bushbear's recent activity
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Comment on “Hope is a method: If I do something about this situation, I might change it enough so that I can do something else about this situation.” -- Cory Doctorow in ~humanities
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Comment on What am I supposed to say to my coworker who says that there has basically been no impact from USAID being cut because "the black lady...the nurse at the health place" said so? in ~talk
bushbear LinkI have coworkers like this and I find that if you press them for more proof or just probe deeper into their beliefs then they start to flounder. It also helps if you have evidence to show...I have coworkers like this and I find that if you press them for more proof or just probe deeper into their beliefs then they start to flounder. It also helps if you have evidence to show otherwise but if they are prone to dismissing data then you aren't going to get anywhere.
This is the kinda thing you need to chip away at and come prepared for and even then it might not work. I had a coworker once who fully believed that the british were hardly to blame for the colonisation of India because as he learned, the ruling class indians helped the british. So obviously it couldn't have been totally the british fault. While this is true it is a more complex issue than he was prepaired to admit to himself it was. A friend of mine spent weeks sending him evidence and podcast about the issue and debating him but he wouldn't relent. Some people just don't wanna learn.
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Comment on GOG confirm they are working towards GOG Galaxy on Linux in ~games
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Comment on What are you looking forward to? in ~talk
bushbear Link ParentIn would also like a human to step up but I don't think that exists in the way we think it does. Iv been saying for years that the people need to step up and be angry. It sounds cheesy but we do...In would also like a human to step up but I don't think that exists in the way we think it does. Iv been saying for years that the people need to step up and be angry. It sounds cheesy but we do need some sort of revolution where we the people just over turn the current world order.
The obvious issue is that many of us will die. Billionaire's won't let one single individual bring the whole system down. So we have to take the risk. Its not ideal but I don't see another way really.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
bushbear Link ParentHave you read at the cafe by Errico Malatesta? He is my favourite anarchist writer as well as being a generally badass dudeHave you read at the cafe by Errico Malatesta? He is my favourite anarchist writer as well as being a generally badass dude
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
bushbear Link Parentyea I feel you. I think the modern metalcore scene and deathcore really pushed that super slick production as the technology got better. Im a big fan of the old school death metal production...yea I feel you. I think the modern metalcore scene and deathcore really pushed that super slick production as the technology got better. Im a big fan of the old school death metal production quality which is probably also a lot less quantized.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
bushbear LinkBring me the Horizon re recorded their debut album Count Your Blessings and it sounds...modern. I don't mind it although I need to sit down and listen to both versions back to back to see how I...Bring me the Horizon re recorded their debut album Count Your Blessings and it sounds...modern. I don't mind it although I need to sit down and listen to both versions back to back to see how I feel. I know the band don't like the original because it sounds like shit which is fair but I do really enjoy metal that isn't polished and clean.
Also the new Devourment ep is hench. I don't often listen to much slam because it can be very samey but Devourment are OGs and with the EP being a quick 12min there is no time for boredom here. Just blasts and riffs for lifting heavy things repeatedly.
Also took a trip down memory lane and listened to sixteen stone by Bush. Its a classic album thats easy to throw on and just loose yourself in.
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Comment on Obsidian Entertainment reportedly lays off a quarter of staff, cancels multiple projects, and begins work on new Fallout game in ~games
bushbear Link ParentI reckon they could do something in Washington state or Wyoming...that where yellowstone is if my quick glance at google maps is correct. Im not that into the universe, im only playing New Vegas...I reckon they could do something in Washington state or Wyoming...that where yellowstone is if my quick glance at google maps is correct. Im not that into the universe, im only playing New Vegas now, so i figure there are enough landmarks in these locations.
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Comment on Godzilla Minus Zero | Official teaser in ~movies
bushbear LinkSick! I watched a few of the older godzilla movies last year and really enjoyed it. These new ones are really good and probably the only movie that will drag me to an imax to see.Sick! I watched a few of the older godzilla movies last year and really enjoyed it. These new ones are really good and probably the only movie that will drag me to an imax to see.
