So, I’m sitting here in a small town in Uruguay on the coast. I’m American and I’m thinking about this third world country (please, this is how they refer to themselves - not as a developing nation, so just hard stop right there) and I’m thinking about where we are as humans, are heading. Well, as my father said tonight, history doesn’t repeat, it rhymes…here we are. What is going on??? I try and try as someone who grew up as the only white kid in my area in Chicago, dirt poor, to understand how, in my opinion, we as the United States, and therefore the world, are going backwards. (Sorry I’m using the US as a bell weather for the world because through my travels I’ve found this true.) why why why is there not improvement everywhere? Can we not do that as a human race? Do we not have enough resources. Now, some will write, but medicine has extended our lifespans, etc etc. Ok, but are we closer as humans? Have we implemented solutions that some say we are able to solve like world hunger? Na…anyway, rage came on the scenes when I was in middle school-ish. It was the mainstream radical that had existed during the 60s, but just one band made it mainstream - there were of course others that didn’t blow up. A group that came on the scene when it was comfortable in this country, as we were exporting our manufacturing jobs abroad. Rage spoke up about what was going on and it was strange. People were comfortable in the US and they banged their heads to the music but what did they absorb - what actions were taken? Things need to get shaken up to preserve democracy, challenge it. But this wasn’t necessarily the result from the band. We don’t see stuff like this mainstream. We are at a crossroads currently. I’m not sure the “best” outcome is going to show its face. If it did we would have more groups like this now that were mainstream. But instead we have Taylor swift filling the top ten - family member of JP Morgan Chase (disclosure, I bank w them but don’t listen to her music). I’m ranting, but all I have to say is that their music was inspiring and helped inspire me to pursue “sustainable business”. I hope to live in a world one day that instead of operating at .05% of its potential (quotation needed), it operates at just 25%. The mixture of music genres and messaging that rage created moved along the path of informing us of the struggles through a medium in which we could all connect…if you liked grunge and hip hop and all that.
If some of y’all want to throw some lyrics from their songs up on this post, it would definitely exemplify what I’m saying. Rage, thanks for keeping us apprised…
“Check it, since 1516, minds attacked and overseen
Now crawl amidst the ruins of this empty dream
With their borders and boots, on top of us
Pullin' knobs on the floor, of their toxic metropolis
But how you gonna get what you need to get?
The gut eaters, blood drenched get offensive like Tet
The fifth sun sets get back reclaim
The spirit of Cuauhtémoc, alive and untamed
Now face the funk now blastin' out your speaker
On the one - Maya, Mexica
That vulture came to try and steal your name but now you got a gun
Yeah, this is for the people of the sun!”
Yes, 100%…big time paradigm shift. All has changed. And by the way for context, I ran a top ten data provider for global commodity prices and traveled the world meeting major decision makers from tons of countries. My current company focuses on the labor market and I work internationally. It’s not just what I read, it’s what I see and also, what I hear about when talking to laypeople on the street in these countries.
I think with regard to bands like RATM and other anti-capital counter-culture theres a very big question about what is true over the long term:
1) Capitalism will sell its opponents the tools necessary to destroy itself
2) Capitalism will subsume and monetize any movement which threatens itself
I'm pretty sure RATM's choices assumes 1 while the record label etc assume 2.
Theres a lot of interesting historical analysis to be done arguing which interpretation is actually true in this case.
My thoughts and some of the people in the financial times argue that we are moving towards a more fragmented and local method of society. One where regions are more self sustaining and less reliant on global trade. I think overall, capitalism as a system can work, it’s just that the rules / laws must change to better accomplish a balance. The lobbying in the interests of corporations is one thing in history to go back and reconsider…
We've made lots of progress on problems like hunger. Despite there being far more people now than 30 years ago, a smaller number have less food than they need (not a smaller percentage, fewer people). To cast that as decline or things going in the wrong direction is bizarre.
And we have probably made net progress on people being closer. Bigotry has likely declined (even if there are still many noisy bigots out there).
Bigotry declined? I don’t think so at all - not sure where you are living. From the post about the Indians and their cast system the other day on HN, to the lack of opportunity for those who illegally crossed borders and left their families to come ti the US who experience hatred and racism each day - telling me about it all the time. To us for some reason reporting in the news how important it is to not hate on gays and transgender (which is obviously wrong) but seeing nothing as loud in the news about the racism about blacks…racism is very alive and strong especially in the US. Religion and the white Christians that have ruled for so long and are now so fearful of the tides changing are pulling out ever last stop to maintain power. Not sure how so many are blind to this, but dig into history and the light shines bright.
