Steppenfox's recent activity
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Comment on Better Call Saul: 'You were a lawyer' | Season 4 official trailer in ~tv
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Comment on What aspect of the LGBT community do you feel like is least discussed? in ~lgbt
Steppenfox Link ParentThat's a very good point, and something I hadn't thought about. I suppose because it wasn't something I had (consciously) suffered from, I didn't think about that suffering in others. I'll...That's a very good point, and something I hadn't thought about. I suppose because it wasn't something I had (consciously) suffered from, I didn't think about that suffering in others. I'll definitely try to apply this more, thank you.
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Comment on What aspect of the LGBT community do you feel like is least discussed? in ~lgbt
Steppenfox Link ParentOddly, the 'passing for straight' thing is sort-of something I get. I'm lucky that half the people I'm attracted to won't result in us facing discrimination. That said, there's a difference...Oddly, the 'passing for straight' thing is sort-of something I get. I'm lucky that half the people I'm attracted to won't result in us facing discrimination. That said, there's a difference between thinking I'm lucky to have that and other people giving me shit for it.
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Comment on What aspect of the LGBT community do you feel like is least discussed? in ~lgbt
Steppenfox LinkThis may be entirely self-pitying, because I'm bi, but bi erasure does seem like a huge thing. I've seen trans people discuss how a character must be gay because of their close relationship to...This may be entirely self-pitying, because I'm bi, but bi erasure does seem like a huge thing. I've seen trans people discuss how a character must be gay because of their close relationship to someone of the same gender, ignoring previous relationships with people of the opposite gender.
With that said, it's probably less significant than the ignorance people have of non-binary people. It seems more strange to me though, since anyone who accepts the existence of gay people (i.e., almost everyone in the Western world) should have no issue with the idea of bisexuals - and yet they so easily forget about it.
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Comment on So, what have we all been playing? in ~games
Steppenfox Link ParentThat sounds horrible! Hope you get some kind of treatment for it.That sounds horrible! Hope you get some kind of treatment for it.
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Comment on Guilty TV pleasures? in ~tv
Steppenfox LinkI don't really like what people talk about as 'guilty pleasures' - I honestly think you can get something of value out of anything. My reality tv of choice is RuPaul's Drag Race, which I actually...I don't really like what people talk about as 'guilty pleasures' - I honestly think you can get something of value out of anything. My reality tv of choice is RuPaul's Drag Race, which I actually find fascinating in the way it plays with gender and notions of self-confidence in the world of celebrity. I actually spent the first few seasons trying to work out if it was sexist/transphobic/generally okay to watch; decided it was, but it's still fascinating to consider!
Similarly (though I haven't seen them) I imagine love island and the bachelor(ette) probably say a lot about love in the instagram age. I think even the title of 'keeping up with the Kardashians' makes me interested in the concept of how we in the modern world all want to live like celebrities, where previously we just would have wanted to live like our neighbours ('keeping up with the Joneses')*. The one episode of Queer Eye I've watched already taught me that I shouldn't wash my hair every day.
I do believe in guilty pleasures - obvious ones like getting high, comfort food, etc. - but I don't think tv being a guilty pleasure is what you watch so much as how. I used to get high and watch the Sopranos, and that was definitely a guilty pleasure. If I was watching it and thinking about its bigger messages about society and psychology, then it wouldn't be.
*I didn't come up with this comparison, think I read it in an interview in the Atlantic but could be wrong. Any links appreciated!
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Comment on So, what have we all been playing? in ~games
Steppenfox Link ParentHow does it affect TMJ? Sorry if that's a woosh. Yeah, the rituals drive me mad. Glad you're enjoying it too though!How does it affect TMJ? Sorry if that's a woosh. Yeah, the rituals drive me mad. Glad you're enjoying it too though!
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Comment on So, what have we all been playing? in ~games
Steppenfox LinkI'm playing a new game called 'Cultist Simulator'. Ignore the annoying title, the game itself is a weird exploration of a Lovecraft(-lite) world. You do have some power and capacity as an ordinary...I'm playing a new game called 'Cultist Simulator'. Ignore the annoying title, the game itself is a weird exploration of a Lovecraft(-lite) world. You do have some power and capacity as an ordinary human exploring the mysteries of the occult, but it maintains HP's strange, evocative feel. The writer and designer (Alexis Kennedy) is a brilliant man who writes beautiful things.
