thundergolfer's recent activity
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Comment on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 review: Foundational fixes in ~tech
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Comment on Peter Thiel's origin story: His ideology dominates Silicon Valley. It began to form when he was an angry young man. in ~tech
thundergolfer Link ParentI remember commenting my shock on this site back when this first came out. What a scandal, and I'm not at all surprised that Thiel was involved. Thiel and Curtis Yarvin need way more negative...Among the list of recommended publications was Breitbart, Steve Bannon’s site, even though it had promoted itself as allied with the alt-right and had once included a section dedicated to “Black crime.”
I remember commenting my shock on this site back when this first came out. What a scandal, and I'm not at all surprised that Thiel was involved.
Thiel and Curtis Yarvin need way more negative press. They are toxic, in the full sense of the word.
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Comment on Foundation | Official teaser 2 in ~tv
thundergolfer LinkI read the first Foundation around 6 months ago and I can't make sense of a lot of this trailer. The most memorable parts of the book for me were the Mayor's politicking and the start of the book...I read the first Foundation around 6 months ago and I can't make sense of a lot of this trailer. The most memorable parts of the book for me were the Mayor's politicking and the start of the book where Seldon's plan was revealed. I don't see much of that here; it looks like an action film.
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Comment on Bo Burnham - Welcome to the Internet (2021) in ~music
thundergolfer Link ParentBoy he's fired up at the end. Good interview."It's the mediums. It's the mediums..."
Boy he's fired up at the end. Good interview.
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Comment on Bo Burnham - Welcome to the Internet (2021) in ~music
thundergolfer LinkI was definitely creeped out a little, and wanted to stay away from the Internet after listening. I think that was the intended effect?I was definitely creeped out a little, and wanted to stay away from the Internet after listening. I think that was the intended effect?
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Comment on You got a one way ticket to 200 years into the future. Do you go? in ~talk
thundergolfer LinkIf you’re guaranteed to maintain comfort, there could be a scenario where you’re part of a despotic rich elite in a dystopian hellscape. Think Immortan Joe in the Max Max: Fury Road universe. In...If you’re guaranteed to maintain comfort, there could be a scenario where you’re part of a despotic rich elite in a dystopian hellscape. Think Immortan Joe in the Max Max: Fury Road universe. In that world only rulers like him approximate my level comfort.
I would definitely say yes to this though.
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Comment on Steven Donziger has been under house arrest for over 580 days, awaiting trial on a misdemeanor charge. It’s all, he says, because he beat a multinational energy corporation in court. in ~enviro
thundergolfer LinkWill Menacker interviewing Steven for Chapo Trap House is worth a listen. Truly shocking and grim capitalist corruption.Will Menacker interviewing Steven for Chapo Trap House is worth a listen. Truly shocking and grim capitalist corruption.
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Comment on Jack Dorsey: Bids reach $2.5m for Twitter co-founder's first post in ~tech
thundergolfer LinkWhat's the case against the idea that this kind of thing is incredibly dumb? The multi-million dollar valuations of art pieces and other collectables is already pretty dubious on a utilitarian...What's the case against the idea that this kind of thing is incredibly dumb?
The multi-million dollar valuations of art pieces and other collectables is already pretty dubious on a utilitarian view, and once you get into online media, which is literally just information, the whole thing appears farcical to me.
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Comment on What books do you think every eighteen year old should read? in ~books
thundergolfer (edited )LinkUnderstanding Power by Noam Chomsky. Read it at 19 and it’s still the most important book I’ve ever read 10 years and 100+ books later. Given that your niece is only 18 and thus has a shot at...Understanding Power by Noam Chomsky. Read it at 19 and it’s still the most important book I’ve ever read 10 years and 100+ books later.
Given that your niece is only 18 and thus has a shot at seeing the very end of the century, another great “welcome to the real world” book would be The Inhabitable Earth. She is part of the Climate Change generation and will almost certainly live to see the terribleness that people have warned is coming at the tail end of this century.
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Comment on Same Energy, a visual search engine in ~tech
thundergolfer Link ParentIt really shines in the 'image + text' queries I think. If you take the Gargoyles image query and add "lion" text query to it, you can push the engine to find you Gargoyles only of lions:...It really shines in the 'image + text' queries I think. If you take the Gargoyles image query and add "lion" text query to it, you can push the engine to find you Gargoyles only of lions: https://same.energy/search?i=CoBRf&q=lion
You also get plenty of results that aren't at all Gargoyles, but I think the technique is still impressively good.
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Comment on Silicon Valley’s safe space: Slate Star Codex was a window into the psyche of many tech leaders building our collective future. Then it disappeared. in ~tech
thundergolfer Link ParentI've since read the whole article not just the quotes and I loved the take. Pretty much exactly who I feel about the situation.I've since read the whole article not just the quotes and I loved the take. Pretty much exactly who I feel about the situation.
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Comment on Silicon Valley’s safe space: Slate Star Codex was a window into the psyche of many tech leaders building our collective future. Then it disappeared. in ~tech
thundergolfer Link ParentYeah that seems likely for at least some of them. Though given Scott Alexander's recent article that included the 'outburst' about public schooling, is he even trying to be a rationalist?They're just readers, and often fans.
