turmacar's recent activity
-
Comment on Peter Watts on ‘Blindsight’, ‘Armored Core’ and working with Neill Blomkamp in ~books
-
Comment on Which challenging book was worth the effort for you? in ~books
turmacar LinkToo Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer It falls into what I think of as the rarer scifi genre of "I think this is what Asimov or Bester were going for", in that it's trying to imagine a future...Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer
It falls into what I think of as the rarer scifi genre of "I think this is what Asimov or Bester were going for", in that it's trying to imagine a future society and the implications of all those differences by telling a story. I largely think it succeeds and is significantly better than either of them in terms of narrative. It does very little hand-holding about how society and social interactions work leaving a kind of puzzle for the reader to solve as the story goes on. It's also just dense with concepts and really nice prose.
I also liked how it's just Earth based. I like Space Communism in Star Trek, I like Space Capitalism in The Expanse, etc., etc. But it's nice to also have a sci-fi story that has a much more "space is hard" approach to futurism and mostly stays planet bound. I got gifted the book originally and didn't look to much into it but apparently it's the first of a (finished?) series. I should get on that.
-
Comment on I'm tired of dismissive anti-AI bias in ~tech
turmacar Link ParentEnforced, no, not legally anyway. But it was generally "bad form". For decades big companies and standards organizations said "don't do this" and almost everyone behaved because no one wants their...Enforced, no, not legally anyway. But it was generally "bad form". For decades big companies and standards organizations said "don't do this" and almost everyone behaved because no one wants their web hosting rates to spike because someone just repeatedly grabs their whole site, over and over and over. Ads started because they were a dynamic way to generate revenue if your site got popular overnight, you could use the boost in views to directly cover the increased hosting costs.
Until the last few years there was no reason for the mass crawling we're seeing now. There were bad actors and the occasional mad
scientistsarchivists but not an organized effort with billion dollar companies behind it to just ignore all engineered norms in pursuit of profit.User agent spoofing isn't malicious in the same way phone call forwarding isn't. There are legitimate use cases for each, like convincing a site you can display the data you're requesting or seamlessly routing phone calls internally/externally. The problem is when someone uses that benign functionality maliciously.
-
Comment on I'm tired of dismissive anti-AI bias in ~tech
turmacar Link ParentI mean they're not broken. They're not just ignoring robots.txt, they're actively engaged in an arms race against being stopped from crawling. People have shown that they are spoofing user agents...I mean they're not broken.
They're not just ignoring robots.txt, they're actively engaged in an arms race against being stopped from crawling. People have shown that they are spoofing user agents and coming from distributed IPs specifically to get around throttling measures.
The most important part to point out though is that this isn't "rogue AI" or anything so ridiculous or Sci-fi. It's people programming the crawlers to do those things because they want the data. It's textbook "Computer Fraud and Abuse Act" stuff that's just not being enforced because "AI might be important and the CEOs with the most vested interest said they need this".
-
Comment on Dropout TV price change announced - FAQ linked in ~tv
turmacar Link ParentGoogle Pay it looks like, but I believe that still makes you tie it to a specific card? It's nice that it's delayed until the card expires at least. For me that's 2028. Frankly it would have to...Google Pay it looks like, but I believe that still makes you tie it to a specific card? It's nice that it's delayed until the card expires at least. For me that's 2028.
Frankly it would have to increase a lot more for me to think about cancelling. It's the last streaming service I'm willing to pay for.
-
Comment on Donald Trump White House directs US National Institutes of Health to study ‘regret’ after transgender people transition in ~society
turmacar Link ParentI don't have a source other than vague recollections from "If Books Could Kill" but I believe most of the evidence for "regret" is from social pressure and abandonment by family, not the surgery...I don't have a source other than vague recollections from "If Books Could Kill" but I believe most of the evidence for "regret" is from social pressure and abandonment by family, not the surgery itself. Similar to how people who leave a strict religious community only to return probably haven't had a sudden revelation, but miss their family and social connections that they've been cut off from.
-
Comment on Keanu Reeves set for ‘John Wick 5’ as franchise expands with animated prequel film, Donnie Yen-directed Caine spinoff in ~movies
turmacar Link ParentThere's directions they could take the franchise, moving into a mentor/leadership role, dealing with mortality a la Logan, but basically nobody seems interested in doing that with any aging action...There's directions they could take the franchise, moving into a mentor/leadership role, dealing with mortality a la Logan, but basically nobody seems interested in doing that with any aging action star. Maybe that's what the JW5/Ballerina movies are going for?
It seems weird that those kind of stories are relatively common in comics, where you don't have to worry about the age of the 'actor' but significantly less so in movies.
RED kind of went that direction with him being so experienced he doesn't have to move fast anymore, but I'm honestly struggling to think of other examples. And RED/RED2 are much more show than tell on that aspect.
