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Rat  ·  4349 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Tarantino Unchained

It took a little bit too much narrative and wordplay to make his point. I wasn't really sold when I read the final line.

Rat  ·  4349 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Experiment: What's YOUR most controversial opinion, Hubski?

As far as more optimal things go, the critics of my stance have a valid point. Alternatives are limited. But that does not mean they do not exist and it does not mean that they are even vastly different. I think that a model based on capitalism would be best for most countries including the US. However I also think that there should be more intervention in markets with regards to how they operate.

But then that's where you need to be careful, while intervention can prevent crises it is suboptimal on the smaller scale environments. I think that the united states needs to seriously consider both more protectionist policies and regulation in markets where competition has stagnated. One of the reasons it is so difficult to do this is that market tend to be as different as the countries that there are in. What works for one area and good might not work for another so there's no sweeping answer to all the questions. Rather, a thousand little ones.

Personally, I think we need to start with heavy industry. While it's true it is difficult for us to complete with the cheap unskilled labor of many countries I think markets exist both domestically and abroad for goods in different prices ranges.

The main implication of what I'm saying here, after you muddle through the inbetween, is that countries who do this would see the price of goods increase and level of employment increase. While a dollar would not stretch as far domestically it should not lose value internationally, and as it stands now it is important for America to keep the dollar trustworthy as a denomination to own debt in.

Rat  ·  4352 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Ask Hubski: What is your new years resolution for 2013?

To give more chance to the creative outlets that I've been neglecting.

Rat  ·  4354 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Experiment: What's YOUR most controversial opinion, Hubski?

While I do not discount the fact that oligopolies can be just fine. I also observe that healthier competition should produce more real innovation.

I don't pretend that innovation does not exist and you bring up a good example. The market for personal technology has been evolving (if you don't count the iphone) and that's a good thing. But I would argue that this is largely because differet firms are beginning to dip their hands into the same pot, not becuase of true competition. but because fo the nature of the devices we carry. We have phones with distinct operating systems which access the internet and drive a healthy app market. Suddenly it's not just apple and miscrosoft in the personal tech business. It's apple and microsoft and google and all the phone companies competing, and all of them competing with ISPs (google fiber, verizon hotspots).

Also, its important to point out that while many American firms are innovating. Innovation cannot be the sole driver of an economy. America is relying very heavily on innovation and skilled labor to fuel its economy and these two areas simply don't have the volume needed to fuel the largest economy in the world.

Rat  ·  4355 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Experiment: What's YOUR most controversial opinion, Hubski?

Top Comment of this thread on reddit:

"DAE think Richard Dawkins is a visionary, weed should be legalized, fox news can't be trusted, and women never go for nice guys?!?"

So brave...

I really don't hold too many absolutely off the wall opinions. I suppose my opinions related to the most controversial matters are that I am pro-choice and anti-gun control. Actually TBH I know what people don't like when I say it.

I think that a pure capitalist market is both ineffective in the long-run and unrealistic given the current trends and realities of globalization. While free-market strategies can be valuable in seeking innovation and the blossoming of both new technologies and new firms specializing in those technologies, reality teaches us that capitalism has led to oligopoly situations in essentially every imaginable market.

These oligopolies are good at producing dollar flow but are not optimal for the everyman. They do not provide the maximum amount of bang-for-buck to consumers because they do not have to compete with anyone is any real fashion. They just buy up new technologies and conduct competition through patent wars. And they are providing a far less than optimal job environment due to the ease in which they can outsource jobs and selectively hire/fire workers domestically. It is depressing to both total hirees and average wages around the globe. There are more optimal ways to run our economies than unchecked markets. Especially with regards to dealing with large amounts of "guaranteed" (not really) money as is the case with modern banking.

Rat  ·  4355 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Who's your favorite band that nobody knows about?

Most people don't know Animals as Leaders, I wouldn't really say that nobody knows them but their genre of music is obscure enough that people outside of that scene have never heard of them.

People generally don't know about Baroness

#animalsasleaders #baroness #rat

Rat  ·  4355 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How do you discover new music?

Mostly through word of mouth and personal interaction with my friends. A few of my friends are quite versed and a number of them prefer different sorts of styles. Other that that I like to check out bands that play shows with bands that I already know.

Rat  ·  4355 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Your favourite chilled song(s)?

It's not exactly melt-into-the-chair relaxing but if you want to lay around on a hot day and bob your head: Sublime - Summertime

I definitely think that some communities have grown better than others. I frequent r/leagueoflegends, and while the average user is not in tune to how I play or view the game it does a wonderful job of aggregating league content. After all, thats the job of the thing in the first place. I also really don't mind silly content (r/birdswitharms anyone? best sub ever).

Rat  ·  4355 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Top 50 Albums of 2012 (theneedledrop)

Every Time I Die - Ex Lives

Rat  ·  4355 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What are your strengths?

Wonderful quote.

Rat  ·  4355 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What are your most trusted and least trusted news sources?

Al Jazeera English if I hear about something Middle-east related.

