Onomanatee's recent activity
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Comment on Pathfinder 1: The airship that could usher in a new age just had its first outdoor flight in ~transport
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Comment on From beginner to conversational in three months of learning Russian: My takeaways in ~humanities.languages
Onomanatee Link ParentYeah, I tried learning it last year and bounced off hard on the grammar. In English, you can kinda just ditch grammar and make a word salad with basic vocabulary combined with hand signals and,...Yeah, I tried learning it last year and bounced off hard on the grammar. In English, you can kinda just ditch grammar and make a word salad with basic vocabulary combined with hand signals and, well, it won't be pretty, but you get by. In Czech on that level you're just making vaguely Slavic sounding noise.
But after living here for a while, I'm starting to pick up on some of the logic in an almost unconscious way. The specifics and exceptions still make no sense (fuck pronouns and their declensed horror) but at least it doesn't feel like all the words have random gibberish attached to them anymore. And in a way it's nice that many of the gotchas are very up front instead of years of advanced English/French suffering.
Maybe I should move out of Prague though, everyone here is way too eager to jump to English.
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Comment on From beginner to conversational in three months of learning Russian: My takeaways in ~humanities.languages
Onomanatee LinkWell this was very timely. I'm hyping myself up to do a deep dive in Czech, and this post has given me some motivation (and just some really nice tips in general!) It would be amazing if I could...Well this was very timely. I'm hyping myself up to do a deep dive in Czech, and this post has given me some motivation (and just some really nice tips in general!) It would be amazing if I could get to a conversational level in a year, and even if it takes longer, you've given me some hope!
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Comment on Jailed for four years for a non-violent climate protest – this is my prison diary in ~enviro
Onomanatee Link ParentIt's an interesting problem. When you're contemplating where the line is, you need to also consider that the point is to cross that line. Everything that is legal is just part of the general...It's an interesting problem. When you're contemplating where the line is, you need to also consider that the point is to cross that line. Everything that is legal is just part of the general public debate. And as we all know, there's plenty of public debate going on about climate change, most of it on the legal side of the law. Obviously, all of that has not amounted to any real systemic change that would be enough to counter the current crisis. So what do you do if you feel deeply about the issue and want to advocate for more change, but don't have the power to implement change? You cross the line, to intensify the debate.
So I think part of this idea of figuring out where the line is, is recognising the necessity for some people to cross it. Moving the line will not necessarily change this. Imagine if we make blocking the highway perfectly legal, but then... Nothing changes... Big oil keeps polluting, politicians keep promoting short-term economic gains over ecological stability and we all keep facing the spectre of global climate collapse. What would happen? People cross the next line.
Now on the one hand, if you take that logic, you can advocate for the justice in locking these people up for so long. Because if the status quo needs to be upheld and we don't want to care about climate change or the future, then we can definitely not allow these types of protests to escalate to the point of more damaging acts. From the point of view of a conservative content with the current status, harsh punishments make sense. (Even though many of the good things in the current status, such as weekends, have been fought and bled over through illegal protests) For someone with a progressive viewpoint, it would be important to not punish public dissent to harshly, but also to not move that line indefinitely. A balance would be required.
Now, for me, the really interesting thing about all this is how there is way more debate and opinion about this then there is about punishing the corporation's responsible for climate change. There is a big discourse about people blocking a highway causing some annoyance, and the potential harm they cause by blocking emergency services. Valid! But somehow we can't have a similar public debate about what punishment would be justified for BP executives manipulating public opinion and weaponizing fake science to increase profits while knowing, with studies they conducted themselves, that they are causing increased natural disasters and untold global suffering. Somehow, that debate is ridiculous, radical, naive and frivolous. And I think that has everything to do with the vast imbalance of power on display here. These people have basically no power. It's easy to jail them, to punish them, and to experiment with morality on them. Punishing Shell or BP? That would require a much more difficult debate.
