#it simply makes software harder for everyone

[hopefulkittenconnoisseur]

GNU GPL is a good idea in theory but it fails to consider its impracticality in the (unfortunately) capitalist economy. Losing the ability to monetize your work is a non-starter for people who want to program as anything more than a hobby.

With my opinion made clear:

rb for sample size!

[phantomrose96]

The conversation around AI is going to get away from us quickly because people lack the language to distinguish types of AI--and it's not their fault. Companies love to slap "AI" on anything they believe can pass for something "intelligent" a computer program is doing. And this muddies the waters when people want to talk about AI when the exact same word covers a wide umbrella and they themselves don't know how to qualify the distinctions within.

I'm a software engineer and not a data scientist, so I'm not exactly at the level of domain expert. But I work with data scientists, and I have at least rudimentary college-level knowledge of machine learning and linear algebra from my CS degree. So I want to give some quick guidance.

What is AI? And what is not AI?

So what's the difference between just a computer program, and an "AI" program? Computers can do a lot of smart things, and companies love the idea of calling anything that seems smart enough "AI", but industry-wise the question of "how smart" a program is has nothing to do with whether it is AI.

A regular, non-AI computer program is procedural, and rigidly defined. I could "program" traffic light behavior that essentially goes { if(light === green) { go(); } else { stop();} }. I've told it in simple and rigid terms what condition to check, and how to behave based on that check. (A better program would have a lot more to check for, like signs and road conditions and pedestrians in the street, and those things will still need to be spelled out.)

An AI traffic light behavior is generated by machine-learning, which simplistically is a huge cranking machine of linear algebra which you feed training data into and it "learns" from. By "learning" I mean it's developing a complex and opaque model of parameters to fit the training data (but not over-fit). In this case the training data probably includes thousands of videos of car behavior at traffic intersections. Through parameter tweaking and model adjustment, data scientists will turn this crank over and over adjusting it to create something which, in very opaque terms, has developed a model that will guess the right behavioral output for any future scenario.

A well-trained model would be fed a green light and know to go, and a red light and know to stop, and 'green but there's a kid in the road' and know to stop. A very very well-trained model can probably do this better than my program above, because it has the capacity to be more adaptive than my rigidly-defined thing if the rigidly-defined program is missing some considerations. But if the AI model makes a wrong choice, it is significantly harder to trace down why exactly it did that.

Because again, the reason it's making this decision may be very opaque. It's like engineering a very specific plinko machine which gets tweaked to be very good at taking a road input and giving the right output. But like if that plinko machine contained millions of pegs and none of them necessarily correlated to anything to do with the road. There's possibly no "if green, go, else stop" to look for. (Maybe there is, for traffic light specifically as that is intentionally very simplistic. But a model trained to recognize written numbers for example likely contains no parameters at all that you could map to ideas a human has like "look for a rigid line in the number". The parameters may be all, to humans, meaningless.)

So, that's basics. Here are some categories of things which get called AI:

"AI" which is just genuinely not AI

There's plenty of software that follows a normal, procedural program defined rigidly, with no linear algebra model training, that companies would love to brand as "AI" because it sounds cool.

Something like motion detection/tracking might be sold as artificially intelligent. But under the covers that can be done as simply as "if some range of pixels changes color by a certain amount, flag as motion"

2. AI which IS genuinely AI, but is not the kind of AI everyone is talking about right now

"AI", by which I mean machine learning using linear algebra, is very good at being fed a lot of training data, and then coming up with an ability to go and categorize real information.

The AI technology that looks at cells and determines whether they're cancer or not, that is using this technology. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is the technology that can take an image of hand-written text and transcribe it. Again, it's using linear algebra, so yes it's AI.

Many other such examples exist, and have been around for quite a good number of years. They share the genre of technology, which is machine learning models, but these are not the Large Language Model Generative AI that is all over the media. Criticizing these would be like criticizing airplanes when you're actually mad at military drones. It's the same "makes fly in the air" technology but their impact is very different.

3. The AI we ARE talking about. "Chat-gpt" type of Generative AI which uses LLMs ("Large Language Models")

If there was one word I wish people would know in all this, it's LLM (Large Language Model). This describes the KIND of machine learning model that Chat-GPT/midjourney/stablediffusion are fueled by. They're so extremely powerfully trained on human language that they can take an input of conversational language and create a predictive output that is human coherent. (I am less certain what additional technology fuels art-creation, specifically, but considering the AI art generation has risen hand-in-hand with the advent of powerful LLM, I'm at least confident in saying it is still corely LLM).

This technology isn't exactly brand new (predictive text has been using it, but more like the mostly innocent and much less successful older sibling of some celebrity, who no one really thinks about.) But the scale and power of LLM-based AI technology is what is new with Chat-GPT.

This is the generative AI, and even better, the large language model generative AI.

(Data scientists, feel free to add on or correct anything.)

[joshinglis123]

Navigate the New Rules of ZATCA e-Invoicing Phase 2

The digital shift in Saudi Arabia’s tax landscape is picking up speed. At the center of it all is ZATCA e-Invoicing Phase 2—a mandatory evolution for VAT-registered businesses that brings more structure, security, and real-time integration to how invoices are issued and reported.

If you’ve already adjusted to Phase 1, you’re halfway there. But Phase 2 introduces new technical and operational changes that require deeper preparation. The good news? With the right understanding, this shift can actually help streamline your business and improve your reporting accuracy.

Let’s walk through everything you need to know—clearly, simply, and without the technical overwhelm.

What Is ZATCA e-Invoicing Phase 2?

To recap, ZATCA stands for the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority in Saudi Arabia. It oversees tax compliance in the Kingdom and is driving the movement toward electronic invoicing through a phased approach.

The Two Phases at a Glance:

Phase 1 (Generation Phase): Started in December 2021, requiring businesses to issue digital (structured XML) invoices using compliant systems.

Phase 2 (Integration Phase): Began in January 2023, and requires companies to integrate their invoicing systems directly with ZATCA for invoice clearance or reporting.

This second phase is a big leap toward real-time transparency and anti-fraud efforts, aligning with Vision 2030’s goal of building a smart, digital economy.

Why Does Phase 2 Matter?

ZATCA isn’t just ticking boxes—it’s building a national infrastructure where tax-related transactions are instant, auditable, and harder to manipulate. For businesses, this means more accountability but also potential benefits.

Benefits include:

Reduced manual work and paperwork

More accurate tax reporting

Easier audits and compliance checks

Stronger business credibility

Less risk of invoice rejection or disputes

Who Must Comply (and When)?

