Odysseus's recent activity
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Comment on Sid Meier’s Civilization VII | Gameplay reveal trailer in ~games
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Comment on Dow Jones drops 864 points, and Japanese stocks suffer worst crash since 1987 amid US economy worries in ~finance
Odysseus Link ParentJapan's GDP:debt ratio is a weird one, because almost half of that is owned by the Bank of Japan itself. Don't get me wrong, with the BoJ scaling back their purchases of JGBs and the hike in...Japan's GDP:debt ratio is a weird one, because almost half of that is owned by the Bank of Japan itself. Don't get me wrong, with the BoJ scaling back their purchases of JGBs and the hike in interest rates, the Japanese government is definitely going to be more constrained, but any profit the Bank of Japan makes goes back to the Japanese government itself, and the Japanese government is expecting a primary budget surplus for 2025.
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Comment on IVF alone can’t save us from a looming fertility crisis in ~health
Odysseus Link ParentI agree wholeheartedly. There's no singular solution to the issue. You can't just throw money at people and hope they have kids. Communities and towns need to be structured around raising families...I agree wholeheartedly. There's no singular solution to the issue. You can't just throw money at people and hope they have kids. Communities and towns need to be structured around raising families if that's the goal you're trying to achieve. Families need ample living space, places to take their kids, ways to connect with other families, ample social support, and so much more. You can't squeeze people into dense cities or fling them hundreds of miles from extended family and expect that they'll want to or be able to raise more than a single child on average if at all
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Comment on IVF alone can’t save us from a looming fertility crisis in ~health
Odysseus Link ParentImmigration as a solution, ignoring the social hurdles of integrating large numbers of people from other cultures for a moment, is just kicking the can down the road in rich countries at the cost...Immigration as a solution, ignoring the social hurdles of integrating large numbers of people from other cultures for a moment, is just kicking the can down the road in rich countries at the cost of robbing developing countries of their best and brightest. As those countries develop, we're seeing their fertility rates plummet, and at a much faster rate than it did in the west and east Asia. India, for example, is already at around 2 and is on track to hit Japan levels by 2050.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentSomeone told me that the kid is always learning from you, whether or not you're trying to teach the kid, so I've been trying to work on my bad habits and whatnot, but I'm sure I'll still have a...Someone told me that the kid is always learning from you, whether or not you're trying to teach the kid, so I've been trying to work on my bad habits and whatnot, but I'm sure I'll still have a lot more to work on even after the kid is born. Thank you for sharing. I'll also try to see if I can get my hands on those books here.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentLike digging a hole. I've never heard it put that way before, but that's comforting. I can push through tired and uncomfortable. Thinking is what gets difficult when I'm tired. Right. A go bag. I...Like digging a hole. I've never heard it put that way before, but that's comforting. I can push through tired and uncomfortable. Thinking is what gets difficult when I'm tired.
Right. A go bag. I do not have one packed. We're only about halfway through, so we have a bit of time, but you're right, it's better to have that prepared sooner rather than later.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentYeah, I feel that. That's something I've been slowly working on since I found out my wife was pregnant. It's gotten easier as I got rid of most social media, but I definitely catch myself staring...Yeah, I feel that. That's something I've been slowly working on since I found out my wife was pregnant. It's gotten easier as I got rid of most social media, but I definitely catch myself staring at my phone more often than I ought to.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentThank you for your insight! My wife also speaks English, but I'm thinking now I'll have to learn Russian as well so that we can each stay in our own languages at home. I'm just hoping that it'll...Thank you for your insight! My wife also speaks English, but I'm thinking now I'll have to learn Russian as well so that we can each stay in our own languages at home. I'm just hoping that it'll be enough exposure.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentThank you! I'll try to be as patient and as supportive as I can. My wife is weirdly old fashioned by 2024 standards, so I'll have to be extra attentive because I don't think she'd actually tell me...Thank you! I'll try to be as patient and as supportive as I can. My wife is weirdly old fashioned by 2024 standards, so I'll have to be extra attentive because I don't think she'd actually tell me if she needs help
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentThanks for the tips! The first two reminds me of what my mom used to do when I was young. I just assumed that she was just into origami, but now that I think of it, I don't think she's folded...Thanks for the tips! The first two reminds me of what my mom used to do when I was young. I just assumed that she was just into origami, but now that I think of it, I don't think she's folded anything since my youngest sister started school.
Building a local family, as you put it, is going to be difficult for sure. We have a loose circle of friends, but I don't want to ask too much of them. We'll see how it goes.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentIt's very likely I'm just overthinking this, haha. My wife's a champ, I just hope she doesn't push herself to hard, because she'll do so quietly. I'll be sure to keep her fed and watered with...It's very likely I'm just overthinking this, haha. My wife's a champ, I just hope she doesn't push herself to hard, because she'll do so quietly. I'll be sure to keep her fed and watered with adequate sunlight throughout the day.
Not being able to ask for help is probably the most challenging part. I have one younger sister who lives in a city a few hours away from me, but for the most part, the rest of our families are oceans and continents away.
Noted. I will not shake the baby.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentThanks for the thorough perspective. Sleep is something we'll definitely have to figure out through trial and error. I'm a morning person, my wife is more geared towards evenings. She also needs a...Thanks for the thorough perspective. Sleep is something we'll definitely have to figure out through trial and error. I'm a morning person, my wife is more geared towards evenings. She also needs a bit more sleep than I do in general. I work from home with flexible starting and ending times, while my wife is planning to quit working all together, so we're definitely fortunate to have a level of flexibility on that front.
