301–310 of 480 posts
But are people happier and more fulfilled? Are they more able to have a meaning-filled life surrounded by people with whom they have close and lasting relationships? What should we be measuring when we measure improvement?
We seem to be designed to not be content with what we have, because that would eliminate motivation to make things better.
Unlike other things, if you didn't have them, you wouldn't really think twice about them in the first place, except as very minor inconveniences...
I think he kind of missed the elephant that is modern communication technology has reduced the marginal cost of skilled services enabling pretty much every object designed in an office and manufactured in a factory to benefit from a broader array of engineering and design professionals and methodologies. The average product and service that the average actor in the economy interacts with is designed and optimized to…
I had a moment like this recently with, of all things, a snorkeling mask. It was one of those full face masks with a big snorkel sticking out the top like a unicorn's horn that popped on the market a few years ago. It is a marvel. It took all the downsides of the old masks and ingeniously fixed them. Full mouth and nose breathing so you can breathe naturally and comfortably, an airflow pattern that pulls dry air over…
https://blog.daneurope.org/en_US/blog/are-full-face-snorkeli...
This actually sounds really fun and makes me feel nostalgic for the 90s
> stoves You'll pry my gas range from my cold, dead hands
Gas stoves creates high amounts of indoor pollution. The amount of pollution gas stoves creates inside are often illegal outside, the US doesn't have indoor pollution standards. Children living in homes with gas stoves are 40% more likely to develop asthma for example, according to some studies. Other studies have it closer to 10%. Anyway, it's clear that indoor gas combustion isn't advisable from a health perspectiv…
And no asthma has found or correlated in Europe.
With pollution around industry, cars and wastes, yes.
Gas stoves? that sounds tacky as worst.
> Fresh Guacamole can be easily bought due to pressure pasteurization Where do I find this? I tried this spring and summer but couldn't find guacamole that doesn't spoil within a day or two, especially after being opened, which is too soon to be practical.
As far as prices go, seems like Walmart has them at $4.89 for 6 mini cups (12oz total or 340g) or a large single package of 15oz/425g for $4.98. An average avocado weighs 136 grams without the pit or skin according to the USDA. Let's say 1/5th of the total weight of avocado flesh you buy is spoiled in some way (too stringy, too hard, spoiled etc.) At $1.25 per avocado and 20% spoilage, the large single package of Wholly Guacamole and the avocado are nearly the same price. Various sources claim that the average US avocado price is around $2 but when I buy them myself I usually get them around $1; I suppose if you're paying more it's an even better value.
So, looks like a good value in addition to saving on spoilage. My only worry would be the plastic waste, but I can't seem to find what the containers are made out of and if those are recyclable.
To me, the article seems panglossian ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candide ). Some of the "upsides" (e.g. improvements in patent regime) just aren't there. Some aren't as wonderful as they are described. I'm in my mid-sixties; I'm very much a candidate for the "things were better in the old days" brigade. But I do think many (most?) things have improved. Housing is better; healthcare is immeasurably better (unless…
Before 90's US was in permanent war just as well. It was called the Cold War. So that one downside is actually non-existent - from "before" vs. "today" point of view.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What property of the gas range do you most enjoy? I have recently swapped gas for induction and it dropped my meal prep time by 20~30% because I'm not standing around waiting for pans to get hot anymore. If I was big into wok cooking, I'd probably keep the gas range. 99% of the time I just want to get a pan to 500F or boil a pot of water ASAP.
The fact that I was able to continue feeding my family hot food in the freezing cold 72-hour blackout in Texas! Big plus. Electric or induction will never win me over unless I somehow end up in a house with a Powerwall.
I have a cheap 1500w portable induction cooktop I used for this exact purpose. On the lowest setting, it only pulls ~300W AC, so you can run it on the smallest of generators or portable power stations without any problems.
I have a 12,500W generator as well that could easily run my main induction range, but I reserved loading on this for making sure the furnace blower was moving. Didn't want to play games with fuel supply at the time.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/
Oh my! Poor white people. White people live on average 77 years white black people live 72 years on average. The HORROR! The white man's burden to have more money and live longer! Truly the catastrophe of the 21st century.
"Having it easy," is about class not race. Making it about race is a political motive to divide the lower and middle class to keep the status quo. You might thing what you are doing is virtuous, but it's just maintaining the status quo for all races in the middle and lower class.
Go visit Appalachia. Wanna see poor of all races, go visit just about anywhere outside a city / metropolitan area.
I often ask people: “if you could be 20-years old in 1991 or 2021, which would you pick?” An incredible number of people pick ‘91. Some people even ask to go back to the seventies. This article explains why I would much rather be young now rather than before.
I'll take 91. I get to experience all the exciting personal computing technology again before it all becomes web appliances and dark patterns. Back when the internet, if you could get it, was a place of wonder instead of terror.
Young adults in 2021 are hopelessly trying to outrun that time they tweeted a slur when they were 12.