I Can't Believe It's Not An Index CCXXXIII - Jasdoif's Random Banter #233

[Anonymouswizard]

Its already such a big story that they split it into two movies. And you want them to add a scene where they just sit around complaining about Thanos without advancing the plot or the action?

Not seen the films, but I'm certain they could find a scene that could have such a line agreed. It would add what, 20 seconds?

[Fyraltari]

It's not important to the plot but it's important to the character of Thanos. The main character of Infinity War. It shifts his framing from "extremist" to "killer trying to assuage own guilt by doubling down."

[Peelee]

Its already such a big story that they split it into two movies. And you want them to add a scene where they just sit around complaining about Thanos without advancing the plot or the action?

Wait, those movies had a plot?

[Tvtyrant]

It's not important to the plot but it's important to the character of Thanos. The main character of Infinity War. It shifts his framing from "extremist" to "killer trying to assuage own guilt by doubling down."

I think that implies a difference that isn't there. Anyone morally certain enough to convince themselves killing half of existence is okay is incapable of changing their mind.

If you are trying to convince the audience Thanos is wrong... Having every character in an entire franchise including his daughters (twice each) turn on him and try to stop him is literally the most wholesale rejection you can get

[Jasdoif]

Well if we're into quasi-solutions that call for a crapload of monies....Mine would be heavy research/development/infrastructure for food production, particularly crop yield and long-term viability/storage; until the point where tracking older-but-still-edible food costs more than can be recovered selling it, is high enough that it could cover everyone unable (or unwilling) to buy fresher food. Attacking the poverty level itself, in other words; Once charity is more profitable than sales, and there's enough charity to go around, we're that much closer to food being as accessible as air.

A series of pipe dreams, I admit; but beating down the base level will outlast a one-time injection over of the top of it.

Eh, given we already produce enough food to feed the world the issue is with period who can't what's already there. Therefore e need to increase the resources of those in poverty until everybody has enough to rest and a dog over their head.

Precisely my point...the core problem isn't not making enough, but not being able to get all of it to everyone who needs it. It's a matter of accessibility. And one way of improving accessibility is making it less viable to restrict accessibility...by, say, expanding the amount and longevity enough that the overhead on large-scale control of access on the entire supply is a losing proposition; better for the big companies to get the money on the freshest stuff people will want to pay for, and to get the goodwill donating the rest to localized charities so they don't have the diseconomies of scale from dealing with the volume themselves.

And easier access to food means less resources needing to be expended on food, resources that could then be put towards other necessities of survival.

[Anonymouswizard]

This is like the third time restarting this writing project. At least I can use it as an excuse to go back to the basic idea.

[Rater202]

I've been listening to a lot of Alestorm recently, and the thought occurred to me...

How weird it is that Pirate Metal is a thing. A quick google search says that there are at least 10 bands that do this for the last decade and a half, so this is a proper genre.

Like, I appreciate its existence, but I'd be interested if someone did a historical/cultural survey to try and figure out how that got started.

[Peelee]

I've been listening to a lot of Alestorm recently, and the thought occurred to me...

How weird it is that Pirate Metal is a thing. A quick google search says that there are at least 10 bands that do this for the last decade and a half, so this is a proper genre.

Like, I appreciate its existence, but I'd be interested if someone did a historical/cultural survey to try and figure out how that got started.

Spoiler: Survey says:

Show

For the lolz.

[Bartmanhomer]

I always buy my strawberries and blueberries at the food stand outside the streets because I want to eat healthily and also they're a legitimate business that sells real food also sometimes at the newsstand which I buy soda and candy on rare occasions. These are the two expectations that I will buy something off the street.

[Lacco]

I generally don't buy food from street stands, but there are two exceptions: when the fair comes to town (my hometown had a large one once per year) and coffee from one local company (they keep the stand spotless and use really good blends).

I do not count "official" market stalls into this - I tend to buy fruits and vegetables from them all the time.

How about you people? Do you prefer street stands? Dislike them?

What was the best food you got there? And the greatest nightmare?

[Peelee]

I generally don't buy food from street stands, but there are two exceptions: when the fair comes to town (my hometown had a large one once per year) and coffee from one local company (they keep the stand spotless and use really good blends).

I do not count "official" market stalls into this - I tend to buy fruits and vegetables from them all the time.

