RNG's recent activity
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Comment on Palantir was allegedly hacked, exposing CIA collusion and deep-rooted global surveillance/meddling in ~tech
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Comment on Liberals who were formerly far-left (communist, anarchist, etc.), what led to you coming to liberalism? in ~society
RNG Link ParentYes, I actually identify as a liberal.Does anyone actually identify as a liberal?
Yes, I actually identify as a liberal.
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Comment on Liberals who were formerly far-left (communist, anarchist, etc.), what led to you coming to liberalism? in ~society
RNG (edited )Link ParentI myself would find such a post interesting as well. I can answer this to some degree, though it requires some reflection about the motivations of my much younger self. I was a young person...I myself would find such a post interesting as well. I can answer this to some degree, though it requires some reflection about the motivations of my much younger self.
What led to changing your mind?
I was a young person learning about politics and rightfully disillusioned with the state of things; as a society we seem to do nothing about climate change or we see liberal politicians not making the kind of progress we want on extremely serious issues. I rejected a kind of nominal, default liberalism for a position that's been thought-out. The visions of various post-scarcity utopias, the end of the conditions that give rise to reactionary backlash, and the countless papers written on political theory are the kind of thing to salivate over compared to the drab, awful state of things.
How has this shift shaped your view of contemporary American politics?
This eventually led to complete disengagement. At one point I didn't even vote when Trump was on the ballot. I cared little about the dissolution of liberal institutions or democracy. Maybe there were some accelerationist leanings at times. These were mistakes I'm now deeply ashamed of, but I don't blame myself too much.
What was the impact to your social circle or community?
I gained a huge circle of friends who cared about the same things I cared about and would read philosophy and theory regularly with me. Of course, infighting and fragmentation ran rampant, as different armchair ideas on utopian futures or tactics divided people.
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Comment on Liberals who were formerly far-left (communist, anarchist, etc.), what led to you coming to liberalism? in ~society
RNG (edited )Link ParentDemocratic socialism is itself vague in what its contents are, but if one finds it meaningful to preserve liberal institutions (e.g., elections, the constitution, etc.) and aren't advocating for a...Democratic socialism is itself vague in what its contents are, but if one finds it meaningful to preserve liberal institutions (e.g., elections, the constitution, etc.) and aren't advocating for a communist government or an abolition of the government or something similarly extreme (not stating these in particular were ever my views, but they are common among leftists), then they wouldn't be considered far-left for the purposes of this post at least as I intended it, but I'm happy to hear any perspective that one thinks meets the prompt.
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Comment on Liberals who were formerly far-left (communist, anarchist, etc.), what led to you coming to liberalism? in ~society
RNG (edited )LinkMy answers (for the record, I am not interested in debating my rationale at least in this particular post): Countless things, but among many, an over-reliance on armchair philosophizing rather...My answers (for the record, I am not interested in debating my rationale at least in this particular post):
What led to changing your mind?
Countless things, but among many, an over-reliance on armchair philosophizing rather than a strong connection to empirical evidence to inform policy. Too much armchair world building (and everyone has their own mutually exclusive world building project) and not enough connection to the real world. It turns out the societies the far-left want either are terrible or are extremely prone to failure when actually realized, perhaps due in part to the aforementioned issue.
How has this shift shaped your view of contemporary American politics?
I care more about the preservation of democracy and of liberal institutions. During the transition, I noticed the importance of being involved in local (city/county) politics as a primary aim of engagement, as changes at this level have the biggest material impact on how things go for you and those you care about. Also, you very much can make a dent in how things go locally. Finally, I left this anecdote in a previous comment:
I sometimes used leftist doomerism as a balm to soothe my worries, a tool to justify a lack of concern about the degradation of liberal institutions or the decline of democracy in the Trump era ("there's nothing worth saving here anyway", "this will speed up the fall so we can get to the political project that actually matters", etc.) Some commenters on a leftist doomer post I think must've played some non-trivial role in planting the seed to change my mind.
So thanks to those who contributed to that post.
What was the impact to your social circle or community?
There wasn't much impact. Years ago, I eventually quit keeping up with the constant fracturing and infighting. My community had shifted even before the pandemic.
What lessons do you think being a leftist taught you, or in what ways has it shaped you that you are appreciative of?
To prioritize issues that actually affect people materially (e.g., don't waste time complaining about ballrooms or performing arts centers.) I appreciate the focus some leftists have on actually getting out there and doing the work; this is something liberals do too, but I admire the effort many leftists put into grassroots organizing.
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Liberals who were formerly far-left (communist, anarchist, etc.), what led to you coming to liberalism?
A few questions to follow up: What led to changing your mind? How has this shift shaped your view of contemporary American politics? What was the impact to your social circle or community? What...
A few questions to follow up:
- What led to changing your mind?
- How has this shift shaped your view of contemporary American politics?
- What was the impact to your social circle or community?
- What lessons do you think being a leftist taught you, or in what ways has it shaped you that you are appreciative of?
