mezze's recent activity
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Comment on I made a mistake, I started using Reddit again in ~talk
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Comment on The free Delta game emulator for iPhones is live on Apple’s App Store in ~games
mezze Link ParentAnd I'm sure this site's users will have no problem finding ROMs, but here's a link just in case to Vimm's which is a good starting point if you're looking to play around with Delta.And I'm sure this site's users will have no problem finding ROMs, but here's a link just in case to Vimm's which is a good starting point if you're looking to play around with Delta.
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Comment on Video game devotees are much more likely to be working-class than middle-class, says research in ~games
mezze Link ParentThis is essentially it. The year I graduated college I was clocking in 80 hours of gaming per week according to my Steam stats. Fast-forward to a decade later with a wife, kids, dog, house, and a...This is essentially it. The year I graduated college I was clocking in 80 hours of gaming per week according to my Steam stats. Fast-forward to a decade later with a wife, kids, dog, house, and a jobby job and my "gaming" consists of whatever daily puzzles the NYT wants to throw at me and some casual stuff on the iPad with the young kids on weekends. Though I have fond memories of time spent in those digital worlds with all their wonderful art and music, I don't miss it terribly.
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Comment on Flourishing romances are more the result of proactive behaviors than soulmate spark, study finds in ~life
mezze Link ParentTotally. Speaking for myself here, but I've found that it seems to follow that what you put in is proportional to what you get out. This is basically the IKEA effect at play where we value things...Totally. Speaking for myself here, but I've found that it seems to follow that what you put in is proportional to what you get out. This is basically the IKEA effect at play where we value things proportionally to the effort put in. Raising children, doing a jigsaw puzzle, nurturing relationships, grinding in a video game, etc. It all seems to hold true regardless of the pursuit.
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Comment on Linux Distro Recommendations in ~comp
mezze LinkI know many people don't exactly love Google, but I recently decided to wipe Windows 10 from my PC and was looking for another distribution as well. I eventually settled on ChromeOS Flex. I've...I know many people don't exactly love Google, but I recently decided to wipe Windows 10 from my PC and was looking for another distribution as well. I eventually settled on ChromeOS Flex.
I've been using it for about a week and I'm absolutely in love with it so far. It supports the installation of Linux apps within a container (so you don't accidentally botch your system) and the UX is by far the most polished I've ever seen. Sure, it's simple, but it's very usable. It's fast on older hardware, easy on the eyes, has useful features baked in like window snapping, a clipboard manager, emoji picker, theming, screen capture, and etc. You can try it from a thumb drive to kick the wheels before making a decision. Good luck!
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Comment on Clicks: Physical keyboard for iPhone in ~tech
mezze LinkThis thing looks ridiculous, but I kind of love that it exists. While it’s not a fit for me since I use a lot of swiping on the software keyboard and would be irked with what must be a top-heavy...This thing looks ridiculous, but I kind of love that it exists. While it’s not a fit for me since I use a lot of swiping on the software keyboard and would be irked with what must be a top-heavy weight distribution, I could see this thing being useful for power users who value the tactility of hardware buttons. It’s pricey and looks awkward, but I actually think there’s enough of a market to justify its existence.
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Comment on I'm gonna be a dad! in ~life.men
mezze LinkWhen I see an announcement like this a little part of me stresses out because there’s so many things I want to share with you as a dad of two boys, but it’s honestly overwhelming and there’s tons...When I see an announcement like this a little part of me stresses out because there’s so many things I want to share with you as a dad of two boys, but it’s honestly overwhelming and there’s tons of great tips already posted.
To keep things simple, I’ll leave you with what my dad told me when I found out I was gonna be a dad:
“You can never love them too much.”
Congrats!
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Comment on Beeper Mini is back in ~tech
mezze LinkI certainly admire Beeper's gumption, but charging a subscription for a service you don't own nor maintain seems irresponsible and something a scrappy teenager hacking away in their bedroom would...I certainly admire Beeper's gumption, but charging a subscription for a service you don't own nor maintain seems irresponsible and something a scrappy teenager hacking away in their bedroom would do, not a company with a payroll department. Maybe I just don't have the same entrepreneurial spirit as Eric Migicovsky? I'd be afraid to poke the bear at Apple with their hulking legal team ready to put an end to this at a moment's notice.
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Comment on Looking for games like wordle in ~games
mezze Link ParentConnections is a blast. It's made its way into my morning "mini puzzle" routine and has claimed the top spot. Some days they're easy and others they are devious to the point where I don't even...Connections is a blast. It's made its way into my morning "mini puzzle" routine and has claimed the top spot. Some days they're easy and others they are devious to the point where I don't even feel bad not cracking all 4 rows due to some gap in pop culture or historical reference knowledge.
