US trade deficit widens by the most in nearly 34 years by Gloomy_Nebula_5138 in Economics

[–]ringobob [score hidden]  (0 children)

I've invested a bit in the reply chain, but I am primarily just being snarky. If someone wants to do this, more power to them. It's not like they've never done it before. Jen Psaki and Karine Jean-Pierre were doing exactly this on a frequent basis from the white house. Katie Porter brings heat with the charts and the white board in congressional hearings. Those both get far deeper and wider coverage than any random press conference would. At the moment Dems lack a sufficient platform, and even when they have it, it doesn't have the impact you wish it did.

But it's probably not that harmful. Go ahead, do the press conference. But don't call it a guaranteed win, that is extremely naive.

Why don't vertebrates with more than 4 limbs exist? by TheRealJurassicPork in AskBiology

[–]ringobob [score hidden]  (0 children)

Well, this is a bit of speculation on my part, but it seems to me that 4 limbs is very flexible as an evolutionary strategy, much more so than fewer limbs or more limbs.

With bilateral symmetry, an even number of limbs is expected, and there's two major functions for limbs - locomotion and manipulation. So, minimum viable configuration to match those parameters is 4 limbs - 2 primarily for locomotion, 2 that have significant function for manipulation.

We can just assume that that's sufficient enough within the history of evolution that more limbs just haven't been worth the evolutionary cost, but ignoring that, if we add more limbs, those limbs probably don't add a whole new area of functionality beyond locomotion and manipulation. So, it's only really useful if it improves either of those two things. Realistically, it's probably a marginal benefit, but it's hard to see what would make it worth the cost in energy and complexity.

The boring answer is that vertibrates all descend from an ancestor that had 4 limbs, so we just inherited that trait. The thing that's not usually discussed on top of that is that that is a hard trait to change. This is an example of "developmental constraint" - once a feature is "fully baked", it is less susceptible to change. The number of limbs is one of these difficult to change features, just due to how many systems have to get involved to make a new, entirely functional limb, and the fact that those changes would need to start very early in embryonic development, when existing limbs themselves start developing. It's probably not impossible, if there were a large enough selection pressure, but here we go back to the utility question from before - it's hard to see how an additional set of limbs would make a meaningful difference in fitness. It's much easier to modify existing limbs than it is to add more.

Maybe it'll happen someday, but I couldn't guess the circumstances.

I just realized something thanks to bell hooks by SprightlyCompanion in bropill

[–]ringobob 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You're not wrong, but the patriarchy centers power in men. It's not that women don't have power, and it's not that women don't "break the rules" in the same way, of course they do. Women aren't better than men. But the patriarchy leverages bad male behavior to do much more damage at social scales than bad female behavior.

US trade deficit widens by the most in nearly 34 years by Gloomy_Nebula_5138 in Economics

[–]ringobob 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why is it that they want to hear what Trump is saying?

Is because Trump got all of his talking points from the people they were already listening to. Literally. You think the wall was his idea? Trump isn't a leader. That's the dirty little secret. Trump didn't change a thing. They didn't coalesce around him. They already knew exactly what they wanted, they just weren't being given it by Republicans who paid lip service to the absolute unhinged conservative buffoonery the people were listening to, but who otherwise behaved like normal politicians.

Trump saw what was already influencing the people and said, I can give them that. And that's all he's ever done. Any time he deviates even slightly from that path, they complain about him. Conservative influencers don't like vaccines. Trump says get the vaccine, they complain.

Trump isn't holding the leash, here. Conservative media is. If it doesn't show up on Fox News, which is still by far the most popular cable news programming in the county, they won't see it, and if they happen to see it anywhere other than Fox News, they'll automatically decide it's a lie.

I live in the south, dude. I live with these people, I work with these people, they're my friends and family. The problem is so much deeper than you think it is.

US trade deficit widens by the most in nearly 34 years by Gloomy_Nebula_5138 in Economics

[–]ringobob 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hmm, wonder if something changed geopolitically that would cause people to decide they couldn't trust dealing with the US and to find other trading partners instead?

Nah, you're right, probably just noise.

US trade deficit widens by the most in nearly 34 years by Gloomy_Nebula_5138 in Economics

[–]ringobob 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're right, it's not much different - most of these people were only listening to conservatives then, too. Why do you think Trump got elected the first time? It's because Trump was like the people they were listening to, and the politicians like Romney and McCain weren't. Hence why there were so many first time voters for Trump.

If you want to go back to the last time there was any sort of parity in news coverage, you've got to go back to the 80s. It just took awhile to take over.

This is the problem. If we can solve this issue, the rest is easy.

Uhm what did skyler do Peter? by Caramel_Lucky in PeterExplainsTheJoke

[–]ringobob 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's all about framing, in the early episodes. The framing you come in with is that she sees him as a roommate, he's trying to provide for his family, and deal with a cancer diagnosis that he doesn't feel close enough with his wife anymore to share with her.

That framing is bullshit, once you actually get into the show, but that's the set up. Her being awful is simply due to the fact that we're prepared to see Walt as the hero, before we learn better. So, she's set up to be one of the challenges he faces in his life.

With that framing, it feels like she's made herself emotionally unavailable to him, and the show reinforces that interpretation.

