fefellama's recent activity
-
Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
-
Comment on China's unmarried 'leftover' women in ~humanities
fefellama Link ParentI'm about halfway through a VERY long video about North Korean film culture (seriously it's 5 hours long), and a similar thing happened there with regards to women being portrayed as like national...I'm equally cynical about it. It seems like they really did want and tried to make the sexes equal, but even though they by law are meant to be, that just wasn't ever the case in reality. And listening to the professor, it seems like the "iron girls" was more of a propaganda thing than anything else. That it was never real nor actually pierced the consciousness of the average Chinese.
I'm about halfway through a VERY long video about North Korean film culture (seriously it's 5 hours long), and a similar thing happened there with regards to women being portrayed as like national heroines of the communist revolution. But ultimately it was just propaganda, and in reality women were still subservient to men and needed to just keep quiet, pump out babies, and then raise them to be patriotic sons and daughters. Nothing more. Nothing less.
I can only compare it to my own country where if you read the constitution and other laws etc., we are basically 100% equal with men. But in reality, there are still many aspects where women are seen as lesser than men - and also some where men are lesser than women.
I'm sure this kind of thing happens all around the globe too, just to varying levels dependent on what society there is already like. We in the West like to think of ourselves as pretty advanced and progressive when it comes to women's rights, but being better than the alternative doesn't necessarily make things good. And not to mention that every day there's some new backwards-ass ballot measure or political group trying to strip away more rights to make things more like the good ol' days, which of course is women in the home raising babies and supporting their husbands and definitely not involving themselves in things they shouldn't, like politics.
I do actually believe that things will get better, but just nowhere near the pace that I would like. It's a bit morbid of a thought, but my feelings towards a lot of these backwards and keep-the-status-quo-no-matter-how-terrible sentiments is that they slowly die off with each passing generation. As one generation dies off that grew up with their moms staying home doing all the domestic duties and child-rearing while the fathers went off to work, the next generation grows up seeing some women enter the workforce in limited capacities and with unequal pay. The idea of women in the workforce slowly becomes normalized for them, just like the idea that husbands maybe shouldn't be beating on their wives. Then as those ideas become normalized and those people start dying off, hopefully newer, more progressive ideas start to emerge. And then hopefully in time those ideas will become normalized by the time the next generation comes of age. And the cycle continues. It's definitely a fucking snail's pace, but it'll get there one day.
Oh and the globalization of the world (and especially the internet) definitely speeds up this glacial progress. As one country progresses, word naturally spreads to other corners of the world who then see that it's something possible and maybe not too farfetched of a thing to ask for/demand. Just wish there weren't so many people/parties/movements around the globe trying to shoot themselves in the foot to halt this progress.
-
Comment on China's unmarried 'leftover' women in ~humanities
fefellama Link ParentThanks for sharing, OP, that was an interesting video. It seems to me that besides the huge gender disparity caused by the One Child policy, a lot of these problems sadly are not unique to China....Thanks for sharing, OP, that was an interesting video.
It seems to me that besides the huge gender disparity caused by the One Child policy, a lot of these problems sadly are not unique to China. Things like unequal pay, high rates of domestic abuse, and the pervasive attitude that any woman over 30 without children is a failure. The cynic in me doesn't see these issues going away any time soon, but I sure hope I'm wrong about that.
-
Comment on America's never-ending battle against flesh-eating worms in ~science
fefellama Link ParentSeriously, every part of it was super fascinating, from the historical background of the worms and their impact on agriculture in the US, to the vivid descriptions of the smells in the breeding...Seriously, every part of it was super fascinating, from the historical background of the worms and their impact on agriculture in the US, to the vivid descriptions of the smells in the breeding facilities, to a pilot named Michael Jackson.
-
Comment on At least 147 dead in monumental flood in Brazil. 127 missing. in ~enviro
fefellama Link ParentI hate to say it but I think tragic flooding events like this one are accelerating in frequency nowadays so the media (and people in general) seem to be desensitized to such events unless it...It is weird this is not getting a lot of covering in English
I hate to say it but I think tragic flooding events like this one are accelerating in frequency nowadays so the media (and people in general) seem to be desensitized to such events unless it happens in a region local to you.
