balooga's recent activity
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Comment on Mass shooting at US Hindu temple prevented by jammed gun in ~society
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Comment on The state of AI video in ~tech
balooga LinkI pay close attention to the state of the tech and I agree it’s pretty damn good these days. MiniMax H3 is a phenomenal model. There are still limitations though… generation is time-consuming,...I pay close attention to the state of the tech and I agree it’s pretty damn good these days. MiniMax H3 is a phenomenal model.
There are still limitations though… generation is time-consuming, even with the beefiest hardware it takes minutes to produce just a few seconds of video output at high-quality settings. There’s been a lot of innovation in reducing that time but it always comes with a substantial quality hit. My interest is in cinema-quality realism, 4K@30fps (minimum) with visual fidelity approaching live action. And that just isn’t happening yet.
For a lot of use cases, lower quality is fine. YouTube shorts like this one are meant for rapid consumption, and people expect lower resolution and compression artifacts. Most people aren’t going to linger on this, analyzing it for AI tells. They watch once and swipe to the next thing. Which is fine for a silly MMA clip but becomes really concerning when it’s news or political content. Because the format conditions people to consume and move on (and each video is contextually disconnected from those before and after it) we’re having our critical thinking skills trained out of us. Media literacy is in trouble.
If you do rewatch the Seamus O’Grady video, and I suppose if you know what you’re looking for, you can spot plenty of tells. Most are in the text. For example, the logos for “cypso.com” (crypto.com) and “IUC LIGO” (BUD LIGHT) on the floor make it pretty obviously fake.
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Comment on Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew | Official trailer in ~movies
balooga Link ParentThis is the Narnia adaptation I didn’t know I needed! That would be so kickass. It’s never gonna happen but holy shit if it did.go directly to Last Battle. Change it so the faithless heathen heretics are Christian Nationalists would get my approval.
This is the Narnia adaptation I didn’t know I needed! That would be so kickass. It’s never gonna happen but holy shit if it did.
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Comment on Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew | Official trailer in ~movies
balooga Link ParentI keep rewatching the trailer and noticing substantial differences from the book. One major thing I haven’t seen anyone talking about is that it’s set in a different time period… the book’s earth...I keep rewatching the trailer and noticing substantial differences from the book. One major thing I haven’t seen anyone talking about is that it’s set in a different time period… the book’s earth scenes take place in Victorian London, Sherlock Holmes is mentioned by name and the streets are full of horse-drawn carriages, not automobiles. This change alone tells me the film isn’t meant to be a “faithful” adaptation of the source material. It’s a creative reimagining.
I think Greta Gerwig’s track record is strong enough that I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. One of her superpowers is finding new meanings and interpretations in existing works. There have been a million versions of Little Women, for example, but hers was really adept at finding new narrative strings to tug on, new lenses to look at the story through, without disrespecting the source material. I think she revealed a lot of richness in it that was previously untapped. I’d love for her to do the same with The Magician’s Nephew.
I suspect there’s going to be a lot of pearls clutched over authorial intent, and that’s a valid point. From what’s shown in the trailer and what I know of C.S. Lewis he himself would probably be appalled at the changes. This is Gerwig’s vision, not his. I think it’s going to rub a lot of purists the wrong way. C.S. Lewis is something of a saint in some circles, people are more likely to be up in arms about reinterpreting him than, say, Roald Dahl or A.A. Milne. Personally I’m open-minded about it. But I think it helps to level-set expectations about what kind of adaptation it’s going to be. People don’t like to be bait-and-switched.
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Comment on US Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed in ~society
balooga Link ParentI think you and @mat are right. I decided to look into this instead of just spouting off on the internet about things I’m uneducated on. Turns out there’s a good amount written about the ability...I think you and @mat are right. I decided to look into this instead of just spouting off on the internet about things I’m uneducated on. Turns out there’s a good amount written about the ability of experienced riflemen to differentiate between blanks and live rounds, by recoil feel alone. I stand corrected!
I’m opposed to the death penalty all around, but it’s still a morbidly interesting thing to think about; the ballistic physics, the psychology and ethics, and the debate about which execution methods are the most humane. I have a very visceral reaction to the thought of firing squads in general but on reflection I do think they’re one of the better options, presuming executions aren’t going away.
