CuriousCat Archive Page 71 of 202

  1. When you see people you know online participating in a hate mob, even unintentional, is it worth it to contact them and explain the situation? I'm asking specifically in the context of Amber Heard, whose current vilification by people I know is making me quite uncomfortable.

    I haven't been in that position much. the only people I've seen participate in hate mobs were, at best, acquaintances. some were people I admired and would have liked to be friends with, and seeing them get swept up in that kind of thing made me lose a lot of respect for them. but we didn't have the kind of relationship where I could pull an effective call-in.

    from what I know through reading, all I can say is it *really* depends on the individual relationship you have. you gotta know what it is about this surge that matters to them, what need it's filling. I know people who are siding with Depp because they are male survivors of abuse and it's rare to hear a man come forward in these cases. thankfully, none of the ones I know are participating in harassment of Heard, but they have a personal motivation for why they pick one side over another. and getting them to change their behavior would mean speaking to that hurt. and you have to have a pretty intimate knowledge of, and empathy for, that hurt before you can help them heal it. it's not gonna be as simple as making a logical argument.

  2. Here’s a tangential question…Does Donald Trump have a mental illness? And if so, does that make a difference in dealing with him?

    in response to But some people are sociopaths and malignant narcissists. They can be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and with narcissistic personality disorder. My view is that this type is more likely to achieve a position of power and then the much more common authoritarian follower type will do evil with the leaders’ permission.

    I'm not his psychologist so I am in no position to diagnose him or anyone else

  4. maybe i should rephrase, which ARPB has ur fav joke and what is it?

    the Jordan Peterson "quote"

  5. In your experience, do women like men who read books?

    enough do that readers have a dating pool

  6. what ARPB vid is your fav? which is in your opinion the most important? which do you think is funniest?

    probably How to Radicalize a Normie for both fav and most important. none of them are very funny...

  7. If you are going to blame rightwingers for giving alarmist takes for causing violence, than can we do the same with guys like you and vaush for encouraging violence too?

    do please elaborate

  8. Dude, FD Signifier is a dumbfuck.

    have you considered the fact that he is rubber and you, yes you my friend, are glue?

  9. What's it like being male? Is it as great as people say it is?

    patriarchy is like capitalism in that, if you're not at the tippy top of the hierarchy, you are probably getting screwed more than you are benefiting. it's just that the people further down the pyramid from you are getting screwed SO MUCH MORE that being screwed gently seems like winning. the perks of being male are not so great that I wouldn't burn the whole system down given half a chance.

  10. Do you have any plants that you water on a regular basis?

    I live with multiple plant moms, so, while I do not water them on a regular basis, I am often left in charge of watering them when their moms are out of town

  11. I saw you talking to FD Signifier and my perception of you in my mind (a rocket with a face hurdling towards me) was not the same as the truth

    I contain multitudes

  12. Sorry, but no. Rational people would not sincerely follow a nakedly irrational ideology. I don't care what statistics you pull out, that's a logical contradiction. Saying that the Nazis were rational people IS the same as saying that fascism is a rational ideology, and is abhorrent.

    in response to replying to above comment: saying "the nazis, in general, were sane and otherwise rational people" (which is provably true and not up for debate) is not the same as saying "fascism is a rational ideology", and it is FAR from saying "fascism is a good ideology." get the idea that atrocities can only be committed by the insane out of your head

    I think you're conflating a few things. fascism and mass shootings and all other forms of evil are irrational, absolutely. that doesn't mean they are disordered. neurotypical people act irrational all the time. how many war crimes have you seen people shrug off because it was their country committing them? how many of the soldiers who performed them did so obediently? most horrible things are done by people behaving irrationally, and people can be irrational for all kinds of reasons. it can be ideology, religion, prejudice, manipulation. a human brain doesn't require a chemical imbalance to do these things.

    please don't lay them at the feet of the people who have to live with those imbalances. if you can't recognize that average people can commit atrocities, you won't recognize it when it's you're neighbor doing it. and we need you to see it when it happens.

