wpb

@wpb@lemmy.world

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Im curious what they will come up with⁩ ⁨⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  I feel like you’re a bit too emotionally involved. It’s just a cartoon, calm down.

  Anyway, to clarify my comment, which I thought was brief and to the point enough that it was easy to grasp, but apparently not for you: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with covering current events or lampooning stuff. The way south park does this is sanctimonious and smug, to the point where I find it hard to watch.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Im curious what they will come up with⁩ ⁨⁨20⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  Whenever they take on real world stuff, they’re incredibly smug and sanctimonious about it. This has been the case since the start, and I can’t say I’ve ever been able to get past that.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨But think of the landlords!⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  So, I’m not interested in a Debbie Debater here, and I’m absolutely not claiming that you’re wrong, but I think two of the three sources you give don’t really pass my standard for reliable.

  The first one doesn’t quite pass the vibe check for me. When I go to the home page, the top articles are about “the five greatest russian erotic films” and “7 budding russian models”. It just doesn’t screem “impartial scientific article” to me.

  The Christian Science Moitor one from a researcher from radio liberty research. What I read is that this place was founded and funded by the CIA with the explicit purpose of broadcasting propaganda into the east bloc. To me, I’m about as likely to trust an article from this source as I am to trust an article about homelessness in South Korea coming from a think tank funded by North Korea, called the “Proletarian Empowerment Institute” or whatever.

  One thing I can find plenty of impartial sources on is that it’s hard to find reliable data on homelessness from the USSR. But to go and trust some less than credible sources for a lack of alternatives is pure lamp post bias.

  I don’t have a dog in this fight, and I’m not saying you’re wrong. All I’m saying is that the sources you cite don’t pass my personal smell test, and I still feel agnostic on whether or not homelessness rates in the USSR were better or worse than in the US in the 80s.

  As an aside, it’s really embarrassing, but I don’t know where I got the 0.01% figure from. A second google search seems to suggest a range of 600,000 to 2,000,000 out of 247,000,000 so something closer to 0.0025%–0.08%. These figures I am more likely to trust, because the research climate for social sciences in the US was a bit freeer than in the USSR. For me personally, it doesn’t really affect whether or not I believe that the homelessness rate in the USSR was higher or lower than in the US because I still feel like I’m pretty much in the dark on the former. But maybe for you these figures help you sharpen your beliefs, so I figured I’d share them.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨But think of the landlords!⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  What was their homelessness rate in the 1980s? I’ve looked for 5 minutes and have not been able to find anything. In the US it was 0.01%.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I've wondered since I was a youngin⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Yes I was being sarcastic, and I should’ve made that clearer. I know of no other way of dealing with the smug sanctimonious attitude of those in rich peaceful countries demanding that the oppressed turn the other cheek because “violence bad”. It’s this bizarre combination of smugness, ignorance of history, and effectively advocating in favor of the oppressor that I really, really, cannot stand.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I've wondered since I was a youngin⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  This is silly. Everyone knows, historically, you stop opressors by asking nicely. Maybe go into the street in a funny costume or something, organize a singalong. Violence is what the baddies do.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I've wondered since I was a youngin⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Famously, the human rights gained by movements using violent tactics, such as the abolitionists, suffragettes, the civil rights movement, the ANC, were all very short-lived. Hollow victories, all.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨yeet⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  If anyone’s having thoughts like this; it’s completely normal. Rest assured, I have thoughts like this multiple times a day, and I don’t even have a newborn.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon describes experience⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  7 when the story happened, 15 years later in 2020, so I’m supposed to believe this guy is 7 - 15 + 2025 - 2020 = -3 today. Something doesn’t check out about this story.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Corporations are saving the planet!⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  The only thing I can find in this direction is a letter from beverage companies (including coca cola) opposing these measures. But that’s based on a very shallow google search, so take it with a grain of salt. Where can I find info about what coca cola lobbied for or against?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Always there⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  It’s the same picture!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨So um, america just started another war in the middle east. We're going to need a shit ton more memes to distract americans from the nightmare they are enduring. Thanks in advance...⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Bestween this and Yemen, Palestine, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Chile, Cuba, Indonesia, Timor, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Korea you’d almost start to think that. I wonder how many countries the real baddies have attacked. Must be way more.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Always there⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Death to America

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I'm gonna mute this one⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  “My house is on fire and there’s NOTHING I can do”

  “Maybe call 911, leave the house, get the fire ext…”

  “NOTHING, I SAY, NOTHING!”

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I'm gonna mute this one⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  So wait for a charismatic and perfect savior.

  Did you not read what I said?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I'm gonna mute this one⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  That’s kind of a broad question, and there’s at least two contexts in which I can answer it. One is on a personal level, and one is more on the level of “what should the DNC do if they want to win another election”.

  Personal answer first. Quite simple:

  • join a union

  • engage in mutual aid

  • read theory (yes really)

  • local politics (no matter how local) matter, act like it

  • vote for politicians and their policies because you believe in them, not because other guy bad. If your choice is between Hitler and Hitler wearing a funny hat, voting uncommitted is not only your democratic right, but your duty. If you guarantee your vote to a politician regardless of what rhey do or advocate for, the politician has no reason whatsoever to listen to you or cater to your needs. None.

  Now if you’re asking as a card carrying DNC member with influence:

  • Do not capitulate to right wing framing. You will never win at being right wing, the right wing is much better at that than you. Concretely, engage in counter messaging. For example, when it comes to undocumented immigrants, frame them as a boon to society (which they are) and aggressively fight anyone who claims they commit more crimes (they don’t, in fact they commit fewer per capita), don’t say “I agree mr republican, and my border policies are just as draconian, if not more, as they should be!” Same with fracking, genocide, crime, taxes, etc. Be an alternative, not a weak derivative.

