AernaLingus 5h ago • 100%
My instant reaction was, "Damn, I wanna play this PC-98 game."
AernaLingus 5h ago • 100%
Depends on what you were going for--I think something like this?
We agree!
AernaLingus 1d ago • 100%
Finished the second volume of the light novel The Mimosa Confessions (which prominently features a trans character)
::: spoiler my thoughts through volume 2 (no actual spoilers) My feelings were pretty mixed after the first volume, and now they're even more mixed. Idk, I guess it's fine as far as teen melodrama goes, but I guess I went into it thinking that the trans experience would be a more prominent part of the narrative. It doesn't help that the protagonist (a cis guy) is extremely redditor-coded and so we have to read pages and pages of his inner redditor monologue since this is a novel (to be clear, I don't think this is the translation team's fault--I think that's just typical light novel character stuff). If I do some self-reflection, I might find it especially off-putting because it's not too far from the way I thought as a 16 year old lmao.
There's one more volume available for the licensed English translation, so I may as well give it a read and see how it goes. After this, though, I'm probably better off finally reading Wandering Son. :::
AernaLingus 1d ago • 100%
I just liked pressing the degauss button
AernaLingus 2d ago • 100%
Serious question: I'm learning Rust right now (3/4 of the way through the Rust Book), and along with it I want to learn the basics of proper software engineering (i.e. API design, project hierarchy, modularity, etc.), but I'm unsure of where to start. Can you recommend any good resources for beginners?
AernaLingus 2d ago • 100%
Working on my first open source project has really gotten the creative juices flowing for me. I always wanted to do a personal project, but I could genuinely never think of anything to do so I never even tried. It's not that I've never written any code for myself, but they've always been scripts written to solve a hyperspecific problem and written with zero planning so they're complete spaghetti code. But I recently thought of not one, but two nice little projects I could do and immediately started writing out some basic design docs for them, which may not sound like much but is way further than I've ever gotten before.
One of the things I'm a little apprehensive about is how to create a clean and logical file/module hierarchy from scratch, but since neither project is too sprawling I figure I'll just read a few articles, do my best, and then do a post-mortem to see what I can do better. If anyone has any specific advice about a good beginner resource for project/code organization, though, I'd love to hear your recommendations!
Out of the two of them, I think I'll start with the one that only requires a CLI, since it should be simpler and also involves finite state automata which was one of my favorite topics in uni. Looking forward to sinking my teeth into that one!
AernaLingus 2d ago • 100%
I really need to go back and finish S2...it's one of those shows where I had stuff going on, wasn't able to keep up as it aired, and now I don't even know how to start again because I've completely forgotten how the tangled web of politics fits together. Maybe there's a good diagram explaining the state at the beginning of S2 and I can just start from there, because I really don't want to start over.
Looks like there's a light novel adaptation with one volume scanlated, so I might start there--should at least get me partway through S1. Really ought to up my Japanese vocabulary so I can start tackling raw novels.
AernaLingus 2d ago • 100%
Yeah, Jesus Christ I wasn't prepared for how bad those replies were. Still can't take away the pleasure I got from when he started speaking French and the lady got momentarily stunlocked
AernaLingus 2d ago • 100%
Idk but I've been watching a playthrough of SA2B recently and the nostalgia hits sooooo good. Definitely a game I'd rather watch than play, though, because damn is that game janky as hell
AernaLingus 2d ago • 100%
AernaLingus 2d ago • 100%
(also link to tweet, does not appear to be a bit account)
The long-awaited sequel to one of my favorite videos of all time, [Can you beat Pokemon FireRed while blind and deaf?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gjsAA_5Agk), wherein MartSnack devises a single sequence of inputs that will beat Pokémon FireRed with >99% probability using clever strategies and a lot of number crunching--definitely check that one out first if you haven't seen it already. In this video, MartSnack kicks it up a notch and comes up with a winning sequence of inputs for EVERY SINGLE RNG SEED in Pokémon Platinum (he gives the figure as ~4.2 billion--I would have guessed it's 2^32 which is more like 4.3 billion, but perhaps the RNG function is such that there are some sequences which are identical even for different seeds). He gives himself additional constraints like keeping Pokémon levels to a minimum and using Nuzlocke rules to keep things interesting, so he's not just grinding a Pokémon up to Level 100 and facerolling through the game. There are some incredibly ingenious techniques employed, and it's a wonderfully produced video with all kinds of great visual aids. He gives just as much detail as you need to appreciate the strategies, introducing them as they come up without getting bogged down in detailing every single battle. So while it's a bit over an hour long, it's packed with content--this is the result of two years of hard work, not padded-out YouTube slop.
