DundonianStalin's recent activity
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Comment on This is How You Lose the Time War - I loved it but I understand why some hate it in ~books
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
DundonianStalin LinkReading volume 3 of the Outlaw Chronicles by Angus Donald. Loving the series it's basically the adventures Robin Hood but told from the perspective of one of his younger companions and Robin is a...Reading volume 3 of the Outlaw Chronicles by Angus Donald. Loving the series it's basically the adventures Robin Hood but told from the perspective of one of his younger companions and Robin is a psychopath. Really great historical fiction and oddly I've learned quite a few things after going on wikipedia rabbit-holes based on things from the book like the 1190 massacre at Cliffords Tower.
After that I'm probably going to start High Steaks by Rob Ulitski, I like the authors previous shorts and I can't not read a book about a mutated super cow killing people.
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Comment on The happiest man in the world in ~health.mental
DundonianStalin Link ParentMate of mine went off his work in early 2019 with depression, still hasn't had an appointment. He can't afford to go private because universal credit for a single person means he can barely afford...Mate of mine went off his work in early 2019 with depression, still hasn't had an appointment. He can't afford to go private because universal credit for a single person means he can barely afford to buy food for the month never mind anything else.
His GP can only offer pills and nothing else which don't work for him and the DWP hasn't so much as spoken to him since he first applied for benefits. Luckily he has mates and family around but ive always wondered what becomes of those who don't.
The NHS is just woefully under funded and equipped to deal with the mental health crisis the UK is experiencing and its only going to get worse. There's no safety net anymore its just a big black hole and any of us who don't have a big bank balance are but one step from the edge.
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Comment on How to use the YouTube website? in ~tech
DundonianStalin LinkYou could try opening the video in a new container tab or private window see if that works. Make sure ublock origin is updated. Try out an Invidious instance like https://yewtu.be/ Or a installed...- Exemplary
You could try opening the video in a new container tab or private window see if that works.
Make sure ublock origin is updated.
Try out an Invidious instance like https://yewtu.be/
Or a installed frontend like Freetube if that's more convenient.
I think you can also watch yt videos through VLC but I'm not super familiar with that.
If you're on android try Newpipe from fdroid.
If you use a VPN try to find the node in a country that youtube doesn't have a big market in and hence won't have as much desire to push ads.
I've luckily never seen one of these popups myself, I use Librewolf with ublock origin and all filters enabled and hoping that my luck continues.
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Comment on YouTube’s anti-adblock and uBlock Origin in ~tech
DundonianStalin LinkInteresting perspective on the recent events with ublock and youtube.Interesting perspective on the recent events with ublock and youtube.
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YouTube’s anti-adblock and uBlock Origin
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Comment on Windows Phone gets revenge on YouTube from the grave by helping users bypass its ad-blocker-blocker in ~tech
DundonianStalin Link ParentWhat you mean is the Youtube app used to be able to do it, android can still do it perfectly fine. Using Newpipe or revanced over the official app gives much better functionality.Android phones used to be able to do it too.
What you mean is the Youtube app used to be able to do it, android can still do it perfectly fine. Using Newpipe or revanced over the official app gives much better functionality.
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Comment on An audacious plan to halt the Internet's enshittification - Cory Doctorow in ~tech
DundonianStalin Link ParentI'm the opposite. Most people swear, many swear a great deal. Culturally in my country (Scotland) swearing is something virtually everyone does publicly and it's become a bit of a joke that the...I'm the opposite. Most people swear, many swear a great deal. Culturally in my country (Scotland) swearing is something virtually everyone does publicly and it's become a bit of a joke that the word 'fuck' is practically punctuation for some dialects particularly in Glaswegian and Dundonian dialects. I don't find it edgy I find it perfectly normal and if anything I find the absence of it quite distracting in media because my brain just immediately detects it as anomalous.
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Comment on Google killing basic HTML version of Gmail in January 2024 in ~tech
DundonianStalin Link ParentTrue or not that's always the subtext I see when I read these kinds of things.True or not that's always the subtext I see when I read these kinds of things.
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Comment on Reddit is going to let you turn gold into money in ~tech
DundonianStalin Link ParentI feel this, when I deleted my account I still kept the bookmark for a while before I had to delete it because I'd robotically just click it along with my emails first thing. Now I have to...I feel this, when I deleted my account I still kept the bookmark for a while before I had to delete it because I'd robotically just click it along with my emails first thing. Now I have to actually type in the address I basically never go there without purpose.
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Comment on Humanity's current space behavior 'unsustainable,' due to satellite and space junk congestion, European Space Agency report warns in ~space
DundonianStalin Link ParentWe absolutely do know how to do things without destroying whatever environment we happen to be in, it's worse than that, we choose destruction and we choose it everyday.We absolutely do know how to do things without destroying whatever environment we happen to be in, it's worse than that, we choose destruction and we choose it everyday.
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Comment on We're all living on r/MadeMeSmile's Internet Now in ~tech
DundonianStalin Link ParentMAGNA CARTA! MAGNA CARTA!The amount of clowns over here quoting US legislation during Covid restrictions was hilarious.
MAGNA CARTA! MAGNA CARTA!
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Comment on How to pick up reading again? in ~books
DundonianStalin Link ParentI don't remember exactly but within a year.I don't remember exactly but within a year.
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Comment on How to pick up reading again? in ~books
DundonianStalin LinkI can relate I went through this a few years ago. This is what I've discovered. This one sounds super obvious but read what you want to read. Many people have this idea that reading should be...I can relate I went through this a few years ago. This is what I've discovered.
