Halfdan's recent activity
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Comment on What is a value or belief you have that is extremely outside the norm? in ~talk
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Comment on Fitness recommendations to gradually increase mobility while recovering from chronic illness in ~health
Halfdan LinkFor cardio and mobility, I can recommend VR. Much more fun than just standing in your room doing weird exercises. Quest 3 is reasonably cheap, I think. My fave workout in VR: Blaston (two-player...For cardio and mobility, I can recommend VR. Much more fun than just standing in your room doing weird exercises. Quest 3 is reasonably cheap, I think.
My fave workout in VR:- Blaston (two-player duel game requirering a lot of dodging. Insane gameplay which can only work in VR)
- Beat Saber (saber-based rhythm game. )
- OhShape
- Until You Fall (not as intense as some others, but still nice)
- The Thrill of the Fight (simple but good boxing sim)
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Comment on I am worthless, I couldn't write a good article or draft to save my life in ~creative
Halfdan LinkGet out of your home. take a walk or whatever. Inspiration is typically found outside. Also, I can recommend having a routine. Have a fixed time of the day where you do nothing but writing. Two...Get out of your home. take a walk or whatever. Inspiration is typically found outside.
Also, I can recommend having a routine. Have a fixed time of the day where you do nothing but writing. Two hours or so. No smartphone/internet. If possible, have a single room with a PC you use for nothing but writing.
To me, this is the easiest way to write; I don't have to think about whether I'm inspired or not, or if I actually want to write, or what I may do instead of writing. Also when the two hours are up, I don't have to bother with it anymore. So much less time wasted with being angsty.
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Comment on Are most political talks performative? in ~talk
Halfdan (edited )LinkIn the world of sales, there is this thing called the Marketing Funnel. Basically, based on the funnel metaphor, it's the realization that each potential costumer starts out with zero interest and...In the world of sales, there is this thing called the Marketing Funnel. Basically, based on the funnel metaphor, it's the realization that each potential costumer starts out with zero interest and then gradually gets drawn in. They may see an ad, and within 1.5 seconds decide if this is interesting enough to warrant a closer scrutiny of, say, 15 seconds. And based on those 15 second, they may decide to click and watch the 2 minute trailer, or at least some of it. And based on that, they may skim a review, and maybe, when the thing goes for sale, they may actually buy that shitty game.
But cynical as it is, this doesn't judge those not yet buying the games as being "performative" or whatever. Rather, it sees them as one step closer than those having zero interest.
Most people, even those with ever so much priviledge have messy, imperfect lives. they go from childhood to the hormone overload of the teen years to trying to pass as adults to realizing that their youth is fleeing to trying to coming to terms with being old. So a lot of them ends up just doing "performativity", rather that devoting their life to the cause.
The claim of lack of autencity is often weaponized to attack the character of those who, you know, are at least doing something. They just want attention, donchaknow, they're wannabees, doing it for the likes. But does this even matter?
Personally, when I get outraged about something, it's not about me; it's because I geniuly feel that, for instance, Israel doing genocide is pretty horrible. But this is always met with an accusation of lack of autencity, that we're uncool. But we're not claiming to be cool. We're just criticizing genocide. But somehow, the claim that we're uncool is seen as some sort of counterargument to what we're actually saying.
Still, I think there is some truth to the feeling of performativity. There is a lack of organization. If we follow the funnel metaphor, there is a lot of surface level ways I can show some engagement. For instance, I could buy some games at the Palestinian Relief Bundle. This collected $578,565 all in all, which I guess is okay. But if I wanted more than that, where would I go?
Also, I can't help but notice that in the same thread (this one) where people are criticized for doing "performativity", there is also the EXEMPLARY dismissal of the people who "do a big disruptive protest that blocks a street or something". So between those two moderate extremes which are either too much or too little, there doesn't seem to be room to do much.
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Comment on What are three things you're feeling positively about today? in ~talk
Halfdan LinkThere was a bug in the game I'm working on, but I just found the cause. (The 500 meter ground collision shape caused the VR body to jitter) The book I'm reading ("The Beautiful Decay") is good...- There was a bug in the game I'm working on, but I just found the cause. (The 500 meter ground collision shape caused the VR body to jitter)
- The book I'm reading ("The Beautiful Decay") is good fun.
- My mood is good today.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
Halfdan LinkYesterday I started working on a VR implementation of Wealth shown to scale. It will essentially be an exhibition in an insanely long corridor, with wealth shown with grids of 1x1 cm2 rectangles...Yesterday I started working on a VR implementation of Wealth shown to scale. It will essentially be an exhibition in an insanely long corridor, with wealth shown with grids of 1x1 cm2 rectangles each representing 1000 dollars.
In order to show Jeff Bezos 185 billions, if I go for a height of 5 meter (equals 500 centimeter = $500000) the length will still need to be 368 kilometers. So it makes more sense to do this project in VR.
