thecakeisalime's recent activity
-
Comment on If you had to buy a car today, what would you buy? in ~transport
-
Comment on If you had to buy a car today, what would you buy? in ~transport
thecakeisalime Link ParentWhich EV did you get? I was considering upsizing to a Model Y for a while (coming from a Model 3), but for a bunch of reasons, I don't want to do that anymore. Still looking to upsize within the...Which EV did you get?
I was considering upsizing to a Model Y for a while (coming from a Model 3), but for a bunch of reasons, I don't want to do that anymore. Still looking to upsize within the next few years, and while what I would actually like is coming out in 2026 or 2027 (Rivian R2 or R3), if I need to replace it sooner than that, I don't know what I'd get within that same price range and size category.
-
Comment on There are two kinds of credit cards in ~finance
thecakeisalime Link ParentInteresting perspective. I think it's probably both. Like, why wouldn't they try to make money at all steps of the process? I just get straight cash back for my credit card, so I don't have much...Interesting perspective. I think it's probably both. Like, why wouldn't they try to make money at all steps of the process?
I just get straight cash back for my credit card, so I don't have much experience with the "credit card points" side of things, but what you said makes sense.
-
Comment on There are two kinds of credit cards in ~finance
thecakeisalime Link ParentIf the transactors paid cash instead of using a credit card, they'd still be paying the same amount, but they wouldn't get any of the benefits. Everyone is paying for the credit cards, whether...Many “transactors” are still effectively paying lots of money for their credit cards, but it’s hidden and they don’t see it on their credit card bill.
If the transactors paid cash instead of using a credit card, they'd still be paying the same amount, but they wouldn't get any of the benefits. Everyone is paying for the credit cards, whether they use a credit card or not.
Some places (especially restaurants) offer cash discounts of ~5%. And while it's likely that it facilitates a certain amount of money laundering and/or tax evasion, as a consumer, it's certainly better for my wallet.
-
Comment on Good hobby lamp? in ~hobbies
thecakeisalime LinkMaybe I don't understand what you're asking, but wouldn't any adjustable lamp that aims downward work? I have a lamp similar to this one. The lower part is adjustable, so you can rotate it and...Maybe I don't understand what you're asking, but wouldn't any adjustable lamp that aims downward work?
I have a lamp similar to this one. The lower part is adjustable, so you can rotate it and change the angle as necessary. It's just on/off, so the brightness is determined almost entirely by whatever bulb you buy for it.
If that specific model is too tall for what you're looking for, there are plenty of similar lamps that can be adjusted to be lower to the floor. Or even just a desk lamp - which is similar but much shorter - placed on the floor.
-
Comment on Canadian provinces’ measures to limit electricity exports to US could strain cross-border ties, experts say in ~society
thecakeisalime Link ParentThe Globe is Canadian, and somewhat conservative, but this article is much further right than they usually are. I hope it's just a one off rather than a sign of a changing direction.The Globe is Canadian, and somewhat conservative, but this article is much further right than they usually are. I hope it's just a one off rather than a sign of a changing direction.
-
Comment on Gene-edited non-browning banana could cut food waste in ~food
thecakeisalime Link ParentI googled "banana tortilla", and found some recipes that just look like banana pancakes without the baking powder. I also found that people just use tortilla instead of bread and make peanut...spotty bananas are champs of the tortilla
I googled "banana tortilla", and found some recipes that just look like banana pancakes without the baking powder. I also found that people just use tortilla instead of bread and make peanut butter banana sandwiches. Are either of those what you're suggesting here?
-
Comment on Stretch My Time Off - Optimise your vacation days in ~life
thecakeisalime Link ParentYou can actually edit the list of holidays, and also specify which days count as weekends. As far as I can tell, you can only remove holidays - not add them - but it seems to work fine after...- Exemplary
You can actually edit the list of holidays, and also specify which days count as weekends. As far as I can tell, you can only remove holidays - not add them - but it seems to work fine after removing the holidays I don't get.
Just click "edit" beside the "public holiday" label in the legend.
