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Spasmolytic

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Republicans Are Blurring the Faces of Capitol Rioters so They Won't Get Arrested (www.rollingstone.com)

House Speaker Mike Johnson has promised to release more than 44,000 hours of surveillance footage from Jan. 6 to the public, with one major caveat: The faces of some individuals who participated in the storming of the Capitol, a violent attempt to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s election, will be blurred out....

Spasmolytic ,

It’s either foolish or malicious to deliberately misrepresent the actions or motivations of these ass-hats just because they’re ass-hats.

The DOJ already has unredacted footage and the blurring of faces is meant to avoid retaliation by “non-governmental actors”, i.e. vigilantes, not to save anyone from arrest.

Spasmolytic ,

There have already been well over 1,000 arrests, a few hundred sentenced, etc. (www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases) and you can look up names/details of those who’ve gone through due process. That’s the system at work, like it or not. I don’t think it’s up to you or me to convict, or harass, or whatever else. You can maybe ID folks whose images are posted by the FBI requesting information from the public. I just hate to see crappy headlines and social media posts distorting what’s happening when it seems pretty simple to verify through non-extreme media outlets.

I say this all with respect.

I hope everyone who gleefully rampaged around the capital gets what is legitimately coming to them.

Spasmolytic ,

“I’ve got nothing to hide.” and other misunderstandings of privacy.

Wrong, I think. The ol’ nothing to hide line is one we can only be comfortable with when it’s not being wielded against us.

Spasmolytic ,

I may be confused about your point. It seems like you’re acknowledging that it’s a bad argument, but supporting using it against those whom you despise, no?

It’s not a good argument (nothing to hide), and I think it gets deployed by whomever is trying to lean on someone else. It’s not great to be a hypocrite, but hypocracy doesn’t invalidate an argument.

This is all aside from what I meant to be my main point though, which is that this original post is, in my view, meant to gin up more outrage by misstating what the speaker said. Turning discourse into an exchange of inflammatory bumper stickers is social media’s most toxic influence.

Talking through “nothing to hide” and its ramifications is worthwhile and on point though. Kudos!

Spasmolytic ,

I don’t think you have, unless you want to share what you think I’ve said and refresh my memory. The only political topic I’ve engaged on Lemmy had to do with landlords, so I’m not sure where you’re coming from.

Spasmolytic ,

Yeah, my fault. I read about this in an Axios article that I linked above. That only makes the rep’s comment more absurd when, again, we know the DOJ has the unedited footage, which is also acknowledged in the Rolling Stone article.

Spasmolytic ,

Yes, although someone else here pointed out to me that the Speaker actually did say he wanted faces blurred to protect those folks from DOJ, which is absurd 1) because I agree that those clowns need to face consequences, and 2) it makes no sense given that DOJ already has the raw footage.

Still, I’d hate to encourage reddit-style vigilantes even if that seems at odds with the fact that the FBI posts images explicitly looking for help in identifying certain suspects.

Spasmolytic ,

Well, no, I don’t think that’s obstruction. He’s not hiding them from DOJ, since they already have the footage. Choosing to not publicize faces for John Q Public won’t get in the way of their prosecutions.

FBI has their list of most wanted including pictures.

So this is perhaps not helpful at worst, and avoiding vigilante justice at best, is what I’m thinking.

Spasmolytic ,

It might be Little Shop of Horrors. Definitely freaked me out.

I vaguely remember crying when the cat was electrocuted by chewing on Christmas lights in the Griswolds Family Christmas.

Spasmolytic ,

Thank goodness. I’m sick of having a huge phone.

Spasmolytic ,

I can’t even imagine who might do them justice, but some of the books in Iain Banks’ Culture series could be a real treat.

Spasmolytic ,

Yes, sleep mask for the win. I recommend the kind that is just a wide soft bit of cloth that wraps around your head. Like this. The ones with elastic straps or eye cups, gel, foam, whatever, have not been nearly as comfortable IMHO. I just want a pillowcase for my face.

I’ve also recently started wearing earplugs since my wife is up before me and the kitchen sounds always cause me to stir well before my alarm.

Meta wants to charge EU users $14 a month if they don't agree to personalized ads on Facebook and Instagram (www.businessinsider.com)

Meta wants to charge EU users $14 a month if they don’t agree to personalized ads on Facebook and Instagram::Meta is considering offering ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram for $14 a month – but only in Europe.

Spasmolytic ,

They’re missing the damned point. I have never used Facebook, but on any service if I’m paying a monthly fee it is to remove myself from the ad-based enshitification.

