fuzzy's recent activity

  1. Comment on What are some corporate websites that you consider extremely reputable sources of information? in ~tech

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    The Economist absolutely leans right, but it’s the rare sort of publication where I can read an article, strongly disagree with its thesis, but nonetheless come away informed and glad I read it....

    The Economist absolutely leans right, but it’s the rare sort of publication where I can read an article, strongly disagree with its thesis, but nonetheless come away informed and glad I read it. They’re reputable and their hype-free reporting style is hard to find in today’s media landscape.

    13 votes

  2. Comment on Geert Wilders set for political comeback in Dutch election in ~news

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    As far as I can tell from the article it’s the same song and dance it’s been for a little while - anti-immigrant sentiment in Flanders, and the far-right party, who commands a plurality (but not...

    As far as I can tell from the article it’s the same song and dance it’s been for a little while - anti-immigrant sentiment in Flanders, and the far-right party, who commands a plurality (but not majority) hoping to leverage that into breaking off from Brussels & Walloon.

    My friend lives in Brussels and that is my most probable destination. Even though he’s native Dutch speaking he has a dim opinion of Flanders for, well…basically the exact reasons listed in that article.

    Maybe this is me being a dumb American, but the possible breakup of Belgium doesn’t seem as bad as the existential threats to the US I see on the horizon for a few reasons:

    1. The regions of Belgium are already very autonomous
    2. They’ll maintain many forms of economic and political relationships via the EU.
    3. Way less guns, meaning way less possibility of violent unrest (which seems to be the road the US is headed on).

    I am keenly aware that every country has its problems. But as an American in 2023 the grass certainly does seem greener elsewhere.

    If any Belgians have any insight or want to correct any of my dumb American opinions I am all ears!

    4 votes

  3. Comment on Geert Wilders set for political comeback in Dutch election in ~news

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    I generally agree - but which country / countries are you referring to other than Denmark? Because even Finland lurched right and I guess NL is next.

    I generally agree - but which country / countries are you referring to other than Denmark? Because even Finland lurched right and I guess NL is next.

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Geert Wilders set for political comeback in Dutch election in ~news

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    As someone on the other side of the pond, do you have a sense of why the outcomes are different? I’m considering moving to Belgium some time in the near future for a change of pace (have friends...

    As someone on the other side of the pond, do you have a sense of why the outcomes are different?

    I’m considering moving to Belgium some time in the near future for a change of pace (have friends who live there) but I’m worried the tide of far right bullshit will spill over there. It’s hard sometimes to understand the energy on the ground.

    2 votes

  5. What minor or inane decisions have had the biggest butterfly effect on your life?

    ~talk Ask (survey)
    Throughout our lives we make tons of pivotal decisions. Some of these are significant enough that we give them lots of thought and it’s not a surprise when they greatly affect our life path -...

    Throughout our lives we make tons of pivotal decisions. Some of these are significant enough that we give them lots of thought and it’s not a surprise when they greatly affect our life path - things like beginning or ending a relationship, or moving to a new area, or changing our lifestyle.

    Lately though I’ve been contemplating which thoughtless, inane decisions I made have had the largest butterfly effects in my life.

    One example: when I was entering middle school I was, for the first time, allowed to choose which elective courses I wanted to take by filling out a paper slip. I thought playing a brass or percussion instrument seemed pretty badass so I signed up for band. Before I turned it in, though, my older sister saw it, said “band is dumb, do chorus instead,” erased my selection and marked choir instead. Being 11 years old at the time I had no strong feelings about it so I said whatever and went on with my life.

    And now, several decades later, I have sang in choirs since then, the vast majority of my friends are those I met in choirs (or theater, which is choir adjacent), and I have spent most of my adult life making money working either in or around choirs in some capacity. It’s my life.

    I often wonder how my life would be different if she hadn’t changed my registration sheet. (She didn’t even enjoy choir that much and quit two years later). Would I be living a parallel path of loving and working in music, but with bands instead of choirs? Would I have switched sometime during middle school and then reverted to the same life path I’m on now? Or would I have simply been less hooked to music and instead lived and worked in the field of one of my other interests that are mere hobbies right now?

