sarker
ketman hetman
No bio...
User ID: 636
sarker
ketman hetman
5hr ago
While we're on the topic of subtext, the subtext of my comments is that even in this alternative world Watts created in which humanity is powermogged by Rorschach, Watts fails to demonstrate a compelling reason that consciousness would be maladaptive.
sarker
ketman hetman
6hr ago
It's the most technologically advanced entity in Sol, it's doing very well for itself, and all without being conscious. I think that constitutes a claim that consciousness isn't particularly important.
Rorschach proves that you can be very advanced without consciousness. Does it imply that consciousness carries no benefit, or even carries a harm? Plainly, no.
sarker
ketman hetman
7hr ago
And even this isn't a face. I guess reality just keeps disappointing.
sarker
ketman hetman
7hr ago
I realize it's an "actual" technique in that a guy published a paper about it and it's been included in a couple of scifi books. It isn't an "actual" technique in that I've never seen it used anywhere and it seems unlikely that in the future we'll realize we've been sleeping on this.
sarker
ketman hetman
7hr ago
Not only does he claim it's not strictly necessary, he posits that it's suboptimal, and a drag on performance.
The characters do seem to think this but it's not clear what in the story actually supports the suboptimality claim. Sure Rorschach is more advanced than humanity, but that obviously doesn't prove that consciousness is a drag any more than someone taller and balder than you indicates that hair is keeping you short.
sarker
ketman hetman
7hr ago
I regularly check in on his blog, and a running theme is his sentiment that humans have Wrecked The Planet (ecological collapse, global warming), and we're going to pay for our sins/hubris by quite possibly going extinct.
The moment in Blindsight where Sarasti the Superpredator (watch out, he looks at screaming faces to visualize data!) berates our clueless hero for not caring about climate change was absolutely kino.
sarker
ketman hetman
1d ago
It's accurate about people who use their agentic nature to farm social media likes. Naturally, as a social media consumer without visibility into the field, those are the only ones Sam Kriss notices. The people using their agentic nature to do great work and advance their goals without making social media fame a top tier priority go unnoticed.
sarker
ketman hetman
1d ago
Make them design robots that speed run the approvals process for factories.
sarker
ketman hetman
1d ago
the concept was criticized (especially by Canadian critics) for being a gimmick that distracted from the game.
Seeing the puck distracts from the game, folks.
sarker
ketman hetman
1d ago
contemptuous leftist sneer for both the masses in general and anyone who works a regular job specifically.
And people who start companies, too. The only way out is unemployment or writing a Substack.
sarker
ketman hetman
2d ago
I can tell you there aren't 13% of Californians driving old station wagons and 90s minivans
Something like 8% of Americans don't have a car period. Another 5% driving clapped out old cars seems pretty believable (source: drive down 101 bro)
Everyone who is "poor" in big states and cities drives a new car, usually a large one.
Really doesn't match my experience in Hispanic neighborhoods. Lots of old trucks, civics, etc. When I sold my last car which was in rough shape it was a Hispanic guy that bought it.
Their teenagers all have illegal dirt bikes/atvs, wear brand new Jordans and carry expensive handbags. The scam economy is observably gigantic.
You know that there's knockoffs easily available for brand name stuff, right?
sarker
ketman hetman
2d ago
It's 2026. Can't we just have a neon green simulpuck indicating where the puck is for those following along at home?
People on food stamps often have brand new 70k+ SUVs.
How often?
The system is being gamed with hidden income, usually grey market, but often black.
13% of Californians receive at least some EBT. Is it really unbelievable that 13% of people actually earned less than the EBT threshold (about $50k for a household of 3)? I could present arguments about income distributions but if you think it's not being reported I don't think you'd find them convincing.
sarker
ketman hetman
3d ago
Conserving what is both existing and good implies destroying some of what exists, unless you take the pollyannapill and say that everything that exists is good.
sarker
ketman hetman
3d ago
I guess that excludes Rod Dreher.
sarker
ketman hetman
3d ago
The income limits are fairly low - for a family of 3, the income limit is $53k per year. The benefits are a sliding scale but are capped at about $800 a month for a family of three.
sarker
ketman hetman
3d ago
Only about 13% of Californians receive EBT. You're probably seeing a lot of them because Grocery Outlet is, uh, a downscale retailer.
sarker
ketman hetman
4d ago
California is a good example. They decided to abandon their long term plans to expand the reservoir system as the population grew.
It's got nothing to do with giving money to the wrong sort of people (??) and everything to do with there not being any worthwhile places left to dam. There's 1400 dams in the state already.
sarker
ketman hetman
5d ago
Having a tapeworm is the ultimate and final cuck. Think about it logically.
sarker
ketman hetman
5d ago
Real knitting, let alone crochet, was actually unknown to the ancients. There was a process called "nalebinding" which involved a single needle and passing the entire thread through each loop, joining threads to make a full garment. True knitting with two needles without passing the whole yarn through each loop came about around the 11th century.
They might not know any grammatical terms, but native speakers speak grammatically in their dialects.
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