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Cake day: June 28th, 2023

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  • DC gets 3 electoral votes. PR gets none. But, Puerto Ricans are Americans, and can move to any state they like and register to vote there. But they do have to establish residency in that state. If they then leave the country and vote by mail, their votes would count in the state where they established residency.

    So someone living in PR who moved to PA, established residency there, and then went home could request an absentee ballot, but I don’t know how long they could live outside the state and still be registered there.






  • That’s a fair question, but we’re in danger of conflating two different concepts. Knowledge is the information, and belief is the action. It’s a little bit like having money vs spending money. You can have money, you can spend money, and you can have spending money, and you can spend money you don’t have. These are all slightly different concepts despite using the same words.

    When you think you know something, but you are mistaken, we call that a “belief” even though you did not doubt it. You believe you know something without a doubt, but you are wrong. You do not know, and you should doubt your belief. But you would never describe it as a belief, because you do not believe you do not know for certain.


  • That’s a pretty simple distinction, but you’ve asked for us to define abstract concepts without using definitions or abstract concepts. So let’s just say, knowledge is what you know and beliefs are what you believe. A belief implies some level of doubt, while knowledge is just the information you have in your head. There is a lot of overlap. I know that the sun will rise tomorrow, because I understand how the earth rotates and orbits the sun. I believe it will happen because I understand physics and observable phenomena. Put it another way, it is a high-confidence belief based on the knowledge obtained through observation and study. Some beliefs are based on nothing more than hope, and some knowledge is beyond any doubt. I believe the Phillies can win the World Series, but I know our bullpen pitches cantaloupes and our hitters are streaky as shit.







  • Three things happen during baking that change the flavor of a cookie.

    Maillard reaction, caramelization, and the melting of fats. There are more, but those are the three we’re going to talk about.

    The maillard reaction takes raw flour and turns it brown. It absorbs some of the sugar in the process, and creates a more complex, nutty flavor. Caramelization also browns some of the sugar, giving it a smoky, bitter flavor. They also give the cookie a firm or crispy texture.

    You also melt any fats, like butter, that are in the dough. Melted butter separates and spreads throughout the cookie.

    There’s also often an egg that helps build structure for the baked dough, and sometimes baking soda for fluffiness.

    This means uncooked dough is sweeter than a baked cookie. It has a soft, dense, and moist texture that disappears when fully baked. It’s butter and sugar held together with flour and egg, and it’s delicious.





  • Why do you think you can’t prove Gengis Khan existed?

    Claims need proof when there is a call to action. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re from an island or a small town or a big city, unless you’re giving me directions. If you make an extraordinary claim, and you want me to believe you, then I’ll need proof. If you make a mundane claim, then what the fuck do I care if you’re lying? If you claim to have a disease, I’m going to believe you because I’m not a doctor and it costs me nothing to take you at your word.

    If you shout “Run, something bad is coming!” I might feel foolish and angry if I later learn you were lying, but I’d rather be foolish and angry than injured or dead. Proof is a luxury when time is of the essence, doubly so when safety is at risk.

    There might be some specific nuances to quibnle over, but generally I think we could reach consensus on the guidelines I described.