Papavk's recent activity

  1. Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of October 12 in ~games

    Papavk
    Link Parent
    No worries! Thanks for checking and doing the giveaway!

    No worries! Thanks for checking and doing the giveaway!

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of October 12 in ~games

    Papavk
    Link Parent
    Since no one has claimed it, I'd also love diplomacy is not an option. Happy to wait for a while to give others a chance to get a key since I've already received one though. Thanks!

    Since no one has claimed it, I'd also love diplomacy is not an option. Happy to wait for a while to give others a chance to get a key since I've already received one though. Thanks!

  3. Comment on A tower on Billionaires' Row in New York is full of cracks. Who's to blame? (gifted link) in ~engineering

    Papavk
    Link
    A building lauded as an architectural marvel is not everything it was claimed to be. This sounds reminiscent of the Aon Center in Chicago which was originally clad in Carrera Marble that was soon...

    A building lauded as an architectural marvel is not everything it was claimed to be.

    The exterior of the building, which opened in 2015, is pockmarked and gouged, riddled with hundreds of cracks that suggest the slender structure is being overtaxed by wind and rain, according to independent engineering experts, construction reports and court filings. If the problems are not addressed, probably with a nine-figure renovation, the building could eventually become uninhabitable or endanger pedestrians below, the engineers said.

    This sounds reminiscent of the Aon Center in Chicago which was originally clad in Carrera Marble that was soon discovered to be cracking and falling off and was eventually fully replaced.

    14 votes

  5. Anyone else go to a No Kings rally today?

    ~society Ask (survey)
    We had more people at our local/suburb protest than in June. I think organizers still underestimated attendance as we never even made it to the route of the march. The crowd was trying to funnel...

    We had more people at our local/suburb protest than in June. I think organizers still underestimated attendance as we never even made it to the route of the march. The crowd was trying to funnel through some tight spaces so eventually people just stood on the side of the busy streets and collected horn honks. Atmosphere was great. Everything relaxed. Many choice signs.

    50 votes

  6. Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of October 12 in ~games

    Papavk
    Link Parent
    Hi, I'm happy to hear things are looking up for you. Hoping it stays on the hat trajectory for a long time! I'd love wizard with a gun if it's still available. Thank you!

    Hi, I'm happy to hear things are looking up for you. Hoping it stays on the hat trajectory for a long time!

    I'd love wizard with a gun if it's still available. Thank you!

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Illiteracy is a policy choice: why aren’t we gathering behind Mississippi’s banner? in ~society

    Papavk
    Link Parent
    Thanks for sharing! There certainly does appear to be an aspect of this that shows others getting worse. But you do see overall improvement from MS, AL and other nearby states that show...

    Thanks for sharing! There certainly does appear to be an aspect of this that shows others getting worse. But you do see overall improvement from MS, AL and other nearby states that show improvement over the last ten to twenty years.

    Interestingly, CA the reference in the OP is basically flat over the course of the last twenty years.

    I remember reading the nyt article and mostly coming away with this being a story of southern states quickly embracing a return to phonics based reading instruction where other states are still in the process of phasing out the old, terrible curriculum.

    3 votes

  8. Comment on Illiteracy is a policy choice: why aren’t we gathering behind Mississippi’s banner? in ~society

    Papavk
    Link Parent
    I think the miracle is that they went from 49th to average in a relatively short time. If all underperforming states can replicate this, it would be a huge turnaround.

    I think the miracle is that they went from 49th to average in a relatively short time. If all underperforming states can replicate this, it would be a huge turnaround.

    6 votes

  9. Comment on Jimmy Kimmel returns from suspension, late-night show reaches ratings high in ~tv

    Papavk
    Link
    As many would have predicted, the return after censorship received a huge viewing bump even as some local station networks refused to air the show. Kimmel focused a substantial portion of his...

    As many would have predicted, the return after censorship received a huge viewing bump even as some local station networks refused to air the show. Kimmel focused a substantial portion of his monologue on freedom of speech.

    13 votes

  11. Comment on A geometric response to the gerrymandering problem in ~society

    Papavk
    Link
    I presume this is a response to the recent article about proportional representation. I find proportional representation more compelling than strictly sticking to population and regional nearness....

