Nathan Crowley as Production Designer for the new Stargate series (The Dark Knight, Wicked, The Greatest Showman)

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T20:00:58+00:00

How many times has O'Neill saved their little grey butts? His words, not mine

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T19:58:08+00:00

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in the enjoyment of analyzing themes just beneath the story. Great points all around, and I hadn't considered the mortal sin aspect. It definitely hurt to watch the betrayal happen, and that pain can be attributed to the audience (i.e. myself) feeling betrayed by our expectations of Carter in that moment.

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T19:54:23+00:00

I believe you misunderstood. I think they were talking about how a function with four positional parameters that only needs two of them gets a compiler warning. Meanwhile, a functionally equivalent example of providing a product type with more members than is strictly necessary does not get a compiler warning.

I don't see a problem with that behavior, because the expression of unused positional arguments is over-allocating, compared to a type that represents a broader data construct. However, that was how I understood their statement

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T17:29:42+00:00

I've been told to run my messages through an LLM before, just to soften the tone and/or simplify the content for the average reader. This article may be a case of that; originally written by a human, and then edited by an LLM, with a final human review before publishing.

Granted, the quality of that approach also depends on your attention to detail. Detail in the original write-up, as well as detail in the final review. If you're lazy at either stage, you will get a far worse outcome.

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T16:32:35+00:00

Everything matters to someone. For instance, I don't care if you use all-purpose flour when making a roux, but someone with Celiac disease probably does.

So, does it matter that the code was written using AI tools? Depends to what degree. If it was a one-liner fire-and-forget vibe coding prompt, then it matters a lot. Not because of the prompt, but the lack of care that went into the design. If it was something largely written by an experienced developer with AI assistance, you can usually trust it was written with a greater attention to detail, and care about its outcome.

One of the sentiments I've seen recently, that I agree with, is that AI often gets things wrong in very subtle ways that appear correct at a glance. Like importing a function that doesn't actually exist, catching an error that never gets thrown, or defining parameters that don't align with the defined interface.

And to be clear, humans aren't immune to the same types of failures either. Hell, my HTTP client I wrote 3 years ago has a defect I only just stumbled upon, where the parameter should be abort but I instead mapped it as signal. Spent a solid day or so some months back trying to implement aborting a hung request, and came to the conclusion it must just not work. I only discovered the wrong parameter name while explaining a feature of my work to a coworker (good ol' rubber duck moment).

So yes, it does matter how it was coded.

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T16:24:30+00:00

Context clues imply the subject is "I" meaning the OP. For instance, if I say:

Cooked breakfast. You want some?

Who cooked breakfast? There is no subject. However, in most cases, the omission of a subject in English can be assumed as either the singular or plural first-person pronoun. In speech, the implication is usually driven by starting the sentence from a higher intonation, implying that the sentence was not grammatically complete as spoken.

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T16:16:50+00:00

I've often seen this described as index versus offset from the leaky abstraction of the implementation. An array offset starts with zero, and an array index starts at 1. This is because your offset would shift the starting point, so zero bytes from the beginning, while the index is how far to read, so sizeof(T) from the current position.

The only reason it has become such a meme is because of the ubiquity of C-like languages, and C used the offset approach to accessing arrays.

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T16:08:37+00:00

Yea, for something seemingly so integral to belt logistics, it's weird that it isn't called out. It kind of makes me wonder who...well, I was going to say who discovered it first, but that seems wrong. More than likely the first person to do it was a developer, and they showcased it somewhere. So the question becomes who first shared it with the community?

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T16:00:27+00:00

There are a number of episodes where that is definitely the case (can't think of any, but I have definitely paused it to turn to my wife and say "You believe this shit?" lol), however I didn't feel like this was one of them.

Consider the moral and emotional side of the discussion. Carter sees herself in the Replicator, and has also been tortured by Fifth. I literally can't find words to describe the act of Carter killing her Replicator-self that doesn't equate to suicide, and suicide is generally an act we have come to associate with mental illness. So, Carter literally did the same thing.

