sparksbet's recent activity
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Comment on Real-life 'Truman Show' pulled from TV as it's branded 'psychological torture' in ~tv
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Comment on US Democrats win enough seats nationwide to (potentially) end Electoral College via the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in ~society
sparksbet Link ParentRepublicans are willing to go all-in on "Democrats are rigging elections in their favor" messaging even when it isn't true. I can't fathom that they wouldn't barrel down on that when there's even...Republicans are willing to go all-in on "Democrats are rigging elections in their favor" messaging even when it isn't true. I can't fathom that they wouldn't barrel down on that when there's even a smidgen of a grain of truth in there, and I think you're definitely underestimating how much they'd be able to capitalize on it in their opposition.
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Comment on US Democrats win enough seats nationwide to (potentially) end Electoral College via the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact in ~society
sparksbet Link ParentUltimately I think Democrats would have to be very clever to spin the optics in a way that doesn't look like they're just trying to grab power. It probably can be done -- especially if you focus...Ultimately I think Democrats would have to be very clever to spin the optics in a way that doesn't look like they're just trying to grab power. It probably can be done -- especially if you focus on the voting power of a Republican in New York or California -- but it would take some finagling for sure.
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Comment on 2026 United States midterm elections megathread in ~society
sparksbet Link ParentYeah, this thread is beneath a top-level comment and replies about the Ohio election, the Texas thread is a different one.Yeah, this thread is beneath a top-level comment and replies about the Ohio election, the Texas thread is a different one.
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Comment on 2026 United States midterm elections megathread in ~society
sparksbet Link ParentWait, did both attorney general and secretary of state go blue? I thought Republicans got one of those. If both of them go blue, Dems control 3/5 seats on the redistricting committeeWait, did both attorney general and secretary of state go blue? I thought Republicans got one of those. If both of them go blue, Dems control 3/5 seats on the redistricting committee
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Comment on Halloween night! in ~talk
sparksbet Link ParentHonestly the deer in my area (also Ohio) are bold enough that I'd half expect them to walk up and ring the doorbell themselves.Honestly the deer in my area (also Ohio) are bold enough that I'd half expect them to walk up and ring the doorbell themselves.
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Comment on Binance suspends withdrawals after crypto hackers steal $6.3 billion in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentI interpreted "recreational estrogen" as a humorous way to refer to DIY HRT, as it's often purchased in similar ways to recreational drugs that cannot be easily purchased legally.I interpreted "recreational estrogen" as a humorous way to refer to DIY HRT, as it's often purchased in similar ways to recreational drugs that cannot be easily purchased legally.
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Comment on Halloween night! in ~talk
sparksbet LinkI didn't dress up but I went along with my 4-year-old niece (along with her mother/my sister, her 9-month-old brother, and my brother). My niece wanted to dress up as Catwoman ever since my...I didn't dress up but I went along with my 4-year-old niece (along with her mother/my sister, her 9-month-old brother, and my brother). My niece wanted to dress up as Catwoman ever since my brother showed her some episodes of Batman the Animated Series, so to go with her my brother dressed up as The Riddler and my sister wore a Batman shirt and dressed the baby up as Robin. Their street has only a few houses far apart, so they came to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood we grew up in by my parents' house. This is my first time trick or treating in over a decade, although I did hand out candy in my apartment last year in Germany.
The street next to ours was absolutely popping! I think it's a mix of lots of kids living on that street, a lot of houses with enthusiastic decorations, and it having the houses close together and near the street, which made it well-organized for trick or treating. A lot of people were outside at little tables or near little portable fire-pits, which made it easier to spot who was handing stuff out and also made the whole thing feel a lot more social. My sister says this became a lot more normal post-Covid, but in any case I like it! There was also a cop driving around handing out glowsticks and candy from his car. One house had a table for adults with sandwiches, hot apple cider, and optional booze. I was the only one in my family who partook in that but can confirm apple cider with a lil shot of caramel vodka is delicious.
