The general discussion thread within our general discussion.

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

I really hate making new threads I don't feel need to be new threads. But. When a guy doesn't have many other places he'd rather go searching for advice of general feedback, ya gotta stick to what you know. Using the search function turned up short in trying to find what I thought existed as a general advice thread. We have almost every other form of it on here. But nothing ultra non-specific. Should we not have a place to bring questions or topics that are vast and cool and vast or not even that cool? A place like "random thots" (which I love btw) but not that random and genuinely seeking at least a little bit of serious responses lol. Anyhow, hopefully this shit doesn't end up under the fucking rug or behind the couch like 100's of other threads that never made it. @misterraven what happens with all of that shit anyways? Idk I suppose that's maybe a stupid easy computer nerd answer. And a great segue into the first topic...I also hate saying "I really hate." Sounding like a valley girl. But for real though please post and or reply...

 

 

For the past several weeks I've been putting off buying a new MacBook for my multimedia design degree. I know I've been over due a long time and just couldn't let go of the struggle computer I've been holding on to for a decade. Pretty sure me and @KILZ FILLZwere both bothering some of yall about ways to stick with old glory and not go new. Anyways, fresh new school and beginnings, fresh new MacBook right? Na not me. Gotta find that deal. Too many motherfuckers go straight to buying new. So I find myself at this reuse and refurb shop I heard about and I went down to check it out because they supposedly did finance. Here is the problem. 

 

When I pull up to the store its a whole lot of wiggly overcompensating sale and blowout signs. I have adopted some serious anxiety in my older years and I always need to case a unfamiliar place before entering. Immediately, AND HERE IS MY ISSUE, I KNOW NEW 12OZ IS WITH THE SHITS WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL/RACIAL/ME TOO WHATEVERTHEFUCK BUT I GOTTA GET SOME NOT SO POLITICALLY CORRECT THINGS OFF MY CHEST. SO! Immediately I notice what appears to be a black owned computer shop. ima stop right here and announce my own fault of being so ridiculous and out of pocket but I said right then and there..."ain't no way these brothas own a computer shop in the hood. Its gotta be some Nigerian niggas in there for sure. Gotta watch for the scams." RED LIGHT. Pause. That shit is racist as fuck! Now not only was there some reversed racism in there but also why in the fuck do I think ALL NIGERIANS are scam artists...?! I'll tell you why. Profiling and weirdo rumors. I've never met a nigerian scam artist in my life . But I've always HEARD they stay robbin niggas LOL. Mannnnnn. Let me tell yall it only got worse when I went in and found the space gray shit I wanted. I asked them (it was 3 in there) "So uhhh, yall closing down soon or some shit? I see all the blow out sale signs outside. Hope yall ain't selling off product just to turn around and break out. Yall got warranties in here??" Awkward silence and response "of course we do, it's just been really hard staying afloat with covid and all." Ahite cool I understand that. Then I asked about finance and the dude directs me over to this janky older desktop Mac for "the application." I took 5 seconds acting like I was filling shit out and just blurted out "Na I'm good. I don't really trust this." I got some weird looks and some African talk amongst themselves and then a guy said what type of finance company it was. I still shot it down and said  "Will yall take 1k??" "No, sir. We do not bargain here. This is not a pawn shop." Ok cool. My bad. I'm in a real pickle and just decided to buy it out right. Transaction made. I left feeling HELLA uncomfortable for several reasons. Being a racist. Thinking I still some how got scammed. Thinking about my bank acct. Being a racist stereo typing ass motherfucker. Mostly that last shit.  And I still feel this way but now the sketchy scam paranoia is carried on to my everyday life and I can't stop worrying about if these niggas got some weirdo bug in my shit that can stream all my information. COMPUTER NERDS! PLEASE HELP ME FEEL SAFE WITH MY SHIT AND TELL A BROTHA TO STOP BEING A PUSSY. I need the no nigga your shit is not bugged program and this is how to keep it that way.  I don't know how or why I got to this point of crazy and that's kind of why I started the thread. 

