MephTheCat's recent activity
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Comment on Where will people commune in a godless America? in ~humanities
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Comment on How do you feel about student loan forgiveness? in ~life
MephTheCat Link ParentI've never had any student loan debt, so I really have no dog in this fight. It literally will not affect me outside of my having to live in the same society as those it does. Student loans are a...I've never had any student loan debt, so I really have no dog in this fight. It literally will not affect me outside of my having to live in the same society as those it does.
Student loans are a significant portion of the financial calculus of millions of people and we're talking about tens of thousands of dollars in debt on average per loanholder. That's a down payment or more on a house - a potentially lifechanging sum of money. Surely you can understand why people would be more than a little frustrated by being denied that on a legislative technicality. The message that sends is "if you'd just defaulted on your loan, we'd have bailed you out!" I'm not sure that's the message you really want to be sending to millions of people.
I wouldn't be averse to subsidizing the forgiveness of debt that's weighing down 40-some-odd million Americans, but there are similarly millions of people whose lives are still affected by the opportunity cost of paying off their past debt, especially for those who've recently paid theirs off. I don't understand the aversion to throwing them a bone, as well.
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Comment on How do you feel about student loan forgiveness? in ~life
MephTheCat Link ParentThe idea of hanging people out to dry because they paid their surgical debts off before the subsidy kicked in is, to me, extremely socially corrosive; they're effectively being punished for...The idea of hanging people out to dry because they paid their surgical debts off before the subsidy kicked in is, to me, extremely socially corrosive; they're effectively being punished for getting well too soon, doubly so as their tax dollars will be going to pay for the surgeries of people who won't be later saddled by debt. Simply saying "well that sucks, too bad" isn't going to cut the mustard, even if they would otherwise support the subsidy. Time may not be fungible, but money is, and their losses can, to a certain extent, be recouped. To tell them they could be part of the subsidy but won't be is to saddle them with paying for the cost of the treatment (via tax dollars), but telling them they can't have a slice of the pie. They don't want other people to suffer, they want to be made somewhat whole, now that the opportunity is available.
And that's just considering the situation with respect to something involuntary. That animus would be exacerbated by the fact that they're being asked to subsidize a voluntarily taken-on loan, while being told they can't be made whole after having paid off their own.
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Comment on How do you feel about student loan forgiveness? in ~life
MephTheCat Link ParentEverything else aside for a moment, that tweet strikes me as very disingenuous in a way that I think only Twitter punditry can be. Money is not cancer and cancer is not money (perhaps there's a...Everything else aside for a moment, that tweet strikes me as very disingenuous in a way that I think only Twitter punditry can be. Money is not cancer and cancer is not money (perhaps there's a philosophical parallel to be drawn, but that's a separate line of discussion). Money is fungible and can be repaid, neither of those are true of time and energy spent on pain, suffering, or illness. Getting angry at the development of a cancer cure after having beaten cancer is unreasonable because the time spent is fundamentally lost, there's no chance of getting those months or years back, time isn't fungible in that sense. To keep with the cancer motif, if one had spent tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on cancer treatment, only for the government to start paying for peoples' treatments after they'd already been ridden of their cancer, would it still be unreasonable for them to want to receive the benefit as well? After all, they pay taxes too and their only "crime" in this sense is beating cancer too early to get in on the gravy train.
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Comment on The costs of a phone-based childhood in ~tech
MephTheCat LinkI grew up at exactly the right time to see this happen live. When I entered high school in 2008, flip-phones were the norm and, while texting in class was a thing, phones weren't an all-day...I grew up at exactly the right time to see this happen live. When I entered high school in 2008, flip-phones were the norm and, while texting in class was a thing, phones weren't an all-day affair. It was a pain in the ass to type on a phone keypad. By the time I graduated in 2012, almost everyone I knew had a smartphone. I, myself, got my first one in 2010 for my 16th birthday. But even then, the phones were comparatively limited and social platforms hadn't developed into the Skinnerian nightmare they are today. Truly heady days, at least as I felt it.
I have a lot of older-Zoomer friends and family and seeing how they interact with their phones and social platforms is rather troublesome to me, I can only imagine how much worse it is for the younger members of the cohort, much less the iPad-child generation.
