MeowZedong

MeowZedong , 7 days ago

If I was a good capitalist, I would release a line of spray paints containing a concentrated, strong acid so they would corrode the metal, leaving a mark after the paint was removed. Call it something stupid like "Muskoleum," "RustEloneum," or "Cybertruck Repair Spray"," but preferably something catchier.

MeowZedong , 10 days ago

The loading screen tips also begin to change as you progress, going from normal tips to lines like, "So, you think you're a hero?"

MeowZedong , 10 days ago

Lol, branding steaks? What a fucking petty tactic.

MeowZedong , 22 days ago

This isn't an attack on your comment, which gave quality information, but I think it's relevant to the conversations linked in your comment.

Their definition of authoritarian is a contradiction to their actions and used subjectively. "I hate authoritarianism, so we should defederate to keep out the authoritarians." This statement is supportive of a fundamentally authoritarian action.

This is also why people who use the term "tankies" seriously are themselves deeply unserious. Their understanding of the topic is superficial at best and colored only by Western biases rooted in anti-communist propaganda. The concept of authoritarianism was itself a product of propaganda.

Saying "no" is authoritarian. Holding elections is authoritarian. Authority itself doesn't matter, what matters is who is in power and how they use their power to influence the world.

Some people recognize and accept this reality and then openly support the power that best aligns with their own benefit.

Anger at tankies is usually just a lack of class consciousness and ignorance based on a term that changes based on who you support and who you do not.

MeowZedong , 24 days ago

All those internet points...lost...never to be earned again...

On Lemmy, our social credit score isn't even tracked!

MeowZedong , 28 days ago

Afaik, all modern browsers can import/export passwords and bookmarks? FF lets you set up an account and sync across devices with a unique PW if you want (not your computer user PW, but it could be).

No idea on touchscreens outside the Android app.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago

Truly a filthy rag since at least the leadup to WWII.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago

I'd say Paul's rise is portrayed as a mixed event throughout the books that depends on the perspective of different factions and what time period you view it from, but overall the main characters see it as good as the end of the first book. The movie doesn't try to explain many of the details that didn't fit into it's cinematic storytelling style (you get almost none of Paul's thoughts and struggles) so there is a lot of clarity that can be provided by the book. I think the movie left less of a sense of his ascension being motivated by good intentions (and magical foresight/inescapable destiny) than the book did, so it's a less optimistic ending.

The Fremen saw it as a good/liberating event and Paul as a true member of their tribe, and he genuinely seems to internalize that into his sense of self. (From the reader's perspective, this is disregarding the white savior bias of the book that the comment before yours alluded to. Paul is a colonizer who is sympathetic to the natives and helps them lift themselves up in ways the book implies couldn't have been done without his help). Overthrowing the Harkonnens and the Emperor's forces leaves the Fremen and moreso Paul in an overwhelmingly powerful position as Arrakis is the only planet able to produce spice at the time.

This is juxtaposed with the view of the nobles, the spacer's guild, and the populations of other planets that is explored in later books. Fast space travel is only possible due to the effects of spice that allow the navigators of the space guild to see short distances into the future to avoid collisions, etc in space travel. Control of the key to space travel grants the Fremen immense political and economic power, but also puts them at odds with the rest of the empire who are reliant upon the spice.

One aspect the movie didn't explain well is that the Fremen were not motivated by gaining the political and economic power of spice, but instead envisioned an Arrakis that was no longer a wasteland. They developed plans to terraform the planet to make it more hospitable and liberation allowed them that opportunity. On the flip side, spice is produced by the worms, but water is toxic to the worms (the scene with the worm dying in water isn't just from it drowning), so if they are able to accomplish this goal, spice production will be eradicated, affecting space travel everywhere.

I don't want to spoil the story after the first book because I believe they will explore it further in the movies. Ultimately, the first book is a story of liberation as well as a coming-of-age story for Paul and the outcome is generally seen as positive by the majority of the characters you get the perspective of. The ones who are opposed are portrayed as grotesque embodiments of evil, like the baron Harkonnen (the movie was too nice to him and cut out the pedophilia, though it kept some of his sadistic and cruel tendencies).

Whether your views of the events of the first book will hold up over time might depend on the events that happen next in the series. There is fallout from everything that happens in Dune as it's very much a story focused on political machinations. Something that is good or bad may turn out to have consequences with the opposite effect down the line.

