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    1. What have you been watching/reading this week? (Anime/Manga)

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was...

      What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.

      If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!

      9 votes
    2. Does anyone use a trackball mouse?

      I've been curious about making a switch for ergonomics and just lack of space on my desk. Do you recommend it for gaming? Any guidance on genres that do or don't work? I mostly play real time and...

      I've been curious about making a switch for ergonomics and just lack of space on my desk.

      • Do you recommend it for gaming? Any guidance on genres that do or don't work? I mostly play real time and turn based strategy games or point-and-click style games such as Diablo on my computer. I don't generally go in for twitchy FPSes, but I'd like the option.

      • Opinions on index vs. thumb?

      • How long was the adjustment period to get used to it?

      • Any recommendations on good ones to buy?

      • Are there any advantages I'm not thinking of besides just being better for my wrist?

      • Disadvantages besides, potentially, being less precise than a mouse?

      • Are there any tradeoffs with going wireless?

      9 votes
    3. What do you think of the new Twilight Zone?

      I really enjoyed Peele's new Twilight Zone. It's a bit hit and miss - but most anthology shows have this. Some episodes are great, most are good enough, a couple are forgettable. The critic...

      I really enjoyed Peele's new Twilight Zone. It's a bit hit and miss - but most anthology shows have this. Some episodes are great, most are good enough, a couple are forgettable.

      The critic reviews (based on the first four episodes) are all over the place, with scoring ranging from 100 to 10. The user reviews are the usual tyre-fire of awfulness. https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-twilight-zone-2019

      I found Replay to be genuinely upsetting and it was the episode that stayed with me longest. I get the impression that this episode split the audience and a bunch of people dislike the social commentary. (Or something, I dunno, I can't understand the mindset that criticises a show for something like this).

      So I'm interested in your opinions. Have you watched it? Did you enjoy it?

      5 votes
    4. Challenge: defuse this fork bomb

      On lobste.rs I found link to an article from Vidar Holen, the author of shellcheck. He made a fork bomb that is really interesting. Here's the bomb: DO NOT RUN THIS. eval $(echo...

      On lobste.rs I found link to an article from Vidar Holen, the author of shellcheck. He made a fork bomb that is really interesting. Here's the bomb:

      DO NOT RUN THIS.

      eval $(echo "I<RA('1E<W3t`rYWdl&r()(Y29j&r{,3Rl7Ig}&r{,T31wo});r`26<F]F;==" | uudecode)
      

      This may look pretty obvious, but it's harder than you think. I fell for it. twice. Can you find out how this bomb works?

      Warning: executing the bomb will slow down your computer and will force you to restart.
      You can limit impact of the fork bomb by setting FUNCNEST.

      export FUNCNEST=3
      

      Have fun!

      12 votes
    5. What are some of the best free ebooks available online?

      Project Gutenberg is a great resource for free books, but its 50,000+ titles are intimidating in number (if not outright impenetrable). The same goes for other free ebook aggregators/feeds, of...

      Project Gutenberg is a great resource for free books, but its 50,000+ titles are intimidating in number (if not outright impenetrable). The same goes for other free ebook aggregators/feeds, of which there are many. There are also lots of authors who offer up their books for free. And, of course, there are tons of free options available in, say, the Kindle store. While it's nice to have so many choices, it hinders discoverability. Individual books get lost in all the noise.

      As such, I'd like to know: what are some standout, recommended books that are available to readers for free?

      Obvious disclaimer: I am not interested in pirated content.

      24 votes
    6. A physical reaction to my mental incompetence.

      I was reading up on information theory today, and I managed to keep track of everything for a while. But then the information got slippery, and I could feel the muscles in my head tighten. I kept...

      I was reading up on information theory today, and I managed to keep track of everything for a while. But then the information got slippery, and I could feel the muscles in my head tighten. I kept reading, and I lost track of everything. My forehead was so tense I felt it would collapse on itself. By the end of the page, I was exhausted and I closed the book and took a breath. This happens to me every time things get hard. It's like I am lifting weights but I can only do a few reps before I completely crash. If I keep crashing, eventually I'll get a headache that will put me out of commission for the day.

      I'm sharing this because I am curious how others feel when they reach their mental limit, either short term or long term. Does anyone else have a similar physical reaction or any physical reaction?

      17 votes