Auk's recent activity
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Comment on ITA was a 1960s schools experiment that created a whole new alphabet – and left thousands of UK children unable to spell in ~humanities.languages
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ITA was a 1960s schools experiment that created a whole new alphabet – and left thousands of UK children unable to spell
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Auk LinkMost recently finished Red Side Story, the sequel to Jasper Fforde's unfortunately named Shades of Grey. I'd rate it as decent, it continues a setting I found interestingly unusual in the first...Most recently finished Red Side Story, the sequel to Jasper Fforde's unfortunately named Shades of Grey. I'd rate it as decent, it continues a setting I found interestingly unusual in the first book and ended up giving a few answers to why the world works the way it does by the end.
Before that I went through the first three books of the Cenotaph Road series and started on the fourth but got distracted and bounced off mid way. I might come back to that later, if only to finish the series. It's a fairly classic style fantasy series with the more unusual bits of the sidekick being a giant spider and the multi-world traversal being enabled by the graves of important enough figures.
In progress and what I've spent most time on recently is working through a sci fi (primarily military sci fi) web serial called First Contact, I'm reading it through Royal Road but I believe it's one that was also posted on /r/HFY. That gives an indication as to what sort of story it is for those who've heard of that subreddit, for those who haven't think of the classic trope of aliens in sci fi being portrayed as more technologically advanced/stronger/etc than humanity and then reverse that. Currently about halfway though in the mid 500s of ~1000 chapters (moderate to short length), it started a bit slow with a mishmash of characters but after 5-10 chapters it was interesting enough to want to keep going.
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Comment on Do you like being thrifty? in ~talk
Auk LinkI do like a quick whip around of various local op shops on weekends, even though good finds seem to be becoming less and less common these days it's still satisfying to find something worthwhile....I do like a quick whip around of various local op shops on weekends, even though good finds seem to be becoming less and less common these days it's still satisfying to find something worthwhile.
I generally try and reduce the amount I spend despite having a couple of expensive hobbies - primarily an assortment of motorcycles (and associated equipment) and camera gear. The bikes and cars for example are all secondhand models and go back a bit so were relatively cheap (newest and most expensive is my 2007 Transporter which set me back ~$6k). I also do almost everything on my vehicles myself, about the only exceptions are fitting tyres for the car/van and the road bikes plus the annoyance of annual safety inspections. Most of my outer clothes have come from op shops (though I am picky about what I get) and while I did assemble a new desktop PC a few years back my laptops are ones I've salvaged from ewaste.
I am prepared to spend more money than strictly necessary for some things though - for example I like quality tools to work with (even secondhand this can be expensive) and believe cheaping out on tyres is setting yourself up for failure. The cameras are another here - while I definitely spent a lot less than new prices for the vast majority of my collection the cost of nice quality equipment adds up.
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Comment on 'The Wheel of Time' cancelled after three seasons in ~tv
Auk LinkI'm surprised it made it to three seasons, I watched the first but wasn't convinced to bother with the second. It started poorly with things like claiming the Dragon Reborn could be a woman and...- Exemplary
I'm surprised it made it to three seasons, I watched the first but wasn't convinced to bother with the second. It started poorly with things like claiming the Dragon Reborn could be a woman and Perrin suddenly having then killing a wife, and didn't rise above mediocre after that. The end with Mat being removed from the group, Rand separating from the group, and Nynaeve and Egwene having a massive battle that didn't happen in the books (then proceeding to heal being burnt out, which definitely isn't possible at this stage and wasn't yet possible at the end of the series) didn't leave me with a desire to find out what they were going to mangle in the second series.
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Comment on How did you learn to read? in ~humanities.languages
Auk LinkI don't remember learning to read, but from what my parents say it was basically a case of exposure and repetition - Mum read books to me every night from a very young age. She also at some point...I don't remember learning to read, but from what my parents say it was basically a case of exposure and repetition - Mum read books to me every night from a very young age. She also at some point started pointing the words she went to highlight what word was associated with which sound.
I do remember primary school used a system called Jolly Phonics to teach reading but I recall very little else about that as I was generally reading one of the books from the side cabinet rather than paying attention.
After acquiring the initial skill of reading I mainly developed it by working through a steady supply of novels. Aside from the classic pitfall of deducing alternative pronunciations of a few words which I later had to train myself out of after discovering the correct pronunciation (e.g. epitome and tome are not similar) this worked reasonably well as a way to develop spelling and vocabulary.
