redwall_hp's recent activity
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Comment on When Richard Dawkins met Claude in ~health.mental
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Comment on Advice/Venting: My car was destroyed by hail in ~transport
redwall_hp LinkAssessment came back: total loss, and they're going to pay out 80% of the $20K I paid for it, essentially. Though since I still owe $4K, that eats into it a bit. (I'll have to dig up a few...Assessment came back: total loss, and they're going to pay out 80% of the $20K I paid for it, essentially. Though since I still owe $4K, that eats into it a bit. (I'll have to dig up a few thousand to supplement it for the monthly payment range I want on a new car...fortunately I have some stocks vesting soon.)
They still have to contact the bank and arrange the papers, but that'll probably move faster now.
I've already made contact with someone from sales at the local Honda dealership about a new Sport Touring coming in at the end of the month, and I'm going to ask about a deposit to reserve it when they're open again next week.
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Comment on How long would a society comprised of video game protagonists survive? in ~games
redwall_hp LinkThis sounds adjacent to the anime Log Horizon, which was one of the earlier isekai stuck-in-an-MMO shows. The protagonists have arguments over whether NPCs are sentient and eventually have to have...This sounds adjacent to the anime Log Horizon, which was one of the earlier isekai stuck-in-an-MMO shows. The protagonists have arguments over whether NPCs are sentient and eventually have to have diplomatic relations with an NPC nation, some high level players are forcing lower level players to give them daily login reward items in a sweatshop, the crafting people are exploring the physical laws of the world and building steam engines.
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Comment on Nintendo raises prices for Switch, Switch 2 and NSO in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentIt's getting Final Fantasy XIV this summer too, which is a very intriguing proposition, since you could play on the go. The negotiations with Nintendo, sadly, resulted in a separately billed...It's getting Final Fantasy XIV this summer too, which is a very intriguing proposition, since you could play on the go.
The negotiations with Nintendo, sadly, resulted in a separately billed subscription (which is half off if you have an active subscription on another platform)...but oddly enough, no requirement for the Nintendo online subscription.
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Comment on US will revoke passports for parents who owe child support in ~society
redwall_hp Link ParentI firmly believe that everyone has the right to a passport and no country should be permitted to revoke them for any reason. Restricting outbound travel is purely something born of the evils of...I firmly believe that everyone has the right to a passport and no country should be permitted to revoke them for any reason. Restricting outbound travel is purely something born of the evils of autocracy. This is something Stalin or Hitler would have been criticised for a century ago.
Countries can refuse entry if they think someone is likely to commit crimes, but keeping people from leaving a country should never be considered acceptable (unless they're already incarcerated for some legitimate reason).
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Comment on Star Fox Direct shadow dropped right before premiere in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentAs someone who grew up playing PC games and didn't have a console, with my only experience with many of these title being demos at Best Buy and Circuit City...I'm a fan of these remakes, because...As someone who grew up playing PC games and didn't have a console, with my only experience with many of these title being demos at Best Buy and Circuit City...I'm a fan of these remakes, because I'm more likely to invest time in a newer title.
The FF7 remake was great (haven't played the new one yet), and I've wanted to try Ocarina of Time for some time now (and it's available on Switch) but I just might see how the shiny new version is.
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Comment on Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars in ~transport
redwall_hp Link ParentIt briefly flashed up on screen in the video, IIRC. The Hybrid Synergy Drive does not have a small accessory motor to crank it, like is present in most vehicles. One of the two motor-generators...It briefly flashed up on screen in the video, IIRC. The Hybrid Synergy Drive does not have a small accessory motor to crank it, like is present in most vehicles. One of the two motor-generators attached to the differential (MG1) is used to start the engine. It's a motor used to start the engine, but it's a much beefier motor than a traditional starter motor, because its primary function is generation.
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Comment on Star Fox Direct shadow dropped right before premiere in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentApparently there can be more than one.Apparently there can be more than one.
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Comment on Advice/Venting: My car was destroyed by hail in ~transport
redwall_hp Link ParentAssessment was done, will hear back in a few days (up to a week, probably less). Off the record, he suggested starting looking for a new car due to the extent of the damage. He documented every...Assessment was done, will hear back in a few days (up to a week, probably less). Off the record, he suggested starting looking for a new car due to the extent of the damage.
He documented every single dent, and whether they're candidates for paintless dent repair or likely to need a full replacement (especially since they can cause the paint to crack).
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Comment on Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars in ~transport
redwall_hp Link ParentAlso relevant, because I visited Pike's Peak recently: the park rangers have a checkpoint on the way down, where they temperature-check people's brakes and have them stop if they're at risk of...Also relevant, because I visited Pike's Peak recently: the park rangers have a checkpoint on the way down, where they temperature-check people's brakes and have them stop if they're at risk of failing. (You can also collect a lot of energy with regenerative braking.)
I took the train up, rather than driving, but I thought that was interesting.
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Comment on Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars in ~transport
redwall_hp Link ParentThe one I'm looking at (2026 Civic) is definitely Li-Ion. The newer Prius models with non-potato performance (2024+) also have Li-Ion.The one I'm looking at (2026 Civic) is definitely Li-Ion. The newer Prius models with non-potato performance (2024+) also have Li-Ion.