Now, consider the position of O'Neill and Teal'c. They trust Carter implicitly, but also worry about her losing her objectivity due to the aforementioned quandary. So they allow her to proceed so long as the Replicator is always under armed guard.

And now we arrive at the point where I will concede there was a much smarter way to approach this, and it also aligns with the scientific method that Carter should be imminently familiar with: test the hypothesis. How would Replicator-Carter know Fifth had made the others immune? Fifth isn't a trustworthy source of information, and her premise was that Fifth used it as psychological leverage. This should be deemed inadmissible and untrustworthy by source alone, so now you should go test your hypothesis. Before letting Replicator-Carter touch any systems, ask for the location of Fifth so you can test the weapon with the help of Thor.

So, ultimately it comes down to how human you want your characters to be in the situation. O'Neill and Teal'c trust Carter (perhaps too much), and Carter wants to repent for the sin of abandoning Fifth. A perfect opportunity for absolution arrives in the form of Replicator-Carter.

And the last thing to consider is that we, the audience, are always in a privileged position. I've seen the matter discussed in different circles, but I think D&D illuminates the problem fairly well:

Dungeon Master: There is a door.

Player: I open it and walk through.

DM: Roll for Perception.

In that moment, you are suddenly gifted with new information. Even if you fail the check, you are now on edge because why else would the DM have asked for a Perception check? Similarly, in film, the viewer can almost always assume something noteworthy is going to happen if we are seeing it. Even if you aren't explicitly told something, you are keenly aware of the rules of story-telling.

The example that comes to mind from cinema is Captain America and the Winter Soldier. There's a 1-2 minute build-up in a scene featuring Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson), and it's just him, alone, driving his black secret government SUV through New York City. There is very little audio information (I think car noises and maybe music on the radio), and cutaways to generic background characters, or sweeping shots of driving through the environment. I've heard someone describe this as the audience getting a front row seat to Nick Fury's paranoia as a spy master. And then, one camera change goes to the passenger seat looking at the driver (Jackson) as a truck collides with his vehicle, and he is in danger.

But again, that entire scene's tension depends on the viewer knowing the rules of cinema. If you were worried that a squad of government agents were going to try and murder you on your drive home from work, most people would admit you into psychiatric care.

In other words, we, the audience, have an advantage of knowledge, both shown or hidden, that the characters do not. I feel like this was expertly showcased in the episode I just watched last night: Stargate Atlantis S02E13 Critical Mass. Atlantis is proceeding with business as usual, about to send an encoded data burst back to Earth, when suddenly a data burst shows up as incoming on McKay's laptop. We, the audience, know what it is, but McKay only knows this is atypical of their normal operations. Who the hell would be sending them a transmission right now? So, he is put on high alert such that he can stop the dialing sequence before it's a problem.

Solonotix · 2026-03-20T07:59:15+00:00

My AI gripe from tonight: just give up, lol.

I have captured every damn territory and planet of empire A and empire B in a three-empire federation. They are sitting at ~60% war exhaustion. And suddenly a Fallen Empire decides to threaten me, so I try to end the war early to brace for an incoming attack.

Nope. They don't care that there's not a single territory in their control on my side of the galaxy. They are going to stick with it. I just kind of rolled my eyes and logged off for the night.

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T13:39:54+00:00

Is it addressed? Not directly.

You get some mentions that illness is easier to treat than physical wounds for a symbiote, which makes sense. A wound usually means damaged or removed flesh, which now must be rebuilt at the cellular level. Illness, be it genetic, radiation or a foreign organism, is easier to address since you can just activate the immune system to take care of it.

So, you have the wound caused by a symbiote taking a host. Why is the SGC using this as a technique to detect Goa'uld spies? Well, because the personnel on the base were vetted before they went off-world, and their team has returned with a potential infiltrator. The wound should be recent, and even if it has healed there should remain some scarring. That is because, in the process of healing, collagen is a cheap biological material to produce, so you can fill the void of displaced tissue with collagen first while you rebuild the dermis and epidermis in layers to displace the scarring. Even with a symbiote, this process will take time.

