#regularization techniques in machine learning

it’s also super weird because previously when I’ve talked about learning to do complicated art stuff I’ve received feedback that was either “no you can’t do that it’s really hard” or “actually you should do this instead,” and I posted about wanting to maybe learn some stumpwork techniques fully expecting a “THAT IS VERY HARD” explanation, but then I remembered that actually, the person who gives me that specific feedback is my mother and everyone else is about ten times nicer.

and also, I would never say THAT IS VERY HARD DON’T DO THAT to a beginning writer, for example, even if it’s very hard, because you don’t learn to do new shit without trying it.  there is no amount of very carefully practicing with straightforward close third person POV in your preferred tense, style, fandom, and setting that will fully prepare you for unreliable first person with a distinct style that isn’t your natural style, or trying to imitate a very literary style with a lot of historical background you don’t have.  there is no amount of gen adventure fic that will make your first weird iddy smut fic unintimidating.  some things you just have to try.

This is just straight up the same skill from Hallownest

How did she lose it? Did the calm after the defeat of the infection made her forget from lack of practice? Was the weakening by the rune cage so strong it eroded away some of her very memories? Maybe the rune cage was draining her soul? Her silk?

Talking about the rune cages, the splash art / rune of the thread storm depicts the threads in much the same way the runes wrap around the bars of the cage; i wonder if in the case of thread storm it is meant to represent twined silk

The shaman crest rune bears some resemblance to other spherical runes, but there's no exact matches

Fun how you can spot the needle as a blur in some of these frames

The Weaver that grants this skill is the only Weaver in Pharloom to have no spikes, matching the look of Deepnest Weavers, and you can even see in the first trailer that the enshrined Weavers were originally the Deepnest ones, not even fossilized

We know they departed back to Pharloom to escape the infection, and considering all Weavers died and were enshrined at the start of the conductor era, the Pale King's rule lasted more or less as much as the reign of the Weavers in Pharloom; this would also explain Weavenest Absolom and the Farsight

Grand Reeds also use a technique similar to Thread Storm

High standing insect of the Choir, bearing a bow. This elite Reed has been trained and fed beyond its smaller fellows. This bug bears a spool of Silk, which they flail to attack. Though somewhat crude, theirs is a technique much reminiscent of Weavers. I wonder who taught them such a use?

It seems the Weavers taught the Choir how to use Silk

(cross stitch is actually a real life form of sewing)

Hornet already knew how to parry, but it was a far simpler, regular parry that didn't involve silk

It would seem her spine injury from the fall into Moss Grotto prevents her from realizing a parry without aid, hence the use of silk in cross stitch

Judging by the prompt rune and specially the shaman crest rune, to me it seems this skill works by anchoring the needle to the surroundings with a net of silk, which in turn acts as a trampoline or perhaps a sort of horizontal bungee rope

It is very fitting that Hornet learns a way to aid herself back into being able to perform a move (and a far more improved, deadlier version of it at that) from someone who is graying with age, fading, aching with stiff limbs and quivering claws, yet still remains a deadly combatant

But, is Phantom using silk?

Their pin throw clearly stops in the middle of the air, like Hornet's needle throw in the first game, or clawline, which does resemble this move in the way Phantom follows after the pin

No strand of silk is visible, but we have seen plenty of cases where silk is only visible briefly or just in part, with Grand Mother Silk's control of scissor blades, which mirrors First Sinner's use of needles, showing no visible strands of silk moving the blades around (and First Sinner's needles also do seem to just float at first)

So yeah, it would seem Phantom does in fact use silk, strands that just aren't visible because they're faded and lacking shimmer, or because of how thin they are

Besides, we're directly told that Cross Stitch itself is a "technique of a creature spun from thread"; perhaps they're taking advantage of the fact that their body is already unravelling anyways

This in turn brings to question if Lace uses silk in some way

Is her large AoE attack a case of silk usage, like a bungee rope at the center of the sphere? or is it instead an advanced use of aura? or perhaps just very good gymnastics?

For what is worth, the telegraph strongly resembles Phantom's steam dragoon attack

(...hold on, is this "cocoon vs exhaust pipes" symbolism?)

