hobbes64's recent activity
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Comment on CBS News pulls report on “brutal and torturous conditions” at El Salvador prison where Donald Trump Administration sent deportees in ~tv
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Comment on What are your predictions for 2026? in ~talk
hobbes64 Link ParentAlternate: the car is terrible but Max wins 9 races anywayAlternate:
the car is terrible but Max wins 9 races anyway -
Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of December 15 in ~society
hobbes64 Link‘They’re Delusional If They Think This Is Going to Go Away’‘They’re Delusional If They Think This Is Going to Go Away’
The Trump administration’s release of the long-awaited Epstein files didn’t provide what survivors were looking for.
... The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by Trump on November 19, requires the attorney general to make public, within 30 days, “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” in the DOJ’s possession that relate to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The cache was believed to include flight logs, internal DOJ communications, and even records concerning the “destruction, deletion, alteration, misplacement, or concealment” of Epstein-related evidence.
The law tries to preempt a possible work-around by the DOJ. It explicitly bars the department from withholding, delaying, or redacting records because of “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity,” even for “any government official [or] public figure.”
Members of Congress and staff for the House Oversight Committee told me that they were alarmed by the DOJ’s silence in the days and hours before the release. Staff for Senator Jeff Merkley and Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie had repeatedly sought guidance from DOJ officials on what would be released and how the department was preparing. The lawmakers never got a response.
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Comment on Disclosure Day | Official teaser in ~movies
hobbes64 Link ParentHmm maybe like Signs (the M. Night Shyamalan movie) Spoiler I think the “aliens” in that movie are actually supposed to be demons even though there’s crop circles and other phenomena that are...Hmm maybe like Signs (the M. Night Shyamalan movie)
Spoiler
I think the “aliens” in that movie are actually supposed to be demons even though there’s crop circles and other phenomena that are usually associated with extraterrestrials. -
Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of December 15 in ~society
hobbes64 Link‘Who’s Gonna Stop You?’ Listen to Trump Press Georgia Speaker Over 2020 Vote. Related story on raw story, which is mostly just a repost of the Times story: New audio emerges of Trump directing...‘Who’s Gonna Stop You?’ Listen to Trump Press Georgia Speaker Over 2020 Vote.
In a newly obtained recording of a phone call from late 2020, President Trump can be heard pressing the speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives to hold a special legislative session to overturn Mr. Trump’s election loss.
Related story on raw story, which is mostly just a repost of the Times story: New audio emerges of Trump directing Republicans on how to overturn election results
"Who’s gonna stop you for that?" Trump is heard saying.
"A federal judge, possibly," Ralston replied with a laugh.
Later in the call, Trump is heard giving direction on how Ralston would conduct the special session, and baselessly alleged that he had won Georgia by hundreds of thousands of votes (he in fact lost by roughly 12,000 votes statewide). Trump repeated debunked conspiracy theories about ballot boxes being stuffed at Atlanta's State Farm arena, as former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani frequently argued.
"If we had a special session, we will present, and you will say, ‘Here, it’s been massive fraud. We’re going to turn over the state,'" Trump said.
Ralston never committed to holding the special session, though the call was used as evidence in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) prosecution of Trump and his associates. Willis alleged that Trump illegally solicited Ralston to violate his oath of office by calling a special session "for the purpose of unlawfully appointing presidential electors from the State of Georgia." Judge Scott McAfee ultimately quashed those initial charges, saying Willis was not specific enough in naming what specific statutes had been violated.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
hobbes64 Link ParentI’m also enjoying Pluribus a lot. It’s a show where I’ll ask a question, and the writers anticipated the question because it’s answered a few minutes later. It’s also the kind of show that...I’m also enjoying Pluribus a lot. It’s a show where I’ll ask a question, and the writers anticipated the question because it’s answered a few minutes later. It’s also the kind of show that benefits from listening to a related podcast. The Prestige TV podcast has some episodes about it. They also cover Slow Horses but I’ve on watched one episode of that from the new season.
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Comment on Disclosure Day | Official teaser in ~movies
hobbes64 Link ParentYeah I agree. This is a premise that should really interest me. But the trailer just seems weird. Animals acting like they're with a Disney Princess is somehow annoying me. Hopefully it's just a...Yeah I agree. This is a premise that should really interest me. But the trailer just seems weird. Animals acting like they're with a Disney Princess is somehow annoying me. Hopefully it's just a bad trailer and the movie is good.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of December 15 in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentNot that anything said by Bondi or Trump should be believed, but if 258 million American lives were saved, she must mean that excess deaths under Biden was about 74% of the population each year....Not that anything said by Bondi or Trump should be believed, but if 258 million American lives were saved, she must mean that excess deaths under Biden was about 74% of the population each year. Or something.
