scot's recent activity
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Comment on On the modern prevalence of ghosting - Social disappearing acts reflect the deepening inhumanity of a technology-addled, coldly transactional world in ~life
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Comment on On the modern prevalence of ghosting - Social disappearing acts reflect the deepening inhumanity of a technology-addled, coldly transactional world in ~life
scot (edited )LinkThe author is showing a very strong bias toward sympathizing with the ghosted person, citing repeatedly how harmful and morally bankrupt the behavior is and offering only very narrow concrete...The author is showing a very strong bias toward sympathizing with the ghosted person, citing repeatedly how harmful and morally bankrupt the behavior is and offering only very narrow concrete reasons why ghosting would ever be acceptable. The article runs on and on as if it's written by a jilted lover who desperately needs to vent incessantly.
Honestly I can see how ghosting is harmful. But I also think there's a wide variety of factors and psychology at play that should be considered and give ghosting a lot more nuance than the article achieves.
For example - and this is just one scenario out of many - it's entirely possible in this "technological world" that the author points out, that some people have grown more self-absorbed and display communication styles that may leave a partner, friend, or family member, feeling unheard or even steamrolled. While others may exhibit a communication style that, while they believe is clearly and obviously making valid points, is far too wishy-washy and meandering for others to understand who want it all served up more bluntly black-and-white.
Perhaps the ghosted person missed repeated subtle hints, or even not so subtle, and has left the ghoster feeling that there's no other options. Instead of "getting into it again" with no middle ground ever reached for compromise, they're exhausted by the ordeal and decide its best to simply cut and run.
After reading this exposition, I'm left with the impression that the author has been left baffled by this one too many times. Maybe I'm being too severe there, but dude, seriously, that article was a rant.
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Comment on Please suggest me some books from past decades and centuries that are not widely known classics but you value and would like people to discover in ~books
scot LinkI was always a bigger fan of Ira Levin's "This Perfect Day" over similar more popular dystopian novels like "1984" and "Brave New Wolrd." It felt edgier and more relevant to modern society. I'm...I was always a bigger fan of Ira Levin's "This Perfect Day" over similar more popular dystopian novels like "1984" and "Brave New Wolrd." It felt edgier and more relevant to modern society. I'm surprised to see it's never being mentioned anywhere.
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Comment on What's your favorite Richie Hawtin album? in ~music
scot (edited )LinkI got into the entire electronic scene with F.U.S.E. Dimension Intrusion. I was an alt rock kid browsing through Tower Records when the CD first came out and it caught my eye so I took a chance on...I got into the entire electronic scene with F.U.S.E. Dimension Intrusion. I was an alt rock kid browsing through Tower Records when the CD first came out and it caught my eye so I took a chance on it. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before and it opened up a whole new musical world to me. So I'm a little bit biased toward that groundbreaking release.
Side story, during my freshman year in college I hung with a guy who was going into the city (NYC) every week to dance at this place called The Limelight, which was all new to me. This was 1993. I played Dimension Intrusion for him and he seemed to be into it, but it was like he kept waiting for the beat to drop. And it never does. At least not like the house music he was into. Detroit minimalism at that time was its own special thing. There's nothing quite like it!
I have also heard that the Plastikman release Musik originally came packaged with a tab of acid in the CD insert. Probably more urban legend at this point, but who knows... its possible that back then maybe the first 100 copies were being handed out at a warehouse rave with it?
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Comment on How modernity made us allergic in ~health
scot Link ParentI felt the exact same way reading this article and had to hold my nose to get through the whacky almost conspiratorial personal anecdotes to find the pieces that were useful. I'm not as interested...I felt the exact same way reading this article and had to hold my nose to get through the whacky almost conspiratorial personal anecdotes to find the pieces that were useful. I'm not as interested in what one mom theorizes is the cause among some active online chat group, but rather in what real studies by established institutions are actually pointing toward.
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Comment on How modernity made us allergic in ~health
scot LinkTying this in with a starved and decreasing bacteria in the gut microbiome seems to make sense. Results from studies examining the links to a robust microbiome diversity and other health...Tying this in with a starved and decreasing bacteria in the gut microbiome seems to make sense. Results from studies examining the links to a robust microbiome diversity and other health conditions seem to back up this importance and highlight a growing trend in the general understanding of these connections.
I'd be interested to see the results of studies that compare the prevalence of conditions like allergies in the general population between regions of the world with a modern industrial diet and regions with a mostly raw "third-world" diet.
I'm not sure that the facts are all in on this case, but after reading this and other articles on this topic, i find myself personally developing a growing suspicion and cynicism around things like US-produced chicken and beef, along with most snack foods, as well as basically anything that is processed and sold in a box, jar, or bag with an increased shelf life.
