MollieTheMare
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User ID: 875
MollieTheMare
2d ago
N.B. Apologies in advance: this is not 100% "fun" and light culture war, but mostly a commemoration of the joy brought to us. I'm also quite loose with the distinction between the man and the character, but perhaps more than with any other actor of our time, this will be understandable: "It came to a point where I had no idea where Picard began and I ended. We completely overlapped."
The Measure of a Man
In memoriam: Sir Patrick Stewart (1940–2026).
The actor, one of the most impactful and beloved of his generation, has died at age 86. Most famous for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, he shaped a generation of sci-fi enthusiasts and the broader public. His work is still relevant to our collective conception of the possibilities and challenges that technological progress will bring, and its relationship to our own humanity.
The Inner Light: Family life
A native son of Mirfield, Yorkshire, he developed an early interest in drama. As has been discussed recently here, many of his generation experienced a truncated adolescence. Stewart was no exception, leaving school at 15.
Acting was tightly interwoven with his family life. His mother was involved with drama and encouraged his early interest. He appeared with his son Daniel, who played Picard's son in the alternate family life portrayed in TNG's "The Inner Light." He also had a number of significant romances with women involved in productions throughout his career, and later met his wife, Sunny Ozell. Skepticism has been expressed here with respect to large age-gap relationships. In this case, Stewart is reported to have died in the loving care of Sunny while suffering from Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. May we all find love that can survive such a journey, and let us hope that it's never called upon to be tested in such a way.
There are four lights: Conviction
Many of us here would not be able to enjoy any media if we only consumed things from artists whose culture war stances we agreed with. That being said, Stewart was also known as a principled and passionate supporter of many causes. Of particular personal interest was his willingness to speak about his own observations of domestic violence and its impact.
He was also a principled defender of civil liberties, including speech.
The Best of Both Worlds: From an "unknown British Shakespearean actor"
While we recognize those closest to him and the positions he advocated for, there is little doubt that the greatest impact Stewart will leave is through his acting legacy. Classically trained and involved with the Royal Shakespeare Company throughout his life, Stewart would reshape the sci-fi television and movie genre, bringing echoes of Henry IV to what had previously been a more swashbuckling role.
Yesterday’s Enterprise: A cultural icon
It is then, perhaps, no coincidence that any list of the most impactful Star Trek episodes contains a plurality of entries in which Jean-Luc Picard is a central figure. While TNG is often regarded as a reflection of the optimism of its era, in many ways this influence flowed both ways. Arguably, no other media did as much to shape an entire generation's view of what might come of rapid advances in technology. TNG may represent the zenith of optimistic depictions of the future in media. The more morally complicated universe of Deep Space Nine already suggested a turn away from that optimism, one that would feel even more pronounced after the dot-com collapse and 9/11. But of course, Stewart's distinctive portrayal as captain of the USS Enterprise was never really about techno-space-communism (he did seem to privately own Château Picard) but about what makes up our humanity.
Picard represented an unusual model of authority: intellectual, capable of violence but reluctant to employ it, and principled without being blind to the difficulties of applying those principles consistently. It was not his infallibility that made him admirable, but his conviction in the face of uncertainty and weakness.
For those of us who grew up with TNG, perhaps the more lasting influence was not what it taught us to expect of technology, but what it taught us to expect of the people entrusted with it. That distinction is as relevant as ever. His portrayal marked a radical change, making restraint, deliberation, and moral courage the defining virtues of a starship captain. We may question the optimism that surrounded it, but that ideal still echoes strongly in our hopes for the future.
Darmok: He taught us to speak in memes
Perhaps his greatest and most relevant legacy here is that he reminded us that even as media changes, we are still part of The Great Conversation: our shared stories and understandings are what make the culture, and the Culture War around which this site orbits.
They were… victorious. But… Enkidu fell to the ground, struck down by the gods. And Gilgamesh… wept bitter tears, saying, "He who was my companion, through adventure and hardship, is gone forever." — Picard, Epic of Gilgamesh
MollieTheMare
3d ago
That was my interpretation. Perhaps a more famous quotation from the novel than the one about my beautiful red ribbons 🎀.
