papasquat's recent activity
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Comment on Eleven spouses on what it’s like to live with someone on Ozempic in ~life
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Comment on Spotify paid out a record £7.7bn in royalties in 2024 – debate continues about how much money artists and songwriters receive in royalties in ~music
papasquat Link ParentIsn't that the case in basically every creative space? Lots of people want to be movie stars, professional streamers, Broadway actors, famous artists, etc, but very few ever do, because most...Isn't that the case in basically every creative space?
Lots of people want to be movie stars, professional streamers, Broadway actors, famous artists, etc, but very few ever do, because most people listen/watch/view the same stuff as most other people, so you have a very tiny handful of slots for extremely successful creative people, a few more slots for moderately successful creative people, and then a whooooooooole ton of people who can never possibly make a living doing their passion.
It would be nice if they all could of course, but the world has never worked that way.
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Comment on Disney scales back ‘Snow White’ Hollywood premiere amid Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot controversies in ~movies
papasquat Link ParentIt's not a weird thing to make when you consider that Disney has been creatively bankrupt for a while now due to being completely unwilling to take risks on anything new. They want to continue to...It's not a weird thing to make when you consider that Disney has been creatively bankrupt for a while now due to being completely unwilling to take risks on anything new.
They want to continue to mine stories they've done before over and over, and the remaining stories that have the name recognition they're after and that they haven't already redone recently is now dwindling. Snow white is the next biggest movie they can remake, so the Disney formula demands they make it.
After this they'll move on to a live action Pocahontas, a live action Frozen, a live action Hercules, then they'll likely just circle back around and start remaking movies they've already remade yet again. Any other consideration for why maybe they shouldn't do those movies, or if there's any artistic value to just making the same movies over and over again won't be taken into account.
Hollywood has discovered over the past 10 years or so that familiarity, above basically anything else is what sells. It used to be the concept that resulted in movie stars, and now it's the concept that results in the same movie getting made every 20 years or so.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 10 in ~society
papasquat Link ParentWhat's the actual aim here? I mean, Trump isn't the smartest guy in the world, but even he knows that a sovereign country, follow NATO member, and a nation with the ninth highest GDP in the world...What's the actual aim here? I mean, Trump isn't the smartest guy in the world, but even he knows that a sovereign country, follow NATO member, and a nation with the ninth highest GDP in the world isn't, under any circumstances going to agree to be part of the US without a horribly bloody pointless war. And even if they did, that's 40 million voters who on average skew significantly more left than most of the US.
What's the angle then? Just shoot tarrifs through the roof for no reason? Win brownie points with a base that seems tepid at best about this? I can't think of a single thing this helps him with. Is he just delusional or is there a real strategy at play here?
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Comment on What's a feeling you sometimes experience that you don't have a name for? in ~talk
papasquat LinkSometimes I just feel like shit and have an impulse to be an asshole. I feel like my life sucks, everyone and everything is out to get me, my house sucks, my relationship sucks, my friends suck,...Sometimes I just feel like shit and have an impulse to be an asshole. I feel like my life sucks, everyone and everything is out to get me, my house sucks, my relationship sucks, my friends suck, my job sucks. Anyone who talks to me, I just want to be cruel and mean to. I am inconvenienced by everything, and I can't snap out of it. This usually lasts half a day or so, and probably happens once or twice a month. The thing is, I KNOW when I'm in a mood like this, and even during it I can logically reason that I don't hate all of those things, but I really feel like I do. I can usually force myself to not be an asshole even though I want to.
It's almost like the logical part of my brain is being a parent, holding back the lizard, asshole part.
No idea if there's a word to describe that.
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Comment on Waymo is now offering 24/7 robotaxi rides in Silicon Valley in ~transport
papasquat Link ParentI think it's a combination of you're more likely to get a 5 star review in a luxury car, and certain luxury cars let them do Uber Black when people request it, which the margins are way better on.I think it's a combination of you're more likely to get a 5 star review in a luxury car, and certain luxury cars let them do Uber Black when people request it, which the margins are way better on.
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Comment on Waymo is now offering 24/7 robotaxi rides in Silicon Valley in ~transport
papasquat Link ParentWell, they have no close competitors, so I would absolutely bet on it. The only way this doesn't turn into an exercise to see how much they can gouge prices onces they eliminate competition from...Well, they have no close competitors, so I would absolutely bet on it.
