Aerrol's recent activity

  1. Comment on Meet the other president from Chicago (he's about to turn 100) in ~society

    Aerrol
    Link
    Fascinating story! But I do have to say... The quote describing him as having been photogenic is quite amusing when all of the provided images appear to be 'grumpy old man' lol.

    Fascinating story! But I do have to say... The quote describing him as having been photogenic is quite amusing when all of the provided images appear to be 'grumpy old man' lol.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    Yes! One of my favourite quotes is "Duty, assuming all things, can betray arrogance. We cannot know the future my friend. And the world is never more broken than it always, always, is." Striking...

    Yes! One of my favourite quotes is "Duty, assuming all things, can betray arrogance. We cannot know the future my friend. And the world is never more broken than it always, always, is."

    Striking the balance between keeping informed and not letting it overwhelm you is hard, but also crucial to making the world a better place. If you're not happy and having fun, the world is much less for it.

    And, yes. Things might feel like they suck now and have been getting worse, but if peasants and other uneducated and poor humans across history have been able to find joy and still create art and scholarship, goddammit so can we!

    8 votes

  3. Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    Thank you for the sources! I always prefer to share sources too but was running out of time and didn't want a lack of sources prevent me from sharing positivity. Growth of renewables in the US in...

    Thank you for the sources! I always prefer to share sources too but was running out of time and didn't want a lack of sources prevent me from sharing positivity.

    Growth of renewables in the US in particular is so promising. Even with the monsters in power, it can no longer be stopped!

    4 votes

  4. Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk

    Aerrol
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Wow, cool! I feel very similarly about Bliss. Don't love him as a candidate, but we (progressives, supporters of Democracy) could do a lot worse. In terms of questions for him, I feel like as a...

    Wow, cool! I feel very similarly about Bliss. Don't love him as a candidate, but we (progressives, supporters of Democracy) could do a lot worse.

    In terms of questions for him, I feel like as a non-resident (and non-American!), it's not really my place to suggest what he should be grilled on. I'd be curious to hear any interesting answers, though. I'd love to hear his opinions on whether or not it's a viable strategy to be pursuing impeachment (not just of the President, but of pretty much the entire administration of this point) and/or abolishing ICE. I'm very much in favour of a tear-it-down approach to cleanse the infection, but I'm open to hearing why that's not feasible. Though I will say - Mamdani's work so far really makes me skeptical of "oh it's just not realistic" arguments.

    4 votes

  5. Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    Local is everything (a fact I always forget myself as a devout lover of big picture social systems and world-changing events). Good work! If even a quarter of the population were all so dedicated...

    Local is everything (a fact I always forget myself as a devout lover of big picture social systems and world-changing events). Good work! If even a quarter of the population were all so dedicated to improving our local communities or even our personal happiness, the world would be monumentally better.

    7 votes

  6. Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    I'm really thrilled to hear it helped brighten your day! I believe in you and you're gonna go do great things!

    I'm really thrilled to hear it helped brighten your day! I believe in you and you're gonna go do great things!

    9 votes

  7. Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk

    Aerrol
    (edited )
    Link
    In no specific order of interest or magnitude, here are some things that make me feel more optimistic: Mayor Mamdani has actually seemed to live up to his campaign promises so far, making...

    In no specific order of interest or magnitude, here are some things that make me feel more optimistic:

