SDF Chatter

But I'm trying!

I get why people love lost media. There's something thrilling about the idea that a half-forgotten cartoon or bootleg VHS might still be out there, waiting to be found. The internet eats that stuff up—forum deep dives, YouTube essays, decades-long hunts for proof.

But here’s what gets me: the flip side. The stuff that was everywhere. Huge hits. Critically adored. Easy to find. And yet... somehow, no one remembers. Not lost media. Lost consciousness. And it’s way weirder.

One of them is the band Everclear. They were a major part of the ‘90s alternative scene. They sold millions of albums, were critically respected, and you couldn’t escape their music videos on TV. But now? No one talks about them. Somehow, one-hit wonders like Harvey Danger get more nostalgic shoutouts than Everclear. And damn it—I still love that band. Yet their subreddit has only 874 subscribers. That’s shockingly low for a group that should be iconic.

Another example—this time from film—is Road to Perdition. It was a box office smash, earning $180 million. Nominated for six Oscars. Won Best Cinematography. And yet… it’s like it never existed. When people talk about Tom Hanks movies, this one rarely comes up. Even in gangster movie lists, it gets ignored. If you’re in your 20s or younger, you probably don’t even know this movie exists.

Now here’s another case of lost consciousness: Trine.

It came out in 2009. Sold over a million copies. On Steam, it has a 95% positive rating across 12,000+ reviews—one of the most beloved games of its year, at least on paper. It launched a five-game franchise, and each sequel sold millions in turn. And yet… no one talks about Trine.

You have to understand how significant this was. In the 2000s, 2D platformers were mostly dead on PC and consoles. If you wanted one, you had to go handheld—Game Boy Advance, maybe DS. On other platforms, there were a few indie exceptions: Cave Story, Braid. But back then, “indie” wasn’t what it is now. In the 2000s, no one even knew what indie meant. And most indie platformers of the time? They lacked polish. Great ideas, sure—but not a lot of visual flair or technical sophistication.

Then came Trine.

It was gorgeous. The visuals still hold up today. Beautiful sprite work, luminous lighting, detailed backdrops. Trine had a beauty that other 2D platformers didn’t. And I know it was special because I actually finished it—and I don’t finish most games. I even left a review on Steam. I said something like: "Trine is about entering a vibrant world where you solve problems through unique characters. In this, it shines. It’s a true PC classic." And I still believe that.

It wasn’t just the art. The physics-based puzzles were brilliant. You had to think in terms of motion, weight, momentum. And instead of one playable character, you got three: a wizard, a thief, and a knight, each with unique abilities. The wizard could conjure boxes and teleport. The thief had a bow and a grappling hook. The knight had a sword and shield. Super fresh.

Also? Co-op mode. That was a huge draw. Not many 2D platformers—especially in 2009—had that. I didn’t play much co-op myself, but I know people who bought the game just for it.

So yes. Trine is incredible.

And yet… obscure. Forgotten. Go to YouTube—no retrospectives. No nostalgia posts. No "remember this?" energy. It’s like it’s disappeared from memory.

Why?

I think part of it is that Trine was ahead of the curve. It brought back the 2D platformer before the revival fully kicked in. It helped revive the genre—but didn’t get the credit. Another factor? It was made by an indie studio—Frozenbyte, based in Finland. And while Trine became their flagship, they’ve made other titles too: Nine Parchments, Has-Been Heroes, Boreal Blade. I even liked their earlier top-down shooter, Shadowgrounds.

But Frozenbyte isn’t Nintendo. They’re not Capcom. Not even Devolver. They’re small. And even when the little guy wins, they rarely get their due.

Another reason: Trine’s fanbase was mostly on PC. Yes, it came to PS3, but physical copies are rare. So I suspect most players were PC gamers. And for some reason, PC gaming classics don’t get the same nostalgic glow as console games. You don’t hear about Hexen or Divinity the same way you hear about old Nintendo or Sony titles. That’s something I’ve noticed for a while.

I hope it changes. But I’m not holding my breath.

Still—I’ll scream it to the heavens: Trine is amazing. It deserves to be remembered. It’s one of the most compelling, fun platformers I’ve ever played. Every minute I spent with it was worth it.

Israel is perpetrating a “live-streamed genocide” in Gaza, committing illegal acts with the “specific intent” of wiping out Palestinians, Amnesty International has said.

Israeli forces in Gaza have violated the United Nations Genocide Convention with acts that include “causing serious bodily or mental harm to civilians” and “deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction”, the human rights organisation said in its annual report released on Monday.

