AMA with Virginiá

[Virginiá]

Please help engorge my ego by asking me questions

[Virginiá]

Why do you hate me

i only hate you in a few alternate realities

[Virginiá]

Favorite movie?

Best and worst thing about Florida?

Interstellar for now. I still can't get over the amazing visuals and also that the enlisted help of scientists led to algorithms for generating realistic black hole images (if you were an observer):




Light from stars in the background bends around the black hole, and is stretched out due to the Doppler effect, so it doesn't appear as bright.

It's less flashy than the original bright images of the black hole, but still really cool.


----------------------------

I really hate that I have to say something good about Florida, so I guess I'll say that the beaches are nice, even though I live in an area with few worthwhile beaches* (lol).

The worst thing about Florida is https://www.reddit.com/r/FloridaMan/

FL wouldn't be shamed on such a regular basis if the state didn't have such strong sunshine laws imo. I like the idea of transparency but I'm against shaming criminals in most instances too. If you get arrested here, your mugshot will appear online very quickly. Terrible for the job/life prospects of someone who gets arrested for even minor crimes.


* I didn't notice until I nearly hit Post but I wrote "bitches" instead of "beaches" twice?

[Virginiá]

Would you consider joining mine and Siren's book club if we actually got it up to speed?

If you guys do a post-apocalyptic -OR- future sci-fi story that involves first contact (or something). I love those kinds of books. I don't like reading political stuff tbh. In fact I rarely read books anymore (but read insane amounts of news, tech stuff, etc online)

I think I'm losing interest in politics tbh

Also, if you could live anywhere that's not Florida, where would it be?

In no particular order:

Colorado
Washington
Maine
Alaska


My only issue is that those don't reflect my ability to live there. Like what am I going to do, professional speaking, in Alaska? WA and CO seem like the most reasonable places to live and work comfortably. Although Seattle is rapidly becoming unaffordable...

[Virginiá]

Since you are the highest ranking person after Dave (I think) how annoying are we, the users of the forum?

I'm not too judgey of people here, besides trolls like Limo and the usual bigots.

I've learned a great deal since I joined here and I value the opinions of a lot of you guys

Are you single?

yes

[Virginiá]

You ever land that cyber security career? If not, what do you do?

I do IT work for the healthcare industry. It's hard to find interesting jobs in software development around where I live, besides defense contractors, so I'm doing something mildly interesting that pays OK until I figure out my next steps.

I don't know if I want to do cybersecurity either. I like making things, and a lot of cyber sec isn't that. If I had to describe it, it's probably better to say managing than creating. Plus I'm not nerdy enough to get into cryptography or vulnerability analysis either, which is really near the heart of the industry.

Plus I think there is a fairly good chance AI displaces a lot of jobs in that area once protecting large networks gets too complicated for human operators to navigate effectively.

[Virginiá]

Follow-up question: since like sci-fi, do you watch The Orville?

Nope. tbh I like serious shows / drama / etc. Movies like Avengers: Infinity War are as far as I want to go comedy-wise. My ideal shows/movies are The Walking Dead, The Expanse, War Of The Worlds (2005), Battle: Los Angeles, Prometheus, Planet Of The Apes (newest saga), etc.

I'm just no fun lol

[Virginiá]

What's your favorite instrument (to listen to or play) and why?

I can't play any but I am a sucker for acoustic guitar, piano and recently thanks to Siren, violin (re: Lindsey Stirling).

My fav genre of music though is EDM, mostly because you can get really creative with sound in ways that you just can't through your average rock or pop song. Like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXri9t8yrr4 (pretty stereotypical but epic dance music)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU0BxPUkdP0 (jam band / elements of electronic)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ULZxxRiKw (STS9 - Tokyo <-- Saw them live (Lotus too))

etc

[Virginiá]

Did you give yourself the name "Virginia," or did someone else?

I would given myself a less confusing name (when you live right next to Virginia the state) if I was doing the naming. It's my actual first name. I just thought I was being clever by using it on here.

[Virginiá]

Since you seem to be interested in space and sci-fi...what are your thoughts on the nearest habitable exoplanet to us, Proxima Centauri B, and what do you make of the odds of it being truly habitable and/or already having life on it?

A couple things:

1. Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star, which is a low-mass type star and planets have closer orbits. PC B is likely tidally locked which means one side always faces the star. Very detrimental to life, especially if that side gets too hot, resulting in a barren side with a frozen side.

2. Proxima Centauri has high solar activity and the tight orbit of PC B means exposure to pretty strong bursts of radiation. Not good for life. Although even if the sun-facing side was totally cooked, the frozen side could still develop life if it had large bodies of water and a molten core.


