Odysseus's recent activity
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Comment on COVID-19 and China’s Marshall Plan. Fake aid and fake news in ~health.coronavirus
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Comment on A majority of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the coronavirus in ~health.coronavirus
Odysseus Link ParentAs an American living abroad, you're exempt from US taxes on the first $120,000 of foreign-earned income every year. The tax bullshit isn't that bad for most people unless you start earning a...As an American living abroad, you're exempt from US taxes on the first $120,000 of foreign-earned income every year. The tax bullshit isn't that bad for most people unless you start earning a whole lot of money.
Furthermore, Japan also claims world tax and will tax it's citizens (and permanent residents) for income earned abroad.
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Comment on Americans have been souring on dairy milk for decades. Here’s how farmers are trying to win us back in ~food
Odysseus Link ParentThat's what's difficult for me. I never drink milk and I prefer milk substitutes like oat milk with my cereal, but milk and cream are absolutely essential in my cooking, not to mention that...That's what's difficult for me. I never drink milk and I prefer milk substitutes like oat milk with my cereal, but milk and cream are absolutely essential in my cooking, not to mention that they've yet to make a readily available cheese substitute worth a damn.
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Comment on Pete Buttigieg will end his campaign for President on Sunday in ~news
Odysseus Link ParentIt's not so clear cut. In a lot of polls, the second choice candidate for most Buttigieg (and even Klobuchar) voters is actually Sanders. I expect we'll see all the remaining candidates get a...It's not so clear cut. In a lot of polls, the second choice candidate for most Buttigieg (and even Klobuchar) voters is actually Sanders. I expect we'll see all the remaining candidates get a small bump, with Biden and Sanders taking the lions share. Buttigieg was framed as a moderate, but his platform was still pretty progressive compared to Biden (though not nearly as much as Sanders or Warren).
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Comment on This simple crib cost $28,885 to make—because it was made with zero fossil fuels in ~enviro
Odysseus Link ParentI think that was largely intentional. They could have done it much cheaper buy using pre-industrial methods and skipping the steel, but that doesn't seem to be the point. I think that the point...I think that was largely intentional. They could have done it much cheaper buy using pre-industrial methods and skipping the steel, but that doesn't seem to be the point. I think that the point was to embrace these newer technologies that is going to be required to meet the output demands of today. It might not be cost effective now, but it's going to be much more scalable in the future. Plus, it also serves to highlight a lot of the challenges we still face on our path to moving on from fossil fuels. Take the sailboat, for example. That was probably an INCREDIBLY cost-ineffective way of transporting material, but it highlights our reliance on the incredibly fossil fuel dependent shipping industry. Sure, the steel nameplate for the logo was unnecessary for making the crib, but steel is an absolute must for manufacturing and construction as a whole.
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Comment on Andrew Yang drops out of presidential race in ~news
Odysseus Link ParentThese are people voting for personalities more than they are for policy. Both Yang and Bernie had attracted a lot of support from across the aisle. For a lot of these guys, it's not that they're...These are people voting for personalities more than they are for policy. Both Yang and Bernie had attracted a lot of support from across the aisle. For a lot of these guys, it's not that they're voting Trump to spite everyone, it's that they normally wouldn't have voted blue anyway- Bernie/Yang were just an exception.
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Comment on What's a widely criticized thing that you feel is worth defending? in ~talk
Odysseus Link ParentHonestly, the iPhone 11 launched at $699 while keeping most of the specs of the iPhone 11 Pro, barring a telephoto camera and some level of water resistance. That's a competitive price compared to...Honestly, the iPhone 11 launched at $699 while keeping most of the specs of the iPhone 11 Pro, barring a telephoto camera and some level of water resistance. That's a competitive price compared to android flagships. Even the non-Max iPhone 11 Pro wasn't particularly more expensive (and even less expensive in some cases) than Samsung or Google's flagship offerings
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Comment on Australian scientists first to grow Wuhan coronavirus outside China in ~health.coronavirus
Odysseus Link ParentNope, no SARS vaccine. I'm glad that it's coming together real fast though; the number of people infected with Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China has already surpassed the SARS total...Nope, no SARS vaccine. I'm glad that it's coming together real fast though; the number of people infected with Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China has already surpassed the SARS total (supposedly. I'm really not sure how reliable China's figures are for both this virus and SARS)
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Comment on Greta Thunberg: ‘Forget about net zero, we need real zero’ in ~enviro
Odysseus Link ParentYeah, so would I. It's incredibly disheartening that the face of climate change activism is a kid without expertise who's main message is a simple "climate change bad, we need to do more". I feel...Yeah, so would I. It's incredibly disheartening that the face of climate change activism is a kid without expertise who's main message is a simple "climate change bad, we need to do more". I feel like despite her visibility, that kind of neuters her message a bit.
