Cuaderno's recent activity
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Comment on What anime do you think could have strong crossover appeal if correctly publicized? in ~anime
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Comment on Can you recommend songs or musicians/bands with lyrics in Spanish? in ~music
Cuaderno (edited )LinkSome very good recommendations so far, but I want to give it a different angle. I find that learning a language involves learning the culture and identities of the people who speak it natively; to...Some very good recommendations so far, but I want to give it a different angle. I find that learning a language involves learning the culture and identities of the people who speak it natively; to what extend is "mandatory" I have no idea, but it certainly is rewarding and fun. I think if I were to ask this question about learning English most people would overlook essential songs to many 30-something year olds, like "Sk8ter Boi" by Avril Lavigne, or anything by Sting, or maybe whatever your parents listened to on the car, and yet a lot of people knows them by heart. It's music that was always there when growing up and has shaped entire generations who are still wondering who let the dogs out or what is love (baby don't hurt me... couldn't help it). I'm also gonna include older music which may have less influence on young people today but still is nice. Everything from a Latin American perspective since I'm from Costa Rica, I expect that the cultural landscape would be very different in Spain.
Starting with rock, there was a time when this genre was in full force in Latin America, the glory days of MTV. It can vary a lot and some songs may not even be technically rock but folk-fusion or whatever they may be, in big part due to the diversity of such a big landmass. There's a neat documentary in Netflix called "Rompan Todo!" (Break it All!) which may not be the ultimate guide to Latin America rock history but it's certainly entertaining. Anyway, I'm gonna recommend just 3 groups:
- Soda Stereo from Argentina. Just look at that crowd.
- Café Tacvba from México, amazing blend of regional sounds.
- Heroes del Silencio from Spain, if you want even more the singer Bunbury went on to have a very successful career on his own.
Getting more "tropical", for many of us salsa, merengue and cumbia was the soundtrack of family parties/reunions, where the chairs were lined along the walls to leave space to dance. Whether you were able to dance or not would go to define your identity in a big way, but as a non dancer I can say that it's not necessary to enjoy the music. Also some songs were very problematic in retrospect. I can't do a proper sample list that's representative of every important scene, so I won't even try and just give very personal recommendations:
- Grupo Niche representing la salsa romantica, a form of salsa that mostly deals with... romance and love and everything related, became popular in the 90s.
- Hector Lavoe is part of the initial form of salsa, which originated in New York, incredibly beautiful instrumentals and an emphasis on social issues.
- Elvis Crespo this one may be known due to short videos, can't go wrong with Elvis Crespo. To be honest, most merengue have very very simple lyrics.
- Natalia Lafourcade y Los Angeles Azules, Natalia was already mentioned so why not introduce a different group with her. I believe cumbia is the genre that varies the most across Latin America, so there's more to explore. Obligatory reference to Selena.
A quick mention of old boleros, because despite having a lot of amazing and beautiful new boleros, it's always the old ones that end up in weird perfume ads and las abuelitas don't have time to learn new lyrics. Also recommended for the guitar play (requinto):
- Los Panchos is a good place to start, but you can look up "Boleros de Oro" and everything will be nice.
- Les Luthiers is a comedy group first, but their humor is mainly word play and music related. So I'll leave this here so someday you can listen to it and laugh with your really good Spanish skills.
- Julio Jaramillo sang more than boleros, so you can branch out if you want.
Finally, something people have come to call "música plancha" around here, also known as "música para hacer oficio". In other words, music to have in the background while cleaning the house or doing chores, like ironing clothes (planchar ropa). It varies from person to person but here you can find artists like Juan Gabriel, Alejandro Sanz or Luis Miguel. It's mostly romantic and maybe a bit cheesy but if you're ever drunk and have to sing karaoke in Spanish, this will be your repertoire.
Hopefully you'll like something in there and the little bit of background will make it more meaningful, which is overall good for learning.
...and a couple of songs from Costa Rica, because I felt left out: Gaviota and Sonámbulo.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Cuaderno Link ParentI've come back to MHW too, doing a new playthrough with the ICE mod which has some amazing changes for people who want a bit of a shake up. I've also jumped into SOS hunts here and there with the...I've come back to MHW too, doing a new playthrough with the ICE mod which has some amazing changes for people who want a bit of a shake up. I've also jumped into SOS hunts here and there with the vanilla game just because there's so much activity, loving the game as much as I did before. As much fun as I had with Sunbreak I have no desire to go back there after I got to the anomaly cap, but I've been itching to play World again for so long.