AernaLingus 3d ago • 100%
Link to article:
which is really just a summary of this Bloomberg article:
The Bloomberg article includes a crucial detail omitted from the PC Gamer summary (emphasis mine):
Such oidashi beya, or “expulsion rooms,” are sometimes used by Japanese corporations in a country with some of the world’s strictest labor-protection laws. Employees are typically given no work-related tasks, but are left with the knowledge that their performance will give managers ammunition to cut severance when they do leave. Many employees use their time in such rooms to look for other jobs.
So it's not just about inducing them to quit, but also that if they stay their performance reviews will drop (since they're not actually doing any measurable work) and and affect their severance, meaning it's not as simple as just getting a cushy-if-mind-numbing assignment and enduring the boredom through sheer willpower.
Another interesting tidbit from the Bloomberg piece:
An anonymous website launched last month alleges that Bandai Namco is using various methods to persuade people to leave. The company is aware of the website, but the information is not accurate, a representative said, declining to elaborate.
Wonder if there's anything interesting in there (it's all in Japanese, of course)
AernaLingus 3d ago • 100%
AernaLingus 3d ago • 100%
Read from left to right.
AernaLingus 3d ago • 100%
AernaLingus 3d ago • 100%
After two long years, the sequel to MartSnack's seminal video Can you beat Pokemon FireRed while blind and deaf? finally dropped, this is not a drill!!!!
Beating every possible game of Pokemon Platinum at the same time
Haven't gotten a chance to watch it yet but I'm sure it slaps
AernaLingus 3d ago • 100%
I ended up with some free swag for [extremely ghoulish corporation] that I've held onto in the hopes that I could find a very funny situation to wear it, so there's always that angle. I realize that it's a lot more painful to hold on to something that you once felt proud of, though.
AernaLingus 3d ago • 100%
Johnson County, Kansas
AernaLingus 3d ago • 100%
They've got some good prerecorded stuff; see also: Papyrus, Santa Baby
Was wondering about how Pikmin 2's procedural music works and came across this beautifully crafted video explaining the whole intricate system. This channel seems like a treasure trove--if you just wanna jam, check out [this sick Driftveil City arrangement](https://youtube.com/watch?v=mQfkFxUQKD8) for starters
Really cool work from [Aaron Collins](https://youtube.com/@coll0412) (a.k.a. The Mask Nerd) and his team. They're also working on [an open source condensation particle counter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxQSAvvOpw4) which can be used for quantitative fit testing (among other things). If anyone wants to learn more about the nitty-gritty of the respirator prototyping process, there's [a longer video in the description](https://youtube/watch?v=dfYN1-TBpzY), and the projects are all available on [OpenAeros' GitLab](https://gitlab.com/OpenAeros), where the hardware is licensed under [CERN OHL-S v2](https://ohwr.org/project/cernohl/-/wikis/Documents/CERN-OHL-version-2), software under [GPLv3+](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html), and documentation under [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en). They mention that in particular they're looking for artists/designers/industrial engineers to help with the aesthetics of the mask, so if that interests anyone you can reach out to them using the email in the description (or if you know someone who might fit the bill, share this video with them).
