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- What has Critical Theory actually achieved?
I was just thinking about it after looking it up. What has it, in world affairs, actually done? What changes did it make to society that were worth making?
EDIT: I wanted to ask this because I had some thoughts on Critical Theory that I wasn't sure of. I thought it was just empty talk that would be repeated and repeated but never acted upon. Like, what would our world look like without Critical Theory being developed? How come such a "great ideology" couldn't actually stop the War of Terror, or the election of Donald Trump, or wealthy corporate executives becoming obscenely rich, or the Housing Crisis and Great Recession, or the Rwandan Genocide, or Russia's invasion of Ukraine, or anything? What does it do to actually help people?
- How screwed would one be if their email provider shuts down?
What if protonmail, gmail or whatever email provider you are using goes belly-up? Are all your accounts doomed?
If so, what are some preventive measures? Adding backup emails to your registered accounts?
- Do the ultra-rich consume popular media?
Not sure if "ultra-rich" is the right label, since there are probably some of them who are good people, but I'm referring to the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, etc.
I'm just wondering: do people like them watch movies or TV shows, or read books? In so much of popular media, people like them (i.e. rich, powerful, unsympathetic) are usually cast as the villain.
If they have any self-awareness and do consume popular media, surely they would know they are (edit: seen as) the bad guys?
My guess is that they simply don't consume popular media and instead wind down by doing clique rich people activities (e.g. attend parties of only the rich, partake in expensive sports)
I tried doing a quick internet, but didn't find an answer that confirms my thoughts, so I gave up and turned to Lemmy.
- Is there a genre of music that's death metal without the screaming vocals?
Like, I love thrash/death/heavy metal music, but I could mostly do without the vocals. Is there a genre of music (or specific bands) I should look for?
I'm a big fan of Arcturus, Children of Bodom, etc, but I prefer the instrumentals way more than the singing.
So, is there a specific genre for that?
Edit: Imagine Silent Night, Bodom Night but without lyrics. It's not that I dislike the vocals; would just appreciate the track more without them. It's like they're just in the way of what I want to hear.
Edit 2: Thanks, everyone. I have heard of Animals as Leaders but am not super familiar with them. Will definitely check them out as well as the other recommendations.
- Is it possible to install my own OS on a "smart" TV? Is that a thing?
How do I free my television?
- Are the inside parts of toilets universal?
I am from the US, and was wondering if any kit works on every home toilet.
- what can I use to cushion my knee when exercising with it on the floor so it doesn't hurt?
yes, a cushion, but every one I've found is too big and doesn't fir my backpack where I have more stuff (clothes, an umbrella...).
I like doing yoga and stretching outdoors, so the ground may also have loose dirt, broken pebbles and grass...
If I bend on my fours, raise-stretch a leg with the other leg's knee touching the ground to hold most of my weight with this leg's foot stretched to the back and still touching the ground, raise-stretching one arm and only using the other arm not to fall to the ground, the knee touching the ground hurts.
I've tried folding a small towel three times, but I'm so skinny that my knee still hurts.
Folding a yoga mat doesn't help either.
What works for you?
- How far away are we from someone using AI to create an animated TV show by themselves.
One person, with their AI, can create a fully animated show with audio and different voices done with the combination of the creator and AI.
- Is the Robert Reich mastodon account actually run by Robert Reich?
I'm talking about @rbreich@masto.ai.
The account says things that seem like they would be said by Reich but I'm not sure it's actually him behind the screen.
- Is there any word of the how the tariffs or taxes that will be imposed by next USA government affect consulting from external countries?
I work from outside USA in a desultory job. I remember clearly back in 2016 the was layoffs in my job cause they put one 15% tax.
- Why is the word "expat" a thing?
Why do Brits and Americans have a special term instead of just using Immigrant?
- How would American culture change if the internet went down?
Hypothetically, let’s say the internet breaks down with no recovery in the near future. How would this affect culture in America (or the entire world)? Would monoculture return? The specific cultures I mean are…
Politics Influencers Big Tech Hollywood Work Force ???
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Imo, with no internet, Hollywood would probably be the biggest beneficiary from this. Television would probably become a juggernaut again. I think influencers would fall off the face of the earth without the internet. Big Tech would crash. Politics would probably start to shift dramatically towards the left with the lack of echo chambers online. And I think labor would stall for like a month or two.
So yeah, without internet, I think Hollywood thrives and almost every other industry or culture takes a big hit.
What do you think?
- USA President term limits
im 100% canadian, I dont live in the US and wondering about your system.
so as i understand your political system, a president can only hold office 2 terms. in Trumps case, he served once already, does that mean he can only serve one more, or is the clock reset and he gets a shot at 8 years?
- Why is the word "defense" avoided in reporting and rhetorics around Ukraine?
I think that would be not only appropriate but also helpful to frame Ukraine as "defending their land" instead of "being at war". So why dont politicians and journalists primarily use this word?
- Can someone give me atleast 5 examples of Democrats being against the working class?
Have I been out of the loop on politics?
Wasn’t it the Dems who voted to protect Union Pensions? Republicans voted against it.
Dems voted to extend the child tax credit this year. EVERY Republican voted against it.
