InherentlyGloomy's recent activity
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Comment on Warren Rising: Massachusetts Progressive Announces $19 Million Fundraising Haul in ~news
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Comment on Warren Rising: Massachusetts Progressive Announces $19 Million Fundraising Haul in ~news
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentI appreciate the fact that you'd donate despite not being an American citizen. I am a citizen and I only started contributing to campaigns in 2015. That said, I'm not sure it's wise to donate a...I appreciate the fact that you'd donate despite not being an American citizen. I am a citizen and I only started contributing to campaigns in 2015.
That said, I'm not sure it's wise to donate a lot of money now, during the primaries. There are a lot of good candidates and I'm afraid if they spend all of their money and energy now trying to beat each other out, there's no way they'll be able to stand up to the financial behemoth that is the Republican party. I would much rather wait until we have an established ticket before giving money.
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Comment on Lyrics website Genius.com accuses Google of lifting its content in ~tech
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentAs I understand it, they aren't claiming a right to the lyrics themselves, but claiming they provide a service in getting the lyrics from official sources and making them available. By lifting...As I understand it, they aren't claiming a right to the lyrics themselves, but claiming they provide a service in getting the lyrics from official sources and making them available. By lifting lyrics from their sites, Google is essentially using their services in a manner that breaches their terms. I can kinda see the logic there, but I doubt it would hold up in court.
I may be totally off base there though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Comment on What's the next big fantasy series? in ~books
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentI definitely want to second The Broken Earth Trilogy. The last of 3 books was released a couple of years ago and all 3 won the top Hugo award for their years. I read them at the beginning of 2018...I definitely want to second The Broken Earth Trilogy. The last of 3 books was released a couple of years ago and all 3 won the top Hugo award for their years. I read them at the beginning of 2018 and they absolutely lived up to the hype.
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Comment on Long form visual storytelling - the best of TV in ~tv
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentThe British House of Cards was fantastic. I watched it between seasons 3 and 4 of the American version and all I could think was, "I hope the makers of the new version have the absolute balls to...The British House of Cards was fantastic. I watched it between seasons 3 and 4 of the American version and all I could think was, "I hope the makers of the new version have the absolute balls to end the series the same way." I still think about it whenever people bring up great series endings.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tv
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentI just started the Expanse about a month ago. Not nearly as much political maneuvering as early seasons of GoT, but the plots involving the UN leadership are really good. Avasarala in particular...I just started the Expanse about a month ago. Not nearly as much political maneuvering as early seasons of GoT, but the plots involving the UN leadership are really good. Avasarala in particular is great.
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Comment on Sonic The Hedgehog | Official trailer in ~movies
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentIt's springtime for Sonic and GERRRRRMANYYYYYYYY! In all seriousness though, it's probably one of those things that nobody realized was so bad until too late and now the execs are scrambling to...It's springtime for Sonic and GERRRRRMANYYYYYYYY!
In all seriousness though, it's probably one of those things that nobody realized was so bad until too late and now the execs are scrambling to just break even. With a budget of $90M, I could see it happening too. Sadly.
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Comment on Which smartphone and carrier are you using? (USA only) in ~tech
InherentlyGloomy LinkMy wife and I use Verizon only because we lived in an apartment for a while where that was the only carrier we could get service from. For a long time before that we had AT&T and frankly, I don't...My wife and I use Verizon only because we lived in an apartment for a while where that was the only carrier we could get service from. For a long time before that we had AT&T and frankly, I don't notice much of a difference. The cost and quality of the service is pretty similar for our uses (2 person, limited data plan).
Unlike most Americans I do prefer buying my phone outright, so I stick to mid-range stuff. Right now I have a Moto g6, which is pretty great given the cost. I got it at $200, and I think I've seen it down to $150 lately. Before that I picked up an HTC U11 on sale which I really loved. If you do want to buy phones unlocked, just do some research beforehand about what cellular standard the phone supports. Basically there are 2 types and PCMag.com gives a nice summary:
In the US, Sprint, Verizon, and US Cellular use CDMA. AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM.
