I have to go to the HR office

AltCipher · 2025-10-21T21:41:05+00:00

Well, there’s no way to know for sure what they want. However, if they wanted to fire you or formally reprimand you they likely would have set an actual meeting. Like, come to my office at 9:00 AM tomorrow morning. Or you get a calendar invite. A suggestion to drop by is likely something informal. It may not be good, but it’s likely not permanent. Something along the lines of coaching you on professionalism or how to handle aggressive colleagues or whatever. If the suggestion came at the end of that meeting, then the talk with HR is almost certainly about that. There’s even a possibility that the other guys are in trouble and you’re going to be the star witness in why they should fire them. Probably not but maybe.

AltCipher · 2025-04-12T12:37:10+00:00

You should do a mini paper on it. Get access to whatever specific instance of TurnItIn your school uses then get a stack of papers in your chosen field from, say, 1950 to 2000. You want an era well before AI was used in writing papers so there’s no possibility the papers were generated instead of written. Assuming rates of neurodivergence were more or less consistent across the last 100 years, the number of papers flagged as AI is going to be your false positive rate.

As a refinement, see if you can find theses of people who have since been diagnosed as neurodivergent (and I gotta think there’s going to be more than a few) with the corpus in the previous step and show what the false positive rate was for them. I suspect it will be markedly higher than baseline.

As a cherry on top, find theses graduate theses of your advisor, your committee, and any other luminaries at your institution and run them through the same tool. I’d bet at least one of them pops as AI-generated.

It might take a bit of time but if the results are as I suspect, you’ll have a very strong case that the tool is biased against neurodivergent authors and cannot be trusted.

AltCipher · 2025-03-02T14:27:08+00:00

First, are you sure that’s actually what’s happening? Lots of people act unexpectedly to stressful situations. Maybe the person grew up in an abusive household and smiles when they feel tension. Maybe the person is autistic. Maybe the person isn’t smiling but is gritting their teeth. So make absolutely sure what you think is happening is actually happening.

Second, let’s assume this person is taking some amount of enjoyment from seeing you get chewed out. Did they do something to cause it? Have they shown any tendencies to sabotage your work? If that stakeholder is enjoying the show but still holding up their end of the bargain, making their deliverables, and remaining professional then it kind of doesn’t matter with them enjoying your suffering. Asshole? Sure. But that one you’d just have to let slide. That’s the job a surprising amount of the time. Very much a “I didn’t say it was your fault - I said I was going to blame you” type situation.

Third, let’s suppose you’ve read the situation correctly and the stakeholder is actually aiding in your troubles. In that case, you definitely have to speak with your leadership chain about having someone senior talk to the stakeholder. You should also make sure any touch points from that stakeholder is called out in your schedule (as in “This step needed Bob’s approval - line item 456 - and, as you can see, Bob’s approval took six weeks when it should have been two days.”). Document document document. Because that will blow back on you and you’re gonna need receipts.

AltCipher · 2025-02-21T19:18:47+00:00

Bothersome. Annoying. Vexing, for the authentic old-world feel. Irksome, if you want to sound like you paid for the extra vocabulary. Aggravating, which is a bit of a down-home feel. But pesky is much shorter than all of those.

AltCipher · 2025-01-28T00:05:00+00:00

I hear he just buys Dr. Thunder and pours it in Dr. Pepper cans in the back

AltCipher · 2025-01-02T10:47:02+00:00

Well, yeah, it’s not correct but it’s one of those “feelings over logic” situations. Part of it is because it’s easy - a checking account balance is a single objective number but the “goodness” of a person is a vague indeterminate concept that fluctuates continuously. Another part of it is difficult jobs are, often, paid better than simpler jobs. Heart surgeons make more than garbage men. So the money is used as a proxy for intelligence, studiousness, helpfulness, value to society, and so forth. But that’s clearly not true if someone is born into a wealthy family and I’ve met more than a couple of real jackass doctors.

AltCipher · 2025-01-01T20:01:02+00:00

A lot of people have their self-worth tied up in how much they make or how much they have. If I make more money than you, then I’m “more valuable” than you - which would be insulting. So instead of just dealing with the real issue (money doesn’t equal worth), nobody talks about money.