Right now I'm trying to get all the mantles before going to Iceborne just because I'm having fun with HR quests, I thought the lack of decos was gonna be an issue but I can manage with whatever I get, the mod helps giving some crucial decos for certain weapons but I can't say I need any of them. And freaking Bazel followed me through 5 zones nonstop, I forgot all about the "joys" of invaders.
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Comment on Monster Hunter Wilds | World premiere trailer at The Game Awards 2023 in ~games
Cuaderno Link ParentI gotta say, I appreciate an egg quest here and there XD but yeah they can be boring or very frustrating but in a way that's part of what makes Monster Hunter such a fully fleshed world despite we...I gotta say, I appreciate an egg quest here and there XD but yeah they can be boring or very frustrating but in a way that's part of what makes Monster Hunter such a fully fleshed world despite we knowing very little about it in the grand scheme of things. For example, eliminating hot and cold drinks seems like a very innocuous change but if they keep streamlining it ends up being a more generic action game with polished combat, the game has to sell the illusion of "the hunt" as an expedition that you embark on. I thought the solution of MHW to get rid of paint balls was a good idea, a nice compromise, the change in Rise was a step too far.
About the combat, when the hunting horn is giving me dual blade vibes I think something went wrong. But maybe I'm just an old man yelling at the clouds at this point.
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Comment on Monster Hunter Wilds | World premiere trailer at The Game Awards 2023 in ~games
Cuaderno LinkI feel like a crazy person for not being super hyped as everyone else, I think it is because it looks more like an iteration on MH Rise and I really want the franchise to scale back on the super...I feel like a crazy person for not being super hyped as everyone else, I think it is because it looks more like an iteration on MH Rise and I really want the franchise to scale back on the super fast paced combat of Rise. It was already a bit too fast in World but Rise pushed it past my preferences.
But I know I'll pre-order it and have a blast playing it with friends regardless of what direction they go, even the "bad" MH games are amazing games.Oh and keeping the palamutes is great!
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Comment on How to find new music in ~music
Cuaderno Link ParentI think I have the same problem as you and just happened to find the ones I follow by chance. Right now my main issue is that all the reviewers I can find mainly talk about music in English and...I think I have the same problem as you and just happened to find the ones I follow by chance. Right now my main issue is that all the reviewers I can find mainly talk about music in English and I'm missing on latin american music. To not leave you without anything of help, two I like that haven't been mentioned are Bandsplaining and Mic the Snare, the first one is not really a reviewer but covers very different music styles.
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Comment on How to find new music in ~music
Cuaderno LinkA lot of the new music I listen to comes to me from reviewers like Anthony Fantano and music recommended by friends. With reviewers I usually ignore the review itself because honestly it's not...A lot of the new music I listen to comes to me from reviewers like Anthony Fantano and music recommended by friends. With reviewers I usually ignore the review itself because honestly it's not that interesting, unless is a lengthy retrospective review, I'm only interested in what they have been listening to. The end of the year is a great time for me because people love to post they're top 10 or top 50 singles/albums and it's very nice to see what I missed.
The other way I discover new music is by doing some "research" work myself after focusing on a particular style/artist/song. They rarely exist on a vacuum, looking around I can find other artists that have been mentioned alongside them, they are part of a particular movement, have clear influences, etc.
The recommendation algorithms has always been lackluster in my opinion, I don't mind if new music is similar to stuff I've heard already, but that's hardly a priority for me. The time spent listening to "similar" music that's uninteresting is not worth it. I'd rather look at a curated list made by someone with known tastes and opinions than whatever the algorithm "curated". -
Comment on People with visible abs, when did you reach it? in ~health
Cuaderno Link ParentHanging leg/knee raises seem like a good idea to avoid the awkward transitory period on the wheel, they're easier to progress by changing range of motion, eccentric control or even adding weight...Hanging leg/knee raises seem like a good idea to avoid the awkward transitory period on the wheel, they're easier to progress by changing range of motion, eccentric control or even adding weight but that seems overkill. I have lower back issues so I'm very careful of what core exercises I do but even then I don't feel like isometric work does much for me in terms of gaining muscle mass.
