Buddy's recent activity
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Comment on What are some cheaper alternatives to Grammarly that are equally as good? in ~tech
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Comment on I for one... in ~humanities.languages
Buddy Link ParentWell the comma use is correct in the first example you used, but incorrect in the second. You want the sentence to still read properly without what is between the two commas, so, “I, for one,...Well the comma use is correct in the first example you used, but incorrect in the second. You want the sentence to still read properly without what is between the two commas, so, “I, for one, prefer fizz over buzz,” reads correctly with the content between the commas taken out, like, “I prefer fizz over buzz.” The comma in the second example you used is pointless and incorrect. There should be a comma after “I”. Without that, the comma after “one” makes zero sense. There isn’t a pause there. It needs two commas to work. You’re saying, “I,” but then you’re specifying “for one,” so it should have a comma before and after it. No comma or one comma is incorrect.
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Comment on What will be ~ stereotypes in a while? in ~talk
Buddy LinkHonestly, I’m just afraid it will turn into Reddit 2.0. A large portion, perhaps even a majority, of its users are already Reddit transplants, and I’m just afraid they’ll end up showing the same...Honestly, I’m just afraid it will turn into Reddit 2.0. A large portion, perhaps even a majority, of its users are already Reddit transplants, and I’m just afraid they’ll end up showing the same behaviors here as they did over there. Even without the memes and low-effort “shitposting,” it’s possible for the users to still turn every comment section into an echo chamber, only voting based on what they agree with and leaving the conflicting opinions and points of view at the bottom of the comment section, no matter how relevant to the discussion they may be. We already saw a lot of this behavior with the misuse of the tag system, and even without that and with no ability to downvote, it’s still possible for users to say what they think will get votes or vote by what they agree with. I just don’t want that to happen here, but with so many users from Reddit used to that type of behavior there is a high chance it will try to take hold here. Tight moderation is about the only way we can avoid this, but there’s not really a way to prevent people voting based on their own opinions.
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Comment on What hobby do you wish you could do but can't? in ~hobbies
Buddy Link ParentAre you sure you have a 34” draw length? I would go to a pro shop and have someone who does this for a living actually measure you. It’s very rare to have a draw length that long. Even finding a...Are you sure you have a 34” draw length? I would go to a pro shop and have someone who does this for a living actually measure you. It’s very rare to have a draw length that long. Even finding a compound bow with a 32” draw length is almost impossible, and I’ve never even seen any with one longer than that besides specialty bows or ones that are custom made. How tall are you? Also, if you’re doing the ‘height/arm span divided by 2.5’ thing, that’s only an approximation and not to be taken as fact. I’ve seen people do that and come up with 31”, but actually need a 29” draw length.
There is good news, though. If you’re shooting a compound bow, it has to be set to your exact draw length and if it is too long or too short, it’s going to majorly impact your ability to shoot properly or accurately. You just won’t be able to. However, recurve bows do not adjust, nor do they need it. The draw weight of a recurve bow is almost always measured at 28 inches, such as “29lbs. at 28”), but that does not mean you can only pull it back 28 inches. That’s just the length they are measured at. Unlike a compound bow, which has to fully drawn or it will not shoot properly, a recurve bow can be drawn and shot at any length. You can pull it back 24” and shoot it, you can pull it back 31” and shoot it, whatever. The draw weight increases the longer the draw is, so if it’s 30 pounds at 28” it may only be 28 pounds at 27 inches or 32 pounds at 30” (I don’t know the exact math, but you get the point).
The point I’m trying to make is you don’t need to set a recurve to any one draw length, so you you’ll be able to find one even if your draw length really is 34”, and the weight measurement being at 28” doesn’t limit the draw length to 28”. You’ll be perfectly fine with a recurve. With that said, your long draw length isn’t going to work well on a short bow. You’re going to want something at least 62”. If you’re shooting a 56” bow, for example, being drawn past 30” is going to be rough on the limbs. Shorter bows are for shorter people, which means shorter draw lengths. Longer bows are for taller people with longer draw lengths. It’s easy to find a 62” recurve. The $120 Sammick Sage is 62”. I think that would be great for you. Longbows would be great for your height, too, but I’d recommend a recurve for starting out.
As for arrows, they usually come in one length and you get them cut to the size you need. Everyone needs a different length arrow. I have a 29.5 draw length on my compound bow, but the way it’s set up and with my arrow rest, I need a 27.5” arrow. In my recurve, I need them longer. I don’t know how long you would need your arrows. Depends on your draw length, but also your bow’s set up, taking your arrow rest into account. Recurves take a pretty cheap, screw-in rest or even stick-on rests, but yours might be positioned somewhere different from another bow so I can’t really tell you how long you need it. Take a full sized, uncut arrow, nock it and come to full draw. Have someone else mark it about 3/4” to 1” in front of your rest. That’s how long it should be. Almost anywhere that sells arrows, in person or even website like www.lancasterarchery.com, will custom cut your arrows when you buy them. Tell them how long and they’ll make them that size. Another good thing about a recurve is you can shoot wooden arrows, which means you can even get some good wooden dowels, some glue-on tips, and a fletching jig with some feather fletchings and make your own arrows at home. It’s very easy to do, and you can even just sharpen the tip instead of getting a glue-on point and use some duct tape cut to shape as fletching if you’re really on a budget. I’ve done it just to try it, and they shoot just as well as any other arrow. Sounds goofy, but they work.
I know I’m going on and on and not shutting up, I just want to explain everything as thoroughly as I possibly can. If you need to know anything else or need clarification, don’t hesitate to ask me. I’m happy to help.
