zenen's recent activity

  1. Comment on AJJ x Kool Keith x Kimya Dawson - Best Of All Possible Worlds (2024) in ~music

    zenen
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    I think that a collaboration like this one could have only been birthed through multidimensional travel.

    I think that a collaboration like this one could have only been birthed through multidimensional travel.

    3 votes

  3. Comment on Man sets himself on fire near courthouse where Donald Trump is on trial (gifted link) in ~news

    zenen
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    Offhand thoughts - the main goal of this type of art is disruptive. Successful performances involve rattling people who put on a generally secure persona as they move through the world. Art isn't...

    Offhand thoughts - the main goal of this type of art is disruptive. Successful performances involve rattling people who put on a generally secure persona as they move through the world. Art isn't necessarily about being happy - it's about self-expression and honesty.

    Also, that camera guy is totally in love with her.

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Man sets himself on fire near courthouse where Donald Trump is on trial (gifted link) in ~news

    zenen
    (edited )
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    "A black woman who painted herself white sexually harassing the pro-Trump protestors" good ol' crackhead barney, at it again.

    "A black woman who painted herself white sexually harassing the pro-Trump protestors"

    good ol' crackhead barney, at it again.

    8 votes

  5. Comment on Keanu Reeves joins 'Sonic 3' as Shadow in ~movies

    zenen
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    "When there's nothing left to lose - you win" -- Keanu Reeves

    "When there's nothing left to lose - you win"
    -- Keanu Reeves

    2 votes

  6. Comment on Evennia: a modern way to create MU*s in ~games

    zenen
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    Hey, this seems like it might be really useful for something I've been planning to make. Thanks for sharing

    Hey, this seems like it might be really useful for something I've been planning to make. Thanks for sharing

    3 votes

  7. Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk

    zenen
    Link Parent
    That's the idea! I'm offering up tea, coffee, bread, snacks etc. for people and offering a place to gather in my suburban neighborhood. Most of what I serve is either directly donated or purchased...

    That's the idea! I'm offering up tea, coffee, bread, snacks etc. for people and offering a place to gather in my suburban neighborhood. Most of what I serve is either directly donated or purchased with donations.

    2 votes

  8. Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk

    zenen
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    I don't really have a solid schedule, so sometimes it's difficult for me to remember what happened over a given stretch of time. Spring started happening, it made me really happy and productive...

    I don't really have a solid schedule, so sometimes it's difficult for me to remember what happened over a given stretch of time.

    Spring started happening, it made me really happy and productive for a day or two. Cleaning up the garage and adding flooring to get ready for season 2 of my non-transactional garage café.

    Rain started up again and my productivity tanked. Still making slow progress on the Solar system, hoping to get to a point of building a basic buy & sell marketplace by the time my cafe gains some traction. It's probably been the better part of a decade that I've been working on this project in some form or another (iterating, research, simplifying), and it's starting to get to the point where I feel like it might become something genuinely useful soon.

    4 votes

  9. Comment on New Music Fridays: Lizzy McAlpine, Lo Moon, and more in ~music

    zenen
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    I'd like to give a shoutout to AJJ for representing Phoenix.

    I'd like to give a shoutout to AJJ for representing Phoenix.

    1 vote

  10. Comment on Where will people commune in a godless America? in ~humanities

    zenen
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    Interesting, I wouldn't want to claim that you didn't have that experience anyways - it sounds like it would have been an interesting one! What did you and Abraham Lincoln talk about?

    Interesting, I wouldn't want to claim that you didn't have that experience anyways - it sounds like it would have been an interesting one! What did you and Abraham Lincoln talk about?

    4 votes

  11. Comment on Where will people commune in a godless America? in ~humanities

    zenen
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    More or less the same way I square science with the Stanford prison experiment, Unit 731, etc. People will do awful things in the name of the 'greater good'.

    More or less the same way I square science with the Stanford prison experiment, Unit 731, etc. People will do awful things in the name of the 'greater good'.

    10 votes

  12. Comment on How to succeed in a cramming-based academic system? in ~science

    zenen
    Link Parent
    No, I had lecture slides published. Going through them and writing down the information in my own words was what helped cement the information in my brain. If I was trying harder I would have...

    No, I had lecture slides published. Going through them and writing down the information in my own words was what helped cement the information in my brain. If I was trying harder I would have probably done those notes as soon as possible and then redone them for exam review.

    1 vote

  13. Comment on Where will people commune in a godless America? in ~humanities

    zenen
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    Right, we're moving into different territory with this post. I'm not opposed to that, but I'd like to point out that what I'm advocating for here is not draconian enforcement of religious law. I'm...

    Right, we're moving into different territory with this post. I'm not opposed to that, but I'd like to point out that what I'm advocating for here is not draconian enforcement of religious law. I'm advocating for recognition of spirituality as a valuable addition to personal life.