As I've pointed out before, one of the cross stitch shaman runes is directly present on the silk siphon machine, perhaps indicating the rune promotes a pulling of silk, or maybe even allow the needle to perform a fast back and forth motion; the blocking rune also resembles other runes related to silk extraction

(The siphon rune also demonstrates the runes granted by the shaman crest aren't about the shamans of the past knowing these runes specifically, but rather Hornet applying their deeper insight of soul into understanding and improving silk skills; in other words, all those blue runes are still weaver runes)

The silk siphon rune also resembles the metallic structure in the underbelly of the teleport-elevator platforms in the Abyss, as well as the Weaver workshop implements (which seem to be a combination of needle, pen and solding gun at once), both cases further emphasizing the idea of "rune that makes things (like silk) go faster"

The owners, they think that Steve being the best catcher in the league means he can work with Eddie, settle him, make him a real prospect. Steve's input isn't needed with the decision already made, but Munson--with all his tattoos piercings and leather--looks like he'd rather hock a loogie at Steve than take directions from him.

And Steve is the best in the league, the glue that keeps the team together. They're a well-oiled machine, and Eddie is--Eddie is a squeaky wheel.

They meet for the first time, briefly, in the locker room. He's seen the guy before, of course, but now, like this, he can't help but be intrigued by his pale skin and long curls and brown doe-eyes, his lightly muscled frame. And they're in the locker room, Eddie with just a towel around his waist, exposing his toned chest and stomach and the black swirl of his tattoos.

"Steve Harrington!" Eddie reaches out a hand. "Great to meet you, man."

(Your posts here are invaluable, by the way, and super helpful. 😄)

Writing Notes: Barista

Barista - specializes in making a variety of coffee and espresso beverages.

Usually works in a cafe, coffee shop or bookstore where they take customer orders, complete transactions and serve drinks.

May also prepare and serve a few small meals and pastry options.

Day-to-Day Tasks

As a barista, you would:

prepare the premises or outlet ready for opening

welcome customers, take orders and process payments

prepare and serve coffees, hot snacks, sandwiches and cakes

clean and tidy work areas, equipment and coffee machines

check and order new stock

Preparing Beverages. One of the barista’s primary duties is preparing various drinks to meet customer preferences. This involves:

Crafting Espresso-Based Drinks: Baristas skillfully pull espresso shots, steam milk, and create drinks like cappuccinos, lattes, and macchiatos. They ensure each beverage has the perfect balance of flavor and texture.

Brewing Specialty Coffees: Many coffee shops offer pour-over coffees, cold brews, or French press options. Baristas must understand brewing methods, grind size, and extraction techniques to achieve the desired flavor profile.

Creating Latte Art: For many customers, presentation matters as much as taste. Baristas often add intricate designs, such as hearts or rosettas, to elevate the visual appeal of lattes and cappuccinos.

Customizing Orders: Customize drinks to customer preferences by adjusting sweetness levels, switching to non-dairy milk, or adding extra espresso shots.

Other barista duties may include: 

Welcoming patrons to the shop

Building a relationship with regular customers and remembering their orders

Explaining the cafe’s special menu items as necessary

Recommending beverage options if requested

Following recipes and presentation guides to make beverages

Preparing plates or takeaway containers of pastry and food items

Cleaning and maintaining the commercial coffee machine, steamer and blender

Following health and safety policies

Removing dishes from the table as patrons finish their drinks

Preparing checks and taking payment from patrons

Work Environment 

Baristas work in a variety of coffee shops with the following characteristics:

Standing and walking around for extended periods of time

Lifting and carrying food and drink trays to tables

Working near many other customers, servers and kitchen staff

Wearing a uniform if required by the restaurant

Working environment may be noisy

Typical Hours

40 to 42 hours (variable) per week

Evenings / Weekends / Holidays (on shifts)

Cafes and coffee shops typically open early in the mornings

May require baristas to be flexible with scheduling to meet customer demand

The work can be fast-paced during busy periods

Suitable job for students and part-time workers

Career Path & Progression

There may also be opportunities to move into:

barista staff training

equipment maintenance

coffee tasting and buying

product development and marketing

You could become self-employed and open your own coffee shop.

With experience, you could become a:

store manager, then

regional manager, with a coffee retail chain or franchise.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Flexible Hours: Perfect for students or part-time workers.

Skill Development: Learn customer service, multitasking, and coffee expertise.

Social Interaction: Build relationships with customers and colleagues.