-
Comment on The death of simple racing games in ~games
turmacar LinkI appreciate his overall point, and blur is definitely an example I'd mostly forgotten that I might have to track down, but one thing was very jarring to me. Is it really niche knowledge that you...I appreciate his overall point, and blur is definitely an example I'd mostly forgotten that I might have to track down, but one thing was very jarring to me.
Is it really niche knowledge that you can fire things backward in MarioKart? I feel like this has been a thing since at least the N64 or GBA versions.
-
Comment on New hard / mil SciFi read recommendations requested - just finished a marathon series in ~books
turmacar LinkOld Man's War by John Scalzi and The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell might be in that area. Would put Scalzi on the more serious side and Campbell as more of a popcorn series, but they're each...Old Man's War by John Scalzi and The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell might be in that area.
Would put Scalzi on the more serious side and Campbell as more of a popcorn series, but they're each fun military sci-fi series.
-
Comment on What are your goto cocktails? in ~food
turmacar LinkI recently got introduced to this by a bartender as a 'Godfather' and have been experimenting at home. There's definitely a spectrum where when made well they're very good, and if you make them...50 50 mix of whisky and amaretto with a cherry
I recently got introduced to this by a bartender as a 'Godfather' and have been experimenting at home. There's definitely a spectrum where when made well they're very good, and if you make them less well (and/or with too low quality liquor/cherry) they taste like an elevated couch syrup more than a cocktail. :P
If you like more whiskey forward stuff could also try out a Sazarac. They're the only reason I have absinthe in my house and you use so little that it lasts for quite a while.
The official recipe is:
50 ml cognac
10 ml absinthe
One sugar cube
Two dashes Peychaud's BittersAnd an experienced bartender will make a great one by muddling the sugar and absinthe with water and it's a whole process. But I usually make them more like an Old Fashioned. Rye/Bourbon whiskey, some simple sugar, a drip of absinthe, and the bitters.
-
Comment on Please stop externalizing your costs directly into my face in ~tech
turmacar Link ParentAnything's possible, but it's definitely a non-trivial problem at best. Having to have a consensus mechanism at all is always going to cause a slowdown. Maybe someone'll be able to get it within a...Anything's possible, but it's definitely a non-trivial problem at best.
Having to have a consensus mechanism at all is always going to cause a slowdown. Maybe someone'll be able to get it within a few orders of magnitude of a non-blockchain database, but that's still not going to be enough to handle the kind of transaction volumes you'd need for modern mainstream payment system, much less something orders of magnitude larger still like micropayments for http access.
-
Comment on Apple restricts Pebble from being awesome with iPhones in ~tech
turmacar Link ParentMost companies fail and, full credit where it's due, Pebble failed incredibly gracefully with managing to guarantee refunds for the P2 kickstarter from fitbit. I agree that "betrayal" and "killed"...Most companies fail and, full credit where it's due, Pebble failed incredibly gracefully with managing to guarantee refunds for the P2 kickstarter from fitbit.
I agree that "betrayal" and "killed" aren't fair representations. But with the combination of years of optimism, the outward appearance of growth, and the at the time recent, extremely successful crowdfunding campaign; it's not that surprising that people felt personally let down. It's the flipside to the company being extremely personable and transparent. The community expressing concern about specific people at the company getting/keeping their jobs after a bankruptcy / buyout isn't unique but it is rare. And it's a testament to how well Pebble was received and presented itself.
Like I said. Cautiously optimistic, just hope there's some lessons learned and this time around there's more focus on building a sustainable company.
-
Comment on Apple restricts Pebble from being awesome with iPhones in ~tech
turmacar Link ParentI get what you're saying but adding nuance to it mostly just moves the frustration back to Pebble and Eric. From what I remember at the time Fitbit also didn't keep employees on with possibly one...I get what you're saying but adding nuance to it mostly just moves the frustration back to Pebble and Eric. From what I remember at the time Fitbit also didn't keep employees on with possibly one or two exceptions. It was almost entirely a patent/IP acquisition.
Making a new hardware product is always going to be risky, obviously more so when it's basically creating a new market segment. And I can understand overreaching and/or panicking a bit as the big tech companies saw an opportunity and started producing 1st and 2nd party smartwatches.
Its was still frustrating when Pebble went from projecting unmitigated optimism, starting to be sold in big box stores, launching Pebble 2 and the Core devices on Kickstarter in June/Sept(?), and then was gone by December.
I kind of appreciate that the rePebble rollout seems to be trying to go for a more slow and steady approach by mostly having a dev-focused device first with potentially a more commercial Pebble 3 to follow. I have concerns about that too, but hopefully it leads to a more stable company.
-
Comment on Introducing two new PebbleOS watches! in ~tech
turmacar LinkDamn. One of the things I was most frustrated with about the patents and everything being tied up when the OG pebble collapsed. Adding extra room for batteries, GPS, or other modules like solar...Smartstraps: neither watch will support smartstraps. Sorry. Most people don’t even remember this feature even existed, which is kinda the answer to why it will not be supported. RIP.
