AnthonyB's recent activity
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
AnthonyB LinkThe best thing I've watched this past week is Fallout. As a fan of the games, I love the show and the set design in particular. Every prop and setting is exactly the way it was in the games. If I...The best thing I've watched this past week is Fallout. As a fan of the games, I love the show and the set design in particular. Every prop and setting is exactly the way it was in the games. If I had to pick some nits, I would say Walt Goggins's performance is a little off compared to the ghouls you encounter in the games, and I read somewhere that he intentionally avoided playing them. It's probably for the best though, I don't think I could listen to hours of ghoul voice.
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Comment on Does anyone else have really strange FedEx driver stories? in ~talk
AnthonyB LinkMy FedEx experience has been terrible the last few years. My building has a gate in front that you can only get past with a key. I've made the delivery preferences very clear to call a number if...My FedEx experience has been terrible the last few years. My building has a gate in front that you can only get past with a key. I've made the delivery preferences very clear to call a number if the gate is locked but it never happens. I've even made signs that I left at the gate begging the guy to call, or even just chuck the box over the fence, but I just end up with more of those goddamn notes. The only time I've successfully received a package was when I staked it out on my day off and ran down the moment he pulled up.
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Comment on Not every student needs Algebra 2. UC should be flexible on math requirement. in ~science
AnthonyB Link ParentI did a little poll with my social circle, which includes a handful of writers, an artist, a marketing executive with experience in several big-name companies, a couple lawyers (one for a massive...I did a little poll with my social circle, which includes a handful of writers, an artist, a marketing executive with experience in several big-name companies, a couple lawyers (one for a massive media company, one public defender) and myself (a teacher who is significantly less financially successful than everyone above).
None of us have ever had to think about any of this outside of school. Most of the people I asked don't know remember anything they learned after PEMDAS. I know that I took Algebra 2 once upon a time, but like my Russian classes that I needed for my BA, I forgot pretty much all of it sometime around 2015. That list you made might as well have been in Cyrillic.
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Comment on Buffalo Bills trade WR Stefon Diggs to Houston Texans in ~sports.american_football
AnthonyB Link ParentHis regular season numbers have been great during his tenure in Buffalo, but his postseason performances were disappointing. Since 2020: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 60 yards 6 targets, 3 receptions,...Diggs has put up six 1000 yd receiving season in a row. He is under contract through the 2027 season
His regular season numbers have been great during his tenure in Buffalo, but his postseason performances were disappointing.
Since 2020:
4 targets, 3 receptions, 60 yards
6 targets, 3 receptions, 7 yards (13 second game)
9 targets, 7 receptions, 114 yards
10 targets, 4 receptions, 35 yards
9 targets, 7 receptions, 52 yards
8 targets, 3 receptions, 21 yards6 games, no touchdowns.
30 years old, making 18 mil a year till 2027. I think this could be one of those rare win-win trades.
As a Bills bandwagoner and Josh Allen fan, I'm hoping Dalton Kincaid takes a leap next year and becomes Allen's Gronk/Kelce.
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
AnthonyB LinkI'm not a monthly, not yet a poster, but I do have the tendency to drop a comment then pretend I was never there when the replies start coming in. That comes down to two main factors. First, I...I'm not a monthly, not yet a poster, but I do have the tendency to drop a comment then pretend I was never there when the replies start coming in. That comes down to two main factors. First, I take forever to put my thoughts into readable words. Second, as soon as I'm done, the self-doubt comes rolling in. Rather than wrestle with my own (potential? confirmed?) stupidity, I just peace out and wait for the next flash of inspiration that justifies the time and anxiety.
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
AnthonyB Link ParentSame. (I'd elaborate, but I don't have the time)Same. (I'd elaborate, but I don't have the time)
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Comment on Favorite hobby / subculture YouTube channels? in ~hobbies
AnthonyB LinkA lot of great stuff here. I would like to add Vagrant Holiday even though they haven't posted anything in a while. It's an interesting way to travel the world.A lot of great stuff here. I would like to add Vagrant Holiday even though they haven't posted anything in a while. It's an interesting way to travel the world.
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Comment on Favorite hobby / subculture YouTube channels? in ~hobbies
AnthonyB Link ParentTasting history is great and I love Parthian Chicken! It's one of my favorite YouTube-inspired recipes, and something I make for dinner parties, mostly because it's delicious but also for the WTF...Tasting history is great and I love Parthian Chicken! It's one of my favorite YouTube-inspired recipes, and something I make for dinner parties, mostly because it's delicious but also for the WTF factor. Plus the ingredients are pretty easy to find.
