Garlik of York
@garlik-of-york.bsky.social
Reposted by Garlik of York
A month ago I adopted a one eyed hamster from my local animal shelter
December 18, 2025 at 7:52 PM
A month ago I adopted a one eyed hamster from my local animal shelter
Interesting to note that the source of the problem here seems to be the same one OpenAI blames for its systems encouraging teenagers to self-harm:
The longer you engage with these systems, the less effective their guardrails become.
The longer you engage with these systems, the less effective their guardrails become.
AI is coming for what is famously the easiest job on the planet... and absolutely eating shit in the attempt.
We Let AI Run Our Office Vending Machine. It Lost Hundreds of Dollars.
An AI agent ran a snack operation in the WSJ newsroom. It gave away a free PlayStation, ordered a live fish—and taught us lessons about the future of AI.
www.wsj.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Interesting to note that the source of the problem here seems to be the same one OpenAI blames for its systems encouraging teenagers to self-harm:
The longer you engage with these systems, the less effective their guardrails become.
The longer you engage with these systems, the less effective their guardrails become.
Reposted by Garlik of York
It has just been brought to my attention that the greatest ever video in this genre is, in fact, cat jump fail vs Sail by AWOLNATION...
October 8, 2024 at 5:32 PM
It has just been brought to my attention that the greatest ever video in this genre is, in fact, cat jump fail vs Sail by AWOLNATION...
Reposted by Garlik of York
Yeah, as I've been saying, we overcompensated because the media ran with the stupid 'GDP per capita' and 'immigrants hurt housing' framing. This is long-run damage to the economy by short-term thinking, feeding xenophobia, and helping to further destroy Canada's world class universities.
Canada’s population sees largest decline on record
Canada’s population sees largest decline on record
Statistics Canada attributes the drop to a fewer non-permanent residents. It's the largest decline since records began in 1946.
www.thestar.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Yeah, as I've been saying, we overcompensated because the media ran with the stupid 'GDP per capita' and 'immigrants hurt housing' framing. This is long-run damage to the economy by short-term thinking, feeding xenophobia, and helping to further destroy Canada's world class universities.
Reposted by Garlik of York
“Employees with driver’s license offices across the state, from El Paso to Paris to Plano, reported the names and license numbers of these people to a special agency email account.“
Texas is making a list of transgender Texans. It’s using the DMV to help.
A year after the state blocked transgender Texans from updating their state IDs, it has collected information on more than 100 people who have tried. Officials won’t say what they’re using the list fo...
www.kut.org
December 15, 2025 at 6:11 PM
“Employees with driver’s license offices across the state, from El Paso to Paris to Plano, reported the names and license numbers of these people to a special agency email account.“
Why is it that AI "integration" into a website or app inevitably defaults to behaving like the worst kind of early 2000s pop-up ads?
I've been on the internet a long time now; nothing *good* ever sparkles and tries to throw itself under my mouse.
I've been on the internet a long time now; nothing *good* ever sparkles and tries to throw itself under my mouse.
December 16, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Why is it that AI "integration" into a website or app inevitably defaults to behaving like the worst kind of early 2000s pop-up ads?
I've been on the internet a long time now; nothing *good* ever sparkles and tries to throw itself under my mouse.
I've been on the internet a long time now; nothing *good* ever sparkles and tries to throw itself under my mouse.
Reposted by Garlik of York
Need to see more of this.
Skate Canada says it won’t host national and international-level events in Alberta, citing provincial law that restricts transgender athletes from participating in female-only sports.
Skate Canada to stop hosting events in Alberta due to sports gender law
Skate Canada says it won’t host national and international-level events in Alberta, citing provincial law that restricts transgender athletes from participating in female-only sports.
www.winnipegfreepress.com
December 16, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Need to see more of this.
Reposted by Garlik of York
Katherine Blake's novel The Interior Life where a woman has two lives, an everyday deal with the kids, husband, PTA, etc. and then an amazing secondary world fantasy that she slips in and out of.
And @jdnicoll.bsky.social points out it's (amazingly) available free here: www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/
And @jdnicoll.bsky.social points out it's (amazingly) available free here: www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/
December 16, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Katherine Blake's novel The Interior Life where a woman has two lives, an everyday deal with the kids, husband, PTA, etc. and then an amazing secondary world fantasy that she slips in and out of.
And @jdnicoll.bsky.social points out it's (amazingly) available free here: www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/
And @jdnicoll.bsky.social points out it's (amazingly) available free here: www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/
Reposted by Garlik of York
December 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Garlik of York
A very nice woman in her 80s emailed last night just to say that she had read ONE NATION UNDER GOD for a second time and enjoyed it even more than the first time. I can't tell you how much a note like that can do for an author, especially with all of this going on.
