0d_billie's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on Among the three major operating systems, which one cares the most about their user's privacy? in ~tech
0d_billie Link ParentIt's honestly come a long way, and it's very easy to use. I have an Arch install that I have been running for 4 years at this point and it's rock solid. The learning curve is relatively steep, but...I've never even installed Arch Linux yet after looking at its lengthy process!
It's honestly come a long way, and it's very easy to use. I have an Arch install that I have been running for 4 years at this point and it's rock solid. The learning curve is relatively steep, but their documentation is excellent, and the forums are also very good. I'd recommend spinning it up in a VM if you're at all curious to give it a try, as it might surprise you just how quick and easy it is to get off the ground with what you want :)
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0d_billie LinkI'm still rambling through Tears of the Kingdom, and I'm totally loving it. I've finally gotten into the rhythm of fusing my weapons, and using the zonai devices. I'm not very proficient at...I'm still rambling through Tears of the Kingdom, and I'm totally loving it. I've finally gotten into the rhythm of fusing my weapons, and using the zonai devices. I'm not very proficient at building stuff yet, though. I've been focused on unlocking all of the geoglyph memories, as the story is gripping me way more than Breath of the Wild's did. That said, I've unlocked them all and there are still gaps in my compendium, so I assume there are more to unlock in other ways.
I'm not crazy keen on the way the Sage abilities are implemented, just because their spirits either seem to always be in the way or always far away from where you need them. It's a cool idea, and I like having companions to do the dungeons with, but I much preferred the way that BotW handled the special powers overall.
Still, I haven't been this hooked on a (non-RTS) video game for absolutely years, and it's a great feeling. In fact, I think I'm going to fire up the switch right now.
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Comment on Disney is staring down the barrel of a no good, very bad year in ~movies
0d_billie LinkIt wouldn't surprise me if movies in general take a bit of a hit this year. Aside from the reasons you listed (which are all good thoughts), I think for many people it's simply just too expensive...It wouldn't surprise me if movies in general take a bit of a hit this year. Aside from the reasons you listed (which are all good thoughts), I think for many people it's simply just too expensive to go to the movies, especially for a family picture like The Little Mermaid. If you're a family of four, cinema tickets alone get very spendy very quickly even before you factor in snacks.
Anecdotally I don't know anyone that hasn't been hit by the increase to the cost of living, and our social activities are reverting back to those of my student days of hanging out at someone's house and playing games or watching movies there. All two of my cinema trips in 2023 have been paid for by gift vouchers I received for Christmas. I do like going to the cinema, but frankly it's just not cheap enough any more to regularly spend my money on a movie I may not enjoy.
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Comment on Where do you see the future of IT going? in ~tech
0d_billie LinkA lot of the other comments in here have made the same points that I would already, except for one. As I see it, ChatGPT and the various other intelligences are not "mature" products. AI is not at...A lot of the other comments in here have made the same points that I would already, except for one. As I see it, ChatGPT and the various other intelligences are not "mature" products. AI is not at the stage of a technology's lifecycle where it has become commoditised and ubiquitous.
Look at smartphones: in the first decade or so of smartphones existing, every new release felt like a giant leap forward. We added a camera! Now there's a camera pointing at your face! 4G! Video calling! Music streaming! Podcasts! Mobile gaming! Biometric security! etc. Compare that to today's increasingly iterative releases, where design and software are about the only thing that can differentiate products. We as a society and the market in general have figured out what the optimal use case for the tech is, and so we just see minor improvements year on year now. 10% more efficient, 12% larger battery, double the megapixels in your camera, etc.
Looking at AI in its current state however, I think should be likened to the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, the first commercially available mobile phone, with its talk time of 30 minutes and 10-hour charge time. In my view, we are right at the bottom of the sigmoid curve when it comes to AI, and the next few years are going to be incredibly explosive in terms of what researchers figure out AI can do.
