doctorwu's recent activity
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Comment on What makes someone a "decent" person to you? in ~talk
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Comment on Fellow hardline materialists, how do you "enchant" the world? in ~talk
doctorwu Link ParentA pithy bit in a very interesting read.Meaning is a tool. Do you throw your potato masher away because you can’t also mash galaxies with it?
A pithy bit in a very interesting read.
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Comment on EV bargains to be found as Hertz sells off some of its US electric cars in ~transport
doctorwu Link ParentYour "exuberantly" adverb is well chosen. It's like that for me too. I've been keeping eco mode on all the time lately and trying to behave myself, if only for the sake of my tires, but sometimes...Your "exuberantly" adverb is well chosen. It's like that for me too. I've been keeping eco mode on all the time lately and trying to behave myself, if only for the sake of my tires, but sometimes it's just a thrill to do a highway merge at full torque.
I picked up our first EV, a used '21 SL Plus Leaf, a couple of months ago and have found it's good for almost all of my driving. We do occasional interstate travel but I suspect the math works out such that if we kept only electric cars and rented a dinosaur-juicer for the long trips, we'd come out ahead.
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Comment on How do you even find quality appliances anymore? in ~life.home_improvement
doctorwu Link ParentAn expensive fridge doomed by its compressor is what landed LG on my own personal never again list. Of course I can't know whether the Samsung replacement will be any better. I would love to see...An expensive fridge doomed by its compressor is what landed LG on my own personal never again list. Of course I can't know whether the Samsung replacement will be any better.
I would love to see compressor specifications (refrigerant connectors, electrical connectors, chassis mount points) standardized, by regulatory action if necessary, to ensure replaceability with an arbitrary brand down the road. Market freedom for appliance manufacturers is serving the consumer, and the environment, very poorly; the world is increasingly flooded with large disposable appliances full of bulky, odd-shaped plastic panels and wave-soldered circuit boards.
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Comment on Hurt my lower back by bending over, any tips for healing and comfort? in ~health
doctorwu LinkI'm 62 and have strugged with lower back episodes since right around your age. Only about a year ago did I find a magic-ish bullet. Well, two, actually, in combination. Not all back injuries are...I'm 62 and have strugged with lower back episodes since right around your age. Only about a year ago did I find a magic-ish bullet. Well, two, actually, in combination.
Not all back injuries are the same, but as I understand it one common scenario is that the "QL" muscle (quadratus lumborum) goes into spasm, either on its own or in response to a strain. This seems to be what my back usually goes when it goes "out" so to speak. If there's severe damage to the muscle, a person pretty much has to wait it out, but often direct manipulation of the QL can un-knot it and bring the episode to an end. A good massage therapist can do this, or some people know how to roll around on a tennis ball till it hits the spot.
I never managed any success with the tennis ball method, and my young son who used to be able to walk on the magic spot is all grown up now and weighs almost as I do, plus he lives in Baltimore. Not only is he too heavy, he's a thousand miles away! What I now find works very well is a "Chirp roller" - which you can get at Target or various places online. They normally come in a set of three, small/medium/large. The small one is most effective, if you can stand to use it: put it on the floor, line it up with your lower spine (there's a groove that keeps it centered, you basically can't miss) and crab-walk back and forth on it. The small wheel, I warn you, will hurt like mad while in use. But thirty seconds or a minute or later, for me, the QL is neatly freed of its knots, as if steam-pressed, and recovery is very quick from there. So that's the first half of my regimen: when suffering lower back pain, try the chirp wheel as soon as possible.
The second thing that helps me, in a preventative sense, is a "butt walking" exercise to strengthen the QL and related muscles. Don't do this while hurt, do it while healthy. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and spend some time propelling yourself forwards and backwards using just your buttocks.
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Comment on Does free will exist? | Sapolsky vs. Huemer debate review in ~humanities
doctorwu Link ParentThis is also my issue with ... well, just about every argument for free will that I've heard or read. They tend to rely on some degree of equivocation. Very weak versions of free will can be...The complaint I have about this take is it seems to knock a lot of the potentially useful meaning out of the term "free will".
This is also my issue with ... well, just about every argument for free will that I've heard or read. They tend to rely on some degree of equivocation. Very weak versions of free will can be argued convincingly, but those versions don't come close to the essentially dualistic thing that people commonly mean by the term.
To be honest, I think "free will" is a nonsense phrase
An "ignostic" stance makes some sense here, I guess.
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Comment on American Red Cross declares an emergency blood shortage, as number of donors hits twenty-year low in ~health
doctorwu Link ParentBesides being a selfless thing to do, it is a short period of enforced stillness that can nicely break up a stressful work day. And when do a little bag of cookies and box of juice ever taste...Besides being a selfless thing to do, it is a short period of enforced stillness that can nicely break up a stressful work day. And when do a little bag of cookies and box of juice ever taste better than after giving blood? I started donating during the pandemic and will hit the gallon mark in April.
