PuddleOfKittens's recent activity
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Comment on How Zohran Mamdani fought the master plan | The key factor isn’t his ads or charisma — it is a public campaign finance system that can be replicated across the US in ~society
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens LinkKitchens are an unnecessary expense and should not be mandatory. This is not a novel concept and is in fact quite traditional - historically (as in centuries ago), city-dwellers bought pre-cooked...Kitchens are an unnecessary expense and should not be mandatory. This is not a novel concept and is in fact quite traditional - historically (as in centuries ago), city-dwellers bought pre-cooked food from street vendors daily, instead of paying rent for that extra room/space to cook for themselves. (Also it meant the apartment wouldn't burn down as often, if nobody in the building cooked everyday.)
Also, there should be more restaurants that offer one (1) dish. Restaurants tend to be expensive, and I strongly suspect it's because everyone who wants cheap food doesn't eat out everyday - so restaurants cater to an upmarket crowd, which means offering lots of choice, at great logistical expense.
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Comment on YouTube capitulates to US President Donald Trump in ~society
PuddleOfKittens (edited )Link ParentNo, they'll (edit: consumers will) lobby for regulation. Which Trump can use to extort a bigger bribe from them (edit: Google, a different 'them' than above).What are people going to do, stop using Google?
No, they'll (edit: consumers will) lobby for regulation. Which Trump can use to extort a bigger bribe from them (edit: Google, a different 'them' than above).
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Comment on US kills three in second strike on alleged drug boats in the Pacific in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentIt's signalling to Maduro that the US is willing to intervene if he tries to crack down on rebels, while implying to any prospective rebels/protestors that it's safe for them to fight or protest...It's signalling to Maduro that the US is willing to intervene if he tries to crack down on rebels, while implying to any prospective rebels/protestors that it's safe for them to fight or protest against Maduro without too much fear.
@CptBlueBear's complaint about overkill is missing the point - the overkill is the message, it's saying "I have enough firepower to end your entire regime, and I've shipped it over here and am willing to use it!".
The point is that Trump wants a regime change (and, IMO, that's good) but doesn't want to actually pay for it if he can just demonstrate that he is willing to use power if the regime change doesn't happen without US direct intervention.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump and EU impose new sanctions on Russia: ‘Now is the time to stop the killing’ in ~society
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentTrump doesn't benefit from any particular outcome in Israel, whereas a swift end to the Ukraine war will permit US military to rapidly switch focus to China. Which Trump has been desperate to do...Trump doesn't benefit from any particular outcome in Israel, whereas a swift end to the Ukraine war will permit US military to rapidly switch focus to China. Which Trump has been desperate to do for a while now.
Why would he want to sanction Israel? Even ignoring that his base and staff are heavily pro-Israel, Trump himself gains nothing from it.
I get that you're arguing for the moral high ground, but it reads like a WW2 alt-hist of "what if the Nazis didn't invade the Soviet Union?" - well, at that point you've completely inverted their core personality and beliefs and we're just discussing blank-sheet fantasy. And, what's the point?
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Comment on Printable aluminum alloy sets strength records, may enable lighter aircraft parts in ~engineering
PuddleOfKittens Link3D printing turbine blades will make it easier to put into them some fluid channels for liquid cooling the blades, which could mitigate the relatively low melting point of aluminium compared to...3D printing turbine blades will make it easier to put into them some fluid channels for liquid cooling the blades, which could mitigate the relatively low melting point of aluminium compared to nickel/aluminium/tungsten.
I don't think they'll displace proper jumbo jet turbines (fuel savings add up too quickly for too long on jumbo jets, and burning hotter gains efficiency and nickel/titanium can go up to 2000C), but I expect they'll be used on big suicide drones and cruise missiles for their excellent value-for-money compared to milled titanium.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentNo, I'm trying to build organic support for a Genetically Engineered Catgirl Foundation.No, I'm trying to build organic support for a Genetically Engineered Catgirl Foundation.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentNah, that's not ridiculous - it's unironically a good idea. In the short term, you're just massively funding core genetic research, which will have amazing benefits for biology in general and...Nah, that's not ridiculous - it's unironically a good idea.
In the short term, you're just massively funding core genetic research, which will have amazing benefits for biology in general and medicine. And a Genetically Engineered Catboy (/girl) Foundation would be a great way to get people to donate to the project just for the memes.
And the best thing is, it's not lying to the meme crowd - if the project providing the financial bedrock for all the world's best geneticists for 'serious research' is actually trying to do the catgirl project, then it'll be in the perfect position to get enthusiastic contributors to more targeted research, once the theoretical basis is fleshed out. Because geneticists are people and are a culture, and people/cultures suffer from loyalty. And that authenticity of a Catgirl Foundation makes the memetic appeal stronger, which only makes it more doable and therefore more authentic.
If I was a multibillionaire (like, $50B+) I would unironically want to target at least 1 of my billions towards a Genetically Engineered Catgirl(/boy) Foundation.
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Comment on Jenny Chase 2025 “opinions about solar” thread in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI wasn't very clear, but the usual claim my comment referred to is that 1) the deindustrialisation causes the emissions drop, and 2) the observed emissions drop is proof that deindustrialisation...I wasn't very clear, but the usual claim my comment referred to is that 1) the deindustrialisation causes the emissions drop, and 2) the observed emissions drop is proof that deindustrialisation has happened. My "decline" comment was in reference to #2, as in "decline of manufacturing sector".