-
Comment on What is a book that every 13-year-old boy should read? in ~books
thecakeisalime Link ParentHatchet and Call of the Wild (Jack London) had 13 year old me convinced I wanted to live alone in a cabin in the middle of the woods. I still want to do it, but I think my family will outvote me.Hatchet and Call of the Wild (Jack London) had 13 year old me convinced I wanted to live alone in a cabin in the middle of the woods.
I still want to do it, but I think my family will outvote me.
-
Comment on How can one determine "true" sentiment? in ~society
thecakeisalime Link ParentI avoided giving examples in my post because I thought it wasn't relevant, but I think I'll edit it to add the following examples that I was thinking of: Belief in annexation of Canada as the 51st...I avoided giving examples in my post because I thought it wasn't relevant, but I think I'll edit it to add the following examples that I was thinking of:
-
Belief in annexation of Canada as the 51st state. Most people (that I've seen) are not in favour of this, but some people are super gung-ho about this. Is this bot-led behaviour, or is there really such a large number of people that want to invade Canada? And how many Canadians want to become a state? Is it any, or are they all bots? How can I tell if it's 10%, 1%, or 0.1% of the population that actually wants this? A gut feeling from everything I've seen online tells me that more Americans want this than Canadians, but that doesn't really mean much without an anchor point.
-
Similarly, trampling individual rights (especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ policies). The current US administration is doing everything they can to destroy this. I've seen similar sentiment in Canada, but I don't know how much this is supported by either population. Does everyone who didn't vote or who voted Republican hate queer people? Hopefully not. But there's no way to separate (in the data) a Republican full of hatred from a Republican who thought that Trump would fix the economy and prioritized that above all else. So how many people hate "the gays"? How many people say they don't hate gay people, but also don't care if they're collateral damage in a fight against "transgender indoctrination"? Maybe nuance like that doesn't actually matter, but assuming it does, the nuance disappears in any online discussion and can't be properly observed.
-
Sentiment about [country]'s position in Palestine/Israel. Everything I've seen leads me to believe that almost every politician supports Israel, and almost every non-politician supports Palestine. Obviously there's a lot more nuance to "support" than I'm giving here, but it's hard to actually believe that the divide is so stark and well-defined.
There are other examples, but hopefully this illustrates what I'm trying to ask about.
-
-
How can one determine "true" sentiment?
In an age of increasing misinformation and division, I've found that it's increasingly easy to find yourself in an echo chamber of opinions (of people and/or bots). And when I go searching outside...
In an age of increasing misinformation and division, I've found that it's increasingly easy to find yourself in an echo chamber of opinions (of people and/or bots). And when I go searching outside that echo chamber, I usually don't find well reasoned discussion, but a different echo chamber with the opposite opinion.
This is especially true on sites like Reddit and Twitter, but also applies to pretty much every website (including Tildes) to some extent. Even newspapers aren't helpful as they are all largely owned by a handful of billionaires with an agenda. And real life isn't much better. My friends and family all share similar values and ideals, which is great for getting along, but it doesn't help me figure out how many people actually support something in particular.
The closest thing I've found to objective polling are elections. Unfortunately, they largely group everything into one of two buckets and don't have room for nuance on individual topics. Also, a lot of people don't even vote, which doesn't necessarily muddy the data, but it does leave out the opinions of a lot of people.
Is it even possible to determine this without an individual referendum on each topic? Am I worrying too much about something unknowable?
Some example issues
(copy/pasted from my reply to chocobean)
-
Belief in annexation of Canada as the 51st state. Most people (that I've seen) are not in favour of this, but some people are super gung-ho about this. Is this bot-led behaviour, or is there really such a large number of people that want to invade Canada? And how many Canadians want to become a state? Is it any, or are they all bots? How can I tell if it's 10%, 1%, or 0.1% of the population that actually wants this? A gut feeling from everything I've seen online tells me that more Americans want this than Canadians, but that doesn't really mean much without an anchor point.
-
Similarly, trampling individual rights (especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ policies). The current US administration is doing everything they can to destroy this. I've seen similar sentiment in Canada, but I don't know how much this is supported by either population. Does everyone who didn't vote or who voted Republican hate queer people? Hopefully not. But there's no way to separate (in the data) a Republican full of hatred from a Republican who thought that Trump would fix the economy and prioritized that above all else. So how many people hate "the gays"? How many people say they don't hate gay people, but also don't care if they're collateral damage in a fight against "transgender indoctrination"? Maybe nuance like that doesn't actually matter, but assuming it does, the nuance disappears in any online discussion and can't be properly observed.
