I've mentioned once or twice what I recognize as an autism subtype, the talkative versus the quiet groups. Some of us are compelled to try being social, particularly via vocalization, and some of us aren't. I find the skill level of such socialization (which is used in diagnostic criteria) less interesting a topic or grouping than the initial compulsion to socialize. Some have it, and some don't. I'm in the "don't" camp, perfectly capable of vocalizing but trending toward not. My monkeysphere is quite small, and I almost never feel an urge to expand it.

I've seen before where researchers tried their own efforts at subtyping. One study found 3 groups, but it wasn't particularly helpful because they "purposely made this data have three subtypes in each group by differentiating their global means". Sure, they found some behavioral distinctions from their almost-arbitrary groupings, but that's not the sort of subtyping that I'm hoping for.

Does anyone have access to this study and could summarize the 4 types that they identified? They're using objective means to identify biological distinctions, which is exactly what I'm hoping for. Even this summary doesn't explain what they found. :(

This guy makes a compelling argument in favor of designing cities with a Third Place in mind, where home is the First and work is the Second.  TikTok's embed code isn't working on DreamWidth, so here's the direct link to the 3-minute video.  (If you prefer Twitter, it's making the rounds there too.)  Of course, air quality simply must be a priority for any such effort.

The sociable people out there may appreciate this message about community more than I do. I understand and agree with it, but my socialization needs are quite low.  I think cities should be more walkable for LOTS of reasons, but human social behavior is probably another good one to add to the list.  Imagine if we designed cities for that instead of using anti-homeless facades as our main goal.

I quibble with him on one minor point, though.  Gay bars in the past were isolated Third Places for a sub-unit of the community.  Valuable lifelines in a hostile environment.  They could provide that useful service today, although I admit they no longer really do.

EDIT:  Someone points out that George Floyd Square in south Minneapolis has served this purpose for the last 2 years.

The day after my first use (I think?) of a cautionary warning, a pre-print study comes out saying that such warnings are basically pointless... or "inert", as they note.


That was my gut feeling on the matter already (hence my usual lack of them), but it'll be interesting to see how the study is reviewed.  And now I'm back to wondering when the rest of humanity will be ready for technological telepathy.

I've mentioned the phrase "technological telepathy" many times over the years, both here and other platforms. It's strange, though, that I've never devoted a post just to that one concept alone. Are you ready to know whatever can be known yet maintain your own emotional equilibrium and reasoned behavior? It's a tough ask, I know.

You're almost there now.  In your hands, you probably have a cell phone with access to search engines to find much of recorded human history, knowledge, and theory, merely at a whim.  You can also find Twitter, where passing thoughts from humans across the planet skitter around like angry ants in a disturbed anthill.

Quoting myself to jump start this discussion:


Basically, it's the hardest thing that people demand from their most intimate relationships: somebody knowing what we truly think and feel yet not abandoning us in their disapproval.  I anticipate the social consequences that our technology inexorably carries us towards.  The only solutions I see are either 1) no technology, or 2) social/psychological change in the human animal, and soon.  The best legal salve I see is 3) the inviolate rule applied to every sapient brain that a mind must not ever be examined or altered without informed consent, so people can keep something private.  This prohibition might extend to include necessary trust-mechanisms for safe self-examination: doctors, psychiatrists, priests, and maybe even our private journals, smart phones, and personal AIs.

I consider current privacy laws to be atavistic reactions against this inevitability, and I think they are doomed ultimately to failure.  They hinder what must happen, which is the rapid (preferably immediate) review of historical data to in/validate any statement.  Self-absolution can be dangerous, because it allows us to indefinitely postpone confronting a potentially harmful habit.  What we have now is a boon to liars and charlatans.  Consider a better alternative.  Once you voluntarily release something from the confines of your own thoughts, then it ceases to be private or privileged.  It now belongs to all of humanity because it is in the minds/memories of other people, which you are forbidden from controlling.  And they can access your observable behavior (speech, writing, interactions), already fully indexed and footnoted with objective evidence for either the corroboration or the dispute of your perspective.  "Documented anarchy", as some have written.  There are no secret discussions or activities, if the audience is larger than your own internal thoughts.

