preposterous's recent activity
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Comment on What stock do you put in gut feelings? in ~talk
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Comment on What has changed as you've gotten older? in ~talk
preposterous Link ParentTo each their own. For me it’s worth it: if I sit myself down and plan calmly, I can explain myself that yes it’s less stable, but since I bill so much when I do, my runway really is 3 years of...To each their own. For me it’s worth it: if I sit myself down and plan calmly, I can explain myself that yes it’s less stable, but since I bill so much when I do, my runway really is 3 years of living expenses (not opulent but not destitute either) and so unless I can’t find a single new project in 3 years I’ll be fine.
OTOH while being an employee I always ended up getting laid off or quitting after 6 months—2 years and then needing several months to a year just to recover (mentally) before I could go back in the grinder for another loop. So all in all even as an employee I didn’t really have stability anyway. But I was giving up a lot of agency in living my life while destroying my health in return.
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Comment on What has changed as you've gotten older? in ~talk
preposterous Link ParentThe emulators are pretty good now. Devices like what ambernics does along with mustardos is pretty great. AMD you can have shaders and filters to make the display look like the original console...The emulators are pretty good now. Devices like what ambernics does along with mustardos is pretty great. AMD you can have shaders and filters to make the display look like the original console (but better).
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Comment on What has changed as you've gotten older? in ~talk
preposterous Link ParentI guess you haven’t done it in a while Pirating is so easy I don’t understand why more people don’t do it. I want to watch a movie/tv show. Paying for it means: I have to find which streaming...I guess you haven’t done it in a while
Pirating is so easy I don’t understand why more people don’t do it.
I want to watch a movie/tv show. Paying for it means:
- I have to find which streaming service has it
- if any does, I have to subscribe (because of course it’s not one of the 3 I already have)
- I have to load their app on a supported platform/device
- Figure out how much I want to pay (there are several plans)
- maybe watch a few ads (depending on plan)
- finally watch the content, maybe (not everything works on Linux, my smart tv is offline, the content isn’t streamed in hdr…)
Vs not paying for it:
- add the show to sonarr or the movie to IMDb (which radarr picks up automatically)
- wait about 5–10 minutes for the content (movie or whole tv show season) to be downloaded off Usenet
- turn tv on and play it from kodi on my tv
- I get top quality (it’s usually ripped from streaming services or the digital “reel” if it’s cinema only) with hdr, all languages, subtitles, BR quality at worst.
- and it’s all automated. When a new episode is aired I get it within the hour. When a movie comes out I get it as soon as it finds a release matching my set quality requirements (BR or better). I just have to turn on the TV and decide what I want to watch right now and it starts instantly, and the content is automatically deleted after I’ve watched it.
The era of telecine and camera-filmed in a theatre are long gone. The experience is so much better now. I’ll never pay for a movie or tv show.
All the above is hypothetical of course. I watch all my entertainment legally. I’m just trying my hand at creative writing/illustrating how a friend does it.
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Comment on What has changed as you've gotten older? in ~talk
preposterous Link ParentI’m on the same boat. I’ve struggled as an employee for 20 years (ever since I started working). I just can’t feel comfortable having someone else ruling my life, I feel like a toddler. And I feel...I’m on the same boat. I’ve struggled as an employee for 20 years (ever since I started working). I just can’t feel comfortable having someone else ruling my life, I feel like a toddler. And I feel exploited being paid little in comparison to how much profit the company is making, at the expense of my sanity and health.
So I’ve switched to being an independent consultant for the last few years. I have nobody telling me what to do, how to do it, or when to do it. I earn in a week as much as I’d get in two months as salary (my daily rate isn’t cheap)
But there are downsides: I have no stability (a client can stop the project pretty much whenever, or they can just stop paying their bills), I have to find my own customers, and most insurances are on me (disability, retirement, etc). I tried to spread the risk by working several part time projects at the same time so that losing one is fine. But it’s not easy.
