zipf_slaw's recent activity
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Comment on Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after ‘brief and sudden illness’ in ~society
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Comment on Modern, abstract art makes me angry in ~arts
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Comment on Modern, abstract art makes me angry in ~arts
zipf_slaw Link ParentSkill is multi-factorial too: skill to paint accurately is one type of skill. Another type is determining how to generate soemthing that will make people feel things they wouldn't normally. The...Skill is multi-factorial too: skill to paint accurately is one type of skill. Another type is determining how to generate soemthing that will make people feel things they wouldn't normally.
The former is being in tune with the medium, the latter is being in tune with peope (and the medium).
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Comment on Modern, abstract art makes me angry in ~arts
zipf_slaw Link ParentWhile I can't speak to what "most music" is (most western music? global music? historical vs. current? etc), I contend that music is interesting sounding because it's not abstract. Brief example:...Most music is abstract, it's not trying to imitate anything specific, it's just making sounds for the sake of making sounds because it sounds interesting.
While I can't speak to what "most music" is (most western music? global music? historical vs. current? etc), I contend that music is interesting sounding because it's not abstract. Brief example: major keys and chords imply happiness and security, minor and diminished keys and chords imply sadness and uncertainty, returning to the "home chord" implies a conclusion and closure - these concepts are anything but abstract.
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Comment on Papa Johns can predict when your fridge is empty in ~tech
zipf_slaw Link ParentOffering someone a deal for food at the time they "need it most" sounds like a good thing. I'd rather ads be appropriate to my needs than to be random and constant. That said, the privacy concerns...It's not too surprising, your data can and will be used against you.
Offering someone a deal for food at the time they "need it most" sounds like a good thing. I'd rather ads be appropriate to my needs than to be random and constant. That said, the privacy concerns are... concerning.
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Comment on I need more hilariously awful pick up lines to make my wife roll her eyes at me in ~talk
zipf_slaw Link Parent"Hate to see you leave, love to watch you go" has a better meter"Hate to see you leave, love to watch you go" has a better meter
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Comment on US Supreme Court lets states block trans athletes from women’s and girls’ sports in ~lgbt
zipf_slaw Link ParentBut you then tempered it with "but it gets harder [for them to galvanize the base on a non-issue]" which is an assertion that is not grounded in any facts that I'm aware of, and I doubt others are...But you then tempered it with "but it gets harder [for them to galvanize the base on a non-issue]" which is an assertion that is not grounded in any facts that I'm aware of, and I doubt others are either. So the post comes off as "oh well, could be worse", which is the attitude the frog has in the warming pot.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
zipf_slaw LinkFinished book 6 of DCC, now reading audiobook of UKLG's Lathe of Heaven (halfway through). Interesting concepts, but I'm waiting for a shoe to drop (I hope one does, feels like it's getting...Finished book 6 of DCC, now reading audiobook of UKLG's Lathe of Heaven (halfway through). Interesting concepts, but I'm waiting for a shoe to drop (I hope one does, feels like it's getting there).
Next, if I don't pick up DCC 7, then I might move on to We Are Legion (Bobs), or Children of Ruin.
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Comment on Smartphones arrived just before the US fertility rate plunged. One study says it’s a direct cause. in ~health
zipf_slaw Link ParentTwo statements. When written like that, are we to assume they are related?"Dinosaurs couldn't read. Now they are extinct." is a true statement.
Two statements. When written like that, are we to assume they are related?
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Comment on So I fell for a phishing in ~comp
zipf_slaw Link ParentI believe this is best practice these days even if you don't suspect issues. It's easier than ever to manage the freezes, so it's kind of simple to keep it locked proactively. Mine has been locked...In the U.S., if you suspect your identity is at risk, you should place a freeze on your credit reports with all three reporting bureaus.
I believe this is best practice these days even if you don't suspect issues. It's easier than ever to manage the freezes, so it's kind of simple to keep it locked proactively. Mine has been locked for over 5 years now
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Comment on What are your gaming idiosyncracies? in ~games
zipf_slaw LinkI hate using WASD, largely because it's not symmetric. I prefer to shift the keyboard over and use the numpad for my D-pad.I hate using WASD, largely because it's not symmetric. I prefer to shift the keyboard over and use the numpad for my D-pad.
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Comment on Alternatives to a straw hat in ~life.style
zipf_slaw Link Parentoh, I know and agree, I was differentiating on the name "fireman", which usually intends to mean structural, whereas "firefighter" is more vague but tends to lean wildland.oh, I know and agree, I was differentiating on the name "fireman", which usually intends to mean structural, whereas "firefighter" is more vague but tends to lean wildland.
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Comment on Alternatives to a straw hat in ~life.style
zipf_slaw Linkyou said no straw hats, and i'm normally in agreement, but i found a hat by St Florian that is shaped like a fireman's hat that i quite like, and have had one for a couple few years now....you said no straw hats, and i'm normally in agreement, but i found a hat by St Florian that is shaped like a fireman's hat that i quite like, and have had one for a couple few years now.
https://saintflorianclothing.com/collections/headwear/products/the-straw-firefighter-hat
and while i'm not a fireman, i was a wildland firefighter for a couple years, so i think i earned the ability to wear it non-satiricaly
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Comment on How has inflation changed your quality of life? in ~finance
zipf_slaw Link ParentThe folks on San Juan Hill who were displaced for the Lincoln Center may disagree. Or the residents of New London who were kicked out of home via Eminent Domain for a 'economic development'...The folks on San Juan Hill who were displaced for the Lincoln Center may disagree.
