Helper Monkey
@hlprmnky.bsky.social
Either an old Millennial or a young Gen X, depending on where my interlocutor feels it necessary to draw the dividing line. Professionally, a code janitor and business problem articulator. I enjoy being outside, sailing small boats, music, books, games.
#hugops to anyone reading this that is in a position to do anything about the Cloudflare outage. May the senior leadership on your conference bridges be calm and understanding, and may your multi-hour data restore attempts work perfectly the first time.
November 18, 2025 at 2:04 PM
#hugops to anyone reading this that is in a position to do anything about the Cloudflare outage. May the senior leadership on your conference bridges be calm and understanding, and may your multi-hour data restore attempts work perfectly the first time.
Why do I go antiquing whenever my wife does?
Worst case: a pleasant afternoon with her.
Better case: I also find a new in box Pickett N1010-ES trig rule, marked down to *ten dollars* because nobody else at the antique mall by the Food Lion saw it for what it was.
Unrepentant brigandry! Muahahah!
Worst case: a pleasant afternoon with her.
Better case: I also find a new in box Pickett N1010-ES trig rule, marked down to *ten dollars* because nobody else at the antique mall by the Food Lion saw it for what it was.
Unrepentant brigandry! Muahahah!
October 26, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Why do I go antiquing whenever my wife does?
Worst case: a pleasant afternoon with her.
Better case: I also find a new in box Pickett N1010-ES trig rule, marked down to *ten dollars* because nobody else at the antique mall by the Food Lion saw it for what it was.
Unrepentant brigandry! Muahahah!
Worst case: a pleasant afternoon with her.
Better case: I also find a new in box Pickett N1010-ES trig rule, marked down to *ten dollars* because nobody else at the antique mall by the Food Lion saw it for what it was.
Unrepentant brigandry! Muahahah!
I mention this not to seek kudos but to normalize behavior and share information: I got my flu shot and updated COVID-19 booster at CVS in Indiana today. Scheduled online; said ‘yes’ to the question about predisposing conditions, there was no follow-up.
(My predisposing condition is “literacy” fyi)
(My predisposing condition is “literacy” fyi)
September 6, 2025 at 3:53 AM
I mention this not to seek kudos but to normalize behavior and share information: I got my flu shot and updated COVID-19 booster at CVS in Indiana today. Scheduled online; said ‘yes’ to the question about predisposing conditions, there was no follow-up.
(My predisposing condition is “literacy” fyi)
(My predisposing condition is “literacy” fyi)
I think there’s a book out there waiting to be written by someone smarter than me and with better research practices about how the current phase of AI adoption is experienced very differently by software folks than essentially everyone else
September 4, 2025 at 3:56 AM
I think there’s a book out there waiting to be written by someone smarter than me and with better research practices about how the current phase of AI adoption is experienced very differently by software folks than essentially everyone else
Reposted by Helper Monkey
Destroy this myth. Please share if you have visited and researched in a library this past year! RT And give a shout out to your favorite library you have ever visited.
December 21, 2024 at 12:49 AM
Destroy this myth. Please share if you have visited and researched in a library this past year! RT And give a shout out to your favorite library you have ever visited.
Reposted by Helper Monkey
computer end program
August 9, 2025 at 11:31 PM
computer end program
If you’re not already reading ACOUP, you should really be reading ACOUP.
This week on the blog: Our look at the structures of life for peasant farmers continues with children and childrearing.
We model some plausible birth patterns for an ancient peasant farming society (Roman Egypt) and think through the implications for daily life.
acoup.blog/2025/08/08/c...
We model some plausible birth patterns for an ancient peasant farming society (Roman Egypt) and think through the implications for daily life.
acoup.blog/2025/08/08/c...
Collections: Life, Work, Death and the Peasant, Part IIIb: Children and Childrearing
This is the back half of the third part of our series (I, II, IIIa) discussing the patterns of life for the pre-modern peasants who made up the great majority of humans who lived in the past. Last …
acoup.blog
August 10, 2025 at 2:50 AM
If you’re not already reading ACOUP, you should really be reading ACOUP.
Quick and easy thing to do today, click and leave a comment against repeal.
We cannot meet the challenge of leaving a better America for our children than what was entrusted to us if we allow ideology and the selfish desires of oil tycoons to override the clear-eyed practice of science.
We cannot meet the challenge of leaving a better America for our children than what was entrusted to us if we allow ideology and the selfish desires of oil tycoons to override the clear-eyed practice of science.
