lelio's recent activity
-
Comment on What's your favorite music album to get high to? in ~music
-
Comment on An image of an archeologist adventurer who wears a hat and uses a bullwhip in ~tech
lelio Link ParentI wouldn't stand in the way (or vote against) any short term action to help people right now. But I'm not sure what it would look like. This is speculation and just my opinion, but I think trying...I wouldn't stand in the way (or vote against) any short term action to help people right now. But I'm not sure what it would look like.
This is speculation and just my opinion, but I think trying to stop AI or those in power from using it to concentrate their power, is a lost cause. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube and you can't convince billionaires in a capitalist society to continue paying people when there is a cheaper option.
In my opinion we are in the middle of a rapid acceleration in technology, artists are not the only ones who will suffer. Software engineers are next, drivers, machine operators, office jobs in general. I think, in the next 30 years more than half of current jobs will be eliminated. If we keep the system as is, those who own the machines will have more power than ever and we exist at their mercy.
Trying to reengineer society while the plane is flying does seem crazy hard. But I think stopping the above scenario while keeping the current status quo is even more hopeless. And the current shakeup from people losing jobs might be our chance to do so.
It also doesn't have to be a completely revolutionary thing. In the US, I would suggest gradually raising the top tax rate over the next decade or so until it's back at 80-90% like it was in the 50s and 60s. We could call it the "Make America great again" bill, lol. If the gov gets more tax revenue from that we can use it for social programs. It would be a start at least.
Politically, I realize this is all a pipe dream. But what solution isn't at this point?
-
Comment on An image of an archeologist adventurer who wears a hat and uses a bullwhip in ~tech
lelio Link ParentIf we have to fight against big, rich companies. Then we have a choice. Do we fight to maintain the status quo and suppress technology so that we can continue to scrounge a living. Or do we change...If we have to fight against big, rich companies. Then we have a choice. Do we fight to maintain the status quo and suppress technology so that we can continue to scrounge a living. Or do we change the system so that the technology we create works to benefit all of humanity?
Either way it's a hard fight, why not fight the root of the problem rather than the symptom. In my opinion, unregulated free market capitalism is the root cause. Not AI or any other tech that will be used by rich people to keep themselves in power.
-
Comment on An image of an archeologist adventurer who wears a hat and uses a bullwhip in ~tech
lelio Link ParentI wasn't sure what they were trying to say either. Personally I do believe that stealing intellectual property should be cool. Since copying doesn't have to mean taking anything from anyone. It...I wasn't sure what they were trying to say either.
Personally I do believe that stealing intellectual property should be cool. Since copying doesn't have to mean taking anything from anyone. It could just be an additive process. Human knowledge has been building on top of itself for thousands of years now. Modern society is a cumulative result of thousands of years of work by those who came before us.
What's not cool is the unregulated capitalism we have set up. It means everyone has to find something to do in order to feed and shelter themselves. Now AI can do some of those things faster, and it makes it harder for humans to earn enough to feed themselves.
Couldn't we just use all this extra productivity to take care of people no matter what?
Raise the top tax rate, create a social safety net, and eliminate intellectual property. Anyone could use any information . In this scenario, intellectual "property is theft".Then AI can do whatever it wants and we can use AI or human created art based on which one we like better.
-
Comment on What's a feeling you sometimes experience that you don't have a name for? in ~talk
lelio Link ParentI love these neurospicy threads! As a self diagnosed probably mildly autism spectrum, probably not a very ADHD person (but my wife and kids are!): I find waiting rooms and similar situations...I love these neurospicy threads!
As a self diagnosed probably mildly autism spectrum, probably not a very ADHD person (but my wife and kids are!):
I find waiting rooms and similar situations "unbearable" without a smart phone. Or before those, some paperback, which I always kept on me. But it isn't the waiting without stimulation, it's feeling anxious about how to act in a social situation with nothing to do. Needing an escape from that.
If I have to wait in an alone space, like early in the morning, in a car parked really far away from the store and kind of behind a tree. I can stare into space and daydream for an hour, no problem. I always have some project to think about, I might even make progress by just thinking through a plan, no new information necessary. Happy to have some easy quiet time.
-
Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books
lelio Link ParentI would think this story meets that definition. I wouldn't call your comment or any of the others here thoughtless. And the only reason it was posted on the guardian is its transgressive nature right?thought-provoking / transgressive
I would think this story meets that definition.