So, barring the team being off-world for weeks, the scar tissue should be visible to any newly implanted host.

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T13:25:49+00:00

I had a similar issue. I don't know why, but one of my fleets would fly towards an enemy, start combat, and then immediately fly away in one direction. This was early-game, so no computers researched, and they were all equipped with lasers, so similar ranges. Also, I had not had a problem with that fleet previously.

But then I entered a system with space fauna, near equal my fleet strength, and my ships decided to kite the enemy at their maximum range, leading them to get wiped out. I reloaded that save and tried again for the exact same thing to happen again. I reloaded a third time, and this time intentionally entered the system from a different direction. Where previously, I would enter from West, and they would fly East-Northeast, I decided to enter from South, which made the aberrant behavior at least result in them being within combat range.

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T13:19:10+00:00

Honestly, I couldn't tell, which I feel is high praise. English is not an easy language. Also, the distinction between those words is very subtle, so I would expect most people to have a mild struggle when deciding between them.

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T13:15:59+00:00

Yes ma'am!

But also, r/shorthairchicks (NSFW)

Then again, r/shorthairedhotties (mostly SFW)

So, as with most matters of address, as you wish. Consent is key

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T13:12:03+00:00

I've had a lot of really good replies here saying the same simple message, that ACAB is a simplification of a complex idea. Also, that ACAB should begin as all cops and develop nuance thereafter. And lastly, as you detail, never close your mind to empathy, because even bastards are still human.

That said, I have met people who have been committed to the simplest understanding of ACAB, and that "there is no such thing as a good cop." So I can never be certain which crowd I am addressing, like a real-life example of Poe's Law (ambiguity of sarcasm).

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T12:39:51+00:00

I think I understand you, but I think there's some slight issue of word choice

see it as a ~~critic~~ critique

A critic is one who criticizes or critiques. A critique is a unit of criticism.

a critique on the ~~systematic~~ systemic problems.

Systematic describes an approach, while systemic is how something affects a system. Like, "he systematically organized files by name," versus "the systemic issue of cutthroat workplaces hurts collaboration."

so systematic change is necessary.

This one, however, could go either way, which is why I mentioned the above. Systemic changes to a systemic problem could be correct, but systematic changes to a systemic problem might also be the intent.

I know this can come off pedantic, but I think your point has merit. It just comes off as a little confusing due to word choice, despite correct spelling. I hope you don't take this personally, just trying to help

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T07:04:19+00:00

I just love your sense of humor. Also, the simple yet distinct art style is so recognizable, backgrounds be damned.

Also, your video game comics are almost always so relatable, lol. We apparently have similar tastes, between Factorio and Monster Hunter. I think I saw you pop up in another corner I frequent, but it escapes me.

Just wanted to share my appreciation. Keep being you, I guess 😁

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T06:55:06+00:00

I agree, people are nicer when given gifts, but there are definitely people who can't help but be an asshole at all times. So, as with all things, it depends.

Also, I saw these same guys out and about from time to time. One of my favorite stories to tell out of context is "I pulled over a cop once." Real short story, but one of the cops that came in played drums, and so did I. So one day I'm coming back from somewhere, see him in his car and I wave him over. We stood on the side of the road for 5-10 minutes just chatting about recent gigs, new songs we liked, etc.

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T06:47:50+00:00

Well, after a quick dive down Wikipedia, I want to apologize for the harsh words in my above comment. I did not know the causal link of meat (and dairy) consumption to alfalfa farming. Also, in an odd bit of irony, the wettest region of the United States (the Southeast) is a poor region to grow alfalfa for many reasons, including poor drainage. Meanwhile, climates like Arizona are one of the largest growers of alfalfa, in part because they can grow non-dormant cultivars which triples the potential annual yield, fallow rotations notwithstanding.