Most of the rest of the world uses GSM. The global spread of GSM came about because in 1987, Europe mandated the technology by law, and because GSM comes from an industry consortium. What we call CDMA, by and large, is owned by chipmaker Qualcomm.
So yeah... make sure your phone and your carrier use the same cell tech and you're good to go.
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Comment on The Elder Scrolls: Blades Beta has begun for a select few in ~games
InherentlyGloomy LinkHere is a brief review from a YouTuber who reviews mobile games: The Elder Scrolls: Blades - EARLY ACCESS GAMEPLAY BETAHere is a brief review from a YouTuber who reviews mobile games: The Elder Scrolls: Blades - EARLY ACCESS GAMEPLAY BETA
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~misc
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentI had a feeling it would be the Tom Scott video :) I am cautiously optimistic about this because, while not perfect, DARPA seems to have considered many of the issues presented in that video....I had a feeling it would be the Tom Scott video :)
I am cautiously optimistic about this because, while not perfect, DARPA seems to have considered many of the issues presented in that video. Namely...
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Both hardware and software are open source. That means we don't have to "just trust" the given devices, they can be verified by anyone with the know-how to do so. Apparently they're looking at security experts and university-level researchers to do just that.
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Additionally, one of Tom's main points is that the vote counting machine is a black box, but this project is also designing an "optical-scan machine that tabulates the votes", meaning that too will be open source. They're already planning on bringing these devices to DEFCON to be prodded and tested by security experts.
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They are focusing on making "secure hardware" in addition to secure software, so there won't be the issue of people plugging random USB sticks into it to infect machines.
The one point Tom makes I'm still unsure of is how they'll gather all of the votes together. Apparently votes can be verified online via their "cryptographic values", but that leaves the issue of a central database of votes existing which is... not good to say the least. Even if no bad actors can modify votes to their advantage, they could still destroy or otherwise invalidate votes, and that's just as bad. They wouldn't even have to mess with the actual votes, just tampering with the post-election website meant for voter verification would erode public trust in the system and that would cripple the voting process as much as any direct attack.
Assuming things like this can be worked out, I would much prefer these machines to the ones currently in use that have already been shown to be insecure. Neither is as secure as paper ballots of course, and if I had to pick I would want paper every time, but progress is nice.
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Comment on What do you do about existential dread? in ~talk
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentIn addition to what @suspended said, there is growing research about the link between your gut micro-biome and mental health, specifically mental disorders like depression. Better diet and...In addition to what @suspended said, there is growing research about the link between your gut micro-biome and mental health, specifically mental disorders like depression. Better diet and exercise may also improve your gut health and, by extension, your mental health.
Sources:
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Comment on The best album ever in ~music
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentMy wife just recently discovered the greatness that is Fleetwood Mac, which gave me a great excuse to listen to Rumours a dozen more times. The one weird downside is, I accidentally Google'd...My wife just recently discovered the greatness that is Fleetwood Mac, which gave me a great excuse to listen to Rumours a dozen more times.
The one weird downside is, I accidentally Google'd "Fleetwood Mac Rumors" (wrong spelling) once and now Google News keeps shoving actual rumors about the band at me. I don't need two articles every day about what Fleetwood Mac is up to, Google.
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Comment on The best album ever in ~music
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentI would second this pick. There are very few albums I would sit and listen to, in entirety, in order, and The Wall is easily the best of them.I would second this pick. There are very few albums I would sit and listen to, in entirety, in order, and The Wall is easily the best of them.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? #14 in ~books
InherentlyGloomy LinkUnfortunately work and school are both rather busy, so the only book I've had time to really dig into is my textbook Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tool. Hopefully in a couple of months...Unfortunately work and school are both rather busy, so the only book I've had time to really dig into is my textbook Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tool. Hopefully in a couple of months I'll get back to the Hamilton biography by Ron Chernow, which is fantastic so far!
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Comment on Atheists and non-believers could soon receive civil rights protections under Portland law in ~humanities
InherentlyGloomy LinkOn one hand, I'm surprised that it's not a protected class already. In my mind, not being able to discriminate based on religious affiliation would imply that one couldn't discriminate against...On one hand, I'm surprised that it's not a protected class already. In my mind, not being able to discriminate based on religious affiliation would imply that one couldn't discriminate against unaffiliated people too. It's not like people are forced to believe in some religion.