How about you people? Do you prefer street stands? Dislike them?

What was the best food you got there? And the greatest nightmare?

I don't live in an area with street food stands. I believe those are limited to more pedestrian-based cities in the US.

[Rater202]

There was a food truck that set up hop in a different place in the tri-city area a few years ago that had some really freaking good poutine, but they closed down a bit ago.

[Fyraltari]

pedestrian-based cities

*Realizes this implied the existance of non-pedestrian based cities*

*Shudders*

[Keltest]

*Realizes this implied the existance of non-pedestrian based cities*

*Shudders*

Its kind of fascinating to see the difference between places that were around before the invention of automobiles, versus those that were specifically built around road access. The US is one of the best places to see this, from my understanding, because some of our major cities either werent around or werent major cities when cars were becoming a thing.

[Rater202]

Bit of trivia: Roads and streets were originally created for foot traffic.

When cars first came around, if a car hit a pedestrian it was assumed that the driver was at fault unless proven otherwise because automobiles were guests on the road.

Then lobbyists got laws changed and basically stole the streets from pedestrians and now it's a crime in most parts of the US for pedestrians to cross the street except in designated places and only if a signal's going.

Few years ago I had to cross the street to get to class and drivers would consistently ignore the crosswalk signal, turning in and out of parking lots. Almost saw a girl get hit.

[Keltest]

Bit of trivia: Roads and streets were originally created for foot traffic.

When cars first came around, if a car hit a pedestrian it was assumed that the driver was at fault unless proven otherwise because automobiles were guests on the road.

Then lobbyists got laws changed and basically stole the streets from pedestrians and now it's a crime in most parts of the US for pedestrians to cross the street except in designated places and only if a signal's going.

Few years ago I had to cross the street to get to class and drivers would consistently ignore the crosswalk signal, turning in and out of parking lots. Almost saw a girl get hit.

Eh, im with the lobbyists here. Keep foot traffic out of the streets wherever possible. Driving is complicated enough without also having to watch for people on the sidewalks veering into your path without warning.

[Peelee]

*Realizes this implied the existance of non-pedestrian based cities*

*Shudders*

A county map of the US is useful for so many things. This included - you could pull it up and pretty easily see how as time went on, we basically went "**** it, just space it all out,we have the room for it."

Bit of trivia: Roads and streets were originally created for foot traffic.

When cars first came around, if a car hit a pedestrian it was assumed that the driver was at fault unless proven otherwise because automobiles were guests on the road.

Then lobbyists got laws changed and basically stole the streets from pedestrians and now it's a crime in most parts of the US for pedestrians to cross the street except in designated places and only if a signal's going.

Few years ago I had to cross the street to get to class and drivers would consistently ignore the crosswalk signal, turning in and out of parking lots. Almost saw a girl get hit.

Aye. Still automatically assumed to be the carsfl fault for hitting a pedestrian, is the good news. At least in all the states I know.

[Rater202]

Eh, im with the lobbyists here. Keep foot traffic out of the streets wherever possible. Driving is complicated enough without also having to watch for people on the sidewalks veering into your path without warning.

I mean, yes, modern progress would be different, but at the time automobiles were a novelty owned by the rich. Most people wouldn't botherwith them, they d just walk on foot.

Cars did not become super widespread until they were the only option.

This was only part of a multifaceted conspiracy by the automotive industry. Limit foot traffic, limit the use of passenger trains for intercity or interstate travel, newter or just flat out destroy public transportation* to force people to buy cars.

I'm not saying it was a bad thing, all things considered, but at the time it was shady and sinister and the goals were purely selfish.

*Judge Doom's plan in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Ignore the "commit genocide of the toons" part and everything else he did is exactly what happened in real life

[Peelee]

Eh, im with the lobbyists here. Keep foot traffic out of the streets wherever possible. Driving is complicated enough without also having to watch for people on the sidewalks veering into your path without warning.

Eh. In pedestrian cities, it's easy enough to gauge when it's safe and expedient to cross without waiting for a light or marked area.

In places where it's legal, of course.

[Fyraltari]

Eh, im with the lobbyists here. Keep foot traffic out of the streets wherever possible. Driving is complicated enough without also having to watch for people on the sidewalks veering into your path without warning.

I would rather keep the polluting metal deathboxes out of the cities.

