MetaFilter

Is there an english word for "nobody is the hero here"?

I don't know that I can think of one exactly, but this seems like the perfect situation for the Russian idiom for trying to help and causing a disaster instead: BEAR JOB
posted to MetaFilter by BlackLeotardFront at 1:14 PM on September 11, 2023

They are extraordinarily lucky no one was injured (if indeed no one was). Most racks aren't built for high-speed maneuvers over uneven terrain, and they probably did exactly that. I know because I've seen over-eager kids making minimum wage fucking around in data centers. I've had smashed fingers, cuts from cheapass sheet metal, bruises from crawling under floors, etc. just doing normal things, let alone a midnight chicken run with multi-ton equipment. If this had been demanded of me I'd have... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by dragstroke at 1:07 PM on September 11, 2023

> I guess Chaos Monkey needs to get a new feature

Adding "Musk mode" to chaos monkey where it fires engineers at random and hires a guy on fiver to hit your servers with a hammer
posted to MetaFilter by dis_integration at 1:07 PM on September 11, 2023

I guess Chaos Monkey needs to get a new feature that makes random bad management decisions, to ensure that engineers implement their services to be resilient to senior executive failures.
posted to MetaFilter by FishBike at 12:30 PM on September 11, 2023

That's Isaacson saying that Musk is bipolar without actually saying it, right?

Personally my ADHD self was reading that piece like "there but for the grace of god go I" because that is the exact feeling of wanting a result, being aggravated that there's a bajillion little tasks to get there, explodey head emoji, mull stew turn it over 'cause i can't let it go, BAM I've got a really stupid brilliant idea. Do the slapdash shortcut, accomplish... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Baethan at 12:18 PM on September 11, 2023

"In retrospect, the whole Sacramento shutdown was a mistake."

Oh, hey. At least you've recognized that you made a--

"I was told we had redundancy across our data centers. What I wasn't told was that we had 70,000 hard-coded references to Sacramento. And there's still shit that's broken because of it."

Oh, somebody else's fault. Right. It's not like people who... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by brundlefly at 12:15 PM on September 11, 2023

"“We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. "

"They were somewhere over Las Vegas when James made his suggestion that they could move them now. It was the type of impulsive, impractical, surge-into-the-breach idea that Musk loved."
posted to MetaFilter by inflatablekiwi at 12:12 PM on September 11, 2023

Also also: How many will be usable and operational in a year because the installation was sloppy and half assed.

And there-in lies the problem: the failures will be inconsistent and spread out enough, and far enough out, it can’t be obviously tracked back to this move. Hard drives fail? That’s what they do! Power supply died? Well, they are redundant. Blame won’t go to Musk. Either it will be regarded as typical failures, shoddy hardware, or blame... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by MrGuilt at 12:05 PM on September 11, 2023

Thinking about how all of my infosec-adjacent peeps moved immediately off of Twitter after Musk took over.
posted to MetaFilter by credulous at 12:03 PM on September 11, 2023

Please don’t insult bipolar people by ascribing that to Elon musk when he’s obviously just an indulgent man-child
posted to MetaFilter by armoir from antproof case at 12:00 PM on September 11, 2023

That's Isaacson saying that Musk is bipolar without actually saying it, right?

From the article:

Musk had the mix of glee and anger that often accompanied one of his manic surges.

I would say that Isaacson does actually say it.
posted to MetaFilter by subdee at 11:59 AM on September 11, 2023

I don't want to read this because I'm done caring about Musk and I can't respect Isaacson after he sat on the bit about how Musk used Starlink to interfere with Ukraine's operations. And I don't do hate reads.

But I do want to read this because professionally I need to be prepared to deal with people who'd do things like this.

Sigh.
posted to MetaFilter by fedward at 11:58 AM on September 11, 2023

'maniacal sense of urgency'

That's Isaacson saying that Musk is bipolar without actually saying it, right?
posted to MetaFilter by 1970s Antihero at 11:55 AM on September 11, 2023

Not mentioned in the article: How many server racks are currently usable AND operational in Portland after this move.

Also also: How many will be usable and operational in a year because the installation was sloppy and half assed.
posted to MetaFilter by Slackermagee at 11:53 AM on September 11, 2023

What's the GDPR rule for "your data is in a semi truck on the interstate in northern california"
posted to MetaFilter by dis_integration at 11:46 AM on September 11, 2023

So, the reason that I posted this is because this is some of the most unhinged things I've read, with a bunch of executives who have no understanding of how to decommission and move servers that have sensitive personal info on them deciding that a "DIY" ethic is what was called for. This is the sort of story junior sysadmins are told in the wee hours of the night to terrify them.
posted to MetaFilter by NoxAeternum at 11:38 AM on September 11, 2023

The absolute biggest, clearest example of this being a total clusterfuck on the part of Unity execs is that the bluesky post above, the reason they're not saying how their "proprietary data model" works on counting installs is because they don't even know how to count installs yet.

