Crespyl's recent activity
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Comment on Is AI profitable yet? in ~tech
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E13: "Signs and Portents" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
Crespyl LinkI can see why this episode is so well liked. It's got a good mix of humor (I loved the bit at the elevator), excitement, and spooky implications for the future. I think this is about the point I...I can see why this episode is so well liked. It's got a good mix of humor (I loved the bit at the elevator), excitement, and spooky implications for the future.
I think this is about the point I was at when Netflix dropped the series, so from here out is new material for me. I'm having a lot of fun with the series! :)
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Crespyl LinkI just finished Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I've been looking forward to it for a while, mostly because I love both jumping spiders and high-concept SF. It took me a little bit to...I just finished Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I've been looking forward to it for a while, mostly because I love both jumping spiders and high-concept SF.
It took me a little bit to really get stuck in, but the last half/two-thirds or so went by in just a few days, I really enjoyed it. Some of the spiders biotech was a little straining on suspension of disbelief, but the interplay between the ark ship misadventures and the gradual development of spider-society was a lot of fun.
Spider-Spoilers re The Ending
I will say I didn't exactly love that the solution was kind of just "infect the humans with the empathy virus" instead of some more nuanced diplomacy. Viewing it as a transfer of a hard-earned spider Understanding to the human race feels a little better, but still kind of unsatisfying. I'll probably go read the sequel next, as I'm pretty curious what direction the author will take. I did like seeing the cooperative hybrid expedition at the end.
Also Kern's final fate/new existence inside of a programmable ant colony reminded me a bit of Aunt Hillary from Godel, Escher, Bach. I really liked that she was able to come around and finally embrace the spiders, even if they weren't the monkeys she was fixated on for so long.
Kind of reminded me of the Foundation books a little with its big time jumps and following societies rising and falling.
Lots of fun.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E10: "Believers" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
Crespyl Link ParentI don't comment often, but I have also been following along (a week behind until a couple days ago!) and have been really enjoying it. I started the first season a few years ago when Netflix had...I don't comment often, but I have also been following along (a week behind until a couple days ago!) and have been really enjoying it. I started the first season a few years ago when Netflix had it, but they dropped it before I got all the way through the season.
You're always one of the first to comment on the episodes, and I always like reading your thoughts.
Here's hoping there's no more weirdness and we get through the whole series!
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Comment on New "old school" gadgets? in ~tech
Crespyl Link ParentI got my own Pebble Time 2 in recently, and also am quite happy with it. It's my first smartwatch, after not being in the market the first time they came around, once I decided I wanted one they'd...I got my own Pebble Time 2 in recently, and also am quite happy with it. It's my first smartwatch, after not being in the market the first time they came around, once I decided I wanted one they'd become hard to get and none of the other options appealed to me.
Battery life has been great, I like the app "Munin - Battery Wisdom" for tracking expected and actual lifetime.
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Comment on Steam Controller 2 sold out in ~games
Crespyl Link ParentI had the same thing happen, kept clicking the button until the error changed. ): Oh well, I guess I just have to wait for the next drop.I had the same thing happen, kept clicking the button until the error changed.
):
Oh well, I guess I just have to wait for the next drop.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Crespyl (edited )LinkI just finished Blindsight, a hard SF horror novel that explores a lot of ideas around consciousness and what it means to relate to something alien. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet;...I just finished Blindsight, a hard SF horror novel that explores a lot of ideas around consciousness and what it means to relate to something alien.
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet; I didn't know much about it going in, not even that it would turn out to be a horror, so that turn and ending surprised me and hit pretty hard. Maybe I shouldn't have been suprised after the vampires showed up. The more it sits with me, the more I like it.
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Comment on Hank Green created an interactive tool that maps Artemis II mission photos and videos against official NASA schedules and telemetry data in ~space
Crespyl LinkThis is pretty cool! It reminds me a lot of the old Apollo 17 in real time site, just without the real time part.This is pretty cool! It reminds me a lot of the old Apollo 17 in real time site, just without the real time part.