Yeah that seems likely for at least some of them. Though given Scott Alexander's recent article that included the 'outburst' about public schooling, is he even trying to be a rationalist?
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Comment on Silicon Valley’s safe space: Slate Star Codex was a window into the psyche of many tech leaders building our collective future. Then it disappeared. in ~tech
thundergolfer Link ParentThe first sentence of what you quoted sums up the most embarrassing part of this whole situation. There were so many rationalist pro-SSC comments absolutely seething at The New Tork Times because...The first sentence of what you quoted sums up the most embarrassing part of this whole situation. There were so many rationalist pro-SSC comments absolutely seething at The New Tork Times because they ran one bad article giving light criticism about a bunch of privileged rich people. It was a reaction totally blown out of proportion.
Their bluster reminded me of my own teenage ranty behaviour about Islam when I was into Sam Harris. Embarrassing behaviour for people who think themselves rational, and I’m so glad I’ve grown up past furiously commenting when my favourite RationalMan gets braced. Now I just get ranty about climate change and animal rights.
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Comment on Rush Limbaugh dead at 70 in ~news
thundergolfer Link ParentImagine being called “one of the worst Americans to ever pollute this nation” and deserving it. See ya Rush, may you rest in eternal disgrace.Imagine being called “one of the worst Americans to ever pollute this nation” and deserving it.
See ya Rush, may you rest in eternal disgrace.
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Comment on Book review: The Cult Of Smart in ~humanities
thundergolfer (edited )Link ParentI can fully appreciate that school can be like a prison, but Scott going off at Marxists like De Boer for the reality that modern USA public schools are shitty is pretty off-putting and...I can fully appreciate that school can be like a prison, but Scott going off at Marxists like De Boer for the reality that modern USA public schools are shitty is pretty off-putting and unhelpfully antagonistic.
Leftists have provided wonderfully radical visions of public education that are so far from being prison you’d be more on the mark pointing at an cinnamon bun and calling it a shovel.
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Comment on Book review: The Cult Of Smart in ~humanities
thundergolfer Link ParentFair. Should’ve been a reply but got lazy after missing the small reply button on my mobile a couple of times. The “post comment button is like 10 times the size 😄.Fair. Should’ve been a reply but got lazy after missing the small reply button on my mobile a couple of times. The “post comment button is like 10 times the size 😄.
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Comment on Book review: The Cult Of Smart in ~humanities
thundergolfer (edited )Link“Child prison” sounds like an idiot libertarian take on public schooling that focuses on one obvious restriction of freedom imposed by truancy rules and ignores all the other freedoms it produces...“Child prison” sounds like an idiot libertarian take on public schooling that focuses on one obvious restriction of freedom imposed by truancy rules and ignores all the other freedoms it produces that are far more valuable to a society.
(I have not read the review)
Edit: I have now read the review. In multiple ways this review is pretty good, and in multiple ways it’s pretty bad. That’s not exactly an unusual reaction for me to have with this guy’s writing.
I think this review is better than his review of Klein’s book, but maybe that’s mostly because I’m very familiar with Klein’s work and not familiar with De Boer’s.
The pretty good stuff is the level of detail and background research. The pretty bad stuff is the needless (deliberate) misunderstanding of socialists like De Boer. If you’re able to parse through research papers, why are you letting yourself down by getting confused about basic ideas like meritocracy and public goods?
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Comment on Billionaires see VR as a way to avoid radical social change in ~humanities
thundergolfer LinkThis is classic technocratic thinking. It's not totally wrong, but if you're ignoring the part social justice movements and other forms of political activism played in improving the world you're...“That’s how the world gets better, by building technologies and distributing them to people so that they have something better than they would have had if that didn’t exist,”
This is classic technocratic thinking. It's not totally wrong, but if you're ignoring the part social justice movements and other forms of political activism played in improving the world you're being dumb.
Technology may have played a part in civil rights, women's suffrage, and the 40 hours work week, but to suggest that it was the major player instead of the human activists? Nah, I'm pretty skeptical.
The promise of VR is to make the world you wanted. It is not possible, on Earth, to give everyone all that they would want.
I know it's the Rogan podcast, but why are our technological leaders allowed to be this lazy? VR only provides what people want if your manipulate them into wanting very specific things that can be simulated.
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Comment on Parler CEO John Matze says he was terminated by the company's board, which is controlled by investor Rebekah Mercer in ~tech
thundergolfer LinkRebekah Mercer should be the poster child for a 100% inheritance tax. A totally poisonous person who is only capable of damaging society, but who is as an heiress massively empowered to enact harm.Rebekah Mercer should be the poster child for a 100% inheritance tax. A totally poisonous person who is only capable of damaging society, but who is as an heiress massively empowered to enact harm.
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Comment on Nike's new FlyEase Go shoes snap right onto your feet in ~sports
thundergolfer LinkCool design, and looks potentially quite functional. No way in hell that I'd wear them, but think other people will be able to incorporate them into great outfits.Cool design, and looks potentially quite functional. No way in hell that I'd wear them, but think other people will be able to incorporate them into great outfits.
Thanks for your comment. Interested in focus mode, so downloading the update now.