Tlon_Uqbar's recent activity
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Comment on Which challenging book was worth the effort for you? in ~books
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Comment on I'm tired of dismissive anti-AI bias in ~tech
Tlon_Uqbar LinkThe author doesn't really engage with any of the criticisms. He just handwaves them away and says something to effect of 'it'll get better.' For someone arguing against 'dismissiveness,' he...The author doesn't really engage with any of the criticisms. He just handwaves them away and says something to effect of 'it'll get better.' For someone arguing against 'dismissiveness,' he certainly is acting rather... dismissive.
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Comment on Which challenging book was worth the effort for you? in ~books
Tlon_Uqbar LinkThe Recognitions by William Gaddis. An absolute beast of a book, but right up my alley. It's quite long (~400,000 words); features Joycean-style dialog (never references who's speaking); highly...The Recognitions by William Gaddis. An absolute beast of a book, but right up my alley. It's quite long (~400,000 words); features Joycean-style dialog (never references who's speaking); highly allusive to all kinds of arcana and esoterica as well as a good chunk of the Western Canon; and about a quarter of the way through it stops referencing characters by name altogether, you have to use context and other clues to figure it out. Gaddis's style is just difficult with his complex, dense syntax.
But it's just an incredible piece of literature, and it keeps getting more and more relevant in this day and age. It's a book about duplicity in all its forms: forgery, false identity, plagiarism, counterfeiting, good old fashioned lying. It's a retelling of Faust featuring an art forger as the protagonist. It's also a loving parody of the late 40s-early 50s bohemian scene in Greenwich Village. There's a lot: characters and plot lines weaving through each other. All about the nature of truth: how we create it, and how it breaks down. -
Comment on Which challenging book was worth the effort for you? in ~books
Tlon_Uqbar (edited )Link ParentMervyn Peake is great. I've only read Titus Groan so far. And yeah, his style is very idiosyncratic. I love the world he weaves, though. So unique and rich. I was thinking about picking up...Mervyn Peake is great. I've only read Titus Groan so far. And yeah, his style is very idiosyncratic. I love the world he weaves, though. So unique and rich. I was thinking about picking up Gormenghast soon.
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Comment on Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 – 4.2.2025 in ~games
Tlon_Uqbar LinkMario Kart World MSRP is $80 (Scroll to the bottom) And apparently its €80/€90 digital/physical in Europe. $80 games don't really get me hyped. I'll be waiting at least a year to see what...Mario Kart World MSRP is $80 (Scroll to the bottom)
And apparently its €80/€90 digital/physical in Europe. $80 games don't really get me hyped.I'll be waiting at least a year to see what exclusives the Switch 2 gets. Backwards compatibility does make it appealing to me. I have a gen 1 Switch, so I'll probably play around with hacking it once (if) I get the 2.
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Comment on The hardest working font in Manhattan in ~design
Tlon_Uqbar LinkI have my grandfather's old K&E Leroy set. It's fun to use, but it can be a little finicky to get right. My grandfather was a professor, so I'm not really sure what he used it for. I think maybe...I have my grandfather's old K&E Leroy set. It's fun to use, but it can be a little finicky to get right. My grandfather was a professor, so I'm not really sure what he used it for. I think maybe for manuscripts in places where the typewriter wasn't ideal?
I'm fascinated by pre-digital solutions like the pantograph and Leroy mentioned here. They're typically so tactile and intuitive. Computers are obviously ingenious, but they work as black boxes: they don't willingly give up their secrets. Analog tools are so much more sensory: you can see, feel and hear how they work. I just find that immensely satisfying. -
Comment on What books are best read with zero advance knowledge? in ~books
Tlon_Uqbar Link ParentIn the preface Dostoevsky calls it something like 2 novels stitched together. He does ask a lot of readers to get through all the set up. But once the actual, well, murder happens, it starts...In the preface Dostoevsky calls it something like 2 novels stitched together. He does ask a lot of readers to get through all the set up. But once the actual, well, murder happens, it starts snowballing really quick.
Actually found the preface here. I'll let big D speak for himself:
The additional difficulty is that, although I have only one life story to tell, there are really two novels here. The main novel is the second one, which describes the life of my hero in our time, at this very moment.
