jmspring

The model is the important part, a huffman code or adaptive huffman or other sorts of encoders would be much better on a dataset based on the model. You need the model to also decode. And on a dataset of sufficient size, embedding the model and the benefit of it's memorization of the file can be offset.

A non-general compression algorithm (model - I don't mean a distinct llm, but "modeling data") targeted at a specific dataset will always do better than a general algorithm.

The reason I mentioned the "encoder" doesn't matter - arithmetic coding, for the data it is presented, will beat huffman/adaptive huffman every day, but it's the model that is where the real "compression" comes into play.

I've implemented enough "coders" over the years, including arithmetic for both commercial and research purposes (was a student of Glen Langdon).

I liked the mid-2000s, gigaom and techcrunch actually had articles worth reading (not all, TC got sorta gossipy rag at one point). Om's were generally well thought out.

While not directly a zine, I'm liking some of the small format game publications (mostly modules and add ons) in the Shadowdark / OSR / MOthership ecosystem. Something small, concise and easy to take with you.

I've played with crypto enough to be amused, like you I like some of the tech - especially the Hedera eco-system. Dabbling in crypto helped me help the wife start a plant store we had for a couple of years. It's always been a hobby. I think things like decentralized IDs (DID) - while not directly crypto related, often land in tech discussions of such - and the like could likely be useful for some of the AI related identity work going on at the identity level.

Some nice loss harvesting in the past will help with some other financial moves down the road. I'm definitely checking in now and then, but mostly see it as background noise.

While in college, my advisor / professor I worked for took me to HP Labs off Page Mill. I recall entering and seeing a sea of cubicles. That said, I enjoyed hearing the stories of those that worked there.

In the west the employee / employer social contract died sometime in the 80s. It's rare, especially in tech, to have employees with decades of tenure. You see Microsoft trying to buyout older employees recently.

Google AI responses are generally crap and annoying. I've gone back to DDG or if I need some context - very specific guidance for claude/chatgpt. Goodle's AI is generally inadequate or wrong without significant clarification.

My step daughter graduated this last week (high school). Watching the curriculum over the last 4 years, they had 5-8 validictorian (all a's) and 6-8 salutarians (sp?) (all a's one b). They would have been at the 3.x level in my high school 25 years ago. The rigor in high school is no longer there, community college is adopting to the lesser expectation as well.

The keyboards look janky. Why buy this over something like Das Keyboard which has mechanical keys as well and is cheaper?

Yes.

That statement can be made regardless of state. I'm pretty sure the costs charged to insurance companies are because of "agreed rates". Sometimes people with shitty insurance negotiate with the provider for the "cash rate". This isn't about the uninsured, it's about the way the system of middle men is setup.

2008

So, pay them to keep doing what they already do?

I think it is a matter of focus and aptitude. It also depends on instruction and approach. I took more math than I care to remember in college. Physics made calculus click. Upper division physics classes made some transform math confusing. David Huffman (yes, that one) taught a class in the CS department covering the same thing - from first principles - it made sense.

When the kiddo was dealing with common core stuff, I threw up my hands ... the approach made no sense, but sold text books.

As an American, no. Well aside from - yes a significant part thrives on seeing others than them suffer. Years ago, I spent multiple times a year at a B&B on the Hilo side of the big island. The host was one of the last "Grand Dame's" of Hilo. She was a cattle rancher that knew Roosevelt; her husband had been a friend of Linus Pauling. She did hikes in her 70s and 80s few in those ages can do now.

She was grandfathered under a form of medical insurance - I think older Blue Cross/Blue Shield - none can access now. At one point, the US did have better health care than we do at the moment. The fcking idiot boomers (including my parents) bought into the BS from Nixon, Reagan, etc. Hey - (good or bad) - let's stop allowing one to write off debt, but allow companies to do so, etc.

This country does have it's head up it's ass and a significant number blame everyone but themselves and how they vote.

We pay more (as a country) by a lot* and get significantly less for our medical coverage. Want to go self employed with a family of 3? Want a PPO? $4-6k/mo in California right now. Deductibles will be high.