  13. replying to above comment: saying "the nazis, in general, were sane and otherwise rational people" (which is provably true and not up for debate) is not the same as saying "fascism is a rational ideology", and it is FAR from saying "fascism is a good ideology." get the idea that atrocities can only be committed by the insane out of your head

    in response to So I guess that means the atrocities committed by the Nazis were totally sane, normal, rational human behavior. You see how this line of thinking is disgusting?

  14. outside of ARPB what have been some of your most radical acts

    I've been to a fair number of protests and was a little involved with Occupy Boston

  16. But some people are sociopaths and malignant narcissists. They can be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and with narcissistic personality disorder. My view is that this type is more likely to achieve a position of power and then the much more common authoritarian follower type will do evil with the leaders’ permission.

    in response to i think it's worth pointing out that, when nazi leaders were psychologically profiled, many were shown to have no mental illness. evil is a socio-cultural disease, not a mental one.

    "your view" is based on what? the psychology of fascists has been studied pretty thoroughly, have you read any of the research?

  17. Will you ever make a video about the music you love?

    nothing planned, but nothing is ever off the table

  18. i think it's worth pointing out that, when nazi leaders were psychologically profiled, many were shown to have no mental illness. evil is a socio-cultural disease, not a mental one.

    in response to Why do people say that mental illness isn't a cause of mass shootings? Don't get me wrong. I've seen your I Hate Mondays video and I agree that tighter gun control is the best short-term solution. But even in the case of politically motivated shootings like in Buffalo last week, I can't imagine that someone who's been radicalized enough to murder 10 people doesn't already also have some kind of mental disorder that led them down that path. I think the same is probably true of the killer yesterday who didn't have any motive as far as we know yet.

  20. Why do people say that mental illness isn't a cause of mass shootings? Don't get me wrong. I've seen your I Hate Mondays video and I agree that tighter gun control is the best short-term solution. But even in the case of politically motivated shootings like in Buffalo last week, I can't imagine that someone who's been radicalized enough to murder 10 people doesn't already also have some kind of mental disorder that led them down that path. I think the same is probably true of the killer yesterday who didn't have any motive as far as we know yet.

    in response to You guys in the US doing ok there? Jesus Christ.

    I understand your thinking, but is it so hard to believe that neurotypical people can do evil things? the reflex to think only people with cognitive issues can commit atrocities is akin to the American belief that fascism "couldn't happen here." evil is not so grand or rare as we'd like to think.

  21. Will the Vimeo version of "Lady Eboshi is wrong" stay accessible after your launch on nebula?

    yeah

  24. What would happen if you just went Awooga right now

    the cat would definitely run out of the room

  25. You guys in the US doing ok there? Jesus Christ.

    no, never

  27. whenever i decide to play kentucky route zero, should i take breaks between episodes equal to the time it took for each of them to be released?

    that's up to you! I would not have the fortitude to wait 4 years between Acts IV and V if I knew I could play them back to back.

  28. Canada and Mexico are understandable, since they're (relatively) nearby. Why Spain?

    in response to Have you ever traveled outside the US? If so, where to?

    my Spanish class took kids to to Spain and Mexico on alternating summers, and my year it was Spain

  29. What movie has the best plot twist (without actually spoiling it, looking for recommendations)?

    I'd say Memento because it has a killer twist but Nolan then adds to it with stuff that strains credibility without improving it. Still a great movie, though!

    The Usual Suspects' is pretty good.

  30. We need popular support from the people to enact a revolution, yet, revolutions only occur when the average yearly salary is less than 10k dollars. What do we do?

    where did you get that number?

  31. Have you ever traveled outside the US? If so, where to?

    I've been to Spain, Canada, and Mexico

  32. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that if the country that was founded to *escape* the British Monarchy arguably is not and was never a democracy then Britain can hardly be called one.

    in response to Different anon, but I'd argue that the U.S. is barely a functioning democracy at this point, if it *ever* was. Can a country that denied everyone but white, landowning males the right to representation at it's *founding* (and still does everything it can to disadvantage so-called minorities today) really be called a democracy?

