Nostr notes by xot

"The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why ...

2026-06-19T22:27:02Z

"The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enough"
NPR

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/19/nx-s1-5863604/alien-monopsony-wages-inequality

I always wanted one, but they were out of reach. My 15C was neat, ...

2026-06-04T23:34:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…5ede
_________________________

I always wanted one, but they were out of reach. My 15C was neat, but I lusted for a 16C. I accepted the Casio CM-100 "Computer Math" as a compromise. It's a little hard to find but a lot cheaper. It has very good bitwise functions, and I love this era of Casio design.

The HP 16C is back, baby! The price isn't insane either. I ...

2026-06-04T14:59:28Z

The HP 16C is back, baby! The price isn't insane either. I really WANT one, but I do not NEED one. The JRPN 16C app is not a bad way to scratch the itch.

https://hpcalcs.com/product/hp-16c-collectors-edition/

The GOAT ... er ... YAK. "YOU SHOULD GO WATCH Heart of Neon! ...

2026-05-10T20:20:15Z

The GOAT ... er ... YAK.

"YOU SHOULD GO WATCH Heart of Neon! Seriously!"
Behind The Scanlines

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXmv_h5d0zM

A weird sense memory triggered this image in my mind. This is the ...

2026-04-16T17:15:01Z

A weird sense memory triggered this image in my mind. This is the first thing I drew in a drawing program I wrote for my Apple II Plus back in the day. I think I was brainstorming a zoomed drawing feature on the left. Call MoMA!

Ah, of course. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of ...

2026-03-17T23:20:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…vwy6
_________________________

Ah, of course. If you don't mind me asking, what kind of hardware is required to run a model like that?

Impeccable timing. Claude is having a bad day. ...

2026-03-17T21:52:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…hpj9
_________________________

Impeccable timing. Claude is having a bad day.

https://status.claude.com/

😬

2026-01-20T23:58:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…ec09
_________________________

😬

33 files changed, 718 insertions(+), 568 deletions(-) No souls ...

2026-01-19T23:22:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…g588
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33 files changed, 718 insertions(+), 568 deletions(-)

No souls perished.

Refactoring every bus-connected component in my emulator surely ...

2026-01-18T03:30:33Z

Refactoring every bus-connected component in my emulator surely won't break anything.

This new Apple II game is an incredible take on Frogger and ...

2026-01-12T22:18:58Z

This new Apple II game is an incredible take on Frogger and Crossy Road. It's extremely well-made and has varied and fun challenges. Bravo, Ben and Paul Wasson.

https://www.lasermego.com/a2sw/froggo

There is room for improvement, but this is much better. Dark ...

2026-01-12T17:52:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…xxxm
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There is room for improvement, but this is much better. Dark Magenta looks sufficiently red, Light Blue looks less purple, Yellow looks less green, and Purple looks pleasingly grapey.

I finally got smart and quit writing weird formulas to get my ...

2026-01-12T17:51:18Z

I finally got smart and quit writing weird formulas to get my composite color decoding to look right. Now I can load raw images into Affinity Photo, tweak the colors until I like them, and use those tweaks to create a LUT texture for a new color correction shader. Why did that take me so long?

What a great hack! "It sounds dumb but they really fixed a ...

2026-01-03T00:21:09Z

What a great hack!

"It sounds dumb but they really fixed a typo with a human leg"
https://youtu.be/dUkLYOPRYH4?si=4T523pEWbPRS-sN1

The layout engine is working great. Those little frames around ...

2025-12-30T06:31:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…n40f
_________________________

The layout engine is working great. Those little frames around the debug modules? That used to be a terrible hack. Each module is an independent text console but their frames were drawn separately on a giant console in the background. Now each console draws its own frame in an all new terrible way.

Frank Cifaldi: "Merry Christmas! If you'd like to spend ...

2025-12-26T02:41:47Z

Frank Cifaldi: "Merry Christmas! If you'd like to spend 45 minutes celebrating video game history with me, we're about to debut The Untold Story of the Nintendo Entertainment System. I worked on his ALL YEAR, and I genuinely think it will reshape how we all think about the system."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJvpRGibFhg

The Advent of Compiler Optimizations has wrapped, and what a ...

2025-12-26T02:37:45Z

The Advent of Compiler Optimizations has wrapped, and what a fascinating series it was. If you're a coder and you missed it, check it out and learn what absolute folly it is to try to outsmart the compiler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-BwR-Cw0Gk&list=PL2HVqYf7If8cY4wLk7JUQ2f0JXY_xMQm2

I finally made some progress with a layout engine for my ...

