scojjac's recent activity
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Comment on Do you think you're special? in ~talk
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Comment on AI abundance requires a four-hour workweek in ~tech
scojjac Link ParentYeah, I'm firmly of the opinion that a company that has someone regularly working more than 40 hours per week, or more than the hours agreed upon when the person was hired, is understaffed. If...Yeah, I'm firmly of the opinion that a company that has someone regularly working more than 40 hours per week, or more than the hours agreed upon when the person was hired, is understaffed. If you're in that situation, your employer should be actively trying to fill additional roles to offset their deficiency.
But they don't. They let one person do the work of two or three people, and take home the profit. And have somehow convinced workers to be thankful, or even to think themselves more virtuous, for it.
Thankfully, there are employers that don't do this, as @snake_case says. But they seem to be harder and harder to find.
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Comment on AI abundance requires a four-hour workweek in ~tech
scojjac LinkA recruiter contacted me for an IT position at a large financial services company that is mandating full-time RTO. And then he missed our agreed upon call time, following up an hour later with...A recruiter contacted me for an IT position at a large financial services company that is mandating full-time RTO. And then he missed our agreed upon call time, following up an hour later with barely an apology and no explanation. As far as I'm concerned, that's two strikes of disrespect for my time before we've even had a serious conversation about the role. I'm flat out not doing that. It really feels like capital and workers are in a horrendous game of chicken.
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Comment on Everyday/week seems to fly by as I get older, how to change one's perception? in ~life
scojjac Link ParentA year is a greater proportion of a 5 year old's life than an 18 year old's (20% vs. 5.6%). Young people experience time more slowly because a given period of time is a greater proportion of their...A year is a greater proportion of a 5 year old's life than an 18 year old's (20% vs. 5.6%). Young people experience time more slowly because a given period of time is a greater proportion of their life, and because they're taking in so much new information. Older people experience time going by more quickly because that given period represents a smaller proportion of their life and because they are often on autopilot and encoding far fewer novel experiences or bits of information.
Because of the way those proportions work, 18 can be considered the halfway point of a human's perceived existence (based on living 100 years). There's some research that also shows that people in the 18–32 age bracket are highly accurate in prospective time estimation tasks. (You know how young kids are always like "this is gonna take foreverrrrrrrr" and old people are like "we'll be done in a jiffy"? Early adulthood is when we most accurately estimate how long something will take.)
Does this mean that 18 is the radioactive half-life of a human? haha
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Comment on Share your favorite live music performance recordings in ~music
scojjac LinkHere are a few! Fitz and the Tantrums cover Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - https://youtu.be/X3ZG9Kym6WM Glass Animals cover Solar Power - https://youtu.be/pgPlWb7NwcY Lawrence covers It's Gonna...Here are a few!
Fitz and the Tantrums cover Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - https://youtu.be/X3ZG9Kym6WM
Glass Animals cover Solar Power - https://youtu.be/pgPlWb7NwcY
Lawrence covers It's Gonna Be Me - https://youtu.be/Yvq-AG6sj-4
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Comment on Adulting -- what advice or encouragement did you receive / wish you had received when you were just starting out moving out? in ~life
scojjac (edited )LinkDon't be overtaken by indecision. Have goals/objectives/values that you use to guide your decisions, remember that there's usually more than one good decision. Pick one, give it your best effort,...Don't be overtaken by indecision. Have goals/objectives/values that you use to guide your decisions, remember that there's usually more than one good decision. Pick one, give it your best effort, and then adjust if necessary.
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Comment on What made that wedding that you attended particularly memorable? in ~life
scojjac LinkOne had agua de plátano (banana agua fresca), which was uncommon enough to be memorable. One had the ceremony and reception at the same venue - guests just moved chairs from the seating in the...One had agua de plátano (banana agua fresca), which was uncommon enough to be memorable.
One had the ceremony and reception at the same venue - guests just moved chairs from the seating in the middle to the tables and suddenly we were ready for dinner and dancing.
Comforts:
Hot food wins over fancy food. I fondly remember shredded brisket in big chafing pans.
Having places at the reception that aren't all loud music and pressure to dance, where you can decompress or have a conversation, is always appreciated.