I wouldn't call your comment or any of the others here thoughtless.
And the only reason it was posted on the guardian is its transgressive nature right? -
Comment on Amazon Appstore on Android and Coins will be discontinued on August 20, 2025 in ~games
lelio LinkI used to use the Amazon app store so I could get kindle and audible apps that would let me buy stuff in app. Since the Google play version had that locked out for awhile to avoid Googles fees....I used to use the Amazon app store so I could get kindle and audible apps that would let me buy stuff in app. Since the Google play version had that locked out for awhile to avoid Googles fees.
But it looks like the current Kindle app from Google Play has a buy now button.
I wonder why now, and if these events are connected. I'm seeing some news about EU regulations that may have changed, but I'm in California. Did Google change their policy for everyone? -
Comment on Armchair governing dictator - new rule for 2025 (fun) in ~talk
lelio LinkEasy simple solutions are usually not viable in social situations, but since this is for fun, I have one idea. If I were a single issue leader of the federal government of the United States, I...Easy simple solutions are usually not viable in social situations, but since this is for fun, I have one idea.
If I were a single issue leader of the federal government of the United States, I would propose raising the top tax bracket back to 70% or more.
All the infrastructure for income tax is already in place, nothing new needs to be made. We are just changing one number. It seems like the smallest, simplest change we could make that could have a huge impact.
We could try to sell it to conservatives as a return to the 1960s financial era, when, many of them apparently believe, America was "great" .
I would also try to remove any capital gains exemptions, so that all profit, even from investment, would be subject to the same income tax.
To soften the blow we could have the rate raised by a small amount each year. Until it gets to at least 70%. We can reassess its effects periodically.
The benefit might be more income for the government, which could help pay down debt and counteract inflation. Or possibly increase spending on social programs.
It's very likely rich people would just rearrange their finances so that they make less profit. And the government wouldn't get that much more money.
But changing rich peoples incentives would be the whole point. If huge profit was no longer possible, what might companies invest their revenue in? We also have some control over that with tax law.
Ideally if there were diminishing returns on profit anyway, companies might invest their revenue in things that provide more long term security. They could pay their employees more, to retain experienced and quality employees. They could also make higher quality products, to build their brand's reputation. invest in long term efficiency, and sustainability, etc.
It just seems like so much of our issues are based on inequality and short term profit seeking. If we could dampen that down by changing one number why not try?
-
Comment on A few questions about replacing our clothes washing machine in ~life
lelio LinkI bought a speed queen tc5 a few years ago and I recommend it. It costs as much as the fancy nice ones but instead of smart features it's just a basic no frills boring top loading washer that's...I bought a speed queen tc5 a few years ago and I recommend it.
It costs as much as the fancy nice ones but instead of smart features it's just a basic no frills boring top loading washer that's built to last. It has a 5 year warranty. I have no issues so far. It just washes my clothes well with no issues
-
Comment on Are we all capable of being slaveowners or nazis? in ~humanities
lelio LinkGreat posts here, my 2 cents, an example I haven't seen yet in the thread: I eat meat. It's different from owning slaves, I guess, because I don't eat human meat. But I feel pretty confident that...Great posts here, my 2 cents, an example I haven't seen yet in the thread:
I eat meat. It's different from owning slaves, I guess, because I don't eat human meat. But I feel pretty confident that if humanity survives the next few centuries we will at some point go vegan. Humanity will likely consider people like me who are eating meat in this day and age, while veganism is an option that we all know about, as morally deficient.
Not only do I suspect this will happen. I HOPE it will. Because I know it's wrong, morally, and practically, our current meat industry. Not only are we causing suffering. We are feeding ourselves in a way that isn't sustainable, and, I think, maintains a general ignorance about what our bodies actually need. In my ideal future we study the human body and mindfully synthesize food that provides what it needs. In a sustainable and humane way.
But, I still eat meat. It's just easier. For me going vegan would be too hard.
I feel the urge to explain that food is really hard for me. I'm not exactly neurotypical, I'm lucky in that In many ways, I can pass for normal and don't experience sound, light or smell sensitivity like a lot of people on the spectrum (and in my family) do. I have a lot of privilege and luck that allows me to navigate most aspects of life well despite being a weirdo. But food, especially the texture of food has always been a source of anxiety for me, and a drain on my time and will. It took me almost 40 years of my life to find a routine that allows me to maintain an acceptable level of nutrition without constant fear of my next meal.
