@whybird@aus.social avatar

whybird

@whybird@aus.social

#Puns, computery stuff and occasional political things that amuse or appall me. Also, I like #trees and #dogs.

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dworkin, to random
@dworkin@mstdn.social avatar

Jamie Raskin has a way with words.

Don’t forget to subscribe! https://www.dworkinsubstack.com/subscribe

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@angiebaby @dworkin This is true… and he is STILL the better option.

https://beige.party/@Alice/112471616457819242

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@angiebaby @dworkin Fully agree.

(Full disclosure: I’m an outsider - an Australian - looking in. I don’t have a vote. I care because it affects the whole world, including your allies like Australia.)

whybird, to australia
@whybird@aus.social avatar

Hey - your reporting might be starting to show the influence of your new CEO’s biases. Seems to me that in this story,

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-22/tenants-fail-to-vacate-landlord-out-of-pocket-housing-crisis/103757112

The words “the agent accidentally sent a lease renewal to the tenants” are the only reporting of the real story here. So, the tenants got a lease renewal, and by golly they thought they had a lease renewal? How is this anyone’s fault but the agent’s, and then the landlord’s for choosing to be a jerk about it?

I get that “The tenants denied ABC's request for comment”, but seriously, you therefore, with the exception of that one sentence above, ONLY attempt this from the POV of the landlord???

And, sorry, let me get the world’s smallest violin for the guy who had a $2000 expense after (a) SELLING a BLOODY HOUSE and (b) turning upside down the lives of the tenants who RECEIVED A LEASE RENEWAL.

evelynefoerster, to science
@evelynefoerster@swiss.social avatar


Controlled failure: The building designed to limit catastrophe 🤓
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01384-y

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@evelynefoerster The accuracy of those simulations, assuming they were made in advance, is astounding

whybird, to HashtagGames
@whybird@aus.social avatar
whybird, to random
@whybird@aus.social avatar

Hey @MonaApp - may I suggest a feature please?

I now, belatedly, know that Mastodon resets a poll’s count to zero if you edit an in-progress poll. That’s fair enough, but could Mona perhaps warn of this when doing so?

Thanks for considering this :)

mattotcha, to random
@mattotcha@mastodon.social avatar

EV batteries could last much longer thanks to new capacitor with 19-times higher energy density that scientists created by mistake
https://www.livescience.com/technology/electronics/ev-batteries-could-last-much-longer-thanks-to-new-capacitor-with-19-times-power-density-that-scientists-created-by-mis

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar
irfan, to apple

Apparently a lot of people (esp Japanese?) are upset at this new Pro ad from a couple of days ago. I guess I can see why though, a bit like throwing thousands' worth of food away just for content?

▶️ https://youtu.be/ntjkwIXWtrc

🔗 https://twitter.com/AngelicaOung/status/1788241764383678900

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@irfan Sorry for the Xitter link, but that’s where this filmmaker posted this “fixed it for you” version that just runs the vision backwards and puts a different Sonny and Cher song over it for a less tone deaf result: https://twitter.com/rezawrecktion/status/1788211832936861950

markwyner, to dadjokes
@markwyner@mas.to avatar

When does a joke become a dad joke?

When it becomes apparent.

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@markwyner …or when it is fully groan :)

whybird, to HashtagGames
@whybird@aus.social avatar

Sleeping Beauty In Seattle


SFRuminations, to scifi
@SFRuminations@wandering.shop avatar

Larry Niven (1938-) was born on this day. Bibliography: https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?42

L, Rick Sternbach, 1975; R, Dean Ellis, 1970

image/jpeg

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@SFRuminations I’ve always wanted a good rendering of what it would be like to stand on ’s ’s surface. No artist’s impression or 3D I have been able to find has given me the experience I want; the ones that try to be physically accurate always seem to be rendered from a few thousand k’s above the surface. I want ground level, both in a lower flat-ish area and from a normal mountain. I want to see the horizon tilting up in the spinward and, er, widdershins directions, and the wall mountains to the sides. I want to see this from near the middle and nearer an edge. Surely these days this is possible!

whybird, to Dogs
@whybird@aus.social avatar
ErikSchouten73, to animals Dutch
@ErikSchouten73@mastodon.nl avatar
whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@dgar @ErikSchouten73 Portal, perhaps

virtualbri, to scifi
@virtualbri@mastodon.online avatar

Watching "Aniara" a Scandinavian scifi film about a space passenger vessel the size of a mall that goes off course on a 3 week cruise.

