first-must-burn's recent activity
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Comment on Paula Cole - I Don't Want to Wait (1996) in ~music
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
first-must-burn LinkI've been playing Cat Goes Fishing. My daughter wanted it, but since her interest in games is always social, I ended up playing too. Thank goodness for steam family. The game is very pleasant and...I've been playing
Cat Goes Fishing. My daughter wanted it, but since her interest in games is always social, I ended up playing too. Thank goodness for steam family.The game is very pleasant and low-key to play. It holds interest pretty well for such a seemingly simple concept. It's also got an interesting progression in terms of quests and leveling up capabilities. The art is lovely. 10/10 would recommend.
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Comment on Are you a morning person or a night owl? in ~talk
first-must-burn Link ParentHroom, hroom! Humans want appointments in the same century. So hasty.Hroom, hroom! Humans want appointments in the same century. So hasty.
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Comment on Are you a morning person or a night owl? in ~talk
first-must-burn Link ParentCurious what made you stop doing the CPAP? I use one, and it definitely makes a difference, so if there are things that will block me using it in the future, I'd like to know about them.Curious what made you stop doing the CPAP? I use one, and it definitely makes a difference, so if there are things that will block me using it in the future, I'd like to know about them.
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Comment on Nathan Fillion says 'Firefly' animated series in development in ~tv
first-must-burn Link ParentI'm pretty sure he's in, based on the short I saw on Youtube: https://youtu.be/5U1o3PiYj0k Is there something I should know about him? Edit found it in this comment Aside: I appreciate the gag of...Plus there's the Adam Baldwin of it all, but that's probably a non-negotiable for a reunion reboot deal.
I'm pretty sure he's in, based on the short I saw on Youtube: https://youtu.be/5U1o3PiYj0k
Is there something I should know about him? Edit found it in this comment
Aside: I appreciate the gag of Nathan Fillion and Morena Baccarin both being in their respective cop show costumes. Reminds me of the Halloween episode of Castle where he dressed up as a "space cowboy".
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Comment on Can coding agents relicense open source through a “clean room” implementation of code? in ~comp
first-must-burn Link ParentHonestly, until I got to the testimonials, I had trouble believing it was not real. Prices seem kind of low, and I think you'd have trouble with the specifications being too loose / the final...Honestly, until I got to the testimonials, I had trouble believing it was not real. Prices seem kind of low, and I think you'd have trouble with the specifications being too loose / the final implementation not being "bug compatible" with the original, but otherwise ... It seems sadly feasible.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
first-must-burn (edited )Link ParentThat's what I came here to post. I grew up in East Texas when Troy Aikmen ranked just under Jesus Christ in terms of following, then lived in Pittsburgh through the Rothlesberger era and two super...That's what I came here to post. I grew up in East Texas when Troy Aikmen ranked just under Jesus Christ in terms of following, then lived in Pittsburgh through the Rothlesberger era and two super bowl wins.
Between the concussion stuff (basically sacrificing the long term health of the players for the almighty dollar) and the way they pushed Colin Kapernick out for kneeling during the anthem, I am pretty much done.
I watched the super bowl with my daughter this year in the interest of giving her an understanding of the game, since it is still such a prominent cultural touchstone.
One interesting (and nice) side effect is that the holiday vibe is much more peaceful and connecting. I never realized how much the layered-in crowd noise from a football broadcast pervades the environment until I stopped having the games on.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
first-must-burn Link ParentI find it so interesting to compare Robert Jordan's arc with GRRM's. At least superficially, they have a lot in common in terms of sprawling plots and huge character lists. RJ struggled to finish...I find it so interesting to compare Robert Jordan's arc with GRRM's. At least superficially, they have a lot in common in terms of sprawling plots and huge character lists. RJ struggled to finish the Wheel of Time in a similar way, though he was hampered in the end by his health rather than a transition to different media. One thing RJ had going for him was his wife Harriet was very much a partner in his work, and it was her influence and vision that made it possible for Brandon Sanderson to complete the series in a satisfying way.
I don't follow GRRM that much, so maybe he has people like that around him too, but it really highlights to me how important relationships are in the legacies of what we leave behind.
If you liked GoT, have you ever tried Joe Abercrombie's work? It's a little on the grim side, so I can only read it when I'm in a really good place, but I have always enjoyed it.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
first-must-burn (edited )Link ParentI heard Jennifer Knapp play ~2018. I had never listened to her in her CCM days, so I didn't know anything about her going in. When I googled her, it turned up her old stuff. The tickets were...I want to catch up with Jennifer Knapp, Amy Grant, Ray Boltz, David Bazan, Ja’Marc Davis, Derek Webb… anybody who tasted that fame and controversy’d out. I just want to hear their stories.
I heard Jennifer Knapp play ~2018. I had never listened to her in her CCM days, so I didn't know anything about her going in. When I googled her, it turned up her old stuff. The tickets were cheap, and I thought my wife would enjoy it. Little did I know that she had come out as gay and walked away from her fame and audience. At least my wife did more research, so we were clued in before the night of the show.
