Zuzak

joined 4 years ago
[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 25 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

I fucking drive, whaddya think?

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 5 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

I 100% agree with your stance on antinatalism, but I'm confused about condemning utilitarianism. I don't know if I'd call myself one, but certainly I fall into the broader category of consequentialism rather than deontology, that is, the morality of an action is determined by the consequences you can reasonably expect that action to have, as opposed to morality being about abiding by a set of rules and fulfilling moral obligations. To me, as a vegan, this is fully compatible with a vegan perspective, consuming animals or animal products leads to the consequence that animals will suffer, and I don't want that to happen, so I don't do it.

I don't see how utilitarianism in general would imply antinatalism. You could make a utilitarian argument for it, I suppose, but it's possible to "make an argument" in favor of just about any position from just about any moral framework. That doesn't mean that the framework actually implies that position. It's fair to critique utilitarianism, but I don't think it's appropriate to draw a hard moral line against it, because individual utilitarians can still be good people who agree on specific issues like veganism, like being against antinatalism, etc. There are good and bad people who subscribe to just about every broad philosophical framework like that.

Moreover, I'm not sure what moral framework you're proscribing here.

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 11 points 2 days ago

:::spoiler It cuts off what the bottom image is from

THX 1138, Lucas's first film

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 5 points 2 days ago

Oh thank god, finally.

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 5 points 3 days ago (2 children)

That is a bad bit, very confusing.

How would an actual owl like yourself "pretend" to be an owl? Doesn't make any sense.

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 28 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

A Gallup poll the following week revealed nearly 60 percent placed total blame on the students, while only 10 percent blamed the guardsmen (30 percent had no opinion) [reactionary source]. [Howard] Means cites multiple uses of the phrase “They should have shot more of them [students]” and similar sentiments.

A lot of this is that Americans were and are bloodthirsty psychos, but the media also spread a bunch of lies, for example claiming that the students had been lacing the water supply with LSD.

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 29 points 4 days ago (2 children)

"Have you got anything without war?"

"Well, there's war egg sausage and war, that's not got much war in it."

"I don't want ANY war!"

"Why can't she have egg bacon war and sausage?"

"THAT'S got war in it!"

"Hasn't got as much war in it as war egg sausage and war, has it?"

"Could you do the egg bacon war and sausage without the war then?"

"Urgghh!"

"What do you mean 'Urgghh'? I don't like war!"

"Sshh, dear, don't cause a fuss. I'll have your war. I love it. I'm having war war war war war war war baked beans war and war!"

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 7 points 4 days ago

Talk about committing to the bit.

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 52 points 4 days ago (2 children)
[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 21 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Computers can never be held accountable, which is exactly why they're looking to have them make management decisions.

"Oops, 'the AI' accidentally launched a missile at Iran and then they ~~retaliated~~ launched a completely unprovoked attack against us, now we have no choice but to invade."

[–] Zuzak@hexbear.net 33 points 5 days ago

Maarva kidnapped an indigenous-coded kid, gave him new name, and assimilated him to her culture.

I do have to give them credit for consistency here. If you're going to take issue (and I assume this person does) with Russia relocating orphans out of a war zone into safety (and even call it a "genocide"), then I suppose you should also condemn Maarva for taking Cassian out of a situation where he was going to be killed.

I suppose saving children instead of leaving them in front of moving steamrollers violates the NAP ancap-good

 

Three and half years ago I decided it was time to escape the US south and I moved to a new city with no contacts, and just enough savings to stay at a motel as I searched for a job and an apartment. I managed to find both, although I wound up with a long commute. I really liked the walkable neighborhood my apartment was in, and the job was alright, and I managed to work it out to commute with public transit so that was tolerable.

But after about 2 years, my landlord sold the apartment and I had to move. Meanwhile, I was getting frustrated/bored with work, I'd been transferred to a more technical role with a promise of a raise if I did well at it - I did great but around that time the company got bought out and the promise was forgotten. I also wasn't out as trans and felt awkward coming out there. On the one hand it was an opportunity to relocate closer but I didn't really want to, instead it kinda forced a decision point where I felt like I was as empty-handed as when I first moved up.

My parents wanted me to come home for the holidays, my brother was offering to let me stay while I sort things out and think longer term than just paying the bills, and I was ready for a vacation, and I wanted travel around to visit some friends I hadn't seen in a while. So I decided to move in with my parents for a bit - a decision that I instantly regretted.

