balooga's recent activity
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Comment on The user is visibly frustrated in ~tech
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Comment on The user is visibly frustrated in ~tech
balooga Link ParentThat’s exactly what a bot would say! Sneaky clankers!That’s exactly what a bot would say! Sneaky clankers!
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Comment on What are your personal crackpot conspiracy theories about the world right now? in ~talk
balooga Link ParentThe wealth-amassing megachurch / televangelist types? I completely buy that. Same for the top echelons of institutional church power across the board — not just Catholicism but all major...The wealth-amassing megachurch / televangelist types? I completely buy that. Same for the top echelons of institutional church power across the board — not just Catholicism but all major religions. Especially the ones with the most money. Looking at LDS and Scientology, there.
I really believe (maybe this is my own crackpot theory) that a nontrivial percentage of the population is sociopathic and these people naturally gravitate towards, and excel in, positions of power, influence, and exploitation for personal gain. I think the halls of government and religion and big business are packed full of these people because they are the only ones capable of doing the unthinkable things necessary to thrive there. And there are a LOT of them, and they look after one another. The rest of us self-select as the prey class because we’re bound by convictions that they’ve simply never had. I suspect the world has always been that way and probably always will: The liars and manipulators call the shots because they can, and everyone else tells themselves stories about why that’s okay.
I think that explains corrupt politicians who have no real values or ideals but certainly like to play the part, in exactly the same way it explains non-believing church leaders.
I do think there are plenty of earnest, devout clergy. But most of them won’t have what it takes to play the game, rise through the ranks, etc. They’ll always just be smalltime pastors of local churches. And I’m certain a significant number of them once truly believed, and now no longer do for whatever reason, but remain in those occupations because they don’t know how to do anything else career-wise or they’re afraid to reveal their hypocrisy… so they just stay there going through the motions for years. These are the ones who end up on the news for abusing their congregants, because they rotted inside but lacked the sociopathy to evade consequences, and they’ve been operating solo instead of enmeshing themselves in strata of back-scratching fellow manipulators. They’re the ones with the tearful mugshots who probably really do feel remorse and will end up making public apologies and repeat the cycle again a few years later. That’s rookie shit, the real monsters at the top don’t end up in situations like that. They’re untouchable.
I think our general understanding of sociopathy needs to change. We all know sociopaths are among us. But we pussy-foot around that fact and convince ourselves that there are probably only a few of them, that identifying them is impossible, and that the justice system will take care of them when they do bad things. It won’t. They are the justice system.
Hmm, on reflection I guess you could substitute “reptilians” or “Jews” or “pedophile satanists” for “sociopaths” and this isn’t terribly different from any other classic anti-elite conspiracy theory. I mean, at least mine’s not racist or about aliens. I just think 10-20% of humans are born without the psychological barriers that regulate the rest of us, and they've been using that as a superpower to make the world their playground at our expense.
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Comment on 007 First Light reviews – Top Critic Average: 88 in ~games
balooga LinkI’m curious about replayability. I love how open-ended the Hitman games are and how there are so many different challenges and goals to attempt for every location. And other non-story modes with...I’m curious about replayability. I love how open-ended the Hitman games are and how there are so many different challenges and goals to attempt for every location. And other non-story modes with different assassination targets… I really enjoy the roguelike Freelancer mode. Is there anything like that in 007 First Light? What mechanics (besides whatever self-directed goals you set on your own) does the game offer to keep each stage fresh after you’ve completed it?
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Comment on Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in ~health
balooga LinkIt’s been over 20 years since I graduated college, but one of my fondest memories from that time was making PVC didgeridoos with my dorm mate and teaching ourselves how to play them. It was absurd...It’s been over 20 years since I graduated college, but one of my fondest memories from that time was making PVC didgeridoos with my dorm mate and teaching ourselves how to play them. It was absurd in so many ways. Campus security gave us some scrutiny because they thought we were carrying around enormous bongs.
Now I’m an old man who snores. Haven’t touched a didge since I left school. Now I’m wondering if I should pick one up and give it another go.
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Comment on Flock wants to partner with dashcam company Nexar that takes ‘trillions of images’ a month in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI wouldn’t have noticed it either if not for Tildes having that “Link Information” block with metadata it identified. Not a much-discussed feature of the site but a great one! Of course that isn’t...I wouldn’t have noticed it either if not for Tildes having that “Link Information” block with metadata it identified. Not a much-discussed feature of the site but a great one! Of course that isn’t much help to you before you post the link, heh.
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Comment on Ferrari unveils its first all-electric car, the four-door Luce in ~transport
balooga LinkArs Technica has a more detailed look. I really like the interior. The combination analog clock / stopwatch / compass with a digital face and mechanical hands is a novelty but a very cool one. I...Ars Technica has a more detailed look. I really like the interior. The combination analog clock / stopwatch / compass with a digital face and mechanical hands is a novelty but a very cool one. I love the physical rocker switches under the infotainment touchscreen.
