ahatlikethat's recent activity
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Comment on Besides Shawshank Redemption, what films do you like that feature grit, resilience, endurance under hostile circumstances? in ~movies
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (January 2025) in ~health.mental
ahatlikethat Having been suicidally depressed myself, I would like to suggest: what can you do, before you go, naturally or otherwise, to make the most positive difference in the life of any living creature?...Having been suicidally depressed myself, I would like to suggest: what can you do, before you go, naturally or otherwise, to make the most positive difference in the life of any living creature? Maybe the world is going to shit, but while it is still here, and you are, what can you relieve another creature's suffering? I'm still here because a little girl brought an abandoned kitten to my door. Since then, I know if I had gone through with it, the lives of several people (some I hadn't even met at that time) would have been considerably worse. It's hard to see when you are feeling so bad. Please reach out to whoever you can find to help you. Every one of us matters.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
ahatlikethat I started playing DA Veilguard. I had been playing Cyberpunk 2077 for about a year, restarted several times and never got to Act 3. I ended up with a heavily modded game and I relaly enjoy almost...I started playing DA Veilguard. I had been playing Cyberpunk 2077 for about a year, restarted several times and never got to Act 3. I ended up with a heavily modded game and I relaly enjoy almost everything about it, but I have some personal life events that make impending doom seem like not so much fun. I know I will go back to it, but I really needed a break.
I've played all the Dragon Age Games, and while I find them pretty inferior to any of the CDProjekt games, I've been entertained enough. I know most people we unthrilled with DA Inquisition, but I really enjoyed the characters and the story, though there were too many long stretches of boring and fetch quests. I find the pacing in Veilguard much better, but the characters more generic so far, anyway. It is nice to hear some of my old favorite actors (Claudia Black, Michelle Gomez especially) and the female protagonist voice actor is quite good, I think. Some of the other actors seemed really not so good, at least at the beginning, but either they have improved or I've just gotten used to it. The story is not so interesting, at least yet, but it is mostly not annoying and entertaining enough. I feel like it is impossible to forget for a moment that it is a game, which was also a problem I had with Balder's Gate 3. I like to be able to lose myself in the story and scenery more. Overall I'd give it a B. Glad I got it on sale.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
ahatlikethat Thats good to hear, I bought it a while back, but some random post somewhere made me think it was a mistake. Your post makes it sound right up my alley. Gonna put it first in cue for once I finish...Thats good to hear, I bought it a while back, but some random post somewhere made me think it was a mistake. Your post makes it sound right up my alley. Gonna put it first in cue for once I finish DA Veilguard.
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Comment on Proton CEO tweets support for Donald Trump's Department of Justice pick and the US Republican Party in ~society
ahatlikethat I feel like it is impossible and fruitless at this point to "vote with your wallet." Allmost every area of commerce is currently monopolized or dominated by a very few massive companies. The...I feel like it is impossible and fruitless at this point to "vote with your wallet."
Allmost every area of commerce is currently monopolized or dominated by a very few massive companies. The owners/CEO/board members are all extremely wealthy (mostly white, male) people who have no interest in the common good. Of course they are going to support political parties that cater to the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us.The fact that the proton guy kept his opinions quiet until recently does not mean that his company was better before, just that he was better at PR.
In my personal situation (rural US, disabled,mostly homebound) I am limited to extremely distasteful companies for almost everything. Locally for groceries, there is only Walmart or Albertsons. Hardware? Home Depot or Tractor Supply. My partner's rx insurance forces us to use Walgreens (or we could go without). I use Amazon to get things delivered. I used to try to find things at small businesses that deliver, but whereas that was difficult but possible 15 years ago, most of that has gone.
I use Protonmail. It works pretty well though I have had bad experiences with their customer service. I'd be happy to switch if there were a real alternative, but at this point I don't think I would switch believing that the new company was any better morally or politically. Its pretty disheartening.
