hobbes64's recent activity
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Comment on US President Donald Trump has begun demolishing the east wing of the White House, without approval in ~society
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Comment on Lancia returns to rally racing! in ~sports.motorsports
hobbes64 Link ParentI don’t know if this is happening either, but seems more possible than some other racing types since many races consist of stages that are pretty short. If they allowed recharges or battery swaps...I don’t know if this is happening either, but seems more possible than some other racing types since many races consist of stages that are pretty short. If they allowed recharges or battery swaps between stages there would be no range problem even for the highest performance EV.
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Comment on Scientists say they have solved the mystery of what killed more than five billion sea stars in ~enviro
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Comment on Financial collapse? in ~finance
hobbes64 Link ParentOne thing that is kind of new is that the tariffs are partly a pump and dump that is intentional. It’s a wealth transfer. The value doesn’t just disappear. It’s is being transferred to trumps...One thing that is kind of new is that the tariffs are partly a pump and dump that is intentional. It’s a wealth transfer. The value doesn’t just disappear. It’s is being transferred to trumps buddies. If you aren’t his buddy you can’t time the market.
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Comment on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | Official trailer in ~tv
hobbes64 LinkI just watched the trailer and I have 2 immediate reactions: Oh cool, Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti are in this. That's interesting. (Paul was also in 30 Coins season 2 which was surprising. If...I just watched the trailer and I have 2 immediate reactions:
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Oh cool, Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti are in this. That's interesting. (Paul was also in 30 Coins season 2 which was surprising. If you haven't seen 30 Coins, it's a totally batshit insane Spanish supernatural show with a bunch of weird Catholic religious mythology and body horror and all kinds of weird stuff)
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Wow this really looks terrible and I have no interest in seeing it.
I don't usually read the comments on Youtube I only saw negative ones. Here are a few that sum up my feelings pretty well:
- "Tinder Trek: the last swipe"
- "Feels like a Saturday morning teen drama with a Star Trek title"
- " It's actually stunning how committed they are to not making a decent Star Trek show."
- "This whole thing looks like it was made to train an AI."
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Comment on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | Official trailer in ~tv
hobbes64 Link ParentI like Lower Decks very much but there are a few things about it that don’t quite work for me. One thing I want in Star Trek is to see super competent people doing their job well. Boimler annoys...I like Lower Decks very much but there are a few things about it that don’t quite work for me.
One thing I want in Star Trek is to see super competent people doing their job well. Boimler annoys me a bit because he is usually only accidentally competent. He often makes a bunch of mistakes but it turns out that these mistakes are exactly what was needed for everything to work out for the best. It’s the kind of thing that happens to Inspector Clouseau in a pink panther movie, or to Homer Simpson. Yes, I realize that this is a cartoon and some cartoony things happen.
Another thing is that Captain Freeman is not super competent. She, and the whole bridge crew, make a lot of mistakes and have character flaws that are sometimes surprising. Maybe this is why they are on a relatively small and not-famous ship. Again, I know I’m watching a cartoon, but this kind of thing is a reason why I often prefer life action.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
hobbes64 Link ParentI thought the show was fine but it did get annoying after a while. A lot of people absolutely hated it and the show was famously criticized online. Here is a 2 hour entertaining criticism of it...I thought the show was fine but it did get annoying after a while. A lot of people absolutely hated it and the show was famously criticized online.
Here is a 2 hour entertaining criticism of it with 16 million views: Sherlock is garbage, and here’s why. I think this video brought minor YouTube fame to Hbomberguy, sort of like how the Star Wars prequel criticisms launched Red Letter Media.
Steven Moffat is the creator of Sherlock. He also was involved in the Dr Who 2005 revival. He does certain things with plot and style that many fans hate. In particular, he tends to have stories that start very promising and then meander for a while as if he can’t decide on an ending.
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Comment on YouTube capitulates to US President Donald Trump in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentThe US government is extremely corrupt, in ways that most people didn’t realize until it became so blatant that a criminal president openly wields extortion and accepts bribes and manipulates...The US government is extremely corrupt, in ways that most people didn’t realize until it became so blatant that a criminal president openly wields extortion and accepts bribes and manipulates global markets for personal gain.
I agree that congress doesn’t work. Theoretically they could remove the president but they won’t. This is because political parties disrupt checks and balances. Specifically, the Republican congress is fully responsible for every illegal and unconstitutional action done by the president.
Every day we wait for Trump to violate the constitution or violate our rights or break a law. We focus on him but he’s the showy distraction running cover for the criminal Republican senate and congress that makes it possible.
It’s especially sad that so many Americans are fine with this corruption and bad government, most because they are deluded by the massive propaganda machine, the rest because they are themselves bad, corrupt people.
