MimicSquid's recent activity
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Comment on Utah's shrinking lake: a scientific asset and a crisis in ~enviro
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
MimicSquid Link ParentI really enjoyed Elementalis, and would recommend it to any fan of the 2D Zelda games. It's not as polished as Nintendo makes them, but absolutely worth playing. The dev is super responsive, too....I really enjoyed Elementalis, and would recommend it to any fan of the 2D Zelda games. It's not as polished as Nintendo makes them, but absolutely worth playing. The dev is super responsive, too. I emailed him a bug report with a save file and the game was patched in hours.
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Comment on Utah's shrinking lake: a scientific asset and a crisis in ~enviro
MimicSquid Link ParentSure, they could bail out corporations whose rapacious nature have consumed so much in the name of private profit that our shared resources are literally running out. Or the state could just...Sure, they could bail out corporations whose rapacious nature have consumed so much in the name of private profit that our shared resources are literally running out. Or the state could just restrict their water rights in order to restore the lake and be done with it. There's nothing sacred about those corporations aside from the cloak of "farmer" that they wear to try to protect themselves from criticism.
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Comment on Utah's shrinking lake: a scientific asset and a crisis in ~enviro
MimicSquid Link ParentThe farmers use the hay for making money. It could be stopped, if they didn't want to make money. Slightly longer answer: it feeds animals, supporting industrial-scale animal husbandry. Because...The farmers use the hay for making money. It could be stopped, if they didn't want to make money.
Slightly longer answer: it feeds animals, supporting industrial-scale animal husbandry. Because animals are managed at a scale that cannot be supported by any possible rate of plant growth where the animals are and thus the feed has to be shipped in. So farmers elsewhere grow alfalfa hay as an input for producing meat and animal products.
So really, they could stop, but nothing short of legal action and regular enforcement will stop them.
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Comment on Why seven presidents is actually genius in ~society
MimicSquid Link ParentI think "en masse" is the important bit. There's already been fire bombs thrown at CEO's houses and warehouses burned. The question is when that coalesces into a group activity instead of just...I think "en masse" is the important bit. There's already been fire bombs thrown at CEO's houses and warehouses burned. The question is when that coalesces into a group activity instead of just being individuals who reached the breaking point sooner than the majority.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #5: Pineapple on pizza? in ~talk
MimicSquid Link ParentI make jars of pickled carrots/jalapenos, and I'll often do a dash of the brine on my Hawaiian pizza. That green spiciness is a great combo with the acidic sweetness of the pineapple and the smoky...I make jars of pickled carrots/jalapenos, and I'll often do a dash of the brine on my Hawaiian pizza. That green spiciness is a great combo with the acidic sweetness of the pineapple and the smoky fattiness of the ham.
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Comment on Utah's shrinking lake: a scientific asset and a crisis in ~enviro
MimicSquid Link ParentClearly, God is punishing them for failing to be proper stewards of his gift to them.Clearly, God is punishing them for failing to be proper stewards of his gift to them.
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Comment on Utah's shrinking lake: a scientific asset and a crisis in ~enviro
MimicSquid Link ParentYeah, but what does that say about the people who fail? Those who buckle under the pressure or fail to show resilience in the face of trauma? God gave you something He knew you could handle, and...Yeah, but what does that say about the people who fail? Those who buckle under the pressure or fail to show resilience in the face of trauma? God gave you something He knew you could handle, and you didn't.
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Comment on ‘Monster Wolf’ robots deployed in Japan amid spike in bear attacks in ~enviro
MimicSquid Link ParentJapan has about 10x the population per square mile as compared to the USA. The USA is 26x the size of Japan, and only has 6x the bears. So there are a lot more people and a lot more bears for...Japan has about 10x the population per square mile as compared to the USA. The USA is 26x the size of Japan, and only has 6x the bears. So there are a lot more people and a lot more bears for Japan's size.
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Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news
MimicSquid Link ParentI think the real trick will be series of those signs angled such that they herd autonomous vehicles into dead ends en masse. Like a fish trap, with an easy entrance and an impossible exit.I think the real trick will be series of those signs angled such that they herd autonomous vehicles into dead ends en masse. Like a fish trap, with an easy entrance and an impossible exit.
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Comment on Jet Lag Season 17: Taiwan Rail Rush | Trailer in ~hobbies
MimicSquid Link ParentMy wife and I had this argument in the context of an open world game where I was controlling the character and she was setting priorities and navigating. She would say "Go to that town.", and I...My wife and I had this argument in the context of an open world game where I was controlling the character and she was setting priorities and navigating. She would say "Go to that town.", and I would head that direction, picking flowers and handling sidequests along the way. We felt very differently about whether I was going to that town. I did get there (eventually) but it wasn't a beeline by any stretch of the imagination. Bringing it back to Jet Lag: Is "going to" every station about the journey or about the destination?
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Comment on A strong El Niño may be coming. Global Warming is changing its effects. in ~enviro
MimicSquid LinkI liked the graphics, and it's a decent global overview, but it's basically saying "Here's how it was. It could change, we don't know." over and over again.I liked the graphics, and it's a decent global overview, but it's basically saying "Here's how it was. It could change, we don't know." over and over again.
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Comment on Red Hot Chili Peppers sell music catalogue for $300m in ~music
MimicSquid Link ParentPerhaps they're at a point in their lives where a flat payout will matter more than managing the catalog for the long term and the extra profit that may or may not accrue from that? At some point...Perhaps they're at a point in their lives where a flat payout will matter more than managing the catalog for the long term and the extra profit that may or may not accrue from that? At some point their fans will age out, and then what value is their music?