hayacomic.jp
There were a few posts showing interest already https://hexbear.net/post/2909543 https://hexbear.net/post/2955745 so I figured I'd let people know! Idk if there are any scanlations in the works (let alone an official English localization), but if you're decent at Japanese I'd say the first chapter is pretty accessible. My kanji knowledge is pretty terrible but I was able to muscle through with only looking up a few key words and just relying on context for the rest. This is just a setup chapter, so there's not much to go on: ::: spoiler brief summary It introduces you to the setting and the main character, teaches you a bit about how ordinary Russians benefitted from communism, tells you about the MCs hopes and dreams, and then has everything come crashing down after Nazis roll into the village accusing them of harboring partisans and start summarily executing people. ::: The art is great, IMO--to be expected of the mangaka of *Our Dreams at Dusk* (highly recommended if you haven't read it already, and a short read at only four volumes!). Also there was a neat touch which I haven't personally seen before: when German is being spoken, it's still written in Japanese but typeset in the typical Western horizontal style which makes it clearly stand out without requiring any annotations. Look forward to seeing where it goes, and I hope it'll get an official localization to maximize its exposure to Western audiences! Also from a raw reading perspective, it's nice to get in on the ground floor since it can feel really daunting to have 100 chapters ahead of you when reading is somewhat slow and effortful.
youtube.com
Love how the rhythmic hitch caused by the "missing beat" makes the bass groove so hard Oh yeah, post your favorite 7/4 tunes! I went for the low-hanging fruit, but I'd love to hear some others, especially ones with different beat groupings (e.g. 2 + 3 + 2 instead of the 2 + 2 + 3 used in "Money")
youtube.com
I like all of Scootertrix's videos, but I found this one to be particularly delightful
The submission link is a MIDI rendering of the two passages to the best of my recollection; if it is the same piece, the two sections don't actually run into each other like this, but I only transcribed what I could remember without speculating too much. The first part I'm quite confident about--might even be the correct key. The second part is more tenuous (hard to hear it clearly in my mind's ear because it's lower in pitch and the intervals are larger compared to the little chromatic enclosure of the first part) but I think I captured the contours of it. I heard these passages in a video at some point but I can't for the life of me remember the piece or composer (I'm not well-versed in classical/romantic music) and looking for "famous piano octave runs" or similar didn't bear fruit. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Uhhh let me play Nier
dolphin-emu.org
It's always a good day when a new Dolphin progress report drops!
www.youtube.com
Great video which systematically investigates the factors which cause electric guitars to sound different from each other (hint: it's not "tonewood") and manages to do so in an engaging and entertaining way. I think one of the best things about it is that the dude doesn't have terminal redditor brain--rather than wasting time putting down people that believe or perpetuate the myths or gloating about his superb intellect, he just does the experiments and lets the results do the talking. Jim Lill put out a great video today ([Tested: Where Does The Tone Come From In A Microphone?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bma2TE-x6M)) which I would definitely check out if you enjoy the video I submitted, but it's a little more subtle/niche which is why I chose to lead with the guitar one. My next favorite after the guitar tone video is probably [the one on guitar amps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcBEOcPtlYk)--equally good, and perhaps even more surprising.
