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I've met multiple teachers who have filtered out AI by saying "your homework is to write a story" then including the qualifier "if your story is about a girl named (I can't recall the name but it's always the same) who lives in the forest, you automatically get a zero."My favorite: Choose your favorite LLM. "Tell me a story."
It does a decent-enough job.
"Tell me a different story."
Um... that one was pretty darned similar.
"Tell me a third story."
Now you learn that its creativity is extremely limited, and you really start hitting a wall unless you start getting into detailed prompt engineering to tell it exactly what tropes to avoid, which to include, what the story should be about...
...and suddenly it would be just as fast to write the story yourself.(They asked me at work why I didn't use AI more often. I pointed out the only areas it was available to me, and how it cost me more time to use it because I had to fix its responses, and they backed off.)
mmm. Interesting.
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...not THAT interesting!
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Well, it cost me around $6 for a certified letter and several hours of frustration, but once the billing company got a certified letter with proof of payment and threats of legal action they backed the f*** off and my bill is marked as paid in full.
If this can prevent them from doing it to one other customer, it was worth it.
I have made birria, so now my house smells great and I will have tacos for the week.
I propose a party to celebrate such a fine feast.
One not held outdoors...
Hm..
Almost some kind of...
House party? No.
A bit more intimate...
Small enough to be held in a single room...
Hmm...
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Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Speaking of lawsuit-level incompetence...
...father-in-law's mailing address is in Oakland. While not all of Oakland is as bad as rumors have it, he claims that this house is in an area of extreme porch thievery, and I have no reason to doubt him. Plus, he has another place to stay while he's renovating that place, so he'll frequently go days without going there. Thus, he has all his mail order stuff delivered to our house, giving him an excuse to visit and a safe delivery location. This includes necessary medical equipment.
For their latest shipment of medical equipment, someone used the "bill to" address instead of the "ship to" address. He got notification from the medical company that the package had been delivered to our address, assumed everything was OK, and came by 3 days later. He called the medical company and they said it must be a problem with the shipping company. He called the shipping company and learned that it had been delivered to the Oakland address 3 days ago. And the shipping company has proof that that's the address they were given.
So, you're a medical supply company providing necessary medical supplies to patients, and somehow someone can click a wrong button and ship the supplies to the "bill to" address?
A lot of people need to get fired here...
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Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
S-stop make chaotic evil characters I like...
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** spoiler omitted **
!?!?!?!
Stop revealing my origin story!!!!!!
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
S-stop make chaotic evil characters I like...Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
Have you tried to stop liking chaotic evil character I make?
Or at least...
S-stop make chaotic evil characters I like...Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
Have you tried to stop liking chaotic evil character I make?Or at least...
** spoiler omitted **
Wait... That's wrong. You are supposed to like things I make. ALL THE THINGS!
Now try this fish stew containing mangled pieces of fish (I never buy anything fish that isn't explicitly a fillet again), onions, tomato, apple, potato, and sweet potato, seasoned with garlic, paprika, stock cube, and soy sauce...
S-stop make chaotic evil characters I like...Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
Have you tried to stop liking chaotic evil character I make?
Or at least...
** spoiler omitted **
S-stop make chaotic evil characters I like...Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
Have you tried to stop liking chaotic evil character I make?Or at least...
** spoiler omitted **
Wait... That's wrong. You are supposed to like things I make. ALL THE THINGS!
Now try this fish stew containing mangled pieces of fish (I never buy anything fish that isn't explicitly a fillet again), onions, tomato, apple, potato, and sweet potato, seasoned with garlic, paprika, stock cube, and soy sauce...
Sounds good. Was something off in the ratio?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
Well, I don't HAVE to like this monster especially as their goals seem to be getting a lot of us killed!
** spoiler omitted **S-stop make chaotic evil characters I like...Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
Have you tried to stop liking chaotic evil character I make?
Or at least...
** spoiler omitted **
*chuckles*
Coincidentally, I dreamt of my past love today (or was that yesterday)...
Sounds good. Was something off in the ratio?S-stop make chaotic evil characters I like...Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
Have you tried to stop liking chaotic evil character I make?Or at least...
** spoiler omitted **
Wait... That's wrong. You are supposed to like things I make. ALL THE THINGS!
