DynamoSunshirt's recent activity
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Comment on Looking for recommendations for a new home router in ~tech
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Comment on ‘Wicked: For Good’ opening to $150m; records broken for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Broadway musical feature take and more in ~movies
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentNice tip about the Into the Woods proshot -- checking that out now!Nice tip about the Into the Woods proshot -- checking that out now!
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Comment on ‘Wicked: For Good’ opening to $150m; records broken for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Broadway musical feature take and more in ~movies
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI can definitely see the look and feel, as well as the live singing, being an issue for some people. Personally I would rather they kept the movie's appearance more basic, and stick to a singing...I can definitely see the look and feel, as well as the live singing, being an issue for some people. Personally I would rather they kept the movie's appearance more basic, and stick to a singing style more in line with what you see on stage. But I also understand that directors want to use the movie medium to its full potential -- it sometimes feels like certain people just want a multicam recording of a stage performance. In which case, Disney's Hamilton recording is the only one I'm aware of. Did people hate that, too? I wish more musicals got that treatment, which is a lot cheaper and honestly better than a full movie IMO.
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Comment on ‘Wicked: For Good’ opening to $150m; records broken for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Broadway musical feature take and more in ~movies
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentMaybe a dumb question, but why do so many people hate the Les Mis movie so much? As I implied before, I honestly like it a lot... but I can see how Russell Crowe's not-very-Broadway singing and...Maybe a dumb question, but why do so many people hate the Les Mis movie so much? As I implied before, I honestly like it a lot... but I can see how Russell Crowe's not-very-Broadway singing and the director's insistence on imperfect, breathy, teary live performances of songs might hurt it for true musical aficionados. I can't help but feel like I'm missing something, like I'm some kind of uncultured rube since I honestly liked it.
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Comment on ‘Wicked: For Good’ opening to $150m; records broken for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Broadway musical feature take and more in ~movies
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentThanks for the link, that's wild! I retract my unwarranted CGI bias. Unfortunately it just looked cheap to me given the very harsh lighting in those last few minutes of the movie, so I assumed it...Thanks for the link, that's wild! I retract my unwarranted CGI bias. Unfortunately it just looked cheap to me given the very harsh lighting in those last few minutes of the movie, so I assumed it was CGI. I'm glad to hear they tried practical effects, it's too bad it didn't land for me. But I'll appreciate it more now for being practical!
Good point about Yeoh's singing. Really hurt a few of the songs where she popped in for a few lyrics. Sheryl or Hannah would have been fantastic. Hannah's singing voice is so good, it's honestly hard to believe they passed her up.
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Comment on ‘Wicked: For Good’ opening to $150m; records broken for Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Broadway musical feature take and more in ~movies
DynamoSunshirt LinkI suppose I'll go against the grain here and reveal that I quite enjoyed this movie. The new original songs were a bit shallow, but generally played well with the musical and plot themes of Act 2....I suppose I'll go against the grain here and reveal that I quite enjoyed this movie. The new original songs were a bit shallow, but generally played well with the musical and plot themes of Act 2. The cinematography was pretty fun at times -- the mirror bits in "Girl in the Bubble" and the zoom out through Oz's machinations as his figurative machinations grind to a halt stood out to me as particularly inventive. The action scenes remained a bit too actiony (good god, I cringe every time they start that awful drum monkey theme), and Fiyero's scarecrowification CGI was... much worse than the scarecrow makeup in the original Wizard of Oz (it looked like Michael Scott took a George Foreman grill, or perhaps a particularly fine waffle iron, to his face).
I couldn't help but draw parallels between Oz and Trump throughout the movie, maybe a smidge more overt than the typical "Oz is a corrupt, immoral huckster" take. But that's probably just me reading too far into it. Overall I thought Goldblum did a great job (very Gene Wilder Willy Wonka at times), same for the main characters, with the exception of Madame Morrible... I just don't get the enthusiasm for Michelle's acting, I never get any emotion from her. And I was glad that they toned down the comic relief Galinda posse to true background work in this film, they really didn't work for me in Part 1.