 

Do any of yall feel like you've lost sight of yourself and your beliefs in a negative or a positive light? I feel like asshole. But it is what it be. 

 

 

 

 

Feel free to chime in and or post your own shit you feel you might need a little bit of direction with. 

Edited May 6, 2020 by NightmareOnElmStreet

[where]

First

[morton]

There are 204 million people in Nigeria, blows my mind. 

 

Sounds like the experience of buying in a smaller shop was off putting as much as the nationality and racial tension. I dunno, I am surprised you went to a brick and mortar at all with all the weirdness that goes along with that now a days.

 

Maybe you are creeping around the corner and having a vision of your mid-life crisis, where you have to rectify who you are with what you have become. 

 

 

[morton]

Google street view in Lagos is a good way to kill some time.

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

1 hour ago, morton said:

There are 204 million people in Nigeria, blows my mind. 

 

Sounds like the experience of buying in a smaller shop was off putting as much as the nationality and racial tension. I dunno, I am surprised you went to a brick and mortar at all with all the weirdness that goes along with that now a days.

 

Maybe you are creeping around the corner and having a vision of your mid-life crisis, where you have to rectify who you are with what you have become. 

 

 

100% unsure of why I went in there but I'm fairly happy with the outcome. Not exactly hyped on my paranoia and anxiety about this spyware identity theft. Even though it is most likely in my head. Im mostly concerned with why I've turned into such a weirdo. I feel like a younger, blacker version of Clint Eastwood in grand Turino minus all the excessive out of pocket language and overall disdain. I have no problems with Nigeria lol. I'm just a slave to news snippets and hearsay and all around stereo types and I've never in my fucking life thought of myself in that light. Shit is weird. 

[mr.yuck]

What would you have done if you walked in and they were all dressed as princes? Like as a joke.

[One Man Banned]

Good read, enjoyed.

 

I would have the spyware ID theft concerns as well.  However, if you bought that shit brand new direct from Tim Cook you can rest assured that Apple and most sites you'll access with their products are spying on you and stealing/using your info.  Better it be by honest criminals.

 

The rest is debatable.  There's bias, stereotypes, and racism.  Everyone has bias of some form or another, some helpful, some not.  Stereoytpes can be good or bad but at best, they are a generalization that does not apply to all.  Not sure  your thinking quite hit racism.  There's a short list of ethnic groups known for computer scams, Nigerians being one of them.   A bunch of in your face sale signs could indicate an attempt to liquidate everything and close, or it could mean other things.  It's amusing that you thought it must be Africans running the computer shop in the hood, and it was!  What is more significant here is your self-awareness and willingness to examine/challenge your thinking.  Makes all the difference and might make your thinking a little more advanced than some of the "normal" people who don't believe they have bias or stereotypes.  Or worse.

[KILZ FILLZ]

@casek

@casekonly

 

any idea for the homie noes?

[KILZ FILLZ]

@NightmareOnElmStreetidk man I would give that bish a factory reset a couple times just to be safe ...Put a post-it note over the webcam too lol

 

 

 

 

[Schnitzel]

I feel things like this sometimes and I really dislike it.

 

I called a plumber to my house and when he arrived he was indigenous. I did a double take as I opened the door and I'm sure he caught that.

 

Remember feeling really weird like I'd failed my "colourblind" test by noticing he was indigienous and wondered how he must feel getting the double take every fucking day.

 

Been trying to be less racist for the last 20 years after having my eyes really opened to it when I moved to London but old biases still remain I guess.

 

Which is shit.

 

 

 

[One Man Banned]

You think you're walking tall but little people say that's just your height privilege

 

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

2 hours ago, One Man Banned said:

Good read, enjoyed.

 

I would have the spyware ID theft concerns as well.  However, if you bought that shit brand new direct from Tim Cook you can rest assured that Apple and most sites you'll access with their products are spying on you and stealing/using your info.  Better it be by honest criminals.

