lelio's recent activity
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Comment on I hacked ChatGPT and Google's AI – and it only took twenty minutes in ~tech
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Comment on James Van Der Beek, the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star who later mocked his own hunky persona, has died at 48 in ~tv
lelio Link Parenthttps://www.tmz.com/2026/02/13/james-van-der-beek-purchased-texas-ranch-before-dying/ My take away was van-der-beek himself bought the ranch while he was still alive. He had been living on this...https://www.tmz.com/2026/02/13/james-van-der-beek-purchased-texas-ranch-before-dying/
My take away was van-der-beek himself bought the ranch while he was still alive. He had been living on this ranch since 2020, renting. He was dying so he wanted to buy this ranch so his wife and 6 kids would be at least paying a mortgage rather than renting. To be better set up after he was gone. The friends setup a gofundme then him gave him the money to do that. And he got to do it a few weeks before he died, not after.
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Comment on The hidden cost of AI art: Brandon Sanderson's keynote in ~tech
lelio LinkSanderson talks about the journey. The growth that the artist achieves during creation. Our AI models are experiencing growth. The creation of one piece of content might not have a direct impact...Sanderson talks about the journey. The growth that the artist achieves during creation.
Our AI models are experiencing growth. The creation of one piece of content might not have a direct impact on the model that made it. I don't think it works like that. But people are experiencing AI art and responding to it. Other people are developing different AI models, experimenting with different ways to interpret and manipulate data. The growth of AI is humanity's collective growth as well. It has to be, there doesn't appear to any sentience involved in the models themselves yet.
We are trying to recreate our brains. That was the whole idea of neural networks right? We don't understand how our brains work yet. But trying to design your own version of something is a great way to learn about it. Ideally, the fields of neurology and machine learning should be developing in parallel and informing each other.
I don't believe in God. I think all the amazing things that come from the human brain could be expressed with physics and math.
When AI spits out a soulful blues cover of Warren Gs "Regulate" and it actually sparks an emotional response in me. Its kind of a parlour trick. Without really understanding it, we've figured out how to hit all the right buttons in our brains to trigger those emotional responses. I don't believe the current AI models have any significant intelligence or understanding of what they are doing. But, in addition to the mathematically induced emotional response, I feel awe and excitement that human civilization is progressing down this road to understanding how our brains work! What are emotions? Where do they come from? AI art is an artifact of us taking baby steps toward answering those questions.
Being able to understand our brains would allow us to better treat them and improve them. Being able to understand brains in general and intelligence and emotion could allow us to design new and diverse types of brains. It could help our society become something amazing.
I think he hits on the real problem here: These are made to be products. The main incentive to create them is to attract investors and ultimately extract profit.
Because it seems the only way we can do anything in our current civilization is to find a way to make it profitable. Even if a project is started for the betterment of society. We have to find a way to make it profitable or it won't have any resources dedicated to it. Almost immediately profit is the only goal. The whole project is twisted towards profit regardless of whether it's harmful or helpful.
Like Openai starting out open source and non-profit and all that getting chucked out the window a few years later.
So we get stuck in this loop where we see tech being used in harmful ways and resent the tools rather than the system that abuses it.
I find AI art really compelling. Even the bad, weird stuff. It makes me think about what art is, where it comes from, how humans make it and experience it. It's a type of art we've never seen before! I don't really care whether it's "bad" or "authentic" or whatever.
It seems clear to me all the negative feeling and resentment that people have about AI stems from the inequality and fear that is so prevelant in the world today. People are right to be angry about those things. I just wish we could direct the anger at the system that creates them instead of the tools it uses.
Tax these giant tech companies out existence and use that money to fund R&D on AI and a million other things that can help everyone and be owned by all of us collectively. Free markets are great for effiency and commodities. Just let them run in their own walled off sandboxes. Important, long term projects need to be done on purpose and mindfully.
