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    1. I asked ChatGPT for music recommendations and here's the results

      First, I headed to ChatGPT to pipe in my top 5 artists (as noted by Spotify). These may not really be my top 5, but I obviously listen to them a lot :). Me: Spotify lists my top 5 most listened to...

      First, I headed to ChatGPT to pipe in my top 5 artists (as noted by Spotify). These may not really be my top 5, but I obviously listen to them a lot :).

      Me: Spotify lists my top 5 most listened to artists as Greta Van Fleet, Mott The Hoople, Television, Steely Dan, and The Kinks. can you recommend 10 more artists you think I'll like?

      ChatGPT: Based on your taste, you might enjoy Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Cream, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eagles, Jethro Tull, The Doors, and Deep Purple. Give them a listen and see if they resonate with your musical preferences!

      Me: Can you recommend some lessor known artists you think I'll enjoy?

      ChatGPT: Certainly! Explore the source of The Black Angels, Rival Sons, Ty Segall, Temples, The Sheepdogs, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Khruangbin, Parquet Courts, Dr. Dog, and Allah-Las. These lesser-known gems might align well with your musical taste.

      I've actually never heard or listened to any of these artists! Next, I listened to each artist's most popular songs. Here's my take:

      The Black Angels: Listened to Young Men Dead and Black Grease. Both are really good songs. Definitely right up my alley. Added to my playlist.

      Rival Sons: Listened to Do Your Worst and Open My Eyes. Really liking this artist and added to my playlist.

      Ty Segall: Listened to My Lady's On Fire and My Room. On the fence, there's something here that I like. Continued to listen through to Every 1's a Winner, Feel, Girlfriend, Void, Eggman, and Tall Man Skinny Lady. I think Void and Eggman sealed the deal for me. This is definitely an artist I'll listen to. Really enjoyed some of the interesting, and unexpected, things that happened musically in these songs.

      Temples: Listened to Shelter Song and Paraphaernalia. Not feeling it here.

      The Sheepdogs: Listened to Feeling Good and I Don't Know - EP Version. On the fence, but it's not bad. Continued to listen to Please Don't Lead Me On and Nobody. Added to the playlist at this point. This artist has a Lynyrd Skynyrd vibe that I like.

      King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Listened to Gila Monster. Really enjoyed the musical composition, but the voices just aren't for me. I've never been a fan of this voice style and then the chanting of "Gila Gila" really isn't my thing. I decided to listen to more anyway and was suprised to hear vastly different styles with Work This Time, Sense, Slow Jam 1, and Theia. Still not going on my playlist, but some interesting tunes from this artist.

      Khruangbin: Listened to Texas Sun, People Everywhere (Still Alive), Mariella, White Gloves, and B-Side. Love the mix of RnB and funk. Some really good grooves happening here. B-Side had me moving in my seat and this artist will definitely be on the playlist.

      Parquet Courts: Listened to Tenderness, skipped Total Football due to the explicit tag and my preferences around that, and then continued listening to Outside, and Careers in Combat. I am a fan of this genre of music, but I am very particular in what I like and what I don't. I love The Dead Milkmen, Ramones, Television, and Dead Kennedys. This artist isn't giving me the feels.

      Dr. Dog: Listened to Where'd All the Time Go, Nellie, Heart it Races - Cover Version, and The Breeze. During the first song, I knew this artist was going on the playlist. Got to Nellie and there was absolutely no doubt. Love the voices, the simple melodies, and the entire vibe.

      Allah-Las: Listened to Houston, Caramaran, and Raspberry Jam. Really like the organ in this and it takes me back to The Doors, Steppenwolf, and The Animals. Both Houston and Raspberry Jam were instrumentals, and I wanted to hear more vocals, so I listened to Dust as well. This is some good music and is going on the playlist.

      Overall, ChatGPT did a great job of recommending music that is now on my playlist. I'm desperately waiting for the day that I can have a conversation with my personal assistant, have it queue up music for me automatically, and then I give it feedback on what I heard. My personal assistant would then continue to shape my playlist based on my feedback. I know this day is coming soon, but it can't get here fast enough for me.

      As a bonus, after I conducted this experiment Spotify immediately jumped into another artist I never heard of -- Drug Cabin. The first song played was Steely Dad and this is just a fantastic song.

      23 votes
    2. Calling any toy collector Tilderinos!

      I've been looking for a community to interact in about toy collecting! I used to frequent the collector circles on Twitter but bailed on that shortly after Skum bought it. And then I tried to get...

      I've been looking for a community to interact in about toy collecting!

      I used to frequent the collector circles on Twitter but bailed on that shortly after Skum bought it. And then I tried to get back into Reddit, and, well, that started circling the bowl, too.

      I collect many things, but the big three are:

      Star Wars My first love. I still collect Star Wars action figures in the 3¾" scale when I find new and interesting characters or cool vehicles.