Now try this fish stew containing mangled pieces of fish (I never buy anything fish that isn't explicitly a fillet again), onions, tomato, apple, potato, and sweet potato, seasoned with garlic, paprika, stock cube, and soy sauce...
Oh, it ended being quite good. It was just that the piece of fish I bought wasn't a fillet, and trying to cut it, remove fins, and spine was annoying as hell.
Apologies if I've asked this before, but is anyone here either current or former law enforcement? I have a couple of specific procedural criminal investigation questions so I don't look like a moron.
Not that there's a huge market for short fiction.
But I like to be reasonably accurate, or at least not painfully inaccurate.
Apologies if I've asked this before, but is anyone here either current or former law enforcement? I have a couple of specific procedural criminal investigation questions so I don't look like a moron.
Not that there's a huge market for short fiction.
But I like to be reasonably accurate, or at least not painfully inaccurate.
What about CHP boy? Are you not in touch with him any more?
What about CHP boy? Are you not in touch with him any more?Apologies if I've asked this before, but is anyone here either current or former law enforcement? I have a couple of specific procedural criminal investigation questions so I don't look like a moron.
Not that there's a huge market for short fiction.
But I like to be reasonably accurate, or at least not painfully inaccurate.
Luke Skywalker? Whingey Wizzard is, but I haven't seen or spoken to him in over five years. And he has baggage around the reasons he quit being a patrol officer pretty quickly and works at one of those truck weighing stations on the interstate... that's been his gig for years. So I don't even know he even has much experience in criminal procedure.
Also he went through a pretty bad midlife crisis a year or two back, totaled his Mustang in a scary wreck at something well in excess of 100 mph (his fault, no alcohol) and by some miracle didn't end up mangled like his car, walked away from it. WW says he's been pretty dark and edgy since then. So, don't really want to go there.
I can see that. Sorry to hear.
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OK. Somehow I trust FaWtLers more than Google. SNAP benefits run out November 1. I want to help. News and Google both say, "Donate to your local food banks." So, I can do that, but I'd really like my donation to be focused on single mothers with kids. I'm pretty sure that would be the lion's share of a food bank's business, but with other people on this board far more familiar with such things:
(1) Where's the best place to donate?
(2) Is cash or cans better? I assume cash, but then you have to worry about corruption and choosing the right place.
Appreciate your help.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
OK. Somehow I trust FaWtLers more than Google. SNAP benefits run out November 1. I want to help. News and Google both say, "Donate to your local food banks." So, I can do that, but I'd really like my donation to be focused on single mothers with kids. I'm pretty sure that would be the lion's share of a food bank's business, but with other people on this board far more familiar with such things:
(1) Where's the best place to donate?
(2) Is cash or cans better? I assume cash, but then you have to worry about corruption and choosing the right place.Appreciate your help.
From my time working in the nonprofit sector in the East Bay, and working with the Sisters of Mercy, the organizations I would recommend are:
1. Oakland Elizabeth House. Transitional housing and support for single mothers. Well-regarded organization, great reputation in the community.
2. Covenant House (Oakland and Berkeley) offers crisis support, mental health, social services, shelter, etc. for homeless and at-risk teens.
3. The Women's Daytime Drop-In Center in downtown Berkeley (on Acton) has an online wishlist they keep updated.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
OK. Somehow I trust FaWtLers more than Google. SNAP benefits run out November 1. I want to help. News and Google both say, "Donate to your local food banks." So, I can do that, but I'd really like my donation to be focused on single mothers with kids. I'm pretty sure that would be the lion's share of a food bank's business, but with other people on this board far more familiar with such things:
(1) Where's the best place to donate?
(2) Is cash or cans better? I assume cash, but then you have to worry about corruption and choosing the right place.Appreciate your help.
From my time working in the nonprofit sector in the East Bay, and working with the Sisters of Mercy, the organizations I would recommend are:
1. Oakland Elizabeth House. Transitional housing and support for single mothers. Well-regarded organization, great reputation in the community.
2. Covenant House (Oakland and Berkeley) offers crisis support, mental health, social services, shelter, etc. for homeless and at-risk teens.
3. The Women's Daytime Drop-In Center in downtown Berkeley (on Acton) has an online wishlist they keep updated.
Bless you. The Women's Daytime Drop-In Center was one of the top-recommended places. Global Megacorporation does donation matching, so they'll get a sizeable chunk of change. Though I do want to look at the Elizabeth House first. I trust your judgement.