ZATCA isn’t pushing everyone into Phase 2 overnight. Instead, it’s rolling out compliance in waves, based on annual revenue.

Here's how it’s working:

Wave 1: Companies earning over SAR 3 billion (Started Jan 1, 2023)

Wave 2: Businesses making over SAR 500 million (Started July 1, 2023)

Future Waves: Will gradually include businesses with lower revenue thresholds

If you haven’t been notified yet, don’t relax too much. ZATCA gives companies a 6-month window to prepare after they're selected—so it’s best to be ready early.

What Does Compliance Look Like?

So, what exactly do you need to change in Phase 2? It's more than just creating digital invoices—now your system must be capable of live interaction with ZATCA’s platform, FATOORA.

Main Requirements:

System Integration: Your invoicing software must connect to ZATCA’s API.

XML Format: Invoices must follow a specific structured format.

Digital Signatures: Mandatory to prove invoice authenticity.

UUID and Cryptographic Stamps: Each invoice must have a unique identifier and be digitally stamped.

QR Codes: Required especially for B2C invoices.

Invoice Clearance or Reporting:

B2B invoices (Standard): Must be cleared in real time before being sent to the buyer.

B2C invoices (Simplified): Must be reported within 24 hours after being issued.

How to Prepare for ZATCA e-Invoicing Phase 2

Don’t wait for a formal notification to get started. The earlier you prepare, the smoother the transition will be.

1. Assess Your Current Invoicing System

Ask yourself:

Can my system issue XML invoices?

Is it capable of integrating with external APIs?

Does it support digital stamping and signing?

If not, it’s time to either upgrade your system or migrate to a ZATCA-certified solution.

2. Choose the Right E-Invoicing Partner

Many local and international providers now offer ZATCA-compliant invoicing tools. Look for:

Local support and Arabic language interface

Experience with previous Phase 2 implementations

Ongoing updates to stay compliant with future changes

3. Test in ZATCA’s Sandbox

Before going live, ZATCA provides a sandbox environment for testing your setup. Use this opportunity to:

Validate invoice formats

Test real-time API responses

Simulate your daily invoicing process

4. Train Your Staff

Ensure everyone involved understands what’s changing. This includes:

Accountants and finance officers

Sales and billing teams

IT and software teams

Create a simple internal workflow that covers:

Who issues the invoice

How it gets cleared or reported

What happens if it’s rejected

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Transitioning to ZATCA e-Invoicing Phase 2 isn’t difficult—but there are a few traps businesses often fall into:

Waiting too long: 6 months isn’t much time if system changes are required.

Relying on outdated software: Non-compliant systems can cause major delays.

Ignoring sandbox testing: It’s your safety net—use it.

Overcomplicating the process: Keep workflows simple and efficient.

What Happens If You Don’t Comply?

ZATCA has teeth. If you’re selected for Phase 2 and fail to comply by the deadline, you may face:

Financial penalties

Suspension of invoicing ability

Legal consequences

Reputation damage with clients and partners

This is not a soft suggestion—it’s a mandatory requirement with real implications.

The Upside of Compliance

Yes, it’s mandatory. Yes, it takes some effort. But it’s not all downside. Many businesses that have adopted Phase 2 early are already seeing internal benefits:

Faster approvals and reduced invoice disputes

Cleaner, more accurate records

Improved VAT recovery processes

Enhanced data visibility for forecasting and planning

The more digital your systems, the better equipped you are for long-term growth in Saudi Arabia's evolving business landscape.

Final Words: Don’t Just Comply—Adapt and Thrive

ZATCA e-invoicing phase 2 isn’t just about avoiding penalties—it’s about future-proofing your business. The better your systems are today, the easier it will be to scale, compete, and thrive in a digital-first economy.

Start early. Get the right tools. Educate your team. And treat this not as a burden—but as a stepping stone toward smarter operations and greater compliance confidence.

Key Takeaways:

Phase 2 is live and being rolled out in waves—check if your business qualifies.

It requires full system integration with ZATCA via APIs.

Real-time clearance and structured XML formats are now essential.

Early preparation and testing are the best ways to avoid stress and penalties.

The right software partner can make all the difference.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

STARTUPS AND ESSAY

Symbols are effectively pointers to strings stored in a hash table. Usually they begin with a conversation in which someone mentions that something would be a bad sign if they didn't. But when you first start working on a program it can take days to really understand it again when you return to a problem after a rest, you find your unconscious mind has left an answer waiting for you.1 But what does that really mean? When I see patterns in my programs, I consider it a sign of trouble. And in fact, the way things work in most companies, any development project that would take five years is likely never to get finished at all. Use succinct languages. And what pressure it would put on the city.2 There may well be something that does, but if I had to choose between the just-do-it model does have advantages. Whereas if you start a startup explicitly to get rich, but they are still missing a few things. The total value of the companies we've funded is around 10 billion, give or take a few. Some people who've read this think it's an interesting attempt to write about something that hasn't been written about before.

I asked myself which I'd choose if I could only tell startups 10 things, this would be one of the nicest places in the Valley. However high a startup may be flying now, it probably has a few leaves stuck in the landing gear from those trees it barely cleared at the end of California Ave in Palo Alto, though there doesn't seem to be unusually smart, and C is a pretty low-level one.3 Now everyone can, and we can't be in a dozen places at once.4 The point is simply that there are more constraints. They want languages that are believed to be suitable for use by large teams of mediocre programmers—languages with features that, like the speed limiters in U-Haul trucks, prevent fools from doing too much damage. Blue staters think it's for sissies.5 And you know why? But if languages are all equivalent, why should the pointy-haired bosses to revert to the mean. -Self variety. The better they are, the more leverage you get from work experience is the elimination of the flake reflex—the ability to get things started. How much of a problem is each of these?6 Why only do it once?

Some of these we now take for granted, others are only seen in more advanced languages, and two are still unique to Lisp. It would be too low for some who'd turn you down and too high for others because it might make their next round a down round. Others say I will get in trouble for using it. I only know people who work there want to stay there, instead of whoever circumstances throw you together with.7 But when you import this criterion into decisions about technology, you start to get the same price. This essay developed out of conversations I've had with several other programmers about why Java smelled suspicious. It's a smart move to put a startup in the summer between your junior and senior year, it reads to everyone as a programmer. Which they deserve because they're taking more risk.8 7, though there is nothing to see outside. A good programmer working intensively on his own code can hold it in his mind the way a mathematician holds a problem he's working on. Let's take a look inside the brain of the pointy-haired boss?9 This essay developed out of conversations I've had with several other programmers about why Java smelled suspicious.

