Bartimaeus

My friend sent me this song years back and was like "hey I'm like 30 seconds into this and this sounds pretty good what do you think". ...A minute later: "oh my gosh I'm so sorry for sending you this furry crap". ...Still, not too bad of a song.

...and apparently, they're well-read too! ...Though I have no inkling on how to pronounce that particular tradition.

Been my "place I'd want to live most assuming I could still make a living there" for many years. Beautiful, remote, of little strategic importance and therefore unlikely to face threats anytime in the future(?), weather's pretty close to what I'd consider ideal (despite its name, it's apparently not even as cold on average as Minnesota!), low population, very low crime, a little more Freedom(TM)-loving than most other European countries (look at them guns - politely and responsibly used unlike much of the U.S., too!), a little funny-sounding but nice enough language, high standard of living... But they'll probably never let us riffraff in for fear of us ruining it all.

I'll try the Criterion bluray instead and report back... (e): Actually, people say the Potemkine is arguably better, so I might do that instead.

I didn't get to watch too much of the XFL or the other one that went under quickly, so I can't argue on whether or not the product was bad...but it doesn't hurt to bear in mind that it was their first year, and the players are essentially sub-practice squad level players all entering into a new league at the same time with no established stars - giving it a few years to gain its feet and let the players get major playing time to hone their skills may have proved very beneficial to the product. I like football the sport, and having a minor league is sure to improve the quality of play (...and possibly refereeing) in the NFL itself anyways. A number of notable players have come from minor leagues - Kurt Warner came from the AFL, for example. Some guys just need more time to cook, and unfortunately, a lack of NFL-like opportunities may have cut a number of players' careers short.

I thought them talking about something they actually love, especially when it's Star Trek, would be really boring (...by RLM standards, that is), but this was actually probably the most fun thing they've done since the coronavirus episodes ended.

Yes, but unfortunately, I don't have a workable plan that will kidnap Trump, Biden, and ~99% of current and past (living) Congress members and put them all on an island for the next 8 years...while also subjecting 90% of the rest of the population to some combination of public beatings and forced education in order to effect a totally different voting culture that will stop voting in the same types of politicians that keep working against our interests and getting us into the messes they do. But if you have any ideas on how to do that, I will hear them. The U.S., as a whole, is really just getting exactly the candidates it deserves.

https://www.livescience.com/summer-camp-covid-19-outbreak.html A little under 600 attend Georgian "sleepaway camp" for youths (average age of 12), having tested all attendees (including staff) within twelve days before they arrived. Within 2 weeks of everyone arriving and the camp starting, 260 of the 344 tested were positive for coronavirus. Whoops. ...Bonus points: they were all then sent home to infect their families. Double whoops, . Also: https://www.si.com/college/tmg/tony-barnhart/spanish-flu ...We maybe didn't used to be as collectively foolish as we are now? ...I mean, I wouldn't go to a sports game at all during a pandemic so this still seems a bit foolish to me, but it's better than the numbskulls we have now, I suppose.

Yeah, lots of older games don't have captured mouse and no way to specify it, e.g. Infinity Engine games. Can be annoying.

When arguing (especially to people of opposite bends), it very often helps to actually come across as a person with empathizable points of view and experiences. Which is why, even though I rarely agree with him on many of the hot-button issues that have come up here, I've nary even entertained the thought of putting Guard Dog on the famed and oft-mentioned Bartimaeus Ignore List, while I've instantly put other obvious disingenuous dog****ters (of which we've had a number of over the years, including a few whom, if I took them at face value, I would often agree with) on it after reading literally one post by them. Thumbs up for actual people who post from their unique perspectives based on their life experiences, thumbs down for the other kind. (e): empathizable, not emphasizable

Why bother? You're here to do it for us, .

It was a little more involved than just a plainjane walking simulator...but not by too much. Media that is heavily driven by themes and/or basic feelings or impressions usually bore me to tears, and...well, yeah.

Got a "super meh" from me when I played it last month, but given my very minuscule appreciation for visual storytelling and characterless artsy-fartsy crap, that probably makes sense.

