@ambulocetus@qoto.org
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

ambulocetus

@ambulocetus@qoto.org

Nemo me impune lacessit

Voted Best Psychic Of 2026

Non-practicing intellectual

https://www.metafilter.com/user/99809

Certified freak, seven days a week.

謙虚だが弱くはない、自信に満ちているが誇りに思っていない、神秘的だが不魔法ではない

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ambulocetus, to random
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar
idoubtit, to random
@idoubtit@mstdn.social avatar

My Dad has super high blood pressure and worries too much. He also won’t stop watching the news. I don’t know what I can do to break his bad habits that make this problem worse.

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@idoubtit Some people get a sense of identity and feelings of belonging from certain TV networks or political factions. Taking that away from them must be done slowly and gently, or else it may feel to them like an attack. Can you find a substitute to replace his News addiction? Or maybe take him on a trip away from social media and TV. There's a podcast called "you are not so smart" that talks about cognition and psychology that may give you some ideas.

ambulocetus, to random
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

There once was a man from peru
Whose limericks stopped at line two

jeffjarvis, to random
@jeffjarvis@mastodon.social avatar

The Times manages to insult Joe Biden, everybody over 65, and the intelligence of its entire audience all at once. Surprise: Old people are too smart to vote for a fascist. Imagine that.
How ‘All in the Family’ Explains Biden’s Strength Among Seniors https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/04/06/upshot/older-voters.html?pvid=r27YtBsbsWNeyZqBkHGX8W0P&ugrp=c&smid=tw-share

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@jeffjarvis These days, when I see a link to NYT, it's the same as seeing a link to Fox "News" to me.

GeraldKutney, to climate
@GeraldKutney@noc.social avatar

I am often asked if I still have hope to stop the .

I tell them hope has nothing to do with it ... we must stop the .

People don't seem to realize this ... this is a global crisis that will be addressed out of necessity ... the question is when.

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@GeraldKutney I don't know how it's going to play out, but I'm fairly certain it will get ugly before it's over. I'm glad I'll be dead in 20 years or less.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Might be possible to reach some of the weabo nerds obsessed with the superiority of Japan by educating them on the history of labor (not all labor, but some) has been supported & respected in governing institutions & granted access to power.

To this day Japan's government provides remarkable support for "Traditional Japanese Crafts" (there is of course controversy about what properly fits in that category)

But, that's WHY so many Japanese goods are just better made. We could do it too.

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@tanepiper @futurebird It goes hand-in-hand with the War On Education started by Reagan with his "School Reform Agenda". They play the Long Game, and it seems to be effective.

StillIRise1963, to random
@StillIRise1963@mastodon.world avatar

I know we were all traumatized by Covid and still are, but we really need to remember all the things the Trump administration did to us at the beginning of the pandemic. They took away PPE from Blue states, tried to hoard it for themselves or make money selling it to states, wanted to use herd immunity when they saw Black people were dying disproportionately and did a genocide, didn't care about the lives of front line workers, seniors, children or teachers, got people to stop using masks...

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@StillIRise1963 Don't forget all the small business "loans" that went to huge mega-churches instead of small businesses.

compost, to random
@compost@regenerate.social avatar

Finally did the first mowing of the season today.

We have an entirely manual push lawnmower, no gas or electrical, it is nice because it does not make any noise and you don't have to pay anything to use it.

It is a simple system of chop and drop that allows the clippings to be dropped where it is mowed.

The first grass clippings are always nice to use in a hot compost pile. I like to mix, fall leaves and wood chips, grass clippings, and worm compost.

You sure don't eat the grass but you can compost it to make your own fertilizer.

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@compost I have a push mower too, and it was great for my small yard. But I'm slowly replacing the grass with native ground-covers, and that made it a little more difficult to use, so I got a Ryobi electric mower.
Now if only they could make an electric snow-blower with enough power...

ambulocetus, to random
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

When I moved, I had to decide whether or not to get rid of my encyclopedia. I tried to sell it, but nobody wanted it, and it was too nice to throw away. Now that AI and fake news destroyed the internet, I am so glad I kept it. I am going back to books printed on paper. The Web is only for email, cute cats, or a music video.

StillIRise1963, to random
@StillIRise1963@mastodon.world avatar

I don't want to see any more TV dramas about cops. That genre is over.

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@StillIRise1963 The only cop show I watch is reruns of Columbo. He always arrests rich ass-holes, and he never fires a gun. In other words, total fantasy.

ambulocetus, to random
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar
LeftistLawyer, to philosophy
@LeftistLawyer@kolektiva.social avatar

A little similarity observation :

I'm a very kinda lawyer in a very rightist kinda region.

In meeting with clients over the years, I note that they often like to talk about politics. I'm not entirely sure why. Some, perhaps do so to "feel out" whether I'm their type of attorney. Some maybe think lawyers have some deeper political insight due to their connection to the law. I don't know. I just know it happens with great regularity.