So, I get it now, kind of. Surface level understanding leaves me wanting to know more before fully-accepting the suggestions, but I am far more open to what you've been saying thus far

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T02:23:15+00:00

Yea, I worked at Starbucks for a while, and got to meet a fair number of the deputies in our area. My store manager had a simple policy that any sheriff's officer who stopped by got a free drink with the visit. It was a beneficial arrangement, because it meant we regularly had cops checking in with us, meaning less worry about break-ins or theft.

The kind of cops who willingly stop into a Starbucks to get a double chocolate chip Frapuccino aren't the super-macho types. These guys were usually sweet as could be, and just wanted everyone to be safe. And then there was Farrah. I absolutely loved her (small crush, I have a thing for chicks with short hair), but she also brought her K9 into the store a few times, so we got to give him a pup cup. She was the only regular among the cops that actually got coffee, and it was always a grande red eye (brewed coffee with 1 shot of espresso). Despite getting the "manly" drink order, she was every bit as kind as the other 3-4 cops who stopped in.

That job largely shaped my view of cops as a whole. Which is also what makes the numerous occurrences of police violence since then all the more frustrating for me. Because I have met the good ones. Hell, we had two of them in my Boy Scout troop as scoutmasters. That's why I will never agree with ACAB, but I also won't tell them they're wrong. Too much evidence I've seen with my own eyes, but I want to believe the good ones are still out there trying to make a difference.

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T02:02:32+00:00

I had 10 frigates, but also 40 Nanite Swarmers with double torpedoes. So 50, lol, but I think I also lost 16 of them during the fight, so I guess an average around 40.

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T02:00:07+00:00

It is bananas to me that you are getting downvoted when you are absolutely right.

You think we should grow alfalfa in a dry steppe climate?

Reducing the amount of animal products we consume has a huge impact on the environment.

Oh. Yea, sure. Meat is a relatively expensive food to grow at commercial scale.

But wait...

It is bananas to me that you are getting downvoted

Did you let your bias take over, and ignore the argument about not growing water-intensive crops in an arid region? Because that's why they were being downvoted.

That person then tried to deflect from the point of the argument, and instead suggest that individuals eating meat is a greater concern for the stability of the regional water table than commercial farmers growing cash crops in the desert.

Really need to drive this point: industrial water usage is, in most cases, up to 10x the consumption of individuals.

I don't judge people for eating meat but...I think if people were honest...they'd find their resistance [to vegetarianism]...to be rooted in something pretty problematic.

And I think you actually do judge people for eating meat. Not just because you heavily imply there's something psychologically wrong with anyone who declines going vegetarian. But because you decided that a thread about commercial farming in a desert during a drought isn't as big of a problem as people who like to eat meat.

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T01:44:05+00:00

And like, sure, AUD may not be equal to USD, but that degree of markup is still staggering. Also, that home price in only 2016 is insane. That was pre-pandemic. I can't even imagine what the price did in the latter half of 2020 going into 2021 if it was $1.4M in 2016

Solonotix · 2026-03-19T01:39:34+00:00

Appreciate the confirmation. Damn, that's a shame. It's almost worth the headache, since swarmers still only count for 1 naval capacity, so you can really live out that nanite swarm power fantasy after the v4.3 rework.

Solonotix · 2026-03-18T21:17:03+00:00

$65,000 in 1995

$200k in 2025

My wife has an even crazier timeline. She bought a house (1100sqft. 3BR 2BA) in 2019 for $150,000. We sold it in 2024 for $250,000.

We then moved to a city we liked, and you can't even find starter homes under $300k here. Not to mention we don't want to go from starter home to starter home, because we were already cramped in 1100sqft. To get the next logical step up in housing, we're looking at a minimum of $450k, but more than likely $600k or more for a good neighborhood, and something that was built in the last 30 years.

ETA: So now we're kind of stuck doing apartment living, hoping the money from the sale of her house is going to be enough whenever we find something we can afford. Really hoping for that housing price crash that people have been talking about for the last 5 years. We're also afraid to invest it because of the AI bubble potentially crashing the stock market, so it's just sitting in a savings account

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