    Y'ALL. how we got onto this is someone said "they still have monarchy there." we can talk about the intricacies of democracy and whether Britain or any other country can truly call itself one, but calling it a monarchy is just arguing to argue. you'd have to be REAL generous with your definition of monarchy while at the same time being REAL specific in your definition of democracy.

    so, like, which do you wanna talk about? I'm down to discuss democracy as a philosophy and what shapes it may take, or I'm down to have semantic debates about the queen for shits 'n' giggles, but we need to pick one!

  33. Have you ever been to any film festivals, like Sundance?

    I've gone to theaters that are showing films as part of a local film festival - e.g. I saw Marcel The Shell With Shoes On a few weeks ago as part of an independent film festival here in Boston - but I've never done the full "get a badge, watch a shitload of films" thing. definitely never traveled to one. some friends of mine go to Sundance every year, if pandemic EVER ends I'd like to join them.

  34. Got a lotta things that are red?

    in response to What are your computer's specs?

    went to the beach Sunday and now I've got red legs

  35. about what percentage of questions on here are just people spewing hate your way? how does that compare with the percentage of hate you get from, say, randos on twitter?

    very few, actually. I no longer link my CC under my videos, and I only forward answers to Twitter when I feel I've written something compelling, and that's gone a lone way to weeding out the assholes. I have enough folks who know about this to keep my inbox full and I don't feel much need to grow this audience. sometimes I get a wave of vicious comments if an answer gets some traction, but it passes after a day or so.

    per usual: I am a straight white cis man, so, while I shouldn't have to deal with toxicity, you can generally assume I'm getting less of it than other creators On Here.

  36. (different anon) One of the conditions of the British Monarchy's restoration after they chopped off Charles I's head was that the new king accept restricted powers. This strength of this state of affairs was highlighted by the fact that British nobles staged what was essentially a coup d'etat about three decades after the restoration, and everyone just went along with it.

    So while the royal family does continue to exist and technically has some governmental power, the notion that chopping off the heads of monarchs *doesn't* lead to a more democratic society is one that I'm inclined to view with skepticism.

    in response to The queen and her family get to live in a literal palace thanks to the government. And while her duties might be considered ceremonial, she does technically still have real governmental power. For example, in 2019 Boris Johnson had her suspend parliament for month to prevent pushback over Brexit. She does have the power to refuse in these circumstances, even if she doesn't use it.

    true, true. I'm pretty sure the folks up thread are just quibbling to quibble, and no one actually believes that modern Britain is the same monarchy it was in 1750

  37. If Samuel R. Delany put out some writing anonymously, how would you be able to tell that he was the person that wrote it?

    long sentences, lotta parentheticals, and pages and pages of sex scenes

  38. Different anon, but I'd argue that the U.S. is barely a functioning democracy at this point, if it *ever* was. Can a country that denied everyone but white, landowning males the right to representation at it's *founding* (and still does everything it can to disadvantage so-called minorities today) really be called a democracy?

    in response to The queen and her family get to live in a literal palace thanks to the government. And while her duties might be considered ceremonial, she does technically still have real governmental power. For example, in 2019 Boris Johnson had her suspend parliament for month to prevent pushback over Brexit. She does have the power to refuse in these circumstances, even if she doesn't use it.

    you're not wrong, but that's not really germane to a conversation about whether Britain is a monarchy

  39. What are your computer's specs?

    it's red

  41. The queen and her family get to live in a literal palace thanks to the government.

    And while her duties might be considered ceremonial, she does technically still have real governmental power. For example, in 2019 Boris Johnson had her suspend parliament for month to prevent pushback over Brexit. She does have the power to refuse in these circumstances, even if she doesn't use it.

    in response to They chopped Charles I head off and they still have a monarchy over there. Unfortunately it's not that simple.

    sure, yes, but none of that matters unless you are arguing Britain is not a democracy, which it very obviously is.