Any lie would be quickly revealed.  I think that the right to be forgotten (even to delete regretted Tweets) is dangerously close to legalized gaslighting, erasing external evidence to prevent the confirmation of someone else's memory of history that you want to avoid.  Self-forgiveness can be necessary for growth too, but it should be part of our history rather than a forbidden topic.  The only fair future gives us the right to access corporate and government memory too, their memos and video recordings and meeting notes where they discuss how to use our personal data.  "Souveillance", as some have written. The unethical situation we have today is the asymmetric exercise of power to review.  They have it; we don't.

Could you know every other person's complete history (dna, childhood, schooling, psych evaluations, sex history, job history), just with the asking, yet restrain your curiosity for the sake of equilibrium?  Could you wisely and constructively use your freedom to ignore?  That future is beginning to materialize now.  How will you/we adapt to the knowledge of... well, everything?  What "filters" do you employ for your own benefit?  For instance, Dreamwidth includes "Age Restriction", but are there others that you would find useful?  Is there a social protocol for brutal honesty? 

When I woke up this morning, it was -27C/-17F (and not much wind) outside.  It's still cold.  I've been inside all morning, but my fingers and toes are cold.  I may go watch tv under the electric blanket to warm up a bit.

As for tv, I think I've mentioned before that my tolerance for violence on television has decreased during my time here in the warzone.  I learned last night that it has decreased even more.  I tried watching the new season of Snowpiercer (rebroadcasting now on HboMax) but stopped it after just a few minutes.  Did I do that for season 1?  I can't remember.  It may be another of those shows that I have to watch with frequent breaks, if at all.

Meanwhile, new foods.  A former coworker from long ago sent me a PowerXL classic air fryer.  I already have a nice toaster oven from ages ago that serves most of my crisping needs, but I've been trying new things in this device.  With some more experimentation, I think I can get some nice "fries" from raw potato soon.  I've nearly worked out the process for that.  I'm also still working on kale leaf crisps.  My first attempt at dried chickpeas didn't turn out very satisfying.  What is working well already is reuben sandwiches.

• Two slices of rye bread (not gluten-free, so this is a large indulgence for me)
• Two slices of salami on each piece of bread (the cheapest from the grocery store)
• Some pressed-out sauerkraut on top of each piece of bread (it helps hold down the salami to keep it from curling up and blowing away)
• Cook for 10 minutes at the default starting temperature
• Lift them out, drop some Thousand Island dressing on one side
• Bring the slices of bread together for a whole sandwich

I don't know what it is about that combination of salty/tangy/sour, but I do like reuben sandwiches.  This method works out well.

I think it was mrdreamjeans who asked a while back why some games are so enthralling.  Researchers have been trying to answer that question for a long time. The Bartle classification has been used for many years to describe gamers, and here is my score when I last took the test back in 2013. I am clearly an "Explorer" (and clearly not a "Killer") gamer personality type.
More people are familiar with the Myers-Briggs 16 personality types. In their system, I end up being what I call "INxP". I'm strongly "IN-P", but that 3rd term changes depending on the year that I take the test. I'm borderline. I could easily be described as either "INTP" or "INFP". Some people try to match those 16 types to gamer personality, and the results are actually pretty accurate. Here's what they have to say about my INTP and INFP classifications, and you could guess my Steam games list from those descriptions.

All of that sounds pretty good for matching people to computer games. But I encountered this video recently, and it's even more interesting. Instead of those other profile systems, it relies more on the best-vetted characteristics of personality known as the Big Five. It's a system where everyone has the 5 traits, but each is a range from low to high.  Their gamer motivation correlations also hold across cultures.  Fascinating stuff.


I took the Quantic Foundry gamer test (from the researcher mentioned in that video) and I scored as Architect, one of their 9 gamer types.


So apparently it's reasonable to match personality types to games, based on what experiences that you find rewarding.  Quantic's test assumes that you're already familiar with computer games.  That earlier Myers-Briggs link needs only their personality score to pigeonhole you into a gamer type.

