@jslaker.bsky.social
The interesting thing is the way that the two cultural attitudes seem to be coexisting.
Copying products to sell to the west is still kosher. It's just that there seems to have been a slow realization that "maybe there's a better way." And actual movement in that direction.
Copying products to sell to the west is still kosher. It's just that there seems to have been a slow realization that "maybe there's a better way." And actual movement in that direction.
November 14, 2025 at 3:56 AM
The interesting thing is the way that the two cultural attitudes seem to be coexisting.
Copying products to sell to the west is still kosher. It's just that there seems to have been a slow realization that "maybe there's a better way." And actual movement in that direction.
Copying products to sell to the west is still kosher. It's just that there seems to have been a slow realization that "maybe there's a better way." And actual movement in that direction.
In the past decade or so, there's been a shift where manufacturing in China isn't just cheap; they're making legitimately *good* products in a way that would've been unthinkable not all that long ago.
November 14, 2025 at 3:54 AM
In the past decade or so, there's been a shift where manufacturing in China isn't just cheap; they're making legitimately *good* products in a way that would've been unthinkable not all that long ago.
China, generally, is kind of in the middle of an awkward transition period where they've realized that while there's money to be made selling knock offs cheaper, there's even more money to be made by producing good products and developing a reputation for service and quality.
November 14, 2025 at 3:52 AM
China, generally, is kind of in the middle of an awkward transition period where they've realized that while there's money to be made selling knock offs cheaper, there's even more money to be made by producing good products and developing a reputation for service and quality.
Took a second look. $32M contract for 10k units would imply they're paying around $3200/unit.
It's possible NYC electrician rates are high enough to eat well over $2k/install, but it doesn't strike me as immediately obvious that this is cheaper.
Now easier logistics for the project? Sure.
It's possible NYC electrician rates are high enough to eat well over $2k/install, but it doesn't strike me as immediately obvious that this is cheaper.
Now easier logistics for the project? Sure.
November 13, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Took a second look. $32M contract for 10k units would imply they're paying around $3200/unit.
It's possible NYC electrician rates are high enough to eat well over $2k/install, but it doesn't strike me as immediately obvious that this is cheaper.
Now easier logistics for the project? Sure.
It's possible NYC electrician rates are high enough to eat well over $2k/install, but it doesn't strike me as immediately obvious that this is cheaper.
Now easier logistics for the project? Sure.
I mean, I'm not entirely sure that's obvious.
List price on these things is $6k a piece. A basic electric oven can be had for ~$500. A nicer traditional induction oven is in the $1000-1500 range.
Even factoring in volume discount, that leaves a whole lot left for an electrician to run some cable.
List price on these things is $6k a piece. A basic electric oven can be had for ~$500. A nicer traditional induction oven is in the $1000-1500 range.
Even factoring in volume discount, that leaves a whole lot left for an electrician to run some cable.
November 13, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I mean, I'm not entirely sure that's obvious.
List price on these things is $6k a piece. A basic electric oven can be had for ~$500. A nicer traditional induction oven is in the $1000-1500 range.
Even factoring in volume discount, that leaves a whole lot left for an electrician to run some cable.
List price on these things is $6k a piece. A basic electric oven can be had for ~$500. A nicer traditional induction oven is in the $1000-1500 range.
Even factoring in volume discount, that leaves a whole lot left for an electrician to run some cable.
Yes, posting the exact same thing you've already said as a massive image instead makes it clear you have to be right.
Muting this now.
Muting this now.
November 13, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Yes, posting the exact same thing you've already said as a massive image instead makes it clear you have to be right.
Muting this now.
Muting this now.
That statement belies an unfamiliarity with who Alex Jones was before being a national figure more than anything.
He didn't spring forth fully formed as the MAGA homunculous he is today. He didn't get there by chance either.
He didn't spring forth fully formed as the MAGA homunculous he is today. He didn't get there by chance either.
November 13, 2025 at 2:28 PM
That statement belies an unfamiliarity with who Alex Jones was before being a national figure more than anything.
He didn't spring forth fully formed as the MAGA homunculous he is today. He didn't get there by chance either.
He didn't spring forth fully formed as the MAGA homunculous he is today. He didn't get there by chance either.
Jones also got an extra 40 years to fully Flanderize himself.
He's got cameos in a few Richard Linklater movies because, for years, he was viewed as a mostly harmless local kook.
He's got cameos in a few Richard Linklater movies because, for years, he was viewed as a mostly harmless local kook.
November 13, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Jones also got an extra 40 years to fully Flanderize himself.
He's got cameos in a few Richard Linklater movies because, for years, he was viewed as a mostly harmless local kook.
He's got cameos in a few Richard Linklater movies because, for years, he was viewed as a mostly harmless local kook.
Bill was part of the Austin scene at the same time Jones was getting established. They probably would have ended up meeting each other at some point.
Early Alex Jones really isn't that far removed from a lot of Bill's material.
Not a foregone conclusion, but not unthinkable they'd be friends
Early Alex Jones really isn't that far removed from a lot of Bill's material.
