• Naich
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    885 months ago

    99.9% of people have more in common with an illegal immigrant than Elon Musk. Their problems aren’t caused by people arriving in small boats, but those arriving in private jets.

    • @intensely_human@lemm.ee
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      -55 months ago

      People who have things in common, even people who’d be best friends, even those who are best friends, can compete for resources and cause problems just by existing.

      Like, extreme case, not enough food in zombie apocalypse scenario and you find more survivors, doesn’t matter how good those people are it’s a problem that they’re part of the group.

      It doesn’t mean the people are enemies, just that their presence is a problem.

      Now, it’s probably the case that they should be allowed to move from country to country because otherwise you don’t have competition between countries to attract people. People need to be able to choose their associations in order to be free, and people should be able to move countries.

      It’s a free market in that sense, and the suffering of people whose home country’s resources are strained by immigration isn’t as powerful as the suffering these people are leaving to come here, and when those two levels equalize the immigration pressure will stop. People will be going the other direction just as much.

      And I think that’s all totally fair. I think people should be able to vote with their feet and go wherever is best for them.

      But then being similar or dissimilar, good or bad, none of that is necessary for it to create simple resource competition problems.

      • @triptrapper@lemmy.world
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        105 months ago

        All of this would be valid if we were lacking the resources to support our current population, and if every person consumed an equal amount. Unfortunately, certain people (i.e. the mega-rich and more generally Americans) are consuming resources at an unfair and unsustainable rate. You’re suggesting that scarcity is the natural result of immigration and population. In a vacuum that’s reasonable, but in real life we have a small number of people sucking up exponentially more than the rest.

  • @RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    When you get on an airplane, take Your backpack off and carry it by hand. You’ve got luggage on your back sticking out 12, 16 inches and you’re swinging it around like a brain dead fool.

    The number of people that cluelessly hit people in aisle seats, shove backpacks in the faces of aisle sitters as the wearer turns to to talk to friends or tries to remember their alphabet and how to count while looking for their seat is ridiculous.

    Take your backpack off! You’re hitting people.

    • gregorum
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      135 months ago

      this applies for boarding/riding on public transit (bus, subway).

  • udon
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    535 months ago

    With jobs, there is no trade off between pay and atmosphere/nice environment. Bad employers pay bad and treat you badly. Good employers give you decent wage and also treat you well

    • @thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca
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      275 months ago

      I agree with you in general, but in my industry, there are still lots of companies that buck this trend. Employers that pay competitively but have shitty toxic environments, and scrappy startups where the pay sucks but the vibe is great.

      Still, the advice to not think of it as a trade-off intrinsic to companies is solid. You deserve good vibes and good pay from the same job.

    • Newtra
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      95 months ago

      With jobs, maybe. With careers, especially in STEM, you get lots of exceptions like extremely rewarding but low paying positions in academia, and tech companies that think they can just spend money instead of effort to fix their culture and broken hiring process.

      • @GrundlButter@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        55 months ago

        I can relate to that last bit. There’s a reason for the phrase “golden handcuffs”.

        I think I get the sentiment that OP is trying to make though, a lower pay isn’t likely to correlate with a better culture, it’s probably likely it is the inverse.

    • fmstrat
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      135 months ago

      I would like to propose a modification. Drive “actively and predictably.”

      Be aggressive when needed, like merging. Be defensive when needed, like in traffic. Be predictable when needed, like following right of way when turning.

      Do what is needed to be safe and efficient, while also doing what other drivers would expect you to do.

      As many accidents come from people stopping on entrance ramps, not taking the left turn to let someone out, or not paying attention as anything else.

    • @stoy@lemmy.zip
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      45 months ago

      Yep, I only got my license back in 2022 at 35, and only bought my first car last summer.

      I don’t get why people drive like dicks, but eh, I let them past since they seem to be in a hurry to get to their accident.

      If there is no way to let the guy past and he is driving way to close behind me, I have to follow the law and reduce my speed to fit the traffic conditions, if the other guy won’t give me margins, I have to reduce the need for them.

      The only read dicks I have seen are people who has incorrectly aimed headlight, blinding me with their normal lights, and when I flash my beams quickly at them, they flash their high beams and extra lights at me to make some kind of point or punnish me, if they have turned off their highbeams and get flashed, then go to a mechanic and have them readjust their normal lights, or ignore the flash from me, flashing back only makes the traffic situation worse.

      • @Jarix@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Hey there. So its probably not headlight alignment most of the time.

