stewedrabbit's recent activity

  1. Comment on What's something that's more challenging for you than it is for others? in ~talk

    stewedrabbit
    Link Parent
    You're not alone in this. Add to that that my partner afterwards interrogates me on conversations I had, and then: my partner expects me to be able to repeat almost word for word what has been...

    You're not alone in this. Add to that that my partner afterwards interrogates me on conversations I had, and then:

    1. my partner expects me to be able to repeat almost word for word what has been said, while I can only recall the general message;
    2. my partner asks a ton of additional questions that I haven´t thought of, and suddenly I feel even more failed at small talk.
      In the meantime we know this dynamic will play out, and make mostly fun out of it.
    2 votes

  2. Comment on We economists have done the maths: ‘growth’ is a doomed strategy – there is a better way in ~finance

    stewedrabbit
    Link
    An opinion in the Guardian in support of the Global Justice Report. From the article: On the one hand I do believe this is the direction the global economy should and will take, but on the other...

    An opinion in the Guardian in support of the Global Justice Report. From the article:

    Poverty and inequality are not accidents; they are predictable outcomes of policy choices: how we design tax systems, regulate labour markets, value care, structure public services and decide whose needs and whose voices matter. Crucially, if governments can manufacture poverty, they can also dismantle it.

    That is why we have come together to develop and support the “roadmap for eradicating poverty beyond growth”. The roadmap provides a range of alternatives on how to move beyond the narrow “grow-tax-transfer” approach that has shaped policy for decades. It is not a blueprint shaped by a handful of experts. It is the exact opposite: over 18 months, more than 400 people – UN agencies, national governments, academic experts, civil society organisations, trade unions, social and solidarity economy actors and grassroots movements, from the global north and south – worked to answer a simple question: how can we end poverty and reduce inequalities without treating GDP growth as the primary condition for progress?

    Equally crucial is who gets to shape this transition. All too often, policies affecting people in poverty are designed without them – and sometimes against them. When welfare systems are built around suspicion, sanctions and humiliating conditions, they deepen stigma and deter people from claiming their entitlements. Those who live in poverty know better than anyone how systems can fail in practice. Their expertise must guide the design, implementation and monitoring of anti‑poverty strategies, from local councils to parliaments and international forums.

    On the one hand I do believe this is the direction the global economy should and will take, but on the other hand, this is the kind of progress that happens one funeral at a time.

    25 votes

  4. Comment on When did you realize you were different? in ~talk

    stewedrabbit
    Link Parent
    I can relate - my son got his diagnosis for Autism a couple of years ago, and a few months later the penny dropped. I now also have gotten my diagnosis. For me it is now mostly an embarrassing...

    I can relate - my son got his diagnosis for Autism a couple of years ago, and a few months later the penny dropped. I now also have gotten my diagnosis.
    For me it is now mostly an embarrassing re-living of plenty of awkward moments in my youth and afterwards professional life. Up until before I would have mostly said the world has gone mad and I'm the only sane person, only now it starts feeling the other way around - something I'm still struggling with. (This showed when my son was still being diagnosed: I found him to be perfectly normal, while my partner saw the diagnosis coming from far away.)
    Like you I tremendously appreciate the explanative power, and it has helped a lot in anticipating difficult moments.

    7 votes

  5. Comment on A first among major nations, India is industrializing with solar in ~enviro

    stewedrabbit
    Link Parent
    If this kind of news makes you happy, and if you missed it, Pakistan is a beautifully weird example that managed incredible PV growth despite government policy. A random news link here:...

    If this kind of news makes you happy, and if you missed it, Pakistan is a beautifully weird example that managed incredible PV growth despite government policy. A random news link here: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/01/climate/pakistan-solar-boom

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars in ~transport

    stewedrabbit
    Link Parent
    There are plenty of powerbanks on the market that give more than sufficient juice to jump start the car. Just look for battery car boosters - it will not take all the pain away, but certainly the...

    There are plenty of powerbanks on the market that give more than sufficient juice to jump start the car. Just look for battery car boosters - it will not take all the pain away, but certainly the ITA part :)

    By the way, I took one that also can inflate tires, so the powerbank gets regularly use out of that - I'm inflating all bike tires every month now with a smile. And I also learned that for a hybrid car, you really don't need that much juice at all. I took some margin: the specs are 20.000 mAh, 2750A, 60Wh, and I notice hardly any battery drain when jump starting the car. So you can take the specs as a generous overdimensioning.

    13 votes

  7. Comment on What is watts, volts and amps? in ~science

    stewedrabbit
    Link
    If you want a really good analogy you can feel, and are happy to spend some money on it (and in return be able to build circuits eventually), I can really recommend Spintronics (from Upperstory)....

    If you want a really good analogy you can feel, and are happy to spend some money on it (and in return be able to build circuits eventually), I can really recommend Spintronics (from Upperstory). The focus seems more kids/youngsters, but I can attest adults also get their kick out of it.

    3 votes

  8. Comment on Which Linux distro do you use, and why? in ~tech

    stewedrabbit
    Link
    I was about to say I use Debian for everything except my main computer that runs Arch (only because the tinkering is part of the fun I look for when using my PC), but then I realised that that is...

    I was about to say I use Debian for everything except my main computer that runs Arch (only because the tinkering is part of the fun I look for when using my PC), but then I realised that that is as far from the truth as possible:

    • main computer: Arch
    • server in the attic: Debian
    • Raspberry Pi: Raspbian
    • Extremely old (about 20y) laptop: Tiny Core ()
      (      ) I'd really like to find a graphical web browser that can also run on that laptop, but so far no such luck. If anyone has any ideas, shoot!
    1 vote

  9. Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news

    stewedrabbit
    Link Parent
    There was a safety briefing to all teams and cyclists, which included the railway crossing. What makes it entirely absurd, is that in such an event, those who crossed will wait on the other side...