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Comment on How do I fix my (stupid) use of excessive punctuation? in ~humanities.languages
Halfdan LinkIf you want to give your writing a better flow, my go-to advice is to read Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer. It starts out with the most basic ("branch to the right") and...If you want to give your writing a better flow, my go-to advice is to read Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer. It starts out with the most basic ("branch to the right") and grows steadily more advanced. Also, try reading books with language you want to emulate. There's lots of writing online, of course, but I think most of it is sort of terrible. So books is likely a better choice.
The prose can get a more dynamic rhythm with literary devices such as Resumptive Modifier ("Gulash was served, gulash bought at the temple"), Summative Modifier ("There were a goat, a pig and a walrus—three animals that weren’t cats") or Anaphora ("a pair of eyes watched her as she awaited her trains arrival, watched her as she boarded, watched her as she sat") but such frivolious word-smithery is not without its risk; since the zeitgeist today calls for clean, destilled writing, one can easily be judged as being a bit too showy. If people say you're writing "purple prose", this is absolutely not a compliment. (yeah, I tried playing around with the rhythm of my writing here, in case you didn't notice.)
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Halfdan LinkIn Godot, I coded a 3D ball to be moved by the mouse using physical forces. Online demo here I think it's kinda fun, I like the feel of the fluid movement, but no idea how to make it into an...In Godot, I coded a 3D ball to be moved by the mouse using physical forces.
Online demo hereI think it's kinda fun, I like the feel of the fluid movement, but no idea how to make it into an actual game.
Here's the GDscript:
extends RigidBody3D var ball_center :Vector3 = Vector3(0.0, 0.0, 0.0) var move :Vector3 = Vector3(0.0, 0.0, 0.0) var mouse_boost:float = 8500.0 func _ready(): mass = 978.5 # "if a marble ball has a diameter of 0.5 meter, what is its mass?" set_linear_damp(2.0) # Default 0.0 set_angular_damp(2.0) func _physics_process(delta): var mouse_velocity:Vector2 = Vector2(0.0, 0.0) mouse_velocity = Input.get_last_mouse_velocity() move = Vector3(mouse_velocity.x*mouse_boost, 0.0, mouse_velocity.y*mouse_boost) apply_force(move*delta,ball_center) -
Comment on Ireland can’t blame its anti-immigrant problem on Rishi Sunak – The sudden arrival of European-style populism in Irish politics is the result of thirteen years of government complacency in ~misc
Halfdan LinkWhat is it saying here? That the government has failed to give the racists a hard time, or that it had failed to give the immigrants and refugees a hard time?Ireland can’t blame its anti-immigrant problem on Rishi Sunak – The sudden arrival of European-style populism in Irish politics is the result of 13 years of government complacency
What is it saying here? That the government has failed to give the racists a hard time, or that it had failed to give the immigrants and refugees a hard time?
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Comment on What are some non-science-fiction books that are deep, insane, mind-bending, etc? in ~books
Halfdan LinkI think books on the mechanics of language are rather mindbending. I liked I is an other (about the power of metaphors) and Through the Language Glass (about how language affects how we see the...I think books on the mechanics of language are rather mindbending. I liked I is an other (about the power of metaphors) and Through the Language Glass (about how language affects how we see the world) Like other books on language they are rather well-written, likely because the authors know how to use words.
The novel Lexicon is sci-fi, but pretty much takes place in our current society. Like the non-fiction above, it also explores the power of language, although in a way that goes beyond our current reality.
The anthology collection Machine of Death also takes place in our current society, with the sole exception that a machine can predict how you're going to die. So someones death is FLAMING MARSHMALLOW, and they can't prevent it in any way, so good luck with using that piece of info for anything! Yet, this deterministic premise results in some really good stories.
Of course, both novels are technically science-fiction. But they're not in the 'pure' science-fiction category where the main appeal is exploring the deep lore of a future world.
Wall of Kiss is a love story between a woman and a wall. I think the concept is, if not exactly mindbending, at least is moderately insane.
I'm currently reading An Immense World about how different animals use different senses to percieve the world. Good so far!
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Comment on Security is being tightened for the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden's third city Malmö, with large demonstrations planned to coincide with the event in ~music
Halfdan Link"joyful", with quotation marks, pretty much sums it up.Police and organisers say they're well-prepared and hoping for a "joyful" event.
"joyful", with quotation marks, pretty much sums it up.
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Comment on More than 2,000 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested across US campuses in ~news
Halfdan (edited )Link ParentTVtropes call this one Suspiciously Specific Denial“We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent,” said Joe Biden.
