smiles134's recent activity
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
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Comment on Humble Choice - June 2026 in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentVery generous! Honestly the only two games in this bundle I had interest in were Life is Strange and Citizen Sleeper so if either of those two are still available, I'd gladly take one off your...Very generous! Honestly the only two games in this bundle I had interest in were Life is Strange and Citizen Sleeper so if either of those two are still available, I'd gladly take one off your hands. (In the US, assuming neither are region locked.)
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Comment on Do you prefer to 100% games, or to move on to new experiences? in ~games
smiles134 LinkI rarely rarely will 100% a game. Usually that means doing a bunch of tedious, non-story related chores just to check off some objective. But if I'm enjoying the gameplay enough, sometimes I will....I rarely rarely will 100% a game. Usually that means doing a bunch of tedious, non-story related chores just to check off some objective.
But if I'm enjoying the gameplay enough, sometimes I will. A notable example for me is the first Insomniac Spiderman game, which I've now 100%'d twice.
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Comment on US Pentagon puts building blocks in place for Cuba invasion in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentRight. They've tried to choke Cuba off in order to provoke the people to overthrow their government, and since that hasn't happened, they're going to do it themselves. I hope all the America First...Right. They've tried to choke Cuba off in order to provoke the people to overthrow their government, and since that hasn't happened, they're going to do it themselves.
I hope all the America First MAGA morons are pleased with themselves.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentFEAR was so so good when it came out. Haven't thought about it in forever.FEAR was so so good when it came out. Haven't thought about it in forever.
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Comment on Donald Trump’s deal to drop suit against US Internal Revenue Service creates $1.8b ‘anti-weaponization fund’ in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentThe news is doing a terrible job on reporting this, I think partly because this announcement was not included in the earlier settlement agreement which is itself much worse.The news is doing a terrible job on reporting this, I think partly because this announcement was not included in the earlier settlement agreement which is itself much worse.
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Comment on Donald Trump’s deal to drop suit against US Internal Revenue Service creates $1.8b ‘anti-weaponization fund’ in ~society
smiles134 (edited )Link ParentThat is just a departmental memo (i.e., policy guidance) which can and will be revoked immediately by a new administration. Nothing legally binding about it whatsoever.That is just a departmental memo (i.e., policy guidance) which can and will be revoked immediately by a new administration. Nothing legally binding about it whatsoever.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentAh, I guess I misread the criticisms of that. There have been times so far that I've felt the need to talk to animals so it's a bummer there's not like a spell I can use insteadAh, I guess I misread the criticisms of that. There have been times so far that I've felt the need to talk to animals so it's a bummer there's not like a spell I can use instead
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentA note that I learned after starting and is apparently not liked about the first game is that you need to spend an ability point on one of your main characters to be able to talk to animals in the...A note that I learned after starting and is apparently not liked about the first game is that you need to spend an ability point on one of your main characters to be able to talk to animals in the first game. And it feels like a waste of an ability point to me so I haven't done it yet.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentOh yeah I got absolutely annihilated on that fight the first time. I honestly didn't even know what happened. But I looked up a strategy after that that ended up working for me (essentially...Oh yeah I got absolutely annihilated on that fight the first time. I honestly didn't even know what happened. But I looked up a strategy after that that ended up working for me (essentially trigger the fight with one of your team members, with the rest waiting outside the room, and then use the double doors as a funnel so you're not fighting the whole room at once.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentBoss combat is tough, but it's usually meant for me that I'm either under leveled or need to try a different approach. Realizing summons were vital and to focus on crowd control rather than direct...Boss combat is tough, but it's usually meant for me that I'm either under leveled or need to try a different approach. Realizing summons were vital and to focus on crowd control rather than direct attacks (generally) helped a lot.
The classless system kinda messed me up at the start so I don't think I distributed my points in the best way, but I'm getting the feel for that.
The combat controls are a bit finicky, I agree. Multiple times I've shot my arrows at the ground instead of hitting my actual target.
Overall, I'm enjoying the story. I like that it starts small (murder investigation) before branching out into the existential conflict.
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Comment on The everything, everywhere, all at once corruption story in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentI have a unique dislike for Sean Duffy. I worked at DOT during the transition and got to hear so many Republican appointees crowing about how they were "gonna do things the right way" and the...I have a unique dislike for Sean Duffy. I worked at DOT during the transition and got to hear so many Republican appointees crowing about how they were "gonna do things the right way" and the previous appointees in their position were doing things for personal attention -- and then they go and do shit like this. Duffy had a town hall shortly after his appointment where he talked about how there would be RIFs but it was going to be sensible and literally the next day thousands of people were fired -- on a holiday weekend -- without any kind of communication. Several of my coworkers were let go and my manager wasn't even told until Tuesday when we were back from the holiday. It was a bunch of bullshit.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 LinkI'm about 40 hours into Divinity: Original Sin Enchanted Edition (my first time playing either DOS game) and I'd guess about 40% of the way through. I am a bit overwhelmed by the size of the game...I'm about 40 hours into Divinity: Original Sin Enchanted Edition (my first time playing either DOS game) and I'd guess about 40% of the way through. I am a bit overwhelmed by the size of the game and it took me a while to get the hang of combat, but I'm very much enjoying it. The camera annoys me in much the same way that BG3's camera annoys me and I haven't really bothered much with crafting (which is maybe the wrong thing but it feels like a system that's just unnecessary). I have the same feelings about the identifying. Neat in concept, but mostly seems burdensome.