Drop your favorites a line, folks
Drop your favorites a line, folks
December 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM
A very nice woman in her 80s emailed last night just to say that she had read ONE NATION UNDER GOD for a second time and enjoyed it even more than the first time. I can't tell you how much a note like that can do for an author, especially with all of this going on.
Drop your favorites a line, folks
Drop your favorites a line, folks
Reposted by Garlik of York
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/h...
"Historians Say This Rare Mosaic Found on a British Farm Depicts Scenes From a Long-Lost Account of the Trojan War"
"Historians Say This Rare Mosaic Found on a British Farm Depicts Scenes From a Long-Lost Account of the Trojan War"
Historians Say This Rare Mosaic Found on a British Farm Depicts Scenes From a Long-Lost Account of the Trojan War
New research suggests that the illustrations may have been based on "Phrygians," a tragedy by the Athenian playwright Aeschylus, rather than the "Iliad"
www.smithsonianmag.com
December 15, 2025 at 10:24 AM
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/h...
"Historians Say This Rare Mosaic Found on a British Farm Depicts Scenes From a Long-Lost Account of the Trojan War"
"Historians Say This Rare Mosaic Found on a British Farm Depicts Scenes From a Long-Lost Account of the Trojan War"
Reposted by Garlik of York
I wrote this brief talk on why “augmenting diversity” with LLMs is empirically unsubstantiable, conceptually flawed, and epistemically harmful and a nice surprise to see the organisers have made it public
synthetic-data-workshop.github.io/papers/13.pdf
synthetic-data-workshop.github.io/papers/13.pdf
December 16, 2025 at 10:57 AM
I wrote this brief talk on why “augmenting diversity” with LLMs is empirically unsubstantiable, conceptually flawed, and epistemically harmful and a nice surprise to see the organisers have made it public
synthetic-data-workshop.github.io/papers/13.pdf
synthetic-data-workshop.github.io/papers/13.pdf
Reposted by Garlik of York
"human driver" statistical comparisons are fraught because these AVs only operate on certain roads and in certain conditions, but the important takeaway here is that Teslas are deeply unsafe and should not be on the road
"data suggests Tesla Robotaxis are crashing once every 40,000 miles, whereas the average human driver in the US crashes about once every 500,000 miles"
that's just really really bad sherwood.news/tech/teslas-...
that's just really really bad sherwood.news/tech/teslas-...
Tesla’s 29 Austin Robotaxis have crashed 8 times since June, as data suggests they perform much worse than human drivers
That’s a lot of crashes for such a small fleet....
sherwood.news
December 16, 2025 at 2:23 PM
"human driver" statistical comparisons are fraught because these AVs only operate on certain roads and in certain conditions, but the important takeaway here is that Teslas are deeply unsafe and should not be on the road
Reposted by Garlik of York
I'm going through a gradual process of getting myself a physical copy of the books I love most in the world.
And having something to look forward to during the 7-21 days it takes for one to come in at my local bookstore is the only thing getting me through some days.
And having something to look forward to during the 7-21 days it takes for one to come in at my local bookstore is the only thing getting me through some days.
December 15, 2025 at 10:28 PM
I'm going through a gradual process of getting myself a physical copy of the books I love most in the world.
And having something to look forward to during the 7-21 days it takes for one to come in at my local bookstore is the only thing getting me through some days.
And having something to look forward to during the 7-21 days it takes for one to come in at my local bookstore is the only thing getting me through some days.
Reposted by Garlik of York
Because things suck now and they know that everything will get worse in the future because no one in a position of power has any real interest in making things better.
How did Canada’s young people become its unhappiest generation?
From families to finances, benchmarks are happening later for Canada’s young — and their happiness levels have been plummeting.
www.ctvnews.ca
December 15, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Because things suck now and they know that everything will get worse in the future because no one in a position of power has any real interest in making things better.
So, with textile crafts we sometimes talk about people being more result- versus process-oriented. Result = I want the thing; Process = I want to make the thing. And most people have a bit of both in them, really. /1
I think the fundamental gap here is that non-creative people think that creative people make things for the end product, when in fact it’s the act of creation and not the end point that makes it worthwhile.
I have grown to believe that excessive wealth does something to your brain that is analogous to a serious head injury
December 15, 2025 at 6:44 AM
So, with textile crafts we sometimes talk about people being more result- versus process-oriented. Result = I want the thing; Process = I want to make the thing. And most people have a bit of both in them, really. /1
Reposted by Garlik of York
"My Grandfather's Cat" is a cross-Canada organization that helps dying seniors find homes for their beloved animals. They also offer a senior's pet food pantry, to help support low income seniors.