I find it telling that so many dislike the social platforms they're on, but stay because that's where everyone is. I personally detest Facebook, but I am socially "forced" to keep it open because of family and friends who flatly refuse to use any other communication medium. I'd never heard the term "collective-action trap", but I like it, it's very descriptive.
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Comment on Fertility rates are falling in the rich world. But there are still plenty of people to go round. in ~life
MephTheCat Link ParentIn my opinion, this seems somewhat more antagonistic than is warranted. I won't speculate on why, I neither have children nor particularly want them and therefore lack that half of the context,...In my opinion, this seems somewhat more antagonistic than is warranted. I won't speculate on why, I neither have children nor particularly want them and therefore lack that half of the context, but I will remark that seems to be a common view of those with children vis-a-vis the childless.
I do take a certain degree of umbrage at the notion of the childless elderly being leeches, however. It implies that there isn't some give for the take, and that simply isn't true, if for no other reason than the fact that they'll be paying for it out-of-pocket. The children will be paid to take care of people, childless or otherwise. Monetary compensation for taking care of someone is far from leeching. Presumably your children will take care of you for near-free in your old age (a reasonably common argument made by those with children, but I'm not trying to imply that's why you had children), so an argument can be made that the economic burden is still borne but at a different time in one's life.
As far as luxury purchases go, I would urge you to remember that a significant portion of those will have been made on credit, at least in the US. Keeping up with the Jones can be a significant debt trap.
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Comment on What Is A Secure Note-Taking App? in ~comp
MephTheCat LinkI mentioned it in a child comment in here but I figured I should make a root comment as well. I use Trilium, which supports syncing if you're willing to put in the legwork to self-host a server...I mentioned it in a child comment in here but I figured I should make a root comment as well.
I use Trilium, which supports syncing if you're willing to put in the legwork to self-host a server instance. The server also provides a web UI, but the local client can sync to it as well.
I've been very happy with it, but it's not as turn-key as Notion. If you're comfortable with Linux, you can spin up a Linode and it'll run quite nicely. You can also password-protect the server instance and serve it over HTTPS with nginx (both of which I recommend). If you want encrypted notes, you can do that on a per-note or per-branch basis. Your notes are all stored in a SQLite database, so emergency retrieval is...doable.
It lacks a lot of creature comforts of Notion (lack of a database analog being a big one for me) and quite a bit of the polish, as well. But it's free, open source, and selfhostable.
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Comment on What Is A Secure Note-Taking App? in ~comp
MephTheCat Link ParentI use Triluim. You can run it either local-only or you can run a server instance and sync to that. It has a local client, but you can also access your server instance using a browser, access to...I use Triluim. You can run it either local-only or you can run a server instance and sync to that. It has a local client, but you can also access your server instance using a browser, access to which can be password protected. If you want, you can also have note- and tree- level encryption.
It's a bit of a pain to setup and there's no mobile apps for it, but the mobile web UI isn't terrible.
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Comment on “Both-sides” and when is nuance acceptable discourse? in ~talk
MephTheCat Link ParentThought terminating cliches would be a good example, I think. Statements like "well the Bible tells us...", "X people universally have Y negative trait", (perhaps controversially given the...Thought terminating cliches would be a good example, I think. Statements like "well the Bible tells us...", "X people universally have Y negative trait", (perhaps controversially given the political demographics of Tildes) "the patriarchy hurts men, too", etc. Basically any statement that effectively ends a discussion by either being too slippery to argue against or so vague as to be meaningless.
It's a little tough to provide specific examples because in my experience it's more of a vibe that the other person gives off - think Ben Shapiro.
Often when this is the case, the other person comes off like a wizard reciting incantations, as if they believe to win a debate you just have to say the right things without thinking about deeper meaning.
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Comment on What should be included in a beginner toolkit for a teenage child doing small builder projects? in ~hobbies
MephTheCat (edited )LinkI'd recommend a rubber mallet. Mine is one of my most used tools. You can use them to tap things into place, apply percussive maintenance, or give something a good smack to break...I'd recommend a rubber mallet. Mine is one of my most used tools. You can use them to tap things into place, apply percussive maintenance, or give something a good smack to break adhesive/corrosion. They're much, much softer than metal so they're less apt to scar the surface.
You can't go wrong with a Hakko soldering iron. Of all the tools to splurge on, I'd suggest the soldering iron be the one. A good, temperature controlled soldering iron is a night and day improvement over a cheap mains-powered iron. I've had my FX888 for something like 12 years now. They're ridiculously reliable irons and, if treated properly, will last basically forever.