Or the residents of New London who were kicked out of home via Eminent Domain for a 'economic development' project that was "suspiciously favorable to Pfizer" (Justice Thomas' words) and wound up never materializing.
Or, more broadly, the financial institutions who rig the economy so that they privatize the gains and socialize the losses (2008 bailouts) and use predatory lending, robo-signing, and aggressive foreclosure practices to apply even more leverage against home owners, then swoop in and grab the property at a discount.
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Comment on How has inflation changed your quality of life? in ~finance
zipf_slaw Link ParentSetting aside the wild world of squatting, before, it was physical size and prowess, but now those with financial size and prowess can still take it from you...someone bigger and stronger could (and did) come along and kick you out. Ownership is what prevents that.
Setting aside the wild world of squatting, before, it was physical size and prowess, but now those with financial size and prowess can still take it from you...
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Comment on What are your personal crackpot conspiracy theories about the world right now? in ~talk
zipf_slaw Link ParentI think it comes down to how it sounds when you say it out loud. Some words just have a nice... woody sound to them. "Pork", or "Johnson", you see, very woody sound to them. Not like, "tinkle"...I think it comes down to how it sounds when you say it out loud. Some words just have a nice... woody sound to them. "Pork", or "Johnson", you see, very woody sound to them. Not like, "tinkle" or... or "Leslie", or "genital", these are unpleasant, or tinny sounding.
101 337 is a terribly tinny sounding number, most displeasing to the ears. Whereas 482 820, now that has a nice woody sound to it and makes you want to say it all day!! Mmmmm, woody...
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Comment on What are your personal crackpot conspiracy theories about the world right now? in ~talk
zipf_slaw Link ParentSurgeon = most, Doctor = least? Strange if true, as you need to be a doctor before you can be a surgeon...Surgeon = most, Doctor = least? Strange if true, as you need to be a doctor before you can be a surgeon...
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Comment on What are your personal crackpot conspiracy theories about the world right now? in ~talk
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
zipf_slaw LinkI'm most of the way through Solaris (audiobook) and have barely started in on DCC #7 and Children of Ruin (book 2).I'm most of the way through Solaris (audiobook) and have barely started in on DCC #7 and Children of Ruin (book 2).
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Comment on 'The report's so stupid': The DNC 2024 autopsy is roiling US Democrats in ~society
zipf_slaw Link ParentI've always read that, when stripped of inflammatory terms, US-ians tend to be more aligned with liberal stances on policy issues. Went looking for those facts and found this: sourceI've always read that, when stripped of inflammatory terms, US-ians tend to be more aligned with liberal stances on policy issues. Went looking for those facts and found this:
In our new article in Sociological Inquiry, we analyzed public opinion data from 2004 to 2020 to develop a more nuanced picture of American political attitudes. Our aim was to do a better job of figuring out what Americans actually think about politics, including policies related to race and racism.
Using a new analytic method that doesn’t force us to think in terms of dimensions at all, we found that, over the past two decades, Americans can be broadly divided into five different groups.
In most years, slightly less than half of all Americans had consistently liberal or conservative views on policies related to the economy, morality and race, and thus fall into one of two groups.
“Consistent Conservatives” tend to believe that the free market should be given free rein in the economy, are generally anti-abortion, tend to say that they support “traditional family ties” and oppose most government efforts to address racial disparities. These Americans almost exclusively identify themselves as Republicans.
“Consistent Liberals” strongly support government intervention in the economy, tend to be in favor of abortion rights and pro-same-sex marriage and feel that the government has a responsibility to help address discrimination against Black Americans. They mostly identify as Democrats.
But the majority of Americans, who don’t fall into one of these two groups, are not necessarily “moderates,” as they are often characterized. Many have very strong views on certain issues, but can’t be pigeonholed as being on the left or right in general.
Instead, we find that these Americans can be classified as one of three groups, whose size and relationship to the two major parties change from one election cycle to the next:
“Racial Justice Communitarians” have liberal views on economic issues like taxes and redistribution and moderate or conservative views on moral issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. They also strongly believe that the government has a responsibility to address racial discrimination. This group likely includes many of the Black evangelicals who strongly supported Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, but were also deeply uncomfortable with his expression of support for same-sex marriage in 2012.
“Nativist Communitarians” also have liberal views on economics and conservative views on moral issues, but they are extremely conservative with respect to race and immigration, in some cases even more so than Consistent Conservatives. Picture, for instance, those voters in 2016 who were attracted to both Bernie Sanders’ economic populism and Donald Trump’s attacks on immigrants.
“Libertarians,” who we find became much more prominent after the tea party protests of 2010, are conservative on economic issues, liberal on social issues and have mixed but generally conservative views in regard to racial issues. Think here of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who think that the government has no business telling them how to run their company – or telling gay couples that they can’t get married.
"I've never wished a man dead, but there are some obituaries I've read with pleasure."
-a famous person