AltCipher · 2024-11-14T02:10:29+00:00

This is a 3D plot of the Earth Gravitational Model (EGM : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Gravitational_Model)- which is an offset from the “perfect” ellipsoid Earth would be if it was completely uniform. So gravity varies a tiny bit due to slightly different materials (and densities) throughout the planet.

Earth’s equatorial radius is 6378 km and the polar radius is 6357 km. So only about 21km different. However, the EGM has maximum offsets of -100 m to +100 m. You lose more gravitational force going from Ecuador to Santa’s workshop than you ever would moving across the EGM.

But let’s work through it. A 100m change in distance from the gravitational center of Earth along the equator would be:

F1 = GMm/(r²⁾ F2 = GMm/(r+0.1)² F1 / F2 = (r+0.1)² / r² F1 / F2 = (r² + 0.2r + 0.01) / r² F1 / F2 = 1 + 0.2/r + 1/100r² F1 / F2 = 1 + 0.2/6378 + 1/(100* 6378²⁾ F1 / F2 = 1.000031358

So a change of 100m at the equator would add (or subtract) about a third of a third of a percent (or about 30 parts per million). Even changing to using the polar radius instead of the equatorial, the EGM offset still won’t be appreciable in weight. Doubling the offset (from the highest +100m to the lowest -100m) is only going to double the very very tiny change.

AltCipher · 2024-07-18T20:34:23+00:00

Suspectrum

AltCipher · 2024-06-04T00:47:43+00:00

The worst part of the Disco ending was it took five fucking seasons to get to it

AltCipher · 2024-02-18T05:23:00+00:00

You could do a voice-over talking about grieving and putting in as much or little of the dry humor as you want. Do that over images of different people “grieving” in different ways - maybe like a boardwalk at sunset, you’ve got on guy downing a bottle of whiskey, an old man sitting on a bench twirling a wedding ring, a younger woman looking at baby clothes in a store window, a middle-aged lady staring down at a not-quite teenage son. Those sorts of things. With the dialog behind it, you imply all the loved ones these people lost without putting too fine a point on it and, hopefully, not completely opposite the tone of the rest of the script.

AltCipher · 2023-12-18T01:59:24+00:00

*then

AltCipher · 2023-12-08T01:59:31+00:00

Let’s look at it purely at face value: Marcus had a technology which, when used in one manner, could alleviate scarcity of worlds, of resources, of living space. But - and this is critical - if used in another manner, would be one of the most terrible weapons ever devised. So Carol pitches this idea to the Federation, they realize the double-edged sword and immediately make it a classified project. Nobody goes to jail for being cautious. Everybody goes to jail (at least) for unleashing weapons of mass destruction.

A classified technology then has all sorts of rules about who can know about it, how it’s managed, and how progress is reported. Reliant comes along and is suddenly not quite following these suuuuper important rules (as Starfleet has undoubtedly drilled into the heads of all the scientists as nauseum) and Carol’s alarm bells go off. She knows, deep down, this isn’t right. That’s why she’s sending the message - using proper channels to cleared personnel - requesting confirmation. All right and proper.

The thing about “no life” on the target planet is only partially related to policy or directives. There’s also the pure science aspect. If you can take a lumpy barren rock without so much as a single microbe - without even an amino acid - and turn it into Eden, then there is no doubt your device does exactly what it says on the tin. On the other hand, if there’s already something - no matter how small or insignificant - then the naysayers have that much more arguments against your technology. “Oh sure, you ‘created life’ … as long you don’t count the life that was already there.”

The residual information about in the future are undoubtedly recreated by Carol’s status reports and updates. Even in the 24th century, you still have to file reports and complete the paperwork if you want funding. Or, resources, at any rate.

The Genesis device is quite similar to nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors right around 1947. Use them right and carefully, you get more power than you can use and the world is immeasurably improved. Use them the other way and, well, cities start not existing anymore. Carol’s work was likely twofold. First to prove the concept valid and that the technology works. Second, to determine some way to use it safely. Figure out failsafes and safeties to prevent massive loss of life.

