Adalast

@Adalast@lemmy.world

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⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨FCC proposes all AI-generated content in political ads must be disclosed⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Because deep fakes aren’t the only thing you can do with AI. There are lots of non-manipulative use cases for AI generation and those should now be excluded. I do believe any AI generation that includes images of people should be excluded.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Nintendo Switch emulator suyu continues on from yuzu - first release is up⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
This is precisely what happened with Cockatrice. Happy to see it. Fuck them for their shit. Hasbro and WoTC couldn’t stop FOSS, Nintendo won’t either. There will be an iteration soon that steps just far enough away from Nintendo IP that they aren’t able to say shit anymore.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Yeah, that is a really rough place to survive in a non-apocalyptic scenario. I think focused active scavenging on the way out of civilization would be the key to making it. Then finding/setting up a village would be the next key to long-term survival.

I’m glad that I was able to reevaluate with better accuracy. This was fun.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
That definitely changes things. Swamps would likely be the last place you would want to try to survive out the Z-poc. The mobility issues would be useful for impeding zombies and raiders, but you would suffer the same issues until you could get some sort of infrastructure in. And that is completely ignoring the fact that Zs can end up hiding under the muck and bog. Also, the drinking water would be a real issue, since, as you said, everything is wet. If you could locate a good pete bog you could harvest and dry it in a shelter for amazing fuel, but I don’t know how prevalent those are in those particular swamps. Other than resource gathering though, I think it would be best to avoid until you had a foothold somewhere else.

Now the fog in the mountains is actually interesting. That level of humidity means that you can source drinking water directly from the air with little issue. Cut up some cotton shirts so they are broad and flat, then rig up a wind vein that will keep a small sail aligned with the prevailing winds so the fog flows over it and the cloth will be soaked with fresh clean water. If the vein is built right you can even channel drip water into a container, then wring out the cloth when the fog has lifted before the sun can evaporate it. Variations on this are actually viable in any humid region, especially if the temperature dips below the dew point at night.

I think I would still probably make for the foggy mountains if I were in that region if I could do so while bypassing swampy regions. The rough terrain could be trivialized with minimal infrastructure and resources could be plentiful if managed right. I am also of the minor assumption that in that region the cold is almost as much of a threat as the zombies, so I’m not positive what sorts of shelter the mountains would provide. If memory serves, most of that region is very old metamorphic rocks that aren’t prone to cave formation. This would severely limit shelter from the elements without a good source of building materials or the means to produce them. I would amend the list to fire axe, body armor (winterized), fire kit, wrist rocket. In scavenging, I would prioritize a survival machete, a pack, the aforementioned claiming gear, and real medical supplies (suture needle, sterile gauze, strong thread or monofilament fishing line). Once I am able to secure somewhere to put a cache, that expands to a charged car battery or 3, jumper cables, basic carpenter tools, many many tarps, and as many fluid containers as I can get my hands on. Russian winters are no joke and without the tarps, drying enough wood to survive would be hell. The tarps would he enough to make a sealed drying environment until a kiln dryer could be constructed. Of course, all of this is predicated on being able to secure an area that has materials and is remote enough that the possibility of wandering Zs becomes slim. It would probably he worth finding a camp in one of the transitional zones between the swamps and mountains so the swamp can act as a natural trap/barrier to Z traversal so it only requires minimal fortification.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Looking at this population density map of Russia and the satellite map on Google, I feel like the Jeep would only be a viable take if you are somewhere in the medium-density band like the area around Neya. Looking further North, and correct me if I’m wrong, the terrain looks like it takes on a generally rough aspect. Looks like a decent amount of steep hills and mountains which lack infrastructure, so while the jeep could offroad it, the time it would take to traverse would be onerous and diminish the already abysmal fuel efficiency.

Exploring this forestry map I am seeing a lot of dense tall forests as you move north through the western part of the country, which is also looking like pretty rough terrain, so I am thinking the list I would go for in that region would be the fire axe, wrist rocket, winterized body armor, and climbing gear or a backpack. Clean water should not be as much of an issue given the number of lakes and accompanying tributaries in the region, plentiful wood supply for small fires for purifying water, and I’m pretty sure a lot of it is coniferous (correct?) which would mean that there should be ample tinder in dry needles so most fire kits would be overkill.

