Odysseus's recent activity
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Comment on Tiny electric trucks are coming to a bike lane near you in ~transport
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Comment on Tiny electric trucks are coming to a bike lane near you in ~transport
Odysseus Link ParentThat's the thing though, if the number of cyclists go down, they won't make more bike lanes. If anything, in America, I'd guess that those people would end up driving. So limited bike lanes with...That's the thing though, if the number of cyclists go down, they won't make more bike lanes. If anything, in America, I'd guess that those people would end up driving. So limited bike lanes with preference for delivery drivers and the exact same number of car lanes to placate entrenched driving culture. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic. I've never lived in New York, and Japan's kei trucks fill the niche that these cargo bikes fill, so my perspective is limited
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Comment on Tiny electric trucks are coming to a bike lane near you in ~transport
Odysseus Link ParentMy biggest fear in that scenario is that as bike-cargo delivery capacity increases, so will demand, driving the development/allowance of ever bigger bike-trucks, which in turn would discourage...My biggest fear in that scenario is that as bike-cargo delivery capacity increases, so will demand, driving the development/allowance of ever bigger bike-trucks, which in turn would discourage cyclists. In that scenario, instead of giving more space to cyclists, they'll give more priority to small delivery vehicles.
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Comment on Tiny electric trucks are coming to a bike lane near you in ~transport
Odysseus LinkI'm personally not a fan of anything that isn't a bicycle occupying the bike lane. A truck like that is terrible for visibility and seem really annoying to get stuck behind. Unlike cars, bikes are...I'm personally not a fan of anything that isn't a bicycle occupying the bike lane. A truck like that is terrible for visibility and seem really annoying to get stuck behind. Unlike cars, bikes are lucky to get a single lane and clogging them up with pseudo-cars seem like a great way to make bike lines both less usable and less safe. With that said, I live in Japan, where roads are fairly narrow, so maybe it'll work better stateside
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Comment on Japan intervenes after Yen slides against the Dollar in ~finance
Odysseus Link ParentImported inflation is different from domestically driven inflation, and rising commodity prices can restrict the ability of businesses, especially the small and medium sized businesses that make...Imported inflation is different from domestically driven inflation, and rising commodity prices can restrict the ability of businesses, especially the small and medium sized businesses that make up the bulk of japanese jobs, to raise wages. Wages will almost always lag behind inflation, but if inflation outpaces wages by too much, it'll ice consumption again. That's why the BoJ has been so hesitant to raise interest rates despite inflation and pressure from the government. They want to make sure the current inflation is consumption driven and sustainable.
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
Odysseus Link ParentWith the insane amount of homophones Japanese has, trying to divorce the language from the kanji the words originate from would be immensely difficult and would benefit no one except for outsiders...With the insane amount of homophones Japanese has, trying to divorce the language from the kanji the words originate from would be immensely difficult and would benefit no one except for outsiders trying to learn Japanese as a second language.
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Comment on The more I use Linux, the more I hate every distro in ~tech
Odysseus Link ParentI had a similar experience when I left my computer alone for a month. It was a quick fix, but fussing with updates was the reason why I quit using windows. Still, I didn't think the fussing about...I had a similar experience when I left my computer alone for a month. It was a quick fix, but fussing with updates was the reason why I quit using windows. Still, I didn't think the fussing about I had to do on Arch was all THAT difficult or tedious until I switched to void. As much as I miss the convenience of the AUR or the default-ness of systemd, nothing beats out how stable void has been for me. It just hits that sweetspot of stable, up to date, and efficient.
