Queresote's recent activity

  1. Comment on Power creep and the collapse of the Roman Republic in ~games

    Queresote
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    Post-Reading Notes: I feel that the writer (Slavik) failed to demonstrate the applicability of the software program (Hearthstone) to the field of mathematics. Why does Slavik use demonstrate if...

    Post-Reading Notes:

    I feel that the writer (Slavik) failed to demonstrate the applicability of the software program (Hearthstone) to the field of mathematics.

    While there is no lack of ways to utilize such a statistical value study in the mathematics classroom…

    Why does Slavik use demonstrate if they don't demonstrate it?

    USING MATH AS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY LENS TO UNDERSTAND HISTORY

    …Didn't use any math.

    My Thoughts:

    I think that the author has a good central idea, but failed to articulate it. Using games, video or board, as a way to demonstrate real-world problems in a language that students of all ages (not just university-level) understand can be a better model for learning. Look at USNWC's war games for a prime example. Or civilization, Risk, Oregon Trail for PC, Portal 2 (especially the co-op mode).

    Also, why make Hearthstone so prominent if its only role is introducing Power Creep؟ I feel like it would have been more cohesive to use multiple examples (such as the new level caps in Destiny 2 every time the developers release a new season) to build the basis for power creep, and then give us the connections from power creep to mathematics and history.

    The stock of this intellectual soup is made from succulent material, but there aren't enough morsels for me to dine on (and the bits present as-is don't harmonize). So now I'm left unsatisfied.

    5 votes

  2. Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    Thank you! I will take your encouragement with me as I explore the landscape of the genre.

    Thank you! I will take your encouragement with me as I explore the landscape of the genre.

    1 vote

  3. Comment on John Deere is costing American farmers $4.2 billion a year by restricting them from fixing their own tractors in ~tech

    Queresote
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    If you want to dislike John Deere even more, you can learn about their Precision ag Essentials Kit, which will be changing from a one-time pay model, to a "pay-per-use" model with additional...

    If you want to dislike John Deere even more, you can learn about their Precision ag Essentials Kit, which will be changing from a one-time pay model, to a "pay-per-use" model with additional upfront costs. Deere 2024 Q4 transcript here

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Is the current war in Palestine the first time the victim wound up being seen as the aggressor? in ~humanities.history

    Queresote
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Notice: For this current comment, I am operating within a diminished mental-faculty (inebriation during a small weekend celebration), so I humbly ask for your deepest consideration in...
    Notice: For this current comment, I am operating within a diminished mental-faculty (inebriation during a small weekend celebration), so I humbly ask for your deepest consideration in understanding my current limitations. The tone of my replies, if not evident, should read as 'inquisitive questioning and discussion with a close-friend at a coffee shop.' I think there is an act of respect conveyed with timely responses, and you are deserving of such an act; even at the expense of my own vulnerability to criticism.

    Surely this also means that your earlier comment is irrelevant, though

    My comment was not irrelevant, no.

    Here is the question asked by stu2b50:

    Does anyone consider the US the “aggressor” in the pacific ww2 theater?

    Asking this as an outright question broke the chain-of-context. It's more of an aside than a continuation of the conversation. This essentially resets conversational context. It is no longer a question of perception, but of definitions.

    The question is whether, at some point in the conflict, the US became perceived as the aggressor (presumably due to escalation), either contemporarily or in retrospect.

    You are adding additional information by bringing 'perceived' back into the aside, so it was not a question of perception.

    Certainly I think there's a pretty strong case for the US [to be] perceived as the aggressor towards the end of the war, even if only in retrospect from the modern day.

    There are strong cases for unnecessary retaliation/escalation from the US, just as there are strong cases for the opposite. That is a tangential (though very closely-related) issue.

  5. Comment on Is the current war in Palestine the first time the victim wound up being seen as the aggressor? in ~humanities.history

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    OP is asking whether there are additional examples of "victim nations" being perceived as the aggressor. The argument isn't about who is the aggressor, but who is seen as the aggressor, which is a...