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Comment on [SOLVED] Is there an easy way to tell if a laptop has USB-C charging? in ~tech
Auk Link ParentI have an old XPS 13 which can charge from USB C but it does have the edge case of only doing so when there is already charge in the battery - if you run it down to dead flat you must have the...I have an old XPS 13 which can charge from USB C but it does have the edge case of only doing so when there is already charge in the battery - if you run it down to dead flat you must have the dedicated charger or you're not going to get anywhere.
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Comment on Perhaps I should write worse? in ~talk
Auk Link ParentPossibly a bit too subtle for an indicator as I didn't notice this upon first reading or even when I scanned back through after reaching your last paragraph. What I did notice first up was that...I’ve followed my own advice here and popped in a nonsense diacritic or two in my comment before I pressed send.
Possibly a bit too subtle for an indicator as I didn't notice this upon first reading or even when I scanned back through after reaching your last paragraph. What I did notice first up was that you used an em dash instead of a hyphen, but that's more a sign of someone who cares about punctuation than foreignness.
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Comment on 'Consider Phlebas' series set at Amazon from Charles Yu and Chloé Zhao in ~tv
Auk Link ParentI'm another who would agree it's different to the rest of the books. I have read it but never really got into the story, I'd consider it something to read after getting interested in the series...I'm another who would agree it's different to the rest of the books. I have read it but never really got into the story, I'd consider it something to read after getting interested in the series rather than the book to start with.
I would suggest reading the next one (Player of Games) and see if that catches your interest more. You won't lose context from skipping Consider Phlebas - not only are the books in this series largely standalone but Consider Phlebas is set considerably before the other books so things have changed anyway.
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Comment on What are some traditional internet forums that you still use? in ~tech
Auk LinkI keep an eye on two forums with a focus on Australian content, namely Whirlpool (technology/IT discussion spreading out into some more general sections over the years) and Netrider (primarily...I keep an eye on two forums with a focus on Australian content, namely Whirlpool (technology/IT discussion spreading out into some more general sections over the years) and Netrider (primarily motorcycling related topics). Both have managed to keep a decent amount of activity despite the fall of forums as a whole, and unlike facebook/discord both have produced a lot of searchable useful information over their time (which is how I came across these sites). I think the web design of Whirlpool is also worth noting, as it has to my relief resisted the calls for flashy features and kept to usable minimalism over what is now decades.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tv
Auk LinkPoor form going straight to criticising the casting due to their skin colour and gender, that doesn't make me look upon the author favourably. The actor does seem pretty generic looking which I...But without putting too fine a point on it, he’s a white dude in a role that absolutely does not require a white dude.
Poor form going straight to criticising the casting due to their skin colour and gender, that doesn't make me look upon the author favourably.
The actor does seem pretty generic looking which I think is suitable for the role - Murderbot would be miscast IMO with distinctive features or anything that'd make them stand out in a crowd (when wearing clothes of course). I personally had the impression of a more androgynous look but I guess I can live with that.
I wouldn't hold high hopes for an adaption getting things right though given I rarely like TV/movie adaptions of books. Good Omens is about the only recent one I can think of that I actually liked and even that wasn't quite at the level of the book, while I either didn't get into or actively disliked the adaptions of The Expanse, Jack Reacher, and Wheel of Time despite liking the books (these three I gave up either at or before the end of the first season).
I would agree with the sentiment mentioned elsewhere in this thread that adapting these books is going to be hard due to internal monologue not translating well to screen, given how much it occurs that will be a challenge akin to trying to adapt footnote humour to the screen (i.e. hard to do at all let alone well).
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Comment on What chemicals/substances do you keep at home? And what do you do with them? in ~life.home_improvement
Auk LinkI've got a bunch around the place, primarily related to my vehicles or tools. I don't keep track of exactly what exists in the shed but a general idea is as follows: Motor oils - collection of...I've got a bunch around the place, primarily related to my vehicles or tools. I don't keep track of exactly what exists in the shed but a general idea is as follows:
- Motor oils - collection of various grades for my bikes and cars
- Specialty oils - gear oils, fork oils, some air tool oil
- Lubricants - greases of various types (e.g. high temp, rubber, copper, white lithium), chain lube, some light machine oil, WD-40, silicone spray, PTFE spray, graphite powder (the last two in particular are good for locks and other things where you don't want sticky oil to attract dust).
- Thread locker - the anti-lubricant, very handy when dealing with bikes that like to vibrate bolts out
- Spray paints of various colours - primarily leftovers from painting stuff I've made, some cold gal for reducing rust
- Solvents - methylated spirits, kerosene, acetone, degreaser, brake/electrical/carburettor cleaner, isopropyl alcohol
- Petrol - straight and two stroke mix for the bikes, lawnmower, and whipper snipper
- Sticky stuff - cyanoacrylate glue, two part epoxy glue, a tube or two of silicone and/or construction glue
- Cylinder of MIG gas - one of the only things that gets special treatment in that it's chained to the MIG welder to keep it upright and stop a potential tipover -> impromptu rocket situation
- Photographic chemicals - I haven't touched these in a while but I still have a bit of black and white developer and fixer around.