Pretty sure things are better now than they were in 2000.
Like you talk about a bunch of things that are in the news that weren't in the news in 2000 because bigotry kept them from even being an issue to discuss. That they are now openly an issue of contention is progress!
Elected leaders in Italy, Hungry, the USA, and many more don’t seem to be headed towards progress on bigotry…and the “news” has changed in the last two decades. It’s all about getting clicks now for ad dollars. The independent reporting that once was has changed. You think the race riots in Chicago in the 60s weren’t in the news? I’d actually say I don’t read very often about bigotry in the news except for Kanye west getting cancelled for talking about Jews. Where else do you see mainstream articles that dive deep into this issue? Bring it to the forefront again today and you might see a lot of angry people come out of the woodwork to take the chance to standup for themselves.
> I’m American and I’m thinking about this third world country (please, this is how they refer to themselves - not as a developing nation, so just hard stop right there)
ps no lo basurees asi gringo, da?
> I try and try as someone who grew up as the only white kid in my area in Chicago, dirt poor, to understand how, in my opinion, we as the United States, and therefore the world, are going backwards.
Well, I employ people from here and pay them double what they’d make and give them opportunities where there are none. Like one of my ML guys - thanks me everyday - he knows it - he was working security at a hospital before I hire him. So not sure where you’re from or your story, but to say my story is cringe…I assume you had a pretty easy life then and didn’t go through the struggle myself or others I’m describing went through. When everyone I talk to here has issues paying the bills for their energy every month, at least I can relate. What do you do for work and what have you achieved / overcome? Seriously asking out of curiosity so I understand the context behind your comment.
All my employees hate to hear the term developing nation and prefer third world…
Wait, wait.
Small coast town in Uruguay, you employ people there, and you've got at least one ML guy. Do you have a Rodrigo working with you? If yes, tell him I said hi!
the cringe is the manic style clump paragraphs and unnecessary emotional overshare.. Also you work with a handful of tech employees, im sure the other 3 and a half million people in the country would love you calling them a 3rd world country, which doesn even make sense and not what that term means anyway, esp cringe when gringos are saying it
>”Personally I think it’s good to have longterm strategies. Not just for the next 10 or 20 years. But also for the next 10 thousand or 10 billion years. So I really appreciate the longtermists’ focus on the prevention of existential risks. However, I also think they underestimate just how much technological progress depends on the reliability and sustainability of our current political, economic, and ecological systems.”
Agreed.
I think if we did a good job on ameliorating the current systems, we would also greatly mitigate future risk. The benefit would not be those future generations only, but for those also experiencing life currently.
No, they are not floating, yet this author uses this word to describe chinampas.
Anyway, as a side note, I would say that a “modern” technology that somewhat mimics this is aquaponics. This method can be very powerful as it feeds off stacking biodiversity, just like the chinampas.
It doesn't originate with the author. Can confirm that chinampas have long been referred to as 'floating', as well as the Aztec capitol of Tenochtitlan being a 'floating city' in Mexico. Incidentally those pictured are not typical, they're usually smaller.
Your aquaponics analogy is apt. The canals are periodically dredged for fish manure in addition to some fish and axolotl (salamander) harvesting. Compare the Incan soku kollu technique, which starts with land and digs irrigation canals close together in which fish such as talapia are raised and harvested. The water serves as thermal mass and the mist they emit during frost events protects the plants.
I’m a little fuzzy on the details because it’s been a while since I read the story, but I believe it was like other stories I’ve heard, where it’s an old practice that fell to disuse while chasing modernism. It’s coming back now because sea level rise is worsening the effects of monsoon season.
Nothing. In fact, I’ve worked hard to come to accept that of which occurs in my life that is undesired - be it from my actions or actions that are outside my control. Everything that has occurred has happened for me, not to me. I’ve learned a great deal along the way and build my character from all my experiences. And just like everyone in this thread, you wouldn’t be who you are without these “regrets”. Hindsight is one thing, having regrets is another. I don’t like to say I regret anything, I’m just living and learning, accepting and letting the pieces fall into place. Life is too short to live with regrets.
