l_one's recent activity
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Comment on Waterparks - ICE (2026) in ~music
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Comment on ‘ICE Out’ strike and protests: what to know about demonstrations across the US in ~society
l_one Link ParentAgreed completely on all your points. I'm concerned that the turnout may be small enough that people will dismiss it, but also hopeful that the impact will be large enough to be relevant. I think...Agreed completely on all your points. I'm concerned that the turnout may be small enough that people will dismiss it, but also hopeful that the impact will be large enough to be relevant.
I think we need the impact of a funding bill that no one is willing to pass - and that stays that way. I think we need the impact of a sustained, massively economically harmful general strike.
Corporate money and Billionaire money is a big driving power behind this attempted authoritarian takeover. Those entities care about making more money, and they care about not losing money and avoiding the risk of losing money. So they need to be made to face as much economic ruin as possible. Which will be harmful to everyone, but I think that's where we are.
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Comment on ‘ICE Out’ strike and protests: what to know about demonstrations across the US in ~society
l_one Link ParentI saw that as well. That will have all the time needed for a communication campaign and I'm expecting protest sizes that make them pretty difficult to ignore or disregard. Hopefully also combined...I saw that as well. That will have all the time needed for a communication campaign and I'm expecting protest sizes that make them pretty difficult to ignore or disregard. Hopefully also combined with record numbers taking that day off work and having visible macro-scale impacts on the economy.
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Comment on ‘ICE Out’ strike and protests: what to know about demonstrations across the US in ~society
l_one LinkI found out about this yesterday. Personally, while I understand the very real urgency, I feel like the impact (or potential impact) will be stunted by the short timeframe. These coordinated...I found out about this yesterday. Personally, while I understand the very real urgency, I feel like the impact (or potential impact) will be stunted by the short timeframe.
These coordinated actions require time and, well, coordination. National campaigns of effort in what essentially is marketing to make as many people aware as possible who would be willing to participate.
On the other hand, we are fresh off of a rather major and brutal event that has been very widely seen and the reactions to it are still fresh, which will certainly contribute to participation.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow. For my part I've let my girlfriend know and she's agreed to not spend money tomorrow, and I've rescheduled both work and what little I had that I was going to spend money on to next week. Not much, but it is my little contribution to making less money move in the economy for that day.
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Comment on Creative people with ADHD: how do you handle execution and follow-through when doing small business work for yourself? I feel like I need to hire a business partner or assistant. in ~creative
l_one (edited )Link ParentI am very glad that our conversation and that video is helpful to you. Even if it doesn't give you solutions, moving from 'not being able to see the problem' to 'oh shit, that's what's...Oh man reading your comment, watching that video, and reading the comments on that video are all extremely validating as someone who also has Autism as well as ADHD.
I am very glad that our conversation and that video is helpful to you. Even if it doesn't give you solutions, moving from 'not being able to see the problem' to 'oh shit, that's what's happening!?' is a major step. Hard to address a problem you don't even know about.
Part of the reason I'm a bit desperate to be self employed is a really bad string of jobs and employment over the past 6 years has beaten me to a pulp
From my experience having transitioned to what I do now, my opinion is that it has overall been a major net positive. Even though due to the nature of my primary business (sales essentially) sometimes I will have minimal or no income for long stretches (with all the issues that are associated with financial hardship), I still view it as an overwhelmingly positive improvement in my life.
but as I said one of the hurdles to being self employed is that if I have to do everything I'll probably stay burned out. Designing things and being creative is healing to me and I feel like if I could be able to live off of that I'd be much happier. But I'm curious if you have any resources to help with autistic burnout. I'm not sure where to start
I certainly don't have all the answers, but I do have a suggestion that I think has the highest potential to help. Avail yourself of the options available to you for mental healthcare. Find / talk with a psychiatrist and with your PCP. Tell them not just what you are experiencing, but also don't assume they know everything since they are human to - tell them about what you have found out when asking about this subject, tell them about that autistic burnout video, tell them what you have found that others have described that matches with your experiences and ask them if they have suggestions. They will have different experiential backgrounds and educations and will likely be able to suggest things for you to try. You almost certainly have Unknown Unknowns (things you don't know, and you also don't know that there's something specific there that you need to know about - kind of like just now finding out about autistic burnout). These providers may well have such knowledge to help improve your life.
