NaraVara's recent activity
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Comment on Pluribus S01E01 - “We is Us” in ~tv
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Comment on Ex-Barack Obama aide says Holocaust education is ‘confusing’ young people into sympathizing with ‘weak, skinny’ Palestinians in ~society
NaraVara Link ParentThe Holocaust refers specifically to the genocide against the Jews. There are other victims of the Nazis, and they are sometimes bundled in when referring to the Holocaust because it was usually...The Holocaust refers specifically to the genocide against the Jews. There are other victims of the Nazis, and they are sometimes bundled in when referring to the Holocaust because it was usually done through the same processes, but the Holocaust itself was most specifically meant to be about the Jews because it was motivated by very specific anti-Semitic prejudices stoked by the Nazis. That they also had other prejudices they acted on in parallel is separate from the particular dynamics of anti-semitism in German culture.
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Comment on Pluribus S01E01 - “We is Us” in ~tv
NaraVara Link ParentYeah it’s certainly believable, but I think the rest of the “survivors” are basically going through their own way of coping. I’m not sure I’d say any approach is healthier than any other. Like is...Yeah it’s certainly believable, but I think the rest of the “survivors” are basically going through their own way of coping. I’m not sure I’d say any approach is healthier than any other. Like is the Mauritanian guy just being a wastrel sybarite any worse than Carol drinking herself stupid and casually mass murdering scores of people with uncontrolled emotional outbursts?
From a strictly utilitarian standpoint he’s actually behaving more ethically. He’s functionally a utility monster.
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Comment on Pluribus S01E01 - “We is Us” in ~tv
NaraVara Link ParentThe bundle of sticks is important, because the actual symbol is supposed to be that an individual stick is weak and easily broken, but binding the sticks together into a bundle makes them strong....The bundle of sticks is important, because the actual symbol is supposed to be that an individual stick is weak and easily broken, but binding the sticks together into a bundle makes them strong.
It used to be an important element of early American symbolism around republicanism as well. But you’re right that a strongman isn’t necessary for fascism, it just so happens that getting wrapped up following insane demagogues is a common failure mode for democratic political systems that happens to dovetail with fascism which is a failure mode for a free market economy that can happen at the same time. The other failure mode for free market economies is some flavor of communism and those also tend to become personality cults.
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Comment on Pluribus S01E01 - “We is Us” in ~tv
NaraVara Link ParentI don’t think they’re necessarily stupid, or at least no more stupid than Carol is. Her lack of people skills are actually astounding. And her inability to emotionally self-regulate has literally...I don’t think they’re necessarily stupid, or at least no more stupid than Carol is. Her lack of people skills are actually astounding. And her inability to emotionally self-regulate has literally killed hundreds of millions of people, first by accident and the second time because she doesn’t have control over herself.
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Comment on There may not be a safe off-ramp for some taking GLP-1 drugs, study suggests in ~health
NaraVara Link ParentI believe the new ones also increase the calories out by turning up the basal metabolic rate as well.I believe the new ones also increase the calories out by turning up the basal metabolic rate as well.
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Comment on Can we maybe have an informal agreement to avoid posting articles that require you to sell your firstborn child to the devil just to read them? in ~tildes
NaraVara LinkIt’s dangerous to browse alone. Take this. It removes all the floating bullshit content off the page and almost never breaks desired functionality. Most of the time those cookie blockers are just...It’s dangerous to browse alone. Take this.
It removes all the floating bullshit content off the page and almost never breaks desired functionality. Most of the time those cookie blockers are just floating on top of content so this should kill it without needing to accept anything.
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Comment on Poets are now cybersecurity threats: Researchers used 'adversarial poetry' to trick AI into ignoring its safety guard rails and it frequently worked in ~tech
NaraVara Link ParentThe first time I did this puzzle sequence it quickly became clear to me that safety and utility are at odds with these. At some point (I think level 4 or 5) it’s so heavily restricted that it’s...The first time I did this puzzle sequence it quickly became clear to me that safety and utility are at odds with these. At some point (I think level 4 or 5) it’s so heavily restricted that it’s basically not good for anything except telling you that it refuses to output the password. It will say “I will not give you the password” as a response to basically any request. Even stuff like “What’s your name?”
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Comment on Poets are now cybersecurity threats: Researchers used 'adversarial poetry' to trick AI into ignoring its safety guard rails and it frequently worked in ~tech
NaraVara Link ParentConsidering this subject area this seems funnily appropriate.you just have to trust the authors that they found something.
Considering this subject area this seems funnily appropriate.
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Comment on Looking for a non-smart watch recommendation in ~tech
NaraVara LinkI’d just get a Casio. There’s some vintage styled ones with a pedometer in them as well as some of the GShocks. I think Timex has some Ironman models that do too but the Casios look better unless...I’d just get a Casio. There’s some vintage styled ones with a pedometer in them as well as some of the GShocks.
I think Timex has some Ironman models that do too but the Casios look better unless you’re into the cute Peanuts collabs Timex is doing.
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Comment on Communist and far-right candidates head to Chile presidential run-off in ~society
NaraVara Link ParentThe entire world has been gripped in some kind of anti-outgroup mania. It's completely irrational and it will not solve anyone actual problems, but everyone seems to have just randomly decided...The entire world has been gripped in some kind of anti-outgroup mania. It's completely irrational and it will not solve anyone actual problems, but everyone seems to have just randomly decided that the stranger is an enemy.