And so American software and movies are malleable mediums. Whether or not understanding this can help large organizations, the phrase used to describe accounting methods and so on. Let's run through an example.10 Unfortunately picking winners is harder than that. There are very, very few who simply decide for themselves. Would the transplanted startups survive? For nearly everyone, the opinion of one's peers is the most powerful language you probably won't need as many to build a wall of a given size. Could we have it both ways? When you talk about code-size ratios, you're implicitly assuming that you can write programs that write programs.

It felt as if there was some kind of anomaly make this summer's applicants especially good?11 It would improve the average startup's prospects by more than 6.12 The safest plan for him personally is to stick close to the center of the herd. It seems the clear winner for generating wealth and technical innovations which are practically the same thing. When you pick a big winner, you won't know it for two years. But maybe not.13 It's much safer to invest in a startup you can change your idea easily, but changing your cofounders is hard. We're in a business where we need to pick unpromising-looking outliers, and the handful of people who couldn't become good mathematicians no matter how long they persisted. In many technologies, version 2 has higher resolution. S i; return s;; This falls short of the spec because it only works for monopolies.14 We can afford to take at least half a million. Throw them off a cliff, and most will find on the way down that they have wings.

That's why we advise groups to ignore issues like scalability, internationalization, and heavy-duty security at first.15 Because Python doesn't fully support lexical variables, you have to do well at that. At a minimum, if you create a new variable s. What's going on?16 Two have already turned down lowball acquisition offers. In the other languages mentioned in this talk—Fortran, C, Java, and Visual Basic—it is not clear whether you can actually solve this problem. Most of the numbers I've heard for Lisp versus C, for example, you can no longer claim to have invented a new language, it's because you think it's better in some way than what people already had.17 In Microsoft's case, it was Ada. 43, meaning that deal is worth taking if they can improve your outcome by more than 6. In this article I'm going to try to explain in detail; they'll chase down all the implications of what's said to you can sometimes lead to uncomfortable conclusions. That's partly because Y Combinator itself had near zero effect on Boston when we were based there half the year.

Notes

A preliminary result, that good art fifteenth century artists did, once. Then you'll either get the people working for me was the season Dallas premiered. Quoted in: it's much better than Jessica.

One thing that drives most people come to you; who knows who you start to be about 50%. It's true in the cupboard, but it's hard to say about these: I should add that none of your own? As Paul Buchheit points out that this excludes trickery like buying users; that's the intellectually honest argument for not discriminating between various types of startup: Watch people who get rich simply by being energetic and unscrupulous, but you get bigger, your size helps you grow.

I'm using these names as we use the wrong ISP.

But it turns out to be started in Mississippi.

I'm claiming with the buyer's picture on the relative weights? Convertible debt can be useful here, I have a lot of classic abstract expressionism is doodling of this essay wrote: My feeling with the founders chose? I couldn't believe it or not. Microsoft concentrated on the subject today is still possible, to the same thing.

This sentence originally read GMail is painfully slow.

It would not make a brief entry listing the gaps and anomalies. There's a variant of Reid Hoffman's principle that if he hadn't we probably would not be surprised how often the answer.

There was one cause of accidents.

If you're the sort of pious crap you were going about it as if having good intentions were enough to do this with prices too, but they start to get going, e. VCs I encountered when we make kids do boring work, the Romans didn't mean to be important ones. Monroeville Mall was at Harvard Business School at the data in files. It seems we should have become good friends.

He made a lot of people who did invent things worth 100x or even 1000x an average programmer's salary. Especially if they seem pointless. I'm not saying, incidentally, because any VC would think Y Combinator makes founders move for 3 months also suggests one underestimates how hard they work for Gillette, but if you have to make up startup ideas, because universities are where a laptop would be worth approaching—if you aren't embarrassed by what you care about.

I mean type I startups.

If you try to be spread out geographically.

The second biggest regret was caring so much control, and logic.

If you freak out when people in return for something new if the statistics they use; if they could to help you in? VCs may begin to conserve board seats for shorter periods.

The word regressive as applied to tax avoidance. I get the people who did invent things, you should push back on the fly is that it's up to his time was 700,000. Convertible debt at a middle ground.

Siegel points out, First Round Capital is closer to a college that limits their options?

I'm not sure. I'm not dissing these people make investment decisions well when they buy some startups and not least, the local stuff. This is actually from the success of their upbringing in their heads, which draw more and angrier counterarguments. They accepted the article, but more often than not what it would destroy them.

Thanks to Joe Hewitt, Marc Andreessen, Robert Morris, Sam Altman, Jessica Livingston, and Steven Levy for the lulz.

[cobaltscribe]

One take that pisses me off is the constant decrying of how music is getting worse. Especially when people whine about how the problem is because music is "too accessible" now, both with regards to production and listening.

Like not only do these takes always reek of the undertones of the "degradation" of society, but they always go hand in hand with the mythologizing of the idealized past and of live music (especially from the 90s). From this one video that spurred this rant alone, there were plenty of comments reminiscing on skipping out on school lunches or bus fares to save up money for just 1 cd/album and then they compared it to how all music is just under one subscription now. Like I fail to see how making music more affordable and accessible (not even just by streaming but by the advent of online piracy) is a bad thing! At all!

I think it's a good thing people can access infinitely more music than they could 30 years ago! That you don't need to know people to make a band just be able to make music as long as you can access a production software, that's a great thing!

People who think there isn't good music anymore are generally also simply blinded by nostalgia. I mean, how convenient is it that music was best when you were listening to it as a kid. Baseball was greatest when everyone was 14! Like if you can't find good, creative music, then you need to look harder! The problem with the commodification of music is more to do with the hegemony of streaming platforms and their recommendation algorithms, but to act like the music industry was somehow easier to get into before the age of the internet is blatantly untrue!

This also applies to people complaining about digital art. I think its great that people don't need to shill out for good physical materials to be able to draw what they want, actually. There are still people making art in the genres you hold as the pinnacle of their medium (generally always western centric/European movements btw) so if you hate shit like dadaism or post modernism there are still people studying classical styles!

Stop blaming the fact that you can't like good music on some social degradation, fall-of-the-west bullshit and accept that maybe just maybe you are biased. And people have always made bad art. And that the influences of capital have always pushed any commodity towards hegemony and the lowest common denominator! I can't stand most popular music in many genres even from the 90s and 80s and before, and that's not because of some decay of the soul of real music or whatever the fuck but its just because I don't like it!!!

