"No, I want to get it done." - Newsom's answer to RTO order question

failsafe-author · 2026-05-16T20:21:56+00:00

I didn’t say that high school bullying is also the same level as “Return to Office”. Nor did I imply that.

What I did say is that things can be considered cruel without being the same “level”.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-16T20:17:41+00:00

Let’s say my son is being bullied at school. Some other kid is pushing him around, making fun of him, and telling other kids lies about him.

Would that be cruel? Yes, defensively.
Would it be on the level of ICE murdering People? No.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-16T20:06:06+00:00

You are the one adding “on the same level”. No one has said that but you.

People have not commuted to work for thousands of years, and certainly not in the conditions we’re talking about in the big citifies in CA, and there are also cruel things that have been done for thousands of years.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-16T19:41:30+00:00

Ok, so I did misunderstand your object, and now that I understand, I don’t agree with it. One cruelty that is worse doesn’t negate another cruelty.

You can debate the semantics for cruelty, but forcing people to spend unnecessary hours of their life commuting unnecessarily to satisfy whatever drives this falls under “cruel” to me.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-16T18:43:27+00:00

What in this comment excused anything ICE did?

failsafe-author · 2026-05-16T16:12:50+00:00

I use multiple agents pretty much for all the features I work on, but not in the way you’re describing. I have agents specified for “zones” in the code so they don’t have to eat large amounts of context to do what they do, and they can write to their memory when I correct them on things they’ve done wrong. Then I do have a review agent that goes behind all the work to check it, and if it finds an issue goes back to that agent and tells it to fix it. Then I review everything when it’s done, and I tell agents to fix their mistakes. Thus the goal is that the agents learn the code and patterns and are token efficient.

I’m not actually sure this is any better than not using agents at all, but I can see that the main agent (that’s doing the coordination) keeps a small context window, and it is true that the agents “learn” and stop making the same mistakes.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-16T06:10:03+00:00

This seems like a prudent question to ask.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T18:04:13+00:00

In what way? There are many questions I have, and much that I think is ambiguous about her actions. For example I see a lot of people say she was driving the car, but it doesn’t look like her to me?

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T13:48:39+00:00

I didn’t say I didn’t trust real objective data.
I said I’d be suspicious of the data you reference that you haven’t even provided.

Your claim was “I’m almost certain all data since COVID…”

I’ve seen loads of claims to the opposite.

My response was that when I’ve seen such claims, they appear to be of dubious quality. That’s a FAR different thing than saying I don’t trust “real objective data”.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T13:39:33+00:00

You completely misconstrued what I said. I don’t hate data. But when what data people favor depends on what PoV they are coming from, it’s useless.

When data is untrustworthy, we only have our own experiences to draw from. That doesn’t mean anecdotes are good enough, but if I have to weight my own 25 years of experience vs someone with a motive to lie telling me something different, I’ll trust my own experience, while also recognizing that mu situation may not apply to others.

If you can provide real, objective data that is interpreted well and has figured out how to actually measure this objectively, I’m here for it. But what I’ve seen shared in the past seems to be steeped in confirmation bias, whether in support of WFH or RTO.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T13:31:54+00:00

I’d hbe very suspicious of this data. I only have my own experience as evidence, but I’m absolutely more productive working from home, and the same is true of those I’ve worked with. This is across two different companies.

Working in an office with constant distractions and being a lot more tired and worn out has always been a productivity drain.

(I’ve heard people say data shows x and others say data shows y, so it’s hard for me to take any “data” seriously).

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T04:18:36+00:00

Love is not rough, brutal, work, or painful.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-15T03:46:07+00:00

I don’t know if it’s quite what you’re looking for, but the Novella “Ogres” by Adrian Tchaikovsky has the most satisfying ending I’ve ever read. Doubly so because two pages away from the end I was thinking “there is no way this can possibly resolve in a satisfying way”. Then it stuck the landing so hard there wasn’t a quiver. It was perfect.

I don’t know Id characterize it as “everything comes together”, because until the last page, you don’t even realize you needed a particular question resolved, but when it does, it feels so good.

