I have completed and published the 10th scene of my web serial, Watchmirror. I completed a poster for my room in a new style, and did some art for that same web serial.
Michelle_Z
Karma: 754
Yes. A number of people can recall a giant 6ft stuffed animal crocodile attacking Lachouette’s head. There are plushies everywhere!
Any advice for someone who might be moving from the east coast to the west in the next year and a half?
I’m currently writing a fantasy novel. I plan on turning it into a web serial once I get enough of it written that I’m confident I won’t fall behind in posting. So far I have 30,000 words written and have 90% of the book plotted out in detail. I don’t have any specific goals for this project beyond wanting to finish it. I suppose when I put it up online, I will allow people to donate, but I don’t really expect it to get that many reviews/etc. It’s for my own pleasure, more or less. This is the prologue, if anyone is interested.
I am working on two workshops for my college’s THINK chapter. One is on procrastination and the other is on learning techniques. The one on learning techniques has been completely outlined. I’m working on adding exercises that groups can do (it is a workshop, not a lecture.) The other only has a loose outline of what I want to cover.
I’m determining where I want to go for graduate school. I want to help with research in immortality and life extension, so I’m looking up researchers and research done in those fields to try to see where I should go, and if I have the grades/experience to get in those universities.
I’ve read it.
I feel my own judgement is suspect on this occasion. I don’t know. I want to help her and she’s alternating between being incredibly blase and being furious with me. It’s not like I can just point her at some books to read, because her and my dad don’t like to read. And the things that convinced me, my parents regard as rubbish or nonsense and get-your-head-out-of-space-go-get-married-and-be-normal-goddamnit!
If I continue to pursue this, either the relationship between my parents and I will suffer and they won’t choose to freeze themselves, or they’ll choose to freeze themselves and our relationship won’t suffer. Large risk, large benefit.
My other consideration is to attempt to be subtle, plant the seeds in their heads that give them the sense that maybe the world doesn’t work how they think it does (I managed to convince my dad that the earth was old and that dinosaurs did not roam the earth with humans this way, so it has some merit.)
After dealing with the effects of bad procrastination over fall semester, I started working on anti-akrasia techniques last week. So far, it seems to be working.
But if you actually cared about saving lives in general, you would apply your effort where it is more likely to pay off.
I already am. This is in addition to that.
It is definitely a good idea to talk to her about what selfish means, because my mother and I have differing views on what is selfish and what is not.
They weren’t arguing that it wouldn’t work. They think that being revived is selfish, that spending money on having your head frozen is selfish, and my mom says she wants to die. The old death=good cached thought seems to be one of the main driving factors. She also said there’d be no place for her in the future, that the world might be inconceivably different and strange, and that she would be unable to deal with it.
When I explained that some thousand people have done it, and a lot more are signed up, she said that was only “insane rich eccentrics” and when I explained that ordinary people do it, she said some nasty things about those people, along the lines of calling them nuts.
My main question was related towards figuring out if I should keep pursuing it, and try to change their minds, or if I should respect their wishes. I don’t know what the right thing to do in this situation is- because saving lives is very important, but respecting others’ rights is also pretty important. But the difficulty of this situation is compounded, because I’m angry with her and I don’t want to give up because I’m angry.
I did self help before I joined lesswrong, and had almost no results. I’d partially attribute Lesswrong to changing me in ways such that I switched my major from graphic design to biology, in an effort to help people through research. I’ve also gotten involved in effective altruism in my community, starting the local THINK club for my college, which is donating money to various (effective) charities. I have a lovely group of friends from the Lesswrong study hall who have been tremendously supportive and fun to be around. There are a number of other small things, like learning about melatonin, which fixed my insomnia...etc. but those are more of a result of being around people who are knowledgeable of such things, not necessarily lesswrong-people.
In short, yes, it is helpful.
I want my family to be around in the far future, but they aren’t interested. Is that selfish? I’m not sure what I should do, or if I should even do anything.
I raised money for AMF by running a fundraiser at my school.
I think it’s the latter.
I haven’t heard much about that. Links?
For the overpopulation problem: stop having kids.
Dumbledore placed a ward on Hermione that alerted him to any “hostile magic” or “evil spirit” that touched her. Someone either got very lucky, or knew about the wards.
The man sitting on the grass fell over, his head impacting the ground with a light thud. At the same time the sense of doom diminished so sharply that Harry leapt to his feet, his heart suddenly in his throat.
Doesn’t look too good for Quirrell.
Thanks! I’ll check that out.
That’s a good idea. I could try to advertise it that way, since I’m having major issues finding a single person at my college interested in effective altruism. I might be wrong, but do you think it would be harder to get people interested in rationality, or to get them interested in effective altruism? My priors tell me that charity > rationalism in many people’s minds, but I’m not sure.
EDIT: I decided to go with the rationality club idea. There’s no real advantage in my original plan compared to opening a THINK club, which is basically the same idea except I can do more fun things with it. Thanks for the advice!
This looks very useful! Thank you!
I made a website featuring my artwork and re-opened my freelance art business. I already have people asking about commissions! Yay!
I’ve written 12 chapters of my web serial, Watchmirror, over the course of the summer, and it recently topped 2000 page views. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was way more than I ever expected.