Interesting but doubt there is life or overwhelming potential there.

[Virginiá]

Will you vote for Michael Bennet in the Democratic primary?

Oh dear

[Virginiá]

Who do you think wins the Florida Democratic primary? I know we're like eight months away, and that things can and will shift, but if you had to guess based on the current field who would be? Who do you plan to vote for?

I feel like the field is too big and it's too far away to make an accurate prediction, but seems like a state ideal for Biden or Beto, assuming Biden doesn't gaffe or metoo his way out of the field first.

Need to see what it looks like this winter

[Virginiá]

Why do you never return my calls? 

Why haven't you returned mine?

I think you just like the ring of my phone

[Virginiá]

Why do I have to pee after I poop but I don’t have to poop after I pee?

https://www.quora.com/Why-do-we-pee-involuntarily-after-we-poop/answer/Paul-Wilson-93

The rectum and the bladder are controlled by one muscle. The figure 8 muscle called pelvic floor muscle group. Through a series of sensor nerves the brain is alerted to the need for urination or defication. Loosening one portion of this group increases the likelihood of the other part loosening also. Better explained here…

[Virginiá]

- Why do you have a DC avatar?

To express my disgust with Florida. Politics aside, I really just don't like the state for more reasons than one. But 2018's gubernatorial result was just too disappointing, especially given all of DeSantis's shortcomings and Rick Scott being a literal fraudster. Nothing matters but that magical R (or D) these days though.

- How do you find the motivation to dedicate as much effort to improving Atlas as you do, and has it been worth it?

It's usually when I start a project that I have the most, and the longer it goes on, the less I am able to motivate myself, until you get to a project like this where no less than 50% of the time it actually took to develop was actually just procrastination rearing its ugly head. I just love this community and the great people I've met in it, so it makes me want to help out when I can, and a perpetually busy Dave and a forum woefully in need of updates and new features gives a good opportunity to do something I don't otherwise do in life (create things).

I think it's been worth it. I hadn't done a big project in a long time so it gave me a chance to keep those skills from atrophying too much. I was telling someone the other day thought that it sucks because this is my biggest project since college and I can't even reference it in my portfolio without having to link to Atlas, a place where I've made literally thousands of posts, many of which I'd prefer not to potentially share with a future boss.

- What's the farthest away from home you've ev- How does victory over the forces of EHarding feel?

[/quote]

Considering he still hangs around the peripheries of Atlas like a pilot fish yet unable to ever come back, pretty good, actually.

- Favorite Disney film?

Do Marvel movies count ?

I guesssss Finding Nemo and Fantasia

[Virginiá]

Real Virginia v Fake Virginia?

define real virginia and fake virginia

[Virginiá]

What social and scientific developments give you cause for worry? Is technological development driving us apart, perhaps in the future threatening what it means to be human? Or is it a, by definition, liberating force?

One potential development that gives me pause is the increasingly effective industry of genetic manipulation. There are a lot of great things that can be done with that technology, such as curing myriad diseases, but there are also a lot of negatives too. What happens if this technology proliferates without proper controls and we develop a stratified society where the wealthy and powerful are no longer just that, but also physically and intellectually superior beyond natural means due to their access to technology that most of the world has no hope of accessing? I worry about the conflict this will bring and what paths it will introduce into humanity's evolution as a civilization.

Another is the literally unprecedented scale of control technology allows a government to have over its populace. China is probably the best example we have of this right now, but it's going to get much worse. Already there exists massive networks of cameras in public spaces that can track everyone it sees with facial recognition. Voice recognition will become more practical. Even DNA collection units in public spaces that can pluck it right out of the air when we cough. Cameras that can literally see through walls with a variety of different sensor packages, including tracking radio signals from phones or using infrared components. Microphones that are orders of magnitude more sensitive than current versions. Gigapixel-level cameras that can be deployed above cities to essentially create live streams of multiple square miles, so high resolution that you can zoom in on the screen of someone's phone. All of this really amounts to a stunning level of control and insight into society that was not even conceivable just 100 years ago. Social media alone provides an unprecedented look into the minute details of people's lives that people really take for granted.

And don't even get me started on AI. It's hard to imagine what direction that can take us in and how it will upset the balance of power in the world. I'm not really a "Skynet" machine apocalypse person, but I think the more realistic result from this is that it could lead to a reshuffling of the world power structure and possibly major wars. It's not all roses with that technology. It could be, but there is too much room for abuse.

