sharpstick's recent activity

  1. Comment on Children predict the year 2000 (1966, video) in ~life

    sharpstick
    Link
    I read an unrelated article a little white after watching this and it reminded me that Star Trek first aired in 1966. It's easy to see why people, even young people, were attracted to its positive...

    I read an unrelated article a little white after watching this and it reminded me that Star Trek first aired in 1966. It's easy to see why people, even young people, were attracted to its positive view of the future.

    5 votes
  2. Comment on I have an issue with the 3 Body Problem in ~tv

    sharpstick
    Link Parent
    Yes, it is in the show and it well done, not just from an overall special effects standpoint, but also from a human level experience of the devastation it brought within the ship.

    Yes, it is in the show and it well done, not just from an overall special effects standpoint, but also from a human level experience of the devastation it brought within the ship.

    2 votes
  3. Comment on Love in ~creative

    sharpstick
    Link
    Thank you for sharing this. It is lovely.

    Thank you for sharing this. It is lovely.

    4 votes
  4. Comment on The worst masterpiece: ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ at 100 in ~music

    sharpstick
    Link
    This work holds a special place in my heart because it was my entry into classical / orchestral music as a young teen. Growing up there was nothing around me but country music and easy listening....

    This work holds a special place in my heart because it was my entry into classical / orchestral music as a young teen. Growing up there was nothing around me but country music and easy listening. At 13 we moved to an actual city and one evening I heard "Rhapsody In Blue" on the radio and knew I has been introduced to something amazing.

    2 votes
  5. Comment on Researchers were able to isolate the brain from the rest of the body of a pig, and kept it alive and functioning for five hours in ~science

    sharpstick
    Link
    So, what happen to the body? For this to be of any practical, therapeutic application we'll need to be able to put it back in and get everything working again.

    So, what happen to the body? For this to be of any practical, therapeutic application we'll need to be able to put it back in and get everything working again.

    1 vote
  6. Comment on RIP PDQ Bach in ~music

    sharpstick
    Link
    I remember playing "Oedipus Tex" in the car with my kids and laughing our head off as well as "Iphigenia in Brooklyn." Thank you Mr. Schickele for the many laughs and family bonding.

    I remember playing "Oedipus Tex" in the car with my kids and laughing our head off as well as "Iphigenia in Brooklyn." Thank you Mr. Schickele for the many laughs and family bonding.

    5 votes
  7. Comment on Threads is starting to make content available on the Fediverse in ~tech

    sharpstick
    Link
    Having slowly removed myself from most social media apps over the last few years in order to enjoy a higher quality of life, I set up a Mastadon account in July. I started out cautiously but...

    Having slowly removed myself from most social media apps over the last few years in order to enjoy a higher quality of life, I set up a Mastadon account in July. I started out cautiously but quickly found so much to like about it. To me it is, like Tildes, the exact kind of social platform I am looking for. It is very reminiscent of what social interactions used to be like on the internet, meaning, first, that there are no ads. I think we have all been habituated into thinking that constant ad interruptions are just what the internet is supposed to be like, but it wasn't always that way and it doesn't have to be like that now. Second, my feed is a true timeline feed, not an artificially generated feed designed to keep my attention as long as possible. This means that I sometimes may miss things and that is okay. It's social media at a different, healthier for me, pace.

    It will be interesting to see how Threads integration changes things. I have no doubt that their motive is to eventually find out someway to show me ads and monetize my attention but I'm hoping that this is difficult to do in the federated environment. Time will tell.

    7 votes
  8. Comment on Album of the Week #9: The KLF - Chill Out in ~music

    sharpstick
    Link
    In my mind album was all ground work for Jimmy Cauty's work as part of The Orb. Specifically one of the most beautiful examples of this plunderphonics genre Little Fluffy Clouds....

    In my mind album was all ground work for Jimmy Cauty's work as part of The Orb.
    Specifically one of the most beautiful examples of this plunderphonics genre Little Fluffy Clouds.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Fluffy_Clouds

    2 votes
  9. Comment on Fact sheet: US President Joe Biden issues executive order on safe, secure, and trustworthy artificial intelligence in ~tech

    sharpstick
    Link Parent
    I've been using the Perplexity AI app for several months specifically because it lists its sources as part of its feedback and will often times include a intro sentence about how certain it can be...

    I've been using the Perplexity AI app for several months specifically because it lists its sources as part of its feedback and will often times include a intro sentence about how certain it can be about the answer it gives based on the data it can find. I have seen it become a lot more nuanced in its answers the more capable it becomes.