Career Growth: Opportunities to advance into management or specialty coffee roles.

Cons

Physical Demands: Standing for long periods and repetitive motions.

Irregular Hours: Early mornings, weekends, and holidays are typical.

Modest Pay: Entry-level wages can be low, though tips often help.

How to Become a Barista

You can get into this job through: a college course; an apprenticeship; applying directly; training with a professional body.

College. Although not essential, you could do a college course that would give you some of the skills needed for this role. Courses include:

barista skills

food and beverage service

retail skills

Apprenticeship. You can apply to do a Hospitality Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

This will usually take 12 months to complete

A mix of on-the-job training and time spent with a college or training provider

Direct Application. When you start, your employer will put you through training in barista skills and product knowledge. Some employers may prefer you to have experience in customer service, retail sales or catering.

Common Personality Traits

22,778 baristas were surveyed to learn what personality traits and interests make them unique. Based on the Holland Codes:

Baristas tend to be predominantly conventional individuals, meaning that they are usually detail-oriented and organized, and like working in a structured environment.

They also tend to be realistic, which means that they often enjoy working outdoors or applying themselves to a hands-on project.

Based on The Big Five:

Baristas score highly on openness, which means they are usually curious, imaginative, and value variety.

They also tend to be high on the measure of extraversion, meaning that they rely on external stimuli to be happy, such as people or exciting surroundings.

Barista Tools

Baristas use a wide variety of tools to complete their duties. Some common tools:

Espresso Machine. Allows you to brew highly concentrated black coffee. During this process, the machine forces pressurized hot water through finely grounded coffee. Some types of drinks you can make using an espresso machine include: Macchiato; Cafe latte; Cappuccino; Mocha; Affogato; and Americano

Frothing Steam Pitcher. Used to create any drink that requires milk. A frothing stream pitcher helps you create a milk foam to top off a cup of coffee. You can also use this type of pitcher to create an assortment of latte art. Frothing pitchers are stainless steel and feature a handle and pouring spout. A narrow spout can offer control when pouring latte art, such as a heart or rose. You can also find frothing pitchers in different sizes, depending on the amount of milk you want to froth.

Foam Frothing Spoon. After creating foam from a steam pitcher, you can use a foam frothing spoon to control how much foam you pour over a cup of coffee. Using a frothing spoon can prevent spilling that may occur when pouring the foam into a cup of coffee. This type of spoon features a flat tip that makes it easier to scoop only foam from a steaming pitcher.

Thermometer. When making espresso, it's important to consider the brewing temperature, along with that of the milk froth. If your espresso machine doesn't come with a proportional-integral-derivative, use a thermometer to measure espresso as it leaves the brew head.When making a drink that requires steamed milk, it's important for the milk to reach the ideal temperature of about 149 degrees Fahrenheit. To reach this temperature, consider using a frothing thermometer for complete accuracy. A frothing thermometer can also help you avoid burning the milk while ensuring a caramelized milk finish that can elevate the flavor of any coffee.

Commercial Coffee Maker. This type of coffee maker lets you brew a standard cup of coffee. After filling it with water and coffee grounds, a coffee maker filters hot water through a basket holding coffee grounds. After filtering, black coffee enters the coffee pot. You can use this black coffee for a standard cup of coffee or for other drinks such as an iced coffee or latte.

Tamper. Baristas use tampers to brew espresso, whether in a machine or through a stovetop espresso maker. A tamper lets you pack loosely dosed coffee grounds so they're tightly pressed, ensuring a quality espresso shot. You can also adjust the length of a tamper depending on the espresso dosage.

Scale. Helps you achieve a consistent and accurately measured espresso shot. In terms of measurement, a scale helps you determine the amount of beans you use for one shot. If you use a quality grinder with a doser, you may not need a scale.

Coffee Grinder. Grinds fresh coffee beans before the brewing process. A coffee grinder lets you grind as much coffee as needed, whether for an espresso shot or a large batch of coffee. Many coffee grinders have conical burrs that let you select the size of your coffee grounds.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Amid anger and protest over the Trump administration’s plan to deport millions of immigrants, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to monitor and locate “negative” social media discussion about the agency and its top officials, according to contract documents reviewed by The Intercept. Citing an increase in threats to ICE agents and leadership, the agency is soliciting pitches from private companies to monitor threats across the internet — with a special focus on social media. People who simply criticize ICE online could pulled into the dragnet.