EDIT: Well, the Elizabeth House certainly has the warmer, more human web site. And you can buy See's candy through them. So they're a heavy favorite, but we'll see what GothBard thinks.
OK. Somehow I trust FaWtLers more than Google. SNAP benefits run out November 1. I want to help. News and Google both say, "Donate to your local food banks." So, I can do that, but I'd really like my donation to be focused on single mothers with kids. I'm pretty sure that would be the lion's share of a food bank's business, but with other people on this board far more familiar with such things:
(1) Where's the best place to donate?
(2) Is cash or cans better? I assume cash, but then you have to worry about corruption and choosing the right place.Appreciate your help.
My first guess would be some kind of women's shelter?
I assume that a lot of women with kid(s) fleeing abusive partners might end there.
I can't speak to any particular organizations, but my understanding is that a cash donation can be more effective than canned goods, assuming no one pockets it. Mainly because a) they can buy things that people in the area are more likely to eat, and b) they can usually buy wholesale and tax-exempt, thus getting more for their dollar than you do.
That's what I've heard as well. $1 cash donation is something like $5 in canned goods.
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That's as I understand it as well.
The tier list usually goes something like:
Money
> Long-term nonperishables (cans, etc.)
> > supplies (non-food stuff)
> > > short-term nonperishables (things like rice, etc. that last a long time but aren't sealed in cans that will last for years)
> > > > perishables
Once again, we can see why I refuse to work Fridays and Saturdays anymore.
There was a youth league soccer team staying at the hotel this weekend. I think the kids were in the 10-12 year old range. They absolutely trashed the place both nights. I'm talking the halls, the stairwells, the elevator, the exercise room, the lobby, the public bathroom, everything. Especially the pool. On Friday, they left he pool room full of trash (including lots of glass bottles), there was food debris all over the place (including in the pool), and they had thrown about 30 towels into the pool and left them there to be fished out by us. Saturday, however, they did all that and more. They broke the clock, which for some reason had a glass face on it instead of plastic. This led to there being broken glass all over, including possibly in the pool itself. The desk clerk on duty chased them all out of the pool room, which was apparently harder than you might think. I guess the parents didn't care if their kids stepped on broken glass. One of the parents kept saying it was "an accident" and "no one was to blame", but the clerk heard the kids talking about how they had been throwing things at the clock to see if anyone could hit it, so it sounds pretty intentional to me. Today, one of the guests (specifically the one who complained the most about everything, despite everything they complained about being their kid's fault) filed a complaint with corporate, specifically that they "weren't allowed to use the pool during the full listed pool hours".
I hate these people.
(Also, because of the possibility of glass in the pool, we have to drain it to clean it out thoroughly. But apparently no one knows how to. There is a drain in the bottom of the pool, but they can't figure out how to open it.)
I've never understood the failure of hotels to take legal action against such groups. If the youth soccer league was sued for damages, it sounds like they'd be out a few thousand bucks. You have physical evidence of everything. If your hotel has security cameras, it's a slam-dunk case.
I understand that suing youth groups is bad PR, but how much do hotels lose every day having to deal with undisciplined monsters? I've chaperoned many a middle and high school trip, and surprise surprise, if the chaperones are willing to do their f-ing jobs this kind of stuff doesn't happen. Send one or two kids home on their parents' dime for misbehavior (yes, we've done it) and the rest fall in line pretty darned quickly.
(1) Sign in on a Monday morning at 6:00 am.
(2) At 6:28 am, get an invite to a 6:30 am meeting.
Nope. You can't send an invite more than 2 minutes in advance, you don't get me unless it's an emergency. (And it's just a demo. Nothing special.)
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
OK, there's something fundamentally satisfying about:
(1) Donating to a women's shelter using corporate matching, knowing darned well your company founder is a tech bro who would hate that.
(2) Knowing that you're going to get 24% of your donation back in your pocket thanks to Trump's big, beautiful bill giving me full itemized deductions again.
So yes, just over 60% of the donation is coming from two men who would despise what I'm doing.
And that makes me even happier than the donation itself...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
AI really is basically the entire corporate world deciding that I'd be happier with Clippy in every aspect of my life.
Just say, "No."
Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
[dice= willsave]1d20+8+2
Well, I don't HAVE to like this monster especially as their goals seem to be getting a lot of us killed!
well....*I* like it....
** spoiler omitted **S-stop make chaotic evil characters I like...Fantasy Monster: Blood Red Riding Hood
When you thought that Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf...
Have you tried to stop liking chaotic evil character I make?
Or at least...
** spoiler omitted **
*chuckles*
** spoiler omitted **
Coincidentally, I dreamt of my past love today (or was that yesterday)...
** spoiler omitted **
What about CHP boy? Are you not in touch with him any more?Apologies if I've asked this before, but is anyone here either current or former law enforcement? I have a couple of specific procedural criminal investigation questions so I don't look like a moron.
Not that there's a huge market for short fiction.
But I like to be reasonably accurate, or at least not painfully inaccurate.Luke Skywalker? Whingey Wizzard is, but I haven't seen or spoken to him in over five years. And he has baggage around the reasons he quit being a patrol officer pretty quickly and works at one of those truck weighing stations on the interstate... that's been his gig for years. So I don't even know he even has much experience in criminal procedure.
Also he went through a pretty bad midlife crisis a year or two back, totaled his Mustang in a scary wreck at something well in excess of 100 mph (his fault, no alcohol) and by some miracle didn't end up mangled like his car, walked away from it. WW says he's been pretty dark and edgy since then. So, don't really want to go there.
WHOA
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
OK. Somehow I trust FaWtLers more than Google. SNAP benefits run out November 1. I want to help. News and Google both say, "Donate to your local food banks." So, I can do that, but I'd really like my donation to be focused on single mothers with kids. I'm pretty sure that would be the lion's share of a food bank's business, but with other people on this board far more familiar with such things:
(1) Where's the best place to donate?
(2) Is cash or cans better? I assume cash, but then you have to worry about corruption and choosing the right place.Appreciate your help.
Reach out to food banks individually and see what population they work with.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
OK. Somehow I trust FaWtLers more than Google. SNAP benefits run out November 1. I want to help. News and Google both say, "Donate to your local food banks." So, I can do that, but I'd really like my donation to be focused on single mothers with kids. I'm pretty sure that would be the lion's share of a food bank's business, but with other people on this board far more familiar with such things:
(1) Where's the best place to donate?
(2) Is cash or cans better? I assume cash, but then you have to worry about corruption and choosing the right place.Appreciate your help.
From my time working in the nonprofit sector in the East Bay, and working with the Sisters of Mercy, the organizations I would recommend are:
1. Oakland Elizabeth House. Transitional housing and support for single mothers. Well-regarded organization, great reputation in the community.
2. Covenant House (Oakland and Berkeley) offers crisis support, mental health, social services, shelter, etc. for homeless and at-risk teens.
3. The Women's Daytime Drop-In Center in downtown Berkeley (on Acton) has an online wishlist they keep updated.
Yes, what lisamarlene said.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Once again, we can see why I refuse to work Fridays and Saturdays anymore.
There was a youth league soccer team staying at the hotel this weekend. I think the kids were in the 10-12 year old range. They absolutely trashed the place both nights. I'm talking the halls, the stairwells, the elevator, the exercise room, the lobby, the public bathroom, everything. Especially the pool. On Friday, they left he pool room full of trash (including lots of glass bottles), there was food debris all over the place (including in the pool), and they had thrown about 30 towels into the pool and left them there to be fished out by us. Saturday, however, they did all that and more. They broke the clock, which for some reason had a glass face on it instead of plastic. This led to there being broken glass all over, including possibly in the pool itself. The desk clerk on duty chased them all out of the pool room, which was apparently harder than you might think. I guess the parents didn't care if their kids stepped on broken glass. One of the parents kept saying it was "an accident" and "no one was to blame", but the clerk heard the kids talking about how they had been throwing things at the clock to see if anyone could hit it, so it sounds pretty intentional to me. Today, one of the guests (specifically the one who complained the most about everything, despite everything they complained about being their kid's fault) filed a complaint with corporate, specifically that they "weren't allowed to use the pool during the full listed pool hours".
I hate these people.
(Also, because of the possibility of glass in the pool, we have to drain it to clean it out thoroughly. But apparently no one knows how to. There is a drain in the bottom of the pool, but they can't figure out how to open it.)
that is disgusting.