I will also mention that I VERY recently found that video, and have not as of yet put any real research time into the subject, so don't take my personal lack of knowledge there to mean there isn't low-hanging fruit to be easily found with some Google or Kagi searching.
Oh, and as @Aerrol mentioned, bringing someone onboard to do the parts of the business you are least capable of is a completely valid strategy - you just need to do the math and figure out if the business can generate enough income to support a partner / employee (probably more of a partner if it's just the 2 of you).
Another very tentative possibility is finding a small business that does what you do and consider trying to hire on, but only if their culture is very compatible with you. Some businesses that strongly involve creative arts are very understanding and flexible with their creative staff - work from home, not worrying about tracking hours so long as the work gets done, etc. I know one of my friends (a graphics designer) was with a company (maybe she's still there, unsure) that stocked an all-hours open bar so their staff could drink at work. Possibly also do some drugs like pot or LSD but I am less sure about that - basically they had the view of 'be comfortable and do whatever helps you be the best creative artist you can be'. Note that I am not specifically advocating that you give up being self employed and seek this option, I just want to mention it so you know that such options may be out there to be found.
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Comment on UK Appeals court state RuneScape gold counts as property and can be stolen, in $700k bombshell case in ~games
l_one LinkI feel like this is likely to have the effect of many game developers not selling in or allowing server logins from the UK. They probably will want to avoid an uncharted minefield of legal...I feel like this is likely to have the effect of many game developers not selling in or allowing server logins from the UK. They probably will want to avoid an uncharted minefield of legal liabilities and opportunities for people to sue them in ways they don't have precedent for.
Single player games should be unaffected.
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Comment on Self-identified autistic people tend to have the same traits as diagnosed autistic people in ~health
l_one Link ParentYep. I only recently gained access to health insurance through my girlfriend's job (being self-employed in the USA certainly has some major drawbacks... or to be more specific, the USA not...Yep. I only recently gained access to health insurance through my girlfriend's job (being self-employed in the USA certainly has some major drawbacks... or to be more specific, the USA not guaranteeing healthcare as a basic human right certainly is a drawback), before that it was 'don't get sick you filthy poor and if you do please die quietly out of the sight of your monied betters'. After availing myself of mental healthcare services I've entered the wonderful world of 'yes, things can be made better now'.
...It is, perhaps, slightly possible I harbor resentful feelings about that facet of the socioeconomic structure in this country.
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Comment on Creative people with ADHD: how do you handle execution and follow-through when doing small business work for yourself? I feel like I need to hire a business partner or assistant. in ~creative
l_one Link ParentAh, ok, it looks like I have more I can contribute here. I find that I have issues with short term memory in a general sense. Consistent, sufficient, quality sleep has helped me most there, and I...Ah, ok, it looks like I have more I can contribute here.
hard to remember to care for yourself
I find that I have issues with short term memory in a general sense. Consistent, sufficient, quality sleep has helped me most there, and I manage it with rigid systems of 'everything goes exactly where it goes' + a habit of prompt and thorough note taking. Also I add notes to my calendar which is always up on one of my computer screens.
it's a constant mental battle to even feel like you're "allowed" to do anything but work or chores.
