Dragonfruit's recent activity

  1. penghu

    ~creative Text 135 words
    an endless blue. my island shore. my quiet voice. a crashing roar. my little feet mark steps in sand. a big red bucket in my hand. cold water glides across my gills. it tastes of dark and salt and...

    an endless blue. my island shore.
    my quiet voice. a crashing roar.
    my little feet mark steps in sand.
    a big red bucket in my hand.

    cold water glides across my gills.
    it tastes of dark and salt and kills.
    i hunt for food hoping to make
    what others all of me want made.

    i cuff my pants and dip my toes
    to cool myself from hot sand's glow.
    my bucket drinks with thirsty lips
    salt water, sand, and -- wait, what's this ?

    in rest i lie where currents go:
    to waters warm, bright, and shallow.
    a sudden wake from surface stirs:
    swimming around a big red blur.

    i look at her. i look at him.
    i puff in fear. i'm uncertain.
    i dip my fingers holding shrimp.
    i take a bite. we make friends quick.

    11 votes

  2. Comment on New policy changes for Southwest Airlines in ~travel

    Dragonfruit
    Link Parent
    An extreme minority of hedge funds will ever want to take anything even close to controlling interest in a company. A large proportion of hedge funds don't even trade or invest in stocks at all. I...

    An extreme minority of hedge funds will ever want to take anything even close to controlling interest in a company. A large proportion of hedge funds don't even trade or invest in stocks at all.

    I think you meant to levy this complaint against private equity firms, which are different from activist hedge funds, which themselves are still a very particular and uncommon type of hedge fund.

    10 votes

  3. Comment on Self-diagnosed cases of dissociative identity disorder on social media: conceptualization, assessment, and treatment in ~health.mental

    Dragonfruit
    Link Parent
    I don't think it's that simple. People are free to describe their own lived experiences. However for someone familiar with a disorder, whether having it themselves or a loved one having it, it can...

    I don't think it's that simple. People are free to describe their own lived experiences. However for someone familiar with a disorder, whether having it themselves or a loved one having it, it can be infuriating to see it trivialized and made a mockery of to the public by people who are fabricating it for attention. And for these people who are knowledgable about the disorder, it's often easy to tell if someone is indeed fabricating it.

    Dissociative disorders are particularly frustrating for me as someone who is dissociative and dating someone with DID. Don't give me rules of thumb about how I should feel about something which heavily impacts myself or my partner.

    16 votes

  4. Comment on Self-diagnosed cases of dissociative identity disorder on social media: conceptualization, assessment, and treatment in ~health.mental

    Dragonfruit
    Link
    A good rule of thumb I have is that whenever someone presents their illness as something quirky and cool, they're faking it. People I know with dissociative disorders (not just DID) or autism keep...

    A good rule of thumb I have is that whenever someone presents their illness as something quirky and cool, they're faking it. People I know with dissociative disorders (not just DID) or autism keep quiet about it and find it challenging and frustrating, not something they're excited about and eager to share.

    15 votes

  5. Comment on What’s a book that we were never supposed to be able to read? in ~books

    Dragonfruit
    (edited )
    Link
    Most of Kafka's seminal works. At the time of his death he destroyed most of his work, and ordered his friend Max Brod to destroy what he couldn't. Brod explicitly went against Kafka's demands,...

    Most of Kafka's seminal works. At the time of his death he destroyed most of his work, and ordered his friend Max Brod to destroy what he couldn't.

    Brod explicitly went against Kafka's demands, and on the topic said that Kafka should have know he would never do it. Kafka hated his writing and believed he was awful, while Brod (and Kafka's other friends) always believed he was excellent.

    After he died, Brod collected several unfinished manuscripts, the most important of which were later put together (with some guesswork taking a few editions, since Kafka's chapters were written non-linearly, incomplete, and unordered): The Trial and The Castle.

