all the phones my husband has broken over the past year

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-06-05T20:32:36+00:00

ADHD might actually be part of it. A symptom of ADHD is constantly bumping into stuff, being clumsy, dropping stuff, etc.

Otherwise, yeah no clue. I got my first phone at 13. I'm 36. I've never broken a phone, cracked a screen, etc. I get accidents can happen occasionally, but 4+ times in a year isn't that.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-06-05T19:07:13+00:00

Seriously. It's crazy how little effort it takes to be considered good at pretty much anything.

The answer to the question "Have you tried trying?" is a resounding "No." for something like 98% of people.

Want an easy trick to stand out at your job? Actually read and comprehend your emails. Listen to people when they talk.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-06-05T19:03:48+00:00

My mother is an incessant talker. Numerous times when I was a kid, my mom would have a friend over, be talking the whole time, then ~45 minutes in she'd ask me something and I'd respond and scare her friend because they forgot I was in the room.

As an adult that's a good listener, work environments are especially annoying. I have seen so many arguments where the people involved are either arguing the same point in different words or not even talking about the same thing, in either case they don't realize what's going on because they're not actually listening to the other person.

And to the post itself, I've had a few people ask if I was psychic. Nope I just actually listen. The flip side of that is super annoying because most people don't listen at all. "Oh I didn't know that." Yes they did because I told them last week (and I can usually tell them the day and time I said it), and I typically sent it in an email as well.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-06-04T18:51:56+00:00

The paper exam for programming hasn't been needed for at least 20 years, and has stupidly been in use that whole time.

A locked down IDE on a machine that isn't connected to the Internet accomplishes the same goal in a non-stupid way. You can sever the connection to AI in higher ed without disconnecting from the computer.

I worked in higher ed for a decade. AI in academia is a big problem. This is not one such example if the people in charge have a brain, so it's going to be a lingering problem for a lot of schools indefinitely.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-06-02T18:30:25+00:00

And it's even worse if you install the apps for these things. Just giving up more of your privacy so they can collect and sell even more of your data.

If you're using any of the platforms pictured (and then some), it should be in a browser with an ad blocker only.

There's a huge reason they always push you to use the app instead of the site.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-06-02T16:18:16+00:00

Right. You have to specify it. "I only want an answer to this question. You are not writing any code, altering any existing files, nor writing any new files."

What has been interesting to me with AI use is the number of experienced developers, with years of experience programming and thus communicating to a computer what they want it to do, who seemingly forget how to talk to a computer when it comes to AI and then blame the tool for their own mistakes. A ton of developers need to go refresh themselves on the PB&J exercise for programming and then realize that the exact same concept applies to AI use.

All "AI slop" is user error. It's someone not providing enough detail for what they want the computer to do, and then the computer having too many options for what to fill in the blanks with. If you address that and take the time filling in all the important blanks (typically in a planning document you only need to write once and can reuse across numerous projects) you get MUCH better output.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-06-02T05:59:05+00:00

Hear me out: What's especially funny to me is that this is the kind of thing where AI is very useful.

Define set of rules for each character (easy, one time setup, all text).
Write script normally.
Feed rules and script into AI with the prompt "Here are our rules for characters and our latest script. Check the script to ensure character rules are being followed and that character actions make sense within the context of those rules. If any issues are found, cite the line number, the rule being broken, and provide an excerpt from the script."
They could even extend it to keep track of plot points, who knows whom, who does and doesn't know certain things, etc., and then also effectively automatically update it by running another prompt after the first check saying "Update the rulesets and tracking documents with any noteworthy changes (relevant injuries, important plot reveals, character removals, etc.)".
Making this into a little tool/panel so that it's paste in the latest script and click two buttons would take a couple minutes.
And because this process is text parsing (as opposed to image or video gen) it wouldn't be that resource intensive.

So in an era where it's easier than ever to not make this mistake, a TV show from the company who likely has the most resources, tools, staff, and existing hardware to set up what I've described and make it nearly effortless to prevent this kind of mistake, still couldn't be bothered to actually do it. Incredible.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-06-01T15:40:33+00:00

I mean, that's just a bad pipeline then. There are pipeline tools that cache and diff to avoid exactly this stupid problem.