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Comment on Activities to do out of the house with an elderly relative? in ~life
ahatlikethat I don't know how to reply to the person who gave this an exemplary tag. It's my first! Thanks for that!I don't know how to reply to the person who gave this an exemplary tag. It's my first! Thanks for that!
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Comment on Activities to do out of the house with an elderly relative? in ~life
ahatlikethat I have been a caretaker for my elderly mom and a devoted niece to an elderly aunt. Their response to your plans would have been wildly different. I would recommend to not spring a surprise on your...- Exemplary
I have been a caretaker for my elderly mom and a devoted niece to an elderly aunt. Their response to your plans would have been wildly different.
I would recommend to not spring a surprise on your relative. Older people deal with a lot of loss of autonomy and personal control. Even the best-intentioned plan may make her feel like she's being forced to do something unless you have her buy-in from the beginning.
Also, instead of doing a big thing, maybe consider something super small and low-key. Is there a shop she likes but doesn't get to these days? Is there a nice walk you could take around her neighborhood or nearby? If the small thing goes well, she may feel more positive about something bigger, and the small thing will give you an opportunity to gauge what she may need to be successful in a larger trip. (like how important is it that she has bathroom access, or how well can she get in and out of your car, for example.) You don't mention if this is a one time thing, like if your are visiting from out of state, or you expect to be able to do this more than once. Either way, a successful small outing will promote better shared memories than trying to push for something big that may be more than she can really handle--unless the big thing is her idea.
In my mom's case, even small trips were exhausting and stressful. and she was happier to have the world come to her and spend time in her yard. In my aunt's case, she really wanted to go do things, but had limitations we had to find ways to work with.
I think it's awesome that you are wanting to share your time and help your relative enjoy herself. I hope it ends up being an excellent day that lives in both of your memories.
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Comment on The Walmart effect in ~finance
ahatlikethat Here are a couple companion pieces that add more support and data to the Atlantic piece: https://www.salon.com/2024/03/27/hidden-costs-public-burden-the-real-toll-of-walmarts-always-low-prices/...Here are a couple companion pieces that add more support and data to the Atlantic piece:
This article brings up some more points about how Walmart devastates communities:
For example, as Walmart expanded its traditional stores into Supercenters, it would often construct a new, larger building nearby instead of simply adding on to the existing one. Those old stores frequently sat empty or underused, just like the original Walmart in Rogers. That may be why Walmart openings have been linked to declines in nearby home values.
Walmart and other major retailers have made the situation even worse by including restrictive covenants in the deeds of old buildings, which prevent other retailers from using the space for competitive purposes. These provisions perpetuate food deserts and tie the hands of communities struggling to figure out what to do with these ghost buildings. After all, it’s not easy to find a use for an old Walmart that doesn’t involve grocery or retail. One former Walmart Supercenter in Brownsville, Texas, became the center of a national debate when it was bought by a firm detaining migrant children.
Limiting competition is apparently not enough for Walmart. The company understands what happens to communities when its stores are abandoned, and it uses this knowledge to leverage a tax break. The company often engages in what is known as the “dark stores” loophole, a tax dodge that lets it evade millions in property taxes by valuing its stores as if they were closed.
There's a lot more to this article, it's a really good companion piece, I think.
Also:
https://jacobin.com/2024/05/walmart-living-wage-medicaid-snapObviously left-leaning, but talks about how Walmart leverages taxpayers money so that we are all subsidizing their inadequate worker's wages and benefits.
In 2023, the chain increased the minimum wage for roughly 340,000 of its hourly workers in the United States by as much as $2 an hour in some stores, to $17.50 — leaving its rates behind its competitors, including Costco and Target — with its overall range from $14–19 per hour depending on location. That’s a pittance.
The living wage in the United States — the income level at which a family can afford the basics — hit $25.02 an hour in 2024.
and:
70 percent of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid users in their study were full-time workers, with 90 percent of them in the private sector. A significant number of them worked in restaurants and department or grocery stores.
