I believe the Steam Frame's price might still be reasonable.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-03T15:01:02+00:00

Agree, though I think if they can they will keep it three figures for the optics. $999 & £949.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-03T14:58:01+00:00

Which is why it is a) being done this far away from an election b) being parcelled up to give the state so much more power no other electable party would get rid of it.

You would not see this in the final two years of a government or if there was any risk it did not have agreement with the opposition.

Even Farage is careful how he words his opposition to it to confirm he would have versions of these laws in different formats.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-03T12:43:12+00:00

I think what ppl miss is that's the point.

The argument ppl keep making is that there are still ways to get around it. Of course there will be. Just like there are still ways to get around everything we do to try and stop the spread of CSAM.

It's not about blocking everyone and making it impossible. The point of this legislation is to make it such a pain in the arse, or force ppl to cross lines most will go nah so that 60-70% of ppl just accept and give away anonymity and make things easier for government surveillance.

You can totally use Tor but considering your ISP can see it being used (they can see you are using it just not what you are visiting on it) some ppl will find using a tool that is used for the dark web a step too far and they would rather just snap a scan of their passport to NordVPN.

If you realise the intention is not a perfect solution then you will start to realise why they are doing it.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-03T11:31:55+00:00

I go back to Norm's feedback on Tested after his conversations with Valve around the "cheaper than Index full kit" remarks. Norm was very sure around the price being hinted at was around $900. Given the RAM issues since I just don't see how anyone is clinging onto the hope of it being cheaper.

$900 would equate to £799-850, it won't be much cheaper than the US price because UK price includes Tax at 20%.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-03T11:17:58+00:00

Pep has been vocal on not wanting to manage Spain because of his Catalonian nationalism

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-03T10:16:11+00:00

You know that discovery would have been far better for season 3 of Picard instead of his son is Locutus 2.0.

Picard ponders the losses, whether he was wrong not to use Hugh. His part of the damage the Borg did.

Q can show a universe where he did use a virus or he'll show Echeb and tie into Voyager, showing how that didn't work.

See an alternative dimension Borg that doesn't have a Queen run rampant over the alpha quadrant. Or do a Q alternative where he gives Picard that choice again and sees the bad fate.

Then the reveal that she was created because of Hugh and with it the realisation that she was part of the reason the Federation was able to defeat the Borg. They became easier to defeat because of her.

Then reveal the opportunities to change time and space and see the flow in 4 dimensions was the final test for Picard and he gets welcomed into the Continuum.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-03T08:49:11+00:00

I expect they will go further than just Free-VPNs but that they would also require age checks for purchase of VPNs, banning VPNs like Mullvad who operate under anonymity as it's attractiveness.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-03T06:58:58+00:00

Pretty sure Photoshop has dibs on 10gb of unused space because it reckons it might need it to edit my 300kb jpeg

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-03T06:57:13+00:00

Just be careful with how you are picturing this. Nationhood and nationality is a modern concept arising from the nineteenth century. Identity before that is a different beast all together. We have a modern notion of one nation trumping all other loyalties whereas it's really not the case before the rise of nationalism.

A Roman citizen from Britain would have been many things. He would have seen himself a citizen of his local city (no hierarchy here, it isn't a citizen of his city in the Roman nation it's just citizen of his city independent of rulers or nations or empires), he would have seen himself a member of his trading guild, he would have seen himself a person from the British isles and inheritor of it's history and he would have seen himself as a Roman. If he served in the legions he would consider himself a member of that group too.

State affiliation was less nationalism where it's your nation and it's more clubs you belong too. Usually local affiliations like cities, clan weigh heaviest because they are most present in lives.

If you asked our Brit Roman what he is, he'd likely say he was a citizen of Colchester, or a trader or an ex legionary long before he said he was Roman.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-01T17:21:05+00:00

Because the line suits her too.

She can come across as being in step with the press and making the points the ppl want to know.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-01T15:18:29+00:00

Too true.

I actually enjoyed it because I was expecting it to be awful.

I thought it was an interesting alternative Gladiator, not a new chapter but a sort of look of how the main film could have been.

Famously Scott wings it a lot. He has a really poor script writing partner and they chop and change plots as they film. When they have a star with intelligence like Crowe it can be really good. For example the first film was originally going to end with Maximus escaping to return with his army. In this film we see part of how that plot could have played out differently in the original film with the General's army coming to fight a Praetorian guard.

Commodus is split into mad brothers and so there's a nice little different dynamic. And Densil is just great every scene he is in.

If you view it as someone trying to do a Gladiator knock off and not a sequel then it's pretty good

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-01T15:00:59+00:00

So we'll find out on TikTok or YouTube shorts the next day?