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Comment on My hair is thinning. Tips and tricks, please! in ~life.style
Onomanatee LinkI used to have a luscious, thick head of hair. I looked like a hippy around the age of 18, hair down to my ass. It was great and I loved it. (Later in life I've discovered I'm a bit more of a...I used to have a luscious, thick head of hair. I looked like a hippy around the age of 18, hair down to my ass. It was great and I loved it. (Later in life I've discovered I'm a bit more of a feminine-oriented person and dislike being thought of as a manly man, so in hindsight that makes more sense)
Then, around age 20, I started aggressively balding in the front. I fought it with rogaine for a year or two, but it was an uphill battle. It kinda of worked I guess, but frankly, it just made me more aware of my imminent balding. I obsessed over it, and having a bad hair day was a reason to lock myself up in my room. It wasn't great for my mental health or self esteem.
At around 23, I. Decided to shave it all off. It felt incredibly vulnerable at first and not at all like me. I started growing a beard to even things out, and I'm still having that same look 12 years later.
It's not... The best thing ever. If there was a magical pill to get my long hair back, sure. But it is what it is, and accepting that this is what my body just happens to look like and leaning into it a bit has made me more self confident and happy. I dress colourfully and occasionally wear jewelry to soften my bald/bearded look, which helps me feel like me. And that's enough for me.
I'm not giving this as advice, because these choices and the way we deal with what nature has decided for us is a deeply personal matter. I hope you figure out what works best for you and that you find a way to feel comfortable with how you look. That, I think, is the bottom line of it all. Hair or not, your looks will definitely align with someone's tastes, and personality always matters more. As long as you can have some confidence and comfort in yourself, you'll be fine.
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Comment on Discussion for Malazan Book of the Fallen: The Bonehunters (Spoilers through book 6) in ~books
Onomanatee LinkI adore the Malazan series. Fantasy in general is a comfort for me, something to wind down with in bed every night. I've read a lot of it over the years, and the Malazan series is one of those...I adore the Malazan series.
Fantasy in general is a comfort for me, something to wind down with in bed every night. I've read a lot of it over the years, and the Malazan series is one of those that stand out. I'm always hankering for more unique fantasy series, series that push the genre a bit. Far too often a fantasy series is just an excuse to write overly long Tolkien-adjacent series with one or two little twists. This one, however, is firmly it's own thing.
I recently re-read Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates. Erikson really does grow as a writer. Gardens especially is such a stark difference in quality, even though you can see the ambition is there. I'm eager to do a full re-read now, though I might skip the ones written by Esslemont. They're fine, but a bit messy, and I don't quite have the same desire to reread as I do with the main Malazan series. On that note, does anyone here have an opinion on the newer sub-series? The Kharkanas one and the Path to Ascendancy? Those weren't out yet when last I read the Malazan series.
Side-note: I'm currently immersed in China Miéville's New Crobuzon series. (Perdido Street Station - The Scar - Iron Council) Highly recommended, it scratches a similar itch for me. It doesn't have Malazan's depth of world building, but more then makes up for it with sheer inventiveness. It's a true fantasy series in every meaning of the world, taking the serious tone of the contemporary genre, the complexity of a Malazan world, and the utter weirdness of what a fantasy novel can be outside of Tolkien's vast shadow.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Onomanatee Link ParentYes I did! Was just the most amazing feeling, finally figuring that out.Yes I did! Was just the most amazing feeling, finally figuring that out.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Onomanatee Link ParentThis is very high on my list of games I wish I could play again for the first time. Amazing experience. I think I got about 95% of everything in the game, the only puzzles I skipped where the too...This is very high on my list of games I wish I could play again for the first time. Amazing experience. I think I got about 95% of everything in the game, the only puzzles I skipped where the too obscure ones that just didn't seem fun to solve. At the end, I had like 10 pages of scrawled notes scattered around me.