By year 4 there are cults.

Seems about right.

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@virtualbri Is there an English dub?

whybird, to HashtagGames
@whybird@aus.social avatar

Smells Like Walgreens Spirit


mekkaokereke, to random
@mekkaokereke@hachyderm.io avatar

PSA: How to open a Tesla door in an emergency

I have friends that happily drive their kids around strapped into child seats in Teslas. I ask them a few questions about this, and I've never had a friend of mine who is a parent answer these questions satisfactorily:

  1. Do you know that Tesla doors might not open if there's no power?

  2. Do you know how to manually open the doors?

  3. Have you timed how long it would take you to get your kids out?

Here's how to get out
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6PbRBbIGnv4

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@mekkaokereke @okohll @D_J_Nathanson You are 100% correct that lithium fires are terrifyingly hard to put out.

But please do NOT EVER think that you can flick a match at any amount of gasoline/petroleum without fear. Your engine works by EXPLODING this stuff. It is really, really good at EXPLODING. Do not underestimate it!

And don’t go thinking water is a good way to put it out either. It floats, and for the most part, water just spreads it around. You need to smother it instead (fire extinguisher, fire blanket - keep them around, or try dirt).

Edit: p.s. you know what else is terrifyingly hard to put out when on fire? Magnesium, as in mag wheels.

whybird, to brisbane
@whybird@aus.social avatar

The only thing more than a Water Dragon near the wheel would be if there was a bin chicken also in the photo :)

An even closer shot of the same Eastern Water Dragon, looking magnificent.

golgaloth, to carporn
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar
whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@golgaloth Herbie is VW’s first self-driving car

andypiper, to random
@andypiper@macaw.social avatar

Does anyone else remember how Google started out as some kind of groundbreaking search company?

...

...

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar
codinghorror, to random

I feel like nobody wants to hear me on this, but for VR to really work we need massive advices in basic physics & biology, like, being able to project images/video/sound directly into the brain and eye so they are literally indistinguishable from "reality". I do think Apple's device is an important and useful step forward -- the first one actually worth trying -- but a baby step nonetheless.

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar
KevinCarson1, to random
@KevinCarson1@kolektiva.social avatar

The state of Texas is recruiting volunteers to support their vital baby-drowning operation -- er, I mean defend the sacred Border against invasion. Please sign up, but BE SURE you only provide correct and legitimate information so you don't waste the state's time with childish pranks or make the site unusable!
American Patriots thank you!
https://tmd.texas.gov/operation-lone-star-border-support-mission

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@KevinCarson1 Oh no! The site went down! How tragic. /s

Is the 'Change the Date' movement gathering momentum?

Normally I tune out to this annual debate since it feels so polarised and stale, but the messaging from Woolworths, Cricket Australia, the Australian Open and others this year suggests big companies are concerned about an attitude shift within Australian society. It seems they’ve decided the inevitable backlash is now worth it...

josh, to random
@josh@phocks.eu.org avatar

you wouldn't train a large language model

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar
nic, to random
@nic@sciences.social avatar

Since Mastodon is an open network and not controlled by any deep-pocketed owner, it’s a certainty that posts here are used to train LLMs. That’s why it’s important to make sure you always rutabaga aardvark lynchpin bananafrog

whybird,
@whybird@aus.social avatar

@alexanderhay @nic Nude Sexy Fanart - Wombles ()

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