Curious_Canid

I think the hardware continues to improve. Unfortunately, Android hit its peak around then and Google has been systematically crippling it ever since. They stopped allowing users control of their own devices. All of the customization and automation utilities that used to make it great have been shut down or limited to the point where they are not longer really useful. But Google is making more money, so I guess that’s all okay.

I’m not sure Google has made a single good decision in the last decade.

I’ve played various instruments over the years, but guitar is the only one I still pick up sometimes. I am basically an advanced beginner.

Meanwhile, I have recently taken up the recorder, tin whistle, and ocarina. I’m very much a beginner, but having a blast. My wife and a friend are also learning. We’re working on various baroque and early classical pieces.

I would be happy to watch a Wedge Antilles movie. It would almost have to be better than what they’ve been doing with the core movies.

I used Lemmy for a few years, but switched to PieFed recently. They offer very similar functionality. PieFed suits me slightly better. I would be happy with either. And I’m still using Voyager.

We were fortunate to have a producer/director who felt strongly about safety and was willing to spend the extra time necessary. A lot of the time, especially for productions that are running on a shoestring, everyone is pushed very hard to reduce the time and cost to an absolute minimum. The low pay selects for inexperienced armorers and the time constraints means that the armorer is constantly being pressured not to “waste” any time. An armorer who is believed to have “slowed down” a production may be fired and will have trouble finding more work. That is what happens everywhere when money is more important than people.

You’re right, but a lot of apps work the same way, and only serve ads to unpaid users. I’m hoping for the best.

Some years ago I acted as crew on an ultra-low budget film. We didn’t have the budget for simulated firearms so we had to use real ones. Everyone involved in the project agreed that extreme care was warranted. We made certain that there was no live ammunition anywhere near the set. Firearms were locked up unless they were being held by a trained crew member or an actor. The actors were all taught the basics of how their firearms operated and how to check the chambers. The prop handlers and actors checked every firearm every time it changed hands, even when they had just watched the person who handed it to them check the chamber.

With all of that in place, we still insisted on following the other rules as well. Trigger discipline was maintained at all times, including while filming scenes. Camera angles were adjusted so that firearms never had to pointed at anyone or anything that we were not willing to damage. Actors were careful to keep their firearms pointed in the safe directions that had been arranged, even when simulating their use.

It was a fair amount of trouble and it added time to a very tight operation, but there were absolutely no incidents, or near incidents, or concerns that there might be an incident. That is how everyone who handles firearms should treat them in real life. It takes a little time and attention, but it isn’t difficult. And following even one of the safety rules makes it impossible for anyone to be hurt accidentally.

Learning and following the safety rules is a cheap investment for the benefit of not accidentally killing someone.

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If they stick with ads only for unpaid use, I’m okay with that. Software authors need to make a living.

Overall, I’m happy to see Nova Launcher getting support again. I’ve tried a half-dozen other launchers without finding one that really does everything I want.

I am also a software developer. The interview process in our industry has become increasingly offensive over the last 30 years. That started out with high-prestige companies who provided exceptional pay and benefits. Some people were willing to put up with that, so they mostly got away with it. Now most companies assume they have all the power and can demand whatever they want from applicants.

Refusing to participate is perfectly legitimate. It may keep you from finding a job, at least in this industry, but that may be better than giving up your self-respect for basic survival. And there are still decent software companies to work for, although they are hard to find. Changing careers is also a viable option.

Our overall economy is so broken in favor of the super rich and their corporations that individuals really do have very little power. Organized actions, of various types, give us some counter-leverage. Collective bargaining, strikes, and political efforts to push for better regulations all have the potential to improve things, at least in the middle- to long-term.

We all need to keep the big picture in mind while we do what we need to get by individually.

I have always expressed my emotions, to some extent, but I think I’ve gotten more comfortable with it as I’ve gotten older. It goes along with a general trend of worrying less about being disapproved of by others. I take negative feedback seriously, but I feel that negative judgments say more about the people making them than they do about me.

It can completely ruin my mood. External noise doesn’t both me too much, if it doesn’t include actual words. Anything with words disrupts my concentration badly. It keeps me from reading. It even makes it hard for me to follow a train of thought. It feels almost like a physical assault, to me.

I’m amazed that there aren’t frequent murders over this.

I still use a mixture of both. I am not actually opposed to proprietary software, as long as it comes from small, employee-owned companies. Whatever the business model, people deserve to be paid for their effort if they are delivering something useful. I also donate to FOSS projects that I use.

I have been steadily moving away from corporate software for several years. There are still a few specialty apps I need, but I have very little of it left.

Does anyone not?

I hold conversations with my pets all the time. And sometimes I sing to them while sometimes I sing with them. Doing harmony with my husky is tricky, but fun.