    4 votes
  10. Comment on “Going shopping” is dead: How stores sucked the fun out of an American pastime in ~finance

    sharpstick
    Link
    Two things that make me not want to shop at a store. Shelves/displays that are disorganized or outright trashed. The items are mixed up, knocked over and on the floor throughout the store....

    Two things that make me not want to shop at a store.

    1. Shelves/displays that are disorganized or outright trashed. The items are mixed up, knocked over and on the floor throughout the store.

    2. Constantly having to work my way around employees stocking the shelves. Boxes and carts in the aisles sometimes with someone actively stocking, sometimes not.

    You would think these things would be mutually exclusive but they are not. My decision to not shop at my local Target came when I could not find the item I wanted because the shelf was a complete mess and an employee was stocking items right next to it and they walked away leaving it a mess.

    If they don't care about their store why should I?

    A Pop Shelf opened next door and they are eating Target's lunch with friendly staff, organized product and pleasant atmosphere.

    39 votes
  11. Comment on What "lost" web page would you like to find again? in ~tech

    sharpstick
    Link
    There was a simple Web 1.0 site dedicated to the song "Being Boring" by the Petshop Boys. It was a deep dive into every bit of BTS and trivia you could imagine and methodically made the case for...

    There was a simple Web 1.0 site dedicated to the song "Being Boring" by the Petshop Boys. It was a deep dive into every bit of BTS and trivia you could imagine and methodically made the case for it being the perfect pop song. As a big fan of the song myself I enjoyed learning about it and following the link to all of the many different versions and covers of the song. From time to time I have made some attempts to find it but I think it is gone for good. I just remember the care and obvious love that went into making an entire site dedicated to one singular thing.

    1 vote
  12. Comment on What weird food combo did you not realise was weird? in ~food

    sharpstick
    Link Parent
    I just discovered ketchup and mustard flavored Doritos a few weeks ago. They are amazing! Especially when eaten together. I think they are only available for a limited time in my area, or else...

    I just discovered ketchup and mustard flavored Doritos a few weeks ago. They are amazing! Especially when eaten together. I think they are only available for a limited time in my area, or else they were so popular they sold out quickly. I hope they become a regular thing.

    1 vote
  13. Comment on Autistic adults: how do you stim/self-soothe in public? in ~talk

    sharpstick
    Link Parent
    That is so good to hear. I will let her know that this helped you. That will make her happy. :)

    That is so good to hear. I will let her know that this helped you. That will make her happy. :)

    3 votes
  14. Comment on Autistic adults: how do you stim/self-soothe in public? in ~talk

    sharpstick
    Link
    When my wife is particularly stressed in public and needs to stim, she will tap her fingers to her thumbs is a purposeful way like she is counting on her fingers. This seems to strike a balance...

    When my wife is particularly stressed in public and needs to stim, she will tap her fingers to her thumbs is a purposeful way like she is counting on her fingers. This seems to strike a balance between helping her stay calm and a somewhat socially acceptable repetitive action.

    18 votes
  15. Comment on Eastern philosophy says there's no "self". Science agrees in ~humanities

    sharpstick
    Link
    I know that people's have different experience with what is it like to be people, but I will recount my experience of being a person with a chatty brain. For me, part of maturing into adult hood...

    I know that people's have different experience with what is it like to be people, but I will recount my experience of being a person with a chatty brain.

    For me, part of maturing into adult hood was recognizing the story teller part of my brain, the one that produced random thoughts, and realize that that was not me, just my brain trying to make sense of the world. There is a big difference between not being able to stop a thought and taking it as reality. I am not my thoughts, I am the one who uses my mental processes to interrogate my thoughts, emotions and instincts against a set of morals, standards and accumulated knowledge to the best of my ability. This is not a perfect process by any means but I believe that this is what Descartes was referring to when he said "I think, therefore I am." He was not saying "I have random ideas and notions that flash through my brain, therefore I exist." The whole book is an interrogation of himself and his own ability to be certain of anything, including his own personhood. He eventually comes to a starting point in the fact that he is able to have this self-inquiry at all and be aware of it.This is what gives him a claim to existence as an entity separate from his base inputs and outputs. This is what he means by "thinking."

    The questions is not about what part of you is the storyteller, but what is the part of you that is hearing and believing those stories without question? This is where suffering come it, the unexamined life, the person who cannot or doesn't know how change their story about themselves when faces with facts and proof. This is where magical thinking comes from. I don't know that telling people that they don't exist is helpful in combating this in any way.

    9 votes
  16. Comment on Tildes and identity politics in ~tildes

    sharpstick
    Link
    As someone who has been here for a while I can say that one of the things I like most about Tildes is it general, low-key inclusiveness of a wide variety of identities. The term identity politics...