It's not that I believe any one dietary item is the singular culprit (and studies that look at the safety of, for example, one additive ingredient are pointless in this respect) but it's more the cumulative long-term impact of all these food items, additives, antibiotics, and chemicals in our diet that has me concerned about my own diminished gut health and its ripple effects on my immune system and other conditions.
I for one have noticed an increase in allergies and sensitivities in my own life over the past ten years that I have sworn is not "all in my head." I get brain fog and a heavy whole-body lethargy about twenty minutes after eating eggs now. Every time. That never happened in my twenties.
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Comment on Retired Maj. David Grusch tells Congress the US is concealing ‘multi-decade’ program that captures UFOs in ~society
scot (edited )Link ParentApparently there are established methods for handling situations such as this, and those involved are following those established methods. He's already provided classified details to the Inspector...Apparently there are established methods for handling situations such as this, and those involved are following those established methods. He's already provided classified details to the Inspector General, including names and specifics, as well as providing the same classified details in private testimonies that spread out over 11 hours to the proper Congressional members in Secured Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIF), likely in rooms set aside for this exact thing in Congress, in order to establish the veracity of his claims and move forward to this public hearing.
All of this has been in process for allegedly a year now, and he's been patient in respecting the proper channels. Because of these select Congressional members having the ability to already independently follow up on his claims and verify his testimony, the public hearing was permitted and scheduled.
We are here at this point now in order to move to the next phase which is establishing a legal precedent for this information to be requested and investigated by a seperate Congressional oversight committee, and to require those departments in possession of this information to hand it over or to provide specific concrete proof in a SCIF to those committees as to why each requested item must remain classified. In other words, this all is unfolding in the exact way it should for Congress to do its intended job of checking in for possible crimes - misappropriation of funds and mishandling of the information, for example.
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Comment on Bringing back the minimal web in ~tech
scot Link ParentGood point! Funny and true. I have a tendency to overthink what I write online in fear of the possible imagined repercussions. Neurotic ADHD? Effects of engaging in other toxic social networks?...Good point! Funny and true. I have a tendency to overthink what I write online in fear of the possible imagined repercussions. Neurotic ADHD? Effects of engaging in other toxic social networks? And I wind up trying to be so thorough that my comments drag on. Worst is that I think I even end up sounding self-righteous which I'm basically the opposite irl.
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Comment on Bringing back the minimal web in ~tech
scot (edited )LinkAssuming this is your personal article, which it may not be, i thought I'd offer a suggestion. Before I got through the first few sentences, I started to experience some difficulty staying focused...Assuming this is your personal article, which it may not be, i thought I'd offer a suggestion. Before I got through the first few sentences, I started to experience some difficulty staying focused on the text. This may be just me, but I thought I might offer a friendly suggestion to increase readability. Using black text on a white background isn't necessarily bad, but having it so tight on the page without enough breaks or pauses can become difficult. Shifting toward a very dark gray text could help ease visual stress. But also, traditionally, using a serif font for tight body copy helps add enough differentiation to the letters that it can increase the ease of reading. Using a sans serif font for body copy is less common, but it can be done effectively by paying close attention to letter spacing and line height to offset the tendency of the letters to begin to blend into one uniform visual mass. This particular font looks like it has some room between each letter but then the spacing between each line feels tight. If you like this font, perhaps increase the line height by a fraction? Or if you like the spacing between the lines as is, and still prefer a sans serif body text, perhaps play around with a different font that keeps the individual letter spacing more tight? I could be wrong, but just figured I'd toss in my two cents for readability. And if this wasn't your own original article, then obviously I'm a just barking into the wind. Good luck!
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Comment on Can we get an ~ai? in ~tildes
scot LinkDiscussion around AI has, imo, recently taken over the airspace in nearly every corner of the internet. I understand the passion and personal interests that drive the current frenzy, but I myself...Discussion around AI has, imo, recently taken over the airspace in nearly every corner of the internet. I understand the passion and personal interests that drive the current frenzy, but I myself am starting to grow a bit weary of all the AI news, articles, and discussions. It would be nice to have the option for users to rope off this topic and unfollow, as with other topics. I think AI as a topic has already reached the size where this would now be useful.
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Comment on Boundaries are suddenly everywhere. What does the squishy term actually mean? in ~life
scot (edited )LinkWhen someone's conversational / relationship / life style dominates another person's, using the concept of "setting boundaries" may seem seductive. It's a simple wall that drops between me and you...When someone's conversational / relationship / life style dominates another person's, using the concept of "setting boundaries" may seem seductive. It's a simple wall that drops between me and you to end the transgression. But what's actually happening here is that one person is ill-equipped to confidently state their own preferences, desires, and needs, and to navigate smaller conversations before they become difficult, to comfortably manage a middle ground, while the other person is ill-equipped to observe and digest the more subtle conversational, behavioral and physical cues that would allow them to know when enough is enough. In the past decade, there seems to be a trend toward growing number of people who lack more traditional and useful interpersonal skills growing more extreme. People setting boundaries are feeling overestimulated and lost to the point of needing to be alone or at least most often only associating with other people who are more and more identical to themselves in order to maintain "wellness". I would theorize that more people have lately grown deeper into their own insular worlds and have lost touch with the tools to bridge personal differences. And so we get the all-or-nothing use of "boundaries".
