I had a TC file sent to me, I installed TC to open it.
I used to use TC a lot; many years ago.
But I remembered that there was some controversy a few years back.
Is there a replacement?
The ability to mount an encrypted filesystem and then send that file to someone is really useful.
The grower/farmer would have to declare where the produce was going.
I'm not sure how much of this is already done, for traceability reasons, but some is done.
I would make sure it was NZ production into the NZ market.
No produce heading offshore would get subsidised.
That is to help with the seamen sample collection, obviously.
We also have no true capital gains tax. Without this, GST is practically the only way we get tax from the ultra wealthy, right?
This is a major problem with flat taxes; the ultra wealthy pay a tiny portion of said income/wealth in GST; vs the poor who pay a huge portion of their income in GST.
but that seems to also be making the system more complex by balancing tax collection against subsidies for the same thing
Not true; complicating GST, complicates it for all businesses. It adds compliance overhead to everyone; even though it would be minimal extra for most businesses, it is not zero. Not zero multiplied across all businesses is still millions in compliance dead weight cost.
So do we just hand cash to supermarkets to make certain products cheaper? This seems more complex than just removing GST.
A targeted subsidy; could be applied at the producer end, making the bureaucratic overhead much smaller. Thus giving NZ producers a leg up compared to overseas producers.
This isn't as anti-competitive as it first seems either. Since feeding ourselves is a national security concern. It behooves us to prioritize local production, even in the event we have to subsidize production.
No we shouldn't.
If we want to subsidize a set of foods; well why not just do that. A subsidy also will not limit you to 15%; it will not complicate a very simple tax.
We can get the effect we want in a more targeted and logical manner. We can also target any subsidy at NZ producers and make our locally produced foods more competitive against imported produce.
Flat taxes are regressive and generally bad; but making a bad tax worse by adding carve outs will not give us the outcome we really want.
I run mint 22.1 and have a 9070xt.
I used mainline to install kernel 6.14, works flawlessly.
First of all.
Life has no inherent meaning; there is no grand plan or objective purpose to your life or any other persons.
Thus; what you choose has meaning is objectively meaningful (to you).
On a grander scale. As far as we know currently, we are the only example of advanced intelligence in the universe. We are almost certainly not; but we have no evidence at this stage. This is objectively meaningful; for humanity as a whole, if you choose to participate in ensuring the continuation of the only example of intelligence is totally up to you. As long as some people choose to continue the species intelligence continues in the universe.
Seems like something Jack Black would wear.
Carbon credits are secondary.
What we want to do is lower emissions; one way to achieve this is to place a cost on those emissions. Thus giving an incentive to lower the emissions; carbon credits are a bit of a shit way of doing this. But it is better than nothing.
I think this is a valid concern; but you have to look at the challenge of measuring the emissions over the entire country.
There is no other way to capture this data.
This is true, but there are other ways.
Setup a VPN on your home node and use RSync when it is connected.
At some point you have to evaluate your threat model and decide at what point in the security/convenience slider you sit.
RPi at home as third node
Use Syncthing, encrypted device to device sync. No online storage required.
Mint Cinnamon.
It's easy, stable and gets out of my way.
I haven't seen the need to dostro hop for years.
Agreed, and if you go with similar tech; as was in the first one, it should be cheaper...since it is no longer the absolute cutting edge anymore.
Or an engineer, we all grow beards to show wisdom.
I know a female engineer who has a fake beard on the wall in her office. She has been known to wear it to meetings, for extra respect...
It sucks that we lost contact.
But the mission is not a complete failure, a whole lot of data were collected. We will get better for the next one.
Easy fix, stop doing studies. The problem will just disappear.
We can't have dirty ethnics hanging around now can we.
For you, the day the IDF graced your camp was the most important day in your life, but for me? It was Tuesday.
I'm currently running Gemma3, it is really good overall, but one thing that is frustrating is the relentless positivity.
It there a way to make it more critical?
I'm not looking for it to say "that is a shit" idea; but less of the "that is a great observation" or "You've made a really insightful point" etc...
If a human was talking like that, I'd be suspicious of their motives. Since it is a machine, I don't think it is trying to manipulate me, I think the programming is set too positive.
It may also be cultural, at a rule New Zealanders are less emotive in our communication, the LLM (to me) feels like are overly positive American.
