scarecrw's recent activity
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Comment on Anyone know the closest Canada has political commentary content like the US? in ~society
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Comment on 1-1 political conversations to help mend the political divide in ~society
scarecrw LinkI've been trying this for the last couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share my experience in case anyone else was holding out on giving it a go. My first match and I shared much of the same views....I've been trying this for the last couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share my experience in case anyone else was holding out on giving it a go.
My first match and I shared much of the same views. My understanding is that the app aims to match you with someone with whom you disagreed on some of the prompts at the beginning of the week. Unfortunately, since the prompts are short quotes, its easy to say "agree" or "disagree" but be talking about either the quote itself, the intention behind the quote, the broader article/essay the quote come from, etc. This meant that lots of our explanations started with "I put down agree, but what I meant was...".
My second match was substantially different, having a notably contrasting worldview to my own. They seemed very interested in the concept of "debate" as a rigorous method of getting at some truth or best decision, which I suspect motivated their decision to use the app. There were a few things on which we properly and decisively disagreed, but for the most part seemed to be able to take the best from each other's perspective.
I think the short quote format is interesting. It does allow you to potentially "agree" with someone on one point despite having conflicting perspectives on the broader topic. I suspect this is by design, as they included things like a quote from Obama criticizing "woke" perspectives and other seemingly discordant excerpts which give lots of room for interpretation. However, I'm still wary of encouraging people to discuss topics just based on short excerpts, as I think a lot of discourse could be improved if we push participants to delve into the complexity before taking a stance.
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Comment on Help with ants in the shower! in ~life.home_improvement
scarecrw Link ParentI'll second the use of ant bait. About once a year we get ants and use some of the liquid/gel bait and it works fantastic. I will note for OP, though, that when it works it will: attract a swarm...I'll second the use of ant bait. About once a year we get ants and use some of the liquid/gel bait and it works fantastic.
I will note for OP, though, that when it works it will:
- attract a swarm of ants to the bait for a period of time (~12 hours or so)
- likely leave a decent number of dead ants around the bait
So if that's not something you're comfortable with you may want to get someone to help apply it and clean up.
Last tip: put the bait on a piece of paper or cardboard. It's annoying to clean off of some surfaces, and that way you can just throw the whole thing out.
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Comment on Crypto's new bailout fund: your savings account in ~society
scarecrw (edited )LinkUgh, the path cryptocurrency has gone down has been so disappointing. I was probably just naive enough to not see the inevitable, but I remember in the early 2010s thinking cryptocurrency was such...Ugh, the path cryptocurrency has gone down has been so disappointing. I was probably just naive enough to not see the inevitable, but I remember in the early 2010s thinking cryptocurrency was such a fascinating concept. I was drawn into the ideas of radical decentralization and wresting control of commerce back into the hands of individuals. Now, every article I read is about people pushing to centralize exchanges and bring in government protection and I'm just screaming in my head that avoiding this was THE WHOLE POINT.
I'm wrong, though. The radical ideals were never the real point for many, regardless of what they may have claimed, and any opportunities that may have existed have been engulfed by capitalistic greed.
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Comment on Ben Caplan - The Flood (2025) in ~music
scarecrw LinkThanks for sharing this! I'm surprised I'd never heard of Ben Caplan before, but I'm very glad to have been introduced. I've been listening to Old Stock this past week and I'm now looking forward...Thanks for sharing this! I'm surprised I'd never heard of Ben Caplan before, but I'm very glad to have been introduced. I've been listening to Old Stock this past week and I'm now looking forward to his new album.
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Comment on What is a non-problematic word that you avoid using? in ~talk
scarecrw Link ParentI've always been surprised at how comfortable people are referring to what their news or social media apps display as "feeds". It just makes me think of a horse's feedbag, and the analogy of base...I've always been surprised at how comfortable people are referring to what their news or social media apps display as "feeds". It just makes me think of a horse's feedbag, and the analogy of base food requirements being strapped to your face feels disconcertingly apt.
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Comment on Your favorite entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in ~music
scarecrw LinkTautumeitas certainly stand out from the crowd! If their performance is half as visually-interesting as the photos appear then I'll certainly be excited and rooting for them to qualify! I've loved...Tautumeitas certainly stand out from the crowd! If their performance is half as visually-interesting as the photos appear then I'll certainly be excited and rooting for them to qualify!
I've loved a lot of the songs this year, but if I had to choose my favorite has been Luxembourg. I love the connection to "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" and the theme throughout is great, but, to be honest, I think I just like it because it's fun and I'm a sucker.
With that said, while it's not quite my favorite song, I've been so glad that Switzerland's entry introduced me to Zoë Më. "Dorienne Gris" is fantastic and well worth listening to if you want to get a flavor of her work that's different from "Voyage".
