Zompist Bboard Again

Raphael wrote: ↑Tue Dec 30, 2025 1:22 pm

doctor shark wrote: ↑Tue Dec 30, 2025 8:46 am
Not a German (though I play one on TV sometimes),

This sounds fascinating!

A joke in part (like how I say I play a chemist on TV), but the TL;DR is that I spent six years on a military base in Franconia (not far from Nürnberg), so my childhood was a strange mix of German-ish and American. My German is okay-ish, but my grammar is poor and my vocabulary a bit lacking, though I can manage for day-to-day things in Germany (like grocery shopping) and playing games of Magic: the Gathering fully in German. My Dutch is definitely better than my German, though my German is probably better than my Luxembourgish. But with having lived in Luxembourg and the Netherlands for the past decade, I definitely feel less American anymore. (Though I will be finally becoming a Luxembourger in a few months, barring catastrophe, so at least I'll have an EU passport!)

but while there are pies and cakes in German bakeries which are very delicious, they often aren't as runny filling-wise as the fruit pies like one normally in the US. For example, a Strudel with apple filling will tend to have a quite thick/viscous filling compared to a typical US cherry pie, for example. Come to think of it, in fact, there really aren't a lot of pastries that I'd consider a direct equivalent to a US fruit pie... even the cherry pie-like thing I'd bought in Tulipland (aka the Netherlands) was more a cake, even despite the topping.

But to re-emphasize your point, the pie plate is for presentation purposes only, if at all. Even for a more viscous filling like a pumpkin pie, you still remove the slices from the pan and plate them.

Thank you, doctor shark, I was thinking of what to say in response to zompist's question, and you put it better than I could have done.

You're welcome. :)

malloc wrote: ↑Tue Dec 30, 2025 7:03 pm Two horrible years back to back, unprecedented even for me. Honestly not sure I can handle another disastrous year. Unfortunately all signs point to further challenges and hurdles, certainly for the first few months.

and once again, every single aspect of poor malloc's everyday life is out for his throat. you know, everything has a bright side, right? if you actually allowed yourself to look at it from time to time, you'd realize that things really aren't so bad as they seem to be.

/ˌnɐ.ˈɾɛn.dɚ.ˌduːd/ wrote: ↑Tue Dec 30, 2025 9:24 pm

malloc wrote: ↑Tue Dec 30, 2025 7:03 pm Two horrible years back to back, unprecedented even for me. Honestly not sure I can handle another disastrous year. Unfortunately all signs point to further challenges and hurdles, certainly for the first few months.

and once again, every single aspect of poor malloc's everyday life is out for his throat. you know, everything has a bright side, right? if you actually allowed yourself to look at it from time to time, you'd realize that things really aren't so bad as they seem to be.

Very much so! Some things in life are against you, some are for you, and the vast majority doesn't care about you.

/ˌnɐ.ˈɾɛn.dɚ.ˌduːd/ wrote: ↑Tue Dec 30, 2025 9:24 pmand once again, every single aspect of poor malloc's everyday life is out for his throat. you know, everything has a bright side, right? if you actually allowed yourself to look at it from time to time, you'd realize that things really aren't so bad as they seem to be.

I really don't have the energy to rehearse all the catastrophes facing me right now. Suffice it to say, I had literal gruel for breakfast and it's freezing in my apartment because I simply can't afford to run the heater beyond the bare minimum needed to keep the pipes from freezing. People here worry about me contemplating suicide and then they dismiss all the problems that actually push me there.

malloc wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 8:49 am I really don't have the energy to rehearse all the catastrophes facing me right now.

Which is in some way a good thing, because rehearsing all the catastrophes is not helpful. Try to approach the problems one after another. And get professional help.

malloc, while I feel for your situation, two or three "horrible years" is neither unprecedented nor unsurvivable. I would say that almost every year in my twenties were "horrible years", and I am now here at 37 with a better life than in times that were more politically favorable. Please get whatever help you can, even if that's telling a doctor you are depressed and try some medications. I swear on whatever we both coincidentally hold dear that it will be worth the time and money to find something that works for you.

Speaking of which, I'm late on my pills.

WeepingElf wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 8:54 amWhich is in some way a good thing, because rehearsing all the catastrophes is not helpful. Try to approach the problems one after another. And get professional help.

Most of the problems facing me are outside of my control, though. Improving my life substantially would require some massive systemic changes that seem increasingly unlikely.

malloc wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:48 am

WeepingElf wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 8:54 amWhich is in some way a good thing, because rehearsing all the catastrophes is not helpful. Try to approach the problems one after another. And get professional help.