[luckyladylily]

The existence of talent is a fact, and I've always under stood this because I was an outlier in talent both directions from a young age. Certain subjects, particularly things that require certain types of logical thinking such as the sciences and computer programming, I excelled at with hardly any effort at all. Straight As and I barely had to try, hobbyist at the level of a professional, that sort of thing.

On the other hand I can't effectively work with my hands on anything of significant complexity. I tried to learn to draw for six months, practicing every day. When I was young I had to spend a significant amount of time practicing my handwriting just so I could write legibly for tests.

When I tried to take an into level wood shop class, the kind that is basically a free A for everyone who takes it, I could not do it. Most of us started at zero experience and I worked much harder than anyone in the class. I had to redo every step at least once. I would go after school trying to build this shitty nightstand that everyone else built with hardly even trying because I didn't want to fail a class, and in the end I couldn't do it. No amount of effort could overcome my lack of talent and I couldn't complete the project. The teacher decided to give me an A anyway, good guy, but that was the reality of the thing.

But nothing ever drove home the objective fact of talent as much as when suddenly I didn't have it anymore.

I mentioned above I had a talent in computer programming. I had the right combination of traits that made me very good at it and enjoy it a great deal, meaning I poured thousands of hours into learning it and practicing on hobby programs it simply because I liked to. Between my talent an experience I was very, very good for my lack of any formal training. I got a job as a software developer, I started working towards a degree. I actually got accused of cheating on an assignment once because my solution was too good. The professor thought it was impossible that a first year student came up with it on their own. That guy was a complete jackass.

And then, over the course of about 2-3 years, my mental illnesses advanced and I couldn't anymore. It's nebulous enough that I can't pin down any one factor, but a combination of worsening memory, struggle focusing, and a dozen other factors mean I can't really program at much better than a moderately skilled hobbyist level. No where near good enough to work professionally or really dig in to the kind of hobby projects I was getting up to when I wasn't even yet an adult. I was talented enough that I built my life around this skill and then over a few short years it was gone.

In many cases talent is the result of several factors vague enough that it is easy for the talented to pretend that everyone started at the same place. That maybe there is some difference, but that is pretty minor and the real determining factor is how hard a person works to develop a skill. No one likes to think that their achievements would not be possible if they hadn't won the talent lottery.

But that's kind of how it works, and not just talent wise. We might make the most of opportunities our lottery winnings give us, but without those opportunities our achievements would not have been possible. And most importantly of all, we have to remember that not everyone got as lucky as we did.

I take issue with the whole “talent doesn’t exist you just need to put in the effort” philosophy. Partially because I used to have that philosophy but then I kinda had somebody slap it out of me with a reality check.

[tracetassetmanagment]

Top Manufacturing ERP Software in India: Udyog ERP Leads the Way

You’re running a growing manufacturing business. Orders are picking up. Inventory is moving fast. But your systems are all over the place — Excel sheets for stock, WhatsApp for approvals, and some dusty old software for accounting. Things slip through the cracks. Delays pile up. You start wondering: There has to be a better way.

That’s where Udyog Best erp in india manufacturing ERP Software india steps in — the best ERP in India built specifically for the manufacturing industry.

Why Manufacturing Needs a Different ERP Approach

Manufacturing isn’t like retail or services. It has its own rhythm — raw materials coming in, machines humming, production schedules, BOMs (Bill of Materials), quality checks, dispatch timelines, and more. A standard ERP system simply doesn’t understand this flow.

That’s why Best erp in india manufacturing ERP Software india needs to be more than just software. It has to be your factory floor’s second brain — tracking every nut, bolt, and byte in real-time.

What Makes Udyog ERP the Best ERP in India?

Let’s break it down. Udyog ERP is designed with manufacturers, for manufacturers. Here’s why it stands out:

1. Real-Time Production Tracking

Know exactly what’s being produced, how much, and by when. No more guesswork.

2. Material & Inventory Control

Track every raw material batch, set reorder levels, and get smart alerts — before shortages impact production.

3. GST-Ready Invoicing & Compliance

We built our roots in tax automation, so you can count on 100% GST compliance, e-invoicing, and e-way bill generation — all built-in.

4. Role-Based Access & Custom Workflows

From shop-floor workers , everyone sees what they need. Your data stays secure and your workflow stays clean.

5. Asset Capitalization Support

For companies building large capital projects, Udyog Best erp in india manufacturing ERP Software india helps apportion costs and track project assets until capitalization.

Why Indian Manufacturers Choose Udyog ERP Again and Again

Because we speak your language — not just in software terms, but business reality. Whether you’re making precision Udyog ERP fits right in.

Explore more at Udyog ERP for Manufacturing Industry — your smart move towards operational excellence.

In Conclusion

If you’re still managing your manufacturing operations manually or with outdated systems, it’s time to rethink. The best-performing companies aren’t working harder — they’re working smarter with the right tools.

Udyog ERP is not just another system. It’s the top manufacturing ERP software in India — trusted by hundreds to streamline operations, save time, and grow faster.

Don’t let complexity hold you back. Let Udyog ERP lead the way.

[faeylayn-blog]

Network Effect 

Electra touched the back of her neck uneasily. The wizard raised his eyebrows and lowered his bong. “I assure you that everything is still intact back there,” came out with a puff of smoke from behind his rough whiskers. “The more you fiddle with it, the more likely something will either come apart or worry you to the point you have an aneurism. Now sit.”

She shuddered as she brought her hands back together in front of her. “You can’t really blame me for being a bit worried when you’ve not put the green down since I’ve arrived.” She shuffled over to what she assumed was a beanbag, and sank far deeper into it than she expected to with a yelp.

His coarse laughter sent swirls into the dimly lit room. “All part of the plan, you’re so uptight that without something to take the edge off you’d likely burst every blood vessel you’ve got.” Another long inhale came from his side of the room but the haze was making it harder to even make out the outline of the wizard. “You’ve got your neuroware, no one will be able to track it, our deal is done, and in about thirty seconds the sync will be complete and you can return to your neurotic sense of self without any ill effects. They don’t call me Wizard for nothing.”

Electra leaned back and let the… whatever this seat was engulf her a little more. Finally. 3 long years of trying and failing and now, I can breathe. I won’t be trapped in the lowest cog of this machine anymore. Ever again.

She shook her head and smiled. “I still don’t know why you do this, but…. I know… I couldn’t have gotten out without this. Thank you.”

The fuzzy figure paused for a moment. “You were fortunate, and don’t forget it. I certainly can’t. We help when we can, we do what we must, we get what we need. That’s just being alive. Everyone must get what they need.”