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Comment on Looking for games like wordle in ~games
mezze Link ParentI stumbled into this when the Wordle craze hit just to try something new. I've always liked geography, but couldn't identify that many countries by their silhouette. A year into playing this for a...I stumbled into this when the Wordle craze hit just to try something new. I've always liked geography, but couldn't identify that many countries by their silhouette. A year into playing this for a few minutes each morning and my ability to name the country in question has surpassed what I ever thought possible. Hooray for spaced-repetition. Some countries in Africa and those pesky island nations will trip me up from time-to-time, but I recommend it to anyone who thinks this sort of thing sounds fun.
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Comment on You can’t even pay people to have more kids in ~health
mezze Link ParentHa, I’ve actually found the reverse to be true for my wife and I. 0 to 1 was such a monumental upending of our day-to-day lives that it pales in comparison to “adding another bird to the cage” as...Ha, I’ve actually found the reverse to be true for my wife and I. 0 to 1 was such a monumental upending of our day-to-day lives that it pales in comparison to “adding another bird to the cage” as a co-worker of mine so eloquently described having multiple kids. That “oh shit” moment when your newborn is beside you in the hospital room and you realize you’re now forever responsible for another human life hit me like a ton of bricks the first time around in a way that the second didn’t.
Of course, one is easy mode compared to corralling two kids, but when they play together it feels like a week-long luxury cruise vacation even if it’s really only a few minutes — no family nearby to help, so we cherish any respite. I imagine things will get easier as far as having to be “on” all the time with them and surely others will get more difficult to compensate as is life.
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Comment on Exclusive: OpenAI researchers warned board of AI breakthrough ahead of CEO ouster, sources say in ~tech
mezze (edited )LinkMaybe I’ll look back on this comment once the AI overlords have taken over and feel silly about it, but from today’s perspective I think the risks are overblown and exaggerated. I’m firmly in the...Maybe I’ll look back on this comment once the AI overlords have taken over and feel silly about it, but from today’s perspective I think the risks are overblown and exaggerated. I’m firmly in the full-speed ahead camp as humanity still faces very real, grisly realities for all but the most fortunate in terms of health.
While I don’t want to dismiss anybody’s contributions, if I’m being honest, I’m disappointed where medicine finds itself in 2023. Maybe I’m being naive, but I thought progress would’ve been further along by now. Cancer continues to flummox our best researchers, preventing or reversing Alzheimer’s is anybody’s guess, the global obesity epidemic will keep taking its toll on healthcare systems, and not to mention all the rare diseases that are costly to both diagnose and treat.
If an AGI can help with any of those things…let it rip, I say.
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Comment on OpenAI staff threaten to quit unless board resigns in ~tech
mezze LinkThis looks like it'll shake out with Microsoft hiring 500 OpenAI employees, and thus, effectively acquiring a company valued at ~$90B for the cost of their salaries -- a savings of tens of...This looks like it'll shake out with Microsoft hiring 500 OpenAI employees, and thus, effectively acquiring a company valued at ~$90B for the cost of their salaries -- a savings of tens of billions of dollars. Sure, they'll lay some of them off next quarter and keep only the best, but right now Satya looks like a genius. Of course, he can't get all the credit, but still, what a grab.
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Comment on Sam Altman will join Microsoft to lead a new advanced Al research team following his ouster from OpenAl, CEO Satya Nadella said in ~tech
mezze Link ParentI think Cortana is deprecated and going forward all the “AI” stuff will live under the Copilot branding, instead. For the time being, Microsoft will continue partnering with OpenAI while they spin...I think Cortana is deprecated and going forward all the “AI” stuff will live under the Copilot branding, instead.
For the time being, Microsoft will continue partnering with OpenAI while they spin up their own competitor in the background.
I’m a bit surprised (and disappointed) that Apple didn’t make a play to bring Sam, Brock, and co. into their Siri LLM team — feels like a missed opportunity.
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Comment on Half-Life: 25th anniversary documentary in ~games
mezze LinkWhoa, thanks for sharing. I certainly wasn’t expecting an hour-long documentary out of nowhere. My first exposure to HL was over Christmas break ‘98 when I noticed my older cousin playing some...Whoa, thanks for sharing. I certainly wasn’t expecting an hour-long documentary out of nowhere. My first exposure to HL was over Christmas break ‘98 when I noticed my older cousin playing some interesting-looking game on his brand new Dell box that involved crouch jumping, swinging a crowbar, and traversing air ducts.
I wouldn’t get my own copy until a year later, but once I sunk my teeth into it, it was very difficult going back to console games and thus got sucked into the PC gaming world for the next two decades. Can’t believe it’s been 25 years.