Fair warning for anyone who's interested: it's a chance-based card game, with all the frustration that entails. What makes it worth it is the depth of lore, but that only becomes apparent a couple of hours in. Until then it's the feeling that keeps you interested. The last thing to mention, which could be a pro or a con depending on the player, is that it is very much about trying to work out how to do things. You combine cards with verbs, and sometimes you don't get a card, sometimes you do. The difference between the two isn't always clear, which makes it fascinating at best and hugely frustrating at worst.
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Comment on Does anybody else find themselves lurking a lot more on Tildes? in ~tildes
Steppenfox LinkI find exactly the opposite. I think it's a combination of subjects (mostly more political/'deeper') and responses; people seem like they actually care, they've read your post, etc. To me it's...I find exactly the opposite. I think it's a combination of subjects (mostly more political/'deeper') and responses; people seem like they actually care, they've read your post, etc. To me it's mostly about the absence of trolls or people who just want to broadcast their opinion - less twitter and less facebook, so to speak. It feels more like an actual conversation.
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Comment on How does language change our perception of reality? Does it reflect fundamental limitations of human understanding? in ~humanities
Steppenfox Link ParentTricky question. It partly depends on whether you have a backing in philosophy, since he can be unpleasantly dense - not to mention easy to misunderstand. Most of the problems he was discussing...Tricky question. It partly depends on whether you have a backing in philosophy, since he can be unpleasantly dense - not to mention easy to misunderstand. Most of the problems he was discussing (the foundation of reality, Hume's issues with logic) only seem like problems if you already know about them.
On the other hand, he was extraordinarily broad in his interests, so he ended up writing a lot of stuff that wasn't focussed on the sort of metaphysical issues we're discussing here. He wrote a short essay called 'What is Enlightenment?' that doesn't connect much with what we're talking about, but is an interesting read and a relatively accessible work of his to begin on. So I'd probably read that if I were you, and see what you think. If you like it then maybe it would be worth looking into his other stuff
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Comment on What are your most trusted news sources and why? in ~news
Steppenfox LinkI live in the UK, and I find the BBC is reasonably trustworthy. Their bias shows through in selection of stories - generally centrist and UK perspective - but they certainly aren't fake news in...I live in the UK, and I find the BBC is reasonably trustworthy. Their bias shows through in selection of stories - generally centrist and UK perspective - but they certainly aren't fake news in the sense of publishing false stories.
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Comment on A Financial Book discussion - Because we don't have a ~money sub yet in ~finance
Steppenfox LinkI'm a big fan of thinking fast and slow (the book by Kahneman), but I've often wondered why investors like it so much when it seems like it disproves the idea that investors are worth anything,...I'm a big fan of thinking fast and slow (the book by Kahneman), but I've often wondered why investors like it so much when it seems like it disproves the idea that investors are worth anything, especially when combined with the fact that most investing companies fail to beat the market. Is there a response to this?
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books
Steppenfox Link ParentI'm not American, but I do love mythology a lot, so there's that. I enjoyed a lot of things about it, but I do agree it's not exactly tightly written - but I love the way it reveals...I'm not American, but I do love mythology a lot, so there's that. I enjoyed a lot of things about it, but I do agree it's not exactly tightly written - but I love the way it reveals characterisation through action. Wednesday, Czernobog, Mr Nancy, Laura; I fell like I've met these people, at the same time as knowing I've never met anyone quite like them. Then that understanding plays very neatly into the twist.
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Comment on How does language change our perception of reality? Does it reflect fundamental limitations of human understanding? in ~humanities
Steppenfox Link ParentIf you read Kant in high school, and understood him, I'd be very impressed. I'm studying philosophy at uni right now, and still found the critique of pure reason a hell of a struggleIf you read Kant in high school, and understood him, I'd be very impressed. I'm studying philosophy at uni right now, and still found the critique of pure reason a hell of a struggle
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books
Steppenfox LinkI'm reading a collection of poetry (from about 1914 till about 1935), as well as one of GK Chesterton's Father Brown books. I'm really enjoying both, Father Brown makes a much more interesting...I'm reading a collection of poetry (from about 1914 till about 1935), as well as one of GK Chesterton's Father Brown books. I'm really enjoying both, Father Brown makes a much more interesting sleuth than Holmes in my opinion.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books
Steppenfox Link ParentAmerican Gods is excellent-there's another book in that world, called Anansi Boys. It's less sprawling, but still excellent.American Gods is excellent-there's another book in that world, called Anansi Boys. It's less sprawling, but still excellent.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books
Steppenfox Link ParentI love le Carré! Only problem is he ruined a bunch of other spy stuff for me, I just don't find it as interesting as that harshly realistic style. His books are to spy fiction what the Wire is to...I love le Carré! Only problem is he ruined a bunch of other spy stuff for me, I just don't find it as interesting as that harshly realistic style. His books are to spy fiction what the Wire is to cop shows.
