The emulators have always been in a gray area, since they can play illegal copies of games with illegally sourced bios, etc. The emulator itself is simply the tool, which on its own isn’t proof of piracy much like owning a bong isn’t definite proof you smoke weed… just very suggestive (it can be used for tobacco I guess?)

As for current vs retro gen piracy, they’re equally illegal but obviously criminalized differently. And the ethics are obviously complex, you have people who pirate who otherwise wouldn’t be able to pay, you have people who pirate for a convenient copy of something they already own, and maybe people who could pay but simply don’t want to (although research has suggested this isn’t a huge group). And since it’s digital, there isn’t a loss in the same way as actual theft.

Personally, I just like taking control of the hardware and tweaking shit. I belong mostly to the folks who download copies of things I’ve already “bought” (which is a licence in many cases, as they don’t sell physical copies). A good example is Pokemon Scarlet, which ran like dogshit on the original hardware. I’ve been meaning to try it in an emulator to see if it works better, although I haven’t bothered yet. Would that be considered immoral, given I own the game and several switches?

Tax season is upon us. So glad it’s being used for important issues like… this. /s

Former president and failed 2020 electorial candidate Donald Trump.

I hope not, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m aware there’s been a few high profile ICE incidents in Santa Ana in particular, but most of the people there are still citizens; it might be the obvious racism that makes things tense. They’ve always had a hard time dealing with their conservative neighbors, though.

Fucking evil. Know why? My wife got her Green Card in the USCIS in Santa Ana in the same building as ICE is setting up in. They’re 100% going to use this as a way to target people seeking legal status, guaranteed.

I believe the same is true of the federal building in LA, too. One could make the point that no one in the entire state will house ICE except that which is owned already by the feds, but to share buildings with people seeking legal status is absolutely abhorrent.

Witnesses, maybe, but typically they’re the ones doing the murdering (although usually paid to by said rich people).

Sigh… reminds me I have to file my US tax returns.

Next you’ll be telling me you missed tank controls in games. Why strafe when you can slowly rotate to turn?

I still never liked that. It’s the best of a bad situation, but aiming with a mouse is so superior, many games won’t cross-platform with a PC out of fairness, lol.

In most murder mysteries happening at resorts, it’s usually the guests who are murdered and never the help.

To clarify for people not from CA, and having lived in OC for the better part of a decade, it’s relatively more conservative and yet also not.

For example, places like Santa Ana literally working on getting voting for undocumented people for municipal elections, cannot be more anti ICE. Naturally they’re targeted by some of the worst abductions and such, which is a shame because they’re some of the coolest people I’ve met in OC.

On the other end of the spectrum, Huntington Beach literally made a MAGA plaque for a library and many of their council members wear the red hat openly. Sure enough, very pro ICE and the majority of black and brown people you’ll see are the slave labor employed for their gardens and shit. I once was invited to a Thanksgiving there and it was awkward as shit watching gardeners working while we were sitting down for dinner.

Then everything else is mixed. Irvine, a city ultimately owned by a company, has turned weirdly blue over an influx of immigration but is still very much a fascist place at times with heavy policing. I saw a homeless man abducted by police and likely relocated to Santa Ana once, and that was a bit chilling. That’s their solution to unwanted people.

Hell, even by first episode standards, Voyager literally starts with the Maquis rebels. It’s right out the gate critical of the Federation’s utopia, haha.

I still doomscroll to stay a little informed but my recent salvation has been free ebooks on my phone. Same phone strolling action but instead of doom, I get fun little mysteries.

The KDE wiggle wiggle is a feature that was enough to convert a friend of mine. Game compatibility? Nah. Win privacy issues? Nah. Giant fucking cursor? Wiggle wiggle, baby.

Honestly having a complete lockdown might be an improvement over the current state of things. Wishful thinking, given 47 likely wouldn’t repeat the 2020 half assed approach to disease, going full RFK on it this time around…

Farming karma on the fediverse requires Arch Linux, Star Trek, beans, US politics in an unusual channel, and of course, hate posts about reddit.

Oh and pro-tankie or anti-tankie depending on which instance you want karma on.

Incidentally, I’m glad we don’t really care but the fun part is voting is all public so… be mindful. Lol

I was a teenager when 9/11 happened and even my stupid ass knew that, along with all the patriot act shit, was going to be a problem.

Thanks for the explanation!

Without the context I felt super out of the loop, but no, it’s the church protests that’s being treated as some crazy hate crime that it isn’t. I just didn’t expect Don Fucking Lemon to be involved, lol.

Not too surprised. What I’ve seen from friends and family in the industry is a mix of union busting and natural shrinking after the 2020 boom. AI is kinda frowned upon for those AAA companies (at least at middle management and below) so it wasn’t so much job replacement although that option might still galvanize union busting.

Granted the companies in question are Japanese and Korean developers, so the US side is mostly licensing and marking and such. And if I’m being honest, some of those marketers really should lose their jobs, or at least stop getting paid twice that of actual talented people… sigh.