Eric_the_Cerise's recent activity
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Comment on Views on over-posting? in ~tildes
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Comment on EU countries must mutually recognise same-sex marriages, European Court of Justice rules in ~lgbt
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentWho, Tusk? He's good, we like him.Who, Tusk? He's good, we like him.
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Comment on Peter Watts on Margaret Atwood and the hierarchy of contempt (2003) in ~books
Eric_the_Cerise LinkFor the past few weeks, I've actually been contemplating a closely-related question on my own. And that is, if a story is set in the future (of something akin to the Real World -- ie, not...For the past few weeks, I've actually been contemplating a closely-related question on my own. And that is, if a story is set in the future (of something akin to the Real World -- ie, not obviously Fantasy), does that automatically mean it is sci-fi? I'm still pondering it, though I'm leaning towards 'no'.
So, I had to look this guy up, Peter Watts, to see if I should actually care about his opinion ... I guess I should; he's got credentials.
I'm inclined to believe that there is some fuzzy line between speculative fiction and "real" sci-fi ... and I would also agree that Atwood is way over at one end of that fuzzy line. Much of her work that she wants to call speculative, I--and most people--would call sci-fi.
So, nutshell ... the guy has a point.
But also, to paraphrase, "methinks the sci-fi guy doth protest too much" ... rather like he's trying really hard to justify and validate his own chosen genre. At the very least, his diatribe here irritates me a lot more than Atwood's over-broad labeling of speculative fiction.
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Comment on Google must double AI serving capacity every six months to meet demand in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise LinkThere is, potentially, a big difference between "Google must do XYZ" and "Google Leadership tells its employees that it must do XYZ". The headline proclaims the first one, but the article clearly...There is, potentially, a big difference between "Google must do XYZ" and "Google Leadership tells its employees that it must do XYZ". The headline proclaims the first one, but the article clearly shows it is the latter.
A bit of a nitpick, but I still think it's relevant.
Others have already remarked upon "how much of this 'demand' is self-inflicted". I would add to that discussion, "how much of it is self-fulfilling/wishful thinking"?
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Comment on US President Donald Trump calls Democrat video to troops 'seditious behaviour, punishable by death' in ~society
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentI'm sure it has nothing to do with a 5-billion-dollar lawsuit...I'm sure it has nothing to do with a 5-billion-dollar lawsuit...
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Comment on Blue Origin reveals a super-heavy variant of its New Glenn rocket that is taller than a Saturn V in ~space
Eric_the_Cerise Link Parent70 tons to LEO is very respectable; as things stand currently, it would be second only to the SLS. But also important is New Glenn's crazy large payload fairings. The current "7x2" version has 7m...70 tons to LEO is very respectable; as things stand currently, it would be second only to the SLS.
But also important is New Glenn's crazy large payload fairings. The current "7x2" version has 7m diameter fairings, which--I believe--are already the largest in the industry, and the "9x4" version is slated to use 8.7m fairings. That's hard to compare directly to Starship, since that (probably?) will use bay doors instead of fairings ... but Starship is 9m diameter, so payload capacity should be comparable, maybe even a bit better for NG, given that fairings tend to allow for larger (or at least, easier) payload deployment.
But most important is, all of this is still just vaporware. Designs for both systems keeps changing, and ultimately, all that really counts is what either can actually get off a launchpad.
Oh, here's another article that talks a bit more about the NG specifications.
Addendum: 70 tons to LEO would only be half of the Saturn V's capacity (which could put 140 ton into LEO) ... but again, it's still very respectable, and yeah, easily enough put a lander on the Moon.
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So, NPR fixed their RSS ... it seems to work globally again
This is really just a follow-up update to my old post, Did NPR just shut down support for RSS?, but that post is a week old and I wanted to make sure this update gets eyes on it. I heard back from...
This is really just a follow-up update to my old post, Did NPR just shut down support for RSS?, but that post is a week old and I wanted to make sure this update gets eyes on it.
