Froswald's recent activity
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Comment on Shinichiro Watanabe and the two-shot dynamic in ~anime
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Comment on Someone is wrong on the internet (AGI Doom edition) in ~tech
Froswald Link ParentI feel like asking 'what are those many things?' would result with me having more questions than answers--or necessitate a response longer than the comment allows. I'm a layperson and hobbyist...I feel like asking 'what are those many things?' would result with me having more questions than answers--or necessitate a response longer than the comment allows. I'm a layperson and hobbyist generative AI user at best who does want to at least comprehend the whole current/future AI dynamic; do you have any books or places to recommend for someone like me to start understanding what even rudimentary AGI might take in terms of technology?
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Comment on Funny, crazy and silly mods in ~games
Froswald LinkOne of the simplest mods I've come across for what it does (it's a change of a single variable in an .ini IIRC) is Carmageddon for GTAIV. It adjusts the friction for vehicles to a negative value...One of the simplest mods I've come across for what it does (it's a change of a single variable in an .ini IIRC) is Carmageddon for GTAIV. It adjusts the friction for vehicles to a negative value instead of positive, which means that instead of cars being affected by a constant value of deacceleration on a surface, they get that same value of acceleration. It's great
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Comment on 'Spaceballs 2' in the works at Amazon with Josh Gad starring in ~movies
Froswald LinkI'll probably watch it out of morbid curiosity. If nothing else, Spaceballs 2 (The Search for More Money) is the one from his repertoire to make a cash-grab sequel to.I'll probably watch it out of morbid curiosity. If nothing else, Spaceballs 2 (The Search for More Money) is the one from his repertoire to make a cash-grab sequel to.
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Comment on Games where the campaign serves as the tutorial? in ~games
Froswald Link ParentAs a former hater, I have to admit when DMC5 was announced my disdain for the reboot practically evaporated. Hell, I even played it again the other year (in the Spanish dub) and it held up...As a former hater, I have to admit when DMC5 was announced my disdain for the reboot practically evaporated. Hell, I even played it again the other year (in the Spanish dub) and it held up alright--I think a lot of us just got upset with the notion that the reboot was the final DMC. At this point? I'd be happy with even an alternating release schedule of a main DMC game and a reboot sequel/some re-imagining done by an outside studio. 'More options can't hurt' is my mantra.
With DMC5, it's definitely one of those games that only gets better on subsequent playthroughs. Nero in particular can do some absolutely crazy things when he's got his full kit at his disposal
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Comment on Games where the campaign serves as the tutorial? in ~games
Froswald LinkDevil May Cry (particularly DMC3 onwards) is more or less designed like this. Your first playthrough consists of you unlocking new abilities and weapons, sometimes near the end of the game. One...Devil May Cry (particularly DMC3 onwards) is more or less designed like this. Your first playthrough consists of you unlocking new abilities and weapons, sometimes near the end of the game. One character in DMC5 doesn't even unlock a huge portion of their kit until the very last fight of the entire campaign. The 'purpose' of the series is honestly similar to a game like Tony Hawk, like another commenter said. Learn the ropes on your first playthrough, and then your subsequent ones enable you to use your full scope of abilities to go nuts on increasingly powerful/numerous enemies.
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Comment on What video games have had you taking real-life notes? in ~games
Froswald LinkNot a physical pen and paper as my handwriting is atrocious, but I created and kept an extensive commodities spreadsheet for WoW: Classic Vanilla. Primarily focused on herb and fish prices at...Not a physical pen and paper as my handwriting is atrocious, but I created and kept an extensive commodities spreadsheet for WoW: Classic Vanilla. Primarily focused on herb and fish prices at first, but it grew until I was tracking most every item used for or produced by crafting in the game. I tracked daily prices, fluctuations from the previous day's price in absolute value and percentages, a weekly price history as well as an aggregate average, and a few other elements I forget off the top of my head. It had about six sheets to it and a ton of basic but overlaid conditional formatting to make it as plug and play as I could get at the time with my skill in Excel/Calc, but I had a ton of fun making incremental gains in the latter stages of the game cycle. I've not gone as hard on market tracking since, largely due to me discovering other avenues of moneymaking--but that was a ton of fun to do. I even set my bank alt that I did the lion's share of my financial work on up as an in-character fiduciary.