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Comment on No more alarm clocks in ~life
mezze LinkAlternatively, have children and you won't need an alarm clock for at least ten years depending on how many and the spacing between them! I must be doing something wrong, though, since I've...Alternatively, have children and you won't need an alarm clock for at least ten years depending on how many and the spacing between them! I must be doing something wrong, though, since I've experienced:
- Worse mood
- Decreased energy levels
- Scattered mind
- Diminished overall health
In all seriousness, though. Pre-kids, I tried out consistent sleep and wake times to great effect. Schools beginning any time before 8:30AM should be outlawed already.
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Comment on Is it possible to learn a MOBA without necessarily treating like learning chess, or a second job? in ~games
mezze Link ParentAye. I spent way too much of my teens, 20s, and early 30s in competitive multiplayer games and all I have to show for it is the occasional numbness along my ulnar nerve thanks to resting my left...Aye. I spent way too much of my teens, 20s, and early 30s in competitive multiplayer games and all I have to show for it is the occasional numbness along my ulnar nerve thanks to resting my left arm for hours on end as I WASD'ed and QWER'ed my life away. These days I'm more than happy playing single-player adventures with a proper story and, most importantly, an ending. I have no problem limiting and peeling myself away from these kinds of games, whereas that was never the case with anything involving patch notes and multiplayer.
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Comment on Honda says making cheap electric vehicles is too hard, ends deal with GM in ~transport
mezze Link Parent"Fantasy land mode" is an apt description. I'm in the market for a new car to replace a decade-old Honda Accord, but will hold out until prices come down to Earth. I look around my kid's school..."Fantasy land mode" is an apt description. I'm in the market for a new car to replace a decade-old Honda Accord, but will hold out until prices come down to Earth. I look around my kid's school pick-up line and see too many of these oversized, "luxury" monstrosities and wonder where their owners are getting their Monopoly money from. There are some sane choices in the Bolt EV and hopefully the 2024 VW ID.4 won't be too much, but even then that's still not many options and still too much money IMO since it requires the $7500 credit to be palatable.
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Comment on Kidney stone breakthrough procedure at UW called 'game changer' for patients in ~health
mezze LinkOh god, yes. I've dealt with 3 kidney stone episodes (the uric acid kind from imbibing too much soda and sugar in general, drink water instead, kids). The first one was a giant wtf is happening...Ultrasonic propulsion is then used to move the stone fragments out, potentially giving patients relief in 10 minutes or less.
Oh god, yes.
I've dealt with 3 kidney stone episodes (the uric acid kind from imbibing too much soda and sugar in general, drink water instead, kids).
The first one was a giant wtf is happening moment as I just assumed I had been poisoned and was now quickly dying from the inside. The other two were more of a "god damnit, here we go again" thing, but still super painful and requiring medication at the hospital. I had always assumed the pain people spoke about was from peeing the stones out, but no, it's from the stone's merry jaunt from kidney to urinary bladder via the criminally narrow smooth muscle tube connecting the two organs known as the 'ureter'.
If you've never had kidney stones, congrats and I hope it stays that way forever. The pain makes it so that there's literally no comfortable -- or bearable -- position you can contort your body into. The only thing I've ever found to bring me any semblance of relief is standing under a hot shower with good water pressure for hours -- electric bill be damned. Also, kidney stones are the reason I will never own a firearm -- your mind goes places when you're in the thick of it.
Anyways, it's comforting to know that in a few years this treatment should be widely available in office settings for anyone with the misfortune of experiencing this horrible affliction.
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Comment on What are your "must-read" books? in ~books
mezze Link ParentGlad to read I'm not alone in trudging through Dune. This time I'm about 80% of the way. It's such a good book and exceptionally written. It's not even a difficult read, so I'm not sure why I've...(just ignore the fact that it took me four different times to read through it)
Glad to read I'm not alone in trudging through Dune. This time I'm about 80% of the way. It's such a good book and exceptionally written. It's not even a difficult read, so I'm not sure why I've put it down so often. Maybe the Arabian terminology bogs it down for me subconsciously, but I don't think that's quite it.
With YouTube being mostly ads now and shows being on so many disparate streaming services I'm looking to spend more time with books where I'm in control of the flow, so to speak. With a busy life it's nice knowing you can "pause" whenever unlike with video games, which I do enjoy, but find myself not being able to dive into given familial responsibilities and such.
Reddit is still immensely useful as a Google Search aid. I, like I'm sure many others, will append "reddit" to searches when looking for real, human discussions related to a product or service. Sure, there's astroturfing that one should keep their eyes peeled for, but for the most part their discussions are about the most helpful that you'll find online when researching.