    I’ll never know, of course. But it sure is interesting to think about. Probably the vast majority of the tiny inane decisions we make don’t end up having much of an effect on our lives. But every now and then there’s one that randomly changes a lot.

    You ever been there, Tildes?

    67 votes

  6. Comment on Geert Wilders set for political comeback in Dutch election in ~news

    fuzzy
    Link
    Is there any country that isn’t lurching to the right lately? Serious question. Hopefully we all survive long enough to see the pendulum swing back.

    Is there any country that isn’t lurching to the right lately? Serious question.

    Hopefully we all survive long enough to see the pendulum swing back.

    12 votes

  7. Comment on Intuit is shutting down the personal finance service Mint and shifting users to Credit Karma in ~finance

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    YNAB is very good. They offer a very generous free trial so you can see if it works for you.

    YNAB is very good. They offer a very generous free trial so you can see if it works for you.

    4 votes

  8. Comment on Can someone recommend me a great bluetooth keyboard for my home office? in ~tech

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    I love the Thinkpad keyboards but I ended up deciding against this when I was shopping after reading a few too many user reports of poor reliability. Have you had any issues with yours?

    I love the Thinkpad keyboards but I ended up deciding against this when I was shopping after reading a few too many user reports of poor reliability. Have you had any issues with yours?

    2 votes

  9. Comment on Can someone recommend me a great bluetooth keyboard for my home office? in ~tech

    fuzzy
    Link
    I am partial to the Logitech MX Keys. The battery lasts me several weeks, the typing feel is great, and the low profile keys are way more ergonomic for my wrists and fingers. I've only used it via...

    I am partial to the Logitech MX Keys. The battery lasts me several weeks, the typing feel is great, and the low profile keys are way more ergonomic for my wrists and fingers.

    I've only used it via their USB dongle but it looks like Bluetooth is supported out of the box.

    13 votes

  10. Comment on Studies note higher risk of death, impaired health up to two years after COVID infection in ~health

    fuzzy
    Link
    Some more important context: I do wonder whether this demographic makeup affects its applicability to those who are young and/or non-male. Also, this reaffirms that severe cases (i.e. those...

    Some more important context:

    The average age of the COVID-19 group was 60.9 years, and 11.4% were women. In the control group, the average age was 62.8 years, and 9.9% were women. Median follow-up time was 715 days in the infected group and 719 in the control group.

    I do wonder whether this demographic makeup affects its applicability to those who are young and/or non-male.

    The increased risk of death was not significant beyond 6 months after infection among nonhospitalized veterans but was significantly elevated through 2 years in those admitted to the hospital. A total of 69% and 35% of the 80 long-COVID signs and symptoms became nonsignificant 2 years after infection in nonhospitalized and hospitalized veterans, respectively.

    Also, this reaffirms that severe cases (i.e. those requiring hospitalization) are the ones leading to the most severe outcomes.

    Interesting stuff.

    4 votes

  11. Comment on ‘Killing Floor 3’ announced for PC and consoles in ~games

    fuzzy
    Link
    How was Killing Floor 2, by the way? I played a ton of KF1 back in the day and never got a sense of what KF2 changed or improved upon. Now that it's been out a few years, is it worth hopping in?

    How was Killing Floor 2, by the way? I played a ton of KF1 back in the day and never got a sense of what KF2 changed or improved upon. Now that it's been out a few years, is it worth hopping in?

    2 votes

  12. Comment on What silly thing do you argue about with your significant other? in ~talk

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    Could you share more of your go-to bargument topics? I’d love to hash some of these out with my friends.

    Could you share more of your go-to bargument topics? I’d love to hash some of these out with my friends.

  13. Comment on What is something that, surprisingly, worked? in ~talk

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    Now this is a top tier life hack! I had the same experience with an extremely dry Roman history book. At a certain point I realized it was immensely boring and I wasn't getting anything out of it,...

    Now this is a top tier life hack! I had the same experience with an extremely dry Roman history book. At a certain point I realized it was immensely boring and I wasn't getting anything out of it, but I kept reading it every night because it was one of the best sleep aids I've ever had.