I understand this. Deeply, and with a great deal of trauma. I've spoken about this before, but here is my most painful and expensive life lesson. Back when I was working as a contract tech doing residential telecom install (doing internet/cable/phone service installs for Charter Communications) I had no work life balance. 6 to 7 days a week, 10, 12, 16 hours a day. One stretch was for 101 days without a single day off. My very sense of self was DEEPLY tied to how good I was at my job. I was supposed to at least get Sundays off. Every call from my supervisor Sunday morning saying they needed a route covered felt like something I couldn't even consider refusing. It nearly drove me to suicide, but fortunately just as I was breaking down in my van crying, my mind going down that path, I realized that I HAD THE OPTION OF QUITTING MY JOB. It was, seriously, an epiphany to realize that literal suicide was not my only way out. I quit that day, no 2 weeks notice, and while I make less consistent money (working a hundred hours a week does make money), I am so much healthier for it.
I also have a video on Autistic burnout that I found recently. It felt like it really hit home for me, but I don't know if you've had a burnout experience like the one I described above, or if the autism spectrum applies to you. Still, you may find it useful. Nine minutes long. Why Autistic Adults Suddenly Hit a Wall in Their 30s and 40s
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Comment on Creative people with ADHD: how do you handle execution and follow-through when doing small business work for yourself? I feel like I need to hire a business partner or assistant. in ~creative
l_one (edited )LinkAuDHD (Autistic / ADHD - inattentive type ADHD) and run my own small business: Buying, testing/refurbishing/repairing, and then selling lab electronics / optics / metrology gear. I have a home...AuDHD (Autistic / ADHD - inattentive type ADHD) and run my own small business: Buying, testing/refurbishing/repairing, and then selling lab electronics / optics / metrology gear. I have a home electronics lab and it is very much my happy place.
The stuff I am VERY good at: all the parts of the business that are interesting to and fun for me. Tracking down excellent gear for cheap, organizing my lab, packing sold items with excessive care (I'm a nerd about packing things not just well but... nicely? Packaging in a way that shows care and craftsmanship? Weird thing to enjoy but I do.)
Where I bottleneck / have trouble: the parts that are just 'boring work that needs to be done'. Specifically to me that is documenting a testing process, repeated video description takes + post-processing videography work and then writing up high-effort, high-accuracy detailed listing descriptions for eBay. That is a must for me as I focus on low-volume/high-quality though, which allows me to charge prices at the top of the price range for a given device.
I have very recently availed myself of mental healthcare and have gotten on some meds: Bupropion and Vyvanse. The Vyvanse is the one that is much more relevant here. I have long noted that on the days I got A. sufficient quality sleep the night before and B. when I consumed more caffeine than normal (usually an energy drink) I was then able to flow through the 'bottleneck' parts of my work without issue and be very productive. Sometimes just one or the other let me get work done, but checking both those checkboxes let me get work done with far greater frequency.
I am still in the early stages with Vyvanse, having been on it for only a tad more than a month and we are still titrating up from the minimum starting dose, but from tracking everything I do believe it is helping me. We haven't found the right dose yet, but we're getting there.
Let's see... what else have I learned? I tend to get stuck in 'wait, before I do that I need to do this' scenarios which are self-diverting and tend to end up with me not getting work done. Like an instrument would look better and sell for a bit more if I could find a set of rubber bumpers and a folding handle, or a replacement for this or that part that works but isn't the best from a cosmetic standpoint. These are things that DON'T need to be done, but I like and want the things I sell to be perfect and when they aren't I can end up letting them sit, even though it doesn't make financial sense to spend money on this or that cosmetic small issue.
It's helped me to have a stock of cheaper / lower effort items that require far less testing / description writing to give myself that positive mental 'bump' that makes me feel good about getting something done and helps me to get more done.
Exercise. Though I've fallen behind with it currently due to Winter (I was going on long outdoor walks), a whole systems approach (physical health, mental health, comfortable/clean/organized environment, everything) has helped me to feel better and have more mental energy.
Clean workspace. Sometimes I get overstocked with gear that needs to be listed or integrated into my lab and I can be in a position where I need to move a bunch of stuff just to have bench space to do work with. This adds mental effort and time to everything and I've noted it as being effectively demotivating.
