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jbrains

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Side of bed debate - Which side is left?

Which side of the bed is the left side? Is the answer based on the perspective of laying in the bed (person’s head at the head end)? Is the answer based on viewing it from the foot of the bed, looking at the head of the bed? Is there an “anatomical position” or special terminology like in boating for this?...

jbrains ,

Either:

  • you establish a convention and both learn to choose one perspective or the other
  • one of you tries to do that and the other pretends not to agree, because it’s cute and fun as a form of teasing

Pick one and I hope whatever you pick works for both of you. Agreement is easy, but teasing can be fun.

jbrains ,

Enjoy! “I’ve chosen to find it charming.”

jbrains ,

XKCD. Ten Thousand.

In our post-AI era, is job security strictly mythical? Or How to believe in careers as a concept worth doing?

With the lastest news of AI layoffs, I’m struggling to understand how the idea of a career still holds. If careers themselves effectively become gambles like lottery tickets, how do we maintain drive and hopes in the longterm endgame of our struggles?...

jbrains ,

The only person who won’t fire you is you.

jbrains , (edited )

You are very wrong about that, but I still never fired me. 🤷‍♂️

UPDATE: Downvoted for admitting that I, too, have battled severe clinical depression. Well done.

jbrains ,

Let it bother you, then don’t let it ruin your day. People are delightful and strange. 🤷‍♂️

I know that naming variables is one of the biggest unsolved problems of Computer Science but how would you name a boolean flag to be self explanatory?

What I mean is: some boolean flags are perfect for the real world phenomenon they are representing e.g. is_light_on makes you understand perfectly that when it is true the light is on and when it is false the light is off....

jbrains ,

Moreover, once you’re accustomed to thinking in these terms, it becomes safer to start with a boolean, because the refactoring path is clear: replace boolean with 2-value enumeration, then expand from there.

jbrains ,

Post a topic such as this in a discussion forum, then monitor the discussions that follow.

jbrains ,

“Unsubscribe.”

This is not necessarily effective on its own, but it’s a way to find out what the situation is. It is a simple way to open the discussion about your lack of interest in what they have to say. Sometimes they just shut up.

jbrains ,

Yes, but that’s why there is a sidebar.

jbrains ,

The mere fact that we’re answering your question provides sufficient context to clarify the group’s intentions, no?

jbrains ,

Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens. Enjoy.

Will I ever be seen as truly British?

My family immigrated to the UK from Poland when I was six. I’m 20 now, speak much better English than Polish and feel like this is my land/culture. However I have a Polish first and last name, Polish passport and “unique” accent everyone picks up on, so despite this I’m usually perceived as an outsider. It makes me...

jbrains ,

You might be able to find people who accept you, even if the average Brit doesn’t. People have strange ideas about whom to hate and why.

It’s complicated and I can’t pretend to really understand your situation, but I trust that feeling pity for them works better for your mental health than any other reaction, including trying to ignore them. Whatever you do, don’t let yourself believe them.

Peace.

jbrains ,

If “Go fuck yourself” is not your style or otherwise inadvisable, then another option is to start with “You will not call me that. You will call me by my name. Thank you.” Say this as calmly and evenly as you can. Keep saying it. Don’t let her rattle you into straying from this.

If she insists, then pick a name to call her and insist on it no matter how much she objects. I doubt I need to suggest such a name, but rather I trust you to engage your creativity.

Even so, I don’t have any objection to “go fuck yourself” if you think that wouldn’t put your job in jeopardy.

Good luck. Peace.

jbrains ,

If she can report you for being 5 minutes late, what stops you from reporting her when she leaves early? I’m not criticizing you, but rather genuinely asking what’s in the way.

jbrains ,

That is hard. If the manager is likely to side with her, then that limits your options considerably. In that case, if you truly need this job, then put your head down, persist, and let this delightful woman be wrong.

“Sure.” And then don’t do it. Over and over.

I’m sorry that you’re dealing with this. It’s not you; it’s them. I suspect you’re wonderful and I’m sorry that your employer doesn’t recognize that.

Peace.

jbrains ,

P3 Dystopia 👍

jbrains ,
  • Rough Translation
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  • Omnibus

How come liberals dont hate conservatives the way conservatives hate liberals

I constantly see angry mobs of people decrying “woke”, “critical race theory”, ““grooming””, and whatever other nonsense they made up this week. They march around with guns, constantly appending lib as a prefix to any word they can use to denigrate. They actively plot violence and spew hatred in the open....

jbrains ,

Are you afraid of them or do you hate them? Those seem like two independent opinions to me, but I’m wondering if you’re conflating them.