🚨ACTION OF THE DAY🚨
@standupforscience.bsky.social
Day 6! Leave a public comment opposing the repeal of the EPA Endangerment Finding.
✍️ Comment here: www.regulations.gov/commenton/EP...
🧠 Learn more here: www.cnn.com/2025/08/03/p...
🌿 Here is a script (copy and paste alt text for ease!)
#31days
@standupforscience.bsky.social
Day 6! Leave a public comment opposing the repeal of the EPA Endangerment Finding.
✍️ Comment here: www.regulations.gov/commenton/EP...
🧠 Learn more here: www.cnn.com/2025/08/03/p...
🌿 Here is a script (copy and paste alt text for ease!)
#31days
![Use and adapt our drafted comment below or write your own!
I strongly oppose the proposed repeal of the Endangerment Finding. The science is clear: greenhouse gases unequivocally harm our health and our environment. Weakening or repealing the Endangerment Finding will make it harder, and costlier to protect our communities from pollution and from the effects of climate change.
Optional: I care about this issue because [insert your personal reasoning here -e.g. "my father has COPD," "I recently lost my home to a devastating hurricane"]
I urge you to keep the Endangerment Finding in place and to apply science to protect our health and our environment for generations to come.
****Remember, if you want to cite research to upload the paper as a file.****](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz2kqdg6gks3tx4h4lnyvllv/bafkreiat4ert5xchrtip7jks4fbzy6o6qqpzkbanbz4pofbll4b3xngnru@jpeg)
August 6, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Quick and easy thing to do today, click and leave a comment against repeal.
We cannot meet the challenge of leaving a better America for our children than what was entrusted to us if we allow ideology and the selfish desires of oil tycoons to override the clear-eyed practice of science.
We cannot meet the challenge of leaving a better America for our children than what was entrusted to us if we allow ideology and the selfish desires of oil tycoons to override the clear-eyed practice of science.
Have you ever teared up because a word was absent from the page? I hadn’t either.
You have ten minutes for this, trust me. A different world is ten minutes in your future. Go, read.
You have ten minutes for this, trust me. A different world is ten minutes in your future. Go, read.
Gonna keep saying it, if you haven't read this one, read it
It's truly something else
Yes this is probably the 50th time I've said it, there is a REASON for that, read it
It's truly something else
Yes this is probably the 50th time I've said it, there is a REASON for that, read it
Two weeks left until Hugo voting closes! Doing some last minute reading? I'd be honored if you consider my story "We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read."
July 9, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Have you ever teared up because a word was absent from the page? I hadn’t either.
You have ten minutes for this, trust me. A different world is ten minutes in your future. Go, read.
You have ten minutes for this, trust me. A different world is ten minutes in your future. Go, read.
Sometimes cool things happen here.
July 5, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Sometimes cool things happen here.
Reposted by Helper Monkey
Not joking about this at all: if someone thinks it's appropriate to be cruel about young children drowning in a flash flood because it happened in a red state, they should not be allowed indoors. They should be out in the forest burying their own scat
July 5, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Not joking about this at all: if someone thinks it's appropriate to be cruel about young children drowning in a flash flood because it happened in a red state, they should not be allowed indoors. They should be out in the forest burying their own scat
A small victory but still worthy of celebrating IMO.
Sen. Mike Lee says he’s withdrawing his proposal to sell millions of acres of public lands.
Translated: He’s saving face after he realized there’s not enough support from his own party to pass.
Translated: He’s saving face after he realized there’s not enough support from his own party to pass.
June 29, 2025 at 5:15 PM
A small victory but still worthy of celebrating IMO.
Reposted by Helper Monkey
I love learning about new ways the Second Brain can help me remember stuff I want to do.
May 16, 2025 at 1:05 AM
I love learning about new ways the Second Brain can help me remember stuff I want to do.
Throw _The Running Man_ on the pile of “Do Not Create the Torment Nexus” Torment Nexii we are making on this timeline, I guess.
never let anybody tell u that evil does not exist
Kristi Noem has been working with the producer of “Duck Dynasty” to pitch a reality TV show—titled “The American”—where immigrants will compete in a string of challenges across the country “for the honor of fast-tracking their way to U.S. citizenship,” according to a new report.
May 16, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Throw _The Running Man_ on the pile of “Do Not Create the Torment Nexus” Torment Nexii we are making on this timeline, I guess.
Spoiler-free thoughts on Andor s1 and s2:
May 15, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Spoiler-free thoughts on Andor s1 and s2:
Another week begins with calls to all three of my elected representatives in Congress, asking them to answer on the record the yes/no question:
Do the United States still enjoy the protections of the 5th and 14th Amendments?