TVtropes call this one Suspiciously Specific Denial
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Comment on Is there an intuitive (but powerful) music thingie? in ~music
Halfdan Link ParentHey, thanks for taking your time for this meaty writeup! Eurorack and banjo sounds like a wicked combo. Regarding modular/eurorack, I already got that stuff .. in a sense. I bought SynthSpace and...Hey, thanks for taking your time for this meaty writeup! Eurorack and banjo sounds like a wicked combo. Regarding modular/eurorack, I already got that stuff .. in a sense. I bought SynthSpace and I could easily see that this was some plenty powerful gadgets. Only, there is a bit of a learning curve that I couldn't quite get past. (It's not the real thing, of course, but I think VR is pretty good at giving a close enough simulation of physicality with significantly less bother.)
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Is there an intuitive (but powerful) music thingie?
Sorry about the headline. (not really) I know it doesn't make all that much sense. The thing is, I bought a Dubreq Stylophone Beatbox (review here) and it's really quite fun to play around with....
Sorry about the headline. (not really) I know it doesn't make all that much sense. The thing is, I bought a Dubreq Stylophone Beatbox (review here) and it's really quite fun to play around with. At its core, it lets you record and play your own rhythms in a loop. It sort of feels like an unholy mix between a musical instrument and an editor.
The problem is that I can't save as an editable format (midi or ... whatever) or import new instruments, so while its great fun and quite powerful (I composed this) I still feel the need for something more flexible. Also, I accidently borrowed it away, so while I still "own" it, I don't actually have it as such.
So, are there any other thingie which (gonna repeat the headline here) are fun and intuitive, yet still grants me some more power compared to what is offered by the Stylophone Beatbox? I don't mind if it is a program of a physical thing.
EDIT: Thanks all! I had expected one, maybe two suggestions, so, wow! This is pretty much a new world to me, and I'm floored that there's so much music stuff available. I'm slowly beginning to get some sort of overview of it all.
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Comment on The tech baron seeking to “ethnically cleanse” San Francisco in ~life
Halfdan Link ParentTo be fair, centrists have the same approach where they believes their reactionary drivel is somehow above the realm of left/right politics.Reds, blues, and grays? Gray pride parade? This boy is absolutely unhinged.
To be fair, centrists have the same approach where they believes their reactionary drivel is somehow above the realm of left/right politics.
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Comment on Palestinian Relief Bundle — 373 games for $8 (save 99%) in ~games
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Comment on Palestinian Relief Bundle — 373 games for $8 (save 99%) in ~games
Halfdan LinkAll proceeds will be donated to PCRF (Palestine Children's Relief Fund) I'd like to recommend They Bleed Pixels, a solid precision platformer with a cutesy Lovecraftian feel. It offers the most...All proceeds will be donated to PCRF (Palestine Children's Relief Fund)
I'd like to recommend They Bleed Pixels, a solid precision platformer with a cutesy Lovecraftian feel. It offers the most satisfy meele combat I've seen in any game. Solid reflexes are required, but it also rewards intuitive mastery of the various moves—button mashing won't cut it this time.
Some other games I rubbed my slimy eyeballs on:
Underhero
Hyper Gun Sport
Kandria
The Case of Maneki
Hill Agency pure/decay
Malice
Endure the Swarm
Test Tube Titans
Drop It: Block Paradise!
Teocida
The Case of the Serialized Killer -
Palestinian Relief Bundle — 373 games for $8 (save 99%)
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Comment on Man sets himself on fire near courthouse where Donald Trump is on trial (gifted link) in ~news
Halfdan Link ParentNot that I want to defend self immolation, but I think genocide is something which it is natural to be "getting so worked up" about.People on all sides are getting so worked up over politics
Not that I want to defend self immolation, but I think genocide is something which it is natural to be "getting so worked up" about.
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Comment on Copenhagen and Paris mayors exchange lessons learned after huge fires destroy landmarks in ~design
Halfdan LinkI think maybe we should have learned a lesson and taken some precautions before the shit burned down.I think maybe we should have learned a lesson and taken some precautions before the shit burned down.
I think this is the pro-AI argument I encounter most frequently: "I don't care about who made the game/music/drawing/movie—it's the same regardless, even if no one made it."
I find it disturbing that this view is so mainstream. Personally, I naturally assume that there are someone in the other end, communicating with me. Sergio Arigones, Dianne Wynne Jones, Don Martin, Tim Burton, etc., I didn't neccesarily know anything about them, but a great part of exploring their art is the knowledge that there is another person, communicating with me, the parasocial connection.
I skimmed your history (hope it's okay) and noticed that you liked LITTLE INFERNO. To me, what made that game sparkle was that bit of parasocial relation, the way I connected to the creators (whoever they are). Oh, that trailer is so much Tim Burton, guess they're a fan too. The Weather Man, was this a reference to The Weather Underground? Global Cooling, that was clever. I like how they simultaneously expose the hollowness of shitty gaming, while also making it the core game play, kinda deep really. And the sheer detail of the 2D burning simulator is something I can really relate to. This is the way I instinctivily view any creation; I see it as parasocial communication, and naturally think about what it is the creator are saying.