I’m afraid of them and I don’t hate them.

jbrains ,

I can both understand and relate to being afraid of them. As you wrote, they do real damage and they seem intent on doing more and they seem to feel it’s their mission to do so. From what I can tell, they have been programmed to see the very concept of progressive thinking as evil. Fearing them seems sensible, because being aware of the threat makes it easier to defend against it or protect oneself from it.

But how exactly does it improve your life to hate them?

jbrains ,

I relate to your position. You are wrong. You absolutely do choose to hate or not hate. This lies entirely within your control.

I used to have the impulse to hate them, but I don’t any more.

On the list you cite, emotions is the one thing you choose, even though it might not feel that way right now. I don’t expect you to believe me. I will cite Lisa Feldman Barrett and the book How Emotions are Made and you can decide whether you want to explore or not.

Either way, peace.

jbrains ,

I am definitely keeping an eye on my electricity bill right now, since I have Unmanic running full speed and it’s about 3 weeks into a 4-month job that might only save 1 TB.

jbrains ,

Anything at least 2 points higher than the best rate of return you are getting now.

jbrains , (edited )

If you are dissatisfied with the free thing I gave you, then I am happy to send you a refund of your purchase price. 🤷‍♂️

That’s my preferred strategy.

UPDATE: Before any angry cards and letters, let me clarify. When I reply this way, I learn a lot about the person I’m talking to, including whether they are prepared to have a reasonable conversation about this complex matter. The response I’m hoping for is “Well played.”, because that tells me that they recognize how ridiculous we are both being. I can work with them.

If they are merely having a tough time and needed to vent, then they’ll notice that and we can move forward.

If they are truly that entitled, then I don’t mind what happens next, because they would probably never have accepted any help I could offer them, anyway.

jbrains ,

Careful! I’m not trying to be Ticketmaster!

jbrains ,

I have just recently chosen to revive it. I’m not really sure why. I presume it’s a matter of arbitrary fashion either way.

jbrains , (edited )

Collect what you’re owed as soon as you can. Pay what you owe as late as you can.

UPDATE: “Every accusation is a projection” is more universal than some of you would like to admit.

jbrains ,

I hate!

jbrains ,

Don’t assume you know what is going through their mind, if you want to neutral and polite.

“I believe I’m fulfilling the duties of the job. What am I failing to get done?”

Focus on the requirements of the job and the fact that you’re meeting them.

jbrains ,

It wouldn’t surprise me. I’m not sure it could possibly matter to us either way. Presumably we couldn’t break out of the simulation even if we knew about it conclusively. It would be interesting, but practically irrelevant.

jbrains ,

Computers don’t directly understand the code that humans write. Humans find it extremely difficult to directly write the code that computers understand.

Compiling is how we convert the code that humans write into the code that computers can run. (It’s more complicated than that, but that explanation is probably enough for now.)

Different computers understand different flavors of computer code. Each kind of computer can compile the same human code, but they produce the flavor of computer code specific to that kind of computer. That’s why you sometimes need to compile the human code on your computer: it’s easier for your computer to know how to compile human code than for a human to know how to compile human code for every kind of computer that exists now and might exist in the future. There are some common kinds of computer and many projects pre-compile human code so that you don’t have to, but that’s not always easy. Also, some people insist on compiling the code themself, rather than trust someone else to correctly compile the code for their computer.

As for how to compile, that can be complicated. When you find the human code (“source code”) for a software project, the README often gives you instructions for how to compile that project’s code. Many of the instructions look familiar, because they are similar between projects, but the detail can vary a lot from project to project. Moreover, different human programming languages have very different instructions for how to compile their flavor of human code into computer code.

jbrains ,

Yes.

jbrains , (edited )

I don’t have any useful advice on your specific question. I’m replying to say only two things.

You’re probably going to struggle with this and you might feel like you’re doing it wrong because you can’t figure it out easily enough. Let it feel weird. Let it take as long as it takes. Let it be a struggle. Don’t make it worse by telling yourself a story like there’s something wrong with you because you’re struggling to figure it out.

And hug.

Peace.

jbrains , (edited )

Years exist. We decide what to call them. You and I agree to call this year 2024, but that’s only an agreement. Some people call this year 5784.

