HNHacker News
TopNewBestAskShowJobs

helveticaman

1,087 karma · joined March 29, 2008

submissionscomments
helveticaman··on Ask HN: why do linkedin urls contain *1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1 ..?
Maybe someone was slightly too clever, too clever by half, or not clever at all.
helveticaman··on 60 Minutes: Elon Musk and SpaceX [video]
> part of why
helveticaman··on 60 Minutes: Elon Musk and SpaceX [video]
No, the electronics involved are more efficient at lower temperatures, which is part of why you see more solar power in places like Germany.
helveticaman··on "230%" electrically-ultra-efficient LED from MIT
"However, while MIT's diode puts out more than twice as much energy in photons as it's fed in electrons, it doesn't violate the conservation of energy because it appears to draw in heat energy from its surroundings instead."

This actually sounds legit. Keep in mind, 69 picowatts is next to nothing, so it's anybody's guess whether this will scale.

helveticaman··on Ask HN: What will reduce ADHD
Ritalin taker here. The other day I was on vitamin R and noticed for a twentieth of a second that someone started a vacuum cleaner while I was focussing on something boring. Ten minutes later I was still going strong and notice that so is the vacuum cleaner.

It's strong stuff.

helveticaman··on Pretty Lisp
Sacrilege!
helveticaman··on Building data structures that are smaller than an array and faster (in C)
(particularly in the “refine” and “access” methods, where utilizing the popcnt SSE4.2 instruction would no doubt have a massive impact on performance.

)

helveticaman··on Ask HN: I'm motivated to do my 10,000+ hours, but...
23, ADD, coder here.

Two things: first, by all means put in the work to find an ADD regimen that works. It makes a huge difference. I now take Strattera (60 mg) and Ritalin (80 mg), but had to slough through a lot of duds (maybe 5 different ones) to get there. I experienced a huge difference between amphetamine and non-amphetamine stimulants.

More pertin made a gigantic difference for me was fish oil (the kind you buy in softgels). I talked to my psych about using a lot of fish oil (10+ pills a day) and he said, sure. I started learning all kinds of skills much, much faster. Like 5x faster.

So, one really easy thing you can do is talk about different stimulant and fish oil with your psychiatrist.

helveticaman··on How I Deal with Sexual Discrimination in a Positive Way?
You're presenting a false dichotomy between staying completely silent and putting something on the internet. A victim can limit him/herself to talking to the police, his/her community, HR, the principal, his/her friends, his/her acquaintances, etc. The victim can also blog about it once the accused party is found guilty. Until then, putting something like this in writing is considered "bad" (if it's false), broadly speaking, by society, which is the reason behind libel laws.

> As to your "shit like this shouldn't be blogged about" comment,

He didn't write what you quoted.

> Are you SERIOUSLY suggesting that victims of sexual discrimination stay silent?

No, he's not.

helveticaman··on Ask HN: Is this the right paid?
I'd add the only caveat is that bouncing around too much (like never holding a job down for more than a year, doesn't sound like you) can turn people off.
helveticaman··on Missouri Tells Judges Cost of Sentences
You can probably subsidize the travel with part of the savings.
helveticaman··on Would You Unschool Your Child?
But everyone can afford a computer that is very powerful by historic standards.
helveticaman··on San Francisco Values
> We value opportunity. San Francisco’s first boom was when gold was discovered. Its next was the web. We find new opportunities and embrace them with gusto. That’s why most of the sites you visit every day started within 100 miles of here.

No booms between the 1850s and the 1990s? Bullshit.

helveticaman··on How bathroom posture affects your health.
Seed funds didn't exist in the 50s.
helveticaman··on How a call girl can earn far more by actually working far less
But that's just like buying a woman dinner. It's arguably about sharing a gift and having an experience. Money is a (perhaps small) step further.
helveticaman··on Wikileaks founder Julian Assange accused of rape
Yeah, groups in California tried to frame John Steinbeck for rape during the depression.
helveticaman··on I'm not real because my facebook profile is private
Some people lead more interesting lives than others.
helveticaman··on Ask HN: List everything you know that is good/bad for our brains.
I take it mercury-free pill form.
helveticaman··on 4Food: Restaurant adds game mechanics to lunch
256? As permutations go, that's nothing.
helveticaman··on How to get a Pilot's License in (just about) a week
Probably worth it east of the Mississippi, because of the hub-and-spoke model airports have.
helveticaman··on How far off am I?
Ask about grad students at a good local college.
helveticaman··on My short history of Engine Yard and my Resignation
Not all of us can go to college.
helveticaman··on Unsuck It - translate business jargon
I added innovator:

1. Douchebag without technical knowledge. 2. (Rare) In IP, a non-douchebag with techical knowledge.

helveticaman··on The shit finally hits the fan....(James Gosling on Oracle vs Google)
Although one could have a "make throwaway account" link from the account page.
helveticaman··on Burning man defeats PayPal
Use daily sweep.
helveticaman··on VC Insanity: How the economics of venture funds explain the crazy things VCs do
Some hedge funds have reduced the maintenance fee and increased the carry because they could count on continuing success.
helveticaman··on How far off am I?
This shit takes years, man. I started 3.5 years ago and couldn't do shit for the first year and a half. Then I got a tutor who got me set up right, and I could sometimes do stuff. Then, three years into this, I started taking off.

I will point out, however, that I decided to go straight into Lisp.

helveticaman··on A micro manual for Lisp - Not the whole truth (McCarthy, 1978)
This is the first time I see a file, decide not to download it because I think it is a pdf, then see it is a [scribd] and then decide to go ahead.
helveticaman··on Ask HN: List everything you know that is good/bad for our brains.
Mercury is really bad for your brain. It inhibits myelin production, which is the mechanism by which people learn and develop skills. Mercury is found in all aquatic animals, which is why I stay away from all of them.
helveticaman··on Ask HN: The best university degree(s) for a budding entrepreneur/engineer?
I went to Stanford thinking it would be the best decision. It turned out to be a terrible decision, and set me back years. The best-laid plans...
Page 1 of 21Next →