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Comment on Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars in ~transport
redwall_hp Link ParentNo alternators on hybrids, either. I had to replace one of those on a car a few months ago too, and it was about $900.No alternators on hybrids, either. I had to replace one of those on a car a few months ago too, and it was about $900.
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Comment on ‘Hocus Pocus 3’ in works with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy back in ~movies
redwall_hp Link ParentI watched the original at the Alamo, for the first time, a year or two back. It was fun, and I enjoyed the campy cult classicness. The second...not so much. The conversion of antagonists whose...I watched the original at the Alamo, for the first time, a year or two back. It was fun, and I enjoyed the campy cult classicness. The second...not so much.
The conversion of antagonists whose whole thing is being willing to kill people for eternal life into kind-of-sort-of-mostly-protagonists really didn't work. Part of why the camp of the original works is the juxtaposition of charismatic characters with a cartoonishly evil scheme.
Maybe they'll dial it in more this time.
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Comment on Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars in ~transport
redwall_hp LinkInteresting (and very timely for me) video about hybrid misconceptions, with an explanation of how the Atkinson Cycle and Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive works. Some of my takeaways: One interesting...Interesting (and very timely for me) video about hybrid misconceptions, with an explanation of how the Atkinson Cycle and Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive works.
Some of my takeaways:
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One interesting insight is that hybrids are not trying to be "EVs with a generator." It's more like the principle of a turbocharger in a four-banger: take the more efficient (but less powerful) Atkinson Cycle engine and give it a boost to compensate. Hybrids actively avoid using the engine as a glorified generator. The goal is to boost up to cruising speed, where less power is necessary. Much of the fuel savings come from the more efficient engine, and not just what's basically idle-stop behavior (which many cars have now, with not nearly the economy benefit).
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The Hybrid Synergy Drive is remarkably simple, and indeed removes many literal moving parts from the car. I had no idea it was basically just doing silly (smart) things with a differential. It even eliminates the starter motor.
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Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars
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Comment on Advice/Venting: My car was destroyed by hail in ~transport
redwall_hp Link ParentAgent contacted me today to get started on the claim. Assessment is scheduled for tomorrow, and they'll call to narrow down a time. It might be up to a week after the inspection for results though.Agent contacted me today to get started on the claim. Assessment is scheduled for tomorrow, and they'll call to narrow down a time. It might be up to a week after the inspection for results though.
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Comment on Do you play knock-offs of celebrated indie games? in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentI'm less aware of how patents work, but my understanding is that there's a level of specificity that's expected, and it's still specific to implementation. But the reality is companies file all...I'm less aware of how patents work, but my understanding is that there's a level of specificity that's expected, and it's still specific to implementation. But the reality is companies file all sorts of things, and it's all down to lawyer slap-fights whether they stick.
Like there was a famous Namco patent (now expired) that covered loading screen minigames. It doesn't just say "we put a game on a loading screen, now you can't." That would not cover the requirements of a patent to be something describing an implementation, rather than just a vague idea.
The patent, in its vast description, dances around that idea and describes a complex process of how multiple sets of code are kept on a storage medium and how one replaces the other as one is loaded from the slower medium, with all kinds of diagrams of low level computer components. It amounts to saying "you can't have a minigame while the game loads," but they had to develop a whole architecture on paper to get to that point.
Since it specifies a "recording medium," it also might not apply to something loaded over the internet.
Game mechanics or styles of game are the definition of vague ideas. They're just a collection of rules, not an actual mechanism. They shouldn't be patentable under the standing law, but that doesn't mean that doesn't effectively happen.
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Comment on Do you play knock-offs of celebrated indie games? in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentThey're explicitly not protected by copyright or patent laws, and it's well-tread legal territory....Personally, I think ideas (especially simple ones like Threes) should not be protected like IP.
They're explicitly not protected by copyright or patent laws, and it's well-tread legal territory.
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Comment on Do you play knock-offs of celebrated indie games? in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentAnd all first person shooters are knock offs of the legendary indie games DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D.And all first person shooters are knock offs of the legendary indie games DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D.
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Comment on Did wokeness leave us worse off? (gifted link) in ~society
redwall_hp Link ParentAh, cool. Polish works that way too. I have a -ski name (of which people are frequently rude about pronunciation), which traditionally would be altered to -ska for a woman. e.g. Marie Curie's...her last has functionally a pronoun at the end of it ("-kyzy" a patronymic but functions to gender her) because not only is it her name but it's also a big cultural deal for folks to have traditional surname spellings instead of Russian ones.
Ah, cool. Polish works that way too. I have a -ski name (of which people are frequently rude about pronunciation), which traditionally would be altered to -ska for a woman. e.g. Marie Curie's maiden name was Skłodowska, and her father would have been Skłodowski.
This is orbiting-teapot territory (which underlines the silliness of Dawkins being a rube). The extraordinary claim that a machine with well-known means of operation (statistical inference via matrix math dictated by the capabilities of a Turing-complete computation machine) has magically become conscious demands extraordinary evidence.
Proving a negative is unreasonable, but proving something is is a minimal requirement of rationality.
We accept human consciousness as axiomatic, within our limited understanding, for obvious reasons.