I basically I eat the same meal, chicken tacos, for dinner every night. It gets me some protein, fiber, etc. It's nothing special, nothing to be proud of, and objectively, not all that healthy. But compared to my past eating struggles it is such a comfort, I've been eating this same dinner at least 95% of nights for almost 10 years. It is a routine that feels like it frees me to live my life knowing I have this safety net.But all that feels like whiny excuses. I could go vegan, I should go vegan. It would just be hard.to change. It would sap so much of my energy from somewhere else. I might be a worse father (or play less video games). I've made the practical choice that's it just not something I'm willing to do, at least not now. I do other things for purely moral reasons, I have some monthly donations, I help people even when I don't want to, etc.
Morality is often a matter of what we can afford. I can't judge early humans without agriculture for eating meat, they had no real other options. I do have options. But I feel like, for me, in this one situation, In order to do the right thing, I need either better options that are easier for me. Or I need to not have the bad thing I want to do be so easy and socially acceptable.
-
Comment on "Americans get screwed because they can’t read" in ~society
lelio Link ParentHalf baked idea: What if we had laws that had to have less than 100 words, or 500, or whatever is short enough that millions of voters will be willing to read the whole thing through. But, you...Half baked idea:
What if we had laws that had to have less than 100 words, or 500, or whatever is short enough that millions of voters will be willing to read the whole thing through.
But, you could have unlimited footnotes assigned to each word defining and adding context and logistical guidelines. These sections could be written at whatever reading level and length necessary to be precise.The main text though, would have to at least make sense without the foot notes, and convey the true impact of the benefits and drawbacks of the law bill in laymen's terms.
The bill could be available online with links on the notes, like a wiki.
-
Comment on Conformity and contrarianism at the same time in ~talk
lelio LinkI think I'm often seen as contrarian. I think of it more as being a skeptic. I feel like it's important to recognize our ignorance and the complexity of human civilization. So if someone says...I think I'm often seen as contrarian.
I think of it more as being a skeptic. I feel like it's important to recognize our ignorance and the complexity of human civilization. So if someone says something like "The American financial system was designed to keep lower class people as wage slaves". I may disagree. It's more complicated, institutional memory, mission creep, corruption, etc. Most likely, no one person or group mindfully designed the American financial system.
But if someone says something like: "The current system seems to make it difficult to escape wage slavery". I'll just think: "True that." Maybe vote and move on.
This might seem inconsistent. But to me it's because I think it's really important to approach problems without any misconceptions or biases. If our system was designed by evil actors than the solution would be a much easier one of just finding and stopping those people. Instead I think we actually have to do the hard work of designing and implementing a fair economic system.
I picked American economics at random. But Its the same for me with any issue. I'm more likely to push back against people I generally agree with who are making unproductive assumptions, because I want "my team" to be well informed and thinking clearly about how to move forward. Often that may seem like I'm just nitpicking something to argue about.
-
Comment on The case against California Proposition 36 in ~society
lelio Link ParentThat seems hyperbolic to me. There is a difference between murder and selling something that people willingly buy. If there is fraud or coercion involved then that crosses a moral line for me. but...they're directly responsible for the daily murder of 2~3 San Franciscans and the immiseration of many more.
That seems hyperbolic to me. There is a difference between murder and selling something that people willingly buy. If there is fraud or coercion involved then that crosses a moral line for me. but I don't think that is always the case in selling drugs.
More than 100k people a year die from alcohol disease related deaths in the US. There is a whole industry of people making, selling, and distributing alcohol. It is even worse than illegal drugs because they have huge marketing budgets that could be seen as a mild form of fraud or coercion. But I don't consider all bartenders murderers.
People die from car accidents, people commit suicide using tools others sold to them. All our actions have ripple effects and unwanted consequences that are difficult to account for, especially when we are panicked and just trying to survive.
I feel it would work better if we used the government to focus on helping everyone be safe and financially secure by providing goods and services funded by tax dollars. Rather than using the government to punish whoever we think is at fault.
-
Comment on Advice for dealing with racist/pro-Donald Trump family? in ~health.mental
lelio Link ParentI think you were being kind and trying to empathize when you said: It struck me that I can't feel that at all. Maybe I'm the outlier here, but nothing about my gender or body characteristics feels...I think you were being kind and trying to empathize when you said:
the mere thought of losing intrinsic body characteristics that you identify with, that make you you, is a pretty good indicator you aren't any flavor of non-binary and certainly not transgendered.
