EarlyWords's recent activity
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Comment on How do you design a dungeon with a lot of backtracking for the purposes of puzzle solving? in ~games.tabletop
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Comment on Pinch, punch! First day of the month. in ~talk
EarlyWords LinkNot sure the origin but my wife writes out a note to our daughter on the first day of each month for her to find when she wakes that reads: “Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit” Now that she’s in college it’s...Not sure the origin but my wife writes out a note to our daughter on the first day of each month for her to find when she wakes that reads:
“Rabbit!
Rabbit!
Rabbit”Now that she’s in college it’s a text message and I expect to see it the moment my wife wakes up this morning.
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Comment on NASA decides to bring Starliner spacecraft back to Earth without crew | Crew to return on SpaceX Dragon Feb 2025 in ~space
EarlyWords LinkThis is like a 80s science fiction novel actually came to life. Evil X corporation strands astronauts in space because of greed and immunity from prosecution thanks to politicians in their pocket....This is like a 80s science fiction novel actually came to life. Evil X corporation strands astronauts in space because of greed and immunity from prosecution thanks to politicians in their pocket. Even more evil billionaire comes to the rescue to consolidate his grip on humanity like some Bond villain. But in the meantime our heroes are stuck up in space, doing science sure, but all free agency removed from them.
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Comment on Buy burned land in ~enviro
EarlyWords Link ParentThanks for the excellent reply. This whole thread has been great. I'll check out those resources. I've worked with animals my whole life and I have a secondary dream of providing habitat for...Thanks for the excellent reply. This whole thread has been great. I'll check out those resources.
I've worked with animals my whole life and I have a secondary dream of providing habitat for rescued beavers, then relocating them to work their magic across the region. They are the ultimate forest managers and they don't need to be trained or paid or anything but left alone in suitable habitat.
I guess if I was pressed to choose I'd want to stay near the coast. The losses around Butano State Park and Big Basin are so extensive, and we have family history in Pescadero that goes way back. Big Sur has been ravaged lately too, although a lot of that is on public land in Ventana. I won't be able to get serious about this for another couple years and it's depressing to think about how many other sites will be available by then.
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Buy burned land
Tis fire season again here in North America and Europe. From my house in coastal California I grieve every year as more of my favorite forests burn, from British Columbia to California. There is...
Tis fire season again here in North America and Europe. From my house in coastal California I grieve every year as more of my favorite forests burn, from British Columbia to California.
There is no end in sight for this transition. So what can we do to at least mitigate the worst of its effects? I think the time to play defense over pure "wilderness" is long gone. The forests that haven't burned are still beautiful, but they're riddled with disease and so overgrown the ecosystems are permanently distorted.
Every year there is less pristine forest and more burned land. I'm a fourth generation Californian and the Portuguese side of the family still owns a ranch in the foothills from 1893. But I own nothing and the prospect of being able to afford land in California has forever been beyond my reach. Burned land needs to be rehabilitated in a thoughtful manner. I'm hoping once my daughter finishes college and our life starts a new chapter, that I can find a few acres where I can make the best environmental impact, such as a headwaters, then invite experts onto the land to teach me how to best heal it.
Every year I have this idea, and every year more areas become available (in the worst sense). I don't need to live on this land. I don't expect it to be much more than grasses and saplings for 20 years. I'd get out to it one or two weekends a month, rent some equipment and hire some folks as I could. I also understand that my original thought that this would be immune from future fire seasons is wrong. But at least the land can be designed to be as fire resistant as possible, with a clear understory and single large trees. And that is another part of the allure. This acreage would come with its own challenges for sure, but in some sense it is a blank slate. The permaculture people could show us how to remediate and reconstruct the land from the bones up.
I know this project would be an aggravating money sink, and even perhaps an unrealistic and irresponsible fantasy by someone untrained in forestry management. But there is so much burned land now. Every year another giant 4% stripe of California goes up in smoke. Yet this idea just doesn't catch on. It entails a lot of patience and work. I know it's not what most people want to hear. They want their idyllic cabin in Tahoe or nothing. But that time is quickly coming to an end and learning how to revive the forests that have been devastated is our only real choice.
