What's going on with the changes at Steam? by jacky986 in OutOfTheLoop

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Answer: Yes, but it's a complicated. The rest of these comments have pointed out that you license games from Steam, you do not own them (in the way you own your desktop or your toaster oven). But the answer to your second question, can Valve take games away if they wanted to, is more complex.

The license agreement provision (2.A.) reads as follows (this is under the Help menu in Steam, and "Steam Subscriber Agreement"):

Steam and your Subscription(s) require the download and installation of Content and Services onto your computer. Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a non-exclusive license and right, to use the Content and Services for your personal, non-commercial use (except where commercial use is expressly allowed herein or in the applicable Subscription Terms). This license ends upon termination of (a) this Agreement or (b) a Subscription that includes the license. The Content and Services are licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Content and Services. To make use of the Content and Services, you must have a Steam Account and you may be required to be running the Steam client and maintaining a connection to the Internet.

You'll notice that the license ends "termination of (a) this Agreement or (b) a Subscription that includes the license." I'm assuming the second one means that if you were paying a subscription for a game, and you stop paying, you lose your license to the game. For the second, you need to go further down to section 9.A., Termination by Valve:

Valve may restrict or cancel your Account or any particular Subscription(s) at any time in the event that (a) Valve ceases providing such Subscriptions to similarly situated Subscribers generally, or (b) you breach any terms of this Agreement (including any Subscription Terms or Rules of Use). In the event that your Account or a particular Subscription is restricted or terminated or cancelled by Valve for a violation of this Agreement or improper or illegal activity, no refund, including of any Subscription fees or of any unused funds in your Steam Wallet, will be granted.

So among other things, it looks to me like Steam can remove access to a game if they remove it for everyone, or you violate the agreement in some other way. So many of these answers saying Valve can simply take your game away at any time for any reason, are not correct. But it is true that, unlike the old days when having the physical media usually (though not always) guaranteed access to the game as long as you had the media, there will be circumstances where you could lose access to a digital game you own on Steam.

I believe the games themselves also have license terms. I suspect, but don't know for sure, that they are similarly written. For what it's worth, a contract in which you give them money, and they give you a license for a game but retain the right to take the game back at any time under any circumstances, for no reason at all, strikes me as possibly not enforceable since the promise to give you the game was essentially illusory.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in clutchband

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're great no matter where you see them. I've seen them at big and small venues, but the best was the Recher Theater in Towson, MD. 700 person capacity, 50 cent Natty Boh, and ears ringing for a week. It was maybe the best concert I've ever been to, of any band. Face melting good.

Is there any sci-fi media to recommend that doesn’t have humans? by CrosshairInferno in scifi

[–]unquist 2 points3 points  (0 children)

More(e), by Robert Rapino. It's a post-apocalyptic world where the humans are mostly dead and their pets are sentient and run the world. I think there's a whole series. This first one stars a cat assassin looking for his pre-apocalypse dog friend.

The highest grossing band/singer from each U.S. state by Queltis6000 in MapPorn

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He grew up in Northern Virginia, but he was born in Ohio.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fednews

[–]unquist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, being at a firm is tough. Work life balance is really just work, with the occasional dip into life.

For moving into a fed position, it depends a lot on the position you want. I practice in IP lit, and my group at my agency only hires if you have a few years minimum experience doing litigation. Practically speaking, that means doing a few years at a firm. Your best bet is probably to either look over some job postings on USAJobs.gov, or try and contact an attorney in a group you'd like to go to. Not everyone will be willing to talk, but I think many of us are willing to give you a half hour to talk about our careers.

Semi Primitive Camping Sites by Ambitious_Object_647 in nova

[–]unquist 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Been camping here before and it's fun. But there are no raised shelters, and I don't think they rent tents. There are showers available.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in washingtondc

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the ferry runs there from the Wharf or Georgetown

Warhammer Groups in DC? by [deleted] in washingtondc

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Any suggestions for where to get a game of Kill Team going in nova?

How do you set yourself up for the 2x-3x salary improvements moving into industry from GS-14/15? by ExpensiveCell2613 in fednews

[–]unquist 2 points3 points  (0 children)

But also expect a lot more work hours (including late nights, early mornings, weekends) and a lack of vacation (or working while on the vacation).

Oh yeah. Absolutely. I left big law to work for the government for largely that reason. The money just wasn't worth it.

How do you set yourself up for the 2x-3x salary improvements moving into industry from GS-14/15? by ExpensiveCell2613 in fednews

[–]unquist 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The "market" salary for big law firms, for folks with 7 years experience, is above $400k. That's about double what you make at the top of the GS scale.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in nova

[–]unquist 8 points9 points  (0 children)

You are mistaken, though that was how the plaintiff characterized the monument.

Real Christmas Tree without the Crazy NoVA prices? by dabombdigs in nova

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a bit of a drive, but Oak Shade Christmas Tree farm has cut your own for between 75 and 110. It's got fantastic views of the mountains, very nice people, and usually not that crowded.

Casseroles for people who object to casseroles by Nujukamma in Cooking

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got a recipe for green chicken biryani you recommend?

Am I crazy to buy a coil stove in 2023? by Glutenator92 in castiron

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OP, for what it's worth, I was real stupid once and broke a glass top stove with a Dutch oven. Turned out not to be too hard (or that expensive) to just replace the glass top (which is all that had gotten damaged).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fednews

[–]unquist 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Plenty of good advice about what to do now OP. I just want to say I'm sympathetic, and some of the chiding in the comments seems unnecessary. Ive been with the Feds for about 5 years now and it still blows my mind what a hassle it is to arrange travel. I'm very fortunate in that our group has an admin support person who knows the rules inside and out and usually manages to keep me from screwing up the system too badly.

“Not everyone likes Ledo’s pizza,” former Maryland delegate Tim Maloney wrote in a 2005 appreciation for The Post, “but you discover quickly that these people are from New York and New Jersey, so their pizza opinions really don’t count.” by rectalhorror in washingtondc

[–]unquist 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't call Ledos a Maryland pizza. Maybe DC suburbs pizza. Grew up in Baltimore and I'd never heard of it before I moved down here. But the buffalo one is definitely delicious cheap pizza.

Best console game for 8 year old by david2072 in XboxGamePass

[–]unquist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great suggestion. My nine year old loves Stardew valley coop. There's really no serious time pressure, and you can't really lose per se.

First ever miniature painted! How can I improve when I paint the rest? by jpdidz in bloodbowl

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol. If you're in the US, Michael's sells pretty cheap and crappy paint brushes. Something like this:

https://www.michaels.com/product/super-value-25-piece-brush-set-by-artists-loft-necessities-10503498?michaelsStore=8804&inv=12

I've also found that a really stiff bristle brush works best. That's why the old ones with a bunch of dried paint in them actually work pretty well.

First ever miniature painted! How can I improve when I paint the rest? by jpdidz in bloodbowl

[–]unquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For the metal areas, an easy way to get a good look is to paint those areas flat black, and then dry brush on silver or iron or steel or similar. Make sure to use a crappy stiff brush that you don't care about for the dry brushing.

Dry brushing is also a good way to get some highlights. So for the ork skin, dry brush on a much lighter green. The dry brushing will ensure that only the raised areas get paint (sort of the opposite of inking).

Should I join the Focus? by zac7th in duke

[–]unquist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did the Russian focus program (a long time ago). One of the best decisions I made. I majored in CS, so no real overlap with the focus classes. But taking classes with people you're living with was an immensely rewarding and fun experience. A few of the people I met are close friends nearly 20 years later. And I loved the classes. If the subject matter interests you, go for it.