blivet's recent activity
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Comment on Donald Trump is safe after Secret Service opened fire at suspect with firearm near his Florida golf club in ~news
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Comment on Who’s afraid of Lorne Michaels? in ~tv
blivet Link ParentI know what you mean. I started watching SNL when the very first episode was broadcast back when I was in high school. Even though I’m no longer a regular viewer I think I’ve seen enough clips of...I know what you mean. I started watching SNL when the very first episode was broadcast back when I was in high school. Even though I’m no longer a regular viewer I think I’ve seen enough clips of more recent seasons to be able to say that I’m familiar with the whole run. There are exceptions, of course, but at a certain point I came to realize that by and large I don’t really care for Lorne Michaels’ brand of humor, and I think a lot of its lack of appeal for me has to do with the issues discussed in the article. There’s a kind of mean-spiritedness that teenage boys think is hilarious that has colored the show from the very beginning.
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Comment on Which debut albums from the 2020s do you recommend? in ~music
blivet Link ParentProbably. I would be very surprised if they really had written enough material for two solid albums right out of the gate.Probably. I would be very surprised if they really had written enough material for two solid albums right out of the gate.
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Comment on Which debut albums from the 2020s do you recommend? in ~music
blivet Link ParentI was just thinking that the other day. If I’m remembering right, back around the time their record came out they were saying that they already had enough material for a second album.I was just thinking that the other day. If I’m remembering right, back around the time their record came out they were saying that they already had enough material for a second album.
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Comment on Kamala Harris’ lead dips in national US polls and it’s very close in the key states in ~misc
blivet Link ParentIf by “hammer her” you mean babble a string of barely coherent lies, then sure.If by “hammer her” you mean babble a string of barely coherent lies, then sure.
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Comment on Kamala Harris’ lead dips in national US polls and it’s very close in the key states in ~misc
blivet Link ParentI think they are saying that if Biden wears dentures, it could affect his speech. I suspect that if he has any dental prostheses they are implants, though. The same goes for Trump.I think they are saying that if Biden wears dentures, it could affect his speech. I suspect that if he has any dental prostheses they are implants, though. The same goes for Trump.
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Comment on After seeing Wi-Fi network named “STINKY,” Navy found hidden Starlink dish on US warship in ~tech
blivet Link ParentI think it would be hard for the people involved to credibly claim that they didn’t know that installing their own unsecured internet access was prohibited. These were the most senior enlisted...I think it would be hard for the people involved to credibly claim that they didn’t know that installing their own unsecured internet access was prohibited. These were the most senior enlisted personnel on the ship.
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Comment on Why TV is wrong for Tolkien in ~tv
blivet Link ParentCould you explain what about the Star Wars fictional universe is so appealing to you that you would like to see stories that take place in it that have nothing to do with the Skywalkers? What I...Could you explain what about the Star Wars fictional universe is so appealing to you that you would like to see stories that take place in it that have nothing to do with the Skywalkers? What I mean is, if you don't care about the Skywalker family, the Jedi, the Emperor, and so on, why do you need the connection to Star Wars at all? Why not a space fantasy story that's its own thing?
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Comment on What are your favorite westerns? in ~movies
blivet Link ParentWhat a terrible idea. The original is in no way dated, and it was the product of a collaboration between several absolutely superlative artists. I doubt the producers of the remake will be...A Fistful of Dollars is getting an official remake
What a terrible idea. The original is in no way dated, and it was the product of a collaboration between several absolutely superlative artists. I doubt the producers of the remake will be anywhere near their level.
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Comment on Here’s twenty-two examples of Google employees trying to avoid creating evidence in antitrust case in ~tech
blivet Link ParentThe easiest way to do that is not to commit crimes. Maybe Google should look into that.The easiest way to do that is not to commit crimes. Maybe Google should look into that.
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Comment on In leak, Facebook partner brags about listening to your phone’s microphone to serve ads for stuff you mention in ~tech
blivet Link ParentYeah, I’m sure that some companies would love to be able to do it, but from what I’ve read the user’s device would have to constantly be sending tremendous amounts of data to Meta’s (or whoever’s)...Yeah, I’m sure that some companies would love to be able to do it, but from what I’ve read the user’s device would have to constantly be sending tremendous amounts of data to Meta’s (or whoever’s) servers, which could easily be detected and would also drain the device’s battery so quickly that no one could fail to notice it.
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Comment on The Marshmallow Test and other predictors of success have bias built in, researchers say (gifted link) in ~science
blivet Link ParentCould be. Even as a kid I wasn’t wild about them. I would way rather have had a piece of chocolate or something like that. I got curious and did a little looking into the history of these...It might also be that marshmallows aren't super motivating!
Could be. Even as a kid I wasn’t wild about them. I would way rather have had a piece of chocolate or something like that.
