dustylungs's recent activity
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Comment on Not Fox | Not News in ~society
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Not Fox | Not News
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Comment on Has anyone read the books listed in the New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman? in ~books
dustylungs Link ParentThank you. I haven’t read Cider House but I read The World According to Garp a long long time ago and remember enjoying it. But I haven’t heard of Kazuo Ishiguro so I’ll look into him.Thank you. I haven’t read Cider House but I read The World According to Garp a long long time ago and remember enjoying it. But I haven’t heard of Kazuo Ishiguro so I’ll look into him.
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Comment on Has anyone read the books listed in the New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman? in ~books
dustylungs Link ParentThanks. I really appreciate you giving such a thoughtful reply. I had to look up the phrase "purple prose" and, although I recognize that it isn't always a compliment, his roundabout sentence...Thanks. I really appreciate you giving such a thoughtful reply. I had to look up the phrase "purple prose" and, although I recognize that it isn't always a compliment, his roundabout sentence structures and descriptive detours are something I really enjoy about his writing.
You mentioned him inspiring better, later writers. Are there any names you would suggest in particular? I did recently pick up a 36-volume "complete works" set of Dickens books, but I can't possibly read them contiguously and I'm interested in scheduling other authors into my reading list as well. :)
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Comment on Has anyone read the books listed in the New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman? in ~books
dustylungs Link ParentI have only read a few Dickens novels but I have very much enjoyed them. Are you saying you simply don't enjoy Dickens, or that Dickens' work doesn't belong on the same influential pedestal as the...far too many works by Dickens on there for it to be an enjoyable experience
I have only read a few Dickens novels but I have very much enjoyed them. Are you saying you simply don't enjoy Dickens, or that Dickens' work doesn't belong on the same influential pedestal as the other listed works? If the latter, I'm curious why you think so. I am by no means well read in classical literature but your comment makes me interested to hear how Dickens is perceived to fit (or not) into "the great works". My narrower personal response was that I was a little surprised at the specific selection of Dickens titles listed, but wasn't really surprised to see him on the list.
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Comment on What's the best counter argument to "Well, if I don't do it somebody else will" in ~talk
dustylungs LinkIf nobody cares enough about the negative outcome to refrain from doing it, there’s no chance anyone will ever be influenced by an example of someone who does care. That doesn’t exactly roll off...If nobody cares enough about the negative outcome to refrain from doing it, there’s no chance anyone will ever be influenced by an example of someone who does care.
That doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue but it’s what I tell myself when my inner voice says “just do it, because if you don’t, someone else will anyway.”
And then there’s the inevitable follow up of, “nobody’s watching, so what does it even matter?” To which my better side says, “it’s about reinforcing habits of doing the right thing, not about who sees you.”
And then the dialogue meanders off into more and more distant edge cases. Am I the only one plagued by an inner voice like this?
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 24 in ~society
dustylungs LinkThe popularity of the ‘Mar-a-Lago face’ soars in Trump’s inner circle Nope, this isn’t from the Onion. It’s actually an interesting observation about the display of tribal social instincts...The popularity of the ‘Mar-a-Lago face’ soars in Trump’s inner circle
Botox, visible facial fillers and exaggerated tans comprise the aesthetic popular among Donald Trump’s entourage. What’s behind this new fad?
Nope, this isn’t from the Onion. It’s actually an interesting observation about the display of tribal social instincts (Richerson, Henrich) among status scramblers in Trump’s orbit.
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Comment on Are we witnessing the takeover of a country right now? in ~society
dustylungs LinkHere’s a quote from a Russian speaking about Russian opinions on the Ukraine invasion, but one that seems to be equally relevant to certain trends of acquiescence in US political support: Quote...Here’s a quote from a Russian speaking about Russian opinions on the Ukraine invasion, but one that seems to be equally relevant to certain trends of acquiescence in US political support:
"In a society people always prefer to be in the mainstream," believes Andrei Kolesnikov, a columnist for newtimes.ru and Novaya Gazeta. "If the mainstream is pro-war and the TV says that we are at war with the West, the average citizen will think like this. It's easier not to think about the details. You want to live peacefully, so why not join the majority?
"Some researchers call this the foetal position. When you defend yourself from this unexplainable world you look like a baby. You say: 'I can't explain to myself what is happening. I believe you. You can feed me with words. I'll accept it.'"Quote from this BBC News article.
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Comment on Microsoft unveils chip it says could bring quantum computing within years in ~tech
dustylungs LinkThe chip is powered by the world’s first topoconductor, which can create a new state of matter that is not a solid, liquid, or gas – making it possible to design quantum systems that fit in a single chip smaller than the palm of a hand, and to create more reliable hardware, a peer-reviewed paper published in Nature reports.
Paul Stevenson, a professor of physics at the University of Surrey, said Microsoft could be “very serious competitors” in the race to build the first reliable quantum computers if the company successfully built on this research.
“The new papers are a significant step, but as with much promising work in quantum computing, the next steps are difficult and until the next steps have been achieved, it is too soon to be anything more than cautiously optimistic,” he said.
