thearctic's recent activity

  1. Comment on I fixed my lactose intolerance -- by chugging all the lactose in ~health

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    I've almost never had a cook banana, so I can't say. I'd say that my tongue would get slightly irritated after eating a banana.

    I've almost never had a cook banana, so I can't say. I'd say that my tongue would get slightly irritated after eating a banana.

  2. Comment on I fixed my lactose intolerance -- by chugging all the lactose in ~health

    thearctic
    Link
    I also had a mild lactose intolerance that I fixed through drinking more milk, and a mild banana allergy I fixed through eating more bananas.

    I also had a mild lactose intolerance that I fixed through drinking more milk, and a mild banana allergy I fixed through eating more bananas.

    11 votes

  3. Comment on A rare “Polar Express” winter pattern is forecast over the United States and Canada, following a Polar Vortex split in ~enviro

    thearctic
    Link
    As far as I understand, the general principle that ties this to global warming is that, when the temperature difference between cold air and warm air is sufficiently large, they have trouble...

    As far as I understand, the general principle that ties this to global warming is that, when the temperature difference between cold air and warm air is sufficiently large, they have trouble mixing because of the difference in density. As very cold air warms a bit, it can better mix with warm air, which can cause these cold snaps.

    With all the mild winters we've been getting recently, the snow's been nice though.

    7 votes

  4. Comment on Iran's president says capital must move from Tehran over ecological concerns in ~enviro

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    Sanctions are a major factor here. Iran has limited ability to outsource water-intensive production to other countries, and they can't attract or retain talent because they can't access the...

    Sanctions are a major factor here. Iran has limited ability to outsource water-intensive production to other countries, and they can't attract or retain talent because they can't access the international market. It's toxic for sympathetic nations to work with Iranian companies, lest they face sanctions. Without sanctions, they would be able to retain much more of their top talent and would likely attract bright minds from South Asia and the Middle East.

    3 votes

  5. Comment on McDonald’s is losing its low-income customers in ~food

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    I'm all for McDonalds (and Starbucks while we're at it) shooting themselves in the foot and letting local fast casual spots spring in their place.

    I'm all for McDonalds (and Starbucks while we're at it) shooting themselves in the foot and letting local fast casual spots spring in their place.

    2 votes

  6. Comment on Shrinking number of free news outlets in ~talk

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    Reuters costs like a dollar I think per month in Canada, but is free in the US.

    Reuters costs like a dollar I think per month in Canada, but is free in the US.

    5 votes

  7. Comment on The death of punctuation in ~humanities.languages

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    Not in formal contexts, just online

    Not in formal contexts, just online

    1 vote

  8. Comment on The death of punctuation in ~humanities.languages

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    I don't mind omitting some punctuation in casual text. What I'm referring to is unironically writing like @hungariantoast's comment, which has become more common for whatever reason.

    I don't mind omitting some punctuation in casual text. What I'm referring to is unironically writing like @hungariantoast's comment, which has become more common for whatever reason.

    2 votes

  9. Comment on The death of punctuation in ~humanities.languages

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    I suppose commas or capitalization aren't a big deal in casual texting situations. But periods are a must if the goal is not to have a stroke.

    I suppose commas or capitalization aren't a big deal in casual texting situations. But periods are a must if the goal is not to have a stroke.

    8 votes

  11. Comment on Idle complaints of indebtedness and isolation in ~talk

    thearctic
    Link
    Some bits of advice that may help. The first, try to make friends with other working class people. On top of being able to relate to your struggles, they'll be able to share you tips and tricks,...

    Some bits of advice that may help. The first, try to make friends with other working class people. On top of being able to relate to your struggles, they'll be able to share you tips and tricks, especially those particular to your area, for saving money (one that I'm aware of: the TooGoodToGo app for heavily discounted food that restaurants are about to throw out). The second, determine, if you haven't already, what the financially optimal strategy is for managing and paying off your debt. Medical debt, for instance, is much easier to negotiate down than other forms of debt. The third, use a debit card for everything except emergencies. Speaking from personal experience, even if you don't spend money on unnecessary things, it'll be much easier to budget when you're not paying for things you bought almost two months ago and you'll find that you'll be more strategic with how you spend. In college, I'd come up short after spending money things that were only necessary, but I didn't put as much effort as I could into getting the same things for cheaper until I started buying things through debit. The fourth, try to find a second part-time job if at all possible. It's definitely not easy time-wise, but it might just make your life less stressful than more to have a little bit more at the end of each month. It also helps a lot of the time in reducing long-term expenses to buy necessary goods and services earlier than later (ex. buying a new pillow before you get a neck problem), which is easier with a little extra cash (I know, easier said than done). Lastly, make very liberal use of charitable organizations and resources, for anything and everything you're eligible for. Where I live, charities have a very large stock of winter coats to give away for free/cheap.