 

The rest is debatable.  There's bias, stereotypes, and racism.  Everyone has bias of some form or another, some helpful, some not.  Stereoytpes can be good or bad but at best, they are a generalization that does not apply to all.  Not sure  your thinking quite hit racism.  There's a short list of ethnic groups known for computer scams, Nigerians being one of them.   A bunch of in your face sale signs could indicate an attempt to liquidate everything and close, or it could mean other things.  It's amusing that you thought it must be Africans running the computer shop in the hood, and it was!  What is more significant here is your self-awareness and willingness to examine/challenge your thinking.  Makes all the difference and might make your thinking a little more advanced than some of the "normal" people who don't believe they have bias or stereotypes.  Or worse.

Much appreciated insight my man. I would like to say prescription drugs and therapy influenced the ease of looking inward but I reckon I've always been that way. Some cats have a real problem with that shit. Not me. The tricky part is trying to get my brain to quit being such an asshole. Doesn't happen all the time but I still feel hella shitty. And you're definitely right on my word mixing. I do that far too often. 

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

1 hour ago, Schnitzel said:

I feel things like this sometimes and I really dislike it.

 

I called a plumber to my house and when he arrived he was indigenous. I did a double take as I opened the door and I'm sure he caught that.

 

Remember feeling really weird like I'd failed my "colourblind" test by noticing he was indigienous and wondered how he must feel getting the double take every fucking day.

 

Been trying to be less racist for the last 20 years after having my eyes really opened to it when I moved to London but old biases still remain I guess.

 

Which is shit.

 

 

 

I always forget you are Australia. That native shit with you guys and those guys must be fucked up. Our shit in the states should feel just as fucked but it's not as everyday and obvious as it is out there. And being a native dude myself I can speak to it more than most. Not to be confused with the white guy walking around saying his great grandma was Cherokee, either. I didn't grow up in a heavily traditional family and we sure as shit don't look it whatever that means since most of us are just black folk. Major pow wows and tribal gatherings here are totally open to the public and you see all walks of life at them. It's not uncommon to blend everyone into a good time. Reservations have are a little less all inclusive but I wonder what it's like  out your way? 

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

2 hours ago, KILZ FILLZ said:

@casek

@casekonly

 

any idea for the homie noes?

Bring back the case computer corner or whatever the fuck that shit was. And im sure that thread about how to not get spied on probably speaks a little about what im after. Also, did you end up getting a new Mac or sticking with old trusty?

[Dirty_habiT]

You can do a full operating system reset where the laptop will connect to Apple and pull down the newest clean operating system. If you do that you won't have to worry about any potential residual anything the people that sold it to you could have done. 
 

Btw your first post cracked me up. Let me know if you have more questions about your computer and I'll do my best to help you. 

[KILZ FILLZ]

8 hours ago, NightmareOnElmStreet said:

Bring back the case computer corner or whatever the fuck that shit was. And im sure that thread about how to not get spied on probably speaks a little about what im after. Also, did you end up getting a new Mac or sticking with old trusty?

Man I am still using my old beat to shit MacBook from like 06 lol

 

only time that shit gets used it tax season tho, phones are just so damn powerful! And now with having apps on TV for streaming, the laptop just doesn’t serve much purpose for me. still think I might cop a Lenovo or something at some point but even then would it make more sense for me to just get a tablet and a Bluetooth keyboard for half the price??

 

i think I’m too damn attached to the 15 yrs worth of stickers on the thing and that’s playing a part in me dragging my feet

[KILZ FILLZ]

I’m curious if anyone can assist with deciding between

 

1) amazon fire stick 

2) google chromecast

3) roku stick

 

looks like amazon only come w Alexa spying device, not hyped on that. 
 

chromecast makes you use a google portal on your phone so I’m sceptical whether I will be able to have multiple logins for multiple services (using other people login)

 

roku?????

[One Man Banned]

roku like a hurricane

 

 

[glorydays]

@NightmareOnElmStreet you said you wanted a serious discussion, so i'm going to hit you with a leftist 1, 2 motherfucker LOL

 

the tech stuff is for @Dirty_habiT, but i think i can discuss with you the other stuff.

