Akir's recent activity
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Comment on The rise of Whatever in ~tech
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Comment on The rise of Whatever in ~tech
Akir Link ParentIt’s not that AI can’t do it if anyone on the internet hasn’t already done it, it’s that AI can’t do it if it’s not mega-popular enough to have statistical models about it. I was in a rush and I...It’s not that AI can’t do it if anyone on the internet hasn’t already done it, it’s that AI can’t do it if it’s not mega-popular enough to have statistical models about it.
I was in a rush and I asked AI to make a python script for Minecraft Education Edition’s python notebook so I could demonstrate something to a student. Regardless of what model I tried out, none of them seemed to actually know anything about the version of Minecraft except the most surface level things - that it’s an education edition, for instance. So I would get responses telling me to alter the games Java source code or to use python libraries that can’t be used in EE.
To be fair, Minecraft EE’s python libraries absolutely suck, so there’s a good chance that whatever I asked it for couldn’t be done; I honestly don’t remember what I asked it for and I usually don’t have them keep logs. But the problem was that it would never say “you can’t do that” or even “I don’t know”. So instead you have to either do the aforementioned wild goose chase or spend the time screwing down specific details like you’re talking to an idiot until you finally realize that it just doesn’t know.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
Akir LinkThis week has been so tough! I accepted a "summer camp" class - five consecutive days of teaching 3 hour classes. Normally this would be a great thing. More hours, more money, and I need money....This week has been so tough! I accepted a "summer camp" class - five consecutive days of teaching 3 hour classes. Normally this would be a great thing. More hours, more money, and I need money. And then I took another one hour class that had also been set to happen immediately after four of those days with no break in between. But this also happened right in the middle of the second week of extremely difficult math classes I'm taking for university which had left me with so much work that I have basically been working non-stop all week!
I know the wording on that last sentence was a bit confusing; the university week starts on Thursdays, so the Monday my teaching classes started was in the middle of that workweek.
It took so much out of me. I had to give up going to Disneyland with my husband and a friend to work on my studies, and I only finished the last assignment within hours of the deadline and actually missed out on the chance to do a practice quiz. I also had to give up going to the gym because I just plain didn't have the time for it. The classes I taught this week were so close together I didn't have time to cook anything good, and I didn't have enough time to do real grocery shopping so some meals just ended up being instant ramen - stuff that I have worked really hard to stop eating! I even got my husband to bring me taco bell at one point. I also bought $33 of chocolate.
And to make things worse, one of my students in that long class was an absolute mess of a kid. You probably know the type; he's very upbeat, lots of energy, and loud. It was the first time I had to send a kid outside of the class because of how much he bothered me with his behavior.
But it's not been all bad. I wouldn't even really call it bad, honestly; just busy. It was stressful, but I feel good about it. That annoying kid? He's also amazingly wholesome and I think I'll kind of miss him now. And that second class? The student actually asked for me specifically after we had a trial class, so I had to take him in, and I really think he's special; he understands the things I explain, he asks questions; he's the kind of student that makes teaching a worthwhile pursuit. It makes me think of how stressful and toxic my old job was, and how even though I was spending my reserves much faster this week than I would have in the past, It actually feels like it's been worth the effort. I feel needed, and validated, and useful.
Coincidentally my old boss somewhat randomly decided to text me to wish me a happy 4th of July. I'm choosing to believe it was a friendly gesture but there's part of me that's kind of hoping that he was trying to fish if I wanted to go back so that I could tell him to fuck off.
My studies still have me stressed, but I have come to the realization that I'm learning wrong, if that makes any sense. Because it's been so long since I've studied algebra and math, I'm not realizing that I'm trying to relearn stuff that I already know, and after I started to connect the dots things have become easier. I'm also shooting myself in the foot by putting too much effort into reading the textbooks, which are written in ways that alternate between obtuse and vague. Right now the hard part is getting the energy to actually study. I haven't even looked at my Statistics work for this week yet....
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Comment on Studios decry cinemas’ ad-filled preshows as AMC warns of “25-30 extra minutes”: Here are the consequences for movie biz in ~movies
Akir Link ParentThe difference is the given time. Those pre-roll ads are usually before the given start time. The thing the article is about is seeing a ticket time of 7:00 and the movie actually starts at 7:30.The difference is the given time. Those pre-roll ads are usually before the given start time. The thing the article is about is seeing a ticket time of 7:00 and the movie actually starts at 7:30.