This isn't just a botched rollout of a prima facie predatory business model without clear stops or curbs to protect indie devs, they don't... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by tclark at 7:36 AM on September 13, 2023

My dev friends have already switched to Godot.
posted to MetaFilter by Headfullofair at 6:02 AM on September 13, 2023

Somewhere, one finger bends on a monkey’s paw, as Unity manages to be the brand name on everyone’s lips on the day of the iPhone announcements

congratulations on being the big tech story today guys
posted to MetaFilter by DoctorFedora at 5:57 AM on September 13, 2023

Been reading about this for a bit now, seems like a really bad decision. As mentioned in the FPP, there are developers who are locked into using Unity due to long development schedules, but the general consensus is that even if you've got 2 years into a project you'd be better off starting over in a new engine than continuing under this regime.

Unity has basically killed all good will any game developer might have had about their product, and they probably won't exist in... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by hippybear at 5:56 AM on September 13, 2023

Some greedy shithead corporate executive: “So I know we charge game developers when they use our service, but what if we charged them after they used our service so that we could continue to penalize and profit off of our own customer base for the rest of their lives?!!”
posted to MetaFilter by Fizz at 5:50 AM on September 13, 2023

I, too, recognize boo_radley as being a Very Good MeFite. Sorry to hear this news, he seemed like a great person.

(When I don't see a given username around here for a while, I sometimes wonder if they just drifted away, or buttoned, or really are gone. Over the years I have sent a few of you MeMail when I see you again after a gap, because it really does bring me joy to see a familiar names.)
posted to MetaTalk by wenestvedt at 8:03 AM on September 5, 2023

Random fond memory: that time he got someone stuck playing a game for like two years.

That was me . I am so saddened to hear this.

.
posted to MetaTalk by If only I had a penguin... at 7:02 PM on September 4, 2023

Fucking hell, I didn't know. He was good people and a welcome presence in the greater mefisphere for long time. Random fond memory: that time he got someone stuck playing a game for like two years.
posted to MetaTalk by cortex at 4:49 PM on September 4, 2023

Oh... oh no. I just checked again, the very end, and he IS grilling the rat! He just waited until Oliver left.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.
posted to FanFare by mochapickle at 10:56 AM on September 7, 2023

I was not prepared for the guffaw that followed when I saw they were wearing the exact same outfits as Crusher and Troi. GAWD. That was priceless.

I felt this episode was a little bit mandatory by the writers who wanted to establish that something was going to be different about Mariner's promotion than her past promotions. This was going to signal growth going forward for the character. Spiteful Mariner can be fun, but it's more fun to see Mariner excel in my own... [more]
posted to FanFare by Atreides at 10:50 AM on September 8, 2023

Shaxs and Ransom are wearing the same outfits that Beverly Crusher and Deanna Troi wore

They're also replicating Bev and Deanna's full stretch routine.
posted to FanFare by hanov3r at 9:49 AM on September 8, 2023

I would die for moopsy, probably due to bone drinking.
posted to FanFare by Akhu at 9:41 AM on September 8, 2023

I'm excited to see what the incredibly destructive little ship turns out to be.

Whale probe aliens is my bet. (A) Their ship does the little axis-turn that the whale probe did once or twice in TVH, and (B) the whale probe is in the opening credits for what I'm pretty sure is the first time.

If I'm right, I'm glad the show is gonna use the freedom of animation to develop that little corner of Trek; so far they've only really done that with the Pakleds.
posted to FanFare by CheesesOfBrazil at 2:26 AM on September 8, 2023

Act IV, Scene 5, Gertrude and Claudius really have to confront Ophelia, as well as Laertes ("Rosemary, that's for remembrance). IV, 6 is Horatio getting the letter about Hamlet escaping from the pirates and coming back to Denmark; in IV:7 Laertes and Claudius make up the plans for the poisoned fencing match; V:1 is gravedigging, Yorick, and Ophelia's funeral.

So you've got from Act IV, Scene 5 to Act V Scene 1 to get this done.

Some... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Xiphias Gladius at 10:27 AM on September 3, 2023

This is a terrific piece of writing.

I went on an OKCupid date with Jennifer Peepas around 15 years ago. There was no real connection (and I remember thinking that her screen name, which on OKCupid was Captain Awkward, was pretty darn accurate...game recognizes game), but she talked passionately about Hamlet and the question of why Gertrude seemingly does nothing to help Ophelia in the water. I'm glad she found a good answer.
posted to MetaFilter by HeroZero at 4:30 AM on September 3, 2023

I wanted to cry, reading that bit. I always take the shitty thing upon myself, I can't stop.

Never got that Hamlet was supposed to be a smart-ass, either.
posted to MetaFilter by jenfullmoon at 7:18 AM on September 2, 2023

Highly recommend stanzipotenta's Purge videos.