  42. Hayao Miyazaki or Satoshi Kon?

    yes

  43. what would it take for any of these to get written, other than patreon? i would gladly help fund any and all of these

    in response to have you ever considered writing fiction?

    it's not a question of money, it's a question of time and attention. my ADHD brain cannot multitask projects, so I haven't been able to write fiction without blowing off the channel, which I don't want to do at this stage of my career. we'll see if that changes when/if I get treatment for my brain.

  44. That part I don't get, wouldn't some flavor of authoritarianism contradict having a classless society?

    in response to Was Joseph Stalin really a fascist disguised as a socialist?

    YES I AGREE

    but Marxist-Leninists believe you have to consolidate all power into the state first, and THEN you, I dunno, hand it over to the people? I dunno, I haven't heard the full explanation, but it sounds pretty daft.

  45. Was Joseph Stalin really a fascist disguised as a socialist?

    Stalin was a dictator and an authoritarian, no doubt, but his form of autocracy wasn't really fascist. and I don't think we should "no true scotsman" him as secretly not a socialist. a lot of socialists still fully believe that authoritarianism is a necessary step in establishing a classless society.

  46. best albums to get into trip hop with?

    STARTING AT THE BEGINNING
    Portishead - Dummy
    Massive Attack - Blue Lines
    Tricky - Maxinquaye

    these are the progenitors of the genre.

    NEXT STEPS
    Neneh Cherry - Homebrew
    Lamb - Lamb
    Attica Blues - Attica Blues
    Moloko - I Am Not A Doctor
    Poe - Hello

    where trip-hop went from its beginnings is hit and miss. you quickly get watered-down versions of the sound that sound very coffee-shop, like Faithless, early Sneaker Pimps, or Cornershop (who all have good tracks! but are indisputably part of the problem.) I feel the above albums acquit themselves well, exploring and expanding the sound without being boring or overly derivative.

    INSTRUMENTALISTS
    Neotropic - Mr Brubakers Strawberry Alarm Clock
    DJ Spooky - Songs of a Dead Dreamer
    Funky Porcini - Hed Phone Sex
    Nightmares on Wax - Smokers Delight
    9 Lazy 9 - Paradise Blown
    Red Snapper - Prince Blimey
    The Herbaliser - Blow Your Headphones

    this here is a point of contention. how narrowly do we define the genre? the sound people think of when they think of trip-hop is a band that mixes downtempo hip-hop beats with moody vibes and either breathy female vocals or whispery rapping. but no Best Of Trip-Hop list is lacking DJ Shadow's Endtroducing, and none can ignore that Smith & Mighty were just as instrumental in the Bristol Sound as Portishead and Massive Attack. but once you start including turntablism, you have to ask where the lines are between trip-hop, dub, jungle, electronica, dance music, and just plain ol' rap. the above are, at least by some, considered part of the canon, as is much of the 90's Mo' Wax label, but this is the stuff I personally like a lot. you can decide for yourself if you consider it trip-hop.

    TRIP-HOP ADJACENT

    Ulver - Perdition City
    an experimental metal band that threw a bunch of trip-hop into one album

    Portishead - Third
    doesn't sound THAT trip-hop anymore but still sounds like Portishead, so it's still got roots in the sound

    Denali - Denali
    okay this album doesn't necessarily hold up but it was a big part of my youth, so heck with it, here's hipster trip-hop

  47. have you ever considered writing fiction?

    at the present moment I have a screenplay, a novella, multiple adventure games, and 2-3 webseries rattling around my brain that I haven't had time to write

  48. What's the closest that you have to a strict "line" so to speak between rich and not rich?

    in response to Would you consider $150k a year Rich?

    I haven't really thought about drawing such a line. I suppose "rich" might be the point where a person has enough money that work becomes a choice rather than a necessity. and "wealthy" might be the point at which money begins to compound itself dramatically no matter what you do.

    a rich person can stop working and will die with money still in the bank. a wealthy person can stop working and will die with MORE money than when they quit working.

    but that's just thinking out loud.