Not a foregone conclusion, but not unthinkable they'd be friends
November 13, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Bill was part of the Austin scene at the same time Jones was getting established. They probably would have ended up meeting each other at some point.
Early Alex Jones really isn't that far removed from a lot of Bill's material.
Not a foregone conclusion, but not unthinkable they'd be friends
Early Alex Jones really isn't that far removed from a lot of Bill's material.
Not a foregone conclusion, but not unthinkable they'd be friends
He was, in many cases, ultimately right but the predisposition was there.
He was ensconced in anti authority conspiracies in a very preinternet age.
There's literal footage of the man at the Siege of Waco.
We know the trajectory many similar men of his generation ultimately took.
He was ensconced in anti authority conspiracies in a very preinternet age.
There's literal footage of the man at the Siege of Waco.
We know the trajectory many similar men of his generation ultimately took.
November 13, 2025 at 1:48 PM
He was, in many cases, ultimately right but the predisposition was there.
He was ensconced in anti authority conspiracies in a very preinternet age.
There's literal footage of the man at the Siege of Waco.
We know the trajectory many similar men of his generation ultimately took.
He was ensconced in anti authority conspiracies in a very preinternet age.
There's literal footage of the man at the Siege of Waco.
We know the trajectory many similar men of his generation ultimately took.
He's one of my favorite stand-ups.
He was smart, hilarious, and insightful, but he also had deeply paranoid anti-media and government streaks that were constants in his work. "They're lying to you" is an inescapable recurring theme.
He was smart, hilarious, and insightful, but he also had deeply paranoid anti-media and government streaks that were constants in his work. "They're lying to you" is an inescapable recurring theme.
November 13, 2025 at 1:44 PM
He's one of my favorite stand-ups.
He was smart, hilarious, and insightful, but he also had deeply paranoid anti-media and government streaks that were constants in his work. "They're lying to you" is an inescapable recurring theme.
He was smart, hilarious, and insightful, but he also had deeply paranoid anti-media and government streaks that were constants in his work. "They're lying to you" is an inescapable recurring theme.
I lead with "not-totally accurate summary" for a reason. :)
FWIW, the authors of the paper I was referencing are affiliated with OpenAI:
arxiv.org/abs/2509.04664
FWIW, the authors of the paper I was referencing are affiliated with OpenAI:
arxiv.org/abs/2509.04664
Why Language Models Hallucinate
Like students facing hard exam questions, large language models sometimes guess when uncertain, producing plausible yet incorrect statements instead of admitting uncertainty. Such "hallucinations" per...
arxiv.org
November 13, 2025 at 2:07 AM
I lead with "not-totally accurate summary" for a reason. :)
FWIW, the authors of the paper I was referencing are affiliated with OpenAI:
arxiv.org/abs/2509.04664
FWIW, the authors of the paper I was referencing are affiliated with OpenAI:
arxiv.org/abs/2509.04664
we're kind of in a renaissance of smaller indie immersive sims with interesting mechanics right now, but it's all small team stuff that generally leans on simpler, stylized, and smaller and with much less of the deep writing that defined those early 2000s imsims.
November 12, 2025 at 11:09 PM
we're kind of in a renaissance of smaller indie immersive sims with interesting mechanics right now, but it's all small team stuff that generally leans on simpler, stylized, and smaller and with much less of the deep writing that defined those early 2000s imsims.
think about taking a multiple choice test.
if you don't know an answer, it's better to guess because you *might* get lucky and get credit. if you leave it blank, you get no points.
so it's always better to guess.
the same thing's happening during model training.
if you don't know an answer, it's better to guess because you *might* get lucky and get credit. if you leave it blank, you get no points.
so it's always better to guess.
the same thing's happening during model training.
November 12, 2025 at 11:03 PM
think about taking a multiple choice test.
if you don't know an answer, it's better to guess because you *might* get lucky and get credit. if you leave it blank, you get no points.
so it's always better to guess.
the same thing's happening during model training.
if you don't know an answer, it's better to guess because you *might* get lucky and get credit. if you leave it blank, you get no points.
so it's always better to guess.
the same thing's happening during model training.
there's some research suggesting hallucinations are partially a result of training *method* rather than data.
the not-totally accurate summary would be: training rewards the model for being right or wrong. it doesn't get rewarded at all for saying "I don't know."
the not-totally accurate summary would be: training rewards the model for being right or wrong. it doesn't get rewarded at all for saying "I don't know."
November 12, 2025 at 11:02 PM
there's some research suggesting hallucinations are partially a result of training *method* rather than data.
the not-totally accurate summary would be: training rewards the model for being right or wrong. it doesn't get rewarded at all for saying "I don't know."
the not-totally accurate summary would be: training rewards the model for being right or wrong. it doesn't get rewarded at all for saying "I don't know."
this won't be it then.
consensus is it's got decent ambience and writing, combat is better, but they basically ripped out all the rpg gameplay systems and there's really not much in terms of emergent gameplay or choice
consensus is it's got decent ambience and writing, combat is better, but they basically ripped out all the rpg gameplay systems and there's really not much in terms of emergent gameplay or choice
November 12, 2025 at 11:00 PM
this won't be it then.
consensus is it's got decent ambience and writing, combat is better, but they basically ripped out all the rpg gameplay systems and there's really not much in terms of emergent gameplay or choice
consensus is it's got decent ambience and writing, combat is better, but they basically ripped out all the rpg gameplay systems and there's really not much in terms of emergent gameplay or choice
Part of what got us into this mess is that Democratic party infrastructure fell apart from active neglect due to the singular nature of Obama's force of personality.