The real difficult decision is in the climbing gear, as being able fo ascend a cliff or tall tree and safely secure yourself would be ideal for Z-poc survival. Just ascend the tree, drive a piton in and fashion a sleeping harness from the climbing rope. Make sure you have a good amount of ammo for the wrist rocket and in the morning you can obliterate any Zs that have gathered around the bottom of the tree. Long term, I would totally go Ewok/Forest Elf with it and build a canopy encampment. Lots of space and easy-to-control access points, and with each additional platform it becomes easier and safer to build the next. The real issue with that is the ability to safely fell trees and hewn lumber, which would be nearly impossible solo unless you could adequately secure a perimeter so you didn’t have to focus on threat vigilance. Barring that, I would say a clifftop camp with a rapid descent escape route. Good sight lines, effective egress, and if it is tall enough, you could try to get them to chase you and have an effective way to clear the Zs without wasting ammo. You would just need to clear the corpses after using it.

The reason why the question is tough with the pack is because of the terrain traversal, you need to be able to appropriately distribute the weight if anything you carry into wilderness like that, and that is tough without a good pack, especially with the body armor. I contemplated swapping the armor for a pack, but I can’t justify being able to avoid bites and other injuries for traversal ease. If I could have 5, those would be the 5.

How’d I do?
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Also, as I said, for usability and reliability in efficacy and ammo sourcing, nothing beats a wrist rocket slingshot. The weapon itself is lightweight and can use everything from ball bearings and buck shot to large bolts and nuts to gravel. There is virtually no terrestrial environment that you wouldn’t be able to find something that can be used as absolutely lethal ammo.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Fuck corn. It is patently one of the worst feedstocks for ethanol. The only reason you hear so much of it is because there is so much money wrapped up in it already and it is a way to use up excess stock. No, switchgrass is the answer. Hearty, more biomass per km² than just about any other crop, has high cellulose content (which is what gets turned into ethanol), and can be cultivated just about anywhere on the continent with little maintenance or involvement. You could probably get away with planting a few fields in pockets around a stronghold which could be checked on a couple of times a week and harvested for an extended period, then you just have to process it as usual. It is even relatively short and dense, so zombies would struggle to hide in it and it would act as a natural barrier to slow the advance of both Zs and any nairdowells that would seek to assault you. Fuel source and defensive emplacement in one.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
They only have to be serviceable, which is manageable just like they were made in from antiquity to the modern era, wood. It might take some practice, but a hand-carved shaft that has the tip dipped into molten lead or pewter could make a rather effective bolt. You could use more modern materials as well; various types of piping, scavenged hardware like nails and dowels, etc. They may be less accurate and harder on the crossbow, but they don’t need the longest range in this topic and the wear and tear on the crossbow may be justified if you know how to repair it and maintain it to ward off failure. Obviously, there would be trial and error, but it wouldn’t take too long to become a competent Fletcher.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Where are you, I’d love to analyze a different country?. Who knows, pigs may fly and I may be able to afford to be traveling abroad when Z-Day happens.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Katana is too difficult to maintain, crossbow bolts can be fashioned by hand from found materials, first aid kit can be scavenged pretty easily. If this is starting gear, go for the stuff that is either rare or likely to be scavenged first, and that is easy for you to maintain by hand. Jeeps aren’t rare, real body armor is. The machete is the go-to blade for many parts of the world for a reason. It is heavy enough to cleave small brush and limbs alike, sturdy enough that it isn’t likely to break on you, and you can get a utility or survival version that has a saw on the back and other useful tools included in it. Only take the Jeep if you are proficient in maintaining it and know how to make biodiesel. If you have those skills, go for it. Your assessment is correct. If not, it is prioritizing short-term benefits over even medium-term. Even on a full tank, you have less than a day’s travel in it. Then it becomes a hard-walled tent or tiny home, take your pick of feel-good terminology. Depending on your starting location, that half-day of travel may not be enough to get you safely away from population centers. If you are in any major US East Coast city, you are fucked. You can barely make it into the Appalachians on one tank, and certainly not remote enough to be safe. As you move further and further west, that becomes less and less of an issue. If you are in the SW, a Jeep becomes top tier pick because it lets you navigate offroad to somewhere truly remote and provides adequate hauling capacity for scavenged materials for setting up a secure base of operations.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
I thought the fire axe was a lock pick?
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
I’m swapping the first-aid kit for the crossbow, but spot on for the rest. Body armor is rare and definitely raises your odds of survival in the short term after the initial spread. A machete is the ultimate all-purpose blade, good for defense as well as butchering, breeching, and it is easily maintained. And the water purifier is a no-brainer. Waterborn diseases are a real problem in any situation where public utilities become inaccessible and clean drinking water grows scarce.