  • Don’t fund a genocide. So easy. All you have to do is not send 17.8 billion in military aid to any country committing a genocide. You see a country committing genocide? Do not send 17.8 billion dollars in military aid. If you can’t help yourself and have to send the money anyway, don’t go bragging about it on your campaign trail, you fucking idiot.

  • Start advocating for worker’s rights. Stronger unions, higher minimum wage, forced and paid parental leave, paid sick leave, and so on. These are deeply popular positions, as polling shows, also among people who normally vote republican. A one time tax credit is not worker’s rights.

  • Start advocating for universal health care again. Or at least fucking mention it every now and then. The US is the only nation in the developed world (and beyond?) that doesn’t have this, you can gain so much on this.

  Follow these simple steps and you’ll win your next election!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I'm gonna mute this one⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I mean, it’s not perfect. A lot of advocacy groups for the homeless are actually critical of the plan, primarily because it doesn’t address the underlying issues that cause homelessness and because the efficacy of forced drug and mental health treatment is questionable at best. But it’s better than putting arm rests on benches, that’s for sure.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I'm gonna mute this one⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  apnews.com/…/california-newsom-homeless-61ebe5b2a…

  For anyone saying that the democrats are bad for the homeless, please look at this.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I'm gonna mute this one⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Big tent liberalism is exactly what got you the anti-union, pro-war, pro-fracking, anti-immigrant democratic party of today. Every single time someone argues for speaking to a broader base it’s used as an excuse to move further right. And it isn’t working. Please, for the love of god, learn from the past three election cycles.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I'm gonna mute this one⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Both? 17.8 billion dollars to murder children with seems pretty pointlessly cruel to me. All jokes aside, are you not seeing these in the blue states? They don’t have these in New York?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I'm gonna mute this one⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  What makes you think that? Do these not exist in blue states?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I'm gonna mute this one⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Hygiene.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨do you think freewill truly exists?⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I had a hard enough time accepting it* for myself, and I can’t expect a stranger on the internet to do so quicker than I did. I hope that some day you can reflect back on this conversation and realize you’re being a bit of a dick about this.

  • “It” meaning the inability to shape my social life the way “normal” people do it, and simultaneously live a happy and healthy life
• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨do you think freewill truly exists?⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Ah my bad, I thought you were complaining about people not wanting to engage in small talk, and I thought you were suggesting that people should just suck it up and talk about the weather even if they don’t want to. I’m a bad communicator, and I sometimes misread stuff like that.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨do you think freewill truly exists?⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  It’s great that it worked out for you, and I’m happy for you, but we don’t need to force everyone to fit the same mould.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨do you think freewill truly exists?⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  You’re probably joking, but know that there’s a subset of us that gets pathologically anxious and confused by small talk. Autistic people for example. Different folks, different strokes. Not everyone deals well with talking about the weather, and that’s ok. There’s billions who do deal well with it, and that’s ok too! Be a mensch and talk to them instead.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The 5 stages of Charles Manson⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Top right Ricky Gervais.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨do you think freewill truly exists?⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  “Such weather we’re having huh?”

  Truly peak romance

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What are the ethics behind purchasing a book from an author you don't agree with?⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  People who deny genocides (either the current ongoing one in Palestine as committed by Israel, or the one carried out by the Germans in WWII) are the lowest of the low. Absolute scum. To see people make excuses for atrocities as the Nakba, Sabra and Shatila, and the Holocaust in real time, as one is happening has been the most disturbing development of our age.

  I don’t think downloading things illegally is OK, and I also don’t think spending money on genocide deniers like Irving is ethical. I also don’t think reading Irving will help you in any way, because genocide deniers are pretty much all the same. If you still wish to see genocide denial and defense of people who say stuff like “Erase them, their families, mothers and children. These animals can no longer live”, and the denial of that which is obvious, you’ll find plenty of it available for free in modern day conservative shitrags talking about the ethnic cleansing Israel has been carrying out for 77 years.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Techno feudalism, here we come⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I try, every now and then, and I’m fairly consistently disappointed. Every time I end up finding out that the output is wrong. Not in the sense of aesthetics or best practices, but truly incorrect in the sense that it either doesn’t work or that it’s a falsehood. And there’s two explanations for this that I can think of.

  The first is that I’m using them wrong. And this seems likely, because some people I respect swear by them, and I’m an idiot. Instead of asking “how does mongoDB store time series data” or “write a small health check endpoint using Starlette” maybe there’s some magic invocationsor wording that I should be using which will result in correct answers. Or maybe I’m expecting the wrong things from LLMs, and these are not suitable usecases.

  The other possibility is that my prompts are right, and I’m expected to correct the LLM when it’s wrong. But this of course assumes that I already know the answer, or that I’m at least well-versed enough to spot issues. But then all LLMs automate away is typing, and that’s not my bottleneck (if it were, what a boring job I would have).

  I think a key thing I’m doing wrong is occasionally forgetting that this is ultimately fancy autocomplete and not a source of actual knowledge and information. There’s a big difference between answers and sequences of words that look like answers, but my monkey brain has a hard time distinguishing between the two. There’s an enormous, truly gigantic, insurmountable, difference between

  “Ah yeah we’ve used terraform in production for 5 years, best way to go is really not putting your state file under version control for …”

  and

  “Sure! When using terraform it is generally considered a bad practice to put your state in version control for these reasons <bunch of bullet points and bold words>”

  But I’m only human, and it’s really easy to trick me into forgetting this.