    3 votes

  12. Comment on In the early 1990s, Sweden faced one of the worst economic crises in its modern history – the lessons for other countries, especially France, deep in its own budget crisis, are simple, if not easy in ~finance

    thearctic
    Link
    A major difference for eurozone countries that makes it difficult to directly compare France and Sweden. Faltering economies usually get respite from a weakened currency, but eurozone countries...

    Gradually those reforms, helped by the fact that a weakened currency was boosting exports, started to work: the economy grew 4.1% in 1994, and debt fell below 50% of GDP within a decade.

    A major difference for eurozone countries that makes it difficult to directly compare France and Sweden. Faltering economies usually get respite from a weakened currency, but eurozone countries not only lack that respite but, to some extent, suffer from an incentive to shift production to those nations pushing the value of the currency up. It's harder to turn the ship around through austerity, when doing so causes more pain than normal. Though, France does also enjoy access to cheaper borrowing as a eurozone country.

    5 votes

  13. Comment on Violent texts from Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general leaked in ~society

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    The man wished death on Gilbert's children and, when pressed on it, doubled down and said “Yes, I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”. I'm all...

    The man wished death on Gilbert's children and, when pressed on it, doubled down and said “Yes, I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”. I'm all for sardonic humor, but this reflects a way of thinking that is quite concerning. Not at all trying to equate right's rhetoric as a whole with the left, but this is certainly newsworthy, particularly if it represents a trend among the left as politics becomes increasingly polarized.

    6 votes

  14. Comment on Violent texts from Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general leaked in ~society

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    It's a problem no matter who does it. Definitely more of a problem among Republicans than Democrats. Though if this is potentially becoming more common among the left, it's something that's worth...

    It's a problem no matter who does it. Definitely more of a problem among Republicans than Democrats. Though if this is potentially becoming more common among the left, it's something that's worth taking note of.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Violent texts from Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general leaked in ~society

    thearctic
    Link Parent
    I think this goes far beyond tasteless. Plenty of context is provided between the two articles I linked.

    I think this goes far beyond tasteless. Plenty of context is provided between the two articles I linked.

    6 votes

  16. Comment on Violent texts from Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general leaked in ~society

    thearctic
    Link
    Direct link to the texts (archive link).

    The National Review story revealed an August 2022 exchange between Jones — a former Norfolk delegate and one-time assistant attorney general — and Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield.

    ...

    In a statement Friday evening, Jones admitted sending the messages and said he takes “full responsibility” for his actions. He apologized directly to Todd Gilbert[, former Republican House Speaker,] and his family, and vowed to work to regain Virginians’ trust.

    Direct link to the texts (archive link).

    Jones: Three people, two bullets \ Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot \ Gilbert gets two bullets to the head \ Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time
    Coyner: Jay \ Please stop
    Jones: Lol \ Ok, ok
    Coyner: It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them \ It isn’t ok \ No matter who they are
    ...
    Rather than deny that he had wished death on the children, Jones responded by saying, “Yes, I’ve told you this before. Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”

    7 votes

  18. Comment on Can we bury enough wood to slow climate change? in ~enviro

    thearctic
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I think sequestration is doomed to fail, because the mere dream of sequestration will drive multiple-fold more carbon emission than could ever be sequestered, since policymakers and billionaires...

    I think sequestration is doomed to fail, because the mere dream of sequestration will drive multiple-fold more carbon emission than could ever be sequestered, since policymakers and billionaires will use the pretense that "the future will handle it" to avoid taking the problem seriously. It's probably a much better use of resources to invest in things like preventing desertification or habitat preservation.

    Edit: doing some napkin math (assuming the avg car driver relases 4.2 metric tons of CO2 in a year and that the typical tree stores 22kg of CO2), one would need to grow and sequester roughly 209 trees to offset one year of carbon emission from a single car. I'm not a climate scientist, but, as it appears to me, sequestration is a boon dongle virtually no matter how much the technology or process improves.

    6 votes

  19. Comment on Bipartisan plan to get money out of politics in Montana in ~society

    thearctic
    Link
    Was completely unaware that this was possible. If this sticks, it'll be a monumental shift in American politics.

    In Citizens United, the Supreme Court treated Virginia as having granted its corporations, including the nonprofit corporation at the center of the case, the power to spend money in politics with “the same powers as an individual.” That assumption is debatable, but once the court assumed the plaintiff corporation had the power to spend in politics, it reasoned that the U.S. Constitution guaranteed the right to use it.

    However, the court has never required states to grant their corporations political powers in the first place. Corporations are not born; they are built. They are creatures of statute, not of nature. And the court has always held that the power to build them – to define their form, limits and powers – belongs to states alone.

    Our strategy draws on this forgotten authority. Its design is straightforward: Amend state law so that corporations are no longer granted the power to spend in politics.

    ...

    “The Montana Plan,” as local organizers have dubbed it, is moving toward the state’s 2026 ballot as a constitutional initiative. Its language leaves no doubt: Montanans want corporations out of their politics, and they intend to make that decision stick.

    Was completely unaware that this was possible. If this sticks, it'll be a monumental shift in American politics.

    19 votes