    In regards to answering your questions, Jacob Geller has a great essay addressing most (all?) of them: Art For No One.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Nvidia’s $589 billion DeepSeek rout is largest in market history in ~finance

    Dragonfruit
    Link Parent
    Say you see NVDA is $80 right now. But, you think NVDA will be worth $100 in a year. This might be because you believe, in a year, GPU sales will double as AI can no longer be improved through...

    Say you see NVDA is $80 right now. But, you think NVDA will be worth $100 in a year. This might be because you believe, in a year, GPU sales will double as AI can no longer be improved through more sophisticated training techniques, and simply must require more computational resources. Then, even though its current sales only value it at $80, if you buy in now then in a year you'll have made $20 (assuming you're right). You might be hardpressed to find another way to make 25% of your money in 365 days. But, your purchase at $80 increases demand for NVDA, so others will see this and value it more right now. Eventually, the stock price might become $100 today, even though that value is more representative of its value a year from now.

    At a high-level, this is what led to NVDA having a huge valuation. Some might argue this led to an overvaluation, because its price stopped being based on a grounded projected value due to AI growth, but moreso hype.

    With DeepSeek coming out, it turns out there is indeed a way to improve LLM performance not just without requiring more GPUs in the future, but without even needing the amount of GPUs people thought were necessary today. So, this projected future value turned out to be incorrect and overinflated, and the price dropped as a result.

    20 votes

  7. Comment on How to best navigate a career change, from a Canadian who was teaching mathematics internationally to ??? in ~life

    Dragonfruit
    (edited )
    Link
    If you have a mathematics background it's essential trivial to become a teacher in Ontario right now. There's a shortage of math teachers now, and many schools will even guarantee you admission to...

    If you have a mathematics background it's essential trivial to become a teacher in Ontario right now. There's a shortage of math teachers now, and many schools will even guarantee you admission to teachers college if you hold a bachelor's in mathematics without an abysmally low GPA. You might not have your $100k salary immediately (though you might with your experience), but I'm fairly certain teachers with seniority exceed this all across Canada.

    Someone in another comment floated the idea of an MBA to go into banking. I strongly advise against this. Many people who dream of going into banking end up hating the job and find it extremely boring. I think this will be aggravated by you having a technical background. Moreover, you're not 22 years old anymore, and will likely struggle with putting in the 80-100 hour weeks expected of an associate.

    Instead, if you'd like to enter finance (in Canada) I recommend Toronto's MFE, Toronto's MMF, or Waterloo's MQF programs (in that order). An MBA is unnecessary and will actually negatively help you in gaining the jobs you likely want, outside of potentially sales and trading (though none of these programs preclude you from S&T). If you have questions about the Canadian finance scene I'm more than happy to answer.

    6 votes

  8. Comment on US President Donald Trump to make historic move towards revoking birthright citizenship in ~society

    Dragonfruit
    Link Parent
    You don't know the extent to which it affects me. You only know that I personally am not a US citizen. If you'd like to have further context: I immigrated to Canada (which is heavily influenced...

    You don't know the extent to which it affects me. You only know that I personally am not a US citizen.

    If you'd like to have further context: I immigrated to Canada (which is heavily influenced indirectly by US politics of course) from a country without jus soli, and gained citizenship here. My niece and nephew are in the US and gained citizenship by jus soli. This is excellent for them, but given where I came from and the way I personally gained citizenship, it struck me as odd that it was a possibility.

    Even if none of this were the case, people are absolutely allowed to hold opinions about the politics of other countries. I'm sure many people have opinions about the Israel-Palestine conflict despite being neither Israeli (or even Jewish) or Palestinian. For a less tenuous example, you can take data privacy laws and fines for EU citizens.

    I simply came here to understand what the arguments are against Trump's actions, since clearly some must exist given I supported his decision while other people do not. This is how people develop a more refined worldview.

    I've been convinced his actions are wrong, though not because of any historical precedent about jus soli (since they're irrelevant to my immigration and ancestry so I don't understand why they might still be necessary), but because he is taking the incorrect path to make the change, as it should be done through a constitutional amendment.

