Akir's recent activity
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Comment on What are some stories of progressivism gone wrong in implementation? in ~society
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Comment on touchHLE: a high-level emulator for iPhone OS applications in ~tech
Akir LinkFantastic! Maybe this means we will be able to see some of the hundreds of games and apps that are no longer maintained and runnable with modern iOS become playable again. I wonder how much effort...Fantastic! Maybe this means we will be able to see some of the hundreds of games and apps that are no longer maintained and runnable with modern iOS become playable again. I wonder how much effort there has been on archiving them?
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Comment on What are some stories of progressivism gone wrong in implementation? in ~society
Akir Link ParentI can’t speak for The Kia and Honda models, but the Ford models had horrendous reputations. The focus in particular I had people saying it was a “disposable car”. The Soul and Fit were also really...I can’t speak for The Kia and Honda models, but the Ford models had horrendous reputations. The focus in particular I had people saying it was a “disposable car”. The Soul and Fit were also really weird looking, so I don’t really know if they’re great examples either.
I’m not saying CAFE isn’t part of it, but it very clearly isn’t all of it. If we want to end monster trucks taking over the roads, we need to overcome the cultural causes first. That is how we get the legislation that covers the holes that CAFE leaves open.
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Comment on What are some stories of progressivism gone wrong in implementation? in ~society
Akir Link ParentHonestly I think that blaming CAFE standards for large cars is evading the bigger, harder to answer problem. EVs are actually a pretty good example. They don’t burn gas so they are not subject to...Honestly I think that blaming CAFE standards for large cars is evading the bigger, harder to answer problem. EVs are actually a pretty good example. They don’t burn gas so they are not subject to CAFE (to my knowledge). But as an example, my Chevy Bolt is unnecessarily huge (it’s practically the same size as the SUV variant!), and in spite of only needing some 60KW for freeway speeds most of the time, it peaks all the way at 250KW. It’s way more power and size than most people need for no practical reason. No, the real reason is simple; the US has a macho car culture. There is an arguement to be made that CAFE encouraged companies to market those beastly monster cars which nurtured the current culture, but no advertising campaign can change everyone’s mind: it has to have been something that already existed in peoples’ hearts. I seem to remember a lot of media from the 80s talking about Japanese cars being desirable in spite of being small. American cars basically have always been big, more or less.
Regardless of if you agree with me, I think it’s pretty clear that the real issue isn’t with CAFE, but from a lack of stronger legislation.
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Comment on 2025 moviegoer attendance hits 780M, -5% from ’24; majority went to cinemas during pics’ first thirty days of release in ~movies
Akir Link ParentI agree. One of the things that disappoints me is that I will sometimes hear of a movie that is "out now" but literally all of the theaters have already taken them down. And then they aren't...I agree. One of the things that disappoints me is that I will sometimes hear of a movie that is "out now" but literally all of the theaters have already taken them down. And then they aren't anywhere for a while and I just simply forget they exist and never see them.
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Comment on Stranger Things finale discussion in ~tv
Akir LinkIf it ended after they defeated Vecna I would have actually been pretty happy with it. The Duffer brothers are absolutely terrible at drama and so the fact that they dedicated such an extremely...If it ended after they defeated Vecna I would have actually been pretty happy with it. The Duffer brothers are absolutely terrible at drama and so the fact that they dedicated such an extremely long denouement entirely to drama really ruined the experience. Also the reveal at the end that Eleven was still alive really didn’t come as a surprise because nobody dies in this series except all of the people the main characters have murdered.
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Comment on What's the coolest thrift store find you've ever scored? in ~talk
Akir (edited )LinkOnce upon a time, I spent a whopping $20 on a computer they were selling. That computer was a working A3000, complete with hard drive. It was a fun retro computer to play around with but as part...Once upon a time, I spent a whopping $20 on a computer they were selling. That computer was a working A3000, complete with hard drive. It was a fun retro computer to play around with but as part of my effort to get rid of things I don't have space or time to use, I ended up giving it to a friend last year.