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Comment on Requesting resources for learning Ruby in ~comp
Crespyl LinkThere will be much more pragmatic resources in other comments, but if you're feeling a lack of whimsy in your life and also want to learn some Ruby, I must recommend _why's poignant guide. It's...There will be much more pragmatic resources in other comments, but if you're feeling a lack of whimsy in your life and also want to learn some Ruby, I must recommend _why's poignant guide.
It's hard to describe without spoilers, and it's probably not the most efficient way, but it is, IMO, the most fun way to learn Ruby.
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Comment on Very Important People: Boris Tarshkokan in ~tv
Crespyl Link ParentGame Changer is my favorite, and the spin-offs like MSN and Crowd Control are pretty good too. Their cooking show (Gastronauts?) can be fun sometimes. They also recently acquired Don't Hug Me, I'm...Game Changer is my favorite, and the spin-offs like MSN and Crowd Control are pretty good too. Their cooking show (Gastronauts?) can be fun sometimes.
They also recently acquired Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared; both the original shorts and the full length series. They're publishing the series one episode a week, IIRC. DHMIS is a different vibe to the rest of their content, but if you haven't seen it, it's worth checking out the shorts. Very unnerving creepy/comedy sketches based on a kind of childrens TV show.
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Comment on US keyboards don't have enough keys, so I switched to Japanese - HyperJIS in ~comp
Crespyl (edited )Link ParentOn physical keyboards I've only ever used QWERTY; it's fine and I learned to touch type pretty fast as a kid (thanks Mavis Beacon!). I never felt like a different layout would make me faster or...On physical keyboards I've only ever used QWERTY; it's fine and I learned to touch type pretty fast as a kid (thanks Mavis Beacon!). I never felt like a different layout would make me faster or more comfortable (typing speed was never the bottleneck for me), so I never dug into Dvorak or any of the other alternatives. (Edit: another comment reminded me, I do always replace Caps-Lock with an extra Ctrl key, makes Emacs (and everything else) more comfy)
Mobile is a different matter though. When I was young, my dad had a Palm Pilot with Graffiti on it, which I thought was pretty cool. When modern touchscreens came around I was baffled that everyone standardized on cramming full QWERTY keyboards into tiny two-inch surfaces, instead of something like Graffiti. The keys were so small! Even T9 made more sense, at least then you had tactile feedback.
My dad (someone who's always had a passion for UX) quickly found an alternative in MessageEase/ANIHORTES: a 3x3 grid with the most common letters available with a single tap, and the rest a directional swipe. These days I use the open-source keyboard Thumb-Key which implements the same concept.
Apparently a similar system is used in Japan, I think I've seen it referred to as a "flick" keyboard. It's precise enough that I can generally type single-handedly at a rate fast enough that I don't feel the need for autocomplete/autocorrect. Which is good, because I don't like the way modern autocomplete systems make me feel.
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Comment on Why Microsoft’s war on Windows’ Control Panel is taking so long in ~tech
Crespyl Link ParentIIRC a big part of the hate for Vista stemmed from under-specced PCs being sold as "Vista ready", when the OS actually needed substantially more RAM and/or compute than what was being shipped by...IIRC a big part of the hate for Vista stemmed from under-specced PCs being sold as "Vista ready", when the OS actually needed substantially more RAM and/or compute than what was being shipped by the OEMs. If you had the hardware for it, it was more or less okay. Still a little buggy and the UAC was over-zealous, but you could use it to get things done.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E06: "Mind War" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
Crespyl Link ParentEvery time I think this release can't get stranger or more confusing, they find something new! At least this is probably the better numbering, all else considered.reverted to the original numbering
Every time I think this release can't get stranger or more confusing, they find something new!
At least this is probably the better numbering, all else considered.
