstories, but it’s always driving towards the inevitable climax that is laid out from the start. And when you get there, oh man, the pay off is fantastic.
The second book is quite different. We’re still following the same cast of protagonists, but there’s quite a lot more going on, and you get a lot more character development. It’s very rewarding to see a lot of the arcs that were set up in the first book resolved here. One of the things Bardugo does really well is dropping in little clues and details that become important later, so when there’s a twist or something major happens, you go “ah hah! That’s because of that! How did I not see that coming?” Or sometimes you’re able to see what’s about to happen because you’ve been paying attention, which is equally satisfying.
I really love these books. Bardugo does great world building, writes interesting characters that are loveable and at the same time flawed, and overall I think her prose has a beautiful style that is just pleasant to read. I read another book of hers, Ninth House, a while ago, which has a fairly recently published sequel I need to pick up, and I’ll have to read the other books she has written in the same universe as Six of Crows.
But before I get round to those I need to read the second volume of The Way of Kings (Brandon Sanderson), or else it will get to be too long since I read the first volume and I’ll have no clue what’s going on. I’m also one book into Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicles, and the second book is waiting on my shelf, but I might put that off since the third book isn’t out yet, so I can equally well wait now and then hopefully read books two and three back to back when it’s finally finished.
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Comment on Apple unveils iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in ~tech
LumaBop LinkProbably one of the less important details, but does anyone else find it funny that they’ve gone for rounded edges? As someone who prefers the squared off design - I was so pleased when it...Probably one of the less important details, but does anyone else find it funny that they’ve gone for rounded edges? As someone who prefers the squared off design - I was so pleased when it returned with the 12, my current phone - I do wonder if it’s just change for the sake of change. Perhaps we’re just going to see iPhones cycling between more rounded and more squared designs indefinitely.
Ah very interesting, I wasn’t aware. I still use AdGuard on Safari (since there’s no uBlock), so I may need to reconsider that…