Laihiriel's recent activity
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Comment on Advice for anger management when dealing with frustrating technology? in ~tech
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Comment on How AI art reduces the world to stereotypes in ~arts
Laihiriel Link ParentI thought it was kind of hilarious how all of the women were “western magazine” hot, except for the one old woman and the one child. Like, all the same kind of proportions and fetishization of...I thought it was kind of hilarious how all of the women were “western magazine” hot, except for the one old woman and the one child. Like, all the same kind of proportions and fetishization of culture, big lips and makeup, very male gaze-y, no fat chicks and uggos. I would say that I was surprised but…
It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. It feels like there’s a much bigger gulf of adoption for AI image generation than LLMs. Professional Illustrators will be hit the hardest, I suspect, until there’s a huge copyright lawsuit.
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Comment on How AI art reduces the world to stereotypes in ~arts
Laihiriel Link ParentBut why don’t they concern you? I’m genuinely curious, not being snarky. Even as a hobbyist you’re still exposing yourself to visual representations that reinforce stereotypes and biases. AI can...But why don’t they concern you? I’m genuinely curious, not being snarky. Even as a hobbyist you’re still exposing yourself to visual representations that reinforce stereotypes and biases. AI can only regurgitate what others have done, so even if you’re inventing fantastical aliens or dragons or whatever, it’s just going to go down the tropes of what others before you have deemed “this is a space alien” or “this is a dragon.” Someone who is not you is telling the ai what those visual representations mean. Its predicated on the definitions of others, which means it’s hampered by the biases of others.
I think it’s a way to cheapen the very salient points of data biases to say “but I’m just doing it for fun”. That same type of argument has been used to shut down discussion and critique before when women were pointing out biases and flaws in video games.
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Comment on The Spy x Family season 2 opening is infectiously bubbly and beautiful in ~anime
Laihiriel Link ParentI 100% prefer Loid’s English va to the Japanese one, the dub really is great!I 100% prefer Loid’s English va to the Japanese one, the dub really is great!
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Comment on The Spy x Family season 2 opening is infectiously bubbly and beautiful in ~anime
Laihiriel Link ParentI love Yuri every time he’s not next to, dealing with, or thinking about Yor. It’s so gross and creepy, but I have noticed it’s been a rising trope in a lot of josei comics. I got nothin’ on the...I love Yuri every time he’s not next to, dealing with, or thinking about Yor. It’s so gross and creepy, but I have noticed it’s been a rising trope in a lot of josei comics. I got nothin’ on the why there, because ew.
For what it’s worth, Loid, Fiona, and Yuri did have a spectacular prolonged game of cat and mouse in the latest chapters of the manga.
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Comment on The Spy x Family season 2 opening is infectiously bubbly and beautiful in ~anime
Laihiriel Link ParentI love it, love the manga too. It’s the right blend of silly and style and heart, it’s got great great themes of found family, justice and morality, Anya is charming instead of annoying the way...I love it, love the manga too. It’s the right blend of silly and style and heart, it’s got great great themes of found family, justice and morality, Anya is charming instead of annoying the way 90% of anime kids are.
Yuri is a bit much, but Loid makes up for it by being one of the best anime dads since Maes Hughes, even if he’s doing it accidentally.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Laihiriel LinkPIKMIN 4!!! It has absolutely taken over my life. I have no idea who the intended audience for it is, aside from like… me. I like weird, quirky games, and boy does Pikmin fit the bill. It’s a game...PIKMIN 4!!! It has absolutely taken over my life. I have no idea who the intended audience for it is, aside from like… me. I like weird, quirky games, and boy does Pikmin fit the bill. It’s a game where you are a tiny alien explorer sent to rescue other tiny alien explorers who have crashed on Earth. You do this by managing an army of even tinier plant people and your tiny two-legged dog. It’s part RPG, part puzzle, part resource and time management, part horror (but really really cute horror.) I’m obsessed with it, and there’s additional levels to explore unlocked after you beat the main story. The first hour really eases you into the gameplay, and the load times are irritating, but I love it all the same. Play this game, it’s so weird and delightful.
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Comment on Meaningful family games or activities for gatherings? in ~life
Laihiriel LinkMy large family has enjoyed Masquerade and One Night Ultimate Werewolf as fast, easy party games with a social mechanic. Both of them involve deception/lying which in a big group can be a heck of...My large family has enjoyed Masquerade and One Night Ultimate Werewolf as fast, easy party games with a social mechanic. Both of them involve deception/lying which in a big group can be a heck of a lot of fun. Another game that everyone has really enjoyed is a very simple, up to 4 player cooperative building game called Team Up. It’s like playing Tetris, except with a limited number of pieces and in 3D. Great for spatial awareness and everyone has to work together to build the tallest pallet possible. Very easy to pick up, very hard to master.
You could also get a really big puzzle, like one of those 2000 piece ones. People can wander in and out of puzzle assembly as they like, it’s a great focal point and a good ongoing activity, and conversation gets started just by asking “oh, do you have one that looks like this?”