EDIT: Get a can of Deoxit D5. Contact and switch corrosion is a common enough problem that keeping a can around is worth doing.
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Comment on ChatGPT seems to be transphobic and pro-torture in ~humanities
MephTheCat Link ParentI think there's also a degree of "technically correct is the best kind of correct", at least as it concerns the question about whether the Republican party ran a torture program. As far as I am...I think there's also a degree of "technically correct is the best kind of correct", at least as it concerns the question about whether the Republican party ran a torture program.
As far as I am aware, the Republican Party did not run a torture program, the US Government, headed by a Republican arguably ran a torture program. That may be a distinction without a difference (particularly as the party did broadly support the program), but it is a distinction, in the same way as asking if Obama dropped bombs on the Middle East. Interpreted very literally, he didn't, but that's not really what is being asked. The question is whether or not he made the order to drop the bombs, not whether he personally flew the drones.
There's an ambiguity present in the question that's difficult (if not impossible) to fully remove, and that ambiguity is what someone determined to dodge a question will latch onto.
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Comment on ChatGPT seems to be transphobic and pro-torture in ~humanities
MephTheCat LinkChatGPT has been aggressively tuned to be as milquetoastedly inoffensive as possible (to the point that some people might find it offensive, ironically). If I may be blunt, I feel you're making a...ChatGPT has been aggressively tuned to be as milquetoastedly inoffensive as possible (to the point that some people might find it offensive, ironically). If I may be blunt, I feel you're making a mountain out of a molehill.
None of the questions you've asked it have a simple answer, and the AI is just answering your questions in a way I would expect of a politician or PR person. I'm not sure what you were expecting in response, either, did you legitimately expect it to return some variation on "Yes", "Yes", and "they're assholes"? You may (as in, "it's possible", I'm not attempting to peek into your head) believe those questions to have straightforward answers, but unfortunately, many others do not, and it would be remiss of ChatGPT, in an abundance of caution, to not couch its statements. I think you've applied a level of humanity to the AI that isn't warranted, and you're not the only person who has a problem with it's milquetoast indeciveness, but many of them come from the other direction.
I don't use ChatGPT, but I would suggest an experiment, give it a command such as "respond from the perspective of a conservative politician" and see how it differs.
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Comment on The death of a gun-rights warrior in ~life
MephTheCat Link ParentOpen carry isn't usually legal outside of specific circumstances - going to/from a hunting or shooting event, working as armed security, etc. It varies by state, naturally. I don't personally buy...Open carry isn't usually legal outside of specific circumstances - going to/from a hunting or shooting event, working as armed security, etc. It varies by state, naturally.
I don't personally buy the "they want attention" line of reasoning, at least as far as the majority of concealed carriers are concerned. I think there's a bit of confirmation bias in that you only notice the people who are noticeable, either because they suck at concealing their firearm or they do legitimately want to be called out.
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Comment on Amazon is warning employees they risk undermining their own promotion prospects unless they return to the office (RTO) for three days a week, as was mandated by CEO Andy Jassy months ago in ~life
MephTheCat Link ParentI've worked in two open office planned workspaces. In the first, we were all sardine-canned into this microscopic portable school building that the company had purchased from the school district....I've worked in two open office planned workspaces. In the first, we were all sardine-canned into this microscopic portable school building that the company had purchased from the school district. It was absolutely miserable for a variety of reasons.
The other, however, was lovely. I chalk that up to the fact that the desks were far enough apart (10-15ft) that you didn't feel cramped and if you wanted some cubicle partitions, they were available and culturally acceptable for you to use. I picked a desk on the far wall on my first day and I usually didn't have anyone within 20 feet of me. It was actually pretty nice.
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Comment on This is how AI image generators see the world in ~tech
MephTheCat LinkI find it interesting that "latina" produced a lot of suggestive or pornographic pictures. The article mentions that it's because of how such images are often tagged. I wonder if the same...I find it interesting that "latina" produced a lot of suggestive or pornographic pictures. The article mentions that it's because of how such images are often tagged. I wonder if the same distribution would be found with "hispanic woman" versus "latina" or "black woman" versus "ebony".