The Constitution, its amendments, every last Congressionally-passed bill, and every last signed executive order are all worthless pieces of paper with no inherent meaning or value - their perceived value comes from the fact that the majority of us have agreed to at least give the appearance of abiding by our combined rule of law, including what those pieces of paper mean as interpreted by our court system. When those who are supposed to enforce a law do not do so in the face of clear and blatant violations of it, they are admitting that the law de facto does not matter or exist. There is a reason why we are where we are in terms of Trump constantly and consistently breaking many of the laws governing his public office - laws have not been enforced, and consequently, they no longer exist for all practical purposes. As Gromnir and Guard Dog would say, this process didn't start with him, it has been waning and waxing over the centuries since the U.S. sprung into existence (same as any other country - there is a constant struggle for power and control every single place where there is power and control to be had, rarely for attempts at noble purposes, most times not), but it has certainly appeared to be a fast and steep descent under him, one that doesn't look to stop or really even slow anytime soon (possibly not even with him being voted out; it's up to those who have the ability to enforce the law to claw back their share of power, a task which the majority of our Congress is simply not terribly interested in because it makes their jobs easier).

Hermain Cain passed away today, after contracting and being unable to recover from coronavirus he caught while at a Trump rally at the end of June. Imagine it must've been an absolutely hellish month. RIP, don't unnecessarily expose yourselves if you don't have to, folks. (e): Might be more appropriate for the coronavirus thread, but he was a presidential candidate and it's somewhat politically related, so eh. (e): Oh yeah, and Trump officially suggests suspending 2020 election. I'm reading scenarios as to what would legally supposed to happen if he actually did, and supposedly, because more Republicans are up for election than Democrats (or more open spots where Democratic governors can appoint temporary Democratic senators), the Senate would automatically turn blue and the pro tempore of the Senate would automatically become president of no elected President, Vice President, or House Speaker, which would be Democratic Patrick Leahy. Okay. That actually happening in the event of a Trump coup seems unlikely, but supposedly it's what's supposed to. More likely, this is probably all just an attempt to delegitimize the election, which would be keeping with how he was acting leading up to the previous election.

Joe Kelly receives 8 game suspension from throwing baseball near cheaters, longer than the cheaters received for cheating to win the World Series. Hmm.

Players have started to opt out of the NFL season, including two good players in that starting Chiefs guard and the starting Patriots guard, as well as Patriots star linebacker Dont'a Hightower. Five Patriots have dropped out already, more than every other team combined so far - I can only assume Belichick must've held a team meeting or something and told them to do it if they wanted to or felt like they needed to, can't imagine why else so many Patriots would all drop out on the same morning. Wondering if any of the old men QBs, like Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Roethlisberger, Rivers, etc. will drop out.

Yeah, I've already accepted sports ain't happening the U.S. this year. Maybe basketball might make it with their attempt at a bubble, but it only takes one...

I can't wait for 2TB SSDs to start becoming cost efficient dollar per gigabyte. I've been purchasing other people 1TB SSDs because they've been very cost-efficient, but I'm waiting on myself for a 2TB. I have 1TB across three drives (500, 250, 250), and it's rather annoying to deal with, and I've run into space limits as it is. Within the next year, perhaps...

I will be surprised, with serious potential for horrified, if the NFL plays past a couple of weeks. The NFL has...one advantage that I can think of compared to the other leagues, and that is that games only happen once a week, which may help identify a team that is infected before it can spread to other teams. Besides that, it has everything that I can think of going against it, including giant roster sizes, constant medical/conditioning staff interaction, full contact, sweating, spitting, yelling, screaming, plenty of stupid players ljust ike the other leagues that will refuse to take it seriously and/or openly peddle anti-information, plenty of old, overweight, ultra-stressed, and don't-get-enough-sleep coaches, shortsighted owners who did not care and did not plan on how to make the season work when they had months to do so, etc. It should be a disaster.

Well, baseball lasted a week before it went to hell. I'm sure football will be fine.

First person shooters (unless they're monstrously slow-paced) are pretty much the only game-type I won't touch with a controller. I can do singleplayer RTSes with a controller using some creative binds (not that it'll be optimal or anything, but it'll at least be playable), but not using a mouse and keyboard for a FPS literally makes me want to kill myself - I'm not kidding at all, there is nothing more depressing and defeating-feeling than trying to play a first person shooter with a controller, it is an abjectly terrible and desolate experience that has made me all but give up the genre entirely.