It was a very intimate show in a tiny bar. Super chill crowd. It mostly had an LGBTQ vibe, but I saw a few people from our church there. One guy told me all about how important listening to her Christian music was to his conversion to Christianity.
The show was basically her laying her heart bare about the ways she had been manipulated or forced to make certain kinds of music that didn't feel right to her. You could see she was still very wounded and raw about it. She talked about how hard she the worked to find a way to express the way she felt in her music, and how much she has to leave her fans and her old life behind to be able to do that.
Even after saying all that to this crowd, when she was taking requests, some people (including my friend from church) were asking for her old CCM stuff, and she shut it down with a response that amounted to, "I am not playing that shit. Didn't you just hear all the things I just said?"
It was pretty wild to me that ten years and a shunning later, people were still trying to put her into the box they were comfortable with.
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Comment on What’s your preferred work monitor setup? in ~comp
first-must-burn Link ParentMy preliminary read is that they are going to be good to use, but a lot of admin to set up. I was actually able to run them off my mac battery which was cool, but perhaps unsurprisingly it chewed...My preliminary read is that they are going to be good to use, but a lot of admin to set up. I was actually able to run them off my mac battery which was cool, but perhaps unsurprisingly it chewed through the battery super fast. I'll try to report back after being in the field next week.
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Comment on What’s your preferred work monitor setup? in ~comp
first-must-burn LinkIn college, a dorm-mate burned me a copy of windows 2000 server, which supported multiple video cards, so I could run two 19" Crt monitors. I built a wooden frame to stack them one above the...In college, a dorm-mate burned me a copy of windows 2000 server, which supported multiple video cards, so I could run two 19" Crt monitors. I built a wooden frame to stack them one above the other. Moving my computers was a whole car load by itself.
Since ~2015, my daily driver has been three 24" 1280x1200 monitors mounted on a triple monitor arm. It's probably still my favorite setup I've ever had.
Started a new job recently, and the setup there is a 27" QHD monitor, a 34" display with the same pixel resolution, and my work macbook as the third display. The wide monitor is in the middle, with the laptop and the smaller monitor to either side. I like it okay, but this is my first time using a mac, so everything about it feels clunky to me.
For work travel, I recently bought this portable setup. It folds out and clips to my laptop to give mr three 14" screens. Folded up it is about the same size as the laptop. I haven't really had a chance to put it through its paces, but next week I will be traveling and doing heavy dev work, so we'll see how it is.
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Comment on Anthropic rejects latest US Pentagon offer: ‘We cannot in good conscience accede to their request’ in ~tech
first-must-burn LinkAn option the government has is to classify LLM technology as export controlled under the ITAR or EAR regulations. Though it's not clear to me what it would mean for them to exercise it, or...An option the government has is to classify LLM technology as export controlled under the ITAR or EAR regulations. Though it's not clear to me what it would mean for them to exercise it, or whether they could selectively do so without bringing Gemini or OpenAI under it as well.
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Comment on What are some bands you regret not seeing live (or, just never had the chance to see in the first place)? in ~music
first-must-burn LinkI would love to see Florence + The Machine. She's touring this year and actually coming to cities within 4-6 hour near me, but the tickets are super $$$. Doubly jealous that in Europe she's...I would love to see Florence + The Machine. She's touring this year and actually coming to cities within 4-6 hour near me, but the tickets are super $$$. Doubly jealous that in Europe she's touring with Paris Paloma. That would be a show.
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Comment on What's an obscure book/series that you've read that you would like to recommend? in ~books
first-must-burn LinkI don't know if you can truly call it obscure since it's so seminal in the cyberpunk genre, but the Sprawl Trilogy (Necromancer/Count Zero/Mona Lisa Overdrive) and the Bridge Trilogy (Virtual...I don't know if you can truly call it obscure since it's so seminal in the cyberpunk genre, but the Sprawl Trilogy (Necromancer/Count Zero/Mona Lisa Overdrive) and the Bridge Trilogy (Virtual Light/Idoru/All Tomorrow's Parties) by William Gibson.
A defining characteristic of his work, for me, is that it's really interesting and good to read, but it's really hard to explain what it's about.
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Comment on What's an obscure book/series that you've read that you would like to recommend? in ~books
first-must-burn Link ParentMax Barry's books are all good, but Lexicon is one of my favorites (of all, not just his work). I recommend you read it adjacent to Neal Stephenson's Snowcrash as both deal with neurolinguistic...Max Barry's books are all good, but Lexicon is one of my favorites (of all, not just his work). I recommend you read it adjacent to Neal Stephenson's Snowcrash as both deal with neurolinguistic hacking.
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Comment on How do you remember? in ~tech
first-must-burn Link ParentSecond for tasks.org, which I've been using since it was Astrid Tasks run by Yahoo. The best thing about it is that the task reminders are really sticky. If you swipe them off, they come back. If...Second for tasks.org, which I've been using since it was Astrid Tasks run by Yahoo.
The best thing about it is that the task reminders are really sticky. If you swipe them off, they come back. If you restart your phone, them come back. You really have to mark them complete for them to go away.