“These topological qubits protect the information they carry by using the properties of a new type of emergent particle, a Majorana fermion, which means that it is harder for this information to be lost as it is processed. However, [there is an] added layer of complexity when constructing these qubits when compared to competing architectures,” he said.
These Majorana particles had never previously been seen or made. Microsoft said they had to be “coaxed into existence with magnetic fields and superconductors”, which is why most quantum computing research has focused on other approaches.
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Microsoft unveils chip it says could bring quantum computing within years
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What is the purpose of government?
Succinctly as possible, what is the purpose of government? And with genuine effort to avoid condescension or disparagement, what do you think someone politically opposite to you would say if they...
Succinctly as possible, what is the purpose of government? And with genuine effort to avoid condescension or disparagement, what do you think someone politically opposite to you would say if they were to thoughtfully articulate an answer to the same question?
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Comment on Do you deliberately overbuy things with the intention to return some of them? in ~life
dustylungs Link ParentI’m pretty sure this is baked into Home Depot’s business model. It’s nearly impossible to buy the exact amount of material needed for any home reno project. I’m pretty sure that I’m not alone in...I’m pretty sure this is baked into Home Depot’s business model. It’s nearly impossible to buy the exact amount of material needed for any home reno project. I’m pretty sure that I’m not alone in that I would feel more discouraged to even think about some projects if I thought returning unused material would be a hassle. HD gets more business because customers are encouraged by the return policy (data free, speculative statement).
Home Depot also restocks nearly all returns, aside from broken or damaged returns, so it’s not as wasteful as examples from other retailers in this thread.
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Comment on Is this a coup? in ~society
dustylungs LinkYep, it’s a coup. Although you’d never know that if you were viewing the world through the lens of Fox News or others like it.Yep, it’s a coup. Although you’d never know that if you were viewing the world through the lens of Fox News or others like it.
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Is this a coup?
42 votes -
Comment on What are some traditional internet forums that you still use? in ~tech
dustylungs LinkSpeaking of traditional, I’m really curious if any Tildes users are or have ever been members of The WELL.Speaking of traditional, I’m really curious if any Tildes users are or have ever been members of The WELL.
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Comment on You can’t post your way out of fascism in ~society
dustylungs LinkWhelp, here I am, posting this link...Many of my journalist colleagues have attempted to beat back the tide under banners like “fighting disinformation” and “accountability.” While these efforts are admirable, the past few years have changed my own internal calculus. Thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Hannah Arendt warned us that the point of this deluge is not to persuade, but to overwhelm and paralyze our capacity to act. More recently, researchers have found that the viral outrage disseminated on social media in response to these ridiculous claims actually reduces the effectiveness of collective action. The result is a media environment that keeps us in a state of debilitating fear and anger, endlessly reacting to our oppressors instead of organizing against them.
Whelp, here I am, posting this link...
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You can’t post your way out of fascism
39 votes -
Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
dustylungs LinkOne of my kids is a big Dickens fan and she has been asking me for a couple years to read Tale of Two Cities. She likes to be able to talk with me about books and, because this is her favorite...One of my kids is a big Dickens fan and she has been asking me for a couple years to read Tale of Two Cities. She likes to be able to talk with me about books and, because this is her favorite book from her favorite author, she is particularly insistent that I read it. I've started the book multiple times and for various reasons, I've never finished it. But this time will be different.
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Comment on CIA offers buyouts to entire workforce to align with US President Donald Trump priorities, sources say in ~society
dustylungs Link ParentNo one, not even Trump, thought he would get elected the first time around. For that reason, complex policy and operational plans built around his distinctive characteristics were not in place;...This term the plan seems so much more systematic
No one, not even Trump, thought he would get elected the first time around. For that reason, complex policy and operational plans built around his distinctive characteristics were not in place; and he did not have Republican control of both Congressional houses as he does now. The Heritage Foundation has been preparing for this moment since Trump's first election win in 2016-- nearly a decade; and Republican control of the House and Senate is an alignment of the stars for them (especially because the House and Senate are filled with a particularly obsequious breed of Republican). There is still enough opposition among elected officials and the public, but they need to find a unity of purpose and an effective way to organize. The desire to do something is growing. I'm watching and waiting to see if an anti-Heritage Foundation steps up to leverage that desire.
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Comment on The barrage of Donald Trump executive orders may be intentionally setting up confrontations with US Congress and the Supreme Court in ~society
dustylungs LinkAnother angle on the push to get cases in front of the Supreme Court was in a podcast by Arjun Singh: https://www.levernews.com/american-chaos-is-trumps-plan/ (transcript). Keep your eyes on Mark...Another angle on the push to get cases in front of the Supreme Court was in a podcast by Arjun Singh: https://www.levernews.com/american-chaos-is-trumps-plan/ (transcript). Keep your eyes on Mark Paoletta.
Putting too much trust in the mainstream media to summarize the world around you will channel you down a path certain interests have built for you. Not Fox is an interesting tool for taking a step back and exploring the path that’s being built, including showing how different media sources portray the world very differently. You’re left to wonder on your own about the motivations behind the similarities and differences.
I put this in ~society rather than ~news because it is not news directly but instead a commentary on news in modern U.S. society.