Personal chat thread

[Time_Traveller]

Well looks like I "inherited" a Samsung Galaxy S22 or similar version from my stepdad via his Dads old house as he went there to take more stuff out of it and a few weeks ago, he died and I attended his funeral but now I have 2 mobile phones my Huawei P40 which I am still happy still using plus just started a new 2 year plan for Three for it and this one, I could class it as my spare one just in case.

^ Condolences to you and your family.

After a five-year break, I've been getting back into Elite: Dangerous. One of the features they've added is the ability to walk around in a spacesuit in both first and third person modes, so I've been trying that out.

Also, landable worlds include "tenuous" atmospheres now, up to 10% of Earth's density. So, you aren't just limited to airless vacuums, but can see a bit of colour in the sky.

Here's me exploring Anlave 9b, a small rocky moon. Very cold and with minimal surface gravity.

Thank you for your condolences Will, they are very much appreciated it has been a few emotional few weeks at my end. We are still waiting for a few other bits to proper go through too.

I am really glad you are getting back into Elite again but hopefully I will come back to the game which should be by the end of the year perhaps, October or November after my bedroom has been fully finished. However, unfortunately we won't be able to the same meet ups like we used to do in the past due to my work shifts now. But, I will still be able to enjoy your Elite videos though.

[Yuli Ban]

If this current writing venture I'm on now pays off, I ought to be making a solid 4 figures a month from Amazon by the end of the year (middle to higher end 4-figures at that; could be easily $5,000 a month on top of my current day job's income, for a grand total of around $7,000 a month) and that's just a mid-range area of success. Nothing says it's impossible, and I've done everything necessary for that to pass.

So assuming that I do manage that, I figured something I'd eventually do with such a windfall would be to look into a new computer.

"But don't you already have a relatively new computer with a 3080?"
Yes, I do, and I'm not getting rid of it. The funniest thing about that is: I bought this current rig intending to basically be future proofed for any video gaming I wanted to do, ultra settings with mods for the games I wanted to play (GTA 5, Cities: Skylines, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, Far Cry 5, ultra-modded Skyrim, games from the 2000s like Sim City 4, GTA 3/Vice City/San Andreas, Call of Duty '03, Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, and Command and Conquer: Generals, etc.) and reasonably high settings for far more modern games (the nearly fully fixed Cyberpunk 2077 and its inevitable sequel, GTA 6, whatever else seems to tickle my brain)
Same thing with VR. When I still had my Quest 2, using the PC with it was a dream come true.... for the PC, that is; the Quest 2 wasn't quite good enough for my tastes and I figured I'd hold out for a VR headset at least half as good as the Varjo XR-3.

So that's all well and good, right?

Well.... I got this PC in late 2021, RMA'd the first one, and got a better replacement in early 2022, that February is when it came in. There was no game I couldn't play.

But you know what else released in 2022?

And all of a sudden, this PC that would have been the most powerful on the planet 20 years prior and was able to play Cyberpunk 2077 at ultra settings at above 60fps was suddenly just barely able to do AI slop above ~712x712 (though finetunes eventually allowed 1.5 to go up to 1024x1024 with ease, but then XL/Pony came out and I'm finding a bunch of LoRAs that only work at ~600sx600s before I'm out of VRAM.
Not that I really showcase AI slop publicly anymore (I was already starting to realize "AI slop is as interesting to others as talking about your dream" as early as 2023, and especially now that it's considered bad taste to show off AI slop outside places specifically meant for it, I've largely just ceased any public showcase except in private to friends who are already interested) but still... just ouch. This must be what it was like using PCs in the 90s, when something cutting edge and over-capable one year was barely able to run anything contemporary as little as 2 years later (the classic example being a fairly beefy PC circa 1994 that can run DOOM struggling to deal with Quake two years later due to things like lacking 3D acceleration software)


So yeah, that's the goal, to eventually upgrade to something with more VRAM. Though I will admit that I'm not exactly chomping at the bit or even particularly researching anything (I mean I haven't actually made anything yet, that's all to be seen in the coming months). The news about Intel's utter failure with their recent generation of chips isn't really instilling any confidence in me to use them again. NVIDIA has yet to release the 50 series, and I'm not 100% hot on them either. Apparently the 5090 will have 24GB of VRAM. Wouldn't be surprised if it actually cost $5,090 as well considering how inflated their prices are getting. Might as well just wait for them to finally bump those numbers up with a later generation. It's not like this current PC is struggling in any sort of way.
But if this turn out fortuitously and I do have the chance, I would absolutely not mind aiming for the high-end at some point next year.