      I was annoyed at the introduction of the 6" Black series because I had spent my whole life amassing hundreds of characters to populate a 3¾" Galaxy, I wasn't going to buy all of those characters again at a higher price point.

      Transformers You know the music you listen to when you're a young teen is the music that ends up dominating your lifelong listening habits? That was Transformers for me. I didn't care much for it in my younger days, it was Beast Wars that drew me into the fiction in the 90s with it's wild 3D Animated cartoon - one of the first!

      The toys are great because you're pretty much getting two toys in one, sometimes more! The way that the toyline was a product of multiple toy companies coming together around the world fascinates me.

      Sidenote; I am not a fan of the Michael Bay movies. Dude's lack of passion for the fiction combined with his raging hard-on for the US military ruined the first 5 films. (2007 is watchable but Bumblebee 2018 is a way better introductory movie)

      Masters of the Universe I only got into MOTU over the past few years, since the introduction of the Masters of the Universe: Origins line, which takes the design and aesthetic of the classic '80s toys and updates them to the modern standards of action figure articulation. Not to mention the figures are easily disassembled and reassembled if you like to make customs (which I do!)

      There's something simplistic about the fiction that I admire, and it satisfies my desires for more "Sword and Sorcery" content over sci-fi when I'm in the mood.

      These just barely scratch the surface of what I'm into, but they're the biggest things I hunt for.

      So, Is anyone here a fellow collector? What do you collect? How long have you been collecting? What do you look for in a toy? Do you open the package and appreciate the tactile experience, or are you purely MISB?

      Is there per chance enough of a crowd for a toy collecting subsection of ~hobbies?

      10 votes
    3. Vote for "Movie of the Week" in December - 1990s edition

      Edit: Voting closed Thanks to everyone who have so far participated in the five movies we did in November. We need to pick four movies for December and it is going to be any movies from the 1990s....

      Edit: Voting closed

      Thanks to everyone who have so far participated in the five movies we did in November. We need to pick four movies for December and it is going to be any movies from the 1990s.

      Rules

      • Must have a release date between 1990 and 1999. If in doubt, whatever it says on IMDb
      • Not one we have already done
      • Only one nomination per user
      • Please only nominate if you intent to participate

      In case of ties in the number of votes, random.org will decide. Voting closes Sunday.

      This overview on Letterboxd can be of some inspiration.


      In addition, I think it will be too much to do a vote on voting categories, but I am curious to get some feedback and ideas. Should we go narrower like genres (westerns, horror, science fiction) or perhaps niche genres (road movie, murder mystery, historic)? How about directors - like I had an idea of doing a Kubrick versus Spielberg for example. Actors, countries, film festivals? Or is it okay to have the category be very broad?

      13 votes
    4. Gut check on contractor quote

      I received a quote from a local contractor to do some home remodeling. Some of the numbers make sense, but some seem quite high. Like, I can't believe it costs $3k in labor to install an electric...

      I received a quote from a local contractor to do some home remodeling. Some of the numbers make sense, but some seem quite high. Like, I can't believe it costs $3k in labor to install an electric fireplace insert, or an island hood. Anybody have any insight they're willing to share on this quote?


      Remodel estimate

      1. Planning and asbestos test $1,190.00
      2. Move range outlet $1,514.00
      3. Island hood $4,498.00
      4. Electric fireplace insert $4,133.00
      5. Main bathroom $36,552.00
      6. Hall bathroom toilet and fan with humidistat $3,579.00
      7. Concrete landings outside the front and back doors, front siding flashing $2,899.00
      8. Re-pipe plumbing $14,993.00
      9. Bedroom window glass replacement $749.00
        Total $70,107.00

      Description
      Plans will be refined. Drywall will be tested for asbestos content.
      Dust will be contained and floors will be protected.
      The range outlet will be moved.
      An island range hood will be installed. The placeholder hood in the estimate is a Zephyr Brisas.
      An electric fireplace insert will be installed. The placeholder fireplace in the estimate is a
      Dimplex 500001756.
      The main bathroom will be remodeled. The shower will be replaced with a pre-formed shower
      pan and Corian walls, and two shower valves and shower heads will be installed. A sliding
      shower door will be installed. The floor will be tiled. A new vanity cabinet, countertop, sink, and
      faucet will be installed. A new toilet will be installed. The vanity electrical outlets will be
      lowered, a larger lower mirror will be installed, a new vanity light will be installed. A ventilation
      fan and light will be installed with a humidistat/condensation sensor. Drywall will be patched.
      New baseboard trim will be installed. The bathroom will be painted.
      The hall bathroom toilet will be replaced. A ventilation fan with a humidistat will be installed.
      Concrete landings will be poured outside the front door and outside the back sliding door. The
      front door landing will be about 5-1/2’x4’ with a curved corner. The back landing will be about
      3-1/2’x3’.
      The plumbing in the house will be replaced. Drywall holes from installation will be patched and
      painted.
      Window glass will be replaced in the bedroom with the broken window pane.
      Everything will be cleaned up.
      All labor and materials are included.


      Thank you!

      9 votes
    5. Thank you. You helped me to plan for the best possible goodbye for my dog. It was today.

      https://tild.es/1anp I am very thankful for your help. It cleared our minds and we could do it in a peaceful way. His euthanasia was painful for us but not for him. The vet was awesome and we did...

      https://tild.es/1anp
      I am very thankful for your help. It cleared our minds and we could do it in a peaceful way.
      His euthanasia was painful for us but not for him.
      The vet was awesome and we did it maybe a week after the ideal time. We are sad, very sad, despite our brains saying that it was the best decision we are sad sad sad.
      Grief evolves and we kind of know it will get better.
      You were a great community, supportive and wise.
      Thanks again,

      58 votes
    6. Tildes’ 2023 Backlog Burner: Final Discussion

      November is coming to a close, and the Backlog Burner with it! Post your final updates, your completed Bingo cards, and any closing thoughts you have. What were the best games you found from...

      November is coming to a close, and the Backlog Burner with it!


      Post your final updates, your completed Bingo cards, and any closing thoughts you have.

      • What were the best games you found from digging through your backlog?
      • What surprised you?
      • What disappointed you?

      Also, another HUGE thank you to @Wes for his incredible bingo card generator.

      17 votes
    7. Tell me your Christmas ghost stories!

      Telling “scary ghost stories” at the holidays isn’t just a seemingly out-of-place line in the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” or the plot of A Christmas Carol - it’s actually a...

      Telling “scary ghost stories” at the holidays isn’t just a seemingly out-of-place line in the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” or the plot of A Christmas Carol - it’s actually a very old tradition stretching back to pagan Yule festivals and Winter Solstice celebrations. So please share yours with us: true or false, but preferably true.

      19 votes
    8. Meet Your Tildes Neighbour: August 2023 Edition

      Time to try something new! Remember the human. It's the golden rule, and knowing your neighbour helps a lot. This post is an opportunity to meet your fellow humans behind the screen/username, in a...

      Time to try something new!

      Remember the human. It's the golden rule, and knowing your neighbour helps a lot.

      This post is an opportunity to meet your fellow humans behind the screen/username, in a format somewhere between the "introduction" posts and the "casual AMA" one.

      Format: One top-level post per participant. Talk a bit about yourself (what you want Tildes to know about you), and pick one particular thing (hobby, passion, subject you studied) you really want to talk about.

      My engagement: I won't leave any top-level post unanswered for too long. But the goal is for others to interact so hopefully everyone's involved, not just me :)

      85 votes
    9. What are some corporate websites that you consider extremely reputable sources of information?

      I had a conversation with someone who teaches research skills at the university level. They said that incoming new students seem to start with the assumption that .org and .edu domain names can be...

      I had a conversation with someone who teaches research skills at the university level. They said that incoming new students seem to start with the assumption that .org and .edu domain names can be trusted for accurate information and .com domain names will be unreliable.

      I didn't find it hard to find dodgy nonprofits and sketchy colleges but do you know of any extremely reputable corporate sites that they could use as counter examples to this misinformed theory about how to find reliable sources online? I'm thinking maybe Bloomberg but would love to hear more.

      30 votes
    10. Are there any games that you have enjoyed playing without the HUD or mini-map? If so, which ones and why?

      I just posted this as a comment to someone who mentioned Horizon Zero Dawn, but figured there might be more discussion if I made a new post for it, so here goes: Are there any games that you have...

      I just posted this as a comment to someone who mentioned Horizon Zero Dawn, but figured there might be more discussion if I made a new post for it, so here goes:


      Are there any games that you have enjoyed playing without the HUD or mini-map? If so, which ones and why?


      One of my favorite gaming experiences was playing Zelda BOTW in its entirety without any HUD elements, just using the game's scenery and story to guide me. I loved it so much that I tried doing the same in other massive open-world games like Skyrim, Fallout 4, The Witcher 3, and Assassin's Creed Origins, but found that they relied too much on small details or markers in the minimap. So instead of feeling more immersed and in-tune with the game world, I just felt more frustrated at not knowing exactly where to go or which specific person or item to click on without the game explicitly telling me. I'm sure it can be done, but I found it nowhere near as pleasing as BOTW.

      I just recently picked up Horizon Zero Dawn and wondered if it could be played in a similar manner, without the map or other HUD elements, or if I'll end up needing some of them to know where to go or who to talk to.

      I'd love to hear any other recommendations or thoughts on this matter.

      28 votes