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Commodore 64 Basic for PostgreSQL
19 days ago
- PL/CBMBASIC allows PostgreSQL to run functions written in Commodore 64 BASIC V2, using the actual 1982 interpreter compiled into C.
- It features line numbers starting at 10, mandatory for code, with function arguments injected as BASIC variables in lines 0-9.
- Includes a validator that enforces C64 BASIC naming rules, preventing variables with embedded keywords (e.g., 'TOTAL' contains 'TO').
- OUT parameters are handled by reading BASIC's variable table from emulated RAM after program execution.
- Device 8 is mapped to the database, allowing use of OPEN, INPUT#, PRINT#, etc., to execute SQL statements and read results.
- Errors are trapped through the interpreter's ERROR vector, providing PostgreSQL errors with original BASIC error codes.
- Performance benchmarks show it's slower than PL/Python but faster than the original hardware, with a 15-microsecond reset per call.
- Limitations include uppercase-only strings, 255-character string limits, no NULL support, and superuser-only untrusted language status.
The most unbelievable things about life before smartphones (2020)
14 days ago
- Life before smartphones involved getting lost frequently, waiting without real-time information, and lacking efficiency or instant gratification.
- Personal interactions were face-to-face, dating required direct communication, and social validation was minimal compared to today's digital likes and alerts.
- Entertainment involved physical media like mixtapes and record stores, limited photo-taking with film cameras, and consuming news through printed papers.
- Health and wellness awareness was lower, with no tracking of steps or access to motivational content, and fewer discussions on therapy or social issues.
- Technology was less integrated; devices didn't communicate, surveillance was rare, and daily life lacked the constant connectivity and updates of modern times.
'Chinese Dreamcore,' Where Gen Z Relives a Brighter Past
16 days ago
- Young Chinese are using Chinese Dreamcore, a digital subculture, to cope with current economic hardships by reminiscing about the early 2000s.
- This trend involves sharing nostalgic content like old photos, memes, and retro aesthetics from childhood, serving as a 'digital pain reliever'.
- Chinese Dreamcore resonates emotionally with Gen Z, who feel a loss of familiar past scenes due to rapid societal changes and urbanization.
- Artists and creators contribute through eerie mash-ups, animations, and photography to preserve memories and express subconscious feelings.
- State media warns of risks like existential crises from over-immersion, though it's seen as more superficial than past nostalgic critiques.
- The trend has gone mainstream, appearing in games, ads, and products, while fostering community and healing through shared vulnerability.
My Midlife Crisis Corolla Is Fast, Furious, and Modded
7 days ago
- The author bought a GR Corolla, a high-performance version of the Toyota Corolla, for his 50th birthday, describing its aggressive design and modifications like an exhaust system, wheels, and audio upgrades.
- He reflects on the 1990s Southern California import car culture, highlighting how Asian Americans pioneered it by modifying affordable Japanese cars, creating a community and identity separate from mainstream stereotypes.
- The author connects his current GR Corolla to his past 1989 Honda CRX, emphasizing how cars can evoke nostalgia and personal history, and critiques The Fast and the Furious for whitewashing Asian American contributions and misrepresenting street racing.
- He shares a story of a Vietnamese American mechanic, a real-life import car legend who worked on his Corolla, symbolizing poetic justice and the importance of Asian Americans being heroes in their own narratives.
I Owe My Life to the Commodore 64
5 days ago
- The Commodore 64 was affordable compared to other personal computers in the 1980s, costing under $600 and eventually dropping to $199.
- Purchasing the Commodore 64 was justified as an educational tool, but the author primarily used it for playing pirated video games, which taught problem-solving skills.
- Playing sports simulation games on the Commodore 64 helped the author learn about American sports and fostered camaraderie with others.
- The computer connected the author internationally, such as with an Austrian relative, and locally through Bulletin Board Systems (BBS), leading to friendships and job opportunities.
- The author wrote a novel using the Commodore 64's word processor, filling two floppy disks, which sparked a lifelong passion for writing.
- The Commodore 64 foundationaly contributed to the author's career as a Lead Application Developer by fostering early computing skills and perseverance.
- Decades later, the author purchased a replica Commodore 64 Ultimate, evoking nostalgic emotions and memories of early computing experiences.
It's a shame what's happened to radio
10 hours ago
- The author enjoyed a nine-year radio career starting in college, but now feels radio has lost its appeal.
- Radio has changed due to corporate consolidation, deregulation, and ratings measurement changes, reducing local talent and live interaction.
- Advertisers target younger demographics, ignoring older listeners like the author.
- Voicetracking and satellite formats have replaced live DJs, making stations feel impersonal.
- The author's former stations are off the air, and favorite local DJs have been let go or passed away.
- The author now listens to music on iPhone and NPR for news, concluding radio's decline is partly self-inflicted.

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#nostalgia

Commodore 64 Basic for PostgreSQL

The most unbelievable things about life before smartphones (2020)

'Chinese Dreamcore,' Where Gen Z Relives a Brighter Past

My Midlife Crisis Corolla Is Fast, Furious, and Modded

I Owe My Life to the Commodore 64

It's a shame what's happened to radio