    I think history and philosophy are the unbeatable genres for this.

    2 votes

  14. Comment on Spain reach their first Women's World Cup final as late winner sinks Sweden in ~sports.football

    fuzzy
    Link
    Spain is playing with palpable fire these past few games and I'd love to see them take it all. It's sure to be an exciting final.

    Spain is playing with palpable fire these past few games and I'd love to see them take it all. It's sure to be an exciting final.

    2 votes

  15. Comment on Atlanta trip report - Thanks to everyone who gave advice in ~travel

    fuzzy
    Link
    I concur with your impressions of the aquarium. The exhibits themselves were spectacular but I found the almost total lack of accompanying science education frustrating. Sometimes I didn't even...

    I concur with your impressions of the aquarium. The exhibits themselves were spectacular but I found the almost total lack of accompanying science education frustrating. Sometimes I didn't even know what I was looking at! I found I had to sort of turn off my brain and just treat it like Disney World, just go with the flow.

    Next time you're in ATL I highly recommend the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, right near the aquarium. It's a small (2-3 hr visit) yet extremely well done and impactful museum that covers both the Civil Rights moement in the Atlanta area and on-going global rights movements. Very high production values, very interesting, and it really sticks with you.

    5 votes

  16. Comment on Humble Choice - August 2023 in ~games

    fuzzy
    Link
    This is one of those rare months where I have heard good things about - and have interest in - multiple games in the bundle yet somehow own none of them. An instant buy!

    This is one of those rare months where I have heard good things about - and have interest in - multiple games in the bundle yet somehow own none of them. An instant buy!

    2 votes

  17. Comment on Where is everyone hosting their email these days? in ~tech

    fuzzy
    (edited )
    Link
    Privacy Guides is a fantastic resource for recommendations on things like this (and tons of other subjects). They recommend Proton, Mailbox.org, Skiff Mail, and Tutanota (though all with their own...

    Privacy Guides is a fantastic resource for recommendations on things like this (and tons of other subjects). They recommend Proton, Mailbox.org, Skiff Mail, and Tutanota (though all with their own caveats):
    https://www.privacyguides.org/en/email/

    I want to make the switch over to ProtonMail but I’m waiting until they have a contact syncing solution. I absolutely cannot maintain two parallel address books, one inside the Proton bubble and one for my phone and other services.

    12 votes

  18. Comment on Which recreational and/or illegal drugs have you tried? Why and how did it happen? in ~hobbies

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    What are your thoughts on Ketamine? I’ve had a few experiences as a part of depression treatment and while it’s been very interesting (and has helped the depression) it’s so dissociating at higher...

    What are your thoughts on Ketamine? I’ve had a few experiences as a part of depression treatment and while it’s been very interesting (and has helped the depression) it’s so dissociating at higher doses that it’s not very, well, fun.

    I don’t totally get why someone would use ketamine recreationally over other drugs that have a more enjoyable balance of basically the same effects, so I’m curious to understand.

    2 votes

  19. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech

    fuzzy
    Link Parent
    Generally what keeps people on the Pixel line is some combination of camera, updates, and relockable bootloader (for those that run privacy ROMs like GrapheneOS). Has ASUS reliably supported their...

    Generally what keeps people on the Pixel line is some combination of camera, updates, and relockable bootloader (for those that run privacy ROMs like GrapheneOS).

    Has ASUS reliably supported their recent phones beyond a year or two? Are the cameras any good?

  20. Comment on What are your favorite wikis to browse and/or contribute to? in ~tech

    fuzzy
    Link
    WikiVoyage! I love looking up random places and reading about what there is to see, what there is to do, and especially what the culture is like. I even enjoy reading about places I live or have...

    WikiVoyage! I love looking up random places and reading about what there is to see, what there is to do, and especially what the culture is like. I even enjoy reading about places I live or have been to see what others felt a traveler there needed to know.

    For instance, some time ago I read the page for the US and was interested to read an “external” perspective on what travelers felt other travelers need to know about American culture to get by here. Everything from when to shake hands to how you should never try to bribe the cops…tons of things you never think about as an American.

    10 votes