Suddenly dropping myself into an environment where I was closeted and also didn't know anyone or have any interest in left me confining myself to my room retreating into video games - to the point that it became difficult to do anything, including, y'know, leaving. The "for the holidays" I had originally planned on stretched out a lot longer than it had any right to, I felt trapped, and I just sort of dissociated.

Finally I got around to moving in with my brother, who I was also not out to, but I did at least have some more privacy and could connect with him a bit more. One day, I finally stopped retreating into games and realized that there was no way forward except through coming out, and I was able to do it.

It went poorly. He kicked me out. But I had steeled myself for it, I knew that was a possibility, and I had survived on my own before and could do it again, and having my back against the wall might have been what I needed to get my ass in gear, so I accepted it in quiet resignation. Then he changed his mind. I was confused and disoriented, things were super awkward between us, and I tried to avoid him. Then he changed his mind again. At that point I was just pissed, yelled at him, and was ready to storm out. He offered to help me with relocation expenses and if I wasn't broke I would've spit on it, instead I swallowed my pride and made peace - although we haven't spoken since.

Fortunately, as luck would have it, my elderly uncle had moved out of his house in the suburbs outside of the city I'd moved to, and I was able to talk my mom into letting me stay there. It's not the best location and the water isn't potable, and my mental health was not the best and I'd developed some bad habits so even back on my own I was just playing a bunch of video games for a while. But just as my savings were drying up, I managed to land a new job.

It's not the best job for a number of reasons, and it's just a temporary warehouse position, but it's connected to something worthwhile (science education). And, it's the first job that I've ever worked where I'm out! In the past I've always been hesitant about being out in the professional sphere. And it feels good to get out of the house and get some money rolling in (although my paycheck doesn't come til next week doggirl-tears), and to remind myself I'm capable of being more than a shut-in doggirl-thumbsup

Hopefully once I've made some money through this I'll find something else closer, and ideally fewer hours, and be able to find a happy medium between not having income and being extremely averse to spending money vs being tired out and not having enough time to enjoy life, because frankly 40 hours is too much time to spend working unless you really need it.

But for now, I'm back on my feet ~~(literally)~~ and that's a big step forward, I can feel my independence and self-confidence returning, and my desire to push away reality and retreat fading.

 

Never knew who the institute was named after

7
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by Zuzak@hexbear.net to c/memes@hexbear.net
 

back-to-mestalincorn-man-khrush[emoji not found]gorby-sad

Probably the least interesting and least talked about Soviet leader (not counting the ones who were only there for <2 years), I don't really know much about him myself but I was feeling randomly curious so I skimmed NATOpedia to get a rough impression.

It seems like the Brezhnev-era would be the best time to be alive in the USSR, though that has to do more with external circumstances - he didn't have to deal with a lack of industrialization or invasions either during the revolution or WWII. However, economic growth was slow, despite the government investing in basic necessities and in agricultural production. In terms of technology, during this time, the USSR made the poor decision to use IBM's designs rather than investing in domestic computer development, which may have set them back and contributed to brain drain.

In terms of foreign policy, Brezhnev deviated from Khrushchev's focus on missiles by focusing more on strengthening conventional military forces, increasing spending eightfold to 12% of GNP by the time of his death. He continued the policy of detente, and (perhaps because of the military investment) negotiated and signed the SALT treaties, reducing the past nuclear brinkmanship. At the same time, he resumed support for the Vietnamese communists who Khrushchev had abandoned due to their refusal to negotiate a partition. However, he also made the disastrous decision to invade Afghanistan. He also sent troops into Czechoslovakia to suppress what I assume was a color revolution.

Did his uninspiring leadership and failure to address economic stagnation contribute to Gorbachev's dismantling of the USSR? Or perhaps that was already set in motion from Kruschev, (or caused afterward by Gorby), and the take is that he did a decent job steering the country through a relatively peaceful era, prioritizing human needs like housing over consumer goods?

For that matter, I'm kind of puzzled as to why his policies weren't more effective, I would expect providing things like housing would stimulate the economy by providing more consumer consumption (though perhaps the problem was supply not keeping up with demand?), and the USSR still had to rely on food imports despite pretty substantial investments in agriculture. For a critical take on him, I'm not sure what he should've done differently.

