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ao  ·  2749 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What should teenagers spend their time doing?

I don't think this applies exclusively to high school. This is good life advice in general.

Sorry, this comment is private.
ao  ·  3151 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 134th Weekly "Share Some Music You've Been Into Lately" Thread

Masterpiece.

ao  ·  3151 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Do you guys ever wonder how others TRULY perceive the world?

I feel like the only person who we will truly ever know is ourselves. The images we project towards people aren't ones who truly reflect who we are, and in a way, creates a double persona.

    We all present modified outward images, sometimes because people haven't earned the right to look closely at us, sometimes because we don't want to worry them, sometimes because we want people to associate us with fun times and not problems...
ao  ·  3158 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Where Did You Wake Up Today?

Hungover, in my dorm. Realizing you slept too much and have a ton of work to do is not the greatest feeling. Now I'm sipping coffee and reading hubski. Should be a great day :).

ao  ·  3162 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Turkish Casino: Gambling of the Future

I like what dsjoerg said on Hacker News

    I like the general idea — gamblers can do useful work for society — but one area that needs improvement is the kind of things that the participants will be betting on.

    "IBM wants to offer the minimum amount that the candidate will accept," however the gamblers are not asked to figure that out, instead the "entire wager pool is awarded to the Turks who had the closest answers [to what IBM actually offered]".

    Thus the smart gambler tries to figure out not what the candidate would accept, but what IBM is likely to offer. At this point the prediction market does not predict what the candidate will accept, but what IBM will offer.

    One might be able to construct a prediction market where the gamblers incentive is to identify the lowest number the candidate would accept, but this is not it.

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ao  ·  3165 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What are your favorite films with non linear narratives?

Thanks! This is exactly what I'm looking for, films that require time and effort to completely understand. It's also in the same vein as the films I mentioned above.

ao  ·  3167 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Post-Capitalism Has Begun

    If we want to escape this current rut and truly join the future society that we are starting to see sparks of on the internet, and that this author wishes to be a reality, we must enact social policies that enable lower class individuals to seek higher education without the risk of crushing debt and without having to sacrifice feeding themselves or keeping themselves healthy.

Great point. The privatization of higher education and profit incentives create a toxic environment where people feel like they have to do something which will get them a job, putting the economic incentives ahead of the educational ones. And who can blame them? 100k of debt is a huge mountain to overcome and severely limits the abilities of a young generation. A good first step would be providing a cheap (or free) education/healthcare system which would incentivize education and economic advancement (with no debt). Only then would we see more people pursuing careers and educations that interested them.

As for the anti-intellectualism perpetuating youth culture, I feel that it is a problem that cannot be overcome quickly. It is a longterm game where change is slow and meticulous. This does not mean that there cannot be change in the broad social spectrum. We don't need everyone to be an engineer, or mathematician to move forward as a society. The issues just have to be brought to the forefront so people can become aware of change and the future. If more people become aware and conscious of the world around them, change is bound to happen, it is just a matter of getting the ideas out there and acting upon them.

ao  ·  3167 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Post-Capitalism Has Begun

I find this idea of post-capitalism fascinating. We can already see early stages of this taking place, especially with the explosion of the Internet. Automation is practically inevitable, we just have to overcome the social/political obstacles that will result from not having to work for a living.

    Postcapitalism is possible because of three major changes information technology has brought about in the past 25 years. First, it has reduced the need for work, blurred the edges between work and free time and loosened the relationship between work and wages. The coming wave of automation, currently stalled because our social infrastructure cannot bear the consequences, will hugely diminish the amount of work needed – not just to subsist but to provide a decent life for all.

Anyone else eager to see such change happening? It's small steps, but at least its there.

ao  ·  3168 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Cables released by WikiLeaks show a Saudi Obsession with Iran

I find it interesting how American politicians are hesitant with diplomacy with Iran, yet make no remark to our relations to Saudi Arabia.

ao  ·  3175 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Movies Are About to Start Coming Out On DVD Way Earlier

How popular are DVDs now a days? I haven't used a DVD in years due to the Internet.

ao  ·  3175 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Hubski Haiku: Based on your day today --

Oh, why did I drink

So much alcohol last night.

I had lots of fun

ao  ·  3176 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How can I begin the self study of Philosophy?

Thanks for the response! I realized I would probably need sufficient background to tackle to tougher works, which will be done in time.

ao  ·  3176 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The Clinton Campaign Is Afraid of Bernie Sanders - The Atlantic

I feel that more people would agree with what he has to say if he was recognized widely. Which, unfortunately, is a bit of a paradox. The fact that republican voters are coming out in support of Sanders (a socialist) says A TON about the ideas he has. It is almost as if he respects the ideals put forth by democracy and wants to genuinely represent his constituents as the leader of the free world.

ao  ·  3190 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why Don’t the Poor Rise Up?

Oops. My bad, I'll edit that in.

ao  ·  3190 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why Don’t the Poor Rise Up?

“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” -J̶o̶h̶n̶ ̶S̶t̶e̶i̶n̶b̶e̶c̶k̶

Edit: John actually did not say this, thanks backtoyoujim. I don't think it takes anything away from the message however.

ao  ·  3191 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How did you learn programming?

Wow! Fantastic response! Seriously, responses like these are as motivating as it gets for someone who practically knows nothing on the subject. I believe this will be more than enough to get started.

ao  ·  3191 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How did you learn programming?

    That having been said, it might be easier to learn a little bit of programming first without trying to also create something, then later after you feel comfortable you can start trying to apply it.

This seems like the ideal way to start. Great response! I appreciate it.

ao  ·  3191 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How did you learn programming?

Awesome, I'll take a look at it. I figure I should just jump straight in and try and create something. Learning by doing seems to be the best way to do it, with book references and google of course.

Isn't this exactly what the FCC set out to prevent with Net Neutrality? The ISPs have no regard for their customers or rules imposed on them (that is till profits get slashed).

ao  ·  3200 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why are you what you are politically?

I'm young and idealistic. 2016 will be my first year voting and I'm not particularly looking forward to it. I agree with shibbotech, that the political machine in the US will probably not change in the next 20 years. The only person I can actually see myself voting for next year is Bernie Sanders. If he does not make it, it will come down to choosing between the lesser of two evils.

ao  ·  3200 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Symposium by Plato

"They say you die twice. Once when you stop breathing and the second, a bit later on, when somebody mentions your name for the last time."

Plato's, like some others, is going to be around for awhile.

ao  ·  3201 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Harnessing the sun with the blackest paint in the world

Now really is the time to abandon the "oil standard" and move more into solar power, as well as other renewable sources.

ao  ·  3201 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What is your job, hubski?

What path did you take towards a job like that? I'm a math major and I'm exploring my possibilities.

ao  ·  3202 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Let's talk about Wes Anderson and the hype...

Wow! Thanks for the fantastic response! You just opened up my world on the subject.

ao  ·  3202 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Let's talk about Wes Anderson and the hype...

    But I have no idea why the general public seems to think of him as one of the best directors out there, because there are hundreds more talented and interesting than he (opinion)

Who would you recommend?

ao  ·  3202 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How Scandinavian Countries Pay for Their Government Spending

I honestly do not see how the US (given its current political state) can even come close to operating like Scandinavian countries within the next 10-15 years. While its refreshing to see these topics come up in mainstream media, especially with the come up of Bernie Sanders, the US is too constrained politically and socially to even give these ideas thought.