MollieTheMare
3d ago
the motte is very much a case of an Animal Farm, and has been so for some time.
Will there still be sugar after the Rebellion? And shall I still be allowed to wear ribbons in my mane?
MollieTheMare
3d ago
I suppose it has been at least three weeks since our last meta-discussion.
I'll just come in and say what regularly seems to get brought up in these discussions. The site has lasted much longer than many people, including myself, expected. I, for one, am not sure exactly what to do about the evaporative cooling effects. But it's not clear to me there is a much better alternative. Of course, we also face ever-changing ground beneath our feet on the internet. And while others can debate whether or not The Motte is flourishing, the community does seem to be surviving
By clinical definition, I expect yes, but you would have to ask a professional psychologist.
By trait cluster, I think probably yes, though possibly overlapping. I think one is the inability or a deficit in ability to regulate or drive focus in attention, even if it makes more work in net. The other, a truly lazy person, is trying to do the least work they can get away with to get by. Like Rosencrantz2 said, it's less total work to just do the minimum to avoid getting hassled.
I'm pretty sure hyperfocus is also associated with ADHD. So you will sometimes find people with the seemingly contradictory behavior of working very hard with a lot of attention on one thing, even if normies find that thing unpleasant, but who are also unwilling to do basic "easy" things that would make less work for themselves.
So one archetype is that dev that is clearly just doing the bare minimum all the time to skate by and collect a paycheck. The other is the guy who sometimes writes inspired code, but for some reason refuses to complete a 15-minute training module HR requires to release his paycheck.
MollieTheMare
4d ago
From my understanding of the literature, it is possible for women to get bigger quads on a relative basis to themselves and other women, though, of course, they are unlikely to end up with "manly" quadz. From the addendum on sex differences in training:
A recent study by McMahon et al. had men and women train their quads for eight weeks. Physiological cross-sectional area increased by about 23% for men and 30% for women, and knee extension torque increased by about 14% for men and 22% for women. These differences were not significant.
IMO, trained legs look more "toned" and generally aesthetic based on shape, which is arguably more important than absolute size. I do, however, generally prefer a more hip-drahve-oriented squat for general training. I think it both produces a more aesthetic physique and more useful general physical preparedness for becoming a human forklift.
MollieTheMare
4d ago
So far, she has refused to do squats.
I assume you already mansplained the "something axial loading... something bone density... something osteoporosis" argument.
Maybe you should emphasize:
- SQUATOBER™ is a federally registered trademark, so October is officially the month for squats.
- Using the power of the squat-morning, you are going to challenge her for the household thiccness crown.
- Forklifts are indispensable in the modern world, and a useful addition to any operation.
MollieTheMare
4d ago
stupid and boring and so I didn't bother to do it
I suspect a big part of it is the challenge to authority implied by exercising agency and choosing not to do something.
That and @Primaprimaprima's phrasing:
seemed more fun to just sit here and do nothing
Sounds more like something vaguely in the ADHD cluster than pure laziness. As @Rosencrantz2 said, the truly lazy thing to do is the minimum required effort to avoid getting hassled. Supposedly, for normies, the "completion" → get the check mark → dopamine, feedback cycle is stronger. Whereas, for others, the novelty, interest, attention, comprehension pathway is more motivating.
MollieTheMare
8d ago
Organic Maps on my phone
For what it's worth, I've had way better luck with OsmAnd. UI is eye-bleeding in comparison, but I did get used to it. I mostly use it as an offline backup, though. It's hard to beat Google Maps, if not for navigation, for real-time traffic and alerts.
I built the full version, and don't travel without grabbing the offline map for the region ahead of time now. I've been burned one too many times by Google deciding now is the time to drop its offline cache, or random airport SIMs dropping out in the middle of nowhere. I have considered paying for it just to support continued development.
MollieTheMare
13d ago
A private organization
Interestingly, they are only mostly-private. They actually hold a special congressional charter (36 U.S.C. §§ 30901–30908), and that charter specifically sets out their purpose (emphasis mine):
The purposes of the corporation are to promote, through organization, and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in scoutcraft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using the methods that were in common use by boy scouts on June 15, 1916.
