cutmetal's recent activity
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Comment on Pennies are being canceled and the US Mint won't make any more. What does that mean? in ~finance
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Comment on Pennies are being canceled and the US Mint won't make any more. What does that mean? in ~finance
cutmetal Link ParentCGP Grey has a fantastic old video where he makes the case for this. I've been on the "cancel the penny" bandwagon for a long time but hell yeah, the only coins in our pockets should be 25¢ and $1...CGP Grey has a fantastic old video where he makes the case for this. I've been on the "cancel the penny" bandwagon for a long time but hell yeah, the only coins in our pockets should be 25¢ and $1 (and maybe $2) and our bills should start at $5.
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Comment on Advice on poor Linux performance vs Windows in ~tech
cutmetal Link ParentThis idea sounds right to me. Rather than experiment with different files, the first thing you should do is verify that your Nvidia card is actually using the drivers you think it is. There's...This idea sounds right to me. Rather than experiment with different files, the first thing you should do is verify that your Nvidia card is actually using the drivers you think it is. There's probably a way to do that in the Mint settings in something like "System Information", or you could check the output of lshw, though that's a little more esoteric. If you get stuck hit me up later, I can help.
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Comment on Automotive repair costs on modern vehicles. Any horror stories? in ~transport
cutmetal Link ParentThat's awesome about your lack of rust, I had to do a lot of welding to fix the rust on mine. The OG Toyota pickups are awesome, quite expensive for what they are though. My dream is to do an...That's awesome about your lack of rust, I had to do a lot of welding to fix the rust on mine.
The OG Toyota pickups are awesome, quite expensive for what they are though. My dream is to do an engine/axle swap on one to make it a little powerhouse.
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Comment on What I think of whenever I see the news reports about Donald Trump destroying the East Wing in ~society
cutmetal Link ParentIt makes me think of Obama's tan suit too. Every year my girlfriend notes the Tanniversary. "The audacity of taupe" 🇺🇸It makes me think of Obama's tan suit too. Every year my girlfriend notes the Tanniversary.
"The audacity of taupe" 🇺🇸
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Comment on Automotive repair costs on modern vehicles. Any horror stories? in ~transport
cutmetal Link ParentI sold my 2003 Tacoma early this year, still miss it sometimes but the issues were just too great for me to justify keeping putting effort into it. The damn pushbutton 4wd had something...I sold my 2003 Tacoma early this year, still miss it sometimes but the issues were just too great for me to justify keeping putting effort into it. The damn pushbutton 4wd had something non-mechanical wacky going on, I replaced the actuators but it still wouldn't engage. And the bottom crossmember-ish part that the front lower control arms and steering rack bolt to was totally rusted out, as far as I can tell this part is not available at all. Finding one in good shape in a junkyard would have been a massive time suck. Plus the myriad other smaller issues ☹️ I really liked it though, green Xtracab V6.
In a few years I'll replace it with something even older, with no computers at all!
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Comment on Honk your horn in ~health.mental
cutmetal Link ParentIt's funny but it's true! Even if you're chainsawing with a purpose, it's a fairly mindless, repetitive task. Activating that default mode network in your brain is so good for you and something we...It's funny but it's true!
Even if you're chainsawing with a purpose, it's a fairly mindless, repetitive task. Activating that default mode network in your brain is so good for you and something we don't get enough of.
(In Peter Brin's later Uplift books there are POV characters who are sentient chimpanzees, the product of accelerated directed evolution. When facing problems they sometimes regret that humans have given them sentience. I feel like this a lot - sentience is the problem, it sucks to be aware of things, and that's why meditation and similar (and alcohol and some drugs) can be so great.)
You also get to feel good about using a green source of fuel to heat your home, as long as you're sourcing the firewood locally from naturally-dead trees.
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Comment on The goon squad. Loneliness, porn’s next frontier, and the dream of endless masturbation. in ~life
cutmetal LinkI'm glad to see that you all enjoyed that one as much as I did. It was grim and long but also funny, interesting and very eloquent. None of my IRL people are going to read it, but I sent it along...I'm glad to see that you all enjoyed that one as much as I did. It was grim and long but also funny, interesting and very eloquent. None of my IRL people are going to read it, but I sent it along to them anyway.
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Comment on The goon squad. Loneliness, porn’s next frontier, and the dream of endless masturbation. in ~life
cutmetal Link ParentMan, me too. I still think that, if you could zoom out far enough and see all of future history, you'd see that the line does trend upward. But we are certainly in a very deep, dark pit right now....Man, me too. I still think that, if you could zoom out far enough and see all of future history, you'd see that the line does trend upward. But we are certainly in a very deep, dark pit right now.
