zkom

Besides the millions fleeing Ukraine more than 200.000 Russians have left Russia "Hundreds of thousands flee Russia and Putin’s ‘two wars’ At least 200,000 Russians have abandoned their homes and jobs for fear of being persecuted as ‘scum and national traitors’." https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/18/why-white-collar-russians-flee-two

I read Arthur C. Clarke's novelization of 2001 A Space Odyssey and after that rewatched the movie. The book was published after the movie but it was partially written while to movie was being made and it's based on an older version of the script so the events aren't exactly the same. But the funny thing for me was that while the movie is long as hell and explains nothing, the book is relatively short (about 220 pages) and explains fucking everything. It has an omniscient narrator that just hands out all the explanations on a plate. So if you ever wondered about things like what the monoliths were, who made them, what actually happens in the "Star Gate" sequence or what the hell is the ending about then this book basically answers those questions in detail. It's like the polar opposite of Kubrick's artistic vagueness and "let the viewer make their own interpretation" stance. Also while the movie has a bit of space horror thing going on because of the music and how the monoliths are represented as ominous alien things, the novel is more straight up hard scifi with quite an optimistic message. A decent scifi novel in any case. And it made rewatching the movie a more rewarding experience. Reading the book and watching the movie got me thinking that, while an iconic part of the movie and culture in general, the subplot with HAL is pretty much completely irrelevant to the main plot. I mean both the book and the movie would have ended pretty much the same way even if all the shit with HAL didn't happen at all? It feels kind of pasted on from some other story. Just my hot take.

Subscription based font services blocked in Russia.. Times New Roman, Arial Fonts Blocked in Russia https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/04/14/times-new-roman-arial-fonts-blocked-in-russia-vedomosti-a77352

Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov's $735 million superyacht Dilbar — the largest in the world — has been impounded in Germany https://www.businessinsider.com/oligarch-usmanovs-superyacht-dilbar-seized-in-germany-2022-4?r=US&IR=T

There's speculation that in the future western goods will be transported to Russia through Kazakhstan making it a transport hub. Which would in part explain why they would want to stay out of sanctions, in regards of not recognizing Donbas etc. Of course everything will be even more expensive, no guarantees, no official repair, geolocked software updates and app stores, etc. Russia has been cut off from western cloud and license services anyway like Adobe Creative Cloud, MATLAB, etc. I guess it's back to software piracy then where it's possible.

Thanks!

I'm planning to become 100% microplastic in the next decade, making me non-biodegradable and thus immortal.

The evolution of first person shooters

Korean doctor says those who haven't contracted COVID-19 have no friends https://news.yahoo.com/korean-doctor-says-those-havent-013307806.html

Members who voted against: ECR: Hoogeveen, Roos, Szydło ID: Anderson, Annemans, Beck, Blaško, Buchheit, David, De Man, Fest, Haider, Krah, Kuhs, Mayer, Reil, Vandendriessche, Vilimsky, Zimniok NI: Bocskor, Buschmann, Deli, Gál, Konstantinou, Kósa, Radačovský, Schaller-Baross, Sonneborn, Tóth PPE: Bernhuber, Braunsberger-Reinhold, Caspary, Doleschal, Ehler, Jahr, Lins, Mandl, Pieper, Polčák, Sagartz, Schmiedtbauer, Thaler, Walsmann, Weiss, Winzig Renew: Calenda, Gade, Hlaváček, Knotek, Kovařík, Pagazaurtundúa S&D: Agius Saliba, Ara-Kovács, Cutajar, Engerer, Ertug, Fuglsang, Geier, Hajšel, Heide, Kammerevert, Krehl, Lange, Leitão-Marques, Lucke, Marques Margarida, Molnár, Penkova, Pizarro, Regner, Sant, Schaldemose, Schieder, Silva Pereira, Sippel, Stanishev, Tarabella, Vind, Vitanov, Vollath, Wölken The Left: Botenga, Demirel, Ernst, Konečná, MacManus, Michels, Pereira Sandra, Pimenta Lopes, Pineda, Rego, Scholz, Wallace

One of the demands for peace after the Continuation War between Finland and Soviet Union in 1944 was actually to ban all "fascist" organizations in Finland which included the White Guard militias, Lotta Svärd paramilitary auxiliary organization and Academic Karelia Society. The Soviets set up a supervisory commission in Finland to make sure of that. Also they made sure that Åland archipelago in the Baltic Sea stays demilitarized by setting up a consulate that still operates there, which is a bit questionable now.. Anyway, Åland is still demilitarized although there are Finnish border guards. Fun fact: the demilitarization of Åland was originally included in the 1856 peace treaty after the Crimean War. How the circle closes..

Well, I'm not very good at genre definitions.. Thanks!

150 squid, jfc

One of Russia's most faithful allies, Kazakhstan, refuses to recognize Donetks and Luhansk. This can get interesting. The Russian "peace keepers" were in Kazakhstan just a moment ago.. https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-ukraine-separatists-russia-recognition/31787134.html

Duke Nukem 3D on Switch

China is censoring videos about lockdown protests

I've said no to a bunch of lucrative but horrible gigs lately. I need to pick something sooner or later. I'm maybe becoming to picky.. Also kind of wondering is it ok to say to a recruiter that I don't want the job because honestly the product looks like crap?

This is an old techno style track that I just remastered and made some improvements here and there. Not really IDM or braindance or whatever. Very heavy with Doepfer Dark Energy so it sounds pretty modular.

Found a black hooded North Face jacket in a discount rack. Now I look so 'techre.