I got curious and did a little looking into the history of these experiments, and I have to say that the protocols described seemed to be very convoluted, to the point where I would expect a small child to have a hard time following them.
The experimenters would ask the child whether they liked pretzels or marshmallows better, and then told the child that they could have the one they preferred least now, or the one they preferred most later if they waited.
On top of that, if the child chose to wait then the adult would leave the room, but the child could ring a bell if they got tired of waiting, and the adult would return. If they did that then they would get the less desired treat. It just seemed like too much for a little kid to keep straight.
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Comment on The Marshmallow Test and other predictors of success have bias built in, researchers say (gifted link) in ~science
blivet Link ParentThe article says they could choose to have one marshmallow right away, though. If they didn't want to wait, why didn't they just take it? But maybe my understanding of the kids' culture or the...Probably because they were told not to.
The article says they could choose to have one marshmallow right away, though. If they didn't want to wait, why didn't they just take it? But maybe my understanding of the kids' culture or the experimental protocol is lacking.
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Comment on The Marshmallow Test and other predictors of success have bias built in, researchers say (gifted link) in ~science
blivet Link ParentI don’t understand the reasoning of the kids who left the room, at least the way the article describes it. If they didn’t stick around they wouldn’t get any marshmallows. Why not take one and then...I don’t understand the reasoning of the kids who left the room, at least the way the article describes it. If they didn’t stick around they wouldn’t get any marshmallows. Why not take one and then leave?
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Comment on IKEA is trialling its own second-hand online marketplace so that customers can sell to each other, rather than relying on buy-and-sell websites like eBay or Gumtree in ~tech
blivet Link ParentYeah, in general their quality is good, but I bought a bottom of the line IKEA couch some years ago that had badly misaligned holes for the fasteners. I had to use my own brackets to attach a...Yeah, in general their quality is good, but I bought a bottom of the line IKEA couch some years ago that had badly misaligned holes for the fasteners. I had to use my own brackets to attach a couple of panels.
OTOH, it was dirt cheap and has lasted almost 25 years now with little sign of wear, and I have had guests tell me unprompted how nice it looks.
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Comment on Apple rethinks its movie strategy after a string of misses in ~movies
blivet Link ParentScorsese insisted that there was no point in the story that lent itself to an intermission. While watching it in the theater I noticed a natural break in the story that would have been ideal....Scorsese insisted that there was no point in the story that lent itself to an intermission. While watching it in the theater I noticed a natural break in the story that would have been ideal. Scorsese just didn’t want to do it.
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Comment on Quitting alcohol, I don't feel like I was ever *that bad* in ~health.mental
blivet LinkMy drinking problem was much more severe than yours, so I don’t really have any relevant advice to offer about drinking itself. I will say that even if you don’t feel that quitting has noticeably...My drinking problem was much more severe than yours, so I don’t really have any relevant advice to offer about drinking itself. I will say that even if you don’t feel that quitting has noticeably improved anything in your life, you’ll definitely save a lot of money.
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Comment on "A total of 203,946 employees have been laid off across more than 165 tech companies worldwide since the start of 2024, with firms such as Dell, Intel, and Tesla leading the cuts" in ~tech
blivet Link ParentI’ll bet you’re right. It’s probably some kind of dick measuring contest between CEOs. “We’re growing.” “Oh yeah, we’re growing like crazy too. Can’t hire fast enough.”I’ll bet you’re right. It’s probably some kind of dick measuring contest between CEOs. “We’re growing.” “Oh yeah, we’re growing like crazy too. Can’t hire fast enough.”
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Comment on Why your vet bill is so high in ~life.pets
blivet Link ParentOur cat had a lymphoma, and we ended up spending a lot of money on treatment (which was successful). But when we were discussing our options with the veterinary oncologist, the first thing he said...Our cat had a lymphoma, and we ended up spending a lot of money on treatment (which was successful). But when we were discussing our options with the veterinary oncologist, the first thing he said was that doing nothing was an entirely valid choice. I really appreciated that.
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Comment on Predictions of AI doom are too much like Hollywood movie plots in ~tech
blivet Link ParentI think it does expose something real, though. I’ve had a couple of disagreements where I genuinely couldn’t believe that anyone addressing the topic in good faith could disagree with me. I...I think it does expose something real, though. I’ve had a couple of disagreements where I genuinely couldn’t believe that anyone addressing the topic in good faith could disagree with me. I assumed it was a misunderstanding of the issue, but when I tried to explain I was accused of being condescending. Fortunately these haven’t been terribly important disputes, but something like the “scissor statements” the story posits do seem to exist.
This is so unlike the flood of information made available almost instantly about previous assassins and would-be assassins that it’s frankly bizarre. Wtf is going on?