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Comment on Elon Musk sued for defamation of recent college graduate by attorney who won $49 million from Alex Jones over Sandy Hook lies in ~tech
Laihiriel Link ParentMark Bankston is the lawyer who had a “Perry Mason” moment during the Sandy Hook defamation case in Texas when opposing counsel accidentally handed him ALL of Jones’ phone records. I’ve been...Mark Bankston is the lawyer who had a “Perry Mason” moment during the Sandy Hook defamation case in Texas when opposing counsel accidentally handed him ALL of Jones’ phone records. I’ve been following his career after I was introduced to him on a podcast about analyzing and debunking Alex Jones called Knowledge Fight. The podcasters did deep dive analysis on the depositions from Jones’ Texas and Connecticut cases, and interviewed Bankston and his co-counsel for the case.
Bankston seems uniquely primed to take on this kind of defamation case. I’ll be watching this one closely. It could have a huge impact on modern day defamation, slander, and hopefully root out some of the worst part of online extremist spaces.
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Comment on How do you get "back on track"? Could use advice. in ~health.mental
Laihiriel LinkThe biggest thing for me is having what my therapist likes to call “a lot of tools in the toolbox”. Targeting the real reason I’m disinterested in something means more successful strategies to...The biggest thing for me is having what my therapist likes to call “a lot of tools in the toolbox”. Targeting the real reason I’m disinterested in something means more successful strategies to navigate. Something that works really well for a while can wane in efficacy, so I try something else out. Dani Donovan’s Anti Planner has been a godsend in that way; as an ADHD artist and designer she wrote it specifically for ADHD people. Pomodoro timer working? Great, I’ll use it until it doesn’t. If it’s not working I’ll flip through the book to see what else I can be doing instead. I HIGHLY recommend, even if it’s kinda pricey.
Another thing I do is a “good enough” job. Meaning, the dishes don’t have to be perfectly done, they just have to be put in the dishwasher. I don’t have to put away ALL of the groceries, just the stuff for the fridge/freezer. I didn’t put my clothes away, but they’re washed. I won’t clean the bathroom, I’ll just wipe out the sink. Usually doing a small part of a task is enough to break the hurdle of inertia and get me farther than my intended goal: just the sink turns into just the sink and the toilet turns into just the sink and the toilet and the tub, then the bathroom is clean. Putting the spoons away from the dishwasher turns into emptying the dishwasher.
It’s not a perfect system, and sometimes I offload the task to outside help. I reach out to friends and family, ask them to FaceTime while I do dishes or something, or set challenges for myself. The goal is not perfection, it’s working with yourself to move through life.
I will say the sleep disregulation is probably playing a bigger part on you than you think. I notice my adhd is worse on days I’m tired: I need a second dose of afternoon meds those days, or I need to be more strict with myself on daydreaming/time wasting. I’d say to try and get your sleep back on a schedule. Even if you can’t fall asleep i recommend listening to podcasts (Sleep With Me is fantastic for getting me to doze back off) rather than getting up and reading or scrolling on your phone. Meditating is also fantastic for me to settle myself and calm my mind.
Best of luck, buddy. You’re not alone and it’s not hopeless.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
Laihiriel LinkNot as many as I should be, but I have been slowly getting back into watercolors. It’s more of an exercise than anything else, but it reconnects me back to my proper art roots and gives me...Not as many as I should be, but I have been slowly getting back into watercolors. It’s more of an exercise than anything else, but it reconnects me back to my proper art roots and gives me something fun to do instead of just watching tv. I think I forget that my creative juices don’t need to get entirely used up by work, and that doing things for myself can even boost the work burnout.
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Comment on Would folks here be interested in an album of the week/album listening club? in ~music
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Comment on Introducing my dad to video games in ~games
Laihiriel Link ParentWhy not get a switch instead? There are a lot of games that are more newbie friendly, and you can play party games with him in person, too. Plus the controllers aren’t as intimidating. I got my...Why not get a switch instead? There are a lot of games that are more newbie friendly, and you can play party games with him in person, too. Plus the controllers aren’t as intimidating. I got my dad to play Hades on it, and even though he got quite annoyed about how much he died, the story kept him engaged.
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Comment on How to pick up reading again? in ~books
Laihiriel LinkThis is going to sound very silly but: try fanfiction. I’m serious! There are a lot of incredible amateur writers putting out some fantastic stuff in the fanfic spaces. Reading fanfic about...This is going to sound very silly but: try fanfiction. I’m serious! There are a lot of incredible amateur writers putting out some fantastic stuff in the fanfic spaces. Reading fanfic about characters you care about from other media will take the pressure of “learning about a new world/new characters/setting/premise”. It feels disposable so if you don’t like something, you just hit the back button.
The other option is to try something like comics. There’s something about the visual element of a webcomic that makes it feel like less of a chore for me. I still get the rush of exploring something new. I personally binge on romance isekai webcomics because they’re predictable and silly and sometimes quite poignant. A lot of those plots revolve around someone being reborn into a novel they’ve been reading and how they navigate those worlds, so that may resonate a lot for you right now!