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Comment on Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew | Official trailer in ~movies
balooga Link ParentGreat invocation of the burning bush voice in The Prince of Egypt. I think I could get behind a different interpretation of Aslan than the mouth-talking corporeal Liam Neeson lion. Something like...Great invocation of the burning bush voice in The Prince of Egypt. I think I could get behind a different interpretation of Aslan than the mouth-talking corporeal Liam Neeson lion. Something like a lion-shaped supernatural visage with androgynous telepathic speech could be amazing.
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Comment on The dock on Mac, from OS 10 to macOS 27 in ~comp
balooga Link ParentYou started with a good one! I’ve been a Mac user since System 6 and I still look back to Snow Leopard as one of the best.You started with a good one! I’ve been a Mac user since System 6 and I still look back to Snow Leopard as one of the best.
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Comment on Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew | Official trailer in ~movies
balooga LinkThis was always my favorite book in the series, and I have yet to be disappointed by Greta Gerwig. Looks like a feast for the eyes! Color me excited. I’m not totally sold on the look of Jadis or...This was always my favorite book in the series, and I have yet to be disappointed by Greta Gerwig. Looks like a feast for the eyes! Color me excited.
I’m not totally sold on the look of Jadis or Charn but I’ll hold my judgment on those. The Wood Between the Worlds also looks pretty different from how I pictured it and honestly that might be the thing that annoys me the most at the end of the day, because I really like my version, because it’s identical to C.S. Lewis’s version. IDENTICAL!
I like Meryl Streep but I’m really hoping her involvement is more than stunt casting to trigger the culture war mob. As versatile a performer as she is, just seems like a weird pick for the voice of a talking, clearly male lion who is also the not-so-subtle stand-in for Christ in Narnia’s allegory. Seems like a gender swap that could be, but hopefully isn’t, intended from the outset as dumb ragebait. I will say Meryl Streep would probably make a great Jadis herself, but Tilda Swinton has already covered that ground and it would be a crime for anyone to ape her performance, so I’m sure it’s for the best to take the character in a different direction. I’m here for it.
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Comment on Being Heumann | Official trailer in ~movies
balooga LinkLooks like a fun retelling of some not-so-distant history more people should be familiar with. I also recommend the excellent documentary Crip Camp, and there’s a surprisingly good episode of...Looks like a fun retelling of some not-so-distant history more people should be familiar with. I also recommend the excellent documentary Crip Camp, and there’s a surprisingly good episode of Drunk History about Heumann and the disability rights movement too.
With all the work being done these days to disenfranchise… well, MOST PEOPLE if you sum up all the minority groups in the crosshairs… it’s as important as ever to keep these issues front of mind so they’re not scrubbed out of the new histories.
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Comment on Canadian YouTuber builds 'Flock-like' camera to exclusively track police vehicles, gets a visit from police — officers visit his home to express privacy concerns in ~tech
balooga (edited )LinkJust chiming in to say YES. I strongly believe that the best way to resist most surveillance is to find a way to turn it back on its proponents. Give ‘em a taste of their own medicine. When the...Just chiming in to say YES. I strongly believe that the best way to resist most surveillance is to find a way to turn it back on its proponents. Give ‘em a taste of their own medicine. When the rubber meets the road, the people clamoring for big brother usually don’t take long to reveal their whole prerogative is “surveillance for thee, not for me.”
We need to get these cams up everywhere.
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Comment on Popcorn! What's the best way to make it? in ~food
balooga LinkI am going to defer to @cfabbro’s wisdom, posted here previously. I replicated his method and it’s some of the best popcorn ever. You’re on the right track with Flavacol, but the Whirley Pop is...- Exemplary
I am going to defer to @cfabbro’s wisdom, posted here previously. I replicated his method and it’s some of the best popcorn ever. You’re on the right track with Flavacol, but the Whirley Pop is clutch.
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Comment on The imperial dilemma of Civilization V in ~games
balooga Link ParentAlso, you’re allowed to think about imperialism, study imperialism, and play games about imperialism without being an imperialist. Playing Tomb Raider doesn’t make you an archaeologist either....Also, you’re allowed to think about imperialism, study imperialism, and play games about imperialism without being an imperialist. Playing Tomb Raider doesn’t make you an archaeologist either. Playing Mario doesn’t make you a plumber.
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Comment on What it means when the US right refers to the ‘Indian question’ in ~society
balooga Link ParentI miss the days when Victorian-style xenophobic racism was too obviously lunatic fringe to even deserve a mention from outlets like CNN. Platforming this drivel, even in opposition to it, lends it...I miss the days when Victorian-style xenophobic racism was too obviously lunatic fringe to even deserve a mention from outlets like CNN. Platforming this drivel, even in opposition to it, lends it credence as if it’s a legitimate minority point of view, rather than the backwards, hateful detritus it is.
