I read in this book that there’s a restaurant just before that happens where you can bounce back and forth between the death of the universe and the hours before it. So that sounds cool.
It’s another spin on the aforementioned restaurant. It’s from a hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. In said restaurant (Milliways) the cows have been bred to wanting to be eaten and expressing said wish directly to the customers.
Shh!" said Ford. “It’s conical. So what you do is, you see, you fill it with fine white sand, alright? Or sugar. Fine white sand, and/or sugar. Anything. Doesn’t matter. Sugar’s fine. And when it’s full, you pull the plug out… are you listening?” “I’m listening.” "You pull the plug out, and it all just twirls away, twirls away you see, out of the plughole. “Clever.” “That’s not the clever bit. This is the clever bit, I remember now that this is the clever bit. The clever bit is that you then thread the film in the projector… backwards!” “Backwards?” “Yes. Threading it backwards is definitely the clever bit. So then, you just sit and watch it, and everything just appears to spiral upwards out of the plughole and fill the bath. See?” “And that’s how the Universe began is it?” said Arthur. “No,” said Ford, "but it’s a marvelous way to relax.
Realistically speaking, any of the major changes that happen near the end of a star’s life will make their planets uninhabitable on a time scale that seems pretty long from a human perspective. Imagine the last 100 years of climate change, but it just keeps getting worse at the same pace for a million years. By the time a star swells into a giant or explodes in a supernova, there won’t be anyone around to notice.
I’m reading a fictional book series where a character in the first few books literally becomes the new god… then the later books take place a few hundred years later, and you see how the new god laid everything out for the people, and gave them books on how to prosper and all this valuable info… and STILL these idiots ended up forming various competing religions, full of BS!
My big ex left me for a rich guy customer she met at work selling high end watches, who dumped her a couple years later. She’s now fat and alone at 40.
Her once traumatic “you know this hurts me too” parting line puts a smile on my face now. Sometimes following your exes is fun.
Like, it’s not like she took a kid, or sullied my name, or took money, or ruined the life of anyone close to me. She just kinda deliberately and very dramatically broke my heart.
I’m fine now; it definitely altered the course of my life and definitely caused a lot of pain, struggle, isolation, depression, humiliation, anxiety, etc. And a decade ago I was sure I hoped she’d face the same. Well she’ll face all of what she put me through… And way more… Under the threat of death.
It felt like finding out your hero is a fraud, if that makes sense. Like “Oh, this is actually not what I wanted at all. This is not cool. This sucks. And is actually pretty depressing.”
I agree that you should not wish harm on them, but don’t downplay how bad heartbreak can be. It affects both your physical and mental health, and I’m certain the latter of which can last a long time, not so sure if the physical health gets affected as permanently or not. Anyway, mental health damage alone can have terrible effects on your life.
Also, the other things you mentioned are bad too, but those usually happen in addition to heartbreak, so it’s easy to think that those are worse but heartbreak aside they have their own level of terribleness.
I just got three bills in the mail over the course of a month for a single procedure. They haven’t said they’re done billing me yet, so I can’t assume the bill storm is over
Tipping culture is capitalists telling workers it’s their fault for not making enough money. It’s true though, because workers don’t organize nearly enough to change the culture. People should stick up for themselves and their fellow employees and demand a better wage and benefits.
And then have the media (Wall Street Journal and Readers Digest especially) tell everybody that yes, tipping everybody everywhere is the new normal and we need to get used to it.
I’ve gotten into so many arguments on Facebook with people who tip their mechanics and doctors. People are eating this shit up.
Bro 2: Fuck yeah, dude! I was so hard 💪, I was about to cum in my pants 👖👈.
Bro 1: That’s awesome! 🤜🤛
Translation
Bro 1: I am interested in your level of sexual arousal at the bar. Will you please share that information with me?
Bro 2: I am excited to tell you that I was so aroused that my penis was fully erect, I almost felt the immense pleasure of orgasm and soiled my clothes with ejaculate.
Bro 1: Your enthusiastic sexual arousal report makes me happy. Let’s touch hands.