And being a leftist in an extremely rightist world, you can imagine my discomfort.

Fortunately, I've found a strategy that seems to allow me to bond with clients no matter how rightwhackadoodle they seem. Are you ready for it?

/1

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@LeftistLawyer Everyone reading this thread can do this. I'm not a lawyer, but I am a small business owner, and I do much the same thing. If they think you are one of them, (or at least don't suspect you of being not one of them) it's much easier to evoke reflection. Facts and logic only provoke the Backfire Effect in them, so if we want to get them to a more rational place, we need to adjust our strategies.

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@LeftistLawyer There is a difference between a Leftist brain and a Rightest brain. They see things differently and respond to things differently. But some people are trying to use every trick they can think of to make that divide wider and wider. It's a complicated issue, and there is much to say, but my feeling is that unless we can start to change some minds, their side will keep growing and ours will keep shrinking.
With all the election doubt and gerrymandering and other dirty tricks, we will certainly need to win at least some of them over or our numbers may not be enough..
Sun Zi said "treat them well, and you can add their chariots to your own."

ambulocetus, to random
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar
StillIRise1963, to random
@StillIRise1963@mastodon.world avatar

Before millions died in WWII, they were just like you. Living their lives, seeing friends and family, going to work. Things can change very quickly.

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@darnell @mastodonmigration @StillIRise1963 They are going to cheat. They will do everything they accuse us of doing. Voting might not be enough. Many Republican voters are absolutely the worst people, but there are some who are merely deeply misinformed. When the only place they obtain information is Facebook and Fox News, it's impossible to make informed decisions. Some minds can be changed, and we have methods that they didn't in the 30s and 40s. Methods of helping those who can be helped. Methods like Motivational Interviewing, Street Epistemology, and Deep Canvassing. Not everyone can do these, but some people are naturals at it. If we don't change the minds that are changeable, it could get really ugly.

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@annietime @darnell @mastodonmigration @StillIRise1963 That's still better than the alternative. Let them riot. That means more of them go to prison. We can't give in to fear, because that's what they want. Never do what your enemy wants you to do.

ambulocetus, to random
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ambulocetus, to random
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

The "Good Cop, Bad Cop" trick is a popular technique because it works even when you know they are doing it. The contrast between the 2 operators makes the less extreme one look mild in comparison, even though they would appear anything but mild in another context. But it doesn't work only with police. It can take the form of "good pope, bad pope" or "good Supreme Court Justice, bad Supreme Court Justice", or even "good media outlet, bad media outlet". Now that you are aware of this trick, you will see it everywhere.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

:: When broadcast media from Earth reached these aliens, due to their unique psychology, they did not react as we might have anticipated. They failed to understand (they could not imagine) that the strange sounds & images were produced by some other kind of life— some other group of thinking beings like themselves, but different. Another culture that lived in their own way somewhere else. No. The aliens understood our media to be their own. They assumed it was for and about them. 1/

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@futurebird @Altreus Not many science fiction novels from 1952 still hold up these days, but The City by Clifford Simak certainly does. It features a civilization of ants, and I can't tell you more without spoilers, but it is definitely an under appreciated classic. If there is one book mentioned here today that you simply must find, it is this one. The audio-book will keep you enthralled, if you can find that format.

ambulocetus, to random
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futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

There is a new CPBBD up. He mentions ant seed dispersal and there is a shot with a bunch of butterflies. No ant cameos sadly.

There is a turtle shell. But the best part are the baby cactus.

As always he's way too excited by drought tolerant agave family plants.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzJfn4R4TRg

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@futurebird Love that show. His accent reminds me of home.

LibertyForward1, to random

I've said it before and I'll say it again; why can't anyone wear a hairnet on cooking shows?

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@LibertyForward1 I didn't have my glasses on, and I thought you said "helmet" instead of "hairnet", and I was like "yea, full contact kitchen!"

ambulocetus, to random
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

Film idea: A re-telling of the Jesus Story, but told in the style of Rashomon with each account giving a very different perspective of the events. All with complete faithfulness to the source material, so that the religious can't accuse us of shenanigans.

jeffowski, to random
@jeffowski@mastodon.world avatar

#NoBillionaires

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@jeffowski It's great that anti-billionaire sentiments are getting more common, but talk without action is potentially counter-productive. The more we "telegraph" our intentions, the more they will fund the increase in fascism to keep us so busy fighting for survival, that we don't have time to "eat the rich".

StillIRise1963, to random
@StillIRise1963@mastodon.world avatar

The press worldwide are using the word "libertarian" to describe a FASCIST in Argentina.

ambulocetus,
@ambulocetus@qoto.org avatar

@StillIRise1963 Words don't mean what they mean anymore, words mean what they tell us they mean.

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