ysabetwordsmith (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-07 01:13 am
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-07 01:13 am
Entry tags:
Artificial Intelligence
More LLM fun! Miserable fail at running a vending machine business simulation
This is quite interesting. Researchers set up multiple LLMs and configured them to run a vending machine simulator, described as "Agents must balance inventories, place orders, set prices, and handle daily fees – tasks that are each simple but collectively, over long horizons." Basic business process.
[---8<---]
Basically it was a demonstration of how such large-language models are terrible for long-term runs and shows their ability to hallucinate and make poor decisions.
It is obviously a bad idea to replace intelligent human employees with sloppy programs.
This is quite interesting. Researchers set up multiple LLMs and configured them to run a vending machine simulator, described as "Agents must balance inventories, place orders, set prices, and handle daily fees – tasks that are each simple but collectively, over long horizons." Basic business process.
[---8<---]
Basically it was a demonstration of how such large-language models are terrible for long-term runs and shows their ability to hallucinate and make poor decisions.
It is obviously a bad idea to replace intelligent human employees with sloppy programs.
flo_nelja (flo_nelja) wrote2025-10-07 08:04 am
flo_nelja) wrote2025-10-07 08:04 amEntry tags:
Pumpkin Autumn Challenge : Le Loup des Mers (Riff Reb's)
Catégorie : Ma meilleure ennemie (Dualité - Hiérarchie - Inégalité - Résistance - Rebelle - Sacrifice - Enemies to lovers - Steampunk)
Une BD en un tome, adaptation d'un roman de Jack London dont j'ai entendu dire beaucoup de bien mais que je n'ai pas lu. Le personnage principal, Humphrey, est dans un bateau qui fait naufrage. Il se retrouve recueilli par un navire de chasse aux phoques et son capitaine, Loup. Loup est physiquement inébranlable, intellectuellement brillant, avec une volonté de fer ; c'est aussi un sadique qui ne souffre aucune contradiction. Plutôt que de ramener Humphreay à la côté contre une riche récompense, il décide qu'à partir de maintenant il sera le nouveau mousse du bateau.
C'est un livre d'aventures, mais où le centre de l'histoire est le confrontation philosophique entre Humphrey, représentant le civilisation, et la puissance amorale de Loup. J'aurais aimé qu'Humphrey soit un peu moins fade, étant donné le rôle qui lui est attribué.
Chaque scène est monochrome, noire et une couleur, avec les couleurs qui changent selon l'ambiance. L'ambiance graphique, d'ailleurs, est globalement très réussie. En général, c'est une très bonne BD. Et pourtant ! Alors que je lisais, en particulier toutes les phrases "littéraires" qui sont les pensées d'Humphrey, je me disais que j'aurais sans doute dû lire le livre en premier.
Une BD en un tome, adaptation d'un roman de Jack London dont j'ai entendu dire beaucoup de bien mais que je n'ai pas lu. Le personnage principal, Humphrey, est dans un bateau qui fait naufrage. Il se retrouve recueilli par un navire de chasse aux phoques et son capitaine, Loup. Loup est physiquement inébranlable, intellectuellement brillant, avec une volonté de fer ; c'est aussi un sadique qui ne souffre aucune contradiction. Plutôt que de ramener Humphreay à la côté contre une riche récompense, il décide qu'à partir de maintenant il sera le nouveau mousse du bateau.
C'est un livre d'aventures, mais où le centre de l'histoire est le confrontation philosophique entre Humphrey, représentant le civilisation, et la puissance amorale de Loup. J'aurais aimé qu'Humphrey soit un peu moins fade, étant donné le rôle qui lui est attribué.
Chaque scène est monochrome, noire et une couleur, avec les couleurs qui changent selon l'ambiance. L'ambiance graphique, d'ailleurs, est globalement très réussie. En général, c'est une très bonne BD. Et pourtant ! Alors que je lisais, en particulier toutes les phrases "littéraires" qui sont les pensées d'Humphrey, je me disais que j'aurais sans doute dû lire le livre en premier.
donutsweeper (donutsweeper) wrote2025-10-06 11:08 pm
donutsweeper) wrote2025-10-06 11:08 pmbabble and recs
I haven't had a ton of free time lately but have been trying to get started on my yuletide letter. Other than All Souls (which will be my 7th time requesting) all my requests will be new which is exciting! New fandoms! Except that means coming up with the prompts from scratch which is not easy. Usually I am repeating 2 or 3 fandoms so I can reuse and reword things.
