Omnicrola's recent activity
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 24 in ~society
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 24 in ~society
Omnicrola LinkWhite House Correspondents' dinner cancels comedian Amber Ruffin's appearance Sucks, Amber is a national treasure, and a delightful human being with a wicked sharp sense of humor. I really hope...White House Correspondents' dinner cancels comedian Amber Ruffin's appearance
"At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division, but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists,"
Sucks, Amber is a national treasure, and a delightful human being with a wicked sharp sense of humor. I really hope she does the set anyway and just posts it on YT or something, I'm sure it would have been amazing.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 24 in ~society
Omnicrola Link ParentThank you for these reminders, I needed them. It's easy to forget the positive things that are actually happening.Thank you for these reminders, I needed them. It's easy to forget the positive things that are actually happening.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 24 in ~society
Omnicrola Link ParentYes, it's something I've been paying close attention too, since UM is a research institution and a lot of my friends are scientists and/or faculty at one of several universities. It was pretty...Did you see the massive cuts to research grant funding levels that was one of the first actions of Doge?
Yes, it's something I've been paying close attention too, since UM is a research institution and a lot of my friends are scientists and/or faculty at one of several universities. It was pretty clear this was the route they would probably take once Columbia caved to similar demands, after being threatened with as you said, mafia tactics. I understand the impossibility of the choice that the university was/is faced with, but I'm really tired of just taking hits and watching the Cheeto in Chief smash everything he doesn't like. I want someone to fight back.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 24 in ~society
Omnicrola Linkhttps://president.umich.edu/news-communications/messages-to-the-community/evolving-our-approach-to-dei-and-moving-forward-together/ I am simultaneously angry and completely unsurprised. This is...Based on our assessment of input from various stakeholders regarding our DEI programs – along with recent federal actions – and after conversations with Regents, university leaders, deans and government officials, we are implementing the following changes, effective immediately, in alignment with many of our peers at public and private institutions.
- The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) and the Office for Health Equity and Inclusion (OHEI) will close. Student-facing services in ODEI will shift to other offices focused on student access and opportunity.
- The DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan, the umbrella strategy for schools, colleges and units, will be discontinued, along with DEI 2.0 unit plans, related programming, progress reporting, training and funding. Individual leads, who have supported DEI efforts in schools, colleges and units, will refocus their full effort on their core responsibilities.
- All units will evaluate their web presence to reflect the status of current programmatic directions and for compliance with federal executive orders and guidance.
- The decision to end the use of diversity statements in faculty hiring, which was made earlier this academic year, will be applied universitywide; and statements related to a person’s commitment to DEI will no longer be solicited or considered in admissions, hiring, promotion, awards, annual reviews or other assessments for faculty and staff.
- The Office of the General Counsel will initiate an expedited review to ensure all policies, programs and practices comply with federal law and guidance.
These decisions have not been made lightly. We recognize the changes are significant and will be challenging for many of us, especially those whose lives and careers have been enriched by and dedicated to programs that are now pivoting.
I am simultaneously angry and completely unsurprised. This is some grade-A infringement on free speech, and some of the largest and most influential universities (not just U-M) in the country are just rolling over.
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Comment on The Donald Trump US administration accidentally texted me its war plans (gifted link) in ~society
Omnicrola LinkI don't know which is more upsetting to me right now; the fact that the idiots in charge are so comically bad at OpSec, or the fact that there is so much insane shit happening that I had literally...I don't know which is more upsetting to me right now; the fact that the idiots in charge are so comically bad at OpSec, or the fact that there is so much insane shit happening that I had literally zero awareness that we (the US) had bombed someone last week.
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Comment on America is watching the rise of a dual state in ~society
Omnicrola Link ParentI also found this useful, particularly to help explain how ordinary citizens allow such things to happen. The dual state framing allows most people, especially those with privilege, to go about...I also found this useful, particularly to help explain how ordinary citizens allow such things to happen. The dual state framing allows most people, especially those with privilege, to go about life as normal. They don't feel compelled to act because little or nothing significant has changed for them.
As a middle aged straight white male, nothing really has changed for me, and it's unlikely things will in the near future. But I'll be damned if I stand by and do nothing while the system is altered to allow close friends of mine to be sucked into a dark parody of the legal system (which is already flawed enough to begin with).
I sent this to my brothers, who live in a different state. I'm hoping our helps illustrate why I'm often angry about what's happening, even though from their perspective inside the conservative bubble nothing bad is happening. Or if it is, it's not bad enough to bother going anything about.
