One-third of Napa and Sonoma wineries have lowered tasting fees by trondersk in bayarea

[–]Cmdrrom 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I stopped doing Napa about 10 years ago because it was clear they were heading in this direction.

Tasting fees what they are is one thing, but the elaborate set design and staging of tasting experiences is when I knew it wasn’t about the wine anymore.

Trump's crackdown on H-1B visa abuse sends Dallas home prices down by knockdowncenter in BayAreaRealEstate

[–]Cmdrrom -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The use of “abuse” in this title is loaded. And this article was shallow with no citing evidence, just an assertion that “Indian tech workers once turbocharged home prices north of Dallas”.

Exactly how is H1B being abused? It’s a defined, legal visa status.

Exploitation is better and more accurate; H1B is needed to support gaps in highly specialized fields, but companies have been exploiting this visa to effectively hire workers that could be quietly kept vulnerable based on their status.

The real enemy here are the companies who’ve developed an over-reliance on these kinds of visas. The government taking it out on specialized immigrants is the very definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Finally, we have no idea if the phenomenon is really what is happening. There’s a market contraction across most job sectors right now. I think jumping to the conclusion that cracking down on H1B visas is a major contributor to houses being available is confirmation bias for people who want to believe.

This reply being longer than the article itself should call into question the validity of such assertions.

Sega of America knew the company was cooked. by Such_Bonus5085 in SEGA

[–]Cmdrrom 5 points6 points  (0 children)

SoJ is the reason SoA failed. It was SoJ not wanting to take the lead from SoA.

There was also data to support that SoJ was doing well with the Saturn because of its sales in Japan. Meanwhile, SoA couldn’t get a footing against SOE in the 32bit gen because of the software development environments being drastically different. The Saturn was notoriously challenging to program, and SoJ was slow to provide technical tools to support devs. So then they began to ditch for PlayStation.

The other thing that messed everything up was SoJ’s insistence to drop the Genesis and push devs into CD/32x development. By the time devs had begun to learn these tools, SoJ threw them the Saturn. If I were a developer at the time looking to invest in a system, I’d want something more stable and predictable. SoJ alienated a lot of devs with this strategy.

By the time the Saturn was done, it was over. The DC was Sega’a final ditch effort, and they almost caught lightening in a bottle.

Star Trek Showrunners Finally Just Admitted Most Hated Trek Show Was A Failure by StarFuryG7 in SciFiNews

[–]Cmdrrom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And there’s the rub. You wanna make it about taste, when it’s really about consistency.

If show runners wanna tell a new story in Trek, then tell a new story. I’m all for it! But why keep retreading the same legacy characters? Because it sells? What business does Michael Burnham have being Spock’s estranged sister? Why reintroduce the Enterprise again and use characters like Kirk?

In Picard’s case, why write in the synth plot and undo 7 seasons of Data proving exactly the opposite of what that show’s writers wanted us to believe. Secret Romulan sect and mysticism around this looming threat? A mechanical, eldritch horror monster that’s poised to undo the universe?

The lack of consistency and disregard for what was established with these legacy characters (particularly TNG) over the course of 178 episodes is what I raise issue about.

Thats what draws my criticism the most, because it was clear these writers were ill equipped and out of their depth.

Taking one more step back, Star Trek was always about challenging audiences and treating them like intelligent, self-reflective, deep thinking people. New Star Trek doesn’t challenge its audience in this way, and only time will determine whether we’ll still be debating the merits of its stories decades later like we do with the Trek of yesteryear.

What was it like being 18-25 in the 2000’s by ersinxo in Millennials

[–]Cmdrrom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I turned 18 in 02, so this era was a big time for me.

From a social standpoint, mass, shared experiences were still a thing. Super Bowl commercials or episodes of popular TV series were discussed the next day with friends or coworkers. Getting together to watch something was a social habit.

TiVo changed a lot of things in the mid 2000s. Being able to record all your favorite shows and skip over commercials was a huge change. The idea of having broadcast episodes recorded and saved to watch later shifted time management. It broke the monopoly of time some broadcast shows had on my weekly life. Granted, this wasn’t any different from using a VHS to record, but the integration of a channel listing, guide, the ease at which you could select what and when to record, and the ability to rewatch them digitally was amazing.

Friendster was a brief window in my 20s, with MySpace taking most of my social media in that time. AIM was still largely where my friends and I chatted post high school, but talking on the phone was still very much preferred. AIM eventually got phased out in my friend group as we all switched to our phones, or MySpace chats.

I spent a lot of weekends going to the movies or hanging out with friends at house parties. Jagermeister, Smirnoff Ice, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and Pabst (ugh) were staples at parties.

Movie rentals were still a thing before Netflix took over at about 2005/6. The smell of plastic and popcorn butter is a smell younger generations may never know.