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Comment on Recipes for chicken thighs in ~food
Froswald LinkThe following is a quick and dirty approach to boneless skinless thighs I whipped up some time ago: Recipe Ingredients: 6-10 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs 1 Pinch of salt/MSG 3 tbsp apple cider...The following is a quick and dirty approach to boneless skinless thighs I whipped up some time ago:
I'm also partial to soaking them for a few hours in a marinade of dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, ginger and a healthy amount of heat (usually powdered cayenne, but sometimes diced scotch bonnets). It's a simple combination but I've always enjoyed the outcome. I only ever cook breasts if I'm stuffing them, or making something like Chef John's Champagne Chicken: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFkTV6VLwuURecipe
Ingredients:
- 6-10 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 Pinch of salt/MSG
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp dried onion flakes
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Line large baking dish with foil
- Dump chicken thighs into foil-lined dish
- Dump spices on top of chicken
- Mix until coating chicken fairly evenly
- Spread thighs out evenly in dish, don't stack them on top of each other
- Put in oven, bake for 45 minutes
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Comment on Is TV advertising still relevant? Does anybody under 60 even watch traditional TV anymore? in ~tv
Froswald LinkI'm 30 and watch Food Network (mostly the early morning shows and Triple D/G), Toonami, and very rarely another channel on a whim. I grew up without cable until I was 12, so it's a blend of quaint...I'm 30 and watch Food Network (mostly the early morning shows and Triple D/G), Toonami, and very rarely another channel on a whim. I grew up without cable until I was 12, so it's a blend of quaint and refreshing. I'm also the type of person to just constantly listen to music on shuffle or seek a specific song out, so watching pre-programmed channels and occasionally going for a specific show/movie feels natural to me.
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Comment on Linux Distro Recommendations in ~comp
Froswald LinkFor the old machine: I recently got into Q4OS, which tries to be a spiritual successor to Windows XP in design, and is otherwise largely stock Debian. I'm currently running the 64-bit version with...For the old machine: I recently got into Q4OS, which tries to be a spiritual successor to Windows XP in design, and is otherwise largely stock Debian. I'm currently running the 64-bit version with Trinity as my desktop environment on an old Latitude D620 and it works like a charm.
My most modern computer, an Eluktronics MAG-15 I got in 2021 currently runs Windows 10 LTSC, but once that hits EoL I'll be going back to Xubuntu, or perhaps stock Debian with Plasma or Openbox as my desktop environment. Stability is paramount for my main computer needs and I've never had any major issue with it, though I admit I'm somewhere closer to 'Intermediate' rather than 'Arch Aficionado' on the scale of Linux users.
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Comment on Looking for non-political content in ~life
Froswald (edited )LinkI'm a major political junkie so maybe I'm looking for less 'a change of pace' and more 'a chance to recharge' in my apolitical breaks, but I almost always listen to old audiobooks. The more...I'm a major political junkie so maybe I'm looking for less 'a change of pace' and more 'a chance to recharge' in my apolitical breaks, but I almost always listen to old audiobooks. The more talented the speaker, the better--and if it's nonfiction even moreso.
Though right off the top of my head, if you like niche competitions, I came across the Excel World Championship a few months back and after the initial bewilderment, it was pretty fun to watch.
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Comment on xkcd: Machine in ~games
Froswald Link ParentUntil I refreshed I just thought it was a quick little interactive thing. Simple games like this I love, it reminds me of stuff like fallingsandgame or even simpler ones like Interactive Buddy or...Until I refreshed I just thought it was a quick little interactive thing. Simple games like this I love, it reminds me of stuff like fallingsandgame or even simpler ones like Interactive Buddy or Falling Georgie. Plus it runs on my ancient laptop, so I can play it on the go.
