bret's recent activity

  1. Comment on The tech baron seeking to “ethnically cleanse” San Francisco in ~life

    bret
    Link
    "We're uh, allied with exclusively cops and republicans, and our enemy is the democrats. we're totally not just republicans though! i pinky promise!"

    "We're uh, allied with exclusively cops and republicans, and our enemy is the democrats. we're totally not just republicans though! i pinky promise!"

    17 votes

  2. Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech

    bret
    Link
    Totally anecdotal, but it really does feel like tiktok is constantly pushing whatever anti-US narrative is trending at the time really hard. Right now its some of the most insane pro-hamas,...

    Totally anecdotal, but it really does feel like tiktok is constantly pushing whatever anti-US narrative is trending at the time really hard. Right now its some of the most insane pro-hamas, anti-israel talking points that keep flooding my feed despite me literally never engaging with them, swiping off them immediately, and never subscribing to those types of channels. And, of course, the whole 'a message from tiktok about how the US is trying to trample your rights' stuff that people unironically believe.

    I do fear the effect of a super popular platform being controlled by a hostile foreign power, that has the compounding affect of swaying public opinion, causing more anti-US content, causing more swaying of opinion, ad infinum. And having read about how China operates, one would be delusional to think they are not in control of Tiktok

    25 votes

  3. Comment on Where are you on the spectrum of vacation planning? Detailed to the hour or floating like a leaf in the wind? in ~talk

    bret
    Link
    I do a lot of 'planning' in making a custom google map of places that look interesting in the area I'm visiting, but I do very minimal planning on when to go to each place. I don't plan exactly...

    I do a lot of 'planning' in making a custom google map of places that look interesting in the area I'm visiting, but I do very minimal planning on when to go to each place. I don't plan exactly which places we'll visit each day (there is usually too many places on the map to go to them all anyways) and just go by whatever sounds good in the moment. I usually buy the hotel room in advance -after making the map so I can see what area seems convenient to get a hotel. I like my approach because I can decide to go to a place I want to go, and after I'm done with that place I have a lot of flexibility while still having a list of worthwhile places to go to so I don't feel like I'm missing out.

    3 votes

  4. Comment on The forgotten war on beepers in ~tech

    bret
    Link
    Even though I'm 34, I had to google just now how pagers actually worked

    Even though I'm 34, I had to google just now how pagers actually worked

  5. Comment on Online shopping - how convenient is it actually? in ~life.style

    bret
    Link
    This must depend where you live - many things I buy on amazon are next-day or even same-day. There are a few things I buy that I don't really care whether or not I have it "in hand" quickly or...

    Amazon is one of the fastest, and they still take at least two days.

    This must depend where you live - many things I buy on amazon are next-day or even same-day.

    There are a few things I buy that I don't really care whether or not I have it "in hand" quickly or not. For example, I am going on an overseas trip next week. I bought a travel pillow online. I don't really care if it shows up tomorrow or a week from now, and the selection is much larger online than I am going to find in any store here.

    There is also buying things from store online for pickup - I do this with stores like Best Buy fairly often if I want the item today. Or, if not actually buying it online, or I want it even quicker (I don't want to wait the hour or two it takes for them to have it 'ready for pickup') I will go online to see if the store even has it before going there to get it myself.

    Overall, I find online shopping very convenient.

    22 votes

  6. Comment on What is your "can't miss" movie that you will not pass up if showing in theaters? in ~movies

    bret
    (edited )
    Link
    If I see a showing of Interstellar is in theaters again, I'm going edit: 10th anniversary imax rerelease letsgooo

    If I see a showing of Interstellar is in theaters again, I'm going
    edit: 10th anniversary imax rerelease letsgooo

    10 votes

  7. Comment on How can I best keep my room cool in summer? in ~life.home_improvement

    bret
    Link Parent
    Does the foil have to go on the outside of the window or can it be on the inside?

    Cover your windows with aluminum foil, shiney side out.

    Does the foil have to go on the outside of the window or can it be on the inside?

  8. Comment on “Both-sides” and when is nuance acceptable discourse? in ~talk

    bret
    Link
    I think one of the problems with "both sides" is simply that, more and more, both "sides" don't live in reality. Even though one 'side' is probably closer to the truth, both are often so far from...

    I think one of the problems with "both sides" is simply that, more and more, both "sides" don't live in reality. Even though one 'side' is probably closer to the truth, both are often so far from reality that it muddies the waters.

    It's more and more common that on any issue the two 'sides' are something like this:
    Side A - MILLIONS of illegals are crossing our border EVERY day!
    Side B - Literally nothing needs to be done about the border, everything is fine.
    Side A - Israel is completely justified in ANY action they take against Palestine
    Side B - Israel is LITERALLY committing the HOLOCAUST, this is APARTHEID and GENOCIDE, Israel is the aggressor!

    Neither side really lives in a fact-based reality. On each issue, one is much closer to the truth - I would even argue one of these sides is, as a rule, the more correct one, but it's like both are living on different planets. There's no room for nuance on anything.

    6 votes

  9. Comment on Time loop stories aren't all 'Groundhog Day' rip-offs. Time loop stories aren't all 'Groundhog Day' rip-offs. Time loop stories aren't all... in ~movies

    bret
    Link Parent
    oh yeah! also a goodie :D

    oh yeah! also a goodie :D

  10. Comment on Time loop stories aren't all 'Groundhog Day' rip-offs. Time loop stories aren't all 'Groundhog Day' rip-offs. Time loop stories aren't all... in ~movies

    bret
    (edited )
    Link
    I'm a huge sucker for time loop movies. Groundhog Day, Palm Springs, Happy Death Day, all movies I have rewatched multiple times. edit: and Edge of Tomorrow!