More than 51,300 people, including at least 17,400 children, have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The Amnesty International report: The State of the World’s Human Rights: April 2025

...Because he speaks for the trees

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28854294

The UK government shared contact details of counter-terrorism police and prosecutors with the Israeli embassy during an investigation into protests at an arms factory, official documents suggest, raising concerns about foreign interference.

An email was sent on 9 September last year by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to Daniela Grudsky Ekstein, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK, with the subject matter “CPS/SO15 [Crown Prosecution Service/counterterrorism police] contact details”.

Last August, 10 Palestine Action activists were arrested under the Terrorism Act after a protest at an Israeli weapons factory, and in November a further eight were arrested under the act in relation to the same incident. The email sent by Nicola Smith, the head of international law at the AGO, and obtained through a freedom of information (FoI) request, was sent 11 days after she had met Grudsky Ekstein. It was redacted apart from the subject matter.

Lydia​ Dagostino, from Kellys Solicitors, who represents some Palestine Action activists, said: “The information disclosed in response to an FoI request clearly raises questions and needs further investigation.

“Why, for example, did the Attorney General’s Office provide the contact details for the Crown Prosecution Service, an independent body, to the Israelis?​ What further exchanges followed and was there discussions about ongoing criminal prosecutions?​”

Dr Shahd Hammouri​, an academic and international lawyer, also raised concerns about evidence “which indicates foreign influence”.

A readout of what was discussed at the 28 August meeting between Smith and Grudsky Ekstein was heavily redacted. However, past disclosures have shown apparent requests by the Israeli embassy to the AGO to intervene in individual cases – unspecified due to redactions – and meetings held between the Israeli defence contractor’s representatives and the AGO and Home Office ministers.

In 2023, the Guardian revealed that in response to a redacted request from the Israeli embassy, the director general of the AGO, Douglas Wilson, replied: “As we noted … the CPS makes its prosecution decisions and manages its casework independently. The law officers are unable to intervene on an individual case or comment on issues related to active proceedings.”

Wilson was also present at the meeting in August last year with Smith and Grudsky Ekstein.

A 2023 briefing note for a meeting between Chris Philp, then a Home Office minister, and the Israeli embassy said the CPS declined to attend the meeting “to preserve their operational independence”.

Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, said: “The timing of this correspondence coincides with the ongoing investigation into Palestine Action activists accused of dismantling the […] site of Israel’s biggest arms producer.

“It seems apparent that the Attorney General’s Office has facilitated foreign interference in this case and potentially other ongoing criminal cases.”

In November last year, four UN special rapporteurs wrote to the UK government expressing concern about the “apparently unjustified use” of terrorism legislation against protesters. People arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 can he held for up to 14 days without charge.

The letter from the human rights experts said those arrested in August were initially held for 36 hours, without access to legal representation, before being detained for a further seven days under powers contained in counter-terrorism legislation.

The letter said: “Counterterrorism legislation, including the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Terrorism Act 2006, appears to have been increasingly used in the context of domestic support for Palestinian self-determination and political activism against the United Kingdom’s foreign policy on the conflict in the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza.

“In particular, members of Palestine Action – a grassroots movement that organises direct actions against Israeli weapons factories in the United Kingdom – have reportedly been arrested under counter-terrorism legislation for conduct that appears to be in the nature of ordinary criminal offences and does not appear to be genuinely ‘terrorist’ according to international standards.”

No one was charged with offences under the Terrorism Act in relation to the protest. The 10 people charged with non-terrorism offences have had their legal support, family visits, healthcare and religious rights limited while in prison awaiting trial, according to the special rapporteurs’ letter.

A government source said: “It has been routine under successive governments for AGO to help embassies get in contact with the relevant authorities purely for purposes of sharing information that could be relevant to a case.

“Decisions to prosecute, convict and sentence are, rightly, made independently of government by the Crown Prosecution Service, juries and judges respectively.”

The Israeli embassy did not respond to a request for comment. Relating to a separate case, an Israeli embassy spokesperson previously said it respected the independence of the British judicial system and “under no circumstances would interfere in UK legal proceedings”.

The Regime has issued 2 new Executive Orders which have a lot of implications, especially when paired together.