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Comment on Thoughts on Donald Trump, America and what this all means in ~society
Onomanatee Link ParentI'm always very bothered by the 'history has ended' statements. (Don't feel attacked by this though, I realise not everyone thinks about it like I do and that's fine) The statement encapsulates,...I'm always very bothered by the 'history has ended' statements. (Don't feel attacked by this though, I realise not everyone thinks about it like I do and that's fine)
The statement encapsulates, for me, a mode of thinking in which we consider ourselves 'above' history. A thinking in which our modes of government, our ethics and politics and economy, are all somehow the best they can ever be. There can be no further progress apart from technological progress. The culture is 'done'. Do not attempt to change it. Representative democracy in a globalised neo-liberal framework won and it's the best we can ever get, so any attempt at change is misguided naive idealism at best, regressive foolhardiness at worst.
A dangerous thought. I'd rather think of us as situated firmly within the ever-flowing river of history. Our current system will eventually just be one among the vast tapestry of human societal experiments. Perhaps it will turn out to be the best there is. Or maybe just particularly good at some areas. Or maybe it will be a quaint and strangely backwards system to the people of the future. We don't know, and the humbleness of not knowing and the willingness to keep thinking, pushing and experimenting is, to me, incredibly important.
Apologies for a sudden rant on your choice of words.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Onomanatee Link ParentOh can it? I've just started with the scar, and I suppose it can. But I'm happy for having the background of Perdido. (It was also just a phenomenal page-turner in it's own right) It did...Oh can it? I've just started with the scar, and I suppose it can. But I'm happy for having the background of Perdido. (It was also just a phenomenal page-turner in it's own right) It did immediately enrich the experience. But perhaps that could have gone both ways, interesting!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Onomanatee Link ParentOh, thank you for this! We're on parallel tracks, it seems. I finished Gideon and Harrow last month, and started on a China Mieville binge now after reading The City & The City and Perdido Street...Oh, thank you for this! We're on parallel tracks, it seems.
I finished Gideon and Harrow last month, and started on a China Mieville binge now after reading The City & The City and Perdido Street Station.
On the Locked Tomb, thanks for motivating me to continue with it. I liked the first one the most, as I found the Harrow the Ninth to be a bit more meandering in a way that didn't vibe with me. Plus I'm often not that into novels where the stakes are that...cosmic. Nona sounds like exactly what I wanted from that world, as I felt a bit detached from it after Harrow.
And Embassytown sounds amazing, can't wait. I think I'll finish the New Crobuzon series first though. (Which I can also heartily recommend!)
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Comment on Rebound effects make car sharing and second-hand phones not as green as they seem in ~enviro
Onomanatee LinkI do feel like putting some extra emphasis on the fact that these things are still positive actions you can take for mitigating climate change. Internet sensationalism often puts people in a kind...I do feel like putting some extra emphasis on the fact that these things are still positive actions you can take for mitigating climate change. Internet sensationalism often puts people in a kind of binary mode of thinking where only the purest, bestest things are worth any effort. Let's avoid that.
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Comment on What the hell is a Typescript or: Creation ideas above my skill level in ~tech
Onomanatee LinkI'm a freelance developer/designer, focused on startups. I basically market myself as a sort of jack of all trades who can help a small scrappy startup get up and running. I'm not an expert on...I'm a freelance developer/designer, focused on startups. I basically market myself as a sort of jack of all trades who can help a small scrappy startup get up and running. I'm not an expert on anything, just a generalist (though leaning more frontend) who can get you up and running and, importantly, knows when and where to get in the experts.
In other words: what you're doing sounds familiar. Many of my clients have an idea, then start researching some fancy tech they encountered on blogs and just try and box something together. And though that process can be very fun and rewarding, it's usually extremely time intensive. Modern apps are hard, and there's a near endless supply of gotchas and minor problems ballooning into massive technical debt.
So one of the first things I usually do, is sit down with my clients and do the painful work of cutting away all the fluff from their idea to arrive at a minimal, lean MVP. We make a roadmap for it, and then figure out all the hard bits. Those are the bits that I can't really put a proper estimation on. Things that require a bit of trial and error or research. Those are the ones that we tackle first with proof of concepts. It's usually at this point that you start figuring out your tech stack and see if it all actually works. Why do you pick specific technologies, what do they do for you, and do they play nicely together?