Assuming that I am obviously able to expand my kit as I survive, the ranged weapon that uses easily craftable ammo would be ideal. A first aid kit could be cobbled together over the course of a few days of persistent scavenging. No promises on the crossbow, they are far less common than bandaids, gauze, sterilization solutions, and splints. Really the thing that would likely be the hardest to source is the suture needle that you should have in there.

I always loved 10k in Z-Nation for using the wrist rocket slingshot because that is truly the king ranged weapon for a survival scenario. Lightweight, ammo that is infinite and easily accessible, and lethal out to ranges that matter. Not to mention that they are very easy to maintain and repair.

All that said, I would likely accumulate the aforementioned electricity/fuel items as I am familiar with the production of biofuels and can build some alternative generators (wind, methane, solar concentrators) for electricity once I have somewhere secure. Methane in particular has always been attractive to me for survival scenarios because anaerobic decomposition is a great way of dealing with biowaste and what is left over ends up making really good fertilizer. Just need a couple of propane tanks, some steel, and a car battery to rig as a welder and you can turn one into a digestor and the other into storage, then get a couple 2 cycle lawnmower engines and some AC motors and you can get a power supply running. At least enough to run some incandescent bulbs. Need a voltage regulator for more complex electronics to keep the line clean, but that is a different conversation.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Survive the zombie apocalypse⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
He’s right, unless you study up on making biodiesel. Then you have the upper hand in the argument, as a diesel Jeep can be run on biodiesel. Rendering those fatty zombie corpses to fuel should be a functional disposal method.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Bethesda Is Responding to Negative Reviews of Starfield on Steam⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
I do. That is a side effect of always standing on the hill. I am there when it matters, but also when it doesn’t. Such is the curse of my superpowers.

Captain Pedant AWAAAAYYYY!
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Bethesda Is Responding to Negative Reviews of Starfield on Steam⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
While I don’t disagree with you in spirit, the use case for most instances of the expression are to dissuade the act of comparison at all because the two quantities are so dissimilar that the correlations are irrelevant.

It is an anti-intellectual statement because it presupposes that the person doing the comparing is not able to distinguish between meaningful comparisons and ones which are irrational but support their argument. It ranks up there with “big words” as far as I am concerned, saying more about the person they are being said by rather than the person they are being said to.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Bethesda Is Responding to Negative Reviews of Starfield on Steam⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Except you just compared them in saying they are both fruit. In fact, saying they are both fruit is finding a commonality between them when comparing. There are many metrics on which Apples and Oranges can be compared. They are different colors, have a different internal structures, and different juice content. These are negatively correlated comparisons. More positive correlations would be that they are both roughly spherical, provide vitamin C, and grow on trees.

I have always hated that expression. You can compare anything since comparison is just the act of identifying similarities and differences (positive and negative correlations). One can make meaningful comparisons between and apple and a suspension bridge if the situation calls for it.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why is it apparently cool and fine for insurance companies to spend countless billions, trillions of our money constantly buying ad time?⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Yeah, I wrote elsewhere that I wish medical insurers were required to be 501©28 (I think that was the number). It specifically states that they are not allowed to lobby or fund political organizations/candidates.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why is it apparently cool and fine for insurance companies to spend countless billions, trillions of our money constantly buying ad time?⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
I have had this fantasy. All health insurers be required to be 501©29. The non-profit definition for health insurers under the ACA.
⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why is it apparently cool and fine for insurance companies to spend countless billions, trillions of our money constantly buying ad time?⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:
Don’t forget the part where Insurance Company X calculates the maximum amount of damages they could be liable for from marauding flash mobs for a given affected area then raises the rates on all of their customers in an even bigger area to compensate so they can never lose money on Alice’s wrenches.

Source: I’m a mathematician who spent a summer working in the office of a roofing company and I literally watched homeowners insurance companies do it.