MollieTheMare
16d ago
Curious. It seems this court went considerably further than the one in Simmons-Harris v. Goff (Ohio 1999), emphasis mine:
It can be argued that implicit within this obligation is a prohibition against the establishment of a system of uncommon (or nonpublic) schools financed by the state.
Notice the 1999 court never said it does imply such a prohibition, only that it's possible to argue it does. It's a strange proposition, basically now saying that an obligation to provide X implies a prohibition on funding Y because "a" is singular. Or maybe they are leaning more on the funding substitution argument than the singular part.
Also, it's interesting that they have a Franken-system with "regular" public "common" schools, charter schools, and vouchers. Quite different from the English meaning of "public school," as in a private school attended by members of the public, as opposed to one obligated to admit and accommodate the most disruptive and least interested.
MollieTheMare
18d ago
Lemon squeezer. It's awesome, works great. Old concept, still perfect.
In my opinion, a regular squeezer is good, but the perfected model is the Chef'n FreshForce Citrus Juicer. Very rigid, acid-resistant, GFR-nylon handles and stainless steel pressing cup. The compound lever toggle linkage lets you produce unreasonable amounts of force. Dishwasher safe. Quite a bit more than your grocery store special, but small absolute cost for a design masterpiece.
The 10¼″ can do down to key limes and up to medium-large lemons. I like using it so much I considered buying the 12¾″, even though I hardly ever drink orange or grapefruit juice.
MollieTheMare
22d ago
Yes, the choice of table was a small tribute to the fallen.
My understanding is that he is throwing a self-described tantrum. I don't know if he will return. In that case, IMO, the most productive use of this time is if he is busy finishing his house project. There is also the slightly more disturbing possibility that he's in Australia.
A third possibility is that he had a spectacular crashout, for... reasons, and his story (mildly NSFW) is allegorical.
And that was that.
I suppose falling in (Culture) War in the most banal possible way is a tale as old as time:
He fell in October
1918[2026], on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front that thearmy report[mod log] confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front.He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. Turning him over, one saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come.
MollieTheMare
23d ago
The only (non-novelty) food I've had that made me feel physically sick from the spiciness was at an Indian restaurant. We were having dinner with a group of Indian classmates. I don't know if they told the waiter something as a form of hazing or if that was just the normal spice level. I'm pretty accustomed to spicy food, so I managed to eat it, but the next morning was slightly worrying.
MollieTheMare
23d ago
This is my personal average restaurant experience of the spiciness scales in the US.
| Rating | Thai place example | Indian place example | BWW example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌶️🌶️🌶️ | Crying while eating (only available if ordered with a majority-brown group) | Pray for your butthole Vindaloo (only available if ordered with a majority-brown group) | Blazin'® or Wild® |
| 🌶️🌶️ | Ordered "spicy" with a majority-white group | Madras | Mango Habanero™ |
| 🌶️ | Labeled "spicy" with no waitress warning | Tikka Masala | Asian Zing® |
| White people: black pepper is too spicy | Not labeled "spicy" | Korma | Honey BBQ |
I skipped a bunch of the BWW spiciness scale, but everything below Asian Zing on that scale is hardly spicy, IMO.
MollieTheMare
24d ago
MollieTheMare
24d ago
Squat-morning master race—for that big booty lyfe.
MollieTheMare
24d ago
A pistol duel should really be saved for the final round. We really lose something by not having people fight a repeated set of running duels over decades.
As a young officer in Napoleon's army, Dupont was ordered to deliver a disagreeable message to a fellow officer, Fournier, a rabid duellist. Fournier, taking out his subsequent rage on the messenger, challenged Dupont to a duel. This sparked a succession of encounters, waged with sword and duelling pistol, that spanned decades. The contest was eventually resolved when Dupont was able to overcome Fournier in a pistol duel, forcing him to promise never to bother him again.
MollieTheMare
25d ago
An open call to make October the official month of fixing our poverty squats
Today I learned that SQUATOBER™ is actually a federally registered trademark of Sorinex Exercise Equipment, Inc. Though I suppose that means it should really be SQUATOBER®.
