I think the Sunni and the Shia might want to have a word with you with whether or not Islam can be interpreted in different ways.

That being said, when we see strict interpretations of religions, it’s usually in particular sects or denominations (unless it’s a very new religion, such as scientology - which is a cult and a religion, of sorts). The Amish and the Shakers might be examples of particularly strict sects within Christianity.

And in the case of the article, I think the situation is impacted strongly by governmental corruption and lawlessness. The way children are treated in Jordan and the way children are treated in Iraq are very different, even if they might both be majority-Islam countries.

By limiting ourselves in only thinking what cultures are “good” or “bad”, we will severely hamper our abilities to protect children and uphold justice. This is how we end up with people thinking banning niqabs or burkas in France will somehow prevent child marriage.

I think there are cultural differences that we ought to tolerate and be mindful of our biases on (how you prepare food, the clothes you wear, difference in manners, accents, language, etc.) and there are things which are universal evils (murdering children for not marrying).

It is unfair to ascribe the latter to all people belonging to a particular culture (the “you people” comment), since “universal” evil goes both ways - all people should consider it evil, but it is not unique to a particular people. A strange duality. Reminds me of the dad who “accidentally” shot and killed his daughter in Texas after an argument about Trump and was never investigated.

Ooo, that list is super useful and it’s getting bookmarked

Woah, that looks surprisingly in-depth for an rpgmaker game! I will have to give it a go

Oh gee, I hadn’t heard of books before.

In seriousness, this came about from visiting a museum and wishing that there was an easy way to revisit it through some sort of 3d simulatio.n And then thinking back on how I enjoyed Carmen Sandiego growing up.

Obviously neither is ideal for learning (focused books are a more effective tool than walking through a museum with a bunch of disparate exhibits), but I wouldn’t discredit the educational impact of the experience. Humans are very visual and tactile creatures.

That being said, I don’t spend my downtime attempting to do things as efficiently as possible. I’m not on a deadline, so there’s no reason for me to pick up a textbook and write essays for the most efficient learning possible. It’s OK to enjoy the experience.

Probably falls under same case law with Sony’s VCRs being able to record cable TV way back when https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._of_America_v._Universal_City_Studios,_Inc. Though this predates use of internet for streaming/piracy/etc, supresupreme court could interpret differently now

I agree that it’s too early, but disagree that it would never be possible. If the EU can successfully move away from Microsoft like they’re trying to do now, then I think that will provide an excellent model for moving away from other tech monopolies.

Personally, I prefer social communities to not be so heavily monetized. On the other hand, it would be nice if Frendica ran a bit better, but I can hardly complain if I’m not giving any time/money to that project to make it so.

I think it is good that there are organizations tracking this sort of thing based on multiple criteria. As individuals, we are prone to bias, and our outlook can be overly optimistic or pessimistic based on what news we happen to read and how our lives are going.

Additionally, knowing the rate of change is important. Sure, “everyone” knows that the planet is getting hotter each year due to climate change. I still want scientists out there checking thermometers each day so that we have data to support better decision making. The attitude of ignoring legitimate research and relying on “common sense” is part of how so many people were swayed by MAGA bullshit in the first place (i.e., they dont want someone with a fancy medical degree telling them they should vaccinate their children). Maybe we can get off our high horses for a bit and look at what experts are saying from time to time.

I suppose that’s why they’re asking you to take the results based on the research data rather than faith. It’s important not to confuse pessimism with objectivity.

Well, if you read the article, there’s some good news for you: they haven’t taken this long.

If you would read to at least the second paragraph (and I know I’m asking a lot), you would see that this organization has been tracking the descent since 2017. The “new” bit here is that it seems to have stabilized, i.e., it isn’t currently getting worse than it already is. The bad news (which you have to read more of the article to get) is that it isn’t going to get better any time soon, either.

Doesn’t bombing civilians just make it more likely that the survivors will take up extremist stances, though? From a long term standpoint, attacking civilians is always a bad move if your goal is peace/stability. I feel like the last hundred years has been a lesson in this

Maybe I’m missing context, though, since the comment you replied to was removed by mod.

The article is 5 paragraphs long. Is it really that hard to read it and answer your question? Nevermind, I think I misread your comment. Sorry!

What Sony is specifically trying to do is see if any AI song can be traced to specific songs- e.g., if someone prompted “make me a song in the style of Lady Gaga”, would Sony be able to conclusively determine this based on the outputting song?

I am a bit skeptical of this working, but then again, there were some image generators spitting out gettysburg watermarks.

I think you misread it - 71% said drive. 29% is still pretty bad, but it is kind of a “who is buried in grants tomb” question.

I think it’s true that folks increasingly want progressive candidates, but I’m not sure a focus group of 13 people is really a definitive look at public opinion. Focus groups are good at getting at underlying reasons for why people might prefer A over B, but they aren’t good for determining the number of people who prefer A over B.

But the headline did get me to click and read more, so there’s that.

The fact that the negligent discharges often involve experienced officers should be a wake up call that ICEs recent behavior isn’t new or just because of Trump - the incompetence is baked in.

I think it’s fair to expect students to use computers in a programming class. I don’t know if there’s a need for students to be using computers for the entire school day

Yep - I’ve already been bugging my grandma to get a passport so that she will be able to vote if SAVE act passes (she changed her name when she married, but doesn’t have a passport since she’s never left the country). Gotta avoid doomerism and make the fascists fight for every inch we can.

I’m torn on this - Christianity (particularly evangelical christianity) has had an extremely negative effect on democracy in our country and has caused physical harm to others.

However, I think most people with a conscience subscribe to some form of philosophy or religion (even if atheists aren’t “loyal” to any particular perspective and may not even use titles/categories to describe their value system) and I think it’s fine for your morals/conscience to influence decision making. Even a purely scientific decision making process could be considered a form of philosophy.

That being said, most organized religion is about obedience to the tenets of said religion, not a method of asking questions about the world to try to find the most just way to proceed.

Community gardens are fantastic! I’ve only just started getting into gardening. My parents have done it for a long time and use cold frames so that they can get food 10 months of the year.

Lettuce is super easy - some of its even made its way into my lawn from when I let it go to seed one year, lol.

My favorite trick is using an empty cat litter pail (the big ones with a lid, not the pour able ones), drill some holes in the bottom, put in a layer of rocks for drainage, and the rest with soil. It’s a great pot for growing sale greens, and the handle makes it fantastic for if I need to move it around. We can’t recycle the cat litter packs in my county so this is what I do with them