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Comment on What small thing made a big impact on you? in ~talk
lelio Link ParentI had that same realization. For me the only thing that worked was counting calories. And eventually I realized I didn't have to restrict my calories just to lose weight and then stop. I had to...I had that same realization.
For me the only thing that worked was counting calories. And eventually I realized I didn't have to restrict my calories just to lose weight and then stop.
I had to find what weight I wanted to be, then figure out how many calories a day to maintain that weight. In theory, if I knew that number, I could just start eating that amount, at any weight. Since heavier people burn more calories. Eventually my weight would automatically adjust to the goal weight.In reality it took a few years of counting and weighing for me to actually find those numbers. Precision calorie counting doesn't seem possible. But the realization that there is no point at all to a temporary diet was key. Instead I only try to find healthy eating habits that I can maintain forever and start doing them right away as if I'm already at my goal weight.
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Comment on Hunger signals messed up in ~health.mental
lelio LinkWhen I got into my 30s I started gaining weight and had to get more mindful about what I ate. I started counting calories and macros (carbs,fat, protein). I eventually decided my stomach was...When I got into my 30s I started gaining weight and had to get more mindful about what I ate.
I started counting calories and macros (carbs,fat, protein).I eventually decided my stomach was pretty useless at telling me when to eat. My stomach sends pangs mostly when it expected food and didn't get it. Like if I changed a routine. But also if I ate something it's not used to or if I'm just feeling stressed, or just randomly, even when I had 3000+ calories that day.
You should still listen to your body, but you can't always trust it. If I'm feeling kind of tired, irritable, and pessimistic that's a stronger signal to me that I should consider if I've eaten enough recently.
Counting calories is a pain, but even if you just keep a journal of what you eat for a few days/weeks. Or just try to remember and plan. It might help.
For me, getting older has meant finding things that my body used to handle automatically are now things I have to consciously manage. It's exhausting, but rewarding.
This is just my weird body. Everyone is different. You might consider bringing it up with your doctor next time you have a physical. In case it's a symptom of something else.
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Comment on Recommendations needed: Favorite “comfort” movies in ~movies
lelio LinkThe only ones I can think of that aren't already here: Joe vs the Volcano Grosse pointe blank Oceans 12 (someone mentioned 11, but 12 is my fav :) Some of my most common comfort movies are just...The only ones I can think of that aren't already here:
Joe vs the Volcano
Grosse pointe blank
Oceans 12 (someone mentioned 11, but 12 is my fav :)Some of my most common comfort movies are just things I've watched so many times that the repetition becomes a comfort regardless of the vibe, like "Heat".
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
lelio LinkI'm on the 7th dungeon crawler carl book. I find the series really fun. I'm disappointed that I'm about to catch up (8th book comes out next summer) right before I go on vacation this weekend. If...I'm on the 7th dungeon crawler carl book. I find the series really fun. I'm disappointed that I'm about to catch up (8th book comes out next summer) right before I go on vacation this weekend. If anyone has similar fun beach reads let me know.
I've also been slowly reading "Journal of a novel" Steinbeck's East of Eden dairy. For when Im feeling more patient and contemplative.
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Comment on Reading my first Stephen King novel - What are your favorites? in ~books
lelio (edited )LinkI want to mention " the talisman". Because I skimmed the thread and didn't see it. Its one of my favorites. I kept thinking of it when I read Fairy Tale. It's a very similar story and vibe. I...I want to mention " the talisman". Because I skimmed the thread and didn't see it. Its one of my favorites. I kept thinking of it when I read Fairy Tale. It's a very similar story and vibe. I liked talisman better but that might just be because I read it when I was young.
Insomnia is another favorite of mine.
The Dark Tower series is the axle upon which the world of Stephen king spins. You should eventually get around to that if you want to explore his books.
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Comment on The goon squad. Loneliness, porn’s next frontier, and the dream of endless masturbation. in ~life
lelio LinkI like the article, for reporting on a weird subculture and doing a lot of research. But I started feeling like the tone was kind of moral panic. I wouldn't grant that, unless "gooner porn" is...I like the article, for reporting on a weird subculture and doing a lot of research. But I started feeling like the tone was kind of moral panic.