-
Sentiment about [country]'s position in Palestine/Israel. Everything I've seen leads me to believe that almost every politician supports Israel, and almost every non-politician supports Palestine. Obviously there's a lot more nuance to "support" than I'm giving here, but it's hard to actually believe that the divide is so stark and well-defined.
13 votes -
-
Comment on For Severance fans: The You You Are by Dr. Ricken Lazlo Hale, PhD in ~tv
thecakeisalime Link ParentThis looks interesting. I have a lot more time for reading than watching TV these days. If I haven't seen season 2 yet, does this contain spoilers?This looks interesting.
I have a lot more time for reading than watching TV these days. If I haven't seen season 2 yet, does this contain spoilers?
-
Comment on Commander Brackets - beta test of a matchmaking system for assessing decks in ~games.tabletop
thecakeisalime LinkOther than the list of game changers, I'm not sure how this is significantly different than the previous system of "my deck is a 7". It's slightly more formalized, but probably 90% of decks are a...Other than the list of game changers, I'm not sure how this is significantly different than the previous system of "my deck is a 7". It's slightly more formalized, but probably 90% of decks are a 3 or a 4, and this still doesn't solve the problem of comparing power (or salt) levels.
I'm sure over time this will get better, and maybe they'll include a new tier between 3 and 4, but so far, it doesn't seem like it's going to simplify any pregame conversations.
-
Comment on The American physicians are healing themselves with Ozempic in ~health
thecakeisalime Link ParentThanks for your response. I think I agree with everything you've said. Except: To be clear, I don't think semaglutide is bad. And after this discussion, I no longer think it's conditionally bad...Thanks for your response. I think I agree with everything you've said. Except:
I think your position is that semaglutide is bad because people are ill (but not dead) after taking it
To be clear, I don't think semaglutide is bad. And after this discussion, I no longer think it's conditionally bad (i.e. without addressing the underlying eating issues). I do still worry that some number of people are going to use it without changing anything else and think that's good enough (maybe it is), but I mostly worry about those who use it and change their eating habits for the worse.
Overall though, I think people in that last category are not in the majority. Even if they make up 49% of users (and I don't think it's nearly that high) it seems like the overall population (as a whole) would be healthier by taking semaglutide to lose weight rather than avoiding it because of potential future adverse outcomes.
-
Comment on The American physicians are healing themselves with Ozempic in ~health
thecakeisalime Link ParentApologies, I didn't mean offence by using the example of mozzarella sticks and cookies - that's just what tyrny (at the top of this thread) said her husband eats. I was not generalizing it to...Apologies, I didn't mean offence by using the example of mozzarella sticks and cookies - that's just what tyrny (at the top of this thread) said her husband eats. I was not generalizing it to everyone, but I was specifically talking about the group of people who use semaglutide and are eating less healthily than they did before.
I have also struggled with eating issues throughout my life. I've eaten incredibly unhealthy for most of my life, and until a few years ago, it was mostly hidden and unaddressed because I didn't look fat. So from that perspective, I'm worried that people who use these drugs to lose weight without addressing eating habits are just going to go through the same issues I did. Is it better than being obese? I have no idea - I've never been obese. But I do know that having a "normal" weight can still come with countless health problems when the underlying issue is ignored.
-
Comment on The American physicians are healing themselves with Ozempic in ~health
thecakeisalime Link ParentEating nothing but mozzarella sticks and cookies also creates a large amount of long term harm. I'm certainly not qualified to say which is worse - it's just a different type of harm. In theory,...Eating nothing but mozzarella sticks and cookies also creates a large amount of long term harm. I'm certainly not qualified to say which is worse - it's just a different type of harm. In theory, semaglutide on its own could be a form of harm reduction (assuming malnutrition is less harmful than obesity).
Like you said, semaglutide should be used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan including a dietitian. While that would be great, I haven't seen any evidence (or anecdotes) indicating that's happening. I also haven't seen evidence the other way, but I have seen a bunch of anecdotes (including this thread). If it's happening on a large scale and I'm just ignorant to that, great! But if, like all the anecdotes I've seen, it just results in worse eating patterns, then that's a much bigger problem in the long term that needs to be addressed.