[Time_Traveller]

If this current writing venture I'm on now pays off, I ought to be making a solid 4 figures a month from Amazon by the end of the year (middle to higher end 4-figures at that; could be easily $5,000 a month on top of my current day job's income, for a grand total of around $7,000 a month) and that's just a mid-range area of success. Nothing says it's impossible, and I've done everything necessary for that to pass.

So assuming that I do manage that, I figured something I'd eventually do with such a windfall would be to look into a new computer.

"But don't you already have a relatively new computer with a 3080?"
Yes, I do, and I'm not getting rid of it. The funniest thing about that is: I bought this current rig intending to basically be future proofed for any video gaming I wanted to do, ultra settings with mods for the games I wanted to play (GTA 5, Cities: Skylines, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, Far Cry 5, ultra-modded Skyrim, games from the 2000s like Sim City 4, GTA 3/Vice City/San Andreas, Call of Duty '03, Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, and Command and Conquer: Generals, etc.) and reasonably high settings for far more modern games (the nearly fully fixed Cyberpunk 2077 and its inevitable sequel, GTA 6, whatever else seems to tickle my brain)
Same thing with VR. When I still had my Quest 2, using the PC with it was a dream come true.... for the PC, that is; the Quest 2 wasn't quite good enough for my tastes and I figured I'd hold out for a VR headset at least half as good as the Varjo XR-3.

So that's all well and good, right?

Well.... I got this PC in late 2021, RMA'd the first one, and got a better replacement in early 2022, that February is when it came in. There was no game I couldn't play.

But you know what else released in 2022?

And all of a sudden, this PC that would have been the most powerful on the planet 20 years prior and was able to play Cyberpunk 2077 at ultra settings at above 60fps was suddenly just barely able to do AI slop above ~712x712 (though finetunes eventually allowed 1.5 to go up to 1024x1024 with ease, but then XL/Pony came out and I'm finding a bunch of LoRAs that only work at ~600sx600s before I'm out of VRAM.
Not that I really showcase AI slop publicly anymore (I was already starting to realize "AI slop is as interesting to others as talking about your dream" as early as 2023, and especially now that it's considered bad taste to show off AI slop outside places specifically meant for it, I've largely just ceased any public showcase except in private to friends who are already interested) but still... just ouch. This must be what it was like using PCs in the 90s, when something cutting edge and over-capable one year was barely able to run anything contemporary as little as 2 years later (the classic example being a fairly beefy PC circa 1994 that can run DOOM struggling to deal with Quake two years later due to things like lacking 3D acceleration software)


So yeah, that's the goal, to eventually upgrade to something with more VRAM. Though I will admit that I'm not exactly chomping at the bit or even particularly researching anything (I mean I haven't actually made anything yet, that's all to be seen in the coming months). The news about Intel's utter failure with their recent generation of chips isn't really instilling any confidence in me to use them again. NVIDIA has yet to release the 50 series, and I'm not 100% hot on them either. Apparently the 5090 will have 24GB of VRAM. Wouldn't be surprised if it actually cost $5,090 as well considering how inflated their prices are getting. Might as well just wait for them to finally bump those numbers up with a later generation. It's not like this current PC is struggling in any sort of way.
But if this turn out fortuitously and I do have the chance, I would absolutely not mind aiming for the high-end at some point next year.

Good luck in your venture Yuli, sounds like you definitely earn't it. Can I read your books (if they are that is) anywhere else than Amazon as I do not use this platform anymore?

[weatheriscool]

The same unethical arguments by conservatives are going to be made against anti-aging, age reversal and genetic engineering as they will make against men being able to have a baby. To the conservative it is all unethical and if we allow them one day what is etthical now will be unethical. Kidney transplant? Unethical! Vaccines? Unethical.

Having our own baby should be ethical
Living 200 years should be ethical
Living 10,000 years should be ethical
and being able to download knowledge should be ethical.

Anything that is consential should be ethical. Ethical at the end of day should be about respect and bettering yourself or improving oneselves out come in a respectable manner is ethical.