Surprise, surprise — Walmart ranked among the top four employers whose workers relied on Medicaid and SNAP. As Eli Rosenberg broke down in the Washington Post, in nine states alone, Walmart had 14,500 employees on SNAP and 10,350 on Medicaid. Other top offenders included McDonalds, Dollar Tree, Amazon, Burger King, and FedEx.
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Comment on What does it mean to you to be a human? in ~life
ahatlikethat I live in hope of the day that we lose our terrifically oversized brains and are covered in fur like sea lions.I live in hope of the day that we lose our terrifically oversized brains and are covered in fur like sea lions.
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Comment on blogroll.club - A blog directory in ~tech
ahatlikethat Man, I got sucked in to the first article of the first listed blog! Thanks for posting this...I think?Man, I got sucked in to the first article of the first listed blog! Thanks for posting this...I think?
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Comment on Holiday season playlist in ~music
ahatlikethat Nice to meet another Low fan!Nice to meet another Low fan!
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Comment on Recommendations about which Android texting app to use? in ~tech
ahatlikethat I second this. I hated to get google messenger but since Signal doesn't support SMS at all any more, there is not better app that I could find. I really wish more people would adopt Signal. I only...I second this. I hated to get google messenger but since Signal doesn't support SMS at all any more, there is not better app that I could find. I really wish more people would adopt Signal. I only can use it for a handful of folks. As far as the data sucking goes, I think you are out of luck. (As are we all.)
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Comment on Holiday season playlist in ~music
ahatlikethat Low has a Christmas album (titled Christmashttps://lowtheband.bandcamp.com/album/christmas). We have it on loop every Christmas. It is not upbeat, more wistful.Low has a Christmas album (titled Christmashttps://lowtheband.bandcamp.com/album/christmas). We have it on loop every Christmas. It is not upbeat, more wistful.
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Comment on Great shows with interesting premises? in ~tv
ahatlikethat Absolutely. You'd think it would be gimmicky and distracting but she is so good you totally forget the characters are all one actor.Absolutely. You'd think it would be gimmicky and distracting but she is so good you totally forget the characters are all one actor.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
ahatlikethat Thanks for the explanation!Thanks for the explanation!
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
ahatlikethat Thank you; I remember reading (maybe here) about Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and I may start with that. It is standalone, right? I don't need to watch the original first?Thank you; I remember reading (maybe here) about Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and I may start with that. It is standalone, right? I don't need to watch the original first?
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
ahatlikethat Thank you! That looks like I could get a great start with that.Thank you! That looks like I could get a great start with that.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
ahatlikethat I just got Hulu, and they have a lot of anime. I've only ever watched a few things-- Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Twilight of the Cockroaches...Can anyone recommend...I just got Hulu, and they have a lot of anime. I've only ever watched a few things-- Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Twilight of the Cockroaches...Can anyone recommend to me what on Hulu (US) is worth watching? I'm pretty open to most genres, if it's well-executed.
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Comment on The price America paid for its first big immigration crackdown in ~humanities.history
ahatlikethat Anti-Irish sentiment had not disappeared by the 1870s. Here is an article from the Atlantic published in the 1890's just dripping with Anti-Irish racism. Even if Kearney were ignorant of recent...Anti-Irish sentiment had not disappeared by the 1870s. Here is an article from the Atlantic published in the 1890's just dripping with Anti-Irish racism. Even if Kearney were ignorant of recent history, certainly he was aware of the current state of things.
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Comment on The price America paid for its first big immigration crackdown in ~humanities.history
ahatlikethat It "worked," but I find it extremely depressing and a strike against humans as a species that, having suffered injustice we are more likely to use that experience to punch down than to extend a...It "worked," but I find it extremely depressing and a strike against humans as a species that, having suffered injustice we are more likely to use that experience to punch down than to extend a hand to those in a similar position.
Life is Beautiful
The Color Purple
Smoke Signals
Rabbit-Proof Fence