RNG's recent activity

  1. Comment on Modern, abstract art makes me angry in ~arts

    RNG
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    This is needlessly uncharitable. What did you aim to achieve making this point? The criticism of modern art seems obvious to me: it, at minimum, appears extremely low effort. Pointing this out, or...

    I would posit that this post displays a much higher degree of snobbism than any piece of modern art.

    This is needlessly uncharitable. What did you aim to achieve making this point? The criticism of modern art seems obvious to me: it, at minimum, appears extremely low effort. Pointing this out, or being irritated by high value being assigned to what one perceives as low effort is not snobbism.

    A meaningful contribution to this post would be to point out how the OP underestimates the level of effort involved, which you did in the case of monochromes (while also accusing the OP of the Dunning-Kruger effect. I'm not sure what you were trying to accomplish with a cheap shot like that.)

    Not for nothing, but one can interpret the video as associating criticism of modern art with Nazism, which is ridiculous.

    16 votes

  2. Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food

    RNG
    Link Parent
    There are cheap, rapid-result swabs you can buy to test for lead. It's not a huge burden, and worth a couple of bucks if you are purchasing vintage.

    There are cheap, rapid-result swabs you can buy to test for lead. It's not a huge burden, and worth a couple of bucks if you are purchasing vintage.

    4 votes

  3. Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food

    RNG
    Link Parent
    Sorry I should've specified, in the US, soybean oil is just called "vegetable oil". All other oils, despite technically being "vegetable oils" have more specific names e.g. canola oil.

    Sorry I should've specified, in the US, soybean oil is just called "vegetable oil". All other oils, despite technically being "vegetable oils" have more specific names e.g. canola oil.

  4. Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food

    RNG
    Link Parent
    I think if the sole purpose of the oil is seasoning, vegetable oil is the best choice. The reason I don't have veggie oil laying around is that canola is better for other cooking purposes.

    I think if the sole purpose of the oil is seasoning, vegetable oil is the best choice. The reason I don't have veggie oil laying around is that canola is better for other cooking purposes.

    1 vote

  5. Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food

    RNG
    Link Parent
    Vegetable oil is usually the go-to here for its high smoke point and neutral flavor. I use canola oil as it's neutral, has a slightly lower smoke point, but is healthier than vegetable oil (lower...

    Vegetable oil is usually the go-to here for its high smoke point and neutral flavor. I use canola oil as it's neutral, has a slightly lower smoke point, but is healthier than vegetable oil (lower saturated fat, higher omega 3s).

    2 votes

  6. Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food

    RNG
    Link Parent
    Do you have any recommendations for vegan dishes to cook with a cast iron skillet? I have recently gotten one after seeing a Lodge skillet for $25 and have now cooked some black bean patties and...

    Do you have any recommendations for vegan dishes to cook with a cast iron skillet? I have recently gotten one after seeing a Lodge skillet for $25 and have now cooked some black bean patties and vegan cornbread in it so far. Note, I think you should use more than a 1 for 1 when replacing milk with soy milk.

  7. Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food

    RNG
    Link Parent
    You should turn it into it's own post. Excited to see the results! Also, I think it's stuff like this that keeps me coming back to tildes, I love the culture here.

    You should turn it into it's own post. Excited to see the results! Also, I think it's stuff like this that keeps me coming back to tildes, I love the culture here.

    3 votes

  8. Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is?

    ~food Ask (survey)
    I've been thinking about getting into cast iron cooking. I need a new skillet, and I've seen recommendations for cast iron, but some things seem daunting: Seasoning. How bad is it really? Did you...

    I've been thinking about getting into cast iron cooking. I need a new skillet, and I've seen recommendations for cast iron, but some things seem daunting:

    • Seasoning. How bad is it really? Did you purchase a pre-seasoned pan and just cook with it? Do you re-season occasionally? How often? What oil do you use? What is your process?
    • Cleaning. How do you clean your skillet? Soap and water? How do you know when you are done cleaning? What materials do you use?
    • Unknowns. What did you not know until you started cooking with cast iron? Any surprise benefits/costs?

    Have any of you used cast iron, then returned to Teflon or stainless steel after being disappointed in the experience? What are the biggest differences between cooking with cast iron and other materials?

    Considering that non-stick manufacturing poses environmental risks, and iron may provide a net positive effect for folks needing more iron in their diet, it seems like this is a natural way to go.

    55 votes

  9. Comment on Leak exposes members of Peter Thiel’s secretive ‘dialog’ society in ~society

    RNG
    Link Parent
    Who on this list is credibly accused of doing any of these things?

    Who on this list is credibly accused of doing any of these things?

