Manticore

@Manticore@lemmy.nz

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The Dangers of Socialism they warned us about...⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  From what I understand, the narrative is that these things are inevitable. Natural emergent states of the world.

  So it’s not that these things are avoidable/preventable, so much as wouldn’t you rather the GOOD guys be in charge of the fiefdoms?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨r/bald is whatever the male equivalent of a magical girl transformation is⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  If anything it hightlights that it’s a mostly a matter of grooming/health.

  If your hair is healthy, well-kept and clean, plenty of styles will look good. The cut itself is less important. Unwashed, matted, and deep-fried by 3-in-1 ‘soaps’? Even a basic barber cut will look frizzy and unkempt.

  Same for beards. A beard of any length looks good brushed with a coarse boar-brush, treated with beard balm, trimmed to shape. Left to grow put with no treatment, no brushing, no clipping? Any length looks haggard.

  Healthy hair, healthy skin, natural lighting and a confident yet approachable demeaner do almost all the work for us.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Get past AI screening tools with the one simple hack!⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  If I saw this I would assume it was spam. Same as the mail I get about donating to presidents, US tax returns, car warranties etc. I get plenty of American spam already.

  Also as a person with marketing experience, an first-time email from an previously-unknown address that has an attachment is definitely going straight to spam on most decent email providers. That’s why I sent follow-ups.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don’t you lie to me⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah no normal person is carrying that much cash. Its either a trap or a crime.

  The closest normal reason I can think of is a poorer person having to pay rent in cash to their underhanded landlord. Such a loss is devastating.

  But the police probably aren’t getting it all back to them though, esp since theyd have to go in and ask (AFTER dropping it off), including explaining their carry amount.

  …so I’d rather look for contact info of some kind, but then we’re back to trap or crime.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨They're F*ing trying again⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  But what would be the point? Nobody’s doing anything about the high-profile pedophiles we already know. And kids have a bunch of other more common needs that are being conveniently ignored. The maths ain’t mathing

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon likes a woman⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  That one.

  In a fantasy, your crush is perfect. In reality, they’re messy, traumatised, vulnerable, reactive etc. That’s nuance. That’s history. We’re so immersed in our own fundamental ideas from upbringing that it’s easy to assume we’re the default, but not a single one of us are.

  Sometimes that nuance is beautiful. Sometimes you’re compatible.

  Usually, it’s a let-down. Because nobody can be a better match for you than the fantasy in your own head, and we need to learn to stop using daydreams as a yardstick.

  Growth comes from accepting people are nuanced and determining what is compatible for you, instead o chasing the daydream (or pressuring a person to change into one).

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon likes a woman⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Not a rare thing, really. It’s a human issue, regardless of age or gender.

  People can definitely get attracted to the idea of a person that lives in their heads. They fall for a fantasy, often nurturing it with daydream. That’s what a crush is.

  Reality hits when you see them as a real person with nuanced emotions, deep personal history, and a rich inner world. The reality of a person clashes with the fantasy of them.

  Often that’s a good thing. People get relationship maturity that way. They grow their skills of empathy, patience, compassion. The fantasy fades for a beautiful tapestry. Even if your relationship ends, you can respect each other.

  Sometimes it’s an inconvenient truth. The reality of a person isn’t what you want, and the fantasy of them withers in the face of it. You can even bitterly resent them for falling short of your daydreams, robbing you of their comfort.

  As strange as it sounds, it is a blessing for it to happen so quickly. For many, it’s something they awake to in middle age. Feeling encroaching mortality, they realise that they settled in a life that was low-risk, with a partner that was attainable, rather than either being truly being satisfying.

  So they sabotage it, flee it, resent it, or all the above. That’s what the ‘mid-life crisis’ is.

  This sucks and feels awful, but of the many ways this could’ve gone? This was actually one of the better ones.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨This is the ideal male body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like.⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Absolutely incredible. I’ll take two

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Take that Aussies, USA #1!⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Most of those ‘crimes’ were just… being too poor to pay their debts. Shipping off the poor made England look better.

  The ‘criminals’ of Aus are, at least in this respect, my brothers.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨She skipped groceries for a week to pay for that Little Caesars.⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Seeing people commenting a put ‘their’ and thought they were correct ‘the’. it’s their own personal teacher, not The Great Teacher of Legend, Whom We All Share

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The holy trinity⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Ehh it depends how many religions they actually include. If they have several major world religions, they can educate on religious themes and cultural relevance etc.