Whenever I've tried to get serious about this, though, I learn that there is no market in burned land because there is hardly any profit to be made. No real estate agent that I can find is specializing in this because their clients are having to sell ruined land and burned buildings for pennies on the dollar. I've been advised that the best way is to find a specific spot, do my research, and approach the owner directly. But, again, there is so much burned land now I hardly know where to start. The Santa Cruz Mountains? The Sierra adjacent to Yosemite? Crater Lake in Oregon?
Any thoughts or ideas or resources would be appreciated.
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Comment on LISICA - The Scientist Soap Opera - Celebrating my 30th episode! in ~books
EarlyWords LinkI originally posted on Tildes about Lisica when I first started 30 weeks ago. Now we are halfway through the epic tale and still going strong! Please join us for this free story without ads as I...I originally posted on Tildes about Lisica when I first started 30 weeks ago. Now we are halfway through the epic tale and still going strong! Please join us for this free story without ads as I finish recording the narration for the final 30 episodes.
Welcome to LISICA! Join 11 researchers on this secret Northern Pacific island as they work to discover its mysterious past. Published online for free without ads, this is science fiction for actual scientists, a series of four novels that charts their eight weeks alone on the beach and in the woods. Their Principal Investigator, Alonso, is a data scientist trying to build a new framework called Plexity that re-orders the understanding of life itself. He has recruited his wife Miriam, a world-class geologist; his best friend Amy, a field biologist, and a whole team including Esquibel the medical doctor, Mandy the atmospheric scientist, Mahjabeen the marine scientist, Triquet the archaeologist, Flavia the theoretical mathematician, Katrina the polymath, and the biologist grad students Pradeep and Jay.
Sponsored by the US Air Force, they have eight weeks here, cut off from the rest of the planet for unspoken security reasons. Their work forms the core of the story, as does their struggle for survival on a wild island in the middle of the ocean. But it is also very much a story of love, and how these brilliant and driven people discover themselves and each other. More than anything, this story is pure feel-good escapism--a refuge from the increasingly anxiety-inducing real world of 2024. I call it a scientist soap opera.
Each of the four novels covers two weeks on the island. All the writing has been completed and each narrated chapter is being released for free without ads on my website every Monday. Today I posted Chapter 30, which marks the end of book two. We are halfway done!
Please join us on this journey and be reminded of the promise of a scientific life well-lived!
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LISICA - The Scientist Soap Opera - Celebrating my 30th episode!
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
EarlyWords LinkLion’s mane! A few weeks ago at a farmers market I bought an inoculated block for $25. With very low expectations, because every attempt I make to garden ends in lots of green things dying, I was...Lion’s mane!
A few weeks ago at a farmers market I bought an inoculated block for $25. With very low expectations, because every attempt I make to garden ends in lots of green things dying, I was shocked when this thing grew to the size of my head.
Yesterday I harvested it and carved a couple servings off it. Sautéed in butter with asparagus and carrot then served with pasta and fish. Yum! So tasty!
The block should provide another fruiting, then it gets buried in my backyard where, with luck, I’ll have lion’s mane mushrooms in perpetuity.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
EarlyWords Link ParentI’ll be an alpha reader if you like. Do you have a timeframe for responses?I’ll be an alpha reader if you like. Do you have a timeframe for responses?
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Comment on How are you dealing with AI generated results in your searches? in ~tech
EarlyWords Link ParentThanks for taking a look! And I very much agree with you. The community that our channel’s founder established is what makes the entire thing work, regardless of the quality of the content. I’m...Thanks for taking a look! And I very much agree with you. The community that our channel’s founder established is what makes the entire thing work, regardless of the quality of the content.
I’m kind of in a unique situation since he died and left very clear guidance of what kind of channel he wanted. I have no need to go against his deathbed wishes so the channel will continue as it always had and I will keep giving most of the profits to his widow and young daughters. This very human story makes it far more meaningful to many of the subscribers.