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Comment on Help choosing a new linux computer? in ~tech
hobbes64 LinkI had a mini pc for about a year and I was running Linux Mint on it. It started having hardware issues and crashing regularly so I returned it. It probably was even less serviceable than your...I had a mini pc for about a year and I was running Linux Mint on it. It started having hardware issues and crashing regularly so I returned it. It probably was even less serviceable than your Alienware because a mini PC is pretty much a laptop and everything is crammed in there and you can't really replace or upgrade individual bits. So I'm also interested in a replacement linux desktop in a standard sized case. I've been looking at System 76 which seems to be about the only desktop that comes with Linux pre-installed so I won't have to worry about drivers etc.
I don't really like buying things like that online though. I wish something like Dell was still a good choice because I would buy it at Costco, which adds warranty and return options. But Dell computers are worse than they were in the past, they are less upgradable, don't have AMD options, and you must pay for Windows.
I saw another post here that mentioned a computer from Best Buy. But the ones they have with the specs I want are gaming computers with the goofy clear cases and colored lights and I don't want that. -
Comment on After quitting antidepressants, some people suffer surprising, lingering symptoms in ~health.mental
hobbes64 Link ParentThis is not to say that people shouldn't take medicine for mental health maintenance or for anything else. But in general we are over medicated and treatment of chronic conditions is often lacking...This is not to say that people shouldn't take medicine for mental health maintenance or for anything else. But in general we are over medicated and treatment of chronic conditions is often lacking in western medicine.
Years ago I read "Saving Yourself From the Disease-Care Crisis" by Walt Stoll. This is an alternative medicine book with the premise that western medicine is excellent at treating acute issues but not good at prevention and long term maintenance. The book came out in 1996 at a time when it slightly fringe to make such a statement. Now it is more common to question medicine and there is an entire quack/grifter industry around it, and it is weaponized politically by the Republican party. This book isn't very quacky but maybe it has a few questionable things, like I think he may recommend chelation therapy for things it isn't proven to help.
Anyway, one of the points Stoll makes in the book is that Doctors prescribe too much medicine, and often in combinations that aren't tested. He makes a statement that is something like "if you are taking 3 medications, it's almost certainly better to take 0". Other famous (and respected) doctors such as John McDougall also spent a lot of time trying to get people to use diet and exercise in place of medication when possible.
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Comment on Discord says 70,000 users may have had their government IDs leaked in breach in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentFor years I’ve been careful with my ID. For example, in the US, when you go to a new doctor, they ask for SSN in the patient intake paperwork. I always leave it blank or give all the same digits...For years I’ve been careful with my ID. For example, in the US, when you go to a new doctor, they ask for SSN in the patient intake paperwork. I always leave it blank or give all the same digits because I don’t trust all these places to have it. But recently, I haven’t bothered to be so careful because there have been so many leaks. We can be sure at least that DOGE leaked them all to Russia or wherever.
So I’ve been wondering why government ids can even be used to steal identity. Why would any bank or other institution assume that the value is evidence of identity at this point? The institution that treats it as a secret and thinks I owe them money when it is misused should be liable for any losses to me and any innocent parties.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of October 6 in ~society
hobbes64 LinkDonald Trump’s Maxwell Pardon Remark Sparks MAGA Fury This is a typical Trump moment that we’ve seen many many times. He wants do do something He pretends he doesn’t know anything about it He...Donald Trump’s Maxwell Pardon Remark Sparks MAGA Fury
President Donald Trump's refusal to rule out pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell for her sex trafficking conviction has sparked fury within the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement
This is a typical Trump moment that we’ve seen many many times.
- He wants do do something
- He pretends he doesn’t know anything about it
- He makes an offhand comment as a trial balloon
- He’ll scream about fake news when he’s directly quoted
- He’ll end up doing it anyway but blame someone else
- MAGA will forgive him and act like he’s doing what they always wanted
BTW, you can tell if Trump knows a lot about something. He’ll pretend he doesn’t know anything about it, usually because it’s something unethical. For anything that he claims to be an expert, you can assume he doesn’t know anything at all.
In this case, he clearly was a friend of Maxwell, and he’s certainly deeply involved with Epstein’s crimes. He’s already corruptly intervened in her case in a way that obviously she has dirt on him. He wants to pardon her now and hide behind the DOJ as if he isn’t micromanaging them.
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Comment on Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish? in ~tech
hobbes64 LinkIt depends a lot on various circumstances with Amazon. We've been noticing that more products are wrong size, or damaged, but it's easy to get refunds and do returns. I don't think I've ever...It depends a lot on various circumstances with Amazon. We've been noticing that more products are wrong size, or damaged, but it's easy to get refunds and do returns. I don't think I've ever gotten a counterfeit object, but I've gotten something that was delivered to the wrong place and it took a while to get them to correct it. I mean, I had to contact support for several months because the charge kept reappearing because the first support person incorrectly logged it as a returned item.
One thing we've tried Amazon a few times is for groceries. This is useful when you don't want to go to the market for whatever reason. They have Amazon Fresh which is some separate program that costs extra, but then sometimes you can buy food without the Amazon Fresh thing. I'm not sure why this is happening or how temporary it is. I think there is usually a free trial either way.