I get the criticism of the exterior design but I think it works. It’s not trying to be a supercar. I dig the retro taillights. Seems like they did a lot of physical simulation and testing to minimize drag and hug the road. The colors they’re demoing call attention to the design’s eccentricities but I think it’ll look less garish to people in more traditional shades. And of course with the world careening headlong back toward fossil fuels I’m not inclined to pooh-pooh any new electrification efforts. More, please.
Obviously (I mean you don’t know me so maybe not obviously, but still) this is way, way out of my budget and I don’t think I’d be buying a status symbol like a Ferrari even if I could afford it. I’ll take a cheap Honda and put my dollars into more practical purchases… even so, the Luce still looks like a nice car to me.
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Comment on When did your preferred fighting game franchises peak? in ~games
balooga Link ParentI came here to post this! I’m not a big fan of fighting games in general but Virtua Fighter and VF2 were arcade juggernauts when I was a kid. Being able to have a roughly equivalent experience at...I came here to post this! I’m not a big fan of fighting games in general but Virtua Fighter and VF2 were arcade juggernauts when I was a kid. Being able to have a roughly equivalent experience at home, no quarters necessary, was the dream. But Fighters Megamix was the PEAK. I’d never conceived of such a huge cast of playable characters in a game. Also it looked incredible, even compared to the console ports of VF and VF2, and ran at a very smooth frame rate.
I had a blast unlocking all the special characters. Some of them were just delightfully wacky. I loved all the little cameos from other Sega properties too. It also had fun new gameplay elements like destructible armor, weapons, and cages (borrowed from Fighting Vipers IIRC, but I’ve never played that one). Also other modes like team battles and survival mode. For its time it felt unbelievably full-featured.
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Comment on Flock wants to partner with dashcam company Nexar that takes ‘trillions of images’ a month in ~tech
balooga LinkAwful. This article is 9 months old and I’m not able to find any newer information online about this. Which could mean the companies were unable make it work for some reason. Hope that’s the case.Awful.
This article is 9 months old and I’m not able to find any newer information online about this. Which could mean the companies were unable make it work for some reason. Hope that’s the case.
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Comment on Project Glasswing: An initial update in ~tech
balooga Link ParentI don’t want to pretend humans are incapable of finding these vulnerabilities, but I feel reasonably confident that most of these would not have been found if more people had only been paid to...I don’t want to pretend humans are incapable of finding these vulnerabilities, but I feel reasonably confident that most of these would not have been found if more people had only been paid to look for them. At this level the skill set required to be successful is in short supply. If the alternative to Project Glasswing is “just hire more experts,” I’m not sure that throwing any amount of money at the problem will be enough to reach Mythos-tier hardening.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of May 18 in ~society
balooga Link ParentIt’s worth pointing out here that “Democrat” used as an adjective in this way is a longstanding pejorative, used only in bad faith by opponents of the Democratic Party.It’s worth pointing out here that “Democrat” used as an adjective in this way is a longstanding pejorative, used only in bad faith by opponents of the Democratic Party.
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Comment on I'm going on vacation in ~tildes
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Comment on Mel Gibson unveils ‘Resurrection of the Christ’ first look, delays release dates for two-part biblical epic in ~movies
balooga Link ParentFrom that link, quoting Gibson: Sounds like the bulk of this one’s going to take place on Holy Saturday. If you know what I mean.Gibson has described the sequels as an “acid trip,” adding that he “never read anything like” the scripts
From that link, quoting Gibson:
“My brother and I and Randall all sort of congregated on this. So there’s some good heads put together, but there’s some crazy stuff,” he said. “And I think in order to really tell the story properly you have to really start with the fall of the angels, which means you’re in another place, you’re in another realm. You need to go to hell.”
Sounds like the bulk of this one’s going to take place on Holy Saturday. If you know what I mean.
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Comment on FBI seeks US-wide access to license plate cameras, wants "data in near real time" in ~society
balooga (edited )LinkThis is the Big Brother panopticon we were warned about. Funny, I always assumed I'd get the opportunity to vote on it or something. Turns out, no, it's easier to just put this shit up everywhere...This is the Big Brother panopticon we were warned about. Funny, I always assumed I'd get the opportunity to vote on it or something. Turns out, no, it's easier to just put this shit up everywhere whether the people want it or not, because fuck you that's why. Same with AI and data centers and Palantir and Oracle and DOGE and ICE and war in Iran, they're just ramming it all down everyone's gullets like political gavage. Nobody else gets a say.
But that's how things are done in the 2020s, I guess. Just mask-off might makes right like it's a guiding principle for life. I remember the feelings of shock and disbelief at the sight of railcars loaded down with Z-emblazoned Russian tanks en route to Ukraine at the beginning of that war, after the Biden administration leaked intel of Putin's plans to invade. I was stunned that Putin would just do such a nakedly aggressive, unprovoked attack on an innocent people. Not even the flimsiest pretense of justification for it. The world rallied against him at the time, loudly calling him out and sanctioning him for such a despicable act. Didn't matter a whit.