But I agree in a wider sense. I can learn discrete facts from a non-human source quite easily but in terms of larger works and artistic projects, I just don’t see the point in consuming synthetic media.
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Comment on How are you dealing with AI generated results in your searches? in ~tech
EarlyWords Link ParentThat’s a good question. I’m basically training myself as an art historian, although I’m sure a real art historian would roll their eyes at such a claim. But what I mean is there’s a whole host of...That’s a good question. I’m basically training myself as an art historian, although I’m sure a real art historian would roll their eyes at such a claim.
But what I mean is there’s a whole host of cultural context clues with which to judge any piece. Not only the style of the art (and this is currently the biggest giveaway with AI art is that one overly airbrushed digital style), or the inaccurate hands and faces, but there are a bunch of other clues too.
For example, in my latest video on Charlemagne, there are a host of recognizable artistic masterpieces from throughout the ages illustrating his reign. I try to stick with what is known instead of new works.
Perhaps I could do a video on my channel that would be a “making of an ancient history video” episode that showed the current AI examples and what makes for a valuable image for educational and entertainment purposes.
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Comment on How are you dealing with AI generated results in your searches? in ~tech
EarlyWords LinkWhere I’m having a problem is finding appropriate imagery and artwork to use in my ancient history videos. Now that so many of the results are swamped with AI generated visuals, I have to be extra...Where I’m having a problem is finding appropriate imagery and artwork to use in my ancient history videos. Now that so many of the results are swamped with AI generated visuals, I have to be extra careful.
I am extremely tempted to someday use AI artwork. These subjects are so esoteric and literally no imagery exists of, say, Hittite city life or reasonable estimates of how Yamnaya children looked.
But our channel is more focused on academic accuracy and scholarly consensus than most and the technology isn’t quite there yet.…
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Comment on The most mispronounced brand from every country in ~humanities.languages
EarlyWords Link ParentAs a narrator of ancient history videos, are you saying that the proper way to pronounce the people “the Dacians” should also be pronounced this way? I’ve been using Day-see-uns but would welcome...As a narrator of ancient history videos, are you saying that the proper way to pronounce the people “the Dacians” should also be pronounced this way? I’ve been using Day-see-uns but would welcome the correction.
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Comment on ‘My songs spread like herpes’: why did satirical genius Tom Lehrer swap worldwide fame for obscurity? in ~music
EarlyWords LinkTom is one of the only celebrities I’ve gotten to know well. And if you know him, you would see how completely unsuited he is to the modern entertainment industry. An absolutely lovely man with a...- Exemplary
Tom is one of the only celebrities I’ve gotten to know well. And if you know him, you would see how completely unsuited he is to the modern entertainment industry. An absolutely lovely man with a number of consuming passions.
First is his music. He would discredit his old folk comedy pieces as simple and clever little ditties that weren’t worth the fame they had brought. He is also a wonderful math teacher. Then there is his love for the American musical.
We met at UC Santa Cruz in like 1989. He would split his year back then between teaching math at Harvard and musical theater in Santa Cruz. I was one of the young actors on campus and I couldn’t believe it when he called himself my biggest fan.
In a 10 week course we performed eight musicals with scripts in hand, from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas to the big hits of the 70s. He would accompany us on piano, singing along. One of my best performances ever was as the MC in Cabaret with Tom backing me up. A dream come true.
His very favorite story about himself was how he attended summer camp as an eight year old and shared a cabin with Stephen Sondheim, who he considered an absolute titan.
My parents always thought that me going into the performing arts was kind of a waste until they met Tom and gushed like schoolgirls over him and his compliments toward me.
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Comment on Does anyone have experience or advice on cutting sugar consumption? in ~health
EarlyWords LinkI know this mindset doesn’t work for everyone, but I have grown completely sick of how sweet all our food and drinks are supposed to be. The taste of sugar… It’s always the same. Yes, it might be...I know this mindset doesn’t work for everyone, but I have grown completely sick of how sweet all our food and drinks are supposed to be. The taste of sugar… It’s always the same. Yes, it might be blended with chocolate or citrus or a few other things but the sugar always dominates and I just have no appetite for it anymore. I go into a weed dispensary and try to find edibles that have no sugar in them. A real challenge.