It struck me that I can't feel that at all. Maybe I'm the outlier here, but nothing about my gender or body characteristics feels like an intrinsic part of my identity. If I could easily press a button and change my bodies sex, I would probably do it. Just to experience something different and get a new perspective. But I feel like it wouldn't fundamentally change who I am. Mostly it would just change the way people treat me.
I support trans people. In general if someone wants to do something that badly we should let them and help them when we can.
But I also struggle to connect with some trans people. For very different reasons than you were saying.
I've always felt like gender was a social construct; like race, or star signs. Biological sex is a real thing, some people can make eggs, some people can fertilize them. Then there are associated statistical correlations in hormones, muscle mass, body shape etc. but on an individual level there is such a wide range within each sex that it seems pointless to differentiate between them unless we are specifically dealing with reproduction or health issues.
In "Come as you are" by Emily Nagoski. She makes the point that men are on average around 4 inches taller than women. But if you get 100 random men and look at their heights there will probably a much larger range, likely at least 12". And obviously there are plenty of examples of women who are taller than men. So I feel like there is no reason to consider gender when dealing with height. I think it's the same for most of the traits that society tries to split the genders into.
Since I was young, I always felt like it was silly how segregated by gender our society is. Why do we need different words, different bathrooms, etc. it feels like it just limits us.
From that perspective I especially support trans people because I feel like every controversial issue that gets brought up around trans people highlights how flawed and ridiculous our segregated society is. Just have one bathroom for everyone! Problem solved!
It feels like trans people are going through so much struggle and I think in the end their hardship and bravery will be a benefit to us all. Making our civilization more diverse and open. Which I think increases our resiliency and potential overall.
My problem is when I hear some trans people say things like 'I am a woman born in a man's body'. I just can't understand what they mean. How can you feel like you are a gender? I'm not saying they are wrong. But I have never experienced any kind of gender identity that I can feel internally, like something that is intrinsic to me beyond physical appearance.
I look like a man, so society treats me like man. When people assume things about me because of my gender or make some comment about how Im not conforming to my gender. Im mostly amused or at worst mildly annoyed. I'm lucky enough that I can live with that and it doesn't cause me any significant stress or feeling of wrongness. I can understand that some people want to dress, speak or act in ways that society won't accept unless they look like a certain sex. And that makes their life very difficult. That sucks and we should change, everyone should feel comfortable to live their life however they want and their sex shouldn't be a factor. You shouldn't have to choose a gender at all. What if you want to talk "like a man" but dress "like a woman"? Even asking that question seems to illustrate how pointless gender is.
But when you say I AM X gender even though I was born with the opposite sexual organs, isn't that just buying into and reinforcing the social construct that is gender?
Do they really feel so confident that there is a switch in their head that is definitely switched to one or the other? Or is it a defense mechanism? Is saying 'I am this gender' just easier than trying to explain they want to act in a certain way that society won't let them?
I struggle to understand a thing that is thankfully deconstructing gender, yet at the same time seems to be obsessed with gender and basing peoples identity on it.
Sorry to dump all that on you but I think it's been bouncing around in my head needing to be put into words and your comment jostled it out.
-
Comment on You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it? in ~society
lelio LinkIn the States, I would run for President with the express purpose of limiting the power of the President. I think the president should be someone who can keep a cool head in a crisis. When time is...In the States, I would run for President with the express purpose of limiting the power of the President.
I think the president should be someone who can keep a cool head in a crisis. When time is critical they can make quick short term decisions to handle natural disasters, national defense, etc. any executive orders should be for emergencies only and expire after a set time period, maybe a month. Then Congress has to extend them or take other actions.
I don't think Presidents should set policy at all. They should be boring administrators, or at best guidance and leadership to help Congress set policy.
As president I would encourage Congress to set restrictions on what executive orders can do and how long they can be in effect. I would promise to sign any laws passed that restricted my power.
-
Comment on If you could send someone to any historic moment, who and when? in ~talk
lelio LinkI would send the last great "human" scientist(hopefully someone born millennia from now, but who knows?) back to Berkeley in 1960. For some reason I hesitate to send that knowledge back before...I would send the last great "human" scientist(hopefully someone born millennia from now, but who knows?) back to Berkeley in 1960.
