[–] 3 points 1 month ago

As the Epstein emails proved, being rich and affluent doesn't preclude someone from also being illiterate. We like to think these real-life supervillains are smart and sophisticated, like in fiction, because at least then the world makes some amount of sense - it's plausible that a very intelligent person could amass that level of wealth. But the reality is that many of them have the written communication skills of a teenager using MSN Messenger circa 2004.

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  • [–] 66 points 1 month ago (3 children)

    Just as as outside observer, the fact that Kash Patel was confirmed as FBI Director by the US Senate is one of the most glaring examples of Trump's complete capture of the Republican party. He seems so monumentally unqualified that I can't conclude his confirmation was the result of anything other than fear of reprisal on the part of the senators.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago

    I got married during COVID, and all the pandemic restrictions limited what was possible. While I was disappointed that my out-of-town friends and family couldn't be there, our bank accounts certainly thanked us.

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  • [–] 14 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    The scent of my grandparents' house.

    It had a very distinctive sweet aroma. I was never sure what is was, and I never asked. The scent followed them when they moved into a condo in a retirement facility. The last time I visited them in their condo was 2019, and they've both since passed away.

    They gave me a book many years ago, the pages of which used to smell like their house. I know if I dig that book out of storage, it might still have a trace scent in it. But otherwise, it is now just a memory.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    Disclaimer: am Canadian, will be discussing using that lens.

    On a daily basis, most people I interact with are about where I am. I probably have different reasons for believing and voting how I do, but if an election were to be called tomorrow, all my friends and most of my co-workers would be voting in roughly the same direction as me.

    My family is a mixed bag. On the one hand, my father has never voted for anyone further left than the old Progressive Conservatives, and has even voted for the Christian Heritage Party on occasion. My mother also normally votes conservative, though she has confessed to be that she finds American-style conservatism in general and Pierre Poilievre in particular to be too odious to stomach and so I think she may have been spoiling her ballots recently. I don't know how my one sister votes, but her husband is a also an outspoken conservative, being a card-carrying member of the CPC.

    On the other hand, my other sister has never voted for anyone further right than the NDP, and her husband is apathetic - he thinks all politicians are the same and doesn't bother voting.

    Holidays are generally fine, as political opinions are generally off-limits, though inevitably at some point my father and brother-in-law (the CPC one) have an extended grouse session about the state of the country and how much they hate the Liberals.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    I find Spotify is weird about lyrics sometimes. There's a song on my playlist that has obviously wrong lyrics assigned to it. The vocals aren't 100% clear, but you just need to listen to it once, and read the nonsense lyrics Spotify has assigned to it, to know that it's wrong.

    Every single time the song pops up in my playlist (and I'm not driving), I flag it for review. It's been years, I must have flagged it dozens of times, and the lyrics are still wrong.

    Now, this is not some huge pop hit. It's an obscure indie song from an artist with less that 50k followers. The is a not insignificant chance I am in the top 1% of fans of this song. But it still bugs me that such obviously wrong lyrics are left up. I'm pretty sure even Spotify's deplorable AI could figure this out.

    I don't really know what's going on. Maybe they've understaffed the department that manages lyrics and they can't be bothered to fix something so obscure. Or maybe they only fix lyrics if the artist themselves contacts them. Either way, it bugs me.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    I simply don't like the taste of many things. I've never been officially tested, but I suspect I may have extra sensitivity to certain compounds, such that no matter how many other things are in a dish, I can still taste that one thing that I don't like. I also suspect that I am more sensitive to all tastes in general, as there are many foods that have been described to me as "mild" that I find are quite strong.

    Now, I'll still try most things once. There are limits, mostly involving spiciness,, but I wouldn't want to be thought of as ungrateful or close-minded. It's just that I've disliked far more things than I've liked when trying new foods.

    I also resent the common refrain of, "You just haven't had good [food in question] yet!" Actually, I probably have, and I still didn't like it. It has nothing to do with how it is prepared or what other ingredients are in the dish, that food still has its fundamental taste that I don't like.

    It's not food, but I like using wine as an example. It doesn't matter whether it's the cheap boxed stuff from the supermarket or some expensive vintage at a fancy restaurant, because both taste like overripe grapes in addition to whatever other flavours present, and I don't like the taste of overripe grapes.