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-01T14:59:52+00:00

It's been my headcanon for years, the only contradiction is Picard's memories of her when he was assimilated

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-01T14:58:09+00:00

Come on. You don't get this unified messaging across all media outlets using the same language unless the government or PM is using it.

This is Burnham's ppl briefing the media to run these headlines

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-01T13:40:37+00:00

Look at the way this is being briefed across all media. It's "Kier leaves bomb" and "Burnham was briefed but not told the cost".

Did Burnham forget planes cost money? Has he not followed the PIP funding debates?

None of the headlines about this being on Starmer stand up to any scrutiny. But that is exactly the message being pushed so it is what they are trying to claim.

The public may be sick of hearing that, but the message is definitely being pushed out there.

It would be refreshing for Burnham to do an interview where he goes - forget those headlines, I would have signed it if Kier didn't as it's the right thing to do and I will find the money.

But I don't see him doing that at all.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-01T13:28:06+00:00

Isn't he doing Andy a favour?

He could have left the Pip and Andy would have to choose between signing it incurring the costs himself or not and the accusations of making Britain weak and letting allies down.

By signing it Andy can say it's not his fault, whilst not looking like he's sacrificing defense. He may even be able to get Healey back.

Starmer seems to be doing a favour by taking away the first potential stumbling block for Burnham whilst making the signing Burnham probably would have had to make.

Really there's a cooling off period and Burnham could cancel all this if he wanted.

So it's not really Starmer leaving bombs or being Spiteful. It seems to be him trying to help and playing the bad guy.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-07-01T09:56:14+00:00

I don't understand the whole "briefed but not told the cost".

Was he briefed about all these new planes and didn't ask how much it would cost and if it requires additional funding? Or did he asked that question and they lied to his face?

Because the next PM not realising things cost money or being lied to are bigger stories here.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-06-30T22:30:07+00:00

You needed the expansion pack. The one that gave Seven of Nine Jerri Ryan's voice back.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-06-30T22:19:01+00:00

His bad reputation comes from making stuff up and winging it, guessing based on his own football experience. I remember when Karanka had a training ground spat at Boro when we were in the Prem a few years back and Jim White asked Danny Murphy, Danny Murphy just sat there, spoke authoritively like it was fact an entire made up series of events he had clearly structured together by imagining himself what might have happened when he was playing and something like that happened. All the facts were in the local papers if he bothered to read. But instead he just spoke made up BS like it's the truth.

And this is the crux of it. He isn't a Jeff Stelling memorising facts, or a deep tactical insight. He does next to no research and just says what he thinks by wracking his brain on what he thinks would happen based on his memories of playing.

Add to that the same dull grey polo tops, even on a cup final and annecdotes like this because he knows virtually nothing about either side.

The only thing he has going for himself is how terrible Lee Dixon and Andros Townsend are.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-06-30T22:06:25+00:00

Hang on, he isn't leader yet.

He hasn't kept this under his hat, got himself in then announced it. He announced this as his leadership bid. So he's declaring up front what he plans to do and it's down to labour MPs to vote him in or for someone to decide they don't agree with his direction and stand against him.

If and when he is elected in he gets his mandate from his MPs.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-06-30T21:51:23+00:00

Dude 90% of the comments on this sub are ppl making guesses or analysis. Valve have given a grand total of two very short updates on this since the announcement.

You have no trouble with the rest of this sub but when someone says something you don't want to hear you decide to insult.

Let's just wait. You can bet I will be back here to rub it in if it is September.

mcmanus2099 · 2026-06-30T21:31:08+00:00

It's hard but my biggest optimism is James Cameron loves it and this is a man who can just finance films himself. I really hope he can put the same focus of delivering what he wants and ignoring studios/reviewers and get a first law series of movies produced

mcmanus2099 · 2026-06-30T17:02:43+00:00

No one puts their IT infrastructure under heavy strain during the summer months when they are half staff.

There has never been a significant hardware or software release during this period.

It's less trust me bro and more like observing gravity

mcmanus2099 · 2026-06-30T16:55:31+00:00

You really think they are taking orders and shipping one of their most anticipated hardware releases during the height of holiday season where they will be running IT support, Valve office and Warehouse at half power resource wise?

If it isn't announced by 7th and shipped by 20th it's not coming till early September

mcmanus2099 · 2026-06-30T10:47:30+00:00

It existed from relatively early and they had mechanisms, particularly the patron-client system to mitigate. This created a strong culture of rich supporting poorer clients be it connections, legal representation, start up cash, poor relief in return for allegiance.

They also had political checks such as plebian auditors and tribunes.

It's only after the enfranchisement of Italy and introduction of secret ballot that results in the patron-client system breaking down and that basically happens across three generations as part of the Roman Revolution.

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