simon1ltd (u/simon1ltd)

simon1ltd commented on Gemini-2.5-pro-preview-06-05 deepmind.google/models/ge... · Posted by u/jcuenod

I just realized that Opus 4 is the first model that produced "beautiful" code for me. Code that is simple, easy to read, not polluted with comments, no unnecessary crap, just pretty, clean and functional. I had my first "wow" moment with it in a while. That being said it occasionally does something absolutely stupid. Like completely dumb. And when I ask it "why did you do this stupid thing", it replies "oh yeah, you're right, this is super wrong, here is an actual working, smart solution" (proceeds to create brilliant code)

I do not understand how those machines work.

simon1ltd · 9 months ago

I've also experienced the same, except it produced the same stupid code all over again. I usually use one model (doesn't matter which) until it starts chasing it's tail, then I feed it to a different model to have it fix the mistakes by the first model.

simon1ltd commented on To make more stingers, U.S. needs to revive production technology from scratch technology.org/2023/07/01... · Posted by u/belter

vorpalhex · 3 years ago

Ukraine got invaded by a foreign power that is committing war crimes, taking territory that isn't theirs and repeatedly threatening other neighboring countries.

simon1ltd · 3 years ago

Ukraine was guaranteed protection of its then current borders by the US, Russia, and the EU nations if it agreed to give up it's nuclear weapons.

A quick google gave me this as a top result: https://www.npr.org/2022/02/21/1082124528/ukraine-russia-put...

We should have given them this support when Russia took crimea, but didn't. The least we can do now is follow through on our agreement.

(Plus all of the other reasons in this thread -- there are fantastic reasons for the western nations to support Ukraine's defense separate from those I'm referring to here)

simon1ltd commented on Why America can’t build palladiummag.com/2022/06/... · Posted by u/fra

Tool_of_Society · 4 years ago

Unlikely as people are already producing semiautomatic firearms with consumer level 3d printer technology. There are even competitions out there already such as the Makers Match.

There are some firearms part manufacturers that utilize 3d printing for part production. The company that made the first fully printed .45 1911 handgun uses printers to produce parts for sale.

I grew up in the rural midwest so my firearm experience goes back to the single digits of age. It was expected I would take the firearms and hunter safety courses that the state provided. I believe that such courses should at the very least be the minimum required for anyone purchasing a gun.

simon1ltd · 4 years ago

I think the hunters safety courses should be a requirement for everyone, even those that aren’t buying a firearm — and should probably come around the age of 14/15 unless you’re going to be hunting earlier.

simon1ltd commented on Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms (2015) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... · Posted by u/LoveGracePeace

lliamander · 4 years ago

I agree, but I also think a more controversial step is needed: eliminate gun free zones.

If the expected outcome of an attempted mass shooting is a quick and ignominious death it will be a major deterrent.

Teachers and administrators have been voluntarily carrying concealed firearms in Utah for roughly a decade.

simon1ltd · 4 years ago

I looked up something quickly, to see if it was still true.

In the UK, where you're not allowed to use firearms to defend yourself, home invasions where someone is home is 64%. In the US, where it is permissible, home invasions where someone is home is 27.6%.

You're over twice as likely to be robbed while you're home in the UK as you are in the US. I'm sure the factors are complex, but knowing that you're actually risking your life when you break into a home in the US has to be one of the factors.

https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/home-insurance/burglary-statist...https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/burglary-statist....

simon1ltd commented on Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms (2015) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... · Posted by u/LoveGracePeace

softcactus · 4 years ago

I wish I could find the video but there was a great video by this Army infantryman who explained why there wouldn't be a splintering of the US military and why they would 100% kill US insurgents. Basically before shit hits the fan the National Guard would be mobilized and no longer receiving news. So if the government committed some horrible atrocity, they wouldn't hear it. Second let's say there's a Waco-style siege of an insurrectionist group holed up in a compound with families. Their briefing would say that "the insurrectionists fired on US troops and are using civilians as human shields" not "some of your fellow citizens and their families have rebelled against the tyrannical US government". Our military performs countless atrocities every day with almost zero defectors and yet for some reason people think that if they ever fought on US soil, they would begin falling out of line.

simon1ltd · 4 years ago

I haven't seen this video, but would like to -- It sounds right to me, which instantly makes me question it, but it does fit the information coming out of Ukraine re: Russian military and local population.

This is exactly the scenario the 2A is designed to thwart.