This one sounds super obvious but read what you want to read. Many people have this idea that reading should be about bettering yourself, reading the classics, or getting exposed to new ideas and it certainly can be but if what you really like reading is silly horror slashers or scifi romances then read those one persons trash is anothers treasure. Don't care what others think of your reading choices go with what you enjoy and work outwards from there.
Read short books or novellas (under 200 pages). When getting back into reading it's tempting to get lost in some epic mammoth book but reading shorter ones can help especially when depression is a daily battle and I know this very well from experience. It also helps if the books have short snappy chapters so you can read for 10-15 mins per chapter and then if you need to put the book down and come back later for another quick stint. Before you know it the book will be done and you'll get a sense of satisfaction from having actually finished one and then you'll get to look forward to the next. Many will recommend short story collections and this can be great advice it just doesn't work for me personally because all it takes it getting to one story I don't like to make me less willing to pick the book back up and it will sit their gathering dust as I ignore it because it seems like something I'll have to slog through.
Don't read on your phone. This is a biggie; if you have the means to avoid it. Most people look at their phones and expect a constant stream of information and stimulation and books aren't always conducive to that especially if you have notifications interrupting you. It's simply the wrong environment in my opinion especially if you're already having a bit of trouble concentrating. Try to make reading it's own thing, do it before bed or first thing in the morning whenever you feel comfortable and have the time to dedicate to it. I highly recommend an ereader if you can afford one (usually pretty cheap for older ones off ebay) but physical books work just as well.
Don't pressure yourself too much. Dealing with depression is a ballache at the best of times but putting extra stress on yourself trying to force reading is just not going to work @raccoona_nongrata nailed it with the comparison to exercise it takes time to build back the motivation and routine but once you're there it just flows. Don't expect to be reading a book a day immediately start with realistic goals like 1 per month, a 200 page book in a month is about 7 pages a day which is quite manageable and you'll likely exceed that and then yay another little boost.
Don't be afraid to DNF (did not finish) a book, my personal cut off is about 40-50 pages if I'm not enjoying the story or characters by this point I quit and I don't feel bad, if you have access to kindleunlimited or are reading free books this is much easier but if you find yourself forcing yourself to read it'll have a negative effect on the desire to continue, it's not a failure to just stop and move on to something different.
I went literal years where I don't think I read a book at all then over the last couple of years I got to 1 per month and this year my reading absolutely exploded and I'm on book 74 of this year (mostly still reading short books though) I can read an entire novel in a day but some times a week will go by where I don't touch it but I'm definitely happy with the balance I seem to have struck. This is a combination of getting an ereader and discovering new genres that helped me mentally.
I'm hesitant to give any suggestions or recommendations without more info about your tastes so tried to keep advice quite general I hope some of it helps.
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Comment on Man bitten by stray cat contracts infection unknown to science in ~science
DundonianStalin LinkOne of my most irrational fears is something like this where I get a novel disease and they name it after me.One of my most irrational fears is something like this where I get a novel disease and they name it after me.
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Comment on Emily Blunt is 'so ready' for an Edge of Tomorrow sequel in ~movies
DundonianStalin Link ParentI'd argue no one went into Edge of Tomorrow thinking the aliens were going to win. Virtually every movie like this has to have a happy ending where the humans win.I'd argue no one went into Edge of Tomorrow thinking the aliens were going to win. Virtually every movie like this has to have a happy ending where the humans win.
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Comment on Emily Blunt is 'so ready' for an Edge of Tomorrow sequel in ~movies
DundonianStalin Link ParentI'd rather just see the battle of Verdun and how Emily Blunt's character dealt with the powers and how she became the Angle of Verdun. I mean does Tom Cruise need to be in it at all?I'd rather just see the battle of Verdun and how Emily Blunt's character dealt with the powers and how she became the Angle of Verdun. I mean does Tom Cruise need to be in it at all?
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Comment on Climate activist Greta Thunberg has pulled out of an appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival over its links to the fossil fuel industry in ~books
DundonianStalin LinkWhile I can understand that she'd want to avoid it I always thought a better idea would be to show up and proceed to absolutely embarrass the sponsors by pointing all of this out.While I can understand that she'd want to avoid it I always thought a better idea would be to show up and proceed to absolutely embarrass the sponsors by pointing all of this out.
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Comment on Do you look up words while reading a novel? in ~books
DundonianStalin LinkYep, something in my brain just won't let me focus on anything else if I don't know what a word means and cannot work it out from context. It's actually one of the key things that compelled me to...Yep, something in my brain just won't let me focus on anything else if I don't know what a word means and cannot work it out from context. It's actually one of the key things that compelled me to get an ereader if I'm honest.
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Comment on What's a word from another language that you wish was a thing in English? in ~humanities.languages
DundonianStalin Link ParentIn Scots we just say yous.In Scots we just say yous.
I found the book interesting and it was good enough for me to finish it when I'm not afraid to DNF things I'm not enjoying. That said I didn't love it.
The story was interesting but really weak and just not fleshed out enough for me to care about the time war or either side or even what was actually happening. The romance also did nothing for me if anything it seemed to come out of nowhere and I just couldn't understand why they felt that way about each other. I could see them being able to relate to each other as the only 2 really in the same situation but I just didn't 'get it'.
I guess it's just not my kind of SF or love story which is a shame because I wanted to like it but I'm glad that there's room for new artistic or novel ways of doing speculative fiction to become big successes and it being popular is great for the genre overall.