koopa's recent activity
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Comment on What's something you were wrong about? in ~talk
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Comment on Indiana lawmakers pass bill to start taking Illinois counties in ~society
koopa Link ParentSounds to me like it’s a bill to run a bunch of meetings that will lead to nothing.House Bill 1008, authored by Speaker Todd Huston, would establish an Indiana-Illinois boundary adjustment commission to research the possibility of adjusting the boundaries between the two states. If the bill becomes law, Braun would have to set the commission’s first meeting no later than Sept. 1.
Once the commission, which should meet at least once a year, reaches a recommendation on adjusting the boundary, its members will have 60 days to submit a written report to the general assembly, according to the bill. Finally, the bill states the commission’s recommendation to adjust the boundary between Indiana and Illinois wouldn’t take effect until approved by the Indiana legislature, the Illinois legislature and the U.S. Congress.
Sounds to me like it’s a bill to run a bunch of meetings that will lead to nothing.
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Comment on Are there any good online CS degrees? Is it advisable to enroll into an online CS degree? in ~comp
koopa Link ParentOP isn’t in the US so their market might be different, but I’ve got a CS degree and 8+ years experience and haven’t gotten so much as a HR callback from a few months of applications. (Though I am...OP isn’t in the US so their market might be different, but I’ve got a CS degree and 8+ years experience and haven’t gotten so much as a HR callback from a few months of applications. (Though I am still employed so not applying as aggressively as I could, we’re still talking close to 50 applications at this point)
The tech job market is ice cold and AI usage on both sides has made it all even worse.
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Comment on El Salvador won’t return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the wrongly deported Maryland resident; Department of Justice will leave it up to El Salvador in ~society
koopa (edited )LinkDonald Trump who is waging a trade war against China and the world and claims to be this incredible deal maker is powerless against the unstoppable sovereignty of… El Salvador. Give me a break....Donald Trump who is waging a trade war against China and the world and claims to be this incredible deal maker is powerless against the unstoppable sovereignty of… El Salvador.
Give me a break. Kilmar would be home in 6 hours if Trump wished it.
Unspeakably evil.
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Comment on When can we call this a dictatorship? in ~society
koopa LinkDictatorship implies absolute rule of the dictator. We are walking down that path but competitive authoritarianism is probably a more apt description until the point where we actually cease to...Dictatorship implies absolute rule of the dictator. We are walking down that path but competitive authoritarianism is probably a more apt description until the point where we actually cease to have fair and free elections.
There are still many other centers of power in the US. Particularly in the states who run elections. See the recent Wisconsin election for a good example of a still functioning democracy at the state level.
We are in a bad place, but I don’t think dictatorship is a useful description of the power centers we still have for resistance.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump announces pause in ‘reciprocal’ tariffs for all countries but China in ~society
koopa Link ParentWe’ve downgraded from an economy crushing disastrous idea to merely a terrible idea that will raise prices and slow growth but not cause Great Depression 2.0. I imagine the tariffs in China will...We’ve downgraded from an economy crushing disastrous idea to merely a terrible idea that will raise prices and slow growth but not cause Great Depression 2.0.
I imagine the tariffs in China will be wrapped into some deal with TikTok. But we’re just going to keep riding this ride until Congress takes their tariff power back.
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Comment on United Auto Workers statement: In a victory for autoworkers, auto tariffs mark the beginning of the end of NAFTA and the “free trade” disaster in ~society
koopa LinkThis is the problem with the US having such a small amount of unions, the ones that do exist have very specific interests often at odds with the rest of the country. If we had broad based unions...This is the problem with the US having such a small amount of unions, the ones that do exist have very specific interests often at odds with the rest of the country. If we had broad based unions across many sectors of the economy there would be a base for pushback against harmful policies like these.
We saw the same self-destructive tendencies from the port workers strike when they attacked automation instead of demanding a larger share the wealth automation would bring.
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Comment on US forges ahead with 104% tariffs on China in ~society
koopa LinkIf this sticks this is basically the end of direct trade between the US and China. There’s almost nothing that makes economic sense at 104%. I imagine a deal will be made but otherwise we’re...If this sticks this is basically the end of direct trade between the US and China. There’s almost nothing that makes economic sense at 104%.
I imagine a deal will be made but otherwise we’re looking at supply shocks far worse than COVID ever caused.
