Hacker News Reader

grasshopperpurpon A Proposed Alternative to Corporate Governance and Theory of Shareholder Primacy

>If the average number of employees in a company in the course of the preceding three years has been at least 35, the employees in such a company are entitled to elect a number of employee representatives to the board of directors (“Company Representation”). The number of employee representatives shall be equivalent to at least half of the rest of the board of directors, however no fewer than two (i.e. if a board of directors consists of eight regular members, the employees have the right to elect four employee representatives).

Denmark has similar structures in place - for employee representation, anyway.

http://www.bechbruun.com/en/Services/Setting+Up+in+Denmark/C...

I've been reading up on Denmark, because they seem to have a very balanced system, where regulations make sense and corruption is low. The workers are paid well, and the social safety net is pretty robust. Still learning a lot, and I'd love to hear from people who know more.

>Denmark’s economy performs notably well in regulatory efficiency. Open-market policies sustain flexibility, competitiveness, and large trade and investment flows, and the transparent and efficient regulatory and legal environment encourages robust entrepreneurial activity. Banking regulations are sensible, and lending practices are prudent. Monetary stability is well maintained, and the judicial system provides strong protection for property rights. Political pressure for expanded government spending has been increasing, but such institutional assets as high degrees of business efficiency and regulatory flexibility have counterbalanced some of the shortcomings of heavy social spending.

https://www.heritage.org/index/country/denmark

grasshopperpurpon Cannabinoids promote neuron growth and have antidepressant-like effects (2005)

When I first started smoking, it was hugely beneficial. I grew up in a high-stress environment, and while art and philosophy helped me cope on an intellectual level, it wasn't until I started smoking that I believed in a physical way many of the things I understood intellectually. When I had to quit for a couple months, it was very difficult, though, because I was still very much a work in progress. I recently quit again (temporarily) for a little over a month, and it's been much, much easier. I was worried that I might be psychologically dependent, because I smoked pretty much every day, and while I felt great, and am generally very happy, I was concerned that sense of well-being would go away when I quit again. Thankfully, I don't really miss it overall, and I feel great - just like when I was smoking regularly (same but different). I do miss it at specific times for specific activities, though.

grasshopperpurpon Poor mental health at work 'widespread'

>As we move away from traditional family and tribe or community based social organization towards more paid work, our male leadership patterns seem to have become more dominant and we have lost that balance. Women with serious careers are frequently socialized to lead like men and they are sometimes harsher than the men as if to "prove" themselves or out of bitterness.

I'm glad you took the risk in your initial post, as you've very well articulated something that I've noticed for a while - but couldn't capture as well. I'm highlighting this bit, because I think it's particularly balanced and insightful. In recent years, we've read about how broken many men are - how they're emotionally shut off and how depressed it makes them in the long run, but when discussing the ills of patriarchy, there's still a large group that attributes it to whining feminists, failing to realize that it hurts us all. Imbalance will always have negative effects - politically, socially, economically, spiritually, etc..

grasshopperpurpon Privately Enforced and Punished Crime

Sad to see this downvoted - very funny.

grasshopperpurpon Whole Foods workers seek to unionize

>Employers are not and should not be required to pay you for work you are not doing. If maternity leave is important to an employee, it's important to negotiate it when arranging employment, or failing that, negotiate a high enough salary that you can afford to save for a couple months without income.

As if people have any negotiating power without unions, as if there is not a well-documented power imbalance in this country. Your attitude toward the common woman/man = why we can't have nice things. You and people like you labeling any thing that gives people a decent chance socialism = why we can't have nice things. Would you consider Denmark a socialist country?

Or maybe you were just being glib?

grasshopperpurpon Comparing the NYT op-ed to tweets from cabinet members

Exactly right, and the NYT did a great job of making Trump's points about the media for him by publishing this anonymously.