    • Mayor Mamdani has actually seemed to live up to his campaign promises so far, making remarkable progress in a short time as NYC Mayor.
    • Kat Abughazaleh, who I find absolutely inspiring, lost her Democratic Primary campaign in Chicago by a thin margin despite monumentally rough odds as an openly socialist palestinian dedicated to calling out AIPAC and Israel's genocide. But she hasn't given up - she beat the absurd Trumped up (pun intended) charges against her and another anti-ICE Protester and is continuing to build a Mutual Aid Network that is trying to change how campaign finance, politics, and social support works.
    • In Vancouver, where housing has been in permanent crisis levels of cost for over a decade, prices seem to be finally falling and I still see a ton of construction going on around the city. Who knows if the momentum can be continued, but it's already surpassed my pessimistic expectations.
    • The Canadian Federal Government and Provincial Governments have shockingly maintained a pretty unified front against the absurd attacks of the Trump Administration. This, despite multiple Premiers (especially Alberta's) who have previously flirted with the Republican Party and MAGA (Alberta's Premier has been on various MAGA podcasts, barf).
    • The Artemis missions and the Lunar mission plans more broadly continue to receive global support and are accelerating despite the chaos in America. This has coupled with much more serious interest in more sustainable approaches to the entire tech stack needed - water based fuels, approaching Lunar base building and infrastructure carefully, simulation, etc.
    • Expansion of renewable energy sources and electrification is still increasingly at a very happy pace globally, even if the uptake of electric cars has hit a wall in North America.
    • Edit I just remembered - Maybe they ultimately fail, but commercial Fusion Power companies likes General Fusion continue to survive and even expand, which makes me very excited to see if they can finally crack that nut.
    34 votes

  8. Better things are possible

    ~talk Ask
    Hi Tilderinos! I've recently found myself being less and less interested in posting to Tildes and reading less, which surprised me as it had become a pretty strong habit for me. After giving it...

    Hi Tilderinos!

    I've recently found myself being less and less interested in posting to Tildes and reading less, which surprised me as it had become a pretty strong habit for me. After giving it some thought, I've realized it's because I have noticed a sharp uptick in negative sentiment being posted about/shared here (largely in the forms of pessimism/defeatism and/or apathetic/indifferent responses to people's struggles and experiences), and so I wanted to actually do something about it rather than simply grumble and let it continue unabated.

    This isn't to shame or tone-police anyone - it's rough out there, and I don't think posters are on here trying to put struggling people down. But I wanted to come back with something firmly, boldly optimistic: I believe that we are actively making the world a better place. Yes, even you, random reader who might feel like they're stuck in a rut and/or doing nothing notable. Just by frequenting a website that's explicitly geared towards constructive communication and deeper thinking, you're making the world a better place. I truly mean that!

    I think good things are still happening, and I think a lot of really smart people aren't giving up on trying to make the world a better place, one small step at a time. To quote one of my favourite BlueSky Poster's Username: Better Things Are Possible.

    Never forget it!

    I'll share a few positive trends I've noticed lately in the comments, and hope others will share as well - but no pressure. I hope this brightens even one person's day!

    67 votes

  9. Comment on How are you different than you were last week? in ~life

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    Oh wow I get one in the crook of my arm and have been wondering if I need to get checked again. It's a relief that others have this response too!

    Oh wow I get one in the crook of my arm and have been wondering if I need to get checked again. It's a relief that others have this response too!

    1 vote

  10. Comment on New US-Canada bridge to open after delay in ~transport

    Aerrol
    Link
    It's for REAL real this time... Unlike the last... Four times? Hopefully this farce is finally done.

    It's for REAL real this time... Unlike the last... Four times? Hopefully this farce is finally done.

    4 votes

  11. Comment on Accessible forms of poetry for journaling? in ~creative

  12. Comment on If you are asking for human attention, demonstrate human effort in ~comp

    Aerrol
    Link
    Not directly related to the topic it's posted in, but I've felt the exact same way about AI written emails. I don't begrudge people saving time to write longer text - I initially even supported...

    Not directly related to the topic it's posted in, but I've felt the exact same way about AI written emails. I don't begrudge people saving time to write longer text - I initially even supported folks doing it! - but the loss of personal voice and clear failure to proofread outputs its really starting to grate on me these days.

    So yeah, completely agree. Great maxim.

    5 votes

  13. Comment on What change would make you quit Tildes? in ~tildes

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    God, I tried Voat too and 100% agree. It was jarring and enlightening to watch that place swiftly go down the toilet. As someone who was very pro free speech and 'let the best ideas rise to the...

