Yeah with Warhammer 2 I basically just wipe all of my campaigns every 2-3 weeks.

TCL is a Chinese company, they make decent TVs. We have a 55" TCL in our workout room, it has a Roku Express built in and works reasonably well but we have Shield TVs so I don't really use that aspect. I would be really weary of their phones. I used to think this stuff was paranoia but we have a robot vacuum cleaner made by a Chinese company and it is absolutely nuts how much encrypted data that thing tries to phone home. Some of the unencrypted bits included the SSID and passwords for the network, GeoIP info and etc. Likewise the TV had some encrypted stuff it was sending and I couldn't figure out a real reason for it (I had opted out of their usage nonsense) so I ended up segregating it and the bot vacuum on a separate vlan with no external access.

That's not to say other devices don't do the same thing with other countries though.

Depends on the size of the grill, when I had a small Weber before the I met the missus, it was easily 20-24 hours of grilling time. When I got my larger Weber it was more like 16-19 hours of grill time. I grill nearly year round so I got fed up eventually with running spares/etc and just got a natural gas BBQ. Running the line was about $250, thankfully we already have gas in the kitchen so the run was short.

Grilling is the easiest cooking and its a good excuse to enjoy a beer outside But I guess we all benefit so who cares if we were tricked.

Retired wrote on May 25, 2020, 12:53:
If you believe crap that comes from China...….

I think you know I'm not an alarmist about the virus and I admit a healthy skepticism when it comes to data from China but when it's released by third parties and seems reasonable then I have no issue with it. The same thing has been looked at in Italy where I have no such concern by the way.

Ozmodan wrote on May 25, 2020, 09:34:
I am continually amazed at the idiots that think outdoor activities where you are not in proximity of anyone else is a problem. A friend was cited for fishing in Michigan the other day beyond ridiculous. I am aghast at some of these governors thinking they are mini Hitlers. What has become of this country?

The issue that people like to congregate. This weekend there were beaches and parks with thousands of people. I get it, people need the good weather and need to socialize. The problem is that many are just giving up on the social distancing factors. I saw photos and video of people almost right on top of each other. That isn't helpful to the overall situation until there is a vaccine. If we're going to lift lockdowns, people need to mindful and careful instead of just throwing caution to the wind.

Retired wrote on May 25, 2020, 10:07:

? Are you making out with random people? Licking light poles? I mean - how are you getting it?

It's primarily spread through air droplet transmission. There were some interesting case studies done in Italy and China where you can literally follow the airflow from an air conditioner that had asymptomatic people in front of it which spread it in the path of airflow to people in the restaurant. You can get it from surfaces and touching your face though too obviously, though it is far less likely if people are washing their hands.

That being said, I don't feel Forged's comment is fair though, people are not "murderers" because they want lockdown lifted and there is no reason we can't be sensible in a careful, phased reopening of the country. Other countries have done this and been successful, we can too. We can't have an indefinite lockdown and I don't see anyone here proposing a date that is going to be OK so I'm assuming that's what they want. We just need to demand that from our leadership. We've bought time for the healthcare system with lockdowns and now they need to ramp up testing drastically. Test everyone. That's where leadership needs to put money and what we should be demanding that they do.

It's a really challenging situation in general because the approach that works in California is not going to work in New York. It requires coordination at every government level and a tailored approach depending on contextual factors. New York for example has many people in close proximity and a high uptake on mass transit users. Our federal government frankly has been failing us on this and other fronts related to COVID-19, regardless of the PR. We need to demand more from them.

The problem is that shutdowns are not a permanent solution. They are a stopgap to help limit the spread and more importantly to allow healthcare systems to ramp up and not become overwhelmed. It is not practical to stop our entire economy indefinitely until a vaccine is created, assuming one is possible and that mutation does not present other challenges. There's also more than physical health to consider, mental health problems are largely being ignored right now but suicide and depression are spiking as a result of social distancing and shutdowns. Some people will say its selfish to reopen and that we should all stay home to save lives but that ignores the very real damage being done to many peoples lives who are losing their jobs and income. That damage is weighed in the mind almost as much as the bank. And I say that as someone who doesn't have any income issues due to savings and a deemed essential job.

Like it or not people need money to survive in the society we have created and humans need to socialize. As a society we weigh the pros and cons of public safety vs other factors all the time. We do it for road safety, we do it for drug and food certifications, medical treatments/procedures and much more. The idea that we can't reopen because it might cost a life is totally unworkable and will cause more problems than it solves on a long time line, one we're arguably nearing or have already passed depending on who you ask.

Other countries have found acceptable middle ground between "muh freedoms" and "reopen = murder" sides. There's no reason we can't do the same. Reopen in phases with social distancing practices in places where it makes sense (public venues) and educate the public. Higher risk places where airborne transmission is easier (restaurants for example) need more measures taken. Direct government resources to testing, tracing and isolation of the infected. Direct more money and support to the groups most affected by the virus - the elderly and the immunocomprised. That's what has worked elsewhere and it can work for us too.

The real shame of this situation is how politicized it has become. I can even see it here with the usual Left and Right crowds going at each other instead of working together. No one can see the middle ground because they just look at everything and see their own biases apparently. It's easy to point fingers at the politicians but there is plenty of blame to go around.

I'm down for anything Nolan directs, looking forward to Tenet.

