I’m also on Mastodon as https://hachyderm.io/@BoydStephenSmithJr .

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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: October 2nd, 2023

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  • I found that systemd actually simplified all the things I was doing on sysvinit. BUT, I did hold out until Debian testing stopped supporting sysvinit, and I think waiting gave me a better experience.

    With X11 -> Wayland, the main thing holding me back finding a tiling compositor that will work under Plasma and is packaged for Debian and the learning at least the basics. My XMonad configuration isn’t that special, but I’m really quite used to not having to re-arrange my own windows, and being able to move/resize/refocus all with the home row and modifier keys. So, I’m probably going to wait until Debian testing ships a Plasma that doesn’t support X11, and have to do some learning then.


  • When two persons/groups choose to use the same label, it becomes harder for anyone external to differentiate them easily.

    Calling the people that confuse the two as “irrational” and bigoted isn’t going to clarify anything, and will likely cause them to assume you are not allied with them.

    Dismissing people who have concerns that those confusions might be used by bad actors is just gross naivete.

    But, certainly, restricting the political power (or human rights) of a particular based on their chosen labels–even if those labels are confusing–when they espouse tolerant views and act in tolerant ways IS bigoted.

    The closest analog I can some up with is “Catholic”. If you just use that label, I think I am justified in assuming you do not value bodily autonomy (particular of women), and are therefore not a tolerant member of society. I’d certainly welcome a “Catholic” that makes it clear they reject intolerant Catholic dogma, but the existence of tolerant "Catholic"s does make it easier for intolerant Catholics to acquire and use political power. Of course, “Muslim” and “Islam” don’t come with quite as formal an organization or consistent a dogma, so it’s even more confusing.


  • Restricting the political power (ability to run in, and win elections) of someone because they are Muslim is Islamophobic. So, I’d say this tweet is Islamophobic, since it seems to be advocating for that action.

    I understand the fear of violence from people that justify their violence in religion, particularly (but not exclusively) Islam. But, we have to be very careful with restricting political power based on mere label-sharing.





  • I do it for “selfish” reasons, but not those. I want the carts in their corrals so they don’t damage my car and are in a well-known location when I want/need to use them. So, I do the work needed to make that world, and not just the minimum.

    I also have to recognize that not everyone has the ability to return the cart, and so while/when I have that ability, I should return at least a few carts that aren’t “mine”.




  • Sometimes strikes have better worker protections than mass quitting.

    Also, usually besides “not doing the work”, strikes usually involve engaging in some practices (e.g. picket lines) to prevent or inhibit anyone else from “doing the work”. That’s not true of mass quitting.

    I’ve never been in a position where I could earn a pension. But, vestment of employer contributions to my 401k used to be contingent on years of continuous employment. Quitting and being rehired would have resulted in losing all funds that hadn’t yet vested.

    But, yes, mass quitting is an option, particularly when legal and union protections are little or non-existent.


  • My parents would say you just haven’t been hungry enough. Their parents lived through the great depression. I wouldn’t know, but I hear people are having to make food/medicine trade offs, which seems more dire than flavor/texture preference tradeoffs.

    That said, I don’t know a protein source that’s as available and cheap as beans, but you might try insects if cheap is the priority or poultry if availability is your priority.

    You can buy a large bag of frozen vegetable blend and steam it fairly simply. You can either steam single serving and keep the rest frozen OR steam the whole bag in bulk, and refrigerate for up to a week, reheating single servings as you need them.

    Best of luck.




  • I have always hated soaking beans, which is why the Instant Pot has been one of the single greatest cooking inventions I have ever used.

    Exactly why I bought mine. Any pressure cooker will do. Beans (red, pinto, or black) 1 : 2 with water for 40 minutes, followed by natural release. I use roughly a pint of dried beans (1lb bag, then topped up out of a mixed-beans bag), to get 9 large servings.

    I also do quinoa in the same cooker 1 : 5/4 with water (or sub up to half the water with stock) for 0 minutes (just bring up to high pressure), followed by natural release. I use 3 cups dry to make 9 servings.

    Depending on your spice budget, you might feel like you are getting more by applying right before eating. But, if you want the spice flavors to permeate the beans, it’s best to add them to the pot and warm them just a bit with the saute setting before adding the beans (or quinoa/rice/grains) and water.

    If you eat meat, miscut ham is also a good addition to the beans before cooking – they will share lipids and flavors.

    I use nooch as a topping for mine, to try to keep it vegan, but what I really like is a Mexican shredded cheese blend.






  • I think co-ops are the way to go, but I can understand that someone “just” wanting to purchase the good/service might not see the difference between a co-op and corporation like Amazon.

    I don’t think it’s a size issue really, but co-ops generally stay smaller in part due to how they are internally organized compared to a “median” corporation.

    I also think that the government actually does a pretty good job at managing things; it’s just their failures are public. Private boondoggles might drive many people into bankruptcy, but they aren’t publicized any more than absolutely necessary.