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Comment on Do you all ever wonder about this "five star" or "best" mindset? in ~talk
MephTheCat LinkWhat is "best" is very context and personality sensitive to the point where, absent some narrow set of criteria (price per unit, some objective measurement of quality, etc), it's not really useful...What is "best" is very context and personality sensitive to the point where, absent some narrow set of criteria (price per unit, some objective measurement of quality, etc), it's not really useful to talk about, in my opinion. I try not to worry too much about what is "best" and more in terms of quality per dollar spent and the context in which I'm going to use the item. I buy good quality tools, because I use my tools frequently, for example. They may not be "the best", but I'm just a DIYer not a contractor, so good enough is good enough.
Case and point, my stepfather and I have vastly different ideas of what the "best" car is. He grew up extremely poor and worked hard to get where he is. To him, the "best" car is a BMW or an Audi or some other expensive vehicle, because in his mind it means he's "made it". Whereas my "best" car is the RAV4 I drive because it best (for lack of a better qualifier) suits my needs, I don't place much value on keeping up with the Joneses or looking fancy.
I find the OP's comment about items on Amazon being 4-5 stars or they're nothing to be interesting, actually. That may actually be the one area where I do care about "best". Because of how bimodal star ratings tend to be in practice (the majority are either 1 or 5 with relatively little in the middle) and how Amazon is notorious for fake reviews, an item with 3-ish sticks out to me because it can imply one of two things: inconsistent quality, or so many bad reviews that the fake positive ones can't offset them.
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Comment on Why are people weird around babies? in ~talk
MephTheCat Link ParentI've heard people express that "so cute, I could squeeze it to death" sentiment in the past and I must admit that I have never experienced it and do not understand it. Perhaps that's because I'm a...I've heard people express that "so cute, I could squeeze it to death" sentiment in the past and I must admit that I have never experienced it and do not understand it. Perhaps that's because I'm a man and perhaps subsequently lack a maternal instinct?
For myself, I don't like interacting with babies, much less holding them. When I interact with a kitten, for example, my immediate instinct is to be extremely gentle because the absolute last thing I would want to do is hurt the animal, the idea of it being so cute I could hurt it isn't just alien to me, but horrifyingly so.
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Comment on Digging in: Why don’t Americans eat mutton? in ~food
MephTheCat Link ParentNot exactly the same, but there was a Jamaican restaurant near where I used to live and I ate their curried goat on a regular basis. It was absolutely delicious, and I would recommend trying it if...Not exactly the same, but there was a Jamaican restaurant near where I used to live and I ate their curried goat on a regular basis. It was absolutely delicious, and I would recommend trying it if you ever get the chance.
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Comment on How to argue against identity politics without turning into a reactionary in ~society
MephTheCat (edited )Link ParentFor the worse, the term "privilege" has become fundamentally accusatory, due in no small part to its over- and misuse as a mechanism to dismiss what someone is saying. Hell, I know what the word...For the worse, the term "privilege" has become fundamentally accusatory, due in no small part to its over- and misuse as a mechanism to dismiss what someone is saying. Hell, I know what the word means and understand the sociological concept reasonably well, but every time I read it, even I roll my eyes.
What the term may actually mean is irrelevant to how people respond to it. I think for a lot of people "defusing that with context" comes off as backpedaling in the same way as a motte and bailey type argument or saying "you're one of the good ones" (as in, backpedaling after saying something racially inflammatory, intentional or otherwise).
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Comment on It’s not just Japan: Aging populations threaten several leading economies in ~society
MephTheCat Link ParentWhile no doubt the factors you've listed play a role, I think that the waning of the social expectation to have children is also an important aspect of declining birthrate. Speaking for myself, I...While no doubt the factors you've listed play a role, I think that the waning of the social expectation to have children is also an important aspect of declining birthrate.
Speaking for myself, I just don't want kids and there isn't the societal pressure for me have them that my boomer-aged parents may have faced (inasmuch as my mother wants grandchildren, I think she has accepted she won't get them from me). The financial and environmental aspects aren't even part of the equation, I just don't want to be a father. I wonder how many other people are in the same boat.
Totally agree. Libraries are a lot more than just places to check out books. The library near me has a couple 3D printers you can use, along with some computers with Solidworks licenses. They often offer classes, offer space to MeetUp groups (a great social option, in my opinion), and can sometimes even be a local safe place for people in abusive domestic situations.
They really do make a fantastic third place, even if you only make use of one or two of the services they offer.