Obviously everyone is capable of "branching out" to other experiences.  A preference is not a rule.  I do like multiplayer games where my login schedule and character actions are not highly structured/scripted.  I can't stand the traditional MMO "raid game" experience.  I do enjoy the spontaneous group experiences in RIFT.  I wish that building games had better mechanisms for sharing, helping, and showing off when people are not all logged in at the same time.

It's fun to roam through the wild theories of what happened to the Mayan civilization.  It just sort of ended without leaving behind any clear evidence for why.  Always missing from these serious and researched ideas is the obvious but dangerous idea that people simply chose to walk away from civilization.  That was the main point that I took from the new age kind of story "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn.  Maybe everyone was fed up with the complexity and the low return on benefits, so they simply walked out of the cities and back into subsistence living.  Walking away is an actual option.

A similar vein of conspiracy theories has existed for many years about the Croatoa incident, where a New World colony of 115 people seemed to just disappear.  Visitors years later arrived at the colony to find only the word "Croatoan" carved into a tree.  Turns out, something similar may have happened, with the settlers simply choosing wholesale abandonment of the civilization they brought with them in favor of something entirely different and more peaceful.
I was woken at 5am today by gunshots.  I called 911 to report it, because it seemed close enough to warrant that extra attention.  Supposedly someone got shot near the end of my block.

I'm considering just taking a break from everything for a while.  Maybe until after the election.  There's plenty of stress without watching the news.  I've got the newly released Wasteland 3 to play, and Baldur's Gate 3 is due soon too.  I'll post if I get sick or shot or something else life-changing, but I think a break is a good thing.

See you after the election.  Good luck out there.

I've changed to a new job. Based on recommendations from 2 neurologists (at the same clinic), I'm still gluten-free and now I'm also taking a brain-affecting drug.

For years now, I've been complaining about my muscle twitches and low energy level. For months, I've noted that my blog has been rather light on substance compared to previous years, because my concentration and focus have been seriously lacking. I've mentioned that I feel better when I can get out bicycling, gardening, or drinking Wild Blue (blueberry lager). Not previously mentioned, I've also kept some dark chocolate chips in the kitchen (and by the sofa) to snack on. Also not previously mentioned, I've had zero enthusiasm, even failing for months on end to play any of my usually beloved computer games. I got my former database administrator hooked on Wizard 101, then I ditched her for half a year when I stopped playing all of my games. Turns out... all of these symptoms and behaviors may be related to a single underlying cause.

I left Dell, even though I was told I was doing a good job at software testing. I found a few really good software bugs while I was there, and I was proud of those discoveries. I'm sure the software is better now because of my efforts. After spending half a year testing a particular software release that finally went to customers, though... I couldn't muster any enthusiasm for that accomplishment at all. I knew that my poor concentration, memory, and motivation were going to lead to problems eventually, so I left while I still had a good legacy behind me. My bank account really liked my job at Dell, but I was constantly stressed there without really having a great explanation for why.

I decided to get back to technical support work, where I had not previously noticed any deficiency within myself. Tech support is a kind of work that focuses on short-term and immediate issues at hand, which is something that I need in my life these days. I now work at The Nature Conservancy. My new workplace includes many people who have spent a lot of years at the company, and it's reassuring to see that kind of longevity anyplace. Also, I like the purpose-driven environment much better than corporate culture. I think this job will be a good fit on several levels. I am once again back among the ranks of America's working poor, but I'll be making almost 25% more than I did at the Animal Humane Society. I think I can continue living at long-familiar subsistence levels without losing financial ground this time.

So, based entirely on my personal self-assessment, I have changed my life for this new reality that I find myself in. On my last week at Dell, however, the neurologists sent me for an all-day/all-night sleep study. I thought it was a bit frivolous, but I was glad that they were still taking me seriously after we finally ruled out multiple sclerosis as a potential diagnosis. Turns out... it may have been the most valuable test so far. Besides a snoring problem when I'm laying flat on my back (but not serious enough for the technician to put me on a CPAP that very night), they discovered that I have a serious problem with restless leg syndrome. That observation leads to a conclusion that could explain everything.