That almost seems quaint now, with Trump and co. running roughshod over every agency in the federal government, systematically dismantling every check and balance, firing every non-loyalist, in aggregate possibly the most heinous display of corruption and self-dealing in world history. It doesn't matter that it's evil, we can shout about that until we're blue in the face. These people don't care. They just do what they want, because fuck you that's why. No appeals to ethics or empathy will penetrate their greed and lust for power. The old phrase was "better to ask forgiveness than permission." This is the next step after that, where forgiveness is irrelevant, and so is the asking. You just do. You take the power and abandon any charade of caring about democratic representation or morals or international norms or human rights, because you can and no one's going to stop you.
I'm getting real tired of not stopping these people. If they're not going to play by the rules, why should anyone?
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Comment on What movies become better by having a bus suddenly come out of no where and hit someone? in ~movies
balooga Link ParentNah, this one's rigged to speed up to 50mph if the first bus explodes.Nah, this one's rigged to speed up to 50mph if the first bus explodes.
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Comment on TSA announces TSA Gold+ in ~transport
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Comment on TSA announces TSA Gold+ in ~transport
balooga Link Parent100% AI-generated. Look at the mismatched bottom left and right corners of the thing. The angles don't make any sense, it's totally Escher-esque.100% AI-generated. Look at the mismatched bottom left and right corners of the thing. The angles don't make any sense, it's totally Escher-esque.
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Comment on TSA announces TSA Gold+ in ~transport
balooga LinkIt's a hype-drivel single-page brochure marketing site with an AI-slop illustration and (likely) AI-slop copy that doesn't say anything at all, about handwavey "advanced technologies" that don't...It's a hype-drivel single-page brochure marketing site with an AI-slop illustration and (likely) AI-slop copy that doesn't say anything at all, about handwavey "advanced technologies" that don't exist. Looks like a fly-by-night tech grift. Doubtless another scheme for Trump and his cronies to line their pockets at the public's expense.
They didn't have to make the site look like a gaudy ad. This is what they think official government messaging is supposed to look like — full of branding, sales fluff, and CTAs. The "An official website of the U.S. government" assertions at the top and bottom of the page are an indignity, but I suppose a necessary one, because when they're shitting out sites like this you genuinely can't tell anymore.
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Comment on GitHub confirms breach of 3,800 repos via malicious VSCode extension in ~tech
balooga LinkWorth pointing out here for those who don't read into the article that these were apparently all internal repos, not user repos. This was a targeted attack against Github from a cybercrime gang....Worth pointing out here for those who don't read into the article that these were apparently all internal repos, not user repos. This was a targeted attack against Github from a cybercrime gang. They are selling the Github source code on the dark web and say they will leak it publicly if no buyer comes forward.
What's implied is that even though your repos are safe now, a sufficiently motivated group could use the source code to find exploits that do put your repos in danger. I don't think we've heard the last of this.
My guess is somebody's going to try to roll their own Mythos to find some super-sneaky way into accessing private repos, which have always been assumed untouchable. This won't be announced anywhere and orgs will have no way of knowing if it's happened to them. If Github is paying attention to their server logs, with any luck they'll spot the suspicious behavior before too much damage is done. If the attackers move quietly they might never get spotted reading private repo data, and any subsequent attacks against those victim orgs won't be attributable to this event.
There's also the possibility of using exploits to poison public repos, if attackers get write access. I'm talking, maybe, about ways to bypass the Github UI and manipulate git repos or other internal assets directly. Thankfully git makes it pretty impossible to alter commit history in quiet ways, but other attacks could be feasible. Like if they found a way to silently replace a published release artifact with a different file. Or they could add malicious CI/CD steps into existing pipelines that would be less likely to be quickly spotted. Or maybe alter published Github Pages content directly wherever that's served from? There are lots of possible attacks that bypass source control, but without knowing Github's architecture I can only speculate about what's possible.
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Comment on What movies become better by having a bus suddenly come out of no where and hit someone? in ~movies
balooga LinkWhy didn’t I think of this sooner… it’s the obvious choice: Speed. Jack and Annie escape out the bottom of the bus, rolling away to safety as it careens into a jet and explodes. They pause for a...Why didn’t I think of this sooner… it’s the obvious choice:
Speed. Jack and Annie escape out the bottom of the bus, rolling away to safety as it careens into a jet and explodes. They pause for a beat to catch their breath. Jacks asks Annie, “Are you alright?” Before she can answer, both are flattened by a second bus from out of nowhere. At exactly 2:02 in this clip.
Yeah there have been a few occasions when I kicked off a vibe coding project by asking for a detailed plan. Then it writes up a traditional roadmap document with card sizes and estimates on the order of days to weeks. Which I immediately follow up with, “yeah okay, just do all that right now thanks.”