On the other hand, I dislike the idea of religious protections being extended to groups like Scientology, which clearly abuse the label of "religion" for their own financial benefit. So perhaps a line should be drawn somewhere? This is why I don't make laws.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~comp
InherentlyGloomy LinkMercurial is a well established and widely used VCS. Subversion is another one, although I rarely hear people speak well of it. CVS is an older one that's usually found in legacy systems. It does...Mercurial is a well established and widely used VCS. Subversion is another one, although I rarely hear people speak well of it.
CVS is an older one that's usually found in legacy systems. It does handle large files and binaries pretty well, to it's credit.
I've heard good things about Bazaar, but I haven't used it personally.
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Comment on What do you think is one thing every programmer should know how to do? in ~comp
InherentlyGloomy Link ParentThis is something I had to learn the hard way. I made my comments far too verbose for a long time, until a manager did a code review and said (paraphrasing) "Don't write your code twice in the...This is something I had to learn the hard way. I made my comments far too verbose for a long time, until a manager did a code review and said (paraphrasing) "Don't write your code twice in the same file." He taught me to rely more on good variable names and readable code than ass-loads of comments.
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Comment on Rocket League - Cross platform parties now active in ~games
InherentlyGloomy LinkWow, I have been waiting for this for a long time. I only have one friend that plays RL and we play on different consoles. Glad to hear it's actually happening!Wow, I have been waiting for this for a long time. I only have one friend that plays RL and we play on different consoles. Glad to hear it's actually happening!
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Comment on What's your favorite online music streaming platform? in ~music
InherentlyGloomy LinkYou should check out your local library. Some partner with services like freegalmusic.com that let you steam 2 hours and download up to 5 songs per week for free. Combine this with a Plex server...You should check out your local library. Some partner with services like freegalmusic.com that let you steam 2 hours and download up to 5 songs per week for free. Combine this with a Plex server and you've got your own streaming service :)
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Comment on In North Carolina, investigators find ballot ‘scheme’ in House race in ~news
InherentlyGloomy LinkI've been following this pretty closely because I live in that district. The article is a little light on background so for those unfamiliar: The 9th district of NC is contested because it is...I've been following this pretty closely because I live in that district. The article is a little light on background so for those unfamiliar:
The 9th district of NC is contested because it is alleged L. McCrae Dowless Jr., a political operative for Republican candidate Mark Harris, illegally collected and submitted around 600 mail-in ballots. Harris has repeatedly claimed to have no prior knowledge of any illegal activity by any campaign staff.
The NC board of elections, a panel of 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans, has yet to officially decide whether to certify the election or call a new one. Many Republicans have claimed that if the ballots in question wouldn't have altered the outcome of the election, then they should be disregarded and Mr. Harris should be named the winner of the election. It should be noted that 4 members of the board must agree to hold a new election, so the fact that the Democrats have a simple majority is not sufficient for them to call a new election on their own -- at least one of the Republican members must agree with them.
This seems to be a pretty solid nail in Dowless' coffin (emphasis mine):
Questioned by a series of grave-toned lawyers, Ms. Britt repeatedly described illegal conduct and said she had personally collected between 35 and 40 absentee ballots in violation of state law. She estimated that she had altered between five and 10 of them, but said she had not changed any votes in Mr. Harris’s race against Mr. McCready.
Ms. Britt, who has a felony record and acknowledged that she had illegally cast her own ballot, also detailed some of Mr. Dowless’s efforts to keep elections officials from taking note of his absentee ballot operation.
For those who didn't read the whole article, Lisa Britt is Dowless' step-daughter and volunteer.
My though is that people who don't have much to give would be hesitant to donate multiple times in a single cycle. As someone who grew up in a relatively poor community there was a widespread mindset of "I've done all I can!" even when that wasn't true.
Also I just looked up contribution limits, and apparently primaries and general elections are counted separately, which I did not know.