We shouldn’t even be giving it the time of day. Shut these people out.
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Comment on Solo developer rebuilds Adobe Creative Suite in Rust using Claude, releases it free to all in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI mean, does that make it not true? The industry is changing. These things don’t happen all at once or in every company according to a common timeline. Some people will feel the effects before...I mean, does that make it not true?
The industry is changing. These things don’t happen all at once or in every company according to a common timeline. Some people will feel the effects before others do, and that’s largely a matter of luck.
My SE career of 18 years ended last year when I and many in my department were unceremoniously laid off. I thought my department head was being unusually gruff when he gave me the bad news and bolted, only later did I learn that he’d been given the axe himself moments before, and his final duty with the company was to do the same to his subordinates. A shitty day all around. AI was never the stated reason, just nebulous “restructuring.” Okay. We were early adopters of Claude Code, so it was at least a factor, but saying more than that is idle speculation.
Anyway, I had already been grappling with career burnout for a few years. The work just wasn’t fun like it had been a decade before. It paid well, but (particularly after the pandemic killed off IRL coworker friendships and cool office perks) it was losing its luster. Then the introduction of Claude workflows redefined my role from a solution finder to a prompt-writer and AI babysitter. I was growing steadily less satisfied with that lot by the time the layoff came, and that was the final straw for me. Of course, I still had to look for new work.
When I re-entered the tech job market I noticed a lot of things were different from the last time I had been there:
- Most of the roles now had “Agentic” or “AI-native” in the title. These were prompt-writing and AI babysitting jobs. Not what I ever signed up for or was good at.
- Constant ghosting is apparently the norm now. Supposedly that’s because companies are overrun with LLM-slop applications and can’t sort the signal from the noise; also I guess a lot of job boards are now filled with fake ads and scams so the problem is multiplied. Very seldom did I hear back from any listing I applied to.
- Pay on offer was notably reduced, across the board, from what I’d been making for years.
- One of the things I’ve come to dread the most in
job huntinglife is the tech interview loop. I’ve been through too many to count, over the years, and have some real trauma from them. I’m not sure how the AI era has changed them, because I didn’t make it that far with anyone this time around. Felt like a slap in the face after all the years of hard work I’ve done.
Anyway to make a long story short, I pivoted. Left the tech sector entirely, and I’m happier for it. I got an administrative job at a large public university. Now I’m doing work that directly helps students. I meet with them and solve problems for them and I get to see the gratitude on their faces. I never got that from any of my old jobs, where I was kept as far away from humans as possible and the ultimate goal of every task I completed was just to make arrow go up.
I’m making about 1/4 of what I used to make, which legitimately sucks, but I’m happy with what I’m doing. Compared to constantly reviewing Claude’s verbose PRs, which were always so confident yet wrong in subtle but critical ways… this new job is mentally so much easier. And my non-technical coworkers think I’m a genius when I show them how to update their email signatures, lol. I feel appreciated, and for once like I might have lasting job security too.
A nice bonus is that I do have access to basically unlimited AI resources, courtesy of the university. So I’m able to keep up with the tech (which is still interesting to me) at no personal cost, and research uses for it on my own terms, to build things that help people, with no PMs breathing down my neck or KPIs driving everything I do. I’m pleased with how things worked out.
But, to summarize — I absolutely do credit AI’s impact on the tech industry as the killing blow to my SE career. I think maybe it hit me earlier than others (including those it’s still coming for but hasn’t reached yet), just because of the nature of my preexisting burnout and
middle agelong career history. I think many in the field will remain employed, but have to accept that the work they’re doing is irreversibly changing. Maybe they’ll like it better this way, I didn’t. I don’t know what the future holds for me or my SE compatriots, but I can say right now that I’m glad I got out. -
Comment on Solo developer rebuilds Adobe Creative Suite in Rust using Claude, releases it free to all in ~tech
balooga Link ParentThis is simultaneously amazing and terrifying. I love the responsiveness and quick turnaround. But what happens when someone files “bug reports” that guide Claude in completely out-of-scope (or...I reported a bug, it was fixed in a day and included in an update 4 days later. Claude communicated with me in github issues on behalf of the owner.