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Comment on For millennia, Tyrian purple was the most valuable colour on the planet. Then the recipe to make it was lost. By piecing together ancient clues, could one man bring it back? in ~life.style
doctorwu Link ParentAnd even that isn't precisely a well defined target, because of genetic variations in human vision. Leaving aside the existence of tetrachromatic humans, Those of us with protoanomalous cones...To match any color that can be seen by the human eye
And even that isn't precisely a well defined target, because of genetic variations in human vision. Leaving aside the existence of tetrachromatic humans, Those of us with protoanomalous cones respond to a different peak red frequency than most of the population, so what is called "true" RGB (or YMK) isn't true for us, so to speak. I've wondered sometimes what it would be like to use screens, and sensors, that were tuned to our red point, but until today I never entertained that thought with regard to pigments.
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Comment on What are some highly praised comedians you don't find very funny? in ~talk
doctorwu Link ParentI distrust my own feelings on that, somewhat. Seemed to me she was one of the more consistent targets of the Russian troll farms back when they were experimenting and warming up to their serious...I distrust my own feelings on that, somewhat. Seemed to me she was one of the more consistent targets of the Russian troll farms back when they were experimenting and warming up to their serious political interference. For whatever reason it got to the point (on reddit at least) where everybody thought everybody else thought she was beneath contempt, and that sort of thing has an effect on us people who are sure their opinions are fully their own. Some of it may have been marginally on point, but it was mixed in with quite a bit of sexism and fat shaming and just overall playground assholery.
Personally I've given her some compensatory benefit-of-doubt, if that makes sense, and can say I have no problem with her persona, her humor, any of it.
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Comment on The cocktail party effect — our stunning ability to filter out words and sounds in ~science
doctorwu Link ParentI'm glad they work for you, but for me all the "loop engage" inserts do is make my own voice sound boomy and everything else nearly inaudible. After giving up on those I got a pair of "calmer pro"...I'm glad they work for you, but for me all the "loop engage" inserts do is make my own voice sound boomy and everything else nearly inaudible. After giving up on those I got a pair of "calmer pro" inserts and found those help me a great deal. The acid test for me is a very echoey rehearsal space our orchestra uses. For a long time I had been missing entrances because it seemed like I was the only one who couldn't understand the conductor's instructions.
Maybe some of us really are dealing with different causes for similar symptoms, and one or the other device happens to target it better? I wonder.
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Comment on Weekly megathread for news/updates/discussion of Russian invasion of Ukraine - October 26 in ~news
doctorwu LinkHas anyone else been following the "reporting from ukraine" channel on youtube? Despite the baity titles on the videos, they've been full of interesting analysis, and were providing new...Has anyone else been following the "reporting from ukraine" channel on youtube? Despite the baity titles on the videos, they've been full of interesting analysis, and were providing new information daily. But the channel went quiet a week ago. I hope the guy is okay.
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Comment on What are your favorite break up songs? Or my lover left me songs? in ~music
doctorwu LinkI've got a couple. Sung from the point of view of someone who senses a breakup about to happen: Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me But my real favorite is a trove of dark humor: The Police -...I've got a couple.
Sung from the point of view of someone who senses a breakup about to happen:
Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love MeBut my real favorite is a trove of dark humor:
The Police - Can't Stand Losing You -
Comment on Hurting the right people in ~life
doctorwu Link ParentI see nothing cynical in your stance. It gets to the heart of the matter. Political populism (maybe mostly on the right side of the spectrum these days, but not exclusively so, as you observe) is...I see nothing cynical in your stance. It gets to the heart of the matter. Political populism (maybe mostly on the right side of the spectrum these days, but not exclusively so, as you observe) is thoughtless and tribal. It hammers on a simplistic good-vs-evil paradigm without considering what, if anything, good and evil mean, so it becomes equivalent to us-vs-them. It banishes empathy. It may be human, but it is deeply inhumane and destructive.
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Comment on The rise of surge pricing: ‘It will eventually be everywhere’ in ~finance
doctorwu LinkC'mon, this is pretty inconsiderate. I usually don't mind seeing something paywalled if the OP at least posts a comment summarizing what the article is about. Maybe then somebody else will follow...C'mon, this is pretty inconsiderate. I usually don't mind seeing something paywalled if the OP at least posts a comment summarizing what the article is about. Maybe then somebody else will follow up with some pasted contents and/or analysis and we can have some discussion. But there's nothing here at all.
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Comment on Sen. Mitch McConnell appears to freeze again at a Kentucky event in ~news
doctorwu Link ParentThere was a Forbes article after the previous public "freeze-up" a month ago, which suggested several possible physical causes. The most plausible of these in my view is that McConnell has been...When you're this far gone it doesn't matter how old or young you are
There was a Forbes article after the previous public "freeze-up" a month ago, which suggested several possible physical causes. The most plausible of these in my view is that McConnell has been experiencing a series of transient ischemic strokes.
What we have been observing as a too-geriatric population of those in government, I take to be a symptom of our chronic federal near-deadlock: the major parties gravitate to a known quantities strategy, to avoid unexpected scandals that might cause a crucial unexpected loss. That translates to party veterans who have been vetted since forever.