    As someone who has been here for a while I can say that one of the things I like most about Tildes is it general, low-key inclusiveness of a wide variety of identities. The term identity politics is a pre-loaded term that connotes a lot of unspoken assumptions and is often used as a conversation stopper / excuse to stop listening and respecting an individual's perspective. There are other way to explore and respect identity without bringing in the polarization of politics. Just because we may not have the latter does not mean we don't value the former.

    I think this respect is shown most in the fact that I see very little attempts to "win debates" here. Information and perspectives are presented and explored, questions may be asked and disagreements voiced, but readers are generally left to make up their own minds. We may not always get it right, but I think Tilde has a genuine desire to be a welcome and inclusive space where objective rationalism is but one of many ways to explore a topic, and when it is used, it is not weaponized to the degree that it can be in other forums.

    24 votes
  17. Comment on Food suggestions, dieting help in ~health

    sharpstick
    (edited )
    Link
    When I lost my first significant amount of weight here is what worked for me. Take what you can from it. I didn't do all of these at once but added them over time and as I found out what worked...

    When I lost my first significant amount of weight here is what worked for me. Take what you can from it.
    I didn't do all of these at once but added them over time and as I found out what worked for me.

    1. Gradually reduce the amount of sugar you take in to near none. Especially in drinks.
    2. Allow yourself to feel low levels of hunger for longer periods of time.
      Don't eat just because the clock says so.
      The less sugar you eat the easier this will be.
    3. Eat when you are truly hungry, before you become overly, irrationally hungry.
    4. Gradually reduce carbs to a modest level and increased the amount of protein and fiber.
    5. If you snack to keep your low-level hunger going, eat a small protein.
      Get rid of bad snack so they are not an option.
    6. You can count calories and tracking food but I tapered off as I started to find what worked.
    7. Track your weight second-thing every morning.
      This helped me understand my natural weight fluctuations and not get concerned over being a pound or two up for one or two days. Your looking for long-term trends and a sense of accomplishments. Putting together a string of 4 or 5 days where I did well made me less likely to want to break that trend.
    8. Get used to telling yourself "no" and listening to and obeying yourself. Small wins in this area lead to bigger wins like sticking to your plan in social settings. This is tough.
    9. Don't reward your dieting successes with food. You are not banking calories for later, you are eliminating them.
    10. Plan times when you can not follow the plan and relax the rules but no more than twice a month. Weekly is too often.

    Doing this I went from 240 to 170 over the time frame of about a year and a half. It was slooow going at first but eventually the weight started coming off and I hit weeks at a time when I plateaued but I stayed with it.

    I hope this helps. Good luck. You can do it.

    7 votes
  18. Comment on Megathread for news/updates/discussion about Musk's takeover of Twitter – Part 3 in ~tech

    sharpstick
    Link Parent
    I deleted mine a few months before Musk started showing interest in Twitter so that was not the motivation, but my mental well being was. I created an account early on, 2008 I think, so it was...

    I deleted mine a few months before Musk started showing interest in Twitter so that was not the motivation, but my mental well being was. I created an account early on, 2008 I think, so it was tough giving up my user name. But I've been feeling better and better about my decision over the last year/months.

    7 votes
  19. Comment on Five days in class with ChatGPT in ~tech

    sharpstick
    Link
    I think it is important to remember that this positive experience was in the context of computer literacy and coding. As quoted above, ChatGPT has significant weaknesses in other contexts. When I...

    Of course we also saw ChatGPT’s limitations this week. Hiromitsu Higashi, a thoughtful student with an exceptionally broad range, pointed out that the system is good at some things but not as good at others: it created fake names in literature reviews, and has no concept of accuracy. “... Don’t trust book recommendations. It will hallucinate. It will make mistakes...

    I think it is important to remember that this positive experience was in the context of computer literacy and coding. As quoted above, ChatGPT has significant weaknesses in other contexts. When I was researching a topic and asked some general questions about that topic and the people who had written about it, ChatGPT seemed fairly knowledgeable. But when I asked it to pull quotes from those works (written in the 1600, and in the public domain) it "hallucinated" and made up the quotes out of thin air, complete with the correct authors and book titles and a reasonable approximation of writing style. But when I went to verify the quotes and pull page numbers I found the fabrication.

    ChatGPT's confidence even when it is wrong, combined with human laziness/busyness are a bad combination. I think this limitations in ChatGPT can be corrected by forcing it to use an internal fact checker but as it stands right now it is a dangerously flawed tool because it can unwittingly trick us into trusting its output too much.

    I am fascinated by where this will take us I just want to make sure it is somewhere that we want to go.

    10 votes