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Comment on What watch do you wear daily? in ~hobbies
Odysseus (edited )Link ParentI've never had any issues with the band pulling at my arm hair, but I'm not a particularly hairy person, so your mileage may vary. Regarding the weight, I've never worn the F91W for any extended...I've never had any issues with the band pulling at my arm hair, but I'm not a particularly hairy person, so your mileage may vary. Regarding the weight, I've never worn the F91W for any extended period of time, so I can't compare directly, but at 44g, it's light enough that I'll forget I'm wearing it (I've both checked my bare wrist thinking I had it on, as well as checked my nightstand forgetting I'd already put it on)
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Comment on What watch do you wear daily? in ~hobbies
Odysseus LinkCasio A158WE.I have a "nicer" watch that I wear depending on the occasion, but most times, the A158WE is the one I reach for in the morning. This stainless steel watch: Can reliably tell the time...Casio A158WE.I have a "nicer" watch that I wear depending on the occasion, but most times, the A158WE is the one I reach for in the morning.
This stainless steel watch:
Can reliably tell the time for (1) time zone.
Can set (1) alarm.
Was purchased on sale for $10
Looks good with almost any outfit
Has a battery life that lasts (7) whole years.
Was only $10
Is very lightweight
Is durable enough
Is water resistant enoughAnd did I mention it was $10? Generally speaking, I only really need two things from a watch. One is to be able to reliably tell the time with little no maintenance, and the other is to look good on my wrist. This watch does both, while giving me peace of mind that should anything ever happen to it, it was only $10
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Comment on небо над головой - Я хотел быть космонавтом (I wanted to be a cosmonaut) (2020) in ~music
Odysseus LinkЯ хотел быть космонавтом (I wanted to be a cosmonaut) I wanted to be a cosmonaut And see what no one has seen I don't think I'll ever be one But the unknown still beckonsЯ хотел быть космонавтом (I wanted to be a cosmonaut)
I wanted to be a cosmonaut
And see what no one has seen
I don't think I'll ever be one
But the unknown still beckons -
небо над головой - Я хотел быть космонавтом (I wanted to be a cosmonaut) (2020)
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Comment on Lil Dicky - Harrison Ave (2024) in ~music
Odysseus Link ParentHe was a comedic rapper before he was on TVHe was a comedic rapper before he was on TV
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Comment on Queen Margrethe II is the first Danish monarch to abdicate in 900 years – but it is just a sign of the times in ~humanities.history
Odysseus (edited )LinkPerhaps it's time nations began to transition away from unnecessary institutions that see the unelected inherit positions of great wealth and power for no other reason than the accident of their...This shift, while upending centuries-old traditions, suggests a more relatable and empathetic view of monarchy, aligning it closer with contemporary values of personal agency
Perhaps it's time nations began to transition away from unnecessary institutions that see the unelected inherit positions of great wealth and power for no other reason than the accident of their birth.
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Comment on Piracy is surging again because streaming execs ignored the lessons of the past in ~tech
Odysseus LinkI'm a fairly lazy guy. When I want to consume content, I'll take the route that seems the most reasonable in regards to cost and effort. I don't really care one way or the other about the profits...I'm a fairly lazy guy. When I want to consume content, I'll take the route that seems the most reasonable in regards to cost and effort. I don't really care one way or the other about the profits of corporations. Not saying that it doesn't matter, just that I personally have not chosen that as one of things I'm particularly invested in.
Payment screens, keeping track of what's on what service, subscription tiers, advertisments, etc. - these are things that get in my way of consuming content.
Searching, downloading, seeding, finding subtitles, organizing, etc - these are also things that get in the way of consuming content.
If the amount of effort it takes to get something legally is greater than pirating, I will pirate it. If the amount of effort it takes to get something legally is equal to pirating, I will pirate.
Right now, I pirate most movies and tv shows I watch, but I pay for Spotify. Video games are mixed bag, but if I need to install an additional launcher, there's a good chance I'm gonna pirate the game.
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Comment on The Kikkoman soy sauce bottle is priceless in ~food
Odysseus Link ParentHuh, that's interesting. Growing up with Japanese soy sauce, I always felt that Chinese soy sauces felt thicker and more aggressive in flavor. I guess it really does come down to what you're used to.Huh, that's interesting. Growing up with Japanese soy sauce, I always felt that Chinese soy sauces felt thicker and more aggressive in flavor. I guess it really does come down to what you're used to.