And didn’t Kamala Harris run on helping with funding for first time home buyers?
When did the narrative of Dems being against the working class start? Was it just because Bernie said it recently?
- In the US, what is stopping people from bribing members of the electoral college?
Let's say you're a mega wealthy billionaire who has suddenly realized that if he cozies up close to a presidential candidate, he could have more power and wealth than ever before. What's stopping you from figuring out who the electorates are and offering them whatever they want if they vote for your guy? What's stopping them from taking the deal?
- In the event you believe a contract killer is in breach of contract, who adjudicates?
I assume you can't go to real court over something like this.
- if you workout and run, would you recommend a merino wool base or mid layer for autumn/winter? or am I going to break it?
I workout, stretch and run outdoors three to four times a week, it's a routine I like.
It's November already and it's getting cold. I have a 100% merino wool mid layer long sleeved shirt I spent 130$ on I wear to the office but I don't want to ruin it working out, stretching and running because it was expensive.
This piece of clothing is quite thick, like 2 layers put together. I don't want to buy anything thinner for sport because I've read thinner undershirts/base layers break due to friction.
This is what I fear is going to happen with my merino mid/base layer if I workout with it, even if it's on the thicker end of layers.
Another option would be to buy a regular polyester base layer to use with a synthetic mid layer or combine a synthetic base layer and a cotton mid layer. Would these be stupid ideas?
What should I use as an outer layer?
Overall, what brands would you recommend? I'm a skinny 5'6'' woman.
- why is mexico not treated the same way as canada??
first of all, i don't identify as latino, sorry!!! but anyway when i talk about mexico being treated the same way as canada, i mean,, for example when it comes to prices,, canada and usa have both of their dollars on the back of stuff, like if you bought a book in canada in the back it would say "10 usd/10 cad", but no mexican currency? isn't mexico also the neighbor and both nations have good ties?? it should be treated with the same level of important stuff
- Why are so many cleaning products lemon scented?
Is it a universally agreed-upon "fresh" smell? Cultural? Or is lemon fragrance just cheap to manufacture and use in products? Something else?
I don't hate it, but I also don't care for it, either. Now I'm curious why so many cleaning products use that smell.
- What should I bring to far-north Scandinavia?
I will spend around 4 weeks in far-north Scandinavia. I am wondering what I should take there. I am expecting freezing weather and little daytime. I will do some outside work, also in the snow, e.g. some builsing maintainance and cleaning snow.
I have not been that far north yet, so what kind of clotting should I bring specifically? Also, are there some general things I should consider?
- Is "Red Storm Rising" by Tom Clancy considered a good book? Because I read it, and I'm not sure it should be.
OK, so I finished this a while back, and despite it appealing to a lot of my interests, I honestly found it pretty meh.
I really enjoyed the realistic military/tactical aspect of it all, as that part is right up my alley, but... I did not care about the characters, the plot seemed hollow, and it seems like some things that could have been explored further were simply ignored.
For example, in the beginning these guys blow up a refinery. There are vague descriptions as to why, but after this it is practically not mentioned again. Whatever movement they were part of apparently disappears, and there are no repercussions for their home oblast.
The only thing this book has going for it, in my opinion, is that military nerds like me enjoy the detailed writing about the different types of hardware involved in the book.
So, since I am by no means a literary connoseur, I'm curious about what others think of this one.
- Why do I fart all the time when I'm trying to sleep?!
I've been farting a lot for my entire life, but especially while sleeping. I usually sleep on my side, curled up, but sometimes on my back. I don't have any allergies or similar things that could be causing this as far as I know.
For example, last night was like this:
- I lay down, I fart twice
- I adjust my position, I fart again
- I roll on my left side, I fart
- I get up to fix my bed, I fart
- I lay down again, I fart
This is rather unfortunate because I like sleep with my head under the blanket.
Edit: as for my eating habits, my diet has consisted mainly of granola with 2-4 per day and miscellanous fruit and vegetables for the last 4+ years.
- Can you scale down a firearm to make an identical looking firearm that fires a different round?
Like, could you make a smaller version of a 1911 that fires 22lr instead of .45 by just scaling all the parts to the 22lr?
- Did something about mass produced ice cream change like 10 years ago?
Maybe I am going crazy, but I have noticed a difference about ice cream and its only been Maybe the last 8-10 years was when I first noticed it.
Ice cream from the supermarket doesn't seem to melt properly, and is also way too soft. This seems most noticeable in novelties now, but also most hard ice cream as well.
Did they add some component to make it softer or less likely to freezer burn? Am I just going crazy?
(US, but I assume anywhere else where the same brands are sold have had the same issue.)
- is "oh boy" considered a gendered term?
I've been back and forth with this just because of my habit to use "oh man", or "oh dude" in the past. I've done pretty well with changing the terminology just to keep to the discussion at hand and being respectful for anyone I'm talking to (just feels like basic public respect, like back in the day they would say "Dear Reader," not really a PC problem to me).
