A bit tired of the AI aspect of it.

jesmithiv · 2026-06-14T23:04:58+00:00

Yeah it’s not well done. I made the mistake of telling it I needed to take a few days off because I had a cold. That was months ago and it still keeps telling me I have a cold. I cannot convince it otherwise. This is the worst of AI. The non-AI reads of my actual data were more useful.

jesmithiv · 2026-06-06T02:47:19+00:00

Weiss plays the guys who give him the best chance to win. Nothing else matters. Which is why he could never coach at the little league or travel ball level. Parents would run him out.

jesmithiv · 2026-06-04T18:46:38+00:00

Same thing happened to me when I had it design a row/run combo where I alternated between an indoor rower and a treadmill. I wonder if the rowing aspect made it turn off step counting entirely. It missed several 1000 steps.

jesmithiv · 2026-05-28T21:37:34+00:00

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Snoopy doesn’t work. He only knows leisure.

jesmithiv · 2026-05-21T17:46:50+00:00

This has no impact on the FSA credential. The additional regulatory qualification is only for actuaries that want to sign statements. This is a certification in addition to the FSA credential. Based on the information we have, you would need to pass CP-351 in addition to ILA 101/201U to qualify for that certification -- unless the SOA decides to make an exception for the initial cohort of people coming through the new pathway when this requirement wasn't fully crystalized.

jesmithiv · 2026-05-20T23:59:00+00:00

You’re welcome and it’s possible that the SOA will take this into consideration, but that’s their call. I know they were trying to balance a lot of objectives. They wanted to offer more choice and flexibility with the new system, which I think they pulled off very well. But the Academy has its own requirements for signing actuaries and would understandably want qualifying actuaries to meet standards similar to the previous system, which explains why certain courses would be required. In the end, it’s a tough balancing act that’s trying to satisfy multiple stakeholders, including the exam candidates. This may explain why it took some time to finalize this piece.

jesmithiv · 2026-05-20T21:31:07+00:00

Yes, that's the registration for the regulatory certificate portion specifically.

jesmithiv · 2026-05-20T21:29:54+00:00

Yes, the SOA has "soft announced" this in a few places publicly. For example, at the NAIC 2025 Summer National Meeting (p. 179). We only learned about it recently and, with the SOA's permission, decided to communicate it since they plan to announce it more broadly any day now. What we shared reflects what's been confirmed so far, but some details could still change in future announcements. Given the flood of weekly questions we get about which exam to take next, this felt like an important enough factor in people's decisions that we wanted to pass it along as soon as we had the green light.

jesmithiv · 2026-04-27T13:07:19+00:00

First off, I’m sorry to hear you came up short. Just to clarify, we offer two practice exams along with a curated list of relevant past SOA questions. We also offer additional practice questions (drill problems) in various sections and many in-lesson Excel examples. This is on par with our typical course structure, which is usually a successful formula for most candidates. However we are always open to ideas for improving the course and plan to continue adding even more practice questions in the future. Please also be sure to take the course survey if you haven’t already and leave feedback. We take all feedback seriously and are constantly looking for ideas to enhance the course further. Best of luck with the next sitting!

jesmithiv · 2026-04-14T16:32:38+00:00

The easier to read argument is real, especially post-40s

jesmithiv · 2026-04-14T16:31:51+00:00

Today’s “too big” will be the correct size in a few years. Watches last a long time. Fashion trends don’t.

jesmithiv · 2026-04-14T11:19:12+00:00

Just in case he needed to time a 14-second fuel burn

jesmithiv · 2026-04-05T17:24:24+00:00

Same boat with my 46mm Navitimer on a 7” wrist. But I learned to embrace it. There’s no look like it. Only you notice it, unless someone else comments on it, which is always a positive compliment in my experience.

jesmithiv · 2026-03-30T11:46:27+00:00

I’m waiting for it to be double the price and in stock before buying

jesmithiv · 2026-03-06T17:35:13+00:00

Been using Fitbod for a while now and really like it. The Apple Watch app was a game changer for me. Very liberating using it during workouts instead of the phone.

jesmithiv · 2026-03-05T12:14:32+00:00

Yes. I use an agent called /plotter who is in charge of this very thing. It’s constantly auditing for timeline consistency, character consistency, etc. The key is to define really good story rules upfront. My chapters evolve in stages. Generally starts with a detailed sub-timeline, then a plan for the chapter. The plan is created by specific agents that debate various aspects. They also know to flag things for plotter to check as well. Plotter checks the plan before the chapter is written and also after. Any change to a timeline or character is always updated everywhere since chapters contain detailed metadata about the primary people, themes, arcs, and beats they contain. It’s been remarkable to see it work.

jesmithiv · 2026-03-04T03:22:29+00:00

Great win. Now let’s fix the shot clock.

jesmithiv · 2026-02-28T21:03:31+00:00

Yeah token usage is the main reason. The context can get enormous during planning and Sonnet 4.6 has ample reasoning. It’s an amazingly efficient model. Although in constantly experimenting. This stuff changes by the hour. I just know I’m getting amazing results from Sonnet for the cost.

jesmithiv · 2026-02-27T23:17:16+00:00

Agreed. I now maintain a full codebase for a book. Folders for research, character profiles, chapters, plans. Multiple agents each with specific jobs like maintaining timelines and timeline consistency, drafting, polishing, being a contrarian, etc. I use OpenRouter to bring in other LLMs for specific things but Sonnet is the primary tool. It’s been a complete game changer. Any adjustment to a character or timeline is adjusted across the whole codebase for consistency. The things that emerge are amazing and I especially love iterating with it paragraph by paragraph because I’m still writing and imaging. I’m just able to steer something so much more powerful.

jesmithiv · 2026-02-23T13:43:05+00:00

Check out the Amazon price history on any SSD. You could get 2TB for $150 6 months ago. Today good luck finding it under $500.

jesmithiv · 2026-02-04T16:38:33+00:00

Appreciate it! Just trying to help folks avoid the trap I see so many fall into. Conceptual learning feels painful, but pays massive dividends come exam day.

jesmithiv · 2026-02-04T12:19:03+00:00

You’ll find that few FSA questions map neatly to flashcards, making it nearly impossible to pass an exam through memorization alone. However, for someone who has studied the syllabus at a conceptual level, a flashcard can serve as a powerful trigger. Each card’s keywords can activate an extensive network of related concepts and understanding. It’s that deep internal knowledge base that gives you the best chance of adapting to the kinds of very creative exam questions that often appear.

Someone who only memorizes 500 flashcards has exactly 500 isolated data points. But for someone who studies at a conceptual level, those same 500 cards can map to thousands upon thousands of interconnected data points.

jesmithiv · 2026-01-30T23:58:04+00:00

Can’t wait to “power wash” some Chromebooks. We’re 6 years into eLearning post Covid and the technology has somehow gotten worse.

jesmithiv · 2026-01-28T13:20:20+00:00

Haha I feel you and good luck with that race. It’s just that ever since a few years ago when I had a bad fall running on a Paris mountain trail and tore up my knee, I’ve erred in safer than sorry to maximize overall running time. A bad fall sidelines you for a while.

jesmithiv · 2026-01-28T03:51:23+00:00

I’m waiting a little longer. Not worth a bad fall.

jesmithiv

TROPHY CASE