Those articles are about high doses of Vitamin D which is not what jdreyer was talking about. He didn't make any claims about cures (you don't cure a virus) or that people should be doing anything other than getting their recommended daily amounts. Certain age groups and minorities are challenged in this regard, especially with shelter in place orders and there are some studies showing a correlation to various COVID-19 outcomes (your own link even mentions it). People should not run out and pop a bunch of supplements to prevent getting the virus. But it's interesting data that should be explored further, we know so little about the virus.

Yeah there was a doctor on Joe Rogan last week talking about those studies, interesting stuff. Really affects some minorities disproportionately too. They already have reduced Vitamin D absorption due to their skin melanin combined with shelter in place orders meaning even less sun exposure and economic factors limiting supplements. Makes for a crappy situation with COVID-19.

Personally I'm GPU bound anyway at 1440p/4k depending on which monitor I choose to game on so the 3900x is more than enough. But it would certainly help them with bragging rights and PR for sure. There are some rumors of 10-17% improvements but who knows, there were a lot of false rumors surrounding Zen 2.

No worries about Serious Sam 4, I'm sure Google will express that they are "super committed" to Stadia then cancel the product abruptly.

I've probably lost an uncomfortable amount of my lifespan to loading screens so yes this is a big deal.

Wallshadows wrote on May 20, 2020, 13:34:

Verno wrote on May 20, 2020, 12:53:
I agree with everything else you said but I would still recommend an aftermarket cooler with a 3900x. I tried using stock but its loud and runs hot versus aftermarket. Getting a Noctua dropped my temps like 20 degrees at load and its barely audible relative to the Wraith Prism. If you're spending 3900x sort of bux then get the better cooler.

That's true. My friend bought an NH-U12S and likewise saw a pretty nice drop in temps but it's still great that AMD at least provides a nice looking cooler across all ranges which are functional unlike Intel.

Yeah I totally agree, it's not a bad cooler and it's nice that they bother with one at all. I prefer to keep things cool and quiet though and in gaming, encoding and etc I was noticing temps/noise levels getting uncomfortably high even with a high airflow case and moderate ambient temps. Luckily most benchmark sites noted this stuff before hand so I already had a Noctua on hand and just put the Wraith Prism in my server box instead since that's more spike workloads as opposed to sustained.

Anyways nothing like this space heater obviously

We have a Spotify family membership so it doesn't affect me personally but I feel for people who get it from public feeds or Overcast. JRE is one of those things that sounded totally nuts but he's a surprisingly engrossing interviewer and knows how to keep things interesting. He's had on some interesting and controversial guests which I really appreciate. Everyone from Elon Musk to even flakes like Alex Jones. In fact his episode taking it to Alex Jones about Sandy Hook was fantastic. He doesn't subscribe to PR speak and will ask tough questions if they're on his mind. It's also one of the things that people often criticize him for, he can see the good in almost anyone and is willing to hear them out. The cancel culture crowd especially takes issue with this as they deem it "giving away his platform to hate speech" which I strongly disagree with.

He produces a shitload of content too, something like 3 shows a week so there is always something to listen to. I find myself skipping the shows with MMA nonsense and comedians but that's really more about personal taste.

Wallshadows wrote on May 20, 2020, 12:45:
From what I understand you have to factor in a REALLY good cooling system in to the cost of the 10900k which just blows any value out of the water. H115i and NH-D15s were what it took to keep this furnace "cool" when any kind of work was put to it.

Meanwhile you can slap on the stock cooler of a 3900x and pocket the difference. AMD also unfucked itself with now including the 4000 series support on older generation boards and the fourth generation is (allegedly) coming in with some pretty hefty gains.

I agree with everything else you said but I would still recommend an aftermarket cooler with a 3900x. I tried using stock but its loud and runs hot versus aftermarket. Getting a Noctua dropped my temps like 20 degrees at load and its barely audible relative to the Wraith Prism. If you're spending 3900x sort of bux then get the better cooler.

The Pyro wrote on May 20, 2020, 11:19:
We used to have an elliptical. Younger me thought it would be a cost savings compared to a gym membership - and maybe it was, for a while. But then the machine broke down and it was going to cost $600+ to fix. Meanwhile, Planet Fitness opened up nearby with a very competitive membership fee.

The elliptical lasted 4 or 5 years, so we did get our money out of it, but the gym provides better variety and the membership card doesn't take up half the floor space in my bedroom.

It's been the opposite experience for me. The cost of a good gym membership here is pretty nuts and equipment purchases have been easily amortized within 2 years. I also prefer working out with the missus and both of us hate working out near strangers, half of whom never wipe down the machines or clean up their weights. DIY is certainly not for everyone but I've been able to fix most of our equipment fairly easily thanks to ebay being a clearinghouse for parts.

Well they achieved their goal of hanging onto the gaming performance crown but at what cost? The thermals are kinda crazy. I'm not into MAX FORTNITE FPS so I will just keep my 3900x thanks

We love ours, low impact and if it starts to bug my shoulder I just ease off the handlebars and stick to the pedals. When you start to feel like you're not getting much out of it in a few months due to path of least resistance just start throwing some reverse pedaling into the mix. I have a bad shoulder and my knee isn't in great shape so its one of the few decent workouts I can get into other than biking/swimming.