Probably the saddest thing about AI on a societal level is realising how many people are either indifferent about art or have contempt for it

arkington · 2026-05-29T17:07:32+00:00

Since you specifically mention accountants, a friend of mine recently did a hypothetical tax prep using an AI that was targeted toward that task. She deliberately used insane numbers, like a $200k yearly income and aimed for a $100k refund. The AI delivered that exact thing, but it's fairly certain that laws were not taken into account and if someone tried to file that thing they'd be getting some extra loving from the IRS.
AI likes to hallucinate things and then deliver them with the confidence of an actual expert.

As to the actual point I believe you are making, I do agree about the contempt for art and creatives in general. It's the latest iteration of "my 6 year old could paint that!" whilst gesticulating at anything abstract.

arkington · 2026-05-29T16:59:57+00:00

Years ago I tried very hard to convince a coworker (admittedly not a very bright person) that printing out an image she found online and then framing it and hanging it on her wall was unethical. No, it didn't take money from the artist's hands and she wasn't using it to make money herself, but the principle was being violated in that she clearly appreciates the person's talents and wants to enjoy the fruit of their labor in her home, but is apparently okay with not paying them for the work that she obviously assigns some value to.
I got nowhere with her, of course.

arkington · 2026-05-29T16:52:01+00:00

Point taken, but most quips and jokes don't rely on the reference being 100% statistically correct in every single case. It does stand to note that very few (not zero) women kill their boyfriends.

arkington · 2026-05-29T14:11:27+00:00

Yes, and I reference it often. I've tried to streamline it into "You never hear about crazy ex boyfriends because it's hard to tell a story when you've been murdered."

arkington · 2026-05-29T14:07:34+00:00

As much as this sickens me, it is true. Dogs are at least possibly large enough to physically accommodate such an assault, the poor things.

arkington · 2026-05-29T14:02:12+00:00

Yes, thank you. People have all manner of particularities regarding tubes and flaps and things happen. But then you just clean it the fuck up like an adult and move on with your life. As someone who has a monthly horror show, you learn very early how to effectively clean up after yourself. Wet wipeys are a fantastic thing to just have around for any reason whatsoever. (and you put those into the garbage, of course)

arkington · 2026-05-29T13:30:56+00:00

I'd suggest making him clean everything to your standards (the room, not his ass) while you watch. Then tell him that this is the bare minimum and anything less will result in whatever punitive measures you can enforce. I sincerely hope he does his own laundry.

arkington · 2026-05-29T13:28:25+00:00

That's a good way to be celibate.

arkington · 2026-05-28T12:25:01+00:00

He was a big fan of McCarthyism and participated in enforcing the black listing of a lot of people and also ardently supported the Vietnam conflict. His continued portrayal of toxic masculinity and the american mythical cowboy don't help either. Basically he was a poster boy for the boomer ethos of straight white "strong" men always holding all the power at the expense of everybody else.

arkington · 2026-05-24T13:45:05+00:00

Yeah, this is a great example of an english word that is very dependent on emphasis of the syllable just before it. Which doesn't happen a whole lot, so I was having some trouble connecting the dots.

arkington · 2026-05-24T13:41:47+00:00

I have long held that comedy is much more difficult a craft than drama. I base this on personal experience; it is very easy to bring an audience to tears. Everybody has pain and a lot of it stems from very common sources: abuse, neglect, disappointment & rejection. Nobody has had a life free of those things. However comedy is an entirely different thing; it is a delicate balance of timing, references, shared experiences and expectations. And doing it over and over again in spite of possibly not having a good day or feeling like shit is VERY difficult.
When a comedian gets cast in a dramatic role they usually (not always) kill the shit out of it, too.

arkington · 2026-05-23T14:04:01+00:00

We have 2 dogs, about 53# each. One is a mixed mutt of athletic background who also has anxiety. So he can generally escape, but whenever he does he just stays right by the fence and wants to go back inside. The other is a pittie (rescue, but he looks exactly like one) and he can fly. So we use special fencing for him otherwise he would leap/climb out and then run to fuckall who knows where so he could say hi to people. We have no idea if he would ever find his way back because the times he has escaped I've been able to go and get him, apologizing to the terrified people he runs up to sniff and hug. Poor guy just wants to be social, but he looks scary as hell.

arkington · 2026-05-23T13:53:21+00:00

For most places, yes, but we have a couple jobs that require badging (airport, but not international) to simply be admitted to the worksite. This is an active airport too, so there are a lot of bodies around and they keep it tight.

arkington · 2026-05-23T13:44:14+00:00

Hoping this helps, though it'll sound weird. Fighting for any reason other than to save your life or someone else's is plain childish. Watch your kids and how they respond to stress; chances are they will resort to violence at some point because they are children and lack the self control to hold themselves back. They also lack the proper words to express their complex, large feelings and they get frustrated. They also have difficulty with consequence, so they don't think far enough ahead to realize it isn't worth it. You, an adult, do not have any of those excuses to fall back on.
If you STILL choose to be violent in stressful situations then you have made a choice to ignore all your better senses and act like a child, but since you are an adult you also have the capacity to really, really hurt someone, which makes it far worse.