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Comment on Car maintenance/replacement advice in ~transport
Auk Link ParentAre you sure it's a low oil level sensor and not a low oil pressure sensor? Only some cars have the former but basically everything has the latter (and looking at one owners manual for a 2014 CRV...Are you sure it's a low oil level sensor and not a low oil pressure sensor? Only some cars have the former but basically everything has the latter (and looking at one owners manual for a 2014 CRV I only see mention of a low oil pressure warning).
The practical difference between the two is that with a low oil level warning you can generally assume you're safe to drive to somewhere to get the oil topped up, but if you see a low oil pressure warning you need to pull over immediately and turn the car off before doing anything else - if you're lucky you can get the engine stopped fast enough to avoid major damage.
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Comment on Cheaper ways to heat a log cabin workshop (UK) in ~life.home_improvement
Auk LinkAre you trying to keep the contents of the workshop warm or make it more comfortable for a person inside the room? I'm assuming the latter so would recommend getting something that puts out...Are you trying to keep the contents of the workshop warm or make it more comfortable for a person inside the room? I'm assuming the latter so would recommend getting something that puts out radiant heat and placing it near where she is going to be working. I'm thinking an overhead radiant heater would probably work best for a workshop (these are more commonly advertised for use outside on a verandah or BBQ area), even the heat lamp style ones aimed at bathroom usage would help.
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Comment on What to snack on (other than slices of parmesan) in ~food
Auk Link ParentHow about pickled onions? Different texture to olives but hit a lot of the same taste buttons IMO, and they also go well with cheese.How about pickled onions? Different texture to olives but hit a lot of the same taste buttons IMO, and they also go well with cheese.
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Comment on A Master and Commander prequel film is in development in ~movies
Auk Link ParentThe books (it's a long series) are worth reading, I would recommend them. I will note that the movie is a bit of an amalgamation of several books, so don't go in expecting to find all the plot you...The books (it's a long series) are worth reading, I would recommend them.
I will note that the movie is a bit of an amalgamation of several books, so don't go in expecting to find all the plot you know in either of the two books whose titles got put together for the movie. You will however recognise various characters and sections the movie drew upon.
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Comment on Looking for a Switch game thats fun but requires little commitment in ~games
Auk LinkI'm going to suggest Super Smash Bros playing bots (starting at low level) or World of Light. You can get a couple of matches in each day with that level of time ability, and while you can spend a...I'm going to suggest Super Smash Bros playing bots (starting at low level) or World of Light. You can get a couple of matches in each day with that level of time ability, and while you can spend a lot of time honing your abilities and getting really good at the game the basic idea is simple and it doesn't take long to get good enough to play casually. You can also play humans and the system should adjust to give you opponents at similar skill level - I'm just suggesting bot opponents to maximise your ability to just turn off and walk away when you need to.
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Comment on Lefties of Tildes: what are some items where the left handed version is most necessary? in ~life
Auk Link ParentAgreed, there's an awful lot of serrated or single bevel knives which won't cut straight easily in the left hand. I find this more annoying than using right hand scissors (which I don't find a...Agreed, there's an awful lot of serrated or single bevel knives which won't cut straight easily in the left hand. I find this more annoying than using right hand scissors (which I don't find a real issue unless using for long periods) and can definitely recommend double bevelled edges or checking which side the bevel is on when looking for knives.
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Comment on What vegetable are you? in ~food
Auk LinkI got onion initially, while some of it fits extraverted is definitely not a word I (or others) am likely to use to describe me. I tried again changing a couple of answers which I figured might... -
Comment on What small questions do you have that aren’t worth a full topic on their own? in ~talk
Auk Link ParentGreen, but specifically dark green like the various shades of British Racing Green or Land Rover Deep Bronze Green.Green, but specifically dark green like the various shades of British Racing Green or Land Rover Deep Bronze Green.
Not something I'd heard of before, I'm surprised that this actually got to the stage of being taught in what sounds like a fair number of schools.
It would be interesting to know if ITA was actually easier for kids to learn than regular English. It does seem easy enough to understand as someone who has already learnt traditional spelling (and like the phonetic spelling in Feersum Endjinn I expect it'd become even easier after reading a bit) but I'm thinking the main change to help new readers is going to be simplified vocabulary with the spelling taking second stage.