All this to say that 1. There might be downsides that you’re not seeing until you actually experience them and 2. People always make it look easier and more chill than it really is (everyone enjoys bragging, even a little) 3. Try and think how you could change your circumstances and remove the aspect that annoys you the most. Your brain will chew on it for a while and eventually come up with a solution but it can take a long time. I wanted to do my own thing for years before I actually managed to pull it off. Good luck!
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Comment on What has changed as you've gotten older? in ~talk
preposterous Link ParentOo that’s… not easy? Or do you mean you can coast on the job, not that it’s easy to get there?become a family doctor or something simple like that
Oo that’s… not easy? Or do you mean you can coast on the job, not that it’s easy to get there?
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Comment on NASA still maintains some of the Voyager spacecraft code in a 1970s-era programming language that almost nobody on Earth fully understands anymore in ~space
preposterous Link ParentAt the end of the article: “ About this article This article is for general information and reflection. It is not professional advice. For your specific situation, consult a qualified...At the end of the article:
“ About this article
This article is for general information and reflection. It is not professional advice. For your specific situation, consult a qualified professional.”
Uhhhh okay
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Comment on Moving from Cinnamon to Xfce fixed my video playback stutter on Linux Mint in ~tech
preposterous LinkHad this too a while back. For me it was some applet that was messing with rendering. When I removed it all was fine.Had this too a while back. For me it was some applet that was messing with rendering. When I removed it all was fine.
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Comment on We should take hantavirus more seriously in ~health
preposterous Link ParentNot an expert but from my own research on the topic of virus potency over time in ordinary conditions (curiosity drove me), it’s rare for a virus to remain potent for very long in the environment....Not an expert but from my own research on the topic of virus potency over time in ordinary conditions (curiosity drove me), it’s rare for a virus to remain potent for very long in the environment. It’s not alive but it’s kinda fragile and gets damaged beyond potency in 10–30 minutes at ambiant temperature and regular humidity. Obviously lasts longer in the cold or more favorable conditions but that’s the kind of time period you’re looking at. So if the drippings are dried and a few days old the virus is probably not potent anymore I’d think. But you’re right, better be safe than sorry.
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Comment on ‘It’s shameful’: New York’s elite lash out at Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax in ~finance
preposterous Link ParentI was answering your restaurant analogy because I disagree with it.I was answering your restaurant analogy because I disagree with it.
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Comment on ‘It’s shameful’: New York’s elite lash out at Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax in ~finance
preposterous Link ParentPaying a lot of money for a restaurant meal enriches the owner… and nobody else. Workers at that restaurant still get paid a very very low wage and don’t get better working conditions as a result....Paying a lot of money for a restaurant meal enriches the owner… and nobody else. Workers at that restaurant still get paid a very very low wage and don’t get better working conditions as a result.
Paying tax on your second or third home benefits the community: tax money will be used to pay for public programs and it will contribute to lowering the appeal of hoarding real estate in a city where affordable housing is scarce.
To me you’re comparing apples and oranges.
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Comment on ‘It’s shameful’: New York’s elite lash out at Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax in ~finance
preposterous Link ParentIt used to be that everyone paid property tax. Now it’s only on your secondary residences. There is still a local tax due by the registered owner that depends on surface and value of the house,...It used to be that everyone paid property tax. Now it’s only on your secondary residences.
There is still a local tax due by the registered owner that depends on surface and value of the house, but it’s only a part of the original tax.
The idea being that it would either make up for the prejudice or nudge people into not hoarding houses and depleting the housing stock.
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Comment on ‘It’s shameful’: New York’s elite lash out at Zohran Mamdani’s second-home tax in ~finance
preposterous Link ParentIt’s not even that progressive. Many countries have this already. France for example: if you have more than one residence, you’re only exempt from property taxes on your main residence. Some...It’s not even that progressive. Many countries have this already. France for example: if you have more than one residence, you’re only exempt from property taxes on your main residence. Some struggle to find affordable housing while others tie up two or three properties, it’s really not unfair to tax that.