Atherton residents include people like founders of A16Z, Stephen Curry and others. The funny thing, 10-15 years ago, a number of residences were second houses and generally empty.

Back about 15-16 years ago, there was an international incubator BlackBox based out of one of the properties in Atherton.

Having just shipped the kiddo into the real world, she's leaning liberal arts (her and her mom suck at math), but she has a benefit neither her mom or I had - EU deal citizenship. She's going to do a year here to figure things out - she's also been thinking about Europe. University in Europe, for undergrad, is different than the US.

I think the large class model and a barrier of exams to advance makes sense in Europe. I've not been in the University of California system for years, but the school I went to - some classes didn't always hold up a level of academic rigor.

I forgot to add, I paid ~500 each, Samsung for the same drive is quoting $2k on their site (maybe a new sku). These were bought 2ish years ago. Strange things are a foot at the Circle-K.

I just found two 4tb Samsung EVO drives - unused - while organizing my garage.

And your point? The US has an issue where at a certain price point labor has no interest. Reality is that is multiplied if it actually requires real work in a field, rudimentary construction, etc.

This is not a visa issue, but one we solve with illegal labor and visas.

The real solution is visas and making those that done want to work and sponge off social services, actually work.

My kiddo graduates soon, her baby daddy owes $75k in back child support - say 7 years. He’s talented enough to make $150+ wood working. Refuses to do anything because the man/etc. Branch not far from tree.

I’d love to turn a POS like him in such that someone equally talented and wants to contribute can, take a percentage. The person gets a visa, the dead beat gets servitude. No take on the servitude just taxes maybe going off to pay the debt.

The US is a land of opportunity, but also a land of a bunch of idiots that are entitled.

If someone has no specials skills beyond what a current citizen college grad has, why is there a need for that individual to have an H1 or related visa? Many visas get issued to people that take the equivalent of a University of Phoenix degree.

I think there are many jobs Americans have decided the just don’t want to do - at a large scale. That said many do.

There is a completely different dynamic with job shops like wipro and others sponsoring “high skilled visas” which are only used to undercut certain labor markets.

I wish i could ill find the video, the farms in CA certainly do need labor. In the 90s when there was another - people south of the border are taking jobs bs - an interview er asked people waiting for for support at a welfare office in Salinas (lots of farms) offering jobs in the fields. Unanimous nope.

They are needed and often do more than those that are citizens.

It’s a type of visa with benefits afforded a more temporary form.

A green card like a visa can be revoked. Citizenship gets a bit more interesting with the current administration.

I’m not going to be able to find the reference in my head, but I thought there had been a couple Bob’s over the years.

The descent into IBM hiring/etc is when I sort of last stopped reading.

I think being active, especially evenings, is helpful. When in Santa Cruz, my wife ensures via threat (joking) that I attend her evening pilates classes. It does help with sleep.

I used to do yoga and meditation. I let that slip while life transitions. I have some meds from my doctor (seroquel) which is knock me out, but getting back to being active and disconnecting is a better approach than pills.

Interesting. I may need to add some sensors.

I spend time in two places. San Juan Islands WA and Santa Cruz, CA.

On island, nights are too quiet. During the day, a float plane a mile away sounds like it is next door.

In Santa Cruz, the house is on a major street. Busses, ambulances all sorts of yahoos.

I sleep better quiet. But I sleep even better when settled - mind not going, etc.

I generally don’t sleep well at all. The biggest factor is - has my brain settled. Background and noise don’t matter.

Extinct? Far from, just doesn’t draw the crowd/press Linux does. An OS used as a stable server OS workhorse with exceptional ZFS support and doesn’t have to push for the desktop market doesn’t mean it’s extinct.

I’ve run FreeBSD on stinkpads back in the early 2000s fine. I prefer MacOS these days as a daily driver - hardware quality.

But server OS is FreeBSD. Void when I need Cuda/docker/etc. (Yes, FreeBSD has docker support, but just use Linux if needing that.

River Otters have been pretty prevalent in the San Juan Islands. I've not heard of issues with them there. I more hear negative impacts - going after chickens/etc; aggressive; things like that.