8.5/10 musical movie IMO. I enjoy the stage musical a lot, too, so I'm admittedly biased... but I enjoyed this about as much as I liked the Les Mis movie from 2013ish. Honesty I always thought the stage musical Act 2 was a bit rushed, so I was happy to let it breathe. Could have taken even more time for Nessa and Fiyero plots, but you have to cut it somewhere.
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Comment on The DoorDash problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentSure, on a computer or phone or tablet. But you might not be able to check out the item if you're using a voice assistant! For the most obscure niches (say, an espresso machine, or a mountain...Sure, on a computer or phone or tablet. But you might not be able to check out the item if you're using a voice assistant!
For the most obscure niches (say, an espresso machine, or a mountain bike, or an ereader), it might be both difficult to articulate your preferences and hard to assess the quality of a product without deep knowledge of the space. But I suppose those are also categories where I wouldn't trust a human assistant -- the only way to make a good decision is to deeply research the space yourself so you understand the tradeoffs, which likely involves practical experience.
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Comment on New ‘Stargate’ TV series ordered at Amazon from ‘Blindspot’ creator Martin Gero in ~tv
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentHey, Universe could always come back and respect the canon. Honestly, it would probably be the best way to "soft reboot" it with no Earth bodyswapping stone connection at all. They could probably...Hey, Universe could always come back and respect the canon. Honestly, it would probably be the best way to "soft reboot" it with no Earth bodyswapping stone connection at all. They could probably build a whole season out of stasis hangover stuff, trying to figure out how much time has passed, where the Destiny wound up. It's also a really easy excuse to kill off any characters whose actors can't come back.
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Comment on A new era of intelligence with Gemini 3 in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentNow called "efficient", FYI.Now called "efficient", FYI.
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Comment on How to brew solar powered coffee in ~food
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentIf you don't include travel time, that seems likely to be the fastest boil time possible! Though, come to think of it, doesn't water have an especially low boiling point in a vacuum? You might not...If you don't include travel time, that seems likely to be the fastest boil time possible! Though, come to think of it, doesn't water have an especially low boiling point in a vacuum? You might not even have to go all the way there.
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Comment on How to brew solar powered coffee in ~food
DynamoSunshirt LinkFeels a bit overcomplicated, no? Step 1: plant tree Step 2: wait Step 3: harvest wood Step 4: fire Step 5: boil water for a pourover on your fire To save time, you can just use an existing tree....Feels a bit overcomplicated, no?
Step 1: plant tree
Step 2: wait
Step 3: harvest wood
Step 4: fire
Step 5: boil water for a pourover on your fireTo save time, you can just use an existing tree. Fortunately they're all solar powered!
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Comment on New ‘Stargate’ TV series ordered at Amazon from ‘Blindspot’ creator Martin Gero in ~tv
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentNo hate, I just never got around to it. Should I?No hate, I just never got around to it. Should I?
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Comment on New ‘Stargate’ TV series ordered at Amazon from ‘Blindspot’ creator Martin Gero in ~tv
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentAs much as I love Universe, I have to agree. Love me some grit but I think we all need something upbeat these days. And there's very little competition in the sci fi space from the last few years!As much as I love Universe, I have to agree. Love me some grit but I think we all need something upbeat these days. And there's very little competition in the sci fi space from the last few years!
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Comment on New ‘Stargate’ TV series ordered at Amazon from ‘Blindspot’ creator Martin Gero in ~tv
DynamoSunshirt LinkAs a lifelong fan of the three main series, I couldn't be more excited. SG-1 and Atlantis will always have a nostalgic sweet spot in my heart. Universe had so much potential, and helped give me an...As a lifelong fan of the three main series, I couldn't be more excited. SG-1 and Atlantis will always have a nostalgic sweet spot in my heart. Universe had so much potential, and helped give me an appreciation for grittier science fiction. The franchise has great heart.
While I think older Star Treks (TNG and DS9 in particular) do a better job of exploring moral and philosophical problems through a technological lens, modern Star Trek is such bastardized action schlock, it's created a big opportunity to create modern optimistic science fiction. Let's hope they pull it off!