Some sort of reporting that affirmatively associates the behavior with a specific compound such as arrests or health records. Arrest records would likely not include confounding factors such as mental health issues, which also can determine abnormal behaviors in dual diagnosis scenarios. Possibly recorded interviews with the people exhibiting the behaviors would also be acceptable
"Mental effects
Fentanyl causes:
dizziness
confusion
going "on the nod" (being in and out of consciousness)
Physical effects
Besides strong pain relief, fentanyl produces effects such as:
drowsiness
slow breathing
nausea and vomiting
smaller (constricted) pupils
itching or warm/hot sensation on the skin"
I think the mental effects cover what was shown in the videos provided by the other commenter.
Here is a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVtvp59xue4&t=884s&t=14m44s) of someone "nodding off" or doing the "Hastings Shuffle." There are two people being interviewed who said that's what they look like when they've taken heroin. They went on to describe taking fentanyl and almost dying. Fentanyl is an opioid like heroin but it's much more powerful. If you don't die or overdose, then you'll be shuffling around.
This video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgEdyvxwcvQ&t=5m45s) has two examples of people injecting drugs at a safe injection site and appearing to "nod off." One slumped over a chair around 5 m 50 seconds and another around 6 m 10 seconds.
edit to add another video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1ojeXgyAu0&t=2m8s this one is fucked up but shows someone injecting and then the after effects. They think it's heroin, but the narrator says it could be fentanyl and they can't know for sure. Around 3:30 is the after effects.
Probably not convincing because you don't really see what the drug they are using is and you don't see them stick the needle in their arm or press the plunger.
There are lots of mental health problems and other contributing factors of people who use street drugs, including using drugs that aren't pure. We have coroners reports on deaths with fenatnyl and other drugs in the deceased. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/birth-adoption-death-marri... But that doesn't discuss the behavior. I don't think the behavior is solely attributable to fentanyl, but it does contribute to a fair bit of it since it's in so much of the supply.
Anyway, there is lots out there if you're interested in searching more.
The problem with descriptions being used as evidence is in your own statement. Fentanyl is a mu-opioid agonist just like heroin, morphine, oxycodone, and many other similar compounds. There is zero reason to believe that fentanyl in specific is the compound being used in those scenarios, especially with how common heroin is.
Okay, the coroners data said, "Preliminary data suggests that the proportion of illicit drug toxicity deaths for which illicit fentanyl was detected (alone or in combination with other drugs) was approximately 82% in 2022 and 86% in 2021. 2022 data will change as further toxicology results are received."
I'm sure none of this convinces you, and I'm sure nothing I type or show will convince you either.
I have already stated the the evidence that would convince me and you have not provided anything similar. The evidence that you have provided would not suffice in a research environment which is the standard that I use.
Coroner data is not useful in this case as deaths are not necessarily correlated with other behavioral abnormalities.
Just my thoughts, concerning not achieving your desired outcome. 1) Users read left to right and start at the top. So they would see an icon there that represents search - what you do. That is also nested in the top right corner where in many interfaces there are powerful buttons for the user. 2) Saying demo was just an extra step for the user. Google has pretty much a blank canvas and search bar in the middle with a search icon. The user can’t really do anything but that. In demos, interface design, etc, I enjoy when things are straightforward/forced/simple because they can connect to a larger audience and it also decreases user fatigue, which can add up or straight up make you lose users if they can’t figure something out.
Be like the bonsai gardener, it’s not what you can add, it is everything that you can take away that’s important. Only when you can’t take away anything more will it be done.
Or something like that…
Oh - one more thing. Don’t forget to test this in front of ten people. If all ten don’t get it right the first time you need to change it up and try again. It’s not what you know or think - it’s all about the user, your guest.
Hi, I’m also really interested in scalable projects that are focused on environmental and social amelioration. Please email me (in profile) if you’d like to connect.
I work with people in prison, or as they are commonly referred to within some circles, justice involved individuals.
The issue here is not skilling these people in trades, it’s really about working on mental health and the underlying reasons why they are in prison. Until those challenges are addressed, these people mostly will not succeed. Many have not experienced much of a « normal » family life or friendships that promote personal growth, or mentorship.
On top of that, when many are released they have nothing. So, imagine trying to stay employed for a week when you have nowhere to live (especially hard to rent a place also when you have a record[1].
Anyway, we might know how to reduce recidivism, but society sure doesn’t seem interested in taking the steps to invest what’s needed.
[1] I recently spoke in front of the Colorado Senate concerning Assembly Bill 99 which will auto-erase the records of non-violent offenders in the state with some outcomes being that they can more easily find employment and rent places to live.
