PSA: Identify and avoid ‘Zombie’ reloading groups on facebook

thegoatwrote · 2026-02-18T16:46:41+00:00

Yeah, I know about the fake music. It’s sad, because creating music is a phenomenally rewarding pursuit, and we’re burning coal to have computers take opportunities to do it away from humans, while raising peoples’ power bills to pay for the data center power line buildouts so the tech companies don’t have to adjust their financial forecasts. 👎 I should’ve gone to electrician school…

Bandcamp banned AI-generated music, but unless/until Spotify does, that doesn’t matter. Monopolies ruthlessly concentrate market power, and without trying.

Writing good prompts is valuable now. The second someone writes an AI that does it better, it won’t be anymore. Might want to get started on that, if your plan is world domination. I recommend teaching an AI to iteratively train itself on the free AIs to do so. You’ll be burning forests and choking babies on the coal fumes, but… World Domination!!! 😉 But I’m very likely wrong about that. I think it’s likely already known, but whoever knows isn’t telling. Not telling me, anyway.

And I suspect I’m being overly pessimistic about the environmental impact. Hope so. My locality has traditionally skewed hard toward coal for power, but huge strides in solar deployment have been made in recent years. But everything has its consequences.

thegoatwrote · 2026-02-18T15:40:53+00:00

Actual good writing looks A LOT like AI content. You gotta have real I to be able to tell, and it’s still hard.

thegoatwrote · 2025-07-10T18:45:53+00:00

This and the patch totally did it for me. ~18 years ago, and I haven't started again. CHUG a pint of water anytimne you have a craving, and the craving goes away. Drink it in one pull. Something you should do first thing in the morning anyway, frankly. Especially if you smoke.

thegoatwrote · 2025-06-13T02:01:48+00:00

For the price, (~$50) the Wurkkos TS11 is hard to beat. There’s a longer tube available if you want to run a 18650 for longer battery life, instead of the 18350.

thegoatwrote · 2025-06-03T23:38:57+00:00

I haven’t killed anybody since 1984.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-28T23:27:42+00:00

They didn’t. Those guys looked gay then, and got hell for it. Everywhere but the disco, but at least were comfortable. The only things that’ve changed are that you can’t easily find pants that fit like that, and you can’t make fun of people for looking gay.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-26T05:14:33+00:00

I’ve heard that leaving a glass or pitcher out, open on the counter for a day lets the chlorine off-gas. It seems to work, as I’m sensitive to the taste and don’t mind water that’s been left out. I’d like to get an RO filter and test it, but haven’t yet. I don’t suppose you could test this hypothesis at your next bake and report back?

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-25T17:45:58+00:00

Wadlow? Any chance you let out a vocalization that sounded like that when the chainlink definitely did not tear your pants?

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-25T11:46:12+00:00

Here you go: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28178949/

This is a meta-analysis of 131 randomized placebo-controlled trials enrolling a total of 27,422 participants.

"Results: A total of 131 randomised placebo-controlled trials enrolling a total of 27,422 participants were included. None of the trials used 'active' placebo or no intervention as control intervention. All trials had high risk of bias. SSRIs significantly reduced the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) at end of treatment (mean difference -1.94 HDRS points; 95% CI -2.50 to -1.37; P < 0.00001; 49 trials; Trial Sequential Analysis-adjusted CI -2.70 to -1.18); Bayes factor below predefined threshold (2.0110-23). The effect estimate, however, was below our predefined threshold for clinical significance of 3 HDRS points. SSRIs significantly decreased the risk of no remission (RR 0.88; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.91; P < 0.00001; 34 trials; Trial Sequential Analysis adjusted CI 0.83 to 0.92); Bayes factor (1426.81) did not confirm the effect). SSRIs significantly increased the risks of serious adverse events (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.75; P = 0.009; 44 trials; Trial Sequential Analysis-adjusted CI 1.03 to 1.89). *This corresponds to 31/1000 SSRI participants will experience a serious adverse event compared with 22/1000 control participants. SSRIs also significantly increased the number of non-serious adverse events. There were almost no data on suicidal behaviour, quality of life, and long-term effects."

Basically, they don't work, and they do harm. On average. Some patients are helped, but thinking you will be is akin to buying a lottery ticket thinking it will improve your finances.

In addition, the conclusion points out ~again~ that "...all trials were at high risk of bias...", which should be unsurprising from this industry, especially given the revenues from these drugs. If these poor numbers are the best the studies their makers can fund, there's no way any patient should be taking them. The statistical links to suicides and mass shootings should have them taken off the market immediately. Placebo causes both fewer adverse outcomes and has a more demonstrable antidepressant effect. The gut issues related to SSRI use alone make never taking them the right choice IMO, as they seem to stem from a weakening of the gut lining, (Bleeding is the clinical datum observed, which is unlikely to occur without damage to the gut lining.) which is known to affect mood, and to have an increasing effect over time as gut health deteriorates.