Cracking the Cryptic was a big part of my early lockdown experience. Very soothing and impressive.
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Comment on Where are all the teachers? Breaking down America's teacher shortage crisis in five charts. in ~life
AnthonyB Link ParentI hope to ski the great mountains of Giza some day.I hope to ski the great mountains of Giza some day.
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Comment on Where are all the teachers? Breaking down America's teacher shortage crisis in five charts. in ~life
AnthonyB Link ParentI was in the school for ECE a few years ago and my god the quality of candidates was alarming. Even my practicum class, which was something people took near the end of their education, was full of...(because let me tell you, many of my peers should NOT be becoming teachers)
I was in the school for ECE a few years ago and my god the quality of candidates was alarming. Even my practicum class, which was something people took near the end of their education, was full of people who had no business being in the classroom.
I think the perfect example of the kind of stuff I saw from my classmates (and frankly some of my colleagues now) is captured in this video which I encourage everyone to watch. I came across it while shopping for a book I could read for an assignment. My understanding is that this person is a teacher and this was uploaded and sent to parents during covid lockdowns. For a while, a part of me thought it was performance art, that even though I had classmates who were just as clueless about some of the most simple things, there was no way they would last at a school. But then I started working with people who are just like the person in the video. One of my classroom aides, a person who spends as much time with the students as I do, is basically illiterate. When she reads during read aloud, she is constantly corrected by my students who can read.
I know early childhood teaching qualifications are different than K-12 and that K-12 permits should, theoretically, weed out some of the candidates like my classmates, my colleague, and the person in the video, but early childhood is one of the most important stretches of a person's development. We need quality teachers as well. Unfortunately, when you pay fast food wages, you get fast food quality.
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Comment on Best foreign films and TV shows? in ~tv
AnthonyB LinkI'm not the biggest abstract/art house guy either, so this might be a stretch, but Stalker is a masterpiece. There are probably much better comparisons, but it's kind of like if Annihilation was...I'm not the biggest abstract/art house guy either, so this might be a stretch, but Stalker is a masterpiece. There are probably much better comparisons, but it's kind of like if Annihilation was directed by Stanly Kubrick. Give it a shot sometime.
Also, Peep Show.
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Comment on Best foreign films and TV shows? in ~tv
AnthonyB Link ParentPeep Show is, in my opinion, the funniest show of all time. It can be a bit tough to get into at first, especially if you're starting at S1E1, but once you figure out/get over the first person...Peep Show is, in my opinion, the funniest show of all time. It can be a bit tough to get into at first, especially if you're starting at S1E1, but once you figure out/get over the first person stuff it's incredible. Its basically all the funny parts of Succession with a dash of Alec Burg (Seinfeld, Silicon Valley) sitcom story arcs and Armando Iannucci quotability.
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Comment on House passes bill that could ban TikTok in the US, sending it to the Senate in ~tech
AnthonyB LinkSo Biden's big strategy to reach out to disaffected young voters is to join the platform that he plans to kill if given the opportunity? As others have stated, I don't see ByteDance selling to a...Despite that push, the bill sailed through the House, raising pressure on the Democratic-led Senate to act. President Joe Biden, whose 2024 campaign joined TikTok last month, has said that if the bill reaches his desk, he will sign it into law. Aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the bill "important," saying the administration hopes the Senate will "take swift action."
So Biden's big strategy to reach out to disaffected young voters is to join the platform that he plans to kill if given the opportunity? As others have stated, I don't see ByteDance selling to a Western corp. I wonder what the political implications are if he were to sign the bill and ByteDance held out.
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Comment on Oregon decriminalized drugs. Voters now regret it. in ~life
AnthonyB Link ParentWell said. This is a problem that extends far beyond the war on drugs. Any meaningful change to policing, education, or homelessness will require stronger social welfare programs as well. There's...Well said.
What's lost in these ideas, unfortunately, is the need for strong social welfare to support the people who struggle with these drugs. It's easy to overlook this, when the war on drugs has never supported this and the countries in which decriminalization has worked all already support this, but it's an integral piece of the puzzle that's missing from this piecemeal approach.
This is a problem that extends far beyond the war on drugs. Any meaningful change to policing, education, or homelessness will require stronger social welfare programs as well. There's no easy fix for systemic issues. Unfortunately, I don't see that type of overhaul happening any time soon in this political climate.