    Then by this same definition, there’s no discussion to even be had because that’s exactly what the OP question is asking about

    OP is asking whether there are additional examples of "victim nations" being perceived as the aggressor. The argument isn't about who is the aggressor, but who is seen as the aggressor, which is a different beast entirely.

    5 votes

  6. Comment on Is the current war in Palestine the first time the victim wound up being seen as the aggressor? in ~humanities.history

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    Those arguing such a point as this do so on a poor foundation. The word aggressor, especially within the context of warfighting and international law, is defined by being the first to use armed...

    Obviously the pacific theater fight was a nightmare slog but it has absolutely been argued the US became the aggressor at some point.

    Those arguing such a point as this do so on a poor foundation. The word aggressor, especially within the context of warfighting and international law, is defined by being the first to use armed force against a sovereign state. The United States could not have, by definition of the word, become the aggressor in the Pacific Theater of WWII during the duration of the contiguous conflict, regardless of any escalatory practices.

    13 votes

  7. Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime

    Queresote
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    Ahh… a day late (but not a dollar short for this one) Advised by CPTBlueBear's suggestion one month ago, I've been watching Dan Da Dan, and it is good. I have personal notes on my favorite bits...

    Ahh… a day late (but not a dollar short for this one)

    Advised by CPTBlueBear's suggestion one month ago, I've been watching Dan Da Dan, and it is good. I have personal notes on my favorite bits (These weren't written to be shared, so any incongruities in thought or structure you see—kindly disregard) :

    spoilers - DanDaDan

    good art-style. Fun expressions and animation & conversation ( best watched subbed— not dubbed.)

    " We have taken proper care of your belongings"
    *cuts to tattered/obliterated clothing on the floor*

    the little "uh" of the alien get[ting] his nuts chomped by turbo-granny

    I erupted in a burst of laughter at this (above), replaying the snippet a few more times before continuing.

    " I'm Ken Takakura"
    *explosion*

    (eyelashes) *tink* *tink*
    [cut to running from the Flatwoods Sumo alien]

    This next one is just a good quote. It has earned a permanent spot in my Sententiae book:

    All lands have their own gods. The problem is whether you're playing a home or away game.
    -Granny

    I've watched as much JoJo's Bizarre Adventure as I could in a sitting (show recommended by Pekt.) The motivations for the characters are wild, and it becomes obvious to me I know little about the customs and etiquette of Japan (or even more simply— the Jojo family themselves). I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the changing storylines yet, but I'll give it a chance.

    I also cruised through One-Punch Man, but that feels like cheating (I binged and didn't really absorb the material).

    Sadly, I somewhat-recently returned from a sabbatical, so I have little time these days for anime-watching. I've got recommendations lined up that should last me into the new year, though!

    5 votes

  8. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    That's completely okay. Self-help books aren't always applicable for everyone. Reading reviews on Atomic Habits will show that some people just grew up with those qualities instilled in them, and...

    I'm also listening to How to Win Friends and Influence People and it's probably one of the most pointless self help books I've ever read.

    That's completely okay. Self-help books aren't always applicable for everyone. Reading reviews on Atomic Habits will show that some people just grew up with those qualities instilled in them, and felt that purchasing the book was worthless, yet here I am craving each chapter. Same goes for Carnegie's Win Friends…. Although this book mostly helps make connections to other material.

    If you want to explore Carnegie's works while you're in the general area, How to Develop Self-Confidence & Influence People by Public Speaking is far more helpful, (or has been for me). I can track down my copy, so I may send pertinent excerpts to you if you'd like.

    Also, his book on Lincoln is good. Some passages are dry, but I tend to enjoy that after cafe/airport-fiction-style books.

    2 votes

  9. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    You and I are in the same boat here, having both just finished. My thoughts parallel yours. For me, it was the entire Bene Gesserit seeding the idea of the Kwisatz Haderach in the people of Dune,...

    I just finished the first book of Dune. Its fascinating what was and was not included in the film, and how they adapted the story for the big screen.