www.youtube.com
I'm an impossibly out-of-touch boomer and was honestly only vaguely aware of Laufey having seen a few videos of hers on a music transcription YouTube channel I'm subbed to, so I felt pretty stupid for not realizing just how popular she was. Adam Neely does good work, and this is no exception; he does a great job breaking down the components and influences of her music and comparing them with the essential elements of "traditional" jazz. It's a well-organized and carefully thought-out video from an actual jazz musician--not just some hot take artist--and it's also not gatekeeping or denigrating Laufey's music. Even if you have no interest in either jazz or Laufey, there was one really historical tidbit in there I think Hexbears will appreciate (@[7:23-8:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68zOvCLwcL8&t=443)): >Between 1942 and 1944, there were no new instrumental recordings due to [a general strike organized by the musicians' union](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1942%E2%80%931944_musicians%27_strike) trying to get musicians paid fairly. Imagine that happening today right? No new recordings for the next couple of years until Spotify pays musicians fairly...wow, a boy can dream. > >Vocalists were not part of the Union, though, and so could still record; this led to musical innovations. They started singing acapella arrangements and developing an acapella style mimicking the popular big band jazz arrangements of the day: popular jazz big band arrangements which use stuff like these mechanical voicings. Singers mimicked the big band saxophone solis popular at the era and backed up popular up-and-coming stars like Frank Sinatra. Pretty wild that the distinct style of dense vocal harmonies heard in American WWII-era music was born out of desperation due to a prolonged strike! And impressive that the union had the strength to maintain a two year strike. Also definitely check out Live from Emmet's Place--can't go wrong with ["After You've Gone" featuring Patrick Bartley on alto sax and Bruce Harris on trumpet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=984ksjle4YA) as a starting place.
youtube.com
Channel is full of bangers (some of my favorites are [The Hustle](https://youtube.com/watch?v=_o7qjN3KF8U) and [Microservices](https://youtube.com/watch?v=y8OnoxKotPQ))
www.youtube.com
This is a cover of [a vocaloid song by Kikuo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTrm_idbhUk) with English lyrics written by Nerissa herself. I thought she did a really good job with the lyrics. 9 times out of 10, English localizations of Japanese songs sound awkward because of the completely different prosody and speed of the languages, but I don't detect any of that awkwardness in this cover; probably doesn't hurt that the lyrics in the original are delivered at a slow, even pace, but that still doesn't make it easy. And her delivery of the lyrics really demands your attention, effectively channeling the anguish of the protagonist. I think what sets this cover apart is not just her vocal chops, but the fact that she clearly had an artistic vision for her performance, giving it depth which is missing from a lot of covers which technically execute the material but end up sounding flat. Been bumping it constantly ever since it dropped.
www.youtube.com
This is one of my favorite videos of all time, perhaps even surpassing [Watch for Rolling Rocks in 0.5x A Presses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpk2tdsPh0A) (although obviously not as iconic). It just perfectly scratches that itch of someone using a combination of technical skill and lateral thinking to complete an absurd video game challenge, all presented by an even-keeled narrator with clear visualizations and a bit of humor sprinkled in. I think I've watched it half a dozen times at this point--it's my "comfort food" for when I'm having trouble sleeping. Kind of amazing that the very first video the creator has put out is such a banger, not just in terms of content but in terms of production value. He did say that he'd be making another video, so I'll be looking forward to that--tough act to follow, though, not unlike Watch for Rolling Rocks. Can anyone recommend any channels/videos along the same lines? I've devoured the following: * All of pannenkoek's videos (both [commentated](https://www.youtube.com/@pannenkoek2012) and [uncommentated](https://www.youtube.com/@UncommentatedPannen)) * bad_boot's [Enter the Secret Aquarium in 0x A Presses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goad2ijHBE8) * All of [Bismuth's videos](https://www.youtube.com/@Bismuth9) * All of [Pikasprey's Softlock Picking videos](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-UR_8lpdcfepFOyC7AY-AVKN-S_rH0bM) (tbh while some of these can be interesting, they're not really in the same ballpark...more just something to take the edge off) * Many of [Crystal_'s Pokemon glitch videos](https://www.youtube.com/@Crystal_2/videos) (again, interesting, but no voice commentary and not as grand in scale--mostly just straightforward glitch documentation) * All of [Lowest Percent's videos](https://www.youtube.com/@LowestPercent/videos) * All of [Retro Game Mechanics Explained's videos](https://www.youtube.com/@RGMechEx/videos) (okay only a few of his videos are remotely related but holy crap, easily some of the highest quality videos on the net if you're into detailed technical breakdowns of retro games/consoles and absolutely top-notch visualizations)