Odysseus's recent activity
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Comment on Apple Vision Pro was just announced, it's Apple's first foray into AR/VR headsets in ~tech
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Comment on How Japan got its swagger back in ~finance
Odysseus Linkit's nice that line goes up at the stock market, but I'm still pretty skeptical, especially in regards to if/how this affects the average person. Wage growth will be the main thing to watch imo....it's nice that line goes up at the stock market, but I'm still pretty skeptical, especially in regards to if/how this affects the average person. Wage growth will be the main thing to watch imo. With the upcoming consumption tax hike and how domestically driven Japan's economy is, consumer spending habits might not change very much.
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Comment on How Japan is losing the global electric-vehicle race in ~tech
Odysseus LinkI'm not surprised about the low domestic adoption rate. A kei car, brand new, is dirt cheap here, and since they're tiny and underpowered, they also sip fuel. Unlike the US, where land yachts are...I'm not surprised about the low domestic adoption rate. A kei car, brand new, is dirt cheap here, and since they're tiny and underpowered, they also sip fuel. Unlike the US, where land yachts are the norm, kei cars make up over a third of all new cars sold. Hybrid cars are also the norm for non-kei cars. At current EV prices, it would take over a decade for an EV to become cost effective compared to an ICE car.
Couple that with the fact that for most people, a car isn't an absolute necessity and the added cost of buying an EV becomes harder to justify.
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Comment on Which web browser do you use? in ~tech
Odysseus LinkOn my work computer, Chrome. It's the path of least resistance and I need things to just work. On my personal computer, I use Firefox, mainly because it's what I've used for the past 15 years or...On my work computer, Chrome. It's the path of least resistance and I need things to just work.
On my personal computer, I use Firefox, mainly because it's what I've used for the past 15 years or so.
On my phone, I used to use Firefox, but then they dropped support for desktop extensions, so now I use Kiwi.
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Comment on Apple to allow outside app stores in overhaul spurred by EU laws in ~tech
Odysseus Link ParentFdroid, and sideloading as a whole is the only thing keeping me on android. If they do go through with this, I really hope this gets opened up to world beyond Europe.Fdroid, and sideloading as a whole is the only thing keeping me on android. If they do go through with this, I really hope this gets opened up to world beyond Europe.
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Comment on ChatGPT part 2: let’s talk implications in ~tech
Odysseus LinkI use GPT-3 davinci-003 a lot to generate content at work (think social media content, blog posts, ad copy, etc). The stuff it spits out tends to be a bit cliched and bland, and it has a tendency...I use GPT-3 davinci-003 a lot to generate content at work (think social media content, blog posts, ad copy, etc). The stuff it spits out tends to be a bit cliched and bland, and it has a tendency to fill in the blanks with made-up facts, but it's often a good starting point for me to work off of. It makes life easier.
ChatGPT is a whole new animal. If GPT-3 davinci was like a very well read 11 year old, ChatGPT is like a first year university student. It feels almost organic in both the way it can hold a conversation and the quality of the text it generates. While I don't think this will replace my job just yet since there are still many aspects of my field that AI isn't currently able to handle, with a tool like this, you could easily downsize a team like mine to just a handful of people.
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Comment on Help me understand how I feel about a particular style of watch in ~talk
Odysseus LinkIf the design doesn't reflect or reinforce the abhorrent aspects of Nazi ideology, I don't see what the issue would be. It would be one thing to be fixated specifically on the exact design that...If the design doesn't reflect or reinforce the abhorrent aspects of Nazi ideology, I don't see what the issue would be. It would be one thing to be fixated specifically on the exact design that the luftwaffe used, but at this point, you're so many deviations removed from the original that I can't see why there would be any problem appreciating it.
It's a fairly utilitarian design. I'm sure the other Air Forces copied the design precisely for it's practicality. Unless there's something about big watches with black faces and leather straps that's explicitly tied to Nazi symbolism that I'm unaware of, this feels almost like looking for a reason to dislike something.
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Comment on Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter and fired its top executives in ~tech
Odysseus Link Parentmy bad, I just read in a headline that the CEO led the lawsuit. EDIT: I probably misunderstood this tweet https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1585800506991341568my bad, I just read in a headline that the CEO led the lawsuit.