[ ... ]

If this scanning uncovers anything the agency deems suspicious, ICE is asking its contractors to drill down into the background of social media users. That includes: “Previous social media activity which would indicate any additional threats to ICE; 2). Information which would indicate the individual(s) and/or the organization(s) making threats have a proclivity for violence; and 3). Information indicating a potential for carrying out a threat (such as postings depicting weapons, acts of violence, refences to acts of violence, to include empathy or affiliation with a group which has violent tendencies; references to violent acts; affections with violent acts; eluding [sic] to violent acts.”

[ ... ]

Once flagged, the system will further scour a target’s internet history and attempt to reveal their real-world position and offline identity. In addition to compiling personal information — such as the Social Security numbers and addresses of those whose posts are flagged — the contractor will also provide ICE with a “photograph, partial legal name, partial date of birth, possible city, possible work affiliations, possible school or university affiliation, and any identified possible family members or associates.” The document also requests “Facial Recognition capabilities that could take a photograph of a subject and search the internet to find all relevant information associated with the subject.” The contract contains specific directions for targets found in other countries, implying the program would scan the domestic speech of American citizens.

[ ... ]

Something I came up with during my vacation, everything will be under read more!

Let me know if you have any questions! <3

Oooh myyy don't get me started talking my dream House of Giggles because I'll go on for dayssssss ~

The floral art studio. A master painter runs a class for painting the most elegant flowers. And this elegant craft requires the most amazing canvases, which are all the ticklees secured and snug into specialized tables which have all the brushy supplies and tingly paints and fan attachments & misty sprays for rapid drying. And the later class is for turning royal parts into the most beautiful 3D flower paintings.

The snack room. Stop by for a nibble, or be nibbled to gasping desperation. Some snacks are devoured just as they are, others dressed up with honey or cream or sugary glitter. Either way there's delectable giggles to be had here.

The gym. Nothing burns the calories like vigorous tickling, and the sporty trainers here will be using every technique to work your wiggling body into shape. A masterclass in learning how your ticklish body works and how each spot can be stimulated with the right amount of pressure and attention.

The tickle sex workshop. Not for the faint of heart of course, but for those partners who want to elevate their physical bond to the stratosphere, they can engage in their activity while ticklers come in from all sides and angles to accentuate the love making with graspy tickles and feathery touches and endlesssss words of encouragement in this very sensual sultry bedroom setup.

The Peach Garden. Whether a defiant boyyyy strapped to the apparatus and pegged while his feet, sides, and underarms are tickled mercilessly, a sassy tough cookie girlyyy receiving a similar treatment, or a tickle punk getting the booty buff & scrub & love pats with shaky fingernail attacks, this wing of the studio is alllll about exploring the delightful tush tickles.

Shrine of Mad Laughter. The haunted escape room. Try to make it through without falling into a trap or getting snatched up by the giggle ghouls for taking too long to solve a puzzle. The lower dungeon is perpetually filled with losers getting tickled by masked fiends.

Sparkle Milk Salon. The Venus 2000 is a regular fixture of course, demonstrating how to extract the giggle drops from a guyyyy while tickling him to bits. But there's alsooo the art of sparkle by feather, the single ticklyy feather used on elegant royal girl pearls to coax the most royal of sparkledrops.

Indoor beach room. A lovely simulated beachfront, perfect for burying a bunch of cuties with wiggly toes in the sand and letting people take their pick as they enjoy the water and slides.

Tickle Machine Torment. The closest thing to a real tickle machine, where the ticklee is strapped in to a frame and the operator presents their remote, which sends signals to the other side of the wall where gloved hand ticklers reach through portals on the wall to attack, while a sound engineer has machiney sounds and maybe even some villainous music playing.

and they've said that it's supposed to take place in a different location with different tribes than the ones shown in the actual games BUT

like. in the trailer the characters are all shown using focuses and riding machines. which.

for overriding machines; in zero dawn it's pretty much established that only sylens and aloy know how to override machines, and outside of those two, any other characters shown overriding machines and using focuses got all of that from either sylens or aloy. and they way they use these devices and techniques is often limited in some way.

