Kerry56's recent activity
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Comment on What's your quirk? in ~talk
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Comment on I think I don’t like Pokémon anymore in ~games
Kerry56 LinkI'm a big fan of Mamamoo, and they did a short version of a Pokemon theme in a fan greet a few years back. I was just wondering if many Pokemon fans outside of Korea had seen it. Mamamoo can be...I'm a big fan of Mamamoo, and they did a short version of a Pokemon theme in a fan greet a few years back. I was just wondering if many Pokemon fans outside of Korea had seen it. Mamamoo can be complete off the wall crack-heads, but are always great singers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWMrnQngSeM
Sorry for the off-topic jaunt here, but I rarely see Pokemon fans.
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Comment on Which challenging book was worth the effort for you? in ~books
Kerry56 (edited )LinkThe Trial by Franz Kafka. Frustrating in the extreme... I can remember yelling at the damn book from time to time as I read it. And the ending. Oh man, I fumed about this book for weeks...The Trial by Franz Kafka. Frustrating in the extreme... I can remember yelling at the damn book from time to time as I read it. And the ending. Oh man, I fumed about this book for weeks afterwards. Its message has stuck with me, however, more than the vast majority of books I've read.
Frustrating in a different way were the two books by Mervyn Peake that I've read, called Titus Groan and Gormenghast. Peake was in love with words, and he could describe the contents of a room for several pages. Most readers don't have the patience for his writing, and I don't really blame them, but if you ever find the rhythm of his prose, it is rewarding. Another part of his writing I find unusual is his use of tension in the plot. It builds so slowly, you're barely aware of its existence at first. It builds throughout the novels though, with no relief... rather like a snowball rolling downhill until it becomes an avalanche at the end.
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Comment on Val Kilmer, film star who played Batman and Jim Morrison, dies at 65 (gifted link) in ~movies
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
Kerry56 LinkI've been going back to Wheein's R&B rendition of Home Sweet Home most of this week. She really is outstanding with this style of music, and it's such a huge shift in style from the original, it...I've been going back to Wheein's R&B rendition of Home Sweet Home most of this week. She really is outstanding with this style of music, and it's such a huge shift in style from the original, it just feels like her song now.
The live version is a bit longer. The one on her channel is criminally short.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ocK5q3QEVA -
Comment on What quotes inspire you? in ~talk
Kerry56 Link"A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." Paul Simon I don't know if this inspires me so much as it helps me understand situations that otherwise baffle me."A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." Paul Simon
I don't know if this inspires me so much as it helps me understand situations that otherwise baffle me.
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Comment on In email, Microsoft suggests Windows 10 users trade in or recycle their PC in ~tech
Kerry56 LinkI only have one Windows machine left. The others are running Linux Mint. Since I have two programs that I still need on occasion and they only run on Windows, I held my nose and upgraded my old...I only have one Windows machine left. The others are running Linux Mint.
Since I have two programs that I still need on occasion and they only run on Windows, I held my nose and upgraded my old machine to Windows 11 using Rufus to bypass the hardware checks. It works fine with Windows 11, though I did have to track down audio drivers. Realtek is no help with their onboard audio.
I ran O&O Shutup soon after the install, and I check it after each major update to the system. Honestly, I don't use Windows 11 enough to notice many differences between it and Windows 10. Windows has become an afterthought in my computing life these days.
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Comment on What's the oldest tech you use, and why do you still use it? in ~tech
Kerry56 Link ParentI recently saw a Youtube video on that subject, comparing the power draw of several refrigerators from different eras. One dated back to 1950, a couple more were from the 90's and one was much...I recently saw a Youtube video on that subject, comparing the power draw of several refrigerators from different eras. One dated back to 1950, a couple more were from the 90's and one was much more recent. The modern refrigerator was much more efficient, but it was also much larger, so they had to do a little math and figure out energy usage by cubic feet. One of the 90's models was by far the worst, which was surprising. I thought the 1950 model would lose handily. The other 90's model was not too bad. So, it seems that it is difficult to generalize about them.
Also durability comes into play. An efficient refrigerator that only lasts 7-8 years (on average) is still going to cost more overall than the older ones that keep going. Replacement costs and repair costs of the modern models with their terrible build quality makes the whole scenario difficult to predict.
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Comment on What's the oldest tech you use, and why do you still use it? in ~tech
Kerry56 LinkMy refrigerator was made in 1996 and is still going strong. I occasionally watch DVD's that I burned a couple of decades ago. Earliest of those dates from 2004, I think, though it is becoming far...My refrigerator was made in 1996 and is still going strong.