The quality of the groceries is pretty good, even the produce. We've tried Walmart too and the produce quality is usually worse. This is probably related to the fact that my local Walmart has a bad produce department where they don't rotate the stock properly. Both places are reasonable and will refund something if you don't like the quality. The prices are very similar so they either watch each other or are colluding.
Anyway I assume that getting fresh food from Amazon is in a bit of a honeymoon period and it will probably get a lot worse soon so you may want to try it before they extract all quality from it to increase profit. -
Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 29 in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentI’ve never seen a president or an administration that was so brazenly partisan in a way that declares over half the country an enemy. Shame on any person who continues to support this destruction...I’ve never seen a president or an administration that was so brazenly partisan in a way that declares over half the country an enemy. Shame on any person who continues to support this destruction of democracy.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 29 in ~society
hobbes64 LinkTrump was 'on the verge of outright insanity' in deranged speech to military commanders MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell details how military commanders who listened to Donald Trump’s “deranged” speech...Trump was 'on the verge of outright insanity' in deranged speech to military commanders
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell details how military commanders who listened to Donald Trump’s “deranged” speech have to be wondering “just how much more dangerous their jobs are now that they've seen just how lost and sick their Commander-in-Chief is.”
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Comment on White House in a bind as soybean sales to China plummet to zero in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentI know trump supporters who think tariffs are necessary short term pain for long term gain. Trump relies on this kind of ignorance, it’s the only reason he isn’t in prison.I know trump supporters who think tariffs are necessary short term pain for long term gain. Trump relies on this kind of ignorance, it’s the only reason he isn’t in prison.
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Comment on How I escaped MAGA. Critical thinking woke me up. in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentI’m kind of fascinated by the dichotomies in Christianity and how people respond to it. There have been other good points in this post about Jesus’ teachings. Jesus had a new covenant which is...I’m kind of fascinated by the dichotomies in Christianity and how people respond to it.
There have been other good points in this post about Jesus’ teachings.
Jesus had a new covenant which is based on forgiveness and grace instead of adherence to law. And that’s a great message.
But if you think about it, it’s still authoritarian. You can only be saved through Christ. You can only know Christ through his church. You still have concepts of sin against a god.Many of us love Christmas and the music and the message of love and forgiveness and having a savior. But listen to the religious Christmas music carefully. It’s about worship and being saved from sin. The concept of worship is so authoritarian I can hardly wrap my head around it even though I was born into religion.
To come back to the MAGA discussion: It’s a cult that worships a leader, and the followers were taught this behavior through religion.
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Comment on How I escaped MAGA. Critical thinking woke me up. in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentI grew up Catholic. I no longer practice but I understand Christianity pretty well. I don't really know what atheists say because I don't really follow them. So the following is my impression from...I grew up Catholic. I no longer practice but I understand Christianity pretty well. I don't really know what atheists say because I don't really follow them. So the following is my impression from being brought up in Christianity.
Christianity is at its core authoritarian. There is a guy who created everything and demands obedience and worship. If you don't do what he says, you will be punished.
The idea of control and punishment seems fair, especially if you were brought up in it. But you should realize that it is authoritarian and conservative.
I'm aware that many Christians are considered liberal or progressive. That's true to a point. They do not want to control other people directly. But they want and expect everyone controlled by the authority. Yes Jesus had teachings about turning the other cheek and loving everyone. But he didn't just talk about that. He talked about consequences for people who don't do that.
Churches arose out of this basic idea of a central authority and they build hierarchies around it. Popes and Cardinals and Bishops and Priests for Catholics, and various kinds of Elders and ministers for other forms of Christianity. It's all organized to exert control and authority over people.
MAGA is an extreme version of this. They love authority. They are authoritarian followers. (aside: So are evangelicals who are into The Rapture. I find the idea very sick, that they are going to be whisked away from the worlds problems and they can watch everyone else squirm and cry. Movies and books about the Rapture are basically torture porn like a Saw movie)
Contrast this with Buddhism. At it's core it isn't about authority. It's about an individual overcoming suffering through personal effort. So it's possible to have spirituality without it. I don't know much about Islam, but from my limited knowledge it seems like Christianity with even more authoritarianism.
I'm not saying that there aren't a million great things about Christianity and many Christians. But structurally it isn't surprising that it attracts authoritarians and authoritarian followers like MAGA.
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Comment on Donald Trump suggests using ‘dangerous’ US cities as ‘training grounds’ for military in ~society
hobbes64 LinkConservatives and 2nd amendment advocates who were constantly screaming that Obama and Biden were fascist dictators: “This is fine”Conservatives and 2nd amendment advocates who were constantly screaming that Obama and Biden were fascist dictators: “This is fine”
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 29 in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentThe authoritarian power grab by republicans is all the more distressing when the guy you’re giving power to is tweeting AI videos for conspiracy theories including nonexistent medbeds. Oh and he’s...The authoritarian power grab by republicans is all the more distressing when the guy you’re giving power to is tweeting AI videos for conspiracy theories including nonexistent medbeds. Oh and he’s also an insurrectionist and a conman and a criminal.
There has to be some line where the people who enforce his orders decide that it's a better idea to not do that.