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Comment on If you enjoy very difficult puzzle games, try Epigraph in ~games
scarecrw LinkThank you for recommending this! I downloaded it and played this afternoon and had a fantastic time! Zachtronics games are a favorite of mine as well, though this more reminded me of Chants of...Thank you for recommending this! I downloaded it and played this afternoon and had a fantastic time!
Zachtronics games are a favorite of mine as well, though this more reminded me of Chants of Senaar while playing (though more narrowly focused).
I think my favorite part was the attention to detail in places that may have been unnecessary but added a lot to the game.
Spoilers
Things like the relationship between the languages taking from how many pronunciations change over time/between cultures in the real world, or the notational patterns relating Ts to Ds matching that between Ps and Bs. -
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
scarecrw Link ParentI just watched your introductory video and checked out the esolangs page, and this is super cool! It reminds me a lot of things like NandGame, what with starting with circuits and fundamental...I just watched your introductory video and checked out the esolangs page, and this is super cool! It reminds me a lot of things like NandGame, what with starting with circuits and fundamental operations.
I'll have to find some time to give it a go, but suspect I'll be held back by the input challenges. I've always had huge amounts of respect for people who are wizzes with autohotkey or emacs configs, but I've never been able to pick up those tools naturally.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
scarecrw Link ParentI can't say I'm a huge fan of Codecademy. I've seen it used well as a refresher for syntax of a language or to jumpstart transitioning to a new language, but its value drops off heavily after...I can't say I'm a huge fan of Codecademy. I've seen it used well as a refresher for syntax of a language or to jumpstart transitioning to a new language, but its value drops off heavily after that.
No idea if it's of interest to you, but I got my introduction to Lua from making some mini-projects with pico-8. I'm certainly no expert with the language, but having something creative to work towards was hugely motivating to practice the basics.
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Comment on Which challenging book was worth the effort for you? in ~books
scarecrw Link ParentThe only parts I would imagine being outdated (honestly, it felt that way when I read it as well) would be some of the chapters around the brain and artificial intelligence. I don't know enough to...The only parts I would imagine being outdated (honestly, it felt that way when I read it as well) would be some of the chapters around the brain and artificial intelligence. I don't know enough to say whether the ideas presented about the functioning of the brain were up-to-date with the science of the time, but I saw them more as musings designed to elicit ideas and comparisons anyways. As for artificial intelligence, while obviously decades out of date, I actually think it might be a great time to read those chapters to regain some perspective on how far we've come and how far we have to go.
I also confess I derive a certain smug pleasure reading predictions from the past with the knowledge of the now-present.
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Comment on Which challenging book was worth the effort for you? in ~books
scarecrw (edited )LinkGödel, Escher, Bach I think this pretty easily satisfies the requirement as a "challenging" book. Beyond being ~700 pages long, it asks a lot from you as a reader, with puzzles and ideas to play...Gödel, Escher, Bach
I think this pretty easily satisfies the requirement as a "challenging" book. Beyond being ~700 pages long, it asks a lot from you as a reader, with puzzles and ideas to play around with as you read; it's the only book I've felt can't be properly read without a pen and paper nearby.
With that said, I wouldn't want to misrepresent it as an unapproachable book. I don't recall if there was any math/logic background one would need going in, but if so it was relatively minimal. The dialogues are fun, and, while some of the ideas presented are a bit mind-bending at first, Hofstadter does an excellent job explaining concepts from first principles and organizing each chapter with intention.
As for why it was worth it, that's a bit specific to my experience with the book. I read it in my 2nd(?) year at university as I was just starting to see the connections between different courses I was taking, and the freedom with which GEB connects ideas from mathematics to art and science and cognition really helped me to break down some of the barriers I had formed between these domains in my head.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
scarecrw LinkI've been playing Knights in Tight Spaces, the sequel to Fights in Tight Spaces. It's a deck building rogue-like built upon careful decision making both strategically over the course of a run and...I've been playing Knights in Tight Spaces, the sequel to Fights in Tight Spaces. It's a deck building rogue-like built upon careful decision making both strategically over the course of a run and tactically on individual turns. The various cards and classes introduce innumerable combinations of approaches to a run, though many are not viable outside the easiest setting.
It's been very addicting, and reminds me of one of my all-time favorite games, Into the Breach. That game had a wonderful balance where your first exposure to the next level always seemed impossible, until you put the pieces together in just the right way and there was somehow a solution to be found. Unfortunately, all the deck-building variation in Knights in Tight Spaces means that the balance is not tuned nearly as well. I hope future patches reign in some aspects of the randomness in the game to avoid putting the player in impossible positions.