It’s also what drives me crazy with respect to Microsoft products. I pay for MS 365, and I’d even be willing to pay for Windows if they’d leave me the fuck alone. I pay for ProtonMail and they do leave me alone, so I’ll always stick with them. Any app that I use for which I can pay to remove ads, I do it… unless it’s a subscription and I can’t quite justify the perpetual expense, like for my preferred weather app MyRadar.

Hell, I almost bought into the MyRadar investment pitch until I saw that giving them $400 still wouldn’t net me a lifetime subscription.

Spasmolytic ,

I’m in the USA, so if they’re only considering an ad-free offering in Europe as described then my outrage stands. 😉

Spasmolytic ,

That’s why this is such a frustrating conversation, and it’s similar to many other hot button issues. It gets treated like a black & white problem and folks start slandering whole groups when the issue usually arises from some sub-set of opportunistic assholes, or extreme bigots/mysoginists/what-have-you. (I my mind I’m also thinking about social issues that pit left-leaning people against right-leaning people, where everyone treats the other side as if each person were an example of the most extreme in that camp.)

So in this thread there are folks talking about overthrowing landlords en masse, when it’s the large investors from outside the local community (plus some scumbags in the local community) who are adding to the suffering in the world.

Small landlords of the sort that you described are indeed just making long-term investments that are likely to yield a decent return or become a source of stability as an appreciating asset. It’s the kind of investment that we should want lots of people to be able to take advantage of.

We need a more efficient way to get to the heart of the matter in these conversations because just scrolling through the comments it seems like a lot of ignorant or misguided anger.

Spasmolytic ,

That’s why this is such a frustrating conversation, and it’s similar to many other hot button issues. It gets treated like a black & white problem and folks start slandering whole groups when the issue usually arises from some sub-set of opportunistic assholes, or extreme bigots/mysoginists/what-have-you. (I my mind I’m also thinking about social issues that pit left-leaning people against right-leaning people, where everyone treats the other side as if each person were an example of the most extreme in that camp.)

So in this thread there are folks talking about overthrowing landlords en masse, when it’s the large investors from outside the local community (plus some scumbags in the local community) who are adding to the suffering in the world.

Small landlords of the sort that you described are indeed just making long-term investments that are likely to yield a decent return or become a source of stability as an appreciating asset. It’s the kind of investment that we should want lots of people to be able to take advantage of.

We need a more efficient way to get to the heart of the matter in these conversations because just scrolling through the comments it seems like a lot of ignorant or misguided anger.

Spasmolytic ,

That’s why this is such a frustrating conversation, and it’s similar to many other hot button issues. It gets treated like a black & white problem and folks start slandering whole groups when the issue usually arises from some sub-set of opportunistic assholes, or extreme bigots/mysoginists/what-have-you. (I my mind I’m also thinking about social issues that pit left-leaning people against right-leaning people, where everyone treats the other side as if each person were an example of the most extreme in that camp.)

So in this thread there are folks talking about overthrowing landlords en masse, when it’s the large investors from outside the local community (plus some scumbags in the local community) who are adding to the suffering in the world.

Small landlords of the sort that you described are indeed just making long-term investments that are likely to yield a decent return or become a source of stability as an appreciating asset. It’s the kind of investment that we should want lots of people to be able to take advantage of.

We need a more efficient way to get to the heart of the matter in these conversations because just scrolling through the comments it seems like a lot of ignorant or misguided anger.

Spasmolytic ,

Right, but do the faux revolutionaries in this thread know the difference between a good landlord and a bad one? They seem to enjoy basking in righteous anger and not to care for nuances.

Good landlords hate bad landlords too. There’s a lot of common ground to be shared.

Spasmolytic ,

Fucking hell. My wife and I wanted to plan our next hiking trip and go to Banff, then started reading about the grizzly threat. It seemed real, and there are so many beautiful places to go, so we dropped it.

Then, about a week ago, a guy in the gym at work is telling me about his trip to Banff where they took their kids along too. I started thinking maybe we should go for it. Now I read this awful news. Suddenly it once more seems like a bad idea.

Spasmolytic ,

Is that true of grizzlies? Seems to me they’re only docile if they’re full.

Spasmolytic ,

If you want to be a villain, the twist is that they feel it but can’t do it.

Spasmolytic ,

I wanted to reply with an image of USB C that appears Holy because it is your savior, but this was the closest thing I could find.

Spasmolytic ,

I might have this one too. Probably from that microwave accident I was involved in.

Every single Onewheel is being recalled after four deaths (www.theverge.com)

Future Motion, the maker of the Onewheel electric skateboard, is recalling every one of them, including 300,000 Onewheel self-balancing vehicles in the US. Alongside the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the company now seeks to remedy the products after four known death cases — three without a helmet — between...