For some reason I hesitate to send that knowledge back before world war 2. Even though there is so much suffering, it just seems like so much could go wrong and I can't think of anywhere we can just drop them and trust that they will be taken care of and used wisely.
So, If possible, I would specifically place them near Carl Sagan. Like, Sagan is sitting, eating his lunch and poof! Future scientist appears in his office.
Hopefully they would find a way to communicate and have a nice long chat and maybe work on some projects together. Sagan is first to mind as someone that can communicate science brilliantly and seems thoughtful enough to make tough calls on how much to tell people and what ideas and technologies would be safe and of benefit to humans at that point.
If I don't blink out of existence or have my memory altered immediately after, then I can at least watch cosmos and see if anything seems different.
-
Comment on Fridge leaks water, pooling up... What do? in ~life.home_improvement
lelio LinkAnother vote for: "check the drain hose" . Mine clogs up often and causes the bottom of the freezer to fill up with ice similar to this.Another vote for: "check the drain hose" .
Mine clogs up often and causes the bottom of the freezer to fill up with ice similar to this. -
Comment on What do you actually do at work? in ~life
lelio LinkI'm a freelance industrial technician. Factories in my area will contact me when their equipment breaks and there is no official support channel from the manufacturer. I either give them free tech...I'm a freelance industrial technician. Factories in my area will contact me when their equipment breaks and there is no official support channel from the manufacturer. I either give them free tech support, refer them to someone who knows better, or I schedule a service visit. I bill $200 an hour to drive to their facility and work on the problem until they get up and running again.
Sometimes, I just find an estop button that everyone forgot about but got tripped somehow. Sometimes I have to rebuild a spindle or replace a servo drive. Sometimes I get to modify or retrofit old machines with newer tech, or better design to suit what they are trying to do with it.
I'm happy if I average between 20-30 billable hours a week. It's hard work and I eventually burn out if I do much more.
I have a very flexible, but chaotic and stressful schedule. It can be really satisfying to fix stuff and be a hero, but its pretty intense sometimes. I'm working on transitioning or at least diversifying into other stuff over the next few years. -
Comment on Getting started with intermittent reward as a motivation tactic in ~health.mental
lelio Link;)The rewards they administer should be something that you cannot just give yourself.
;)
-
Comment on How do you avoid the "getting started" loop? in ~talk
lelio LinkI've embraced my tendency to procrastinate by planning. It can actually help with many types of tasks. I don't think there is a perfect way to do anything though. So I don't have a mind set of "I...- I've embraced my tendency to procrastinate by planning.
It can actually help with many types of tasks. I don't think there is a perfect way to do anything though. So I don't have a mind set of "I will do this when I have a perfect plan".
Instead I think: I really don't want to do this right now, and I don't even know where to start. So I make a Google doc or something, I get very specific and have a numbered list of steps. I do research and write the steps as if I am writing them for a child. I revise and simplify and reread the instructions. Eventually I am more excited and antsy to get started than I am scared. Then I just follow the steps, its usually easy as there are no more decisions to be made, no executive function necessary.
Like you mentioned, I have to avoid the trap of buying some gadget to use. It's always tempting and sometimes it makes sense. But usually it's just an excuse to get that dopamine hit of buying a thing, plus I often have to wait for it to come, which helps me delay actually starting the task.
If I'm tempted I write down a strategy with and without the gadget so I can get an idea of how much it really helps.Like for example if you want to do streaming you may be tempted to buy equipment. You can write that into your plan. First write up how to do it with the bare minimum of stuff you already have. Then have a step like: "After I have streamed 5 sessions revisit my equipment based on my experience so far".
Overall I think documenting things is key for me. If I try to plan in my head I can go in circles forever and never get anything done. If I type I all out then every time I come back to that task I can make small forward progress.
-
With some tasks, like exercise or cleaning, anything where you are trying to change your habits, you just have to start by doing the smallest chunk of work possible. Exactly like Wafik said in his post.
-
I suspect everyone is faking it at least a little. No one's life is as well put together as it seems from the outside. Just keep working and learning. Don't be so hard on yourself.
Also in my 40s and never got really got into Pink Floyd, or getting high, until a few years ago. It felt ironic/cliche the first time I tried them together (with Wizard of Oz, lol). But the album got into regular rotation pretty quickly after.
My favorite is the great gig in the sky. Those vocals feel like the center of the whole album for me.
The sax is fun too though ;)
I really like Wish You Were Here too.