Also, I'm kicking myself because I totally forgot to take pictures of my most recent craft project- I had been working on a rug (back to knotted kind, from a set of old blue sheets) and my parents asked for it but they'd need it before they headed out of state (they snowbird every year now) so I rushed to finish it before we headed to their house for break-the-fast after Yom Kippur and finished with a half hour to spare and documenting it totally slipped my mind. Oh well. They loved it which is the important thing.
I don't know if anyone's followed the SciShow vs the knitting community controversy but...
There were some great videos posted in response to it though, Kristine Vike did a great Scientist and Knitter reacts to SciShow's knitting video and JillianEve started a new channel, Evie Unraveling, to do her own I Remade the SciShow Knitting Video (with accurate SCIENCE) (there are numerous other good reaction vids, these were the two by people I followed already).
Previously, SciShow pinned a not very good correction/we hear you had issues with out content comment to the vid in response to backlash but I noticed a few days ago that SciShow actually pulled their vid and put up an apology youtube community comment which was pretty decent. Long story short (too late) I thought the whole controversy was interesting and that some of you might find it so as well. (As a note, I've still unsubscribed, I'd noticed a few errors/bad takes/odd ways they'd presented things in previous videos but hadn't really known enough about most subjects to question their ability to teach me things but I learned long ago that if I'd been following someone to learn from what they present and they do a topic I know something about and notice issues with what they present then it means it's likely there's been plenty of things I hadn't noticed so I can't rely on them anymore.)
And last but not least, here's 2 weeks of![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
recthething recs! (MDZS/Untamed fic and Batman, CLue, Doctor Who, MDZS, Merlin, and Supernatural tumblr art):
Also, I'm kicking myself because I totally forgot to take pictures of my most recent craft project- I had been working on a rug (back to knotted kind, from a set of old blue sheets) and my parents asked for it but they'd need it before they headed out of state (they snowbird every year now) so I rushed to finish it before we headed to their house for break-the-fast after Yom Kippur and finished with a half hour to spare and documenting it totally slipped my mind. Oh well. They loved it which is the important thing.
I don't know if anyone's followed the SciShow vs the knitting community controversy but...
cut for length
For those unaware about a month ago on SciShow Hank Green did a video called "Physicists Don't Understand Why Knitting Works" that was... well, not great (and the info provided didn't match the clickbaity title at all). There was some true science presented in it, including some recent studies that were quite interesting, but it was presented in a way that, well, kind of implied actual crafters didn't know or even think about much about the hows or whys it's done the way it's done and if that's not enough it did so in a kind of pat-on-the-head dismissiveness of women's work kind of way. It also was just riddled with errors (from mistaking nalbinding for knitting, to not seeming to realize the difference between woven garments and knitted ones, to even misspelling the word 'stitch' numerous times, etc etc)There were some great videos posted in response to it though, Kristine Vike did a great Scientist and Knitter reacts to SciShow's knitting video and JillianEve started a new channel, Evie Unraveling, to do her own I Remade the SciShow Knitting Video (with accurate SCIENCE) (there are numerous other good reaction vids, these were the two by people I followed already).
Previously, SciShow pinned a not very good correction/we hear you had issues with out content comment to the vid in response to backlash but I noticed a few days ago that SciShow actually pulled their vid and put up an apology youtube community comment which was pretty decent. Long story short (too late) I thought the whole controversy was interesting and that some of you might find it so as well. (As a note, I've still unsubscribed, I'd noticed a few errors/bad takes/odd ways they'd presented things in previous videos but hadn't really known enough about most subjects to question their ability to teach me things but I learned long ago that if I'd been following someone to learn from what they present and they do a topic I know something about and notice issues with what they present then it means it's likely there's been plenty of things I hadn't noticed so I can't rely on them anymore.)
And last but not least, here's 2 weeks of
recthething recs! (MDZS/Untamed fic and Batman, CLue, Doctor Who, MDZS, Merlin, and Supernatural tumblr art): The fic:
the cat distribution system by ScarlettStorm (38k)
Summary Snippet: Wei Wuxian gets a cat, and then a boyfriend, both of which are a surprise. (great fic with great art from the 2025 MDZS Reverse Big Bang, also 2 podfics have been done of this fic, linked in the endnotes)
the tumblr art:
Batman/DCU
- Nightwing written in Nightwing (very cool effect)
Clue (the movie)
- “Okay, Chief, take 'em away. I'm gonna go home and sleep with my wife.” (excellent art of the cast)
Doctor Who (Classic)
- Delgado!Master doodle (love this)
MDZS/The Untamed
- Dadji and his pride and joy (Adorable LWJ and a-yuan and bunnies)
Merlin
- Tenderness (perfect title for this terribly tender Merther moment)
Supernatural
- Dean Winchester <333 (excellent rendition)
the cat distribution system by ScarlettStorm (38k)
Summary Snippet: Wei Wuxian gets a cat, and then a boyfriend, both of which are a surprise. (great fic with great art from the 2025 MDZS Reverse Big Bang, also 2 podfics have been done of this fic, linked in the endnotes)
the tumblr art:
Batman/DCU
- Nightwing written in Nightwing (very cool effect)
Clue (the movie)
- “Okay, Chief, take 'em away. I'm gonna go home and sleep with my wife.” (excellent art of the cast)
Doctor Who (Classic)
- Delgado!Master doodle (love this)
MDZS/The Untamed
- Dadji and his pride and joy (Adorable LWJ and a-yuan and bunnies)
Merlin
- Tenderness (perfect title for this terribly tender Merther moment)
Supernatural
- Dean Winchester <333 (excellent rendition)
ysabetwordsmith (ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 10:46 pm
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 10:46 pmEntry tags:
Vocabulary: Saxicolous
Saxicolous -- living or growing among rocks.