EDIT: I probably misunderstood this tweet https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1585800506991341568
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Comment on Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter and fired its top executives in ~tech
Odysseus Link ParentI didn't mean to imply the lawsuit was frivolous or meritless. Elon just has a habit of lashing out against people for things he takes personally.I didn't mean to imply the lawsuit was frivolous or meritless. Elon just has a habit of lashing out against people for things he takes personally.
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Comment on Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter and fired its top executives in ~tech
Odysseus Link ParentElon probably took the fact that they filed a lawsuit against him pretty personally. In any case, all three executives are going home with a nice golden parachute so I can't say I feel too bad for...Elon probably took the fact that they filed a lawsuit against him pretty personally. In any case, all three executives are going home with a nice golden parachute so I can't say I feel too bad for them
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Comment on Adidas ends partnership with Ye [Kanye West] over antisemitic remarks in ~design
Odysseus Link Parentdid..Kanye West do something to you specifically? I don't really care what happens to Kanye either way, but that seems a bit much.did..Kanye West do something to you specifically? I don't really care what happens to Kanye either way, but that seems a bit much.
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Comment on The backless boy’s suit is here to stay in ~design
Odysseus LinkI expected to hate this, and you know what? I absolutely do. I appreciate innovation on the stage, but I think I'll pass on this trend if it goes mainstream.I expected to hate this, and you know what? I absolutely do. I appreciate innovation on the stage, but I think I'll pass on this trend if it goes mainstream.
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Comment on Last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev dies aged 91 in ~news
Odysseus (edited )Link ParentI thought for a bit about how to respond and whether to respond at all, because for the most part, I agree with you. It's just that I don't see how saying "America did bad too" is particularly...I thought for a bit about how to respond and whether to respond at all, because for the most part, I agree with you.
It's just that I don't see how saying "America did bad too" is particularly relevant or useful in assessing the legacy of a Soviet statesman. In a lot of ways, I think it's incredibly hard to draw comparisons considering just how centralized the Soviet system was in comparison to the American one.
When I mentioned that he violently suppressed peaceful protests, I was referring to when he sent in Soviet troops and rolled in tanks against an unarmed populace in Riga and Vilnius in 1991. I was referring to how an estimated 200 people lost their lives in Kazakhstan during a mass protest 1986. This wasn't just a bad thing he did, this was the norm for the Soviet Union. While far more common than it should be, violence against protestors isn't policy in the United States, and is certainly not directed by the federal government.
The MOVE bombings, as horrific as they are, occurred during a firefight, and city had to pay damages for committing such an atrocity. I'm not saying that there was justice in the end, far from it, but it's a lot closer than the former Soviet republics will ever get from Russia. They're debating whether or not Gorbachev is worthy of a state funeral or a monument.
The Soviet Union was not the backwards dystopian nightmare that American Cold War propaganda likes to paint it as (except perhaps under Stalin). I know it's anecdotal, but my wife's grandfather retired early due to injury, collects a pension he can live on, and was given an apartment in Moscow because he was one of the construction workers who helped build them. His healthcare is free and his public transport is subsidized heavily. These are all things he received under the Soviet system that's carried over to today. It would be unheard of in the United States.
But that isn't to say that the US and Soviet systems were equivalent. Freedoms were heavily restricted in the Soviet Union. Corruption was rampant, even at the lower levels. The police could beat you to death for not paying a bribe to get out of a crime you didn't commit, and your family would have zero real recourse. We talk about police brutality in America as a rampant issue, especially for minorities, because it's a very real, very terrible thing. People agitate and march in the streets to what can feel like deaf ears. But in Soviet times, you couldn't even talk about it, except in whispers between neighbors.
As a side note, I know Americans like to tie every issue and world event back to themselves, but I think we need to be careful about creating any semblance of equivalence between authoritarian regimes and the free world. Russian and Chinese propaganda thrive when they can get the people to draw comparisons create equivalences.
I'm not saying we shouldn't interrogate our own systems or expose and pick apart our own injustices and flaws, but I do believe we should be mindful of the contexts in which we do them. If we're assessing the wrongdoing of any system or actor, it can be a detrimental distraction to draw attention towards different issues in a different place, if that makes sense.
I do want to say that despite all that, I'm grateful that you took the time to share your views and added citations. I think it definitely adds value to the community to have voices like yours around.