so for the rebel group in zero dawn- the eclipse- they all have focuses BUT they only use them for group communication and are strictly monitored by hades. as far as we can tell there's no scanning machines or reading old documents.

as for overriding machines, the eclipse can only compel one machine- the corruptor- who's main job is to activate other chariot line macines AND "corrupt" enemy machines (which in this case would be the regular biosphere maintenance machines made by gaia, and the angsty combat machines made by the sub-function haphestus when he got corrupted). the only purpose this serves is to make the machines fight. eclipse members never use them in a transportation capacity.

the reason for this is because the eclipse got all of their technology and knowledge of how to use said technology from sylens, who at the time knew very little about how anything worked and was being effectively carried by another gaia sub-function hades. hades is the kill switch sub-function who's only job is to reactivate chariot line machines to raize the biosphere again so. who needs to know the other machines work, right?

well anyways during zero dawn sylens's tapping aloy's focus, and learns overriding regular machines from her time spelunking in cauldrons, and so...

the second rebel group from forbidden west- regalla's army- DOES use focuses to override and ride machines. however, this knowledge is used solely for combat. regalla and some of her soldiers ride machines but most of the time when you see a machine in their employ it's one they've corralled so they could sick it on you and hekarro. again there's no scaning machines or reading old documents like the player can.

eventually aloy gives focuses to a small amount of friends and teaches them not only how to override machines, but also gives them all the data she's scanned over the years for study, which IS something, but overall the point is focuses aren't widely used on the north american continent from what we've seen previously, right?

and outside of those two rebel groups no tribe seen on the north american continent so far knows about focuses. no tribe also knows much about the machines in a way where riding them or using them for combat is even a question. the only exception to this is the legend among the tenakth of the namesake guerrilla group pre apocalypse riding the sunwings and how people have tried to emulate that

where am I going with all of that? well zero dawn takes place roughly around colorado and utah, with some spillage into arizona, wyoming, and montana. forbidden west takes place in utah, nevada, and california. all the tribes in these parts know eachother and have complext political relations and see a degree of travelling in between.

this new mobile game. takes place. in arizona. and new mexico. right next to the other tribes. HOW WOULD THESE PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO RIDE MACHINES AND HAVE FOCUSES AND HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY NOT. FUCKING. SPILL OVER. TO THE OTHER TRIBES.

LIKE???

ok there's two arguments you COULD make that explain this but both aren't very good.

like. ok since aloy's friends rode off to gather more help in the impending nemesis threat they COULD have wandered far over that way BUT. given the scale this game is going to be operating on, and the finite amount of focuses in the environment, and the short amount of time left before nemesis comes around; there's no way that many people could be component in using them for transport and machine scanning in that amount of time. there's no way!

and then there's ALSO the argument that "oh forbidden west introduced the quen who have access to focuses and advanced knowledge and a rough history of the pre apocalypse that informs their culture and religion" BUT UH NO??

the focuses the quen have are 1) in very limited supply, 2) are old models that can't access information beyond the early 2050s (so that's like a decade of lost information and features) and 3) are heavily restricted. only "diviners" can use the focuses- and it's a highly selective historian government job that limits who you can talk to and what you can study. the diviners are also strictly monitored by an even smaller group of overseers that make sure they don't study "forbidden knowledge" and that you report forbidden knowledge when found. failure to comply means death for you and your family. same for if you wear a focus as a non diviner.

BUT ALSO

AND THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART

THE QUEN

ARE FROM FUCKING

EAST ASIA

THEY ONLY ARRIVED ON THE CALIFORNIA ARCHIPELAGO LIKE A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENTS OF FORBIDDEN WEST IN VERY SMALL NUMBERS IN SEARCH OF CROP RELATED ARCHIVES IN A LAST DITCH EFFORT TO FIX THE AILING CROPS BACK HOME. AND THEY ONLY BARELY MADE IT TO THE AMERICAS THEY LOST LIKE A THIRD OF THEIR SHIPS AND HALF OF THEM THAT DID MAKE IT LANDED WILDLY OFF COURSE. ALSO ALMOST NO ONE LIVES ON THE CALIFORNIAN ARCHIPELAGO. BEFORE ALOY SHOWS UP THERE WAS BASICALLY NO WAY FOR THEM TO HAVE MADE ANY IMPACT WHATSOEVER