Aerrol's recent activity
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Comment on What quotes inspire you? in ~talk
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Comment on What quotes inspire you? in ~talk
Aerrol Link Parent"You are not the darkness that tried to consume you. You are the light that refused to surrender." Wow. I really love this one, thanks for sharing. Really speaks to my depression-leaning mind. I'm..."You are not the darkness that tried to consume you. You are the light that refused to surrender."
Wow. I really love this one, thanks for sharing. Really speaks to my depression-leaning mind. I'm going to add it to my own personal collection.
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Comment on Anyone interested in trying out Kagi? (trial giveaway: round #2) in ~tech
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Comment on Anyone interested in trying out Kagi? (trial giveaway: round #2) in ~tech
Aerrol LinkIf I haven't already missed the boat, I'd take a trial code please! One of my friends swears by Kagi.If I haven't already missed the boat, I'd take a trial code please! One of my friends swears by Kagi.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
Aerrol LinkThis is a bit of screaming into the void as I get delirious from lack of sleep trying to finish some tight deadline work but... I've been off and on working on developing a fantasy world for years...This is a bit of screaming into the void as I get delirious from lack of sleep trying to finish some tight deadline work but...
I've been off and on working on developing a fantasy world for years now, originally intended for running a tabletop RPG (think D&D but most definitely not D&D - my top picks currently are Draw Steel or ICON) but due to my love of world building it has swollen into far too much detail.
The world is called Ultae, and it is a very high magic world. The core conceit is that all of the world is floating continents, with a ball of pure mana forming the cord of the planet. Magical energy rises from this ball to keep things aloft, and the continents are thick enough that the energy is blocked and prevents overland automatic magical levitation/flight (birds, active spells etc are perfectly fine).
I've worked out a bunch of societies with mild to major tweaks on the core fantasy races with almost all of time tying magical proficiency to aristrocracy, a relatively cohesive Theology and system of magic, and a historic timeline running ~10,000 years or so. I also have a fairly nice map sketched out and nations and histories written into it. And I have no idea if I'll ever even write a story with the setting or get to run a game.
But my hundreds of pages of notes remain a nice creative outlet even if they're riddled with ADHD half-completion in most spots.
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Comment on US Department of Housing and Urban Development workers greeted by AI video of Donald Trump licking 'Real King' Elon Musk's (two left) feet in ~society
Aerrol LinkWe need more of this. It'll super charge Trump's short sighted narcissism into getting rid of Elon.We need more of this. It'll super charge Trump's short sighted narcissism into getting rid of Elon.
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Comment on Who's afraid of Hasan Piker? in ~society
Aerrol Link ParentI think the size of his audience pretty clearly shows you're not 'with it'. That doesn't make your dislike of him necessarily unfounded (though I disagree with your characterization entirely), but...I think the size of his audience pretty clearly shows you're not 'with it'. That doesn't make your dislike of him necessarily unfounded (though I disagree with your characterization entirely), but for the question you specifically asked? Yeah, you're definitely not in touch with the broader young male internet culture.
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Comment on ADHDers, how do you speed-up, bypass, or otherwise eliminate the "ramp-up" period required for big tasks? in ~health.mental
Aerrol Link Parent+1 as an ADHDer who uses this strategy. In general, giving myself more permission for imperfect and incomplete work has been life changing. A lot of my need to ramp up seems to be based on my...+1 as an ADHDer who uses this strategy. In general, giving myself more permission for imperfect and incomplete work has been life changing. A lot of my need to ramp up seems to be based on my subconscious anxiety about doing it wrong and need to think through every possibility associated with the big task. Forcing myself to start and being proud of myself for even doing a bit has ended up removing a lot of that negative energy and letting me just get on with it much more than I'd expect.
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Comment on Firefly and ispace prepare for lunar landing (launch targeted Jan 15, 2025!) in ~space
Aerrol Link ParentBoth the Artemis Missions and the Chinese Missions plan for a permanent Lunar base by the early 2030s! I'm fairly confident we'll see one before the 2030s are out.Both the Artemis Missions and the Chinese Missions plan for a permanent Lunar base by the early 2030s! I'm fairly confident we'll see one before the 2030s are out.
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Comment on Firefly and ispace prepare for lunar landing (launch targeted Jan 15, 2025!) in ~space
Aerrol Link ParentLol is BO:NG official for New Glenn? I'm really hoping they knock it out of the park to get us closer to some real SpaceX competition.Lol is BO:NG official for New Glenn? I'm really hoping they knock it out of the park to get us closer to some real SpaceX competition.
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Comment on Firefly and ispace prepare for lunar landing (launch targeted Jan 15, 2025!) in ~space
Aerrol LinkSlightly edited the title. As someone regularly involved with Lunar work, I thought Tildes and ~space could use some more Lunar news! Also targeted for launch this year: Intuitive Machines' IM2 -...Slightly edited the title. As someone regularly involved with Lunar work, I thought Tildes and ~space could use some more Lunar news!
Also targeted for launch this year:
Intuitive Machines' IM2 - https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/01/intuitive-machines-set-for-second-landing-looking-to-build-a-lunar-economy/
Astrobotic's Griffin One - https://www.astrobotic.com/griffin-mission-one-ground-testing-with-nasas-deep-space-network-a-success/
Caltech + NASA's Lunar Trailblazer: https://spacenews.com/ice-hunting-lunar-trailblazer-im2-nearly-ready-january-2025-launch/
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Firefly and ispace prepare for lunar landing (launch targeted Jan 15, 2025!)