Lots of contextual details were left out of the movie as well as a lot of the character building, so I suggest reading it if you are interested. The first 100 pages are tough to get through, but then it goes smoothly. For example, the lack of detail in the movie makes Chani and Stilgar feel fragile and insecure rather than resolute and pillars of strength/growth for Paul, Jessica sees less focus and you get little exposure to her thoughts, there is a miniscule amount of light shed on Paul's thoughts throughout the movie, so he comes off as callous in the movie while he is far more empathetic in the book.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago

Many of the main characters in WoT are just phonetically different spellings or slight alterations of characters from the Arthurian Legend.

• Egwene al'Vere = Guinevere
• Amyrlin, Merrilin = Merlin
• Moiraine = Morgaine (not to belittle your insight)
• Artur Paendrag = Arthur Pendragon
• Gawyn = Gawain
• Lan = Lancelot
• Tar Valon = Avalon
• Etc.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago

Through the prescient powers granted by the spice melange.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago

Where was this? The practice described above is common in US universities.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago

It's not selfishness and greed so often as it is fear and ignorance. Education remedies the ignorance and steels people against the fear that keeps them from working together against a seemingly more powerful force.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago (edited 1 month ago)

Side note: to anyone looking to follow this method, please try to limit the amount of toluene you are exposed to by wearing gloves and working in a well ventilated space. It can do dirty shit to your nervous system and I've seen chemists start to experience symptoms from relatively little exposure to the fumes.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago

A respirator with an organic vapor trap will work, but an N95 will do essentially nothing for chemical vapors besides give you a false sense of safety.

If you have nothing, do your work outside and don't work with your face directly over areas with the toluene.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago

I throw studded tires on my bike in about 15 minutes and go about my day as normal. It takes about 30-60 minutes to do the same to my car and I'm sore for a couple days after. Also, unless I'm driving 5+ miles, the car is usually slower or equal in time for the commute. The bike is faster and far easier to maintain. The commute isn't much different, but I'm forced to ride sidewalks because my city plows into the bike lanes. Maybe if I had a car with heated seats, I'd miss the car.

On the bike, I fall probably once per season, but that's always the result of doing something reckless like jumping over a small snow bank or riding into large chunks of ice that I should have gone around.

MeowZedong , 1 month ago

1060 W. Addison St., Chicago, IL

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

Looks like he's just doing the shit that the US government already should have been doing based on existing programs that were actively mismanaged in the past. Promises not kept through administrative technicalities.

Not a bad thing, but a far cry from the political win it is touted as. Essentially, "we are no longer actively trying to fuck over people who applied to old debt-relief programs." Weighing this against the predatory nature of student loan policy in the US, the unforgiving bankruptcy policies Biden directly helped put in place over a decade ago, and his failure to achieve the two student loan relief efforts he promised (or publicly campaigned on if you want to get pedantic), I'd say that the progress made is wholely insufficient.

We can simultaneously recognize that there has been an improvement while also recognizing that it has not been enough and these politicians must be held accountable for these policy failures.

These are not the markings of a promising or successful presidential campaign.

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

Still making excuses for the purposefully incompetent Democrats, huh?

Funny how the Republicans always manage to accomplish their ghoulish goals, but the Dems never seem to substantially progress any of the social benefits they promise to the people while quietly progressing all of the corporate goals they weren't so vocal about supporting during the campaign.

You'll notice I gave as much credit as they were due. Capable of letting Roe v Wade get overturned while having executive control, but incapable of codifying it when they had a majority in the Senate, SCOTUS and the executive branch.

They're worse than incompetent, they're complicit, and they'll keep stringing people along with the threat that things will get worse if you don't vote for them...as they participate in making things worse for everyone but their big $ donors.

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

Lol, do you think history is only the last 4 years? They've had more than 50 years and multiple instances of having the supermajority. Has there been a 50 year filibuster?

How many times have the Democrats submitted a bill to modify RvW?

Here's the answer: "we never really felt it was necessary."

Keep making excuses for this abusive relationship we've had with the Dems. If things the majority of people actually wanted were passed, the Dems wouldn't have anything to dangle in front of us and say, "hey, if you don't vote for us, the other guy will take away these rights of yours that are in limbo."

Excuses and bullshit is all they've had for decades. I'd say a century, but I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. Got to give credit where it's due.

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

I'm well aware of these instances and they were included in my link. I'm saying that these are not a good justification for their inaction.

If it's important to protect your citizens why not amend the rules? The Republicans have no issues with this tactic. The Democrats are toothless and complicit by not taking the necessary actions to properly represent their people.

Do you think their corporate sponsors accept these kinds of excuses?

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

The point of my comments is that neither party represents the people, my focus is only on the Dem's because they market themselves on that platform.

The only real difference between the parties besides that marketing is that the Dem's make excuses when they can't pass a popular (with the people) bill. They put the blame on the Republicans and do little to find a way to make it happen.