That already came out? I remember from the first trailer I couldn’t imagine how that would work for even one half hour episode let alone an entire series.
I really hope that they’re joking. Then again, part of the problem hotels have against Airbnb is that there are regulations that hotels have to comply with that Airbnbs don’t (in most cities, I know some cities have put restrictions on Airbnb and more eventually will). So if they’re not joking, I can see in that context why it could be a serious question.
Maybe it’s a generational thing, or it’s because the Internet let’s everyone say what they’re thinking, but there’s been a ton of things being uselessly reinvented these past few years.
I have a feeling it’s just because people try to find new ways to scam others though.
Edit:
Lol there’s even another post showing someone reinventing libraries
it indeed is scamming. it's also taking advantage of the fact that you can circumvent laws by being an app that does a regulated thing and get away with it for several years because the average politician is 80 and needs interns to help them send an email. straight up ignoring laws by using an app as a cover also allows you to get VC funding by posing as a tech company. tech companies have a history of growing stupid fast and have a theoretical potential userbase of all 8 billion people thanks to the internet so by being an app you can pretend your unlicensed taxi company or unlicensed hotel company is the next google or amazon.
There’s a certain degree of truth to it. Americans seem fine with being the butt of a joke as long as the person joking is American and not far left/right. If you offer any doubt about the political or geographic origin of your joke, it’ll often be taken poorly. I enjoy being flamed and so was eager to figure out the political joke context puzzle. +2/-16 and 6 replies, babeeee
Politics is one of the most divisive subjects you can bring up. People react emotionally because it’s an emotional science. What’s “right” comes down to your ethical perspective. I don’t think that should be grouped in with this conversation.
It’s less that I put out an overt political view or location identifier and more that if my post seems agnostic, inferences will be made and a coin will be flipped. The funny thing is, I sometimes win the flip in one place and lose it in another. I can be +5 on lemmy and -10 on kbin because of ambiguity. I’m just like “kids getting shot is bad” and I can feel the hatred pointed at my British self. (I’m not British)
I do believe that’s the response you get, people do like to assume the worst. Do you have any solid proof that any hostile response you get is from Americans? I’m still very skeptical it’s a problem specific to one nation.
It’s far from unique to the US, people from India, France, China, and Russia often despise seeing outside criticism as well and they comprise over half the population of earth. And it’s mostly the topic of conversation and time of day. Were you not to have identified as American earlier, I’d have assumed you to be German or British at this hour.
🤷 As far as I’m concerned, as long as people are laughing with me and not at me I don’t give a shit. I can’t speak for the rest of my countrymen though.
If we say “Capitalism is ruining our lives”, it’s fine, but if someone from Russia says “Capitalism is ruining your lives”, folks are ready to throw down.
That’s probably because the loudest and most overly defensive ones are the Americans you’re most likely to encounter and remember in online arguments and on American news, so that colors the perception. Especially when you don’t live amongst the more reasonable majority of Americans 🤷
That is not my experience at all. Most Americans get extremely defensive when someone criticizes the US, even people who know better. Many are ok with specific criticism (like, healthcare sucking), but it doesn’t take much for them to revert to 'murican mode.
I have been living in the US for over a decade and been to 2/3rds of the states.
Most Americans have their talking points ready to go around certain topics: healthcare, guns etc. But if you get anything that attacks the capitalism, building the country off of slave labor, or the country being the product of a genocide, that’s when the propaganda really kicks in.
Oh and if you call it propaganda, then the denialism gets even stronger.
Spaniard here, you get very, very similar reactions here from a lot of people (possibly a lower percentage) if you dare to question the process of colonization or call out the barbaric behavior of some historical figures that have become a part of the national myth. Nationalism is a brain disease.
That’s really interesting. I’ve lived in 9 states and I can honestly say that outside of the southeast, it is legitimately difficult to consistently find people that dont think the us is a flaming sack of shit or at least headed that way. Seriously, I’ve heard waaaaaaaaaaaaay more negative talk on the us from Americans than anything positive. Especially in like the last decade. But this place is so damn big that anyone’s experience would vary a crazy amount so that makes sense.