With that said, I'm incredibly grateful that she's been able to garner as much attention as she has and with it, she's forcing this discussion to the forefront (though it's debatable if it's really making any real difference. )
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Comment on In a break with convention, the New York Times editorial board has chosen to endorse two separate Democratic candidates for president: Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren in ~news
Odysseus Link ParentThanks for the clarification. I dislike the entire opinion section, but I won't say it shouldn't be there all together. Just because I don't get much value out of it, I won't say that it's worthless.Thanks for the clarification. I dislike the entire opinion section, but I won't say it shouldn't be there all together. Just because I don't get much value out of it, I won't say that it's worthless.
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Comment on In a break with convention, the New York Times editorial board has chosen to endorse two separate Democratic candidates for president: Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren in ~news
Odysseus Link ParentI totally get that. I still follow the NYT, but like you said, it can give the perception that the the entire paper is biased, and beyond that, it uses the long-standing reputation of the NYT to...I totally get that. I still follow the NYT, but like you said, it can give the perception that the the entire paper is biased, and beyond that, it uses the long-standing reputation of the NYT to push an agenda (even ones I agree with). It's why I don't like op-eds in general.
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Comment on In a break with convention, the New York Times editorial board has chosen to endorse two separate Democratic candidates for president: Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren in ~news
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Comment on In a break with convention, the New York Times editorial board has chosen to endorse two separate Democratic candidates for president: Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren in ~news
Odysseus Link ParentI'm generally with you, with two small points of contention. First, is regarding your remark about Sanders being the standard bearer of the Democratic left. I agree that between SAnders and...I'm generally with you, with two small points of contention. First, is regarding your remark about Sanders being the standard bearer of the Democratic left. I agree that between SAnders and Warren, Sanders is the more influential figure, but what the article says is the Warren is a standard-bearer of the democratic left, implying a broader category of people. Warren, who I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of at the moment, IS, without a doubt, one of the most prominent faces of the Democratic left, along with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.
The other point I have some disagreement with is when you say:
If unity must include compromise and moderation with the American right-wing, then Climate Change and ecological collapse is going to devastate our planet. Given the dire circumstances of our time, and the totally bad-faith Republican Party opposition, I think unity might need to be off the cards.
The American Right is not a monolith and although the Republican Party may be acting selfishly in bad faith, in any democracy, we must be willing to consider the feelings of those with opposing political beliefs (I'm referring to the American voters, not the elected officials). You can still fight uncompromisingly for climate change while compromising on other matters such as Tax Reform. Furthermore, that spirit of compromise extends to the different factions of the Democratic party and their constituents.
That's the beauty of democracy (in theory). When every side thinks they're right, you kinda gotta meet in the middle sometimes. The obvious downside is that it also involves compromising with people who are fucking wrong.
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Comment on In a break with convention, the New York Times editorial board has chosen to endorse two separate Democratic candidates for president: Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren in ~news
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Comment on In a break with convention, the New York Times editorial board has chosen to endorse two separate Democratic candidates for president: Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren in ~news
Odysseus Link ParentIt leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth to see a news outlet picking sides like this. Just because no outlet is without their biases, it doesn't mean they ought to blatantly throw their weight...It leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth to see a news outlet picking sides like this. Just because no outlet is without their biases, it doesn't mean they ought to blatantly throw their weight behind one group, especially an outlet like the NYT.
But I generally don't like Op-Eds anyway.