    You and I are in the same boat here, having both just finished. My thoughts parallel yours. For me, it was the entire Bene Gesserit seeding the idea of the Kwisatz Haderach in the people of Dune, or that the Fremmen had lived on many, many planets. I don't remember these in the movie.

    Maybe I missed these narratives in the film because I lacked the reading before-hand (or maybe because I was more involved in the 'popcorn-bucket-drama'), but I'll definitely have to watch both movies after reading the rest of the book series.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    When I received your reply, I went right to work looking into Frank Herbert to understand the flavor and severity of his 'bigotry'.¹ I find knowing these things about an author (after establishing...

    I would avoid learning about Frank Herbert as a person though, learning he was a bigot partly ruined the series for me for a little while.

    When I received your reply, I went right to work looking into Frank Herbert to understand the flavor and severity of his 'bigotry'.¹ I find knowing these things about an author (after establishing my own thoughts about the book) helps me understand the context of the narrative better. My late reply is a byproduct of careful composition and research.

    I will tell you, I was listening and I thought, " why is this Barron character so obsessed about the bodies of little boys." I didn't relate it to homophobia, but moreso the current political climate. Looking back, I am easily able to connect the dots.

    I viewed portions of his interview at UCLA in which he was pressed by a student on this.² At first, his response was interesting. There are "aberrant" people of every creed, he mentioned [paraphrased by me], and that he only depicted an aberrant gay person as opposed to an aberrant straight person or a normal gay person. He said that it's harder to come out of the social criticism being a gay man. "Wow! Are we about to get some insightful comment?"

    Then he turned around and shared further, and I got the sense that FH, in sharing his deep-seated beliefs on gays [pardon the language and terseness] was trying to wrap dogshit in gold foil and sell it as chocolate. The nervous laughter really expounded that feeling for me. To take hate, and try to deliver it in this 'gold foil' of articulate philosophy sucks. It really does just suck.

    I'll be taking this knowledge I've gained into my journey of the series. I won't hold FH's personal beliefs against those that recommend the book, especially because it is incredible from an ecological and philosophical perspective. Additionally, Frank Herbert is dead so my usual process of withholding funds isn't necessary here.

    There is this sort of limbo i find myself in, philosophically. Let me tell you my experience.

    I read the works of some figure (political, philosophical, historical) and I find it resonates with me, deeply. I find these words build me up and help me structure things I've thought but couldn't quite get into words. Then, I become a fan. I commit their quotes to my Sententiae book. Suddenly, I find they have committed some morally reprehensible act or have said something I despise. Now I've got to go through the process of understanding this.

    General McChrystal - My Share of the Task and leadership talks, involvement in and further cover up of the Pat Tillman "Incident"

    Sonya Sontag - speaks well on isolation and developing articulate thoughts, says 9/11 was America's fault for being cocky and lives in a multi-million dollar home while chastising the wealthy.

    Frank Herbert - creates a masterpiece of science-fiction philosophy with ecological and religious themes, homophobic ideology and dis-owned his own gay son.

    So here I am. Trying to find some middle ground where I can take pieces of these people into myself without becoming too much like them. This isn't something you can help with, but speaking of these difficulties is helpful, I'm sure you understand. But, I digress. You telling me this was incredibly helpful. Thank you.

    1: This explanation is a pre-emptive strike on reactions concerning the quotes around bigotry: I don't like using this word [bigot] to represent single-channel prejudice, like gayphobia. I prefer to utilize it on multi-channel prejudice, such as: holding more than one of these beliefs (or those not mentioned) - Racism, Sexism, Heterosexism, transmisia, aporophobia, or ageism. I know this usage of the word is correct, but using it myself in this way is like dragging sandpaper across my nervous system. In my mind, calling a homophobe just that is like striking him directly in the heart with a dagger–calling him a bigot is like throwing a dagger in his general direction. If you felt this distinction was unsanctioned… do what you will.