2025-12-22T21:14:13Z

I finally made some progress with a layout engine for my emulator's debugger. The manual layout I've been using (right) is a nightmare to manage and essentially impossible to change at runtime. The new system (left) easily handles dynamic element insertion, deletion, resizing, and container fitting.

Beautiful. 😍

2025-12-20T06:08:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…98zl
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Beautiful. 😍

Submitted by an unnamed correspondent to Nature and published ...

2025-12-20T04:41:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…c3kx
_________________________

Submitted by an unnamed correspondent to Nature and published April 20, 1876.

The PIXELFALLS browser-based game engine looks pretty neat! ...

2025-12-17T20:38:58Z

The PIXELFALLS browser-based game engine looks pretty neat! It's reminiscent of the PICO-8 retro "fantasy console". Edit sprites, levels, Lua code, and music all in one place. Play and share your games in the browser. Limited early access.

https://youtu.be/GtOV6r2YslY?si=PO_FnbZXIkWdb2Hz

https://www.pixelfalls.co.uk

Added a fun memory heatmap to my Apple II emulator. The black ...

2025-12-15T04:32:17Z

Added a fun memory heatmap to my Apple II emulator. The black area represents the 64K address space. It shows memory accesses in real time, blue for reads and red for writes. It still needs some work, but the proof of concept works. Ultimately, it should show all memory, not just the address space.

How accurate is the Analogue3D really? Kaze points out many ...

2025-12-14T16:07:59Z

How accurate is the Analogue3D really? Kaze points out many problems but there is hope they will be fixed. It's not a bad product, it's just not yet the one they are advertising.

https://youtu.be/wrbyP7y5z80?si=mK7ka1L68__XrJpy

Damn, Marty. Your style is shining so bright in these Blender ...

2025-09-30T01:07:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…v8r5
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Damn, Marty. Your style is shining so bright in these Blender animations.

Right in the nostalgia bone. I was dragged kicking and screaming ...

2025-09-09T17:25:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…kvvt
_________________________

Right in the nostalgia bone. I was dragged kicking and screaming from Photoshop 7 to CS 2, self-pirated by Adobe themselves. That was the last kind thing they ever did. 😂

Amazing find! 🤯

2025-08-29T05:33:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…2hzw
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Amazing find! 🤯

This explanation of the SHA3 message digest algorithm is ...

2025-08-21T10:19:31Z

This explanation of the SHA3 message digest algorithm is remarkably clear. It seems complicated at first yet it's elegantly handled by embarrassingly parallel bitwise operations. I don't know who might find this as interesting as me, but here it is if you do.

https://youtu.be/fzlflyw7X2I?si=3h33hfwEEzIOzCNQ

Making it so would be an really interesting project.

2025-08-05T13:58:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…s240
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Making it so would be an really interesting project.

Illuminating BSC 2025 talk by Wassim Alhajomar on vehicle ...

2025-07-30T02:24:33Z

Illuminating BSC 2025 talk by Wassim Alhajomar on vehicle simulation for game developers.

Wassimulator -- Programming Vehicles in Games
BSC 2025
https://youtu.be/MrIAw980iYg?si=y7NaGKOpjJ111Pj-

Wow! Great work.

2025-06-08T12:47:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…es3y
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Wow! Great work.

After this talk, you might finally understand quaternions. * ...

2025-06-04T17:56:09Z

After this talk, you might finally understand quaternions.

* actual understanding may vary

"Quaternions" by Freya Holmer
Nordic Game Jam 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMvIWws8WEo

It never fails. The ultimate Atarians are always from Poland. ...

2025-06-04T03:57:42Z

It never fails. The ultimate Atarians are always from Poland.

"Polish engineer creates postage stamp-sized 1980s Atari computer"
Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/polish-engineer-creates-postage-stamp-sized-1980s-atari-computer/

Fascinating discovery. "In Paper Mario, the Dry Dry Ruins ...

2025-06-03T21:56:37Z

Fascinating discovery.

"In Paper Mario, the Dry Dry Ruins dungeon is laid out in an extremely curious manner internally. ... the rooms are not centered on the coordinate origin. ... they form a cylinder, as seen in the images from various angles."

https://www.suppermariobroth.com/post/785276520509931520/peardian

It is to my lasting shame that I only learned of this song today. ...

2025-06-03T17:19:20Z

It is to my lasting shame that I only learned of this song today. What an astonishingly rich pastiche of, and tribute to, Zappa.

"Weird Al" Yankovic
Genius In France
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwFf9vGRqcs

The nerve of this guy. He'll do anything.

2025-06-03T15:47:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…pk82
_________________________

The nerve of this guy. He'll do anything.