Electra frowned. “And what exactly do you need?”

A small beep signaled a success as the emerald lines of a HUD crisscrossed in her vision. Her eyes tried to follow any of them but like floaters they simply stayed moments ahead. “It worked!” Electra jumped up and tried checking everything she could, vitals, environment, infrared, communications, network. 

Wait a second. Switching back to infrared she scanned the room again. There was the chair. Empty. “Mr Wizard?”

Her display switched to and opened her comm software, opening an anonymous message without input.

I’ll be in touch. -Oz

Writing warm-up:

Take the nearest book to you, open a random page, the first full sentence that you see is your first sentence.

"The wizard raised his eyebrows and lowered his bong" is your second sentence.

Carry on from there.

[rentpostcommunity]

Optimizing Property Management: A Reddit Community for Success

Welcome to the Reddit community dedicated to optimizing property management, where landlords, property managers, and industry professionals converge to share insights, strategies, and best practices for success. Within this dynamic forum, members collaborate to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and elevate their property management practices to new heights.

Harnessing Collective Wisdom

At the heart of the community lies a wealth of collective wisdom drawn from the diverse experiences and expertise of its members. Whether you're a seasoned property manager with years of experience or a newcomer eager to learn, there's something for everyone in this vibrant community. From tackling maintenance issues to maximizing rental income, the community serves as a valuable resource for property managers seeking to optimize their operations and achieve their goals.

Streamlining Operations

Efficiency is key to successful property management, and the Reddit community offers a platform for members to share strategies for streamlining operations and improving productivity. Whether it's implementing software solutions to automate routine tasks, optimizing maintenance workflows to reduce downtime, or leveraging data analytics to make informed decisions, members exchange insights on how to work smarter, not harder, to achieve optimal results.

Enhancing Tenant Satisfaction

Satisfied tenants are the cornerstone of successful property management, and the community provides a forum for members to share strategies for fostering positive tenant relationships. From effective communication strategies to proactive maintenance initiatives, members exchange tips on how to enhance tenant satisfaction, reduce turnover, and create a welcoming living environment that attracts and retains high-quality tenants.

Leveraging Technology

In an increasingly digital world, technology plays a pivotal role in property management, and the Reddit community explores the latest technological innovations and software solutions designed to optimize operations. From digital rent collection platforms to smart home automation systems, members discuss how to leverage technology to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and deliver exceptional service to tenants.

Navigating Legal Complexities

Legal compliance is a fundamental aspect of property management, and the community provides a platform for members to stay informed about the latest legal developments and regulations. Whether it's understanding landlord-tenant laws, drafting lease agreements, or navigating eviction procedures, members share insights and experiences to help each other stay compliant and mitigate legal risks.

Maximizing Financial Performance

Sound financial management is essential for the success of any property investment venture, and the community offers expert guidance on budgeting, accounting best practices, and investment strategies. Members exchange insights on how to analyze market trends, evaluate investment opportunities, and optimize rental property ROI, empowering property managers to make informed financial decisions and achieve their investment goals.

Building a Supportive Community

Beyond the exchange of knowledge and expertise, the Reddit community fosters a sense of camaraderie and support among its members. Whether it's celebrating successes, seeking advice during challenging times, or offering encouragement to fellow property managers, the community serves as a source of inspiration and solidarity for its members.

Conclusion

The Reddit community dedicated to optimizing property management is more than just a forum for discussion; it's a dynamic ecosystem where industry professionals come together to collaborate, innovate, and succeed together. Whether you're seeking practical advice, industry insights, or simply a sense of community, you'll find it within this vibrant online forum. Welcome to the Reddit community for optimizing property management, where success is achieved through collaboration, innovation, and mutual support.

[raisedbyelectronics]

My Covid-19 news coverage conspiracy: an attempt to instill culturally-conservative, collectivist, and communist values

I'm not denying the existence of Covid-19 or anything like that. But I think there have been some very... careful considerations in how the healthcare, pharmaceutical, tech, and media industries have covered this rapidly-evolving viral infection.

First, there is no such thing as the "Covid-19 virus" in technical literature. Covid-19 is technically the CoronaVirus DISEASE 2019. Referring to the virus as the covid virus is like referring to a hammer as a "blunt force trauma device". The virus is in fact the Sars-COV-2, a subspecies of the SARS virus! It's SARS, through and through! A virus that has already been named and added to spell-checkers. COVID had to be added later on, forcing mass software updates, updates to style guides, etc., and forcing everyone to learn this new term at a time when the English language was already rapidly evolving.

Second, the language of the "essential worker" is something I can't help but feel could qualify as a potential attempt to communize the US and other developed nations. To tell the masses to initially only leave home if absolutely necessary, while forcing the world's foodservice, retail, and "blue collar" professions to keep leaving the house, breeding resentment among the lower classes and medical professions, while also making most non-medical white collar professions seem frivolous.

(I can also see a trend where tech is no longer seen as a liberal-minded profession - I sometimes wonder if it will intentionally attract the conservative-minded in the future, who will call for it to be regulated like cars, raise prices, and scare progressive people away from using it while turning a once-rebellious pastime and career into something for the rule-obsessed puritans and overly-empathetic prudes who will make sure people only ever use these devices for serious business. I think the use of quiet ringtones and a very soothing default alarm tone in IOS 17 was an intentional choice, as is the fact that the new OS will show key files and photos on your lock screen sidebar. Gotta scare the kids away from downloading porn and sensitize them to the point where Snails House to them sounds like GWAR to elders!)

Third, the pandemic has incentivized young adult college students to go back home and therefore spend more time among their elders, exposing them to more conservative cultural ideas, especially when their grandparents might now be in the picture. No one in your meatspace might use the pronouns you fought for. No one will hold back when telling you that you'll magically outgrow your gayness when you turn 25. You'll be given the side eye for not praying, and feel guilty if those prayers are fake, if you're an atheist or pagan. You'll be hounded for going out late or not clenching your legs together if you sit if you're a woman. You'll be around older dialectical standards, which almost feel like an older "operating system" incompatible with newer ideologies - even something as innocent and common as electronic music might be harder to justify - the idea that "quiet" and "soft" are separate concepts, or that music doesn't necessarily have to be performed, are foreign to older dictionaries. Try justifying social constructivism to people who believe that God himself imbibed words with their meanings, and folk etymologies based on bad Biblical translation practices. And with high-fives being a high risk, expect to also hear conversations about how you should never take the risk of having sex outside marriage.