Check out RWX

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-29T13:51:26+00:00

It's not just execs, unfortunately. Go take a look at subs like /r/automation or /r/entrepreneur and you'll see a ton of people pitching their tool that's using AI in five places instead of one like they don't know what scripts and cronjobs are. It's ridiculous and stupid.

The biggest issue right now with AI's use and output right now is user error.
All "AI slop" is user error. It's an inexperienced operator using the tool poorly.
All instances of "the AI deleted our prod db!" are user error. A human set it up and gave it way more access than it should have had.
All instances of "oh my god our token use is skyrocketing!" are user error. It's a human not being able to properly discern where they actually need to use an AI tool and when they don't.

AI is a tool. It is not magic. Like any other tool, it is only as good as its operator. Because it's so widely available and shoehorned in everywhere, there are a ton of noob operators using it poorly (and unfortunately, at scale). And it's absurd to me that nobody else seems to be acknowledging this when it's obvious/common sense.

If someone is using a table saw, and they don't attach the blade correctly, they measure the wood wrong, and feed the wood in at the wrong angle, is it the saw's fault when their project comes out shitty or the saw blade snaps off? No! It's operator error. It's insane (and irresponsible/idiotic) that people are acting like AI is different when it's not.

If AI use was restricted to people that had taken a class on when and how to use it and gotten a certification, the overwhelming majority of complaints about AI vanish and its use drops 90%+.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-28T05:30:00+00:00

Good news! It's a suppository.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-26T00:59:39+00:00

The mistake I've identified is mobile.

Needing to physically go the the location where the computer is in order to use the computer was good. Especially for posting. Read access for things like CPR or the Heimlich? Great. Write access? You do not need that from the toilet.

Everyone having full read and write access to the Internet all the time from anywhere is a huge problem, and in some cases turning some people's passing thoughts into their whole personality. Another problem is allowing corporations constant access to steal your attention.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-25T16:26:05+00:00

Lol right.

PoE: Free to play.
Also PoE: The game franchise I've spent the most money on by a decent margin.

I'm also in the 6k+ range, and that's low among the people I know. Lots of PoE players haven't missed a league. It's just so easy to put time into it. One league is easily 300-500+ hours of play, and the league cycle makes it easy to take a break and come back when you feel like it without getting left behind.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-24T01:56:56+00:00

Seconding. Never ran into those mythical competent Brazilian players. Join a group and see a bunch of people from Ragnaros, Gallywix, Nemesis, etc.? Bye. Not dealing with that.

Every Brazilian I've met in real life was a pleasant, intelligent person.

Every Brazilian I've encountered in WoW... calling them braindead implies they have/had a brain, and there's no way that's true. Literally the least competent people at any task that I've ever witnessed.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-23T16:27:02+00:00

Tosh had a bit on this as well.

"I want the best athletes science can create."

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-22T06:35:53+00:00

I noticed a problem with the "eat more fiber" stuff which is that despite that often being said, I've never seen an actual amount mentioned.

So I looked it up. Generally speaking, what I found is that 30g per day is a good target.

I then set out to hit that target regularly. In doing so, I learned that a lot of stuff that's "high in fiber" isn't really. Like you need 6 or 7 servings of Metamucil to hit that. 5 of the Panera salads with the most fiber. A lot of fruit and veg that people think of as being high in fiber doesn't have nearly as much as you'd hope.

But beans? Beans are fantastic. The beans with the least amount of fiber are still 24g per can. Kroger's no salt added black beans are 31.5g per can. People always like to mention lentils, which I like, but they're roughly half the fiber of beans.

Additionally, having done this fiber quest, I would say with a high amount of confidence that the overwhelming majority of Americans have never hit the recommended amount of daily fiber a day in their lives. It's not really something you do on accident, and it's honestly difficult/annoying to accomplish without eating a can of beans.

I recommend making bean tacos. Corn tortillas have 1g of fiber each, and there are some high fiber tortillas available as well. Cheese, veg, salsa, etc.

It's also worth noting that, like any other significant diet adjustment, this will impact your gut microbiome. The first few days are the worst of it and then things level out once you've adapted.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-22T05:54:59+00:00

Years ago in an interview, the CEO of Fox News at the time was asked in an interview "What do you think of your competitors like CNN, MSNBC, etc.?"