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Comment on Project Hail Mary - Discussion thread in ~movies
Crespyl LinkI'll link my earlier comment, but the gist is that while I liked the movie quite a bit, it did feel very "safe" and was definitely one of those all-the-edges-sanded-off Hollywood Blockbuster type...I'll link my earlier comment, but the gist is that while I liked the movie quite a bit, it did feel very "safe" and was definitely one of those all-the-edges-sanded-off Hollywood Blockbuster type films that doesn't really take any risks.
I would've loved a little slower pace, a few more quiet thinky moments, that kind of thing. Hard to see how to fit that into the already-long two and a half hours, but a guy can dream.
I did really enjoy it though, and I'm so glad they didn't change the ending (either the revelation about how Grace came to be on the mission, or his final choice).
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Crespyl LinkJust watched Project Hail Mary with my family. Everyone really enjoyed it, as did the pretty full theater crowd. I loved the book, and quite enjoyed the movie, but it's a... very safe adaptation....Just watched Project Hail Mary with my family. Everyone really enjoyed it, as did the pretty full theater crowd. I loved the book, and quite enjoyed the movie, but it's a... very safe adaptation. It's packed tight at two and a half hours, and it's hard to see how you could change much, but there's a degree of levity that dampens some of the sense of scale and weight/desperation the book had.
It's a fine movie, maybe even excellent, but I can't help but feel that there's a version more along the lines of Europa Report that could've elevated it just that bit further.
Also, I need to vent about the advertising for a moment. Every trailer I saw had major spoilers for one of the huge reveals in the later part of the book. I tried to help my brother (who hasn't read the book yet) to avoid them, but then in our showing they had not one, but two pre-roll segments with spoilers!!
It goes back to this being a very safe big blockbuster movie that's taking no risks. They need everyone to know exactly what they're getting before they go see it. Sigh.
Anyway, it is good, but I recommend reading the book first.
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Comment on Why are we still doing this? in ~tech
Crespyl Link ParentThough it's true that modern machine learning does involve operating on huge numbers of floating point values...Though it's true that modern machine learning does involve operating on huge numbers of floating point values...
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Comment on Lee=Emcee² - Cave Story: A Lyrical Walkthrough (2026) in ~music
Crespyl LinkThis was absolutely delightful! Being born in the 90s, but never having or really being around game consoles, I grew up with those early freeware indie titles: Cave Story, Spelunky, Iji, and...This was absolutely delightful!
Being born in the 90s, but never having or really being around game consoles, I grew up with those early freeware indie titles: Cave Story, Spelunky, Iji, and others. It always makes me so happy to see other people who found and loved them too.
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Comment on The average US college student is illiterate in ~life
Crespyl Link ParentThe game was from neal.fun, "Stimulation Clicker": https://neal.fun/stimulation-clicker/The game was from neal.fun, "Stimulation Clicker": https://neal.fun/stimulation-clicker/
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Comment on British Columbia announces it is making daylight time permanent after years of promises in ~society
Crespyl Link ParentIf your device timezone/region are set correctly, it shouldn't matter whether it's getting timing data from the US or Canada. IIRC "absolute" time is generally synced as UTC, then converted to the...If your device timezone/region are set correctly, it shouldn't matter whether it's getting timing data from the US or Canada. IIRC "absolute" time is generally synced as UTC, then converted to the appropriate local time zone. The tzdata DBs have all the rules for which areas have what offsets, as well as when and how each zone adjusts (or doesn't) for DST.
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Comment on Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole | Official trailer in ~tv
Crespyl Link ParentAh, I kept seeing the title and assuming that the character was "Jo Nesbo" and he had a "detective hole" (some kind of hideout??). Maybe I should actually watch the video... I've got some family...Harry Hole
Ah, I kept seeing the title and assuming that the character was "Jo Nesbo" and he had a "detective hole" (some kind of hideout??). Maybe I should actually watch the video...
I've got some family members who've been enjoying some of the other Netflix mystery/detective shows (specifically the various Harlan Coben adaptations), they might be interested too.
Well, NVidia's technically using it in a few places, but the big reason is that they're the ones selling shovels in the gold rush, not that they've found some motherload AI application that people will actually pay for.