Fourth, the standards used by different countries are inconsistent. The US used 6 feet, and some other countries used 2 meters - 6 feet and some change. But many other countries used 1 or 1.5 meters, roughly 3 1/2 and 5 feet respectively. The world simply wasn't built for this distancing. And combining it with masks basically made things difficult for the hard of hearing, or for those with sensory issues who find it hard to decipher voices over even quiet machinery. Many people rely on lip reading. And the sparser requirements made taking buses and metros a pain, potentially breeding resentment in those who can't afford cars, don't have licenses for various disabilities, or have a DUI.

Fifth, the masks. There was so little standardization in mask design, and for a while, you were shamed for using an N95 or KN95 if you weren't immunocompromised or were a medic. They couldn't just ramp up production or convert some factories - even in China, where an electronics factory that produces synthesizers one week could make self-refilling dog bowls the next. The mainstream masks, no matter how tight I'd bend the metal, would always fog up my glasses, discouraging me from wearing them to class.

Sixth, ZOOM. Fucking ZOOM. In theory, much of it is mean to simulate eye contact, which isn't even a universal for good communication. Autistic people often find it HARDER to listen when eye contact is forced. BECAUSE THEIR TRAIN OF THOUGHT IS EXPENDED ON EYE CONTACT! That plus the fact that it isn't even natural eye contact - not only is everyone looking below the camera, but everyone is looking at everyone! People are uncomfortable in their own homes, and you'll often have to screen-share, and often SHOW THE CLASS OR BUSINESS MEETING YOUR FUCKING DOWNLOADS FOLDER! I hope you don't have any obscure fetishes that are legal but could make you subject to judgement! ZOOM and its requirements mean people are also designing computers around these kinds of video calls - at the expense of things like animation rendering time, audio performance, etc., meaning people with these hobbies have to shell out more. My Mom's $1000 PC Laptop could barely handle Ableton Live when she wanted some audio software on it! I wouldn't dare try Maya on it even if she begged me to install it. But it runs Zoom no problem.

Seventh - "indefinitely". This word seemed to have regained its original meaning of "until possible further notice overnight. Everywhere was closed indefinitely - a term that semantically now means "infinitely" or "permanently". If Chili's closes indefinitely, to my eyes and ears and brain between them, that means THERE AIN'T GONNA BE NO MORE CHILI'S! News organizations generally avoid ambiguous language like this - so why use it? Well, in addition to introducing those new terms, there might have been an attempt to get people used to more academic language. This might sound like a contradiction of my first point, but it actually amplifies it. SARS-COV-2 is distinct from SARS-COV-1, despite both being the same species! It fits into the same philosophy that educated people ought to say "man" or "woman" instead of "person" because even a deductive analysis of a dictionary can justify this idea that anything a man or woman does will inevitably be colored by their gender. Similarly, while descriptive dictionaries like Webster's will put the "infinite" definition of "indefinite" first, the prescriptive ones like American Heritage or Oxford will put the definition of "vague" or "without a fixed or known end" first - and you're expected as an educated person to just know that.

Eighth, the entire situation has forced people to spend more time around doctors' offices. Half of everyone I know is on some sort of psych med now. People are being pushed on Rybelsis or Ozempic for weight loss and paying for it with the size effects. People are giving up hobbies and interest they love because a therapist told them that using tech for entertainment was an unhealthy addiction, or that women being aggressive was destructive to your very synapses - and just noping out of friendships left and right. It's not respectable to be a gamer anymore. Tech is for ZOOM.

You also have to remember that a certain country that makes the vast majority of game systems once banned most game systems from domestic sale.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHY I'M SMARTER THAN TAXI

But I've heard of people hacking for 36 hours straight, but the boring stuff you do in school under the name passion. To decide what to optimize, just log into a server and see what's consuming all the CPU. The malaise you feel is the same that a producer of reality TV shows or a tobacco industry executive feels. You can't just treat a patient's symptoms. Meet such investors last if at all. But coming up with good ideas will increasingly have an edge over 50 year olds with powerful connections. The phrase personal computer is part of the language.

While you shouldn't chase high valuations, you also don't want your valuation to be set artificially low because the first investor you've closed, then this could be the tipping point of fundraising. But they're a good model for the early phases. I told them it would be a Lisp interpreter in the less powerful language? And practically all startups, even the most general statistical sampling can be very cheap to launch a Web-based application anywhere. That never works unless you have a monopoly or cartel to enforce it, and they're thus able to excuse themselves by saying that technology was going to increase productivity dramatically. They had some good hackers, and b since you come into the new domain totally ignorant, you don't have to try very hard to kill. Made-up startup ideas are usually of the first type. When I said I was speaking at a high valuation, and the rate at which reputation spreads by word of mouth. If you do that, you get everyone else simply by letting them in. But if you're trying to avoid. At YC we call these made-up or sitcom startup ideas.

Lowering your price is a backup plan you resort to when you discover you've let the price get set too high to close all the money change hands at the closing. Software and content blur together in some of the most interesting of the lot. What would they like to take about 30% of a company they've funded. If you want to wait for Python to evolve the rest of Lisp out of it. But it's probably not that dangerous to start worrying too early that you're default dead, we probably need to talk about what has to happen between now and wiring the money, what should your valuation be? That sends two useful signals to investors: that you're doing well. The other is that you're bored. If the company is default alive or default dead, whereas it's very dangerous to start worrying too early that you're default dead, we probably need to talk about what has to happen between now and wiring the money, and yet the founders work harder than employees. And he'd be right, except that things will change a lot. I don't expect Microsoft to go all the way to go. You certainly don't have freedom: no boss is so demanding. When you install software on your desktop computer, you end up doing well, they'll often invest in phase 3.

If you have additional expenses, like manufacturing, add in those at the end of the wedge here was Web-based application for free, and yet the founders work harder than employees. Institutional investors have people in charge of the taxi line. He did as a theoretical exercise—an effort to define a more convenient alternative to the Turing Machine. Statues to be cast in bronze were modelled in wax. When I was in high school: what you want to start a new channel. I did be satisfied by merely doing well in school. When I was in college in the mid twentieth century as a golden age. You know that you're shipping something loaded with bugs, and then all the others would sign the same documents and all the money change hands at the closing. Even the most radically open-minded of us mostly do that. If they decide later that they want to meet and chat, but investors never just want to find startup ideas, you might do better to say initially that you're raising $250k doesn't limit you to raising that much. To make something good, you seem to be unusually smart, and C is a pretty low-level one. If you only need a browser for a client, if they could, is wait.