 

Most of today's fear of minorities comes from a misplaced anger and fear of the future and alienation in late-stage capitalism. This sentence might make this next few parts sound like its boring but I promise that it won't.

The only people who seem fulfilled in today's economy are those lucky enough to be employed in a job that the genuinely love. The reciprocation of the job back to the person doing the work is there, therefore the work doesn't seem tedious or boring or just down-right soul sucking. The alienation come when a person uses his labor for activity that has nothing to do with hisself as an individual or fulfilling his own intention, desires, or goals. The work you do and the fact that you are part of a machine that cranks out disposable products makes the work you do and you, yourself, a COMMODITY. You have value only as long as you are able to put out work. Wage-slavery is a real thing, and make no mistake, it's not only relegated to minimum wage work. All salaried work is wage slavery, due to the fact that everything that this economy pumps out is quick, easy, relatively cheap, and, most importantly, disposable.

 

Even the media we consume is disposable. We don't even fucking own it. We subscribe to our shit now on a monthly paying basis. The movies that netflix puts out? The movies amazon puts out? Disney fucking plus? We can't even go to the theaters any more, fucking literally. All of the media we consume, even beyond the user provided content of youtube, is all fucking garbage. We own nothing.

 

What does that have to do with racism?

 

Well, combining the fact that we, ourselves, are treated as objects within our own country, garbage media, garbage stuff, everything is debt, we own nothing til it's paid off, and that most of us will never be able to live our lives the way we want, you'd think that we'd rise up and kill our corporate overlords and bring balance back to the fucking force. NOPE. That's when the corporate sith lords use their force money to buy off politicians and create the one thing that keeps people from realizing that we are all slaves to capitalism.

 

WEDGE ISSUES. Yes, wedge issues. Issues created by politicians to keep the poor and working class from working together. Wedge issues keep the poor and working class fighting amongst ourselves so that we can continue churning out garbage consumables and ALL THE FUCKING MONEY GOES TO THE SUPER RICH. Sorry, I get angry when I talk about how the rich take all the money.

 

list of bullshit wedge issues:

• immigration - NO, immigrants aren't causing problems like low wages and jobs being taken away....the corporate overlords fire and lay people off and pay politicians to keep wages low
• racism - During the 1930's, people of color and the poor were blamed for many of the economic troubles that happened after the roaring 20's...the reality is, the rich didn't want the poor attacking them for taking government bailouts while the poor were left to fend for themselves, which is exactly what is happening today.
• police brutality - the police are the military arm of the rich and the politicians....but that's because the police are guided by laws made to keep the prison industrial complex alive and thriving
• universal healthcare - the 1% holding all the wealth don't want to be taxed, PERIOD. They don't want to pay taxes. there are people, for some reason, who are poor mind you, who protect the 1% from being taxed.

that's my take on all this so far...it's just my opinion but these are things that i see and notice.

Your worries that you are racist are valid, but come from DECADES of rich people propaganda that tell you that people of color are bad and will take all your money. NOONE is born racist.

Edited May 7, 2020 by glorydays

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

13 hours ago, KILZ FILLZ said:

I’m curious if anyone can assist with deciding between

 

1) amazon fire stick 

2) google chromecast

3) roku stick

 

looks like amazon only come w Alexa spying device, not hyped on that. 
 

chromecast makes you use a google portal on your phone so I’m sceptical whether I will be able to have multiple logins for multiple services (using other people login)

 

roku?????

Firestick 100%. If you can deal with the furious frustration of how much effort it takes to sift through the jailbroken apps its totally worth it. Funny thing is it's just a more straight forward and kind of user friendly version of what we all used to do to steal music and movies back in the day before the internet turned into the irs. I wasn't even that good at it. But the jail broken fire stick shit is LEGIT. A HUGE PAIN IN THE ARSE. BUT LEGIT. Everything else is trash imo. 

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

12 hours ago, glorydays said:

@NightmareOnElmStreet you said you wanted a serious discussion, so i'm going to hit you with a leftist 1, 2 motherfucker LOL

 

the tech stuff is for @Dirty_habiT, but i think i can discuss with you the other stuff.