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Comment on The tsunami of burnout few see in ~health.mental
Aerrol Link ParentThe last part re: mainstream economic analysis was my own throw-in but heavily implied by the article. Perhaps "all" is too strong a word, especially if we limit the view of wages vs cost of...The last part re: mainstream economic analysis was my own throw-in but heavily implied by the article. Perhaps "all" is too strong a word, especially if we limit the view of wages vs cost of living post-covid, but overall in the timescale of the article, most mainstream economists still present the view that things have been getting better, not worse, for "real wages"/wages vs inflation.
An example from a quick google: https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/28/your-pay-is-still-going-up-too-fast
@D_E_Solomon's comment here also presents some of the arguments that I would view as the "mainstream" view on wages since the 1970s. I wish I had some more sources right in the article (rather than doing the digging myself), because I am very sympathetic to the POV that economists have been missing some rather key points, but it's a difficult argument to make as I am not an economist myself. Off the top of my head, I'd guess that their assessments: 1) Do not take into account rapidly increasing inequality (e.g. probably just taking average or median wages for their analysis); 2) Do not divide costs between essentials vs average goods on a wider basis. For instance, post-covid the cost of housing and food SKYROCKETED vs things like electronics and vehicles. This leads to a much, much worse feeling for an average person even if the overall economic markers aren't so bad.
To the broader point about the quality of writing, I think you make a good point that it's not really a great article. I think I was inclined to describe it as well written because the ranting spoke to me personally as I, too, feel like mainstream economic analysis has been totally missing the actual truth on the ground for most Western/developed citizens since the 1970s. I have suffered from severe burnout to the point of going on disability, and watched many friends go through it as well. But as an article to make an actual persuasive point (rather than satisfy those already in agreement with the thesis through polemics), this is not a good piece. It's too long, it lacks sources, and it is not organized clearly.
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Comment on The tsunami of burnout few see in ~health.mental
Aerrol LinkThis a pretty well written article, and I agree with the thesis, but I wish sources were more evident. Who is this author? What are their qualifications? How are they so sure that real wages have...This a pretty well written article, and I agree with the thesis, but I wish sources were more evident. Who is this author? What are their qualifications? How are they so sure that real wages have decreased (contrary to all mainstream economic analysis)?
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Comment on City Sizes: City size comparison tool in ~misc
Aerrol Link ParentSeems like it's down now - on mobile for me. No results load. Previously it prompted cities in a list after you typed something in.Seems like it's down now - on mobile for me. No results load. Previously it prompted cities in a list after you typed something in.
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Comment on City Sizes: City size comparison tool in ~misc
Aerrol Link ParentYeah, it's a very simplistic design pulling from some city name API and there's a few errors. That's a really weird one though given the fame of each version.Yeah, it's a very simplistic design pulling from some city name API and there's a few errors. That's a really weird one though given the fame of each version.
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Comment on City Sizes: City size comparison tool in ~misc
Aerrol Link ParentVery fair comment, though I just noticed that switching to satellite view is a quick work-around to sanity check if the boundary is accurate.Very fair comment, though I just noticed that switching to satellite view is a quick work-around to sanity check if the boundary is accurate.
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Comment on City Sizes: City size comparison tool in ~misc
Aerrol Link ParentHoly moly! I had no idea Timmins' legal area was so huge! Looking at it on Satellite View, it seems like this is the case of some highly optimistic future civic planning rather than the result of...Holy moly! I had no idea Timmins' legal area was so huge! Looking at it on Satellite View, it seems like this is the case of some highly optimistic future civic planning rather than the result of sprawl though.
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Comment on City Sizes: City size comparison tool in ~misc
Aerrol LinkIn keeping with the thread a while back about neat little websites, I just stumbled on this and thought Tildes would enjoy it. I enjoy challenging my perception of relative physical city size (not...In keeping with the thread a while back about neat little websites, I just stumbled on this and thought Tildes would enjoy it. I enjoy challenging my perception of relative physical city size (not population).
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City Sizes: City size comparison tool
35 votes
Wow, some awesome quotes here - I love quote sharing threads. I still have a few old reddit ones I saved - though of course most of the best comments have been deleted. Here are a
fewmany of my favourites:"Fairy tales are more than true - not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten." - G.K. Chesterton
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the conquest of it.” - No source
“The justice of the world is in its creativity, in solving problems, in our activity and struggle. While I am alive there is the possibility to act, to strive for happiness; this is justice.” – Simon Soloveychik
"Aut viam inveniam aut faciam. - I will either find a way, or make one." - Hannibal Barca
"I do not think I can win. I know I will." - From Mirumoto in the mildly popular Legend of 5 Rings tabletop RPG. A little arrogant, but it gives an important reminder for me: you have to believe in yourself if you want to get things done.
“A man should be upright, not kept upright.” – Marcus Aurelius (If my old source was right)
"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones." - Often attributed to Marcus Aurelius but I've seen that this is incorrect. I never have found a solid source.
"We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the song the sirens sang. There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever, somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La. They can keep their heaven. When I die, I'd sooner go to Middle Earth." - George R. R. Martin
“It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It's not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound re-invention.” – Conan O’Brien
“Between safety and adventure, I choose adventure.” – Craig Ferguson
“And do you know what I like about comedy? You can’t laugh and be afraid at the same time—of anything. If you're laughing, I defy you to be afraid.” – Stephen Colbert (yes, I do love me some comedians)
“Don’t be afraid to be a fool. ... Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying yes begins things. Saying yes is how things grow. Saying yes leads to knowledge. "Yes" is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say yes.” – Stephen Colbert
And finally, one that really speaks to me in today's world:
“Duty, assuming all tasks, can betray arrogance. The idea that we can know what must be done, and do it properly. We cannot know the future, my friend. It claims so much to imagine we can. And the world is not broken any more than it always, always is.” – From Under Heaven, by Guy Gavriel Kay