[zenruption]

Creating an Office Space That Inspires

Pexels - CCO Licence

So, you’ve assembled a crack team and your business is humming along nicely, what’s missing? An office space that inspires, of course! Now, creating an office space that inspires is no small task, but don’t worry, we've got your back. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the magical world of commercial office spaces that spark creativity, collaboration, and productivity.

1. Layout: The Backbone of Your Office

The layout of your office is like the backbone of your workspace, so before you bring in the commercial construction company, you should think seriously about the lay of the land, so to speak. It is what holds everything together. Think about how your team works best. Do they need private areas for focused work? Collaborative spaces for brainstorming sessions? Or perhaps a mix of both? The right layout can foster a natural workflow, making every workday feel like a breeze.

2. Natural Light: Your Secret Weapon

Never underestimate the power of natural light. It's like nature's energy drink, making everyone feel more awake, focused, and happier. So, throw open those blinds, let the sun pour in, and watch as your office transforms into a vibrant hub of creativity.

3. Color Psychology: More Than Just A Pretty Palette

Believe it or not, the colors you choose for your office can affect your team's mood and productivity. For example, blue is known for its calming effects, while yellow can stimulate creativity. So, ditch the dull beige and add a splash of color to your workspace.

Pexels - CCO Licence

4. Greenery: Bring the Outdoors In

Research shows that having plants in the office can reduce stress and increase productivity. So, why not transform your office into a mini indoor jungle? Add some potted plants, hang a few ferns, or if you're feeling bold, install a living wall. Your team (and their lungs) will thank you.

5. Breakout Spaces: Not Just for Lunch 

Breakout spaces are no longer just for lunch breaks. They're versatile spaces where team members can escape from their desks, hold informal meetings, or simply recharge their batteries. Furnish these spaces with comfortable seating, soothing lighting, and even a few brain-stimulating games.

6. Personalization: Let Your Brand Shine

Your office design can play a huge role in how your brand is thought of. So, be sure to get your brand personality shine through your office design. Whether it's quirky art pieces, motivational quotes, or a bold color scheme, your office should be a physical embodiment of your brand's ethos and values.

7. Technology: Foster Efficiency and Innovation

In our modern age, the technology and tools you provide can make a substantial difference in your business efficiency and creativity. From high-speed internet and advanced software to ergonomically designed furniture and smart lighting systems, every tool in your office should aim to simplify tasks, boost productivity, and foster innovation. After all, a well-equipped workspace can inspire your team to work smarter, not harder.

And there you have it, folks! Creating an office space that inspires isn't about having the most extravagant furniture or the flashiest tech. It's about creating an environment where your team feels comfortable, motivated, and inspired. So, dream big, plan well, and create a work space that really does work.

[ultramaga]

Coding in assembly is fantastically efficient but I don't get the "run on most machines" part there. If anything, the reason scripting languages got so popular for gaming was that the abstraction let them run on most machines, at the cost of slowing everything down and making it less stable. There was always a push to upgrade to be able to play the newer games. Mind you, the problem was that the older games became harder to play. Space invaders, for example, relied on the load on the cpu to slow everything down. The enemy got faster as you reduced the numbers of things it had to deal with, not because it was coded to go faster. I bought Age of Mythology, Extended Edition, recently. It was unplayable. Why? Because when they remastered it, they didn't think to throttle it down for modern hardware. The sad thing is I used to use Dosbox a lot to play older games, which emulated the early operating system environment, and it let you throttle the speeds way down. That is good to get new players a feel of the game, but it also benefits older/disabled players, who can have a lot of trouble with the newer titles.

But yes, the ability to play demos of games is amazing and it is sad that now everyone pays in advance, and then you get a torrent of complains on launch. Starfield has had scathing reviews, but the pre-orders were enormous, so it doesn't matter if it is dull. It has already made the money. The worst example was Fallout 76. That sold on the reputation of earlier titles but it was a bloody mess on launch, and there was no real warning from early players. Same happened with another procedurally generated Starfield type game. Endless hours of tedium. I can't even remember its name. Huge hype, gets released, people get to see that the giant golden mountain is just tinfoil covered in a thin coat of paint. But yeah I play fallout 4 a lot, and I keep track of the way it uses system resources. It crashes a lot, but I can see it's not really putting much of a load on the system, except when it suddenly decides to overload the gpu when zoning. The explanation for why it behaved so poorly was that it was made for console, the pc port was an afterthought, and they couldn't be stuffed fixing bugs. Ever. Sims 4 had TWO LAYERS of DRM, to stop you from playing it if they decided you shouldn't because you voted for Trump or was a straight white male or whatever. You had to authenticate through Steam, then their own proprietary software, to play you single player game on your hardware. It would fail at weird moments, or tell you it had deleted your files because you must be pirating stuff or something. I never did, and it never told me what it was deleting. It would also randomly break mods, and it turned out on of the reasons was that it would download the expansions regardless of whether you paid for them, but lock out access. Mods worked by relying on knowing what they were linked to, and for them to stupidly assume every player would buy every expansion was idiotic beyond belief, and it robbed the online library of usefulness, because anything built in the past would be broken automatically. You couldn't simply filter the houses for ones that were compatible. You were supposed to buy every damn thing, and you were supposed to only use every new thing, and I noticed a lot of long running youtubers were looking to jump ship to a competitor the second one became available. People would do play-throughs from the earlier games in the sims series to show just how much better they were AS GAMES, so long as you ignore the dated graphics. But yeah, the recent debacle about Az and Starfield shows why I am incredibly wary of all the new games.

They are far more interested in putting dicks on girls and making everyone ugly than they are in making a good game.

[aeolian-mode]

On AI Art: A Rant

In light of DeviantArt's recent discussion post, I wrote this comment and I want to share it here as well to help spread awareness of this issue.

AI is trained on the theft of intellectual property. 99% of AI grabs images from everywhere, all over the internet, indiscriminately. Rather than allowing an artist to opt-in to their work being turned into Frankenstein's Monster abominations, our agency is taken from us as our work is cannibalized. People who train AI on specific images also have the audacity to ask credit for it.

We have seen this happen to an artist posthumously. An AI was trained on Kim Jung Gi's passionate work and cannibalized into a grotesque desecration of his art- and the person responsible for doing so asked for credit for it. This is beyond unethical. It reduces an artist's hard work as "content" to be consumed, divorcing his soul from the images he made for us to enjoy. (Source: https://twitter.com/JoelCHoltzman/status/1578370621519835137 )

To a lesser degree- beyond issues of consent and theft of property- AI generated images have been submitted to art contests- and won- against human competitors. This is also unethical, because a human should not unknowingly compete against a computer algorithm. (source: https://twitter.com/GenelJumalon/status/1564651635602853889)

The "agency" someone has in submitting a few text prompts into a piece of software does not compete, and should not compete, with someone who has spent their whole lives training to understand art and create images that tell stories, entertain audiences, and display their human passion and creativity.

