Arlen's recent activity
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Comment on Confess your food crimes in ~food
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Comment on What are some good stories told from non-human perspectives? in ~books
Arlen Link ParentI've heard nothing but praise for A Fire Upon the Deep. I've tried to read it two or three times and bounced off hard. The last time was probably 15-20 years ago, so maybe it's time to give it...I've heard nothing but praise for A Fire Upon the Deep. I've tried to read it two or three times and bounced off hard. The last time was probably 15-20 years ago, so maybe it's time to give it another shot.
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Comment on Lilo & Stitch | Official trailer in ~movies
Arlen Link ParentBeauty and the Beast was pretty close to a 1 for 1 remake and it felt so very unnecessary (but I'll watch anything with Dan Stevens in it).Beauty and the Beast was pretty close to a 1 for 1 remake and it felt so very unnecessary (but I'll watch anything with Dan Stevens in it).
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Comment on (715) 999-7483 - A phone-powered multiplayer website builder in ~tech
Arlen Link ParentMaybe, but doubtful. If I were to guess, the model is just iterating a static site based on the prompts, and doesn't have access to any sort of database. You might be able to convince it to put...Maybe, but doubtful. If I were to guess, the model is just iterating a static site based on the prompts, and doesn't have access to any sort of database.
You might be able to convince it to put the text of the current (and maybe previous) prompts into the page, but it probably wouldn't update as new prompts come in.
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Comment on What works do you think should be added to the literary canon? in ~books
Arlen LinkUsing that reading plan as an example of a 'canon,' two books written by women that seem like glaring omissions are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith....Using that reading plan as an example of a 'canon,' two books written by women that seem like glaring omissions are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.
It does look like that list cuts off around the mid-late 1950s. I'm also not seeing much (any?) representation of science fiction, so at the very least H.G. Wells and Jules Verne deserve honorable mention. I'd also probably put The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams on there.
And ditto to the suggestion above of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Whether you like it or not it's impossible to genuinely deny its influence over great swathes of popular media in the last half-century.
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Comment on Stretch My Time Off - Optimise your vacation days in ~life
Arlen Link ParentAs well as being able to block out non-optimized days you plan on taking off (i.e. trips for events like weddings, conventions, etc.).As well as being able to block out non-optimized days you plan on taking off (i.e. trips for events like weddings, conventions, etc.).
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Comment on Dystopian book recommendations in ~books
Arlen LinkI haven't read them in about 30 years, so maybe they're not as good as I remember, but I really enjoyed the Tripods series by John Christopher and I never hear anyone mention them anymore.I haven't read them in about 30 years, so maybe they're not as good as I remember, but I really enjoyed the Tripods series by John Christopher and I never hear anyone mention them anymore.
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Comment on Commander Brackets - beta test of a matchmaking system for assessing decks in ~games.tabletop
Arlen Link ParentIf I had to venture a guess as to why one and not the other, it's that a 1/1 creature has a lot more vulnerabilities than an enchantment. It also triggers a lot less frequently: a max of once per...If I had to venture a guess as to why one and not the other, it's that a 1/1 creature has a lot more vulnerabilities than an enchantment. It also triggers a lot less frequently: a max of once per turn per player, and only on non-creature spells, whereas Rhystic study is just happening constantly.
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Comment on What books do you recommend for someone looking for positive vibes or casual amusement or escape in ~books
Arlen LinkI've seen Terry Pratchett mentioned a couple of times so I'll drop the mandatory The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams. It's simultaneously silly and clever, while at the...I've seen Terry Pratchett mentioned a couple of times so I'll drop the mandatory The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams.
It's simultaneously silly and clever, while at the same time being a fantastic adventure across space and time. The characters are funny, the situations are funny, the writing is extremely funny, and the preposterous universe Adams builds throughout the books is wonderful to get lost in.
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Comment on What books do you recommend for someone looking for positive vibes or casual amusement or escape in ~books
Arlen Link ParentWatchmen is amazing. There's a reason it consistently ends up as the only comic book on "top sci-fi books of all time" lists. That reason is definitely not "positive vibes" though, so OP beware.Watchmen is amazing. There's a reason it consistently ends up as the only comic book on "top sci-fi books of all time" lists.
That reason is definitely not "positive vibes" though, so OP beware.
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Comment on The Fantastic Four: First Steps | Official teaser in ~movies
Arlen Link ParentWhich makes it super frustrating that they decided to call the MCU main universe Earth-616. To me this implies that the comics and the movies must take place in different multiverses, so any...Important to remember that in Marvel canon, the MCU is separate from Earth-616 (the "main" universe).
Which makes it super frustrating that they decided to call the MCU main universe Earth-616. To me this implies that the comics and the movies must take place in different multiverses, so any crossovers that may occur would only be canon to one or another (i.e. the comics must have their own MCU-universe and the movies must have a universe that stands in for the comics' 616).