That said, thank you for sharing these articles and raising awareness of the issue. Hope RS recovers soon.
-
Comment on Solar storm knocks out farmers' tractor GPS systems during peak planting season in ~tech
fefellama LinkWow that's the most cyberpunk thing I've heard in a while. Reduced crop yields because of inaccurate planting during a solar storm. Sounds straight out of a sci-fi show/novel (or the game Rimworld).One chain of John Deere dealerships warned farmers that the accuracy of some of the systems used by tractors are “extremely compromised,” and that farmers who planted crops during periods of inaccuracy are going to face problems when they go to harvest
Wow that's the most cyberpunk thing I've heard in a while. Reduced crop yields because of inaccurate planting during a solar storm. Sounds straight out of a sci-fi show/novel (or the game Rimworld).
-
Comment on Please recommend me an anime to watch? in ~anime
fefellama (edited )LinkMight not be as deep as some other recommendations, but my favorite anime right now is Spy x Family. Hilarious, slice of life, some decent action scenes peppered throughout, and super interesting...i also like feel good animes like ghibli movies , or slice of life animes but rn would like to watch something which has a lot of story and depth to it and also comedy .
Might not be as deep as some other recommendations, but my favorite anime right now is Spy x Family. Hilarious, slice of life, some decent action scenes peppered throughout, and super interesting plot/setting. I recommend it any chance I get because I feel that it has something for everyone. My wife and I enjoy watching it together even though we normally enjoy different styles/genres of anime.
Basic premise: in a fictional Cold-War-era East/West Germany, a Spy has to infiltrate some politician's inner circle. But said politician is super suspicious of outsiders, so the Spy has to get close to him via the politician's son who attends a prestigious boarding school. Only problem is that the Spy doesn't have a child or family, so he has to fake one. So he finds a wife and child and even a dog for appearances, and each one is hiding something from the rest, but none of them know each other's secrets*. Leads to a whole lot of wacky hi-jinks and hilarious situations and thinly veiled excuses. And then on top of that there's always side missions and terrorist plots to reignite the war between the East and West that derail their everyday lives. Very unique anime in my opinion, haven't come across anything yet with the same vibe of action/spy/comedy/feel-good (but would be ecstatic to be proven wrong if anyone knows of anything super similar).
* one character actually does know the others' secrets, but they don't know that she knows, which adds to the comedy I feel
-
Comment on Medieval historian and game developer, Jason Kingsley CBE, reacts to Manor Lords in ~humanities.history
fefellama Link ParentWell I'm a moderate city-builder fan but am super into medieval history (most history, really), so it's been on my radar for a few weeks now. But I just haven't had much time to devote to learning...Well I'm a moderate city-builder fan but am super into medieval history (most history, really), so it's been on my radar for a few weeks now. But I just haven't had much time to devote to learning a new game properly, immersing myself in it. So I've been putting it off for now, but videos like this one really make me want to give it a go. Maybe I'll try playing CK3 or Bannerlord to scratch that medieval itch for a while until this game gets some more development.
Question though: is there a lot of RTS in Manor Lords? I thought of it more as a city-builder based on the few videos and articles that I had seen about it. But the latter half of this video showed a lot of combat and RTS that I did not know was in there. Is it more of a side thing that only shows up briefly or is it an integral part of the game (at least in its current state)?
-
Comment on Medieval historian and game developer, Jason Kingsley CBE, reacts to Manor Lords in ~humanities.history
fefellama LinkThat was super interesting! Thanks for sharing. Made me want to both get this game and also keep watching more of his videos. And also made me excited for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.That was super interesting! Thanks for sharing.
Made me want to both get this game and also keep watching more of his videos.
And also made me excited for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
-
Comment on What are some of your favorite history books and why? in ~books
fefellama Link ParentYou're welcome! It's been a few years since I first read it, but I remember it really resonating with me when I did.You're welcome! It's been a few years since I first read it, but I remember it really resonating with me when I did.