Granted, with both of these options you will wade through a sea of garbage (like, a SEA), but finding the gold makes the trash worth it. And sometimes the trash is just fun.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
Laihiriel Link ParentI don’t know about c25k since there looks like there’s a million of them now, but the none-to-run plan is a little more forgiving for beginners. I liked it when I did it:...I don’t know about c25k since there looks like there’s a million of them now, but the none-to-run plan is a little more forgiving for beginners. I liked it when I did it:
https://nonetorun.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/None+to+Run+Plan+(July+2019).pdf
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Comment on The Silicon Valley elite who want to build a city from scratch in ~design
Laihiriel Link ParentChicago’s Pullman neighborhood was famous for this! It was built as a company town by a railroad car magnate in the 1880s, complete with public transit and sewer structures. The architecture is...Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood was famous for this! It was built as a company town by a railroad car magnate in the 1880s, complete with public transit and sewer structures. The architecture is really remarkable, since it served the needs of the most entry level workers to the big managers.
Local historian/public TV superstar Geoffrey Baer has a bit about it in this video, starting at 18:15: https://youtu.be/jOsv7i4IRck?feature=shared
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Comment on New Jersey court sides with Catholic school that fired unmarried pregnant teacher in ~life
Laihiriel Link ParentHey at least we don’t have massive disruption and unrest in our public school sector, right?!Hey at least we don’t have massive disruption and unrest in our public school sector, right?!
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Comment on US 5th Circuit Court of Appeal rejects challenge to Mifeprestone abortion pill’s approval, but upholds some restrictions in ~life.women
Laihiriel Link ParentHoly wow, that’s incredibly informative and sobering. Thanks for sharing—I hadn’t seen that and while I won’t say I’m glad, it’s important to read regardless.Holy wow, that’s incredibly informative and sobering. Thanks for sharing—I hadn’t seen that and while I won’t say I’m glad, it’s important to read regardless.
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Comment on US 5th Circuit Court of Appeal rejects challenge to Mifeprestone abortion pill’s approval, but upholds some restrictions in ~life.women
Laihiriel Link ParentIt’s only too late when you’re in the ground!! I agree 100%, but I also want to acknowledge my anxieties, you know? Pretending they don’t exist will only sap energy away from the war.It’s only too late when you’re in the ground!! I agree 100%, but I also want to acknowledge my anxieties, you know? Pretending they don’t exist will only sap energy away from the war.
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Comment on US 5th Circuit Court of Appeal rejects challenge to Mifeprestone abortion pill’s approval, but upholds some restrictions in ~life.women
Laihiriel Link ParentWith all due respect, I feel like thats a very simplistic way of looking at what’s happening. We are in a democracy now, yes, but it’s more than that. If we didn’t have a case being brought before...With all due respect, I feel like thats a very simplistic way of looking at what’s happening. We are in a democracy now, yes, but it’s more than that. If we didn’t have a case being brought before our radicalized courts going after a regulatory agency for a drug that has been on the market for 20 years, I would agree that voting and convincing people could fix it. But I think it is a bigger issue than simply “voting”. We live in an era of hyperfast information ecosystems, active disinformation campaigns from adversarial governments, a broken healthcare system, weakening voting rights, a disappearing middle class, and corporate monopolies in all but name determining how and what we access.
I’m not saying it’s impossible, not at all, but I am saying we can no longer rely on “we’ll just vote!” as a panacea to solve this issue.
Perhaps I’m a bit late to the party but I wanted to sympathize with you. I’m a graphic designer and one of my previous roles was a designer for a litigation consultant company. My job is not tech, nor IT, nor anything adjacent, but I was bound and trapped by an uncaring and unsympathetic system with archaic setups that I would need to solve on the fly. I completely understand how insanely frustrating it is to be forced to resolve things that should work and just… don’t, because a cloud passed over the shadow of Saturn while a spider farted outside of a courtroom or whatever. I had to control and manage things I had no control over, and the pressure and anger one may feel when thrust into that role with no good/easy/rapid solution is real. I see you, I understand.
My solution to that overwhelming frustration/anger is simple: 1 min break from the computer. 99 out of 100 times, you can afford to do so. I like going to a window, looking out at nature, standing tall, stretching, or even just doodling on paper instead of looking at a glowing box. The break can shut off the anger/frustration spiral and when I am ready I can try to resolve and move on. Sometimes doodling on the margin of a sheet of paper caused me to think about the problem differently: maybe it’s a file size issue instead of an image issue, that’s why it’s not working, etc etc. It’s about breaking the cycle.
If, say, it was an instance where a bad cable set-up caused a display to drop during my side’s arguments and I couldn’t get them back up, I would just count to 5 internally and remind myself that feeling angry can come later, finding a solution was the priority. Giving myself permission to have that moment of “this sucks, this isn’t fair” would usually be enough to get me to put emotions to the side and be able to troubleshoot.
The other thing that I realized is that sometimes things that SHOULD just work sometimes broke. All I could do was tell myself that I did the best I could with what I had for my clients and their cases, and that was enough for me to hold my head high.
I dunno, I’m rambling a bit, but I wanted to chime in to let you know that is is hugely frustrating when you are under implacable deadlines for something to go wrong with tech that should just function. You’re 100% not alone and you absolutely shouldn’t need a comp sci degree to be able to do something as simple as “add a picture.”