I can't get my program to use pandoc from inside a venv.
I can use pandoc from the system context.
From inside the venv
which pandoc /usr/bin/pandoc
I've installed pandoc inside the venv with pip, and confirmed the files are in the venv.
What am I missing?
Ok, so the best thing that I have been using my local AI for lately is acting as Socrates and helping me delve into my thinking
Long text here
User | 2025/04/09 08:39:23
When considering the Socratic method, what questions did Socrates ask people, to start the process of enquiry
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Gemma3 (12B) | 2025/04/09 08:39:55
Okay, let's break down the types of questions Socrates used to initiate the Socratic method. It's important to understand that it wasn't a rigid formula, but a flexible approach designed to expose contradictions and ultimately lead to deeper understanding. Here's a breakdown, categorized by their function and with examples. I'll also include some key principles at the end.
1. Initial Clarification & Agreement (Establishing a Starting Point - Often Seemingly Simple)
- "What do you mean by...?" / "What is X?" (Where X is a Virtue, Concept, or Idea - e.g., "What do you mean by justice?", "What is courage?", "What is piety?")
- Purpose: This is the essential starting point. Socrates wouldn't just debate; he's seeking a clear definition. He's trying to get the other person to articulate their understanding. He would often feign ignorance to encourage them to explain.
- Example: "Tell me, what do you mean when you say 'a just person is someone who always tells the truth'?"
- "Is it always the case that...?" / "Does X always mean Y?"
- Purpose: To test the initial definition's universality. Socrates is looking for exceptions or situations where the definition might not hold.
- Example: "Is it always just for a person to tell the truth, even if doing so will cause harm?"
- "Can you give me an example of X?"
- Purpose: To make the definition more concrete and test its applicability.
- Example: "Can you give me an example of a courageous act?"
2. Testing the Definition (Identifying Contradictions & Difficulties)
- "If X is Y, then does that mean Z?" / "If X is Y, what follows from that?" (Hypothetical questions to explore implications)
- Purpose: To push the definition to its logical conclusion and see if it leads to absurdities or contradictions. This is a core technique.
- Example: (After someone defines courage as "standing firm against pain") "If courage is standing firm against pain, would someone who doesn't feel pain be courageous? Wouldn't they just be standing firm without knowing it?"
- "But what about...?" / "Consider the case of..." (Introducing counter-examples or edge cases)
- Purpose: To challenge the universality of the definition by presenting situations where it breaks down.
- Example: (After someone defines piety as "doing what the gods demand") "But people disagree about what the gods demand. What if one person does something believing it's pious, but another believes it's impious? Which one is right?"
- "How does X relate to Y?" / "Is X a type of Y, or is Y a type of X?" (Exploring relationships between concepts)
- Purpose: To clarify the scope and boundaries of the definition.
- Example: "Is justice a type of virtue, or is virtue a type of justice?"
3. Probing for Underlying Assumptions (Revealing Hidden Beliefs)
- "Why do you think that?" / "What makes you say that?"
- Purpose: To uncover the reasons behind the initial assertion. Often, the reasoning is vague or unexamined.
- Example: (After someone says "the just person always tells the truth") "Why do you think a just person always tells the truth?"
- "What do you mean by 'good'?" / "What do you mean by 'beautiful'?" (Questioning fundamental values)
- Purpose: To examine the foundations of the other person's beliefs. Often, these fundamental values are taken for granted.
- Example: (If someone says "Doing what's good is the highest goal") "What do you mean by 'good'?"
Key Principles of Socratic Questioning
- Irony/Playing the Ignorant: Socrates often pretended to be less knowledgeable than he was, encouraging the other person to take the lead and explain their views.
- Focus on Their Beliefs: He wasn't trying to impose his own ideas. He was interested in understanding and clarifying their beliefs.
- No Easy Answers: The goal wasn't to arrive at a definitive answer. It was to expose the limits of knowledge and stimulate further inquiry. Often, the dialogues ended in aporia – a state of perplexity and uncertainty.
- Relentless Logic: Socrates was meticulous in his questioning, pushing for logical consistency and exposing contradictions.
- Focus on Universal Definitions: He sought definitions that applied universally, not just in specific cases.
To help me tailor my response further, could you tell me:
- Are you interested in a specific Socratic dialogue?
