portnoyslp's recent activity
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Comment on A liar who always lies says “All my hats are green.” in ~science
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Comment on What are your favorite series that are not from the US or UK and also not popular anime? in ~tv
portnoyslp Link ParentTotally agree on Deadloch. That was a hoot.Totally agree on Deadloch. That was a hoot.
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Comment on San Francisco’s downtown becomes a wake-up call for other cities in the US in ~finance
portnoyslp Link ParentBut presumably the reason there are no grocery options or restaurants that are open in the evenings is because the entire area downtown is business-focused. Little point in being open for dinner...But presumably the reason there are no grocery options or restaurants that are open in the evenings is because the entire area downtown is business-focused. Little point in being open for dinner if everyone's gone home for dinner. One would imagine that if there were more residents in the downtown core, it becomes worth it for those businesses and restaurants to stay open longer, and for grocery options to become more plentiful.
It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, of course, and it requires that the city government work to make sure that both sides are being satisfied at the same time, but just because it's not accurate for your local city now doesn't mean it can't work later.
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Comment on What crypto wallets get wrong in ~finance
portnoyslp Link ParentAlthough "The Cynical Shilling" is a marvelous name for a new cryptocurrency.Although "The Cynical Shilling" is a marvelous name for a new cryptocurrency.
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Comment on Are phones really listening to us at all times? in ~tech
portnoyslp Link ParentJust out of curiosity, what bitrates and audio quality are you assuming that brings that conversation down to 400 bytes? Or are you assuming that the phone -- which can't understand the wake word...Just out of curiosity, what bitrates and audio quality are you assuming that brings that conversation down to 400 bytes? Or are you assuming that the phone -- which can't understand the wake word a third of the time when I'm facing the microphone head-on -- can do a perfect translation of speech-to-text when it's sitting in my pocket?
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Comment on Are phones really listening to us at all times? in ~tech
portnoyslp Link ParentI'd note that almost certainly Google knew you were watching the last season of Barry. But I've never even watched the show, and I know that NoHo Hank is considered the standout character of that...I'd note that almost certainly Google knew you were watching the last season of Barry. But I've never even watched the show, and I know that NoHo Hank is considered the standout character of that season. Is it really surprising that, knowing you watched the last season, Google decided to surface some Barry-related content to you, and that Hank was the primary reference?
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Comment on Wonka | Official trailer in ~movies
portnoyslp Link ParentThe conceit that Shondaland is apparently going for in Bridgerton is a parallel universe based on the canard that Queen Charlotte was of "Moorish blood" (and thus was darker-skinned than she was...Probably the worst is Netflix's Bridgerton where they have Black and Indian characters, but absolutely no reference to Indian or African Cultures. It's set in 1813, obviously Bridgerton is a vapid show made for wine moms with absolutely no "world building", but what would the world have to look like for Bridgerton to actually take place? How could you possibly have Black and Brown aristocracy in Britain?
The conceit that Shondaland is apparently going for in Bridgerton is a parallel universe based on the canard that Queen Charlotte was of "Moorish blood" (and thus was darker-skinned than she was in reality); in their timeline they suggest the royal family would have spontaneously decided to elevate the few existing landed-gentry POC to the queen's royal court so that the new queen wouldn't look out of place. It then basically postulates that the more integrated aristocracy is what the nobility would have turned into forty or fifty years down the line.
Completely bonkers, and yes, it's absolutely glossing over what a tumultuous period that would have ushered in, but that's the conceit the show is going for. Luckily it's pretty clear it's a fantasy when they start dancing to a string quartet version of Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball"
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Comment on Is there any book that you keep trying but can not get through? in ~books
portnoyslp Link ParentMy mistake was doing the wrong order. I read The Hobbit, loved it, was going to start on LOTR, and then heard about this marvelous prequel. So I jumped from Hobbit to Silmarillion, and that pretty...My mistake was doing the wrong order. I read The Hobbit, loved it, was going to start on LOTR, and then heard about this marvelous prequel. So I jumped from Hobbit to Silmarillion, and that pretty much killed any interest I had in reading more Tolkien.
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Comment on Is there any book that you keep trying but can not get through? in ~books
portnoyslp Link ParentSame here. I've been given copies of all three, but they remain resolutely unopened past the first half of Quicksilver.Same here. I've been given copies of all three, but they remain resolutely unopened past the first half of Quicksilver.
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Comment on What board games have you played this week (to 26th June)? in ~games.tabletop
portnoyslp LinkHad an afternoon with friends playing Sagrada, Space Base, and the very silly Abducktion (with expansion pack). Abducktion is proving to be a great quick startup game, a nice one to throw together...Had an afternoon with friends playing Sagrada, Space Base, and the very silly Abducktion (with expansion pack). Abducktion is proving to be a great quick startup game, a nice one to throw together when you're waiting for burgers to be grilled.
You could try listening to Tom Scott's Lateral podcast, which presents six or so lateral thinking puzzles an episode. Some of them fall a bit into gotcha, but you do get to hear the panelists trying to explore different means of thinking for each of them.