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    I feel like this has been going on for several versions now. My setting for Default sort for comments is Top, but when I open a post, the sorting method appears to be Hot instead. The image in the post shows what a typical post looks like for me when I open it.

    I hesitate to call this a bug right now, as last time I had a problem like this it was user error, so I'm not discounting some conflicting setting that I've overlooked.

     

    Spotify Wrapped is on the streets now, but rather than everyone saying what a cold algorithm told them their favourite songs were this year, I'd like to hear what actual people actually think.

    So what are your favourite musical discoveries this year? Whether those were brand new songs from 2025, older songs that you only heard for the first time this year, or even songs you re-discovered after years of not hearing them.

    Here’s some of mine, in the format of a goofy award show:

    Favourite New Song From This Year
    Lead Up by Goose - Maybe technically cheating because the band has apparently been playing this song live since at least 2023, but the studio version is from this year.

    Favourite New Song Actually From This Year
    the thoughts that keep me up at night by Marhly - This one makes me feel old, mostly because the artist is that much younger than me. But there’s something about the anxious lyrics that felt very 2025.

    Favourite New Song That Really Made Me Feel Old
    Year of the Optimist by Beach Bunny - Speaking of artists that are way, way younger than me, we have this song. I’m not sure about the warbly vocals in some places, but it’s upbeat and optimistic (like its says on the tin).

    Favourite New Song That Made Me Feel Young
    Well, Whatever it Was by Joyce Manor - This song feels like it could have come out when I was in high school, but rather than make me feel my age, it put a spring in my step. I didn’t actually listen to much music back then, so maybe I’ve misestimated my musical eras, but I can’t really shake the feeling.

    Favourite New Song by a Band That I Saw Live
    No Angels in this Town by Our Lady Peace - Granted, I only went to one concert this year, but still counts, right? I’m not a huge OLP fan, mostly knowing their songs by osmosis, but hearing this song for the first time made me buy a ticket. It was kind of a rebound concert as I had to miss seeing my favourite band on their farewell tour, but I still enjoyed myself, even if they didn’t play this particular song.

    Favourite Rediscovered Song
    Tornado of Souls by Megadeth - I used to listen to Rust In Peace quite a bit when I was younger, but I kind forgot about it (and most other metal) for the better part of a decade until a new Megadeth song hit my recommendations. That caused me to go back and listen, and reawaken by appreciation for this song.

    Favourite Song Discovered Through Weird Coincidence
    It’s Not Because of You by Witchcraft - This one randomly came up in my wife’s playlist. Neither of us had heard of the band before, but I figure it had something to do with the Ghost songs that we both like.

    Favourite New Cover
    Folsom Prison Blues by Sawyer Hill - A heavier take on a Johnny Cash song, my first thought when I heard this was, “Boy, they don’t make them like this any more.” Sawyer Hill has an interesting voice, baritone like Cash but more gravelly. Speaking of which…

    Favourite New Song That I Liked Purely for a Single Element
    Need Me Now by Sawyer Hill - Do I actually like this song? Is this actually a good song? I don't know, but Mr. Hill has a really interesting voice, so I’m willing to forgive some lyrics that feel a bit too cute. I do understand if his voice drives people away, though; what I’ve gathered is that some people really cannot stand it.

    Favourite New Song With the Hardest Hitting Lyric
    Troubadour Moon by The Wildhearts - “It’s a bitch when you find out you’re just an ordinary man.” Oof.

    Favourite New Song That Really Has Me Hoping the Artist Isn’t Problematic
    Sweet Southern Sound by Samantha Fish - I kid (mostly), but it is southern rock. I haven’t found anything problematic about Ms. Fish, thankfully, but I also haven’t dug too far.

    Favourite New Song Discovered Through Lemmyvision
    Band LIke That by fanclubwallet - I submitted a bunch of songs for my country’s entry in Lemmyvision. None of them got many votes, but I did discover this one submitted by someone else.

    Honourable Mentions
    Beatrice by the Toxhards
    Ma Cherie by Palaye Royale and Kellin Quinn
    Karaoke by Queen of Jeans
    In My Pocket by Cafuné

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