What a useful word! It can apply to mosses, lichens, most alpine plants, and some animals such as pikas, ibex, or snow leopards who also favor rocky terrain.
What a useful word! It can apply to mosses, lichens, most alpine plants, and some animals such as pikas, ibex, or snow leopards who also favor rocky terrain.
ysabetwordsmith (ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 10:40 pm
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 10:40 pm
Today's Cooking
Today I'm making caramel apple crisp in a muffin tin. I diced up a Jonathan apple with a little lemon juice, then divided it among 4 cups, then added a spoonful of apple cider caramel sauce to each. The crumble topping is quick oats, flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and butter cut together until crumbly. It's in the oven baking now. :D
EDIT 10/6/25 -- Well, that turned out super awesome. It's like a warm, diced caramel apple in a bowl. (Note that if you prefer your caramel apples with nuts, the crumble topping will accommodate sliced or chopped nuts.) Happily there are 2 more Jonathans and a whole carton of caramel sauce in case we want more.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- Well, that turned out super awesome. It's like a warm, diced caramel apple in a bowl. (Note that if you prefer your caramel apples with nuts, the crumble topping will accommodate sliced or chopped nuts.) Happily there are 2 more Jonathans and a whole carton of caramel sauce in case we want more.
ysabetwordsmith (ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 04:32 pm
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 04:32 pmEntry tags:
Books
14 Ways to Celebrate & Take Action for Banned Books Week
From July 2021 to the end of the 2024 school year, PEN America recorded nearly 22,810 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 public school districts.
These numbers represent a crisis of censorship that is only growing, especially targeting historically marginalized voices that share stories and lived experiences of racism and LGBTQ+ oppression.
The most effective approach is to make it illegal to ban books. An effective tactic is to point out how much time and money it will save. People in office may care fuckall about civil rights or reading, but they are probably tired of hearing het up soccer moms whine about a book with two boys kissing.
From July 2021 to the end of the 2024 school year, PEN America recorded nearly 22,810 cases of book bans across 45 states and 451 public school districts.
These numbers represent a crisis of censorship that is only growing, especially targeting historically marginalized voices that share stories and lived experiences of racism and LGBTQ+ oppression.
The most effective approach is to make it illegal to ban books. An effective tactic is to point out how much time and money it will save. People in office may care fuckall about civil rights or reading, but they are probably tired of hearing het up soccer moms whine about a book with two boys kissing.
ysabetwordsmith (ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 03:02 pm
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 03:02 pmMonday Update 10-6-25
These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Esbat
Shopping
Birdfeeding
Space Exploration
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Money
Today's Cooking
Gaming
Friday Five
Birdfeeding
Activism
Follow Friday 10-3-25: Japan / Japanese
Gender Studies
Birdfeeding
Hobbies: Seatweaving
Fall Festival Bingo Card 10-1-25
Moment of Silence: Jane Goodall
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
Food has 51 comments. Affordable Housing has 51 comments. Robotics has 73 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, October 7 with a theme of "Witches and Wizards."
"An Inkling of Things to Come" belongs to Polychrome: Shiv and needs $200 to be complete. Shiv attends the first session of his Worldbuilding class.
The weather has been sweltering again, but today is slightly cooler. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a wren (possibly a Bewick's wren or Carolina wren), and a fox squirrel. I heard a blue jay screaming but didn't see it. The migration is heavily impacted -- we drove past the lake recently and there was no sign of waterbirds, whereas normally this time of year there would ducks, pelicans, etc. in fairly large flocks. I saw a huge corn devil in the field across from us that was harvested recently. Currently blooming: dandelions, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, cypress vine, sunchokes, sedum, violas. Tomatoes, ball carrots, and groundcherries are ripe. Fields are about half harvested.