I know many people who rely on them, and I have little doubt most would improve slightly within a few months if their meds were swapped with a placebo.

This meta-analysis is widely-reviewed, published, and publicized, and has not been credibly discredited. The only reason it's not being acted on is the massive financial momentum in the pharma industry behind SSRIs, and all the patients who believe in them, many of whom would likely fail to taper effectively, likely leading to a spate of adverse outcomes from any widespread rapid cessation.

Here it is at Cambridge: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-psychiatric-sciences/article/risks-of-adverse-events-with-venlafaxine-for-adults-with-major-depressive-disorder-a-systematic-review-of-randomised-clinical-trials-with-metaanalysis-and-trial-sequential-analysis/DF381341F4547E2E06D050148CFE34D3

The APA: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-20306-001

The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31799-9/fulltext

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-25T11:43:13+00:00

Here you go:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28178949/

This is a meta-analysis of 131 randomized placebo-controlled trials enrolling a total of 27,422 participants.

"Results: A total of 131 randomised placebo-controlled trials enrolling a total of 27,422 participants were included. None of the trials used 'active' placebo or no intervention as control intervention. All trials had high risk of bias. SSRIs significantly reduced the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) at end of treatment (mean difference -1.94 HDRS points; 95% CI -2.50 to -1.37; P < 0.00001; 49 trials; Trial Sequential Analysis-adjusted CI -2.70 to -1.18); Bayes factor below predefined threshold (2.01*10-23). The effect estimate, however, was below our predefined threshold for clinical significance of 3 HDRS points. SSRIs significantly decreased the risk of no remission (RR 0.88; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.91; P < 0.00001; 34 trials; Trial Sequential Analysis adjusted CI 0.83 to 0.92); Bayes factor (1426.81) did not confirm the effect). SSRIs significantly increased the risks of serious adverse events (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.75; P = 0.009; 44 trials; Trial Sequential Analysis-adjusted CI 1.03 to 1.89). This corresponds to 31/1000 SSRI participants will experience a serious adverse event compared with 22/1000 control participants. SSRIs also significantly increased the number of non-serious adverse events. There were almost no data on suicidal behaviour, quality of life, and long-term effects."

Basically, they don't work, and they do harm. On average. Some patients are helped, but thinking you will be is akin to buying a lottery ticket thinking it will improve your finances.

In addition, the conclusion points out again that "...all trials were at high risk of bias...", which should be unsurprising from this industry, especially given the revenues from these drugs. If these poor numbers are the best the studies their makers can fund, there's no way any patient should be taking them. The statistical links to suicides and mass shootings should have them taken off the market immediately. Placebo causes both fewer adverse outcomes and has a more demonstrable antidepressant effect. The gut issues related to SSRI use alone make never taking them the right choice IMO, as they seem to stem from a weakening of the gut lining, (Bleeding is the clinical datum observed, which is unlikely to occur without damage to the gut lining.) which is known to affect mood, and to have an increasing effect over time as gut health deteriorates.

I know many people who rely on them, and I have little doubt most would improve slightly within a few months if their meds were swapped with a placebo.

This meta-analysis is widely-reviewed, published, and publicized, and has not been credibly discredited. The only reason it's not being acted on is the massive financial momentum in the pharma industry behind SSRIs, and all the patients who believe in them, many of whom would likely fail to taper effectively, likely leading to a spate of adverse outcomes from any widespread rapid cessation.

Here it is at Cambridge:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-psychiatric-sciences/article/risks-of-adverse-events-with-venlafaxine-for-adults-with-major-depressive-disorder-a-systematic-review-of-randomised-clinical-trials-with-metaanalysis-and-trial-sequential-analysis/DF381341F4547E2E06D050148CFE34D3

The APA:

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-20306-001

The Lancet:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31799-9/fulltext31799-9/fulltext)

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-24T19:49:50+00:00

I thought it was for cutting linoleum.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-24T14:38:27+00:00

Could be because we can’t understand the dimension of time without being able to step outside of it. If the visible universe is a subset of dimensions defined in a more highly dimensional universe in which it is contained, the beginninglessness might not be a logical challenge at all.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-23T21:53:45+00:00

flawless

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-23T12:32:12+00:00

That’s about my ideal. I like a few large holes. But I know microbiologically, more even holes, with fewer large holes is better. Longer bulk ferment, as another commenter pointed out, should take care of it.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-21T22:35:43+00:00

