Baeocystin's recent activity
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Comment on The Possessed Machines: Dostoevsky's Demons and the coming AGI catastrophe in ~society
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Comment on What are you working through? in ~life
Baeocystin Link ParentIn the late 90's, for the first three years out of college, not a single damn thing I worked on ever shipped. Either the company went out of business, pivoted in a way that made my work...In the late 90's, for the first three years out of college, not a single damn thing I worked on ever shipped. Either the company went out of business, pivoted in a way that made my work irrelevant, or the C-suite just threw darts one day at the cancel-o-matic board and my project's number came up.
Just as maddening to me as this was, was the realization that 90% of the people I worked with DGAF about any of this.
In my case, I quit software and became an IT consultant. It's still maddening most days, but at least I get to talk to interesting people, and hopping between industries is fun, you never know what you're going to learn!
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Comment on Why computers won’t make themselves smarter - Ted Chiang in ~tech
Baeocystin Link ParentWhat baffles me most about his take is that he wrote The Lifecycle of Software Objects, where they do exactly what you just described to generate their a-life!What baffles me most about his take is that he wrote The Lifecycle of Software Objects, where they do exactly what you just described to generate their a-life!
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Comment on Scott Adams dead: Dilbert creator was 68 in ~comics
Baeocystin (edited )Link ParentI work with a variety of wealthy people. I am lucky enough that I get to, for the most part, pick and choose my clients, but there's always a vetting time with new folks, and one thing I've...I work with a variety of wealthy people. I am lucky enough that I get to, for the most part, pick and choose my clients, but there's always a vetting time with new folks, and one thing I've learned repeatedly is that once people get past the "I could live comfortably off what I already have several times over" level of wealth, it is a very particular type of mindset/personality that is never satisfied, with the only thing they want being 'more'. They are also incredibly fearful of loss, with even the most insignificant hit they take causing them outsized amounts of mental anguish.
For some, this turns them into genuinely nasty, dangerous, ugly individuals. For many, it makes them more pitiful than anything else. They're usually socially isolated, surrounded by leeches, and it often just plain sucks for all involved. In my experience, this pattern holds true across racial and cultural boundaries strongly enough that it tells me there's some fundamental human pathology at play, that winds up expressing itself when inordinate amounts of money are involved.
To counterbalance that, I do also work for some folks who use their wealth to do their best to make the world a better place, and I am deeply grateful for knowing them, because they help keep me from becoming too cynical about human behavior.
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Comment on What’s a point that you think many people missed? in ~talk
Baeocystin Link ParentI personally loathed ACitR because it was assigned reading on high school English, my teacher wouldn't stop frothing at the mouth about how brilliant it was at capturing the disaffected youth...I personally loathed ACitR because it was assigned reading on high school English, my teacher wouldn't stop frothing at the mouth about how brilliant it was at capturing the disaffected youth experience, and meanwhile I, a youth of the same supposed age, couldn't relate to a damn thing, with Holden reminding me only of my classmates that made my life hell.
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Comment on I feel that Destin (SmarterEveryDay on Youtube) is straying from the path in ~talk
Baeocystin LinkI like Destin a lot. I am an atheist, always have been, always will be. But I really don't care where someone gets the juice that helps them be a good person; just that they do so. And Destin...I like Destin a lot. I am an atheist, always have been, always will be. But I really don't care where someone gets the juice that helps them be a good person; just that they do so. And Destin clearly walks the walk and tries to be the kind of human who makes the world a better place. That's enough. We need as many of those people as possible, and I am happy to support him on Patreon because of it.
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Comment on NATO alphabet in ~talk
Baeocystin LinkHmm... Can we do silent starts only? :D Off the top of my head... A as in aesthetic B as in bdellium D as in Djibouti E as in ewe G as in ghoti is way better :D H as in hour I as in eye (ok,...Hmm... Can we do silent starts only? :D Off the top of my head...
A as in aesthetic
B as in bdellium
D as in Djibouti
E as in ewe
G as ingnocchighoti is way better :D
H as in hour
I as in eye (ok, technically breaks the pattern, but c'mon)
J as in jalapeño
K as in knight
M as in mnemonic
N as in Nguyen (I'm proud of this one)
X as in Xhosa -
Comment on Tildes Book Club - We are Legion (We are Bob) - How is it going? in ~books
Baeocystin Link ParentI work in tech, my day job is in IT, and I agree with you 100%- Reading The Bobiverse felt like I was sitting around the lunch table at work biting my tongue at the discussions. (I still read all...I work in tech, my day job is in IT, and I agree with you 100%- Reading The Bobiverse felt like I was sitting around the lunch table at work biting my tongue at the discussions.
(I still read all of them, though, because there was a lot of fun to be had in between the teeth-gritting!)
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Comment on An AI-generated country song is topping a Billboard chart, and that should infuriate us all in ~music
Baeocystin (edited )Link ParentThere I Ruined It did a take last year on the same concept. Worth mentioning that a lot of AI channels (like TIRI) are genuine musicians in their own right, and are simply having fun and being...There I Ruined It did a take last year on the same concept.
Worth mentioning that a lot of AI channels (like TIRI) are genuine musicians in their own right, and are simply having fun and being creative with the new style transfer tools that are available. He's still composing the words, playing the instruments and singing the melody. There's a lot more that goes on than just Suno-generated prompting.
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Comment on Half of US states sue Donald Trump administration over halting food stamps in ~society
Baeocystin LinkThe local CSA farm that I get my produce from is doing matching donations, and have expanded their donate-a-box program. They'll already well-integrated into the food supply chain, and they've...The local CSA farm that I get my produce from is doing matching donations, and have expanded their donate-a-box program. They'll already well-integrated into the food supply chain, and they've been great folks to deal with in the past.