And the Republican backbench right now is arguably even weaker.
And the Republican backbench right now is arguably even weaker.
November 12, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Part of what got us into this mess is that Democratic party infrastructure fell apart from active neglect due to the singular nature of Obama's force of personality.
And the Republican backbench right now is arguably even weaker.
And the Republican backbench right now is arguably even weaker.
OpenAI has been key player in driving a lot of projections up. If they fail, I think a reevaluation of projections across the industry has to happen.
November 12, 2025 at 9:03 PM
OpenAI has been key player in driving a lot of projections up. If they fail, I think a reevaluation of projections across the industry has to happen.
The thing is nvda's position is largely predicated on the level of capex we're seeing, which is being driven by hype and FOMO.
The risk is *way* less systemic than 2008, but I think any break in the dam spooks investors. If the AI industry falters, it makes weakness elsewhere apparent.
The risk is *way* less systemic than 2008, but I think any break in the dam spooks investors. If the AI industry falters, it makes weakness elsewhere apparent.
November 12, 2025 at 9:01 PM
The thing is nvda's position is largely predicated on the level of capex we're seeing, which is being driven by hype and FOMO.
The risk is *way* less systemic than 2008, but I think any break in the dam spooks investors. If the AI industry falters, it makes weakness elsewhere apparent.
The risk is *way* less systemic than 2008, but I think any break in the dam spooks investors. If the AI industry falters, it makes weakness elsewhere apparent.
It wouldn't be as drastic as 2008, but OAI is at the very center of the current hype, capex, and circular investment cycle.
If they implode, they're likely putting enough of a dent in that corner of industry that it won't be able to prop up and mask the rest of the market the way it has been.
If they implode, they're likely putting enough of a dent in that corner of industry that it won't be able to prop up and mask the rest of the market the way it has been.
November 12, 2025 at 8:39 PM
It wouldn't be as drastic as 2008, but OAI is at the very center of the current hype, capex, and circular investment cycle.
If they implode, they're likely putting enough of a dent in that corner of industry that it won't be able to prop up and mask the rest of the market the way it has been.
If they implode, they're likely putting enough of a dent in that corner of industry that it won't be able to prop up and mask the rest of the market the way it has been.
the appropriate response from the Forum Age is supposed to be a bragging "fucking werf" every time it comes up again for all of eternity.
November 12, 2025 at 8:28 PM
the appropriate response from the Forum Age is supposed to be a bragging "fucking werf" every time it comes up again for all of eternity.
Direct example: last year a right wing SF Bay VC CEO went on a drunken tirade directing lyrics from Tupac's Hit'em Up at local politicians.
Though in that case, he was actually cowed into apologizing for it.
fortune.com/2024/02/09/s...
Though in that case, he was actually cowed into apologizing for it.
fortune.com/2024/02/09/s...
One of San Francisco's top tech millionaires is so angry about crime he's tweeting out Tupac lyrics and says the city is 'gouging out its own eyes' | Fortune
Y Combinator CEO Gerry Tan later apologized for what he said was a Tupac Shakur reference gone wrong.
fortune.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Direct example: last year a right wing SF Bay VC CEO went on a drunken tirade directing lyrics from Tupac's Hit'em Up at local politicians.
Though in that case, he was actually cowed into apologizing for it.
fortune.com/2024/02/09/s...
Though in that case, he was actually cowed into apologizing for it.
fortune.com/2024/02/09/s...
Atlanta is a special kind of chaos where cars are simultaneously sitting still while also doing 90+ MPH while also randomly cutting across 4.5 lanes with intermittent usage of hazard lights for no particular reason.
November 12, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Atlanta is a special kind of chaos where cars are simultaneously sitting still while also doing 90+ MPH while also randomly cutting across 4.5 lanes with intermittent usage of hazard lights for no particular reason.
there's a reason why they're not launching this in the atlanta market yet lol
November 12, 2025 at 4:14 PM
there's a reason why they're not launching this in the atlanta market yet lol
Beyond that, if my back of the envelope math is right, that's a production rate of 32 robots *every second*.
Consider these things are made up of countless high complexity components, often with long lead times, and it's incredibly clear what he's proposing isn't physically possible.
Consider these things are made up of countless high complexity components, often with long lead times, and it's incredibly clear what he's proposing isn't physically possible.
November 11, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Beyond that, if my back of the envelope math is right, that's a production rate of 32 robots *every second*.
Consider these things are made up of countless high complexity components, often with long lead times, and it's incredibly clear what he's proposing isn't physically possible.
Consider these things are made up of countless high complexity components, often with long lead times, and it's incredibly clear what he's proposing isn't physically possible.