 

Most of today's fear of minorities comes from a misplaced anger and fear of the future and alienation in late-stage capitalism. This sentence might make this next few parts sound like its boring but I promise that it won't.

The only people who seem fulfilled in today's economy are those lucky enough to be employed in a job that the genuinely love. The reciprocation of the job back to the person doing the work is there, therefore the work doesn't seem tedious or boring or just down-right soul sucking. The alienation come when a person uses his labor for activity that has nothing to do with hisself as an individual or fulfilling his own intention, desires, or goals. The work you do and the fact that you are part of a machine that cranks out disposable products makes the work you do and you, yourself, a COMMODITY. You have value only as long as you are able to put out work. Wage-slavery is a real thing, and make no mistake, it's not only relegated to minimum wage work. All salaried work is wage slavery, due to the fact that everything that this economy pumps out is quick, easy, relatively cheap, and, most importantly, disposable.

 

Even the media we consume is disposable. We don't even fucking own it. We subscribe to our shit now on a monthly paying basis. The movies that netflix puts out? The movies amazon puts out? Disney fucking plus? We can't even go to the theaters any more, fucking literally. All of the media we consume, even beyond the user provided content of youtube, is all fucking garbage. We own nothing.

 

What does that have to do with racism?

 

Well, combining the fact that we, ourselves, are treated as objects within our own country, garbage media, garbage stuff, everything is debt, we own nothing til it's paid off, and that most of us will never be able to live our lives the way we want, you'd think that we'd rise up and kill our corporate overlords and bring balance back to the fucking force. NOPE. That's when the corporate sith lords use their force money to buy off politicians and create the one thing that keeps people from realizing that we are all slaves to capitalism.

 

WEDGE ISSUES. Yes, wedge issues. Issues created by politicians to keep the poor and working class from working together. Wedge issues keep the poor and working class fighting amongst ourselves so that we can continue churning out garbage consumables and ALL THE FUCKING MONEY GOES TO THE SUPER RICH. Sorry, I get angry when I talk about how the rich take all the money.

 

list of bullshit wedge issues:

• immigration - NO, immigrants aren't causing problems like low wages and jobs being taken away....the corporate overlords fire and lay people off and pay politicians to keep wages low
• racism - During the 1930's, people of color and the poor were blamed for many of the economic troubles that happened after the roaring 20's...the reality is, the rich didn't want the poor attacking them for taking government bailouts while the poor were left to fend for themselves, which is exactly what is happening today.
• police brutality - the police are the military arm of the rich and the politicians....but that's because the police are guided by laws made to keep the prison industrial complex alive and thriving
• universal healthcare - the 1% holding all the wealth don't want to be taxed, PERIOD. They don't want to pay taxes. there are people, for some reason, who are poor mind you, who protect the 1% from being taxed.

that's my take on all this so far...it's just my opinion but these are things that i see and notice.

Your worries that you are racist are valid, but come from DECADES of rich people propaganda that tell you that people of color are bad and will take all your money. NOONE is born racist.

Thanks for your dedicated response breh. I read and re-read. At this point I'm forgivably a tad past buzzed on 8%stouts but I don't think I'm seeing your connection. Although all very valid and interesting points I don't think my shit has anything to do with fear of minorities or wedge issues. That shit is all perfectly sensible on a topic to topic basis but I'm coming from a different angle. The angle of a bunch of cackling ass motherfuckers on a hood level making all Nigerian niggas look like this guy...

 

I

 

I see where you're going with all that but it's not hitting home. More importantly, I will be 36 this year and I can't think of a time in my life where I've looked at other people of color (IM A BLACK GUY) and thought so crazy out of pocket and I am STILL worried a week later for NO REASON outside of hearsay and stereo types. 

Edited May 8, 2020 by NightmareOnElmStreet

[glorydays]

@NightmareOnElmStreet But the assumption was still there, from what i read in your story. You weren't born knowing those generalizations as much as those "nigerians" were born into a pre-built hierarchy that keeps them lower than everyone else financially.

