balooga's recent activity
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Comment on What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you? in ~music
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Comment on Children's music suggestions in ~music
balooga LinkDepends on the age of the kids. We really appreciate Caspar Babypants for making catchy, non-annoying music for little ones. Now that my kids are getting older, we basically don't listen to...Depends on the age of the kids. We really appreciate Caspar Babypants for making catchy, non-annoying music for little ones. Now that my kids are getting older, we basically don't listen to anything other than KPop Demon Hunters lol.
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Comment on Musings on "Developer Mode" in ~comp
balooga LinkRespectfully, I think your unfamiliarity with the tools is leading you to some myopic conclusions about their usefulness. The purpose of browser dev tools is decidedly not for "composing humorous...Respectfully, I think your unfamiliarity with the tools is leading you to some myopic conclusions about their usefulness.
The purpose of browser dev tools is decidedly not for "composing humorous screenshots, deleting annoying ads, and downloading images and videos." Those abilities are side effects that emerge from what they're actually designed to do, which is provide insight into the internal state of the browser engine. If they didn't exist, the people who build your favorites sites would be unable to fix many bugs in them. It's not a cool hacker trick, it's a necessary tool for web development. I say that as someone who spends most of my workday using these tools, without them I would be significantly limited in my ability to troubleshoot or create new features.
Electron apps have the same dev tools as Chrome because Electron is just a Chromium wrapper. I work with Electron and those dev tools are equally necessary in that context. I'm not an Android dev but I assume its tooling is also critical for those who are.
Funnily enough, the ChatGPT "dev mode" you mentioned is not actually that. It's just a prompt injection trick that makes the LLM pretend it's in some kind of dev mode. It's not really connected to anything, it's just an illusion.
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Comment on Charlie Kirk shooting: US President Donald Trump says suspect in custody in ~society
balooga Link ParentI don’t know anything about that, I discovered Channel 5 fairly recently and wasn’t aware of any allegations. I hope that’s not true obviously. Channel 5 is a journalistic breath of fresh air —...I don’t know anything about that, I discovered Channel 5 fairly recently and wasn’t aware of any allegations. I hope that’s not true obviously. Channel 5 is a journalistic breath of fresh air — ugh why do so many things I enjoy get footgunned by their people being assholes off camera. I’m so tired of having the debate about separating art from the artist. Seriously, I’m not advocating for sweeping misbehavior under the rug, I just want people to… be better. It’s fatiguing rehashing this for a different person every month or two. It’s surprisingly hard to find people who do good things, who also don’t do bad things.
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Comment on Charlie Kirk shooting: US President Donald Trump says suspect in custody in ~society
balooga LinkChannel 5 with Andrew Callaghan has been knocking it out of the park lately. Today this long-form interview with the last person to speak with Charlie Kirk dropped. This format is so much better...Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan has been knocking it out of the park lately. Today this long-form interview with the last person to speak with Charlie Kirk dropped. This format is so much better than the sound-byte echo chamber media noise happening elsewhere. Worth a watch.
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Comment on LocalThunk: ‘I have some unfortunate news: The promised 2025 Balatro 1.1 update isn’t going to come out in 2025’ in ~games
balooga LinkBalatro was one of the free monthly games for PSN subscribers recently. I gave it a try and quickly discovered that it’s not my kind of game! But I had no idea that it’s a solo dev’s passion...Balatro was one of the free monthly games for PSN subscribers recently. I gave it a try and quickly discovered that it’s not my kind of game! But I had no idea that it’s a solo dev’s passion project and I just find that all kinds of inspiring. Kudos to LocalThunk for chasing his dreams, finding success, and keeping his life in balance afterward. I’m an aspiring solo game dev myself, miles away from ever releasing anything, but stories like these keep me going.
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Comment on Throwback Thursday: Let's talk old flash and memes! in ~talk
balooga (edited )LinkAnybody else remember Jandrew Edits? Only a portion of the original set still survive today, but they make me giddy with laughter. Edit: Just found this link which is much more complete. Hooray!Anybody else remember Jandrew Edits? Only a portion of the original set still survive today, but they make me giddy with laughter.
Edit: Just found this link which is much more complete. Hooray!
