There’s this guy who hangs out on the steps of my local public library. I think he might be homeless. He always carries a chess set with him and will play a game with anyone who asks him. Anyway, he has an amazing memory and is really good at looking things up in the library if you ask him, but I think he might have some mental issues because he sometimes/often gets things wrong. But when he gets things right he really saves you a lot of time. You definitely have to double-check the facts, which wastes time so it’s a toss-up whether you’re actually saving time. And he can write things for you but his writing is 100% generic, like he has no personality or ideas of his own. Still, though, it comes in handy sometimes. And he can be fun to talk to but for the love of god don’t give him any personal info or he’ll share it with everyone who passes by. That’s kind of how i think of LLMs now.

Chernobylite is really good.

Interesting, sad, and no surprise. From the linked article:

“Role in the History of Racist Ideas

In the 21st century, the work of Zurara has been re-examined for its foundational role in the development of modern racist ideology. Historian Ibram X. Kendi, in his 2016 book Stamped from the Beginning, argues that Zurara was the world’s first racist because his chronicle was the first to articulate a comprehensive defense of the African slave trade based on the concept of Black inferiority.[12] Kendi posits that Zurara’s writing was not the cause of the Portuguese slave trade but rather a product of it; Prince Henry’s economic and political self-interest in the trade of enslaved Africans came first. Zurara was then tasked with creating a narrative to justify these policies.[13] According to this view, Zurara’s chronicle established a powerful and enduring justification for racism by portraying enslaved Africans as savages who were being civilized and saved through their enslavement, thereby creating racist ideas to rationalize pre-existing racist policies.[14]”

Balblair 12 year old.

“I’m sorry Maxxie, but I can’t allow you to say that.” (then Hal deletes your comment). We’re probably already there but don’t realize it.

THE GODDESS versus the wanker.

VPNs are slower and less stable than in Windows.

This is how I see it too. It helps to develop the habit of having your own project or interests in mind which you can turn your mind towards whenever you sense yourself getting drawn into the drama. For example, I’m writing a novel; during breaks/pauses/time off, any attention that I give to the silly dramas and childish behavior at work takes energy and focus away from my novel. Whatever your hobbies or off-work interests are, nurture a habit of focusing on them at will. (that’s not to say let people treat you badly, by the way. I just mean it’s a way to tune out the noise).

I’m not sure if you want people to reply or if you prefer them not to, but i’ll go ahead and reply and you can ignore it if you want. Your experience brings back a lot of memories and old emotions for me … I’m much older than you but even now i’m totally at sea about why nobody in my family ever wanted to know anything about my life … it’s weird. Anyway, that’s just to say “yeah, family can be rough.” Here’s how i finally set it aside and moved on. It might sound silly but it worked for me. I see it as a garden. My family are like a few small cactus plants here and there. In my twenties i lived in that patch of desert and pretty regularly tried to reach out to family, only to get stuck by a cactus needle. oh well. Drinking too much didn’t help either. Things started to change when i started to move away and grow my own garden. I found some people and communities who needed some of what i had to offer (writing skills, editing skills, kindness, sensitivity …) and i offered it. Maybe something like your experience with Rimu and that fediverse ecosystem you mention. Over time relationships developed; nothing amazing, just nice working relationships, a few light friendships - no soulmates or deep stuff, but that’s fine with me now. I found myself spending more and more time in this new patch of garden taht was growing around me. Stayed sober, positive, aware of people’s needs and how i could play a small role in helping others get along. Eventually that garden become where i live now. the cactus is over there towards the outskirts of my garden. That’s fine. I have no hard feelings towards the cactus. They’re just doing their thing, and i have plenty of other plants in my garden. Ok, sorry if that sounds too silly, but it’s a metaphor that works for me. Good luck!!

Here’s the NIH article: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4499872/ and the Financial Times article: archive.md/4YVBB The latter has more links to other sources.