The only way this doesn't turn into an exercise to see how much they can gouge prices onces they eliminate competition from human drives is if the robotaxi field gets some more players involved or we see some regulation (lol).
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Comment on Question about routers and access points in ~comp
papasquat LinkIt's hard to say. However things that a consumer grade router can do that are really CPU intensive and sort of above their paygrade are encryption/decryption (VPNs) packet inspection (firewalls)...It's hard to say. However things that a consumer grade router can do that are really CPU intensive and sort of above their paygrade are encryption/decryption (VPNs) packet inspection (firewalls) and dynamic routing.
The CPUs on those routers are built to be able to forward packets from one subnet to a default route, and vice versa. Doing anything beyond that stuff well requires a more powerful general purpose CPU or dedicated hardware because they involve doing fancy math. Even routing from a default route involves some not insignificant CPU time.
Switching is a far easier operation by comparison. You're just doing a single CAM table lookup. You don't need to calculate subnets or consult potentially multiple routing tables or do anything fancy. In enterprise switches this is handled by a dedicated ASIC, and so has no CPU impact at all, but I expect a consumer grade router just handles this in the CPU, but it's a very simple operation. Wifi handling is a little more complex, but I imagine most of that is also handled by dedicated hardware, even on that Netgear.
So in short, in theory, your all in one router should handle switching and wireless a lot better than it handled switching, routing, firewall and wireless, but there's really no way to know without testing it. You're not even really sure if the hardware is just operating beyond it's capabilities, or if there's actually something fundementally wrong with the device (bad CPU core, faulty memory, power issues, software bug).
I'd just buy the firewalla and test it. If you still have issues, well, you would have needed a new router anyway.
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Comment on New policy changes for Southwest Airlines in ~travel
papasquat Link ParentAll of these goofy ass financial Rube Goldberg Machines need to go. Allowing ownership in a company to be traded as a liquid asset to whoever wants a piece of the action sight unseen leads to all...All of these goofy ass financial Rube Goldberg Machines need to go. Allowing ownership in a company to be traded as a liquid asset to whoever wants a piece of the action sight unseen leads to all kinds of perverse financial incentives that don't align with the long term success of the company and society as a whole.
It's hard to imagine a privately owned mom and pop shop operating with similar policies as most multinational corporations do nowadays, because the latter are mostly owned by people who have no clue what the company does, only own it for a couple of months, and in some cases are owned by people who actively want it to fail.
If the average person doesn't understand how the financial instrument works, why is it even legal to do? What overall good are we gaining by allowing the ownership of companies to fluctuate like that, and does it outweigh the downside?
I wish that we evaluated regulation and laws along those criteria in more cases.
I guess, then again, as a counter argument, Koch Industries still exists.
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Comment on US Immigration agents arrest Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests in ~society
papasquat Link ParentI think there's a contingent of conservative American Jews for whom the ends justify the means. The ends are the eradication of Arabs in Israel, and the means are allying themselves with the same...I think there's a contingent of conservative American Jews for whom the ends justify the means. The ends are the eradication of Arabs in Israel, and the means are allying themselves with the same people who would gladly put them into camps as soon as all the other people they hate slightly more are dealt with first. They've convinced themselves that they've been accepted into the conservative WASP club, but they haven't. They're just convenient allies for the time being.
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Comment on You are witnessing the death of American capitalism in ~finance
papasquat LinkI think the main thesis of this video is that a capitalist system, once captured by capital, makes life worse for everyone. I don't think that's controversial to virtually anyone. What I don't...I think the main thesis of this video is that a capitalist system, once captured by capital, makes life worse for everyone. I don't think that's controversial to virtually anyone.
What I don't understand from that thesis is how we get to the title. That is, how is that the death of American capitalism?
It seems just as likely that the situation can continue indefinitely, or at least a few more generations. Things can just be shitty for the average person without the entire system collapsing and being replaced by something else.
To take an example from the video, fuedalism existed in strong showing in Europe from roughly the 7th century until the 15th century until it gradually completed the transformation into capitalism by the 17th century.
For roughly that entire 800 year history, life as the average person (a serf) was terrible by modern standards. Life being terrible for serfs isn't what caused the emergence of capitalism though, new technology is.
So then why would things becoming terrible for the average person under capitalism mean it's end? The stated thesis doesn't follow from the videos presented thesis. As far as I estimate, there's nothing stopping giant corporations from continuing to use sophisticated methods to extract as much possible value from each worker and consumer as possible, and doing so indefinitely until resources are depleted.