To be clear, I find his attacks on the media horrifying, and it's one of the things that's so disgusting about this NYT op-ed.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-anonymous-...

grasshopperpurpon Whole Foods workers seek to unionize

This is why we can't have nice things.

grasshopperpurpon How to Make a Big Decision

Appreciate the correction. I dislike poetry that is not self-contained (and Frost in general), but I guess that would have been common knowledge at the time. I do like Thomas's 'Adlestrop.' It's unfortunate, and probably unsurprising, that Frost meant it in that way, because it cheapens it, but it is what it is.

>The walker should have used the rigorous method the article proposes.

Curious how you'd justify this statement with the text.

grasshopperpurpon How to Make a Big Decision

Kind of like Frost's "The Road Not Taken." Many think it's about how he made a bold decision that "made all the difference," but it's really about how it didn't matter which road he took.

Though as for that the passing there / Had worn them really about the same

grasshopperpurpon A military technique for falling asleep in two minutes

For many people, and myself, telling yourself to think of something is a good way to make your mind blank.

grasshopperpurpon Miami Will Be Underwater Soon. Its Drinking Water Could Go First

>Where did baby boomers go wrong? This generation isn’t financially prepared for retirement

I couldn't find the percentage of Baby Boomers that are retired, but they certainly (as a generation) are not prepared for retirement. The Baby Boomers are (again, as a generation) incredibly reckless in all facets.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/where-did-baby-boomers-go-...

grasshopperpurpon EU to recommend that member states abolish daylight saving time

>In summer the sun doesn't go down until after 10PM here.

Ah, I was just thinking about the heat, but that's a good point.

>edit: Also, in Florida the days get shorter during the summer, over here they get longer.

No they don't. Like other places in the northern hemisphere, the summer solstice is the longest day of the year in Florida - and the winter solstice is the shortest.

grasshopperpurpon EU to recommend that member states abolish daylight saving time

It's not even true of places like Florida, where the vast majority of us prefer daylight savings time.

>State Sen. Greg Steube, who sponsored the bill, said that the idea of year-round daylight time has enormous support among Floridians.

"I've heard from mayors across the state that it's going to save them money because they don't have to light their softball fields at night," Steube said, according to the Miami Herald. "I can't tell you how many people have come up to me who have said even my high school-age kid, it's hard to get him up in the morning when we fall back the clocks."

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/08/591925587...

grasshopperpurpon Bullshit Jobs

What do people do when they go camping or hiking? What do people do when they go to the beach? What do people do when they go to a park? What do people do when they have dinner with their family and friends?

If you can't sit still and enjoy yourself just being, you will be in constant pain, and any break in that pain is only momentary relief. Most people pile distractions on top of distractions to shield themselves from their misery.

grasshopperpurpon John Coltrane and the End of Jazz

A Love Supreme is still my favorite Coltrane album. But, I wanted to say that I can listen to Eric Dolphy (briefly mentioned here) on anything. Out to Lunch!, Andrew Hill's Point of Departure, and Mingusx5 are the places I'd start.

grasshopperpurpon Miami Will Be Underwater Soon. Its Drinking Water Could Go First

I'm 34, and that's not my experience.

>According to a new survey from Discover, millennials are outperforming older generations when it comes to saving for their future. In a national study of 2,205 people, Discover finds that 81 percent of millennials are currently saving in some capacity, compared to 74 percent of Generation Xers and 77 percent of baby boomers.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180110005313/en/Dis...

grasshopperpurpon Miami Will Be Underwater Soon. Its Drinking Water Could Go First

Curious - what age group?

grasshopperpurpon Air-conditioners do great good, but at a high environmental cost

Living in Florida, we keep our AC at 78 - which is what a representative of our local energy company suggested. For two humans, and two dogs, it's comfortable. When we have company, we kick it down to 76 - or 74 if someone is cooking.

grasshopperpurpon Privatizing Poverty

Will check these out, but I was basing my comment on this.

https://gavinkellyblog.com/where-has-income-mobility-been-ri...

grasshopperpurpon Privatizing Poverty

All good - was just making sure I wasn't misreading it :^)

grasshopperpurpon Privatizing Poverty

The US values financial privacy more, because it's a way to perpetuate wealth inequality.

grasshopperpurpon Privatizing Poverty

>According to the bureau of justice statistics, 77% [2] of individuals are released from jail without financial condition.