Granted, day-in-the-life TikToks or unboxing videos won’t poison your soul to precisely the same degree as gooner porn.
I wouldn't grant that, unless "gooner porn" is specifically snuff films or something, I took it as just weird porn edited to be more intense. I don't see how that's soul poisoning at all.
If people want to average 2-3 hours a day masturbating to porn, I don't see that as any less healthy than sports, video games, baking, crocheting, or whatever humans choose to do with their lives. We're a bunch of brilliant, abusive, weirdos. It takes all kinds.
A few of the most intense fans of gooning are going down a weird, untrodden path into the wilderness. In the best-case scenario, society at large can respond like WristbandGuy. Offer support and guidance as best we can, so they can travel as safely as possible. It's probably a pointless waste of resources, but maybe they'll find something interesting.
A huge population and communication technology mean way more weird paths to go down, and more interesting things to find. We just have to worry about keeping people safe while they do their weird shit.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
lelio Link ParentNaw, that's like a used city. Gross. I need a fesh one, and to my specifications. Edit: Whoops, I think I missed you were replying about bike cities and not telling me to use an abandoned city....Naw, that's like a used city. Gross.
I need a fesh one, and to my specifications.Edit:
Whoops, I think I missed you were replying about bike cities and not telling me to use an abandoned city. But I'm gonna leave it because the point stands. -
Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
lelio LinkId buy a huge swath of land and build a city. Depending on how many billions I have it might be a scaled down city like a GTA map. But it'll have everything: suburbs, skyscrapers, a mall, a train,...Id buy a huge swath of land and build a city. Depending on how many billions I have it might be a scaled down city like a GTA map. But it'll have everything: suburbs, skyscrapers, a mall, a train, water and power, etc. I could invite people in and it would be our playground. We could race cars around the streets, play paintball, just walk around and hang out and camp wherever we want like we were apocalypse survivors.
it would be sealed off to keep the riff raff out and insure all the housing and resources are only for our amusement.
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Comment on Commentary: prepare to say a frond farewell to Los Angeles’ palm trees in ~enviro
lelio LinkI'm in Los Angeles. About 15 years ago I put laundry machines in the garage where there is no drain nearby. I researched a bit and dug out a hole in the yard nearby, put in a trash can with holes...I'm in Los Angeles. About 15 years ago I put laundry machines in the garage where there is no drain nearby.
I researched a bit and dug out a hole in the yard nearby, put in a trash can with holes drilled in it. Put a wood platform over it.Within a few years a palm bush thing started growing right next to the drain. It seemed to reach a full size poofy thing, right on the ground. Then it just levitated straight up over for the last few years. Fueled by our laundry water no doubt.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
lelio Link ParentWhen I was a teenager, decades ago. I read Travels with Charlie, Grapes of Wrath, and To a god unknown. I liked them all and sometimes reread parts of Grapes of Wrath. I somehow just missed East...When I was a teenager, decades ago. I read Travels with Charlie, Grapes of Wrath, and To a god unknown. I liked them all and sometimes reread parts of Grapes of Wrath.
I somehow just missed East of Eden. I never knew it was considered one of his best. Then I heard it mentioned/recommend I think 4 times in the last year. I'm glad I finally got around to it!
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Comment on Why language models hallucinate in ~tech
lelio Link ParentA while ago I told chatGPT to start each answer with it's confidence level. I haven't decided if it's actually helpful or accurate yet. It has never given a confidence rating below 50%. But since...A while ago I told chatGPT to start each answer with it's confidence level.
I haven't decided if it's actually helpful or accurate yet. It has never given a confidence rating below 50%. But since GPT5 I can't remember seeing an obvious hallucination yet either.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
lelio LinkI just finished East of Eden last night. Holy shit, that was amazing. Timshel y'all. I'd get into more detail about what i thought, but I need to consult with my local chinese scholars, wise men,...I just finished East of Eden last night.