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Comment on Insurers use aerial photos to check out roofs or to spot yard debris and undeclared trampolines in ~finance
Froswald Link ParentI look it at how I imagine a lot of people looked at the notion of widespread photography back in the day. Suddenly, any Average Joe with a few bucks could take a snapshot of a person, their...I look it at how I imagine a lot of people looked at the notion of widespread photography back in the day. Suddenly, any Average Joe with a few bucks could take a snapshot of a person, their house, their family, anything and everything that fits in frame. They could do whatever they want with that image more or less. People adapted to limit how much a person with a camera could see--building fences for privacy and not just keeping people and pets out, outdoor coverage via trees or canopies come to mind in the field of 'home defense.'
I don't like that the barrier to entry for aspiring voyeurs, corporate or otherwise has become lower with the advent of relatively cheap drones and ultra high resolution cameras attached to them--let alone satellite cameras. But I don't see a way we can regulate or restrict them without limiting access to the technology overall, and that's never really had any lasting success in the past. To some extent we'll have to adapt again, like people did to photographs, handheld video recording, and now easy access aerial footage.
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Comment on What's a game that you feel is almost great? in ~games
Froswald Link ParentMirror's Edge in general is one of my favorite series in every aspect. Absolutely impeccable art style (though admittedly, moreso in 1 as opposed to Catalyst), sublime music (I've downloaded all...Mirror's Edge in general is one of my favorite series in every aspect. Absolutely impeccable art style (though admittedly, moreso in 1 as opposed to Catalyst), sublime music (I've downloaded all of this channel's 1-hour ambience mixes for both games just because it's an excellent way to get a dose of both aspects so far), and the gameplay is so smooth it's almost natural. I fiercely hope a third is on the way, because I agree with you--a properly made, fleshed out and readily accessible open world city that's fully freerunnable might just objectively peak the genre.
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Comment on What email client do you use? in ~tech
Froswald LinkThunderbird since I'm lazy, but I'd like to swap over to a lighter client on my (very old and feeble) work laptop like Sylpheed. I used to use Claws Mail for a time, but the Windows port was...Thunderbird since I'm lazy, but I'd like to swap over to a lighter client on my (very old and feeble) work laptop like Sylpheed. I used to use Claws Mail for a time, but the Windows port was finicky to set up exactly how I had it on Linux so I opted for the simpler solution. I'm pretty basic when it comes to email (the most complex setup I have in terms of client-side configuration is having multiple aliases available) so my main motivation is to have a nice, clean and orderly wrapper for my mail. When it comes to mobile, I use FairEmail (I used to use K-9 but kept having sync issues) and the default Gmail app as an emergency backup if there's something not working right.
For a provider, it's all Gmail but I do use custom domains so if Google ever really makes me flip it wouldn't be terribly painful to swap to any other provider.
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Comment on Jon Stewart on the false promises of AI in ~tech
Froswald (edited )Link ParentIn his past comments on similar matters (the future of work, UBI to name a few--though I can't recall specific examples so feel free to take this with a grain of salt) he's echoed the sentiment of...In his past comments on similar matters (the future of work, UBI to name a few--though I can't recall specific examples so feel free to take this with a grain of salt) he's echoed the sentiment of people simply not trusting the powers that be to actually follow through on a person-positive alternative to a dwindling job count due to increased productivity. I took his omission of those as alternatives as a tacit acknowledgement or even acceptance that massive companies and at the very least, the US, will not be able or willing to implement something that makes less jobs being available a good thing. Realism perhaps bordering on pessimism, but certainly understandable.
I recently listened to an episode of Stay Tuned with Preet where he interviewed prominent investor and Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla, and to me Khosla's perspective was fairly grounded. AI is going to be revolutionary, it will shutter entire professions, and there will need to be an alternative that is not 'more makework jobs' to handle the sudden glut of workers with obsolete training and a lack of opportunity to actually work for a living. It's definitely not a perspective I've heard by many of his financial caliber, or a political equivalent in the US.
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Comment on Which anime or manga transcend the boundaries of genre and medium? in ~anime
Froswald Link ParentI'm fond of rewatching, reading, playing old media I've largely (but not entirely) forgotten about, but I'm feeling much the same way with respect for Monster, so I'll have to check it out now. So...I'm fond of rewatching, reading, playing old media I've largely (but not entirely) forgotten about, but I'm feeling much the same way with respect for Monster, so I'll have to check it out now. So many people including you have recommended it, and I can enjoy a good character-driven drama as much as bombastic feats. I hope you enjoy your rewatch!
