skybrian's recent activity
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Comment on New Zealand has a new official language — English in ~society
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Comment on A thread about the history of streetcars in the US in ~transport
skybrian LinkFrom the Bluesky thread: [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...]From the Bluesky thread:
in general, public transport before world war II was generally privately owned. it was a business, like railroads had been since the start of the industrial age. nobody liked the privately owned monopolies that owned public transit. 2/
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basically, these monopolies dominated metro areas, because they weren't just the transport monopoly. in la, oakland and miami, the train company was the biggest real estate developer. in atlanta, new jersey and new orleans, they were the power company. 3/
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these monopolies were hilariously corrupt as well, and they had few friends. henry huntington (of LA's red cars), or charles yerkes (of the chicago eleveated) were as detested as bezos and zuckerberg were today. 4/
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the trains got a serious challenge from cars in the early 20th century. and by the end of world war II, the train systems were worn out and needed massive government investment to survive. but because the transit companies were shitty monopolies, nobody wanted to help them out! 5/
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On top of that, the new, shiny buses often had A/C, and the streetcars only had fans. The first air-conditioned bus was introduced in 1946. The first air-conditioned streetcars weren't introduced until 1976. 8/
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All of this is to say, GM was picking the bones of the dying streetcar companies. Think vultures, not eagles. And when we talk about the GM conspiracy charges... GM-affiliated National City Lines actually kept streetcars running longer than peer systems. 10/
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There was, however, one exception to this: Minneapolis-St Paul. There, a finance bro, the mob, and a crooked lawyer really did buy the trains and sell them for scrap - but that was the exception, not the rule. 12/12
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A thread about the history of streetcars in the US
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Comment on New Zealand has a new official language — English in ~society
skybrian Link ParentTo put it another way, "the other side wants it" is a heuristic that might understandably make one suspicious, but it's only convincing to committed partisans. If there are other, better arguments...To put it another way, "the other side wants it" is a heuristic that might understandably make one suspicious, but it's only convincing to committed partisans. If there are other, better arguments then they should stand on their own.
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Comment on New Zealand has a new official language — English in ~society
skybrian Link ParentI think this controversy is stupid, but if you reflexively oppose harmless changes then it makes your own side look stupid, too. And that's what they want.I think this controversy is stupid, but if you reflexively oppose harmless changes then it makes your own side look stupid, too. And that's what they want.
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Comment on For those with criminal records, AI is breaking down barriers to employment in the US in ~society
skybrian LinkThis is about automating office work (of the legal variety). Usually, people worry about lost jobs due to AI automation. But it's a good reminder that the people who need the work done matter too...This is about automating office work (of the legal variety). Usually, people worry about lost jobs due to AI automation. But it's a good reminder that the people who need the work done matter too and if they're charged too much then they won't be able to afford it.
Making a process more efficient by reducing labor costs sounds kind of bloodless. It can be a mixed bag depending on what it is. But it's not just for mustache-twirling villains.
There's a lot of room for improvement in making legal processes more efficient and more affordable.
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Comment on Is music just sound? A creative technologist's perspective on AI-generated music. in ~music
skybrian (edited )LinkI recently bought a gadget that you connect to the midi ports on a digital piano (or any midi instrument) and it will record everything you play to an SD card. Since midi doesn’t take much space,...I recently bought a gadget that you connect to the midi ports on a digital piano (or any midi instrument) and it will record everything you play to an SD card. Since midi doesn’t take much space, a single SD card can record everything you play for years, and you can play it back at any time. It will sound identical because it’s driving the same musical instrument.
The idea is that you can be recording all the time. If you play something good you can get it back. It seems pretty neat!
But it also made me think about how easy it is to generate and replicate piano music. it’s just midi data. When practicing from sheet music, sometimes I wonder what I’m doing that a computer couldn’t do easily. Generating midi data from sheet music doesn’t seem that hard a problem, conceptually.
And yet, I find listening to a really skilled pianist to be really impressive. There are difficult pieces I enjoy practicing. Yes, it sounds good, but I think it’s very tied to it being a human performance, in a similar way to athletic performance.
When that’s something I want to pay attention to, a music video captures the human performance better than sound alone. I want to see how the music is made, not just hear it. I like to see the pianist hitting the keys.