    1. As an aside, I have to note the bravery of this student to speak on the portrayal of a gay man in the book. This was 1985, and this man endured the laughter and applause of all those present, likely including his classmates and teachers, with every response FH gave. He still pushed through and asked these questions, and didn't allow any backpedaling. He outright said "I did not choose to be gay."
    3 votes

  11. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    Queresote
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    My current 'reading' is not so much reading as it is listening, because I've been brought into the awe of audiobooks. I've been on Dune for the past three days. This version is narrated by Simon...

    My current 'reading' is not so much reading as it is listening, because I've been brought into the awe of audiobooks.

    I've been on Dune for the past three days. This version is narrated by Simon Vance and others. Getting to hear the characters speak through voice actors (and the fun voices the main narrator makes for them) has gripped me. I have about three hours and fifteen minutes left, so I'll be sad when it's over. But I am hopeful that all the books will get adequate narration versions (including the prequels) so that I may continue.

    I likely would not have read Dune if it weren't for philosophy/notebook YouTuber ParkerNotes whose own enamoration with the series led to the urge to at least try it. I was hooked immediately.

    I wrapped up my reading on the tragic novel: Memoirs of a Geisha, and through that have added Geisha: A Life, and Autobiography of a Geisha to my reading list. It's a good book, but I was foolishly under the understanding it was based on true events. (I know, I know; it literally says ": a novel" on the front cover, but I was tricked by the translator's note) The story felt so real, and the feelings of Sayuri felt real.

    An interesting audiobook worth reading (it's only 40 minutes) is Megan Fox's Pretty Boys Are Poisonous collection of poems. It makes me immeasurably sad hearing some of them. "If I had a nickel for every time you came through for me, I'd have exactly zero nickels." (Paraphrased, but I thought this line was funny)

    I also finished The House of Thunder by Dean Koontz, and all I have to say is that it was definitely written by a Man™ (this is strike two for Koontz because Intensity was also a bust for me.)

    1 vote

  12. Comment on Donald Trump nominates Fox News host and Army National Guard Major Pete Hegseth for US defense secretary in ~society

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    Probably a more apt comparison: Don't Look Up (2021)

    Probably a more apt comparison: Don't Look Up (2021)

    5 votes

  13. Comment on Looking for DRM-free book recommendations in ~books

    Queresote
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    I'm going to post the sources I've found, even if they are duplicates. First-and-foremost (and my personal recommendation): the best way to get DRM-free books is to get them physically. I know...

    I'm going to post the sources I've found, even if they are duplicates.

    First-and-foremost (and my personal recommendation): the best way to get DRM-free books is to get them physically. I know it's obvious but this is the best starting line. Get second-hand books from Goodwill, or bookshops, get them from friends, or borrow from the library.

    Now if you want to retain your physical books in a digital library (not to pirate of course, but just to have a spare copy just in case.), I'd get a book scanner. They are only a couple hundred dollars, and many modern cellphones have a text scanning feature in their photos. If you scan a book, and each one of your friends scans a book, that will be easily ten books (which you shouldn't ever copy between all of you, as neat as that would be, it would be piracy. And I wouldn't ever encourage piracy in an open forum). Otherwise, if you're looking for online ready-to-go sources, here: (Many of these came from Reddit, Facebook, or discord messages but I don't typically save those sources for sharing. Additionally, I'm notsure how many of these sources are still active. It's been a long time since I've used most of them.

    http://www.classicbookshelf.com/

    http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/search.html

    http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

    http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/

    http://www.classicreader.com/

    http://www.readprint.com/

    http://www.planetebook.com/

    http://meta.montclair.edu/spectator/

    http://www.bibliomania.com/

    http://www.literature.org/

    http://www.fiction.us/

    http://www.classic-literature.co.uk/

    http://www.bartleby.com/fiction/

    http://textbookrevolution.org/index.php/Main_Page

    http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page

    http://www.knowthis.com/topic-areas/media-and-publications/free-online-textbooks.htm

    http://www.welovelmc.com/books.htm

    http://spot.colorado.edu/%7Edubin/bookmarks/b/1240.html

    http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/resources/supplemental/index.htm