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Comment on The everything, everywhere, all at once corruption story in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentNot only that, but no matter how blatant the crimes you commit, no one will ever hold you accountable. I feel like I've gone insane. The most openly corrupt administration in this country's...Not only that, but no matter how blatant the crimes you commit, no one will ever hold you accountable.
I feel like I've gone insane. The most openly corrupt administration in this country's history and there's apparently nothing to be done about it.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smiles134 LinkOver the weekend, I rewatched Hell or High Water, and man, what a spectacular movie. Not a moment is wasted. Chris Pine is incredible. Ben Foster is incredible. Jeff Bridges, incredible. That...Over the weekend, I rewatched Hell or High Water, and man, what a spectacular movie. Not a moment is wasted. Chris Pine is incredible. Ben Foster is incredible. Jeff Bridges, incredible. That final standoff is chilling, too. So, so good.
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Comment on 'Blue dot fever' claims Post Malone, Pussycat Dolls concerts. What's really behind it? in ~music
smiles134 LinkI am always grateful that my music tastes have generally no interest in the mainstream. I average between 2 & 3 concerts per month and they're always about $25-$50, depending on which venue and...I am always grateful that my music tastes have generally no interest in the mainstream. I average between 2 & 3 concerts per month and they're always about $25-$50, depending on which venue and how popular they are for their genre. I did go to see Waxahatchee with MJ Lendermann last month and those tickets were $100 but that was very much outside of my normal concert.
I also agree with @akir in that most concerts for major artists are extremely overproduced. I get that it's all an experience--it's the music, and it's the performance, the staging, the effects, etc., and that works for their audience usually I suppose. But I just want to see the bands I like get on stage and play the songs I like in a room with 200-1,000 fans yelling along with the lyrics.
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Comment on What was the best job you ever had? in ~life
smiles134 LinkIn high school I had what I would consider the best job I could've possibly had at that time. I worked for a budget second-run movie theater with that was still using film when most of the...In high school I had what I would consider the best job I could've possibly had at that time. I worked for a budget second-run movie theater with that was still using film when most of the theaters were converting to digital.
I started as a concession stand worker/usher and eventually became one of the projectionists. We only had eight screens, and because we were only open from 5 until the end of the last movie, there were usually only two screenings a night. Which meant my job would be lacing up the movies, hitting start on the projector at the scheduled time, and then hanging out until the first movie ended and I could lace it up again. Sometimes when we had new films come in, I'd need to splice them together and add our trailer reel, but that was only once a week at most.
Compounding this, the oldest person who worked there was our general manager who was 23 and freshly out of college. Literally every single employee was between the ages of 16 and 23. One of the managers brought their GameCube in and after the last run of movies kicked off, we'd hang out in the manager's office and play Super Smash Bros until it was time to go home. We were also a very poor performing theater so a busy day would be like 100 people in total showing up across all 8 of our movies. Weekends were obviously busier, but it was never crowded. Our primary clientele was older folks, and I swear to god The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and We Bought a Zoo played there for 3 months straight.
Sometimes I still miss that job. The pay was minimum wage but it was extremely fun, low-key. I got to do my homework in the projectionist booth while being paid. The managers could not give a single fuck about anything, so it was all the popcorn and soda we wanted, our friends could come while we were on the clock and watch a movie for free, we could come on our off day and watch a movie for free, on more than one occasion we stayed after our shift was over to watch a movie at 2am.
Sadly, there were rumors the whole time I worked there that the chain who owned the theatre was going to shut it down and sell off the land and they finally did while I was in college.
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Comment on Gothenburg promised to optimise school admissions with a piece of code. The resulting chaos showed how unaccountable systems are ruining lives. in ~tech
smiles134 Link ParentI feel like the author does a good job of addressing this:I feel like the author does a good job of addressing this:
Algorithms do not merely make isolated decisions; they generate systems of decisions. When 100 children are wrongly placed in schools on the opposite riverbank, they take the places intended for others. Those children are consequently pushed to different schools, displacing others in turn. Like dominoes, the errors cascade. By the fifth or sixth displacement, the injustice becomes almost impossible to detect, let alone to contest and prove in court.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smiles134 LinkI put on Caught Stealing last night not expecting too much out of it (I planned to work while it was on in the background) but I ended up very much enjoying it, actually. If I hadn't known going...I put on Caught Stealing last night not expecting too much out of it (I planned to work while it was on in the background) but I ended up very much enjoying it, actually. If I hadn't known going in that it was an Aronofsky film, I don't think I would've ever guessed. I'm usually kind of put off by his style, but I didn't see much of that in here.
The story is wild but still somewhat predictable. It's not trying to be anything overly profound, but it's still a fun, darkly comic action movie. Kind of hit the same note for me as Bullet Train, which also had Bad Bunny in it
Ah, haven't seen it. Worth watching?