So, it looks like you got a good thing going with your design phase. But your tech stack choices seem a bit random. I've used most of those myself and they're all fine products, but at the end of the day, the capabilities of the tech you choose are only a small part of the reason. Do they work nicely together? How is the learning curve? Do they offer flexibility where you need it?
Take Next.js for example. It's an excellent tool, I love it and it's my go-to for most projects. That's not because it necessarily creates apps faster or better then others though. The main reason is that I, personally, can prototype in it faster. Sure, there's fun features in there and all kinds of bells and whistles, but if a specific feature is not business critical... Don't sweat it. You can probably make this app you describe in Next.js. Or in Svelte. Or in Laravel. Or Ruby on Rails. Whatever. What matters is the people you find, the work you put in, and how smart you go about planning and testing everything. The parts where you actually notice a difference between Postgres Vs MariaDB or whatever are usually somewhere around year 3-5 of your app being live (IF they ever show up...) It is extremely unlikely you can predict these problems right now. So don't sweat it, and just make sure that you build your app with good coding practices in mind. Having good decoupling and automated testing will allow you to go through the painful process of changing a part of your stack if it's necessary.
Anyway, sorry for the ramble. I'm a bit hungover at the moment. Your project looks interesting though, so feel free to send me a message if you need some help. I'm not sure right now if I have much time available but it sounds like a fun project to contribute on.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
Onomanatee Link ParentAaah, right, makes sense! I didn't add sugar to mine, as the dish already contained some maple syrup. But definitely will try it with some other things, since I didn't take into account that the...Aaah, right, makes sense! I didn't add sugar to mine, as the dish already contained some maple syrup. But definitely will try it with some other things, since I didn't take into account that the salt also needs to dissolve.
I'm also not going after long-term storage for the moment. We eat those those things way too fast anyway. But it would be nice to eventually learn more about the proper technique, since I want to try and grow a sizeable crop of cucumbers next year.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
Onomanatee Link ParentI actually made pickled onions for the first time this week, since it was a required ingredient in a salad and I didn't want to go to the store. I'm probably never getting store-bought again, it's...I actually made pickled onions for the first time this week, since it was a required ingredient in a salad and I didn't want to go to the store. I'm probably never getting store-bought again, it's so easy and much better. But the recipe I found did not mention boiling it first, only putting the jars in boiling water to sterilize them. Is there any added benefit or reason for boiling the vinegar mixture?
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Comment on US Department of Justice indicates it’s considering Google breakup following monopoly ruling in ~tech
Onomanatee Link ParentOkay, working examples. The first one that came to mind was ICANN, which takes care of namespacing on the web. (They're the ones presiding over namespaces and DNS stuff, so a very root function of...Okay, working examples. The first one that came to mind was ICANN, which takes care of namespacing on the web. (They're the ones presiding over namespaces and DNS stuff, so a very root function of the internet) I was however surprised to find out that though they are a multi-stakeholder global organisation and a non-profit, they are still very much an American organisation. The next one I thought of was CERN, and that led me to this handy page.
I guess those are the kind of things I'd think of. Especially if that organisation would not actually employ a large body of developers but instead focus on overseeing standards and handing out grants for those working on the open-source software. (Plus a well-stocked bounty board for bugs and security) Open-sourcing and peer review is key here.
But yeah, what would realistically happen in such a scenario is that Russia, China and others would not join immediately, and perhaps later just join to be in on the table but with token support. Some states would probably develop their own browsers. (As is already the standard in China with WeChat...) But having this browser available as a free, secure and trusted (in so far as possible even with open source) option, it would probably spread. Some nations would try and stop that, as they do now by blacklisting certain sites and cutting of network traffic. But this has economic and social repercussions, so slowly it would become in most nations best interest to be a part of the decision making process.
Again. Not ideal, there's things wrong with it, but I do think it's a better option then having the 'free hand of the market' incessantly rummaging in your private data.