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Comment on I wrote a new Thing movie...on a World War II submarine in ~movies
bushbear LinkI really enjoyed this. It got me thinking that it would be a cool creative exercise in story telling.I really enjoyed this. It got me thinking that it would be a cool creative exercise in story telling.
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I wrote a new Thing movie...on a World War II submarine
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Comment on Around twenty drown in France as French seek relief from heatwave in ~enviro
bushbear Link Parentyea I think the climate change denial lobby are going to be working overtime for this one because you can't really argue with the physical aspect of this weather.yea I think the climate change denial lobby are going to be working overtime for this one because you can't really argue with the physical aspect of this weather.
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Comment on Around twenty drown in France as French seek relief from heatwave in ~enviro
bushbear Link ParentYea it will take a heat event similar to the opening chapter of KSRs The ministry for the future before people stop and listen.Yea it will take a heat event similar to the opening chapter of KSRs The ministry for the future before people stop and listen.
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Comment on Around twenty drown in France as French seek relief from heatwave in ~enviro
bushbear LinkIv been monitoring the discourse around this heatwave and its truly bonkers to see people claim this is business as usual. There is the 'Its just summer' crowd(specifically here in the uk) that...Iv been monitoring the discourse around this heatwave and its truly bonkers to see people claim this is business as usual. There is the 'Its just summer' crowd(specifically here in the uk) that claim this sort of weather happens every summer which is just not true, although will become more frequent. This is countered with ever redder heat maps which fuels their conspiratorial thinking that its all a massive scam for net zero or whatever. There are some seriously unhinged takes out there about the current weather which I don't even know how to try unpick.
As sad as this story is I wonder if it will have an impact on the climate change deniers as it isn't the apocalyptic catastrophe they think scientists are predicting.
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Comment on Memory System | Ambient Swim | Liquid DnB, Jungle, Breakcore (2026) in ~music
bushbear LinkIv seen this playlist floating about on youtube because while I was writing essays for uni I would chuck on some sort of EDM for background noise so now Im getting tons of these recommended. My...Iv seen this playlist floating about on youtube because while I was writing essays for uni I would chuck on some sort of EDM for background noise so now Im getting tons of these recommended.
My personal favorite is this one
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Comment on Caught the cycling bug. Anyone else? in ~hobbies
bushbear Link ParentIt all depends on how you want to travel. Iv never flown with my bike but I know its a hassle coz different airlines have different rules for bike. The one constant is you pay extra for a bike. I...It all depends on how you want to travel. Iv never flown with my bike but I know its a hassle coz different airlines have different rules for bike. The one constant is you pay extra for a bike.
I have a British passport so I can basically go anywhere without an issue. In saying that visas are the same as when you fly into a country. You apply and make sure you have enough time to cycle the country on the allotted time. The thing with cycle touring is that you can do it any way you want. Its your trip and you plan it your way.
I think the best way to learn about this is to watch some videos. I'll link some of the recent videos iv watched.
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Comment on How funerals keep Africa poor in ~life
bushbear Link ParentThey have also removed wealth from the continent. I recently heard a statistic that for every dollar sent to Africa the global north extracts $7 or something along those lines. I'm not sure what...They have also removed wealth from the continent. I recently heard a statistic that for every dollar sent to Africa the global north extracts $7 or something along those lines.
I'm not sure what your point is but if its that the global north has invested trillions into Africa so they should be developed then you are not looking deeper into the issue. You are assuming that money went to projects that solely benefit people but that most likely went to building infrastructure to continue exploiting the natural resources of the continent and funding authoritarian regimes.
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Comment on How funerals keep Africa poor in ~life
bushbear Link ParentOk so Im talking about tribes in the context of several centuries ago not more modern times. Also they didn't know they were gonna be colonised so why would they prepare for that. Again as I said...That's kind of the problem, no? Without economic development, you don't get food security, running water, vaccines, hospitals, electricity. It also leaves you vulnerable to being preyed upon by other countries, like European colonizers. Capitalism or not, I find it hard to justify any arguments that you shouldn't at least develop economically and technologically until everyone can meet the lower tiers of Maslow's pyramid.
