scojjac's recent activity
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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
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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?
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Comment on I endured the Apple Watch for four months in ~tech
scojjac LinkMy last Apple Watch was the Series 3 and there's basically nothing that could convince me to buy one again. I fundamentally dislike the experience. They don't look as nice as a watch at half the...My last Apple Watch was the Series 3 and there's basically nothing that could convince me to buy one again. I fundamentally dislike the experience. They don't look as nice as a watch at half the price, I hate being badgered by notifications, turn directions, and infantilizing reminders to stand or breathe. Tracking runs and tap to pay were the only uses I sort of liked — and I'm just not that much of a runner. At least I've only been called 'whack' once for not having one.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
scojjac LinkI read Run by Blake Crouch this week while on flights. It's a short sci-fi thriller that has themes of religion, tribalism, adaptation, family, survival. I like Crouch as a writer even if he is...I read Run by Blake Crouch this week while on flights. It's a short sci-fi thriller that has themes of religion, tribalism, adaptation, family, survival. I like Crouch as a writer even if he is heavy-handed in places to get his ideas across. I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. I've read his other books and enjoyed them.
Now I've picked up A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, which I tried to start once before and didn't make much progress on.
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Comment on What are the current channels to find remote work? in ~tech
scojjac LinkHiring is all about knowing people — your personal connections, or recruiters. Maybe AI is ravaging the hiring process, but it also seems like there's far too much indecision and inertia in the...Hiring is all about knowing people — your personal connections, or recruiters. Maybe AI is ravaging the hiring process, but it also seems like there's far too much indecision and inertia in the job market.
I'll say that my last interview for a remote position was offered to me, I didn't apply or ask for it. It came from the manager of a friend of a friend. Went great. And then HR didn't want to do paperwork for my state. I recently posted on LinkedIn and might get a conversation for another remote role out of that.
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Comment on Ancient indigenous lands in New Mexico could be lost to mining and drilling. The public has seven days to weigh in. in ~enviro
scojjac LinkThis is despicable. New Mexico has an amazing amount of rich history, and Chaco Canyon is a remarkable example. I know that historical sites do not pay as well as liquefied dinosaur, and that the...This is despicable. New Mexico has an amazing amount of rich history, and Chaco Canyon is a remarkable example. I know that historical sites do not pay as well as liquefied dinosaur, and that the state relies heavily on oil to fund education and social programs, but come on.
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Comment on Job hunting absolutely sucks right now in ~life
scojjac LinkI've had a few recruiters reach out because of my endpoint management certs - but there's never a salary range and it's pretty much always contract work and hybrid or onsite. A company I've been a...I've had a few recruiters reach out because of my endpoint management certs - but there's never a salary range and it's pretty much always contract work and hybrid or onsite.
A company I've been a long-term contractor for has offered some nebulous roles but we've never been able to align on duties and compensation.
I've never gotten a job from cold applying, and it sounds like that's even more dead than it was before. I basically want something that's functionally 30 hours per week remote.
I have a friend that got into a role after five to seven interview rounds and has been there a year and it's been a great fit for him — but it also took a lot of tears in other roles to get there (who also had too many rounds of interviews).
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.