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Comment on What radicalized you? in ~talk
MimicSquid Link ParentThe way I talk about it is by talking about incentives regarding covering a story. How many people would, unprompted, talk about something that they did that was evil or embarrassing? Not very...The way I talk about it is by talking about incentives regarding covering a story. How many people would, unprompted, talk about something that they did that was evil or embarrassing? Not very many, if they were smart. They'd want that kept quiet. How many people would say those kinds of things about their boss in public? Again, basically none. So what if everyone we trust to find all of the evil or embarrassing things in society work for a single guy or a small group of powerful people? Would they publicly report on these evil or embarrassing things, knowing they'll lose their job, or will they fill the airtime with other things that seem/are important but won't get them fired? When hiring and firing most of the world's reporters is controlled by a small group, you'll only ever hear the things those guys wouldn't fire someone for reporting.
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Comment on Tildes Survey #3: What country were you born in? (Results) in ~talk
MimicSquid Link ParentAll things being equal, I think "Ireland" is a freedom word people worked hard for.All things being equal, I think "Ireland" is a freedom word people worked hard for.
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Comment on Why I find woke criticism of veganism and effective altruism so outrageous in ~society
MimicSquid Link Parent(This is a tangent about Charity Navigator.) Having worked with nonprofits who cared deeply about their score, I find that Charity Navigator is a great tool, but its usefulness really depends on...(This is a tangent about Charity Navigator.)
Having worked with nonprofits who cared deeply about their score, I find that Charity Navigator is a great tool, but its usefulness really depends on whether nonprofits fit the specific model that they're expecting. One spent almost all of its money on programs that involved a lot of easily categorized external labor and costs, and it had a great Charity Navigator score because CN cares about admin vs. program costs. A second was primarily an advocacy group for a given demographic's interests, and so had a very large communications department relative to its size. It meant that they could easily have a press release out to all of the local news outlets within hours of any event that was relevant to their interests, could provide soundbites and interviews to reporters, had staff to table at events, talked regularly to all of the local politicians, etc, etc. But it wasn't labeled as "program" work, because it wasn't about a particular program, it was just everything about how their organization operated and handled by internal staff. And their CN score was poor because they hadn't consistently done their accounting in a way that CN wanted to see it.
Was the one with a better score a better place to donate because their score was 20 points higher? It depends on your priorities, sure, but I wouldn't say that they were significantly more effective for having a higher score, they were just easier to measure and fit more easily into Charity Navigator's heuristic.
And beyond that, the efficacy of an organization that doesn't serve your interests is kind of irrelevant. If you love dogs and are indifferent to people getting malaria, a local pet shelter can be the choice that's right for you. Charity benefits from thoughtfulness.
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Comment on Dutch YouTube creators behind Alberta (Canada) separatist videos getting millions of views in ~society
MimicSquid Link ParentYou know? Fair enough. It's worrisome either way, and governments are at least theoretically responsible to their citizenry.You know? Fair enough. It's worrisome either way, and governments are at least theoretically responsible to their citizenry.
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Comment on ‘Hocus Pocus 3’ in works with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy back in ~movies
MimicSquid LinkEeehhh. In mu opinion Hocus Pocus 2 was one of the weaker sequels pandering to people who were kids in the 90s. It didn't have anything new to say, and was just trying to hit the notable bits of...Eeehhh. In mu opinion Hocus Pocus 2 was one of the weaker sequels pandering to people who were kids in the 90s. It didn't have anything new to say, and was just trying to hit the notable bits of the first movie a second time. I really don't know why I would bother seeing a third one when it really just looks like they're trying to take another bite of the same nostalgia apple.
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Comment on Dutch YouTube creators behind Alberta (Canada) separatist videos getting millions of views in ~society
MimicSquid Link ParentGiven how irresponsible Google is when considering flagrantly incorrect DMCA claims, I would worry that would just be a way for every government to censor anything they disapproved of.Given how irresponsible Google is when considering flagrantly incorrect DMCA claims, I would worry that would just be a way for every government to censor anything they disapproved of.
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Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life
MimicSquid LinkI'd like to be a trust fund administrator with a very relaxed remit; making sure that all the wealth of the richest people in the world was put to good use building infrastructure and other public...I'd like to be a trust fund administrator with a very relaxed remit; making sure that all the wealth of the richest people in the world was put to good use building infrastructure and other public goods that provide immense benefit to society. I'd slap billionaire's names on a thousand hospitals and a hundred thousand public libraries if it meant they were left with basically nothing but a modest stipend and the public appreciation for having done the right thing.
So what? I'm making a moral argument, not a legal argument. These people have ruined the environment for their own financial gain. They must stop. An unpredictable regulatory environment is bad for the economy, sure. You know what else is bad for the economy? The Great Salt Lake drying up and poisoning everything around it.
When the Constitution is there only as a cudgel to fight for corporate interests and defend the obscenely wealthy from consequences, the time has come for revision. I love the Constitution. I think it did good things. Its purpose is to defend the common good of the American people. Do you think that is what it's being used for anymore? If not, why should I hold it so holy such that a mere snippet from it defeats my moral argument for the public welfare? No. It is a tool, and a valuable tool, but it's not the end of the story. If defending the constitution and corporate interests means depriving millions of water and destroying the environment, it's pretty clear that the people on the side of the constitution and corporation aren't in the right.