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Comment on Libertarianism is dead in ~humanities
NaraVara Link ParentThe fascism wasn’t the holocaust, things like the holocaust are the inevitable result of fascism. People confuse the outputs for the thing. The fascism was the deranged ideology that tries to...The fascism wasn’t the holocaust, things like the holocaust are the inevitable result of fascism. People confuse the outputs for the thing.
The fascism was the deranged ideology that tries to RETVRN to an imagined glorious past, based on reactionary mythology and golden age thinking, through an authoritarian movement to synthesize all aspects of society into an organ of the state. Private industry, civil society, the bureaucracy, and subcommunities must all be fused into the state to pursue “national greatness” as interpreted as an authoritarian leader who embodies the national will.
That’s what fascism is. That’s what MAGA represents. It’s what Hitler represented. All of that is bad on its own basis, but it’s also a recipe for creating a society that is inefficient, preoccupied with inane personal grievances and prejudices, highly intolerant of deviance, and reflexively violent and corrupt. That all resulted in the holocaust. But that’s the outcome of the vices and deficiencies fascism breeds in society, you don’t need to have done it before you’re a fascist.
Trump is a fascist. When he says “he alone” can fix what’s wrong with America, and defines what’s wrong as minorities, and demands absolute obedience from everyone in society under his will, that’s fascism. I don’t care if he’s a moron because fascists ARE morons, that’s part of the personality profile of people it appeals to.
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Comment on Libertarianism is dead in ~humanities
NaraVara (edited )Link ParentNo they didn’t “devolve” into fascism. That’s what the movement always was at bottom and they eventually terraformed society to make it acceptable to mask off/accept to themselves what it’s what...No they didn’t “devolve” into fascism. That’s what the movement always was at bottom and they eventually terraformed society to make it acceptable to mask off/accept to themselves what it’s what they’ve always wanted.
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
NaraVara Link ParentAre you actually measuring temps? I’m usually going by vague heuristics like “can I put my finger in the water and hold it there?”Are you actually measuring temps? I’m usually going by vague heuristics like “can I put my finger in the water and hold it there?”
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Comment on Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayor’s race, capping a stunning ascent in ~society
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
NaraVara Link ParentYeah the vacuum sealed thermos keeps the hot water hot basically all day. It’s amazing. You just steep a bit and drink it. Then whenever you want more you pour and steep again. The thermos is a...Yeah the vacuum sealed thermos keeps the hot water hot basically all day. It’s amazing. You just steep a bit and drink it. Then whenever you want more you pour and steep again.
The thermos is a huuuuuuge pain in the ass to clean though, so I basically only use it for storing water and avoid putting coffee in it unless I’m going to be out in the cold for some reason.
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
NaraVara LinkJust practice practice practice with a gaiwan until you can brew like this. :-p For experiencing full leaf teas though, I’d recommend learning brewing methods with the gaiwan since it’s the...Just practice practice practice with a gaiwan until you can brew like this. :-p
For experiencing full leaf teas though, I’d recommend learning brewing methods with the gaiwan since it’s the easiest to do and to clean. You can also decide to make as much or as little as you like and it’s easy to resteep. I tend to just have a thermos full of hot water at my desk (a zojirushi vacuum sealed one) and a small gaiwan and will sip tea while I work for hours. You can generally get a whole lot of steeps from one fistful of leaves, and if it starts to get insipid you just toss in some more. At the lower water temperatures you don’t have to worry as much about overextracting like you do with coffee.
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
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Comment on Looking for movies that combine religion mythology and supernatural elements in ~movies
NaraVara LinkA lot of Indian movies do this. The Baahubali films have a bit of it and are consciously referencing Hindu mythological heroes. One of the director’s older movies, Magadheera is more explicit...A lot of Indian movies do this. The Baahubali films have a bit of it and are consciously referencing Hindu mythological heroes. One of the director’s older movies, Magadheera is more explicit about the fantasy/mythological elements.
The Sandman series on Netflix (and the graphic novels it’s based on) are very good at this, as is American Gods. In fact, that’s kind of Neil Gaiman’s whole thing (when he’s not being a sexual predator).
The Gargoyles series skews younger, but as it goes on it starts to blend a lot of mythologies and legends into the story.
There is an anime called Mushi Shi about a guy who wanders the countryside communing with spirits. It’s sort of set up like a detective/monster of the week story but all about his ability to diagnose problems stemming from these varieties of spiritual entities being out of balance. It’s not really based on any real mythology aside from vague gesturing in the direction of Japanese animist lore, but it’s a really lovely show, often times very touching.
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Comment on A Nazi tattoo exposes US Democrats’ greatest weakness in ~society
NaraVara Link ParentI’ve heard the argument that it’s sort of a “we take our enemies symbols and make them our own thing.” So they adopt those because they’re scary in the same way one might stuff a lion that they’ve...I’ve heard the argument that it’s sort of a “we take our enemies symbols and make them our own thing.” So they adopt those because they’re scary in the same way one might stuff a lion that they’ve hunted.
Also I’d say before like the 2010s the vibe really was that Nazism was a historic thing and genuine Nazi revivalism hadn’t really hit the public consciousness. So I can understand it starting to feel a bit like a historical curiosity and not having the same sort of visceral impact we have seeing it today. The swastika was always a red flag, but pre-2015 if I saw any of the more esoteric symbols I’d have assumed edgy line-stepper rather than skinhead if I recognized them at all. Post-2015 they’ve suddenly become much more in vogue.
Whatever the moral status of the people who died, she certainly reacted and felt as if she was killing people and then couldn’t keep it together well enough to avoid doing it again.