Esbat
Shopping
Birdfeeding
Space Exploration
Today's Adventures
Birdfeeding
Philosophical Questions: Money
Today's Cooking
Gaming
Friday Five
Birdfeeding
Activism
Follow Friday 10-3-25: Japan / Japanese
Gender Studies
Birdfeeding
Hobbies: Seatweaving
Fall Festival Bingo Card 10-1-25
Moment of Silence: Jane Goodall
Birdfeeding
Cuddle Party
Food has 51 comments. Affordable Housing has 51 comments. Robotics has 73 comments.
There will be a Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, October 7 with a theme of "Witches and Wizards."
"An Inkling of Things to Come" belongs to Polychrome: Shiv and needs $200 to be complete. Shiv attends the first session of his Worldbuilding class.
The weather has been sweltering again, but today is slightly cooler. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a wren (possibly a Bewick's wren or Carolina wren), and a fox squirrel. I heard a blue jay screaming but didn't see it. The migration is heavily impacted -- we drove past the lake recently and there was no sign of waterbirds, whereas normally this time of year there would ducks, pelicans, etc. in fairly large flocks. I saw a huge corn devil in the field across from us that was harvested recently. Currently blooming: dandelions, marigolds, petunias, red salvia, verbena, lantana, sweet alyssum, zinnias, snapdragons, blue lobelia, perennial pinks, oxalis, moss rose, firecracker plant, tomatoes, tomatillos, yellow squash, zucchini, morning glory, chicory, Queen Anne's lace, sunflowers, cup plant, cypress vine, sunchokes, sedum, violas. Tomatoes, ball carrots, and groundcherries are ripe. Fields are about half harvested.
ysabetwordsmith (ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 02:05 pm
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 02:05 pmFood
Fruit might be the surprising key to healthier lungs
Eating more fruit could help protect lungs from air pollution damage, particularly in women. Researchers point to antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in fruit as possible defenses against harmful airborne particles.
Fruit also includes many valuable nutrients such as vitamin C.
Of course, it would be better to avoid putting pollution into the air in the first place, or failing that, to live somewhere with lower pollution and more trees to filter the air -- and hey, you could make them fruit trees!
Eating more fruit could help protect lungs from air pollution damage, particularly in women. Researchers point to antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in fruit as possible defenses against harmful airborne particles.
Fruit also includes many valuable nutrients such as vitamin C.
Of course, it would be better to avoid putting pollution into the air in the first place, or failing that, to live somewhere with lower pollution and more trees to filter the air -- and hey, you could make them fruit trees!
Mab of the Antipodes (mab_browne) wrote2025-10-07 07:56 am
mab_browne) wrote2025-10-07 07:56 amJilly Cooper has passed away
While she was most famous for her 'bonkbusters' she also wrote a satirical book of non-fiction called Class, an examination of the English class system. I found it very useful in my Professionals writing days. Thank you, Jilly.
ysabetwordsmith (ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 01:49 pm
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-10-06 01:49 pmBirdfeeding
Today is mostly sunny and hot.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I did a bit of work around the yard.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I watered the septic garden and the new picnic table garden.
I picked a few groundcherries.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I watered the irises and the patio plants.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I watered the new picnic table, telephone pole garden, and savanna seedlings.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I did a bit of work around the yard.
I bagged up the last of the Ginger Gold apple seeds to cold-stratify in the fridge.
As it is almost suppertime, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I did a bit of work around the yard.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I watered the septic garden and the new picnic table garden.
I picked a few groundcherries.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I watered the irises and the patio plants.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I watered the new picnic table, telephone pole garden, and savanna seedlings.
EDIT 10/6/25 -- I did a bit of work around the yard.
I bagged up the last of the Ginger Gold apple seeds to cold-stratify in the fridge.
As it is almost suppertime, I am done for the night.
svgurl (svgurl) wrote2025-10-06 11:23 am
svgurl) wrote2025-10-06 11:23 amEntry tags:
fic or treat!