Are you in tech or some other field that doesn’t involve interacting with different socioeconomic groups?
Most of not all states guarantee some “interesting” encounters if you leave the cities. In California I have seen Confederate flags flying, met neonazis, and plenty of Trump supporters. Trump got over 34% of the vote in California, almost 39% in Washington and over 40% in Oregon. Those percentages are not a majority, but I think it sets a floor, since Trump supporters are not exactly trash talking the US.
I have spent a lot of time doing canvassing and other activities that mean I encounter people with very different ideas, so that would definitely explain the different experience.
If you’re going to accuse me of lying, at least have the decency of doing it in a reply to my post. I lived on the East Coast and traveled up and down some, then I moved to the Midwest, I got into politics and canvassed in several states plus I went on a few road trips for fun. Then I moved to the West Coast, which somewhat limited my ability to go on road trips to other states, but still, I went as far as Colorado, I spent a month there doing backpacking and visiting a few places like Denver and Aspen.
Why do you think it is so unlikely I could visit 3 states a year?
well if an american does respond to this it proves them right if they dont respond it doesnt prove them wrong its a bad argument for an otherwise pretty dumb claim
unless americans do care i hate america and am american so idrk
don't leave out his destruction of the media as a balanced source of information when he signed the veto that killed the Fairness Doctrine. fuck that guy so hard.
Don’t forget trickle down economics, we can also thank Ronnie R for that too! And ignoring the AIDS epidemic for years, because that only hurt “the coloreds and gays”.
The original idea behind school isn’t to educate the masses. Why would a factory worker need to know calculus and Shakespeare? He needs to read the clock and timetables, be on time, wake up in the morning early enough to be punctual, …
Likewise higher education isn’t about the thinks you learn. It is about learning methods to learn. If you can learn the nitrogen cycle, you can learn our scrum statuses. If you can hand in your homework in time, you can keep our deadlines.
This isn’t to say the system is good, but it helps to understand it when you want to criticize it.
But learning to critically question statements and judging them yourself (which requires some knowledge, for example you can’t question anti-vaxxers when you don’t know anything about how vaccines work) instead of simply believing them is extremely important in a democracy.
Judging sources for the information requires way less knowledge. To continue your analogy, for most people it’s obvious to take your medical advice from your family doctor instead of that crazy aunt in Facebook
While you’d generally believe that to be true it can be hard for people with no knowledge who aren’t the brightest to see through statements like “doctors just are part of the wealthy smart people society who aim to keep us down”.
The problem is when medicine is for profit, you really do end up with that feeling when doctors are rushed to get you out of the door because they need to see ten patients an hour. When you’re the product it’s harder to build that trust.
It was probably better before when family doctors actually had a relationship with your family.
Dont you think that answer is far to clear cut? How about if it’s abstatement heard from a supposed friend’s doctor and you dont want to get a hold of your family doctor for as inane of a question as it is?
I have watched YouTube videos of smart people reading a smart book that basically said that our education system has the focus on learning facts which gives us a submissive attitude. It gives us a feeling of passivity, of the silent observer.
That said, I realize that the system is getting better in the sense that it tries to evoke curiosity and makes kids to explorers instead of observers if that makes sense. Also, as someone who got interested in history only after school, I know that basic knowledge is important and bad if missing. Than again, why didn’t school make me want to know stuff.
Cant you find out the answer for these questions with a series of short tests?
I once applied for a job at IBM and instead of an initial interview they sent me a series of interactive tests to check my skills. I ended up moving to another country and didn’t follow through, but still liked this approach.
Also in the EU I can see lots of job listings are using now a system where you either have a certain type of education/degree or a certain previous experience to be eligible to apply.
Still you need to have knowledge of the specific field, but technically if you started at the bottom with an entry level low skill job you can get higher with experience alone and without a university degree.
A college degree ahows you can complete a series of seemingly-unrelated tasks (courses) across multiple phases (semesters), to finish a major project (degree).