Regarding hobbies, well, these days we spend most of our time just sitting and chatting over tea or snacks with each other, so there's not a lot of "me time" I'll have to give up. The main thing is just making sure I have enough uninterrupted time in the middle of the day to get my work done since I'll be the sole source of income for a while.
Thanks again for sharing, especially point 5. I think I needed to read that.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentThis seems to be a not so uncommon sentiment amongst new dads. Even my own father mentioned that in the beginning, he'd come home from work and think "oh right. there's a baby". I'll try not to...This seems to be a not so uncommon sentiment amongst new dads. Even my own father mentioned that in the beginning, he'd come home from work and think "oh right. there's a baby". I'll try not to let it get to me if I don't love the kid as much as my wife does off the bat.
On languages, I hope that splitting the kids time between three languages will still yield enough exposure in each one. Japanese should be fine once they start school, but I'll likely be the kid's only exposure to English while my wife will be most of the kid's exposure to the Russian language. We have some friends from America, Russia, and Ukraine that are also trying for kids right now, so we're hoping that'll be some extra exposure, but I might be getting ahead of myself here.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentThat's a good perspective to keep. I'll be honest, being patient and kind is one of the things I'm a bit nervous about. I'm not an angry or aggressive person by any means, but I know I can come...That's a good perspective to keep. I'll be honest, being patient and kind is one of the things I'm a bit nervous about. I'm not an angry or aggressive person by any means, but I know I can come off a bit cold and callous at times if I'm not careful, so it's something I'll be paying extra attention to.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link ParentThat's weirdly reassuring in a way. Keeping the kid alive is something I think I can handle (in no small part because of how thoroughly my wife has been preparing for this). ThanksThat's weirdly reassuring in a way. Keeping the kid alive is something I think I can handle (in no small part because of how thoroughly my wife has been preparing for this). Thanks
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Odysseus Link Parenthaha, all right, I'll order some earplugs now.haha, all right, I'll order some earplugs now.
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Does anyone have any advice for new dads?
I'm going to be a father soon. This kid was very much planned, and I've been pretty involved every step of the way, yet it still feels bizarre to say that out loud. At 26 (27 when the kid is...
I'm going to be a father soon. This kid was very much planned, and I've been pretty involved every step of the way, yet it still feels bizarre to say that out loud. At 26 (27 when the kid is born), I don't feel like a kid, but in some ways, I'm not sure I feel mature enough for parenthood.
I'm not too worried about the immediate logistical practicalities of parenthood. Things like how to clean, feed, and physically handle a newborn are things I can learn and seem fairly straightforward. Regarding what to get, I live within walking distance of a fairly well known baby supply store, so I figure I can just buy things as the need arises. I'm expecting that first month to be hard, but after I "figure out" the kid, I'm sure it'll be manageable. My folks did it, their folks did it, I'm sure I can do it too.
I guess what I'm really dwelling on is the more abstract aspects of fatherhood. I don't know what to expect and I don't really know what I don't know. What does it feel like? How should I prioritize my life? How do I figure out what's important and what isn't? I want to do what's best for the kid, but what does that even mean? How much is expecting too much from the kid? My wife wants the kid to be able to speak Russian, naturally, I want the kid to be able to speak English, and living in Japan, the kid will also have to pick up Japanese. Is that going to stunt the kid? I have so many questions and no one to really ask. I asked my own dad about it and all he said was something along the lines of "every kid is different, it might take a bit of time to really sink in that you're a dad" and that was that.
A bit of background about my situation:
On one hand, I'm in an okay place. I have a house with a very affordable mortgage, a modest, but stable career, and I live in a very safe part of Japan, which offers a lot of support for new parents. On the other hand, both my wife and I are thousands of miles from our respective families, so we're pretty much on our own and neither of are as fluent in the local language as we'd like to be.35 votes -
Comment on The struggle to contain, and eat, the invasive deer taking over Hawaii in ~enviro
Odysseus Link ParentIt's just what it is in Hawaii. Everyone is well aware that if the boats are even delayed a bit, the grocery store shelves are empty (it doesn't even have to be a natural disaster, a contract...It's just what it is in Hawaii. Everyone is well aware that if the boats are even delayed a bit, the grocery store shelves are empty (it doesn't even have to be a natural disaster, a contract negotiation can be enough - the Jones Act means that there's very little competition shipping goods between Hawaii and California as well as very high costs).
Some folks prep, lots of people grow some food, but very few grow enough to live off of. On an individual level though, there's not much you can do. Prepping in a sustainable way requires land, and land on the Hawaiian islands is expensive. That's not even getting into the energy issue, with all of the energy (mainly petroleum) in Hawaii also being brought in by ship.
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Comment on The asymmetry of nudges in ~tech
Odysseus LinkThis really highlights the importance of incentives and disincentives in systems. I think at the end of the day, very few people set out to selfishly cause harm or do bad things, but over time,...This really highlights the importance of incentives and disincentives in systems. I think at the end of the day, very few people set out to selfishly cause harm or do bad things, but over time, all of the small, seemingly minor actions of the many actors in a system will trend that way if that's where the incentives lie.
Civ VI struggles on the switch. It's incredibly laggy and prone to freezing/crashing. I can see how people might worry that if the game is being released on the switch, they may have scrapped features and mechanics to make sure it can run at all on decade-old mobile hardware.
With that said, with a successor to the switch on the horizon, maybe it's nothing to worry about