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Comment on Studios decry cinemas’ ad-filled preshows as AMC warns of “25-30 extra minutes”: Here are the consequences for movie biz in ~movies
Akir Link"Why don't people see movies anymore?!" exclaim the cineplex owners who are hell-bent on making the experience as complicated and painful as possible. I thought the point about movie trailers..."Why don't people see movies anymore?!" exclaim the cineplex owners who are hell-bent on making the experience as complicated and painful as possible.
I thought the point about movie trailers being extremely important to be really salient. Frankly, I would never see a Mission Impossible movie period if i didn't get a taste of the stunts I'd be paying to see, and getting to see it in a trailer is the thing that makes going to a movie theater specifically; it's really not the same to see it at home because you cannot get the same sense of scale without the gigantic screen, so everything is worse if I don't get that. But at the same time this kind of thing is the reason why the few times I go out to see movies anymore I'm not rushing to get there before the given time. I'm not going to waste my time listening to people trying to tell me that I should drink coke, change my wireless carrier, or lick Nicole Kidman's shoes.
Especially when movies are already stretching to three hour runtimes! I'm an old man now; I need to pee!
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Comment on Calgary brings fluoride back to its drinking water in ~health
Akir Link ParentI don’t know about Europe but in the US many staple foods are “medicated”. Salt almost always comes with iodine, and both milk and flour is enriched with additional vitamins.One prevalent line of reasoning in Europe is that nonconsensual medication via drinking water is inappropriate.
I don’t know about Europe but in the US many staple foods are “medicated”. Salt almost always comes with iodine, and both milk and flour is enriched with additional vitamins.
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Comment on Alerts fatigue, or would that be journalism fatigue? in ~news
Akir Link ParentI kind of feel that 9/11 is the perfect example of why being “overinformed” is a bad thing. I remember where I was when I heard the news. And as a young person on the opposite side of the country...I kind of feel that 9/11 is the perfect example of why being “overinformed” is a bad thing. I remember where I was when I heard the news. And as a young person on the opposite side of the country with pressing personal issues to deal with, it made relatively little difference to me.
I say relative because most people at the time became completely deranged. People were obsessed with news which was full of the scariest shit they could imagine and news stories were full of things we would later find out were lies (WMDs in particular come to mind). And it lead to us going to wars in multiple countries, killing many innocent people along the way. It also lead to draconian domestic laws being passed that reduced our freedoms, such as the USA PATRIOT act.
So no, I absolutely do not accept that this level of information urgency is necessary; if anything it’s an overwhelmingly negative thing that kills our mental health at best and destroys our society and murders people at worst.
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Comment on You MUST listen to RFC 2119 in ~comp
Akir LinkThis feels like an in joke that I’m not privy to. This RFC is just a regular definition of words that seem like they needed to be formalized at the time the document was written. Having it read in...This feels like an in joke that I’m not privy to. This RFC is just a regular definition of words that seem like they needed to be formalized at the time the document was written. Having it read in the sarcastic way just seems kind of cruel-hearted to me.
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Comment on I deleted my second brain in ~tech
Akir Link ParentI've had lots of "school success" classes that tell you to take notes - one of them I was actually required to take just a few months ago, actually - and exactly zero of them have ever said that...I've had lots of "school success" classes that tell you to take notes - one of them I was actually required to take just a few months ago, actually - and exactly zero of them have ever said that notes are just a tool to keep you focused on the lecture. Every single one of them tells you to take detailed (but not too detailed) notes to refer to later for study. Yes, they can be a tool to help you focus, but that's not what people are generally using notes for.
To be fair, though, I actually agree with you. I only take notes when there's something I know I won't be able to remember accurately later, such as formulas and specific dates. I actually think that the way these classes teach students to take notes is bad. I can't think of a worse notetaking system than Cornell notes, which these classes often tout as the best of the best.
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Comment on I deleted my second brain in ~tech
Akir Link ParentPeople love that computers can functionally keep data exactly the same forever, but the fact of the matter is that being able to forget things is basically a superpower. What happens if you have a...People love that computers can functionally keep data exactly the same forever, but the fact of the matter is that being able to forget things is basically a superpower. What happens if you have a computer with a storage device that is completely full? It stops functioning properly, and it can't fix itself; it needs a person to intervene and manually delete data.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Akir Link ParentActually the most amazing thing is that the insane things that happen are so chaotic that you forget and forgive the more insane things that happen. Like how the main character can kill inanimate...Actually the most amazing thing is that the insane things that happen are so chaotic that you forget and forgive the more insane things that happen. Like how the main character can kill inanimate objects, or how he later survives a fall by murdering his inertia. And of course there’s still the implication that he can still become even more powerful!