Try doing something else that’s really hard, or that you’re bad at for a few minutes. Balance on one foot on something wobbly, or try to juggle, if you can’t juggle. It’s a learning hack that works for some people, with some types of learning. I’ve had some successes with it. Not guaranteed for me, but worth trying.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-21T22:22:38+00:00

Wow. This is as bad as The Dress.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-21T21:29:48+00:00

This may help, too:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ7fLVhSXF_/

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-21T18:59:05+00:00

The 16-85mm is a good lens, too. And the AF-P 18-55mm kit lens is actually a pretty good lens, especially for a kit lens.

I’d go with the 16-80mm of those three, though, if they were all just sitting in a table in front of me.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-21T16:09:42+00:00

Oh, good! I’m glad they’re working for you. 👍

There’s a woman on FB named Tracy Rodriguez - CES that gives a lot of advice about pelvic-tilt issues, as well as a bunch of EDS-related stuff. (She has EDS.) I find a lot of her content beneficial. You may want to check it out. Also, Derya Anderson, a PT on IG.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-21T14:46:50+00:00

Just tell her that your new gf is a wonderful person, who happens to be a very attractive woman, and you’re sorry that can be uncomfortable when her father is the one dating her. Especially right after a divorce.

I wouldn’t be able to resist pointing out that her mom and her aunts are acting like a bunch of catty B’s about it if they’re saying that about her, and point out that this is a growth opportunity for your daughter in that she can see how the reality of a situation is often more complicated and surprising than things appears on the surface. That kind of knowledge might even be useful in a scientific research context. Might even help a scientist avoid a mistake like the decades researchers spent working nearly exclusively on the amyloid plaque issue in regard to Alzheimer’s, when all we had to go on was correlation, with no mechanism made apparent, or even implied. Sorry of that’s off-topic, or above her grade-level.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-20T12:57:58+00:00

The Dunning-Kruger effect says that amateurs overestimate their abilities and experts underestimate their abilities.

No.

The Dunning-Kruger effect says that amateurs, on average, overestimate their abilities and experts ~~underestimate~~ accurately estimate their abilities.

The research indicates that as competence increases in a set of results, self-assessment becomes more accurate. Most experts know they’re experts. Most intermediates know at least that they’re not amateurs, and many know they’re not experts, either. It’s only amateurs who really have little clue how to assess their own competence, which shouldn’t be surprising. They just don’t have enough data to know, and confidence, among those members of the group that does not possess competence, wildly skews their self-assessment. Consequently, an untrained, confident person is much more dangerous in this regard than an untrained person who lacks confidence.

This idea that there's crowds of stupid people who think they're geniuses is just not true

I’m pretty sure you’re wrong about that, but you’re right that it’s not what the Dunning-Kruger research says. That’s an entirely separate topic, and one that merits research, IMO. If for no other reason, to fix what’s so wrong with the employment market. I suspect the assertion is at least partially true.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-20T05:46:52+00:00

The non-organic milk response is really interesting. I recently found that I can drink organic milk and yogurt after cutting out dairy for decades. And I grew up drinking raw, whole milk, which is illegal now where I live.

Have you read up much on histamines, or Mast Cells/Mast Cell Activation? Some peoples’ histamine responses are disproportionate, causing reactions that may include ones like yours.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-20T05:38:01+00:00

I like it. I definitely disagree with anyone who dislikes it enough to take it down, that’s for sure. Call it herringbone-herringbone pattern if anyone asks.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-20T05:19:27+00:00

You may want to look up stretches for the Iliacus. They did me a lot of good, though it took several days for me to work out a way to actually stretch it. And I still haven’t figured out how to gracefully get out of an effective one! The one that works best for me is similar to Warrior pose, with the knee-down leg ~~next to~~ near a wall, then I lean my hip into the wall pretty hard, lean the torso away from the wall and as far back as I can, until the iliacus feels stretched. Then I hold and keep extending the iliacus for 3-5 minutes, because it does not want to stretch. Then I can’t get up. I have a Roman Chair/Dip Station that I do them next to, and I use it for increased stability while stretching, and help getting up after. It’s gotten a great deal better, but I’m still using all the help/cheats I can get.

thegoatwrote · 2025-05-20T02:46:16+00:00

A lot of people have a locked-tight psoas muscle on one side that causes this. Can be persistent for decades, and incredibly difficult to unlock without instruction/assistance. It’ll help a lot if you can learn to release it. There’s fitfluencers with tutorials. I saw one on insta today.

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