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Comment on What was the best job you ever had? in ~life
preposterous Link ParentAs you’d expect on this website: I’m a software developer.As you’d expect on this website: I’m a software developer.
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Comment on The Ploopy Bean - an external four-button trackpoint in ~tech
preposterous LinkI have their trackball (adept), I printed the case myself because it otherwise didn’t fit within Switzerland’s de minimis. It’s a great device and because it’s open source I know I can repair it...I have their trackball (adept), I printed the case myself because it otherwise didn’t fit within Switzerland’s de minimis. It’s a great device and because it’s open source I know I can repair it and mod it.
Unlike my CST lasertrak on which the rollers wore out and it’s around 50$ to get a new set sent over to me… and they fail every 5 years apparently (on a 200$ trackball)
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Comment on What was the best job you ever had? in ~life
preposterous LinkI ended up hating every single one of the jobs I’ve had. I dont think I’m cut out to be someone’s employee. I find it humiliating and exploitative. I’m much happier working for myself. What I lost...I ended up hating every single one of the jobs I’ve had. I dont think I’m cut out to be someone’s employee. I find it humiliating and exploitative. I’m much happier working for myself. What I lost in stability I’ve gained in dignity.
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Comment on Do you prefer chunky or smooth peanut butter? in ~food
preposterous LinkSmooth, it’s more practical. Chunky is nice but when spreading it you use it up faster since you use as much of the “butter” but you get chunks on top. So the chunky jars contain less useable...Smooth, it’s more practical. Chunky is nice but when spreading it you use it up faster since you use as much of the “butter” but you get chunks on top. So the chunky jars contain less useable butter overall and run out faster for the same spread area.
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Comment on Good time to buy a gas/diesel car (in the EU)? in ~transport
preposterous LinkI’d steer clear of diesel (polluting, many cities forbid these vehicles from entering, fuel price is insane right now) Instead, I’d consider an older gasoline car because they can usually run fine...I’d steer clear of diesel (polluting, many cities forbid these vehicles from entering, fuel price is insane right now)
Instead, I’d consider an older gasoline car because they can usually run fine with a mixture of ethanol (or even pure ethanol sometimes) without modification.
I don’t know if you have e85 where you live, but here it’s 3x cheaper than regular gasoline. My car won’t do 100% without modifications I’m not willing to do but it runs just fine on 50% ethanol and 50% e10.
The trick is to gradually increase the e85 portion and watch your LTFT with a cheap OBD scanner to find the max ratio your car can use and then dial back a notch so you never have issues.
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Comment on What are the current channels to find remote work? in ~tech
preposterous Link ParentLooking at the recruiter’s job history is a good heuristic for me: if they’re a couple years out of school and were selling shoes 6 months ago, selling clothes 3 months ago, and now selling warm...Looking at the recruiter’s job history is a good heuristic for me: if they’re a couple years out of school and were selling shoes 6 months ago, selling clothes 3 months ago, and now selling warm bodies to companies, chances are they’re not worth your time, will only have crap offers trying to race you to the bottom, and they’ll be selling furniture in 6 months.
I don’t usually work with recruiters but when I do I make sure they’re career, experienced recruiters.
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Comment on Which Linux distro do you use, and why? in ~tech
preposterous Link ParentI’ve been curious about fedora. Using mint for a decade now and I have an extensive ansible playbook to bootstrap a blank machine so switching isn’t cheap in terms of effort, but I’m curious. What...I’ve been curious about fedora. Using mint for a decade now and I have an extensive ansible playbook to bootstrap a blank machine so switching isn’t cheap in terms of effort, but I’m curious.
What little thing or feature do you love about fedora?
Indeed, I don’t comment much on tildes because the discussion is already good as is to read and most comments are well written, much better than I could ever articulate the same point.