hellojavalad's recent activity
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Comment on Key moments from landmark US Supreme Court arguments on Donald Trump’s immunity claims in ~news
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
hellojavalad Link ParentI had the original super small Miyoo Mini. It was just a bit too small to be comfortable, but not terribly so. Unfortunately within the first week I dropped it on the floor from around pocket...I had the original super small Miyoo Mini. It was just a bit too small to be comfortable, but not terribly so. Unfortunately within the first week I dropped it on the floor from around pocket level and the screen broke. Doesn't seem like it was too uncommon with the Miiyoo Mini, but I wasn't willing to shell out more money for a screen replacement or buy a new one if I had just experienced a failure of a 3-4 foot drop. I have looked at the Mini Plus, but the things I really liked with my Miyoo Mini (screen ration, screen quality) I have seen elsewhere. The Powkiddy RGB30 is my current crush; has the great screen, a 1:1 or similar aspect ration, plus it is horizontally oriented which is my preferred orientation for comfort.
A combination of being broke (my wife is currently unable to work as she is caring for her mother) and complaints about build quality, including battery life, have cooled me on it. In the meantime I'm messing with Emudeck on my PC and trying to build a 'complete' ROM package. I'm trying to archive the 'smaller' complete romsets (NES, SNES, Genesis, GBA, N64, etc) to the cloud in case they get increasingly harder to find. Then keep a curated list of everything on my PC.
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Comment on Tom Cruise is about to enter another, weirder golden era with reports of him being cast in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s next film, the world's greatest movie star is heading for an auteur renaissance in ~movies
hellojavalad LinkI read this as Ted Cruz and was...very confusedI read this as Ted Cruz and was...very confused
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
hellojavalad LinkWe use Filemaker at my workplace; we deal with many large organizations in processing their mail. Filemaker (whose company is an Apple subsidiary) is great for throwing together a solid interface...We use Filemaker at my workplace; we deal with many large organizations in processing their mail. Filemaker (whose company is an Apple subsidiary) is great for throwing together a solid interface quickly, but is not very high performing. Currently we upload records to a SQL database for one piece of software and into Filemaker and when talking about loadings millions of records at once it is a couple minutes onto the SQL server vs several HOURS in Filemaker. This also locks that PC's instance of Filemaker the entire time, to the point where the user that does this uses up to three PCs (their PC, a VM, and a third PC that is currently unused by anyone) at a time and they are still falling behind on keeping these records up to date.
I'm probably the most technical person at the place I work so I've slowly been setting up ODBC connections between Filemaker and said SQL Server so we largely only load files in one place. These databases are easily 15-20 years old (Back before Filemaker supported more than one table in each
application, meaning each table had to be it's own .fmp file) from when this was something used to support the single in-house client. Which has now expanded to 150+.Anyways, while this cuts down on uploading files the performance is pretty subpar when looking through these records. Luckily Filemaker doesn't need to actually hit these records frequently, just occasionally and in small quantities. Now i'm just disentangling the stuff that uses the Filemaker records and pointing them one at a time to the SQL Server.
We really shouldn't be using Filemaker for what we are doing, but a) we don't have people with the technical knowledge to change (everyone is basically self-taught) b) they offer very low salary and don't look for people with the technical knowledge because they do not want to pay the price.
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Comment on What is your favourite episode of a podcast? in ~talk
hellojavalad Link ParentMy favorite This American Life is Anatomy of Doubt. It is about a woman who claims she is raped, police and friends and family push back, then she finally admits that she made it all up. Then they...My favorite This American Life is Anatomy of Doubt. It is about a woman who claims she is raped, police and friends and family push back, then she finally admits that she made it all up.
Then they find the camera the rapist used to take pictures of her.