As someone affected by these bills, I really don't care why they can't do what we want, only that they aren't doing it. As an elected official, if it's not possible, they need to make it possible. I guarantee this is the standard they are held to by those who fund their campaigns.

I understand the reasons they give for not being able to pass certain bills, but that doesn't mean they aren't excuses. A government should be run by the people and for the people. When it's not, you're seeing the minority party actually controlling the majority party and it's a matter of a power imbalance. D and R can and do work together when they want to, but neither of them does this for us.

I'm not disagreeing with you because I misunderstand how the US government works, it's because I understand and disagree with how the government works. The system needs to be changed and the parties with the power to do so are not enacting meaningful change. The only way to change a system is through leveraging power and the only power the people have is numbers.

So why apologize for them? Why buy into their excuses and defend their actions?

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

I get angry when hardware uses imperial units because I can't use my metric tools, which are way the fuck easier. Who wants to use 5/8" when you can use 16?

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

Try working in metric for any significant amount of time and you may change your mind.

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

The fact you are working in fractions is more important than whether it's SAE or metric. You can do the same with a cm instead of an inch.

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

And the typical USian self-importance, "I can use fractions, so I'm not switching." Fractions work with SAE and metric. Conversions are a pain in the ass.

As someone who was forced to memorize and use unit conversions regularly, needless conversions tend to overcomplicate tasks and result in more mistakes.

Mistakes can result in death and needless loss. Ask NASA about that one.

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

Let me ask you something in return: do you think you can't use fractions with metric? If you prefer fractions, that's fine, but you haven't justified why it's better to use a system of measurement based on vibes.

1/4" = 0.25"
1/4mm = 0.25mm

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

It's redditor big-brain posturing.

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

It's a short source and I'd like to see it also explain some of the racial dynamics going on at the time, but otherwise ok.

MeowZedong , 2 months ago

...I'll almost never object to a "fuck Nazis" policy.

What, as in you're always in bed with Nazis? Cause basing yourself out of sh.itjust.works at this point is a pretty good indication that you are ok with fascism.

MeowZedong , 4 months ago

Why should I have to subsidize your oversized work vehicle and the extra wear and tear it causes our infrastructure?

Drive a van. Drive a truck that is reasonably sized and designed for human work (like are used in many countries around the world). Pickups don't have to be built on frames sized for semis.

MeowZedong , 4 months ago

Excuses.

MeowZedong , 4 months ago

I do get it. You have no reasonable excuse to drive a multi-ton pickup that's tall enough that you can't see people standing in front of it. There are alternatives or it's not needed as a daily driver. How is it that the rest of the world manages to accomplish the same things with smaller vehicles?

Keep trying to justify it to yourself or just own the fact that it's ostentatious and ridiculous.

MeowZedong , 4 months ago

What kind of conceited child tells people to "do some real work" and talks like no one else could exist but by the grace of their work?

• hyper individualism
• blind support for oversized trucks

Gotta be from the US, huh?

Take a look outside your country and see how things are done elsewhere. I can't fault you for the shitty US auto.industry continuing to needlessly bloat the size of vehicles past what is reasonable, but I can fault you for your blind support of it.

Go do some real work and take a good hard look at how your truck compares to those from the 1990s or the early 2000s. Unless it's specialized, does it have a bigger bed? Is the bed at a reasonable height for lifting things in and out of, or is it needlessly tall? Where are your spark plugs - do you need to take the entire cab off to access and replace them? How tall is the hood - when you hit a pedestrian, do they roll on top of the hood and survive or do they go under the vehicle and get dragged along and killed? Can you see around your vehicle enough to park and maneuver easily, or do you require a dedicated GPU and camera system that renders a 3D image of your surroundings because otherwise you couldn't park your rig because you can't see a single thing within 30 ft of your vehicle in any direction? When something goes wrong and your vehicle needs work, do you have to take it to a specialized mechanic to fix it, or can you take it to almost any mechanic to fix? Better yet, can you do some real work and fix it yourself, or does it require proprietary tools and specialized software to maintain?

You tell me: what is needed and what is not needed? New trucks suck. They are bloated, ostentatious pieces of trash.

MeowZedong , 4 months ago

Thank you! Whenever I see new interactions of this meme, its annoying rather than entertaining now because it propagates the very same misperceptions about history that you debunk here.

Ultimately, the quintessential history of the US taught to the youth in the US (and reinforced in pop media for adults) is a fairy tale.

MeowZedong , 4 months ago

It was kind of the opposite. Bush Sr did the setup and the blowback landed on his son's administration...which then made it worse before they kicked the can further down the road.