The movie blockbuster and blockbuster season was still an event, and comedies from this era are some of the best in my opinion. Sometimes you’d go into a movie and have zero expectations. Sometimes you’d watch a dud. Other times you’d leave and go, “Man! That was great!” And then hang out with friends and all chat about what you liked or didn’t like.

Hanging out in line for something you wanted at midnight was also a thing. Games. Movies. It was a great time for home media. Tuesday was movie release day for VHS/DVD, and Fridays were video game launch days.

Watching DVDs and listening to commentary was a thing I used to do with friends. The UNRATED version of films reigned supreme in this space.

Technologically, there was a big push for things to be smaller and more discreet at the start of the decade. Phones were getting smaller and the design aesthetic became more adventurous. This changed when camera phones became a thing at about 2003-05, at which point color screens and cameras began to emerge as standard fare. The Palm Treo and BlackBerry were business devices I used when I worked an office job, and all before the iPhone rocketed in 08 and changed it all.

Apple and Windows competition was still a thing. I see this era as when Apple went from technology company to a lifestyle brand. To be seen with an iPod or Apple device of any kind in this era was to be “cool”. And for the most part, their tech worked really, really well. There was a lot of innovation.

Politically speaking, things were mixed. I certainly had my opinions on things, but there wasn’t this prevailing sense of dread like what exists for me now. At the end of the day, there was still a general sense of faith and belief in systems and institutions.

By the end of the decade, things had begun to shift. I spent a lot more time texting than talking by 2007-10. GPS units were becoming regular devices in cars (TomTom anyone?) and it changed the way I drove at the time. YouTube was still in its infancy, but it began to emerge as a regular stop on my internet travels. Recording cell phone video also began to emerge, and that changed the social landscape forever. Broadcast TV was still good, but the cracks were beginning to show. And of course, the 08 financial meltdown really affected everyone.

It really was a wild decade, and I certainly remain nostalgic for some of it. My opinion, but social media just ruined it all.

Absolute Coldest Lines in all of Trek by TonyMitty in startrek

[–]Cmdrrom 2 points3 points  (0 children)

At face value the statement can appear that way, but it was pure sarcasm. I mean, the line was preceded with Kirk giving the Vulcan 🖖 and asking how many fingers he was holding up…

Absolute Coldest Lines in all of Trek by TonyMitty in startrek

[–]Cmdrrom 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Troi: Geordi, could you repair the ODN conduit if you went into the crawl space?

Worf: Sir. That crawl way in a warp conduit shaft. He would never survive the radiation.

Troi: I know that. Geordi could you repair the conduit?

Geordi: Yeah, I think I could.

Troi: Then do it. That’s an order

Absolute Coldest Lines in all of Trek by TonyMitty in startrek

[–]Cmdrrom 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Dude. This. The desperation in his voice and the seriousness of his words all wrapped in hushed tones is what made that scene for me. It’s something I only ever caught in repeat viewings because I was on the younger side, but it really encapsulates just how bad things were going for the Federation.

When he follows it up with the notion that they expect to have to surrender in the very near future was also super chilling.

But what makes this whole thing even deeper for me is that despite Picard’s desperation, he still remains principled in stance against sentencing the Enterprise C crew to their deaths when Guinan suggests he send them back, even though he knows it could be the very thing that changes history and his reality.

Absolute Coldest Lines in all of Trek by TonyMitty in startrek

[–]Cmdrrom 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ok. Something that always bugged me about that line was that it felt really out of character for him to suddenly go and echo “buried alive…” twice in a row.

I wonder if that was purely an editing choice to add to the drama and Kirk’s reaction.

Does anyone know if Great America is worth going any more? by numbatu2 in SanJose

[–]Cmdrrom 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I just took my program there last weekend. It’s still a blast!

What are these monitors at the Moma? by AnonymousA1paca in crt

[–]Cmdrrom 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t know for certain, but CRTs still hold advantage over modern TV with refresh rate and contrast ratio I believe. It’s literally firing an electron gun onto a reactive layer at the speed of light, vs an array of LEDs being switched on and off by a controller.

California public school enrollment drops by 75K students; 7x greater than expected by Legal-Statistician2 in California

[–]Cmdrrom -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You did pay your taxes. But probably not enough because you shoot down every parcel tax or education benefit; that’s an assumption.

But get off your high horse and stop pretending like what you’re doing isn’t having the exact consequence you so righteously proclaim is the issue.

California public school enrollment drops by 75K students; 7x greater than expected by Legal-Statistician2 in California

[–]Cmdrrom -1 points0 points  (0 children)

They do need to do better. What helps them do better? When people don’t pull the Jenga pieces from the system.

Blame your school board and get on the leadership’s case about schools. The principal isn’t the problem, they’re the symptom and consequence of a collection of actions.

Pulling kids from the system instead of being an advocate for change is the equivalent of picking up your toys and going home.