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Comment on What are your favorite low cost main dishes/meals? in ~food
Baeocystin LinkSopa de Fideo Hits the cheap/delicious notes perfectly, and is easy to make to boot. Don't forget the beans! Sopa de Ajo is another good one for using up stale bread while being packed with cheap...Sopa de Fideo Hits the cheap/delicious notes perfectly, and is easy to make to boot. Don't forget the beans!
Sopa de Ajo is another good one for using up stale bread while being packed with cheap flavor.
Pancit is one of my personal favorites, and is great as a kitchen cleanout dish, using up whatever you have on hand.
Outside of what I posted, speaking of extreme budget meals in general, you cannot beat anything potato based. The least expensive of all staples, yet still a surprisingly well-rounded food.
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Comment on Root system drawings in ~enviro
Baeocystin LinkI was literally just wishing I had a root map for the different trees in my backyard so I could more effectively focus my watering. This is great! Thank you for posting it!I was literally just wishing I had a root map for the different trees in my backyard so I could more effectively focus my watering. This is great! Thank you for posting it!
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Comment on Does anyone here use a SAD lamp? in ~health.mental
Baeocystin Link ParentThanks for the heads up. I deleted my comment.Thanks for the heads up. I deleted my comment.
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Comment on Queer temperature check: how is everyone doing right now? in ~lgbt
Baeocystin Link ParentYeah, that's how it was when I lived in Montana, too. While there were True-Believer MAGA types around, there really wasn't that many of them. Certainly fewer than you'd think based on media...Yeah, that's how it was when I lived in Montana, too. While there were True-Believer MAGA types around, there really wasn't that many of them. Certainly fewer than you'd think based on media reporting. Most of the folks I knew that were Republican across the board voters were actually pretty decent people in person. It's hard to square what they vote for vs. who they are, but that's how it was.
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Comment on Queer temperature check: how is everyone doing right now? in ~lgbt
Baeocystin Link ParentFrom https://ivn.us/posts/are-there-more-democrats-texas-republicans-2025-08-08: However, the thing that surprises many people is that current figures show Democrats outnumber Republicans in...I moved from the UK to Texas (yes, I know)
From https://ivn.us/posts/are-there-more-democrats-texas-republicans-2025-08-08:
However, the thing that surprises many people is that current figures show Democrats outnumber Republicans in Texas. This may seem strange considering how much control Republicans have in the state.
Total Registered Voters: 17,485,702
Democrats: 8,133,683 (46.52%)
Republicans: 6,601,189 (37.75%)
Unaffiliated: 2,750,830 (15.73%)Worth mentioning! Glad you're feeling a warm welcome. :)
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Comment on What it takes to be a revolutionary war enactor in ~humanities.history
Baeocystin LinkNominally related- I learned of The Townsends (Web Store, YouTube) from talking to a re-enactor at a local ren faire, and they are one of my favorite channels to watch when I want to chill and...Nominally related- I learned of The Townsends (Web Store, YouTube) from talking to a re-enactor at a local ren faire, and they are one of my favorite channels to watch when I want to chill and learn a bit about history. John has a warm, friendly presence, you can't help but be taken in by his enthusiasm.
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Comment on We’re seniors. It’s not our responsibility to fix the housing supply. in ~society
Baeocystin Link ParentThank you for the archive link!Thank you for the archive link!
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~humanities.history
Baeocystin Link ParentAdding on that we don't have to go back far for terrible mortality statistics- about 1 out of 5 of my childhood friends in SE Asia didn't make it to adulthood, and that was as recent as the late...Adding on that we don't have to go back far for terrible mortality statistics- about 1 out of 5 of my childhood friends in SE Asia didn't make it to adulthood, and that was as recent as the late 70's. Hell, I would have been one of those had we not been able to fly out to Bangkok for medical treatment. Getting in to the effects this sort of life/death struggle had on the society is too much to cover in a simple comment, but I will say that (unsurprisingly) gender dynamics were a lot more complex and nuanced than any simple explanation could cover. Men and women alike were both empowered and ensnared by societal expectations, and while there was plenty of disfunction to be seen, there were a lot of genuinely happy families, too. It is a tough subject to wrap one's head around.
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Comment on Salt vs. potassium in ~health
Baeocystin Link ParentI have low-normal blood pressure myself, and I love salty snacks. There was a time when I was younger that my doctors hammered enough about the dangers of salt that I reduced my intake, and I was...I have low-normal blood pressure myself, and I love salty snacks. There was a time when I was younger that my doctors hammered enough about the dangers of salt that I reduced my intake, and I was a miserable, low-energy, dizzy crampy mess.
I have since chosen to disregard that particular bit of advice, and purposefully salt (with both potassium and sodium) to my desired levels, and I feel so much better it's ridiculous.
YMMV, n=1, all of that. But, like your wife, it's important to note that people are different, and there really is very little one size fits all nutrition advice out there.
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Comment on Is OpenWRT worthwhile at home? in ~comp
Baeocystin LinkIt's fun to play with. Full confession, though- my day job is IT, and I fight with Ubiquiti, Mikrotik, and dozens of others throughout the day. They all have their pros and cons. But at home? F...It's fun to play with. Full confession, though- my day job is IT, and I fight with Ubiquiti, Mikrotik, and dozens of others throughout the day. They all have their pros and cons.
But at home? F all of it. I use an eero mesh that Just Works™, I have for years, and zero regrets. The defaults are all chosen for the home user in mind, and there is very little config to be done after plugging it in. I love'em.
This is a fantastic think piece, thank you for posting it for us to see.