-
Comment on What are some of your favorite history books and why? in ~books
fefellama LinkI'll share two that stood out to me from a historiography class I took in grad school: The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis 16th century France. Martin goes off to fight in some war,...I'll share two that stood out to me from a historiography class I took in grad school:
The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis
- 16th century France. Martin goes off to fight in some war, then comes back a few years later. Nothing special right? Well this man claiming to be Martin Guerre is not actually Martin Guerre, at least according to Martin's family. Except Martin's wife claims that he is. A trial ensues, was recorded, and is how we have this unusual yet super interesting glimpse into the life of French peasants in the 16th century. Why is the wife insisting that he is her husband? Why does the man claim to be someone he's not? Where is the real Martin Guerre? Would make for a great HBO miniseries IMO.
Against the Grain by James Scott
- VERY early history/anthropology discussing the early formations of civilization. Not like a specific civilization mind you, just civilization in general. How humans went from nomadic bands of hunters and gatherers to settled farmers. Fascinating book in my opinion. Tons of parallels to be drawn to things in the modern world, like how the shift towards settled agriculture led to the need for protection and the rise of established leaders who in turn hoarded wealth in order to stay in power, early precursors to modern politics and economics. TL;DR agriculture is why your rent is going up each year.
-
Comment on Does anyone else have succulents? in ~hobbies
fefellama LinkYES! I have a very lassez-faire approach to gardening (i.e. if it does't grow without minimal intervention from my part, then it wasn't meant to be). So over the years I have learned what plants...YES!
I have a very lassez-faire approach to gardening (i.e. if it does't grow without minimal intervention from my part, then it wasn't meant to be). So over the years I have learned what plants work and don't work for my specific location (zone 9), soil chemistry, level of sunlight, amount of rainfall, and most importantly, without any help from me. I might water them if it hasn't rained in a couple weeks, and throw some extra mulch and food scraps whenever convenient for me, but for the most part I just let nature take its course. Let's just say that if there's an afterlife, and if that afterlife is ruled by plants, then I'm definitely not getting in on the count of wanton plant neglect.
Strawberries? Lettuce? Spinach? Petunias? Daisies? Bananas? Nope, RIP.
Rosemary? Cayenne peppers? Green peppers? Oregano? Tomatoes? Green Onions? Blue-my-mind flowers? Hell yeah. All thriving despite minimal effort on my part.
And succulents, oh boy do my succulents thrive. Those masochists seem to enjoy my willful disregard for their well-being. I have some that get direct sunlight all day and have grown too much for their tiny box. I have another that sits in a covered porch and doesn't even know what sunlight feels like but has outgrown multiple pots in the last 4 years. Some are fully exposed to the elements and get massive amounts of rain every summer afternoon for like 4 whole months. While others are indoors and get watered when I realize 'oh shit when was the last time I watered this guy?'
3 of my favorites are:
-
The classic aloe vera that we use all the time when someone gets a burn or sunburn (seriously all of ours have the tips of their 'leaves' cut off from burns over the years). I have three pots of these and they've grown like ten new offshoots between them. They're cramped and begging to be replanted but that would just fill those pots up as well. We got these from my wife's grandmother who has them scattered all over her yard like very beautiful and useful weeds.
-
This ghost plant is in a small wooden box that I made with our house numbers on top. It's maybe a 3x10 inch box that faces the sun all day and this fucker has grown so large that he's both covering the giant numbers above him and also drooping down way below the bottom of the sign/box. Recently bloomed for the first time in two years and that was pretty gorgeous. Some of those flower stalk things were over a foot long!
-
Some jelly-bean-looking thing like this one that my wife got as a gift many years ago. For the longest time it was just in a red solo cup waiting for it to grow and develop. But we eventually did plant it in a (slightly) larger ceramic pot where he has lived without fuss for a few years now. Super polite plant. Never asks for anything. Stays roughly the same size unlike a lot of its neighbors that grow well past their pot sizes. I've seen these plants before close to saltwater that actually take on the salt in their leaves, so they taste very salty. But I haven't tried my little guy out yet to see if he's salty. I suspect he wouldn't be, given that there's no saltwater anywhere near his little pot.
10/10 plants, would recommend them to everyone.