Where are you getting 77%?

>Except for a decline to 57% in 2004, the percentage of defendants released each year varied only slightly, from 62% to 64%. A more pronounced trend was observed in the type of release used (figure 1). From 1990 to 1998, the percentage of released defendants under financial conditions rose from 24% to 36%, while non-financial releases dropped from 40% to 28%.

The only mention of 77% I see just says total release - not release without financial condition.

>Defendants with a prior conviction (51%, not shown in table) had a lower probability of being released than those without a conviction (77%). This was true even if the prior convictions were for misdemeanors only (63%). The effect of a conviction record on release was more pronounced if the defendant had at least one prior felony conviction (46%).

>A bail of let's say $250 for a minor offense is, in effect, a bail of $25. Though again, in the vast majority of cases a minor offense generally means you're released for free.

Why say $250 when the median of released defendants was $5,000?

>The median bail amount for detained defendants ($15,000) was 3 times that of released defendants ($5,000); the mean amount was about 5 times higher ($58,400 versus $11,600) (not shown in table). For all defendants with a bail amount set, the median bail amount was $9,000 and the mean was $35,800.

grasshopperpurpon Privatizing Poverty

>Edit: And could have unintended consequences for the court system, and create unintended incentives to ticket higher income people more vigorously than lower income (potentially creating unenforced laws in lower income areas).

I doubt that would be the case, because wealthy people have access to better lawyers, and police know this. It's one of the reasons they're currently more likely to abuse poor people. They also know that there will be less societal outrage.

grasshopperpurpon Privatizing Poverty

With the exception of Denmark, social mobility is low in Scandinavian countries, but wealth inequality is also low, so the idea of getting screwed back to square one is very American. Breaking the law should hurt equally for the rich and poor - unless you think the poor are inherently worth less.

grasshopperpurpon Why Prosperity Has Increased but Happiness Has Not

Exactly right! Prosperity doesn't mean anything without security. It does't mean anything if you know that you can lose it all the moment you exhale, or you could lose it all by getting sick. DH Lawrence wrote about this the last time inequality was this high (1928).

https://kalliope.org/en/text/lawrence2001061123

grasshopperpurpon Is Pop Music Evolving, or Is It Just Getting Louder? (2012)

I'd say that writing in music tends to be pretty terrible across the board - with a few exceptions during each period.

grasshopperpurpon Is Pop Music Evolving, or Is It Just Getting Louder? (2012)

Yes! In poetry, William Carlos Williams is a great example. In music, Lou Reed and Randy Newman are good examples.

grasshopperpurpon Verizon throttled fire department’s “unlimited” data during wildfire

Exactly - big difference between and quantifiable and unquantifiable claims.

grasshopperpurpon Is Pop Music Evolving, or Is It Just Getting Louder? (2012)

It's always interesting to see certain types try to discuss art. Since James Brown, music has been trending toward an emphasis on rhythm, with melody and harmony playing a more pragmatic role - rather than the inverse. This article doesn't even mention rhythm.

Ringo Starr was a mediocre drummer, yet many claim the Beatles are the best band ever (a stupid claim to make about any band, but here we are).

Most pop music will be bad, because art is hard. There are different ways to make art work. There are different ways to make music work. The more dogmatic you are about what makes art and music good, the more you'll miss out on great stuff, the more you'll limit yourself.

The combination of Future and Metro Boomin is just as exciting (to me) as the combination of Jagger and Richards or Lennon and McCartney.

grasshopperpurpon Is Pop Music Evolving, or Is It Just Getting Louder? (2012)

>Well today's lyrics are worse in at least one objective way: number of unique words.

That's not a good metric.