    5 votes

  9. Comment on US President Donald Trump to make historic move towards revoking birthright citizenship in ~society

    Dragonfruit
    Link Parent
    My goal was to learn what the arguments for jus soli are. I'm an immigrant to Canada, earned citizenship without it, and come from a country without it. My sister then had kids in the US for the...

    My goal was to learn what the arguments for jus soli are. I'm an immigrant to Canada, earned citizenship without it, and come from a country without it. My sister then had kids in the US for the purpose of them having citizenship, which is great for them and I support her decision from a self-focused perspective for doing so because it benefits her kids strongly.

    But, it always struck me as strange that what she did was possible in the first place. I've always been opposed to it in the US and Canada, and when Trump said he wished to rescind it, in principle I supported it. However, some people clearly have strong opinions against his decision (otherwise it wouldn't make headlines), so I wanted to understand why.

    7 votes

  10. Comment on US President Donald Trump to make historic move towards revoking birthright citizenship in ~society

    Dragonfruit
    Link Parent
    I'm not American so have not had American history lessons and US rights are not my own. This is an international forum.

    I'm not American so have not had American history lessons and US rights are not my own. This is an international forum.

    6 votes

  11. Comment on US President Donald Trump to make historic move towards revoking birthright citizenship in ~society

    Dragonfruit
    Link
    I've never understood the argument for jus soli existing and I'm not aware of any historical reason either. Most countries don't have it outside the US and Canada. This is the one thing Trump is...

    I've never understood the argument for jus soli existing and I'm not aware of any historical reason either. Most countries don't have it outside the US and Canada. This is the one thing Trump is doing which I support. What are the arguments against this change?

    9 votes

  12. Comment on 180bpm+ music recommendations? in ~music

    Dragonfruit
    Link
    I really like speedhouse. Haus of Panda is good (I like Ignite). Also a fan of Henry Fong (64 Impala and What's the Move are good).

    I really like speedhouse. Haus of Panda is good (I like Ignite). Also a fan of Henry Fong (64 Impala and What's the Move are good).

    2 votes

  13. Comment on Tildes Demographics Survey, year… uh, it’s 2024? in ~tildes

    Dragonfruit
    Link
    Hey, thanks for including a question for people with dissociative disorders. It's the first time I've ever seen a question like that. It meant a lot for my partner and was very validating.

    Hey, thanks for including a question for people with dissociative disorders. It's the first time I've ever seen a question like that. It meant a lot for my partner and was very validating.

    8 votes

  14. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    Dragonfruit
    Link
    I just finished Beckett's trilogy a few hours ago. It reminded me a lot of Faulkner's Sound and Fury, in the way that each section of the book becomes more lucid and you understood more of the...

    I just finished Beckett's trilogy a few hours ago. It reminded me a lot of Faulkner's Sound and Fury, in the way that each section of the book becomes more lucid and you understood more of the plot. However, the trilogy is far more ambiguous I feel in its events. I believe there's enough information in the text to make a well-supported answer to those questions, but they're very obfuscated. My favourite book was Molloy, because it seemed to pass from one setting and time to another with you only realizing several paragraphs after the transition, being unsure whether a transition even occurred or if Molloy was always there and then.

    The one issue I had is with the last book, The Unnameable, feeling very repetitive towards the last 20% or so. I feel like several large pieces could have been cut here, and making for a less frustrating reading experience. I was hoping each next page would either close the book, or move on to something other than seeking and wallowing about subjects.

    2 votes

  15. Job offer in a new city -- making friends?

    ~life Ask (advice)
    Hi. I'm finishing my schooling and have received a job offer on the west coast (Vancouver). I also have comparably good, though marginally worse, job offers here on the east coast where I live...

    Hi. I'm finishing my schooling and have received a job offer on the west coast (Vancouver). I also have comparably good, though marginally worse, job offers here on the east coast where I live (Toronto).