    I'm a huge sucker for time loop movies. Groundhog Day, Palm Springs, Happy Death Day, all movies I have rewatched multiple times.
    edit: and Edge of Tomorrow!

    19 votes

  11. Comment on The UN agency that aids Palestinians fired several workers and is investigating charges of their involvement in the 7 October attacks in ~news

    bret
    Link
    It's my understanding it was already fairly well known that aid agencies were known to be helping hamas well before the October 7th massacre

    It's my understanding it was already fairly well known that aid agencies were known to be helping hamas well before the October 7th massacre

    5 votes

  12. Comment on Twenty-six billion records exposed in massive leak, including data from Linkedin, X, Dropbox in ~tech

    bret
    Link
    tldr: The article doesn't actually confirm there is any new data in this file, just that the filesize is so big it "suggests" there is

    tldr: The article doesn't actually confirm there is any new data in this file, just that the filesize is so big it "suggests" there is

    6 votes

  13. Comment on What is your favourite episode of a podcast? in ~talk

    bret
    Link Parent
    I was also going to reply that Reply All episode, so interesting, so good

    I was also going to reply that Reply All episode, so interesting, so good

    2 votes

  14. Comment on On media outlets frequent use of the term "Iranian-backed" in ~talk

    bret
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Israel has a million good reasons to repress Palestine (the state) because of how Palestine is consistently trying to overthrow Israel and commit genocide against them. If Palestine stopped...

    Israel has a million good reasons to repress Palestine (the state) because of how Palestine is consistently trying to overthrow Israel and commit genocide against them. If Palestine stopped sending rockets the war would end tomorrow. If Israel stopped fighting they would be wiped off the earth. To conflate this with "Israel is repressing Arabs" is worse than semantics, it's super misleading and ignores all the realities of what the are actually fighting

    2 votes

  15. Comment on On media outlets frequent use of the term "Iranian-backed" in ~talk

    bret
    Link Parent
    I've discussed the israel-palestine conflict with many of my friends (vast majority of whom are anti-israel) and strangers alike and I've yet to find a single law that actually supports this...

    I've discussed the israel-palestine conflict with many of my friends (vast majority of whom are anti-israel) and strangers alike and I've yet to find a single law that actually supports this apartheid argument. All I see is individual lawmakers saying reprehensible things, same as could be said in any country. In fact, I'd bet everything I own Palestinian lawmakers have said much worse things about Jews on a more consistent basis. Regardless, on the Israeli side, Nothing codified in law. The more I read about the history of the area the more I am convinced Israel is justified in their war against Hamas. Conflating 'discriminating' against a group of people (not an ethnic group) that is consistently trying to commit genocide against your entire people as the same thing as apartheid is ridiculous to me. Best of luck.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on On media outlets frequent use of the term "Iranian-backed" in ~talk

    bret
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Jewish isn't a race. Arab israelis are equal under the law to Jewish israelis. "Calling Israel an apartheid state is probably less controversial than calling Hamas a terrorist organization." I...

    Jewish isn't a race. Arab israelis are equal under the law to Jewish israelis.

    "Calling Israel an apartheid state is probably less controversial than calling Hamas a terrorist organization." I don't even know how to respond to this except to say ???

    6 votes

  17. Comment on On media outlets frequent use of the term "Iranian-backed" in ~talk

    bret
    Link Parent
    They are (I think I can even say objectively) not an apartheid state. Apartheids defining characteristic was legal segregation based on ones race. They don't have that. It may even be more...

    They are (I think I can even say objectively) not an apartheid state. Apartheids defining characteristic was legal segregation based on ones race. They don't have that. It may even be more accurate to say apartheids defining characteristic is discrimination of the majority race, which Israel of course also doesn't have.

    3 votes

  18. Comment on On media outlets frequent use of the term "Iranian-backed" in ~talk

    bret
    Link Parent
    It's also that Israel isn't a terrorist group, despite what tiktok would try to have us believe.

    It's also that Israel isn't a terrorist group, despite what tiktok would try to have us believe.

    8 votes

  19. Comment on What is your favorite type(s) of cheese? in ~food

    bret
    Link
    Really basic answer but Parmigiano Reggiano if eating by itself. Pecorino Romano if on pasta.

    Really basic answer but Parmigiano Reggiano if eating by itself. Pecorino Romano if on pasta.

  20. Comment on Pace of electric car adoption has markedly slowed in the US in ~transport

    bret
    Link
    I wonder how much of the slow adoption rate is due to how many EVs are still not using NACS even though everyone knows it is the new standard. If I wanted a new EV right now I wouldn't get an EV...

    I wonder how much of the slow adoption rate is due to how many EVs are still not using NACS even though everyone knows it is the new standard. If I wanted a new EV right now I wouldn't get an EV that I have to use an adapter for, knowing the next model-year will likely have the "correct" connector by default.

    Range anxiety is real but I think the vast majority of people over-estimate the amount of times it will ever effect them. I think the bigger problem is not everyone has a place they can conveniently charge at home. If I didn't have a garage I wouldn't consider getting an EV.

    7 votes