The pendulum always swings. These fucks out there right now are going to lose their grip on power sooner or later, and when they do it will be glorious.
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Comment on Honk your horn in ~health.mental
cutmetal LinkBeing in nature and interacting with the natural world are the best stress relievers for me. Gardening, harvesting and processing firewood, cuddling my dog, going for a walk in the woods.Being in nature and interacting with the natural world are the best stress relievers for me. Gardening, harvesting and processing firewood, cuddling my dog, going for a walk in the woods.
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Comment on Honk your horn in ~health.mental
cutmetal Link ParentOh shit, my old 1999/2000ish (first gen anyway) CRV had that! Man I miss that car sometimes.Oh shit, my old 1999/2000ish (first gen anyway) CRV had that! Man I miss that car sometimes.
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
cutmetal Link ParentI was very fortunate to go to an above-average high school, and while most of it was pretty normal there was one oddball class taught by an English teacher that I took called Media Literacy. Being...I was very fortunate to go to an above-average high school, and while most of it was pretty normal there was one oddball class taught by an English teacher that I took called Media Literacy. Being 15-17 years old and being shown how deceptive advertising and the media can be was an important formative experience, and I wish more people had similar. This was maybe 2002, before these sort of ideas got co-opted by mainstream-ish lunatics, dumbed down and turned into something like "Don't trust the MSM, the real news is on Newsmax/Truth Social/Twitter/Tiktok/some random Telegram channel!"
Also I've always said that formal/philosophical logic and rhetoric should be required for all high school graduates. I don't know what subject you deprioritize to get the time to teach it, but surely being able to spot fallacies and logical inconsistencies in life is at least as important as being able to name the parts of the cell, who the 11th president was, recite and use the quadratic formula or do stoichiometry.
(Been a while since I thought about them, and sadly these ideas are starting to feel quaint - we can't move forward until we can stop moving backwards. In the end I'd be happy if we could just teach safe sex and evolution and leave Jesus and ChatGPT at home.)
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
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Comment on What are some interesting landmarks in your neck of the woods? in ~talk
cutmetal Link ParentMine either. How cool would it be if she started writing scifi/fantasy/horror, but set in the mid-Atlantic region like so many of her works are. I'd be all over it!Mine either. How cool would it be if she started writing scifi/fantasy/horror, but set in the mid-Atlantic region like so many of her works are. I'd be all over it!
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
cutmetal Link ParentPreach! If there aren't many cars on the highway and I'm going fast then why should I have to get back into the right lane after passing a slower driver? If feels like a rule imposed by the sort...Preach!
If there aren't many cars on the highway and I'm going fast then why should I have to get back into the right lane after passing a slower driver? If feels like a rule imposed by the sort of people who need everything to be at right angles and panic when presented with choices.
The only rule should be: if you're driving slower and aren't already on the right, get on the right when someone going faster is nearing you.
(Sidebar: did you realize how controversial this would be? Some of the nastiest exchanges I ever got into on reddit were on this very subject.)
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Comment on What are some interesting landmarks in your neck of the woods? in ~talk
cutmetal Link ParentWow, such a small world. I'm from Frederick County myself. Being from Boonsboro, do you know Nora Roberts?Wow, such a small world. I'm from Frederick County myself. Being from Boonsboro, do you know Nora Roberts?
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Comment on What are some interesting landmarks in your neck of the woods? in ~talk
cutmetal Link ParentI'm from the same general area, and sort of close to me we have the Washington Monument. Not the big, majestic phallus we all know and love in Washington DC, but rather an earlier and much more...I'm from the same general area, and sort of close to me we have the Washington Monument. Not the big, majestic phallus we all know and love in Washington DC, but rather an earlier and much more modest little chode in rural Maryland. Don't go out of your way but if you happen to be nearby then check it out, I guess!
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of October 13 in ~society
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of October 13 in ~society
cutmetal Link ParentJesus fucking Christ. The Based Ritual piece feels more like dystopian fiction than reality. Just... fuck.Jesus fucking Christ. The Based Ritual piece feels more like dystopian fiction than reality. Just... fuck.
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Comment on What code editor / IDE do you use (2025)? in ~comp
cutmetal Link ParentI should really give that vim extension a go. At work we're also using it with WSL, thank goodness. LSPs and such almost seem to get in the way as much as they help, but that's probably just...I should really give that vim extension a go. At work we're also using it with WSL, thank goodness. LSPs and such almost seem to get in the way as much as they help, but that's probably just because I never really got used to them.
In addition to what turmacar said, I think it's possible that part of why some folks see coins as inconvenient is because today's fistful of coins is hardly worth anything. If you had a few pieces of change in your pocket and it was worth $10+ dollars, with a few bills being close to $100, the story might be different.