I have the following complaints about the official Sorinex programming:
- Insufficient predictability: It would be nice to know the workout at least a couple of days in advance, in case you have to shift it by a day or need to allocate extra training time.
- Limited progressive overload: There is an excessive emphasis on squat variety over getting your main barbell back squat stronger.
- Excessive frequency: It's not literally squatting every day, but somehow it's also not just a squat-focused, month-long program. There's not enough recovery to provide a truly near-maximal stimulus, but you don't even get the habit-forming benefit of literally doing something every day.
- It uses pure, arbitrary percentages: No consideration for differences in scaling, absolute load, age, recovery ability, or sex.
- It has excessive axial loading for an already squat-focused program: For example, today's workout has five sets of triples on deadlifts in addition to five sets of triples on back squats. At some point, back fatigue becomes more limiting than quad or glute strength, which is kind of ridiculous for a squat program. Five sets of near-maximal deadlifts is a ridiculous amount for an advanced, medium-sized male lifter. Pointless if they're far from maximal, for someone already squatting five days a week.
I do, however, kind of like the idea of novelty-themed training blocks for when your regular programming gets stale. PSA: there's still enough time in October to do a squat-focused cycle of Smolov Jr. this month, if anyone is interested.
We can't use the same portmanteau for this competing novelty program, though. I wonder if Squatoberfest Jr. is far enough away to be safe.
MollieTheMare
26d ago
I tried looking for the alleged person on OpenPowerlifting, but didn't find a record. So they may just be a general strength enthusiast rather than a powerlifter™.
Eyeballing the video (that is allegedly of her that @Quantumfreakonomics posted), I don't see a whole lot of the androgenizing effects of the special sports supplements most associated with deviant sexual interests. Namely, Tren and Dbol. That level of strength is also totally achievable according to my eyeball scales. Note that those are miscolored lb plates, not Olympic-style kg plates. So, a 365 lb deadlift. From the relative scale, she looks like someone who could make the 76 kg (168 lb) weight class, which would be an advanced deadlift, but not elite or requiring special supplements.
Edit: Studying the video more carefully. Based on the plate movement and bar bend, I think those might even be extra-wide bumper plates, in which case it's the [bar + (45 x 2 + 35 + 10) x 2 = 315], not [bar + (45 x 2 + 35 x 2) x 2 = 365]. Also, the real crime here is not loading 315 as 3pl8s-lamo, truly deranged.
MollieTheMare
30d ago
It was an extremely basic error, but somewhat understandable. I expect the average person on the street might be able to name exactly one WNBA player, and she did play for the Hawkeyes in college.
MollieTheMare
1mo ago
Don't a lot of gainers contain maltodextrin to bulk out the carbs? Or is the idea that it's sufficiently water-soluble that a very thorough rinse with plain water afterward is enough to avoid having to brush and floss? I wonder if chewing some xylitol gum afterward would also be a reasonable substitute/addition. I assume none of that is as good as rinsing thoroughly, possibly waiting a while, then brushing when you can.
MollieTheMare
1mo ago
I recently got over my various trauma-responses to the point where I was able to roll half of that into a six-month CD
Congrats, it can be quite scary.
While I know I could probably do "better" ...
Assuming you are U.S.-based, I see @Mantergeistmann has already suggested I Bonds. I think, under most circumstances, rolling short-dated T-bills into a ladder of seasoned I Bonds is slightly "better" if you are working a normal-length career, aren't maximally aggressively shopping introductory rates, are planning on keeping a full-year emergency fund, and are willing to replace low-real-rate tranches of I Bonds when reasonable. TreasuryDirect is still clunky, but it has slightly improved. This also has a slight advantage over rolling CDs, as it saves you from having to change banks every six months for the best rate. But, yes, on a modest emergency fund, the real difference is probably smaller than other choices, and you do have to get over the small personal limit and one-year hump for I Bonds.
I'm pretty sure actual coffee snobs would judge me poorly, and I do get a plain black drip about 50% of the time when the wife and I go out for coffee. That being said:
Flat white
During this particular season, I do personally go for the PSL. People can judge me if they want for ordering a basic bitch girl drink.
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