Restless leg syndrome tends to appear because of low dopamine levels in the brain. Low dopamine levels from various causes are associated with:

• chronic fatigue
• low motivation
• poor concentration
• anxiety, stress
• fasciculations (muscle twitches), cramps, and neuropathy

The body improves its own dopamine function by:

• exercising (gardening, bicycling)
• eating certain foods (chocolate, blueberries)

Do these points sound strangely familiar? I may finally have a sensible diagnosis! It'll be many weeks as we slowly increase dosage of ropinirole to see if it actually solves my constellation of symptoms/behaviors. Because this drug influences dopamine in the brain, which affects our seeking of rewards, it has the potential side-effect of triggering risk-taking behavior of all types (hypersexuality, gambling, anger/dominance displays, and other addictive/stimulating behaviors). In some people, it actually makes their restless leg syndrome worse. I'm hopeful, though, that I'll get to see some improvement in my life without any pesky down side. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, I'm starting this new job; I forced myself to start some gardening this weekend (with many frequent breaks and naps); and for the last week or so I've gone back to playing an online game called RIFT. (Join me at this link for a few refer-a-friend benefits, if you want.) We'll see if I can maintain my interest while using this new dopamine drug.

Hopefully the coming months will see my focus, motivation, and enthusiasm return to normal.  It still begs the question why my dopamine would be low, but I'll take a respite if I can get it.

I've been talking for nearly a decade about how some autistics live with an older form of emotional brain that has been awakened from slumber for another "test drive" of suitability in this test lab that is our global industrial civilization.

I count some emotions as just another kind of sensory experience. Sensations require an effort to establish a link between the perception and the actual cause in the external world. It's not easy to establish these links. Cringing is useful because the action takes you away from the source of harm without any need to understand the source. Anger and fear, however, require understanding the source, otherwise actions are taken "wildly" that often fling harm in all directions equally. Connecting internal sensation with the external world is very important.

Today is the first day I've seen some rather specific evidence in favor of this subjective experience as a complicated process. Scientific American published "Decoding the Body Watcher", an article that explains a few key points that echo my own assertions:

• "While the prefrontal cortex may indeed be specialized for attending to external information, older and more buried parts of the brain including the “insula” and “posterior cingulate cortex” appear to be specialized in observing our internal landscape."
• "Contrary to the conventional assumption that all attention relies upon the frontal lobe of the brain, the researchers found that this was true of only exteroceptive attention; interoceptive attention used evolutionarily older parts of the brain more associated with sensation and integration of physical experience."
• "By recruiting “limbic-bridge” areas like the insula and posterior cingulate, a person using interoceptive attention may bypass the pre-frontal neocortex, directly tapping into bodily awareness that is free from social judgment or conceptual self-evaluation."

So when autistics like me self-report that some physical (and some emotional) sensations overwhelm our sense of self with their intensity, now there may be a good and objective reason to accept our account.  There are a host of articles that link these same two brain regions with autistic minds.

Video games affect the psychology of their players. I play a lot of computer games, so I like to remain aware of how my hobby might influence my thoughts. The images that we feed our brain can influence our attention bias.  The negative form of this effect means that violent video games can make children more aggressive.  The positive form, however, means that relaxing games can make people less aggressive, and casual games can even reduce depression.

Never before, however, have I seen evidence that violent games can provide the "teachable moment" needed to spark empathic understanding.  Watch this 3-year-old girl become aggressive while earning snickers of amusement from a parent, then see her spark of awareness as she witnesses the in-game consequences of her brash behavior.


"People don't want to be sword," as she declares at the end of the video. An article about the video allows her father to explain even more clearly how she learned from the experience.


Maybe computer games really can help us to save the world.  :)

I've been enjoying my time in Skyrim this week, although I haven't been playing as much as I'd like because of work obligations.  (I've put in lots of hours beyond my usual work schedule this week.)  I dislike playing pc games that were designed for game consoles.  The interface is annoying because of that design flaw, but otherwise the game has been fun to play and explore.