My parents' actual street had a few less houses handing stuff out and was darker and had houses further back, so it wasn't as "lit", but there were still a fair few trick or treaters. My dad sat out on the porch and played the banjo with the candy bowl. My niece was extremely timid when actually approaching strangers to take the candy and say "thank you" in basically a whisper, but as soon as she turned around she'd sprint back to her mom shouting about what candy she'd gotten at the top of her lungs. It was a very funny contrast.
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Comment on Finland launches criminal investigation into Google's clearing of forest for data centre site in ~enviro
sparksbet Link ParentIn US cases about removing trees from someone else's property without permission, actual damages are usually calculated using either the replacement cost of the tree or the effect of the tree's...In US cases about removing trees from someone else's property without permission, actual damages are usually calculated using either the replacement cost of the tree or the effect of the tree's removal on the property value. Some states double or triple this factor (treble damages). The purpose of this, at least on paper, is to "make whole" the damage to the injured party. Actual damages like this would be separate from any additional punitive damages or criminal fines. In the case of a whole forest, the actual monetary damages calculated this way would almost certainly be absurdly high.
I don't know what Finnish law does in this case, though, so I don't know if it bears much resemblance to US-based tree law.
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Comment on Examples of humanities or social sciences articles written in an inspiring, lively, engaging style in ~humanities
sparksbet LinkIf your field isn't linguistics, I highly recommend Grice's Logic and Conversation, which in addition to being fundamental to a whole subfield is also a pretty easy read in my experience, with a...If your field isn't linguistics, I highly recommend Grice's Logic and Conversation, which in addition to being fundamental to a whole subfield is also a pretty easy read in my experience, with a handful of fun examples. My enjoyment of it is definitely influenced by my fascination with that subfield, but if you have a humanities or social science background I think you'll find it interesting.
Another paper that stands out in my memory as a fun read and worth recommending to non-linguists is Pullum's Fear and Loathing of the English Passive. Another classic among linguists is Contrastive Focus Reduplication in English (The Salad-Salad Paper), but it definitely uses more terminology that a non-linguist might find too technical. Lots of great examples in that one, though. Titles and examples tend to be where linguists have the most fun with it, in my experience.
I echo other comments in wanting to know the classics in your field! I too enjoy reading an academic paper that's not afraid to have a little fun.
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Comment on Israel frees dozens of Americans, including US Congress nominee, after West Bank arrest in ~society
sparksbet Link ParentNB: had this as a top-level comment but deleted it to reply here so there's only one thread about the title. I'm with rosco in that I don't blame you and I think posting this news here is...NB: had this as a top-level comment but deleted it to reply here so there's only one thread about the title. I'm with rosco in that I don't blame you and I think posting this news here is important, I'm just exhausted with BS like this from media outlets like NPR.
This title is misleading enough that I don't think it's appropriate for Tildes. There needs to be something in the title that makes it clear who detained them in the first place. As it has presumably also been edited, the NPR article headline is now less misleading than the title here. (Hopefully in response to backlash?)
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Comment on Non-queer men of Tildes: PLEASE consider before commenting on ~life.women and ~lgbt without careful consideration. We are losing members over this issue. in ~tildes
sparksbet Link ParentI think in theory Deimos does take labeling abilities away from people who abuse it. What his threshold is for doing so and whether it's happened recently, I don't know, but I know I'd heard...I think in theory Deimos does take labeling abilities away from people who abuse it. What his threshold is for doing so and whether it's happened recently, I don't know, but I know I'd heard reference to it earlier in my time on Tildes.
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Comment on Non-queer men of Tildes: PLEASE consider before commenting on ~life.women and ~lgbt without careful consideration. We are losing members over this issue. in ~tildes
sparksbet Link ParentTheir exit was earlier than this most recent thread, so I think this particular thread was inspired by someone else.Their exit was earlier than this most recent thread, so I think this particular thread was inspired by someone else.