[Form]

I generally don't buy food from street stands, but there are two exceptions: when the fair comes to town (my hometown had a large one once per year) and coffee from one local company (they keep the stand spotless and use really good blends).

I do not count "official" market stalls into this - I tend to buy fruits and vegetables from them all the time.

How about you people? Do you prefer street stands? Dislike them?

What was the best food you got there? And the greatest nightmare?

I'm sometimes seduced by street stands selling kibbeling (fried fish bits basically), but the last few times the result was kind of disappointing. Not gross, just... kind of meh.

*Judge Doom's plan in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Ignore the "commit genocide of the toons" part and everything else he did is exactly what happened in real life

Now there is a man who was a true visionary!

[Rater202]

I was referring to the privatization and dismantling of the street car network, but yes.

[DavidSh]

I would rather keep the polluting metal deathboxes out of the cities.

Horse-drawn or oxen-drawn vehicles weren't so great, either.

[Fyraltari]

Horse-drawn or oxen-drawn vehicles weren't so great, either.

No, but seriously, unless you're moving furniture, you shouldn't have to rely on a car inside a city. Efficient public transportations isn't that hard.

[Anonymouswizard]

Eh. In pedestrian cities, it's easy enough to gauge when it's safe and expedient to cross without waiting for a light or marked area.

In places where it's legal, of course.

Why wouldn't it be legal? I'm allowed to cross the motorway on foot if I want to (I'll be considered an idiot, but I can). I have crossed major roads without a crossing before because I don't always have time to walk to one.

I would rather keep the polluting metal deathboxes out of the cities.

Same here. I think that covers the horse cars as well as the oil cars, as long as we make them out of metal.

But yeah, the idea of a car being a necessity is, to me, a country thing. I live in a city where the stuff is closer together, ideally I should be walking, and at the very least getting some kind of electric mass transit vehicle (ideally above or below the place I walk about).

[DavidSh]

No, but seriously, unless you're moving furniture, you shouldn't have to rely on a car inside a city. Efficient public transportations isn't that hard.

Until the transit workers go on strike. Which happened on my one trip to Paris. At the time, only the fully-automated line #1 was functioning, free of charge, but very very crowded.

[Rater202]

More trivia: Thomas Edison* and Nikola Tesla were working on electric motors because oil was relatively scarce and expensive but then they discovered massive oil deposits in Texas so it was decided to no longer be an issue.

So if Oil was never discovered in Texas, we'd probably all be driving electric cars today.

*Though, knowing Edison, it was more likely that he had someone else working on it but was planning to take credit

[Peelee]

I would rather keep the polluting metal deathboxes out of the cities.

The good news, were moving towards electric metal deathboxes that pollute in different ways!

No, but seriously, unless you're moving furniture, you shouldn't have to rely on a car inside a city. Efficient public transportations isn't that hard.

I wholly agree. With emphasis on "shouldn't", of course.

Also, don't go to LA. it would frighten you. It frightens me.

Why wouldn't it be legal?

Rater explained it well.

ETA:

More trivia: Thomas Edison* and Nikola Tesla were working on electric motors because oil was relatively scarce and expensive but then they discovered massive oil deposits in Texas so it was decided to no longer be an issue.

So if Oil was never discovered in Texas, we'd probably all be driving electric cars today.

*Though, knowing Edison, it was more likely that he had someone else working on it but was planning to take credit

IIRC we had electric cars in the early 20th century. And electric cable cars.

[Keltest]

More trivia: Thomas Edison* and Nikola Tesla were working on electric motors because oil was relatively scarce and expensive but then they discovered massive oil deposits in Texas so it was decided to no longer be an issue.

So if Oil was never discovered in Texas, we'd probably all be driving electric cars today.

*Though, knowing Edison, it was more likely that he had someone else working on it but was planning to take credit

Ehhh... battery life at the time would probably have still been a fairly substantial obstacle. Making a motor run on electricity isnt really the leash around the neck of the electric car.

[Rater202]

IIRC we had electric cars in the early 20th century. And electric cable cars.

Yeah, but they'd have been better quality and significantly more widespread by now.

I always thought it might be interesting to put small wind turbines on an electric car. Not something big and clunky, but something that can recapture some of the car's momentum and turn it back into electricity.

Obviously, you'd never be able to get it efficient enough to fully offset the need to charge the batteries from an external source but every bit helps.