  49. Favorite Ghibli films besides Princess Mononoke?

    Spirited Away is 2 hours of pure delight

  51. I’m afraid my next door neighbor is an active white supremacist. He wears overtly racist T-shirts, that’s the main evidence I have. Might not be enough to go on though. My apartment complex has several POC families. I’m white. Should I take any kind of action? Feels dangerous since, y’know, he knows where I live.

    wear a BLM shirt and carry a baseball bat

  52. You said “gives” not “would give” or “might give.” That conjugation made it sound like you have tried in the past.

    in response to Have you tried impossible meat?

    yes, that's what I'm saying. it was odd that someone would ask if I've tried it when I've already said what it does to my stomach.

  53. Do you have a middle name?

    yes

  54. So you answer this from a computer? Thought this was less formal than that

    in response to Have you tried impossible meat?

    keeps me from being on this site more than I am

  55. how many subscriptions do you have that you don't use

    none, but there are a few I don't use enough to justify the cost.

  56. How do you feel about pirating games if they're the only way to play them? Like for example, a fan translation of Mother 3?

    go for it! hell, pirate games because you can't afford them, or don't want to give money to asshole companies.

  57. What do you think of the idea of traffic cop replacement being like mechanics or something so that they can fix or educate people about their cars?

    in response to Who does need to hand out speeding tickets?

    I literally don't care. that sounds fine! all I need is for the person who handles tickets not to be able to shoot people for being Black.

  58. Would you consider $150k a year Rich?

    that is upper middle class

  59. If masculine people got a new Noun and "men" became neutral, what would you want that noun to be?

    "man" used to be gender neutral, e.g. "mankind." "wer" and "wif" meant what now means "man" and "woman," e.g. "werewolf," "wife." so I imagine we'd go back to wer and wif.

  61. do you know of any neat Doom weaponset mods? i like things like High Noon Drifter that just change your weapons to give neat twists to standard Doom levels and enemies

    I've watched YouTube videos of some but I haven't played the WADs.

  64. How did the unquestioned power of nobles and monarchs give way to democracy? What can we learn from this?

    uh... people started chopping their heads off

  67. Who does need to hand out speeding tickets?

    in response to Should cops just turn into/ be replaced by crisis therapists

    who cares? you sit in a car with a speed reading thingy and pull people over when they're being a danger. make it its own job. make it community service. make it volunteer. like, seriously, who cares? why on EARTH does that person need to be able to kill people?

  68. how often did you deal with earthquakes growing up in california

    little ones happen semi-regularly, like once every year or two. a lot of the time you don't feel them. but I remember the Loma Prieta earthquake in '89. it was big!

  69. Did not realize that could happen! There a term for this I can Google so I don't gotta ask a zillion questions of ye?

    in response to How does your body "forget" how to digest something?

    probably, but I don't know it!

  71. prob not the only person to comment this, but guns germs and steel has some infamously huge historical mistakes and generally is not respected by historians

    in response to Have you read anything by Jared Diamond (and if so, thoughts)?

    what are the mistakes?

  73. For a person who calls himself funny, you sure like to reuse jokes on Twitter

    in response to r u excited for new Kendrick?

    all great comedians workshop their material

  74. How is Gates less moral by doing something with his money to help people than any of your socialist buddies who collect oodles on patreon and hoard it themselves? Or do only criticize the rich when you don't rub shoulders with them?

    yeah the most successful of my "socialist buddies" makes 0.0025% as much money as Bill Gates and the rest make even less, none of them are "rich"

  75. people always ask questions like this but as an nb person who knows many, there is no consensus thus far on how multiple pronouns should be interpreted/written/used. for some he/they means switch, for some it means preference for first but second is okay, for some it means both are ok. you just gotta ask.

    (but if you were trying to use multiple in fiction it would be easier to read if you switched between sentences or paragraphs rather during a sentence)

    in response to This is tangentially related to the neopronoun questions. If you are talking/writing about a person who uses he/they pronouns for example, should you switch back and forth in the paragraph? As in, “He woke up, then they brushed their teeth, and then he ate breakfast.” I don’t mean this in a transphobic/nb-phobic way, but that really does seem unclear.

Anon commented:
Ian replied: