hammurobbie's recent activity

  1. Comment on What are some non-science-fiction books that are deep, insane, mind-bending, etc? in ~books

    hammurobbie
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    You might try The Library at Mount Char. For authors, maybe Meiville and Murakami. The Just City might be good as well. I only mention it because it's more philosophy than plot like Permutation City.

    You might try The Library at Mount Char. For authors, maybe Meiville and Murakami.

    The Just City might be good as well. I only mention it because it's more philosophy than plot like Permutation City.

    8 votes
  2. Comment on VR gaming is reawakening my enthusiasm for games in ~games

    hammurobbie
    Link
    If you ever feel like accidentally punching a hole through your wall, give Gorn a try.

    If you ever feel like accidentally punching a hole through your wall, give Gorn a try.

    5 votes
  3. Comment on What do I do if I don't have any clothes? in ~life.style

    hammurobbie
    Link
    The easiest color to build around is black. It looks great with almost anything else. If you stick with jeans, black pants, black shoes or boots, your shirts can also be black or shades of gray...

    The easiest color to build around is black. It looks great with almost anything else. If you stick with jeans, black pants, black shoes or boots, your shirts can also be black or shades of gray all the way to white.

    1 vote
  4. Comment on Key moments from landmark US Supreme Court arguments on Donald Trump’s immunity claims in ~news

    hammurobbie
    Link Parent
    Yeah, I've been worried about that Obama drone strike. Killing a US citizen without trial was such a bad precident to set. Anyone could be labeled an enemy combatant and killed by the executive...

    Yeah, I've been worried about that Obama drone strike. Killing a US citizen without trial was such a bad precident to set. Anyone could be labeled an enemy combatant and killed by the executive branch.

    9 votes
  5. Comment on What if we discover the answers of the Universe, eliminate cancer, halt aging. What's next? in ~humanities

    hammurobbie
    Link
    My favorite version of this type of society can be found in Iain M. Banks' Culture series.

    My favorite version of this type of society can be found in Iain M. Banks' Culture series.

    6 votes
  6. Comment on Clothes shopping as a short & fat (trans) guy with narrow shoulders in ~life.style

    hammurobbie
    Link
    I recommend that all guys visit a tailor. Very few people have a body designed for off-the-rack clothing. If you consult with a tailor, they will tell you what to look for and how they will alter...

    I recommend that all guys visit a tailor. Very few people have a body designed for off-the-rack clothing. If you consult with a tailor, they will tell you what to look for and how they will alter your clothing to fit your body. An added bonus is that they will do things like gusset your jeans so that they last a lot longer.

    4 votes
  7. Comment on How can I completely and permanently remove the ability to access the internet from a Debian derivative? in ~tech

    hammurobbie
    (edited )
    Link
    Set firewall rules: iptables -P INPUT DROP iptables -P FORWARD DROP iptables -P OUTPUT DROP Edit: Another thing you can do is download something like ProtonVPN, connect to it, turn on the kill...

    Set firewall rules:

    iptables -P INPUT DROP
    iptables -P FORWARD DROP
    iptables -P OUTPUT DROP

    Edit: Another thing you can do is download something like ProtonVPN, connect to it, turn on the kill switch, drop your VPN connection, then delete the app. The kill switch will still be active, and your Internet traffic will be blocked.

    4 votes
  8. Comment on Is climate change driving the global rise in populism? If so ... how? If not ... what is? in ~enviro

    hammurobbie
    Link
    I would guess that it's more simple than that. People are getting more upset about wealth inequality, so certain people in charge start scapegoating the usual suspects to keep themselves in power.

    I would guess that it's more simple than that. People are getting more upset about wealth inequality, so certain people in charge start scapegoating the usual suspects to keep themselves in power.

    4 votes
  9. Comment on I’ve been at NPR for twenty-five years. Here’s how we lost America’s trust. in ~news

    hammurobbie
    Link Parent
    If that were true, we'd only ever need one journalist covering a topic.

    If that were true, we'd only ever need one journalist covering a topic.

    5 votes
  10. Comment on I’ve been at NPR for twenty-five years. Here’s how we lost America’s trust. in ~news

    hammurobbie
    Link
    For some context, George Floyd's death created a schism in American journalism that led to multiple high-profile resignations. Top editors at the LA Times, New York Times, Philadelphia Enquirer,...
    • Exemplary

    For some context, George Floyd's death created a schism in American journalism that led to multiple high-profile resignations. Top editors at the LA Times, New York Times, Philadelphia Enquirer, and even Bon Appetit faced staff mutinies over their coverage.

    At the LA Times, for instance, one Black journalist was quoted as saying the paper's focus on looting pandered to their primarily White audience and alienated the audience they were trying to attract. Her boss eventually lost his job.

    As we talk about what should and should not be reported on, I think the questions that Berliner raises are important ones. Do we ignore possibly inconvenient facts that don't fit our staff's or our ideal audience's preferred narrative? If so, how far can we stretch that before we're writing propaganda? Or are all facts equally important, and if so, how do we decide which facts to emphasize? Something has to lead, after all.

