In case you can’t tell, I’m passionate about rationality and critical thinking.

  • 4 Posts
  • 273 Comments
Joined 10 months ago
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Cake day: September 22nd, 2024

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  • I can’t help but wonder how much the popularity of reality TV led us to where we are now. I don’t just mean how the US president used to have his own stupid show, but how many people grew up thinking that “watching people create drama” is peak entertainment.

    The same era saw the decline and demise of a number of educational channels and shows. Is it a coincidence? I don’t know. All I know is there are lots of adults who grew up watching “reality” shows who now think politics are just a game to “win” and that when their opponents are upset, it’s amusing. It’s like the concept of empathy or working together don’t even enter their minds. Everything is just for entertainment, no matter how serious it is or how many innocent people get screwed over by it.


  • When an artist is the first to inspire a movement, history tends to look back on them differently. There’s a related trope that covers this phenomenon - “Seinfeld is Unfunny.” From that page:

    There are certain works that you can safely assume most people have enjoyed. These shows were considered fantastic when they were released. Now, however, these have a Hype Backlash curse on them. Whenever we watch them, we’ll cry, “That is so old” or “That is so overdone”.

    The sad irony? It wasn’t old or overdone when they did it, because they were the first ones to do it. But the things it created were so brilliant and popular, they became woven into the fabric of that work’s niche. They ended up being taken for granted, copied, and endlessly repeated. Although they often began by saying something new, they in turn became the new status quo.

    Nirvana is one of the artists mentioned under the “Music” examples on that same page. The point is, they were groundbreaking when they came out, but they changed the music scene so much and have inspired so many similar artists that their original work has become overshadowed by the successors they helped create.

    Your experience is common and it’s okay not to enjoy their music, but the key to remember is that without Nirvana helping to pave the way, other grunge bands may not have risen to the popular level they reached.


  • I had a coworker liked that. He enjoyed renting because it meant having fewer responsibilities.

    I disagreed, and countered that renting means being more dependent on somebody else. Some landlords are excellent at responding to repair calls, but there are so many more that will leave you hanging for an indetermined amount of time, while leaks continue or appliances break. Personally, I’d rather not have the quality of life in my own home be dependent on someone who doesn’t really care about me.

    Sadly, I don’t have much of a choice. I would prefer being able to pick my own repair people or just fix simple things myself. Alas, like so many others, I work full time but remain stuck in the rent trap. So much for freedom.


  • Big same! I have no energy for anyone who wants to play games instead of communicating clearly. I have even less energy for those who would rather assume what I feel based on tone or body language than listen to my words about my own experiences.

    My tone is tied to my energy level, not to my feelings about the things I say or the person I’m speaking to. When tired, I can either communicate in a flat tone, write/type my thoughts, or not talk at all. I’d rather be around people who understand that and won’t try to argue me (especially at a time when I feel particularly drained, which is when such conflicts tend to arise.)

    As a result, the people I can tolerate after work are of an exclusive group, primarily made of other autists who know how to handle direct communication. (Not-so-fun note: my own mom doesn’t even pass this bar. She would love a call, I know, but I just can’t deal with her standards sometimes.)



  • I don’t wish for ignorance, but sometimes I do watch wild creatures and think, “What a life. Find food, find shelter, find partner, lay eggs/babies. Pure biology in control.” Some deep part of me is massively jealous that I can’t give in to what my ancient genes want me to do. Being able to fulfill my basic needs is subject to the whims of capitalism.

    Though not having to tolerate parasites and disease without medicine, not having to die right after mating, and having access to modern air conditioning are pretty strong perks of being a human.





  • I feel like my dad has always had the same set of knives. I also feel like honing them is practically one of his hobbies. He taught it to me and my siblings (once we were old enough to cook.) As well, every time he saw me using the wrong knife for a task, he’d go get the correct knife. He’d recommend things to add when I cooked around him, coming up with things I wouldn’t have considered. It never failed to work out.

    It’s no wonder his cooking used to sell out so quickly when he brought it to sponsor our high school events. He never did it professionally, but man does he know how to chef.



  • Oof, as an artist myself, I’d be understanding if somebody wanted to tweak something I made in order to make it more accessible.

    But you know what? You do you, man. I can tell you’re a person with conviction, and though I disagree with your opinion, I respect your passion for art integrity.




  • They already include multiple audio streams for language selection. In fact, watching a movie in a different language than it was originally produced in doesn’t perfectly “reproduce the experience” either. Jokes get cut, names and acronyms change, and cultural references are either altered or become too foreign for the culture of the new audience to instantly recognize.

    Offering a different experience of a movie isn’t unusual. Maybe I can’t understand a Miyazaki film to the extent that he fully intended, because I don’t understand Japanese. But that doesn’t mean there’s no point in watching it.

    As well, some people don’t want to experience super loud explosions. They’re content not having that aspect of “the experience” for a variety of reasons. Some people have PTSD. Some people have irritable neighbors, or kids who are trying to sleep. Some people suffer from tinnitis and would appreciate not having the rest of the movie drowned out by a loud ringing inside their own heads.

    In many ways, a stream without such dynamic noises provides accessibility to people who wouldn’t be able to enjoy the movie otherwise. You can still enjoy a movie however you want. The rest of us just want an option.