NPR for thought stimulation.

Reddit for miscellaneous news.

Rat  ·  4355 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Who are you? - Hubski Demographic Survey

I'd really like it if this included the sort of content each user wants.

If you want all business all the time I'd suggest subscribing to some print media. I know that sounds facetious but it's really not. I personally enjoy my print subscriptions and they can be very nice.

Rat  ·  4356 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What "little thing" do you always take time to appreciate, Hubski?

I like to learn something new or take care of something on my mind while I do it. Maybe pay a bill or read a wikipedia article.

Rat  ·  4356 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What is the greatest song that ive probably never heard?

Haha maybe it is. Lets give me the benefit of the doubt here in tagging only the band name. Difficult to refer to them in general eloquently with the "the" sometimes.

Rat  ·  4356 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: AskHubski: What are your favorite movies?

Saving Private Ryan has been my favorite movie for a very long time now.

Rat  ·  4356 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What's the best (and/or most interesting) piece of advice you've ever heard?

I've been told that I'm good at giving advice. Some relate that I'm wise beyond my years and others say that I'm very sharp in picking up how they feel.

While I appreciate these sentiments I don't not find myself to be remarkably wise or empathetic. My secret is this: I do a very good job on picking up what it is you'd like to be told and why. What your options are, and how you came to your conclusions. It's not that I completely discount my own opinion in certain matters but when people ask me what I think they are really asking me about themselves, not me.

To expand on that last sentence, what most people don't realize about advice is that good advice is not opening up new doors to the listener. They must find the doors themselves (believe me I've tried, people must find them themselves). Giving advice is nudging in them in the direction of the correct door. Sometimes the correct door will open up others, sometimes the correct door is objective. But giving advice is about focusing the mind of the listener. If you can tune into the certain conflict a person is having and identify the options they consider valid then you have all the tools you need to give advice.

I would liken it to being a mediator in a conversation between the listener... and themselves. You are granting their inner voices credence and validation, not offering your own.

Also, I dig your name ;)

Rat  ·  4356 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What is the greatest song that ive probably never heard?

If you're familiar with music in general I'm sure you've even heard of them. Their music has seen play on the radio and in popular media. They aren't my favorite band but they're very solid. They aren't underrated as everyone who listens to them acknowledge how good they are, but they just aren't the sort of main stream band that appeals to everyone.

The Deftones - Knife Party

It's like a wild trip bundled up into a song. I like how they can blend the heaviness with such an ethereal feel. The song borders from catchy and almost radio-friendly to lilting and strung out gasps to outright screams of terror and and anticipation. #Deftones #getfilthy #rat

Rat  ·  4356 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Where are/did you going to college?

The University of Utah. #Utes

Rat  ·  4356 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What "little thing" do you always take time to appreciate, Hubski?

The aesthetic of both the color scheme and flowing ballet of fluid dynamics of cream into a cup of coffee.

Steam from the top and the anticipation of that first sip. The smell. The delirium of a new morning and maybe even the warmth of heater on my pajamas.

Maybe I'm in a restaurant, the chaos of the talking customers and rushing waitstaff projecting a stark contrast to the act of simply mixing a perfect cup of coffee.

I can say with certainty that whether I've just woken up at home next to someone I love. Or I'm in a shit restaurant in Las Vegas hung over, shirt on backwards, a stripper's number written on my forehead, jammed into a seat in a building with dozens of other people I'll never know. I always enjoy my cup of coffee. The experience from beginning to finish is almost a meditation for me. #coffee

Honestly I think this site can do very well even with an influx of people. I'm very new here but to me it seems very obvious that filtering content is very within reach even to a newbie. And as users grow content will multiply and diversify without necessarily cluttering your personal view. Not only would it benefit this site to have more people, I think that it's absolutely necessary for it to be used to its full potential as a concept.

A Theoryofreddit post led me here. I've been a redditor for nearly three years and unlike others I'm not entirely unsatisifed with reddit at all.

Many have expressed dismay in the fact that insightful comments get buried while one-sentence karma-grabs end up at the top of every thread. While I'm somewhat unhappy with this as well, I also am not particularly interested in grabbing karma or being a power-user. I can browse for the good comments myself.

Regarding content, most voice negative opinion on reddit's default pages. That's fine, but for me it's been about specific subreddits that interest me for at least the last two years of my tenure there. I don't need to browse the front page because I go to subreddits that aggregate the the specific content I want.

I don't need to waste my time wading through the imgur posts on the front page (which really aren't as bad as many make them out to be) because I go straight to where I want to. And if a new subject piques my interest I find the subreddit for it and peruse.

I think users of reddit should spend some time on focusing their browsing habits. The best part of the site is its sub communities. And no matter the point to which the website matures thoughtful content can thrive in these places.

I Checked this place out a little and I'm excited about how the community has a potential to evolve. I'm not aware of a concept that works exactly like this and I think that the elements of twitter and reddit together could potentially make for a great website. #reddit #newuser #hubski #Rat