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Comment on Europe’s coming reckoning on immigration – large-scale immigration is the only thing that can prevent Europe from becoming an empty amusement park in ~misc
Odysseus Link ParentAh, okay. That says the ratio of people over 65 to the working age population will be 74. Not 74% of the total population, but 74 people for every 100 people of working age. That makes a lot more...Ah, okay. That says the ratio of people over 65 to the working age population will be 74. Not 74% of the total population, but 74 people for every 100 people of working age. That makes a lot more sense. Thanks for clearing that up.
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Comment on Europe’s coming reckoning on immigration – large-scale immigration is the only thing that can prevent Europe from becoming an empty amusement park in ~misc
Odysseus Link Parent74% of the population will be above 65 by 2050? That sounds... incredibly high. Do you mind sharing your sources on this one?74% of the population will be above 65 by 2050? That sounds... incredibly high. Do you mind sharing your sources on this one?
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Comment on Have you learned a foreign language as an adult? What did you find effective? in ~humanities.languages
Odysseus LinkI'm a really lazy language learner, and probably not that good at it. I speak pretty decent Japanese, but that's largely a mix of growing up with it and being forced to use it at work. I "tried"...I'm a really lazy language learner, and probably not that good at it. I speak pretty decent Japanese, but that's largely a mix of growing up with it and being forced to use it at work.
I "tried" learning Swedish (one of the easier languages for a native English speaker), in Sweden, dating a girl who taught Swedish to immigrants, and basically got nowhere (though my pronunciation was quite decent supposedly) because I'm terribly inconsistent with effort.
So, I'm very excited that for the first time in my life, I'm making real progress learning Russian via self study using some pirated pimsleur CDs. It's pretty slow, but the focus on pronunciation and the consistent spaced repetition (each lesson rehashes parts of all the previous lessons) means that for a lazy and inconsistent person like me, so long as I do a lesson a day, I'm actually progressing and the things I learn are actually sticking.
Sure, it's limited, and it doesn't teach you to read or write (learning to read Cyrillic took all of an afternoon), but I love that for very little time out of my day, and absolutely no stress, I am making very slow, but steady progress.
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Comment on Pricey Toyota Century SUV and its sliding doors are for young folks, Akio Toyoda says in ~transport
Odysseus LinkIt's not an ugly SUV, but I just don't really know who it's for. It feels too pedestrian to be the flashy sort of thing I could see rich youngsters flocking to, and god knows the vast majority of...It's not an ugly SUV, but I just don't really know who it's for. It feels too pedestrian to be the flashy sort of thing I could see rich youngsters flocking to, and god knows the vast majority of my cohort couldn't afford one anyway. Personally, even if I could afford it, I don't think I'd spend that money on an SUV, but I'm biased.
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Comment on Experiment - Are there any Tildes users in Europe, Asia or Australia/New Zealand who might be interested to meet for a meal or a drink? in ~travel
Odysseus LinkIf for whatever reason, you want to hit up southern Japan, I'd be more than happy to buy you a beer and give you some travel tipsIf for whatever reason, you want to hit up southern Japan, I'd be more than happy to buy you a beer and give you some travel tips
That's where I'm not quite as optimistic as you are. Bike infrastructure is limited as it is. Pushing it to capacity wouldn't take much at all. It's hard to imagine a situation where there's enough political will in the United States to build more bike infrastructure at the expense of car infrastructure. I'd love to be wrong about that.
Don't get me wrong, I agree with the general premise of finding smaller, less dangerous, and more environmentally friendly ways of delivering small transportation loads, but I would hate to see that come at the cost of cyclists. The pessimist in me sees this as leading to bike commuters being squeezed out of the limited bike infrastructure they've fought so hard for.