    God, I tried Voat too and 100% agree. It was jarring and enlightening to watch that place swiftly go down the toilet. As someone who was very pro free speech and 'let the best ideas rise to the top' mindset, that live experiment completely changed my perspective on how to manage communities and discourse.

    5 votes

  14. Comment on Finland scored three unanswered goals in the second period to beat Canada in the semi-finals of the 2026 IIHF World Championship in ~sports.hockey

    Aerrol
    Link
    Maybe the worst year for Canada in international hockey in my entire life...

    Maybe the worst year for Canada in international hockey in my entire life...

    1 vote

  15. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    +1 for someone who tried a trial and didn't find myself using it that much. I'm honestly not searching for too difficult to find things these days, which is a bit sad. I wonder what would nudge me...

    +1 for someone who tried a trial and didn't find myself using it that much. I'm honestly not searching for too difficult to find things these days, which is a bit sad. I wonder what would nudge me back towards needing to find specific answers...

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Blue Origin New Glenn stage 1 "No, It's Necessary" explodes during static fire in ~space

    Aerrol
    Link
    Very glad no one was hurt, but this is devastating news, especially because of the increased cadence in Lunar missions. Neither of our big Artemis Rockets will be ready it seems, which means...

    Very glad no one was hurt, but this is devastating news, especially because of the increased cadence in Lunar missions. Neither of our big Artemis Rockets will be ready it seems, which means everything will be pushed back despite how much energy, money, and announcements are exploding right now.

    3 votes

  17. Comment on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 | Reveal trailer in ~games

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    Holy shit War Fantasy looks intense, thanks for the link.

    Holy shit War Fantasy looks intense, thanks for the link.

    1 vote

  18. Comment on If you let AI do your writing, I will come to your house and kill you in ~tech

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    Why are you so confident of this? The chances are much lower, but not zero. Very very recent Scientific American Article discussing the problem with hallucinations making up sources:...

    That said, no current frontier model is going to hallucinate the way the author claims on such a basic and straightforward question.

    Why are you so confident of this? The chances are much lower, but not zero. Very very recent Scientific American Article discussing the problem with hallucinations making up sources: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-lawyers-keep-citing-fake-cases-invented-by-ai

    10 votes

  19. Comment on The cost of safetyism - what we lost when we stopped letting kids leave the front yard in ~life

    Aerrol
    Link
    Adding another parent voice here to say - yeah, I also agree but also feel the social etiquette in Canada makes it almost impossible to put into practice. You'll be a pariah or have social...

    Adding another parent voice here to say - yeah, I also agree but also feel the social etiquette in Canada makes it almost impossible to put into practice. You'll be a pariah or have social services called on you for letting pre teens out on their own too far. No one else is doing it so even if you do, your kid is isolated. I'm trying to build the muscle too, but it's a lonely fight.

    4 votes

  20. Comment on If you let AI do your writing, I will come to your house and kill you in ~tech

    Aerrol
    Link Parent
    To add on to @Lia 's comment, which I fully agree with: the whole problem with LLMs is that they're entirely weighted random chance. I believe you that you tried this prompt and got the right...

    To add on to @Lia 's comment, which I fully agree with: the whole problem with LLMs is that they're entirely weighted random chance. I believe you that you tried this prompt and got the right answer. I also believe that the linked author tried a prompt and got his. It's entirely possible because nothing is guaranteed with an LLM, ever. I regularly use a relatively reliable paid LLM modifier (add-on? What's the word for companies building off of Foundation models) for legal work, and I got a pretty awful hallucination last week. It happens, and I can't even reproduce the bug for proof because, well... It was just a bad dice roll for me.

    I'm trying to keep using the tools and learn to stay engaged in the state of the art, but dear God is this even more terrible news in the ever worsening death of our shared global (or even national) reality.

    26 votes