    On your second point, I would argue that religion does deserve tax-free status as a non-profit organization. It's not perfect, but putting everything under the jurisdiction of state law is no less totalitarian than putting everything under the jurisdiction of religious law.

    10 votes

  14. Comment on Where will people commune in a godless America? in ~humanities

    zenen
    Link Parent
    It is disrespectful. Spirituality is a subjective and unprovable aspect of life. If you consider yourself to be rational and scientifically minded, you must accept there are aspects of life which...

    It is disrespectful. Spirituality is a subjective and unprovable aspect of life. If you consider yourself to be rational and scientifically minded, you must accept there are aspects of life which are both true and unprovable (see: Gödel). Whether you choose to pay attention to these things is your choice, but to deny their existence is quite simply naive.

    The whole idea behind 'faith' and spiritual practice is belief in the face of uncertainty. These are systems that are built on unprovable truths, and as the above podcast mentioned - they actually do a pretty good job at making your life better.

    As @Moonchild said, dismissing someone's spiritual beliefs would be like me saying "I feel anxious about the state of the world", and getting a response of "Oh yea? I don't believe you. Prove that you're anxious." So yea, I'd say that dismissing someone sharing their own personal experience with you is kind of a jerk move.

    10 votes

  15. Comment on Where will people commune in a godless America? in ~humanities

    zenen
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    Wouldn't it be disrespectful of me to invalidate your experience if you told me you saw a demon? I mean, who am I to say that your lived experience is any more or less correct than my own?

    Wouldn't it be disrespectful of me to invalidate your experience if you told me you saw a demon? I mean, who am I to say that your lived experience is any more or less correct than my own?

    4 votes

  16. Comment on How to succeed in a cramming-based academic system? in ~science

    zenen
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    I'm just gonna share what worked for me - as a fellow "smart kid" who struggled tremendously in my first years of university. My strategy is really, really simple. Sit up and pay attention. Simple...

    I'm just gonna share what worked for me - as a fellow "smart kid" who struggled tremendously in my first years of university. My strategy is really, really simple.

    Sit up and pay attention.

    Simple doesn't mean easy, of course - especially with ADHD brain. It might not be the answer you're looking for, but my performance in school went way up when I decided to stop taking notes, leave my laptop in my bag, and just listen intently to whatever the teacher is saying. If I felt confused, I would ask a question or just wait for the prof to elaborate more. Every time you want to check your phone or your laptop to look up an answer on the internet - don't. Just leave it. If the question is important, you'll be able to remember it later.

    The teacher is telling you everything you need to know for the test. Every moment you spend not listening to them (even if it's by stopping to jot something down) is a moment you may miss something valuable. If it's a bad prof, it sucks - and it's still the best strategy. Spending your lecture hours learning rather than distracting yourself with technology will put you head and shoulders above the rest of your class.

    As for studying, read lecture notes and copy them down on paper in your own words. This was pretty much all I needed to go from a 70% average in first year to something like 90% in fourth year.

    5 votes

  17. Comment on Linux Distro Recommendations in ~comp

    zenen
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    A left-field suggestion, since I don't think it gets mentioned enough: MX Linux It's a debian-based distro with some really excellent tooling built-in. The LiveUSB features are probably not what...

    A left-field suggestion, since I don't think it gets mentioned enough: MX Linux

    It's a debian-based distro with some really excellent tooling built-in. The LiveUSB features are probably not what you're looking for, but they allow for some next-level system portability. I've run Steam on it with no issues. I'd also say that all of the desktops they implement do a good job of offering sane defaults and beginner-friendly workflow, and they definitely consider low-spec machines in what they built.

    3 votes

  18. Comment on Loneliness can kill, and new research shows middle-aged Americans are particularly vulnerable in ~science

    zenen
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    Marriage / companionship is not a solution to loneliness. There are plenty of people who still feel the same despite a committed partnership, and honestly that just might be worse.

    Marriage / companionship is not a solution to loneliness. There are plenty of people who still feel the same despite a committed partnership, and honestly that just might be worse.

    16 votes

  19. Comment on Is Super Mario Maker beaten yet? in ~games

    zenen
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    Very happy to see the community pull through on this one.

    Very happy to see the community pull through on this one.

    4 votes

  20. Comment on Loneliness can kill, and new research shows middle-aged Americans are particularly vulnerable in ~science

    zenen
    Link Parent
    Actually, cottage food laws do not apply, afaik. What I do does not qualify as a business because there is no transaction, buying, selling, etc.

    Actually, cottage food laws do not apply, afaik. What I do does not qualify as a business because there is no transaction, buying, selling, etc.

    4 votes