Please consider donating as a gift for the pet lover in your life.
www.mygrandfatherscat.ca
Please consider donating as a gift for the pet lover in your life.
www.mygrandfatherscat.ca
support fill the dishes — My Grandfather's Cat
www.mygrandfatherscat.ca
December 13, 2025 at 4:57 PM
"My Grandfather's Cat" is a cross-Canada organization that helps dying seniors find homes for their beloved animals. They also offer a senior's pet food pantry, to help support low income seniors.
Please consider donating as a gift for the pet lover in your life.
www.mygrandfatherscat.ca
Please consider donating as a gift for the pet lover in your life.
www.mygrandfatherscat.ca
Reposted by Garlik of York
reminder that David Fielding's face was in over 200 episodes of power rangers but he was paid $150 only a single day on set to capture his footage for use as Zordon, non-union with no residuals/royalties, paid for 30 episodes of VO, then they kept using his face after casting a different voice actor
December 13, 2025 at 8:01 PM
reminder that David Fielding's face was in over 200 episodes of power rangers but he was paid $150 only a single day on set to capture his footage for use as Zordon, non-union with no residuals/royalties, paid for 30 episodes of VO, then they kept using his face after casting a different voice actor
Everybody's acting like this court case means anybody on the relevant land is in terrible danger of being forcibly evicted from their homes and kicked off the land.
That's something *one* of the involved parties has a long history of doing... but it's not the Cowichan Nation.
That's something *one* of the involved parties has a long history of doing... but it's not the Cowichan Nation.
If the apartment building I've lived in for the last decade gets demolished so its owners can build a luxury highrise, the government won't compensate me financially for the much higher rate of rent I'd have to pay anywhere else.
Weird how some of us have to eat the risks of life. And some don't.
Weird how some of us have to eat the risks of life. And some don't.
Rob Shaw: Eby opens door to financial compensation as Cowichan decision reverberates
Bailout talk underscores how quickly reconciliation policy has turned into an economic and legal flashpoint
www.biv.com
December 13, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Everybody's acting like this court case means anybody on the relevant land is in terrible danger of being forcibly evicted from their homes and kicked off the land.
That's something *one* of the involved parties has a long history of doing... but it's not the Cowichan Nation.
That's something *one* of the involved parties has a long history of doing... but it's not the Cowichan Nation.
See, now, I don't think there's any problem with speed limiters, conceptually, I just think it wouldn't work. Speed limits are contextual, not absolute. A particular speed may be necessary for highway driving... but still a massive danger when it snows or in a school zone.
one of my longstanding takes is that car manufacturers should be forced to install mandatory speed limiters in every new vehicle and people react to that like I'm advocating to strip them of their right to free speech
December 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM
See, now, I don't think there's any problem with speed limiters, conceptually, I just think it wouldn't work. Speed limits are contextual, not absolute. A particular speed may be necessary for highway driving... but still a massive danger when it snows or in a school zone.
Reposted by Garlik of York
Since being announced Monday, the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name of the new bridge joining Surrey and New Westminster — stal̓əw̓asəm — has drawn a wave of social media criticism. @rjjago.bsky.social reports.
The Fascinating History Ignored by Critics of a Bridge’s New Name | The Tyee
In 1808, a Kwantlen man saved the life of Simon Fraser. The Pattullo Bridge’s replacement will stand as testament.
thetyee.ca
December 12, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Since being announced Monday, the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name of the new bridge joining Surrey and New Westminster — stal̓əw̓asəm — has drawn a wave of social media criticism. @rjjago.bsky.social reports.
Reposted by Garlik of York
The family of a man who died after seeking help for a bear spray attack say they’re devastated to learn the Vancouver police officer who shot Chris Amyotte with seven beanbag rounds won’t face criminal charges or discipline.
@jenstden.bsky.social reports.
@jenstden.bsky.social reports.
Neighbours Sought Help for a Bear Spray Victim. Police Saw a Violent Threat | The Tyee
Chris Amyotte died after police shot him seven times with beanbags. His family rejects findings that cleared officers of wrongdoing.
thetyee.ca
December 12, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The family of a man who died after seeking help for a bear spray attack say they’re devastated to learn the Vancouver police officer who shot Chris Amyotte with seven beanbag rounds won’t face criminal charges or discipline.
@jenstden.bsky.social reports.
@jenstden.bsky.social reports.
Reposted by Garlik of York