Care for yourself. Consistently and proactively. Do you have multiple things you need to get done and are picking between them? Is one of them the need to make yourself a meal, or a personal hygiene task, or stretch/exercise, or even take a break to de-stress? Pick the option that cares for yourself first, and do that consistently. You need to help yourself before you can help your job, and you will be more effective and productive for taking care of yourself.
Edit (after each of our first replies to each other):
Something else that I remembered that helped me. Do you have things (chores/dishes/trash/unfinished projects that you regularly can't help but see? Put those first. Do the smallest/easiest/simplest things first just to reduce the number of things you always half to look past that remind you of stuff you haven't done.
I've realized that constantly seeing things that I haven't done or that are partially completed puts this feeling in the back of my head "well I can't to Task C because I've left Task A or B undone or half done" while reminding me of "things I've failed to complete" and it's just this constant low-level demotivation that can be hard to consciously recognize but subtly drags at you. For things you don't have the energy or actual external resources to complete: hide them, or make a space specifically for in-progress or uncompleted projects so that, in your mind, even though they aren't finished you can feel that 'yes, those partial projects are in the correct place for incomplete stuff'. That last bit really does help, at least it has for me.
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Comment on The war in Ukraine in 2026 - economics, endurance and risks as the war continues in ~society
l_one LinkSorry, no proper links in the description, too much on my to-do list (and executive dysfunction issues getting in the way - but yay for mental healthcare and meds, so maybe I'll actually get...Sorry, no proper links in the description, too much on my to-do list (and executive dysfunction issues getting in the way - but yay for mental healthcare and meds, so maybe I'll actually get around to it? Someday?). Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links.
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While 2026 has already seen its share of disruptive events, none have cause the war in Ukraine to stop or even slow down. Long range attacks are now practically daily events, casualties are high, and significant parts of the Ukrainian population have faced a cold winter with limited electricity and other utilities.
With the war now eclipsing the so called Great Patriot War in length today I want to look at how the war economies of Russia and Ukraine are holding up and some of the key risks they are likely to face going into 2026.
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing:
This video is being released mid-travel and so sourcing is being omitted until later this week when I have access to my main PC again. Apologies for the delay.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:00:56 — What Am I Talking About?
00:02:59 — Assessing Endurance
00:04:23 — Russia Going Into 2026
00:17:20 — Ukrainian Strike Campaign
00:24:56 — Domestic Stability
00:27:51 — Geopolitical Risks
00:35:17 — Ukraine Going Into 2026
00:36:04 — Geopolitical Risk
00:39:21 — the Air Defence Challenge
00:50:33 — Economics
00:58:43 — Will to Continue
01:03:33 — Closing Observations
01:04:28 — Channel Update -
The war in Ukraine in 2026 - economics, endurance and risks as the war continues
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Comment on Youtube channel recommendations 2026 in ~tech
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Comment on Youtube channel recommendations 2026 in ~tech
l_one Link ParentSeconding Marco Reps! Awesome channel for those of us in Electronics.Seconding Marco Reps! Awesome channel for those of us in Electronics.
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Comment on Youtube channel recommendations 2026 in ~tech
l_one Link ParentShe has a nearly 4-hour video on Star Trek (largely on TNG)! Thank you so much.She has a nearly 4-hour video on Star Trek (largely on TNG)! Thank you so much.
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Comment on Youtube channel recommendations 2026 in ~tech
l_one Link ParentI am now watching her video on extracting Bullet Ant venom. Interesting stuff, thank you!I am now watching her video on extracting Bullet Ant venom. Interesting stuff, thank you!
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Comment on Youtube channel recommendations 2026 in ~tech
l_one (edited )Link ParentEEVBlog is in my view THE original Electronics YouTube Channel. Dave also hosts the largest and most visited Electronics forum in the world.if you are into electronics, have a look at EEVblog and ElectroBOOM
EEVBlog is in my view THE original Electronics YouTube Channel. Dave also hosts the largest and most visited Electronics forum in the world.