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Comment on Donald Trump administration policies slashing staffing and funding for public lands are waking a sleeping political giant in Montana. Will either party notice? in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentI saw an interesting comment on Lemmy related to whether people really "voted for this". Basically, most people just vote for some idea in their head and project that onto a candidate that they...I saw an interesting comment on Lemmy related to whether people really "voted for this".
Basically, most people just vote for some idea in their head and project that onto a candidate that they prefer for whatever reason. It's unlikely that many republican voters really know the party's position on substantial things, otherwise they would lose every election.
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Comment on Sick of smart TVs? Here are your best options. in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentI've never let it connect to my network and I can tell on my router that it is not joining. I do have some neighbors wifi networks in range, so it is possible I guess if one of theirs is not...I've never let it connect to my network and I can tell on my router that it is not joining. I do have some neighbors wifi networks in range, so it is possible I guess if one of theirs is not secured. But then Samsung won't really know it is me, will they? I guess in some indirect way they could know that someone on my block is watching certain things.
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Comment on Sick of smart TVs? Here are your best options. in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentI don’t think it matters because if I’m using a separate device to get the content, it probably doesn’t know much about my habits. Let’s say I have Apple TV connected to a smart tv. I never gave...I don’t think it matters because if I’m using a separate device to get the content, it probably doesn’t know much about my habits.
Let’s say I have Apple TV connected to a smart tv. I never gave the smart tv network access and I don’t run any apps on it. All the input is coming from the Apple TV device. I think it’s unlikely that the smart tv can know what I’m watching. Maybe it could know the time I’m watching something and that’s about it. Other than that it’s just displaying pixels coming through the hdmi. Unless hdmi somehow reports more about what it is displaying than I expect, or the tv has some kind of AI which is recognizing the content it is displaying. -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
hobbes64 Link Parentlol I played NGU idle for almost 2 years. When I beat it I replayed it again for 1.5. It’s a good idle game because you mostly don’t have to play it very much each day. I certainly would have...lol I played NGU idle for almost 2 years. When I beat it I replayed it again for 1.5. It’s a good idle game because you mostly don’t have to play it very much each day. I certainly would have taken way longer without the wiki.
The dev made another game NGU Industries (I think) but it wasn’t very good and was abandoned. I think a sequel to ngu idle may be in development. -
Comment on US shoppers, drawn by steep discounts, power through Black Friday in ~finance
hobbes64 Link ParentI hope the voters are worried, and use that worry to vote more appropriately in the future.I hope the voters are worried, and use that worry to vote more appropriately in the future.
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Comment on Modern Christmas carol renditions that aren't mediocre CCM? in ~music
hobbes64 LinkI'm not sure if this maps at all to what you are looking for. It's a modern take only if you consider 1989 to be modern. But I enjoy Carols Around the World by Quink Vocal Ensemble This is an a...I'm not sure if this maps at all to what you are looking for. It's a modern take only if you consider 1989 to be modern.
But I enjoy Carols Around the World by Quink Vocal Ensemble
This is an a capela group, and the album is a group of traditional carols from around the world. You should recognize quite a few of them but many of the arrangements are quite different than the originals. It's easy to preview it on youtube.
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Comment on Strong Bad Email #210 - Robots in ~misc
hobbes64 (edited )LinkWow it's been a while since I've seen Strong Bad. Neat! Unrelated, except that it is also robot-related humor: Today I was thinking about The Good One Robot. I first heard about The Good One Robot...Wow it's been a while since I've seen Strong Bad. Neat!
Unrelated, except that it is also robot-related humor:
Today I was thinking about The Good One Robot. I first heard about The Good One Robot when listening to an episode of "Comedy Death Ray" (which later became "Comedy Bang Bang"). I'm not sure of the exact origin, but I think this happened in 2010. Anyway, on the show, Tig Notaro was a guest. Scott Auckerman said something funny, and Tig said, in a monotone robot voice "Mmmm Good One". Then Scott said "was that the good one robot?".This random throwaway joke pops into my head sometimes at random. I think it would be fascinating to create a very specialized robot that does just one thing, and detecting humor would be a pretty good application. Maybe not as good as a robot that could pass the butter, but awesome nonetheless.