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Comment on Sami are the only officially recognised indigenous people in the EU and some of their languages are on the brink of extinction in ~humanities
Odysseus LinkThis phrasing feels so odd to me. Are white people not indigenous to Europe? I understand what they mean, but it feels a little patronizing to call them the only "officially recognized indigenous...This phrasing feels so odd to me. Are white people not indigenous to Europe? I understand what they mean, but it feels a little patronizing to call them the only "officially recognized indigenous people in the EU". I suppose Germans and Norwegians and the rest aren't officially recognized as "indigenous", so it's not inaccurate per se.
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Comment on Is anyone else here wondering when our overlord will open this place up a little? in ~tildes
Odysseus Link ParentI'm not too worried about open registrations as I doubt growth would be explosive, but I definitely share your sentiment. If it were that easy to grow a userbase, facebook wouldn't be worth...I'm not too worried about open registrations as I doubt growth would be explosive, but I definitely share your sentiment. If it were that easy to grow a userbase, facebook wouldn't be worth billions.
I would like to see more users and activity, but I'd hate for a hivemind to develop the same way it has on reddit. It's the one thing I like the least about having visible points- people are encouraged to post what they think would garner the most points.
The one thing I really like about tildes right now is the emphasis on individual ideas rather than being part of a "club". It's why I'm vehemently against having demonyms for site users. I'd hate to see that part of this site's culture change with an influx of new users
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Comment on IRGC: Missile attack on US base in Iraq is revenge for Soleimani killing in ~news
Odysseus Link ParentI'm no fan of Trump, but I disagree with that. Soleimani has been a thorn in America's side for a while now. I'm more inclined to believe that Trump saw the Embassy attacks and killing of the US...I'm no fan of Trump, but I disagree with that. Soleimani has been a thorn in America's side for a while now. I'm more inclined to believe that Trump saw the Embassy attacks and killing of the US contractor as an opportunity to make an example of Soleimani. Misguided politically, but not at all out of character for Trump. I have a harder time seeing how this would help his odds of re-election at all. He's still very popular with his base and amongst republicans in general, the sort of people who would approve of this sort of thing. The swing voters probably won't all be swayed in his support, and of course, those who disapprove of Trump won't approve of this move either.
Furthermore, it's been clear that neither the US nor Iran want to escalate this conflict. Iran very well understands the MASSIVE power asymmetries between them and the US. They now know that this administration, unlike previous ones, are more willing to take action when Iran crosses a line, even if it is a detriment to US objectives in the long run. Even their retaliation, the missile attacks against US bases, caused little to no US casualties- a perfect chance to de-escalate while still saving face. I am doubtful this will expand into a major conflict between US and Iran unless the US responds by attacking Iranian soil or something nuts like that.
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Comment on What languages do you speak? in ~talk
Odysseus LinkI speak English as my native tongue, I grew up speaking Japanese and now it's the main language I use at work. I used to live in Sweden, so I speak a bit of swedish, but nothing to call home...I speak English as my native tongue, I grew up speaking Japanese and now it's the main language I use at work. I used to live in Sweden, so I speak a bit of swedish, but nothing to call home about. My girlfriend is trying to get me to learn Russian, but I'm not getting too far on that front
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Comment on Why Pete Buttigieg enrages the young left in ~news
Odysseus LinkI don't like Pete because he seems smug and entitled. I could go into his policy positions I disagree with, but truth be told, I disliked him before I even looked at that. I'm not going to rule...I don't like Pete because he seems smug and entitled. I could go into his policy positions I disagree with, but truth be told, I disliked him before I even looked at that. I'm not going to rule out voting for him until I learn more about him, but I don't like the guy. He seems out of touch and arrogant.
I'm not sure I agree with this idea that the Chinese deliberately caused panic and fear, as most of the fear and panic comes from the findings and predictions of our own experts. I do agree that the CCP is almost certainly capitalizing on the disaster. Being an authoritarian state allowed them to get the disease relatively under control while at the same time effectively control the narrative that they've defeated the virus. Their production capacity and early expertise on dealing with this particular virus also allows them to play a key role in helping others recover from this disaster, especially at a time when the United States is reluctant to play any real leadership role on the global stage. Their opacity limits their ability to lead, but their aid really helps their standing in the world for a disaster which really should have wrecked beijing's credibility.