astralarya

[astralarya]

Caring for a piercing is a good life lesson

[astralarya]

Inside of you are two wolves. One wants to work obsessively. The other wants to get high and watch porn all day.

I'm addicted to drugs, porn, and work.

[astralarya]

When I brought back my parents’ old dog Lucy after watching her for a summer, she was so happy to see them she danced in circles. I wish I could have captured that moment so badly

OK I now understand why photographers and fisherman stereotypically badger uninterested people with the story of “the one that got away”, because I just stood motionless for fifteen full minutes tracking a stork with my long lens, waiting for him to try and grab a fish, and then literally the moment I turned the camera off and gave up, he dove and speared one. Little fucker.

[astralarya]

TFW you make a big mess or a horrible mistake and then wake up to realize it was all a dream

[astralarya]

TFW you write a story so depraved it’s simultaneously the best and most embarrassing thing you’ve ever written

[astralarya]

I'm addicted to drugs, porn, and work.

[astralarya]

If you don't post, do you even exist?

[astralarya]

My queue modally has 0 posts in it per day, but I consistently use it because I need to hide the degen hours when I make my poasts.

[astralarya]

This reminds me of the bill in California to add speed governors to cars that would forcibly limit them to go <10 miles above the speed limit had the a bunch of tearful people carted out to cry about how their loved ones were killed by cars.

Never mind that what is really killing people is the prevalence of stroads where even just the speed limit is terrifyingly fast. Those same people should have been campaigning for protected pedestrian walkways and crossings.

I think I'm about at my limit with "young person dies, parents become public advocates for something related to their death". Even in the cases where they're right on the merits, I just don't want to live in a world where people take this kind of thing seriously.

[astralarya]

While looking for other musicians to collaborate with I keep finding people who, if given the choice to trade something valuable for musical ability would clearly do it in a heartbeat. That something just can’t be time and attention.

[astralarya]

i'm literally the priest's favorite sacrificial lamb because i am so docile and sweet and i hold very still when they put the rope around my neck and i trot along so happily while they lead me to the altar and they do not even have to tie me down because i lie so very still and only bleat once or twice in my lovely lamb voice and when the knife comes down it cuts through me like butter and i offer no resistance and i bleed so prettily all over my new white wool and my guts all unspool like the most beautiful shining yarn and my eyes are animal and dumb and hold no accusation and every time i die i come right back as another little lamb because the priest loves me so so much and he always chooses me for the sacrifice every time and he always places one hand on my small and twitching nose to calm me while he lifts the knife and he doesn't do it for the other lambs only me because i'm his favorite

[astralarya]

I clicked on some Tumblr live streams just to see how they were, and they are so boring and disappointing.

[astralarya]

This is a frustratingly persistent problem in pop-science articles (which is what I assume you mean). For a second I was confused because science articles to me usually means published peer-reviewed scientific research papers, which qualify and quantify their statements with probabilities to the point that…they aren't that popular :(

don't like how science articles say things without putting a probability on it, but in particular I dislike it when archaeology or far-past evolutionary history does it

[astralarya]

This song is so beautiful. I've been wanting to expand my understanding of non-Western musical traditions but have not had a goal to strive towards. This song (or raga more precisely) has given me a much needed shot of inspiration. Props to your dad on finding this!

I've been trawling the internet since in search of resources to learn more. This website has a great introduction to the fundamentals of Indian Classical music:

Here is a fantastic breakdown and analysis of the raga specifically, with notation and links to recordings:

I was also able to find this video, which seems to be an in-depth tutorial:

But it's in Hindi! Which I cannot understand! Alas! I am able to somewhat follow along. Even still, if anyone were able to translate this, I would be immensely grateful.

On the family chat, my dad said he is learning to play the violin. At first I thought he meant he wanted to play like bluegrass music, since he has always been a fan, but it turns out he wants to play this.

[astralarya]

Sign Language is Useful for Everyone

ASL is an amazing language, and everyone should learn it (or another sign language). So much utility, even for hearing people! Talk in loud environments. Talk across rooms. Talk without being disruptive. It’s just great fun and a wonderful way to converse.

Linguistically, it is a fascinating language, with “conjugations” having the ability to use spatial information to modify meaning—a trait unique to sign languages.

There is a lot of great free content online. Here is my recommended learning path for those who are interested:

Learn the alphabet/fingerspelling. There are a plethora of free lessons on this topic, so pick what clicks best for your brain. Not only should you practice fingerspelling, it is important to practice receptive fingerspelling, ie. reading and understanding other people fingerspelling. I myself still struggle with receptive fingerspelling despite having practiced a lot, so don’t sweat it if you struggle! Once you know the letters move onto step 2, but keep coming back to work on receptive fingerspelling. Receptive fingerspelling practice (shout out @serinemolecule for getting me into these): * Dr. Bill Vicar's Receptive Fingerspelling Practice * Handspeak Receptive Fingerspelling Practice

Learn the basic signs. If videos work well for your brain, see this playlist of educational videos for hearing people created by interpreters. If you are not video-brained, feel free to move on to the second half of this step. The goal is to (eventually) learn all the signs for words in Basic English, linguistically important words for communication. Reference this list of words and at your leisure choose words and search the web for “asl [word]”. Lifeprint and Handspeak are both excellent dictionaries and you can teach yourself all the important signs you need to know this way. You really only need to know the signs for "how" "sign" + fingerspelling, and "what" "meaning" + mimic sign + read fingerspelling to move onto step 3. These are the bootstraps with which to pull yourself up.

Start learning by doing. Go to a ASL meetup in your area. It is intimidating at first, but the deaf community is extremely welcoming of those who are willing to come and learn. If there are no meetups in your area (or you want even more practice), here are some online communities: * American Sign Language Discord * Sign Language Forum You also can begin consuming some of the best quality content in the space: ASL education taught in sign. * ASL University Lessons * American Sign Language (ASL) "The ASL University Playlist"

I think the general strategy of 1) alphabet 2) basic words / bootstrap phrases 3) conversation, is a great way to learn any language. Push yourself to get to conversation as quickly as possible—avoid chasing perfection at earlier stages. Conversation is what will make the basics stick.

[astralarya]

hey how come you're so cool and talented

Yeah? Well, you know, that's just like uh, your opinion, man.

[astralarya]

This in reverse is not too far off from what a diffusion model is doing.

Dan Hays Colorado Snow Effect 4 (with detail) 2007, oil on canvas