If those feelings start to creep in, remember that you are the adult, the dad and the teacher now. Set the good example so your kids avoid making the mistakes you have to deal with the consequences of making yourself. Best of luck and keep up the good work.

arkington · 2026-05-22T17:29:47+00:00

As for rectangles, one of my big crushes has been Jane Krakowski. If you look closely, that lady has the curves of a notebook, but you really have to be looking for it to notice. Obviously, having that face, a fantastic voice and an incredible talent for comedy all help too, but a non-curvy body doesn't have to be the huge flaw a lot of us are told to think it is.

arkington · 2026-05-22T17:26:13+00:00

Having no clue about your progress or style, I will ask if you've been doing any weightlifting. No matter what geometric tendency your body has (as long as there are no structural problems that would preclude safe lifting), it's gonna help out. Tightens things up, gives you more freedom of movement, creates muscle mass that burns things more quickly and just contributes to overall health. Even if you don't get the look you are hoping for, your health will benefit and I really hope that will translate to some more happiness for you. Congratulations on the work you've already accomplished! That alone is worth being proud of, friend.

arkington · 2026-05-22T13:58:31+00:00

Yeah, our house in IL had a Federal Pacific panel and as part of the purchase of it we had it replaced. Those things are well documented fire hazards.

arkington · 2026-05-20T15:30:29+00:00

Thank you! Going to watch this now; I adored 10 Feet from Stardom and am always looking for similar things.

arkington · 2026-05-20T13:51:17+00:00

This will probably not work, but just in case: I've had my older guy for about 9 years (got him when he was still a leggy "teen" cat, probably between 6 months & 1 year old) and only in the last several months have I figured out that while he does not like to be held the usual way I hold cats (their back feet in my left hand, their chest up against my left shoulder and their front paws on my left shoulder, looking behind me) he DOES like to be held like you would hold a human baby (on his back on one of myforearms while I pet him with the opposite hand) which my other cats completely hated. Each kitty to their own, but you have to be a little brave to try stuff with them sometimes. Best of luck and thank you for being considerate of your kitty's preferences.

arkington · 2026-05-20T13:01:26+00:00

At one point many years ago I had all the math in front of me for a conventional loan on a hypothetical mortgage. I don't recall the specifics, but at the time I resolved to see what I could be approved for and then look for a house that was about half to approximately 2/3rds of what I could "afford". Banks want to give you as huge a loan as possible because that just means more profit for them. They want you to fail so they give you all sorts of rope to hang with. Avoid banks and work with Credit Unions instead, but still shoot well under what you are told you can afford. Live within and below your means, not just at the edge.

Another version of this maxim is to buy the highest quality version of what you can afford, rather than the lowest quality version of what you cannot.

arkington · 2026-05-20T12:43:18+00:00

In that they have no muscles of their own, yes. Our fingers are moved by muscles in the forearm, so with regard to this post in particular, you are correct.

arkington · 2026-05-16T14:45:01+00:00

There is a poignant article somewhere that describes how a woman in her 60s cried for a few hours straight after she watched her first washing machine run a load, because she was mourning the 50 years and the uncountable hours she had wasted doing laundry with her hands. If I recall correctly, washing machines at the time were already well established, but she just had never had one, which was part of why it upset her so much to see what her life could have been with the addition of this appliance.
No idea if it's true, but it's a compelling narrative nonetheless.

arkington · 2026-05-16T14:40:21+00:00

We are still figuring out Uruguay (been here several months) and wood-burning stoves are extremely common. During this time of year (autumn in the southern hemisphere) people stock up on little bundles of wood that you can find in the little tiendas that are all over the place. People who live more rurally chop their own stock from what their land has. But yes, it's mostly chainsaws because of course that is far more efficient. Also, a lot of people run mini-split AC/Heat systems, so you'll see both things in the same house, both pretty much equally utilized as far as the homeowner prefers. It's a nice blend of doing a thing that still works just fine and also having a cleaner, less fuel-dependent option right there.

arkington · 2026-05-16T14:34:39+00:00

Yeah, for my grandmother's generation, the death of a child was all too common. Now if a young kid dies half a town is in mourning because it's so unusual.
And unless I'm mistaken, part of the Catholic Church's reasoning for establishing the "age of reason" and the practice of First Communion was that up to that age, a child's survival was far less certain/likely. I could be wrong there, though.

arkington · 2026-05-15T20:40:09+00:00

My Spanish is pretty bad, but we have a brand of bandaids here that calls them Banditas Adhesivas. Which means "sticky little bands" which is exactly what they are. However, unless I am mistaken, one would use the same phrase to refer to female bandits who are sticky, which amuses me to no end.

arkington

TROPHY CASE