bkimmel's recent activity
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Comment on I think I've failed the United States in ~society
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Comment on Thoughts on a Democratic postmortem in ~society
bkimmel LinkSome of that is true / on the mark. Here's the thing: It's a flat circle. Democrats are good at politics when (and only when) they finally get sick of losing. When they say "we've been in the...Some of that is true / on the mark. Here's the thing:
It's a flat circle. Democrats are good at politics when (and only when) they finally get sick of losing. When they say "we've been in the wilderness long enough, we want to win, and we're willing to make some sacrifices, ignore litmus tests on some of our pet issues, and put up with some people we really don't like that much but are good at winning".
Take, for example 2004: Lost everything -- House, Senate and "W" in the White House. Cue the stories about how "the Democratic party is finished. It will never win another election.". Rahm Emanuel shows up and takes over as chair of the DCCC. Some people on the left grouse a little bit, but everyone is so sick of losing they're willing to let him do what he has to do. He recruits people like Heath Schuler - who is no one's idea of a "model progressive" but holy shit! he wins his district! ... and so do a bunch of other Rahm's "less than progressive ideal" hand-picked candidates. Result: The first woman Speaker of the House takes the gavel after the 2006 election.
The real question is "are you sick enough of losing yet that you're willing to stomach a Heath Shuler"? It's a real fucking "Marshmallow Test" because he's going to do things you find odious: like "opposing abortion rights, same-sex marriage and gun control". But he's also going to vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, which allows Democrats to control the legislative agenda. Because whatever Republican gets that (PVI R+7) seat ends up "opposing abortion rights, same-sex marriage and gun control" and also keeps the gavel out of Pelosi's hands (who will do more than anyone else to support "abortion rights, same-sex marriage and gun control" effectively).
Just like that: in less than 1 election cycle, the Democrats go from "Doomed! Disband the party!" to "Unstoppable force that elects the first black president."
It can happen again, some critical mass in the party just has to decide they hate losing more than they hate Rahm Emanuel and Heath Schuler.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
bkimmel Link ParentMe too! I just started reading Eye of The World and I'm about 3/4 through it. One thing that's on my mind is that I like it, but I'm kinda asking myself "Do I like this enough to commit to all 15...Me too! I just started reading Eye of The World and I'm about 3/4 through it. One thing that's on my mind is that I like it, but I'm kinda asking myself "Do I like this enough to commit to all 15 (or whatever) books?"
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Comment on Elections: ultimately, it’s going to be okay in ~society
bkimmel LinkWhen I worked in politics, there was a quiet observation that was often shared by the grizzled veteran staffers: It was almost always better to lose your first campaign. It centers you and gives...When I worked in politics, there was a quiet observation that was often shared by the grizzled veteran staffers: It was almost always better to lose your first campaign. It centers you and gives you the 1000-yard stare you need to win in a way that almost no other experience can.
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Comment on What are your favorite westerns? in ~movies
bkimmel LinkThe Fistful of Dollars / Eastwood movies that have been mentioned are probably the most broadly "recognizable" as Western -and I really enjoyed those... but for my money Leone's later film "Once...The Fistful of Dollars / Eastwood movies that have been mentioned are probably the most broadly "recognizable" as Western -and I really enjoyed those... but for my money Leone's later film "Once Upon a Time in the West" is possibly one of the most beautiful things ever crafted by humankind in any medium.[
The way the sounds and environment become part of the story, the way the film shows "progress" against the backdrop of the landscape... the music ( one of the most beautiful and difficult to sing songs ). It just grabs you from the first 7 minutes and never lets go as it pulls you through the story. The first time I watched it I was just expecting a "filler Western" to kill some time and a couple hours later I was sobbing on my couch.
"Economy of dialogue" is something that strikes me as uniquely "Western": Doing as much as you can with as little actual dialogue as possible and using cues from the environment to do more of the work. The 2011 film "Drive" (which I also consider a Western in some sense) kind of took the same tack.
It can be a refreshing break from other media where it feels like everyone is just "babbling" to drive story or plot development.
Some minor spoilers here, but a fun breakdown of Leone's direction here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHlkX8XTJRQ
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Comment on Bypassing airport security via SQL injection in ~tech
bkimmel Link ParentIt's just the other edge of the double-edged sword of "working in a highly paid field with no credentialing". That's the way I always think of it, anyway: You get more freedom to move around and...It's just the other edge of the double-edged sword of "working in a highly paid field with no credentialing". That's the way I always think of it, anyway: You get more freedom to move around and try different things but you pay for it with three-week-nightmare interview processes and stuff like this.
On the upside, they'll have to pay a real SE to fix it... TSA will likely force them to hire at least a couple people who know what they're doing now...so you end up getting your shot then.
