Allan Olley
@allanolley.bsky.social
Fan of many things and over degreed and underemployed. Groucho Marxist. 🥸
Advocate of mining the Sun for helium. ⛏️🔆
Advocate of mining the Sun for helium. ⛏️🔆
Get in, we're posting boardwalks
January 14, 2026 at 2:43 AM
Get in, we're posting boardwalks
For those wondering what I got up to in 2025, here is a brief review.
4ll4n0.livejournal.com/22637.html
4ll4n0.livejournal.com/22637.html
My 2025 in review.
I began 2025 in Arizona. I returned to Oakville with my dad this time so it was less lonely that these returns often are. I was thus back in Canada before the new regime took over in Washington. My da...
4ll4n0.livejournal.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:40 AM
For those wondering what I got up to in 2025, here is a brief review.
4ll4n0.livejournal.com/22637.html
4ll4n0.livejournal.com/22637.html
It's not really the New Year until we see Detective Conan in his traditional Japanese dress.
January 4, 2026 at 5:02 AM
It's not really the New Year until we see Detective Conan in his traditional Japanese dress.
I put down my thoughts on Newcomb's Problem in my 4th installment discussing it. Sorry for the delay.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/adding...
Happy New Year everyone!
www.linkedin.com/pulse/adding...
Happy New Year everyone!
Adding Some Physical Constraints to Newcomb's Problem
Last time I finished by suggesting I would discuss internal and external constraints. I am going to start talking about a potential external constraint to illustrate certain oddities in how some decis...
www.linkedin.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:15 AM
I put down my thoughts on Newcomb's Problem in my 4th installment discussing it. Sorry for the delay.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/adding...
Happy New Year everyone!
www.linkedin.com/pulse/adding...
Happy New Year everyone!
I just got vaccinated for the Flu and COVID-19, now prepared for respiratory virus season.💉💉
November 28, 2025 at 11:10 PM
I just got vaccinated for the Flu and COVID-19, now prepared for respiratory virus season.💉💉
Introduce yourself with five concerts you've seen-
Weird Al
A reunion of Simon and Garfunkel, also featured Blue Rodeo and Gordon Lightfoot.
Various Toronto Symphony Orchestra concerts.
Seeing a friends bands perform at clubs.
A few community choir concerts (I've performed in many such).
Weird Al
A reunion of Simon and Garfunkel, also featured Blue Rodeo and Gordon Lightfoot.
Various Toronto Symphony Orchestra concerts.
Seeing a friends bands perform at clubs.
A few community choir concerts (I've performed in many such).
Introduce yourself with five concerts you've seen —
Weird Al
Lilith Fair
Assorted school concerts for my children whom I love
Weird Al
Lilith Fair
Assorted school concerts for my children whom I love
Introduce yourself with five concerts you've seen —
NIN
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Soul Coughing
Poe
Tom Morello
NIN
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Soul Coughing
Poe
Tom Morello
November 28, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Introduce yourself with five concerts you've seen-
Weird Al
A reunion of Simon and Garfunkel, also featured Blue Rodeo and Gordon Lightfoot.
Various Toronto Symphony Orchestra concerts.
Seeing a friends bands perform at clubs.
A few community choir concerts (I've performed in many such).
Weird Al
A reunion of Simon and Garfunkel, also featured Blue Rodeo and Gordon Lightfoot.
Various Toronto Symphony Orchestra concerts.
Seeing a friends bands perform at clubs.
A few community choir concerts (I've performed in many such).
Ultracrepidarian.
Let’s all go around the table and say one word we’re thankful for.
November 28, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Ultracrepidarian.
My friend Ari Gross is just finishing up a Kickstarter for the 2nd issue of his comic Wardens today (November 23rd).
I did a review of his other continuing comics Upkeep's 2nd issue.
4ll4n0.livejournal.com/22312.html
I did a review of his other continuing comics Upkeep's 2nd issue.
4ll4n0.livejournal.com/22312.html
Review: Upkeep 2
Continuing my comics reviews. I should note my friend Ari Gross is just finishing up fund raising for the second issue of his comic Wardens also. Today I'm reviewing his other continuing comic Upkeep....
4ll4n0.livejournal.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
My friend Ari Gross is just finishing up a Kickstarter for the 2nd issue of his comic Wardens today (November 23rd).
I did a review of his other continuing comics Upkeep's 2nd issue.
4ll4n0.livejournal.com/22312.html
I did a review of his other continuing comics Upkeep's 2nd issue.
4ll4n0.livejournal.com/22312.html
I've been playing Connections trying to get purple first thanks to @hankgreen.bsky.social doing this at the end of some his videos and inculcating me with the idea you should do that. Apparently I managed to do it 100 times as of today.