    4 votes

  10. Comment on Leak exposes members of Peter Thiel’s secretive ‘dialog’ society in ~society

    RNG
    Link Parent
    There's ambiguity about what's being claimed here. It might be cleared up if you can answer my question from above: What am I wrong about? What would I have been right about if "Thiel just wrote...

    There's ambiguity about what's being claimed here. It might be cleared up if you can answer my question from above:

    What am I wrong about? What would I have been right about if "Thiel just wrote their names down"?

    2 votes

  11. Comment on Leak exposes members of Peter Thiel’s secretive ‘dialog’ society in ~society

    RNG
    Link Parent
    I didn't make a statement on whether this "puts them in league" with Thiel or whether that's contemptible. My position is that this isn't sufficient evidence of someone being member of some child...

    yes putting yourself in league with Thiel - who is actively working to undermine Democracy and decency - is grounds for contempt.

    I didn't make a statement on whether this "puts them in league" with Thiel or whether that's contemptible. My position is that this isn't sufficient evidence of someone being member of some child abusing cabal of elites controlling the globe. Many are too quick to jump to conspiracy theories once only held by the far right.

    If Thiel just wrote their names down, then you're right

    I would've been right about what? What am I wrong about? Maybe you meant to reply to a different message?

    3 votes

  12. Comment on Leak exposes members of Peter Thiel’s secretive ‘dialog’ society in ~society

    RNG
    Link Parent
    Where's the source for some cabal controlling the world? Should I sit out of the next election since "they" actually secretly control everything? The evidence certainly isn't contained in the link...

    It’s wild learning that there’s a secret cadre of elites who control the globe.

    Where's the source for some cabal controlling the world? Should I sit out of the next election since "they" actually secretly control everything? The evidence certainly isn't contained in the link above. That some rich people attended the same seminar is not sufficient evidence for wild conspiracy theories.

    7 votes

  13. Comment on Leak exposes members of Peter Thiel’s secretive ‘dialog’ society in ~society

    RNG
    Link Parent
    What is your perception of events where either case is "the illuminati is real"? That wealthy people talk to each other is not some world shattering revelation. That some of the wealthy people...

    What is your perception of events where either case is "the illuminati is real"?

    That wealthy people talk to each other is not some world shattering revelation. That some of the wealthy people turn out to be bad is also not mind blowing. I think with both Epstein and now this people take a kernel of truth and run with it. It's to the point that many good left leaning people think all the worlds governments are part of a cabal of baby eaters or something. This isn't significantly different from pizzagate or q-anon in my opinion.

    11 votes

  14. Comment on Leak exposes members of Peter Thiel’s secretive ‘dialog’ society in ~society

    RNG
    Link Parent
    Who on the list constitutes an "Epstein-class pedolite"? Note that not everything I say here may characterize your beliefs, but it's been something that's been on my mind when I see comments like...

    Who on the list constitutes an "Epstein-class pedolite"?

    Note that not everything I say here may characterize your beliefs, but it's been something that's been on my mind when I see comments like this from good and well-meaning people. I understand generalized anger at "elites", especially reactionary ones. I do worry about the state of contemporary discourse. We seem to determine massive swaths of the population are complicit eating babies or something with the only evidence having been on a mailing list.

    There's something about the Epstein stuff that has led many to tilt towards satanic panic-levels of paranoia. I understand wanting rub the Epstein conspiracy stuff in the right's face, given that narrative is now more effectively wielded against the right than the left. But, I am comfortable challenging irrational thinking when the right did it (pizzagate, qanon), and I'm more than happy to confront it when I see it on the left.

    Yes there are evil elites. Yes, a portion of them are abusive criminals who should rot in prison. But having contact with Thiel or even Epstein does not constitute meaningful evidence of being part of some pedo conspiracy; many other more plausible theories predict this data equally well.

    19 votes

  15. Comment on What internet discussion sites remain? in ~tech

    RNG
    Link Parent
    There is one skill you have that I am envious of: you seem to know how much we should care about something. How much should I care about Jan 6th? White House UFC stadium? The anti-weaponization...

    There is one skill you have that I am envious of: you seem to know how much we should care about something. How much should I care about Jan 6th? White House UFC stadium? The anti-weaponization fund? (my guess for you is "a lot", "not at all", "some")

    I feel like I don't even know where to turn for sober analysis of what's going on, other than following random people online like yourself who seem sane. I just need to know the reasons to care/not care about The Latest Thing™ everyone is worried about.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on What do you think of robots in the military? in ~tech

    RNG
    Link Parent
    I'm not for autonomous weapons, but they don't seem quite as bad as mines which are already used. A mine determines you are an enemy combatant worthy of death for solely having stepped on some...

    I'm not for autonomous weapons, but they don't seem quite as bad as mines which are already used. A mine determines you are an enemy combatant worthy of death for solely having stepped on some small patch of ground. That means a Russian soldier, a deer, or a child playing in the woods 150 years from now.

    11 votes

  17. Comment on What internet discussion sites remain? in ~tech

    RNG
    Link
    Most of the content I engage with is on Substack. Text-focused discussions on whatever you care about. Maybe someday u/skybrian will pick back up his AI blog. Though my vote is for...

    Most of the content I engage with is on Substack. Text-focused discussions on whatever you care about. Maybe someday u/skybrian will pick back up his AI blog. Though my vote is for culture/political writing; I find his perspective to be be uniquely cogent and insightful.

    Some of the biggest substacks are big for a reason; if you want a start, I recommend Bentham's Bulldog and Scott Alexander as they should be of interest to the kind of person who frequents here.

    3 votes

  18. Comment on The road to non-directed kidney donation in ~health

    RNG
    Link
    Update: Labs came back good to go. There is only one donation center within 100mi associated with NKR, so that’s the one I’m going with.

    Update: Labs came back good to go. There is only one donation center within 100mi associated with NKR, so that’s the one I’m going with.

    2 votes

  19. The road to non-directed kidney donation

    ~health Ask
    I've decided to give up my kidney to a stranger and document the process and hopefully my posts can be the kind of resources I wish I had when I first looked into this. Someone here recently...

    I've decided to give up my kidney to a stranger and document the process and hopefully my posts can be the kind of resources I wish I had when I first looked into this.

    Someone here recently linked to Scott Alexander's post on his non-directed donation experience [1] and afterwards I got recommended Jesse Eisenberg's interview on his experience [2]. I think this led to me thinking about the subject and deciding that I at least need to look into this and see if my worries about it are founded. It turns out they are not. Here are the highlights of my research:

    1. Compared to other activities, donating a kidney is not especially risky [1]
    2. It is entirely free; all aspects of the process are free including travel [5]
    3. If anyone in your family needs a kidney, they are at the very top of the list for a living donor kidney [3]
    4. NKR will cover up to $2000/week in lost wages using Donor Shield [5], though if your work allows you to take paid time off, I highly recommend you save their resources for those without that luxury
    5. Non-directed donors can use "chaining" to have their one donation result in 3-7 further donations due to matchmaking on the NKR (this is complicated to summarize, ask if you want information or see the link) [4]

    Step 1: Reach out to the National Kidney Registry (NKR)

    The ideal way to become a non-directed donor is to reach out first to the NKR. They run the family voucher program that protects your family should they need a kidney in the future. They first have screening questions, then there is a questionnaire about your medical history that you complete, and immediately upon completion, they have labs ready for you to take. I reached out to NKR yesterday morning and had labs completed yesterday afternoon at a local clinic.

    As for what's next, my labs will come back and the NKR says I will then choose a preferred donation center. I have absolutely no idea what considerations matter when choosing the best donation center. I assume something local, since I can't fly immediately after surgery and the drive home will be painful.

    If you've considered kidney donation and didn't do it, what held you back? I want to know to 1: see if I can correct a false belief you have about the process or 2: see if I should reconsider this whole thing. Also, if anyone wants to join me on this journey, click on any NKR link and click the donate button and let's do this!

    [1] https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/my-left-kidney

    [2] https://youtu.be/udZi-l8H5jY

    [3] https://www.kidneyregistry.com/for-donors/i-want-to-help-a-stranger-in-need-of-a-kidney/

    [4] https://www.kidneyregistry.com/for-donors/start-a-chain/

    [5] https://www.kidneyregistry.com/for-donors/kidney-donation-blog/does-it-cost-anything-to-donate-a-kidney/

    20 votes

  20. Ask Tildes: are any of you living kidney donors?

    ~health Ask (advice)
    I want to donate my kidney (not to anyone in particular, which would make the process far more straightforward), but I need help navigating the bureaucracy. Here are things I have seen about...

    I want to donate my kidney (not to anyone in particular, which would make the process far more straightforward), but I need help navigating the bureaucracy. Here are things I have seen about living kidney donation online:

    • You can select five people to get priority access to kidneys if they need it (e.g., parents, spouse, kids)
    • They will fly you to where you need to go for screening
    • They will cover lost wages during recovery

    Now I don't know who "they" is, or how to go about getting answers to these questions. Since I'm not tethered to a particular recipient, I can choose wherever to sign up, and I want to make the optimal choice both for myself and the recipient.

    If you are a donor, especially an anonymous donor who's navigated this stuff, please reach out.

    19 votes