FullMtlAlcoholc (u/FullMtlAlcoholc)

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on Retired U.S. generals, admirals take top jobs with Saudi crown prince washingtonpost.com/invest... · Posted by u/room505

photochemsyn · 3 years ago

This has been going on for years, but now it's news? Here's a blurb from some random 2009 blog post on how this works (more about Iraq, but Vinnell has been training Saudi forces for years, and probably is involved with Yemen as well):

> "The Pentagon has awarded a 48-million-dollar contract to train the nucleus of a new Iraqi army to Vinnell Corporation, a US firm which also trains the Saudi National Guard. The Fairfax, VA-based company, a subsidiary of the US aerospace firm Northrup Grumman, said on its website it was hiring former US army and marine officers to train infantry battalions and combat support units for the new Iraqi army. The Vinnell Corp. of Alexandria, Va., owned by politically connected Northrop-Grumman."

More on that:

https://www.corpwatch.org/article/iraq-vinnells-army-defensi...

It's just so painfully obvious that these kind of articles wouldn't be getting published right now if the US government wasn't angry with Saudi Arabia about crude oil production.

FullMtlAlcoholc · 3 years ago

> It's just so painfully obvious that these kind of articles wouldn't be getting published right now if the US government wasn't angry with Saudi Arabia about crude oil production.

It seems to me that the timing is the point and it is more relevant now that the relationship has become more adversarial. No one would've been paying as much attention in 2009 and rightfully so since those relationships wouldn't have as much of a conflict of interest.

And let's not forget that in 2009, MBS had yet to order Jamal Khasoggi to be killed by being cut in half by a bone saw.

Context matters.

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring” · Posted by u/bckr

FullMtlAlcoholc · 4 years ago

I think what your mentor meant was don't be bored. I have some misgivings about this advice though as I think it should be more nuanced. It's ok to be bored. With all the gifts modern society has given us, one of the costs has been over-stimulation.

When I'm bored, my mind is clear of any extracurricular thoughts or ideas, and I come up with creative solutions to the “problem” of being bored. One of my hobbies is distance running and it bores me. But almost all of my great ideas have come to me while running. I'm free from the weight and worries of the world

According to two studies detailed in Harvard Business Review, focusing on a mundane task allows your brain to “daydream” and ultimately boosts creativity and problem-solving afterward. Essentially, part of your subconscious mind will start working on things that have not been at the forefront. Your mind is literally reorganizing and optimizing its structure, creating new connections between neurons. [1]

When I've been banging my head against the wall trying to solve some technical problem, I go for a run and forget about my stresses and worries

If people perceive you as boring when you are fulfilled with life, in the words of the Dude, "That's just like their opinion man."

1. https://hbr.org/2014/09/the-creative-benefits-of-boredom

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on Jack Dorsey claims Bitcoin incentivizes renewable energy twitter.com/jack/status/1... · Posted by u/kelp

FullMtlAlcoholc · 5 years ago

For any cryptocurrency experts out there, is there any way the Bitcoin protocol could be altered (or temporarily halted while being updated) without compromising the blockchain so that instead of guessing for some hash/key combination, it could be part of some distributed computing project? Like assisting in the Folding@Home or some other project that benefits humanity in some way? I know hindsight is 20/20, but it represents an immense wasted opportunity and supposedly consumes more electricity than all of Argentina.

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on The Man Behind “Fortnite” wsj.com/articles/the-man-... · Posted by u/forgingahead

Itsdijital · 7 years ago

Everybody here is missing why this game became so popular, and it's very common trap with the game. Its the reason why the game has also been so polarizing. I've played the game steadily for over a year now, so I have a bit of a grip on what happened/is going on.

- Fortnite is not a shooting game. This is the main trap of the game. It looks like shooter, feels like a shooter, can be played like a shooter, but is not a shooter. Fortnite is a fighting game and should be played like one. It has an incredibly heavy reliance on mechanical skills (ala fighting games) and failure to recognize this will just lead to disappointment with the game.

- Fortnite's success was a complete accident. The BR mode was a spun off "weekend project" for fun in order to attract players into buying Save The World. It was free and meant really just as an advertising tool. There wasn't much thought put into how it was supposed to play, but Epic 100% did not see where this was going, nor did the community at the time. And that was very much instrumental to it's success. Had Epic saw this coming, they would have totally destroyed the mechanics that made it so good right off the rip. I could write an essay about this, but the short of it is that the building mechanics were used in a totally unintended/unforeseen way and it lead to a wild success. Mark my words, one day in the future, free of NDA's, former devs will come out with some truly wild stories about FNBR.

- Fortnite became a runaway success with kids because they have the easiest time adapting to completely new game mechanics. It gets a little gritty here, but the short of it is that Fornite is a completely new type of game with a completely new type of play style. Older players were trying to shove a square piece through a seemingly square hole (see note 1 about shooter/fighter), while younger players could easily adapt their blank gaming slates to fortnite's play style. Yeah the cosmetics and stuff helped, but nobody likes playing a game they suck at.

