jlj's recent activity

  1. Comment on Wolin, on his coined 'inverted totalitarianism' and the motivations of citizens under it in ~finance

    jlj
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    —Sheldon S. Wolin, Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism, 2008, pp xxvii

    ... Inverted totalitarianism is different from classical forms of totalitarianism. It does not find its expression in a demagogue or charismatic leader but in the faceless anonymity of the corporate state. Inverted totalitarianism pays outward fealty to the facade of electoral politics, the Constitution, civil liberties, freedom of the press, the independence of the judiciary, and the iconography, traditions and language of American patriotism, but it has effectively seized all of the mechanisms of power to render the citizen impotent...

    "... reducing or weakening health programs and social services, regimenting mass education for an insecure workforce threatened by the importation of low-wage workers," Wolin wrote. "Employment in a high-tech, volatile, and globalized economy is normally as precarious as during an old-fashioned depression. The result is that citizenship, or what remains of it, is practiced amidst a continuing state of worry. Hobbes had it right: when citizens are insecure and at the same time driven by competitive aspirations, they yearn for political stability rather than civic engagement, protection rather than political involvement." ...

    —Sheldon S. Wolin, Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism, 2008, pp xxvii

    2 votes

  3. Comment on Atheist Debates - More thoughts on standards of evidence in ~science

    jlj
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    This is a few years old now; don't believe it's been shared here before, but my apologies if I'm mistaken. Matt Dillahunty, of Atheist Debates, with a quirky anecdote to help illustrate different...

    This is a few years old now; don't believe it's been shared here before, but my apologies if I'm mistaken.

    Matt Dillahunty, of Atheist Debates, with a quirky anecdote to help illustrate different standards of evidence.

  5. Comment on The ultimate AeroPress technique (Episode #3) in ~food

    jlj
    (edited )
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    Thanks for this. I've been modifying my technique, over the eight years I've been using an AeroPress. I think, for at least the first year or two, that technique was terrible. But, then again, so...

    Thanks for this. I've been modifying my technique, over the eight years I've been using an AeroPress. I think, for at least the first year or two, that technique was terrible. But, then again, so was the coffee I was buying.

    My current coffee subscription sells a brew guide, which I bought, last year. The AeroPress technique therein differs from this one, but not markedly, I'd say. I'm curious to try this because, a) coffee is coming through continually, as opposed to only at the finish with my current inverted-press technique; and b) my grind is never that fine; I guess I misunderstood what qualified as espresso grade.

    I'm on a Roaster's Choice sub, but all of them are fairly light. I think this might lead me to getting even more out of them, which is exciting.

    Edit: Wow! A significantly different flavour profile this morning; richer, with a longer finish. I won't say better, as I think some of the citrus notes are lost with this method. But very interesting, and lots of fun, experimenting. Thanks once again.

    5 votes

  6. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~enviro

    jlj
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    As someone who worked on code to fix a lot of broken code prior to Y2K, and was paid to sit at a different desk through that momentous night, I have to say that there is much wisdom in this statement.

    Everyone who warns about a potential catastrophe that is subsequently averted (maybe even in part due to their concerns) will always look as a fear-monger.

    As someone who worked on code to fix a lot of broken code prior to Y2K, and was paid to sit at a different desk through that momentous night, I have to say that there is much wisdom in this statement.

    10 votes

  7. Comment on What was the first game you ever loved? in ~games

    jlj
    Link Parent
    Oh, wow; damn cool. Are either of them your original?

    Oh, wow; damn cool. Are either of them your original?

  8. Comment on What was the first game you ever loved? in ~games

    jlj
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    Probably Combat on my Atari 2600. Loved the tank games, figuring out the physics to bounce my shots behind my brother's defences. Oh, I did have a stand-alone -- like a super-mini, arcade-cabinet...

    Probably Combat on my Atari 2600. Loved the tank games, figuring out the physics to bounce my shots behind my brother's defences. Oh, I did have a stand-alone -- like a super-mini, arcade-cabinet style -- Pac-man that I played till my hand was a claw. I was an obsessive kid.

    3 votes

  9. Comment on Hi, How Are You? - Mental Health Support & Discussion Thread (July 2020) in ~health.mental

    jlj
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    I'm OK today, but I don't know how long I can go on like this. I don't leave my house. My partner is stepping up, getting the kids where they need to go. I feel really bad about that. I'm drinking...

    I'm OK today, but I don't know how long I can go on like this.

    I don't leave my house. My partner is stepping up, getting the kids where they need to go. I feel really bad about that.

    I'm drinking more. I'm putting on weight. I'm rarely in bed before midnight; often out of it before 6am.

    I've been on anti-depressants for more than a year; been in therapy for many years. So supported, and with the help of my loved ones, I felt hopeful, prior to quarantine.

    Now I feel it's slipping away. I don't see a path to reintegrating. I have to take a test in person next week as part of the process to stay in this country; the logistics are a far greater source of anxiety than the material.

    8 votes

  10. Comment on The Monty Hall problem in ~science

    jlj
    Link Parent
    I don't think I have enough experience on forums like this one to add anything insightful to that particular discussion. I do give a lot of credence to Deimos' take on it, though. It's tough,...

    I don't think I have enough experience on forums like this one to add anything insightful to that particular discussion. I do give a lot of credence to Deimos' take on it, though.

    It's tough, though, because I've enjoyed this thread so much. :-) But I'm coming around to the idea that it might be the exception.

    1 vote

  11. Comment on Police in ~life

    jlj
    Link Parent
    Chills. Thanks for sharing.

    Chills. Thanks for sharing.

    3 votes

  12. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    jlj
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    The Lies We Were Told by Simon Wren-Lewis (based on his mostly macro blog), and, based on a friend's recommendation, Notes On A Nervous Planet by Matt Haig. The former is good so far, if a bit...

    The Lies We Were Told by Simon Wren-Lewis (based on his mostly macro blog), and, based on a friend's recommendation, Notes On A Nervous Planet by Matt Haig. The former is good so far, if a bit bleak. The latter is pretty inane, to be honest, but it has its moments; if nothing else, I appreciate my friend's concern re my lock-down anxiety.

    I recently finished Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky. I can think of no higher praise than to say that it's aged very well, particularly considering the rate of change over the last decade. A colleague recommended Gene Wolfe, so I treated myself to a few of his; might crack The Fifth Head of Cerberus shortly, to break up all this non-fiction.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on For those in marriages or long-term relationships, what do you do with mementos of previous relationships? in ~life

    jlj
    Link Parent
    Yeah, I think much of this is dictated by one's lifestyle and circumstances: I've moved so many times -- and, importantly, across an ocean once, and from a house to a flat on another occasion --...

    Yeah, I think much of this is dictated by one's lifestyle and circumstances: I've moved so many times -- and, importantly, across an ocean once, and from a house to a flat on another occasion -- that letting go has become a bit of a forced default. I have a few regrets, about the things I've left behind (and the things that I've done -- that's a whole other conversation), but, mostly, I just grateful for current happiness, love and purpose in my life.

    2 votes