    http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/minisite/

    http://www.businessbookmall.com/Free%20Business%20Books.htm

    http://www.lightandmatter.com/

    http://emedicine.medscape.com/

    http://www.fullbooks.com/

    http://homepages.nyu.edu/%7Ejmg336/html/mathematics.html

    http://www.math.gatech.edu/%7Ecain/textbooks/onlinebooks.html

    http://www.techbooksforfree.com/science.shtml

    http://www.freescience.info/index.php

    http://www.freetechbooks.com/

    http://www.lookybook.com/

    http://www.bored.com/ebooks/

    http://www.ideology.us/

    http://www.dlshq.org/download/download.htm

    http://www.ne.jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/weber/society/socio_relig/socio_relig_frame.html

    http://e-library.net/Religion.htm

    http://www.readbookonline.net/

    http://www.fiction.us/plays.htm

    http://www.publicbookshelf.com/

    http://www.ibdof.com/

    http://www.free-online-novels.com/

    http://www.foxglove.co.uk/free_online_novels.html

    http://www.baen.com/library/

    http://www.roadtoromance.ca/freestories.htm

    http://www.getfreeebooks.com/

    http://www.johntcullen.com/

    http://www.hourwolf.com/sfbooks/

    http://www.starry.com/novel/free-online-novels/freenoveldirectory.htm

    http://cf.hum.uva.nl/dsp/ljc/

    http://un2sg4.unige.ch/athena/html/francaut.html

    http://www.liberliber.it/biblioteca/index.htm%22

    http://biblior.net/volume.html

    http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/

    http://www.sarantakos.com/keimena.html

    http://cervantes.tamu.edu/V2/index.html

    http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/index.html

    http://runeberg.org/

    http://afghanistandl.nyu.edu/

    http://www.ucc.ie/celt/

    http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/index.php

    http://librivox.org/newcatalog/

    http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/

    http://www.accessgenealogy.com/library/

    http://www.onlinebooks4free.com/menu/history_usgeneral.html

    http://www.books-on-line.com/bol/TopTen.cfm?DCode=9

    http://www.questia.com/publicdomainindex

    http://www.books-on-line.com/bol/default.cfm

    http://chestofbooks.com/

    http://www.free-ebooks.net/

    http://2020ok.com/

    http://art.quickfound.net/

    http://www.mysterynet.com/short-mystery-stories/

    http://www.topmystery.com/online_books.htm

    http://www.books-on-line.com/bol/TopTen.cfm?DCode=M

    http://www.online-literature.com/

    http://www.fiction.us/poems.htm

    http://www.poemhunter.com/

    http://www.poetry-online.org/

    http://books.google.com/books?q=+subject:%22+Poetry+%22&as_brr=3&rview=1&source=gbs_hplp_fict

    http://www.quotesandpoem.com/poems/poets

    http://www.completeclassics.com/

    http://www.pinkpoem.com/

    http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/banned-books.html

    http://worldebooklibrary.com/

    http://www.dailylit.com/

    http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/

    http://www.starry.com/novel/authors.htm

    http://manybooks.net/

    http://www.authorama.com/

    http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/prize.html

    https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/fiction/

    https://en.m.wikiversity.org/wiki/Open_Educational_Resources/Sources

    https://en.m.wikiversity.org/wiki/Open_Educational_Resources

    https://collection.bccampus.ca/

    Good guides here:

    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/guide-downloading-free-textbooks-pdf-2024-mark-roemmich-q6uhe

    https://fmhy.net/readingpiracyguide

    Pre-post edit: I found the proper Reddit post to give the poster credit. Although my post shares ~96% of the same links in the same order, I'll leave them as is, so no one has to navigate to that site.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/FreeEBOOKS/comments/2jwmfo/huge_list_of_free_ebook_resources/?rdt=40747

    7 votes

  14. Comment on Don't contribute anything relevant in web forums like Reddit in ~tech

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    These are tone tags. I use the standard Wikipedia List and where I can't find one, I'll write out the entire tone. So '/rh' (or '/rt') is 'rhetorical question' and '/g' is 'genuine'

    These are tone tags. I use the standard Wikipedia List and where I can't find one, I'll write out the entire tone. So '/rh' (or '/rt') is 'rhetorical question' and '/g' is 'genuine'

    5 votes

  15. Comment on Don't contribute anything relevant in web forums like Reddit in ~tech

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    I might take some inspiration from your system. I don't need my information to outlast me (I suppose that would require strong confidence that my ideas or connections between existing ideas hold...