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Comment on Looking for some Switch recommendations in ~games
bkimmel LinkSome good ones that are on other platforms (I think), but really shine on the Switch: Stardew Valley Hades Balatro Into the Breach A Short Hike Steamworld Dig 2 TMNT: Shredder's Revenge Slay the...Some good ones that are on other platforms (I think), but really shine on the Switch:
- Stardew Valley
- Hades
- Balatro
- Into the Breach
- A Short Hike
- Steamworld Dig 2
- TMNT: Shredder's Revenge
- Slay the Spire
- Wargroove
- Dredge
- Banner Saga
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Comment on MoneyRanked: The countries with the highest wealth per person in ~finance
bkimmel Link ParentI would tend to agree with you, but for the fear that whenever we "aim at the billionaires" we tend to hit the upper middle class instead. Because (and this is where the Catch-22 is) the...I would tend to agree with you, but for the fear that whenever we "aim at the billionaires" we tend to hit the upper middle class instead. Because (and this is where the Catch-22 is) the billionaires have captured the legislative process: they will slow it down, poke holes in it and hired million-dollar lawyers to squeeze their billions through those holes. Then the upper-middle class revolts when they have to shoulder the burden of this charade and we end up with another Bush/Trump, making things even worse.
I guess I'm saying I agree with you, but I really see the best solution as re-empowering labor unions which were the best way to maintain this balance in the long IMHO.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
bkimmel LinkSteamWorld: Heist 2 I've been a huge fan of the SteamWorld games for a long time, so I picked this one up very soon when it came out. OpenCritic rates it at "85", which I think is about fair. It...SteamWorld: Heist 2
I've been a huge fan of the SteamWorld games for a long time, so I picked this one up very soon when it came out. OpenCritic rates it at "85", which I think is about fair. It maybe doesn't quite breach "can't put it down" level, but it's a well-made game with polished and engaging gameplay and a fun story (so far) to boot.Of course, it's hard to not compare it to the first Heist, and in that regard I'd say it trades away a little novelty for a more engaging story and gameplay balance. The only strike I'll mark against it is some of the new mechanics (freezing and totems come to mind) aren't explained super well and the UI around them doesn't feel as crisp as its predecessor. They also basically made all the characters "multi class" where your class is based on your current weapon. Still trying to decide how I feel about that.
There is also a bit of "light arcade" play in the submarine (you're in the water this time) between missions. It does a good job of making exploring a little more interesting without getting in the way too much.
If you liked the first one at all, you know what to expect here: a solid rogue-like 2d X-COM.
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Comment on What are online courses could you suggest for starting UI/UX design? in ~design
bkimmel LinkNielsen Norman is essentially the gold standard for this https://www.nngroup.com/Nielsen Norman is essentially the gold standard for this https://www.nngroup.com/
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Comment on US athletes are taking full advantage of free healthcare in Olympic village in ~sports
bkimmel Link ParentSomeone once said "If you are a progressive and care about things like this (e.g. universal healthcare) the most effective thing you can advocate for is improving the experience with the DMV and...Someone once said "If you are a progressive and care about things like this (e.g. universal healthcare) the most effective thing you can advocate for is improving the experience with the DMV and IRS".
Because that models what 90 percent of people think of when they imagine what the government can or will do. I've been reading some books lately like "Recoding America" that make this point in not so many words.
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Comment on US athletes are taking full advantage of free healthcare in Olympic village in ~sports
bkimmel Link ParentI think most Americans index this idea against other "government-provided services" (e.g. the DMV) and conclude that their taxes would go up and their health care quality would go down as a...I think most Americans index this idea against other "government-provided services" (e.g. the DMV) and conclude that their taxes would go up and their health care quality would go down as a result. Not saying it's right or wrong for people to think that: just pointing out that they do.
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Comment on Is there a digital D&D that is turn-based and go at your own pace? in ~games.tabletop
bkimmel LinkWilderMyth very much has this "D&D Session" feel to it. You can play it multiplayer (I think).WilderMyth very much has this "D&D Session" feel to it. You can play it multiplayer (I think).
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Comment on Tildes Video Thread in ~misc
bkimmel LinkThis was interesting as an investigation into something I always just took at face value "Do Beans and Peas Really Improve Nitrogen Levels in Soil" https://youtu.be/Ei0XFOkcHY8?si=AkIMJVL5N_EFYHH5This was interesting as an investigation into something I always just took at face value "Do Beans and Peas Really
Improve Nitrogen Levels in Soil" https://youtu.be/Ei0XFOkcHY8?si=AkIMJVL5N_EFYHH5 -
Comment on So what do political parties spend all that fundraised money on? in ~talk
bkimmel Link ParentYeah, it was years ago so I don't think it was quite 10Gbps and it wasn't that company but that was the basic idea.Yeah, it was years ago so I don't think it was quite 10Gbps and it wasn't that company but that was the basic idea.