If you ever find yourself feeling that sweetness exhaustion, lean into it and use it to distance yourself from our broken food systems.
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Comment on Unpopular opinion: "Show don't tell" isn't always the best strategy in ~books
EarlyWords (edited )Link ParentYou do a great job explaining this position but I'd like to offer an expanded view of writing and reading today that isn't entirely in alignment with what you wrote. I find that there are certain...You do a great job explaining this position but I'd like to offer an expanded view of writing and reading today that isn't entirely in alignment with what you wrote.
I find that there are certain assumptions in your position, which is the position of the vast majority of readers and writer-adjacent people, including the vast majority of writers. The thing is, we have all been trained now with our school's English (or native language) classes and Creative Writing 101 that the best writing is clear and to the point and parsimonious in its use of many of the elements that early writers (pre-20th century) used so much. So we have been trained that verbosity and vague impressionism and Olympian perspectives, among other things, break some hidden rules and lower the quality of the writing itself.
As an experimentalist, I have always found these unspoken rules quite confining. I began as a poet in my teens, and I found the challenges in poetry to take place in this shadow realm of sense impression and ineffable emotion, which often left the reader as mystified as anything else. But that's another assumption that is often made today: that writing must efficiently deliver its end goal like any other commodity or product. But what if it doesn't? Does that make the writing less worthy?
Selling scripts in Hollywood, every producer and development exec and even agent has taken the same classes the rest of us have and "show don't tell" is their mantra. It is an unexamined mantra though, as pervasive as the obsessive need for character backstories for every person who speaks onscreen and a demand to resolve their character arc. But see how formulaic this becomes? How confining? Can we really only share stories that are best suited to showing instead of telling? What about all the stories that can't be told that way? Does that mean they are worthless as cinema?
We all think we're experts about writing. We all like to think we've written our whole lives and read widely and have strong opinions on what makes for good narrative fiction and non-fiction. And it's this meta-relationship that writers now have with readers which is so constricting. Many readers are less willing to accept any of these rules being broken because they "know better" and have been trained to accept Hemingway short story prose as the gold standard, even if it's 90 years old.
Thomas Pynchon spent his whole career examining these rules and defying them in his novels. Other great experimentalists continue to do the same. And I accept that our audience is a small fraction of that which follows all the rules. But these rules have grown into an absolutism about writing itself that attempts to cover all writing, and I have a problem with that. By accepting these rules as a creator, you immediately begin to think how you can best use them--what are the optimal stories that can be told using the modern rulebook? We've seen amazing classics fashioned from these strictures and ultimately this is a "solved" problem in the tradition of mathematics. But the breadth and variety of stories that can be told that show but do not tell is less wide than you think.
There are entire traditions of storytelling that are waiting for this reductionist, commodified idea of writing to fade before they can once again speak strongly to people. I run an ancient history YouTube channel these days and I often adapt writing that's thousands of years old to a modern audience. There is a power in repetition, since so many of these stories had their beginnings as oral lays where repetition was a musical as well as mnemonic device. There can be an inefficient focus on certain elements of the story, such as the protagonist's relationship with their gods, which can often take up half the tale in pious renditions. And it's not a deepening examination of that relationship. It's often hymnal or a chant.
I'm not saying we will turn our backs on "show don't tell" writing anytime in the near future. But I'm also a science fiction writer and I'd be willing to make a bet that in another generation or two this narrow idea of writing will seem as quaint and outmoded as the postwar fascination with Freudian themes.
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Comment on If you had up to US$250 to get one person into a hobby you're interested in, what would you do to get them started? in ~hobbies
EarlyWords Link ParentYes to the glories of state and national park trail systems! There are perhaps 8 to 10 shoe brands of comparable quality for trail runners. It all depends on what fits your particular foot. For...Yes to the glories of state and national park trail systems!
There are perhaps 8 to 10 shoe brands of comparable quality for trail runners. It all depends on what fits your particular foot. For me, it’s been Brooks Cascadia, although their quality is getting worse just like everything else. I actually call them my State Park shoes, because they are perfect on maintained trails.