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Comment on Stremio is an impressive program in ~tech
scarecrw LinkI've heard of similar tools in the past and have always been a bit confused on their exact functionality. Maybe someone here can enlighten me: If using torrents to download, is it acting as its...I've heard of similar tools in the past and have always been a bit confused on their exact functionality. Maybe someone here can enlighten me:
- If using torrents to download, is it acting as its own client, or does it use a separate application for that?
- Where is it pulling magnet links/torrent files from, public trackers? If so, who is updating that public tracker list?
- How does it handle getting metadata for media from different sources? When selecting something to watch, can you see a list of sources and the properties of each file?
I can see the appeal of "media piracy, but you don't have to worry about the details", but the details have always seemed rather important.
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Comment on What quotes inspire you? in ~talk
scarecrw LinkEdsger Dijkstra There was a similar piece of advice I've heard before, something along the lines of I take the Djikstra quote with a similar meaning, but applied to yourself as an individual; it's...As a slow-witted human being I have a very small head and I had better learn to live with it and to respect my limitations and give them full credit, rather than to try to ignore them, for the latter vain effort will be punished by failure.
- Edsger Dijkstra
There was a similar piece of advice I've heard before, something along the lines of
If your plan starts with "If everyone just..." then you don't have a plan. At no point in human history has everyone "just".
I take the Djikstra quote with a similar meaning, but applied to yourself as an individual; it's not a lamentation for our inabilities, it's just a reminder never to make plans based on false perceptions of yourself.
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Comment on Reinventing notebooks as reusable Python programs in ~comp
scarecrw LinkI love the idea of notebooks, but have been confused by where they have and haven't become popular. I was first introduced to their use for data analysis, mostly by non-programmers, and in that...I love the idea of notebooks, but have been confused by where they have and haven't become popular. I was first introduced to their use for data analysis, mostly by non-programmers, and in that context their popularity seemed to stem from being a friendlier environment than a traditional write-compile-test-iterate workflow. I don't know how it got popular in the ML world, perhaps just as an extension of data analysis? The article mentions it being "the only programming environment that let you see your data while you worked on it", but that seems like an overstatement.
Regardless, I'd love to see them used more as a way to bridge the programmer vs non-programmer gap. It's a great way to share mixed-level content, where those with experience with programming can see and tinker with the document, and those without can still read a narrative and see the results. I haven't seen it yet, but I would love to see something like Wolfram notebooks become a standard format for math textbooks or similar.
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Comment on How ‘talk pedometers’ are transforming education in Birmingham, US classrooms in ~tech
scarecrw LinkI had the chance to try a related tool a couple of years back. I was teaching online, so there wasn't any need for vests, the meeting was just recorded and afterwards it was processed to identify...I had the chance to try a related tool a couple of years back. I was teaching online, so there wasn't any need for vests, the meeting was just recorded and afterwards it was processed to identify speaking time, key interactions, and perhaps some other information I'm forgetting.
I can't say it was enlightening me to anything I wasn't already aware of (I always kick myself after a lesson where I know I was talking too much), but seeing the data laid out and knowing it was being recorded definitely made me more attuned to this in the moment.
I would have concerns using this continuously, as treating the natural back-and-forth of discussion as a metric seems like a doomed endeavor (Goodhart's law), but I can see it being an effective reminder if given to teachers as a tool for insight rather than an assessment.
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Comment on Wu-Tang Clan x Mathematics - Mandingo (2025) in ~music
scarecrw Link ParentNever checked out his others, but Black Gold was what first got me interested in Wu Tang. Absolutely blew my mind when I first heard it, and made me wonder why I hadn't seen more mashups/collabs...Never checked out his others, but Black Gold was what first got me interested in Wu Tang. Absolutely blew my mind when I first heard it, and made me wonder why I hadn't seen more mashups/collabs like that. I'll have to look at the Beatles mashup!
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Comment on Internationalization Puzzles in ~comp
scarecrw LinkI'm a sucker for puzzles, especially those that motivate learning, so this was a great find for me! It's an ongoing set of programming puzzles (à la advent of code) designed to emphasize the...I'm a sucker for puzzles, especially those that motivate learning, so this was a great find for me! It's an ongoing set of programming puzzles (à la advent of code) designed to emphasize the challenges of internationalization.
I'm certainly guilty of brushing aside internationalization, "oh, nobody's actually going to access this in other languages", and part of that comes from my own lack of experience dealing with these topics. If you're in a similar spot, the first couple of puzzles are out and worth a try!
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Internationalization Puzzles
15 votes
You might check out the Beaverton podcast. While the publication is satire, their podcast actually does discuss real recent news. It's... podcast-y, so don't expect much deep diving research or anything, it's basically just a bunch of comedians chatting about Canadian news. I personally enjoy it, though.