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Comment on So what do political parties spend all that fundraised money on? in ~talk
bkimmel Link ParentIt was to link a party committee office to an annex in a different building (there was a corresponding laser on on the other building). They were on top of rickety ladders and had to be adjusted...It was to link a party committee office to an annex in a different building (there was a corresponding laser on on the other building). They were on top of rickety ladders and had to be adjusted occasionally by hand.
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Comment on So what do political parties spend all that fundraised money on? in ~talk
bkimmel Link ParentSince no one asked, here's some random fun facts I learned that don't see normally bubbling up into common knowledge: TV / Radio stations are in a very weird position with respect to political...- Exemplary
Since no one asked, here's some random fun facts I learned that don't see normally bubbling up into common knowledge:
- TV / Radio stations are in a very weird position with respect to political advertising: One on hand, they can't refuse to air a political ad and have to offer a "slightly lower than market value" rate to political ads... but on the other hand, they themselves are liable for the content of the ad (and can refuse or can be forced to take down the ad on that basis). For example, if the ad says "Mike Jones kicked his dog" that claim generally has to be backed up with some kind of source material or the station is liable for damages. For that reason, pretty much all of these ads get submitted with heavily annotated (line-by-line) transcripts with research backing up each claim made in the ad.
- CPP or "Cost Per Point" is the most important thing used to calculate media spend (on radio/tv and there are analogues to it for digital ads). It basically means "the cost to get an ad seen by 1% of the target audience in a given media market". This gets really interesting in some congressional races, where the district does not line up neatly with one media market. For example, you might have 20% of the district population living in an urban media market with a CPP of $415 and the rest in a sprawling exurban/rural media market with a much lower CPP of like $90 or something.
- Snail Mail - this is still a huge part of fundraising, that doesn't get talked about as much and the way it works on the receiving/processing end is a pretty massive industry unto itself: They have these big "caging" operations where all these people open the mail and process the old-school checks (and sometimes cash) that people send in. This company called Merkle did a lot of it, so when you see that on FEC reports that's usually what that expenditure is for.
- "Reserving" media spend. If you're familiar with the way "reserved" instances and stuff works on like AWS, this is kinda similar: If you know months ahead of time that you're going to be spending on TV ads (like lots of campaigns) you can put some money down up front and "reserve" that ad time for a lower price than you would pay later. For this reason, if you want to really make a difference with a donation to a campaign give them money early (in their first few weeks). ... which leads to the next point:
- The timing of campaigns "getting" money is the bane of every finance director. It tends to come in at an exponential rate 2-3 weeks before election day. At that point, it's basically useless to the campaign for anything but paying off debts.
- U.S. Senators and Members of Congress are not allowed to do anything related to their campaigns in their official government offices. They have to walk down the street to the party offices or nearby offices that their fundraising consultants have to call donors and do stuff like that.
- There used to be a laser on the roof of the Democratic National Headquarters (it was a point-to-point networking device to a nearby building)
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Comment on So what do political parties spend all that fundraised money on? in ~talk
bkimmel LinkAMA. This used to be my job. The cool part is you can look it all up yourself on the FEC website. OpenSecrets if you're lazy. The short answer is "advertising". They have to pay a "slightly lower...AMA. This used to be my job. The cool part is you can look it all up yourself on the FEC website. OpenSecrets if you're lazy.
The short answer is "advertising". They have to pay a "slightly lower than market rate" in every media market by law.
After that, it's consultants and staff.
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Comment on PWA Notifications in ~comp
bkimmel LinkYou do know you can access https://devdocs.io/dom/notification without a service worker, right? What you're describing sounds like that's what you'd really like/need. You can call that from the...You do know you can access https://devdocs.io/dom/notification without a service worker, right? What you're describing sounds like that's what you'd really like/need. You can call that from the main thread or any vanilla Worker.
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Comment on US President Joe Biden reportedly more open to calls for him to step aside as candidate in ~news
bkimmel Link ParentHer name was not on any ballot - technically Biden could even choose a different VP. These kinds of technicalities are out-of-bounds when you've been casting the election as a contest for "the...Her name was not on any ballot - technically Biden could even choose a different VP.
These kinds of technicalities are out-of-bounds when you've been casting the election as a contest for "the future of Democracy" to just disregard the votes of millions of people... At best it's "not a good look" and it's probably closer to the scheming hypocrisy Republicans tend to try to get people to believe about the Democrats.
I think the point is spot-on though:
"You either hate losing enough to change or hate change enough to keep losing"
Part of (I think) OP's point is that saying things like "they can retrain and find other jobs", "coal mining is never coming back anyways", "immigrants can do those jobs now" and things like that in their local conversations creates the national lens that a lot of people perceive political messaging through. Would you trust someone who said those things about you or your industry/job?