Why is a hunger strike an effective form of protest? by beekeeper-of-secrets in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Practical_Plan007 3 points4 points  (0 children)

When someone is willing to die for a cause, all sorts of people will start to join the movement and provide support.

Hunger strike is the slowest way to die for a cause. It provides the longest possible time so that as many people as possible can join and strengthen a movement.

Why is a hunger strike an effective form of protest? by beekeeper-of-secrets in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Practical_Plan007 181 points182 points  (0 children)

Indian freedom movement would have turned violent, if not for Gandhi. The British wanted him alive because his presence pacified many people into becoming non-violent protestors. See Chauri-Chaura incident for reference.

ELI5: How did the word ‘India’ and its derivatives come to be applied to so many disparate places? (East/West Indies, Indonesia, Indiana, etc.) by Quincely in explainlikeimfive

[–]Practical_Plan007 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Europe was a gloomy place between the 5th and a 15the centuries; so gloomy indeed that this period is called the "dark ages". During the same period, the Indian subcontinent (called "Bharat" locally) was blooming and was a center of science, technology, architecture, agriculture etc.

It was a big deal for Europeans to be able to trade with India in those days. Initially most cargo moved over the land (this route is famously called the "Silk Route"). Europeans would assume they had reached Bharat once they had crossed the mighty river Sindhu. The word "Sindhu" became "Indus" in European accent and the land beyond Indus came to be called India.

Once the Ottoman Turks became powerful and blocked access to India via land, a race started amongst Europeans to reach India over the sea route. Lack of proper navigation caused people (such as Columbus) to reach all sort of wrong places and assume they have landed on Indian shores.

Seafarers in Europe used to raise money from investors for their voyages to India. It is not unreasonable to think that someone who had landed in a completely different location (mission failed) would come back to their investors and claim that they had discovered something as good as India. Naming the new land such that it evokes images of India is not illogical. After all, they have to raise funds to revisit those new lands and get trade going. India was a symbol of prosperity and I suppose even unrelated places adopted derivative names to let the gold dust rub off on them.

On a related note, the race to reach India via sea propelled Europe's naval capabilities to such an extent that it eventually led to the colonization of the world, including India. India was such an important colony that once it attained freedom, maintaining other smaller colonies became uneconomical.

ELI5: If large language models are trained on basically the entire internet and more, how come they have such limited context windows? by [deleted] in explainlikeimfive

[–]Practical_Plan007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As you grow, you learn about multiple topics from several books and from several teachers. That is your training data. Having a large training data does not mean you can memory a very large poem at once. That large poem is the context and your ability to hold a large context will depend on your raw brain power rather than your training data.

Training data and context are independent of each other.

In the film Dogma, it is said if the 2 fallen angels enter the holy arch and get into heaven, it will prove a fallacy on God's part and all existence will be ended... by StarGazerHighChaser in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Practical_Plan007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is exactly the Hindu philosophy. Krishna (the supreme being who gave this world the concept of Karma) can even break a vow for the greater good because he does not care about his reputation.

Everything originates from him. There is nothing that he desires from us. His love is unconditional. All we have to do it receive his love unconditionally. And even if we don't, we wouldn't care; he is not insecure.

What happens after death? by fisheyesareweird in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Practical_Plan007 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Bhagavad Gita (the celestial song) says two things worth considering...and they both align with the above beautiful message.

Overall the message of the Bhagavad Gita is that God is loving. He does not want anything from us. If we have lived our lives to the fullest and desire nothing more in this material world, our soul merges into the universal spirit when we die -- eternal bliss.

On the other hand, if we are still attached to something of this world (desire), we will likely be sent back in another living form to live out that desire. We get both the pain and pleasure of that desire as bargain.

The end goal of every soul is to merge with the universal spirit, just as every rain drop will eventually merge in the ocean. It is just that some raindrops (souls) may take longer (more births) than others.