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Akir Link ParentI'm enjoying Apocalypse Hotel too, but I have to say that as much as I enjoy it I'm not loving it quite as much as you are. To be honest even though there's a lot of things I really like about it...I'm enjoying Apocalypse Hotel too, but I have to say that as much as I enjoy it I'm not loving it quite as much as you are. To be honest even though there's a lot of things I really like about it (the character designs especially, as well as the type of humour), I honestly kind of feel it's a bit forgettable.
I will admit that the wedding/funeral really got to me though. That, and the "I felt alive" line after the vacation.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Akir LinkI just watched the ending to Kowloon Generic Romance. It was worth every minute I spent watching and then some. I like that the conceit of the show is left fairly unexplained and at times...I just watched the ending to Kowloon Generic Romance. It was worth every minute I spent watching and then some. I like that the conceit of the show is left fairly unexplained and at times seemingly contradictory because it does a fantastic job of making the viewer think about the important things; the themes and messages in the story.
I've brought it up a couple of times but I've only really talked about the art and music. But it's a show that's all about the ideas it wants to express. The major themes are existentialism ("becoming your authentic self"), memory, personal relationships, and regret, and I love that the story conceit allows them to explore those themes from different perspectives.
The only thing I really didn't like was that there was a certain character who the story was teasing might not survive the end of the show; the show resolves that question, but I think it would have been better not being said and left to personal interpretation. It was a world wrapped in metaphor and it didn't need to be collapsed into reality, and it actually contradicted one of the character's final resolutions in a way.
I also binged My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered. It's trash anime in the best way possible. It's full of characters you cannot possibly identify with, a main character who has practically zero challenges to overcome, and practically hundreds of named characters (complete with surprisingly well thought-out visual designs) that just drop dead and don't matter to the greater plot whatsoever. There's a fricking gundam in the third episode or so (it lives, but we never see it again), and the main character doesn't have to be granted his cheat abilities because he's just always been like this.
It should have been absolutely terrible. And it kind of is, but in a way that is so insane that it actually becomes amazing in it's own very special way. It's trying to be subversive so hard, but it somehow isn't because isekai anime are just that ridiculous to begin with. I do love that the "real world" that the main characters come from isn't entirely like ours in that by the end we find out that there are at least three organizations dedicated to watching over main character because he just plain could have created the apocalypse at any given time. It's also supposed to be a comedy but it kind of just isn't really funny? The people instantly dying (literally as a reflex from the main character at times) seems like it's supposed to be a joke, but it isn't ever really funny... except you see it so much that by the end it actually loops around to being funny again. Somehow just about everything in this show does that. There's a character who shows up in many episodes who is just so incredibly annoying, but by the end he's strangely endearing. I give this show a solid |-7|/10.
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Comment on Lyon, France joins European exodus from Windows to Linux in ~tech
Akir Link ParentI really don’t think that Microsoft has any real legal claim. WINE Is Not Emulation; it’s clean reimplementation of Windows APIs. That being said I seem to remember Oracle suing Google over their...I really don’t think that Microsoft has any real legal claim. WINE Is Not Emulation; it’s clean reimplementation of Windows APIs.
That being said I seem to remember Oracle suing Google over their JVM virtualization because it implemented their APIs, and they won at one point. I wonder what happened with that case because it was terrible precedent.
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Comment on You're going to use Gemini on Android whether you like it or not in ~tech
Akir Link ParentWith all due respect, this is every company. The difference is that Apple has done a much better job than most other companies. But for your other things: yeah, totally.When it comes to privacy, it's important to understand that Apple cares about privacy only inasmuch as they believe it will impact their sales. There is nothing stopping them (within the bounds of the GDPR and friends) from changing their privacy practices at any time.
With all due respect, this is every company. The difference is that Apple has done a much better job than most other companies.
But for your other things: yeah, totally.