-
-
Comment on Any tips for Barcelona and Lisbon in June/July? in ~travel
fefellama LinkSince a lot of people are recommending food: I'll add that I grew up eating Portuguese food and 99 times out of 100 it involved bacalhau (cod fish). Do yourself a favor and eat some cod while...Since a lot of people are recommending food: I'll add that I grew up eating Portuguese food and 99 times out of 100 it involved bacalhau (cod fish). Do yourself a favor and eat some cod while you're there. They have other staples and famous foods, like sardines, caldo verde, and pasteis de nata, but nothing compares to bolinhos de bacalhau (fried cod fritters). We eat them on special occasions in my house (mostly xmas), and I've recommended it to people going to Portugal before (or even just Portuguese restaurants abroad) who ended up loving them. Just drizzle some olive oil on them. Then get a plate of cod, potatoes, and rice with some olive oil again.
-
Comment on Florida is the first state to ban lab grown meat - Ron DeSantis in ~food
fefellama Link ParentNot sure, but I'm reading that part in the exact opposite manner. They want regulation of electric chargers to default to the state (so they can not put any new ones in, or make up dumb reasons or...I'm assuming they put this in place so local municipalities can't ban electric chargers.
Not sure, but I'm reading that part in the exact opposite manner. They want regulation of electric chargers to default to the state (so they can not put any new ones in, or make up dumb reasons or hoops to jump through to make it near impossible to install electric chargers) and then they want to make it so that individual counties or cities can't go around the state's back and install electric chargers of their own accord and with their own rules.
-
Comment on What your next water heater will look like in ~enviro
fefellama Link Parent/offtopic Hey just wanted to say thanks for always providing a mirror. I clicked on the link, saw the paywall, and immediately thought "let me go back a sec, I'm sure cfabbro posted a mirror" and.../offtopic
Hey just wanted to say thanks for always providing a mirror. I clicked on the link, saw the paywall, and immediately thought "let me go back a sec, I'm sure cfabbro posted a mirror" and sure enough there it was. So thanks.
-
Comment on What your next water heater will look like in ~enviro
fefellama LinkJust venting but it annoys me to no end that these sorts of legislative changes go completely unnoticed by the general public. These changes appear to be a win/win, where both the consumer...The water heater rule is the Biden administration’s latest update to appliance energy efficiency standards, which it estimates will have the greatest impact yet on Americans’ utility costs and household emissions. In February, for instance, the government announced new standards for washer and dryer efficiency, which it projected would save Americans up to $39 billion on their utility bills and eliminate 71 million tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions — equivalent to the annual emissions of about 9 million homes — over 30 years.
Just venting but it annoys me to no end that these sorts of legislative changes go completely unnoticed by the general public. These changes appear to be a win/win, where both the consumer benefits (thanks to cheaper appliances and reduced energy bills) and the environment benefits (via reduced energy usage). Yet no one is going around putting 'I did that' stickers on your reduced energy bills like they did on gas stations a couple years back.
-
Comment on How do you take notes while reading? Do you have a “marginalia” process? What has helped you learn better and retain new knowledge? in ~creative
fefellama (edited )LinkI take notes all the time for all sorts of non-fiction reading and research. There are two specific things that I do that come to mind and may help you: Is more of a mental thing, I pretend like I...I take notes all the time for all sorts of non-fiction reading and research. There are two specific things that I do that come to mind and may help you:
-
Is more of a mental thing, I pretend like I need to explain the topic to someone else. Someone who knows nothing about it. My most used word IRL and online is probably 'basically' and it's because I'm constantly trying to explain things in simple terms. (So much so that I'm actively trying to reduce the number of times I say it. I'll post a comment where I use that word like three times and then I'll edit it so that only one is left). So even in notes to myself I'll dumb it down like "basically this thing is like this and that thing is like that" or "basically stick to this" or "basically it comes down to x y and z". It seems dumb but whenever I look back at previous notes I know that 'basically .......' means that I previously understood the topic enough to summarize it, so if I just read that 'basically ....' line I'll get the gist of it. Super helpful for information that I need to remember but don't need every day.