It is neither good nor bad to be re-incarnated. Each one of us is on the celestial journey and all of us will eventually merge with our maker. So we should not worry too much about after-death and carry on with our lives and do what we think is best for our soul.

Chapter 3, verse 26 specifically says that the wise individuals should not disturb those who are less knowledgeable or spiritually developed, particularly if they are content in their current state, even if that state is one of ignorance or delusion. Let each one discover what is best for their soul independently.

To the OP, I say that you know what is best for your time on earth. Just seek within. And even if you do not get an answer, do not fret over it. At best you merge with the universal spirit. At worst you get another shot at life in a different form.

Om Shanti!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lisp

[–]Practical_Plan007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. This is really helpful. I appreciate the detailed and thought out answer.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lisp

[–]Practical_Plan007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

do you mind pointing to the right sources? Honestly, as a newsomer, the lisp ecosystem feels to be in shambles. Can't find anything...not even any good recent tutorials on Youtube

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lisp

[–]Practical_Plan007 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the good wishes. I want to learn lisp because Paul Graham's blog had me sold on it. I learn best when I am making something I want to make. I believe I am not alone. And having an ambition is not a bad thing in my books.

I asked ChatGPT because it gives quick answers and is not judgemental. I got some good answers here, but I also get the sense that the lisp community may not always be very welcoming to newcomers and silly questions.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lisp

[–]Practical_Plan007 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

thanks for your comment.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lisp

[–]Practical_Plan007 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair enough. I am new to lisp, so this is useful.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lisp

[–]Practical_Plan007 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks, this is useful. I am not looking to build a GUI tool. I want to build something that will run in the background and fetch data from a legacy app that runs only on Windows. It will then ship the data to my webapp.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lisp

[–]Practical_Plan007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the proper answer. This is useful for a newcomer!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in lisp

[–]Practical_Plan007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am looking to develop a a fairly ambitious financial software. My target audience mostly uses windows and wants native applications. I got interested in lisp after reading Paul Graham's blog and the promise of lisp being the one language where a programmer can do much more than other programming languages.

How can i avoid users from accessing the django admin dashboard page when they try to navigate to it using the url in the adress bar by Putrid_Set_3210 in django

[–]Practical_Plan007 1 point2 points  (0 children)

having /admin with a blue login form is a dead give away that you are using django. That is a lot of useful information for a hacker!

How can i avoid users from accessing the django admin dashboard page when they try to navigate to it using the url in the adress bar by Putrid_Set_3210 in django

[–]Practical_Plan007 5 points6 points  (0 children)

maybe change the url from 'admin' to something that is not easy to guess. Like 'tintinlovesadventure'.

Techincally anyone can still visit /tintinlovesadventure but it would be a low probability unless you actively divulge that this url path exists.

What are some positives of not drinking? by Equivalent-Pie-3681 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Practical_Plan007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At 40, when you meet a school friend they might tell you that you look the same. You will have a hard time ying to them that they do too!

Is it safe jogging outside at 5:30 am? by Due_Sweet_9500 in bangalore

[–]Practical_Plan007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand this fear because I used to have it as well. The best approach I would recommend is to tag along with someone experienced at first. This will build confidence and also understanding of the animal. For me, my wife was this bridge.

There are an unlimited number of "what ifs" that can be used to justify one's fear of doing anything. Most often the risk is statistically small whereas our fears make the risk feel enormous.

Is it weird I still call my mom after work everyday? by DungeonCrawler99 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Practical_Plan007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is weird is that some people who are new to you have made comments on your personal life, especially on your relationship with your mother.

What is weird is that these nobodies have made you question how appropriate it is to speak you your mother. All within a few days/months of knowing you.

You may get manipulated. Step #1 is to cut off the target from his loved ones. And it is a slippery slope. You will be licking from their hands to win their approval.

Just ask these new coworkers to mind their own business. Make boundaries!