    There was a safety briefing to all teams and cyclists, which included the railway crossing.

    What makes it entirely absurd, is that in such an event, those who crossed will wait on the other side for the others to catch up, so there is no competitive benefit...

    BTW: it were closer to 50 cyclists that ran the red light, and the public reaction was very correct, with no justifying the wrongdoers.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on You can finally change the goofy Gmail address you chose years ago in ~tech

  11. Comment on What is your top, unknown, non fiction recommendation ? in ~books

    stewedrabbit
    Link
    The Toaster Project It is short, it is mostly a record by the writer on his project to try to build a toaster, but ends up very thought provoking.

    The Toaster Project
    It is short, it is mostly a record by the writer on his project to try to build a toaster, but ends up very thought provoking.

    2 votes

  12. Comment on How far back in time can you understand English? in ~humanities.languages

    stewedrabbit
    Link Parent
    I had a similar experience, but had to imagine Wim Opbrouck narrating the text. I'd really like to know how far a Frisian would get :)

    I had a similar experience, but had to imagine Wim Opbrouck narrating the text.
    I'd really like to know how far a Frisian would get :)

  13. Comment on A rant about how devices handle users with language backgrounds other than English in ~tech

    stewedrabbit
    Link Parent
    Or how websites consistently put you in the correct country, but with the wrong language. Fine, you'd think, so everyone outside the country believes one language is dominant, were it not that all...

    Or how websites consistently put you in the correct country, but with the wrong language. Fine, you'd think, so everyone outside the country believes one language is dominant, were it not that all my colleagues on the other side of the language border report exactly the same thing!

    6 votes

  14. Comment on US discussing options to acquire Greenland, including use of military, says White House in ~society

    stewedrabbit
    Link Parent
    What is completely weird, is that the only significant military presence on the island is US. On top of that, Denmark and Greenland are in agreement with the US to increase its military presence....

    What is completely weird, is that the only significant military presence on the island is US. On top of that, Denmark and Greenland are in agreement with the US to increase its military presence.

    So if the US would decide to invade Greenland, they would mostly be fighting... against themselves?

    But then again, nothing is normal in a Trump world. I'm starting to understand the Anschluss better and better.

    9 votes

  15. Comment on Advice on Fairphone in ~tech

    stewedrabbit
    Link Parent
    Just confirming that on /e/ OS you can side-load to your heart's desire. I have currently four sources for my apps: App Lounge, Aurora Store, Droidify and Obtainium.

    Just confirming that on /e/ OS you can side-load to your heart's desire. I have currently four sources for my apps: App Lounge, Aurora Store, Droidify and Obtainium.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Advice on Fairphone in ~tech

    stewedrabbit
    Link
    So I recently got a FP5 (full disclosure: I didn't pay for it, the company provided it to me). They allowed me to try out /e/ OS, which I immediately did. Up to now I'm happy with how things are...

    So I recently got a FP5 (full disclosure: I didn't pay for it, the company provided it to me). They allowed me to try out /e/ OS, which I immediately did.
    Up to now I'm happy with how things are going. It is a massive tinkering work, but it is what I expected going for /e/ OS. Not everything works yet as expected, and if some of those things don't work out as expected I'll probably revert to Android. The MS Authenticator app isn't working (yet), and my onboarding with Curve Pay hasn't succeeded yet. N26 app is also misbehaving. All other banking apps I use do work, so most on-line payments work.
    Regarding hardware, I really don't have anything to remark on up until now.

    So in conclusion, I would recommend a FP5 with /e/ OS if you are happy spending time figuring stuff out. And it gives you the happy feeling of being in control.

    1 vote

  17. Comment on Looking for recommendations for a new home router in ~tech

    stewedrabbit
    Link
    For anyone revisiting this topic in the future (as OP's needs are already satisfied): I've been very happy with the Turris Omnia. It runs a custom OpenWrt, so you can have all the tinkering you...

    For anyone revisiting this topic in the future (as OP's needs are already satisfied): I've been very happy with the Turris Omnia. It runs a custom OpenWrt, so you can have all the tinkering you want (are used to), and it even has extension slots and what not. Currently I have a SSD card installed in the router that functions as a small NAS for all my music needs around the house.

    1 vote

  18. Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news

    stewedrabbit
    Link
    An annual tradition in Kasterlee: a pumpkin regatta! Local farmers grow some large pumpkins, that are then used as boats: Pompoenregatta Kasterlee lokt duizenden toeschouwers (Dutch article)

    An annual tradition in Kasterlee: a pumpkin regatta! Local farmers grow some large pumpkins, that are then used as boats:
    Pompoenregatta Kasterlee lokt duizenden toeschouwers (Dutch article)

    7 votes

  19. Comment on Influence of the planets may subdue solar activity in ~space

    stewedrabbit
    Link
    As we just had an interesting discussion on the probability of complex life, this adds some extra flavour to the speculation. This paper argues that we have an exceptionally calm sun due to...

    As we just had an interesting discussion on the probability of complex life, this adds some extra flavour to the speculation. This paper argues that we have an exceptionally calm sun due to gravitational tides from Venus, Earth and Jupiter.
    The more interesting take is that the 11-year cycle of the Sun can also be explained by the same process.

    6 votes