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Comment on A slow guide to confronting doom in ~health.mental
koopa Link ParentIf you were already worried about AI escape velocity then the US government showing it is being run by the most incompetent and corrupt people around (who literally used ChatGPT to come up with...If you were already worried about AI escape velocity then the US government showing it is being run by the most incompetent and corrupt people around (who literally used ChatGPT to come up with their tariff formula against the unanimous opposition from voters, experts, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley) that means if AI doom happens in the next 4 years, the US government is in no way going to be situated to handle it.
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Comment on ‘This unlawful impost must fall’: Conservative group sues US President Donald Trump claiming tariffs are ‘unconstitutional exercise of legislative power’ in ~society
koopa (edited )LinkAs they should. Setting tax rates is something even the king of England couldn’t do before the American revolution. Even the king needed funds appropriated by parliament. And for good reason. The...As they should. Setting tax rates is something even the king of England couldn’t do before the American revolution. Even the king needed funds appropriated by parliament.
And for good reason. The power of the purse is the fundamental power of the legislature and the only way a king could be constrained at all.
If the executive can raise its own taxes, it can do anything it wants without regard for Congress. Allowing the president to set tax rates is fundamentally antithetical to the American constitution and the separation of powers.
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Comment on Dropout TV price change announced - FAQ linked in ~tv
koopa LinkThis seems like an important point. You keep the pricing until your credit card expires.This also means you cannot update your subscription information at all - including your payment option, so please be sure that your credit card / payment information is up to date and not in danger of expiring anytime soon!
This seems like an important point. You keep the pricing until your credit card expires.
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Comment on Amazon said to make a bid to buy TikTok in the US in ~society
koopa LinkWho knows where this all ends up but I’m sure we’ll see many more rounds of TikTok drama either way.Various parties who have been involved in the talks do not appear to be taking Amazon’s bid seriously, the people said.
Who knows where this all ends up but I’m sure we’ll see many more rounds of TikTok drama either way.
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Comment on US Senator Cory Booker's (NJ) marathon Senate speech has exceeded 24 hours and is on track to beat Strom Thurmond's Civil Rights Act filibuster. (gifted link) in ~society
koopa Link ParentThe only real power the Dems have at this point is raising awareness to push Trump’s popularity down. Most people check out completely from politics after an election and start paying attention...The only real power the Dems have at this point is raising awareness to push Trump’s popularity down. Most people check out completely from politics after an election and start paying attention once election time rolls around again a few years later. It takes doing something like this to break through and actually get at least some of the inattentive public to pay attention.
The only way you get Republicans to turn on Trump is if his popularity plummets. And even if you can’t get Republicans on your side, you set yourself up to actually take real power in the midterm elections next year.
If you’re from a country with parliamentary elections that can happen at any time if the government loses confidence, the logic of American tactics might not make sense since you can usually topple an unpopular government at any time (and see if a prime minister lasts longer than a head of lettuce) But American elections operate on a fixed schedule so all you can do other than lawsuits is take the time to build support for the midterms.
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Comment on US tax revenue could drop by ten percent amid turmoil at Internal Revenue Service in ~society
koopa Link ParentImagine being narrowly elected because people didn’t like how the economy went under the last guy and pressing a “blow up the most successful economy in the world” button for no reason. This...Imagine being narrowly elected because people didn’t like how the economy went under the last guy and pressing a “blow up the most successful economy in the world” button for no reason.
This really feels like the dumbest timeline.
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Comment on What keeps you up at night? in ~talk
koopa Link ParentI’m feeling pretty similar, my company mandated RTO so I figured I’d see if I could find somewhere else or at least interview and see how other companies might look. Dozens of applications later...I’m feeling pretty similar, my company mandated RTO so I figured I’d see if I could find somewhere else or at least interview and see how other companies might look.
Dozens of applications later it’s just been 100% rejections without even a call from HR. I’ve been reworking my resume since it’s obviously not good enough to attract even an interview but it’s made me realize how screwed I am if I get laid off. Which just leaves me with a lingering sense of uneasiness.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump revokes legal status of 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans in ~society
koopa Link ParentThere’s tons of reasons but fundamentally immigration laws haven’t been updated since the 80’s and the core of it is from the 60’s. The country by country family based quota system is a bad...There’s tons of reasons but fundamentally immigration laws haven’t been updated since the 80’s and the core of it is from the 60’s. The country by country family based quota system is a bad system. But all attempts at reform over the years have failed.
