Oot politics would be terrible. People in general think way too much about their own opinions and cleverness and political discussion would only further exacerbate it.

Fabian,

Like I said, I'm not pushing for it, although I can see why it would appear that way. I don't mind if it happens or not.

I was just giving my thoughts on it, since it was the current topic of discussion. I rarely (almost never) initiate political or even borderline political discusssion in OOT, although I do respond to it.

So when others bring something up, I sometimes reply, and when I reply, I can get long-winded, so it seems like I have more invested into it than I do. Or it may seem like I am the one promoting or initiating the discussion. But that is almost never my intent, I am almost always just replying to other posts that I am reading. I can scale it back, if others feel I am doing it too much, even though I am just replying and not initiating.

Also, my impression is that LFS initially brought it up (even though he thought it might be a bad idea) as a Containment thread, since he didn't want that discussion here in the LC thread.

I could get behind an OOT Politics thread where when people post in it they get snap-banned into bolivia.

Soy sauce and chili oil should not touch one millimeter of a XLB.

Vinegar wise, it really should be red vinegar. Real black vinegar a bit too aged.

Lapka,

I have no doubt that many of us do not know the exact distances involved in European geography, but I do not think that is the point.

If a poster here went to San Francisco to visit El D, and he seemingly fled to Las Vegas to avoid that poster, I think it would get the same reaction that Howard visiting your city and you fleeing* away from him did!


*Just joking, I'm sure you had another reason to leave, but it's more amusing to think that you were trying to avoid Howard.

Amoeba,

I just use straight black vinegar. I can see the case for red, that is also good.

I mentioned the ginger/vinegar/soy sauce (chili oil optional) mix, because that is what I see others most commonly use.

See this is the kind of info I am looking for. Want to avoid being that gaijin guy.

Think you're looking for gweilo or lao wai

Great now I'm going to inadvertently ask for xiao lao wai and get served some Trader Joe's potstickers.

27’s fourth point is fairly revealing, and one thing I actually don’t understand about much of humanity. Many of my best friends are those to whom I’m deeply opposed from a political perspective.

It's pretty much the same thing, whether some of the soup drains onto the soup spoon or not. The soup draining onto the spoon does help avoid mouth burn, because it cools the hot soup.

But the key is eating everything altogether in one massively delicious bite!

What do you have against Bolivia, 27?

Lake Titicaca obv

On the odd chance Howard doesn't get the reference:

I wont ever support an OOT politics thread, and I'm probably more politically minded than most (degree in politics, former campaign volunteer, friends who work in DC, etc).

Like amoeba said, people think way too highly of their own opinions and cleverness. People also care a lot about their social standing on forums, so it becomes way too tempting for people to flame others as a way to up their social standing.

Generally, people are terrible at seeing things through other people's eyes and experiences, and it's so rare for people to change their opinions. I've found most people desiring to speak about politics are looking for confirmation and rarely for true debate and seeking of truth.

The other thing is that even in fields dominated by science and mathematics, so many things are really not understood well. People have no sense of what it really takes to understand something as complex as politics, and trivialize issues that are incredibly complex.

If you need any more evidence go look at the politics forum. It's an absolute cesspool of terrible posters.

I don't think you would get looked down on for using whatever type of sauce you want, if it is already provided at the restaurant. If it's on your table, it's good to use. If they give you red vinegar, use red, if they give you black vinegar, use black, if they give you soy sauce, it's okay to use, etc. It's not like they give you salt packets or tabasco sauce at the table. You're not gonna go wrong by using what they provide.

Beyond that, I think it's just a matter of taste. Amoeba prefers the Shanghai version of XLB with red vinegar. My favorite is the Taiwanese DTF version* with black vinegar. Either is good imo.


*although I admit that I haven't had top-tier XLB in Shanghai itself

Yak,

I am not familiar enough with programming references to have an educated opinion on that joke, or any implications. From just reading this thread, I agree with Howard's post on it.

Howard,

Would this be different from someone drugging another person without their consent, in order to get them to "agree" to have sex?

I'm not referring to someone using roofies to get the other person to pass out, and then rape them while they are unconscious; I'm referring to someone drugging the other person with ecstasy (or whatever would work, I'm not hugely knowledgeable about drugs) without their knowledge or consent, in order to get that person to be more physical and want to have sex.

Do you really expect us to believe you don't understand it? Disagreeing with it doesn't mean you don't understand it. Of course you understand it.

jfc now you're turning me into a nit. Damn it Howard!

Politard bull**** is a big part of why OOT became 'OOT' in the first place. Grunching from where that was mentioned. Used to be 'Other Topics' only, back when the internet was on stone tablets.

I used to feel this way too, when it felt like primary points of disagreement were those on which reasonable and decent people could easily differ (e.g. taxation/spending stuff, military intervention vs. non-intervention), but today's hot-button issues simply don't feel that way to me.

That Sudo joke is old af.

Get me a sandwich.

Get your own ****ing sandwich.

Sudo get me a sandwich.

What kind of bread do you want?

I read the programming command as actually changing her view, presumably without her knowledge — but her view is permanent and genuine and she then wants to marry him and live with him forever.

But you’ve hit on the interesting question. The way I’ve written it above, it doesn’t seem so bad, while your hypo — dosing someone with MDMA without them knowing, but their emotional barriers then dissolve and they want to have sex — is clearly morally awful and might be rape. The only reason I say “might” is that the extent to which ecstasy removes one’s ability to consent isn’t clear to me.

But yes: is there really such a difference between the two? It seems to me there is not.

The alternative to talking with one another about them is increased polarization, which in my view may lead to terrible outcomes.

You’re right on the nit. I don’t understand why people are this way. I’ll of course argue with anyone about anything. But I almost never take it personally, and while I well understand that others do, it seems to me that behavior, regardless of the underlying difference in views, is unwise.

And yes, there are limiting cases and exceptions and all of that.

27,

Just chill out for a few seconds before going straight for the dumplings they give you. If they next set a little bowl of red vinegar and ginger down on the table, you can grab it like you knew it was coming. If no other little dish is put down, you can use the regular black vinegar at the table.

There’s a risk that you get very unlucky and you get served the soup dumpling right as she runs out of red vinegar or bowls. Then you’d face the embarrassing spot of her returning from the kitchen a couple minutes later with a little bowl of red vinegar for you, only to see that you’ve already consumed the soup dumplings.