Spasmolytic ,

I’ve never understood what gap these things fill that isn’t better filled by a bike. They look really fun, but as soon as I think seriously about it I can’t see why I wouldn’t want the exercise and mobility of walking or biking, and what I can’t do with those is satisfied by my car.

Not trying to shit on it, just musing.

Spasmolytic ,

If it were a lot cheaper I might be down. Saw a guy cruising along the beach near the water in Oregon and that looked really nice.

Spasmolytic ,

That makes a lot of sense. I’m in Milwaukee, so quit different from SF in the ways you described.

Spasmolytic OP ,

I dig. I’ll make an effort to post in my hobby subs (woodworking and 3d printing) to get some good shit in there. 😉

Good comments in here about the need for better mod tools etc. Not something I normally think about myself.

Spasmolytic OP ,

True. As I mentioned, it was my favorite reddit app (Boost) coming to Lemmy that got me going. I had previously started to dip a toe into the fediverse, but it’s a rather confusing concept to think you need to sign up to an instance that may not have any specific appeal itself, it just give you a connection to all the other instances (except when it doesn’t).

Spasmolytic OP ,

The discourse I’ve observed thus far has felt more honest, less pugnacious than on Reddit. Obviously I’ve seen a drop in the bucket, but anyway, it’s good so far.

Spasmolytic OP ,

You’re probably right, but ultimately I think the vast amount of niche content around so many different hobbies is the most valuable thing, even if it comes with a bit of… human toxicity.

Sadly, I just can’t imagine how you get the former while really effectively suppressing the latter.

Spasmolytic OP ,

Agreed.

Spasmolytic OP ,

That’s quite a platform you just espoused. Can I tell you why it’s problematic?

Spasmolytic OP ,

I think it’s generally a good idea to respond to folks as if they were a friend or family member. And, if you need to pull the ripcord and get out of a conversation that’s terribly frustrating, it means a lot to say something to the effect of “Thanks for the chat, but let’s agree to disagree before we devolve into pure name calling.”

Or something. I think it benefits the whole community to have a record of people disengaging when the conversation isn’t productive. Doesn’t matter why. Doesn’t matter if you think the other person is clearly, obviously being an asshole. Politely disengage and try to stop thinking about it (if thinking about it is unproductive and stressing you out.)

Spasmolytic OP ,

Boost for Lemmy. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rubenma…

Spasmolytic OP ,

Doing the lord’s work right there. Hah!

Spasmolytic ,

It’s also a good idea to pour a bit of something like green goblin down the drains once a month or so. I find it helps to prevent the otherwise inevitable buildup from soap scum and whatever fats n junk that make it down there.

Also, always wipe greasy kitchen stuff with a napkin or paper towel and toss it in the trash. Soap pans n things to make sure fatty water isn’t going down. Cleaning out the kitchen pipes after year’s of neglect sucks!

Spasmolytic ,

I know it’s better than nothing, but the reason I haven’t bothered to get one is that the vacuum guy on Reddit made me a solid believer in German bagged vacuums like Sebo. Almost everything else is exhausting dust everywhere it goes.

Spasmolytic ,

Hand soap and water most of the time, a microfiber with the spray they give you when you get new glasses, or a dry microfiber if I have to. My lenses are immaculate.

I leave the microfiber cloths in my pockets when they need washing and that works well enough if not perfect.

Spasmolytic ,

Indeed. I was pretty decent back in 1.3 days playing on a friend’s server who had a frickin T1 line at home. It was just as competitive play was starting to develop and there was no voice chat until Roger Wilco came about. That’s partly why I’m not a WASD guy. Gotta keep the fingers on the home row ready to type “I had sex with your mom.” not just say it.

Ah, memories.

Played some CS2 last night and it was death match rounds on Dust 2. Unbelievable how fast I die. I just can’t even…

However, the game did feel really well polished. Very snappy except for a few lag spikes. I started to limber up and even earned a positive K:D in one round. Well, for most of the round. I fell to - 3 in the last moments, but overall it was pretty fun. Don’t think I could hang in a regular match though. Too much time sitting around dead.

Spasmolytic ,

I get that, especially when the map is fairly small, but I’m talking about the insane twitch reflexes and aim of these players. I feel like 90% of the time it’s just thp-thp! and I’m dead, from practically any distance, whereas I’m firing bursts and need a second or three to actually kill someone.

Plus AWPers are unreal. The crosshairs in the scope blur if you move at all, so I can’t fathom how these folks are so accurate, but there you have it.

I’m not calling anyone a cheater, just saying the average skill level is far beyond me. I still had fun. Gotta remember, it’s easy, just click on their heads.

Spasmolytic ,

Don’t they have a mechanism for filtering you into games with people who have similar stats so there’s a bit of balance? Play a while and get wrecked until you fall down to your own level?

Spasmolytic ,

This stoned.

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