For off-trail adventures I still prefer my old school heavy as hell Danner mountain light full leather boots. They have a line of trail runners that I keep meaning to try as well. Again, their foot bed just works for me really well.
Glad you liked the poem. I actually wrote it after one of my many injury/recovery cycles. My recoveries always begin again with walking.
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Comment on If you had up to US$250 to get one person into a hobby you're interested in, what would you do to get them started? in ~hobbies
EarlyWords LinkHobby: Hiking $250 is a good budget for a pair of trail runners and socks. Now the only other thing we need is stamina, both mental and physical. Here’s a poem I wrote about that: FIRST START...Hobby: Hiking
$250 is a good budget for a pair of trail runners and socks. Now the only other thing we need is stamina, both mental and physical. Here’s a poem I wrote about that:
FIRST START WALKING
First start walking
As far as you can
Then walk a little more each day
Walk faster & farther
Find hills
Breathe more deeply
Untie all your knots
Make time to walk more
Examine your life
Dream
Start walking everywhere
Explore your neighborhood
Study the land
Learn local history
Discover when the berries ripen
and the flowers bloom
Stand in the rain
Watch the sun sail across the sky
Discover nature’s rhythms
Live in the place where time vanishes
Lose your desire for all material things
Know your place in the universe~repeat~
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Comment on Apple, Netflix Amazon want to change how they pay Hollywood stars in ~movies
EarlyWords LinkHorrible proposal. I would be shocked if this didn’t lead to another entertainment industry strike. These half-baked ideas would not only upend every economic process in Hollywood but it would...Horrible proposal. I would be shocked if this didn’t lead to another entertainment industry strike. These half-baked ideas would not only upend every economic process in Hollywood but it would also make every contract that much more of an obstacle to a practical career in the field.
The bias in this article toward the owners and investors paints a dramatically incomplete picture. “As media companies strive to increase profits…“ No fucking shit. As if studio executives and those who finance them haven’t been trying to make Los Angeles as welcome to workers as a 19th century coal mining town over the years.
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Comment on What does “going with your gut” feel like to you? How did you learn to “trust your gut”? in ~talk
EarlyWords (edited )LinkI used to think I had no intuition of my own. I didn’t disbelieve the concept entirely, I just assumed it was a skill or gift others possessed that I did not. Then a couple decades ago I went to...I used to think I had no intuition of my own. I didn’t disbelieve the concept entirely, I just assumed it was a skill or gift others possessed that I did not.
Then a couple decades ago I went to Japan for a month and climbed mountains. I spent a huge amount of time by myself in a country where I didn’t speak the language and after about three weeks it was like I could hear a voice that I hadn’t been able to hear before.
By following this very faint impulse, I learned to choose one street over another in the dark and that’s how I found the only english-speaking sushi chef on Yakushima. Example after example convinced me that either I had found my quiet intuition or created a filter for myself that somehow allowed me to derive meaning out of chaos.
Since then, I’ve learned that what I had always thought was a kind of contrary irritability and tiredness in me is actually my intuition telling me not to do that thing. It can easily be mistaken for the inertia of habits, laziness, or fear, but once those weaknesses have been accounted for, my intuition has been telling me my whole life what I really should and should not be doing.
It’s like the most pure expression of subjectivity. Many people will just tell you that you are lazy and it hardly ever makes me popular, following these impulses. So listen to them at your peril.
Are the player characters the humanoid beavers or are those NPCs? Either way, you can’t skip past that element so blithely. Beavers, above any and all creatures of the animal kingdom, make changes to their environments. Have beaver-type traps and puzzles, with trees that must be felled and areas that get flooded. Alarms of beaver tails smacking the water.
To speak to the recursive puzzle idea, if this is less a linear dungeon and more an ecological setting modified by the beavers then you can address the puzzle as an ecosystem out of balance, an area of wilderness that needs to be reconstituted or rehabilitated. Beavers are nature’s own forest managers and a puzzle to them would be a setting that needs to be put back in balance.