  You know, different from religious indoctrination where you’re just told about one religion and graded on your ability to regurgitate it, not comprehend it.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Femality is stored in the nipples⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Morally nothing, but legally broadcast law and ERSB ratings are very strict. Like, ‘literally count the number of each cuss’ strict. Ratings aren’t determined by Dennis and Marjorie vibing it out, it’s concluded almost algorithmically based on literal, unambiguous features. Context has very little relevance to the ratings questionnaire.

  Even if it is in the spirit of the ratings law, only the letter of the law is enforcable, regardless of context.

  It’s probably a good thing for the arts overall, since ratings are so very impactful for reception/profit, I can’t imagine the lawsuits being flung if a studio accused Dennis or Marjorie of bias.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨magic⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Rubber gets brittle if it isn’t kept supple through flexing. The rest of the shoe last longer if given time to ‘rest’ from over-stretching or dry from sweat.

  So if you have multiple pairs of shoes, cycle through wearing them. All your pairs will last quite a bit longer: you’ll keep the rubber supple, and you’ll rest the sock/upper.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Do you think that Edward Snowden is a hero?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Sure, it sounds like he has your approval, and the approval of people in the privacy movement, who would use the term Hero. I accept that.

  As for what the word ‘hero’ means to you, and weather I value the same things, then the answer is yes:

  Do I think he did a moral act that aligned with his principles, motivated by compassion for others? Did he forsee what it would cost him and do it anyway because he believed it was the right thing to do, no matter how hard? Yes, and yes.

  …I just don’t use the word ‘hero’ to describe this. The word has become a simplified symbol to me, and if anything, feels less powerful than acknowledging the real sacrifice he made in the name of his principles.

  Without acknowledging that nuance, ‘Hero’ apparently puts him in the same category as housefire-puppy-rescuers, and what he did was much more considered.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Do you think that Edward Snowden is a hero?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  I think the difference in your hypothetical is that people would care that he tried. But inventing a scenario to put words in the mouth of a stranger has no relevance to the reality I’m commenting on.

  Think of me as you wish. I answered your question in good faith. That should be good enough.

  I don’t personally believe in ‘heroes’ and ‘villians’. I think it’s a very rudimentary way to view the world, as if through the lens of a storybook. We have deeply corrupt and selfish people causing harm, we have considerate and compassionate people fighting for their principles. Most people are some measure of both.

  Reducing people to Hero and Villain frequently excuses us any responsibility of self-reflection, as we can simply call ourselves ‘Good’ and justify unethical acts in the name of Goodness.

  If you believe that Hero is an objective trait one can achieve, but that social approval is not how one achieves it, we have very different views on humanity and ethics.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Do you think that Edward Snowden is a hero?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  ‘Hero’ is a term of social worship for those that enact change.

  Do I think he did a moral act that aligned with his principles, motivated by compassion for others? Do he forsee what it would cost him and did it anyway because he believed it was the right thing to do, no matter how hard? Yes, and yes.

  But he’d only be a ‘hero’ if anybody actually cared enough to do anything about it, making him a symbol of social change that people would be grateful for him instigating.

  Instead, he falls victim to the same traps as those who self-immolate outside building to make a point: a sacrifical spectacle of sacrifice, exchanged for confused apathy from those he claimed to stand for.

  That really sucks. He was trying to make a real difference. He had to flee his home forever, because of the cost of him trying to save it.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨bone⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Reject articulation; become dog biscuit

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨🤭🤭🤭⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Accidentally used my right foot, now a father of five

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨How tf do people who work 8-5 M-F get any life done?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  4 hours paid work, 1hr unpaid lunch, four hours paid work, home.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨How tf do people who work 8-5 M-F get any life done?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Unpaid 1hr lunchbreak. Pretty common today to work 8-5 in a 4:4

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Finally, a real name for your penis⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I’m just enjoying every version of ‘[Word] Punch’.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨spoopy figs⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Absolutely, am a pan of tofu in pan fries. I also use less meat and then bulk put with red lentils, chickpeas, or mixed beans. But the only pure-lentil protein meal I’ve managed to keep on is the Butternut squash curry, because the squash masks the chickpeas. The mealy texture of lentils makes them hard for me to appreciate solo (I can’t eat peas for similar reasons) so I tend to half-and-half. A single chicken breast feeds four people if bulked right.