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Comment on Microsoft testing new AI features in Windows 11 File Explorer in ~tech
balooga LinkDouglas Adams The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, chapter 11"Listen," said Ford, who was still engrossed in the sales brochure, "they make a big thing of the ship's cybernetics. 'A new generation of Sirius Cybernetics Corporation robots and computers, with the new GPP feature.'"
"GPP feature?" said Arthur. "What's that?"
"Oh, it says Genuine People Personalities."
"Oh," said Arthur, "sounds ghastly."
A voice behind them said, "It is." The voice was low and hopeless and accompanied by a slight clanking sound. They spun round and saw an abject steel man standing hunched in the doorway.
"What?" they said.
"Ghastly," continued Marvin, "it all is. Absolutely ghastly. Just don't even talk about it. Look at this door," he said, stepping through it. The irony circuits cut into his voice modulator as he mimicked the style of the sales brochure. "'All the doors in this spaceship have a cheerful and sunny disposition. It is their pleasure to open for you, and their satisfaction to close again with the knowledge of a job well done.'"
As the door closed behind them it became apparent that it did indeed have a satisfied sighlike quality to it. "Hummmmmmmyummmmmmmah!" it said.
Marvin regarded it with cold loathing while his logic circuits chattered with disgust and tinkered with the concept of directing physical violence against it. Why bother? What's the point? Nothing is worth getting involved in.
Douglas Adams
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, chapter 11 -
Comment on Kaiser says no limits on COVID vaccine for its patients in ~health
balooga LinkNice to hear some good news for a change! That’s a statement I hope to see much more often in the future, as government agencies have set all credibility ablaze… at least some people in...Nice to hear some good news for a change!
In a news release, the health care provider says its administration of the vaccine is "based on the latest scientific evidence and clinical guidance from our physician experts and many other sources, including medical societies."
That’s a statement I hope to see much more often in the future, as government agencies have set all credibility ablaze… at least some people in influential positions are still behaving like responsible adults.
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Comment on Jet Lag Season 15 | Official trailer in ~hobbies
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Comment on Vimeo enters into definitive agreement to be acquired by Bending Spoons for $1.38 billion in ~tech
balooga Link ParentIsn't Vimeo's real source of revenue its private-label streaming platform service? I'm pretty sure they're the tech solution used by a bunch of heavy hitters in the video space. A quick search...Isn't Vimeo's real source of revenue its private-label streaming platform service? I'm pretty sure they're the tech solution used by a bunch of heavy hitters in the video space. A quick search says their clients include Dropout.tv, Martha Stewart, Try Guys, and they're also involved in live sports broadcasting, fitness studio streams, and online learning platforms like Coursera. They've got a lot more going on than just being a flagging YouTube competitor.
I don't know anything about Bending Spoons. It sounds like a private equity type deal, and the press release lists Meetup and Evernote among their portfolio. In that light, this announcement seems like bad news to me. Both of those once-great platforms have been thoroughly enshittified, shambling on today as mere husks. As someone who really enjoys the content of Vimeo's clientele, I hope this isn't a foretelling of a similar fate for them.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 8 in ~society
balooga Link ParentWhat note? On Epstein sketch, Republicans revert to shrugs. (NYT paywall, archive link) The whole situation is abhorrent, but this line in particular really rankles me. The phrase “his word”...What note? On Epstein sketch, Republicans revert to shrugs. (NYT paywall, archive link)
“The president says he did not sign it, so I take the president at his word,” Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, said.
The whole situation is abhorrent, but this line in particular really rankles me. The phrase “his word” actually means something. A man’s word is his reputation, his credibility, his track record of speaking truth and standing by it. An upstanding man’s word is as good as gold. A dishonorable man’s word is less than worthless.
I can’t name a single person with a more tarnished relationship with truth than Donald J. Trump. He is antagonistic to truth. Lies are, to him, as natural as breathing. So don’t talk to me about his word, or why anyone should consider any statement he utters to be trustworthy or credible. The proof is in the pudding. Anyone claiming to trust Trump, after he has demonstrated his total untrustworthiness (an astonishing uncountable number of times) is either a sycophant or a comically poor judge of character.
Neither should be in Mr. Comer’s position of power.