This episode radically changed my opinion about guilt and listening to people who claim to be sexual assault victims (and I was fairly progressive about either of these before). Link below, although I think This American Life turns off access to some episodes after a period of time (what a great decision in the 21st century 🙄) so I don't know if it actually works
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Comment on US stores increasingly reverse course on self checkout in ~tech
hellojavalad Link ParentCOVID was the best time to buy groceries, honestly. My Wegmans let you shop by using an app to scan items. A lot of self checkouts weren't burdensome to use too. Now Wegmans shut off their app, so...COVID was the best time to buy groceries, honestly. My Wegmans let you shop by using an app to scan items. A lot of self checkouts weren't burdensome to use too.
Now Wegmans shut off their app, so I shop at cheaper places because it was the largest reason why I shipped there (plus their produce section is the fucking worse, I'd rather go to Walmart for produce). But since self checkout got so popular during COVID each grocery chain has rolled out software that makes the process so slow and burdensome to prevent theft that for the first time in a decade I actively look for a person to do my groceries.
It really fucking sucks. And don't get me started on things like "we don't do plastic bags, even if you do self check, please pay 10 cents for each bag". I don't mind it, but if I'm doing self check I'm saving you money. Give me the bags for free, or eat the cost because groceries shit up like 30% in the last two years.
Fyi I understand what they're doing and a lot of the context around this, I just think my experience is now so much worse then it used to be. I feel like I'm paying more and getting a worse experience for it.
Anyways, /end rant I guess
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Comment on Can someone recommend me a great bluetooth keyboard for my home office? in ~tech
hellojavalad LinkSo I've been eyeing the NuPhy Air keyboards for a little while now. I haven't pulled the trigger because I have a perfectly good wired mechanical keyboard at the moment and I can't justify the...So I've been eyeing the NuPhy Air keyboards for a little while now. I haven't pulled the trigger because I have a perfectly good wired mechanical keyboard at the moment and I can't justify the cost of a fairly superfluous purchase at the moment.
Basically they are generally well received, they look really nice, and aren't too expensive (this being relative; you easily could spend $300+ on a keyboard if you wanted). That being said, I am not a mechanical keyboard guru by any means.
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Comment on Best genre, artist, playlist etc., to boost productivity when writing? in ~music
hellojavalad LinkI used to do a lot of Classical and Lo-Fi music in the past, but recently I've found a lot of non-lyrical mathrock works very well. I find that mathrock can have a bit more energy that I like.I used to do a lot of Classical and Lo-Fi music in the past, but recently I've found a lot of non-lyrical mathrock works very well. I find that mathrock can have a bit more energy that I like.
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Comment on Starfield reviews in ~games
hellojavalad LinkWhile I have been SUPER HYPED for this game (I've been eagerly anticipating it before it was officially announced via the rumor mill) I have tried to maintain a balanced expectation. I was hoping...While I have been SUPER HYPED for this game (I've been eagerly anticipating it before it was officially announced via the rumor mill) I have tried to maintain a balanced expectation. I was hoping for something in the 85-95 range and, while the early results don't necessarily point to a GOTY contendor, it looks like it will probably fall in that range.
Bethesda games are just my jam. The outpost building and starship creation by themselves enough reason for me to want to play, and from what I've read so far they look pretty good. The gunplay is also getting a lot of praise which is great, I always thought Fallout 4's gunplay was underrated and it's good that they tuned this to be one of the better shooters of this generation.
Very curious about New Game +. All the reviews I've seen seem fairly positive on this and how it impacts the story.
I just hope my 2060 and i7-8700 can provide a solid frame rate, though obviously I'm not expecting 60 I am hoping I don't get dips below 30.
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Comment on Baldur’s Gate 3 could have saved Google Stadia in ~games
hellojavalad Link ParentI have a less than ideal setup for streaming with my PC (it's connected to WiFi on a router that is a fair distance away). I suspected streaming a game across country in such a fashion would yield...I have a less than ideal setup for streaming with my PC (it's connected to WiFi on a router that is a fair distance away). I suspected streaming a game across country in such a fashion would yield less than a enjoyable experience. Could be wrong though.