So anyways, I found myself typing "oh boy" the other day and I paused to wonder about it. I don't think I've ever seen it brought up in discussions like man or dude. I never even thought of that phrase as it signifying the recipient is a "boy". The more I think on it I don't even know what the actual meaning is besides the way in which it is used (like, "shit" or "you wouldn't believe").
tldr: Is "oh boy" an acceptable gender-neutral response loop hole so I can be lazier when typing or has this been discussed a lot and I've just missed out on it?
I would love to hear the perspectives of everyone and encourage you to voice your opinion (just message if you don't want other's chiming in if you prefer)
- Is it expected to tip for furniture deliveries?
As the title says, bought some nicer furniture which is being delivered and curious if I should tip the delivery driver.
Edit: I’m in the USA.
- are winter leggings worth buying?
the leggings I run in are thick enough so nobody sees my undies when I stretch or do yoga, but still summer ones, meaning not made of fleece. I like them because behind the knees they're made of mesh so my legs breathe more easily. After exercising for 2 hours outdoors my legs ain't cold. The winter ones from the same brand are made of fleece and don't have this behind-the-knees mesh window.
If you use fleece leggings, don't they get too hot?
- When people say the AI bubble will burst, what exactly does that mean?
I see lots of talk on Lemmy about the AI bubble bursting. That AGI isn’t going to happen in the near-term, maybe it won’t ever happen. And so the the AI bubble will burst; ala the dot-com bubble.
But what exactly will burst? OpenAI and Claude? Those are private companies so maybe they will downsize or merge, but that’s not a bubble? NVIDIA & Microsoft? I don’t really see those companies imploding. They have a pretty large and diversified customer base. Besides, Apple and AWS are already moving away from NVIDIA by making their own hardware. I genuinely don’t understand where the big implosion is. Can someone help me understand this?
ETA: Is there an example analogous to pets.com for this AI bubble?
- Has Fast Food Gotten Worse, or Am I Just Getting Old?
I’m genuinely curious. Years ago, I was a chubby young pothead who lived on fast food. Taco Bell, McDonald’s, KFC, you name it—I ate it. Back in college, fast food probably made up at least 50% of my diet. And it wasn’t just because it was quick and cheap—I actually enjoyed it.
But these days, I find myself craving it less and less. Besides being more health-conscious, it just doesn’t hit the spot like it used to. It’s more expensive than ever, mostly bland, and I feel terrible after I eat it. So what’s changed? Is it just part of the enshitification of everything? Have I just gotten old, or has fast food really gone downhill?
- Are there ways to use VR headset for realtime assistance?
I'm having hard time to help my parents troubleshoot their equipment remotely, when they try to observe the objects both with their eyes and manipulate phone camera for our video chat simultaneously. You can get sick of camera shaking, and they are getting tired too. I thought maybe if they had a VR headset and could stream their view directly to the chat, it could be helpful. Maybe I could even somehow point at things in their view to tell, for example, which cable to check. I do not own a headset, and I couldnt find info of such tools via simple/AI search (maybe wrong keywords). Maybe you know of such domestic solutions?
- do any alternative frontends for twitter still exist?
I remember seeing someone linking to something that looked like one even after nitter's demise, but I don't recall the name.
- Is wearing crew socks over your leggings when training in the cold simply aesthetics or actually functional?
I've seen some other women wearing crew socks over their leggings while running and stretching. It looks like aesthetics over functionality but I may be wrong.
I've also seen some younger girls wearing what seems to be like very long socks over their leggings, almost covering their knees.
I don't see how that can be easy or comfortable to wear or train on the long term but I may be wrong. If you do this, does it work to keep your legs warm?
Any drawbacks?
- What would be the best Fediverse sub/community/place for questions about probability and statistics?
Basically exactly what the title says. In case there isn't a great place, or this post ends up getting more visibility than wherever I end up asking I will explain my approximate competency level and the question below.
In terms of competency I have an engineering background and degree, which means I had a single class in statistics. Technically I was one class short of a math minor (Graph Theory) when I graduated. Unlike most engineers and Six Sigma "graduates" I don't think this automatically makes me some kind of math/stats wizard. I'm aware I know just enough that I can unintentionally massage data to fit my bias (mini rant over).
My question is, when looking at a human population and trying to find the approximate subset of people with certain attributes how are correlations handled to avoid double counting?
For example let's say I am looking at a specific city and my data sets are thee most recent census, BLS.gov, and Pew Research. With the above sources I can pretty easily estimate something along the lines of
The number men in a US city that are:
- Between the ages of 22-44
- Have a STEM degree
However, if I then wanted to add another factor:
- Are/Vote liberal
I know that is going to interfere with the original criteria because higher levels of education are correlated with people being more liberal, thus if I just punched in the percentages from all three data points the resulting number is likely going to be much smaller than reality.
Is there a term or method I can read up on for how to account for overlaps/correlations between population subsets? Does this make sense or am I asking the wrong kind of question?
FWIW none of this is related to my job, an argument, a shit post, a data graphic, or anything else I will ever really make. It's just for something specific (not the actually the above example but something like it using the sources I mentioned) I am personally curious about. I have also more generally been wondering about how to account for this kind of overlap for a couple of years now.
Regardless, thanks for taking the time to at least read all this.
Cheers!