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Comment on Vintage cabaret cover of Europe’s “The Final Countdown” by Gunhild Carling (2018) in ~music
balooga Link ParentCrazy! And YouTube’s recommended video after that was… her playing three trumpets at once! She’s insane!!Crazy! And YouTube’s recommended video after that was… her playing three trumpets at once! She’s insane!!
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Comment on Vintage cabaret cover of Europe’s “The Final Countdown” by Gunhild Carling (2018) in ~music
balooga Link ParentNo... how is that even possible? Gonna need a link for that!No... how is that even possible? Gonna need a link for that!
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Comment on Vintage cabaret cover of Europe’s “The Final Countdown” by Gunhild Carling (2018) in ~music
balooga Link ParentTrumpet and trombone were on point. The recorder? Didn’t see that one coming, and she killed it. Then she pulls out FREAKING BAGPIPES? Whaaaaaaa? I’m not even mad about the rickroll.Trumpet and trombone were on point. The recorder? Didn’t see that one coming, and she killed it. Then she pulls out FREAKING BAGPIPES? Whaaaaaaa?
I’m not even mad about the rickroll.
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Comment on Wikipedia is resilient because it’s boring in ~tech
balooga Link ParentROFL I didn’t even realize I had misused ±! Good catch. 😆ROFL I didn’t even realize I had misused ±! Good catch. 😆
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Comment on Wikipedia is resilient because it’s boring in ~tech
balooga LinkI emerged from the right wing long ago, but I still remember the “conservative values” I was raised under. This was ±30 years ago, mind you. A rallying cry I heard many times in those days was a...I emerged from the right wing long ago, but I still remember the “conservative values” I was raised under. This was ±30 years ago, mind you.
A rallying cry I heard many times in those days was a warning about postmodern relativism… The libs are wishy-washy and emotionally driven, they don’t care about facts. They have no regard for the truth. They use phrases like “your truth” and “my truth” but have forsaken absolute truth. And so on. Often this was coupled with religious reminders that Satan is the great deceiver, the father of lies, and so on.
I don’t know what happened to conservatives but I guess they should have listened to their own instruction. Somehow they’ve completely left those notions by the wayside and jumped on the post-truth bandwagon. They are attacking truth from nearly every possible angle, sowing confusion and disinformation constantly. Factuality has been usurped by loyalty as the indicator of one’s correctness.
I guess the story’s not as simple as I’m making it out to be; politicians of all stripes have had tenuous relationships with truth forever. Colbert coined “truthiness” ages ago. But I do think the larger ideological shift that has occurred in the last decade is noteworthy. And alarming. Not to mention Orwellian, which is the most troubling undercurrent of the political right today.
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Comment on Protest at Austin City Hall after not being allowed to speak [at hearing on surveillance cameras] in ~society
balooga Link ParentThis video on ALPR circumvention strategies was discussed here last week. Sharing in case you missed it. I'm not convinced this sort of thing will ever be able to rouse a critical mass of people...This video on ALPR circumvention strategies was discussed here last week. Sharing in case you missed it. I'm not convinced this sort of thing will ever be able to rouse a critical mass of people in opposition. It's too technical, too invisible, too abstract. People aren't going to care about a danger they can't comprehend. But I'm grateful to see more discussions circulating about it, at least in techie spaces online.
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Comment on Dwayne Johnson uncontrollably sobs as ‘The Smashing Machine’ gets fifteen-minute Venice standing ovation and generates Oscar buzz in ~movies
balooga Link ParentMy arms are sore just thinking about it.My arms are sore just thinking about it.
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Comment on Two minute deep acid in Strudel (from scratch) in ~music
balooga LinkI’m a software engineer and I dabble in audio production but this was way beyond me. Seriously impressive stuff. This YT comment cracked me up:I’m a software engineer and I dabble in audio production but this was way beyond me. Seriously impressive stuff.
This YT comment cracked me up:
All I want to know is: can I provision the playlist to the club sound system using Terraform?
America — A Horse With No Name
First off, huge respect to the band, they’re one of the legends of classic rock. I like the vibe of this song and it’s catchy as heck. But those verses are the pinnacle of r/im14andthisisdeep energy. Lazy and cringe.