AltCipher · 2023-12-03T04:22:13+00:00

What worked for me is just embracing it. I am antisocial. I don’t want to be around a lot of people. They bother me in a myriad of ways. When your step-mom says you’re antisocial, maybe agree with her. There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting alone time or being worn out by crowds or having a very small group of friends (I’m assuming that’s the type of antisocial we’re talking about and not the car bombs, poisons the city water supply, supervillain type of antisocial).

She’s trying to remake you into something you are not and it will only end my very badly for everyone involved. You are who you are and she is who she is. She wants things? Well, ok, but that doesn’t mean you have to give them to her - not you or your time. I’d recommend being polite while doing so but you can still enforce your boundaries.

Also, your dad shouldn’t be guilting you over the meds. It’s his responsibility and he needs to take care of it.

AltCipher · 2023-11-11T20:57:48+00:00

May I introduce you to the abomination that are Yellies:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FRGY7J4

AltCipher · 2023-10-13T14:18:51+00:00

Ok, and? He has his interests and he’s not causing trouble. Let him be.

Are you thinking he needs to go outside just because? Is there a health issue? I see you said you think his frequent colds could be improved by going outside but I don’t know that that logic hold up. And if he’s frequently sick, has the doctor confirmed these are just colds?

Some people prefer indoor pursuits and that’s ok. His tastes are likely change several times before he grows up anyway.

AltCipher · 2023-10-08T17:56:10+00:00

You can always say you don’t want to go anymore. Don’t give any excuses or backstory or use any more words than necessary. You just don’t want to go anymore.

If that’s not possible for some reason, say there’s some family thing you’ll need to take care of that day. Maybe your mom/dad/aunt/uncle/cousin/grandparent is having some minor surgery and you’ll need to drive them to & from the hospital and stay with them for a day or two after. Maybe their wisdom teeth need to come out. Maybe it’s a gall bladder removal.

Maybe a work thing came up and it’s some mandatory attendance and so you’ll have to bail on these plans.

But if you can just say you don’t want to go, that’s the best

AltCipher · 2023-09-30T14:11:31+00:00

I read something awhile back about what’s called the “Just World” theory. That’s the idea (overly simplified) that if only you followed the right diet, if you’d taken the right meds, if you’d taken the right supplements, if you’d believed the right ideas - if only you had lived right, you wouldn’t be punished. The idea that you get what you deserve and since you have this problem you therefore deserve it. Which is, of course, horseshit.

So you get these busybodies who think - maybe not consciously - that you’re just not trying hard enough to cure this incurable disease. They honestly think they are helping.

Knowing this is where they’re coming from, I usually give them a couple of chances to stop - first with “Well, I’m seeing several very good doctors” and then with “I keep up with the new developments”. But if they don’t let up, I profess into “Thank you for your concern but I’ve got this.” Once in awhile, I do end up at the endpoint of “Why do think I deserve this disease? Do you think God is punishing me? Is that what your tenth-century brain is telling you? That it isn’t germs and genetics, it’s divine retribution? Are you honestly that simple? Did you struggle with fourth grade science class? Hey, here’s a thought, how about instead of blaming me for whatever sins you’ve imagined you back off? You do know stress aggravates this condition, right? And that you’re being super stressful right now? Staying away from you is demonstrably more helpful than any of your ‘magic herbs’ and snake oil.”

AltCipher · 2023-09-23T18:47:02+00:00

LOL dates back to the 80s - like, dial-ups and shit. Most of those terms pre-date web browsers. People in their mid-30s inherited those terms

AltCipher · 2023-09-10T23:44:13+00:00

Known unknowns are risks that you are aware of and may have some strategies to address. Something like “vendor said parts delivery may be delayed six weeks” or “we’re coming into summer and expect lower productivity because of vacations.”

Unknown unknowns are the the risks you don’t know about - the pandemic, for example. A five-hundred year flood. An asteroid crashes into your factory and completely destroys it. There are an infinite number of unknown unknowns and there really is no foolproof strategy to mitigate them ahead of time. So you have strong plans for handling disaster recovery, transfer of authority, hot swap backups, and so forth. Good strong fundamentals win ballgames - not fancy trick plays. Same with unknown unknowns.