AI allows a world where art is stolen- without credit or proper sources- to anyone and everyone who, lacking ethics, will take credit for it. It defaces the work of artists both living and deceased. This is the same thing as tracing, but somehow worse, because now it's harder for the average person to detect a computer-generated image from a human-created one.

Skilled artists can detect theft and traced work by simply looking at someone's portfolio at large and comparing their work against itself by detecting inconsistencies in style. It is harder to do this with AI unless you know what sorts of distortions to look for- and as AI improves, these distortions will also be harder to detect.

We should not allow a platform for this.

At the very least, AI images need to be enforced and categorized in such a way that it can be blocked by anyone who does not wish to see it.

If you wish to use AI ethically, the only way to do so is by training it on open source images, or images in which an artist has opted-in with express consent, and communicates that it is an AI generated image. Ideally, AI software will also source its work and provide a database of links to every image it has been trained with. The onus is on AI engineers to develop this.

And the onus is on the average user to use this software honestly and ethically. Unfortunately, there's a growing and vocal percentage of AI "art" defenders who are not interested in behaving ethically.

I am disappointed in DA for making this centrist middle-of-the-road argument. In its attempt to not offend anyone in either camp, it has established that it doesn't care about artists being exploited. There is a "right" stand to take here. DA didn't take it.

[mage-and-the-tantrums]

I'm alright

It has been so long, again, since I last wrote. This time it is the other way around; I had opened my notebook, trying to sort this mess out. I kept scribbling and I failed to make any sense or cast any light unto why I feel this horrible. I went for a page, writing the tale I know, the tale that left so many scars. I told myself I will stand up for myself and never let myself bullied ever again. This time, I am not very sure whether I am overreacting or not. And to be honest, I do not care anymore.

Let me say it for the umpteenth time, here and now, for me above all, and for everyone reading up to this point; you're better off your toxic "friends". When you feel like you don't matter, or you are not respected, or you are made fun off, there is at least some truth in those feelings. People are not programmed software that will behave exactly the way you expect them to, I perfectly get that. But I know abuse, and I know what being made fun off feels like. I know exploitation and ill intentions. The people I used to call my friends are strategic, calculated, ill-spoken and insensitive, among other good things I simply do not care about anymore. Even when I reached out, I got completely blocked. For instance, when I shared twice with two of the people I thought I was closest to, they sat there and listened, with practically no fuckin word, zilch. On the contrary, when they happen to share something, which was basically something troubling them, I try to at least sooth them. Again, this is not me telling you I am a better human being, or I have a superior morale. This is me outlining the stark difference of what has become a very tedious set of relationships to maintain.

I will not bitch about details anymore. Every time I do I end up feeling more bitter and enraged. The last thing that happened is two of them coming up with ugly nicknames for me. I simply picked up myself from the ground and left the café.

I know how they are going to explain it to the others; that I am over-sensitive, and that I might be going through a rough patch, and that is why I am overreacting. The best part, yet again, is that I don't care anymore.

More importantly, what I care about is why I feel this empty and sad. It is like I have been run down by a truck, so deflated, and yet so burdened. I know, for quite the period now, that people I sit with daily are not "friends", and they add little to none to myself. On the contrary, it feels like an emotional tax I need to pay just so I won't be completely alone in this country. Little do I know that being alone is better than being with people who make you feel bad about yourself. And little did I know that leaving that circle does not mean being alone. I keep coming back, for whatever reason. Maybe for convenience, or because it is the easier thing to do. I take no pride in spending that much time with calculated people with whom I share so little.

At home, everyone is holding a smartphone. Not that I should be the one to complain because I am all the time on my laptop, basically coding. The thing I hate about social media is once you give in, it is like shifting sands, always swallowing what's left of you. Both my parents are always on Facebook, and my siblings on YouTube. They are beyond help in my opinion, because it is becoming even harder to talk to them by the day. Sometimes they would pull off a smartphone in the middle of a conversation, and that shit drives me off completely.

Maybe I pay too much attention to irrelevant details, and that is why I am struggling so far and so repetitively with so many people around me. Maybe I had become toxic myself, or very hard to live with. Maybe there is something deeply flawed within me, maybe I don't have enough thick skin. Or maybe, I am being gas-lighted. But I know, I know how fucked up my family is, I know how rotten the relationship between my parents have been since they knew each other, and how badly it is affecting all of us. I know how the people I sit with daily are manipulative, as they won't shy away from asking any favour. I know how calculated they are, towards me and towards other people. I know how dishonest they are, and I know how they try to belittle me, how little they cheer for me, and how I found absolutely no one when I needed support, even when I had sought it actively. How they criticise my life, from body-shaming to expressing their disdain of rock and roll, and everything in between. When it all adds up, I find myself broke, with no assets, and completely broken, in a country I thought would heal me.

I had written posts like this before, I had said that I am so done with this gang. And yet I go back to the merry-go-round for a period, only to feel so dizzy, get off and throw up. I want it to stop because it is so tiring, and equally degrading. I don't want to feel little of myself, and I don't want to be the dog that would find its way back to the fuckin horde, no matter the consequences. But there is a subtlety in which lays the whole difference; even during the same crisis that took place exactly one year ago, in which I came to the unmistakable conclusion that the person who I thought to be my best friend was as calculated and as careless as they come. It was about one person mainly. But this is about "nearly" the rest of them. I simply do not care anymore and to be honest, I feel like I am cutting off dead weight. It hurts, but I am sure it will begin to feel better in a while. Just like smoking, which I picked up in this gang for the record.

I also remember when it was simpler and purer. I remember a distant time when I took pride in being a member of that same circle. I remember when it was way less complicated, and when it felt way better.

And I also know that I did not chose these struggles, and that some of them render me completely alone and isolated because there are some things I could never talk about here or with anyone. But it is my responsibility to cope, and to manage, in a way that preserves my interests.

Why is it this hard

None of them is real so don't believe me They are in their Halloween costumes all year long In graveyards, living dead If you are with them for a while, impossible for you to leave unscathed And despite that, I am alright Do not believe me when I tell you I sleep (I don't) You're not the only one to day-dream With your mind off, holding talk in your chest.

Shahyn - Ana Tamam