TL;DR: Fortnite is deceiving in what it is. Fortnite was a total accidental success, because of accidentally awesome mechanics. Kids love fortnite because they were less prone to that earlier mentioned deception, and can pick up new things much quicker than older gamers.

FullMtlAlcoholc · 7 years ago

"There wasn't much thought put into how it was supposed to play, but Epic 100% did not see where this was going, nor did the community at the time. And that was very much instrumental to it's success. Had Epic saw this coming, they would have totally destroyed the mechanics that made it so good right off the rip."

Similarly, combos in fighting games were originally a bug. In the original Street Fighter 2, you could attack someone two or three times before they could block or counterattack (I believe the initial term was called a 2 in 1). Capcom liked what it did to the game, and consequently kept it in.

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on Woman Grows a Nose on Her Spine After Stem Cell Experiment popsci.com/article/scienc... · Posted by u/bossmag

romwell · 7 years ago

> Any good HN user nose this

> and it snot funny

These horrible puns made me -- not quite laugh or smirk -- but rather exhale heavily through my nose (is there a specific word for this?).

FullMtlAlcoholc · 7 years ago

Hmm...chortle would likely be most appropriate as it is specifically a breathy laugh. Chuckle or titter would also be appropriate :)

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on Cigarette butts are the single greatest source of ocean trash nbcnews.com/news/us-news/... · Posted by u/onetimemanytime

woodruffw · 7 years ago

Only tangentially related, but I am continually astonished by the absence of any sort of social norms surrounding cigarette butt disposal. I have (otherwise environmentally conscious!) friends who smoke, and I've personally witnessed them flick their cigarettes into gutters and on streets.

As a serious question, without judgment: are there any smokers on HN who can explain the phenomenon?

FullMtlAlcoholc · 7 years ago

Former smoker as well. What else are you going to do with a cigarette butt? Most cars don't have ashtrays anymore. If there is a proper way for me to dispose of a cigarette within a one block radius (some sort of trash receptacle) I will do it. But most people certainly aren't going to keep smelly, tar-filled, stain causing cigarette butts in their pockets, purses, etc. or on their person for any length of time. And I've never seen anyone with

Not all of the butts end up as litter, but proper disposal still means they go to landfills. Recycling options are still extremely limited. The only one I've heard of is a mail-in recycling program. Most Unless manufacturers develop a more recyclable cigarette, the best smokers can do is to make sure their butts are properly disposed of in ashtrays, receptacles, and trashcans.

The biggest issue IMO is the makeup of the butts themselves. Most butts are made of cellulose acetate, a non-biodegradable plastic. I don't know if it's cost effective to make a recyclabe butt. If one could, perhaps a cigarette butt deposit similar to CRV on bottles would change behavior. It would not only alter the consumer behavior but would encourage smokers and nonsmokers alive to comb the streets, beaches, etc. for butts further cleaning out streets.

Otherwise, I don't think it's too much to ask for manufactureres/consumers to pony up the extra cost for a degradable cigarette butt instead of externalizing the cost to all of us for this admittedly disgusting habit.

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on In Silicon Valley, Chinese 'accelerators' aim to bring startups home reuters.com/article/us-us... · Posted by u/raleighm

rmason · 8 years ago

There haven't been any Klan rallies in Howell for a very long time. However the children of those Klansmen still reside in Howell and cast a long shadow over the town. For reference Howell is a small town of 9,500 people mid-way between Detroit and Lansing.

Detroit's revival owes a big debt to Dan Gilbert's (Quicken Loans/Cleveland Cavaliers) purchase of a big chunk of the downtown and his funding of dozens of startups. But the majority of startups now in Detroit aren't funded by Gilbert though he's still a major influence.

It took forty years for Detroit's destruction. We're only on year eight of the road back. Next time you're in the 'D' checkout Bamboo CoWorking center on Woodward. You will meet lots of early stage startups https://www.bamboodetroit.com/ . Gilbert's startups are in the Madison building on Broadway just off Grand Circus near the Opera and Tiger stadium. That entire neighborhood is full of startups. Before 2010 none of it existed, the buildings had been empty for thirty years or more.

Ann Arbor has a huge startup scene. Anchors are Ann Arbor Spark and the Tech Brewery. Much smaller scene in Lansing, Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids but it's progressing.

FullMtlAlcoholc · 8 years ago

After seeing so many past failed attempts at revitalization (New Center Area, People Mover, etc.), it is refreshing to see a sustained turnaround. What was most surprising on my last trip back was the amount of activity in the downtown area on nights and weekends. Foodie joints, micro-breweries, all 4 major sports teams, casinos and all kinds of other places have popped up. I remember the State Theatre and the Shelter were the only things going on dtown.