All three are Republicans so I know they won’t do it.
I still demand it.
Do the United States still enjoy the protections of the 5th and 14th Amendments?
All three are Republicans so I know they won’t do it.
I still demand it.
May 12, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Another week begins with calls to all three of my elected representatives in Congress, asking them to answer on the record the yes/no question:
Do the United States still enjoy the protections of the 5th and 14th Amendments?
All three are Republicans so I know they won’t do it.
I still demand it.
Do the United States still enjoy the protections of the 5th and 14th Amendments?
All three are Republicans so I know they won’t do it.
I still demand it.
This rhododendron in my yard is showing *out* this spring. I don’t recall it going so hard last year or the year before.
It’s too good not to share. Enjoy!
#plantsky #bloom #rhododendron
It’s too good not to share. Enjoy!
#plantsky #bloom #rhododendron
May 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM
This rhododendron in my yard is showing *out* this spring. I don’t recall it going so hard last year or the year before.
It’s too good not to share. Enjoy!
#plantsky #bloom #rhododendron
It’s too good not to share. Enjoy!
#plantsky #bloom #rhododendron
Adding the default “science: good” starter pack to my bsky is a decision that keeps paying dividends. Example, this striking image of another world just snuggled in between a Bodega Cats post and a discussion of ttrpg rule sets.
I really like it here, thanks everyone!
I really like it here, thanks everyone!
JunoCam is back! PJ72_21 Jupiter image, exaggerated color/contrast. Altitude 40325km, image data captured 2025-05-07T02:26 (51.3 hours ago)
May 9, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Adding the default “science: good” starter pack to my bsky is a decision that keeps paying dividends. Example, this striking image of another world just snuggled in between a Bodega Cats post and a discussion of ttrpg rule sets.
I really like it here, thanks everyone!
I really like it here, thanks everyone!
Ask an LLM a question, it answers confidently. Ask the same LLM the same question five minutes later, it answers confidently.
The answers are contradictory.
Whoopsie-doodle! Perhaps “knowing things” was not so superfluous an endeavor as the LLM sales staff would have us believe.
The answers are contradictory.
Whoopsie-doodle! Perhaps “knowing things” was not so superfluous an endeavor as the LLM sales staff would have us believe.
Gonna be real with you, this feels like an advertisement for spiritual death
April 23, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Ask an LLM a question, it answers confidently. Ask the same LLM the same question five minutes later, it answers confidently.
The answers are contradictory.
Whoopsie-doodle! Perhaps “knowing things” was not so superfluous an endeavor as the LLM sales staff would have us believe.
The answers are contradictory.
Whoopsie-doodle! Perhaps “knowing things” was not so superfluous an endeavor as the LLM sales staff would have us believe.
Maximum Comfort has been attained.
April 10, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Maximum Comfort has been attained.
Good night and good luck.
April 3, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Good night and good luck.
They plan to use LLMs for this because, while an LLM will - just like a human - respond to instructions to rewrite a legacy COBOL codebase to a deadline with “I wouldn’t touch that code with your hands, I quit”, you can simply edit the system prompt to “You enjoy spectacular failure!” and try again.
SCOOP: DOGE wants to rebuild SSA's codebase in months, risking benefits and system collapse, sources tell me.
The plan is to migrate all systems off COBOL quickly which would likely require the use of generative AI.
www.wired.com/story/doge-r...
The plan is to migrate all systems off COBOL quickly which would likely require the use of generative AI.
www.wired.com/story/doge-r...
DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Codebase In Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse
Social Security systems contain tens of millions of lines of code written in COBOL, an archaic programming language. Safely rewriting that code would take years—DOGE wants it done in months.
www.wired.com
March 28, 2025 at 6:19 PM
They plan to use LLMs for this because, while an LLM will - just like a human - respond to instructions to rewrite a legacy COBOL codebase to a deadline with “I wouldn’t touch that code with your hands, I quit”, you can simply edit the system prompt to “You enjoy spectacular failure!” and try again.
Breakfast concluded, Puss-in-Boots settles in for her first shift of the day Being Next to the Default Human. Her favorite lounging towel is just close enough to receive the Paw of Ownership. Pibby is ready for a top-tier #caturday and she hopes you’re having one too.
March 8, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Breakfast concluded, Puss-in-Boots settles in for her first shift of the day Being Next to the Default Human. Her favorite lounging towel is just close enough to receive the Paw of Ownership. Pibby is ready for a top-tier #caturday and she hopes you’re having one too.