Adding for nuance: I don't want to sound obtuse in my musings. There are times when the concept of setting boundaries can be a useful method for personal growth.
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Comment on Let's share some obscure forgotten tunes (<20K plays/views) in ~music
scot (edited )LinkDrums & Tuba - Brain Liaters (3.3K views) from the 2002 album "Mostly Ape". The songs start slow and twist and beat into rocking psychedelic / progressive journeys resembling a lot of today's more...Drums & Tuba - Brain Liaters (3.3K views)
from the 2002 album "Mostly Ape". The songs start slow and twist and beat into rocking psychedelic / progressive journeys resembling a lot of today's more popular neo-psychedelic bands like Kikagaku Moyo or King Gizzard. Not sure why these guys never took off. Maybe because they use a tuba for their bass instrument?Arcwedler - What Did You Call it That For? (3.9K views)
1993 grunge, think loud raw guitars backing up traditional alt-rock vocals. Sounds a bit like early Nirvana or like something that could've been on the "Singles" soundtrack alongside Screaming Trees. They just never seemed to make it up from the underground. -
Comment on What's your favorite theme to see explored in art? in ~arts
scot LinkI really enjoy when art stares into the mysterious abyss, those places within ourselves that don't conform to any accepted stories, the gray areas, those moments of upheaval that leave you staring...I really enjoy when art stares into the mysterious abyss, those places within ourselves that don't conform to any accepted stories, the gray areas, those moments of upheaval that leave you staring through accumulated layers of identity and experience to peer deep into the unknowable. It's relieving in a way to experience such things. It's a communion between creator and consumer that escapes definitions. And it's best for me when that type of art also sort of celebrates the unanswerable instead of attempting to offer ways out of it. A prime example for me persoanlly are the later paintings by Rothko. Huge canvases of floating dark colors, sometimes black, that occupy your field of view and encompass your soul like a window that can't be seen through. I visited the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas years ago and sitting among the artworks felt like I was experiencing direct contact with some truth that I always tried to hide from, as if being in the presence of The Monolith from 2001 A Space Oddysey. It was spiritually moving.
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Comment on Let's talk nostalgia in ~talk
scot (edited )LinkIn a general sense, nostalgia stirs for me memories of a time when rules were less present, society was less defined, and it was easier to try new things, to make mistakes, and just shrug it off....In a general sense, nostalgia stirs for me memories of a time when rules were less present, society was less defined, and it was easier to try new things, to make mistakes, and just shrug it off. We drank from the garden hose and rode in the back of a pickup truck. No one had nearly enough money to pull off the look of the people in magazines and on tv, so we cobbled together outfits in our own creative ways without fear of judgement. The eyes of the world were not always upon us. Punk bands could be wild, rappers could take over dance floors, artists could graffiti walls and writers could handout xeroxed zines, and then everyone could go back to their families in privacy. The world felt full of imagination and potential running for the sake of some mysterious wanderlust within. It was a messy rough dangerous playground without photo ops or followers.
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Comment on Lonely people see the world differently, according to their brains in ~science
scot (edited )LinkI wonder if there's any studies done or underway that can map out differences in neural activity for those who register themselves as having a "complex inner life" vs. those who perceive...I wonder if there's any studies done or underway that can map out differences in neural activity for those who register themselves as having a "complex inner life" vs. those who perceive themselves as being more in "the physical world". When I first researched neurodivergence, adhd, and Autism Spectrum Disorder, one thing that stood out for me was this idea of living in an elaborate and immersive interior world. Whether that's from genetics or a childhood environment where I was left to play alone much more than average is up for debate. But it does make me wonder about the possible connections to feelings of loneliness, otherness, and being misunderstood.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~misc
scot LinkI know that Time has been a more vocal opponent of Trump over the years, and even I personally can't take any more coverage of the man without gagging; however, to include Mitch McConnell and Joe...I know that Time has been a more vocal opponent of Trump over the years, and even I personally can't take any more coverage of the man without gagging; however, to include Mitch McConnell and Joe Biden on this list and omit Trump seems odd and plays into the whole bias-in-the-media narrative. It's the most "influential" people, not necessarily the most likable, not the most inspiring or optimistic or popular. The main credential for inclusion on this list is how much influence the person has had. And love him or hate him, there's no mistaking Trump's omnipresent, often menacing and disruptive, continuing unshakeable influence. Seems an odd choice to omit him.