This seems like one of the better applications for AI. Apparently there has been some research into this topic. I would quite enjoy having a little robot, or even a phone app, that was silent until it heard something funny, and then it just utters
mmm Good OneUpdated: Apparently there's an unofficial fan page for The Good One Robot, so there must be a decent number of people who also think that it's hilarious. I can't read much of the page because I don't have a facebook login and it makes you login if you scroll much.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of November 24 in ~society
hobbes64 LinkJudge dismisses James Comey and Letitia James cases, finding prosecutor's appointment invalidJudge dismisses James Comey and Letitia James cases, finding prosecutor's appointment invalid
Washington — A federal judge on Monday ordered the criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James to be dismissed on the grounds that Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney who secured their indictments, was unlawfully appointed to the role.
The rulings from U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie are a significant victory for Comey and James, who both argued their prosecutions are retaliatory and motivated by President Trump's efforts to punish his political foes.
"I conclude that all actions flowing from Ms. Halligan's defective appointment, including securing and signing Mr. Comey's indictment, constitute unlawful exercises of executive power and must be set aside," Currie wrote in her opinion in the Comey case, a line that she repeated in her ruling in the James case.
Currie ordered the indictments to be dismissed without prejudice, which would allow prosecutors to seek charges again. She suggested that prosecutors could not seek a new indictment in Comey's case since the statute of limitations for the offenses expired at the end of September.
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Comment on The DoorDash problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon in ~tech
hobbes64 Link ParentI broke a shoe lace the other day. I have the Amazon phone app and I tried to find a replacement. I knew the exact length and color and shape of the item. I simply could not find it in the app...I broke a shoe lace the other day. I have the Amazon phone app and I tried to find a replacement. I knew the exact length and color and shape of the item.
I simply could not find it in the app using the regular search. The main problem is that 2/3 of the screen was taken by promoted items and ads for similar products. I finally had to use the stupid Rufus AI to find the item.
So one reason people may start using AI is because the the regular sites which used to work fine completely suck now. -
Comment on After break with US President Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene will resign in ~society
hobbes64 (edited )Link ParentShe's a corrupt grifter and linked forever to the MAGA abomination. From Marjorie Taylor Greene Came So Close to Getting the Joke - The Atlantic Edit: Similar thoughts from AOC about it:She's a corrupt grifter and linked forever to the MAGA abomination.
From Marjorie Taylor Greene Came So Close to Getting the Joke - The Atlantic
Gullible as Greene was about crackpot theories and her political associations, she seems to have been clear-eyed about her own direct personal interests. She was one of the most active and successful stock traders in Congress, in a number of cases betting for or against companies about which she likely had advance information. She timed her resignation to take effect two days after her congressional pension vested. She’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington only if the cinematic Mr. Smith had returned home to Montana hugely enriched by timely speculations on land holdings near the Boy Ranger camp he championed.
But she never did get the joke on the biggest joke in town, the joke that MAGA is about anything more than manipulation, exploitation, corruption, lust, and cruelty. She seems to have sincerely believed the lies that shrewder players merely mouthed. She gained her own millions without appreciating that her allies were scheming for billions. She balked at the self-abasement before every one of Trump’s whims that is indispensable to MAGA survival and success. Her failure on those scores is her one service to the country—because it helps other Americans, the joke’s ultimate victims, better understand what is happening to them and why.
Edit: Similar thoughts from AOC about it:
"She's carefully timing her departure just 1-2 days after her pension kicks in and after making millions of dollars insider trading stocks for weapons manufacturers and others while in office. She is saying a lot but her ACTIONS have not backed up the rhetoric. For all her talk, she's STILL voting with them to gut healthcare and advance self-dealing corruption schemes."
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Comment on Jmail - A Gmail clone where you're logged in as Jeffrey Epstein and can read his emails in ~society
hobbes64 Link ParentImagine being so corrupt that you would pardon BannonImagine being so corrupt that you would pardon Bannon
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Comment on After break with US President Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene will resign in ~society
hobbes64 LinkI remember last year at about this time I had a fantasy or a dream that some of the most unethical politicians would be visited by three Christmas ghosts. And the ghosts would teach them empathy...I remember last year at about this time I had a fantasy or a dream that some of the most unethical politicians would be visited by three Christmas ghosts. And the ghosts would teach them empathy and compassion, and how to act like a responsible person who tries to make things better rather than just use political power for self-enrichment.
So maybe that's what happened to her, and they told her the best thing for everyone is for her to go away.
But more likely she's working on some new scam.
Here's an Atlantic article about the topic. Cancel Culture’s Boomerang Effect
How we got to a place where free speech means whatever conservatives want to say.
The article is kind of blaming political correctness as a doorway to this suppression of free speech. It's kind of correct, but also kind of wrong and doesn't seem to understand the paradox of tolerance. Anyway, here is the meat of the article:
Here is a related article from September. We should appreciate the people who leak and share suppressed information and protest what is happening.
Lower than Cowards
The surrender of America’s elites