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Comment on Baldur’s Gate 3 could have saved Google Stadia in ~games
hellojavalad LinkI was traveling when BG3 launched. Being one of the few "must play" games I've anticipated over the past few years, I looked at ways to play without my PC. It's available on GeForce Now, and if...I was traveling when BG3 launched. Being one of the few "must play" games I've anticipated over the past few years, I looked at ways to play without my PC. It's available on GeForce Now, and if you link your steam account to it it is available (not all games are available, the developer has to enable it to qualify. You may have to purchase some games separately).
I went ahead and spent the $10 (though there is a free tier available) and it worked super well. I wasn't even on top end internet and it was VERY close to flawless. That being said I was on a small 1080p laptop screen so other than a light "softness", it was difficult to see any flaws, so take that for what it's worth. There was no perceptable lag.
That being said, out of curiosity I checked out Cyberpunk and the issues there were what you would expect. It was borderline unplayable for me. So yeah, like the article suggests, a turn based RPG is pretty much perfect for streaming. If I travel again I would consider signing up for it to play on my downtime at my destination.
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Comment on What game is your current addiction? in ~games
hellojavalad LinkWhenever I get pretty depressed, I plan a ton of the Sims 4. During this last bout I added the High School add-on. Like most Sim expansions its mostly just flavor with some fairly inconsequential...Whenever I get pretty depressed, I plan a ton of the Sims 4. During this last bout I added the High School add-on. Like most Sim expansions its mostly just flavor with some fairly inconsequential gameplay mechanics.
Probably not healthy to say, but getting to control your Sims life and make them super successful is kind of cathartic, because in real life you don't have a lot of control over your own life. But you can make each Sim do what you want with very little pushback, and being successful is as simple as choosing whatever career you want and when they get home from work clicking to perform a task to increase the odds of advancing their career. Its...just...nice.
Anyways, I'm coming out of the depression and I imagine I'll probably shelve the game for another 3-6 months as I usually do.
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Comment on What game is your current addiction? in ~games
hellojavalad Link ParentRetro bowl is such a little fun arcadey game, like you said, you don't even need to care much for football. But also as a football fan, its pretty good too. I'll add that it is also available on...Retro bowl is such a little fun arcadey game, like you said, you don't even need to care much for football. But also as a football fan, its pretty good too.
I'll add that it is also available on Android
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Comment on The Apollo app for Reddit closes this evening. End of an era. in ~tech
hellojavalad Link ParentComing here made me really realize how toxic Reddit is. Of course I knew it was bad, but I think I had become used to a certain base level of it. I'll be deleting my 16 year old Reddit account...Coming here made me really realize how toxic Reddit is. Of course I knew it was bad, but I think I had become used to a certain base level of it.
I'll be deleting my 16 year old Reddit account tonight or tomorrow. It's kind of odd how hard this feels. But I am hoping that this will improve my mental health a lot
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
hellojavalad Link ParentYes. Parvati is love. Parvati is life. Must protect Parvati at all costs!Yes. Parvati is love. Parvati is life. Must protect Parvati at all costs!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
hellojavalad LinkI’ve been playing a lot of Doom 1 and Doom 2. I didn’t grow up playing either of these games, they pre-date my early gaming experiences by around five years and I would have never been allowed to...I’ve been playing a lot of Doom 1 and Doom 2. I didn’t grow up playing either of these games, they pre-date my early gaming experiences by around five years and I would have never been allowed to play them in a very religious household. Although, I nearly got Chex Quest installed on my grandparent’s computer. Ha!
With a modern source port like GZDoom these games genuinely hold up as good games, though I don’t think I wouldn’t enjoy them as much running in DOSBOX without niceties like mouse look, modern resolutions, etc.