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Comment on US Department of Justice indicates it’s considering Google breakup following monopoly ruling in ~tech
Onomanatee Link ParentBut that could be easily resolved by making it open source, ran by a foundation which is funded by a collective of governments. That model of course also has it's own problems, as said foundation...But that could be easily resolved by making it open source, ran by a foundation which is funded by a collective of governments. That model of course also has it's own problems, as said foundation would probably favour the kind of features backed by the biggest powers, but it does put some brakes on their powers, prevents blatant abuse and interference and keeps things about as balanced as geopolitics go.
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Comment on Toyota is the latest company to scale back its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies in ~transport
Onomanatee Link ParentAssuming they do have benefits, those benefits (more equal workplace and more diversity in higher-up decision making hierarchy) would only become apparent after years, if not decades. On the...Assuming they do have benefits, those benefits (more equal workplace and more diversity in higher-up decision making hierarchy) would only become apparent after years, if not decades. On the timescale of these programs, it's very unlikely that anyone can even have some usable data, let alone benefit from it.
But even if we would have data, remember that these companies, counter to popular belief, are not just led by cold logic. They're led by people, who like their job and their friends and, generally, when they are in power, want to stay in power. Because we are talking here about systemic issues, by definition, the people currently deciding about these issues did not and do not experience the issues. It's also likely that there direct colleagues and friends do not. They have no incentive to change things. And even if some scientifically backed up study came out to prove them that the company would make more of a profit if there were less people like them... Well.
For the record: not saying this is some dark conspiracy. Just that these type of programs go very much against the current. They are logically against the decision makers, with no incentive for them to change apart from government funding.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Onomanatee LinkProfessionally I'm in the final stages of launching a webapp for my client. It's a very niche thing, automating tasks for notaries, so lots of domain-specific and country/state specific logic...Professionally I'm in the final stages of launching a webapp for my client. It's a very niche thing, automating tasks for notaries, so lots of domain-specific and country/state specific logic there. It felt kind of nice and old-school working on this, away from the inflated AI bubble.
This app was a neat chance for me to figure out Next.js app router. After a year of working with it on this project, I can definitely say it's an improvement. Sometimes I do get a headache figuring out the optimal path our data and re-renders take through all the layers of caches, SSR, layouts, context, zustand store and plain old react shenanigans. But there's always an elegant solution hidden in there if you poke at it long enough, and I do like chasing that feeling.On the non-professional site, my attention is split between figuring out how to debug network connectivity issues in the docker containers of my media server stack. I'm using yams by tildes suggestion, and so far it's been working great, but during some regular updates something went horribly wrong. I think it's related to wireguard, but can't figure out why networking works fine on the host machine, but DNS doesn't resolve on any of the containers. I'm not knowledgeable enough about these things, but I guess it's a chance to brush up on the full networking stack.
My second project is a little Arduino LED side quest. My partner has an art expo soon, and they need an LED setup in a box that drives a physical game. Basically, different parts of the led string need to light up in different colours, on different timers. The last 1/3th of the strip I'm repurposing as a sort of timer/progress bar. Even with my very basic knowledge of electronics, it's surprising how quickly I could get started on this. I did fry the first two LEDs on my strip before discovering it does actually matter which side of the capacitor you connect to what in the circuit, but oh well. LED seems very forgiving of beginner mistakes.
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Comment on Where environmentalists went wrong / It’s time for “effective environmentalism" in ~enviro
Onomanatee LinkWell this was upsetting. Let me preface this by saying this: If you skim this article, there appears to be a nice message. We need to get serious about climate change, and to do that we need to...- Exemplary
Well this was upsetting.
Let me preface this by saying this: If you skim this article, there appears to be a nice message. We need to get serious about climate change, and to do that we need to implement effective policies and target points to achieve the biggest impact. Sure. I agree. Anyone can agree with that, because it is effectively a completely hollow statement. So let's dig deeper into what Yasha here is actually saying.