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Comment on What books are best read with zero advance knowledge? in ~books
Tlon_Uqbar Link ParentIt's so worth it. It was sitting on my bookshelf for ~10 years before I actually decided to read it, but it instantly became one of my favorite books ever. Starts out slow with a lot of necessary...It's so worth it. It was sitting on my bookshelf for ~10 years before I actually decided to read it, but it instantly became one of my favorite books ever. Starts out slow with a lot of necessary set up, but the back half moves really quick when you start getting into the meat of the mystery. IDK what translation (assuming here) you read in high school, but the Pevear/Volokhonsky translations of Dostoevsky are very modern and readable.
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Comment on What books are best read with zero advance knowledge? in ~books
Tlon_Uqbar LinkThe Brothers Karamazov. At its core, it's a murder mystery. Who you think "dun it" maps to the questions of faith, knowledge and goodness that are brought up throughout the book. Knowing the...The Brothers Karamazov. At its core, it's a murder mystery. Who you think "dun it" maps to the questions of faith, knowledge and goodness that are brought up throughout the book. Knowing the answers spoils the philosophical themes, imo.
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Comment on I hate the new internet. I hate the new tech world. I hate it all. I want out, and I can't be the only one. in ~tech
Tlon_Uqbar Link ParentYep, widespread internet adoption is one inflection point on a long trend of mass media propaganda. I'm thinking, pamphleteering—as you said, the yellow journalism of ~100 years ago, radio and...Yep, widespread internet adoption is one inflection point on a long trend of mass media propaganda. I'm thinking, pamphleteering—as you said, the yellow journalism of ~100 years ago, radio and television propaganda, etc. The Internet isn't the root cause, but rather a powerful accelerant.
On aggregate, our easily manipulated ape brains really aren't good at handing mass media.
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Comment on I hate the new internet. I hate the new tech world. I hate it all. I want out, and I can't be the only one. in ~tech
Tlon_Uqbar LinkHere's my take: the World Wide Web was designed by a relatively privileged group of academics, and therefore by design lacks the guardrails against abuse that are needed with the more or less...Here's my take: the World Wide Web was designed by a relatively privileged group of academics, and therefore by design lacks the guardrails against abuse that are needed with the more or less global scale that it operates on today. The Marketplace of Ideas works best when everyone involved agrees on the ground rules, either tacit or stated. Nowadays, "the Internet" can be used as a dis-/misinformation weapon of mass destruction by any bad actor with almost zero barrier to entry. That could be a corporation maximizing profit; it could be scammers scamming (where you draw the line between the two is up to you); could be state-sponsored psy-ops or election interfering; could just be assholes in it for the lulz; etc. The best ideas/information are not winning out, at all, by a long shot. Speaks volumes on human nature, but here we are.
That's not to say that there aren't good things out there online. The connectivity has absolutely helped marginalized communities and people who just don't feel like they fit in for whatever reason. It's not going anywhere. We might as well use it the best we can.
I'm making a conscious effort to spend less time online. As others have said here, I'm working to use my online time as a means rather than an end. Internet as tool rather than Internet as "place." Spend more time doing literally anything that's not in front of a screen.
A lot of my problems are just with so-called "late-stage Capitalism," honestly. And I'm also making moves to disentangle my livelihood from corporate America as much as possible. I don't think I can grind it out for however many more years. It'll take likely years and a lot of work to reorient my life, but I believe that (semi-)independence is the path for me to make peace.
(Guess I used this space to rant a little. Thanks for reading my random thoughts.)
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Comment on US Supreme Court unanimously backs law banning TikTok if it’s not sold by its Chinese parent company in ~tech
Tlon_Uqbar Link ParentHere's a Harvard Law Review article going over the history of national security vs. constitutionality with examples: link. I am not a lawyer or constitutional scholar. For the record my use of...Here's a Harvard Law Review article going over the history of national security vs. constitutionality with examples: link.
I am not a lawyer or constitutional scholar. For the record my use of "unconstitutional bullshit" represents my opinion.