[firestar464]

Utilitarianism. That's all I'll say

[Vakanai]

The same unethical arguments by conservatives are going to be made against anti-aging, age reversal and genetic engineering as they will make against men being able to have a baby.

Disagree, for the simple fact that conservatives are aging out and fear a liberal youth taking over. Never mind how many of their leaders are unethical and only care for power and maintaining it. Ethical arguments isn't something they make in good faith, they don't care about ethics - it's all about using ethics as an excuse to rile up their religious base to vote for them so they can continue to maintain power and get rich and be corrupt. These people want to live forever, so they will hail anti-aging technologies as allowable - to an extent. They want themselves to profit off this tech, not everyone. I seem them trying to find ways to restrict access to it so that only they and enough of their supporters to help them maintain power are the only ones who benefit from it.

Edit: Also anti-aging doesn't disgust them like LGBTQ and non-white people do. Much of their "ethical" concerns have always been about their inherent bigotry...

[weatheriscool]

I am about 90% certain the democrats will have a small majority in the house. If Trump wins he will start out in the same position he was in 2018 and won't be passing shit. 2026 midterms the democrats will probably regain the senate and probably have 240 plus in the house. lol If Harris wins about the same but maybe a seat or two more in the house. Tester will likely lose his seat but maybe 1% or 2% closer in his race. 2026 the democrats may well lose the house again and the republicans keep senate. 2028 gop regain white house but the opposite if it is Trump in white house.

Right now I'll give Harris a 60% chance....

The house only want republican in 2022 because of the violent riots being fresh in peoples minds and 2. republicans rigging the house districts but many of the ones they won have been fixed legally in the past few years to make them fairer and 1. is out of peoples minds...3. This is a general election that favors higher turn out and by that it favors democrats.

[firestar464]

If Trump wins he will start out in the same position he was in 2018 and won't be passing shit.

Why pass shit when you can just hijack the federal agencies?

[Time_Traveller]

Well I was suppose to be going Swimming and then Cinema with lunch in-between with my friend tomorrow but he messaged me just before I had tea and has caught Covid from one of his work colleagues, I had originally planned with him to go Swimming etc with him 2 weeks ago but he delayed it due to him doing DIY on part of his house. Luckily, for me because its quite close to my birthday I get a treat by seeing him twice and now seeing him on the 24th and 31st which is when it has now been rearranged to again.

It has been awhile since I went Swimming last and hopefully, if nothing goes wrong after then we will properly make it a thing every 4 weeks or so.

[wjfox]

It's been a stressful month, and insanely busy at my company (multiple 300+ page reports to produce), but I finally have some holiday now. Plenty more time for writing.

[Ozzie guy]

I'm going out for dinner with some locals this evening and ill probably do this every week unless I find a better social activity to do. It's hard to believe as I am a recluse interested in nerdy stuff but I actually used to be a party animal like often going out to bars and nightclubs most nights of the week but became a shut in due to personal issues. Being social in a normal way is probably a good step for me and something I had been avoiding. If I am a bit social and have a job I am basically normal with no problems in life outside of mental health etc.

[firestar464]

Good for you, building community and all that!

[Time_Traveller]

As everyone was aware off, my birthday was yesterday and I ended up finishing work at 9:45am I don't usually work on my birthday but couldn't get it off . However, I ended up going to to my brothers house with my mum as his birthday too was close to mine and exchanged presents and brung over a joint birthday cake too he bought me Foundation and Empire by Issac Asimov. The downside of the day was heading to the household recycling centre but in the evening my mum and stepdad bought me two small items which was a Starfleet keyring and some Live Long and Prosper socks.

My mum said the main present I have to wait for because it doesn't arrive until between the 5th and 12th September, my stepdad has a surprise for me on the 6th September so can't wait to see what it is as well. On bank holiday Monday (26th August), I also received my new 32" Roku TV from my dad for my wall but still haven't completed my bedroom yet so it's currently placed in the box by the wall until I get to that stage plus still lots to do.

[Time_Traveller]

An update on me loosing weight, since June I was 13 st 95 pounds (88.5) kgs and I am now 13 st 00 pounds (82.5). Recently I had my epileptic review which was quite indepth this year as I had a doctor who was making sure I was eating healthier foods and avoiding processed and ultra-processed foods by going on the real food diet and said my ideal weight for someone my age was between 8 st 9.7 pounds (55.2 kgs) and 12 st 9.6 pounds (80.6) kgs and yet, my ideal weight by a website should be 10 stone and 7 pounds (66.7) kgs. So, I am now planning to head towards roughly around 11 st 5 (77.02) kgs which is roughly the same weight as my friend.