Actually I just convinced myself that this was a good move on their part, because stuff like the comics' Secret Wars event from 2015 that collapsed the entire multiverse would otherwise necessarily have to affect the MCU, which, while it would be cool, is definitely not the best way to retain viewership.
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Comment on You can change ONE thing about a game. What do you change? in ~games
Arlen Link ParentI just read about this in a game design book - it's called DIMS or Doom-Induced Motion Sickness. It approaches solutions from a designer's standpoint, not a player's, but you may be able to do the...I just read about this in a game design book - it's called DIMS or Doom-Induced Motion Sickness. It approaches solutions from a designer's standpoint, not a player's, but you may be able to do the following:
- Get the framerate to 60 FPS
- Turn off "head-bob"/"weapon-bob"
- Try to avoid looking up or down too frequently
- Slow down your lookspeed
- Switch to third-person if possible
- Sit farther away from your screen
- Reduce the field-of-view
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Comment on What are some favorite books with themes of grit, endurance, resilience, living through hostile circumstances? in ~books
Arlen (edited )LinkIt's hard not to drift straight into WW2 when thinking of those themes, but here's a few I think fit the bill: Maus by Art Spiegelman Night by Elie Wiesel Perseopolis by Marjane Satrapi The...It's hard not to drift straight into WW2 when thinking of those themes, but here's a few I think fit the bill:
- Maus by Art Spiegelman
- Night by Elie Wiesel
- Perseopolis by Marjane Satrapi
- The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines (correct me if I'm wrong about this one, I read it ~27 years ago)
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Comment on Besides Shawshank Redemption, what films do you like that feature grit, resilience, endurance under hostile circumstances? in ~movies
Arlen LinkRocky is a solid example, I think. Actually a lot of sports movies probably fit the bill. 42, A League of Their Own, heck, even Dodgeball and Happy Gilmore seem like they check the boxes.Rocky is a solid example, I think. Actually a lot of sports movies probably fit the bill. 42, A League of Their Own, heck, even Dodgeball and Happy Gilmore seem like they check the boxes.
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Comment on Denis Villeneuve eyes a new hard sci-fi epic adaptation, ‘Rendezvous with Rama’ in ~movies
Arlen Link ParentHe's able to show scale really well, as proven in Dune Part 2, which I think is important for Rama. What I'm most curious about is if he'd just be leaving the first story as a stand-alone thing,...He's able to show scale really well, as proven in Dune Part 2, which I think is important for Rama.
What I'm most curious about is if he'd just be leaving the first story as a stand-alone thing, or following it up with the Rama II/Garden of Rama/Rama Revealed trilogy. I know the latter can be divisive but people may not appreciate the
pseudo-spoiler for the first book
open-ended nature of *Rendezvous*. -
Comment on A shower thought on cameras in ~talk
Arlen Link ParentI have never heard of light-field cameras before, but after reading about them, what a rad piece of tech. Assuming they don't have any additional limitations compared to regular cameras (I didn't...I have never heard of light-field cameras before, but after reading about them, what a rad piece of tech. Assuming they don't have any additional limitations compared to regular cameras (I didn't read a ton about them), I feel like they should absolutely be used for photographing any sort of event. Set the focus where you need to publish the nice picture in the article or whatever, but release the focusable light-field image as an historical document*.
*In an open-source format, of course.
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Comment on There is no safe word: How the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman hid the darkest parts of himself for decades in ~books
Arlen Link ParentI get what you mean, but your phrasing just keeps making me think of this Norm MacDonald quote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9wLAFuAi4UThe sad thing is...
I get what you mean, but your phrasing just keeps making me think of this Norm MacDonald quote https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9wLAFuAi4U
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Comment on How UI helps you hate breakable weapons a bit less in ~games
Arlen Link ParentI don't like them in general, but what really ruined BotW for me was that it you lose a fight, you respawn with the weapon durability still used up (and/or the gear still destroyed). It means you...I don't like them in general, but what really ruined BotW for me was that it you lose a fight, you respawn with the weapon durability still used up (and/or the gear still destroyed). It means you can't really retry very difficult fights unless you have the means to go replace your gear between attempts.
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Comment on Ahsoka Season 2 will recast the late Ray Stevenson with Game of Thrones' "The Hound" instead of killing off Baylan Skoll in ~tv
Arlen Link ParentJack Black was in The Mandalorian, not Ahsoka.Jack Black was in The Mandalorian, not Ahsoka.
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Comment on TikTok says it plans to shut down site for US unless Supreme Court strikes down law forcing it to sell in ~tech
Arlen Link ParentWhy does the argument that Instagram Reels' and YouTube Shorts' continued existence will fill the short-attention-span media void not also apply to the effects on the music industry?Why does the argument that Instagram Reels' and YouTube Shorts' continued existence will fill the short-attention-span media void not also apply to the effects on the music industry?
I came here to confess the crime of making carbonara with thick-cut bacon instead of guanciale and the first thing I see is this breach of the Geneva Convention (I can't wait to try it).