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Comment on Last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev dies aged 91 in ~news
Odysseus LinkHe was definitely a divisive leader. On one hand, he introduced great reforms that relaxed the tools of subjugation that the Soviet Union wielded against its people, worked to substantially reduce...He was definitely a divisive leader. On one hand, he introduced great reforms that relaxed the tools of subjugation that the Soviet Union wielded against its people, worked to substantially reduce the number nuclear weapons in the world, ended the cold cold war, and by most accounts genuinely wanted the best for his people. On the other hand, he consolidated power within the politburo, violently suppressed peaceful protests within the Soviet world, and allowed the collapse of the Soviet empire, ushering in a decade of strife for millions. Even after his time in power, he embraced the annexation of Crimea despite his reservations about Putin's imperialist proclivities.
he was a complex dude
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Comment on How are things in your country right now? in ~talk
Odysseus Link ParentYeah. They still require a fixed guided itinerary for tourists. According to a friend of mine working for one of the major Japanese airlines, they're supposed to ease up on it sometime in...Yeah. They still require a fixed guided itinerary for tourists. According to a friend of mine working for one of the major Japanese airlines, they're supposed to ease up on it sometime in September, but there's no guarantee they'll follow through.
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Comment on How are things in your country right now? in ~talk
Odysseus LinkThings are... stable. There's lots that can be improved on, but none of it is really new. Mostly problems that have been around for decades. Japan's economic outlook isn't particularly great, but...Things are... stable. There's lots that can be improved on, but none of it is really new. Mostly problems that have been around for decades.
Japan's economic outlook isn't particularly great, but that's been the case for a very long time now. Stagnant wages, declining birth rate, sustainability of social programs are under question. Inflation is still fairly low, although the yen is the weakest it's been in over 20 years. For an export economy like Japan's, that's not necessarily a bad thing, although the price of imported goods like beef have gotten a lot more expensive.
Socially, things are the same as they've ever been. There's a labor shortage, so immigration quotas have been increased. While they are loosening border restrictions for tourists, they're still limiting tourists to prearranged tours a la the DPRK. While this hits the tourism sector, the COVID border controls have been fairly popular so the government isn't exactly facing a lot of public pressure to open the floodgates.
All in all, while things could be better, things are actually pretty peaceful. Not too much anxiety for the near term. Energy prices are expected to increase a bit. Inflation is a thing, which is unusual for Japan, but it's not nearly as high as it is in the west. Japan's democratic institutions aren't threatened. Things are fine.
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Comment on Is Japan's whaling industry going under as demand sinks? in ~enviro
Odysseus Link ParentMost likely local corruption. It's a lot more common in Japan than it should beMost likely local corruption. It's a lot more common in Japan than it should be
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Nationalism is underrated by intellectuals
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Comment on ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ catapults past $1B at worldwide box office in ~movies
Odysseus Link ParentI just watched it last night. The movie VERY much avoids anything remotely controversial. There is no mention of religion, there's barely a romantic subplot, and even the "rogue state" mentioned...I just watched it last night. The movie VERY much avoids anything remotely controversial. There is no mention of religion, there's barely a romantic subplot, and even the "rogue state" mentioned in the film is entirely fictitious, bearing little resemblance to any actual country. I think that's probably why it did so well. The movie offends no one by going out of its way to avoid anything that could be seen as "taking a side" in today's polarized political climate.
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Comment on Turkey will now be known as Türkiye (at least at the UN) in ~news
Odysseus Link ParentPlease don't call me a "Tildean". But for now, I think I'll probably stick with the old name. It's what people know and what people are familiar with. I don't feel like explaining to people that...Please don't call me a "Tildean".
But for now, I think I'll probably stick with the old name. It's what people know and what people are familiar with. I don't feel like explaining to people that Turkey is now called Turkiye, even if I remember in the moment that they rebranded.
A 2 hour battery life is gonna be a tough sell. Having to be tethered kind of starts to defeat the purpose of VR for me. If I have to stay put, then I want to sit down. If I'm sitting down, a laptop and headphones will do just fine. I want to be immersed in the content. I want to be able to move around and experience it.
Likewise, for AR, I want it to be just that– augment my reality. I don't want to worry about some device strapped to my face rapidly running out remaining charge, or worse, physically tethered to one spot. That's worse than a computer I can walk away from or a phone I can put down.
Coming from a quest 2, I know the hassle of taking off my headset, finding my glasses, and avoiding getting tangled up with the cable every time I want to use the bathroom or grab a drink is just inconvenient enough that I'll just end up not using the damn thing, especially if it can't do something really well that I can't do more conveniently on another device