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Comment on The rise of "dumbphones" in ~tech
Omnicrola Link ParentWelcome aboard! I went on a similar journey a few years ago and deleted FB and other socials. I kept going to reddit up until the API fiasco. It was hard, like you said, but after adapting to...Found Tilde just today, in fact!
Welcome aboard!
I went on a similar journey a few years ago and deleted FB and other socials. I kept going to reddit up until the API fiasco. It was hard, like you said, but after adapting to having to be more proactive in maintaining my friendships, I quite enjoy not being stuck in a simulation-seeking loop for so much of my time.
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Comment on There are two kinds of credit cards in ~finance
Omnicrola Link ParentI've had that card for over 10yr. I think I carried a balance on it twice in that time. And I make less than 100k. I just treat it like a debt card.I've had that card for over 10yr. I think I carried a balance on it twice in that time. And I make less than 100k. I just treat it like a debt card.
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Comment on US Social Security to require millions to make claims in person rather than by phone in ~society
Omnicrola LinkAssuming for the moment that the $100 million figure is even accurate (which could be completely made up, because DOGE is very bad at what they do), doing some very basic grade-school math lets...Dudek said a previously announced shift requiring all changes to banking information for direct deposit transactions to be done by internet instead of by phone would save Social Security $100 million “that is lost to direct deposit fraud.”
Assuming for the moment that the $100 million figure is even accurate (which could be completely made up, because DOGE is very bad at what they do), doing some very basic grade-school math lets you see that this is bullshit justification. $100 million is a lot compared to the average person's income, but:
According to the SSA's own website[1], the average monthly payment given in January 2025 was $1,976. The total amount paid to all benefit recipients was $126 billion. Which means that that $100 million accounts for %0.07 of the total Social Security payments. That seems like a perfectly acceptable margin of loss for the amount of good the rest of that money does.
[1] https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/quickfacts/stat_snapshot/
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Comment on BYD unveils new super-charging EV tech, to build charging network in China in ~transport
Omnicrola Link ParentI cannot speak for @Sunkiller, but personally I care because I want a company to justify why they need it and then be subject to restrictions on what they can do with it. I shouldn't need to...I cannot speak for @Sunkiller, but personally I care because I want a company to justify why they need it and then be subject to restrictions on what they can do with it. I shouldn't need to opt-out of data collection, any given company should be required to justify and convince me why I should opt-in.
I don't mind that my car generates data, I care that I have control of when and who has access to it. For cars that generate data locally and can only be extracted by ODB reader, that's much easier to control. Once that data collection is linked into the internet, it can go many places and terms and conditions about what is done with it can change at any time. Leaving me with the choice to either get a completely different vehicle if I want to opt out, or more likely decide I have too many other garbage fires to navigate and just accept it.
Regarding China specifically, I have a lot of concerns about what is done with my data in the future. I have no idea what they intend to do with any data they gather, and more importantly, I have no way of preventing them from using that data in the future. If they find a use for it 5 years from now that I object to, I have no ability to rescind that permission and require them to delete it (as a US citizen, EU would have better options). Data protection laws differ by country, and I have even more limited options to advocate for restrictions and enforcement of data privacy laws in China than I do in the US. And the US isn't all that great to begin with.
Five or six years ago I got a call from my insurance company offering a discount on my car insurance if I linked up a specialized ODB reader to my phone and allowed the company to gather data on my driving habits. I said "no, and fuck no", which apparently caught the agent by surprise. They where curious about how adamant I was that I wouldn't allow it. So we had a discussion about how the US laws governing data privacy and control are lacking. I would want way more control over my individual data before I would be comfortable with that kind of data collection, like the ability to restrict it's sale to 3rd parties and delete it at any time. I like to think I educated someone even if they themselves have no ability to change anything.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 10 in ~society
Omnicrola Link ParentI'm actually reading the last of the Guards books right now and I agree, Captain Carrot is a highly reputable member of the dwarfish community and an excellent officer of The Watch.I'm actually reading the last of the Guards books right now and I agree, Captain Carrot is a highly reputable member of the dwarfish community and an excellent officer of The Watch.
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Comment on Eleven spouses on what it’s like to live with someone on Ozempic in ~life
Omnicrola Link ParentI'm optimistic though, because the two are mostly exclusionary. Ozempic results in people eating much less, it suppresses the craving that people have for that engineered food. If enough people...I'm optimistic though, because the two are mostly exclusionary. Ozempic results in people eating much less, it suppresses the craving that people have for that engineered food.
