Thankful for 2022

Non-exhaustive/unsorted list of things I'm thankful for this year: No new family deaths, no estrangements, still got my health, still got my long-term friend/housemate (despite wanting to move this summer to escape the rent mill), still got my other long-term friend in Utah to visit and chat with, still financially well enough despite the markets to keep doing my own thing and be more generous than last year at the same time, seeing a couple great vtuber revivals and another 3-sister collab, meeting Coyo / コヨちゃん and all the fun (and some worry) that has brought, regaining some ability/motivation to write things and subject myself to more (hopefully) strengthening stresses, not succumbing to certain things, learning more new things again despite slowly and despite many more to go / take up again, some good books, at least one really good game, can still program my way out of a paper bag just fine, have been able to travel (and just committed to one more big jaunt next month), several quality-of-life upgrades for my computer room I spend too much time in, and that I remain alive in relative comfort.

I hope those dealing with their own tragedies or just minor struggles this year can find something to be grateful for too. It's no good to dwell all the time on the negatives.

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The allure of within our lifetime

More discussions lately on the webs around for lack of a better shorthand Singularity Pessimism. Thought I'd write down some ramblings to look back on later. A while ago the joking-but-no-we're-serious "die with dignity" piece came out, MIRI essentially raising a white flag to oblivion of humanity at the hands of unaligned AGI.

They've certainly thought about it a lot more than me. I remain in my not too sure state about whether we could in fact muddle through somehow. But while I have absorbed some of the pessimism, I think it's probably harmful overall.

"We'll have to work faster" was once a condolence in the face of death. The world death clock still stands at 1.8 per second after many years of global progress. This is unacceptable, and reducing this value to 0 should be a fiery motivator, especially for young people with a lot of talent.

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