"Making Video Games in 2025 (without an engine)" by the ...

2025-05-19T21:15:40Z

"Making Video Games in 2025 (without an engine)" by the splendid and cool Noel Berry, who worked on some (or many) of your favorite indie games.

https://noelberry.ca/posts/making_games_in_2025/

Thanks to Ian Brumby.

2025-05-17T14:36:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…7prq
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Thanks to Ian Brumby.

This is a lovely biography of Roe Adams III by Hiromasa Iwasaki. ...

2025-05-17T14:26:49Z

This is a lovely biography of Roe Adams III by Hiromasa Iwasaki. Little has been written about Roe, and while his credits are short, they include both foundational CRPG pillars, Ultima and Wizardry, which is incredible. Read how he revitalized a stagnant genre.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CzhUPh4ZjIkL8t5d0o4CHip8WkgALPqv0XnPNEu7l_I/edit?usp=sharing

Stunning. Also, hi Liam!

2025-04-17T23:38:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…rssw
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Stunning. Also, hi Liam!

Mass educational malfeasance.

2025-04-17T18:58:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…ts2q
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Mass educational malfeasance.

I'm impressed. I took a crack at it myself but figured it ...

2025-04-16T02:59:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…c2yc
_________________________

I'm impressed. I took a crack at it myself but figured it would be too much work without it in my hands. The manual is a lifesaver.

Fork of MAME with FROB functionality by Goldnchild: ...

2025-04-15T18:37:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…99z4
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Fork of MAME with FROB functionality by Goldnchild:
https://github.com/goldnchild/mame/tree/frob

Reverse-engineered FROB by Bradley Bell and Curt J. Sampson: ...

2025-04-15T18:37:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…u6pu
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Reverse-engineered FROB by Bradley Bell and Curt J. Sampson:
https://gitlab.com/retroabandon/apple2-re/-/tree/main/frob

Thomas Cherryhomes is on a roll. He recently started posting ...

2025-04-15T18:30:09Z

Thomas Cherryhomes is on a roll. He recently started posting information about The FROB, an Atari 2600 debugger that used the Apple II as a host. Now two community members have managed to reverse-engineer the hardware, and another has it running in MAME.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkfZBKysvFE

Speaking my language: "Programmers take a bug and find a fix ...

2025-04-14T20:08:18Z

Speaking my language: "Programmers take a bug and find a fix for it. We are going to take a fix and find a bug."

The Secret Update of Super Mario Bros. 3
Behind the Code: Version Control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOOlcSVU3p0

How can you not love Lizzo? Lizzo: Love in Real Life/Still Bad ...

2025-04-13T22:16:48Z

How can you not love Lizzo?

Lizzo: Love in Real Life/Still Bad Medley (Live) - SNL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qob2dZ2B5ig

Trump voters. ...

2025-04-13T16:03:47Z

Trump voters.

I'll take that Platinum //e, thank you.

2025-04-13T14:26:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…98g9
_________________________

I'll take that Platinum //e, thank you.

I'm feeling confident AI will destroy us in the stupidest ...

2025-04-12T17:30:21Z

I'm feeling confident AI will destroy us in the stupidest ways possible.

The great Robert Cavey.

2025-04-09T22:19:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…gwzl
_________________________

The great Robert Cavey.

Justice - Neverender (Starring Tame Impala) Live at Accor Arena ...

2025-04-09T20:52:20Z

Justice - Neverender (Starring Tame Impala)
Live at Accor Arena 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9uMoTMbyrQ

Hey. You don't need to try that idiotic generative AI Quake 2 ...

2025-04-06T21:39:51Z

Hey. You don't need to try that idiotic generative AI Quake 2 thing. It is at least as bad as you imagine and probably much worse. There is no joy in it and it is an unimaginably colossal waste of resources. Please do not reward these arsonists with your attention.

He said this in 2020 in response to George Floyd protests.

2025-04-06T16:58:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…02hu
_________________________

He said this in 2020 in response to George Floyd protests.

Kaze Emanuar: "I analyzed every Shader in Mario 64, ...

2025-04-05T21:29:06Z

Kaze Emanuar: "I analyzed every Shader in Mario 64, Here's how they work"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJJC6FJKu58

Peak computing. ...

2025-04-05T04:55:03Z

Peak computing.
https://mastodon.social/@moshboy/114283491111692611

In their defense, their desktop UI is pretty shit as well.

2025-04-05T04:38:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…zxe3
_________________________

In their defense, their desktop UI is pretty shit as well.

Perhaps, though the lowest-tier Steam Deck is technically ...