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Comment on What hobby do you wish you could do but can't? in ~hobbies
Buddy Link ParentDo you have a yard at all? You could get a target and set it up in your yard and just do it at home. You don't need a massive yard, just enough to put 20 meters or so between you and the target...Do you have a yard at all? You could get a target and set it up in your yard and just do it at home. You don't need a massive yard, just enough to put 20 meters or so between you and the target and something to stop a wild arrow if you have neighbors close by. It doesn't have to cost a ton, either. You can get a Sammick Sage recurve bow, for example, for around $120 (U.S.), or a Bear Bullseye for even less. I bought my girlfriend a Bear Bullseye for her birthday last year that cost $90 on Amazon. She left me later that week, but it was unrelated to the bow. Haha. It's a 62", 29lb. draw recurve bow, but they make them shorter. You need to start off with something in the 20 to 30 pound draw weight range, so that is perfect for beginners. You can find a target for $30 or so, maybe even cheaper if you find a styrofoam target (they're for lighter draw weights and work well with a 30lb. recurve, but won't last quite as long as other targets). You can find good arrows for $5 or so a piece, and you'd probably want around 6 of them, and a shooting glove for $10 or less. Realistically you could get a pretty decent setup for $150-160 or so, at least here in the U.S.. I wouldn't expect the prices to be too different anywhere else, though. I could be wrong, but I assume you're somewhere in the U.K./Ireland judging from your use of "arse," and the prices are close to the same over there. I know $150 isn't exactly pocket change, but it's nowhere near as expensive as most people assume starting archery will be. Now, if you want a compound bow things will be expensive. I would definitely start with a recurve either way, though, and move to compound after you learn the sport if that what you want to do.
Recurves are cheap and extremely fun. I'm a bowhunter and shoot a compound for that, but for just target shooting I prefer a recurve. I shoot the Bear I bought for my ex-girlfriend. A 30lb. draw weight may sound puny to some people, but it isn't. You should never start off with more than that because you'll struggle to draw it and learn bad habits, and if you start with bad habits you will never learn proper form and never shoot as accurately as you could be shooting.
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Comment on Audiobooks. Whaddyagot? in ~talk
Buddy LinkI read a lot of books, but I also listen to just as many. I always have an audiobook playing while I'm driving, taking a shower (waterproof bluetooth speaker that sticks to the wall), mowing the...I read a lot of books, but I also listen to just as many. I always have an audiobook playing while I'm driving, taking a shower (waterproof bluetooth speaker that sticks to the wall), mowing the lawn, things like that. I rarely listen to music anymore and just listen to books instead. I've listened to so many in recent years, and I'm kind of stuck right now because I've listened to everything I can think of and can't find anything else I'm interested in.
There are a lot of narrators out there, but very few of them are actually good. My favorite narrator by far is Frank Muller, but he passed away in 2008 and I've listened to almost everything he has done already. My favorite narrations of his are as follows: The Stand, by Stephen King, The Talisman and its sequel, Black House, both by Stephen King and Peter Straub, The Border Trilogy (which contains All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain), by Cormac McCarthy, and Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy. He did such an amazing job on all of those books. He did amazing work on everything he narrated, those are just my favorites.
On the lighter side, the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett were a ton of fun to listen to. They are fun and humorous books, but the narrators did great work. Nigel Planer and Stephen Briggs narrate all the books with male leads and they are both fantastic with exactly the right tone and comedic timing that make the books come to life. Celia Imrie narrates the books with female leads and puts the same effort as the other two narrators do into her work.
Lastly, I want to mention the First Law trilogy, and the three standalone books in the same universe. Fantasy is not my favorite genre, but I do like some fantasy books. I'm very picky about it, and hate the Robert Jordan style of fantasy. I enjoy George R. R. Martin, along with the rest of the world, but few others. However, Joe Abercrombie has written some of the best fantasy on the planet in the First Law books. On top of that, Steven Pacey gives one of the best narration performances of all time with each book. I know I said Frank Muller is my favorite narrator, but Steven Pacey has got to be tied with him even though this series is the only work I've ever heard of his. It is hands-down the best audiobook performance I've ever heard, and I go through five or more books a month. I highly recommend it, even if fantasy isn't usually your thing. There is very little magic in the series and its gritty and has a lot of realism in it. Logen Ninefingers is my favorite fantasy character ever, maybe even favorite character in general. I like the series many times more than even the A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) series. Listen to a sample, at least. You won't regret it. Pacey pours his heart into his performance and it feels more like a movie without picture than just a narration. It's amazing, and he deserves every award there is in the audiobook world.
I should start off by saying I have never used these tools, so I can’t comment on how well each of them work. With that said, there are a few I have heard other people mention using with good things to say.
SlickWrite is a completely free tool that I’ve seen praised. It seems to be full-featured and have everything you’re looking for, plus being completely free with no paid version or premium tiers is surely a major advantage.
There’s also ProWritingAid, which is one of the more direct Grammarly competitors. I’m not sure how much cheaper it is, to be honest, but it also has a free tier and I thought it worth mentioning. Readable is another tool with similar features, but there is no free version. However, a look at their pricing page tells me it is only $4 per month, $48 annually, for a non-commercial subscription and has a 7-day free trial.
I apologize for not having the personal experience with any of the above tools and not being able to give you more information on them than simply saying they exist. I do know people who have used SlickWrite and were pleased with it and see other two frequently mentioned online, but, without Googling them and pretending I’m not simply copying and pasting what it tells me, I can’t tell you much more.