The idea that capitalism will eventually collapse under it's own weight and be replaced by something better is pretty much a core tenant of Marxism. The issue I have with that idea is the same issue I have when this video presents it.
Namely: why? Because we want it to? Because we wish that was the case? The communist manifesto never answers this question satisfactorily, and the same goes from the video here.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump prepares order dismantling the Education Department in ~society
papasquat Link ParentUnfortunately the way our economy works now, the best, most talented, and most driven people in the country are economically incentivized to Make facial tracking algorithms for the new dog face...Unfortunately the way our economy works now, the best, most talented, and most driven people in the country are economically incentivized to
- Make facial tracking algorithms for the new dog face filters for some social media app
- Use a ton of extremely complicated math to scam other people trying to do the same at algorithmic trading firms
And - Protect corporations that do obviously anti social things from losing money in litigation against them.
We're wasting the best and brightest young people we have because we reward them for at best wasting all of their time and effort, and more likely for making society actively worse.
Virtually the only competitive, well paid high end field that has a positive impact on our world are doctors, and even though they're paid extremely well, we still have a shortage because of how abusive and demanding the field is.
It's almost like we've somehow designed our economic and social system to reward making everything worse for everyone.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump prepares order dismantling the Education Department in ~society
papasquat Link ParentI'm pretty sure this always was the point of vouchers. Rich people thought it was unfair that they had to subsidize public schools that their kids didn't go to (entirely because of their own...I'm pretty sure this always was the point of vouchers. Rich people thought it was unfair that they had to subsidize public schools that their kids didn't go to (entirely because of their own choice), and instead wanted to be able to save money by using public money to pay for their kids' private education. It's never been about anything except for the wealthy getting out of paying their share of a societal good.
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Comment on US Immigration agents arrest Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests in ~society
papasquat LinkAs a Jew, I'm so fucking tired of anti-Semitism being used as the justification to do anything you want lately. The term doesn't mean "doing something that some Jews don't like". If I want a...As a Jew, I'm so fucking tired of anti-Semitism being used as the justification to do anything you want lately.
The term doesn't mean "doing something that some Jews don't like". If I want a thousand dollars and you don't give it to me, you're not being antisemitic.
Similarly, calling for an end to a war killing a ton of innocent people isn't anti semetic. Neither is existing as a country that doesn't want to be part of Russia.
Antisemitism isn't just some magic word you get to say and it lets you do whatever you want. I really wish the term wasn't used as widely as it is, and is reserved only for situations where there's a hatred of Jews in general for being Jewish, not for doing bad things. People who do bad things should expect to be hated. There's nothing wrong with that hatred.
Also, from where I'm standing, the majority of actual antisemites, that is, people that think Jews are shifty eyed tricksters who secretly control the world and want to destroy the United States from within voted for the guy supposedly doing all of this standing up against antisemitism.
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Comment on I used to teach students. Now I catch ChatGPT cheats. in ~tech
papasquat Link ParentWell we're talking about college, so yes, it is voluntary. Even if some parents are forceful about their kids going to college, they're adults who are able to make their own decisions, and they've...Well we're talking about college, so yes, it is voluntary. Even if some parents are forceful about their kids going to college, they're adults who are able to make their own decisions, and they've decided to go to college.
A degree has set requirements that are outlined at the beginning. Not meeting those requirements means you don't get the degree. It's not a punishment to not get the degree if you don't meet the requirements, it's just a consequence of not doing the work.
Part of the issue with higher education is that it's treated as a requirement for most jobs, and as such, the whole thing is viewed as transactional. You pay your tuition, and you automatically get a degree for showing up. That's not how it's supposed to work.
You get a degree as proof to the world that you've learned and absorbed the material. How do you prove to the university that you've learned the material without actually showing it through coursework and exams though?
And yeah, it's not always fun doing coursework. It wasn't assigned to be fun. It was designed to help you learn.
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Comment on I used to teach students. Now I catch ChatGPT cheats. in ~tech
papasquat Link ParentNo one in college is compelled to be there. They're adults who are choosing to earn a degree. Failing them isn't punishing them, it's grading their work.No one in college is compelled to be there. They're adults who are choosing to earn a degree. Failing them isn't punishing them, it's grading their work.