Edit: I don't know how I forgot to add this detail: it was an Amiga computer that originally retailed for $3000.
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Comment on The pathetic life of an internet "alpha male" in ~life.men
Akir Link ParentIf you'll excuse the tangent, which version of Cardcaptor Sakura did you see as a kid? Because in the US the show had a pretty horribly bowdlerized version simply titled "Cardcaptors" that I would...If you'll excuse the tangent, which version of Cardcaptor Sakura did you see as a kid? Because in the US the show had a pretty horribly bowdlerized version simply titled "Cardcaptors" that I would be amazed if any of the more troublesome aspects get through simply because of how much they left on the cutting room floor.
But on the other hands, the US version of Sailor Moon did introduce us to incest lesbians, so I wouldn't be terribly surprised to be wrong here.
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Comment on Tablet suggestions? in ~tech
Akir Link ParentI'm with you on the Windows 8 train. I know people hated it, but Windows 8.1 might have actually been the best and most forward-thinking release of Windows of all time, correctly foreseeing the...I'm with you on the Windows 8 train. I know people hated it, but Windows 8.1 might have actually been the best and most forward-thinking release of Windows of all time, correctly foreseeing the tabletization of computers, and the fact that Windows computers include touchscreens for some reason just makes me sad because Windows without Metro is a miserable experience for touch.
Sadly I would have never known this if I had not impulse bought one of those ludicrously cheap windows tablets that Microcenter was selling at the time.
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Comment on Did anyone play Phantasy Star Online? in ~games
Akir LinkI never really got it, to be honest. I was a big fan of the Phantasy star games, and when I heard about the Online games bringing them back, I was excited, but I didn't own a Dreamcast, and even...I never really got it, to be honest. I was a big fan of the Phantasy star games, and when I heard about the Online games bringing them back, I was excited, but I didn't own a Dreamcast, and even if I did have one our family was an early adopter to broadband so we wouldn't have been able to get the Dreamcast online (I know there was a BBA but to this day I have yet to see one in real life - besides, parents wouldn't pay extra for a second internet service that took the phone lines). Years later I got Phantasy Star Universe for PS2 and the gameplay was incredibly dull that I couldn't fathom sludging through its predecessor.
I've played PSO2 and while I enjoyed it way more than pretty much every MMO I've ever played, I don't really have any friends I play online games with so I didn't play it for too long.
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Comment on Anime: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~anime
Akir Link ParentKowloon’s femme gay romance antagonist almost made me stop watching, so I get you. It felt like a story element that was lifted out of an edgy otome manga from the early 90s. But it was so good in...Kowloon’s femme gay romance antagonist almost made me stop watching, so I get you. It felt like a story element that was lifted out of an edgy otome manga from the early 90s. But it was so good in spite of it; the characters are great, the art is fantastically well realized, and it has one of the most original and compelling stories I’ve ever seen. 8.5/10 will recommend.
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Comment on Anime: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~anime
Akir Link ParentGnosia seems really cool. I watched a few episodes but I don’t want to continue because I want to play the game and not have things being spoiled by the anime. The anime has some notable...Gnosia seems really cool. I watched a few episodes but I don’t want to continue because I want to play the game and not have things being spoiled by the anime. The anime has some notable differences from the game but at the same time that’s exactly how the game works so it would still spoil things!
I’m glad that I decided to wait because the reveal of some things are so much better than I can imagine it being in drama form. Particularly how the bug is revealed, but I won’t say more because spoilers.
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Comment on I feel that Destin (SmarterEveryDay on Youtube) is straying from the path in ~talk
Akir Link ParentIt’s so sad that he became the guy inventing things in his garage to show science content to someone who has a diversified business and employs many people who could be building interesting...It’s so sad that he became the guy inventing things in his garage to show science content to someone who has a diversified business and employs many people who could be building interesting science things but generally avoids it.