Your comment asserts the narrative of point #1, and implicitly assumes #2.
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Comment on Jenny Chase 2025 “opinions about solar” thread in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentTHE PROPHECY IS TRUE -
Comment on Jenny Chase 2025 “opinions about solar” thread in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentEveryone blames it on deindustrialisation of the West and claims it's proof we're in decline, in my experience.Everyone blames it on deindustrialisation of the West and claims it's proof we're in decline, in my experience.
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Comment on ‘World’s largest’ industrial heat battery is online and solar-powered in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentTraditionally, you'd just get heat from directly burning fuel, instead of burning fuel to generate electricity to power an electric heater. It only makes sense in the context of renewables, and...Is there some impediment that I’m not seeing here preventing more wide scale adoption in the general market?
Traditionally, you'd just get heat from directly burning fuel, instead of burning fuel to generate electricity to power an electric heater.
It only makes sense in the context of renewables, and more specifically in the context of large scale industrial heat use specifically powered by renewables. Even if it's already profitable to implement Rondo's system, large scale industrial plants are conservative by nature and it's not clear which tech will be the best.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentThis isn't ridiculous, it's just a slightly suboptimal use of billions of dollars. Once you're a billionaire, most ways to improve the world are selfish - curing cancer/mortality have their...This isn't ridiculous, it's just a slightly suboptimal use of billions of dollars. Once you're a billionaire, most ways to improve the world are selfish - curing cancer/mortality have their obvious benefits, but ending poverty improves the economy, keeping the environment intact prevents knock-on effects and preserves valuable bio-research opportunities, etc.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI want to spend my billions of dollars tracking down the wizard and running a giant global ad campaign mocking and belittling him.I want to spend my billions of dollars tracking down the wizard and running a giant global ad campaign mocking and belittling him.
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Comment on ‘World’s largest’ industrial heat battery is online and solar-powered in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI did check the details. But then I realized they don't matter (this is a claim in an article's clickbait title, sourced from the company's hypey press release, it's not even the low-low bar of a...I did check the details. But then I realized they don't matter (this is a claim in an article's clickbait title, sourced from the company's hypey press release, it's not even the low-low bar of a guinness world record), nobody really cares, and thus I don't need to do more than 5 minutes of checking on such a trivial topic before stating my opinion (couched in "it's possible that [], but I think []"). Especially when I'm looking for a lack of evidence, and I'd already found lack of evidence.
I get what you're saying, but I volunteer someone else to go do that extra legwork.
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Comment on ‘World’s largest’ industrial heat battery is online and solar-powered in ~enviro
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentIt's possible that one is measuring by MW and the other one MWh, but I think they're using a special measurement system called Straight-Up Fucking Lying™. Nobody want's to be the world's second...also said to be the world’s largest of its kind. They seem to be different kinds?
It's possible that one is measuring by MW and the other one MWh, but I think they're using a special measurement system called Straight-Up Fucking Lying™. Nobody want's to be the world's second biggest, and the only people who'll notice their Lie are people actively following multiple heat battery companies, and we basically all want heat batteries to succeed (also time spent nitpicking which is the biggest battery is time not spent lecturing on the different heat battery techs, and we both know the latter is more interesting).
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Comment on Spit on, sworn at, and undeterred: what it’s like to own a Cybertruck in ~transport
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentThis is only true because it's illegal to shoot it with an RPG. Cars are a weapon, and plenty of counter-weapons exist. And in case you're thinking "that's a stupid argument, obviously we're..."if you get into an accident in a cybertruck you will win in that fight." The problem is, is that an accident is not a fight,
This is only true because it's illegal to shoot it with an RPG. Cars are a weapon, and plenty of counter-weapons exist.
And in case you're thinking "that's a stupid argument, obviously we're excluding illegal use of weapons", an explicit selling point of Cybertrucks was it being bulletproof and having a bioweapons defence mode.
BTW, if RPGs/anti-vehicle weapons were legalised then the number of road rage incidents towards cyclists would decrease.
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Comment on Spit on, sworn at, and undeterred: what it’s like to own a Cybertruck in ~transport
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentYou shouldn't have messed with the Don."You've read your last free article
You shouldn't have messed with the Don.
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Comment on Spit on, sworn at, and undeterred: what it’s like to own a Cybertruck in ~transport
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentI would expect cybertrucks to have wrap jobs, because the steel can rust if exposed to rain. A wrap job is the least stupid solution besides not buying a cybertruck.I would expect cybertrucks to have wrap jobs, because the steel can rust if exposed to rain. A wrap job is the least stupid solution besides not buying a cybertruck.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
PuddleOfKittens Link ParentIf you want to get to Mars, you'll be out in space exposed to cosmic radiation for months/years; you'll die of cancer before you arrive. Realistically, the most practical solution to that is...If you want to get to Mars, you'll be out in space exposed to cosmic radiation for months/years; you'll die of cancer before you arrive. Realistically, the most practical solution to that is curing cancer.
If you do get to Mars, nobody will contest you for it - it makes the Sahara look habitable. Nobody has made the Sahara self-sufficient, it'd be easier to wait for your Mars Empire to collapse on its own. That way they don't get tarred with the PR nightmare of killing The Guy Who Cured Cancer.
As an Australian, I would like to smugly remind everyone that we already have this in law for every party that gets at least 4% of the vote.
It has room for improvement, particularly in the form of banning corporate donations (and capping donations to ~$1000/year/person), but it exists, it works, and it's not new.