Remember, historical authoritarian consolidation typically follows this pattern:

1. Target marginalized groups first
2. Create legal/administrative frameworks under crisis justification
3. Gradually expand systems to broader populations
4. Centralize power under executive control

Summary of the Executive Orders

1. Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens

   • Orders the compilation of a list of "sanctuary jurisdictions" [Blue States and Cities] which are deemed in defiance of the Regime.
   • It warns of consequences for places with Sanctuary Jurisdiction Status including suspension or termination of Federal funds as well as legal remedies and enforcement measures to bring such jurisdictions into compliance.
   • When a State or City is judged as defying the Regime, all Aliens in that Sanctuary Jurisdiction lose Federal Benefits. There is no specification if the Alien is a criminal, if they are legally staying in the US, or even if they have a green card and are a Resident Alien.
   • The order also states that it will violate States rights and that the Federal Government will identify and take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices that it disagrees with.

2. Strengthening and Unleashing America's Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens

   • Provide Federally funded legal resources and indemnification to law enforcement officers who incur expenses and liabilities for actions taken while enforcing the law
   • Recruit, retrain, and protect law enforcement so that they can better carry out the Regime's orders
   • Make examples out of anyone that in any way defies a law enforcement officer or the Regime
   • invest in the security and capacity of prisons
   • increase the investment in and collection, distribution, and uniformity of crime data across jurisdictions.
   • increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement.
   • determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized
   • prosecution of State and local officials who direct the obstruction of criminal law or engage in DEI
   • Use of Homeland Security Task Forces to coordinate the expedition of this order

What is the Regime planning with these 2 orders?

• Regime command over State autonomy

  • The intention to withhold Federal resources by demanding cooperation in immigration and law enforcement.
  • The Regime wants to assert unchecked authority to force compliance.
  • States might resist, but absent constitutional safeguards, they’d have no recourse -- only political defiance (e.g., governors refusing Federal funding).
  • Regime oversight of local law enforcement erodes state/local autonomy, ensuring loyalty to the regime.
  • Funds and equipment flow to loyalists, reinforcing regime-aligned factions.

• Threatening sanctions

  • Withholding Federal funding
  • Directly prosecuting state officials for obstruction
  • Framing critics as "criminals", discredits opposition in the eyes of the public.

• Fear and Compliance

  • Further militarized police that are free to do anything they want foster a climate of fear, discouraging dissent.
  • Rhetoric of "protecting innocents" legitimizes crackdowns to the general public.
  • Creates a scapegoat "Criminal alien" that could be expanded to other groups

• Expanded Law Enforcement Powers

  • Grants law enforcement agencies broader authority, including reduced judicial oversight in certain cases.
  • Increases funding and resources for local law enforcement, including military-grade equipment, under the justification of "protecting innocent citizens."
  • Directs federal agencies to coordinate more closely with local law enforcement, potentially bypassing state or local autonomy.
  • Coordination between federal and local agencies enable better surveillance of dissidents or censorship.

• Erosion of Checks and Balances

  • Limits judicial review for certain law enforcement actions, weakening accountability mechanisms.
  • Creates a patronage system where agencies depend on executive branch resources.
  • Reduced judicial oversight allows the regime to bypass legal challenges.
  • Rapid implementation without legislative debate avoids scrutiny or opposition.

Historical Parallels

• Germany (1930s): The Reichstag Fire Decree centralized power under the guise of "public safety."
• Venezuela (2000s): Chávez federalized police and courts.
• Modern Autocrats: Rules against "extremism" in Russia or "subversion" in China are used to criminalize dissent.
• Militarization: Increased police militarization can lead to suppression of protests or civil unrest under the guise of maintaining order.
• Echoes authoritarian playbooks where law enforcement is weaponized against political opponents.
• Language emphasizing "law and order" and "protecting the innocent," has historically been used to justify crackdowns on dissent.

A Palestinian diplomat told the United Nations’ top court on Monday that Israel is killing and displacing civilians and targeting aid workers in Gaza, in a case that Israel criticized as part of its “systematic persecution and delegitimization.”

While Israel was not in court, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hit back at the case.

“I accuse UNRWA, I accuse the U.N., I accuse the secretary-general and I accuse all those that weaponized international law and its institutions in order to deprive the most attacked country in the world, Israel, of its most basic right to defend itself,” he told a news conference in Jerusalem. He said the court hearing was part of a “systematic persecution and delegitimization” of his country.

Comments

This is a pretty common staircase type where I live but how do I map it? Should I make lines over each other multiple times, each with different level? Or just one line and don't care about the other floors? I don't know if I'm searching for wrong terms but I have a surprisingly hard time on getting info about stairs mapping.

Can you point me to the right direction or post some example?

Originally Posted By u/Omiyaru At 2025-04-28 10:20:38 PM | Source