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Comment on What game(s) do you love that you never see brought up in conversation? in ~games
Cuaderno LinkOne game that seems really overlooked is Medal of Honor, the PS1 game. People know the name and the games, but every conversation starts with Allied Assault from the get go and it's like the first...One game that seems really overlooked is Medal of Honor, the PS1 game. People know the name and the games, but every conversation starts with Allied Assault from the get go and it's like the first 2 games never existed.
Not gonna lie, it's clunky and playing it without dual shock controller at the time was really difficult but you had the option of playing with a very modern fps controller layout. The darkness of the levels (probably imposed by hardware limitations), the style of every single part of the menus, the stellar music, that game had and amazing atmosphere. For me it feels like what a Spielberg videogame would be like, probably because he was involved in it.
I have strong memories of that game and its sequel Medal of Honor: Underground. Until Josh Strife Plays made a video about it (Link here) most of the videos I found just referred to them as a footnote in a story about the fall of the Medal of Honor franchise.
Many PS1 games have seen a resurgence in interest (like Tenchu or Gran Turismo 2) but I think Medal of Honor is a very influential game that has been overlooked. -
Comment on What game(s) do you love that you never see brought up in conversation? in ~games
Cuaderno Link ParentOh this brings me back, I got it after hearing about it from Total Biscuit back in the day and was never brave enough to play it online. But boy did I have a good time just playing against bots! I...Oh this brings me back, I got it after hearing about it from Total Biscuit back in the day and was never brave enough to play it online. But boy did I have a good time just playing against bots! I stopped playing shortly before it went free to play.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Cuaderno Link ParentYou can't get invaded if you're hollow, that's a way of getting around it but other than that it's better to be offline. Invasions are usually very unfair for the host even if the guy doesn't use...You can't get invaded if you're hollow, that's a way of getting around it but other than that it's better to be offline. Invasions are usually very unfair for the host even if the guy doesn't use cheats.
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Comment on Goodbye, Ozempic in ~health
Cuaderno Link ParentI think these drugs flip the script on its head when it comes to obesity as a moral failing. It's been known for a while that satiety/hunger signaling is very largely a matter of genetics and...I think these drugs flip the script on its head when it comes to obesity as a moral failing. It's been known for a while that satiety/hunger signaling is very largely a matter of genetics and environment, and very little to do with willpower, we now have a drug that can level the playing field and make it easier for people who struggle to control their weight on a purely physiological basis.
My previous grudge with these type of drugs was that as soon as people come off them they'll rebound since they didn't develop any tool or strategy to manage their hunger, but I read a good comment somewhere comparing it to blood pressure medication. I was wrongly thinking of the drug as a "dieting" tool, not as general health improving medication. I never had to struggle to keep my weight, I've never been fat, shouldn't other people have it as easy as me? is it bad to take a drug that will improve your life substantially when the only cost is money and negligible side effects?
Reading about the experience of people using these appetite suppressant drugs it's also clear that it helps them tremendously to eat healthier, they're not longer fighting themselves every day to stay away from junk food. They're also not all losing weight at a dangerous rate, the drug doesn't have to be all or nothing, it can be fine tuned.
I still worry about long term effects, since it looks like the best use of these drugs is long term for some people. And it worries me more how it's been trending as a "dieting fad" basically, lots of people are gonna rebound and end up worse off... but then again we have teenagers messing themselves up with steroids for useless social media fame.
Overall it doesn't fix systemic issues that lead to unhealthy lifestyles, but not having these tools won't fix them either and some people could have life saving changes thanks to them.
Speaking of that, MF Ghost is a new anime, done based on a newish manga, that works as a sequel to Initial D. It includes european and american cars, it could have done everything you just said, but what turned me off was how nonchalantly they treat a character that's most likely in his 30s and has a crush on a high school girl. The show knows is not right, but not in a "this guy is a creep" way, it's a "what a rascal" situation. That's the sort of stuff that turns away people, I don't think there's any western media where that would ever be ok, or even aired.
On top of that the author has a comical view of Japanese superiority. The protagonist, who comes from England, is always blown away by japanese food, as if he never ate anything good in his life before coming to Japan.
The manga is also a love letter to a real japanese location and it's nice to see the appreciation shown to the local people and culture, even if they throw cheap shots to other cultures here and there.