Holy shit, that was amazing. Timshel y'all.I'd get into more detail about what i thought, but I need to consult with my local chinese scholars, wise men, and rabbinic authorities first.
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Comment on Could a space traveler accelerate at 1g forever? in ~space
lelio Link Parenten.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bussard_ramjet In theory you might be able to generate a giant magnetic field that will scoop up anything in your way, and then process it into fuel for a fusion drive. Which...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bussard_ramjet
In theory you might be able to generate a giant magnetic field that will scoop up anything in your way, and then process it into fuel for a fusion drive. Which provides thrust and powers the magnetic field.
Nothing we would be capable of making anytime soon though. And possibly there isn't enough interstellar medium for it to work. And a bunch of things could prove impossible to implement.
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Comment on So was there no song of the summer this year? in ~music
lelio LinkJust going by my teenage daughters, this was definitely the summer of EPIC: the musical . That was on in the background all summer long. When it wasn't on, they were singing it! Also, thanks for...Just going by my teenage daughters, this was definitely the summer of EPIC: the musical . That was on in the background all summer long. When it wasn't on, they were singing it!
Also, thanks for the fun low-stakes thread! This thread reminds me of this silly video.
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Comment on US government snaps up 10% of Intel for $8.9B in ~tech
lelio Link ParentTo be fair, they said "The United States paid nothing for these Shares". One can't be blamed for thinking they seized it or something.To be fair, they said "The United States paid nothing for these Shares". One can't be blamed for thinking they seized it or something.
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Comment on What happened to your first car? in ~transport
lelio LinkI have a huge amount of nostalgia for my first car. It was a 1996 Eagle Talon TSI AWD. I bought it in 1999 when I was 17. We did many irresponsible and morally indefensible things together in and...I have a huge amount of nostalgia for my first car.
It was a 1996 Eagle Talon TSI AWD.I bought it in 1999 when I was 17. We did many irresponsible and morally indefensible things together in and around Los Angeles until 2003.
Then a good friend bought a brand new WRX. Right away we went to a spot to race. First race, he launched quicker and pulled about half a car length ahead. The cars accelerated almost exactly the same at that point, he held the small lead the whole way. We went back and tried again and I dropped the clutch HARD. I took the lead this time and then we held the same just as before. We laughed and called it even.Driving home I quickly realized the last launch had taken a toll. I had broken a motor mount, the whole transaxle had swung into the frame and cracked a hole in the transmission housing. If I engine braked even slightly I could hear gears grinding against the frame.
I spent a few weeks taking the bus to work and trying to fix it, replacing the motor mount was easy but I couldnt get the transmission housing patched, I tried all kinds of epoxy and stuff but it kept opening up again or leaking fluid. I really didn't want to replace the whole transmission, it would have been super expensive. Not having a car in LA is tough, I was kind of freaking out. Eventually, I patched it and took it to a dealership to trade it in for an SRT-4. While I was signing paperwork, I was hoping they didn't notice the growing puddle of transmission fluid under the Talon. They didn't, and I think I got around $7k for it.
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Comment on Which other sites do you visit? in ~tech
lelio Link ParentI use wikitok on android sometimes, just scrolling wiki articles on random.I use wikitok on android sometimes, just scrolling wiki articles on random.
Did you know that anyone can buy a printer that will print whatever dangerous nonsense they want to write? They can even put a fake letterhead on top that says "super legit trustworthy source." They can then give that, real, actual, paper to anyone and act as if it's the truth! Damn your hubris, Gutenberg!
We should all know by now that you can't trust anything an AI says. You can't trust anything. That should be our default at this point, right? Truth is hard.
AI is useful, flawed, and complicated. But at this point, "you can't trust it" isn't that interesting beyond educating people who are just starting to use it, I guess.