November 4, 2025 at 4:11 PM
I've been playing Connections trying to get purple first thanks to @hankgreen.bsky.social doing this at the end of some his videos and inculcating me with the idea you should do that. Apparently I managed to do it 100 times as of today.
A lot of news stories etc. combat vaccine misinformation by pointing out there is no evidence they cause some bad outcome (or outcome perceived as bad). I suggest a different tack:
There is no evidence the COVID vaccine will cure your existing aches and pains allowing you to walk unassisted.
There is no evidence the COVID vaccine will cure your existing aches and pains allowing you to walk unassisted.
November 3, 2025 at 5:39 PM
A lot of news stories etc. combat vaccine misinformation by pointing out there is no evidence they cause some bad outcome (or outcome perceived as bad). I suggest a different tack:
There is no evidence the COVID vaccine will cure your existing aches and pains allowing you to walk unassisted.
There is no evidence the COVID vaccine will cure your existing aches and pains allowing you to walk unassisted.
![Two Bluesky tweets.
Jason Loo @jasonloo.bsky.social - 36m
Fuck
[6 likes]
---
Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social 39m
Fuck
[5 likes]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6h647h3agk5rgj7qb7q7rzri/bafkreihb6cydwc2r3n6hslxnzdxwrecuiycvgerlrhhjayy4eylly47aue@jpeg)
I managed to get today's pictogram connection.
Connections
Puzzle #873
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟨🟨🟨
(My technique is figure out all the connections if possible before trying anything and then input them usually reverse the order I found them to try and get purple 1st).
Connections
Puzzle #873
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟨🟨🟨
(My technique is figure out all the connections if possible before trying anything and then input them usually reverse the order I found them to try and get purple 1st).
October 31, 2025 at 3:38 PM
I managed to get today's pictogram connection.
Connections
Puzzle #873
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟨🟨🟨
(My technique is figure out all the connections if possible before trying anything and then input them usually reverse the order I found them to try and get purple 1st).
Connections
Puzzle #873
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟨🟨🟨
(My technique is figure out all the connections if possible before trying anything and then input them usually reverse the order I found them to try and get purple 1st).
BREAKING: Two men have been arrested in connection with the heist of France's Crown Jewels from the Louvre.
October 27, 2025 at 5:42 PM
BREAKING: Two men have been arrested in connection with the heist of France's Crown Jewels from the Louvre.
I was looking at a blog post with a list of citations of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and felt an urge to recalculate it a little. I posted the result over on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/allanoll...
open.substack.com/pub/allanoll...
My need to recalculate lists applied to a list of citations.
I was reading a list of the most cited works in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and was moved to merge the authors cited multiple times.
open.substack.com
September 13, 2025 at 11:56 PM
I was looking at a blog post with a list of citations of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and felt an urge to recalculate it a little. I posted the result over on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/allanoll...
open.substack.com/pub/allanoll...
Here is the third installment of my discussion of Newcomb's problem. Here I try and work through some of the implications of betting on Newcomb's problem and what we may learn from it.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/somebo...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/somebo...
Somebody Fade Me! Betting and Newcomb's Problem
Betting on predictions As I finished up talking about last time an issue that seems key to me when talking about Newcomb's problem are things like gambling, insurance and the future's markets. These i...
www.linkedin.com
September 8, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Here is the third installment of my discussion of Newcomb's problem. Here I try and work through some of the implications of betting on Newcomb's problem and what we may learn from it.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/somebo...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/somebo...
Here is the 2nd instalment in my discussion of things related to Newcomb's problem in the philosophy of decision. I originally thought this installment would be shorter, it is probably a bit meandering hopefully it is still interesting.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/blackm...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/blackm...
Blackmail by prediction, Rats!
In my previous post I finished by talking about a scenario related to Newcomb's problem which I called a blackmail scenario (also known as the XOR blackmail scenario). A predictor sends a homeowner a ...
www.linkedin.com
August 30, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Here is the 2nd instalment in my discussion of things related to Newcomb's problem in the philosophy of decision. I originally thought this installment would be shorter, it is probably a bit meandering hopefully it is still interesting.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/blackm...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/blackm...
I am planning to broadcast my thoughts on Newcomb's problem in a series of posts. Here is the introduction of my understanding of the problem and why I am talking about it now.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/introd...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/introd...
Introducing Newcomb's Problem
In the past decade or so I have become very interested in Newcomb's Problem (it is I guess usually called a paradox, but to me there is no logical paradox as such implied although it is surprising and...
www.linkedin.com
August 23, 2025 at 9:14 PM
I am planning to broadcast my thoughts on Newcomb's problem in a series of posts. Here is the introduction of my understanding of the problem and why I am talking about it now.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/introd...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/introd...