        Brightness is regulated by wattage still not lumens. Regulations have not been updated with the switch to newer technologies that are vastly more efficient per watt

        But thats not the whole story either. Even when the brightness of the bulb is not too different, how the light is shaped matters to how we percieve the brightness. Newer technologes (LED and HID) are less reflected and are more direct than older halogen technology and also the colour is whiter and even getting almost into blue, which is much harsher to you when you get hit with it. Red light has long been known to preserve night vision better than other colours.

        The last part is that its more important that the headlights make it safe to drive the vehicle so the light is aligned to the drivers needs primarily at the cost of making it worse for the person driving in front of you, but thats why they invented the rear view mirror flipper so they get a much less amount of reflected light off their rear view mirror.

        But that means with the prevalence of SUVs headlights now sit higher because vehicles are taller which only makes everything else that much for this issue.

        And its because there is pretty solid evidence that brighter headlights makes the driver a safer driver and it seems the trade off of this is still safer roads

        • @stoy@lemmy.zip
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          35 months ago

          I mainly brought up the headlight alignement issue as I saw a thread about Teslas headlight’s alignment being reset after a software update, but that is just a specific car (btw, the front indicators on some Tesla models are absolutely shit here in Sweden, but that is a different topic).

          As for the rearview mirror flip, I know what you mean, but I haven’t seen them in moderns cars for years now, even in my 2021 Leon it is an electric system that deals with it and darken the mirror itself.

          I do not argue that the benefit of extra lights improve safety, when used properly, what I am pissed about is that the other driver diliberately flash his highbeams with extra lights right into my car just as he passed me.

          Sure I had flashed to tell him that I got blinded by his lights and it appeard that he had forgotten about his highbeams, feom my perspecive I just saw a car driving towards me with blinding lights on so I tried to get him to help me out, sure I made a misstake, but by absolutely and deliberately oblitarating my night vision on a dark road he could have made me have an accident.

        • @Jarix@lemmy.world
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          15 months ago

          Also there’s ADB texhnology coming that is an adaptive beaming texhnology that uses sensors and cameras to turn off components when it detects a situation where the light is shinning into other peoples eyes. Not sure where this at or when it might be rolled out broadly

    • Victoria
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      185 months ago

      additionally, have fire alarms and change the batteries when they are low. If you have gas heating, get yourself a good carbon monoxide detector as well!

    • DessertStorms
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      5 months ago

      I was going to buy one so I called my local fire station for advice and the advice they gave me was - make sure your fire alarms and smoke detectors are working, and if you have a fire, call 999 and evacuate.

      I questioned if it wasn’t better to have an extinguisher to try and get it under control, and he explained that most people have generally never used an extinguisher before (or would even know which to use for what fire), and even if they have, not in a real life panic inducing situation, and so are more likely to be wasting valuable time and putting themselves at risk, than actually put out the fire.

      I’m sure this won’t stop some people, but it was enough for me (he was right, I was calling for advice because I didn’t have a clue, and for every person like me who asks, how many don’t, and end up in situations like those I presume lead to him giving me that advice?).

    • @WindyRebel@lemmy.world
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      25 months ago

      And make sure it’s rated for the type(s) of fires you may get. Don’t want to use the wrong one and make it worse.

  • fiat_lux
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    5 months ago

    31 US states and Washington, D.C. have laws allowing forced sterilization of disabled people. It just needs a judge to sign the order.

    • @herrcaptain@lemmy.ca
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      135 months ago

      I initially didn’t recall the “fact or piece of information” in the post title and thought, “well this is a weird tip …”

    • @x4740N@lemmy.world
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      15 months ago

      Why am I not surprised the united states of america also known as the “un-united shithole of america” legally allows eugenics

      And you have those bigots in america that appoint bigoted judges if they get voted in if I recall correctly from news from america, I’m glad I don’t live in america

      People in red states with a disability, I suggest you leave those states and head to a blue state away from the bigots and if you have the means to do so become an expatriate and leave the united states of america and head to a more open and progressive country

    • @IndyRap@lemmy.world
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      -15 months ago

      Genetically disabled people I suppose I wouldn’t be opposed to.

      My family has a history of alcoholism, bipolar disorder, and depression, and a history of trauma spanning 3 generations.

      One of the many reasons I’m not having kids.

      This is one of those if you wouldn’t be happy it happening to yourself you shouldn’t consider it for others. In this case I feel like it would be justified but socially wrong.

      A lot of problems would be solved if we were objective about our problems as human and a society.

      • DessertStorms
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        55 months ago

        You choosing not to have kids due to family history isn’t justification for motherfucking eugenics, you ableist.