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Comment on List animals until failure in ~games
RNG Linkjust got a bit over 100. lots of snakes lol 105 animals listed: πππππππ±πβπ¦Ίπ¦πΊπ¬π ππ¦πͺ°π¦πͺ°ππ€ππ·π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦ββ¬ππ¦π¦π¦π¦π¦ππ¬ππ¦π¦ππ¦π»π»π»ββοΈπππππππππ¦π¦¨π¦π¦ππͺ³πͺ³ππππ·ππππππ¦π ¦π¦π±π¦π¦ππ¦ππππ¦ͺjust got a bit over 100. lots of snakes lol
105 animals listed:
πππππππ±πβπ¦Ίπ¦πΊπ¬π ππ¦πͺ°π¦πͺ°ππ€ππ·π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦ββ¬ππ« π¦π¦π¦π¦π¦ππ¬π«ππ¦π¦ππ¦π»π»π»ββοΈπππππππππ¦π¦¨π¦π¦ππͺ³πͺ³ππππ·ππππππ¦π ¦π¦π±π¦π¦ππ¦ππππ¦ͺ
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Comment on What are some of your recent "little" failures? in ~talk
RNG LinkFailing my Instant Pot rice recipe over and over. Here is the recipe: tablespoon of sesame oil 1 cup rinsed Jasmine rice 1.25 cup mixed veggies .5 cup shelled edamame 1.25 cup water I then fry up...Failing my Instant Pot rice recipe over and over. Here is the recipe:
- tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1 cup rinsed Jasmine rice
- 1.25 cup mixed veggies
- .5 cup shelled edamame
- 1.25 cup water
I then fry up JUST Egg (vegan egg alt) and fry some of the rice up with the eggs and some soy sauce and sesame oil in a pan, and store the rest for meal prep. Here are the issues I had/mistakes I made:
- Instant Pot indicates burnt food. I dump the food and scrape scorched rice off the bottom. I assume it's due to the lower heat rating for sesame oil, so I swapped for canola oil
- I retry with the new oil, and notice some of the rice is burnt anyway, but much better overall result. I assume I need more water, and make a note to use more water next time
- Now using 1.5 cups of water, I try again, and the Instant Pot indicates burnt food. The seal for the lid wasn't seated correctly, so it kept heating but never reached required pressure. Dumped the food and tried again
- Final try with the substitutions of canola oil and additional water has given me consistently good results
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Comment on What's something you've moved on from? in ~talk
RNG LinkAtheism I consider myself an agnostic nowadays. Years ago as an ex-evangelical, I became as dogmatically certain of atheism and the obvious irrationality of all religion as I was of my previous...Atheism
I consider myself an agnostic nowadays. Years ago as an ex-evangelical, I became as dogmatically certain of atheism and the obvious irrationality of all religion as I was of my previous faith. Reflecting on which considerations count in favor of rational belief has made me think personal experiences may rationalize belief, as well as other considerations (e.g., cosmological fine-tuning, psychophysical harmony, nomological harmony, etc.) Also, not all "theists" are young earth creationist, conservative, evangelical protestants.
I've come to realize a lot of what new atheists including myself have said about conversational norms like the burden of proof, the nature of disbelief vs suspension of belief, and starting points for justification to be deeply confused and often incoherent.
New atheism has made good friends with the far right, and there is a through-line from new atheism to so-called groypers as I alluded to in a post I made a few years back.
Leftist politics
I intend to write a full post on this, but for many reasons I've come to think the most progressive projects will also be liberal. I appreciate the lessons I've learned reading leftist theory for nearly a decade, while also coming to understand its limitations. One lesson we can all learn from leftists is to know where to focus our attention. Focus on what materially affects people like healthcare, and less on performing art centers or ballrooms.
I sometimes used leftist doomerism as a balm to soothe my worries, a tool to justify a lack of concern about the degradation of liberal institutions or the decline of democracy in the Trump era ("there's nothing worth saving here anyway", "this will speed up the fall so we can get to the political project that actually matters", etc.) Some commenters on a leftist doomer post I think must've played some non-trivial role in planting the seed to change my mind. I can tell in retrospect my view was already shifting, but I still strongly agree to this day with many aspects of that post, such as focusing on being engaged at the local level.
I used to think that to not jump to the most outlandish political solutions betrayed a lack of concern (or at least a lesser degree of concern) about the issues, where now I think I care as much or more than I did as a leftist.
Meat eating
Factory farming is among the worst atrocities humanity has committed. This is also deserving of its own post, so I'll save it for that, but I noticed that when I went vegan (and I no longer felt a need to justify my own behavior to myself) I had the clarity to finally reflect on what I thought about this issue without bias. It's grim.
What isn't so grim is that it's never been easier to go vegan. It took not much more than two or three weeks to adjust, mainly trying my hand at different recipes, meal prep options, meal delivery plans, and snacks. Lots of great recommendations from the fine folks here on this post.
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Comment on Draw a fish. Go on. Draw one. in ~games
RNG LinkI love websites like this. Simple, fun, and imaginative. I wish there was a word for websites like this (which would include basically everything developed by https://neal.fun/)I love websites like this. Simple, fun, and imaginative. I wish there was a word for websites like this (which would include basically everything developed by https://neal.fun/)
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Comment on Cybernews research team has uncovered over sixteen billion leaked records since the start of 2025 in ~tech
RNG LinkMy guess (since they didn't say otherwise) is that these are salted password hashes. Which means getting one password doesn't give an attacker access to everywhere else you have used that password...My guess (since they didn't say otherwise) is that these are salted password hashes. Which means getting one password doesn't give an attacker access to everywhere else you have used that password (unless they expend tremendous compute brute-forcing your password from the salted hash, something that would not scale for the data set.)
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Comment on Nintendo Switch 2 sells over 3.5 million units worldwide in first four days in ~games
RNG Link ParentBreath of the Wild was worth being excited about all on its own especially at the time.Breath of the Wild was worth being excited about all on its own especially at the time.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
RNG LinkI've been really craving burgers since I went vegan, and was really impressed by Burger King's impossible burger. I bought some impossible patties, vegan mayo & cheese, ketchup, veggies, etc, and...I've been really craving burgers since I went vegan, and was really impressed by Burger King's impossible burger. I bought some impossible patties, vegan mayo & cheese, ketchup, veggies, etc, and made some burgers this weekend.
I'm just blown away at how good and meaty these patties are. If you cook them to medium, the middle stays pink. It tastes like a burger, it's juicy like a burger, etc. Going vegan is honestly so easy now with Gardein chicken nuggets that go in the air fryer on lazy days, impossible/beyond meats, JUST Eggs (which cook just like regular eggs are honestly SO good), etc.
If you aren't vegan, consider trying some of these alternatives! Any reduction of your animal consumption is good for the environment, animals, and (potentially) your health.
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Comment on Netflix TV shows disappeared? It's because of VPN. in ~tv
RNG Link ParentThey could be getting pressure from license holders.They could be getting pressure from license holders.
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Comment on Netflix TV shows disappeared? It's because of VPN. in ~tv
RNG Link ParentI've used the setup described above for all my devices for many years at this point with no edits to my process. I don't trust any domain to last terribly long, and I don't have the patience to...I've used the setup described above for all my devices for many years at this point with no edits to my process. I don't trust any domain to last terribly long, and I don't have the patience to look up the hottest domain every 6-8 months when the current one gets killed. I want a nice UI, all my movies and shows, and no fuss.
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Comment on Netflix TV shows disappeared? It's because of VPN. in ~tv
RNG LinkStremio + utorrentio plugin pairs well with a VPN, and your shows won't ever go away.Stremio + utorrentio plugin pairs well with a VPN, and your shows won't ever go away.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
RNG LinkI've recently gone vegan, and have been replacing animal proteins with similar plant ones (e.g., Impossible, Beyond, Gardein, etc.) I am trying to eat more traditional vegan meals, and recently...I've recently gone vegan, and have been replacing animal proteins with similar plant ones (e.g., Impossible, Beyond, Gardein, etc.) I am trying to eat more traditional vegan meals, and recently tried this recipe recommended by u/Carrow which turned out amazing. I'm working into doing more meal prep and have noticed that I'm paying a lot more attention to what I eat than I was before.
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Comment on Going vegan (general veganism thread) in ~food
RNG Link ParentI live not too far from Austin, so I might make the trek to Rebel Cheese (and I'll tell you all about it if I go!)I live not too far from Austin, so I might make the trek to Rebel Cheese (and I'll tell you all about it if I go!)
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Comment on Going vegan (general veganism thread) in ~food
RNG Link ParentGardein, Beyond, Impossible, etc. are entirely indistinguishable imo. There is greater diversity in flavor between two meat patties, chicken strips, etc. then there is between alternatives and...Gardein, Beyond, Impossible, etc. are entirely indistinguishable imo. There is greater diversity in flavor between two meat patties, chicken strips, etc. then there is between alternatives and what they replace.
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Comment on Going vegan (general veganism thread) in ~food
RNG Link ParentThis is my favorite comment on the thread. I love the practical life advice and it feels nice to be welcomed. I haven't told anyone I'm vegan and I intend to keep it that way as long as possible....This is my favorite comment on the thread. I love the practical life advice and it feels nice to be welcomed. I haven't told anyone I'm vegan and I intend to keep it that way as long as possible. I'm not sure I'm prepared to deal with all of the flak I know is going to be coming my way. My only motivation to be vegan is ethical; I really don't care about any alleged health benefits/detriments or whatever. I don't know any vegans so it feels quite isolating, especially considering how social an activity food is. It's an important way of relating to others, and my ethical views make this really irritating and inconvenient if I'm being honest.
Why would anyone think this is true?
This tweet provides zero evidence for its claims. The tweet itself certainly doesn't meaningfully count as evidence. Who's alleging this? Not even Kim Dotcom himself is alleging this, the subtext is that he got this from someone else who is claiming this, but this further source seems to be "trust me bro".
The content of the tweet actually seems more expected on the "I'm lying while doing a hit tweet on Palantir" hypothesis than it is the "Dotcom has a reliable source from a Palantir hack" hypothesis. And, not for nothing, but our prior in Dotcom lying should be pretty high.