BTW - Are you involved in the startup scene in the D?

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on In Silicon Valley, Chinese 'accelerators' aim to bring startups home reuters.com/article/us-us... · Posted by u/raleighm

rmason · 8 years ago

One of the most difficult problems we have in Michigan and the Midwest in general is that a large percentage of our most talented developers leave the state upon graduating college to go to work for the Silicon Valley giants.

If you talk to them a few years later they long to return to the Midwest and they want to do a startup. What if Michigan had an accelerator in Silicon Valley, one where it's native VC's and angel investors had first crack at funding these companies with the provisio that they move back home?

FullMtlAlcoholc · 8 years ago

> If you talk to them a few years later they long to return to the Midwest and they want to do a startup.

As a biological Michigander (Detroit) that now identifies as Californian, my friends and I have anecdotally experienced the opposite. Lack of opportunity was of course a factor. However, the major con for us was the entrenched segregation. I had amazing parents who did their best to teach me not to judge people by their race. But growing up as a black kid from the city who had friends in the burbs, you see a lot of ugly shit. I have bad memories of places like Howell (which still, if I'm not mistaken holds annual KKK rallies) and there are still lots of areas not far from the city where it still isn't safe at night.

Like everywhere else, gentrification is picking up steam. But it isn't as much as an issue since increasing tax revenues far outweighs maintaining communities in a city that had an epidemic of vacant houses. City services have vastly improved and it is heartening to see more diversity in my old neighborhood as whites and others no longer have as much fear of the city, but it's slow going as the scars from the 60's are still evident.

Don't get me wrong. I still appreciate the natural splendor and experiencing the rhythm of the four seasons. I spent this past winter there and it was actually unexpectedly refreshing (if you have someone to shovel your snow). I did end up tacking on 20lbs. That I had to travel 7 miles to find Mexican food that wasn't Taco Bell is a deal breaker for me.

One thing I noticed on my last trip back home is just how much of the Detroit metro area's economy is still driven by staid, stuffy dynastic enterprises such as the old Big Three, health care firms, same old top law firms with the kids now running the show. A lot of the so-called startups are spinoffs that are wholly owned or seeded by Quicken Loans via Rock Ventures. People still have that mindset that work consists of getting a job at a large firm and they aren't as willing to work for startups or become entrepreneurs.

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on Debtors in China Shamed on Highway Billboard Featuring Their Faces and Names scmp.com/news/china/socie... · Posted by u/anw

isostatic · 8 years ago

I don't want to drive drunk

Therefore I would be quite happy to have something built in my car that checks I'm not drunk before I turn on the engine

I'd be even more happy in the very hypothetical case where I'm willing to drive drunk (say a volcano had just erupted) and all it would do is light up a warning light

(that said I know when I've had too much to drink -- like now at 2300 after a succefull 12 hour day, and wouldn't drive, it's when I'm in that 'I don't know if I'm impared state', that's where the breathalyser comes in helpful, so there's no need in my case to do anything with the results other than present them to me)

FullMtlAlcoholc · 8 years ago

> Therefore I would be quite happy to have something built in my car that checks I'm not drunk before I turn on the engine

If that's truly the case, it's trivial to get a voluntary interlock ignition device installed on your car. You'd most likely save on the cost since there is no government mandated reporting.

That said, I'd recommend not driving at all if you know in advance that you are going to be drinking. At least in metropolitan areas, there are far too many mostly affordable and convenient options IMO to risk it. Even a couple of drinks for a 180+lb person is going to cause impairment.

FullMtlAlcoholc commented on Gwynne Shotwell: SpaceX's Plan to Fly You Across the Globe in 30 Minutes [video] ted.com/talks/gwynne_shot... · Posted by u/logancg

aphextron · 8 years ago

Rocket based travel will never ever ever happen on a widespread scale simply because of the G forces involved. Passengers on an airliner will begin feeling uncomfortable at around 1.2 G's and > 20 degrees of bank angle. The thought of subjecting regular paying passengers to 3+ G's and a full 360 degrees of pitch/roll is absurd. It could definitely be a niche thing for people that are physically fit, but this just isn't the way to go for high speed transportation. More traditional airframes and scramjets are far more likely to make hypersonic travel a reality.

FullMtlAlcoholc · 8 years ago

You seem to underestimate how annoying modern air travel is, at least in America. One has to stand in at least 3 different lines (baggage, security, boarding) before getting on the plane. Whether in the terminal or on the aircraft, the seating feels like it was designed to be as uncomfortable as possible.

I imagine that there will be people willing to travel via rocket just because of the 3+ G's. And I'd take a 30 minute roller coaster ride over a 10 hr first class flight any time, all the time. Less time spent flying > comfort while flying. One immediate benefit is that one doesn't have to take a week or more off of work for intercontinental travel. Weekend jaunts to Pattaya or the Alps are possible when you aren't spending 20+ hours in transit.