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Comment on Discord in early talks about IPO in ~tech
papasquat Link ParentPersonally I've learned my lesson long ago, but my friend group is not willing to go back to the pain of mumble for gaming, and Matrix really is not where it needs to be in terms of usability....Personally I've learned my lesson long ago, but my friend group is not willing to go back to the pain of mumble for gaming, and Matrix really is not where it needs to be in terms of usability.
Discord won out a long time ago, and trying to fight that tide was just completely pointless. I've been mostly fine letting venture capital fund the server time used by my video game voice chat. That said, I don't give control of my social life to any platform, that would be absolutely insane.
If Discord went bankrupt tomorrow, it really wouldn't affect my life at all besides having to spend an hour spinning up a mumble server and some other group chat platform and giving the details to my friends so we can continue sharing memes and playing games together.
People who's entire lives revolve around discord are in just as an awful position of people who's entire lives revolve around IRC or Matrix or Telegram. People are not bound to platforms. If the platform becomes obviously abusive, it shouldn't be too much trouble to find a new one.
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Comment on Discord in early talks about IPO in ~tech
papasquat Link ParentIt's still pretty cheap versus its competitors, even with its standalone license. I think a lot of the hate against teams comes down to familiarity and personal preference. Personally I detest...It's still pretty cheap versus its competitors, even with its standalone license. I think a lot of the hate against teams comes down to familiarity and personal preference. Personally I detest slack, and wouldn't want my org to use it even if it were significantly cheaper than teams.
Discord's UI is also kinda meh to me. Not that I love Teams or anything, but I don't see a significant difference in objective performance between it and Discord.
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Comment on Discord in early talks about IPO in ~tech
papasquat Link ParentSorry to say, while teams is bundled with all of the M365 business plans, there is also a standalone option at $4/user/month. That pricing is a little outrageous for a messaging app, but its still...Sorry to say, while teams is bundled with all of the M365 business plans, there is also a standalone option at $4/user/month.
That pricing is a little outrageous for a messaging app, but its still significantly cheaper than slack, which is $15 per user user per month for the business+ license, the absolute cheapest license they have which meets the acceptable minimum standards for business software (SSO integration).
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Comment on US Department of Government Efficiency set to cancel lease on weather 'nerve center' as tornado season begins in ~society
papasquat Link ParentIt can run indefinitely. It's just that people will die, and all of our lives would be worse. There are plenty of failed states or extremely poorly run ones that continue to function for long,...It can run indefinitely. It's just that people will die, and all of our lives would be worse.
There are plenty of failed states or extremely poorly run ones that continue to function for long, long periods of time without public health systems or air traffic controllers or weather warning services. Human life is cheap in those places, and preventable deaths are prevalent. If the Republicans can successfully control the narrative as they have been able to, those resulting deaths will be either swept under the rug, or blamed on some random leftist boogieman like DEI or the deep state without needing a shred of evidence to make that assertion, and half of the country will immediately accept it at face value.
Unfortunately, I don't think the consequences of any of this will ever really be felt by the people or the party causing it.
Even as someone who has never struggled with their weight, I think the availability of these drugs is awesome; obesity is by far the biggest contributing factor that's within our control for basically all of the leading causes non accidental causes of death, and is responsible for so much human suffering in the US that it would be insane to not publicly subsidize them. We would absolutely slash our medical expenditures as a country.
I do, however, worry about wallpapering over the problem. I mean, ideally an otherwise healthy human being shouldn't have to take drugs just to maintain a normal weight. It's great that we have a means to address it, but it would be better if we could address the systemic problems causing obesity in the US, namely an extreme car culture, lack of other physical activity, and the insane amount of sugar in virtually everything we eat.
Even if these drugs are 100% safe long term, they still come with nasty acute side effects and a cost. I think they're overall a huge positive, but I do worry that this will cause the public sentiment to go "see? We solved obesity. Now we don't have to worry about physical education, nutrition, walkability, or encouraging adult physical activity".
I also do worry about long term safety. These drugs have only been on the market for less than 10 years, and only widely used for weight loss in the last two or three. Even though any long term effects are almost certainly going to be less detrimental than obesity, especially in extreme cases, we don't really know until we have the data. I'm worried that if people that are within the healthy range, but have a few extra pounds than they'd like start using them regularly, they'll set a new beauty standard and set a new expectation at the cost of our health.