My first major point of frustration here is the general tone of the article. It seems quite clear to me that climate change and environmentalism is a nebulous concern for this writer, something we should fix because it's probably the right thing to do. At no point does he mention the existential threat that faces us, the gravity of the situation. It's just framed as kind of a nice thing, like solving world hunger. We should probably implement some policies to solve that one day for those other people who I sometimes see in a documentary and feel vaguely sad about. But perhaps I'm reading too much into that, and this writer does share a similar degree of worry. Perhaps the article is meant to be hopeful and does not want to dwell on the severity of the situation. So let's look at the actual points he's making.
Environmentalists are, by and large, painted as a self-flagellating virtue-signaling subculture in this article. Naomi Klein's book is cited as if she's telling us that we should all change our lifestyles and solve climate change by giving up all our nice luxuries. If after reading "This changes everything" you think Klein advocates consumer-level change without targeting structural and "effective environmental" solutions, then... I don't know what to tell you.
Does this writer realize that the implementation of something like a plastic straw ban isn't the end-goal of many environmentalists? It's framed as if that is precisely what we're fighting about, some kind of virtue-signaling ban on a near meaningless sub-problem so we can all feel good about ourselves. No. Environmentalists want radical change, and are either being thrown crumbs by established powers, or have to fight tooth and nail to drag at least some minor concession out of entrenched systems. Does he seriously think a straw ban and less plastic bags is the big strategy here?
So after casting environmentalists as either delusional or incompetent, and simply waving away any inconvenient argument against capitalism (since such a thing can't be seriously entertained, right?), Yasha goes on to describe the tenets of "effective environmentalism". And it seems to boil down to business as usual.
The first point is that we should consider how big of an impact a potential environmental policy can have. Apparently, environmentalists weren't concerned with that before Yasha brought down this wisdom to us mere mortals. But, there's a catch. When discussing the size of the impact, he doesn't actually mention measuring anything specific. The only real concern seems to be how it compares to the size of political backlash and economic trade-offs. Bans on plastic straws (He's really obsessed with them) are considered to have "not much impact in the real world". So what does? Tax incentives and cap-and-trade schemes of course! Funny that, how all our problems can always be resolved by funneling even more money to the companies that brought us here in the first place. We probably would never have had to deal with climate change if we never taxed Shell and BP in the first place.
The second point of "effective environmentalism" is that we should consider if the climate policy we want to implement would "lead to a deterioration in quality of life". The bigger the impact is on the quality of life of people, the more skeptical we should be. It's interesting though, who these people are, exactly. Because from this article, it would seem that our biggest concern should be the disgruntled plastic straw lovers, or the poor Parisians, huddling in the cold outside without any heaters on the café terraces. It would seem to me to be quite obvious that any environmental policy that prevents the loss of livelihood, the very habitability of population centers and the mass displacement of millions upon millions of people counts as a "deterioration in quality of life". But something tells me that these people are, in Yasha's mind, safely tucked away behind a sad Netflix documentary and don't really factor in to serious economic considerations.
And finally, let's drive it all home with the third point of "effective environmentalism", which is "To what extent will the proposed action lead to backlash?" It's actually just a repetition of points one and two, and the entire argument simply boils down to: Okay sure, we should do something about climate change, but let's just find a way to make it convenient for me, and be nice and futuristic. And I really like my current lifestyle and I don't think it's too much to ask to keep it. It's not like any actual person is being exploited or is suffering to sustain my lifestyle. And if there is, they're far away and not really people anyway and if they are then they're probably doing something wrong and why is that my fault anyway?
Just another neo-liberal point of view that desperately wants to convince us that we just need to keep doing what we're doing, but harder. We just haven't appeased the market enough, that's the issue. Just a few more tax cuts, a bit more austerity in the social programs, and the invisible hand of the market will set things right. Any day now, you'll see. And when those nasty cult-like Greens try and take away your car, you can tell them it's not effective, and that they should focus on better policies. The kind of policies that actually work and have no nasty side effects or downsides.
When last I heard about this, I remember people talking about it being a good solution for hard to traverse terrain. Cities with a mountain range in between them could easily be connected this way, and it can be used as a sort of transportation leapfrogging for areas with underdeveloped infrastructure.