This is simultaneously amazing and terrifying. I love the responsiveness and quick turnaround. But what happens when someone files “bug reports” that guide Claude in completely out-of-scope (or malicious) directions? Does it just do what it’s told or does it actually have some concept of a product vision in mind that it’s trying to hold to? Seems like a good piece of software could go bad very quickly this way.
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Comment on Solo developer rebuilds Adobe Creative Suite in Rust using Claude, releases it free to all in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI think this is the real takeaway. It’s early yet. Today’s vibe-coded slopware is better than last year’s. Next year’s will be better still. This specific project isn’t going to unseat Adobe, but...I think this is the real takeaway. It’s early yet. Today’s vibe-coded slopware is better than last year’s. Next year’s will be better still. This specific project isn’t going to unseat Adobe, but that doesn’t mean Adobe’s days aren’t numbered. Eventually the ability for anyone to make their own “good enough” software is going to profoundly disrupt the giants’ ability to keep people dependent on their bloated, overpriced subscriptions. There’s change in the air.
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Comment on US Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed in ~society
balooga Link ParentMaybe? I’m not qualified to answer either. Pretty sure blanks are basically identical to regular bullets but they’re missing the projectile payload (slug). The blast and recoil should be...Maybe? I’m not qualified to answer either. Pretty sure blanks are basically identical to regular bullets but they’re missing the projectile payload (slug). The blast and recoil should be equivalent I’d think.
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Comment on US Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed in ~society
balooga Link ParentMy understanding is that only some of the shooters have live rounds, and this is randomized so no one knows who’s actually performing the execution. This helps create some psychological distance...My understanding is that only some of the shooters have live rounds, and this is randomized so no one knows who’s actually performing the execution. This helps create some psychological distance between the members of the squad and their direct role in the taking of a life.
I have no idea if that’s how this execution will be done. From what I know of Hegseth that’s exactly the sort of humaneness he’d want to eradicate from the process, so who knows. Personally, if corporal punishment is going to be a thing (and really it shouldn’t) I agree with the others in this thread that alternative methods are problematic and their failure modes can be horrific… firing squads performed in that manner with randomized rounds may be one of the better choices.
But publicly broadcast? That’s downright medieval. It’s barbaric and ghastly.
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Comment on The people holding up the internet in ~tech
balooga LinkThis is fantastic! Some of these I was aware of, others not so much. I had no clue that sudo is apparently independently maintained rather than some sort of core *nix component with...This is fantastic! Some of these I was aware of, others not so much. I had no clue that sudo is apparently independently maintained rather than some sort of core *nix component with distro-specific implementations. Not sure how that’s even possible tbh. When I use it on my Mac, is that Todd Miller’s code too?
I was a JS dev for 15-ish years. I’ve seen the name
core-jsa million times but I couldn’t tell you what it is. I’m still not sure what it brings to the table that isn’t already baked into V8 or SpiderMonkey. Feels weird that it’s in the position it’s in. I didn’t know about the maintainer’s incarceration either, my jaw hit the floor when I read that and saw the timeline of how he just resumed where left off, once he got out, like nothing had happened.The one about SQLite was a surprise to me too. That’s used everywhere. Only four devs?
Also— has it really been 12 years since Heartbleed and ShellShock already? Holy moley.
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Comment on Association for Human Mathematics statement on OpenAI’s October 6 release of mathematical documents in ~science
balooga Link ParentThat makes a lot of sense, but what I don’t understand is why the LLMs can’t explain the proofs themselves… isn’t summarizing and explaining complex concepts something they excel at? I’ve...I am deeply frustrated that, in sharp contrast to traditional breakthroughs, none of the humans involved in these proofs are available to take questions, give talks, attend conferences, submit papers to journals, train students, or otherwise participate in the subsequent development of these results.
That makes a lot of sense, but what I don’t understand is why the LLMs can’t explain the proofs themselves… isn’t summarizing and explaining complex concepts something they excel at? I’ve certainly had good results asking them to break down unfamiliar topics for me.
I’m just a layperson so I’m sure there’s something I’m missing. Just seems surprising to read that OpenAI just dumped these proofs and walked away, and now humans are apparently stuck with the task of deciphering them. Why is ChatGPT unable to reframe them, and interpret or reverse-engineer the Lean verifications, in terms mathematicians can make better sense of?
Good on that coworker. Quietly keeping an eye on the situation, sounding the alarm when things escalated. An unsung hero.
Of course that didn’t stop the shooter from showing up and attempting murder, I guess that jammed gun is a hero too. WTF is wrong with people? Really relieved he failed to harm anyone.