ficortreatsvgurl's Door
DW username:
svgurlLight is on for: anybody
What's in the Bowl? fic, fic recs, simple icons (fandom & stock; see examples in my icon tag), baking recipes, picspam, fanmix
Let Me Know: A fandom/pairing and a prompt or some likes for fics and screencaps for icons if you want something I don't have access to/want a specific moment or scene. Also your AO3 account if you want fic gifted to you there :)
Fandoms/Ships I can/am willing to write for: (all fic is posted on AO3, username
9-1-1: Buck/Eddie, Buck/Eddie & Christopher, Buck & Christopher, Buck & Maddie, Eddie & Chris, Eddie & Maddie [you can ask about other gen dynamics - with icons, I am open to requests for anyone currently on the 118, Dispatch, Madney, Bathena, and HenRen)
All My Children: Aidan/Greenlee, Kendall/Ryan, Bianca/Maggie [you can ask if you want a specific gen dynamic and I'll see if I'm open to it]
DCEU: Lois & Diana, Lois & Martha, Clark & Lois & Martha, Clark/Lois, Diana/Steve
Gilmore Girls: Rory & Lorelai, Rory & Lane, Rory & Paris; Rory/Paris, Rory/Jess
MCU: Bucky/Natasha, Bucky/Sam, Natasha/Sam, Peggy/Steve, Steve/Tony
One Tree Hill: Brooke & Peyton, Brooke & Haley, Brooke & Karen; Brooke/Lucas, Brooke/Peyton, Brooke/Rachel, Brooke/Lindsey, Haley/Nathan, Peyton/Jake
Power Rangers: Kimberly/Tommy
Smallville: Clark/Lois, Clark/Lois/Oliver, Clark/Oliver, Lois/Oliver, Lois/Lana, Lois/Tess, Lana/Tess [you can ask about gen dynamics]
Superman (2025): Clark/Lois
If there is a fandom/ship/dynamic you think I may like/be familiar with/have written before, you are welcome to ask!
Other info: I will not write explicit/pwp, character/ship bashing, sexual assault/rape, violence, domestic/child abuse, underage, omegaverse, kinks involving non sexual bodily fluids, horror themes, villain AUs, reader fics, cheating/adultery. There may be things I've forgotten which I will tell you if you ask for them.
oursin (oursin) wrote2025-10-06 04:15 pm
oursin) wrote2025-10-06 04:15 pmEntry tags:
Ponderings
I observed over the weekend woezering about universities introducing courses teaching students how to read the books on their courses; that is, the courses in e.g. EngLit, that they signed up for and presumably knew would involve reading texts of various kinds? And instead of being Brigadier Disgusted-Hedjog of Tunbridge Wells, 'In my day we were doing C18th novels for A-levels [true]', I observed, when looking this up, that round about the same time last year there was the same round of woe unto this generation which do not rede ye bookz.
So my scepticism, she is considerable.
I suspect there have been allotropes of this one since Ye Classix were no longer the essentials for a degree/when EngLit became an actual degree subject/when philology and Anglo-Saxon were no longer compulsory/NOVELS! they are going to uni to read NOVELS!!! Sivilizashun B DED!!!!
Okay, possibly thick little Tarquin & Lucretia who got in through PULL may be astonished at having to read big fat books but in these days, and with the general attack on the humanities, I have to suppose that anyone who turns up with the intention of doing an English degree know what's in store.
***
So, we have had a woman Archbishop of Canterbury.
Has anyone - I haven't seen it anywhere yet - remarked on the SYMBOLISM, in the present parlous state of the Anglican communion over various abuse scandals, that her background is in A Healing Profession?
***
There are a lot of reasons why I am glad I am of the generation I am, and one of them is Having Missed Out on this sort of thing: risking our health in the name of beauty is totally normalised.
***
And today I got vaxxed.
aprildawn13 (aprildawn13) wrote2025-10-06 10:23 am
aprildawn13) wrote2025-10-06 10:23 am(no subject)
Hi!
I'm not here much these days but I am trying to reacquaint myself with things in the hope of eventually being back more 😊
I don't post much (or at all) I've just been popping in every so often, slowly updating things from how I left them 15 years ago
I'm not here much these days but I am trying to reacquaint myself with things in the hope of eventually being back more 😊
I don't post much (or at all) I've just been popping in every so often, slowly updating things from how I left them 15 years ago
ArtemisDart (artemisdart) wrote2025-10-06 05:48 am
artemisdart) wrote2025-10-06 05:48 am
Entry tags:
Letter for A Ship Awakens Holiday Fic Exchange
Dear fellow Star Wars creator,
I'm excited to return for this exchange, which unites two things I love: Star Wars shipping, and Christmas! (errr, I mean Life Day)
Here are my thoughts about pairings, things I like, and my Do Not Want list.
( Things I Like in Stories )
( Pairings I Like )
( Kinks I Like )
( My Do Not Wants )
I'm excited to return for this exchange, which unites two things I love: Star Wars shipping, and Christmas! (errr, I mean Life Day)
Here are my thoughts about pairings, things I like, and my Do Not Want list.
( Things I Like in Stories )
( Pairings I Like )
( Kinks I Like )
( My Do Not Wants )