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Comment on Non-queer men of Tildes: PLEASE consider before commenting on ~life.women and ~lgbt without careful consideration. We are losing members over this issue. in ~tildes
sparksbet Link ParentI unironically love the face-punching machine metaphorI unironically love the face-punching machine metaphor
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Comment on Non-queer men of Tildes: PLEASE consider before commenting on ~life.women and ~lgbt without careful consideration. We are losing members over this issue. in ~tildes
sparksbet Link ParentI think a lot of those of us who would have informed said user how out of pocket they are two years ago are exhausted by constantly doing it and then seeing the same comments on the next topic,...I think a lot of those of us who would have informed said user how out of pocket they are two years ago are exhausted by constantly doing it and then seeing the same comments on the next topic, and thus have become burnt out and stopped spending as much time on Tildes. I know that's been the case for me.
I also used to leave Malice reports on threads that were getting spicy so Deimos would know to keep an eye on them, but it's gotten to the point where I often just don't click on threads about certain topics because I know it'll be exhausting to read and futile to participate, and I don't like to spend my time and energy on stuff that makes me angry if I can help it.
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Comment on A deep sense of ease – what the Danes call ‘tryg’ – is a collective responsibility that allows individuals to flourish in ~health.mental
sparksbet Link ParentLeaving the US won't fix these things for you. In part because your mental image here is a romanticized one that doesn't reflect reality, and in part because immigrants are so frequently othered...Leaving the US won't fix these things for you. In part because your mental image here is a romanticized one that doesn't reflect reality, and in part because immigrants are so frequently othered and excluded from existing social cohesion.
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Comment on iPhone Duo sells out immediately, now backordered until next year in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentTo be fair, I've been hearing anyone even vaguely knowledgeable about cybersecurity talking about how insecure SMS is and how we shouldn't use it for MFA for years now.To be fair, I've been hearing anyone even vaguely knowledgeable about cybersecurity talking about how insecure SMS is and how we shouldn't use it for MFA for years now.
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Comment on Why is there no word for please in the Nordic languages – are their speakers simply more direct, or is politeness expressed in ways outsiders may not immediately recognise in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link Parentiirc Australians in the comments also seemed to feel similarly to Americans on the acceptability of "please" in that context, so that tracks. It's not something most people think about until they...iirc Australians in the comments also seemed to feel similarly to Americans on the acceptability of "please" in that context, so that tracks. It's not something most people think about until they encounter a culture that does it differently, and even then most people jump to "these weirdos are being rude" rather than analyzing subtle cultural and linguistic differences in politeness.
An Australian accent also wins over a lot of Americans very quickly imo, but I haven't heard of the reverse...
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Comment on 1 in 8 Billion - Browser game, free, life sim with real statistics from 172 countries in ~games
sparksbet LinkHow are other people being born in years other than 2026? When I've played they're always born right now, but others are mentioning birth years like 1950 and 1985.How are other people being born in years other than 2026? When I've played they're always born right now, but others are mentioning birth years like 1950 and 1985.
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Comment on Why is there no word for please in the Nordic languages – are their speakers simply more direct, or is politeness expressed in ways outsiders may not immediately recognise in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentThere's actually a lot of work on "please" and its distribution in various English dialects, and I highly recommend this blog post from Separated By A Common Language (run by a linguist) about...There's actually a lot of work on "please" and its distribution in various English dialects, and I highly recommend this blog post from Separated By A Common Language (run by a linguist) about saying "please" in restaurants. It points out how use of this particular word in that context differs between US and UK English in ways that correspond to our different underlying notions of what constitutes politeness -- my feelings on "please" match up with yours, but this post goes into why that differs between different groups of English speakers. Genuinely a fascinating topic imho.
Honestly I think this feels a lot worse than Invasion Iowa to me. I don't think Invasion Iowa was completely ethical or anything (and I think T1J's video points out a lot of the problems well), but it seemed a lot less personally impactful to the lives and careers of the people in that town than this Danish equivalent, in large part because this Danish prank show was so focused on duping him specifically rather than a collective group like Invasion Iowa. I think the much more direct way in which he stood to benefit from his film getting made as opposed to the more indirect benefits a small town gets from one getting filmed there affects how they feel to me.