I heard back from NPR this morning, and they indicated that this was not a policy decision, but an issue that they have now fixed. NPR RSS links once again work outside of the US/Canada.
Passingly curious how this kind of thing happens accidentally ... any informed guesses? My best guess is that they intentionally geoblocked something else, and it accidentally got extended to the RSS.
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Comment on A rare GM EV1 saved from the crusher is going to be driveable again in ~transport
Eric_the_Cerise LinkI'm still bitter about this. I still won't buy a GM, 20+ years after I learned about the fate of the EV1 (long predating the documentary...).I'm still bitter about this. I still won't buy a GM, 20+ years after I learned about the fate of the EV1 (long predating the documentary...).
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A rare GM EV1 saved from the crusher is going to be driveable again
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Comment on AGI and Fermi's Paradox in ~science
Eric_the_Cerise LinkI see many issues with this sequence, but just to start with ... Step 1 is not certain (our current model of the Universe is still pretty dicey, and it seems to change pretty much every time we...I see many issues with this sequence, but just to start with ...
Step 1 is not certain (our current model of the Universe is still pretty dicey, and it seems to change pretty much every time we launch a new telescope), and
Step 2 is incorrect (per the link provided, all land-based mammal life might be wiped out ... but that just makes room for the evolution of advanced intelligence in a wide variety of other categories of life on Earth).
and, etc.
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Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentSee, I was picturing American police dogs ... "Okay, Fred, you bite his throat while I disembowel him".See, I was picturing American police dogs ... "Okay, Fred, you bite his throat while I disembowel him".
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Comment on Blue Origin sticks first New Glenn rocket landing and launches NASA spacecraft in ~space
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentShout out to Rocket Lab, the New Zealand startup that built the Mars satellites launched on this mission ... and that has the most original-looking new "partially reusable" medium-lift rocket (the...Shout out to Rocket Lab, the New Zealand startup that built the Mars satellites launched on this mission ... and that has the most original-looking new "partially reusable" medium-lift rocket (the Neutron ) launch coming up in a few months
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Comment on Blue Origin sticks first New Glenn rocket landing and launches NASA spacecraft in ~space
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentBoth. I have many (I think, valid) arguments in favor of space exploration. We first learned about Climate Change thanks to studying Mars. The "Blue Marble" and "Earthrise" photos did more for...Just because it would be cool, or do you think it would be useful?
Both.
I have many (I think, valid) arguments in favor of space exploration. We first learned about Climate Change thanks to studying Mars. The "Blue Marble" and "Earthrise" photos did more for environmental preservation than 40 years of IPCC reports.
But ultimately, I'm a child of the Apollo program, and that giant spinning space station in 2001, and I want that future we were promised.
And yeah, Isaacman may actually turn out to be a decent NASA Admin, but he's also a TechBro buddy of Musk's, and so, if he does get the job (which is pretty much a foregone conclusion, considering all the backbone we've seen out of Congressional Republicans of late), then yeah, SpaceX will be getting a lot of business that might be better served elsewhere.
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Comment on Blue Origin sticks first New Glenn rocket landing and launches NASA spacecraft in ~space
Eric_the_Cerise LinkAssorted rambling pro-v-con space exploration thoughts. I hate being in the position of rooting for "Billionaire X over Billionaire Y". That said, I feel like Musk is now well into the "actually...Assorted rambling pro-v-con space exploration thoughts.
I hate being in the position of rooting for "Billionaire X over Billionaire Y". That said, I feel like Musk is now well into the "actually clinically insane" category, while Bezos remains "generic evil billionaire" material, and so I guess that means I'm pro-Bezos.
Seeing humans establish a permanent lunar base/colony remains a high priority for me. Up until a year ago, I was also still solidly in the "US over China" camp. These days ... I just don't know any more. Trump building a lunar base would be quickly followed by the US aggressively militarizing the Moon. Would China do the same? IDK, probably.
