UltraMagnus

joined 5 months ago
[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Community gardens are fantastic! I've only just started getting into gardening. My parents have done it for a long time and use cold frames so that they can get food 10 months of the year.

Lettuce is super easy - some of its even made its way into my lawn from when I let it go to seed one year, lol.

My favorite trick is using an empty cat litter pail (the big ones with a lid, not the pour able ones), drill some holes in the bottom, put in a layer of rocks for drainage, and the rest with soil. It's a great pot for growing sale greens, and the handle makes it fantastic for if I need to move it around. We can't recycle the cat litter packs in my county so this is what I do with them

[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website 3 points 5 hours ago

Normal answer is absentee voting, but that's part of the reason MAGA has been going after it so hard.

[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website 4 points 7 hours ago (3 children)

This is a valid concern that folks need to take into consideration. It's all well and good to say that long term liberty is more important than short term security, and I agree with that sentiment, but it's better not to force people to choose.

This is why there are strike funds. In this case, I would recommend mutual aid - even a small group of 5-10 people can work together to save money by buying essentials in bulk. Larger groups can help each other cover rent, form daycare coops, and so on.

Best time to start a group was a year ago, next best time is today.

[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website 9 points 7 hours ago

I find solace in doing things that will help others and maybe improve the world. Local food pantries and shelters need help now more than ever. Mutual aid groups can also be quite effective if nonprofits in your area are sparse or otherwise ineffectual.

Perhaps the actions of a few individuals won't change much, but I prefer it to sitting around and waiting for the world to burn to a crisp.

 

In times like this, it's good to know that what protestors are doing on the ground is having an effect on ICE. In particular:

The Twin Cities Model: Don’t Copy It, Learn from It

What sets apart the Twin Cities rapid response network and its surrounding ecosystem is not strict adherence to a particular structure. It is a clear analysis of their conditions, a willingness to adapt, and the courage to fight back as the violence increases.

I think this article is also useful - setting off car alarms, whistling, filming, and yelling at ICE does have an effect, especially when protesters outnumber ICE. In particular:

In Minneapolis, we’re already seeing the success of ICE Watch. There are countless videos from ICE Watch observers that show agents leaving without detaining anyone after they encounter resistance. There are currently about 3,000 ICE agents in Minnesota, but the Department of Homeland Security claims they have only arrested 2,400 people — less than one person per agent.

[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website 1 points 2 weeks ago

Exactly. I can understand being glad the mafia boss is dead, but it's a "change in management" not liberation

[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website 0 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I think that's a fair perspective - though I am certainly concerned about Trump starting wars without going through congress, as well as the precedent this sets for invading other countries without cause. (Granted, historically, the US has done both, but that doesn't make it right). Additionally, this could just mean Venezuela swaps out this dictator for a US-friendly dictator.

[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website -3 points 4 weeks ago

I think this is a more nuanced take on the situation. I would agree that folks who are directly impacted by an issue are more likely to be impacted by it. Original comment seemed too absolutist too me.

I think there are 22yo who can be impacted by the issue of taxes while being poor (Though they may end up on the other side of the argument). For example, issues of food stamps and medicare-for-all affect all ages. A 22yo might have a strong opinion in favor of taxation for these purposes. A conservative making an ad hominem argument on the basis of age in this case (e.g., that they are simply being manipulated by the radical left) would be clearly incorrect.

I also think, as more of a moral argument, you shouldn't need to be directly impacted by something in order to support/oppose it. I am not on food stamps but I absolutely think we should have them (or perhaps "upgrade" it to UBI to avoid nonsense on what poor people are allowed to buy).

In any case, dismissing someone as simply being manipulated is not a good approach in general. It could be a good approach when we are specifically talking about the person overselling on confirmation bias from ChatGPT, but it is a poor way to change minds as a general tactic.

Is there any particular language I should adjust to avoid being "aggro"? I did say that I hated their argument. And I did call them hostile after their last sarcastic response to me trying to extend an olive branch.

Is that going too far? "Touch grass" is about the same level, I would think, but I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again.

[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website 2 points 4 weeks ago

Apparently, waving two hands instead of one hand.

Under no circumstances should you expect a random civilian from another country to be familiar with specific US military procedures, particularly when they are clinging to the wreckage of their ship to avoid drowning.

And this is besides the fact that shooting shipwreck survivors in the first place is a war crime, regardless of whether they were surrendering.

Everyone in the chain of command on this one needs to face prosecution.

[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website -4 points 4 weeks ago

If you enter into debates with weak ad hominem arguments about someone's age, you aren't going to change minds and you will be steamrolled by anyone with an understanding of the topic.

Skimming your recent posts, I don't think our political views are particularly different, so it's in both of our interests if you are using the best arguments possible on these topics. This was not an attack on you as a person, so your hostile response is unnecessary.

[–] UltraMagnus@startrek.website 11 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

It's a bad position to be in. If they crash it will be bad, but if they keep growing and then crash it could be worse.

 

I'm thinking 2015 - Witcher 3, Undertale, and Kerbal Space Program are all classics. Fallout 4, Arkham Knight, and Cities Skylines were all excellent too, though fallout 4 and Arkham knight aren't necessarily the best games in their respective series.

 

I've been enjoying Dispatch so far, and the sales numbers seem well deserved. I know a few people waiting for all the episodes to be outbefore they buy it, though (final episode is out Nov 12).

If you liked the telltale games you will like dispatch.

 

I learned about it from the unforgotten realms forums, around 2012ish

 

ICNC has a lot of good resources on nonviolence - I like this one since it's very practical/to-the-point. Really liking the section talking about "pulling out" the pillars of support rather than "pushing into" the pillars.

 

One of the shorter presentations at FediCon, but definitely interesting, especially since lemmy instances are very much driven by the user base (whereas Linux doesn't really change based on how many users there are). Also interesting since the speaker, Janet Vertesi, is one of the people working on the "Europa Clipper" project (the one where we're flying a satellite through Europa's geysers to get water samples, since landing and drilling under the ice is impractical. This has nothing to do with the presentation, I'm just excited about it).

Video Highlights:

2:00 - The current dominance of a few social media companies was predicted. Although there are lots of neat tools for opting out of Microsoft/Google/etc., but it's the community of these tools that matters

7:30 - Difficulties with how entangled folks are with mainstream tools (maps, calendars, clubs, etc.) - and how to overcome these obstacles. Interesting bit about how all the privacy toggles on Facebook, etc. give a false sense of security and discourage users from making bigger, more effective change. Additionally, behavior change happens at the group level, not the individual level.

12:00 - Building a network of "Tech Reclaimers" to help others make the change. Teaching social and technical skills (e.g., moderation - people are used to the technology doing everything for them on "traditional" social media), taking small steps, etc.

17:30 - Ongoing events

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