    I'm familiar with Toronto and have many friends here or nearby, especially since I grew up and went to school not too far. However, the offer I have in Vancouver is "better" both in terms of compensation (though not that it makes a big difference) and in terms of the actual learning experience I would have on the job.

    If this job was also in Toronto I would take it immediately with no hesitation. However, it being in Vancouver gives me some pause. I've visited the city and have some mutual, but not personal, friends there. The city overall is fairly agreeable, and I enjoy the nature and scenery a lot.

    Question: have any of you made similar moves, how did you feel about it retrospectively, and how did you go about establishing a friend group outside of work?

    18 votes

  16. antediluvian

    ~creative Text 124 words
    gusts of wind pick up in pace and oaken leaves they make to shake. chirps and flaps as birds make haste and hooves all trample in escape. above, the clouds, they morph and move bearing an ocean in...

    gusts of wind pick up in pace
    and oaken leaves they make to shake.
    chirps and flaps as birds make haste
    and hooves all trample in escape.

    above, the clouds, they morph and move
    bearing an ocean in their womb.
    forest florals stare in rue;
    effulgence dims as darkness blooms.

    the rumbling clouds envelope all.
    a drip, a drop. and the rain falls.
    and though the canopy may stall,
    a dribble starts and rends the wall.

    a torrent soars towards the floor.
    the land, to sea, returns once more.
    in time, the green but will restore.
    in time, the clouds but will reform.

    i wrote this at a creative writing workshop with the following three randomly generated words as the prompt: frequency, dribble, oak.

    9 votes

  17. Multiauthor poetry anthology recommendations

    ~books Ask (recommendations)
    I've recently finished Mary Oliver's A Poetry Handbook and have begun writing my own poems (just for fun). I feel though that I may be limited by my having read little poetry. So, I'm searching...

    I've recently finished Mary Oliver's A Poetry Handbook and have begun writing my own poems (just for fun). I feel though that I may be limited by my having read little poetry. So, I'm searching for anthology recommendations to get some inspiration.

    I'm not really looking for collections of "classics," just a large collection of poems generally considered to be "very good," and maybe leaning more towards contemporary (late 19th century onwards?). But I'd welcome recommendations outside of these guidelines too if anyone feels particularly strongly about some collection.

    3 votes

  18. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~travel

    Dragonfruit
    Link Parent
    I'm someone who lived in SWO too and I'd hesitate to even call Boler affordable. My parents would send me there in middle school with a $100 bill when I went with my friends. This was enough to...

    I'm someone who lived in SWO too and I'd hesitate to even call Boler affordable. My parents would send me there in middle school with a $100 bill when I went with my friends. This was enough to cover a day pass, equipment rental, and a meal. That's a ridiculous price for a child to do something for 4-5 hours. It's hard to justify even for a middle class family like mine, which is why I only went a handful of times.

    2 votes

  19. Travel advice for Taipei, Taiwan

    ~travel Ask (recommendations)
    I'll be visiting Taipei for a little over a week in mid-January. I'm going to attend a conference, but have most evenings free and will be staying a few days after it ends too. Looking for good...

    I'll be visiting Taipei for a little over a week in mid-January. I'm going to attend a conference, but have most evenings free and will be staying a few days after it ends too. Looking for good recommendations on activities in the city (museums, sights, etc.). I've heard Taipei has a very good nightlife, but unfortunately I don't know if I'll be able to experience much of that due to with whom I'm traveling.

    19 votes

  20. Comment on Manchester United reaches agreement for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to acquire 25% of the company in ~sports.football

    Dragonfruit
    Link
    I'm definitely not envious of the lawyers and bankers having to work right up until Christmas to get this done. An announcement at 4 am on Christmas Eve is crazy.

    I'm definitely not envious of the lawyers and bankers having to work right up until Christmas to get this done. An announcement at 4 am on Christmas Eve is crazy.