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Comment on California goat grazing faces crisis after wage change in ~enviro
skybrian LinkFrom the article: [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...] [...]From the article:
Goats have become a familiar sight on California hillsides, munching through weeds and brush before they can become fuel for wildfires. But the companies that put those herds to work said a change in state labor rules have made goat grazing too expensive to continue.
The labor rule in question was a temporary state law that allowed goat herders to be paid under the same wage structure as sheep herders, but expired July 1. Goat grazing companies said the expiration meant they could face annual wage costs of about $240,000 per herder because of overtime requirements.
Company owners said the higher labor costs might force them to switch from goats to sheep, or shut down and sell their herds.
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In California, grazing companies were frequently hired by cities and other local governments to use goats to reduce vegetation that could fuel wildfires. The exact percentage of California’s 500,000 sheep and 125,000 goats used for targeted grazing was unknown, but labor advocates and grazing company owners agreed it was at least 20% and increasing.
Tim Arrowsmith, owner of Western Grazers, a goat grazing company in Red Bluff, said goats could eat a much wider variety of plants than sheep, including starthistle, a thorny weed that grew densely and could become a wildfire risk because of its dry, fibrous stems and leaves. Sheep would eat starthistle only in the early stages of growth, but goats would eat it even after it became prickly.
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The law at the center of the dispute was Assembly Bill 1066, signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown, which gradually extended overtime pay requirements to agricultural workers. Under the law, agricultural workers eventually became entitled to 1.5 times their normal wage for working more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week.
Range herders, including sheep and goat herders, were originally treated differently under the overtime law because most herding companies said they could not afford conventional hourly overtime for jobs that required herders to remain on duty around the clock. Instead, the state established a minimum monthly wage for herders that included $2,934 in regular wages and an additional $1,887 in overtime wages.
More than 90% of sheep and goat herders in California worked under H-2A visas, most commonly coming from Peru and Mexico. Companies like Western Grazers also had to cover herders’ room and board, meals, limited clothing expenses and transportation to and from their home countries, along with visa costs.
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In 2022, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office determined that the alternative minimum monthly wage applied only to sheep herders, not goat herders. The interpretation meant goat herders were subject to standard overtime requirements for the hours they worked, potentially pushing annual wages to around $240,000 per herder, in addition to expenses paid by employers.
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Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, who authored AB 1066 while serving in the state Assembly, said she fought for the bill because she believed agricultural workers should have the right to an eight-hour workday like other workers.
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Workers on H-2A visas were particularly vulnerable, said Fletcher, now president of the California Federation of Labor Unions. Herders working under the visa program could work for employers such as Western Grazers for three years, return to their home countries for 90 days and then return to California for another three years, she said. They often spoke little to no English, worked in isolation and had no direct path to U.S. citizenship through the visa program.
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Arrowsmith said grazing companies used H-2A workers because U.S. workers did not apply for herding jobs.
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“All stakeholders agree that the alternative minimum monthly wage for range herders who are on duty 24/7 should be the same for sheep and goat herders because the workers and work involved in herding sheep and goats are similar and often overlap,” the report read.
“The Legislature got this study and did absolutely nothing with it,” said Soares. “They just let (SB 143) expire.”
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California goat grazing faces crisis after wage change
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Comment on Christopher Tin - Baba Yetu (2009) in ~music
skybrian Link ParentDid you know that it's the Lord's prayer? Baba Yetu means "Our Father."Did you know that it's the Lord's prayer? Baba Yetu means "Our Father."
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Comment on Japan to announce Tokyo, Washington took joint action on yen in ~finance
skybrian (edited )Link ParentThis seems a little different: Japan has huge foreign investments that, if the yen falls, are more valuable domestically. (I asked ChatGPT to make a chart from official numbers. It's in yen so...This seems a little different: Japan has huge foreign investments that, if the yen falls, are more valuable domestically. (I asked ChatGPT to make a chart from official numbers. It's in yen so that spike at the end is partially due to the weakening yen.)
So at least some Japanese investors are presumably pretty well protected financially. And if they decided that they needed to cash in foreign investments rather than holding them, it seems like that would strengthen the yen?
Which is what the central bank is doing by selling US treasuries.