- Are you focusing on a particular virtue (like justice or courage)?
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User | 2025/04/09 08:44:51
What specific questions would he ask to start these discussions, I'm looking to probe my own thoughts, with you acting as Socrates in this endevour.
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Gemma3 (12B) | 2025/04/09 08:44:57
Excellent! This is a wonderful approach. Let's do this. I'm ready to embody Socrates and help you probe your own thoughts. To begin, I need a topic. Let's start with something you're curious about, something you're wrestling with, or a concept you'd like to understand better. It can be a virtue, a belief, an action, anything at all.
To initiate, please tell me:
- What is the topic you're interested in exploring today? (Just a brief description is fine.)
- What, if anything, are your initial thoughts or beliefs about this topic? (Don't worry about being "right" or "wrong." Just tell me what you think, even if it's tentative.)
Once you provide those, I'll respond as Socrates and begin the questioning. Remember, my goal isn't to tell you what to think, but to help you examine your own thoughts more clearly.
I am eager to hear your response and start our inquiry. Let us begin!
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User | 2025/04/09 09:16:54
I'm interested in social responsibility; what are the responsibilities that one has to our shared experience and prosperity.
I think each person should balance individual and collective needs as best suits their abilities. I think it is almost impossible to live a truly individualistic life, we are all dependant on our social bonds.
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Gemma3 (12B) | 2025/04/09 09:17:07
Very well. Social responsibility – a most worthy subject for inquiry. And you’re already demonstrating a thoughtful approach, acknowledging the interplay between individual and collective needs. Let's examine this further.
You’re suggesting that each person should “balance individual and collective needs as best suits their abilities,” and that “it is almost impossible to live a truly individualistic life.” These are intriguing claims. Let’s begin with the first.
Tell me, when you speak of "balancing individual and collective needs," what do you mean by “individual needs”? What constitutes an “individual need” as opposed to a “want” or a mere preference?
Don't feel pressured to give a definitive answer. I am simply seeking clarification, to understand what lies beneath your initial statement. Let’s begin there.
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User | 2025/04/09 09:35:17
A simplistic view would be to look at say, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and pick the physical and safety needs as the absolute essentials to stay alive.
But looking at this simplistic view, it is not satisfying. Reducing "needs" to the essentials to stay alive, invites questions of purpose, why even live if all you are doing is staying alive.
Moving up the hierarchy could be the answer for finding this purpose, but one could also look to Scott Barry Kaufman's sail boat metaphor, with the security needs (safety, connection and self-esteem) as the essentials, that allow you to build the to the higher level needs of exploration, love and growth.
We also have to consider that the security and safety needs are not a fixed thing, once solved we never need to worry about them again. They can be taken away, natural disaster, war, famine can knock existing pillars out and we need to rebuild them; putting on hold our growth to attend to the lower level needs again.
I think the difference between a need/want/perference is vague, on the simple level I NEED food, but I want it to be clean and healthy, I prefer it to also be tasty and enjoyable. I need shelter to survive, but I also need it to be warn and dry in the long term or I will get sick, but I don't necessarily need it to be warm and dry today; we can take a lot of hardship and come out better for it, but we cannot endure that kind of stress constantly for years on end.
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Gemma3 (12B) | 2025/04/09 09:35:34
You’ve moved far beyond the simplistic view we initially considered! Your observations are quite astute, and the complexity you’re uncovering is precisely what makes this topic so challenging. You’re wrestling with the very nature of “need” itself.
You’re correct to point out that the concept of need isn't static. It fluctuates, it’d be taken away, and we are all impacted by those shifts.
You’re also keen to acknowledge the difference between the absolute bare minimum for survival and the conditions necessary for a flourishing life.
Now, let’s focus on something you’re highlighting: this distinction between survival and flourishing.
You say that “the conditions necessary for a flourishing life” are different from “the absolute bare minimum for survival.” If someone is merely surviving – having their basic needs for food, safety, and shelter met – would you say they are truly fulfilling their social responsibility?
Consider scenarios where someone is simply scraping by, just managing to keep themselves alive. Are they, by virtue of merely surviving, fulfilling their social responsibility? Or is there something more required?
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User | 2025/04/09 09:59:35
If someone is merely surviving, are they fulfilling their social responsibility?