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Comment on Dune: Part Two | Official trailer 2 in ~movies
scot Link(Mild Spoiler Alert) Word around town seems to be that Dune Part 3 is going into production quickly and will be based on Dune: Messiah to complete the arc of Paul's rise and fall and more...(Mild Spoiler Alert)
Word around town seems to be that Dune Part 3 is going into production quickly and will be based on Dune: Messiah to complete the arc of Paul's rise and fall and more accurately communicate Frank Herbert's original messaging about the tragedy of following charismatic leaders. There's even some speculation that playing out that role on screen may get to showcase Timothee Chalamet's range as a dramatic actor and may even garner an Oscar nod.
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Comment on How often do you visit your parents? in ~life
scot LinkI think I'm an outlier. Both parents I've been no-contact with for many years. Different reasons for both. And I have to say, it's a highly individual choice and I can't even believe how much...I think I'm an outlier. Both parents I've been no-contact with for many years. Different reasons for both. And I have to say, it's a highly individual choice and I can't even believe how much progress I've made in my life toward being more well-adjusted and happier. I don't mean to sound like a sob story and wont go into the specifics, but dang, these years have shown that I've certainly made the right choice for me.
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Comment on Is there any book that you keep trying but can not get through? in ~books
scot LinkI was the same way with Dune. Must've tried 3 times in as many years and just could never seem to get through the first 30 or so pages. Then the movie was being hyped and I read a lot of comments...I was the same way with Dune. Must've tried 3 times in as many years and just could never seem to get through the first 30 or so pages. Then the movie was being hyped and I read a lot of comments from others who mentioned the same issues and suggested that sticking with it through the first few hundred pages does eventually pay off. So I soldiered through, determined to finish the book before the movie was released in theaters. And I have to say, I'm glad I stuck with it. Those first few hundred pages werent as easy as id like, but then it slowly creeped to the point where i couldnt put it down. In the end it was truly amazing, totally engrossing and there were so many threads that ran all over the place that it makes me think it's a unique beast onto itslef that defies categorization as simply a sci-fi novel. But yeah, I get it about not being able to get into it for quite a number of pages. There's very little expository details beimg offered, and no build up or entry point to determine any way you could possibly understand or relate to any of the characters. There's no catchy hook. It just drops you in to a fully developed universe as if anything is supposed to be meaningful at all to anyone.
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Comment on Stop talking to each other and start buying things: Three decades of survival in the desert of social media in ~tech
scot LinkGreat line right there. And that's the issue in a nutshell. Humans can be taught to behave in specific ways, sometime unnatural and harmful even, but in the end, humans can never stop going off...Stop being human. A mindless bot who makes regular purchases is all that’s really needed.
Great line right there. And that's the issue in a nutshell. Humans can be taught to behave in specific ways, sometime unnatural and harmful even, but in the end, humans can never stop going off the script and well, being human. And that explains the frustrations of CEOs and Board of Directors and engineers as well as common users and consumers and content providers. Humans are not going to always stay in their lane and continue to fit the same services in the same way forever. In simplistic terms, humans cannot be trained to be bots simce they're going to want for changing things, sometimes passionately, and sometimes those things aren't going to work out because of... other humans. Whether its politics, the internet, or your kid's school. And we'll also probably never get over thinking that this time will be different. We see a shiny new promise like Prodigy or Reddit, and still we get shocked and frustrated when it fails to continue in the easy ways we think it should
Perhaps you're right. Technically that does make sense. But would that sort of insignificant final end-text with no hint of an explanation make it any better? If I received that text, I would still probably be hurt and really need answers, maybe even more so than if I heard nothing. At least if I heard nothing, I could validate it in my head by thinking the ghoster is just crazy or a mess or something. Like what kind of person would just ghost me completely? If I ran it over im my head and still couldn't come up with any possible reasons whatsoever, then either I'm crazy or they're crazy! But either way, it's not working and I don't want that kind of immaturity in my life!
To add, I wrote what I wrote first from the perspective of someone who has done the ghosting twice in the past three years. Both times were to long term friends where things were deteriorating over time and who just could not hear me when I wanted to have an honest raw and mature conversation. Totally lied and steamrolled over me when I stopped fiting into the happy little box that they wanted me to neatly fit into. And left me no choice but to literally change my phone number and go no-contact.
To add to the adding, I just realized that you may know or even be the actual author of this article, in which case, now I fee like a dummy for coming at it like I did! If so, my apologies. If you felt hurt and conflicted from being ghosted, you certainly don't need internet strangers passing judgements on your writing on top of that! If so, my condolences.