Zink @ Zink @programming.dev

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2,134

Joined

2 yr. ago

Do rich Republican donors really support this crap?

Even if we ignore the whole “give a shit about humans” thing, have the parasites that rely on exploiting the labor of others for their existence looked at birth rates in the developed world lately? Fighting over a shrinking labor pool generally means they can demand higher wages. They should be welcoming every person who will voluntarily move here.

And the rank and file useful idiots might want to think about any sliver of a chance they have to get things like social security.

Don’t forget national forest loggers!

Throw something like Mint on their old laptops and they may not need new ones at all!

Unless they don’t have current ones, then ignore me, lol.

They probably care less about whether it is true, and more about whether they can get their buy in before everybody else.

That’s such a nice thing about Linux and FOSS in general. The issues you run into are different than what you may be used to with Windows, but at least the system and its developers aren’t working against you.

Heck yeah. Once in installed Mint on my PC at home, it was only a matter of weeks before I double checked my backed up files and nuked my windows partition.

I still have the windows partition at work that I never use, and I have heard some bad stories about machines getting wiped when IT upgrades people to win11, so it might just have a little accident in its sleep.

Yeah, work is where they get you. I’m fortunate to be able to use Linux at work too, but the company is still paying for my M365 account which I use in a browser for meetings and communication.

This year presents a big opportunity for many of us to get user friendly Linux distros on family members’ PCs that are currently running win10 and not able to upgrade to 11.

I’m already a Linux Mint fan so that’s right where I’m headed.

The Enola Gay becomes the Elon Straight!

Or, to be the correct amount of condescending and dehumanizing, the “Elon Normal.”

Yeah of course, it is by definition coping. Zero disagreement from me. But from my perspective of trying to find practical ways to achieve a fulfilling existence, good coping strategies can be a very positive thing. Bad shit will always be there, and we all have our own unique collections of it and unique internal reactions to it.

And the spirit of this from me is to encourage others to explore what’s possible, not to say “you should X.” We all have unique minds going through unique life experiences, so it would be silly for me to try to lay out some kind of roadmap to happiness like I know you (or any other people who might read this).

It took me several years to get my head to where it is now, and that includes ongoing medication. My goal is to help others however I can, so whether that is by providing possible techniques or just convincing them that a better existence might be possible, I will take whatever I can get. Incremental improvements are a good thing, even if tiny.

And indeed a big part of that is to explore what restrictions and burdens we place upon ourselves. If people in way worse conditions than us are happy, and people in way better positions than us are miserable, there must be some wiggle room where we can find a better outcome given our own unique inputs.

I found a lot of inspiration in the philosophy of the stoics and Buddhists, plus Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. That doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you to be stoic and control your emotions, because that would be some ignorant shit. But I think there’s a general idea there that’s worth encouraging others to consider, that you may be able to pilot your brain through the craziness of life in a way that suits you better.

And like I think I said before, the “decide to be happy” platitude is important but it is only the first baby step of a long journey. Genuinely changing your emotional state is not just a simple decision, but it may be possible over an extended period of time if you are consciously working towards it and making small beneficial decisions over and over.

If I may end with another platitude that is way easier said than done, we have to play the hand we’re dealt. Not because there’s anything good about that plan, and not because that is fair, but because that is reality. I found it difficult to find contentment with my life while also wishing my life was something else. And I know that probably sounds negative and discouraging as text on a screen, but think of it more like putting your effort towards practical improvements and not wasting your energy dwelling on things you cannot change or on the inherent unfairness of life. That includes acknowledging your privilege along with accepting your burdens.

I hope something in there made sense to somebody!

the crash itself doesn't make anyone's life any better

The monopoly guy has entered the chat

Glad to have any good vibes we can get!

What I had in mind while making that comment was past stories of establishments putting blue light bulbs in their bathrooms to make it harder to find veins. :/

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/03/756976676/blue-lights-may-deter-intravenous-drug-use-in-public-spaces

Hey now, try to see the silver lining: Since we underpay our teachers and then also expect them to spend their own money on supplies and beg the class parents for the rest, that means SOME of the teachers are still there because they're passionate about it!

My son is in 2nd grade and we have had some great luck with teachers so far, but we are not a very "at risk" school district compared with the average.

Maybe some people want to stick their heads in the sand so badly, and others want to cover it up so much, that it requires a horrific image to break through the barriers and burn itself into people's minds.

Seriously this. I've been to other places that have it figured out (Sweden in my case) and it is better in every possible way.

Well, unless you are a landlord who wants the up-front construction costs of the restrooms to be as cheap as possible regardless of how it will affect the decades of use. Or if you live in a country with no healthcare and can't let people have privacy in the restroom because you're afraid they'll OD in there.

OMG, the president made a decision that set us back and hurt us? Stop the presses!

Yeah, it is harming humanity in many many more ways than a bunch of single people's relationship status.

It could be, but I imagine that a lot of nice lonely guys are suffering the consequences of the assholes that embody the first three steps.

That’s one reason I threw in “to the extent that you can control it” because sometimes bad shit just happens.

But for what it’s worth, between 2019 and now I’ve had three financial disasters and my financial picture is way worse than it was. Debt free with emergency savings, used that up on a mess with the house, then lost my job twice over the Covid years after having been at the same place 15 years. But I’m also on the other side of it all where I have a job I like and I can start to rebuild.

But I also have a family and a ton of animals, so I’ve been holding all of that close. I wish you well!