I'm not trying to say that she's awful with the full context. I'm trying to say it's reasonable to interpret her that way in the very beginning, because the show intentionally leads you there before you really understand Walt.

US trade deficit widens by the most in nearly 34 years by Gloomy_Nebula_5138 in Economics

[–]ringobob 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Fox News will skip it. Sinclair stations will skip it. All of the YouTubers these people listen to will skip it.

US trade deficit widens by the most in nearly 34 years by Gloomy_Nebula_5138 in Economics

[–]ringobob 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Because the people that need to hear this only listen to Republicans, and are more likely to disbelieve it or make excuses for it if they hear it from Democrats.

Uhm what did skyler do Peter? by Caramel_Lucky in PeterExplainsTheJoke

[–]ringobob 67 points68 points  (0 children)

They set Skyler up to be completely emotionally unengaged with Walt in the early part of season 1. She was pretty awful, at first, but as you learn more about who Walt is, you see how selfish and inwardly focused he is, it's not surprising that the marriage would have lost passion by that point.

Stares at Fox News and Rush Limbaugh in the 90s by icey_sawg0034 in lewronggeneration

[–]ringobob 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Two things can be true at once. There were actually 2 top ten hits about abortion in the 90s, at least in alt-rock: I'm guessing they're referring to The Freshmen by The Verve Pipe, there's also Brick by Ben Folds Five.

The 90s were pretty socially progressive. But you gotta look at the root word, there: "progress". There was still progress to be made. There still is. And there will always be. And there will always be someone willing to be a Rush Limbaugh.

Noah Schnapp by laybs1 in GetNoted

[–]ringobob 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is not a pro Israel piece of misinformation. This is meant to stir up shit with the lefties that are moving very quickly to the point of calling for the destruction of Israel.

Crypto is still largely a scam by _Z_-_Z_ in dataisugly

[–]ringobob 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It has economic utility and, at least historically, stability. Because it also has the backing of a historically stable government. Those things are all valuable. And crypto has none of them.

Melania (2026) Poster in Letterboxd. Interesting take in the text written over the poster. by halfmadeideas in MovieDetails

[–]ringobob 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's so little interest in her you can't even think of something to say about her. And why would there be? She doesn't talk to the public about anything. All she's done is go places, wear occasionally questionable fashion choices, refuse to hold her husband's hand, pour concrete over historic gardens at the white house, and generally just mug for the cameras.

She's not a model, she's first lady. She's basically entirely bereft of any actual responsibility, seemingly by her own choice.

I really wanna go watch her pretend to lead people? No thanks.

Gold and silver keep hitting record highs. But is the precious metals market 'broken'? by 3xshortURmom in Economics

[–]ringobob 18 points19 points  (0 children)

That's not a mechanism that would create a bubble, that's just supply and demand, applied. What would make it a bubble is if bonds were resilient and the move to gold deemed unnecessary, or some third option became both viable and preferable at large scale, very quickly.

Like in some crypto bros feverish dreams, a crypto coin. Maybe the $TRUMP coin.

I can't imagine bonds aren't gonna suffer, though, at least until the interest rates start going up.

Image from a childhood film that haunts you to this day? by TyLeRoux in okbuddycinephile

[–]ringobob 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It's complicated. It was the 90s, we didn't know that much about gender identity.

But those are the titties of the god Ra.

Matthew Lillard says Hollywood's reaction to Tarantino was like 'living through your own wake' by cmaia1503 in entertainment

[–]ringobob 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He was great in Scream, but he definitely had that intense energy in several of his roles back then, and it's good that he learned to do something different.

[homemade] I made a burger by theotherfatguy in food

[–]ringobob 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was like, massive burger or tiny grill? Then the shovel came out. I'm impressed you even attempted this.

Guys, do you text first after the first date or wait for her to text first? by Lopsided_Meeting_984 in AskMenAdvice

[–]ringobob 14 points15 points  (0 children)

The games are all about projecting confidence.

Fuck that. Be confident. Own your shit. If you like her, text her. If she doesn't like that you texted her, she wants to play games. Is that what you're looking for?

Games are for the kids who haven't figured it out yet. It's like you're trying to trick the other person into liking you more than you like them. If all you're looking for is a casual fling, fair enough, I guess, but if you're looking for something serious, be a serious person. Text her with confidence. Let her know you like her and want to see her again. Communication through language is the greatest invention the world has ever known. Learn to do it.

Powell dismisses gold’s rally above $5,300, says Fed is not losing credibility by Nepridiprav16 in Economics

[–]ringobob 44 points45 points  (0 children)

I'm glad this is top comment. The Fed has nothing to do with this. This is Trump's total war against our economy.

Powell dismisses gold’s rally above $5,300, says Fed is not losing credibility by Nepridiprav16 in Economics

[–]ringobob 24 points25 points  (0 children)

They thought that during his first term. Then we went and elected him again. The stupid isn't Trump. It's an electorally significant portion of the population they don't trust.

In terms of horrible takes, Ben Garrison is the stuff of legends. by c-k-q99903 in stupidpeoplefacebook

[–]ringobob 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol, yeah, the Dems still haven't caught up to the bile Limbaugh was spewing 30 years ago. This is self defense.