Once those elderly candidates get past their primaries, there is little risk of the rank and file voters penalizing the strategy, because we are increasingly polarized ourselves. How many Kentucky Republicans would be likely to vote for a Democrat in an election for senator, even if they recognize McConnell clearly isn't fit to do the work? No, the thinking goes, better to choose a potentially embarrassing or ineffective ally than a competent, intelligent individual who (as they have been told by their Facebook feed) doubtless eats aborted babies as an aphrodisiac.
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Comment on Canadian court upholds social media sensitivity training requirement for Jordan Peterson in ~news
doctorwu LinkTo someone who didn't really know who Jordan Peterson is, the headline is pretty misleading through omission; without further context, it lends credence towards his free speech argument. So for...To someone who didn't really know who Jordan Peterson is, the headline is pretty misleading through omission; without further context, it lends credence towards his free speech argument.
So for anyone else who is as out of the loop as I was, this isn't a circumstance of a court deciding that a controversial media influencer needs re-education. It's upholding a corrective action by a professional body regulating a profession Peterson is licensed in, which Peterson publicly uses to establish his bona fides. Two relevant quotes from the ruling:
"When individuals join a regulated profession, they do not lose their Charter right to freedom of expression. At the same time, however, they take on obligations and must abide by the rules of their regulatory body that may limit their freedom of expression."
"Dr. Peterson maintains his membership in the College and refers to himself in his public statements as a clinical psychologist."
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Comment on Want employees to return to the office? Then give each one an office. in ~life
doctorwu Link ParentI feel there's some merit to this, at least when it is not taken as an absolute. I've got what might be an ideal work arrangement, which is an unmetered hybrid agreement. More often than not I...I feel there's some merit to this, at least when it is not taken as an absolute. I've got what might be an ideal work arrangement, which is an unmetered hybrid agreement. More often than not I work from home, but when I do go to the office, there is a room for me where I can shut the door. And on those days I find the hallway conversations are often more productive and effortless than the numerous video chats I have from home.
My percentage of time on site usually varies depending on the kinds of projects on my plate at any given time. Some require deeper concentration and more solitude.
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Comment on Unexplained space phenomenon has been lighting up every twenty minutes since 1988 in ~space
doctorwu LinkIf it's impossible for a single object to behave this way, seems like it must be more than one -- and the long 22 minute period some kind of artifact of how they interact. Though I'm at a loss to...If it's impossible for a single object to behave this way, seems like it must be more than one -- and the long 22 minute period some kind of artifact of how they interact. Though I'm at a loss to describe what that would interaction would look like.
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Comment on What is reality? Lisa Feldman Barrett, a neuroscientist explains. in ~science
doctorwu LinkI wonder if I'm alone in finding this presentation of a fascinating topic to be a touch condescending, as well as unconvincing on at least a couple of points. First, regarding the bit about facial...I wonder if I'm alone in finding this presentation of a fascinating topic to be a touch condescending, as well as unconvincing on at least a couple of points.
First, regarding the bit about facial expressions being socially constructed to have certain meanings. Isn't there a body of research establishing those associations as innate and unlearned? One of the commenters on the video mentions them as an ancient function of the limbic brain, and that tallies with things I've read in the past.
Also to distinguish between the brain constructing a model of the body, as opposed to a model of the world, maybe I'm just not following. Surely the brain evolved specifically to support interactively modeling the world, not the body in some kind of isolation; such a model is crude and imperfect to be sure, and much entangled with metaphoric and subjective content, but it's a model of the world nonetheless, or some part of the world in relation to and including the body; that's why it is useful for finding food and mates, avoinding predators and so on. So I don't know if I'm misconstruing the point here, or missing something.
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Comment on The environmental disaster lurking beneath your neighborhood gas station in ~enviro
doctorwu LinkWhen the "who pays" question goes unanswered, the answer is always "everybody." So it's understandable that the hot potato mentioned in the article often ends up on the taxpayer's plate, but I...When the "who pays" question goes unanswered, the answer is always "everybody."
So it's understandable that the hot potato mentioned in the article often ends up on the taxpayer's plate, but I wonder if a better directed approach would be to time-shift the issue to that same industry: maybe we can't in practice squeeze enough funds out of current or previous owners of these properties, but whenever someone wants to open a new gas station, they should not only be held to more stringent tank construction requiments than in the past, but should also have pay a significant fee into a fund for cleanup of the old sites.
There's an old joke about there being two types of people: those who divide people into two types, and those who don't.
Somewhere around the midpoint of my life, this thread's question is the one I mostly stopped asking, as part of a broad shift in world view. There is nothing quite so persistent as the urge to partition people into those we approve and disapprove of. Although the old simplistic good/evil dichotomy is getting passé for must of us these days, we revisit the idea with whatever subtlety we can manage, and hold to the right to judgment like some kind of existential lifeline.
About all I can say with honesty anymore is that there are people whose company I prefer. But that's hardly a question of who the Good Ones are.