I feel the same way.
November 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
I feel the same way.
We used to call the 2nd group "Monty Haul" players. They had every magic item, every advantage, every score was maxed out. They wanted to win all the time with no challenge, because they were that insecure.
They were no fun to play with. They had no sense of sportsmanship. Just like the tech bros!
They were no fun to play with. They had no sense of sportsmanship. Just like the tech bros!
November 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
We used to call the 2nd group "Monty Haul" players. They had every magic item, every advantage, every score was maxed out. They wanted to win all the time with no challenge, because they were that insecure.
They were no fun to play with. They had no sense of sportsmanship. Just like the tech bros!
They were no fun to play with. They had no sense of sportsmanship. Just like the tech bros!
How gamers play their fantasies says more about the gamers than the game. Tolkien showed examples where class biases were disproven too (the Witch-King killed by a woman and a hobbit; an elf and a dwarf become friends; the race of men proves its strength). So it depends what one wants to read in it.
November 13, 2025 at 4:41 PM
How gamers play their fantasies says more about the gamers than the game. Tolkien showed examples where class biases were disproven too (the Witch-King killed by a woman and a hobbit; an elf and a dwarf become friends; the race of men proves its strength). So it depends what one wants to read in it.
My friend's mother had that belief. I asked her, what's your opinion on tales like King Arthur? Robin Hood? Sinbad the Sailor? Treasure Island?
November 13, 2025 at 4:35 PM
My friend's mother had that belief. I asked her, what's your opinion on tales like King Arthur? Robin Hood? Sinbad the Sailor? Treasure Island?
Perhaps they're hoping if they create an AI smart enough, it'll figure out how to make their company viable.
November 12, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Perhaps they're hoping if they create an AI smart enough, it'll figure out how to make their company viable.
This will be the textbook example in a lesson about cognitive dissonance.
November 12, 2025 at 4:07 PM
This will be the textbook example in a lesson about cognitive dissonance.
I enjoyed "The Sculptor" by Scott McCloud (known for his book "Understanding Comics"). It's not mainstream, but it's a lovely graphic novel.
November 11, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I enjoyed "The Sculptor" by Scott McCloud (known for his book "Understanding Comics"). It's not mainstream, but it's a lovely graphic novel.
It's true the party in the minority has very little control in the short term. But it's not useless to resist. Resisting helps to bring attention to the injustices, to let the people affected know they're not alone, and to build support for campaigns to retake control in the next election.
November 10, 2025 at 6:41 PM
It's true the party in the minority has very little control in the short term. But it's not useless to resist. Resisting helps to bring attention to the injustices, to let the people affected know they're not alone, and to build support for campaigns to retake control in the next election.
I'm sorry to hear you were impacted by the shutdown. Thank you for your work as a civil servant. I hope you can continue to do good work.
November 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I'm sorry to hear you were impacted by the shutdown. Thank you for your work as a civil servant. I hope you can continue to do good work.
What has happened is to prove publicly the depth of the GOP's disdain for the welfare of Americans. They were okay with letting the shutdown affect millions of people like you indefinitely, to achieve their goal of making health care unaffordable for millions of others.
November 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
What has happened is to prove publicly the depth of the GOP's disdain for the welfare of Americans. They were okay with letting the shutdown affect millions of people like you indefinitely, to achieve their goal of making health care unaffordable for millions of others.
That's too cynical, and not what I'm saying. I assume most Dems started the shutdown fight thinking they had a chance and an obligation to fight for the ACA subsidies. I also assume all 47 of the Dem Senators have their own take on the situation. They don't act as a single entity.
November 10, 2025 at 2:26 PM
That's too cynical, and not what I'm saying. I assume most Dems started the shutdown fight thinking they had a chance and an obligation to fight for the ACA subsidies. I also assume all 47 of the Dem Senators have their own take on the situation. They don't act as a single entity.
It's also virtually certain that Dem's efforts to restore ACA subsidies were not going to work. They had no leverage to negotiate because the opposite side doesn't care how much or how long Americans in either group were hurting.
November 10, 2025 at 1:58 PM
It's also virtually certain that Dem's efforts to restore ACA subsidies were not going to work. They had no leverage to negotiate because the opposite side doesn't care how much or how long Americans in either group were hurting.
I keep reading Bluesky folks wishing the Democrats would speak to more ambitious and unified policy agenda. A "Project 2029" to pitch to voters. I think national health care should be in them.
November 10, 2025 at 2:08 AM
I keep reading Bluesky folks wishing the Democrats would speak to more ambitious and unified policy agenda. A "Project 2029" to pitch to voters. I think national health care should be in them.