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Comment on US general warns he lacks sufficient forces to protect Israel amid Iran war in ~society
skybrian Link ParentApparently it's complicated. Israel had Patriot missile defenses but they were mothballed in favor of their own systems. Also, "Patriot missiles" are continually upgraded so the US probably has...Apparently it's complicated. Israel had Patriot missile defenses but they were mothballed in favor of their own systems. Also, "Patriot missiles" are continually upgraded so the US probably has better ones.
There's more about US and Israeli missile defenses in this article from May: https://skybrian-links.exe.xyz/post/1144
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Comment on Japan to announce Tokyo, Washington took joint action on yen in ~finance
skybrian LinkSome uninformed questions: Sounds like travel to Japan is about as cheap as it's going to get? Unless this effort fails. Could this be partly due to investors finding US equity investments more...Some uninformed questions:
Sounds like travel to Japan is about as cheap as it's going to get? Unless this effort fails.
Could this be partly due to investors finding US equity investments more attractive than Japanese investments? (Possibly due to AI.) So, Japan raising interest rates might be a way to counter that by being more attractive to bond investors.
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Comment on Japan to announce Tokyo, Washington took joint action on yen in ~finance
skybrian LinkFrom the article: [...] [...] [...]From the article:
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama will announce on Monday that Tokyo and Washington took joint action in the currency market to arrest the yen’s slide to 40-year lows, two Japanese government officials told Reuters.
Katayama is likely to stress the two countries’ determination to combat what they consider excessive yen declines, said the sources familiar with the matter, on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
One source, asked if Katayama would announce “joint action”, said yes, adding, “The operation is still ongoing.”
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The expected announcement follows what market sources say were rounds of yen-buying in the market by the Japanese and U.S. authorities, the first joint intervention since 2011, seeking to boost the Japanese currency from its lowest levels against the dollar since 1986.
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Tokyo’s initial intervention came hours before the BOJ decided on Friday to keep monetary policy steady while signalling a strong chance it would raise interest rates soon. A widening rate differential with the U.S., where the Federal Reserve has dramatically shifted to a more hawkish stance, has been a key factor in the dollar’s rise against the yen.
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Critics have said Japan could face constraints to continued yen-buying intervention, as selling down its huge Treasury holdings to fund such action could trigger a selloff in U.S. debt and cause an unwelcome spike in U.S. yields.
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Japan to announce Tokyo, Washington took joint action on yen
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Comment on How Mexico became a surprise cornerstone of America’s AI boom in ~society
skybrian Linkhttps://archive.is/IJd41 From the article: [...]From the article:
Mexico has quietly become a cornerstone of the AI boom, providing 40 per cent of US imports this year of the computer servers that are widely used in the data centres powering artificial intelligence.
Taiwanese manufacturers are rapidly expanding factories in Mexico to assemble servers, which are now the country’s top US export, overtaking autos that dominated its trade for decades.
Mexico is the second-largest provider of enterprise servers to the US so far this year, with sales reaching $46.9bn, behind Taiwan, which sold $53.5bn, though Mexico became the largest on a monthly basis in May.
The phenomenon is helping prop up Mexico’s limp economy, pushing the country’s exports to record levels. Servers and related hardware made up almost one-fifth of the $317bn of goods Mexico exported between January and May, more than double the same period a year earlier.
Taiwan, in turn, is now Mexico’s third-largest trading partner, up from eighth place in 2022. Taiwanese companies have spent more than $1.6bn since 2020 on Mexican factories that offer geographic proximity and tariff-free access to US tech giants spending hundreds of billions on data centres.
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AI servers offer a “paradigm shift” because the high value of each server rack means you can export higher dollar amounts per load, said Fernando Alba, deputy economy minister in Chihuahua state, where Ciudad Juárez is located. “One truck [of servers] is the equivalent of one thousand cars.”
The surge in high-value exports is yet to translate into proportional local benefits, though. Each dollar of investment in the highly automated plants creates far fewer jobs than more manual sectors such as car parts. Manufacturing employment peaked in 2023 in Ciudad Juárez.
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How Mexico became a surprise cornerstone of America’s AI boom
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Comment on Scientists have automated cognitive studies of capuchin monkeys in the wild in ~science
skybrian LinkFrom the article: [...] [...] [...]From the article:
“CapuchinAI” integrates a compact, battery-powered computing system into a field-research platform. The system identifies an approaching monkey, presents a learning task tailored to that individual on a touchscreen, and automatically delivers a food reward if the monkey performs the task correctly.