-
I do a weird mix of text and drawing for my notes. Like I don't really draw pictures or anything, but I write my words on the paper like I envision them in my head. So that means a lot of charts and lines and arrows and diagrams and stuff like that. If two things are similar I'll write them close to each other. If they're opposites I'll draw a line between them to physically divide them up like how I have them mentally divided in my mind. Ends up looking like a messed up flowchart or something, but it works for me.
-
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
fefellama Link ParentOh shit that might be a good solution, we'll give it a try. It is running on an SSD but we had to cap the FPS to 60 because the menus become unusable at faster framerates. So maybe that FPS cap is...Oh shit that might be a good solution, we'll give it a try. It is running on an SSD but we had to cap the FPS to 60 because the menus become unusable at faster framerates. So maybe that FPS cap is fucking with the loading screen times. Thanks for the suggestion!
-
Comment on VR gaming is reawakening my enthusiasm for games in ~games
fefellama Link ParentI think VR has a future in television. I don't think its going to like replace TV or movie theaters or anything hyperbolic like that (at least not any time in the foreseeable future) but I yearn...I think VR has a future in television. I don't think its going to like replace TV or movie theaters or anything hyperbolic like that (at least not any time in the foreseeable future) but I yearn for the day when I can watch a soccer game or f1 race on a VR headset. The technology is mostly there, minus the transmission of crazy amounts of data at fast enough speeds to make transmission possible. There are tons of 360 cameras that can record videos in 3D, and plenty of VR headsets that can view said videos. But if we can get those transmission speeds up then we could livestream sporting events in VR from the point of view of the driver or player or ref or even a fan in the stands. Similar to how we already have live streams from go-pro-like cameras in the driver helmets or strapped to a player's chest.
Or imagine like a movie or tv show where instead of watching it on a 2D screen, you're just IN the movie/show. Inside the car during the chase scene. On top of the dragon during the flight scene. In the jury during a courtroom drama. Definitely not happening any time soon but would be super cool to experience (like playing a video game INSIDE the game world vs viewing it on a monitor). Video games are developing the technology and paving the way to hopefully allow for these other use cases to take off.
-
Comment on VR gaming is reawakening my enthusiasm for games in ~games
fefellama (edited )LinkThat's my one gripe with a lot of VR games, but it's slowly getting better as technology improves, new games come out, and new ideas are thrown around. I'll recommend two games that absolutely...As far as games go, this isn't really a "game". It feels more like a fun tech demo "hey, this is what you can do with a VR".
That's my one gripe with a lot of VR games, but it's slowly getting better as technology improves, new games come out, and new ideas are thrown around.
I'll recommend two games that absolutely wowed me as much as any others in VR: SUPERHOT and Beat Saber. Both are popular VR games and for good reason.
SUPERHOT is a level-based shooter with a simple premise: time doesn't move unless you do. So if you stand perfectly still, bullets and enemies just freeze. Then as you move, they do to. It's fun in 2D but completely engrossing in VR. Great party game too due to its simple premise and controls.
And if you ever enjoyed Guitar Hero back in the day then Beat Saber is like the spiritual successor to it. Great for a workout too. There are DLC packs and default songs and whatever, but where the game really shines is when you download user-made tracks online to your favorite songs. Every song you can imagine is on there, from dumb parody songs to classic hits, so find anything that brings a smile to your face and enjoy slashing through those cubes.
Glad to help!
If it makes you feel any better, I just had to look up those terms as well, lol. It's been a few years since I last read it but I don't remember it being too dense. Definitely academic but nothing insurmountable.
I ask myself the same thing. The book does a good job of explaining the 'how', but I remember liking how the author suggested that maybe forming civilizations wasn't the best thing for us as a species. Like it's such an integral part of our everyday lives that it would be hard to imagine a world without organized society (other than maybe some post-apocalyptic scenario). But it's pretty interesting to think how things might have turned out different if we hadn't banded together and developed agriculture.
Would human beings be better off? Or would we suffer without the benefits that civilization brings (like technological advancement and reduced scarcity of resources)? Or would life be too different to even compare the two scenarios?