 

I'm just saying that, because the mistrust is there from the beginning, its already assumed that they are crooked whether or not theyre crooks at all. 

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

Oh for sure I agree. No one is born being that shit (racist), it's 100% absolutely always a learned or influenced school of thought. I think @One Man Bannedsmashed it with saying I didnt quite have my language right on that part though. Which I am aware of. This boils down to stereo types at the end and not really "racism". But the general problem has to be associated with both I think. 

[where]

Stereo types, I thought you were buying a computer?!

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

On 5/7/2020 at 12:48 AM, Dirty_habiT said:

You can do a full operating system reset where the laptop will connect to Apple and pull down the newest clean operating system. If you do that you won't have to worry about any potential residual anything the people that sold it to you could have done. 
 

Btw your first post cracked me up. Let me know if you have more questions about your computer and I'll do my best to help you. 

How does one know if the factory reset which it seemed to already have was legit lol? I definitely went through the motions of all the normal set up shit. my paranoia didn't go away. Anyways, do you have a preferred browser over say safari or google chrome?

 

[KILZ FILLZ]

21 hours ago, NightmareOnElmStreet said:

Firestick 100%. If you can deal with the furious frustration of how much effort it takes to sift through the jailbroken apps its totally worth it. Funny thing is it's just a more straight forward and kind of user friendly version of what we all used to do to steal music and movies back in the day before the internet turned into the irs. I wasn't even that good at it. But the jail broken fire stick shit is LEGIT. A HUGE PAIN IN THE ARSE. BUT LEGIT. Everything else is trash imo. 

Real shit? If you jailbreak can you disable the Alexa? I really don’t want one of those mics in my pad. 

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

12 hours ago, KILZ FILLZ said:

Real shit? If you jailbreak can you disable the Alexa? I really don’t want one of those mics in my pad. 

Not sure the fire stick has Alexa. I know it has voice search but that’s not really the same thing. Reckon it’s just as bad as Siri if you have that though. Or any other internet mic for that matter. We’re all being watched/listened somehow. Fuck that Alexa box though especially.

[NightmareOnElmStreet]

I don’t understand why any one would buy that “always listening” technology. 

 

http://www.aftvnews.com/new-fire-tv-alexa-voice-remote-does-not-have-any-hands-free-capabilities/

[KILZ FILLZ]

5 hours ago, NightmareOnElmStreet said:

I don’t understand why any one would buy that “always listening” technology. 

 

http://www.aftvnews.com/new-fire-tv-alexa-voice-remote-does-not-have-any-hands-free-capabilities/

Get a load of this comment at the bottom of that article 

[Tails0nE]

I think everyone here so far has summed everything up as far as stereotypes and computer stuff.. factory reset the mac for double measure and you should be good but as far as the stereotype shit I get it dude.. I live on the south side of chicago so I'm always on the look out BUT, I have come across some decent people even though they aren't decent themselves which I can see doesnt make much sense.. but overall I think it's just kind of a sixth sense type thing.. like you know your stomach gets some type of way when you're in a bad predicament you know.. I get it when I know I'm somewhere I'm not suppose to be or around the wrong type of people and listening to that feeling has saved my life a couple times AND my wallet more so.. if it looks and smells like bullshit, most likely is..

 

But Idk dude.. dont trip tater chip I'm sure the nano bots are out of your system by now with all of your DNA heading to Nigeria now.. kidding.. but tbh with all the technology around especially considering most of us now are all on smartphones if it's not these shifty Nigerians or indian call centers getting your info it's definitely big brother so were all kinda somewhat half fucked already...

 

Also I have a chromecast and a Google home my girl got.. chromecast is cool if you're just streaming shit from your phone to your tv.. google home is cool I guess I just keep asking it how to curse in Japanese so I can talk shit to my friends.. I doubt anyone is listening to me or my conversations and if they are they're probably bored as shit or wondering why I keep asking google how to say "suck my dick you ugly whore" in Japanese.. typically keep it on mute tho which is like 75% of the time though..