He also mentioned about my muscles (Serum Creatine levels) due to becoming to a certain age as well, so I ended up buying some Kettlebells to help me gain muscle tone too.

[wjfox]

Today was one of those days that started off crap, but turned out really well:

– My Internet connection was being particularly rubbish and laggy. It's been like this for months now. But I finally found a way to fix it.

– My fridge died, spoiling all of my fresh food. But now I'm getting a brand new one, and my landlord says it will include a freezer compartment (which I haven't had since my previous flat in 2017).

– I was anxious regarding an important phone call I'd been putting off for a while now, but I finally got around to it. And it went perfectly.

[Time_Traveller]

As everyone was aware off, my birthday was yesterday and I ended up finishing work at 9:45am I don't usually work on my birthday but couldn't get it off . However, I ended up going to to my brothers house with my mum as his birthday too was close to mine and exchanged presents and brung over a joint birthday cake too he bought me Foundation and Empire by Issac Asimov. The downside of the day was heading to the household recycling centre but in the evening my mum and stepdad bought me two small items which was a Starfleet keyring and some Live Long and Prosper socks.

My mum said the main present I have to wait for because it doesn't arrive until between the 5th and 12th September, my stepdad has a surprise for me on the 6th September so can't wait to see what it is as well. On bank holiday Monday (26th August), I also received my new 32" Roku TV from my dad for my wall but still haven't completed my bedroom yet so it's currently placed in the box by the wall until I get to that stage plus still lots to do.

Update to this:

My main present had arrived, a week ago and she kept forgetting to give it to everyday but, I opened it today and ended up giving me a Starfleet Command bed sheets and pillow case which was kind off a shock but just how many 37 year olds, have their own Starfleet Command sheets. I didn't think she really knew what to give me though and knew I enjoyed Star Trek and Sci-Fi.

[Jakob]

Just ran 25 kilometers for no reason.

[wjfox]

Just ran 25 kilometers for no reason.

[Ozzie guy]

I quit my job in April or June (unsure) of 2023.
I am back in the job market now in a government employment agency where I have quotas for applying for work etc

I think I will always be in that kind of bracket of low skill work which is the reality for many people. I often work with immigrants and students whist I am still young I am in that bracket due to genetics something like autism but with an average IQ rather than a nerdy scientist type and poor mental health. I actually don't think its worthwhile pushing hard (and potentially failing) to get a degree or something at the age of 27 with AGI so near it seems better to just save money.
Being back in the job market in a kind of official way has made me start operating at a higher degree where I am thinking about my day to day life and such more.

I don't really have plans outside of grinding until 2030 which I am confident I can do and hoping by then we have AGI + a bit of progress. In any other generation I probably would have just been stuck in low skill work grind until old age which maybe adds to my interest in the singularity. I get the impression on futurist sites like r/singularity many people may struggle socially or something but they are the type of nerdy person that ends up getting a degree and great career. Where as I am more so working with the common person or the less educated normie etc. I could use this as an opportunity to see how people outside of a more intellectual space view the changes taking place in the world due to AI, Automation, other tech and to see how they are faring as radical change starts to take place.

[SerethiaFalcon]

One more thing I wanted to reflect on that I'll add here instead of the chatbox (so I'm not hogging it), is do you ever look at a crocodile, shark, turtle, etc, and feel a sense of awe? I mean, they have ancestors that looked at least somewhat like them (compared to other animals) that saw a very different world, a world full of giant reptilians and terrifying sea creatures. These species survived one of the most horrific extinction events in Earth's history. And we share our planet with them. Their genes directly connect them to ancestors who knew and saw a world humans and our ancestors never have.

Also, I have grown to be fascinated with whales too. While their ancestors were after the period of the dinosaurs, for the most part, and started out walking on land, visualizing how massive these animals are and how they once were familiar with what life on land feels like, it feels...I don't know, mystical? I haven't seen a whale in person unfortunately, not in the wild, but I have seen their skeletons up close in a traveling whale museum. And, it is absolutely astonishing how huge they are, even in skeletal form, when you are up close. I've been struck with that recently anyway.