Valuing social coherence so much that you'd prefer to drag down members who overachieve is the issue. It's not a good thing. It perpetuates itself, but not only continues human misery from a lack of resources, but leaves you weak when stronger neighbors come knocking.
Ok so Im talking about tribes in the context of several centuries ago not more modern times. Also they didn't know they were gonna be colonised so why would they prepare for that. Again as I said they most likely did not pull people down so that they were immiserated. Thats not how a kinship society works.
Seems overly defeatist. That's what the global north would want African countries to think - that they're doomed forever. Then they can stripe mine the country of resources forever.
Its by design. The world bank and IMF have structured African economies in such a way that they cannot develop. Its one of the big plays by neoliberalism. So no matter how much positive thinking you wanna throw down Africa will most likely stay as is for a long time. I would love to see Africa prosper but like I said earlier it was never decolonised. They just shifted to corporations doing the dirty work.
Southeast asia was also colonialized and suffers many scars, but countries like Vietnam and Thailand have made huge strides in quality of life. China went through a colonial control, a civil war, and an imperial invasion with casualty numbers that make the Western theater of WW2 look like a cake walk, and it's now a technological powerhouse that scares the US.
China's GDP per capita in 1960 was $90. What would become Ghana's GDP per capita was $192.
These are geographically different places. Just because parts of Asia are flourishing doesnt mean all of Asia is. Just like there are parts of Africa that are doing well and parts that aren't. At this point I actually think you are trolling because that was a wild statement to make.
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Comment on How funerals keep Africa poor in ~life
bushbear Link ParentOk I dunno what you want me to say here. I am not a social anthropologist who specialised in Kinship societies from the sahel. Im going to go out on a limb and say maybe the indigenous peoples of...Ok I dunno what you want me to say here. I am not a social anthropologist who specialised in Kinship societies from the sahel. Im going to go out on a limb and say maybe the indigenous peoples of the region didn't place as much value on economic development as much as social development hence the way they structured their society and had these kinship rituals. All Im saying is that they had a way of doing things that im assuming worked for a long time. Sure life wasn't easy and im sure when they had a funeral they didn't eat through their entire food stocks. This is also only one aspect that shouldnt be taken in isolation. They would have had exchange system with other tribes and various other practises that insured they didn't die out.
To reply to your last point. I think things could be better but that is not going to happen because it isn't in the global norths interest for that to happen. How Europe underdeveloped Africa is on my reading list.
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Comment on How funerals keep Africa poor in ~life
bushbear Link ParentOk I will try reply to all three comments here. I am aware of the financial situation in Africa,since I am from there,which was by design by imperialist powers. Im not saying that people should...Ok I will try reply to all three comments here.
I am aware of the financial situation in Africa,since I am from there,which was by design by imperialist powers. Im not saying that people should not at any point aspire to have more wealth and live a nice life. My point was that Kinship societies functioned fine(not perfectly) before our modern day economic systems were forced onto the people of the continent. The fact that they invest so much money into these funerals in this modern day is not the greatest but this is a tradition that has been co opted/corrupted by capitalism. Before that came around I imagine they would throw lavish feast in the same vein as the Potlach of North America but that doesn't cut it in our modern times so here we are with funerals that bankrupt families.
Iv not studied much social anthropology but whenever I have, iv noticed that many traditions from the before times generally don't gel with how we operate today. These rituals seem almost alien because they are woven into the fabric of their society and make sense to the people practicing it. I find it sad that what was once a death ritual that would most likely bring together a village is now been bloated to something that is barely recogniseable from its origin.
Iv not read the essay yet but will do when I'm home. As to your point about changing the world the way in see it is like this. On a macro scale its a inconceivable but on a micro scale its probably easier to do. So if you were to clean the on ramp then you would be changing your immediate world. A passer by might see that and be inspired to do a thing they have been thinking about and thus the ripples of change flow out. Broken down like this the change can spread and grow.
I joined a tenents/ community union and while I am by no means any good at the work I am a small piece in the machine that hopefully inspires others to take action and so the union grows and we mobilize to make bigger changes.
I hope this helps in a way. Also I find just putting this stuff out there helps me better process how I can make positive changes.