However, I don't really have a dog in the fight - if there is a fight. Do people have strong opinions about Brezhnev? I'm mostly just curious to hear people's perspectives.

 

He's so shitty I don't even know where to start, but so many people on there are convinced he's some kind of heroic anti-corruption reformer and taking on the CIA and shit.

I'm starting to sour on the platform over it, I was enjoying talking politics on there but now my feed is flooded with Musk worship 🤮

 

bottom text

 
 

The stranded driver

After returning to China, a Chinese writer who was traveling in the US told such a story. He was driving through Texas. In a section of the road without a service station, his car broke down and couldn't start. He called the police, and soon two police cars arrived.

The two policemen opened the hood of the malfunctioning car and tried to fix it, but the car still wouldn't start. The policemen pointed at the two police cars and said to him, "Which one do you like? You can drive one away."

The writer was even more surprised.

Finally, the writer chose a police car with less - obvious police markings and drove it to continue his journey. As for his car, the policemen would be responsible for towing it to the garage and he could pick it up when he came back.

The writer was deeply touched. In fact, for the policemen, providing convenience for drivers is part of their duty.

Being touched is a tremor in the heart, and it is a communication between hearts. A person sees what he has never seen, hears what he has never heard, and experiences what he has never experienced.

The power-out American supermarket

Suddenly, there was a power - outage in an American supermarket, and it was pitch - black. Soon, a broadcast in the supermarket said, "For the safety of customers and to avoid stampede accidents, customers can take the goods in their hands for free as compensation for the power - outage. Please exit in an orderly manner."

Upon hearing the broadcast, people left the cash - register counters in an orderly manner. After the power was restored, the supermarket manager was surprised to find that the cash - register counters were filled with amounts of money ranging from tens to hundreds of US dollars.

It turned out that after the supermarket owner issued the notice, the high - quality Americans consciously estimated the prices of the goods in their hands and silently left the money when they left.

What an honest, polite and friendly society!

Power-off for life

Once in the United States, a sparrow was entangled in several 50 - kilovolt high - voltage wires exposed by the roadside. Its shrill cries attracted the attention of passers - by.

They immediately called 110. The police informed the White House, and the president made a decision within half an hour, dispatching a special aircraft to break the national main power line in Washington, causing a temporary power outage across the country. Finally, the rescuers spent half an hour rescuing the little sparrow.

A great nation can stop for any humble life.

Differences in Parenting Methods between China and the US

For a long time, Chinese children have received indoctrination education, while American children are different. Generally speaking, in exams, Chinese children outperform American children, but when it comes to hands - on operations or research, they often fall short compared to Americans.

What is the actual situation like? The author has found that children in the US seem to grow up carefree. When they are young, they have very little homework, and after school, they mainly play. When it comes time to go to college, they don't have to squeeze through the single - plank bridge of the college entrance examination like high - school students in China. American children only need to rely on their school grades, teacher recommendations, and performance in social activities to apply for college. Whether they are admitted or not depends entirely on the university's needs for talents. Children don't need to worry about getting into college because if one university rejects them, another one may admit them. Truly, all roads lead to Rome.

After entering college, children can apply for a credit card, which is the first step in learning financial management. They need to pay bills on time. If they fail to do so, their personal credit record will be stained, and they will encounter a lot of troubles in the future. When approaching graduation, car dealers will come to the school to promote cars. After renting a car, the children start to rent an apartment and take part - time jobs. However, at this time, the children don't have a regular job yet. If they want to buy big - ticket items, they need someone to guarantee for them, so that they realize that money is not easily earned. Then, after graduation, they can find a regular job. As time goes by and their income increases, they will buy a house, a car, and further improve their lives. This system allows children to adapt to an independent social life as early as possible.

This system of cultivating children into successful individuals can be a good reference for Chinese parents in raising their children.