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Comment on I repaired my purse by replacing the plastic handle with leather in ~hobbies
scojjac LinkNice work! I have a leather iPad case that is 15 years old and it has some terribly cracked vinyl. I would love to replace the vinyl with felt or canvas but I really know nothing. This gives me a...Nice work! I have a leather iPad case that is 15 years old and it has some terribly cracked vinyl. I would love to replace the vinyl with felt or canvas but I really know nothing. This gives me a little inspiration.
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Comment on OpenAI didn’t notice its AI agents using a message board to plan their hacking spree in ~tech
scojjac LinkThis is the sort of framing I want to see more of: people did not use or monitor AI properly. Hold the people accountable. The entire business of offloading responsibility in the name of...This is the sort of framing I want to see more of: people did not use or monitor AI properly. Hold the people accountable. The entire business of offloading responsibility in the name of innovation is disgusting.
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Comment on What’s a must-buy item you get when traveling internationally? in ~travel
scojjac LinkIn general, I would say clothing, liquor, candies, maybe stationery items. I'm traveling from the USA to Germany soon and want to look into what sorts of clothing stores, brands, items would be...In general, I would say clothing, liquor, candies, maybe stationery items. I'm traveling from the USA to Germany soon and want to look into what sorts of clothing stores, brands, items would be good to look for (besides Birkenstock, which is already on my list). Past examples:
- woven leather loafers, gin, and musk-flavored lifesavers from Australia
- havaianas, cachaça, and spiced banana-flavored candies from Brazil
- Kalev marzipan from Estonia (especially the dark chocolate with liqueur)
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Comment on YouTube Premium to come with Peacock, NBCSports to stream events on YouTube in ~tv
scojjac LinkThis is interesting. I signed up for the Peacock + Apple TV bundle not that long ago (~$16/month), mainly for World Cup and MLS (both things I'm only recently getting into). Peacock's catalog is...This is interesting. I signed up for the Peacock + Apple TV bundle not that long ago (~$16/month), mainly for World Cup and MLS (both things I'm only recently getting into). Peacock's catalog is decent and I'm glad to have Jeopardy! now. YouTube Premium is a great experience compared to regular YouTube. I thought Premium Lite would be a good fit for me but I'm not particularly cool with the lack of background play.
With YouTube Premium at $14, this partnership is probably a better deal if you don't care about MLS or F1. But with Apple carrying exclusive global broadcast rights to those, it makes the decision a bit muddier for me.
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Comment on 'Extremely overwhelmed': apartment renters face rising tide of fees in ~finance
scojjac Link ParentWe rent from a local agency that charges payment processing fees, and I strongly feel that any form of pay-to-pay should be illegal. The rent price should be all inclusive. I think all other...We rent from a local agency that charges payment processing fees, and I strongly feel that any form of pay-to-pay should be illegal. The rent price should be all inclusive. I think all other businesses should be using what-you-see-is-what-you-pay; to do otherwise is customer-hostile.
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Comment on These tacky men with ridiculous glasses want you to wear them too in ~life.style
scojjac Link ParentThis is the entire thing. People are already less comfortable living in public because of the prevalence of camera phones. AR glasses crank that dynamic up to 11. It's not only the upskirt creeps,...This is the entire thing. People are already less comfortable living in public because of the prevalence of camera phones. AR glasses crank that dynamic up to 11. It's not only the upskirt creeps, it's also the influencer-lite peeps that feel the need to record each experience and post it online. It makes other people uncomfortable.
Many of us want a broader expectation of not being recorded; these devices promise the opposite. We need to do more than resist the proliferation of new surveillance tech (including smart glasses), and push back on the stuff that's already out here.
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Comment on How I feel about LLM (AI) writing in ~tech
scojjac LinkLLMs are great at that verbose rhetoric, like a teenager or college student using fillet to meet an essay word count. If you use one in the writing process, you have to be ruthless about cutting...LLMs are great at that verbose rhetoric, like a teenager or college student using fillet to meet an essay word count. If you use one in the writing process, you have to be ruthless about cutting fluff. If you gather new info or quotes, you have to verify that the phrase the LLM uses is what was actually said (and by the person it's attributed to).
I treat AI output like an early draft, fixing structure, repetition, wordiness. But sometimes it's like arranging dead flowers, and I have to take the general concept and rewrite from scratch anyway.
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Comment on Anyone else a bit unnerved by the number of visible satellites? in ~space
scojjac Link ParentYeah, I live in rural North Carolina and it gets very dark out here. I also love cities and I realize that more light is part of being in one. At the same time, I think cities are much brighter...Yeah, I live in rural North Carolina and it gets very dark out here. I also love cities and I realize that more light is part of being in one. At the same time, I think cities are much brighter than they need to be. It seems like we have the technology and smarts to avoid extremes and light our environment intelligently in a way that respects our biology and nature. In my mind, it even has the potential to enhance city living.