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Comment on Anime: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~anime
Akir Link ParentI'm glad I'm not the one who was disappointed by Gquuuuuux. The declaration of love by the... uh, antagonist, I guess.... really came out of nowhere and it actually made me scream at the TV. It...I'm glad I'm not the one who was disappointed by Gquuuuuux. The declaration of love by the... uh, antagonist, I guess.... really came out of nowhere and it actually made me scream at the TV. It may have also had the worst pacing of any show I've ever seen. It was like it was greenlit for 48 episodes, then halfway in they were told they'd only have 24, and then a few weeks later they changed their mind and went for 12. It was a very pretty show with some fantastic ideas behind it, but man, did they end up fumbling the execution.
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Comment on A, B, C or D – grades might not say all that much about what students are actually learning in ~humanities
Akir Link ParentI’m not who you asked, but generally the best way to do this is to try to cover what avenues learning a topic will open to the student. In my programming classes my favorite thing to teach is...I’m not who you asked, but generally the best way to do this is to try to cover what avenues learning a topic will open to the student. In my programming classes my favorite thing to teach is functions because it’s easy to show how much easier it can make it to accomplish a project, especially if I do a good job of explaining how arguments can be used to make them more flexible.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Akir Link ParentMagus is probably my favorite of the “girl falls in problematic love with nonhuman” genre. I really love the visual design of every nonhuman and the research that goes into the...Magus is probably my favorite of the “girl falls in problematic love with nonhuman” genre. I really love the visual design of every nonhuman and the research that goes into the english/irish/Scottish myth goes a long way into making it feel real. I also have a soft spot for love interests with flaws they actively try to make better.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Akir Link ParentI played through Shenzhen I/O not too long ago, actually. Even bought the physical manual for it!I played through Shenzhen I/O not too long ago, actually. Even bought the physical manual for it!
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Akir LinkThis week my digital electronics class has gone up to learning about the higher level stuff, which has brought us to learning about assembly code. The class is rediculous for reasons I am not...This week my digital electronics class has gone up to learning about the higher level stuff, which has brought us to learning about assembly code. The class is rediculous for reasons I am not going to go over for the time being, but it’s got me interested in trying to learn an assembly language. I thought it might be interesting to try to learn assembly on a retro computer or console because that seems to be the most simple way, and I wanted to ask if anyone had any resources they would recommend. I’m already aware about the 8bitworkshop IDE and books but figured I’d ask in case there are better places to look or alternative paths anyone would suggest.
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Comment on I force my shell prompt to the bottom of the screen in ~comp
Akir LinkReturn to teletype indeed. The first thing I thought about when I read this was that it reminded me of the interface to trebuchet and other chat type programs. I actually did at one time access a...Return to teletype indeed. The first thing I thought about when I read this was that it reminded me of the interface to trebuchet and other chat type programs. I actually did at one time access a computer regularly with such an application due to the lack of terminal programs on public computers at the time.
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Comment on Backing up Spotify in ~music
Akir Link ParentWell, with the discontinuation of the penny here in the US, I have to round to the nearest nickle, and that means that artists have to get zero. It's just simple practical business sense. In all...Well, with the discontinuation of the penny here in the US, I have to round to the nearest nickle, and that means that artists have to get zero. It's just simple practical business sense.
In all seriousness, though, If artists are barely getting paid for my streams, why should I care if that doesn't get to them at all? If there's an artist I really care about, I'd actually buy their music so that they get a more reasonable cut, or if possible (it often isn't), I'd go to a concert and buy merch.
Beyond that, why does it make a difference if Anna's Archive has this when chances are that all of this music is available elsewhere already - possibly in higher quality, even? If anything, it's a good thing that this music is archived.
Watt meter on an EV is basically the equivalent to a tachometer on an ICE car. I used to drive up fairly steep hills daily for work and I would see it go in the 80s or 90s.