Tom Lehrer has died.
I was introduced to Tom Lehrer by my parents as a child either they played the one album of his occasionally or sang something from it here or there.
His music was distinctive and energizing and this wonderfully leavened the streak of misanthropic dark satire in his work.
I was introduced to Tom Lehrer by my parents as a child either they played the one album of his occasionally or sang something from it here or there.
His music was distinctive and energizing and this wonderfully leavened the streak of misanthropic dark satire in his work.
Today is a sad, sad day for fans of comedy, satire, music and all combinations therein. A day we all knew was coming eventually, granted, but that doesn't make it any less sad.
Tom Lehrer, THE greatest singer-songwriter of musical satire to ever walk the earth, has left us at age 97. 🧵
Tom Lehrer, THE greatest singer-songwriter of musical satire to ever walk the earth, has left us at age 97. 🧵
July 27, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Tom Lehrer has died.
I was introduced to Tom Lehrer by my parents as a child either they played the one album of his occasionally or sang something from it here or there.
His music was distinctive and energizing and this wonderfully leavened the streak of misanthropic dark satire in his work.
I was introduced to Tom Lehrer by my parents as a child either they played the one album of his occasionally or sang something from it here or there.
His music was distinctive and energizing and this wonderfully leavened the streak of misanthropic dark satire in his work.
I've shifted my frequency of winning Wordle so that the most frequent number of guesses I win in is now 4, previously 5 dominated. I had to reduce my tendency to eliminate lots of letters before refining my guess.
July 26, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I've shifted my frequency of winning Wordle so that the most frequent number of guesses I win in is now 4, previously 5 dominated. I had to reduce my tendency to eliminate lots of letters before refining my guess.
If you see this, quote this post with a time travel movie that's not Back to the Future.
July 18, 2025 at 12:21 AM
If you see this, quote this post with a time travel movie that's not Back to the Future.
florence (@morallawwithin.bsky.social but at the other place) is doing a poll via Google forms asking people to respond to Newcomb's problem like decision theory scenarios. I'm interested in that as I try to justify my one-box views or understand two-box views.
forms.gle/cGyhWMDBebj2...
forms.gle/cGyhWMDBebj2...
Flo's Newcomblike Problem Survey
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: Below will be a series of decision problems where you have to choose from among the given options. Some of the cases are a bit intricate, so do pay attention to all details and ...
forms.gle
July 1, 2025 at 3:35 PM
florence (@morallawwithin.bsky.social but at the other place) is doing a poll via Google forms asking people to respond to Newcomb's problem like decision theory scenarios. I'm interested in that as I try to justify my one-box views or understand two-box views.
forms.gle/cGyhWMDBebj2...
forms.gle/cGyhWMDBebj2...
A good turning and turning in the widen gyre to you all on Yeats's birthday.
June 14, 2025 at 3:55 AM
A good turning and turning in the widen gyre to you all on Yeats's birthday.
I launch my 2025 Ride for Heart a little late. This year I will attempt to ride 200 km in June to raise money for heart and stroke research.
heartandstrokerideforheart.crowdchange.ca/page/allanol...
heartandstrokerideforheart.crowdchange.ca/page/allanol...
Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart
Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart
heartandstrokerideforheart.crowdchange.ca
June 6, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I launch my 2025 Ride for Heart a little late. This year I will attempt to ride 200 km in June to raise money for heart and stroke research.
heartandstrokerideforheart.crowdchange.ca/page/allanol...
heartandstrokerideforheart.crowdchange.ca/page/allanol...
Time to drop the really big bomb:
If the principle of verification is formulated as: existence of p -> it is possible to know that p, then every existent p must be known because it is not possible to know the fact p' = "no one knows that p".
Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.
If the principle of verification is formulated as: existence of p -> it is possible to know that p, then every existent p must be known because it is not possible to know the fact p' = "no one knows that p".
Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.
Time to drop the really big bomb:
Viking helmets didn't actually have horns. That's the real reason why the ones in the museums never look like how they do in movies.
Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.
Viking helmets didn't actually have horns. That's the real reason why the ones in the museums never look like how they do in movies.
Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.
Time to drop the really big bomb:
Fire is hot, and touching it burns you.
Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.
Fire is hot, and touching it burns you.
Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.
June 5, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Time to drop the really big bomb:
If the principle of verification is formulated as: existence of p -> it is possible to know that p, then every existent p must be known because it is not possible to know the fact p' = "no one knows that p".
Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.
If the principle of verification is formulated as: existence of p -> it is possible to know that p, then every existent p must be known because it is not possible to know the fact p' = "no one knows that p".
Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.