The level design is frequently really well thought out, stuff like Hangar and Mt Erebus are just great standout levels. That quality is obviously really up and down, but it is astonishingly good considering that there wasn’t a large history of what would make a first person shooter level great.
Enemies are incredibly well-designed. Much has been said of the chess combat that the Doom enemies perform, with each enemy type given a pretty role like pieces in a Chess combat. The location of enemies, the number of enemies, and the type of enemies really change how combat plays out. While I like mil-sims, I prefer the combat of really defined enemies that do have these very specific roles in games like Doom, Halo, Destiny, etc. And Doom nails it in 1993.
One thing I didn’t know is how different Doom 1 and Doom 2 feel. Doom 1 is largely slower paced with fewer enemies. For a game series known as run and gun, there is a LOT of peeking around corners, firing, and running back into cover to avoid getting shot by hit-scanners. Doom 2 emphasizes larger arena-style gameplay, but also more monster closets and traps that I enjoy quite a bit less.
I’d say both are 10/10 games. I’m getting into some mapmaking and playing with mods, for which like have like thirty years of catching up to do.
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Comment on Unbelievable: How too much attention to fake news undermines the real news in ~news
hellojavalad Link ParentIf we are talking strictly about headlines, I find NPR to be a breath of fresh air compared to other mainstream news sources. I am not going to say that by any means they are perfect, but way less...If we are talking strictly about headlines, I find NPR to be a breath of fresh air compared to other mainstream news sources. I am not going to say that by any means they are perfect, but way less click-baity/misleading and more neutral than WP, NYT, CNN, Fox News, etc.
My understanding is AP News and Reuters are both good at this too, but I can't say that I read them too much.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
hellojavalad Link ParentIt wasn't too hard once I got going, though it took me a bit of time. Though yesterday I was chatting with a Filemaker developer online who suggested I should have just grabbed the data and placed...It wasn't too hard once I got going, though it took me a bit of time. Though yesterday I was chatting with a Filemaker developer online who suggested I should have just grabbed the data and placed it in a JSON variable and write it out in a text file with an XML extension with the added tags inserted around the data as need be.
Which...yeah, probably would have been easier.
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Comment on Favorite "cozy" games? in ~games
hellojavalad Link ParentObviously cozy doesn't necessarily mean everything has to be happy positive, but I do find it funny that Rimworld, the game where you can harvest people's organs, is described as cozy lolObviously cozy doesn't necessarily mean everything has to be happy positive, but I do find it funny that Rimworld, the game where you can harvest people's organs, is described as cozy lol
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Comment on Favorite "cozy" games? in ~games
hellojavalad Link ParentPokemon is just one of those relaxing games I can go back to whenever. Its mechanically extremely simple, has enough 'strategy' to make you keep an eye on it while listening or watching something...Pokemon is just one of those relaxing games I can go back to whenever. Its mechanically extremely simple, has enough 'strategy' to make you keep an eye on it while listening or watching something else. And with so many iterations its easy to be like "Well, I haven't used this Pokemon in my starting six for any extensive period of time. So lets try something new". Plus nostalgia.
Let me start by saying that I believe that Trump should not be immune from prosecution. I personally believe he should face consequences for his actions, as should anyone in a position of power. That being said, history has shown that rulers have been incentivized to hold on to power due to to prosecution after they are to step down. Julius Caesar is a fine example of this. He had both legal debts as well as the possibility of being prosecuted for various crimes such as corruption, enacting policies without the senate, etc.
Granted, my solution to this problem is that if you are serving as President you can be actively prosecuted during your Presidency and during this time you lose the ability to pardon anyone. That being said, this would also cause a lot of problems. For example, what if instead of Mayorkas getting impeached Republicans aimed legal action at the sitting President. Who would doubt that the Texas AG would try to prosecute Biden for the illegal immigration issue?
Don't want to have this misconstrued as we shouldn't do anything - just that there are bad actors that aren't interested in doing the right thing. And there need to be considerations to make limit abuse.