There are two perspectives to look at, the persons perspective and the perspective of society itself.
From the point of view of society, is the person a net drain on the system, do they consume more resources than they contribute? If someone is just scraping by, they are probably consuming more than they contribute currently. But this may not always be the case. What is the responsibility of society to the individual, different countries tackle this question differently, we in New Zealand tend to favour helping the person, using services provided at no or low cost to help people, yet we still have homeless ness and other social issues.
From the perspective of the individual, what can/should they expect from society, what is "the social contract"; how do they feel that society should treat them? At home, in NZ, we have the expectation the the government has got our back, they are there to help us, healthcare is free as is education before university, toll roads are extremely rare and we have public rubbish bins to keep litterling to a minimum; we have a social welfare system to help those that are disadvantaged. When an individual feels that contract is broken, how should they feel, to what extent should the feel they "need to do more".
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Gemma3 (12B) | 2025/04/09 09:59:49
You've raised a crucial point by differentiating between the individual's perspective and society’s perspective. The social contract is indeed at the heart of this discussion. And your observation about New Zealand’s approach – a leaning towards supporting the individual – is a valuable lens through which to examine this.
You’re rightly pointing out that even with generous social support, problems persist. Let's focus on that tension.
You observe that even with New Zealand’s support system, "problems persist." If a system designed to support individuals – to lift them beyond mere survival – still fails to eliminate issues like homelessness, does that suggest a flaw in the system itself, or does it reveal something about the nature of social responsibility that goes beyond simply providing basic resources?
I’m not asking you to condemn the system. I'm prompting you to consider whether the very act of providing resources, while necessary, might not be sufficient to fulfill the obligations of social responsibility. What might be missing?
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Generated from Alpaca
I'm still pondering my next response, but this is great, I have a bunch of other ones on virtue and reasoning, but you get the gist. The model can examine what I have written and ask somewhat insightful questions and prompt further introspection.
My partner is looking for an alternative to PicCollage, there doesn't seem to be a simple collage builder for digital scrapbooking on Linux.
It needs to be able to scale, rotate and place images (video nice but not required) and add text that can be put into various "fun" fonts.
I don't know what the "ideal" would be other than the above.
Note: she is running Linux Mint 21.3
I upgraded my PC, I have just upped the RAM to 64GB and got a Radeon 9700xt 16GB GPU.
I want to do some personal programming projects and was wondering what is the best model that would fit my HW?
I mostly use python, but dabble a little in go, and am interested in looking at rust.
I am running this on my desktop, the processor is a AMD 3700X (8c/16t).
I was reminded of Recoll after reading a thread about email search.
I installed it on my desktop (Mint 22.1); does anyone have a way to integrate it directly into a desktop search.
e.g. press Super+f pops up a dialog box where I can search for something?
Analysis: Phil Goff's comments about Donald Trump were unwise – but his dismissal may say more about the current US administration

Is it really a dismissal level event? I mean, everyone sees how the world is turning....he just said it out loud.
I'm making the bold assumption, that most people here are not running, in either local body or national elections.
Everyone loves the complain about what "public servants" do. So why not step up and do something about it?
No accusation intended or implied. Just curious.
Rents declined 21% (relatively) and 3x more permits: How zoning changes made a mid-sized city the Wellington region's housing leader

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/25703297
I built her a desktop in 2019, has always had Linux on it.
She has had a chromebook for a couple of years, but this weekend she finally got annoyed enough to ask me to fix it, so that she could have all her applications work correctly.
It is an Asus CX5400; I had to unplug the battery to over write the firmware to allow me to install any OS I wanted. Then had to fix grub manually.
It took around 4 hours, a lot of that was opening the case without breaking anything.
I'm using Mint, I keep it updated.
I have the Shokz open run pro headset.
When connected to my phone, they work without issue.
When connected to my laptop, they also work without issue.
When connected to both my phone and laptop, I can get good sound from my phone, but the laptop sound starts well but usually within 60s it becomes very unreliable. The sound just doesn't seem to transfer to the headset.
I was thinking about this the other day.
I can't see the point, desktop search is a solved problem.
Yes Windows find is shit, but it doesn't have to be.
I know a bunch of the conspiracies, but what is the legitimate use case?
YouTube Video
Click to view this content.
cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/50252669