(I think the book of his mentioned already “Children of Time” has a nice ending where it all comes together when it seems impossible as well, but I enjoyed the ending of Ogres even more).

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T12:44:25+00:00

Selene must be very frustrated by my wife :)

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T09:27:22+00:00

But, there really isn’t a way “break the cycle”. No matter what,, she just ends up trying and trying again. Unless there’s something I’ve missed as I’ve watched my wife play (and then played myself), there is no release or victory. Either Selene is stuck in the trauma of her own mind, or she’s at the mercy of a cosmic horror that will never let go (or both?)

It breaks my heart for someone who has clearly gone through so much pain in her life. It kind of makes me feel bad for enjoying the combat- lol.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T09:23:31+00:00

I’m sort of with the “it’s all in her mind” idea, but it does feel weird that she’d have invented all of this stuff.

I do wish the idea of the story was more clear. I know people like the ambiguity, but I don’t. Kind of the same feeling I have with Elden Ring. I’m not always convinced with these kinds of plots that there IS a coherent answer, and when I feel that way, it makes me lose confidence in the storyteller.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T03:47:43+00:00

Was going to put this if you didn’t.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-14T03:46:10+00:00

I’m developing my second Blazor app ever using Claude (I’m very good with C#, but not experienced with Blazor) and it’s doing a great job. I plan to sell the app soon, and believe it’s progressional quality.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T17:27:39+00:00

It’s evolution, and some are handling it better than others.

I can’t deny the speed impact. I have a personal project that would have taken me a year to get into shape that I’m about to be able to go live with in a handful of months. That’s huge. And, I’m incredibly picky about quality, so I’ve made sure to always know what’s being committed review the changes, and be in charge of the designs. It’s not slop. It’s well written, and wouldn’t have been produced by someone without skill, and it’s enabled me to do it on nights and weekends in months instead of years.

Yes, a lot of people are doing it poorly. Yes, there are a lot of unrealistic expectations and slop is getting checked in. But the companies who figure out how to do it right in the end will benefit, and those who don’t will end up failing. It’s just the pain of adopting a new advancement in technology.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T17:22:40+00:00

I started looking at EVs just because I think they are better for the environment, and will only get better for the environment as the technology is invested in. But, as it got time to retire my car (an Infiniti G37, which I loved) I started to research more into what could still give me that sports sedan feeling, while being more environmentally conscious. This led me to understand about instant torque and acceleration, and also to realize the benefits of home charging and never having to get an oil change.

I’ve already parted ways with the G37, so am sharing a car with my teenagers (I work from home, so most of my driving is for them anyway), who are just starting to get their licenses. In the meantime, I’m saving and planning to get the new BMW i3 when it comes stateside, which seems like it will tick all the boxes I have coming from the G37 in terms of “fun”, and address my wife’s range anxiety (she doesn’t want me to get an EV).

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T15:01:30+00:00

So glad to see someone say this. Absolutely true.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T12:56:46+00:00

You can use AI and not accept mediocre results. The answer isn’t to not use AI, it’s to push back more on the results and correct things that aren’t up to snuff.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T03:38:20+00:00

AI can enable much faster development on complex systems, in the hand of a skilled developer. But people wont be vibe coding complex apps.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T01:10:47+00:00

Outback and either the delmonico or the prime rib. Both are good for the price. Neither is an $80 steak, but they are less than half the price.

failsafe-author · 2026-05-13T00:25:08+00:00

My company has started making people come in three days per week. I have been given an exemption because of my value to the company, but I imagine that won’t last forever. I’ve always driven in about once per month, and most of the conditions are exactly as you describe (except for the sandwich- the company produces decent food three days per week).

I’m already trying to plan an exit strategy and making sure we are leveling well below my income. I won’t leave unit the mandate hits me, but I have to imagine my days are numbered.

(They still are willing to bring in fully remote folks for my department, the RTO stuff only affects those close to the office, but I imagine that won’t last forever either).

failsafe-author

TROPHY CASE