There should be free transitionary housing on-prem on-site with the prison. You still get free housing and food and you’re not monitored / can come and go as you please. But it gives you a stable address and base of operations from which you build your new life. This isn’t halfway house which are dorms - you literally get your own space.
I also have wondered whether probation officers have a positive or negative impact overall on recidivism. It feels like forcing people to have an additional stress layer that can send them back to prison on top of everything else isn’t actually helpful.
> Colorado Senate concerning Assembly Bill 99 which will auto-erase the records of non-violent offenders
Being able to expunge records helps, but if you really want to help people with criminal records re-enter the workforce, you have to fix business liability insurance. Insurers often the ones forcing the issue in hiring practices by rate increase or by clauses that will not cover an ex-offender. A rate increase for a 200 employee company will cost what hiring 3-4 people costs, so everyone wants to help until they find out what the hidden costs are. In Indiana we fixed this, and it is much easier to hire people with records, and did more to help expunging records.
Removing records does not help much when asked "have you ever been convicted" and get caught telling less than the truth. The lie itself is often considered moral turpitude by the employer. Laws that make it ok to lie, never work as expected for anyone.
I'm sorry my message came a bit across like "Just copy Scandinavia, then everything will be great". Obviously that isn't the case. My point was that there's no easy solution to reduce recidivism, but if we need to start somewhere it might be better to look into incentives created by the current prison system than learning inmates to code.
That doesn't solve the whole cultural view on inmates, the social and psychological problems that placed a lot of them in the prison in the first place, etc. etc. etc.
my 2 cents .... its unnecessary. It often then just leads to me having to explain what that term means. I would much rather use formerly incarcerated. Its a fairly neutral term, imo. Its not loaded with negative connotations like terms such as convict.
Also the term "justice impacted" seems to strip us of all agency. I would like to retain at least a smidgen of autonomy in my decision making.
> Anyway, we might know how to reduce recidivism, but society sure doesn’t seem interested in taking the steps to invest what’s needed.
The current "justice" system is a huge jobs program all around, and it is predicated on a persistently large mass of criminals who scare the crap out of the public. If they go away, so do cops, lawyers, prison jobs, and all the ancillary positions which feed off them. Society needs to own up to this fact and figure out what to do with all those people, especially the ones who live in rural areas which are completely dependent on prisons. I really feel the economics are what keep mass incarceration going year after year, no matter how many stories get written about it, or how awful everyone agrees it is.
1) find the people who have the problem you’re solving / creating value for
2) have them use / experience the product and watch them
3) have them think out loud while their doing that and keenly observe how they use experience the product
4) the observations should point to low hanging fruit for improvement
5) ask open ended unbiased questions about the experience and listen to them talk about it. Example: what did you think?
6) you don’t necessarily need to use a big sample size to get good feedback. Getting feedback from 10 people, you will see six that show the same pattern and you will then know to focus on that
7) hypothesize on improvements from what you learn, build, release again a and repeat feedback with real users
8) you will know you have something great when people show they are impressed. Be careful if people just saying it’s great as everyone will do this, so you will only really know if it’s great through observing.
9) if you can’t do this and are a solo founder, you probably will have a very difficult time with sales once you find product market fit since you always have to be in front of people and pitching
Hi, thank you for sharing your experience. I’ve been working with persons involved with great trauma, such as those in prison, for the past few years. In a few months myself and another person will launch a project we’ve worked on for some time. It is an exercise where you write down your responses to six questions. The point is not to tell but to show (I could go on about this concept for sometime). And better yet, have them show themselves, how to create opportunity. This is for anyone (age, status, sex, etc) and can be applied to anything. I thought it might be appropriate to post.
—————
1. Share a thought
2. How does that thought make you feel?
3. Why does it make you feel that way?
4. What is another way of thinking about that thought?
5. How does thinking about it differently change the way you feel?
6. What new opportunities are possible by thinking differently about this?
If some of y’all want to throw some lyrics from their songs up on this post, it would definitely exemplify what I’m saying. Rage, thanks for keeping us apprised…
“Check it, since 1516, minds attacked and overseen Now crawl amidst the ruins of this empty dream With their borders and boots, on top of us Pullin' knobs on the floor, of their toxic metropolis But how you gonna get what you need to get? The gut eaters, blood drenched get offensive like Tet The fifth sun sets get back reclaim The spirit of Cuauhtémoc, alive and untamed Now face the funk now blastin' out your speaker On the one - Maya, Mexica That vulture came to try and steal your name but now you got a gun Yeah, this is for the people of the sun!”