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

  • 2 Posts
  • 116 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: September 22nd, 2024

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  • It’s such a strange thing to get hostile about. Ironically, it low-key bugs me that we put the dollar sign before the number it’s indicating. “$64” is read as “sixty-four dollars,” not “dollars sixty-four.” So why write it like that? (Not rhetorical, I really want to know. I tried looking up this question to find out the answer, but haven’t found anything conclusive.) Putting the currency symbol behind the number makes more sense, like how some countries write the Euro. (Which also explains why some people might not intuitively place the dollar sign before the number - it’s their native convention and it follows clear logic.)

    So maybe the point was ignorance or fear of the foreign? Or a misguided attempt at English language purity? Or they’re a former Redditor who hasn’t quite shaken off the Reddit “pointless, hostile hot-take” mentality?



  • Sometimes I debate on making a comment, and sometimes I simply don’t have the energy to complete one. But sometimes, I think, “every comment grows Lemmy a little bit more” and decide, fuck it, I’ll say something. People might like it, people might not like it, but you never know what can grow from such a little spark.

    I appreciate Lemmy in this regard. We live in a world with many voices trying to drown out each other for a bit of public attention. It’s enough to make some people think their own thoughts aren’t worthy and to stay silent, discounting their potential contributions. Having a platform that’s low-stakes, where people aren’t chasing internet fame, gives many of us an opportunity to express ourselves for the sake of expressing ourselves. Having this outlet is vital for many of us. I’m glad to be a part of this community, and it is truly a community. I have no idea if anyone recognizes me, but I definitely recognize other frequent commenters. It’s almost like we’re neighbors, not in physical proximity, but with a shared gathering space to meet and share our thoughts.

    And I love that.


  • Also not a tech person, but I am an artist. I used to consider going into digital art, but now I’m grateful I didn’t and instead have honed … I guess you can call it “manual” art? As a way to say things I make with my hands? Maybe “analog” or “traditional” art?

    Point is, I haven’t seen an AI create a pencil drawing or an acrylic painting. I get the feeling that as people tire of AI generated images, they may find renewed interest in these distinctly human-made art forms. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see. For now, AI may try to steal forms and ideas, but picking up a pencil or a paintbrush and creating something on a canvas are still out of its reach (thank goodness.)



  • I asked this same question to my older coworkers back when I was 20. The main answer I got was: travel, travel, travel! “Travel before you have kids.” “Travel before you start a long-term career.” “Travel before you buy a house.”

    Naturally, being a Millennial, all three of those things became non-issues. 🙃

    So let me give some advice for the ages instead, regardless of what the future may hold for you:

    • Never stop learning

    • It’s okay to not know what you want to do with life

    • And, especially in a post-truth, AI-infested world, question everything!

    Take the time to learn what logical fallacies are (at least the common ones.) You WILL encounter them, and knowing when you or someone else is using faulty logic can keep you from harm, whether it be from another person (like what we see in politics) or from yourself (like the “Sunk Cost Fallacy,” which might otherwise lead you to stick with bad jobs, bad relationships, and more.)

    Tangentially, it’s okay to say, “I don’t know.” Nobody knows everything. Anyone who expects you to know any given thing (unless you’re known to have studied it, of course) isn’t someone worth the admiration of. People with realistic expectations will see you as genuine, and being genuine can carry you far.

    I could probably think of more if given the time, but those are the most important things off the top of my head. I’m open to questions in the comments; I’ve lived quite a peculiar life, so I’ve got a range of experiences, from being a homeless vandweller, to being a pilot, to pivoting 90° to working with kids and making art. I’m more than happy to answer any questions that might help people out!





  • That’s absolutely wild. Before my state started selling legal weed, I would sometimes take trips to Massachusetts to buy enough to last me for months.

    The one thing I never did on those drives? Speed.

    I figured I was already technically breaking the law by carrying so much weed across non-legal states. To get pulled over for speeding could’ve led to massive trouble. Why put a target on my car (beyond already having an out-of-state license plate)?

    I went the other way - I meticulously watched for speed limit changes and set my cruise control accordingly, so it would be one fewer thing to worry about. When possible, I drove so there’d be a car some distance in front of me, but still within my view. That way, if there was a cop up ahead, I’d see the other car slow down first and it would give me a heads up.

    Adding more distractions and driving more erratically when you’re already breaking one law is a really stupid way to get caught.




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