-

I don't necessarily think the merging of man and machine is a bad thing. I'm not a transhumanist or anything, but I think if we want to become a space-faring civilization, we're probably going to have to evolve beyond what it currently means to be human - especially if faster-than-light space travel is actually not possible. But I think that if this does happen, there will always be a not-insignificant portion of society that resists that change for a long time.

[Virginiá]

You mentioned SF and post-apocalyptic books.  Any particular favorite books or authors?

Honestly I don't even read fiction much anymore. That is the kind of genre it'd have to be for me to get back in, though. The last one I read was World War Z and before that, the last incredibly depressing post-apocalyptic book, On The Beach. I've been trying to find time to get into the Worldwar series, which involves an alien invasion and nuclear war. Nowadays I'd rather watch movies to save time. Some good ones: Z for Zachariah, The Road, Children of Men, I Am Legend, Contagion, Melancholia and Cloud Atlas.

Why is the site sooooo slow to load pages sometimes?  (It's not my connection - other sites are fine.)

I think Dave has end of day automated maintenance (backup, updates, etc) scheduled at that time. I've been meaning to confirm that but I keep forgetting.

[Virginiá]

Anyway I've got a question or two:  Has being a moderator on Atlas been a drain at all?

I guess on my patience, but mostly from mid-late 2017 - early-mid 2018 as I was arguing incessantly over things like trolling. I've been spending most of my Atlas time working on the forum software over the past 6 months and less time on moderation, though.

Also, have you been able to tell funny stories about posters here to friends?

Oh boy. I don't really tell offline people about any forum stuff, even if cryptically worded. I learned my lesson when casually mentioning "Godwin's Law" years ago. In my experiences, at best, most forum stuff isn't going to make any sense to people who don't do that type of stuff, and at worst, they'll look at you funny for being on a forum at all (as if it's any different than their full-blown addictions to social media...)

[Virginiá]

My next question actually involved me asking what it's like to be a Democrat in Florida, but you've already given a glimpse into how miserable that experience is for you. Where do you plan on moving to after you leave the hellhole of Florida? Back to DC? I wouldn't blame you for that, I'd love to move back to the DC area at some point in my life.

I still want to move to the west coast, because that is where the action is at for my profession, but I'm not opposed to moving back to the DC area. I haven't really made up my mind tbh. I do love the DC metro area though.

[Virginiá]

You ever go to strip clubs?

I've been to a few in Maryland/DC with some of lez friends and it was alright. I don't really like the strip club atmosphere tbh.

Is Atlas worth the effort you put in trying to fix it?

Actually because of all the work I had to invest in learning how the forum software works, I was able to spin that off into a handful of side jobs unrelated to Atlas that was fairly lucrative. I wouldn't have been able to do that if I didn't spend all that time working on this forum. But even without that I'd say it's worth it.

[Virginiá]

what's the worst drink you ever had?

Some sort of fruity martini from Denson's in NW Wash. DC. Was terribbblllllleeeeeee. I let my date pick my drink and I hated it lol

Bar overall is pretty good though

[Virginiá]

Do people feel the need to tell you wildly personal information like you're some sort of psychiatrist and/or confessor?

When I first joined I felt like that was the case sometimes but not anymore.

I am moving to DC in August. Any tips?

Live on the periphery instead

It's cheaper (or rather it can be) and you avoid the hassle of city life. There are some great areas surrounding DC like Bethesda, which is just a hop, skip and a jump from Rock Creek Park / DC. Or Arlington on the other side of the Potomac River. Also the staples of tourism for DC (museums, monuments, etc) can get boring quick (imo).

[Virginiá]

Who will you vote for President in the 2020 primary?

I don't really know yet. I really like Warren's agenda, but she is very lacking in campaigning and executive expertise. Beto is has the campaigning skills and thensome, but his agenda is murky and past votes are not encouraging in some regards. Bernie is great but he's too old IMO and I really want someone who can serve out a full 8 years - especially if they have a chance to implement major parts of their agenda (instead of letting the GOP have a shot to overturn that after 4 lousy years). I really don't know about Buttigieg yet, but the fact that he seems to understand the importance of taking the gloves off against Republicans is encouraging. The others, like Harris, Booker, Gillibrand, Biden... lol. No thanksssssss~!

[Virginiá]

Thoughts on Virginia (state) and West Virginia?

West Virginia is beautiful! It's just a lousy state, politically and economically-speaking. Virginia is a reasonable hybrid that combines some of WV's pretty geography and Virginia's non-sh**t economy and politics.