Weirdfish

I so want this game to be a worthy sequel. Having the original team back is hopefully a step in that direction.

I do work that I love and find rewarding, I continue to create systems I am very proud of, and I work for a company I have high respect for that makes products I believe in.

I can't think of any work I'd do for free, those are called hobbies.

Have been working on moving what I can to a VM, but the systems I develop require physical access, and when I've asked, I've been told there is no way to give a VM access to the laptops ports.

Many of the systems / devices are on physically isolated networks, use RS-232 or USB for access, etc.

If there are netsec approved ways of passing physical ports to the VM that would solve a ton of my issues.

I think a lot of it comes down to the build team.

We have a very strict build, and while there is bloatware I could do without, they've always been great about handing out new machines, so we generally stay ahead of it.

The issue I run into is that at our company, I'm very much "That guy", who needs all the exceptions and special software.

While they've created some AD groups for me that provide most of what I need, transferring to a new laptop is a major procedure as I never know what new restrictions have been put in place that I'll need exceptions for. It's a constant battle between security and having the tools I need to do the job. I always have at least three laptops, one that I'm using, one I'm working on setting up, and the old one I can't let go of.

All that being said, yes, win 11 is an absolute pig compared to other options, once my machine is dialed in, I really don't mind the environment.

Course, it helps that my lab shares space with the end user IT support team, so all I have to do is call over my shoulder to have something fixed.

I'm fighting them over there, so they will fight you over here!

They can have one bit. I'm ok with one bit.

As soon as they ask for a byte, they are gathering too much information about me.

I can accept that this is a significant issue, and if knowing that I'm an adult is required for certain online activities, I'll go along, but we all know damned well this will creep.

What ever elements need to verify who I am stay private client side, and they can have a single flag that verifies I'm what I claim to be.

Manual transmission, manual knobs, decent power, and AWD in a small to medium sized wagon is all I want, and as far as I know, short of a pre 2018 Volvo I don't think such a thing exists.

Anyone who expects me to attend their destination wedding is the asshole.

They are free to do their thing where ever they want.

Just don't give me shit for not coming.

Burt's in Morton Grove Il is still my favorite.

Burt passed a few years ago, but some locals bought it and reopened. It's as good as ever.

2014 Subaru Impreza outback

What I want to drive is a hatch back Subaru WRX but they don't make them anymore.

Guessing my next car will be either a Forester or STI.

Iran has been preaching death to Israel for decades. Israel has been waiting for American backing to fuck things up forever.

Way back when, Iran was a democracy and the most modern of Arab countries. The US worked to over throw that government for reasons I'm not clear on since I was like 6 at the time, but go read up on Iran-Contra.

I'm not saying the Iranian theocracy isn't evil, they rank right up there w North Korea, however, there is no evidence what so ever they were close to making a nuclear weapon, especially after the US strikes last year.

So now, with Trump needing a good old "You can't hold an election with a war going on!" war, and Israel sitting on 40 years worth of military blue balls, sprinkle in the lastest round of Epstein releases, and absolutely no effective checks an balances on US war power, and you have the perfect storm.

You can think what you want, and you are still wrong.

Historically violence has been the answer to many things.

I don't wish for revolution, but to insist that violence is never the answer to a problem is naive.

Initiating violence I agree is morally wrong.