2025-04-03T15:14:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…28pw
_________________________

Perhaps, though the lowest-tier Steam Deck is technically inferior to the Switch 2 by a wide margin and costs more once you buy a dock for it.

Look, Dear ImGui, I'm real happy for your success, but ...

2025-04-02T12:02:28Z

Look, Dear ImGui, I'm real happy for your success, but you've made searching for general IMGUI knowledge basically impossible.

In that case consider doing it with a shape table with scaling ...

2025-04-01T22:34:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…k3kk
_________________________

In that case consider doing it with a shape table with scaling and rotation and some stack tricks.

Fancy new Cadius return code?

2025-03-30T16:46:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…ene7
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Fancy new Cadius return code?

I'm not as flexible as I used to be.

2025-03-28T22:34:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…ctug
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I'm not as flexible as I used to be.

Peter Wyngarde performance is criminally underrated.

2025-03-28T14:48:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…edxy
_________________________

Peter Wyngarde performance is criminally underrated.

Yech but true.

2025-03-27T20:12:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…lh2p
_________________________

Yech but true.

Digital delivery of games remains extremely problematic from a ...

2025-03-27T16:09:15Z

Digital delivery of games remains extremely problematic from a rights perspective but Nintendo's Virtual Game Card system is a step in a positive direction for once.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWwyh74MXXY

Amazing!

2025-03-27T09:11:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…kvxu
_________________________

Amazing!

I don't get it but I love it. "What is PLUS times ...

2025-03-25T22:34:21Z

I don't get it but I love it.

"What is PLUS times PLUS?"
2swap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcVA8Nj6HEo

Man, that HP-16C keeps grabbing my eye but the PicoCalc looks ...

2025-03-24T23:59:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…gsgk
_________________________

Man, that HP-16C keeps grabbing my eye but the PicoCalc looks awfully sweet too.

I see you're in Memphis.

2025-03-24T23:52:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…8waq
_________________________

I see you're in Memphis.

This stuff never fails to be fascinating. White_Pointer Gaming: ...

2025-03-22T17:02:00Z

This stuff never fails to be fascinating.

White_Pointer Gaming: "More graphical tricks in classic games - Your questions answered!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F12xqhwcjWs

$5,000,000,000 share / 6000 games = $833,333 That is shockingly ...

2025-03-20T02:27:25Z

$5,000,000,000 share / 6000 games = $833,333

That is shockingly high.

https://mastodon.social/@GIbiz/114188798252151856

Years ago, before Cintiq, I had a tiny Wacom and I don't ...

2025-03-19T09:03:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…px73
_________________________

Years ago, before Cintiq, I had a tiny Wacom and I don't think I managed to do a single productive thing with it. Today's tools seem like true force multipliers. Six months ago I nearly bought a hybrid laptop-tablet with a stylus. Instead, I went with something less expensive with good battery life. Though I have twinges of regret, the truth is I haven't drawn seriously for 25+ years. I should probably stick to paper until I feel like the passion is back.

How important would you say the graphics tablet has been to your ...

2025-03-19T06:50:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…3s34
_________________________

How important would you say the graphics tablet has been to your growth as an illustrator?

No fooling. I'm thinking about building a new PC in a couple ...

2025-03-18T05:41:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…zwt4
_________________________

No fooling. I'm thinking about building a new PC in a couple of months and I'm wondering if there is any point.

For all you AY-3-9813 heads out there. Trixter: "After months ...

2025-03-18T03:43:57Z

For all you AY-3-9813 heads out there.

Trixter: "After months of work, I'm happy to release my documentary featurette on a very rare DOS sound card (how's that for niche?). If you have any friends who are into DOS sound cards, the Apple II, music on personal computers in the 1980s, forward this to them; they might like it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeo4INoGyRY

They won't recognize a Constitutional Crisis until Trump ...

2025-03-17T23:43:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…sdlu
_________________________

They won't recognize a Constitutional Crisis until Trump burns the original document.

This is incredible. Mats Engstrom implemented an 8080 with ...

2025-03-17T23:35:25Z

This is incredible. Mats Engstrom implemented an 8080 with 74-series logic in Helmut Neemann's Digital. Here it is running Zork after booting CP/M.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUId6w7LU_M

Congrats on the release, Colin! Very impressive development time.

2025-03-16T10:11:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…qvnu
_________________________

Congrats on the release, Colin! Very impressive development time.

Illustrator and effects artist Tom Sullivan is a delight. ...

2025-03-16T08:37:04Z

Illustrator and effects artist Tom Sullivan is a delight.