Damn. One of the things I was most frustrated with about the patents and everything being tied up when the OG pebble collapsed. Adding extra room for batteries, GPS, or other modules like solar panels seemed like one of the coolest ways to expand smartwatch capabilities without bulking up the watch part nearly as much.
Probably going to wait to order at least until they have an actual IP rating, but maybe, hopefully, that's something that could come back in the next generation.
-
Comment on Disney scales back ‘Snow White’ Hollywood premiere amid Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot controversies in ~movies
turmacar Link ParentAnd there was the Snow White and the Huntsman movie and it's sequel that came out around that time too. They weren't bad. Doing a pretty straight remake of the 30s cartoon seems more tone deaf...And there was the Snow White and the Huntsman movie and it's sequel that came out around that time too. They weren't bad.
Doing a pretty straight remake of the 30s cartoon seems more tone deaf than most of the other live action remakes.
-
Comment on Utah legislature sends bill banning water fluoridation to governor for signature or veto in ~society
turmacar LinkPossibly the most infuriating part of this is how weaponized "lower IQ" has become because it sounds like a reasoned scientific argument. The original study talked about differences, over the...Possibly the most infuriating part of this is how weaponized "lower IQ" has become because it sounds like a reasoned scientific argument.
The original study talked about differences, over the population of countries, of single digit IQ points. Which is less than the variation of the same person taking the test multiple times. It's basically a textbook example of looking at the noise in the data and deciding, because you already have a pet issue, saying "this is the evidence I want".
And it's being used to remove one of the best documented, lowest cost, most effective large scale public health measures of the 20th century. Because it will not impact people with parents who can afford dental care and/or have the education to value it.
-
Comment on What works do you think should be added to the literary canon? in ~books
turmacar Link ParentI definitely think the 90s were a high point. Maybe the LOTR movies coming out were some kind of "okay those are mainstream now lets do other stuff" signal to publishers or something. Though yea...I definitely think the 90s were a high point. Maybe the LOTR movies coming out were some kind of "okay those are mainstream now lets do other stuff" signal to publishers or something. Though yea like you say there's always been alternatives even if they're harder to find.
I do really appreciate that all the more mainstream current fantasy authors like Sanderson mainly work in stories that are less Tolkien inspired. Even the ones that have Elves and Dark Lords try to do something interesting like setting it in modern times or drawing from other mythologies.
-
Comment on What works do you think should be added to the literary canon? in ~books
turmacar Link ParentIf nothing else the general attitude of reading them to 'appreciate them' instead of 'enjoying them' is a point in their favor for canonization. Similar to Citizen Kane. I wouldn't say fantasy...If nothing else the general attitude of reading them to 'appreciate them' instead of 'enjoying them' is a point in their favor for canonization. Similar to Citizen Kane.
I wouldn't say fantasy authors are ripping off Tolkein any more than FPS games are 'Doom clones'. I really like Terry Pratchett's take:
“J.R.R. Tolkien has become a sort of mountain, appearing in all subsequent fantasy in the way that Mt. Fuji appears so often in Japanese prints. Sometimes it’s big and up close. Sometimes it’s a shape on the horizon. Sometimes it’s not there at all, which means that the artist either has made a deliberate decision against the mountain, which is interesting in itself, or is in fact standing on Mt. Fuji.”
-
Comment on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and US influencers bash seed oils, baffling nutrition scientists in ~food
turmacar Link ParentFrankly even without debating any of whether it's 'better' for you or not I kind of wonder if McDonalds could source enough tallow and switch supply chains in the short term. IIRC they tend to...Frankly even without debating any of whether it's 'better' for you or not I kind of wonder if McDonalds could source enough tallow and switch supply chains in the short term. IIRC they tend to work on year(s) long contracts because they're such a large market force. Steak 'n Shake has a fraction of the locations.
-
Comment on The Japanese mayor who built a floodgate no one wanted — and saved his town from a massive tsunami after his death in ~enviro
turmacar LinkEvery time this story comes back up its stark how even in Japan, which is generally held up internationally as an exemplar of public investment, people balk at infrastructure built to withstand...Every time this story comes back up its stark how even in Japan, which is generally held up internationally as an exemplar of public investment, people balk at infrastructure built to withstand proven historical necessity because it's for "once/twice in a generation" events. The difference being that they went along with it in this case.
It contrasts harshly with the coverage of the hurricane flooding in Virginia last year where the immediate narrative was "unprecedented" and the later quiet articles were that actually it seems to happen every hundred years or so.
I realize that part of why this village's story is popular is because other adjacent Japanese villages didn't make similar measures. Maybe it's just reinforcement that we need more extraordinary leaders, but that's not super encouraging.
It's really interesting, "what if vampires existing made space travel easier". That's not even the crux of the book really, just a matter-of-fact detail of the world. Definitely leans more Event Horizon than Dracula.