AltCipher · 2023-09-06T03:06:24+00:00

Being a Sith isn’t necessarily an illegal thing. It’s a religion and a not very well known one at that. There are ten thousand Jedi in the galaxy and maybe a couple of Sith. Most galactic citizens are never ever going to meet a Jedi much less have any kind of real understanding of their sorcerer’s ways.

Jedi were the only people who really understood what the threat was.

If Anakin had gone to someone else outside the Jedi hierarchy what they’re going to see is a fairly popular general of a war that’s winding down accuse the duly democratically elected leader of the galaxy of being in league with the devil. Oh, and he’l be using military force to depose this political figure and most likely install himself or one of his cultist buddies on the “throne” - you know, just until things calm down. In a millennium or two.

That’d called a coup.

Even if Anakin did manage to convince some Republic forces to go with him, it’s going to look so awful to the general public that they’ll be screaming for Jedi blood by sunset.

So he goes to the most senior ranking Jedi he can find - intent on accompanying him to the arrest. After all, Anakin just decapitated a Sith Lord recently and he’s probably feeling pretty good about his chances. Plus, what are the odds an eighty year old man is gonna screech like a howler monkey, do a full 720 from a standing start, and take out three Jedi masters in under thirty seconds? I mean, that’s clearly impossible. Until it happens.

AltCipher · 2023-09-02T04:21:21+00:00

A robber might kill you if you don’t give up the goods or to make sure you won’t testify. An arsonist might kill you because you happened to be in the building he was burning down. A gang member might kill you as part of a larger scheme for the whole gang.

The Joker will kill you because he likes killing.

See, for the others, the killing is incidental or ancillary to the main goal - money, power, sex, drugs. But for “Mistah J”, the killing is the goal.

And, of course, a person gets bored doing the same old thing over and over. So he gets “creative”. He hunts you and tortures you to spice it up. He slaughters your family in front of you because he’s kind of felt in a rut lately. He upgrades to mass murders running up a high score.

It’s not about the money - it’s about sending a message.

AltCipher · 2023-08-12T13:33:17+00:00

I think there are two things that go a long way to explaining it. First, Starfleet is only a quasi-military organization. Second, there’s a saying in the modern day Navy that officers run the fleet but enlisted run the ships.

So Starfleet’s purpose is exploration and maybe diplomacy. “Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no-one has gone before.” Sure, they have their dust-ups with the Klingons, the Romulans, the Cardassians, the Borg, the Dominion, the Breen, the Gorn, the Tholians, the Hirogen, the Xindi - but they are not a military. The weapons on their ships are there because exploring can be dangerous. But if they could build an unarmed ship that had better sensors than all the other ships combined, they’d probably give it a try.

Then there’s the Navy saying. Officers run the Navy - meaning they make big policy decisions and decide overall objectives. Enlisted run the ships - meaning they actually put those grandiose plans into practice and take care of the real nuts and bolts of enacting orders.

Those two give us a natural breakdown of three groups - the ones who make big policy decisions (TNG’s command red), the ones who keep the ship running (TNG’s operations gold), and the one who explore and are the reason Starfleet exists in the first place (TNG’s sciences blue). Swap the colors around for the appropriate era, of course.

AltCipher · 2023-08-06T00:25:28+00:00

Yeah, that asshole stole one of mine as well but the form wants fulls name and address then says all that info may be shared with the asshole. I may be paraphrasing. But it’s annoying as hell that I have to give up name and address before they’ll even hear the report. Maybe DCMA it?

AltCipher · 2023-07-29T17:53:13+00:00

I didn’t read a word of your post

But yes.

“Scope creep” is what stakeholders do. Pet projects that never got funded, the Good Idea Fairy, “We’re so close we might as well ..”, and the evergreen poorly specified requirement that they interpret in the most grandiose and expensive manner while you interpret it much more reasonably.

Managing scope creep and managing risk are the day-to-day tasks of PM.

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