Field tests of the prototype in the Taboga Forest Reserve of Costa Rica found that CapuchinAI identifies individual capuchins with 97% accuracy, following training on still images and videos. Wild capuchins rapidly habituated and learned touchscreen-reward associations, demonstrating that the system provides a scalable field method for cognitive testing, while also mapping individual differences across tasks.
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The team secured the CapuchinAI box to a platform, loaded its food dispenser with dried slices of forest banana, and waited nearby.
“For the first couple of days that we did this, no capuchins visited,” Sánchez Vargas says. “I was beginning to worry.”
The third day, however, a large male capuchin named Trompudo, which means “big snout,” could not resist the scent of banana.
“He climbs on the box and starts slapping the back of it,” Sánchez Vargas recalls. “Finally, he slaps the touchscreen and a banana slice pops out.”
Trompudo gobbled up the food then put his hand on the screen again. Another banana slice popped out.
“It was almost like you could see him realizing, ‘Ah, that’s what you have to do, touch the screen!’” Sánchez Vargas says. “It was amazing to watch an individual learn something so quickly.”
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The researchers are already noting individual differences within the 16 monkeys who engaged with the CapuchinAI prototype during the pilot phase.
Some capuchins are remarkably fast learners. Others take more time to figure out that they need to touch the screen to get a food reward. Individuals who investigated the box with their lips learned to kiss the screen to get a banana slice. Then there are the late adopters. They hang back and watch their friends interact with the box, seeing how the apparatus works before approaching it.
The box stood up to the occasional aggressive moves of capuchins trying to bust it open.
The facial-recognition software prevents the system from activating when other wildlife approach, but some animals still try to tinker with the box — including coatis. Members of the raccoon family, coatis are notorious for their ability to break into manmade containers and even houses.
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The research team is now updating its facial-recognition model, training it on the recorded videos of the 16 capuchins from the pilot phase.
They are developing cognitive experiments for four broad domains of cognition, including tests of individual capuchins’ ability to learn, their level of impulse control, their cognitive flexibility, and their skill at both short- and long-term memory.
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Scientists have automated cognitive studies of capuchin monkeys in the wild
5 votes -
Comment on US general warns he lacks sufficient forces to protect Israel amid Iran war in ~society
skybrian LinkFrom the article: [...] [...]From the article:
Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the head of U.S. European Command, sent written notification to senior Pentagon officials saying that without another Navy destroyer he will be forced to choose defense of the United States “homeland” over that of Israel, said the officials, who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the correspondence.
A U.S. defense official said Grynkewich’s notification appears consistent with past outreach to the Pentagon from the military’s top generals when they see certain risks that require Washington’s consideration. This can occur, the official said, as commanders compete for finite resources and weapons.
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The Navy has been particularly taxed, as the Trump administration has directed a blockade of Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The standoff has stymied the movement of Middle Eastern oil and other commodities through the narrow waterway, upending the global economy.
U.S. naval destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea have been employed as a part of Israel’s defense for many years. The vessels, equipped with powerful radar and armed with an array of missiles, have downed missiles aimed at Israel not only by Iran, but by Houthi militants in Yemen that are equipped by Tehran.
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The Navy has five destroyers that deploy from a U.S. port in Rota, Spain, with a sixth expected to arrive there later this year, Pentagon officials have said. But maintenance issues have piled up due to the Iran war’s tempo, complicating matters for Grynkewich, officials said. The Washington Post withheld specific details about the ships’ availability at the request of military officials, who cited security concerns.
As The Post reported in May, Pentagon assessments conducted earlier in the war showed that U.S. forces have shouldered the brunt of defending Israel from Iranian ballistic missiles. The assessments found that American weapons, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and naval interceptors launched from the eastern Mediterranean, were used far more frequently than Israeli air defense weapons.
Two destroyers, the USS Paul Ignatius and the USS Roosevelt, were in the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, a U.S. official said. Three destroyers were in Rota: the USS Arleigh Burke, the USS Bulkeley and the USS Oscar Austin.
Okay, clearly many sympathetic people have argued against it. But this brief summary doesn't tell us how good the arguments are. For example, I'm wondering how expensive this measure could be when it seemingly doesn't do anything substantial? And how exactly does it undermine the official status of other languages?