Shrug. Sigh. I still want to see humans living in space.
All of which is to say, I hope Blue Origin gets the contract to land people on the Moon, and I think, given a legitimate opportunity to try, they would get people there faster (and frankly, probably safer) than SpaceX. However, with Trump's recent re-appointment of Isaacman to NASA Administrator, the near-future is probably going to be all-SpaceX all-the-time.
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Comment on Did NPR just shut down support for RSS? in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentOooh ... I bet that's the issue. I'm using the RSS plug-in on my self-hosted Nextcloud server ... but that server is located in Amsterdam. Presumably, the RSS reader uses that IP address--rather...Oooh ... I bet that's the issue. I'm using the RSS plug-in on my self-hosted Nextcloud server ... but that server is located in Amsterdam. Presumably, the RSS reader uses that IP address--rather than my local VPN-spoofed IP.
Clearly, time to bring my self-hosting services in-house.
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Comment on Did NPR just shut down support for RSS? in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentVPN changes--but does not fix--the results. See my updated original post.VPN changes--but does not fix--the results. See my updated original post.
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Comment on Did NPR just shut down support for RSS? in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise Link Parent"403 Forbidden" -- see my updated original post."403 Forbidden" -- see my updated original post.
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Comment on Did NPR just shut down support for RSS? in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise (edited )Link20251120 UPDATE: I heard back from NPR, and they confirmed that this was not a policy decision, but an "issue" that they have now fixed. NPR RSS links once again work outside of the US. Passingly...20251120 UPDATE: I heard back from NPR, and they confirmed that this was not a policy decision, but an "issue" that they have now fixed. NPR RSS links once again work outside of the US.
Passingly curious how this kind of thing happens accidentally ... any informed guesses? My best guess is that they intentionally geoblocked something, and it accidentally got extended to the RSS.
That's supposed to be the RSS feed for their world news. As of yesterday, it--and all other NPR RSS feeds that I can find--return the same result.
No public announcement or anything else that I can find.
Does anyone else follow NPR thru RSS? Seeing the same issue? Any workaround?
Danke, y gracias.
Edit to add:
Visiting that URL directly (from Germany) returns "message: forbidden".
Trying to subscribe to it (or any NPR RSS feed) returns:
Client error:
GET https://feeds.npr.org/1004/rss.xmlresulted in a403 Forbiddenresponse: {"message":"Forbidden"}After I turn on VPN to a Chicago-based IP, visiting that URL directly seems to work -- I can see the full RSS article-list that I would expect ... However, trying to subscribe to the RSS feed still returns the "cannot subscribe: 403 Forbidden" error.
Tested in multiple browsers, on multiple machines. ProtonVPN.
Further testing ... visiting the URL directly ... this works from US and Canadian IPs, but not from Mexican, German, Dutch IPs (and, I assume, the rest of the World).
Actually subscribing to the RSS feed fails, no matter what IP address, or protocol, I choose thru my VPN.
Suggestions?
UPDATE: So, I just emailed NPR, asking if this was a temporary or permanent change, policy decision, etc ... and further, if it is a policy decision, asking them to reconsider geoblocking.
Not sure it matters, but I was a Wisconsin resident and for many years, a paid supporter/subscriber to WPR, so perhaps that will count for something.
I will update again, if I get a reply.
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Did NPR just shut down support for RSS?
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Comment on Around the world in 80 days ... sustainably in ~talk
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentReally only 20 kph ... of course, you'd also have to swim that fast for a portion of the trip.Really only 20 kph ... of course, you'd also have to swim that fast for a portion of the trip.
Moar Space please!
I read a lot of space exploration and rocket tech articles ... I should be sharing more of it here, as well.
Just at a glance, I see we had 6 space articles in the entire month of November (to date). That seems (to me, at least) extremely low. I would like to be an average of at least one-a-day.