Yah true. If episode one is awful I won’t continue. Maybe I weight them like episode 1 70% , 2 20%, but by episode 3 10%. So by episode 3 I 100% know if if I’m going to like a serialized TV show.

Interesting read. I think episode 3 is the magic number. The first episode is actually a pilot they worked on and maybe rewrote or recut to get the actors and tone, etc. Sometimes the pilot is very different from the rest of the series. Episode 2 should be the actual tone and feel of the series but sometimes that can be difficult to get right so episode 3 is a make or break for me. By that time I should understand if I like the characters, understand motivations and something should have happened to peak my interest to keep watching. “Story of the week” or “non-serialized” shows I think are fine to check out another season episode if people are talking about it.

Yep. We all learned years ago. Anything that needs an always on network to play an offline game is bs because sooner or later that network is not available.

TIL the director of “the Eternals” is the same as “Nomadland”?

Ok that is a good tip. I was measuring with points on the map.

So if I understand it Signal has your phone number but only logs sign up date and last activity date. So yes they can say this person has Signal and last used it on date X. Other than that no information.

Matrix doesn’t require a phone number but has no standard on logging activity so it’s up to the server admin what they log, and they could retain ip address, what users are talking in what, rooms, etc. and E2EE is not required.

I think both have different approaches. I’m just trying to understand. On one hand you have centralized system that has a standard to minimize logs or decentralized system that must be configured to use E2EE and to remove logs.

I’m not an expert but I’ll use this analogy.

Signal is you meeting a person who gives you secure devices. This person then can only ever provide the following information to someone else. From Signal website. “The phone number. the date and time a user registered with Signal and the last date of a user’s connectivity to the Signal service.” Only your device and your friends device can read the messages. It goes direct from you to them. The only way to read any message is having the device.

Telegram is like you making an agreement with another person. By default messages are encrypted but go to the other person for decryption before going to your friends device. This other person Telegram has and will give the phone number, messages, serverlogs, dates to legal entities by request. Now there is an option to bypass this person by using “secret chats” . This will make it so the message is directly from your device to their device. Telegram can’t read messages but as I understand they can still potentially have metadata, server logs of when messages are sent, how many, what device they are sent from. Bottomline is they have activity logs Signal can only provide the date you signed up and the last time you used the app. Not only that but just being on the Telegram platform which allows bots makes you a target. Bots will contact you like spam. Sending you harmful links, etc.

Almost every security person I’ve ever read says. “I use Signal”. Why wouldn’t you go with the service that by default has end to end encryption? Telegram makes it a option you have to select for each person. Both use your phone number.

These are very basic descriptions. I’m Happy to remove or update if I got anything wrong.

More signal encryption info

I’m OK with buying now based on the fact they reversed this. They did what I wanted and the reason I waited to buy so I’ll hold up my end. They should be happy people are even buying the games. If they ever change this policy they are other options. I’d love to see what the sales numbers are from before and after the requirement. I’m guessing it wasn’t just the articles but actual decline in sales.

Some more Death Stranding. Really wish there was a better way to measure the zip lines. I tried to get right in-between two and was 4M off from the limit of 350M for one of them so it wouldn’t connect.

Also playing Deaths Door and it pretty fun art style. Excited for Tunic once this is finished. About 60% complete.

Hope all you Lynch fans are doing well. It’s so hard to see when a visionary goes but David seemed content and I’m happy to have the memories.

So sad. Glad he got to doTP " the Return" and the way he wanted. RIP Mr Lynch

A true blow for film fans. Lynch was a visionary that really didn’t compromise. Pushed the medium forward. A true artist. People often complain about his approach to storytelling in films but after seeing one of his films they are rarely forgotten or thought of as “just another movie”.

Toto and Eno!

Does anyone know if he was legally allowed gun(s) while on probation and after you know he was convicted of used guns to endange people based on a internet conspiracy?

Games that assume I want to play online or be “connected” are the problem. I don’t want any of that. I want to pay for a game with my Steam or Microsoft account and play it offline with that one service I bought it from. At first it was annoying to make one new account but OK well not that bad. Now every developer has some sort of required “get connected”. F that. It provides no benefit only added barriers for a game they should be happy I even bought in the first place. Online games sure I get it, mixed should be optional but offline. No absolutely not.

Yep. No thanks. Games without online components should have one account to verify and store a copy of the game including saves, etc. That is Steam in this case. If you buy through Steam other accounts should be optional when you want to play online. I’m through with this garbage for offline games.

River of Sorrow in Metal Gear Solid 3. First regular then as “no kills” run. It’s something that made me genuinely question everything while playing a video game. Everything.

Wait till you see what they let you do if you’re good at sports.

Thank you. Thank you very much. It’s Gordon. Gordon Cole! And my shocks are on fire.

I’d play underworld. I think I’ve played most the TR games but I skipped that.