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Comment on Youtube channel recommendations 2026 in ~tech
l_one Link ParentI've watched some of his stuff on satellite comms! Fun channel.I've watched some of his stuff on satellite comms! Fun channel.
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Comment on Youtube channel recommendations 2026 in ~tech
l_one (edited )LinkGamers Nexus was, for a long time, just about PC hardware news and testing. Recently it has become an independent news outlet, funded by Patreon (and thus not beholden to anyone but their...Gamers Nexus was, for a long time, just about PC hardware news and testing. Recently it has become an independent news outlet, funded by Patreon (and thus not beholden to anyone but their viewers), of the highest caliber. I seriously cannot overstate this. About half a year ago they produced the three and a half hour long documentary 'THE NVIDIA AI GPU BLACK MARKET in which they traveled to China and did quality, on-the-ground investigative journalism about the GPU bans and how they were largely ineffective at keeping GPUs out of China. They also have recently created a second channel: GNCA - GamersNexus Consumer Advocacy which is what it sounds like but also more, also with a a focus on quality.
Perun is an Australian Defense Economics Analyst who posts hour-long powerpoints on that subject - you may have noticed me posting those here weekly, usually on Sundays. Excellent focus on quality and accuracy.
Adam Savage's Tested has already been mentioned in this thread. Seconded, he is a wonderful human being and shares his joy with us regarding everything he does in his shop.
Next up is a channel I like but this IS also a plug for a political candidate. I want to be very upfront about that. Kat Abughazaleh is a Palestinian-American journalist who is running for Congress in Illinois (district 9) and I mention her in part because she has ignored the normal fundraising approach and is raising the money for her campaign... by streaming on YouTube. And it's working. In my view, way better than making yourself beholden to a bunch of rich people while trying to get elected. Edit: looks like she's streaming now (currently T:2135 GMT-5) raising money for the Minnesota chapter of the National Lawyers Guild to help with the situation there.
Ezra Klein is one of the better journalists I have found. He does long-form videos and they are of substance and quality.
Marco Reps is a fellow electronics YouTuber who does repairs and projects and has the best dry humor for electronics nerds. You can know nothing about electronics and STILL be entertained by his videos.
What's Going on With Shipping? is a very subject-specific quality information outlet about... you guessed it, shipping!
Knitting Cult Lady - Daniella is former US Army, masters degree in organizational psychology from Harvard, and grew up in the cult 'children of God'. She is a scholar of cults, extremist groups and bad leadership.
David Malawey is a (former I think?) Toyota Engineer, has a masters of Science and seeks to provide high quality informational videos about Mechatronics (the combination of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering - Robotics basically), working spaces, sourcing useful materials that are BOTH cheap and quality and much more. I've learned a lot from him that has been useful.
Dr. Glaucomflecken - want to hear about the evils of United Healthcare and laugh your ass of in the process? Here you go. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuunited Healthcare, why did you bother calling?
Dungeon Soup - Do you like DND? Do you need some laughs right now? Here you go.
Project Farm - Todd is funded by Patreon and does extremely high-effort, time-consuming product research while adhering to the scientific method and showing his work. Great consumer advocacy. If you're thinking of buying something, check to see if he's reviewed it.
James Hoffmann - do you like Coffee? Do you want to know everything you can possibly learn about it from a soothing-voiced polite Englishman? Yes, you do.
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Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
l_one Link ParentFair. We all need to care for ourselves, especially now.Fair. We all need to care for ourselves, especially now.
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Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
l_one Link ParentThank you for continuing to update as details come in.Thank you for continuing to update as details come in.
There's many protest songs out there, more every day.
Just a few days ago Bruce Springsteen added his voice, and it's a good one.