We call the system we use “The Gregorian Calendar”, because of a Pope named Gregory. That system is mostly the same as “The Julian Calendar”, with some important changes to make the calendar match the changing of the seasons better. In the Julian calendar, they decided to count the years starting from when they thought Jesus was born. They chose his birth year to be “The first year of our Lord”. We call that “year 1” for short.

The people who created that system (the Julian Calendar) didn’t understand 0. The year before “The first year of our Lord” was called “The first year before the birth of Christ”. We now call these “AD 1” (“anno domini”, because Latin) and “1 BC” (“before Christ”). Since they didn’t understand 0, they didn’t call any year “0”. We have kept the tradition, because reasons.

Some other systems have relabeled the year before “AD 1” as year 0, but that’s not how the Gregorian Calendar works, and that’s the calendar that you and I have been taught to use.

jbrains ,

By that part, I was referring to the people establishing the Julian Calendar, not the Gregorian. I’ve edited my comment to clarify that.

jbrains , (edited )

This works very well for me. It certainly helped me get past the notion that I needed motivation before doing something.

I prefer to want to do a thing before doing it, but I don’t have to.

jbrains ,

Not my favorite, but my favorite to recommend to people: Special Bulletin. And Without Warning is a close second.

jbrains ,

Take a 1-cup measuring cup, chop celery until it’s full. That doesn’t sound difficult to me. I infer it’s merely not what you’re used to.

I tend to prefer to weigh ingredients, but I also have measuring cups and spoons and using them is not so onerous. 🤷‍♂️

jbrains ,

I’m not arguing that it’s wise. I’m merely arguing that it’s not nearly as inexplicable as that comment made it seem.

What's the most interesting traditional or formal politeness behaviour or table manners in your culture? Or for any service personnel, in your restaurant? (kbin.social)

I love all the ritualized behaviour, secret meanings and unexpected taboos - standing up when someone of higher status stands, elaborate rules for serving and eating, tapping the table to thank the server, never refuse a toast from a superior, stuff like that....

jbrains ,

I didn’t do this at ICA, but I certainly learned the habit at Systembolaget.

jbrains ,

Overhead space for carry-on bags.

jbrains ,

I’m a bit surprised by the question, so I’d rather ask: what would it mean to you for physics not to be true in that hypothetical future?

jbrains ,

A solar eclipse has been interpreted as a harbinger of doom since the dawn of time. The conspiracy theory is merely a modern evolution of this trend.

jbrains ,

I think you could use a coach, but perhaps an older, wiser coach who isn’t tied to a specific style of therapy. Unfortunately, coaching is not regulated and therefore you might have to kiss many frogs to find a prince. I apologize that this advice might be true, but not helpful. I don’t know how you’d find such a person, except by trial and error.

Whom in your circle do you consider wise, or least experienced? Is there someone there you trust enough to try to have this conversation with?

Peace.

jbrains ,

How can you be alone and not feel lonely?

This seems like the key question. Relationships or not might not actually matter here.

What does it mean to you to feel lonely? What kind of lonely is that?

jbrains ,

I can understand it all and relate to some of it, but nothing in that description sounds like “lonely” to me.

When you feel like a failure, do you picture someone who is judging you to have failed? What expectation of theirs are you not meeting?

When you feel empty, what’s missing for you?

When you feel obliged to be with someone, obliged to whom? What did they do for you that leads you to now feel that you owe them something?

When you feel like something is wrong with you, who is judging you as being wrong? What expectations of theirs are you not meeting?

Whose voice do you hear saying “This is not OK”?

Maybe these answers will reveal something to you to help you make more sense of your feelings.

Peace.

How Would You Handle Students Cheating?

I gave my students a take home exam over spring break. (This is normal where I teach) One of the questions was particulary difficult. It came down to a factor of three in the solution. That factor inexplicably appeared with no justification on many of their exams. I intend to have the students I suspect of cheating come to my...

jbrains ,

What does cheating mean in this context? What did they have access to that you wish they hadn’t? And if that’s the case, then why did you make this a take home exam?

Do I have Burnout?

I really just need to talk about this to someone. I’m in college and I’ve always loved to learn, but now I don’t feel motivated do my school work or to study, but at the same time, when a test roles around and I don’t know how to answer the questions I get stressed and care about trying to do well. I’ve also always...

jbrains , (edited )

I think about burnout simply: if resting no longer leads to recovery, then you’re burned out.

Peace. Good luck.

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