sqew's recent activity
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Comment on “The Edmund Fitzgerald - First divers on the Fitz” in ~humanities.history
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“The Edmund Fitzgerald - First divers on the Fitz”
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Comment on Cataloging your home library in ~books
sqew LinkI'm no expert on library stuff specifically, but my $0.02 would be to do it in a spreadsheet or something just to get a feel for it and have the data on hand. You can fill it out bit by bit and...I'm no expert on library stuff specifically, but my $0.02 would be to do it in a spreadsheet or something just to get a feel for it and have the data on hand. You can fill it out bit by bit and then you have the data collected if you ever want to switch to some fancier system.
(this is just what works for me, since I constantly let the perfect be the enemy of the good...)
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Comment on Astronauts stranded in space after their return capsule is struck by mystery object in orbit in ~space
sqew Link ParentUnfortunately, we're stuck with the results of the various ASAT tests over the last few decades. Hopefully, we can make progress on reducing the number of dead satellites to flatten the growth of...Unfortunately, we're stuck with the results of the various ASAT tests over the last few decades. Hopefully, we can make progress on reducing the number of dead satellites to flatten the growth of the cascade.
I'm particularly excited about electrodynamic tethers (example). Anything that's small enough to fit on J Random Satellite and provides some benefit while it's on orbit has a good chance of getting meaningful adoption, I think.
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Comment on Tilderinos in ~talk
sqew Link ParentFor some reason, "tilderen" sounds very Tolkien to me, which I like.For some reason, "tilderen" sounds very Tolkien to me, which I like.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
sqew Link ParentOf course, sorry if I came across as thinking you were. I just want someone to come up with a copy-able structure for one of these things.Of course, sorry if I came across as thinking you were. I just want someone to come up with a copy-able structure for one of these things.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
sqew Link ParentTo your last point, I'm rooting for Mamdani on this if only so that they might be able to model something that's tightly scoped to the market failures at hand. Something that other...To your last point, I'm rooting for Mamdani on this if only so that they might be able to model something that's tightly scoped to the market failures at hand. Something that other cities/counties/states can point to and copy, although I'm sure plenty of them would bungle it and create a graft machine.
e.g. my own city has an on and off thing about doing municipal fiber internet loosely based on some of the successful ones around the country, although I'm not confident they won't bungle it by paying Comcast or someone to build and run it.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
sqew Link ParentTrue, I guess for the utilities part I mean "mess" as in the "private but publicly controlled through regulation, providing incentives to increase costs to justify increased rates" problem. I'm...True, I guess for the utilities part I mean "mess" as in the "private but publicly controlled through regulation, providing incentives to increase costs to justify increased rates" problem.
I'm coming at it from a "people need food, government exists to serve people's needs, especially in ways private enterprises refuse to, how do we best do that" perspective. So I think I do fundamentally agree with you there.
In general, I don't care so much about unfair competition with private businesses as I do a) figuring out something that can be sold to the average person with a knee-jerk reaction to the government doing things and b) thinking about ways to structure it so that you don't end up with an organization that serves to perpetuate itself more than it does to handle the problem it was created to solve.
Edit: went and read @hungariantoast's comment, and yup, 100% agree. I think there's a huge problem in the US with the cult of "private business" that causes people to justify the existence of ones that don't deserve to exist.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
sqew Link ParentThis general concept is something I think about relatively often. Lots of folks in my life are hardcore "capitalism is the best possible system, competition must be allowed unencumbered", but it...I think a lack of a profit incentive and external funding can absolutely provide a good service, especially if there isn't another accessible store in the area. Maybe it won't work but I'm not so worried about competition.
This general concept is something I think about relatively often. Lots of folks in my life are hardcore "capitalism is the best possible system, competition must be allowed unencumbered", but it seems like there are areas of the economy where the incentives are such that no one bothers to compete to provide a valuable or necessary service (happy to admit, you can probably analyze some of these as potentially resulting from government interference with competition).
From there, it's not too far of a leap to the idea that a semi-public organization existing to fill the need with better incentives might be a good thing to do? But I do think you really, really need to dial in the incentives for that organization so that they don't drive everyone out of business or end up with a mess like public utilities have.
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Comment on Donald Trump says nuclear weapons testing to resume in US after more than thirty years in ~society
sqew Link ParentMy understanding is that, yes, the DoE labs that build and maintain the weapons would love to test them to make sure their computer modeling is right, but, also, they’re pretty darn sure they’re...My understanding is that, yes, the DoE labs that build and maintain the weapons would love to test them to make sure their computer modeling is right, but, also, they’re pretty darn sure they’re right, having spent the last 30y checking their work to be sure.
We’ve built some insane machinery like the National Ignition Facility in order to be able to keep getting really good experimental info on the physics of nuclear explosions without having to do them anymore.
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Comment on There’s a reason US electricity prices are rising. And it’s not data centers. in ~enviro
sqew Link ParentFrom what I've been reading the last few years, it seems like this is and will continue to be a gigantic issue for the US and other countries for the next several decades. A lot of the...So now people today are paying for it.