      • fiat_lux
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        15 months ago

        This is one of those if you wouldn’t be happy it happening to yourself you shouldn’t consider it for others.

        Would undergoing a medical procedure without your consent also qualify?

          • fiat_lux
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            -15 months ago

            What makes you think that I thought circumcision was OK? And fo you understand in what ways sterilisation and circumcision are not medically equivalent procedures in terms of risk and recovery?

            • @IndyRap@lemmy.world
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              25 months ago

              I didn’t say it was. It’s cleared you’re charged up and ready to take this conversation with a clear objective approach.

  • @runner_g@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    365 months ago

    Wastewater based epidemiology is really freaking cool, and we have covid to thank for moving it from academia to industry/government testing, where the results are actionable.

    We are now tracking covid, mpox, the flu, RSV and many other diseases in wastewater. It’s very cost-effective community monitoring and can be applied anywhere from the influent of treatment plants to the manhole cover in front of your gym.

    • @fujiwood@lemmy.world
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      135 months ago

      Make sure you buy the correct type of plunger.

      Cup plungers are meant for sinks.

      Flange plungers are meant for toilets.

    • Björn Tantau
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      55 months ago

      And if you didn’t follow this advice, soft PET plastic bottles make excellent plungers.

    • I posted this on Reddit back in the day. Use a plastic bag if you don’t have the right plunger. Bad for the environment, good for unblocking clogs. Stick a toilet brush inside the bag, a bit of air is good. Secure the top with an elastic band or whatever, you can even use the bag handles tied. Shove it in the toilet and use it just like a plunger, the bag should form a full seal at some point, might take a bit of trying/wiggling but the bag will eventually get a seal because it is variable size/volume. If you are not getting the seal you need you can shove your hand in the bag, it’s nasty to some people but in honesty there is nothing touching your hand but the inside of the bag. You can force a seal this way. Now pull. Done. No need to call anyone.

  • @BigSadDad@lemmy.world
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    315 months ago

    Always anchor heavy, tall or easy to climb furniture to a wall. Use either a stud or a drywall anchor. Even if you rent.

    The holes are tiny and easy to spackle fill and could save your child, pet or elderly persons life.

    Don’t be fucking lazy, anchor that dresser.

    • @TIMMAY@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      What if im trying to murder someone via a rube goldberg style contraption and easy-to-tip-over furniture is my coup de grace? edit: golberg -> goldberg

    • @Nollij@sopuli.xyz
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      75 months ago

      Drywall isn’t load bearing, though. Heavy also implies that it’s stable, although that really depends on if it’s top-heavy or bottom-heavy.

      IOW, if my dresser is going to tip over, drywall anchors are not going to be doing much to stop it. Same for the couch, and the bed goes without saying.

      • @ilinamorato@lemmy.world
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        It doesn’t need to be load-bearing because the actual forces aren’t that high. Fifty pound drywall anchors exist, after about fifty pounds the child will likely be old enough to not climb, and a fifty pound child’s angular force pulling out on the wall is going to be less than fifty pounds since most of the weight is going into the floor.

        Certainly anchoring to the stud would be better, but drywall anchors are better than nothing and should probably be sufficient in most cases.

        • @scoobford@lemmy.zip
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          85 months ago

          Why though? An ablebodied, childless adult without pets will very rarely ever have a random child or elderly people in their apartment.

          The odds that you’d have someone at risk in your apartment, that you’d leave them unattended, and that they’d knock over an item of furniture is very long odds.

          • @CustodialTeapot@lemmy.world
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            -15 months ago

            Because accidents happen?

            Why do we need any form of safety precaution?

            I don’t intend to crash my car. I still wear a seat belt.

            I don’t intent to burn my house down. I still have a fire extinguisher.

            I don’t intent to chainsaw my leg off. I still wear safety trousers.

            I don’t intent my furniture to fall on me. I still secure it to the wall.

          • @intensely_human@lemm.ee
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            -15 months ago

            Unless that person is a little kid who loves to climb.

            But the sooner he learns that lesson the better. So as long as it’s not your bowling ball collection on the top shelf, he’ll probably be alright even if the bookcase falls on him.

            • @x4740N@lemmy.world
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              25 months ago

              Say that again to a kid that gets crushed under a heavy piece of furniture

              A child getting crushed is not a good way to teach them about the world

              I hope you are not a parent and if not I hope you don’t have plans of becoming one

        • @IndyRap@lemmy.world
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          65 months ago

          The dumbest on lemmy is not mounting every piece of furniture to the wall. Whew that’s wild.