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Comment on Which anime or manga transcend the boundaries of genre and medium? in ~anime
Froswald Link ParentHonestly, the effort to frame the story events as happening in that time frame and utilizing everything from anti-foreigner sentiments in Germany to as you said, Lang's appearance is one of my...Honestly, the effort to frame the story events as happening in that time frame and utilizing everything from anti-foreigner sentiments in Germany to as you said, Lang's appearance is one of my quieter reasons for liking it. It really is just a beautiful movie that felt uniquely made for the type of story the FMA 03 runners wanted to tell.
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Comment on Which anime or manga transcend the boundaries of genre and medium? in ~anime
Froswald Link ParentYou know, I never thought about it with Hellsing, but yeah, you have a good point. It brought brazen gore that was at least uncommon in anime, but then it rather uniquely made it...sexy isn't the...You know, I never thought about it with Hellsing, but yeah, you have a good point. It brought brazen gore that was at least uncommon in anime, but then it rather uniquely made it...sexy isn't the right word, but there's a suggestiveness to the bloodshed which can at times become almost overt that is really in tune with modern, western interpretations of vampires as being alluring danger in a human-shaped package.
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Comment on Which anime or manga transcend the boundaries of genre and medium? in ~anime
Froswald Link ParentI've never seen Monster and it's been ages since I saw Akira, but GITS 95 and FMA 03 are simply sublime. The former's TV series is excellent too, but there's something about GITS 95 that really...I've never seen Monster and it's been ages since I saw Akira, but GITS 95 and FMA 03 are simply sublime. The former's TV series is excellent too, but there's something about GITS 95 that really sets it apart. I suppose because it gives more or less equal weight to the discussions and theorizing about the nature of the self as well as superbly animated action sequences. Really though, the opening sequence--music, shots and all--is a great litmus test for if someone would like the whole movie. If they like that, they're in for a treat.
FMA 03 is quite possibly my favorite anime of all time (depending on mood, FLCL or Samurai Champloo can take that spot instead) because it also manages to buck a lot of established anime trends while being almost unfairly good. A manga adaptation that had to invent a new ending because it outpaced the original work really has no right being as good as it was, but I think it's that exact circumstance that helped FMA 03 do so well. As I remember, Hiromu Arakawa (mangaka/author of the FMA manga for those who don't know) actually had input on the direction FMA 03 was going post-split, and wanted them to tread a different narrative path so it wouldn't just be the same story in a different medium. To this day, the ending of FMA 03 (or rather, its movie conclusion) is one of my favorite pieces of cinema. It keeps with the theme established in the series proper of 'You can't go home, and the path forward is bittersweet--so focus on what you can do' in a beautiful if heartwrenching way, and using 'Lost Heaven' by L'arc en Ciel was a stroke of genius.
Really, I think a common trait for a lot of anime to fit the OP's criteria is how they use music. It, or even the absence of it, is such an important of video media, and I keep seeing people post FLCL (which you could see as an extended music video for The Pillows almost) or Bebop/Champloo (which are practically art pieces with how seamlessly their chosen music genres and art styles are blended.)
Hell, I didn't even get into how FMA 03's original soundtrack is (in my admittedly pleb opinion) up there with Tchaikovsky's work. For anyone who wants to hear some of it, here's just a few examples of pieces that will likely stick with me until I can't remember anymore.
One of my favorite episodes in Champloo is up there in sadness--the one with the cutpurse/pickpocket who was voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch in the dub.
Spoilers just in case anyone hasn't seen Champloo
So many little things made it impactful, be it he and Fuu's growing bond, his stupid mistake that at the same time is totally understandable, and the helplessness Fuu felt when trying to visit his mother afterwards. Using 'Mystline' as the song for that scene took it to a whole other level, but yeah. Champloo brings some tearjerkers with it, even if they're more somber/stoic ones like Jin and the woman forced into prostitution. God I could go on about this series for ages. It might be my favorite Watanabe production, even above Bebop.