It's also important to remember that ChatGPT ≠ AI. There is a lot of other incredible stuff going on in the world of machine learning and artificial intelligence, and while ChatGPT gets the limelight, the brilliance of (for example) photo editing AIs should not be understated.
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Comment on Swedish singer Loreen has won the Eurovision Song Contest – only the second performer to take the prize twice in ~music
0d_billie Link ParentEvery year that Australia is in the competition, they always show off that they 100% understand the brief: camp, ridiculous, and entertaining. They had me worried that the keytar was just going to...Every year that Australia is in the competition, they always show off that they 100% understand the brief: camp, ridiculous, and entertaining. They had me worried that the keytar was just going to stay on the passenger seat, though!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
0d_billie Link ParentI am both excited and nervous about the size of the map. The prospect of filling it in is very enticing, but it also feels kind of overwhelming! Still, the whole game feels so polished and fresh....The base world map is the same size, but there's now caves all over to explore, an entire underground layer as big again, and also floating islands in the sky. It feels almost impossibly big. There's no way to binge this game. It's just so big.
I am both excited and nervous about the size of the map. The prospect of filling it in is very enticing, but it also feels kind of overwhelming! Still, the whole game feels so polished and fresh. I'm loving the new mechanics!
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Comment on Chaos ensues after the ‘LeBron James of Incels’ gets laid in ~tech
0d_billie Link"Oh hey, I haven't heard about incels in a long time. I wonder if they've managed to detoxify their community at all, and maybe get rid of the misogynist elements." Reads the tweets in this..."Oh hey, I haven't heard about incels in a long time. I wonder if they've managed to detoxify their community at all, and maybe get rid of the misogynist elements."
Reads the tweets in this article
"Oh hey, I'm glad I haven't heard about incels in a long time."
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Comment on Review: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the best Star Wars game since Knights of the Old Republic in ~games
0d_billie LinkThere are more and more solid next-gen games coming out, and since Stadia died I think I'm going to have to finally bite the bullet and invest in a new console. I thoroughly enjoyed Fallen Order,...There are more and more solid next-gen games coming out, and since Stadia died I think I'm going to have to finally bite the bullet and invest in a new console. I thoroughly enjoyed Fallen Order, and the reviews I have seen of Survivor make it sound like more of the same, only better, which I am fully on board for!
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Comment on ABBA star Björn Ulvaeus believes avatars are the future after greeting one millionth attender at the group's hit show, Voyage in ~music
0d_billie LinkOf course they are. When you are Ed Sheeran's great grandchild, and the money is starting to run out because you've never had to have a job, turning your ancestor's image into a source of passive...Of course they are. When you are Ed Sheeran's great grandchild, and the money is starting to run out because you've never had to have a job, turning your ancestor's image into a source of passive income looks like a complete no-brainer!
As a fan of some big artists who are no longer around, this is an exciting possibility for some day getting to experience shows that I never would have been able to without this tech. I always say that the first thing I would do with a time machine is go see Queen at Wembley, for example.
On the other hand, and as a musician, this just seems likely to further entrench the position of the biggest names in the business, making it harder and harder for a small artist to break through the noise and make a living.
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Comment on Cosmo Sheldrake - Bathed In Sound (2023) in ~music
0d_billie Link ParentAhh yeah, I can totally see that. I tend to prefer wilder, larger sounding stuff, so this one isn't really working for me, sadly :(Ahh yeah, I can totally see that. I tend to prefer wilder, larger sounding stuff, so this one isn't really working for me, sadly :(
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Comment on Cosmo Sheldrake - Bathed In Sound (2023) in ~music
0d_billie Link ParentThanks for the ping! I spotted this earlier but hadn't gotten around to posting it yet :D What do you think of the new song? Not one of his strongest in my opinion, but I've only listened a couple...Thanks for the ping! I spotted this earlier but hadn't gotten around to posting it yet :D
What do you think of the new song? Not one of his strongest in my opinion, but I've only listened a couple of times, so I might need a few more to get it!