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Comment on Most US exhibition execs think traditional moviegoing has less than twenty years as ‘viable business model,’ according to new survey in ~movies
Akir Link ParentA while back my husband brought me to a Kylie Minogue concert. It's the first time I've seen a concert by someone who is currently big in pop music. There was a giant screen with crazy visuals,...A while back my husband brought me to a Kylie Minogue concert. It's the first time I've seen a concert by someone who is currently big in pop music. There was a giant screen with crazy visuals, explosion effects, and lasers going everywhere. And during the whole thing I was thinking "none of this is necessary. Nobody comes to these because of the effects, they come because of the music act. There's been times when these effects actively take away from the thing I wanted to experience."
So I want to believe you. Really, I want to see the same thing. But the people in charge obviously do not see things that way.
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Comment on The 100 best movies of the 21st Century - voted by more than 500 influential directors, actors and other notable names in Hollywood and around the world (gifted link) in ~movies
Akir Link ParentSometimes the inability of people to understand trauma is the scariest thing. I’ve written before about my experience watching a play called A Strange Loop, which was basically a dark comedy about...Sometimes the inability of people to understand trauma is the scariest thing. I’ve written before about my experience watching a play called A Strange Loop, which was basically a dark comedy about the trauma of being a fat gay black man. The scary part of the show was what the audience laughed at. They found the trauma funny. I can only wonder if they finally got it after seeing the main character letting a total asshole fuck him because he is so desperate for love and the finale, a musical number with his family members telling him he is going to hell, complete with a burning red cross.
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Comment on How close should you live to a park? in ~enviro
Akir LinkIn the greater Los Angeles area of California (for which I include northern Orange County and western San Bernadino County), there are a great number of parks. A park is 5 minutes walk from where...In the greater Los Angeles area of California (for which I include northern Orange County and western San Bernadino County), there are a great number of parks. A park is 5 minutes walk from where I live and there's another one about 10-15 minutes away. It's probably the best part of living where I do.
That being said, not all of them are built the same. The vast majority of parks around me are really tiny; basically small grass fields with a playground. The one I am closest to is what I'd consider to be mid, in that it is moderate in size and has a small covered picnic area, tennis courts, and a basketball field. The one that's a bit further is just a very tiny triangle of land with a playground in the center. There's another unusual park about 20-30 minutes walk away that is actually a semi-hidden water management thing that is designed to hold water in cases of flooding, but it's actually quite beautiful. Within the town limits there's also a park with a beautiful walking trail that includes views of a brook and climbs up a hill for a nice scenic panorama, and also has some basic exercise equipment installed for the fit-minded. On top of another hill is the park with the community center which has a rather extensive "make plans for it" hiking trail. The best parks tend to be in the suburban areas. Parks exist in the more dense areas of Los Angeles as well, but they don't tend to be very expansive except for some notable exceptions like Griffith or Elysian parks (neither of which I have personally been to).
Parks are an incredible boon to public mental health. Touch grass, people. It's healing.
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Comment on Most US exhibition execs think traditional moviegoing has less than twenty years as ‘viable business model,’ according to new survey in ~movies
Akir Link ParentI don’t think that budget movies are easy to sell in the traditional movie distribution pattern anymore. People are constantly complaining about how expensive it is to go to the movies now....I don’t think that budget movies are easy to sell in the traditional movie distribution pattern anymore. People are constantly complaining about how expensive it is to go to the movies now. Everyone wants to see a movie that matches their own criteria for being good, so every ticket is a financial risk on if that movie is good or not. Why would someone risk a substantial sum of money on a movie made entirely by people they’ve never heard of when the alternative is mega-popular ones with recognizable characters, worlds, actors, directors, etc.?
In the past this problem would have been solved with reviews from professional critics, but it seems that over the past few decades critics have become untrusted. Some of the highest grossing movies have terrible critical reception, and so there is a new generation of “fanboy” critics who seemingly fawn over just about anything with an IP they like, or at least downplay how terrible they can be. On the other hand, the old guard critics who go out and watch everything often are writing fawning reviews about movies that have limited releases that are impractical or even impossible for many people to access (“I just saw the most incredible movie at Cannes.”).
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Comment on Denis Villeneuve to direct next James Bond film in ~movies
Akir Link ParentAt first, I thought the idea of Timothée Chalamet playing the part would be really funny, but now I’m actually all for it.At first, I thought the idea of Timothée Chalamet playing the part would be really funny, but now I’m actually all for it.
The adoption of technology by banks is always astonishingly low and slow in the US. That’s probably why “fintech” is so popular, and why people are giving them their money to hold instead of banks. We have one relatively popular payment processor who will just flat out ask for the username and password for your bank account so it can get around the fact that many banks do not offer secure APIs to do transactions with.