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Comment on US Supreme Court unanimously backs law banning TikTok if it’s not sold by its Chinese parent company in ~tech
Tlon_Uqbar Link ParentI don’t necessarily believe that the TikTok ban was unjustified. Rather, justified or not, it was always going to be upheld because of the explicit national security justification. Tangentially, I...I don’t necessarily believe that the TikTok ban was unjustified. Rather, justified or not, it was always going to be upheld because of the explicit national security justification. Tangentially, I think there should be discussion about the judiciary’s essentially carte blanche approval of laws on this ground. No fan of TikTok myself.
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Comment on US Supreme Court unanimously backs law banning TikTok if it’s not sold by its Chinese parent company in ~tech
Tlon_Uqbar Link Parent"National security" is a magic phrase that Congress and the executive branch can use to get the judiciary to accept whatever unconstitutional bullshit they want to do. Decades of precedent of the..."National security" is a magic phrase that Congress and the executive branch can use to get the judiciary to accept whatever unconstitutional bullshit they want to do. Decades of precedent of the courts allowing basically anything with "national security" as justification.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
Tlon_Uqbar Link ParentOh yeah thanks! Lego jazz band set, a fun buildOh yeah thanks! Lego jazz band set, a fun build
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
Tlon_Uqbar LinkHere's what I've got going: image I'm pretty happy with what I've been able to put together in a space-constrained apartment. Definitely not a minimalist setup, and perhaps too messy for some. But...Here's what I've got going: image
I'm pretty happy with what I've been able to put together in a space-constrained apartment. Definitely not a minimalist setup, and perhaps too messy for some. But the clutter helps me work, IDK. Here's the gear:
- 16'' MBP (M2 version whatever year that was)
- 25'' BenQ QHD (1440) monitor (very happy with this, and I would definitely recommend BenQ monitors as great value)
- Ploopy Adept Trackball (Got on the trackball train a few years ago and haven't looked back. Much easier on the wrist than a mouse for me)
- There's a DOIO "Megalodon" macropad hiding in there (Use it a lot for editing and After Effects)
- Audio Technica AT-LP120 turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
- Pro-Ject Audio MaiA integrated amp + Pro-Ject Audio Speaker Box bookshelf speakers
- Aiaiai wired+wireless monitors (headphones)
- Aiwa Mini System L80 tape deck (early '80s vintage, took forever to find a decent tape deck that would fit in that space)
- Can't see it, but there's a Anker GaN power supply for things on the desk. Very happy with that also.
- A bunch of harddrives, SSDs and cables to connect everything together.
- EDIT: Oh yeah, and a Branch Furniture desk chair, also recommended as great value
Since you made it this far, here's a bonus cat pic
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Comment on A manifesto against for-profit US health insurance companies — by Michael Moore in ~society
Tlon_Uqbar LinkHere’s a sad statistic for you: In the United States, we have a whopping 1.4 million people employed with the job of DENYING HEALTH CARE, vs only 1 million doctors in the entire country! That’s all you need to know about America. We pay more people to deny care than to give it.
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A manifesto against for-profit US health insurance companies — by Michael Moore
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Comment on Californian police can’t stop sideshows. Solution: Make the streets more annoying. in ~transport
Tlon_Uqbar Link ParentWould that be the appropriate response? All for what? Some reckless driving citations. Car chases are dangerous with a lot of potential for collateral damage. Probably not the best idea either....Would that be the appropriate response? All for what? Some reckless driving citations. Car chases are dangerous with a lot of potential for collateral damage. Probably not the best idea either.
The police trying nothing and then throwing up their hands saying they don't know what to do sounds very typical to me. But these infrastructure-based responses make a lot of sense to me. Deter people from doing it in the first place so that the police don't need to get involved at all.
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Comment on Californian police can’t stop sideshows. Solution: Make the streets more annoying. in ~transport
Tlon_Uqbar Link ParentTaking over a public street is part of the appeal, I imagine. It's an assertion of power. Not only are they showing off, they're doing it right in the middle of everything. And they leave their...Taking over a public street is part of the appeal, I imagine. It's an assertion of power. Not only are they showing off, they're doing it right in the middle of everything. And they leave their marks for everyone to see afterwards. I bet it's a bigger rush than doing the same in a dark, out of the way parking lot.
I feel for the people who have to deal with these, though. It's super obnoxious behavior.
Not hogwash, lol. I think you're pretty spot on. In the end it's not all that hard to figure out who's who. But forcing the reader to figure it out themself definitely fits right in in a book about truth-making.