Mostly I'm worried that we're doing the easy first step of harm reduction without caring about what comes next (because it's hard, time consuming, and/or expensive), and (like many other forms of harm reduction) someone will point to this in 5-10 years and say "see? It doesn't work", because no one put in the effort of fixing the overall issue(s) while the harm was being reduced.
-
Comment on The American physicians are healing themselves with Ozempic in ~health
thecakeisalime Link ParentI don't think it's correct to compare obesity and paraplegia. One is curable, the other is not. And while losing weight has inherent health benefits, someone eating a diet consisting solely of...I don't think it's correct to compare obesity and paraplegia. One is curable, the other is not. And while losing weight has inherent health benefits, someone eating a diet consisting solely of mozzarella sticks and cookies isn't going to be significantly healthier than an obese person who eats a more balanced diet.
I agree that we can't shame away obesity, but we should also consider why these medications are being prescribed for weight loss in the first place - a desire to improve the health of patients. If that's the goal, and the patient starts eating less healthily when taking the medication, is the medication really achieving it's goal?
We don't cure anorexia or bulimia by giving them a pill that makes them fatten up. Mostly because it doesn't exist, but also because it wouldn't actually solve the underlying issue.
Obesity isn't the actual problem, it's just a very obvious symptom of the problem (unhealthy eating habits) that has yet to be addressed. And by comparing obesity to paraplegia, you're ignoring the underlying issue that can still be fixed. I can't speak to how to actually fix it, but I'd imagine it requires a lot of mental health professionals and a lot of time and money that individuals and insurance companies don't want to pay for.
(This comment does not apply to those who are taking it for diabetes, as there is a different primary goal for that use case.)
-
Comment on Donald Trump directs US Treasury to stop making pennies in ~society
thecakeisalime Link ParentI have a simple three step plan to deal with this: Eliminate all cash denominations smaller than a quarter. Legislate that all stores must post after-tax and after-fee prices. No extra fees when...I have a simple three step plan to deal with this:
- Eliminate all cash denominations smaller than a quarter.
- Legislate that all stores must post after-tax and after-fee prices. No extra fees when ringing up - everything is included in the price of the item.
- Legislate that if a customer wishes to pay cash and the price is not a multiple of 0.25, it rounds down. (Alternatively, it rounds to the nearest $0.25.)
Realistically, this will result in all posted prices being a multiple of 0.25, and we won't actually have to perform any rounding. There are a handful of things that cost less than a quarter right now, but I think it would be easy enough to allow a mandatory minimum purchase, simply so that people aren't pumping 12 cents of gas at a time into their car.
-
Comment on Donald Trump directs US Treasury to stop making pennies in ~society
thecakeisalime Link ParentI think you misplaced a decimal somewhere. Silver quarters contain about $4 - $5 worth of silver.I think you misplaced a decimal somewhere. Silver quarters contain about $4 - $5 worth of silver.
-
Comment on Donald Trump directs US Treasury to stop making pennies in ~society
thecakeisalime LinkCanada eliminated the penny in 2012. It's about time that the US did away with it as well. Due to inflation, a penny is beyond useless these days. The US half-cent was discontinued in 1857 because...Canada eliminated the penny in 2012. It's about time that the US did away with it as well.
Due to inflation, a penny is beyond useless these days. The US half-cent was discontinued in 1857 because it wasn't worth enough to be of any practical use. With inflation, that half-cent is now worth more than a 2025 US dime. Let's just get rid of everything smaller than a quarter.
Personally, I haven't carried coins in over a decade. I always have a few bills in my wallet in case I need to spend cash, but as soon as I get home, the coins just go straight into a coin jar, from where (in theory) I'll take them to the bank one day. Maybe it'll just end up being a really expensive heirloom.
Interesting. I do hate how traditional companies are nickle and diming for every single feature and accessory (especially the heat pump, which should basically be mandatory in new EVs), but it still comes out within my budget.
Hopefully I won't need to use this knowledge anytime soon, but it does seem like the ID.4 would meet my needs.