I also extensively use the snooze feature. Generally, if Ingot s reminder and I can't do the task right then, I'll snooze it to the next time I think I'll be able to do the tssk. This as the reminders come in at times when I'm likely able to act in them. It works quite well.
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Comment on How we rebuilt Next.js with AI in one week in ~comp
first-must-burn Link ParentYour analysis matches my own day-to-day experience which is: AI is a code generating tool, so like a hammer looking for a nail, it will solve every problem it can with code generation. It has no...Your analysis matches my own day-to-day experience which is: AI is a code generating tool, so like a hammer looking for a nail, it will solve every problem it can with code generation. It has no notion of architecture or general computing principles like don't repeat yourself. Actually that's not true, because I've seen it catch DRY problems in code reviews. But it's not able to apply that knowledge for itself, apparently.
I use a tool called Cline which is a vs code plug-in. It leverages Claude code under the hood, but when I interact with it, I get a diff of the code it's generating as it's working. This allows me to monitor and redirect its activity. I find this to be a very effective workflow. I do the problem statements in the prompt and direct the solutions toward something that is reasonably human maintainable.
There's an argument to be made (though I would not make it) that if the code is to be maintained by the LLM, then it doesn't need to be maintainable by normal human code standards, only LLM ones. But since we give up architecture and human-comprehensible design, we're now forces to rely on the llm being both perfect and perfectly consistent. The parent comment's analysis indicates this certainly isn't the case.
The way the AI codes without supervision now is a reflection of the median code style that was in its training set. Until we have an AI that has that insight and not just regurgitation I don't think it will ever be any different. That probably requires a technological breakthrough in AI design (not just bigger, faster LLMs). Until that happens, I doubt we will see the day that this supervision is not necessary. For now, I'm going to stick with my processes that work toward well-architected, human readable code.
There's another important detail here, which is that they cloned an existing design using an llm. But that design they cloned was the result of human deep thinking, design, iteration, the finding of patterns that don't work and do. If they really want to claim that they built it from scratch, then they should have started with something less such as a goal statement. I'm certain that experiment would have been a failure.
If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.
~ Carl Sagan -
Comment on Opinion piece: I am a 15-year-old girl. Let me show you the vile misogyny that confronts me on social media every day. in ~life.women
first-must-burn Link ParentI agree, there's a power to music. This song communicates some experiences that I will never know directly, but it also resonated strongly with me when I was the stay at home dad. I learned a lot...I agree, there's a power to music. This song communicates some experiences that I will never know directly, but it also resonated strongly with me when I was the stay at home dad. I learned a lot from that experience, and I think we'd benefit in many ways as a society from more men having that experience.
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Comment on Fix your hearts or die: The path to liberation for lonely men is feminism in ~life
first-must-burn LinkSo much good discussion here! I wish I could engage with more of it individually, but my takeaway from reading through the comments with many opposing views can be summed up as: **Our society, as...So much good discussion here! I wish I could engage with more of it individually, but my takeaway from reading through the comments with many opposing views can be summed up as:
**Our society, as a system, fails different people in different ways. **
On the surface, this is kind of a nothing burger, but I think it could be the point of commonality that could allow people with disparate views to connect.
I think a lot of the confusion and talking past each other comes from conflating two different things. Are we talking about individual people and their experiences and needs, or are we talking about the way we wish to change system that we all are a part of. Because to me those are to very different things.
When it comes to individuals dealing with the other individuals, I think the order of the day should be empathy. It's hard to speak about this in broad terms because every individual experience is different, but as a specific hypothetical: a man who is feeling this loneliness and a woman who is feeling marginalized can connect if they can get past the "yes, but" into a real, intellectual curiousity about the others experience.
When it comes to the structure of society, I personally will prioritize the group that experiences the greater actual harm. Women experience so much more physical violence and intimidation that if we're talking about changes to the system to address that, those feel more important and urgent to me.
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Comment on Opinion piece: I am a 15-year-old girl. Let me show you the vile misogyny that confronts me on social media every day. in ~life.women
first-must-burn Link ParentI'm curious where you grew up, because where I grew up (East Texas), it never even progressed past that. Sexism and misogyny deeply pervade the culture. Women are held to an impossible standard:...I'm curious where you grew up, because where I grew up (East Texas), it never even progressed past that. Sexism and misogyny deeply pervade the culture. Women are held to an impossible standard: be beautiful, but not slutty. Be thin, but not too thin. Don't be picky about food, but don't like it too much. The double standard around sex and virginity is very damaging. It did number on my sister, and I definitely would not raise my daughter there. I know there's nothing I can do to protect her from it except to prepare her to believe that it's wrong and believe that she deserves better.
Recommended listening:
- He said she said by Chvrches
- Labour by Paris Paloma
- Hands Dirty by Delta Rae
- Highwomen by the Highwomen
I didn't even have to click the link, and I could listen to the whole song in my head. I never watched DC, I was just a teenager when this came out, and our listening was still dominated by the radio.