  • @weeeeum@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Luxury is cheap if you are clever. You can buy a premium 500$ office chair from 10-100$ if you can find one locally used one.

    Buying the best value refurbished laptops and computer parts can save so much money. You can buy a refurbished laptop with 512gb SSD storage and 32gb of ram for 250$, the newest MacBook has 128gb SSD storage and 8gb of ram for 1000$. You can literally buy 4x the ram and storage for 1/4 of the price.

    I have like 20,000$ worth of furniture but payed like 2,000$ for it. Use Google lens on cheap furniture you see and you’ll find some extraordinary value. I once found a 4,500 brass chandelier for 45$ at a habitat for humanity. Make sure to buy it from a store that checks for bed bugs etc.

    Knowing how to repair stuff. The value of expensive items are very delicate, a single broken part can make the price plummet. This way you can get an expensive device, or anything, and replace a small or simple part. Did this on a cheap laptop with a broken power button and it works great.

    Knowing how to “tune” your tools and stuff. A lot of cheap tools and items can be made much better with some fine tuning. On a saw, re-set and sharpen the teeth, on a knife thin and sharpen the edge, run Linux on old hardware etc. For everything you have, squeeze every last bit of performance out of it.

    • Gormadt
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      75 months ago

      On the note of fixing things: if it’s already broke you might as well try to fix it. If it doesn’t work then at least you tried, if it does work then you saved yourself some money and gained some useful skills.

      In the last 5 years of living in my apartment I’ve fixed and sold about a dozen TV’s. All of them were found by the dumpster or on the side of the road.

      I even fixed my 75in 4k OLED TV after Best Buy cut me a check for it saying it was unfixable. So basically a free $1500 TV because I figured out how to fix it.

    • @x4740N@lemmy.world
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      15 months ago

      I’m against used furniture that you sit on like chairs and couches because you don’t know what the previous owner did on them and indont want to be in a seat that has had contact with bodily fluids

  • @Contramuffin@lemmy.world
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    285 months ago

    Carnivorous plants are not as hard to take care of as most people think. Sundews are literally an invasive species in New Zealand, and Venus flytraps are from South Carolina. The reason they seem hard to take care of is because many companies that sell carnivorous plants provide incorrect care instructions or pot them in the wrong type of soil. Most likely as a planned obsolescence scheme to get people to buy more. Learn the proper care instructions, and they’re extremely hardy.

    • massive_bereavement
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      85 months ago

      Do you have a favorite site for plant soil/care guidance?

      I’m not particularly interested in carnivorous plants, but plants in general, and I often see sites with conflicting info.

      • @Contramuffin@lemmy.world
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        25 months ago

        Unfortunately, I don’t have much that I can share with you on that front.

        But it reminds me of searching for protocols when doing a science experiment - everyone says something different. What I learned is to look at multiple sites and then take the “average” of all of them. Tends to work pretty well

      • @swordsmanluke@programming.dev
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        15 months ago

        Hi! I feel strangely well-placed to respond here - my horticulturalist wife used to tend a garden of carnivorous plants professionally.

        I asked her advice and she said,

        "Avoid blogger sites. Some are good, but most have no clue and just regurgitate what they read on some other blog. If you want the super in-depth info, use Google scholar and search for the plant name plus whatever you need to know. Soil ph, propagation technique, etc. For more approachable info though, search normally for ‘<plant name> university extension’. University extension work is when a university is doing public outreach stuff - publishing information in easy to read and apply ways. "

        So… Searching for “Venus flytrap university extension”, I found this page which gives a very straightforward breakdown on how to care for your own personal Audrey-jr.

    • Captain Aggravated
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      25 months ago

      The Carolinas are an amazing place for carnivorous plants. Over 30 species of them including Venus fly traps are native to the area.

    • @x4740N@lemmy.world
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      Is it wrong to want to see an image of that out of morbid curiosity

      I mean, how does that even work

      But also I’m going to need a source for that just incase its bullshit

      • abouttocomealive
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        165 months ago

        https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/2023/05/06/the-longest-sperm-on-earth/

        Apparently the female seminal receptacle is also very long. In fact, the increasing length of this receptacle is one of the explanations for the extreme sperm length.

        Drosophila females have evolved to fertilize their eggs with particularly long sperm. Only large, healthy males are able to produce large quantities of gigantic sperm, and if a female reproduces with healthy males, her offspring will have genes that make them healthy, too.

  • Dr. Wesker
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    205 months ago

    Spend as much time as you can, with your aging loved ones.