I can't speak to any particular organizations, but my understanding is that a cash donation can be more effective than canned goods, assuming no one pockets it. Mainly because a) they can buy things that people in the area are more likely to eat, and b) they can usually buy wholesale and tax-exempt, thus getting more for their dollar than you do.
A can is a heavy thing of water and shipping costs. for the same price you can buy a bag of beans and get free water and 5-6 meals out of it.
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(Also, because of the possibility of glass in the pool, we have to drain it to clean it out thoroughly. But apparently no one knows how to. There is a drain in the bottom of the pool, but they can't figure out how to open it.)
IT DOES NOT OPEN FROM THE POOL DO NOT PULL THAT YOU WILL DROWN
... hopefully you pool has more safety features than the one I worked at from the 1940s but when you describe the place I'm not sure....
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(Also, because of the possibility of glass in the pool, we have to drain it to clean it out thoroughly. But apparently no one knows how to. There is a drain in the bottom of the pool, but they can't figure out how to open it.)IT DOES NOT OPEN FROM THE POOL DO NOT PULL THAT YOU WILL DROWN
... hopefully you pool has more safety features than the one I worked at from the 1940s but when you describe the place I'm not sure....
You mean for all these years cartoons have lied to us?
Speaking of lying, I have no idea whether it's being Gen X or just being jaded, but I swear:
Post in the "classroom questions" forum: Your support personnel are so great! I've always dreamed of being a support person! How do I go about getting a job doing that?
Co-worker: Why yes! Our support personnel really are the best! Thanks for noticing! Let me give you my contact information and we can get you started...
EDIT: Yes, if you Google our company and "support jobs" you're taken directly to the listing of our available support jobs, so either this person is pathetic at Google, thinks that by posting on a messageboard they'll somehow stand out, or it's a phishing attempt of some sort. I'm picking Option 3, since I've tried to help friends get jobs here before and it's pretty much a non-starter; I have to go through the same portal they do.
You mean for all these years cartoons have lied to us?
Yeah, I'm practically doing archeology on my brain to a filtration course I had to take in highschool to work the pool filters,. But You're supposed to open that from the filtration area. A really bad design, or a lazy operator installing a chain or one of those metal pole and hook things, could theoretically open it up from the pool but then you would have x tons of water (water weighs about 8 pounds a gallon) trying to go down a pipe Y diameter creating enough suction to hold your arm, or in a larger pool, your torso in place while the water tries to go down the pipe and.. can't.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool_suction-drain_injury
It can be really, really gross if it gets a hold of the wrong parts...
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OK, while I understand that most animals have extremely limited analytical abilities (cue Mephisto wrapping himself around a metal pole half a dozen times because he understands, "Get out by going around again," but he doesn't understand, "In the correct direction.").
But sometimes, their fails are the stuff of legend.
We have a catio; a wood-and-wire enclosure to let the cats relax outside leash-free. They're particularly fond of it on hot days when I put food, water, and a litterbox in for them. There's a human-sized door to get in and out. Because the raccoons are interested in the smell of food, we leave it open so they can explore it at night and recognize that it's nothing worth stealing, breaking, or playing in.
So... big wire-and-metal structure reeking of cats and raccoons.
How the heck did a bird trap itself in there today?
I mean, I understand being trapped: Instinct is to fly up to escape, door is down. But it's all metal and wood paneling; it's not something you could possibly accidentally fly into.
We could have locked the bird in the cage with the cats. We're not monsters, so we helped it get out.
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Besides turkey vultures et all, most birds have almost no sense of smell.
That bit about the mama bird pushing the baby out because she smells it touched humans is bunk. She probably pushed the bird out because he's only got enough food for three, and is like "hey.. how;d YOU get back here.. out you go I need your food for Raymon" and pushes them out again.
It may have seen a small crumb of food the cats missed
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Speaking of cats, this is our life.
GothBard: Hey, can I borrow Mephisto for a minute? There's a fly in the studio.
GothBard: His ability to kill flies is really starting to scare me.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Speaking of cats, this is our life.
GothBard: Hey, can I borrow Mephisto for a minute? There's a fly in the studio.
GothBard: His ability to kill flies is really starting to scare me.
Don't put him in one room with Jeff Goldblum...