From what I've been reading the last few years, it seems like this is and will continue to be a gigantic issue for the US and other countries for the next several decades. A lot of the infrastructure for modern life was built out quickly in the last century, and it trundled along just fine for its service life. But now it's time to replace it, and political desires to do something exciting to get reelected don't exactly encourage saying "we're going to invest heavily in upgrading our sewage system".
Combine that with the fact that sprawling suburbs as a whole can't cover the cost of providing services to each lot at what people will consider a "reasonable" tax rate, and you have a time bomb for a good chunk of municipalities in the US.
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What diagramming tools do folks use?
I've gotten very tired of fighting the GUI of my company's self-hosted charts.io instance, so I've been looking around at diagramming tools. I saw D2 posted on Hacker News, which seems like an...
I've gotten very tired of fighting the GUI of my company's self-hosted charts.io instance, so I've been looking around at diagramming tools. I saw D2 posted on Hacker News, which seems like an interesting option, but I'm curious if anyone around here has a beloved tool to recommend.
I think my main use-case would be diagramming how components of a software system go together, although sometimes I'm interested in making wiring diagrams and stuff, too. Something that lets you specify overall dimension constraints for diagrams would probably help, since I often need to throw a diagram into a PowerPoint.
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Comment on Starship Flight 11 successful in ~space
sqew LinkLinked to SpaceX site since they have a direct link to the video. Super cool, once again. No burn through on the fins this time, it looked like.Linked to SpaceX site since they have a direct link to the video. Super cool, once again. No burn through on the fins this time, it looked like.
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Starship Flight 11 successful
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Comment on US President Donald Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 labels common beliefs as terrorism “indicators” in ~society
sqew LinkTongue in cheek, because this bothers me so much that this is all I can think of, but... Thoughtcrime, brought to you by the Democ... wait, you're telling me it wasn't them? It was the folks...Tongue in cheek, because this bothers me so much that this is all I can think of, but...
Thoughtcrime, brought to you by the Democ... wait, you're telling me it wasn't them? It was the folks who've been saying for a decade that the left wanted to police your thoughts???
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Comment on US President Donald Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 labels common beliefs as terrorism “indicators” in ~society
sqew Link ParentI'm so tired of having to sit through people I know complaining about "the violent left" and how "no one's calling for an end to violence". Nothing I say will get through without being dismissed, so.I'm so tired of having to sit through people I know complaining about "the violent left" and how "no one's calling for an end to violence". Nothing I say will get through without being dismissed, so.
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Comment on Starship was doomed from the beginning in ~space
sqew Link ParentI fully agree that Musk has gone completely off the rails, as have many (all?) of our other billionaires. My personal theory is that they've all gotten way too full of their own Kool-Aid and...who has never actually done engineering
I fully agree that Musk has gone completely off the rails, as have many (all?) of our other billionaires. My personal theory is that they've all gotten way too full of their own Kool-Aid and believe that they're good at one thing so must be good at everything.
However, having watched him talk to people like Tim Dodd in those early multi-hour walk-and-talk interviews at the Starship build site in Texas, I do think he genuinely understands the engineering trade-offs going into SpaceX's rockets. I'd say I subscribe most to the theory that (again, before his level of extreme crazy in the last half-decade) he put together a good engineering team at SpaceX and that Gwynne Shotwell ran an exceptional business.
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Comment on Starship was doomed from the beginning in ~space
sqew Link ParentYeah, with the demonstration of the "Pez dispenser" working on the last test flight and Raptor vacuum relight, they could start (high-risk) delivery of payloads to orbit if they really wanted to....Yeah, with the demonstration of the "Pez dispenser" working on the last test flight and Raptor vacuum relight, they could start (high-risk) delivery of payloads to orbit if they really wanted to.
They'll need to work out some form of clamshell payload bay to do much more than Starlink, which is probably harder than it sounds given that the Pez dispenser kept not working, but it can deliver payload to orbit as of now.
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Comment on Starship was doomed from the beginning in ~space
sqew Link ParentI read this yesterday and wanted to write up a rebuttal like this, so thanks for being less lazy than me and doing it! I'm happy to read things from space industry skeptics, but I vastly prefer...I read this yesterday and wanted to write up a rebuttal like this, so thanks for being less lazy than me and doing it! I'm happy to read things from space industry skeptics, but I vastly prefer folks who do the research to lay out a case that "hey, life support for these things is going to be really, really hard", etc.
I found the "retro rockets" segment particularly ill-informed. I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone refer to the engines on the Falcon 9 first stage, Super Heavy, Starship, or anyone else attempting propulsive landing with their main engines as "retro rockets". Feels like a line from a Tom Swift book to me.
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Comment on Thoughts on making one's own dry mixes? in ~food
sqew Link ParentThanks for the input! Pre-mixing the dry stuff should knock the steps down quite a bit. I already aim for just a 1/3c scoop of oats, 2/3c of milk, couple extra add-ins process, so this should...Thanks for the input! Pre-mixing the dry stuff should knock the steps down quite a bit. I already aim for just a 1/3c scoop of oats, 2/3c of milk, couple extra add-ins process, so this should simplify even more.
Saw this old article by one of the two divers who went down to the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1995 posted on the anniversary of the wreck today. Thought it was interesting, given the extremely technical nature of a dive that deep and cold.