I occasionally watch DVD's that I burned a couple of decades ago. Earliest of those dates from 2004, I think, though it is becoming far less common for me to use them. And I still play CD's in my truck.
There are at least three storage drives in my backup computers that date to the 2011-2012 era. They haven't shown any signs of deterioration.
And I have a set of headphones that were first on the market in 1983. My set isn't nearly that old, but Koss has never stopped producing them, and they are using the same tech.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
Kerry56 Link ParentSuccess with the Maytag. Very happy with the results.Success with the Maytag. Very happy with the results.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
Kerry56 LinkThis week my washing machine stopped working. It's only had about 4 years of very light use, and yet here we are. It's a Whirlpool, and in my opinion, a pile of hot garbage. It was noisy in spin...This week my washing machine stopped working. It's only had about 4 years of very light use, and yet here we are. It's a Whirlpool, and in my opinion, a pile of hot garbage. It was noisy in spin mode from day one.
I had an ancient Maytag sitting in storage, so I pulled it out and did some research on why it had become unbalanced so easily. Tearing into it, I soon found the issue and I'm waiting on parts. They should come in today. I hope I can fix it, because it is apparent that the build quality is far better in this twenty-eight year old machine.
On a side note, I also fixed the Whirlpool. It has a small electric motor with a lever that switches from agitator mode to spin mode, and though not broken, it had gotten stuck. Which is why the washer wasn't actually washing anything. All plastic parts in this section, and its built to fail. -
Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
Kerry56 LinkIt's been out a while, but I really like Hwasa's song Star and have listened to it several times this week. I like the way this song starts so simply, with just her voice and an acoustic guitar,...It's been out a while, but I really like Hwasa's song Star and have listened to it several times this week. I like the way this song starts so simply, with just her voice and an acoustic guitar, and then gradually grows and fills out.
Hwasa is a member of Mamamoo, and they are some of the best singers in Korea.
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Comment on Has anyone read the books listed in the New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman? in ~books
Kerry56 LinkI've read works by a dozen or more in the list... not many, in other words. And there are a few authors on that list that I dislike intensely.I've read works by a dozen or more in the list... not many, in other words. And there are a few authors on that list that I dislike intensely.
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Comment on Tildes worldbuilding thread in ~creative
Kerry56 LinkI have two different universes in my novels. My first one was built around the standard idea of gates uniting worlds across the galaxy, though there are a couple of twists. The Gate Builders in...I have two different universes in my novels. My first one was built around the standard idea of gates uniting worlds across the galaxy, though there are a couple of twists. The Gate Builders in this universe are long vanished, and those using the gates don't really understand them or control them well. And the gate on Earth is partially ruined, and no longer has a physical site, but rather, appears for only brief moments and tends to send people, animals and everything else to random gates across what I call The Web of Worlds.
My first three novels are centered on one world in the Web, called Maailma. It is one of only five worlds that has a leftover from the Builders when they abandoned their project to build and expand their gate network. This is a tool they used in terraforming, but which allows certain people with talent to manipulate matter and energy with their minds. Humans aren't the only ones who can access this power, which is called Mahti. Two other things of note about the world Maailma are that it connects to other worlds in the Web only at long intervals, and even then just briefly, and Maailma has few metallic ores, and so technology there is limited.
The three novels based on Maailma are loosely connected and focus on characters who can use Mahti. Both men and women who access the power are called mages. At the moment, I only have one novel published featuring more technologically advanced societies in the Web of Worlds, though I have two others finished and I'll be publishing them soon. This latter trilogy has relic hunters as the main characters.
My second universe is built around a future Earth that has suffered a partial collapse of civilization through limited nuclear wars, followed by economic chaos, starvation of much of the population, and a retreat into barbarism across much of the planet. Most of the world governments were taken over by corporations just before the collapse, and those areas of the world where civilization still exists are controlled by these corporations and the families that run them. My story starts some sixty years after the collapse, and follows the story of a scavenger in California who is hunting technology that was developed just before the world came apart at the seams. Her grandmother was a scientist involved in that process, and the scavie, Lena Reyes, hopes that if she can locate the lab where it was discovered, it will help her gain entry into one of the only enclaves of civilization left on the west coast of North America. There are two novels in this short series.
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Comment on Audio enthusiasts share your audio setups in ~hobbies
Kerry56 Link ParentI'm not sure how to post pics here on Tildes, so I'll link a post I made over at Head-fi when I modified my HE-R9. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/modding-the-hifiman-he-r9.970170/ There are three...I'm not sure how to post pics here on Tildes, so I'll link a post I made over at Head-fi when I modified my HE-R9.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/modding-the-hifiman-he-r9.970170/There are three pics in the first post and an explanation of the process.
