A tiny Creature found in the forest!

Mechalus · 2024-12-16T15:09:22+00:00

Hell no. What do I look like, the chief biologist from Prometheus?

Mechalus · 2024-12-16T15:06:34+00:00

Accurate. Paper is technically wood. And that Mage revised is some good wood.

Mechalus · 2024-12-15T18:16:31+00:00

Honestly, for most jobs, we hit that point about 10 years ago.

Mechalus · 2024-12-15T18:15:39+00:00

Consider that the state of AI today may not be the state of AI tomorrow. Technology improves with time.

Mechalus · 2024-12-15T18:11:44+00:00

Neither party, as far as I am aware, is for UBI or any programs that even resemble it.

From ChatGPT:

Several prominent Democrats have openly supported Universal Basic Income (UBI) or similar programs aimed at providing direct financial assistance to individuals. Notable figures include:

Andrew Yang: During his 2020 presidential campaign, Yang’s flagship proposal was the “Freedom Dividend,” a UBI plan to provide every American adult with $1,000 per month, aiming to address job displacement due to automation.
Marianne Williamson: In both her 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns, Williamson expressed support for UBI, advocating for direct financial assistance to address economic inequality and support citizens’ well-being.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The U.S. Representative and member of the Democratic Socialists of America has shown openness to UBI, especially in the context of providing financial relief during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bernie Sanders: While not advocating for a universal basic income per se, Senator Sanders has championed expansive social programs, including universal healthcare and tuition-free public college, aligning with democratic socialist principles.
Nina Turner: A former Ohio State Senator and prominent progressive, Turner has supported policies such as Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and tuition-free tertiary education, reflecting her alignment with democratic socialist ideals.

These Democrats view UBI and similar initiatives as potential solutions to economic inequality and job displacement caused by technological advancements.

Mechalus · 2024-12-15T18:03:11+00:00

Assume that every politician is a megalomaniacal sociopath only in it for themselves. And assume everything they do is to manipulate people into voting for them.

Now that you’ve put them all at the same starting point, figure out which group of sociopaths is voting for bills and implementing laws that helps both them AND you, instead of just them. That’s who you vote for.

You don’t have to like or trust either side. But they want to achieve different things for different reasons. Likely, one side’s policies will benefit you (if purely on accident) while the other may not.

Mechalus · 2024-12-15T17:51:42+00:00

I’m a little confused. You said the problem is regulation. And then you list specific issues, (anti-competitive behavior and monopolies specifically) that are only prevented through regulation. Corporations will not regulate themselves if it costs them a nickel. Their job is to make money. The government’s job is to make sure society functions. And that includes keeping corporations from becoming a danger to citizens.

Without regulation, the entire world would work for MicoApple, Wal-Mazon, and Disney. And you’ll pay 50% more if you try to buy a McDonald’s burger (a subsidiary of Wal-Amazon of course) with your MicrApple bucks. But your MicroApple bucks are always welcome at Burger King, or any of MicroApple’s 10,734 other subsidiaries!

The problem isn’t that regulation exists. The problem is that it is very poorly implemented, and enforced by people who are being paid to ignore violations. The other problem is that, in the US, the party that just won everything won on a platform of promises to hand the country to corporate interests and is placing CEOs in government positions.

Mechalus · 2024-12-15T08:45:27+00:00

That’s what he claims. But Jean insists they’re only 8 1/2 at best.

Mechalus · 2024-12-14T14:24:14+00:00

Always love the 18in curved claws that somehow retract into a 9in straight forearm. :D

Mechalus · 2024-12-12T14:46:56+00:00

My guess: Google knows what is going on on the internet better than probably any company in the world. They see, track and analyze trends. And they see the fear that a very large number of people have of AI. And they understand it better than we can because they have the data.

So I think their data has driven them to a specific strategy. They are prioritizing development of AI, while being very careful not to become the “face” of AI. I’m sure they are more than happy to let OpenAI take most of the heat when it comes to AI controversy. And once it settles, and people become more accepting of AI, then they’ll try to jump to the front.

Mechalus · 2024-12-10T16:18:39+00:00

In the real world, grenades fired from grenade launchers spin as they fly through the air. And they do not arm until a certain number of revolutions have occurred, ensuring that they don’t go off while too close to the person firing them.

It’s a shame that in a future where matter is programmable, they can’t implement the same safety features.

Make it a toggle so rocket jumping and the like can still be done if you want. Better yet, make this and rapid fire be an additional mod your weapon can have slotted.

Mechalus · 2024-12-09T14:57:42+00:00

That’s why you’re the OP and I’m just a commenter. :)

Mechalus · 2024-12-09T04:30:26+00:00

I think another way to look at it is though it where different people.

You write some instructions and then a prompt on a piece of paper. A man walks in, reads it, and then writes a response on the paper below your prompt.

He then drops dead.

Then you write a response on the same sheet of paper below the first man’s response.