It’s a mess because non-citizens don’t (and cannot) vote so there’s little pressure to fix anything, if you’re marrying a US citizen for example, often your only way to get your case unstuck after years of sitting at USCIS is for the US citizen to get their congressperson involved which magically gets you put to the top of the pile. But other immigrant classes don’t have that luxury.
It’s also a mess because although there has been some movement towards online filing very recently, a large amount of cases are still fully done by mailing huge amounts of paperwork and evidence back and forth. Which just inherently slows every part of the process down even more.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump revokes legal status of 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans in ~society
koopa Link ParentTrump’s go to move in term 1 was to spit fiery rage at illegal immigration while actually just burning down the legal immigration system. Your average American has no idea of the hell that is...Trump’s go to move in term 1 was to spit fiery rage at illegal immigration while actually just burning down the legal immigration system.
Your average American has no idea of the hell that is dealing with USCIS and generally refuse to believe you if you try to explain it to them.
The immigration system is a mess but it’s certainly not because USCIS is careless about issuing visas.
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Comment on Important 2025 Plex updates in ~tv
koopa Link ParentIf you as the server owner have Plex pass your users shouldn’t have to have a subscription.If you as the server owner have Plex pass your users shouldn’t have to have a subscription.
When running your own Plex Media Server as a subscriber, other users to whom you have granted access can also stream from the server (whether local or remote), without ANY additional charge—not even a mobile activation fee.
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Comment on How hard would it be to learn to code a Discord bot? in ~comp
koopa LinkI’ve built a couple discord bots using JavaScript and discord.js. I’d say it’s pretty straightforward to do for someone who already knows JavaScript but I can’t fairly say how easy it is from a...I’ve built a couple discord bots using JavaScript and discord.js. I’d say it’s pretty straightforward to do for someone who already knows JavaScript but I can’t fairly say how easy it is from a newbie perspective.
Discord.js has a tutorial with some resources to learn JavaScript linked as all
https://discordjs.guide/#before-you-beginBut I think if you’re determined to learn you’ll be able to make some good progress, JavaScript in particular is one of the topics AI chatbots are best at and might be helpful to learn the stuff that most people assume everyone already knows.
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Comment on What mattress would you recommend? in ~life.home_improvement
koopa LinkWe’ve been using a Brooklyn Bedding Aurora for the last few years, I’d gotten the Queen version out of college and then got the King sized version after it was clear the Queen was too small for...We’ve been using a Brooklyn Bedding Aurora for the last few years, I’d gotten the Queen version out of college and then got the King sized version after it was clear the Queen was too small for the both of us living together long term.
The Queen was a medium firmness and the King is a firm. I don’t love super firm mattresses but the firm on this mattress is really more like a medium so it’s been great for me. Whatever “cooling” tech is in it seems to work well enough since I’ve never woken up overheated like I have on a cheap memory foam mattresses from Costco.
Ultimately mattress shopping is kind of terrible because everyone has different preferences and everything online has been astroturfed to hell. I eventually gave up and just went with what sounded the best from Brooklyn Bedding because I read they actually do their own manufacturing instead of just reselling like other bed in a box sellers. But who knows if that’s true or just more astroturfed marketing. Wirecutter seems to have added this mattress to their recommendations so that might be a decent place to look at.
If you’re not in a place to go around trying mattresses at a physical store I’d just order what sounds best and has a good return/trial policy and actually use it if you’re not happy.
I was wrong in believing that “being the smartest” was the path to success in life outside of school. I always got perfect grades all the way through high school, got a full-ride scholarship to college but I ignored the social parts of life pretty much the whole way through. Friends always came last and I treated people who wanted to be friends as an annoyance more than anything and never put in any effort to form or maintain connections with other people.
A perfect resume will not get you to the places a good reputation with the right people will. People want to work with people they like more than they want to work with the “smartest guy in the room”. People with worse hard skills than you will do better than you and get jobs you want because all organizations are made of people and if you don’t know how to interact positively with other people, you’re going to have a bad time, even in tech.
Yes you need skills and smarts, but other people will only think you’re as skillful and smart as your social skills let shine through.