    I presume this is a response to the recent article about proportional representation. I find proportional representation more compelling than strictly sticking to population and regional nearness. I believe I have as little in common with far flung suburbs in my district as I do with more rural residents. But if people want a regional aspect to the representation, that can be added to the system. In the end, I don't care if the solution is simple, though I would think that is preferred, but most representative and less segregated sounds like a good way to make districts competitive.

    5 votes

  12. Comment on Ukraine says it hit Russian oil refinery in drone exchanges; key talks loom in ~society

    Papavk
    Link
    Interesting to see another successful attack from Ukraine on Russian oil infrastructure. A few other sources seem to indicate damage in tankage and a gas processing plant. Probably not long term...

    Interesting to see another successful attack from Ukraine on Russian oil infrastructure. A few other sources seem to indicate damage in tankage and a gas processing plant. Probably not long term damage. Retaliation from Russia was swift and at least partially effective.

    2 votes

  14. Comment on How are you different than you were ten years ago? in ~talk

    Papavk
    Link Parent
    May I ask what employer this was (can DM if preferred). Elliott recently grabbed a chunk of my current workplace and I fear we'll end up in a similar place.

    May I ask what employer this was (can DM if preferred). Elliott recently grabbed a chunk of my current workplace and I fear we'll end up in a similar place.

  15. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    Papavk
    Link
    Finished Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke and on to Rama II. I loved the mystery and discovery aspect of the first book. I'm about a third of the way through the second and it's become...

    Finished Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke and on to Rama II. I loved the mystery and discovery aspect of the first book. I'm about a third of the way through the second and it's become more of a drama between the characters and not much yet about discovering more about the Ramans. Hopefully that will change, but so far it's been far less exciting and interesting. The second and third books are co-written, so I wonder if this is the influence of the second author.

  16. Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: June/July 2025 in ~games

    Papavk
    Link Parent
    I'd love Hexarchy and Capitalism 2, in that order. My favorite animals are orangutans. I love their expressive faces, the cool biomechanics that make them much stronger than humans with small...

    I'd love Hexarchy and Capitalism 2, in that order. My favorite animals are orangutans. I love their expressive faces, the cool biomechanics that make them much stronger than humans with small muscles due to where their muscles attach to the bone, and the social interactions I've observed at various zoos that have endeared me to them.

    Thanks for doing this!

    1 vote

  17. Comment on The 2025 Steam Summer Sale is live (runs June 26 - July 10) in ~games

    Papavk
    Link
    I went for Rail Pass at 50% off, the lowest it's been. I sometimes watch one of the Transport Fever developer's YouTube channel and saw that he had played it some months ago and had no idea what...

    I went for Rail Pass at 50% off, the lowest it's been. I sometimes watch one of the Transport Fever developer's YouTube channel and saw that he had played it some months ago and had no idea what it was. The first hour of play has been a ton of fun. I'm really interested to see how the automation starts factoring in to allowing you to expand the number of trains you can manage at a time and how freight and regional trains will start to make things complicated.

    3 votes

  18. Comment on I have now donated five full gallons of blood products! in ~health

    Papavk
    Link
    I used to donate regularly but then the center was bought by some other company. After trying and failing to understand how the system works, what is this company (versiti) getting from my blood...

    I used to donate regularly but then the center was bought by some other company. After trying and failing to understand how the system works, what is this company (versiti) getting from my blood donation, it started to feel shady or exploitative. Can anyone explain the system to me? This location was close to my home and so a red cross option is/was much less convenient. I'd like to donate more.

    3 votes

  19. Comment on Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins have jumped ship from 'Dungeons & Dragons' to 'Critical Role' in ~games.tabletop

    Papavk
    Link
    This seems like a pretty big deal. I wonder if this change will be sufficient to break D&Ds stranglehold on ttrpgs.

    This seems like a pretty big deal. I wonder if this change will be sufficient to break D&Ds stranglehold on ttrpgs.

    5 votes

  20. Comment on ‘Dragon prince’ dinosaur discovery 'rewrites' T.rex family tree in ~science

    Papavk
    Link
    Reclassification of a dinosaur skeleton as an early Trex ancestor gives clues to the evolutionary path of the large predator.

    Reclassification of a dinosaur skeleton as an early Trex ancestor gives clues to the evolutionary path of the large predator.

    3 votes