  Unfortunately tofu is not cheap here, it costs about as much/slightly more than chicken. :( Regional pricing I suppose, I’m from an isolated farming nation so luxury goods have to be imported at large mark-up. Anything we don’t grow here gets priced to match :/ Lentils are cheap though, and you can also do a lot with a baked potato!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨spoopy figs⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Much agreed. Humans are the only species were aware of that can make ethical considerations in their diet, and there are so many ways to do that.

  My preference is towards sustainably and environmentalism, as limited by my income bracket. So I love mushrooms, love vegetarian dishes, eat in season; but still eat eggs, dairy, and cheap meat for affordable protein. But I prefer sustainable farming practices, and using low-cost cuts like sausagemeat that might otherwise be wasted. I can’t afford most plant-based alternatives because they’re considered ‘lifestyle’ luxuries, so I have to have whey protein instead of pea, etc. But eggs are cheap enough I can splurge on free range with SPCA cert, and I love me a sweet-potato-mushroom burger patty if I can afford one. Nut mince is also great for nachos.

  This means I support insect farms for future protein sources, since they use far less resources than even plant-based alternatives and are much cheaper and more land efficient. That makes me different from most vegetarians and vegans it seems, but I don’t consider our philosophies to be in conflict. Ultimately we share a common goal in maintaining more ethical diets that limit the harm we cause, and there are several approaches to do that. Every step we can affordable maintain is progress to a kinder and more sustainable world.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨spoopy figs⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Your point about the tick is correct, but I’m not sure if that counts as veganism? Theres a significant difference between vegetarianism and veganism beyond the diet itself.

  Vegetarianism is a dietary restriction around consuming flesh, whereas veganism is a philosophical restriction around animal suffering/exploitation. But even that philosophy can have different interpretations (what counts as suffering? What counts as exploitation?).

  Thus vegans having a reputation of being inflexible, because eating nonvegan is a violation of their personal principles; whereas most vegetarians won’t care what you eat so long as you still provide something they can eat.

  Therefore I’d expect vegetarians don’t eat lab meat (it’s flesh) but many vegans may (if they believe it is developed ethically, and doesn’t incentivise unethical practice).

  But IMO both of the terms are pretty absolute and inflexible. An increasingly large number of people ate ‘vegan except for X’, or vegetarian [98]% of the time’, and we don’t have words to distinguish them from those who don’t plan to reduce animal products at all. I’d like if there was, to encourage people to have more varied diets without seeing it as ‘all or nothing’. Significantly reducing animal intake is still an environmental win even if they can’t eliminate it.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨spoopy figs⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Vegetarian is fine, there is no flesh. Vegetarianism is typically a dietary restriction, rather than a philosophical one.

  Vegan: it depends. Cultivating figs may be seen as expotation, like bee’s honey is; regardless of the insect’s actual life or wellbeing. Each individual person decides what counts as vegan.

  I don’t see the point in this level of specificity, because by eating anything at all you consume fungal spores, tiny mites, microbes etc. Plants are also alive. So there is clearly a line where life is permittably consumed.

  If ‘experiencing suffering’ is that line, insects do not seem capable of it, only responding to basic stimuli. I once watched a one trying to eat its own partially severed head, turning it in its front legs while its mouth parts rapidly twitched. It evidently had no comprehension.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨spoopy figs⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Depends on the vegan you’re talking to.

  Wild figs may be but as soon as you’re cultivating fig varieties that require the fig wasp, you are artificially increasing the wasp population specifically to perish, in order to sustain human horticulture. Much like honey or milk, the fact you don’t eat the animal’s flesh might still defy the spirit of ‘no animal exploitation’. Most pollinators do not explicitly perish as part of pollination; figs are one of the foods vegans may disagree on.

  The good news is that there are a small number of fig varieties that can be fertilised without the wasp (either by hand, or self-pollinating clones). In a lot of countries this is the variety that may be grown because importing wasps could be ecologically dangerous.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨dating⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Tbf she made zero effort to converse with OOP either

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I fucking ♥️ industrial society and its consequences⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Must be the title of their new book, they’re on a press tour

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Winner takes all⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Damn this dude already looks like a political caricature of himself

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Indie Game Awards Disqualifies Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Due To Gen AI Usage⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I don’t exactly disagree, it’s just that bad faith AI games will inevitably use this possible interpretation to excuse using AI much more extensively. If you want to flag AI use for like… googling stuff, then we should differentiate it from those who use AI assets in their final product.