Viewing profile — racktash

We're well past the point where (and it's ever growing) evidence of Trumpism's tyranny and cruelty will sway anyone, I think. As depressing as it is, a large swathe of people just …

I think you've described the problem (or one of them) very well. We've seen how misinformation -- including ideas that were once fringe, believed only by a minority of cranks -- sp…

No. I have a cushy job, especially when I compare it to how many other people earn money, but it's still a job rather than a passion. The social aspect is all well and good, but mu…

I hope to live long enough to see a free Iran -- or at least something better than the current, rotten regime.

Given most assassinations on US politicians (including attempted) targeted Democrat politicians in 2025, I would have different expectations to your last point.

(Highly subjective opinion incoming.) I've been thinking a lot lately, challenging some of my long-held assumptions... Big tech, the current AI trend, social media websites serving…

Between River and Sea by Dervla Murphy (her final published book). It (and admittedly a few other things) completely altered my view on the relevant issue, and despite being a very…

I get where you're coming from. I would be a bit annoyed if, for instance, taxpayer money went to artists painting white-paint-on-white-canvas non-paintings or recording silence as…

Strawman. Some things need funding despite being unprofitable. Not everyone will agree, but I believe art/culture (including often unprofitable forms thereof) are worthwhile, and s…

Both are important, both are unprofitable, both (in my opinion) deserve public funding.

Some art produced today is good, some bad. Subjectivity will mean people disagree. It has ever been so. But the idea that art / artists don't require money isn't my read of history…

Art and culture may be "unproductive" from a utilitarian point of view, but it's valuable and enriching in ways hard to measure on a spreadsheet.

Art and culture is extremely valuable, but is often not profitable / sustainable. Banking is important to society too, but it's already well compensated!

Great art isn't necessarily about popularity / wide appeal, though. In fact, the art that isn't of wide, general appeal, is what stands to benefit the most from this kind of benefi…

Ordinary People, Redford's directorial debut, is one of my favourite movies. A movie that deceptively appears simple but that is wonderfully emotionally deep with great performance…

I used to think this, and I was so wrong. Or course some attend the rallies for foolish reasons, but I found that a lot of what I believed about the Israel-Palestine situation was …

Agreed. Lots of recent (last 10-20 years, say) non-fiction is annoyingly flabby.

Agreed, not a fan. The world has enough fakery in it already without people accidentally generating even more (I assume quite a lot of casual users will mistake this zoom for zoom …

I feel the same. Am very interested to hear others say the same as it is a worrying experience, seeing a substantial part of one's life disappear in no time at all. It's hard to sa…

It may be too FPS specific, but I always got a lot out of the in-game audio commentaries on Valve's games (HL2: Episodes, (since 2024) HL2 itself, Portal 2 etc.) There is some grea…

"Peace for Our Time"/Chamberlain was at least motivated by a genuine (albeit naive) desire for peace. This is much worse insofar as motivations are concerned.

It was content for a segment of his base. On Twitter, it's common to find populist-right commentators say things like: 1. Supporting Ukraine against Russia is risking WW3 2. Zelens…

Trump pardoned the January 6th rioters for the benefit of a certain segment of his supporter base. I have a feeling his childish humiliation of Zelensky is more of the same. It's n…

Fun idea! I am always astounded how hard it can be to break doom scrolling as a habit DESPITE knowing how much better I feel when I can't / don't do it. When I don't do it, I will …

Eat, drink and be merry – preferably with good friends and family. Always be open to new things (within reason). Get basic finances in order (pension, savings and investments), but…