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Would building a Dyson sphere be worth it? We ran the numbers.
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Comment on What is a fun or interesting fact about where you live? in ~life
0d_billie Link ParentI didn't think the booklet had been digitized, but I was wrong! Lit' and Lang' Once there were two little groups, Once there were two little groups, Once there were two little groups, Called Lit’...I didn't think the booklet had been digitized, but I was wrong!
Lit' and Lang'
Once there were two little groups,
Once there were two little groups,
Once there were two little groups,
Called Lit’ and Lang’.
Lit’ was lazy till she died,
Lit’ was lazy till she died,
Lit’ was lazy till she died,
Of homophemes.
'I don't like philology,’ Poor Lit’ said.
Psychotherapeutics failed, And now she’s dead.Doctors cut up all the corpse,
Doctors cut up all the corpse,
Doctors cut up all the corpse,
But searched in vain;
They couldn’t find it anywhere,
They couldn’t find it anywhere,
They couldn’t find it anywhere,
They couldn’t find the brain.
Did Lang’ go into mourning-weeds?
I don’t think!
He quickly wiped a tear away
And had another drink.
Other gems include a reference to a Dumbledore on page 17 (it transpires that Dumbledore is an old dialectic word for bumblebee) and an early version of Sam's troll song from Fellowship of the Ring (p19). For bonus points, here's Tolkien singing the troll song. And the tune he uses is actually an old traditional folk tune, see for example Daddy Fox.
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Comment on Why Japan is giving away eight million free houses in ~life
0d_billie LinkThere has been a bit of discussion on Tildes about housing lately, and in view of the thread about treating housing as an investment, I thought I would share this video that I saw a few weeks ago,...There has been a bit of discussion on Tildes about housing lately, and in view of the thread about treating housing as an investment, I thought I would share this video that I saw a few weeks ago, which is an insightful look into how differences in cultural attitudes towards home ownership impact their value massively.
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Why Japan is giving away eight million free houses
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Comment on 'Landlords are a scum class': Everything I've learnt about London renting in ~life
0d_billie LinkAn article both amusing and depressing, about the state of renting in London. I have no doubt that this does not apply solely to London, or even the UK, but I enjoyed the read (even if it far too...An article both amusing and depressing, about the state of renting in London. I have no doubt that this does not apply solely to London, or even the UK, but I enjoyed the read (even if it far too accurately described my own situation of renting 200 miles north of London).
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'Landlords are a scum class': Everything I've learnt about London renting
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Comment on What is a fun or interesting fact about where you live? in ~life
0d_billie LinkJ.R.R. Tolkien taught at the university in Leeds for several years. This has the rather amusing side effect of lots of a certain type of person claiming that they live in or near to his old house...J.R.R. Tolkien taught at the university in Leeds for several years. This has the rather amusing side effect of lots of a certain type of person claiming that they live in or near to his old house when Tolkien was resident here. However there's no blue plaque to say where he actually lived, so it's all just guesswork. There are lots of little bits of parks and green space that are incredibly reminiscent of Hobbiton though! No Middle Earth was written here, but he did leave behind a book called Songs for the Philologists, full of songs and poems that he and his colleagues in the English Language department used to sing together. One particular favourite is essentially a diss song towards the English Literature department, which always tickles me.
For all the Americans on Tildes, we also have a pub which has been continually open since before your nation existed :)
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Comment on Visiting DC, any recommendations? in ~life
0d_billie LinkThe highlight for me when I visited was the Smithsonian Aerospace Museum, well worth a visit!The highlight for me when I visited was the Smithsonian Aerospace Museum, well worth a visit!
It's pretty scary down in the depths, lol! That said, my Link is a lot stronger now than the first time I went downstairs, and I'm a lot more confident with combat and such, so maybe I'll spend some more time in the depths. I do have a lot of crosses from old maps to go and visit...