    In any case, I personally think it's a good thing when media takes time to reflect and become critical of itself.

    14 votes
  11. Comment on How to succeed in a cramming-based academic system? in ~science

    hammurobbie
    Link
    I don't think anyone learns that way naturally. It's just that when you have that much info to relay, it becomes efficient. If you're having trouble focusing, I'd recommend taping the lectures so...

    I don't think anyone learns that way naturally. It's just that when you have that much info to relay, it becomes efficient. If you're having trouble focusing, I'd recommend taping the lectures so that you can listen to them over and over. I would also recommend reducing the number of classes you take until you find a system that works for you.

    As far as complicated trades go, look into electrician or HVAC. You'll always have a job, get paid well, and mostly learn by doing.

    3 votes
  12. Comment on I bought a house, now what? in ~life.home_improvement

    hammurobbie
    Link
    Don't buy anything that requires financing until you close on the house. For the insurance, find a local independent broker. They run quotes with dozens of insurance companies, rather than just...

    Don't buy anything that requires financing until you close on the house. For the insurance, find a local independent broker. They run quotes with dozens of insurance companies, rather than just one. If the house is 5+ years old, you'll want to figure out when (if ever) the previous owners serviced things like the water heater, furnace, and AC unit. Get on a schedule for all of those and stick to it. Check any and all filters. A lot of people just don't change them. Along with smoke alarms, get a carbon monoxide detector installed.

    7 votes
  13. Comment on What's a game that you feel is almost great? in ~games

    hammurobbie
    Link
    Going back a bit, I would say Parasite Eve. Part of Squaresoft's experimental phase, the combat was solid and they spent a lot of effort getting the New York City backdrop just right. It was...

    Going back a bit, I would say Parasite Eve. Part of Squaresoft's experimental phase, the combat was solid and they spent a lot of effort getting the New York City backdrop just right. It was hindered by omissions like a lack of voice acting and singing (music is a key plot point), and the load times were really long. It also suffered from being a bit too "on the rails". Regardless, the game had a good plot and decent gameplay. I hope it gets a remaster someday.

    3 votes
  14. Comment on What are some of your favorite PlayStation 1 games? Any odd or unique ones worth playing? in ~games

    hammurobbie
    Link
    When I think of the PS1, Final Fantasy 7, Silent Hill, and Suikoden 2 are the games that immediately come to mind.

    When I think of the PS1, Final Fantasy 7, Silent Hill, and Suikoden 2 are the games that immediately come to mind.

    6 votes
  15. Comment on We techies are responsible for "You'll own nothing, and you'll enjoy it." in ~talk

    hammurobbie
    Link Parent
    The philosophical question you ask was written about a lot by Edmund Burke. He was obsessed with ownership of property. One of his quotes: If we owned the property, we will become free and...

    The philosophical question you ask was written about a lot by Edmund Burke. He was obsessed with ownership of property.

    One of his quotes: If we owned the property, we will become free and prosperous. If so they regain control, we will become poor.

    Product developers don't own anything they create. The company does. Ownership is control. Now apply the same idea to the SaaS products you're building and a future world in which few people own anything.

    4 votes
  16. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tv

    hammurobbie
    Link
    If you don't mind subtitles, there is a French series on Netflix called Marianne.

    If you don't mind subtitles, there is a French series on Netflix called Marianne.

    3 votes
  17. Comment on So, any good horror flicks lately? in ~movies

    hammurobbie
    (edited )
    Link
    Last year's Barbarian was a solid effort. As for art house horror goes, I think Midsommar would be the most famous within the last five years.

    Last year's Barbarian was a solid effort.

    As for art house horror goes, I think Midsommar would be the most famous within the last five years.

    10 votes
  18. Comment on Ohio embraced the ‘science of reading.’ Now a popular reading program is suing. in ~books

    hammurobbie
    Link Parent
    There is a podcast called Sold a Story that is both accessible and in-depth.

    There is a podcast called Sold a Story that is both accessible and in-depth.

    4 votes
  19. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books

    hammurobbie
    Link
    I don't know about Lynch, but I can understand why Martin and Rothfuss are stuck. It has less to do with artistry and more to do with writing yourself into a corner. Martin needs Dany to get to...

    I don't know about Lynch, but I can understand why Martin and Rothfuss are stuck. It has less to do with artistry and more to do with writing yourself into a corner.

    Martin needs Dany to get to Westeros. She doesn't have any reason to go. On top of that, if she leaves, all the people she freed will become slaves again. Her entire arc for the first five books will have been for nothing.

    Rothfuss wrote a Mary Sue. He realizes it. How do you create conflict in a story when your main character is smarter and more talented than everyone while also possessing the powers of a god?

    6 votes
  20. Comment on Help with running Stable Diffusion locally in ~creative

    hammurobbie
    Link
    This link will probably help. It's a beginner's guide to automatic1111's repo, but it explains most of the features quite well: https://stable-diffusion-art.com/automatic1111/

    This link will probably help. It's a beginner's guide to automatic1111's repo, but it explains most of the features quite well: https://stable-diffusion-art.com/automatic1111/

    4 votes