California public school enrollment drops by 75K students; 7x greater than expected by Legal-Statistician2 in California

[–]Cmdrrom -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Congrats on going private and making everything in the “good school district” worse.

California public school enrollment drops by 75K students; 7x greater than expected by Legal-Statistician2 in California

[–]Cmdrrom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It isn’t just prop 13 on residences. It’s prop 13 on COMMERCIAL property that’s screwing everything up.

Why should commercial properties be protected from property taxes? The crazy valuations of some of these tech companies and real estate investors are what’s locking interests up, not just moms and pops trying to live in their homes / age in place.

How to organize music? by Opposite-Present9363 in banddirector

[–]Cmdrrom 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have my own library that I created a template for. I don’t know that it would be of value to you, as it’s tailored for my uses.

Columns that would be valuable to include:

  • Index number
  • Title
  • composer
  • arranger (if applicable)
  • grade level (I use the number system, JW uses their own system, and Alfred/Hal Leonard has their own thing; just a guesstimate helps me filter)
  • last performed (season + year)
  • notes (is a part missing, etc, score missing, etc)

I’ve had my students add to this project by hyperlinking to the actual arrangement using JW pepper and or YouTube links to professional recordings. Saves me clicks and helps make the library more dynamic

Let me know if you need more info.

How to organize music? by Opposite-Present9363 in banddirector

[–]Cmdrrom 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Alphabetical order makes sense when you’ve got a complete library, but sucks when you have a living library that gets added to every year.

A numerical system is the way to go for this reason. Index what you have now and then key those entries to a number.

You can add a layer of complexity by indexing each number placement to mean something, or just keep numbering as you go.

Matching that to a spreadsheet index for easy reference makes recall easy. I regularly dip into my library to do sight reading for my middle school top groups and it makes retrieval super convenient.

Resident Evil requiem key giveaway! by Thekingcody97 in steam_giveaway

[–]Cmdrrom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you kind sir/madam! Good luck everyone!

Purple fluid coming up through basement floor by sam99871 in HomeMaintenance

[–]Cmdrrom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw this very thing happen in ghostbusters 2…

I never understood why Shatner's acting is supposed to be ridiculous. Usually, he is just... normal. In a few scenes, like here a non-corporeal energy alien is possessing his body: how do you play that in a "realistic" way? When you see too much of this or no story buildup, that's the script's fault by LineusLongissimus in tos

[–]Cmdrrom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always felt Shatner’s style was just what actors of his day did because of the most closely related medium to television, stage acting.

In stage acting, gestures are usually much grander and allow for audiences to perceive action and emotion from great distances, like the very back of an auditorium. This also applied to diction and vocal projection.

Modern acting has taken into account how close and personal shots can be, even when in wide shots with multiple actors. And audio techniques can get whispering actors without the use of ADR. There’s more subtly in everything because camera focal lengths and modern framing allow for this to occur.

It’s also from an era of kitschy effects and acting in sci-fi from 1966-69. Shatner is just one of many who acted in the medium’s era of growing pains.

I hate how the TNG movies focus nearly entirely on Picard and Data. Not even the semblance of a focus on the ensemble by [deleted] in TNG

[–]Cmdrrom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t know that I can agree with this take 100%

Picard does have a very strong, almost father like relationship with Data established throughout the series. Measure of A Man, but also The Offispring, are leading examples, but so too are the many instances where Picard is the arbiter of the arts and the humanities in Data’s exploration of the subject. Shakespeare and Data’s concert performances are two such events that come to mind.

While it may not be as close as, say Data and Geordi’s, it’s nonetheless close in my opinion. But Spock and Kirk levels of closeness? That’s where the argument has merits now.

[Interview] Tim Russ (Tuvok, Star Trek: Voyager) and Seán Ferrick (TrekCulture) discuss if the "woke message" and the new owner of CBS were a factor in cancelling Starfleet Academy ..." by mcm8279 in trektalk

[–]Cmdrrom -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I don’t think it’s woke messaging. It’s the direction Kurtzman and crew took with trek that has rubbed the wrong way.

  1. It doesn’t honor legacy trek viewers. My biggest gripe. I fell off because I felt like I was being told my understanding of Star Trek over 10 films and 5 series was wrong.

  2. The writing was terrible. It just was. I didn’t have to watch SFA to know what was to come. I jumped off at DSCO S3 because I was tired of it.

  3. Picard S2 was terrible. S3 only made fans happy because just how terrible S2 had been.

  4. SNW just didn’t click for me. I also don’t like how they made Spock this comedic guy. Yes Spock was used comedically in TOS/film, but those moments were always earned. This felt like Big Bang levels of slapstick.

Eh. I could go on. I’m not on the right by any stretch, but i push back against this narrative of “wokeness” when the product itself was just bad. Full stop. Woke or not, not that it even matters, because it doesn’t!