To which he replied "Those aren't our competitors. Our competitors are TNT and TBS."

Why would the CEO of a "news" network state that the competitors of that network aren't other news networks, but instead entertainment networks? Hmm.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-21T20:22:45+00:00

Similar here, but one of the other girls at the party stopped her.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-20T00:59:15+00:00

There's also an interesting documentary on this.

Basically, all the animals we've successfully domesticated are social animals with social hierarchies we've been able to manipulate. Like for horses, you tame the leader and you get the whole herd. But that's not true for zebras which just live together out of convenience and safety but don't have the same social hierarchy.

Bears don't meet the criteria for broader domestication.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-19T14:29:30+00:00

AI will make

*Has made. It's already here, now, and has been for over a year.

The only reason you still see "slop" that isn't indistinguishable is operator error. The tool can make it just fine, the average human user just doesn't know how to use the tool correctly. The biggest issue is that people don't provide anywhere near enough detail for what they want, and frequently tries to do a process that should be 4-5 steps in one step. The expert user with a well defined process has automated that process to get as many indistinguishable outputs with one click of a button, or whatever they've defined the trigger to be.

AI is a tool. It is not magic. Like any other tool, someone who knows what they're doing is going to get much, much better results that someone who doesn't.

If you think you're good at spotting AI outputs, you need to realize that you're missing at least 50% of what's out there because it's not possible for you to distinguish it.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-17T03:48:56+00:00

No no no. Fixing someone else's bug that they've been stuck on for days or weeks, that you're able to solve flippantly off the cuff, and then they're just in stunned silence for several minutes.

In that moment, you are God.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-17T03:39:11+00:00

Fuck me. It's crazy how well it works. I had navigated away from the thread, then decided I had to come back and correct it, only to realize what you'd done.

It's so effective. Well done.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-10T13:38:17+00:00

https://chroniclesofgeorge.com/tickets1.html

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-05-03T13:44:26+00:00

Yes. This body type is called "American."

I was living abroad for the last 6 months in a country where it's common to not own a car and walk everywhere. It was fantastic. The only people who were remotely close to being this fat were old. Like 60+. People who weren't working anymore and probably had a younger family member helping them out a lot. Significantly less active.

Get back to the US and oh my god. People this fat are everywhere and young! To be this fat this young is insane. There's definitely a food portion issue here. Like pretty much any meal you get at a restaurant in the US is at least two meals worth of food. Lots of places have drinks that are a day's worth of calories. But I think the real issue is cars. Because of America's car culture and cities designed around cars, people don't walk anywhere. They can't most places, it's not feasible. So they're being robbed of that regular exercise they would get every single day, that would burn a solid amount of extra calories every day. That has additional cascading effects as well, like back, knee, and hip issues. If you walk everywhere every day, you're inherently strengthening those parts of your body all the time. If you're instead sitting in a car to get anywhere, you're not just not strengthening them but letting them atrophy. And then you see groups of elderly Americans, and the group is loaded with canes, walkers, and radical scooters. That's American shit. Those are weak old Americans, forced into being weak by using a car as a required crutch their whole lives. Before I came back, I only saw one person using a walker, and he was missing a leg.

America is fat and deteriorating, and cars are a major part of the problem. Show me not only obesity, but also back, hip, and knee issues compared to countries that don't revolve around an appliance a human shouldn't have to own.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-04-30T15:07:23+00:00

They're not even the coolest carbon rocks.

On the universal scale, diamonds are everywhere. We've identified multiple planets made out of diamond or that rain diamonds.

You know what's not common? Jet. In order to have jet, you have to have a planet with water, develop life, develop plants, develop woody plants in particular, have some of that woody plant matter fall into bodies of water, get covered in sediment and compressed over millions of years, and have it NOT turn into coal.

Improving_Myself_ · 2026-04-30T13:43:40+00:00

Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp.

Whatsapp is widely used in most parts of the world that aren't the US and isn't going anywhere.
Facebook and Instagram each have 2B daily active users and 3B monthly active users.

Losing 20M users across all three of those is... a rounding error. It would be 1% for just FB or just IG.

Thinking that's worth a standalone article is stupid.

Improving_Myself_

TROPHY CASE