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Comment on How does language change our perception of reality? Does it reflect fundamental limitations of human understanding? in ~humanities
Steppenfox Link ParentSince you know what fictionalism is, you probably already know this, but Kant argued very similarly to your first paragraph. The main argument of his critique of pure reason is that the world is...Since you know what fictionalism is, you probably already know this, but Kant argued very similarly to your first paragraph. The main argument of his critique of pure reason is that the world is limited and structured by the limits and structure of our mental capabilities. Then he discusses how we should think about the world on that basis.
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Comment on A sociologist examines the “white fragility” that prevents white Americans from confronting racism in ~humanities
Steppenfox LinkInteresting article. The example of the friend calling a mostly-black neighbourhood 'bad' sticks with me. My first reaction was thinking that a neighborhood being dangerous is something we should...Interesting article. The example of the friend calling a mostly-black neighbourhood 'bad' sticks with me. My first reaction was thinking that a neighborhood being dangerous is something we should be able to talk about, and while the explanation for why black people are more likely to live in dangerous neighbourhoods is racism, that doesn't mean calling a neighbourhood bad is dangerous.
As soon as I thought that, I had to wonder whether that was my white fragility talking. This is almost the perfect example of the difficulty with racism among the left now; anyone with sense accepts that people act and speak in certain ways due to racial bias. But when the bias is entirely subconscious, and we think we have perfectly good reasons for our behaviour, how can we tell if it is racist?
Maybe we should just listen; that seems to be the solution of the article. I'd disagree. Unless we think that no person of colour can ever mistakenly attribute racism, then there needs to be some dialogue to avoid misunderstanding. Of course, white people have been monologuing for a long time, so we have to be careful to prevent the existing bias from unbalancing that.
Sorry about the massive wall of text, I'm still trying to work out what I think about this.
TL;DR: racism bad, dialogue good. Good dialogue hard.
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Comment on Pope revises catechism to say death penalty is 'inadmissible' in ~humanities
Steppenfox Link ParentIf you feel like having that thread, please message me! I've never heard an argument for capital punishment that I've found persuasive, but I'm interested.If you feel like having that thread, please message me! I've never heard an argument for capital punishment that I've found persuasive, but I'm interested.
Replying to a dead thread, but still: I understand your problem. Rewatching the first season it doesn't seem like something I'd be into; honestly I feel like I stuck with it because of its pedigree. That said, the more recent seasons (3-4) have featured characters and themes that make me want to stick with it.
Full disclosure: I'm attracted to anything crime-related. The stakes are higher, it fits the escapism buzz, and it automatically attracts the kind of excitement that most people don't experience in their day-to-day life. Those elements are subtle or absent in the first couple of seasons, but they are becoming much more prevalent lately.
On the other hand, another thing that attracts me to crime series is the question of how, and to what extent, people can give up their moral authority. Morality at the sharp end brings fascinating characterisation, and decisions that invite debate. Those things were present from the beginning, and if they didn't interest you I'm not sure how much the later episodes of the show will change your mind.
One thing I will say: this contrast between the early themes (someone using questionable legal manipulation to help himself and others) and the later ones (being neck-deep in crime and struggling to keep it relatively legit) has lead to this series lacking consistency in a way that BB didn't. That story was tight; this one was looser, in a manner similar to The Sopranos. Jimmy Mcgill isn't building something; he's tearing down the chances he has in order to find something that suits him.
There is one element that means I won't give up on it. All the greatest shows - Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Sopranos, even (imo) a painfully underrated old show called the Sandbaggers manage to portray characters both consistently and surprisingly. That's a nightmarish task. Beyond a doubt, BCS has done it throughout its run. If I had to give one reason to keep watching, it's that.