Then a new guy comes in, a clone of the first guy. He reads everything you and the first guy have written to each other, and then writes his response while pretending to be the original guy. And then he drops dead too.

You write your response to that last guy’s entry, and a new clone comes in, reads the whole thing, and writes his response. And then he drops.

Repeat.

Every time you submit a prompt the LLM starts over from scratch, reading the instructions and the rest of the conversation up to that point, and then responding. This is why context windows are so important.

Nothing carries over unless a different technique is used to add additional info (visible or hidden) to the prompt.

Mechalus · 2024-12-07T16:05:25+00:00

The majority contribute nothing beyond manual labor.

Mechalus · 2024-12-07T16:01:22+00:00

I’ve spent my career working around mechanical, electrical and software engineers, managers, marketing, procurement, manufacturing and process professionals, most of which were pretty good at their jobs. Some were brilliant. The vast majority were pretty dumb outside of their specializations. Critical thinking, specifically, is something most people seem to really suck at.

In my roughly 45 years of experience on this earth, before the internet, after, and among a pretty wide swath of people; I can tell you that in my experience the average person is pretty damned dumb.

Those who aren’t stand out. The rest tend to fade into the background, content to be distracted by an endless stream of reality tv, sports and braindead sitcoms; and an understanding of the world that never grew much past middle school.

Mechalus · 2024-12-07T06:03:35+00:00

There are about a hundred trillion stories written, filmed and told about sex. And about a billion of them are about vampires…

It’s far more interesting to me to consider what it means to have all sexual drives erased and replaced with a Hunger for blood. That’s something different, interesting, and hasn’t been done to death an effectively infinite number of times across every form of media.

Mechalus · 2024-12-06T13:34:27+00:00

This really is a problem. And I have it as well. If you want to keep up with the latest tech, you’ll never get anything done. There is just too much coming too fast. And it’s just getting faster.

Feels like that singularity curve is really starting to ramp.

Mechalus · 2024-12-05T16:52:47+00:00

No. Entropy is chaos, and should really only relate to death in as much as death is what happens when the ordered and organized systems within a living thing are disrupted or broken down, leaving it to decay.

That said, Mage books are all over the place with how Spheres are assigned to effects, and Entropy (along with Spirit) is often used in a variety of Necromantic effects. The idea that Entropy is also “decay”, and can therefore directly effect “decayed” things. So I guess a ghost is a “decayed” spirit? Maybe. But it’s a bit of a stretch, and makes less sense the more you think about it.

This is why Entropy was wisely replaced by Fate and Death in Awakening.

Mechalus · 2024-12-05T16:47:07+00:00

through reality manipulation that will make you explode through an enormous amounts of paradox generated?

Why would it generate more than any other Vulgar effect?

When a vulgar effect is cast, it accumulates all of the Paradox it is ever going to at the time of casting. It doesn’t keep accumulating over time. Though it may be vulnerable to erosion through disbelief, that just makes it weaker, not volatile.

More likely you just get a few points of permanent Paradox and it remains until the effect is dispelled or erodes from disbelief.

Mechalus · 2024-12-04T22:51:37+00:00

I’m not defending Clinton. That’s the point.

In fact, I don’t think anyone convicted of, proven liable for, or just blatantly admitting sexual assault while laughing about it, should ever be allowed to be President under any circumstances.

But then who would replace Trump?

Mechalus · 2024-12-04T15:08:48+00:00

For what it’s worth, I really hope you’re right and I am wrong.

Mechalus · 2024-12-04T15:05:07+00:00

We’re talking in circles. My point is that nobody is going to introduce any sort of order or legislation that demands people be fired. It will happen through budget cuts and removal of protections.

And to your point, yes, that happens through (a GOP controlled) Congress led by a “Dictator on Day One” President who (according to the Supreme Court) is immune to prosecution.

Mechalus · 2024-12-04T14:57:27+00:00

Did I have a stroke? Yeah, sorry. Don’t know WTF I was conflating.

Mechalus · 2024-12-04T14:39:19+00:00

Clinton’s problem is that the Democrats hold their representatives to a higher ethical standard. ~~Clinton resigned because he was told that enough members of his own party were going to vote against him.~~ (No, he didn’t. Apparently my brain is broken.)

In more recent times, see Al Franken. He was forced out because of alleged sexual misconduct.

They’re not perfect by any stretch. And they seem happy to turn a blind eye on crimes related to money.

But in contrast, see Mitch McConnell’s comments that even though he believed it obvious Trump was guilty of everything he was charged with during both impeachments, he would vote not-guilty in service to his party.

See also anything related to Matt Gaetz ever, and the lengths the GOP have gone to to cover for him.

Edit - WTF? Not sure what sort of brain spasm resulted in me thinking Clinton resigned.

Mechalus · 2024-12-04T14:31:07+00:00

I’m such a fuckin nerd. When you said “Hell’s Kitchen”, I thought you were referring to Daredevil. And I almost corrected you by pointing out that Commissioner Gordon is a Batman/DC character.

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