If enough people took it and had a reduced appetite all the time, a lot of the junk engineered food just wouldn't sell anymore. Portion sizes at restaurants might slim down to something reasonable. (I was reminded how huge average US meals are after a recent vacation). In short, our whole relationship with food might change at a societal level.
Taking my rosy predicting further, if it shifts norms for 10-20 years, the next generations might not need ozempic at all after having better eating habits modeled for them.
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Comment on Meta wins emergency arbitration ruling on tell-all book, Careless People by former employee Sarah Wynn-Williams - book promotion to be limited in ~books
Omnicrola Link ParentI grew up in one of the reddest states in the country, in a city of less than 100k, surrounded by agriculture, raised in a conservative religion, and my parents still made certain that we went to...I grew up in one of the reddest states in the country, in a city of less than 100k, surrounded by agriculture, raised in a conservative religion, and my parents still made certain that we went to the library nearly every single week. I loved visiting the library as a kid, I went to the events where they let kids sleep there over night (supervised), I volunteered as a teenager, I practically lived in either the public library or the school library.
So it absolutely baffles (and angers) me to watch some communities actively torpedo their own library. Every single time my local township has a vote on taxes for libraries, it's a yes from me.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 10 in ~society
Omnicrola Link ParentI think he's employing basic chaos-negotiation tactics that have somehow worked for him for the majority of his life. He did something that he thinks is a good idea (tariffs) and got some...I think he's employing basic chaos-negotiation tactics that have somehow worked for him for the majority of his life. He did something that he thinks is a good idea (tariffs) and got some blowback. So instead of taking a carefully measured next step, he just immediately raises the stakes even higher to confuse and intimidate. I don't think he even has a specific strategy in mind (ie: I want 30% tariffs so I'll say 50% and then negotiate down). I think he only thinks in terms of feeling like he's won.
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Comment on (715) 999-7483 - A phone-powered multiplayer website builder in ~tech
Omnicrola Link ParentTechnically correct, the best kind of correct.Technically correct, the best kind of correct.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 10 in ~society
Omnicrola LinkTrump lashes out at Canada, promising major tariff hike and financial penalties that will be 'so big' The tariffs themselves are concerning, but the ongoing rhetoric around making Canada part of...Trump upped the ante on his annexation taunts saying the only way for Canada to avoid his attempts to torpedo the economy is for the country to "become our cherished Fifty-First State."
Trump said he has already instructed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to put an additional 25 per cent tariff on all steel and aluminum coming into the U.S. from Canada, bringing the total tariff on those products to 50 per cent starting Wednesday.
The tariffs themselves are concerning, but the ongoing rhetoric around making Canada part of the US is genuinely terrifying.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 10 in ~society
Omnicrola LinkCity crews have begun painting over the 'Black Lives Matter' street mural in D.C. The bill isn't even out of committee, no funds have actually been withheld. I don't know how much funding is...City crews have begun painting over the 'Black Lives Matter' street mural in D.C.
In 2021, Mayor Muriel Bowser said the mural would become permanent to commemorate the protests. But last week, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., introduced a bill calling for the city to paint over the mural and rename the area Liberty Plaza — or lose federal funds.
The bill isn't even out of committee, no funds have actually been withheld. I don't know how much funding is actually threatened by "certain apportionment funds", but it seems spineless to just acquiesce this early.
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Comment on Split Fiction sold one million units in its first 48 hours in ~games
Omnicrola LinkI had not heard of this game, but this looks incredibly fun. Now to see if I can convince my SO to try it out...I had not heard of this game, but this looks incredibly fun. Now to see if I can convince my SO to try it out...
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 3 in ~society
Omnicrola LinkTrump administration cancels $400 million in federal dollars for Columbia University I'm sure this is going to make for lively conversation at my work on Monday.Trump administration cancels $400 million in federal dollars for Columbia University
The Trump administration says it has canceled $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University over what it described as the school's failure to police antisemitism on campus.
Columbia is one of 10 universities that the Department of Justice has said it is investigating following allegations that the schools "may have failed to protect Jewish students and faculty members from unlawful discrimination."
I'm sure this is going to make for lively conversation at my work on Monday.
Trump is 'not joking' about third term, though Constitution says he can't serve
I can't even right now.