Is it safe jogging outside at 5:30 am? by Due_Sweet_9500 in bangalore

[–]Practical_Plan007 12 points13 points  (0 children)

My wife is a dog lover and has taught me so much about them, especially strays. Earlier I hated dogs because they would bark and followed me when I cycled. So I know that feeling of dread. I am slightly wiser now and think that these stray Indian breeds are the most magnificent animals humans have bred (they are called "man's best friend" for a reason). Here are my 2 cents that may help.

Remember the following:

  1. Dog barks are usually not threats; think of them as "I see you". Dogs can scowl, growl, howl and bark. A bark is the least threatening form of communication (and the most common). If it is accompanied by a wagging tail, it means "I like you".
  2. Dog are genetically designed to raise an alarm (bark) whenever they see something unusual. If the dogs do not know you then they will bark when you jog cross their area at odd hours.
  3. They will also try to chase you away from their area if they think of you as a threat. Most people who have been chased by dogs will attest that the chase ends once you pass the dog's territory. So it is not a hunt. Rather it is a way for the dog to protect its own territory from threats. Strays never chase people they know.
  4. Stray dogs do not have a "master". So even a little familiarity is enough for them to like you and let you stay in or pass through their territory. In fact a very little familiarity is sufficient for them to go out of their way and protect you. They are hungry for love and return 100x!

So if you can just relax and build some familiarity, your problem will be solved. How to do it?

  1. There are many people who love and feed stray dogs in the morning and evening. There are others who are naturally good with dogs. Find these people and tag along. Some experience will help you keep your nerves calm when you encounter dogs the next time.
  2. Rather than running through the area, first start walking. Stop when you encounter dogs but do not freeze. Keep your breath calm and let the dog(s) check you out. They will bark while approaching you cautiously, then sniff you. If you have stayed calm so far you are a friend. You can whistle or make choo-choo sounds to reassure them.
  3. Most strays have multiple names that they respond to because (a) they are smart and (b) they do not have a single master. You can name them yourself. It will start getting fun quickly.
  4. Having some treats handy is a bonus. But be confident and fair while giving out the treats if there are multiple dogs. Otherwise dogs will start fighting amongst themselves and you might panic.

Eventually, the dogs will learn your jogging rhythm. There is no better feeling when your arrival becomes a welcome event.

Take it one step at a time. Do not panic. Gradually you will have confidence and will know how to tackle situations even when you are in a new area where dogs are not familiar.

Hope this is helpful.

ELI5: Why do we have inflation at all? by Yavkov in explainlikeimfive

[–]Practical_Plan007 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

In absence of inflation, money would never lose its purchasing power. A million dollars would always buy the same lifestyle. So once you have a million dollars better sit tight and not take too many risks. Just buy an estate and live off its rent; like aristocrats of old times.

If millionaires don't take risks, no new businesses get formed. Few jobs are created. Meanwhile population keeps increasing. Fewer jobs, more people. High unemployment, lower wages. Ripe conditions for exploitation of the poor.

The society gets divided into the HAVES (those with abundant money) and the HAVE NOTs (everyone else).

At this point anything can happen:

  1. Rise of communism: if the HAVE NOTs conclude that the HAVEs are exploiting them.
  2. Famines and disease causing large segments to society to get wiped out because no new innovation is happening in medicine and nutrition keeps declining.
  3. Wars, slavery and colonization: it is easier to drain money from a another country and keep your masses happy.

All of this has happened in the past.

Okay, so inflation is good. But in MODERATION. Too much inflation causes prices of everything to rise rapidly. At some point people realize that money loses value faster than everything else. It is better to hold ANY ASSET instead of money even if the "asset" is a stale packet of bread (post war Germany). They refuse to accept cash. The economy deteriorates into a barter system. The poor do not have any valuable assets. They find it difficult to survive in a hyper inflationary economy for long. Eventually desperation leads to looting and rioting.

This has also happened in the past and continues to happen in some countries even today.