"Secrets of the Original Evil Dead Necronomicon!"
Adam Savage's Tested

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFDg1NTKerw

Incredible word choice.

2025-03-15T07:41:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…9hv3
_________________________

Incredible word choice.

A parable: I watched a Godot tutorial and the dude opened up the ...

2025-03-14T06:17:07Z

A parable:

I watched a Godot tutorial and the dude opened up the project settings and typed a word into a box and the thing he wanted instantly appeared and I thought to myself, "Goddammit, GameMaker."

I got you, fam.

2025-03-14T05:30:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…v4g9
_________________________

I got you, fam.

Vegemite sandwich.

2025-03-13T01:31:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…fawu
_________________________

Vegemite sandwich.

Beautiful.

2025-03-11T20:45:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…ckjc
_________________________

Beautiful.

What a wild, deeply unfortunate ride.

2025-03-11T20:28:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…ea7z
_________________________

What a wild, deeply unfortunate ride.

This is a very interesting technique. I'm surprised this ...

2025-03-09T18:01:32Z

This is a very interesting technique. I'm surprised this isn't better known. The same channel explained sampling theory last week and has loads of other image processing videos.

"How a 40-Year-Old Trick Solves Seamless Image Blending"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7qa7i0K9C4

It only takes a modicum of genuine jurisprudence to send those ...

2025-03-09T07:03:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…g3qu
_________________________

It only takes a modicum of genuine jurisprudence to send those freaks into orbit.

It's a nazi bar now, guys.

2025-03-09T07:01:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…7v3y
_________________________

It's a nazi bar now, guys.

So the font "Pricedown" has nothing to do with "The ...

2025-03-09T06:46:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…r0qg
_________________________

So the font "Pricedown" has nothing to do with "The Price is Right". Got it.

Heck yes! Heck, I say! "Ghost - Satanized" ...

2025-03-07T01:51:54Z

Heck yes! Heck, I say!

"Ghost - Satanized"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGR2M2mBJXU

I expected a policy reversal. A full-blown denial that it even ...

2025-03-06T19:03:24Z

I expected a policy reversal. A full-blown denial that it even happened is a surprise.

"Brother denies using firmware updates to brick printers with third-party ink"

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/brother-denies-using-firmware-updates-to-brick-printers-with-third-party-ink/

They make good products, too. I've always recommended them ...

2025-03-05T15:39:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…8nsq
_________________________

They make good products, too. I've always recommended them for both their product performance and their policies. But I can't recommend them until they reverse this lock-in baloney.

I've got an older printer that I don't think is capable ...

2025-03-05T02:48:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…y2gw
_________________________

I've got an older printer that I don't think is capable of updating itself. I hope it lasts as long as my previous laser, it's a champ.

Honeymoon's over. "Brother accused of locking down ...

2025-03-05T01:49:27Z

Honeymoon's over.

"Brother accused of locking down third-party printer ink cartridges via forced firmware updates, removing older firmware versions from support portals"

https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/printers/brother-accused-of-locking-down-third-party-printer-ink-cartridges-via-firmware-updates-removing-older-firmware-versions-from-support-portals

Interesting and useful regardless of platform. "GameMaker: ...

2025-03-03T10:26:09Z

Interesting and useful regardless of platform.

"GameMaker: Custom pseudorandom number generators!"
https://yal.cc/gamemaker-custom-prngs/

I'm utterly enraged that the new Grok logo is kinda good. ...

2025-03-02T21:25:45Z

I'm utterly enraged that the new Grok logo is kinda good.

I tried it for a while in 2021 and liked it. It performed well, ...

2025-03-02T21:11:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…2g9r
_________________________

I tried it for a while in 2021 and liked it. It performed well, had good features, and ran the extensions I needed. Something about it irritated me but I don't remember what. It's worth trying and was one of the best candidates when I was searching for Chrome off-ramp.

Nostr event nevent1qqsfa57u5zp9wmgvkdewq48pwg7zn7t8js4wlatwfvlhu345a42g8gczyqvds47zp25me0dwlwulvpl2dc8nu74s488ztlumz35lsuh4d6ekytqj2q6

2025-03-01T15:59:00Z

https://mefi.social/@best_of_mltshp/114085910432707357

Is there another option?

2025-02-28T17:04:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…nd4v
_________________________

Is there another option?

Sick!

2025-02-28T16:21:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…7e90
_________________________

Sick!

For those playing along at home, here is a Project 2025 Tracker. ...

2025-02-25T15:51:05Z

For those playing along at home, here is a Project 2025 Tracker. Those freaks have set an amazing pace and should be done in no time.

https://www.project2025.observer/