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Comment on 'Oppenheimer' lands seven Oscars including Best Picture in ~movies
AnthonyB Link ParentI think Oppenheimer is a perfect illustration of the difference between "good movies" and Academy Award winning movies. Is it rewatchable? Eh. Do you leave the theater saying, "Holy shit, what did...I think Oppenheimer is a perfect illustration of the difference between "good movies" and Academy Award winning movies. Is it rewatchable? Eh. Do you leave the theater saying, "Holy shit, what did I just see?" Kinda, but not really since you went in knowing exactly what was going to happen. Looking at it that way, I don't think it cracks my top-5 for Chris Nolan movies.
Having said that, I can see why so many people appreciate the execution of turning that story into something compelling and (more importantly) worth seeing in the theaters. Isn't that what the Academy Awards are for?
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Comment on 'Oppenheimer' lands seven Oscars including Best Picture in ~movies
AnthonyB Link ParentI watched Poor Things last night and saw Killers in theaters...I don't get the decision to have Gladstone in the lead actress category since she's not very involved in the second half of the...I watched Poor Things last night and saw Killers in theaters...I don't get the decision to have Gladstone in the lead actress category since she's not very involved in the second half of the movie. I was a bit surprised to Stone win since all the buzz was around Gladstone but it made sense. Emma Stone delivered a great performance in a movie that revolved around her character and gave her more opportunities to show off her range.
As for the show, I thought it was great. I am by no means a Kimmel fan but I think he did a terrific job, the best in recent memory for sure.
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Comment on Unique things to do in Las Vegas? (and Los Angeles) in ~travel
AnthonyB Link ParentA long list indeed. A great place to start is The LA Times 101 Best Restaurants. I've been working my way through the list and, yeah, they're really good. LA offers a lot of different things to...Visit and dine all the ethnic mini towns. Little Ethiopia. Thai town. Go get some dim sum in Rowland Heights. K-town. Sawtelle strip and Gardena for Japanese food. Or find a hipster bakery in Echo Park. It's a long list
A long list indeed. A great place to start is The LA Times 101 Best Restaurants. I've been working my way through the list and, yeah, they're really good.
LA offers a lot of different things to many types of people, so my broadest suggestion is to look the many different live music/comedy/sports venues and see if anyone you care about is in town, then pick a couple restaurants from the list and enjoy.
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Comment on One in four school-starters in England and Wales not toilet-trained, say teachers in ~life
AnthonyB Link ParentI'm writing this during my break at a Pre-K program in the US. My site has 30 kids (aged 3-5) between two classes. Of those 30, seven are still in diapers, including a 90lb 4.5yo who shits like a...I'm writing this during my break at a Pre-K program in the US. My site has 30 kids (aged 3-5) between two classes. Of those 30, seven are still in diapers, including a 90lb 4.5yo who shits like a grown man.
Just off the top of my head, I'd say those other figures aren't far off from my site. Most can't sit still at all, attention span are low even for their age, many are behind on their ability to dress themselves. It ain't pretty. I'd elaborate more but I've got to go break up another fight...
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Comment on Join me on the path to Twilightenment in ~books
AnthonyB Link ParentThe patreon videos are about as close as it gets these days. I haven't enjoyed the newer videos as much but I think it's because they don't really speak to my interests as much as the older ones...The patreon videos are about as close as it gets these days.
I haven't enjoyed the newer videos as much but I think it's because they don't really speak to my interests as much as the older ones did. I think the last few have been pretty impressive feats though, but they cover things well outside my area so I have no clue if they're actually that insightful.
Personally, I think it would be better if they were cut up in 3-4 parts and released over a few months, but I get why she wouldn't want to do that. It would probably be impossible not to tinker with them between releases especially given the influence of the audience's feedback.
As an American, I don't see how it's any better to hand this over to a US-based company that will probably do the same thing, only to the benefit of the United States. Instead of suppressing information about Hong Kong and Xinjiang, we now have the opportunity to suppress information about Gaza, BLM, and/or whatever future conflict we decide to involve ourselves in? Yay?
We worry about the TikTok algorithm's effect on politics, and, well, our brains, but Facebook and YouTube have been doing the same thing for years. We worry about our data being in the hands of the Chinese government, but every device we own and website we visit knows everything we're doing and thinking. We've known for a decade that our government can access that information. We're worried about the potential for China to be our oppressor from an ocean away, but we have decades of historical evidence that the US actively suppressed groups that advocated for changes that we now celebrate, or at the very least, begrudgingly accept.
There are plenty of places that you can get news that is highly critical of the Chinese government. This is just another step in the anti-China Red Scare 2.0 parade that has been going on for years.