Yes, you'd think employers would be all over this change. If they could get out of the business of having to re-negotiate benefits every year, they could reduce HR costs.
November 10, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Yes, you'd think employers would be all over this change. If they could get out of the business of having to re-negotiate benefits every year, they could reduce HR costs.
Once national health care is an option, the regulations and subsidies that Republicans don't like about the ACA can sunset. Anyone who still wants to use only private insurance is free to do so. I don't think they will enjoy the cost or the coverage, but to each their own.
November 10, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Once national health care is an option, the regulations and subsidies that Republicans don't like about the ACA can sunset. Anyone who still wants to use only private insurance is free to do so. I don't think they will enjoy the cost or the coverage, but to each their own.
The more employers and individuals who use the Medicare-for-all plan, the more incentive health providers would have to accept it. If they don't accept it, they would have a dwindling supply of customers.
November 10, 2025 at 1:25 AM
The more employers and individuals who use the Medicare-for-all plan, the more incentive health providers would have to accept it. If they don't accept it, they would have a dwindling supply of customers.
The more employers and individuals who sign up for the Medicare-for-all plan, the broader the base will be, and the more affordable it can be for everyone. Obviously, it would have a mandate to be non-profit.
November 10, 2025 at 1:23 AM
The more employers and individuals who sign up for the Medicare-for-all plan, the broader the base will be, and the more affordable it can be for everyone. Obviously, it would have a mandate to be non-profit.
Folks who are under age 65 don't get free Medicare, they must pay premiums. That revenue would help to support Medicare and make it more fiscally secure.
The premiums would be controlled by law, so they wouldn't go up 18% or more per year for no reason, like happens with private insurance.
The premiums would be controlled by law, so they wouldn't go up 18% or more per year for no reason, like happens with private insurance.
November 10, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Folks who are under age 65 don't get free Medicare, they must pay premiums. That revenue would help to support Medicare and make it more fiscally secure.
The premiums would be controlled by law, so they wouldn't go up 18% or more per year for no reason, like happens with private insurance.
The premiums would be controlled by law, so they wouldn't go up 18% or more per year for no reason, like happens with private insurance.
A compromise to satisfy folks who are anti-public health is to make it opt-in instead of mandated. We would allow — but not require — all employers and individuals to enroll in Medicare.
If some folks would rather paying high rates for poor service with private insurance, be my guest.
If some folks would rather paying high rates for poor service with private insurance, be my guest.
November 10, 2025 at 1:16 AM
A compromise to satisfy folks who are anti-public health is to make it opt-in instead of mandated. We would allow — but not require — all employers and individuals to enroll in Medicare.
If some folks would rather paying high rates for poor service with private insurance, be my guest.
If some folks would rather paying high rates for poor service with private insurance, be my guest.
The difference is a society that emphasizes profit incentive as much as ours does. Any technology can be used to create value. But a profit incentive usually rewards creating less value, to the extent that that usually goes along with less cost.
November 9, 2025 at 10:11 PM
The difference is a society that emphasizes profit incentive as much as ours does. Any technology can be used to create value. But a profit incentive usually rewards creating less value, to the extent that that usually goes along with less cost.
Yes, I'll agree that machine learning or data science techniques are very useful. I agree machine learning is not the same as LLM's. Perhaps the previous commenter is conflating these two things.
November 9, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Yes, I'll agree that machine learning or data science techniques are very useful. I agree machine learning is not the same as LLM's. Perhaps the previous commenter is conflating these two things.
Why do you think it should be used only in STEM?
STEM is in some ways the *worst* place to use AI.
For example, this recent story about bogus AI-generated letters to science research journals (gift link).
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
STEM is in some ways the *worst* place to use AI.
For example, this recent story about bogus AI-generated letters to science research journals (gift link).
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
The Editor Got a Letter From ‘Dr. B.S.’ So Did a Lot of Other Editors.
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Why do you think it should be used only in STEM?
STEM is in some ways the *worst* place to use AI.
For example, this recent story about bogus AI-generated letters to science research journals (gift link).
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
STEM is in some ways the *worst* place to use AI.
For example, this recent story about bogus AI-generated letters to science research journals (gift link).
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
Besides the stock market, the economy thrives on all the spending by AI companies. For example, commercial real estate was struggling because of the pandemic. New AI startup companies have driven companies back into growth mode, which means a real estate boom.
Love it or hate it, artificial intelligence is reshaping California | Opinion
Investors are spending billions of new dollars every month in Northern California in search of a technological breakthrough.
www.sacbee.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Besides the stock market, the economy thrives on all the spending by AI companies. For example, commercial real estate was struggling because of the pandemic. New AI startup companies have driven companies back into growth mode, which means a real estate boom.