It doesn't guarantee a win, but it gives civilians a chance to group together to protect themselves. I've got friends from Hong Kong, and what the government did there to a helpless (disarmed) population in order to crush any unapproved views absolutely blew my mind. People being murdered, rounded up and vanished, thrown from buildings, beaten in the streets on a wide scale. If the troops are given false information, and move in to attack, then they're going to be made to pay dearly for every mile they advance. There's a lot more people out of uniform then in it, and I mean a lot -- winning against a mostly disarmed population (in the middle east) is more than we can handle. Attacking a heavily armed population in its home area is suicide for the attacking forces.

simon1ltd commented on Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms (2015) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... · Posted by u/LoveGracePeace

Gatsky · 4 years ago

I have learned that some Americans consider it crucial to arm themselves in case there is a tyrannical government in the future. This seems nuts to almost everyone else in a first world country, and probably many other Americans. But these people, who are not in fact nuts or cretinous, actually believe this and consider it of paramount importance. In one sense, the point can't be argued.

My view: If the US population really wants to do something school shootings in the near term, then the physical layout of schools should be changed so that someone can't just walk in and shoot children. Does this make school look and feel like a dystopian prison? Yes. But that's the price of freedom, which probably shouldn't be born by dead primary school children. This strikes me as the only politically feasible solution right now.

Gun regulation seems likely to help and is a fairly logical solution, but too many people seem allergic to it, and there are already so many unregistered firearms out there. While we are dreaming, reshaping society so everyone is kinder and less likely to shoot each other is also likely to help.

simon1ltd · 4 years ago

Gun registration wouldn’t have done anything to stop this shooting. A legal adult with no criminal record purchased the guns in advance of his rampage. A waiting period wouldn’t have worked, and his registration would have gone through because he hadn’t done anything yet.

simon1ltd commented on Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms (2015) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... · Posted by u/LoveGracePeace

IAmGraydon · 4 years ago

So what you want is the ability to kill large numbers of people quickly and efficiently, correct?

simon1ltd · 4 years ago

That’s what high explosives are made for.

To use a real world example: Columbine was a failed school bombing because their detonators didn’t work because the product they used for the detonator’s changed between their testing and when they purchased the final “real” devices.

The guns were intended to keep everyone terrified and in place until the bombs could kill everyone.

A fluke manufacturing change to the product (I think a clock) between their detonator tests and their actual attack is the only thing that stopped nearly everyone in the school from being killed that day. They even set a bomb outside of the school to kill the first responders when they arrived — again, it was a horrible tragedy, but what happened was so much less than what was intended.

simon1ltd commented on Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms (2015) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... · Posted by u/LoveGracePeace

cowmoo728 · 4 years ago

I would like to be able to purchase a Boeing AH-64 Apache, along with its M230 machine gun and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

simon1ltd · 4 years ago

I know you’re being facetious, but It’s fun to point out that you can purchase an Apache if you can find a government to tell you one.

The missiles are separately regulated, and likely not legal for private ownership. Missiles and high explosives are licensed and legislated for separately.

Any weapon that’s part of a standard infantry soldiers load out should be available, new from the manufacturer. I don’t have a problem with the background checks that are required for a class 3 weapon, like an m16 or a Thompson sub machine gun (https://dealernfa.com/product-category/machine-guns/all-tran...), but as it stands only wealthy people can still afford to purchase them.

simon1ltd commented on Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms (2015) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... · Posted by u/LoveGracePeace

astockwell · 4 years ago

Most people I know would like to see their children grow up.

simon1ltd · 4 years ago

I would also like to see my children grown up. I’m aware that insane/evil people will do awful things, but that you don’t suppress the rights of everyone to stop one or two bad apples.

In my local community groups I see people demanding metal detectors be installed in our schools.

This is in response to: An attempted murderer being chased by police, going into a school he doesn’t belong in, barricading himself inside and murdering children.

It’s feel good security theater. If you’re in the middle of a killing spree you’re not going to stop because of a metal detector. If you’re dealing with kids bringing weapons to school, that’s different — but the responses to this event from people local to me are about 90% make-believe security.

simon1ltd commented on Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms (2015) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... · Posted by u/LoveGracePeace

tempsy · 4 years ago

People seem to be trying to argue Europe and the US are very similar culture wise but I don’t think that’s true at all.

IMO the biggest problem with the US over Europe is lack of social cohesion, lack of familial cohesion that includes extended families, focus on individualism over community, and lack of social safety nets. These factors have a huge impact on mental well being.

The idea that Europe and the US are very similar other than access to guns just because both are developed western nations is very naive…

simon1ltd · 4 years ago

I think we'd need to be honest about it and compare individual European countries to individual US states. New York and California are NOT like Alabama, Texas and Florida.

California, Illinois and New York have different populations and different issues than Ohio, Texas, and Alabama for example.