This one is hilarious.
posted to FanFare by DirtyOldTown at 12:38 PM on September 3, 2023

Madonna is still at large.
posted to MetaFilter by Artw at 10:52 AM on September 2, 2023

Emo Philips as Salvador Dalí is one of my favorite bits of casting in recent memory

That one instant where you realize you're looking at Emo Philips as Dali and Conan O'Brien as Warhol in the same frame is incredible.
posted to MetaFilter by mhoye at 3:23 PM on September 2, 2023

NPR: See how Trump's trials crowd the Republican political calendar
To see the extent to which the GOP political calendar and Trump's legal calendar are intertwined, it's helpful to see them laid out together. As you look at the graphic below, remember that the dates are subject to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:32 AM on September 2, 2023

“He’s always watching, making sure everybody’s OK,” Martinek said. “If somebody is in the passing process, he’s in and out of the room, checking on them. He’ll even want to climb in bed with them.”

“He can sense that,” added Stephanie Elsey, 42, the facility’s clinical care coordinator. “We’ve had a few in the past whose room he won’t leave. We had a resident that when he was passing away, Scout wouldn’t leave his room. He makes a good nursing home dog. He knows his job... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by egypturnash at 12:44 PM on August 31, 2023

I wonder how chuffed young Howard Kyllo would have been to know his 9th grade history report would one day be pivotal evidence in a 21st century civic infrastructure investigation?
posted to MetaFilter by CynicalKnight at 10:43 AM on August 29, 2023

This is so delightful, and actually has a lot of profound things to say about archival research, e.g. the difficulty of full-text searching when you don't know the right keywords to use; the value of oral history; the helpfulness of archivists; the surprising usefulness of 9th-grade school assignments (and amateur local history more generally); and this little pearl of wisdom:

I showed the bridge to Janel and asked how she would solve the mystery of why it was built. She... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by verstegan at 8:56 AM on August 29, 2023

This was a great read, with a satisfying conclusion! Legendary nerd status really achieved with this:

While I am dedicated to this search, I am not about to fly down to Kansas City to dig through federal archives, especially when those documents may or may not be there...

...just kidding. Of course I flew down to Kansas City to dig through the federal archives!

posted to MetaFilter by LooseFilter at 8:04 AM on August 29, 2023

No "at least he died doing what he loved" joke should work in 2023, but I thought that was going to be the hardest I laughed the whole episode till Nadja and Nandor were somberly confessing they'd never asked Guillermo if he had an egg sac.

I'm still on the fence whether this stuff with The Guide is going anywhere. It still seems weird they made Schall a regular without more for her to do (though, get that paycheck, Schall) and maybe it's... [more]
posted to FanFare by jameaterblues at 7:55 PM on August 26, 2023

Oh, and I'm pretty certain that, just like Ben was 100% talking to a plate of cookies in the previous episode, he wrote the lipstick note on his own mirror after eating them.
posted to FanFare by Navelgazer at 8:17 PM on August 22, 2023

The transition from "cancelled" to blonde "lifestyle influencer" selling bullshit wellness remedies is just... so on point. Holy shit, is it on point.
posted to FanFare by Crystalinne at 7:32 PM on August 22, 2023

Ronald McDonald in the Playboy Mansion with a sabotage manual.
posted to MetaFilter by clavdivs at 1:47 PM on August 25, 2023

There was a comedian with a stand up routine about the Uber ride from hell. A tall tale with things like the driver was late, the car was disgusting, the driver stopped to buy drugs, got into an argument with his girlfriend, and so on. Comedian says: "I was afraid for my life and not at all happy."

"I gave him four stars."

Audience laughs, and beat later he admits:

"I made that up. Of course I... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by mark k at 10:00 AM on August 25, 2023

“Rudy Giuliani Was A Creation of The New York Media,” Spencer Ackerman, Forever Wars, 24 Aug 2023
posted to MetaFilter by ob1quixote at 6:01 PM on August 24, 2023

tfMugshot
posted to MetaFilter by glonous keming at 5:36 PM on August 24, 2023

Can we cool it with the fatphobia, please.

Thanks,
Someone who likely weighs as much as or more than TFG
posted to MetaFilter by humbug at 5:22 PM on August 24, 2023

I very briefly met Yo-Yo Ma at an event I was working. He has seen me getting screamed at by Alan Dershowitz—who was VERY unhappy with his first-row mezzanine seats at a hall that seats just over 1000 people—and he came over to make sure I was okay. He didn’t need to do anything and could have ignored me, but the fact that he came over and said “hey, you okay?” and chatted with me said a lot about his character. I’m glad this person got to meet him under happier circumstances!
posted to MetaFilter by pxe2000 at 10:10 AM on August 23, 2023

"This is the Zoom meeting you have to sit through when you first get to Hell."

I know there is a writer's strike, but this Hollywood Squares reboot is an abomination.
posted to MetaFilter by Literaryhero at 6:23 PM on August 23, 2023