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Comment on Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentStarting to feel a bit like Omelas (from the short story). Easy to pretend everything is good even when you know the very core is rotten with corruption and suffering... well, easy for some...Starting to feel a bit like Omelas (from the short story). Easy to pretend everything is good even when you know the very core is rotten with corruption and suffering... well, easy for some people, I guess. I am increasingly tempted to walk away.
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Comment on Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayor’s race, capping a stunning ascent in ~society
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentRecently moved out of the city, so I have a slightly different perspective. No, the city is not about to revert to some 80s hellscape. But affordability and transportation are in crisis, maybe...Recently moved out of the city, so I have a slightly different perspective. No, the city is not about to revert to some 80s hellscape. But affordability and transportation are in crisis, maybe their biggest crises ever.
The city really needs to figure out how to maintain and extend the subway to accommodate the huge amounts of new housing we're building.
LIC transportation is a huge headache right now because it's still using the same set of subway stations we had one hundred years ago in the same place, back when that neighborhood was a sea of strip clubs, warehouses, and taxi mechanics.
Gowanus housing is exploding and on the cusp of doing the same thing to Cobble Hill, Park Slope, and Carroll Gardens transport.
And the city is planning to replace the waterfront shipping district south of Brooklyn Bridge park with... even more housing. Which is great! But in NYC, where even the lower upper class can scarcely justify the cost, time, and space needed for an automobile, we need to build more transportation of all kinds to accommodate these new commutes. There should be new subway lines, new BRT routes, and new bike highways servicing all of these new residential developments. Hell, at least Hudson Yards got a new 7 stop, even if nobody but the .01% lives in Hudson Yards.
And even worse, Mamdani is currently cozying up to NYPD Commissioner Tisch, Eric Adams' partner in crime for elevating minor bicycle offenses to criminal offenses. And Eric Adams has actually started removing protection from bicycle lanes like Bedford Ave, right at the time when we should be creating more protected lanes to make it easier for people to embrace multimodal transport. Astoria's 31st street bike lane has been paused because of an ongoing lawsuit, likely for at least 6 months now that we've reached the end of "painting season" for the roads.
And that's not even mentioning all of the work that needs to be done to protect the city from flooding, something we were all reminded of when tons of streets flooded just last week in a not-that-serious rainstorm. Lord help us if a serious Noreaster or tropical storm comes through.
NYC is hardly in the midst of a crime crisis. But the city really needs to focus on quality of life issues like walkability, bikeability, and improving subway service. I know most people would call NYC highly walkable, but until we improve daylighting and curb the dangerous habits of drivers who routinely speed and run stop signs/red lights, I give it a B- at best. Vehicle crime is still crime!
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentAgreed. Paired with our municipal water and electric services, we hardly need a federal government at all! Y'know, except for passing back the 30% income tax the federal government hoovers up from...Agreed. Paired with our municipal water and electric services, we hardly need a federal government at all! Y'know, except for passing back the 30% income tax the federal government hoovers up from every working stiff, in the form of obnoxiously specific grants that are usually biased towards car infrastructure and fossil fuels.
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Comment on Spotify, the world's biggest music streaming service, has announced it is working with major labels on using artificial intelligence in a "responsible" way in ~music
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentSounds a lot like "useful ads." An oxymoron.Sounds a lot like "useful ads." An oxymoron.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentMeanwhile, I would honestly enjoy building a car-free city with walking/public transit/bicycling as the main methods of transportation. But I suspect it would cost many tens of billions to get...Meanwhile, I would honestly enjoy building a car-free city with walking/public transit/bicycling as the main methods of transportation. But I suspect it would cost many tens of billions to get anywhere.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentSounds cool, unless you played Bioshock Infinite! Speaking of which, why not build a city underwater? What could possibly go wrong!Sounds cool, unless you played Bioshock Infinite! Speaking of which, why not build a city underwater? What could possibly go wrong!
I am about to upgrade from my ancient Apple Airport router to an OpenWRT One. Seems like a nice balance of open source software/hardware and semi-official support. And reviews seem really good from the community as far as performance, buffer bloat, etc is concerned. OpenWRT isn't the easiest interface but it isn't too bad, either. Might be worth considering, and at $89 it's more affordable than any other option out there!