Most of the problems facing me are outside of my control, though. Improving my life substantially would require some massive systemic changes that seem increasingly unlikely.

Improving your ability to respond to life challenges is one ‘massive systemic change’ which you can get control over (with a bit of help).

bradrn wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:51 amImproving your ability to respond to life challenges is one ‘massive systemic change’ which you can get control over (with a bit of help).

These aren't the kind of challenges for which better response is even possible. You might as well suggest improving your financial literacy when Godzilla is rampaging through your neighborhood. It sounds like you're imagining paper cuts and spoiled milk while I am worried about reactionary dictatorships taking over the world and global ecological collapse.

malloc wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 2:09 pm

bradrn wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 11:51 amImproving your ability to respond to life challenges is one ‘massive systemic change’ which you can get control over (with a bit of help).

These aren't the kind of challenges for which better response is even possible. You might as well suggest improving your financial literacy when Godzilla is rampaging through your neighborhood. It sounds like you're imagining paper cuts and spoiled milk while I am worried about reactionary dictatorships taking over the world and global ecological collapse.

No, those are the things I’m talking about. There are ways in which we can all contribute to fighting against those things if only you’re willing to see them.

@malloc: we all face what are euphemistically known as "challenges" every day of our lives, many of which are comparable to those which trouble you. I, for example, am facing a sudden and considerable drop in income and the worrying probability that I may never be well enough to work again. But we don't spend our time moaning passively about them; we try to find ways to deal with them, or work around them. To quote someone: "life is problems; living is solving problems". One of your New Year's Resolutions is going to be "to learn how to solve problems in a productive way".

@everyone: Happy New Year!!!!!

alice wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 3:42 pm @everyone: Happy New Year!!!!!

Still two and a half hours to go for me!

(You lucky guys in Edinburgh get fireworks. Apparently Glasgow doesn’t do them…)

alice wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 3:42 pm
@everyone: Happy New Year!!!!!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! (And we did get fireworks!)

Happy New Year!

My twenties were not great but now I am older and more powerful and don't read the news. I highly recommend becoming more powerful and not reading the news.

Nortaneous wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 8:09 pmMy twenties were not great but now I am older and more powerful and don't read the news. I highly recommend becoming more powerful and not reading the news.

Considering your politics, shouldn't you consider the current news quite a joy to read?

malloc wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 10:37 pm Considering your politics, shouldn't you consider the current news quite a joy to read?

Here's one general introduction to the theory behind why I expect current historical trajectories to reverse themselves: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19WMlwO ... sp=sharing

The author explicitly says this worldview is an alternative to "He whom God consigns to perdition He first makes mad."

Of course, theory is of limited help if the problem involves an imbalance in your brain chemistry.

rotting bones wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 10:39 pmHere's one general introduction to the theory behind why I expect current historical trajectories to reverse themselves: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19WMlwO ... sp=sharing

How the fuck does some Nazi aristocrat from fifty years ago predict that the current wave of fascism and reaction will fail and indeed why are you turning to Nazi aristocrats for guidance? Realistically it's hard to imagine the reactionaries losing at this point. They have taken over numerous countries large and small, amassed trillions of dollars, and built up a massive ecosystem of propaganda outlets.

Of course, theory is of limited help if the problem involves an imbalance in your brain chemistry.

It really doesn't, regardless of what everyone thinks. I know what I'm reading in the news and seeing with my own eyes and no amount of gaslighting will change that.

malloc wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 10:51 pm How the fuck does some Nazi aristocrat from fifty years ago predict that the current wave of fascism and reaction will fail and indeed why are you turning to Nazi aristocrats for guidance?

The answer is simple: I had forgotten this guy was was involved in Nazism. This book doesn't promote Nazi ideology. In fact, it talks about how it's important for systems not to trample the human element. It's an introduction to systems theory that explains the concept of feedback. This book was cited by Bookchin's Philosophy of Social Ecology. (Bookchin is the guy who inspired Rojava.) This book also cites Soviet work in systems theory.

If you refuse to read anything written by people involved in Nazism, you could try Stafford Beer, the cybernetician behind Allende's Chile: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CZtc3q ... sp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/16m2nV5 ... sp=sharing Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... oxGijF4iw- I have to say, I find his work much harder to get through. These books also advance many detailed claims that I do not accept.

malloc wrote: ↑Wed Dec 31, 2025 10:51 pm It really doesn't, regardless of what everyone thinks. I know what I'm reading in the news and seeing with my own eyes and no amount of gaslighting will change that.

Bad news doesn't make everyone unhappy in the same way.