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Comment on Audio enthusiasts share your audio setups in ~hobbies
Kerry56 LinkI have a Grace Audio SDAC and a Cavalli Liquid Spark headphone amp hooked to my computer. This combo works well with Mint Linux by the way. My main set of headphones is a JM Audio XTC Open back....I have a Grace Audio SDAC and a Cavalli Liquid Spark headphone amp hooked to my computer. This combo works well with Mint Linux by the way.
My main set of headphones is a JM Audio XTC Open back. These headphones are tuned by the manufacturer to your specifications when you order them, and my pair is set to Warm, but Detailed. They come with three pair of pads, and I'm currently using the basic pleathor pads for maximum bass response, not that you will get massive amounts of bass from any open back.
My other open back is a Philips Fidelio X2, which has a more expansive sound and a warmer tone than the XTC, but can't match the XTC in overall clarity or detail reproduction. I suppose my Koss Porta Pros also count as open back, but I rarely use them these days, as they are a bit too muddy in comparison to my other sets.
The best closed back headphone I have right now is a Denon AH-D5200. It is a very handsome set, and has a middle of the road sound signature that appeals to most. It isn't as bassy as many claim and I like it for its smooth, relaxed tone. My Creative Aurvana Live! is a long-time favorite closed back, with a warm enveloping sound, and is easily the best headphone for less than $100 that I've heard.
And we come to the last in the collection, which is a HiFiman HE-R9. Straight out of the box, I wouldn't recommend these to anyone. They had very odd, echo prone plastic cups and so much bass, it drowned out everything else. I did some major surgery with mine, and turned them into semi-open headphones with some cherry wood cups that I made. Decent sound now, though still a little heavy on bass, which can be fun when I'm in the mood for that sound. No sense having multiple headphones if they all sound the same.
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Comment on What video game mods do you play, or have played in the past? in ~games
Kerry56 LinkFreelancer was a space based action adventure game that spawned a lot of different mods. The one I played the most was called Frontier Space. It expanded the number of systems and brought in a lot...Freelancer was a space based action adventure game that spawned a lot of different mods. The one I played the most was called Frontier Space. It expanded the number of systems and brought in a lot of new factions and new ships. What I liked the most about the mod when I first started playing it was the the quest built into the mod. There was a purpose to your actions and exploration of the expanded universe. The mod had a multiplayer option, but I always played alone.
I lost count of the hours I spent in that mod, but I'm certain I left no corner unexplored by the time I moved on.
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Comment on Besides Shawshank Redemption, what films do you like that feature grit, resilience, endurance under hostile circumstances? in ~movies
Kerry56 LinkThe African Queen. Great performances from both Humphry Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. Cool Hand Luke has been mentioned, but it is worth a second recommendation. My favorite movie from the 1960's....The African Queen.
Great performances from both Humphry Bogart and Katherine Hepburn.Cool Hand Luke has been mentioned, but it is worth a second recommendation. My favorite movie from the 1960's.
A very different, newer movie you might want to watch is Sisu. Over the top violence, so that might not be your preference.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tv
Kerry56 LinkM * A * S * H WKRP in Cincinnati Northern Exposure Gilmore Girls Buffy the Vampire Slayer Firefly The Wire Rome Band of Brothers The Expanse And now for an unusual category: Korean TV shows Goblin...M * A * S * H
WKRP in Cincinnati
Northern Exposure
Gilmore Girls
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Firefly
The Wire
Rome
Band of Brothers
The ExpanseAnd now for an unusual category: Korean TV shows
Goblin
It's Ok to not be OK
Hotel del Luna
Weight Lifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Extraordinary Attorney Woo -
Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Kerry56 LinkMy 2004 Toyota Tacoma has been the most reliable, useful vehicle I've ever owned. It just seems bulletproof so far, and I haul heavy loads with it about twice a month. It is also easy to work on,...My 2004 Toyota Tacoma has been the most reliable, useful vehicle I've ever owned. It just seems bulletproof so far, and I haul heavy loads with it about twice a month. It is also easy to work on, with lots of space inside the engine compartment. Virtually every modern vehicle I've seen has been cram packed in the engine compartment, or even completely covered with plastic, so my old Tacoma is a joy for anyone who likes to tinker.
I have a 14" Delta band saw that is a pleasure to use also. It was made in 1957, and I can still get replacement parts for most of it, though the original stand is no longer made. It is solid cast-iron, and absorbs vibration so well you can barely feel it on the top of the worktable.
When I put on my socks, I always put them on my left foot first. Trying to do it the opposite way makes me feel uncomfortable, and I have to start over. The left shoe has to go on first also.
Yes, I know, a little weird.