The elderly Chinese couple's medical treatment

…According to Li Juanzi's recollection, at that time, the chief physician in charge of the inpatient department, Albert Puig, upon hearing the patient and family members' concerns about medical expenses, complained angrily, "What on earth is the hospital's finance department doing, making the patient worry so much about the costs?"…Li Juanzi described the experiences of the two days: "From yesterday to today, we've realized that American doctors simply don't care whether you have money or can afford the treatment in the end. They are treating dad with 200% enthusiasm. Countless people, from doctors to nurses and interns, have come. No one has asked about our financial situation. Even when we told the doctors that we have no insurance and can't afford the expenses, the doctors kindly comforted us, saying not to worry about that, as it's the business of the hospital's finance department. They just focus on treating the illness. So I'm really 200% satisfied and touched by them. The medical equipment they use is the most advanced and the best. The doctors and nurses are also very warm and friendly, constantly asking if we have any questions or need any help... So far, countless examinations have been done, but no one has asked us for money…"

...Although the hospital didn't mention the money, Yu and Li Juanzi's couple still felt uneasy. Li Juanzi wrote in the family letter, "Regarding the money issue, we waited almost the whole day today, but no one came to ask us. We got impatient. Later, we took the initiative to approach them. They said they understood and told us not to worry too much. According to their regulations, if the doctor doesn't agree, the finance department has no right to stop the treatment on the grounds that the patient might not pay. It seems that in the US, doctors and the finance department operate separately. Doctors focus solely on treating patients and saving lives, while the finance department is responsible for collecting payments. Whether they can collect the money or not has no bearing on the doctors' income. That's why doctors can concentrate on treating illnesses. All hospitals in the US are non - profit, and the law absolutely prohibits refusing to admit patients due to financial problems. In the end, the hospital's losses are borne by the US government. Hehe, although mom and dad are foreigners, it's because of the kind - natured Americans that we've received such treatment."

"At four in the afternoon, the doctor in charge of our discharge came. First, he apologized for keeping us waiting. Later, he gave us a detailed surgical report, including how the operation was performed and what was actually found. We told him that we didn't have insurance. He said he knew and understood, and then complained that the US should set up a global insurance system so that everyone could get medical treatment." "We've been in the hospital for five days, and no one has asked us for our ID cards or my parents' passports. There was no deposit required, and not a single word about money was mentioned. If we hadn't kept bringing up the issue of not having insurance, they simply wouldn't have cared." Finally, Li Juanzi told her elder brother, "When we were discharged, we just walked out like that. It felt like a dream." As 2008 was drawing to a close and the traditional American Thanksgiving was approaching, it is hoped that all those who have benefited from this country can say "thank you" with sincere gratitude.

Happy homeless people in the US

...In the United States, the lives of the homeless are actually quite happy.

They don't become homeless due to bankruptcy but embrace freedom out of their own will. The American social welfare system provides them with relief funds, which are even higher than the salaries in many industries in China. Thus, they don't have to worry about food and clothing.

Although they have no fixed abode, they are content in their hearts. They sunbathe on park benches, chat with people on the streets, and live freely in the sunshine.

When Americans choose to be homeless, it's not banishment but self - liberation, a sublimation of freedom. Those who don't live in such a lifestyle can hardly understand their yearning for freedom...

The Thrifty U.S. Secretary of State

In 2013, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited China. Upon arriving in Beijing, Kerry was arranged to stay in the presidential suite on the top floor of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. However, Kerry considered this arrangement too luxurious and insisted on staying in a budget hostel in Zhongguancun, where job seekers typically stayed, costing only ten yuan per night—just one ten-thousandth of the price of the presidential suite. This simple and unpretentious style was refreshing to the Chinese people.

...The next morning during breakfast, a small incident occurred. While eating his second bun, Kerry accidentally dropped it on the floor. In a surprising turn of events, a stray dog, seemingly out of nowhere, quickly darted toward the bun, ready to snatch it and run away. But just as quickly, Mr. Kerry picked up the fallen bun and put it into his own mouth, eating it with relish. The spot where the bun had fallen happened to be near a pool of saliva, likely left by a less-than-hygienic job seeker earlier, but Mr. Kerry didn't mind at all. His attitude of cherishing food served as a "shocking lesson" to the Chinese people.

Source

yeonmi-park

 

I've never actually made tofu because I don't cook often, but today it was on sale for $0.88/lb (limit 4) so now I have 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of tofu (3 firm, 1 extra firm) that I have no idea what to do with. The oven/stove at my place is broken, so I just have a microwave, but fwiw it has a convection option.

I know there's something about cutting it into cubes and pressing out the moisture, and I know it's really good at absorbing flavor but doesn't have much on its own, but that's about all I know. I guess I can look up recipes, but idk how to adapt them to a microwave and also online recipes are a pain because of SEO.

Thanks.

 
 
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