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Comment on Anyone else a bit unnerved by the number of visible satellites? in ~space
scojjac (edited )Link ParentI mentioned some solutions in my original comment: "Shielding, color temp ~2700K, and smart/motion lighting to start." Shielding keeps lighting where it should be. Warmer temps reduce glare and...I mentioned some solutions in my original comment: "Shielding, color temp ~2700K, and smart/motion lighting to start." Shielding keeps lighting where it should be. Warmer temps reduce glare and the darkness of shadows. Motion sensing allows us to illuminate areas when actively needed, and dim them otherwise.
We already know that more light, and blue/white light does not equal greater safety. They increase glare and the darkness of shadows. Even, low-intensity lighting is better for safety and security than bright white lights.
This is why Dark Sky International has five principles for responsible outdoor lighting - it should be useful, controlled, targeted, no brighter than necessary, and warm color. They have more resources if you're interested in exploring.
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Comment on Anyone else a bit unnerved by the number of visible satellites? in ~space
scojjac LinkIn a similar vein, I love cities but light pollution makes me angry. I want much, MUCH tighter rules around lights at night. Cities can and should be much closer to dark sky status than they are....In a similar vein, I love cities but light pollution makes me angry. I want much, MUCH tighter rules around lights at night. Cities can and should be much closer to dark sky status than they are. We might not be able to see the full Milky Way from the middle of a city, but we could see far more stars. Shielding, color temp ~2700K, and smart/motion lighting to start.
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Comment on 'Blue dot fever' claims Post Malone, Pussycat Dolls concerts. What's really behind it? in ~music
scojjac Link ParentNo lie, in the 2010s it seemed like Las Cruces got better shows at the Pan Am than Albuquerque or El Paso, with rare exceptions. In North Carolina, Charlotte generally gets more of the Latino...No lie, in the 2010s it seemed like Las Cruces got better shows at the Pan Am than Albuquerque or El Paso, with rare exceptions. In North Carolina, Charlotte generally gets more of the Latino shows than Raleigh or Durham.
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Comment on 'Blue dot fever' claims Post Malone, Pussycat Dolls concerts. What's really behind it? in ~music
scojjac (edited )LinkIt's that everything is a moneygrab in the United States. Everyone want to charge as much as possible while doing as little as possible to make it a good experience. Concerts are egregious...It's that everything is a moneygrab in the United States. Everyone want to charge as much as possible while doing as little as possible to make it a good experience. Concerts are egregious examples (and I'm glad LiveNation/Ticketmaster is seeing this happen to their extortion model), but it's such a part of life that people are being squeezed anytime they step foot out of the house.
I usually see shows in Raleigh, and the saving grace is that there are outdoor venues like Walnut Creek, NCMA, and Red Hat Amphitheater where I can get general admission tickets in the $30-$75 range. I just bought Grupo Frontera ticket for $32 out the door as an early purchase for their summer series - I think it just became a $50 ticket. Also, thank goodness for places like Pour House that make it possible to see small acts. But if you want a hard plastic seat bolted into concrete that mostly designates where to stand, you're probably paying over $100 at minimum.
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Comment on Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent in ~tech
scojjac Link ParentThe first paragraph of this quote is hilarious to me, because there is no way I would expect an AI Mode from Google to do anything whatsoever on-device. I'm pretty surprised they're installing a...The first paragraph of this quote is hilarious to me, because there is no way I would expect an AI Mode from Google to do anything whatsoever on-device. I'm pretty surprised they're installing a model at all, and I wonder what its purpose is. The author says the existence of on-device LLM in Chrome "well-publicised", yet this is the first I've heard of it.
Again, it's Google — why would anyone expect they're doing anything on device when they can do it in the cloud?
Each person is unique, including me. Sometimes I have struggled with understanding what makes me unique or valuable, understanding why others value me, and separating the two.
Special can be loaded, and I think in English it has come to have some negative connotations that are hard to ignore—disabled, "gifted", inherently superior, or even problematic ("well, isn't that special?").
I love the affirmations in The Help: "You is kind. You is smart. You is important." I think being diligent or determined might be more important than being smart, though.