    I might take some inspiration from your system. I don't need my information to outlast me (I suppose that would require strong confidence that my ideas or connections between existing ideas hold some kind of long-term value to humanity), but ideally I'd be able to look back as an old man and be able to laugh (or take solace) in my earlier ideas.

    3 votes

  16. Comment on Don't contribute anything relevant in web forums like Reddit in ~tech

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    There is a strange courage in venturing and wading through these inhospitable areas to have good conversation. I applaud that in you, as this is something I have little faith in doing myself....

    but it does happen even in the bigger places too, just less often

    There is a strange courage in venturing and wading through these inhospitable areas to have good conversation. I applaud that in you, as this is something I have little faith in doing myself.

    Maybe it's a difference in mentality or maybe I'm not hungry enough to dance through a minefield for a drumstick. /pondering–no snark

    They aren't the best at any of what they do, but they're good enough at all of them in a way that makes them perfect for the sorts of discussions that (at their brightest) they draw people toward hosting on

    I just have no idea what solution is viable, it feels like they all lead back to the same place eventually.

    These points were particularly well-stated. Maybe you're right…
    Your comment has given me a lot of to think about. Thank you. This is something I think I'd miss if we went solely to personal websites.

    4 votes

  17. Comment on Don't contribute anything relevant in web forums like Reddit in ~tech

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    Let me ask you a question. I don't have any frame-of-reference for how other people structure their thoughts or categorize their life. Sometimes, I wonder if everyone is just letting life lead...

    Regarding the Tildes post you linked to, I generally find PKM to be serious overkill in my life. I didn't keep up with Johnny Decimal either though I see the usefulness.

    Let me ask you a question. I don't have any frame-of-reference for how other people structure their thoughts or categorize their life. Sometimes, I wonder if everyone is just letting life lead them by the seat of their pants.

    Do you organize your life/thoughts/notes? Do you have a strong need to? If you do, what level of organization do you see yourself at? And has it helped or hindered you in life?

  18. Comment on Don't contribute anything relevant in web forums like Reddit in ~tech

    Queresote
    Link Parent
    I think what these platforms contribute in terms of user-vastness they also bring in user-vacuousness, no? /rh I can't think of the last time I've had a conversation on any of the large platforms...

    …but "just don't interact with where the vast, vast, vast majority of people are online" doesn't feel like a practical solution to the problem to me.

    I think what these platforms contribute in terms of user-vastness they also bring in user-vacuousness, no? /rh

    I can't think of the last time I've had a conversation on any of the large platforms that fed my hunger in terms of conversational sustenance.

    What do you think would be an adequate— or viable, response to these issues? Or, I think taking a step back; do you think these are the issues plaguing online discourse right now? /g

    12 votes

  19. Comment on Don't contribute anything relevant in web forums like Reddit in ~tech

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    Hello Tildes, in pursuit of my passion for PIM (Personal Information Management), I've stumbled across the personal blog of one Karl Voit. He talks at length on subjects such as "Don't Do Complex...

    Hello Tildes, in pursuit of my passion for PIM (Personal Information Management), I've stumbled across the personal blog of one Karl Voit. He talks at length on subjects such as "Don't Do Complex Folder Hierarchies" and "The Advantages of Text-Based
    Information Versus Videos, Audio
    or Images    ."

    I understand from posts like this one that there is an interest (or need) amongst Tildes users for strong resources such as these.

    As for the primary link, I'd like to know if users here generally feel the same, as I know there has been a strong voice/sentiment of opening up self-hosted personal blogs as a way to escape the dead internet, and retain ourselves in an age of censorship. Thoughts?

    7 votes