It means you finish what you start and have an eye on the future instead of the present.
Your answer sounds like it was lifted from a LinkedIn motivational post.
College favours the rich, who can afford it and I don’t think people with higher education are better at planning their future.
Lots of people are forced through college by their parents, often backed up with money and safety nets of security - if they fail the first time they just throw more money at it and try again.
A lack of a degree isn’t proof of anything, good or bad (for most jobs).
But a degree is a positive indicator.
The reality is that when hiring an employee I don’t care how privileged they are. I care about whether they’re going to be a good fit for the position.
There are other things people can use to demonstrate their ability to be a good employee. If someone worked for a company for multiple years and was promoted during that time it’s a good indicator.
If someone is 23 and has worked for 10 different companies, I’m gonna guess they’re flaky.
However, if someone worked for the same company more than once that’s a good sign, because after leaving the company wanted them back.
But, all else being equal, having a degree is better than not for a skilled position, and will usually demand more money.
It’s definitely not a perfect system and you’re absolutely right that it significantly favors people with strong support and safety nets, especially those of a financial nature.
That being said it’s a very easy shorthand for a company to take and is reliable enough to keep using it, just like how financial institutions in the US use SSNs as private identifiers because it’s easier and cheaper than running and supporting their own systems/assessments and mostly works well enough
I’ve grown rather cynical of corp-speak lately, and I’ve heard this line before.
Whether said overtly or not, at least nowadays I’d be willing to bet a degree is used as a positive indicator that the candidate is likely in debt, will do anything for a job, and therefore will stick around and put up with almost anything for less wages, because they lack leverage.
They’re therefore cheaper to hire than an independent individual that might exercise their freedom to leave if they’re not treated with respect.
This might also explain why folks with high level degrees are constantly called “overqualified” and ghosted.
Ah, Elementary through Highschool teaches you to be an employee.
Higher education is being sold dreams and taking on debt to learn to be a better employee. Sounds about right.
I teach myself new complex skills all the time, but I imagine I’m still written off a ton because I didn’t pay for at least the four year license to learn to learn. Lol
(I want to emphasize I’m being playfully sarcastic about our clown world society and not attacking you, you are very correct about needing to understand before one critiques!)
Well that’s about the system in the USA or some third world countries. Locking higher education behind a paywall only helps to keep the population uneducated, combine that with no focus on critical thinking in school and you get a population that’s easy to control and to polarise.
Of course politicians like Trump (or pseudo-democracies or straight up autocratic regimes in third world countries) really benefit from an easily-convinced population that’s not questioning them too much, so, given how strong the republicans currently are, that sadly probably won’t change anytime soon.
At some point they’ll realise that they need free or at least very affordable education to stay internationally competitive…
On a national level we’re reaping the tainted harvest wrought by years of cultivating an uneducated populace.
They make for great desperate-workers, emotionally swayed voters, readily-motivated armed forces, and well-trained consumers, but making higher education an increasingly lofty privilege while also undermining it at every turn for politics is totally coming back to bite us.
Instead of being seen as the wealth of our nation, people are seen as another commodity product for corporations to buy and sell. (Readily evident at the defunding and disrespect towards arts and social sciences.)
Now when there’s a “shortage” of educated workers, they just import them from wherever’s cheapest.
…And tons of our college funding still goes to the football teams. To entertain and profit off the uneducated masses.
Well that’s about the system in the USA or some third world countries.
And boy, are we feeling it. Infrastructure crumbling. Crime, unemployment, homelessness on the rise. Everybody is stupid. But check out our new super-carrier! /s
Man I wish I had some positive note to end this with but I’m just frustrated, and a lot of me wishes to just escape. Lol.
The original idea behind school isn’t to educate the masses. Why would a factory worker need to know calculus and Shakespeare? He needs to read the clock and timetables, be on time, wake up in the morning early enough to be punctual, …
“Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo” is a grammatically correct sentence in English that is often presented as an example of how homonyms and homophones can be used to create complicated linguistic constructs through lexical ambiguity.
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